Design of highly tough poly(l‐lactide)‐based ternary blends for automotive applications

Technical renewable poly(l ‐lactide) (PLA)‐based blends represent an elegant way to achieve attractive properties for engineering applications. Recently, the miscibility between PLA and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) gave rise to new formulations with enhanced thermo‐mechanical properties but their high brittleness still remains a challenge to be overcome. This work here focuses on rubber‐toughened PLA/PMMA formulations for injection‐molding processes upon the addition of a commercially available ethylene‐acrylate impact modifier (BS). The miscibility between PLA and PMMA is not altered by the presence of BS but the incorporation of BS (17% by weight) into a PLA/PMMA matrix could enhance both ductility and toughness of PLA/PMMA blends for PMMA content up to 50 wt %. An optimum range of particle sizes (d_n ～0.5 µm) of the dispersed domains for high impact toughness is identified. These bio‐based ternary blends appear as promising alternatives to petro‐sourced blends such as ABS‐based blends in engineering injection‐molding parts. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43402.     

Küstenschutzmaßnahmen in Togo — Stabilisierung erosionsgefährdeter Strandabschnitte und Schutz des Containerterminals Lomé durch den Neubau einer Buhne

Die Küste Togos am Golf von Guinea in Westafrika verfügt über keinen natürlichen Schutz, z. B. durch vorgelagerte Inseln oder felsige Uferabschnitte. Der gesamte rd. 65 km lange Küstenstreifen besteht aus Sand und ist daher dem Wellenangriff des Atlantiks und der überwiegend vorhandenen West‐Ost‐Strömung ausgesetzt. Da die Uferbereiche traditionell dicht bewohnt sind, stellen Landverluste durch Erosion ein großes Problem für die Bevölkerung und die Infrastruktur dar. Die Erosionsproblematik wird daher von der togoischen Regierung sehr intensiv verfolgt. Von den rd. 6 bis 7 Millionen Togoern leben rd. 2,5 Millionen im Großraum Lomé direkt an der Küste. Durch den Bau zusätzlicher und die Rehabilitierung vorhandener Buhnen sollen langfristig der Küs tenabschnitt Togos stabilisiert und die Schutzziele erreicht werden. Die technische Umsetzung der von der INROS LACKNER AG geplanten und zu überwachenden Küstenschutzmaßnahmen wird detailliert beschrieben. Coastal protection measures in Togo — stabilization of erosionthreatened sections of the beach and protection of the container terminal Lomé by means of a sea groyne. The coast of Togo at the Gulf of Guinea, situated in West Africa is not sheltered by natural protection, such as offshore islands or rocky shorelines. The approximately 65 km long Atlantic Ocean coastline does mainly consist of sand, which is prone to erosion due to wave attacks and the prevailing west‐east current. With a traditionally dense populated coast, the land losses caused by erosion constitute a main issue for the Togolese as well as for the infrastructure in general. The problems caused by erosion are therefore vigorously pursued by the Togolese Government. Greater Lomé, located at the coast, accommodates 2,5 Million of the 6 to 7 Million Togolese people. The construction of additional and maintaining of existing groins would stabilize Togo’s coastline. The article describes the technical implementation of coastal protection measures designed and supervised by INROS LACKNER AG.     

Role of pectic polysaccharides in structural integrity of apple cell wall material

Texture modulating properties of aqueous dispersions of apple cell wall material differed from those of tomato or kiwifruit, particularly under high shear. It was previously hypothesized that this may be due to the fact that the apple cell wall showed less in vivo solubilization of pectic polysaccharides during ripening compared to tomato or kiwifruit. However, in vitro solubilization of the pectic polysaccharide content of apple CWM by endo-polygalacturonase and/or extraction with 0.05 M sodium carbonate, did not affect the loss in wall integrity shown by tomato or kiwifruit CWMs under shear. In addition, the pectin-depleted residue after Na₂CO₃ extraction possessed better water retaining and viscosity generating properties than the original cell wall material. Following treatment of apple CWM with cellulase, the viscosity of suspensions decreased, emphasising the role that the cellulose–hemicellulose network plays in the water-retaining capacity of the cell wall. Residue from CWM after cellulase treatment consisted of ∼85% pectic polysaccharides. Surprisingly, the integrity of these “cellulose-free” walls was maintained after shear. It is concluded that differences in structural properties of the CWMs of apple compared to kiwifruit or tomato are not simply related to pectin solubilization but to a fundamental difference in the architecture of the apple cell wall.     

An integral boundary layer engineering model for vortex generators implemented in XFOIL

To assess and optimize vortex generators (VGs) for flow separation control, the effect of these devices should be modelled in a cost and time efficient way. Therefore, it is of interest to extend integral boundary layer models to analyse the effect of VGs on airfoil performance. In this work, the turbulent boundary layer formulation is modified using a source term approach. An additional term is added to the shear‐lag equation, to account for the increased dissipation due to streamwise vortex action in the boundary layer, forcing transition at the VG leading edge where applicable. The source term is calibrated and a semi‐empirical relation is set up and implemented in XFOIL . The modified code is capable of addressing the effect of the VG height, length, inflow angle, and chordwise position on the airfoil's aerodynamic properties. The predicted polars for airfoils with VGs show a good agreement with reference data, and the code robustness is demonstrated by assessing different airfoil families at a wide range of Reynolds numbers.     

