Eco‐plastics: Morphological and mechanical properties of recycled poly(carbonate)‐crushed rubber (rPC‐CR) blends

Crushed tire rubber particles (CR) have been dispersed into a recycled poly(carbonate) matrix (rPC) to obtain an eco‐friendly plastic (EFP). A positive synergy was expected from the association of an elastomeric phase to a tough thermoplastic matrix, helping on the other hand to develop a plastic with low impact on the environment. Mechanical melt‐mixing alone cannot provide a suitable interface, and led to blends with poor mechanical properties. Consequently, we have investigated different strategies to improve the EFP properties: First, the rubber surface has been treated by flaming or washing with dichloromethane and second, two copolymers, poly(ethylene‐co‐ethyl acrylate‐tert‐hydroxyl methacrylate) (E‐EA‐MAH) and poly(ethylene‐co‐methyl acrylate‐ter‐glycidyl methacrylate) (E‐MA‐GMA), were used to compatibilize CR particles with rPC matrix by reactive melt‐mixing in an internal mixer. The resulting blends mechanical properties were studied through static tension experiments and interpreted to the light of electronic microscopy fractography analysis and nanoindentation experiments. Significant gain of mechanical properties can be obtained by decreasing CR size under 140 μm (especially for CR contents between 5 and 20% m/m). To reach similar properties with rubber particles of diameter over 140 μm (but under 350 μm), it is necessary to activate their surface by either dichloromethane washing or flaming. Additional use of a compatibilizer extends the plastic behaviour domain of the EFP. rPC‐20% w/w CR is the best alternative material of our study. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1768–1776, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Localization of shapes using statistical models and stochastic optimization

In this paper, we present a new model for deformations of shapes. A pseudo-likelihood is based on the statistical distribution of the gradient vector field of the gray level. The prior distribution is based on the Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis (PPCA). We also propose a new model based on mixtures of PPCA that is useful in the case of greater variability in the shape. A criterion of global or local object specificity based on a preliminary color segmentation of the image, is included into the model. The localization of a shape in an image is then viewed as minimizing the corresponding Gibbs field. We use the Exploration/Selection (E/S) stochastic algorithm in order to find the optimal deformation. This yields a new unsupervised statistical method for localization of shapes. In order to estimate the statistical parameters for the gradient vector field of the gray level, we use an Iterative Conditional Estimation (ICE) procedure. The color segmentation of the image can be computed with an Exploration/Selection/Estimation (ESE) procedure.     

可以进一步取代人造丝的新型聚酯增强材料（二）

可以进一步取代人造丝的新型聚酯增强材料（二）     

Hybrid film of chemically modified graphene and vapor-phase-polymerized PEDOT for electronic nose applications

A hybrid of graphene and conducting polymer holds great potential as the active materials for high performance chemical sensor application. In this work, a thin hybrid film of reduced graphene oxide (RG-O) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was fabricated by means of vapor phase polymerization and explored as active material for chemical sensors. The chemical sensors based on hybrid film of RG-O and PEDOT are capable of detecting electrical signals caused by the absorption of trace levels of different analyte vapors with high sensitivity, selectivity and fast response.     

Identification of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Data Normalization in Cannabis sativa Stem Tissues

Gene expression profiling via quantitative real-time PCR is a robust technique widely used in the life sciences to compare gene expression patterns in, e.g., different tissues, growth conditions, or after specific treatments. In the field of plant science, real-time PCR is the gold standard to study the dynamics of gene expression and is used to validate the results generated with high throughput techniques, e.g., RNA-Seq. An accurate relative quantification of gene expression relies on the identification of appropriate reference genes, that need to be determined for each experimental set-up used and plant tissue studied. Here, we identify suitable reference genes for expression profiling in stems of textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), whose tissues (isolated bast fibres and core) are characterized by remarkable differences in cell wall composition. We additionally validate the reference genes by analysing the expression of putative candidates involved in the non-oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway and in the first step of the shikimate pathway. The goal is to describe the possible regulation pattern of some genes involved in the provision of the precursors needed for lignin biosynthesis in the different hemp stem tissues. The results here shown are useful to design future studies focused on gene expression analyses in hemp.     

表现出良好带束层边缘粘合性能的冠带层新材料

本文介绍了加工助剂莱茵塑分T和增塑剂A在全钢载重子午线轮胎胎面配方中的胶料性能对比，并着重考察了对胎面挤出性能和外胎性能的影响。试验结果表明，使用加工助剂能降低胎面的挤出温度，提高胎面的挤出速度；两种加工助剂相比，含莱茵塑分T的胶料老化性能、疲劳性能和分散性以及胎面挤出温度和断面气孔情况均比增塑剂A好；外胎的耐久试验均超过国家标准。     

可以进一步取代人造丝的新型聚酯增强材料（一）

可以进一步取代人造丝的新型聚酯增强材料（一）     

Automatic generation of noise-free time-activity curve with gated blood-pool emission tomography using deformation of a reference curve

This paper describes a new method for assessing clinical parameters from a noisy regional time-activity curve (TAC) in tomographic gated blood-pool ventriculography. This method is based on a priori knowledge on the shape of a TAC, and shape approximation. The rejection method was used to generate different random Poisson deviates, covering standard count levels, of six representative TACs in order to test and compare the proposed method with harmonic and multiharmonic reconstruction methods. These methods were compared by evaluating four clinical parameters: time of end systole, amplitude, peak ejection and filling rates. Overall, the accuracy of assessment of these parameters was found to be better with the method described in this paper than with standard multiharmonic fits.     

Contribution of semi-quantum dielectric function models to the analysis of infrared spectra

A new approach to modeling using semi-quantum dielectric function models is proposed for the retrieval of the optical functions from infrared spectra. The powerful points of the method are shown throughout the analysis of two semitransparent materials, MgO and KBr. All the results are discussed in light of those obtained with classical techniques. This type of model is able to retrieve, for example, the extinction index in a range that covers at least six orders of magnitude and gives access to highly valuable information about high-order phonon processes.