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Highest Efficiency (highest + efficiency)
Selected AbstractsAtom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Glycidyl Methacrylate: A Functional MonomerMACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, Issue 16 2004Pedro Francisco Cañamero Abstract Summary: A detailed investigation of the polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), an epoxy-functional monomer, by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was performed. Homopolymers were prepared at relatively low temperatures using ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBrIB) as the initiator and copper halide (CuX) with N,N,N,,N,,N,-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as the catalyst system. The high polymerization rate in the bulk did not permit polymerization control. However, homopolymerization in solution enabled us to explore the effects of different experimental parameters, such as temperature, solvent (toluene vs. diphenyl ether) and initiator concentration, on the controllability of the ATRP process. SEC analysis of the homopolymers synthesized confirmed the importance of solvent character on molecular weight control, the lowest polydispersity indices () and the highest efficiencies being found when the polymerizations were performed in diphenyl ether in combination with a mixed halide technique. A novel poly(glycidyl methacrylate)- block -poly(butyl acrylate) (PGMA- b -PBA) diblock copolymer was prepared through ATRP using PGMA-Cl as a macro-initiator. This chain growth experiment demonstrated a good living character under the conditions employed, while simultaneously indicating a facile synthetic route for this type of functional block copolymer. In addition, the isotacticity parameter for the PGMAs obtained was estimated using 1H NMR analysis which gave a value of ,GMA,=,0.26 in agreement with that estimated in conventional radical polymerization. SEC chromatograms of PGMA-Cl macroinitiator and PGMA- b -PBA diblock copolymer. [source] Multifunctional Triphenylamine/Oxadiazole Hybrid as Host and Exciton-Blocking Material: High Efficiency Green Phosphorescent OLEDs Using Easily Available and Common MaterialsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 17 2010Youtian Tao Abstract A new triphenylamine/oxadiazole hybrid, namely m -TPA- o -OXD, formed by connecting the meta -position of a phenyl ring in triphenylamine with the ortho -position of 2,5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole, is designed and synthesized. The new bipolar compound is applicable in the phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) as both host and exciton-blocking material. By using the new material and the optimization of the device structures, very high efficiency green and yellow electrophosphorescence are achieved. For example, by introducing 1,3,5-tris(N -phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl)benzene (TPBI) to replace 2, 9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (BCP)/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminium (Alq3) as hole blocking/electron transporting layer, followed by tuning the thicknesses of hole-transport 1, 4-bis[(1-naphthylphenyl)amino]biphenyl (NPB) layer to manipulate the charge balance, a maximum external quantum efficiency (,EQE,max) of 23.0% and a maximum power efficiency (,p,max) of 94.3 lm W,1 are attained for (ppy)2Ir(acac) based green electrophosphorescence. Subsequently, by inserting a thin layer of m -TPA- o -OXD as self triplet exciton block layer between hole-transport and emissive layer to confine triplet excitons, a ,EQE,max of 23.7% and ,p,max of 105 lm W,1 are achieved. This is the highest efficiency ever reported for (ppy)2Ir(acac) based green PHOLEDs. Furthermore, the new host m -TPA- o -OXD is also applicable for other phosphorescent emitters, such as green-emissive Ir(ppy)3 and yellow-emissive (fbi)2Ir(acac). A yellow electrophosphorescent device with ,EQE,max of 20.6%, ,c,max of 62.1 cd A,1, and ,p,max of 61.7 lm W,1, is fabricated. To the author's knowledge, this is also the highest efficiency ever reported for yellow PHOLEDs. [source] Treatment of beverage-processing wastewater in a three-phase fluidised bed biological reactorINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Samwel Victor Manyele Summary This paper presents a study on treatment of beverage-processing wastewater (BPWW) in a three-phase fluidised bed bioreactor (TPFBB). Wastewater samples were introduced in the TPFBB and aerated at optimum liquid and gas flow rates while measuring wastewater parameters [pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total Kjehldahl nitrogen (TKN) and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3 -N)]. Two different