Assessing stem cell research productivity

Honour Index (HoI), a method to evaluate research performance within different research fields, was derived from the impact factor (IF). It can be used to rate and compare different categories of journals. HoI was used in this study to determine the scientific productivity of stem cell research in the Asian Four Dragons (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan) from 1981 to 2001. The methodology applied in this study represents a synthesis of universal indicator studies and bibliometric analyses of subfields at the micro-level. We discuss several comparisons, and conclude the developmental trend in stem cell research for two decades. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

WC/Cu复合材料制备及其高温性能

用机械合金化法结合冷变形，制备了WC／Cu复合材料，研究了冷变形后复合材料的组织特征和高温退火时韵性能变化。结果表明：烧结后的材料经冷变形，组织呈显著纤维状，WC颗粒弥散分布，密度明显提高，达到理论密度的99．2％；复合材料经600～900℃高温退火，强度和硬度略有下降，塑性则有大幅提高；900℃退火时未发生明显的再结晶，界面结合良好；所制备的WC／Cu复合材料有优良的综合性能。     

Intelligent process analytics for CRM

Many organisations use decision models in their processes such as tables or trees to provide decision support to their operational divisions. For example, in fault management, customer contact centre operators usually use a decision model in the form of prescribed interviews. Based on the answers given by customers, the operator navigates through the decision model to reach an assessment of the problem. In order to achieve customer satisfaction and operational excellence, it is very important to constantly monitor the performance of a decision model not only on an overall level, but also on the level of individual decisions. In this paper we present a configurable business process analytics tool, known as the intelligent Universal Service Management System, that constantly monitors decision data and is capable of optimising the decisions based on high-level business objectives. We explain the various features of the software and show how it can be used to optimise decision processes. We also show how we can easily provide a customised version to monitor the performance of provision processes.     

Low-temperature poly-SiGe alloy growth of high gain/speed pin infrared photosensor with gold-induced lateral crystallization (Au-ILC)

The hydrogenated poly-silicon germanium (poly-SiGe:H) epitaxial film has been investigated using gold-induced lateral crystallization (Au-ILC) technology on a-SiGe:H layers at 10-h 350/spl deg/C annealing temperature and 60-sccm hydrogen (H/sub 2/) content. Using this optimal condition, the growth rate of the induced Au was as large as 15.9 /spl mu/m/h. With a low annealing temperature (/spl les/400/spl deg/C) and large growth rate, this novel technology will be noticeably useful for poly-SiGe:H pin IR-sensing fabrication on a conventional precoated indium tin oxide (ITO)-glass substrate. Under a 1-/spl mu/W IR-LED incident light (with peak wave length at 710 nm) and at a 5-V biased voltage, the poly-SiGe:H pin IR sensor developed by the Au-ILC technology, i.e., an Al (anode)/n poly-SiGe:H/i poly-SiGe:H/p poly-SiGe:H/ITO (cathode)/glass-substrate structure allowed for maximum optical gain and response speed. The optical gains and the response speeds were almost 600 and 130%, respectively, better than that of a traditional pin type. Meanwhile, the FWHM of a poly-SiGe:H pin sensor with Au-ILC technology was reduced from 280 to 150 nm. This reveals excellent IR-sensing selectivity. These IR-sensing trials demonstrated again that the proposed Au-ILC technology has very useful application in the field of low cost integrated circuits on optoelectronic applications.     

Solutions to a combined problem of excessive hydrogen sulfide in biogas and struvite scaling.

The Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Western Australia has experienced two separate problems causing avoidable maintenance costs: the build-up of massive struvite (MgNH4PO4. 6H2O) scaling downstream of the anaerobic digester and the formation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels in the digester gas to levels that compromised gas engine operation and caused high operating costs on the gas scrubber. As both problems hang together with a chemical imbalance in the anaerobic digester, we decided to investigate whether both problems could be (feasibly and economically) addressed by a common solution (such as dosing of iron solutions to precipitate both sulfide and phosphate), or by using separate approaches. Laboratory results showed that, the hydrogen sulfide emission in digesters could be effectively and economically controlled by the addition of iron dosing. Slightly higher than the theoretical value of 1.5 mol of FeCl3 was required to precipitate 1 mol of dissolved sulfide inside the digester. Due to the high concentration of PO4(3-) in the digested sludge liquor, significantly higher iron is required for struvite precipitation. Iron dosing did not appear an economic solution for struvite control via iron phosphate formation. By taking advantage of the natural tendency of struvite formation in the digester liquid, it is possible to reduce the risk of struvite precipitation in and around the sludge-dewatering centrifuge by increasing the pH to precipitate struvite out before passing through the centrifuge. However, as the Mg2+/PO4(3-) molar ratio in digested sludge was low, by increasing the pH alone (using NaOH) the precipitation of PO4(3-) was limited by the amount of cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) available in the sludge. Although this would reduce struvite precipitation in the centrifuge, it could not significantly reduce PO4(3-) recycling back to the plant. For long-term operation, maximum PO4(3-) reduction should be the ultimate aim to minimise PO4(3-) accumulation in the plant. Magnesium hydroxide liquid (MHL) was found to be the most cost-effective chemical to achieve this goal. It enhanced struvite precipitation from both, digested sludge and centrate to the point where more than 95% PO4(3-) reduction in the digested sludge was achieved.     