Automatic detection and imaging of ischemic changes during electrocardiogram monitoring

A new electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor with automated ST analysis and display capability has been developed to assist healthcare professionals identify the site and severity of acute ischemic changes. The monitor displays the changes as a 3-D image of the heart in real time. The underpinning assumption is that images are easier to interpret than ECG traces. We describe here the features of two functions of the monitor, the ischemia detection and imaging function (IF). The ischemia detection function was validated using the European ST-T database, and was found to have a sensitivity of 85% and positive predictivity of 93%. Fifty doctors took part in the evaluation of the new IF and the results showed an increase in their median proficiency to diagnose ischemia from 50% to 100% and an increase in their certainty of the diagnosis from 65% to 80%. The time to reach a diagnosis for eight ECGs, dropped from 15 to 9 min.     

Novel Real-Time PCR Method To Detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Milk Cheese and Raw Ground Meat

Raw milk, raw milk cheeses, and raw ground meat have been implicated in Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks. Developing methods to detect these bacteria in raw milk and meat products is a major challenge for food safety. The aim of our study was to develop a real-time PCR assay to detect E. coli O157:H7 in raw milk cheeses and raw ground meat. Well-known primers targeting a mutation at position +93 of the uidA gene in E. coli O157:H7 were chosen, and a specific TaqMan-minor groove binder probe was designed. This probe targets another mutation, at position +191 of the uidA gene in E. coli O157:H7. The first step in the study was to evaluate the specificity of this probe with 156 different O157:H7/NM strains and 48 non-O157:H7/NM strains of E. coli. The sensitivity of the method was evaluated by pre- and postinoculation of cheeses and meat enrichments with different E. coli O157:H7 strains. All the E. coli O157:H7 isolates tested were positive, and none of the other bacteria were detected. Our results indicate that this method is sensitive enough to detect 10(2) E. coli O157:H7 isolates per ml of cheese or meat enrichment broth (24 h at 41.5° C) and is more sensitive than the International Organization for Standardization reference method. We can conclude that this new real-time PCR protocol is a useful tool for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of E. coli O157:H7 in raw milk and raw ground meat products.     

Sourdough fermentation of wheat fractions rich in fibres before their use in processed food

Fibre‐rich fractions of wheat are an important source of minerals but also contain considerable amounts of phytic acid, known to impair mineral absorption. This study explores the efficiency of wheat bran sourdough fermentation on phytate hydrolysis and mineral solubility, in comparison with whole‐wheat flour. In vitro trials were performed to assess the consequences of the addition of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), an alkalinising salt, on phytic acid breakdown and mineral bioavailability during sourdough fermentation. Sourdough fermentation was found effective for solubilising minerals in whole‐wheat flours but was less effective with bran. In addition, sourdough acidity was blunted by the addition of CaCO₃, whereas degradation of phytic acid remained effective. Despite extensive breakdown of phytic acid (almost 70%), the addition of calcium exerted a very negative effect on zinc solubility. In conclusion, a pre‐fermentation process of whole cereals or bran, in suitable conditions of hydration, allows degradation of the major part of phytic acid and optimal mineral bioavailability. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Analyzing the convergent and discriminant validity of states and traits: Development and applications of multimethod latent state-trait models.

The analysis of convergent and discriminant validity is an integral part of the construct validation process. Models for analyzing the convergent and discriminant validity have typically been developed for cross-sectional data. There exist, however, only a few approaches for longitudinal data that can be applied for analyzing the construct validity of fluctuating states. In this article, the authors show how models of latent state-trait theory can be combined with models of multitrait-multimethod analysis to develop a model that allows for analyzing convergent and discriminant validity in time: the multimethod latent state-trait model. The model allows for identifying different sources of variance (trait consistency, trait-method specificity, occasion-specific consistency, occasion-specific method specificity, and unreliability). It is applied to the repeated measurement of depression and anxiety in children, which was assessed by self and teacher reports (N = 375). The application shows that the proposed models fit the data well and allow a deeper understanding of method effects in clinical assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Localized auxin peaks in concentration-based transport models of the shoot apical meristem

We study the formation of auxin peaks in a generic class of concentration-based auxin transport models, posed on static plant tissues. Using standard asymptotic analysis, we prove that, on bounded domains, auxin peaks are not formed via a Turing instability in the active transport parameter, but via simple corrections to the homogeneous steady state. When the active transport is small, the geometry of the tissue encodes the peaks’ amplitude and location: peaks arise where cells have fewer neighbours, that is, at the boundary of the domain. We test our theory and perform numerical bifurcation analysis on two models that are known to generate auxin patterns for biologically plausible parameter values. In the same parameter regimes, we find that realistic tissues are capable of generating a multitude of stationary patterns, with a variable number of auxin peaks, that can be selected by different initial conditions or by quasi-static changes in the active transport parameter. The competition between active transport and production rate determines whether peaks remain localized or cover the entire domain. In particular, changes in the auxin production that are fast with respect to the cellular life cycle affect the auxin peak distribution, switching from localized spots to fully patterned states. We relate the occurrence of localized patterns to a snaking bifurcation structure, which is known to arise in a wide variety of nonlinear media, but has not yet been reported in plant models.