Thermal diffusivity measurements in porous ceramics by photothermal methods

Received: 16 September 1996/Accepted: 6 January 1997     

Gelatine/silicate interactions: from nanoparticles to composite gels

The possibility to design new composites associating biopolymers with mineral phases relies on the understanding and control of their mutual interactions. In this work, aqueous solutions of gelatine and sodium silicate were mixed at pH 5, 37 degrees C and left to stand at 20 degrees C for 1 day. At low gelatine and high silicate contents, precipitates were obtained, containing a fixed silicon/polymer molar ratio. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that they are formed of large aggregates of platelets, constituted of closely-packed nanoparticles. For high gelatine contents, composite gels were formed consisting of silica particles dispersed in the biopolymer matrix. Swelling studies indicate that the addition of silica decreases the stability of the gels by inducing gelatine depletion in solution. Similar experiments conducted at pH 7 show that at this pH, silicates are more effective at precipitating gelatine. A model is proposed for the formation of the composites, based on the electrostatic interactions arising between silicates and polymer chains. These results are discussed in the context of hybrid biomaterials design and biosilicification processes.     

Rotational band crossings in the actinides

In the actinides bothi _13/2 protons andj _15/2 neutrons are close to the Fermi surface. At rapid rotation these high-j particles will unpair and align their orbital angular momentum along the axis of rotation giving rise tos-bands that cross the ground-state band. Coulomb excitation of the odd nuclei ₂₃₇ ⁹³ Np (established up to the 45/2⁺ state) and ₂₃₅ ⁹² U (established up to the 51/2^? state) provides specific information about these band crossings: From the saturating alignment of the odd high-j particle in both nuclei at intermediate rotational frequencies we find the aligned angular momentum of thei _13/2 protons-band to be 6.6? while the corresponding value for thej _15/2 neutrons-band is 5.5?. At more rapid rotation above ?ω=0.18 MeV we observe additional alignment in²³⁵U. This is ascribed to the interaction of the protons-band. From the gradual onset of the additional alignment we deduce that forZ=92 the protons-band interacts strongly with the ground-state band and from a comparison of the actual amount of alignment with the full value of 6.6? we estimate the crossing to occur around ?gw _c ^p =0.25 MeV.     

Random walk on a disordered directed Bethe lattice

The random walk of a particle on a directed Bethe lattice of constant coordinanceZ is examined in the case of random hopping rates. As a result, the higher the coordinance, the narrower the regions of anomalous drift and diffusion. The annealed and quenched mean square dispersions are calculated in all dynamical phases. In opposition to the one-dimensional (Z=2) case, the annealed and quenched mean quadratic dispersions are shown to be identical in all phases.We shall employ indifferently the expressions Bethe lattice or infinite Cayley tree to denote an infinite ramified lattice of constant coordinanceZ.^{(4, 5)}     

An HPLC‐ECD method for monoamines and metabolites quantification in cuttlefish (cephalopod) brain tissue

The cuttlefish belongs to the mollusk class Cephalopoda, considered as the most advanced marine invertebrates and thus widely used as models to study the biology of complex behaviors and cognition, as well as their related neurochemical mechanisms. Surprisingly, methods to quantify the biogenic monoamines and their metabolites in cuttlefish brain remain sparse and measure a limited number of analytes. This work aims to validate an HPLC‐ECD method for the simultaneous quantification of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and their main metabolites in cuttlefish brain. In comparison and in order to develop a method suitable to answer both ecological and biomedical questions, the validation was also carried out on a phylogenetically remote species: mouse (mammals). The method was shown to be accurate, precise, selective, repeatable and sensitive over a wide range of concentrations for 5‐hydroxyindole‐3‐acetic acid, serotonin, dopamine, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and norepinephrine in the both extracts of cuttlefish and mouse brain, though with low precision and recovery for 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenylethylene glycol. Homovanillic acid, accurately studied in rodents, was not detectable in the brain of cuttlefish. Overall, we described here the first fully validated HPLC method for the routine measurement of both monoamines and metabolites in cuttlefish brain. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive triblock copolymers with tunable hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties

Polymers consisting of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and statistical poly[(acrylic acid)‐co‐(tert‐butylacrylate)] (P(AA‐co‐tBA)), attached to both extremities of Jeffamine® (D series based on a poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) with one amine function at each end) using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are presented in this article. An original bifunctional amide‐based macroinitiator was first elaborated from Jeffamine®. tBA polymerization was subsequently initiated from this macroinitiator. This polymerization occurs in a well‐controlled manner leading to narrow molecular weights distribution. Amphiphilic copolymers were finally obtained after complete or partial hydrolysis of the PtBA blocks into PAA. The control of the partial hydrolysis of tBA units, conducted in a concentrated HCl/tetrahydrofuran mixture, is demonstrated. The properties of the triblock copolymers were preliminary investigated in aqueous solution by absorbance, DLS measurements and SEC/MALS/DV/DRI analysis as a function of temperature and pH modifications, providing evidences of thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive self‐assembly of the copolymers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2606–2616     

Photocatalytic E→Z Contra-Thermodynamic Isomerization of Vinyl Silanes with Lewis Base

Herein, we disclosed the contra-thermodynamic E→Z isomerization of alkenyl silanes, according to the in situ formation of a chromophoric species, in the presence of rac-BINAP as the catalyst. The reaction carried out in DMSO or CH₃CN under irradiation at 405 nm allowed the interconversion of the E-isomers into the Z-congeners in good to excellent yields and outstanding Z/E selectivities, on 18 examples. Finally, the mechanism of this E→Z isomerization was studied to get insight into the reaction mechanism.     

Synthesis of Fibrin-Type I Collagen Biomaterials via an Acidic Gel

Fibrin-Type I collagen composite gels have been widely studied as biomaterials, in which both networks are usually formed simultaneously at a neutral pH. Here, we describe a new protocol in which mixed concentrated solutions of collagen and fibrinogen were first incubated at acidic pH to induce fibrinogen gel formation, followed by a pH change to neutral inducing collagen fiber formation. Thrombin was then added to form fibrin-collagen networks. Using this protocol, mixed gels containing 20 mg.mL⁻¹ fibrin and up to 10 mg.mL⁻¹ collagen could be prepared. Macroscopic observations evidenced that increasing the content of collagen increases the turbidity of the gels and decreases their shrinkage during the fibrinogen-to-fibrin conversion. The presence of collagen had a minor influence on the rheological properties of the gels. Electron microscopy allowed for observation of collagen fibers within the fibrin network. 2D cultures of C2C12 myoblasts on mixed gels revealed that the presence of collagen favors proliferation and local alignment of the cells. However, it interferes with cell differentiation and myotube formation, suggesting that further control of in-gel collagen self-assembly is required to elaborate fully functional biomaterials.     

Nonlinear effects in acousto-optic imaging

Acousto-optic (AO) imaging is a promising technique that is able to reveal optical properties in the millimeter range inside scattering media by tagging the photon paths with an ultrasonic beam. To increase both the contrast and the resolution of the AO images, we have explored the possibility of using the nonlinear response of the speckle modulation. Variation of the second-harmonic signal as the square of the ultrasonic amplitude has been found, and strong reduction of the tagged zone size has been demonstrated.     

Lifetimes of high-spin yrast states in 154Er

Lifetimes for high-spin levels (between about 10 and 30 ?) in ¹⁵⁴Er have been measured by the recoil-distance method. Non-collective, moderately collective and collective E2 transitions from states with lifetimes between at most 10 and 400 ps have been found. All available data on this nucleus are discussed within the framework of the oblate coupling scheme with the addition of collective degrees of freedom.