Determination of Ca,Cd, Cu,Fe, K,Mg, Mn,Mo, Na,Se, and Zn in Foodstuffs by Atomic Spectrometry After Sample Preparation Using a Low-Cost Closed-Vessel Conductively Heated Digestion System

Establishing fast, simple, low-cost, and efficient sample preparation procedures to determine elements in foodstuffs is a relevant aspect for nutritional and health purposes. For this reason, the recently proposed closed-vessel conductively heated digestion system (CHDS) was evaluated for the digestion of milk powder, chocolate powder, and soluble coffee samples aiming for Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn determinations by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS) and Cd, Mo, and Se determinations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with tandem configuration (ICP-MS/MS). The accuracy was evaluated by analyzing two milk certified reference materials digested by the CHDS and a microwave oven for comparison. When using the CHDS, recoveries for the analytes varied from 91 to 104 %. For microwave digestions, recoveries within the 94–109 % intervals were obtained. The method was then applied to the samples. For comparative purposes, the analytes were also determined in the samples after microwave digestion, and the results between the two digestion systems showed no differences based on a paired t test at a 95 % confidence level. Similar analytical blanks were obtained because quartz digestion tubes were used in both digestion systems. The CHDS with quartz tubes is an interesting alternative for laboratories dedicated to large-scale routine analysis because volatile elements usually found in very low concentrations in food samples such as Cd and Se can also be determined.     

Re-engineering the Engineering Change Management process for a drawing-less environment

Currently, 3D models and 2D drawings are the main basic elements that together form and carry the product definition throughout the product lifecycle. With the advent of the Digital Product Definition trend, industries have been interested in adopting a Model-based Definition (MBD) approach that enables the integration of drawing annotations directly onto a 3D model, thereby minimizing the need to generate engineering drawings. This drawing-less environment requires a way to adequately carry the product definition throughout a product's lifecycle while supporting all of the downstream users’ specific needs. The objective of this article is to present a solution to carry the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process in a drawing-less environment. Therefore, based on ECM process requirements from two Canadian aerospace companies, we propose an MBD dataset which consists of an MBD model and a distribution file. The proposed MBD dataset is evaluated and the MBD-driven ECM process is outlined.     

Design of Anchored Slabs in Spillway Stilling Basins

This paper characterizes the temporal behavior of uplift force generated by turbulent pressure fluctuations in spillway stilling basins. Theoretical and experimental analyses are presented that define the magnitude and temporal evolution of the maximum uplift acting on the lining of such basins. Analyses for the dynamic behavior of anchored floor slabs are also investigated. It is concluded that the applicability of the equivalent thickness criterion based on the balance of the forces acting on the slabs in static condition is unsafe for anchored slabs, because this criterion yields an inadequate area for the anchor steel. The results lead to a recommendation to double the area of anchor steel as computed by the equivalent thickness criterion for the design of slabs in stilling basins.     

Shallow and Undoped Germanium Quantum Wells: A Playground for Spin and Hybrid Quantum Technology

Buried‐channel semiconductor heterostructures are an archetype material platform for the fabrication of gated semiconductor quantum devices. Sharp confinement potential is obtained by positioning the channel near the surface; however, nearby surface states degrade the electrical properties of the starting material. Here, a 2D hole gas of high mobility (5 × 10⁵ cm² V^?1 s^?1) is demonstrated in a very shallow strained germanium (Ge) channel, which is located only 22 nm below the surface. The top‐gate of a dopant‐less field effect transistor controls the channel carrier density confined in an undoped Ge/SiGe heterostructure with reduced background contamination, sharp interfaces, and high uniformity. The high mobility leads to mean free paths ≈ 6 µm, setting new benchmarks for holes in shallow field effect transistors. The high mobility, along with a percolation density of 1.2 × 10¹¹cm^?2, light effective mass (0.09m_e), and high effective g‐factor (up to 9.2) highlight the potential of undoped Ge/SiGe as a low‐disorder material platform for hybrid quantum technologies.     

Conduction intersubband transitions at normal incidence in Si(1-x)Ge(x) quantum well devices

We show theoretically that it is possible to design SiGe-based quantum well structures in which conduction intersubband transitions are induced by normal incidence infrared radiation. A sp(3)d(5)s(*) tight binding model has been adopted to evaluate the electronic states and optical transitions between lowest conduction confined states of a superlattice composed of one pure Ge quantum well separated by SiGe alloys, grown along the [001] direction. We find that significant optical coupling between confined states in the Ge wells is achieved at normal incidence radiation by the off-diagonal elements of the mass tensor. The minimum energy Ge conduction valleys are, in fact, tilted with respect to the [001] growth axis. For comparison we show that no such coupling can be realized for the conduction states confined in a similar structure composed by Si quantum wells because the ellipsoids of the lowest conduction valleys are oriented along the growth direction.     

Market Driven Dynamic Spectrum Allocation over Space and Time among Radio-Access Networks: DVB-T and B3G CDMA with Heterogeneous Terminals

The radio frequency spectrum is a naturally limited resource of extraordinary value, as the key to the provision of important communication and information services. Traditionally, spectrum has been allocated first to specific access technologies, and then sub-allocated to specific access networks, on very long term basis (up to decades). The traditional scheme can be very inefficient when demand patterns (“loads”) exhibit high temporal and spatial variations. Dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) improves radio spectrum efficiency by adjusting the allocation as demand changes in time and/or space. In previous work, we introduced a DSA scheme in which a spectrum manager periodically auctions short-term spectrum licenses. The scheme can be supported by a realistic “pooling” business model, and can work with many radio-access technologies. But our previous analysis only considers a code-division multiple access (CDMA) technology; and DSA provides the greatest benefits with the participation of networks having complementary “busy hours,” such as video entertainment services and cellular telephony. Here, a digital video broadcast (DVB) terrestrial network joins the scheme. A typical DVB terrestrial cell is (much) larger than a UMTS cell. This brings to the forefront inter-cell interference, and inter-related auctions in different cells. To capture the essence of these issues we focus first on a situation where one DVB terrestrial cell overlays two adjacent CDMA cells. Subsequently we discuss extensions to richer scenarios. The contributions of the present work over our previous publications include to : (i) address the impact of inter-cell interference among several CDMA cells, (ii) introduce the DVB access technology into the DSA scheme, (iii) modify the auction scheme to consider that a DVB cell overlays several CDMA cells, (iv) characterise analytically the marketing and bidding behaviour of the DVB network.

Quality Characteristics of Wholemeal Flour and Bread from Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L subsp. durum Desf.) after Field Treatment with Plant Water Extracts

The use of selected plant water extracts to control pests and weeds is gaining growing attention in organic and sustainable agriculture, but the effects that such extracts may exert on the quality aspects of durum wheat are still unexplored. In 2014, 5 plant water extracts (Artemisia arborescens, Euphorbia characias, Rhus coriaria, Thymus vulgaris, Lantana camara) were prepared and distributed on durum wheat cv Valbelice to evaluate their potential herbicidal effects. After crop harvesting, the major physicochemical and technological parameters of wholemeal flours obtained from each treatment were measured and compared with those from chemical weeding and untreated controls. A baking test was also performed to evaluate the breadmaking quality. In wholemeal flours obtained after the treatment with plant extracts protein and dry gluten content were higher than in control and chemical weeding. Wholemeal flours obtained after chemical weeding reached the highest Mixograph parameters, and that from durum wheat treated with R. coriaria extract demonstrated a very high α‐amylase activity. We concluded that the treatments with plant water extracts may influence many quality traits of durum wheat. This occurrence must be taken into account in overall decisions concerning the use of plant extracts in pest and weed management practice.