Overly cautious and dangerous: An empirical evidence of the older driver stereotypes

Negative comments regarding the competency of older drivers are frequently heard in the general population. While negative stereotypes of older drivers seem to be present, their existence has yet to be empirically validated. We thus investigated the stereotypes pertaining to older drivers in two experiments. In both experiments young adults viewed 12 simulated clips of three categories of driving behaviors (i.e., younger adults’ unsafe behaviors, older drivers’ unsafe behaviors and appropriate-safe driving behaviors) without knowing the driver's age. They were asked to rate how representative the behaviors were of a typical younger, middle-aged, or older driver. Experiment 1 showed that older drivers’ unsafe behaviors were rated as significantly more representative of the typical older driver, while young adults’ unsafe behaviors were perceived as significantly more representative of the typical younger driver. In Experiment 2, younger participants viewed the same clips but were only asked to indicate whether the observed behavior was representative or not of the typical older driver. The main findings were replicated. When asked to describe the main features of the typical older drivers, participants qualified them as being overly cautious, uncomfortable behind the wheel, and unsafe and dangerous. The potential implications on driving performance of older drivers and on driving cessation and are discussed.     

Chiral Quaternary Ammonium Aryloxide/N,O‐Bis(trimethyl‐ silyl)acetamide Combination as Efficient Organocatalytic System for the Direct Vinylogous Aldol Reaction of (5H)‐Furan‐2‐one Derivatives

A chiral quaternary ammonium amide was generated in situ from N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSA) as non‐nucleophilic Brønsted base precursor and the combination of chiral quaternary ammonium halide/sodium aryloxide as chiral Lewis base. This system was applied to an anti‐selective organocatalytic direct vinylogous aldol (ODVA) reaction of (5H)‐furan‐2‐one derivatives with aldehydes. Several 5‐(1′‐hydroxy)‐γ‐butenolides were obtained in good diastereomeric ratios (up to 95/5) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 94%) with both aliphatic or (hetero)aromatic aldehydes, so providing a rare example of general and efficient conditions for the ODVA reaction.     

A critical approach to viscosity index

The viscosity index (VI) is a useful tool for lubricant users and refiners, since it is a measure of the effect of temperature changes on the viscosity of the oil. However, it was found that the viscosity index does not correlate with the flow activation energy E_a, which is the theoretically defined dependence of the viscosity on temperature. In this way, two oils may have the same flow activation energy but a viscosity index varying by up to 120. We therefore believe that the VI does not always give a proper representation of the effect of temperature on the kinematic viscosity.¹³C NMR spectroscopy was used to identify the molecules with a high VI. Twenty different oil samples produced from eight different vacuum gas oils with viscosity indices ranging from −104 to 146 were analyzed and key parameters identified for high VI molecules: long alkyl chains, methyl branching in the centre of the molecule, low content of aromatic compounds, no ethyl branching and no tertiary carbons.A correlation based on four selected peaks was developed, giving a very good prediction of the viscosity index.     

Development of blown film linear low-density polyethylene–clay nanocomposites: Part A: Manufacturing process and morphology

In this study, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/clay nanocomposites with different clay contents were prepared by melt intercalation using two different compatibilizers: maleic anhydride grafted styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene and maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE-g-MA). Melt intercalation was achieved by twin extrusion and nanocomposite films were produced by blown film extrusion. Effects of clay and compatibilizer fractions and type of compatibilizer on the structure, permeability, and the barrier properties of the nanocomposite films were investigated. PE-g-MA was shown to notably improve the dispersion of clay layers in the polyethylene matrix, and this was examined by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The latter tests have also highlighted the importance of the screw configuration: the presence of mixing elements favors the dispersion and distribution of nanoclay. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry results have shown no significant effect of the clay on the crystallinity of the composite while thermogravimetric analysis tests have demonstrated a decrease of onset and peak of decomposition temperatures. Finally, barrier properties toward water vapor transmission were measured. It was proven that not also clay, but the compatibilizer participated in decreasing the permeability of the film. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48589.     

Improvement of corrosion protection of steel by incorporation of a new phosphonated fatty acid in a phosphorus-containing polymer coating obtained by UV curing

Six formulations containing diacrylate monomers (from 89 to 92.5% (w/w)) as well as a phosphonated methacrylate monomer (from 1 to 10% (w/w)) were prepared. All formulations were UV-cured and the corrosion performance of the resulting coatings applied onto a steel substrate was assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was first shown that the coatings containing phosphonic acid methacrylate (MAPC1(OH)₂) instead of methacrylate phosphonic dimethyl ester (MAPC1) presented higher corrosion protection related to the strong adhesive properties of phosphonic acid on the metal substrate. A minimum MAPC1(OH)₂ content of 2.5% was determined to provide the highest impedance values (best efficiency). Then, a new bio-based compound, i.e. phosphonic acid-bearing oleic acid (phosphonated fatty acid), was synthesized and added as an inhibitor to the formulations. In the presence of this compound, the corrosion protection was notably improved. The beneficial effect of phosphonated fatty acid was explained by its inhibitive action at the steel/coating interface and by the improvement of the barrier properties.     

