bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences on the provision of work–life benefits: Management and employee perspectives
Authors: Abbott Jacqui , Cieri Helen De
Published: November 2010

As several previous studies have shown, the provision of work–life benefits (WLB) varies between organisations; while some organisations provide a comprehensive range of WLB, others do not. Our research aims to identify and examine the influences on the provision of WLB in an organisation. Recognising the potential for different goals and agenda, we propose that it is necessary to understand the perspectives of WLB held by managers and by employees. To inform our research, we have drawn upon the complementary theoretical bases of strategic choice theory, stakeholder theory and the resource-based view of the firm. Using multiple methods of data collection and including management and employee perspectives, qualitative case studies were undertaken with two Australian subsidiaries of large multinational firms. We develop and refine a framework that identifies the influences on the provision of WLB. This framework is a useful guide for researchers and practitioners seeking to understand and manage WLB.
The paradox of a legend: A visual ethnography of Harley-Davidson in Australia
Authors: Schembri Sharon
Published: November 2010

Consumption, especially high profile brand consumption, implicates our identities. More than that, brand consumption connects our lives to others through shared lifestyle expressions to the extent that subcultures of consumption emerge. However, as this work shows, the meaning of particular consumption objects or brands cannot be assumed. Using visual ethnography, this study describes the experiential meaning of the legendary Harley-Davidson to owners and riders in Australia. For more than three years, fieldwork was conducted primarily from within a chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) and included participant observation, interviews, and visual documentation of the Harley-Davidson experience. The findings show the Australian Harley-Davidson experience to be a postmodern paradox. As an iconic American brand with a rebellious image, Harley-Davidson is readily embraced in this Australian subculture of consumption. Also, despite the widely assumed deviancy of those on a Harley-Davidson, the Australian HOG subculture is shown to uphold mainstream values in a family-friendly environment. Moreover, as an iconic symbol of freedom, this experience is achieved through regulation and organization. This work also shows the act of consuming Harley-Davidson creates the experiential meaning and postmodern spectacle that demands attention. In effect, consumers become producers in co-constructing the postmodern paradox of the (Australian) Harley-Davidson experience.
Tension at the interface: Exploring employee deviation
Authors: Kennedy Monica , Corliss Michael
Published: November 2010

An exploratory study of workplace experience in the public sector investigated the tension that employees face in their attempts to meet both organisational and customer expectations. This paper provides an illustration of participant experience that describes: the sense of justice that drove their actions; the innovations that resulted from attempts to fulfil the psychological contract with the customer; and the protection of what employees perceived to be their own and their workmates' deviant behaviour. The ethic that emerged locally through employee–customer interaction and which framed employee decision-making in this study resulted from the role conflict that emerged when the organisation's focus on a consistent application of the rules confronted customers' diverse and pressing need for treatment as individual human beings at the organisational boundary.
Pedagogical learnings for management education: Developing creativity and innovation
Authors: Kerr Cheryl , Lloyd Cathryn
Published: November 2010

This paper argues that management education needs to consider a trend in learning design which advances creative learning through an alliance with art-based pedagogical processes. A shift is required from skills training to facilitating transformational learning through experiences that expand human potential, facilitated by artistic processes.

This creative learning focus stems from a qualitative and quantitative analysis of an arts-based intervention for management development, called Management Jazz, conducted over three years at a large Australian University.

The paper reviews some of the salient literature in the field, including an ‘Artful Learning Wave Trajectory’ Model. The Model considers four stages of the learning process: capacity, artful event, increased capability, and application/action to produce product. Methodology for the field-based research analysis of the intervention outcomes is presented. Three illustrative examples of arts-based learning are provided from the Management Jazz program. Finally, research findings indicate that artful learning opportunities enhance capacity for awareness of creativity in one's self and in others, leading, through a transformative process, to enhanced leaders and managers. The authors conclude that arts-based management education can enhance creative capacity and develop managers and leaders for the 21st century business environment.
Realizing the artful in management education and development: Smoldering examples from the Burning Man Project
Authors: Hoover J Duane
Published: November 2010

The concept of artful management education and development is applied to the Burning Man Project. The unique social routine of the Burning Man community is highlighted, including an explanation of the 10 cultural Guiding Principles embraced by that community. Various ways the identity of ‘Burner’ manifests are used to examine how the smoldering potential of shared community can be transformed into managerial practices and organizational frameworks that facilitate positive learning and lasting individual change. The paper concludes with illustrations and examples from the author's personal experiences with specific techniques used in conducting the annual Burning Man event.
Directing creativity: The art and craft of creative leadership
Authors: Ibbotson Piers , Darsø Lotte
Published: November 2010

In this article we will argue that leaders facing complex challenges can learn from the arts, specifically that leaders can learn by examining how theatre directors direct creativity through creative constraints. We suggest that perceiving creativity as a boundary phenomenon is helpful for directing it. Like leaders who are caught in paradoxical situations where they have to manage production and logistics simultaneously with making space for creativity and innovation, theatre directors need to find the delicate balance between, on the one hand, renewal of perceptions, acting and interaction and on the other, getting ready for the opening night. We conclude that the art of directing creativity is linked to developing competencies of conscious presence, attention and vigilance, whereas the craft of directing creativity concerns communication, framing and choice.
Case Study: Art and business for European identity: Illustrating meaningful evolutions in business through classical masterpieces of music
Authors: Kerr Cheryl , Darso Lotte
Published: November 2010

We end this special issue with a case study (Darsø 2004) of how Miha Pogacnik, virtuoso violinist and cultural ambassador of Slovenia, works to inspire and engage artful behaviour. Miha's interpretations of musical masterpieces illuminate universal human archetypes, which are profoundly meaningful to individuals as well as to organisations.

Music reaches of all the arts the most, the deepest into our experience.

Miha Pogacnik

At a time when pressures for change are at their highest, from globalisation, new technologies, product and process innovations, successful business leaders need to be at their creative best just to survive. Creativity is the hallmark of art, and artists are increasingly a source of inspiration for entrepreneurs world-wide.

Miha Pogacnik's unique contribution stems from this new consciousness, the need for creativity, imagination and perfection in business. Time after time, his input in countless business conferences has been magnificent, unexpected and unique. Through music and art, Miha Pogacnik ignites a new force in us, the power of rising above our old selves in perceiving problems and opportunities in an entirely new light, and thus striking in new directions. Miha is truly at the leading edge of business as we move towards the 21st century.

Marcello Palazzi, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Progressio Foundation Rotterdam, Netherlands (Balough 1996)

Miha Pogacnik saw the potential of Art & Business long before anyone else and has worked in the field for more than 20 years. Today Miha Pogacnik uses his violin to decompose and play classical masterpieces when doing his presentations around the world as a business consultant with, among others, ABN AMRO Bank, General Electric, JP Morgan, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, LEGO, Mitsubishi, Nike, Nokia, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, Shell, Volvo, World Bank, World Economic Forum, and many more.
Audience response systems as a data collection method in organizational research
Authors: McCarter Matthew W , Caza Arran
Published: November 2010

Audience responses systems are electronic devices allowing audience interaction and they are increasingly being used in educational and business settings to enhance various pedagogical and practical processes. This paper discusses how ARS technology may be used as a method of collecting data for research purposes. Specifically, this paper demonstrates ARS technology's potential utility by duplicating findings from two organisational studies, it discusses how ARS technology may be used to address three prevalent data collection problems, and it suggests how ARS technology may provide scholars with increased access to certain organisational settings, as well as greater integration between research and service activities.
Perspectives of strategic thinking: From controlling chaos to embracing it
Authors: Fairholm Matthew R , Card Michael
Published: November 2010

There is an increasing focus in today's organization on measuring results and calculating return on investment. Efforts of administrators today to control organizational endeavors are essential and generally aligned with current best practices. Control mechanisms, however, ultimately prove to be only part of the puzzle. Strategic planning, encompassing such activities as planning, performance measurement, program budgeting, and the like, has proven to be very useful but limited. It is a technical fix that gets at only part of the question of organizational effectiveness and only deals with some organizational dilemmas. In the face of such realities, the notion of strategic thinking emerges to fill the gaps and overcome the limitations that experience with strategic planning has proven to exhibit. This paper presents an integration of leadership ideas, strategic thinking and traditional planning activities in an effort to make important connections and important distinctions.
An empirical investigation of sexual harassment and work engagement: Surprising differences between men and women
Authors: Cogin Julie Ann , Fish Alan
Published: November 2010

