Mechanical characteristics of porous hydroxyapatite/oxide composites produced by post-sintering hot isostatic pressing

Porous hydroxyapatite and hydroxyapatite/oxide composites, with 10 wt% addition of Y₂O₃, ZrO₂ or TiO₂ have been prepared by hot isostatic pressing after pressureless sintering, and their phase composition, mechanical properties and microstructure investigated. The quantitative X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the addition of Y₂O₃ inhibits the hydroxyapatite decomposition completely during the consolidation processes as a result of the Y ion dissolution into the hydroxyapatite lattice. On the contrary, it is found that the addition of ZrO₂ or TiO₂ enhances the decomposition of hydroxyapatite into Ca₃(PO₄)₂, which causes the transformation of the starting oxides. The mechanical characterization of the materials has been accomplished by three-point flexure tests, and nanoindentation and microhardness measurements. Post-sintering hot isostatic pressed pure hydroxyapatite, which resulted in a porous biphasic material with 13.2 wt% β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂, exhibited the best mechanical properties. The failure of hydroxyapatite-10Y₂O₃ during the flexure tests was no catastrophic in contrast to the catastrophic behaviour found in the other materials.     

Dynamics of Peer Education in Cooperative Learning Workgroups

Many recent studies demonstrate that cooperative learning provides a variety of educational advantages over more traditional instructional models, both in general and specifically in engineering education. Little is known, however, about the interactional dynamics among students in engineering work groups. To explore these dynamics and their implications for engineering education, we analyzed work sessions of student groups in a sophomore‐level chemical engineering course at North Carolina State University. Using conversation analysis as a methodology for understanding how students taught and learned from one another, we found that group members generally engaged in two types of teaching‐learning interactions. In the first type, transfer‐of‐knowledge (TK) sequences, they took on distinct teacher and pupil roles, and in the second, collaborative sequences (CS), they worked together with no clear role differentiation. The interactional problems that occurred during the work sessions were associated primarily with TK sequences, and had to do with students who either habitually assumed the pupil's role (constant pupils) or habitually discouraged others' contributions (blockers). Our findings suggest that professors can facilitate student group interactions by introducing students to the two modes of teaching interaction so group members can effectively manage exchanges of knowledge, and also by helping students distribute tasks in a way that minimizes role imbalances.     

Identification of the origin of commercial enological tannins by the analysis of monosaccharides and polyalcohols

The monosaccharide and polyalcohol composition of 28-samples of different commercial tannins, including oak wood, grape seed and skin, plant gall, chestnut, quebracho and gambier, has been evaluated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after derivatization into their trimethylsilyl ethers. Quercitol was found to be characteristic of oak tannins, whereas gall plant tannins could be differentiated by their content of pinitol. Myo-inositol and arabitol were detected in tannins from quebracho. These polyalcohols, together with muco-inositol and chiro-inositol, were found in tannins from chestnut while bornesitol was found to be characteristic of tannins from gambier. Monosaccharide composition also helped to distinguish among tannin origins: arabinose, xylose, fructose and glucose were quantified in oak, quebracho and chestnut tannins, whereas only fructose and glucose were detected in plant gall and grape tannins. These results imply that the qualitative study of monosaccharides and polyalcohols could help to determine and control the authenticity of enological tannins.     

DETERMINATION OF β-GLUCAN IN WORT AND BEER BY ITS BINDING WITH CALCOFLUOR,USING A FLUORIMETRIC FLOW-INJECTION-ANALYSIS (FIA) METHOD

The FIA-fluorimetric methods for the determination of β-glucan in worts and beers have been investigated, modified and improved. Fluorescence is excited by using a mercury lamp and a 338 nm band-pass excitation filter, and detected using a 425 nm long-pass emission filter. It has been found that an increase of the ionic strength of the eluent, up to a maxium of 1% Sodium Chloride, increases the range of β-glucan molecular weights effectively bound by Calcofluor. The influence of the low molecular weight components of wort and beer: dextrins, aminoacids, etc, has been studied and found that their effect is negligible. The interference of wort and beer colour on the measurement of β-glucan has been quantified and several approaches are given to overcome it. Thirty-six European beers have been analyzed for β-glucan content. The possible detection of the addition of exogenous β-glucanases to wort and beer is discussed.     

Disconnecting outcomes and evaluations: The role of negotiator focus.

Three experiments explored the role of negotiator focus in disconnecting negotiated outcomes and evaluations. Negotiators who focused on their target prices, the ideal outcome they could obtain, achieved objectively superior outcomes compared with negotiators who focused on their lower bound (e.g., reservation price). Those negotiators who focused on their targets, however, were less satisfied with their objectively superior outcomes. In the final experiment, when negotiators were reminded of their lower bound after the negotiation, the satisfaction of those negotiators who had focused on their target prices was increased, with outcomes and evaluations becoming connected rather than disconnected. The possible negative effects of setting high goals and the temporal dimensions of the disconnection and reconnection between outcomes and evaluations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nanocrystallization of Fe73.5Si13.5B9Nb3Cu1 soft-magnetic alloy from amorphous precursor in a magnetic field

The effect of a magnetic field on the nature of nanocrystallization from a melt-spun Fe_73.5Si_13.5B₉Nb₃Cu₁ amorphous precursor has been studied with the aim of controlling microstructures and magnetic properties. Annealing for magnetic crystallization was carried out at temperatures between the Curie temperature of the amorphous phase (586 K) and that of the crystalline phase (920 K). It was found that the {110} texture component in crystallized α-Fe(Si) phase increased in importance with increasing magnetic-field strength. An X-ray diffraction analysis based on the Shultz method revealed that the magnetic field caused preferential formation of {110}-oriented nuclei. In addition, the applied field enhanced crystallization kinetics, particularly the nucleation rate. No significant difference in grain growth behavior was observed as a result of applying a magnetic field. We therefore conclude that the development of the {110} texture by magnetic crystallization is predominantly attributable to preferential nucleation, rather than preferential growth, of {110}-oriented nuclei. The saturation magnetization of nanocrystallized specimens, evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), was increased by the application of a magnetic field up to 4T during nanocrystallization.     

Computer-based automation of concentration measurements with ion-selective electrodes

An integrated computer system consisting of an expandable ionanalyzer and a PC has been used to automate concentration measurements with ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). The ionanalyzer determines ionic concentrations using a reference electrode coupled with an ISE. The measurements and calibrations are carried out in a thermostated sample changer equipped with a flow cell. The data obtained by the ionanalyzer are sent via a standard RS 232-C interface to a microcomputer. In this paper, we describe the automatic data acquisition system and the subsequent processing of the measurements. One program (Transorion) automatically collects the measurements carried out by the ionanalyzer, giving a real-time graphic representation of the measurement on the computer screen. A second program (Graforion) facilitates the management of the data stored by the first program, and listing and graphics of these can be obtained on the printer/plotter. The method has been used to study continuous concentration changes in an aqueous solution of potassium iodide.