Calibration-free laser-induced plasma analysis of a metallic alloy with self-absorption correction

Identification and concentration measurement of constituent elements of a metallic alloy is demonstrated by calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) according to a special peak intensity-based model and considering the self-absorption effect. In this procedure, which is based on the line pair ratio method, the effect of line widths, though needs to be theoretically considered, may be approximately ignored. This is mainly true for the multiplet lines, but this property, in the case of some generic spectral lines in a measured spectrum, can be sometimes regarded. Initially, the optical penetration depth and therefrom self-absorption coefficient of each selected spectral line is calculated using the experimental (self-absorbed) intensity of the line. Then, the true (non-self-absorbed) intensity, which is basis of the conventional CF-LIBS calculation, is obtained through a recursive algorithm implemented by the MATLAB programming. In the experimental examination, the recorded spectrum reflects that the metallic alloy is consisted of gold, copper and silver. The concentration of elements is calculated with and without regarding self-absorption correction using 27 trios of spectral lines related to the elements. The average concentrations signify that the measurement error relative to the certified value for the concentration of the gold is modified from 3.56 % in the normal way to 0.34 % after applying self-absorption correction.     

Size-dependent axial buckling analysis of functionally graded circular cylindrical microshells based on the modified strain gradient elasticity theory

In this paper, a size-dependent first-order shear deformable shell model is developed based upon the modified strain gradient theory (MSGT) for the axial buckling analysis of functionally graded (FG) circular cylindrical microshells. It is assumed that the material properties of FG materials, which obey a simple power-law distribution, vary through the thickness direction. The principle of virtual work is utilized to formulate the governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented for the axial buckling of FG circular cylindrical microshells subject to simply-supported end conditions and the effects of material length scale parameter, material property gradient index, length-to-radius ratio and circumferential mode number on the size-dependent critical buckling load are extensively studied. For comparison purpose, the critical buckling loads predicted by modified couple stress theory (MCST) and classical theory (CT) are also presented. Results show that the size effect plays an important role for lower values of dimensionless length scale parameter. Moreover, it is observed that the critical buckling loads obtained based on MSGT are greater than those obtained based on MCST and CT.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Anthemis altissima L. var. altissima

The essential oil obtained from the flowering parts of Anthemis altissima L. var. altissima was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. In this study, 34 compounds representing 98.76% of the essential oil were identified. The main components were α-terpineol (26.42%), β-pinene (9.23%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (6.30%), globulol (5.36%), n-tricosane (4.41%), terpinen-4-ol (4.08%) and 1,8 cineole (3.84%). Antibacterial activities of the essential oil and its two major components (α-terpineol and β-pinene) were determined using microdilution method against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria. The essential oil showed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity (MICs ranged from 3.13 to 6.25?μL?mL(-1)). It was found that α-terpineol with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the range 0.87-1.56?μL?mL(-1) was a more potent antibacterial agent than β-pinene with MIC values of the range 1.56-6.25?μL?mL(-1). All of them, the essential oil, β-pinene and α-terpineol, were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative ones.     

Optical band gap and conductivity measurements of polypyrrole-chitosan composite thin films

Electrical conductivity and optical properties of polypyrrole-chitosan（PPy-CHI） conducting polymer composites have been investigated to determine the optical transition characteristics and energy band gap of composite films.The two electrode method and I-V characteristic technique were used to measure the conductivity of the PPy-CHI thin films,and the optical band gap was obtained from their ultraviolet absorption edges.Depending upon experimental parameter,the optical band gap（E_g） was found within 1.30-2.32 eV as estimated from optical absorption data.The band gap of the composite films decreased as the CHI content increased.The room temperature electrical conductivity of PPy-CHI thin films was found in the range of 5.84×10^-7-15.25×10^-7 S·cm^-1 depending on the chitosan content.The thermogravimetry analysis（TGA） showed that the CHI can improve the thermal stability of PPy-CHI composite films.     

