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Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s). Participatory modeling (PM) is a craft that is often learned by training ‘on the job’ and mastered through years of practice. There is little explicit knowledge available on identifying and documenting the skills needed to perform PM. In the modeling literature, existing attempts to identify relevant competencies have focused on the specific technical skills required for specific technical model development. The other skills required to organize and conduct the stakeholder process seem to be more vaguely and poorly defined in this context. The situation is complicated by PM being an essentially transdisciplinary craft, with no single discipline or skill set to borrow ideas and recommendations from. In this paper, we aim to set the foundation for both the practice and capacity-building efforts for PM by identifying the relevant core competencies. Our inquiry into this topic starts with reviewing and compiling literature on competencies in problem-solving research areas related to PM (e.g., systems thinking, facilitated model building, operations research, and so forth). We augment our inquiry with results from a PM practitioners’ survey to learn how they perceive the importance of different competencies and how the scope of these competencies may vary across the various roles that participatory modellers play. As a result, we identified five core competency areas essential for PM: systems thinking, modeling, group facilitation, project management and leadership, and, more recently, designing and running virtual workshops and events.

Nitroxide spin probes and spin labels are broadly utilized in EPR oximetry studies ranging from in vivo investigation to profiling heterogeneous environment of lipid bilayer membranes and proteins by site-specific oxygen-accessibility experiments. In such experiments, effective collision distances of the spin exchange interaction between the nitroxide and molecular oxygen are typically assumed to be the same even though localization of spin density over the nitroxide moiety is known to be affected by local polarity. Furthermore, some biophysical studies, such as those involving lipid bilayers, are often carried out with structurally different nitroxides but the results are analyzed under an assumption that proportionality between changes in the nitroxide electronic relaxation times and the product of the local oxygen concentration and translational diffusion coefficients remain the same. Here, we present an experimental verification of such a prevailing but not yet verified assumption by measuring effects of molecular oxygen in air and pure oxygen at atmospheric pressure on continuous wave EPR spectra of six structurally different nitroxides including those capable of reversible protonation. The data were analyzed using a convolution fitting model, which, by comparing EPR spectra measured at two different oxygen concentrations, allows one to extract the peak-to-peak width $${\Delta }B_{{{\text{p}} - {\text{p}}}}$$ of a Lorentzian function that characterizes the effect of oxygen broadening. While the data on oxygen broadening measured by comparing EPR spectra of nitroxide solutions equilibrated with nitrogen and pure oxygen show clear trends that are rationalized by differences in the nitroxide structure, the overall variations in $${\Delta }B_{{{\text{p}} - {\text{p}}}}$$ for various nitroxides fall within ca. ± 5%. Such variations are comparable to the effect of “salting-out” of molecular oxygen in aqueous solutions when electrolytes are present in physiological concentrations. Overall, the data further establish nitroxides as robust EPR molecular probes to measure the product of local oxygen concentration and its translational diffusion coefficient under a wide range of conditions such as pH and electrolyte concentrations.

We record stimulated Raman scattering spectra in chemically-pure glycerol with the formation of two Stokes satellites with equidistant Raman frequencies ν = 2889 cm−1. To excite the scattered radiation, we employ short pulses of the second optical harmonic of a YAG:Nd3+ laser with a wavelength of 532 nm. Using the fundamental harmonic of the YAG:Nd3+ laser λ = 1064 nm, we convert the infrared Stokes component of stimulated Raman scattering into the visible range of the spectrum with the help of a nonlinear crystal of barium titanate. The large Raman shift of the Stokes components of stimulated Raman scattering makes it possible to use glycerol to convert laser radiation into different spectral ranges.

The operating parameters of a tray having new vortex contact devices for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation are investigated. In the vortex device, the vapor moves through tangential channels of the vortex tray for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation, acquires swirling motion, and disperses in the fluids, forming thereby a swirling gas-liquid layer where intense heat and mass transfer takes place. Such a tray design ensures a small fluid volume in the stage and intimate mixing of the gas-liquid mixture. The investigations showed high productivity and efficiency of the vortex tray in a wide gas (vapor) load variation range. The parameters of the swirling gas-liquid layer, such as height, gas content, angular velocity, hydraulic resistance, phase contact area, and coefficient of mass transfer are determined, and an equation is proposed for their calculation. The experimental investigations of the vortex tray efficiency for adiabatic and nonadiabatic fractionation demonstrated that mass transfer in the vapor phase is intensified in nonadiabatic conditions.

© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Conventional biomass sources have been widely exploited for several end uses (mostly food, feed, fuel and chemicals). More unconventional sources are continually being sought for meeting the growing planetary demands for biomass materials. Biofuels are already commercially produced in many countries and are becoming mainstream. The role of biorefineries for production of chemicals is also on the rise. Plant biomass is the primary source of food for all multicellular living organisms. Primary production remains a key link in the chain of life support on planet Earth. Is there enough for all? What new strategies (or technologies) are available or promising for providing plant biomass in a safe and sustainable way? What are the potential impacts (footprints and efficiencies) of such strategies? What can be the limiting factors—land, water, energy and nutrients? What might be the limits for specific regions (OECD vs. non-OECD, advanced vs. developing, dry and warm vs. wet and cool, etc.). In this paper, we provided answers to these questions by critically reviewing the pros and cons associated with current and future production and use pathways for biomass. We conclude that in many cases, the jury is still out, and we cannot come to a solid verdict about the future of biomass production and use.

The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state’s decay rate to the bound states of 12C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO2 gas, we measure the 3α-particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers).

In the last decade, instigated by the Paris agreement and United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP22 and COP23), the efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels are expanding. The required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions imply a massive decarbonization worldwide with much involvement of regions, cities, businesses, and individuals in addition to the commitments at the national levels. Improving end-use efficiency is emphasized in previous IPCC reports (IPCC 2014). Serving as the primary ‘agents of change’ in the transformative process towards green economies, households have a key role in global emission reduction. Individual actions, especially when amplified through social dynamics, shape green energy demand and affect investments in new energy technologies that collectively can curb regional and national emissions. However, most energy-economics models—usually based on equilibrium and optimization assumptions—have a very limited representation of household heterogeneity and treat households as purely rational economic actors. This paper illustrates how computational social science models can complement traditional models by addressing this limitation. We demonstrate the usefulness of behaviorally rich agent-based computational models by simulating various behavioral and climate scenarios for residential electricity demand and compare them with the business as usual (SSP2) scenario. Our results show that residential energy demand is strongly linked to personal and social norms. Empirical evidence from surveys reveals that social norms have an essential role in shaping personal norms. When assessing the cumulative impacts of these behavioral processes, we quantify individual and combined effects of social dynamics and of carbon pricing on individual energy efficiency and on the aggregated regional energy demand and emissions. The intensity of social interactions and learning plays an equally important role for the uptake of green technologies as economic considerations, and therefore in addition to carbon-price policies (top-down approach), implementing policies on education, social and cultural practices can significantly reduce residential carbon emissions.

A method for intensifying the process of condensation of a steam–air mixture on the surface of a pipe is studied, consisting in the removal of non-condensed gas from the interphase surface by circulation vortices forming behind the protrusions of a helix installed at the heat exchange surface. With the use of the Comsol Multiphysics program, numerical simulations of the hydrodynamics of the steam–air flow were carried out and velocities in the axial and transverse directions of the moving flow were calculated. It is concluded that the flow of non-condensed gas from the interphase surface is diverted by vortices that move in the transverse direction to the moving vapor in the pipe. The results of heat transfer during condensation are presented, according to which the presence of a spiral in the cavity of the tube intensifies the process of condensation of the steam–air mixture by a factor of 2.3. The geometric parameters of the spiral are established, which ensure the greatest intensification of heat transfer during condensation.

The hydraulic resistance of nine tangential swirlers with rectilinear and sectional channels is measured. A comparison of the hydraulic resistance coefficients of the different swirlers is and it is established that the structural parameters of the swirlers and Reynolds number together exert a significant influence on the hydraulic resistance. It is shown that the resistance coefficient increases with increasing width of the swirler channel gap due to a decrease in the gas velocity and an increase of the force of viscous friction. A relationship for calculating the resistance coefficient of the swirlers is obtained.

Thermal fractionation in a column with stages made of horizontally mounted trays is studied. Absorption and fractionation are used as examples to show that mass transfer can be enhanced if the liquid on the trays is rotated. It is established that the efficiency increases if the speed and the concentration of volatile component in the mixture increase because the liquid and vapor phases are mixed better. The overall efficiency is improved by two and more times during thermal fractionation in a column with 10 contact stages.

