Starch-PVOH cast films were prepared with and without crosslinking agent (hexamethoxymethylmelamine) in the absence of plasticizer.
Moisture absorption in films without crosslinking agent at a low relative humidity was similar to that of PVOH and increased
as the relative humidity increased. Films with crosslinking agent showed moisture absorption linearly proportional to the
relative humidity. Significant improvement in resistance to water disintegration for crosslinked starch-PVOH films was observed.
While the tensile strength decreased with increased relative humidity, crosslinking significantly improved the tensile strength.
Increased PVOH content improved elongation of films even when the relative humidity was 80% or higher. Biodegradation studies
revealed that the degradation rate was negatively correlated with the PVOH content in films and crosslinking generated more
converged degradation curves.
Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard
of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also
be suitable. 相似文献
Starch aquagel-based lightweight concrete has properties similar to those of other lightweight concrete products. However, starch aquagels are unstable in the strongly alkaline conditions typical of Portland Cement-based concrete and may interfere with the setting process. The effect of alkali treatments on the physical, mechanical, and functional properties of starch aquagels and aquagels from starch/polymer blends was investigated. Starch was blended at 100–115°C in a twin-screw extruder with five different polymers to determine whether the blends improved alkaline resistance. Polymer blends containing 5%, 15%, and 30% of the polymer hydrated and formed aquagels when equilibrated in water for 24 h. However, equilibrium moisture content was lower for the blends compared to the starch control. Aquagels equilibrated in 0.15 N NaOH swelled, lost compressive strength and had greater than 90% moisture. The blend of starch and 30% PVOH absorbed less moisture and was more resistant to alkaline dissolution in 1 N NaOH than the other blends tested making it a more suitable material for aquagel-based concrete. The moisture content of starch-based aquagels and mixing time were critical factors in determining setting times. The size of aquagel blends had a minor effect on density and compressive strength. 相似文献
Summary The balance of evidence suggests a perceptible human influence on global ecosystems. Human activities are affecting the global
ecosystem, some directly and some indirectly. If researchers could clarify the extent to which specific human activities affect
global ecosystems, they would be in a much better position to suggest strategies for mitigating against the worst disturbances.
Sophisticated statistical analysis can help in interpreting the influence of specific human activities on global ecosystems
more carefully. This study aims at identifying significant or influential human activities (i.e. factors) on CO2 emissions using statistical analyses. The study was conducted for two cases: (i) developed countries and (ii) developing
countries. In developed countries, this study identified three influential human activities for CO2 emissions: (i) combustion of fossil fuels, (ii) population pressure on natural and terrestrial ecosystems, and (iii) land
use change. In developing countries, the significant human activities causing an upsurge of CO2 emissions are: (i) combustion of fossil fuels, (ii) terrestrial ecosystem strength and (iii) land use change. Among these
factors, combustion of fossil fuels is the most influential human activity for CO2 emissions both in developed and developing countries. Regression analysis based on the factor scores indicated that combustion
of fossil fuels has significant positive influence on CO2 emissions in both developed and developing countries. Terrestrial ecosystem strength has a significant negative influence
on CO2 emissions. Land use change and CO2 emissions are positively related, although regression analysis showed that the influence of land use change on CO2 emissions was still insignificant. It is anticipated, from the findings of this study, that CO2 emissions can be reduced by reducing fossil-fuel consumption and switching to alternative energy sources, preserving exiting
forests, planting trees on abandoned and degraded forest lands, or by planting trees by social/agroforestry on agricultural
lands. 相似文献
Background: Two of the 3 standardized field sobriety tests that U.S. law enforcement uses at roadside checks have a postural equilibrium component to them. Those tests have been validated to detect impairment caused by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 g/dL or above. Many medical and traffic safety associations support a lower limit, and one state, Utah, has passed a law to lower the limit to 0.05 g/dL. Many studies have examined the effects of alcohol on postural control (of which postural equilibrium is a component), with a consensus emerging that impairment is usually found at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL. Most of these studies, however, had a relatively small number of subjects, usually between 10 and 30. The current study collected data from a much larger sample.
Objective: The objective of this study was to provide additional evidence that posture control is negatively affected at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL or breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.06 g/210 L.
Method: This was a between-subjects study, with BrAC group as the independent variable (5 levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/210 L); 4 measures of postural control as the dependent variables; and age, height, and weight as the covariates. Posture control was measured with a force-sensing platform connected to a computer. The feet's center of pressure (CoP) on the platform was recorded and the corresponding movement of the body in the anterior–posterior and lateral planes was derived. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of the BrAC groups. Positive BrAC groups were compared to the zero BrAC group. Data were examined with hierarchical multiple regression.
Results: Adjusted for age, height, and weight, the main effect of lateral CoP with eyes open was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant main effect of alcohol on anterior–posterior CoP excursion with eyes open and with eyes closed and lateral CoP excursion with eyes closed. For all 3 of those variables, only BrACs of 0.08 and 0.10 g/210 L produced differences against zero BrAC. Although the main effect of alcohol on Lateral CoP Excursion with eyes open was not statistically significant, the contrasts between 0 and 0.08 and 0 and 0.10 g/210L BrAC were in the hypothesized direction.
Conclusion: The current study did not directly address the issue of whether the sobriety tests are sensitive to BrACs of 0.05 g/210 L or above; rather, it provides additional evidence that postural control, one of the components of those tests, is relatively unaffected by BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L. Additional research is needed on the diagnostic characteristics of the sobriety tests at BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L. 相似文献
Polyvinyl alcohol is a refractory compound widely used in industry. Here we report supercritical water oxidation of polyvinyl alcohol solution and desizing wastewater with and without sodium hydroxide addition. However, it is difficult to implement complete degradation of organics even though polyvinyl alcohol can readily crack under supercritical water treatment. Sodium hydroxide had a significant catalytic effect during the supercritical water oxidation of polyvinyl alcohol. It appears that the OH ion participated in the C-C bond cleavage of polyvinyl alcohol molecules, the CO2-capture reaction and the neutralization of intermediate organic acids, promoting the overall reactions moving in the forward direction. Acetaldehyde was a typical intermediate product during reaction. For supercritical water oxidation of desizing wastewater, a high destruction rate (98.25%) based on total organic carbon was achieved. In addition, cases where initial wastewater was alkaline were favorable for supercritical water oxidation treatment, but salt precipitation and blockage issues arising during the process need to be taken into account seriously. 相似文献
The contamination of methyl ten-butyl ether (MTBE) in underground waters has become a widely concerned problem all over the world. In this study, a novel dosed culture system with oxygen supplied by H2O2 was introduced for MTBE aerobic biodegradation. After 7 d, almost all MTBE was degraded by a pure culture, a member of β-Proteobacteria named as PMI, in a closed system with oxygen supply, while only 40% MTBE was degraded in one without oxygen supply. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of the broth in closed systems respectively with and without H2O2 were about 5-6 and 4 mg/L. Higher DO may improve the activity of monooxygemase, which is the key enzyme of metabolic pathway from MTBE to tert-butyl alcohol and finally to CO2, and may result in the increase of the degrading activity of PM1 cell. The purge and trap GC-MS result of the broth in closed systems showed that tea-butyl alcohol, isopronol and acetone were the main intermediate products. 相似文献