Research has demonstrated the growing prevalence of sexual harassment (SH) across continents, industries and occupations as well as the associated negative outcomes (Glomb et al. 1999). Not surprisingly, job satisfaction is one of the job-related variables that is frequently investigated in the SH literature, with Lapierre et al. (2005) meta-analytically establishing that SH significantly diminishes job satisfaction. Other studies have argued, however, that ‘satisfied’ employees do not necessarily perform to the best of their abilities (Crossman & Abou-Zaki 2003) and that work engagement is a better construct to understand what makes employees ‘go the extra mile’ (Hallgerg & Schaufeli 2006; Buckingham & Coffman 1999). This study, conducted in Australia, adopted the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (Schaufeli et al. 2002a), as an empirical gauge of the construct ‘work engagement’ and the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (Fitzgerald et al. 1988) to measure SH. A strong negative relationship was established in addition to significant differences in the SH experiences of men and women.
(Post)bureaucratic organizational practices and the production of racioethnic inequality at work
Authors: Siebers Hans
Published: November 2010

Explanations of racioethnic inequality in organizations highlight the role of stereotypes, prejudices, biases, and discrimination in the production of such inequality. However, little is known about the impact that regular organizational practices have, either curbing or exacerbating racioethnic inequality at work. This paper argues that bureaucratic practices curb while post-bureaucratic practices exacerbate racioethnic inequality. First, this paper shows that unequal access to career advancements and payment between majority and minority employees of the Dutch national tax administration is partly due to the prevalence of post-bureaucratic ways of labour control. Second, linked to forms of labour control, post-bureaucratic ways of organizing the primary process also contribute to the production of such racioethnic inequality. Regarding both labour control and the structuring of the primary process, minority employees have an interest in the application of bureaucratic concepts that limit the space for stereotypes, prejudices, biases, and discrimination whereas post-bureaucratic concepts amplify this space.
Undergraduate management education: Its place, purpose and efforts to bridge the skills gap
Authors: Jackson Denise
Published: November 2010

Australian business graduates are deemed by industry as not being ‘job ready’ (BCA 2006; BIHECC 2007), lacking the skills required to successfully apply disciplinary knowledge and add value to our globalised, knowledge economy. There exists a lack of empirical evidence and professional input for business schools on profiling the attributes valued by industry. This is especially true for those majoring in management who are consistently overshadowed by their more commercially attractive postgraduate counterparts. In a bid to satisfy industry demands, the most common response among Australian business schools are the development of employability skills and enhanced involvement of industry professionals in curricula content and design, both subject to potential failings and criticism. This review of business school efforts to bridge the skills gap also examines the role, function and impact of undergraduate management education, a research area significantly overlooked in recent years.
Predicting different commitment components: The relative effects of how career development HRM practices are perceived
Authors: Bambacas Mary , Bordia Prashant
Published: November 2010

Organizations today expect employees to manage their own career development although some will provide extra opportunities. We do not know exactly how career self-management impacts on employees' organizational commitment in terms of affective, normative and continuance components. This paper is based on the model of organizational commitment put forward by Meyer and Allen (1997). We propose that organizational HRM and career self-management influence employee perceptions (such as perceived support) and the three components of commitment in different ways. Data from 196 managers showed that organizational career development (OCD) practices, were positively related to employee perceptions and the three components of commitment. On the other hand, career self-management was negatively correlated with normative commitment. These results have implications for the career development alternatives that organizations provide to employees.
Organizational control: Restrictive or productive?
Authors: Seeck Hannele , Kantola Anu
Published: November 2010

Organizational control is conventionally – from a critical stance – viewed as a negative and restrictive phenomenon, which in one way or another subjugates workers. In this theoretical paper, we argue that organizational control is often based on a particular understanding of power; an understanding that views power as repressive, equating it with domination and subjugation while paying little attention to its productive function. We question what the implications for understanding organizational control would be if we were also to see power as productive. We contend that the Foucauldian notions of pastoral power, disciplinary power, and governmentality can be used together through the concept of regime of practices to enrich our understanding of the workings of organizational control. We thus delineate an analytical framework for the study of organizational control based on an open-ended investigation of the regimes of control in local settings.
Collective expertise: Ways of organizing expert work in collective settings
Authors: Koivunen Niina
Published: November 2010

