Showing papers by "Sylwester J. Rzoska published in 2013"

A universal description of ultraslow glass dynamics

Abstract: The dynamics of glass is of importance in materials science but its nature has not yet been fully understood. Here we report that a verification of the temperature dependencies of the primary relaxation time or viscosity in the ultraslowing/ultraviscous domain of glass-forming systems can be carried out via the analysis of the inverse of the Dyre–Olsen temperature index. The subsequent analysis of experimental data indicates the possibility of the selfconsistent description of glass-forming low-molecular-weight liquids, polymers, liquid crystals, orientationally disordered crystals and Ising spin-glass-like systems, as well as the prevalence of equations associated with the ‘finite temperature divergence’. All these lead to a new formula for the configurational entropy in glass-forming systems. Furthermore, a link to the dominated local symmetry for a given glass former is identified here. Results obtained show a new relationship between the glass transition and critical phenomena.

Factors influencing the inactivation of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores exposed to high hydrostatic pressure in apple juice

Abstract: Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a thermoacidophilic and spore-forming bacterium, survives the typical pasteurization process and can cause the spoilage of juices, producing compounds associated with disinfectant-like odour (guaiacol, 2,6 – dibromophenol, 2,6 – dichlorophenol). Therefore, the use of other more effective techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is considered for preserving juices. The aim of this study was to search for factors affecting the resistance of A. acidoterrestris spores to HHP. The baroprotective effect of increased solute concentration in apple juice on A. acidoterrestris spores during high pressure processing was observed. During the 45 min pressurization (200 MPa, 50°C) of the spores in concentrated apple juice (71.1°Bx), no significant changes were observed in their number. However, in the juices with a soluble solids content of 35.7, 23.6 and 11.2°Bx, the reduction in spores was 1.3–2.4 log, 2.6–3.3 log and 2.8–4.0 log, respectively. No clear effect of age of spo...

Distortion-sensitive insight into the pretransitional behavior of 4-n-octyloxy-4′-cyanobiphenyl (8OCB)

Abstract: Results of studies of the static and dynamic dielectric properties in rod-like 4-n-octyloxy-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8OCB) with isotropic (I)-nematic (N)-smectic A (SmA)-crystal (Cr) mesomorphism, combined with measurements of the low-frequency nonlinear dielectric effect and heat capacity are presented. The analysis is supported by the derivative-based and distortion-sensitive transformation of experimental data. Evidence for the I-N and N-SmA pretransitional anomalies, indicating the influence of tricritical behavior, is shown. It has also been found that neither the N phase nor the SmA phase are uniform and hallmarks of fluid-fluid crossovers can be detected. The dynamics, tested via the evolution of the primary relaxation time, is clearly non-Arrhenius and described via τ(T) = τ(c)(T-T(C))(-φ). In the immediate vicinity of the I-N transition a novel anomaly has been found: Δτ is proportional to 1/(T - T*), where T* is the temperature of the virtual continuous transition and Δτ is the excess over the 'background behavior'. Experimental results are confronted with the comprehensive Landau-de Gennes theory based modeling.

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in model suspensions and beetroot juice

Abstract: The inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCFB 3191 using high hydrostatic pressure of 300 MPa at 20°C with a holding time of 0, 1, 5 and 10 min was investigated with model suspensions in phosphate-buffered saline and in beetroot juice. The reduction in S. cerevisiae NCFB 3191 in model suspensions was about 5 log after 10 min of pressurization, irrespective of the initial level of cell concentration in the samples (5.4–8.7 log cfu/mL). The baroprotective effect of beetroot juice on yeast cells during pressurization was observed; the reduction was lower and was only 3.5 log (the inoculum was 5.4 log cfu/mL). No sublethal injury among the surviving cells of the studied yeast strain was found.

Nonlinear dielectric effect for the isotropic-blue phase transition in cholesteryl oleate

Abstract: Results are presented of measurements made of the temperature dependence of Δϵ/E2 in the vicinity of the isotropic—blue phase transition in cholesteryl oleate for two samples differing in the temperature of phase transition. In both cases it was ascertained that there is the same critical exponent of the functions Δϵ/E2∼(T—T*)−1 and also, in the limits of error, the same temperature difference TI-BP-T*, i. e. 0. 55 ± 0. 05°C.