Development of a laser-based measurement system for evaluation of the scraping workpiece quality

A laser-based measurement system for evaluation of the scraping workpiece quality that can eliminate contact-induced measurement errors and increase measurement accuracy is proposed. The laser-based measurement system comprises a light-scattering-type triangulation laser, a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) card. The triangulation laser measures the depth of the scraping spots and the CNC machine tool locates their position. The 3D data of the scraping workpiece is then drawn using the least squares method. Cast iron and Turcite workpieces can be measured. Five parameters of the scraping workpiece, namely peak points per square inch, percentage of points, distribution of heights of points or depth of surroundings, edge shape of the grooves, and flatness, can be evaluated. The scanning rate and sampling rate of the laser-based measurement system are 100 mm/s and 10 KHz, respectively. In the future, an appliance machine based on the proposed system will be designed for the on-line detection of scraping workpieces.     

Efficient broadband silicon-on-insulator grating coupler with low backreflection

We design and fabricate an efficient broadband grating coupler on a 400 nm thick silicon-on-insulator wafer. The measured coupling loss is 3 dB when coupling to a single-mode fiber at 1310 nm wavelength with TE polarization. The spectral FWHM and backreflection are determined to be 58 nm and -27 dB, respectively.     

Application of macroautoradiography and instantimage in radiopharmaceutical research

The evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of pure, beta radiopharmaceuticals is not possible with scintigraphy. Both whole-body autoradiography (WBAR) and Packard Instantimager, a device for rapid imaging, were used to study the whole body distribution of γ- and β-emitting radionuclides (^99mTc-MDP,^99mTc-sulfur colloid, or¹⁸⁸Re-HEDP), and results obtained from both methods were compared. The biodistribution of^99mTc-MDP and¹⁸⁸Re-HEDP were seen mainly in bones including skull, spine, and vertebrae of spine and cardiac and skeletal muscles. The^99mTc-sulfur colloid localized in liver, bone marrow, and spleen. The resolution of WBAR is superior than that of Packard Instantimager. However, the advantage of Packard Instantimager is that rapid imaging within few minutes is possible with it, while WBAR imaging requires several hours to days.     

Quantitative screening and matrix effect studies of drug discovery compounds in monkey plasma using fast-gradient liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

A higher-throughput bioanalytical method based on fast-gradient (1 min run time) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was developed for screen-type analyses of plasma samples from early drug discovery studies in support of exploratory pharmacodynamic studies. The HPLC system equipped with minibore column was interfaced with either atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) or electrospray (ESI) ionization techniques. The matrix ion suppression effect of both quantitative HPLC/MS/MS analyses was compared using the post-column infusion system. The use of the described methods provided advantages such as a shorter chromatographic region of ion suppression, less solvent consumption and shorter run times in comparison with standard analytical column HPLC/MS/MS methods. The analytical results obtained by both HPLC/MS/MS methods were in good agreement (within 15% of error) and displayed a good correlation with the pharmacodynamic outcome.     

Crystal structure and electrical conductivity of cubic fluorite-based (YO1.5) x (WO3)0.15(BiO1.5)0.85- x (0?≤ ?x ≤?0.4) solid solutions

(WO₃)_0.15(BiO_1.5)_0.85 exhibits a tetragonal structure derived from the fluorite subcell. The electrical conductivity of (WO₃)_0.15(BiO_1.5)_0.85 is lower than that of Y₂O₃-doped Bi₂O₃. The structure and electrical conductivity of samples formulated as (YO_1.5) _x (WO₃)_0.15(BiO_1.5)_{0.85- x} (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) were investigated. The as-sintered (YO_1.5)_0.1(WO₃)_0.15(BiO_1.5)_0.75 exhibited a single cubic structure that is isostructural with δ-Bi₂O₃. For x = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4, the as-sintered samples consisted of a cubic fluorite structure and rhombohedral Y₆WO₁₂. After heat treatment at 600 °C for 200 h, the cubic structures are stable for x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.4. A transformation from cubic to rhombohedral phase after heat treatment at 600 °C for 200 h was observed in the sample originally formulated as (YO_1.5)_0.2(WO₃)_0.15(BiO_1.5)_0.65.     

