bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex and age differences in juvenile social priorities in female philopatric, nondespotic blue monkeys
Authors: Cords Marina , Sheehan Michael J. , Ekernas L. Stefan
Published: December 2009

Juveniles should choose social partners on the basis of both current and future utility. Where one sex is philopatric, one expects members of that sex to develop greater and sex‐typical social integration with group‐mates over the juvenile period. Where a partner's position in a dominance hierarchy is not associated with services it can provide, one would not expect juveniles to choose partners based on rank, nor sex differences in rank‐based preferences. We tested these ideas on 39 wild juvenile (3.2–7.4 years) blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni), cercopithecines with strict female philopatry and muted hierarchies. We made focal animal observations over 6 months, and computed observed:expected amounts of proximity time, approaches and grooming given to various social partners. Overall, our results agree with the hypothesis that juvenile blue monkeys target social partners strategically. Spatial proximity, approaches and active grooming showed similar patterns regarding juvenile social preferences. Females were far more sociable than males, groomed more partners, reciprocated grooming more frequently, and preferred—while males avoided—infants as partners. Older juveniles (5–7 years) spent more time than younger juveniles (3–4 years) near others, and older females were especially attracted to infants. Close kin, especially mothers and less consistently adult sisters, were attractive to both male and female juveniles, regardless of age. Both sexes also preferred same‐sex juveniles as social partners while avoiding opposite‐sex peers. Juveniles of both sexes and ages generally neither preferred nor avoided nonmaternal adult females, but all juveniles avoided adult males. Partner's rank had no consistent effect on juveniles' preference, as expected for a species in which dominance plays a weak role. Juveniles' social preferences likely reflect both future and current benefits, including having tolerant adult kin to protect them against predators and conspecifics, same‐sex play partners, and, for females, infants on which to practice mothering skills. Am. J. Primatol. 72:193–205, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic diversity of two haploid markers in the Udegey population from southeastern Siberia
Authors: Jin Han‐Jun , Kim Ki‐Cheol , Kim Wook
Published: December 2009

The Udegeys are a small ethnic group who live along the tributaries of the Amur River Basin of southeastern Siberia in Russia. They are thought to speak a language belonging to a subdivision of the Tungusic‐Manchu branch of the Altaic family. To understand the genetic features and genetic history of the Udegeys, we analyzed two haploid markers, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and Y‐chromosomal variation, in 51 individuals (including 21 males) from the Udegey population. In general, the Udegeys' mtDNA profiles revealed similarities to Siberians and other northeastern Asian populations, although a moderate European contribution was also detected. Interestingly, pairwise values of FST and the MDS plots based on the mtDNA variation showed that the Orok and Nivkh inhabiting the very same region of the Udegey were significantly different from the Udegey, implying that they may have been isolated and undergone substantial genetic drift. The Udegeys were characterized by a high frequency (66.7%) of Y chromosome haplogroup C, indicating a close genetic relationship with Mongolians and Siberians. On the paternal side, however, very little admixture was observed between the Udegeys and Europeans. Thus, the combined haploid genetic markers of both mtDNA and the Y chromosome imply that the Udegeys are overall closest to Siberians and northeast Asians of the Altaic linguistic family, with a minor maternal contribution from the European part of the continent. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bed depth service time model for the biosorption of reactive red dye using the Portunus sanguinolentus shell
Authors: JagadeeshBabu P.E. , Krishnan Ram , Singh Mandeep
Published: December 2009

Biosorption is an efficient and regenerative technique that often uses low‐cost adsorbent materials, particularly for the treatment of wastewaters containing dyes and heavy metals. This study investigates the ability of crab shell (Portunus sanguinolentus) to remove reactive red dye in a packed bed up‐flow column (internal diameter 2 cm; height 35 cm). Crab shell has high surface area (after proper size reduction) and high regenerative capacity. The experiments were performed with different bed heights (20 and 30 cm) and using different flow rates (12 and 17 ml/min) in order to obtain experimental breakthrough curves. The bed depth service time (BDST) model was used to analyze the experimental data and the model parameters were evaluated. The column regeneration studies were carried out for five different sorption–desorption cycles. The elutant used for the regeneration of the sorbent was 0.01 M EDTA (disodium) solution at pH 9.8 adjusted using NH4OH. This solution was found to have the best bed regeneration capacity and could be reused for several sorption–desorption cycles. The elution efficiency was greater than 99.1% in all seven cycles. Continuous use of the crab shell leads to a decrease in the adsorptive performance, as observed by the breakthrough curves becoming flatter and also because of a broader mass transfer zone. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of a hybrid support vector machine and genetic algorithm model for regime identification of slurry transport in pipelines
Authors: Lahiri Sandip Kumar , Ghanta Kartik Chandra
Published: December 2009

