Matrix morphology and fibre pull-out strength of T700/PPS and T700/PET thermoplastic composites

The main objective of this fundamental study was to investigate effects of processing conditions and resulting matrix morphology on interfacial bond strength of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. Using a hot stage microscope, single fibre pull-out samples were produced with T700S high strength carbon fibre and two semicrystalline thermoplastic matrices, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), respectively. Processing temperatures and cooling histories were the major variables in sample preparation. The T700S fibre had no clear effect on the surrounding PPS and PET matrix morphology, as long as direct cooling at constant rates was selected. A transcrystalline phase around the fibres could be induced in the T700S/PPS system, if isothermal crystallization was carried out at 227°C. Fibre pull-out tests were conducted at room temperature and two basic failure paths were observed, i.e. debonding at the fibre-matrix interface and cohesive failure of the matrix close to the fibre surface. The results indicate that slow cooling rate and a resulting coarse spherulitic morphology around the fibres correlate with high interfacial shear strength. In fact somewhat higher strength values were obtained for samples with transcrystalline layers around the fibres.     

Advances in possibilities for protein evaluation

With protein evaluation the changing abilities of food proteins are characterized with regard to their covering the requirements of the organism for protein or amino acids, respectively. The biological value of proteins is influenced by several factors. Measuring the reaction of the whole organism (of man or animal) to the food protein the sum of all influencing factors is covered. Hence, these direct evaluation methods have priority. The general dose-reaction curve demonstrates the direct evaluation methods: The evaluation criteria protein efficiency or minimum protein requirement are presented and the different possibilities of interpretion are compared. Most direct evaluation methods are performed with suboptimal protein supply, therefore values for an optimum protein supply can be derived only with reservation. Improved values for protein evaluation can be obtained from investigations of the protein metabolism. With that the substrat-related evaluation can be more orientated to a organism-related one. Indirect biochemical evaluation methods are less important. That does not concern in-vitro evaluation by amino-acid analysis and/or in-vitro digestibility tests. Possibilities and limits of these methods are discussed.     

Improvements of metabolic imbalances after enteral sodium bicarbonate supplementation in infants of very low birth weight (VLBW)

One of the main points of clinical care is the catch-up growth of VLBW infants especially those of small gestational age (SGA). The required high amounts of protein are often not tolerated [1]. Metabolic imbalances due to immaturities of protein metabolism are described [2, 3] also in infants SGA feeding amounts of proteins comparable to mature newborns [4]. Remarkable signs of overloading by proteins are the elevation of amino acid and the bile acid concentrations in the serum [3, 5, 6]. In some of those cases [7] late metabolic acidosis (LMA) is to be seen. There is evidence in the literature that sodium bicarbonate influences nitrogen [8] and ionic balances [9] in newborn animals without any signs of acidosis, besides its simple buffer function. The aim of this study was to control changes of metabolic imbalances after bicarbonate supplementation before development of acidosis in predisposed infants. Therefore we determined parameters, which were significantly changed with LMA [6] during two feeding schedules: firstly, during bolus supplementation in infants feeding (2.0 +/- 0.4) g/kg BW.d protein and secondly during chronic supplementation of bicarbonate to (3.0 +/- 0.4) g/kg BW.d protein. In relation to the improvement of the nitrogen balance in growing lambs [7] we supposed comparable effect of bicarbonate on metabolic imbalances caused by protein overloading.     

Microstructure-related fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behaviour in toughened, anhydride-cured epoxy resins

Fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation (FCP) of plain and modified anhydride-cured epoxy resin (EP) were studied at ambient temperature. Liquid carboxyl-terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene (CTBN) and silicon (SI) rubber dispersions were used as tougheners for the EP. The morphology of the modified EP was characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fracture toughness, K_c, of the compositions decreased with increasing deformation rate. K_c of the EP was slightly improved by CTBN addition and practically unaffected by incorporation of the SI dispersion when tests were performed at low cross-head speed, v. Both modifiers improved K_c at high v, and also the resistance to FCP, by shifting the curves to higher stress intensity factor ranges, ΔK, by comparison with the plain EP. It was established that both fracture and fatigue performance rely on the compliance, J_R, at the rubbery plateau, and thus on the apparent molecular mass between crosslinks, M_c. The failure mechanisms were less dependent upon the loading mode (fracture, fatigue), but differed basically for the various modifiers. Rubber-induced cavitation and shear yielding of the EP were dominant for CTBN, whereas crack bifurcation and branching controlled the cracking in SI-modified EP. The simultaneous use of both modifiers resulted in a synergistic effect for both the fracture toughness at high deformation rate and the FCP behavior.     

