Composition of bacterial and archaeal communities in freshwater sediments with different contamination levels (Lake Geneva, Switzerland)

The aim of this study was to compare the composition of bacterial and archaeal communities in contaminated sediments (Vidy Bay) with uncontaminated sediments (Ouchy area) of Lake Geneva using 16S rRNA clone libraries. Sediments of both sites were analysed for physicochemical characteristics including porewater composition, organic carbon, and heavy metals. Results show high concentrations of contaminants in sediments from Vidy. Particularly, high contents of fresh organic matter and nutrients led to intense mineralisation, which was dominated by sulphate-reduction and methanogenesis. The bacterial diversity in Vidy sediments was significantly different from the communities in the uncontaminated sediments. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a large proportion of Betaproteobacteria clones in Vidy sediments related to Dechloromonas sp., a group of dechlorinating and contaminant degrading bacteria. Deltaproteobacteria, including clones related to sulphate-reducing bacteria and Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (Geobacter sp.) were also more abundant in the contaminated sediments. The archaeal communities consisted essentially of methanogenic Euryarchaeota, mainly found in the contaminated sediments rich in organic matter. Multiple factor analysis revealed that the microbial community composition and the environmental variables were correlated at the two sites, which suggests that in addition to environmental parameters, pollution may be one of the factors affecting microbial community structure.     

Effect of water‐absorbing nanospheres on antistatic property of isotactic polypropylene fibers

In this article, novel antistatic isotactic polypropylene (iPP) fibers were prepared through adding ternary polymer water‐absorbing nanospheres (TPWANs) into iPP melt in melt spinning process. The TPWANs were synthesized through emulsion copolymerization of styrene (St), butyl acrylate (BA), and sodium allylsulfonate (SAS). The characterization results of Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT‐IR) and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) confirmed the ternary components in this copolymer. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images indicated the nanospherical shape of TPWANs with the characteristics of 80–90 nm size range of diameter and good dispersion in iPP fibers. The volume resistance of iPP fibers decreased by three orders from 10¹² to 10⁹ Ω cm when the 6 wt % TPWANs was added into iPP fibers, indicating that the blend fibers have good antistatic property. Most importantly, the nanospherical structure of TPWANs imparts both the compatibility and antistatic property into the blend iPP fibers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40568.     

Co-creation of value and the project context: Towards application on the case of Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station

The research analyses decisions as evaluative outcomes regarding project value. The UK-French Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station provides the case study. Value is traditionally assessed as inputs and outputs. Here, value is conceptualized as a co-created value proposition at the front-end with implications for realization post-completion. Service-dominant logic (SDL) provides the theoretical lens and contributes to a methodological approach for examining projects. Decision-making outcomes provide the evidence from a range of data sources, including reports and commentaries. The methods are interpretative. The findings show that decision-making extends beyond the time-cost-quality/scope dimensions. The long-term issues regarding value realized are often overlooked. Stakeholders and individual actors have mainly focused upon managing political and financial risks, especially time and cost. The research poses challenges to project management analysis, SDL and research design in assessing evidence. Addressing these issues facilitates a knowledge contribution to SDL theorization and the field of project management.     

Sustainability indicators for the assessment of nuclear power

Electricity supplies an increasing share of the world’s total energy demand and that contribution is set to increase. At the same time, there is increasing socio-political will to mitigate impacts of climate change as well as to improve energy security. This, in combination with the desire to ensure social and economic prosperity, creates a pressing need to consider the sustainability implications of future electricity generation. However, approaches to sustainability assessment differ greatly in their scope and methodology as currently there is no standardised approach. With this in mind, this paper reviews sustainability indicators that have previously been used to assess energy options and proposes a new sustainability assessment methodology based on a life cycle approach. In total, 43 indicators are proposed, addressing the techno-economic, environmental and social sustainability issues associated with energy systems. The framework has been developed primarily to address concerns associated with nuclear power in the UK, but is applicable to other energy technologies as well as to other countries.     

Whodunnit – Searching for the most important feature types signalling emotion-related user states in speech

In this article, we describe and interpret a set of acoustic and linguistic features that characterise emotional/emotion-related user states – confined to the one database processed: four classes in a German corpus of children interacting with a pet robot. To this end, we collected a very large feature vector consisting of more than 4000 features extracted at different sites. We performed extensive feature selection (Sequential Forward Floating Search) for seven acoustic and four linguistic types of features, ending up in a small number of ‘most important’ features which we try to interpret by discussing the impact of different feature and extraction types. We establish different measures of impact and discuss the mutual influence of acoustics and linguistics.     

