Response surface methodology toward the optimization of high-energy carotenoid extraction from Aristeus antennatus shrimp

High-energy assisted extraction techniques, like ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE), are widely applied over the last years for the recovery of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, antioxidants and phenols from foods, animals and herbal natural sources. Especially for the case of xanthophylls, the main carotenoid group of crustaceans, they can be extracted in a rapid and quantitative way with the use of UAE and MAE.     

Evidences of phase separation in moisture‐cured poly(urethane urea)s by means of temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry

The degree of phase separation in several moisture‐cured poly(urethane urea)s (PUUs) was studied by FTIR spectroscopy, wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). This latter technique was shown to be particularly useful in analysing the degree of phase separation in PUU polymers. Both phase mixing and phase segregation coexisted in the PUUs and the degree of phase separation increased as the urea hard segment (HS) content in the PUU increased. The maximum solubility of urea HSs into the polyol soft segments (SSs) was achieved for 50 wt % urea HS content in diol‐based PUUs, whereas for triol‐based PUUs the highest solubility between HS and SS was reached for lower urea HS amount. Finally, the higher the urea HS content the higher the extent of phase separation in the PUU. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3034–3045, 2007     

用于强磁场的快响应真空规的研制进展

研制了能在强磁场、强干扰环境下工作的快响应真空电离规(快规),用于对HL 2A装置偏滤器室和等离子体附近的中性粒子密度和通量进行原位测量。介绍了快规的结构、工作原理、设计要点以及实验结果。在无磁场的情况下,快规对气体压强的测量范围为6.4×10-6～0.15Pa,在1×10-5～0.15Pa范围内,快规收集极离子流与发射电子流之比与气压保持良好线性关系;在0 15T的磁场下,快规的规管常数未发生显著变化,在规管对称轴与磁力线的夹角小于15o时,规管常数的变化小于10%。     

THERMAL AND THERMO-ELASTIC-PLASTIC RESPONSE OF CERAMIC-METAL FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIALS—THERMAL SHOCK PROBLEM

The thermal and thermo-elastic-plastic response of newly developed ceramic-metalfunctionally graded materials under a thermal shock load is studied.The materials are heated at the ce-ramic surface with a sudden high-intensity heat flux input,and cooled at the metal surface with aflowing liquid nitrogen.Emphasis is placed on two aspects:(1)the influence of the graded composi-tion of the materials on the temperature and stress response;and(2)the optimum design of the gradedcomposition from a unified viewpoint of the heat insulation property and stress relaxation property.Moreover,a comparison between the thermoelastic stress and the thermo-elastic-plastic stress is alsomade to indicate the plasticity effect.     

Effect of core-shell micelle formation on the redox properties of phenothiazine-labeled poly(ethyl glycidy ether)-block-poly(ethylene oxide)

Redox properties of phenothiazine-labeled poly(ethyl glycidy ether)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PT-EGE_n-b-EO_m) are reversibly changed by core-shell micelle formation. In the temperature range higher than the critical micellization temperature (cmt), the anodic potential of PT group positively shifts and concomitantly its anodic current decrease, or levels off compared to those of the reference polymer PT-EO_m without the thermo-responsive EGE_n segment. The former alteration is caused by incorporation of hydrophobic PT groups into a core of the micelle and the latter by the decrease in the diffusion coefficient of PT groups due to formation of the core-shell micelles. The cmt value and the temperature-dependent alteration in the redox properties strongly depend on the polymer structure, especially the length of thermo-responsive EGE_n segment. The electrochemically determined hydrodynamic radii of the polymer aggregates seem to be overestimated, compared to the values reported for the aggregates of other thermo-responsive polymers with similar molecular weights, implying the presence of electrochemically inactive PT groups in the copolymers having longer thermo-responsive segments.     

Glass transitions and mixed phases in block SBS

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) does not allow for easy determination of the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of the polystyrene (PS) block in styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymers. Modulated DSC (MDSC), which deconvolutes the standard DSC signal into reversing and nonreversing signals, was used to determine the (T_g) of both the polybutadiene (PB) and PS blocks in SBS. The T_g of the PB block was sharp, at ?92 °C, but that for the PS blocks was extremely broad, from ?60 to 125 °C with a maximum at 68 °C because of blending with PB. PS blocks were found only to exist in a mixed PS–PB phase. This concurred with the results from dynamic mechanical analysis. Annealing did not allow for a segregation of the PS blocks into a pure phase, but allowed for the segregation of the mixed phase into two mixed phases, one that was PB‐rich and the other that was PS‐rich. It is concluded that three phases coexist in SBS: PB, PB‐rich, and PS‐rich phases. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 276–279, 2005     

Modulated DSC for gas hydrates analysis

Modulated DSC has been applied to the study of methane, ethane and propane hydrates at different hydrate and ice concentrations. The reversing component of the TMDSC curves, makes it possible to characterize such hydrates. Methane and ethane hydrates show the melting-decomposition peak at a temperatures higher than the ice contained in the sample, while propane hydrate melts and decomposes at lower temperature than the ice present in the sample. The hydrate peaks tend to disappear if the hydrate is stored at atmospheric pressure. Guest size and cavity occupation fix the heat of dissociation and stability of the hydrates, as confirmed by parallel tests on tetrahydrofurane hydrates.     

Annealing behavior of gel‐spun polyethylene fibers at temperatures lower than needed for significant shrinkage

The annealing at 373 K of ultrastrong, gel‐spun polyethylene (PE) has been studied. At this temperature, the fibers show no significant shrinkage. Still, a significant decrease in the mechanical properties is observed. The fibers have been analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). During the annealing, the glass transition of the intermediate phase is exceeded, as shown by DSC. When split for structure analysis by AFM, the annealed fibers undergo plastic deformation around the base fibrils instead of brittle fracture. The quasi‐isothermal TMDSC experiments are compared to the minor structural changes seen with SAXS and AFM. The loss of performance of the PE fibers at 373 K is suggested to be caused by the oriented intermediate phase, and not by major changes in the structure or morphology. The overall metastable, semicrystalline structure is shown by TMDSC to posses local regions that can melt reversibly. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 403–417, 2003     

Violin frequency response - bridge mobility and bridge feet distance

Good violins have a broad hill in the 2-3 kHz range of their frequency response. This hill has previously been attributed to the first in-plane resonance of the violin bridge. Experiments prove, however, that the hill is the result of two forces acting in opposite directions at the bridge feet. The experiments reported here show that the hill can be “tuned” by altering the distance between the bridge feet. It can be tuned both in terms of frequency and level but the properties of the violin cannot be neglected.