Utilization of carbohydrates by radiation processing

Upgrading and utilization of carbohydrates such as chitosan, sodium alginate, carrageenan, cellulose, pectin have been investigated for recycling these bio-resources and reducing the environmental pollution. These carbohydrates were easily degraded by irradiation and various kinds of biological activities such as anti-microbial activity, promotion of plant growth, suppression of heavy metal stress, phytoalexins induction, etc. were induced. On the other hand, some carbohydrate derivatives, carboxymethylcellulose and carboxymethylstarch, could be crosslinked under certain radiation condition and produce the biodegradable hydrogel for medical and agricultural use.     

Analysis of concentration patterns in volcanic rocks: Insights into dynamics of highly explosive volcanic eruptions

In this contribution we present new data resulting from the analysis of concentration patterns of mixed juvenile fragments ejected by a highly explosive volcanic eruption that occurred on Salina Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and our aim is to identify the fluid-dynamic regime characterizing the magma mixing process. Concentration patterns are studied by calculating the power spectrum of concentration variability along transects crossing the magma mixing structures. Results indicate that the slope of power spectrum has an average value of about −5/3, according to Kolmogorov law of turbulence, and suggest that the magma mixing process, in the studied conditions, can be approximated by considering the passive scalar mixing hypothesis in homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow. These results represent a first step towards a better understanding of magma mixing processes associated to highly explosive volcanic eruptions and this first step is taken by studying concentration patterns in volcanic rocks by coupling petrological and non-linear dynamics methods.     

Use of new composite materials for the determination of Cu, Cd, Mo, As, and Sb in biological samples by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

Summary  Vezetéknév     

Analysis of Radiation Phenomena in a Wedge Ended Dielectric Slab Waveguide

Radiation phenomena observed in a wedge shape ended dielectric slab waveguide are analyzed using mode matching technique. The case of transverse electric polarization (TE) being parallel to dielectric slab waveguide is assumed. In order to describe the fields in the wedge region, a stack of dielectric plates is assumed and in each layer the fields are expanded in terms of the mixed spectrum of guided and radiated modes. A similar expansion is used in the constant thickness slab waveguide while in free space medium a continuous-radiation mode expansion is used. Then a mode matching approach is applied, incorporating the orthogonality properties of mixed spectrum modes, in order to compute the wave fields inside the dielectric slab waveguide and wedge medium. Mode matching is achieved by discretizing the continuous radiation mode spectrum leading into a numerically stable solution provided a sufficient large number of points are used to convert integrals into finite summations. Numerical computations are carried out for various wedge geometries and shapes including linear and exponential profiles.     

Basic principles of technological shaping of optical properties and radiation hardness of PWO crystals

Technological conditions ensuring growth of optically homogeneous lead tungstate (PWO) crystals are reported. It is shown that the basic scintillator characteristics of PWO grown from highly purified raw material and properly doped with lanthanides are mainly determined by inclusions of oxides W_1−yL_yO_3−x (L=Y, La, Gd; 0<x<0.3). Moreover, surface-located inclusions with structure close to tungstenite may also be of importance. It is demonstrated that the scintillation properties can be intentionally designed by varying the oxygen content in the inclusions x and the surface structure. The optimal value for x and the most favorable surface structure are achieved by proper thermal regimes and environment content during the crystal annealing. The results enabled low-cost fabrication of PWO scintillators with steady and reproducible characteristics acceptable for the CERN project ALICE and ensured production of PWO on an industrial scale by “North Crystals” company at a rate of 125–135 crystals per year from every growth apparatus.     

Interactions between kinetic and radiative processes inside moving absorbing fluids

The aim of this paper is to present several features of the couplings occurring between radiative transfer and the kinetics of a moving dielectric. After determining how the velocity field affects the apparent thermo-optical properties of matter, the energy transport problem is investigated in instationary regime and the general form of transient radiative transfer equation inside a moving medium is built. Then, the model is applied to the particular case of turbulent flows: a system of two equations for mean and fluctuating radiative energies is presented, and the resolution of this system is finally carried out.     

