Avoiding Knotty Structures in Design: Schematic Functional Programming

Designers in general have used diagrams and sketches to help in the process of creation. This is particularly so for system designers whose output is a set of programs. It would seem reasonable that the conversion of diagrams directly into a program would be desirable and yet the work of Green and Petre [3–4, 13] and Citrin [2] has placed doubt on the viability of graphical programming notations. Some of this work is reviewed in this paper. The use of secondary notation and the matc–mismatch hypothesis is reconsidered in the light of functional programming. It is proposed that much of the criticism of graphical notation is due to the imperative (or process orientated) nature of programming. Many of the limitations observed in using graphical notation are lifted when functional programming is used. Eight engineering dimensions and four engineering relationships (coherences) are proposed to describe programming environments (including notation). The source of ‘knotty structures’ is identified as embedded ‘if then else’ or ‘if’ statements. On analysing both imperative and functional programs it was found that imperative programs used an order of magnitude larger number of ‘if’s than functional programs. The key to the success of a functional language as a general representation as well as its coherence with a graphical notation comes from its unique extensibility. Support for these arguments is drawn from examples of a schematic programming language used for industrial scale projects. It is concluded that the marriage between a functional language and its graphical representation overcomes most of the original criticisms of graphical programming. It is demonstrated that this combination makes a viable and expressive tool for industrial-sized applications.     

Relationships Between Hydrophobicity and Foaming Characteristics of Food Proteins

Hydrophobocity measured fluorometrically for food proteins and pure proteins using cis-parinaric acid as a hydrophobic probe had significant correlations to foaming capacity when the proteins in solution were unfolded by heating in boiling water in the presence of 1.5% dodecyl sulphate prior to fluorometric measurement. Hydrophobicity measured without unfolding, which had previously shown a significant correlation to emulsification, was not significantly correlated with foaming capacity. Two highly significant regression equations were generated: one included hydrophobicity and dispersibility and the other, hydrophobicity and viscosity as the independent variables. High hydrophobicity and viscosity and moderate dispersibility were associated with optimum foaming capacity. There was a significant negative relationship between foam stability and charge density. Hydrophobicity and viscosity were also important in foam stability.     

EFFECTS OF TYPES AND LEVELS OF FAT AND RATES AND TEMPERATURES OF COMMINUTION ON THE PROCESSING AND CHARACTERISTICS OF FRANKFURTERS

ABSTRACT— Frankfurter emulsions containing either 25% or 35% beef fat, pork fat, or cottonseed oil were prepared by comminuting at 1500, 2500, or 5000 rpm to temperatures ranging from 45°–85°F. Data were obtained on the viscosities of the emulsions; except for initially high viscosities for which unmelted fat was responsible, the viscosities of emulsions containing the fats, or oil, were similar: viscosities tended to decrease with increasing time and temperature of chopping. The frankfurters were stuffed, smoked, and cooked, and data were obtained on shrinkage, fat retention, ease of peeling, specific gravity, and texture. Shrinkage was inversely related to content of fat. Fat separation mainly occurred in processing frankfurters containing beef fat; the data suggest that emulsions containing beef fat should be comminuted to 65°–75°F to avoid possible under or overchopping: the results show that optimum conditions were time as well as temperature dependent. The air content of frankfurters varied inversely with the maximum temperature attained during communition. Frankfurter skin strength was lessened on increasing the temperatures to which emulsions were communited; elasticity, the equivalent of rubberiness, decreased under these conditions.     

Coagulation Test for Cooked Meat Temperature: Effect of Variations in Filtration

The “Coagulation Test” was studied relative to the effect of variations in filtration treatments on the coagulation temperature and other properties of filtrates obtained from isotonic saline extracts of rare roast beef and cured pork shoulder picnics. As membrane filter pore size decreased and thickness of Celite pad increased, filtration time increased, coagulation temperature increased slightly, biuret protein values and spectrophotometric absorbance values decreased, changes occurred in the number and molecular weight of protein bands, but pH of filtrates was not markedly affected. Results indicated that filtration treatment had no marked effect on the coagulation temperature of filtrates which may be a reflection of the empirical and subjective nature of the “Coagulation Test.”     

Thermoluminescence Spectra of Inorganic Dust from Irradiated Herbs and Spices

Thermoluminescence (TL) is used to determine whether certain foodstuffs have been irradiated. A high sensitivity TL spectrometer was used to analyze irradiated and unirradiated inorganic dusts from herbs and spices. Unlike earlier TL work using emissions in the UV-green spectral range, the spectrometer monitored transient TL emissions across the spectral range from UV to infra-red as samples were heated to 400°C. A strong high temperature red emission peak was detected in all irradiated samples. This signal was much higher than the background level, insensitive to post-irradiation light exposure, and has potential for irradiation exposure determination.     

Stability of Residual Acid Phosphatase Activity in Cured/ Canned Picnic Samples Stored at -34°C for 15 and 36 Months

Calculated internal temperatures (based on residual acid phosphatase activity values) were determined for samples obtained from domestically prepared cured/canned picnics which previously had been heat-processed to 61°, 62.7°, 65.5°, 68.3°, and 70.9°C, respectively, and stored at -34°C for up to 36 months. There was a greater loss in residual acid phosphatase activity (based on an increase in calculated internal temperature) during the first 15 months of storage, with the least loss occurring during the next 21 months of storage. The greatest loss of activity occurred in those samples heat-processed to 61°C and 62.7°C which also contained the greatest amount of residual acid phosphatase activity.