Thesis (PhD(Agric) (Horticulture))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Plums with good taste, aroma and eating quality lead to repeat purchases and sustained demand. Taste includes non-volatile compounds, e.g. sugars and acids, and has been well researched to meet the consumers’ preferences. Plum aroma, however, has not enjoyed the same attention. Limited literature is available on the aroma of Japanese plums and none could be found on the effects of relatively long cold storage on the profiles. The main aim of this study is to investigate the changes in aroma compounds of Japanese plums throughout maturation and ripening and the effects of commercial cold storage regimes. Near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy was also evaluated as a non-destructive method to determine plum quality parameters aimed at minimising sample variability. In Paper 1, NIR spectroscopy was used to develop prediction models for total soluble solid (TSS), total acidity (TA), sugar-to-acid ratio, firmness and weight in three cultivars (Pioneer, Laetitia and Angeleno) and a multi-cultivar model. Samples were collected for seven consecutive weeks and repeated over two seasons. TSS results showed excellent predictability (R2 = 0.817-0.955; RMSEP= 0.453-0.610 % Brix) but the TA models did not perform well. The sugar-to-acid ratio models had results comparable to that of TSS. Both the firmness and weight models had acceptable results. The models of ‘Pioneer’ and ‘Laetitia’ had a better predictability capacity than the ‘Angeleno’ model. Although the multi-cultivar models outperformed the single cultivar models on R2 values it had higher prediction errors. The robustness of all the TSS, TA and firmness models is high in terms of seasonality, range and cultivar. Papers 2 and 3, the main focus of the study, are concerned with the aroma profile dynamics of Japanese plums. HS-SPME was used in both papers to extract the aroma compounds followed by GC-TOFMS for separation and identification. In Paper 2, the aroma volatile compounds of three cultivars (Pioneer, Laetitia and Angeleno) were determined for a seven week period including samples from three maturity stages (immature, harvest and tree-ripe). A total of 35 compounds were identified of which ten were generic. Each cultivar had five unique compounds resulting in different aroma profiles for each of the maturity stages and distinct separation patterns using discriminant analysis. The study was extended in Paper 3 where the aroma volatile compounds of six cultivars (Pioneer, Sapphire, Laetitia, Songold, Larry Anne and Angeleno) and one plumcot (Flavor King) were determined at three functional stages (commercial harvest, tree-ripe fruit and cold stored fruit). A total of 62 compounds were identified and classified into three groups (‘unique’ (31), ‘generic’ (11) and ‘frequent’ (20)) based on their frequency of occurrence. The aroma profiles of ‘Larry Anne’ and ‘Flavor King’ are the most affected by cold storage conditions and ‘Pioneer’ appears to be the least affected. All the cultivars have significantly different aroma profiles at all three of the functional stages with ‘Sapphire’, ‘Larry Anne’ and ‘Flavor King’ showing the largest differences. ‘Flavor King’, a plumcot, presented a ripe aroma profile that was much diverged from that of the true plums. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Pruime met ‘n goeie smaak, aroma en eetkwaliteit lei tot herhaalde verkope en volhoubare aanvraag. Smaak sluit die nie-vlugtige stowwe (suikers en sure) in en is goed nagevors om die verbruikersvoorkeure te bevredig. Pruim aroma het egter nie dieselfde aandag geniet nie. Daar is beperkte literatuur beskikbaar wat handel oor die aroma van Japanese pruime en geen kon gevind word oor die effekte van lang koelopberging op die aromaprofiele nie. Die hoof doel van hierdie studie is om die veranderinge in die aromatiese komponente van Japanese pruime te ondersoek tydens die volwassewording- en rypwordingsprosesse asook die effekte van kommersiele koelopberging. Naby infrarooi (NIR) spektroskopie is ook geevalueer as ‘n nie-destruktiewe manier om pruim kwaliteitsparameters te bepaal met die doel om monstervariasie te beperk. In Artikel 1 is NIR spektroskopie gebruik om