Comprehensive performance analyses and optimization of the irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines (TCE) under maximum power (MP) and maximum power density (MPD) conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonca, Guven; Sahin, Bahri; Ust, Yasin; Parlak, Adnan

2015-01-01

This paper presents comprehensive performance analyses and comparisons for air-standard irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines (TCE) based on the power output, power density, thermal efficiency, maximum dimensionless power output (MP), maximum dimensionless power density (MPD) and maximum thermal efficiency (MEF) criteria. Internal irreversibility of the cycles occurred during the irreversible-adiabatic processes is considered by using isentropic efficiencies of compression and expansion processes. The performances of the cycles are obtained by using engine design parameters such as isentropic temperature ratio of the compression process, pressure ratio, stroke ratio, cut-off ratio, Miller cycle ratio, exhaust temperature ratio, cycle temperature ratio and cycle pressure ratio. The effects of engine design parameters on the maximum and optimal performances are investigated. - Highlights: • Performance analyses are conducted for irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines. • Comprehensive computations are performed. • Maximum and optimum performances of the engines are shown. • The effects of design parameters on performance and power density are examined. • The results obtained may be guidelines to the engine designers

Dopant density from maximum-minimum capacitance ratio of implanted MOS structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brews, J.R.

1982-01-01

For uniformly doped structures, the ratio of the maximum to the minimum high frequency capacitance determines the dopant ion density per unit volume. Here it is shown that for implanted structures this 'max-min' dopant density estimate depends upon the dose and depth of the implant through the first moment of the depleted portion of the implant. A a result, the 'max-min' estimate of dopant ion density reflects neither the surface dopant density nor the average of the dopant density over the depletion layer. In particular, it is not clear how this dopant ion density estimate is related to the flatband capacitance. (author)

Heat Convection at the Density Maximum Point of Water

Science.gov (United States)

Balta, Nuri; Korganci, Nuri

2018-01-01

Water exhibits a maximum in density at normal pressure at around 4° degree temperature. This paper demonstrates that during cooling, at around 4 °C, the temperature remains constant for a while because of heat exchange associated with convective currents inside the water. Superficial approach implies it as a new anomaly of water, but actually it…

Effect of ethanol, dry extract and reducing sugars on density and viscosity of Brazilian red wines.

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, Flávia S P P; de Castilhos, Maurício B M; Telis, Vânia R N; Telis-Romero, Javier

2015-05-01

Density and viscosity are properties that exert great influence on the body of wines. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of the alcoholic content, dry extract, and reducing sugar content on density and viscosity of commercial dry red wines at different temperatures. The rheological assays were carried out on a controlled stress rheometer, using concentric cylinder geometry at seven temperatures (2, 8, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 26 °C). Wine viscosity decreased with increasing temperature and density was directly related to the wine alcohol content, whereas viscosity was closely linked to the dry extract. Reducing sugars did not influence viscosity or density. Wines produced from Italian grapes were presented as full-bodied with higher values for density and viscosity, which was linked to the higher alcohol content and dry extract, respectively. The results highlighted the major effects of certain physicochemical properties on the physical properties of wines, which in turn is important for guiding sensory assessments. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Precise charge density studies by maximum entropy method

CERN Document Server

Takata, M

2003-01-01

For the production research and development of nanomaterials, their structural information is indispensable. Recently, a sophisticated analytical method, which is based on information theory, the Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) using synchrotron radiation powder data, has been successfully applied to determine precise charge densities of metallofullerenes and nanochannel microporous compounds. The results revealed various endohedral natures of metallofullerenes and one-dimensional array formation of adsorbed gas molecules in nanochannel microporous compounds. The concept of MEM analysis was also described briefly. (author)

Maximum entropy reconstruction of spin densities involving non uniform prior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweizer, J.; Ressouche, E.; Papoular, R.J.; Zheludev, A.I.

1997-01-01

Diffraction experiments give microscopic information on structures in crystals. A method which uses the concept of maximum of entropy (MaxEnt), appears to be a formidable improvement in the treatment of diffraction data. This method is based on a bayesian approach: among all the maps compatible with the experimental data, it selects that one which has the highest prior (intrinsic) probability. Considering that all the points of the map are equally probable, this probability (flat prior) is expressed via the Boltzman entropy of the distribution. This method has been used for the reconstruction of charge densities from X-ray data, for maps of nuclear densities from unpolarized neutron data as well as for distributions of spin density. The density maps obtained by this method, as compared to those resulting from the usual inverse Fourier transformation, are tremendously improved. In particular, any substantial deviation from the background is really contained in the data, as it costs entropy compared to a map that would ignore such features. However, in most of the cases, before the measurements are performed, some knowledge exists about the distribution which is investigated. It can range from the simple information of the type of scattering electrons to an elaborate theoretical model. In these cases, the uniform prior which considers all the different pixels as equally likely, is too weak a requirement and has to be replaced. In a rigorous bayesian analysis, Skilling has shown that prior knowledge can be encoded into the Maximum Entropy formalism through a model m(rvec r), via a new definition for the entropy given in this paper. In the absence of any data, the maximum of the entropy functional is reached for ρ(rvec r) = m(rvec r). Any substantial departure from the model, observed in the final map, is really contained in the data as, with the new definition, it costs entropy. This paper presents illustrations of model testing

Constructing valid density matrices on an NMR quantum information processor via maximum likelihood estimation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Harpreet; Arvind; Dorai, Kavita, E-mail: kavita@iisermohali.ac.in

2016-09-07

Estimation of quantum states is an important step in any quantum information processing experiment. A naive reconstruction of the density matrix from experimental measurements can often give density matrices which are not positive, and hence not physically acceptable. How do we ensure that at all stages of reconstruction, we keep the density matrix positive? Recently a method has been suggested based on maximum likelihood estimation, wherein the density matrix is guaranteed to be positive definite. We experimentally implement this protocol on an NMR quantum information processor. We discuss several examples and compare with the standard method of state estimation. - Highlights: • State estimation using maximum likelihood method was performed on an NMR quantum information processor. • Physically valid density matrices were obtained every time in contrast to standard quantum state tomography. • Density matrices of several different entangled and separable states were reconstructed for two and three qubits.

Achieving maximum baryon densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyulassy, M.

1984-01-01

In continuing work on nuclear stopping power in the energy range E/sub lab/ approx. 10 GeV/nucleon, calculations were made of the energy and baryon densities that could be achieved in uranium-uranium collisions. Results are shown. The energy density reached could exceed 2 GeV/fm 3 and baryon densities could reach as high as ten times normal nuclear densities

Effect of glycine, DL-alanine and DL-2-aminobutyric acid on the temperature of maximum density of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, Carmen M.; Torres, Andres Felipe

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Effect of α-amino acids on the temperature of maximum density of water is presented. • The addition of α-amino acids decreases the temperature of maximum density of water. • Despretz constants suggest that the amino acids behave as water structure breakers. • Despretz constants decrease as the number of CH 2 groups of the amino acid increase. • Solute disrupting effect becomes smaller as its hydrophobic character increases. - Abstract: The effect of glycine, DL-alanine and DL-2-aminobutyric acid on the temperature of maximum density of water was determined from density measurements using a magnetic float densimeter. Densities of aqueous solutions were measured within the temperature range from T = (275.65 to 278.65) K at intervals of T = 0.50 K over the concentration range between (0.0300 and 0.1000) mol · kg −1 . A linear relationship between density and concentration was obtained for all the systems in the temperature range considered. The temperature of maximum density was determined from the experimental results. The effect of the three amino acids is to decrease the temperature of maximum density of water and the decrease is proportional to molality according to Despretz equation. The effect of the amino acids on the temperature of maximum density decreases as the number of methylene groups of the alkyl chain becomes larger. The results are discussed in terms of (solute + water) interactions and the effect of amino acids on water structure

Optimization of Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul Juice Spray Drying Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Chávez-Rodríguez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, the response surface methodology was employed to optimize the microencapsulation of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul juice with whey protein isolated using a spray drying technique. A Box-Behnken design was used to establish optimum spray drying conditions for Agave tequilana juice. The process was optimized to obtain maximum powder yield with the best solubility time, hygroscopicity, bulk density, water activity, and reducing sugars. The independent parameters for the spray drying process were outlet temperature of 70–80°C, atomizer speed of 20000–30000 rpm, and airflow of 0.20–0.23 m3 s−1. The best spray drying condition was at outlet temperature of 80°C, atomizer speed of 20000 rpm, and air flow rate of 0.23 m3 s−1 to obtain maximum powder yield (14.65%bm, minimum solubility time (352.8 s, maximum bulk density (560 kg m−3, minimum hygroscopicity (1.9×10-7 kgwater s−1, and minimum aw (0.39. The Agave tequilana powder may be considered as an interesting source of dietary fiber used as food additive in food and nutraceutical industries.

Unification of field theory and maximum entropy methods for learning probability densities

OpenAIRE

Kinney, Justin B.

2014-01-01

The need to estimate smooth probability distributions (a.k.a. probability densities) from finite sampled data is ubiquitous in science. Many approaches to this problem have been described, but none is yet regarded as providing a definitive solution. Maximum entropy estimation and Bayesian field theory are two such approaches. Both have origins in statistical physics, but the relationship between them has remained unclear. Here I unify these two methods by showing that every maximum entropy de...

Measurement of the temperature of density maximum of water solutions using a convective flow technique

OpenAIRE

Cawley, M.F.; McGlynn, D.; Mooney, P.A.

2006-01-01

A technique is described which yields an accurate measurement of the temperature of density maximum of fluids which exhibit such anomalous behaviour. The method relies on the detection of changes in convective flow in a rectangular cavity containing the test fluid.The normal single-cell convection which occurs in the presence of a horizontal temperature gradient changes to a double cell configuration in the vicinity of the density maximum, and this transition manifests itself in changes in th...

Density and dry weight of pigweed by various weed control methods ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study evaluates effects of various weeds control methods and nitrogen fertilizer resources on density and dry weight of pigweed and the performance of corn forage as factorial in full random block design with 3 repetitions in research farm of Ferdowsi Mashhad University in 2014. The test treatments include weed ...

3D Global Coronal Density Structure and Associated Magnetic Field near Solar Maximum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kramar, Maxim [Physics Department, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC (United States); Airapetian, Vladimir [Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA (United States); NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 671, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Lin, Haosheng, E-mail: vladimir.airapetian@nasa.gov [College of Natural Sciences, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Pukalani, HI (United States)

2016-08-09

Measurement of the coronal magnetic field is a crucial ingredient in understanding the nature of solar coronal dynamic phenomena at all scales. We employ STEREO/COR1 data obtained near maximum of solar activity in December 2012 (Carrington rotation, CR 2131) to retrieve and analyze the three-dimensional (3D) coronal electron density in the range of heights from 1.5 to 4 R{sub ⊙} using a tomography method and qualitatively deduce structures of the coronal magnetic field. The 3D electron density analysis is complemented by the 3D STEREO/EUVI emissivity in 195 Å band obtained by tomography for the same CR period. We find that the magnetic field configuration during CR 2131 has a tendency to become radially open at heliocentric distances below ~2.5 R{sub ⊙}. We compared the reconstructed 3D coronal structures over the CR near the solar maximum to the one at deep solar minimum. Results of our 3D density reconstruction will help to constrain solar coronal field models and test the accuracy of the magnetic field approximations for coronal modeling.

3D Global Coronal Density Structure and Associated Magnetic Field near Solar Maximum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxim Kramar

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Measurement of the coronal magnetic field is a crucial ingredient in understanding the nature of solar coronal dynamic phenomena at all scales. We employ STEREO/COR1 data obtained near maximum of solar activity in December 2012 (Carrington rotation, CR 2131 to retrieve and analyze the three-dimensional (3D coronal electron density in the range of heights from $1.5$ to $4 R_odot$ using a tomography method and qualitatively deduce structures of the coronal magnetic field. The 3D electron density analysis is complemented by the 3D STEREO/EUVI emissivity in 195 AA band obtained by tomography for the same CR period. We find that the magnetic field configuration during CR 2131 has a tendency to become radially open at heliocentric distances below $sim 2.5 R_odot$. We compared the reconstructed 3D coronal structures over the CR near the solar maximum to the one at deep solar minimum. Results of our 3D density reconstruction will help to constrain solar coronal field models and test the accuracy of the magnetic field approximations for coronal modeling.

The maximum allowable temperature of zircaloy-2 fuel cladding under dry storage conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayuzumi, M.; Yoshiki, S.; Yasuda, T.; Nakatsuka, M.

1990-09-01

Japan plans to reprocess and reutilise the spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power generation. However, the temporary storage of spent fuel is assuming increasing importance as a means of ensuring flexibility in the nuclear fuel cycle. Our investigations of various methods of storage have shown that casks are the most suitable means of storing small quantities of spent fuel of around 500 t, and research and development are in progress to establish dry storage technology for such casks. The soundness of fuel cladding is being investigated. The most important factor in evaluating soundness in storage under inert gas as currently envisaged is creep deformation and rupture, and a number of investigations have been made of the creep behaviour of cladding. The present study was conducted on the basis of existing in-house results in collaboration with Nippon Kakunenryo Kaihatsu KK (Nippon Nuclear Fuel Department Co.), which has hot lab facilities. Tests were run on the creep deformation behaviour of irradiated cladding, and the maximum allowable temperature during dry storage was investigated. (author)

Influence of effective stress and dry density on the permeability of municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhenying; Wang, Yingfeng; Xu, Hui; Fang, Yuehua; Wu, Dazhi

2018-05-01

A landfill is one of the main sites for disposal of municipal solid waste and the current landfill disposal system faces several problems. For instance, excessive leachate water is an important factor leading to landfill instability. Understanding the permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste is a relevant topic in the field of environmental geotechnical engineering. In this paper, the current research progress on permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste is discussed. A review of recent studies indicates that the research in this field is divided into two categories based on the experimental method employed: field tests and laboratory tests. This paper summarizes test methods, landfill locations, waste ages, dry densities and permeability coefficients across different studies that focus on permeability characteristics. Additionally, an experimental study on compressibility and permeability characteristics of fresh municipal solid waste under different effective stresses and compression times was carried out. Moreover, the relationships between the permeability coefficient and effective stress as well as dry density were obtained and a permeability prediction model was established. Finally, the experimental results from the existing literature and this paper were compared and the effects of effective stress and dry density on the permeability characteristics of municipal solid waste were summarized. This study provides the basis for analysis of leachate production in a landfill.

Maximum size-density relationships for mixed-hardwood forest stands in New England

Science.gov (United States)

Dale S. Solomon; Lianjun Zhang

2000-01-01

Maximum size-density relationships were investigated for two mixed-hardwood ecological types (sugar maple-ash and beech-red maple) in New England. Plots meeting type criteria and undergoing self-thinning were selected for each habitat. Using reduced major axis regression, no differences were found between the two ecological types. Pure species plots (the species basal...

Impact of animal density on cattle nutrition in dry Mediterranean rangelands: a faecal near-IR spectroscopy-aided study.

Science.gov (United States)

Landau, S Y; Dvash, L; Yehuda, Y; Muklada, H; Peleg, G; Henkin, Z; Voet, H; Ungar, E D

2018-02-01

In the context of determining the sustainable carrying capacity of dry-Mediterranean herbaceous rangelands, we examined the effect of animal density on cattle nutrition, which is fundamental to animal performance and welfare. The effects on dietary components of low (0.56 cows/ha; L) and high (1.11 cows/ha; H) animal densities were monitored for three consecutive years in grazing beef cows. In the dry season (summer and early autumn), cows had free access to N-rich poultry litter (PL) given as a dietary supplement. In each season, near-IR spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to predict the chemical composition of herbage samples (ash, NDF, CP, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) content from IVDMD). Near-IR spectroscopy was applied also to faecal samples to determine the chemical composition of the diet selected by the animal, as well as the contents of ash, NDF and CP in the faeces themselves. A faecal-NIRS equation was applied to estimate the dietary proportion of PL. Seasonal categories were green, dry without PL supplementation and dry with it. We found no effects of animal density on nutrition during the green season but effects were apparent when cows consumed dry pasture. Ash content predicted by faecal NIRS was higher in the diet than in plant samples clipped from pasture, which infers that cows ingested soil. Dietary and faecal ash contents were higher (Panimals. During the dry period, dietary contents of ME were higher in L than in H (Panimal health, the above results cast doubts on the long-term sustainability of the higher of the animal densities tested. Although it may be sustainable vis-à-vis the vegetation, treatment H may have exceeded the boundaries of what is acceptable for cow health. Chemical information revealed with NIRS can be used to evaluate whether animal densities are compatible with animal health and welfare standards and can play a role in determining the carrying capacity of Mediterranean rangelands.

GaN MOSFET with Boron Trichloride-Based Dry Recess Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Y; Wang, Q P; Tamai, K; Ao, J P; Ohno, Y; Miyashita, T; Motoyama, S; Wang, D J

2013-01-01

The dry recessed-gate GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure using boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) as etching gas were fabricated and characterized. Etching with different etching power was conducted. Devices with silicon tetrachloride (SiCl 4 ) etching gas were also prepared for comparison. Field-effect mobility and interface state density were extracted from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. GaN MOSFETs on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure with BCl 3 based dry recess achieved a high maximum electron mobility of 141.5 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and a low interface state density.

Calibration, field-testing, and error analysis of a gamma-ray probe for in situ measurement of dry bulk density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertuzzi, P.; Bruckler, L.; Gabilly, Y.; Gaudu, J.C.

1987-01-01

This paper describes a new gamma-ray probe for measuring dry bulk density in the field. This equipment can be used with three different tube spacings (15, 20 and 30 cm). Calibration procedures and local error analyses are proposed for two cases: (1) for the case where the access tubes are parallel, calibration equations are given for three tube spacings. The linear correlation coefficient obtained in the laboratory is satisfactory (0.999), and a local error analysis shows that the standard deviation in the measured dry bulk density is small (+/- 0.02 g/cm 3 ); (2) when the access tubes are not parallel, a new calibration procedure is presented that accounts for and corrects measurement bias due to the deviating probe spacing. The standard deviation associated with the measured dry bulk density is greater (+/- 0.05 g/cm 3 ), but the measurements themselves are regarded as unbiased. After comparisons of core samplings and gamma-ray probe measurements, a field validation of the gamma-ray measurements is presented. Field validation was carried out on a variety of soils (clay, clay loam, loam, and silty clay loam), using gravimetric water contents that varied from 0.11 0.27 and dry bulk densities ranging from 1.30-1.80 g°cm -3 . Finally, an example of dry bulk density field variability is shown, and the spatial variability is analyzed in regard to the measurement errors

Effect of Varieties and Plant Population Densities on Dry Matter Production, Radiation Interception and Radiation Energy Conversion in Peanut

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

agus suprapto

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The solar radiation is one of the major criteria to obtaining advantages on peanuts (Arachishypogaea L.. Although various combinations of crops have been reported, but variety association and plant population densities (PPD during the periodically stage of growth on peanuts have yet to be analyzed. Dry matter production (DM, radiation energy interception, and radiation energy conversions were monitored over the growth period of two varieties of peanut. An experiment was conducted in Jambegede Research Farm, Indonesian Legume and Tuber Crops Research Institute, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, from July until October 2011. The experiment was arranged in a Split Plot Design with three replications. Peanut varieties, as the main plot consisted of two treatments: Kelinci andKancil variety. In addition, five PPD variations as sub plot consisted of 8.1, 11.1, 16.0, 25.0 and 44.4 plant m-2 were arranged in a square spacing. The results showed that DM production from high PPD increased gradually to lower PPD in all varieties. Interception efficiency (IE increased in all varieties from early sowing. A plant population density of 25.0 m-2 and 44.4 plants m-2 intercepted more radiation over 11.1 or 16.0 plants m-2. Conversion efficiency of radiation energy (CE to total dry matter production on Kelinci variety (1.52% indicated a slight higher percentage than on Kancil variety (1.41%. Moreover, the CE and IE values indicated a decrease as the PPD increased on maximum DM.

Fabrication of ultrahigh density metal-cell-metal crossbar memory devices with only two cycles of lithography and dry-etch procedures

KAUST Repository

Zong, Baoyu

2013-05-20

A novel approach to the fabrication of metal-cell-metal trilayer memory devices was demonstrated by using only two cycles of lithography and dry-etch procedures. The fabricated ultrahigh density crossbar devices can be scaled down to ≤70 nm in half-pitch without alignment issues. Depending on the different dry-etch mechanisms in transferring high and low density nanopatterns, suitable dry-etch angles and methods are studied for the transfer of high density nanopatterns. Some novel process methods have also been developed to eliminate the sidewall and other conversion obstacles for obtaining high density of uniform metallic nanopatterns. With these methods, ultrahigh density trilayer crossbar devices (∼2 × 1010 bit cm-2-kilobit electronic memory), which are composed of built-in practical magnetoresistive nanocells, have been achieved. This scalable process that we have developed provides the relevant industries with a cheap means to commercially fabricate three-dimensional high density metal-cell-metal nanodevices. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

[Effects of different colored plastic film mulching and planting density on dry matter accumulation and yield of spring maize.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lin Lin; Sun, Shi Jun; Chen, Zhi Jun; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Xu Dong; Chi, Dao Cai

2018-01-01

In order to investigate the effect of different colored plastic film mulching and planting density on spring maize dry matter accumulation and yield in the rain-fed area of the Northeast China, a complete combination field experiment which was comprised by three types of mulching (non-mulching, transparent plastic film mulching and black plastic film mulching) and five densities (60000, 67500, 75000, 82500 and 90000 plants·hm -2 ), was conducted to analyze the water and heat effect, dry matter accumulation and yield of spring maize (Liangyu 99). The results showed that, compared with the other mulching treatments, the black plastic film mulching treatment significantly increased the maize dry matter accumulation and maize biomass by 3.2%-8.2%. In mature stage, the biomass increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing plant density. When planting density was 82500 plants·hm -2 , the biomass was the highest, which was 5.2%-28.3% higher than that of other plant density treatments. The mean soil temperature in prophase of transparent plastic film mulching treatment was 0.4-2.7 ℃ higher than that of other treatments, which accelerated the maize growth process and augmented the dry matter transportation amount (T), dry matter transportation efficiency (TE) and contribution rate of dry matter transportation to the grain yield (TC) of maize stalk and leaf. The T, TE, TC of leaf and leaf-stalk under 60000 plants·hm -2 treatment were the highest. The highest T, TE, TC of stalk were observed under 75000 plants·hm -2 treatment. In heading period, the water consumption and daily water consumption intensity of maize under the treatment of black film mulching were the largest, which were 9.4%-10.6% and 10.6%-24.5% higher than that of other mulching treatments, respectively. The highest water consumption and daily water consumption intensity were both obtained under 90000 plants·hm -2 treatment, which increased by 6.8%-15.7% and 7.0%-20.0% compared with other

Temperature of maximum density and excess thermodynamics of aqueous mixtures of methanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

González-Salgado, D.; Zemánková, K. [Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Vigo, Campus del Agua, Edificio Manuel Martínez-Risco, E-32004 Ourense (Spain); Noya, E. G.; Lomba, E. [Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano, CSIC, Calle Serrano 119, E-28006 Madrid (Spain)

2016-05-14

In this work, we present a study of representative excess thermodynamic properties of aqueous mixtures of methanol over the complete concentration range, based on extensive computer simulation calculations. In addition to test various existing united atom model potentials, we have developed a new force-field which accurately reproduces the excess thermodynamics of this system. Moreover, we have paid particular attention to the behavior of the temperature of maximum density (TMD) in dilute methanol mixtures. The presence of a temperature of maximum density is one of the essential anomalies exhibited by water. This anomalous behavior is modified in a non-monotonous fashion by the presence of fully miscible solutes that partly disrupt the hydrogen bond network of water, such as methanol (and other short chain alcohols). In order to obtain a better insight into the phenomenology of the changes in the TMD of water induced by small amounts of methanol, we have performed a new series of experimental measurements and computer simulations using various force fields. We observe that none of the force-fields tested capture the non-monotonous concentration dependence of the TMD for highly diluted methanol solutions.

Critical Analysis of Non-Nuclear Electron-Density Maxima and the Maximum Entropy Method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, R.Y.; Briels, Willem J.; Feil, D.; Feil, D.

1996-01-01

Experimental evidence for the existence of non-nuclear maxima in charge densities is questioned. It is shown that the non-nuclear maxima reported for silicon are artifacts of the maximum entropy method that was used to analyze the x-ray diffraction data. This method can be improved by the use of

THE SPACE DENSITY EVOLUTION OF WET AND DRY MERGERS IN THE CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE LEGACY SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Richard C. Y.; Abraham, Roberto G.; Bridge, Carrie R.

2011-01-01

We analyze 1298 merging galaxies with redshifts up to z = 0.7 from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, taken from the catalog presented in the work of Bridge et al. By analyzing the internal colors of these systems, we show that the so-called wet and dry mergers evolve in different senses, and quantify the space densities of these systems. The local space density of wet mergers is essentially identical to the local space density of dry mergers. The evolution in the total merger rate is modest out to z ∼ 0.7, although the wet and dry populations have different evolutionary trends. At higher redshifts, dry mergers make a smaller contribution to the total merging galaxy population, but this is offset by a roughly equivalent increase in the contribution from wet mergers. By comparing the mass density function of early-type galaxies to the corresponding mass density function for merging systems, we show that not all the major mergers with the highest masses (M stellar >10 11 M sun ) will end up with the most massive early-type galaxies, unless the merging timescale is dramatically longer than that usually assumed. On the other hand, the usually assumed merging timescale of ∼0.5-1 Gyr is quite consistent with the data if we suppose that only less massive early-type galaxies form via mergers. Since low-intermediate-mass ellipticals are 10-100 times more common than their most massive counterparts, the hierarchical explanation for the origin of early-type galaxies may be correct for the vast majority of early types, even if incorrect for the most massive ones.

PREDICTION OF MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY OF LOCAL GRANULAR ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Proctor test, solid unit weight, optimum moisture content .... that' the average value of deviation between the computed and the measured .... difference between the estimate made from the sample and the .... the total population is broken into a number of strata or ... classified under one of the three stratified groups that are ...

Effect of Drought Stress on Growth and Morphological Characteristics of Two Garlic (Allium sativum L. Ecotypes in Different Planting Densities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

shiva akbari

2017-10-01

underground organs and leaf area from measured samples of treatments were used. Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest value of maximum leaf area index (LAI, maximum total dry matter accumulation (TDM, maximum crop growth rate (CGR and maximum of net assimilation rate (NAR were observed at 100% ETc with the value of 5.537, 387.53 gr.m-2, 10.47 gr m-2day-1 and 4.92 gr.m-2leaf.day-1 respectively; and by applying the irrigation treatment of 80% ETc these values decreased to 3.745, 262.60 gr.m-2, 6.31 gr.m-2day-1 and 3.71 gr.m-2leaf.day-1 respectively. Drought stress can decrease cell development and division and plant photosynthesis, and thus, it can decrease leaf area index and consequently decrease light absorption, photosynthetic area, dry matter and crop growth rate. Difference between ecotypes in terms of number of leaves, maximum total dry matter accumulation and maximum crop growth rate was significant. Maximum crop growth rate (CGR in Toroud ecotype was higher than Tabas ecotype but number of leaves and maximum concentration of total dry matter (TDM in Tabas ecotype were higher than corresponding values in Toruod ecotype. The effect of planting density on maximum leaf area index (LAI, maximum total dry matter (TDM and maximum net assimilation rate (NAR was significant. The highest value of maximum leaf area index (5.017 and maximum total dry matter (358.57 g.m-2 concentration were obtained from 50 plant.m-2 density. The highest value of maximum net assimilation rate (4.61 was obtained from 30 plant.m-2 density. It could be because of having leaves exposed to more light and less shading. Conclusion Applying drought stress at the irrigation treatment of 80% ETc decreased studied growth characteristics of garlic. Therefore, it is recommended that garlic should be avoided from facing drought stress and its water requirement must be met as much as possible. In general, under drought stress, two studied ecotypes did not have any preference related to the

Effects of bentonite kinds and dry density on the amount of settlement of overpack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Kunihiko; Tanaka, Yukihisa

2009-01-01

The effects of bentonite kinds and dry density on the settlement behavior of overpack for high level radioactive waste disposal were investigated using both experimental (i.e. centrifuge) and analytical approaches. The nonlinear elastic analysis using a tangent modulus of elasticity obtained from the diffuse double layer theory was carried out to explain the settlement behavior from centrifuge experiments. The difference of properties between bentonites can be considered by this analysis. The results of nonlinear elastic analysis agreed with experimental results. The amount of settlement was decreased with an increase in the dry density and was exponentially decreased with an increase in the swelling pressure. Furthermore, no difference of the amount of settlement was observed if swelling pressure of each bentonite is same. When swelling pressure is more than 1 MPa, the amount of settlement of model overpack into bentonite with 400 mm thickness was less than 10 mm. (author)

Maximum entropy reconstruction of the configurational density of states from microcanonical simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, Sergio

2013-01-01

In this work we develop a method for inferring the underlying configurational density of states of a molecular system by combining information from several microcanonical molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations at different energies. This method is based on Jaynes' Maximum Entropy formalism (MaxEnt) for Bayesian statistical inference under known expectation values. We present results of its application to measure thermodynamic entropy and free energy differences in embedded-atom models of metals.

Reconstruction of the electron momentum density distribution by the maximum entropy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobrzynski, L.

1996-01-01

The application of the Maximum Entropy Algorithm to the analysis of the Compton profiles is discussed. It is shown that the reconstruction of electron momentum density may be reliably carried out. However, there are a number of technical problems which have to be overcome in order to produce trustworthy results. In particular one needs the experimental Compton profiles measured for many directions, and to have efficient computational resources. The use of various cross-checks is recommended. (orig.)

Porosity, Bulk Density, and Volume Reduction During Drying: Review of Measurement Methods and Coefficient Determinations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Qiu, J.; Khalloufi, S.; Martynenko, A.; Dalen, van G.; Schutyser, M.A.I.; Almeida-Rivera, C.

2015-01-01

Several experimental methods for measuring porosity, bulk density and volume reduction during drying of foodstuff are available. These methods include among others geometric dimension, volume displacement, mercury porosimeter, micro-CT, and NMR. However, data on their accuracy, sensitivity, and

Electron density profile reconstruction by maximum entropy method with multichannel HCN laser interferometer system on SPAC VII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, S.; Narihara, K.; Tomita, Y.; Hasegawa, M.; Tsuzuki, T.; Mohri, A.

1988-01-01

A multichannel HCN laser interferometer system has been developed to investigate the plasma electron confinement properties in SPAC VII device. Maximum entropy method is applied to reconstruct the electron density profile from measured line integrated data. Particle diffusion coefficient in the peripheral region of the REB ring core spherator was obtained from the evolution of the density profile. (author)

Hydrophobic and low density silica aerogels dried at ambient pressure using TEOS precursor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurav, Jyoti L.; Rao, A. Venkateswara; Bangi, Uzma K.H.

2009-01-01

In the conventional ambient pressure drying of silica aerogels, tedious repetitive gel washing and solvent exchange steps (∼6 days) are involved. Therefore, in the present studies, we intended to reduce the processing time of TEOS based ambient pressure dried silica aerogels. Solvents such as methanol, hexane and Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDZ) as surface chemical modification agents have been used. To get good quality aerogels in terms of low density, high porosity, high contact angle and low volume shrinkage in less processing time, we varied MeOH/TEOS, HMDZ/TEOS molar ratios, oxalic acid (A) and NH 4 OH (B) concentrations and stirring time from 1 to 27.7, 0.34 to 2.1, 0 to 0.1 M, 0 to 2 M and 15 to 90 min respectively. The transparent and low-density aerogels were obtained for TEOS:MeOH:acidic H 2 O:basic H 2 O:HMDZ molar ratio of 1:16.5:0.81:0.50:0.681 respectively. The thermal stability and hydrophobicity have been confirmed with Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal (TG-DT) analyses and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Microstructural study was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Chronic migraine is associated with reduced corneal nerve fiber density and symptoms of dry eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinard, Krista I; Smith, A Gordon; Singleton, J Robinson; Lessard, Margaret K; Katz, Bradley J; Warner, Judith E A; Crum, Alison V; Mifflin, Mark D; Brennan, Kevin C; Digre, Kathleen B

2015-04-01

We used in vivo corneal confocal microscopy to investigate structural differences in the sub-basal corneal nerve plexus in chronic migraine patients and a normal population. We used a validated questionnaire and tests of lacrimal function to determine the prevalence of dry eye in the same group of chronic migraine patients. Activation of the trigeminal system is involved in migraine. Corneal nociceptive sensation is mediated by trigeminal axons that synapse in the gasserian ganglion and the brainstem, and serve nociceptive, protective, and trophic functions. Noninvasive imaging of the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus is possible with in vivo corneal confocal microscopy. For this case-control study, we recruited chronic migraine patients and compared them with a sex- and age-similar group of control subjects. Patients with peripheral neuropathy, a disease known to be associated with a peripheral neuropathy, or prior corneal or intraocular surgery were excluded. Participants underwent in vivo corneal confocal microscopy using a Heidelberg Retinal Tomography III confocal microscope with a Rostock Cornea Module. Nerve fiber length, nerve branch density, nerve fiber density, and tortuosity coefficient were measured using established methodologies. Migraine participants underwent testing of basal tear production with proparacaine, corneal sensitivity assessment with a cotton-tip applicator, measurement of tear break-up time, and completion of a validated dry eye questionnaire. A total of 19 chronic migraine patients and 30 control participants completed the study. There were no significant differences in age or sex. Nerve fiber density was significantly lower in migraine patients compared with controls (48.4 ± 23.5 vs. 71.0 ± 15.0 fibers/mm2 , P dry eye syndrome. We found that in the sample used in this study, the presence of structural changes in nociceptive corneal axons lends further support to the hypothesis that the trigeminal system plays a critical role

Probing Ionic Liquid Aqueous Solutions Using Temperature of Maximum Density Isotope Effects

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Mohammad Tariq

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This work is a new development of an extensive research program that is investigating for the first time shifts in the temperature of maximum density (TMD of aqueous solutions caused by ionic liquid solutes. In the present case we have compared the shifts caused by three ionic liquid solutes with a common cation—1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium coupled with acetate, ethylsulfate and tetracyanoborate anions—in normal and deuterated water solutions. The observed differences are discussed in terms of the nature of the corresponding anion-water interactions.

Performance of a Big Scale Green House Type Dryer for Coffee Drying Process

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Sukrisno Widyotomo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Dying is one of important steps in coffee processing to produce good quality. Greenhouse is one of artificial drying alternatives that potential for coffee drying method cause of cleans environmental friendly, renewable energy sources and chippers. Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute has developed and testing a big scale greenhouse type dryer for fresh coffee cherries and wet parchment coffee drying process. Greenhouse has 24 m length, 18 m width, also 3 m high of the front side and 2 m high of the rear side. The maximum capacity of greenhouse is 40 tons fresh coffee cherries. Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP used as greenhouse roof that combined with I and C profile of steel. Fresh coffee cherries and wet parchment coffee from Robusta variety use as main materials in this research. The treatment of this research was 30 kg/m2, 60 kg/m2 and 90 kg/m2 for coffee density. String process has done by manual, two times a day in the morning and in the afternoon. As control, fresh coffee cherries and wet parchment coffee has dried by fully sun drying method. The result showed that a big scale greenhouse has heat drying efficiency between 29.9-58.2% depend on type and density of coffee treatments. On the full sunny day, greenhouse has produced maximum drying air temperature up to 52oC. In radiation cumulative level 4-5 kW-jam/m2 per day, 12.9-38.8 tons fresh coffee cherries or wet parchment coffee with 58-64% moisture content can be dried to 12% moisture content for 6 up to 14 days drying process. Slowly drying mechanism can be avoided negative effect to degradation of quality precursor compound. Capacity of the dryer can be raise and fungi can be reduce with application of controllable mechanical stirring in the greenhouse. Keywords: greenhouse, coffee, drying, quality

Global view of F-region electron density and temperature at solar maximum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brace, L.H.; Theis, R.F.; Hoegy, W.R.

1982-01-01

Dynamics Explorer-2 is permitting the first measurements of the global structure of the F-regions at very high levels of solar activity (S>200). Selected full orbits of Langmuir probe measurements of electron temperature, T/sub e/, and density, N/sub e/, are shown to illustrate this global structure and some of the ionospheric features that are the topic of other papers in this issue. The ionospheric thermal structure is of particular interest because T/sub e/ is a sensitive indicator of the coupling of magnetospheric energy into the upper atmosphere. A comparison of these heating effects with those observed at solar minimum shows that the magnetospheric sources are more important at solar maximum, as might have been expected. Heating at the cusp, the auroral oval and the plasma-pause is generally both greater and more variable. Electron cooling rate calculations employing low latitude measurements indicate that solar extreme ultraviolet heating of the F region at solar maximum is enhanced by a factor that is greater than the increase in solar flux. Some of this enhanced electron heating arises from the increase in electron heating efficiency at the higher N/sub e/ of solar maximum, but this appears insufficient to completely resolve the discrepancy

Maximum attainable power density and wall load in tokamaks underlying reactor relevant constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrass, K.; Buende, R.

1979-09-01

The characteristic data of tokamaks optimized with respect to their power density or wall load are determined. Reactor relevant constraints are imposed, such as a fixed plant net power output, a fixed blanket thickness and the dependence of the maximum toroidal field on the geometry and conductor material. The impact of finite burn times is considered. Various scaling laws of the toroidal beta with the aspect ratio are discussed. (orig.) 891 GG/orig. 892 RDG [de

Mathematical modelling in simulate bulk density as a function of shrinkage and collapse mechanics during drying of food products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Almeida-Rivera, C.; Khalloufi, S.; Janssen, J.; Bongers, P.M.M.; Pierucci, S.; Buzzi Ferraris, G.

2010-01-01

During drying, food products undergo several physical and structural changes. These changes have a direct impact on properties such as bulk density which is involved in heat and mass transfer processes. Therefore, the prediction of the bulk density as function of water content will be an interesting

High density of tree-cavities and snags in tropical dry forest of western Mexico raises questions for a latitudinal gradient.

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Leopoldo Vázquez

Full Text Available It has been suggested that a latitudinal gradient exists of a low density of snags and high density of naturally-formed tree-cavities in tropical vs. temperate forests, though few cavities may have characteristics suitable for nesting by birds. We determined snag and cavity density, characteristics, and suitability for birds in a tropical dry forest biome of western Mexico, and evaluated whether our data fits the trend of snag and cavity density typically found in tropical moist and wet forests. We established five 0.25-ha transects to survey and measure tree-cavities and snags in each of three vegetation types of deciduous, semi-deciduous, and mono-dominant Piranhea mexicana forest, comprising a total of 3.75 ha. We found a high density of 77 cavities/ha, with 37 cavities suitable for birds/ha, where density, and characteristics of cavities varied significantly among vegetation types. Lowest abundance of cavities occurred in deciduous forest, and these were in smaller trees, at a lower height, and with a narrower entrance diameter. Only 8.6% of cavities were excavated by woodpeckers, and only 11% of cavities were occupied, mainly by arthropods, though 52% of all cavities were unsuitable for birds. We also found a high density of 56 snags/ha, with greatest density in deciduous forest (70 snags/ha, though these were of significantly smaller diameter, and snags of larger diameter were more likely to contain cavities. The Chamela-Cuixmala tropical dry forest had the highest density of snags recorded for any tropical or temperate forest, and while snag density was significantly correlated with mean snag dbh, neither latitude nor mean dbh predicted snag density in ten forest sites. The high spatial aggregation of snag and cavity resources in tropical dry forest may limit their availability, particularly for large-bodied cavity adopters, and highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity in providing resources for primary and secondary cavity-nesters.

High density of tree-cavities and snags in tropical dry forest of western Mexico raises questions for a latitudinal gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez, Leopoldo; Renton, Katherine

2015-01-01

It has been suggested that a latitudinal gradient exists of a low density of snags and high density of naturally-formed tree-cavities in tropical vs. temperate forests, though few cavities may have characteristics suitable for nesting by birds. We determined snag and cavity density, characteristics, and suitability for birds in a tropical dry forest biome of western Mexico, and evaluated whether our data fits the trend of snag and cavity density typically found in tropical moist and wet forests. We established five 0.25-ha transects to survey and measure tree-cavities and snags in each of three vegetation types of deciduous, semi-deciduous, and mono-dominant Piranhea mexicana forest, comprising a total of 3.75 ha. We found a high density of 77 cavities/ha, with 37 cavities suitable for birds/ha, where density, and characteristics of cavities varied significantly among vegetation types. Lowest abundance of cavities occurred in deciduous forest, and these were in smaller trees, at a lower height, and with a narrower entrance diameter. Only 8.6% of cavities were excavated by woodpeckers, and only 11% of cavities were occupied, mainly by arthropods, though 52% of all cavities were unsuitable for birds. We also found a high density of 56 snags/ha, with greatest density in deciduous forest (70 snags/ha), though these were of significantly smaller diameter, and snags of larger diameter were more likely to contain cavities. The Chamela-Cuixmala tropical dry forest had the highest density of snags recorded for any tropical or temperate forest, and while snag density was significantly correlated with mean snag dbh, neither latitude nor mean dbh predicted snag density in ten forest sites. The high spatial aggregation of snag and cavity resources in tropical dry forest may limit their availability, particularly for large-bodied cavity adopters, and highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity in providing resources for primary and secondary cavity-nesters.

Surface of Maximums of AR(2 Process Spectral Densities and its Application in Time Series Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander V. Ivanov

2017-09-01

Conclusions. The obtained formula of surface of maximums of noise spectral densities gives an opportunity to realize for which values of AR(2 process characteristic polynomial coefficients it is possible to look for greater rate of convergence to zero of the probabilities of large deviations of the considered estimates.

Effect of dry density and temperature on the hydraulic conductivity of domestic compacted bentonite as a buffer material in the high level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Won Jin; Chun, Kwan Sik; Lee, Jae Owan

1999-02-01

This study is intended to investigate the effect of dry density and temperature on the hydraulic conductivity of domestic calcium bentonite. The dry densities of bentonite are 1.4 Mg/m 3 , 1.6 Mg/m 3 and 1.6 Mg/m, and the temperatures are in the range of 20 dg C to 150 dg C. The hydraulic conductivities of compacted bentonite with dry densities higher than 1.4 Mg/m 3 are lower than 10 -1 1 m/s, and are low enough to inhibit the radionuclide release by advection through the buffer. The hydraulic conductivities at the temperature of 150 dg C increase up to about 1 order higher than those at 20 dg C. (author). 28 refs., 5 tabs., 20 figs

Optimising mechanical strength and bulk density of dry ceramic bodies through mixture design

OpenAIRE

Correia, S. L.; Hotza, D.; Segadães, A. M.

2005-01-01

In industrial practice, it is desirable to be able to predict, in an expeditious way, what the effects of a change in raw materials or the proportions thereof might be in the various processing steps towards the final product. When the property of interest is basically determined by the combination (or mixture) of raw materials, an optimisation methodology specific to the design of mixture experiments can be successfully used. In the present study, dry bending strength and bulk density were s...

A mathematical model of the maximum power density attainable in an alkaline hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Kimble, Michael C.; White, Ralph E.

1991-01-01

A mathematical model of a hydrogen/oxygen alkaline fuel cell is presented that can be used to predict the polarization behavior under various power loads. The major limitations to achieving high power densities are indicated and methods to increase the maximum attainable power density are suggested. The alkaline fuel cell model describes the phenomena occurring in the solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of the anode, separator, and cathode regions based on porous electrode theory applied to three phases. Fundamental equations of chemical engineering that describe conservation of mass and charge, species transport, and kinetic phenomena are used to develop the model by treating all phases as a homogeneous continuum.

The effect of plant density and nitrogen fertilizer on light interception and dry matter yield in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mohamad reza asghari poor

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of plant density and nitrogen fertilizer on canopy light interception and on flowering was investigated in hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. ‘Kompolti’ Crop grown at initial densities of 50, 150 and 250 plants/m2 at the Mashhad and 30, 90 and 150 plants/m2 at the Shirvan. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied before and 45 days after sowing at a rates of 50 and 200 kg/ha at the Mashhad, and 50, 150 and 250 kg/ha at the Shirvan. Rate of canopy development increased with increasing plant density and nitrogen fertilizer in both sites. At the Mashhad, interception of 90% of light was attained at 380 to 665 degree days (base 2°C from emergence for the crop grown at different densities. At Shirvan, rate of canopy development was slower. Interception of 90% of light was attained at 586 degree days from emergence for the crop grown at 30 plants/m2 and at 712 degree days for the crop grown at 150 plants/m2, probably as a result of cold weather. Nitrogen fertilizer in a similar way as plant density increased light interception. Maximum light interception did not depend on plant density and nitrogen fertilizer and was about 95%. In both sites, the flowering date was later with increasing plant density. Dates of 75% flowering for the initial densities of 50, 150 and 250 plants/m2 in Mashhad and 30, 90 and 150 plants/m2 in Shirvan were, respectively 26 August, 1, 6, 6, 11 and 12 September. Independent of plant density, canopy light interception started to decline at about 150 degree days after flowering, reaching 58 to 75% at about 700 degree days post-flowering. Morphological characteristics at both sites were highly correlated with plant sexual, plant population and nitrogen fertilizer. Highest stem, leaf and inflorescence yield were obtained in Mashhad at 250 plant/m-2 and in Shirvan at 150 plant m-2 when 200 kg N ha-1 in Mashhad and 250 kg N/ha in Shirvan was used. Above ground dry matter increased at both sites with increasing plant density and

Hand grip strength and maximum peak expiratory flow: determinants of bone mineral density of adolescent students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cossio-Bolaños, Marco; Lee-Andruske, Cynthia; de Arruda, Miguel; Luarte-Rocha, Cristian; Almonacid-Fierro, Alejandro; Gómez-Campos, Rossana

2018-03-02

Maintaining and building healthy bones during the lifetime requires a complicated interaction between a number of physiological and lifestyle factors. Our goal of this study was to analyze the association between hand grip strength and the maximum peak expiratory flow with bone mineral density and content in adolescent students. The research team studied 1427 adolescent students of both sexes (750 males and 677 females) between the ages of 11.0 and 18.9 years in the Maule Region of Talca (Chile). Weight, standing height, sitting height, hand grip strength (HGS), and maximum peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured. Furthermore, bone mineral density (BMD) and total body bone mineral content (BMC) were determined by using the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA). Hand grip strength and PEF were categorized in tertiles (lowest, middle, and highest). Linear regression was performed in steps to analyze the relationship between the variables. Differences between categories were determined through ANOVA. In males, the hand grip strength explained 18-19% of the BMD and 20-23% of the BMC. For the females, the percentage of variation occurred between 12 and 13% of the BMD and 17-18% of the BMC. The variation of PEF for the males was observed as 33% of the BMD and 36% of the BMC. For the females, both the BMD and BMC showed a variation of 19%. The HGS and PEF were divided into three categories (lowest, middle, and highest). In both cases, significant differences occurred in bone density health between the three categories. In conclusion, the HGS and the PEF related positively to the bone density health of both sexes of adolescent students. The adolescents with poor values for hand grip strength and expiratory flow showed reduced values of BMD and BMC for the total body. Furthermore, the PEF had a greater influence on bone density health with respect to the HGS of the adolescents of both sexes.

Studies of the pressure dependence of the charge density distribution in cerium phosphide by the maximum-entropy method

CERN Document Server

Ishimatsu, N; Takata, M; Nishibori, E; Sakata, M; Hayashi, J; Shirotani, I; Shimomura, O

2002-01-01

The physical properties relating to 4f electrons in cerium phosphide, especially the temperature dependence and the isomorphous transition that occurs at around 10 GPa, were studied by means of x-ray powder diffraction and charge density distribution maps derived by the maximum-entropy method. The compressibility of CeP was exactly determined using a helium pressure medium and the anomaly that indicated the isomorphous transition was observed in the compressibility. We also discuss the anisotropic charge density distribution of Ce ions and its temperature dependence.

Calculating the Maximum Density of the Surface Packing of Ions in Ionic Liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Kislenko, S. A.; Moroz, Yu. O.; Karu, K.; Ivaništšev, V. B.; Fedorov, M. V.

2018-05-01

The maximum density of monolayer packing on a graphene surface is calculated by means of molecular dynamics (MD) for ions of characteristic size and symmetry: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium [BMIM]+, tetrabutylammonium [TBA]+, tetrafluoroborate [BF4]-, dicyanamide [DCA]-, and bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide [TFSI]-. The characteristic orientations of ions in a closely packed monolayer are found. It is shown that the formation of a closely packed monolayer is possible for [DCA]- and [BF4]- anions only at surface charges that exceed the limit of the electrochemical stability of the corresponding ionic liquids. For the [TBA]+ cation, a monolayer structure can be observed at the charge of nearly 30 μC/cm2 attainable in electrochemical experiment.

Understanding the apparent diffusivity of Sr-85 ion for MX-80 in different salinity condition at low dry density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad Hasnulhadi Che Kamaruddin

2012-01-01

The apparent diffusivity of strontium-85 in the compacted MX-80 bentonite under different salinity conditions and dry densities was conducted were studied from the viewpoint of activation energy. Through in-diffusions experiments the effect of salinity on diffusion behavior of Sr-85 ions can also can be explained. As we know, Sr-90 is by product of the fission materials of nuclear wastes and should be manage properly. Sr-85 is radioactive isotope with the same chemical properties of Sr-90. Adsorption affects only non-steady-state diffusion while at the steady state (e.g., a constant concentration gradient between a constant source and a constant sink), there is no net uptake or release by adsorption, so adsorption has no effect on diffusion (Drever, James I., 1997). The changes in the basal spacing of bentonite as a function of salinity are needed to be observed by the X-ray diffraction method to understand the microstructure changes in diffusion pathways for Sr-85 in MX-80 bentonite. As we know, there could be three potential pathways for radionuclide diffusion in solution-saturated, compacted montmorillonite, i.e., pore water, external surfaces and the internal surface (interlayer spaces) of montmorillonite aggregates (Kozaki et al., 2008). So, it is important to understand the diffusion processes in term of apparent diffusivity of Sr-85 ions in different salinity concentration at low dry density of MX-80. Several parameters are needed in explaining the process such as dry density, activation energy, temperature dependence and concentration of the salinity solutions. (author)

Effects of Plant Density and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Dry Flower Yield and Essential Oil Content of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla

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Gh. Sharafi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Chamomile is a valuable medicinal plant and is used as spice and herbal medicine. Application of agronomical methods has important role in increasing quantitative and qualitative traits of this medicinal plant. Fertilizer management is an important factor in successful cultivation of medicinal plants, which could have positive effects on their quantitative and qualitative indices. This experiment was conducted in order to determine the effects of plant density and nitrogen (N fertilizer on dry flower yield and essential oil content of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla using factorial randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Three N rates from urea source (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha and three plant densities (28.6, 40 and 66.7 plants per m2 were considered. The results showed that the highest single plant yield was produced in the lowest plant density (28.6 plants per m2 and application of 100 kg/ha N. The highest dry flower yield of 474.1 kg/ha and essential oil content of 0.2% was produced in 25 cm row width and fixed plant spacing of 10 cm (40 plants per m2 and application of 100 kg/ha N.

Method and apparatus for storing nuclear fuel assemblies in maximum density racks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wachter, W.J.; Robbins, T.R.

1979-01-01

A maximum density storage rack is provided for long term or semipermanent storage of spent nuclear fuel assemblies. The rack consists of storage cells arranged in a regular array, such as a checkerboard, and intended to be immersed in water. Initially, cap members are placed on alternate cells in such a manner that at least 50% of the cells are left open, some of the caps being removable. Spent fuel assemblies are then placed in the open cells until all of them are filled. The level of reactivity of each of the stored fuel assemblies is then determined by accurate calculation or by measurement, and the removable caps are removed and rearranged so that other cells are opened, permitting the storage of additional fuel assemblies in a pattern based on the actual reactivity such that criticality is prevented

Spectral density analysis of time correlation functions in lattice QCD using the maximum entropy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiebig, H. Rudolf

2002-01-01

We study various aspects of extracting spectral information from time correlation functions of lattice QCD by means of Bayesian inference with an entropic prior, the maximum entropy method (MEM). Correlator functions of a heavy-light meson-meson system serve as a repository for lattice data with diverse statistical quality. Attention is given to spectral mass density functions, inferred from the data, and their dependence on the parameters of the MEM. We propose to employ simulated annealing, or cooling, to solve the Bayesian inference problem, and discuss the practical issues of the approach

Spray Drying of Honey: The Effect of Drying Agents on Powder Properties

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Samborska Katarzyna

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of honey spray drying with addition of maltodextrin and gum Arabic as drying agents. The influence of the concentration of the solution subjected to drying, the type and content of the drying agents upon the physical properties of obtained powders was examined. An attempt was undertaken to obtain powder with a honey content of more than 50% d.b. Spray drying of multifloral honey with the addition of maltodextrin and gum Arabic was carried out at inlet air temperature of 180°C, feed rate of 1 mL/s and rotational speed of a disc atomizer of 39,000 rpm. The properties of obtained powders were quantified in terms of moisture content, bulk density, Hausner ratio, apparent density, hygroscopicity and wettability. Using gum Arabic it was possible to obtain a product with a higher content of honey (67% solids than in the case of maltodextrin (50% d.b.. However, the powders obtained with gum Arabic were characterised by worse physical properties: higher hygroscopicity and cohesion, and longer wetting time.

