Aqueous solutions of alcohols are interesting because of their anomalous behavior that is believed to be due to the molecular structuring of water and alcohol around each other in solution. The interfacial structuring and properties are significant for application in alcohol purification processes and biomolecular structure. Here we study aqueous mixtures of short alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1...

Article history: Received January 26, 2013 Received in Revised form May 10, 2013 Accepted 20 May 2013 Available online 24 May 2013 Superabsorbent hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) were prepared by a crosslinking technique using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker. The hydrogel structure was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results from SEM observation showed a porous structu...

The effects of aqueous and deuterium oxide (D2O) solutions alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol) on the thermomechanical properties poly(lactic acid)—PLA—films were assessed by dynamic mechanical analysis. glass transition temperature (Tg) PLA films immersed in 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% (v/v) alcoholic compared with Tg water D2O. methanol ethanol decreased as concentration a...

addiction to drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and alcohol, exacts great human and financial costs on society. various evidence-based pharmacological and psychosocial interventions are currently used in the treatment of drug addiction but they do not produce adequate therapeutic benefits in every patient. further, barriers such as financial cost, lack of availability, or perceptions of existing tr...

A novel amperometric ethanol biosensor was constructed using alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) physically immobilized within poly(vinyl alcohol)-multiwalled carbon nanotube (PVA-MWCNT) composite obtained by a freezing-thawing process. It comprises a MWCNT conduit, a PVA binder, and an ADH function. The measurement of ethanol is based on the signal produced by beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (N...

Alcohol addiction is a complex disease with both hereditary and environmental influences. Because molecular determinants contributing to this phenotype are difficult to study in humans, numerous rodent models and conditioning paradigms have provided powerful tools to study the molecular complexities underlying these behavioral phenotypes. In particular, specifically bred rodents (i.e., selected...

Relative humidity monitorization is of extreme importance on scientific and industrial applications, fiber optics-based sensors may provide solutions where other types have limitations. In this work, optics’ were fabricated by combining Long-Period Fiber Gratings with three different humidity-responding polymers, namely Poly(vinyl alcohol), Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydromed™ D4. The performance th...

Alcohol and substance abuse are prevalent in our society. Advances in neuroscience have led to a clearer understanding of the effects of abused substances on the brain. Clues are now available regarding how a person goes from a "user" to being addicted based on brain chemistry, anatomy, and genetic risk. During this process the person loses at least partial, if not complete, control, over their...