pH and salt responsive poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) cylindrical brushes and their quaternized derivatives

We present the synthesis and characterization of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) cylindrical brushes, their pH responsiveness, and the corresponding quaternized analog, poly{[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium iodide} (PMETAI) brushes. PDMAEMA brushes were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using the grafting-from strategy. Initiating efficiencies of the ATRP processes were determined by cleaving the side-chains and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis. Due to the slow initiation and steric hindrance, the initiating efficiency is only around 50%. The PDMAEMA brushes show worm-like structures and pH responsiveness, as proven by dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) measurements. Strong cationic polyelectrolyte PMETAI brushes were produced by quaternization of the PDMAEMA brushes. AFM and cryo-TEM images showed similar worm-like morphologies for the PMETAI brushes. The PMETAI brushes collapsed in solution with high concentration of monovalent salt, as proven by DLS and AFM results.     

EcoTRADE – A multi-player network game of a tradable permit market for biodiversity credits

EcoTRADE is a multi-player network game of a virtual biodiversity credit market. Each player controls the land use of a certain amount of parcels on a virtual landscape. The biodiversity credits of a particular parcel depend on neighboring parcels, which may be owned by other players. The game can be used to study the strategies of players in experiments or classroom games and as a communication tool for stakeholders participating in credit markets that include spatially interdependent credits.     

metaSMT: focus on your application and not on solver integration

International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer - Many applications from artificial intelligence and formal methods use decision procedures as their core solving engines. In this...     

Electronic Structure and Superconductivity of Nonmagnetic Transition Metal Borocarbides

The electronic structure of tetragonal (RC(N))_m(TB)₂, m=1–3, compounds, with R= Y,Lu,La, T=Ni,Pt is studied. Total and partial densities of states N(E) are calculated and compared with orbital resolved x-ray absorption data. Special attention is paid to the structure of N(E) near the Fermi-level and its consequences for thermodynamic properties in the superconducting and the normal states. A medium el-ph coupling constant 0.5 1.2 is found. There is no simple correlation between N(0) and T _c . The analysis of the upper critical field reveals the presence of at least two groups of electrons with quite different Fermi velocities v _F in accord with dHvA data, and with calculated distributions of v _F around the Fermi surface     

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of CuO2 Chains

The electronic structure of various edge-shared chain compounds A_1–x CuO₂ (A=Ca,Sr,Ba) was studied by O-K and Cu-L₃ x-ray absorption spectroscopy and exact diagonalizations techniques. The doping-dependent behaviour in these chains differs from that of conventional 2D Cu-O networks of cornershared CuO₄ plaquettes due to the much smaller inter-plaquette hybridisation. This results in different final states in the Cu-L₃ spectra and a strong reduction in the dynamic spectral weight transfer from the upper Hubbard band to the low energies in the O-K spectra. The spectra can be used to read-off the Cu valency.     

A cantilever array-based artificial nose

We present quantitative and qualitative detection of analyte vapors using a microfabricated silicon cantilever array. To observe transduction of physical and chemical processes into nanomechanical motion of the cantilever, swelling of a polymer layer on the cantilever is monitored during exposure to the analyte. This motion is tracked by a beam-deflection technique using a time multiplexing scheme. The response pattern of eight cantilevers is analyzed via principal component analysis (PCA) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques, which facilitates the application of the device as an artificial chemical nose. Analytes tested comprise chemical solvents, a homologous series of primary alcohols, and natural flavors. First differential measurements of surface stress change due to protein adsorption on a cantilever array are shown using a liquid cell.     

Mehr alte Hirsche

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Wirkungen unterschiedlicher Abschußdurchführungen in einem Sommerbestand von 100 Stück Rotwild jeweils über einen Zeitraum von 3 Jahren in 5 Beispielen graphisch dargestellt und erläutert.Beispiel 1 zeigt den Abschuß, der zur Erhaltung eines normal gegliederten Bestandes (1:1) mit günstigem Altersklassenaufbau erforderlich ist. Vom Hirschabschuß entfallen dabei nachnachhaltig 25% auf alte, 13% auf mittelalte und 62% auf junge Hirsche.Im zweiten Beispiel wird die Zerstörung eines günstigen Altersklassenaufbaues durch einen zu geringen Abschuß jüngerer und einen zu starken Abschuß alter Hirsche dargestellt. Bereits nach 3 Jahren gehen nachhaltig ältere Hirsche aus dem verbleibenden Bestand nicht mehr hervor.Beispiel 3 zeigt eine Verschiebung des Geschlechterverhältnisses zuungunsten des männlichen Wildes durch einen zu hohen Hirschabschuß. Nach 3 Jahren ist bei gleichbleibender Gesamtgröße des Bestandes die Anzahl der Trophäenträger (ohne Spießer) auf die Hälfte zurückgegangen. Es wird der Nachweis geführt, daß bei Ausübung der Trophäenjagd ein Geschlechterverhältnis von 1:1,5 als unbrauchbar angesehen werden muß.Im vierten Beispiel wird der Abschuß gezeigt, der zum Aufbau eines ideal gegliederten Bestandes mit einem Geschlechterverhältnis von 1,5:1 führt.Die Vorteile eines solchen Idealbestandes bei Ausübung der Trophäenjagd ergeben sich aus dem letzten Beispiel, nach welchem 33% des männlichen Wildes (einschl. Hirschkälber) ausgereift gestreckt werden können.

