Membrane separation technology in the 1980s

The current status of membrane technology is assessed and industrial processes in which membrane technology could effect energy savings or other advantages are identified. The extension of current trends is recommended; i.e., the development of ultrathin and highly permselective membranes, the use of specific carriers to enhance permselectivity and permit 'uphill' diffusion, and the improvement of separation efficiency. Membranes are predicted to be important in biotechnology and in the production of solar energy. Guidelines indicating where and how to look for opportunities where evolving membrane technology might fit are provided

Improving obesity prevention among university students through a tailored information design approach

University is a critical period for weight gain primarily due to unhealthy changes in eating behavior in students. This is the first study to focus on the impact of tailored information design approaches on the awareness and retention of obesity related information, specifically by university students. A motion graphics was developed through a comprehensive user-centered research and design process that involved a scoping study (observation, questionnaire and focus group), usability testing (five stages of iteration), and a performance test. The results show low previous knowledge and a statistical significant impact on understanding of information with a tailored user-centered motion graphics

Southern Extension of the Cretaceous in Iowa

The Cretaceous deposits of Iowa, from time to time, have received the attention of a number of geologists. The most important researches were made by Marcou, Meek, Heer, White and Calvin. Their investigations were carried on chiefly in the vicinity of Sioux City. The formation elsewhere in the State has, with a few exceptions, received no consideration. Its exact extent is yet to be determined; its vertical thickness is yet unknown; the relative ages of some of its beds remain to be established

Topography of the Granite and Porphyry Region of Missouri

When speaking of the Archaean hills of Missouri Pumpelly has likened them unto an archipelago of islands in the Lower Silurian strata which surrounded them as a whole and separate them from one another. To one who knows this interesting territory with its isolated and grouped knobs hills and mountains of crystalline rocks standing out more or less prominently and dotting the broad expanse of more recent sedimentaries, this figure is an exceedingly happy one; one most admirably taken

Upper Carboniferous of Southwestern Iowa

The district at hand is one somewhat remote from any known field of productive Coal Measures, but being Upper Carboniferous in age is a region to which considerable geological and economical interest has been attached. There has always been an anticipation of finding heavy fuel veins, but as yet these looked-for strata have not been positively located. Reports, often manufactured, and the meeting of thinner veins of coal, have led to the increased expectations now prevalent in the district

Cement Materials in Iowa

Sometime after the discovery of massive deposits of the Cretaceous chalk in the northwestern portion of the state the question arose as to the adaptability thereof-- whether this calcareous material might be considered of any practical value and if so what means should be taken to reduce it preparatory to its application. Certain initiatory steps were undertaken towards determining these points but as yet but little has been done. Chemical analyses have been made of the rock and test shafts put down in order to ascertain the thickness of the beds, but further development has never been attempted

The In Vitro Permeability Of Skin And Buccal Mucosa To Selected Drugs And Tritiated Water

The permeability of whole human skin, human dermis, whole pig skin, and canine buccal mucosa have been determined for four chemically different solutes: tritiated water, amphetamine, estradiol, and ouabain. Several new in vitro techniques for isolation, preservation, and permeability determination of these membranous tissues are described. Water permeabilities of human epidermis and dermis using these techniques agree well with published results. Human and porcine skins are very similar with respect to water permeability, while buccal mucosa is similar to dermis in its permeability characteristics to the four representative test agents. The permeability of hydrated whole skin is determined by the permeability of the epidermis, and the dermis and buccal mucosa behave as if they are water barriers exhibiting a permeability of about 30% of the diffusion through pure water, a difference that can be ascribed to the porosity and/or tortuosity of the tissue matrix

Enhancing bowel cancer surgery recovery through information design

Bowel surgery is the most common treatment for numerous bowel diseases Including cancer. The provision of Information before and after bowel surgery Is an Important element of recovery. Pre-operative education assists In the psychological preparation for surgery, which has been shown to have a positive Impact on patient satisfaction, pain management, and the duration of hospital stay. Traditionally, Information Is provided before surgery and delivered In text heavy written format, which presents a number of challenges, such as patients feeling overwhelmed, especially when diagnoses of cancer and plans for major surgery are discussed concurrently. Previous evidence also shows patients desire to be pro-actively Involved In their recovery. Unfortunately, the development of new education Interventions uncommonly Involves patients and other Information specialists In their design. To tackle this problem, a mixed-methods user-centered design approach was conducted to redesign an existing patient Information booklet In order to meet patient needs and Improve communication among patients and medical staff. For example, among other methods, a 'within co-design' approach was used to Identify stakeholder needs. Several usability tests and Iterations were conducted throughout the design development to create a more visualized design format that follows research-based cognitive and design principles. Empirical testing was then conducted to evaluate and validate the final booklet design, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. Results show significant differences In performance and users' preference between text dense Information and a combination of text and visualized Information. This In-depth research focusing on the booklet was then followed by the development of companion outputs (website and environmental Infographics) through the same mixed-methods user-centered design approach. All In all, this study provides significant evidence and Important guidelines on how to effectively communicate bowel surgery recovery Information to patients, In order to Increase their understanding and active role In their recovery, as well as minimize their uncertainties and anxiety. Although focusing on a specific scenario, these findings are also widely applicable to many forms of healthcare Information

The impact of neglecting user-centered information design principles when delivering online information: Cyber security awareness websites as a case study

Information design principles are overlooked in cyber security awareness websites. An Information Design Process Model was devised to help frame and interpret how online information is processed and the role information design principles have in facilitating that processing. Two websites were then compared, and results show significant differences in terms of performance, behavior and perception. The results also show that in situations where serious information is at stake (such as cyber security), a more accessible design does not seem to be sufficient to project a sense of trust and security among users. All these findings led to original insights regarding the design of online information in terms of lasting impression and user-centered design approaches

Infrared-Faint Radio Sources: A New Population of High-redshift Radio Galaxies

We present a sample of 1317 Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) that, for the first time, are reliably detected in the infrared, generated by cross-correlating the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey with major radio surveys. Our IFRSs are brighter in both radio and infrared than the first generation IFRSs that were undetected in the infrared by the Spitzer Space Telescope. We present the first spectroscopic redshifts of IFRSs, and find that all but one of the IFRSs with spectroscopy has z > 2. We also report the first X-ray counterparts of IFRSs, and present an analysis of radio spectra and polarization, and show that they include Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum, Compact Steep Spectrum, and Ultra-Steep Spectrum sources. These results, together with their WISE infrared colours and radio morphologies, imply that our sample of IFRSs represents a population of radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei at z > 2. We conclude that our sample consists of lower-redshift counterparts of the extreme first generation IFRSs, suggesting that the fainter IFRSs are at even higher redshift.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to MNRA