voorspellingsmodelle vir totale oplosbare suikers (TOS), totale suur (TS), suiker-tot-suur verhouding, fermheid en gewig te bepaal in drie kultivars (Pioneer, Laetitia en Angeleno) asook ‘n multi-kultivar model. Monsters is vir sewe opeenvolgende weke versamel en herhaal oor twee seisoene. TOS resultate toon uitstekende voorspelbaarheid (R2 = 0.817-0.955; RMSEP= 0.453-0.610 % Brix) maar TS modelle het egter nie so goed gevaar nie. Die suiker-tot-suur verhoudingsmodelle se resultate was vergelykbaar met die van TOS. Beide die fermheid- en gewigsmodelle het aanvaarbare resultate opgelewer. Die modelle vir ‘Pioneer’ en ‘Laetitia’ het ‘n beter voorspelbaarheidskapasiteit getoon as die van ‘Angeleno’. Alhoewel die multi-kultivar model beter presteer het as die enkel kultivar modelle op die R2-waardes was daar meer voorspellingsfoute. Hoe robuustheid is gevind i.t.v. seisoene, datagrense en kultivar vir al die TOS, TA en fermheidsmodelle. Artikels 2 en 3, die fokuspunt van die studie, handel oor die dinamika van die aromaprofiel van Japanese pruime. HS-SPME is in beide artikels gebruik on die aromatiese verbindings te ekstraeer gevolg deur GCTOFMS vir skeiding en identifikasie. In Artikel 2 is die aromatiese stowwe van drie kultivars (Pioneer, Laetitia en Angeleno) bepaal vir sewe opeenvolgende weke en sluit monsters van drie volwassenheidsstadiums in (onvolwasse, oes en boom-rypgemaakte pruime). ‘n Totaal van 35 verbindings is geidentifiseer waarvan tien as generies beskou kan word. Elke kultivar het vyf unieke komponente gehad en het gelei tot verskillende aromaprofiele vir elk van die volwassenheidsstadiums en diverse skeidingspatrone tydens die gebruik van diskriminant analise. Die studie is uitgebrei in Artikel 3 waartydens die aromatiese vlugtige stowwe van ses kultivars (Pioneer, Sapphire, Laetitia, Songold, Larry Anne en Angeleno) en een plumcot (Flavor King) bepaal is tydens drie funksionele stadiums (oes, boom-rypgemaak en koelopgebergde pruime). ‘n Totaal van 62 verbindings is geidentifiseer en in drie groepe geklassifiseer (‘uniek’ (31), ‘generies’(11) en ‘gereeld’ (20)) gebaseer op voorkomsfrekwensie. Die aromaprofiele van ‘Larry Anne’ en ‘Flavor King’ is die meeste deur die koelopberging geaffekteer en ‘Pioneer’ die minste. Al die kultivars het kenmerkend verskil t.o.v. hul aromaprofiele in al drie die funksionele groepe en ‘Sapphire’, ‘Larry Anne’ en ‘Flavor King’ het die grootste verskille getoon. ‘Flavor King’, die plumcot, het ook ‘n ryp aromaprofiel gehad wat baie van die van die egte pruime verskil het.

The aim of this work was to assess the suitability of vibrational spectroscopic techniques (Raman, FT-IR and FT-NIR spectroscopy) as a means for the solid-state structural analysis of pharmaceuticals. Budesonide, fluticasone propionate, salbutamol hemisulfate, terbutaline hemisulfate, ipratropium bromide, polymorphic forms of salmeterol xinafoate and two polymorphic forms of sulfathiazole were selected since they are used in the management of certain respiratory disorders and from different chemical and pharmacological entities along with some pharmaceutical excipients. Conventional visual examination is not sufficient to identify and differentiate spectra between different pharmaceuticals. To confirm the assignment of key molecular vibrational band signatures, quantum chemical calculations of the vibrational spectra were employed for better understanding of the first five selected drugs. The nondestructive nature of the vibrational spectroscopic techniques and the success of quantum chemical calculations demonstrated in this work have indeed offered a new dimension for the rapid identification and characterisation of pharmaceuticals and essentially warrant further research. The application of simultaneous in situ Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry for the preliminary investigation of the polymorphic transformation of salmeterol xinafoate polymorphs and two polymorphic forms of sulfathiazole has also been explored in this work leading to the development of a new method for the solid-state estimation of the transition temperature of entantiotropically related pharmaceutical polymorphs which represents the first analytical record of the use of this approach for pharmaceutical polymorphs.

