Peer ratings and self-ratings on twelve bipolar items and practicum counselors ranked high and low in competence by their peers.

Compared practicum counselors (N = 173), judged to be high and low in competence by their peers, on peer ratings and self-ratings which were factor analyzed separately. Results show differences between the factor structures of the peer and self-ratings, though each analysis yielded 2 interpretable factors. Counselors of both sexes judged high in competence by their peers had significantly better scores on both peer factors than low-competence Ss after items falling within each factor were summed. High-competence Ss also had a significantly better total rating on the 3-item Factor 2 of the self-ratings but not on the 7-item Factor 1. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal characteristics of volunteer phone counselors.

Compared 26 volunteer telephone counselors and 34 nonvolunteer undergraduates using the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the Personal Orientation Inventory, and the Self-Disclosure Questionnaire. Results show no differences between the groups on their self-concept except in their moral-ethical perceptions of themselves. The groups did differ on the other measures. The counselors showed a pattern of responding in the Personal Orientation Inventory suggesting that they were more self-actualizing than the college group, and they indicated a greater degree of openness on the Self-Disclosure Questionnaire. Results suggest that the volunteers are altruistic in their motivation to work in this capacity and serve as important role models for their clients. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of organosilicone–polyurethanes as stone preservation and consolidation materials

Two organosilicone-modified polyurethanes are investigated as potential materials for the conservation and consolidation of natural stones. The materials are low molecular weight oligomers at the application stage and react with the humidity of the air to give polymers, forming continuous microlayers. The two differ in the length of the organosilicone chain, resulting in pronounced differences in their physical state: one forms a brittle glassy material (T_g ≈ 70°C). and the other, a soft rubbery material (T_g ≈ −100°C). The rate of the polymerization of the prepolymers was investigated at different conditions, showing a strong dependence on the presence of a catalyst and air humidity. Both these favorable conditions exist probably in the natural stone pores, enhancing the formation of the protective hydrophobic internal microlayer. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Native Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry to Structurally and Functionally Characterize Endo-Xylanase Proteoforms

Xylanases are of great value in various industries, including paper, food, and biorefinery. Due to their biotechnological production, these enzymes can contain a variety of post-translational modifications, which may have a profound effect on protein function. Understanding the structure–function relationship can guide the development of products with optimal performance. We have developed a workflow for the structural and functional characterization of an endo-1,4-β-xylanase (ENDO-I) produced by Aspergillus niger with and without applying thermal stress. This workflow relies on orthogonal native separation techniques to resolve proteoforms. Mass spectrometry and activity assays of separated proteoforms permitted the establishment of structure–function relationships. The separation conditions were focus on balancing efficient separation and protein functionality. We employed size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to separate ENDO-I from other co-expressed proteins. Charge variants were investigated with ion exchange chromatography (IEX) and revealed the presence of low abundant glycated variants in the temperature-stressed material. To obtain better insights into the effect on glycation on function, we enriched for these species using boronate affinity chromatography (BAC). The activity measurements showed lower activity of glycated species compared to the non-modified enzyme. Altogether, this workflow allowed in-depth structural and functional characterization of ENDO-I proteoforms.     

Silicon-29 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of composite interfaces

The types of structures and bonds that are formed with silicons in the composite interface were studied using ²⁹Si cross-polarization/magic angle sample spinning (CP/MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The change in mobility of silane coupling agent bonded to silica, as compared with bulk hydrolyzed silane coupling agent, can be monitored by the change in line width and the shift of resonances to higher fields, as well as by the change in the silicon-proton cross-polarization time T_SiH. In the silane coupling agent-matrix resin interface, the T_SiH values reflect the change in mobility as a function of the concentration and degree of hydrolysis of the silane coupling agent. It has been demonstrated that quantitative measurements of T_SiH can be used to investigate relative mobilities.     

Comparison of primary and secondary aminosilance coupling agents in anhuydride-curde epoxy fiberglass composites

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) has been utilized to investigate the interfacial chemical bonding at the interfaces of the aminosilanes and the nedic methyl anhydiride cured epoxy matrix in fiber-reinforced composites. It is found that the nedic methyl anhydride can react with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and N-methylaminoproplytrimethoxysilane (MAPS). In comparing the relative reactivities of two coupling agents to the epoxy resin, the secondary aminosilance has a higher reactivity than the primary aminosilance. An elevated temperature is required for the copolymerization to take place between the silane and the epoxy resin. The results indicate that covalent bonds form at the coupling agents. The molecular structure of the interface in MAPS treated fiberglass reinforced composites is different from that of the APS treated fiber composites. In addition, an accelerated copolymerization initiated by the coupling agent treated surface is also found in the resin interphase which may be important in determining the mechanical properties of the composites.     

Chemical reactions occurring at the interface of epoxy matrix and aminosilane coupling agents in fiber-reinforced composites

The chemical reactions at the interface between an anhydride-cured epoxy resin and an aminosilane treated fiber have been investigated using Fourier transform infrared methods (FT-IR). The results indicate that chemical bonds are formed in the interfacial region between the matrix and the coupling agents. The amount of interfacial bonding depends on the composition and the processing conditions.     

Corrosion of aluminium in the aqueous chemical environment of a loss-of-coolant accident at a nuclear power plant

Aluminium corrosion is a significant concern in the aqueous chemical environment of the reactor containment building following a hypothetical loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) at a nuclear power plant. Aluminium corrosion may lead to the formation of precipitates that can, in combination with insulation debris, block the recirculation sump screens. This study investigated aluminium corrosion experimentally at both bench and pilot scale under conditions representative of several types of nuclear power plants. Evidence of corrosion was determined using aqueous concentrations measured with inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry and surface examinations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Corrosion proceeded slowly at pH near 7, but more rapidly at higher pH when the representative pipe insulation material was fibreglass. However, when calcium silicate pipe insulation was introduced into the system, corrosion became insignificant even at pH values near 10. Experimental evidence indicates that the calcium silicate insulation released a significant amount of silicate to the solution. Silicate formed a passivation layer composed of Al₂OSiO₄ with a thickness of more than 10 nm, and this layer effectively inhibited corrosion.