Four distinct regimes (namely sliding bed, saltation, heterogeneous suspension, and homogeneous suspension) were found existent in slurry flow in a pipeline depending upon the average velocity of flow. In the literature, a few numbers of correlations have been proposed for identification of these regimes in slurry pipelines.Regime identification is important for slurry pipeline design as it is the prerequisite to apply different pressure drop correlations in different regimes. However, available correlations fail to predict the regime over a wide range of conditions. Based on a databank of around 800 measurements collected from the open literature, a method has been proposed to identify the regime using support vector machine (SVM) modeling. The method incorporates hybrid support vector machine and genetic algorithm technique (SVM‐GA) for efficient tuning of SVM meta‐parameters. Statistical analysis showed that the proposed method has an average misclassification error (AARE) of 0.03%. A comparison with selected correlations in the literature showed that the developed SVM‐GA method noticeably improved prediction of regimes over a wide range of operating conditions, physical properties, and pipe diameters. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and evaluation of novel blend microspheres of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic)acid and pluronic F68/127 for controlled release of repaglinide
Authors: Shelke Namdev B. , Rokhade Ajit P. , Aminabhavi Tejraj M.
Published: December 2009

The objective of the present work was to study the release behavior of plain and blend microspheres (MS) of PLGA and Pluronic F68/127. In this study, a novel blend MS of poly(D,L‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) and Pluronic F68/127 (PLF68/127) were prepared by the emulsion–solvent evaporation method. Repaglinide, an antidiabetic drug with a very short half‐life, was successfully encapsulated into the blend MS. Various formulations were prepared by varying the ratio of PLGA and PLF68/127. Drug encapsulation up to 91% was achieved as measured by UV spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy showed that MS have smooth surfaces even after incorporation of PLF68/127. Particle size, as measured by using laser light scattering technique, gave an average size ranging from 12 to 47 μm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed to understand the crystalline nature of the drug after encapsulation into MS. DSC revealed the crystalline dispersion in the polymer matrix. In vitro release experiments performed in simulated intestinal fluid, indicated the dependence of release rate on the amount of PLF68/127 present in the MS; slow release was extended up to 153 h. Release data have been fitted to an empirical equation to compute the diffusional exponent (n), which indicated that the release mechanism to be non‐Fickian type. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Effect of surface treatment on the properties of polypropylene/nanoboehmite composites
Authors: Bravet David , Guiselin Olivier , Swei Gwo
Published: December 2009

Boehmite nanoparticles are surface modified with alkyl phosphorous acid to improve their dispersion in polypropylene. Effective grafting is evidenced by NMR, elemental analysis and by the fact that the dispersion ability (or disagglomeration) of grafted boehmite particle in nonpolar solvent is significantly altered. High dispersibility level in PP is obtained with long alkyl chain surface modifiers. The improvement of the nanocomposites thermal stability is correlated with the nanoparticles dispersion level. However, composite with well dispersed nanoparticle did not demonstrate enhanced mechanical properties because of weak polymer/filler interactions with the PP matrix. Better reinforcement is noticed for polypropylene composite loaded with untreated boehmite or treated with shorter alkyl chain. For these composites, the nanoparticles acted as nucleating agents. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Kinetics of thermal degradation studies of some new terpolymers derived from 2,4‐dihydroxypropiophenone, oxamide, and formaldehyde
Authors: Tarase Mangesh V. , Zade Anil B. , Gurnule Wasudeo B.
Published: December 2009

The terpolymers (2,4‐DHPOF) have been synthesized by the condensation of 2,4‐dihydroxypropiophenone with oxamide and formaldehyde in the presence of 2M HCl as catalyst with varying proportions of reactants. Terpolymer composition has been determined on the basis of their elemental analysis. The terpolymer has been characterized by UV‐visible, IR, and 1H NMR spectra. The thermal decomposition behavior of some new terpolymers was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere at heating rate of 10°C/min. Thermal decomposition curves are discussed with careful attention to minute details. The Freeman–Carroll and Sharp–Wentworth methods have been used to calculate activation energy and thermal stability. Thermal activation energy (Ea) calculated with the help of these methods are in agreement with each other. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔF), entropy change (ΔS), apparent entropy change (S*), and frequency factor (z) are also determined on the basis of the TG curves and by using data of the Freeman–Carroll method. The Freidman method evaluated the variation in the apparent activation energy changes by isoconversional (model‐free) kinetic methods. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube‐epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Thakre Piyush R. , Bisrat Yordanos , Lagoudas Dimitris C.
Published: December 2009

In this work, electrical conductivity and thermo‐mechanical properties have been measured for carbon nanotube reinforced epoxy matrix composites. These nanocomposites consisted of two types of nanofillers, single walled carbon nanotubes (SW‐CNT) and electrical grade carbon nanotubes (XD‐CNT). The influence of the type of nanotubes and their corresponding loading weight fraction on the microstructure and the resulting electrical and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites have been investigated. The electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites showed a significantly high, about seven orders of magnitude, improvement at very low loading weight fractions of nanotubes in both types of nanocomposites. The percolation threshold in nanocomposites with SW‐CNT fillers was found to be around 0.015 wt % and that with XD‐CNT fillers around 0.0225 wt %. Transmission optical microscopy of the nanocomposites revealed some differences in the microstructure of the two types of nanocomposites which can be related to the variation in the percolation thresholds of these nanocomposites. The mechanical properties (storage modulus and loss modulus) and the glass transition temperature have not been compromised with the addition of fillers compared with significant enhancement of electrical properties. The main significance of these results is that XD‐CNTs can be used as a cost effective nanofiller for electrical applications of epoxy based nanocomposites at a fraction of SW‐CNT cost. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
β‐Cyclodextrin stabilized on three‐dimensional polyester fabric with different crosslinking agents
Authors: Montazer M. , Jolaei M. M.
Published: December 2009

