Structural silicone sealants after exposure to laboratory test for durability assessment

During the service life of structural sealant glazing (SSG) facades, the load-bearing capacity of the silicone bonds needs to be guaranteed. Laboratory tests can assess the durability of SSG-systems based on mechanical characteristics of the bond after simultaneous exposure to both climatic and mechanical loads. This article studies how the material characteristics of two common structural sealants are affected by laboratory and field exposure. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) confirms a reduction in the dynamic modulus of exposed silicone samples. Results from thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scattering/wide-angle X-ray scattering show differences between the two sealants and indicate no/minor changes in the composition and morphology of the laboratory and field exposed sealants. Mechanical characterization methods, such as DMA, and tensile and shear testing of the structural bond, are shown to be sensitive toward the combined climatic and mechanical loadings, and are hence suitable for studying degradation mechanisms of structural sealants.     

Verbal Representation and Therapeutic Change in Anaclitic and Introjective Inpatients.

This study examined the relation between changes in clinical functioning and changes in verbal expression in 81 seriously disturbed and treatment-resistant young adults seen in a comprehensive, psychoanalytically oriented inpatient treatment. Clinical functioning was evaluated with a battery of clinical and social measures. Verbal representations were assessed using computer-assisted scoring of Thematic Apperception Test responses. Changes in the frequency of verbal content and style in the narratives of these patients covaried with changes in clinical functioning. Significantly different covariations of verbal and clinical change, particularly differences in covariates of referential activity, were found for patients with anaclitic versus introjective personality configurations. The implications of these findings for understanding and treating severe psychopathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

European diversity in science and technology

A clear understanding of the concept and consequences of diversity in science and technology is a key issue for Europe, when considering the current debate on cohesion Put forward within the Single European Act. According to Article 130B of the Single Act, all European policies, including technological policies must contribute to the achievement of a greater cohesion throughout the EC. The European market is generally presented as mainly a patchwork of national or even regional characteristics, with compartmentalized niches, and specific regulations. But does cohesion mean decreasing disparities between regions, which in such case signifies a passive policy of reallocation of resources within the EC, at the risk of generating uniformity? Or, does cohesion mean integration of all innovative and creative efforts, which implies a more complex policy of stimulation, under the condition to maintain a certain diversity? Must the governments systematically reduce diversity, or on the contrary must they enlarge diversity? How can they distinguish between negative and positive aspects of diversity? How do they operate a trade off between economies of scale and economies of diversity? To try to answer these political issues and to set up a coherent industrial policy at the EC level, a careful analysis of the sources of diversity, of the mechanisms that generate or reduce diversity, of the ways to valorize diversity are discussed in this paper     

Effects of stimulus emotionality and sentence generation on memory for words in adults with unilateral brain damage.

Does sentence generation and/or stimulus emotionality enhance verbal memory in patients with neurological impairment? This question was addressed by testing 40 patients with unilateral stroke (20 with left-brain and 20 with right-brain damage) and 20 healthy control participants for recall and recognition of 48 target words. During encoding, emotional and nonemotional words were either presented in sentences (read condition) or used to form sentences (generate condition). Both word emotionality and generative processing improved memory performance in all groups. The authors suggest that a similar influence (i.e., cognitive activation) underlies both of these memory-enhancing effects, although the putative origins of the 2 effects are quite different. Neuropsychological underpinnings and clinical implications of these phenomena are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using what we know: Consequences of intentionally retrieving gist versus item-specific information.

The effect of a prior gist-based versus item-specific retrieval orientation on recognition of objects and words was examined. Prior item-specific retrieval increased item-specific recognition of episodically related but not previously tested objects relative to both conceptual- and perceptual-gist retrieval. An item-specific retrieval advantage also was found when the stimuli were words (synonyms) rather than objects but not when participants overtly named objects during gist-based recognition testing, which suggests that they did not always label objects under general gist-retrieval instructions. Unlike verbal overshadowing, labeling objects during recognition attenuated (but did not eliminate) test- and interference-related forgetting. A full understanding of how retrieval affects subsequent memory, even for events or facts that are not themselves retrieved, must take into account the specificity with which that retrieval occurs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selective Complexation and Membrane Transport of Guanidinium Salts by Calix[6]arene Amides

The p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene hexamide 2 and syn-1,3,5–trimethoxy-2,4,6-triamide 4 were synthesized by reaction of α-chloro-N,N-diethylacetamide and the corresponding calix[6]arenes 1 and 3 , respectively. ¹H NMR spectroscopy shows that 2 is a mixture of different conformations whereas 4 is fixed in a cone conformation. Extraction experiments, (S-L) and (H₂O–CDCl₃) with picrate salts, indicate that 2 complexes both alkali metal (1:2 complex) and guanidinium salts (1:1 complex) but 4 complexes only guanidinium (1:1 complex). Incorporated in supported liquid membranes (Accurel^® / o-nitrophenyl n-octyl ether) the calixarenes 2 and 4 transport guanidinium salts. The hexamide 2 is a more efficient carrier of guanidinium but the syn-1,3,5-trimethoxy-2,4,6-triamide 4 is much more selective. Both 2 and 4 are sufficiently lipophilic to give membranes that are stable over longer periods (weeks).     

Cleaning capacity of octenidine as root canal irrigant: A scanning electron microscopy study

The aim of this study was to assess the cleaning capacity of the octenidine hydrochloride (OCT) used as root canal irrigant by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Sixty human unirradicular extracted teeth were randomly distributed in 6 groups (n = 10) according to irrigant solutions which were used during root canal preparation: G1, 0.1% OCT; G2, 2% chlorhexidine (CHX); G3, 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl); G4, OCT + 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); G5, 2.5% NaOCl + 17% EDTA and G6, distilled water. All specimens were instrumented with ProTaper system up to F4. Teeth were sectioned and prepared for SEM. The smear layer was evaluated using a 5‐score system and the data were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn (α = 0.05). In all root canal thirds there was no significant difference between OCT, CHX, NaOCl, and water groups (p > .05), and these groups showed higher smear layer values than NaOCl + EDTA and OCT + EDTA groups (p < .05). There was no significant difference between NaOCl + EDTA and OCT + EDTA groups (p > .05). It was concluded that OCT used as a single root canal irrigant presented poor cleaning capacity and could be used in association with a final irrigation with EDTA to obtain smear layer removal.     

Effect of Constant‐Rate Reduction on the Performance of a Ternary Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst in Methanol Synthesis

A multi‐functional flow set‐up was developed for the rate‐ and temperature‐controlled reduction of copper catalysts, their application in high‐pressure methanol synthesis and the determination of the copper surface area by N₂O frontal chromatography. The influence of constant‐rate reduction on the catalytic properties of a ternary Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst was investigated. The temperature during the constant‐rate reduction was found to decrease, indicating autocatalytic kinetics, but no significant catalytic effect of the milder reduction conditions was observed compared with a slow linear heating ramp.