A mixed boundary value problem for debonding of a semielliptic rigid inclusion on the rim of a half plane

Summary A general solution is obtained for a mixed boundary value problem of plane elasticity. In the present paper the components of the displacement are given on two segments of the boundary and those of the external force are given on the rest of the boundary. A rational mapping function and a complex variable method are used for the analysis. The solution which is obtained in closed form is the first derivative of the complex stress function and does not contain an integral form. A half plane with a semielliptic rigid inclusion is analyzed under uniform tension. The stress distribution, the stress intensity of debonding at the debonded tip of the semielliptic inclusion and the propagation of debonding are investigated.

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Ein gemischtes Randwertproblem für die Ablösung eines starren, halbelliptischen Einschlusses am Rand einer Halbebene

Übersicht Für ein gemischtes Randwertproblem der ebenen Elastizität wird eine allgemeine Lösung gewonnen. Im hier betrachteten Fall sind die Verschiebungen auf zwei Abschnitten des Randes gegeben und auf dem Rest die äußeren Lasten. Für die Untersuchung wird eine rationale Abbildungsfunktion und die Methode der komplexen Variablen benutzt. Die geschlossene Lösung ist die erste Ableitung der komplexen Spannungsfunktion; sie enthält keine Integralterme. Als Anwendung dient die zugbeanspruchte Halbebene mit starrem, halbelliptischem Einschluß. Untersucht wird die Spannungsverteilung, die Spannungsintensität an der Ablösespitze und der Ablösungsfortschiritt.

     

Effectiveness of a short training session for improving pipetting accuracy

The quality of diagnostic tests conducted by the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) is critical to the safety of national livestock production. In procedures for tests such as polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, measurement of tiny quantities of samples or reagents is quite common. Therefore, many efforts have been made to maintain the quality of micropipette operations, including routine calibration of equipment and training programs for operators. In this study, we developed a pilot training program to analyze the effects of training on pipetting accuracy, i.e., trueness and precision. The program involved a self-instruction A4-sized leaflet describing how to improve pipetting technique. Thirty-three staff members from seven AQS laboratories participated in the program. Each participant repeated sampling of 300 μL of distilled water 10 times before and after reading the leaflet, and the effects of training on the trueness and precision of the pipetting results were analyzed. To determine pipetting trueness, we examined the variation of the delivered volume from the target volume (300 μL) using the proportional odds mixture model. Our data demonstrated that participation in the training program and the level of experience with pipetting significantly improved trueness. Analysis of standard deviations of the ten samplings, as an indicator of precision, also showed that participation in the training program improves pipetting precision. Thus, our data supported the implementation of such simple, quick training sessions to improve pipetting trueness and precision in diagnostic laboratories.     

Exafs studies on SiO2-attached Nb-oxide catalysts and catalysis

Metal oxides molecularly deposited on high surface area supports may be one of the most promising catalysts from the viewpoint of effective use of resources and may also be of great interest from the viewpoint of new surface/interface chemistry. On the support surfaces unique structures of active sites are possible to create. The metal sites prepared by the attachment of suitable organometallic precursors are also affected electronically through a direct interaction at interface. Such molecularly designed active structures can be well characterized by means of EXAFS. The tailored metal catalysts may have great advantages for a deeper understanding of essential factors or origin of solid catalysis and catalyst design on a molecular level.     

Dimerization of a lattice-framework silanone into the corresponding 1,3-dioxa-2,4-disiletanes

A lattice-framework silanone, a racemate of (4R,6R)- and (4S,6S)-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexa-tert-butyl-1,5-disilatricyclo[4.2.0.0^1,4]octa-2,7-dien-5-one (4), was generated by the photoreaction of the corresponding lattice-framework disilene, a racemate of (4R,6R,4′R,6′R)- and (4S,6S,4′S,6′S)-2,3,4,6,7,8,2′,3′,4′,6′,7′,8′-dodeca-tert-butyl-[5,5′]bi{1,5-disilatricyclo[4.2.0.0^1,4]octylidene}-2,7,2′,7′-tetraene (dl-1), with mesitonitrile oxide. The silanone 4 was dimerized to produce a mixture of the corresponding dl- and meso-1,3-dioxa-2,4-disiletane derivatives 2. DFT calculations suggested that the non-selective dimerization of 4 to 2 is attributed to the irreversibility of the reaction.     

