Hyperthermostabilization of Bacillus licheniformis{alpha}-amylase and modulation of its stability over a 50{degrees}C temperature range

Bacillus licheniformis     

Recent Catalytic Advances in the Chemistry of Substituted Furans from Carbohydrates and in the Ensuing Polymers

In this review, an overview is given on the last development of catalytic methods for the preparation of substituted furans from carbohydrates and ensuing polymers. The review starts with the recent aspects in the synthesis of some key furan monomers in the presence of solid catalysts. In the second part, selected examples are given of polymerization systems leading to furan-based materials with promising properties, thus constituting a serious alternative to petroleum-based counterparts. Finally, a short examination is given on what could be the future of furan chemistry with the recent development of ionic liquids as solvents.     

An assessment of façade coatings against colonisation by aerial algae and cyanobacteria

An accelerated water-streaming test method was used to evaluate several types of façade coatings regarding their behaviour to colonisation by algae and cyanobacteria, by closely reproducing the phenomenon of natural biological soiling. A set of materials with defined physical characteristics was thus investigated vs. the colonisation by algal and cyanobacterial strains isolated from natural façade biofilms. Porosity and roughness of the materials showed to be factors of influence in the establishment of those micro-organisms.     

Strategy planning in cats (Felis catus) in a progressive elimination task.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) were administered a progressive elimination task in which they had to visit and deplete 3 baited sites. Cats were brought back to the starting point after each visit to any site whether the visit represented a correct or an incorrect choice. The results revealed that cats organized search as a function of the least distance principle whether they had to assess starting point to target distances (Experiment 1, n=12) or adjacent bowl distances (Experiment 2, n=12). The results also revealed that the starting point to target distance factor was the most influential in determining the initial choice (Experiment 3, n=6) and in producing errors. Errors were also linked to the antero-posterior bodily axis of the cat. Results are discussed in terms of the predatory behavior of the cat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Morphology and electrochemistry of spinel Li–Mn–O optimized by composite technology

This paper presents a composite technology, which combines doping and modifying to optimize the performance of spinel Li–Mn–O. Co ion-doped Li–Mn–O was synthesized by a wet chemical process. The homogeneously distributed C layer was chemically grown on the surface of LiCo_0.1Mn_1.9O₄ by the hydrothermal method. The products were analyzed and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Their electrochemical performances were tested with the Arbin instruments. The results showed that a different concentration of C influenced both the morphologies and the cycling performances of the cathode materials greatly.     

混合粉组成对烧结汽车零件尺寸稳定性的影响

粉末冶金工业正面临日益需要高力学强度以及高尺寸稳定性零部件应用的挑战。同步器齿毂、链轮和齿轮就是在汽车工业方面这种应用的例子。粉末冶金烧结零件的尺寸稳定性受许多因素的影响：粉末混合粉组成、添加剂的选择、混合方法、运送、压制、烧结和烧结后处理等。本文评价并量化了这样一些因素的影响，即混合料组成和添加剂类型对高性能材料制成的零件的尺寸稳定性的影响。使用统计学工具分析了影响尺寸稳定性的重要参数。并量化了其造成的影响。     

The evolution of the sleep science literature over 30 years: A bibliometric analysis

During the 1974–2004 period, the sleep literature had quadrupled (2384 publications in 1974, and 9721 in 2004) while overall scientific productivity had only doubled. The set of the seven most productive countries (USA, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada and Italy) in sleep research, and the geographical region distribution remained stable over the three decades. On the other hand several indicators appeared in the sleep research literature during the 1990s: the increasing productivity of sleep researchers; the growing number of countries publishing on sleep; the continuous creation of sleep-focused journals; the scattering of sleep publication among increasingly more scientific journals; the turnover among the leading journals; and the emergence of new entities such as China, Turkey, and the European Union.