Portable single-sided NMR measurements at variable temperatures: Implementation of a thermo-controlled device and application to the heating of bread dough

A temperature control unit was implemented to vary the temperature of samples studied on a commercial Mobile Universal Surface Explorer nuclear magnetic resonance (MOUSE-NMR) apparatus. The device was miniaturized to fit the maximum MOUSE sampling depth (25 mm). It was constituted by a sample holder sandwiched between two heat exchangers placed below and above the sample. Air was chosen as the fluid to control the temperature at the bottom of the sample, at the interface between the NMR probe and the sample holder, in order to gain space. The upper surface of the sample was regulated by the circulation of water inside a second heat exchanger placed above the sample holder. The feasibility of using such a device was demonstrated first on pure water and then on several samples of bread dough with different water contents. For this, T1 relaxation times were measured at various temperatures and depths and were then compared with those acquired with a conventional compact closed-magnet spectrometer. Discussion of results was based on biochemical transformations in bread dough (starch gelatinization and gluten heat denaturation). It was demonstrated that, within a certain water level range, and because of the low magnetic field strength of the MOUSE, a linear relationship could be established between T1 relaxation times and the local temperature in the dough sample.     

An analysis of over-relaxation in a kinetic approximation of systems of conservation laws

The over-relaxation approach is an alternative to the Jin–Xin relaxation method in order to apply the equilibrium source term in a more precise way. This is also a key ingredient of the lattice Boltzmann method for achieving second-order accuracy. In this work, we provide an analysis of the over-relaxation kinetic scheme. We compute its equivalent equation, which is particularly useful for devising stable boundary conditions for the hidden kinetic variables.     

Fluoroalkyl Radical Generation by Homolytic Bond Dissociation in Pentacarbonylmanganese Derivatives

Thermal decarbonylation of the acyl compounds [Mn(CO)₅(COR_F)] (R_F=CF₃, CHF₂, CH₂CF₃, CF₂CH₃) yielded the corresponding alkyl derivatives [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)], some of which have not been previously reported. The compounds were fully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and by several single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The solution-phase IR characterization in the CO stretching region, with the assistance of DFT calculations, has allowed the assignment of several weak bands to vibrations of the [Mn(¹²CO)₄(eq-¹³CO)(R_F)] and [Mn(¹²CO)₄(ax-¹³CO)(R_F)] isotopomers and a ranking of the R_F donor power in the order CF₃<CHF₂<CH₂CF₃≈CF₂CH₃. The homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage in [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)] at various temperatures under saturation conditions with trapping of the generated R_F radicals by excess tris(trimethylsilyl)silane yielded activation parameters ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ that are believed to represent close estimates of the homolytic bond dissociation thermodynamic parameters. These values are in close agreement with those calculated in a recent DFT study (J. Organomet. Chem. 2018 , 864, 12–18). The ability of these complexes to undergo homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage was further demonstrated by the observation that [Mn(CO)₅(CF₃)] (the compound with the strongest Mn−R_F bond) initiated the radical polymerization of vinylidene fluoride (CH₂=CF₂) to produce poly(vinylidene fluoride) in good yields by either thermal (100 °C) or photochemical (UV or visible light) activation.     

Hedging Entry and Exit Decisions: Activating and Deactivating Barrier Options

Investment projects and businesses can be entered or exited at a cost, and the theory of real option teaches us how to find optimal activity levels that should trigger entry or exit. However, in practice, different managers or owners operate under different constraints and might apply different thresholds to the same business. We are interested in the hedging of the risk related to the cost of sub-optimal entry or exit. We introduce a new class of derivative products that can hedge this risk. The pricing of these derivatives involves the joint law of a Brownian excursion and its supremum, which is calculated thanks to Bessel processes-related distribution laws.     

Influence functions and efficiencies of the canonical correlation and vector estimates based on scatter and shape matrices

In this paper, the influence functions and limiting distributions of the canonical correlations and coefficients based on affine equivariant scatter matrices are developed for elliptically symmetric distributions. General formulas for limiting variances and covariances of the canonical correlations and canonical vectors based on scatter matrices are obtained. Also the use of the so-called shape matrices in canonical analysis is investigated. The scatter and shape matrices based on the affine equivariant Sign Covariance Matrix as well as the Tyler's shape matrix serve as examples. Their finite sample and limiting efficiencies are compared to those of the Minimum Covariance Determinant estimators and S-estimator through theoretical and simulation studies. The theory is illustrated by an example.     

Fundamental groups of the complements of certain plane non-tame torus sextics

The moduli space of torus sextics with the configuration of singularities {A₂+A₅+2E₆} has two connected components. We compute the fundamental groups π₁(CP²−C) for sextics C in both components and study their differences.     

Méthode d'éléments finis avec hybridisation frontière pour les problèmes de contact avec frottementFinite element method with Lagrange multipliers for contact problems with friction

In this Note, we propose a finite element method with Lagrange multipliers in order to approximate contact problems with friction. The discretized normal and tangential constraints at the candidate contact interface are expressed by using continuous piecewise linear Lagrange multipliers in the saddle-point formulation. An optimal error estimate is established and several numerical studies corresponding to this choice of the discretized normal and tangential constraints are achieved. To cite this article: L. Baillet, T. Sassi, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 334 (2002) 917–922.     

Automorphismes des courbes modulaires X(n) en caractéristique p

 We prove that the group of automorphisms of the modular curve prime, in characteristic when the curve is ordinary is always when and a simple group when p = 2 or 3. In the non-ordinary cases we give informations about the ramification of and describe when q = 7,11 and 13 for all . Received: 12 October 2001 / Revised version: 29 April 2002     

Localization effects and measure source terms in numerical schemes for balance laws

This paper investigates the behavior of numerical schemes for nonlinear conservation laws with source terms. We concentrate on two significant examples: relaxation approximations and genuinely nonhomogeneous scalar laws. The main tool in our analysis is the extensive use of weak limits and nonconservative products which allow us to describe accurately the operations achieved in practice when using Riemann-based numerical schemes. Some illustrative and relevant computational results are provided.