Light and Strong SiC Networks

The directional freezing of microfiber suspensions is used to assemble highly porous (porosities ranging between 92% and 98%) SiC networks. These networks exhibit a unique hierarchical architecture in which thin layers with honeycomb‐like structure and internal strut length in the order of 1–10 μm in size are aligned with an interlayer spacing ranging between 15 and 50 μm. The resulting structures exhibit strengths (up to 3 MPa) and stiffness (up to 0.3 GPa) that are higher than aerogels of similar density and comparable to other ceramic microlattices fabricated by vapor deposition. Furthermore, this wet processing technique allows the fabrication of large‐size samples that are stable at high temperature, with acoustic impedance that can be manipulated over one order of magnitude (0.03–0.3 MRayl), electrically conductive and with very low thermal conductivity. The approach can be extended to other ceramic materials and opens new opportunities for the fabrication of ultralight structures with unique mechanical and functional properties in practical dimensions.     

Physical Properties of Pecans Relating to Shelling Efficiency

Inshell pecans of 21 cultivars and numbered trial selections were evaluated for selected physical properties and for their adaptability to be efficiently shelled by existing commercial technology. Processing efficiency was based on yield of unbroken half kernels during shelling. There were highly significant differences among varieties in both selected physical properties and shelling efficiency. Correlations between shelling efficiency and physical properties were determined. Results showed that percent total kernel, inshell length/diameter ratio and shell thickness were the physical properties that appeared to have the greatest effect on shelling efficiency.     

Cotyledon Structure of Resting Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L. cv. Florunner) Seed Before and After Hydraulic Pressing

The cotyledon structure of resting peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. Florunner) seed before and after hydraulic pressing was investigated with light and scanning electron microscopy. Observations were made of the appearance of cell walls and the major subcellular components: spherosomes (oil reserve bodies), aleurone grains and starch grains. Major findings include previously unreported cell wall damage and surface fissures that may be important to processors who express the oil from peanuts.     

Polyphenol Oxidase System in Red Delicious Apples

The polyphenol oxidase system (E.C. 1.14.18.1) in‘Red Delicious’apples (Malus domestica) was investigated. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed two active isoenzymes as detected with pyrocatechol substrate. The crude enzyme extract (acetone powder) was found to have one optimum pH of 6.2 and one optimum temperature for the browning reaction of 30°C with the experimental conditions described. The Michaelis constant (Km) as an average of the two active enzyme forms was 2.2 × 10^?lM pyrocatechol and the average maximum velocity (Vmax) was 4.8 × 10^?l AA390 per minute.     

License Plate Recognition for Parking Control System by Mathematical Morphology

Nowadays, license plate recognition for parking systems is a critical task to provide automatic control of customers and payment. This paper introduces a new method for automatic recognition of license plates of vehicles by mathematical morphology.The proposed method can provide the license plate number of the plates in different light conditions, colors,sizes, and inclination(angles). The algorithm can recognize the license plates of European Union vehicles quickly and correctly. The pattern learning of mathematical skeletons has high efficiency in the process. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated well by the test in a parking control system.     

Particle-Swarm Optimization in Antenna Design: Optimization of Log-Periodic Dipole Arrays

This paper presents a short tutorial and overview of optimization algorithms based on particle-swarm schemes, and their application to solving electromagnetic problems. As a practical example, a particle-swarm optimization (PSO) tool has been applied in conjunction with the Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC) to get the design curves of optimized log-periodic dipole arrays (LPDAs). The graphs show the performance of several radiation parameters (directive gain, front-to-back ratio, bandwidth, SWR, and half-power beamwidth in the E and H planes) as a function of typical design parameters of log-periodic dipole arrays (geometrical parameters and characteristics of the feed). Examples of optimized antennas are given, and their performance is compared to that of standard log-periodic dipole arrays.     

Establishing Thermal Processes for Products with Straight-Line Heating Curves from Data Taken at Other Retort and Initial Temperatures

Heat penetration data were obtained at high and low retort temperatures (RTs) and at high and low product initial temperatures in two can sizes for food products displaying straight-line heating curves in an agitating retort. The extrapolation of data to other RTs was found to be a safe practice for products heating with conduction or significant induced convection. Extrapolating to lower RTs for intermediate viscosity products slightly underpredicted required processing times. The effect of initial temperature was consistent with that found in a previous study for broken-heating products in a still retort, in that heat penetration tests conducted at different initial temperatures can have a significant influence on process establishment, depending on the product.     

Influence of Poultry Species, Muscle Groups, and NaCl Level on Strength, Deformability, and Water Retention in Heat-Set Muscle Gels

The effects of poultry species (chicken and turkey), muscle groups (breast, thigh, and drum) and NaCl concentration (1% and 2%) on a low fat gel system were compared using measurements of shear stress (strength), shear strain (deformability), and two water retention measurements. Results showed doubling NaCl tended to double stress for all species and muscle groups and increased strain by 30–50%. Cross species differences showed higher stress in turkey gels than in chicken gels with 2% NaCl. For both species, stress, strain and water retention were lowest in breast gels with both NaCl concentrations, and strain was greater in thigh gels than in drum gels with 2% NaCl.     

Physicochemical Properties of Ovalbumin and Lysozyme Treated with Oleic Acid

Results from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed that proteins were more negatively charged in the presence of oleic acid. The electrophoretic mobility of unmodified and modified lysozyme was of opposite but similar magnitude. Critical micelle concentration (50.0 μ M) of oleic acid suggested that association between the fatty acid and proteins was mostly hydrophobic. Muramidase activity of modified lysozyme and difference spectra of modified ovalbumin suggested that oleic acid was partially or totally surrounding the proteins. Improved freeze-thaw characteristics of treated egg white were attributed to greater negative charge and instability of proteins produced by oleic acid.     

SDR receiver computational model for application in power control

Software-defined radio (SDR) permits dynamic switches of the employed radio access technology (RAT), over-the-air (OTA) software updates, software and hardware reuse. This extended flexibility comes at the price of a higher computing complexity and, in particular, the energy consumption at the receiver. The analysis of the computational profile of signal processing algorithms is of great importance in SDR for understanding the implication on the energy consumption. Several signal processing algorithms show a different profile as a function of the signal quality perceived at the receiver antenna. Therefore, power control policies have an implication on the computational performance of SDR receivers. Understanding the behaviour of these algorithms allows trading transmitted power against receiver energy consumption. This paper presents a model for characterizing the computational profile of Turbo and LDPC decoders and demonstrates is applicability in existing power control strategies.