Combination Of Software Research Articles

Quality Evaluation of Grated Graviera Cheese Stored at 4 and 12°C using Active and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

AbstractThe effect of active [oxygen absorber (OA) combined with an ethanol emitter (EE)] and modified atmosphere (100% Nitrogen) packaging in combination with a high barrier experimental polyethylene terephthalate‐silicon oxides//low density polyethelene film on shelf‐life extension of grated Graviera cheese stored at 4 and 12°C was investigated. Microbiological (total viable counts, Pseudomonads, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Yeasts/Moulds), physico‐chemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid and colour) and sensory (odour and taste) changes occurring in the product were monitored as a function of treatment and storage time (10 weeks). Sensory shelf‐life was approximately 1, 1.5, 4.5, 6, 9 and at least 10 weeks for control samples (12 and 4°C), for N2 packaged samples (12 and 4°C) and samples packaged with the OA + EE (12 and 4°C), respectively. At the point of sensory rejection, yeasts and moulds increased from 2.00 to 3.60 and 5.55 log CFU/g for control samples stored at 4 and 12°C, respectively. Similarly, for samples stored under nitrogen, yeasts and moulds reached 2.00 and 2.32 log CFU/g at 4 and 12°C, respectively. Yeasts and moulds in samples with the OA + EE remained below 2 log CFU/g throughout the entire storage period, irrespective of storage temperature. pH varied between 5.72 and 6.49 depending on specific treatment. Malondialdehyde absorbance ranged between 0.05 for fresh samples and 0.79 mg/kg at the time of sensory rejection of samples. Light parameters L and b decreased while parameter a increased during storage, reflecting a gradual discolouration of all samples and especially those stored at 12°C.

Quality changes in squid (Loligo duvaucelli) tubes chilled with dry ice and water ice

Squid tubes were packed with 100% (w/w of squid) dry ice (PI), 20% dry ice and 50% water ice (PII) and 50% water ice (PIII) in polyethylene bags and store in thermocole boxes at room temperature (32 ± 2°C) for 24 h. Quality changes curing storage were studied. Lowest temperature of -30.3°C was attained in PI while it was 15-16°C in PII and PIII at 1 h of storage. The gas compositions in packages initially were 21% O2, 0.4% CO2 and 78.1% N2 in PI, PII and PIII, respectively. During storage for 24 h highest level of 82.5% CO2 was noticed in PII. Fresh squid tubes had bacterial flora of Hafnia, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Flavobacterium and Alcaligens. Hafnia constituted 74% of the flora. Alcaligenes (47%), Alteromonas (30%) and Alcaligenes (56%) were dominant in squid tubes stored in 100% dry ice, in the combination package, and in 100% water ice, respectively. Increase in total volatile base nitrogen and trimethylamine nitrogen, no definite trend in free fatty acid values in all packages while increase in pH in PI and PIII and no consistent changes in PI were noticed during storage for 24 h. The PI had lowest bacterial counts and PIII the highest. Squids stored in PI and PII were sensorily acceptable after 24 and 18 h, respectively.

An Integrated Treatment of Basil Oil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i>) and Alum with Modified Atmosphere to Control Crown Rot Disease in Embul Banana

A study was undertaken with the objective of developing environmental friendly integrated treatment strategies for controlling crown rot disease in Embul banana. The fungicidal potential of 1% alum (sodium aluminium sulphate) was observed in vitro . Findings indicate that alum+basil oil (0.16% or 0.20% v/v) treated 80, 85, 90 day mature Embul banana fruits were relatively free from crown rot disease after subjecting to modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and storage at optimum temperature. Crown rot disease severity of 85-day mature and vacuum packed 1% alum (w/v) washed banana was lower and comparable to carbendazim (bavistin) treatment. After ripening, there was no significant difference in physico-chemical properties (titratable acidity, total soluble solids, pH, fruit firmness) of all treated fruits compared to the control. Sensory properties were slightly affected as compared to untreated fruits. MAP and vaccum packaging in combination with alum and/ or basil oil spray treatments at 12-14°C could extend the storage life of Embul banana upto 32 days which could be recommended for sea shipment. Key words : Crown rot; Embul banana; Essential oils; Post harvest disease control DOI: 10.4038/tare.v12i1.1980 Tropical Agricultural Research & Extension 12(1):2009 23-30

