Compounding and characterization of recycled multilayer plastic films

Mechanical recycling of multilayer plastic films from food packages was investigated. The multilayer films were manually separated from municipal solid waste, washed, grinded, and finally compounded at 0–100 wt% concentrations with virgin low-density polyethylene (PE-LD). Polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) compatibilizer was used in two of the compounds to replace 2 and 5 wt% of the PE-LD to study its effect as well. PE-g-MA is expected to improve the mechanical properties of the compounds by promoting the adhesion between incompatible polymer phases. The composition of the compounds was characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry and their properties were studied with tensile testing and rotational rheometer measurements. All tested compounds had relatively good mechanical properties and processability. This indicates that recycled multilayer films could replace at least part of the virgin PE-LD in applications where high-thermal stability or good visual appearance is not required. The PE-g-MA compatibilizer did not have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the compounds.     

Muscle glycogen levels and blood metabolites in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) after transport and lairage

A total of 66 reindeer cows and calves were included in a study on the effects of supplementary feeding, transport and lairage on muscle glycogen content, ultimate pH and blood metabolite values. Thirty reindeer (10 not transported, 20 transported 800 km) received no supplementary feed (groups A-C), another 30 animals (10 not transported, 20 transported 1000 km) were given a supplementary reindeer feed mixture 2 months prior to slaughter (groups D-F) and six animals, which had been part of a feeding experiment, were fed for 5 months and slaughtered at the research unit. Glycogen determinations and pH measurements were made in m. longissimus, m. biceps femoris and m. triceps brachii. Blood samples were collected at slaughter and muscle samples were taken 30 min after slaughter. Ultimate pH was measured 30 hr post mortem. The glycogen content in the muscles of groups A-C was very low (100-200 mmol/kg). In groups D-G, the glycogen content was equivalent to normal beef muscle values (300-500 mmol/kg). The values of the blood metabolites urea and creatinine, both of which could indicate protein catabolism caused by stress, were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in animals not having received supplemental feed (groups A-C). Alkaline phosphatase values were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in supplemental fed animals (groups D-G), indicating that their nutritional status was good. Total protein values were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in groups A, D, E and F compared to the other groups. Lorry transport did not significantly (p > 0.05) reduce the muscle glycogen content. Lairage (groups C and F) showed no negative effect on the parameters examined. These results suggest that the animals' physical condition and nutritional status have a considerable effect on their ability to tolerate various stress factors, such as lorry transport and lairage.     

Adhesion of fermented diary products to packaging materials. Effect of material functionality,storage time,and fat content of the product. An empirical study

In this empirical study, we have shown that adhesion of dairy products such as fermented milk and yoghurt on packaging materials is dependent on the product contact time to the surface. Approximately 10% of all fermented milk products remain on the inside of today’s packaging material. The viscosity of the product seems to have a major effect on how much product that will be adhered to the surface. The initial adhesion (the first 24 h) of product to material surface shows significant discrepancies whereas on longer time scales (days) it seems to be rather constant and independent of the fat content in the fermented milk or the material polarity. This effect would be explained by the fact that both fat and proteins show strong amphiphilic behaviors. By using FT-IR/ATR measurements it is concluded that the deposit on the surface contains proteins.     

Rye kernel breakfast increases satiety in the afternoon - an effect of food structure

Background  

The structure of whole grain cereals is maintained to varying degrees during processing and preparation of foods. Food structure can influence metabolism, including perceived hunger and satiety. A diet that enhances satiety per calorie may help to prevent excessive calorie intake. The objective of this work was to compare subjective appetite ratings after consumption of intact and milled rye kernels.     

Creep crack growth in welded components — a numerical study and comparison with the R5 procedures

In the present study, creep crack growth (CCG) in a circumferentially welded low alloyed pipe is numerically investigated for a number of different combinations of weldment constituent material properties. A creep ductility based damage model describes the accumulation of creep damage ahead of the crack tip where a constraint parameter and the creep strain rate perpendicular to the crack plane are used as characterising parameters. It is assumed that a fully circumferential creep crack, located in the heat affected zone with a depth of one quarter of the pipe thickness, is growing at a constant rate from the outer surface towards the inside. The numerical results reveal that not only the properties of the zone containing the crack, but also the deformation properties of the surrounding material influence the CCG behaviour. This influence can be noted on the characterising parameters used for the CCG rate predictions as well as on the CCG rate itself. The mismatch influence on corresponding C^* values is, however, marginal. This indicates that determination of the CCG rate in weldments, based on the C^* value only, may result in uncertain estimates.The numerically investigated cases are also assessed by use of the R5 procedures for the sake of comparison. Considering the stress re-distribution, due to the mismatch effect, the CCG rate is determined for the different weldment configurations. The comparison shows that the assumption of plane strain or plane stress conditions in the R5 analysis is essential for the agreement of the results between R5 and the two-parameter approach. Assuming plane stress conditions at the crack tip results in a relatively good agreement for the axial stress dominated cases investigated. However, for the hoop stress dominated cases, the R5 procedures predict higher CCG rates by an order of magnitude.     

