Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell with electrophoretic deposition-derived electrolyte operated under single-chamber conditions and a methane–air mixture

In this study, samaria-doped ceria (Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9, SDC) thin film is deposited on the Ni-SDC support by employing the electrophoretic deposition technique. Various factors are considered for the deposition of SDC films. The corresponding microstructure of the deposited SDC film is examined and correlated to the electrochemical performance as a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell (sc-SOFC). It is found that the microstructure of the SDC film mainly relates to the particle size of SDC. After heat treatment, highly dense SDC film is obtained with the deposition condition of 5 g L⁻¹ of the SDC suspension (average grain size of SDC, 248 nm), 60 V as the applied potential, and the deposition time of 1 min (18 μm in thickness). For the Ni-SDC/SDC/SSC cell, an open circuit potential of 0.92 V and peak power density of 155 mW cm⁻² can be obtained at the furnace temperature of 500 °C.     

Statistical appearance of nonuniform fluctuations in a wide-gap n-n-n-n device

A cross-correlation matrix applied for restoring the doping profile in an n⁺-n⁻-n-n⁺ device was reported recently [Y.-H. Shiau, Solid-State Electron. 50 (2006) 191]. In this paper we will show that this statistical method is very useful for detecting the dynamical processes embedded in semiconductor devices. In addition, extraction of nonuniform fluctuations hidden in this wide-gap semiconductor device could be helpful for clarifying the previous studies on several competing instabilities in InSb at 77 K [A. ?enys, G. Lasiene, K. Pyragas, Solid-State Electron. 35 (1992) 975; H. Ito, Y. Ueda, Phys. Lett. A 280 (2001) 312]. A general discussion about the application of the cross-correlation matrix to other pattern-forming systems is also given in the present study.     

Longitudinal study of iodine in toenails following IV administration of an iodine-containing contrast agent

The literature on the relationship between diet and thyroid cancer (TC) risk and the higher incidence of TC among Asian immigrants to the US compared to second and third generation subgroups has prompted epidemiologists to hypothesize that increased levels of iodine consumption may be associated with TC risk, particularly among persons with a history of clinical or subclinical thyroid dysfunction. At the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), we have applied epiboron neutron activation analysis to investigate human nails as a dietary monitor for iodine. Preliminary studies have indicated a positive correlation between dietary iodine intake and the concentration of iodine in toenails. However, these studies are confounded by high iodine levels (up to 30 ppm) in approximately 5% of the nails studied. We hypothesize that, in the subjects we have studied, the high iodine levels may be due to iodine-containing medications, in particular contrast-agents containing iopamidol. This paper will report on longitudinal studies using contrast agent subjects who were followed-up for almost two years compared to a longitudinal control and a population mean. Based on this study, we suggest that iodine-containing contrast agents contaminate nail samples via non-specific binding in the short term followed by incorporation in the nail as a result of absorption.     

Lattice Vibrations of Imidazole Crystals

Abstract

Polarized low-frequency Raman spectra of imidazole single crystals were measured with a He-Ne laser source. A new band at 172 cm^?1 (Bg) was observed. An assignment for the lattice vibrations of imidazole crystals is proposed on the bases of this Raman data and far-infrared spectral data of Perchard and Novak, as well as the preliminary results calculated from Harada's and Williams' potentials.     

Synthesis and characterization of miniemulsion copolymers of methyl methacrylate (or styrene) and stearyl methacrylate

The copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) (or styrene (ST))/stearyl methacrylate (SMA) obtained from miniemulsion polymerization were prepared and characterized. All the miniemulsions showed satisfactory colloidal stability upon aging due to the effectively retarded Ostwald ripening by the reactive costabilizer SMA. In subsequent miniemulsion copolymerizations, monomer droplet nucleation predominated in the particle formation process, but homogeneous nucleation could not be ruled out even at such high levels of SMA (20–50 wt.%). The contact angle first increased rapidly and then leveled off when the SMA content increased from 20 to 50 wt.% for both the copolymers of MMA/SMA and ST/SMA. At constant level of SMA, the copolymer of MMA/SMA with a less hydrophobic composition showed a larger contact angle compared to the ST/SMA counterpart. The contact angle (103 ± 1°) of the copolymer MMA/SMA (50/50 w/w) was comparable to that (104°) of PSMA. A schematic model was proposed to explain the experimental results.     

Error bounds for monotone linear complementarity problems

We give a bound on the distance between an arbitrary point and the solution set of a monotone linear complementarity problem in terms of a condition constant that depends on the problem data only and a residual function of the violations of the complementary problem conditions by the point considered. When the point satisfies the linear inequalities of the complementarity problem, the residual consists of the complementarity condition plus its square root. This latter term is essential and without it the error bound cannot hold. We also show that another natural residual that has been employed to bound errors for strictly monotone linear complementarity problems fails to bound errors for the monotone case considered here. Sponsored by the United States Army under contract No. DAAG29-80-C-0041. This material is based on research sponsored by National Foundation Grant DCR-8420963 and Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant AFOSR-ISSA-85-00080.     

Efficient computer search of large-order multiple recursive pseudo-random number generators

Utilizing some results in number theory, we propose an efficient method to speed up the computer search of large-order maximum-period Multiple Recursive Generators (MRGs). We conduct the computer search and identify many efficient and portable MRGs of order up to 25,013, which have the equi-distribution property in up to 25,013 dimensions and the period lengths up to 10^233,361 approximately. In addition, a theoretical test is adopted to further evaluate and compare these generators. An extensive empirical study shows that these generators behave well when tested with the stringent Crush battery of the test package TestU01.     

Low-light-level cross-phase modulation with double slow light pulses

We report on the first experimental demonstration of low-light-level cross-phase modulation (XPM) with double slow light pulses based on the double electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in cold cesium atoms. The double EIT is implemented with two control fields and two weak fields that drive populations prepared in the two doubly spin-polarized states. Group velocity matching can be obtained by tuning the intensity of either of the control fields. The XPM is based on the asymmetric M-type five-level system formed by the two sets of EIT. Enhancement in the XPM by group velocity matching is observed. Our work advances studies of low-light-level nonlinear optics based on double slow light pulses.     

Dynamic response of a rotating ball screw subject to a moving regenerative force in grinding

This paper investigates the dynamic response of a rotating ball screw subjected to a moving regenerative force. The rotating ball screw is modeled as a rotating Timoshenko shaft with simply supports. The moving regenerative force describes the nonlinear interactions including the effects of wheel wear, time-delay, and the possibility of contact loss between the grinding wheel head and screw. The assumed mode method together with Runge–Kutta method is employed to analyze the system dynamic response. The total grinding depth is suggested to divide into several passes from rough grinding to fine grinding for obtaining fine surface. The effect of parameters such as the depth of cut and the rotational speeds of grinding wheel and screw are discussed for each pass. The numerical results show that the critical depth of cut depends on the rotational speeds of screw and grinding wheel. If the more the depth of cut is smaller than the critical depth of cut, the earlier the chatter occurs and the faster the vibration grows.