Acoustic analysis of the composition of human blood serum

New acoustic methods of determining total protein, protein fractions, and lipid components of the human blood serum are presented. Acoustic methods are based on high-precision measurements of velocity and temperature dependences and frequency and temperature dependences of ultrasound absorption. Acoustic characteristics of the blood serum were measured using the method of a fixed length interferometer in acoustic cells ～80 mcl in volume in the temperature range from 15 to 40°C and the 4–9 MHz frequency range with the acoustic analyzer developed by BIOM company. An error in measuring ultrasound velocity in the blood serum was 3 × 10^?5; that of absorption, 2 × 10^?2. The developed acoustic methods were clinically tested and recommended for application at clinical diagnostic laboratories with RF treatment-and-prophylactics establishments.     

Fiber-optic sensors based on fluctuation oscillations of waveguide micro-optomechanical resonance structures

The characteristics of fiber-optic oscillation frequency sensors of deformation and temperature that employ the thermal fluctuation resonant oscillations in the SMS(M) fiber structures (sensitive elements that represent oscillation systems with distributed parameters based on series-connected single- and multimode step-index fibers) are developed and studied. The measurements of the fluctuation oscillations are based on the amplitude-phase modulation of the optical wave in the multimode oscillating section due to variations in the path-length difference and tunneling of interfering beams. Accuracies of temperature and relative deformation measurements of ±2°C and ±10^?5, respectively, are demonstrated. The estimation of the ultimate measurement sensitivity of the resonance frequency is based on the approximate calculation of the Allan variance that shows a possibility of the above sensors with temperature and deformation threshold sensitivities of 0.001°C and 10^?8, respectively.     

An experimental study of the 9Be(p, π+)10Be and 9Be(p, π−)10C reactions at 185 MeV

A magnetic spectrometer was used for the momentum analysis of pions produced by 185 MeV protons on a ⁹Be target. The obtained energy resolution (0.55 MeV FWHM) made it possible to resolve a number of discrete final states in ¹⁰Be and ¹⁰C. Energy spectra were measured in the angular region 15°–130° (lab). Angular distributions for six peaks in ¹⁰Be and four peaks in ¹⁰C are presented in tables and graphs. A peak corresponding to a not previously reported level in ¹⁰Be was observed at 11.75 ±0.11 MeV excitation energy. The measured $\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ ratio for the ground state analogues was found to be angular dependent and varied from 30 at 35° (lab) to 2 at 125° (lab). The results are compared with theoretical predictions and discussed in terms of one- and two-nucleon models.     

Scaling of the discharge heated copper vapor laser

Optimum working temperature of 1650 ± 50°C was determined for the longitudinal copper vapor laser. Using neon in the pressure range 20–200 torr we were able to operate lasers of volumes up to 600 cm³ at optimum temperature. Power output was proportional to tube volume and efficiency to the square of tube radius. Average power of 19.5 W was obtained at 4 kHz with 0.7% efficiency.     

In situ electron microscopy investigations of solid-state synthesis in Al/Au thin bilayer films

In situ transmission electron microscopy investigations of solid-state synthesis in Al/Au thin bilayer films are conducted. The samples are heated in the column of a transmission electron microscope. The heating temperature is changed from room temperature to 300°C with a heating rate of up to 120°C min^?1. It is found that solid-phase synthesis starts at ≈100°C. At 140 ± 5°C, two crystal phases, Al₂Au (Fm3m) and AlAu₂ (I4/mmm), are simultaneously observed, while at 235 ± 5°C and higher (up to 300°C) only Al₂Au phase is detected.     

An investigation of the dissolution of acetylsalicylic acid in supercritical carbon dioxide

The dissolution of acetylsalicylic acid in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC–CO₂) is investigated using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. Temporal dependences of integrated intensities of the absorption band of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) near 1199 cm^–1 are measured for various ASA charges placed into a cuvette. Molar fractions of ASA in the saturated solution in SC–CO₂ are determined at a temperature of 40°C and pressures of 10.0 and 15.0 MPa, and the components are 2.10 ± 0.25 × 10^–4 and 11.0 ± 1.5 × 10^–4, respectively.     

