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Micro sampling mass spectrometry (μ-MS) is a newly developed small area microanalysis method. It gives information on the chemical structure of polymers by means of direct mass. It also gives information on the scission and crosslinking of rubber molecules based on TIC (Total Ion Chromatogram) peak shift.The degradation analysis of NBR and epichlorohydrin rubber was carried out by infrared micro spectroscopy and μ-MS. Samples were prepared by three different treatments, heat as well as ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) radiations. It was found for NBR vulcanizates that the heat treatment induced the oxidation, scission and crosslinking of rubber molecules. By the UV treatment, chain scission and crosslinking accompanied by a slight oxidation were induced. The EB treatment enhanced the crosslinking, however, the extent of oxidation was negligible. For epichlorohydrin rubber vulcanizates, the heat treatment accelerated chain scission rather than crosslinking. On the other hand, the oxidation and crosslinking were induced by the UV and EB treatments.The surface of a semi-conductive NBR roller was covered with oxides and low molecular weight compounds after the roller durability test. Furthermore, crosslinking was induced in the layer under them.

The degradation analysis of NBR and Epichlorohydrin rubber was carried out by infrared micro spectroscopy (μ-IR) and micro sampling mass spectrometry (μ-MS) which gives information on the scission and crosslinking of rubber molecules. Samples were prepared by three different treatments, heat as well as ultra violet (UV) and electron beam (EB) irradiations.It was found for NBR vulcanizates that the heat treatment induced the oxidation, scission and crosslinking of rubber molecules. By the UV treatment, chain scission and crosslinking accompanied by a slight oxidation were induced. The EB treatment enhanced the crosslinking, however, the extent of oxidation was negligible. For Epichlorohydrin rubber vulcanizates, the heat treatment accelerated chain scission rather than crosslinking. On the other hand, the oxidation and crosslinking were induced by the UV and EB treatments.

In this paper, we propose a new approach to the ripple phenomena, by using open-loop analysis, Fourier analysis and new sampling theorem. Our result can explain explain the emergence of ripple phenomena and reduce them.

The right of individuals to exercise control over matters related to their ownbody is manifest in the practice of informed consent in Western medicine (Ap-pelbaum & Grisso, 1988; Miller, 1994; Weisbard, 1986). According to the doc-trine of informed consent, competent individuals have the right to make rightand “wrong” decisions within the framework of their own value system. Thus,no physician should commence a treatment (or other medical procedure) un-less the patient gives consent. However, physicians cannot claim that theyhave obtained the valid consent of a patient unless: (a) necessary medical in

We derive the parametrization of all controllers that achieve both the robust-tracking and the deadbeat control. We also give the parametrization of all reference functions for which the robust tracking and designed deadbeat property is guaranteed by all robust-tracking deadbeat controllers for one reference. The solution to the robust-tracking deadbeat problem for more than two reference functions is also given. We use the H ∞-norm of the sensitivity function as the robustness index of the system. By using two-degree-of-freedom control systems, we can achieve both minimal-time deadbeat control and optimal robustness with only one controller.

Chemical and isotopic data are summarized for fluids from newly drilled wells in the Sumikawa geothermal system, northern Honshu, Japan, and the geochemical characteristics of the reservoir are discussed. The fluids are mainly of the Na-Cl type with a near neutral pH, and measured temperatures in wells often exceed 300°C. The total dissolved salt concentration is low (

Some people in Japan are still comfortable with the paternalistic role of doctors, but others wish that their own decisions would receive a greater amount of respect. A total of 747 students of universities and colleges and 114 parents of these students participated in a questionnaire survey. Most of the participants thought that autonomy should be respected in situations involving death with dignity and euthanasia, whereas it should not be respected in attempted suicide and involuntary admission of individuals with mental illness. A cluster analysis revealed that the participants could be divided into the following groups: aid in dying advocates (n=577), complete libertarians (n=109), protectors of the mentally ill (n=90), complete paternalists (n=29), and questionables (n=27). The assertion of independence score of the Scale for Independent and Interdependent Construal of the Self showed a significant difference among the 5 clusters. These findings suggest that the traditional paternalistic relationship between doctor and patient is undergoing a gradual transformation in Japan.

A water-soluble fraction (CEF) obtained from Corynebacterium equi was administered intradermally or intravenously into Sprague-Dawley rats. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) was elicited in these rats along with the controls by sensitization with mouse anti-DNP serum and challenge with the corresponding antigen. PCA reactions were markedly inhibited by the pretreatments of the rats with CEF. Similar treatments of the animals 2–4 h after the sensitization did not inhibit PCA. Inhibitory activity of CEF in the pretreated animals was shown to be dose-dependent. Incubation of rat peritoneal mast cells with CEF effectively blocked the binding of murine IgE antibodies to the cells as evidenced by the failure of the treated cells to bind the antibodies. Furthermore, antigen-induced histamine release from rat mast cells, which were sensitized with murine IgE antibodies, was reduced significantly by CEF treatment of the cells prior to the sensitization. Results of this study indicated that CEF inhibits the PCA in rats, presumably by blocking the binding of heterocytotropic antibodies to Fc receptor of mast cells.