The Interplay of Modulus,Strength, and Ductility in Adhesive Design Using Biomimetic Polymer Chemistry

High‐performance adhesives require mechanical properties tuned to demands of the surroundings. A mismatch in stiffness between substrate and adhesive leads to stress concentrations and fracture when the bonding is subjected to mechanical load. Balancing material strength versus ductility, as well as considering the relationship between adhesive modulus and substrate modulus, creates stronger joints. However, a detailed understanding of how these properties interplay is lacking. Here, a biomimetic terpolymer is altered systematically to identify regions of optimal bonding. Mechanical properties of these terpolymers are tailored by controlling the amount of a methyl methacrylate stiff monomer versus a similar monomer containing flexible poly(ethylene glycol) chains. Dopamine methacrylamide, the cross‐linking monomer, is a catechol moiety analogous to 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine, a key component in the adhesive proteins of marine mussels. Bulk adhesion of this family of terpolymers is tested on metal and plastic substrates. Incorporating higher amounts of poly(ethylene glycol) into the terpolymer introduces flexibility and ductility. By taking a systematic approach to polymer design, the region in which material strength and ductility are balanced in relation to the substrate modulus is found, thereby yielding the most robust joints.     

Laminar shear mixing in reaction injection molding

Turbulent flow in the impingement mixing head of a reactions injection molding machine produces a laminated mixture, whose striations are mostly so thick that any subsequent copolymerization would be hindered by diffusion. However, further reduction in striation thickness occurs during laminar flow through the runner. This is calculated here and is a function of the radial position in the runner and of its length/diameter ratio. So, for example, when L/D = 10, it is predicted that at least 79 percent of, the reagent striations would be thin enough to permit reaction under kinetically controlled conditions.     

Maternal depression and early positive parenting predict future conduct problems in young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for adverse outcomes such as substance abuse and criminality, particularly if they develop conduct problems. Little is known about early predictors of the developmental course of conduct problems among children with ADHD, however. Parental psychopathology and parenting were assessed in 108 children who first met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for ADHD at 4-7 years old. When demographic variables and baseline ADHD and conduct problems were controlled, maternal depression predicted conduct problems 2-8 years following the initial assessment, whereas positive parenting during the structured parent- child interaction task predicted fewer future conduct problems. These findings suggest that maternal depression is a risk factor, whereas early positive parenting is a protective factor, for the developmental course of conduct problems among children with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Polymerization behavior and polymer properties of eosin-mediated surface modification reactions

Surface modification by surface-mediated polymerization necessitates control of the grafted polymer film thicknesses to achieve the desired property changes. Here, a microarray format is used to assess a range of reaction conditions and formulations rapidly in regards to the film thicknesses achieved and the polymerization behavior. Monomer formulations initiated by eosin conjugates with varying concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), and 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP) were evaluated. Acrylamide with MDEA or ascorbic acid as a coinitiator was also investigated. The best formulation was found to be 40 wt% acrylamide with MDEA which yielded four to eightfold thicker films (maximum polymer thickness increased from 180 nm to 1420 nm) and generated visible films from fivefold lower eosin surface densities (2.8 versus 14 eosins/μm²) compared to a corresponding PEGDA formulation. Using a microarray format to assess multiple initiator surface densities enabled facile identification of a monomer formulation that yields the desired polymer properties and polymerization behavior across the requisite range of initiator surface densities.     

Diffusion-controlled growth in ternary systems

Diffusion-controlled growth of particles, dendrites, and plates in infinite media is examined for ternary systems. The growth kinetics associated with planar, cylindrical, and spherical particles are shown to be limiting cases of a more complete analysis (also presented) for shape-preserving growth. The theory is applied to the growth of allotriomorphic ferrite from austenite in ternary Fe-C-X steels, where X represents a substitutional alloying element. Numerical results are given, the analysis relying on the ability to predict multicomponent phase equilibria. The work represents an attempt at coupling together thermodynamic and kinetic models for the diffusion-controlled3 phase transformations that occur in steels.     

Population turnaround in the Canadian inner city: contextual factors and social consequences

"The paper begins with a brief review of the theoretical arguments and empirical evidence that might be used to explain the emergence, sources and spatial variations of inner-city repopulation. The discussion then examines the various forms of property development that underlie the process of repopulation and the possible origins and potential impacts of each form. Examples are introduced to illustrate the trends and relationships involved, drawing on selective references from North American and European cities, but with special emphasis on Canadian cities and the recent Toronto experience. The paper concludes with a brief assessment of the significance of these processes for understanding the changing residential functions and social environments of the inner city."     

EFFECT OF SUSPENDED FIBRES ON MACRO-MIXING AND MICRO-MIXING IN A STIRRED TANK REACTOR

The effects of suspended fibre on macroscale and microscale mixing in a small stirred tank reactor were studied under batch conditions using the competitive, consecutive azo coupling between 1-naphthol and diazotized sulfanilic acid. The mixing quality was determined from the distribution between the mono and bis substituted reaction products. Nylon (2 and 3 millimeters in length) and fully bleached softwood kraft pulp (FBK) fibre suspensions were examined at volumetric concentrations up to the limit that complete suspension motion could be maintained in the vessel at impellet rotational speeds of 7 and 10s^-1. The adsorption of the product dyes on the fibre was found to be proportional or very nearly proportional to their concentrations in the aqueous phase and did not interfere with the assessment of mixing in the suspension.

Suspended fibres were found to slightly increase the 'critical feed time' of the diazotized sulfanilic acid, corresponding to an increase in the macromixing or bulk blend lime of the vessel. Continued increase in the fibre concentration led to the formation of a well mixed cavern centered on the impeller and the creation of stagnant regions adjacent to the vessel walls. The departure from the Newtonian fibre-free case is due to changes in the flow through and distribution of the energy dissipative regions in the vessel. The most effective location for chemical addition to ensure good microscale mixing remains in the impeller vicinity.     

Verifying anonymity in voting systems using CSP

We present formal definitions of anonymity properties for voting protocols using the process algebra CSP. We analyse a number of anonymity definitions, and give formal definitions for strong and weak anonymity, highlighting the difference between these definitions. We show that the strong anonymity definition is too strong for practical purposes; the weak anonymity definition, however, turns out to be ideal for analysing voting systems. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the formal definitions: a conventional voting system, and Prêt à Voter, a paper-based, voter-verifiable scheme. In each case, we give a CSP model of the system, and analyse it against our anonymity definitions by specification checks using the Failures-Divergences Refinement (FDR2) model checker. We give a detailed discussion on the results from the analysis, emphasizing the assumptions that we made in our model as well as the challenges in modelling electronic voting systems using CSP.