Inclusive (γ, N), (γ, NN) and (γ, Nπ) reactions in nuclei at intermediate energies

Differential cross sections of nucleons excited in photonuclear reactions in medium and heavy nuclei are studied by considering all relevant reaction mechanisms leading to the excitation of protons or neutrons. We take advantage of previous microscopic studies for the absorption and scattering of photons and photoproduced pions, and implement a simulation code in order to take into account the propagation of the nucleons as well as their collisions with other nucleons in the nuclear medium, which generate secondary excited nucleons. Comparison with experimental data is done. Cross sections for nucleon emission in coincidence with one pion are also calculated, and some coincidence observables are discussed.     

Voltammetric determination of methyl parathion, ortho, meta and para nitrophenol with a carbon paste electrode modified with C18

Summary The determination of methyl-parathion (MPT), ortho (ONP), meta (MNP) and para nitrophenol (PNP) has been studied by differential pulse voltammetry with a carbon-paste electrode modified with 50% (w/w) of C₁₈. A study of the influence of the pH in the preconcentration cell and the measurement cell was carried out for an electrode with 50% modifier and an accumulation time of 5 min. The voltammograms were recorded with a sweep rate of 40 mV s^–1 and a pulse amplitude of 50 mV. With the optimum conditions of pH for both of the steps, various other variables were studied. The variables for each compound were optimized and the possibility of application to the determination of a mixture of the four compounds was investigated. The determination limits found for all the compounds are: 2 ng ml^–1 for ONP, 5 ng ml^–1 for MNP, 4.3 ng ml^–1 for PNP and 7.9 ng ml^–1 for MPT. The method was applied to samples of a small lake which gathers rain water and water filtered from land on which cereals are grown.     

Enzymatic synthesis of 3-hydroxybutyramides and their conversion to optically active 1,3-aminoalcohols

3-Hydroxybutyramides are obtained in high optical yield from ethyl (±)-3-hydroxybutyrate and aliphatic amines when the reaction is catalyzed by Candida antartica lipase. The chemical reduction of these 3-hydroxybutyramides yields the corresponding 1,3 -aminoalcohols.     

The ionization constants of alpha-alanine in NaCl at 25 degrees. Effect of the ionic strength based on three models

In the present work we obtained the experimental pKs of the amino acid alpha-alanine in NaCl at 25 degrees and different ionic strengths. The equilibrium constants have been potentiometrically determined with a commercial glass electrode and the results analysed through three models: two directly based on the Pitzer and Scatchard approaches to the ion specific interaction theory and the other based on a simpler modification of the Debye-Hückel equation. The three models fit the data reasonably well and the extrapolated pK values obtained show a good agreement. The goodness of the ridge regression method cannot be probed in this case.     

Comparison of chemical properties of food products processed by conventional and ohmic heating

The effect of ohmic and conventional heat processing of different food products on their chemical and physical parameters was studied. Depending on the food being analysed, parameters such as pH, total solids, ash, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, total fatty acids, total phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins content were determined before and after ohmic and conventional pasteurization techniques and the results were compared using one-way analysis of variance. In goat milk samples treated by ohmic technology the pH value (6.58) and total fatty acids content in milk fat (86.5 mass %) were comparable to those found in milk treated by conventional process, however, ohmically treated samples presented a lower content of lactic acid, 0.13 %. In cloudberry jam samples treated by ohmic technology the results of some of the main parameters tested, such as total sugar content 46.1 mass %, ascorbic acid content 2.83 mass %, and titratable acidity 6.01 mass % (as citric acid) did not show significant differences when compared with samples treated by conventional technology. Presented at the 33rd International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 22–26 May 2006.