Synthesizing plans that contain actions with context-dependent effects1

This paper presents a method of solving planning problems that involve actions whose effects change according to the situations in which they are performed. The approach is an extension of the conventional planning methodology in which plans are constructed through an iterative process of scanning for goals that are not yet satisfied, inserting actions to achieve them, and introducing subgoals to these actions. This methodology was originally developed under the assumption that one would be dealing exclusively with actions that produce the same effects in every situation. The extension involves introducing additional subgoals to actions above and beyond the preconditions of execution normally introduced. These additional subgoals, called secondary preconditions, ensure that the actions are performed in contexts conducive to producing the effects we desire. This paper defines and analyzes secondary preconditions from a mathematically rigorous standpoint and demonstrates how they can be derived from regression operators.     

Influence of process variables on the drying of potato slices

Investigation of the effects of varying air velocity, slice thickness, and pre-treatment with sodium chloride solutions and surface active agents on drying potato slices indicated that the drying occurred entirely in the falling rate period and was controlled by the mechanism of liquid diffusion. The rate of drying, and therefore the diffusion coefficients, increased with the addition of sodium chloride and surface active agents. Diffusion coefficients were also influenced by air velocity and slice thickness, suggesting that the rate of drying of potato slices is controlled by a combination of internal and external resistances.     

Boussinesq方程的永形波的级数解

对于用层平均速度势(或速度)与波高给出的非线性等水深Boussinesq方程,与KdV方程一样,存在两类永形波—孤立波和周期波。不同的是,对于Boussinesq方程,孤立波和周期波一样,是以反函数的积分形式给出的,这在使用上是不方便的。本文对这两类波,分别给出了相应的级数形式的正函数解。对于孤立波,级数的收敛速度是十分快的,且文中还给出了一个具有高精度的十分简单的近似解,对于周期波,只要有关参数选得合适,解的收敛速度也是相当快的。这就有效地克服了反函数形式解在使用上的不方便。     

Works of adhesion at the carbon fiber-liquid interface determined using a modified wetting technique

Works of adhesion W_SL between aqueous solutions with pH values in the range from 1 to 14 and carbon fibers from different sources, which were additionally treated in an inert atmosphere or in oxygen, were measured by use of a microbalance. These works of adhesion W_SL were found to show distinct stepwise dependencies on the pH value. The works of adhesion W_SL are attributed to dispersion interactions W_SL¹ and various acid-base interactions w_sl^ab—in the latter case between the acidic and basic surface groups of carbon and the various basic and acidic aqueous solutions.     

The influence of NaCl and CO2 on the atmospheric corrosion of magnesium alloy AZ91

The influence of NaCl and CO₂ on the atmospheric corrosion of magnesium alloy AZ91 is studied in the laboratory. Samples were exposed under carefully controlled air and flow conditions; the relative humidity was 95%, the temperature was 22.0°C and the concentration of CO₂ was < 1 ppm or 350 ppm. Different amounts of sodium chloride (0–70 μg/cm²) were added before exposure. The corrosion products were analyzed by gravimetry, ion chromatography, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Mass gain and metal loss results are reported. The combination of high humidity and NaCl is very corrosive towards AZ91. However, the NaCl‐induced corrosion is inhibited by ambient concentrations of CO₂. Exposure in the absence of CO₂ gives rise to heavy pitting, with brucite, Mg(OH)₂, being the dominant corrosion product. In the presence of CO₂ a layer of hydrated magnesium hydroxy carbonate, Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂ · 5 H₂O forms. A tentative corrosion mechanism is presented that explains the behavior in the two environments.     

The emulsifying properties of a polysaccharide isolated from the fruit of Cordia abyssinica

Polysaccharide was isolated from Cordia abyssinica and its effect, at differing concentrations, on its emulsifying ability was determined. Emulsions of vegetable oil containing up to 1% of the polysaccharide in phosphate pH 7.4 buffer, were prepared by using a hand piston homogenizer. Emulsification was assessed by diluting samples of the emulsions in sodium dodecyl sulphate and measuring absorbance at 500 nm. Addition of increasing concentrations of the polysaccharide up to 1% enhanced emulsification and emulsion stability. Above 1% concentration the polysaccharide solutions were too viscous for making emulsions conveniently. At a constant concentration of the polysaccharide, addition of up to a 1% concentration of salt enhanced emulsion formation. Further addition of salt above 1% resulted in no further changes in emulsifying ability, but the stability of the emulsions formed decreased on increasing the concentration of salt above 1%. The effect of pH on emulsifying ability was investigated by preparing emulsions using buffers of different pH, from pH 3 to pH 13. The polysaccharide had poor emulsifying ability below pH 7. Emulsifying ability increased with pH between pH 7 and 11. At pH above 11 there was a decrease in emulsifying ability.     