Inhibition effect of carbon dioxide on the oxidation of hydrogen over a platinum foil catalyst

This paper investigates the catalytic ignition of the H₂/O₂/CO₂ mixture on platinum in a stagnation flow at atmospheric pressure experimentally and numerically. We measure the ignition temperatures of the gas mixtures flowing towards resistively heated platinum with various composition ratios and various diluent gases of N₂, Ar and CO₂. Compared with N₂ or Ar, the CO₂ dilution shows higher ignition temperature by about 50 K, even at the same composition ratio. The ignition temperature increase is proportional to the dilution ratio. Through the numerical simulation, it is illustrated that higher ignition temperature is caused by the adsorption of CO₂ and following dissociation on platinum surface, which was to date considered negligible in catalytic combustion.     

D-AKAP2, a novel protein kinase A anchoring protein with a putative RGS domain

Subcellular localization directed by specific A kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) is a mechanism for compartmentalization of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Using a two-hybrid screen, a novel AKAP was isolated. Because it interacts with both the type I and type II regulatory subunits, it was defined as a dual specific AKAP or D-AKAP1. Here we report the cloning and characterization of another novel cDNA isolated from that screen. This new member of the D-AKAP family, D-AKAP2, also binds both types of regulatory subunits. A message of 5 kb pairs was detected for D-AKAP2 in all embryonic stages and in all adult tissues tested. In brain, skeletal muscle, kidney, and testis, a 10-kb mRNA was identified. In testis, several small mRNAs were observed. Therefore, D-AKAP2 represents a novel family of proteins. cDNA cloning from a mouse testis library identified the full length D-AKAP2. It is composed of 372 amino acids which includes the R binding fragment, residues 333-372, at its C-terminus. Based on coprecipitation assays, the R binding domain interacts with the N-terminal dimerization domain of RIalpha and RIIalpha. A putative RGS domain was identified near the N-terminal region of D-AKAP2. The presence of this domain raises the intriguing possibility that D-AKAP2 may interact with a Galpha protein thus providing a link between the signaling machinery at the plasma membrane and the downstream kinase.     

Large-scale simulation studies in image pattern recognition

Many obstacles to progress in image pattern recognition result from the fact that per-class distributions are often too irregular to be well-approximated by simple analytical functions. Simulation studies offer one way to circumvent these obstacles. We present three closely related studies of machine-printed character recognition that rely on synthetic data generated pseudo-randomly in accordance with an explicit stochastic model of document image degradations. The unusually large scale of experiments - involving several million samples that makes this methodology possible have allowed us to compute sharp estimates of the intrinsic difficulty (Bayes risk) of concrete image recognition problems, as well as the asymptotic accuracy and domain of competency of classifiers     

位山引黄灌区泥沙淤积原因及处理对策

位山灌区是黄河下游大型引黄灌区 ,渠系泥沙淤积严重 ,泥沙处理困难。通过采用远距离输沙、集中处理沉沙区泥沙、分散沉沙和节水减淤等技术措施 ,减少了渠系的泥沙淤积。对清淤产生的泥沙 ,采取综合开发利用的技术和管理措施 ,取得了比较可靠的效果。     

功能化的介孔分子筛碱催化性能的研究

以苯甲醛与氰乙酸乙酯的Knoevenagel缩合为模型反应，研究了用γ－氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷或γ－乙二胺丙基三甲氧基硅烷功能化的纯硅介也分子筛HMS（Hexagonal mesoporous silica）的碱催化性能。结果表明，除个别碱基负载量高的样品外，功能化样品对反应显示很高的催化活性，反应的初期活性不仅取决于催化剂上活性中心的密度，而且与载体的孔道结构有关。大孔径载体有利于反应物、产物的扩散，故在高负载量时，大孔径样品比小孔样品有更高的活性。此外，还考察了反应温度、溶剂、反应物配比和催化剂用量等条件的影响以及催化剂的重复使用情况。结果表明，反应可在低于100℃的温和条件下进行，有明显的溶剂效应，反应物配比和催化剂用量存在一最佳值；随使用次数的增加，催化剂逐渐中毒而失活。