Reduction of Entrained Hydroxy Species in Ormosil Films for Integrated Optics

Organically modified silicates (ormosils) have been viewed as possible materials for optical signal processing devices for communications networks. One significant problem obstructing their use in this application is the absorption of infrared light by hydroxy species (present for example in silanol groups (SiOH) and water) around the communications wavelengths (1310 and 1550 nm). We have investigated several ormosil compositions, synthesised via an aqueous sol-gel method, to determine if residual hydroxy groups can be removed more effectively via reducing the connectivity of the material by increasing the number of organic groups (such as Si—CH₃). Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of different inert atmospheres on the drying process. It was found that reducing the connectivity does promote the removal of hydroxy absorption, mainly via the condensation of residual silanol groups, but also by removal of residual water, depending on the other precursors in the system. It was also found that the drying atmosphere used (nitrogen or helium) had no effect on the drying process.     

Methods for implementing the stream boundary condition in DSMC computations

In the direct simulation Monte‐Carlo (DSMC) method for simulating rarefied gas flows, the velocities of simulator particles that cross a simulation boundary and enter the simulation space are typically generated using the acceptance–rejection procedure that samples the velocities from a truncated theoretical velocity distribution that excludes low and high velocities. This paper analyses an alternative technique, where the velocities of entering particles are obtained by extending the simulation procedures to a region adjacent to the simulation space, and considering the movement of particles generated within that region during the simulation time step. The alternative method may be considered as a form of acceptance–rejection procedure, and permits the generation of all possible velocities, although the population of high velocities is depleted with respect to the theoretical distribution. Nevertheless, this is an improvement over the standard acceptance–rejection method. Previous implementations of the alternative method gave a number flux lower than the theoretical number required. Two methods for obtaining the correct number flux are presented. For upstream boundaries in high‐speed flows, the alternative method is more computationally efficient than the acceptance–rejection method. However, for downstream boundaries, the alternative method is extremely inefficient. The alternative method, with the correct theoretical number flux, should therefore be used in DSMC computations in favour of the acceptance–rejection method for upstream boundaries in high‐speed flows. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on the Binding Characteristic of S-Naproxen Imprinted Polymer and the Interactions between Templates and Monomers

S-naproxen imprinted polymer was prepared with acrylamide as a functional monomer, 1,4-butanediyl diacrylate as a new kind of crossliner, and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphenyl-phosphinic acid ethyl ester as photoinitiator. Their UV and IR spectra were applied to study the interactions between the template and the monomer. Binding experiments showed that the S-naproxen imprinted polymer had better recognition capability for the template than that of a blank polymer. The adsorption distribution coefficient KD of S-naproxen on molecularly-imprinted polymer was 153.2 g/mL, and the separation factor was 1.95 when the initial concentration of substrate was 2.0 mmol/L. Scatchard curves suggested that there were two classes of binding sites in the imprinted polymer and only one class in the blank polymer. Computer simulation using Hyperchem showed the existence of the interactions between the template and the functional monomer as well as the models of the complexes formed by the template and the monomer.     

Cauchy problems for linear thermoelastic systems of type III in one space variable

The goal of the paper is to analyse properties of solutions for linear thermoelastic systems of type III in one space variable. Our approach does not use energy methods, it bases on a special diagonalization procedure which is different in different parts of the phase space. This procedure allows to derive explicit representations of solutions. These representations help to prove results for well‐posedness of the Cauchy problem, L^P–L^q decay estimates on the conjugate line and results for propagation of singularities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

D. Liu and X. Zhu,Erratum to: “Fractional chromatic number and circular chromatic number for distance graphs with large clique size”. Journal of Graph Theory47(2) 2004, 129–146

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Journal of Graph Theory 47:129–146,2004 .     

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing naphthalene moieties obtained by direct copolymerization as novel polymers for proton exchange membranes

A series of sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SPAEKs) were prepared by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation of 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene with 5,5′‐carbonyl‐bis(2‐fluorobenzenesulfonate) and 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone. The structure and degree of sulfonation (DS) of the SPAEKs were characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The experimentally observed DS values were close to the expected values derived from the starting material ratios. The thermal stabilities of the SPAEKs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, which showed that in acid and sodium salt forms they were thermally stable in air up to about 240 and 380 °C, respectively. Transparent membranes cast from the directly polymerized SPAEKs exhibited good mechanical properties in both dry and hydrated states. The dependence of water uptake and of membrane swelling on the DS at different temperatures was studied. SPAEK membranes with a DS from 0.72 to 1.60 maintained adequate mechanical properties after immersion in water at 80 °C for 24 h. The proton conductivity of SPAEK membranes with different degrees of sulfonation was measured as a function of temperature. The proton conductivity of the SPAEK films increased with increased DS, and the highest room temperature conductivity (4.2 × 10^?2 S/cm) was recorded for a SPAEK membrane with a DS of 1.60, which further increased to 1.1 × 10^?1 S/cm at 80 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2866–2876, 2004     

Proteins Entrapped in Silica Monoliths Prepared from Glyceroxysilanes

The preparation of discrete polyol based silane precursors derived from glycerol by a simple one-pot process is described. These polyol-based silanes could be hydrolyzed under mild pH conditions and upon gelation resulted in the formation of optically clear, monolithic, mesoporous silica. The hydrolysis and condensation reactions lead to cure rates that are very sensitive to ionic strength, but are almost unaffected by pH in contrast to those of alkoxysilanes derived from primary alcohols such as Si(OEt)₄. Residual glycerol in the silica monolith could be removed by washing, or could be left in the silica to reduce the magnitude of shrinkage during long term storage. The biocompatible glyceroxysilane precursors lead to materials that were able to retain the activity of entrapped enzymes over repeated cycles of use for periods of up to several months.     

Implementation of an integrated glucose POCT system

In response to a change of the Belgian National Directives whereby hospital laboratories became responsible for all point-of-care testing (POCT) performed within hospital walls a standardized and automated POC glucose-testing system was implemented in our hospital. The system consists of 50 AccuCheck Inform instruments (Roche Diagnostics, Vilvoorde, Belgium), 50 docking stations, a DataCare Server, and connections to the medical laboratory information system (MOLIS, Sysmex, Barchon, Belgium) and to the hospital information system. Implementation involved many parties and extensive preparation and communication. Key issues were bar-coded patient and user identification, training, and responsibilities. One year after the hospital wide implementation of this system the quality of POC glucose testing has significantly increased, thereby improving patient safety. This study describes a stepwise change over involving the medical laboratory and with a focus on hands-on quality.Presented at the ninth conference on Quality in the Spotlight, 18–19 March 2004, Antwerp, Belgium.