Influence of metastable-metastable collisions on electron distribution function in afterglow

The time dependence of the electron distribution function in helium afterglow, for pressures of 60–260 Pa, is calculated for the case in which metastable-metastable reactions are present. The time variation of the shape of the distribution function shows that careful consideration must be made of the time derivative of the distribution function in the Boltzmann equation for the calculation of the rate constant of such reactions from experimentally determined distribution function.     

The influence of temperature on superplasticity of Zn-Al-Cd alloy

Experimental results of the study of superplastic behaviour in Zn-0·35 wt. % Al-0·25 wt. % Cd alloy are presented. The attention has been paid to the influence of temperature on stress-strain curves, ductility, strain rate sensitivy parameterm and activation energy of superplastic flow. The best superplastic properties have been established at temperatures T370 K (0·53 T_m): ductilityA=600% and parameterm=0·56. A fast grain growth observed at temperaturesT 380 K has been suggested to be responsible both for the decrease in ductility and parameterm values and for the origin of an anomaly in the decreasing temperature dependence of flow stress. The measurements of activation energy have shown an expected decrease in activation energy at the transition from the non-superplastic region at lower temperatures to the superplastic region at higher temperatures. Significant transient effects after strain rate changes have been observed. The experimental results obtained in the Zn-Al-Cd alloy have been compared with those obtained in binary Zn-1·1 wt. % Al alloy and discussed from the point of view of possible models of structural superplasticity.     

Softening during and after the hot deformation of the AISI 321 steel with respect to practical applications

The softening processes during and after the hot deformation (850–1180 C) in AISI 321 stainless steel were studied with respect to true strains _D and true strain rates . The analysis of deformation curves indicates the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization for values of Zener-Hollomon parameterZ10¹⁵ s^–1. The retardation of static recrystallization by fine Ti(N, C) precipitates is documented by microstructure studies and by variations of annealing conditions.     

Scalar gluonium candidates and the radiativeJ/ψ decays

We discuss productions of scalar gluonium candidates in the radiativeJ/ decays. The branching ratios of such productions are estimated on the basis of the Euler-Heisenberg effective Lagrangian for gluon-photon couplings. We mention that these estimates cannot be expected to be accurate to better than within a factor 2. We show that the radiativeJ/ decays probably invalidate gluoniumgg interpretation of the GAMS meson F₀(1590) and a narrow 0⁺⁺ stateS lying below 1 GeV. However, a possible wide scalar effective gluonium candidate(920) is shown not to be excluded by the data on the decayJ/. We also find that the experimental data about radiativeJ/ decays presumably agree with a recently suggested interpretation of F₀(1590) as being approximately a half-and-half mixture of pure 0⁺⁺ gluoniumgg andSU(3)_f singlet quarkoniumq¯q states.     

Electronic structure of amorphous Nb1-x Si x films studied by X-ray emission and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

We present valence band spectra of the amorphous system Nb_1–x Si _x (0.2x0.8), of bcc-Nb and of a-Si obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Al K) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES, Si K-emission bands). The samples were prepared as thin films by sputtering. The origin of all prominent spectral features was identified and consistently correlated to Si 3s-, Si 3p-and Nb 4d-derived states. The Nb4d-Si3p coupling is stable in binding energy over a wide concentration range. There is strong experimental evidence that the short range order changes considerably within the concentration interval 0.4x0.7, whereas the partial density of states of the Si 3p-electrons is clearly altered in the small concentration range 0.50x0.57.     

Preparation and characterization of a set of IAEA reference air filters for quality control in air-pollution studies

Several sets of reference air filters were prepared as part of an IAEA evaluation of the performance of laboratories involved in air-pollution studies. Each set comprised three polycarbonate membrane filters, two of which were loaded with urban air particulate matter (APM) obtained in Vienna or Prague, and one unloaded filter. The filters were loaded by filtration of a suspension of the APM materials in water. The homogeneity both of bulk APM materials and of the loaded filters was evaluated and found suitable by determining several elements by instrumental neutron-activation analysis (INAA), proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), and micro-X-ray energy-dispersive fluorescence analysis (micro-EDXRF). After evaluation of the homogeneity, INAA, PIXE, EDXRF, atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and ICP mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to characterize the filter materials and establish "target values" and their associated standard deviations for 15 elements. Problems encountered during the preparation of these unique, simulated air filters and the criteria for setting both the target values and standard deviations are presented.     

Semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones,XII: Crystal structure of salicylaldehyde semicarbazone

Summary The crystal and molecular structure of salicylaldehyde semicarbazone was obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The O atom of the semicarbazone fragment isanti to the N atom of the hydrazinic group. The distribution of bond lengths in the semicarbazone fragment indicates delocalization of the -electrons. The crystal structure is stabilized by intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds.

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Semicarbazone und Thiosemicarbazone, 12. Mitt.: Die Kristallstruktur des Salicylaldehyd-Semicarbazons

Zusammenfassung Die Kristallstruktur und die molekulare Struktur des Salicylaldehyd-Semicarbazons wurde über Einkristall-Röntgenstreuung ermittelt. Das O-Atom des Semicarbazonteils stehtanti zum N-Atom der Hydrazin-Gruppierung. Die Bindungslängen in der Semicarbazoneinheit zeigen eine Delokalisierung der -Elektronen an. Die Geometrie der Verbindung wird durch stabilisierende intra- und intermolekulare Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen bestimmt.

     

Patents and literature

Protein engineering and site-directed mutagenesis is becoming immensely important in both fundamental studies and commercial applications involving proteins and enzymes in biocatalysis. Protein engineering has become a powerful tool to help biochemists and molecular enzymologists elucidate structure-function relationships in enzymic active sites, to understand the intricacies of protein folding and denaturation, and to alter the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis. Commercial applications of engineered enzymes are being developed to increase protein stability, widen or narrow substrate specificity, and to develop novel approaches for use of enzymes in organic synthesis, drug design, and clinical applications. In addition to protein engineering, novel expression systems have been designed to prepare large quantities of genetically engineered proteins. Recent US patents and scientific literature on protein engineering, site-directed mutagenesis, and protein expression systems related to protein engineering are surveyed. Patent abstracts are summarized individually and a list of literature references are given.