initial pH levels were studied, i.e. 9.0 and 11.5. The pH of the wastewater was observed to level off at 9.3 after 1 day. The TSS dropped by 95% after 5 days, for both initial pH levels. The NH3 -N and TKN dropped to similar final concentration independent of initial pH. The COD removal efficiency was observed to depend on the initial pH level. A highest efficiency of 98% and lowest efficiency of 50% were observed at initial pH of 9.0 and 11.5, respectively. The study results show that TPFBB is capable of treating food-processing wastewater under suitable conditions. [source] Ochratoxin A removal in synthetic and natural grape juices by selected oenological Saccharomyces strainsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004H. Bejaoui Abstract Aims:, To assess, for the first time the efficiency in removing ochratoxin A (OTA) from laboratory medium [yeast peptone glucose (YPG)], synthetic grape juice medium (SGM) and natural grape juice by viable and dead (heat and acid-treated) oenological Saccharomyces strains (five S. cerevisiae and one S. bayanus) compared with a commercial yeast walls additive. Methods and Results:, Levels of OTA during its interaction with six oenological Saccharomyces strains (five S. cerevisiae and one S. bayanus) or with a commercial yeast walls additive in YPG medium, in SGM or in natural grape juices was assessed by HPLC after appropriate extraction methods. A significant decrease of OTA levels in YPG medium and SGM was observed for many of the growing strains reaching a maximum of 45%, but no degradation products were detected. With both heat and acid pretreated yeasts, OTA removal was enhanced, indicating that adsorption, not catabolism, is the mechanism to reduce OTA concentrations. Adsorption was also improved when the yeast concentration was increased and when the pH of the medium was lower. Approximately 90% of OTA was bound rapidly within 5 min and up to 72 h of incubation with heat-treated cells of either S. cerevisiae or S. bayanus. A comparative study between heat-treated cells (HC) and commercial yeast walls (YW) (used as oenological additive), introduced at two different concentrations (0·2 and 6·7 g l,1) in an OTA-contaminated grape juice, showed the highest efficiency by HC to adsorb rapidly within 5 min the total amount of the mycotoxin. Conclusions:, Oenological S. cerevisiae and S. bayanus were able to remove ochatoxin A from synthetic and natural grape juices. This removal was rapid and improved by dead yeasts having more efficiency than commercial yeast walls. Significance and Impact of the Study:, The efficiency of heat-treated yeasts to remove OTA gives a new hope for grape juice and must decontamination avoiding negative impacts on human health. [source] Removal of organic contaminants in paper pulp effluents by AOPs: an economic studyJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Montserrat Pérez Abstract The degradation of the organic content of a bleaching Kraft mill effluent was carried out using Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). The study was focused on the identification of the AOP, or combination of AOPs, that showed the highest efficiency together with the lowest cost. Direct UV photolysis (UV), TiO2 assisted-photocatalysis (TiO2/UV), Fenton, Fenton-like, and photo-Fenton reactions (Fe(II)/H2O/UV), UV-assisted ozonation (O3/UV) and addition of Fe2+ and/or H2O2 to the TiO2/UV and the O3/UV systems, were used for the degradation of a conventional cellulose bleaching effluent. The effluent was characterized by the general parameters TOC, COD and color, and analyzed for chlorinated low molecular weight compounds using GC,MS. The costs of the systems per unit of TOC reduction were compared. Fenton, Fenton-like and photo-Fenton reactions achieved better levels of TOC degradation than photocatalysis and with lower cost's than photocatalytic treatments. Ozonation is an effective but rather expensive process. The use of UVA light, however, increased the effectiveness of ozonation with a significant decrease (>25%) in the operational cost. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C in the United States is also applicable to a population of young Japanese womenJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 6 2004Hiroshi Ihara Abstract The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for ascorbic acid (AA) in Canada and the United States has been set for several years at 75 mg/day for women 19,30 years old. Recently this level was questioned, and an increase to 90 mg/day was suggested. For Japanese women in the same age group, we found that the RDA for AA is currently 100 mg/day. Our goal was to determine which RDA is sufficient for maintaining a serum concentration of AA in young Japanese women above the lower reference limit of 7.0 mg/L. We measured serum AA concentrations by an ascorbate oxidase method in 176 healthy Japanese women (19,26 years old). We also performed an ROC analysis to estimate the optimal cutoff value for oral dosage to distinguish individuals with hypovitaminosis-C (<7.0 mg/L) from those with a normal serum AA. We evaluated the Japanese RDA using the 75 or 90 mg/day U.S. RDA and the weight ratio between Japanese and U.S. women, and discovered that the RDA value ranged between 66 and 79 mg/day. From the ROC analysis, we found that the optimal daily dosage of AA is approximately 75 mg/day. This value gave the highest efficiency, sensitivity, negative predictive value, and positive likelihood ratio, and the lowest negative likelihood ratio. Therefore, an RDA of 100 mg/day may be unnecessarily high for young Japanese women. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 18:305,308, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Item Selection in Computerized Adaptive Testing: Should More Discriminating Items be Used First?JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 3 2001Kit-Tai Hau During computerized adaptive testing (CAT), items are selected continuously according to the test-taker's estimated ability. The traditional method of attaining the highest efficiency in ability estimation is to select items of maximum Fisher information at the currently estimated ability. Test security has become a problem because high-discrimination items are more likely to be selected and become overexposed. So, there seems to be a tradeoff between high efficiency in ability estimations and balanced usage of items. This series of four studies with simulated data addressed the dilemma by focusing on the notion of whether more or less discriminating items should be used first in CAT. The first study demonstrated that the common maximum information method with Sympson and Hetter (1985) control resulted in the use of more discriminating items first. The remaining studies showed that using items in the reverse order (i.e., less discriminating items first), as described in Chang and Ying's (1999) stratified method had potential advantages: (a) a more balanced item usage and (b) a relatively stable resultant item pool structure with easy and inexpensive management. This stratified method may have ability-estimation efficiency better than or close to that of other methods, particularly for operational item pools when retired items cannot be totally replenished with similar highly discriminating items. It is argued that the judicious selection of items, as in the stratified method, is a more active control of item exposure, which can successfully even out the usage of all items. [source] Phototropism of Thalli and Rhizoids Developed from the Thallus Segments of Bryopsis hypnoides LamourouxJOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Nai-Hao Ye Abstract Newly regenerated thalli were used to study the phototropism of Bryopsis hypnoides Lamouroux under different qualities of light. Positive phototropism in the thalli and negative phototropism in the rhizoids of B. hypnoides were investigated and analyzed in terms of bending. Both thalli and rhizoids developed from thallus segments exhibited typical tip growth, and their photoreceptive sites for phototropism were also restricted to the apical hemisphere. The bending curvature of rhizoids and thalli were determined with unilateral lights at various wavelengths and different fluence rates after a fixed duration of illumination. The trends of bending from the rhizoid and thallus were coincident, which showed that the action spectrum had a large range, from ultraviolet radiation (366.5 nm) to green light (524 nm). Based on the bending curvatures, blue light had the highest efficiency, while the efficiency of longer wavelengths (>500 nm) was significantly lower. External Ca2+ had no effect on the bending curvature of thalli and rhizoids. Blue light (440 nm) induced thallus branching from rhizoids, while red light (650 nm) had no such effect. Fast-occurring chloroplast accumulation in the outermost cytoplasmic layer of the blue light (440 nm)-irradiated region in the rhizoid was observed, from which protrusions (new thalli) arose after 4 h of the onset of illumination, and this action was thought to be driven by the dynamics of actin microfilaments. (Managing editor: Wei Wang) [source] Chemistry of ,-hydroxymethylserine: problems and solutions,JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 11 2008Marcin Stasiak Abstract Further improvements related to the synthesis of peptides containing HmS are presented. Efficient synthetic protocols have been developed to synthesize "difficult" sequences containing a C -terminal HmS residue, MeA,HmS or consecutive