Flexible,Mechanically Stable,Porous Self-Standing Microfiber Network Membranes of Covalent Organic Frameworks: Preparation Method and Characterization

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) show advantageous characteristics, such as an ordered pore structure and a large surface area for gas storage and separation, energy storage, catalysis, and molecular separation. However, COFs usually exist as difficult-to-process powders, and preparing continuous, robust, flexible, foldable, and rollable COF membranes is still a challenge. Herein, such COF membranes with fiber morphology for the first time prepared via a newly introduced template-assisted framework process are reported. This method uses electrospun porous polymer membranes as a sacrificial large dimension template for making self-standing COF membranes. The porous COF fiber membranes, besides having high crystallinity, also show a large surface area (1153 m² g⁻¹), good mechanical stability, excellent thermal stability, and flexibility. This study opens up the possibility of preparation of large dimension COF membranes and their derivatives in a simple way and hence shows promise in technical applications in separation, catalysis, and energy in the future.     

Olfactory discrimination of individual littermates in rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Tested the ability of 4 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats to use odors in discrimination among littermates living as a group. Ss were trained in a Y-maze to discriminate the presence of a littermate from its absence. Results from transfer of training in 3 subsequent testing periods indicated that the animals were capable of distinguishing among individuals when relatedness and familiarity were held constant, that this ability was not due to training, and that performance was based solely on odor cues. Results suggest that laboratory rats exhibit odor sensitivities conmensurate with very complex social processes. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does the object decision task measure? Reflections on the basis of evidence from semantic dementia.

The authors investigated the impact of semantic knowledge on visual object analysis by assessing the performance of patients with semantic dementia on a different-views object matching test and on 2 object decision tests differing, for example, in whether the nonreal items were nonsense objects or chimeras of 2 real objects. On average, the patients scored normally on both the object matching and the object decision test including nonsense objects but were impaired on the object decision test including chimeras; this latter was also the only visual object test that correlated significantly with degree of semantic impairment. These findings demonstrate that object decision is not a single task or ability and that it is not necessarily independent of conceptual knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigations of high-performance GaAs solar cells grown on Ge-Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/-Si substrates

High-performance p/sup +//n GaAs solar cells were grown and processed on compositionally graded Ge-Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/-Si (SiGe) substrates. Total area efficiencies of 18.1% under the AM1.5-G spectrum were measured for 0.0444 cm/sup 2/ solar cells. This high efficiency is attributed to the very high open-circuit voltages (980 mV (AM0) and 973 mV (AM1.5-G)) that were achieved by the reduction in threading dislocation density enabled by the SiGe buffers, and thus reduced carrier recombination losses. This is the highest independently confirmed efficiency and open-circuit voltage for a GaAs solar cell grown on a Si-based substrate to date. Larger area solar cells were also studied in order to examine the impact of device area on GaAs-on-SiGe solar cell performance; we found that an increase in device area from 0.36 to 4.0 cm/sup 2/ did not degrade the measured performance characteristics for cells processed on identical substrates. Moreover, the device performance uniformity for large area heteroepitaxial cells is consistent with that of homoepitaxial cells; thus, device growth and processing on SiGe substrates did not introduce added performance variations. These results demonstrate that using SiGe interlayers to produce "virtual" Ge substrates may provide a robust method for scaleable integration of high performance III-V photovoltaics devices with large area Si wafers.     

Predicting future clinical adjustment from treatment outcome and process variables.

