Dietary emissions patterns and their effect on the overall climatic impact of food consumption

Food consumption is responsible for a considerable proportion of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). This study aimed to determine whether different dietary emission patterns (EPs) are evident in the Irish population. Respondents of the national nutritional survey were segmented using cluster analysis based on GHGE generated from food groups; thereby profiling similarities in how emissions were attained. Three distinct EPs were observed: Unsustainable, Culturally Sustainable, and Nutritionally Sustainable. The Unsustainable pattern had a significantly greater climatic impact; generating significantly higher emissions from processed meat, alcohol, carbonated beverages and savoury snacks, but significantly lower emissions from dairy.Total GHGE did not differ significantly between the Culturally Sustainable and the Nutritionally Sustainable despite the latter deriving significantly lower emissions from red meat. Nevertheless, the Nutritionally Sustainable pattern adhered to more dietary guidelines than other EPs. The results imply that policy instruments should be holistic in naturerather than concentrating on individual food groups.     

Dendritic Growth in an Aluminum-Silicon Alloy

Unidirectional solidification experiments have been carried out on an Al-3 wt.% Si alloy as a function of temperature gradient, G and growth rate, V. The samples were solidified under steady-state conditions with a constant growth rate of 8.20 μm/s at different temperature gradients (1.97-6.84 K/mm) and with a constant temperature gradient (6.84 K/mm) at different growth rates (8.20-492.76 μm/s). Microstructure parameters (primary dendrite arm spacing, λ₁, secondary dendrite arm spacing, λ₂, dendrite tip radius, R and mushy zone depth, d) were measured as a function of temperature gradient and growth rate. The experimental results have been compared with the current theoretical models and similar experimental works.     

Determination of interfacial energies of solid Sn solution in the In–Bi–Sn ternary alloy

The equilibrated grain boundary groove shapes of solid Sn solution (Sn-40.14 at.% In-16.11 at.% Bi) in equilibrium with the In–Bi–Sn liquid (In-21.23 at.% Bi-19.04 at.% Sn) were observed from the quenched sample at 59 °C. Gibbs–Thomson coefficient, solid–liquid interfacial energy and grain boundary energy of the solid Sn solution have been determined from the observed grain boundary groove shapes. The thermal conductivity of solid phase for In-21.23 at.% Bi-19.04 at.% Sn alloy and the thermal conductivity ratio of liquid phase to solid phase at the melting temperature have also been measured with radial heat flow apparatus and Bridgman type growth apparatus, respectively.     

Cationic cyclization of purified natural rubber in latex form with a trimethylsilyl triflate as a novel catalyst

Cyclization of deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) or purified natural rubber latex was effectively performed in latex phase by using trimethylsilyl‐trifluoromethane sulfonate or trimethylsilyl triflate (TMSOTF) as a novel catalyst, which is still not reported in the case of natural rubber latex. Various cyclization conditions affecting the degree of cyclization were studied, such as dry rubber contents, temperature, TMSOTF concentrations, and time. The cyclized products were characterized by FTIR, Raman, ¹H‐, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopies, as well as DSC and TGA. The degree of cyclization was estimated by ¹H‐NMR spectrum. It was found that the degree of cyclization in NR was a function of cyclization conditions. The thermal stability of cyclized DPNR increased with the degree of cyclization. Solubility of the obtained rubber was good in chloroform, toluene, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexane, and bad in tetrahydrofuran. The average number molecular weight of cyclized DPNR with 76% degree of cyclization was about 4.2 × 10⁴ g/mol. On the basis of FTIR, Raman, ¹H‐, and ¹³C‐NMR, the C?C of cyclized DPNR dramatically decreased after prolonged reaction time. In addition, the topology of cyclization DPNR particles was rough on its rubber particle as analyzed by TEM. The mechanism for this reaction will also be discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007.     

