Simón Bolívar University

About: Simón Bolívar University is a education organization based out in Caracas, Venezuela. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Crystallization. The organization has 5912 authors who have published 8294 publications receiving 126152 citations.

Fractionated Crystallization and Fractionated Melting of Confined PEO Microdomains in PB-b-PEO and PE-b-PEO Diblock Copolymers

Abstract: The confined crystallization of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in predominantly spherical microdomains formed by several diblock copolymers was studied and compared. Two polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers were prepared by sequential anionic polymerization (with approximately 90 and 80 wt % polybutadiene (PB)). These were compared to equivalent samples after catalytic hydrogenation that produced double crystalline polyethylene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers. Both systems are segregated into microdomains as indicated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments performed in the melt and at lower temperatures. However, the PB-b-PEO systems exhibited a higher degree of order in the melt. A predominantly spherical morphology of PEO in a PB or a PE matrix was observed by both SAXS and transmission electron microscopy, although a possibly mixed morphology (spheres and cylinders) was formed when the PEO composition was close to the cylinder-sphere domain transitional composition as indicated by SAXS. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments showed that a fractionated crystallization process for the PEO occurred in all samples, indicating that the PE cannot nucleate PEO in these diblock copolymers. A novel result was the observation of a subsequent fractionated melting that reflected the crystallization process. Sequential isothermal crystallization experiments allowed us to thermally separate at least three different crystallization and melting peaks for the PEO microdomains. The lowest melting point fraction was the most important in terms of quantity and corresponded to the crystallization of isolated PEO spheres (or cylinders) that were either superficially or homogeneously nucleated. This was confirmed by Avrami index values of approximately 1. The isothermal crystallization results indicate that the PE matrix restricts the crystallization of the covalently bonded PEO to a higher degree compared to PB.

Developing Search Strategies for Detecting Relevant Experiments for Systematic Reviews

Abstract: Information retrieval is an important problem in any evidence-based discipline. Although evidence- based software engineering (EBSE) is not immune to this fact, this question has not been examined at length. The goal of this paper is to analyse the optimality of search strategies for use in systematic reviews. We tried out 29 search strategies using different terms and combinations of terms. We evaluated their sensitivity and precision with a view to finding an optimum strategy. From this study of search strategies we were able to analyse trends and weaknesses in terminology use in articles reporting experiments.

Responses to drought and flooding in tropical forage grasses. II: Leaf water potential, photosynthesis rate and alcohol dehydrogenase activity

Abstract: Long dry seasons or permanent flooding, typical of tropical savannas, severely limit the growth of pasture plants. This study compares the responses of water relations, carbon assimilation and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity to drought and flooding in four perennial C4 grasses: the tufted or caespitose Hyparrhenia rufa and Andropogon gayanus (CIAT 621) and the stoloniferous Brachiaria mutica and Echinochloa polystachya.