The stabilization of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) on spacer polyester fabric (three‐dimensional) is an interesting task. Using a crosslinking agent to stabilize β‐CD on the spacer polyester fabric is necessary. This causes an increase in the durability of β‐CD on the fabric. In this research, five different crosslinking agents, including two non‐formaldehyde crosslinking agents (citric acid and 1,2,3,4‐butane tetracarboxylic acid), one formaldehyde‐based crosslinking agent (dimethylol dihydroxyl ethylene urea), and two different commercial siloxane‐based softeners, were used to specify the best yield on the polyester spacer fabric with β‐CD. The results showed that, among the different crosslinking agents, 1,2,3,4‐butane tetracarboxylic acid provided the best durability after 10 washings. The changes in the weight, regain, drop absorption time on the fabric surface, metal‐ion (chrome) absorption, and reactive‐dye absorption were also reported, and scanning electron microscopy pictures were observed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Regulatory effects of Zn(II) on the recognition properties of metal coordination imprinted polymers
Authors: Fan Peimin , Wang Bing
Published: December 2009

Using a Zn(II)–quercetin complex as a template (quercetin is a kind of flavonoid; flavonoids are important active ingredients of Chinese herbs), we prepared a new kind of metal coordination imprinted polymer (MCIP) in methanol by a molecular imprinting technique. The coordination mode and coordination ratio between quercetin and Zn(II) were studied in differential ultraviolet absorption spectrometry, and the ternary coordination of quercetin, Zn(II), and 4‐vinylpyridine was verified by similar methods. The effect of the crosslinking agent dosage on the morphology and network structure of MCIP and its binding capacity were studied by transmission electron microscopy and equilibrium binding experiments. The regulation of different anions and cations on the identification system of MCIP was studied in detail. In addition, the binding characteristics of MCIP were evaluated by Scatchard analysis. The experimental results show that the Zn(II)–quercetin imprinted polymer had selective binding to its template complex, including selectivities to the anions and cations, and a class of homogeneous recognition sites was formed in the polymer within the range of studied concentration. The dissociation constant and most apparent specific adsorption amount of the Zn(II)–quercetin imprinted polymer was calculated to be 0.6983 mmol/L and 78.72 μmol/g, respectively. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Rheological behavior of noncompatibilized and compatibilized PP/PET blends with SEBS‐g‐MA
Authors: Kordjazi Z. , Ebrahimi N. Golshan
Published: December 2009

The rheological behaviors of noncompatibilized and compatibilized polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate blends (80/20) in relation with their morphology were studied at two constant levels using maleic anhydride‐modified styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene polymer. By scanning electron microscopy of cryofractured surfaces, the morphology of the blends was examined after etching. The frequency sweep and step strain experiments were carried out for the blends. The frequency sweep results indicated that increasing the compatibilizer causes behavioral changes of the rheological properties, which could be related to the aggregation of the dispersed particles with rubbery shell. Also, the frequency sweep and step strain experiments in linear region, after cessation of simple steady shear flow with various preshear rates (higher shear stress values than G′p), were done on compatibilized blend. The results showed that the morphology characteristics, defined by the aggregation of the dispersed particles based on rheological experimental data, were destroyed and replaced by an alignment in the flow direction for present imposed shear rates. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Influence of chemical compositions on the properties of random and multiblock sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)‐based proton‐exchange membranes
Authors: Liang Cui , Hisatani Hitomi , Maruyama Tatsuo , Ohmukai Yoshikage , Sotani Tomohiro , Matsuyama Hideto
Published: December 2009

The influence of chemical compositions on the properties of sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)‐based proton‐exchange membranes was studied. First, we synthesized three different series of random SPAES copolymers using three kinds of hydrophobic monomers, including 4,4′‐dihydroxyldiphenylether, 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN), and 4,4′‐hexafluoroisopropylidenediphenol (6F‐BPA) to investigate effects of hydrophobic components on the properties of SPAES membranes as proton‐exchange membranes. Random SPAES copolymers with 6F‐BPA showed the highest proton conductivity while random SPAES copolymers with DHN displayed the lowest methanol permeability among the three random copolymers. Subsequently, we synthesized multiblock SPAES using the DHN as a hydrophobic monomer and studied the effect of the length of hydrophilic segments in the multiblock SPAES copolymers on membrane performance. The results indicated that longer hydrophilic segments in the copolymers led to higher water uptake, proton conductivity, and proton/methanol selectivity of membranes even at low humidity. In addition, the morphology studies (AFM and SAXS measurements) of membranes suggested that multiblock copolymers with long hydrophilic segments resulted in developed phase separation in membranes, and ionic clusters formed more easily, thus improving the membrane performance. Therefore, both the kinds of hydrophobic monomers and the length of hydrophilic segments in SPAES copolymers would influence the membranes performance as proton‐exchange membranes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Synthesis and sensitive properties of poly‐(bistriethylphosphine)‐platinum‐diethynylbenzene for organic vapor detection
Authors: Sun Ping , Jiang Yadong , Xie Guangzhong , Yu Junsheng , Du Xiaosong , Hu Jia
Published: December 2009

