Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Films Based on Hydroxylated Soybean Oils

Hybrid organic–inorganic films were prepared using four different hydroxylated soybean oils (HSO) or epoxidized soybean oil as organic precursor and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as inorganic precursor in a mass ratio of HSO:TEOS of 90:10. The films were macroscopically homogeneous and were characterized by swelling and extraction in solvent, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) including energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), adhesion and hardness. Their properties varied as a function of the number of OH groups present in the HSO. The best hybrid system was HSOF198/TEOS, with an OH value of 198 mg of KOH/g, which presents lower swelling coefficient, very good adhesion on aluminium surface and good hardness.     

State-of-the-art insulator and electrode materials for use in highcurrent high energy switching

An investigation into the failure of ceramic insulators that are used in a surface discharge switch (SDS) was conducted. The materials analyzed are Al₂O₃-25% SiC, MTF (modified alumina titanate), and CZA 500 (zirconia-alumina composite) ceramics. These insulators were subjected to high-current (~300 kA) surface discharges in atmospheric air and nitrogen. Energy-dispersive X-ray surface analysis was performed on the insulator surfaces in order to determine the contaminants that are present and the possible failure modes associated with the plasma arc environments mentioned above. Electrode erosion rates have been measured as a function of total charge transfer (up to 50 C/shot) for several in-situ materials including Cu-Nb, Cu-Nb+LaB₆, and Cu-Ta. Results from comparisons with standard Cu and CuW materials indicate that the in-situ materials represent an efficient method of retaining the copper in the bulk until it vaporizes and thus yield significantly lower erosion rates at high Coulomb transfer rates     

Economic evaluation of energy conservation projects with an emphasis on initiation time

A procedure for assessing the economic viability of an energy conservation project integrated with building installation has been investigated in previous works. In the present work, a method is developed for economic evaluation of energy conservation projects, which may initiate independence of building construction. A model for optimization of the initiation time has been developed, and the conditions to determine economic feasibility are derived. It was found that the break-even value of the annual energy saved for $1 investment may significantly increase with even a moderate decrease in the expected real investment cost. This break-even value is always greater than the corresponding one found in the building integrated case. The difference increased with an increase in expected fuel inflation rate and also with a decrease in expected investment cost.     

ATMOS能源公司德国慕尼黑总部新办公楼

<正>经过慕尼黑火车总站走到阿努尔夫(Arnulf)大街上,可以看到美国ATMOS能源公司德国总部新办公楼。该办公楼的建设为慕尼黑市ArnulfPark区东部创造了一处开敞的空间环境,同时标志着这一地区新区建设的开始。ATMOS能源公司德国总部坐落在阿努尔夫大街与格拉瑟(Grasser)大街(也称作Hacker大桥)的交汇处,新办公楼就建于总部内,是园区内的第一栋建筑,该办公楼建成后成为公司新总部的标志。     

A Well Protected Intruder: The Effective Antimicrobial Defense of the Invasive Ladybird Harmonia axyridis

The harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a polyphagous predatory beetle native to Central and Eastern Asia. Since 2007 it has established all over Central Europe. In order to elucidate which defense strategy is responsible for its high resistance to diseases, we tested hemolymph as well as eleven main components of the headspace of H. axyridis for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, B. thuringiensis ssp. tenebrionis, Micrococcus luteus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). While three of the volatile compounds weakly reduced the growth of microorganisms, hemolymph of adults and larvae of H. axyridis strongly inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as yeast. Furthermore, we compared the antimicrobial activity in the hemolymph of H. axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata. Antimicrobial activity in H. axyridis was about a thousand times higher compared to hemolymph from C. septempunctata. In contrast to C. septempunctata, the antimicrobial activity in H. axyridis was present without prior challenge. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the hemolymph of H. axyridis was lowest against E. coli and yeast followed by B. subtilis, and was highest against entomopathogenic B. thuringiensis ssp. tenebrionidae. Furthermore, MIC values of the hemolymph obtained from live beetles were significantly lower than from frozen insects. This suggests that the active antimicrobial compound is affected by freezing and subsequent thawing of the beetles. Potential implications of our findings for the competitive advantages of H. axyridis over C. septempunctata are discussed.