On the evolution of two-dimensional patterns in an inviscid liquid sheet

We perform an analysis of the pattern formation for a moving sheet of inviscid fluid. The sheet, which is assumed to have an infinite horizontal extent, moves at some prescribed velocity into a passive surrounding gas. The sheet’s thickness is assumed much smaller than the horizontal scale of the fluid motion. By considering a system that is symmetric with respect to the horizontal planes, long scale asymptotics are used to reduce the full governing equations in three dimensions to a set of three coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for the horizontal components of the velocity field and the height of the interface profile. The interfacial conditions consisting of the kinematic and normal stress balance are incorporated into these evolution equations. Investigations are carried out as function of the sole dimensionless parameter, namely the Weber number. A small amplitude stability analysis around the planar gas–liquid interface reveals that wave patterns in the form of traveling plane waves occur subcritically, and are therefore unstable. The reduced evolution equations are solved numerically for fixed values of the Weber number. Since the reduced system of equations is homogeneous, the wave motion is generated by initial conditions. Five initial conditions have been imposed: one-dimensional rolls, two-dimensional squares, two-dimensional hexagons, two-dimensional ridges, and smooth peaks. The ensuing evolution of the liquid sheet’s shape and corresponding flow fields are described by illustrations of the changes in the sheet’s morphology with time.     

Development of honey hydrogel dressing for enhanced wound healing

Radiation at 25 and 50 kGy showed no effect on the acidic pH of the local honey, Gelam, and its antimicrobial property against Staphylococcus aureus but significantly reduced the viscosity. Honey stored up to 2 years at room temperature retained all the properties studied. Radiation sterilized Gelam honey significantly stimulated the rate of burn wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats as demonstrated by the increased rate of wound contraction and gross appearance. Gelam honey attenuates wound inflammation; and re-epithelialization was well advanced compared to the treatment using silver sulphadiazine (SSD) cream. To enhance further the use of honey in wound treatment and for easy handling, Gelam honey was incorporated into our hydrogel dressing formulation, which was then cross-linked and sterilized using electron beam at 25 kGy. Hydrogel with 6% of honey was selected based on the physical appearance.     

Poly(n-vinylpyrrolidone) hydrogels: 2.Hydrogel composites as wound dressing for tropical environment

POLY(N-VINYLPYRROLIDONE) HYDROGELS: 2. HYDROGEL COMPOSITES AS WOUND DRESSING FOR TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT. The effects of irradiation on hydration and other properties of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogel composites have been investigated. The aqueous solution of vinylpyrrolidone (VP) 10 wt % was mixed with several additives such as agar and polyethylen glycol (PEG). The solution was then irradiated with gamma rays from Cobalt-60 source at room temperature. Several parameters such as elongation at break (EB), tensile strength (TS), degree of swelling (DS), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), equilibrium water content (EWC), microbial growth and penetration test, and water activity (Aw) were analysed at room temperature of 29 ±2°C humidity of 80 ± 10%. Results show that elongation at break of hydrogel membranes with initial composition of VP with agar, VP with agar and PEG were 240 % and 250 % kGy, the equilibrium water content of membranes were 96 to 90%, whereas degree of swelling were 55 to 10. The WVTR of hydrogel membranes with initial composition of VP with agar and PEG was 70 g m^-2h^-1, while the water activity was 0.9. Such hydrogel membranes exhibits the following properties: They are elastic, transparent, flexible, impermeable for bacteria. They absopt a high capacity of water, attached to healthy skin but not to the wound and they are easy to remove. These properties of the hydrogel membranes allow for applying as a wound dressings in tropical environment.     

辐照对聚己内酯结构和性能的影响

研究了γ 辐照对不同分子量的聚己内酯 (PCL)的力学性能、热性能、结晶行为的影响 ,在此基础上 ,研究了辐射交联后的PCL的形状记忆行为 .研究结果表明 ,PCL的分子量越大 ,辐射交联所需的凝胶化剂量越低 .溶胶分数S +S1 2 与 1 D的关系很好地符合Charlesby Pinner关系式 ,说明PCL的辐射交联属于无规交联 .剂量对PCL的力学性能影响显著 ,剂量越大 ,抗张强度和断裂伸长率下降越多 ,但分子量较高的PCL的抗张强度受剂量的影响较小 .DMA分析表明 ,聚己内酯辐照交联后的弹性模量和耐热性能显著提高 .交联度较高的PCL表现出高弹态 ,可以拉伸 ,并具有较好的形状记忆行为 .DSC分析表明 ,辐射交联使PCL的结晶度有所增加 ,但也使结晶熔点有所降低