Distribution of aflatoxins in some samples of peanuts

Naturally occurring G aflatoxins were found at approximately 20 times the level of B aflatoxins in one lot of roasted, blanched peanuts. Official methods, as well as high-pressure liquid chromatography, were used to confirm this finding. Additional routine sample analysis data of raw and roasted peanuts revealed that this finding is not so unusual formerly thought. It was found that 9.8% of the raw peanut samples contained higher levels of G than B aflatoxin; 4.9% containing 2-8 times more G than B aflatoxins. In a smaller sampling of roasted peanuts, 28% of the contaminated peanuts contained more G than B aflatoxins.     

Ultra-wideband horn antennas with a considerable difference in radiation pattern width in <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-planes

The paper presents results of theoretical and experimental investigation of ultra-wideband horn antennas with a rectangular aperture and input formed by a symmetric H-waveguide. The antennas show a considerable difference in their radiation pattern widths in the E-and H-planes, and good matching properties in a range of frequencies from 1 to 10 GHz. The required difference between radiation patterns of the antennas is attained by proper selection of horns’ geometry and application of a diverging dielectric lens in each horn. Optimal profiles of the horn antenna generatrix and of the dielectric lens placed inside are determined. Reliability of results of the theoretical analysis is confirmed by testing the designed prototypes of the ultra-wideband H-sectorial and E-sectorial horns.     

Effect of fluorine on the electrical properties of anodic oxide/InAs(111)A interface

The electrical properties of metal-insulator-semiconductor structures based on InAs(111)A with thin anodic insulator layers of various thicknesses (7–20 nm) are investigated. It is established that the oxidation of InAs in a fluorinated acid electrolyte results in decreasing density of surface states and fixed charge in the anodic layer to values of < 2 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2 eV^?1 and ～3 × 10¹¹ cm^?2, respectively. Comparison of the electrical parameters with the chemical composition of the layers shows that an improvement in the parameters of the fluorinated anodic oxide/InAs(111)A interface is caused by the substitution of oxygen atoms for fluorine in the anode layers with the formation of indium and arsenic oxifluorides and In-F bonds on the InAs surface.     

Developing and applying modern methods of leakage monitoring and state estimation of fuel at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant

The results of developing and implementing the modernized fuel leakage monitoring methods at the shut-down and running reactor of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant (NPP) are presented. An automated computerized expert system integrated with an in-core monitoring system (ICMS) and installed at the Novovoronezh NPP unit no. 5 is described. If leaky fuel elements appear in the core, the system allows one to perform on-line assessment of the parameters of leaky fuel assemblies (FAs). The computer expert system units designed for optimizing the operating regimes and enhancing the fuel usage efficiency at the Novovoronezh NPP unit no. 5 are now being developed.     

Effect of Carbonitriding on the Susceptibility of Medium-Carbon Alloy Steels to Temper Brittleness

Metal Science and Heat Treatment - The effect of carbonitriding as a finishing operation of hardening of the thread of drill pipes on the properties of the matrix metal, its temper brittleness in...