An investigation of sugar extraction methods and the use of microwave power for date syrup processing: efficiency and color related considerations.

This study investigates the effect of extraction methods on the color of date syrup and the potential use of microwave power for syrup processing. Sugar solutions were extracted from dates by boiling, soaking and blending. Color and sugar content of the extracted solutions were measured, and the percentage of sugar extracted form the total fruit sugar determined. Boiling was found to be the most efficient method of extraction whereby 74% of total samples sugar was extracted. In contrast, only 54.2% of fruit sugar was extracted by blending and 42% by soaking. In addition, solutions extracted by soaking and blending had a foaming problem in the subsequent concentration process. The extraction method had no effect on the product final color. The extracted solution was concentrated using two heating methods: conventional and microwave heating at a 600 W capacity and a frequency of 2450 MHz applied at three power levels: 10, 7, and 6. In the heating process, 180 minutes were needed to achieve a 77% degrees Brix using convective heating, while it took 81, 138, and 166 minutes of microwave heating at power level 10, 7, and 6, respectively to achieve the same concentration. Water activity of the syrup was measured within a sugar content range of 50 to 80% degrees Brix and the sugar concentration at which the product is shelf stable was determined at 76%.     

Preschool Competency in Context: An Investigation of the Unique Contribution of Child Competencies to Early Academic Success.

The present concurrent study combined developmental and ecological considerations to examine the unique contribution of multiple preschool competencies to an indicator of early academic success. Participants included 195 Head Start children from 32 classrooms representative of a large, urban Head Start program. Dimensional (variable-centered) analyses revealed 3 distinct classroom competency dimensions (i.e., General Classroom Competencies, Specific Approaches to Learning, and Interpersonal Classroom Behavioral Problems). The first 2 of these dimensions were found to be uniquely associated with early academic success. Findings from typological (person-centered) analyses supported the dimensional findings. Typological analyses revealed 7 profiles of classroom competency distinguished by high scores on the dimensions of General Competencies and Approaches to Learning, and these profiles were found to relate differentially to the indicator of early academic success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Wear and Creep Characteristics of a Carbon‐Derived Si3N4/SiC Micro/Nanocomposite

In the presented work some properties of a recently developed Si₃N₄/SiC micro/nanocomposite have been investigated. The material was tested using a pin on disc configuration. Under unlubricated sliding conditions using Si₃N₄ pin at 50 % humidity, the friction coefficient was in the range of 0,6 ‐ 0,7. The reduction of humidity resulted in a lower coefficient of friction, in vacuum the coefficient of friction had a value of about 0,6. The wear resistance in vacuum was significantly lower then that in air. The wear patterns on the Si₃N₄+SiC disc revealed that mechanical fracture was the wear controlling mechanism. Creep tests were realized in four point bending configuration in the temperature interval 1200‐1400 °C at stresses 50,100 and 150 MPa and the minimal creep deformation rate was established for each stress level. The activation energy, established from the minimal creep deformation had a value of about 360 kJ/mol and the stress exponent values were in the range of 0.8‐1.28. From the achieved stress exponents it can be assumed that under the studied load/temperature conditions the diffusion creep was the most probable creep controlling mechanism.     

Problems of Wastewater Treatment and Methods of Solving Them

The studies show that in the combined use of biological and chemisorption stages of treatment, a deeper degree of removal of industrial pollutants from wastewaters is attained. The chemisorption stage allows stabilizing the treatment process in different concentration-temperature drops and increasing the degree of removal of synthetic surfactants (SSF), petroleum products, and nitrogen compounds. The possibility of regulating the selectivity of the treatment process by varying the composition of the chemisorption material is demonstrated.     

Reactions Between Ingredients in Binary Silicate Glasses

It is demonstrated that the density of binary glasses upon variation of the molar content of the modifier in their compositions obeys a parabolic dependence, whose parameters can be used to estimate the extent and type of reactions between the components. The reaction parameters in glasses that are prone to liquation are lower by an order of magnitude and have the negative sign.     

