Novel biodegradable amino acid containing anhydride oligomers for orthopedic applications

Novel synthetic biodegradable methacrylated anhydride oligomers (MAOs) based on methacrylated alaninyl maleamic acid (MAMA) and methacrylated aminocaproyl maleamic acid (MACMA) were synthesized and characterized. Injectable and in situ crosslinkable polymer networks were formulated by the copolymerization of MAOs with triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Furthermore, composites composed of MAOs, TEGDMA, and β‐tricalcium phosphate were prepared. The networks and composites were initiated by photopolymerization and redox polymerization, respectively. The initial compressive strength (CS) and diametral tensile strength (DTS) of these materials were determined and used to evaluate the effects of the MAO/TEGDMA ratios on the degradation behavior of the materials. The MAMA‐based composites had initial DTS values of 5.7–17.1 MPa and CS values of 30.7–114.2 MPa. The MACMA‐based composites had initial DTS values of 2.8–20.8 MPa and CS values of 19.1–119.5 MPa. During the course of degradation, the neat polymer resins lost 97 and 87% of their initial CS values after 6 months with 50/50 MAMA/TEGDMA and MACMA/TEGDMA ratios, respectively. The composite with a 25/75 MACMA/TEGDMA ratio showed a significant increase in CS after an initial decrease for 7 days and then lost 57% of its initial CS value after 3 months. The composite composed of 100% methacrylated anhydride oligomer (MAOs) showed complete degradation after 21 days. The degrees of conversion of the neat resins were 60–77%. Both the neat resins and the composites had low polymerization shrinkage ranging from 3.8 to 5.6%. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1979–1984, 2005     

Nanometric bimetallic sulfides prepared via thermal decomposition of Ni and Fe heteropolymolybdate emulsions

NiMo and FeMo nanometric particles were prepared by thermal decomposition of water in oil emulsions, where the aqueous phase was a solution of iron or nickel heteropolymolybdates. Decomposition experiments were carried out at 573 K and 70 Bar of hydrogen, with carbon disulfide added to the emulsions. Solids were characterized by X ray diffraction, confocal microscopy and BET surface area. Thiophene hydrodesulfurization was performed in a continuous flow microreactor at 553 K and 1.0 Bar. Particles with diameters between 370 and 560 nm were obtained, and thiophene HDS was in the order NiMoS > MoS ≈ FeMoS > NiS > FeS. The feasibility of using thermal decomposition of emulsions to obtain nanometric bimetallic sulfides particles was shown.     

超重力反应结晶法制备纳米硫化锌实验研究

本文以硝酸锌和硫化氢气体为原料，用超重力反应结晶法制备纳米硫化锌粒子。探讨了陈化时间、反应物浓度、反应温度、旋转床转速等工艺参数对产品粒径与转化率的影响规律，确定了最佳工艺条件为：陈化时间48h，反应物浓度0．1mol/L，反应温度45℃，旋转床转速1500-1800r／min。TEM分析表明，所制备的硫化锌干粉平均粒径为42nm，分散性好，颗粒之间没有明显的团聚现象。     

A statistical investigation of wind characteristics and wind energy potential based on the Weibull and Rayleigh models in Rwanda

A wind energy system converts the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical uses and transform the economy of rural areas where access to water and electricity is very restricted and industry is almost nonexistent in most of the developing countries like Rwanda. Assessing wind power potential for a location is an imperative requirement before making a decision for the installation of windmills or a wind electric generator and evaluating plans for relating projects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of wind resource in Rwanda and to constitute a database for the users of the wind power. A time series of hourly daily measured wind speed and wind direction for the period between 1974 and 1993 on five main Rwandan meteorological stations was provided by the National Meteorology Department. Statistical methods applying Weibull and Rayleigh distribution were presented to evaluate the wind speed characteristics and the wind power potential at a height of 10 m above ground level using hourly monthly average data. Those characteristics were extrapolated for higher levels in altitude. The results give a global picture of the distribution of the wind potential in different locations of Rwanda.     