The use of industrial internet networks with net-centric control is the driving trend behind the future material manufacturing of goods and services. The promising future of this approach is provided by these complex net-centric systems functioning with high reliability. The problem of intelligent net-centric control and reliable network functioning is fundamental, with the additional requirement that the system should preserve stakeholder security and privacy according to policies. The issue is that such systems are characterized by complex multi-parameter operability modes controlled by various criteria. This study considers an approach to providing reliable management of complicated Internet of things (IoT) systems. This is achieved by solving multi-criteria tasks over many processes of various physical natures. Corresponding methods of hierarchical decomposition of multi-criteria tasks, process levels of multi-criteria optimization, specifics of aggregation levels, and the master equation of the optimization process are described.

Spin probe and spin labeling Electron Paramagnetic Resonance methods are indispensable research tools for solving a wide range of bioanalytical problems—from measuring microviscosity and polarity of phase-separated liquids to oxygen concentrations in tissues. One of the emerging uses of spin probes are the studies of proton transfer-related and surface electrostatic phenomena. The latter Electron Paramagnetic Resonance methods rely on molecular probes containing an additional functionality capable of reversible ionization (protonation, in particular) in the immediate proximity to an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance-active reporter group, such as (N–O•) for nitroxides. The consequent formation of protonated and nonprotonated nitroxide species with different magnetic parameters (A iso, g iso) could be readily distinguished by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. Bioanalytical Electron Paramagnetic Resonance studies employing pH-sensitive paramagnetic probes typically involve determination of the equilibrium constant (pK a) between the protonated and nonprotonated forms of the nitroxide. However, any chemical equilibrium involving charged species, such as ionization of acids and bases, and so the reversible protonation of the nitroxide, is known to be affected by an ionic strength of the solution. Currently, only scarce data for the effect of the solution ionic strength on the experimental pK a’s of the ionizable nitroxides can be found in the literature. Here we have carried out a series of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance titration experiments for aqueous solutions of 2,2,3,4,5,5-hexamethylimidazolidin-1-oxyl (HMI) nitroxide known for one of the largest differences in the isotropic nitrogen hyperfine coupling constant A iso between the protonated and nonprotonated forms. Electrolyte concentration was varied over an exceptionally large range (i.e., from 0.05 to 5.0 M) to elucidate the effect of ionic strength on the ionization constant of this pH-sensitive Electron Paramagnetic Resonance probe and the data were compared to the Debye–Huckel limiting law. Effects of the ionic strength on the magnetic parameters of the ionizable nitroxides are also discussed.

Gas-phase chromatography studies of nihonium (Nh, $Z=113$ ) were carried out at the one-atom-at-a-time level. For the production of nihonium, the heavy-ion-induced nuclear fusion reaction of 48Ca with 243Am was used. This leads to isotopes 284,285Nh, as the direct descendants of the $\alpha$ -decaying precursors 288,289Mc. Combining the Dubna Gas-Filled Recoil Separator with gas-phase chromatographic separation, the experiment was sensitive to elemental nihonium and its adsorption behavior on Teflon, theoretically predicted by modern relativistic density functional theory. The non-observation of any decays of Nh after the chemical separation indicates a larger than expected retention of elemental Nh on a Teflon surface.

The schematic of a vortical contact stage is presented for heat- and mass-exchange processes, and possible flow regimes of the gas-liquid layer are analyzed. Equations for calculation of the critical gas velocity ensuring conversion to an annular flow regime of the gas–liquid mixture, and relationships between the Sherwood and Reynolds numbers are derived. The Murfree efficiency of the vortical contact stage is evaluated. Relationships between the coefficient of convective heat exchange during boiling in the rotating layer on the specific heat load and centrifugal criterion are obtained.

We present the results of an experimental study of the spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectra and luminescence spectra of light and heavy waters. Also we investigate various samples of light water. We show the possibility of using spectral methods to detect impurities in water and determine the degree of its structuredness, which can serve as an additional criterion of the water quality. We find a fine structure in the SRS spectrum of heavy water in the low-frequency region.

Front end process simulation is an invaluable tool in assessing current and future process options. This review describes the application of process simulation in modeling geometry, doping and stress effects in advanced logic processes. Continuum and atomistic approaches, both necessary to capture the physics involved with the most advanced options, are discussed. Also detailed are advancements in numerical techniques which enable the efficient and robust simulation necessary to keep pace with technology development.

Due to mounting concerns related to fossil fuel use and problems with their supply, the use of alternative sources of energy is increasing. One of the alternative sources is biomass and the European Union has adopted a biofuel directive that describes targets for the use of biofuels in the transport sector. The majority of biofuels produced in Europe comes from rapeseed. In this study, we focused on analyzing the efficiency of rapeseed biodiesel production. Energy efficiency in terms of Energy Return On Energy Invested (EROEI) was analyzed for two EU countries (Poland and The Netherlands) with different agro-ecological systems. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) accounted for inputs, processes and outputs of energy in the biodiesel production system. Input parameters were derived from literature as well as from farmer’s interviews. The use of the outputs—straw, meal, and glycerin—were included in the LCI system boundary. The EROEI values ranged from 1.73 to 2.36 in Poland and from 2.18 to 2.60 in the Netherlands. The low number of respondents makes it risky to draw hard conclusions about these values but the patterns observed show that intensifying the production process and increasing yield bears very little or no benefit in terms of energy produced. Due to a higher amount of organic manure and consequently lower amount of artificial fertilizers used in crop growth in the Netherlands, the rapeseed biodiesel production system in the Netherlands is more efficient than in Poland. In both cases, the EROEI is quite low. More detailed spatial energy efficiency assessments are required to determine if and where sustainable production may be possible.

This article examines the morphosemantic and phonological structure of Russian rhyming paired words such as gogol j -mogol j , plaksa-vaksa, and devocka-pripevocka, building on the research of earlier linguists into this phenomenon. The perspective taken here is that these are echo-words formed by a correspondence relationship that simultaneously produces both rhyme and reduplication. Active linguistic subprocesses used to form rhyming paired words in Russian include fixed segment overwriting and retrieval of the reduplicant from the lexicon instead of simple copying from the base. Five structural types of rhyming paired words are distinguished, and an analysis of the segmental and prosodic nature of base-reduplicant identity in such words follows. The article also notes similarities with echo-formations in other languages, as well as some phonological constraints that have been proposed as producing such echo-formations.

We present the experimental results on implantation of NaNO2 ferroelectric into pores of synthetic opal by illuminating with focused ultraviolet excimer-laser radiation of a sodium nitrite film located on the synthetic-opal surface. The reflection spectra of broadband radiation from the surface of implanted specimens are compared with the reflection spectra of initial (without any treatment) opals, synthetic opals filled with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium nitrite with subsequently evaporated solvent, and specimens with NaNO2 embedded as a melt. The possible mechanisms of shifts of reflected- and transmitted-radiation peaks are analyzed. Methods of implanting materials with high melting points into pores of 3D photonic crystals are proposed.

We study 3D globular photonic crystals based on synthetic opals filled with semiconductor core/shell quantum dots CdSe/CdS by measuring the photoluminescence spectra. The spectra were obtained using 369, 384, and 408 nm LED light excitation and involving a pulse YAG laser operating at 365 and 266 nm. The study shows that the photoluminescence spectra of opal filled with CdSe/CdS changes sufficiently in comparison with spectra taken for pure opal and a reference colloidal solution of CdSe/Cds quantum dots in toluene. Such opals may be used to fabricate a narrow-band light sources.

The reaction of 1-ethoxycarbonylmethyl-5,5,7,7-tetramethyl-2-oxo-tetrahydroimidazo[1,5-b]oxadiazol-6-oxyl with the weakly basic nucleophiles NaN3, NaCN, KF, KBr, KCl and NaNO2 has been studied. It was shown for the first time that, as in the case of NaOH and MeONa, the reaction occurs with opening of the oxadiazolone ring to form exo-N-substituted amidines. It was shown that the weakly basic nucleophiles readily react with substrates which contain a substituent sensitive to attack by such nucleophiles as NaOH or MeONa. The effect of the nature of the nucleophiles on the reaction course for opening of the oxadiazolone ring was also studied. It was found that the reactivity of the nucleophiles in DMSO changes in the series F− > CN− > N 3 – >NO 2 − > Cl− > Br− and qualitatively correlates with their basicities in this solvent. Examination of the effect of the ratio of the reagents on the degree of conversion of the starting oxadiazolone has shown that a quantity of nucleophiles less than one equivalent also allowed the cleavage reaction of the oxadiazolone heterocycle to go to completion through just increasing the reaction time. The experimental data obtained lends support to the proposed reaction scheme.