Poly‐(bistriethylphosphine)‐platinum‐diethynylbenzene (Pt‐DEB) was synthesized by dehydrohalogenation reaction. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FTIR, and 1H‐NMR spectra were used to identify the formation of Pt‐DEB target material. Sensitive properties of Pt‐DEB‐based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor to various organic vapors such as trichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and methanol have been studied. The results show that Pt‐DEB has good reversibility, reproducibility, and linear sensitivity to organic vapors at room temperature. The sensitivity of Pt‐DEB (dissolved in CHCl3) toward CHCl3 is clearly higher than that toward other analytes, and a larger molecular weight of alcohol has a higher sensitivity response. The Pt‐DEB‐based QCM gas sensor shows low detection limits ranging from 1.0 to 3.56 ppm for the organic vapors and stable performance during a period of 30 days. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Surface functionalization of PHBV by HEMA grafting via UV treatment: Comparison with thermal free radical polymerization
Authors: Lao Hoi‐Kuan , Renard Estelle , Langlois Valérie , Vallée‐Rehel Karine , Linossier Isabelle
Published: December 2009

The photochemical grafting HEMA onto poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) PHBHV films using benzophenone (BP) or H2O2 as initiator was investigated to develop a route of grafting restricted to the surface. The effect of various parameters, such as monomer concentration, initiator, and reaction time, on grafting yield was studied and compared with results obtained when using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. The morphology and structure of grafted films were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy with attenuated reflexion, scanning electron microscope and Energy Dispersive X‐ray Analysis. The results show that BP and H2O2 are very efficient for the grafting on the surface PHBV. The process is very fast and easy and the results are reproducible in a wide range. Photoinitiation grafted only on the surface in comparison with BPO, where the grafting is located in all the bulk of film. The films grafted by UV in presence of H2O2 are totally biodegradable when the graft level was low (less than 10%). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Hydrophilic property of polyester fabric coated with polyethylene glycolated bisphenol A
Authors: Ploymalee Suthasinee , Charuchinda Sireerat , Srikulkit Kawee
Published: December 2009

Polyethylene glycolated bisphenol A (PEGBPA), a hydrophilic–hydrophobic compound, was synthesized and applied onto polyester fabric using a pad‐dry‐cure method to impart a durable hydrophilic property. After coating and heat fixation, the treated fabrics were evaluated for wettability by measurement of the net moisture regain and wicking distance, and their surfaces were characterized by SEM and ATR/FTIR spectroscopy. The durability of the treated fabrics were tested by ten standard repeat washings and samples were characterized for their wettability after each wash. The surface properties of the fabric changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic after heat treatment with the coating agent PEGBPA. Using the degree of increased moisture regain and wicking distance of the treated fabrics as a guide, optimal treatment was attained by coating with 10–20 g/L PEGBPA followed by 160–180°C heat treatment for 3 min. Wash fastness evaluations, coupled with SEM and ATR/FTIR analyses, showed that PEGBPA exhibited good adhesion onto the PET surface and was capable of withstanding repeated washings. It was concluded that the coating adhesion solely depended on physical aspects, such as hydrophobic–hydrophobic interactions between the bisphenol A segment of PEGBPA and the PET aromatic segment. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of tetracyclododecene using various catalyst systems
Authors: Kim Jaehoon , Wu Chun Ji , Kim Wan‐Joo , Kim Junhyuk , Lee Hyunjoo , Kim Jae‐Duck
Published: December 2009

Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a polycyclic olefin monomer (tetracyclododecene, TCD) was carried out using various catalyst systems. The catalysts included titanium‐based ternary system (titanium tetrachloride, TiCl4/triethylaluminum, Et3Al/triethylamine, Et3N), tungsten‐based ternary system (tungsten hexachloride, WCl6/triisobutyl aluminum, (i‐Bu)3Al/ethanol), and a ruthenium benzylidene catalyst (Grubbs 1st catalyst). The Grubbs 1st catalyst was most active in ROMP of TCD. The tungsten‐based catalyst was found to be more active than the titanium‐based catalyst. In contrast to the titanium‐based and the Grubbs 1st catalysts, ROMP of TCD with the tungsten‐based catalyst was very sensitive to gelation in the course of reaction. The effects of ethanol, WCl6 concentration, TCD/WCl6 ratio, and 1‐hexane on the polymerization yield and the polymer gel formation were investigated in detail, and optimized ROMP conditions were determined. Chemical structure of synthesized polymer was characterized using one‐ and two‐dimensional 150 MHz 13C and 600 MHz 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, molecular weights were measured using gel‐permeation chromatography, and thermal properties were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry. Number‐average molecular weights (Mn) of the polymer were in the range of 1.5–4.7 × 104 g/mol, and glass transition temperatures were in the range of 185–220°C. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Mechanical properties of polycarbonate/modified acrylonitrile‐styrene‐acrylate terpolymer blend
Authors: Ramteke Amol A. , Maiti S. N.
Published: December 2009

