Diol diricinoleates from dihaloalkanes

A series of alkanediol diricinoleates was prepared by heating ricinoleic acid with triethylamine and dibromo- or dichloroalkanes containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms. As expected, the dibromides react more rapidly than the dichlorides. This method of esterification avoids the side reaction of estolide formation which occurs when ricinoleates are prepared by direct esterification or transesterification. The products are high molecular weight diols which should be useful in the preparation of polyurethanes. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, San Francisco April 1969. W. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Systemic lupus erythematosus with a protein-losing enteropathy

Anasarca with pronounced hypoalbuminemia developed in a young woman 15 months after the onset of a mild, arthralgic type of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without evidence of active nephritis. Investigation indicated a gastrointestinal rather than a renal site for protein loss. A full clinical remission was achieved with low-dose corticosteroid therapy.     

High throughput methods for polymer nanocomposites research: Extrusion, NMR characterization and flammability property screening

A large number of parameters influence polymer-nanocomposite performance and developing a detailed understanding of these materials involves investigation of a large volume of the associated multi-dimensional property space. This multi-dimensional parameter space for polymer-nanocomposites consists of the obvious list of different material types under consideration, such as polymer and nano-additive, but also includes interphase surface chemistry, and processing conditions. This article presents combinatorial library design and high-throughput screening methods for polymer nanocomposites intended as flame-resistant materials. Here, we present the results of using a twin-screwn extruder to create composition-gradient library strips of polymer nanocomposites that are screened with a solid-state NMR method to rapidly evaluate the optimal processing conditions for achieving nanocomposite dispersion. In addition, we present a comparison of a new rapid Cone calorimetry method to conventional Cone calorimetry and to the gradient heat-flux flame spread method.     

Clostridium difficile from healthy food animals: optimized isolation and prevalence

Two isolation methods were compared for isolation of Clostridium difficile from food animal feces. The single alcohol shock method (SS) used selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by alcohol shock and isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood, and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. The double alcohol shock method (DS) used alcohol shock prior to and after selective enrichment in cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose broth supplemented with 0.1% sodium taurocholate, followed by isolation on tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood and cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar. A total of 55 (15.9%, n = 345) swine fecal samples, 32 (2.4%, n = 1,325) dairy cattle fecal samples, and 188 (6.3%, n = 2,965) beef cattle fecal samples were positive for C. difficile by either method. However, the DS was significantly better than the SS for the recovery of C. difficile from swine feces, while the SS was significantly better than the DS for the recovery of C. difficile from beef cattle feces. There was no significant difference between methods for the recovery of C. difficile from dairy cattle feces. This study suggests that food animals might harbor C. difficile and it provides critical information that isolation methods might not have universal application across animal species.     

Nocistatin reverses nociceptin inhibition of glutamate release from rat brain slices

We have examined the effects of the recently described heptadecapeptide nocistatin on K+-evoked glutamate release from rat cerebrocortical slices in vitro. In vivo, nocistatin reverses the action of nociceptin. Nocistatin (100 nM, n = 7) did not inhibit K+-evoked glutamate release alone. Nociceptin (100 nM) inhibited glutamate release by 51.7 +/- 8.3% (P < 0.05, n = 6) and this was fully reversed by nocistatin (100 nM). Nocistatin also appears to be an antagonist of nociceptin action in vitro.     

Ink‐jet printing: The route to production of full‐color P‐OLED displays

Abstract— Ink‐jet‐printing technology for displays has been making rapid progress and is now nearing production. This paper will go through the developments that have been carried out at CDT, Ltd., to achieve this status. The ink‐jet head and machine development that underpin the capability of the RGB printing process to manufacture P‐OLEDs at high speed with high reliability and with the film‐forming properties to achieve the appropriate device performance will be described. The important contribution made by the availability of flexible metrological tools will be discussed.     

New tools for the study of oceanic eddies: Satellite derived inherent optical properties

Satellite study of oceanic eddy formation, propagation, interactions, and fate was first conducted by sea surface temperature derived at infrared wavelengths. For visible wavelength ocean color reflectances, it is shown that recent radiative transfer model inversions provide additional characteristics of eddies: their constituent absorption and backscattering inherent optical properties. The chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient has the highest contrast and is therefore the most visually evident inherent optical property (while the phytoplankton absorption coefficient and backscattering coefficients are respectively less discernible). For use as an analytical tool, comparisons suggests that the chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient has a ∼10× higher contrast (i.e., ∼5% vs. 50%) in the Middle Atlantic Bight making eddy events detectable over longer time periods than with SST imagery. Example imagery illustrates the application of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and phytoplankton absorption coefficient inherent optical properties to the visual injection of dissolved and particulate organic carbon into the deep ocean by a Gulf Stream ring.     

Identification of Additional Volatile Compounds from Cbntaloupe

The volatile components of cantaloupe pericarp were analyzed during ripening by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty-two compounds were identified from concentrates prepared by steam distillation-solvent extraction of the volatiles. Eight of the constituents including ethyl (methylthio) acetate, (Z)-6-nonenyl acetate, (Z, Z)-3,6-nonadienyl acetate, benzyl propionate, benzyl alcohol, a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, cinnamyl acetate and an isomer of 3,4-dimethoxyacetophenone have not been identified previously. Headspace analysis of cantaloupe samples at six stages of maturity showed increases in total ethyl and acetate esters, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and ethanol with maturation. Levels of these compounds remained low and relatively constant until the breaker stage and thereafter increased rapidly until the fruit was fully mature.