AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR ACADEMIC COUNSELING

In recent years, high enrollment has greatly increased the counseling loads of academic advisors at American colleges and universities. Expert systems can assist academic counselors by solving a relatively easy class of problems which deal with the most encountered cases. In this paper, a prototype expert system, CLASS COUNSELOR, is presented. CLASS COUNSELOR recommends a set of courses after an interactive session with the student. It handles the upper division courses of the undergraduate program in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Florida. The program runs on IBM-AT personal computers and compatibles.     

Physicochemical properties of low‐fat soft cheese Turkish Beyaz made with bacterial cellulose as fat mimetic

The effects of incorporating various concentrations of bacterial cellulose (BC) (1.7 and 3.5% w/v) on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of low‐fat soft cheese Turkish Beyaz were investigated during a 60‐day ripening period. Control cheeses were produced using nonfat, half‐fat (1.7% fat) and full‐fat milk, for comparison. Depending on changing fat percentage, some physicochemical properties of cheeses, such as moisture, pH and salt showed significant differences, but BC had no influence on these properties. Fat content and BC altered the textural and sensory properties. These results indicated that BC improved the quality of reduced‐fat and low‐fat Turkish Beyaz cheeses.     

Reversible papain immobilization onto poly(AAm–MMA)-based cryogels

In the present work, new dye ligand affinity chromatographic support for papain adsorption was synthesized. For this purpose, poly(acrylamide–methyl methacrylate) [poly(AAm–MMA)] cryogels were synthesized by using the free radical cryopolymerization technique. These cryogels were then functionalized with Reactive Green 19 dye and were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, environmental scanning electron microscopy, macroporosity and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer analyses. Incorporation of the dye molecule onto cryogel structure was clearly demonstrated by these characterization techniques and pore diameter of the cryogel was found to be around 30–40μm. Effects of medium pH, initial papain concentration, medium temperature and ionic strength on the papain adsorption onto dye-attached cryogel were also investigated. Maximum papain adsorption was found to be 40.66 mg g^?1 cryogel by using pH 5.5 acetate buffer at 25°C. Reusability profile of the cryogel was also investigated and it was found that the adsorption capacity of the cryogel decreased only about 2.13% at the end of the 10 reuses. Activity studies of papain in desorption medium were carried out and it was found that desorbed papain was active and showed 88.5% of its initial activity.     

基于局部约束邻域嵌入的人脸画像照片合成

针对画像块和照片块在流形上的邻域关系并不能完全反映彼此内在数据结构的问题,提出一种基于局部约束邻域嵌入(LCNE)的画像-照片合成算法。首先,利用基于邻域嵌入(NE)的合成方法得到待合成照片或画像的初始估计;其次,根据待合成的照片块或画像块与训练集中的照片块或画像块的相似性来约束合成权值;然后,通过交替优化方法进行权值的确定和K-近邻的选择,并更新待合成目标块;最后,合并所有估计的照片块或画像块合成目标图像。与基于邻域嵌入的画像照片合成方法相比,所提方法合成图像的结构相似度提高0.0503,脸识别准确率提高14%。实验结果表明,该方法解决了基于NE方法导致的邻域之间兼容性不强的问题,能大大减少合成图像上的噪声及变形。     

COMPLEX METHOD FOR NONLINEAR CONSTRAINED MULTI-CRITERIA (MULTI-OBJECTIVE FUNCTION) OPTIMIZATION of THERMAL PROCESSING

The goal in a multi‐objective function optimization problem is to optimize the several objective functions simultaneously. the complex method is a powerful algorithm to find the optimum of a general nonlinear function within a constrained region. the objective of this study was to apply the complex method to two different shapes (a sphere and a finite cylinder) subjected to the same thermal processing boundary conditions to find a variable process temperature profile (decision variable) to maximize the volume‐average retention of thiamine. A process temperature range of 5 to 150C was used as an explicit constraint. Implicit constraints were center temperature and accumulated center lethality of the sphere and the finite cylinder. the objective functions for both shapes were combined into a single one using a weighting method. Then, the previously developed complex algorithm was applied using Lexicographic Ordering to order the objective functions with respect to their significance. the results were reported as optimum variable process temperature profiles using the given geometries and objective functions. the thiamine retentions were also compared with a constant process temperature process, and 3.0% increase was obtained in the combined objective function. the results showed that the complex method can be successfully used to predict the optimum variable process temperature profiles in multi‐criteria thermal processing problems.     

