NorTRACK product tracking system—development and implementation

This paper presents the experience gained by developers and users with implementation and operation of NorTRACK^TM, a real-time computerized product tracking system. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) collects and transfers data in real time to NorTRACK’s Oracle^TM database on a Windows NT^TM server network. After extensive development and Beta testing at MDS Nordion’s Canadian Irradiation Centre in Montreal, Canada, NorTRACK was installed in January 1997 with a new irradiation facility in Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc.’s Albuquerque plant in the United States. NorTRACK communicates with the irradiator control and safety system, the plant's central manufacturing database, an innovative pallet staging and tote loading robot, and an automated dosimetry reading system. This integrated system allows the sterilization facility to monitor the irradiator operation and the flow of many products, through varied processing modes, continuously and reliably. As a result of operating with NorTRACK, both MDS Nordion’s CIC facility and the Endo-Surgery manufacturing site, are beginning to realize unique benefits in their respective operations. MDS Nordion is also initiating several future product enhancements and additional productivity modules. This paper describes the NorTRACK system, the various stages of the development project and Beta tests, and the experience of the users to date in their operations.     

Polyrotaxanes by free‐radical polymerization of acrylate and methacrylate monomers in the presence of a crown ether

Poly[(methyl acrylate)‐rotaxa‐(30‐crown‐10)] ( 5 ) and poly[(methyl methacrylate)‐rotaxa‐(30‐crown‐10)] ( 6 ) were synthesized by azobisisobutyronitrile‐initiated free‐radical bulk polymerizations of the respective monomers in the presence of 30‐crown‐10 ( 1 ; equimolar; 5 times the monomer mass). For 5 , 3.8 mass % (0.81 mol % with respect to the monomer) of the crown was incorporated versus 1.7 mass % (0.39 mol % with respect to the monomer) for 6 . Control reactions with 18‐crown‐6, which is to small to be threaded, showed that chain transfer to the crown ethers was detectable only for the acrylate but was relatively negligible and spectroscopically distinct. The threading yields were much higher with these systems than with polystyrene, most likely because of the greater compatibility of the crown ether with these polar monomers and polymers and the consequent ability to carry out the polymerizations homogeneously in the absence of added solvent; however, the threading process was still essentially statistical. Therefore, the polymerization of methacrylate monomers 8a – 8c based on tetraarylmethane moieties connected via diethyleneoxy or triethyleneoxy spacers was examined in the presence of 1 in the belief that the supramolecular semirotaxane monomer 9 formed statistically in situ could be captured more efficiently and produce higher threading yields, presumably of side‐chain polyrotaxanes, than the simple (meth)acrylate monomers. Azobisisobutyronitrile‐initiated polymerizations either neat or in toluene produced polyrotaxanes 10 with up to about 1.6 mass % and 2 mol % threaded crown ether, presumably trapped on the pendant stoppered side chains. Although primarily statistical in nature, the latter rotaxane syntheses afforded on a molar basis 3–7 times more efficient incorporation of 1 than styrene (0.33 mol %), methyl acrylate (0.81 mol %), or methyl methacrylate (0.39 mol %) monomers for the preparation of main‐chain polypseudorotaxanes and indeed even surpassed the 60‐crown‐20/polyacrylonitrile system (1.5 mol %). This was presumed to be due to the fact that the loss of the crown ether, once it was threaded onto the monomer to form 9 and the latter was polymerized, was either retarded (by the tetraphenylmethyl stopper in 10a ) or prevented completely [by tris(p‐t‐butylphenyl)phenylmethyl stoppers in 10b and 10c ]. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1978–1993, 2001     

First observation ofΩ * resonances

In a experiment at the CERN SPS charged hyperon beam using incident Ξ^?, we have obtained evidence for the production of two Ω^* resonances decaying into Ξ^?π⁺ K ^?, with the following parameters:M ₁=2251±12,Γ ₁=48±20 MeV/c², 78 ±23 events, andM ₂=2284±12,Γ ₂=26±23 MeV/c² 45±10 events. The first state is also observed as a 4.2σ effect in a subsample which contains an additionalK ⁺ orK ⁰ in the final state. Production cross sections and branching ratios to Ξ^* K ^? and Ξ^? K ^* are presented.     

Disproof of a conjecture on assignment functions

A recent conjecture by Brualdi, Hartfiel and Hwang for the upper bound of assignment functions on their corresponding polytopes is shown to be false.     

Generation and characterization of stable, highly concentrated titanium dioxide nanoparticle aerosols for rodent inhalation studies

The intensive use of nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles in many different applications necessitates studies on their risk assessment as there are still open questions on their safe handling and utilization. For reliable risk assessment, the interaction of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NP) with biological systems ideally needs to be investigated using physico-chemically uniform and well-characterized NP. In this article, we describe the reproducible production of TiO₂ NP aerosols using spark ignition technology. Because currently no data are available on inhaled NP in the 10?C50 nm diameter range, the emphasis was to generate NP as small as 20 nm for inhalation studies in rodents. For anticipated in vivo dosimetry analyses, TiO₂ NP were radiolabeled with ⁴⁸V by proton irradiation of the titanium electrodes of the spark generator. The dissolution rate of the ⁴⁸V label was about 1% within the first day. The highly concentrated, polydisperse TiO₂ NP aerosol (3?C6 × 10⁶ cm^?3) proved to be constant over several hours in terms of its count median mobility diameter, its geometric standard deviation, and number concentration. Extensive characterization of NP chemical composition, physical structure, morphology, and specific surface area was performed. The originally generated amorphous TiO₂ NP were converted into crystalline anatase TiO₂ NP by thermal annealing at 950 °C. Both crystalline and amorphous 20-nm TiO₂ NP were chain agglomerated/aggregated, consisting of primary particles in the range of 5 nm. Disintegration of the deposited TiO₂ NP in lung tissue was not detectable within 24 h.     