Two gaps appear in the theory of ‘expertise’: expert work as an individual endeavor; and, researchers and managers understanding little of expert practice. To bridge these gaps, ‘collective expertise’ can describe ways of organizing professional expert work in collective settings. This study analyzes ‘collective expertise’ in three Scandinavian cases using ethnographic methods: a product development process at Volvo; a description of computer programmers' work; and an analysis of nano physicists' organizing practices. The empirical results are used to build a ‘collective expertise’ theory, based on seven factors identified as contributing to collective expertise: concrete work routines, minimal structure, generosity and gift giving, narratives and story-telling, aesthetic capabilities, room for individuality, and mixed practice zone.
13-month climatology of the aerosol hygroscopicity at the free tropospheric site Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.)
Authors: Kammermann L. , Gysel M. , Weingartner E. , Baltensperger U.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. A hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) was operated at the high-alpine site Jungfraujoch in order to characterize the hygroscopic diameter growth factors of the free tropospheric Aitken and accumulation mode aerosol. More than ~5000 h of valid data were collected for the dry diameters D0 = 35, 50, 75, 110, 165, and 265 nm during the 13-month measurement period from 1 May 2008 through 31 May 2009. No distinct seasonal variability of the hygroscopic properties was observed. Annual mean hygroscopic diameter growth factors (D/D0) at 90% relative humidity were found to be 1.34, 1.43, and 1.46 for D0 = 50, 110, and 265 nm, respectively. This size dependence can largely be attributed to the Kelvin effect because corresponding values of the hygroscopicity parameter κ are nearly independent of size. The mean hygroscopicity of the Aitken and accumulation mode aerosol at the free tropospheric site Jungfraujoch was found to be κ≈0.24 with little variability throughout the year. The impact of Saharan dust events, a frequent phenomenon at the Jungfraujoch, on aerosol hygroscopicity was shown to be negligible for D0<265 nm. Thermally driven injections of planetary boundary layer (PBL) air, particularly observed in the early afternoon of summer days with convective anticyclonic weather conditions, lead to a decrease of aerosol hygroscopicity. However, the effect of PBL influence is not seen in the annual mean hygroscopicity data because the effect is small and those conditions (weather class, season and time of day) with PBL influence are relatively rare. Aerosol hygroscopicity was found to be virtually independent of synoptic wind direction during advective weather situations, i.e. when horizontal motion of the atmosphere dominates over thermally driven convection. This indicates that the hygroscopic behavior of the aerosol observed at the Jungfraujoch can be considered representative of the lower free troposphere on at least a regional if not continental scale.
HFC-152a and HFC-134a emission estimates and characterization of CFCs, CFC replacements, and other halogenated solvents measured during the 2008 ARCTAS campaign (CARB phase) over the South Coast Air Basin of California
Authors: Barletta B. , Nissenson P. , Meinardi S. , Dabdub D. , Rowland F. , VanCuren R. A. , Pederson J. , Blake D. R.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. This work presents results from the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) study. Whole air samples were obtained on board research flights that flew over California during June 2008 and analyzed for selected volatile organic compounds, including several halogenated species. Samples collected over the South Coast Air Basin of California (SoCAB), which includes much of Los Angeles (LA) County, were compared with samples from inflow air masses over the Pacific Ocean. The levels of many halocarbon species were enhanced significantly over the SoCAB, including compounds regulated by the Montreal Protocol and subsequent amendments (e.g., enhancements of 13 pptv and 11 pptv for CFC-11 and CFC-12, respectively). Emissions estimates of HFC-152a (0.98±0.05 Gg) and HFC-134a (1.40±0.11 Gg) in LA County for 2008 were obtained using the observed HFC:CO enhancement ratio. The emission rates were extrapolated to the SoCAB (1.48±0.07 Gg for HFC-152a and 2.12±0.17 Gg for HFC-134a) and US (30.1±1.5 Gg for HFC-152a and 43.0±3.4 Gg for HFC-134a) using population data. In addition, emission rates of the two HFCs in LA County and SoCAB also were calculated by a second method that utilizes air quality modeling. Estimates obtained using both methods agree well.