Phase transition in nanostructured LaMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Nanocrystalline LaMnO₃ samples have been synthesized by the coprecipitation of lanthanum and manganese salt solutions followed by annealing at 800°C in air and then in an argon flow. With the use of X-ray and neutron diffraction analysis, it has been found that the resulting samples had an orthorhombic crystal structure (space group Pbnm). In the nanocrystalline LaMnO₃ samples, an order-disorder phase transition from the low-temperature phase to the high-temperature phase occurs at (220 ± 10)°C, which is much lower than the value of 477°C for bulk LaMnO₃. The phase transition is due to the removal of the Jahn-Teller distortion of the Mn³⁺O₆ oxygen octahedrons and is accompanied by a decrease in the unit cell volume of lanthanum manganite over a narrow temperature range.     

Bound Energy of Water in Hard Dental Tissues

Abstract

Enamel and dentin are composed, respectively, of 3 wt% and 10 wt% of water, which exhibits different features in the tissues: loosely and tightly bound water. The objective of this study is to clarify by infrared spectroscopy, the different features of the water in heated (100–1000°C) hard dental tissues (enamel and dentin). The water band between 3800 cm^?1 and 2500 cm^?1 was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. The area dependence of the water band with temperature was compared with the Arrhenius equation in two regions (100–400°C and 700–1000°C). The activation energy was determined for these two regions, and similar values were observed for both tissues. For enamel we obtain ?4.1±0.2 kJ/mol at 100–400 °C and ?63±9 kJ/mol at 700–1000°C; for dentin ?4.1±0.2 kJ/mol at 100–400°C and ?60±11 kJ/mol at 700–1000°C. The water loss changes the color of the tissues, hydroxyapatite crystallographic parameters, and produce ESR signals. These changes were discussed and compared with the results observed in this work and after laser irradiation. We conclude that these two activation energies could be assigned to the adsorbed (loosely bound) and trapped (tightly bound) water.     

Messung der Winkelverteilung der Neutronenpolarisation bei Streuung von 15,85 MeV-Neutronen am Kohlenstoff

AtE _n=15.85 MeV the angular distributions of neutron polarizationP(θ) for¹²C(n, n)¹²C and of scattering asymmetry A(θ) for¹² C(n,n′)¹² C ^*(Q=?4.43 MeV) have been measured. In a neutron time-of-flight method with a plastic scintillator as scatterer carbon recoil nuclei were used for detection. Polarized neutrons were produced in thed-t reaction atE _d=1.90 MeV at a reaction angle of 70° (lab.). WithP _n=?0.135 scattering polarizations P(θ) are forθ _lab=30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80° respectively ?27.0±2.1, ?48.4±2.7, ?68.7±3.6, ?20.7±6.2, +5.3±3.9, and +2.1±4.5%.     

Quasi-free pion photoproduction from carbon above 300 MeV

The momentum spectra of charged pions produced in the reaction ¹²C(γ, π^±) have been measured for incident photon energies in the interval between 300 and 850 MeV in steps of 50 MeV. Pions with relatively high momenta have been detected by a magnetic spectrometer set at the lab angles 28.4° and 44.2°. All these spectra exhibit a clear singly peaked structure. Detailed features of the structure are quantitatively investigated and compared with a plane-wave impulse-approximation calculation. Calculated results are found to reproduce the spectral shape very well and the absolute magnitude is also rather well fitted by introducing the pion absorption effect properly.     

The viscosity and diffusion coefficients of eighteen binary gaseous systems

The paper reports accurate measurements of the viscosity of the eighteen binary gaseous systems: CF₄ with He, Ne, Ar, N₂, CO₂, CH₄; SF₆ with He, Ne, Ar, N₂, CO₂, CH₄, CF₄ and O₂ with He, Ne, CO₂, CF₄, SF₆. The measurements were performed in a high-precision oscillating-disk viscometer at atmospheric pressure and in the temperature range 25–200°C for the systems containing CH₄ or SF₆ and in the temperature range 25–400°C for the remainder. The reported viscosities are believed to be accurate to within ±0.1% at room temperature and to within ±0.2% at 400°C.It is shown that the data conform to the extended law of corresponding states developed by Kestin, Ro and Wakeham despite the complexity of some of the component gases. The standard deviation between the experimental values and those calculated from the law of corresponding states is only 0.3% which is commensurate with the uncertainty in the experimental results.Binary diffusion coefficients derived from the mixture viscosity data are also presented; they have an estimated uncertainty of ±2%.     