Solvent Effects on Aza‐anionic Cycloaromatization of 2‐(2‐Substituted‐ethynyl)benzonitriles

The methanolysis of 2‐(2‐aryl ethynyl)benzonitriles is accelerated when the polar aprotic solvents are added, which could enhance the 6‐endo pathway and give isoquinolones, though the 5‐exo pathway is occupied mostly. The yields of products would also be in creased.     

Graft interpenetrating polymer networks of polyurethane and epoxy. I. mechanical behavior

Polyurethanes (PU) based on poly(butylene adipate) [PU(PBA)] and poly(oxypropylene) [PU(PPG)] polyols have bean introduced into the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (epoxy) to form interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with a PU-grafted epoxy structure (graft-IPNs). The tensile strength in both PU(PPG)/epoxy and PU(PBA)/epoxy systems increases with increasing PU content. Maximum values emerge at PU/epoxy ratios between 19/81 and 27/73. This is explained as a result of the presence of the graft structure, which leads to more intimate interpenetration between the PU and epoxy in the graft-IPNs. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicates that the PU introduced can be incorporated in either the α or β transition domain of the epoxy. The tensile strength of the resulting graft-IPNs shows a significant improvement as the PU is incorporated in the α transition domain of the epoxy. It is also noted that suitable amounts of PU incorporated in both the α and β transition domains of epoxy can increase the tensile strength of the IPNs, while excessive amounts of PU introduced into both α or β transition domains tend to decrease the tensile strength of the graft-IPNs.     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of light‐emitting copolyfluorenes slightly doped with distyrylbenzene derivatives

Copolyfluorenes PFG1～PFG4 slightly doped with 0.006–0.5 mol % of 2,5‐dihexyloxy‐1,4‐bis(2‐phenyl‐2‐cyanovinyl)benzene (green chromophore) were synthesized by the Suzuki coupling reaction to be evaluated as hosts for white‐light electroluminescent (EL) devices. Their optical, thermal and electrochemical properties were almost identical to those of polyfluorene ( PF ) due to minimal chromophore content. However, the electroluminescent (EL) spectra of the PFGn were very different from photoluminescence spectra in film state. Relative intensity of green emission (ca. 521 nm) in EL spectra are much stronger than those in PL spectra, which can be attributed to charges trapping in the chromophores due to its narrow band gap (E_g ≈ 2.56 eV). The performance of EL devices [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer/Ca (50 nm)/Al (100 nm)] were improved with an increase in chromophore content. The PFG4 device revealed the best performance (6790 cd/m², 1.69 cd/A), and the PFG1 and PFG2 devices exhibited comparable intensity in blue and green emissions. Blend EL devices were fabricated by using the PFGn as the hosts and a red iridium complex [Ir(piq)₂(acac)] as dopant. By controlling the amount of the iridium complex, the white‐light emitting device was achieved with PFG2 , with maximum brightness and CIE coordinate being 4120 cd/m² and (0.31, 0.28), respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 149–160, 2009     

Future teachers’ competence to plan a lesson: first results of a six-country study on the efficiency of teacher education

The study "Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21)" focuses beyond others on the measurement of teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). GPK is regarded as a latent construct embedded in a larger theory of teachers’ professional competence. It is laid out how GPK was defined and operationalized. As part of an international comparison GPK was measured with several complex vignettes. In the present paper, the results of future mathematics teachers’ knowledge from four countries (Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US) with very different teacher-education systems are presented. Significant and relevant differences between the four countries as well as between future teachers at the beginning and at the end of teacher education were found. The results are discussed with reference to cultural discourses about teacher education.     

Production of carrier-free 188Re in the past ten years in Taiwan

Twenty clinical scale alumina-based ¹⁸⁸W/¹⁸⁸Re generators and carrier-free ¹⁸⁸Re has been produced at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER-Taiwan) for over ten years. 2845.6 GBq (76.9 Ci) of ¹⁸⁸Re-perrhenate solution has been eluted from generators during the past ten years. We have used the harvesting ¹⁸⁸Re solution for labeling radiopharmaceuticals, such as ¹⁸⁸Re-HEDP, ¹⁸⁸Re-MDP, ¹⁸⁸Re-microsphere, ¹⁸⁸Re-lipiodol, and ¹⁸⁸Re-sulfur colloid, etc. The average eluting yield of ¹⁸⁸Re is 78.6±5.8% that was investigated at 1115 harvesting times from 20 generators. Each generator can be used more than six months but the Millipore needs to be changed every two months for smooth harvesting and high yield of ¹⁸⁸Re solution.