Design and development of a modified spouted bed coater for the micro-encapsulation of powders : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Chemical Technology, Massey University

A modified spouted bed coater was designed and constructed for the micro-encapsulation of solid particles. The coating of small particles with a polymer film can alter physical factors such as taste and release rate. These properties are particularly important in the field of pharmacology as the nature of the coating can be changed to prolong or target drug release based on physiological conditions such as pH and time. The spouted bed coater was modified to induce gas and particle recirculation through a draft tube containing a venturi to increase droplet and particle mixing, while a high velocity gas jet and large diameter draft tube promotes the recirculation of gas and solid within the apparatus. The effectiveness of the design was tested in terms of gas and solid mass flows through the draft tube using a venturi within the draft tube and an induction detector to measure the mass flow. To determine the effectiveness of the coater design in terms of coalescence and the influence of operational variables, a factorial experiment was conducted. The result of this experiment showed that the coalescence of particles was dominated by the relative humidity in the apparatus which was unable to be directly related to the operational variables. The capacity to micro-encapsulate particles was demonstrated by coating fine table salt with an acrylic polymer Eudragit NE 40D in combination with bentonite clay as a free flow agent or glident. The results of this trial showed the distribution of polymer/clay and the reduction in dissolution rate as a function of particle size

Space market model development project, phase 2

The results of the prototype operations of the Space Business Information Center are presented. A clearinghouse for space business information for members of the U.S. space industry composed of public, private, and academic sectors was conducted. Behavioral and evaluation statistics were recorded from the clearinghouse and the conclusions from these statistics are presented. Business guidebooks on major markets in space business are discussed. Proprietary research and briefings for firms and agencies in the space industry are also discussed

The Johnson Space Center Management Information Systems (JSCMIS): An interface for organizational databases

The Management Information and Decision Support Environment (MIDSE) is a research activity to build and test a prototype of a generic human interface on the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Information Network (CIN). The existing interfaces were developed specifically to support operations rather than the type of data which management could use. The diversity of the many interfaces and their relative difficulty discouraged occasional users from attempting to use them for their purposes. The MIDSE activity approached this problem by designing and building an interface to one JSC data base - the personnel statistics tables of the NASA Personnel and Payroll System (NPPS). The interface was designed against the following requirements: generic (use with any relational NOMAD data base); easy to learn (intuitive operations for new users); easy to use (efficient operations for experienced users); self-documenting (help facility which informs users about the data base structure as well as the operation of the interface); and low maintenance (easy configuration to new applications). A prototype interface entitled the JSC Management Information Systems (JSCMIS) was produced. It resides on CIN/PROFS and is available to JSC management who request it. The interface has passed management review and is ready for early use. Three kinds of data are now available: personnel statistics, personnel register, and plan/actual cost

The Johnson Space Center management information systems: User's guide to JSCMIS

The Johnson Space Center Management Information System (JSCMIS) is an interface to computer data bases at the NASA Johnson Space Center which allows an authorized user to browse and retrieve information from a variety of sources with minimum effort. The User's Guide to JSCMIS is the supplement to the JSCMIS Research Report which details the objectives, the architecture, and implementation of the interface. It is a tutorial on how to use the interface and a reference for details about it. The guide is structured like an extended JSCMIS session, describing all of the interface features and how to use them. It also contains an appendix with each of the standard FORMATs currently included in the interface. Users may review them to decide which FORMAT most suits their needs

Exploratory study on performance measures as indicators of IS effectiveness

The Information Systems Directorate at JSC/NASA has undertaken the reevaluation of its performance measures process and measures. Under the direction of a quality approach it is essential to identify an external perspective of how well an organization is performing. This study was conducted with two major objectives: (1) survey and summarize the academic literature on performance measures as indicators of information systems (IS) effectiveness; and (2) survey organizations for their experience in measuring for IS effectiveness. Four approaches to measuring the effectiveness of IS performance were identified: (1) listen to the customer for the things they need; (2) align with corporate goals; (3) benchmark against well-respected organizations; and (4) ask yourself what critical factors lead to success. The list of known methods for soliciting customer feedback are as follows: (1) executive visit; (2) survey, interview, and focus group; (3) complaints and compliments; and (4) service level agreements. A common set of characteristics that satisfy customers was identified from the literature. The list includes elements such as the following: accuracy, timeliness, relevance, understandability, reliability, and completeness. Future research in this topic area should prove beneficial to determine the metrics for external validity

Author! Author!

