Fracture behavior and mechanical,thermal, and rheological properties of biodegradable films extruded by flat die and calender

The development of biodegradable materials for tailored applications, particularly in the field of polymeric films and sheets, is a challenging technological goal as well as a contribution to help protect the environment. Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) is a promising substitute for several oil-based polymers; however, to overcome its thermal and mechanical drawbacks, researchers have developed solutions such as blending PLA with polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which is capable of increasing the ductility of the final material. In this study, PLA/PBAT binary blends, with minimum possible content of nonrenewable materials, were examined from processing, thermal, morphological, and rheological perspective. An optimized PLA/PBAT ratio was chosen as the polymeric basis to obtain a biodegradable formulation by adding a biobased plasticizer and appropriate fillers to produce a micrometer film with tailored flexibility and tear resistance. The processing technology involved flat-die extrusion, followed by calendering. The tearing resistance of the produced film was investigated, and the results were compared with literature data. A study on the essential work of fracture was implemented to explore the mode III out-of-plane fracture resistance starting from a trouser tear test.     

Vanadyl salen complexes covalently anchored to an imidazolium ion as catalysts for the cyanosilylation of aldehydes in ionic liquids

Two vanadyl salen complexes having peripheral styryl substituents have been reacted with 1-methyl-3-(3-mercaptopropyl)-imidazolium chloride using azoisobutyronitrile as radical initiator. The resulting compounds contain at the same time a vanadyl salen complex and one imidazolium cation. In agreement with the expectations in view of their structure, these compounds were insoluble in conventional organic solvents, but completely miscible in imidazolium ionic liquids. These vanadyl salen complexes bonded to an imidazolium cation are highly active and reusable catalysts for the cyanosilylation of aldehydes. Moderate enantiomeric excesses were obtained using the chiral version of this complex.     

K X-ray fluorescence cross-sections for some light elements excited by keV photons

K and K X-ray fluorescence cross-sections have been experimentally determined for the elements Cu, Se, Y, and Mo at excitation energies 23.62, 24.68, 36.82, 43.95, 48.60, and 50.20keV using an X-ray tube with a secondary exciter system as the excitation source. The X-ray tube with a secondary target arrangement was used to obtain high intensity with high degree of monochromatization. Experimental values were compared with the theoretical values using tabulated I ratios based on Hartree-Fock and Hartree-Slater theories calculated by Scofield. The experimental values for all the elements at various excitation energies are in good agreement with the theoretical values.     

Diverse population-bursting modes of adapting spiking neurons

We study the dynamics of a noisy network of spiking neurons with spike-frequency adaptation (SFA), using a mean-field approach, in terms of a two-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation for the membrane potential of the neurons and the calcium concentration gating SFA. The long time scales of SFA allow us to use an adiabatic approximation and to describe the network as an effective nonlinear two-dimensional system. The phase diagram is computed for varying levels of SFA and synaptic coupling. Two different population-bursting regimes emerge, depending on the level of SFA in networks with noisy emission rate, due to the finite number of neurons.     

A multianalytical approach to investigate stone biodeterioration at a UNESCO world heritage site: the volcanic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia

A multianalytical approach combining Optical Microscopy (OM), Backscattered Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy + Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (VP-BSEM + EDS), Powder X-ray Diffractometry (PXRD), Raman Spectroscopy, and Microbiological techniques has been applied to characterize decay products and processes occurring at the surface of two rock-hewn churches (Bete Gyorgis and Bete Amanuel) at the UNESCO’s World Heritage site of Lalibela, Northern Ethiopia. The two churches were carved into volcanic scoria deposits of basaltic composition. In their geological history, the Lalibela volcanic rocks underwent late to post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration together with partial laterization and are therefore characterized by a decay-prone highly vesicular microtexture with late stage to post-magmatic precipitation of secondary mineral phases (calcite–zeolite–smectite). The main objective of the study was to gain a better insight into the weathering products and mechanisms affecting the surface of the stone monuments and to assess the relative contribution of natural “geological” weathering processes versus biological/salt attack in stone decay at this unique heritage site. Results indicate that while the main cause of bulk rock deterioration and structural failure could be related to the stone inherited “geological” features, biological attack by micro- (bacteria) and/or macro- (lichens) organisms is currently responsible for severe stone surface physical and chemical weathering leading to significant weakening of the stone texture and to material loss at the surface of the churches walls. A prompt and careful removal of the biological patinas with the correct biocidal treatment is therefore recommended.     

Inverting the Nakanishi Integral Relation for a Bound State Euclidean Bethe–Salpeter Amplitude

The extraction of the weight function g of the Nakanishi integral representation of the Bethe–Salpeter amplitude is investigated. We studied the numerical inversion of the discretized Nakanishi kernel in the case of an Euclidean bound state. The discretized kernel is regularized by adding the identity operator times a small regularisation parameter \({\varepsilon}\) to avoid numerically unstabilities. We have found that the weight function g as well as the associated light-front valence wave function are unstable against variation of \({\varepsilon}\). These results suggest that the extraction of the Nakanishi weight function from an Euclidean amplitude, is an ill-defined problem. Without further assumptions on the solution or/and without developing more elaborate methods, the Nakanishi weight function, as well as the corresponding light-front valence wave function, cannot be safely determined.     

Fluorescence Study of Dehydroabietic Acid-Based Bipolar Arylamine-Quinoxalines

The absorption and fluorescence spectra, lifetimes and quantum yields of a series of triarylaminequinoxaline bipolar compounds, with and without the bulky dehydroabietic acid group, have been studied in toluene solution. This bulky group is introduced to improve solubility and thermal properties of these systems. It is shown that this does not affect their spectral or photophysical behavior. The compounds show relatively strong fluorescence, with the emission maximum strongly dependent upon the substituents present. Oxidation potentials have also been determined in acetonitrile solution, and again indicate that introduction of the resin acid moiety has no effect on these properties.     

Cellulose-based fiber spinning processes using ionic liquids

Cellulose - Cellulose, a natural, renewable, and environment friendly biopolymer, has been considered as a sustainable feedstock in the near future. However, only 0.3% of cellulose is today...     

Revisiting the thermal decomposition of five <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-substituted phenyl azides by calorimetric techniques

The thermal decomposition (TD) of 2-azidophenylmethanol (1), 2-azidobenzenecarbaldehyde (2), 1-(2-azidophenyl)-1-ethanone (3), (2-azidophenyl)(phenyl)methanone (4) and 1-azido-2-nitrobenzene (5) was analysed by DSC, TG and C80 calorimetric techniques under both oxidative and non-oxidative conditions. The TD of these azides in solution is well known to give the corresponding benzoxazoles, generally in good yields, with the exception of azide 1. When both the outcomes from the solid phase and in ‘solution phase’ TD reactions combined with the results from EI-MS experiments were considered, sufficient information was available to estimate the azides intrinsic molecular reactivity (MIR).