Characterizing the structure of nonlinear systems using gradual wavelet reconstruction
Authors: Keylock C. J.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. In this paper, classical surrogate data methods for testing hypotheses concerning nonlinearity in time-series data are extended using a wavelet-based scheme. This gives a method for systematically exploring the properties of a signal relative to some metric or set of metrics. A signal continuum is defined from a linear variant of the original signal (same histogram and approximately the same Fourier spectrum) to the exact replication of the original signal. Surrogate data are generated along this continuum with the wavelet transform fixing in place an increasing proportion of the properties of the original signal. Eventually, chaotic or nonlinear behaviour will be preserved in the surrogates. The technique permits various research questions to be answered and examples covered in the paper include identifying a threshold level at which signals or models for those signals may be considered similar on some metric, analysing the complexity of the Lorenz attractor, characterising the differential sensitivity of metrics to the presence of multifractality for a turbulence time-series, and determining the amplitude of variability of the Hölder exponents in a multifractional Brownian motion that is detectable by a calculation method. Thus, a wide class of analyses of relevance to geophysics can be undertaken within this framework.
Radon signals at the Roded site, Southern Israel
Authors: Steinitz G. , Piatibratova O.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. Temporal variations of radon in the geological environment (upper crust) are frequent and recognized as unique in terms of the signals encountered and for the lack of substantial and generally applicable explanations. The phenomena observed at the Roded site, located in arid southern Israel, illustrate this situation. The monitoring of radon in the last 10 years or more has been carried out in massive meta-diorite of the Precambrian basement block of Roded. The measurement is conducted using an alpha detector at a resolution of 15-min, placed in a borehole at a depth of 9 m, within a PVC casing to that depth. Systematic temporal variation patterns, manifested as large relative signals are composed of sub-diurnal (SDR) radon, multi-day (MD) and annual (AR) signals. The overall variation is dominated by the intense SDR signals which occur in some days, and may vary from background levels (5 counts or less) to peak values (attaining >1000 counts) and back to background at an interval of 6 to 12 h. Intervals of up to several tens of days without significant SDR signals interchange with times of intense daily occurrences of such signals. Their occurrence indicates very fast variations of radiation from radon at the point of measurement. The peak times, within the diurnal 24-h cycle of SDR signals occur preferentially at an interval of 14–16 h (UT+2). Spectral analysis indicates: (a) A diurnal periodicity composed of a primary 24-h and a secondary 12-h periodicity, which are attributed to the solar tide constituents S1 and S2. Tidal constituents indicative for gravity tide (O1, M2) are lacking; (b) An annual periodicity. A compound relation among the diurnal and annual periodicity is indicated by: (a) Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) analysis shows an overall annual structure with a modulation of the S1 and S2 periodicities; (b) Moving-time-window Fourier spectral analysis showing that the amplitudes of S1 and S2 vary in an annual pattern, with relatively high values in summer. The phase of S1, S2 and S3 shows a systematic multi-year variation. It is suggested that the significant signatures of the periodic phenomena and their modulations reflect a direct link with the solar radiation tide.
Introduction to Vibrational Spectroscopy in Food Science
Authors: Li‐Chan Eunice C.Y.
Published: November 2010

