Comparative Evaluation of Several Direct Compression Sugars

Three new and two commercially available sugar matrices were comparatively evaluated for several fundamental properties of direct compression powder systems. These properties included: particle size distribution, powder flow (determined by a recording powder flow meter), bulk density and moisture content. The matrices studied were Dipac, Nutab, and California and Hawaiian (C & H) Products A, B, and C. These matrices were formulated in to chewable ascorbic acid, multivitamin, and antacid tablets, and analyzed for: weight uniformity, thickness, diameter, hardness, disintegration, resistance to impact stress, friability, dissolution and effect due to aging.

The data obtained showed that the new products (C & H products) were comparable, and in some cases, even superior to the commercially available ones.     

Clinical Pure Types as a Fuzzy Partition

Abstract

This paper discusses the applicability of the ideas of fuzzy sets and grades of membership to problems encountered in the quantification of clinical (i.e., diagnostic and prognostic) judgment. The methods of constrained maximum likelihood are used to derive consensus estimates of grades of membership given a set of categorical data and an a priori set of specified pure types. A numerical example is given.     

Fine lattice structures fabricated by extrusion freeforming: Process variables

This paper describes the main factors affecting the rapid prototyping of fine lattices by extrusion freeforming of powder, notably equipment accuracy, paste preparation, extrusion and post-processing and their effects on filament deposition and the defects that might be caused. Effective methods were devised in order to reduce the incidence of these defects. The results provide guidance for fabrication of very fine lattices from powder extrusion (comprising <100 μm diameter filaments) and improvement of sample quality.     

A review of speech recognition applications in the office

Since the 1970s, many improvements have been made in the technology available for automatic speech recognition (ASR). Changes in the methods of analysing the incoming speech have resulted in larger, more complex vocabularies being used with greater recognition accuracy. Despite this enhanced performance and substantial research activity, the introduction of voice input into the office is still largely unrealized. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of office applications of ASR, dividing them into the areas of voice messaging and word processing activities, data entry and information retrieval systems, and environmental control. Within these areas, cartographic computer-aided-design systems are identified as an application with proven success. The slow growth of voice input in the office is discussed in the light of constraints imposed by existing speech technology, and the need for human factors evaluation of potential applications.     

A factor analytic study on the validity of a union commitment scale.

A 28-item version of the union commitment scale developed by M. E. Gordon et al (see record 1980-33572-001) and by R. T. Ladd et al (see record 1983-02449-001) was administered to 98 Black and 104 White South African miners. Using a factor analytic technique, 5 orthogonal factors were extracted: Union Loyalty, Responsibility to the Union, Organization/Work Loyalty, Belief in the Union, and Union Instrumentality. There were no significant racial differences in the dimensionality of union commitment, although Blacks showed lower Responsibility to the Union. The concurrent validity of the constructs of commitment was supported by correlations between the factors of union commitment and measures of behavioral participation. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microfluidics structures for probing the dynamic behaviour of filamentous fungi

Although filamentous fungi live in physically and chemically complex natural environments that require optimal survival strategies, both at colony and individual cell level, their growth dynamics are usually studied on homogenous media. This study proposes a new research methodology based on the purposeful design, fabrication and operation of microfluidics structures to examine the temporal and spatial responses of filamentous fungi. Two model fungal strains, the wild type of Neurospora crassa – a commonly used model organisms – and the ro-1 mutant strain of this species impaired in hyphal growth and morphology, have been chosen to demonstrate the potential of this new methodology. Time-lapse observations of both species show that filamentous fungi respond rapidly to the physically microstructured environment without any detectable temporal or spatial adjustment period. Despite their genetic differences, and consequently different growth behaviour, both strains present efficient space-search strategies enabling them to solve the microsized networks successfully and in similar periods, thus demonstrating that the space-searching algorithms are robust and mutation-independent. Additionally, the use of the proposed methodology could put in evidence new biological mechanisms responsible for the apical extension of filamentous fungi, beyond the classical theory based on the central role of Spitzenkörper.     

Volatiles Retention in the Drying of Skin Forming Materials PART 2: Natural Materials

ABSTRACT

The retention of ethanol as a simulated flavour was determined by drying single droplets in a horizontal wind tunnel, with fructose, reconstituted skim milk or coffee as the flavour encapaulant. Droplet temperature histories, ethanol content, and crust structure were evaluated for each encapsulant. No enhancement of volatile retention was obtained with the fructose eolutions irrespective of initial concentration, air velocity, or air temperature. Enhancement of the volatiles retention with the coffee and skim milk solutions correlated with an increase in initial solide concentration. resulting from selective diffusion phenomena and the formation of a resistant skin. In both cases air velocity had no significant effect upon volatiles retention. Skin forming materials with similar characteristics would be advantageous for flavour retention.     

Thermodynamic and Electrical Effects of Residual Carbon in Glass–Barium Titanate Composites for MLCC Applications

The thermodynamic and electrical effects of residual carbon in glass–barium titanate composites were investigated. Thermodynamic arguments are made suggesting that new phases form through carbothermal reactions between carbon and titanate-based dielectrics. Experimentally, it was shown that the reduced dielectric separated by insulating glass in the grain boundaries gave rise to a dielectric relaxation at room temperature consistent with the Maxwell–Wagner model. The conductivity of the dielectric was calculated based on the relaxation frequencies, allowing an estimate of the local oxygen activity due to the presence of carbon. This activity was consistent with the equilibrium oxygen activity for carbon oxidation at the processing temperature, and eight orders of magnitude different from the oxygen activity in the furnace atmosphere.