X-ray fluorescence in some rare earth and high Z elements excited by 661.6 keV γ-rays

The K-shell X-ray fluorescence cross sections are determined experimentally for 10 elements such as Pb, Hg, Ir, W, Lu, Tm, Dy, Tb, Gd and Nd at excitation energy of 661.6 keV associated with γ-rays of ¹³⁷Cs radioisotope. The technique employed involves the measurement of total intensity of fluorescent K X-rays that follow the photoeffect absorption of a known flux of γ-rays using a well type Nal(Tl) detector. The obtained results are compared with the available theoretical values and other measured values.     

PHASE BEHAVIOUR IN THE SYSTEM TRS 10-80/BUTANOL/PETROL D/SODIUM CHLORIDE

The phase diagrams for the system TRS 10-80/ butanol/Petrol D/sodium chloride show that the weight ratio B = TRS/butanol is very important for the stability of the microemulsion. R = 1 results in a very limited microemulsion region. Provided the ratio is >1.22 the minimum amount of (TRS+butanol) necessary to form a microemulsion, with equal amounts of water and Petrol D, is 15% and approximately independent of R.However, as R is increased the solubility of water in the (TRS+butanol) mixture is reduced and a liquid crystalline phase is formed. Its presence increases the viscosity and the kinetic stability of the emulsions formed at low content of Petrol D.

Addition of electrolyte reduces the minimum amount of (TRS+butanol) necessary to form a microemulsion. Furthermore, systems rich in water separate into two phases; an upper microemulsion phase and a lower aqueous phase. This can be explained in terms of a redistribution of the butanol from the aqueous phase to the oil phase. It is shown that, although the studied system contains unpurified technical products, the phase behaviour is very similar to that of model systems of pure chemicals.

X-ray diffraction showed that the liquid crystal line phase was lamellar. The thickness of the amphiphilie layer was 26-28 Å. It is more difficult to obtain direct information of the structure of the microemulsion. However, conductivity data indicated a “bicontinuous” structure or at least, the occurrence of highly dynamic aggregates over a large concentration range.     

Pellet freezing of in vitro produced bovine embryos using dry ice

In vitro produced bovine embryos were frozen by pellet freezing or vitrification method. In the pellet freezing method, the embryos were cooled on the dry ice and then frozen as pellets. At warming, the pellets were immersed directly into 0.5 M sucrose. The survival rates of blastocysts frozen by the pellet freezing method were higher (P<0.01) in 40% ethylene glycol (EG) than those in the lower concentrations (20 and 30% EG). Higher survival rates of blastocysts frozen by the pellet freezing method were obtained but the development rates did not differ, as compared with those by the vitrification method. There were no significant differences between the pellet freezing and vitrification method in the frequencies of post-thaw survival of hatched blastocysts. These results demonstrate that the pellet freezing method using dry ice can be used successfully for the cryopreservation of blastocysts.