Consumer perception of boar meat as affected by labelling information,malodorous compounds and sensitivity to androstenone

This study aimed to assess the influence of two label conditions on the acceptance of boar meat. A central location test was conducted with 145 consumers each assessing 4 pieces of pork loin.     

Culture predicts Mexican Americans' college self-efficacy and college performance.

In hopes of promoting college success among Mexican Americans, researchers have identified factors related to their academic performance. A gap in the literature exists between the interactive role of acculturation, enculturation, and generation status in predicting college self-efficacy and college performance (grade-point average, or GPA). To fill this void, this study investigated the relation of demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, socioeconomic status) and cultural variables (e.g., acculturation, enculturation, generation status) on academic outcomes (e.g., college self-efficacy, college performance) among 408 Mexican-American college students. Results of a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated socioeconomic status, generation status, enculturation, and acculturation had significant positive effects on college self-efficacy; socioeconomic status and the interaction of higher enculturation and first-generation status were positively and significantly related to GPA. Post-hoc analyses indicated college self-efficacy predicted college performance for students who were second generation and beyond. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sorption and thermal properties of strongly basic cross‐linked ionic polymer modified with Cr(III) compounds

AV‐17(Cr) material was prepared by modifying a commercial polymer AV‐17 (initially bearing R4N⁺ functional groups) with Cr(III) compounds was investigated. Comparative isotherms characterizing the and ion sorption from solution with pH values of 3 and 8, respectively, at 19°C and 60°C, were obtained using the raw AV‐17(Cl) and the modified AV‐17(Cr) material. The sorption process on AV‐17(Cr) takes place through the coordination of Cr(VI) ions with Cr(III) ions, while on AV‐17(Cl) it is due to an ion exchange mechanism. The sorption isotherms obtained in pH 8 solutions fit perfectly the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic functions ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS characteristic to the adsorption of ions from K₂CrO₄ solutions with pH = 8 were calculated. The active sites belonging to the AV‐17(Cr) material were identified as jarosite type compounds of Cr(III). SEM images show that the Cr(III) compounds are present in the form of ultrafine particles located on the surface and within the bulk phase of the polymer granules. Comparative thermal degradation process of both the AV‐17(Cr) and the AV‐17(Cl) material was conducted in air and in an inert atmosphere (He). The thermal degradation mechanism of sorbent AV‐17(Cr) and exchanger AV‐17(Cl) is proposed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41306.     

Alternative work schedule interventions in the Australian construction industry: a comparative case study analysis

Project‐based construction workers in the Australian construction industry work long and irregular hours and experience higher levels of work‐to‐family conflict and burnout than office‐based workers, giving rise to an interest in alternative work schedules as a means of supporting work–life balance. Alternative work schedules were implemented in four case study construction projects in Australia. Interventions differed between projects, with two implementing a compressed work week, and the others introducing reduced hours schedules (one of which was optional). Data were collected from each case study project, using various combinations of focus groups, surveys, interviews and daily diary collection methods. The results were mixed. The compressed work week appears to have been favourably received where it was introduced. However, waged workers still expressed concerns about the impact on their weekly ‘take‐home’ pay. Attempts to reduce work hours by changing from a six‐ to a five‐day schedule (without extending the length of the working day between Monday and Friday) were less favourably received. Waged workers, in particular, did not favour reduced hours schedules. The results confirm the existence of two distinct labour markets operating in the Australian construction industry and markedly different responses to alternative work schedules, based upon whether workers are waged or salaried. The results clearly show that attempts to improve work–life balance must take the structural characteristics of the industry's labour markets into consideration in the design of interventions. The impact of alternative work schedules is likely to be moderated by institutional working time regimes within the construction industry.     

Creating a Village in Modern Suburbia: Parenthood and Social Capital

Local communities with good stocks of social capital nurture and support the families residing within. This qualitative study explored through the perspectives of mothers, how families with children aged 0–5 years build social capital in newer residential areas in Perth, Western Australia. Parenthood generally increased the desire to connect to one's local community, which activated and enhanced social capital. Two themes appear to drive this desire: an increased need for social support and an increased vested interest in the local community. However, newer residential areas commonly have a lag of community infrastructure needed to provide opportunities for families with young children to interact with other families. Urban planning and community sectors need to coordinate to provide infrastructure and opportunities for families with young children to connect and build social capital within their local communities.     

Structure–property relationship of sodium deoxycholate based poly(ester ether)urethane ionomers for biomedical applications

New sodium deoxycholate based poly(ester ether)urethane ionomers were prepared for the development of biomedical materials. A structure–property relationship in the tested biomaterials was established by cross‐examination of the dynamic mechanical and dielectric properties, attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared investigation, thermogravimetric analysis, and surface morphology characterization. A stronger ionic interaction and solvation capacity of the ions and a higher ionic conductivity were manifested in the case of poly(ethylene oxide)‐rich segments than for poly(propylene oxide)‐rich segments in these polyurethane ionomers. The molecular and ionic interactions of the bile‐salt moiety with different polyether cosoft segments influenced chain packing and conformation, supramolecular organization, and the resulting surface morphological microstructures of the polyurethane biomembranes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42921.     

Additive Manufacturing of Dense Ceramic Parts via Direct Ink Writing of Aqueous Alumina Suspensions

Additive manufacturing of near‐net‐shaped dense ceramic components has been established via room‐temperature direct writing of highly loaded aqueous alumina suspensions in a layer‐by‐layer fashion. The effect of alumina solid loading on rheology, specimen uniformity, density, microstructure, and mechanical properties was studied. All suspensions contained a polymer binder (~5 vol.%), dispersant, and 51–58 vol.% alumina powder. Rheological measurements indicated all suspensions to be yield‐pseuodoplastic, and both yield stress and viscosity were found to increase with increasing alumina solid loading. Shear rates ranging from 19.5 to 24.2/s, corresponding to viscosities of 9.8 to 17.2 Pa·s, for the 53–56 vol.% alumina suspensions were found to produce the best results for the 1.25‐mm tip employed during writing. All parts were sintered to >98% of true density, with grain sizes ranging from 3.2 to 3.7 μm. The average flexure strength, which ranged from 134 to 157 MPa, was not influenced by the alumina solid loading.     

Development and Validation of an Artificial Mechanical Skin Model for the Study of Interactions between Skin and Microneedles

Microneedles are small needle‐like structures that are almost invisible to the naked eye. They have an immense potential to serve as a valuable tool in many medical applications, such as painless vaccination. Microneedles work by breaking through the stratum corneum, the outermost barrier layer of the skin, and providing a direct path for drug delivery into the skin. A lot of research has been presented over the past two decades on the applications of microneedles, yet the fundamental mechanism of how they interact, pressure, and penetrate the skin in its native state is worth examining further. As such, a major difficulty with understanding the mechanism of microneedle–skin interaction is the lack of an artificial mechanical human skin model to use as a standardized substrate. In this research news, the development of an artificial mechanical skin model based on a thorough mechanical study of fresh human and porcine skin samples is presented. The artificial mechanical skin model can be used to study the mechanical interactions between microneedles and skin, but not diffusion of molecules across skin. This model can assist in improving the performance of microneedles by enhancing the reproducibility of microneedle depth insertions for optimal drug delivery and biosensing.