The preparation and properties of low molar mass liquid crystals possessing lateral alkyl chains

The first twelve members of three new mesogenic homologous series have been characterized, each of which are composed of molecules possessing lateral alkyl chains. The n-alkyl 2,5-bis-(4-n-hexyloxy-benzoyloxy)-benzoates are purely nematic whereas both nematic and smectic behaviour is observed for the 4-cyano-4'-biphenylyl 3'-n-alkyloxybenzoates and the 4-cyano-4'-biphenylyl 3',4'-n-alkyloxybenzoates. The transitional properties of these series are similar to those of the analogous conventional mesogens and hence, can be rationalized without making any special assumptions concerning the conformational distribution of the lateral alkyl chain.     

Sub-megabar Mössbauer studies using diamond anvil cells

The development and the use of the diamond anvil cell for Mössbauer Spectroscopy (MS) to pressures nearing 100 GPa are discussed. Three types of cells and their typical performance are given. Pressure calibration, hydrostatic media, gasketing, collimation, -ray absorption, and sample size for MS are reviewed. New MS results showing hysteresis in the room temperature high pressure transition in iron and showing the rapid rise ofT _N in NiI₂ with pressure are presented.     

Biological effects of the hand-arm vibration syndrome: historical perspective and current research

The objective of this paper is to highlight gaps of information regarding mechanisms of vascular, neurological, and musculo-skeletal damage caused by vibration. Also addressed is evidence that high noise level may act synergistically to the development of vibration syndrome of the hand and arm. Areas of research currently active in psychophysical and neurophysiological investigations to increase our understanding of tactile and spatial discrimination are discussed. Although the importance of sensory loss or "fine touch" is understood, there is neither a proven objective scientific test with which the syndrome can be diagnosed nor is there a scale of damage assessment. Determining the exact role of the central nervous system in assessing damage from vibration is difficult in view of nonspecific symptoms reported from eastern Europe and from Japan. To complicate matters still further, there is the possibility that repeated, rapid mechanical movements of the hand and arm associated with handling heavy tools produce carpal tunnel syndrome but that the injury is not directly attributed to vibration. Therefore, it follows that there could exist an element of carpal tunnel syndrome in many vibration syndrome cases.     

Soliton Raman fibre-ring oscillators

Results are presented on the operation and optimization of soliton Raman fibre-ring lasers using a c.w. mode-locked Nd-YAG laser at 1.32m as the source of 100 ps pump pulses. Various lengths of standard single-mode silica fibre were used, and tunable pulses as short as 100 fs generated.On leave from Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio, 57000-AL, Brazil     

Preparation and characterization of dealuminated metakaolin and its use in the transformation of waste plastics to aromatic hydrocarbons

Acid activated metakaolins (AAMKs) have been prepared by calcination of the natural clay at 600 degrees C to provide a metakolin which was then leached at 80 degrees C for 3 h using 1M, 2M, 3M, and 6M HCl. These materials were characterized and their ability to transform the off gases from HDPE decomposition into useful aromatic species was evaluated. The amount of adsorbed water and the number of acid sites increased with the severity of acid treatment. Variable temperature DRIFTS spectroscopy of pyridine treated samples revealed that both Br?nsted and Lewis acid centers were present until 425 degrees C. Pyridine bonded to the Lewis acid centers was more thermally stable. The AAMKs were all selective to the production of toluene with respectable, but lesser, amounts of xylenes and trimethylbenzenes. This selectivity contrasts with that of acid leached and pillared smectites which are selective toward trimethylbenzene.