Orientadores: Márcia Miguel Castro Ferreira, Jarbas José Rodrigues Rohwedder / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Qímica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-11T21:19:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dias_YuriGuimaraes_M.pdf: 1972063 bytes, checksum: 17925102065d8dd73072baa01e19447c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Este estudo avalia a capacidade do uso da espectroscopia NIR para a determinação do teor de 6 hidrocarbonetos e dióxido de carbono em 40 misturas gasosas com composição semelhante à do gás natural. Os espectros NIR foram obtidos a partir de um equipamento experimental, construído no próprio laboratório, baseado em um monocromador do tipo AOTF e simultaneamente em um espectrofotômetro comercial NIR-FT. Modelos de calibração multivariada PLS-1 foram construídos, para os 6 gases, com os dois conjuntos de dados. A validação do método foi realizada calculando-se as figuras de mérito multivariadas, envolvendo em alguns casos o conceito do sinal analítico líquido (NAS). Os valores de RMSECV variam de 0,1858% para o 1,3- butadieno, cuja faixa de porcentagem volumétrica é de: 0,8% a 4,9%; a 0,9732% para o metano cuja faixa de porcentagem volumétrica é de: 61,7% a 89,9%. Estes valores confirmam a possibilidade de determinação do teor das espécies constituintes do gás natural e uma comparação das variâncias, por meio do teste F, dos modelos obtidos com os espectrofotômetros NIR-AOTF e NIR-FT indicam a adequação do equipamento experimental utilizado / Abstract: The present study evaluates the potential of NIR spectroscopy in determining the content of 6 hidrocarbons and carbon dioxide in 40 gas mixtures very similar in composition to the brazilian natural fuel gas. The NIR spectra were obtained from an equipament built in our laboratory and based on a AOTF wavelength selector device. All the spectra were simultaneously recorded in a comercial NIR-FT spectrophotometer (Bomem MB160D). Multivariate calibration models (PLS-1) were built for the six gases with both data sets. Method validation was performed calculating the figures of merit based on the Net Analyte Signal (NAS). RMSECV values ranged from 0.1858%, for 1,3-butadiene wich has a volumetric ratio of 0.8% to 4.9%; to 0.9732 for methane which has a volumetric ratio of 65.8% to 89.9%. These values confim the possibility of measuring the content of all the constituents evaluated in this study. A model variance comparision regarding the calibrations obtained with the NIR-AOTF and NIR-FT spectrophotometers showed the adequacy of the experimental equipament employed / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:42:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AlineSM_DISSERT.pdf: 1997460 bytes, checksum: 0ad037938fab17947fef7a249102b4ec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-31 / Aiming to consumer s safety the presence of pathogenic contaminants in foods must be monitored because they are responsible for foodborne outbreaks that depending on the level of contamination can ultimately cause the death of those who consume them. In industry is necessary that this identification be fast and profitable. This study shows the utility and application of near-infrared (NIR) transflectance spectroscopy as an alternative method for the identification and classification of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Enteritidis in commercial fruit pulp (pineapple). Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) and Discriminant Analysis Partial Least Squares (PLS-DA) were used in the analysis. It was not possible to obtain total separation between samples using PCA and SIMCA. The PLS-DA showed good performance in prediction capacity reaching 87.5% for E. coli and 88.3% for S. Enteritides, respectively. The best models were obtained for the PLS-DA with second derivative spectra treated with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.87 and 0.83, respectively. These results suggest that the NIR spectroscopy and PLS-DA can be used to discriminate and detect bacteria in the fruit pulp / Visando ? seguran?a do consumidor, ? de extrema import?ncia identificar a presen?a de contaminantes patog?nicos nos alimentos, pois os mesmos s?o