Service parts logistics: a benchmark analysis

This paper summarizes the results of a benchmark study focusing on after-sales service logistics systems for technologically complex high-value products, i.e., in the computer industry. Current industrial practices and trends in service logistics operations are reported on. Specific data on costs, revenues, service measures, control policies, and distribution strategies were collected and used to define best practice performance. Analysis methodologies to support cross-sectional comparisons and causal factors are discussed.     

Criterion for Oil Uptake during Deep-fat Frying

The effect of added powdered cellulose and methyl cellulose on oil uptake during deep-fat frying of donuts and falafel balls was determined. A new criterion, U_R, expressing the oil uptake ratio between the weight of oil uptake and the weight of water removed was introduced. This criterion was valuable in assessing effectiveness of reducing oil uptake during deep-fat frying. Methocel was significantly more effective than powdered cellulose in reducing oil uptake.     

吐鲁番无核白葡萄晾房干燥的预处理方法

为提高吐鲁番地区无核白葡萄晾房干燥速率及品质,获取较优的晾房干燥预处理工艺,在吐鲁番高昌区克 孜里土尔村开展了晾房干燥实验。晾房中挂串实验样本组设1 个对照组和3 个预处理组,采集干燥过程中晾房温湿 度、风速、葡萄含水率及葡萄RGB图像等数据,采用Matlab软件分析葡萄RGB图像,获得外部品质特征,采用统计 方法绘制无核白葡萄干燥过程中含水率和色度变化趋势图,以及对比不同预处理方式下葡萄干成品品质指标,确定 了较优的晾房干燥预处理方式。结果表明：与未经预处理的对照组相比,经质量分数3.0%的促干剂预处理的无核 白葡萄干燥时间缩短了6 d;干燥过程中葡萄表面色度变化较为平稳,且成品的褐变率降低了67%,绿级率提高了 20.5%;综合分析各项指标,该处理优于其他预处理,最终确定其为晾房干燥较优的预处理方式;此外,实验确定 橄榄油具有提高葡萄干燥绿级率的作用。     

A METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE AND INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF Q-SORT ARRAYS.

THE THEORETICAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF Q SORTS ARE EXAMINED, TRADITIONAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS ARE CRITICIZED, AND A NEW TECHNIQUE IS PRESENTED WHICH IS APPLICABLE BOTH TO THE ANALYSIS OF SINGLE ARRAYS AND THE NORMATIVE STUDY OF RELEVANT POPULATIONS. THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE IS THEN APPLIED TO EMPIRICALLY DERIVED DATA OBTAINED FROM A STRUCTURED SET OF Q ITEMS FOCUSED ON THE MEANING OF WORK. THE RELATIONS BETWEEN NORMATIVE AND IPSATIVE METHODOLOGY ARE CLARIFIED, AND SOURCES OF E SUBJECTIVITY ARE DEFINED AND REDUCED. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF ARRHENIUS MODEL AND ITS APPLICABILITY IN PREDICTION OF FOOD QUALITY LOSSES

To minimize quality losses occurring during processing and storage and to predict shelf-life, quantitative kinetic models, expressing the functional relationship between composition and environmental factors on food quality, are required. The applicability of these models is based on the accuracy of the model and its parameters. In this paper, the calculation of the Arrhenius parameters and the accuracy of the derived model were compared, using three statistical methods, namely: linear least squares, nonlinear least squares and weighted nonlinear least squares. Results indicated that the traditional two-step linear method, was the least accurate and the derived energy of activation and the pre-exponential factor had the largest confidence interval. The latter was shown to have a profound effect on the precision of the calculated rate constant and the predicted shelf life. Based on previous reports that indexes of deterioration     

Aging of Frozen Parts of Beef

Due to religious regulations, the beef imported into Israel is frozen soon after boning. In a search for a method for optimal aging of the beef after thawing and koshering, 8 different aging experiments were conducted, from 0-12 days. Cooking loss and myofibril fragmentation index were found to be more affected by the freezing preceding aging. Nonprotein nitrogen components were found to increase during optimum aging and then decrease. Sensory evaluation of tenderness, performed by multiple-paired comparisons, indicated a significant improvement in meat tenderness after 1 day of aging and further gradual improvement up to 7 days.     

PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN STARCH DURING DEEP-FAT FRYING OF A MOLDED CORN STARCH PATTY

Corn starch patties with an initial moisture content of 46.5% (wet basis) were fried in oil at 165C. The results indicated that oil content in the patty ranged from 10.6 to 12.5% in the crust region, and 1.5 to 3.9% in the core region. Starch gelatinization was significantly dependent on frying time and location of starch in the patty. Both, water absorption and water solubility indices of starch increased with frying time, with the starch contained in the crust exhibiting much higher water absorption ability and water solubility than that contained in the core region. Measurements of 'blue value'(the intensity of blue color of starch solution upon addition of iodide ion) and the absorbance spectra of starch samples indicated that amylose-lipid complexes were present in the fried materials. The degree of starch complexation was 10.9 to 13.2% in the crust and 0.3 to 6.6% in the core region. The puncture force on the surface of a food fried for no more than 5 min was close to that in the food center, although a significant increase in force was required for the crust region during the later stages of frying.