Solid-state characterization of spray-dried ice cream mixes

The main physicochemical properties of spray-dried ice cream mixes (i.e. surface composition, wettability, flowability and microstructure) were analyzed. Emulsions contained 19-44% milk fat on a dry basis and included mixes with no added emulsifier and/or sucrose. The time necessary for complete wetting of the powders correlated with the amount of surface free-fat measured by means of solvent extraction. Non-micellar casein (sodium caseinate) showed to be a better co-encapsulant than micellar casein (skim milk) as demonstrated by surface fat coverage measured by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). Emulsifiers influenced the fat surface composition of the powders by reducing the amount of surface protein due to their lower interfacial tension. Surface fat caused an initial overestimation of the particle size of the powders due to fat-related caking. Powders showed no flow before and after surface fat extraction which was attributed to fat-related caking and very small particle size (<80 microm), respectively.     

Gap effect on moiré patterns

Résumé Nous analysons les caractéristiques principles des lignes de moiré produitues par des réseaux, dont les deux plans ne coïncident pas, illuminés par la lumière diffuse et non cohérente.Nous étudions, les aspects physiques de la formation des lignes de moiré et obtenons des équations qui donnent les valeurs des déformations fictives produites par la non-coïncidence des plans du réseau témoin et du réseau déformé.Les résultats théoriques sont comparés avec les mesures expérimentales. L'écart constaté entre les deux valeurs correspond aux erreurs expérimentales.     

Evidence for the production of slow antiprotonic hydrogen in vacuum

We present evidence showing how antiprotonic hydrogen, the quasistable antiproton (p)-proton bound system, has been synthesized following the interaction of antiprotons with the molecular ion H2+ in a nested Penning trap environment. From a careful analysis of the spatial distributions of antiproton annihilation events, evidence is presented for antiprotonic hydrogen production with sub-eV kinetic energies in states around n=70, and with low angular momenta. The slow antiprotonic hydrogen may be studied using laser spectroscopic techniques.     

A simple osmotic stress test to predict boar sperm cryosurvival

This work was carried out to test whether viability of pig spermatozoa subjected to an osmotic test is correlated to sperm cryosurvival. Spermatozoa were cooled from 22 degrees C to -5 degrees C, aliquots were exposed to a series of hyperosmotic solutions (300-2100 mOsm/kg) for 15 min, immediately spermatozoa were re-warmed to 37 degrees C and isosmolarity was restored. Spermatozoa were cooled from 22 degrees C to -5 degrees C and one aliquot was exposed to the osmotic test while diluted spermatozoa were frozen-thawed. Plasma membrane-intact spermatozoa decreased as osmolarity increased (P < 0.0001), a further decreased (P < 0.0001) was observed when isotonicity was restored. Proportions of plasma membrane-intact and acrosome-intact cells from the osmotic test were no different from those after freeze-thawing: 36% vs. 35%, 80% vs. 80%, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the proportion of acrosome-intact cells after freeze-thawing and that from the osmotic test (r = 0.81, P <0.01). This test provides a useful and economical mean to predict in vitro boar sperm cryosurvival.     

Fractional Hamiltonian systems with positive semi-definite matrix

We study the existence of solutions for the following fractional Hamiltonian systems $$ \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} - _tD^{\alpha}_{\infty}(_{-\infty}D^{\alpha}_{t}u(t))-\lambda L(t)u(t)+\nabla W(t,u(t))=0,\\[0.1cm] u\in H^{\alpha}(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R}^n), \end{array} \right. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(FHS)_\lambda $$ where $\alpha\in (1/2,1)$, $t\in \mathbb{R}$, $u\in \mathbb{R}^n$, $\lambda>0$ is a parameter, $L\in C(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R}^{n^2})$ is a symmetric matrix, $W\in C^1(\mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}^n,\mathbb{R})$. Assuming that $L(t)$ is a positive semi-definite symmetric matrix, that is, $L(t)\equiv 0$ is allowed to occur in some finite interval $T$ of $\mathbb{R}$, $W(t,u)$ satisfies some superquadratic conditions weaker than Ambrosetti-Rabinowitz condition, we show that (FHS)$_\lambda$ has a solution which vanishes on $\mathbb{R}\setminus T$ as $\lambda \to \infty$, and converges to some $\tilde{u}\in H^{\alpha}(\R, \R^n)$. Here, $\tilde{u}\in E_{0}^{\alpha}$ is a solution of the Dirichlet BVP for fractional systems on the finite interval $T$. Our results are new and improve recent results in the literature even in the case $\alpha =1$.     