Letter.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LetterFull AccessLetterJo C. Phelan Ph.D.Dorothy M. Castille Ph.D.Bruce G. Link Ph.D.Jo C. Phelan Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorDorothy M. Castille Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorBruce G. Link Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 May 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2010.61.5.529aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail A Case of Neutralized Findings? ReplyIn Reply: Dr. Geller wants to know whether "coercion is effective in some cases of outpatient treatment." He is disappointed that our article did not answer the question that he assumes to be the only reason for conducting a study such as ours. Dr. Geller's question is interesting but by no means the only question of importance in evaluating outpatient commitment under Kendra's Law. We begin by indicating why we cannot answer the question Dr. Geller poses and then discuss the value of what we did learn. As discussed in our article, one of the constraints on researchers who study outpatient commitment is that such research must be conducted within existing systems of treatment and criminal justice. Kendra's Law mandates both court-ordered treatment and enhanced services for individuals assigned to assisted outpatient treatment. The legislation stipulates that the interventions be delivered as a combined package. Our opportunity as researchers was to study the effects of this "package deal" by comparing individuals assigned to assisted outpatient treatment with those who were not.At the outset of our study there was substantial disagreement about the utility of outpatient commitment under Kendra's Law as it was implemented, with the full combination of legal coercion and enhanced services. Some people predicted that the policy would be harmful, whereas others were convinced that it was beneficial. Therefore, it is important to point out that our results could have been dramatically different, such that Dr. Geller would have had to critique us instead for being unable to know whether coercion is harmful in some cases of outpatient commitment. We learned something important about a real-world policy.Specifically, we learned that outpatient commitment, as enacted under Kendra's Law, was associated with less violence perpetration and suicide risk and improved illness-related social functioning. Equally important, we learned that outpatient commitment was not associated with perceived stigma or coercion among those receiving the intervention. These are things we did not know before the study was conducted, and they were not the answers that many would have predicted. Our study of Kendra's Law was largely motivated by career-long concerns over the problem of stigma associated with mental illness. We were surprised that individuals assigned to assisted outpatient treatment did not report more stigma or coercion.Dr. Geller is correct that our results neither "justify an expansion of coercion in psychiatric treatment," as we stated, nor "refute the expansion of coercion either," as he stated. However, because our results generally reflected favorably on the effects of outpatient commitment, we felt that unwarranted expansion of coercion was a more likely consequence of our publication than unwarranted constriction of coercion. This is why we chose to emphasize the former in our conclusion.No study can answer all questions. We recognize the value of disentangling the combined package of legal coercion and enhanced services. But this in no way undermines the importance of studying the success or failure of real-world policies as implemented in real-life settings with consequences for real people. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 61Issue 5 May, 2010Pages 529-530PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES May 2010 Volume 61 Number 5 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 May 2010 Published in print 1 May 2010

Multidimensional Assessment of Emerging Technologies

The Internet has changed the world in many ways. Online communications, financial and business-to-business transactions, electronic shopping, banking, and entertainment have become the norm in the digital age. The combined package of technologies that comprise the Internet—the information superhighway—have made all of this possible. The aging technological infrastructure that supports these webs of interconnected networks is being stressed to its performance limits. Recent advances in the backbone infrastructure that supports the Internet have helped alleviate some of these problems, but more challenges lie ahead for solving technology-related performance bottlenecks for many online applications, including high-definition interactive gaming. In this paper, the authors developed a technology assessment through multiple perspectives. While different components of the technology such as applications, protocols and network components are identified, other impact areas such as market and management are also evaluated. Elements of user behavior are evaluated within the market perspective. Evaluating technologies through these dimensions concurrently provides a balanced assessment among technical, economical, social and political factors.