In this article, Peter Bishop comments on the opportunities and challenges involved in writing in the first-person voice

London: Planning Integrated Communities

The term ‘regeneration’ has become ubiquitous in urban planning and is often used loosely to describe many urban interventions, including those of a purely commercial nature that renew (and often destroy) urban fabric purely for private profit. There is nothing inherently wrong with development for profit, but regeneration should imply something subtler, complex and multi-faceted. If, as urban practitioners, we ignore the social dimension of urban change and fail to redress existing imbalances then we are complicit in perpetuating social inequalities. Urban regeneration should be driven by an agenda to improve social wellbeing. As practitioners we have a moral imperative to address inequalities and develop design strategies to remove barriers to social integration, real or perceived. On the surface, London appears to be a multi-cultural city without the political or stark socio-spatial divisions that are seen, for example, in the banlieues of Paris. There are wealthier and poorer neighbourhoods of course but, due to its history and post war planning policies, most neighbourhoods are socially mixed. The divisions in London, however, are subtler and fine grained. The city is open (and indeed there are few, if any areas that are too dangerous to enter) but perceived barriers exist – invisible lines that divide the city, isolate some of its inhabitants and inhibit social mobility. This paper will look at the conditions that create divisions in London and will examine strategies that can break down the physical and psychological barriers within cities. It will use the Kings Cross regeneration scheme as a central case study.El término “regeneración” se ha convertido en algo omnipresente en la planificación urbana y a menudo se utiliza de forma imprecisa para describir muchas intervenciones urbanas, incluidas las de carácter puramente comercial que renuevan (y a menudo destruyen) el tejido urbano con fines puramente lucrativos. No hay nada malo en el desarrollo con fines de lucro, pero la regeneración debería implicar algo más sutil, complejo y multifacético. Si, como profesionales del urbanismo, ignoramos la dimensión social del cambio urbano y no corregimos los desequilibrios existentes, seremos cómplices de la perpetuación de las desigualdades sociales. La regeneración urbana debe estar impulsada por un programa de mejora del bienestar social. Como profesionales, tenemos el imperativo moral de abordar las desigualdades y desarrollar estrategias de diseño para eliminar las barreras a la integración social, reales o percibidas. A primera vista, Londres parece una ciudad multicultural sin las divisiones políticas o socioespaciales tan marcadas que se observan, por ejemplo, en las banlieues de París. Hay barrios más ricos y más pobres, por supuesto, pero, debido a su historia y a las políticas de planificación de la posguerra, la mayoría de los barrios son socialmente mixtos. Las divisiones en Londres, sin embargo, son más sutiles y finas. La ciudad es abierta (y de hecho hay pocas zonas, si es que hay alguna, en las que sea demasiado peligroso entrar), pero existen barreras percibidas, líneas invisibles que dividen la ciudad, aíslan a algunos de sus habitantes e inhiben la movilidad social. Este documento analizará las condiciones que crean divisiones en Londres y examinará las estrategias que pueden romper las barreras físicas y psicológicas dentro de las ciudades. Utilizará el plan de regeneración de Kings Cross como estudio de caso central.O termo “regeneração” tornou-se onipresente no planejamento urbano e é frequentemente usado de forma imprecisa para descrever diversas intervenções urbanas, incluindo aquelas de natureza puramente comercial que renovam (e muitas vezes destroem) o tecido urbano, visando apenas o lucro privado. Não há nada de inerentemente errado no desenvolvimento para o lucro, mas intervenções urbanas de regeneração devem implicar em algo mais sutil, complexo e multifacetado. Se, como praticantes urbanos, ignoramos a dimensão social da mudança urbana e não almejamos corrigir os desequilíbrios existentes, então, seremos cúmplices da perpetuação de inequidades sociais. Propostas de regeneração urbana devem ser impulsionadas por uma agenda de um melhor bem-estar social. Como praticantes, temos um imperativo moral para enfrentar as inequidades e desenvolver estratégias projetuais para a remoção de barreiras à integração social, reais ou percebidas. Na superfície, Londres parece ser uma cidade multicultural, sem as divisões políticas ou sócio espaciais gritantes que são vistas, por exemplo, nos banlieues de Paris. Há bairros mais ricos e mais pobres, é claro, mas, devido a sua história e políticas de planejamento pós-guerra, a maioria dos bairros são socialmente miscigenados. Entretanto, as divisões em Londres são mais sutis e de maior granulação. A cidade é aberta, acessível - na verdade são poucas áreas, se é que existe alguma, demasiado perigosa para se entrar -, mas existem barreiras perceptíveis - linhas invisíveis que dividem a cidade, isolam alguns de seus habitantes e inibem a mobilidade social. Este artigo analisará as condições que criam essas divisões em Londres e examinará estratégias que possam quebrar barreiras internas as cidades, físicas e psicológicas. Para tanto, terá como estudo de caso central o esquema de regeneração em Kings Cross

The dimension of the Brownian frontier is greater than 1

Consider a planar Brownian motion run for finite time. The frontier or ``outer boundary'' of the path is the boundary of the unbounded component of the complement. Burdzy (1989) showed that the frontier has infinite length. We improve this by showing that the Hausdorff dimension of the frontier is strictly greater than 1. (It has been conjectured that the Brownian frontier has dimension $4/3$, but this is still open.) The proof uses Jones's Traveling Salesman Theorem and a self-similar tiling of the plane by fractal tiles known as Gosper Islands