Comparative Assay of Antioxidant Packages for Dimer of Estolide Esters

A series of 26 different antioxidants and commercial antioxidant packages designed for petroleum‐based materials, containing both natural and synthetic‐based materials, were evaluated with dimeric coconut‐oleic estolide 2‐ethylhexyl ester (2‐EH), a bio‐based material. The different antioxidants were categorized into different classes of phenolic, aminic, and blended/others materials. The oxidation onset temperatures (OT) using non‐isothermal pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) were measured and recorded under previously reported standard conditions. The aminic series gave the best resistance to oxidation as defined by the PDSC method with OT of 246.6 and 244.7 °C for the best two performers, which was a 38 °C improvement over the uninhibited or unformulated dimer estolide material. The phenolic series, containing most of the naturally occurring antioxidants, was the least successful formulation package for the dimer estolide. The blended/other materials, which were specifically designed for petroleum‐based lubricants, did not have the best OT, since the estolides and other bio‐based materials interact differently than their petroleum counterparts. A number of potential antioxidants have been identified as useful additives for the estolides esters. The OT of the estolide and formulated materials correlated well with other bio‐based materials such as biodiesel.     

Safety Evaluation of Green Tea Polyphenols Consumption in Middle‐aged Ovariectomized Rat Model

This work evaluates chronic safety in middle‐aged ovariectomized rats supplemented with different dosages of green tea polyphenols (GTP) in drinking water. The experiment used 6‐mo‐old sham (n = 39) and ovariectomized (OVX, n = 143) female rats. All sham (n = 39) and 39 of the OVX animals received no GTP treatment and their samples were collected for outcome measures at baseline, 3 mo, and 6 mo (n = 13 per group for each). The remaining OVX animals were randomized into 4 groups receiving 0.15%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (n = 26 for each) of GTP (wt/vol), respectively, in drinking water for 3 and 6 mo. No mortality or abnormal treatment‐related findings in clinical observations or ophthalmologic examinations were noted. No treatment‐related macroscopic or microscopic findings were noted for animals administered 1.5% GTP supplementation. Throughout the study, there was no difference in the body weight among all OVX groups. In all OVX groups, feed intake and water consumption significantly decreased with GTP dose throughout the study period. At 6 mo, GTP intake did not affect hematology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis, except for phosphorus and blood urea nitrogen (increased), total cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase, and urine pH (decreased). This study reveals that the no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level (NOAEL) of GTP is 1.5% (wt/vol) in drinking water, the highest dose used in this study.     

Ground-plane-backed hemispherical Luneberg-lens reflector

A spherical Luneberg-lens reflector provides excellent passive wideband and wide-angular radar-signature augmentation, and has been widely used. Much of its signature-enhancement performance over half of its angular coverage can potentially be achieved by using a corresponding low-profile, hemispherical Luneberg-lens reflector, mounted on a reflective ground plane. This paper presents a quantitative study of a practical design of an off-the-shelf hemispherical Luneberg-lens reflector to gain insight and to fully explore its performance limits. Extensive wideband and wide-angle measurements were carried out for this lens configuration, and a comprehensive numerical analysis was also conducted, using the finite-element method combined with a boundary integral equation to complement the test data. The effect, in practice, of a finite-sized ground plane, and the resulting vertically polarized traveling-wave interference to the direct lens reflector's return, were demonstrated. Key design issues are discussed, and potential solutions are suggested.     

Creating Lithium‐Ion Electrolytes with Biomimetic Ionic Channels in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Solid‐state electrolytes are the key to the development of lithium‐based batteries with dramatically improved energy density and safety. Inspired by ionic channels in biological systems, a novel class of pseudo solid‐state electrolytes with biomimetic ionic channels is reported herein. This is achieved by complexing the anions of an electrolyte to the open metal sites of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which transforms the MOF scaffolds into ionic‐channel analogs with lithium‐ion conduction and low activation energy. This work suggests the emergence of a new class of pseudo solid‐state lithium‐ion conducting electrolytes.     

Fast divalent ion conduction in Ba++, Cd++ and Sr++ beta″ aluminas

Single crystals of Ba⁺⁺, Cd⁺⁺ and Sr⁺⁺ beta″ alumina were prepared from sodium beta″ alumina by ion exchange. The conductivities of these divalent ion solid electrolytes exceed 10^?3 (ohm-cm)^?1 at 300°C. These compounds appear to exhibit fast divalent ion motion at moderate temperatures.     

Carcinogenic and genotoxic activity of extracts from contaminated sediments in western Lake Ontario

In order to investigate the putative association between chemical contamination in western Lake Ontario and high prevalences of fish tumors, sediments from Hamilton Harbour and Oakville Creek in Lake Ontario and reference sites in non-polluted areas of Ontario, Canada were collected and extracted for organic contaminants. Sediment extracts from Hamilton Harbour had the highest concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides (ppb) and contained very high concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (ppm); although the levels of these compounds varied widely with sampling location in the harbor. A sediment extract from Hamilton Harbour was mutagenic in the Ames bacterial assay, both with and without microsomal activation. High levels of aromatic DNA adducts were induced in cultured mouse C3H1OT1/2 cells after in vitro exposure to Hamilton Harbour sediment extract. In two separate carcinogenicity experiments involving a sac fry microinjection assay with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Hamilton Harbour sediment extract induced hepatocellular carcinomas in fish. No hepatic neoplasms were observed in fish that had been treated with sediment extract from Oakville Creek, or with extract from a reference sediment. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the distribution of neoplasms in feral fish within western Lake Ontario.     

