Improved drawing conditions for very low loss 1.55-μm dispersion-shifted fiber

Fiber drawing conditions (temperature, speed, tension) have been investigated to reach very low losses (0.20 dB/km at 1.55 μm) with MCVD triangular core-profile preforms. Such dispersion-shifted fibers exhibit good mechanical, splicing, cabling, and ageing properties.     

On Convex Limit Sets and Brownian Motion

We prove limsup results for nonnegative functionals of convex sets determined by normalized Brownian paths in Banach spaces. This continues the interesting investigation of D. Khoshnevisan into this area, and relates to some classical unsolved isoperimetric problems for the convex hull of curves in ^d. Section 4 contains the solution of a problem similar to these classical problems.     

Aflatoxin B(1) adsorption by natural and copper modified montmorillonite

Adsorption of aflatoxin B(1) (AFB1) by natural montmorillonite (MONT) and montmorillonite modified with copper ions (Cu-MONT) was investigated. Both MONTs were characterized using the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis, thermal analysis (DTA/TGA) and scanning electron miscroscopy/electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The results of XRPD and SEM/EDS analyses of Cu-MONT suggested partial ion exchange of native inorganic cations in MONT with copper occurred. Investigation of AFB1 adsorption by MONT and Cu-MONT, at pH 3, 7 or 9, showed that adsorption of this toxin by both MONTs was high (over 93%). Since AFB1 is nonionizable, no differences in AFB1 adsorption by both MONTs, at different pHs, were observed, as expected. Futhermore, it was determined that adsorption of AFB1 by both MONTs followed a non-linear (Langmuir) type of isotherm, at pH 3. The calculated maximum adsorbed amounts of AFB1 by MONT (40.982mg/g) and Cu-MONT (66.225mg/g), derived from Langmuir plots of isotherms, indicate that Cu-MONT was much effective in adsorbing AFB1. Since, the main cation in an exchangeable position in MONT is calcium, and in Cu-MONT both calcium and copper, the fact that ion exchange of inorganic cations in MONT with copper increases adsorption of AFB1 suggests that additional interactions between AFB1 and copper ions in Cu-MONT caused greater adsorption.     

Solid- and solution phase transformations in novel hybrid iodoplumbate derivatives templated by solvated yttrium complexes

Solvated yttrium iodide precursors [Y(L)8]I3 [L = dimethylformamide (DMF) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)], prepared in situ by stirring YI3(Pr(i)OH)4 in DMF/DMSO, react with 3 equiv of PbI2 in the presence of NH4I to give novel hybrid derivatives based on either a one-dimensional (1D) straight chain, [Y(DMF)8][Pb3(mu-I)9](1infinity) x DMF (1), or discrete pentanuclear iodoplumbates, [Y(DMSO)8]2[(DMSO)2Pb5(mu3-I)2(mu-I)8I6] (2a). The complex 2a and a closely related [Y(DMSO)8][Y(DMSO)7(DMF)][(DMSO)2Pb5(mu3-I)2(mu-I)8I6] (2b) were obtained in good yield by solution phase transformation of 1 in DMSO under slight different conditions. Derivatives 1 and 2 also undergo unique solid-state transformation in a confined environment of paratone to give 1D polymers based on zigzag iodoplumbate chains; crystals of 1 transform into [Y(DMF)6(H2O)2][Pb3(mu3-I)(mu-I)7I](1infinity) (3) via an exchange reaction, whereas those of 2a and 2b are converted into [Y(DMSO)7][Pb3(mu3-I)(mu-I)7I](1infinity) (4) via a decomposition pathway. The trifurcate H-bonding between water ligands on yttrium cation and iodide of the iodoplumbate anion plays a pivotal role in transforming the straight 1D polymeric Pb-I chain of 1 into a zigzag chain in 3. The thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis studies indicate that complexes with DMF ligands are thermally more stable than those with DMSO ones, the mixed DMF-H2O ligand complex 3 being the most stable one because of the presence of strong H-bonding. Diffuse-reflectance UV-visible spectral analyses of 1-4 show an optical band gap in the 1.86-2.54 eV range, indicating these derivatives as potential semiconductors. In contrast to non-emissive 3 and 4, derivatives 1, 2a, and 2b show remarkable luminescent emission with peak maxima at 703 nm, assigned as an iodine 5p-lead 6s to lead 6p charge transfer (XM-M-CT).     

