Cyclic behaviour of stone and brick masonry under uniaxial compressive loading

An experimental research concerning the uniaxial compressive behaviour of stone and brick specimens, as well as masonry prisms, is presented. Local sandstone and clay brick materials were used in order to obtain results representative with respect to local constructions. Aiming at a comprehensive material description, a set of displacementcontrolled experiments were carried out, both under monotonic and cyclic compressive loading. The procedure adopted for testing is described and the results are discussed, namely material brittleness, intrinsic variability, energy dissipation and stiffness degradation.Dans cet article une recherche expérimentale à propos du comportement en compression uniaxial de spécimens de pierre et de la brique, aussi bien que prismes de maçonnerie, est présenté. Grès et brique de l’argile locale ont été utilisés pour obtenir des résultats représentatifs en ce qui concerne les constructions locales. Avec l’objective de obtenir une description matérielle complète, un ensemble de tests contrôlé par déplacement a été emporté, sous chargement de compression monotonic et cyclique. La procédure adoptée pour tester est décrite et les résultats sont discutés, nommément la fragilité matérielle, variabilité intrinsèque des matériaux, dissipation d’énergie et déchéance de la raideur

Brazilian cachaca: "Single shot" typification of fresh alembic and industrial samples via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Copper pot stills (alembics) and industrial stainless steel columns are the most common distillation devices used in Brazil to produce sugarcane spirit (cachaca). The use of both apparatus originates two distinctive products, the so-called (a) alembic (the most valuable) and (b) industrial cachacas, respectively, with subtle but characteristic chemical compositions and sensorial properties. Herein, we demonstrate that the use of direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative mode, ESI(-)-MS, is able to provide fast "single shot" fingerprinting discrimination between these two types of spirits. Representative samples of both spirits show ESI(-)-MS with regular sets of diagnostic ions of m/z 279, 255, 199, 171, 143 (alembic) and of m/z 377, 341 (industrial). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the ESI(-)-MS data consistently split the 34 alembic and the 14 industrial samples into two well-defined groups. Sugar addition to the alembic samples was also easily detected. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.115310641068Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of Brazilian artisan cachaca aged in different wood casks

We have investigated the capability of direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode, ESI(-)-MS, to differentiate representative samples of artisan cachaa, a Brazilian sugar cane distillate of large production, aged in four different types of wood casks: amburana (Amburana cearensis), jequitiba (Cariniana estrellensis), balm (Myroxylon peruiferum), and oak (Quercus rubra). The ESI(-)-MS were found to be very characteristic, showing sets of diagnostic ions for each of the four types of samples: amburana (m/z 271, 313, 377), jequitiba (m/z 143, 171, 255), balm (m/z 137, 269, 283, 297), and oak (m/z 197, 301, 307). Furthermore, principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), applied to the ESI(-)-MS data, divided these samples into four definite categories. The influence of the aging time on the ESI(-)-MS fingerprints of the cachaa samples stored in oak casks was also established. An inversion in the relative intensity of the diagnostic ions of m/z 307 and 301 is detected in the ESI(-)-MS as the aging time increased from 1 to 2 years. The chemical structures of the major cachaa components were proposed on the basis of the following: (a) the comparison of the ESI(-)-MS/MS of the diagnostic anions with those of the authentic anions or (b) the interpretation of the fragmentation patterns of the previously unknown diagnostic anions. Hence, direct infusion ESI(-)-MS allows not only a rapid, simple, and accurate way to distinguish among cachaa samples stored in different wood casks but also monitoring changes in their chemical composition according to the aging time.5562094210

Gasoline, Kerosene, and Diesel Fingerprinting via Polar Markers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry working in the liquid mode (V-L-EASI-MS) is shown to provide rapid and reliable characterization of crude oil distillates. With no extraction or pretreatments, samples of gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and admixtures of gasoline/diesel and gasoline/kerosene were directly analyzed by V-L-EASI(+)-MS. Homologous series of natural N-heteroaromatics were detected in their protonated forms providing typical profiles of polar markers. For gasoline, V-L-EASI(+)-MS detects a homologous series of mainly C1-C5 alkyl pyridines. For kerosene, a typical series of alkylated tetrahydroquinolines is detected. For diesel, the V-EASI(+)-MS profile is much richer because of the detection of several classes of many N-heteroaromatics. V-L-EASI(+)-MS is also shown to provide typical spectra for petrochemical gasolines detecting specific antioxidants. Admixtures of gasoline/kerosene and gasoline/diesel are also clearly characterized with limits of detection of 10 and 1% (v/v), respectively. Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) has been used to confirm assignments of the polar markers detected by V-L-EASI(+)-MS.26635423547Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FINEPANPPetrobrasFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq