Lawrence W. Grimes

Thermal Effects on Net Protein Ratio of Red Kidney Beans (Phaseolusvulgaris L)

Net protein ratio (NPR), predicted-protein efficiency ratio (P-PER), relative NPR (RNPR), and corrected RNPR (CRNPR) of thermally processed red kidney beans were estimated in rats and compared to in vitro protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (AAS IVDP ), and computed-protein efficiency ratio (C-PER). Thermal processing had a significant effect on protein intake, NPR, P-PER and CRNPR values of beans. Changes in protein intake suggest that heat processing had an effect on the palatability of the beans. Home-cooked beans and commercially canned beans had higher NPR values than beans autoclaved at 128°C for 20 min, while beans autoclaved at 121°C for 10-90 min had intermediate values. High correlation coefficients between P-PER and C-PER, CRNPR and C-PER, and CRNPR and AAS IVDP (r = 0.990, 0.992 and 0.960, respectively, P < 0.001)were observed.

Nitrosoheme Pigment Formation and Light Effects on Color Properties of Semidry, Nonfermented and Fermented Sausages

Development of the nitrosoheme pigment responsible for visual color properties was studied in the preparation of cured, semidry nonfermented and fermented sausages. Color stability of vacuum packaged sausages differing in pH was also evaluated during 6 weeks of light exposure, and after 6 weeks in dark storage. Total pigment conversion to nitrosoheme increased (P<0.05) during 9.75 h of fermentation at 38°C. The maximum pigment conversion attained upon heat processing to 60°C appeared dependent on prior nitrosoheme formation during fermentation. Judd-Hunter tristimulus coordinates of semidry sausages showed higher (P<0.05) initial +a (redness) values when the pH was 4.85 or 4.65 as compared to pH 5.30 or 6.00. During 6 weeks of light exposure, sausage pH, and time in display were significant factors for each color property. By the fourth and sixth weeks of light exposure, nonfermented sausages (pH 6.0) had maintained redness characteristics better than all fermented sausages (pH 5.30, 4.85, and 4.65) as shown by higher +a and lower hue angle (θ) values. After 6 weeks of light exposure or dark storage, there were no differences (P>0.05) in any color property or nitrosoheme pigment content for nonfermented sausages. However, light exposure, as compared to dark storage, altered (P<0.05) all color properties and reduced (P<0.05) the nitrosoheme pigment content for fermented sausages.

Evaluation of human performanace in a supervisory inspection task monitoring multiple hybrid inspection systems

The demand for consistent quality has led to 100% inspection using automated systems rather than the traditional sampling with human inspectors. However, these automated systems cannot adapt to novel situations to meet the required performance without human intervention. The need for costeffective and superior inspection performance has resulted in hybrid systems in which the functions are allocated depending on the capabilities of humans and machines. With the increasing availability of computer technology due to decreased costs and size, the role of humans in inspection systems is changing from that of a continuous “online” inspector to that of a supervisor of multiple tasks. This study uses a computer-based visual inspection simulator to investigate the role of the human as a supervisor in inspection systems, with the main focus on the effect of performance of one hybrid inspection system on human decision to intervene in another system to optimize the inspection performance.

Identifying Areas for Substantial Variance Reduction Using Experimental Design

Efforts toward continuous quality improvement frequently are translated on the shop floor into reducing the variation in some measurement of the product. Far too often, those tasked with this objective really do not know where to begin looking for the k..