Films and fibers of oriented single wall nanotubes

As-produced nanotubes form a light, fragile and isotropic soot. Different efforts are made to process nanotubes into macroscopic forms of more practical use and more controlled properties. We briefly review in this paper two methods recently proposed to make films of magnetically aligned nanotubes and fibers by using an electrophoretic method. Preferential orientation of the nanotubes in the plane of the films or along the fiber axis is an important feature of the obtained materials. Then we describe in details a different, spinning like, process for making fibers out of single wall carbon nanotubes. This process consists of dispersing the nanotubes in a surfactant solution, re-condensing the nanotubes in the flow of a polymer solution to form a nanotube mesh, and then collating this mesh to a nanotube fiber. The behaviors of the surfactant-stabilized dispersions, which are also presented, are critical for this process. The degree of nanotubes alignment in dried fibers has been characterized by X-ray scattering. It is found to be smaller than the alignment obtained in the previous materials. However, the processing is simpler and faster and potentially scalable for large-scale production.     

Immunoaffinity-chromatography purification of salbutamol in liver and HPLC-fluorometric detection at trace residue level

Summary A method combining immunoaffmity-chromatography (IAC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the analysis of Salbutamol in liver with a low quantification limit of 1 g/kg has been developed. Salbutamol was extracted with 0.01 mol/L HCl and purified by IAC. The samples were analysed on a liquid Chromatograph fitted with a C₁₈ -Bondapak column. A fluorometer was used for the detection of salbutamol. Recoveries of 67–80% could be obtained.

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Immunoaffinitätschromatographische Reinigung von Salbutamol in Leber und Rückstandsbestimmung mittels HPLC und fluorimetrischer Detektion

Zusammenfassung Eine Methode, die Immunoaffinitäts-und Hochleistungsflüssigchromatographie verbindet, ist für die Analyse von Salbutamol in Leber entwickelt worden. Eine niedrige Bestimmungsgrenze von 1 g/kg Leber wurde erreicht. Salbutamol wurde mit 0,01 mol/L Salzsäure freigesetzt und durch Immunoaffinitätschromatographie gereinigt. Die Proben wurden durch Flüssigchromatographie auf einer C₁₈ -Bondapak-Säule analysiert. Ein Fluorimeter wurde für die Detektion von Salbutamol benutzt. Ausbeuten von 67 bis 80% konnten erreicht werden.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Segmented Block Copolymers Based on Hydroxyl‐Terminated Liquid Natural Rubber and α,ω‐Diisocyanato Telechelics

Summary: Segmented block copolymers, consisting of non‐polar soft segments from hydroxyl‐terminated liquid natural rubber (HTNR) and polar hard segments from α,ω‐diisocyanato telechelics obtained by “criss‐cross”‐cycloaddition, have been synthesized. The block copolymer formation took place under relatively mild reaction conditions at 80 °C in dichloroethane in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. The resulting block copolymers were characterized by spectroscopic techniques (¹H NMR, FTIR, UV‐vis spectroscopy) as well as GPC for molar mass determination. The block copolymers were compression molded in a hot stage press, and the resulting samples were characterized by DSC and stress‐strain measurement. The solubility and phase morphology of the materials have also been studied.

Segmented block copolymer from HTNR and α,ω‐diisocyanato telechelics     

ASSIMILATION AND ATTACHMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION: THE CASE OF GUESTWORKERS IN GERMANY

"Immigrants' attachments to home and their assimilation into the host society have been identified as major factors influencing international return migration. This paper provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of attachment and assimilation, with a special focus on the impact of duration of stay. Using survey data on guestworkers in West Germany in 1984 and 1989, the study finds that assimilation increases at a decreasing rate as the duration of stay is extended. The relationship between attachment and length of stay is less strong, but shows a general trend of decreasing attachment levels as guestworkers prolong their stay in Germany. The resulting trends for return migration are characterized by an overall decline in the propensity to return as the duration of stay is extended. However, the rate of decline varies by gender, marital status, and nationality. Overall, the results allude to the importance of distinguishing between short term and long term immigrants."     