High performance injectorless quantum-cascade lasers

Injectorless quantum-cascade (QC) lasers, for the first time comparable to conventional QC lasers, are presented. The samples are based on InP and the active region is designed as a four-level staircase, realised in the strain-compensated material system Ga/sub 0.4/In/sub 0.6/As/Al/sub 0.56/In/sub 0.44/As. Low threshold current densities and a maximum operating temperature of 350 K have been achieved, due to an optimised design. At 77 K the wavelength is about 10 /spl mu/m, while threshold current densities of 0.9 kA/cm/sup 2/ have been observed, which compare well with those of conventional QC lasers in this wavelength region.     

Zusammensetzung der Samen von Cajanus sp. und Canavalia sp., zwei brasilianischen Volksnahrungsmitteln

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Behavioral and computational models of spatial attention.

Pigeons pecked for food in a spatially cued choice reaction time (RT) task. A brief (50-msec) white light appeared on a left or right key and probabilistically predicted the location (on either the left or right key) of a subsequent target stimulus. The time between cue and target onset (stimulus onset asynchrony), the base rate of left cues, and the probability that the cue correctly predicted the target (cue validity) were experimentally varied. The mean RT to respond to the target key was faster on correctly cued trials (defining a validity effect), decreased for both valid and invalid trials as stimulus onset asynchrony increased (defining an alerting effect), showed a variety of base-rate effects, and did not depend on cue validity. It is shown with a computational-processing model that dynamic interactions of short-term and associative memory processes are sufficient to produce these attention-like empirical phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of rapeseed meals in broiler chicks: Effect of iodine supply and glucosinolate degradation by myrosinase or copper

In rapeseed meals (RSM) of a conventional (c) or a newly bred (n) variety 117 or 44 mmol glucosinolates and glucosinolate degradation products per kg dry matter were detected. Soaking meals in aqueous myrosinase or copper sulphate solution and subsequent drying reduced the content of antinutrients by more than 90%. Broiler chickens were fed (i) a glucosinolate-free diet, or this diet in which half the soybean meal was replaced by RSM of various origins and treatment; (ii) untreated cRSM; (iii) cRSM treated with myrosinase: (iv) cRSM treated with Cu (v) untreated nRSM; or (vi) nRSM treated with myrosinase. These diets were administered with or without supplementary iodine. Chickens receiving the iodine-deficient diets with myrosinase-treated RSM showed growth depression, incomplete feathering, leg injuries and severe goitre. In the serum T⁴ could not be detected. Giving myrosinase-treated RSM plus iodine, or giving other RSM diets irrespective of iodine administration, no growth depression was observed. RSM diets without iodine dosage markedly increased thyroid weight: there were no differences between the RSM variants. In contrast to the treatment with myrosinase, in the sera of the chickens fed on untreated RSM or RSM treated with copper T⁴ could be detected, suggesting that in iodine-deficient conditions differences in serum T⁴ concentration between RSM groups indicate a differing anti-thyroid activity. With iodine supplementation the RSM had a significant effect on thyroid weight. The largest thyroids (five-fold heavier) were in the animals with myrosinase-treated cRSM. The untreated cRSM and the nRSM trebled or doubled the thyroid weight, and the myrosinase-treated nRSM trebled it. The thyroid weight of chicks fed cRSM treated with copper did not differ significantly from the glucosinolate-free control. There was evidence that heating the myrosinase-treated RMS produced anti-thyroid compounds; these should be identified in further investigations.     

Salvage therapy of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth cavity and oropharynx. Results of interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy combined with ablative tumor surgery

PURPOSE: The clinical effect of high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy combined with tumor resection was investigated in this retrospective study on patients with recurrent oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in 38 patients were treated over a period of 7 years (1988-1994) by HDR interstitial brachytherapy using Gammamed 12i equipment. Pretreatment of patients in terms of irradiation and surgery differed (33 irradiated with a total dose between 60.0 and 75.6 Gy, including 8 patients with additional surgery; 1 patient with surgery alone, and 4 patients without any pretreatment). Indications for interstitial brachytherapy differed according to individual responses to treatment and medical histories. RESULTS: Interstitial brachytherapy was successful in the majority of patients, i.e. complete remission: 12, partial remission: 19, no change: 2, progression: 5. Local control and overall survival including patients with surgical treatment was 59% and 81% at 6 months and 47% and 49% after 12 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Interstitial HDR brachytherapy with Iridium 192 is recommended in patients with local recurrences or second primary carcinomas after previous external radiotherapy in the head and neck region. Combination of interstitial brachytherapy and surgery is preferable for these patients.