A rapid method for measuring maximum density temperatures in water and aqueous solutions for the study of quantum zero point energy effects in these liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deeney, F A; O'Leary, J P

2008-01-01

The connection between quantum zero point fluctuations and a density maximum in water and in liquid He 4 has recently been established. Here we present a description of a simple and rapid method of determining the temperatures at which maximum densities in water and aqueous solutions occur. The technique is such as to allow experiments to be carried out in one session of an undergraduate laboratory thereby introducing students to the concept of quantum zero point energy

Effect of dry density and salinity on Cl- diffusion of compacted Na-montmorillonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, T.; Gorai, M.; Kozaki, T.; Sato, S.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Compacted bentonite is candidate buffer material in geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). One of the expected functions of the buffer is to retard the migration of radionuclides from waste form to biosphere. Due to low hydraulic conductivity of the compacted bentonite, diffusion is considered to be predominant process in radionuclide migrations. Therefore, it is important for safety assessment of the geological disposal to clarify the diffusion behavior of radionuclides in montmorillonite, which is a major clay mineral of bentonite. However, detail diffusion mechanism has not been fully understood especially for the compacted bentonite saturated with groundwater having relatively high salt concentration. In this study, apparent diffusion coefficient (D a [m 2 s -1 ]) of Cl- ions was determined by one-dimensional, non-steady diffusion method for Na-montmorillonite saturated with NaCl solutions with different concentrations. Activation energy for Cl - diffusion (E a [kJ mol -1 ]) was also obtained from the temperature dependence of Da at each NaCl concentration. Based on these experimental results together with the basal spacing of the montmorillonite determined by XRD measurements, the diffusion mechanism of Cl - ions was discussed. The montmorillonite used in this study was Kunipia-F, a commercial product of Kunimine Industries Co. Ltd., Japan. The montmorillonite sample was homo-ionized into Na-type before use. The Na-montmorillonite was compacted into an acrylic resin cell (20 mm in diameter, 20 mm in height for diffusion experiment or 10 mm in height for XRD measurement) and fully saturated with NaCl solutions of concentration from 0 to 0.5 M. The dry densities of the Na-montmorillonite were 1.0 and 1.3 Mg m -3 for diffusion experiments, and from 0.7 to 1.4 Mg m -3 for the XRD measurements. The apparent diffusion coefficients of 36 Cl - ions in the solution-saturated, compacted

Drying kinetics and characteristics of dried gambir leaves using solar heating and silica gel dessicant

Science.gov (United States)

Hasibuan, R.; Hidayati, J.; Sundari, R.; Wicaksono, A. S.

2018-02-01

A drying combination of solar heating and silica gel dessicant has been applied to dry gambir leaves. The solar energy is captured by a collector to heat the air and the hot air is used to dry gambir leaves in a drying chamber. An exhaust fan in drying chamber assists to draw water molecules from gambir leaves accelerated by silica gel dessicant. This study has investigated the drying kinetics and drying characteristics of gambir leaves drying. In drying operation the air velocity is tuned by a PWM (pulse width modulation) controller to adjust minimum and maximum level, which is based on the rotation speed of the exhaust fan. The results show that the air velocity influenced the drying kinetics and drying characteristics of gambir leaves using solar-dessicant drying at 40 cm distance between exhaust fan and silica gel dessicant.

Experimental program to determine maximum temperatures for dry storage of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, C.A.; Gilbert, E.R.; White, G.D.

1985-02-01

Although air is used as a cover gas in some dry storage facilities, other facilities use inert cover gases which must be monitored to assure inertness of the atmosphere. Thus qualifying air as a cover gas is attractive for the dry storage of spent fuels. At sufficiently high temperatures, air can react with spent fuel (UO 2 ) at the site of cladding breaches that formed during reactor irradiation or during dry storage. The reaction rate is temperature dependent; hence the rates can be maintained at acceptable levels if temperatures are low. Tests with spent fuel are being conducted at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to determine the allowable temperatures for storage of spent fuel in air. Tests performed with nonirradiated UO 2 pellets indicated that moisture, surface condition, gamma radiation, gadolinia content of the fuel pellet, and temperature are important variables. Tests were then initiated on spent fuel to develop design data under simulated dry storage conditions. Tests have been conducted at 200 and 230 0 C on spent fuel in air and 275 0 C in moist nitrogen. The results for nonirradiated UO 2 and published data for irradiated fuel indicate that above 230 0 C, oxidation rates are unacceptably high for extended storage in air. The tests with spent fuel will be continued for approximately three years to enable reliable extrapolations to be made for extended storage in air and inert gases with oxidizing constituents. 6 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs

Fabrication of ultrahigh density metal-cell-metal crossbar memory devices with only two cycles of lithography and dry-etch procedures

KAUST Repository

Zong, Baoyu; Goh, J. Y.; Guo, Zaibing; Luo, Ping; Wang, Chenchen; Qiu, Jinjun; Ho, Pin; Chen, Yunjie; Zhang, Mingsheng; Han, Guchang

2013-01-01

A novel approach to the fabrication of metal-cell-metal trilayer memory devices was demonstrated by using only two cycles of lithography and dry-etch procedures. The fabricated ultrahigh density crossbar devices can be scaled down to ≤70 nm in half

Evaluation and comparing of natural and forced solar dryer for mint drying in Khuzestan province

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J Habibi Asl

2017-05-01

Research Center during the years 2011-2013. Materials and Methods In this research an indirect cabinet solar dryer with three trays and grooved collector was constructed. To improve air convection, a chimney was mounted above the dryer. The dryer performance was evaluated by drying mint leaves in three levels of mass density of 2, 3, and 4 kg m-2 at two drying manners of natural and forced convection and compared with drying mint leaves in shade as the traditional method. Results and Discussion The results showed that total drying time required in different solar drier treatments was 3.5 to 15 h, while it was about 5 days in traditional method. Drying time in upper trays was more as the air flow decreased due to increase in mass density. Mean required drying time in forced convection was 29.7% less than that of natural convection. Maximum essences with 0.80% and 0.76% were belonged to "natural convection and 3kg m-2 mass density" and "forced convection and 4 kg m-2 mass density" treatments respectively, while minimum one with 0.30% was for "forced convection and 2 kg m-2 mass density" treatment. Also, the highest and lowest chlorophyll content with 8.51 and 4.18 mg ml-1 were measured in "natural convection and 3 kg m-2 mass density" and "forced convection and 4 kg m-2 mass density" treatments respectively. According to obtained results, 3 and 4 kg m-2 mass density can be suggested for natural and forced convection solar drying of mint leaves in Khuzestan condition respectively. Conclusions In order to reduce vegetable losses and increase Khuzestan vegetable producers income, indirect cabinet solar dryer for drying mint leaves in winter season, could be an appropriate option. For natural and forced convection drying methods, mass density of 3 and 4 kg m-2 is recommended respectively.

Numerical simulation of thermomagnetic convection of cold water near its density maximum in a square enclosure under a magnetic quadrupole field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Er; Sun, Xiaoqin; He, Yecong; Jiang, Changwei, E-mail: cw_jiang@163.com [School of Energy and Power Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114 (China)

2017-06-15

Natural convection of cold water near its density maximum in a square enclosure is studied numerically under the influence of a magnetic quadrupole field without gravity. A generalized model which includes a non-Boussinesq parabolic density–temperature relationship is established. The governing equations in primitive variables are discretized using the finite-volume method and solved using the SIMPLE algorithm. The effects of magnetic force number, Rayleigh number and density inversion parameter on flow and heat transfer characteristics are analyzed. The results show that the primary flow pattern depends mainly on the density inversion parameter. Multi-cellular flow structures are observed for certain ranges of density inversion parameter independent of the value of Rayleigh number and magnetic force number. The heat transfer changes non-monotonically under combined actions of the quadrupole magnetic field and density inversion. (paper)

GAS SURFACE DENSITY, STAR FORMATION RATE SURFACE DENSITY, AND THE MAXIMUM MASS OF YOUNG STAR CLUSTERS IN A DISK GALAXY. II. THE GRAND-DESIGN GALAXY M51

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González-Lópezlira, Rosa A.; Pflamm-Altenburg, Jan; Kroupa, Pavel

2013-01-01

We analyze the relationship between maximum cluster mass and surface densities of total gas (Σ gas ), molecular gas (Σ H 2 ), neutral gas (Σ H I ), and star formation rate (Σ SFR ) in the grand-design galaxy M51, using published gas data and a catalog of masses, ages, and reddenings of more than 1800 star clusters in its disk, of which 223 are above the cluster mass distribution function completeness limit. By comparing the two-dimensional distribution of cluster masses and gas surface densities, we find for clusters older than 25 Myr that M 3rd ∝Σ H I 0.4±0.2 , whereM 3rd is the median of the five most massive clusters. There is no correlation withΣ gas ,Σ H2 , orΣ SFR . For clusters younger than 10 Myr, M 3rd ∝Σ H I 0.6±0.1 and M 3rd ∝Σ gas 0.5±0.2 ; there is no correlation with either Σ H 2 orΣ SFR . The results could hardly be more different from those found for clusters younger than 25 Myr in M33. For the flocculent galaxy M33, there is no correlation between maximum cluster mass and neutral gas, but we have determined M 3rd ∝Σ gas 3.8±0.3 , M 3rd ∝Σ H 2 1.2±0.1 , and M 3rd ∝Σ SFR 0.9±0.1 . For the older sample in M51, the lack of tight correlations is probably due to the combination of strong azimuthal variations in the surface densities of gas and star formation rate, and the cluster ages. These two facts mean that neither the azimuthal average of the surface densities at a given radius nor the surface densities at the present-day location of a stellar cluster represent the true surface densities at the place and time of cluster formation. In the case of the younger sample, even if the clusters have not yet traveled too far from their birth sites, the poor resolution of the radio data compared to the physical sizes of the clusters results in measuredΣ that are likely quite diluted compared to the actual densities relevant for the formation of the clusters.

Simulating the effect of emex australis densities and sowing dates on agronomic traits of wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbas, R.N.; Tanveer, A.; Ali, A.; Zaheer, Z.A.

2010-01-01

Reduction in yield and quality of wheat is major problem caused by the delayed sowing and interference of weeds. The effects of sowing dates (Nov 8, Nov 16, and Nov 24) and Emex australis Steinh. density (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 plants per pot) on growth and yield of wheat were evaluated over two seasons (2005-06, 2006-07). The statistical analysis of data exhibited non-significant effect of weed density on number of days taken to initiate flowering by E. australis. Highest values for E. australis plant height, dry biomass, number of seed per plant and seed weight were recorded by sowing wheat on November 8, at E. australis density of one plant per pot in both years. Maximum number of spike bearing tillers per pot, plant height, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and grain yield were observed in November 8, sowing with zero E. australis density and minimum values for these parameters were recorded in late sowing ( November 24) at maximum weed density of 4 plants per pot. Early sowing ( Nov. 8) and weed free pots increased wheat grain yield compared to later sowings (Nov. 16 and Nov. 24) and higher weed density. (author)

Distribution of temperature and moisture content fields in a rectangular beet pulp particle during convection drying

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A. N. Ostrikov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The mathematical model describing distribution of fields of temperatures and moisture contents in a particle of a squared beet press at convective drying is given. As the initial equations the differential equations of material and thermal balances in which transfer of warmth and weight is caused by phase transformations have been accepted. The algorithm of the numerical solution of a non-stationary regional problem of heat conductivity with variable heat and mass transfer coefficients of the dried-up product, boundary and entry conditions and also phase transition with mobile limit of the section of phases is developed for the solution of mathematical model. At the same time the initial system of the equations is given to a dimensionless look. For the solution of a problem of non-stationary heat conductivity the zone method of calculation of temperature fields when drying a beet press is used. Process of drying broke into some time intervals. Within each interval geometrical form of a particle, its density, heatphysical and mass-exchanged characteristics; initial distribution of temperature and moisture content on particle volume and also density of a mass and thermal stream with the evaporated moisture are constant. The zone method of the solution of a problem of the non-stationary three-dimensional equation of heat conductivity for a parallelepiped taking into account internal sources of warmth has been checked on experimental data of stationary drying of a beet press with use of basic data. For realization of a zone method dependences of change of the linear size of a particle of a beet press on spatial coordinate x and its moisture content in the course of drying are received. At constant values of moisture content and the sizes of the party of the dried-up particle on each step the method of a machine experiment has found the current values of coefficient of phase transformation on condition of the maximum rapprochement of settlement and

[Research about effect of spray drying conditions on hygroscopicity of spray dry powder of gubi compound's water extract and its mechanism].

Science.gov (United States)

Zong, Jie; Shao, Qi; Zhang, Hong-Qing; Pan, Yong-Lan; Zhu, Hua-Xu; Guo, Li-Wei

2014-02-01

To investigate moisture content and hygroscopicity of spray dry powder of Gubi compound's water extract obtained at different spray drying conditions and laying a foundation for spray drying process of Chinese herbal compound preparation. In the paper, on the basis of single-factor experiments, the author choose inlet temperature, liquid density, feed rate, air flow rate as investigated factors. The experimental absorption rate-time curve and scanning electron microscopy results showed that under different spray drying conditions the spray-dried powders have different morphology and different adsorption process. At different spray-dried conditions, the morphology and water content of the powder is different, these differences lead to differences in the adsorption process, at the appropriate inlet temperature and feed rate with a higher sample density and lower air flow rate, in the experimental system the optimum conditions is inlet temperature of 150 degrees C, feed density of 1.05 g x mL(-1), feed rate of 20 mL x min(-1) air flow rate of 30 m3 x h(-1).

Effect of Cultural Practices in Night on Weed Density and Weed Dry Matter

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M.H Rashed Mohasel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In order to evaluate the response of weed seeds to light, two experiments, at two different locations were conducted at Ferdowsi university of Mashhad in 2009. At the first experiment, field was ploughed in day and night. Weed density was evaluated 70 d after plough, with 1×1 quadrate. At the second experiment, at night treatment, ploughing, potato planting and weeding with cultivator were done at night. Weed sampling was done twice at 43 and 130 days after planting with 1×1 quadrate and weeds were identified and counted. Result showed pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L., sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus L., crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L. scop, jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L. and mallow (Hibiscus trionum L. did not observed at night plough, in contrast, night plough has no significance influence on common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L., and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.. Only common lambsquarters had similar appearance in two treatments, indicating insusceptibility of this weed to time of plough. Interestingly, at the second experiment, result was very similar. Potato yield was higher at night treatment, but not significant. This research showed that some cultural practice like plough, planting and weeding with cultivator in night can reduce weed density and weed dry matter. Keywords: Germination, Time of plough, Sustainable weeds management, Light

Digital radioisotope moisture-density meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bychvarov, N.; Vankov, I.; Dimitrov, L.

1982-01-01

The primary information from the detectors of a combined radioisotope moisture-density meter is obtained as pulses, their counting rate being functionally dependent on the humidity per unit volume and the wet density. However, most practical cases demand information on the moisture per unit weight and the mass density of the dry skeleton. The paper describes how the proposed electronic circuit processes the input primary information to obtain the moisture in weight % and the mass density of the dry skeleton in g/cm 3 . (authors)

Physical properties of sunflower seeds during drying

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Thaís Adriana de Souza Smaniotto

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to determine the effect that the moisture content has on the physical properties of sunflower seeds. The cultivar Olisun 3, with an initial moisture content of 34.1 (% wb, was used and then subjected to drying in an oven with forced air ventilation under three temperature conditions: 40, 60 and 80 °C. The reduction in the moisture content during drying was monitored by the gravimetric method until it reached a final moisture content of 8.0 ± 1.0 (% wb. The physical properties were analysed: the bulk density, true density, intergranular porosity and volumetric shrinkage of the mass and unit and terminal velocity. The reduction in the moisture content influenced the physical properties of sunflower seeds and caused a decrease in the intergranular porosity, bulk density and true density at all examined temperatures. The mass and volumetric contractions of the unit and reduction in shrinkage rates all increased with the drying of sunflower seeds at all studied temperatures. The terminal velocity increased as the moisture content of the grains increased, which was more evident at the drying temperature of 80 °C.

Characteristics of a Dry Fog Ionizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, Y; Kudo, Y; Yonezawa, M

2008-01-01

The newly developed 'Dry Fog Ionizer' generates charged dry fog. The dry fog consists of very fine water droplets 8μm in mean diameter. This system consists of a dry fog nozzle (H.Ikeuchi and Co., LTD.), a ring electrode for induction charging (50mm outside diameter, and 10mm thick) in front of the nozzle, and a fan for dissipating charged dry fog. The ring electrode is DC or AC-biased and fine droplets ejected from the nozzle are electrified by induction charging. The particle size of the charged water droplets are reduced through evaporation during the transporting process by air flow, and completely evaporate approximately 2m from the nozzle under normal atmospheric conditions (25 deg. C, 60%R.H.) leaving high density ions. Using this system, high density ionic space charge can be realized in a remote spot from the ionizer. By this principle, the Dry Fog Ionizer shows strong charge-eliminating ability in the region away from the ionizer. When a dc bias of 5kV was applied to a ring electrode with the rate of water flow from the nozzle being 21/h, an ionic space-charge density of 1200nC /m 3 was able to be obtained at a distance 2m away from the ionizer, which was 10 2 times the value produced by an ordinary corona-type ionizer with an air blower.

Antioxidant effects of aqueous extracts from dried calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. (Roselle) in vitro using rat low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

Science.gov (United States)

Hirunpanich, Vilasinee; Utaipat, Anocha; Morales, Noppawan Phumala; Bunyapraphatsara, Nuntavan; Sato, Hitoshi; Herunsalee, Angkana; Suthisisang, Chuthamanee

2005-03-01

The present study quantitatively investigated the antioxidant effects of the aqueous extracts from dried calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa LINN. (roselle) in vitro using rat low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Formations of the conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) were monitored as markers of the early and later stages of the oxidation of LDL, respectively. Thus, we demonstrated that the dried calyx extracts of roselle exhibits strong antioxidant activity in Cu(2+)-mediated oxidation of LDL (proselle inhibited TBARs-formation with greater potency than 100 microM of vitamin E. In conclusion, this study provides a quantitative insight into the potent antioxidant effect of roselle in vitro.

Cracking in Drying Colloidal Films

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Karnail B.; Tirumkudulu, Mahesh S.

2007-05-01

It has long been known that thick films of colloidal dispersions such as wet clays, paints, and coatings crack under drying. Although capillary stresses generated during drying have been recently identified as the cause for cracking, the existence of a maximum crack-free film thickness that depends on particle size, rigidity, and packing has not been understood. Here, we identify two distinct regimes for crack-free films based on the magnitude of compressive strain at the maximum attainable capillary pressure and show remarkable agreement of measurements with our theory. We anticipate our results to not only form the basis for design of coating formulations for the paints, coatings, and ceramics industry but also assist in the production of crack-free photonic band gap crystals.

Convective, vacuum and microwave drying kinetics of mallow leaves and comparison of color and ascorbic acid values of three drying methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilknur Alibas

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Mallow leaves (Malva sylvestris L. with initial moisture of 5.02±0.003 on dry basis (82.5% on wet basis were dried using three different drying methods, microwave, convective and vacuum. The leaves that weigh 75 g each were dried until their moisture fell down to 0.10±0.005 on dry basis (approximately 9% on wet basis. The following drying levels were used in each of the drying processes: 6.67, 8.67, 10, 11.33 W g-1 microwave power density; 50, 75, 100 and 125 °C for convective drying; and 3, 7 kPa at 50 and 75 °C for vacuum drying. Drying periods ranged from 6-10, 26-150 and 38-130 min. for microwave, convective and vacuum drying, respectively. Effective moisture diffisuvities ranged from 2.04403 10-10-3.63996 10-12 m2 s-1, 1.70182 10-11-1.10084 10-10 m2 s-1 and 1.85599 10-11-5.94559 10-10 m2 s-1 for microwave, convective and vacuum drying, respectively. According to ascorbic acid content and color parameters, the best microwave power density was found 10 W g-1 with a drying period of 6.5 min.

Effect of deposition temperature and thermal annealing on the dry etch rate of a-C: H films for the dry etch hard process of semiconductor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Moo; Won, Jaihyung; Yim, Soyoung; Park, Se Jun; Choi, Jongsik; Kim, Jeongtae; Lee, Hyeondeok; Byun, Dongjin

2012-01-01

The effect of deposition and thermal annealing temperatures on the dry etch rate of a-C:H films was investigated to increase our fundamental understanding of the relationship between thermal annealing and dry etch rate and to obtain a low dry etch rate hard mask. The hydrocarbon contents and hydrogen concentration were decreased with increasing deposition and annealing temperatures. The I(D)/I(G) intensity ratio and extinction coefficient of the a-C:H films were increased with increasing deposition and annealing temperatures because of the increase of sp 2 bonds in the a-C:H films. There was no relationship between the density of the unpaired electrons and the deposition temperature, or between the density of the unpaired electrons and the annealing temperature. However, the thermally annealed a-C:H films had fewer unpaired electrons compared with the as-deposited ones. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the absence of any crystallographic change after thermal annealing. The density of the as-deposited films was increased with increasing deposition temperature. The density of the 600 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited under 450 °C was decreased but at 550 °C was increased, and the density of all 800 °C annealed films was increased. The dry etch rate of the as-deposited a-C:H films was negatively correlated with the deposition temperature. The dry etch rate of the 600 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited at 350 °C and 450 °C was faster than that of the as-deposited film and that of the 800 °C annealed a-C:H films deposited at 350 °C and 450 °C was 17% faster than that of the as-deposited film. However, the dry etch rate of the 550 °C deposited a-C:H film was decreased after annealing at 600 °C and 800 °C. The dry etch rate of the as-deposited films was decreased with increasing density but that of the annealed a-C:H films was not. These results indicated that the dry etch rate of a-C:H films for dry etch hard masks can be further decreased by

Evaluating energy efficient strategies and product quality for distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in dry-grind ethanol plants

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Tian

tested and the response variables were measured which included energy performance (specific power consumption, energy efficiency, drying efficiency, drying rate), physical properties [particle size distribution (PSD), geometric mean particle size (dwg), bulk density, tapped bulk density, true density, color, compressibility index (CI), Hausner ratio (HR)], and chemical properties [acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), oil, crude protein, starch, ash, etc]. The results of the bench-scale study were also compared with data from a previous plant-scale DDGS production process investigation that used similar drying strategies. Results from the experiments indicated that among all 16 drying strategies, the 10% CDS content and 60% DDGS add-back strategy achieved the least specific power consumption (SPC) while the 40% CDS content and 20% DDGS add-back strategy had the highest SPC. The energy efficiency and drying efficiency of the bench-scale data in both drying stage I and drying stage II presented similar trends as process parameters changed. The highest energy and drying efficiencies were achieved in strategies with 10% CDS content while the lowest were in strategies with 40% CDS content. A comparison of the energy and drying efficiencies for the bench-scale strategies conducted in this study with those of similar plant-scale strategies from a previous study showed a similar trend in the data for drying stage 1, even though the actual numbers were quite different for the two experimental scales. On average, the energy and drying efficiencies for the bench-scale study was 40% less than the corresponding plant-scale strategy. CDS content had the most influence on the energy performance during DDGS drying, while percent DDGS add-back had more impact on the SPC given a constant CDS content level. By comparing both the physical properties, bulk density in particular which relates to logistics, and energy performance data, the drying strategy with 20% CDS and

Investment opportunity : the FPL low-cost solar dry kiln

Science.gov (United States)

George B. Harpole

1988-01-01

Two equations are presented that may be used to estimate a maximum investment limit and working capital requirements for the FPL low-cost solar dry kiln systems. The equations require data for drying cycle time, green lumber cost, and kiln-dried lumber costs. Results are intended to provide a preliminary estimate.

Evaluation of beetroot changes during drying with hot air by digital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Foods drying are an important operation in processing and increasing foodstuffs shelf life and many factors effected on products efficiency and quality during drying. Deterioration of texture structure and products color changes depends on drying method and air temperature and air rate. Drying or removing maximum water ...

Effect of various drying bed on thermodynamic characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Motevali

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this study thermodynamic parameter and energy consumption in drying of two plant dill and mint in three bed drying including fix, semi fix and fluid with using a hot air drying was investigated. Experimental was conducted in three bed drying including fix, semi fix and fluid and four levels temperature (30, 40, 50 and 60 °C. Maximum energy consumption in dill drying at 40 °C and fluid bed to be 16.41 MJ and minimum energy consumption at 30 °C and fix bed to be 2.77 MJ. Also minimum energy consumption in mint drying at 60 °C and fix bed to be 3.64 MJ and maximum energy consumption at 40 °C and fluid bed to be 28.65 MJ. The highest energy, drying and thermal efficiency for both mint and dill was achieved at 60 °C on the fixed bed, whereas the lowest efficiency was at 40 °C and on the fluidized bed. Also the highest power and specific heat consumption for both mint and dill was achieved at 40 °C on the fluid bed, whereas the lowest efficiency was at 30 °C and on the fluidized bed.

Effect of temperature dependent properties on MHD convection of water near its density maximum in a square cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivasankaran, S.; Hoa, C.J.

2008-01-01

Natural convection of water near its density maximum in the presence of magnetic field in a cavity with temperature dependent properties is studied numerically. The viscosity and thermal conductivity of the water is varied with reference temperature and calculated by cubic polynomial. The finite volume method is used to solve the governing equations. The results are presented graphically in the form of streamlines, isotherms and velocity vectors and are discussed for various combinations of reference temperature parameter, Rayleigh number, density inversion parameter and Hartmann number. It is observed that flow and temperature field are affected significantly by changing the reference temperature parameter for temperature dependent thermal conductivity and both temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity cases. There is no significant effect on fluid flow and temperature distributions for temperature dependent viscosity case when changing the values of reference temperature parameter. The average heat transfer rate considering temperature-dependent viscosity are higher than considering temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and both temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity. The average Nusselt number decreases with an increase of Hartmann number. It is observed that the density inversion of water leaves strong effects on fluid flow and heat transfer due to the formation of bi-cellular structure. The heat transfer rate behaves non-linearly with density inversion parameter. The direction of external magnetic field also affect the fluid flow and heat transfer. (authors)

MAXIMUM PRINCIPLE FOR SUBSONIC FLOW WITH VARIABLE ENTROPY

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B. Sizykh Grigory

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Maximum principle for subsonic flow is fair for stationary irrotational subsonic gas flows. According to this prin- ciple, if the value of the velocity is not constant everywhere, then its maximum is achieved on the boundary and only on the boundary of the considered domain. This property is used when designing form of an aircraft with a maximum critical val- ue of the Mach number: it is believed that if the local Mach number is less than unit in the incoming flow and on the body surface, then the Mach number is less then unit in all points of flow. The known proof of maximum principle for subsonic flow is based on the assumption that in the whole considered area of the flow the pressure is a function of density. For the ideal and perfect gas (the role of diffusion is negligible, and the Mendeleev-Clapeyron law is fulfilled, the pressure is a function of density if entropy is constant in the entire considered area of the flow. Shows an example of a stationary sub- sonic irrotational flow, in which the entropy has different values on different stream lines, and the pressure is not a function of density. The application of the maximum principle for subsonic flow with respect to such a flow would be unreasonable. This example shows the relevance of the question about the place of the points of maximum value of the velocity, if the entropy is not a constant. To clarify the regularities of the location of these points, was performed the analysis of the com- plete Euler equations (without any simplifying assumptions in 3-D case. The new proof of the maximum principle for sub- sonic flow was proposed. This proof does not rely on the assumption that the pressure is a function of density. Thus, it is shown that the maximum principle for subsonic flow is true for stationary subsonic irrotational flows of ideal perfect gas with variable entropy.

Densidade e qualidade dos estratos de forragem do capim Tanzânia (Panicum maximum Jacq. Cv. Tanzânia-1 manejado em diferentes alturas, sob pastejo Density bulk and quality of Tanzania grass layers (Panicum maximum Jacq.cv. Tanzania-1, at different heights in grazing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geraldo Tadeu dos Santos

2001-05-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes alturas (24; 26; 43; 45; 52; 62; 73 e 78 cm do pasto sobre a qualidade de forragem e estrutura do perfil do capim-Tanzânia, (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzânia – 1 (Poaceae. Foram utilizados novilhos da raça Nelore sob pastejo com carga animal variável, por meio da técnica put and take. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com duas repetições. A densidade de matéria seca total (DMT aumentou com o avanço no período experimental, enquanto a densidade de matéria seca de lâminas (DML não foi influenciada pelo período e pela altura do pasto. O estrato superior da pastagem foi a porção de maior qualidade, apresentando maior DML e maior teor de PB. Os estratos inferiores apresentaram menor qualidade, devido à maior DMT e menor DML, acarretando em maiores valores de FDA e FDN e menores teores de PB. O conteúdo de minerais das lâminas foi superior aos colmos, mantendo-se inalterado com relação aos estratos da pastagem.The effect of different sward heights (24; 26; 43; 45; 52; 62; 73 and 78 cm on forage quality and profile structure Tanzania grass, Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania – 1 (Poaceae is provided. Nelore steers were used in grazing at variable stocking rates with put and take technique. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replications. Total dry matter bulk densitity (TDMD increased during experimental period, while the leaf blade dry matter bulk density (LDMD was not influenced by period on by sward height. The upper layers had the best quality with higher LDMD and CP levels. Lower layers had the worst quality, due the higher TDMD and lower LDMD. This fact caused higher ADF and NDF levels and lower CP levels. Leaf blade mineral content was higher than that of stem, and remained unaltered in relation to the different layers.

Encapsulation of black carrot juice using spray and freeze drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Murali, S; Kar, Abhijit; Mohapatra, Debabandya; Kalia, Pritam

2015-12-01

Black carrot juice extracted using pectinase enzyme was encapsulated in three different carrier materials (maltodextrin 20DE, gum arabic and tapioca starch) using spray drying at four inlet temperatures (150, 175, 200 and 225 ℃) and freeze drying at a constant temperature of - 53 ℃ and vacuum of 0.22-0.11 mbar with the constant feed mixture. The products were analyzed for total anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, water solubility index, encapsulation efficiency and total colour change. For both the drying methods followed in this study, maltodextrin 20DE as the carrier material has proven to be better in retaining maximum anthocyanin and antioxidant activity compared to gum arabic and tapioca starch. The best spray dried product, was obtained at 150 ℃. The most acceptable was the freeze dried product with maximum anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, water solubility index, encapsulation efficiency and colour change. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Indigo Molecule Revisited Again: Assessment of the Minnesota Family of Density Functionals for the Prediction of Its Maximum Absorption Wavelengths in Various Solvents

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Francisco Cervantes-Navarro

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Minnesota family of density functionals (M05, M05-2X, M06, M06L, M06-2X, and M06-HF were evaluated for the calculation of the UV-Vis spectra of the indigo molecule in solvents of different polarities using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT and the polarized continuum model (PCM. The maximum absorption wavelengths predicted for each functional were compared with the known experimental results.

OPTIMIZATION OF MICROWAVE AND AIR DRYING CONDITIONS OF QUINCE (CYDONIA OBLONGA, MILLER USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

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Cem Baltacioglu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Effects of slice thickness of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller , microwave incident power and air drying temperature on antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of quince were investigated during drying in microwave and air drying. Optimum conditions were found to be: i for microwave drying, 285 W and 4.14 mm thick (maximum antioxidant activity and 285 W and 6.85 mm thick (maximum total phenolic content, and ii for air drying, 75 ºC and 1.2 mm thick (both maximum antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Drying conditions were optimized by using the response surface methodology. 13 experiments were carried out considering incident microwave powers from 285 to 795 W, air temperature from 46 to 74 ºC and slice thickness from 1.2 to 6.8 mm.

EFFECT OF CHEMICAL MODIFICATION AND HOT-PRESS DRYING ON POPLAR WOOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo-Feng Wu

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Urea-formaldehyde prepolymer and hot-press drying were used to improve the properties of poplar wood. The wood was impregnated with the prepolymer using a pulse-dipping machine. The impregnated timbers were compressed and dried by a multilayer hot-press drying kiln. The drying rate was more rapid during the chemical modification and hot-press drying than conventional kiln-drying. In addition, the properties of timber were also enhanced obviously. When the compression rate was 28.6%, the basic density, oven dry density and air-dried density of modified wood improved 22%, 71%, and 70%, respectively. The bending strength and compressive strength parallel to grain increased 60% and 40%. The water uptake of treated wood was significantly decreased compared with the untreated wood. The FTIR analysis successfully showed that the intensity of hydroxyl and carbonyl absorption peaks decreased significantly, which was attributed to a reaction of the NHCH2OH of urea-formaldehyde prepolymer with the wood carboxyl (C=O and hydroxyl (-OH groups. The XRD results indicated that the degree of crystallinity increased from 35.09% to 36.91%. The morphologic models of chemical within wood were discovered by SEM.

Optimising mechanical strength and bulk density of dry ceramic bodies through mixture design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Correia, S. L.

2005-02-01

Full Text Available In industrial practice, it is desirable to be able to predict, in an expeditious way, what the effects of a change in raw materials or the proportions thereof might be in the various processing steps towards the final product. When the property of interest is basically determined by the combination (or mixture of raw materials, an optimisation methodology specific to the design of mixture experiments can be successfully used. In the present study, dry bending strength and bulk density were selected as the properties to model, given the simplicity of their experimental determination and because they are frequently used as quality control parameter in the development and manufacture stages of floor and wall ceramic tiles. Ten formulations of three raw materials (a clay mixture, potash feldspar and quartz sand were processed in the laboratory under fixed conditions, similar to those used in the ceramics industry, and characterised. The use of this methodology enabled the calculation of valid regression models (equations relating dry bending strength and bulk density with the contents, in the starting mixture, of the particular raw materials used.

En el trabajo industrial es deseable poder predecir de manera efectiva, los efectos que los cambios en las materias primas o en sus proporciones pueden ejercer sobre las variables del proceso y como estos afectan al producto final. Cuando la propiedad de interés depende preferentemente de la mezcla de las materias primas, una metodología específica de optimización para el diseño de los experimentos de mezclas puede ser empleada con éxito. En este trabajo, la resistencia mecánica en seco y la densidad se emplearon como los parámetros de control en el desarrollo y producción de azulejos cerámicos para pavimento y revestimiento. Diez formulaciones a partir de tres materias primas ( una mezcla de arcilla, feldespato potásico y arena de cuarzo fueron procesadas en el laboratorio bajo

Nonimaging optical designs for maximum-power-density remote irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Feuermann, D; Gordon, J M; Ries, H

1998-04-01

Designs for flexible, high-power-density, remote irradiation systems are presented. Applications include industrial infrared heating such as in semiconductor processing, alternatives to laser light for certain medical procedures, and general remote high-brightness lighting. The high power densities in herent to the small active radiating regions of conventional metal-halide, halogen, xenon, microwave-sulfur, and related lamps can be restored with nonimaging concentrators with little loss of power. These high fluxlevels can then be transported at high transmissivity with light channels such as optical fibers or lightpipes, and reshaped into luminaires that can deliver prescribed angular and spatial flux distributions onto desired targets. Details for nominally two- and three-dimensional systems are developed, along with estimates ofoptical performance.

Maximum entropy reconstructions for crystallographic imaging; Cristallographie et reconstruction d`images par maximum d`entropie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papoular, R

1997-07-01

The Fourier Transform is of central importance to Crystallography since it allows the visualization in real space of tridimensional scattering densities pertaining to physical systems from diffraction data (powder or single-crystal diffraction, using x-rays, neutrons, electrons or else). In turn, this visualization makes it possible to model and parametrize these systems, the crystal structures of which are eventually refined by Least-Squares techniques (e.g., the Rietveld method in the case of Powder Diffraction). The Maximum Entropy Method (sometimes called MEM or MaxEnt) is a general imaging technique, related to solving ill-conditioned inverse problems. It is ideally suited for tackling undetermined systems of linear questions (for which the number of variables is much larger than the number of equations). It is already being applied successfully in Astronomy, Radioastronomy and Medical Imaging. The advantages of using MAXIMUM Entropy over conventional Fourier and `difference Fourier` syntheses stem from the following facts: MaxEnt takes the experimental error bars into account; MaxEnt incorporate Prior Knowledge (e.g., the positivity of the scattering density in some instances); MaxEnt allows density reconstructions from incompletely phased data, as well as from overlapping Bragg reflections; MaxEnt substantially reduces truncation errors to which conventional experimental Fourier reconstructions are usually prone. The principles of Maximum Entropy imaging as applied to Crystallography are first presented. The method is then illustrated by a detailed example specific to Neutron Diffraction: the search for proton in solids. (author). 17 refs.

Changes in corneal epithelial layer inflammatory cells in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hui; Li, Wei; Dong, Nuo; Chen, Wensheng; Liu, Jing; Chen, Lelei; Yuan, Hongxia; Geng, Zhixin; Liu, Zuguo

2010-01-01

To investigate the morphology, distribution, and density of inflammatory cells in the corneal epithelium of aqueous tear-deficient dry eye. Thirty-two patients with non-Sjögren's syndrome (NSS) dry eye, 14 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) dry eye, and 33 healthy volunteers were studied. In vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to investigate both Langerhans cell (LCs) and leukocyte distribution and density in the peripheral and central corneal epithelium. LC morphology was also evaluated. Multifactor regression analysis assessed whether there is a correlation between clinical manifestations and inflammatory cell densities. LCs were present in both central (34.9 +/- 5.7 cells/mm(2)) and peripheral (90.7 +/- 8.2 cells/mm(2)) parts of the normal corneal epithelium. Moreover, LC density increased dramatically in the central corneal epithelium in patients with NSS (89.8 +/- 10.8 cells/mm(2)) and SS (127.9 +/- 23.7 cells/mm(2)). The ratio of LCs with obvious processes was much higher in patients with dry eye than in healthy volunteers. LC density also increased in peripheral corneal epithelium in patients with SS, but not in those with NSS. Leukocyte density in normal corneal epithelium was very low, whereas it increased in the central corneal epithelium (4.6 +/- 1.0 cells/mm(2)) in NSS and in both central (49.0 +/- 12.9 cells/mm(2)) and peripheral (84.2 +/- 36.8 cells/mm(2)) corneal epithelium in SS. Densities of LCs and leukocytes showed significant correlation with the severity found in clinical evaluation. The LC and leukocyte changes in the corneal epithelium suggest their involvement in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye pathophysiology. In vivo dynamic assessment of central corneal inflammatory cell density may serve as an indicator of dry eye severity and provide new insight for dry eye treatment.

Temperature Buffer Test. Measurements of water content and density of the excavated buffer material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johannesson, Lars-Erik [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

2010-12-15

TBT (Temperature Buffer Test) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at understanding and modeling the thermo-hydromechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test was carried out at the - 420 m level in Aespoe HRL in a 8 meters deep and 1.76 m diameter deposition hole, with two heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter), surrounded by a MX-80 bentonite buffer and a confining plug on top anchored with 9 rods. It was installed during spring 2003. The bentonite around upper heater was removed during the period October - December 2009 and the buffer around the lower heater was removed during January - Mars 2010. During dismantling of the buffer, samples were taken on which analyses were made. This report describes the work with the deteroemoeination of the water content and the density of the taken samples. Most of the samples were taken from the buffer by core drilling from the upper surface of each installed bentonite block. The cores had a diameter of about 50 mm and a maximum length equal to the original height of the bentonite blocks (about 500 mm). The water content of the buffer was determined by drying a sample at a temperature of 105 deg C for 24 h and the bulk density was determined by weighing a sample both in the air and immerged in paraffin oil with known density. The water content, dry density, degree of saturation and void ratio of the buffer were then plotted. The plots show that all parts of the buffer had taken up water and the degree of saturation of the buffer varied between 90 - 100%. Large variation in the dry density of the buffer was also observed.

Varying plant density and harvest time to optimize cowpea leaf yield and nutrient content

Science.gov (United States)

Ohler, T. A.; Nielsen, S. S.; Mitchell, C. A.

1996-01-01

Plant density and harvest time were manipulated to optimize vegetative (foliar) productivity of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] canopies for future dietary use in controlled ecological life-support systems as vegetables or salad greens. Productivity was measured as total shoot and edible dry weights (DW), edible yield rate [(EYR) grams DW per square meter per day], shoot harvest index [(SHI) grams DW per edible gram DW total shoot], and yield-efficiency rate [(YER) grams DW edible per square meter per day per grams DW nonedible]. Cowpeas were grown in a greenhouse for leaf-only harvest at 14, 28, 42, 56, 84, or 99 plants/m2 and were harvested 20, 30, 40, or 50 days after planting (DAP). Shoot and edible dry weights increased as plant density and time to harvest increased. A maximum of 1189 g shoot DW/m2 and 594 g edible DW/m2 were achieved at an estimated plant density of 85 plants/m2 and harvest 50 DAP. EYR also increased as plant density and time to harvest increased. An EYR of 11 g m-2 day-1 was predicted to occur at 86 plants/m2 and harvest 50 DAP. SHI and YER were not affected by plant density. However, the highest values of SHI (64%) and YER (1.3 g m-2 day-1 g-1) were attained when cowpeas were harvested 20 DAP. The average fat and ash contents [dry-weight basis (dwb)] of harvested leaves remained constant regardless of harvest time. Average protein content increased from 25% DW at 30 DAP to 45% DW at 50 DAP. Carbohydrate content declined from 50% DW at 30 DAP to 45% DW at 50 DAP. Total dietary fiber content (dwb) of the leaves increased from 19% to 26% as time to harvest increased from 20 to 50 days.

Limitations of threshold voltage engineering of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures by dielectric interface charge density and manipulation by oxygen plasma surface treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Lükens, G.; Yacoub, H.; Kalisch, H.; Vescan, A.

2016-05-01

The interface charge density between the gate dielectric and an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure has a significant impact on the absolute value and stability of the threshold voltage Vth of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) heterostructure field effect transistor. It is shown that a dry-etching step (as typically necessary for normally off devices engineered by gate-recessing) before the Al2O3 gate dielectric deposition introduces a high positive interface charge density. Its origin is most likely donor-type trap states shifting Vth to large negative values, which is detrimental for normally off devices. We investigate the influence of oxygen plasma annealing techniques of the dry-etched AlGaN/GaN surface by capacitance-voltage measurements and demonstrate that the positive interface charge density can be effectively compensated. Furthermore, only a low Vth hysteresis is observable making this approach suitable for threshold voltage engineering. Analysis of the electrostatics in the investigated MIS structures reveals that the maximum Vth shift to positive voltages achievable is fundamentally limited by the onset of accumulation of holes at the dielectric/barrier interface. In the case of the Al2O3/Al0.26Ga0.74N/GaN material system, this maximum threshold voltage shift is limited to 2.3 V.

COMPARISON BETWEEN WOOD DRYING DEFECT SCORES: SPECIMEN TESTING X ANALYSIS OF KILN-DRIED BOARDS

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Djeison Cesar Batista

2015-04-01

Full Text Available It is important to develop drying technologies for Eucalyptus grandis lumber, which is one of the most planted species of this genus in Brazil and plays an important role as raw material for the wood industry. The general aim of this work was to assess the conventional kiln drying of juvenile wood of three clones of Eucalyptus grandis. The specific aims were to compare the behavior between: i drying defects indicated by tests with wood specimens and conventional kiln-dried boards; and ii physical properties and the drying quality. Five 11-year-old trees of each clone were felled, and only flatsawn boards of the first log were used. Basic density and total shrinkage were determined, and the drying test with wood specimens at 100 °C was carried out. Kiln drying of boards was performed, and initial and final moisture content, moisture gradient in thickness, drying stresses and drying defects were assessed. The defect scoring method was used to verify the behavior between the defects detected by specimen testing and the defects detected in kiln-dried boards. As main results, the drying schedule was too severe for the wood, resulting in a high level of boards with defects. The behavior between the defects in the drying test with specimens and the defects of kiln-dried boards was different, there was no correspondence, according to the defect scoring method.

Intracellular water exchange for measuring the dry mass, water mass and changes in chemical composition of living cells.

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Francisco Feijó Delgado

Full Text Available We present a method for direct non-optical quantification of dry mass, dry density and water mass of single living cells in suspension. Dry mass and dry density are obtained simultaneously by measuring a cell's buoyant mass sequentially in an H2O-based fluid and a D2O-based fluid. Rapid exchange of intracellular H2O for D2O renders the cell's water content neutrally buoyant in both measurements, and thus the paired measurements yield the mass and density of the cell's dry material alone. Utilizing this same property of rapid water exchange, we also demonstrate the quantification of intracellular water mass. In a population of E. coli, we paired these measurements to estimate the percent dry weight by mass and volume. We then focused on cellular dry density - the average density of all cellular biomolecules, weighted by their relative abundances. Given that densities vary across biomolecule types (RNA, DNA, protein, we investigated whether we could detect changes in biomolecular composition in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells. In E. coli, and S. cerevisiae, dry density increases from stationary to exponential phase, consistent with previously known increases in the RNA/protein ratio from up-regulated ribosome production. For mammalian cells, changes in growth conditions cause substantial shifts in dry density, suggesting concurrent changes in the protein, nucleic acid and lipid content of the cell.

Influence of changes in humidity on dry temperature in GPS RO climatologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Danzer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Radio occultation (RO data are increasingly used in climate research. Accurate phase (change measurements of Global Positioning System (GPS signals are the basis for the retrieval of near-vertical profiles of bending angle, microwave refractivity, density, pressure, and temperature. If temperature is calculated from observed refractivity with the assumption that water vapor is zero, the product is called "dry temperature", which is commonly used to study earth's atmosphere, e.g., when analyzing temperature trends due to global warming. Dry temperature is a useful quantity, since it does not need additional background information in its retrieval. However, it can only be safely used as proxy for physical temperature, where moisture is negligible. The altitude region above which water vapor does not play a dominant role anymore, depends primarily on latitude and season. In this study we first investigated the influence of water vapor on dry temperature RO profiles. Hence, we analyzed the maximum altitude down to which monthly mean dry temperature profiles can be regarded as being equivalent to physical temperature. This was done by examining dry temperature to physical temperature differences of monthly mean analysis fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF, studied from 2006 until 2010. We introduced cutoff criteria, where maximum temperature differences of −0.1, −0.05, and −0.02 K were allowed (dry temperature is always lower than physical temperature, and computed the corresponding altitudes. As an example, a temperature difference of −0.05 K in the tropics was found at an altitude of about 14 km, while at higher northern latitudes in winter it was found at an altitude of about 9–10 km, in summer at about 11 km. Furthermore, regarding climate change, we expect an increase of absolute humidity in the atmosphere. This possible trend in water vapor could yield a wrongly interpreted dry temperature trend

Still rethinking the value of high wood density.

Science.gov (United States)

Larjavaara, Markku; Muller-Landau, Helene C

2012-01-01

In a previous paper, we questioned the traditional interpretation of the advantages and disadvantages of high wood density (Functional Ecology 24: 701-705). Niklas and Spatz (American Journal of Botany 97: 1587-1594) challenged the biomechanical relevance of studying properties of dry wood, including dry wood density, and stated that we erred in our claims regarding scaling. We first present the full derivation of our previous claims regarding scaling. We then examine how the fresh modulus of rupture and the elastic modulus scale with dry wood density and compare these scaling relationships with those for dry mechanical properties, using almost exactly the same data set analyzed by Niklas and Spatz. The derivation shows that given our assumptions that the modulus of rupture and elastic modulus are both proportional to wood density, the resistance to bending is inversely proportional to wood density and strength is inversely proportional with the square root of wood density, exactly as we previously claimed. The analyses show that the elastic modulus of fresh wood scales proportionally with wood density (exponent 1.05, 95% CI 0.90-1.11) but that the modulus of rupture of fresh wood does not, scaling instead with the 1.25 power of wood density (CI 1.18-1.31). The deviation from proportional scaling for modulus of rupture is so small that our central conclusion remains correct: for a given construction cost, trees with lower wood density have higher strength and higher resistance to bending.

Vacuum drying plant for evaporator concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benavides, E.

2001-01-01

Volume reduction systems applied to evaporator concentrates in PWR and BWR save a significant amount of drums. The concentration to dry product is a technique that reaches the maximum volume reduction, compared to conventional techniques (cementation, polymerisation). Four Spanish N.P.P. (3 PWR and 1 BWR) have selected ENSA's process by means of fixed ''in drum vacuum drying system''. A 130-litre steel drum is used for drying without any additional requirement except vacuum resistance. This steel drum is introduced into a standard 200-litre drum. Five centimeters concrete shielding cylinder exists between both drums. Final package is classified as 19 GO according to ENRESA's acceptance code (dry waste with 5 cm concrete between 130-l and 200-l drum). The generation of cemented waste in five N.P.P. versus dried waste will be reduced 83%. This reduction will save a considerable amount in disposal costs. (authors)

Drying characteristics and engineering properties of fermented ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-03-06

Mar 6, 2009 ... fermented ground cassava. J. T. Nwabanne ... The drying characteristics of fermented ground local variety of ... effect of variety on the drying and engineering properties of fermented .... Figure 2 shows that the bulk density of each cultivar ... very close thermal conductivities as depicted in the shape of Figure ...

Assessment of corneal epithelial thickness in dry eye patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Xinhan; Hong, Jiaxu; Wang, Fei; Deng, Sophie X; Yang, Yujing; Zhu, Xiaoyu; Wu, Dan; Zhao, Yujin; Xu, Jianjiang

2014-12-01

To investigate the features of corneal epithelial thickness topography with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in dry eye patients. In this cross-sectional study, 100 symptomatic dry eye patients and 35 normal subjects were enrolled. All participants answered the ocular surface disease index questionnaire and were subjected to OCT, corneal fluorescein staining, tear breakup time, Schirmer 1 test without anesthetic (S1t), and meibomian morphology. Several epithelium statistics for each eye, including central, superior, inferior, minimum, maximum, minimum - maximum, and map standard deviation, were averaged. Correlations of epithelial thickness with the symptoms of dry eye were calculated. The mean (±SD) central, superior, and inferior corneal epithelial thickness was 53.57 (±3.31) μm, 52.00 (±3.39) μm, and 53.03 (±3.67) μm in normal eyes and 52.71 (±2.83) μm, 50.58 (±3.44) μm, and 52.53 (±3.36) μm in dry eyes, respectively. The superior corneal epithelium was thinner in dry eye patients compared with normal subjects (p = 0.037), whereas central and inferior epithelium were not statistically different. In the dry eye group, patients with higher severity grades had thinner superior (p = 0.017) and minimum (p dry eye corneal epithelium was thinner than normal eyes in the superior region. In more severe dry eye disease patients, the superior and minimum epithelium was much thinner, with a greater range of map standard deviation.

Performance studies of solar tunnel dryer for drying aonla (Embilica Officinalis) pulp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seveda, M. S.

2012-01-01

A solar tunnel dryer was constructed and evaluated the performance for drying aonla pulp. The dryer consists of a transparent UV stabilized plastic covered solar collector cum drying unit. Evaluation parameters are air temperature, solar insolation, moisture content, relative humidity and airflow rate. A minimum of 111.18 m 2 solar collector area is required to dry a batch 1000 kg aonla pulp in 16 hours (two days drying period). The initial and final moisture content considered were 424.93 and 10.08% dry basis, respectively. It was observed that on an average 43 per cent of higher temperature was obtained in solar tunnel dryer over the ambient temperature. The results obtained during the test period denoted that the maximum gained energy occurred at 13 o'clock hour and then gradually declined since the maximum solar radiation occurred at this time. (author)

Simultaneous harvesting of straw and chaff for energy purposes : influence on bale density, yield, field drying process and combustion characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundin, G. [JTI Swedish Inst. of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Uppsala (Sweden); Ronnback, M. [SP Technical Research Inst. of Sweden, Boras (Sweden)

2010-07-01

The potential to increase the productivity of fuel straw harvest and transportation was examined. When harvesting straw for energy purposes, only the long fraction is currently collected. However, technological improvements have now rendered it possible to harvest chaff, thus increasing the amount of harvest residues and bale density. The purpose of this study was to determine how harvest yield, bale density, field-drying behaviour and combustion characteristics are affected by the simultaneous harvest of straw and chaff. Field experiments were conducted in 2009 for long- and short-stalked winter wheat crops. Combine harvesting was carried out with 2 different types of combine harvesters. A high-density baler was used to bale the crop residues. Mixing chaff in with the straw swath by combine harvesting gave a lower initial moisture content compared with straw only. The density and the weight of each bale were not affected by the treatments. However, the added chaff increased the total yield of crop residues by 14 per cent, indicating that about half of the biologically available chaff was harvested. Although mixing in chaff increased the ash content by 1 percentage unit, there was no considerable change in net calorific value or ash melting behaviour.

