承载故事的咖啡店

咖啡馆对于现代都市人来说,已经成为一个不可或缺的地方。人们在这里休息、小聚、谈话、工作……本案中,设计师希望这家位于青岛的咖啡馆所扮演的角色更进一步——成为家的外延。现在的咖啡厅、茶楼、干洗店、快餐厅等公共场所,承担着从前家庭里客厅、厨房、洗手间、储藏室等的作用。时至今日,咖啡店已经发展成为大中城市的一个社交场所,为人们的小聚提供一个消费之处。在这里,你可以在工作之余享受轻松一刻。从这一点来讲,咖啡店不失为城市的一部分,同时,它代表着正在替代的一个地方:我们自己的家宾达咖啡馆位于山东省青岛市海滨,总     

Catalytic effect of metal cations on the darkening reaction in ripe olive processing

The darkening step in ripe olive processing can be accelerated by using different metal cations, particularly cobalt, manganese and iron, in the aeration liquid. It was found that manganese and iron ions increased the rate of the darkening reaction as their content in the liquid increased from zero to 9 mM. Manganese cations only had a catalytic effect on the darkening reaction, while iron ions also fixed the dark colour formed when olives were bottled and sterilized. However, the rate of oxidation of the orthodiphenols in the olive flesh (hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid) was slightly modified when manganese or iron was added to the aeration liquid. The better dark surface colour obtained when manganese or iron ions were added to the aeration liquid remained after bottling and sterilization of olives in a ferrous gluconate solution. These results suggest that manganese could be used to catalyse the darkening reaction since this cation is generally recognized as safe.     

Evaluation of the impact of access to electricity: A comparative analysis of South Africa,China, India and Brazil

Most developing countries include rural electrification programs in their efforts to improve social conditions. There are, however, several obstacles to the evaluation of such programs and therefore of their social, economic, environmental and energy impacts on the target population, particularly on impoverished communities located in remote areas. Evaluation of the efficacy of public policies aimed at rural electrification in South Africa, China, India and Brazil enables such actions to be quantified and re-considered so as to bolster the sustainability of their planning and implementation and also so as to enable comprehension of the significance of access to electricity in relation to other aspects of the drive to improve living standards. The provision of electric energy amounts to more than access to a public service and should be considered an essential right, in a context of social equity and justice, which permits social integration and the access to other equally essential services.     

Guest editorial to the theme section on multi-level modeling

Software and Systems Modeling -     

Comparison Between Equivalent Architectures of Complex-valued and Real-valued Neural Networks - Application on Polarimetric SAR Image Segmentation

Journal of Signal Processing Systems - We present an in-depth statistical comparison among several Complex-Valued Neural Network (CVNN) models on the Oberpfaffenhofen Polarimetric Synthetic...     

Preparation of MFI type tubular membranes by steam-assisted crystallization

Zeolite MFI membranes were successfully prepared on both alumina and stainless steel tubular supports by crystallization of previously deposited silicate layers under a steam atmosphere. The resultant membranes were able to separate n/isobutane mixtures at relatively high temperatures, displaying separation selectivities of 11.3, 8.9 and 2.5 at 100, 230 and 330 °C, respectively.     

Allometric relationships in the bioconcentration of heavy metals by the edible tropical clam Gafrarium tumidum

Although metal contamination is a problem of major concern in the lagoon of New Caledonia due to intense mining activities conducted on land, very little is known on the metal ecotoxicology of local marine organisms. The clam Gafrarium tumidum was investigated to assess its usefulness as a bioindicator species of metal contamination in this lagoon. More particularly, allometric relationships between metal accumulation and clam size were determined for five common metals in New Caledonian lagoon waters (Cd, Cr, Co, Zn and Ag) using a highly sensitive radiotracer technique. Experimental results showed that allometric relationships were dependent on the element and on the body compartment considered. As a rule, allometric relationships of metal concentration factor were more pronounced in shell than in soft parts. Significant relationships with clam size for Cd, Cr, Co and Zn followed inverse power functions. In contrast, the degree of Ag bioaccumulation was positively correlated with size. In view of the literature on Ag in bivalves, the latter observation suggests the occurrence of a specific detoxification mechanism (sequestration) that would be more efficient in old individuals. Overall, the experimental results indicate that the use of G. tumidum as a bioindicator in monitoring programmes requires selecting individuals of a specific size range in order to obtain comparable information about ambient metal levels. Since the size effect is greatest among smaller individuals, it is recommended to select clams with a shell width greater than 35 mm.     

Twenty Years Beyond the Turing Test: Moving Beyond the Human Judges Too

Minds and Machines - In the last 20 years the Turing test has been left further behind by new developments in artificial intelligence. At the same time, however, these developments have revived...     

Prediction of Generation of High- and Low-Angle Grain Boundaries (HAGB and LAGB) During Severe Plastic Deformation

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - It is well known that a balance between the generation of low-angle and high-angle grain boundaries (LABG and HAGB) is achieved in materials undergoing...