The motion of a body in an ideal incompressible fluid flow without vortices in the absence of external forces is considered. It is demonstrated that the body can move inertially from the state at rest if its shape satisfies certain conditions.

Spontaneous Raman-scattering spectra of light in ADP and DADP crystals were obtained in four polarization schemes, the widths of some Raman lines were measured. The presence of a strong and sharp Raman line corresponding to the totally symmetric vibration of the phosphate group and a strong diffuse Raman satellite corresponding to the totally symmetric vibration of the ammonium group in the spontaneous scattering spectra of both (ADP and DADP) crystals was observed. According to the theory, such lines are preferable for the stimulated Raman scattering.

The motion of thin films of a viscous incompressible liquid in a gas under the action of capillary forces is studied. The surface tension depends on the surfactant concentration, and the liquid is nonvolatile. The motion is described by the well-known model of quasi-steady-state viscous film flow. The linear-wave solutions are compared with the solution using the Navier-Stokes equations. Situations are studied where a solution close to the inviscid two-dimensional solutions exists and in the case of long wavelength, the occurrence of sound waves in the film due to the Gibbs surface elasticity is possible. The behavior of the exact solutions near the region of applicability of asymptotic equations is studied, and nonmonotonic dependences of the wave characteristics on wavenumber are obtained.

Derivatives of 3-imidazoline 3-oxide have been studied by 14N and 17O NMR methods. Regularities of the influence of substituents and of a hydrogen bond on chemical shifts have been made apparent. The range of changes of the chemical shifts of the nitrogen and oxygen nuclei of the nitrone group has been determined. Both in the 17O and in the 14N NMR spectra the signals of the amino derivatives are the highest field signals for the nitrone group, and the lowest field signals are the signals of the cyano derivatives in the series of derivatives investigated. Depending on the substituent (from amino to cyano group) the 17O chemical shifts varied over a range ∼155 ppm, but the interval of change of the 14N chemical shifts for the same substituents was ∼110 ppm.

Strain KMM 1922 of Bacillus subtilis, a producer of the antifungal iturin peptide antibiotic bacillomycin D, was isolated from a specimen of the Kuril sponge Stelletta validissima. The structure of the compound was proved using two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, tandem electrospray mass spectrometry, and literature data. The peptide was shown to exhibit a pH-dependent cytotoxic activity.

We have studied the dependence of the production cross-sections of the isotopes 282,283112 and 286–288114 on the excitation energy of the compound nuclei 286112 and 290114. The maximum cross-sections of the xn-evaporation channels for the reaction 238U(48Ca,xn)286-x 112 were measured to be: σ 3n = 2.5 -1.1 +1.8 pb and σ 4n = 0.6 -0.5 +1.6 pb; for the reaction 242Pu(48Ca,xn)290-x 114: σ 2n ∼ 0.5 pb, σ 3n = 3.6 -1.7 +3.4 pb and σ 4n = 4.5 -1.9 +3.6 pb. In the reaction 233U(48Ca, 2-4n)277–279 112 we measured an upper cross-section limit of σ xn ≤ 0.6 pb. An increase of σ ER in the reactions of actinide targets with 48Ca can be due to the expected increase of the survivability of the excited compound nucleus upon closer approach to the closed neutron shell N = 184. The observed nuclear decay properties of the nuclides with Z = 104–118 are compared with theoretical nuclear mass calculations and the systematic trends of α-decay properties. As a whole, they give a consistent pattern of decay of the 18 even-Z neutron-rich nuclides with Z = 104–118 and N = 163–177.

Different types of functional asymmetries, which form individual laterality profiles, were compared with the use of a battery of sensorimotor and cognitive laterality tests (TOPOS), the Benziger thinking style assessment (BTSA) test, the Cattell 17PF test, and psychosemantic multidimensional scaling. The proportion of men was shown to be higher among individuals with the left-side, symmetrical, and intersecting motor laterality profiles. Men with a dominant left leg or without asymmetry in the profile were more frequent than women, whereas women prevailed among persons with a dominant left eye. Different laterality profiles were obtained for different factors of the Cattell test. Comparison of the sensorimotor laterality and the BTSA data showed that more than half of persons with the left-hemispheric sensorimotor profile prefer right-hemispheric cognitive strategies. The results suggest that lateralities of different types may be nonuniform.

