A Wave Approach to Signal and Noise Modeling of Dual-Gate MESFET

A new procedure for signal and noise modeling of dual-gate MESFET is described in this paper. The small-signal model is based on two cascoded single-gate MESFET intrinsic equivalent circuits embedded in a network representing device parasitics. The wave interpretation of noise is used for defining the noise parameters of each single gate MESFET. Applying this approach, a CAD oriented procedure for extracting the dual-gate MESFETmodel parameters as well as the noise wave temperatures is developed. Modeled scattering and noise parameter characteristics are comparedto the measured ones and quite a good agreement is observed.     

Effect of temperature and water availability during late maturation of the soybean seed on germ and cotyledon isoflavone content and composition

BACKGROUND: Isoflavone content in soybean seeds is strongly influenced by both environment and genotype. However, little is known about the effect of environment and genotype on isoflavones in germ versus cotyledons. To determine the effect of temperature and soil moisture status during soybean seed development on seed isoflavone concentration and composition, a set of two French and three US cultivars of similar maturity were grown in the greenhouse. At the R6 growth stage, plants were subjected to one of three night/day temperature regimes (13/23°, 18/28° or 23/33 °C) in either optimal or sub‐optimal soil water conditions. RESULTS: In cotyledons, a three‐ to six‐fold variation in total isoflavone content was observed between the high and low temperature treatments, whereas the germ contents had less than a two‐fold variation. Soil water supply had less effect than temperature on the isoflavone contents and compositions. In both seed parts, the isoflavone concentrations were highly dependent on the cultivar. CONCLUSION: These results show that isoflavone content and composition in cotyledon and germ are unrelated and it should be possible to independently manipulate these seed traits through plant breeding and crop management systems. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigation of ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanocrystalline screen-printed thick films for application in humidity sensing

Zinc ferrite nanocrystalline powder was obtained by solid state synthesis of starting zinc oxide and hematite nanopowders. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline zinc-ferrite powder with a mixed spinel structure with small amounts of remaining zinc oxide and hematite as impurities. Thick film paste was formed and screen printed on test interdigitated PdAg electrodes on alumina substrate. Formation of a porous nanocrystalline structure was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Hg porosimetry. Humidity sensing properties of zinc ferrite thick films were investigated by monitoring the change in impedance in the relative humidity interval 30%-90% in the frequency range 42 Hz-1 MHz at room temperature (25°C) and 50°C. At 42 Hz at both analyzed temperatures the impedance reduced ~46 times in the humidity range 30%-90%. The dominant influence of grain boundaries was confirmed by analysis of complex impedance with an equivalent circuit.     

Antimicrobial materials based on poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) and silver acetate produced by reactive extrusion

The use of silver as an antimicrobial agent has exhibited great interest in recent years. In this research, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH)–silver acetate-based antimicrobial materials were prepared at high temperature by reactive extrusion. Silver acetates were used without pretreatment. The thermal reaction of silver acetates in the material and their effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of the polymer were investigated as a function of their concentration. The dispersed silver acetate salts within the EVOH matrix have displayed a significant thermal reaction. This reaction of metallic salts was partial when the extrusion temperature was fixed at 190 °C and completed at 230 °C. The antimicrobial agents also had significant effects on the properties of the matrix. Reductions of glass temperature and storage modulus were observed by the analyses. All the variations were dependent on both the concentration of silver acetate and the extrusion parameters. The antimicrobial activity was studied and demonstrated a promising potential to create an antimicrobial material in a one-step solvent free extrusion method. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47799.     

Structure and enhanced antimicrobial activity of mechanically activated nano TiO2

Titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst, known not only for its ability to oxidize organic contaminants, but also for its antimicrobial properties. In this article, significant enhancement of the antimicrobial activity of TiO₂ (up to 32 times) was demonstrated after its activation by ball milling. The antimicrobial activity was analyzed for one fungal and 13 bacterial ATCC strains using the microdilution method and recording the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. In order to further investigate the correlation between the mechanical activation of TiO₂ and its antimicrobial activity, the structure, morphology and phase composition of the material were studied by means of Electron Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded and the Kubelka-Munk function was applied to convert reflectance into the equivalent band gap energy (E_g) and, consequently, to investigate changes in the E_g value. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to analyze the influence of mechanical activation on the Ti 2p and O 1s spectra. The presented results are expected to enable the development of more sustainable and effective advanced TiO₂-based materials with antimicrobial properties that could be used in numerous green technology applications.     

