Modified-atmosphere retail packaging of discovery apples

An experimental modified-atmosphere packaging system was used to compare the atmospheric compositions that developed within sealed packs made from a range of films of different permeability properties. The effects of these conditions were then related to the primary quality attributes, i.e. background skin colour and flesh firmness, and the sensory quality of Discovery apples. Concentrations of CO₂ and O₂ within packs were dependent on the permeability of the film and the holding temperature. In packs sealed with low density polyethylene films and held at 20°C, equilibrated atmospheres containing 3-5% CO₂ and 5-6% O₂ developed within 1-2 days. Softening and yellowing of fruit was markedly retarded. In packs sealed with some less permeable films, atmospheres containing 12-20% CO₂ and 0.9-4% O₂ developed within 1-2 days, resulting in retarded softening and yellowing of the fruit but also a high incidence of tainting. Possible commercial applications, benefits and limitations of modified-atmosphere packaging are discussed.     

Spatial analysis of diffusion tensor tractography statistics along the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus with application in progressive supranuclear palsy

Background

The purpose of the study was to develop a method for analysis of diffusion parameters along white matter (WM) tracts, using spatial normalization based on anatomical landmarks, and to introduce the apparent area coefficient (AAC). The method’s applicability was tested in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO) in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods

A framework for analysis of diffusion parameters was developed. Spatial normalization of the tracts was performed using anatomical landmarks, to avoid deformations caused by cerebral atrophy. Initially, 38 HCs were used to optimize a threshold for the minimal size of regions that differ between groups. The fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, AAC, and the hemispheric asymmetry index (AI), were compared between 11 PSP patients and 15 HCs.

Results

The method was feasible for analysis of PSP patients and HCs. The AI showed that the observed hemispheric asymmetry of AAC was significantly larger in PSP patients compared with HCs in small regions of the IFO.

Conclusions

The method was successfully employed for analysis of diffusion parameters along the IFO in a patient group. This method can be potentially useful in studies of WM diseases, with or without cerebral atrophy.     

On the rate of growth and extent of the steady damage accumulation phase in repeated impact tests

In the paper, data of repeated impact tests performed on seven laminates of different lay-up and thickness are used to illustrate how the damage index (DI), a damage variable recently introduced by the authors to monitor the range of the penetration process in thick laminates, can be applied in case of repeated impact tests to get information on the rate of initial steady damage accumulation as well as on the onset of severe damage modes.Curves of the rate of growth of the DI in the steady phase (ΔDI/ΔN) vs. the normalised impact energy (ratio of the impact energy E_i and the laminate penetration threshold P_n) show no significant damage accumulation besides initial specimen indentation for impact energies below 0.2P_n. For intermediate levels of impact energy, repeated impact tests are characterised by an initial region of steady damage accumulation followed by an abrupt change in the rate of damage growth a few impacts before laminate perforation. For higher impact energies (E_i/P_n > 0.4–0.45), no phase of steady damage accumulation is present, suggesting that severe damage mechanisms take place from the very first impacts. Values of the DI at the end of the steady phase (DI_unsteady) are shown to be rather peculiar to each laminate regardless of the impact energy used in the tests and therefore may be used to get a first indication of the laminate performance to repeated impacts. The extent of the steady phase may also be used to compute the total energy absorbed by the laminate in the steady damage accumulation phase (E_aTOT__steady).     

All-over,over-all: biothing and emergent composition

In the last decade, the impact of the digital on form-finding in architecture has been conspicuous. Could working with computational algorithms as the primary generative material, however, have deeper, more far-reaching effects on the creative field? Here, Pia Ednie-Brown asserts that a new paradigm in composition is being articulated, as exemplified by the Invisibles installation, created by the New York-based practice biothing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient driver drowsiness detection at moderate levels of drowsiness