Bioanalytical procedures for determination of drugs of abuse in oral fluid

Recent advances in analytical techniques have enabled the detection of drugs and drug metabolites in oral fluid specimens. Although GC–MS is still commonly used in practice, many laboratories have developed and successfully validated methods for LC–MS(–MS) that can detect a large number of compounds in the limited sample volume available. In addition, several enzyme immunoassays have been commercialized for the detection of drugs of abuse in oral fluid samples, enabling the fast screening and selection of presumably positive samples. A number of concerns are discussed, such as the variability in the volume of sample collected and its implications in terms of quantitative measurements, and the drug recoveries of the many different specimen collection systems on the market. Additional considerations that also receive attention are the importance of providing complete validation data with respect to analyte stability, matrix effect, and the choice of collection method.     

Neutrons produced by 1.22 GeV antiproton interactions with nuclei

Inclusive neutron energy spectra were measured by time of flight using 1.22 GeV antiprotons from LEAR, CERN, as projectiles and targets from natural Al, Cu, Ag, Ho, Ta, Au, Pb, Bi, U. The sum of two Maxwellian distributions was fitted to the spectra obtained at several forward and backward angles yielding neutron multiplicities M_i and slope or temperature parameters T _i for the low-energy (evaporative, i=1) and high-energy (pre-equilibrium,i=2) parts, respectively. M ₁ increases with A, proportional to the nuclear volume, and M ₂ is growing with A , proportional to the nuclear radius. The T parameters are nearly independent of A. The results are compared with previous multiplicity measurements with a neutron detector, intranuclear cascade calculations and neutron spectra from stopped antiproton annihilation on nuclei. With the measured proton spectra also the ratio of emitted neutrons to protons was determined for Au. Received: 25 February 2000 / Accepted: 19 May 2000     

Deconvolution of Molecular Weight Distributions Using Dynamic Flory‐Schulz Distributions

Summary: The deconvolution of molecular weight distributions (MWDs) may be useful for obtaining information about the polymerization kinetics and properties of catalytic systems. However, deconvolution techniques are normally based on steady‐state assumptions and very little has been reported about the use of non‐stationary approaches for the deconvolution of MWDs. In spite of this, polymerization reactions are often performed in batch or semi‐batch modes. For this reason, dynamic solutions are proposed here for simple kinetic models and are then used for deconvolution of actual MWD data. Deconvolution results obtained with dynamic models are compared to deconvolution results obtained with the standard stationary Flory‐Schulz distributions. For coordination polymerizations, results show that dynamic MWD models are able to describe experimental data with fewer catalytic sites, which indicates that the proper interpretation of the reaction dynamics may be of fundamental importance for kinetic characterization. On the other hand, reaction dynamics induced by modification of chain transfer agent concentration seem to play a minor role in the shape of the MWD in free‐radical polymerizations.

This Figure illustrates that MWDs obtained at unsteady conditions should not be deconvoluted with standard steady‐state Flory‐Schulz distributions.     

Deuteron stripping on beryllium target in the 100–2300 MeV energy range

Cross sections for stripping and dissociation of deuterons interacting with Be targets in the 100–2300 MeV energy range have been measured. Comparisons with model calculations suggest a dominant contribution of the stripping process. It is also shown that the deuteron break-up cross section exhibits the same energy dependence as the nucleon-nucleon cross section. Received: 8 September 1998 / Revised version: 15 March 1999     

Evolution of Molecular Weight and Long Chain Branch Distributions in Olefin–Diene Copolymerization

A model for olefin–diene copolymerization and long chain branch formation was developed. The model shows that the number‐average molecular weight and branching density increases linearly with time in a semi‐batch polymerization, while the polydispersity depends on the diene content in the polymer and on the polymerization time. For low diene fractions or low polymerization times, the polydispersity increases linearly with time. For higher diene contents, the polydispersity increases exponentially with polymerization time after a critical polymer concentration is reached. The calculated distributions of branched species indicate that diene content influences the amount of highly branched chains produced in the polymerization, markedly broadening the distribution of molecular weight and leading to gel formation.

Weight distribution of branched species after 30 min of polymerization.