Effect of 300 and 500 MPa pressure treatments on starch–water adsorption/desorption isotherms and hysteresis

Pressure treatments of 300 and 500?MPa during 15?min were found to change starch–water sorption (adsorption and desorption) isotherms and the hysteresis effect, particularly the 500?MPa. This last treatment shifted the adsorption/desorption isotherms downward, compared with non-treated starch and starch treated at 300?MPa. The observed hysteresis effect decreased with the increase in pressure level in the whole a_w range, indicating that adsorption and desorption isotherms became closer. Guggenheim–Anderson–De Boer and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller model parameters Cb, Cg, K and Mm also showed changes caused by pressure, the latter being lower in the pressure-processed samples, thus indicating possible changes on microbial and (bio)chemical stabilities of pressure-processed food products containing starch.     

Solvent extraction studies using tetracycline as complexing agent

The behaviour of tetracycline as an extracting agent for strontium, iodine, barium, molybdenum, technetium, zirconium, niobium, cesium, ruthenium, tellurium and uranium has been studied and the influence of the acidity of the aqueous phase upon extraction of the elements mentioned has been examined. Experiments have been made to determine whether or not the species extracted into the organic phase is the complex formed between tetracycline and the elements considered as well as to determine the time of shaking necessary so that the equilibrium between the phases is attained. As a practical application, the possibility of using the tetracycline-benzyl alcohol system for separating the fission products¹³⁷Cs,¹⁴⁰Ba,¹⁴⁰La,¹⁴¹Ce,¹⁰³Ru,⁹⁵Zr and⁹⁵Nb from each other and from uranium is presented. The same study has been made for¹³¹I,^99mTc,⁹⁹Mo,¹³²Te,²³⁹Np and uranium and the steps necessary for the separation of these elements are proposed.From a thesis submitted by I. I. L. CUNHA to the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares-University of São Paulo in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctor of Science's Degree. Work supported by Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear.     

Effect of radiofrequency on the sheath-plasma resonance in a low-density plasma

Summary Bohm's theory on plasma probes has been modified, by taking into account the effect of the applied RF voltage on the ion saturation current, for explaining the experimentally detected behaviour of the plasma sheath resonance frequency in a low-temperature and low-density plasma

---

Riassunto La teoria di Bohm sulle sonde nei plasmi è stata modificata, tenendo conto dell'effetto dovuto alla tensione RF applicata sulla corrente ionica di saturazione. Si spiega cosi l'andamento della frequenza di risonanza plasma-guaina ionica, rilevato sperimentalmente, in un plasma a bassa temperatura e bassa densità.

---

Резюме Предлагается модификация теории Бома для плазменных зондов, которая учитывает влияние приложенного радиочастотного напряжения на ионный ток насыщения. Предложенная модификация позволяет объяснить экспериментально обнаруженное поведение резонансной частоты плазменной оболочки при низкой температуре и при низкой плотности плазмы.

     

First-order Kondo-frustated antiferromagnetic ordering in the heavy electron compound YbAs

¹⁷⁰Yb Mössbauer measurements show that the heavy electron compound YbAs undergoes a first order paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition centered at T_N=0.58K. The saturated 4f-shell magnetic moments are reduced by 47% relative to the value predicted by a crystal field model. A study of the line shapes below T_N in the presence of an external field shows that the RKKY exchange energy is about 20 times bigger than k_B T_N. These results show that YbAs presents a magnetic order frustrated by the Kondo effect.supported by CNPq     

57Fe Mössbauer study in the ternary hydrides of ErFe3

The ternary hydride phases ErFe₃Hx (with x=1.5 and 2.7) has been studied by⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect. The spectra show that the spin reorientation temperature is increased by the presence of hydrogen in the ErFe₃ lattice and is independent of hydrogen concentration for the two hydrides investigated. A preferential filling of the interstitial sites in the RFe₃ structure is indicated by the data.Work supported in part by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP).     

Curves containing all points of a finite projective Galois plane

In the projective plane $PG(2,q)$ over a finite field of order q, a Tallini curve is a plane irreducible (algebraic) curve of (minimum) degree $q+2$ containing all points of $PG(2,q)$. Such curves were investigated by G. Tallini [8], [9] in 1961, and by Homma and Kim [5] in 2013. Our results concern the automorphism groups, the Weierstrass semigroups, the Hasse–Witt invariants, and quotient curves of the Tallini curves.     

The thermal diffusion factor of Ar-CO2 mixtures: New measurements and comparison with quantum calculations

New measurements for the thermal diffusion factor and for the diffusion coefficient derived from it are reported for the Ar-CO2 gaseous mixture at different temperatures and for various concentrations of the CO2 molecule. Several of the interaction potentials between the partners which have been suggested in the literature are examined, and quantum dynamics calculations are carried out to compare their performances using the infinite order sudden dynamic decoupling scheme. The present results are compared with other experiments and show clearly that, although one of the empirical potentials turns out to be the most realistic for describing such properties, a unique form of a multiproperty-tested potential energy surface for this system is still lacking.     

Spontaneous-search method and short-time dynamics: applications to the Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton

The one-dimensional Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton is investigated by two numerical approaches: (i) the spontaneous-search method, which is a method appropriated for a search of criticality; (ii) short-time dynamics. Both critical frontiers of the system are investigated, namely, the one separating the frozen and active phases, as well as the critical line determined by damage spreading between two cellular automata, that splits the active phase into the nonchaotic and chaotic phases. The efficiency of the spontaneous-search method is established herein through a precise estimate of both critical frontiers, and in addition to that, it is shown that this method may also be used in the determination of the critical exponent ν_⊥. Using the critical frontiers obtained, other exponents are estimated through short-time dynamics. It is verified that the critical exponents of both critical frontiers fall in the universality class of directed percolation.     

Real‐time Probing the Formation of [M(2,2‐bipyridine)2(NO3)3] (M = Ce,La, Tb) Complexes and Influence of Synthesis Parameters

Despite the strong technological importance of lanthanide complexes, their formation processes are rarely investigated. This work is dedicated to determining the influence of synthesis parameters on the formation of [Ce(bipy)₂(NO₃)₃] as well as Ce³⁺‐ and Tb³⁺‐substituted [La(bipy)₂(NO₃)₃] (bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) complexes. To this end, we performed in situ luminescence measurements, synchrotron‐based X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR), and measured pH value and/or ion conductivity during their synthesis process under real reaction conditions. For the [Ce(bipy)₂(NO₃)₃] complex, the in situ luminescence measurements initially presented a broad emission band at 490 nm, assigned to the 5d→4f Ce³⁺ ions within the ethanolic solvation shell. Upon the addition of bipy, a red shift to 700 nm was observed. This shift was attributed to the changes in the environment of the Ce³⁺ ions, indicating their desolvation and incorporation into the [Ce(bipy)₂(NO₃)₃] complex. The induction time was reduced from 8 to 3.5 min, by increasing the reactant concentration by threefold. In contrast, [La(bipy)₂(NO₃)₃] crystallized within days instead of minutes, unless influenced by high Ce³⁺ and Tb³⁺ concentrations. Monitoring and controlling the influence of the reaction parameters on the structure of emissive complexes is important for the development of rational synthesis approaches and optimization of their structure‐related properties like luminescence.