SAXS signature of the lamellar ordering of ionic domains of perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomers by electric and magnetic field-assisted casting.

At present, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomers (PFSAs) are unable to fully determine the true shape of their building blocks, as recent SAXS modelling predicts disk- and rod-like nanoionic domains as being equally possible. This scenario requires evidence-based findings to unravel the real shape of PFSA building blocks. Herein, a SAXS pattern signature for a lamellar nanophase separation of the ionic domains of Nafion is presented, backed by mid and far infrared spectroscopy (MIR and FIR) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) data of Nafion in different ionic forms, a broad range of ionic phase contents (EW ∼ 859-42 252 g eq-1) and temperatures. The study indicates that the lamellar arrangement of the ionic domains is the most representative morphology that accounts for the physical properties of this ionomer. The lamellar SAXS reflections of Nafion are enhanced in electric and magnetic field-aligned membranes, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Electric and magnetic field-assisted casting of Nafion allowed producing nanostructured and anisotropic films with the lamellas stacked perpendicularly to the field vector, which is the direction of interest for several applications. Such nanostructured Nafion membranes are bestowed with advanced optical and proton transport properties, making them promising materials for solar and fuel cells.

High-velocity resistance exercise protocols in older women: effects on cardiovascular response.

Acute cardiovascular responses to different high-velocity resistance exercise protocols were compared in untrained older women. Twelve apparently healthy volunteers (62.6 ± 2.9 y) performed three different protocols in the bench press (BP). All protocols involved three sets of 10 repetitions performed with a 10RM load and 2 minutes of rest between sets. The continuous protocol (CP) involved ten repetitions with no pause between repetitions. The discontinuous protocols were performed with a pause of five (DP5) or 15 (DP15) seconds between the fifth and sixth repetitions. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), rate pressure product (RPP), Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and blood lactate (BLa) were assessed at baseline and at the end of all exercise sets. Factorial ANOVA was used to compare the cardiovascular response among different protocols. Compared to baseline, HR and RPP were significantly (p < 0.05) higher after the third set in all protocols. HR and RPP were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in DP5 and DP15 compared with CP for the BP exercise. Compared to baseline, RPE increased significantly (p < 0.05) with each subsequent set in all protocols. Blood lactate concentration during DP5 and DP15 was significantly lower than CP. It appears that discontinuous high-velocity resistance exercise has a lower cardiovascular demand than continuous resistance exercise in older women. Key pointsThe assessment of cardiovascular responses to high-velocity resistance exercise in older individuals is very important for exercise prescription and rehabilitation in elderly population.Discontinuous protocol decrease myocardial oxygen consumption (HR x SBP) during the performance of dynamic high-velocity resistance exercise in older women.The decrease in RPP (~ 8.5%) during the discontinuous protocol has clinical implications when developing high-velocity resistance exercise strategies for elderly individuals.