Gelling of alginate fibres

Equipment was developed to measure the time for complete gelling of sodium alginate fibres in calcium chloride solution, taken as the time to achieve maximum tensile strength. The effects of fibre diameter, alginate concentration, alginate composition and calcium chloride concentration on gelling time were investigated. A diffusional model, developed to predict the gelling time, agreed with experimental results except for the effect of calcium ion concentration which was modelled empirically.     

单光子时间分辨在线谱仪系统中的接口电路

本文介绍单光子时间分辨在线谱仪系统中的多道分析器与IBM PC/XT微型计算机接口的工作原理及控制程序。     

Lyapunov‐stable discrete‐time model reference adaptive control

Discrete‐time model reference adaptive control (MRAC) is considered with both least squares and projection algorithm parameter identification. For both cases complete Lyapunov proofs are given for stability and convergence. The results extend the approach of Johansson (Int. J. Control 1989; 50 (3):859–869) to include Lyapunov stability for MRAC when the normalized projection algorithm is used for parameter identification. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of pretreatments and freezing rate on the firmness of potato tissue after a freeze–thaw cycle

The texture of potato tissue after a freeze–thaw process using different freezing rates and different pretreatments was analysed, in order to select the best strategy for optimum preservation of the textural characteristics of pre‐frozen potato. Ten blanching conditions were tested and a two‐step blanching process with calcium chloride (0.07 g mL^?1) proved the most effective in protecting the tissue after a freeze–thaw process (maximum load force around 10–55% of the raw tissue, depending on potato batch, for air‐blast freezing and 20–60% for immersion freezing). Vacuum impregnation at 100 and 400 mbar, even when followed by different pre‐drying treatments to remove excess water, was very detrimental to resistance to a freeze–thaw process (maximum load force below 10% of the raw tissue for air‐blast freezing and below 20% for immersion freezing). Microstructure analysis confirmed better tissue integrity retention with ethyleneglycol immersion freezing instead of air‐freezing. Differences were found between batches with a 6‐month difference in storage time, indicating that the fresher batch was more suitable for freezing.     

On the design of multiple key hashing files for concurrent orthogonal range retrieval between two disks

This paper concerns the following problem: given a set of multi-attribute records, a fixed number of buckets and a two-disk system, arrange the records into the buckets and then store the buckets between the disks in such a way that, over all possible orthogonal range queries (ORQs), the disk access concurrency is maximized. We shall adopt the multiple key hashing (MKH) method for arranging records into buckets and use the disk modulo (DM) allocation method for storing buckets onto disks. Since the DM allocation method has been shown to be superior to any other allocation methods for allocating an MKH file onto a two-disk system for answering ORQs, the real issue is knowing how to determine an optimal way for organizing the records into buckets based upon the MKH concept.

A performance formula that can be used to evaluate the average response time, over all possible ORQs, of an MKH file in a two-disk system using the DM allocation method is first presented. Based upon this formula, it is shown that our design problem is related to a notoriously difficult problem, namely the Prime Number Problem. Then a performance lower bound and an efficient algorithm for designing optimal MKH files in certain cases are presented. It is pointed out that in some cases the optimal MKH file for ORQs in a two-disk system using the DM allocation method is identical to the optimal MKH file for ORQs in a single-disk system and the optimal average response time in a two-disk system is slightly greater than one half of that in a single-disk system.     

Review of Can Love Last? The Fate of Romance Over Time.

Review of book: Stephen Mitchell. Can Love Last? The Fate of Romance Over Time. New York: Norton, 2002, 223 pp. Reviewed by Timothy J. Zeddies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of the limit state of transit gas pipelines having corrosion defects

The limit carrying capacity of gas pipelines having corrosion defects were evaluated by means of an improved FEM analysis, together with the ANSI/ASME defect judgement and an experimental verification. When compared with our past presentation at the proceedings of the CAPE'93 Colloquium (dealing with reproduced defects), this paper evaluates the remaining lifetime of a pipeline having natural faults. The new improved analysis includes geometrical nonlinearities leading to a modification of limit state parameters and thus matching better with actuality. This presented work was initiated by the firm of Trans-Gas in Prague after having had a pipeline inspected proving some parts of it as being heavily corroded. The task in hand was to determine the remaining pipeline lifetime with the view to at least a two-year period.     

Effect of harvesting time and fruit size on titratable acidity, soluble solid and distribution of limonin in Thai tangerine juice

The effect of fruit size and harvesting of Thai tangerine fruit ( Citrus reticulata , Blanco) at different growth stages, 8–12 months after fruit set, on the distribution of limonin in whole fruit as well as in the individual fruit parts and extracted juice was investigated. The highest limonin concentration was observed in seed, followed by albedo, flavedo, segment membrane and juice sacs in decreasing order. The limonin concentration in juice as well as in whole fruit was decreased when fruit was harvested 8–12 months of fruit set. Increasing harvesting time from 8 to 12 months showed corresponding decreases in the amount of limonin in flavedo, albedo and seed. There was a decrease in titrable acidity and increase in total soluble solid and total soluble solid/titrable acidity ratio of juice with a later than normal harvesting time. However, fruit size showed no effect on limonin content and other properties of juice extracted from tangerine.     

Dynamic analysis of the NPP pressure sensor system

The aim of the work was to develop on-line methods of control and diagnostics of pressure sensors at a NPP. The analysis was carried out along two lines:

1. i) The detection system including the sensor itself was modeled theoretically to obtain and study its transfer function, and to establish correspondence between the spectral characteristics of the pressure signal.

2. ii) The numerical processing of the signal using the AR technique to reconstruct the transfer function and evaluate the system's response, to a step impulse, as well as the spectral analysis. The hydraulic model presented indicate that the spectral lines observed at 10 Hz are due to longitu-dinal oscillations of water in the system branches, while the response time of the detection system is effectively the time of signal retardation in the porous ceramic diaphragms of the δ-cell of the sensor itself.