Acousto-optical method for measuring wet fiber flexibility

"August 1995.""Submitted to Journal of Pulp and Paper Science.

Identification of elderly fallers by muscle strength measures

For efficient prevention of falls among older adults, individuals at a high risk of falling need to be identified. In this study, we searched for muscle strength measures that best identified those individuals who would fall after a gait perturbation and those who recovered their balance. Seventeen healthy older adults performed a range of muscle strength tests. We measured maximum and rate of development of ankle plantar flexion moment, knee extension moment and whole leg push-off force, as well as maximum jump height and hand grip strength. Subsequently, their capacity to regain balance after tripping over an obstacle was determined experimentally. Seven of the participants were classified as fallers based on the tripping outcome. Maximum isometric push-off force in a leg press apparatus was the best measure to identify the fallers, as cross-validation of a discriminant model with this variable resulted in the best classification (86% sensitivity and 90% specificity). Jump height and hand grip strength were strongly correlated to leg press force (r = 0.82 and 0.59, respectively) and can also be used to identify fallers, although with slightly lower specificity. These results indicate that whole leg extension strength is associated with the ability to prevent a fall after a gait perturbation and might be used to identify the elderly at risk of falling

Exciton/Charge-transfer Electronic Couplings in Organic Semiconductors

Charge transfer (CT) states and excitons are important in energy conversion processes that occur in organic light emitting devices (OLEDS) and organic solar cells. An ab initio density functional theory (DFT) method for obtaining CT−exciton electronic couplings between CT states and excitons is presented. This method is applied to two organic heterodimers to obtain their CT−exciton coupling and adiabatic energy surfaces near their CT−exciton diabatic surface crossings. The results show that the new method provides a new window into the role of CT states in exciton−exciton transitions within organic semiconductors.United States. Dept. of Energy (DEFG02- 07ER46474)David & Lucile Packard Foundation (Fellowship

Chemistry of an oxidative alkaline extraction between chlorine dioxide stages

Ph.D

Biobleaching of kraft pulps with laccase and Hydroxybenzotriazole

"October 1997.""Submitted to TAPPI Pulping Conference, San Francisco, California, October 19-23, 1997.

Comparison of oxidative alkaline extraction reaction's impact on pulp properties and the environment

"March 1998.""Submitted to 1998 International Pulp Bleaching Conference Helsinki, Finland June 1-5, 1998.

NMR analysis of oxidative alkaline extraction stage lignins

"August 1998.""Submitted to Holzforschung

Comparison of effluent molecular weight distributions of effluent lignin of various oxidative alkaline extraction stages

"January 1998.""Submitted to Tappi Journal

Advances in understanding the basics of the first alkaline extraction stage in bleaching

"August 1997.""Submitted to 1997 TAPPI Pulping and Bleaching Conference, San Francisco, California, October 19-23, 1997.