Effect of solidification parameters on the microstructure of directionally solidified Sn-Bi-Zn lead-free solder

Sn-Bi-Zn lead free solder alloy was directionally solidified upward at a constant temperature gradient (G=3.99 K/mm) with a wide range of growth rates (8.3–478.6 μm/s) and at a constant growth rate (V=8.3 μm/s) with a wide range of temperature gradients (1.78–3.99 K/mm) using a Bridgman type directional solidification furnace. Wavelength-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray diffraction were used to identify the compositions and phases in the microstructure. Dependence of eutectic spacings (λ) on the growth rate (V), temperature gradient (G) and cooling rate (Ṫ) were determined using linear regression analysis. From the experimental results, it can be concluded that the values of λ decrease with the increasing the values of V, G and Ṫ. The value of λ²V was determined using the measured values of λ and V. The results obtained in the present work have been compared with previous results obtained for binary or ternary alloys.     

Collaborative video searching on a tabletop

Almost all system and application design for multimedia systems is based around a single user working in isolation to perform some task yet much of the work for which we use computers to help us, is based on working collaboratively with colleagues. Groupware systems do support user collaboration but typically this is supported through software and users still physically work independently. Tabletop systems, such as the DiamondTouch from MERL, are interface devices which support direct user collaboration on a tabletop. When a tabletop is used as the interface for a multimedia system, such as a video search system, then this kind of direct collaboration raises many questions for system design. In this paper we present a tabletop system for supporting a pair of users in a video search task and we evaluate the system not only in terms of search performance but also in terms of user–user interaction and how different user personalities within each pair of searchers impacts search performance and user interaction. Incorporating the user into the system evaluation as we have done here reveals several interesting results and has important ramifications for the design of a multimedia search system.     

Assessment of the effects of Nurmi-type cultures and a defined probiotic preparation on a Salmonella typhimurium 29E challenge in vivo

The effects of treatment with an undefined commercial Nurmi-type culture (NTC), cultured cecal contents, and a dual-strain probiotic, containing Enterococcus faecalis and Pediococcus pentosaceus, on Salmonella Typhimurium colonization were evaluated in a specific-pathogen-free bird model. Two sets of trials were performed, and each study was arranged as a randomized complete block design with three treatments. Treatments consisted of (i) control, (ii) commercial NTC, and (iii) cultured cecal contents in the first set of trials and (i) control, (ii) defined probiotic, and (iii) cultured cecal contents in the second set. On day 1, birds were administered 1.2 x 10(7) CFU of the appropriate treatment by oral gavage. On day 3, all birds were challenged with 1 x 10(6) CFU of Salmonella Typhimurium 29E (nalidixic acid resistant). Chicks were asphyxiated with argon gas on day 10, and ceca were aseptically removed. Salmonella Typhimurium counts (CFU per milliliter of cecal contents) were determined on brilliant green agar containing 30 mg of nalidixic acid per liter, and CFU counts were log transformed prior to analysis. Cecal pH and volatile fatty acid concentrations were also determined. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, and means were compared by Tukey's pairwise analysis. Commercial NTC and cultured cecal contents treatments resulted in a significant decrease (P < or = 0.05) in Salmonella Typhimurium 29E colonization, with the NTC offering a higher level of protection. In the second set of trials, the defined probiotic tended to reduce colonization by Salmonella Typhimurium (P = 0.07), while chicks treated with cultured cecal contents displayed a significant decrease (P = 0.03) when compared to the negative control. No significant change was observed in cecal pH or in acetate and propionate concentrations; however, a significant increase in butyrate concentrations in both the cultured cecal contents and defined probiotic treatment groups was observed when compared to the control birds. These observations suggest that defined cultures are less effective Salmonella control agents than are preparations generated from the complete cecal microflora.     

The influence of hydroxyapatite: Zinc oxide ratio on the setting behavior and mechanical properties of polyalkenoate cements

The influence of hydroxyapatite (HA) content on the setting behavior and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite-zinc oxide-poly(acrylic acid) (HA-ZnO-PAA) composite cements were investigated as a function of HA content. The working time increased with HA content up to 45 wt % HA and then decreased whilst the setting time increased with increasing HA content. Mechanical properties were determined after storage in water at 37 degrees C for 1, 7 and 28 days. Young's moduli and compressive strength go through a maximum at approximately 30 and 45 wt % HA. Young's modulus increases with time, which is consistent with an ongoing crosslinking reaction.     

TD-DFT and optical properties of 9,9-dioctyl-9Hfluorene-based oligomer in a thin film and design of DFB laser using ellipsometry studies

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - 9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene (9DOF) is one of the most important molecule structures with unique photophysical properties. We investigated the...