A community-directed strategy for sustainable malaria elimination on islands: Short-term MDA integrated with ITNs and robust surveillance

In the Asia Pacific sites with low and unstable transmission, elimination should be feasible with existing tools. On Aneityum island, Vanuatu both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria were eliminated in 1991 after implementation of a combined intervention package, including mass drug administration (MDA) and insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), with high degree of community involvement. Subsequently, community-based surveillance and vector control measures have kept. By reviewing the experiences of the Aneityum project, I intended to examine the roles of community in malaria elimination. To be successful, the program should transfer major intervention components from the external donor-directed initiative to the community-directed approach. Scaling up of community involvement from simple participation to social participation, where communities involve in health planning functions is necessary from malaria control to malaria elimination.

Patterns of Service Use in Two Types of Managed Behavioral Health Care Plans

Patterns of Service Use in Two Types of Managed Behavioral Health Care Plans

Preintegration HIV-1 Inhibition by a Combination Lentiviral Vector Containing a Chimeric TRIM5α Protein, a CCR5 shRNA, and a TAR Decoy

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gene therapy offers a promising alternative approach to current antiretroviral treatments to inhibit HIV-1 infection. Various stages of the HIV life cycle including pre-entry, preintegration, and postintegration can be targeted by gene therapy to block viral infection and replication. By combining multiple highly potent anti-HIV transgenes in a single gene therapy vector, HIV-1 resistance can be achieved in transduced cells while prohibiting the generation of escape mutants. Here, we describe a combination lentiviral vector that encodes three highly effective anti-HIV genes functioning at separate stages of the viral life cycle including a CCR5 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) (pre-entry), a human/rhesus macaque chimeric TRIM5 alpha (postentry/preintegration), and a transactivation response element (TAR) decoy (postintegration). The major focus on designing this anti-HIV vector was to block productive infection of HIV-1 and to inhibit any formation of provirus that would maintain the viral reservoir. Upon viral challenge, potent preintegration inhibition of HIV-1 infection was achieved in combination vector-transduced cells in both cultured and primary CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC)-derived macrophages. The generation of escape mutants was also blocked as evaluated by long-term culture of challenged cells. The ability of this combination anti-HIV lentiviral vector to prevent HIV-1 infection, in vitro, warrants further evaluation of its in vivo efficacy.

Time-Domain Orthogonal Finite-Element Reduction-Recovery Method for Electromagnetics-Based Analysis of Large-Scale Integrated Circuit and Package Problems

A time-domain orthogonal finite-element reduction-recovery method is developed to overcome the large problem sizes encountered in the simulation of large-scale integrated-circuit and package problems. In this method, a set of orthogonal prism vector basis functions is developed. Based on this set of bases, an arbitrary 3-D multilayered system such as a combined package and die is reduced to a single-layer system with negligible computational cost. More importantly, the reduced single-layer system is diagonal and, hence, can be solved readily. From the solution of the reduced system, the solution of the other unknowns is recovered in linear complexity. The method entails no theoretical approximation. It applies to any arbitrarily shaped multilayer structure involving inhomogeneous materials or any structure that can be geometrically modeled by triangular prism elements. In addition, it permits nonlinear device modeling and broadband simulation within one run. Numerical and experimental results have demonstrated its accuracy and high capacity in simulating on-chip, package, and die-package interface problems.

Quality assessment for GPS‐supported bundle block adjustment based on aerial digital frame imagery

