A Critical-Realist View of Housing Quality within the Post-Communist EU States: Progressing towards a Middle-Range Explanation

Employing a long-term perspective, we explore whether ideologically rooted quality outcomes of housing provision under communism have persisted during the post-communist construction of housing markets. Drawing on theories of path-dependent change, we hypothesize that patterns of housing quality still reflect past lines of division, namely the Soviet housing model, and the classical and reformist models of the Eastern Bloc. Using a critical-realist approach to housing quality, we relate households’ experiences to key underlying structures; this ontological depth is then operationalized by means of micro- and macro-indicators used as input for hierarchical cluster analyses. Findings support our main hypothesis, yet there is more diversity in households’ experiences than initially assumed. Our study advances a valuable middle-range epistemological frame for understanding the complex social reality of housing and helps shatter the growing view that communist housing systems were all too similar.     

Effects of the addition of microencapsulated omega-3 and rosemary extract on the technological and sensory quality of white pan bread

Omega-3 enriched foods are considered functional foods, however they may present undesirable sensory characteristics due to oxidation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the addition of 0.00–5.00 g/100 g microencapsulated omega-3 fatty acids (MO) and of 0.000–0.100 g/100 g rosemary extract (RE) on the technological and sensory quality of white pan bread, following a 2² central composite rotational design (CCRD). The responses evaluated were the specific volume, texture, moisture and color, and the scores obtained in the sensory acceptance test for appearance, aroma, flavor, texture and overall acceptance, and purchase intention. Increasing MO concentration reduced specific volume and lightness and increased firmness and color saturation. Increasing RE concentration presented only a small effect on the reduction of lightness. In the sensory acceptance test, all samples presented acceptable scores (>5).     

Touching the dematerialized

Smart phones and tablet computers have flooded the world. With their seemingly intuitive multi-touch interface, they seem to be a step towards embodied interaction. But are they really? In this paper we take off with an analysis of these products and our interaction with them from the perspective of dematerialization. We claim that the multi-touch display is the outcome of a dematerialization process. As it is applied today, it fails to fulfil the promise of embodied interaction, since it results in an impoverished, standardized and computer-like interaction. Next, we introduce our own design perspective, the third stand, which aims to consciously guide dematerialization instead of blindly applying it. We believe this perspective leads to a fresh way of thinking about the multi-touch display. By presenting the design of a novel alarm clock, we emphasize the single-purpose character of the third stand and reveal its own specific nature. Next, in two design projects, we confront the third stand with the multi-touch display and enhance the latter with specific, meaningful and rich actions. We discuss the results of these two design projects and end this paper by reflecting on the third stand.     

Towards the design of a blending system for precoloured fibres

In order to create a commercial system for blending precoloured fibres that will appear visually solid once combined, it is necessary to understand the maximum colour difference required between the blend components. Based on this understanding, the lowest number of primaries required to populate a given colour gamut can be determined. A series of psychophysical experiments was carried out to explore the colour difference between fibre‐blend components and whether the resulting blended samples are perceived as visually solid. Experiments were carried out with loose stock fibre, yarn and knitted samples. Generally, it was found that the likelihood a blend appeared as visually solid increased as the average colour difference between the blend components, or primaries, decreased. The value of the mean colour difference at which 50% of participants viewed the blend as being visually solid was found to be 20.8, 20.5 and 18.0 for fibre, yarn and knitted samples, respectively. Consequently, it was found that it was more difficult to obtain a solid shade with the knitted form than with the loose stock fibre form.     

Plant Secondary Metabolites as Rodent Repellents: a Systematic Review

The vast number of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) produced by higher plants has generated many efforts to exploit their potential for pest control. We performed a systematic literature search to retrieve relevant publications, and we evaluated these according to PSM groups to derive information about the potential for developing plant-derived rodent repellents. We screened a total of 54 publications where different compounds or plants were tested regarding rodent behavior/metabolism. In the search for widely applicable products, we recommend multi-species systematic screening of PSMs, especially from the essential oil and terpenoid group, as laboratory experiments have uniformly shown the strongest effects across species. Other groups of compounds might be more suitable for the management of species-specific or sex-specific issues, as the effects of some compounds on particular rodent target species or sex might not be present in non-target species or in both sexes. Although plant metabolites have potential as a tool for ecologically-based rodent management, this review demonstrates inconsistent success across laboratory, enclosure, and field studies, which ultimately has lead to a small number of currently registered PSM-based rodent repellents.