Electronic Sensing of Aromatic Volatiles for Quality Sorting of Blueberries

An electronic sniffer using semi-conductor gas sensors that nondestructively measured aromatic volatile gas emissions from fruit was developed to assess blueberry quality. The sniffer detected soft and damaged fruit in packaged containers at a 5% level of damage and distinguished four of five fruit ripeness classes: (1) mature-green and green-pink; (2) blue-pink; (3) blue; and (4) ripe fruit. Sniffer response increased as fruit ripened, as did total concentration of aromatic volatiles. Sniffer response correlated with berry firmness, pH, titratable acidity, and color, and detected differences among 10 cultivars, as did impact response analysis. The electronic sniffer is rapid, nondestructive and may be used to sort and quality check for presence of unripe or damaged fruit in closed packs of fresh berries.     

Ontology-driven document enrichment: principles, tools and applications

In this paper, we present an approach to document enrichment, which consists of developing and integrating formal knowledge models with archives of documents, to provide intelligent knowledge retrieval and (possibly) additional knowledge-intensive services, beyond what is currently available using “standard” information retrieval and search facilities. Our approach is ontology-driven, in the sense that the construction of the knowledge model is carried out in a top-down fashion, by populating a given ontology, rather than in a bottom-up fashion, by annotating a particular document. In this paper, we give an overview of the approach and we examine the various types of issues (e.g. modelling, organizational and user interface issues) which need to be tackled to effectively deploy our approach in the workplace. In addition, we also discuss a number of technologies we have developed to support ontology-driven document enrichment and we illustrate our ideas in the domains of electronic news publishing, scholarly discourse and medical guidelines.     

HYBRID MODELS OF UNCERTAINTY IN PROTEIN TOPOLOGY PREDICTION

Predicting protein structure is an important problem in molecular biology, and one that has attracted much attention. It is also a difficult problem, since the available data are incomplete and pervaded with uncertainty. This paper describes models for the prediction of an intermediate level of protein structure known as the topology of the protein. The models handle uncertainty explicitly, making use of probability, possibility, and evidence theories singly and in combination to handle different aspects of the problem.     

Analysis of tannins in seeds and skins of Shiraz grapes throughout berry development

The flavan-3-ol and proanthocyanidin composition of both seeds and skin of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz grapes was determined by reversed-phase HPLC after acetone extraction and acid-catalysis in the presence of excess phloroglucinol. Samples were taken at weekly intervals from fruit-set until commercial harvest. The main period of proanthocyanidin accumulation in grape seeds occurred immediately after fruit-set with maximum levels observed around veraison. Over two seasons there was variation in both the timing and content of proanthocyanidins in seeds. In skin, proanthocyanidin accumulation occurred from fruit set until 1–2 weeks after veraison. Proanthocyanidin subunit composition was different in seeds and skin and changed during berry development but the mean degree of polymerisation of the tannin polymers in skins was higher than in the seeds at all stages of berry development. Proanthocyanidin levels in both seeds and skin decreased between veraison and harvest. Additional proanthocyanidin subunits were released when the residues remaining after acetone extraction were subjected to direct acid-catalysis in the presence of phloroglucinol. In the seeds, these accounted for much of the post-veraison decrease, but not in grape skin. At harvest, 75% of extractable berry proanthocyanidin was in the seeds. Accumulation of proanthocyanidins in the seeds appears to be independent of that in the skins, but in both tissues synthesis occurs early in berry development and maximum levels are reached around veraison.     

Effect of Continuous Massaging on Bind, Yield, and Color of Hams

Boneless closely trimmed hams were randomly assigned to six treatment groups to determine the effect of massaging time (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 hr) on selected ham characteristics. All hams were stitch pumped 30% above green boneless weight with a pickle containing water, salt, sugar, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite. Pickled hams were massaged continuously (30 mm forward-30 mm reverse cycle) at 5 rpm in a 4°C cooler. Hams were stuffed into size 7 fibrous casings and processed in a smokehouse to an internal temperature of 67°C. Results showed that a massaging time increased there were significant (P < 0.01) increases in bind, color uniformity, color intensity, and moisture retention.     

A rough set approach to reasoning under uncertainty

Abstract

Reasoning with uncertain information is a problem of key importance when dealing with information about the real world. Obtaining the precise numbers required by many uncertainty handling formalisms can be a problem. The theory of rough sets makes it possible to handle uncertainty without the need for precise numbers, and so has some advantages in such situations. This paper presents an introduction to various forms of reasoning under uncertainty that are based on rough sets. In particular, a number of sets of numerical and symbolic truth values which may be used to augment propositional logic are developed, and a semantics for these values is provided based upon the notion of possible worlds. Methods of combining the truth values are developed so that they may be propagated when augmented logic formulae are combined, and their use is demonstrated in theorem proving.     

The sensory quality of foods produced by conventional and enhanced cook-chill methods

Cook-chill systems are now widely used within the catering industry. The basic method has been enhanced by the use of vacuum packaging to extend shelf-life; and, it is claimed, sensory quality. This paper reviews the literature available on the sensory quality of foods produced by conventional and enhanced cook-chill methods. It shows that the sensory quality of foods produced by these methods has received little attention from researchers, despite, in the case of methods using vacuum packaging, some extravagant claims about improved eating quality. Most attention has been paid to meat products. Deteriorative changes are shown to occur rapidly, but many variables affect the end result, which is often product and process specific. Lack of standardization, both in the catering industry and in experimental methods, makes comparisons between studies difficult.     

Sustainable Architecture and the Pluralist Imagination

In our review of the literature concerning sustainable architecture, we find a remarkably diverse constellation of ideas that defy simple categorization. But rather than lament the apparent inability to standardize a singular approach to degraded environmental and social conditions, we celebrate pluralism as a means to contest technological and scientific certainty. At the same time, we reject epistemological and moral relativism. These twin points of departure lead us to propose a research agenda for an architecture of reflective engagement that is sympathetic to the pragmatist tradition.