Thermophysical property modifications in functional polymers via lanthanide trichloride hydrates

Fourteen water‐soluble trivalent metal chlorides from lanthanum to lutetium in the 1st‐row of the f‐block form complexes with poly(vinylamine) and increase the glass transition temperature from 57°C to well above 100°C at very low molar concentrations of the lanthanide. The large ionic radii of these hard‐acid cations allow several hard‐base amino sidegroups in the polymer to occupy sites in the first shell coordination sphere via ion‐dipole (i.e., electrostatic) interactions, which leads to microclustering of the ligands about a single metal center. The enhancement in the glass transition temperature is explained in terms of multi‐functional coordination crosslinklng. f‐Block salts induce larger increases in T_g, relative to transition metal‐complexes from the d‐block, however CoCl₂(H₂O)₆ performs comparably to some of the more efficient lanthanides. Blends of poly(vinylamine) and trimethoxysilyl‐propylpoly(ethylene imine)hydrochloride form complexes with europium(III) and exhibit synergistic single T_g response. Since lanthanides form very stable complexes with chelating (i.e., bidentate) oxygen ligands, it is possible to increase the elastic modulus of commercially important copolymers of ethylene and methacrylic acid via Eu³⁺ complexation with the carboxylate anion. This claim is verified by infrared spectroscopy. Temperature and pH‐sensitive applications for drug delivery and removal of contaminants from wastewater streams should increase the utility of these lanthanide complexes.     

Pepper's ghost faces the camera

Abstract

The theatrical illusion known as Pepper's Ghost was first conceived by a retired civil engineer named Henry Dircks, who sold it (as the Ætheroscope) in 1862 to John Henry Pepper, director of the Polytechnic Institution in Regent Street. The Polytechnic was one of Victorian London's favourite haunts, popular for its scientific entertainments combining instruction and amusement.     

Experimental study of the brittle–ductile transition in hot cutting of SG iron specimens

The present paper investigates the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) of the primary shear zone during cutting of spheroidal graphite (SG) iron in the austenitization temperature range (around 1000 °C). The experimental tests were performed using a cutting test bench in the cutting speed range of 0.8–1.6 m s^?1. The cut surfaces were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis techniques. The obtained results revealed either consequent deep fractured regions governed by a brittle-cracking regime (BCR) or a crack-free cut surface governed by a ductile-shear regime (DSR) with large plastic deformations.When cutting data were discussed with respect to the influences of cutting parameters and obtained cut surface, the correlation is significantly rich. Both cut surface integrity, cutting force curves and metallographic results show a BDT indicating a change in the dominating hot cutting process mechanism. Such a transition is associated with the dynamic recrystallization promoting strain softening and hot cutting by ductile shearing.     

Relations between neighborhood factors, parenting behaviors, peer deviance, and delinquency among serious juvenile offenders.

The present study examined relations among neighborhood structural and social characteristics, parenting practices, peer group affiliations, and delinquency among a group of serious adolescent offenders. The sample of 14-18-year-old boys (N = 488) was composed primarily of economically disadvantaged, ethnic-minority youth living in urban communities. The results indicate that weak neighborhood social organization is indirectly related to delinquency through its associations with parenting behavior and peer deviance and that a focus on just 1 of these microsystems can lead to oversimplified models of risk for juvenile offending. The authors also find that community social ties may confer both pro- and antisocial influences to youth, and they advocate for a broad conceptualization of neighborhood social processes as these relate to developmental risk for youth living in disadvantaged communities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological consequences of an exercise training program for a paraplegic man: A case study.

Examined the effects of a 12-wk exercise training program on the mood states (assessed via the Profile of Mood States [POMS]) of a 27-yr-old spinal-cord-injured male in a rehabilitation hospital. S was administered the POMS immediately before and after the program and once each week during the program. S demonstrated major mood changes following exercise training, indicating a significant decrease in tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion and a significant increase in vigor. Findings support the hypothesis that vigorous physical exercise can be a useful therapeutic strategy with the disabled. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)