INTERESTERIFICATION KINETICS OF SOYBEAN OIL

Soybean oil was interesterified at different temperatures, ranging from 10 to 80 C, 600 rpm stirring rate and 0.2–0.5% catalyst (NaOCH₃) concentration. The content of palmitic acid in the 2-position of triacylglycerols was monitored during the reaction by an enzymatic method. The conversion of triacylglycerols to random distribution appeared to be a first order and reaction rate constants (k) were determined between 0.015 and 1.498 min^-1. It was also observed that reaction rate increased about 8 times when catalyst ratio was increased from 0.2 to 0.5% and about 10 times when temperature was raised from 40 to 80C. Activation energy was calculated as 14188 Cal/mole, from plotting of Lnk values against reciprocal of absolute temperature.     

Inactivation of Pectinesterase in Orange Juice by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Single strength orange juice was treated with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the effect of process time, temperature and pressure on pectinesterase (PE) activity was determined. PE could be inactivated with supercritical CO₂ below temperatures necessary for thermal inactivation. Higher pressure, temperature and longer treatment time resulted in more inactivation. Inactivation kinetics showed activation energy was significantly reduced at SC C0₂ treatment at 31 MPa (97.4 KJ/mole), compared to identical treatments at atmospheric pressure (166.6 KJ/mole). D values ranged from 2673 min at atmospheric pressure and 40°C to 10 min at 31 MPa and 60°C. z value at atmospheric pressure was 8.8C°, and at 31 MPa 5.2C°.     

The effect of blast furnace slag on the self-compactability of pumice aggregate lightweight concrete

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the effects of blast furnace slag, different water/(cement + mineral additive) ratios and pumice aggregates on some physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete. In this study, pumice was used as lightweight aggregate. Several properties of self-compacting pumice aggregate lightweight concretes, such as unit weight, flow diameter, T50 time, flow diameter after an hour, V-funnel time, and L-box tests, 7, 28, 90 and 180-day compressive strength, 28-day splitting tensile strength, dry unit weight, water absorption, thermal conductivity and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests, were conducted. For this purpose, 18 series of concrete samples were prepared in two groups. In the first group, pumice aggregate at 100% replacement of natural aggregate was used in the production of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete with constant w/(c + m) ratios as 0.35, 0.40, and 0.45 by weight. Furthermore, as a second group, pumice aggregate was used as a replacement of natural aggregate, at the levels of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% by volume. Flow diameters, T50 times, paste volumes, 28-day compressive strengths, dry unit weights, thermal conductivities and ultrasonic pulse velocity of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete were obtained over the range of 600–770 mm, 3–9 s, 435–540 l/m ³, 10.6–65.0 MPa, 845–2278 kg/m ³, 0.363–1.694 W/mK and 2617–4770 m/s respectively, which satisfies not only the strength requirement of semi-structural lightweight concrete but also the flowing ability requirements and thermal conductivity requirements of self-compacting lightweight aggregate concrete.     

HYDRODYNAMIC STUDIES IN A HALF SLOT-RECTANGULAR SPOUTED BED COLUMN

Experiments were carried out in a half slot-rectangular spouted bed to investigate the effects of slot width and lower section basal angle on column hydrodynamics. Flow regimes, minimum spouting velocity, spouting and maximum pressure drops, and maximum spoutable bed height were determined for 4?mm diameter polyethylene particles. The results are compared with those for conventional cylindrical and rectangular spouted beds. Correlations for each hydrodynamic parameter are developed and compared with equations available in the literature.