Hydrogel composition based on carboxymethylcellulose and agar-agar

The results are given of a study of the rheological properties of concentrated solutions of CNC and agar-agar and the influence of their quantitative ratio on the anomalous flow behavior of their solutions. A hypothesis is put forward of the formation of intermolecular associates from CMC and agar-agar which leads to the formation of a stronger structural network of solutions of the initial polysaccharides.Institute of the Physics and Chemistry of Polymers, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, fax (371) 1 44 26 61. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 357–361, May–June, 1998.     

Associators as measures of memory for media with optical memory and the optimization problem

The interference of light in a medium with optical memory is discussed within the framework of a nonassociative algebra. It is shown that it is possible to introduce an energy coefficient of useful action K_e, an information coefficient of useful action K_int, and a coefficient characterizing the size of the memory of the medium D. The problem of optimizing the process over these parameters is considered. Graphs are given for K_e, K_int, and D as functions of a free parameter β that accounts for experimental conditions. Tbilisi State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 29–32, August, 1997.     

Superconductivity and normal state resistivity of Ba0.6K0.4BiO3: an optical phonon approach

We discuss the nature of the pairing mechanism and the physical properties associated with the normal as well as the superconducting state of cubic perovskites Ba_0.6K_0.4BiO₃using the strong coupling theory. An interaction potential which includes the Coulomb, electron–optical phonon and electron–plasmon interactions is developed to elucidate the superconducting state. A model dielectric function is constructed with these interactions fulfilling thef-sum rule. The screening parameter (μ^* = 0.26) infers the poor screening of charge carriers. The electron–optical phonon strength (λ) estimated as 0.98 is consistent with an attractive electron–electron interaction and supports the moderate to strong coupling theory. The superconducting transition temperature of Ba_0.6K_0.4BiO₃is then estimated as 32 K. Ziman's formula of resistivity is employed to analyse and compare this with the temperature-dependent resistivity of a single crystal. The estimated contribution from the electron–optical phonon together with the residual resistivity clearly infers a difference when a comparison is made with experimental data. The subtracted data infer a quadratic temperature dependence in the temperature domain (30 ≤ T ≤ 200 K). The quadratic temperature dependence of ρ [ = ρ_exp − (ρ₀ + ρ_e–ph)] is understood in terms of 3D electron–electron inelastic scattering. The presence of these el–el and el–ph interactions allows a coherent interpretation of the physical properties. Analysis reveals that a moderate to strong coupling exists in the Ba_0.6K_0.4BiO₃system and the coupling of electrons with the high-energy optical phonons of the oxygen breathing mode will be a reason for superconductivity. The implications of the above analysis are discussed.     

Enumeration of Full Graphs: Onset of the Asymptotic Region

A full graph on n vertices, as defined by Fulkerson, is a representation of the intersection and containment relations among a system of n sets. It has an undirected edge between vertices representing intersecting sets and a directed edge from a to b if the corresponding set A contains B;. Kleitman, Lasaga, and Cowen gave a unified argument to show that asymptotically, almost all full graphs can be obtained by taking an arbitrary undirected graph on the n vertices, distinguishing a clique in this graph, which need not be maximal, and then adding directed edges going out from each vertex in the clique to all vertices to which there is not already an existing undirected edge. Call graphs of this type members of the dominant class. This article obtains the first upper and lower bounds on how large n has to be, so that the asymptotic behavior is indeed observed. It is shown that when n > 170, the dominant class predominates, while when n < 17, the full graphs in the dominant class compose less than half of the total number of realizable full graphs on n vertices.     

Critical thickness and stress relaxation in YBaCuO (123) strained epitaxial layers and YBaCuO based strained superlattices

An energy model has been used to calculate the critical thickness h _c of YBaCuO thin films and YBaCuO based superlattices within an isotropic or anisotropic approximation. The critical thickness of single layers calculated from the anisotropic model (16 nm) is in good agreement with the previously published experimental values which are spread out from 4 to 20 nm. In the case of superlattices, relaxation appears to be governed by the critical thickness of the elementary sub-layers and is then better evaluated through the calculation performed for YBaCuO single layers. XRD measurements on YBa₂Cu₃O₇/PrBa₂Cu_3?xGa_xO₇ superlattices grown on {100{ SrTiO₃ have evidenced a tetragonal stress in the YBaCuO ab plane which remains expanded when the YBaCuO elementary layer thickness is lower than 4.8 nm (4 YBaCuO cells). However the critical temperature of the shortest period superlattices is only slightly affected by this expanded stress in contrast to the effect of an elastic stress externally applied along the ab plane of YBaCuO thin films.     

Radioanalytical monitoring of the formation of barium sulfate in aqueous solutions

The formation of barium sulfate in aqueous media causes problems of insoluble scale formation. On the other hand, the coprecipitation of uranium and transuranium elements with barium sulfate has been suggested for the determination of these elements in environmental monitoring processes. Therefore, the study of barium sulfate crystal growth is required. The investigations done so far suffer from the low sensitivity of the analytical methods used. In the present work we have overcome this problem by using¹³¹Ba for the preparation of supersaturated solutions. Thus kinetics parameters such as induction time and precipitation rates were measured. The polynuclear mechanism was found to be operative at high and the spiral growth at low supersaturations.     

Measurements: developments in the USA

Summary Sales and use of analytical instruments have expanded in the United States over the past two years, despite the recessionary nature of the economy. Interest in increasing the quality of analytical measurements seems to be undiminished, if not growing. Trends in several measurement areas, including health, environment, manufacturing, and commerce, are described as they bear on this growth of interest in reliably accurate measurements. The paper also considers trends in the development of reference materials and accreditation of laboratories in the USA. United States of America participation in efforts of the International Organization for Standardization, and a study by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures of how to provide for international traceability for analytical chemical measurements are mentioned.     

Micron-image transfer system with brightness amplifier in gold-vapor laser

A gas-discharge gold-vapor laser on self-terminating transitions with operating wavelength λ=312.2 nm has been used to develop a highly efficient system for image transfer. An optical scheme and all its parameters have been chosen optimal for image quality. It has been found both theoretically and experimentally that the best results on micron-structure image transfer are obtained with 2–5-times image reduction. Various types of masks have been used. A 1-µm structure has been resolved due to the choice of optimal exposure time of 10 ms under a period of pulse repetition (0.6 – 0.8) ms; in this case, the minimal fringe dimension was ≈2 µm with an image dimension of 2 mm for a laser tube 1.8 cm in diameter.