Oxindole-3-spiropyrrolidines and -piperidines. Synthesis and local anesthetic activity

The synthesis and local anesthetic properties of five 1-dealkyloxindole-3-spiropyrrolidines and six 1-dealkyloxindole-3-spiropiperidines are described. The compounds studied include members of all five possible positional isomers of the two classes of spirooxindoles; all showed local anesthetic activity by the rat sciatic nerve block method. The coincidence of the least variability in the relative positions of basic nitrogen, amide carbonyl, and aromatic ring (compounds 1 and 6) with lowest normalized toxicity is noteworthy.     

Farm-scale bio-power-to-methane: Comparative analyses of economic and environmental feasibility

Power-to-gas technologies are considered to be part of the future energy system, but their viability and applicability need to be assessed. Therefore, models for the viability of farm-scale bio-power-to-methane supply chains to produce green gas were analysed in terms of levelised cost of energy, energy efficiency and saving of greenhouse gas emission. In bio-power-to-methane, hydrogen from electrolysis driven by surplus renewable electricity and carbon dioxide from biogas are converted to methane by microbes in an ex situ trickle-bed reactor. Such bio-methanation could replace the current upgrading of biogas to green gas with membrane technology. Four scenarios were compared: a reference scenario without bio-methanation (A), bio-methanation (B), bio-methanation combined with membrane upgrading (C) and the latter with use of renewable energy only (all-green; D). The reference scenario (A) has the lowest costs for green gas production, but the bio-methanation scenarios (B-D) have higher energy efficiencies and environmental benefits. The higher costs of the bio-methanation scenarios are largely due to electrolysis, whereas the environmental benefits are due to the use of renewable electricity. Only the all-green scenario (D) meets the 2026 EU goal of 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but it would require a CO₂ price of 200 € t⁻¹ to achieve the levelised cost of energy of 65 €ct Nm⁻³ of the reference scenario. Inclusion of the intermittency of renewable energy in the scenarios substantially increases the costs. Further greening of the bio-methanation supply chain and how intermittency is best taken into account need further investigation.     

Minority stress and mental health among Dutch LGBs: Examination of differences between sex and sexual orientation.

Minority stress is often cited as an explanation for greater mental health problems among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals than heterosexual individuals. However, studies focusing on sex or sexual orientation differences in level of minority stress and its impact on mental health are scarce, even more so outside the United States. Performing secondary analyses on the data of a Dutch population study on sexual health, the present study examines the robustness of the minority stress model by explaining mental health problems among men and women with mostly or only same-sex sexual attraction, and men and women who are equally attracted to same-sex and opposite-sex partners in the “gay-friendly” Netherlands (N = 389; 118 gay men, 40 bisexual men, 184 lesbian women, and 54 bisexual women). Results showed that minority stress is also related to mental health of Dutch LGBs. Participants with a higher level of internalized homonegativity and those who more often encountered negative reactions from other people on their same-sex sexual attraction reported more mental health problems. Such negative reactions from others, however, had a stronger link with mental health among lesbian/gay than among bisexual participants. Openness about one's sexual orientation was related to better mental health among sexual minority women, but not among their male counterparts. Suggestions for future research, implications for counseling, and other societal interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vertical mirrors fabricated by deep reactive ion etching forfiber-optic switching applications

We report on vertical mirrors fabricated by deep reactive ion etching of silicon. The mirror height is 75 μm, covering the fiber core of a single-mode fiber when the latter is placed into a groove of equal depth and etched simultaneously with the mirror. To obtain a uniform etch depth, etching is stopped on a buried oxide layer. Using the buried oxide as a sacrificial layer allows to fabricate mirrors with suspension and actuation structures as well as fiber-alignment grooves in one and the same processing step. A minimal mirror thickness of 2.3 μm was achieved, resulting in an aspect ratio higher than 30. The verticality was better than 89.3°. In the upper part of the mirror a surface roughness below 40 nm rms was obtained. At a wavelength of 1300 nm the reflectivity of the aluminum-coated mirrors was measured to be higher than 76%. Using a reactive ion etched mirror we have fabricated an optical fiber switch with electrostatic actuation. The coupling loss in the bar state of two packaged prototypes was between 0.6 and 1.7 dB and between 1.4 and 3.4 dB in the cross state. The switching time is below 0.2 ms     

Volume strain measurements on CACO3/polypropylene particulate composites: The effect of particle size

The use of rigid fillers to toughen polymers has received considerable attention in recent years. The role of the rigid particle here is that of debonding, at some stage, from the matrix, thus triggering dilatational processes similar to those observed in rubber‐toughened polymers. The role of particle size in these rigid filled composites has not been studied in great detail. In this work, volume strain measurements were carried out on a series of particulate composites based on polypropylene filled with calcium carbonate (CC) particles with average diameters of 0.07, 0.7, and 3.5 μm and filler volume fractions ranging from 0.05 to 0.30. The experimental results have shown a strong particle size effect. A model is proposed to take this effect into account, based upon the formation of an immobilized layer of polymer on the surface of the filler particles. The experimental results are consistent with a surface layer of 15–25 nm. The results are discussed in relation to the fracture behavior of these composites reported earlier. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 925–935, 2004     

Particle/cell separation on microfluidic platforms based on centrifugation effect: a review

Particle/cell separation in heterogeneous mixtures including biological samples is a standard sample preparation step for various biomedical assays. A wide range of microfluidic-based methods have been proposed for particle/cell sorting and isolation. Two promising microfluidic platforms for this task are microfluidic chips and centrifugal microfluidic disks. In this review, we focus on particle/cell isolation methods that are based on liquid centrifugation phenomena. Under this category, we reviewed particle/cell sorting methods which have been performed on centrifugal microfluidic platforms, and inertial microfluidic platforms that contain spiral channels and multi-orifice channels. All of these platforms implement a form of centrifuge-based particle/cell separation: either physical platform centrifugation in the case of centrifugal microfluidic platforms or liquid centrifugation due to Dean drag force in the case of inertial microfluidics. Centrifugal microfluidic platforms are suitable for cases where the preparation step of a raw sample is required to be integrated on the same platform. However, the limited available space on the platform is the main disadvantage, especially when high sample volume is required. On the other hand, inertial microfluidics (spiral and multi-orifice) showed various advantages such as simple design and fabrication, the ability to process large sample volume, high throughput, high recovery rate, and the ability for multiplexing for improved performance. However, the utilization of syringe pump can reduce the portability options of the platform. In conclusion, the requirement of each application should be carefully considered prior to platform selection.     

The middle classes and the remaking of the suburban family community: evidence from the Netherlands

This paper presents data on everyday life in three recently built Dutch suburban areas constructed under the Vinex national urban planning policy. Its focus is on family households and today’s division of work and care, social life and neighbourhood activism. The results show that suburbs are no longer breeding grounds for the traditional nuclear family. But, while the rate of working mothers is high, the limited use of professional child care still reflects the tradition that maintains that children are best cared for in the private domain. Having children is crucial for putting down roots and developing social networks. In contrast to the past, both working mothers and fathers are actively constructing family communities. The newly established family communities are firmly of the middle class and tend to exclude childless and lowerclass households. Neighbourhood activism involves both the reproduction of an unspoiled and orderly environment and the realisation of a suburban paradise for children. This paper further reveals differences in the suburban areas studied and discusses the false dichotomy between the urban and the suburban within the metropolitan area.