Nitrogen-Nitride Equilibria in Molten Uranium-Thorium-Tin Alloys

Work has been done on the molten ternary system U-Th-Sn to provide a selective nitriding separation scheme. The nitride formation reaction has been studied as a function of temperature (1490° to 1700°C) and weight percent of U/Th in Sn, using a Sievert's-type apparatus. Nitride formation has been demonstrated in a U-Th-Gd system.     

A FUZZY ALGORITHMIC APPROACH TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOSITE INDICES: AN APPLICATION TO A FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION INDEX

This paper presents a fuzzy algorithmic approach to the construction of composite indices. The method uses a fuzzy analytic translation of a linguistic definition of the composite index, where the definition involves more primary concepts for which scales already exist. An application to the construction of a functional limitation index is presented. Comparisons between the fuzzy algorithmic approach and a more standard, tabular approach are also shown. The results suggest that the fuzzy algorithmic approach yields essentially the same index with less effort and some conceptual advantages.     

New management policies to improve the effectiveness of multi-station service organizations

Clark et al ( 1992)reported on the use of a computer simulation model to show that significant reduction in customer ‘ waiting time’ could be achieved by new management policies for multi-station service organizations. They modelled a multi-phase queuing structure and showed reductions in the system variable ‘ time in system’ when servers were pooled at the first reception desk, rather than having single servers at multiple desks to provide service. Their model also demonstrated a greater savings in system transit time when the servers moved with the customers through subsequent tasks (multi-phase systems) This paper uses classical queuing theory to evaluate these results. We conclude that Clark et al' s findings can be supported through use of the classical waiting line formulas.     

Microcomputer-Aided Evaluation of Earthquake-Induced Permanent Slope Displacements

Ageotechnical engineering microcomputer program has been developed for the determination of permanent slope displacements resulting from earthquake shaking. The Newmark procedure, in which accelerations in excess of yield accelerations are double integrated to obtain displacements, has been incorporated into the program DISPLMT. Several user options are available for describing the yield acceleration function, including variation with time and variation with displacement. Screen graphics are available which allow the user to observe the down slope movements of the Newmark sliding block as they increase with time during the simulated earthquake. DISPLMT has been used to calculate the permanent movements of an earth dam using acceleration-time histories and soil shear stresses determined from a separate analysis. Modification to the conventional Newmark procedure, by introduction of a "slip layer," has been made in the analysis of a dam. Permanent slope displacements can be analyzed using the recommended procedure, which involves fairly simple computations that can be performed in a reasonable period of time with the exclusive use of microcomputers.     

Laboratory and Pilot Scale Recovery of Protein from Mechanically Separated Chicken Residue

Bone residue resulting from mechanical deboning of chicken backs and necks was subjected to alkali extraction followed by acid precipstation to recover food grade protein. A laboratory study of effects of varying die size in the grinding of the starting material, of extraction temperature, and of g-force during centrifugation on composition of process fractions was conducted. Grinding increased ash content, higher temperature reduced fat content, and increasing centrifugal force decreased ash content, of the final products. Effects of grinding, extraction temperature, and centrifugal type were also studied on a pilot scale. Final protein product yield was higher at a 22°C than at a 3–7°C extraction temperature, and less fat was incorporated using a basket centrifuge than with a horizontal decanter centrifuge.     

GROWTH OF EUROTIUM CHEVALIERI IN MILK JAM: INFLUENCE OF PH, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND WATER ACTIVITY

Milk jam (dulce de leche) is a typical Argentine sweet spread prepared by milk evaporation to about 70% w/w total solids at atmospheric pressure with added sucrose, glucose and vanillin. Growth of xerophilic molds represents a severe problem in this type of intermediate moisture product. This study evaluated the growth response of Eurotium chevalieri in milk jam with different potassium sorbate (KS) concentrations (0, 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 ppm) at selected water activity (a_w) values (?0.80 and 0.85) and two pH levels (?5.5 and 6.0) stored at room temperature (25C) for 90 days. Growth curves were characterized by the modified Gompertz model, and the effect of the independent variables on the estimated parameters (maximum specific growth rate, v_m, and lag time, λ) was analyzed through polynomial equations. Growth of E. chevalieri was prevented for at least 90 days when the addition of 1,000 ppm KS was combined with a decrease in a_w to 0.80 and ph 5.5. The boundary between growth and nongrowth of E. chevalieri as a function of a_w, pH, KS and storage time was also predicted by means of the probabilistic model using logistic regression, which provided a wide range of formulation possibilities depending on the targeted shelf life.     

Interactions Among Calcium, Zinc and Phytate with Three Protein Sources

Various combinations of calcium (4.94 mmol), zinc (0.0071 mmol) and phytate (0.284 mmol) were added either to soy concentrate, casein or torula yeast to determine effects of their interaction on in vitro solubility of protein, calcium, zinc, and phytate (PA). Two Ca sources, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and calcium-citrate-malate complex (CCM) were used. Two pH levels, 2.0 and 5.5, were used to simulate gastrointestinal pH conditions. An increase in pH significantly reduced (P<0.01) Zn solubility in all treatments with all protein sources. The solubility of Ca and PA were significantly decreased (P< 0.01) when both components were present probably due to formation of insoluble Ca-PA complexes. At pH 5.5, with casein and yeast proteins, Zn was significantly more (P< 0.01) soluble in samples with CCM, in the absence of PA, than in those with CaCO₃.     

The London Conceptualists

This article examines the formation, activities, and significance of a group dubbed the "London Conceptualists" by Peter Cook that were students of Bernard Tschumi at the Architectural Association School of Architecture during the mid-1970s. Through RoseLee Goldberg, director of the Royal College of Art, the students were introduced to theories of performance along with radical experiments in performance art. Goldberg's conception of space as an arena for the realization of theory goaded the London Conceptualists away from writing and drawing toward installations and performance in disused buildings. This article situates their activities in London in the late 1970s and analyzes their relationship to other performance art practices and to conceptual architecture.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSTRUMENTAL AND SENSORY ANALYSIS OF TEXTURE AND COLOR OF POTATO CHIPS

The instrumental and sensory analysis of the texture and color of commercial potato chips were compared. The instrumental measurement was a puncture test with an Intron Universal Testing Machine, and the parameters used were fracture force, deformation and stiffness. The instrumental color quantification was a computerized video image analysis technique, and the color was expressed as L*a*b* values. Sensory evaluation of texture and color was performed by a sensory panel especially trained in evaluating potato chips. The sensory attributes were "hardness", "chewiness", "crunchiness", and "tenderness" for texture analysis, and "yellow color", "burnt aspect", "sugar colored aspect" and "transparency" for color analysis. The factor analysis of the sensory attributes indicated that texture can be divided into two principal components, one represented by "hardness", "crunchiness" and "chewiness", and the other by "tenderness" alone. The factor analysis of the color can be divided into two principal components, one including "yellow color" and "burnt aspect", and the other "sugar colored aspect" and "transparency". Discriminant analysis showed that "tenderness" and "crunchiness" could predict correctly over 90% of the data. Fracture force correlated well with all of the sensory attributes (R² > 0.76), and L* with the sensory color attributes (R² > 0.79). The "Tenderness" was the individual sensory attribute which had the highest correlation (R²= 0.95) with fracture force.