N,N′-二(β-十八酰氧基)乙基乙二胺二乙酸钠的合成及性能研究

用 N,N′-二羟乙基乙二胺、氯乙酸钠合成了 N,N′-二羟乙基乙二胺二乙酸钠(中间体),中间体再与硬脂酰氯反应制备了一种新型 Gemini 两性表面活性剂 N,N′-二(β-十八酰氧基)乙基乙二胺二乙酸钠。对产物合成条件进行了考察,优化的反应条件为:n(硬脂酰氯):n(中间体)=2.5,溶剂 V(水):V(氯仿)=1:2,pH=9.0～10.0,反应温度15～20℃,反应时间5 h。通过红外光谱和质谱分析确定了产物结构,并测试了产物的表面性能。结果表明,在25℃时,该产物的临界胶束浓度为0.24 mmol/L,临界胶束浓度下的表面张力为35.7 mN/m;即时泡沫高度为250 mm,5 min 后泡沫高度为220 mm;乳化时间为22.48 min(甲苯-水物系)和4.65 min(正己烷-水物系),亲水-亲油平衡值为5.4,等电点为 pH 3.3～6.5。     

Synthesis and aqueous solution behaviors of sodium sulfonate‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine)

Sodium sulfonate‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine) (SPEA) was synthesized by sulfonation of acrylic double bond‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine) (APEA) with sodium hydrogen sulfite (NaHSO₃) in mixture of diglycol and 2‐butanone under normal pressure. The structure of SPEA was characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and elemental analysis. SPEA was water‐soluble. 1.0–40.0% (mass) SPEA aqueous solutions appeared as dilatant fluid. When pH value varied from 1.5 to 12.0, the viscosity of 1–5% (mass) SPEA aqueous solutions changed very small, and the electric conductivity almost kept stable within pH 3.0–10.0. The relationship between the viscosity and the concentration of SPEA water solutions was similar to that of NaCl water solutions. The surface tension of SPEA water solutions was lower than that of polyethylene glycol 2000 water solutions with the same concentration. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

在以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中采用酸碱滴定分析的误差来源及分析方法的改进

以三聚磷酸钠生产过程为例,论述了在以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中,由于反应不完全导致反应物中存在少量的碳酸盐,这部分碳酸盐干扰了用酸碱滴定法测量的中和度,并据此提出中和度分析改进方法.由此可以推广到其它以纯碱为原料的非强酸性水溶液体系中.     

An integrated biodesulfurization process,including inoculum preparation,desulfurization and sulfate removal in a single step,for removing sulfur from oils

BACKGROUND: A single‐stage reactor, in which the growth of bacterial culture, induction of desulfurizing enzymes, and desulfurization reaction are carried out in a single step, was adopted to investigate desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) at high cell densities. Rhodococcus erythropolis, IGTS8 was used as the biocatalyst. Optimal conditions for bacterial growth and DBT desulfurization were investigated. RESULTS: Optimization of fermentation conditions was necessary to obtain high cell densities including controlling accumulation of acetate. Under optimal operating conditions, the maximum optical density at 600 nm (OD₆₀₀) was measured to be 26.6 at 118 h of cultivation. When biodesulfurization of DBT in model oil with a high cell density culture of IGTS8 was investigated, accumulation of sulfate was found to limit the extent of desulfurization. A sulfate removal step was added to obtain a single‐stage integrated biodesulfurization process. Sulfate removal was achieved via an aqueous bleed stream and use of a separation unit to recycle the organic phase. CONCLUSION: A proof of principle of a complete system capable of biocatalyst growth, induction, desulfurization and by‐product separation was demonstrated. This system enables simplification of the biodesulfurization process and has potential to lower the operating cost of the bioprocess. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry