Particle Size Analysis: A comparative study of various methods

The particle size distribution of component materials can be important parameter governing the proper function of many industrial products. At present, accurate determination of particle size by currently available methods is difficult for both theoretical and practical reasons. In this paper, some elementary notions regarding particle sizing are reviewed as is the relative performance of commercially available particle sizing instrumentation which could be used for particle size analysis of dry powders. Our results indicate that various particle size instruments yield significantly (even vastly) different particle size distributions for the same material. Without great care on the part of the investigator, the results obtained from any given instrument may not accurately describe the powder in question and thus may cause incorrect technical recommendations. The use of Fraunhofer diffraction instruments on samples containing irregularly shaped small ( < 10 μm) particles of low refractive index requires considerable caution.     

Exciton-exciton interaction in quantum wells

Il Nuovo Cimento D - Fast initial decays of both the luminescence intensity and the circular luminescence polarization at high exciton densities, under resonant excitation, are reported for the...     

Contribution a L'etude de melanges susceptibles de former des microemulsions selon leurs compositions,par la definition de leurs comportements dielectriques a 9,455 GHz

The dielectric studies of four components mixtures are rarely made on a great deal of concentrations. The authors propose a dielectric behavior study of mixtures made with toluene-water-butanol-SDS, from specific mappings of permittivities which are plotted on pseudo ternary diagrams at 9.455 GHz. They draw different conclusions to know how at 9.455 GHz the variations of real and imaginary parts of permittivity involve the concentration of each component and the structure of the mixture.These conclusions will be perfected by studies made at other frequencies and by spectral analysis of each mixture.     

The synthesis of a leukotriene with SRS-like activity

The synthesis and biological characteristics of an SRS-like leukotriene are described.     

Bone matrix like assemblies of collagen: from liquid crystals to gels and biomimetic materials

Skeletal tissues associate in close interaction, a dense organic matrix and a mineral network. In bone, the major structural protein is type I collagen, associated with inorganic crystals of hydroxyapatite. The three-dimensional arrangement of collagen fibrils in compact bone forms regularly ordered networks and a parallel was evidenced between these structures and molecular assemblies described in liquid crystals. Similar structures are now obtained in vitro. Indeed, when purified type I collagen is highly concentrated in an acid soluble state, the protein spontaneously assembles into ordered liquid crystalline phases. After a sol/gel transition triggered by pH increase, biomimetic materials are formed which resemble the exact compact bone matrix architecture over distances reaching centimetres and more. The properties of these highly ordered materials will be reviewed recalling their supramolecular arrangement and the corresponding patterns when visualised in polarised light microscopy (birefringence) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The association of inorganic phases (amorphous silica) to form chiral hybrid materials will also be described so as the behaviour of cells (fibroblast adhesion and migration) when seeded on these dense biomimetic matrices.     

Measurement of geometric phase for mixed states using single photon interferometry

Geometric phase may enable inherently fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, due to potential decoherence effects, it is important to understand how such phases arise for mixed input states. We report the first experiment to measure mixed-state geometric phases in optics, using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and polarization mixed states that are produced in two different ways: decohering pure states with birefringent elements; and producing a nonmaximally entangled state of two photons and tracing over one of them, a form of remote state preparation.     

Nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) applied to damage assessment in bone

Nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) is a resonance-based technique exploiting the significant nonlinear behavior of damaged materials. In NRUS, the resonant frequency(ies) of an object is studied as a function of the excitation level. As the excitation level increases, the elastic nonlinearity is manifest by a shift in the resonance frequency. This study shows the feasibility of this technique for application to damage assessment in bone. Two samples of bovine cortical bone were subjected to progressive damage induced by application of mechanical cycling. Before cycling commenced, and at each step in the cycling process, NRUS was applied for damage assessment. For independent assessment of damage, high-energy x-ray computed tomography imaging was performed but was only useful in identifying the prominent cracks. As the integral quantity of damage increased, NRUS revealed a corresponding increase in the nonlinear response. The measured change in nonlinear response is much more sensitive than the change in linear modulus. The results suggest that NRUS could be a potential tool for micro-damage assessment in bone. Further work must be carried out for a better understanding of the physical nature of damaged bone and for the ultimate goal of the challenging in vivo implementation of the technique.