Effects of Organic Acids on the Release of Fruity Esters in Water: An Insight at the Molecular Level

It is well known that organic acids (OAs) could affect the flavour of fruit juices and beverages. However, the molecular mechanism of aroma release is still unclear. In this study, the effects of citric acid (CA), L-(-)-malic acid (MA) and L-lactic acid (LA) on the release of six selected esters and their sensory perception were investigated by means of HS-GC-MS analyses and odour detection threshold determination, respectively. Meanwhile, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation was employed to explore the interaction modes between esters and OAs. HS-GC-MS analyses showed that the concentration and the type of OAs regulated the release of esters. The results were basically consistent with the detection threshold change of those esters. The DFT calculation suggested that the main intermolecular interaction was hydrogen bonds, and several esters could form a ternary ring structure with OAs through hydrogen bonds. The interactions can induce the different release behaviours of esters in OAs water solution. The number of carboxyl functional groups in OAs and the spatial conformation of esters appeared to influence the magnitude of the interaction. The above results demonstrated the mechanism of OAs affecting the release of esters and indicated a possible flavour control way by using different OAs and OA concentrations.     

Radiation damage by soft β-particles self-irradiation of β-tritiated polystyrene

The effect of self-irradiation of β-tritiated polystyrene under high vacuum at 25°C was studied, and simultaneous random chain scission and cross-linking were observed. Analyses of the gaseous products and the colored polymer residue showed that hydrogen was the only volatile product, while spectroscopic measurements indicated that the coloration was associated with the presence of main-chain double bonds.

G values for hydrogen formation GH₂, cross-linking, G _XL and chain scission, G _CS were obtained as follows: GH₂=0.031; G _CS=0.044; G _XL=0.061. Possible mechanisms of radiation damage are discussed.     

Air Flow Computation around an Automated Guided Vehicle

An upwind finite element scheme for the incompressible viscous flow at a high Reynolds number was proposed by the fourth and fifth authors. The scheme has the potential to approximate the advection term in third-order accuracy. We apply it to a two-dimensional non-stationary analysis of airflows around an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), which starts with constant acceleration, runs at a constant speed and stops with constant deceleration. The results are at least qualitatively good and compatible with experimental ones.     

The electronic transport properties for a single-wall ZnO nanotube with different coupling interfaces

The transport properties of a single-wall ZnO nanotube contacted with two Au (Al or Cu ) electrodes are investigated by a theoretical approach. Our results suggest the contact resistance for ZnO nanotube connected with Au electrodes is the largest one as compared with Al and Cu acting as electrodes. The local density of states (LDOS) near the ZnO nanotube/Cu(Al) interface shows the strong electronic interaction. Also shown is that for Au–ZnO system, we can observe a best rectifying performance, the next is the Al–ZnO system, and the third is Cu–ZnO system. This rectification is also fully rationalized by the calculated transmission spectra, the spatial distribution of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and highest occupied molecular orbital states, and the electrostatic potential distribution.     

Design and synthesis of novel indoline-(thio)urea hybrids

Abstract

A series of novel indoline-(thio)urea were designed and prepared using indoline(s) as a new platform and tested as organocatalysts in the Michael and Morita–Baylis–Hillman reactions. Most of the compounds were found to be very active catalysts although they did not promote the enantioselectivity. As agents for the conversion of thiocarbonyl compounds into carbonyl compounds, potentials of PIFA and DDQ were also displayed. Furthermore, DFT calculations rationalized the experimentally observed non-enantioselectivity of the catalysts.     

Spondias mombin L. as a green corrosion inhibitor for aluminium in sulphuric acid: Correlation between inhibitive effect and electronic properties of extracts major constituents using density functional theory

The inhibition of aluminium in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ by extracts of Spondias mombin L. was investigated using the standard gravimetric technique at 30–60 °C. The trend of inhibition efficiency with temperature was used to propose the mechanism of inhibition. It was found that the S. mombin L. extract acts as an inhibitor for acid-induced corrosion of aluminium. Inhibition efficiency (%I) of the extract increased with an increase in concentration of the S. mombin L. extract but decreased with temperature. Furthermore, inhibition efficiency (%I) synergistically increased on addition of potassium iodide. Inhibitor adsorption characteristics were approximated by Langmuir adsorption isotherm at all the concentrations and temperatures studied. The mechanism of physical adsorption is proposed from the trend of inhibition efficiency with temperature and from the calculated values of Gibbs free energy, activation energy and heat of adsorption. Quantum chemical calculations were performed using the density functional theory at B3LYP/6-31G (d) level of theory to find out whether a clear link exists between the inhibitive effect of the extract and the electronic properties of its main constituents.     

Some solvable models of nonuniform classical fluids

A model classical fluid is constructed by assuming that the direct correlation functionc(r – r) is independent of any applied external field. Thermodynamic consistency requires thatc(r – r) 0, and permits explicit representation of the model by a many-body interaction potential. In the canonical ensemble, the model shows a phase transition to an infinite density condensed phase, but in the grand canonical ensemble only an anomalous transition to zero density vapor is found to stably exist.     

Supersymmetric classical mechanics

The purpose of the paper is to construct a supersymmetric Lagrangian within the framework of classical mechanics which would be regarded as a candidate for passage to supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The authors felicitate Prof. D S Kothari on his eightieth birthday and dedicate this paper to him on this occasion.     

Effect of random density irregularities on nonlinear evolution of Langmuir waves in interplanetary medium

The evolution of nonlinear Langmuir waves in the interplanetary medium is investigated by appropriately accounting for the random density irregularities of the medium. A pair of modified Zakharov equations, which describe these waves, is solved numerically as an initial value problem for large scale (≫ 10² km) initial pertubations. For an ion acoustic-Langmuir solitary wave, the random irregularities damp the Langmuir wave by way of scattering and let the ion density perturbation radiate away in a few days. However an initial solitary or shock-like Langmuir wave excites the ion density perturbations within a fraction of a second, and then itself gets damped. These effects will strongly decelerate the collapse of large scale Langmuir waves. The possibility of detecting these processes, by means of interplanetary scintillation, is discussed. The authors felicitate Prof. D S Kothari on his eightieth birthday and dedicate this paper to him on this occasion.