Coatings Research Institute

ABSTRACT In order to enhance the hydrophobic and anticorrosive properties of castor oil‐based polyurethane (CO‐PU), γ‐glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH‐560, an epoxy‐functional silane) was selected for surface modification of Nano‐SiO 2 . The modified Nano‐SiO 2 was incorporated into an organosilane‐modified CO‐PU (CKPU) matrix to produce a series of nano‐SiO 2 ‐modified castor oil‐based polyurethane composites (CKPU‐Nano). While previous studies (e.g., Xiaoyan Gao et al. on synthesis, Hao‐Jie Song et al. on tribology, and Xiaoli Wei et al. on super‐hydrophobicity) have explored polyurethane/SiO 2 nanocomposites, this work uniquely focuses on a biomass‐derived polyurethane substrate for eco‐friendly coating applications. The investigation was characterized by a combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the effects of varying Nano‐SiO 2 mass ratios on the properties of CKPU‐Nano, including tensile properties, water contact angle, gloss, electrochemistry, and resistance to liquid media. The findings demonstrated that the composite performance was optimal with 1 wt% Nano‐SiO 2 incorporation. The composite coating exhibited a maximum water contact angle of 93°, a corrosion potential ( E cor ) of −0.345 V, a corrosion current density ( I corr ) of 1.88 × 10 −7 A/cm 2 , and a polarization resistance ( R p ) of 122.46 kΩ cm 2 after immersion in a 3.5% NaCl solution. These findings provide a research strategy for expanding the application of sustainable, biomass‐based polyurethanes with high‐performance hydrophobic and anticorrosive properties.

Ushbu maqola Alsgeymer, Parkinson kabi keng tarqalgan degenerativ kasalliklardagi neyropsixik buzilishlarga bag‘ishlangan bo‘lib, ularning bemorlar hayot sifatiga jiddiy ta’sirini ko‘rsatadi. Asosiy klinik ko‘rinishlar, patofiziologik asoslar, zamonaviy diagnostika va davolash ya’ni farmakologik hamda nofarmakologik yondashuvlari umumlashtirilgan. Shuningdek, ushbu muhim buzilishlarni tushunish va samarali boshqarishga yordam berish kabi holatlar batafsil yoritilgan

El presente artículo trata del día a día de la vida de un coro, de los requisitos que se precisan para cantar, las actitudes que se demandan, de los múltiples aspectos que se tienen que tener en cuenta más allá de los estrictamente musicales y, naturalmente, de los beneficios psicofísicos del canto coral. Cantar nos hace más felices, pero el camino para cantar cada vez mejor es largo y laborioso. El canto individual tiene sus particularidades y el canto colectivo tiene otras, aunque ambas coincidan en la necesidad de trabajo, rigor y actitud positiva. Algunos aspectos de la vida coral que se repasan son: la existencia de muchos coros y la diversidad de ellos, la importancia de la técnica vocal, las diferentes fases de un ensayo, las distintas responsabilidades del director coral, la falta de voces masculinas, la necesidad de asistencia a los ensayos, las bondades del canto como elemento generador de satisfacción personal y colectiva, el color de cada voz o los criterios para elegir el repertorio adecuado.

(1) Background: Interventions addressing the health literacy (HL) of people suffering from an illness such as cancer can improve the understanding of the illness and lead to better-adapted behaviors, regarding the participation in cancer screenings, adhering to the complex multimodal therapy, participating in cancer treatment, and self-managing everyday health. This study provides a review of systematic reviews that include intervention articles addressing the HL of patients, healthcare professionals, and/or organizations in cancer, to identify the factors related to their effectiveness, as well as the missing elements, in light of the recent developments in HL research and practice. (2) Methods: A literature search was performed in Embase, Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Science Direct. Existing published reviews of studies targeting the interventions in the oncology domain, and which explicitly mentioned HL as a factor/outcome, were included. (3) Results: One hundred and fifty-five studies were retrieved. Ten fit the criteria and were included in this review. (4) Conclusions: Most of the interventions addressing HL in people with cancer included the target patients' information and communication skills through education. To keep the full scope of the concept, as investigated in the recent literature, clinical applications of HL in patients with cancer should also consider organizational HL.

Hydrogen production via electrocatalytic water splitting is generally considered as an efficient and eco-friendly strategy for energy storage. The exploration of novel electrocatalytic cathode material towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has never ended. Laser induced graphene (LIG), as a cheap and porous material with large surface area, not only can be used as a carrier of active substances for collaborative catalysis towards hydrogen evolution, but also can be directly used as catalytic electrode via heteroatoms doping. We synthesized Fe3O4 embedded LIG via laser ablation of polyimide (PI)/Fe(acac)3 film and tested its HER electrocatalytic performance. An overpotential of 269 mV was obtained under the current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a slight current decay in the 10 h chronoamperometric examination in 1 M KOH electrolyte. This work provides an insight into methods of optimizing electrochemical properties and improving catalytic activity of LIG based materials. The performance of our Fe3O4 embedded LIG demonstrates the potential of LIG based materials as next generation HER electrocatalyst.

