Age and gender differences in cardiac reactivity and subjective emotion responses to emotional autobiographical memories.

This research reports age and gender differences in cardiac reactivity and subjective responses to the induction of autobiographical memories related to anger, fear, sadness, and happiness. Heart rate (HR) and subjective state were assessed at baseline and after the induction of each emotion in 113 individuals (61 men, 52 women; 66% European American, 34% African American) ranging in age from 15 to 88 years (M = 50.0; SD = 20.2). Cardiac reactivity was lower in older individuals; however, for anger and fear, these age effects were significantly more pronounced for the women than the men. There were no gender differences in subjective responses, however, suggesting that the lower cardiac reactivity found among older people is dependent on gender and the specific emotion assessed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of the temperature profile in the interface on the bond strength of polyamide–polyurethane two‐component tensile bars

Two‐component tensile bars with polyamide 6 (PA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) unmodified and modified with 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) have been investigated. It is known that the bond strength of PA/TPU tensile bars can increase by about 50% if MDI‐modified polyurethane is applied. The subject of these studies is the analysis of the influence of the mass temperatures on the bond strength. The mass temperatures of the first and second injection process and the delay time between the first and second injection processes determine the temperature gradient in the interface at the moment of the second injection. There is an increase in the bond strength when there is an increasing temperature gradient; therefore, the mass temperature of the first component at the delay time has to be lower than the mass temperature of the second component. The temperature gradient can be used as a measure of the thermal annealing of the first component near the interface during the heat transfer from the second component. It can be concluded that effective thermal annealing causes an increase in the bond strength. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4297–4305, 2006     

The Estimation of the Molecular Weight of Polytetrafluoroethylene Based on the Heat of Crystallisation. A Comment on Suwa's Equation

Summary: The influence of number‐average molecular weight ranging from 1.4 · 10⁴ to 1.2 · 10⁶ g/mol on the thermal behaviour of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has been studied. Samples have been prepared by radiation‐induced degradation of commercial PTFE. The molecular weight has been calculated using end‐group concentration determined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and ¹⁹F solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Melting and crystallisation heats were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results have been discussed with respect to quantitative relationships between number‐average molecular weight and heat of crystallisation of PTFE described in the literature. The molecular weight calculated from Suwa's equation, which is often used in the literature, has been found to be too low.

Concentration of end‐groups and the molecular weight of PTFE versus the irradiation dose.     

Output feedback of Markov jump linear systems with no mode observation: An automotive throttle application

The note presents an output feedback control strategy for Markov jump linear systems with no mode observation. Based on minimizing a finite‐time quadratic cost, we derive an algorithm that generates output feedback gains that satisfy a necessary optimality condition. These gains can be computed off‐line relying only on the initial condition of the system. This result expands a previous one from the literature that considered state‐feedback only. To illustrate the usefulness of the approach, real‐time laboratory experiments were performed to control an automotive electronic throttle valve subject to Markov‐driven voltage fluctuations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling and condition-based control of a flexible and hybrid disassembly system with manual and autonomous workstations using reinforcement learning

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing - Remanufacturing includes disassembly and reassembly of used products to save natural resources and reduce emissions. While assembly is widely understood in...     

Autonomic information flow improves prognostic impact of task force HRV monitoring

Heart rate variability (HRV) represents the cardiovascular control mediated by the autonomic nervous system and other mechanisms. In the established task force HRV monitoring different cardiovascular control mechanisms can approximately be identified at typical frequencies of heart rate oscillations by power spectral analysis. HRV measures assessing complex and fractal behavior partly improved clinical risk stratification. However, their relationship to (patho-)physiology is not sufficiently explored. Objective of the present work is the introduction of complexity measures of different physiologically relevant time scales. This is achieved by a new concept of the autonomic information flow (AIF) analysis which was designed according to task force HRV. First applications show that different time scales of AIF improve the risk stratification of patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and cardiac arrest patients in comparison to standard HRV. Each group's significant time scales correspond to their respective pathomechanisms.     

Poröse Scaffolds aus mineralisiertem Kollagen – ein biomimetisches Knochenersatzmaterial

Porous scaffolds made from mineralised collagen – a biomimetic bone graft material Using biomimetically mineralised collagen type I, a new porous bone graft material has been developed, the composition of which mimics extracellular matrix of bone tissue. The pore structure is generated by a freeze drying process, whereas the pore size can be controlled by temperature and velocity of the freezing over a wide range. The structure is stabilized by crosslinking of the collagen with the water soluble carbodiimide derivative EDC. For the seeding with bone cells, pores with diameters of about 200 μm have turned out to be optimal. These scaffolds are elastic in the wet state which allow for cell culture experiments under mechanical stimulation.     

Screening of different agroindustrial by-products for industrial enzymes production by fermentation processes

Agroindustrial by-products are an abundant source of biocompounds that contain valuable nutrients, which are not exploited. In this work, lignocellulosic wastes (LW) were used in submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Aspergillus niger NRRL3 to obtain valuable enzymes required in industries. SmF using soya bean hulls (SH), wheat bran (WB) and a by-product of wheat flour (F) produced the highest activities of endo-1,4-β-xylanase (Xyl) and endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase (EG) being at least 3 times lower than those obtained by SSF. The highest ratio of Xyl to EG was obtained in SmF with F. Xyl obtained by SmF with WB was the most thermally resistant. The enzymatic extract obtained in SmF using SH presented a high power of saccharification. The production of enzymes for further application such as bioethanol generation process revalue these LW and can help offset growing environmental problems.     

Untersuchungen an Kartoffelpülpe als Ballaststoffquelle. Die Zusammensetzung der Kartoffelpülpe nach Einwirkung von Pektinasen und Cellulasen sowie enzymatischem Stärkeabbau

Investigations on Potato Pulp as a Dietary Fiber Source. Composition of Potato Pulp After Influence of Pectinases and Cellulases and Enzymatic Degradation of Starch. The composition of alcohol insoluble substances (AIS) of potato pulp have been investigated after succesive degradation with different pectolytic and cellulolytic enzymes followed by starch degrading enzymes. The pretreatment with pectinase/cellulase combinations has a significant influence on the amount and the properties of the residues after starch degradation. Furthermore the most important changes in the composition were found in the receiving residues after action of amylolytic enzymes. A correlation exists between the content of residual starch in the residues and the action of the cell wall degrading enzymes. The amount of residual starch correlates negatively with the intensity of cell wall degradation. The enzymatic susceptibility of starch depends on the damage of cell wall of potato pulp, especially on the degree of degradation of the cellulose. The water binding capacity decreases intensively after action of pectinase/cellulase combinations. The treatment with amylolytic enzymes causes only a negligible variation of the water binding capacity.