Combinatorial materials research applied to the development of new surface coatings VI: An automated spinning water jet apparatus for the high-throughput characterization of fouling-release marine coatings

Large numbers of coatings can be generated very quickly using a combinatorial high-throughput approach. Rapid screening assays are typically required to adequately evaluate and down select coating candidates to identify promising compositions. An automated, spinning water jet apparatus was developed to rapidly characterize the adhesion strength of marine organisms to coating surfaces. Coating arrays are cast in multiwell plates and subjected to a jet of water of controlled pressure and duration. Array plates are manipulated by a robotic arm to facilitate accurate and repeatable water jet treatments. Jet pressures of 40-688 kPa can be generated and precisely maintained by computer control. A five axis robotic arm selects plates from three plate stacking hotels yielding a total of 39 plates or 936 individual coating samples for each experimental run. All robotic instructions, process parameters, and data are stored and controlled by the computer. The large plate handling capacity offered by the robotic system enables the analysis of a wide variety of coatings for "fouling-release" properties. A brief example demonstrating the capability of the automated water jet apparatus to evaluate marine bacterial adhesion to coating surfaces is provided.     

Partitioning of chemicals—important factors in exposure assessment of offshore discharges

The CHARM (chemical hazard assessment and risk management) model was developed to give operators, chemical suppliers, and environmental authorities a scientific framework for analyzing the environmental hazard and risk of offshore chemicals used and discharged to the marine environment. This paper presents results from an R and D project carried out on partitioning of typical offshore chemicals where the objective was to validate the partitioning algorithms in CHARM. The work included further development and verification of the HPLC (OECD 117) method for determining oil/water partitioning, or fraction released of production chemicals, for evaluation of the applicability of the Shake Flask method (OECD 107) and modification of the sediment/water partitioning test methods, as well as establishment of a calculation method for determining the weighted average log P_ow for chemical mixtures of homologs. The calculation method was recommended adopted in CHARM. Based on the experimental partitioning results, the CHARM partitioning algorithms were evaluated. The test results showed that the HPLC technique is a “robust” method for determining the P_ow, but has limitations for surfactants and chemicals with high log P_ow-values, which are typical offshore chemicals. The traditional correlations reported between P_ow, the BCF, the fraction of a chemical released with produced water, and the P_sw is not valid for typical surfactants. Another approach is therefore used in CHARM, which also was evaluated in this project. There is, however, a need for further validation of the CHARM partitioning algorithms.     

Attention to instruction directed to another by U.S. Mexican-heritage children of varying cultural backgrounds.

Children commonly observe and pitch in to ongoing activities in Indigenous communities of Mexico, according to ethnographic research. The present study examines the generality of this approach to learning by comparing its use among Mexican immigrants of two cultural backgrounds in the United States. Results showed more sustained attention to (and learning from) instruction directed to another person by 22 U.S. Mexican-heritage 6- to 11-year-old children whose families likely have experience with Indigenous practices (and limited involvement in Western schooling), compared with 16 U.S. Mexican-heritage children whose families have extensive involvement in Western schooling (and related practices). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A databank able to be used for identifying and authenticating commercial flatfish (Pleuronectiformes) products at the species level using isoelectric focusing of native muscle proteins

Summary A computerized databank of IEF protein patterns for use in identifying flatfish species (in total 17 species, including 15 commercial ones) is presented. The databank includes all species regulated by the Belgian Law (22 May 1996) on the use of official names for fishes and seafood products. It was found that interspecimen similarity of the IEF patterns, as processed by digitization, was always larger than interspecies similarity, which allows for unequivocal authentication of unknown samples, as long as the authentic pattern is available in the databank. The databank was used to authenticate 17 commercial fish fillets.     

Wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope: experimental results

A nine-aperture, wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope has been built at the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Technology Center. The telescope consists of nine, 125 mm diameter collector telescopes coherently phased and combined to form a diffraction-limited image with a resolution that is consistent with the 610 mm diameter of the telescope. The phased field of view of the array is 1 murad. The measured rms wavefront error is 0.08 waves rms at 635 nm. The telescope is actively controlled to correct for tilt and phasing errors. The control sensing technique is the method known as phase diversity, which extracts wavefront information from a pair of focused and defocused images. The optical design of the telescope and typical performance results are described.     

A Course in Technology and Society for Engineering Students

The exposure of engineering students to relationships between technology and society has become an accepted component of undergraduate engineering curricula in North America, yet how to present the subject in a way that is stimulating and relevant to engineering students remains a challenge. At the University of Manitoba, various approaches have been taken over several years. This paper outlines a course format and content which has been well received by students. The framework of the course encompasses three main principles. First, technology is presented as having three aspects—technical, cultural, and organizational. Second, the topic is treated within a time-related context—past, present, and future. Past and present are illustrated by examples of technology, their societal impacts, and related cultural and ethical issues. The future is examined using a systems approach for understanding the long-term consequences of human activities and by discussion of the role of technology in reaching global sustainability. Third, the course emphasizes active student involvement through individual and group research and writing, and group discussions and presentation.     

A simulator study on the impact of traffic calming measures in urban areas on driving behavior and workload

This study examined the impact of traffic calming measures (TCM) on major roads in rural and urban areas. More specifically we investigated the effect of gate constructions located at the entrance of the urban area and horizontal curves within the urban area on driving behavior and workload. Forty-six participants completed a 34 km test-drive on a driving simulator with eight thoroughfare configurations, i.e., 2 (curves: present, absent) × 2 (gates: present, absent) × 2 (peripheral detection task (PDT): present, absent) in a within-subject design.