This paper studies the optimal fiscal treatment of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in an economy where individuals differ in their reproductive capacity (or fecundity) and in their wage. We find that the optimal ART tax policy varies with the postulated social welfare criterion. Utilitarianism redistributes only between individuals with unequal fecundity and wages but not between parents and childless individuals. To the opposite, ex post egalitarianism (which gives absolute priority to the worst-off in realized terms) redistributes from individuals with children toward those without children, and from individuals with high fecundity toward those with low fecundity, so as to compensate for both the monetary cost of ART and the disutility from involuntary childlessness resulting from unsuccessful ART investments. Under asymmetric information and in order to solve for the incentive problem, utilitarianism recommends to either tax or subsidize ART investments of low-fecundity-low-productivity individuals at the margin, depending on the degree of complementarity between fecundity and ART in the fertility technology. On the opposite, ex post egalitarianism always recommends marginal taxation of ART.

Abstract Polysulfide adhesives are often subjected to breakage or even fracture caused by highly loaded vibrations and large deformations from the wing, limiting their practical use in aircraft fuel tanks. Inserting polyurethanes into liquid polysulfide systems is a viable approach to strengthening their mechanical properties and avoiding nonuniform dispersion of the curing agent. In this contribution, a series of sulfur‐containing curing agents were prepared by liquid polysulfide and trimethylolpropane tris(3‐mercapto propionate) (TMPMP) to minimize the effect of the polysulfide‐urea (‐NHCOS‐) groups on water resistance. Subsequently, the two‐component polysulfide adhesives were successfully synthesized via the prepolymerization method, and their chemical structure, mechanical properties, and solvent resistance were systematically evaluated. As expected, the large introduction of sulfur linkages and ‐NHCOS‐ groups provided excellent oil resistance and strong mechanical properties for polysulfide adhesives. Notably, Samples 2‐4 exhibited the highest tensile strength of 1.11 ± 0.02 MPa, the greatest shear strength of 1.87 ± 0.04 MPa, and the best hardness of 81 ± 2 Shore A, with 122.0%, 523.3%, and 170.0% improvement over the control, respectively. Furthermore, the oil absorption rate of all samples was less than 3.0%, and their tensile strength remained almost unchanged after 30 days of immersion than before. We believe our paradigm can provide a valuable guideline for designing high‐performance polysulfide adhesives.

Abstract Slippery liquid‐infused porous surface (SLIPS) is received widespread attention in the antifouling field because of its dynamic slippery surface, but the limited effect of physical “anti‐adherence” and the problem of lubricant loss restrict its application for practical marine antifouling. Inspired by the self‐defensive function of P. pavoninus’s poisonous mucus, a SLIPS based on the reversible chemical bonds and the antibacterial effect of coumarin (CmSLIPS) is prepared, which addresses these disadvantages by responsively adaptive lubricity and durability. The CmSLIPS enables the “locking” and “unlocking” mode between lubricant and matrix via the reversible photodimerization of coumarin. It regulates the surface lubricity to adapt to the antifouling demand. The reversible chemical bonds of lubricant and matrix reduce lubricant loss and enhance the lubricant stability and antifouling durability. In addition to the physical anti‐adhesive barrier of SLIPS, the excellent antimicrobial property of coumarin groups further enhances the “biocidal” antifouling effect to improve long‐term antifouling durability. In summary, the CmSLIPS has surface stability, durability, responsively adaptive lubricity, efficient self‐cleaning, anti‐protein, anti‐bacterial, anti‐algae, self‐healing (92.85%) properties and 150‐day marine field antifouling performance during boom seasons, which maintains the satisfactory antifouling performance in the harsh marine environment and demonstrates the promising application in neritic sea equipment.

Sulla base di un esempio, gli autori trattano del fenomeno della corruzione fra privati (art. 322octies seg. CP) sul mercato immobiliare. In particolare, sono messe in risalto le problematicità legate all'art. 322octies cpv. 2 rispettivamente all'art. 322novies cpv. 2 CP, secondo cui il reato è perseguibile solo a querela di parte nei casi poco gravi. Tale distinzione, che costituisce un unicum all'interno del diritto penale svizzero, può portare a situazioni in cui la corruzione fra privati risulta punibile ai sensi di altre norme del Codice penale, ma non della normativa specifica.
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 Sur la base d'un exemple, les auteurs traitent du phénomène de la corruption privée (art. 322octies ss CP) sur le marché de l'immobilier. Ils soulignent en particulier les problèmes liés à l'art. 322octies al. 2 et art. 322novies al. 2 CP, selon lesquels l'infraction n'est poursuivie que sur plainte dans les cas de peu de gravité. Cette distinction, unique en droit pénal suisse, peut conduire à des situations où la corruption privée est certes punie par les dispositions relatives aux infractions contre le patrimoine, mais pas par les art. 322octies ss CP pourtant prévus à cet effet.
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 Auf Grundlage eines Beispiels erörtern die Autoren das Phänomen der Privatbestechung (Art. 322octiesff. StGB) im Immobiliensektor. Sie beleuchten insbesondere die Problematik, die daraus ensteht, dass das Delikt in einfachen Fällen nur auf Antrag verfolgt wird. Diese im schweizerischen Strafrecht einmalige Konstellation kann dazu führen, dass eine Bestechung zwischen Privatpersonen zwar nach den Bestimmungen des Vermögensstrafrechts strafbar ist, nicht aber nach den eigentlich dafür vorgesehenen korrputionsstrafrechtlichen Art. 322octiesff. StGB.