Exploring the equilibrium and dynamic phase transition properties of the Ising ferromagnet on a decorated triangular lattice

We study the equilibrium and dynamic phase transition properties of a two-dimensional Ising model on a decorated triangular lattice under the influence of a time-dependent magnetic field composed of a periodic square wave part plus a time-independent bias term. Using Monte Carlo simulations with a standard Metropolis algorithm, we determine the equilibrium critical behavior in zero field. At a fixed temperature corresponding to the multidroplet regime, we locate the relaxation time and the dynamic critical half period at which a dynamic phase transition takes place between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states. Benefiting from finite-size scaling theory, we estimate the dynamic critical exponent ratios for the dynamic order parameter and its scaled variance, respectively. The response function of the average energy is found to follow a logarithmic scaling as a function of lattice size. At the critical half period and in the vicinity of a small bias field regime, the average of the dynamic order parameter obeys a scaling relation with a dynamic scaling exponent which is very close to the equilibrium critical isotherm value. Finally, in the slow critical dynamics regime, investigation of metamagnetic fluctuations in the presence of bias field reveals a symmetric double-peak behavior for the scaled variance contours of the dynamic order parameter and average energy. Our results strongly resemble those previously reported for kinetic Ising models.

Determination of the effect of high energy ultrasound application in tempering on flour quality of wheat

This research has been carried out under laboratory conditions. To determine the effect of soaking with ultrasound application to dampen hard wheat samples at one stage in tempering process was the prior goal. In the experiments, Bezostaya-1 wheat samples in different hardness levels (45, 65 and 75%) are used as material. The milling quality and qualitative properties of the flour were investigated. Results compared with the classic tempering process which has two stages tempering for hard and semi-hard wheat at the industrial applications. Ultrasonication of the samples has been applied by a probe-type ultrasound device. Because of experimental deviations, inevitable positive effect of ultrasonic tempering had not seen in the quality parameters of milling experiments like flour yield and energy consumption. But tempering with ultrasound application increased the speed of water intake and diffusion into the grain center. In the study, the wet gluten rates of the flour obtained by classical tempering process were 24.52% and the gluten index rate was 87.17%, while the results obtained by ultrasonic tempering were 22.70% and 93.33%, respectively. Thus it raised flour quality a little, possibly, due to low amount but better quality gluten coming from central endosperm in the flour obtained. Other analysis results in flour showed significant differences in some values of classical and ultrasonic tempering processes. As a result of ultrasonic tempering, the fineness rate (granulation) increased from 73.27% to 79.77%, ash content decreased from 0.61% to 0.55%, Zeleny sedimentation value decreased from 25.0 mL to 23.67 mL, flour stability increased from 9.76 min to 12.06 min, water absorption 59.1% decreased from 61.28%, softening resistance increased from 400.33 BU to 504.50 BU, maximum resistance increased from 420.50 BU to 536.16 BU. In bread trials, bread volume increased from 328.3 mL to 347.3 mL, and specific volume increased from 2.39 mL / g to 2.57 mL / g. These issues have been confirmed by some analysis such as fine granulation, low ash content, high gluten index, some farinogram, and extensigram properties, and finally better performance in bread making was observed.

Electronic and magnetic properties of monolayer α-RuCl3: a first-principles and Monte Carlo study

Recent experiments revealed that monolayer α-RuCl₃ can be obtained by a chemical exfoliation method and exfoliation or restacking of nanosheets can manipulate the magnetic properties of the materials. Thermal variations of magnetization and specific heat curves indicate that monolayer α-RuCl₃ exhibits a phase transition between ordered and disordered phases at the Curie temperature of 14.21 K.

The effect of glycyrrhizic acid on traumatic spinal cord injury in rats

Spine injury associated with traumatic spinal cord injury eventuates in oxidative stress, inflammation and neuronal apoptosis. The aim of this study is to find out whether the glycyrrhizic acid treatment protects spinal cord from traumatic injuries in rats. To this end, the rats were divided into three groups: group I; control group (no drug or operation, n=8), group II; traumatic spinal cord injury group (TSCI, n=8) and group III; glycyrrhizic acid group (TSCI-GA, 80 mg/kg, n=8). Total laminectomy was performed at T10 level. A balloon angioplasty catheter was inserted into the T9 level thoracic spinal cord extradurally. The rats were evaluated with the Tarlov Scale. After 24 hours, spinal cord tissues were taken for biochemical and histopathological examinations. TSCI effectuates unwanted results on tissues, antioxidant systems and cell membranes. Antioxidant enzyme level decreased and lipid peroxidation increased. However, TSCI led to inflammation and apoptosis. Glycyrrhizic acid treatment provided a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation in group III in comparison with group II. Moreover, nuclear respiratory factor 1 levels and superoxide dismutase activity of group III were significantly higher than group II (p<0.05). The histopathological and immunohistochemical results revealed that the numbers of apoptotic and necrotic neuron, edema, hemorrhage, inflammatory cells, NF-κB and S100B expressions were significantly lower than group II (p<0.05). Our study showed that the glycyrrhizic acid treatment reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and promoted the neuronal functions in traumatic spinal cord injury.

[Autoregulation in the choroid]

The cerebral perfusion is continuously and highly sensitively dependent on arterial pCO2. Does the ocular perfusion behave in a similar manner? To answer this question, the authors measured the following parameters before and after the inhalation of 10% CO2: a) the increase of capillary pCO2, using a transcutaneous sensor, and b) the redness (pallor) of the retinal tissue, an expression of its hemoglobin content, was measured at two retinal locations with the Ocular Photometer (OPM). Initial results from young test-volunteers and patients with documented carotis stenoses show that the choroid is able to maintain constant its blood-volume even under changing loads.