Crack Development in Individually Quick Frozen Cut and Peel Carrots

ABSTRACT:  Crack development during freezing (CDF) is one of the major challenges in individually quick frozen (IQF) cut and peel carrot processing. The effects of processing and freezer storage on crack development were examined on the cut and peel carrot variety, Sugarsnax. Carrot samples were removed from the major processing steps, the trans-slicer, the shaper, the blancher, and the dryer, and examined for crack development by measuring percentage cracked, crack morphology, total soluble solids, moisture levels, and membrane injury index immediately after processing. These parameters were also examined following 20 wk of standard freezer storage for cut and peels. Approximately 2% of nonprocessed carrots were cracked compared to 45% of carrots after the initial trans-slicing stage. As the processing continued, cracking decreased due to the removal of the outer epidermis to 16% of the finished product. This suggests that CDF was initiated at the 1st processing stage. Crack width and depth were 2.3 and 2.6 mm, respectively, at the trans-slicer stage and decreased to 1.1 and 1.8 mm at the end of the line. It was found that CDF was further exacerbated by freezer storage due to inefficient water removal at the dryer stage. Crack width and depth increased to 1.5 and 3.0 mm after 20 wk for freezer storage. Root size also played a role in CDF, suggesting that larger pieces are more susceptible to crack development. Total soluble solid concentrations did not play a role in crack formation during cut and peel processing.     

Structural reliability optimization using an efficient safety index calculation procedure

The objective of this paper is to conduct reliability-based structural optimization in a multidisciplinary environment. An efficient reliability analysis is developed by expanding the limit functions in terms of intermediate design variables. The design constraints are approximated using multivariate splines in searching for the optimum. The reduction in computational cost realized in safety index calculation and optimization are demonstrated through several structural problems. This paper presents safety index computation, analytical sensitivity analysis of reliability constraints and optimization using truss, frame and plate examples.     

激光探针监测半导体器件内自由载流子浓度调制效应

介绍了基于自由载流子对介质折射率调制作用,而建立的监测半导体器件内自由载流子变化情况的实验装置,该装置能实时反映自由载流子变化情况,且对原电路无任何影响。本方法适用于硅和砷化镓材料的电子和光电子器件,也显示了在测量集成电路内部有源器件特性方面的潜在应用前景。     

基于XML技术数据库优化接入设计

鉴于用户对目前数据库接入技术要求的提高，一种基于XML技术对数据库接入进行优化的技术出现了。这种技术利用了基于XML传输时的可扩展、高度结构化等特性，在JavaBean，JDBC，Apache，Tomcat等设计组件及Linux体系结构的配合使用下．为用户提供了一个安全、高效、可扩展且访问灵活的数据库接入方式。     

迭加与量化水印嵌入方案的比较及量化参数优化

分别研究了迭加法和量化法的隐蔽性和稳健性，并且提出了量化调制水印方案中的参数优化方法。对两类方法的分析比较表明，迭加法适用于在高频分量嵌入水印，而量化法适用于在低频分量嵌入水印。并以实验验证了这一结论。     

XML schema, tree logic and sheaves automata

XML documents may be roughly described as unranked, ordered trees and it is therefore natural to use tree automata to process or validate them. This idea has already been successfully applied in the context of Document Type Definition (DTD), the simplest standard for defining document validity, but additional work is needed to take into account XML Schema, a more advanced standard, for which regular tree automata are not satisfactory. In this paper, we introduce Sheaves Logic (SL), a new tree logic that extends the syntax of the – recursion-free fragment of – W3C XML Schema Definition Language (WXS). Then, we define a new class of automata for unranked trees that provides decision procedures for the basic questions about SL: model-checking; satisfiability; entailment. The same class of automata is also used to answer basic questions about WXS, including recursive schemas: decidability of type-checking documents; testing the emptiness of schemas; testing that a schema subsumes another one.This work was partially supported by the French government research grant ACI TRALALA and by IST Global Computing Profundis.     

Evaluate the performance of a stochastic-flow network with cost attribute in terms of minimal cuts

This paper proposes a performance index to measure the quality level of a stochastic-flow network in which each node has a designated capacity, which will have different lower levels due to various partial and complete failures. The performance index is the probability that the maximum flow of the network equals the demand d without exceeding the budget b. A simple algorithm in terms of minimal cuts is first proposed to generate all upper boundary points for (d, b), and then the probability that the maximum flow is less than or equal to d can be calculated in terms of such points. The upper boundary point for (d, b) is a maximal vector representing the capacity of each arc such that the maximum flow of the network under the budget b is d. The performance index can be calculated by repeating the proposed algorithm to obtain all upper boundary point for (d−1, b). A benchmark example is shown to illustrate the solution procedure.     

基于XML的试题库模型与实现

由于试题的多样性的类型及半结构性的内容，实现试题规范的数据结构较为困难，造成现有的试题库系统的试题类型较少和内容格式单一。使用XML元数据表示试题的内容，可有效解决上述问题，论文提出一种基于XML的试题库模型，建立具有较高查询效率的试题库组织结构，在系统原型实现上，利用关系数据库的查询性能和XML技术的表现能力，较好地解决了试题库系统对试题类型多样性和查询效率的支持。     

基于XML的构件化企业模型描述及应用

当今世界Internet/Intranet技术的迅速发展，对企业建模也提出了网络化的要求。而当前众多的建模工具都还没能适应这一要求，或是才开始起步。鉴于这种状况，提出了基于XML技术的描述构件化模型的思想，以对当前已经比较成熟的建模技术进行XML的改造，讲述如何实现基于XML的构件化企业模型描述及应用。     

Fire performance of wood (Pinus radiata) treated with fire retardants and a wood preservative

In this work, we co‐formulated an oil‐borne copper naphthenate/permethrin wood preservative system with synthetic polymer‐based fire‐retardant additives prior to the impregnation of Pinus radiata sapwood. We evaluated what effect, if any, the preservative had upon the fire performance properties of the fire retardants and whether the fire retardants impacted on the fungicidal and termiticidal efficacy of the preservative. The fire retardants included halogenated and phosphorus‐based systems. A mass loss calorimeter, in conjunction with a thermopile, was used to measure the time to ignition and the peak heat release rate (PHRR) from which the fire performance index (FPI) was determined. The preservative properties were evaluated using termite and soil‐block decay bioassays. In summary, we found that the rate of fire growth was reduced when the fire retardants were used in combination with the wood preservative. We also found that the PHRR was a better determinant of fire performance than the FPI. The performance of the wood preservative was enhanced against fungal decay and termite attack when used in combination with the fire retardants. The fire retardants also demonstrated some wood preservative properties of their own. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.