Why do small business butcher shops fail to fully implement HACCP?

This study aims to assess the degree of HACCP implementation in small business butcher shops and understand which factors most influence butchers' intention to fully implement it, through the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. One hundred and one butchers managing or owning small butcher's responded to the interview regarding their Attitudes, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioural Control, Personal Norm, and Knowledge with regard to their Intention to fully implement a HACCP system in their shops. Before the interviews, a certified veterinarian visited all the shops. Visits included an inspection of the establishments using the Official Portuguese Control Plan checklist for meat retailers. Conformance level measured past performance regarding food safety practices. Based on past performance, butchers were divided into “high performers” and “low performers”. “High performers” yielded high values of Attitude and Intention towards the Behaviour. For these, Attitude and Personal Norm emerge as predictors of the Intention to fully implement a HACCP system. For “low performers”, Personal Norm was the strongest predictor of Intention, with results pointing to the need for an intervention from the authorities to promote increased conformance to food safety practices. For both groups, neither Social Norm nor Perceived Behavioural Control acted as significant predictors of Intention.     

环境中氚和碳-14

本文介绍了加拿大恰克河实验室有关氚和碳－14在环境中行为和评价的研究。     

Sicherer und wirtschaftlicher Betrieb von Kraftwerken – Ergebnis der Forschung im Bereich Werkstoffe,Auslegung und Instandhaltung

Safe and Economic Operation of Power Plants – Research Results in the Field of Materials, Design and Maintenance Components of power plants which undergo high temperatures are subjected to complex loading situations. The requirements on the used materials result from the special operation conditions of the plants and have to be adjusted to the steadily growing requirements on higher efficiency of the complete power plant as well as to those of safe and economic operation. The expenses for control and downtimes are directly connected with economic efficiency and availability. However, in case of new procedures or components it is not possible to revert to the existing know‐how. Different failure mechanisms than known before can occur. The same goes for the load situation. Therefore the knowledge base has to be extended to in‐advance or even parallely running scientific examinations that life assessment and maintenance strategies can be applied which guarantee the operational reliability and the efficiency of the plant. The main emphasis of these F&E works has to be put on condition monitoring based on actual operational data, the standard materials’ and component’s behaviour (deformation, damage and failure behaviour) in connection with design of components and the related material laws. In the framework of applied AVIF projects, following problems are handled:. – qualification of materials by determinating parameters related to practise. – optimal design of components by making available material laws and numerical tools. – economic manufacturing of components by qualifying processing methods such as welding. – The results can be transferred to concepts for safe and economic operation of power plants, especially for newly introduced materials for which there is no operational experience available.     

Résumés du congrès annuel 2007 de la SCCCSC.

Presents a collection of abstracts from the 2007 Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science (CSBBCS) Annual Meeting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

VCM／VAC共聚掺混树脂的合成及性能研究

本文介绍用特殊悬浮法合成共聚掺混树脂的方法,并讨论了粒经、掺混树脂含量等因素对糊性能的影响.结果表明,通过使用多元混合引发剂和悬浮剂及加入适量的助分散剂、界面活性剂、调粒剂等,并通过控制搅拌速率、温度等工艺条件能有效地控制粒子的粒径、粒度分布及粒子形状,从而制得具有良好性能和粒度均匀的掺混树脂;在一定的粒径范围内(25～40μm),掺混树脂的平均粒径越大,对降低糊粘度的效果越好;增加掺混树脂的含量对降低初始糊粘度更为有利,在PVC糊树脂中加入一定量的掺混树脂可降低塑化温度,缩短塑化时间,从而改善了PVC糊树脂的加工性能.     

一种基于横切特征分析的软件体系结构自动重构方法

软件体系结构中的横切关注点增加了软件体系结构的复杂性,从而加剧了体系结构演化与维护的困难.这种设计问题可以通过体系结构层面的重构来进行改善.在已有的横切特征分析方法基础上,提出了一种面向横切特征分析的体系结构自动重构方法.该方法首先基于特征与构件之间的追踪关系分析横切特征,然后将与横切特征有直接追踪关系的构件从初始体系结构中提取出来,实现方面构件,完成体系结构重构.在面向方面体系结构描述语言AO-ADL基础上开发了相应的体系结构重构工具,并针对一个业务系统进行了体系结构重构实验.实验结果表明,该方法能有效地实现体系结构横切特征的自动化重构.     

The use of pervasive sensing for behaviour profiling — a survey

With the maturity of sensing and pervasive computing techniques, extensive research is being carried out in using different sensing techniques for understanding human behaviour. An introduction to key modalities of pervasive sensing is presented. Behaviour modelling is then highlighted with a focus on probabilistic models. The survey discusses discriminative approaches as well as relevant work on behaviour pattern clustering and variability. The influence of interacting with people and objects in the environment is also discussed. Finally, challenges and new research opportunities are highlighted.     

基于多主体的消费者行为模式仿真

为了更好地探究消费者保守行为模式,发掘市场中隐含的内在机制,使用了基于多主体的模型来模拟虚拟市场中的消费者行为。通过创建大量受到动机函数驱使,并且能够交互的主体,从而来模拟市场中人们的购买决策行为,了解人们的购买决策受到哪些因素的影响。同时在主体模型的基础上,构建了抽象社会关系网络。随着市场的发展,与之对应的底层网络结构也会随之演化。由此涌现出的一些宏观群体特性,也从不同的角度合理解释了诱饵效应和锁定效应这样的消费者行为模式。证实了不同阶层的消费者消费行为模式会有所不同。     

Navigational strategies in behaviour modelling

We propose a new method that treats visible human behaviour at the level of navigational strategies. By inferring intentions in terms of known goals, it is possible to explain the behaviour of people moving around within the field of view of a video camera. The approach presented here incorporates models of navigation from within psychology which are both simple and conceptually plausible, whilst providing good results in an event-detection application. The output is in the form of statements involving goals, such as “Agent 25 went to exit 8 via sub-goals 34 and 21” for a given navigational strategy, an image representing the path through the scene, and an overall score for each trajectory. The central algorithm generates all plausible paths through the scene to known goal sites and then compares each path to the agent's actual trajectory thus finding the most likely explanation for their behaviour. Two navigational strategies are examined, shortest path and simplest path. Experimental results are presented for an outdoor car-park and an indoor foyer scene, and our method is found to produce psychologically plausible explanations in the majority of cases. We propose a novel approach to determining the effectiveness of event detection systems, and evaluate the method presented here against this new ground truth. This evaluation method uses human observers to judge the behaviour shown in various video clips, then uses these judgements in correlation with those of the software. We compare the method with a standard machine learning approach based on nearest neighbour. Finally we consider the application of such a system in a binary event-detection or behaviour filtering system.     

Dynamic changes in the use of online advice in response to task success or failure

A range of responsible gambling systems have been developed, but they are not necessarily used by consumers. This requires an understanding of factors (e.g. risk and loss) influencing response to advice. Therefore, an experiment examined the use of decisional support in response to induced success or failure. A total of 21 university students played computer Blackjack at two levels of risk, and were informed as to whether the odds were in their favour (‘card count’), and were given online advice as to card selection (Basic). Winning streaks led to overconfidence, as indicated by larger mean bets, more Basic errors, and a failure to adjust wagering upon cessation of the winning streak. Participants were more cautious in response to losses, betting less, and were more likely to comply with advice. Participants attended and complied with advice earlier at low risk, but at high risk noticed advice later and did not comply. Induced emotional states (e.g. winning or losing) are important as they influence the likelihood that people will listen to online advice. Designers of Behaviour Change Support Systems should consider methods of contingently implementing advice.