Modified acrylonitrile‐styrene‐acrylate (MASA) were prepared by grafting with maleic anhydride and optimization was carried out. The compatibilizer with four parts of ASA‐g‐MA in 10 parts of acrylonitrile‐styrene‐acrylate (ASA) was found effective in improving the interface. On that basis, the different compositions of blends of polycarbonate (PC)/MASA terpolymer were compounded using a twin screw extruder. The blends granules were then injection molded into a standard tensile specimens for mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and morphology characterization. The mechanical properties, such as, tensile behavior of melt mixed PC/modified ASA terpolymer blends at MASA content up to 52 vol % were evaluated. The tensile strength decreased with MASA concentration has been analyzed on the basis of interphase adhesion. Impact strength and elongation were increased with increase in ASA concentration up to 10 phr. Tensile modulus shows decrease with addition of ASA. Predictive models have been used to explain the tensile strength and modulus properties. The tensile modulus shows slightly negative deviation from rule of mixture indicating reduction in stiffness. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows evidence of partial miscibility. Morphology observations were also carried out to further insight into the system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Adsorption properties of novel chelating resins containing 2‐amino‐5‐methylthio‐1,3,4‐thiadizole and hydrophilic spacer arms for Hg2+ and Ag+
Authors: Wang Chunrong , Ji Chunnuan , Meng Yanfeng , Liu Li , Qu Rongjun , Wang Chunhua
Published: December 2009

The adsorption properties, including the adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and adsorption selectivity, of newly formed chelating resins that contained a heterocyclic functional group and a hydrophilic spacer arm of poly(ethylene glycol) [polystyrene–diethylene glycol–2‐amino‐5‐methylthio‐1,3,4‐thiadizole (PS–DEG–AMTZ) and polystyrene–triethylene glycol–2‐amino‐5‐methylthio‐1,3,4‐thiadizole (PS–TEG–AMTZ)] were studied in detail. The results show that the adsorption kinetics of PS–DEG–AMTZ and PS–TEG–AMTZ for Hg2+ and Ag+ could be described by a pseudo‐second‐order rate equation. The introduction of a spacer arm between the polymeric matrix and functional group was beneficial for increasing the adsorption rates. The apparent activation energies of the resins for Hg2+ and Ag+ were within 20.89–32.32 kJ/mol. The Langmuir model could describe the isothermal process of Hg2+ and Ag+. The competitive adsorption of the resins for Hg2+ and Ag+ in binary mixture systems was also investigated. The results show that Hg2+ and Ag+ were adsorbed before the other metal ions, such as Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, Cd2+, and Pb2+, under competitive conditions. Five adsorption–desorption cycles were conducted for the reuse of the resins. The results indicate that these two resins were suitable for reuse without considerable changes in the adsorption capacity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Synthesis and characterization of pH‐and salt‐sensitive hydrogel based on chemically modified poultry feather protein isolate
Authors: Lin Hailin , Sritham Eakasit , Lim Seokwon , Cui Yingde , Gunasekaran Sundaram
Published: December 2009

Hydrogels were synthesized from poultry feather protein by crosslinking ethylene diamine tetraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD)‐modified feather protein isolate (FPI) with glutaraldehyde (Glu). Different molar ratios of EDTAD/FPI were used to obtain FPI of different degrees of acylate modification. Differential scanning calorimeter measurements of glass transition temperature suggested that hydrogel formation was based on the hydrogen bond between EDTAD‐modified FPI segments. The swelling properties of modified FPI hydrogel were investigated in deionized water and in solutions of different salt contents (i.e., ionic strengths) and pH. An optimal swelling ratio (SR) of 63 g/g was obtained when molar ratios of EDTAD/FPI and Glu/FPI were 0.12 and 0.008, respectively. SR decreased substantially with increase in ionic strength, and at a given ionic strength, SR increased with solution pH in 4.0 to 10.0 range. The water transport mechanism of the hydrogel was also pH dependent and was controlled by Fickian diffusion and polymer relaxation. At higher pH value, the water transport profile became more dependent on polymer relaxation than at lower pH. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Studies on new organically modified ceramics based dental restorative resins
Authors: P. P. Lizymol
Published: December 2009

Novel difunctional and tetra functional organically modified ceramics with methacrylate functional groups were developed from liquid precursors using the sol–gel process. These novel inorganic–organic hybrid materials were characterized using various techniques and used for the preparation of visible light cure dental restoratives, which have good mechanical properties and excellent surface hardness. Effect of cure time on vickers hardness of cured composite was measured, and compared with that of the bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate (Bis GMA) based composite. Statistical evaluation using analysis of variance (single factor) showed a significant (P < 0.05) difference in diametral tensile strength and hardness with variation in inorganic content. Also a significantly improved hardness was obtained for the new organically modified ceramic composite compared with BisGMA based composite at all exposure time. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Development of epoxy‐matrix composite with both high‐thermal conductivity and low‐dielectric constant via hybrid filler systems
Authors: Yung K. C. , Zhu B. L. , Yue T. M. , Xie C. S.
Published: December 2009

