Mechanical and morphological properties of wood plastic composites based on municipal plastic waste

Production and characterization of wood plastic composites (WPC) from the light fraction of municipal plastic wastes (post‐consumer) and wood processing residues (sawdust) were investigated. Composition analysis revealed the presence of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) as the two main components of the matrix. In order to improve compatibility and adhesion between all the phases, an ethylene–octene copolymer was used to compatibilize the polymer phases and was also acting as an impact modifier, while the addition of maleated polyethylene and maleated polypropylene (MAPP) were acting as coupling agents between the polymer matrix and the wood flour. The combined effect of all the components was found to produce composites with interesting morphological (dispersion and adhesion) and mechanical properties (tension, torsion, flexion, and impact) after optimization of the additive package (blend of coupling agents). POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

High polymer-LEDs enhancement by exciton–plasmon coupling using encapsulated metallic nanoparticles

This report demonstrates a surface plasmon-enhanced polymer-based LED (PLED) architecture incorporating colloidal Ag nanoparticles in an all-solution fabrication process using orthogonal solvents. Oleylamine capping groups on the Ag nanoparticles provide an individual spacer layer for nanoparticles and prevent exciton dissociation and carrier trapping on Ag nanoparticles in this device structure. The large density of localized surface plasmon (SP) modes, strong exciton-SP mode coupling, and reduced cathode quenching achieved by Ag nanoparticles incorporation between the luminescent polymer and the metal cathode lead to a 20-fold luminance enhancement and a 50-fold current efficiency enhancement.     

Design support tools to sustain climate change adaptation at the local level: A review and reflection on their suitability

For mid-latitude cities, higher summer temperatures due to climate change are a cause for concern because they aggravate the urban heat island phenomenon and reduce thermal comfort inside buildings. By acquiring the appropriate knowledge and skills, architects and urban designers can become key actors in adaptation to climate change. Two workshops bringing together architects and urban designers provided evidence of deficiencies in this area. We hypothesize that a design support tool (DST) focused on the issue of adaptation of mid-latitude cities to rising summer temperatures could help improve knowledge and skills of professionals in the field. The first section presents the results taken from a review and classification of DSTs, which highlight the tools' features that are likely to reach this goal. Tools of the “hybrid” category seem most appropriate. To verify this, seven DSTs were selected and tested by fourteen students enrolled in a graduate-level architecture design studio. The second section presents the results from this test, including an analysis of the final projects, a web-based questionnaire and two focus groups. The relevance of hybrid approaches is established, but the results bring into question the capacity of a single DST to meet the individual and multiple needs of professionals.     

Inclusion of calcium hydroxide-treated corn stover as a partial forage replacement in diets for lactating dairy cows

Chemical treatment may improve the nutritional value of corn crop residues, commonly referred to as corn stover, and the potential use of this feed resource for ruminants, including lactating dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of prestorage chopping, hydration, and treatment of corn stover with Ca(OH)₂ on the feeding value for milk production, milk composition, and dry matter intake (DMI). Multiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows (n = 30) were stratified by parity and milk production and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets. Corn stover was chopped, hydrated, and treated with 6% Ca(OH)₂ (as-fed basis) and stored in horizontal silo bags. Cows received a control (CON) total mixed ration (TMR) or a TMR in which a mixture of treated corn stover and distillers grains replaced either alfalfa haylage (AHsub) or alfalfa haylage and an additional portion of corn silage (AH+CSsub). Treated corn stover was fed in a TMR at 0, 15, and 30% of the diet DM for the CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively. Cows were individually fed in tiestalls for 10 wk. Milk production was not altered by treatment. Compared with the CON diet, DMI was reduced when the AHsub diet was fed and tended to be reduced when cows were fed the AH+CSsub diet (25.9, 22.7, and 23.1 ± 0.88 kg/d for CON, AHsub, and AH+CSsub diets, respectively). Energy-corrected milk production per unit of DMI (kg/kg) tended to increase with treated corn stover feeding. Milk composition, energy-corrected milk production, and energy-corrected milk per unit of DMI (kg/kg) were not different among treatments for the 10-wk feeding period. Cows fed the AHsub and AH+CSsub diets had consistent DMI over the 10-wk treatment period, whereas DMI for cows fed the CON diet increased slightly over time. Milk production was not affected by the duration of feeding. These data indicate that corn stover processing, prestorage hydration, and treatment with calcium hydroxide can serve as an alternative to traditional haycrop and corn silage in diets fed to mid-lactation dairy cows.     

Interpersonal violence and mental health outcomes among Asian American and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander college students.

In a cross-sectional survey of college students (N = 614), we studied interpersonal violence victimization, perpetration, and mental health outcomes in an ethnoracially diverse rural-based sample of Asian Americans (27%) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders (25%), two groups vastly underrepresented in trauma research. High rates of interpersonal violence (34%), violence perpetration (13%), and probable psychiatric diagnoses (77%), including posttraumatic stress disorder, were found. Exposure to physical violence, sexual violence, and life stress all were predictive of psychopathology. Female participants were associated with higher likelihood of sexual violence victimization compared to male participants, and Asian American status (especially among males) was associated with lower likelihood of physical and sexual violence compared with European Americans. These data enhance our understanding of interpersonal violence and mental health outcomes among previously understudied minority groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The character of power output from utility‐scale photovoltaic systems

Power produced by utility‐scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has fluctuations on both short and long time scales. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis provides information on the character of these power fluctuations. Examination of the correlation and step size of the power output between several PV sites within a multi‐site system allows assessment of geographic diversification for addressing intermittency. Both techniques provide insight into the characteristics of firm power and/or demand response required to accommodate large‐scale PV deployment. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family functioning among adolescents with bipolar disorder.

This study examined the characteristics of families of adolescents with bipolar disorder during or shortly following a period of mood exacerbation, using measures of family conflict, cohesion, adaptability, and expressed emotion (EE). Demographic, diagnostic, and family functioning data were collected from 58 families (mean age = 14.48; 33 female, 25 male) before entering a randomized trial of family focused treatment. Compared to scale scores reported by healthy adolescents and their families, cohesion and adaptability were more impaired in families with an adolescent with bipolar disorder. Levels of conflict, while higher than normative scores reported by healthy families, were not significantly different from scores gathered from distressed, clinic-referred families. Parents rated high in EE reported less cohesion and adaptability, and more conflict, than parents rated low in EE. Parents expressing greater numbers of critical comments also reported more conflict than those who expressed fewer criticisms. These EE group differences were not accounted for by concurrent adolescent symptom levels. Family adaptability, cohesion, and conflict may be important targets for family treatments administered during the postepisode phases of early onset bipolar disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring the Impact of Systems Architecture and Systems Requirements on Systems Integration Complexity

The need to perform faster systems integration of complex systems require the architect and design team to understand how the selected architecture and design components will impact the systems integration processes complexity (or difficulty). Systems integration process complexity is an outcome of the interaction between degree of feasibility and level of effort required to understand, describe, implement, manage, and document the systems integration process for a given system development and operational environment. This paper analyzes the cause-and-effect relationships between the system requirements, architecture and the systems integration processes complexity. In order to address systems integration issues upfront in the design phase it is necessary to determine if the architecture and design of components, subsystems, processes, and interfaces impacts (and to what extent) systems integration process complexity. This paper also defines and analyzes the impact of the different system architecture and requirements factors on systems integration process complexity. A research framework is developed to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between system requirements, architecture, and integration process. Finally, the paper proposes recommendations based on the causality results. These conclusions are based on research undertaken by the authors on eight development projects in the government sector.