On Reading MacKinnon Woods

Consensus is growing among climatologists and environmentalists that the ground on which we walk and the air through which we move are in a heightened, constant, and inexorable state of redefinition through the accelerated northward movement of ecosystems. Current methods of climate change research convey an abstraction of landscape through information gathering that is remote, anonymous, and general. Through the medium of the architectural intervention, this work explores a shift in perception so as to register landscapes in flux at a level of intimacy. The attentive reading of change across MacKinnon Woods becomes an act of emplacement.     

Design of loading policies for a high-performance computer system

We use a systematic simulation study of computer-system loading policies to design a loading policy for a high-performance system. Our results illustrate the performance advantages of 'round-robin' disciplines, the interference caused by finite memory, and how this interference can be mitigated by using carefully selected loading policies that exploit information about job resource requirements. Our choice of performance measures allows us to assess response-time predictability and fairness as well as overall efficiency. Using the insights obtained from our study, we introduce a new type of policy, the NEST policy, which is structured to employ the principles of good scheduling, while avoiding shortcomings of commonly used approaches.     

Improvements in Canned Lowbush Blueberry Quality

Individually quick frozen lowbush (wild) blueberries (Vaccinium angusrifolium) were canned with 0, 1500, or 3000 ppm calcium from chloride or lactate salts and 0, 0.25, or 0.50% citric acid in water. Physical and pH changes were measured at 0, 6, and 12 mo, and sensory evaluations were made at 3 and 9 mo post-canning. Calcium increased firmness and berry calcium content. Calcium chloride and citric acid reduced pH and increased hue angle and off-flavor; calcium lactate increased drained weight and pH but reduced hue. Response surface methodology predicted changes in calcium lactate-treated berries, but not CaCl₂-treated berries. Optimal conditions were 1200–1800 ppm calcium lactate at 3–6 mo storage.     

CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF QUALITY: APRICOTS, CANTALOUPES, PEACHES, PEARS, STRAWBERRIES, AND TOMATOES

Consumers are increasing their produce consumption; however, complaints of inconsistent produce quality and improper consumer handling practices could reduce consumer satisfaction with and demand for specific produce items. Seventy to eighty percent of consumers buy cantaloupes, peaches, pears, strawberries and tomatoes at the supermarket; only about half buy apricots at the supermarket. Apricots are not purchased at any location by almost 30% of consumers. Satisfaction with quality is highest for cantaloupes, lowest for tomatoes and apricots. Consumer complaints center around flavor and textural changes which develop in ripening. Both consumer handling practices and fresh product quality contribute to dissatisfaction.     

SENSORY EVALUATION OF JAMS MADE FROM THREE EASTERN THORNLESS AND MARION BLACKBERRIES1

Jams were produced from fruit of eastern thornless blackberries (Black Satin, Chester, Hull Thornless, and Thornfree cultivars) harvested by hand or machine, of a blend of imported fruit from Yugoslavia and Mexico, and of Marion blackberries from Oregon. Jams were evaluated by 12 trained panelists for color, spreadability, consistency, sweetness, blackberry flavor, off-flavor, and seediness. Jams made from hand-harvested Marion, and Black Satin were the most red-purple in color. Machine-harvested Chester fruit yielded the firmest jam and was among the jams rated with the thickest mouthfeel. Jams of hand-harvested Thornfree and Black Satin fruit were rated sweetest. No differences were noted among cultivars in seediness or blackberry flavor. Jam of Marion, Black Satin, and Chester fruit had less off-flavor than the imported fruit blend and Thornfree; however, the intensity of off-flavor was scored low in all jams. Jams made from hand-harvested blackberries were less seedy and had more intense blackberry flavor than machine-harvested fruit.     

Semantics in analogical reasoning

Abstract

To have broad application or approach the capacity of ordinary human thinking, analogical reasoning programs must become more complex or their semantics must become richer, or both. Little research is being done to discover what a broad collection of semantics can contribute to general-purpose analogical reasoning. From an analysis of a small collection of words, two classes containing over 300 categories are determined representing the semantics for understanding metaphors. A broad-based collection of simple target is source metaphors is sampled with each target and source represented in terms of these categories without known influence from the respective metaphor. A computational model is developed drawing on several disciplines while using rules for the recognition and elaboration phases of reasoning. Recognition primarily involves finding and reorganizing relevant schemata within the source. Elaboration involves reorganizing and possibly adding to the target. Given each metaphor, the TisS computer program creates a new representation of each target and source including several meanings for each metaphor. A test with human subjects making aptness and agreement judgements on the generated statements is discussed, suggesting a methodology for using a rich semantic base in analogical reasoning.     

Protein and Fiber Supplementation Effects on Extruded Cornmeal Snack Quality

Cornmeal snacks containing blends of soy protein isolate (SPI) with cotton linter cellulose (CEL) or soy cotyledon fiber (SF) were produced with a twin screw extruder. SPI increased expansion and reduced collet bulk density. Samples containing soy materials were darker than those containing 10% CEL or only cornmeal. CEL reduced expansion and increased residual moisture. The effects of SF were intermediate between those of SPI and CEL. Samples containing either type fiber had slight increases in nitrogen solubility and higher losses of available lysine after extrusion. A sensory evaluation panel found samples with 15% SPI and 10% either fiber were tan and soft, with a nutty or grain flavor.     

Noninvasive Measurement of Lipid and Water in Food Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Structural properties and quality of many foods depend on changes in the state and distribution of food components. However, information on distribution of food components and their role in providing structure has been difficult to investigate in foods. Noninvasive, dynamic measurement of foods was investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to simultaneously investigate lipid and water separately. Different relaxation values exhibited by each component allowed resolution of oil and water through relaxation weighted images. This approach is applicable to study of food structure, dynamics, and component interactions.