Various Scale Levels of the Gel-to-Glass Transformation

The gel-to-glass transition in SiO₂ xerogels prepared by inorganic sol-gel synthesis was studied. The evolution of the molecular structure is traced using the infrared and lowfrequency Raman spectroscopy methods. The elastic moduli of the samples as well as the pore wall moduli at various stages of heat treatment are determined from the data on Brillouin scattering. The formation of monolithic glass on the macroscopic level manifests itself within a narrow temperature range by the dramatic increase of Young's modulus to the accepted value for fused silica. This phenomenon coincides with structural transformations on the molecular scale: (i) the definite correlation radius (the long-range order sphere) appears; (ii) local distortions of the silica network relax. The presence of structural defects influences the kinetics of vitreous SiO₂ formation during xerogel heat treatment.     

Learning rules of a card game from video

This paper presents a framework for automatically learning rules of a simple game of cards using data from a vision system observing the game being played. Incremental learning of object and protocol models from video, for use by an artificial cognitive agent, is presented. iLearn??a novel algorithm for inducing univariate decision trees for symbolic datasets is introduced. iLearn builds the decision tree in an incremental way allowing automatic learning of rules of the game.     

The use of fractal features for recognition of 3-D dischargepatterns

This work presents further results on the use of fractal features for recognition of 3-D partial discharge patterns. Two fractal features, the fractal dimension and lacunarity were calculated from 3-D discharge patterns and their power to discriminate among various discharge patterns was analyzed. The results indicate that fractal features possess fairly reasonable discriminating abilities     

Standardized tests fail to assess the effects of antibiotics on environmental bacteria

Pharmaceuticals are designed and used because of their specific biological effects. Over the past decade, compounds from various classes of pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment. Concern has grown about the adverse effects pharmaceuticals in the environment might potentially have on human and ecological health. A sound risk assessment is therefore urgently needed for pharmaceuticals. Standardized tests for assessing the effects of chemicals on environmental organisms are widely used for this purpose. However it is questionable whether classical standardized tests give reliable data needed for environmental risk assessment. In this study we investigated the suitability of the respiration inhibition test OECD 209 for the assessment of the effects of antibiotics, disinfectants and cytotoxics on sewage sludge bacteria. We found that inhibition concentrations can strongly depend on the test period and the type of compound. We conclude that tests to assess the effects of pharmaceuticals on environmental organisms such as bacteria have to be evaluated before their results can be used in environmental risk assessment.     

Automated recognition of partial discharges

An overview of automated recognition of partial discharges (PD) is given. The selection of PD patterns, extraction of relevant information for PD recognition and the structure of a data base for PD recognition are discussed. Mathematical methods useful for the design of the data base are examined. Classification methods are interpreted from a geometrical point of view. Some problems encountered in the automation of PD recognition are addressed     

Biodegradability of 14C-labeled antibiotics in a modified laboratory scale sewage treatment plant at environmentally relevant concentrations

For all new pharmaceuticals, an environmental risk assessment (ERA) has to be performed according to guidelines developed by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. An important factor of this procedure is the assessment of the predicted environmental concentration in the aquatic environment, which is significantly influenced by the biodegradability of pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plants. Established standardized methods for determining biodegradation under laboratory conditions apply to substance concentrations, which are much higherthan those expected in reality. Against this background, the laboratory scale sewage treatment plant (LSSTP), as described by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guideline No. 303A, was modified to construct a lossless system, which allows laboratory testing at realistic concentrations. To verify the experimental setup, the antibiotics benzylpenicillin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim were tested at low concentrations (microg/L) using 14C-labeled compounds. The results show that approximately 25% of benzylpenicillin was mineralized, whereas ceftriaxone and trimethoprim were not mineralized at all. Due to the high total recoveries of added radioactivity (> or =95%) and the fact that the findings comply with available literature data, the lossless operation of the test system could be proved. Consequently, the modified LSSTP is a suitable tool to determine more realistic biodegradation data required for the exposure assessment within the scope of an ERA for pharmaceuticals.     

Inclined-plane tracking and erosion test according to the IEC 60587 Standard

The present IEC 60587 IEC standard needs several improvements which would help manufacturers of power equipment and material suppliers to assess outdoor polymeric materials in a more reliable way.     

SLCO1B1 c.388A>G Polymorphism Is Associated with HDL-C Levels in Response to Atorvastatin in Chilean Individuals

The use of statins as the preferred lipid-lowering therapy has clearly demonstrated its efficacy in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, reducing also the risk of coronary events and cardiovascular disease mortality. In this study, we assessed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SLCO1B1 gene and their effect on atorvastatin response. We included 129 Chilean hypercholesterolemic patients undergoing 10 mg/day of atorvastatin therapy during 4 weeks. Lipid profile was determined before and after drug administration. Genotyping of SLCO1B1 rs4149056 (c.521T>C) SNP was performed with allele-specific polymerase chain reaction, whilst polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used for genotyping the SLCO1B1 rs2306283 (c.388A>G) variant. After statin therapy, concentrations of TC, LDL-C and TG had a decrease from baseline (p < 0.05). Also, HDL-C levels increased (p < 0.05). Minor allele frequencies for the rs2306283 and rs4149056 variants were 0.547 and 0.136, respectively. LDL-C response to atorvastatin was not associated with the SLCO1B1 rs4149056 nor the rs2306283 polymorphisms (p > 0.05). However, the latter SNP was associated with HDL-C variability after atorvastatin medication (p = 0.02). This study indicates that LDL-C reduction following atorvastatin therapy is not influenced by the SNPs evaluated. In addition, the polymorphism rs2306283 at the SLCO1B1 gene determines greater HDL-C concentrations in response to atorvastatin medication in Chilean hypercholesterolemic subjects.     

Review of Grief—The mourning after.

Reviews the book, Grief—The mourning after by Catherine M. Sanders (see record 1989-97503-000). This book is a respectable addition to the grief and bereavement literature. Much of its contents are derived from an important two-year longitudinal study of 115 bereaved persons who incurred the death of a close family member. The author's appreciation of standardized and well-normed instruments (e.g., Grief Experience Inventory) and appropriate research methodology gives credence to the abundance of anecdotal material. Rather than simply being repetitive of earlier contributors such as Raphael, Parkes, Rando and others, the book, for the most part, reads as a fresh contribution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modification of lignin–polyethylene blends with high lignin content using ethylene–vinylacetate copolymer as modifier

Blending of polyethylene with lignin in concentrations > 20 wt % yielded blends with relatively low mechanical properties. A new method, based on modification of polyethylene with ethylene–vinylacetate (EVA) copolymer, was developed for the preparation of polyethylene blends containing about 30 wt % lignin with acceptable strength properties. The addition of 10 wt % EVA caused an increase of tensile strength about twice and elongation at break about 13 times compared to those of the corresponding nonmodified samples. The optimization of lignin–polyethylene–EVA blend composition was based on a regression equation, which was obtained as output from an experimental design. The prepared composite material with 33.6 wt % lignin showed acceptable processing and mechanical properties. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1855–1860, 2004