Determination of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol in human serum by liquid chromatography after fluorescence labeling based on the Suzuki coupling reaction

A simultaneous method for the determination of haloperidol (HP) and its metabolite, reduced haloperidol (RHP), in human serum was developed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Suzuki coupling reaction with a fluorescent arylboronic acid, 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenylboronic acid (DPA), was employed to convert HP and RHP into highly fluorescent compounds. HP and RHP were extracted from human serum by liquid-liquid extraction with a mixture of n-hexane and isoamyl alcohol (99:1, v/v) and subsequently labeled by reaction with DPA. Separation of DPA derivatives of HP and RHP was performed on a silica column with a mixture of acetonitrile and H(2)O (90:10, v/v) containing triethylamine and acetic acid as a mobile phase. The proposed method allowed sensitive detection of HP and RHP in human serum with a detection limit (at a signal to noise ratio of 3) of 0.22 and 0.20 ng/mL, respectively. The applicability of the method for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was demonstrated by analyzing human serum samples from schizophrenic patients receiving HP.     

Kohn anomaly in MgB2 by inelastic X-ray scattering

We study phonons in MgB2 using inelastic x-ray scattering (1.6 and 6 meV resolution). We clearly observe the softening and broadening of the crucial E(2g) mode through the Kohn anomaly along GammaM, in excellent agreement with ab initio calculations. Low temperature measurements (just above and below T(c)) show negligible changes for the momentum transfers investigated and no change in the E(2g) mode at A between room temperature and 16 K. We report the presence of a longitudinal mode along GammaA near in energy to the E(2g) mode that is not predicted by theory.     

Duality, phase structures, and dilemmas in symmetric quantum games

Symmetric quantum games for 2-player, 2-qubit strategies are analyzed in detail by using a scheme in which all pure states in the 2-qubit Hilbert space are utilized for strategies. We consider two different types of symmetric games exemplified by the familiar games, the Battle of the Sexes (BoS) and the Prisoners’ Dilemma (PD). These two types of symmetric games are shown to be related by a duality map, which ensures that they share common phase structures with respect to the equilibria of the strategies. We find eight distinct phase structures possible for the symmetric games, which are determined by the classical payoff matrices from which the quantum games are defined. We also discuss the possibility of resolving the dilemmas in the classical BoS, PD, and the Stag Hunt (SH) game based on the phase structures obtained in the quantum games. It is observed that quantization cannot resolve the dilemma fully for the BoS, while it generically can for the PD and SH if appropriate correlations for the strategies of the players are provided.     

High-density speed optical near-field recording reading with a pyramidal silicon probe on a contact slider

We demonstrate high-density-speed phase-change recording-reading by use of a pyramidal silicon structure. The contact slider, which has a pyramidal silicon probe array with height dispersion of less than 10 nm, is fabricated by use of a silicon-on-insulator wafer. By illumination with a laser beam (lambda = 830 nm) of one element of the probe array, we find the shortest phase-change mark length and the carrier-to-noise ratio to be 110 nm and 10 dB, respectively, corresponding to a data transmission rate of 2.0 MHz. This rate can be increased to 200 MHz by use of all elements of the probe array.     

Regioselective epoxidation of geraniol with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in emulsion systems

Oxidation of geraniol with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) in emulsion systems gave 2,3-epoxygeraniol selectively in high yield.     

Structural requirement for catalytic activity of cobalt Schiff base complex in oxygenation of alkenes

Kinetics of the oxygenation of styrene catalyzed by cobalt Schiff base complex [(Co(L)] shows that the reaction rate depends on the shape but not on the redox potential of Co(L). Magnetism of Co(L) is important for product distribution.