Effects of breed and age at slaughter on degradation of muscle lipids during processing of dry‐cured hams

Hams from Landrace, Duroc and Hampshire pigs slaughtered at ages 6, 7.5 and 9 months were processed to generate Norwegian Parma‐style hams. Lipid contents and the compositions of fatty acid classes (ΣSFA, ΣMUFA, ΣPUFA) within neutral lipids, phospholipids and free fatty acids were determined. Small differences in lipid degradation and composition of the classes were revealed. However, significant sensory differences related to lipids were observed. Breed was more important than age. Dry‐cured Hampshire hams gave a more intense mature odour that may be associated with higher overall lipid degradation. Unexpectedly, these hams also demonstrated high juiciness and tenderness, which could be related to the melting characteristics of the fat. Dry‐cured Duroc hams showed a higher susceptibility towards rancidity, presumably associated with preferential oxidation of n‐6 fatty acids relative to C18:1 n‐9. Dry‐cured Landrace hams showed the lowest juiciness and tenderness, likely due to their lower fat content (marbling).     

An empirical investigation of competency factors affecting e-business success in European SMEs

In the last decade there was growing interest in strategic management literature about factors that influence a company's ability to use IT. There is general consensus that knowledge and competency are necessary in developing an IT capability, but there is very little understanding of what the necessary competencies are, and how they influence IS usage in different contexts. The small and medium-sized enterprise context is particularly interesting for two reasons: it constitutes a major part of the economy and it has been relatively unsuccessful in exploiting e-business.     

A novel chaotic Henry gas solubility optimization algorithm for solving real-world engineering problems

The paper proposes a novel metaheuristic based on integrating chaotic maps into a Henry gas solubility optimization algorithm (HGSO). The new algorithm is named chaotic Henry gas solubility optimization (CHGSO). The hybridization is aimed at enhancement of the convergence rate of the original Henry gas solubility optimizer for solving real-life engineering optimization problems. This hybridization provides a problem-independent optimization algorithm. The CHGSO performance is evaluated using various conventional constrained optimization problems, e.g., a welded beam problem and a cantilever beam problem. The performance of the CHGSO is investigated using both the manufacturing and diaphragm spring design problems taken from the automotive industry. The results obtained from using CHGSO for solving the various constrained test problems are compared with a number of established and newly invented metaheuristics, including an artificial bee colony algorithm, an ant colony algorithm, a cuckoo search algorithm, a salp swarm optimization algorithm, a grasshopper optimization algorithm, a mine blast algorithm, an ant lion optimizer, a gravitational search algorithm, a multi-verse optimizer, a Harris hawks optimization algorithm, and the original Henry gas solubility optimization algorithm. The results indicate that with selecting an appropriate chaotic map, the CHGSO is a robust optimization approach for obtaining the optimal variables in mechanical design and manufacturing optimization problems.

     

Optimal Machine Learning Enabled Performance Monitoring for Learning Management Systems

Learning Management System (LMS) is an application software that is used in automation, delivery, administration, tracking, and reporting of courses and programs in educational sector. The LMS which exploits machine learning (ML) has the ability of accessing user data and exploit it for improving the learning experience. The recently developed artificial intelligence (AI) and ML models helps to accomplish effective performance monitoring for LMS. Among the different processes involved in ML based LMS, feature selection and classification processes find beneficial. In this motivation, this study introduces Glowworm-based Feature Selection with Machine Learning Enabled Performance Monitoring (GSO-MFWELM) technique for LMS. The key objective of the proposed GSO-MFWELM technique is to effectually monitor the performance in LMS. The proposed GSO-MFWELM technique involves GSO-based feature selection technique to select the optimal features. Besides, Weighted Extreme Learning Machine (WELM) model is applied for classification process whereas the parameters involved in WELM model are optimally fine-tuned with the help of Mayfly Optimization (MFO) algorithm. The design of GSO and MFO techniques result in reduced computation complexity and improved classification performance. The presented GSO-MFWELM technique was validated for its performance against benchmark dataset and the results were inspected under several aspects. The simulation results established the supremacy of GSO-MFWELM technique over recent approaches with the maximum classification accuracy of 0.9589.     