Renewable ocean energy in the Western Indian Ocean

Several African countries in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) endure insufficiencies in the power sector, including both generation and distribution. One important step towards increasing energy security and availability is to intensify the use of renewable energy sources. The access to cost-efficient hydropower is low in coastal and island regions and combinations of different renewable energy sources will play an increasingly important role. In this study the physical preconditions for renewable ocean energy are investigated, considering the specific context of the WIO countries. Global-level resource assessments and oceanographic literature and data have been compiled in an analysis of the match between technology-specific requirements for ocean energy technologies (wave power, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), tidal barrages, tidal current turbines, and ocean current power) and the physical resources in 13 WIO regions Kenya, Seychelles, Northern Tanzania and Zanzibar, Southern Tanzania, Comoros and Mayotte, Northern-, Central-, and Southern Mozambique, Western-, Eastern-, and Southern Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius. The results show high potential for wave power over vast coastal stretches in southern parts of the WIO and high potential for OTEC at specific locations in Mozambique, Comoros, Réunion, and Mauritius. The potential for tidal power and ocean current power is more restricted but may be of interest at some locations. The findings are discussed in relation to currently used electricity sources and the potential for solar photovoltaic and wind power. Temporal variations in resource intensity as well as the differences between small-scale and large-scale applications are considered.     

Synergistic inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes in vitro through the combination of octanoic acid and acidic calcium sulfate

It has been hypothesized that inhibition of foodborne pathogens can be enhanced by using antimicrobials in combination. A broth dilution assay was devised to determine whether inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes exposed to the combination of the fatty acid octanoic acid (OCT) and the organic acid-containing antimicrobial acidic calcium sulfate (ACS) was enhanced compared with the inhibition of the pathogen exposed to either antimicrobial applied singly. MICs for OCT and ACS were 25.00 μg/g and 1.56 ml/liter, respectively, for all strains of the pathogen tested. Fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) from the combination exposures were calculated for use in characterizing the antimicrobial interaction as antagonistic, additive indifferent, or synergistic with respect to L. monocytogenes inhibition. Combining OCT and ACS resulted in observed synergistic inhibition of L. monocytogenes; isobolograms for all strains curved toward the origin, and FIC indices (FIC(I)s) were <1.0. Future investigations of the antimicrobial combination should focus on determining the mechanism of action of combined antimicrobials and the levels of antimicrobials required for pathogen inhibition on the surfaces of ready-to-eat meats.     

Nonlinear coupling between thermal mass and natural ventilation in buildings

An ideal naturally ventilated building model that allows a theoretical study of the effect of thermal mass associating with the non-linear coupling between the airflow rate and the indoor air temperature is proposed. When the ventilation rate is constant, both the phase shift and fluctuation of the indoor temperature are determined by the time constant of the system and the dimensionless convective heat transfer number. When the ventilation rate is a function of indoor and outdoor air temperature difference, the thermal mass number and the convective heat transfer air change parameter are suggested. The new thermal mass number measures the capacity of heat storage, rather than the amount of thermal mass. The analyses and numerical results show that the non-linearity of the system does neither change the periodic behaviour of the system, nor the behaviour of phase shift of the indoor air temperature when a periodic outdoor air temperature profile is considered. The maximum indoor air temperature phase shift induced by the direct outdoor air supply without control is 6 h.     

The homemaker’s hydrogen generator: A report for IAHE student hydrogen design competition 2010

As a highly reactive gas, hydrogen presents significant challenges for its acquisition and safe storage. Consequently, the viability of a sustainable hydrogen economy greatly depends on the development of an efficient, cost-effective method of hydrogen production. One model for addressing this challenge is to deploy portable hydrogen generators for the home. The Princeton University Chapter of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE-PU) has designed and created a generator that produces hydrogen through water electrolysis and optimizes cost effectiveness and portability while maximizing hydrogen output.For our proof-of-concept, the system utilizes simple household items with a Sharp ND130UJF 130W solar panel. In our design, Ni electrodes submerged in 8 M KOH solution in six glass containers were utilized to power an external circuit. Over 1 h, our system produced 8.61 L of hydrogen gas at an estimated cost of $8.58 per kilogram of hydrogen gas over the 25-year lifetime of the solar panel.     

NMR and FT-IR studies of sulfonated styrene-based homopolymers and copolymers

A series of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate)-block-poly(4-tert-butylstyrene) (NaPSS-b-PtBS) copolymers and related homopolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The homopolymers included polystyrene (PS), poly(4-tert-butylstyrene) (PtBS), sodium poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (NaP4SS), sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) (NaPSS) with various sulfonation levels, and partially sulfonated PtBS (PtBSS). The structures of NaPSS and PtBSS were elucidated, and the effect of sulfonation level on the NaPSS FT-IR spectrum was studied. The characteristic peaks for NaPSS and PtBSS in FT-IR and NMR spectra were identified.