Persistence of oral coatings of CMC and starch-based custard desserts

Food coatings that remain after swallowing starch-based or CMC-based custard desserts were investigated for 19 subjects. Foods were orally processed for 5 s using a pre-defined protocol, after which the food was swallowed. The remaining food coating was assessed sensorially as well as instrumentally using turbidity of rinse water. The instrumental and sensory results indicated a gradual decline of food coatings over intervals up to 180–270 s. Decline rates of coatings of individual subjects related significantly to their decline rates in perceived fattiness.     

The separate and combined effects of nicotine and alcohol on working memory capacity in nonabstinent smokers.

Research indicates that nicotine and alcohol are often used on the same occasion. However, the reasons for their concurrent use are not well understood. We hypothesized that one reason smokers use tobacco when they drink alcohol is to compensate for alcohol’s negative effects on processing capacity with nicotine’s enhancement of processing capacity. As such, the present study tested this theory by using an independent groups design to examine the separate and combined acute effects of alcohol and nicotine on working memory (WM) capacity. Nonabstinent daily smokers (n = 127) performed the counting span task (CSPAN) after consuming either an alcohol (men: 0.8 g/kg; women: 0.7 g/kg) or placebo beverage and smoking either nicotinized (1.14 mg nicotine, 15.9 mg tar) or denicotinized (.06 mg nicotine, 17.9 mg tar) cigarettes. Analyses revealed that smokers who smoked the nicotinized cigarettes performed significantly worse on the CSPAN task than smokers who smoked the denicotinized cigarettes. Although there was no main effect of alcohol on WM performance, women exhibited better WM performance than men after consuming alcohol whereas men performed better than women on the WM task after consuming the placebo beverage. Findings also revealed no interaction between the two substances on WM performance. Taken together, results suggest that nicotine impairs nonabstinent smokers’ verbal WM capacity and that gender moderates the effects of alcohol on WM. Furthermore, the present findings failed to support the notion that nicotine compensates for alcohol-related decrements in working memory capacity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Towards a predictive thermal explosion model for energetic materials

We present an overview of models and computational strategies for simulating the thermal response of high explosives using a multi-physics hydrodynamics code, ALE3D. Recent improvements to the code have aided our computational capability in modeling the behavior of energetic materials systems exposed to strong thermal environments such as fires. We apply these models and computational techniques to a thermal explosion experiment involving the slow heating of a confined explosive. The model includes the transition from slow heating to rapid deflagration in which the time scale decreases from days to hundreds of microseconds. Thermal, mechanical, and chemical effects are modeled during all phases of this process. The heating stage involves thermal expansion and decomposition according to an Arrhenius kinetics model while a pressure-dependent burn model is employed during the explosive phase. We describe and demonstrate the numerical strategies employed to make the transition from slow to fast dynamics. In addition, we investigate the sensitivity of wall expansion rates to numerical strategies and parameters. Results from a one-dimensional model show that violence is influenced by the presence of a gap between the explosive and container. In addition, a comparison is made between 2D model and measured results for the explosion temperature and tube wall expansion profiles.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.     

EFFECTS OF AEROSOL OT ON THE PHASE SEPARATION TEMPERATURES OF METHANOL/HYDROCARBON/WATER BLENDS

ABSTRACT

Methanol-gasoline blends have been under consideration for use as transportation fuels to help extend the current fuel supply. The use of these blends is limited, in part, because low temperatures and/or the presence of dissolved water can lead to phase separation. In this work, the effects 1 to 5 % w/v of a model twin-tailed surfactant, Aerosol OT (sulfosuccinic acid, bis[2-ethylhexyl] ester, [577-11-7]), on the phase separation temperature of a simulated gasoline-methanol fuel mixture doped with 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% v/v dissolved water was studied. The Aerosol OT did lower the phase separation temperature substantially though not as much as straight chain surfactants examined in earlier work.     

Statistical Analysis of the Influence of Some Trace Elements on Chunky Graphite Formation in Heavy Section Nodular Iron Castings

To study the formation of chunky graphite (CHG) in heavy section castings, 68 nodular cast irons of both pearlitic and ferritic grades were cast in cubic blocks 30 cm in edge. The volume fraction of the blocks affected by this degenerate graphite was quantified and related to the chemical analysis of the materials by means of a multivariate analysis. For the composition domain investigated, the effects of Ce, Cu, La, P, Sb, and Sn were statistically established with a high R ² correlation coefficient.     

The men's center approach to addressing the health crisis of college men.

College men's health is in crisis, yet men are reluctant to seek mental health services. How can psychologists provide interventions to engage and empower college men to address their health needs? What are the components of culturally-tailored interventions for college men? We describe the origins and operations of a university-based Men's Center devoted to helping college men lead healthy lives. The Men's Center has evolved into a therapeutic and training approach that guides campus psychologists toward unique roles to intervene effectively with college men. Key components of the Men's Center Approach (MCA) include acceptance, nonjudgment and unconditional positive regard, respect for diversity, working from the inside-out, power sharing, strategic use of the planning process, therapeutic experiences in nontherapy settings, and fostering and strengthening commitments to social justice and activism. Central to these components is our notion of possible masculinity, in which we focus on men's aspirations and future goals for their identities and behaviors based on what men need to become healthy, responsible, and nurturing in their families and communities. Practical applications of these components are presented through examples of two Men's Center interventions. We conclude by discussing how psychologists can implement the MCA in their clinical practice with men to increase cultural competence with men while working across various settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

P-type doping utilizing nitrogen and Mn doping of ZnO using MOCVD for ultraviolet lasers and spintronic applications

ZnO has distinct advantages over competing technologies such as GaN. Two advantages are the inherent improvement in ultraviolet (UV) brightness, necessary for the biological sensor application where the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is enhanced by a bright UV source, and the second is the availability of ZnO lattice-matched substrates, which will result in lower defect densities than GaN, higher manufacturing yield, and then lower cost. The ZnO material system’s advantage in exciton binding energy of 60 MeV, a three-time improvement over GaN, will result in UV emitters with superior performance.¹ An erratum to this article is available at .     

Reactive nanolayers for physiologically compatible microsystem packaging

This paper described a novel physiologically compatible wafer bonding technique for bio-microelectromechanical systems (bio-MEMS) packaging. Room temperature bonding was performed between Parylene-C and silicon wafers with a thin Parylene-C coating using reactive Ni/Al nanofilms as localized heaters. Live NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells were encapsulated in the package and they survived the bonding process owing to the localization of heating. A numerical model was developed to predict the temperature evolutions in the parylene layers, silicon wafer and the encapsulated liquid during the bonding process. The simulation results were in agreement with the cell encapsulation experiment revealing that localized heating occurred in this bonding approach. This study proved the feasibility of reactive nanofilm bonding technique for broad applications in packaging bio-MEMS and microfluidic systems.     

Estimation of the Standard Deviation of the Logistic Distribution by the Use of Selectkd Order Statistics

A technique is applied to ohtain unbiased eslimators with minimttm variance among the class of linear estimators for the standard deviation of of logistic. population with known mean. Coefficients for multiplying ordered observations are developed for complete and completc samples for n = 2(1)26. Each sample of size n is censored from above where m ≤ n. Then the smallest subset of l order slatistics from the set of m available order statistics is found which yields at list a 98.5% efficiency relative to the m-order-statistic estimator. The coefficients for the l-order-statistic estimator, the variance and efficiency relative to the estimatot, using all m order statistics are persented.