Influence of the composition of perovskites based on SrMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> on their catalytic properties in the oxidative coupling of methane

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) in a periodic regime over the SrMnO₃ and its derivatives has been investigated. It has been established that partial replacement of the strontium ion by alkali metal ions leads to an increase in both catalytic activity and in selectivity with respect to higher hydrocarbons. Comparison of the results obtained in the present work with those obtained earlier for catalysts based on SrCoO₃ led to the conclusion that the Co-containing catalysts were preferable to the Mn-containing catalysts for carrying out oxidative coupling of methane in a periodic regime.__________Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimentalnaya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 30–34, January–February, 2005.     

Determination of in vitro antioxidant and radical scavenging activities of propofol

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is a hypnotic intravenous agent with in vivo antioxidant properties. This study was undertaken to examine the in vitro antioxidant activity of propofol using different antioxidant tests including by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH.) radical scavenging, metal chelating, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, reducing power and total antioxidant activities. At the concentrations of 25, 50, and 75 microg/ml, propofol exhibited 97.7, 98.6 and 100% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. On the other hand, at the 75 microg/ml concentration of standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and alpha-tocopherol exhibited 88.7, 94.5, and 70.4% inhibition on peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion, respectively. In addition, at same concentrations, propofol was shown that it had effective reducing power, DPPH. free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and metal chelating activities. These various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as BHA, BHT and alpha-tocopherol. These results indicate that propofol prevents lipid peroxidation and radicalic chain reactions. At the same time, propofol revealed more effective antioxidant capacity than BHA, BHT and alpha-tocopherol.     

Impact of Strong Magnetic Fields on Collision Mechanism for Transport of Charged Particles

One of the main applications in plasma physics concerns the energy production through thermo-nuclear fusion. The controlled fusion is achieved by magnetic confinement i.e., the plasma is confined into a toroidal domain (tokamak) under the action of huge magnetic fields. Several models exist for describing the evolution of strongly magnetized plasmas, most of them by neglecting the collisions between particles. The subject matter of this paper is to investigate the effect of large magnetic fields with respect to a collision mechanism. We consider here linear collision Boltzmann operators and derive, by averaging with respect to the fast cyclotronic motion due to strong magnetic forces, their effective collision kernels.     

Thermomechanical treatment of two Ecuadorian zeolite-rich tuffs and their potential usage as supplementary cementitious materials

Two Ecuadorian zeolite-rich tuffs, coded as Zeo1 (Mordenite) and Zeo2 (Clinoptilolite–Heulandite–Mordenite), were treated and used as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) so as to study the effect of the thermal and mechanical treatments on pozzolanic reaction in mortars. The treatment was carried out by means of thermomechanical process according to a central composite-blocked cube-star experimental design. In this experimental design as independent factors the milling time (48, 60, 90, 120 and 132 min) and the heating temperatures (559, 600, 700, 800 and 841 °C) were used but keeping a constant heating time (5 h), and zeolite-rich tuffs as experimental blocks. The proportion of SCM was kept constant i.e. 15 %. On the other hand, the compressive strength, fixed lime, normalized water in hydrates and mg Ca(OH)₂ per mg Cement at 7, 28 and 45 days, as well as hydration products related to dehydration degree of the zeolitic tuffs (DOD) were used as dependent factors. In addition, Quantitative and High-temperature chamber XRD, TG-DSC, particle size distribution and SEM-EDS were also carried out. The most significant factor was calcination leading to increase in the compressive strength compared to control, but just up to 800 °C because of recrystallization. As a conclusion, a meaningful loss of crystal structure of zeolites was not observed; but instead, the treatment could only lead to removing the water in cages and voids, thus improving the reaction with Ca(OH)₂, producing more hydrates. In addition, lime was not only fixed by pozzolanic reaction, but also by carbonation.     

Analysis of a particle method for the one‐dimensional Vlasov‐Maxwell system

In this article we present a particle method for solving numerically the one‐dimensional Vlasov‐Maxwell equations. This method is based on the formulation by characteristics. We perform the error analysis and we investigate the properties of this scheme. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009     

An in-service primary teacher’s implementation of mathematical tasks: the case of length measurement and perimeter instruction

The purpose of this paper is to examine the cognitive demand levels of tasks used by an in-service primary teacher during length measurement and perimeter instruction and to examine a possible link between these tasks and the teacher’s mathematical knowledge in teaching. For this purpose, a case study approach was used and the data was drawn from classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and field notes. Specific tasks from length measurement and perimeter instruction were presented and analyzed according to the Mathematical Tasks Framework. Then, how these tasks gave information about the teacher’s mathematical knowledge in teaching in the length measurement and perimeter topics was examined according to the Knowledge Quartet model. According to the findings of the study, the tasks used during length measurement and perimeter instruction were mostly categorized as low-level tasks. In addition, teacher’s mathematical knowledge in teaching affected the implementation of the tasks.     

New numerical simulation for fractional Benney–Lin equation arising in falling film problems using two novel techniques

The pivotal aim of the present work is to find the numerical solution for fractional Benney–Lin equation by using two efficient methods, called q ‐homotopy analysis transform method and fractional natural decomposition method. The considered equation exemplifies the long waves on the liquid films. Projected methods are distinct with solution procedure and they are modified with different transform algorithms. To illustrate the reliability and applicability of the considered solution procedures we consider eight special cases with different initial conditions. The fractional operator is considered in Caputo sense. The achieved results are drowned through two and three‐dimensional plots for different Brownian motions and classical order. The numerical simulations are presented to ensure the efficiency of considered techniques. The behavior of the obtained results for distinct fractional order is captured in the present framework. The outcomes of the present investigation show that, the considered schemes are efficient and powerful to solve nonlinear differential equations arise in science and technology.     

Application of inverse finite element method in tube hydroforming modeling

In tube hydroforming, the inverse finite element method (IFEM) has been used for estimating the initial length of tube, axial feeding and fluid pressure. The already developed IFEM algorithm used in this work is based on the total deformation theory of plasticity. Although the nature of tube hydroforming is three-dimensional deformation, in this paper a modeling technique has been used to perform the computations in two-dimensional space. Therefore, compared with conventional forward finite element methods, the present computations are quite fast with no trial and error process. In addition, the solution provides all the components of strain. Using the forming limit diagram (FLD), the components of strain can lead us to measure the potentials for failures or wrinkles during the deformation. The results of analysis for free bulging and square bulging have been compared with some published experimental data and the results obtained by conventional commercial software.     

On asymptotic properties for some parameter-dependent variational inequalities

This paper is concerned with asymptotic and monotonicity properties of some parameter-dependent variational inequalities. The main part of the study deals with inequalities modelling friction problems with normal compliance or Tresca’s conditions in which the parameter stands for the friction coefficient. The corresponding inequalities are (generalizations) of variational inequalities of the second kind. We then study an inequality of the first kind representing the elastoplastic torsion problem where the parameter represents the plasticity yield.