A library of thermoresponsive PEG-based methacrylate homopolymers: How do the molar mass and number of ethylene glycol groups affect the cloud point?

In this study, a novel library of thermoresponsive homopolymers based on poly (ethylene glycol) (EG) (m)ethyl ether methacrylate monomers is presented. Twenty‐seven EG based homopolymers were synthesized and three parameters, the molar mass (MM), the number of the ethylene glycol groups in the monomer, and the chemistry of the functional side group were varied to investigate how these affect their thermoresponsive behavior. The targeted MMs of these polymers are varied from 2560, 5000, 8200 to 12,000 g mol−1. Seven PEG‐based monomers were investigated: ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (MEGMA), ethylene glycol ethyl ether methacrylate (EEGMA), di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA), tri(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (TEGMA), tri(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate (TEGEMA), penta(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA), nona(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (NEGMA). Homopolymers of 2‐(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were also synthesized for comparison. The cloud points of these homopolymers were tested in different solvents and it was observed that it decreases as the number of EG group was decreased or the MM increased. Interestingly, the end functional group (methoxy or ethoxy) of the side group has an effect as well and is even more dominant than the number of EG groups

Scalable syntheses of well-defined pentadecablock bipolymer and quintopolymer

The one-pot syntheses of two pentadeca-(15)-block methacrylate-based amphiphilic copolymers, specifically a bipolymer (AB)7A and a quintopolymer (ABCDE)3, are being reported using a fast and easy to scale up procedure that does not require any intermediate purification steps. Both syntheses were carried out using sequential group transfer polymerisation (GTP) and took under 3.5 h. Amino-containing (DMAEMA, DEAEMA), ether (THFMA, MEGMA) and alkyl (EtMA) methacrylates were used to produce the multiblock copolymers with a final Đ < 1.3

Nucleon form factors and moments of parton distributions in twisted mass lattice QCD

We present results on the electroweak form factors and on the lower moments of parton distributions of the nucleon, within lattice QCD using two dynamical flavors of degenerate twisted mass fermions. Results are obtained on lattices with three different values of the lattice spacings, namely a=0.089 fm, a=0.070 fm and a=0.056 fm, allowing the investigation of cut-off effects. The volume dependence is examined by comparing results on two lattices of spatial length L=2.1 fm and L=2.8 fm. The simulations span pion masses in the range of 260-470 MeV. Our results are renormalized non-perturbatively and the values are given in the MS-scheme at a scale mu=2 GeV.Comment: Talk presented in the XXIst International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, 21-27 July 2011, Grenoble, Rhones Alpes Franc

Renormalization constants of local operators for Wilson type improved fermions

Perturbative and non-perturbative results are presented on the renormalization constants of the quark field and the vector, axial-vector, pseudoscalar, scalar and tensor currents. The perturbative computation, carried out at one-loop level and up to second order in the lattice spacing, is performed for a fermion action, which includes the clover term and the twisted mass parameter yielding results that are applicable for unimproved Wilson fermions, as well as for improved clover and twisted mass fermions. We consider ten variants of the Symanzik improved gauge action corresponding to ten different values of the plaquette coefficients. Non-perturbative results are obtained using the twisted mass Wilson fermion formulation employing two degenerate dynamical quarks and the tree-level Symanzik improved gluon action. The simulations are performed for pion masses in the range of 480 MeV to 260 MeV and at three values of the lattice spacing, a, corresponding to beta=3.9, 4.05, 4.20. For each renormalization factor computed non-perturbatively we subtract its perturbative O(a^2) terms so that we eliminate part of the cut-off artifacts. The renormalization constants are converted to MS-bar at a scale of mu=2 GeV. The perturbative results depend on a large number of parameters and are made easily accessible to the reader by including them in the distribution package of this paper, as a Mathematica input file.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figures and 6 tables. The results are included in electronic form (Mathematica files

Dynamic interpersonal therapy for moderate to severe depression: A pilot randomized controlled and feasibility trial

Background: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services treat most patients in England who present to primary care with major depression. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is one of the psychotherapies offered. Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) is a psychodynamic and mentalization-based treatment for depression. 16 sessions are delivered over approximately 5 months. Neither DIT's effectiveness relative to low-intensity treatment (LIT), nor the feasibility of randomizing patients to psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioural treatments (CBT) in an IAPT setting has been demonstrated. Methods: 147 patients were randomized in a 3:2:1 ratio to DIT (n = 73), LIT (control intervention; n = 54) or CBT (n = 20) in four IAPT treatment services in a combined superiority and feasibility design. Patients meeting criteria for major depressive disorder were assessed at baseline, mid-treatment (3 months) and post-treatment (6 months) using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and other self-rated questionnaire measures. Patients receiving DIT were also followed up 6 months post-completion. Results: The DIT arm showed significantly lower HRSD-17 scores at the 6-month primary end-point compared with LIT (d = 0.70). Significantly more DIT patients (51%) showed clinically significant change on the HRSD-17 compared with LIT (9%). The DIT and CBT arms showed equivalence on most outcomes. Results were similar with the BDI-II. DIT showed benefit across a range of secondary outcomes.ConclusionsDIT delivered in a primary care setting is superior to LIT and can be appropriately compared with CBT in future RCTs

A review of the valorization and management of industrial spent catalyst waste in the context of sustainable practice: The case of the State of Kuwait in parallel to European industry

Industrial solid waste management encompasses a vital part of developed and developing countries strategies alike. It manages waste generated from vital industries and governs the hazardous waste generated as a major component of integrated waste management strategies. This article reviews the practices that govern the management approaches utilized in the developed world for industrial spent catalysts. It critically assesses the current situation of waste management within the developing world region focusing on the industrial waste component, in a novel attempt to crucially develop a strategy for a way forward based on best practices and future directions with major European industries. The review also draws parallels with European countries to compare their practices with those of the State of Kuwait, which rely solely on landfilling for the management of its industrial waste. Spent catalysts recovery methods are discussed at length covering conventional methods of valuable metals and chemicals recovery (e.g., hydrometallurgical, solid–liquid and liquid–liquid extraction) as well as biological recovery methods. A major gap exists within regulations that govern the practice of managing industrial waste in Kuwait, where it is essential to start regulating industries that generate spent catalysts in-view of encouraging the establishment of valorization industries for metal and chemical recovery. This will also create a sustainable practice within state borders, and can reduce the environmental impact of landfilling such waste in Kuwait