Stress corrosion cracking of GRP pultruded rods in acid environments

Stress corrosion cracking of GRP pultruded rods has been investigated in 0.0001 to 5.0 N hydrochloric acid environments under bending and tensile loading modes. Crack initiation takes place at exposed glass fibres in the surface of the rod, and crack propagation is planar and at right angles to the rod axis. Leaching of calcium and aluminium from the fibres takes place during the cracking process, and time-to-failure is dependent on the acid concentration, the stress level and the ease of access of the acid to the glass fibre surface. Possible mechanisms of crack propagation through the glass fibres and resin are discussed.     

Practicum training hours: Fact and fantasy.

Over the past five years, practicum experience has received increased attention as an important element in the sequence of training. Questions have arisen about the number of hours being counted and the activities occurring in practicum. This study examined the number of practicum hours accrued by comparing the actual number of direct service hours and total hours to an estimated length of time to complete those hours. Based on self-reports, it was estimated that graduate students spend between 2 and 7 years to accrue their practicum hours with 37.5 to 69.6% of that time in direct service. Implications for the profession, faculty, and students are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative study of gigahertz CMOS LC quadrature voltage-controlled oscillators with relevance to phase noise

This review paper presents a comparative study of published integrated submicron CMOS quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator designs, based on LC resonator tanks operating at gigahertz frequencies. Although special reference to phase noise reduction is made, the comparison also concerns issues such as power consumption, tuning range and the phase accuracy of the quadrature signals. The effect of supply voltage reduction on the choice of the oscillator topology is also included in the discussion.     

Coupled lattice Boltzmann method and discrete element modelling of particle transport in turbulent fluid flows: Computational issues

This paper presents essential numerical procedures in the context of the coupled lattice Boltzmann (LB) and discrete element (DE) solution strategy for the simulation of particle transport in turbulent fluid flows. Key computational issues involved are (1) the standard LB formulation for the solution of incompressible fluid flows, (2) the incorporation of large eddy simulation (LES)‐based turbulence models in the LB equations for turbulent flows, (3) the computation of hydrodynamic interaction forces of the fluid and moving particles; and (4) the DE modelling of the interaction between solid particles. A complete list is provided for the conversion of relevant physical variables to lattice units to facilitate the understanding and implementation of the coupled methodology. Additional contributions made in this work include the application of the Smagorinsky turbulence model to moving particles and the proposal of a subcycling time integration scheme for the DE modelling to ensure an overall stable solution. A particle transport problem comprising 70 large particles and high Reynolds number (around 56 000) is provided to demonstrate the capability of the presented coupling strategy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Mental Model's Approach to Customer Perception of Drinking-Water Supply and Quality

This study uses the psychological framework of 'mental modelling' to compare what experts and laypeople think about the hardness of drinking water. A drinking-water quality mental model was developed using influence-directed network procedures. This was evaluated in qualitative studies in Oxfordshire and the findings revealed gaps in laypeople's knowledge about the water-supply process.     

Improvement of Major Depression is Associated with Increased Erythrocyte DHA

The aim of this study was to determine if changes in omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status following tuna oil supplementation correlated with changes in scores of depression. A total of 95 volunteers receiving treatment for major depression were randomised to consume 8 × 1 g capsules per day of HiDHA (2 g DHA, 0.6 g EPA and 10 mg Vitamin E) or olive oil (placebo) for 16 weeks, whilst undergoing weekly counseling sessions by trained clinical psychologists using a standard empirically validated psychotherapy. Depression status was assessed using the 17 item Hamilton rating scale for depression and the Beck Depression Inventory by a psychodiagnostician who was blind to the treatment. Blood was taken at baseline and 16 weeks (n = 48) for measurement of erythrocyte fatty acids. With HiDHA supplementation, erythrocyte DHA content rose from 4.1 ± 0.2 to 7.9 ± 0.4 % (mean ± SEM, p < 0.001) of total fatty acids but did not change (4.0 ± 0.2 to 4.1 ± 0.2 %) in the olive oil group. The mean changes in scores of depression did not differ significantly between the two groups (?12.2 ± 2.1 for tuna oil and ?14.4 ± 2.3 for olive oil). However, analysis of covariance showed that in the fish oil group there was a significant correlation (r = ?0.51) between the change in erythrocyte DHA and the change in scores of depression (p < 0.05). Further study of the relationship between DHA and depression is warranted.     

Processing of short fiber reinforced polypropylene. II: Statistical study of the effects of processing conditions on the impact strength

Within the general objective of analyzing and modeling the processability of polypropylene and of its short fiber composites, a statistical analysis of the relationship between processing conditions and final properties has been performed applying modern experimental design concepts. In order to gather the largest amount of information with a manageable quantity of experiments, Taguchi methods were used for the design of injection molding tests and for the analysis of experimental fiber orientation and impact strength results. Two levels of each variable of interest were selected, and the results of the analysis not only show which of the processing variables are predominant but also show that interactions between variables must be taken into account. The approach presented here offers a viable route to the scaling-up of the injection molding process through the reduction of the number of variables in the prediction of the processing behavior of semicrystalline polymers and of their composites.     

A classification of food properties

Abstract

Proper classification and terminology comprise an essential basis for avoiding confusion or imprecision. Classification will assist in recording available data, setting up a global database and developing predictive relationships. In this paper, an attempt to develop a well‐accepted classification of and terminology for food properties is made. The proposed four classes of food properties are: physical and physico‐chemical properties, kinetic properties, sensory properties, and health properties.