Dyeing properties of monoazo disperse dyes derived from 4-alkylamidosalicylic acids: equilibrium study

The dyeing equilibria of a set of monoazo dyes derived from 4-alkylamidosalicylic acids on nylon 6.6 have been studied. A Nemst distribution has been obtained indicating the prevailing mechanism of solution of the dye in the fibre Equilibrium depends on the length of the alkyl chain of the dye and on the concentration of dispersant. The latter affects the equilibrium differently according to the hydrophobicity of the dye. Linear relationships between the chain length and ΔHd? and ΔSd? have been found.     

Monoazo dyes for polyamide derived from 4-alkylamido-2-hydroxybenzoic acids

Data on a series of 65 azo dyes derived from 4-alkylamido-2-hydroxybenzoic acids are reported. The dyes are suitable for application to polyamide fibres.Many correlations between the nature of substituents and the physical, spectroscopic or tinctorial properties of dyes were established. Correlations between structure and colour of dyed fabrics were also found.     

Comparison of 24-h control of gastric acidity by three different dosages of pantoprazole in patients with duodenal ulcer

BACKGROUND: It is now clear that the extent to which gastric acid secretion must be suppressed varies with the clinical condition being treated. AIM: To assess the 24-h control of gastric acidity and the individual response variability of three different doses of pantoprazole. METHODS: Sixty-four duodenal ulcer patients were recruited for this prospective, randomized, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group study. They were subdivided into three well-matched groups treated with 20 mg o.m., 40 mg o.m. and 40 mg b.d. of pantoprazole, respectively. Endoscopy and intragastric pH monitoring were performed in each patient before and after 14 days of treatment. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were eligible for final analysis (17 treated with 20 mg o.m., 18 with 40 mg o.m. and 20 with 40 mg b.d. pantoprazole). The ulcer crater healed in 94, 88 and 95% of cases, respectively. The three dosages of pantoprazole produced significant increases in gastric pH compared to basal levels (P < 0.0001). There was also a clear dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect, which augmented on moving from the lowest dosage of 20 mg o.m. pantoprazole to the highest dosage of 40 mg b.d. (P < 0.01-0.001). The inter-individual response variability within the three treatment groups was more marked with the dose of 20 mg than with the two higher doses of pantoprazole. CONCLUSIONS: All three doses of pantoprazole we tested are highly effective in decreasing gastric acidity and there is a clear dose-dependent pharmacodynamic effect on moving from the lowest to the highest dosage. The greatest inter individual variation in the degree of acid inhibition was seen with pantoprazole 20 mg o.m., while the majority of patients responded adequately to the two higher doses of the drug.     

A conforming triangular finite element plate bending solution

A conforming plate bending solution using simple polynomial deflection functions of third-degree inside each triangular element is presented. In order to avoid normal slope discontinuities along the sides of the elements, the plate displacement parameters are subjected to ‘slope continuity conditions’ acting as constraints to the minimum potential energy problem. This is then solved by the classical method of Lagrange introducing multipliers as new auxiliary variables. If a special variational formulation of the problem is used, it can be shown that the Lagrangean multipliers are generalized stress parameters. The suggested solution is therefore basically a ‘mixed’ solution, the unknown variables of the problem being both displacement and stress parameters. Several numerical results are presented.     

Mathematical definition and analysis of the retinex algorithm

We present a detailed mathematical analysis of the original Retinex algorithm due to Land and McCann [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61, 1 (1071)]. To this end, we propose an analytic formula that describes the algorithm behavior. More than one Retinex version (e.g., with and without threshold) is examined. The behavior of Retinex varying the number of paths is predicted, and its recursive iterations are mathematically analyzed using the formula. The mathematical setting presented serves as a common ground for the various Retinex implementations. Its validity is confirmed by the tests on images that we have performed.     

An integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods

The true bioavailability of a nutrient being intrinsically coupled to the specific food matrix in which it occurs remains poorly considered in nutrition science. During digestion, the food matrix and, in particular, the structure of food modulate the extent and kinetics to which nutrients and bioactive compounds make themselves available for absorption. In this perspective, we describe an integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods. Based on this integrated look, cell wall integrity and the particle size of the plant material during its transit in the small intestine determine the bioavailability of plant nutrients; in turn, cell wall integrity and particle size are determined by the level of oral processing and, accordingly, what subsequently escapes digestion in the upper intestine and is utilized by colon microbiota. Ultimately, the effect on nutrient digestion is linked to food structure through each step of digestion. A consideration of the structure rather than just the composition of foods opens up possibilities for the design of healthier foods. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Robotic Simulations,Simulations of Robots

Minds and Machines - Simulation studies have been carried out in robotics for a variety of epistemic and practical purposes. Here it is argued that two broad classes of simulation studies can be...     

Artificial Soft Cilia with Asymmetric Beating Patterns for Biomimetic Low‐Reynolds‐Number Fluid Propulsion

In nature, liquid propulsion in low‐Reynolds‐number regimes is often achieved by arrays of beating cilia with various forms of motion asymmetry. In particular, spatial asymmetry, where the cilia follow a different trajectory in their effective and recovery strokes, is an efficient way of generating flow in low Reynolds regimes. However, this type of asymmetry is difficult to mimic and control artificially. In this paper, an artificial soft cilium that comprises two pneumatic actuators that can be controlled individually is developed. These two independent degrees of freedom allow for the first time adjustment and study of spatial asymmetry in the cilium's beating pattern. Using low‐Reynolds‐number flow measurements, it is confirmed that spatial asymmetry allows for the generation of fluid propulsion. These two‐degree‐of‐freedom soft cilia provide a platform to study ciliary fluid transport mechanisms and to mimic biologic viscous propulsion.