General issues relating to the use of outcome and process data from the treatment of antisocial children to predict future childhood adjustment are examined. For outcome measures, it was assumed that variables based on direct observation of child behavior would provide a better predictor of long-term adjustment than would ratings by participant adults. Long-term adjustment measures consisted of police arrest and out-of-home placement data collected 2 years after treatment termination. Observation data collected at termination predicted future police arrest, but parent and teacher ratings did not. It was also hypothesized that measures of the processes thought to produce the changes in child antisocial behavior would serve as predictors of future adjustment. The data supported this hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beiträge zur Charakterisierung der schwefelhaltigen Glucoside des Rapssamens — Thermospray-Technik/Massenspektrometrie

About Sulfur Containing Glycosides of Rape Seeds – Analysis by Thermospray Technique/Mass Spectrometry The HPLC is the method of choise for the estimation of glucosinolates occurring in rape seeds. But in comparison to GC a disadvantage is that the HPLC fractions can't be analyzed by MS directly. Such possibility is opened now with the thermospray technique. It allows to introduce the HPLC fractions immediately into the mass spectrometer system. Based on the first application of this technique to glucosinolates published by Mellon et al. (1987) the fundamentals of the thermospray technique/mass spectrometry are presented, the experimental details are explained and the characteristic ions of the thermospray mass spectra of 12 glucosinolates (desulfo derivatives) are discussed. The analytical performance of the method is examined also.     

Composition and antimalarial activity in vitro of volatile components of Lippia multiflora

The essential oil of Lippia multiflora was prepared by hydrodistillation of leaves and stalks and characterized by GC and mass spectroscopy. The oil was tested for antimalarial activity on in vitro cultures of Plasmodium falciparum (FcB1-Columbia chloroquine-resistant strain and F32-Tanzania chloroquine-sensitive strain). The dilutions inhibiting the in vitro growth of the parasite by 50% 24 and 72 hr after administration of the essential oil to the parasite culture were 1/12,000 and 1/21,000, respectively. When tested on a highly synchronized culture, the essential oil inhibited growth mostly at the trophozoite-schizont step, indicating a potential effect on the first nuclear division of the parasite.     

Co-located collaborative visual analytics around a tabletop display

Co-located collaboration can be extremely valuable during complex visual analytics tasks. We present an exploratory study of a system designed to support collaborative visual analysis tasks on a digital tabletop display. Fifteen participant pairs employed Cambiera, a visual analytics system, to solve a problem involving 240 digital documents. Our analysis, supported by observations, system logs, questionnaires, and interview data, explores how pairs approached the problem around the table. We contribute a unique, rich understanding of how users worked together around the table and identify eight types of collaboration styles that can be used to identify how closely people work together while problem solving. We show how the closeness of teams’ collaboration and communication influenced how they performed on the task overall. We further discuss the role of the tabletop for visual analytics tasks and derive design implications for future co-located collaborative tabletop problem solving systems.     

Hyperhomocysteinemia and Cardiovascular Disease: Is the Adenosinergic System the Missing Link?

The influence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCy) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear. HHCy is associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis, and it is an independent risk factor for CVD, stroke and myocardial infarction. However, homocysteine (HCy)-lowering therapy does not affect the inflammatory state of CVD patients, and it has little influence on cardiovascular risk. The HCy degradation product hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a cardioprotector. Previous research proposed a positive role of H₂S in the cardiovascular system, and we discuss some recent data suggesting that HHCy worsens CVD by increasing the production of H₂S, which decreases the expression of adenosine A_2A receptors on the surface of immune and cardiovascular cells to cause inflammation and ischemia, respectively.     

Lipid and fatty acid composition of turkey liver,skin and depot tissue

Total lipid and phospholipid contents of liver, skin and depot fat from yearling hen turkeys have been studied. Liver lipid averaged 88.5 mg/g wet tissue; skin, 385.0 and depot fat, 753.5. Phospholipids comprised 32.05% of total lipid of liver, but only 0.81% of skin and 0.46% of depot fat. Fatty acids of liver differed from those of skin or depot fat by larger amounts of 16∶0, 18∶0, 20∶4, 22∶0 and 24∶0, and smaller amounts of 16∶1, 18∶1, 18∶2, 18∶3 and 20∶0. Similarity existed between skin and depot fat. Journal Paper No. J-6473 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 1696.