Oil yield and compressibility modeling during microscale expression: Criteria for linseed breeding

Seven linseed varieties were harvested at seven times before complete maturity. Microscale oilseed expressions were subsequently carried out on it. A pressure of 10 MPa was applied for 1 h under uniaxial stress. The results were characterized in terms of oil, water and mucilage content, harvest date and oil yield. The piston displacement versus time (creep curves) was described by a four‐Kelvin‐Voigt elements viscoelastic model. Parameters were derived from the model, such as the mechanical properties of seeds (compressibility moduli), showing that the viscoelastic model fits well the experimental data (R² ≈ 0.999). The modeling parameters were combined with some biochemical data in order to predict the kinetics of oil extraction.     

Introducing fuzziness in object models and database interfaces through aspects

Imperfection in information can be considered a crosscutting concern that manifests itself in diverse kinds of imprecision, uncertainty, or inconsistency in the data models of a software system. The extension of existing programming and querying interfaces for the different aspects of information imperfection requires a proper modularization of the different concerns of numerical imprecision handling, so that the extensions do not interfere with existing programming practices and do not obscure the original design. Aspect‐oriented design (AOD) enables such a form of nonintrusive extensions to be added to existing software libraries, clearly separating fuzziness or other imperfections in data as a differentiated concern that can be considered from the early phases of development. In this article, a general framework for aspect‐based extension of data models and fuzzy databases is described, and some design and implementation issues of such AOD‐based extensions on OJB database libraries are described as a case study. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 1199–1216, 2006.     

Characterization of Thai limestone for desulphurization in a fluidized bed combustor

The objective of this study is to determine the chemical kinetics of desulphurization of Thai limestone in an atmospheric fluidized bed combustor (AFBC). The experiments, which employed the batch technique using the limestone samples from six major sources in Thailand, were performed in a laboratory‐scale AFBC. The results obtained were analysed and correlated in the form of apparent reaction rate and deactivation rate constants as a function of operating conditions of the furnace and their properties, respectively. The formulae derived from these correlations were kept as general as possible in order that they could be used as input parameters for the selected mathematical model of desulphurization in an AFBC that is suitable for practical use. The predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental data reported in the literature. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bruchanalyse an Hohlgläsern

Failure analysis of hollow glasses The failure analysis is very important to clarify damages of hollow glasses. Damages of glass bottle through over pressure are very often linked with damages to persons. This is the reason why the causal research is from particular importance. Different surface characteristics of glass fragments as well as the fracture pattern give hints to the direction of the crack, the stress just before breakage and the reason of stress. A reconstruction of the bottle is a further helpful instrument for cause studies. The difference of the various characteristics of the surface will be explained. Further on there will be discussed different reasons and mechanism of fracture.     

Balance-dendrogram. A new routine of CoDaPack

A statistical analysis of compositional data based on the Aitchison geometry of the simplex requires an appropriate basis for representing the data. A simple and intuitive way of building such a basis employs a sequential binary partition of the compositional vector. The partition, together with some statistical summaries of the coordinates, or balances, can be represented in a dendrogram-type graph. In this paper we introduce an implementation of this methodology inside CoDaPack, which is freeware. An example with real data illustrates the use of the Balance-Dendrogram routine.     

Embryonal metabolism

It is very difficult to have a clear and homogeneous idea of the embryo metabolism. In fact it may vary from one species to another and also according to the embryonic stage: i.e. before and after genomic activation. Basic compounds such as glucose may be toxic, but obviously, it is more the problem of the quantity introduced in the culture media and an unsuitable balance between the metabolites which may impair the embryonic development. At low concentration glucose is actively metabolised by embryos. High levels of amino acids are deleterious (due to release of ammonia), but they are necessary at low concentrations. Addition of serum or other biological fluids is generally useless. Further knowledge on embryo metabolism is necessary to avoid culture medium related delay or developmental blocks. Sequential media are at least partly the answer.