A growing recognition of the tremendous potential of vibrational spectroscopic techniques by food scientists over the past few decades has fuelled an exponential growth in the scientific literature describing research that involves the use of near‐infrared, mid‐infrared and/or Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of food systems. This chapter highlights some of the myriad applications of vibrational spectroscopy conducted to meet a diverse range of analytical needs in food science. For example, vibrational spectroscopic techniques, in conjunction with various chemometric tools, are being applied for the determination of food or beverage composition, authentication, or adulteration, the assessment and prediction of quality and process‐induced changes, and the detection of chemical or microbiological contaminants related to food safety. Applications in basic research have contributed to a better understanding of the chemical, functional, sensory, and textural properties of food. With ongoing advances in the technology and an increasing level of sophistication and expertise of users familiar with the potential advantages and challenges of these techniques, the future is promising for emergent innovative applications of vibrational spectroscopy in the areas of quality assurance, process control, and food safety management, and for fundamental research in food science.
The Role of ConfocalRaman Spectroscopy in Food Science
Authors: Pudney Paul D.A. , Hancewicz Thomas M.
Published: November 2010

This chapter outlines why confocal Raman has developed into a tool that can offer unique insights into food science. It shows how the inherent strengths of Raman spectroscopy of chemical specificity and structural sensitivity can be exploited on the micron length scale. It covers the essentials elements of how a confocal Raman microscope system works. This is followed by a practical description of the way in which a confocal Raman system should be used and also how to avoid some of the common pitfalls, especially with regard to depth resolution. Raman spectra can contain a mass of information and, in order to fully use this, considerable effort needs to put into data analysis. Appropriate methodologies are discussed in some detail with discussion on the strategies one can employ, with enlightening examples to show practically the results that can be obtained.
Chemical Changes During Freezing and Frozen Storage of Fish Investigated by Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Carmona Pedro , Sánchez‐Alonso Isabel , Careche Mercedes
Published: November 2010

Chemical and structural analyses of deteriorative changes occurring upon freezing and frozen storage can provide an essential framework for understanding the molecular mechanisms of loss of fish quality. Raman and infrared spectroscopies have proven to be useful tools to study composition and structural changes in solid and liquid food systems, with the importance advantage of analyzing samples in situ. Therefore we review, in this chapter, the current knowledge of the applications of these techniques from the said point of view, and with the aim of helping in the design of strategies for prolonging storage life, process optimization, and quality control of fish and fish products.
The Potential of Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopy for Monitoring Changes in Polysaccharides and Other Carbohydrates during Processing
Authors: Coimbra Manuel A. , Nunes Alexandra , Barros António S. , Delgadillo Ivonne
Published: November 2010

This chapter describes some of the state‐of‐the‐art applications of mid‐IR spectroscopy in tandem with chemometric tools for diagnosing changes in polysaccharides and other carbohydrates during processing. Following a brief review on the use of mid‐IR spectroscopy and chemometric tools for analysis of carbohydrates and polysaccharides, three main areas of the application of infrared spectroscopy in food analysis are highlighted: (i) the distinction of pectic polysaccharides by their degree of esterification, (ii) the classification of carbohydrates, and (iii) the quantification of carbohydrates. To illustrate how the changes in polysaccharides may be followed by mid‐IR spectroscopy, examples of the analyses of cell wall polysaccharides of olives during processing to table olives and cell wall polysaccharide extracts of a sun‐dried processed pear are presented. They exemplify the advantage of FT‐IR spectroscopy as a rapid, versatile, and sensitive tool for elucidating the structure, physical properties, and interactions of carbohydrates. Furthermore, when coupled with the appropriate chemometric tools, it allows a wider application in the agro‐food industry, potentially providing low‐cost approaches and allowing the study of ever‐increasing complex systems.
The Analysis of Wheat by Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Williams Phil
Published: November 2010

At the last count around 2005, the bibliography of publications on near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) numbered between 30 000 and 40 000. Many of these papers, too many to summarize in a single chapter, concerned applications of NIRS to wheat. Applications to small grains, including wheat, have recently been summarized by Delwiche. This chapter is restricted to applications in the wheat industry, many of which are currently being used. It outlines the principal features of the industry and describes the main factors that affect the use of NIRS for the analysis of a very complicated commodity. Wheat was one of the very earliest commodities to which NIRS was applied and is, ironically, one of the easiest commodities to work with. This chapter also introduces some novel methods for future application.
The Analysis of Rice by Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Himmelsbach David S.
Published: November 2010

Since rice is such an import food crop, it has received considerable investigation by vibrational spectroscopic as well as other techniques. The uses of near‐infrared, mid‐infrared, and Raman spectroscopies in that regard are reviewed here for assessing the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of rice.
Vibrational Spectroscopy Techniques in the Quality Assessment of Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Polshin Evgeny , Lammertyn Jeroen , Nicolaï Bart M.
Published: November 2010