respons?veis por surtos alimentares que dependendo do n?vel de contamina??o pode chegar a causar a morte de quem os consome. Na industria h? uma necessidade de que essa identifica??o de contaminantes seja r?pida e rent?vel. Este estudo mostra a aplica??o e utilidade de medidas espectrais de transflect?ncia no infravermelho pr?ximo (NIR) como um m?todo alternativo para a identifica??o e classifica??o de Escherichia coli e Salmonella Enteritidis em polpa de fruta comercial (abacaxi). An?lise de Componentes Principais (PCA), Modelagem Independente por Analogia Classe (SIMCA) e An?lise Discriminante por M?nimos Quadrados Parciais (PLS-DA) foram utilizados na an?lise. N?o foi poss?vel obter uma separa??o total entre as amostras usando PCA e SIMCA. O PLS-DA apresentou bom desempenho na capacidade de predi??o alcan?ando 87,5% para E. coli e 88,3% para S. Enteritides, respectivamente. Os melhores modelos obtidos para o PLS-DA com os espectros tratados com segunda derivada apresentaram sensibilidade e especificidade de 0,87 e 0,83, repectivamente. Estes resultados sugerem que a espectroscopia NIR e PLS-DA podem ser usados para discriminar e detectar bact?rias na polpa da fruta

O presente trabalho apresenta proposições para seleção de variáveis em avaliações sensoriais descritivas e de espectro infravermelho que contribuam com a indústria de alimentos e química através da utilização de métodos de análise multivariada. Desta forma, os objetivos desta tese são: (i) Estudar as principais técnicas de análise multivariada de dados, como são comumente organizadas e como podem contribuir no processo de seleção de variáveis; (ii) Identificar e estruturar técnicas de análise multivariada de dados de forma a construir um método que reduza o número de variáveis necessárias para fins de caracterização, classificação e predição dos produtos; (iii) Reduzir a lista de variáveis/atributos, selecionando aqueles relevantes e não redundantes, reduzindo o tempo de execução e a fadiga imposta aos membros de um painel em avaliações sensoriais; (iv) Validar o método proposto utilizando dados reais; e (v) Comparar diferentes abordagens de análise sensorial voltadas ao desenvolvimento de novos produtos. Os métodos desenvolvidos foram avaliados através da aplicação de estudos de caso, em exemplos com dados reais. Os métodos sugeridos variam com as características dos dados analisados, dados altamente multicolineares ou não e, com e sem variável dependente (variável de resposta). Os métodos apresentam bom desempenho, conduzindo a uma redução significativa no número de variáveis e apresentando índices de adequação de ajuste dos modelos ou acurácia satisfatórios quando comparados aos obtidos mediante retenção da totalidade das variáveis ou comparados a outros métodos dispostos na literatura. Conclui-se que os métodos propostos são adequados para a seleção de variáveis sensoriais e de espectro infravermelho. / This dissertation presents propositions for variable selection in data from descriptive sensory evaluations and near-infrared (NIR) spectrum analyses, based on multivariate analysis methods. There are five objectives here: (i) review the main multivariate analysis techniques, their relationships and potential use in variable selection procedures; (ii) propose a variable selection method based on the techniques in (i) that allows product prediction, classification, and description; (iii) reduce the list of variables/attributes to be analyzed in sensory panels identifying those relevant and non-redundant, such that the time to collect panel data and the fatigue imposed on panelists is minimized; (iv) validate methodological propositions using real life data; and (v) compare different sensory analysis approaches used in new product development. Proposed methods were evaluated through case studies, and vary according to characteristics in the datasets analyzed (data with different degrees of multicollinearity, presenting or not dependent variables). All methods presented good performance leading to significant reduction in the number of variables in the datasets, and leading to models with better adequacy of fit. We conclude that the methods are suitable for datasets from descriptive sensory evaluations and NIR analyses.