Grain boundary wetting phase transition and analysis of the energy characteristics of grain boundaries in the Sns-(Zn/Sn)l system

Regularities of the interaction of tin grain boundaries (special Σ5 and general Σ17 〈001〉) and a Sn-Zn melt of equilibrium composition were studied. The grain boundary wetting phase transition temperature was determined; for Σ5 and Σ17, it is 216°C. More than 90% of the general grain boundaries were completely wetted by the melt over a range of temperatures, from the eutectic melting temperature to the tin melting temperature. It was shown that the anisotropy of interphase energy at the solid tin-Zn-Sn melt interface is 64 ± 10 mJ m^?2 at 216°C. The energies of the Σ5 and Σ17 grain boundaries in the range of 201–216°C were obtained on the basis of the experimental dependence of the dihedral angle on temperature.     

Kinetic regularities and mechanism of polymerization of perfluoromethylvinyl ether at high pressures

The kinetics of the thermal polymerization of perfluoromethylvinyl ether (PFMVE) is studied at pressures of 3–13 kbar (300–1300 MPa) and temperatures of 80–260°C. The activation energy (E _act = (76 ± 3) kJ/mol) and activation volume (ΔV₀^⪼ = −(27 ± 2) cm³/mol) for the overall polymerization rate are determined. The inhibition method is used to estimate the activation energy of thermal initiation (E _in = (79.9 ± 3) kJ/mol). The quantity E _p − (1/2)E _t was calculated to be 36.6 ± 3 kJ/mol. The limiting polymerization temperature was evaluated: T _lim = (180 ± 3)°C. A mechanism of PFMVE polymerization is proposed on the assumption that the reaction is bimolecular.     

Low dose TL characteristics of Nigerian fluorite

Nigerian fluorite has been characterized by β-irradiation for thermoluminescence in the low dose range (40 μGy–72 mGy). The glow curves exhibit 3 peaks recorded at 111 ± 11 °C, 196 ± 2 °C and 282 ± 4 °C at the heating rate of 5 °C s^?1. The two high temperature peaks exhibit a linear response over the range of study. The minimum detectable dose for each of the observed peaks has been determined and the lowest detection limit of fluorite was also determined. A complex fading pattern was observed for the phosphor and the possible source of the TL buildup has been discussed.     

Effect of power densities and irradiation times on the degree of conversion and temperature increase of a microhybrid dental composite resin

The different parameters used for the photoactivation process provide changes in the degree of conversion (DC%) and temperature rise (TR) of the composite resins. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the DC (%) and TR of the microhybrid composite resin photoactivated by a new generation LED. For the KBr pellet technique, the composite resin was placed into a metallic mould (1-mm thickness and 4-mm diameter) and photoactivated as follows: continuous LED LCU with different power density values (50–1000 mW/cm²). The measurements for the DC (%) were made in a FTIR Spectrometer Bomen (model MB-102, Quebec-Canada). The spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra for both uncured and cured samples were analyzed using an accessory for the diffuse reflectance. The measurements were recorded in the absorbance operating under the following conditions: 32 scans, 4-cm^?1 resolution, and a 300 to 4000-cm^?1 wavelength. The percentage of unreacted carbon-carbon double bonds (% C=C) was determined from the ratio of the absorbance intensities of aliphatic C=C (peak at 1638 cm^?1) against an internal standard before and after the curing of the specimen: aromatic C-C (peak at 1608 cm^?1). For the TR, the samples were made in a metallic mould (2-mm thickness and 4-mm diameter) and photoactivated during 5, 10, and 20 s. The thermocouple was attached to the multimeter to allow the temperature readings. The DC (%) and TR were calculated by the standard technique and submitted to ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). The degree of conversion values varied from 35.0 (±1.3) to 45.0 (±2.4) for 5 s, 45.0 (±1.3) to 55.0 (±2.4) for 10 s, and 47.0 (±1.3) to 52.0 (±2.4) for 20 s. For the TR, the values ranged from 0.3 (±0.01) to 5.4 (±0.11)°C for 5 s, from 0.5 (±0.02) to 9.3 (±0.28)°C for 10 s, and from 1.0 (±0.06) to 15.0 (±0.95)°C for 20 s. The power densities and irradiation times showed a significant effect on the degree of conversion and temperature rise.     

