Soiling of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)

The effects of three plasticizers and two plasticizer concentrations on the topography and soiling of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) were studied. Palmitic acid and triolein were chosen to represent solid and liquid soils. The feasibility of using infrared spectroscopy to quantify the amount of soil on PVC was examined. The structure of the solid model soil on plasticized PVC was studied with optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Palmitic acid formed two different structures on the PVC surface. Both the type and concentration of the plasticizer influenced the structure of the oily soil on plasticized PVC. The wetting of plasticized PVC with the liquid oily soil was compared to wetting with water through the measurement of the contact angles. Plasticized PVC was hydrophobic and oleophilic. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Uptake of zinc,nickel, and chromium by N-isopropyl acrylamide polymer gels

Pure N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPA) polymer gel and NIPA copolymers containing 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), 2-acetamidoacrylic acid (AAA), and acrylic acid (AA) were prepared and evaluated with respect to their capability for taking up zinc, nickel, and chromium ions from solutions. AAA-containing NIPA gels were found to take up these metal ions most efficiently. Titration of these gels verified the strong acidic nature of the AMPS–NIPA gel and the weakly acidic nature of the AA–NIPA and AAA–NIPA gels. The ion-exchange capacities, derived from the titration curves, were, however, rather low in all cases. NIPA gels are known to collapse at temperatures about 32°C. This, however, was found to have no effect on the ion-exchange behavior of the gels. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68:355–362, 1998     

Transesterification of phospholipids in different reaction conditions

Transesterification of synthetic dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine with oleic acid by commercial lipase preparations fromAspergillus niger andRhizomucor miehei was studied in the presence and absence of solvent. A high-performance liquid chromatography method for determination of the modified phosphatidylcholine was developed. Under solvent-free conditions, transesterification could be carried out as efficiently as in toluene, and the degree of hydrolysis was lower than in toluene. Transesterification was influenced by the water content as well as by the fatty acid concentration in the reaction mixture. The optimum water content for transesterification in solvent-free reaction medium was higher than in toluene with both lipases. The yield of modified phosphatidylcholine increased, and the degree of hydrolysis decreased with increasing fatty acid concentration. The maximum yield of modified phospha-tidylcholine, 35% of the original phospholipid, was obtained withR. miehei lipase.     

Opening the POD: A therapeutic application of Husserl's phenomenology.

Draws a distinction between meaning-oriented and object-oriented therapies. The method of E. Husserl (1931) is directly applied to a wide range of psychological problems and a phenomenon becomes manifest that is characterized as phenomenologically observable dictate (POD). This POD is the source of a variety of undesirable cognitions, feelings, and memories. After the isolation of a POD is accomplished, a specific technique can be used to address and dispose of it as though it were a physical object. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning game for improving forklift drivers’ safety awareness

Cognition, Technology & Work - Forklift drivers in in-house logistics are at a high risk of occupational injuries. This study piloted a video-based learning game for forklift drivers, designed...     

Factors Controlling the Migration of Tailings-Derived Arsenic: A Case Study at the Yara Siilinjärvi Site

The behaviour of arsenic (As) derived from tailings was investigated at the Yara Siilinjärvi apatite mine and industrial site in eastern Finland. The study assessed factors influencing the migration and fate of As and compared the anthropogenic As load to the natural geogenic background. Environmental risks related to As were assessed by examining the As concentrations in humus, glacial till, aquatic sediments, groundwater, and surface water. The occurrence and fractionation of As and the presence of secondary precipitates and geochemical transformations in the tailings and in the ambient soil and sediment were evaluated by selective extraction. The water-derived emissions were evaluated by field measurements, hydrogeochemical analysis, and modelling. Results indicate elevated environmental risks due to dust and seepage emissions from the tailings since the concentrations and mobility of As and other potentially harmful elements (PHEs) such as Co, Ni, and Zn were elevated relative to the geogenic background. These elements were mainly associated with Fe (oxy)hydroxides in the soil and their mobility was closely linked to Fe biogeochemistry. Additionally, although the concentrations of As and PHEs were high in the tailings pond and seepage water, they decreased in ambient groundwater and surface water, indicating Fe (oxy)hydroxide stability. This was supported by hydrogeochemical modelling, which indicated precipitation of Fe oxides and hydroxides. According to speciation modelling, As was present mainly as toxic trivalent arsenious acid (H₃AsO₃) in groundwater and as the less toxic pentavalent As acid (H₂AsO₄ ^? and HAsO₄ ^2?) in surface water.     

Printed organic diode backplane for matrix addressing an electrophoretic display

An organic matrix diode backplane for driving an electrophoretic display with an unpatterned front plane electrode is reported. Using thin film diodes instead of transistors as the active components in the pixels enable the backplane to be manufactured using roll-to-roll compatible printing processes. The backplane functionality is demonstrated in an electrophoretic display using 16 copper pixel electrodes, each of which is connected to two printed organic diodes. The printed diodes have sputtered copper cathodes and printed silver anodes. The diodes and pixels are arranged in a lateral 4 by 4 matrix structure with a dielectric layer separating the row and column electrodes. The dielectric, semiconductor and silver layers are all printed using a laboratory-scale rotary gravure press. The display module is finalized by laminating the front plane material onto the backplane.     

FLAVOR ENCAPSULATION AND RELEASE CHARACTERISTICS OF SPRAY-DRIED POWDER BY THE BLENDED ENCAPSULANT OF CYCLODEXTRIN AND GUM ARABIC

The flavor inclusion powder was prepared by spray drying, using the combined encapsulation method of inclusion by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and emulsified by gum arabic (GA). d-Limonene and ethyl n-hexanoate were used as model flavors. The application of high pressure by Microfluidizer to the mixture of flavors and β-CD slurry was an effective means of forming inclusion complex. Flavor retention during spray drying under various compositions of the encapsulants was investigated. The flavor retention using the blended encapsulant was increased by adding GA in the encapsulant. The characteristics of release of encapsulated flavor during storage were evaluated at 50°C and 75% of relative humidity. The release rate of flavor in spray-dried powder depended on kinds of the flavors and composition of the encapsulant. The blending MD and β-CD in the feed liquid decreased the release rate of flavors. The rate of release of flavor was analyzed by Avrami's Equation.     

Effects of Insect Herbivory on Bilberry Production and Removal of Berries by Frugivores

The evolutionary purpose of a fleshy fruit is to attract seed dispersers and get the seeds dispersed by frugivorous animals. For this reason, fruits should be highly rewarding to these mutualists. However, insect herbivory can alter plant reproductive success e.g. by decreasing fruit yield or affecting the attractiveness of the fruits to mutualistic seed dispersers. Under natural conditions, we tested the effects of experimental larval-defoliation on berry ripening and consumption of a non-cultivated dwarf shrub, the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), which produces animal-dispersed berries with high sugar and anthocyanin concentration. Bilberry ramets with high fruit yield were most likely to have their berries foraged, indicating that frugivores made foraging choices based on the abundance of berries. Moreover, the probability for berries being foraged was the lowest for non-defoliated ramets that grew adjacent to larval-defoliated ramets, even though larval-defoliation did not affect the biochemical composition (total concentrations of anthocyanins, sugars and organic acids) or the probability of ripening of berries. We hypothesise that the lower probability for berries being foraged in these ramets may be a consequence of rhizome- or volatile-mediated communication between ramets, resulting in a priming effect of the herbivore defence and lower attractiveness of the non-defoliated ramets.