Conducting diblock copolymers with lonic complex/insulator lamellar microdomains

Poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymer films with horizontally oriented lamellar microdomains were obtained by the casting method. Poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) microdomains were not only quaternized, but were also crosslinked with 1,4-diiodobutane vapor. Subsequently, ionic complex phases were constructed by an ion-exchange reaction of quaternized P2VP phases with lithium perchlorate. The element (chlorine and iodine atoms) distributions on the vertical section of the modified films were measured by means of an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. These materials had highly anisotropic conductivity with approximately 6 orders of magnitude. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Performance optimisation of the micro pixel chamber

A thorough performance analysis of large-area μ-PIC detectors has been made. Through systematic simulations and comparison with test results of the two detector versions, μ-PIC1 and μ-PIC3, we have identified that low primary electron collection was responsible for the degradation of measured gas gain of the μ-PIC3 device. The test of a new detector, μ-PIC5, fabricated with a narrower inter-cathode gap and anodes raised above the insulator surface, shows a threefold increase in gas gain reaching 10⁴ in argon 80%–ethane 20% gas mixture, which agrees with simulations. The new detector demonstrates a stable long-term operation at high gains, above 6000 measured during more than 70 h with an X-ray source, with a moderate 6% gain increase due to dielectric polarisation.     

Architectural effect of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(amide imide) block copolymers on dispersion of carbon nanotubes in water

The dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in water by poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(amide imide) (PAI) block copolymers and homo‐PAA is investigated. Poly(acrylic acid)‐block‐poly(amide imide) (PAA‐block‐PAI), poly(acrylic acid)‐block‐poly(amide imide)‐block‐poly(acrylic acid) (PAA‐block‐PAI‐block‐PAA), and heteroarm star block copolymer poly(acrylic acid)₂poly(amide imide) (PAA₂PAI) with similar molecular weights and PAA contents are used as the copolymers. The dispersion of CNTs is observed by dynamic light scattering and ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy. The presence of the hydrophobic sequence improves the dispersion. PAA₂PAI has the best dispersion ability, followed in order by PAA‐block‐PAI‐block‐PAA, PAA‐block‐PAI, and homo‐PAA. In the dry state, aggregates of CNT are observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the mixture with PAA‐block‐PAI and homo‐PAA. The adhesion of the copolymers to CNT is also observed by TEM and is due to the high affinity between hydrophobic PAI and CNT. In particular, PAA₂PAI and PAA‐block‐PAI‐block‐PAA well cover the CNTs. The presence of PAI and the PAA location are important for the dispersion of CNTs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43461.     

Transparency and water vapor barrier properties of polybenzoxazine‐silica nanocomposites provided with perhydropolysilazane

Poly[6,6′‐(1‐methylethylidene)bis(3,4‐dihydro‐3‐2H‐1,3‐hexylbenzoxazine)] (PB‐hda)‐silica nanocomposites were synthesized with perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) and PB‐hda by ring opening polymerization in one step. Both high transparency and good water vapor barrier property (WVP) are required to be improved in the field of packing and electronic materials, such as OLED, solar cell, and electronic paper. PB‐hda has shown high toughness and high thermal stability. However, it became dark brown and showed a reduction of WVP with increasing curing temperature, which make it difficult to be applied to packing and electronic materials. In this study, we aim to improve transparency and WVP by addition of PHPS into PB‐hda matrix. It was found that nanocomposites showed the improvement of WVP and transparency owing to Si? O? C linkages between PB‐hda and PHPS. In particular, a nanocomposite with 1 wt % of silica showed the most significant improvement in terms of transparency and the WVP. These properties were found to be influenced by the thickness of the combined polymer‐silica layers that formed around the silica particles; these layers were thickest in the 1 wt % sample. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44238.     

Satellite-based products for monitoring optically complex inland waters in support of EU Water Framework Directive

The need to restore and protect waterbodies from further degradation has resulted in formulation of the European Union Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD). The directive aims to harmonize European legislation on water; and member states shall establish a programme for monitoring the status of all waterbodies larger than 0.5 km², in order to ensure future quality and quantity of inland waters. The biological and physical–chemical status and ecological potential should be assessed and action plans for a sustainable management and protection of freshwater resources should be established. In practice, this means that extensive and expensive sampling programmes are needed. The ecological status of a waterbody can be described by various biological and physical–chemical quality elements, and several of these important ecological parameters can be monitored by space-based instruments: (1) phytoplankton biomass; (2) chlorophyll-a concentration; (3) water transparency; and (4) frequency and intensity of blooms. The objective of this article is to demonstrate how Environmental Satellite/Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and future Sentinel-3/Ocean Land Colour Instrument data can be effectively used to complement traditional water monitoring programmes by adding information with significantly improved spatial coverage and temporal detail to support the WFD status assessment process. Examples are provided for five large European lakes (Peipsi, Võrtsjärv, Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren). Time series based on satellite data and data collected within national and regional monitoring programmes were compiled and compared, to demonstrate good agreement between the two techniques, but also to discuss natural differences and limitations. Furthermore, the ecological status class based on satellite and in situ data for each waterbody was calculated and analysed.     