HmS. Preparative methods for orthogonal N - and/or C -protected HmS(Ipr) derivatives are described. Their compatibility with standard solution or solid-phase peptide chemistry protocols allows synthetic flexibility toward HmS-containing peptides. In the synthesis of the sterically hindered dipeptides with the C -terminal HmS(Ipr) residue, HATU proves the highest efficiency, as compared with the fluoride and PyBroP/DMAP coupling methods. The HATU method also outperforms the fluoride activation in the solid-phase assembly of HmS homosequence. Specific protocols are described to overcome an undesired cyclization to diketopiperazines that occurs during the removal of Fmoc from dipeptides with the C -terminal HmS(Ipr) or HmS residues, thus precluding their C , N elongation. The successful protocols involve: (i) the 2 + 1 condensation using mixed anhydride activation yielding the desired product with the highest optical integrity or (ii) use of the 2-chlorotrityl resin as a solid support sterically suppressing the undesired cleavage due to diketopiperazine formation. The latter approach allows the mild conditions of peptide cleavage from solid support, preserving the isopropylidene protection and minimizing the undesired N , O -acyl migration that was observed under prolonged acid treatment used for cleaving the HmS peptide from the Wang resin. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effect of Feeding Frequency, Water Temperature, and Stocking Density on the Growth of Tiger Puffer, Takifugu rubripesJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006Kotaro Kikuchi Effects of daily feeding frequency, water temperature, and stocking density on the growth of tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes, fry were examined to develop effective techniques to produce tiger puffer in a closed recirculation system. Fish of 4, 14, and 180 g in initial body weight were fed commercial pellet diets once to five times a day to apparent satiation each by hand for 8 or 12 wk at 20 C. Daily feeding frequency did not affect the growth of 14- and 180-g-size fish. However, the daily feed consumption and weight gain of the 4-g-size fish fed three and five times daily were significantly higher than those of fish fed once daily (P < 0.05). Fish of 4 and 50 g in initial body weight were reared with the pellet diet at 15,30 C for 8 wk. The weight gain of fish increased with increasing water temperature up to 25 C and decreased drastically at 30 C for both sizes. Similar trends were observed for feed efficiency, although 4-g fish had highest efficiency at 20 C. Effects of stocking density on growth were examined with fish of 8, 13, and 100 g in initial body weight. Fish were reared with the pellet diet for 8 or 16 wk at 20 C. Fish were placed in floating net cages in the culture tank, and the stocking density was determined based on the total weight of fish and volume of the net cage. Fish of 8 g in body weight grew up to 35,36 g during the 8-wk rearing period independent of the stocking density of 8, 15, and 31 kg/m3 at the end of rearing. Final biomass per cage reached 32, 60, and 115 kg/m3 for 13-g-size fish, and 10, 18, and 35 kg/m3 for 100-g-size fish, and the growth of the fish tended to decrease with increasing stocking density for both sizes. [source] A comparative assessment of molecular marker assays (AFLP, RAPD and SSR) for white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) germplasm characterizationANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003H D MIGNOUNA Summary Several DNA-based marker systems are available for genetic fingerprinting of plants but information on their relative usefulness for yam germplasm characterisation is lacking. The efficiency of RAPD, AFLP and SSR markers for the assessment of genetic relationships, and for cultivar identification and discrimination among 45 West and Central African white yam cultivars belonging to 22 morphotypes/cultivar groups was investigated. Dendrograms were produced based on band pattern scores using the UPGMA method. Results showed that each of the three techniques could unequivocably identify each cultivar, but that techniques differed in the mean number of profiles generated per primer (or primer pair) per cultivar, referred to as genotype index (GI). The order of merit based on this criterion in this study was AFLPs (GI = 2.56), SSRs (GI = 0.39) and RAPDs (GI = 0.35). Yam genotypes classified in the same cultivar group based on morphology were often genetically different, emphasising the need for molecular fingerprinting in yam germplasm characterisation. AFLPs showed the highest efficiency in detecting polymorphism and revealed genetic relationships that most closely reflected morphological classification. [source] | ||||||||||||||||