Comparison of a contactor catalytic membrane reactor with a conventional reactor: example of wet air oxidation

A wet air oxidation reaction was carried out in a gas/liquid catalytic membrane reactor of the contactor type. The oxidation of formic acid was used as a model reaction. The mesoporous top-layer of a ceramic tubular membrane was used as catalyst (Pt) support, and was placed at the interface of the gas (air) and liquid (HCOOH solution) phases.

A similar reaction was carried out in a conventional batch reactor, using a steering rate high enough to avoid gas-diffusion limitations, and exactly identical conditions than for the CMR (amount of catalyst, pressure, etc.). At room temperature, the CMR showed an initial activity three to six times higher than the conventional reactor. This activity increase was attributed to an easier oxygen access to the catalytic sites. Nevertheless, the catalytic membrane gradually deactivated after a few hours of operation. Different deactivation mechanisms are presented.     

Disentangling the drivers of fertilising material inflows in organic farming

Organic farming systems are often nutrient-limited. Moreover, even if organic guidelines emphasize the reliance on ecological processes and recycling, the trend towards farm specialisation induces an increased reliance on off-farm fertilising materials in arable areas. There is, therefore, a need to better understand the drivers of nutrient inflows on organic farms. Our objectives were to assess the nitrogen (N,) phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) farm-gate inflows through fertilising materials, and the nutrient budget and use efficiency over a large range of organic farming systems. To do this, 56 interviews with organic farmers concerning their nutrient management for the years 2010 and 2011 were carried out in 2012 in three French agricultural districts distributed over a gradient of farming activity. The results showed that the farm-gate fertilising material inflows were strongly related to both the ratio of land under cereal and oilseed crops (proxy of nutrient ‘demand’) and the stocking rate (proxy of nutrient ‘supply’). However, other inflows (biological N fixation, feed use, fodders and straws) increased with the stocking rate, leading to low farm-gate N and K use efficiency (0.2 and 0.7, respectively) on livestock farms compared to arable, stockless farms (1.4 and 3.5, respectively). Such results helped to disentangle the drivers of nutrient use in organic farms compared to previous analyses based solely on farm production typology.     

Synthesis and Microstructural Characterization of Substoichiometric Ti2Al(CxNy) Solid Solutions and Related Ti2AlCx and Ti2AlN End‐Members

Ti, TiC, Al and AlN powders were mixed to synthesize Ti₂Al(C_xN_y) (x + y < 1) solid solutions, Ti₂AlC_x (x < 1) and Ti₂AlN‐related end‐members by hot isostatic pressing at 1400°C/80 MPa for 4 h. For the pure carbides, it is demonstrated that single‐phased samples can only be obtained when about 15% of substoichiometry on the carbon site is applied. Such a result likely implies that Ti₂AlC_x can only exist in a narrow range of carbon composition. Ti₂AlN nitride can be synthesized with y = 1. Assuming that vacancy content varies linearly from 0 to 0.15 going from Ti₂AlN to Ti₂AlC_0.85 in the solid solutions, element concentrations have been calculated to synthesize different solid solutions. Thus, it is demonstrated that single‐phased and fully dense Ti₂Al(C_0.23N_0.71), Ti₂Al(C_0.45N_0.45), and Ti₂Al(C_0.66N_0.22) carbonitrides can be synthesized.     

Concomitant use of liquid–liquid batch and continuous plug flow reactors for kinetic model discrimination. Application to the Rh/TPPTS catalysed reduction of the C–C double bond in dimethylitaconate

The biphasic catalytic reduction of the C–C double bond of dimethylitaconate with a water soluble rhodium/triphenylphosphinetrisulphonated sodium salt (TPPTS) complex is investigated. Kinetic studies in a well-mixed batch reactor provide kinetics parameters and an activation energy of 71 kJ mol⁻¹ but cannot discriminate between a first order or a complex kinetic model within the range of substrate concentration where the approximation of linear liquid/liquid partition is respected. Catalytic tests in the centrifugal partition chromatograph (CPC) reactor under steady-state operations in chemical regime and plug flow mode allow discriminating the kinetic models, the complex kinetic rate law being preferred.