Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Erwaermen von Bauteilen aus mikrowellenabsorbierendem Kunststoff

EP 991136 A UPAB: 20000508 NOVELTY - A heater for plastics comprises a microwave generator, a waveguide and screened antenna, and has a safe and coaxial wave trap which is completely open for insertion of e.g. a plastic tube end, for concentrated, controlled, efficient local heating. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for the method of heating components made of microwave-absorbing plastic. Preferred features: The screen projection beyond the antenna tip, is a quarter wavelength or more. The zone between the antenna tip and the screen is dimensioned in accordance with the size of the component to be heated. In one region it is especially narrow, to concentrate heating locally. The component inserted in the narrow region is heated there, in accordance with specific requirements. Between the antenna and screen, dielectric is included. The antenna tip is e.g. conical, a mandrel, a rod or a hook. Antenna tip and screen are coaxial. In the method, components are heated, to weld them together. A double version of the heater (illustrated in the disclosure) may be constructed to heat e.g. two tube ends simultaneously, to weld them together. Heating may precede permanent deformation. A conically-tipped antenna may be used for tube end flaring. Heating may induce crosslinking. USE - To heat plastic components, especially tube ends, using microwaves. ADVANTAGE - Despite being very compact for the duty, the head heats particularly uniformly. It is very simple to use. A striking feature is the containment of microwave radiation, a consequence of selecting dimensions in relation to the wavelength. Usefully, the screen is wide open at the end, yet blocks microwave release. The limited heating region ensures efficient use of energy; the microwave field may be concentrated for more intense local heating. Heating and deformation of pipe ends, suggests application as a pipeline joint welding machine

Impacts of Lipase Enzyme on the Surface Properties of Marine Aerosols

Triacylglycerol lipases have recently been shown to be transferred from the ocean to the atmosphere in atmospheric sea spray aerosol (SSA). Lipases have the potential to alter the composition of SSA; however, the structure and properties of enzymes in the high salt, high ionic strength, and low pH conditions found in SSA have never been explored. Here, we study the dynamics of <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> triacylglycerol lipase (BCL) at SSA model surfaces comprised of palmitic acid and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA), two commonly found lipids at SSA surfaces. Surface adsorption Langmuir isotherm experiments and all-atom explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations together illuminate how and why BCL expands the ordering of lipids at palmitic acid surfaces the most at pH < 4 and the least in DPPA surfaces at pH 6. Taken together, these results represent a first glimpse into the complex interplay between lipid surface structure and protein dynamics within enzyme-containing aerosols

The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials: evaluation of a battery of candidate eye-tracking biomarkers for use in autism clinical trials

Abstract Background Eye tracking (ET) is a powerful methodology for studying attentional processes through quantification of eye movements. The precision, usability, and cost-effectiveness of ET render it a promising platform for developing biomarkers for use in clinical trials for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials conducted a multisite, observational study of 6–11-year-old children with ASD (n = 280) and typical development (TD, n = 119). The ET battery included: Activity Monitoring, Social Interactive, Static Social Scenes, Biological Motion Preference, and Pupillary Light Reflex tasks. A priori, gaze to faces in Activity Monitoring, Social Interactive, and Static Social Scenes tasks were aggregated into an Oculomotor Index of Gaze to Human Faces (OMI) as the primary outcome measure. This work reports on fundamental biomarker properties (data acquisition rates, construct validity, six-week stability, group discrimination, and clinical relationships) derived from these assays that serve as a base for subsequent development of clinical trial biomarker applications. Results All tasks exhibited excellent acquisition rates, met expectations for construct validity, had moderate or high six-week stabilities, and highlighted subsets of the ASD group with distinct biomarker performance. Within ASD, higher OMI was associated with increased memory for faces, decreased autism symptom severity, and higher verbal IQ and pragmatic communication skills. Limitations No specific interventions were administered in this study, limiting information about how ET biomarkers track or predict outcomes in response to treatment. This study did not consider co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions nor specificity in comparison with non-ASD special populations, therefore limiting our understanding of the applicability of outcomes to specific clinical contexts-of-use. Research-grade protocols and equipment were used; further studies are needed to explore deployment in less standardized contexts. Conclusions All ET tasks met expectations regarding biomarker properties, with strongest performance for tasks associated with attention to human faces and weakest performance associated with biological motion preference. Based on these data, the OMI has been accepted to the FDA’s Biomarker Qualification program, providing a path for advancing efforts to develop biomarkers for use in clinical trials