Growth structure investigation of MgF2 and NdF3 films grown by molecular beam deposition on CaF2(111) substrates

The growth structure of MgF₂ and NdF₃ films grown on polished CaF₂(111) substrates deposited by molecular beam deposition has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of microfractographical and surface replications as well as cross-sectional TEM, atomic force microscopy, packing density, and absorption measurements. It has been shown that by taking advantage of ultrahigh vacuum environments and a special stratification property of MgF₂ and NdF₃ films, the preparation of nanocrystalline films of high packing density and low optical absorption is possible at a substrate temperature of 425 K.     

Wear resistance of plasma coatings for a constant work of friction

We analyze the wear resistance of plasma coatings for a constant work of friction. The dependences of the wear resistance of the coatings are obtained for a broad range of loading conditions. It is shown that the minimum sensitivity to loading conditions is exhibited by the molybdenum coatings. It is also established that the wear resistance of the coatings decreases as the amplitude of displacements increases and the cyclic frequency of the tests decreases due to the intensification of fatigue processes on the surfaces. The comparative characteristics of coatings are presented. __________ Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 5, pp. 94–100, September–October, 2007.     

A multi-objective programming model for scheduling emergency medicine residents

Scheduling emergency medicine residents (EMRs) is a complex task, which considers a large number of rules (often conflicting) related to various aspects such as limits on the number of consecutive work hours, number of day and night shifts that should be worked by each resident, resident staffing requirements according to seniority levels for the day and night shifts, restrictions on the number of consecutive day and night shifts assigned, vacation periods, weekend off requests, and fair distribution of responsibilities among the residents. Emergency rooms (ERs) are stressful workplaces, and in addition shift work is well-known to be more demanding than regular daytime work. For this reason, preparing schedules that suit the working rules for EMRs is especially important for reducing the negative impact on shift workers physiologically, psychologically, and socially. In this paper, we present a goal programming (GP) model that accommodates both hard and soft constraints for a monthly planning horizon. The hard constraints should be adhered to strictly, whereas the soft constraints can be violated when necessary. The relative importance values of the soft constraints have been computed by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which are used as coefficients of the deviations from the soft constraints in the objective function. The model has been tested in the ER of a major local university hospital. The main conclusions of the study are that problems of realistic size can be solved quickly and the generated schedules have very high qualities compared to the manually prepared schedules, which require a lot of effort and time from the chief resident who is responsible for this duty.     

Bridging process and structure through criteria

Scholars in design face two central challenges in design methods inquiry: firstly, to integrate process and solution, and secondly, to examine developmental junctures leading to innovation. With these goals in mind, we maintain that design criteria deserve greater attention and illustrate this position with a study of noted designers' use of criteria. The primary finding was that five criteria functions were considered during the design process. The study also explored potential relationships between designer variables (i.e., professional expertise and personality type) and criteria use.     

Effects of temperature, ammonium and glucose concentrations on yeast growth in a model wine system

In enology, alcoholic fermentation is a complex process involving several mechanisms. Slow and incomplete alcoholic fermentation is a chronic problem for the wine industry and factors leading to sluggish and stuck fermentations have been extensively studied and reviewed. The most studied cause of sluggish and stuck fermentation is the nitrogen content limitation. Nevertheless, other factors, such as temperature of fermentation and sugar concentration can affect the growth of yeasts. In this study we modelled the yeast growth‐cycle in wine model system as a function of temperature, sugar and ammonium concentrations; the individual effects and the interaction of these factors were analysed by means of a quadratic response surface methodology. Cell concentrations and weight loss were monitored in the whole wine fermentation process. The results of central composite design show that lower is the availability of nitrogen, higher is the cell growth rate; moreover, initial nitrogen concentration also influences survival time of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Immobilized α-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis: a potential enzymic time—temperature integrator for thermal processing

Biphasic and nth-order models were tested as to their usefulness to fit experimental inactivation data of Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase, immobilized on glass beads, and were discussed with respect to their suitability to characterize the considered enzymic system as a time—temperature integrator (TTI) to evaluate heat processes. Both isothermal and non-isothermal inactivation experiments were carried out. Model (kinetic) parameters (rate constant k, activation energy E_A and reaction order n) were estimated using a non-linear regression procedure. The results obtained, especially the activation energy of about 293 kJ mole^–1, indicated a potential use of this system as a TTI for heating processes in the temperature range of 96–108°C.     

Process control: An overview and personal perspective

This paper presents an overview and personnal perspective on recent developments and current practice in computer process model. The basic concepts behind conventional process control are reviewed to provide a starting point for the non-control specialist and process engineer. The ensuing sections on Internal Model Control (IMC), Model Predictive Control (MPC) and adaptive control illustrate the evolution of control technology from the traditional multiloop strategies to the modern, multivariable, model-based, computer control systems now being used in industry. The paper does not provide a complete, critical review of process control. However, the discussion and the recommended references should provide a good starting point for anyone wanting to become familiar with current practice and some of the new directions of process control.     

正交实验优选盐生藻多糖的提取工艺

以盐生藻为原料,盐生藻多糖得率为指标,运用稀酸、稀碱和蒸馏水为提取剂提取盐生藻多糖,得出合适的提取剂为稀酸.进一步的正交实验表明,盐生藻多糖的最适提取工艺为:提取75min,pH=4,固液比为1∶70,温度为95℃.     

Hydrothermal upgrading of wood biomass: Influence of the addition of K2CO3 and cellulose/lignin ratio

The hydrothermal treatment of two different wood biomass samples such as cherry (hard wood) and cypress (soft wood), whose composition is different i.e. lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were performed at 280 °C for 15 min with aq. K₂CO₃ with different concentrations (0–1 M). The soft wood biomass contains higher lignin content than hard wood biomass. The cellulose rich cherry wood biomass produced higher proportion of acetic acid than cypress. The lignin rich cypress produced the hydrocarbons with major portion of phenolic hydrocarbons and derivatives than cherry. The total oil yields from both cherry and cypress wood biomass produced 50 wt% of liquid hydrocarbons at 280 °C for 15 min with 0.5 M K₂CO₃ solution. The volatility distribution of liquid hydrocarbons showed the characteristic features of soft and hard wood biomasses.