Effective scattering area of a three-faced corner cube reflector

Ray representations are used to refine a model for the equivalent aperture of a three-faced corner-cube reflector in which the faces are not perpendicular. This is used in calculating the actual value of the effective scattering area for such a reflector, which gives a correction factor to exclude the error component due to the nonperpendicularity. A table is given of calculated values for the correction factor together with experimental results. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 10, pp. 45–48, October, 1996.     

Optimization of a Reconstitutable Suspension of Rifampicin Using 24 Factorial Design

In this study 2⁴ factorial design associated with surface response methodology was used to develop and optimize a reconstitutable suspension of rifampicin. The study illustrated the effect of the percentage of each of sucrose, avicel RC-591, hydrophilic aerosil, and aerosol-OT on the flowability and the bulk density of the dry mixture as well as the viscosity, the sedimentation volume, and the redispersibility of the suspension. An empirical equation developed for each of the above responses was used with the aid of computer software to plot a contour map of the most significant effects and interactions. Five replicates at the center of the design were used to independently calculate the experimental error and to detect any curvature in the response surface. Three formulas which are not included in the design were prepared to check the validity of the model equation.     

Clinical applications compared in implantology

On the basis of their own experience and of orientation reported by literature, the authors display how important it is for professional men who practise implantology or who approach it, to have the possibility of knowing several implantologic systems. Indeed, what we want to demonstrate is, that in different situations of edentulous, in relation to the quantity and the quality of the available bones, to the gnotologic situation and to the aesthetic functional result they aim to, corresponds the choice of one or several implantologic systems. In that sense the basic research occupies a role of vital importance, because only through the knowledge of chemical, chemical-physical and biomechanical characteristics it is possible to recognize some essential chemical entities for an implantologic approach. Thus the several diagnostic instrumental means available enable the surgeon to make an exact clinical diagnosis. The TAC, in this case, assumes a determinant role, because, in addition to supplying exact dimensional and qualitative informations, also occupies an important medico-legal aspect. The resolution of some forms of edentulous programmed like that, will subsequently be illustrated. Finally, a control hypothesis is proposed for the rearrangement, of peri-implant bone. On this account, the SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography), through a semi-quantitative research, could provide some specific indications about the osteotropic implantation activity.     

MODELING the VIBRATIONAL RESPONSE of PLANTAIN FRUITS

Plantain fruits of the plantain subgroup ( Musa AAB Group) were obtained at a green stage and used in this study. the fruits were labelled for identification, and stored in a chamber maintained at a temperature of 20C and relative humidity of 90 ± 4%. On daily basis, for a period of 14 days, the fruits were removed from the storage chamber and each was weighed to record the mass. They were vibrated vertically on a vibration exciter through a range of frequencies from 10 to 2000 Hz. the frequency response was modeled by a single-degree-of-freedom Kelvin model. the mass of the fruit, the stiffness, the natural frequency and the critical damping all decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with storage time. There was no significant change (p > 0.05) in the damping coefficient of the fruit. the damping ratio decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with storage time. the models that described the changes in these parameters with storage time were obtained by stepwise regression, and are also presented. It was concluded that a single degree-of-freedom model provides satisfactory results of the vibrational characteristics of intact plantain fruit.     

Apparent diffusion coefficient determination of sodium hydroxide through potato skin and flesh under different temperatures and concentration conditions

The aims of the present study were to analyze the most important chemical reactions between sodium hydroxide and potato constituents involved in potato chemical peeling, and to measure the apparent diffusivity of NaOH in potato skin and flesh separately, as a function of temperature and NaOH concentration, selected according to potato chemical peeling process. Chemical reaction of the suberin of the potato skin with NaOH was proposed as the most important one to promote chemical peeling. Whereas starch hydrolysis, middle lamella dissolution and cell wall disruptions were proposed as the principal chemical reactions in flesh. Experiments to determine NaOH apparent dijfusivities in skin and flesh were performed following a cell diffusion method at 25, 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C temperatures and concentrations of 4, 12 and 20 g NaOH/100 g of solution. Finally, correlation equations were determined to describe apparent diffusivity dependence on temperature and concentration.     

Consumer knowledge of foodborne microbial hazards and food-handling practices.

A national telephone survey was conducted of 1,620 randomly selected U.S. residents who spoke English, were at least 18 years old, and resided in households with kitchen facilities. Respondents were interviewed about their recognition of foodborne pathogens, foods at risk for transmitting infection, knowledge of safe food handling, and food-handling practices. One-third of the respondents who prepared meals reported unsafe food hygiene practices: e.g., they did not wash hands or take precautions to prevent cross-contamination from raw meat. Unsafe practices were reported more often by men, adults 18 to 29 years of age, and occasional food preparers than by women, persons 30 years old or older, and frequent food preparers. Respondents who identified a food vehicle for Salmonella spp. were more likely to report washing their hands and cleaning cutting boards after preparing raw meat and poultry. The results raise concerns about consumer food-handling practices. The influence of food safety training, food-handling experience, and age on food-handling practices should be studied further. Awareness of a food vehicle for Salmonella spp., for example, may indicate knowledge of the etiology of foodborne disease that promotes safe food handling. Understanding the factors associated with safe food handling will assist in development of effective safe-food instruction programs.     

Four-noded mixed finite elements,using unsymmetric stresses,for linear analysis of membranes

A family of new 4-noded membrane elements with drilling degrees of freedom and unsymmetric assumed stresses is presented; it is derived from a mixed variational principle originally formulated for finite strain analysis and already used in the literature to develop a purely kinematic membrane model. The performance of these elements, investigated through some well established benchmark problems, is found to be fairly good and their accuracy is comparable with that given by models with a larger number of nodal parameters.     

Impedance boundary method of moments with extended boundaryconditions

An improved impedance boundary method of moments is proposed to accurately and efficiently determine the propagation characteristics of multilayer planar optical waveguides whose refractive index profiles contain large step index changes or a graded-index region combined with step index changes. Extended impedance boundary conditions are used in the impedance boundary method of moments to replace regions in the waveguide structure which have refractive index discontinuities. Two methods for determining the extended boundary conditions include the standard transfer matrix method and a procedure utilizing a cascaded transmission line representation with successive calculation of input impedances. Simulation results show significantly improved convergence rates in the determination of propagation constants