INTERFACE/INTERPHASE ENGINEERING OF POLYMERS FOR ADHESION ENHANCEMENT: PART II. THEORETICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SURFACE-ENGINEERED INTERPHASE-INTERFACE SYSTEMS FOR ADHESION ENHANCEMENT

Part I of this paper reviewed the theoretical principles of the macromolecular design of polymer interface/interphase systems for obtaining maximum adhesion and fracture performance of adhesively bonded assemblies. In Part II a novel, relatively simple and industry-feasible technology for surface-grafting connector molecules is demonstrated and discussed in detail and supported by a range of experimental examples. It is shown, in agreement with contemporary theory, that the use of chemically attached graft chemicals of controlled spatial geometry and chemical functionality enables a significant increase in the strength and fracture energy of the interphase, to the point of cohesive fracture of the substrate, or that of an adjacent medium such as adhesive, elastomer, or other material. This occurs even after prolonged exposure of investigated systems to adverse environments such as hot water.     

Fatty acid profile of traditional soymilk

Soymilk is a water extract of soybeans, closely resembling dairy milk in physical appearance and composition. Most fatty acids in soybean and its derivates are unsaturated, and therefore susceptible to oxidation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of the thermal conditions during the elaboration process of soymilk on its fatty acid profile. For this, the fatty acid composition of soymilk, okara (soymilk residue), and soybean were studied by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). No major differences in the fatty acid patterns were found.     

Antagonistic effect on Listeria monocytogenes and L. innocua of a bacteriocin-like metabolite produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from sucuk

Two Lactobacilli and four Pediococci strains producing bacteriocin-like metabolities isolated from sucuk were tested with agar spot tests and well diffusion assays for their inhibitory activity against 16 Listeria strains, also isolated from sucuk. The production of organic acids and hydrogen peroxide limited, L. sake Lb 706 (used as a bacteriocin producer strain) and the isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) showed inhibitory activity against all of the Listeria strains, while L. sake Lb 706-A (used as a bacteriocin non-producer mutant) had the same effects against only two Listeria monocytogenes strains (51, 52) in agar spot tests. In the well diffusion assays, while L sake Lb 706 and four Pediococci isolates (413, 416, 419, 446) exhibited inhibitory activity against all of the Listeria strains tested, L. sake Lb 706-A and two of the Lactobacilli isolates (77, 116) showed no effect on the Listeria strains tested.     

Nonlinear analysis techniques of block masonry walls in nuclear power plants

Concrete masonry walls have been used extensively in nuclear power plants as non-load bearing partitions serving as pipe supports, fire walls, radiation shielding barriers, and similar heavy construction separations. When subjected to earthquake loads, these walls should maintain their structural integrity. However, some of the walls do not meet design requirements based on working stress allowables. Consequently, utilities have used non-linear analysis techniques, such as the arching theory and the energy balance technique, to qualify such walls. This paper presents a critical review of the applicability of non-linear analysis techniques for both unreinforced and reinforced block masonry walls under seismic loading. These techniques are critically assessed in light of the performance of walls from limited available test data. It is concluded that additional test data are needed to justify the use of nonlinear analysis techniques to qualify block walls in nuclear power plants.     

Spermatogenic and sperm quality differences in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome and hypogonadal hypogonadism

The synergistic effect of the co-morbidities that comprise metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasingly being recognised as an important contributor in the pathology of a broad spectrum of seemingly disparate conditions. However, in terms of male reproductive function, beyond erectile dysfunction, little is known about the influence of this cohort (collectively or separately) on spermatogenesis and sperm quality. The aims of this study were to assess the reproductive tract of a MetS animal model for detrimental changes, to determine whether a group of compounds (advanced glycation end products and their receptor) known to cause cell dysfunction and DNA damage was present and assess whether hypogonadotropic hypogonadism was the main contributing factor for the changes seen. Animals fed a high-fat diet were found to have significantly increased cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, mean arterial pressure and visceral fat levels. Although serum testosterone was decreased, no changes were seen in either testicular or epididymal histology. Immunolocalisation of N(ε)-carboxymethyl-lysine and the receptor for advanced glycation end products was found in the testes, epididymides and sperm of the two treated groups of animals; however, ELISA did not show any difference in protein levels. Similarly, assessment of sperm nuclear DNA (nDNA) fragmentation by acridine orange test did not find significant differences in nDNA integrity. We conclude that the minimal effect on spermatogenesis and sperm quality seen in our model is probably due to the moderate increase of blood glucose rather than the hypogonadism.     

Influence of milling media on the structure and agglomeration behaviour of some hardmetal powder

This paper presents the influence of milling media on the structure and morphology of WC–Co powders for sintered tools. WC–Co powders have been milled in two different organic media, acetone and isohexane. The characterisation of the as-milled samples has been done by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry. The mean crystallite size decreases with milling time for the samples processed in acetone, while in the case of isohexane, the crystallite size stays at a relatively constant value when increasing the milling duration. The calculated mean crystallite size is below 50?nm for any milling duration, with larger values for acetone (16–46 nm) as compared to isohexane samples (10–12 nm). The SEM revealed that the dried powder is composed of agglomerated submicronic particles, and at high magnification, the presence of nanoparticles is noticed. The density of the aggregates was linked to the polarity of the solvents, which influences the sedimentation kinetics.     

Validating the factor structure of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in a community sample.

Currently, there is no standard self-report measure of psychopathy in community-dwelling samples that parallels the most commonly used measure of psychopathy in forensic and clinical samples, the Psychopathy Checklist. A promising instrument is the Self-Report Psychopathy scale (SRP), which was derived from the original version the Psychopathy Checklist. The most recent version of the SRP (SRP-III; D. L. Paulhus, C. S. Neumann, & R. D. Hare, in press) has shown good convergent and discriminate validity and a factor structure similar to the current version of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991, 2003). The analyses in the current study further investigated the viability of the SRP-III as a PCL-R-analogous measure of psychopathy in nonforensic and nonclinical samples by extending the validation process to a community sample. Using confirmatory factor analyses and logistic regressions, the results revealed that a four-factor oblique model for the SRP-III was most tenable, congruent with the PCL-R factor structure of psychopathy and previous research in which the SRP-III was administered to a student sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)