Measurement of the lattice parameter of sodium by neutron-back-scattering

We report high precision results (δa/a ≈ 3 x 10^-6) of the lattice parameter of high purity sodium (99.99%) in the temperature region from 32°C up to the melting point. Data of the crystal quality are also given: the half width of the angular mosaic spread amounts to about 4'. Preliminary results on vacancy formation energy and entropy, using literature data of volume expansion, are 0.35 ± 0.02 eV and (3.7 ± 0.5) k_B resp. for a single vacancy.     

A study of electromigration of nickel in lead

The steady state method was used to study the electromigration of ⁶³Ni in Pb. For the temperature range 180–290°C, and Ni concentration range 0.1–1000 ppm, Ni migrates toward the anode. For dilute samples (0.1 ppm Ni) the effective charge varies linearly with the inverse resistivity from ?6.75 at 188°C to ?4.97 at 289°C. The 1/ρ dependence is given by $\text{Z1 = (1.4 ± 0.3)?(288 ± 13)× 10}{}^{\mathrm{?6}}\text{/ρ}$. The effective charge is a function of the Ni concentration, increasing in magnitude with increasing concentration. For 1000 ppm Ni, |Z1| exhibits a sharp maximum around 260°C; below 230°C electromigration takes place at a much slower rate, probably due to precipitation.     

Absorptivity of nitric oxide in the fundamental vibrational band

From observations of the spectral absorbance of mixtures of nitric oxide in nitrogen at room temperature, we derive an integrated absorptivity for the NO fundamental band of 137.3±4.6 cm^-2 atm^-1 at 0°C. The indicated uncertainty is the estimated maximum error.     

Winkelverteilung der Polarisation der Neutronen aus der Reaktion14C(d,n 0)15N bei Deuteronenenergien zwischen 1,3 und 1,9 MeV

Polarization distributions of ground state neutrons emitted from the¹⁴C(d,n ₀)¹⁵N reaction were investigated over the angular range from 15 ° (lab) to 150 ° (lab) at bombarding energies of 1.28, 1.55 and 1.88 MeV. Scattering of neutrons from helium served as polarization analyzer. The experimental results show a large variation with energy of the polarization ranging betweenP(Θ_lab=130 °)=?21% andP(Θ_lab=130 °)=+50% at 1.28 and 1.88 MeV respectively.     

Dual-modality and dual-energy gamma ray densitometry of petroleum products using an artificial neural network

The prediction of volume fractions in order to measure the multiphase flow rate is a very important issue and is the key parameter of multi-phase flow meters (MPFMs). Currently, the gamma ray attenuation technique is known as one of the most precise methods for obtaining volume fractions. The gamma ray attenuation technique is based on the mass attenuation coefficient, which is sensitive to density changes; density is sensitive in turn to temperature and pressure fluctuations. Therefore, MPFM efficiency depends strongly on environmental conditions. The conventional solution to this problem is the periodical recalibration of MPFMs, which is a demanding task. In this study, a method based on dual-modality densitometry and artificial intelligence (AI) is presented, which offers the advantage of the measurement of the oil–gas–water volume fractions independent of density changes. For this purpose, several experiments were carried out and used to validate simulated dual modality densitometry results. The reference density point was established at a temperature of 20 °C and pressure of 1 bar. To cover the full range of likely density fluctuations, four additional density sets were defined (at changes of ±4% and ±8% from the reference point). An annular regime with different percentages of oil, gas and water at different densities was simulated. Four features were extracted from the transmission and scattered detectors and were applied to the artificial neural network (ANN) as inputs. The input parameters included the ²⁴¹Am full energy peak, ¹³⁷Cs Compton edge, ¹³⁷Cs full energy peak and total scattered count, and the outputs were the oil and air percentages. A multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network was used to predict the volume fraction independent of the oil and water density changes. The obtained results show that the proposed ANN model achieved good agreement with the real data, with an estimated root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 3.