Reduction of energy usage in postharvest horticulture through management of ethylene

Cool chain management is the preferred technology to extend the postharvest life of horticultural produce, but with rising energy costs and community pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there is a need to use less energy‐intensive technologies. Minimising the level of ethylene around horticultural produce inhibits ripening and senescence and therefore has the potential to reduce the use of refrigeration. The long‐distance transport of bananas within Australia and from Central America to Europe is used as a case study to show that the need for refrigeration could be reduced if the appropriate concentrations of ethylene were maintained around fruit during transit. Data are also presented to show a similar benefit of ethylene control with green beans, as well as another study showing that apples treated with the ethylene action inhibitor 1‐methylcyclopropene could be stored at a higher temperature without loss of quality to the consumer. The range of technologies available to manage ethylene levels is discussed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Spatial Mapping of Morphology and Electronic Properties of Air‐Printed Pentacene Thin Films

To accelerate the pace of materials discovery and application, comprehensive links need to be established between a material's structure, properties, and process conditions used to obtain the material and/or final application format. This work examines the dry printing of pentacene thin film transistor (TFT) channels by guard flow‐enhanced organic vapor jet printing (GF‐OVJP), a technique that enables direct, solvent‐free, additive patterning of device‐quality molecular semiconductors in air. Deposition in air entails non‐trivial effects at the boundary between ambient surroundings and the gas jet carrying the semiconductor vapor that influence the morphology and properties of the resulting electronic devices. Synchrotron X‐ray diffraction is employed, complemented by measurement of electronic properties of GF‐OVJP deposited films in a TFT to reveal how the morphology and electronic properties of the films depend on thickness, location within the printed pattern, nozzle translation velocity, and other process parameters. The hole field‐effect mobility of the printed pentacene film is linked quantitatively with its crystallinity, as well as with extent of exposure to ambient air during deposition. The analysis can be extended to accurately predict the performance of devices deposited in air by GF‐OVJP, which are demonstrated here for a planar, large area deposit.     

Efficient bidding strategies for Cliff-Edge problems

In this paper, we propose an efficient agent for competing in Cliff-Edge (CE) and simultaneous Cliff-Edge (SCE) situations. In CE interactions, which include common interactions such as sealed-bid auctions, dynamic pricing and the ultimatum game (UG), the probability of success decreases monotonically as the reward for success increases. This trade-off exists also in SCE interactions, which include simultaneous auctions and various multi-player ultimatum games, where the agent has to decide about more than one offer or bid simultaneously. Our agent competes repeatedly in one-shot interactions, each time against different human opponents. The agent learns the general pattern of the population’s behavior, and its performance is evaluated based on all of the interactions in which it participates. We propose a generic approach which may help the agent compete against unknown opponents in different environments where CE and SCE interactions exist, where the agent has a relatively large number of alternatives and where its achievements in the first several dozen interactions are important. The underlying mechanism we propose for CE interactions is a new meta-algorithm, deviated virtual learning (DVL), which extends existing methods to efficiently cope with environments comprising a large number of alternative decisions at each decision point. Another competitive approach is the Bayesian approach, which learns the opponents’ statistical distribution, given prior knowledge about the type of distribution. For the SCE, we propose the simultaneous deviated virtual reinforcement learning algorithm (SDVRL), the segmentation meta-algorithm as a method for extending different basic algorithms, and a heuristic called fixed success probabilities (FSP). Experiments comparing the performance of the proposed algorithms with algorithms taken from the literature, as well as other intuitive meta-algorithms, reveal superiority of the proposed algorithms in average payoff and stability as well as in accuracy in converging to the optimal action, both in CE and SCE problems.     

The impact of the customer order decoupling point on type and level of supply chain integration

Literature suggests that more supply chain (SC) integration increases of SC performance. However, recent research shows that contextual factors affect the effectiveness of SC integration efforts. Specifically, the location of the customer order decoupling point (CODP) might be such a factor, but there is limited empirical evidence. This study explores the impact of the location of the CODP on SC integration. It empirically investigates upstream, internal and downstream SC integration efforts in twelve metal parts producing Dutch companies to offer a comprehensive view of the effects of the location of the CODP on SC integration. Our results show a clear relationship between SC integration and the location of the CODP. Specifically, make-to-order (MTO), assemble-to-order (ATO) and make-to-stock (MTS) companies show relatively high levels in upstream, internal and downstream SC integration, respectively. Moreover, MTO companies mainly share forecast information and engage in joint R&D with their suppliers, ATO companies focus on internal SC integration using information systems and planning, while MTS companies interact with their customers intensively to exchange forecast information. Our study adds to the insight on the application of SC integration in different situations and offers initial evidence for the effects of the location of the CODP on SC integration.     

Study of Real-Time Dry Bulb and Relative Humidity Sensors in Underground Coal Mines

As the depth of mines increases, the temperature in the mine workings also increases due to the geothermal gradient. A questionnaire was prepared and sent to a number of mine ventilation engineers, consultants and academics in order to gain an understanding of their experiences and current views on real-time dry and relative humidity temperature monitoring practices. Eighteen persons provided a response to the questionnaire. The answers were compiled and analyzed. This paper presents and analyzed the results obtained from the survey.     

Pyrolysis of waste-derived fuel mixtures containing PVC

This paper describes an experimental analysis of the pyrolysis of PVC and mixtures of PVC with wood (Finnish pine) and LDPE (low density polyethene) in nitrogen at 250-400 °C. The aim is to optimise the temperature range for producing low-chlorine or chlorine-free fuel in a dehydrochlorination reactor without pyrolysing any of the other combustible fractions. Results are presented for various process temperatures for PVC, PVC/wood and PVC/LDPE mixtures. It was found that the PVC tested is dehydrochlorinated at approximately 350 °C, and that secondary pyrolysis is suppressed when LDPE is present.     

Managing quality in projects: An empirical study

The purpose of this paper is to establish the key role of quality in the ‘iron triangle of cost, time and quality’ and highlight the importance of implementing the people related ‘organisation quality’ amongst key stakeholders to deliver the success criteria of a project.     

Residents' Experiences in Condominiums: A Case Study of Australian Apartment Living

This research examines issues facing resident owners purchasing and living in condominiums in a major Australian tourist destination. The authors argue that the trend towards urban consolidation presents challenges for purchasers who buy ‘off the plan’ with the intention of self-occupation of apartments. Using a qualitative approach involving in-depth interviews of residents, the study identifies four main areas of concern for resident owners. Issues such as residential use, zoning, dispute resolution and the role of the caretaker are discussed. The study concludes that action is needed in order to reform body corporate legislation and to encourage local authorities to discharge responsibilities not just for planning but also for land use.     

金氏住宅

文章介绍了金氏住宅的改造,设计围绕一个展开的简单棱柱体组织,以之为核心将4个不同时期建造的部分联系在一起,形成复合的、全新的建筑形和空间分隔,体现出远超各部分单纯叠加的相互关系的整体一致性。