Photo-induced polymerization of methyl acrylate vapors on prewetted polyamide and polyester fibers

Photo-induced polymerization of methyl acrylate vapors on polyamide and polyester fibers occurred when these fibers were wetted with the polar solvents methanol, N,N-dimethylformamide, or dimethyl sulfoxide (neat or in aqueous solution). Polymer grafting was accompanied by homopolymer formation, with the amount of grafting and ratio of grafting to homopolymerization being dependent on the fiber type, the solvent used to wet the fiber, and the amount of water present in the wetting solution. Overall deposition of polymer was higher on polyamide than on polyester under all wetting conditions. Water present in the wetting agent had a limited effect on polymerization of poly(methyl acrylate) on polyamide, whereas water caused a rapid decrease in polymerization on polyester. The nature of polymer grafting on the fibers under various wetting conditions was examined by scanning electron microscopy and tensile property measurements, and the mode of polymer deposition was outlined in light of our findings.     

Regulation of the metabolism of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid in rat hepatocytes

When 5×10⁶ hepatocytes were incubated for 40 min with from 0.15 to 0.60 mM [1-¹⁴C]linoleic acid, [1-¹⁴C]6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid, or [1-¹⁴C]8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid, there was a concentration-dependent acylation of radioactive metabolites into both triglycerides and phospholipids. When the concentration of either [1-¹⁴C]linoleic acid or [1-¹⁴C]8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid exceeded 0.3 mM, there was no further increase in the metabolism of either fatty acid to other (n−6) metabolites. When the concentration of [1-¹⁴C]6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid exceeded 0.15 mM, there was an apparent substrate-induced inhibition in its metabolism to 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid. With all three substrates (0.3 mM), there was time-dependent metabolism to other (n−6) acids. Cells then were incubated simultaneously with 0.3 mM [1-¹⁴C]linoleic acid along with 0.15 to 0.45 mM 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid or 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid. These exogenous nonradioactive (n−6) acids suppressed but did not abolish the conversion of [1-¹⁴C]linoleate to radioactive arachidonate. These findings suggest that some linoleate is converted to arachidonate without intracellular mixing of 6,8,12-octadecatrienoic or 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acids. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that exogenous linoleate did not markedly affect the metabolism of [1-¹⁴C]6,9,12-octadecatrienoic or [1-¹⁴C]8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid by microsomal chain elongating or desaturating enzymes.     

SWCNT PEG-eggs: Single-walled carbon nanotubes in biocompatible shell-crosslinked micelles

Pristine, individualized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been noncovalently captured within PEG-terminated block copolymer amphiphiles. Two cross-linkable amphiphiles were evaluated: polyethylene glycol-polyacrylic acid-polystyrene (PEG-PAA-PS) and polyethylene glycol-polybutadiene (PEG-PB). The resulting self-assembled PEG-PAA-PS structures, called PEG-eggs, are freely soluble in water and stable in physiological media. SWCNTs in PEG-eggs retain their intrinsic near-infrared fluorescence, resist exchange with serum proteins, and are non-cytotoxic to mouse macrophage and human renal cells based on in vitro viability assays.     

The Green Building Challenge in the UK

The background to and feedback from the UK team on the Green Building Challenge process in the UK is provided along with a commentary on the future development of the environmental assessment of buildings. Unique amongst the GBC national teams, the UK team chose buildings which had undergone post-occupancy evaluation. As a consequence, buildings were evaluated on their design, construction and operation phases. This additional information on actual rather than predicted performance provides a number of important lessons for the environmental assessment of buildings. Future expectations for the development of GBC from the UK perspective include providing proper credit for design features such as low-energy passive cooling and daylighting, modifying the assessment weighting system to provide more reliable comparison or benchmarking between design solutions, providing a practical international assessment method for comparison or benchmarking, incorporating post-occupancy evaluation to validate assessment methods and tools. Ease of use is important and GBC could usefully be simplified to consider the point of application in design, post-design certification and post-occupancy. Environmental assessment of buildings in the future must evolve within a wider context of local Agenda 21 sustainable development criteria. Cet article rappelle les informations fournies a l'equipe britannique du projet Green Building Challenge et celles recues en retour, et s'accompagne d'un commentaire sur la facon dont va evoluer l'evaluation environnementale des batiments. L'equipe britannique se distingue des autres equipes nationals en ce sens qu'elle a choisi des batiments qui ont ete entierement evalues apres le depart des occupants, evaluation qui s'est donc faite au niveau de la conception, de la construction et de l'exploitation de ces batiments. Ces informations complementaires sur des performances reelles plutot que prevues constituent autant d'enseignements importants pour l'evaluation des batiments sur le plan de l'environnement. Du point de vue britannique, l'evolution du GBC devrait donner toute leur credibilite a des caracteristiques de conception telles que le refroidissement passif par faible energie et l'eclairage diurne, modifier le systeme de ponderation pour deboucher sur des comparaisons plus fiable entre solutions conceptuelles, aboutir a une methode internationale d'evaluation pratique a des fins de comparaison ou d'etalonnage, incorporer une evaluation apres occupation pour valider les outils et les methodes d'evaluation. La facilite d'utilisation est un aspect important et le GBC pourrait etre simplifie, utilement, pour considerer le point d'application au niveau de la conception, de la certification apres conception et de la fonctionnalite. L'evaluation environnementale des batiments devra evoluer en tenant compte de l'elargissement des criteres locaux de l'Agenda 21.     