Vertical-type chiroptical spectrophotometer (I): instrumentation and application to diffuse reflectance circular dichroism measurement

We have designed and built a novel universal chiroptical spectrophotometer (UCS-2: J-800KCMF), which can carry out in situ chirality measurement of solid samples without any pretreatment, in the UV-vis region and with high relative efficiency. The instrument was designed to carry out transmittance and diffuse reflectance (DR) circular dichroism (CD) measurements simultaneously, thus housing two photomultipliers. It has a unique feature that light impinges on samples vertically so that loose powders can be measured by placing them on a flat sample holder in an integrating sphere. As is our first universal chiroptical spectrophotometer, UCS-1, two lock-in amplifiers are installed to remove artifact signals arising from macroscopic anisotropies which are unique to solid samples. High performance was achieved by theoretically analyzing and experimentally proven the effect of the photoelastic modulator position on the CD base line shifts, and by selecting high-quality optical and electric components. Measurement of microcrystallines of both enantiomers of ammonium camphorsulfonate by the DRCD mode gave reasonable results.     

Dynamic Meta Modeling with Time: Specifying the Semantics of Multimedia Sequence Diagrams

UML offers different diagram types to model behavior and dynamics of software systems. In some domains like embedded real-time systems or multimedia systems, it is necessary to include specifications of time since the correctness of these applications depends on the fulfillment of temporal requirements in addition to functional requirements. UML thus already incorporates language features to model time and temporal constraints. Such model elements must have an equivalent in the semantic domain. We have proposed Dynamic Meta Modeling (DMM) as a means for the specification of the formal operational semantics of UML models by applying graph transformation to the meta modeling of dynamic behavior. Within this paper, we extend this approach to also account for time by building on timed graph transformations. We apply these concepts to the domain of multimedia application modeling in which we adopt UML sequence diagrams. The DMM rules with time then specify an interpreter that can be used to analyze or test a model of multimedia sequence diagrams.     

Model-Based Verification and Validation of Properties

One of the key issues in software development, like in all engineering problems, is to ensure that the product delivered meets its specification. Verification and validation are well-established techniques for ensuring the quality of a product within the overall software development lifecycle. With models being expressed in the Unified Modeling Language, the application of verification and validation is complicated. Firstly, concerning verification, a UML model is typically not the input language of a verification tool. Secondly, with regards to validation, a UML model is also not directly executable.In this paper, we show how verification and validation can be achieved for UML models. Within our approach, graph transformation techniques are applied for automated translation of UML models into a language understood by a verification tool or directly into an implementation. By the use of such semantic-preserving transformations, both verification and validation can be lifted up to the model level, allowing for a seamless integration of verification and validation into a UML-based development process.     

Towards Model-Driven Testing

The OMG's Model-Driven Architecture is a strategy towards interoperability across heterogeneous middleware platforms through the reuse of platform independent designs based on the distinction of, and transformation between, platform-independent and platform-specific models.A corresponding strategy for model-driven testing requires a similar structure to facilitate, besides the generation of test cases and oracles, the execution of tests on different target platforms.In this paper, we discuss different aspects of such a strategy in a specific instance: the development of web-based distributed applications. In particular, we will be concerned with the problem of reusing platform-independent test cases and test oracles and with the generation of oracles from executable models.     

Regulation by long-chain fatty acids of the expression of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in HepG2 cells

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is an important determinant of lipoprotein function, especially high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism, and contributes to the regulation of plasma HDL levels. Since saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA) appear to influence the CETP activity differently, we decided to investigate the effects of FA on the expression of CETP mRNA in HepG2 cells using an RNA blot hybridization analysis. Long-chain FA (>18 carbons) at a 0.5 mM concentration were added to the medium and incubated with cells for 48 h at 37°C under 5% CO₂. After treatment with 0.5 mM arachidonic (AA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the levels of CETP mRNA were less than 50% of the control levels (AA, P=0.0005; EPA, P<0.01; DHA, P<0.0001), with a corresponding significant decrease in the CETP mass. These results suggest that FA regulate the gene expression of CETP in HepG2 and this effect is dependent upon the degree of unsaturation of the acyl carbon chain in FA.