Forage yield and nutritive value of Tanzania grass under nitrogen supplies and plant densities

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Fabrício Paiva de Freitas

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the nitrogen and plant density influence on the yield, forage dissection and nutritive value of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.. The design was of completely randomized blocks with three replications in a factorial arrangement with four nitrogen levels (0, 80, 160 or 320 kg/ha N and three plant densities (9, 25 or 49 plants/m². The plots were cut at 25 cm from soil level when the canopy reached 95% of light interception. The total dry matter forage yield and dry matter forage yield per harvest increased linearly with the nitrogen fertilization. The leaf and stem yield had the same response. The senesced forage yield was quadratically influenced by the nitrogen. The stems ratio in the morphologic composition was high in the high nitrogen levels and in the low plant densities. The leaf:stem ratio showed high values in this trial, but it was increased in plots without nitrogen and high plant density. The pre-grazing height was reduced with the increase in plant density. The nutritive value was favored by the nitrogen fertilization, which increased the crude protein level and reduced neutral detergent fiber and lignin. These factors increased the leaf and stem in vitro digestibility of organic matter. Nitrogen fertilization increases the forage yield of Tanzania grass under rotational grazing. After the establishment, plant density has little influence on the Tanzania grass yield and its forage dissection. The harvest with 95% light interception improves the structure and nutritive value of Tanzania grass pastures.

Intracellular Water Exchange for Measuring the Dry Mass, Water Mass and Changes in Chemical Composition of Living Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hecht, Vivian C.; Son, Sungmin; Li, Yingzhong; Knudsen, Scott M.; Olcum, Selim; Higgins, John M.; Chen, Jianzhu; Grover, William H.; Manalis, Scott R.

2013-01-01

We present a method for direct non-optical quantification of dry mass, dry density and water mass of single living cells in suspension. Dry mass and dry density are obtained simultaneously by measuring a cell’s buoyant mass sequentially in an H2O-based fluid and a D2O-based fluid. Rapid exchange of intracellular H2O for D2O renders the cell’s water content neutrally buoyant in both measurements, and thus the paired measurements yield the mass and density of the cell’s dry material alone. Utilizing this same property of rapid water exchange, we also demonstrate the quantification of intracellular water mass. In a population of E. coli, we paired these measurements to estimate the percent dry weight by mass and volume. We then focused on cellular dry density – the average density of all cellular biomolecules, weighted by their relative abundances. Given that densities vary across biomolecule types (RNA, DNA, protein), we investigated whether we could detect changes in biomolecular composition in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells. In E. coli, and S. cerevisiae, dry density increases from stationary to exponential phase, consistent with previously known increases in the RNA/protein ratio from up-regulated ribosome production. For mammalian cells, changes in growth conditions cause substantial shifts in dry density, suggesting concurrent changes in the protein, nucleic acid and lipid content of the cell. PMID:23844039

Maximum leaf conductance driven by CO2 effects on stomatal size and density over geologic time.

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, Peter J; Beerling, David J

2009-06-23

Stomatal pores are microscopic structures on the epidermis of leaves formed by 2 specialized guard cells that control the exchange of water vapor and CO(2) between plants and the atmosphere. Stomatal size (S) and density (D) determine maximum leaf diffusive (stomatal) conductance of CO(2) (g(c(max))) to sites of assimilation. Although large variations in D observed in the fossil record have been correlated with atmospheric CO(2), the crucial significance of similarly large variations in S has been overlooked. Here, we use physical diffusion theory to explain why large changes in S necessarily accompanied the changes in D and atmospheric CO(2) over the last 400 million years. In particular, we show that high densities of small stomata are the only way to attain the highest g(cmax) values required to counter CO(2)"starvation" at low atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. This explains cycles of increasing D and decreasing S evident in the fossil history of stomata under the CO(2) impoverished atmospheres of the Permo-Carboniferous and Cenozoic glaciations. The pattern was reversed under rising atmospheric CO(2) regimes. Selection for small S was crucial for attaining high g(cmax) under falling atmospheric CO(2) and, therefore, may represent a mechanism linking CO(2) and the increasing gas-exchange capacity of land plants over geologic time.

Effects of steam-microwave blanching and different drying processes on drying characteristics and quality attributes of Thunbergia laurifolia Linn. leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Phahom, Traiphop; Phoungchandang, Singhanat; Kerr, William L

2017-08-01

Dried Thunbergia laurifolia leaves are usually prepared using tray drying, resulting in products that have lost substantial amounts of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The maturity of the raw material, blanching techniques and drying methods were investigated in order to select the best condition to produce high qualities of dried T. laurifolia leaves. The 1st stage of maturity was selected and steam-microwave blanching (SMB) for 4 min was adequate for blanching leading to the maximum recovery of bioactive compounds. The modified Halsey model was the best desorption isotherm model. A new drying model proposed in this study was the best to fit the drying curves as compared to five common drying models. Moisture diffusivities were increased with the increase of drying temperature when combining SMB and heat pump-dehumidified drying. Microwave heat pump-dehumidified drying (MHPD) provided the shortest drying time, high specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) and could reduce drying time by 67.5% and increase caffeic acid and quercetin by 51.24% and 60.89%, respectively. MHPD was found to be the best drying method and provided the highest antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds content, high SMER and short drying time. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Severe dry winter affects plant phenology and carbon balance of a cork oak woodland understorey

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, A. C.; Costa-e-Silva, F.; Dubbert, M.; Piayda, A.; Pereira, J. S.

2016-10-01

Mediterranean climates are prone to a great variation in yearly precipitation. The effects on ecosystem will depend on the severity and timing of droughts. In this study we questioned how an extreme dry winter affects the carbon flux in the understorey of a cork oak woodland? What is the seasonal contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem productivity? We used closed-system portable chambers to measure CO2 exchange of the dominant shrub species (Cistus salviifolius, Cistus crispus and Ulex airensis), of the herbaceous layer and on bare soil in a cork oak woodland in central Portugal during the dry winter year of 2012. Shoot growth, leaf shedding, flower and fruit setting, above and belowground plant biomass were measured as well as seasonal leaf water potential. Eddy-covariance and micrometeorological data together with CO2 exchange measurements were used to access the understorey species contribution to ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP). The herbaceous layer productivity was severely affected by the dry winter, with half of the yearly maximum aboveground biomass in comparison with the 6 years site average. The semi-deciduous and evergreen shrubs showed desynchronized phenophases and lagged carbon uptake maxima. Whereas shallow-root shrubs exhibited opportunistic characteristics in exploiting the understorey light and water resources, deep rooted shrubs showed better water status but considerably lower assimilation rates. The contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP was lower during summer with 14% and maximum during late spring, concomitantly with the lowest tree productivity due to tree canopy renewal. The herbaceous vegetation contribution to ecosystem GPP never exceeded 6% during this dry year stressing its sensitivity to winter and spring precipitation. Although shrubs are more resilient to precipitation variability when compared with the herbaceous vegetation, the contribution of the understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP can

Intensifying drying process with creation of functional plant compositions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zh. Petrova

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The process of drying agricultural raw products is associated with loss of bioactive substances by the products exposed to heat, light, oxygen, or рН medium. It is reasonable to enhance the table beet processing technology in order to achieve maximum betanin conservation at lower energy consumption. Materials and methods. Table beets, rhubarbs, lemons, and tomatoes were dried at temperature of 50 to 100 ºС, air speed of 1.5 to 3.5 m/s, heat carrier water content of 7 to 15 g/kg, and layer thickness of 2 to 20 mm. The betanіn content was determined via absorption spectra, using the optical density value at 540 nm wavelength. A differential microcalorimeter was used for measuring evaporation heat consumption. Results and discussion.The effect of raw product pre-drying preparation was studied. With no preliminary preparation, the loss of betanin after drying reaches 66 %. The preliminary preparation technology we have developed includes boiling whole root crops with optimal selection of acid medium and allows us to reduce the betanin loss down to 6 %. Regretfully, the process requires large energy consumption. Low energy consumption pre-drying preparation method was developed for antioxidant raw products with thermal processing replaced by blending. The betanin loss, in this case, does not exceed 5 %. Optimal drying temperature of betanin-containing raw stock, after its preliminary processing, is 60 °С. It allows to keep up to 95 % of betanіn. Specific heat consumption for water evaporation out of the developed table beet based antioxidant plant compositions, with addition of rhubarb and lemon, is less by 4 to 5 % as compared to the initial components. Conclusions. Dependence of betanin loss in plant raw stock on the material temperature and composition components, in the course of their pre-drying preparation, was found. It was also found that water evaporation heat, for some antioxidant plant compositions developed, is less

Spray-drying nanocapsules in presence of colloidal silica as drying auxiliary agent: formulation and process variables optimization using experimental designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tewa-Tagne, Patrice; Degobert, Ghania; Briançon, Stéphanie; Bordes, Claire; Gauvrit, Jean-Yves; Lanteri, Pierre; Fessi, Hatem

2007-04-01

Spray-drying process was used for the development of dried polymeric nanocapsules. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of formulation and process variables on the resulting powder characteristics in order to optimize them. Experimental designs were used in order to estimate the influence of formulation parameters (nanocapsules and silica concentrations) and process variables (inlet temperature, spray-flow air, feed flow rate and drying air flow rate) on spray-dried nanocapsules when using silica as drying auxiliary agent. The interactions among the formulation parameters and process variables were also studied. Responses analyzed for computing these effects and interactions were outlet temperature, moisture content, operation yield, particles size, and particulate density. Additional qualitative responses (particles morphology, powder behavior) were also considered. Nanocapsules and silica concentrations were the main factors influencing the yield, particulate density and particle size. In addition, they were concerned for the only significant interactions occurring among two different variables. None of the studied variables had major effect on the moisture content while the interaction between nanocapsules and silica in the feed was of first interest and determinant for both the qualitative and quantitative responses. The particles morphology depended on the feed formulation but was unaffected by the process conditions. This study demonstrated that drying nanocapsules using silica as auxiliary agent by spray drying process enables the obtaining of dried micronic particle size. The optimization of the process and the formulation variables resulted in a considerable improvement of product yield while minimizing the moisture content.

Apparent molal volumes of HMT and TATD in aqueous solutions around the temperature of maximum density of water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clavijo Penagos, J.A.; Blanco, L.H.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ►V φ for HMT and TATD in aqueous solutions around the temperature of maximum density of water are reported. ► V φ is linear in m form m = 0.025 for all the aqueous solutions investigated. ► Variation of V ¯ 2 ∞ with T obeys a second grade polynomial trend. ► The solutes are classified as structure breakers according to Hepler’s criterion. - Abstract: Apparent molal volumes V φ have been determined from density measurements for several aqueous solutions of 1,3,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]decane (HMT) and 1,3,6,8-tetraazatricyclo[4.4.1.1(3,8)]dodecane (TATD) at T = (275.15, 275.65, 276.15, 276.65, 277.15, 277.65 and 278.15) K as function of composition. The infinite dilution partial molar volumes of solutes in aqueous solution are evaluated through extrapolation. Interactions of the solutes with water are discussed in terms of the effect of the temperature on the volumetric properties and the structure of the solutes. The results are interpreted in terms of water structure-breaking or structure forming character of the solutes.

Effect of reverse Boudouard reaction catalyst on the performance of solid oxide carbon fuel cells integrated with a dry gasifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sun-Kyung; Mehran, Muhammad Taqi; Mushtaq, Usman; Lim, Tak-Hyoung; Lee, Jong-Won; Lee, Seung-Bok; Park, Seok-Joo; Song, Rak-Hyun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The addition of K_2CO_3 catalyst in carbon fuel improves the performance of SO-CFC. • Thermal and electrochemical analyses done to elucidate the catalytic enhancement. • Material characterization of SO-CFC performed after long-term degradation test. - Abstract: A solid oxide carbon fuel cell (SO-CFC) integrated with a dry gasifier was operated on activated carbon fuel and the effect of adding a reverse Boudouard gasification catalyst on the performance and long-term operation characteristics of the SO-CFC was investigated. The reactivity of the carbon fuels for the Boudouard gasification reaction was analyzed by a thermal analysis at various operating conditions. The SO-CFC was then operated on gasified fuel gas consisting of CO_2 and CO obtained from the integrated dry gasifier. The SO-CFC operated on activated carbon fuel with 5 wt.% K_2CO_3 achieved a maximum power density of 202, 262, and 271 mW/cm"2 at 750, 800, and 850 °C, respectively; the SO-CFC fueled with activated carbon fuel without a catalyst meanwhile yielded maximum power density of 168 mW/cm"2 at 850 °C. By using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the effect of adding the catalyst on the gasification products and subsequently on the performance of the SO-CFC was studied. A long-term degradation test was conducted by continuously operating the SO-CFC at 50 mA/cm"2 for 518 h at 750 °C. During the long-term degradation test, the average degradation rate of the SO-CFC was found to be 183 mV/kh. The post-mortem SEM and XRD analyses of the SO-CFC after the long-term test revealed the presence of carbon deposits and oxidation of Ni at the anode, causing a relatively higher degree of degradation in the SO-CFC integrated with the dry gasifier during the long-term operation. The addition of the K_2CO_3 based dry gasification catalyst significantly enhances the performance of the SO-CFC integrated with dry gasification, but during long-term operation, the degradation rate is found

Environmental and zooplankton parameter changes during the drying of a saline shallow temporary lake in central Argentina

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Alicia María Vignatti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Central Argentina has numerous saline lakes sustained by groundwater sources and rainfall. These lakes are temporary and experience significant changes in water level and salinity, depending on wet and dry climate cycles. This study aims to investigate the scarcely known dynamics of environmental and zooplankton parameters during the drying phase of one of these lakes. Monthly samples were taken from December 2 012 to July 2 013 in the Ojo de Agua Uriburu lake, previous to its drying. At the beginning of the study, the lake’s depth was 0.7 m and its salinity was 16.65 g L−1, later, in July, its depth decreased to 0.06 m and its salinity increased to 92.9 g L−1. Zooplankton species richness was low (three crustaceans and three rotifers, with Boeckella poopoensis and Moina eugeniae dominating in the system. Maximum density and biomass were attained by the two dominant species in April (318.5 i nd L−1 and 3 029.1 µg L−1 dry weight; and 242.4 i nd L −1 and 1 530.4 µg L−1 dry weight, for B. poopoensis and M. ugeniae, respectively, and no correlation was found between these parameters and salinity. Maximum average body lengths for both species were observed in the last months of sampling (M. eugeniae: 1 020 ± 84.2 µm and B. poopoensis: 1 348.8 ± 89.0 µm. At this point of the study, neither juvenile nor larval stages were found. The increase in average body size is, arguably, the result of increased salinity in the system through a negative effect on reproduction. Because this lake reached hypersalinity, its ecological dynamics are unique among those of other temporary, saline lakes that dried in central Argentina. Similar studies on other temporary ecosystems are needed to increase the information on these little known ecological aspects.

The maximum entropy production and maximum Shannon information entropy in enzyme kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Dobovišek, Andrej; Markovič, Rene; Brumen, Milan; Fajmut, Aleš

2018-04-01

We demonstrate that the maximum entropy production principle (MEPP) serves as a physical selection principle for the description of the most probable non-equilibrium steady states in simple enzymatic reactions. A theoretical approach is developed, which enables maximization of the density of entropy production with respect to the enzyme rate constants for the enzyme reaction in a steady state. Mass and Gibbs free energy conservations are considered as optimization constraints. In such a way computed optimal enzyme rate constants in a steady state yield also the most uniform probability distribution of the enzyme states. This accounts for the maximal Shannon information entropy. By means of the stability analysis it is also demonstrated that maximal density of entropy production in that enzyme reaction requires flexible enzyme structure, which enables rapid transitions between different enzyme states. These results are supported by an example, in which density of entropy production and Shannon information entropy are numerically maximized for the enzyme Glucose Isomerase.

Drying of Vitis vinifera L. cv “Sultanina” in tunnel solar drier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İs̨çi Burçak

2015-01-01

The main factor in the drying process is to obtain minimum energy consumption of the product with the desired quality and reach a maximum speed of drying. The results obtained from this research are used in practice compliance.

The maximum entropy method of moments and Bayesian probability theory

Science.gov (United States)

Bretthorst, G. Larry

2013-08-01

The problem of density estimation occurs in many disciplines. For example, in MRI it is often necessary to classify the types of tissues in an image. To perform this classification one must first identify the characteristics of the tissues to be classified. These characteristics might be the intensity of a T1 weighted image and in MRI many other types of characteristic weightings (classifiers) may be generated. In a given tissue type there is no single intensity that characterizes the tissue, rather there is a distribution of intensities. Often this distributions can be characterized by a Gaussian, but just as often it is much more complicated. Either way, estimating the distribution of intensities is an inference problem. In the case of a Gaussian distribution, one must estimate the mean and standard deviation. However, in the Non-Gaussian case the shape of the density function itself must be inferred. Three common techniques for estimating density functions are binned histograms [1, 2], kernel density estimation [3, 4], and the maximum entropy method of moments [5, 6]. In the introduction, the maximum entropy method of moments will be reviewed. Some of its problems and conditions under which it fails will be discussed. Then in later sections, the functional form of the maximum entropy method of moments probability distribution will be incorporated into Bayesian probability theory. It will be shown that Bayesian probability theory solves all of the problems with the maximum entropy method of moments. One gets posterior probabilities for the Lagrange multipliers, and, finally, one can put error bars on the resulting estimated density function.

The Effect of Planting Pattern and Density on Yield and Yield Components of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.

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A Koocheki

2017-06-01

. In order to study the arrangement and planting density over two years of experiment, combined analysis was performed with SAS ver 9.1 and diagrams were plotted by using EXCEL 2010. Comparison of data mean was performed with LSD test at the level of 5%. Results and Discussions Interaction between planting pattern and density had significant effect on total dry matter, yield, the number of seeds per capsule and the number of capsules per plant. Harvest index, 1000 seed weight and the number of branches per plant were affected by plant density. Maximum dry matter was obtained from rhombic planting pattern with density of 50 plants per square meter and it was 8 and 13% more than squares and rectangles planting pattern, respectively. The highest yield was achieved from density of 50 plants per square meter in rhombic planting pattern at a rate of 1100 g m-2 in the year 2012. Maximum number of capsules per plant and seed were achieved from density of 30 plants per square meter in rhombic planting pattern with amount of 47 and 19.2, respectively in the year 2012. Increasing plant density from 30 to 50 plants per square meter decreased 1000 seed weight about 13 percent. Increasing plant density from 30 to 50 plants per unit area leads to lower harvest index (from 31 to 28 percent. Conclusions In order to achieve the highest total dry matter and economic yield, diamond planting pattern and density of 50 plants per square meter were better than the other. With reducing the density per unit area, biomass per plant increases due to less competition for light, nutrients and water. The maximum number of seeds per capsule and number of capsules per plant were obtained from diamond planting pattern with a density of 30 plants per square meter so it seems that at low densities, growth and branching of the plant increases because of enough space but there is no efficient use of the environmental resources. It's concluded that 50 plants per square meter in the diamond pattern is a

Diverse patterns of stored water use among saplings in seasonally dry tropical forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Brett T; Kursar, Thomas A

2015-12-01

Tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests likely vary in their drought-survival mechanisms. Drought-deciduousness, which reduces water loss, and low wood density, which may permit dependence on stored water, are considered key traits. For saplings of six species at two distinct sites, we studied these and two associated traits: the seasonal amount of water released per stem volume ("water released") and the hydraulic capacitance of the stem (C). Two deciduous species with low stem density, Cavanillesia platanifolia and Bursera simaruba, had high C and high dry-season stem water potential (Ψ(stem)), but differed in dry-season water released. C. platanifolia did not use stored water during the dry season whereas B. simaruba, in a drier forest, released stored water. In both, water released was highest while flushing leaves, suggesting that stored water supports leaf flushing. In contrast, two deciduous species with intermediate stem density, Annona hayesii and Genipa americana, had intermediate C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and high seasonal change in water released. Meanwhile, two evergreen species with intermediate stem density, Cojoba rufescens and Astronium graveolens, had relatively low C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and intermediate seasonal change in water released. Thus, at least three, distinct stored-water-use strategies were observed. Additionally, bark relative water content (RWC) decreased along with Ψ(stem) during the dry season while xylem RWC did not change, suggesting that bark-stored water buffers Ψ(stem) seasonally. Together these results suggest that seasonal use of stored water and change in Ψ(stem) are associated with functional groups that are characterized by combinations of deciduousness and stem density.

Extreme Maximum Land Surface Temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Garratt, J. R.

1992-09-01

There are numerous reports in the literature of observations of land surface temperatures. Some of these, almost all made in situ, reveal maximum values in the 50°-70°C range, with a few, made in desert regions, near 80°C. Consideration of a simplified form of the surface energy balance equation, utilizing likely upper values of absorbed shortwave flux (1000 W m2) and screen air temperature (55°C), that surface temperatures in the vicinity of 90°-100°C may occur for dry, darkish soils of low thermal conductivity (0.1-0.2 W m1 K1). Numerical simulations confirm this and suggest that temperature gradients in the first few centimeters of soil may reach 0.5°-1°C mm1 under these extreme conditions. The study bears upon the intrinsic interest of identifying extreme maximum temperatures and yields interesting information regarding the comfort zone of animals (including man).

A novel method for extracting nucleic acids from dried blood spots for ultrasensitive detection of low-density Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Zainabadi, Kayvan; Adams, Matthew; Han, Zay Yar; Lwin, Hnin Wai; Han, Kay Thwe; Ouattara, Amed; Thura, Si; Plowe, Christopher V; Nyunt, Myaing M

2017-09-18

Greater Mekong Subregion countries are committed to eliminating Plasmodium falciparum malaria by 2025. Current elimination interventions target infections at parasite densities that can be detected by standard microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). More sensitive detection methods have been developed to detect lower density "asymptomatic" infections that may represent an important transmission reservoir. These ultrasensitive polymerase chain reaction (usPCR) tests have been used to identify target populations for mass drug administration (MDA). To date, malaria usPCR tests have used either venous or capillary blood sampling, which entails complex sample collection, processing and shipping requirements. An ultrasensitive method performed on standard dried blood spots (DBS) would greatly facilitate the molecular surveillance studies needed for targeting elimination interventions. A highly sensitive method for detecting Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax 18S ribosomal RNA from DBS was developed by empirically optimizing nucleic acid extraction conditions. The limit of detection (LoD) was determined using spiked DBS samples that were dried and stored under simulated field conditions. Further, to assess its utility for routine molecular surveillance, two cross-sectional surveys were performed in Myanmar during the wet and dry seasons. The lower LoD of the DBS-based ultrasensitive assay was 20 parasites/mL for DBS collected on Whatman 3MM filter paper and 23 parasites/mL for Whatman 903 Protein Saver cards-equivalent to 1 parasite per 50 µL DBS. This is about 5000-fold more sensitive than standard RDTs and similar to the LoD of ≤16-22 parasites/mL reported for other ultrasensitive methods based on whole blood. In two cross-sectional surveys in Myanmar, nearly identical prevalence estimates were obtained from contemporaneous DBS samples and capillary blood samples collected during the wet and dry season. The DBS-based ultrasensitive method described in this

Influence of drying conditions on the effective moisture diffusivity and energy requirements during the drying of pretreated and untreated pumpkin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tunde-Akintunde, Toyosi Y.; Ogunlakin, Grace O.

2011-01-01

Pumpkin as a fruit is consumed by both animals and humans. Its high moisture content makes it perishable and thus there is a need for drying as a means of preservation. Thin-layer drying characteristics for the samples dried using a hot-air dryer were obtained from the experiment data. The drying was observed to take place in the falling rate drying period. Ficks law was used to determine the moisture diffusivity which varied from a minimum of 1.19 x 10 -9 m 2 /s for untreated pumpkin samples dried at 40 o C to a maximum value of 4.27 x 10 -9 m 2 /s for steam blanched samples dried at 80 o C. The value of the energy of activation varied from 21.44 to 28.67 kJ/mol. The input energy values and specific energy requirement for thin-drying of pumpkin samples were found to be in the range of 317.8-458.1 kW h and 1588.8-2290.3 kW h/kg from 40 o C to 80 o C with a drying air velocity of 1.5 m/s respectively.

Influence of drying conditions on the effective moisture diffusivity and energy requirements during the drying of pretreated and untreated pumpkin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tunde-Akintunde, Toyosi Y.; Ogunlakin, Grace O. [Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, PMB 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State (Nigeria)

2011-02-15

Pumpkin as a fruit is consumed by both animals and humans. Its high moisture content makes it perishable and thus there is a need for drying as a means of preservation. Thin-layer drying characteristics for the samples dried using a hot-air dryer were obtained from the experiment data. The drying was observed to take place in the falling rate drying period. Ficks law was used to determine the moisture diffusivity which varied from a minimum of 1.19 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s for untreated pumpkin samples dried at 40 C to a maximum value of 4.27 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s for steam blanched samples dried at 80 C. The value of the energy of activation varied from 21.44 to 28.67 kJ/mol. The input energy values and specific energy requirement for thin-drying of pumpkin samples were found to be in the range of 317.8-458.1 kW h and 1588.8-2290.3 kW h/kg from 40 C to 80 C with a drying air velocity of 1.5 m/s respectively. (author)

Effect of drying technique on quality of UO2 sintered spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benadik, A.; Becvar, J.; Jakesova, L.

1978-01-01

A comparison was made of the appearance and quality of UO 2 sintered spheres prepared from gel particles by drying in the air saturated with gaseous products of thermal decomposition at 225 degC, and by azeotropic distillation. The quality of the end product was controlled by the gel particle size and drying technique. Coarser particles (0.95 mm in diameter) were of inhomogeneous structure and after drying by azeotropic distillation had a lower specific density. Particles 0.82 and 0.75 mm in diameter had a specific density >= 98.2% of theoretical value and a homogeneous structure. (author)

High-density 3D graphene-based monolith and related materials, methods, and devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worsley, Marcus A.; Baumann, Theodore F.; Biener, Juergen; Charnvanichborikarn, Supakit; Kucheyev, Sergei; Montalvo, Elizabeth; Shin, Swanee; Tylski, Elijah

2017-03-21

A composition comprising at least one high-density graphene-based monolith, said monolith comprising a three-dimensional structure of graphene sheets crosslinked by covalent carbon bonds and having a density of at least 0.1 g/cm.sup.3. Also provided is a method comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising a suspension and at least one catalyst, said suspension selected from a graphene oxide (GO) suspension and a carbon nanotube suspension; curing the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel, said drying step is substantially free of supercritical drying and freeze drying; and pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a high-density graphene-based monolith. Exceptional combinations of properties are achieved including high conductive and mechanical properties.

[Investigation of Acaroid mites breeding in stored dry fruits].

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Ning; Zhan, Xiao-dong; Sun, En-tao; Li, Chao-pin

2015-12-01

To study the species and density of Acaroid mites breeding in stored dry fruits. The samples from the dried fruit stores and warehouses were collected, and the mites breeding in them were separated, then the slides with mites were prepared and observed by a light microscope for species identification and counting. The indexes such as the breeding density, species richness index, diversity index and evenness index were calculated. Totally 12 species of Acaroid mites belonging to 6 families and 10 genera were obtained from the total 49 samples. The dominant mite species were Carpoglyphus lactis, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Acarus siro, and Caloglyphus berlesei. The breeding densities of mites in longans, filberts and plum candies were 79.78, 48.91, 35.73 mites/g, respectively, which were higher than those in other dry fruits. The seasonal variation experiment of mites found that the average breeding density of acaroid mites was higher in July and October, the richness index and diversity index reached the highest value in July, and the evenness index was higher in January and April. The observation of the growth and decline of Acaroid mites under the artificial condition found the number of Caloglyphus berlesei declined sharply and Tyrophagus putrescentiae first increased and then decreased. The pollution of Acaroid mites is serious in the stored dried fruits, for which the positive prevention and control measures to the mite breeding should be taken to reduce the harm.

The maximum-entropy method in superspace

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

van Smaalen, S.; Palatinus, Lukáš; Schneider, M.

2003-01-01

Roč. 59, - (2003), s. 459-469 ISSN 0108-7673 Grant - others:DFG(DE) XX Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : maximum-entropy method, * aperiodic crystals * electron density Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.558, year: 2003

Freeze drying vs microwave drying–methods for synthesis of sinteractive thoria powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annie, D.; Chandramouli, V. [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India); Anthonysamy, S., E-mail: sas@igcar.gov.in [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India); Ghosh, Chanchal; Divakar, R. [Materials Synthesis and Structural Characterization Division, Materials and Metallurgy Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India)

2017-02-15

Thoria powders were synthesized by oxalate precipitation from an aqueous solution of the nitrate. The filtered precipitates were freeze dried or microwave dried before being calcined at 1073 K. The thoria powders obtained were characterized for crystallite size, specific surface area, bulk density, particle size distribution and residual carbon. Microstructure of the product was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sinterability of the synthesized powders was studied by measuring the density of the sintered compacts. Powders that can be consolidated and sintered to densities ∼96% theoretical density (TD) at 1773 K were obtained.

Properties and sinterability of wet and dry attrition-milled OREOXed powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. W.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, W. K.; Park, K. I.; Lee, J. W.

2001-01-01

The powder properties and sinterability were investigated with the powder prepared by wet and dry attrition milling of OREOX-treated powder. The OREOX-treated powder was prepared from the simulated spent fuel. Powder having less than 1 μm of average particle size could be obtained by dry milling, but not be obtained by wet milling. Thus, specific surface area of dry milled powder was higher than that of wet milled powder. With increasing of milling time, dry milled powder formed dense agglomerate while wet milled powder showed loose agglomerate. The pellets with higher than 95% T.D. of sintered density and larger than 7 μm of grain size were made with the milled powder regardless of milling method. The milling time in wet milling has greatly improved the sinterability. The pellets produced with dry milled powder have higher sintered density and larger grain size

Effect of microwave freeze drying on quality and energy supply in drying of barley grass.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaohuang; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Zhong, Qifeng; Wang, Zhushang

2018-03-01

Young barley grass leaves are well-known for containing the antioxidant substances flavonoid and chlorophyll. However, low product quality and energy efficiency exist with respect to the dehydration of barley grass leaves. To improve energy supply and the quality of barley grass, microwave heating instead of contact heat was applied for the freeze drying of barley grass at a pilot scale at 1, 1.5 and 2 W g -1 , respectively; After drying, energy supply and quality parameters of color, moisture content, chlorophyll, flavonoids, odors of dried barley grass were determined to evaluate the feasibility of the study. Microwave freeze drying (MFD) allowed a low energy supply and high contents of chlorophyll and flavonoids. A lightness value of 60.0, a green value of -11.5 and an energy supply of 0.61 kW h -1  g -1 were observed in 1.5 W g -1 MFD; whereas drying time (7 h) decreased by 42% compared to contact heating. Maximum content of flavonoid and chlorophyll was 11.7 and 12.8 g kg -1 barley grass. Microwave heating leads to an odor change larger than that for contact heating observed for the freeze drying of barley grass. MFD retains chlorophyll and flavonoids, as well as colors and odors of samples, and also decreases energy consumption in the freeze drying of barley grass. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

High-T/sub c/ oxide superconductors prepared by spray-drying method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, N.; Nakano, T.; Goth, S.; Shimotomai, M.

1988-01-01

A spray-drying method has been worked out to prepare the superconducting oxide YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ by using aqueous solution of acetates of the component metals. Spray-dried powders have shown to be very reactive and full calcination has been easily attained at 900 0 C for 12 hrs. The density of the ceramics sintered at 950 0 C for 12 hrs has reached a value of 98% of the theoretical density. The resistivity of the spray-dry processed sample is 150μΩ-cm at the onset temperature and the residual resistivity extrapolated to O K is almost zero. It is also found that degradation of the superconducting state by application of magnetic field is much improved for the spray-dry processed samples

Analysis of Dry Spells in Southern Italy (Calabria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tommaso Caloiero

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A deficit in precipitation may impact greatly on soil moisture, snowpack, stream flow, groundwater, and reservoir storage. Among the several approaches available to analyze this phenomenon, one of the most applied is the analysis of dry spells. In this paper, an investigation of the spatial and temporal patterns of dry spells, in a region of southern Italy, has been carried out on a daily precipitation dataset. First, the frequency distributions of the sequences of dry days have been analyzed. Then, the regional areas most affected by dry events have been evaluated at annual and seasonal scale. Finally, the long-term trend of the dry spells has been estimated at annual and seasonal scale. Results show that the lower probabilities of long dry spells occur in the main reliefs of the region, while the highest values have been detected in the Ionian side. The spatial distribution of the mean and maximum length values of the dry spells evidenced a west–east gradient. The trend analysis mainly revealed a negative behavior in the duration of the dry spells at annual scale and a positive trend in the winter period.

Botanical and ecological basis for the resilience of Antillean dry forests

Science.gov (United States)

A.E. Lugo; E. Medina; J. Carlos Trejo Torres; E. Helmer

2006-01-01

Dry forest environments limit the number of species that can survive there. Antillean dry forests have low floristic diversity and stature, high density of small and medium-sized trees, and are among the least conserved of the tropical forests. Their canopies are smooth with no emergent trees and have high species dominance. Antillean dry forests occur mostly on...

Preparation of superconducting powders by freeze-drying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.M.; Gusman, M.I.; Rowcliffe, D.J.; Geballe, T.H.; Sun, J.Z.

1987-01-01

A method of preparing superconducting powders by freeze-drying is described. Powders produced by this method are homogeneous, have high purities, and are very reactive. Materials sintered from these powders have densities up to 89% of the theoretical density, and exhibit very sharp resistivity drops and large Meissner effects. The microstructure of the materials is very sensitive to the sintering temperature

Physical properties of sunflower grains after drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Carteri Coradi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The knowledge of the physical properties of the grains is important for the optimization of post-harvest operations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of convective drying with different air temperatures (45, 55, 65 and 75 °C the physical properties of sunflower seeds. The drying sunflower grains was performed in convection oven with forced air. In natural conditions, samples of 5 kg of pellets were used for each repetition drying. During the drying process, the grains samples were weighed periodically until they reach 10% (wet basis, w.b., then were subjected to evaluations of physical properties. According to the results it was observed that the porosity, apparent density, thousand kernel weight to the drag coefficient, roundness, sphericity and width of sunflower seed did not change with increasing temperature drying air. It was concluded that the drying air temperatures of 45 °C and 55 retained the initial physical characteristics of sunflower seeds. The temperature of the drying air of 75 °C had greater influence on changes in volumetric shrinkage of the grains.

Evaluation of energy consumption in different drying methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motevali, Ali; Minaei, Saeid; Khoshtagaza, Mohammad Hadi [Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Agricultural Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14115-111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-02-15

This study was conducted to evaluate energy consumption in various drying systems including hot-air convection, use of microwave pretreatment with convection dryer, microwave drying, vacuum drying and infrared drying. Tests were conducted using pomegranate arils under various experimental conditions as follows. In convection dryer at six temperature levels (45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 C) and three air velocity levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s) at three pretreatments of control, 100 W microwave pretreatment for 20 min and 200 W microwave pretreatment for 10 min. Experiments in the microwave dryer were done at three power levels of 100, 200 and 300 W and in vacuum dryer at five temperature levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 C) under 250 kPa pressure. For infrared drying, there were four air velocity levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 m/s) and three illumination levels (0.22, 0.31 and 0.49 W/cm{sup 2}). Experimental results showed that minimum and maximum energy consumption in pomegranate drying were associated with microwave and vacuum dryers, respectively. The use of microwave pretreatment in drying pomegranate arils in hot air dryer decreased drying time and energy consumption in comparison with pure convection drying. In infrared drying, it was found that drying time increased with air velocity which resulted in increased energy consumption. (author)

Evaluation of energy consumption in different drying methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motevali, Ali; Minaei, Saeid; Khoshtagaza, Mohammad Hadi

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate energy consumption in various drying systems including hot-air convection, use of microwave pretreatment with convection dryer, microwave drying, vacuum drying and infrared drying. Tests were conducted using pomegranate arils under various experimental conditions as follows. In convection dryer at six temperature levels (45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 o C) and three air velocity levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s) at three pretreatments of control, 100 W microwave pretreatment for 20 min and 200 W microwave pretreatment for 10 min. Experiments in the microwave dryer were done at three power levels of 100, 200 and 300 W and in vacuum dryer at five temperature levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 o C) under 250 kPa pressure. For infrared drying, there were four air velocity levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 m/s) and three illumination levels (0.22, 0.31 and 0.49 W/cm 2 ). Experimental results showed that minimum and maximum energy consumption in pomegranate drying were associated with microwave and vacuum dryers, respectively. The use of microwave pretreatment in drying pomegranate arils in hot air dryer decreased drying time and energy consumption in comparison with pure convection drying. In infrared drying, it was found that drying time increased with air velocity which resulted in increased energy consumption.

Modification of the liquid cooling channel of PEMFCs for their operation with dry reactant gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shyu, Jin-Cherng; Hsueh, Kan-Lin; Tsau, Fanghei; Chen, Fa-Lin

2011-01-01

In order to tackle both water and thermal problems, a modified PEMFC is proposed in the present study for its operation with dry reactant gases via the modification of liquid cooling channel with circulating liquid electrolyte. Fuel cell with both circulating liquid electrolyte and solid polymer membrane operated with either dry or humidified H 2 /O 2 is compared in the present study at temperatures of 40, 50, 65, and 80 o C, respectively. The measured E-I data show that such single cell can be operated at 80 o C without humidification. Besides, a semi-empirical equation to predict the current/voltage relationship, and the electrochemical impedance method are also employed in the present study for cell resistance analysis. The analysis results show that the high interfacial resistance should be one of the major reasons for the inferior performance of the present cell. Based on the discovery, an improvement of the present fuel cell is further proposed by Nafion ionomer spreading on the electrode before the assembly of membrane and electrode. The maximum power density of the cell after electrode treatment reaches 75 mW/cm 2 for dry H 2 /O 2 operation at 0.4 V, which is almost threefold improvement compared with that without electrode treatment.

Bacterial and Fungal Counts of Dried and Semi-Dried Foods Collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Their Reduction Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Feroz, Farahnaaz; Shimizu, Hiromi; Nishioka, Terumi; Mori, Miho; Sakagami, Yoshikazu

2016-01-01

　Food is a basic necessity for human survival, but it is still the vehicle for the transmission of food borne disease. Various studies have examined the roles of spices, herbs, nuts, and semi-dried fruits, making the need for safe and convenient methods of decontamination a necessity. The current study determined the bacterial and fungal loads of 26 spices and herbs, 5 nuts, 10 semi-dried fruits and 5 other foods. Spices, herbs and semi-dried foods demonstrated the highest bacterial and fungal loads with the majority showing over 10 4 CFU/mL. Nuts and other foods showed growths ranging from 10 2 to 10 6 CFU/mL. The current study also attempted to determine the effects of heat and plasma treatment. The log reduction of bacterial growth after heat treatment (maximum: 120 min for 60℃) was between 0.08 to 4.47, and the log reduction after plasma treatment (maximum: 40 min) ranged from 2.37 to 5.75. Spices showed the lowest rates of reduction, whereas the semi-dried and other foods showed moderate to high levels of decrease after heat treatment. The log reduction of fungal growth after heat treatment ranged from 0.27 to 4.40, and log reduction after plasma treatment ranged from 2.15 to 5.91．Furthermore, we validated the sterilization effect of plasma treatment against Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. by using scanning electron microscopy. Both treatment methods could prove to be advantageous in the agriculture related fields, enhancing the quality of the foods.

Optimization of Eisenia fetida stocking density for the bioconversion of rock phosphate enriched cow dung–waste paper mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unuofin, F.O.; Mnkeni, P.N.S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Vermidegradation of RP-enriched waste mixtures is dependent on E. fetida stocking density. • A stocking density of 12.5 g-worms kg -1 resulted in highly humified vermicomposts. • P release from RP-enriched waste vermicomposts increases with E. fetida stocking density. • RP-enriched waste vermicomposts had no inhibitory effect on seed germination. - Abstract: Vermitechnology is gaining recognition as an environmental friendly waste management strategy. Its successful implementation requires that the key operational parameters like earthworm stocking density be established for each target waste/waste mixture. One target waste mixture in South Africa is waste paper mixed with cow dung and rock phosphate (RP) for P enrichment. This study sought to establish optimal Eisenia fetida stocking density for maximum P release and rapid bioconversion of RP enriched cow dung–paper waste mixtures. E. fetida stocking densities of 0, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5 and 22.5 g-worms kg −1 dry weight of cow dung–waste paper mixtures were evaluated. The stocking density of 12.5 g-worms kg −1 resulted in the highest earthworm growth rate and humification of the RP enriched waste mixture as reflected by a C:N ratio of <12 and a humic acid/fulvic acid ratio of >1.9 in final vermicomposts. A germination test revealed that the resultant vermicompost had no inhibitory effect on the germination of tomato, carrot, and radish. Extractable P increased with stocking density up to 22.5 g-worm kg −1 feedstock suggesting that for maximum P release from RP enriched wastes a high stocking density should be considered

Optimization of Eisenia fetida stocking density for the bioconversion of rock phosphate enriched cow dung–waste paper mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unuofin, F.O., E-mail: funmifrank2009@gmail.com; Mnkeni, P.N.S., E-mail: pmnkeni@ufh.ac.za

2014-11-15

Highlights: • Vermidegradation of RP-enriched waste mixtures is dependent on E. fetida stocking density. • A stocking density of 12.5 g-worms kg{sup -1} resulted in highly humified vermicomposts. • P release from RP-enriched waste vermicomposts increases with E. fetida stocking density. • RP-enriched waste vermicomposts had no inhibitory effect on seed germination. - Abstract: Vermitechnology is gaining recognition as an environmental friendly waste management strategy. Its successful implementation requires that the key operational parameters like earthworm stocking density be established for each target waste/waste mixture. One target waste mixture in South Africa is waste paper mixed with cow dung and rock phosphate (RP) for P enrichment. This study sought to establish optimal Eisenia fetida stocking density for maximum P release and rapid bioconversion of RP enriched cow dung–paper waste mixtures. E. fetida stocking densities of 0, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5 and 22.5 g-worms kg{sup −1} dry weight of cow dung–waste paper mixtures were evaluated. The stocking density of 12.5 g-worms kg{sup −1} resulted in the highest earthworm growth rate and humification of the RP enriched waste mixture as reflected by a C:N ratio of <12 and a humic acid/fulvic acid ratio of >1.9 in final vermicomposts. A germination test revealed that the resultant vermicompost had no inhibitory effect on the germination of tomato, carrot, and radish. Extractable P increased with stocking density up to 22.5 g-worm kg{sup −1} feedstock suggesting that for maximum P release from RP enriched wastes a high stocking density should be considered.

Low temperature hot air drying of potato cubes subjected to osmotic dehydration and intermittent microwave: drying kinetics, energy consumption and product quality indexes

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghannya, Jalal; Bozorghi, Somayyeh; Heshmati, Maryam Khakbaz

2018-04-01

Hot-air drying is a slow energy-extensive process. Use of intermittent microwave (IM) in hot-air (HA) drying of food products is characterized with advantages including reduced process time, energy saving, and improved final quality. In this study, the effect of IM-HA drying following an osmotic dehydration (OD) pretreatment was analyzed on qualitative and quantitative properties of the output (i.e. effective moisture diffusion coefficient (Deff), shrinkage, bulk density, rehydration and energy consumption). Temperature and airflow velocity were fixed at 40°C and 1 m/s, respectively. The process variables included sucrose solution concentration at five levels (0 or control, 10, 30, 50 and 70 w/w%), microwave output power at four levels (0 or control, 360, 600 and 900 W), and pulse ratio at four levels (1, 2, 3 and 4). Use of osmotic dehydration in combination with IM-HA drying reduced the drying time by up to about 54%. Increasing the osmotic solution concentration to 30% and using higher pulse ratios increased the Deff. The lowest shrinkage and bulk density as well as the highest rehydration belonged to the 900 W microwave power and pulse ratio of 4. The lowest energy consumption was observed when using the 900 W power level, showing 63.27% less consumption than the HA drying method.

INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN DRY DAYS AND TEMPERATURE OF SYLHET REGION: CORRELATION ANALYSIS

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Syed Mustakim Ali Shah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Climate change can have profound impact on weather conditions around the world such as heavy rainfall, drought, global warming and so on. Understanding and predicting these natural variations is now a key research challenge for disaster-prone country like Bangladesh. This study focuses on the north eastern part of Bangladesh which is a hilly region, plays an important role in the ecological balance of the country along with socio-economic development. Present study analyses the behavior of maximum temperature and dry days using different statistical tools. Pearson’s correlation matrix and Man-Kendall’s tau are used to correlate monthly dry days with monthly maximum temperature, and also their annual trend. A moderate correlation was found mostly in dry summer months. In addition, a positive trend was observed in Man Kendall’s trend test of yearly temperature which might be an indication of global warming in this region.

Effect of process variables on the quality characteristics of pelleted wheat distiller's dried grains with solubles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Lope Tabil; Anthony Opoku; Maria Rosario Mosqueda; Olaniyi Fadeyi

2011-04-01

The rapid expansion of ethanol processing plants in Canada has resulted in a significant increase in the production of wheat-based distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Transportation and flowability problems associated with DDGS necessitate investigations on pelleting. In the present study, the effect of process variables like die temperature (T) and feed moisture content (Mw) on the pellet properties like pellet moisture content, durability and pellet density was explored using a single pelleting machine; further studies on pelleting DDGS using a pilot-scale pellet mill were also conducted to understand the effect of die diameter and steam conditioning on durability and bulk density of pellets. Proximate analysis of DDGS indicated that crude protein and dry matter were in the range of 37.37–40.33% and 91.27–92.60%, respectively. Linear regression models developed for pellet quality attributes like pellet moisture content, pellet density and durability adequately described the single pelleting process with R2 value of 0.97, 0.99 and 0.7, respectively. ANOVA results have indicated that linear terms T and Mw and the interaction term T × Mw were statistically significant at P < 0.01 and P < 0.1 for pellet moisture content and pellet density. Based on the trends of the surface plots, a medium T of about 50–80 °C and a low Mw of about 5.1% resulted in maximum pellet density and durability and minimum pellet moisture content. Results from pilot-scale studies indicated that bulk density, durability and throughput values were 436.8–528.9 kg m-3, 60.3–92.7% and 45.52–68.77 kg h-1, respectively. It was observed that both die diameter and steam addition had a significant effect on the bulk density and the durability values. The highest bulk density and durability were achieved with 6.4 mm die diameter with steam addition compared to 7.9 mm die with or without steam addition.

Mathematical modeling of microwave dried celery leaves and determination of the effective moisture diffusivities and activation energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilknur Alibas

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Celery (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef leaves with 50±0.07 g weight and 91.75±0.15% humidity (~11.21 db were dried using 8 different microwave power densities ranging between 1.8-20 W g-1, until the humidity fell down to 8.95±0.23% (~0.1 db. Microwave drying processes were completed between 5.5 and 77 min depending on the microwave power densities. In this study, measured values were compared with predicted values obtained from twenty thin layer drying theoretical, semi-empirical and empirical equations with a new thin layer drying equation. Within applied microwave power density; models whose coefficient and correlation (R² values are highest were chosen as the best models. Weibull distribution model gave the most suitable predictions at all power density. At increasing microwave power densities, the effective moisture diffusivity values ranged from 1.595 10-10 to 6.377 10-12 m2 s-1. The activation energy was calculated using an exponential expression based on Arrhenius equation. The linear relationship between the drying rate constant and effective moisture diffusivity gave the best fit.

Maximum gravitational redshift of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, S.L.; Teukolsky, S.A.

1976-01-01

The stability of uniformly rotating, cold white dwarfs is examined in the framework of the Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism of Will and Nordtvedt. The maximum central density and gravitational redshift of a white dwarf are determined as functions of five of the nine PPN parameters (γ, β, zeta 2 , zeta 3 , and zeta 4 ), the total angular momentum J, and the composition of the star. General relativity predicts that the maximum redshifts is 571 km s -1 for nonrotating carbon and helium dwarfs, but is lower for stars composed of heavier nuclei. Uniform rotation can increase the maximum redshift to 647 km s -1 for carbon stars (the neutronization limit) and to 893 km s -1 for helium stars (the uniform rotation limit). The redshift distribution of a larger sample of white dwarfs may help determine the composition of their cores

Pulmonary delivery of antitubercular drugs using spray-dried lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Ankur; Mehta, Shuchi; Yadav, Shailendra; Singh, Sudheer K; Grobler, Anne; Goyal, Amit Kumar; Mehta, Abhinav

2016-09-01

The present study aimed to develop lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPNs) for the combined pulmonary delivery of isoniazid (INH) and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP HCl). Drug-loaded LPNs were prepared by the double-emulsification solvent evaporation method using the three-factor three-level Box-Behnken design. The optimized formulation had a size of 111.81 ± 1.2 nm, PDI of 0.189 ± 1.4, and PDE of 63.64 ± 2.12% for INH-loaded LPN, and a size of 172.23 ± 2.31 nm, PDI of 0.169 ± 1.23, and PDE of 68.49 ± 2.54% for CIP HCl-loaded LPN. Drug release was found to be sustained and controlled at lower pH and followed the Peppas model. The in vitro uptake study in alveolar macrophage (AM) showed that uptake of the drugs was increased significantly if administered in the form of LPN. The stability study proved the applications of adding PLGA in LPN as the polymeric core, which leads to a much more stable product as compared to other novel drug delivery systems. Spray drying was done to produce an inhalable, dry, powdered form of drug-loaded LPN. The spray-dried (SD) powder was equally capable of producing nano-aggregates having morphology, density, flowability and reconstitutibility in the range ideal for inhaled drug delivery. The nano aggregates produced by spray drying manifested their aerosolization efficiency in terms of the higher emitted dose and fine particle fraction with lower mass median aerodynamic diameter. The in vivo study using pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches revealed that maximum internalization efficiency was achieved by delivering LPN in SD powdered forms by pulmonary route.

Evaluation of supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels as nano-biomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sinah; Kang, Kyu-Young; Jeong, Myung-Joon; Potthast, Antje; Liebner, Falk

2017-10-01

Cellulose is the renewable, biodegradable and abundant resource and is suggested as an alternative material to silica due to the high price and environmental load of silica. The first step for cellulose aerogel production is to dissolve cellulose, and hydrated calcium thiocyanate molten salt is one of the most effective solvents for preparing porous material. Cellulose aerogels were prepared from dissolved cellulose samples of different degree of polymerization (DP) and drying methods, and tested with shrinkage, density and mechanical strength. Supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels shrank less compared to freeze-dried cellulose aerogels, whereas the densities were increased according to the DP increases in both cellulose aerogels. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the higher DP cellulose aerogels were more uniform with micro-porous structure. Regarding the mechanical strength of cellulose aerogels, supercritical CO2 dried cellulose aerogels with higher molecular weight were much more solid.