Polyphenol oxidase activity,phenolic acid composition and browning in cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale, L.) after processing

This study describes the extraction and characterisation of cashew apple polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the effect of wounding on cashew apple phenolic acid composition, PPO activity and fruit browning. Purification factor was 59 at 95% (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation. For PPO activity, the optimal substrate was catechol and the optimum pH was 6.5. PPO K_m and V_max values were 18.8 mM and 13.6 U min⁻¹ ml⁻¹, respectively. Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium sulphite and sodium metabisulphite decreased PPO activity, while sodium chloride increased PPO activity. Wounding at 2 °C and 27 °C for 24 h increased PPO activity but storage at 40 °C reduced PPO activity. Gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and cinnamic acid (free and conjugate) were identified in cashew apple juice. Cutting and subsequent storage at 40 °C hydrolysed cinnamic acid. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural content in cashew apple juice increased after injury and storage at higher temperatures, indicating non-enzymatic browning.     

Modelling the stability of lycopene-rich by-products of tomato processing

Tomato by-products were produced by puree manufacturing from heat-stabilised fruits and raw fruits to simulate both conventional and innovative processing technologies. By-products were freeze-dried, ground and stored in five relative humidity environments in the range 11–75%, for 4 months at 30 °C. The aims were: (a) to investigate the effect of heating applied during tomato processing on by-product hygroscopicity and stability, (b) to find out the optimal water activity (a_w) range for by-product stability. Hygroscopicity was studied by applying the Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) model. By-product stability was studied by evaluating the kinetics of lycopene, β-carotene, rutin and chlorogenic acid degradation and the changes in Hunter’s colourimetric parameters during storage.     

Production of enzymatic hydrolysates with antioxidant and angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory activity from pumpkin oil cake protein isolate

Protein isolate from pumpkin oil cake (PuOC PI) was hydrolysed by alcalase, flavourzyme and by sequential use of these enzymes, respectively, and the antioxidant properties and angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of hydrolysates were evaluated. Under the same reaction conditions, alcalase hydrolysates showed a higher degree of hydrolysis (DH) than did flavourzyme hydrolysates. The highest DH’s by individual enzymes were 53.23 ± 0.7% and 37.17 ± 1.05%, respectively, both at 60 min. The increase of radical scavenging activity (RSA) in hydrolysates was positively correlated with the increase of DH, for both enzymes, though hydrolysates with flavourzyme showed two- or three-fold lower RSA than with alcalase. The highest bioactive potential was determined in the alcalase hydrolysate at 60 min, with RSA being 7.59 ± 0.081 mM TEAC/mg and ACE-inhibitory activity 71.05 ± 7.5% (IC₅₀ = 0.422 mg/ml). When this hydrolysate was further hydrolysed by flavourzyme, DH increased up to 69.29 ± 0.9%, but lower RSA (4.82 ± 0.21 mM TEAC/mg) and ACE-inhibitory activity (55.81 ± 6.196%) were determined in the final hydrolysate. This study suggested that the PuOC proteins could be converted into protein hydrolysates with antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities by enzymatic hydrolysis. Alcalase was shown as promising enzyme in further development of bioprocesses for the production of new bioactive food ingredients.     

Effect of height on the corrosion of steel and galvanized steel in nontropical coastal marine environments

In this study, the behavior of carbon steel and galvanized steel in nontropical coastal marine environments was evaluated. Evaluation was carried out with specimens with dimensions of 10 cm × 10 cm × 0.3 cm. These specimens were exposed to four testing stations (Iquique, Mejillones, Los Vilos, and San Vicente), where racks were installed both at ground level (ground), as well as in the upper zone of electrical transmission towers (tower). In each station, 24 specimens of A36 carbon steel and galvanized steel were placed (12 each). The corrosivity of the environment was measured using the ISO 9223, 9225, and 9226 standards. The specimens were evaluated on-site, monthly, through visual inspection and photographic record. Once withdrawn, the corrosion rate was determined and the corrosion products were analyzed through Raman and Fourier-transform infrared. The results show that, in all cases, the corrosion rate is greater in the tower than on the ground. However, even though the Los Vilos station is located farther from the sea (3,500 vs. ≈500 m), the corrosion rate of steel in the tower is the highest. This is caused by the generation of HCl from the transformation of lepidocrocite into goethite, in the presence of low chloride content, which acidifies the steel/corrosion product interface. In the case of galvanized steel, the corrosion rate is a function of the chloride content in the atmosphere, obtaining an excellent correlation between both parameters.