Materials used for printed circuit boards (PCBs) need to have more multifunctional properties, such as excellent thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties at the same time. Up to now, a sole polymer or single filler‐filled polymer composites is hard to satisfy the demand for more multifunctional properties, especially to obtain high‐thermal conductivity and low‐dielectric constant (Dk) simultaneously. In this study, two hybrid filler systems [i.e., hollow glass microsphere (HGM) and aluminum nitride (AlN), HGM, and boron nitride (BN)] were filled into epoxy matrix in an attempt to reach a composite with high‐thermal conductivity and low Dk at the same time. By varying the size, shape, and volume fraction of hybrid fillers, a new kind of epoxy‐matrix composite both with high‐thermal conductivity and low Dk as well as high‐glass transition temperature (Tg) and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and dielectric loss factor (Df) were developed as candidate for future PCB markets. In addition, multiphase models describing the thermal conductivity and Dk were developed, and suitable models were recommended for present materials system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
The influence of carbon black batches on the fracture behavior of glass fiber reinforced PA6/PA66 blends
Authors: Kroll Markus , Langer Beate , Schumacher Siegfried , Grellmann Wolfgang
Published: December 2009

The toughness behavior of 30 wt % glass fiber reinforced PA6/PA66 blends colored with different masterbatches containing carbon black (CB) was characterized by the instrumented Charpy impact test. Two different CB types with different particle diameters as well as two different polymers, PE and PA6, were used to prepare the masterbatches. The CB concentration was varied from 0 to 1.2 wt % in the compounds and all materials were examined dry and after water absorption. The toughness of the compounds significantly decreased when CB was incorporated. Moisture conditioning of the materials led to increased toughness and ductility but did not compensate for the negative influence of CB. Using PE as a masterbatch polymer succeeded in limiting the influence of CB on toughness whereas the largest particle diameter led to the highest reduction in toughness. By taking into account crack resistance curves, it could be shown that there is a significant change in crack propagation behavior when the concentration of the larger particle CB exceeds a certain level; this was ascribed to the existence of complex CB structures at this concentration. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
The use of multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering to identify incident typologies pertaining to the biofuel industry
Authors: Riviére Carine , Marlair Guy
Published: December 2009

Biofuel production has been expanding for more than five years, leading to an increasing number of production sites worldwide and also to a tremendous diversification of processes and approaches to producing biofuel. Such a fast move in industry has sometimes proven in the past to potentially lead to underestimating safety management needs. The significant number of existing facilities producing so called first generation biofuel allows for a reasonable survey of safety issues from incidents. In 2006, INERIS initiated research work devoted to the analysis of safety‐related issues including the implementation of an incidents database. Its purpose is to collect known and reasonably well documented incidents (explosions, fires, spills, derailments, and road accidents) that relate to the life cycle of biofuel supply chains. This paper focuses on the analysis of this database, which contains 100 incidents that occurred from January 2000 to early 2009. From the database, an attempt has been made to identify the root factors of incidents potentially impacting biofuel supply chains, using statistical methods like multiple correspondence analysis and ascendant hierarchical clustering. This multivariate analysis exercise has led us to identify five main incident typologies, which in turn allows us to draw appropriate information on safety issues pertaining to first‐generation biofuel supply chains. Each typology is illustrated by actual cases of accidents. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Creation of arrays of cell aggregates in defined patterns for developmental biology studies using dielectrophoresis
Authors: Yusvana Rama , Headon Denis J. , Markx Gerard H.
Published: December 2009

It is shown that dielectrophoresis—the movement of particles in non‐uniform electric fields—can be used to create engineered skin with artificial placodes of different sizes and shapes, in different spatial patterns. Modeling of the electric field distribution and image analysis of the cell aggregates produced showed that the aggregation is highly predictable. The cells in the aggregates remain viable, and reorganization and compaction of the cells in the aggregates occurs when the artificial skin is subsequently cultured. The system developed could be of considerable use for the in vitro study of developmental processes where local variations in cell density and direct cell–cell contacts are important. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;105: 945–954. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improvement of ganoderic acid and Ganoderma polysaccharide biosynthesis by Ganoderma lucidum fermentation under the inducement of Cu2+
Authors: Tang Ya‐Jie , Zhu Li‐Wen
Published: December 2009

