Error-Friendliness: How to Deal with the Future Scarcest Resource: the Environmental,Social, Economic Security. That is,How to Design Resilient Socio-Technical Systems

As the network co-ordinator of DESIS-Design for Social Innovation towards Sustainability, which links independent design labs in design schools and universities, Ezio Manzini plays a proactive part in promoting a creative and human-based approach to design. Here, he argues for accommodating the full range of human capability by designing ‘error-friendly’ systems. The illustrations present co-design activities promoted by DIS, a Unit of Research in the Indaco Department at the Politecnico di Milano.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Amination Route to α‐Aminoboronates: Illustration of the Decisive Role of Boron Substituents

The development of a new route to α‐aminoboronates using an iridium‐catalyzed allylic amination on boronated substrates is described. Unlike the boronate group, the trifluoroborato substituent was found to govern the regioselectivity exclusively in favor of branched products. The transformation of an allylic substitution product into an α‐aminoboronic ester in an efficient way validated the implementation of this approach.     

The Egg Parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trissolcus basalis</Emphasis> uses <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-nonadecane,a Cuticular Hydrocarbon from its Stink Bug Host <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nezara viridula</Emphasis>, to Discriminate Between Female and Male Hosts

Contact kairomones from adult southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) that elicit foraging behavior of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) were investigated in laboratory experiments. Chemical residues from tarsi and scutella of N. viridula induced foraging by gravid female T. basalis. Residues from body parts of female N. viridula elicited stronger responses than those from the corresponding body parts of males. Deproteinized tarsi still elicited searching responses from wasps, indicating that the kairomone was not proteinaceous. Hexane extracts of host cuticular lipids induced searching responses from T. basalis, with a strong preference for extracts from female hosts. Extracts consisted primarily of linear alkanes from nC₁₉ to nC₃₄, with quantitative and qualitative differences between the sexes. Extracts of female N. viridula contained more nC₂₃, nC₂₄, and nC₂₅ than the corresponding extracts from males, whereas nC₁₉ was detected only in extracts from males. Direct-contact solid phase microextraction (DC-SPME) of N. viridula cuticle and of residues left by adult bugs walking on a glass plate confirmed gender-specific differences in nC₁₉. Trissolcus basalis females responded weakly to a reconstructed blend of the straight-chain hydrocarbons, suggesting that minor components other than linear alkanes must be part of the kairomone. Addition of nC₁₉ to hexane extracts of female N. viridula significantly reduced the wasps’ arrestment responses, similar to wasps’ responses to hexane extracts of male hosts. Overall, our results suggest that a contact kairomone that elicits foraging by T. basalis females is present in the cuticular lipids of N. viridula, and that the presence or absence of nC₁₉ allows T. basalis females to distinguish between residues left by male or female hosts. The ecological significance of these results in the host location behavior of scelionid egg parasitoids is discussed.     

Surface and barrier properties of hybrid nanocomposites containing silica and PEO segments

Hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites containing PEO segments linked to a methacrylate network were prepared through a dual‐curing process, which involved photopolymerization and condensation of alkoxysilane groups. A system based on an α,ω‐dimethacrylate PEO oligomer (BEMA 1400) added with methacryloyl‐oxypropyl‐trimethoxysilane (MEMO) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used. The surface properties of the obtained films were investigated through XPS analyses and contact angle measurements. A selective enrichment of the MEMO additive towards the outermost layers of the films was evidenced either in the presence or in the absence of TEOS. SEM analyses were performed on the cross section of the films coated on PET substrates, determining the film composition at different depth by EDS analysis. The Si content was found constant, moving from the PET surface towards the air–surface of the films. The barrier properties, with respect to oxygen, of the hybrid films coated on a PET substrate were measured. A decrease of the permeability and of the oxygen transmission rate using hybrid coatings was observed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 4107–4115, 2007     

Fiber reinforced polypropylene: Influence of iPP molecular weight on morphology,crystallization, and thermal and mechanical properties

The influence of molecular weight and its distribution on the nucleation density, crystallization, thermal and mechanical behavior of isotactic polypropylene based composites has been investigated. The composites were prepared by compression molding. The ability of carbon and Kevlar fibers to nucleate the polypropylene has been studied during isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization, by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as function of crystallization temperature T_c and iPP molecular weight. Two extreme crystallization conditions were tested: quenching and slow crystallization to obtain crystals and amorphous phases of different structure. The ability of fibers to enhance mechanical properties in polypropylene based composites was examined by tensile tests at room temperature. It was found that nucleation density, crystallization parameters, and the results of tensile tests strongly depend on the molecular weight M w of iPP, molecular weight distribution, and thermal history of polypropylene. The numerical values of the nucleation density have been found to strongly depend on the nature of fiber. In fact, Kevlar fiber has shown a better nucleating ability than carbon fiber. The results of tensile tests have been related to the sample morphology. The analysis of fractured specimens also provided useful information about fiber-matrix adhesion.