52,267 research outputs found
Milling characteristics and distribution of phytic acid and zind in long-, medium- and short-grain rice
Milling and polishing are important operations during the production of white rice. The degree of milling and polishing has a significant effect on the nutritional aspects of white rice, especially on minerals, due to a non-uniform distribution of nutrients in the kernel. Information on the distribution of nutrients in rice will greatly help in understanding the effect of milling and aid in designing procedures that improve technological and sensory properties of rice while retaining its essential nutrients as much as possible. In this study, three kernel shapes (short-, medium- and long-grain) of rice were selected for the study of milling characteristics and distribution of zinc (Zn) and phytic acid using abrasive milling and X-ray fluorescent microscope imaging approaches. Milling characteristics differed with kernel shapes and cultivars. Mass loss (y, %) correlated well with milling duration (x, s) and was fitted using a polynomial equation of y=ax2+bx+c (R2=0.99). Different kernel shapes of rice resulted in different patterns. Breakage in milling increased with longer duration of milling. The relation between breakage (y, %) and milling duration (x, s) fitted the exponential equation y=aebx. Levels of phytic acid, as well as Zn, decreased with prolonged milling. Phytic acid decreased at a higher rate than Zn. The analysis of different milling runs showed that the concentration of phytic acid decreased from the surface region inward, whereas X-ray fluorescent images indicated that the highest concentration of phosphorus was at the interface of the embryo and perisperm. Our results help in understanding the milling characteristics of different rice cultivars. Understanding these characteristics offers opportunities to optimize milling procedures for maximum phytate removal at minimum mineral losses and yield los
Winding number transitions at finite temperature in the Abelian-Higgs model
Following our earlier investigations we examine the quantum-classical winding
number transition in the Abelian-Higgs system. It is demonstrated that the
sphaleron transition in this system is of the smooth second order type in the
full range of parameter space. Comparison of the action of classical vortices
with that of the sphaleron supports our finding.Comment: final version, to appear in J. Phys.
Quantum Phase Interference for Quantum Tunneling in Spin Systems
The point-particle-like Hamiltonian of a biaxial spin particle with external
magnetic field along the hard axis is obtained in terms of the potential field
description of spin systems with exact spin-coordinate correspondence. The
Zeeman energy term turns out to be an effective gauge potential which leads to
a nonintegrable pha se of the Euclidean Feynman propagator.
The phase interference between clockwise and anticlockwise under barrier
propagations is recognized explicitly as the Aharonov-Bohm effect. An
additional phase which is significant for quantum phase interference is
discovered with the quantum theory of spin systems besides the known phase
obtained with the semiclassical treatment of spin. We also show the energ y
dependence of the effect and obtain the tunneling splitting at excited states
with the help of periodic instantons.Comment: 19 pages, no figure, to appear in PR
Azimuthal and single spin asymmetry in deep-inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering
We derive a general framework for describing semi-inclusive deep-inelastic
lepton-nucleon scattering in terms of the unintegrated parton distributions and
other higher twist parton correlations. Such a framework provides a consistent
approach to the calculation of inclusive and semi-inclusive cross sections
including higher twist effects. As an example, we calculate the azimuthal
asymmetries to the order of 1/Q in semi-inclusive process with transversely
polarized target. A non-vanishing single-spin asymmetry in the ``triggered
inclusive process'' is predicted to be 1/Q suppressed with a part of the
coefficient related to a moment of the Sivers function.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur
All Maximal Independent Sets and Dynamic Dominance for Sparse Graphs
We describe algorithms, based on Avis and Fukuda's reverse search paradigm,
for listing all maximal independent sets in a sparse graph in polynomial time
and delay per output. For bounded degree graphs, our algorithms take constant
time per set generated; for minor-closed graph families, the time is O(n) per
set, and for more general sparse graph families we achieve subquadratic time
per set. We also describe new data structures for maintaining a dynamic vertex
set S in a sparse or minor-closed graph family, and querying the number of
vertices not dominated by S; for minor-closed graph families the time per
update is constant, while it is sublinear for any sparse graph family. We can
also maintain a dynamic vertex set in an arbitrary m-edge graph and test the
independence of the maintained set in time O(sqrt m) per update. We use the
domination data structures as part of our enumeration algorithms.Comment: 10 page
Heavy-to-light scalar form factors from Muskhelishvili-Omn\`es dispersion relations
By solving the Muskhelishvili-Omn\`es integral equations, the scalar form
factors of the semileptonic heavy meson decays ,
, and
are simultaneously studied. As input, we
employ unitarized heavy meson-Goldstone boson chiral coupled-channel amplitudes
for the energy regions not far from thresholds, while, at high energies,
adequate asymptotic conditions are imposed. The scalar form factors are
expressed in terms of Omn\`es matrices multiplied by vector polynomials, which
contain some undetermined dispersive subtraction constants. We make use of
heavy quark and chiral symmetries to constrain these constants, which are
fitted to lattice QCD results both in the charm and the bottom sectors, and in
this latter sector to the light-cone sum rule predictions close to as
well. We find a good simultaneous description of the scalar form factors for
the four semileptonic decay reactions. From this combined fit, and taking
advantage that scalar and vector form factors are equal at , we obtain
, and for the involved Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix
elements. In addition, we predict the following vector form factors at :
, ,
and , which might serve as alternatives to determine the CKM elements when
experimental measurements of the corresponding differential decay rates become
available. Finally, we predict the different form factors above the
regions accessible in the semileptonic decays, up to moderate energies
amenable to be described using the unitarized coupled-channel chiral approach.Comment: includes further discussions and references; matches the accepted
versio
Measurement of the topological surface state optical conductance in bulk-insulating Sn-doped BiSbTeS single crystals
Topological surface states have been extensively observed via optics in thin
films of topological insulators. However, in typical thick single crystals of
these materials, bulk states are dominant and it is difficult for optics to
verify the existence of topological surface states definitively. In this work,
we studied the charge dynamics of the newly formulated bulk-insulating Sn-doped
BiSbTeS crystal by using time-domain terahertz
spectroscopy. This compound shows much better insulating behavior than any
other bulk-insulating topological insulators reported previously. The
transmission can be enhanced an amount which is 5 of the zero-field
transmission by applying magnetic field to 7 T, an effect which we believe is
due to the suppression of topological surface states. This suppression is
essentially independent of the thicknesses of the samples, showing the
two-dimensional nature of the transport. The suppression of surface states in
field allows us to use the crystal slab itself as a reference sample to extract
the surface conductance, mobility, charge density and scattering rate. Our
measurements set the stage for the investigation of phenomena out of the
semi-classical regime, such as the topological magneto-electric effect.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted in Augus
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