Die verbesserte medizinische Versorgung führt zu einer zunehmenden Lebenserwartung unserer Gesellschaft. Damit steigt auch die sozioökonomische Relevanz neurodegenerativer Erkrankungen kontinuierlich. Für die Alzheimer Demenz (AD), die dabei die häufigste Ursache darstellt, stehen bisher keine krankheitsmodifizierenden Behandlungsoptionen zur Verfügung. Die lange präklinische Phase der Erkrankung birgt jedoch großes Potential für die Entwicklung neuer Behandlungsoptionen. Das Untersuchen von Risikogruppen ist für die Identifikation von Prädiktoren einer späteren AD Manifestation von besonderem Interesse. In diesem Zusammenhang werden insbesondere das Vorliegen genetischer Risikokonstellationen, wie dem Apolipoprotein E (APOE) Ɛ4-Allel, sowie kognitiver Risikofaktoren, wie der „leichten kognitiven Beeinträchtigung“ (MCI), diskutiert. Die Identifikation präklinischer Aktivierungsunterschiede in relevanten Gehirnregionen von Risikogruppen kann als Basis für die Entwicklung neurofunktioneller Früherkennungs-Marker dienen. Der präfrontale Kortex (PFC), welcher mit der Steuerung von Exekutivfunktionen assoziiert wird, hat sich in diesem Zusammenhang in bisherigen Studien als eine relevante Schlüsselregion manifestiert. Aufgrund der aufwendigen und kostenintensiven bildgebenden Untersuchungsmethoden, sind die genauen Prozesse jedoch noch unklar. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es daher, Unterschiede in der PFC Oxygenierung in zweierlei Risikogruppen der AD mit einer kostengünstigeren Bildgebungsmethode, der funktionellen Nahinfrarot Spektroskopie (fNIRS), zu untersuchen. Dafür wurde in einem ersten Schritt, der Trailmaking Test (TMT), ein weitverbreiteter neuropsychologischer Test zur Erfassung exekutiver Funktionen, für fNIRS implementiert. Als Grundlage für die Untersuchung frühpathologischer Prozesse, wurden zunächst gesunde Alterungsprozesse betrachtet. Der Vergleich von jungen und älteren Probanden (n = 20 pro Gruppe) wies neben der Eignung der Testimplementierung für fNIRS auf eine spezifische bilaterale PFC Oxygenierung hin, welche bei jungen Probanden rechtshemisphärisch lateralisiert war. Ältere Probanden hingegen zeigten bei vergleichbaren Verhaltensdaten insgesamt mehr signifikante Kanäle sowie eine Abnahme der Lateralisierung. Dies kann als zusätzlicher Bedarf an Ressourcen in gesunden Alterungsprozessen interpretiert werden. Im Rahmen der Hauptstudie wurden anschließend insgesamt 604 ältere Probanden im Alter von 70 bis 76 Jahren untersucht. Zunächst wurde die genetische Risikogruppe der Ɛ4-Allel-Träger (n = 78) mit den neutralen Ɛ3-Allel-Trägern (n = 216) und den Trägern des als protektiv geltenden Ɛ2-Allels (n = 50) verglichen. Hierbei zeigte sich eine geringere Oxygenierung der Risikogruppe bei geringer Aufgabenschwierigkeit, während sich ein erhöhter Oxygenierungsanstieg im medialen PFC mit steigender Aufgabenschwierigkeit zeigte. Dies deutet auf einen erhöhten Bedarf an neuronalen Kontrollmechanismen der Risikogruppe zur Bewältigung der steigenden Aufgabenschwierigkeit hin. Die protektive Gruppe zeigte hingegen eine erhöhte Oxygenierung im ventralen PFC mit steigender Aufgabenschwierigkeit, was möglicherweise auf einen präventiven Effekt hindeuten könnte. Weiterführend wurden MCI-Patienten mit gesunden Probanden (n = 57 pro Gruppe) hinsichtlich des kognitiven Risikofaktors verglichen. Hierbei zeigte sich ein punktuell reduzierter Oxygenierunganstieg der MCI Patienten mit steigender Aufgabenschwierigkeit vor allem im ventralen PFC bei ebenfalls stabiler Verhaltensleistung. Die gefundene Reduktion könnte ein Zeichen für eine aufgebrauchte kognitive Reserve sein, welche Einbußen auf Verhaltensebene voranzugehen scheint. Diese charakteristischen Unterschiede in den frontalen Oxygenierungsmustern von Risikogruppen (APOE, MCI) könnten als Biomarker zur Früherkennung von AD noch vor dem Auftreten kognitiver Einbußen dienen. Die fNIRS-Untersuchung während der Durchführung des TMT hat sich in diesem Zusammenhang als potentielles Instrument zur Frühdiagnose der präklinischen Phase der AD als geeignet erwiesen. Die Ergebnisse werden unter Einbezug des wissenschaftlichen Kontexts interpretiert und Implikationen