Physical fragmentation

Plant detritus (either attached or detached from the plant) undergoes physical fragmentation through the action of waves and currents, UV exposure, and through grazing activities of macro invertebrates. Fragmentation of plant detritus into small fractions (<1 mm) results in increased surface areas and accelerated microscale processes (such as enzymatic hydrolysis and catabolic activities). 

Contrary to popular belief, the physical fragmentation of hydrocarbon polymers can be accelerated in a controlled manner by heat and light by the use of appropriate combinations of additives [2]. This results from peroxidation and chemical modification of the component polymers and is associated with the formation of low molecular weight carboxylic acids and alcohols. This encourages microbial colonisation at the surface of the plastic and leads to bioerosion of the film with mass loss. 

A particularly good selection of physical properties may be spectra, because they are known to depend strongly on the chemical structure. In fact, different types of spectra carry different kinds of structural information, NMR spectra characterize individual carbon atoms in their molecular environment. They therefore correspond quite closely to fragment-based descriptors, as underlined by the success of approaches to predict NMR spectra by fragment codes (see Section 10.2.3). 

K, V N Viswanadhan and J J Wendoloski 1998. Prediction of Hydrophobic (Lipophilic) lerties of Small Organic Molecules Using Fragmental Methods An Analysis of ALOGP and GP Methods. Journal of Physical Chemistry 102 3762-3772. 

Perhaps the simplest examination done is the physical match. A small fragment of wood, plastic, or other material is recovered and fitted into a large piece found on the suspect or at the scene of the crime (39). Other examinations result ordy in demonstrating class characteristics (40). Such information may be used in a prosecution as circumstantial evidence in a trial. However, it is important that the forensic scientist neither inflate nor minimize (41,42) its importance. 

Physical Chemical Characterization. Thiamine, its derivatives, and its degradation products have been fully characterized by spectroscopic methods (9,10). The ultraviolet spectmm of thiamine shows pH-dependent maxima (11). H, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra show protonation occurs at the 1-nitrogen, and not the 4-amino position (12—14). The H spectmm in D2O shows no resonance for the thiazole 2-hydrogen, as this is acidic and readily exchanged via formation of the thiazole yUd (13) an important intermediate in the biochemical functions of thiamine. Recent work has revised the piC values for the two ionization reactions to 4.8 and 18 respectively (9,10,15). The mass spectmm of thiamine hydrochloride shows no molecular ion under standard electron impact ionization conditions, but fast atom bombardment and chemical ionization allow observation of both an intense peak for the patent cation and its major fragmentation ion, the pyrimidinylmethyl cation (16). 

Radiopaque materials are used to determine the location of aspirated dentures and fragments (205,206). Opacifying additives include barium sulfate, barium fluoride, barium or bismuth glasses, and brominated organic monomers and polymers. The incorporation of these additives into the resin base or tooth can adversely affect physical properties. Radiopaque materials meeting the requirement for ANSI/ADA specifications for denture-base polymer have been described (207). 

Theory of Electrophoretic Motion. The study of the mechanics of electrophoresis focuses on the basis of electric potential on the surface of an object, and the relation of the electric potential to the velocity of the particle. Whereas research has been generally limited to nonmolecular particles of weU-defined geometry and is not strictly apphcable to molecules such as proteins and DNA fragments, this work is useful for understanding the physics of electrophoretic motion. 

On one hand, inherent flaws or perturbations in a fracturing body, which are the sites of internal fracture nucleation, have been recognized as important in determining characteristic fracture spacing and, consequently, the nominal fragment size in a fracture event. Theoretical work based on a physical description of these material imperfections has been actively pursued (Curran et al., 1977 Grady and Kipp, 1980). 

Each approach emphasizes different physical features observed in the fracture process. Either approach, under certain sets of conditions, may provide a satisfactory theory of fragmentation, although neither is apparently complete. 

In the energy-horizon theory of fragmentation two physically reasonable... 

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