Flat-field spectrograph in SiO2/Si

The operation of a flat-field spectrograph in silica glass on silicon (SiO₂/Si) as a demultiplexer with 4-nm channel spacing in the 1.5-μm waveguide length region is demonstrated. The concept allows fabrication tolerances to be compensated simultaneously with the adjustment of fan-out. Fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of 10.1 dB and crosstalk attenuation >15 dB have been achieved     

Biased Language Use in Stereotype Maintenance: The Role of Encoding and Goals.

In 4 studies, the authors investigated the relative impact of biased encoding of information and communication goals on biased language use. A category label (linguistic expectancy bias, Study 1) or a group label (linguistic intergroup bias, Study 2) was presented either before or after a story that participants were asked to communicate. Biased language use only emerged when participants learned about the group membership of the actor or the category label before hearing the story. However, communication goals had an effect on language use at the retrieval stage, independent of encoding (Studies 3 and 4). Although communication goal effects seemed to overwhelm encoding effects, encoding still influenced language use under externally imposed time pressure (Study 3) and self-imposed time constraints (Study 4). This research reaffirms the importance of both cognitive and communicative processes in stereotype maintenance and highlights the conditions under which they each operate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transalkylation of biphenyl over zeolites: Optimizing the reaction conditions and kinetic modeling

The shape-selective transalkylation of biphenyl with pentamethylbenzene over ultrastable Y-faujasites to produce para-methylated biphenyls was studied in the liquid slurry phase. The reaction was carried out in a discontinuously operated stainless steel autoclave using n-heptane as the solvent with a temperature range of 513 to 533 K and a pressure of 3 MPa. As for the progress of the reaction the presence of strong Brønsted acid sites was essential, an ultrastable faujasite treated with aqueous hydrochloric acid having a high content of those sites was used as the catalyst. Thus, a yield of the target product 4,4′-dimethylbiphenyl of above 11% referring to biphenyl could be achieved. The effect of the operating conditions on the formation of the target product was investigated. The decisive influence was acted out by the molar ratio of biphenyl to alkylating agent, in so far as a surplus of pentamethylbenzene of 7:1 referring to biphenyl enhanced the yield of the target product to 14%. The kinetics of the reaction could be successfully descibed with a lumped reaction scheme, introducing pseudo components, summarizing structural isomers, and pseudo reactions, such as the formation of coke.     

Evaluation of Histamine and Other Biogenic Amines and Bacterial Isolation in Canned Anchovies Recalled by the USFDA

ABSTRACT: Histamine and other biogenic amines were evaluated in canned anchovies recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, bacteria were isolated from the products and identified to species. The recalled products were divided into 2 groups of high and low histamine, depending on the histamine contents as determined by the AOAC method. The high histamine group had the histamine contents >200 ppm, and 24 of the 30 cans analyzed belonged to this group. The most prevalent biogenic amine in this group was histamine followed by cadaverine. On the other hand, the low histamine group of 6 cans contained approximately 50 ppm histamine. The most prevalent biogenic amine found in this group of samples was cadaverine at levels >200 ppm. Other biogenic amines, such as putrescine, serotonin, and spermidine, were also detected in all the products, although at varied levels. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts, if present in all of the recalled products, were below the detection limit of 10² colony-forming units (CFU)/g. Bacteria were recovered only after enrichment of the test samples. They were mostly halophilic bacteria. Bacillus spp. were most frequently identified, followed by Staphylococcus spp. However, these isolates produced negligible amounts of histamine in culture broth, indicating that they are not the contributors to histamine accumulation in the canned anchovies.     

Recent trends in surface characterization and chemistry with high-resolution scanning force methods

The current status and future prospects of non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) for studying insulating surfaces and thin insulating films in high resolution are discussed. The rapid development of these techniques and their use in combination with other scanning probe microscopy methods over the last few years has made them increasingly relevant for studying, controlling, and functionalizing the surfaces of many key materials. After introducing the instruments and the basic terminology associated with them, state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical studies of insulating surfaces and thin films are discussed, with specific focus on defects, atomic and molecular adsorbates, doping, and metallic nanoclusters. The latest achievements in atomic site-specific force spectroscopy and the identification of defects by crystal doping, work function, and surface charge imaging are reviewed and recent progress being made in high-resolution imaging in air and liquids is detailed. Finally, some of the key challenges for the future development of the considered fields are identified.