The cell growth and total accumulation of bioactive metabolites were significantly improved by Cu2+ addition during the submerged fermentation of medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. A mathematical model, constructed by response surface methodology combination with full factorial design, was applied to study the synergic effect of Cu2+ addition concentration and addition time. The optimal Cu2+ inducement strategy for the cell growth were different from those for the biosynthesis of ganoderic acid (GA) and Ganoderma polysaccharide. A multiple additions strategy of Cu2+ by adding each 1 mM Cu2+ on day 2, 6, 8 and 2 mM Cu2+ on day 4 was developed to enhance total accumulation of GA and extracellular polysaccharides. The highest GA content reached 3.0 ± 0.1 mg per 100 mg DW, which was increased by 76.5% and 33.9% compared with the control without Cu2+ addition and the peak value predicted by the constructed mathematical model, respectively. While, relatively higher addition concentration of Cu2+ (i.e., 5 mM) on the culture of day 4 led to higher content and total production of intracellular polysaccharides. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010
Production and characterization of poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate from biodiesel‐glycerol by Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 17759
Authors: Zhu Chengjun , Nomura Christopher T. , Perrotta Joseph A. , Stipanovic Arthur J. , Nakas James P.
Published: December 2009

Glycerol, a byproduct of the biodiesel industry, can be used by bacteria as an inexpensive carbon source for the production of value‐added biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 17759 synthesized poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from glycerol concentrations ranging from 3% to 9% (v/v). Increasing the glycerol concentration results in a gradual reduction of biomass, PHA yield, and molecular mass (Mn and Mw) of PHB. The molecular mass of PHB produced utilizing xylose as a carbon source is also decreased by the addition of glycerol as a secondary carbon source dependent on the time and concentration of the addition. 1H‐NMR revealed that molecular masses decreased due to the esterification of glycerol with PHB resulting in chain termination (end‐capping). However, melting temperature and glass transition temperature of the end‐capped polymers showed no significant difference when compared to the xylose‐based PHB. The fermentation was successfully scaled up to 200 L for PHB production and the yield of dry biomass and PHB were 23.6 g/L and 7.4 g/L, respectively. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010
Improved GMM with parameter initialization for unsupervised adaptation of Brain–Computer interface
Authors: Liu Guangquan , Huang Gan , Meng Jianjun , Zhang Dingguo , Zhu Xiangyang
Published: December 2009

An important property of brain signals is their nonstationarity. How to adapt a brain–computer interface (BCI) to the changing brain states is one of the challenges faced by BCI researchers, especially in real application where the subject's real intent is unknown to the system. Gaussian mixture model (GMM) has been used for the unsupervised adaptation of the classifier in BCI. In this paper, a method of initializing the model parameters is proposed for expectation maximization‐based GMM parameter estimation. This improved GMM method and other two existing unsupervised adaptation methods are applied to groups of constructed artificial data with different data properties. Performances of these methods in different situations are analyzed. Compared with the other two unsupervised adaptation methods, this method shows a better ability of adapting to changes and discovering class information from unlabelled data. The methods are also applied to real EEG data recorded in 19 experiments. For real data, the proposed method achieves an error rate significantly lower than the other two unsupervised methods. Results of the real data agree with the analysis based on the artificial data, which confirms not only the effectiveness of our method but also the validity of the constructed data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diagnostic reliability of FNAC for salivary gland swellings: A comparative study
Authors: Ashraf Ameena , Shaikh Afsar Saeed , Kamal Farrukh , Sarfraz Rahat , Bukhari Mulazim Hussain
Published: December 2009

A prospective study was conducted to see the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for 100 salivary gland swellings in comparison with biopsy. These randomized samples were submitted and reported at the department of pathology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore. The male to female ratio was 1:1.5. Ages of the patients ranged from 8.5 to 58 years with mean age 33.39 ± 12.37 years. Maximum number of lesions was found in age group between 21 and 40 years. Parotid gland was involved in 68%, submandibular gland in 30%, and minor salivary glands in 2% patients. Sublingual gland was not involved in any of our subjects. There were 14% cases of non‐neoplastic lesions and 86% cases of neoplastic lesions on biopsy. Non‐neoplastic lesions included 12 cases of inflammations (three cases of granulomatous inflammation and nine cases of nonspecific chronic inflammation) and two cases of inclusion cysts. Among neoplastic lesions, biopsy revealed 68 cases of benign neoplasia and 18 cases of malignant neoplasia. Non‐neoplastic lesions did not show any difference in diagnosis by both techniques. FNAC misdiagnosed four malignant and one benign lesion. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNAC for benign neoplastic lesions were 98.52, 87.05, 94.36, and 96.55%, respectively, whereas for malignant neoplastic lesions they were 77.77, 98.78, 93.33, and 95.29%, respectively. In conclusion, FNAC is found to be a highly sensitive and specific technique for diagnosis of most of salivary gland swellings, except for malignant neoplastic lesions where its sensitivity is intermediate. We strongly recommend that FNAC should be adopted as an initial investigation for all salivary gland swellings. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Follicular neoplasm of the thyroid gland: Unique cytologic appearances in a fine‐needle aspiration biopsy
Authors: Gu Mai , Ghafari Zahra
Published: December 2009

Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has become a standard first‐line diagnostic procedure for palpable and nonpalpable nodules of the thyroid gland. Six cytologic diagnostic categories have recently been proposed to unify the terminology that is linked to proper clinical management. We report a case of follicular neoplasm diagnosed on FNA specimen that had a very artistic appearance of the microfollicle formation on both Diff‐Quik and Papanicolaou‐stained slides. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010;38:660–662. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Imaging immunity
Authors: Reichardt Peter , Hämmerling Günter , Gunzer Matthias
Published: December 2009

