Effect of temperature on raw whole milk density and its potential impact on milk payment in the dairy industry

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of temperature on whole milk density measured at four different temperatures: 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C. A total of ninety-three individual milk samples were collected from morning milking of thirty-two Holstein Friesian dairy cows, of national average genetic merit, once every two weeks over a period of 4 weeks and were assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for milk composition analysis. Density of the milk was evaluated using two different analytical methods: a portable density meter DMA35 and a standard desktop model DMA4500M (Anton Paar GmbH, UK). Milk density was analysed with a linear mixed model with the fixed effects of sampling period, temperature and analysis method; triple interaction of sampling period x analysis method x temperature; and the random effect of cow to account for repeated measures. The effect of temperature on milk density (ρ) was also evaluated including temperature (t) as covariate with linear and quadratic effects within each analytic method. The regression equation describing the curvature and density–temperature relationship for the DMA35 instrument was ρ = 1.0338−0.00017T−0.0000122T² (R² = 0.64), while it was ρ = 1.0334 + 0.000057T−0.00001T² (R² = 0.61) for DMA4500 instrument. The mean density determined with DMA4500 at 5 °C was 1.0334 g cm⁻³, with corresponding figures of 1.0330, 1.0320 and 1.0305 g cm⁻³ at 10, 15 and 20 °C, respectively. The milk density values obtained in this study at specific temperatures will help to address any bias in weight–volume calculations and thus may also improve the financial and operational control for the dairy processors in Ireland and internationally.     

The ultrasound appearances of neonatal renal vein thrombosis

Renal vein thrombosis (RVT) is the most frequently occurring vascular condition in the new-born kidney. The predisposing factors include dehydration, sepsis, birth asphyxia, maternal diabetes, polycythaemia and the presence of an indwelling umbilical venous catheter. (RVT) may present clinically with a flank mass, haematuria, hypertension or renal failure. Many imaging modalities have been employed, but ultrasound is the technique most commonly used in the evaluation of neonates with suspected RVT. Thrombosis commences in the small renal veins and subsequently propagates via larger interlobar veins to the main renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC). The ultrasound appearances depend upon the stage at which the examination is performed and extent of the thrombus. Initially, the interlobular and interlobar thrombus appears as highly echogenic streaks. These streaks commence in a peripheral, focal segment of the involved kidney and only persist for a few days. In the first week the affected kidney swells and becomes echogenic with prominent echopoor medullary pyramids. Later, the swelling increases and the kidney becomes heterogenous with loss of corticomedullary differentiation. Grey scale ultrasound readily demonstrates thrombus within the renal vein and IVC. Adrenal haemorrhage is a recognized association and may be identified ultrasonically. Colour Doppler scanning provides additional information. In the early stages of RVT, colour Doppler may demonstrate absent intrarenal and renal venous flow. Ultimately, the kidney may recover, show focal scarring or become atrophic. Thus, ultrasound provides an accessible and reliable tool in the assessment of suspected neonatal RVT.     

Characteristics of Milk Powders Produced by Spray Freeze Drying

Skim and whole milk powders were manufactured at lab scale by spray freeze drying (SFD), using liquid nitrogen as the cryogen. The polydispersity of droplet/particle sizes was limited using an encapsulator nozzle to atomize the feed. Particle morphology was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Samples were compared with equivalent spray-dried powders in tests of wettability and dissolution in water. The spray freeze-dried powders were found to be highly porous, with a uniform structure of pores throughout the entire particles. When tested in water, SFD skim milk powders wetted roughly three times as fast as industrially spray-dried agglomerated skim milk powders and were observed to dissolve rapidly by breaking down into smaller particles.     

Wideband chirp measurement technique for high bit rate sources

A Mach Zehnder (MZ) interferometer has been used as an optical discriminator to measure the time-resolved frequency chirp of an optical source     

Knowledge-based diagnosis of drill conditions

One major bottleneck in the automation of the drilling process by robots in the aerospace industry is drill condition monitoring. This paper describes a system approach to solve this problem through the advancement of new machine design, sensor instrumentation, metal-cutting research, and intelligent software development. All drill failures can be detected and distinguished: chisel edge wear, flank wear, crater wear, margin wear, corner wear, breakage, asymmetry, lip height difference, and chipping at lips. However, in the real manufacturing environment, different workpiece materials, drill size, drill geometry, drill material, cutting speed, feed rate, etc. will change the criteria for judging the drill condition. The knowledge base used for diagnosing the drill failures requires a huge data bank and prior exhaustive testing. A self-learning scheme is therefore introduced to the machine in order to acquire the threshold history needed for automatic diagnosis by using the same new tool under the same drilling conditions.     

Phenomenological aspects of a modified fragmentation test using small quantities of explosive

This paper describes the phenomenological aspects of a modified fragmentation test which utilizes an annulus of high explosive in contact with the inner wall of a cylinder of material under test. The shock interactions within the cylinder wall on detonation of the explosive are modelled using a one-dimensional Lagrangian computer code. Predictions of fragment velocities are made in this work. The velocities are found to be influenced by the spallation of the cylinder and this effect can be accounted for in the model by using the position of the spall surfaces which have been obtained from experimental firings of cylinders.

The fragment velocities are found to be much lower than those predicted for a conventional fragmentation test which utilizes a cylinder completely filled with high explosive and this suggests that the post-fragmentation damage of the fragments on recovery from the modified fragmentation test will be small. Experimental evidence from the steel cylinders tested in this work shows that the fragmentation mechanisms operating at the initiation of the test are similar to those reported for a conventional fragmentation test.     

Phase diagram modeling for titanium alloys with light element impurities

It is well known that low levels of light element impurities, such as oxygen and nitrogen, can significantly modify phase equilibria in conventional titanium alloys. However, although the role of nitrogen and oxygen as alpha stabilizers is well established, little quantitative work exists in ternary and higher order systems. Moreover the effect of such elements on equilibria with phases other than cx-and P-Ti is often unknown. The problems in measuring light elements at the microscopic level adds to the difficulty of establishing partitioning, and old axioms are often transferred to new alloys with little evidence that they are applicable. As part of a current program on titanium alloys, phase diagram modeling has been performed for a variety of titanium alloys with additions of oxygen and nitrogen. This paper presents results for the system Ti-Al-V-O-(N,C) with particular reference to the O additions to the commercially important alloy Ti-6A1-4V. This paper was presented at the International Phase Diagram Prediction Symposium sponsored by the ASM/MSD Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria Committee at Materials Week, October 21–23,1991, in Cincinnati, OH. The symposium was organized by John Morral, University of Connecticut, and Philip Nash, Illinois Institute of Technology.