The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality: An 8-year prospective study.

This longitudinal study examined the effect of the birth of the 1st child on relationship functioning using data from 218 couples (436 individuals) over the course of the first 8 years of marriage. Compared with prebirth levels and trajectories, parents showed sudden deterioration following birth on observed and self-reported measures of positive and negative aspects of relationship functioning. The deterioration in these variables was small to medium in size and tended to persist throughout the remaining years of the study. Mothers and fathers showed similar amounts of change after birth. The amount of postbirth deterioration in relationship functioning varied systematically by several characteristics of the individual, the marriage, and the pregnancy itself. In a group of couples who did not have children, results indicated more gradual deterioration in relationship functioning during the first 8 years of marriage without the sudden changes seen in parents, suggesting that the results seen in the parent sample may be due to birth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of Extrusion Processing on Procyanidin Composition and Total Anthocyanin Contents of Blueberry Pomace

ABSTRACT:  Blueberry juice processing by-products are a rich source of procyanidins, which comprise a group of compounds shown to possess numerous health benefits, including protection against coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, and obesity. Most of the procyanidins present in blueberry pomace, however, are large molecular weight compounds that are poorly absorbed and show weak bioactivity compared to the smaller molecular weight monomers and dimers. The objective of our study was to identify optimal extrusion variables to enhance the contents of monomers and dimers at the expense of large molecular weight procyanidin oligomers and polymers. Extrusion variables temperature (160 and 180 °C) and screw speed (150 and 200 rpm) were tested using mixtures of blueberry pomace with decorticated white sorghum flour at a ratio of 30 : 70 and 45% moisture content. Extrudates were analyzed for procyanidin composition and total anthocyanin content. Extrusion of blueberry pomace increased the monomer, dimer, and trimer contents considerably at both temperature and screw speeds. The highest monomer content, obtained at 180 °C and 150 rpm screw speed, was 84% higher than the nonextruded control. Significantly higher levels of dimer and trimer contents were also obtained under these conditions. Increases in monomer, dimer, and trimer contents apparently were the result of reduced polymer contents, which was approximately 40% lower for samples extruded at 180 °C temperature and 150 rpm screw speed. Extrusion processing reduced total anthocyanin contents by 33% to 42% indicating that additional treatments are needed to retain the pigments. These results demonstrate that extrusion processing can be used to increase procyanidin monomer and dimers in blueberry pomace.     

The silicon neighborhood across the a-Si:H to μc-Si transition by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)

We report a synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of the average neighborhood of Si near the transition from a-Si:H to μc-Si on wedge-shaped samples prepared by hot-wire CVD in a chamber using a movable shutter. The thickness of the wedge varies from 30 to 160 nm. Nucleation of μc-Si occurs at a critical thickness of approximately 100 nm. X-Ray absorption was measured at the Si K-edge (1.84 keV) by total electron photoemission yield. The absorption oscillations in the EXAFS region are very similar to all along the wedge. Analysis indicates an average tetrahedral first neighbor shell with radial disorder decreasing with crystallization. In the near-edge (XANES) region multiple scattering effects appear at the onset of crystallinity. Unlike single crystal silicon, these effects involve only double scattering within the first neighbor shell, indicating an ill-formed second shell in μc-Si.     

A new capability to detect and locate insulation defects in complex wiring systems

Pulse arrested spark discharge (PASD) is an effective means to detect and locate a variety of insulation defects in complex wiring geometries such as breached insulation, chafing, and physically small insulation cracks. It is highly immune to line impedance variations, an important property in aircraft wiring systems, and has been shown to be nondestructive to electrical insulation materials. Because of the simplicity of the PASD concept, the low energy PASD pulser and diagnostics can be readily implemented into a portable, briefcase-sized diagnostic system. Although this patented technique will likely evolve as it enters into field applications, it is capable of making a near-term impact on the ability of inspection and maintenance organizations to detect and locate potentially hazardous insulation defects.     

The Iowa tradition.

Psychology at the University of Iowa began in 1887, when George R. W. Patrick started a psychology laboratory. Since its inception, Iowa psychology has passed through four stages, each with a distinctive emphasis: (a) the establishment of psychology as an independent discipline, (b) the development of psychology as an experimental science, based on natural science methodology, designed to yield reliable knowledge, (c) the formulation of a comprehensive theory, and (d) the current reorientation designed to benefit from the lessons of the past. The Iowa tradition in psychology, most indebted to the efforts and achievements of Carl E. Seashore and Kenneth W. Spence, represents the strivings for a synergistic relationship between experimental and applied psychology, a close and intimate bond between research and comprehensive theorizing, and a continuing methodological clarification of psychology. In line with the tradition of methodological surveillance, some of the major trends of Iowa psychology, during its third stage, are assessed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)