für weitere notwendige Studien sowie die klinische Anwendbarkeit diskutiert. / Due to the improved medical care, the life expectancy of the society steadily rises. Consequently, the socioeconomic relevance of neurodegenerative disorders increases. In order to treat the Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), as the most frequent cause, disease-modulating treatment options are desperately awaited. The extensive preclinical phase of the disease has the potential for gaining new insights for the development of effective treatment strategies. The investigation of risk groups for AD is of great importance for the identification of preclinical prediction markers for the manifestation of a subsequent AD. Especially the presence of genetic risk factors like the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) Ɛ4-allele and cognitive risk factors such as the “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI) are being discussed in this context. Differences in brain activation patterns of risk groups based on functional brain imaging methods have been shown to be beneficial as potential biomarkers for early AD detection. As such, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which is important for executive control mechanisms has been identified as a key structure of interest. However, many of the involved processes are still not sufficiently understood since most imaging methods are time-consuming and rather expensive. The aim of the present dissertation was to identify differences in PFC oxygenation in two different risk groups for AD by applying a cost-effective and easy-conductible imaging method, the functional Nearinfrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). In a first step, the Trailmaking Test (TMT), which is a commonly used neuropsychological test for the investigation of executive functioning, was implemented for fNIRS. The neural subtracts were investigated as a basis for the subsequent examination of pre-pathological processes. Besides the usability of the suggested TMT implementation for fNIRS, the comparison of young and elderly subjects (n = 20 per group) showed a specific bilateral PFC oxygenation pattern which was right lateralized for the young group. Elderly adults on the other hand showed a decreased lateralization and more significant channels, pointing towards a need for additional resources in healthy aging. Subsequently the main study examined 604 elderly subjects aged between 70 and 76 years divided in two risk groups (APOE, MCI). In the first step, the genetic risk group of the Ɛ4-allele carriers (n = 78) was compared with the neutral Ɛ3-allele carriers (n = 216) and the carriers of the possibly protective Ɛ2-allele (n = 50). Thereby a reduced oxygenation of the risk group at low task difficulty has been shown, while a raised level of oxygenation increase in the medial PFC was found with growing task difficulty. This points towards a higher demand for neuronal control mechanisms in the genetic risk group in order to keep the performance level stable while task difficulty is increased. The protective group however showed a higher oxygenation in the ventral PFC with increasing task difficulty, which could indicate a higher cognitive reserve. In the second step, the MCI patients were compared with matched healthy control subjects (n = 57 per group). The result showed a reduced increase of oxygenation with increasing task difficulty limited to specific channels mostly within the central PFC while the performance was stable. This reduction could be a sign for the limit of the cognitive reserve, which becomes apparent before the decline of the cognitive performance. The characteristic differences of frontal oxygenation patterns in risk groups (APOE, MCI) could possibly serve as biomarkers for the early AD detection even before task performance declines. The investigation of neural oxygenation with fNIRS during the completion of the TMT has been shown to be suitable as a potential early diagnosis method in the preclinical phase of AD. The results are embedded in the scientific context and implications for future research as well as the clinical applicability are being discussed.