Ecological assessment of Phragmites australis wetlands using multi-season SPOT-5 scenes

Ecologists and conservationists need accurate and replicable tools for monitoring wetland conditions in order to develop and implement adaptive management strategies efficiently. The Rhone Delta (Camargue) in southern France encloses 9200 ha of fragmented reed marshes actively managed for reed harvesting, waterfowl hunting or cattle grazing, and holding significant numbers of vulnerable European birds. We used multi-season SPOT-5 data in conjunction with ground survey to assess the predictive power of satellite imagery in modelling indicators of reed structure (height, diameter, density and cover of green/dry stems) relevant to ecosystem management and bird ecology. All indicators could be predicted accurately with a combination of bands (SWIR, NIR) and indices (SAVI, OSAVI, NDWI, DVI, DVW, MSI) issued from scenes of March, June, July, September or December and subtraction between these. All models were robust when validated with an independent set of satellite and field data. The high spatial resolution of SPOT-5 scenes (pixel of 10 × 10 m) permits the monitoring of detailed attributes characterizing the reed ecosystem across a large spatial extent, providing a scientifically-based, replicable tool for managers, stakeholders and decision-makers to follow wetland conditions in the short and long-term. Combined with models on the ecological requirements of vulnerable bird species, these tools can provide maps of potential species ranges at spatial extents that are relevant to ecosystem functioning and bird populations.     

Students’ expectations of,and experiences in e-learning: Their relation to learning achievements and course satisfaction

Within only a few years, the use of e-learning has increased rapidly in Austria. In certain subjects, up to 60% of university students report using e-learning platforms at least ‘sometimes’ or ‘frequently’ (Unger & Wroblewski, 2006). Yet, which aspects of e-learning do students consider important for their learning achievements and course satisfaction? This question was addressed by surveying 2196 students from 29 universities in Austria about their expectations of, and experiences in e-learning. Multiple regression analyses using Mplus 4.21 were carried out to investigate how different facets of students’ expectations and experiences are related to perceived learning achievements and course satisfaction.     

Editors’ note

Editorial Note

Editors’ note     

Continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solvers

Continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo impurity solvers are algorithms that sample the partition function of an impurity model using diagrammatic Monte Carlo techniques. The present paper describes codes that implement the interaction expansion algorithm originally developed by Rubtsov, Savkin, and Lichtenstein, as well as the hybridization expansion method developed by Werner, Millis, Troyer, et al. These impurity solvers are part of the ALPS-DMFT application package and are accompanied by an implementation of dynamical mean-field self-consistency equations for (single orbital single site) dynamical mean-field problems with arbitrary densities of states.

Program summary

Program title: dmftCatalogue identifier: AEIL_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEIL_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: ALPS LIBRARY LICENSE version 1.1No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 899 806No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 32 153 916Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: C++Operating system: The ALPS libraries have been tested on the following platforms and compilers:

• • 

  Linux with GNU Compiler Collection (g++ version 3.1 and higher), and Intel C++ Compiler (icc version 7.0 and higher)

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  MacOS X with GNU Compiler (g++ Apple-version 3.1, 3.3 and 4.0)

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  IBM AIX with Visual Age C++ (xlC version 6.0) and GNU (g++ version 3.1 and higher) compilers

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  Compaq Tru64 UNIX with Compq C++ Compiler (cxx)

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  SGI IRIX with MIPSpro C++ Compiler (CC)

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  HP-UX with HP C++ Compiler (aCC)

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  Windows with Cygwin or coLinux platforms and GNU Compiler Collection (g++ version 3.1 and higher)

RAM: 10 MB–1 GBClassification: 7.3External routines: ALPS [1], BLAS/LAPACK, HDF5Nature of problem: (See [2].) Quantum impurity models describe an atom or molecule embedded in a host material with which it can exchange electrons. They are basic to nanoscience as representations of quantum dots and molecular conductors and play an increasingly important role in the theory of “correlated electron” materials as auxiliary problems whose solution gives the “dynamical mean field” approximation to the self-energy and local correlation functions.Solution method: Quantum impurity models require a method of solution which provides access to both high and low energy scales and is effective for wide classes of physically realistic models. The continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo algorithms for which we present implementations here meet this challenge. Continuous-time quantum impurity methods are based on partition function expansions of quantum impurity models that are stochastically sampled to all orders using diagrammatic quantum Monte Carlo techniques. For a review of quantum impurity models and their applications and of continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo methods for impurity models we refer the reader to [2].Additional comments: Use of dmft requires citation of this paper. Use of any ALPS program requires citation of the ALPS [1] paper.Running time: 60 s–8 h per iteration.References:

• [1] 

  A. Albuquerque, F. Alet, P. Corboz, et al., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 310 (2007) 1187.

• [2] 

  http://arxiv.org/abs/1012.4474, Rev. Mod. Phys., in press.