AbstractAccuracy and reliability are two popular indicators for assessment of the quality of aerial triangulation. This paper explores these quality indicators in relation to GPS‐supported bundle block adjustment based on aerial digital frame imagery with GPS navigation data. A set of aerial digital frame imagery, taken over hilly terrain using an SWDC‐4 area‐array digital camera made in China, was selected and used. These empirical images have superior resolution with a pixel size of 9 μm, with a ground sample distance of 10 cm and larger than traditional overlaps (80% longitudinal and 63% lateral). GPS‐supported bundle block adjustment was carried out with the WuCAPS high‐precision combined bundle block adjustment software package developed by the author. The achieved a posteriori standard deviation (rms errors of observation residuals) of the image coordinates is ±3·7 μm. The empirical accuracy of the photogrammetric point coordinates reaches ±7·1 cm for planimetry and ±4·8 cm for elevation on the ground, and the average redundancies (average components of the redundancy for one kind of observation) of the image coordinates and the camera station coordinates determined via GPS are more than 0·74 and 0·69, respectively. These results have shown that GPS‐supported aerial triangulation with aerial digital frame imagery provides higher precision and reliability; the practical height accuracy is close to its theoretical possibility; also, it avoids the use of the cross strips and lines of ground height control points on each side of the adjusted block. This not only changes the present situation, in which height accuracy is always lower than the planimetric accuracy in aerial triangulation of aerial film images, but also opens up a new prospect in which the orientation points for models for stereoplotting need not be determined by full field surveying for topographic mapping of reasonably flat terrain at medium and large scales. Therefore, this paper provides an operational basis for a broad range of applications for aerial digital imagery in national basic surveying and mapping, and the rapid production and updating of geographic information in general.

Development and testing of granular catalysts for combustors of regenerative gas turbine plants

Two types of granular catalysts for effective methane combustion in combustors of gas turbine plants (GTPs) were developed: (1) catalysts based on noble metals with a low Pd content (1–2 wt %), characterized by a low methane ignition temperature, and (2) catalysts based on manganese oxides and hexaaluminates, which have an increased thermal stability. The methane oxidation kinetics was investigated, and combustion in the catalyst chamber of the GTP was simulated. For optimizing the combustion technology, the following two-step process using a combined catalytic package is suggested. The inlet zone of the combustor is filled with a highly active Pd catalyst, which initiates methane oxidation and ensures that the temperature at the exit of this zone is the initial temperature of methane combustion. This takes place in the next zone, which is filled with an oxide catalyst tolerant to high temperatures. The pilot testing of the catalysts was carried out in a model catalytic combustor. The results are in satisfactory agreement with calculated data. Long-term tests indicate the high stability of the catalysts. The Pd catalyst was demonstrated to retain its high activity and to provide an ignition temperature of 240°C. The initial activity of the hexaaluminate-based catalysts remains unchanged after tests at 930°C. The use of a combined charge of the palladium (7–15%) and manganese (85–93%) catalysts in the model GTP combustor allows a high natural gas combustion efficiency to be achieved at a low level of hazardous emissions (NOx, 0–1 ppm; CO, 1–3 ppm; hydrocarbons, 3–10 ppm).

Using Computer-Presented Social Stories and Video Models to Increase the Social Communication Skills of Children With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computer-presented Social Stories and video models on the social communication skills of three children with High-Functioning Autism/Asperger's Syndrome (HFA/AS). Using a multiple-baseline across-participants design, computer-presented Social Stories and video models were implemented and direct observations of the participants' identified target behaviors were collected two times per week during unstructured school activities (e.g., recess). Overall, data demonstrated that the combined treatment package was effective for improving the rates of social communication for the participants, although modifications to allow access to social reinforcement were needed in two cases. In addition, all three participants demonstrated maintenance of skills at a 2-week follow-up. However, generalization of skills was only observed for one participant. This research adds evidence that a combined intervention presented via computer may be a beneficial method for remediating social skill difficulties for individuals with HFA/AS.

INFLUENCE OF VACUUM PACKAGING AND ORGANIC ACID TREATMENT ON THE CHILLED SHELF LIFE OF PEARL SPOT (ETROPLUS SURATENSIS, BLOCH 1790)