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Summary The foregoing paper depicts graphically and discusses the effects of five different harvestkill procedures for red deer, each of which was carried out for a period of three years on a summer population of 100 animals.The first example shows the kill that is necessary for the maintainence of a population with a normally balanced sex ratio (1:1) and with a desirable age-class structure. 25% of the total kill comprises old stags, 13% middle-aged and 62% young stags.The second example demonstrates the destruction of a proper age-class distribution due to an insufficient kill of younger stags and a drastic harvest of old stags. In just three years the remaining population did not produce consistently older stags.The third case illustrates a displacement of the sex ratio to the disadvantage of the males as a result of an overkilling of stags. After three years, the number of antlered animals (not considering first year antlers) in a constant total pupulation decreased 50%. This furnishes proof that a sex ratio of 1:1.5 is os no use in the production of trophy bearing animals.The kill leading to an ideal population with a sex ratio of 1.5:1 is shown in the fourth example.The advantages of such an ideal population for the production of antlered animals are indicated in the final case, which permits a harvest of 33% of all males (calves included) when fully mature.

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Résumé A l'aide de cinq exemples, on expose les effets, au cours de 3 années successives, de différentes formules de tir sur une population d'été de 100 têtes de cerfs.Le premier exemple montre le tir qu'il importe d'exécuter afin de maintenir une population avec un rapport des sexes de 1:1 et un étalement correct des classes d'âge. Le tableau en cerfs mâles comprend dans ce cas de façon permanente 25% de cerfs à maturité (10 ans et plus), 13% de cerfs adultes (6 à 9 ans) et 62% de jeunes cerfs (1 à 5 ans).Le deuxième exemple illustre l'effondrement de la pyramide des classes d'âge qui résulte d'un tir défectueux en jeunes cerfs et d'un tir excessif de cerfs à maturité. Dès après 3 ans, des cerfs à maturité ne sont plus produits.Le troisième exemple montre combien un tir excessif des mâles déplace le rapport des sexes en faveur des femelles. Après 3 ans malgré des effectifs restés identiques, les cerfs boisés (en excluant les daguets) sont réduits de moitié. On démontre que, si la chasse vise la production de trophées de classe, un rapport des sexes d'1/1,5 est d'un mauvais rendement.Dans le quatrième exemple on indique le plan de tir qu'il convient de suivre afin de promouvoir une population idéalement structurée et affectée d'un rapport des sexes d'1,5/1.Les avantages résultant de cette formule sont illustrés par le cinquième exemple et où 33% du gibier mâle (faons mâles inclus) peut être réalisé au stade de pleine maturité.

     

Computer assisted matching of anatomical vessel trees

Many inexact automatic tree matching algorithms are available. However, they provide matches that are not completely error free. Another option is to use manually matched node-pairs, but this enormously slows down the process. Our contribution to the state of the art is to combine the advantages of both solutions. We enhance the automatic tree matching algorithm designed by Graham et al., so that it is possible to interact with it by previously selecting important matches or by subsequently fixing the provided wrong matches. We apply the tree matching algorithm to the anatomical vasculature of the liver. Furthermore, we developed several visualization features to make manual tree interaction as easy as possible. Both, the interactive and automatic part of the implemented component were evaluated. As a result, the speed of the automatic tree matching algorithm is increased. It takes 7.45 s for trees up to 192 nodes and less than 1 s if three input matches are provided. In addition to this, an in-depth evaluation of the robustness of the algorithm is presented. The results are remarkable. The average of wrong matches varies between 1.17 and 1.4 node-pairs in the worst cases. The rate of correct matches is high. The evaluation of the visualization features for interactive refinement of matches showed that the percentage of wrong matches found is increased from 56.25% to 78.43%. The mean time to find them is decreased from 227 to 122 s.