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on anchored Co/Nb2O5/Al2O3 catalysts: the nature of the surface and the effect on chain growth

A series of Co/x%Nb2O5/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by anchoring niobia on an Al2O3 support at different niobia concentrations. Characterization of the structure and nature of surface active sites was attempted in order to correlate the CO hydrogenation activity of these systems with those of the Co/Al2O3 and Co/Nb2O5 catalysts. The effect of the reduction temperature on the CO hydrogenation activity and selectivity was studied, showing that interaction of cobalt and niobia surface species favored the selectivity for hydrocarbon chain growth. However, this effect is less pronounced on the niobia-promoted Co/Al2O3 compared to Co/Nb2O5 catalysts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) results on Co/x%Nb2O5/Al2O3 showed prevailing amounts of Co2+ and Co3+ after calcination and reduction at 573 K, while, after reduction at 773 K, besides metallic cobalt, the Co2+ species still remains in contact with alumina, even for higher niobia loading. It seems that during this process formation and destruction of new interfaces involving Co0-NbOx sites takes place. Results suggest that Co0, Co0-Co2+, and Co0-NbOx are the active sites at the surface. The relative abundance of Co2+ species affects greatly the performance of the catalysts. DRIFTS and selectivity results suggest that these sites might be responsible for the reaction chain growth and therefore for the drastic change in the selectivity of CH4 and C5+ hydrocarbons mainly on the Co/Nb2O5 catalyst. DRIFTS results on Co/Nb2O5/Al2O3 showed the formation of -C=C- and -CH3- besides CHxO species. With increasing reduction temperature, the -C=C- species disappear while -CH3- fragments increased markedly, suggesting the formation of increasing amounts of hydrocarbons with higher chain length.     

Molecular modeling and experimental studies of the thermodynamic and transport properties of pyridinium-based ionic liquids

A combined experimental and molecular dynamics study has been performed on the following pyridinium-based ionic liquids: 1-n-hexyl-3-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([hmpy][Tf(2)N]), 1-n-octyl-3-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([ompy][Tf(2)N]), and 1-n-hexyl-3,5-dimethylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([hdmpy][Tf(2)N]). Pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to determine the self-diffusivities of the individual cations and anions as a function of temperature. Experimental self-diffusivities range from 10(-11) to 10(-10) m(2)/s. Activation energies for diffusion are 44-49 kJ/mol. A classical force field was developed for these compounds, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to compute dynamic as well as thermodynamic properties. Evidence of glassy dynamics was found, preventing accurate determination of self-diffusivities over molecular dynamics time scales. Volumetric properties such as density, isothermal compressibility, and volumetric expansivity agree well with experiment. Simulated heat capacities are within 2% of experimental values.     

Study of mass consistency LES/FDF techniques for chemically reacting flows

A hybrid large eddy simulation/filtered density function (LES/FDF) approach is used for studying chemically reacting flows with detailed chemistry. In particular, techniques utilised for ensuring a mass consistent coupling between LES and FDF are discussed. The purpose of these techniques is to maintain a correct spatial distribution of the computational particles representing specified amounts of fluid. A particular mass consistency technique due to Y.Z. Zhang and D.C. Haworth (A general mass consistency algorithm for hybrid particle/finite-volume PDF methods, J. Comput. Phys. 194 (2004), pp. 156–193) and their associated algorithms are implemented in a pressure-based computational fluid dynamics code suitable for the simulation of variable density flows, representative of those encountered in actual combustion applications. To assess the effectiveness of the referenced technique for enforcing LES/FDF mass consistency, two- and three-dimensional simulations of a temporal mixing layer using detailed and reduced chemistry mechanisms are carried out. The parametric analysis performed focuses on determining the influence on the level of mass consistency errors of parameters such as the initial number of particles per cell and the initial density ratio of the mixing layers. Particular emphasis is put on the computational burden that represents the use of such a mass consistency technique. The results show the suitability of this type of technique for ensuring the mass consistency required when utilising hybrid LES/FDF approaches. The level of agreement of the computed results with experimental data is also illustrated.