ABSTRACT The present work was carried out to study the effect of vacuum packaging and organic acids drip treatment, namely, sodium acetate and potassium sorbate (2%), on the quality of pearl spot during chilled storage (1–2C). Changes in pH, drip loss, water‐holding capacity, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA‐N), total plate counts, instrumental texture properties and sensory characteristics were investigated up to 18 days. Sensory evaluation revealed that the potassium sorbate‐ and sodium acetate‐treated vacuum‐packaged samples had good sensory characteristics up to 16 days compared with 7 days in control air packs (CAPs) and control vacuum packs (CVPs). The sensory shelf life followed the following order: CAP < CVP < sodium acetate‐treated vacuum pack < potassium sorbate‐treated vacuum pack. Chemical analysis demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in TVB‐N, TMA‐N and total plate counts, and better textural properties in potassium sorbate‐ and sodium acetate‐treated vacuum‐packaged fishes than CAPs and CVPs.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSLimited shelf life is one of the major problems the seafood industry faces today. The study compares the effect of vacuum packaging in combination with preservative chemical treatment on the shelf life of pearl spot. The study indicates that the use of chemical preservative treatments such as sodium acetate and potassium sorbate at 2% level, together with vacuum packaging, helps in extending the shelf life of pearl spot to 16 days compared with 7 days in control air packs and control vacuum packs. Hence, vacuum packaging, together with preservative treatment, is very effective in shelf‐life extension compared with vacuum packaging alone.

Reducing Wait Time in a Hospital Pharmacy to Promote Customer Service

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 2 different interventions on wait times at a hospital outpatient pharmacy: (1) giving feedback to employees about customer satisfaction with wait times and (2) giving a combined intervention package that included giving more specific feedback about actual wait times and goal setting for wait time reduction in addition to the customer satisfaction feedback. The relationship between customer satisfaction ratings and wait times was examined to determine whether wait times affected customer service satisfaction. Participants were 10 employees (4 pharmacists and 6 technicians) of an outpatient pharmacy. Wait times and customer satisfaction ratings were collected for "waiting customers." An ABCBA' within-subjects design was used to assess the effects of the interventions on both wait time and customer satisfaction, where A was the baseline (no feedback and no goal setting); B was the customer satisfaction feedback; C was the customer satisfaction feedback, the wait time feedback, and the goal setting for wait time reduction; and A' was a follow-up condition that was similar to the original baseline condition. Wait times were reduced by approximately 20%, and there was concomitant increased shift in levels of customer satisfaction, as indicated by the correlation between these variables (r = -0.57 and P < .05). Given the current prescription-filling process, we do not expect that major, additional reductions in wait times could be produced. Many variables may account for the variability in any individual customer's wait time. Data from this study may provide useful preliminary benchmarking data for standard pharmacy wait times.

Anisotropic imaging performance in breast tomosynthesis

We describe the anisotropy in imaging performance caused by oblique x-ray incidence in indirect detectors for breast tomosynthesis based on columnar scintillator screens. We use MANTIS, a freely available combined x-ray, electron, and optical Monte Carlo transport package which models the indirect detection processes in columnar screens, interaction by interaction. The code has been previously validated against published optical distributions. In this article, initial validation results are provided concerning the blur for particular designs of phosphor screens for which some details with respect to the columnar geometry are available from scanning electron microscopy. The polyenergetic x-ray spectrum utilized comes from a database of experimental data for three different anode/filter/kVp combinations: Mo/Mo at 28 kVp, Rh/Rh at 28 kVp, and W/Al at 42 kVp. The x-ray spectra were then filtered with breast tissue (3, 4, and 6 cm thickness), compression paddle, and support base, according to the oblique paths determined by the incidence angle. The composition of the breast tissue was 50%/50% adipose/glandular tissue mass ratio. Results are reported on the pulse-height statistics of the light output and on spatial blur, expressed as the response of the detector to a pencil beam with a certain incidence angle. Results suggest that the response is nonsymmetrical and that the resolution properties of a tomosynthesis system vary significantly with the angle of x-ray incidence. In contrast, it is found that the noise due to the variability in the number of light photons detected per primary x-ray interaction changes only a few percent. The anisotropy in the response is not less in screens with absorptive backings while the noise introduced by variations in the depth-dependent light output and optical transport is larger. The results suggest that anisotropic imaging performance across the detector area can be incorporated into reconstruction algorithms for improving the image quality of breast tomosynthesis. This study also demonstrates that the assessment of image quality of breast tomosynthesis systems requires a more complete description of the detector response beyond local, center measurements of resolution and noise that assume some degree of symmetry in the detector performance.