An Industrial Case Study on Distributed Prioritisation in Market-Driven Requirements Engineering for Packaged Software

When developing packaged software, which is sold ‘off-the-shelf’ on a worldwide marketplace, it is essential to collect needs and opportunities from different market segments and use this information in the prioritisation of requirements for the next software release. This paper presents an industrial case study where a distributed prioritisation process is proposed, observed and evaluated. The stakeholders in the requirements prioritisation process include marketing offices distributed around the world. A major objective of the distributed prioritisation is to gather and highlight the differences and similarities in the requirement priorities of the different market segments. The evaluation through questionnaires shows that the stakeholders found the process useful. The paper also presents novel approaches to visualise the priority distribution among stakeholders, together with measures on disagreement and satisfaction. Product management found the proposed charts valuable as decision support when selecting requirements for the next release, as they revealed unforeseen differences among stakeholder priorities. Conclusions on stakeholder tactics are provided and issues of further research are identified, including ways of addressing identified challenges.     

Noise exposed of the operators of combine harvesters with and without a cab

A considerable number of the combine harvesters in Turkey are rather old and used without cabs resulting in unhealthy working conditions for their operators. Noise is one of the detrimental factors. This study deals with determining and comparing the noise exposed on the operators of the combines with and without a cab used for wheat harvesting in Turkey. The sound pressure levels (dB) at octave band center frequencies (31.5–8000 Hz) and the sound levels (dBA) at the ear level of the operators were measured on 37 different combine harvesters with four different makes and different years from 1976 to 2001. Fifteen of the combines were without a cab, another 15 had original cabs while remaining seven combines had cabs mounted on them after manufacturing.

The sound pressure levels were in a decreasing trend from the lower frequencies to higher frequencies. This trend was more noticeable for the combines with original cab and with the cab mounted after manufacturing compared to the ones without cab. The use of a cab was more effective in the insulation of the noise at the medium and higher frequencies, which have more bothersome effect compared to the lower frequencies. The sound pressure levels were 75–102 dB and 46–89 dB at low (31.5–500 Hz) and high (500–8000 Hz) frequencies for all combines, respectively. The sound pressure levels at the frequency of 4000 Hz at which the human ear is most sensitive were 6–17 dB lower for the combines with the cabs mounted after manufacturing and 9–28 dB lower for the ones with the original cabs compared to the combines without cab. The sound levels were 85–90, 81–83, and 76–81 dBA for the combines without cab, with cab mounted after manufacturing, and with original cab, respectively.

The study showed that the use of a cab was useful in the insulation of the noise, particularly at higher frequencies. In addition, it protects the operator from the factors having detrimental effects on the working efficiency such as high temperature and dusty environment. The authors strongly recommend mounting of a cab on to the combines currently being used without a cab in rental system in Turkey to provide healthy working conditions for their operators.     

Predicate logic with flexibly binding operators and natural language semantics

A new formalism for predicate logic is introduced, with a non-standard method of binding variables, which allows a compositional formalization of certain anaphoric constructions, including donkey sentences and cross-sentential anaphora. A proof system in natural deduction format is provided, and the formalism is compared with other accounts of this type of anaphora, in particular Dynamic Predicate Logic.Both authors have been supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.     

Thermal fracture analysis of orthotropic functionally graded materials using an equivalent domain integral approach

A new computational method based on the equivalent domain integral (EDI) is developed for mode I fracture analysis of orthotropic functionally graded materials (FGMs) subjected to thermal stresses. By using the constitutive relations of plane orthotropic thermoelasticity, generalized definition of the J-integral is converted to an equivalent domain integral to calculate the thermal stress intensity factor. In the formulation of the EDI approach, all the required thermomechanical properties are assumed to have continuous spatial variations through the functionally graded medium. Developed methodology is integrated into a fracture mechanics research finite element code FRAC2D using graded finite elements that possess cubic interpolation. Steady-state and transient temperature distribution profiles in orthotropic FGMs are computed using the finite elements based heat transfer analysis software HEAT2D. EDI method is validated and domain independence is demonstrated by comparing the numerical results obtained using EDI to those calculated by an enriched finite element method and to those available in the literature. Single and periodic edge crack problems in orthotropic FGMs are examined in order to study the influences of principal thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity components, relative crack length and crack periodicity on the thermal stress intensity factors. Numerical results show that among the three principal thermal expansion coefficient components, the in-plane component perpendicular to the crack axis has the most significant influence on the mode I stress intensity factor. Gradation profile of the thermal expansion coefficient parallel to the crack axis is shown to have no effect on the outcome of the fracture analysis.