Previous research on driver drowsiness detection has focused primarily on lane deviation metrics and high levels of fatigue. The present research sought to develop a method for detecting driver drowsiness at more moderate levels of fatigue, well before accident risk is imminent. Eighty-seven different driver drowsiness detection metrics proposed in the literature were evaluated in two simulated shift work studies with high-fidelity simulator driving in a controlled laboratory environment. Twenty-nine participants were subjected to a night shift condition, which resulted in moderate levels of fatigue; 12 participants were in a day shift condition, which served as control. Ten simulated work days in the study design each included four 30-min driving sessions, during which participants drove a standardized scenario of rural highways. Ten straight and uneventful road segments in each driving session were designated to extract the 87 different driving metrics being evaluated. The dimensionality of the overall data set across all participants, all driving sessions and all road segments was reduced with principal component analysis, which revealed that there were two dominant dimensions: measures of steering wheel variability and measures of lateral lane position variability. The latter correlated most with an independent measure of fatigue, namely performance on a psychomotor vigilance test administered prior to each drive. We replicated our findings across eight curved road segments used for validation in each driving session. Furthermore, we showed that lateral lane position variability could be derived from measured changes in steering wheel angle through a transfer function, reflecting how steering wheel movements change vehicle heading in accordance with the forces acting on the vehicle and the road. This is important given that traditional video-based lane tracking technology is prone to data loss when lane markers are missing, when weather conditions are bad, or in darkness. Our research findings indicated that steering wheel variability provides a basis for developing a cost-effective and easy-to-install alternative technology for in-vehicle driver drowsiness detection at moderate levels of fatigue.     

Plasticizer migration in nitrocellulose-based propellants

Abstract

An “environmentally-friendly” technique for determining plasticizer concentration profiles in propellant sheets has been developed. The method was developed in response to a need for a quick, accurate means to study plasticizer migration in experimental gun propellents. Evidence of rapid migration between laminated sheets of nitrocellulose-based propellant containing different amounts of two nitrate ester plasticizers was obtained. An estimate of the diffusion coefficients for one of these plasticizers was also obtained.     

How to Build Up an Infrastructure for Intercultural Usability Engineering

Siemens is a global enterprise that sells its products in more than 190 countries throughout the world. This internationalization of products means more than just translating the operating instructions and making changes to formats. True adaptation goes much deeper and takes into account different requirements in terms of functionality. This article starts by defining the term culture and then considers the requirements that have to be met in the context of intercultural usability engineering. Taking the establishment of usability laboratories in Beijing, China and Princeton, New Jersey as examples, the article then presents the challenges facing international cooperation and possible solutions, taking a detailed look at differences in the infrastructure, at key qualifications in international cooperation, and at the development of appropriate test methods.     

Assessment of water quality in the vicinity of peat extraction sites: The case of Pien‐Saimaa,Finland

Peatlands have an important global role as carbon sinks. Locally, however, peat bog extraction can cause pollution in nearby watercourses. The aim of this study is to investigate the application of multivariate methods in the renovation and protection of eutrophic lakes surrounded by agricultural and peat extraction areas. The analytical data used in the study originated from a national water quality database and the period studied was 2000–2013. Multivariate methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) were applied to solve interactions of variables and pollution sources in a complex water ecosystem. Leaching from the peat bog area was found to be the main source of iron, which has an important role as a precipitator of phosphorus in loose sediment and in water. Nutrient ratios had no direct correlation to algae blooms, but high ratios indicated an increased likelihood of an upcoming bloom.     

Determination of carotenoids in salmonoids

Summary A routine method for quantitative analysis of carotenoid pigments in salmonoids has been developed, based on an extraction with acetone and subsequent cleaning on silicagel prior to identification by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Quantitative determinations of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin were performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a C-18 column eluted with 20% ethyl acetate and 80% methanol/water (9+1) followed by spectrophotometric detection in the visible region. Other combinations of carotenoids could be separated by this system using isocratic or gradient elution. Carotenoid contents of examined fish meat were 2.3–8.1 mg astaxanthin/kg and 0.3–1.0 mg canthaxanthin/kg. Purified colour extracts from fish could be stored at –18 °C for a least 1 month before a final carotenoid analysis was carried out.

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Bestimmung von Carotenoiden in Salmoniden

Zusammenfassung Es wurde eine Routinemethode für die quantitative Analyse von Carotenoidpigmenten in Salmoniden entwickelt, die auf einer Extraktion der Farbstoffe mit Aceton und einem Reinigungsschritt auf Kieselgel vor der Identifizierung durch TLC beruht. Eine quantitative Bestimmung von Astaxanthin und Canthaxanthin konnte durch HPLC auf einer C-18 Säule und Elution mit Essigester/Methanol Wasser (9 + 1) (20:80) gefolgt von photometrischer Detektion im sichtbaren Bereich erzielt werden. Auch andere Kombinationen von Carotenoiden können mit diesem System getrennt werden, wenn isokratische oder Gradientenelution verwendet wird. Die Gehalte an Carotenoiden betrugen in den untersuchten Fischen 2,3–8,1 mg Astaxanthin/Kg und 0,3–1,0 mg Canthaxanthin/kg. Die gereinigten Farbstoffextrakte sind bei –18 °C mindestens 1 Monat lang lagerstabil.