Herbs drying using a heat pump dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fatouh, M.; Metwally, M.N.; Helali, A.B.; Shedid, M.H. [Department of Mechanical Power Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at El Mattaria, Helwan University, P.O. Box 11718, Masaken El-Helmia, Cairo (Egypt)

2006-09-15

In the present work, a heat pump assisted dryer is designed and constructed to investigate the drying characteristics of various herbs experimentally. R134a is used as a working fluid in the heat pump circuit during the experimental work. Experiments have been conducted on Jew's mallow, spearmint and parsley. The effects of herb size, stem presence, surface load, drying air temperature and air velocity on the drying characteristics of Jew's mallow have been predicted. Experimental results show that a high surface load of 28kg/m{sup 2} yields the smallest drying rate, while the drying air with temperature of 55{sup o}C and velocity of 2.7m/s achieves the largest drying rate. A maximum dryer productivity of about 5.4kg/m{sup 2}h is obtained at the air temperature of 55{sup o}C, air velocity of 2.7m/s and dryer surface load of 28kg/m{sup 2}. It was found that small size herbs without stem need low specific energy consumption and low drying time. Comparison of the drying characteristics of different herbs revealed that parsley requires the lowest specific energy consumption (3684kJ/kg{sub H{sub 2}O}) followed by spearmint (3982kJ/kg{sub H{sub 2}O}) and Jew's mallow (4029kJ/kg{sub H{sub 2}O}). Finally, dryer productivity has been correlated in terms of surface load, drying air velocity and drying air temperature. (author)

Solar drying of uruguayan red gum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Ono

2011-04-01

Full Text Available he use of solar energy as an alternative to non-renewable energy sources has been widely researched in the last decades. Compared to air drying, solar drying kilns can better control the drying process, resulting in a higher quality of the dry wood and lower final wood moisture content values. Investment and running costs for a solar drying kiln are lower than those of a conventional kiln. Moreover, the solar drying process can be advantageous for drying hardwoods which are traditionally considered difficult to dry such as eucalyptus wood of medium and high density (Red gums, known in Spanish as “Eucaliptos colorados”. The solar drying kiln naturally incorporates a daily high relative humidity period that can be similar to a conditioning or steaming step, although at a lower temperature.This results in fewer defects due to the drying process.A pilot scale 2.5 m3 semi-greenhouse type solar wood drying kiln was constructed at LATU (Uruguay Technological Laboratory in Montevideo, Uruguay. The operating conditions and the results from two drying runs are presented. Two species of red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm., ADD 870 kg/m3, and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh., ADD 800 kg/m3 were dried from initial average moisture contents (WMC of around 60% down to 10.0% and 12.7% in 108 days and 76 days, respectively. Boards were provided by the Grupo Forestal San Gregorio from trees harvested at Tacuarembo and Paysandu Departments from cattle shelter forests 60 and 70 years old.Mean volume shrinkage was 18% for E. tereticornis, and 16% for E. camaldulensis, and the level of defects was moderate. Residual stresses and moisture content gradients were observed for both species. Final moisture content values were similar compared to those obtained in conventional drying kilns but with longer drying periods and lower operating costs. This would make the solar drying process attractive to small and medium sized forest products industries in a small country

A comparison of conventional maximum intensity projection with a new depth-specific topographic mapping technique in the CT analysis of proximal tibial subchondral bone density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnston, James D.; Kontulainen, Saija A.; Masri, Bassam A.; Wilson, David R.

2010-01-01

The objective was to identify subchondral bone density differences between normal and osteoarthritic (OA) proximal tibiae using computed tomography osteoabsorptiometry (CT-OAM) and computed tomography topographic mapping of subchondral density (CT-TOMASD). Sixteen intact cadaver knees from ten donors (8 male:2 female; mean age:77.8, SD:7.4 years) were categorized as normal (n = 10) or OA (n = 6) based upon CT reconstructions. CT-OAM assessed maximum subchondral bone mineral density (BMD). CT-TOMASD assessed average subchondral BMD across three layers (0-2.5, 2.5-5 and 5-10 mm) measured in relation to depth from the subchondral surface. Regional analyses of CT-OAM and CT-TOMASD included: medial BMD, lateral BMD, and average BMD of a 10-mm diameter area that searched each medial and lateral plateau for the highest ''focal'' density present within each knee. Compared with normal knees, both CT-OAM and CT-TOMASD demonstrated an average of 17% greater whole medial compartment density in OA knees (p 0.05). CT-TOMASD focal region analyses revealed an average of 24% greater density in the 0- to 2.5-mm layer (p = 0.003) and 36% greater density in the 2.5- to 5-mm layer (p = 0.034) in OA knees. Both CT-OAM and TOMASD identified higher medial compartment density in OA tibiae compared with normal tibiae. In addition, CT-TOMASD indicated greater focal density differences between normal and OA knees with increased depth from the subchondral surface. Depth-specific density analyses may help identify and quantify small changes in subchondral BMD associated with OA disease onset and progression. (orig.)

Influence of drying conditions on the effective moisture diffusivity, energy of activation and energy consumption during the thin-layer drying of berberis fruit (Berberidaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aghbashlo, Mortaza; Kianmehr, Mohammad H.; Samimi-Akhijahani, Hadi

2008-01-01

Berberis is known as a medicinal and ornamental plant in the world. Berberis fruit is used in medicine to cure liver, neck and stomach cancer, blood purification and mouth scent. Dried berberis fruit using new technology was preserved for relatively long time. Thin-layer drying simulation was used to obtain experiment data, using laboratory scale hot-air dryer of the static tray. Fick's second law was used as a major equation to calculate the moisture diffusivity with some simplification. The calculated value of moisture diffusivity varied from a minimum of 3.320 x 10 -10 to a maximum of 9 x 10 -9 m 2 /s and the value of energy activation from a minimum of 110.837 to a maximum of 130.61 kJ/mol of from 50 deg. C to 70 deg. C with drying air velocities of 0.5-2 m/s. The high value of the energy of activation for berberis fruit probably related to the tissue of berberis fruit and high moisture content (about 74.28%w.b), and intensive changes in D eff values for a different air temperature at constant air velocity. The input energy values and specific energy requirement for thin-drying of berberis fruit were found to be in the range of 0.643348-35.20032 (kWh) and 20.9355-1110.0700 (kWh/kg) from 50 deg. C to 70 deg. C with drying air velocities of 0.5-2 m/s, respectively

The application of autologous serum eye drops in severe dry eye patients; subjective and objective parameters before and after treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jirsova, Katerina; Brejchova, Kristyna; Krabcova, Ivana; Filipec, Martin; Al Fakih, Aref; Palos, Michalis; Vesela, Viera

2014-01-01

To assess the impact of autologous serum (AS) eye drops on the ocular surface of patients with bilateral severe dry eye and to draw a comparison between the clinical and laboratory examinations and the degree of subjective symptoms before and after serum treatment. A three-month prospective study was conducted on 17 patients with severe dry eye. AS eye drops were applied a maximum of 12 times a day together with regular therapy. Dry eye status was evaluated by clinical examination (visual acuity, Schirmer test, tear film breakup time, vital staining, tear film debris and meniscus), conjunctival impression cytology (epithelial and goblet cell density, snake-like chromatin, HLA-DR-positive and apoptotic cells) and subjectively by the patients. The application of AS eye drops led to a significant improvement in the Schirmer test (p treatment. A significant decrease (p eyes. We found that three-month AS treatment led especially to the improvement of ocular surface dryness and damage of the epithelium. The improvement of dry eye after AS treatment correlated well with the clinical, laboratory and subjective findings. From the patients' subjective point of view, the positive effect of AS decreased with time, but still persisted up to three months after the end of therapy.

EVALUATION OF DRY EYES IN DIABETES MELLITUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anshu Sharma

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND According to the National Eye Institute, dry eye is a condition in which the eye does not produce tears properly. It can also involve tears not having the right consistency or evaporating too quickly. Tears are necessary to help maintain moisture on the surface of the eye and for clear vision. Diabetes is often associated with several significant ocular conditions such as retinopathy, refractive changes, cataracts, glaucoma and macular oedema. However, one of the most common ocular complications associated with diabetes is dry eye. The aim of the study is to study the prevalence of dry eyes in diabetes mellitus and to evaluate ocular and other risk factors relevant to diabetic dry eyes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A hospital-based cross-sectional clinical study of 100 diabetic patients who presented to the Department of Ophthalmology, Santosh Medical College and Hospital, Ghaziabad, between January 2016 to June 2017 was conducted. Detailed diabetic history was recorded. Assessment of anterior segment via slit-lamp biomicroscopy was done. The examinations for dry eyes included Schirmer's test, tear breakup time, fluorescein and rose Bengal staining. RESULTS Sixty two (62% diabetic patients had dry eye. The prevalence in type I was 3% and prevalence in type II was 59%. Dry eye prevalence was maximum in those above 40 years of age. Symptoms like reduced corneal sensation (44% and meibomitis (20% were major attributable risk factors. Ocular surface damage was predominantly superficial punctate keratitis. Retinopathy was not statistically associated with the prevalence of dry eyes. CONCLUSION Diabetes and dry eye appears to be a common association. Reduction in the modifiable risk factors of dry eye is essential to reduce its prevalence. No significant statistical correlation was found between retinopathy and dry eyes. However, examination for dry eyes should be an integral part of the assessment of diabetic eye disease.

ITER Experts' meeting on density limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrass, K.; Igitkhanov, Y.L.; Uckan, N.A.

1989-12-01

The necessity of achieving a prescribed wall load or fusion power essentially determines the plasma pressure in a device like ITER. The range of operation densities and temperatures compatible with this condition is constrained by the problems of power exhaust and the disruptive density limit. The maximum allowable heat loads on the divertor plates and the maximum allowable sheath edge temperature practically impose a lower limit on the operating densities, whereas the disruptive density limit imposes an upper limit. For most of the density limit scalings proposed in the past an overlap of the two constraints or at best a very narrow accessible density range is predicted for ITER. Improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms is therefore a crucial issue in order to provide a more reliable basis for extrapolation to ITER and to identify possible ways of alleviating the problem

Temperature reconstruction and volcanic eruption signal from tree-ring width and maximum latewood density over the past 304 years in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mingqi; Huang, Lei; Yin, Zhi-Yong; Shao, Xuemei

2017-11-01

This study presents a 304-year mean July-October maximum temperature reconstruction for the southeastern Tibetan Plateau based on both tree-ring width and maximum latewood density data. The reconstruction explained 58% of the variance in July-October maximum temperature during the calibration period (1958-2005). On the decadal scale, we identified two prominent cold periods during AD 1801-1833 and 1961-2003 and two prominent warm periods during AD 1730-1800 and 1928-1960, which are consistent with other reconstructions from the nearby region. Based on the reconstructed temperature series and volcanic eruption chronology, we found that most extreme cold years were in good agreement with major volcanic eruptions, such as 1816 after the Tambora eruption in 1815. Also, clusters of volcanic eruptions probably made the 1810s the coldest decade in the past 300 years. Our results indicated that fingerprints of major volcanic eruptions can be found in the reconstructed temperature records, while the responses of regional climate to these eruption events varied in space and time in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Density limit experiments on FTU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pucella, G.; Tudisco, O.; Apicella, M.L.; Apruzzese, G.; Artaserse, G.; Belli, F.; Boncagni, L.; Botrugno, A.; Buratti, P.; Calabrò, G.; Castaldo, C.; Cianfarani, C.; Cocilovo, V.; Dimatteo, L.; Esposito, B.; Frigione, D.; Gabellieri, L.; Giovannozzi, E.; Bin, W.; Granucci, G.

2013-01-01

One of the main problems in tokamak fusion devices concerns the capability to operate at a high plasma density, which is observed to be limited by the appearance of catastrophic events causing loss of plasma confinement. The commonly used empirical scaling law for the density limit is the Greenwald limit, predicting that the maximum achievable line-averaged density along a central chord depends only on the average plasma current density. However, the Greenwald density limit has been exceeded in tokamak experiments in the case of peaked density profiles, indicating that the edge density is the real parameter responsible for the density limit. Recently, it has been shown on the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) that the Greenwald density limit is exceeded in gas-fuelled discharges with a high value of the edge safety factor. In order to understand this behaviour, dedicated density limit experiments were performed on FTU, in which the high density domain was explored in a wide range of values of plasma current (I p = 500–900 kA) and toroidal magnetic field (B T = 4–8 T). These experiments confirm the edge nature of the density limit, as a Greenwald-like scaling holds for the maximum achievable line-averaged density along a peripheral chord passing at r/a ≃ 4/5. On the other hand, the maximum achievable line-averaged density along a central chord does not depend on the average plasma current density and essentially depends on the toroidal magnetic field only. This behaviour is explained in terms of density profile peaking in the high density domain, with a peaking factor at the disruption depending on the edge safety factor. The possibility that the MARFE (multifaced asymmetric radiation from the edge) phenomenon is the cause of the peaking has been considered, with the MARFE believed to form a channel for the penetration of the neutral particles into deeper layers of the plasma. Finally, the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) analysis has shown that also the central line

Influence of spray drying operating conditions on microencapsulated rosemary essential oil properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regiane Victória de Barros Fernandes

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Spray drying is an important method used by the food industry in the production of microencapsulated flavors to improve handling and dispersion properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the process conditions on the properties of rosemary essential oil microencapsulated by spray drying using gum Arabic as encapsulant. The effects of the wall material concentration (10-30%, inlet air temperature (135-195 ºC, and feed flow rate (0.5-1.0 L.h-1 on the moisture content, hygroscopicity, wettability, solubility, bulk and tapped densities, particle density, flowability, and cohesiveness were evaluated using a 2³ central composite rotational experimental design. Moisture content, hygroscopicity and wettability were significantly affected by the three factors analyzed. Bulk density was positively influenced by the wall material concentration and negatively by the inlet air temperature. Particle density was influenced by the wall material concentration and the inlet air temperature variables, both in a negative manner. As for the solubility, tapped density, flowability, and cohesiveness, the models did not fit the data well. The results indicated that moderate wall material concentration (24%, low inlet air temperature (135 ºC, and moderate feed flow rate (0.7 L.h-1 are the best spray drying conditions.

Biomass of tree species as a response to planting density and interspecific competition

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Paulo Sérgio Lima e Silva

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Planting trees is an important way to promote the recovery of degraded areas in the Caatinga region. Experiments (E1, E2, and E3 were conducted in a randomized blocks design, with three, three, and five replicates, respectively. The objectives were to evaluate biomass of the shoots of: a gliricidia (G and sabiá (S, as a response to planting density; b G, S, and neem (N in competition; c G, and S in agroforestry. E1 was conducted in split-plots, and planting densities (400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 plants ha-1 as subplots. E2 consisted of a factorial comprising the following plots: GGG, NGN, SGS, NNN, GNG, SNS, SSS, GSG, NSN (each letter represents a row of plants. E3 was conducted with G and S in agroforestry experiment. The trees were harvested after 54, 42, and 27 months old, in E1, E2 and E3, respectively. In E1, G presented higher green biomass of the stems and leaf at smaller densities than S, but lower green biomass of branches at most densities. The species did not differ for mean stem dry biomass and leaf dry biomass, but G showed higher branch dry biomass at most densities. Higher planting densities increased green and dry biomass of stems, branches, and leaves in S, but decreased those characteristics in G, with the exception of leaf dry mass, which was not influenced by density. In E2, the behavior of each species was identical in plots containing the same or different species. Griricidia showed the highest green biomass of stems and branches, and the highest values for geren biomass of the leaf were observed for gliricidia and neem. The highest stem, branch, and leaf dry biomass values were obtained for G, S, and N, respectively. In E3, G was superior for stem and leaf green biomass, and for stem and branch dry biomass. There were no differences between species for the other biomass values.

Stationary neutrino radiation transport by maximum entropy closure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bludman, S.A.

1994-11-01

The authors obtain the angular distributions that maximize the entropy functional for Maxwell-Boltzmann (classical), Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac radiation. In the low and high occupancy limits, the maximum entropy closure is bounded by previously known variable Eddington factors that depend only on the flux. For intermediate occupancy, the maximum entropy closure depends on both the occupation density and the flux. The Fermi-Dirac maximum entropy variable Eddington factor shows a scale invariance, which leads to a simple, exact analytic closure for fermions. This two-dimensional variable Eddington factor gives results that agree well with exact (Monte Carlo) neutrino transport calculations out of a collapse residue during early phases of hydrostatic neutron star formation

Linear theory of density perturbations in a neutrino+baryon universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasserman, I.

1981-01-01

Various aspects of the linear theory of density perturbations in a universe containing a significant population of massive neutrinos are calculated. Because linear perturbations in the neutrino density are subject to nonviscous damping on length scales smaller than the effective neutrino Jeans length, the fluctuation spectrum of the neutrino density perturbations just after photon decoupling is expected to peak near the maximum neutrino Jeans mass. The gravitational effects of nonneutrino species are included in calculating the maximum neutrino Jeans mass, which is found to be [M/sub J/(t)]/sub max/approx.10 17 M/sub sun//[m/sub ν/(eV)] 2 , about an order of magnitude smaller than is obtained when nonneutrino species are ignored. An explicit expression for the nonviscous damping of neutrino density perturbations less massive than the maximum neutrino Jeans mass is derived. The linear evolution of density perturbations after photon decoupling is discussed. Of particular interest is the possibility that fluctuations in the neutrino density induce baryon density perturbations after photon decoupling and that the maximum neutrino Jeans determines the characteristic bound mass of galaxy clusters

Shrinkage of spray-freeze-dried microparticles of pure protein for ballistic injection by manipulation of freeze-drying cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Straller, Georg; Lee, Geoffrey

2017-10-30

Spray-freeze-drying was used to produce shrivelled, partially-collapsed microparticles of pure proteins that may be suitable for use in a ballistic injector. Various modifications of the freeze drying cycle were examined for their effects on collapse of the pure protein microparticles. The use of annealing at a shelf temperature of up to +10°C resulted in no visible particle shrinkage. This was because of the high T g ' of the pure protein. Inclusion of trehalose or sucrose led to particle shrinkage because of the plasticizing effects of the disaccharides on the protein. Only by extending the duration of primary drying from 240 to 2745min at shelf temperatures in the range -12 to -8°C were shrivelled, wrinkled particles of bSA and bCA of reduced porosity obtained. Manipulation of the freeze-drying cycle used for SFD can therefore be used to modify particle morphology and increase particle density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of drying conditions on the effective moisture diffusivity, energy of activation and energy consumption during the thin-layer drying of berberis fruit (Berberidaceae)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aghbashlo, Mortaza; Kianmehr, Mohammad H.; Samimi-Akhijahani, Hadi [Department of Agriculture Machinery, University of Tehran, Aboreyhan Campus (Iran)

2008-10-15

Berberis is known as a medicinal and ornamental plant in the world. Berberis fruit is used in medicine to cure liver, neck and stomach cancer, blood purification and mouth scent. Dried berberis fruit using new technology was preserved for relatively long time. Thin-layer drying simulation was used to obtain experiment data, using laboratory scale hot-air dryer of the static tray. Fick's second law was used as a major equation to calculate the moisture diffusivity with some simplification. The calculated value of moisture diffusivity varied from a minimum of 3.320 x 10{sup -10} to a maximum of 9 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s and the value of energy activation from a minimum of 110.837 to a maximum of 130.61 kJ/mol of from 50 C to 70 C with drying air velocities of 0.5-2 m/s. The high value of the energy of activation for berberis fruit probably related to the tissue of berberis fruit and high moisture content (about 74.28%w.b), and intensive changes in D{sub eff} values for a different air temperature at constant air velocity. The input energy values and specific energy requirement for thin-drying of berberis fruit were found to be in the range of 0.643348-35.20032 (kWh) and 20.9355-1110.0700 (kWh/kg) from 50 C to 70 C with drying air velocities of 0.5-2 m/s, respectively. (author)

Optimal operating conditions for maximum biogas production in anaerobic bioreactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balmant, W.; Oliveira, B.H.; Mitchell, D.A.; Vargas, J.V.C.; Ordonez, J.C.

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the existence of optimal residence time and substrate inlet mass flow rate for maximum methane production through numerical simulations performed with a general transient mathematical model of an anaerobic biodigester introduced in this study. It is herein suggested a simplified model with only the most important reaction steps which are carried out by a single type of microorganisms following Monod kinetics. The mathematical model was developed for a well mixed reactor (CSTR – Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor), considering three main reaction steps: acidogenesis, with a μ max of 8.64 day −1 and a K S of 250 mg/L, acetogenesis, with a μ max of 2.64 day −1 and a K S of 32 mg/L, and methanogenesis, with a μ max of 1.392 day −1 and a K S of 100 mg/L. The yield coefficients were 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-pollymeric compound for acidogenesis, 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-propionic acid and 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-butyric acid for acetogenesis and 0.1 g-dry-cells/g-acetic acid for methanogenesis. The model describes both the transient and the steady-state regime for several different biodigester design and operating conditions. After model experimental validation, a parametric analysis was performed. It was found that biogas production is strongly dependent on the input polymeric substrate and fermentable monomer concentrations, but fairly independent of the input propionic, acetic and butyric acid concentrations. An optimisation study was then conducted and optimal residence time and substrate inlet mass flow rate were found for maximum methane production. The optima found were very sharp, showing a sudden drop of methane mass flow rate variation from the observed maximum to zero, within a 20% range around the optimal operating parameters, which stresses the importance of their identification, no matter how complex the actual bioreactor design may be. The model is therefore expected to be a useful tool for simulation, design, control and

Effects of Row Spacing and Plant Density on Yield and Yield Components of Sweet Corn in Climatic Conditions of Isfahan

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N. Khodaeian

2013-06-01

Full Text Available To evaluate the effects of row spacing and plant density on yield and yield components of sweet corn, variety KSC403, an experiment was conducted in Research Farm of Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran, in 2007, as randomized complete block design with a split-plot layout and three replications. The main plots were allocated to two row spacing (60 and 75 cm and the sub-plots accommodated four levels of plant density (50000, 70000, 90000 and 110000 plants per ha. There was significant increase in leaf area index, shoot dry weight, 100-grain fresh weight and grain fresh yield, as row width was decreased from 75 to 60 cm but the plant height was decreased. There was no significant effect of row spacing on number of rows per ear, number of grains per row and number of grains per ear. Plant height, leaf area index, shoot dry weight per m2 and number of ears per m2 were increased with an increase in plant density. The number of rows per ear, number of grains per row, number of grains per ear, 100-grain fresh weight and grain fresh yield were significantly higher under plant densities of 90000 and 110000 as compared to 50000 and 70000 plants per ha. There was significant interaction between row spacing and plant density for leaf area index, shoot dry weight, number of grains per ear, 100-grain fresh weight and grain fresh yield. Under all plant densities, the grain fresh yield was higher in 60-cm row width compared to 70-cm row width. However, the difference between these two row spacing was not significant in plant densities of 50000 and 110000 plants per ha. The highest grain fresh yield (33940 kg/ha was achieved under row spacing 60 cm and 70000 plants per ha and the least grain fresh yield (20750 kg/ha was obtained in under 75 cm row width and 110000 plants per ha. Considering the obtained results of this experiment, to have maximum grain fresh yield of sweet corn under Isfahan climate, the row spacing of 60 cm and plant density of

Comparison of drying characteristic and uniformity of banana cubes dried by pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying, freeze drying and microwave freeze drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Lim, Rui-Xin

2014-07-01

To overcome the flaws of high energy consumption of freeze drying (FD) and the non-uniform drying of microwave freeze drying (MFD), pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying (PSMVD) was developed. The results showed that the drying time can be dramatically shortened if microwave was used as the heating source. In this experiment, both MFD and PSMVD could shorten drying time by 50% as compared to the FD process. Depending on the heating method, MFD and PSMVD dried banana cubes showed trends of expansion while FD dried samples demonstrated trends of shrinkage. Shrinkage also brought intensive structure and highest fracturability of all three samples dried by different methods. The residual ascorbic acid content of PSMVD dried samples can be as high as in FD dried samples, which were superior to MFD dried samples. The tests confirmed that PSMVD could bring about better drying uniformity than MFD. Besides, compared with traditional MFD, PSMVD can provide better extrinsic feature, and can bring about improved nutritional features because of the higher residual ascorbic acid content. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Density limits in Tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tendler, M.

1984-06-01

The energy loss from a tokamak plasma due to neutral hydrogen radiation and recycling is of great importance for the energy balance at the periphery. It is shown that the requirement for thermal equilibrium implies a constraint on the maximum attainable edge density. The relation to other density limits is discussed. The average plasma density is shown to be a strong function of the refuelling deposition profile. (author)

Twenty-five years of maximum-entropy principle

Science.gov (United States)

Kapur, J. N.

1983-04-01

The strengths and weaknesses of the maximum entropy principle (MEP) are examined and some challenging problems that remain outstanding at the end of the first quarter century of the principle are discussed. The original formalism of the MEP is presented and its relationship to statistical mechanics is set forth. The use of MEP for characterizing statistical distributions, in statistical inference, nonlinear spectral analysis, transportation models, population density models, models for brand-switching in marketing and vote-switching in elections is discussed. Its application to finance, insurance, image reconstruction, pattern recognition, operations research and engineering, biology and medicine, and nonparametric density estimation is considered.

Sintering of a freeze-dried 10 mol% Y2O3-stabilized zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rakotoson, A.; Paulus, M.

1983-01-01

After presenting the results of freeze drying a sulfate solution, the authors describe a preparation process in which the freeze-drying technique by addition of a suspension of stabilized zirconia in the liquid solution before freeze-drying. This process breaks the polymeric chains, increases the green density of the compact, and decreases the sintering temperature. The mechanisms involved are discussed

Pysical Properties of Soil with Addition of Sewage Dried with Heated Edible Oil

OpenAIRE

大坪, 政美; 中司, 敬; 中園, 修三; 中園, 英司; 徳留, 斉将

2000-01-01

The present study investigates the water holding capacity, density, permeability, and swelling properties of the soil samples mixed with the sewage that was dried with heated edible oil. For comparison similar experiments were conducted for the soil samples mixed with sun-dried sewage and sewage compost. The water holding capacity was higher for the soil samples with oil-dried and sun-dried sewage addition than for those with sewage-compost addition. For statically compacted soil samples, wit...

Freeze-dried processing of tungsten heavy alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, G.D.; Gurwell, W.E.

1989-06-01

Tungsten heavy alloy powders were produced from freeze-dried aqueous solutions of ammonium metatungstate and, principally, sulfates of Ni and Fe. The freeze-dried salts were calcined and hydrogen reduced to form very fine, homogeneous, low-density, W heavy alloy powders having a coral-like structure with elements of approximately 0.1 μm in diameter. The powders yield high green strength and sinterability. Tungsten heavy alloy powders of 70%, 90%, and 96% W were prepared by freeze drying, compacted, and solid-state (SS) sintered to fully density at temperatures as low as 1200 degree C and also at conventional liquid-phase (LP) sintering temperatures. Solid-state sintered microstructures contained polygonal W grains with high contiguity; the matrix did not coat and separate the W grains to form low-contiguity, high-ductility structures. Liquid-phase sintered microstructures were very conventional in appearance, having W spheroids of low contiguity. All these materials were found to be brittle. High levels of residual S accompanied by segregation of the S to all the microstructural interfaces are principally responsible for the brittleness; problems with S could be eliminated by using Fe and Ni nitrates rather than the sulfates. 9 refs., 22 figs., 3 tabs

Bushy-tailed woodrat abundance in dry forests of eastern Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

John F. Lehmkuhl; Keith D. Kistler; James S. Begley

2006-01-01

We studied bushy-tailed woodrats (Neotonza cinerea occidentalis) in the eastern Washington Cascade Range to estimate their density and survival in 3 typical dry forest cover types. We predicted woodrat density to be high, moderate, and low in mature mixed-conifer forests, young mixed-conifer forests, and open ponderosa pine forests, respectively....

Applications of the Maximum Entropy Method in superspace

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

van Smaalen, S.; Palatinus, Lukáš

2004-01-01

Roč. 305, - (2004), s. 57-62 ISSN 0015-0193 Grant - others:DFG and FCI(DE) XX Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : Maximum Entropy Method * modulated structures * charge density Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.517, year: 2004

Estimated Bioaccessibility to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from Frequently Consumed Dried Fruits in Iran

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Nooshin Rahimzadeh

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We sought to determine levels of oral bioaccessibility of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF from frequently consumed dried fruits in Iran. Fifty samples from frequently consumed types of dried fruits were analyzed for moisture, acidity and HMF content before and after in vitro digestion. Besides, bioaccessibility of HMF in dried fruits using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestive model and HMF intake from dried fruits based on consumption of each dried fruit groups wasdetermined. The mean estimated intake of HMF was 72.90 mg/kg and the maximum intake was 240.23 mg/kg for fruit bread. The mean bioaccessibility was 60.26%. There was a correlation between HMF and acid content of fruit bread (r= 0.98, P<0.05. In conclusion, the HMF levels in dried fruits remains high even after the in vitro digestion.

Computed tomographic analysis of vegetable during far infrared radiation drying process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maneechot, P.; Tojo, S.; Watanabe, K.

2006-01-01

Far Infrared Radiation (FIR) technology is widely used in the automotive industry to cure painted finishes during manufacturing. FIR drying is used not only in manufacturing but also in agricultural processing such as rice drying. At the present time, FIR drying technology has rarely been used for fruits and vegetables except in research laboratories. In this study, FIR drying and hot air convection drying were compared with respect to energy consumption and time requirement. The internal changes of the agricultural product were also observed during the FIR drying process. A Computed Tomographic (CT) scanner was employed for the observation of the tested material, carrot, and was used to analyze the structural deformation and the internal moisture distribution of the test material. CT data and the hardness of the sample were recorded at regular intervals during the drying experiment. For 200, 400 and 600W FIR drying, the maximum drying rates were 173, 459 and 724%d.b./hr respectively, and the required drying times were 26, 12 and 4.5 hours, respectively. The structure of the carrot sample shrank in accordance with the reduction of moisture content in 200W FIR drying as well as in hot air drying, whereas in 400W and 600W FIR drying the sample was dried without so much deformation

Kudu foraging behaviour: influenced by animal density? | van der ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The dry season utilisation patterns of two woody species, Acacia tortilis and Boscia albitrunca, in two comparable sites but subjected to different kudu densities, were studied to determine if kudu adapt their feeding behaviour in response to animal density. Shoots of plants in the high-density area were vertically more ...

Reconstructing Atmospheric CO2 Through The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum Using Stomatal Index and Stomatal Density Values From Ginkgo adiantoides

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, R. S.; Wing, S. L.

2013-12-01

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a geologically brief interval of intense global warming 56 million years ago. It is arguably the best geological analog for a worst-case scenario of anthropogenic carbon emissions. The PETM is marked by a ~4-6‰ negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) and extensive marine carbonate dissolution, which together are powerful evidence for a massive addition of carbon to the oceans and atmosphere. In spite of broad agreement that the PETM reflects a large carbon cycle perturbation, atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (pCO2) during the event are not well constrained. The goal of this study is to produce a high resolution reconstruction of pCO2 using stomatal frequency proxies (both stomatal index and stomatal density) before, during, and after the PETM. These proxies rely upon a genetically controlled mechanism whereby plants decrease the proportion of gas-exchange pores (stomata) in response to increased pCO2. Terrestrial sections in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, contain macrofossil plants with cuticle immediately bracketing the PETM, as well as dispersed plant cuticle from within the body of the CIE. These fossils allow for the first stomatal-based reconstruction of pCO2 near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary; we also use them to determine the relative timing of pCO2 change in relation to the CIE that defines the PETM. Preliminary results come from macrofossil specimens of Ginkgo adiantoides, collected from an ~200ka interval prior to the onset of the CIE (~230-30ka before), and just after the 'recovery interval' of the CIE. Stomatal index values decreased by 37% within an ~70ka time interval at least 100ka prior to the onset of the CIE. The decrease in stomatal index is interpreted as a significant increase in pCO2, and has a magnitude equivalent to the entire range of stomatal index adjustment observed in modern Ginkgo biloba during the anthropogenic CO2 rise during the last 150 years. The inferred CO2 increase prior to the

Sustainable biobutanol production from pineapple waste by using Clostridium acetobutylicum B 527: Drying kinetics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khedkar, Manisha A; Nimbalkar, Pranhita R; Gaikwad, Shashank G; Chavan, Prakash V; Bankar, Sandip B

2017-02-01

Present investigation explores the use of pineapple peel, a food industry waste, for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) production using Clostridium acetobutylicum B 527. Proximate analysis of pineapple peel shows that it contains 35% cellulose, 19% hemicellulose, and 16% lignin on dry basis. Drying experiments on pineapple peel waste were carried out in the temperature range of 60-120°C and experimental drying data was modeled using moisture diffusion control model to study its effect on ABE production. The production of ABE was further accomplished via acid hydrolysis, detoxification, and fermentation process. Maximum total sugar release obtained by using acid hydrolysis was 97g/L with 95-97% and 10-50% removal of phenolics and acetic acid, respectively during detoxification process. The maximum ABE titer obtained was 5.23g/L with 55.6% substrate consumption when samples dried at 120°C were used as a substrate (after detoxification). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BASIC PROPERTIES IN RELATION TO DRYING PROPERTIES OF THREE WOOD SPECIES FROM INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Efrida Basri

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to investigate basic and drying properties of three wood species from Indonesia, i.e. kuda (Lannea coromandelica Merr., waru (Hibiscus tiliaceus L. and mindi besar (Melia dubia Cav.. The basic properties include density, shrinkages, modulus of rupture (MOR, compression parallel to grain (C//, wood strength and anatomical structures. Meanwhile, the drying properties included drying time and drying defects. The initial-final temperature and humidity for each species was based on defects that resulted from high temperature drying trial. The results showed that the drying properties were significantly affected by wood anatomical structure. The initial-final drybulb temperature and wetbulb depression   for kuda wood are 50 -70ºC and 3-30ºC respectively, while the corresponding figures for waru wood are 65-80ºC and 6-30ºC, and for mindi besar wood are 55-80ºC and 4-30ºC. These drying schedules, however, still need further trial prior to their implementation in the factory-scale operation. All wood species studied have density and considerable strength recommended in their use for light medium construction purposes. Mindi besar wood has decorative appearance so it is suitable for furniture.

Noninvasive characterization of the fission yeast cell cycle by monitoring dry mass with digital holographic microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rappaz, Benjamin; Cano, Elena; Colomb, Tristan; Kühn, Jonas; Depeursinge, Christian; Simanis, Viesturs; Magistretti, Pierre J; Marquet, Pierre

2009-01-01

Digital holography microscopy (DHM) is an optical technique which provides phase images yielding quantitative information about cell structure and cellular dynamics. Furthermore, the quantitative phase images allow the derivation of other parameters, including dry mass production, density, and spatial distribution. We have applied DHM to study the dry mass production rate and the dry mass surface density in wild-type and mutant fission yeast cells. Our study demonstrates the applicability of DHM as a tool for label-free quantitative analysis of the cell cycle and opens the possibility for its use in high-throughput screening.

Investigation into solar drying of potato: effect of sample geometry on drying kinetics and CO2 emissions mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, P P

2015-03-01

Drying experiments have been performed with potato cylinders and slices using a laboratory scale designed natural convection mixed-mode solar dryer. The drying data were fitted to eight different mathematical models to predict the drying kinetics, and the validity of these models were evaluated statistically through coefficient of determination (R(2)), root mean square error (RMSE) and reduced chi-square (χ (2)). The present investigation showed that amongst all the mathematical models studied, the Modified Page model was in good agreement with the experimental drying data for both potato cylinders and slices. A mathematical framework has been proposed to estimate the performance of the food dryer in terms of net CO2 emissions mitigation potential along with unit cost of CO2 mitigation arising because of replacement of different fossil fuels by renewable solar energy. For each fossil fuel replaced, the gross annual amount of CO2 as well as net amount of annual CO2 emissions mitigation potential considering CO2 emissions embodied in the manufacture of mixed-mode solar dryer has been estimated. The CO2 mitigation potential and amount of fossil fuels saved while drying potato samples were found to be the maximum for coal followed by light diesel oil and natural gas. It was inferred from the present study that by the year 2020, 23 % of CO2 emissions can be mitigated by the use of mixed-mode solar dryer for drying of agricultural products.

The Research of Car-Following Model Based on Real-Time Maximum Deceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longhai Yang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the effect of real-time maximum deceleration in car-following. The real-time maximum acceleration is estimated with vehicle dynamics. It is known that an intelligent driver model (IDM can control adaptive cruise control (ACC well. The disadvantages of IDM at high and constant speed are analyzed. A new car-following model which is applied to ACC is established accordingly to modify the desired minimum gap and structure of the IDM. We simulated the new car-following model and IDM under two different kinds of road conditions. In the first, the vehicles drive on a single road, taking dry asphalt road as the example in this paper. In the second, vehicles drive onto a different road, and this paper analyzed the situation in which vehicles drive from a dry asphalt road onto an icy road. From the simulation, we found that the new car-following model can not only ensure driving security and comfort but also control the steady driving of the vehicle with a smaller time headway than IDM.

Investigation of orography impact on extreme dry spells over Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Oikonomou, C.; Flocas, H.; Manola, I.; Hatzaki, M.; Asimakopoulos, D. N.

2009-04-01

Precipitation regime over Greece is controlled by the atmospheric circulation, orography sea surface temperature distribution and land/sea interaction. Previous studies have shown that the precipitation amounts are increased in Western Greece, which is located in the upstream side of the largest mountain range of the central mainland. Furthermore, the longest dry spells were identified in south eastern part of Greece during summer and in northern Greek area during winter. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of topography on prolonged dry periods over Greece, using the third generation hydrostatic Regional Climate Model RegCM3, which shows a noticeable improvement in the representation of the surface hydrological cycle in mountainous regions. More specifically, an attempt is made to study the distribution of prolonged dry spells during two seasons, summer of 1993 and winter of 1989, over the Greek area, under two different simulation scenarios: the first employs the real orography of the Greek area while in the second one the orography is eliminated, by transforming the models terrain code. Both simulation experiments were conducted with the high spatial resolution of 10 Km, while the MIT-Emanuel Convective Precipitation Scheme was selected for the computation of convective precipitation, as it offers more physical representation of convection compared to the other oldest schemes of RegCM. The model was firstly validated through comparisons of the model outputs with observed precipitation amount data, employing 20 stations over Greece for the two selected seasons. The validation demonstrated that the model can simulate precipitation amount quite well over the Greek area, except for the south Dodecanese Islands, where precipitation is underestimated, and the eastern continental Greece, where the daily precipitation is overestimated. For the identification of the extreme dry spells, the climatic index CDD (Maximum number of consecutive dry days

Solid-state, triboelectrostatic and dissolution characteristics of spray-dried piroxicam-glucosamine solid dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Adebisi, Adeola O; Kaialy, Waseem; Hussain, Tariq; Al-Hamidi, Hiba; Nokhodchi, Ali; Conway, Barbara R; Asare-Addo, Kofi

2016-10-01

This work explores the use of both spray drying and d-glucosamine HCl (GLU) as a hydrophilic carrier to improve the dissolution rate of piroxicam (PXM) whilst investigating the electrostatic charges associated with the spray drying process. Spray dried PXM:GLU solid dispersions were prepared and characterised (XRPD, DSC, SEM). Dissolution and triboelectric charging were also conducted. The results showed that the spray dried PXM alone, without GLU produced some PXM form II (DSC results) with no enhancement in solubility relative to that of the parent PXM. XRPD results also showed the spray drying process to decrease the crystallinity of GLU and solid dispersions produced. The presence of GLU improved the dissolution rate of PXM. Spray dried PXM: GLU at a ratio of 2:1 had the most improved dissolution. The spray drying process generally yielded PXM-GLU spherical particles of around 2.5μm which may have contributed to the improved dissolution. PXM showed a higher tendency for charging in comparison to the carrier GLU (-3.8 versus 0.5nC/g for untreated material and -7.5 versus 3.1nC/g for spray dried materials). Spray dried PXM and spray dried GLU demonstrated higher charge densities than untreated PXM and untreated GLU, respectively. Regardless of PXM:GLU ratio, all spray dried PXM:GLU solid dispersions showed a negligible charge density (net-CMR: 0.1-0.3nC/g). Spray drying of PXM:GLU solid dispersions can be used to produce formulation powders with practically no charge and thereby improving handling as well as dissolution behaviour of PXM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in CT density-measurement of intraorbital wooden foreign bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otani, Etsuko; Hiyama, Fusako; Machi, Setsuko; Hagihara, Masahiro.

1991-01-01

We examined in vitro changes in CT density-measurement of intraorbital wooden foreign bodies. Dry wooden sticks were immersed in distilled water, saline, and serum. Computerized tomography scans were taken several times during 22 weeks. Scans were taken in room air and in fatty tissue. The CT density-measurement of the central part of the wooden bodies was calculated. That of the dry wood was about 500 HU; all of the wooden foreign bodies became denser during the 22 weeks, with those immersed in distilled water and saline at about 130 HU, and those immersed in serum at about 150 HU. It was confirmed that wood becomes denser after soaking in aqueous environments. The CT density of wood soaked in water depends on the density of wood fiber, and the CT density of the wood fiber itself. (author)

Sysnthesis of powders by freeze-drying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.M.; Gusman, M.I.; Hildenbrand, D.L.

1988-01-01

The freeze-drying method of synthesizing powders of the superconducting oxide YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 - δ is described. This process produces homogeneous, submicron powders of high purity. The effects of salt selection, solution concentration and pH on the process are described. Some evaluation of the sintering behavior and the effects on critical current density are included

Characteristics of Timbers Dried Using Kiln Drying and Radio Frequency-Vacuum Drying Systems

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Rabidin Zairul Amin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Heavy hardwoods are difficult-to-dry timbers as they are prone to checking and internal stresses when dried using a conventional kiln drying system. These timbers are usually dried naturally to reach 15% to 19% moisture content with an acceptable defects. Besides long drying time, timbers at these moisture contents are not suitable for indoor applications since they will further dry and causing, for example, jointing and lamination failures. Drying to a lower moisture content could only be achieved in artificial drying kilns such as conventional kiln, dehumidification kiln, solar kiln, radio frequency-vacuum, etc. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of 30 mm and 50 mm thick kekatong (Cynometra spp. timber dried using kiln drying (KD and radio frequency-vacuum drying (RFV system. The investigation involved drying time, moisture content (MC variations between and within boards, drying defects, shrinkage, and drying stress. Drying defects include checks (surface, end, and internal checks and warping (bowing, cuping, spring, and twisting. The results showed that RFV drying time was reduced to 50% compared to the KD. RFV dried boards demonstrated a more uniform MC between and within boards. Shrinkage in width and thickness, as well as tangential/radial and volumetric shrinkages were substantially less in RFV boards. The amount of cupping, bowing and spring were very low and negligible in all drying runs. There was no twisting observed in all drying methods. The number of stress-free RFV board was higher than KD. With proper procedure, the RFV technology could be used for drying heavy hardwoods which are difficult to dry in conventional kilns due to excessive drying times and degradation.

Factors affecting viability of Bifidobacterium bifidum during spray drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Shokri, Zahra; Fazeli, Mohammad Reza; Ardjmand, Mehdi; Mousavi, Seyyed Mohammad; Gilani, Kambiz

2015-01-25

There is substantial clinical data supporting the role of Bifidobacterium bifidum in human health particularly in benefiting the immune system and suppressing intestinal infections. Compared to the traditional lyophilization, spray-drying is an economical process for preparing large quantities of viable microorganisms. The technique offers high production rates and low operating costs but is not usually used for drying of substances prone to high temperature. The aim of this study was to establish the optimized environmental factors in spray drying of cultured bifidobacteria to obtain a viable and stable powder. The experiments were designed to test variables such as inlet air temperature, air pressure and also maltodextrin content. The combined effect of these variables on survival rateand moisture content of bacterial powder was studied using a central composite design (CCD). Sub-lethal heat-adaptation of a B. bifidum strain which was previously adapted to acid-bile-NaCl led to much more resistance to high outlet temperature during spray drying. The resistant B. bifidum was supplemented with cost friendly permeate, sucrose, yeast extract and different amount of maltodextrin before it was fed into a Buchi B-191 mini spray-dryer. Second-order polynomials were established to identify the relationship between the responses andthe three variables. Results of verification experiments and predicted values from fitted correlations were in close agreement at 95% confidence interval. The optimal values of the variables for maximum survival and minimum moisture content of B. bifidum powder were as follows: inlet air temperature of 111.15°C, air pressure of 4.5 bar and maltodextrin concentration of 6%. Under optimum conditions, the maximum survival of 28.38% was achieved while moisture was maintained at 4.05%. Viable and cost effective spray drying of Bifidobacterium bifidum could be achieved by cultivating heat and acid adapted strain into the culture media containing

Mass transfer, physical, and mechanical characteristics of terebinth fruit (Pistacia atlantica L.) under convective infrared microwave drying

Science.gov (United States)

Kaveh, Mohammad; Abbaspour-Gilandeh, Yousef; Chayjan, Reza Amiri; Taghinezhad, Ebrahim; Mohammadigol, Reza

2018-01-01

This research was investigated to the thin-layer drying of terebinth fruit under convective infrared microwave (CIM) conditions with initial moisture content about 4.28% (g water/g dry matter). The effects of drying different conditions were studied on the effective moisture diffusivity, activation energy, specific energy, shrinkage, color, and mechanical properties of terebinth. Experiments were conducted at three air temperatures (45, 60, and 70 °C), three infrared power (500, 1000, and 1500 W) and three microwave power (270, 450 and 630 W). All these experiments were carried out under air velocity of 0.9 m/s. The effective moisture diffusivity of terebinth was obtained as 1.79 × 10-9 to 15.77 × 10-9 m2/s during drying. The activation energy of terebinth samples was measured to be 12.70 to 32.28 kJ/mol. To estimate the drying kinetic of terebinth, seven mathematical models were used to fit the experimental data of thin-layer drying. Results showed that the Midilli et al. model withR 2 = 0.9999, χ 2 = 0.0001 andRMSE = 0.0099 had the best performance in prediction of moisture content. Specific energy consumption was within the range of 127.62 to 678.90 MJ/kg. The maximum shrinkage during drying was calculated 69.88% at the air temperature 75 °C, infrared power of 1500 W, and microwave power 630 W. Moreover, the maximum values of the ΔL ∗ (15.89), Δa ∗ (12.28), Δb ∗(-0.12), and total color difference (ΔE= 17.44) were calculated in this work. Also, the maximum rupture force and energy for dried terebinth were calculated to be 149.2 N and 2845.4 N.mm, respectively.

Vacuum-assisted microwave drying characteristics of green bell pepper

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Vivek Kumar

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Chopped green bell pepper pieces were blanched (95 °C, 5 min and chemically pretreated (1% potassium metabisulphite solution, 25 min at room temperature before drying in hot air dryer (HAD at various temperature ranges (60 – 80 °C. Three vacuum levels (200, 400, 600 mm Hg and microwave power levels (100, 200, 300 W were also used to dry green bell pepper samples in a vacuum assisted microwave (VAM (2.45 GHz, 0.8 kW dryer. VAM drying methods offered a maximum reduction by four to five times in drying time as compared to that in HAD. The logarithmic model was found to have the best fit based on high R2 and small values of reduced χ2 and RMSE.  VAM method has higher values for effective moisture diffusivity (Deff and lower values for activation energy (Ea, in comparison to the HAD method. 

Slip resistance of winter footwear on snow and ice measured using maximum achievable incline.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Jennifer; Shaw, Robert; Novak, Alison; Li, Yue; Ormerod, Marcus; Newton, Rita; Dutta, Tilak; Fernie, Geoff

2016-05-01

Protective footwear is necessary for preventing injurious slips and falls in winter conditions. Valid methods for assessing footwear slip resistance on winter surfaces are needed in order to evaluate footwear and outsole designs. The purpose of this study was to utilise a method of testing winter footwear that was ecologically valid in terms of involving actual human testers walking on realistic winter surfaces to produce objective measures of slip resistance. During the experiment, eight participants tested six styles of footwear on wet ice, on dry ice, and on dry ice after walking over soft snow. Slip resistance was measured by determining the maximum incline angles participants were able to walk up and down in each footwear-surface combination. The results indicated that testing on a variety of surfaces is necessary for establishing winter footwear performance and that standard mechanical bench tests for footwear slip resistance do not adequately reflect actual performance. Practitioner Summary: Existing standardised methods for measuring footwear slip resistance lack validation on winter surfaces. By determining the maximum inclines participants could walk up and down slopes of wet ice, dry ice, and ice with snow, in a range of footwear, an ecologically valid test for measuring winter footwear performance was established.

Effect of Foliar Application of Micro Nutrients on Physiological Growth Indices and Total Dry Matter Yield of Forage Corn

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A. Soleymani

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the effect of foliar application of micro nutrients on physiological growth indices and total dry matter yield of forage corn. Field experiment was conducted in 2006 at Bersian village Isfahan. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Plant treated with 8 foliar application treatments (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe + Mn, Cu + Zn, Fe + Mn + Cu + Zn and control. The responses to foliar application in total dry weight, LAI and CGR appeared to differ between the treatments, but there is no significant difference in NAR between the treatments. Maximum leaf area index gained in foliar application of Fe but there is significant difference between this treatment and other treatments except foliar application of Zn and Fe + Mn. Foliar application of Fe and Fe + Mn result to maximum total dry weight, but there is no significant difference between these treatments and foliar application of Zn, Mn, Mn + Cu and Fe + Zn + Cu +Mn. Maximum and minimum NAR gained in foliar application of Mn and control treatments respectively. Maximum CGR gained in foliar application of Zn, there is significant difference between this treatment and others. Control treatment in comparison with others shows minimum value in all measured factors. The results indicate that foliar application of micro nutrients particularly Fe and Fe+Mn may be suitable to product maximum total dry matter yield under similar condition.

A combined wet/dry sipping cell for investigating failed triga fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boeck, H.; Gallhammer, H.; Hammer, J.; Israr, M.

1987-08-01

A sipping cell to detect failed triga fuel has been designed and constructed at the Atominstitut. The cell allows both wet- and dry sipping of one single standard triga fuel element. In the dry sipping method the fuel element may be electrically heated up to a maximum temperature of about 300 0 C to allow the detection of temperature dependent fission product release from the fuel element. 20 figs., 1 tab. (Author)

Corneal Dendritic Cell Density Is Associated with Subbasal Nerve Plexus Features, Ocular Surface Disease Index, and Serum Vitamin D in Evaporative Dry Eye Disease

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Rohit Shetty

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dry eye disease (DED has evolved into a major public health concern with ocular discomfort and pain being responsible for significant morbidity associated with DED. However, the etiopathological factors contributing to ocular pain associated with DED are not well understood. The current IVCM based study investigated the association between corneal dendritic cell density (DCD, corneal subbasal nerve plexus (SBNP features, and serum vitamin D and symptoms of evaporative dry eye (EDE. The study included age and sex matched 52 EDE patients and 43 heathy controls. A significant increase in the OSDI scores (discomfort subscale was observed between EDE (median, 20.8 and control (median, 4.2 cohorts (P23 (P<0.05. A positive correlation was observed between DCD and OSDI discomfort subscale (r=0.348; P<0.0003 and SBNP features. An inverse correlation was observed between vitamin D and OSDI scores (r=-0.332; P=0.0095 and DCD with dendritic processes (r=-0.322; P=0.0122. The findings implicate DCD, SBNP features, and vitamin D with EDE symptoms.

DRY MIX FOR OBTAINING FOAM CONCRETE

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S. N. Leonovich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Composition of a dry mix has been developed for production of non-autoclaved foam concrete with natural curing. The mix has been created on the basis of Portland cement, UFAPORE foaming agent, mineral additives (RSAM sulfoaluminate additive, MK-85 micro-silica and basalt fiber, plasticizing and accelerating “Citrate-T” additive and   redispersible Vinnapas-8034 H powder. It has been established that foam concrete with  density of 400–800 kg/m3, durability of 1,1–3,4 MPa, low water absorption (40–50 %, without shrinkable cracks has been formed while adding water of Water/Solid = 0.4–0.6 in the dry mix,  subsequent mechanical swelling and curing of foam mass.Introduction of the accelerating and plasticizing “Citrate-T” additive into composition of the dry mix leads to an increase of rheological properties in expanded foam mass and  time reduction of its drying and curing. An investigation on microstructure of foam-concrete chipping surface carried out with the help of a scanning electron microscope has shown that the introduction of  basalt fiber and redispersible Vinnapas-8034 H powder into the composition of the dry mix promotes formation of more finely-divided crystalline hydrates. Such approach makes it possible to change purposefully morphology of crystalline hydrates and gives the possibility to operate foam concrete structurization process.

Comparison of blueberry powder produced via foam-mat freeze-drying versus spray-drying: evaluation of foam and powder properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Darniadi, Sandi; Ho, Peter; Murray, Brent S

2018-03-01

Blueberry juice powder was developed via foam-mat freeze-drying (FMFD) and spray-drying (SD) via addition of maltodextrin (MD) and whey protein isolate (WPI) at weight ratios of MD/WPI = 0.4 to 3.2 (with a fixed solids content of 5 wt% for FMFD and 10 wt% for SD). Feed rates of 180 and 360 mL h -1 were tested in SD. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the drying methods and carrier agents on the physical properties of the corresponding blueberry powders and reconstituted products. Ratios of MD/WPI = 0.4, 1.0 and 1.6 produced highly stable foams most suitable for FMFD. FMFD gave high yields and low bulk density powders with flake-like particles of large size that were also dark purple with high red values. SD gave low powder recoveries. The powders had higher bulk density and faster rehydration times, consisting of smooth, spherical and smaller particles than in FMFD powders. The SD powders were bright purple but less red than FMFD powders. Solubility was greater than 95% for both FMFD and SD powders. The FMFD method is a feasible method of producing blueberry juice powder and gives products retaining more characteristics of the original juice than SD. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Impact of Dopant Segregation on the Maximum Carrier Density in Si:P Multilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Keizer, Joris G; McKibbin, Sarah R; Simmons, Michelle Y

2015-07-28

Abrupt dopant profiles and low resistivity are highly sought after qualities in the silicon microelectronics industry and, more recently, in the development of an all epitaxial Si:P based quantum computer. If we increase the active carrier density in silicon to the point where the material becomes superconducting, while maintaining a low thermal budget, it will be possible to fabricate nanoscale superconducting devices using the highly successful technique of depassivation lithography. In this work, we investigate the dopant profile and activation in multiple high density Si:P δ-layers fabricated by stacking individual layers with intervening silicon growth. We determine that dopant activation is ultimately limited by the formation of P-P dimers due to the segregation of dopants between multilayers. By increasing the encapsulation thickness between subsequent layers, thereby minimizing the formation of these deactivating defects, we are able to achieve an active carrier density of ns = 4.5 ×10(14) cm(-2) for a triple layer. The results of electrical characterization are combined with those of secondary ion mass spectroscopy to construct a model that accurately describes the impact of P segregation on the final active carrier density in Si:P multilayers. Our model predicts that a 3D active carrier density of 8.5 × 10(20) cm(-3) (1.7 atom %) can be achieved.