1A combined package of responsivity education/prelinguistic milieu teaching (RE/PMT) increased intentional communication acts in 2–3-year-old children with developmental disabilities and Down syndrome

1 ed from: Fey, M., Warren, S. F., Brady, N., Finestock, L. H., Bedin-Oja, S. L., Fairchild, M., et al. (2006). Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 526–547. Source of funding: Completed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and National Institute on Child Health and Human Development Center Grant.

Improvement of the Overall Quality of Table Grapes Stored under Modified Atmosphere Packaging in Combination with Natural Antimicrobial Compounds

Consumers demand new means of preservation with absence of chemicals. In this work a package was developed (thermosealed baskets) with grapes wrapped with 2 distinct films (M and P) with different permeability (medium and high, respectively) without or with the addition of a mixture of eugenol, thymol, and carvacrol. Table grapes stored on air (control) lost their quality attributes very rapidly, manifested by accelerated weight loss, color changes, softening, and increase in soluble solids concentration and titratable acidity ratio (SSC/TA). The use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) alone retarded these changes, the effects being significantly greater when essential oils were added (especially for M film), although atmospheric composition was not affected by incorporating essential oils. In addition, microbial counts (molds and yeasts and mesophilic aerobics) were drastically decreased and accompanied by lower occurrence of berry decay. Although slight odor was detected after opening the packages, absence of the typical flavor of these compounds was found by trained panelists after tasting the berries. Thus, with this safe, simple, and innovative technology, the overall quality (sensory and safety) could be improved and considered as a toll alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides.

A microsphere-surface impact model for implementation in computational fluid dynamics

Two microsphere-surface impact models have been developed for implementation with computational fluid dynamic software. The models consider either normal or oblique incidence of a microsphere with the surface. The first model includes the effects of microsphere-surface roughness, and Hertzian and adhesion damping during surface contact. The second model considers the impact of elastic–plastic sphere and a surface, with and without interface adhesion. Analytical solutions for the coefficients of restitution are presented in terms of the impact velocity and material properties. These algebraic models were validated by comparison with the experimental results of several investigators. A user-defined function representing the model was developed to interface with the commercial software package FLUENT ® . The combined modelling package's predictions were compared with high-speed digital images of microparticle contact with the surface located on the floor of a wind tunnel.

High-Altitude Testing and Evaluation of Liquid Pharmaceutical Glass and Plastic Bottles to Detect Leaks

Abstract This paper discusses the impact on package integrity of high-altitude shipments of glass and plastic bottles. High altitudes are encountered when trucks travel over mountain passes and when cargo and feeder aircraft transport packages in nonpressurized or partially pressurized cargo holds. This is the second research study conducted on liquid product shipments. The first was done on liquid hazardous material combination packaging. The testing of pharmaceutical packaging is critical since the integrity of the product may be compromised during shipping and handling. Current shipping tests performed in labs do not account for simultaneous pressure changes and vibration. This study shows that packages currently being used for shipments of liquid pharmaceuticals that are tested to existing ASTM and ISO shipping tests are often inadequate, and can result in a significant number of leakers. Testing under combined vibration and pressure is necessary to ensure integrity.

Effect of reduced pressure, vibration and orientation to simulate high altitude testing of liquid pharmaceutical glass and plastic bottles

AbstractThis paper discusses the impact of high‐altitude shipments of glass and plastic bottles on package integrity. High altitudes are encountered when trucks travel over mountain passes and when cargo and feeder aircraft transport packages in non‐pressurized or partially pressurized cargo holds. This is the second research study conducted on liquid product shipments. The first was performed on liquid hazardous material combination packaging. The testing of pharmaceutical packaging is critical since the integrity of the product may be compromised during shipping and handling. Current shipping tests performed in labs do not account for simultaneous pressure changes and vibration together. This study shows that packages currently being used for shipments of liquid pharmaceuticals that perform well when tested to existing American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Standard Organization (ISO) shipping tests are often inadequate, and can result in a significant number of leakers. Testing under combined vibration and pressure is necessary to insure integrity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.