Thermal degradation of ethylene-vinyl acetate coplymer nanocomposites

The degradation pathway of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and their nanocomposites is investigated using TGA/FT-IR, TGA, GC-MS, cone calorimetry and UV techniques to determine if the presence of the clay has an effect on the degradation pathway. The first step of the degradation, the loss of acetic acid by chain stripping, has been shown to be accelerated by the presence of clay. In this work we show that clay does affect the degradation pathway and that the presence of hydroxyl groups on the edges of the clay could be the cause of the accelerated initial step. The products of the second step of the degradation are changed in quantity and some new products are produced, showing that the clay also has an effect on this step of the degradation pathway. A scheme is suggested to account for the role of the clay in the degradation.     

Schur algorithms for joint-detection in TD-CDMA based mobile radio systems

Third generation mobile radio systems will employ TD-CDMA in their TDD mode. In a TD-CDMA mobile radio system, joint-detection is equivalent to solving a least squares problem with a system matrix that exhibits some form of block-Toeplitz structure. This structure can be successfully exploited by using variations of the Schur algorithm for computing the QR decomposition of this system matrix. Together with a displacement representation, the Schur algorithm can be straightfonvardly adapted to a wide variety of matrix structures. In this paper we show this approach for two concrete manifestations of the TD-CDMA system matrix : first for a very compact, block-Toeplitz structure ; and second for the less favorable Toeplitz-block structure that arises when decision feedback is added to the data detection process.     

Unsupervised Learning of Foreground Object Segmentation

International Journal of Computer Vision - Unsupervised learning represents one of the most interesting challenges in computer vision today. The task has an immense practical value with many...     

Priority-based scheduling of mixed-critical jobs

Real-Time Systems - Modern real-time systems tend to be mixed-critical, in the sense that they integrate on the same computational platform applications at different levels of criticality...     

A PDP approach to set size effects within the Stroop task: Reply to Kanne, Balota, Spieler, and Faust (1998).

In this reply, the authors point out that the simulations reported by S. M. Kanne, D. A. Balota, D. H. Spieler, and M. E. Faust (1998) did not incorporate mechanisms proposed to explain set size effects in J. D. Cohen, K. Dunbar, and J. L. McClelland (1990). The authors report a new simulation that incorporates these mechanisms and more accurately simulates S. M. Kanne et al.'s empirical data. The authors then point to other factors that could be explored in a more complete test of their model. The use of feed-forward rather than recurrent inhibition is discussed as a potentially important limitation of their original model, and recent work addressing this issue is described. The authors also discuss possible differences between word reading and color naming in the Stroop task. Although such differences may exist, the authors retain their earlier view that such differences do not reflect a dichotomy between automatic and controlled processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alternate method for the determination of unsaponifiable matter

A method is described for the determination of unsaponifiable matter in fatty acids and mixtures of fatty and rosin acids by the use of a mixed bed ion-exchange resin.     

Digital Image Processing of Gas-Liquid Reactions in Coiled Capillaries

In the course of the investigation of biocatalytic gas-liquid reactions with color change in straight and coiled capillaries, a non-invasive evaluation method is needed to determine reaction progress and selectivity. Correlations between hydrodynamics, mass transfer phenomena, and reaction kinetics are in the focus of our work. For this purpose, it is necessary to investigate the flow and evaluate the reaction progress without disturbing the flow. Digital image processing (DIP) is presented as a suitable optical evaluation method for reactions with color change in capillary reactor designs. The developed DIP program is independent from the capillary reactor design, applicable to differently colored systems, and can analyze up to three different species simultaneously.     

Gene Therapy for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis: Current Progress and Future Prospects

Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC) are inherited severe liver disorders presenting early in life, with high serum bile salt and bilirubin levels. Six types have been reported, two of these are caused by deficiency of an ABC transporter; ABCB11 (bile salt export pump) in type 2; ABCB4 (phosphatidylcholine floppase) in type 3. In addition, ABCB11 function is affected in 3 other types of PFIC. A lack of effective treatment makes a liver transplantation necessary in most patients. In view of long-term adverse effects, for instance due to life-long immune suppression needed to prevent organ rejection, gene therapy could be a preferable approach, as supported by proof of concept in animal models for PFIC3. This review discusses the feasibility of gene therapy as an alternative for liver transplantation for all forms of PFIC based on their pathological mechanism. Conclusion: Using presently available gene therapy vectors, major hurdles need to be overcome to make gene therapy for all types of PFIC a reality.