Evaluation of Agronomic and Seed Characteristics in Elevated Oleic Acid Soybean Lines in the South-Eastern US

Increasing oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, is reported to strike the best balance between cold flow properties and oxidative stability in soybean seed oil to enhance biodiesel and produce a better burning fuel. In addition, it is important that elevated oleic acid soybeans have the agronomic traits of local cultivars and maintain oleic acid stability across environments. Research was conducted in 2007–2008 to evaluate six Roundup Ready^® soybean recombinant inbred lines exhibiting enhanced levels of oleic acid. The six elevated oleic lines averaged a 55% increase in oleic acid and a 43% decrease in linolenic acid over the two commercial cultivars (AG3906 and AG4103). Some elevated oleic acid genotypes fulfilled the linear regression definition of a stable genotype. TN03-93RR was the best genotype because of its oleic acid content (397 g kg^?1) and desirable regression estimates for stability. Iodine value (IV), peroxide value (PV), and induction period (IP) were used to evaluate the fuel properties of the two lines with the highest oleic acid content and the two commercial cultivars. The elevated oleic acid lines had significantly better IP, PV and IV for better biodiesel properties and oxidative stability than the two commercial cultivars.     

The seafood supply chain from a fraudulent perspective

Food fraud is an intentional act for economic gain. It poses a risk to food integrity, the economy, public health and consumers’ ethics. Seafood is one commodity which has endured extensive fraudulent activity owing to its increasing consumer demand, resource limitations, high value and complex supply chains. It is essential that these fraudulent opportunities are revealed, the risk is evaluated and countermeasures for mitigation are assigned. This can be achieved through mapping of the seafood supply chains and identifying the vulnerability analysis critical control points (VACCP), which can be exposed, infiltrated and exploited for fraudulent activity. This research systematically maps the seafood supply chain for three key commodities: finfish, shellfish and crustaceans in the United Kingdom. Each chain is comprised of multiple stakeholders across numerous countries producing a diverse range of products distributed globally. For each supply chain the prospect of fraud, with reference to species substitution, fishery substitution, illegal, unreported and unregulated substitution, species adulteration, chain of custody abuse, catch method fraud, undeclared product extension, modern day slavery and animal welfare, has been identified and evaluated. This mapping of the fraudulent opportunities within the supply chains provides a foundation to rank known and emerging risks and to develop a proactive mitigation plan which assigns control measures and responsibility where vulnerabilities exist. Further intelligence gathering and management of VACCPs of the seafood supply chains may deter currently unknown or unexposed fraudulent opportunities.     

Thermodynamic and Experimental Investigations of High-Temperature Refractory Corrosion by Molten Slags

Corrosion mechanisms between MgO refractory substrates and FeNi slags were investigated. The FeNi slags taken into consideration represent a simple synthetically mixed slag with specific oxides and a real slag from a ferroalloy producer. The MgO refractory substrates with the specimens of FeNi slag were heated in a hot-stage microscope at 10 K/min from room temperature to three different temperatures 1573 K, 1723 K, and 1923 K (1300 °C, 1450 °C, and 1650 °C). The experiments were carried out under a controlled gas atmosphere that simulates the relevant process conditions. The corrosion mechanisms of each system were followed by scanning electron microscope analyses. The results obtained showed that slag corrosion dominates, with a pronounced partial dissolution of refractory fines forming Mg-silicates of type forsterite. It was also observed that iron oxide present in the slag diffused into the coarse refractory grains forming magnesiowustite. Finally, the results obtained were compared with those predicted by FACTSAGE software to understand the corrosion mechanisms and draw implications for improving the refractory performance and lifetime.     

An in situ intercalative polymerization method for preparing UV curable clay–polymer nanocomposites

A novel in situ intercalative polymerization technique was used to disperse clay mineral in a precursor resin for use in UV curing by performing an in situ ion exchange reaction during polyesterification. Unmodified montmorillonite (MMT) was added to a reaction mixture composed of monomers and methyl, tallow, bis‐2‐hydroxyethyl ammonium (MTEtOH) during the synthesis of unsaturated polyesters to create resins containing highly dispersed, organically modified MMT. UV‐curable clay–polymer nanocomposite (CPN) films were then prepared utilizing donor–acceptor chemistry through reactions of the unsaturated polyester resin with triethylene glycol divinyl ether. Functional group conversion improved up to 15% by the incorporation of clay mineral into the polymer matrix through the in situ polymerization method. The CPNs also had improved barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties over a control film containing no clay mineral. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42601.     

Measuring errors and violations on the road: A bifactor modeling approach to the Driver Behavior Questionnaire

The Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) is a self-report measure of driving behavior that has been widely used over more than 20 years. Despite this wealth of evidence a number of questions remain, including understanding the correlation between its violations and errors sub-components, identifying how these components are related to crash involvement, and testing whether a DBQ based on a reduced number of items can be effective. We address these issues using a bifactor modeling approach to data drawn from the UK Cohort II longitudinal study of novice drivers. This dataset provides observations on 12,012 drivers with DBQ data collected at .5, 1, 2 and 3 years after passing their test. A bifactor model, including a general factor onto which all items loaded, and specific factors for ordinary violations, aggressive violations, slips and errors fitted the data better than correlated factors and second-order factor structures. A model based on only 12 items replicated this structure and produced factor scores that were highly correlated with the full model. The ordinary violations and general factor were significant independent predictors of crash involvement at 6 months after starting independent driving. The discussion considers the role of the general and specific factors in crash involvement.     

基于星敏感器指向的船载雷达轴系误差分离模型

针对现有船载雷达动态标校方法的不足,提出了一种基于星敏感器的船载雷达轴系误差标校方法。该方法以精确的星敏感器地平指向为比对基准,解算船载雷达的轴系误差。设计了基于星敏感器的船载雷达动态标校方案,分析了船摇测量误差对雷达测角精度的影响,推导了天线座垂向变形引起的雷达测角误差修正模型。根据测量目标的不同,分别建立了联合测星与跟踪目标时的船载雷达轴系误差分离模型。最后通过联合测星试验对轴系误差分离模型进行了验证。试验结果表明,利用动态标校成果修正后的船载雷达方位、俯仰系统残差分别为3”和9”,随机残差分别为40”和45”,满足雷达轴系误差标定要求,具有较高的实用价值。     

Polyampholyte acrylic latexes for tablet coating applications

Polyampholyte latexes can exist within a certain pH range as low‐viscosity aqueous dispersions, while upon a pH shift to the vicinity of the isoelectric point they undergo ionic coacervation. Three classes of coacervation latexes were synthesized and evaluated for their suitability for use in tablet coating applications. Pharmaceutical tablet coatings are commonly based on hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, poly(vinyl alcohol), and acrylic polymers. Because of the high viscosity of their aqueous solutions, and to the consequent required low concentrations of the tablet coating polymers in the coating solutions to enable sufficiently low viscosity for effective spray application, the current commercial pharmaceutical tablet coating technology requires the removal of large amounts of water during the manufacturing process. In this work, films prepared from high‐solids, low‐viscosity coacervated acrylic latexes showed good hardness, very low tackiness, an excellent combination of optical properties, and very low water vapor permeability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40049.