Glass Inhomogeneity Measurement Using the Shelyubskii Method

Inhomogeneity in glass can be measured in terms of the variance of the refractive index distribution by using the Shelyubskii method. In the method, the transmission of an optical cell containing glass particles immersed in a nearly matching refractive index liquid is measured. Transmission can be measured accurately and reproducibly as a function of wavelength with a conventional spectrophotometer. The primary source of errors, hitherto, has been the Raman-Shelyubskii theory to relate the transmission to the refractive index variance by using interference optics principles. It is shown that a common Shelyubskii experiment can be described more cogently by a theory based on the principles of geometric optics. A Monte Carlo simulation of light ray tracing through the optical cell containing glass particles with a random distribution of refractive index was conducted. The fraction of intensity collected within the acceptance angle of the spectrophotometer, identified as the transmission, agrees well with the measured data. A glass inhomogeneity meter based on the simulation experiments is described.     

FUZZY LOGICAL OPERATORS ON FINITE CHAINS

Abstract

The extension of classical binary logical operators to multi-valued operators is a very interesting topic, both from a theoretical and a practical point of view. In this paper we pay special attention to fuzzy implication operators on the unit interval and on finite chains. We discuss some properties and define several special classes, in particular the class of Lukasiewicz-like implicators. On the unit interval we prove a nice characterization for this class, while we have to replace the continuity condition on [0,1] by a smoothness condition on finite chains to obtain a similar characterization. In contrast to implicators on [0,1], there is no direct way to construct implicators on a finite chain. Therefore, we discuss several algorithms that generate different types of implicators. In this way we also obtain the number of implicators on a finite chain, which gives us an idea of the restrictivity of the involved properties.     

Trisodium Phosptiate (TSP) Treatment of Beef Surfaces to Reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) was evaluated for removing attached E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium from beef surfaces using microbiological plating and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both fat and fascia surfaces were exposed to 10⁹ CFU/mL of each inoculum for 15 min and rinsed with 10% TSP solution (10°C) for 15 sec. Compared to controls, the level of E. coli O157:H7 was 1.35 and 0.92-logs lower on TSP-treated fat and fascia surfaces, respectively by plating. .S. typhimurium was 0.91- and 0.51-logs lower, respectively. By SEM, TSP-treated fabcia surfaces showed 1.39-log and 0.86-log reductions in E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium, respectively. Overall, TSP was more effective on removing E. coli O157:H7 than S. typhimutium and more efficient in removing both bacteria from fat surfaces than from fascia.     

Electrochemical coagulation of whey protein

This paper explores the possibility of using electrochemical coagulation (EC) directly to extract protein from cheese whey. Different flow configurations for EC were used. The configuration, where the solution first flows through the anode compartment and, after separation of the coagulum, flows through the cathode compartment, was most effective, giving a reduction in protein content of 73.8%. The efficiency of EC was compared to chemical coagulation. Some explanations for the high extraction rates found for the EC process are presented.     

Influence of Sintering Temperature on Intrinsic Trapping in Zinc Oxide-Based Varistors

The ac electrical data of the ZnO-Bi₂O₃ varistor system, in the frequency range 5 Hz to 13 MHz, when analyzed in the complex capacitance ( C *) plane, yields a distinct depressed semicircular relaxation having an average time constant on the order of 10⁻⁶ s. This trapping is attributed to the possible formation of ionized intrinsic/native defects. The decrease in the depression angle and average relaxation time, monitored as a function of the increasing sintering temperature (≥1100°C), indicated an improvement in the degree of uniformity in the loss-conductance and rapidity of response of the intrinsic trapping. The dependence of the ac parameters related to this trapping response obtained from the C * plane on the sintering temperature has been presented.     

