Quantitative risk assessment on the dietary exposure of Finnish children and adults to nitrite

Nitrite intake from the consumption of cured meat and tap water was estimated for Finnish children of 1, 3 and 6 years as well as Finnish adults of 25–74 years. Nitrite content in the foods was measured by capillary electrophoresis, and was then used together with individual food consumption data from the FINDIET 2007 and DIPP studies in a stochastic exposure assessment by a Monte Carlo Risk Assessment (MCRA) program. Nitrite intake from additive sources and tap water was assessed, and more than every 10th child between the ages 3 and 6 years was estimated to have a nitrite intake exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of nitrite. The high exposure levels were caused by frequent consumption of large portions of sausages, up to 350 g day^–1 or 750 g in 3 days, among the children. Median nitrite intake from cured meat was 0.016, 0.040, 0.033 and 0.005 mg kg^–1 body weight day^–1 for children of 1, 3 and 6 years and adults, respectively. Bayesian estimation was employed to determine safe consumption levels of sausages and cold cuts for children, and these results gave rise to new national food consumption advice.     

Identity and overall acceptance of two types of sour rye bread

Response surface methodology was employed to study the influence of four recipe variables (wheat: rye flour ratio, bread acidity, ash content of rye flour and sodium chloride content) on the identity and overall acceptance of two rye bread types (soft and crisp rye bread). The subjects ( n = 79) rated attribute intensities, the extent to which the salient sensory properties and the overall sample corresponded to their expectations of rye bread, and the overall acceptance (pleasantness and purchase intentions). The acidity and ash content contributed the most to the extent to which a sample met subjects' expectations. The NaCl content was not critical. Consumer acceptance was affected by ash content, and by the interactions, NaCl content × acidity and wheat:rye ratio × ash content. The non-significance of NaCl content should encourage the baking industry to put low-salt rye products on the market.     

Multilinear model for spatial pattern analysis of the Measurement of Haze and Visual Effects project

A multilinear model was developed for the analysis of the spatial patterns and possible sources affecting haze and its visual effects in the southwestern United States. The data from the project Measurement of Haze and Visual Effects (MOHAVE) collected during the late winter and mid-summer of 1992 at the monitoring sites in four states (i.e., California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah) were used in the study. The three-way data array was analyzed by a four-product-term model. This study makes a direct effort to include wind patterns as a component in the model in order to obtain the information of the spatial patterns of source contributions. The solution is computed using the conjugate gradient algorithm with applied non-negativity constraints. For the winter data set, reasonable solutions contained six sources and six wind patterns. The analysis of summer data required seven sources and seven wind patterns. The ME results are compared to the prior single-species empirical orthogonal function analysis results--and prior work describing the transport pathways.     

Functionalized polypropylene prepared by melt free radical grafting of low volatile oxazoline and its potential in compatibilization of PP/PBT blends

This article concerns the functionalization of polypropylene (PP) with oxazoline functionality by melt free radical grafting along with a low degree of degradation of PP in a batch mixer. A low volatile oxazoline, ricinoloxazoline maleinate (OXA), was used as the monomer. The grafting yield of OXA ranged from about 0.5 phr up to 1.5 phr (grams per 100 grams of PP) when its initial concentration and that of the peroxide ranged from 1.5 to 6.0 phr and 0.1 to 0.7 phr, respectively. The corresponding conversion of OXA to grafted OXA ranged from about 15 to 50%. Addition of styrene (St) as the comonomer did not enhance the grafting yield of OXA but markedly reduced the PP degradation. Also, little homo-and/or copolymers of OXA and/or St were found in the grafting system. This agrees with our finding that OXA and St did not copolymerize easily. The potential of using an OXA modified PP (PP-g-OXA) as the compatibilizer precursor in PP/PBT blends was examined as well. The presence of PP-g-OXA reduced the particle size of the dispersed phase (PBT) along with improved cohesion between the PP and PBT phases. This is consistent with a model kinetic study, which showed that the reaction between oxazoline and carboxylic functionalities was very fast. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The synthesis of lactic-acid-based telechelic prepolymers

We have studied how different catalysts and diols affect the properties of low-molecular-weight (M_w (GPC) < 49800 g/mol) lactic-acid-based telechelic prepolymers. The catalysts and diols were tested separately in our previous studies. In this study, we used the best previously tested diols and catalysts together in order to prepare different types of telechelic prepolymers (for example, crystalline or amorphous). All condensation polymerizations were carried out in the melt, using different diols and different catalysts. The prepolymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, gel permeation chromatography, titrimetric methods, and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C-NMR). According to NMR, the resulting polymers contained less than 1 mol % of lactic acid monomer and less than 5.1 mol % of lactide. Dibutyltindilaurate, like tin(II)octoate, produced quite good molecular weights, but the resulting prepolymers contained exceptionally high amounts of D-lactic acid structures, and, therefore, these prepolymers were totally amorphous. Antimony(III)oxide produced a high-molecular-weight prepolymer when the diol used was aliphatic. Like DBTL, Sb₂O₃ produced amorphous prepolymers, which contained a lower amount of D-lactic acid structures than DBTL prepolymers. 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone produced a different kind of chain structure with Ti(IV)bu and Ti(IV)iso because one prepolymer had high crystallinity, and the other showed only a slight crystallinity. Sulphuric acid produced a very high-molecular-weight prepolymer with aliphatic 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol; and with aromatic diols, it produced quite good molecular weights, except with 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone. High-molecular-weight prepolymers produced with H₂SO₄ also showed high crystallinity; and, according to ¹³C-NMR, they did not contain lactide and D-lactic acid structures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polm Sci 67:1011–1016, 1998     

Metallocene‐based functionalized polyolefins as compatibilizers in polyolefin nanocomposites

This article reports a study of some functionalized polyolefins evaluated as compatibilizers in polyethylene nanocomposites. The functionalized polymers were prepared by direct metallocene‐mediated copolymerizations of ethylene and a functional comonomer. The prepared nanocomposites were evaluated for mechanical and barrier property enhancement. A good combination of mechanical and barrier properties was obtained with the metallocene‐based functionalized polyethylene. The toughness–stiffness balance was better than or comparable to that achieved with conventional functionalized polymers such as maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene. The results also indicated that these metallocene‐based functionalized polyolefins, when used as compatibilizers, could have relatively higher molar masses and lower functionality than those of conventional post‐reactor‐modified compatibilizers, and so the drawbacks associated with the latter could be avoided. Their inherent properties could also further improve the final nanocomposite properties. This was attributed to the more homogeneous nature of metallocene‐catalyzed polymers in comparison with post‐reactor‐modified products. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1094–1100, 2004     

Investigation of the phase separation of PNIPAM using infrared spectroscopy together with multivariate data analysis

The use of vibrational spectroscopy to investigate complex structural changes in polymers yields chemically rich data, but interpretation can be challenging and subtle but meaningful spectral changes may be missed through visual inspection alone. Multivariate analysis is an efficient approach to gain an oversight of small but systematic spectral differences anywhere within the spectra, providing further insight into structural changes and associated transformation mechanisms. In this study, the novel analytical approach of infrared spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis and Gaussian peak fitting was used to investigate the structural changes in aqueous solutions of a polymer, using poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) in the atactic form and with controlled tacticity as a model system. Subtle spectral changes associated with the dehydration and phase separation upon heating included peak shifts, an area ratio change of the amide I band to the amide II band and formation of a new peak in the amide I band were efficiently detected. Dehydration and phase separation of PNIPAM occurred in two temperature ranges, one for the atactic and one for isotactic rich part, both involving a complex re-organization of the hydrogen bonds and change of the hydration layer. The changes agreed with existing results from other techniques, and new insights were gained into the effect of controlled tacticity on phase transformation behaviour. The study demonstrates that infrared spectroscopy combined with the multivariate analytical method principal component analysis and Gaussian peak fitting is an efficient approach to probing structural change in polymers during heating. The simplicity of the presented approach could find excellent use in analysing and understanding the molecular environment of a range of stimuli-responsive polymers, for instance block or grafted types of polymers, as well as those with controlled tacticity.     

UTILIZATION OF POPULATION BALANCES IN SIMULATION OF LIQUID-LIQUID SYSTEMS IN MIXED TANKS

A simulation model has been developed to model drop populations in a mixed tank. A multiblock mixed tank model has been used with the drop population balance equations developed in the literature. The drop breakage and coalescence functions used in the population balance model take into account the local turbulent energy dissipation values. The drop breakage and coalescence function parameters are fitted against drop size measurements from dense liquid-liquid dispersions, which were assumed fully turbulent. Since the local turbulence and flow values of a mixed tank are used in the present model, the fundamental breakage and coalescence phenomena can be taken into closer examination. Furthermore, the present model is capable of predicting inhomogeneities occurring in a mixed tank. It is also considered as an improved tool for process scale-up, compared to the simple vessel-averaged population balance approach, or use of correlations of dimensionless numbers only. The present model can use two sources of data for fitting parameters in the drop rate functions. One is the transient data of the measured drop size distribution as the impeller speed is changed. The other is the time-averaged data measured at different locations of the mixed tank. Different flow regions can be chosen from direct measurements or from the CFD simulations in a straightforward manner. CFD flow simulation results can be used when no experimentally obtained flow conditions are available. This is especially useful for nonstandard vessels, such as reactors containing cooling coils.     

Insights on Ceramics as Dental Materials. Part II: Chemical Surface Treatments

The purpose of surface treatment (conditioning) methods on dental ceramics is to improve the retention and bonding between the enamel or the dentin and ceramic veneer, with the help of resin composite luting cements. These types of surface treatments include chemically altering the surface of ceramics with some specific acidic etchants followed by applying a silane coupling agent (silane). The silane currently used in dentistry is 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, a hybrid organic–inorganic trialkoxy ester monomer, which is diluted in an acidified water-ethanol solvent system. Such silane primers are said to be pre-hydrolyzed. Some oxide ceramics with high crystalline content, such as alumina and zirconia, cannot be easily etched with acid etchants. They should be silica-coated and silanized prior to bonding. A silane coupling agent should be applied after silica-coating to the ceramic surface to achieve chemical bonding and the optimal durable bond strength.