The characteristics of the neutron fields (spectrum, fluence) at four points of the GIR-2 reactor are measured. It is shown experimentally that the energy spectrum of leakage neutrons from the reactor core through an opening in a spherical converter, which consists of light elements and inside which the core is placed, becomes harder. This effect is due to the shift of the region in the core where the number density of fissions is high toward the lateral surface of the core as a result of the presence the converter, consisting of light elements, outside the core. On the basis of the results of these investigations, GIR-2 neutron fields are certified as reference standards for measurements.

Kinetic indices of growth, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation, and gas exchange were studied in a culture of the carbon monoxide-resistant hydrogen strain Ralstonia eutropha B-5786 grown on a gaseous substrate (GS) obtained by lignite gasification. The GS was shown to be suitable for PHA production. To increase the degree of GS consumption, various modes of gas supply to the culture were tested. Based on the results, an algorithm was developed for calculating and controlling gas-exchange parameters in the PHA-accumulating culture of Ralstonia eutropha, grown on a new GS allowing high polymer yields (up to 75%) and degrees of substrate utilization (up to 90%).

The characteristics of ten high-intensity modelling neutron fields in research nuclear reactors with various ratios of the contributions of thermal and epithermal neutrons have been measured in order to be used for calibrating the internal detectors of the standard control system of high-power nuclear reactors. The neutron fields in the F-1, Gidra, and KVANT reactors are certified as working standards of the first and second kind.

Kinetic parameters of a culture of the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Ralstonia eutrophagrown on a gas substrate under conditions favoring autotrophic biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate were studied. The following parameters, making it possible to control and optimize the process in industrial situations, were determined: specific rate of substrate consumption, physical properties of the culture medium, and coefficients of heat emission and mass transfer.

This paper presents results of the experiments aimed at producing long-lived superheavy elements located near the spherical-shell closures with Z ⩾ 114 and N ⩾ 172 in the 244Pu + 48Ca and 248Cm + 48Ca reactions. The large measured α-particle energies of the newly observed nuclei, together with the long decay times and spontaneous fission terminating the chains, offer evidence of the decay of nuclei with high atomic numbers. The decay properties of the synthesized nuclei are consistent with the consecutive α-decays originating from the parent nuclides 288, 289114 and 292116, produced in the 3n and 4n evaporation channels with cross-sections of about a picobarn. The present observations can be considered as experimental evidence of the existence of the “island of stability” of superheavy elements.

The spin-spin coupling constants 3JC,H between the hydrogen atom of the aldonitrone group and the carbon atom bound to the nitrogen atom of the N-oxide fragment were determined for a wide range of cyclic and acyclic aldonitrones. Based on comparison of these constants (trans-3JC,H (E isomer) > cis-3JC,H (Z isomer)), the Z configuration was assigned to acyclic nitrones. Coordination of organolithium compounds to the oxygen atom of the N→O group was revealed by 13C NMR spectroscopy. This coordination is the necessary condition for the metallation of aldonitrones. The configuration of the nitrone group is responsible for the ability of the E form of acyclic aldonitrones to undergo CD3ONa-catalyzed isotope exchange of the methine proton in CD3OD and metallation with BusLi.

We consider the creeping motion of a thin layer of a nonvolatile viscous fluid spreading due to capillary forces over a rigid surface covered by a thin homogeneous film (microfilm). The influence of van der Waals forces on the asymptotic slope of the free boundary of the layer is studied in the region of large thickness, where capillary forces dominate. A solution of the problem of the slope angle is obtained for the entire possible range of the microfilm thickness. In the limit of small thickness of the microfilm, this solution is in agreement with the well-known solution of the problem of the dynamics of wetting of a dry surface in the presence of a precursory film and van der Waals forces. The role of the condition at the end of the precursory film is studied.

The results of the integrated experimental study of the energy losses in upward cocurrent annularmist gas-liquid flow in cylindrical channels are presented.

The dynamics of a bubble in a low-viscosity liquid is considered. The equation of dynamics of small perturbations with allowance for viscosity effects is determined.