Enhanced ethanol sensing properties of WO3 modified TiO2 nanorods

Pristine and WO₃ decorated TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) were synthesised to investigate n-n-type heterojunction gas sensing properties. TiO₂ NRs were fabricated via hydrothermal method on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass (FTO) substrates. Then, tungsten was sputtered on the TiO₂ NRs and thermally oxidised to obtain WO₃ nanoparticles. The heterostructure was characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Fabricated sensor devices were exposed to VOCs such as toluene, xylene, acetone and ethanol, and humidity at different operation temperatures. Experimental results demonstrated that the heterostructure has better sensor response toward ethanol at 200 °C. Enhanced sensing properties are attributed to the heterojunction formation by decorating TiO₂ NRs with WO₃.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Decomposition of (NH4)2[Mo6Cl14] · H2O

(NH₄)₂[Mo₆Cl₁₄] · H₂O ( 1 ) was prepared from reactions of MoCl₂ in ethanol with aqueous NH₄Cl solution. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group I2/a (no. 15), Z = 4 with a = 912.3(1), b = 1491.2(2), c = 1724.8(2) pm, β = 92.25(1)°; R1 = 0.023 (based on F values) and wR2 = 0.059 (based on F² values), for all measured X‐ray reflections. The structure of the cluster anion can be given as [(Mo₆Cl)Cl]^2– (i = inner, a = outer ligands). Thermal stability studies show that 1 loses crystal water followed by the loss of NH₄Cl above 350 °C to yield MoCl₂. The water‐free compound (NH₄)₂[Mo₆Cl₁₄] ( 2 ) was synthesized by solid state reaction of MoCl₂ and NH₄Cl in a sealed quartz ampoule at 270 °C. No single‐crystals could be obtained. Decompositions of 1 and 2 under nitrogen and argon exhibited the loss of NH₄Cl at about 350 °C. Decomposition under NH₃ resulted in the formation of MoN and Mo₂N at 540 °C and 720 °C, respectively.     

Gas-phase oxidation of Cm+ and Cm2+ --thermodynamics of neutral and ionized CmO

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was employed to study the products and kinetics of gas-phase reactions of Cm (+) and Cm (2+); parallel studies were carried out with La (+/2+), Gd (+/2+) and Lu (+/2+). Reactions with oxygen-donor molecules provided estimates for the bond dissociation energies, D[M (+)-O] (M = Cm, Gd, Lu). The first ionization energy, IE[CmO], was obtained from the reactivity of CmO (+) with dienes, and the second ionization energies, IE[MO (+)] (M = Cm, La, Gd, Lu), from the rates of electron-transfer reactions from neutrals to the MO (2+) ions. The following thermodynamic quantities for curium oxide molecules were obtained: IE[CmO] = 6.4 +/- 0.2 eV; IE[CmO (+)] = 15.8 +/- 0.4 eV; D[Cm-O] = 710 +/- 45 kJ mol (-1); D[Cm (+)-O] = 670 +/- 40 kJ mol (-1); and D[Cm (2+)-O] = 342 +/- 55 kJ mol (-1). Estimates for the M (2+)-O bond energies for M = Cm, La, Gd, and Lu are all intermediate between D[N 2-O] and D[OC-O] - that is, 167 kJ mol (-1) < D[M (2+)-O] < 532 kJ mol (-1) - such that the four MO (2+) ions fulfill the thermodynamic requirement for catalytic oxygen-atom transport from N2O to CO. It was demonstrated that the kinetics are also favorable and that the CmO (2+), LaO (2+), GdO (2+), and LuO (2+) dipositive ions each catalyze the gas-phase oxidation of CO to CO2 by N2O. The CmO 2 (+) ion appeared during the reaction of Cm (+) with O 2 when the intermediate, CmO (+), was not collisionally cooled - although its formation is kinetically and/or thermodynamically unfavorable, CmO 2 (+) is a stable species.     

Ξ Resonances in Ξ− Be interactions II. Properties of Ξ(1820) and Ξ(1960) in the\Lambda \bar K^0 and\Sigma ^0 \bar K^0 channels

In an experiment at the CERN-SPS charged hyperon beam, we have investigated the inclusive \(\Lambda \bar K^0 \) and \(\Sigma ^0 \bar K^0 \) final states formed in Ξ^? Be interactions. In the \(\Lambda \bar K^0 \) channel, we observe a signal at 1826 MeV/c² which can be identified with the known Ξ(1820) resonance. We determine its mass and width to be:M=1826±4 MeV/c², Г=12±14 MeV/c². A moment analysis is consistent with a spin of 3/2 and indicates a negative parity for this spin assignment. Also in the \(\Lambda \bar K^0 \) channel, we observe a 3.6σ signal with the following parameters:M=1963±5 MeV/c², Г=25±15 MeV/c². This state, which we call Ξ(1960), is not observed in the \(\Sigma ^0 \bar K^0 \) channel, leading to an upper limit on the ratio of partial widths \(\Sigma \bar K/\Lambda \bar K\) of 2.3 (90% confidence level). A moment analysis of the \(\Lambda \bar K^0 \) final state indicates a spin of 5/2 or greater in the natural spin-parity series 5/2⁺, 7/2^?, etc.