Dry storage of spent nuclear fuel in UAE – Economic aspect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Saadi, Sara; Yi, Yongsun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Cost analysis of interim storage of spent nuclear fuel in the UAE was performed. • Two scenarios were considered: accelerated transfer of SNF and max. use of fuel pool. • Additional cost by accelerated transfer of SNF to dry storage was not significant. • Multiple regression analysis was applied to the resulting dry storage costs. • Dry storage costs for different cases could be expressed by single equations. - Abstract: Cost analysis of dry storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) discharged from Barakah nuclear power plants in the UAE was performed using three variables: average fuel discharge rate (FD), discount rate (d), and cooling time in a spent fuel pool (T cool ). The costs of dry storage as an interim spent fuel storage option in the UAE were estimated and compared between the following two scenarios: Scenario 1 is ‘accelerated transfer of spent fuel to dry storage’ that SNF will be transferred to dry storage facilities as soon as spent fuel has been sufficiently cooled down in a pool for the dry storage; Scenario 2 is defined as ‘maximum use of spent fuel pool’ that SNF will be stored in a pool as long as possible till the amount of stored SNF in the pool reaches the capacity of the pools and, then, to be moved to dry storage. A sensitivity analysis on the costs was performed and multiple regression analysis was applied to the resulting net present values (NPVs) for Scenarios 1 and 2 and ΔNPV that is difference in the net present values between the two scenarios. The results showed that NPVs and ΔNPV could be approximately expressed by single equations with the three variables. Among the three variables, the discount rate had the largest effect on the NPVs of the dry storage costs. However, ΔNPV was turned out to be equally sensitive to the discount rate and cooling period. Over the ranges of the variables, the additional cost for accelerated fuel transfer (Scenario 1) ranged from 86.4 to 212.9 million $. Calculated using

Water Productivity of Irrigated Rice under Transplanting, Wet Seeding and Dry Seeding Methods of Cultivation

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Murali, NS.

1997-01-01

Full Text Available Water productivity (WP of irrigated lowland rice was determined during the 1994 dry (January to May and wet (August to December seasons on a heavy clay acid sulphate soil. Treatments consisted of three cultivation methods : transplanted rice, pregerminated seeds broadcasted on puddled soil (wet seeding and dry seeds broadcasted on unpuddled soil (dry seeding. In wet and dry seeded plots, continuous standing water condition was initiated 17 days after sowing. Total water requirement for rice production was highest in transplanted plots (755 mm in wet season and 1154 mm in dry season and was lowest in dry seeded plots (505 mm in wet season and 1040 mm in dry season. Dry seeding required no water for land preparation but transplanting and wet seeding methods required 18 - 20 % of total water requirement in dry season and 27 - 29 % in wet season. Total percolation was maximum (99 mm in wet season and 215 mm in dry season in dry seeding method and was minimum (62 mm in wet season and 94 mm in dry season in transplanting method. In dry and wet seeding methods, daily percolation gradually decreased with the age of the crop. Total seepage loss did not show any significant difference between the cultivation methods in the two seasons. Grain yield was not affected by the three cultivation methods in both seasons. Water productivity (the ratio between grain yield and total amount of water used in production was 3.5 - 4.1 kg ha-1 mm-1, 3.8 - 4.4 kg ha-1 mm-1 and 4.1 - 5.5 kg ha-1 mm-1 in transplanted, wet seeded and dry seeded rice, respectively. Labour requirement for land preparation and sowing was maximum in transplanted (219 - 226 man-hours ha-1 followed by wet (104 -112 man-hours ha-1 and dry seeded (94 - 99 man-hours ha-1 methods. However, in wet season extra labour (77 man-hours ha-1 was required for weeding after crop establishment in dry and wet seeding methods. Crop maturity was 20 days earlier in wet and dry seeding methods compared to

Chapter 7: High-Density H-Mode Operation in ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stober, Joerg Karl; Lang, Peter Thomas; Mertens, Vitus

2003-01-01

Recent results are reported on the maximum achievable H-mode density and the behavior of pedestal density and central density peaking as this limit is approached. The maximum achievable H-mode density roughly scales as the Greenwald density, though a dependence on B t is clearly observed. In contrast to the stiff temperature profiles, the density profiles seem to allow more shape variation and especially with high-field-side pellet-injection, strongly peaked profiles with good confinement have been achieved. Also, spontaneous density peaking at high densities is observed in ASDEX Upgrade, which is related to the generally observed large time constants for the density profile equilibration. The equilibrated density profile shapes depend strongly on the heat-flux profile in the sense that central heating leads to significantly flatter profiles

A bioencapsulation and drying method increases shelf life and efficacy of Metarhizium brunneum conidia.

Science.gov (United States)

Przyklenk, Michael; Vemmer, Marina; Hanitzsch, Miriam; Patel, Anant

2017-08-01

This study reports the development of encapsulated and dried entomopathogenic fungus Metarhiuzm brunneum with reduced conidia content, increased conidiation, a high drying survival and enhanced shelf life. Dried beads prepared with the fillers corn starch, potato starch, carboxymethylcellulose or autoclaved baker's yeast, showed enhanced survival with increasing filler content. The maximum survival of 82% was found for beads with 20% corn starch at shelf life compared to non-formulated conidia. This "microfermenter" will pave the way for encapsulated fungi to be used as cost-effective biocontrol agents.

Pulsed high-density plasmas for advanced dry etching processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banna, Samer; Agarwal, Ankur; Cunge, Gilles; Darnon, Maxime; Pargon, Erwine; Joubert, Olivier

2012-01-01

Plasma etching processes at the 22 nm technology node and below will have to satisfy multiple stringent scaling requirements of microelectronics fabrication. To satisfy these requirements simultaneously, significant improvements in controlling key plasma parameters are essential. Pulsed plasmas exhibit considerable potential to meet the majority of the scaling challenges, while leveraging the broad expertise developed over the years in conventional continuous wave plasma processing. Comprehending the underlying physics and etching mechanisms in pulsed plasma operation is, however, a complex undertaking; hence the full potential of this strategy has not yet been realized. In this review paper, we first address the general potential of pulsed plasmas for plasma etching processes followed by the dynamics of pulsed plasmas in conventional high-density plasma reactors. The authors reviewed more than 30 years of academic research on pulsed plasmas for microelectronics processing, primarily for silicon and conductor etch applications, highlighting the potential benefits to date and challenges in extending the technology for mass-production. Schemes such as source pulsing, bias pulsing, synchronous pulsing, and others in conventional high-density plasma reactors used in the semiconductor industry have demonstrated greater flexibility in controlling critical plasma parameters such as ion and radical densities, ion energies, and electron temperature. Specifically, plasma pulsing allows for independent control of ion flux and neutral radicals flux to the wafer, which is key to eliminating several feature profile distortions at the nanometer scale. However, such flexibility might also introduce some difficulty in developing new etching processes based on pulsed plasmas. Therefore, the main characteristics of continuous wave plasmas and different pulsing schemes are compared to provide guidelines for implementing different schemes in advanced plasma etching processes based on

The determination of bulk (apparent) density of plant fibres by density method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharifah Hanisah Syed Abd Aziz; Raja Jamal Raja hedar; Zahid Abdullah

2004-01-01

The absolute density of plant fibres excludes all pores and lumen and therefore is a measure of the solid matter of the fibres. On the other hand the bulk density, which is being discussed here, includes all the solid matter and the pores of the fibres. In this work, the apparent density of the fibre was measured by using the Archimedes principle, which involves the immersion of a known weight of fibre into a solvent of lower density than the fibre. Toluene with a density of about 860 kg/m3 was chosen as a solvent. A tuft of fibre was weighed and recorded as W fa . The fibre was then immersed in toluene, which wetted the fibre, and made to rest on the weighing pan submerged in the solvent and the weight of the immersed fibre was recorded as W fs . The apparent density was then calculated using the equation. All the measurements were taken at room temperature. The fibre samples were not oven dried prior to measurement. (Author)

Characteristics of Timbers Dried Using Kiln Drying and Radio Frequency-Vacuum Drying Systems

OpenAIRE

Rabidin Zairul Amin; Seng Gan Kee; Wahab Mohd Jamil Abdul

2017-01-01

Heavy hardwoods are difficult-to-dry timbers as they are prone to checking and internal stresses when dried using a conventional kiln drying system. These timbers are usually dried naturally to reach 15% to 19% moisture content with an acceptable defects. Besides long drying time, timbers at these moisture contents are not suitable for indoor applications since they will further dry and causing, for example, jointing and lamination failures. Drying to a lower moisture content could only be ac...

Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces - A velocity-rate-controlled, pressure-bias-modulated system

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, S. M.; Tanner, J. A.

1976-01-01

During maximum braking the average ratio of drag-force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system to maximum drag-force friction coefficient available at the tire/runway interface was higher on dry surfaces than on wet surfaces. The gross stopping power generated by the brake system on the dry surface was more than twice that obtained on the wet surfaces. With maximum braking applied, the average ratio of side-force friction coefficient developed by the tire under antiskid control to maximum side-force friction available at the tire/runway interface of a free-rolling yawed tire was shown to decrease with increasing yaw angle. Braking reduced the side-force friction coefficient on a dry surface by 75 percent as the wheel slip ratio was increased to 0.3; on a flooded surface the coefficient dropped to near zero for the same slip ratio. Locked wheel skids were observed when the tire encountered a runway surface transition from dry to flooded, due in part to the response time required for the system to sense abrupt changes in the runway friction; however, the antiskid system quickly responded by reducing brake pressure and cycling normally during the remainder of the run on the flooded surface.

Mass mortality of the vermetid gastropod Ceraesignum maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, A. L.; Frazer, T. K.; Shima, J. S.; Osenberg, C. W.

2016-09-01

Ceraesignum maximum (G.B. Sowerby I, 1825), formerly Dendropoma maximum, was subject to a sudden, massive die-off in the Society Islands, French Polynesia, in 2015. On Mo'orea, where we have detailed documentation of the die-off, these gastropods were previously found in densities up to 165 m-2. In July 2015, we surveyed shallow back reefs of Mo'orea before, during and after the die-off, documenting their swift decline. All censused populations incurred 100% mortality. Additional surveys and observations from Mo'orea, Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Huahine (but not Taha'a) suggested a similar, and approximately simultaneous, die-off. The cause(s) of this cataclysmic mass mortality are currently unknown. Given the previously documented negative effects of C. maximum on corals, we expect the die-off will have cascading effects on the reef community.

Influence of planting density and nitrogen fertilization on the yield of Morus alba var. tigreada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Yolai; Martín, G. J.

2014-01-01

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of planting density (12 500, 25 000 and 37 500 plants/ha) and nitrogen fertilization (100, 300 and 500 kg N/ha/year) on the yield and bromatological composition of Morus alba var. tigreada. The dry matter yield of the total (DMYTB) and edible biomass (DMYEB), and the yield of the leaves (DMYL) and the fresh stems (DMYFS) were measured during two years. The crude fiber (CF) and crude protein (CP) percentages were also calculated. There was interaction of the factors (p < 0,05) in the DMYFS; the highest values were obtained when the maximum planting density was combined with the three doses of N (0,37; 0,35 and 0,32 kg DM/plant), as well as when combining 25 000 plants/ha with 300 and 500 kg N/ha/year (0,27 and 0,34 kg DM/plant, respectively). In the variables DMYTB, DMYEB and DMYL there was no interaction of the studied factors. The highest values of total and edible biomass and leaves were reached with 37 500 plants (4,43; 2,37 and 2,03 kg DM/plant ) and the maximum dose of N (3,16;1,89 and 1,68 kg DM/plant). It is concluded that the best results regarding the yield of mulberry were obtained with the density of 37 500 plants/ha; its combination with the lowest dose of N produced high yields of fresh stems, which constitutes an important component of the biomass consumed by livestock. (author)

Effect of a Cooling Step Treatment on a High-Voltage GaN LED During ICP Dry Etching

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yen-Sheng; Hsiao, Sheng-Yu; Tseng, Chun-Lung; Shen, Ching-Hsing; Chiang, Jung-Sheng

2017-02-01

In this study, a lower dislocation density for a GaN surface and a reduced current path are observed at the interface of a SiO2 isolation sidewall, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. This is grown using a 3-min cooling step treatment during inductivity coupled plasma dry etching. The lower forward voltage is measured, the leakage current decreases from 53nA to 32nA, and the maximum output power increases from 354.8 W to 357.2 W for an input current of 30 mA. The microstructure and the optoelectronic properties of high-voltage light-emitting-diodes is proven to be affected by the cooling step treatment, which allows enough time to release the thermal energy of the SiO2 isolation well.

The prior-derived F constraints in the maximum-entropy method

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Palatinus, Lukáš; van Smaalen, S.

2005-01-01

Roč. 61, - (2005), s. 363-372 ISSN 0108-7673 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : charge density * maximum-entropy method * sodium nitrite Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.791, year: 2005

Association between Residential Proximity to PERC Dry Cleaning Establishments and Kidney Cancer in New York City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Ma

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Perchloroethylene (PERC is commonly used as a dry cleaning solvent and is believed to be a human carcinogen, with occupational exposure resulting in elevated rates of kidney cancer. Living near a dry cleaning facility using PERC has been demonstrated to increase the risk of PERC exposure throughout the building where the dry cleaning is conducted, and in nearby buildings. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that living in an area where there are many PERC dry cleaners increases PERC exposure and the risk of kidney cancer. We matched the diagnosis of kidney cancer from hospitalization discharge data in New York City for the years 1994–2004 by zip code of patient residence to the zip code density of dry cleaners using PERC, as a surrogate for residential exposure. We controlled for age, race, gender, and median household income. We found a significant association between the density of PERC dry cleaning establishments and the rate of hospital discharges that include a diagnosis of kidney cancer among persons 45 years of age and older living in New York City. The rate ratio increased by 10 to 27% for the populations in zip codes with higher density of PERC dry cleaners. Because our exposure assessment is inexact, we are likely underestimating the real association between exposure to PERC and rates of kidney cancer. Our results support the hypothesis that living near a dry cleaning facility using PERC increases the risk of PERC exposure and of developing kidney cancer. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate an association between residential PERC exposure and cancer risk.

Association between Residential Proximity to PERC Dry Cleaning Establishments and Kidney Cancer in New York City

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, J.; Lessner, L.; Lessner, L.; Carpenter, D.O.; Schreiber, J.

2010-01-01

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is commonly used as a dry cleaning solvent and is believed to be a human carcinogen, with occupational exposure resulting in elevated rates of kidney cancer. Living near a dry cleaning facility using PERC has been demonstrated to increase the risk of PERC exposure throughout the building where the dry cleaning is conducted, and in nearby buildings. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that living in an area where there are many PERC dry cleaners increases PERC exposure and the risk of kidney cancer. We matched the diagnosis of kidney cancer from hospitalization discharge data in New York City for the years 1994-2004 by zip code of patient residence to the zip code density of dry cleaners using PERC, as a surrogate for residential exposure. We controlled for age, race, gender, and median household income. We found a significant association between the density of PERC dry cleaning establishments and the rate of hospital discharges that include a diagnosis of kidney cancer among persons 45 years of age and older living in New York City. The rate ratio increased by 10 to 27% for the populations in zip codes with higher density of PERC dry cleaners. Because our exposure assessment is inexact, we are likely underestimating the real association between exposure to PERC and rates of kidney cancer. Our results support the hypothesis that living near a dry cleaning facility using PERC increases the risk of PERC exposure and of developing kidney cancer. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate an association between residential PERC exposure and cancer risk.

Power ultrasound as a pretreatment to convective drying of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves: Impact on drying kinetics and selected quality properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yang; Wang, Ping; Wang, Yilin; Kadam, Shekhar U; Han, Yongbin; Wang, Jiandong; Zhou, Jianzhong

2016-07-01

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment prior to convective drying on drying kinetics and selected quality properties of mulberry leaves was investigated in this study. Ultrasound pretreatment was carried out at 25.2-117.6 W/L for 5-15 min in a continuous mode. After sonication, mulberry leaves were dried in a hot-air convective dryer at 60 °C. The results revealed that ultrasound pretreatment not only affected the weight of mulberry leaves, it also enhanced the convective drying kinetics and reduced total energy consumption. The drying kinetics was modeled using a diffusion model considering external resistance and effective diffusion coefficient De and mass transfer coefficient hm were identified. Both De and hm during convective drying increased with the increase of acoustic energy density (AED) and ultrasound duration. However, De and hm increased slowly at high AED levels. Furthermore, ultrasound pretreatment had a more profound influence on internal mass transfer resistance than on external mass transfer resistance during drying according to Sherwood numbers. Regarding the quality properties, the color, antioxidant activity and contents of several bioactive compounds of dried mulberry leaves pretreated by ultrasound at 63.0 W/L for 10 min were similar to that of mulberry leaves without any pretreatments. Overall, ultrasound pretreatment is effective to shorten the subsequent drying time of mulberry leaves without damaging the quality of final product. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Density limit in ASDEX discharges with peaked density profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staebler, A.; Niedermeyer, H.; Loch, R.; Mertens, V.; Mueller, E.R.; Soeldner, F.X.; Wagner, F.

1989-01-01

Results concerning the density limit in OH and NI-heated ASDEX discharges with the usually observed broad density profiles have been reported earlier: In ohmic discharges with high q a (q-cylindrical is used throughout this paper) the Murakami parameter (n e R/B t ) is a good scaling parameter. At the high densities edge cooling is observed causing the plasma to shrink until an m=2-instability terminates the discharge. When approaching q a =2 the density limit is no longer proportional to I p ; a minimum exists in n e,max (q a ) at q a ∼2.15. With NI-heating the density limit increases less than proportional to the heating power; the behaviour during the pre-disruptive phase is rather similar to the one of OH discharges. There are specific operating regimes on ASDEX leading to discharges with strongly peaked density profiles: the improved ohmic confinement regime, counter neutral injection, and multipellet injection. These regimes are characterized by enhanced energy and particle confinement. The operational limit in density for these discharges is, therefore, of great interest having furthermore in mind that high central densities are favourable in achieving high fusion yields. In addition, further insight into the mechanisms of the density limit observed in tokamaks may be obtained by comparing plasmas with rather different density profiles at their maximum attainable densities. 7 refs., 2 figs

Interactions of an insecticide with competition and pond drying in amphibian communities

Science.gov (United States)

Boone, M.D.; Semlitsch, R.D.

2002-01-01

Amphibian populations are often imbedded in agricultural landscapes. Therefore the potential for contamination of their habitat is considerable. Our study examined the effects of an insecticide (carbaryl, a neurotoxin), on larval amphibian communities experiencing natural stresses of competition for resources, predation, and pond drying. In a set of experimental ponds, tadpoles of three anuran species (southern leopard frog [Rana sphenocephala], plains leopard frog [R. blairi], and the Woodhouse's toad [Bufo woodhousii]) were added to 1000-L ponds containing leaf litter, plankton, two newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), and four overwintered green frog (R. clamitans) tadpoles. We manipulated the overall tadpole density (low or high), pond hydroperiod (constant or drying), and chemical exposure (0, 3.5, 5.0, or 7.0 mg/L carbaryl) of the ponds. We measured mass, time, and survival to metamorphosis to determine treatment effects. Carbaryl positively affected Woodhouse's toad survival, although it had a negligible effect on both leopard frog species. Tadpole density interacted with the chemical treatment: Proportionately more Woodhouse's toads survived to metamorphosis in high-density environments than in low-density or control environments. Greater survival may be an indirect effect of increased algal food resources from carbaryl exposure. Most newts lost mass over the course of the experiment, although ponds with drying hydroperiods and high anuran density were the least favorable environments. Overwintered green frogs exposed to carbaryl had longer larval periods on average than did green frogs in control ponds. Our study demonstrated that even sublethal, short-lived contaminants can alter natural communities in ways that cannot be predicted from simple, one-factor studies.

Effects of weather and tailings properties on tailings drying times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gantzer, C.; Fasking, T.; Costello, M.; Greenwood, J. [Barr Engineering, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

This PowerPoint presentation presented the results of a study conducted to determine the effects of weather and tailings properties on tailings drying times. Weather conditions have a significant impact the potential evaporation (PE) and actual evaporation (AE) of oil sands tailings. A 2-stage drying of slurry at a constant PE was conducted to determine the shrinkage limit of untreated mature fine tailings (MFT). An evaporation and seepage model was used to determine maximum first-stage drying rates. Measurements were also taken in a wind tunnel. Potential evaporation rates were calculated and evaporative water losses from the MFT were determined. Estimated drying times were presented. Results of the approach were compared with field measurements conducted in a previous study. Results of the study showed that evaporative water loss rates for May through August were limited by the properties of the tailings. Water loss rates were limited by weather for other months in the year-long study. tabs., figs.

Differential growth responses to water balance of coexisting deciduous tree species are linked to wood density in a Bolivian tropical dry forest.

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Mendivelso, Hooz A; Camarero, J Julio; Royo Obregón, Oriol; Gutiérrez, Emilia; Toledo, Marisol

2013-01-01

A seasonal period of water deficit characterizes tropical dry forests (TDFs). There, sympatric tree species exhibit a diversity of growth rates, functional traits, and responses to drought, suggesting that each species may possess different strategies to grow under different conditions of water availability. The evaluation of the long-term growth responses to changes in the soil water balance should provide an understanding of how and when coexisting tree species respond to water deficit in TDFs. Furthermore, such differential growth responses may be linked to functional traits related to water storage and conductance. We used dendrochronology and climate data to retrospectively assess how the radial growth of seven coexisting deciduous tree species responded to the seasonal soil water balance in a Bolivian TDF. Linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify the relationships between basal area increment and seasonal water balance. We related these relationships with wood density and sapwood production to assess if they affect the growth responses to climate. The growth of all species responded positively to water balance during the wet season, but such responses differed among species as a function of their wood density. For instance, species with a strong growth response to water availability averaged a low wood density which may facilitate the storage of water in the stem. By contrast, species with very dense wood were those whose growth was less sensitive to water availability. Coexisting tree species thus show differential growth responses to changes in soil water balance during the wet season. Our findings also provide a link between wood density, a trait related to the ability of trees to store water in the stem, and wood formation in response to water availability.

Effects of Drying Temperature on Flavonoids Extraction Rate from Young Stems and Leaves of Two Cassava Varieties

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WANG Ding-mei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To improve flavonoids resources utilization level of young cassava stems and leaves, using cassava varieties SC09 and SC205 as ob jects, investigated the effect of different drying temperatures(40~120℃on the flavonoids extraction rate(FERand their stability in 120 d storage period after drying, explored a right drying storage method for postharvest young cassava stems and leaves. The research showed that total FER rised first, and then fell and rised again with the increase of drying temperature. During 40~80℃, the total FER was obviously in fluenced by variety and temperature, but only temperature was main factor affecting total FER during 90~120℃. Extract degree of flavonoids include rutin, amentoflavone or catechin, kaempferol, hesperidin, quercetin minished in order; the effect of cassava variety on the extraction rate of catechin and hesperidin was greater than that of drying temperature, but that contrary to other 4 flavonoids. Variety and temperature had a maximum impact respectively on catechin and rutin extraction rates. Whereas both of variety and temperature had a minimum impact on kaempferol extraction rate. FER reached higher levels of 1.42%and 1.53% respectively in SC09 after 120℃drying and SC205 after 110℃drying, and had best stability during 120 d storage period. The extraction rate of hesperidin increased after drying storage, and that of other 5 ingredients were changing with different varieties and temperatures; the coefficient variation(CV=1.03%~6.86%of kaempferol was minimum and its stability was best; extraction rates of rutin and kaempferol in SC205 after 110℃drying were maximum, whose increasing rates were 44.89%and 7.27%respectively with a small separate degree(CV were 6.94%, 4.59%and good extraction stability. Maximum in creasing rates of catechin, amentoflavone, quercetin and hesperidin were 211.60%，17.60%，186.39% and 538.08% respectively. However,their stabilities of extraction efficiency were poor

Spray drying of lipid-based systems loaded with Camellia sinensis polyphenols.

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Secolin, Vanessa A; Souza, Claudia R F; Oliveira, Wanderley P

2017-03-01

In this work, spray-dried lipid systems based on soy phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and lauroyl polyoxylglycerides for entrapping Green tea polyphenols were produced. The aim was to study the effects of the encapsulating composition and spray drying conditions on the system performance and physicochemical product properties. The spray dryer powder production yield falls around 50.7 ± 2.8%, which is typical for lab scale spray dryers. Wrinkled and rounded particles, with low surface porosities were generated, independent of the drying carriers (trehalose or lactose) used. The product showed high encapsulation efficiency of Green tea polyphenols, which was promptly redispersible in water. It presented low density, and good compressive and flow properties. The results herein reported confirm the feasibility of the entrapment of Green tea polyphenols in lipid-based compositions by spray drying in presence of the drying carriers evaluated. The spray-dried microparticles show high potential to be used as additive in food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.

Discontinuity of maximum entropy inference and quantum phase transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jianxin; Ji, Zhengfeng; Yu, Nengkun; Zeng, Bei; Li, Chi-Kwong; Poon, Yiu-Tung; Shen, Yi; Zhou, Duanlu

2015-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the connection between two genuinely quantum phenomena—the discontinuity of quantum maximum entropy inference and quantum phase transitions at zero temperature. It is shown that the discontinuity of the maximum entropy inference of local observable measurements signals the non-local type of transitions, where local density matrices of the ground state change smoothly at the transition point. We then propose to use the quantum conditional mutual information of the ground state as an indicator to detect the discontinuity and the non-local type of quantum phase transitions in the thermodynamic limit. (paper)

The Effect of Temperature and Drying Method on Drying Time and Color Quality of Mint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Bahmanpour

2017-10-01

applied to register and monitoring product weight real time. For imaging of dried samples, a semi-professional digital cameras Fujifilm Fine Pix HS55model Barzvlvshn 921000 pixel was applied. Dry samples were used to determine the RGB color model that consists of three whole red (Red, green (Green and blue (blue light intensity 0 to 255 (in this case, zero for black and 255 for white pixels Finally, the average of RGB changes color index were calculated as the mean change color of samples during the drying. Results and Discussion The results showed that drying time of solar dryer is more than vacuum-infrared (averaged: 201 versus 153 minutes. For two methods of drying, increasing temperature, made reduction in drying time. The maximum drying time registered 237 minutes for solar method which was set to 30°C and minimum drying time was registered 112 minutes relating to vacuum –infrared which was set to 50°C. Color evaluation showed that the effect of drying method on the changes of colour index (before and after drying is reasonable. Vacuumed-infrared dryer case with 8.75% color change was showed to be much efficient than solar dryer with 11.96% change. Analysis of variance was performed due to the drying temperature index mint color changes and results showed the reasonable difference. The highest and lowest color change related to the temperature of 50°C (11.767% and 30°C (9.197% respectively. Conclusions Drying method as well as applying temperature showed rescannable effects on daring time and color quality of mint. The vacuum-infrared method reduces drying time for all temperature treatments considered in this study. Beside this, using vacuum-infrared showed minimum changes on color characteristic and can be say more efficient in aspect of color quality especially at its lowest applicable temperature (30°C. Increasing temperature causes the samples to be more darken for both drying methods. This phenomena may be related to replacement of magnesium by hydrogen

Stabilization of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines by Freeze Drying, Spray Drying, and Foam Drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovalenti, Phillip M; Anderl, Jeff; Yee, Luisa; Nguyen, Van; Ghavami, Behnaz; Ohtake, Satoshi; Saxena, Atul; Voss, Thomas; Truong-Le, Vu

2016-05-01

The goal of this research is to develop stable formulations for live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) by employing the drying methods freeze drying, spray drying, and foam drying. Formulated live attenuated Type-A H1N1 and B-strain influenza vaccines with a variety of excipient combinations were dried using one of the three drying methods. Process and storage stability at 4, 25 and 37°C of the LAIV in these formulations was monitored using a TCID50 potency assay. Their immunogenicity was also evaluated in a ferret model. The thermal stability of H1N1 vaccine was significantly enhanced through application of unique formulation combinations and drying processes. Foam dried formulations were as much as an order of magnitude more stable than either spray dried or freeze dried formulations, while exhibiting low process loss and full retention of immunogenicity. Based on long-term stability data, foam dried formulations exhibited a shelf life at 4, 25 and 37°C of >2, 1.5 years and 4.5 months, respectively. Foam dried LAIV Type-B manufactured using the same formulation and process parameters as H1N1 were imparted with a similar level of stability. Foam drying processing methods with appropriate selection of formulation components can produce an order of magnitude improvement in LAIV stability over other drying methods.

Pressing of three-layer, dry-formed MDF with binderless hardboard faces

Science.gov (United States)

Otto Suchsland; George E. Woodson; Charles W. McMillin

1986-01-01

Severely cooked Masonite pulp was used as face material in three-layer experimental medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The core layer consisted of conventional MDF furnish with resin binder added. The faces were formed absolutely dry without additives of any kind. The three-layer mat was hot-pressed to overall densities ranging from 44 to 56 pcf. The faces had hardboard-...

Simulating thermal behavior of AECL's spent fuel dry storage system with CATHENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabourin, G.

1998-01-01

This paper documents the comparisons between CATHENA predictions and temperature measurements taken at the Gentilly-2 NPP spent fuel dry storage facility and in a mock--up of a storage basket placed inside a storage cylinder. It also presents CATHENA temperature predictions related to the storage of spent fuel in MACSTOR modules as planned for Ignalina NPP, Lithuania. CATHENA has been chosen because it can simulate many noncondensable gases including air and helium, and because of its great flexibility in the representation of the MACSTOR module geometry. The results of the simulations show good agreement with the experimental measurements. The two comparisons indicate that CATHENA can be used to simulate heat transfer from the fuel to the external air circuit of the spent fuel dry storage system. For the Ignalina MACSTOR module, containing RBMK fuel having higher heat release than typical CANDU fuel, CATHENA predicts that the maximum fuel temperature is expected to be around 240 deg C, giving an acceptable margin below the maximum allowed temperature of 300 deg C. In conclusion, this paper shows that the thermalhydraulic code CATHENA can accurately predict the thermal behavior AECL's air cooled spent fuel dry storage system. (author)

Comparison of snowpack and winter wet-deposition chemistry in the Rocky Mountains, USA: implications for winter dry deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Clow, David W.; Ingersoll, George P.; Mast, M. Alisa; Turk, John T.; Campbell, Donald H.

Depth-integrated snowpack chemistry was measured just prior to maximum snowpack depth during the winters of 1992-1999 at 12 sites co-located with National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trend Network (NADP/NTN) sites in the central and southern Rocky Mountains, USA. Winter volume-weighted mean wet-deposition concentrations were calculated for the NADP/NTN sites, and the data were compared to snowpack concentrations using the paired t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. No statistically significant differences were indicated in concentrations of SO 42- or NO 3- ( p>0.1). Small, but statistically significant differences ( p⩽0.03) were indicated for all other solutes analyzed. Differences were largest for Ca 2+ concentrations, which on average were 2.3 μeq l -1 (43%) higher in the snowpack than in winter NADP/NTN samples. Eolian carbonate dust appeared to influence snowpack chemistry through both wet and dry deposition, and the effect increased from north to south. Dry deposition of eolian carbonates was estimated to have neutralized an average of 6.9 μeq l -1 and a maximum of 12 μeq l -1 of snowpack acidity at the southernmost sites. The good agreement between snowpack and winter NADP/NTN SO 42- and NO 3- concentrations indicates that for those solutes the two data sets can be combined to increase data density in high-elevation areas, where few NADP/NTN sites exist. This combination of data sets will allow for better estimates of atmospheric deposition of SO 42- and NO 3- across the Rocky Mountain region.

Approximation for maximum pressure calculation in containment of PWR reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, A.L. de

1989-01-01

A correlation was developed to estimate the maximum pressure of dry containment of PWR following a Loss-of-Coolant Accident - LOCA. The expression proposed is a function of the total energy released to the containment by the primary circuit, of the free volume of the containment building and of the total surface are of the heat-conducting structures. The results show good agreement with those present in Final Safety Analysis Report - FSAR of several PWR's plants. The errors are in the order of ± 12%. (author) [pt

EFFECTS OF A SAND RUNNING SURFACE ON THE KINEMATICS OF SPRINTING AT MAXIMUM VELOCITY

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P E Alcaraz

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Performing sprints on a sand surface is a common training method for improving sprint-specific strength. For maximum specificity of training the athlete’s movement patterns during the training exercise should closely resemble those used when performing the sport. The aim of this study was to compare the kinematics of sprinting at maximum velocity on a dry sand surface to the kinematics of sprinting on an athletics track. Five men and five women participated in the study, and flying sprints over 30 m were recorded by video and digitized using biomechanical analysis software. We found that sprinting on a sand surface was substantially different to sprinting on an athletics track. When sprinting on sand the athletes tended to ‘sit’ during the ground contact phase of the stride. This action was characterized by a lower centre of mass, a greater forward lean in the trunk, and an incomplete extension of the hip joint at take-off. We conclude that sprinting on a dry sand surface may not be an appropriate method for training the maximum velocity phase in sprinting. Although this training method exerts a substantial overload on the athlete, as indicated by reductions in running velocity and stride length, it also induces detrimental changes to the athlete’s running technique which may transfer to competition sprinting.

Effects of Recent Minimum Temperature and Water Deficit Increases on Pinus pinaster Radial Growth and Wood Density in Southern Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz-Besson, Cathy B; Lousada, José L; Gaspar, Maria J; Correia, Isabel E; David, Teresa S; Soares, Pedro M M; Cardoso, Rita M; Russo, Ana; Varino, Filipa; Mériaux, Catherine; Trigo, Ricardo M; Gouveia, Célia M

2016-01-01

Western Iberia has recently shown increasing frequency of drought conditions coupled with heatwave events, leading to exacerbated limiting climatic conditions for plant growth. It is not clear to what extent wood growth and density of agroforestry species have suffered from such changes or recent extreme climate events. To address this question, tree-ring width and density chronologies were built for a Pinus pinaster stand in southern Portugal and correlated with climate variables, including the minimum, mean and maximum temperatures and the number of cold days. Monthly and maximum daily precipitations were also analyzed as well as dry spells. The drought effect was assessed using the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration (SPEI) multi-scalar drought index, between 1 to 24-months. The climate-growth/density relationships were evaluated for the period 1958-2011. We show that both wood radial growth and density highly benefit from the strong decay of cold days and the increase of minimum temperature. Yet the benefits are hindered by long-term water deficit, which results in different levels of impact on wood radial growth and density. Despite of the intensification of long-term water deficit, tree-ring width appears to benefit from the minimum temperature increase, whereas the effects of long-term droughts significantly prevail on tree-ring density. Our results further highlight the dependency of the species on deep water sources after the juvenile stage. The impact of climate changes on long-term droughts and their repercussion on the shallow groundwater table and P. pinaster's vulnerability are also discussed. This work provides relevant information for forest management in the semi-arid area of the Alentejo region of Portugal. It should ease the elaboration of mitigation strategies to assure P. pinaster's production capacity and quality in response to more arid conditions in the near future in the region.

Effects of Recent Minimum Temperature and Water Deficit Increases on Pinus pinaster Radial Growth and Wood Density in Southern Portugal

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz-Besson, Cathy B.; Lousada, José L.; Gaspar, Maria J.; Correia, Isabel E.; David, Teresa S.; Soares, Pedro M. M.; Cardoso, Rita M.; Russo, Ana; Varino, Filipa; Mériaux, Catherine; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Gouveia, Célia M.

2016-01-01

Western Iberia has recently shown increasing frequency of drought conditions coupled with heatwave events, leading to exacerbated limiting climatic conditions for plant growth. It is not clear to what extent wood growth and density of agroforestry species have suffered from such changes or recent extreme climate events. To address this question, tree-ring width and density chronologies were built for a Pinus pinaster stand in southern Portugal and correlated with climate variables, including the minimum, mean and maximum temperatures and the number of cold days. Monthly and maximum daily precipitations were also analyzed as well as dry spells. The drought effect was assessed using the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration (SPEI) multi-scalar drought index, between 1 to 24-months. The climate-growth/density relationships were evaluated for the period 1958-2011. We show that both wood radial growth and density highly benefit from the strong decay of cold days and the increase of minimum temperature. Yet the benefits are hindered by long-term water deficit, which results in different levels of impact on wood radial growth and density. Despite of the intensification of long-term water deficit, tree-ring width appears to benefit from the minimum temperature increase, whereas the effects of long-term droughts significantly prevail on tree-ring density. Our results further highlight the dependency of the species on deep water sources after the juvenile stage. The impact of climate changes on long-term droughts and their repercussion on the shallow groundwater table and P. pinaster’s vulnerability are also discussed. This work provides relevant information for forest management in the semi-arid area of the Alentejo region of Portugal. It should ease the elaboration of mitigation strategies to assure P. pinaster’s production capacity and quality in response to more arid conditions in the near future in the region. PMID:27570527

Discordant Dry Eye Disease (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

Science.gov (United States)

Shtein, Roni M; Harper, Daniel E; Pallazola, Vincent; Harte, Steven E; Hussain, Munira; Sugar, Alan; Williams, David A; Clauw, Daniel J

2016-08-01

To improve understanding of dry eye disease and highlight a subgroup of patients who have a component of central sensitization and neuropathic pain contributing to their condition. Prospective, cross-sectional, IRB-approved study comparing isolated dry eye disease (n=48) to fibromyalgia (positive control; n=23) and healthy (negative control; n=26) individuals with ocular surface examination, corneal confocal microscopy, quantitative sensory testing, and self-reported ocular symptoms and systemic associations. A subset of patients also underwent skin biopsy and/or brain neuroimaging. Dry eye patients were split into concordant (ie, those with dry eyes on examination) and discordant (ie, those with dry eye symptoms but normal examination) subgroups for further analysis. We hypothesized that on the systemic measures included, concordant patients would resemble healthy controls, whereas discordant patients would show evidence of centralized mechanisms similar to fibromyalgia. Schirmer test and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores indicated significant decreases in tear production (Schirmer: healthy, 18.5±8.2 mm; dry, 11.2±5.4 mm; fibromyalgia, 14.4±7.5; P dry eye symptoms (OSDI: healthy, 1.9±3.0; dry, 20.3±17.7; fibromyalgia, 20.3±17.1; P dry eye and fibromyalgia patients, compared to controls. The discordant subgroup had decreased corneal nerve density and decreased visual quality-of-life scores, similar to patients with fibromyalgia. Concordant patients were more similar to healthy controls on these measures. Individuals with discordant dry eye may have a central pathophysiologic mechanism leading to their eye pain symptoms, which could be an important factor to consider in treatment of chronic idiopathic dry eye.

Effect of different input management on weed composition, diversity and density of corn field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surur Khoramdel

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In order to investigate the effects of input intensity on species diversity, composition and density of weeds in corn (Zea mays L., an experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during the year 2009. Treatments included low input, medium input and high input systems. Low input received 30 tonha-1or 30 tonha-1 compost, zero tillage and hand weeding (twice. Medium input was based on 15 tonha-1 manure, 150 kgha-1 urea as chemical fertilizer, twice tillage operations and 2, 4-D (1.5 Lha-1, at five leaves emergence as an herbicide and hand weeding (once. High input received 300 kgha-1 urea, four tillage operations and Paraquat (2 Lha-1, after planting and 2, 4-D (1.5 Lha-1, at five leaves emergence. Manure and compost were applied in the planting time. Weed samplings were done in three stages (early, mid and late growing season. Results indicated that the highest and the lowest weed species diversity and density were observed in low input based on manure and high input systems, respectively. The highest range of weed relative density was obtained for black nightshade (Solanum nigrum with 9.09-75.00%. The highest number of species was observed in low input based on manure. Also, management practices affected weed dry matter and diversity indices. The highest and the lowest amounts of weed dry matter were observed in low input based on manure and high input systems, respectively. In the first, second and the third stages of sampling, the maximum and the minimum amounts of Margalef index were observed in low input based on manure (with 5.3, 5.4 and 3.3, respectively and high input systems (with 0.8, 2.3 and 2.6, respectively. In the first, second and the third stages of sampling, the highest and the lowest values of Shannon index were observed in low input based on manure (with 0.6, 0.7 and 0.5 respectively and high input (with 0

Physicochemical properties of whole fruit plum powders obtained using different drying technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalska, Anna; Wojdyło, Aneta; Lech, Krzysztof; Łysiak, Grzegorz P; Figiel, Adam

2016-09-15

Physicochemical quality parameters of plum powders obtained by applying conventional drying methods and their combination devised to process plums were evaluated. The effect of freeze-drying (FD), vacuum drying (VD), convective drying (CD), microwave-vacuum drying (MVD) and combination of convective pre-drying and microwave finish-drying (CPD-MVFD) affected physical (bulk density, porosity, colour, solubility) and chemical (polyphenolic compounds determined by UPLC and antioxidant capacity by TEAC ABTS and FRAP methods) properties of plum powders. The MVD at 1.2 W g(-1) and a novel combination for plum powders production - CPD-MVFD at 70 °C/1.2 W g(-1) allowed the best preservation of phenolic compounds and increased the efficiency of production. Results obtained support the use of MVD and its combination for better quality of dried plum products. The study proved that the determination of the browning index and HMF level (formed via Maillard reaction) might be good tool for monitoring the thermal processing of plum powders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Cycocel and Nitrogen Application on Yield and Yield Components of Autumn-Grown Oilseed Rape at Different Plant Densities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Majd

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this research, which was carried out as two experiments (in the field and greenhouse at Research Farm of College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, in 2009-2010 growing season, the effects of different levels of nitrogen, plant density and cycocel application on yield and yield components of autumn-grown oilseed rape (Talaye cultivar were investigated. The field experiment was designed as split-split plot based on completely randomized blocks design. Treatments included nitrogen level (80, 140, 200 and 260 kg/ha as the main plot, plant density (70 and 90 plants/m2 as sub-plot and cycocel rate (0, 1.4 and 2.8 L/ha as sub- subplot. The greenhouse experiment, which was arranged as a factorial based on complete randomized design, included nitrogen level (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg/ha and cycocel rate (0, 1.4 and 2.8 L/ha. Results showed that the highest seed yield was achieved at 200 kg N/ha, 2.8 L/ha cycocel and plant density of 90 plants/m2 (533.17, 533.96 and 521.6 g/m2, respectively. Application of 2.8 L/ha cycocel was associated with increased number of siliques per plant and final plants dry weight. Increasing plant density from 70 to 90 plants/m2 was associated with decreased number of siliques per plant, plant dry weight and number of seeds per silique. It appears that application of 200 kg N/ha, 2.8 L/ha cycocel and plant density of 90 plants/m2 could be recommended for maximum grain yield of autumn-grown rapeseed cv. Talaye, in agroclimatic conditions similar to this research

Wood density variations of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. under contrasting climate conditions in southwestern Germany

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Marieke van der Maaten-Theunissen

2013-07-01

Full Text Available We analyzed inter-annual variations in ring width and maximum wood density of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. at different altitudes in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany, to determine the climate response of these parameters under contrasting climate conditions. In addition, we compared maximum, average and minimum wood density between sites. Bootstrapped correlation coefficients of ring width and maximum wood density with monthly temperature and precipitation, revealed a different climate sensitivity of both parameters. Ring width showed strong correlations with climate variables in the previous year and in the first half of the growing season. Further, a negative relationship with summer temperature was observed at the low-altitude sites. Maximum wood density correlated best with temperature during the growing season, whereby strongest correlations were found between September temperature and maximum wood density at the high-altitude sites. Observed differences in maximum, average and minimum wood density are suggested to relate to the local climate; with lower temperatures and higher water availability having a negative effect on wood density. 

Contribution of sand-associated enterococci to dry weather water quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Halliday, Elizabeth; Ralston, David K; Gast, Rebecca J

2015-01-06

Culturable enterococci and a suite of environmental variables were collected during a predominantly dry summer at a beach impacted by nonpoint source pollution. These data were used to evaluate sands as a source of enterococci to nearshore waters, and to assess the relationship between environmental factors and dry-weather enterococci abundance. Best-fit multiple linear regressions used environmental variables to explain more than half of the observed variation in enterococci in water and dry sands. Notably, during dry weather the abundance of enterococci in dry sands at the mean high-tide line was significantly positively related to sand moisture content (ranging from sands. Tidal forcing modulated the abundance of enterococci in the water, as both turbidity and enterococci were elevated during ebb and flood tides. The probability of samples violating the single-sample maximum was significantly greater when collected during periods with increased tidal range: spring ebb and flood tides. Tidal forcing also affected groundwater mixing zones, mobilizing enterococci from sand to water. These data show that routine monitoring programs using discrete enterococci measurements may be biased by tides and other environmental factors, providing a flawed basis for beach closure decisions.

Dry and Semi-Dry Tropical Cyclones

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, T.; Chavas, D. R.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of dynamics in our real moist atmosphere is strongly informed by idealized dry models. It is widely believed that tropical cyclones (TCs) are an intrinsically moist phenomenon - relying fundamentally on evaporation and latent heat release - yet recent numerical modeling work has found formation of dry axisymmetric tropical cyclones from a state of dry radiative-convective equilibrium. What can such "dry hurricanes" teach us about intensity, structure, and size of real moist tropical cyclones in nature? Are dry TCs even stable in 3D? What about surfaces that are nearly dry but have some latent heat flux - can they also support TCs? To address these questions, we use the SAM cloud-system resolving model to simulate radiative-convective equilibrium on a rapidly rotating f-plane, subject to constant tropospheric radiative cooling. We use a homogeneous surface with fixed temperature and with surface saturation vapor pressure scaled by a factor 0-1 relative to that over pure water - allowing for continuous variation between moist and dry limits. We also explore cases with surface enthalpy fluxes that are uniform in space and time, where partitioning between latent and sensible heat fluxes is specified directly. We find that a completely moist surface yields a TC-world where multiple vortices form spontaneously and persist for tens of days. A completely dry surface can also yield a parallel dry TC-world with many vortices that are even more stable and persistent. Spontaneous cyclogenesis, however, is impeded for a range of low to intermediate surface wetness values, and by the combination of large rotation rates and a dry surface. We discuss whether these constraints on spontaneous cyclogenesis might arise from: 1) rain evaporation in the subcloud layer limiting the range of viable surface wetness values, and 2) a natural convective Rossby number limiting the range of viable rotation rates. Finally, we discuss simulations with uniform surface enthalpy

Impact of drying methods and extraction solvents on the steroidal saponians content of tibullus terresteris grown in the peshawar valley of khyberpakhtunkhwa, pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanif, M.; Khattak, M.K.; Rehman, M.U.; Ramzan, M.; Ali, S.A.

2017-01-01

The experiments were conducted to see the impact of drying methods and extraction solvents on the yield of steroidal saponins of Tribulus terrestris. The plant was dried by three different drying methods namely, solar collector drying, open sun drying and shade drying. After drying different levels (25-100%) of extracting solvent in the form of ethanol, methanol and distilled water were used for extraction. Soxhlet apparatus was used for extraction, while the gas chromatography apparatus was used in the experiment for detecting steroidal saponins in Tribulus terrestris. After extraction, four saponins identified were Tigogenin, Gitogenin, Hecogenin and Neohecogenin. The maximum yield of 61.2% was recorded for flat plate solar drying with 75% ethanol solution, followed 49.5% in shade drying with the same extraction solvent level. The lowest value of 3.1% yield was recorded for distilled water with open sun drying method. It was concluded that Both the drying methods and extraction solvent have a direct effect on the yield of steroidal saponins extracted from Tribulus terrestris. A maximum yield of almost 60% saponins may be achieved, if Tribulus terrestris is dried using a flat plate solar collector and extorted with 75% ethanol solution using GC-MS technique. Open sun drying minimizes saponins in Tribulus terrestris, while distilled water is the worse extracting solvent for extraction of steroidal saponins from Tribulus terrestris. (author)

Dry gel conversion synthesis of SAPO-34 nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirota, Yuichiro; Murata, Kenji; Tanaka, Shunsuke; Nishiyama, Norikazu; Egashira, Yasuyuki; Ueyama, Korekazu

2010-01-01

SAPO-34 nanocrystals were synthesized by a dry gel conversion method using tetraethylammonium hydroxide as a structure-directing agent. The crystal growth of SAPO-34 was studied by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. After 3 h, 45-nm SAPO-34 crystals with an amorphous phase were observed. The crystal size increased to 70 nm after 6 h, but did not increase greatly thereafter. The average crystal size of the final product was 75 nm. The nucleation density for SAPO-34 crystals in dry gel conversion appeared to be much higher than that under hydrothermal conditions, resulting in the formation of small crystals.

The Effects of Drought Stress on Yield, Yield Components and Anti-oxidant of Two Garlic (Allium sativum L. Ecotypes with Different Planting Densities

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shiva akbari

2016-07-01

Drought stress decreased bulb yield and dry matter percentage significantly. Planting density had significant effects on bulb yield and the yield of planting density of 50 plants m-2 were significantly higher than two other densities. The interaction of drought stress and ecotype factors affected the dry matter percentage. Drought stress decreased fresh and dry weight, length of bulbs and the bulb diameter significantly. Drought stress decreased fresh and dry weight, diameter, length and number of cloves significantly as well. Drought stress is an important limiting factor at the initial phase of plant growth and establishment. It affects both elongation and expansion growth (Shao et al., 2008. Fresh and dry weight and length of cloves were significantly higher in Toroud ecotype. In contrast, the number of cloves in the bulb was significantly higher in Tabas. Studying the correlation coefficients showed that the bulb yield per unit area was significantly and positively correlated with diameter, weight and length of cloves and bulbs and also the dry matter percentage at P≤0.001. The maximum correlation belonged to yield at the unit area and weight of the bulb (r=0.72. In other words, any bulb-weight-increasing factor did have the highest effect on increasing the yield per unit area as well. Drought stress, increased leaf non-enzymatic anti-oxidant significantly. Anti-oxidants plays significant roles in ROS scavenging and influences cellular ROS balance. Activation of antioxidant system helps the plants to tolerate stress form induced damage. The effect of ecotype was significant on anti-oxidant content and the value were significantly higher in Toroud ecotype. Toroud ecotype showed resisting reactions against higher levels of drought stress by increasing the non-enzymatic anti-oxidant content and created tolerating mechanisms versus stress. Conclusion Drought stress reduced yield and yield parameters and increased non-enzymatic anti-oxidant content of garlic. The

Direct dry transfer of chemical vapor deposition graphene to polymeric substrates

OpenAIRE

Fechine, Guilhermino J. M.; Martin-Fernandez, Inigo; Yiapanis, George; de Oliveira, Ricardo V. Bof; Hu, Xiao; Yarovsky, Irene; Neto, Antonio H. Castro; Ozyilmaz, Barbaros

2014-01-01

We demonstrate the direct dry transfer of large area Chemical Vapor Deposition graphene to several polymers (low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polystyrene, polylactide acid and poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) by means of only moderate heat and pressure, and the later mechanical peeling of the original graphene substrate. Simulations of the graphene-polymer interactions, rheological tests and graphene transfer at various experimental conditions show that contro...