Ce travail porte sur l'étude des propriétés opto- et magnéto-électroniques des oxydes et fluorures de zinc. Dans une première partie, nous avons étudié les propriétés d'absorption/réflexion dans le proche-IR de poudres d'oxyde de zinc dopées de manière aliovalente par l'aluminium ou le gallium. Une grande partie du travail a consisté en la détermination précise du taux de dopant introduit pour les différentes conditions expérimentale utilisées. Les taux de dopant déterminés ont ensuite été corrélés aux propriétés optiques mesurées par spectrométrie de réflexion diffuse. Nous avons voulu réaliser le même travail sur le fluorure de zinc mais nous avons été confrontés à la difficulté de doper ce composé par l'aluminium à cause de la grande stabilité chimique du fluorure AlF3. En revance, une étude structurale approfondie a été réalisée sur un hydroxyfluorure de zinc ZnOHF, précurseur pouvant être dopé de manières aliovalente. Dans la dernière du manuscrit, nous avons utilisé nos compétences relatives au suivi du dopage pour étudier l'effet des porteurs libres sur les propriétés magnétiques des oxydes de zinc dopés au cobalt. D'un point de vue expérimental, aucun effet des porteurs n'a été recensé, seul un comportement paramagnétique ayant été observé.

<p>Various chemical properties can be used to characterise dissolving pulp. The quality of the pulp must be carefully controlled to ensure that it meets the requirements for its intended use and the further processes to be applied. If it is to be used to prepare viscose, or other cellulose derivatives, the key prop-erties of the pulp are its accessibility and reactivity. The studies described in this thesis investigated the potential utility of multivariate analysis of chemi-cal and spectral data for determining the properties of dissolving pulp. Dis-solving pulps produced by a two-stage sulfite process, both in the laboratory and a factory were produced pulps for this purpose. The analyses showed that pulp with high reactivity had short cellulose chains, low molecular weight, low polydispersity, low hemicellulose content, high content of ace-tone-extractable compounds, and high surface charge compared to pulp with low reactivity. Important chemical properties of the pulp, such as viscosity and alkali resistance, were successfully predicted from near infrared spectra. Predicting the reactivity, or the viscose filterability, of the pulp was more complex. Several chemical methods for analyzing the reactivity of the pulp were examined. The influence of the cellulose structure at the supermolecu-lar level on the reactivity of the pulp was explored by multivariate analysis of solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Structural variables considered included: differences in hydrogen bonding, contents of hemicel-lulose, amorphous cellulose and crystalline cellulose I and II. Pulps with high reactivity have higher contents of cellulose I and amorphous cellulose than pulps with low reactivity, which have higher contents of cellulose II and hemicellulose.</p>

<p>In this thesis, factors important in tableting operations and for tablet properties have been studied and characterised by different spectroscopic techniques as well as by some more conventionally used particle characterisation techniques. The spectroscopic techniques solid-state NMR, FT-IR and NIR spectroscopy, proved to be valuable tools in the estimation of particle and tablet properties, offering both specificity and sensitivity in the measurements. Because of the large amount of information obtained in a spectrum, multivariate data analysis was in some cases used in the processing of the spectral data. Correlations between the solid state structure measured by spectroscopy and the particle and tablet properties could be obtained including useful prediction models.</p><p>The surface area obtained using different principles has in this thesis been shown to reflect different properties and tableting behaviour of a collection of pharmaceutical materials. The particle shape and the external surface area of the powders measured by permeametry, were found to be important factors for the tensile strength of tablets made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Furthermore, the external surface area could be used to access dominating interparticulate bonding mechanisms in compacts of different materials by normalising the tablet tensile strength for the tablet surface area. It was also shown that for materials prone to develop solid bridges, the actual surface area participating in the bonding was more important than the average interparticulate distance. </p><p>When studying the properties of microcrystalline cellulose and cellulose powder from the alga <i>Cladophora</i> sp., the cellulose fibril surface area estimated by solid-state NMR resulted in better correlations to the tableting behaviour and to tablet disintegration than the external permeametric surface area did. It was suggested that the difference in fibril surface area of the two celluloses was the primary factor responsible for properties like the crystallinity and the disintegration of the tablets.</p>

Optical methods play an important role in process analytical technologies (PAT). Four examples of optical process and quality sensing (OPQS) are presented, which are based on three important experimental techniques: near-infrared absorption, luminescence quenching, and a novel method, photon density wave (PDW) spectroscopy. These are used to evaluate four process and quality parameters related to beer brewing and polyurethane (PU) foaming processes: the ethanol content and the oxygen (O2) content in beer, the biomass in a bioreactor, and the cellular structures of PU foam produced in a pilot production plant.