X-Ray Study of the Effect of Heat on the Structural Parameters of Armos Fibres

In studying a series of fibre samples spun in steady-state conditions, the following was found: as a function of the conditions of processing Armos fibre, two structural modifications of the polymer can form; intensive crystallization of the modification corresponding to the 28.7° reflection begins in heat treatment above 220°C; above 320°C, intensive crystallization of the modification corresponding to the 14.25° reflection is observed; at 360°C, symbatic enhancement of the intensities of both reflections with a weak change in the other structural parameters of the fibre is observed.     

Development of a Continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor and the “Scale‐out” Concept – In Search of Perfect Powders

The synthesis of powders with controlled shape and narrow particle size distributions is still a major challenge for many industries. A continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor (SFTR) has been developed to overcome homogeneity and scale‐up problems encountered when using batch reactors. Supersaturation is created by mixing the co‐reactants in a micromixer inducing precipitation; the suspension is then segmented into identical micro‐volumes by a non‐miscible fluid and sent through a tube. These micro‐volumes are more homogeneous when compared to large batch reactors leading to narrower size distributions, better particle morphology, polymorph selectivity and stoichiometry. All these features have been demonstrated on single tube SFTR for different chemical systems. To increase productivity for commercial application the SFTR is being “scaled‐out” by multiplying the number of tubes running in parallel instead of scaling‐up by increasing their size. The versatility of the multi‐tube unit will allow changes in type of precipitate with a minimum of new investment as new chemistry can be researched, developed and optimised in a single tube SFTR and then transferred to the multi‐tube unit for powder production.     

Reliability investigation of 0.07-/spl mu/m InGaAs-InAlAs-InP HEMT MMICs with pseudomorphic In/sub 0.75/Ga/sub 0.25/As channel

The authors have investigated the reliability performance of G-band (183 GHz) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers fabricated using 0.07-/spl mu/m T-gate InGaAs-InAlAs-InP HEMTs with pseudomorphic In/sub 0.75/Ga/sub 0.25/As channel on 3-in wafers. Life test was performed at two temperatures (T/sub 1/ = 200 /spl deg/C and T/sub 2/ = 215 /spl deg/C), and the amplifiers were stressed at V/sub ds/ of 1 V and I/sub ds/ of 250 mA/mm in a N/sub 2/ ambient. The activation energy is as high as 1.7 eV, achieving a projected median-time-to-failure (MTTF) /spl ap/ 2 /spl times/ 10/sup 6/ h at a junction temperature of 125 /spl deg/C. MTTF was determined by 2-temperature constant current stress using /spl Delta/G/sub mp/ = -20% as the failure criteria. The difference of reliability performance between 0.07-/spl mu/m InGaAs-InAlAs-InP HEMT MMICs with pseudomorphic In/sub 0.75/Ga/sub 0.25/As channel and 0.1-/spl mu/m InGaAs-InAlAs-InP HEMT MMICs with In/sub 0.6/Ga/sub 0.4/As channel is also discussed. The achieved high-reliability result demonstrates a robust 0.07-/spl mu/m pseudomorphic InGaAs-InAlAs-InP HEMT MMICs production technology for G-band applications.     

Nash equilibria of packet forwarding strategies in wireless ad hoc networks

In self-organizing ad hoc networks, all the networking functions rely on the contribution of the participants. As a basic example, nodes have to forward packets for each other in order to enable multihop communication. In recent years, incentive mechanisms have been proposed to give nodes incentive to cooperate, especially in packet forwarding. However, the need for these mechanisms was not formally justified. In this paper, we address the problem of whether cooperation can exist without incentive mechanisms. We propose a model,based on game theory and graph theory to investigate equilibrium conditions of packet forwarding strategies. We prove theorems about the equilibrium conditions for both cooperative and noncooperative strategies. We perform simulations to estimate the probability that the conditions for a cooperative equilibrium hold in randomly generated network scenarios.. As the problem is involved, we deliberately restrict ourselves to a static configuration. We conclude that in static ad hoc networks where the relationships between the nodes are likely to be stab le-cooperation needs to be encouraged.