Innovation in Complex Systems Industries: the Case of Flight Simulation

The paper proposes that the notion of complex systems usefullydescribes a group of large scale, customized products and theirassociated supply industries. Examples include flight simulators(FSs), telecommunications exchanges, military systems, airplanes,chemical process plants and heavy electrical equipment. Complexsystems, made up of many interconnected customized components,exhibit emerging properties through time as they respond tothe evolving needs of large users. Taking the FS industry asa case history, the study identifies some of the basic rulesgoverning innovation in this industry. These rules contrastsharply with those typically found in the ‘conventional’,market contest Schumpeterian model. Innovation in FS is coordinatedby an institutional structure made up of suppliers, users, regulators,industry associations and professional bodies. In contrast withco, wentional market selection, new designs are negotiated priorto product development. Long-term stability among FS makersis observed, despite radical technological discontinuities,as industrial adjustment occurs via the exit and entry of specialistsuppliers. There is no dominant design in the usual sense, nordo the conventional rules of volume competition and process-intensiveinnovation apply in FS. Competitive strategies remain focusedupon design, engineering andprototype development, rather thanincrementalprocess innovation. Collaboration occurs among theinnovation actors within institutions created by them to harnessinnovation and to allow new product markets to develop. Recognizingthe limits of a single case, the paper suggests that other complexsystems might exhibit similar processes for governing innovationand reducing risk and uncertainty in the absence of conventionalSchumpeterian market mechanisms.     

REMOVAL OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM ATTACHED TO CHICKEN SKIN BY RINSING WITH TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE SOLUTION: SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION

The effect of trisodium phosphate (TSP) on Salmonella typhimurium attached to chicken skin was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chicken drumsticks were inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium (2 × 10⁸ CFU/mL) for 30 min. Both inoculated and non-inoculated drumsticks were rinsed with 10% TSP solution at 10 or 50C for 15 s, and skin pieces were cut and fixed for SEM examination. For inoculated skins, a significant difference was noticed between TSP-rinsed and control skins (water-rinsed) at both temperatures. While control skins were covered with salmonellae (4 × 10⁵∼ 1 × 10⁶ CFU/cm²) and miscellaneous debris, TSP-rinsed skins, either at 10 or 50C, showed clean skin surfaces (<8×10³ CFU/cm²). For non-inoculated skins, it was difficult to see the difference in the number of attached bacteria due to their low numbers, however, water-rinsed skins still showed the debris on the surface. Above observations suggest that one of the major mechanisms of TSP on salmonellae reduction is detachment of contaminants from the skin surface.     

Band-aid or Panacea? The Role of Private Rental Support Programs in Addressing Access Problems in the Australian Housing Market

Australia has a significant private rental market with over a quarter of households renting their home from a private landlord. Many of these households are on low incomes and receive assistance from private rental support programs provided by each Australian state and territory. In spite of these large numbers, little is known about the effectiveness of policy initiatives to assist low-income private renters. Limited knowledge of the private rental support programs stands in stark contrast to the detailed research on programs established to address homelessness and problems within the public housing sector. This paper addresses this lacuna by reporting on the suite of initiatives currently funded by state governments to assist low-income households (for example, bond loans and rental deposits, advice and help with removal expenses). Based on a comprehensive study of Private Rental Support Programs (PRSPs) commissioned by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, it is argued that though policies to assist vulnerable tenants are acknowledged as a success by practitioners and clients, their effectiveness as a policy instrument is undermined by wider structural changes in the housing market. The paper concludes that the stress faced by many vulnerable households is likely to intensify over the coming years thereby compounding the pressure on state Housing Authorities to provide more comprehensive packages of support that extend beyond just a ‘one-off’ form of assistance.     

洛阳唐三彩的热激活特性研究

热激活是前剂量技术的最重要特征,激活灵敏度是衡量某件三彩器物能否测定年代的关键.本文介绍了洛阳唐三彩的热激活特性,揭示了洛阳唐三彩的TAC不同于瓷器,它们的激活温度通常在500-650 ℃范围内,多数在550℃和650℃两个温度点上,明显低于瓷器的激活温度.     

QUALITY AND STABILITY OF BLUEBERRY JUICE BLENDED WITH APPLE,GRAPE AND CRANBERRY JUICE1

Sensory quality and storage stability of blueberry juice blends were investigated with the goal of maintaining dominant blueberry flavor, aroma and color. Apple juice, Concord and Venus grape juices and cranberry juice cocktail were blended at 75, 50 and 25% with blueberry juice. As the percent of blueberry juice decreased, the intensity of blueberry‐related sensory attributes decreased. The 25% Concord and Venus blends were the only blends that resulted in blueberry flavor similar to the reference. Apple and cranberry juice cocktail blended with blueberry juice produced several blends with good flavor and aroma, but they were not readily characterized as blueberry juice. All blends at the 25% level produced blueberry color equal to or greater than the reference. The juice samples were evaluated initially and after three months of storage at 37C. After storage, all blends had decreased red color.