Developments in hollow fiber based liquid-phase microextraction: principles and applications

Hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) offers an efficient alternative to classical techniques for sample preparation and preconcentration. Features include high selectivity, good enrichment factors, and improved possibilities for automation. HP-LPME relies on the extraction of target analytes from aqueous samples into a supported liquid membrane (SLM) sustained in the pores of the wall of a porous hollow fiber, and then into an acceptor phase (that can be aqueous or organic) in the lumen of the hollow fiber. After extraction, the acceptor solution is directly subjected to a chemical analysis. HP-LPME can be performed in either the 2- or 3-phases mode. In the 2-phase mode, the organic solvent is present both in the porous wall and inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. In the 3-phase mode, the acceptor phase can be aqueous and this results in a conventional 3-phase system compatible with HPLC or capillary electrophoresis. Alternatively, the acceptor solution is organic and this represents a 3-phase extraction system with two immiscible organic solvents that is compatible with all common analytical instruments. In HP-LPME methods based on the use of SLMs, the mass transfer occurs by passive diffusion, and high extraction yields as well as efficient extraction kinetics are obtained by applying a pH gradient. In addition, active transport can be performed by using carrier or applying an electrical potential across the SLM. Due to high analyte preconcentration, excellent sample clean-up, and low consumption of organic solvent, HF-LPME has a large application potential in areas such as drug analysis and environmental monitoring. This review focuses on the fundamentals of extraction principles, technical implementations, and future trends in HF-LPME.

Synthesis and Characterization of Single-Phase Cubic ZrO2 Spherical Nanocrystals by Decomposition Route

A simple thermal decomposition route has been developed to prepare single-phase cubic ZrO₂ nanospheres by [Zr(sal)₃(H₂O)₂](NO₃) as the new precursor. The ZrO₂ nanocrystals have been prepared by bis-aqua, tris-salicylaldehydato zirconium(IV) nitrate; [Zr(sal)₃(H₂O)₂](NO₃), as precursor in oleylamine (C₁₈H₃₇N) and triphenylphosphine (C₁₈H₁₅P). To control the particle size, combination of C₁₈H₃₇N and C₁₈H₁₅P were applied as surfactants. The C₁₈H₃₇N and C₁₈H₁₅P play an important role in preventing aggregation of ZrO₂ nanocrystals. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to depict the phase and morphology. The FT-IR spectrum showed the purity of obtained ZrO₂ nanocrystals with cubic phase.     

Hierarchical approach of seismic full waveform inversion

Full waveform inversion (FWI) of seismic traces recorded at the free surface allows the reconstruction of the physical parameters structure on the underlying medium. For such a reconstruction, an optimization problem is defined, where synthetic traces, obtained through numerical techniques as finite-difference or finite-element methods in a given model of the subsurface, should match the observed traces. The number of data samples is routinely around 1 billion for 2D problems and 1 trillion for 3D problems while the number of parameters ranges from 1 million to 10 million degrees of freedom. Moreover, if one defines the mismatch as the standard least-squares norm between values sampled in time/frequency and space, the misfit function has a significant number of secondary minima related to the ill-posedness and the nonlinearity of the inversion problem linked to the so-called cycle skipping. Taking into account the size of the problem, we consider a local linearized method where gradient is computed using the adjoint formulation of the seismic wave propagation problem. Starting for an initial model, we consider a quasi-Newtonian method, which allows us to formulate the reconstruction of various parameters such as P and S waves velocities or density or attenuation factors. A hierarchical strategy based on the incremental increase of the data complexity starting from low-frequency content to high-frequency content, from initial wavelets to later phases in the data space from narrow azimuths to wide azimuths and from simple observables to more complex ones. Different synthetic examples on realistic structures illustrate the efficiency of this strategy based on the data manipulation. This strategy related to the data space has to be inserted into a more global framework where we could improve significantly the probability to converge to the global minimum. When considering the model space, we may rely on the construction of the initial model or add constraints such as smoothness of the searched model and/or prior informations collected by other means. An alternative strategy concerns the building of the objective function and various possibilities must be considered, which may increase the linearity of the inversion procedure.     

Nuclear Level Density with Non-zero Angular Momentum

The statistical properties of interacting fermions have been studied for various angular momentum with the inclusion of pairing interaction. The dependence of the critical temperature on angular momentum for several nuclei, have been studied. The yrast energy as a function of angular momentum for 28Si and 24 Mg nuclei have been calculated up to 60.0 MeV of excitation energy. The computed limiting angular momenta are compared with the experimental results for ^26Al produced by ^12C＋ 14N reaction. The relevant nuclear level densities for non-zero angular momentum have been computed for ^44Ti and ^136 Ba nuclei. The results are compared with their corresponding values obtained from the approximate formulas.