Assessing storage of stability and mercury reduction of freeze-dried Pseudomonas putida within different types of lyoprotectant

Science.gov (United States)

Azoddein, Abdul Aziz Mohd; Nuratri, Yana; Azli, Faten Ahada Mohd; Bustary, Ahmad Bazli

2017-12-01

Pseudomonas putida is a potential strain in biological treatment to remove mercury contained in the effluent of petrochemical industry due to its mercury reductase enzyme that able to reduce ionic mercury to elementary mercury. Freeze-dried P. putida allows easy, inexpensive shipping, handling and high stability of the product. This study was aimed to freeze dry P. putida cells with addition of lyoprotectant. Lyoprotectant was added into the cells suspension prior to freezing. Dried P. putida obtained was then mixed with synthetic mercury. Viability of recovery P. putida after freeze dry was significantly influenced by the type of lyoprotectant. Among the lyoprotectants, tween 80/ sucrose was found to be the best lyoprotectant. Sucrose was able to recover more than 78% (6.2E+09 CFU/ml) of the original cells (7.90E+09CFU/ml) after freeze dry and able to retain 5.40E+05 viable cells after 4 weeks storage at 4 °C without vacuum. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) pre-treated freeze dried cells and broth pre-treated freeze dried cells after the freeze-dry process recovered more than 64% (5.0 E+09CFU/ml) and >0.1% (5.60E+07CFU/ml). Freeze-dried P. putida cells in PEG and broth cannot survive after 4 weeks storage. Freeze dry also does not really change the pattern of growth P. putida but extension of lag time was found 1 hour after 3 weeks of storage. Additional time was required for freeze-dried P. putida cells to recover before introducing freeze-dried cells to more complicated condition such as mercury solution. The maximum mercury reduction of PEG pre-treated freeze-dried cells after freeze dry and after storage of 3 weeks was 17.91 %. The maximum of mercury reduction of tween 80/sucrose pre-treated freeze-dried cells after freeze dry and after storage 3 weeks was 25.03%. Freeze dried P. putida was found to have lower mercury reduction compare to the fresh P. putida that has been grown in agar. Result from this study may be beneficial and useful as initial reference before

Differential growth responses to water balance of coexisting deciduous tree species are linked to wood density in a Bolivian tropical dry forest.

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Hooz A Mendivelso

Full Text Available A seasonal period of water deficit characterizes tropical dry forests (TDFs. There, sympatric tree species exhibit a diversity of growth rates, functional traits, and responses to drought, suggesting that each species may possess different strategies to grow under different conditions of water availability. The evaluation of the long-term growth responses to changes in the soil water balance should provide an understanding of how and when coexisting tree species respond to water deficit in TDFs. Furthermore, such differential growth responses may be linked to functional traits related to water storage and conductance. We used dendrochronology and climate data to retrospectively assess how the radial growth of seven coexisting deciduous tree species responded to the seasonal soil water balance in a Bolivian TDF. Linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify the relationships between basal area increment and seasonal water balance. We related these relationships with wood density and sapwood production to assess if they affect the growth responses to climate. The growth of all species responded positively to water balance during the wet season, but such responses differed among species as a function of their wood density. For instance, species with a strong growth response to water availability averaged a low wood density which may facilitate the storage of water in the stem. By contrast, species with very dense wood were those whose growth was less sensitive to water availability. Coexisting tree species thus show differential growth responses to changes in soil water balance during the wet season. Our findings also provide a link between wood density, a trait related to the ability of trees to store water in the stem, and wood formation in response to water availability.

Differential Growth Responses to Water Balance of Coexisting Deciduous Tree Species Are Linked to Wood Density in a Bolivian Tropical Dry Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Mendivelso, Hooz A.; Camarero, J. Julio; Royo Obregón, Oriol; Gutiérrez, Emilia; Toledo, Marisol

2013-01-01

A seasonal period of water deficit characterizes tropical dry forests (TDFs). There, sympatric tree species exhibit a diversity of growth rates, functional traits, and responses to drought, suggesting that each species may possess different strategies to grow under different conditions of water availability. The evaluation of the long-term growth responses to changes in the soil water balance should provide an understanding of how and when coexisting tree species respond to water deficit in TDFs. Furthermore, such differential growth responses may be linked to functional traits related to water storage and conductance. We used dendrochronology and climate data to retrospectively assess how the radial growth of seven coexisting deciduous tree species responded to the seasonal soil water balance in a Bolivian TDF. Linear mixed-effects models were used to quantify the relationships between basal area increment and seasonal water balance. We related these relationships with wood density and sapwood production to assess if they affect the growth responses to climate. The growth of all species responded positively to water balance during the wet season, but such responses differed among species as a function of their wood density. For instance, species with a strong growth response to water availability averaged a low wood density which may facilitate the storage of water in the stem. By contrast, species with very dense wood were those whose growth was less sensitive to water availability. Coexisting tree species thus show differential growth responses to changes in soil water balance during the wet season. Our findings also provide a link between wood density, a trait related to the ability of trees to store water in the stem, and wood formation in response to water availability. PMID:24116001

Empirical analysis of dry spells for agricultural applications in west Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivakumar, M.V.K.

1992-01-01

Recurring droughts and decreased agricultural productivity during the last two decades in West Africa point to the need for a clearer understanding of the length of dry spells, their frequencies, and their probabilities. The simplest calculations of dry spells for general applications involve computation of the probabilities of maximum and conditional dry spells exceeding a user-specified threshold value from a given calendar date. For more precise applications in agriculture, it is important to consider the different periods after sowing a crop, since sowing dates in the semiarid West African regions vary from year to year. Using the specific definition of onset of rains in each year as the sowing date, the length of dry spells was calculated from the historical rainfall data. Probability distribution of time to the next wet day and the percentage frequencies of dry spells were computed for successive days after sowing (DAS) a crop. Dry-spell analysis showed a pronounced drop in the drought risk for cereal crops from the panicle initiation phase (20 DAS) to the flowering phase (60 DAS). The relationships between mean annual rainfall and average frequency of dry spells for the selected locations in West Africa showed distinct patterns and permit the prediction of the frequency of dry spells from annual rainfall totals. Applications of the dry-spell analysis for the choice of a crop/variety, supplemental irrigation, and crop water requirements have been described with examples

Rational Design and Enhanced Biocompatibility of a Dry Adhesive Medical Skin Patch

KAUST Repository

Kwak, Moon Kyu

2011-07-28

A new type of medical skin patch is developed that contains high-density, mushroom-like micropillars. Such dry-adhesive micropillars are highly biocompatible, have minimized side effects, and provide reasonable normal adhesion strength. To arrive at optimal conditions for the dry adhesive skin patch, the proper design of various structural and material parameters of micropillars is investigated. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spray-freeze-drying of nanosuspensions: the manufacture of insulin particles for needle-free ballistic powder delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffter, Heiko; Condliffe, Jamie; Vonhoff, Sebastian

2010-08-06

The feasibility of preparing microparticles with high insulin loading suitable for needle-free ballistic drug delivery by spray-freeze-drying (SFD) was examined in this study. The aim was to manufacture dense, robust particles with a diameter of around 50 microm, a narrow size distribution and a high content of insulin. Atomization using ultrasound atomizers showed improved handling of small liquid quantities as well as narrower droplet size distributions over conventional two-fluid nozzle atomization. Insulin nanoparticles were produced by SFD from solutions with a low solid content (300 mg ml(-1)) consisting of trehalose, mannitol, dextran (10 kDa) and dextran (150 kDa) (abbreviated to TMDD) in order to maximize particle robustness and density after SFD. With the increase in insulin content, the viscosity of the nanosuspensions increased. Liquid atomization was possible up to a maximum of 250 mg of nano-insulin suspended in a 1.0 g matrix. However, if a narrow size distribution with a good correlation between theoretical and measurable insulin content was desired, no more than 150 mg nano-insulin could be suspended per gram of matrix formulation. Particles were examined by laser light diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and tap density testing. Insulin stability was assessed using size exclusion chromatography (SEC), reverse phase chromatography and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Densification of the particles could be achieved during primary drying if the product temperature (T(prod)) exceeded the glass transition temperature of the freeze concentrate (T(g)') of -29.4 degrees C for TMDD (3331) formulations. Particles showed a collapsed and wrinkled morphology owing to viscous flow of the freeze concentrate. With increasing insulin loading, the d (v, 0.5) of the SFD powders increased and particle size distributions got wider. Insulin showed a good stability during the particle formation process with a maximum decrease in insulin monomer of

Dry matter losses of grass, lucerne and maize silages in bunker silos

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Brigitte Koehler

2013-03-01

Full Text Available An efficient feed management is important for a sustainable and economic agricultural production. One of the main points for improving the efficiency is the reduction of feed losses. In the present investigation the dry matter (DM losses of grass, lucerne and maize silages in farm scaled bunker silos were analysed. The method of determining DM losses was the total-in versus total-out DM mass flow of the silos, including the determination of DM content and other silage parameters via manual sampling. The results taken from 48 silos showed on average for all investigated crops 9–12% of DM losses. Density and feed out rate showed a negative correlation to DM losses in maize silages. According to the applied method for determining DM losses on farm scale, a guideline of 8% can be suggested for maximum DM losses in bunker silos for grass and maize silages. The described method seems to be applicable for improving the feed management by using largely automated measurements on the harvest and feeding side.

Steam pretreatment of dry and ensiled industrial hemp for ethanol production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sipos, Balint; Reczey, Kati [Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Szt. Gellert ter 4., H-1111 Budapest (Hungary); Kreuger, Emma; Bjoernsson, Lovisa [Lund University, Department of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Svensson, Sven-Erik [Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agriculture - Farming Systems, Technology and Product Quality, P.O. Box 104, SE-230 53 Alnarp (Sweden); Zacchi, Guido [Lund University, Department of Chemical Engineering, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden)

2010-12-15

Biomass can be converted into liquid and gaseous biofuels with good efficiency. In this study, the conversion of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), a biomass source that can be cultivated with a high biomass yield per hectare, was used. Steam pretreatment of dry and ensiled hemp was investigated prior to ethanol production. The pretreatment efficiency was evaluated in terms of sugar recovery and polysaccharide conversion in the enzymatic hydrolysis step. For both materials, impregnation with 2% SO{sub 2} followed by steam pretreatment at 210 C for 5 min were found to be the optimal conditions leading to the highest overall yield of glucose. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation experiments carried out with optimised pretreatment conditions resulted in ethanol yields of 163 g kg{sup -1} ensiled hemp (dry matter) (71% of the theoretical maximum) and 171 g kg{sup -1} dry hemp (74%), which corresponds to 206-216 l Mg{sup -1} ethanol based on initial dry material. (author)

Increasing the aperture of x-ray mosaic lenses by freeze drying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, F; Marschall, F; Meiser, J; Márkus, O; Faisal, A; Schröter, T; Meyer, P; Kunka, D; Last, A; Mohr, J

2015-01-01

Point focus x-ray mosaic lenses are limited in aperture by the aspect ratio that can be reached in the micro fabrication process. In lithography based micro fabrication processes, which are used to fabricate the lens pillar structures, the achievable aspect ratio is restricted by structure collapse due to capillary forces which occur during drying after development. Capillary forces can be avoided by freeze drying, hence avoiding the direct phase change from liquid to gas. Substituting conventional drying by freeze drying using cyclohexane at a temperature of  −10 °C, we could increase the achievable aspect ratio for the triangular pillar structures with edge length of 10 to 45 µm of the x-ray mosaic lenses by up to a factor of 2.2 with no further changes in process, material or structural geometry. A maximum aspect ratio of 30 was achieved for pillars with 10 µm edge length. The process can readily be employed to other structures or lithography techniques. (paper)

Density of liquid Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, D.; Holland, L. R.

1983-01-01

Negative thermal expansion has been established in liquid Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te for x less than 0.2 employing a pycnometric method. Pure HgTe increases in density from its melting point at 670 C to a maximum value at 750 C, where normal thermal expansion progressively resumes. The dependence of density on temperature for liquid Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te arises almost exclusively from the HgTe portion of the melt, while CdTe acts as a diluent. The temperature corresponding to the maximum density changes slightly with composition, increasing by about 5 C for x = 0.1.

BASIC DENSITY AND RETRACTIBILITY OF WOOD CLONES OF THREE Eucalyptus SPECIES

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Djeison Cesar Batista

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Among the planted forests that supply the national wood industry, the genus Eucalyptus has become the most important, due to its fast growth, ease of large scale planting and variability of wood use. The generation of new hybrids and clones is a reality in the national practice of silviculture, and there is great interest currently in finding genetic improvements, mainly for higher volumetric gains and resistance in rough conditions of planting, such as pest attacks, periods of drought, low soil fertility, etc. The basic density is one of the most important physical properties of wood because it relates directly to other properties, including the anisotropic shrinkage. Such properties indicate the rational use of a species in a certain wood product. The aim of this work was to determine the basic density and the anisotropic shrinkage of five wood clones for each one of the following species: Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus dunnii. Clone 5 of Eucalyptus saligna presented the highest basic density (0.56 g/cm³ and was the most dimensionally instable. Of all the species, there was only a direct relation among basic density, maximum volumetric shrinkage and maximum volumetric shrinkage coefficient in this clone. Considering maximum volumetric shrinkage as the criterion, clone 3 was the most dimensionally stable. Clones 2 and 3 of Eucalyptus grandis presented the least and the highest basic density, respectively, with 0.40 and 0.49 g/cm³. It was not possible to distinguish among clones 1, 3 and 4 in terms of dimensional stability, and considering maximum volumetric shrinkage coefficient as the criterion, clone 5 was the most dimensionally instable. For Eucalyptus saligna and Eucalyptus dunnii it was not possible to distinguish which clone presented the least basic density. Clone 3 of Eucalyptus dunnii presented the highest basic density (0.65 g/cm³ and considering maximum volumetric shrinkage coefficient as the criterion, it

Modelling and experimental validation of thin layer indirect solar drying of mango slices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dissa, A.O.; Bathiebo, J.; Kam, S.; Koulidiati, J. [Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l' Environnement (LPCE), Unite de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Appliquee (UFR/SEA), Universite de Ouagadougou, Avenue Charles de Gaulle, BP 7021 Kadiogo (Burkina Faso); Savadogo, P.W. [Laboratoire Sol Eau Plante, Institut de l' Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, 01 BP 476, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso); Desmorieux, H. [Laboratoire d' Automatisme et de Genie des Procedes (LAGEP), UCBL1-CNRS UMR 5007-CPE Lyon, Bat.308G, 43 bd du 11 Nov. 1918 Villeurbanne, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon (France)

2009-04-15

The thin layer solar drying of mango slices of 8 mm thick was simulated and experimented using a solar dryer designed and constructed in laboratory. Under meteorological conditions of harvest period of mangoes, the results showed that 3 'typical days' of drying were necessary to reach the range of preservation water contents. During these 3 days of solar drying, 50%, 40% and 5% of unbound water were eliminated, respectively, at the first, second and the third day. The final water content obtained was about 16 {+-} 1.33% d.b. (13.79% w.b.). This final water content and the corresponding water activity (0.6 {+-} 0.02) were in accordance with previous work. The drying rates with correction for shrinkage and the critical water content were experimentally determined. The critical water content was close to 70% of the initial water content and the drying rates were reduced almost at 6% of their maximum value at night. The thin layer drying model made it possible to simulate suitably the solar drying kinetics of mango slices with a correlation coefficient of r{sup 2} = 0.990. This study thus contributed to the setting of solar drying time of mango and to the establishment of solar drying rates' curves of this fruit. (author)

The Effect of Plant Density on Photosynthesis and Growth Indices of Henna (Lowsonia inermis L. Ecotypes

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A Pasandi Pour

2018-05-01

highest average of this trait. This difference could be due to physiological, morphological and chemical factors as well as allocating pattern of photosyntates, all affects the relative growth rate. The maximum value of stomatal conductance was recorded for Shahdad ecotype (234.6 mmol m-2 s-1, that was not significantly different with Bam ecotypes (229.6 mmol m-2 s-1. There are some reports showing that the number of stomata per unit of leaf area may be changed with plant species and varieties. The differences in studied densities were statistically significant for the measured traits. Results showed that the maximum of CGR was recorded for 100 plants m-2 density. Increase in CGR at the higher densities could be due to the increased number of plants per unit area producing a higher leaf area index. In this research LAI increased with increasing in planting density and the highest average of this trait was obtained from 100 plants m-2. LAD and BMD were affected significantly by planting density. The results of mean comparisons showed that average of LAD and BMD decreased with increasing in plant density from 50 to 100 plants m-2. The same result was obtained for net photosynthesis, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance. Low net photosynthesis in 100 plants m-2 density could be due to high competition between plants for light and food absorption, increase in shading and consequently increasing in respiration. The results showed that total dry yield and leaf dry yield were significantly affected by planting densities. The highest and lowest values of mentioned traits belonged to densities of 100 and 25 plants m-2 respectively. Conclusions Generally between ecotypes evaluated in terms of performance, there was no difference in Kerman weather conditions. Also the highest yield was belonged to100 plants m-2 density. It should be noted that henna is a perennial plant and this planting density for the first year is economically justified but for more than one year old

Calculation of axial hydrogen redistribution on the spent fuels during interim dry storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasahara, Akihiro; Matsumura, Tetsuo

2006-01-01

One of the phenomena that will affect fuel integrity during a spent fuel dry storage is a hydrogen axial migration in cladding. If there is a hydrogen pickup in cladding in reactor operation, hydrogen will move from hotter to colder cladding region in the axial direction under fuel temperature gradient during dry storage. Then hydrogen beyond solubility limit in colder region will be precipitated as hydride, and consequently hydride embrittlement may take place in the cladding. In this study, hydrogen redistribution experiments were carried out to obtain the data related to hydrogen axial migration by using actually twenty years dry (air) stored spent PWR-UO 2 fuel rods of which burn-ups were 31 and 58 MWd/kg HM. From the hydrogen redistribution experiments, the heat of transport of hydrogen of zircaloy-4 cladding from twenty years dry stored spent PWR-UO 2 fuel rods were from 10.1 to 18.6 kcal/mol and they were significantly larger than that of unirradiated zircaloy-4 cladding. This means that hydrogen in irradiated cladding can move easier than that in unirradiated cladding. In the hydrogen redistribution experiments, hydrogen diffusion coefficients and solubility limit were also obtained. There are few differences in the diffusion coefficients and solubility limits between the irradiated cladding and unirradiated cladding. The hydrogen redistribution in the cladding after dry storage for forty years was evaluated by one-dimensional diffusion calculation using the measured values. The maximum values as the heat of transports, diffusion coefficients and solubility limits of the irradiated cladding and various spent fuel temperature profiles reported were used in the calculation. The axial hydrogen migration was not significant after dry storage for forty years in helium atmosphere and the maximum values as the heat of transports, diffusion coefficients and solubility limits of the unirradiated cladding gave conservative evaluation for hydrogen redistribution

Impact of applied ultrasonic power on the low temperature drying of apple.

Science.gov (United States)

Santacatalina, J V; Contreras, M; Simal, S; Cárcel, J A; Garcia-Perez, J V

2016-01-01

Low temperature drying (LTD) allows high-quality dried products to be obtained, preserving the nutritional properties of fresh foods better than conventional drying, but it is a time-consuming operation. Power ultrasound (US) could be used to intensify LTD, but it should be taken into account that process variables, such as the level of applied power, have an influence on the magnitude and extension of the ultrasonic effects. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess the influence of the level of applied ultrasonic power on the LTD of apple, analyzing the drying kinetics and the quality of the dried product. For that purpose, apple (Malus domestica cv. Granny Smith) cubes (8.8mm side) were dried (2m/s) at two different temperatures (10 and -10°C), without and with (25, 50 and 75 W) US application. In the dried apple, the rehydration kinetics, hardness, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and microstructure were analyzed to evaluate the impact of the level of applied ultrasonic power. At both temperatures, 10 and -10°C, the higher the ultrasonic power level, the shorter the drying time; the maximum shortening of the drying time achieved was 80.3% (at -10°C and 75 W). The ultrasonic power level did not significantly (pfruits, like apple, with only a mild impact on the quality of the dried product. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limiting density ratios in piston-driven compressions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.

1985-07-01

By using global energy and pressure balance applied to a shock model it is shown that for a piston-driven fast compression, the maximum compression ratio is not dependent on the absolute magnitude of the piston power, but rather on the power pulse shape. Specific cases are considered and a maximum density compression ratio of 27 is obtained for a square-pulse power compressing a spherical pellet with specific heat ratio of 5/3. Double pulsing enhances the density compression ratio to 1750 in the case of linearly rising compression pulses. Using this method further enhancement by multiple pulsing becomes obvious. (author)

Drying of α-amylase by spray drying and freeze-drying - a comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. de Jesus

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study is aimed at comparing two traditional methods of drying of enzymes and at verifying the efficiency of each one and their advantages and disadvantages. The experiments were performed with a laboratory spray dryer and freeze-dryer using α-amylase as the model enzyme. An experimental design in star revealed that spray drying is mainly influenced by the inlet air temperature and feed flow rate, which were considered to be the main factors influencing the enzymatic activity and water activity; the long period of material exposure to high temperatures causes a partial activity loss. In the experiments of freeze drying, three methods of freezing were used (freezer, acetone and dry ice, and liquid nitrogen and samples subsequently freeze-dried for times ranging between 0-24 hours. The product obtained from the two techniques showed high enzymatic activity and low water activity. For the drying of heat-resistant enzymes, in which the product to be obtained does not have high added value, spray drying may be more economically viable because, in the freeze drying process, the process time can be considered as a limiting factor when choosing a technique.

Drying-induced deformation of Horonobe sedimentary rock in the Koetoi and Wakkanai formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illankoon, Thilini Nuwanradha; Yee, Suu Mon; Osada, Masahiko; Maekawa, Keisuke; Tada, Hiroyuki; Kumasaka, Hiroo

2013-01-01

In order to increase the long-term safety of geological disposal sites, knowledge of the drying-induced deformation characteristics of the rock mass in underground ventilated galleries is necessary to understand its cracking susceptibility and the chance of further propagation of the excavation damaged zone. Hence, strain was measured in ten cylindrical mudstone specimens (4 from Koetoi formation and 6 from Wakkanai formation respectively) cored at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL), an off-site (generic) URL, to examine deformation behavior during desiccation. The specimens were prepared in one-dimensional drying conditions in a 25degC or 40degC climatic chamber with 50% relative humidity. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was also conducted to measure the pore size distributions of each formation. The recorded data showed that the Koetoi formation specimens generated smaller maximum shrinkage values (10,000 μ) compared to those from the Wakkanai formation (13,000 μ and 24,000 μ for Wakkanai groups I and II respectively). Wakkanai formation specimens were divided into two groups (Wakkanai groups I and II) according to their strain behavior. The porosity of the Koetoi formation was 54% whereas that of the Wakkanai formation was 27 - 38%. MIP results clearly indicate that the Wakkanai formation has a greater mesopore volume (63% and 73% of porosity for Wakkanai groups I and II respectively) than the Koetoi formation (8% of porosity) which contributes to its greater shrinkage. In addition, Wakkanai groups I and II have different pore size distribution patterns. Therefore, Wakkanai groups I and II exhibit distinct strain behaviors during drying. Similarities in grain density, a decrease in porosity and a gradual increase in mesopore volume with depth confirm the progressive hardening of Horonobe sedimentary rock. The pore volume in the 0.013 - 0.025 μm pore radius range exerts a strong influence on shrinkage generation in the Wakkanai formation

Oral antioxidant therapy for marginal dry eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Blades, K J; Patel, S; Aidoo, K E

2001-07-01

To assess the efficacy of an orally administered antioxidant dietary supplement for managing marginal dry eye. A prospective, randomised, placebo controlled trial with cross-over. Eye Clinic, Department of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University. Forty marginal dry eye sufferers composed of 30 females and 10 males (median age 53 y; range 38-69 y). Baseline assessments were made of tear volume sufficiency (thread test), tear quality (stability), ocular surface status (conjunctival impression cytology) and dry eye symptoms (questionnaire). Each subject was administered courses of active treatment, placebo and no treatment, in random order for 1 month each and results compared to baseline. Tear stability and ocular surface status were significantly improved following active treatment (Ptreatment (P>0.05). Absolute increase in tear stability correlated with absolute change in goblet cell population density. Tear volume was not improved following any treatment period and dry eye symptom responses were subject to placebo effect. Oral antioxidants improved both tear stability and conjunctival health, although it is not yet understood whether increased ocular surface health mediates increased tear stability or vice versa. This study was supported by a PhD scholarship funded by the Department of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland. Antioxidant supplements and placebos were kindly donated by Vitabiotics.

Some recent efforts toward high density implosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClellan, G.E.

1980-01-01

Some recent Livermore efforts towards achieving high-density implosions are presented. The implosion dynamics necessary to compress DT fuel to 10 to 100 times liquid density are discussed. Methods of diagnosing the maximum DT density for a specific design are presented along with results to date. The dynamics of the double-shelled target with an exploding outer shell are described, and some preliminary experimental results are presented

Determination of the maximum-depth to potential field sources by a maximum structural index method

Science.gov (United States)

Fedi, M.; Florio, G.

2013-01-01

A simple and fast determination of the limiting depth to the sources may represent a significant help to the data interpretation. To this end we explore the possibility of determining those source parameters shared by all the classes of models fitting the data. One approach is to determine the maximum depth-to-source compatible with the measured data, by using for example the well-known Bott-Smith rules. These rules involve only the knowledge of the field and its horizontal gradient maxima, and are independent from the density contrast. Thanks to the direct relationship between structural index and depth to sources we work out a simple and fast strategy to obtain the maximum depth by using the semi-automated methods, such as Euler deconvolution or depth-from-extreme-points method (DEXP). The proposed method consists in estimating the maximum depth as the one obtained for the highest allowable value of the structural index (Nmax). Nmax may be easily determined, since it depends only on the dimensionality of the problem (2D/3D) and on the nature of the analyzed field (e.g., gravity field or magnetic field). We tested our approach on synthetic models against the results obtained by the classical Bott-Smith formulas and the results are in fact very similar, confirming the validity of this method. However, while Bott-Smith formulas are restricted to the gravity field only, our method is applicable also to the magnetic field and to any derivative of the gravity and magnetic field. Our method yields a useful criterion to assess the source model based on the (∂f/∂x)max/fmax ratio. The usefulness of the method in real cases is demonstrated for a salt wall in the Mississippi basin, where the estimation of the maximum depth agrees with the seismic information.

Super liquid density target designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Y.L.; Bailey, D.S.

1976-01-01

The success of laser fusion depends on obtaining near isentropic compression of fuel to very high densities and igniting this fuel. To date, the results of laser fusion experiments have been based mainly on the exploding pusher implosion of fusion capsules consisting of thin glass microballoons (wall thickness of less than 1 micron) filled with low density DT gas (initial density of a few mg/cc). Maximum DT densities of a few tenths of g/cc and temperatures of a few keV have been achieved in these experiments. We will discuss the results of LASNEX target design calculations for targets which: (a) can compress fuel to much higher densities using the capabilities of existing Nd-glass systems at LLL; (b) allow experimental measurement of the peak fuel density achieved

The effects of the recent minimum temperature and water deficit increases on Pinus pinaster wood radial growth and density in southern Portugal.

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Cathy Béatrice Kurz Besson

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Western Iberia has recently shown increasing frequency of drought conditions coupled with heatwave events, leading to exacerbated limiting climatic conditions for plant growth. It is not clear to what extent wood growth and density of agroforestry species have suffered from such changes or recent extreme climate events.To address this question, tree-ring width and density chronologies were built for a P. pinaster stand in southern Portugal and correlated with climate variables, including the minimum, mean and maximum temperatures and the number of cold days. Monthly and maximum daily precipitations were also analyzed as well as dry spells. The drought effect was assessed using the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration (SPEI multi-scalar drought index, between 1 to 24-months. The climate-growth/density relationships were evaluated for the period 1958-2011.We show that both wood radial growth and density highly benefit from the strong decay of cold days and the increase of minimum temperature. Yet the benefits are hindered by long-term water deficit, which results in different levels of impact on wood radial growth and density. Despite of the intensification of long-term water deficit, tree-ring width appears to benefit from the minimum temperature increase, whereas the effects of long-term droughts significantly prevail on tree-ring density. Our results further highlight the dependency of the species on deep water sources after the juvenile stage. The impact of climate changes on long-term droughts and their repercussion on the shallow groundwater table and P. pinaster’s vulnerability are also discussed. This work provides relevant information for forest management in the semi-arid area of the Alentejo region of Portugal. It should ease the elaboration of mitigation strategies to assure P. pinaster’s production capacity and quality in response to more arid conditions in the near future in the region.

Experimental investigation of drying characteristics of cornelian cherry fruits ( Cornus mas L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Ozgen, Filiz

2015-03-01

Major target of present paper is to investigate the drying kinetics of cornelian cherry fruits ( Cornus mas L.) in a convective dryer, by varying the temperature and the velocity of drying air. Freshly harvested fruits are dried at drying air temperature of 35, 45 and 55 °C. The considered drying air velocities are V air = 1 and 1.5 m/s for each temperature. The required drying time is determined by taking into consideration the moisture ratio measurements. When the moisture ratio reaches up to 10 % at the selected drying air temperature, then the time is determined ( t = 40-67 h). The moisture ratio, fruit temperature and energy requirement are presented as the functions of drying time. The lowest drying time (40 h) is obtained when the air temperature is 55 °C and air velocity is 1.5 m/s. The highest drying time (67 h) is found under the conditions of 35 °C temperature and 1 m/s velocity. Both the drying air temperature and the air velocity significantly affect the required energy for drying system. The minimum amount of required energy is found as 51.12 kWh, at 55 °C and 1 m/s, whilst the maximum energy requirement is 106.7 kWh, at 35 °C and 1.5 m/s. It is also found that, air temperature significantly influences the total drying time. Moreover, the energy consumption is decreasing with increasing air temperature. The effects of three parameters (air temperature, air velocity and drying time) on drying characteristics have also been analysed by means of analysis of variance method to show the effecting levels. The experimental results have a good agreement with the predicted ones.

Discordant Dry Eye Disease (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis)

Science.gov (United States)

Shtein, Roni M.; Harper, Daniel E.; Pallazola, Vincent; Harte, Steven E.; Hussain, Munira; Sugar, Alan; Williams, David A.; Clauw, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

Purpose To improve understanding of dry eye disease and highlight a subgroup of patients who have a component of central sensitization and neuropathic pain contributing to their condition. Methods Prospective, cross-sectional, IRB-approved study comparing isolated dry eye disease (n=48) to fibromyalgia (positive control; n=23) and healthy (negative control; n=26) individuals with ocular surface examination, corneal confocal microscopy, quantitative sensory testing, and self-reported ocular symptoms and systemic associations. A subset of patients also underwent skin biopsy and/or brain neuroimaging. Dry eye patients were split into concordant (ie, those with dry eyes on examination) and discordant (ie, those with dry eye symptoms but normal examination) subgroups for further analysis. We hypothesized that on the systemic measures included, concordant patients would resemble healthy controls, whereas discordant patients would show evidence of centralized mechanisms similar to fibromyalgia. Results Schirmer test and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores indicated significant decreases in tear production (Schirmer: healthy, 18.5±8.2 mm; dry, 11.2±5.4 mm; fibromyalgia, 14.4±7.5; Pdry eye symptoms (OSDI: healthy, 1.9±3.0; dry, 20.3±17.7; fibromyalgia, 20.3±17.1; Pdry eye and fibromyalgia patients, compared to controls. The discordant subgroup had decreased corneal nerve density and decreased visual quality-of-life scores, similar to patients with fibromyalgia. Concordant patients were more similar to healthy controls on these measures. Conclusions Individuals with discordant dry eye may have a central pathophysiologic mechanism leading to their eye pain symptoms, which could be an important factor to consider in treatment of chronic idiopathic dry eye. PMID:28050051

Wood density variations of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. under contrasting climate conditions in southwestern Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marieke van der Maaten-Theunissen

2013-05-01

Full Text Available We analyzed inter-annual variations in ring width and maximumwood density of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. at different altitudes in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany, to determine the climate response of these parameters under contrasting climate conditions. In addition, we compared maximum, average and minimum wood density between sites. Bootstrapped correlation coefficients of ring width and maximum wood density with monthly temperature and precipitation, revealed a different climate sensitivity of both parameters. Ring width showed strong correlations with climate variables in the previous year and in the first half of the growingseason. Further, a negative relationship with summer temperature was observed at the low-altitude sites. Maximum wood density correlated best with temperature during the growing season, whereby strongest correlations were found between September temperature and maximum wood density at the high-altitude sites. Observed differences in maximum, average and minimum wood density are suggested to relate to the local climate; with lower temperature and higher water availability having a negative effect on wood density.

Effects of silk fibroin in murine dry eye

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chae Eun; Lee, Ji Hyun; Yeon, Yeung Kyu; Park, Chan Hum; Yang, Jaewook

2017-03-01

The study aimed to investigate the effects of silk fibroin in a mouse model of dry eye. The experimental dry eye mouse model was developed using more than twelve-weeks-old NOD.B10.H2b mice exposing them to 30-40% ambient humidity and injecting them with scopolamine hydrobromide for 10 days. Tear production and corneal irregularity score were measured by the instillation of phosphate buffered saline or silk fibroin. Corneal detachment and conjunctival goblet cell density were observed by hematoxylin and eosin or periodic acid Schiff staining in the cornea or conjunctiva. The expression of inflammatory markers was detected by immunohistochemistry in the lacrimal gland. The silk group tear production was increased, and corneal smoothness was improved. The corneal epithelial cells and conjunctival goblet cells were recovered in the silk groups. The expression of inflammatory factors was inhibited in the lacrimal gland of the silk group. These results show that silk fibroin improved the cornea, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland in the mouse model of dry eye. These findings suggest that silk fibroin has anti-inflammatory effects in the experimental models of dry eye.

Study of variations of radiofrequency power density from mobile phone base stations with distance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayinmode, B. O.; Farai, I. P.

2013-01-01

The variations of radiofrequency (RF) radiation power density with distance around some mobile phone base stations (BTSs), in ten randomly selected locations in Ibadan, western Nigeria, were studied. Measurements were made with a calibrated hand-held spectrum analyser. The maximum Global System of Mobile (GSM) communication 1800 signal power density was 323.91 μW m -2 at 250 m radius of a BTS and that of GSM 900 was 1119.00 μW m -2 at 200 m radius of another BTS. The estimated total maximum power density was 2972.00 μW m -2 at 50 m radius of a different BTS. This study shows that the maximum carrier signal power density and the total maximum power density from a BTS may be observed averagely at 200 and 50 m of its radius, respectively. The result of this study demonstrates that exposure of people to RF radiation from phone BTSs in Ibadan city is far less than the recommended limits by International scientific bodies. (authors)

Incommensurate modulations made visible by the Maximum Entropy Method in superspace

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Palatinus, Lukáš; van Smaalen, S.

2004-01-01

Roč. 219, - (2004), s. 719-729 ISSN 0044-2968 Grant - others:DFG(DE) XX Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : Maximum Entropy Method * modulated structures * charge density Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.390, year: 2004

Comparison of tomography reconstruction by maximum entropy and filtered retro projection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdala, F.J.P.; Simpson, D.M.; Roberty, N.C.

1992-01-01

The tomographic reconstruction with few projections is studied, comparing the maximum entropy method with filtered retro projection. Simulations with and without the presence of noise and also with the presence of an object of high density inside of the skull are showed. (C.G.C.)

Microstructure and critical current density in high-Tc metal oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.M.; Gusman, M.I.

1992-03-01

Superconductor powders in the U-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) and Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) systems were synthesized by freeze-drying. Powders were characterized, and processed into samples for evaluation of superconducting behavior. Freeze-drying is attractive because the powders have high purity, are homogeneous, have a small size and are active. YBCO powders can be sintered to high density at 890 degrees C. Many compositions, processing approaches and heat treatments were explored in an effort to understand relations between microstructure and critical density, and to improve the critical current density. Powders were also formed into sputtering targets for coating preparation at Stanford University. The highest critical current density achieved with the YBCO powders was ∼15,000 A/cm 2 at 4.2K and 0.5T using powders treated to prevent carbon contamination. The BSCCO materials with the highest critical current density, ∼30,000 A/cm 2 at the same conditions were formed by heat treating melted and quenched samples. All critical current density measurements were made by Stanford University, a subcontractor to this effort. Stanford University also prepared coatings by off-axis magnetron sputtering

The scaling of maximum and basal metabolic rates of mammals and birds

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Lauro A.; Garcia, Guilherme J. M.; da Silva, Jafferson K. L.

2006-01-01

Allometric scaling is one of the most pervasive laws in biology. Its origin, however, is still a matter of dispute. Recent studies have established that maximum metabolic rate scales with an exponent larger than that found for basal metabolism. This unpredicted result sets a challenge that can decide which of the concurrent hypotheses is the correct theory. Here, we show that both scaling laws can be deduced from a single network model. Besides the 3/4-law for basal metabolism, the model predicts that maximum metabolic rate scales as M, maximum heart rate as M, and muscular capillary density as M, in agreement with data.

Maximum time-dependent space-charge limited diode currents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griswold, M. E. [Tri Alpha Energy, Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688 (United States); Fisch, N. J. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

2016-01-15

Recent papers claim that a one dimensional (1D) diode with a time-varying voltage drop can transmit current densities that exceed the Child-Langmuir (CL) limit on average, apparently contradicting a previous conjecture that there is a hard limit on the average current density across any 1D diode, as t → ∞, that is equal to the CL limit. However, these claims rest on a different definition of the CL limit, namely, a comparison between the time-averaged diode current and the adiabatic average of the expression for the stationary CL limit. If the current were considered as a function of the maximum applied voltage, rather than the average applied voltage, then the original conjecture would not have been refuted.

In vivo Confocal Microscopy Evaluation of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in Dry Eye Patients with Different Symptoms

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Hui Zhao

2016-01-01

Conclusions: IVCM application provides a strong support to differentiate dry eye patients with different symptoms: meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD plays a pivotal role in dry eye aggravation, and using IVCM to observe MG fibrosis, changes in size and density of MG as well as status of inflammation cells can help not only correctly diagnose the type and severity of dry eye, but also possibly prognosticate in routine eye examination in the occurrence of MGD.

Effect of surface coating with magnesium stearate via mechanical dry powder coating approach on the aerosol performance of micronized drug powders from dry powder inhalers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qi Tony; Qu, Li; Gengenbach, Thomas; Larson, Ian; Stewart, Peter J; Morton, David A V

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of particle surface coating with magnesium stearate on the aerosolization of dry powder inhaler formulations. Micronized salbutamol sulphate as a model drug was dry coated with magnesium stearate using a mechanofusion technique. The coating quality was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Powder bulk and flow properties were assessed by bulk densities and shear cell measurements. The aerosol performance was studied by laser diffraction and supported by a twin-stage impinger. High degrees of coating coverage were achieved after mechanofusion, as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Concomitant significant increases occurred in powder bulk densities and in aerosol performance after coating. The apparent optimum performance corresponded with using 2% w/w magnesium stearate. In contrast, traditional blending resulted in no significant changes in either bulk or aerosolization behaviour compared to the untreated sample. It is believed that conventional low-shear blending provides insufficient energy levels to expose host micronized particle surfaces from agglomerates and to distribute guest coating material effectively for coating. A simple ultra-high-shear mechanical dry powder coating step was shown as highly effective in producing ultra-thin coatings on micronized powders and to substantially improve the powder aerosolization efficiency.

Effect of paddy drying depth using open-sun drying on drying time ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The smallholder rice farmers in the Uganda dry their paddy using open-sun drying method. In most cases the paddy is badly dried and has very high fissure levels. Such paddy on milling contributes to low levels of mill recovery and whole grain in the milled rice. This study was therefore done to find a recommendable ...

Prediction of paddy drying kinetics: A comparative study between mathematical and artificial neural network modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beigi Mohsen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed at investigation of deep bed drying of rough rice kernels at various thin layers at different drying air temperatures and flow rates. A comparative study was performed between mathematical thin layer models and artificial neural networks to estimate the drying curves of rough rice. The suitability of nine mathematical models in simulating the drying kinetics was examined and the Midilli model was determined as the best approach for describing drying curves. Different feed forward-back propagation artificial neural networks were examined to predict the moisture content variations of the grains. The ANN with 4-18-18-1 topology, transfer function of hyperbolic tangent sigmoid and a Levenberg-Marquardt back propagation training algorithm provided the best results with the maximum correlation coefficient and the minimum mean square error values. Furthermore, it was revealed that ANN modeling had better performance in prediction of drying curves with lower root mean square error values.

Self-drying: a gecko's innate ability to remove water from wet toe pads.

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Alyssa Y Stark

Full Text Available When the adhesive toe pads of geckos become wet, they become ineffective in enabling geckos to stick to substrates. This result is puzzling given that many species of gecko are endemic to tropical environments where water covered surfaces are ubiquitous. We hypothesized that geckos can recover adhesive capabilities following exposure of their toe pads to water by walking on a dry surface, similar to the active self-cleaning of dirt particles. We measured the time it took to recover maximum shear adhesion after toe pads had become wet in two groups, those that were allowed to actively walk and those that were not. Keeping in mind the importance of substrate wettability to adhesion on wet surfaces, we also tested geckos on hydrophilic glass and an intermediately wetting substrate (polymethylmethacrylate; PMMA. We found that time to maximum shear adhesion recovery did not differ in the walking groups based on substrate wettability (22.7±5.1 min on glass and 15.4±0.3 min on PMMA but did have a significant effect in the non-walking groups (54.3±3.9 min on glass and 27.8±2.5 min on PMMA. Overall, we found that by actively walking, geckos were able to self-dry their wet toe pads and regain maximum shear adhesion significantly faster than those that did not walk. Our results highlight a unexpected property of the gecko adhesive system, the ability to actively self-dry and recover adhesive performance after being rendered dysfunctional by water.

Transport simulations of a density limit in radiation-dominated tokamak discharges: II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stotler, D.P.

1991-05-01

The procedures developed previously to simulate the radiatively induced tokamak density limit are used to examine in more detail the scaling of the density limit. It is found that the maximum allowable density increases with auxiliary power and decreases with impurity concentration. However, it is demonstrated that there is little dependence of the density limit on plasma elongation. These trends are consistent with experimental results. Our previous work used coronal equilibrium impurities; the primary result of that paper was that the maximum density increases with current when peaked profiles are assumed. Here, this behavior is shown to occur with a coronal nonequilibrium impurity as well. 26 refs., 4 figs

Comparison of carrot (Daucus carota drying in microwave and in vacuum microwave

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R. Béttega

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Drying is a single operation employed to prolong the life of a large quantity of vegetables. Carrot (Daucus carota drying has been the subject of many studies. This plant has been highlighted in the human diet for having high nutritional value, mainly due to the high content of β-carotene. In this work, carrot drying behavior was studied in a regular microwave dryer and a vacuum microwave dryer. A vacuum of 450 mmHg was applied for drying of carrot in different geometrical shapes (cubes, discs and sticks. The samples were dried at power ratings of 1.0 W/g, 1.5 W/g and 2.0 W/g for both methods of drying. The evolution of physical properties such as density, volume and porosity was monitored and related to the moisture content of the sample and to the method of drying and power rating used. The geometric shape of the sample influenced the drying kinetics and it was verified that the cubic form was responsible for a slower drying. The application of vacuum showed no major changes in the drying kinetics in microwave but influenced the physical properties of the material. The influence of power ratings on the content of β-carotene was also evaluated and discussed. The main difference observed was the lower shrinkage of the samples dried in the vacuum microwave compared to those dried only in microwave.

HEAT INSULATING LIME DRY MORTARS FOR FINISHING OF WALLS MADE OF FOAM CONCRETE

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Loganina Valentina Ivanovna

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Different aerated mortars are used for pargeting of walls made of aerated concrete. Though the regulatory documents don’t specify the dependence of plaster density from the density grade of gas-concrete blocks. In case of facing of gas-concrete blocks with the grade D500 using plaster mortars with the density 1400…1600 km/m3 there occurs a dismatch in the values of thermal insulation and vapor permeability of the plaster and base. The authors suggest using dry mortars for finishing of gas-concrete block of the grades D500 и D600, which allow obtaining facing thermal insulating coatings. The efficiency of using four different high-porous additives in the lime dry mortar was compared. They were: hollow glass microspheres, aluminosilicate ash microspheres, expanded vermiculite sand, expanded pearlitic sand. The high efficiency of hollow glass microspheres in heat insulating finishing mortars compared to other fillers is proved.

Rational Design and Enhanced Biocompatibility of a Dry Adhesive Medical Skin Patch

KAUST Repository

Kwak, Moon Kyu; Jeong, Hoon-Eui; Suh, Kahp Y.

2011-01-01

A new type of medical skin patch is developed that contains high-density, mushroom-like micropillars. Such dry-adhesive micropillars are highly biocompatible, have minimized side effects, and provide reasonable normal adhesion strength. To arrive

Pharmaceutical Particle Engineering via Spray Drying

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

This review covers recent developments in the area of particle engineering via spray drying. The last decade has seen a shift from empirical formulation efforts to an engineering approach based on a better understanding of particle formation in the spray drying process. Microparticles with nanoscale substructures can now be designed and their functionality has contributed significantly to stability and efficacy of the particulate dosage form. The review provides concepts and a theoretical framework for particle design calculations. It reviews experimental research into parameters that influence particle formation. A classification based on dimensionless numbers is presented that can be used to estimate how excipient properties in combination with process parameters influence the morphology of the engineered particles. A wide range of pharmaceutical application examples—low density particles, composite particles, microencapsulation, and glass stabilization—is discussed, with specific emphasis on the underlying particle formation mechanisms and design concepts. PMID:18040761

The maximum entropy determination of nuclear densities of calcium isotopes from elastic scattering of alpha particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engel, Y.M.; Friedman, E.; Levine, R.D.

1982-01-01

Radial moments of the real part of the optical potential for elastic scattering of 104 MeV α particles are used as constraints, in determining the nuclear density of maximal entropy. The potential is related to the density by the folding model. (orig.)

INFLUENCE OF BIOPREPARATIONS FROM DRY SOYBEAN AND SUNFLOWER LECITHINS ON SERUM LIPIDS COMPOSITION

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H. V. Dziak

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Dry lecithin, which is a mixture of polar phospholipids, neutral lipids, free fatty acids, glycolipids, carbohydrates, and small amounts of moisture, is a promising object for biologic-hepatoprotectors creation. One of its pharmacological activity displays is its influence on serum lipids, in particular transport forms of these lipids. The influence of dry soy lecithin and sunflower on hyperlipoproteinemia ratio and other lipid disorders is studied. It is shown that low-fat dry soybean lecithin showed hypocholesterolemic activity against all studied forms of serum cholesterol. Nonfat dry sunflower lecithin had similar but somewhat less prominent effect. However reduced concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol under sunflower lecithin developed right before soya lecithin. Both lecithin prevented the development of dyslipidemia induced carbon tetrachloride.

Simulating thermal behavior of AECL's spent fuel dry storage system with CATHENA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabourin, G. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

1998-07-01

This paper documents the comparisons between CATHENA predictions and temperature measurements taken at the Gentilly-2 NPP spent fuel dry storage facility and in a mock--up of a storage basket placed inside a storage cylinder. It also presents CATHENA temperature predictions related to the storage of spent fuel in MACSTOR modules as planned for Ignalina NPP, Lithuania. CATHENA has been chosen because it can simulate many noncondensable gases including air and helium, and because of its great flexibility in the representation of the MACSTOR module geometry. The results of the simulations show good agreement with the experimental measurements. The two comparisons indicate that CATHENA can be used to simulate heat transfer from the fuel to the external air circuit of the spent fuel dry storage system. For the Ignalina MACSTOR module, containing RBMK fuel having higher heat release than typical CANDU fuel, CATHENA predicts that the maximum fuel temperature is expected to be around 240 deg C, giving an acceptable margin below the maximum allowed temperature of 300 deg C. In conclusion, this paper shows that the thermalhydraulic code CATHENA can accurately predict the thermal behavior AECL's air cooled spent fuel dry storage system. (author)

Drying apparatus with catalytic combustion of the exhaust gases and with heat recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Betz, E C

1975-11-20

The invention applies to a drying kiln whose charge is dried by a heating gas flow. In order to conserve energy, the thermal energy is transferred back from the catalytically oxydized exhaust gas flow to the heating gas flow. This is done by means of a heat exchanger which contains a heat transfer liquid whose pressure is set to make its boiling temperature the same as the maximum permissible heating gas temperature. The fuel supply to the heating gas burner is controlled by a temperature sensor across a control mechanism.

Design of solar drying-plant for bulk material drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Horbaj

2008-11-01

Full Text Available A generally well-known high energy requirement for technological processes of drying and the fact that the world’s supplyof the conventional energy sources has considerably decreased are the decisive factors forcing us to look for some new, if possible,renewable energy sources for this process by emphasising their environmental reliability. One of the possibilities how to replace, atleast partly, the conventional energy sources – heat in a drying process is solar energy.Air-drying of bulk materials usually has a series of disadvantages such as time expenditure, drying defects in the bulk materialand inadequate final moisture content. A method that obviates or reduces the disadvantages of air-drying and, at the same time, reducesthe costs of kiln drying, is drying with solar heat. Solar energy can replace a large part of this depletable energy since solar energy cansupply heat at the temperatures most often used to dry bulk material. Solar drying-plant offer an attractive solution.

Effect of planting density and cutting frequency on forage and grain yields of kochia (Kochia scoparia under saline water irrigation

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mseou ziyaeii

2009-06-01

Full Text Available AField experiment was conducted at Research Farms of Center of Excellence for Special Crops, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran, in 2006 to evaluate the effect of planting density on forage and grain yield of kochia (Kochia scoparia. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with split-plot arrangement of treatments,with three replications, where different planting densities (10, 20, 30 and 40 plant m-2 were assigned to main plots and number of cutting (including a single cutting, two cutting and no cutting i.e. allowing the crop to grow until maturity allocated to sub-plots. At each harvest date (cutting the biological yield, leaf and stem dry weight, plant height, number of branches and the individual plant biomass were measured. Grain yield and thousand seed weight were also determined at the end of growing season. Result showed the highest biological yield and leaf and stem dry weights for kochia obtaind at 30 plant m-2. The total biomass, leaf and stem dry weights, plant height, number of branches were greater for the first cutting as compared to the second cutting. Planting density and cutting number interacted to affect the leaf dry weight. At physiological maturity stage there were no significant differences among planting densities for plant height and number of branches. The best planting density, in terms of biomass production and leaf and stem dry weight, was found as 30 plant m-2, while for grain production a planting density of 20 plant m-2 could be recommended. Key words: Kochia, planting density, sward, biological yield, grain production.

Effects of different nitrogen levels and plant density on flower, essential oils and extract production and nitrogen use efficiency of Marigold (Calendula officinalis.

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ali akbar ameri

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Efficient use of nitrogen for medicinal plants production, might increase flower dry matter, essential oil and extract yield and reduce cost of yield production. A two year (2005 and 2006 field study was conducted in Torogh region(36,10° N,59.33° E and 1300 m altitude of Mashhad, Iran, to observe the effects of different nitrogen and densities on flower dry matter, essential oil and extract production and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE in a multi-harvested Marigold (Calendula officinalis. The levels of Nitrogen fertilizer (N were 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 and levels of density were 20, 40, 60 and 80 plant m-2. The combined analysis results revealed significant effects of N and density levels on flower dry matter, essential oil and extract production and NUE of Marigold. The highest dry flower production obtained by 150 kg ha-1 N and 80 plant m-2 plant population (102.86 g m-2. The higher flower dry matter production caused more essential oil and extract production in high nitrogen and density levels. Agronomic N-use efficiency (kg flower dry matter yield per kg N applied, physiological efficiency (kg flower dry matter yield per kg N absorbed and fertilizer N-recovery efficiency (kg N absorbed per kg N applied, expressed as % for marigold across treatments ranged from 6.8 to14.9, 12.3 to 33.6 and 55.5 to 77.6, respectively and all were greater for N application at 50 compared with150 kg N ha-1, and under high density than low density. The amount of essential oil and extract per 100g flower dry matter decreased during the flower harvesting period. The higher amount of essential oil and extract obtained at early flowering season. The essential oil and extract ranged from 0.22 to 0.12 (ml. per 100g flower dry matter and 2.74 to 2.13 (g per 100g flower dry matter respectively.

Optimization of Sour Cherry Juice Spray Drying as
Affected by Carrier Material and Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Zorić, Zoran; Pedisić, Sandra; Dragović-Uzelac, Verica

2016-01-01

Summary Response surface methodology was applied for optimization of the sour cherry Marasca juice spray drying process with 20, 30 and 40% of carriers maltodextrin with dextrose equivalent (DE) value of 4–7 and 13–17 and gum arabic, at three drying temperatures: 150, 175 and 200 °C. Increase in carrier mass per volume ratio resulted in lower moisture content and powder hygroscopicity, higher bulk density, solubility and product yield. Higher temperatures decreased the moisture content and bulk density of powders. Temperature of 200 °C and 27% of maltodextrin with 4–7 DE were found to be the most suitable for production of sour cherry Marasca powder. PMID:28115901

Automated grading, upgrading, and cuttings prediction of surfaced dry hardwood lumber

Science.gov (United States)

Sang-Mook Lee; Phil Araman; A.Lynn Abbott; Matthew F. Winn

2010-01-01

This paper concerns the scanning, sawing, and grading of kiln-dried hardwood lumber. A prototype system is described that uses laser sources and a video camera to scan boards. The system automatically detects defects and wane, searches for optimal sawing solutions, and then estimates the grades of the boards that would result. The goal is to derive maximum commercial...

