Relaxation dynamics at different time scales in electrostatic complexes: Time-salt superposition

In this Letter we show that in the rheology of electrostatically assembled soft materials, salt concentration plays a similar role as temperature for polymer melts, and as strain rate for soft solids. We rescale linear and nonlinear rheological data of a set of model electrostatic complexes at different salt concentrations to access a range of time scales that is otherwise inaccessible. This provides new insights into the relaxation mechanisms of electrostatic complexes, which we rationalize in terms of a microscopic mechanism underlying salt-enhanced activated processe

Overall animal welfare assessment reviewed. Part 1: Is it possible?

Several authors have concluded that scientists should not attempt to perform overall animal welfare assessment (OWA). They argue that scientists have continued to fail to make progress in this area and that value judgements are inherently involved in OWA for which science cannot provide answers. We take a more positive attitude toward OWA and argue that scientists should avoid creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. OWA is necessary for making actual moral and political decisions. Science has already accumulated much relevant information about welfare and this information should be applied in decision making. The task of OW A is to assess welfare based on knowledge of the biological needs of animals. Weighting of welfare relevant factors constitutes a problem. However, when scientists cannot provide empirical data to solve weighting issues, this does not mean that rational answers cannot be found, e.g. in the form of procedural rules. OWA is conceived as a problem of multi-criteria decision making with fuzzy information. It focuses on the descriptive aspect of welfare, i.e. on what the welfare status of the animals really is without taking an ethical stance. The welfare status of animals depends on their biology and on the way animals assess their own welfare. It does not depend on how it happens to be perceived by us. Even though OWA necessarily remains a human activity, it is not arbitrary, nor does it allow of multiple \u27correct\u27 answers. OWA is a descriptive activity that can achieve more and more accuracy as science proceeds

Overall animal welfare reviewed. Part 2: Assessment tables and schemes

In the scientific literature several attempts have been made to systematically assess the overall welfare-status of animals in relation to housing and management. This paper reviews assessment tables and schemes that have been constructed to this end. These tables and schemes have a tabular format that allows an assessment of housing systems using a list of welfare-relevant attributes (properties of the housing system). Rather than identifying deficits, the focus of this review is on finding positive recommendations for the purpose of developing a method for overall welfare assessment (OWA) on a scientific basis. The main recommendation is to use the tabular format as representation formalism for OWA. The concept of linked tables provides the key to performing OWA on a scientific basis in an explicit and systematic way

Overall animal welfare reviewed. Part 3: Welfare assessment based on needs and supported by expert opinion

Welfare concerns what matters to animals from their point of view. What matters to animals is their state of need. Satisfaction and frustration of needs are associated with emotional states, the subjective experience of which directly determines the welfare status of an animal. Because emotional states are difficult to assess, overall welfare assessment (OWA) is best approached as an assessment of needs. For actual OW A a list of needs must be formulated. Different authors have formulated different lists. From these lists a concept need-list was constructed. For validation the needs-based approach for OWA was discussed in interviews with experts (n = 21) in the field of ethology and other welfare related sciences. These experts generally used mental terminology to define welfare, but when asked to classify their definition of welfare, many preferred a definition in terms of measurable parameters or a combination of both mental terms (feelings) and measurables. Most experts believed that welfare can be assessed objectively and that the problem of OWA is indeed best approached through an assessment of needs. Experts differ as to the exact composition of the list of needs. A list of needs is formulated which we intend to use for OWA in the case of sows

Corrosion of Pipe Steel in CO2 Containing Impurities and Possible Solutions

AbstractCO2 flue gases acquired from different sources contain a significant amount of impurities and water, which are corrosive to the pipeline steel. To design the pipelines for large scale of CO2 flue gas transport, the corrosion of pipeline steels has to be investigated in the realistic conditions. In this paper, corrosion behaviour of steel S355 and stainless steel 316L in CO2 flue gas solutions has been investigated using electrochemical techniques in an autoclave. The corrosion rates of the steels in different environments were measured by polarization and mass loss measurements. The corrosion morphology and products on the steel surface were analyzed by photo- and electron microscope and x-ray diffraction, respectively. Three types of polymer coatings on the steel S355 have been studied in 3.5% NaCl solution plus CO2 in the autoclave at 100bar and 60°C. The corrosion resistance of the coatings has been measured by electrochemical impedance measurements. The structures and the adhesion of the coatings before and after the autoclave tests have been investigated using microscope and pull-off test. The results show that the Coating B has better corrosion resistance than the other two types of coatings, which is a good candidate for internal coatings of a pipeline

Патогенетическое значение эндотелиальной дисфункции при первичной глаукоме

В эксперименте на модели глаукомы установлено, что дизрегуляция эндотелиальных факторов сосудистого тонуса (ЭТ-1, NO) вызывала формирование дисфункции эндотелия, которая усиливалась гиперхолестеринемией и дислипопротеидемией, а также патологическим уровнем перекисного окисления липидов. Эндотелиальная дисфункция способствовала дизрегуляции гемо- и гидродинамики глаз и развитию ишемично-реперфузионного повреждения нервных тканей глаза, что позволяет считать этот фактор патогенетическим в развитии глаукомы.The experiment with glaucoma model showed that dysregulation of endothelial factors of vascular tone (ET-1 and NO) determined the development of endothelial dysfunction. This process was intensified by hypercholesteremia, dyslipoproteidemia and high level of lipid peroxidation. Endothelial dysfunction induced changes in the eye hemo- and hydrodynamics as a development of ischemia-reperfusion injury of the eye nerve tissues. It let us consider this process to be pathogenetic one in glaucoma pathology

Better Safe than Sorry - Socio-Spatial Group Structure Emerges from Individual Variation in Fleeing, Avoidance or Velocity in an Agent-Based Model

In group-living animals, such as primates, the average spatial group structure often reflects the dominance hierarchy, with central dominants and peripheral subordinates. This central-peripheral group structure can arise by self-organization as a result of subordinates fleeing from dominants after losing a fight. However, in real primates, subordinates often avoid interactions with potentially aggressive group members, thereby preventing aggression and subsequent fleeing. Using agent-based modeling, we investigated which spatial and encounter structures emerge when subordinates also avoid known potential aggressors at a distance as compared with the model which only included fleeing after losing a fight (fleeing model). A central-peripheral group structure emerged in most conditions. When avoidance was employed at small or intermediate distances, centrality of dominants emerged similar to the fleeing model, but in a more pronounced way. This result was also found when fleeing after a fight was made independent of dominance rank, i.e. occurred randomly. Employing avoidance at larger distances yielded more spread out groups. This provides a possible explanation of larger group spread in more aggressive species. With avoidance at very large distances, spatially and socially distinct subgroups emerged. We also investigated how encounters were distributed amongst group members. In the fleeing model all individuals encountered all group members equally often, whereas in the avoidance model encounters occurred mostly among similar-ranking individuals. Finally, we also identified a very general and simple mechanism causing a central-peripheral group structure: when individuals merely differed in velocity, faster individuals automatically ended up at the periphery. In summary, a central-peripheral group pattern can easily emerge from individual variation in different movement properties in general, such as fleeing, avoidance or velocity. Moreover, avoidance behavior also affects the encounter structure and can lead to subgroup formation