The Satellite Meeting “Imaging Immunity” held on 12‐13 September 2009 in Berlin focused on recent advances in the development and usage of microscopic imaging approaches characterizing the immune response. The meeting was a pre‐congress event to the 2nd European Congress of Immunology, ECI Berlin 2009, and was organized by Peter Reichardt and Matthias Gunzer.
Formation of Metastable Na2CrO4‐Type LiNiPO4 from a Phosphate–Formate Precursor
Authors: Koleva Violeta , Stoyanova Radostina , Zhecheva Ekaterina
Published: December 2009

High‐pressure modification of LiNiPO4 with a Na2CrO4‐type structure was obtained at ambient pressure and low temperature from a mixed LiNi–phosphate–formate precursor, LiNiPO4Hx(HCOO)x·yH2O (where x ≈ 1.2 and y ≈ 2.5). The structural and thermal characterization of the precursor and the LiNiPO4 compositions were carried out by powder XRD analysis, IR spectroscopy, and DSC analysis. Thermal treatment of LiNiPO4Hx(HCOO)x·yH2O precursors between 450 and 650 °C yields a mixture of the two structural modifications of LiNiPO4: the Na2CrO4 type and the olivine type. It was established that the obtained Na2CrO4‐type LiNiPO4 is a metastable phase, which completely transforms at 700 °C into the olivine‐type phase. The enthalpy of the phase transition is ΔH = –43.40 kJ mol–1. The mechanism of formation of the two forms of LiNiPO4 from the LiNi–phosphate–formate precursor is discussed.
Preparation of Arylmercapturic Acids by S‐Arylation of N,N′‐Diacetylcystine
Authors: Krouželka Jan , Linhart Igor
Published: December 2009

A simple convenient method has been developed for the preparation of N‐acetyl‐S‐arylcysteines based on the Chan–Lam–Evans arylation of N,N′‐diacetylcystine dimethyl ester with arylboronic acids and used to synthesize a series of arylmercapturic acids. Unlike copper‐mediated N‐arylation, the S‐arylation of neither cysteine nor cystine derivatives proceeded satisfactorily in the presence of air.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Approaches to Fused Tetrathiafulvalene/Tetracyanoquinodimethane Systems
Authors: Dumur Fréderic , Guégano Xavier , Gautier Nicolas , Liu Shi‐Xia , Neels Antonia , Decurtins Silvio , Hudhomme Piétrick
Published: December 2009

In the search for transformations of quinone moieties into the corresponding tetracyano‐p‐quinodimethane (TCNQ) systems, Knoevenagel‐type condensations of 2‐thioxo‐1,3‐dithiole‐p‐benzoquinone systems, TTF‐p‐benzoquinone dyads and ap‐benzoquinone‐TTF‐p‐benzoquinone triad with malononitrile under different experimental conditions were investigated. In order to avoid the well‐known Michael 1,4‐addition onto the quinone moiety, cyclopentadiene or cyclohexadiene units were incorporated as protecting groups through [4+2] Diels–Alder cycloadditions. On the one hand, aromatization leading to fused 2‐thioxo‐1,3‐dithiole‐hydroquinones was observed in the presence of acetic acid and pyridine. With use, on the other hand, of the nucleophilic malononitrile anion, an unprecedented ring‐opening process of the 1,3‐dithiole moiety occurred, affording stable ketene imines. Finally, successful conversion of 1,3‐dithiole‐p‐benzoquinones into the corresponding TCNQ systems was achived by treatment with malononitrile in the presence of titanium(IV) chloride and pyridine as Lehnert's reagents. All new TCNQ derivatives were unambiguously characterized. So far, the application of such experimental conditions to protected TTF‐p‐benzoquinone dyads and ap‐benzoquinone‐TTF‐p‐benzoquinone triad has been unsuccessful, maybe due to the high reactivity of the TTF moiety. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Highly Selective Fluorescent Sensors for Hg2+ and Ag+ Based on Bis‐triazole‐Coupled Polyoxyethylenes in MeOH Solution
Authors: Hung Hao‐Chih , Cheng Chi‐Wen , Wang Yu‐Yun , Chen Yu‐Jen , Chung Wen‐Sheng
Published: December 2009

Fluorescent chemosensors 6–9, with variable length polyoxyethylenes between two triazolylmethyl ether units, have been synthesized under “click” conditions in which the bis‐triazoles and polyoxyethylenes were used as metal‐ion binding sites and the pyrenes as fluorophores. Of the 15 metal ions screened, the fluorescence of chemosensors 6–9 in methanol solution was found to be selectively quenched by only Hg2+ and Ag+. In contrast, the fluorescence of control compound 10, a [(triazol‐4‐yl)methoxymethyl]pyrene, was quenched by only Hg2+. These results imply that the recognition of Hg2+ does not need the cooperation of two triazole groups. Binding constants for the interactions of 6–9 with Ag+ increased as the chain length of the polyoxyethylene increased. Finally, a very high selectivity of compound 9 towards Hg2+ in aqueous methanol solution was observed.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)