Simulation of energetic- and exergetic performance of microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of soybeans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranjbaran, M.; Zare, D.

2013-01-01

The performance of microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of soybeans was simulated (using a previously validated mathematical model) and analyzed based on the first- and second law of thermodynamics. The energy and exergy analysis were carried out for several drying conditions. The effects of inlet air temperature, microwave power density, bed thickness and inlet air velocity on the efficiencies and inefficiencies of drying process have been simulated and discussed. Generally, application of microwave energy during fluidized bed drying enhanced the exergy efficiency of drying process. However, the results showed that it was more efficient not to apply microwave energy at the first stage of fluidized bed drying process. The application of higher levels of drying air temperature led in higher exergy efficiencies. The values of mean relative deviations for the predictions of efficiencies and inefficiencies of drying process were less than 14%, compared with those calculated using experimental data. - Highlights: • Introducing a mathematical model to predict the efficiency of microwave-assisted fluidized bed dryers. • Energy and exergy analysis in microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of grains. • Providing practical recommendations for efficient use of microwave power during drying

Dry soil diurnal quasi-periodic oscillations in soil 222Rn concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tommasone Pascale, F.; De Francesco, S.; Carbone, P.; Cuoco, E.; Tedesco, D.

2014-01-01

222 Rn concentrations have been monitored during the dry season in August 2009 and August 2010, in a reworked alluvial-pyroclastic soil of the Pietramelara Plain, in Southern Italy, with the aim of determining the role of atmospheric factors in producing the quasi-periodic oscillations in soil 222 Rn concentrations reported in the literature. In this study we present the results of a detailed analysis and matching of soil 222 Rn concentrations, meteorological and solar parameters where the observed oscillations feature a characteristic behavior with second order build-up and depletion limbs, separated by a daily maximum and minimum. All these features are clearly shown to be tied to sunrise and sunset timings and environmental radiative flux regimes. Furthermore, a significant, and previously unreported, second order correlation (r 2  = 0.73) between daily maximum hourly global radiation and the daily range of soil 222 Rn concentrations has been detected, allowing estimates of the amplitude of these oscillations to be made from estimated or measured solar radiation data. The correlation has been found to be valid even in the presence of persistent patchy daytime cloudiness. In this case a daytime prolongation of the night-time build up stage and an attenuation or even suppression of daytime depletion is observed (a previously unreported effect). Neither soil cracking, nor precipitation, both suggested in some studies as causative factors for these oscillations, during the dry season appear to be necessary in explaining their occurrence. We also report the results of an artificial shading experiment, conducted in August 2009, that further support this conclusion. As soil 222 Rn concentrations during the dry season show a characteristic daily cycle, radon monitoring in soils under these conditions necessarily has to be gauged to the timings of the daily maximum and minimum, as well as to the eventual occurrence of cloudiness and to its related effects, in order to

Dry etching of ITO by magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled plasma for display and biosensing devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meziani, T. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, 21020 Ispra (Vatican City State, Holy See,) (Italy)]. E-mail: tarik.meziani@jrc.it; Colpo, P. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, 21020 Ispra (Va) (Italy)]. E-mail: pascal.colpo@jrc.it; Lambertini, V. [Centro Ricerche Fiat, Strada Torino 50, 10043 Orbassano (TO) (Italy); Ceccone, G. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, 21020 Ispra (Va) (Italy); Rossi, F. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, 21020 Ispra (Va) (Italy)

2006-03-15

The dry etching of indium tin oxide (ITO) layers deposited on glass substrates was investigated in a high density inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. This innovative low pressure plasma source uses a magnetic core in order to concentrate the electromagnetic energy on the plasma and thus provides for higher plasma density and better uniformity. Different gas mixtures were tested containing mainly hydrogen, argon and methane. In Ar/H{sub 2} mixtures and at constant bias voltage (-100 V), the etch rate shows a linear dependence with input power varying the same way as the ion density, which confirms the hypothesis that the etching process is mainly physical. In CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} mixtures, the etch rate goes through a maximum for 10% CH{sub 4} indicating a participation of the radicals to the etching process. However, the etch rate remains quite low with this type of gas mixture (around 10 nm/min) because the etching mechanism appears to be competing with a deposition process. With CH{sub 4}/Ar mixtures, a similar feature appeared but the etch rate was much higher, reaching 130 nm/min at 10% of CH{sub 4} in Ar. The increase in etch rate with the addition of a small quantity of methane indicates that the physical etching process is enhanced by a chemical mechanism. The etching process was monitored by optical emission spectroscopy that appeared to be a valuable tool for endpoint detection.

Effects of nitrogen application and plant densities on flower yield, essential oils, and radiation use efficiency of Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ameri, A.A.; Nasiri Mahalati, M.

2010-01-01

Efficient use of radiation for medicinal plants production, might increase flower yield, essential oils and extract yield .A split plot design.was used in a two years (2005 and 2006) field study in Torogh region(36,10° N,59.33° E and 1300 m altitude) of Mashhad, Iran, to observe the effects of different nitrogen application and plants densities on flower dry matter production, essential oils, and radiation use efficiency in a multi-harvested Marigold (Calendula officinalis). The levels of nitrogen fertilizer were 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 and levels of density were 20, 40, 60 and 80 plant m-2. The combined analysis results revealed significant effects of nitrogen and density levels on flower dry matter production, essential oils, and radiation use efficiency of Marigold. The highest dry flower production obtained by 150 kg ha-1 N and 80 plant m-2 plant population (102.86 g m-2). The higher flower dry matter production caused more essential oils and extract production in high nitrogen and density levels. The amount of essential oils and extract per 100g flower dry matter decreased during the flower harvesting period. The higher amount of essential oil and extract obtained at early flowering season. The essential oil and extract ranged from 0.22 to 0.12 (ml. per 100g flower dry matter) and 2.74 to 2.13 (g per 100g flower dry matter) respectively. Increase of both nitrogen and density caused higher radiation use efficiency. The most radiation use efficiency obtained at 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen and 80 Plant m-2desity treatments. In 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen treatment, increase of density levels from 20 plant m-2 to 80 Plant m-2 caused increase in radiation use efficiency from 1.41 g MJ-1 to 1.44 g MJ-1 respectively

Effect of different drying techniques on flowability characteristics and chemical properties of natural carbohydrate-protein Gum from durian fruit seed

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Mirhosseini Hamed

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A natural carbohydrate biopolymer was extracted from the agricultural biomass waste (durian seed. Subsequently, the crude biopolymer was purified by using the saturated barium hydroxide to minimize the impurities. Finally, the effect of different drying techniques on the flow characteristics and functional properties of the purified biopolymer was investigated. The present study elucidated the main functional characteristics such as flow characteristics, water- and oil-holding capacity, solubility, and foaming capacity. Results In most cases except for oven drying, the bulk density decreased, thus increasing the porosity. This might be attributed to the increase in the inter-particle voids of smaller sized particles with larger contact surface areas per unit volume. The current study revealed that oven-dried gum and freeze-dried gum had the highest and lowest compressibility index, thus indicating the weakest and strongest flowability among all samples. In the present work, the freeze-dried gum showed the lowest angle of repose, bulk, tapped and true density. This indicates the highest porosity degree of freeze dried gum among dried seed gums. It also exhibited the highest solubility, and foaming capacity thus providing the most desirable functional properties and flow characteristics among all drying techniques. Conclusion The present study revealed that freeze drying among all drying techniques provided the most desirable functional properties and flow characteristics for durian seed gum.

Analysis for Difficulty during Freeze-Drying Feizixiao Lychees

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L. L. Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Compared to other cultivar lychees, volume density of Feizixiao lychee was higher due to serious shrinkage during freeze-drying (FD. Guiwei lychee and Nuomici lychee were used for comparison in order to illuminate the reason of the aforementioned phenomenon. Lower prefreezing temperature could not improve the volume density of Feizixiao lychee. Microstructure results show that pulp cell of Feizixiao lychee (tail was smaller and more compact than Guiwei and Nuomici lychee pulp cell. In addition, there is a membrane around the surface of Feizixiao lychee pulp. And the microstructure of Feizixiao lychee tip pulp cell is different from tail pulp cell. Membrane and tip pulp cell are both smaller and more compact than tail pulp cell. These structure differences hinder the moisture removing of Feizixiao lychee during FD. Removing the membrane and tip pulp could not improve the volume density of Feizixiao lychee. Ultrasound treatment for 30 min could significantly enhance the volume density of Feizixiao lychee.

Dry coating of micronized API powders for improved dissolution of directly compacted tablets with high drug loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xi; Ghoroi, Chinmay; Davé, Rajesh

2013-02-14

Motivated by our recent study showing improved flow and dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) powders (20 μm) produced via simultaneous micronization and surface modification through continuous fluid energy milling (FEM) process, the performance of blends and direct compacted tablets with high drug loading is examined. Performance of 50 μm API powders dry coated without micronization is also considered for comparison. Blends of micronized, non-micronized, dry coated or uncoated API powders at 30, 60 and 70% drug loading, are examined. The results show that the blends containing dry coated API powders, even micronized ones, have excellent flowability and high bulk density compared to the blends containing uncoated API, which are required for direct compaction. As the drug loading increases, the difference between dry coated and uncoated blends is more pronounced, as seen in the proposed bulk density-FFC phase map. Dry coating led to improved tablet compactibility profiles, corresponding with the improvements in blend compressibility. The most significant advantage is in tablet dissolution where for all drug loadings, the t(80) for the tablets with dry coated APIs was well under 5 min, indicating that this approach can produce nearly instant release direct compacted tablets at high drug loadings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Evaluation of Dried Activated Sludge and Mixed Dried Activated Sudge with Rice Husk silica to Remove Hydrogen Sulfide

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Seyed Mahmoud Mehdinia

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of dried activated sludge (DAS and mixed dried activated sludge with rice husk silica (DAS & RHS for removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S. Two laboratory-scale filter columns (packed one litter were operated. Both systems were operated under different conditions of two parameters, namely different inlet gas concentrations and different inlet flow rates. The DAS & RHS packed filter showed more than 99.96% removal efficiency (RE with empty bed residence time (EBRT of 45 to 90 s and 300 mg/L inlet concentration of H2S. However, the RE decreased to 96.87% with the EBRT of 30 s. In the same condition, the DAS packed filter showed 99.37% RE. Nonetheless, the RE was shown to have dropped to 82.09% with the EBRT of 30 s. The maximum elimination capacity (EC was obtained in the DAS & RHS packed filter up to 52.32 g/m3h, with the RE of 96.87% and H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. The maximum EC in the DAS packed filter was obtained up to 44.33 g/m3h with the RE of 82.09% and the H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. After 53 days of operating time and 54 g/m3h of loading rates, the maximum pressure drop reached to 3.0 and 8.0 (mm H2O for the DAS & RHS packed and DAS packed filters, respectively. Based on the findings of this study, the DAS & RHS could be considered as a more suitable packing material to remove H2S.

Spent fuel behaviour during dry storage - a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shivakumar, V.; Anantharaman, K.

1997-09-01

One of the strategies employed for management of spent fuel prior to their final disposal/reprocessing is their dry storage in casks, after they have been sufficiently cooled in spent fuel pools. In this interim storage, one of the main consideration is that the fuel should retain its integrity to ensure (a) radiological health hazard remains minimal and (b) the fuel is retrievable for down steam fuel management processes such as geological disposal or reprocessing. For dry storage of spent fuel in air, oxidation of the exposed UO 2 is the most severe of phenomena affecting the integrity of fuel. This is kept within acceptable limits for desired storage time by limiting the fuel temperature in the storage cask. The limit on the fuel temperature is met by having suitable limits on maximum burn-up of fuel, minimum cooling period in storage pool and optimum arrangement of fuel bundles in the storage cask from heat removal considerations. The oxidation of UO 2 by moist air has more deleterious effects on the integrity of fuel than that by dry air. The removal of moisture from the storage cask is therefore a very important aspect in dry storage practice. The kinetics of the oxidation phenomena at temperatures expected during dry storage in air is very slow and therefore the majority of the existing data is based on extrapolation of data obtained at higher fuel temperatures. This and the complex effects of factors like fission products in fuel, radiolysis of storage medium etc. has necessitated in having a conservative limiting criteria. The data generated by various experimental programmes and results from the on going programmes have shown that dry storage is a safe and economical practice. (author)

Development of an oven drying protocol to improve biodiesel production for an indigenous chlorophycean microalga Scenedesmus sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagchi, Sourav Kumar; Rao, Pavuluri Srinivasa; Mallick, Nirupama

2015-03-01

Drying of wet algal biomass is a major bottleneck in viable commercial production of the microalgal biodiesel. In the present investigation, an oven drying protocol was standardized for drying of wet Scenedesmus biomass at 60, 80 and 100°C with initial sample thickness of 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0mm. The optimum drying temperature was found to be 80°C with a maximum lipid yield of 425.0±5.9mgg(-1) at 15h drying time for 5.0mm thick samples with 0.033kWh power consumption. Partial drying at 80°C up to 10% residual moisture content was efficient showing 93% lipid recovery with 8h drying and a power consumption of 0.017kWh. Scenedesmus biomass was also found to be rich in saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Thus, the drying protocol demonstrates its suitability to improve the downstream processing of biodiesel production by significantly lowering the power consumption and the drying time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pasture research in the wet and dry tropics of Nigeria with particular reference to isotope applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adegbola, A.A.; Adepoju, A.

1983-01-01

Pasture research in western Nigeria, which typifies the wet and dry tropics of Nigeria, is discussed fully. Interest in pasture research in the area was kindled in 1930 with the introduction of Cynodon nlemfuensis var. robusta, but systematic work did not start until the 1950s. Early agronomic studies centred on easy means of establishing the adapted species from cuttings, sprigs or seeds. The most important species in the dry tropics is Andropogon gayanus, while in the wet tropics it is Panicum maximum. Later, investigations on yield of dry matter, intervals and height of cutting and response to fertilizer applications were carried out. Radioactive fertilizer 32 P- and 15 N-urea were also used to study the yield response of pasture to fertilizer application and to determine the percentage uptake of nutrients by plants. The results of such trials in different locations in the area are discussed extensively. Also, 32 P was used to determine the depth of active absorption of the root system of Andropogon gayanus and Panicum maximum, thus establishing their rooting pattern. (author)

Development of high-density bentonite barriers by means of spraying methods. Part 2. Investigation of field conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Kobayashi, Ichizo; Nakajima, Makoto; Toida, Masaru

2006-01-01

The authors have developed a method of constructing high-density bentonite by means of wet spraying to act as a backfill material in narrow places in radioactive waste disposal facilities. On the basis of the results of laboratory tests, they conducted field spraying tests to investigate the field conditions. The results of these tests are summarized as follows: 1) The bentonite could be sprayed smoothly by using a rotary spraying machine and a screw conveyor. 2) Provided that the air flow was at least 18.5 m 3 /min and the nozzle diameter did not exceed 25 mm, an average dry density of bentonite of 1.6 Mg/m 3 or higher could be achieved. 3) The dry density was constant within the spraying distance range 500 mm ∼ 2000 mm. 4) With a nozzle diameter of 19 mm, a spraying distance of 1000 mm, and a water content of 19.5%, an average dry density of the sprayed bentonite of 1.6 Mg/m 3 or higher and a rebound ratio not exceeding 30% was achieved. 5) The dry density of the sprayed bentonite decreased as the volume of bentonite supplied was increased, and it was shows to be closely related to the rotational speed of the spraying machine and the volume of bentonite sprayed from each hole. (author)

Solar drying of West Indian ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizome using a wire basket dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balladin, D.A.; Headley, O. [University of the West Indies (Barbados). Dept. of Chemistry; Chang Yen, I. [University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago). Dept. of Chemistry; McGaw, D.R. [University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1996-09-01

A wire basket dryer (1.8 m x 0.9 m x 0.2 m) was used to dry sliced (0.15 cm) West Indian ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizome to an acceptable moisture content of 10.2% (dry weight basis) over a 3 day period. The optimum charge size was 14.97 kg, with a packing density of 462.04 kg m{sup -3} and a specific drying rate of 0.446 h{sup -1}. The quantities (determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography) of the main pungent principles (ginerol and shogaol) extracted from fresh, non-steam-distilled solar-dried and steam-distilled solar-dried ginger rhizomes showed increases of 0.068, 0.46 and 0.67 g [per 100 g (dry weight basis)], respectively, with a decrease in the oleoresin quality (reflected in pungency profile) of the same order. (author)

Non-stationary analysis of dry spells in monsoon season of Senegal River Basin using data from Regional Climate Models (RCMs)

Science.gov (United States)

Giraldo Osorio, J. D.; García Galiano, S. G.

2012-07-01

SummaryThe Senegal River Basin, located in West Africa, has been affected by several droughts since the end of the 1960s. In its valley, which is densely populated and highly vulnerable to climate variability and water availability, agricultural activities provide the livelihood for thousands of people. Increasing the knowledge about plausible trends of drought events will allow to improve the adaptation and mitigation measures in order to build "adaptive capacity" to climate change in West Africa. An innovative methodology for the non-stationary analysis of droughts events, which allows the prediction of regional trends associated to several return periods, is presented. The analyses were based on Regional Climate Models (RCMs) provided by the European ENSEMBLES project for West Africa, together with observed data. A non-stationary behaviour of the annual series of maximum length of dry spells (AMDSL) in the monsoon season is reflected in temporal changes in mean and variance. The non-stationary nature of hydrometeorological series, due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, is the main criticism to traditional frequency analysis. Therefore, in this paper, the modelling tool GAMLSS (Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape), is applied to develop regional probability density functions (pdfs) fitted to AMDSL series for the monsoon season in the Senegal River Basin. The skills of RCMs in the representation of maximum length of dry spells observed for the period 1970-1990, are evaluated considering observed data. Based on the results obtained, a first selection of the RCMs with which to apply GAMLSS to the AMDSL series identified, for the time period 1970-2050, is made. The results of GAMLSS analysis exhibit divergent trends, with different value ranges for parameters of probability distributions being detected. Therefore, in the second stage of the paper, regional pdfs are constructed using bootstrapping distributions based on probabilistic

Photoprotection related to xanthophyll cycle pigments in epiphytic orchids acclimated at different light microenvironments in two tropical dry forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Rosa-Manzano, Edilia; Andrade, José Luis; García-Mendoza, Ernesto; Zotz, Gerhard; Reyes-García, Casandra

2015-12-01

Epiphytic orchids from dry forests of Yucatán show considerable photoprotective plasticity during the dry season, which depends on leaf morphology and host tree deciduousness. Nocturnal retention of antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin was detected for the first time in epiphytic orchids. In tropical dry forests, epiphytes experience dramatic changes in light intensity: photosynthetic photon flux density may be up to an order of magnitude higher in the dry season compared to the wet season. To address the seasonal changes of xanthophyll cycle (XC) pigments and photosynthesis that occur throughout the year, leaves of five epiphytic orchid species were studied during the early dry, dry and wet seasons in a deciduous and a semi-deciduous tropical forests at two vertical strata on the host trees (3.5 and 1.5 m height). Differences in XC pigment concentrations and photosynthesis (maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II; F v/F m) were larger among seasons than between vertical strata in both forests. Antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin retention reflected the stressful conditions of the epiphytic microhabitat, and it is described here in epiphytes for the first time. During the dry season, both XC pigment concentrations and photosystem II heat dissipation of absorbed energy increased in orchids in the deciduous forest, while F v/F m and nocturnal acidification (ΔH(+)) decreased, clearly as a response to excessive light and drought. Concentrations of XC pigments were higher than those in orchids with similar leaf shape in semi-deciduous forest. There, only Encyclia nematocaulon and Lophiaris oerstedii showed somewhat reduced F v/F m. No changes in ΔH(+) and F v/F m were detected in Cohniella ascendens throughout the year. This species, which commonly grows in forests with less open canopies, showed leaf tilting that diminished light interception. Light conditions in the uppermost parts of the canopy probably limit the distribution of epiphytic orchids and the retention of

Development of spent fuel dry storage technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruoka, Kunio; Matsunaga, Kenichi; Kunishima, Shigeru

2000-01-01

The spent fuels are the recycle fuel resources, and it is very important to store the spent fuels in safety. There are two types of the spent fuel interim storage system. One is wet storage system and another is dry storage system. In this study, the dry storage technology, dual purpose metal cask storage and canister storage, has been developed. For the dual purpose metal cask storage, boronated aluminum basket cell, rational cask body shape and shaping process have been developed, and new type dual purpose metal cask has been designed. For the canister storage, new type concrete cask and high density vault storage technology have been developed. The results of this study will be useful for the spent fuel interim storage. Safety and economical spent fuel interim storage will be realized in the near future. (author)

Infrared Drying as a Quick Preparation Method for Dried Tangerine Peel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyue Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To establish the most convenient and effective method to dry tangerine peels, different methods (sun drying, hot-air drying, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and medium- and short-wave infrared drying were exploited. Our results indicated that medium- and short-wave infrared drying was the best method to preserve nutraceutical components; for example, vitamin C was raised to 6.77 mg/g (D.W. from 3.39 mg/g (sun drying. Moreover, the drying time can be shortened above 96% compared with sun drying. Importantly, the efficiency of DPPH radical scavenging was enhanced from 26.66% to 55.92%. These findings would provide a reliable and time-saving methodology to produce high-quality dried tangerine peels.

Assessment of Drying Characteristics and Texture in Relation with Micromorphological Traits of Carob (Ceratonia silliqua L. Pods and Seeds

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Maja Benković

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L. is a perennial leguminous evergreen tree native to the coastal regions of the Mediterranean basin and is considered to be an important component of vegetation for economic and environmental reasons. Two constituents of the pod, pulp and seeds, can be used as feed or in food production. In this study, drying characteristics, texture and microstructure of carob pods were studied. Three different carob samples were prepared: whole carob pod, carob pod parts and carob seed. The drying experiments and the modelling showed that carob seeds had the highest drying rate, followed by pod parts and the whole, intact carob fruit. Texture studies showed that the maximum compression force depended on the area of the carob fruit on which compression tests were performed. The seeds showed the highest compression force, followed by the stem zone, the tip and the centre of the fruit. Differences in drying behaviour and texture of carob pods can successfully be interpreted by the micromorphology of the carob pods and seeds. Determining the drying rate, maximum compressive force and micromorphological traits is of great importance for further carob processing (e.g. milling, sieving, carob bean gum production or usage in food or feed products.

An empirical model to predict infield thin layer drying rate of cut switchgrass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khanchi, A.; Jones, C.L.; Sharma, B.; Huhnke, R.L.; Weckler, P.; Maness, N.O.

2013-01-01

A series of 62 thin layer drying experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit and wind speed on drying rate of switchgrass. An environmental chamber was fabricated that can simulate field drying conditions. An empirical drying model based on maturity stage of switchgrass was also developed during the study. It was observed that solar radiation was the most significant factor in improving the drying rate of switchgrass at seed shattering and seed shattered maturity stage. Therefore, drying switchgrass in wide swath to intercept the maximum amount of radiation at these stages of maturity is recommended. Moreover, it was observed that under low radiation intensity conditions, wind speed helps to improve the drying rate of switchgrass. Field operations such as raking or turning of the windrows are recommended to improve air circulation within a swath on cloudy days. Additionally, it was found that the effect of individual weather parameters on the drying rate of switchgrass was dependent on maturity stage. Vapor pressure deficit was strongly correlated with the drying rate during seed development stage whereas, vapor pressure deficit was weakly correlated during seed shattering and seed shattered stage. These findings suggest the importance of using separate drying rate models for each maturity stage of switchgrass. The empirical models developed in this study can predict the drying time of switchgrass based on the forecasted weather conditions so that the appropriate decisions can be made. -- Highlights: • An environmental chamber was developed in the present study to simulate field drying conditions. • An empirical model was developed that can estimate drying rate of switchgrass based on forecasted weather conditions. • Separate equations were developed based on maturity stage of switchgrass. • Designed environmental chamber can be used to evaluate the effect of other parameters that affect drying of crops

Mathematical modeling of the drying of orange bagasse associating the convective method and infrared radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina M. Sánchez-Sáenz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mathematical modeling enables dimensioning of dryers, optimization of drying conditions and the evaluation of process performance. The aim of this research was to describe the behavior of orange bagasse drying using Page's and Fick's second law models, and to assess activation energy (using Arrhenius equation, moisture content, water activity and bulk density of product at the end of the process. The drying experimental assays were performed in 2011 with convective air temperature between 36 and 64 ºC and infrared radiation application time in the range from 23 to 277 s in accordance with the experimental central composite rotatable design. Analysis of variance and F-test were applied to results. At the end of the drying process, moisture content was about 0.09 to 0.87 db and water activity was between 0.25 and 0.87. Bulk density did not vary under studied conditions. Empirical Page's model demonstrated better representation of experimental data than the Fick's model for spheres. Activation energy values were about 18.491; 14.975 and 11.421 kJ mol-1 for infrared application times of 60; 150 e 244 s, respectively.

Atmospheric air density analysis with Meteo-40S wind monitoring system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahariea Dănuţ

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to estimate the wind potential of wind turbine sites, the wind resource maps can be used for mean annual wind speed, wind speed frequency distribution and mean annual wind power density determination. The general evaluation of the wind resource and the wind turbine ratings are based on the standard air density measured at sea level and at 15°C, ρs=1.225 kg/m3. Based on the experimental data obtained for a continental climate specific location, this study will present the relative error between the standard air density and the density of the dry and the moist air. Considering a cold day, for example on Friday 10th February 2017, on 1-second measurement rate and 10-minute measuring interval starting at 16:20, the mean relative errors obtained are 10.4145% for dry air, and 10.3634% for moist air. Based on these results, a correction for temperature, atmospheric air pressure and relative humidity should be always considered for wind resource assessment, as well as for the predicting the wind turbines performance.

Heat transfer investigations within dry spent fuel casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsche, F.

1986-07-01

For studying the heat transfer processes and predicting the maximum spent fuel element surface temperature in a spent fuel assembly (SFA) transported in a dry cask, model experiments have been performed with a gas-filled model cask containing a simplified electrically heated model of a WWER-type SFA with 90 fuel elements. The temperature distribution of the SFA model is measured for different heat rates under vacuum in the model cask, and under normal pressure and overpressure (0.1 ... 0.7 MPa) for several cooling gases (air, argon, helium) in order to separately investigate heat transfer processes by radiation and convection/conduction. The measuring results were compared with the calculations. Computer programmes as well as simplified calculation methods for temperature prediction were developed and checked. The results obtained are also useful for thermal analyses in the field of the dry storage of SFAs in a cask or can. Specifically it was found that: The heat removal from the SFA can be considerably improved by increasing the internal cask pressure or by using helium as coolant. The radiant heat exchange in the SFA model can be calculated with sufficient accuracy by means of a computer programme developed in 1978 or by means of a simplified analytical representation shown in the final report. Both methods are directly applicable to the original SFA and useful in order to approximately calculate the maximum SFE surface temperature under normal pressure, if the fraction of heat transferred by radiation is allowed for. For the calculation of the total heat transfer a computer programme was developed and verified, which completely permits the temperature prediction of the SFA model in dependence on heat rate, type of gaseous coolant and coolant pressure. This computer programme can be directly applied to the original SFA for the calculation of the maximum SFE surface temperature

Density of asphalt paving mixtures: Measurements, variations, and influencing factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solaimanian, M.

1990-01-01

The first part describes the results of a research study to determine the effectiveness of the Troxler Model 4640 Thin Lift Nuclear Density Gauge. The densities obtained from cores and the nuclear density gauge from seven construction projects were compared. A linear regression technique was used to investigate how well the core densities could be predicted from nuclear densities. Correlation coefficients were determined to indicate the degree of correlation between the core and nuclear densities. Using a statistical analysis technique, the range of differences between core and nuclear measurements was established for specified confidence levels for each project. Analysis of the data indicated that the accuracy of this gauge is highly material dependent. While acceptable results were obtained with limestone mixtures, the gauge did not perform satisfactorily with mixtures containing siliceous aggregate. The data presented in this paper indicate that the gauge could be used as a quality control tool provided that a calibration is developed for each project. The maximum theoretical specific gravities of asphalt-aggregate paving mixtures obtained from different methods were compared. The study included experimental work and analysis of the resulting data. The agreement between results obtained from the Texas C-14 method and the Rice method were excellent. Results obtained by backcalculating theoretical maximum densities from a single Rice test were also found to be satisfactory. Theoretical approach based on bulk specific gravity of aggregate is not recommended because of yielding significantly low theoretical maximum specific gravities and high relative densities. The last two parts summarize density levels and corresponding variations obtained from fifty-seven construction projects throughout the state of Texas

Electron density and plasma dynamics of a colliding plasma experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiechula, J., E-mail: wiechula@physik.uni-frankfurt.de; Schönlein, A.; Iberler, M.; Hock, C.; Manegold, T.; Bohlender, B.; Jacoby, J. [Plasma Physics Group, Institute of Applied Physics, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2016-07-15

We present experimental results of two head-on colliding plasma sheaths accelerated by pulsed-power-driven coaxial plasma accelerators. The measurements have been performed in a small vacuum chamber with a neutral-gas prefill of ArH{sub 2} at gas pressures between 17 Pa and 400 Pa and load voltages between 4 kV and 9 kV. As the plasma sheaths collide, the electron density is significantly increased. The electron density reaches maximum values of ≈8 ⋅ 10{sup 15} cm{sup −3} for a single accelerated plasma and a maximum value of ≈2.6 ⋅ 10{sup 16} cm{sup −3} for the plasma collision. Overall a raise of the plasma density by a factor of 1.3 to 3.8 has been achieved. A scaling behavior has been derived from the values of the electron density which shows a disproportionately high increase of the electron density of the collisional case for higher applied voltages in comparison to a single accelerated plasma. Sequences of the plasma collision have been taken, using a fast framing camera to study the plasma dynamics. These sequences indicate a maximum collision velocity of 34 km/s.

Microwave wood strand drying: energy consumption, VOC emission and drying quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, S.; Du, G.; Zhang, Y. [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries

2005-07-01

The objective of this research was to develop microwave drying technology for wood strand drying for oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturing. The advantages of microwave drying included a reduction in the drying time of wood strands and a reduction in the release of volatile organic compounds (VOC) through a decrease in the thermal degradation of the wood material. Temperature and moisture content changes under different microwave drying conditions were investigated. The effects of microwave drying on VOC emissions were evaluated and analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Microwave power input and the mass of drying materials in the microwave oven were found to have a dominant effect on drying quality. Results indicated that an increase in microwave power input and a decrease in sample weights resulted in high drying temperatures, short drying times and a high drying rate. The effect of microwave drying on the strand surfaces was also investigated. Different strand geometries and initial moisture content resulted in varying warm-up curves, but did not influence final moisture content. VOC emissions were quantified by comparing alpha-pinene concentrations. The microwave drying resulted in lower VOC emissions compared with conventional drying methods. It was concluded that the microwave drying technique provided faster strand drying and reduced energy consumption by up to 50 per cent. In addition, the surface wettability of wood strands dried with microwaves was better than with an industrial rotary drum drier. 12 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs.

Scrape-off layer based modelling of the density limit in beryllated JET limiter discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrass, K.; Campbell, D.J.; Clement, S.; Vlases, G.C.

1993-01-01

The paper gives a scrape-off layer based interpretation of the density limit in beryllated JET limiter discharges. In these discharges, JET edge parameters show a complicated time evolution as the density limit is approached and the limit is manifested as a non-disruptive density maximum which cannot be exceeded by enhanced gas puffing. The occurrence of Marfes, the manner of density control and details of recycling are essential elements of the interpretation. Scalings for the maximum density are given and compared with JET data. The relation to disruptive density limits, previously observed in JET carbon limiter discharges, and to density limits in divertor discharges is discussed. (author). 18 refs, 10 figs, 1 tab

Drying and decontamination of pistachios with sequential infrared drying, tempering and hot air drying

Science.gov (United States)

The pistachio industry is in need of improved drying technology as the current hot air drying has low energy efficiency and drying rate and high labor cost and also does not produce safe products against microbial contamination. In the current study, dehulled and water- sorted pistachios with a mois...

The measurement of moisture content and dry bulk-density of the top layer of agricultural soils, with minimum calibration, using a gamma-ray attenuation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Westhuizen, M.; Van der Bank, D.J.; Meulke, M.

1978-06-01

Various methods of measuring moisture content and dry bulk-density of soil by means of gamma-ray attenuation are discussed. A new method is described in which the same parameters can be measured in consecutive determinations, but for which only one sample of unknown volume is needed for calibration. This method employs a radioactive source in a lead container in an aluminium tube in the soil. From the container the gamma rays follow a path at an angle upwards through the soil towards the detector. The method was tested in a number of experiments and the results are given in tables and graphs. The conclusion is that this method, which is fairly easy and quick to use, is accurate enough for most applications [af

Analysis of Drying Process Quality in Conventional Dry-Kilns

OpenAIRE

Sedlar Tomislav; Pervan Stjepan

2010-01-01

This paper presents testing results of drying quality in a conventional dry kiln. Testing is based on a new methodology that will show the level of success of the drying process management by analyzing the quality of drying process in a conventional dry kiln, using a scientifi cally improved version of the check list in everyday practical applications. A company that specializes in lamel and classic parquet production was chosen so as to verify the new testing methodology. A total of 56 m3 of...

Nanoparticle motion on the surface of drying droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Mingfei; Yong, Xin

2018-03-01

Advances in solution-based printing and surface patterning techniques for additive manufacturing demand a clear understanding of particle dynamics in drying colloidal droplets and its relationship with deposit structure. Although the evaporation-driven deposition has been studied thoroughly for the particles dispersed in the bulk of the droplet, few investigations have focused on the particles strongly adsorbed to the droplet surface. We modeled the assembly and deposition of the surface-active particles in a drying sessile droplet with a pinned contact line by the multiphase lattice Boltzmann-Brownian dynamics method. The particle trajectory and its area density profile characterize the assembly dynamics and deposition pattern development during evaporation. While the bulk-dispersed particles continuously move to the contact line, forming the typical "coffee-ring" deposit, the interface-bound particles migrate first toward the apex and then to the contact line as the droplet dries out. To understand this unexpected behavior, we resolve the droplet velocity field both in the bulk and within the interfacial region. The simulation results agree well with the analytical solution for the Stokes flow inside an evaporating droplet. At different stages of evaporation, our study reveals that the competition between the tangential surface flow and the downward motion of the evaporating liquid-vapor interface governs the dynamics of the interface-bound particles. In particular, the interface displacement contributes to the particle motion toward the droplet apex in a short phase, while the outward advective flow prevails at the late stage of drying and carries the particles to the contact line. The final deposit of the surface-adsorbed particles exhibits a density enhancement at the center, in addition to a coffee ring. Despite its small influence on the final deposit in the present study, the distinct dynamics of surface-active particles due to the interfacial confinement

[Quantitative analysis of the corneal subbasal nerves in different degrees of dry eye with AutoCAD].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y; Wu, J; Zhu, H F; Cheng, Y; Zhu, X P

2016-03-01

To evaluate the practical value of AutoCAD in quantitative analysis of corneal subbasal epithelial nerves with different degrees of dry eye. Ninety patients were divided into groups of mild, moderate, and severe dry eye, 30 patients (60 eyes) in each group. And 30 healthy volunteers were recruited as the normal control group. Confocal microscopy was used to observe the length of the subbasal epithelial nerve plexus. The images were analyzed by AutoCAD software to determine the density (mm/mm(2)), the number of branches, and the curvature score of the subbasal epithelial nerves. These data of patients with dry eye and the controls were statistically compared, by analysis of variance(ANOV). By AutoCAD software, quantitative analysis of the corneal subbasal epithelial nerves was successfully performed. The nerve density in the patients with mild dry eye[(16.70±3.43) mm/mm(2)] was not significantly different from the controls[(15.87 ± 2.75) mm/mm(2)] (P=0.880), but the number of nerval branches 13.43±2.46 and the curvature 3.10±0.80 increased significantly (Pdry eye was significantly different from that in the normal control group (F=114.739, Pdry eye than the controls, but there was no significant difference in the curvature scores between the two groups (P= 0.557). AutoCAD software is useful in the quantitative analysis of corneal nerve images under a confocal microscope. The corneal subbasal epithelial nerve density, the number of branches, and the curvature of the nerves are related to the degree of dry eye, and may be used as clinical indicators.

CFD Analysis to Calculate the Optimal Air Velocity in Drying Green Tea Process Using Fluidized Bed Dryer

Science.gov (United States)

Yohana, Eflita; Nugraha, Afif Prasetya; Diana, Ade Eva; Mahawan, Ilham; Nugroho, Sri

2018-02-01

Tea processing is basically distinguished into three types which black tea, green tea, and oolong tea. Green tea is processed by heating and drying the leaves. Green tea factories in Indonesia are generally using the process of drying by panning the leaves. It is more recommended to use the fluidization process to speed up the drying process as the quality of the tea can be maintained. Bubbling fluidization is expected to occur in this research. It is a process of bubbles are formed in the fluidization. The effectiveness of the drying process in a fluidized bed dryer machine needs to be improved by using a CFD simulation method to proof that umf < u < ut, where the average velocity value is limited by the minimum and the maximum velocity of the calculation the experimental data. The minimum and the maximum velocity value of the fluidization is 0.96 m/s and 8.2 m/s. The result of the simulation obtained that the average velocity of the upper bed part is 1.81 m/s. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the calculation and the simulation data is in accordance with the condition of bubbling fluidization in fluidized bed dryer.

Spray-freeze-drying of nanosuspensions: the manufacture of insulin particles for needle-free ballistic powder delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffter, Heiko; Condliffe, Jamie; Vonhoff, Sebastian

2010-01-01

The feasibility of preparing microparticles with high insulin loading suitable for needle-free ballistic drug delivery by spray-freeze-drying (SFD) was examined in this study. The aim was to manufacture dense, robust particles with a diameter of around 50 µm, a narrow size distribution and a high content of insulin. Atomization using ultrasound atomizers showed improved handling of small liquid quantities as well as narrower droplet size distributions over conventional two-fluid nozzle atomization. Insulin nanoparticles were produced by SFD from solutions with a low solid content (ballistic injection, the insulin nanoparticles were suspended in matrix formulations with a high excipient content (>300 mg ml−1) consisting of trehalose, mannitol, dextran (10 kDa) and dextran (150 kDa) (abbreviated to TMDD) in order to maximize particle robustness and density after SFD. With the increase in insulin content, the viscosity of the nanosuspensions increased. Liquid atomization was possible up to a maximum of 250 mg of nano-insulin suspended in a 1.0 g matrix. However, if a narrow size distribution with a good correlation between theoretical and measurable insulin content was desired, no more than 150 mg nano-insulin could be suspended per gram of matrix formulation. Particles were examined by laser light diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and tap density testing. Insulin stability was assessed using size exclusion chromatography (SEC), reverse phase chromatography and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Densification of the particles could be achieved during primary drying if the product temperature (Tprod) exceeded the glass transition temperature of the freeze concentrate (Tg′) of −29.4°C for TMDD (3∶3∶3∶1) formulations. Particles showed a collapsed and wrinkled morphology owing to viscous flow of the freeze concentrate. With increasing insulin loading, the d (v, 0.5) of the SFD powders increased and particle size distributions got wider

Monte Carlo Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Generalized Long-Memory Time Series Models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mesters, G.; Koopman, S.J.; Ooms, M.

2016-01-01

An exact maximum likelihood method is developed for the estimation of parameters in a non-Gaussian nonlinear density function that depends on a latent Gaussian dynamic process with long-memory properties. Our method relies on the method of importance sampling and on a linear Gaussian approximating

Energy density of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis in Lakes Huron and Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Pothoven, S.A.; Nalepa, T.F.; Madenjian, C.P.; Rediske, R.R.; Schneeberger, P.J.; He, J.X.

2006-01-01

We collected lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis off Alpena and Tawas City, Michigan, USA in Lake Huron and off Muskegon, Michigan USA in Lake Michigan during 2002–2004. We determined energy density and percent dry weight for lake whitefish from both lakes and lipid content for Lake Michigan fish. Energy density increased with increasing fish weight up to 800 g, and then remained relatively constant with further increases in fish weight. Energy density, adjusted for weight, was lower in Lake Huron than in Lake Michigan for both small (≤800 g) and large fish (>800 g). Energy density did not differ seasonally for small or large lake whitefish or between adult male and female fish. Energy density was strongly correlated with percent dry weight and percent lipid content. Based on data from commercially caught lake whitefish, body condition was lower in Lake Huron than Lake Michigan during 1981–2003, indicating that the dissimilarity in body condition between the lakes could be long standing. Energy density and lipid content in 2002–2004 in Lake Michigan were lower than data for comparable sized fish collected in 1969–1971. Differences in energy density between lakes were attributed to variation in diet and prey energy content as well as factors that affect feeding rates such as lake whitefish density and prey abundance.

Development of the dry decontamination technique using plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong Soo; Seo, Yong Dae; Lee, Dong Uk; Jeon, Sang Hwan; Jung, Young Suk [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea)

2001-04-01

In order to develop an advanced dry decontamination method, dry decontamination technique using gaseous plasma is studied. Scopes of the research are 1) literature survey and case studies of the international R and D activities and industrial application, 2) contaminant characteristics analysis, 3) feasibility and applicability study of the unit techniques, 4) process development study on the plasma decontamination, 5) plasma diagnostics and quantitative analysis by QMS and OES, and 6) design of (microwave) plasma torch system. The major research results are as belows. The maximum etching rate of UO{sub 2} is achieved to be 0.8 {mu}m/min. under 300 deg C, 150 W CF{sub 4}/O{sub 2}/N{sub 2} r.f. plasma maintaining the optimum ratio of CF{sub 4}/O{sub 2} of four, and that of Co and Mo is 0.06 {mu}m/min. and 1.9 {mu}m/min., respectively, under 380 deg C, 220 W CF{sub 4}/O{sub 2} r.f. plasma. The optimum process for the dry decontamination of TRU, CP, and or FP nuclides, therefore, requires the optimum gas composition above 350 deg C and 220W power. It is also demonstrated that this optimum process can be extrapolated to atmospheric high power torch system. In conclusion, if plasma power and temperature increases with maintaining the optimum gas composition, this dry decontamination techniques must be definitely effective and efficient. 17 refs., 62 figs., 4 tabs. (Author)

The Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae: Justicieae) does not support the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis for South American seasonally dry forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Côrtes, Ana Luiza A; Rapini, Alessandro; Daniel, Thomas F

2015-06-01

The Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae) presents a striking ecological structuring in South America, with groups concentrated in moist forests or in seasonally dry forests. In this study, we investigate the circumscription and relationships of the South American genera as a basis for better understanding historic interactions between dry and moist biomes in the Neotropics. We dated the ancestral distribution of the Tetramerium lineage based on one nuclear and four plastid DNA regions. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses were performed for this study using 104 terminals. Phylogenetic divergences were dated using a relaxed molecular clock approach and ancestral distributions obtained from dispersal-vicariance analyses. The genera Pachystachys, Schaueria, and Thyrsacanthus are nonmonophyletic. A dry forest lineage dispersed from North America to South America and reached the southwestern part of the continent between the end of the Miocene and beginning of the Pleistocene. This period coincides with the segregation between Amazonian and Atlantic moist forests that established the geographic structure currently found in the group. The South American genera Pachystachys, Schaueria, and Thyrsacanthus need to be recircumscribed. The congruence among biogeographical events found for the Tetramerium lineage suggests that the dry forest centers currently dispersed throughout South America are relatively old remnants, probably isolated since the Neogene, much earlier than the Last Glacial Maximum postulated by the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis. In addition to exploring the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis, this research also informs evolution in a lineage with numerous geographically restricted and threatened species. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Density and radioactivity distribution of respirable range human serum albumin aerosol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghunath, B.; Somasundaram, S.; Soni, P.S.

1988-01-01

Dry human serum albumin (HSA) aerosol in the respirable size range was generated using the BARC nebulizer. The aerosol was sampled using Lovelace Aerosol Particle Separator (LAPS) and the density of HSA was determined. Labelling of HSA with 99m TcO 4 - was done, both in HSA solution and with dry denatured HSA particles, to study the distribution of radioactivity in both cases. The results are discussed. (author)

Locational variation in green fodder yield, dry matter yield, and forage quality of sorghum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, A.; Khan, S.; Mohammad, D.

2007-01-01

The present study was designed to find out the variations in for- age yield and quality of sorghum as affected by different environments. The three agroecological zones viz., Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), Sariab, Quetta, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad and National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad were selected on the basis of different physiography, geology, temperature, and climate and water availability. Crude protein contents, varied from 6.98 to 8.02 percent, crude fibre contents from 30.84 to 31.68 percent, green fodder yield from 38.91 to 50.64 t/ha and dry matter yield from 8.92 to 10.17 t/ha at the three diverse locations. Maximum crude protein and crude fibre contents were obtained at NARC, Islamabad and AARI, Faisalabad. Maximum green fodder and dry matter yields were also observed at NARC, Islamabad and AARI, Faisalabad. It was also noted that the same genotypes showed differential response when planted under the diverse environments for green fodder yield, dry matter yield, crude protein and crude fibre contents. Therefore, it was concluded that these differences in forage yield and quality traits under diverse environments were due to differences in soil types, soil fertility, temperature, rain- fall and other climatic conditions. (author)

Modelling maximum likelihood estimation of availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waller, R.A.; Tietjen, G.L.; Rock, G.W.

1975-01-01

Suppose the performance of a nuclear powered electrical generating power plant is continuously monitored to record the sequence of failure and repairs during sustained operation. The purpose of this study is to assess one method of estimating the performance of the power plant when the measure of performance is availability. That is, we determine the probability that the plant is operational at time t. To study the availability of a power plant, we first assume statistical models for the variables, X and Y, which denote the time-to-failure and the time-to-repair variables, respectively. Once those statistical models are specified, the availability, A(t), can be expressed as a function of some or all of their parameters. Usually those parameters are unknown in practice and so A(t) is unknown. This paper discusses the maximum likelihood estimator of A(t) when the time-to-failure model for X is an exponential density with parameter, lambda, and the time-to-repair model for Y is an exponential density with parameter, theta. Under the assumption of exponential models for X and Y, it follows that the instantaneous availability at time t is A(t)=lambda/(lambda+theta)+theta/(lambda+theta)exp[-[(1/lambda)+(1/theta)]t] with t>0. Also, the steady-state availability is A(infinity)=lambda/(lambda+theta). We use the observations from n failure-repair cycles of the power plant, say X 1 , X 2 , ..., Xsub(n), Y 1 , Y 2 , ..., Ysub(n) to present the maximum likelihood estimators of A(t) and A(infinity). The exact sampling distributions for those estimators and some statistical properties are discussed before a simulation model is used to determine 95% simulation intervals for A(t). The methodology is applied to two examples which approximate the operating history of two nuclear power plants. (author)

Drying Spirulina with Foam Mat Drying at Medium Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aji Prasetyaningrum

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Spirulina is a single cell blue green microalgae (Cyanobacteria containing many Phytonutrients (Beta-carotene, Chlorophyl, Xanthophyl, Phyocianin using as anti-carcinogen in food. Producing dry spirulina by quick drying process at medium temperature is very important to retain the Phytonutrient quality. Currently, the work is still challenging due to the gel formation that block the water diffusion from inside to the surface.  This research studies the performance of foam-mat drying on production of dry spirulina. In this method the spirulina was mixed with foaming agent (glair/egg albumen, popular as white egg at 2.5% by weight at air velocity 2.2 m/sec. Here, the effect of spirulina thickness and operational temperature on drying time and quality (Beta-carotene and color were observed. The drying time was estimated based on the measurement of water content in spirulina versus time. Result showed that the thicker spirulina, the longer drying time. Conversely, the higher operational temperature, faster drying time. At thickness ranging 1-3 mm and operational temperature below 70oC, the quality of spirulina can fit the market requirement

Development of a model for predicting the dry matter production of mulberry [Morus alba] based on meteorological factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, K.; Ito, D.

1999-01-01

It is necessary to predict mulberry growth and yield precisely at any time during the growing period, since mulberry trees are cut anytime along with the increase of the frequency of silkworm rearing per year. Therefore, in this study, attempts were made to develop a model to predict the dry matter production in mulberry fields with standard density with the cooperation of the prefectural experimental stations of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Tokyo and Gifu. To construct the model, we conducted three experiments. In the first year, we estimated the dry weight of mulberry new shoots based on the length and base width. Logarithm of leaf dry weight of a new shoot was regressed linearly on the logarithm of the product of length and base width. Stem dry weight was estimated with a linear regression of the logarithm on the logarithm of the product of length and base square width. In the next year, we evaluated the maximal effective radiation (Smax) of mulberry, over which mulberry cannot use radiation to produce dry matter. This experiment included shaded and control (non-shaded) plots, and the difference between these plots was analyzed. Shading treatment decreased the dry matter production, but did not affect the radiation conversion efficiency. Shoot dry matter production increased almost proportionally with intercepted radiation except for the later growth periods. Therefore, no Smax was revealed in mulberry fields with standard density. The effect of temperature and growth stage on the radiation conversion efficiency was investigated last year. Relation of temperature and radiation conversion efficiency was not clear for shoot dry matter production. However, there was a positive relation for stem dry mater production. Although the efficiency decreased with mulberry growth for leaf dry matter production, it increased at the early growth stage and decreased at the late stage for stem dry matter production

Dry Eye

Science.gov (United States)

... Eye » Facts About Dry Eye Listen Facts About Dry Eye Fact Sheet Blurb The National Eye Institute (NEI) ... and their families search for general information about dry eye. An eye care professional who has examined the ...

Physical Properties of Sandy Soil Affected by Soil Conditioner Under Wetting and Drying cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Choudhary

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Information on the effectiveness of soil conditioners over a prolonged period is scarce. A laboratory experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a polyacrylamide (Broadleaf P4 soil conditioner on the physical properties of sandy soil subjected to wetting and drying cycles. Four concentrations of Broadleaf P4 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% on dry weight basis were uniformly mixed with a calcareous sandy soil. Addition of Broadleaf P4 to sandy soil increased the water holding capacity, decreased the bulk density, and increased the porosity and void ratio at 0 and 16 wetting and drying cycles. The coefficient of linear extensibility increased considerably with increasing concentrations of the polymer. The addition of polymer at 0 and 16 cycles increased considerably the retention and availability of water in sandy soil. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased with increasing concentrations of Broadleaf P4 whereas unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 0 and 16 cycles showed an increase with increasing soil moisture contents. After I6 wetting and drying cycles, the capacity of the soil to hold water was lost on average by 15.8% when compared to the 0 wetting and drying cycle. The effectiveness of the soil conditioner on bulk density, coefficient of linear extensibility, available water and saturated hydraulic conductivity was reduced on average by 14.1, 24.5, 21.l and 53.7% respectively. The significant changes in soil properties between 0 and 16 cycles suggested that the effectiveness of the conditioner decreased with the application of wetting and drying cycles. However, its effect was still considerable when compared to untreated soil under laboratory conditions.

Diagnostic of dry rot in living trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaetzler, H.P.

1978-01-01

The γ-desorption method has been used in the early diagnosis of dry rot in trees. The attenuation of a 60 keV γ-beam ( 241 Am) has been measured on eleven healthy spruce disks. It is seen that early diagnostic of rotten trees is limited by natural density variation of the wood itself, but for a 95% confidence level that the wood is diseased, a tree must have an average of less than 0.59 g./cm 3 . (Auth/C.F.)

A critical review on the spray drying of fruit extract: effect of additives on physicochemical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnaiah, Duduku; Nithyanandam, Rajesh; Sarbatly, Rosalam

2014-01-01

Spray drying accomplishes drying while particles are suspended in the air and is one method in the family of suspended particle processing systems, along with fluid-bed drying, flash drying, spray granulation, spray agglomeration, spray reaction, spray cooling, and spray absorption. This drying process is unique because it involves both particle formation and drying. The present paper reviews spray drying of fruit extracts, such as acai, acerola pomace, gac, mango, orange, cactus pear, opuntia stricta fruit, watermelon, and durian, and the effects of additives on physicochemical properties such as antioxidant activity, total carotenoid content, lycopene and β-carotene content, hygroscopy, moisture content, volatile retention, stickiness, color, solubility, glass transition temperature, bulk density, rehydration, caking, appearance under electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. The literature clearly demonstrates that the effect of additives and encapsulation play a vital role in determining the physicochemical properties of fruit extract powder. The technical difficulties in spray drying of fruit extracts can be overcome by modifying the spray dryer design. It also reveals that spray drying is a novel technology for converting fruit extract into powder form.