Formulation of an oat‐based fermented product and its comparison with yoghurt

In an attempt to develop a fermented, non‐dairy product based on oats, a new kind of oat base, Adavena® M40, was fermented with two different yoghurt cultures. Adavena® M40 is a concentrated liquid (with a dry matter content of 16 or 18%) derived entirely from oats, with maltose as the main carbohydrate source and an intact β‐glucan content. The oat base was heat treated for 5 min at 85 °C prior to inoculation. Additives in the form of stabiliser, fat and flavours were used. Texture, syneresis, colour and sensory parameters were evaluated. Yoghurt was used as a control. The final product had an acidity and viscosity similar to those of yoghurt. Addition of xanthan gum (0.03% w/v) improved the texture and overall appearance of the product. The product had the same texture as yoghurt but showed less syneresis. The mixture was less white than the control. The oat‐based, yoghurt‐like product showed high acceptability in terms of acidity, texture and overall appearance. The addition of flavours resulted in a higher acceptance of the final products by the panellists. The β‐glucan content was still high after the fermentation process. The results indicated the potential for a new, fermentable, oat‐based product with high acceptance and a high final β‐glucan content. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fear conditioning and brain activity: A positron emission tomography study in humans.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured with H? 1?O positron emission tomography in 8 healthy women before and after fear conditioning (i.e., paired shocks) and unpaired shocks to videotape cues. Conditioning was supported by enhanced peripheral nervous system recordings and subjective ratings. Fear conditioning increased rCBF in the central gray of the midbrain; bilaterally in the hypothalamus, the thalamus, and the left striatum; and in the right and left anterior cingulate and right prefrontal cortices. Regional CBF was attenuated bilaterally in the right and left prefrontal, temporal (including the amygdala), parietal, and occipital cortices, and in the left orbitofrontal cortex. When compared with unpaired shock presentations, fear conditioning resulted in elevated rCBF in the left cerebellum. Hence, in the present paradigm, only neural activity in the left cerebellum solely reflected processes associated with true Pavlovian conditioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Technical description of the CENBG nanobeam line

Two years ago, the CENBG has commissioned the AIFIRA (Application Interdisciplinaire des Faisceaux d’Ions en Aquitaine) facility for the development of an interdisciplinary research program based on a 3.5 MV Singletron^? accelerator (HVEE, The Netherlands). In addition to the existing beam lines, this facility is being equipped with a high demagnification focused beam line allowing the focusing of protons, deuterons and alpha particles down to a sub-micrometer resolution. This so-called “nanobeam line”, based on a long working distance doublet–triplet of Oxford Microbeams Ltd., OM-50^? quadrupoles, is at its final stage of development. The chosen layout of the beam line has been computed in details using the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. In the simulations, experimental measurements of the beam emittance at the entrance slits have been used to obtain more realistic beam distributions and intensities along the full beam line. According to these simulations, a beam resolution of about 300 nm in high current mode and below 100 nm in STIM mode is expected. The components of the beam line have been mounted at the 0° output of the Singletron^? switching magnet and the fine alignment will be performed using the ion beam in the coming weeks.In the present paper, all the major components of the CENBG nanobeam line are described in details.     

Quantification of Quantum Efficiency and Energy Losses in Low Bandgap Polymer:Fullerene Solar Cells with High Open‐Circuit Voltage

In organic solar cells based on polymer:fullerene blends, energy is lost due to electron transfer from polymer to fullerene. Minimizing the difference between the energy of the polymer exciton (E_D*) and the energy of the charge transfer state (E_CT) will optimize the open‐circuit voltage (V_oc). In this work, this energy loss E_D*‐E_CT is measured directly via Fourier‐transform photocurrent spectroscopy and electroluminescence measurements. Polymer:fullerene photovoltaic devices comprising two different isoindigo containing polymers: P3TI and PTI‐1, are studied. Even though the chemical structures and the optical gaps of P3TI and PTI‐1 are similar (1.4 eV–1.5 eV), the optimized photovoltaic devices show large differences in V_oc and internal quantum efficiency (IQE). For P3TI:PC₇₁BM blends a E_D*‐E_CT of ～ 0.1 eV, a V_oc of 0.7 V and an IQE of 87% are found. For PTI‐1:PC₆₁BM blends an absence of sub‐gap charge transfer absorption and emission bands is found, indicating almost no energy loss in the electron transfer step. Hence a higher V_oc of 0.92 V, but low IQE of 45% is obtained. Morphological studies and field dependent photoluminescence quenching indicate that the lower IQE for the PTI‐1 system is not due to a too coarse morphology, but is related to interfacial energetics. Losses between E_CT and qV_oc due to radiative and non‐radiative recombination are quantified for both material systems, indicating that for the PTI‐1:PC₆₁BM material system, V_oc can only be increased by decreasing the non‐radiative recombination pathways. This work demonstrates the possibility of obtaining modestly high IQE values for material systems with a small energy offset (<0.1 eV) and a high V_oc.     

“Swedish Base Bleed” – increasing the range of artillery projectiles through base flow

The following article summarizes the development of the base flow technique in Sweden. Extensive theoretical and experimental studies have been made in cooperation between the Research Institute of National Defence (FOA) and the Swedish Naval Materiel Department (FMV-M). Base Bleed gives a significant increase in range and reduces the dispersion. The increase in range is obviously depending on the volume made available for the unit. At firing tests an increase in range of 25% has been achieved due to the base flow effect.