Linear correlation between pH value of stimulated beef and electrical current intensity

The aim of the present study was to determine mathematical relationships between pH changes in beef 24 h post-slaughter and changes in the intensity of electrical current flowing through bull and heifer carcasses during high-voltage electrical stimulation. The electrical stimulation was applied 40 min postmortem for 120 s. The pH values of m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum were analyzed in the function of electrical current intensity changes and its change during electrical stimulation. Mathematical linear correlations of the y = ax ± b type were demonstrated between pH values at 2, 6, and 24 h postmortem and the initial (I_i) and ultimate (I_u) electrical current intensity values, the difference between them and the initial pH values determined before electrical stimulation. High multiple correlation coefficients (R² = 0.416, α ≤ 0.001) between I_u and pH values 24 h post-slaughter enabled concluding that there is a possibility to predict a pH value of stimulated carcass with high accuracy, and thus also beef quality, based merely on the ultimate electrical current intensity values.     

Iron(II) Sulfate(VI) from Titania Production as a Raw Material for Preparation of Hydrogen Sulfide Sorbents

A hybrid sorbent material for removal of hydrogen sulfide from air was developed. The material is based on activated carbon and iron compounds obtained from waste iron(II) sulfate(VI) heptahydrate. The iron salt is deposited on the carbonaceous support and subjected to oxidation (Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺) using atmospheric oxygen under alkaline conditions. An effect of H₂O₂ addition to the process on the composition of the resultant material was also examined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed easy conversion of waste FeSO₄·7H₂O to iron oxides Fe₃O₄ and FeOOH. The activated carbon supporting iron oxides revealed a higher efficiency in H₂S elimination from air compared to the commercial activated carbon, without any modification.     

A generalization of the octonion Fourier transform to 3-D octonion-valued signals: properties and possible applications to 3-D LTI partial differential systems

Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing - The paper is devoted to the development of the octonion Fourier transform (OFT) theory initiated in 2011 in articles by Hahn and Snopek. It is also...     

Relationship Between the Thermodynamic Parameters,Structure, and Anticorrosion Properties of Al-Zr-Ni-Fe-Y Alloys

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The influence of the chemical composition on the crystallization process, amorphous phase formation, and the anticorrosion properties of Al-Zr-Ni-Fe-Y...     

Microstructural characterization of plasma sprayed Ln2Zr2O7 thermal barrier coatings by electron microscopy methods

The presented article characterized microstructural aspects of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) analysis using methods of electron microscopy such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission/scanning electron microscopy (S/TEM), and TEM. The analyzed TBC system is based on gadolinium zirconate deposited by air plasma spraying method, and additionally, it was subjected to an oxidation test for 500 hr at a temperature of 1,100°C. Moreover, the morphological characterization of feedstock powder was showed. EBSD analysis revealed the inhomogeneity of feedstock materials in the form of complex phase composition. In the case of deposited coating, this method was used to characterize the crystallite size of zirconate coating and phase composition of thermally grown oxide zone. S/TEM and TEM analysis showed morphological details of this zone but not revealed such phase as perovskite oxide of GdAlO₃ type.     

Magnetic Resonance Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange of Selective PyFALGEA Oligopeptide Ligands Towards Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors

The biorelevant PyFALGEA oligopeptide ligand, which is selective towards the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has been successfully employed as a substrate in magnetic resonance signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) experiments. It is demonstrated that PyFALGEA and the iridium catalyst IMes form a PyFALGEA:IMes molecular complex. The interaction between PyFALGEA:IMes and H₂ results in a ternary SABRE complex. Selective 1D EXSY experiments reveal that this complex is labile, which is an essential condition for successful hyperpolarization by SABRE. Polarization transfer from parahydrogen to PyFALGEA is observed leading to significant enhancement of the ¹H NMR signals of PyFALGEA. Different iridium catalysts and peptides are inspected to discuss the influence of their molecular structures on the efficiency of hyperpolarization. It is observed that PyFALGEA oligopeptide hyperpolarization is more efficient when an iridium catalyst with a sterically less demanding NHC ligand system such as IMesBn is employed. Experiments with shorter analogues of PyFALGEA, that is, PyLGEA and PyEA, show that the bulky phenylalanine from the PyFALGEA oligopeptide causes steric hindrance in the SABRE complex, which hampers hyperpolarization with IMes. Finally, a single-scan ¹H NMR SABRE experiment of PyFALGEA with IMesBn revealed a unique pattern of NMR lines in the hydride region, which can be treated as a fingerprint of this important oligopeptide.     

Energy Efficiency Trade-Off Between Duty-Cycling and Wake-Up Radio Techniques in IoT Networks

Wireless Personal Communications - For robust monitoring, control and proper energy management of renewable energy sources (RES), wireless sensing networks (WSNs) are proved to be a vital solution....     

The influence of volume fraction of amorphous phase on corrosion resistance of Mg67Zn 29Ca 4 alloy

The aim of this study was to investigate the structure and corrosion resistance of amorphous, amorphous‐crystalline, and crystalline Mg₆₇Zn₂₉Ca₄ alloy for biodegradable applications. This paper presents a preparation method and results of the structural characterization and corrosion resistance analysis of the material. Samples were prepared in the form of 3 mm diameter rods. The structure of the alloy was examined with the use of X‐ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties of the samples were examined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results of DSC analysis were used to determine heat treatment temperatures, allowing to obtain different fractures of crystalline phase in the material. Corrosion resistance of heat‐treated samples was investigated by immersion tests and electrochemical measurements performed in the simulated body fluid. The X‐ray diffraction results confirmed that the prepared Mg₆₇Zn₂₉Ca₄ alloy's structure is fully amorphous. After heat treatment, samples with different fractions of amorphous phase in the structure were obtained. Immersion tests of the samples showed that the structure significantly influenced corrosion resistance in examined materials. It should be pointed out, that certain amounts of crystalline phase in amorphous matrix can greatly improve the corrosion resistance of Mg₆₇Zn₂₉Ca₄ alloy.