Influence of salting and drying, and gamma irradiation on the quality and shelf life of salted and dried Silver belly (Leiognathus spp.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uikey, Mahendra

2015-01-01

In India about 17% of the total fishes caught are being used for salting and drying. On the global basis, 74% of the marine landings are processed by curing. Fresh Silver belly (Leognathus spp.) were procured from the fish landing centre and washed with potable water. Salting was done using food grade salt in the ratio of 1:3 (Fish to salt) in perforated steel pans by keeping the salt and fish in layer by layer fashion for 24 hrs. Drying of salted fishes was done in solar biomass hybrid drier, the final moisture content in the dried fish was 20.03%. The quality of both fresh, salted and dried fishes were analysed for chemical (Protein, fat, moisture, ash, TVB-N, TMA-N, TBARS, FFA, PV, pH) and microbial quality (TPC, halophilic count). Batches of salted and dried silver bellies were packed in high density polyethylene bags aseptically and exposed to low dose gamma irradiation (1 and 3 kGy), the non-irradiated samples were kept as control and stored at room temperature. The irradiated and control samples were analysed periodically (upto 90 days) for chemical and microbial quality. The results showed that the combined effect of salting and drying, and low dose gamma irradiation had a significant effect on microbial load (p< 0.05). The chemical parameters such as TMA-N, TVB-N and TBARS values for irradiated samples were significantly lower than the non-irradiated samples (p<0.05). The results revealed that the combination of salting and drying, and low dose gamma irradiation resulted in a significant reduction of microbial growth and chemical parameters were within the limit up to 90 days at room temperature. (author)

Relationship of Quantum Entanglement to Density Functional Theory

OpenAIRE

Rajagopal, A. K.; Rendell, R. W.

2005-01-01

The maximum von Neumann entropy principle subject to given constraints of mean values of some physical observables determines the density matrix. Similarly the stationary action principle in the case of time-dependent (dissipative) situations under similar constraints yields the density matrix. The free energy and measures of entanglement are expressed in terms of such a density matrix and thus define respective functionals of the mean values. In the light of several model calculations, it is...

Last Glacial Maximum Salinity Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Homola, K.; Spivack, A. J.

2016-12-01

It has been previously demonstrated that salinity can be reconstructed from sediment porewater. The goal of our study is to reconstruct high precision salinity during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Salinity is usually determined at high precision via conductivity, which requires a larger volume of water than can be extracted from a sediment core, or via chloride titration, which yields lower than ideal precision. It has been demonstrated for water column samples that high precision density measurements can be used to determine salinity at the precision of a conductivity measurement using the equation of state of seawater. However, water column seawater has a relatively constant composition, in contrast to porewater, where variations from standard seawater composition occur. These deviations, which affect the equation of state, must be corrected for through precise measurements of each ion's concentration and knowledge of apparent partial molar density in seawater. We have developed a density-based method for determining porewater salinity that requires only 5 mL of sample, achieving density precisions of 10-6 g/mL. We have applied this method to porewater samples extracted from long cores collected along a N-S transect across the western North Atlantic (R/V Knorr cruise KN223). Density was determined to a precision of 2.3x10-6 g/mL, which translates to salinity uncertainty of 0.002 gms/kg if the effect of differences in composition is well constrained. Concentrations of anions (Cl-, and SO4-2) and cations (Na+, Mg+, Ca+2, and K+) were measured. To correct salinities at the precision required to unravel LGM Meridional Overturning Circulation, our ion precisions must be better than 0.1% for SO4-/Cl- and Mg+/Na+, and 0.4% for Ca+/Na+, and K+/Na+. Alkalinity, pH and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon of the porewater were determined to precisions better than 4% when ratioed to Cl-, and used to calculate HCO3-, and CO3-2. Apparent partial molar densities in seawater were

An x-ray backlit Talbot-Lau deflectometer for high-energy-density electron density diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Valdivia, M. P.; Stutman, D.; Stoeckl, C.; Theobald, W.; Mileham, C.; Begishev, I. A.; Bromage, J.; Regan, S. P.

2016-02-01

X-ray phase-contrast techniques can measure electron density gradients in high-energy-density plasmas through refraction induced phase shifts. An 8 keV Talbot-Lau interferometer consisting of free standing ultrathin gratings was deployed at an ultra-short, high-intensity laser system using K-shell emission from a 1-30 J, 8 ps laser pulse focused on thin Cu foil targets. Grating survival was demonstrated for 30 J, 8 ps laser pulses. The first x-ray deflectometry images obtained under laser backlighting showed up to 25% image contrast and thus enabled detection of electron areal density gradients with a maximum value of 8.1 ± 0.5 × 1023 cm-3 in a low-Z millimeter sized sample. An electron density profile was obtained from refraction measurements with an error of x-ray source-size, similar to conventional radiography.

Matter composition at high density by effective scaled lagrangian

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyun, Chang Ho; Min, Dong Pil [Dept. of Physics, Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1998-06-01

We investigate the matter composition at around the neutron star densities with a model lagrangian satisfying Brown-Rho scaling law. We calculate the neutron star properties such as maximum mass, radius, hyperon compositions and central density. We compare our results with those of Walecka model. (orig.)

Comparison of Wet and Dry Grinding in Electromagnetic Mill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szymon Ogonowski

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Comparison of dry and wet grinding process in an electromagnetic mill is presented in this paper. The research was conducted in a batch copper ore grinding. Batch mode allows for precise parametrization and constant repetitive conditions of the experiments. The following key aspects were tested: processing time, feed size, size of the grinding media, mass of the material and graining media, and density of the pulp. The particles size distribution of the product samples was analyzed in the laboratory after each experiment. The paper discusses the experimental results as well as the concept of dry and wet grinding and classification circuits for the electromagnetic mill. The main points of the discussion are the size reduction effectiveness and power consumption of the entire system.

Towards high-density matter with relativistic heavy-ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagamiya, Shoji.

1990-04-01

Recent progress in nucleus-nucleus collisions at BNL and CERN suggests a hint that the formation of high-density nuclear matter could be possible with relativistic heavy-ion beams. What is the maximum density that can be achieved by heavy-ion collisions? Are there data which show evidence or hints on the formation of high density matter? Why is the research of high-density interesting? How about the future possibilities on this subject? These points are discussed. (author)

Spray Drying Processing: granules production and drying kinetics of droplets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondragon, R.; Julia, J. E.; Barba, A.; Jarque, J. C.

2013-01-01

Spray drying is a unit operation very common in many industrial processes. For each particular application, the resulting granulated material must possess determined properties that depend on the conditions in which the spray drying processing has been carried out, and whose dependence must be known in order to optimize the quality of the material obtained. The large number of variables that influence on the processes of matter and energy transfer and on the formation of granular material has required a detailed analysis of the drying process. Over the years there have been many studies on the spray drying processing of all kind of materials and the influence of process variables on the drying kinetics of the granulated material properties obtained. This article lists the most important works published for both the spray drying processing and the drying of individual droplets, as well as studies aimed at modeling the drying kinetics of drops. (Author)

High throughput nonparametric probability density estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Jenny; Jacobs, Donald

2018-01-01

In high throughput applications, such as those found in bioinformatics and finance, it is important to determine accurate probability distribution functions despite only minimal information about data characteristics, and without using human subjectivity. Such an automated process for univariate data is implemented to achieve this goal by merging the maximum entropy method with single order statistics and maximum likelihood. The only required properties of the random variables are that they are continuous and that they are, or can be approximated as, independent and identically distributed. A quasi-log-likelihood function based on single order statistics for sampled uniform random data is used to empirically construct a sample size invariant universal scoring function. Then a probability density estimate is determined by iteratively improving trial cumulative distribution functions, where better estimates are quantified by the scoring function that identifies atypical fluctuations. This criterion resists under and over fitting data as an alternative to employing the Bayesian or Akaike information criterion. Multiple estimates for the probability density reflect uncertainties due to statistical fluctuations in random samples. Scaled quantile residual plots are also introduced as an effective diagnostic to visualize the quality of the estimated probability densities. Benchmark tests show that estimates for the probability density function (PDF) converge to the true PDF as sample size increases on particularly difficult test probability densities that include cases with discontinuities, multi-resolution scales, heavy tails, and singularities. These results indicate the method has general applicability for high throughput statistical inference.

Calculation of the effects of pumping, divertor configuration and fueling on density limit in a tokamak model problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stacey, W. M.

2001-01-01

Several series of model problem calculations have been performed to investigate the predicted effect of pumping, divertor configuration and fueling on the maximum achievable density in diverted tokamaks. Density limitations due to thermal instabilities (confinement degradation and multifaceted axisymmetric radiation from the edge) and to divertor choking are considered. For gas fueling the maximum achievable density is relatively insensitive to pumping (on or off), to the divertor configuration (open or closed), or to the location of the gas injection, although the gas fueling rate required to achieve this maximum achievable density is quite sensitive to these choices. Thermal instabilities are predicted to limit the density at lower values than divertor choking. Higher-density limits are predicted for pellet injection than for gas fueling

High solids emulsions produced by ultrasound as a function of energy density.

Science.gov (United States)

Consoli, Larissa; de Figueiredo Furtado, Guilherme; da Cunha, Rosiane Lopes; Hubinger, Míriam Dupas

2017-09-01

The use of emulsifying methods is frequently required before spray drying food ingredients, where using high concentration of solids increases the drying process yield. In this work, we used ultrasound to obtain kinetically stable palm oil-in-water emulsions with 30g solids/100g of emulsion. Sodium caseinate, maltodextrin and dried glucose syrup were used as stabilizing agents. Sonication time of 3, 7 and 11min were evaluated at power of 72, 105 and 148W (which represents 50%, 75% and 100% of power amplitude in relation to the nominal power of the equipment). Energy density required for each assay was calculated. Emulsions were characterized for droplets mean diameter and size distribution, optical microscopy, confocal microscopy, ζ-potential, creaming index (CI) and rheological behavior. Emulsions presented bimodal size distribution, with D [3,2] ranging from 0.7 to 1.4μm and CI between 5% and 12%, being these parameters inversely proportional to sonication time and power, but with a visual kinetically stabilization after the treatment at 148W at 7min sonication. D [3,2] showed to depend of energy density as a power function. Sonication presented as an effective method to be integrated to spray drying when emulsification is needed before the drying process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food Simulating Organic Solvents for Evaluating Crosslink Density of Bulk Fill Composite Resin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neveen M. Ayad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To evaluate crosslink densities of two bulk fill composite resins and determine if the used Food Simulating Organic Solvent (FSOS affected them. Methods. Forty specimens were prepared from SureFill and SonicFill bulk fill composite resins, 20 each. All specimens were stored dry for 24 h. Each group was divided into 2 subgroups: stored in ethanol (E 75% or in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK 100% for 24 h. Crosslink density was evaluated by calculating the difference between the Vickers hardness numbers of the specimens stored dry and after their storage in FSOS. The data were statistically analyzed using t-test. Results. The means of crosslink density in E and MEK were 6.99% and 9.44% for SureFill and 10.54% and 11.92% for SonicFill, respectively. t-test displayed significant differences between crosslink densities of SureFill and SonicFill: (P<0.0001 in E and (P=0.02 in MEK and between crosslink densities of SureFill in E and MEK (P=0.02. Conclusions. Crosslink density of bulk fill composite resin can be evaluated using E or MEK. SureFill has higher crosslink density than SonicFill in both E and MEK.

A SURVEY OF CORONAL CAVITY DENSITY PROFILES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, J.; Gibson, S. E.

2009-01-01

Coronal cavities are common features of the solar corona that appear as darkened regions at the base of coronal helmet streamers in coronagraph images. Their darkened appearance indicates that they are regions of lowered density embedded within the comparatively higher density helmet streamer. Despite interfering projection effects of the surrounding helmet streamer (which we refer to as the cavity rim), Fuller et al. have shown that under certain conditions it is possible to use a Van de Hulst inversion of white-light polarized brightness (pB) data to calculate the electron density of both the cavity and cavity rim plasma. In this article, we apply minor modifications to the methods of Fuller et al. in order to improve the accuracy and versatility of the inversion process, and use the new methods to calculate density profiles for both the cavity and cavity rim in 24 cavity systems. We also examine trends in cavity morphology and how departures from the model geometry affect our density calculations. The density calculations reveal that in all 24 cases the cavity plasma has a flatter density profile than the plasma of the cavity rim, meaning that the cavity has a larger density depletion at low altitudes than it does at high altitudes. We find that the mean cavity density is over four times greater than that of a coronal hole at an altitude of 1.2 R sun and that every cavity in the sample is over twice as dense as a coronal hole at this altitude. Furthermore, we find that different cavity systems near solar maximum span a greater range in density at 1.2 R sun than do cavity systems near solar minimum, with a slight trend toward higher densities for systems nearer to solar maximum. Finally, we found no significant correlation of cavity density properties with cavity height-indeed, cavities show remarkably similar density depletions-except for the two smallest cavities that show significantly greater depletion.

[Clinical characteristics of short tear film breakup time (BUT) -type dry eye].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Yuji; Yokoi, Norihiko; Higashihara, Hisayo; Inagaki, Kayoko; Sonomura, Yukiko; Komuro, Aoi; Kinoshita, Shigeru

2012-12-01

To evaluate the clinical characteristics and management of short tear film breakup time (BUT) -type dry eye. Clinical background and post-treatment changes of symptoms in 77 patients with short BUT -type dry eye were investigated. Treatment consisted of artificial-tear eye-drop instillation and, if necessary, the addition of a low-density-level steroid, hyaluronic acid, a low-density-level cyclopentolate prepared by ourselves and punctal plugs inserted into the upper and lower lacrimal puncta. There were three times more women than men among the patients, and the peak age of occurrence was in the twenties in the men and in the sixties in the women. Our findings show that visual display terminal (VDT) work, contact lens (CL) wear, and changes in the sex hormones may initiate subjective symptoms. Some patients had simultaneous conjunctivochalasis, allergic conjunctivitis, and meibomian gland dysfunction. Nineteen patients (24.7%) were effectively treated with eye-drop instillation alone. Thirty-seven patients (48.1%) required punctal-plug insertion, which was completely effective in only 8 of them (21.6%). Mainly young men and menopausal women contract short BUT -type dry eye. Changes in sex hormones, VDT work and CL wear may be causal, and the disease cannot be controlled by eyedrop and punctal-plug treatment alone.

Generalized drying curves in conductive/convective paper drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.C. Motta Lima

2000-12-01

Full Text Available This work presents a study related to conductive/convective drying of paper (cellulose sheets over heated surfaces, under natural and forced air conditions. The experimental apparatus consists in a metallic box heated by a thermostatic bath containing an upper surface on which the paper samples (about 1 mm thick are placed. The system is submitted to ambient air under two different conditions: natural convection and forced convection provide by an adjustable blower. The influence of initial paper moisture content, drying (heated surface temperature and air velocity on drying curves behavior is observed under different drying conditions. Hence, these influence is studied through the proposal of generalized drying curves. Those curves are analyzed individually for each air condition exposed above and for both together. A set of equations to fit them is proposed and discussed.

Recovering metal values hydrometallurgically from spent dry battery cells

Science.gov (United States)

Rabah, M. A.; Barakat, M. A.; Mahrous, Y. Sh.

1999-12-01

A hydro-pyrometallurgical method was used to recover metal values from spent dry battery cells. Water-soluble ingredients were filtered, and solid residue was sorted by magnetic separation and water flotation. Parameters affecting the recovery efficiency were also studied. Results revealed that metallic parts, carbon rods, and paper were safely recovered; pure NH4Cl, MnO2, and ZnCl2 salts were obtained. Maximum recovery efficiencies reached 93 percent for manganese and 99.5 percent for zinc and NH4.

Drying hardwood lumber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chow, A T

1988-11-14

Dried lumber is a high-value-added product, especially when it is of high quality. Lumber damaged during the drying operation can represent substantial lost revenue. It has been demonstrated that dehumidification kilns can improve lumber quality, and reduce energy consumption over conventional drying methods. A summary of the literature on drying hardwood lumber, particularly using heat pump dehumidification, has been prepared to allow the information to be readily accessible to Ontario Hydro personnel who work with customers in the lumber industry. For that purpose, this summary has been prepared from the perspective of the customer, a dry kiln operator. Included are brief descriptions of drying schedules, precautions needed to minimize drying defects in the lumber, and rules-of-thumb for selecting and estimating the capital cost of the drying equipment. A selection of drying schedules and moisture contents of green lumber, a glossary of lumber defects and brief descriptions of the possible preventive measures are also included. 10 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Influence of product thickness, chamber pressure and heating conditions on production rate of freeze-dried yoghurt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, N.K. [G.B. Pant Univ., of Agriculture and Technology (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Arora, C.P. [Indian Inst. of Tech., New Delhi (India)

1995-06-01

The effects of product thickness, chamber pressure and heating conditions on product temperature profiles and production rate of freeze-dried yoghurt were investigated experimentally. Three sample thicknesses - 3.8 mm, 6.2 mm and 9.4 mm - were tested at chamber pressures of 0.01 and 0.5 mmHg. The production rate increased by decreasing product thickness in contact heating through the bottom of the frozen layer, whereas no significant change was observed in radiant heating. A reduction in chamber pressure from 0.50 to 0.01 mmHg increased the drying time in radiant heating. Maximum production rate was obtained when the thickness of dried product was 6.2 mm, when heat was transferred simultaneously through the frozen and dried layers, and the chamber pressure was at 0.01 mmHg. Use of the product tray developed in this study prevents the growth of dry layers at the contact surfaces. (Author)

A sampling study on rock properties affecting drilling rate index (DRI)

Science.gov (United States)

Yenice, Hayati; Özdoğan, Mehmet V.; Özfırat, M. Kemal

2018-05-01

Drilling rate index (DRI) developed in Norway is a very useful index in determining the drillability of rocks and even in performance prediction of hard rock TBMs and it requires special laboratory test equipment. Drillability is one of the most important subjects in rock excavation. However, determining drillability index from physical and mechanical properties of rocks is very important for practicing engineers such as underground excavation, drilling operations in open pit mining, underground mining and natural stone production. That is why many researchers have studied concerned with drillability to find the correlations between drilling rate index (DRI) and penetration rate, influence of geological properties on drillability prediction in tunneling, correlations between rock properties and drillability. In this study, the relationships between drilling rate index (DRI) and some physico-mechanical properties (Density, Shore hardness, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS, σc), Indirect tensile strength (ITS, σt)) of three different rock groups including magmatic, sedimentary and metamorphic were evaluated using both simple and multiple regression analysis. This study reveals the effects of rock properties on DRI according to different types of rocks. In simple regression, quite high correlations were found between DRI and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and also between DRI and indirect tensile strength (ITS) values. Multiple regression analyses revealed even higher correlations when compared to simple regression. Especially, UCS, ITS, Shore hardness (SH) and the interactions between them were found to be very effective on DRI values.

STABILIZATION OF GRANULAR VOLCANIC ASH IN SANA'A AREA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUBHI A. ALI

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the findings of compaction and strength characteristics of a Granular Volcanic Ash from Sana'a city center, which was mixed with various percentages of two binders to form a stabilized material namely; fine soil and Portland cement. The study showed a significant improvement of the Volcanic Ash properties. The maximum dry density and California bearing ration (CBR were considerably increased by addition of stabilizers at different rates for different binder contents. Optimum fine soil content for the maximum dry density and CBR is determined. A relationship between the optimum moisture content and the binder combination content for different fine soil percentages was established.

The inverse Fourier problem in the case of poor resolution in one given direction: the maximum-entropy solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papoular, R.J.; Zheludev, A.; Ressouche, E.; Schweizer, J.

1995-01-01

When density distributions in crystals are reconstructed from 3D diffraction data, a problem sometimes occurs when the spatial resolution in one given direction is very small compared to that in perpendicular directions. In this case, a 2D projected density is usually reconstructed. For this task, the conventional Fourier inversion method only makes use of those structure factors measured in the projection plane. All the other structure factors contribute zero to the reconstruction of a projected density. On the contrary, the maximum-entropy method uses all the 3D data, to yield 3D-enhanced 2D projected density maps. It is even possible to reconstruct a projection in the extreme case when not one structure factor in the plane of projection is known. In the case of poor resolution along one given direction, a Fourier inversion reconstruction gives very low quality 3D densities 'smeared' in the third dimension. The application of the maximum-entropy procedure reduces the smearing significantly and reasonably well resolved projections along most directions can now be obtained from the MaxEnt 3D density. To illustrate these two ideas, particular examples based on real polarized neutron diffraction data sets are presented. (orig.)

Drying characteristics of zucchini and empirical modeling of its drying process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naciye Kutlu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to dry zucchini (Cucurbita pepo by two different methods (convective hot-air (CHD and microwave-assisted drying (MWD. The effect of air temperature (60, 70 and 80°C, microwave (MW power (180, 360, 540 W and sample thickness (5 and 10 mm on some drying characteristics of zucchini were investigated. Thirteen mathematical models available in the literature were fitted to the experimental moisture ratio data. The coefficients of the models were determined by non-linear regression analysis. It was determined that the model that fits the moisture ratio data the best varies at different drying conditions. Increasing drying temperature and MW power and reducing sample thickness improved the drying rate and drying time. Drying in microwave has reduced the drying time by 52-64% for zucchini. It was found that the effective moisture diffusivities increased with increasing temperature and MW power. MWD samples had better rehydration ratios compared to ones dried only in tray drier for 5 mm thickness.  

Drying behaviour, effective diffusivity and energy of activation of olive leaves dried by microwave, vacuum and oven drying methods

Science.gov (United States)

Elhussein, Elaf Abdelillah Ali; Şahin, Selin

2018-01-01

Drying is the crucial food processing for bioactive components from plant materials before strating extraction in addition to preservation of raw plant materials during storage period. Olive leaves were dried by various methods such as microwave drying (MD), oven drying (OD) and vacuum drying (VD) at several temperature values in the present study. Mathematical models allow to develop, design and control the processes. 14 emprical equations were used to estimate the drying behaviour and the time required for drying. Convenience of the models were evaluated according to the correlation coefficient (R 2 ), varience (S 2 ) and root mean square deviation (D RMS ). On the other hand, the effective diffusion coefficient and energy for activation were also calculated. Effects of the drying methods on the total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and oleuropein contents and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of the olive leaves were also investigated to take into considiration the quality of the dried product. MD has proved to be the fastest drying method having the highest effective diffusivity and the lowest activation energy with a more qualitive product.

Drying Kinetics Analysis of Seaweed Gracilaria changii using Solar Drying System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Yusof Othman; Ahmad Fudholi; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Mohd Hafidz Ruslan; Muhammad Yahya

2012-01-01

A solar drying system suitable for agricultural and marine products have been designed, constructed and evaluated under Malaysia climatic conditions. The solar drying system has been constructed and evaluated for the drying of seaweed Gracilaria changii. The initial and final moisture content of seaweed are 95 % (wet basis) and 10 % (product basis), respectively. The drying time was about 7 hours at average solar radiation of 593 W/ m 2 and air flow rate of 0.0613 kg/ s. Three different thin-layer drying models were compared with experimental data, during the drying of seaweed using the solar drying system at average temperature and humidity of about 50 degree Celsius and 20 %, respectively. The one with highest R2 and lowest MBE and RMSE was selected to better estimate the drying curves. The study showed that the Page model was better fit to drying seaweed compared to the other models (Newton model, and Henderson and Pabis model). (author)

Effect of air flow rate on the polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity of convective dried cactus pear cladodes (Opuntia ficus indica).

Science.gov (United States)

Gallegos-Infante, José-Alberto; Rocha-Guzman, Nuria-Elizabeth; González-Laredo, Ruben-Francisco; Reynoso-Camacho, Rosalia; Medina-Torres, Luis; Cervantes-Cardozo, Veronica

2009-01-01

The interest in nopal has encouraged the use of dehydration; there are few studies about the effect of process parameters on the nopal polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of air-drying flow rates on the amount and antioxidant capacity of extracts of Opuntia ficus indica cladodes. Nopal was dried at 45 degrees C and air flow rates of 3 and 5 m/sec. Samples were analyzed for moisture, total polyphenol, flavonoid, and flavonol contents, chain-breaking activity, inhibition of low-density lipoprotein and deoxyribose oxidation. Nopal drying at an air flow rate of 3 m/sec showed higher values of phenols, flavonoids and flavonols. The best value of low-density lipoprotein inhibition and deoxyribose was found at 1,000 microg/ml. The air flow rate affected the amount of polyphenols and the OH( . ) radical scavenging, but did not modify the chain-breaking activity and the low-density lipoprotein inhibition activity.

Studies of particle drying using non-invasive Raman spectrometry and particle size analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Peter; Littlejohn, David; Nordon, Alison; Sefcik, Jan; Slavin, Paul; Dallin, Paul; Andrews, John

2011-05-21

The evaporation of methanol from needle-shaped particles of cellobiose octaacetate (COA) has been studied directly in a jacketed vacuum drier using in situ measurements by Raman spectrometry. A design of experiments (DoE) approach was used to investigate the effects of three parameters (method of agitation, % solvent loss on drying and jacket temperature), with the intention of minimising the drying time and extent of particle attrition. Drying curves based on Raman signals for methanol and COA in the spectra of the wet particles indicated the end of drying and revealed three stages in the drying process that could be used to monitor the progress of solvent removal in real time. Off-line particle size measurements based on laser diffraction were made to obtain information on the extent of attrition, to compare with the trends revealed by the Raman drying curves. The study demonstrated that non-invasive Raman spectrometry can be used to study the progress of drying during agitation of particles in a vacuum drier, allowing optimisation of operating conditions to minimise attrition and reduce drying times. Although a correlation between particle size and off-line Raman measurements of COA was demonstrated, it was not possible to derive equivalent information from the in situ Raman spectra owing to the greater effects of particle motion or bulk density variations of the particles in the drier.

Determination of drying characteristics and quality properties of eggplant in different drying conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gözde Bayraktaroglu Urun

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Drying is the most traditional process used for preserving eggplant a long time. The aim of this study was to determining drying characteristics and quality properties of eggplant dried by sun drying, hot air convective drying and infrared assisted convective drying. Convective drying and infrared assisted convective were carried out in a convective dryer at three different temperatures(40°, 50°, 60°C and air velocity at 5 m/s.The increasing of temperatures during the drying of eggplant led to a significant reduction of the drying time. However loss of nutrition was observed in eggplant samples dried at higher temperature.The biggest change in colour parameters was observed in samples dried with sun drying.So it was thought that sun drying had a negative effect on quality properties of eggplant samples.

Productive performance and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep grazing in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala.

Science.gov (United States)

Barros-Rodríguez, Marcos; Solorio-Sánchez, Javier; Ku-Vera, Juan; Ayala-Burgos, Armín; Sandoval-Castro, Carlos; Solís-Pérez, Georgina

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate daily weight gain (DWG), total dry matter (DM) intake, rumen degradability of forage, and urinary excretion of mimosine metabolites by hair sheep in a silvopastoral system with high densities of Leucaena leucocephala. A completely randomized design was carried out with two treatments: treatment 1 (T1) silvopastoral system with leucaena at a density of 35,000 plants/ha and treatment 2 (T2), leucaena at a density of 55,000 plants/ha. Leucaena was associated with tropical grasses Panicum maximum and Cynodon nlemfluensis. Twenty-four male Pelibuey lambs of 23.2 ± 3.4 kg live weight (LW) were used (12 lambs per treatment). Results showed differences (P < 0.05) in DWG of T1 (106.41 ± 11.66 g(-1) sheep(-1)) with respect to that of T2 (81.33 ± 11.81 g(-1) sheep). Voluntary intake was higher in lambs from T1 (83.81 ± 04.07 g DM/kg LW(0.75)) with respect to that from T2 (71.67 ± 8.12 g DM/kg LW(0.75)). There was a difference in color of urine between sheep of T1 and T2, the latter giving positive results for the presence of metabolites derived from mimosine (3-4 dihydroxypyridine and 2-3 dihydroxy pyridone). Rumen degradability of DM of L. leucocephala was higher (P < 0.05) compared to that of P. maximum and C. nlemfluensis (72.94 ± 0.40 vs. 67.06 ± 1.50 and 63.25 ± 1.51 %, respectively). It is concluded that grazing at high densities of L. leucocephala affects daily weight gain of hair sheep, possibly due to ingestion of high amounts of mimosine which may exert an adverse effect on voluntary intake.

Cost effective dry anaerobic digestion in textile bioreactors: Experimental and economic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Patinvoh, Regina J; Osadolor, Osagie A; Sárvári Horváth, Ilona; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2017-12-01

The aim of this work was to study dry anaerobic digestion (dry-AD) of manure bedded with straw using textile-based bioreactor in repeated batches. The 90-L reactor filled with the feedstocks (22-30% total solid) and inoculum without any further treatment, while the biogas produced were collected and analyzed. The digestate residue was also analyzed to check its suitability as bio-fertilizer. Methane yield after acclimatization increased from 183 to 290NmlCH 4 /gVS, degradation time decreased from 136 to 92days and the digestate composition point to suitable bio-fertilizer. The results then used to carry out economical evaluation, which shows dry-AD in textile bioreactors is a profitable method of handling the waste with maximum payback period of 5years, net present value from $7,000 to $9,800,000 (small to large bioreactors) with internal rate of return from 56.6 to 19.3%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The maximal-density mass function for primordial black hole dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Benjamin V.; Profumo, Stefano; Yant, Jackson

2018-04-01

The advent of gravitational wave astronomy has rekindled interest in primordial black holes (PBH) as a dark matter candidate. As there are many different observational probes of the PBH density across different masses, constraints on PBH models are dependent on the functional form of the PBH mass function. This complicates general statements about the mass functions allowed by current data, and, in particular, about the maximum total density of PBH. Numerical studies suggest that some forms of extended mass functions face tighter constraints than monochromatic mass functions, but they do not preclude the existence of a functional form for which constraints are relaxed. We use analytical arguments to show that the mass function which maximizes the fraction of the matter density in PBH subject to all constraints is a finite linear combination of monochromatic mass functions. We explicitly compute the maximum fraction of dark matter in PBH for different combinations of current constraints, allowing for total freedom of the mass function. Our framework elucidates the dependence of the maximum PBH density on the form of observational constraints, and we discuss the implications of current and future constraints for the viability of the PBH dark matter paradigm.

Structural determinants of hydration, mechanics and fluid flow in freeze-dried collagen scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Offeddu, G S; Ashworth, J C; Cameron, R E; Oyen, M L

2016-09-01

Freeze-dried scaffolds provide regeneration templates for a wide range of tissues, due to their flexibility in physical and biological properties. Control of structure is crucial for tuning such properties, and therefore scaffold functionality. However, the common approach of modeling these scaffolds as open-cell foams does not fully account for their structural complexity. Here, the validity of the open-cell model is examined across a range of physical characteristics, rigorously linking morphology to hydration and mechanical properties. Collagen scaffolds with systematic changes in relative density were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography and spherical indentation analyzed in a time-dependent poroelastic framework. Morphologically, all scaffolds were mid-way between the open- and closed-cell models, approaching the closed-cell model as relative density increased. Although pore size remained constant, transport pathway diameter decreased. Larger collagen fractions also produced greater volume swelling on hydration, although the change in pore diameter was constant, and relatively small at ∼6%. Mechanically, the dry and hydrated scaffold moduli varied quadratically with relative density, as expected of open-cell materials. However, the increasing pore wall closure was found to determine the time-dependent nature of the hydrated scaffold response, with a decrease in permeability producing increasingly elastic rather than viscoelastic behavior. These results demonstrate that characterizing the deviation from the open-cell model is vital to gain a full understanding of scaffold biophysical properties, and provide a template for structural studies of other freeze-dried biomaterials. Freeze-dried collagen sponges are three-dimensional microporous scaffolds that have been used for a number of exploratory tissue engineering applications. The characterization of the structure-properties relationships of these scaffolds is

Shrinkage stress in concrete under dry-wet cycles: an example with concrete column

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yuan; Zhang, Jun; Luosun, Yiming

2014-02-01

This paper focuses on the simulation of shrinkage stress in concrete structures under dry-wet environments. In the modeling, an integrative model for autogenous and drying shrinkage predictions of concrete under dry-wet cycles is introduced first. Second, a model taking both cement hydration and moisture diffusion into account synchronously is used to calculate the distribution of interior humidity in concrete. Using the above two models, the distributions of shrinkage strain and stress in concrete columns made by normal and high strength concrete respectively under dry-wet cycles are calculated. The model results show that shrinkage gradient along the radial direction of the column from the center to outer surface increases with age as the outer circumference suffers to dry. The maximum and minimum shrinkage occur at the outer surface and the center of the column, respectively, under drying condition. As wetting starts, the shrinkage strain decreases with increase of interior humidity. The closer to the wetting face, the higher the humidity and the lower the shrinkage strain, as well as the lower the shrinkage stress. As results of the dry-wet cycles acting on the outer circumference of the column, cyclic stress status is developed within the area close to the outer surface of the column. The depth of the influencing zone of dry-wet cyclic action is influenced by concrete strength and dry-wet regime. For low strength concrete, relatively deeper influencing zone is expected compared with that of high strength concrete. The models are verified by concrete-steel composite ring tests and a good agreement between model and test results is found.

Diffusion of 99TcO4- in compacted bentonite: Effect of pH, concentration, density and contact time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiangke Wang; Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe; Zuyi Tao

2004-01-01

In order to assess radionuclide diffusion and transport properties in compacted bentonite, the 'in-diffusion' method based on bentonite filled capillaries is used. The effect of 99 TcO 4 - concentration and pH value of the solution, the contact time and the dry density of compacted bentonite on the apparent diffusion coefficient (D a ) and on the distribution coefficient (K d ) values obtained from the capillary test was studied. The D a and K d values decrease with increasing of the bulk dry density of compacted bentonite. Ion exclusion influences the diffusion of 99 TcO 4 - 4 in the same substance. As compared to literature data, the K d values obtained from capillary tests are in most cases lower than those from batch tests, the difference between the two K d values is a strong function of dry density of the compacted bentonite. (author)

What Is Dry Eye?

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Español Eye Health / Eye Health A-Z Dry Eye Sections What Is Dry Eye? Dry Eye Symptoms ... Dry Eye Dry Eye Treatment What Is Dry Eye? Leer en Español: ¿Qué es el ojo seco? ...

Design of a New Sensor for Determination of the Effects of Tractor Field Usage in Southern Spain: Soil Sinkage and Alterations in the Cone Index and Dry Bulk Density

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego L. Valera

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Variations in sinkage and cone index are of crucial importance when planning fieldwork, and for determining the trafficability of farm machinery. Many studies have highlighted the link between higher values of these parameters and dramatic decreases in crop yield. Variations in the dry bulk density and cone index of clayey soil in Southern Spain were measured following each of five successive passes over the same land with the three types of tractor most widely used in the area (tracked, two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. In addition, sinkage (rut depth of the running gear was measured using a laser microrelief profile meter. This device, which integrates three sensors, was specifically designed for these experiments, as was an electrical penetrometer to determine the cone index, and both instruments proved reliable and accurate in the field. The main goal of this study was to design, manufacture and test these new devices. The first pass caused most soil alteration when compared to successive passes for all types of tractor tested and soil conditions prevailing during the tests. (Heavier four-wheel drive tractors were found to cause greater soil damage (sinkage, cone index and dry bulk density than two-wheel drive and track tractors. There was no statistically significant difference between the two latter types. The greatest alterations were recorded in the top 10 cm of the soil. The results show that soil compaction should be avoided as much as possible. This can be achieved by ensuring that tractors always travel along the same tracks, especially in the wet season. At present these aspects are not considered by farmers in this area.

High burnup fuel onset conditions in dry storage. Prediction of EOL rod internal pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feria, F.; Herranz, L.E.

2015-07-01

During dry storage, cladding resistance to failure can be affected by several degrading mechanisms like creep or hydrides radial reorientation. The driving force of these effects is the stress at which the cladding is submitted. The maximum stress in the cladding is determined by the end-of-reactor-life (EOL) rod internal pressure, PEOL, at the maximum temperature attained during dry storage. Thus, PEOL sets the initial conditions of storage for potential time-dependent changes in the cladding. Based on FRAPCON-3.5 calculations, the aim of this work is to analyse the PEOL of a PWR fuel rod irradiated to burnups greater than 60 GWd/tU, where limited information is available. In order to be conservative, demanding irradiation histories have been used with a peak linear power of 44 kW/m. FRAPCON-3.5 results show an increasing exponential trend of PEOL with burnup, from which a simple correlation has been derived. The comparison with experimental data found in the literature confirms the enveloping nature of the predicted curve. Based on that, a conservative prediction of cladding stress in dry storage has been obtained. The comparison with a critical stress threshold related to hydrides embrittlement seems to point out that this issue should not be a concern at burnups below 65 GWd/tU. (Author)

What Is Dry Eye?

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Stories Español Eye Health / Eye Health A-Z Dry Eye Sections What Is Dry Eye? Dry Eye Symptoms ... of Dry Eye Dry Eye Treatment What Is Dry Eye? Leer en Español: ¿Qué es el ojo seco? ...

Drying of building lumber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washimi, Hiroshi

1988-08-20

Dried lumber is classified into air dried and kiln-dried lumber. The water content of kiln-dried lumber is specified by the Japan Agricultural Standards. However, since building lumber varies in such factors as the location where it was growing, species and shape, the standards, though relaxed, are not being observed. In fact, lumbered products which are not ''Kiln-dried'' frequently bear ''kiln-dried lumber'' marks. In an attempt to correct the situation, the Forestry Agency has set up voluntary standards, but problems still remain. The conventional drying method consists of first subjecting the lumber to optimum drying, then letting bending and deformations to freely and fully appear, and follow this with corrective sawing to produce planks straight from end to end. Compared with air dried lumber in terms of moisture content, kiln-dried lumber remains much with same with minimal shrinkage and expansion. For oil-containing resin, such normal treatments as drying by heating, steaming and boiling seem to be quite effective. Kiln drying, which is becoming more and more important with changes in the circulation system, consists of the steaming-drying-heating method and the dehumidizing type drying method. The major factor which determines the drying cost is the number of days required for drying, which depends largely on the kind of lumber and moisture content. The Forestry Angency is promoting production of defoiled lumber. (2 figs, 2 tables)

Study on effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sari Farah Dina

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The main objective is to assess effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans. Two type of desiccants were tested, molecular sieve 13× (Na86 [(AlO286·(SiO2106]·264H2O as an adsorbent type and CaCl2 as an absorbent type. The results revealed that during sunshine hours, the maximum temperature within the drying chamber varied from 40 °C to 54 °C. In average, it was 9–12 °C higher than ambient temperature. These temperatures are very suitable for drying cocoa beans. During off-sunshine hours, humidity of air inside the drying chamber was lower than ambient because of the desiccant thermal storage. Drying times for intermittent directs sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorbent were 55 h, 41 h, and 30 h, respectively. Specific energy consumptions for direct sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorber were 60.4 MJ/kg moist, 18.94 MJ/kg moist, and 13.29 MJ/kg moist, respectively. The main conclusion can be drawn here is that a solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage makes drying using solar energy more effective in term of drying time and specific energy consumption.

Timing A Pulsed Thin Film Pyroelectric Generator For Maximum Power Density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, A.N.; Hanrahan, B.M.; Neville, C.J.; Jankowski, N.R

2016-01-01

Pyroelectric thermal-to-electric energy conversion is accomplished by a cyclic process of thermally-inducing polarization changes in the material under an applied electric field. The pyroelectric MEMS device investigated consisted of a thin film PZT capacitor with platinum bottom and iridium oxide top electrodes. Electric fields between 1-20 kV/cm with a 30% duty cycle and frequencies from 0.1 - 100 Hz were tested with a modulated continuous wave IR laser with a duty cycle of 20% creating temperature swings from 0.15 - 26 °C on the pyroelectric receiver. The net output power of the device was highly sensitive to the phase delay between the laser power and the applied electric field. A thermal model was developed to predict and explain the power loss associated with finite charge and discharge times. Excellent agreement was achieved between the theoretical model and the experiment results for the measured power density versus phase delay. Limitations on the charging and discharging rates result in reduced power and lower efficiency due to a reduced net work per cycle. (paper)

Maximum Likelihood, Consistency and Data Envelopment Analysis: A Statistical Foundation

OpenAIRE

Rajiv D. Banker

1993-01-01

This paper provides a formal statistical basis for the efficiency evaluation techniques of data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA estimators of the best practice monotone increasing and concave production function are shown to be also maximum likelihood estimators if the deviation of actual output from the efficient output is regarded as a stochastic variable with a monotone decreasing probability density function. While the best practice frontier estimator is biased below the theoretical front...

Effects of Seeding Density and Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Productivity of Egyptian Clover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jwan G. Rafaat

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out to show the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg urea/ha, and two seeding rates 15 and 30 kg/ha. The study was conducted at Bakrajo research field during the winter season 2011-2012 to some growth characteristics of Egyptian clover, such as plant height, dry leaf weight percent, dry stem weight percent, leave stem ratio, fresh yield t/ha, dry yield t/ha and dry matter percent. The experiment was designed as (R.C.B.D. The results can be summarized as follow; significant differences were observed between all three cuts, and the third cut was superior in almost characters especially in the forage yield. The application of 40 and 60 kg urea gave maximum yield. Using 15 kg seeds/ha showed superior value due to fresh yield in compare to 30 kg for all cutting, while the dry yield responded non-significantly to seeding rates.

Chemical hardness and density functional theory

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

RALPH G PEARSON. Chemistry Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Abstract. The concept of chemical hardness is reviewed from a personal point of view. Keywords. Hardness; softness; hard & soft acids bases (HSAB); principle of maximum hardness. (PMH) density functional theory (DFT) ...

Single droplet drying for optimal spray drying of enzymes and probiotics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schutyser, M.A.I.; Perdana, J.A.; Boom, R.M.

2012-01-01

Spray drying is a mild and cost-effective convective drying method. It can be applied to stabilise heat sensitive ingredients, such as enzymes and probiotic bacteria, albeit in industrial practice for example freeze drying or freezing are often preferred. The reason is that optimum drying conditions

Cna 1 spent fuel element interim dry storage system thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilal, R. E; Garcia, J. C; Delmastro, D. F

2006-01-01

At the moment, the Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant (Cnea-I) located in the city of Lima, has enough room to store its spent fuel (Sf) in their two pools spent fuel until about 2015.In case of life extension a spend fuel element interim dry storage system is needed.Nucleolectrica Argentina S.A. (N A-S A) and the Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (Cnea), have proposed different interim dry storage systems.These systems have to be evaluated in order to choose one of them.The present work's objective is the thermal analysis of one dry storage alternative for the Sf element of Cna 1.In this work a simple model was developed and used to perform the thermal calculations corresponding to the system proposed by Cnea.This system considers the store of sealed containers with 37 spent fuels in concrete modules.Each one of the containers is filled in the pool houses and transported to the module in a transference cask with lead walls.Fulfill the maximum cladding temperature requirement ( [es

Maximum spreading of liquid drop on various substrates with different wettabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, Raihan; Choi, Junho; Yang, Sangsun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Lee, Donggeun

2017-09-01

This paper describes a novel model developed for a priori prediction of the maximal spread of a liquid drop on a surface. As a first step, a series of experiments were conducted under precise control of the initial drop diameter, its falling height, roughness, and wettability of dry surfaces. The transient liquid spreading was recorded by a high-speed camera to obtain its maximum spreading under various conditions. Eight preexisting models were tested for accurate prediction of the maximum spread; however, most of the model predictions were not satisfactory except one, in comparison with our experimental data. A comparative scaling analysis of the literature models was conducted to elucidate the condition-dependent prediction characteristics of the models. The conditioned bias in the predictions was mainly attributed to the inappropriate formulations of viscous dissipation or interfacial energy of liquid on the surface. Hence, a novel model based on energy balance during liquid impact was developed to overcome the limitations of the previous models. As a result, the present model was quite successful in predicting the liquid spread in all the conditions.

Intermediate tree cover can maximize groundwater recharge in the seasonally dry tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Ilstedt, U.; Bargués Tobella, A.; Bazié, H. R.; Bayala, J.; Verbeeten, E.; Nyberg, G.; Sanou, J.; Benegas, L.; Murdiyarso, D.; Laudon, H.; Sheil, D.; Malmer, A.

2016-01-01

Water scarcity contributes to the poverty of around one-third of the world’s people. Despite many benefits, tree planting in dry regions is often discouraged by concerns that trees reduce water availability. Yet relevant studies from the tropics are scarce, and the impacts of intermediate tree cover remain unexplored. We developed and tested an optimum tree cover theory in which groundwater recharge is maximized at an intermediate tree density. Below this optimal tree density the benefits from any additional trees on water percolation exceed their extra water use, leading to increased groundwater recharge, while above the optimum the opposite occurs. Our results, based on groundwater budgets calibrated with measurements of drainage and transpiration in a cultivated woodland in West Africa, demonstrate that groundwater recharge was maximised at intermediate tree densities. In contrast to the prevailing view, we therefore find that moderate tree cover can increase groundwater recharge, and that tree planting and various tree management options can improve groundwater resources. We evaluate the necessary conditions for these results to hold and suggest that they are likely to be common in the seasonally dry tropics, offering potential for widespread tree establishment and increased benefits for hundreds of millions of people. PMID:26908158

Systemic delivery of atropine sulfate by the MicroDose Dry-Powder Inhaler.

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, T E; Venkataramanan, R; Hoffman, R M; George, M P; Petrov, A; Richards, T; Zhang, S; Choi, J; Gao, Y Y; Oakum, C D; Cook, R O; Donahoe, M

2013-02-01

Inhaled atropine is being developed as a systemic and pulmonary treatment for the extended recovery period after chemical weapons exposure. We performed a pharmacokinetics study comparing inhaled atropine delivery using the MicroDose Therapeutx Dry Powder Inhaler (DPIA) with intramuscular (IM) atropine delivery via auto-injector (AUTO). The MicroDose DPIA utilizes a novel piezoelectric system to aerosolize drug and excipient from a foil dosing blister. Subjects inhaled a 1.95-mg atropine sulfate dose from the dry powder inhaler on one study day [5 doses × 0.4 mg per dose (nominal) delivered over 12 min] and received a 2-mg IM injection via the AtroPen® auto-injector on another. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic response, and safety were studied for 12 hr. A total of 17 subjects were enrolled. All subjects completed IM dosing. One subject did not perform inhaled delivery due to a skin reaction from the IM dose. Pharmacokinetic results were as follows: area under the curve concentration, DPIA=20.1±5.8, AUTO=23.7±4.9 ng hr/mL (means±SD); maximum concentration reached, DPIA=7.7±3.5, AUTO=11.0±3.8 ng/mL; time to reach maximum concentration, DPIA=0.25±0.47, AUTO=0.19±0.23 hr. Pharmacodynamic results were as follows: maximum increase in heart rate, DPIA=18±12, AUTO=23±13 beats/min; average change in 1-sec forced expiratory volume at 30 min, DPIA=0.16±0.22 L, AUTO=0.11±0.29 L. The relative bioavailability for DPIA was 87% (based on output dose). Two subjects demonstrated allergic responses: one to the first dose (AUTO), which was mild and transient, and one to the second dose (DPIA), which was moderate in severity, required treatment with oral and intravenous (IV) diphenhydramine and IV steroids, and lasted more than 7 days. Dry powder inhalation is a highly bioavailable route for attaining rapid and consistent systemic concentrations of atropine.

Approximate maximum parsimony and ancestral maximum likelihood.

Science.gov (United States)

Alon, Noga; Chor, Benny; Pardi, Fabio; Rapoport, Anat

2010-01-01

We explore the maximum parsimony (MP) and ancestral maximum likelihood (AML) criteria in phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Both problems are NP-hard, so we seek approximate solutions. We formulate the two problems as Steiner tree problems under appropriate distances. The gist of our approach is the succinct characterization of Steiner trees for a small number of leaves for the two distances. This enables the use of known Steiner tree approximation algorithms. The approach leads to a 16/9 approximation ratio for AML and asymptotically to a 1.55 approximation ratio for MP.

Effect of Heat Drawing Process on Mechanical Properties of Dry-Jet Wet Spun Fiber of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Carbon Nanotube Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong Won Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene is one of the most commonly used polymer materials. Even though linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE has better mechanical properties than other kinds of polyethylene, it is not used as a textile material because of its plastic behavior that is easy to break at the die during melt spinning. In this study, LLDPE fibers were successfully produced with a new approach using a dry-jet wet spinning and a heat drawing process. The fibers were filled with carbon nanotubes (CNTs to improve the strength and reduce plastic deformation. The crystallinity, degree of orientation, mechanical properties (strength to yield, strength to break, elongation at break, and initial modulus, electrical conductivity, and thermal properties of LLDPE fibers were studied. The results show that the addition of CNTs improved the tensile strength and the degree of crystallinity. The heat drawing process resulted in a significant increase in the tensile strength and the orientation of the CNTs and polymer chains. In addition, this study demonstrates that the heat drawing process effectively decreases the plastic deformation of LLDPE.

Ambient Dried Aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Steven M.; Paik, Jong-Ah

2013-01-01

A method has been developed for creating aerogel using normal pressure and ambient temperatures. All spacecraft, satellites, and landers require the use of thermal insulation due to the extreme environments encountered in space and on extraterrestrial bodies. Ambient dried aerogels introduce the possibility of using aerogel as thermal insulation in a wide variety of instances where supercritically dried aerogels cannot be used. More specifically, thermoelectric devices can use ambient dried aerogel, where the advantages are in situ production using the cast-in ability of an aerogel. Previously, aerogels required supercritical conditions (high temperature and high pressure) to be dried. Ambient dried aerogels can be dried at room temperature and pressure. This allows many materials, such as plastics and certain metal alloys that cannot survive supercritical conditions, to be directly immersed in liquid aerogel precursor and then encapsulated in the final, dried aerogel. Additionally, the metalized Mylar films that could not survive the previous methods of making aerogels can survive the ambient drying technique, thus making multilayer insulation (MLI) materials possible. This results in lighter insulation material as well. Because this innovation does not require high-temperature or high-pressure drying, ambient dried aerogels are much less expensive to produce. The equipment needed to conduct supercritical drying costs many tens of thousands of dollars, and has associated running expenses for power, pressurized gasses, and maintenance. The ambient drying process also expands the size of the pieces of aerogel that can be made because a high-temperature, high-pressure system typically has internal dimensions of up to 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. In the case of this innovation, the only limitation on the size of the aerogels produced would be in the ability of the solvent in the wet gel to escape from the gel network.

The influence of lysozyme on mannitol polymorphism in freeze-dried and spray-dried formulations depends on the selection of the drying process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grohganz, Holger; Lee, Yan-Ying; Rantanen, Jukka

2013-01-01

Freeze-drying and spray-drying are often applied drying techniques for biopharmaceutical formulations. The formation of different solid forms upon drying is often dependent on the complex interplay between excipient selection and process parameters. The purpose of this study was to investigate...... the influence of the chosen drying method on the solid state form. Mannitol-lysozyme solutions of 20mg/mL, with the amount of lysozyme varying between 2.5% and 50% (w/w) of total solid content, were freeze-dried and spray-dried, respectively. The resulting solid state of mannitol was analysed by near......-dried formulations an increase in protein concentration resulted in a shift from ß-mannitol to a-mannitol. An increase in final drying temperature of the freeze-drying process towards the temperature of the spray-drying process did not lead to significant changes. It can thus be concluded that it is the drying...

Molded ultra-low density microcellular foams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rand, P.B.; Montoya, O.J.

1986-07-01

Ultra-low density (< 0.01 g/cc) microcellular foams were required for the NARYA pulsed-power-driven x-ray laser development program. Because of their extreme fragility, molded pieces would be necessary to successfully field these foams in the pulsed power accelerator. All of the foams evaluated were made by the thermally induced phase separation technique from solutions of water soluble polymers. The process involved rapidly freezing the solution to induce the phase separation, and then freeze drying to remove the water without destroying the foam's structure. More than sixty water soluble polymers were evaluated by attempting to make their solutions into foams. The foams were evaluated for shrinkage, density, and microstructure to determine their suitability for molding and meeting the required density and cell size requirements of 5.0 mg/cc and less than twenty μmeters. Several promising water soluble polymers were identified including the polyactylic acids, guar gums, polyactylamide, and polyethylene oxide. Because of thier purity, structure, and low shrinkage, the polyacrylic acids were chosen to develop molding processes. The initial requirements were for 2.0 cm. long molded rods with diameters of 1.0, 2.0. and 3.0 mm. These rods were made by freezing the solution in thin walled silicon rubber molds, extracting the frozen preform from the mold, and then freeze drying. Requirements for half rods and half annuli necessitated using aluminum molds. Again we successfully molded these shapes. Our best efforts to date involve molding annuli with 3.0 mm outside diameters and 2.0 mm inside diameters

Drying characteristics and nitrogen loss of biogas digestate during drying process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurer, C.; Muller, J. [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Inst. of Agricultural Engineering, Tropical and Subtropical Group

2010-07-01