A Study of the Oxidation Stability of Lubricating Oils

This past year, research work was done on the oxidation of lubricating oils. Since this is the first year that this research project has been carried out, our work was mainly directed towards finding ways of attacking the study of the oxidation of lubricating oils. We have found a few paths which warrant further investigations

Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Design: Economic Theory and Selected Case Studies

A core characteristic of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies is that they place some responsibility for a product’s end-of-life environmental impacts on the original producer and seller of that product. The intent is to provide incentives for producers to make design changes that reduce waste, such as improving product recyclability and reusability, reducing material usage, and downsizing products. This paper assesses whether the range of policies that fall under the EPR umbrella can spur this “design for environment” (DfE). It summarizes the economics literature on the issue and describes conceptually how policies should affect design. It then analyzes three case studies in detail and two more case studies more briefly. The conclusion reached is that some DfE—especially reductions in material use and product downsizing—can be achieved with most EPR policies, including producer take-back mandates and combined fee/subsidy approaches. However, none of these alternative policies as they are currently implemented are likely to have a large impact on other aspects of DfE.design for environment, recycling, waste management, incentive-based policy instruments

Corrective Advertising and the FTC: No, Virginia, Wonder Bread Doesn\u27t Help Build Strong Bodies Twelve Ways

This Note will outline the development and theory of corrective advertising. In particular, it will discuss the residual effects of deceptive advertising, which are the basis for a corrective remedy. The Commission\u27s statutory authority to require corrective advertising will then be explored: the analysis will compare corrective advertising with other types of affirmative disclosure required by the Commission and relate it to the present use of divestiture as a trade regulation remedy. Finally, the possible public benefit accruing from corrective advertising will be considered, along with some thoughts on what policies the FTC should pursue in order to maximize that benefit

IEC 60296 (Ed. 5) – a standard for classification of mineral insulating oil on performance and not on the origin

The revision of the standard IEC 60296, Ed. 4.0 resulting in IEC 60296, Ed. 5.0 had three main aims: to set up a standard based on the performance of mineral insulating oil and not on the origin, to distinguish between good and bad mineral insulating oils, and to protect the user providing adequate testing parameters. In addition, there are several exciting news and changes in the new version of the standard compared to the previous versions

Structure of a Complete Integrin Ectodomain in a Physiologic Resting State and Activation and Deactivation by Applied Forces

The complete ectodomain of integrin αIIbβ3 reveals a bent, closed, low-affinity conformation, the β knee, and a mechanism for linking cytoskeleton attachment to high affinity for ligand. Ca and Mg ions in the recognition site, including the synergistic metal ion binding site (SyMBS), are loaded prior to ligand binding. Electrophilicity of the ligand-binding Mg ion is increased in the open conformation. The β3 knee passes between the β3-PSI and αIIb-knob to bury the lower β leg in a cleft, from which it is released for extension. Different integrin molecules in crystals and EM reveal breathing that appears on pathway to extension. Tensile force applied to the extended ligand-receptor complex stabilizes the closed, low-affinity conformation. By contrast, an additional lateral force applied to the β subunit to mimic attachment to moving actin filaments stabilizes the open, high-affinity conformation. This mechanism propagates allostery over long distances and couples cytoskeleton attachment of integrins to their high-affinity state. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved