Technology utilization in a non-urban region - A measurement of the impact of the Technology Use Studies Center Final report

Technology utilization in agricultural areas and measurement of impact of technology use studies cente

Agricultural problems of emerging nations and possible roles of U.S. universities

Cover title."A talk by Douglas D. Caton, Director, Agriculture and Rural Development Service Office of Technical Cooperation and Research Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C. presented for Ag Science Week, February 10, 1966"--P. [2]

High fidelity imaging and high performance computing in nonlinear EIT

We show that nonlinear EIT provides images with well defined characteristics when smoothness of the image is used as a constraint in the reconstruction process. We use the gradient of the logarithm of resistivity as an effective measure of image smoothness, which has the advantage that resistivity and conductivity are treated with equal weight. We suggest that a measure of the fidelity of the image to the object requires the explicit definition and application of such a constraint. The algorithm is applied to the simulation of intra-ventricular haemorrhaging (IVH) in a simple head model. The results indicate that a 5% increase in the blood content of the ventricles would be easily detectable with the noise performance of contemporary instrumentation. The possible implementation of the algorithm in real time via high performance computing is discussed

Phase Dependent Spectroscopy of Mira Variable Stars

Spectroscopic measurements of Mira variable stars, as a function of phase, probe the stellar atmospheres and underlying pulsation mechanisms. For example, measuring variations in TiO, VO, and ZrO with phase can be used to help determine whether these molecular species are produced in an extended region above the layers where Balmer line emission occurs or below this shocked region. Using the same methods, the Balmer-line increment, where the strongest Balmer line at phase zero is H-delta and not H-alpha can be measured and explanations tested, along with another peculiarity, the absence of the H-epsilon line in the spectra of Miras when other Balmer lines are strong. We present new spectra covering the spectral range from 6200 Angstroms to 9000 Angstroms of 20 Mira variables. A relationship between variations in the CaII IR triplet and H-alpha as a function of phase support the hypothesis that H-epsilon's observational characteristics result from an interaction of H-epsilon photons with the CaII H line. New periods and epochs of variability are also presented for each star

Multiple shape memory behavior of highly oriented long‐chain‐branched poly(lactic acid) and its recovery mechanism

YesThe shape memory effect of highly oriented long‐chain‐branched poly(lactic acid) (LCB‐PLA) prepared through solid‐phase die drawing technology was studied by comparison with PLA. When the recovery temperature increased from 60°C to 120°C, for PLA, only one‐step recovery at about 80°C can be observed and the recovery ratio was below 21.5%, while, for LCB‐PLA, multiple recovery behavior with high recovery ratio of 78.8% can be achieved. For oriented PLA, the recovery curve of the final sample showed the same trend with that of sample suffering just free drawing; while for oriented LCB‐PLA, the recovery curve of the final sample showed the same trend with that of sample suffering just die drawing. After shape recovery, the mechanical properties of LCB‐PLA showed a linear downward trend with the recovery temperature. Together with amorphous phase, the oriented mesomorphic phase, which formed during solid die drawing, can act as switching domains. And thus, upon heating, the chain segment of amorphous phase relaxed at first and triggered the first macroscopical shape recovery, leading to the decrease of long period (Lac) and the thickness of the amorphous layer (La). Then, with further increasing temperature, the oriented mesomorphic phase gradually relaxed resulting subsequently multi‐shape recovery, and the Lac and the La further decreased. Therefore, by regulating the recovery temperature of oriented LCB‐PLA, the shape recovery ratio and mechanical strength can be controlled effectively, and thus the self‐reinforced and self‐fastening effect can be achieved simultaneously for PLA as bone fixation material

Structure and blood compatibility of highly oriented PLA/MWNTs composites produced by solid hot drawing

YesHighly oriented poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) composites were fabricated through solid hot drawing technology in an effort to improve the mechanical properties and blood biocompatibility of PLA as blood-contacting medical devices. It was found that proper MWNTs content and drawing orientation can improve the tensile strength and modulus of PLA dramatically. With the increase in draw ratio, the cold crystallization peak became smaller, and the glass transition and the melting peak of PLA moved to high temperature, while the crystallinity increased, and the grain size decreased, indicating the stress-induced crystallization of PLA during drawing. MWNTs showed a nucleation effect on PLA, leading to the rise in the melting temperature, increase in crystallinity and reduction of spherulite size for the composites. Moreover, the intensity of (002) diffraction of MWNTs increased with draw ratio, indicating that MWNTs were preferentially aligned and oriented during drawing. Microstructure observation demonstrated that PLA matrix had an ordered fibrillar bundle structure, and MWNTs in the composite tended to align parallel to the drawing direction. In addition, the dispersion of MWNTs in PLA was also improved by orientation. Introduction of MWNTs and drawing orientation could significantly enhance the blood compatibility of PLA by prolonging kinetic clotting time, reducing hemolysis ratio and platelet activation

Structure and blood compatibility of highly oriented poly(l-lactic acid) chain extended by ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether

YesHighly-oriented poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) with fibrillar structure and micro-grooves was fabricated through solid hot drawing technology for further improving the mechanical properties and blood biocompatibility of PLLA as blood-contacting medical devices. In order to enhance the melt strength and thus obtain high orientation degree, PLLA was first chain extended with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE). The extending degree as high as 25.79 mol% can be obtained at 0.7 wt% EGDE content. The complex viscosity, storage and viscous modulus for chain extended PLLA were improved resulting from the enhancement of molecular entanglement, and consequently higher draw ratio can be achieved during the subsequent hot stretching. The tensile strength and modulus of PLLA were improved dramatically by stretching. The stress-induced crystallization of PLLA occurred during drawing. The interfacial tension (γs·blood) between PLLA surface and blood decreased by chain extension and molecular orientation, indicating the weakened interaction between bioactive substance in the blood and the surface of PLLA. Modification and orientation could significantly enhance the blood compatibility of PLLA by prolonging clotting time and decreasing hemolysis ratio, protein adsorption and platelet activation. The bionic character of oriented PLLA and its anti-coagulation mechanism were tried to be explored.This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51303109

Development of superconducting YBa2Cu3O(x) wires with low resistance electrical contacts

Materials exhibiting superconductivity above liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) will enable new applications of this phenomena. One of the first commercial applications of this technology will be superconducting magnets for medical imaging. However, a large number of aerospace applications of the high temperature superconducting materials have also been identified. These include magnetic suspension and balance of models in wind tunnels and resistanceless leads to anemometers. The development of superconducting wires fabricated from the ceramic materials is critical for these applications. The progress in application of a patented fiber process developed by Clemson University for the fabrication of superconducting wires is reviewed. The effect of particle size and heat treatment on the quality of materials is discussed. Recent advances made at Christopher Newport College in the development of micro-ohm resistance electrical contacts which are capable of carrying the highest reported direct current to this material is presented