Biobased flexible polyurethane foams manufactured from lactide-based polyester-ether polyols for automotive applications

In this study, biobased polyester-ether polyols derived from meso-lactide and dimer acids were evaluated for flexible polyurethane foams (PUF) applications. Initially, the catalyst concentration was optimized for the biobased PUF containing 30% of biobased polyol (70% petroleum-based polyol). Then, the same formulation was used for biobased PUF synthesis containing 10%–40% of biobased polyols. The performance of biobased PUF was compared with the performance of the control foam made with 100% petroleum-based polyol. The characteristic times (cream, top of the cup, string gel, rise, tack-free) of biobased PUF were determined. The biobased PUF were evaluated for the mechanical (tensile and compressive) and morphological properties. As the wet compression set is important for automotive applications, it was measured for all biobased PUF. The thermal degradation behavior of biobased PUF was also evaluated and compared with the control foam. The effect of different hydroxyl and acid values of polyols on the mechanical properties of biobased PUF is also discussed. The miscibility of all components of PUF formulations is crucial in order to produce a foam with uniform properties. Thus, the miscibility of biobased polyols with commercial petroleum-based polyol was studied.     

Analysis of Europe’s scientific production on renewable energies

An overview is given of research in the major countries of Europe in the area of renewable energies. The analysis used the Scopus (Elsevier) database of scientific literature, calculating bibliometric indices (primary production, average citations per document, percentage variation, SJR, etc.) for the geographical domain of Europe during the period 2002–2007. The aim of the study is to supplement previous works on the subject which have mostly been limited to a particular type of energy without addressing the area as a whole, as well as to expand their methodological approaches in both the data retrieval strategy and the calculation of indices. The results show Europe to be well positioned globally in this scientific field – in production, in citations, and in impact.     

Cross sections for ionization of K, L and M shells of atoms by impact of electrons and positrons with energies up to 1 GeV: Analytical formulas

Analytical formulas are presented for the easy calculation of cross sections for ionization of K, L and M shells of neutral atoms by impact of electrons and positrons with kinetic energies up to 1 GeV. Each formula contains a number of parameters that are characteristic of the element, the active electron shell and the projectile particle. The values of these parameters were determined by fitting the cross section values in an extensive database that was calculated recently by means of a composite algorithm that combines the distorted-wave and plane-wave Born approximations. Tables of parameter values are given for all elements, from hydrogen (Z=1) to einsteinium (Z=99). The proposed analytical expressions yield ionization cross sections that agree with those in the numerical database to within about 1%, except for projectiles with near-threshold energies.     

Mutations in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes in hereditary multiple exostoses

In an in-vitro preparation of gastric mucosae of Rana pipiens, the effect of adding melittin to a concentration of 5x10-6 M in the secretory solution on the transepithelial potential difference (PD), resistance (R) and short-circuit current (Isc) was studied. In 20 min, melittin decreased the PD by 9.3 mV and R by 148 ohm cm2. These changes can be explained by a decrease in the resistance, RP, of the paracellular pathway. To determine whether specific-ion pathways were responsible for the decrease in R, the effect of melittin on the partial conductances of Cl-, K+ and Na+ was also studied using the ion substitution method. Melittin decreased the PD response to changes in nutrient Na+, K+ and Cl- and the PD response to changes in secretory Cl-, but did not affect PD responses to changes in secretory Na+ or K+. Therefore, melittin decreased the nutrient membrane partial conductances of Cl-, K+ and Na+ and secretory membrane partial conductance of Cl-, without affecting the secretory partial conductances of Na+ or K+. Initially, melittin increased Isc in regular and Cl--free but not in Na+-free solutions. There was a delayed decrease in Isc. The results indicate that melittin decreases RP, increases the Na+ conductance of the secretory membrane and inhibits, eventually, the Na+/K+-ATPase pump.     

改进迁移算子的BBO算法及其在PID参数中的优化

针对生物地理学优化（BBO）算法寻优过程中易陷入搜索动力不足、收敛精度不高等问题,提出一种基于改进迁移算子的生物地理学优化算法（IMO-BBO）。在BBO算法基础上,结合“优胜劣汰”的进化思想,将迁移距离作为影响因素对迁移算子进行改进,并用差分策略将不适宜迁移的个体进行替换,以增加算法的局部探索能力。同时为丰富物种的多样性,引入多种群概念。利用IMO-BBO算法分别对13个基准测试函数进行测试,与基于协方差迁移算子和混合差分策略的BBO （CMM-DE/BBO）算法和BBO算法相比,改进算法提高了对全局最优解的搜索能力,在收敛速度和精确度上也都有显著提高;将IMO-BBO算法应用到PID参数整定中,仿真结果表明,所提算法优化后的控制器具有更快的响应速度和更稳定的精度。     

Hierarchically Structured Composite Fibers for Real Nanoscale Manipulation of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced polymer fibers have broad applications in electrical, thermal, optical, and smart applications. The key for mechanically robust fibers is the precise microstructural control of these CNTs, including their location, dispersion, and orientation. A new methodology is presented here that combines dry-jet-wet spinning and forced assembly for scalable fabrication of fiber composites, consisting of alternating layers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and CNT/PAN. The thickness of each layer is controlled during the multiplication process, with resolutions down to the nanometer scale. The introduction of alternating layers facilitates the quality of CNT dispersion due to nanoscale confinement, and at the same time, enhances their orientation due to shear stress generated at each layer interface. In a demonstration example, with 0.5 wt% CNTs loading and the inclusion of 170 nm thick layers, a composite fiber shows a significant mechanical enhancement, namely, a 46.4% increase in modulus and a 39.5% increase in strength compared to a pure PAN fiber. Beyond mechanical reinforcement, the presented fabrication method is expected to have enormous potential for scalable fabrication of polymer nanocomposites with complex structural features for versatile applications.