Evaluation of buffer zone effectiveness in mitigating the risks associated with agricultural runoff in Prince Edward Island

To minimize the risk posed by runoff from row crops, Prince Edward Island introduced buffer legislation in 2000. The legislation mandates 10-m and 20-m buffers, respectively, for moderate sloped (i.e. < 5%) and steep sloped (i.e. > 5%) agricultural fields that border streams. Since 2001, Environment Canada has been evaluating the effectiveness of various buffer widths on operational farms in reducing toxicity and contaminant concentrations in runoff. Sample collectors, placed in 44 fields at the field edge (0 m), 10 m and at distances out to 30 m, collected overland flow following rainfall-induced runoff events. Samples were collected within 24 hours of an event and analysed for seven pesticides (endosulfan, chlorothalonil, carbofuran, linuron, metribuzin, metalaxyl, mancozeb), water quality parameters and Daphnia magna toxicity. The 10-m buffer required for moderate sloped fields was effective at reducing contaminant concentrations but not always to less than lethal concentrations to Daphnia magna. Limited data beyond 10 m for fields of both slope types precluded making recommendations on a suitable buffer width for shallow sloped fields and evaluating the effectiveness of 20-m buffers for steep sloped fields. When paired data were combined and statistically tested for all fields, the studied pesticides underwent a 52-98% and 68-100% reduction in aqueous and particulate concentrations within 10 m and 30 m, respectively. In addition, by 10 m, soluble phosphorus, nitrate-nitrogen and total suspended solids were reduced by 34%, 38% and 64%, respectively. Results suggest buffer zones on operational farms are capable of achieving contaminant reductions comparable to those reported for controlled experiments. Inconsistent siting of sample collectors beyond 10 m limited the evaluation of the effects of field slope and buffer width on buffer effectiveness on working farms. Future studies on buffer efficiency on operational farms should focus on building the data set beyond 10 m and evaluating load reductions.     

Effects of electrode particle morphology on stress generation in silicon during lithium insertion

We study the effects of particle morphology and size on stress generation during Li insertion into Si particles using a fully coupled diffusion-elasticity model implemented in a finite element formulation. The model includes electrochemical reaction kinetics through a Butler-Volmer equation, concentration-dependent material properties, and surface elasticity. Focusing on two idealized geometries (hollow spheres and cylinders), we simulate stresses during Li insertion in Si. These systems describe a wide variety of morphologies that have been fabricated and studied experimentally, including particles, nanowires, nanotubes, and porous solids. We find that stresses generated in solid particles during Li insertion decrease as particle radii decrease from μm-scale, but reach a minimum at about 150 nm. Surface stresses then begin to dominate the stress states as the particle size continues to decrease. The minimum occurs at larger radii for hollow particles. We also find that hollow particles experience lower stresses than solid ones, but our results suggest that there is not a significant difference in maximum stress magnitudes for spherical and cylindrical particles. Studying the influence of concentration-dependent elastic moduli we find that while they can significantly influence stress generation for potentiostatic insertion, their role is minimal when surface reaction kinetics are considered.     

Review of Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems.

Reviews the book, Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems by Hal Arkowitz, Henny A. Westra, William R. Miller, and Stephen Rollnick (2007). The purpose of this book is to describe applications of motivational interviewing (MI) to the treatment of a variety of psychological disorders. This excellent book, edited by the originators of MI (Miller and Rollnick) along with two highly regarded scientist-practitioners (Arkowitz and Westra), begins with an introduction to the spirit and techniques of MI and provides an overview of the ways in which MI has been applied in clinical practise. The main portion of the book consists of 11 chapters written by foremost MI experts describing the use of MI in their research and clinical work treating anxiety disorders, depression, pathological gambling, eating disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, as well as the use of MI in the corrections system and with suicidal and dually diagnosed patients. Each chapter is similarly organised and offers a brief overview of the clinical population and treatment as usual, a rationale for using MI in treatment, a summary of available research regarding the use of MI in the population, and detailed examples of clinical applications of MI to treatment, including problems and suggested solutions. The chapters are well written and informative, with many offering vivid clinical examples. It is difficult to identify any significant weaknesses. There is some redundancy throughout the text, particularly with regard to the general spirit, principles, and techniques of MI. This is likely intentional and meant to reiterate important points; it also nicely allows each chapter to stand alone. In sum, this terrific book provides a highly readable and informative account of the application of MI to the treatment of psychological problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Photochemistry on a polarisable semi-conductor: what do we understand today?

The continued development of ferroelectric materials into more and more consumer led applications has been at the forefront of recent ferroelectric material research. It is, however, possible to view a ferroelectric as a wide band gap semi-conductor that can sustain a surface charge density. This charge density arises from the movement of ions in the crystal lattice and the need to compensate for this charge. When viewing ferroelectrics as polarisable semi-conductors a large number of new interactions are possible. One such is the use of super band gap illumination to generate electron–hole pairs. These photogenerated carriers can then perform local electrochemistry. What is most interesting for ferroelectric materials is that the REDOX chemistry can be chosen by selectively modifying the domain structure of the ferroelectric—we can perform oxidation and reduction on the surface of the same material at spatially separate locations, or use the material to drive photoexcited carriers apart. This means we can separate the REDOX products or produce patterns of photogenerated material in places we have predetermined. This review aims to introduce the background research that has led to the current understanding as well a highlight some of the current areas that require further development.