Low Temperature Elastic Constants of Polycrystalline MgB2

We have used a resonant ultrasound spectroscopy technique to measure the bulk and shear modulus of fully dense, polycrystalline MgB₂ between 4 and 300 K. Both moduli show good agreement with published first principle calculations. The internal friction shows a broad maximum around 40 K.     

Novel aspects of the microstructure of PP/PA blends prepared by reactive compounding as studied by microhardness

The microhardness of injection-moulded i-polypropylene/polyamide (iPP/PA) blends prepared by reactive compounding was determined. The formulation rules and processing technology for the preparation of these alloys was reported previously. iPP/PA compositions between 100/0 and 50/50 using functionalized PP with various degrees of mainchain grafting, were investigated. It is shown that the deviation of microhardness from the additivity law of the single components is mainly due to a decrease in the crystallinity of the iPP phase. The results are discussed in the light of the microstructural variations as revealed by X-ray diffraction methods.     

The adsorption/impregnation of catalytic precursors on pure and composite oxides

Three intrinsically connected phenomena occur during adsorption/impregnation of aqueous electrolytes onto oxide carriers. They are: pH-dependent development of surface charge carriers on the oxide; pH-dependent aqueous speciation of catalytic precursors; surface adsorption by complexation and coordination. Modeling of these processes yields basic thermodynamic properties of the adsorbed phase, which could provide useful information of the catalytic properties of the metal, support, and reveal metal-support interactions, thus contributing to design criteria for supported-metal catalysts.

The spectrum of catalytic systems that can be studied using the above approach is greatly extended when both pure and composite oxide carriers are considered. This presentation will focus on three metal/support systems, each of which provides results of both practical and fundamental importance.     

Digital Signatures: A Business View

The technology to create secure digital signatures is proven and workable on PC-level hardware, as well as on mainframes. the issues currently restraining widespread use of digital signatures are primarily legal. This tutorial survey first identifies the functions a digital signature should ideally perform by tracing an example Internet-based electronic business transaction. After an overview of the technology that provides the required functionality, this article presents the current legal status of digital signature use, including a number of unresolved liability issues, and summarizes some precautions for digital signature use.     

The Electrochemistry of Liposomes

This review aims to summarize the current state of research concerning the interaction of electrodes with liposomes suspended in solutions. Main attention is given to the complex mechanism of adhesion and spreading of liposomes on mercury electrodes. That mechanism can be studied with the help of chronoamperometry, where each adhesion-spreading event appears as a capacitive current spike. Integration of these spikes produces charge versus time transients that can be modeled and simulated, revealing the details of the multi-step adhesion-spreading process. Whereas the number of spikes per time mirrors the macro-kinetics, the analysis of the time behavior of each spike mirrors the micro-kinetics of each adhesion-spreading event. The reviewed studies show that this approach provides a new tool to study the properties of liposome membranes. The adhesion-spreading of liposomes on mercury electrodes has strong similarities to the process of vesicle fusion, which makes these studies a biomimetic model allowing one to deduce the effects of foreign molecules in bilayer membranes.     

Race as a moderator in a model of sexual harassment: An empirical test.

L. F. Fitzgerald, C. L. Hulin. and F. Drasgow (1995) proposed that victim characteristics, such as race, might moderate the relationships between sexual harassment and its job, psychological, and health status outcomes. This study describes 2 theoretical positions, tokenism and double jeopardy, that could account for this possible moderation by race, as well as the alternative view that no moderating effects exist. The effects of race are empirically examined through simultaneous path analysis. Results indicate that whereas, mean levels of harassment differ across race, the phenomenon of sexual harassment unfolds similarly across races; race is not a moderator of the relationships between sexual harassment and the variables proposed as its antecedents and outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reversible parotid enlargement and pseudo-Sj?gren's syndrome secondary to hypertriglyceridemia

We describe 2 patients with a Sj?gren-like syndrome apparently secondary to hypertriglyceridemia. Both had bilateral parotitis in addition to musculoskeletal and sicca symptoms. Parotid gland histology revealed fatty infiltration with no inflammation. Therapy with dietary modification and triglyceride lowering drugs resulted in resolution of symptoms and parotid swelling in one patient. In the 2nd patient, hypertriglyceridemia was resistant to triglyceride lowering drugs, and parotid symptoms and swelling continued unabated. Our findings suggest aggressive treatment of hyperlipidemia in pseudo-Sj?gren's syndrome may result in amelioration of musculoskeletal and parotid symptoms.     

Antioxidative constituents of Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia officinalis. II. Isolation of carnosic acid and formation of other phenolic diterpenes.

The phenolic diterpene carnosic acid appears to be the main substance for general oxidation leading to artifacts with gamma- or delta-lactone structure in extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia officinalis. Until now it was only possible to prepare carnosic acid by hydrogenolysis of carnosol. A semipreparative HPLC method has been developed isolating carnosic acid among other phenolic diterpenes. The separated substances were identified by 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 1H-NMR, mass and IR spectroscopy. Conversion of carnosic acid and carnosol to other phenolic diterpenes was investigated by HPLC.