Fruits and vegetables play an important role in the human diet worldwide. Safety and quality are important considerations for the purchase and consumption of fresh raw products. Since the consumers increasingly insist on a very high fruit and vegetable quality nowadays, it is also necessary to provide information about the origin and traceability of these products. One of the alternatives to traditional wet chemistry and human evaluation strategies, which allow quality assessment and control of fruits and vegetables, is vibrational spectroscopy. During the last decade, several vibrational spectroscopic methods have been developed, and have become more widely adopted by the agricultural and food sectors. These methods offer the possibility to rapidly measure several properties of the sample with minimal sample preparation and often to perform nondestructive quality evaluation. In this chapter, an overview of near‐infrared, mid‐infrared, and Raman spectrometries and infrared thermography is given for use in measuring quality attributes of horticultural produce.
Applications of Vibrational Spectroscopy to the Analysis of Fish and Other Aquatic Food Products
Authors: Uddin Musleh , Okazaki Emiko
Published: November 2010

Nowadays, people have come to realize the importance of fish and seafood in their diet. Various studies and researches have proved that the best sources of good fats, vitamins, and minerals to promote good health can actually be found in different seafoods. However, the quality of fish and fishery products has always been difficult to define, and is typically based on the general perception of the consumer evaluating the product. With increasing globalization of fishery product sales, processors, consumers, and regulatory officials have been seeking rapid and reliable methods for determining the authenticity, freshness as well as quality of these products. During the last decade spectroscopic techniques have become established as one of the more important and powerful tools of modern industrial analysis; This includes the use of these techniques in the food sector, especially for on‐line, in‐line or at‐line analysis. In the seafood industry, vibrational spectroscopy is the most widely used technique for quantitative and qualitative analysis of fish and related products. Here, we have summarized the latest practical vibrational spectroscopic techniques for assessing, measuring, and predicting the quality of fish and other seafood.
Applications of Vibrational Spectroscopy to the Analysis of Polysaccharide and Hydrocolloid Ingredients
Authors: Choi Siu‐Mei , Yuen Sze‐Nga , Phillips David Lee , Ma Ching‐Yung
Published: November 2010

The applications of vibrational spectroscopy to study the structure of polysaccharide and hydrocolloid ingredients are presented. Vibrational spectroscopy, including infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies, has been used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of starches and other polysaccharide ingredients. Some structural characteristics of starch and nonstarch polysaccharides have been studied using various vibrational spectroscopic techniques. The degree of substitution (DS) in modified polysaccharides can also be determined by IR and Raman spectroscopy, replacing the traditional wet chemistry procedure. Vibrational spectroscopy has also been used to determine protein structural characteristics and to monitor conformational changes under different buffer conditions. Conformation is an important parameter affecting the functional properties of protein hydrocolloids, and extensive conformational changes may occur during food processing and interactions with other food ingredients. Fourier transform (FT)–mid‐IR spectroscopy has been used to obtain information on protein structure and protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions. The extent of modification in modified food proteins and the effect of these modifications on protein conformation have been monitored by Raman spectroscopy. These modified polysaccharide and protein hydrocolloids, with enhanced gelling, thickening, and emulsifying properties, are important hydrocolloid ingredients for a wide variety of food products.
The Application of Surface‐EnhancedRaman Spectroscopy to Identify and Quantify Chemical Adulterants or Contaminants in Foods
Authors: Lin Mengshi
Published: November 2010

SERS is a rapid and sensitive technique that requires minimum sample preparation for testing. SERS has gained much attention in recent years due to its high sensitivity, which can potentially reach the ppb level. Coupled with novel nanomaterials, SERS provides greatly enhanced Raman signals from analyte molecules that have been adsorbed onto the surface on an appropriate SERS‐active substrate. SERS is being increasingly used in detecting chemical adulterants and contaminants in foods, food ingredients, and animal feed. This chapter provides an overview on current efforts to use SERS to detect and measure melamine and its analogues, veterinary drugs, and pesticides in model systems or real food products.
Investigating Food Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms by Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Lu Xiaonan , Rasco Barbara
Published: November 2010

Mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) spectroscopy (4000–400 cm−1) has great potential for determining biochemical properties of microbes that are important to food quality and safety. For example, rapid and precise measurements of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms present in food are possible, thanks to recent advances in detector technology and multivariate analysis. With mid‐IR spectrometry it is possible to determine compositional properties of bacterial cell membranes, providing useful information about the genotype as well as phenotypical characteristics. In general, the most significant spectral regions for evaluation are Amide I (∼1650 cm−1), Amide II (∼1540 cm−1), polysaccharide (1200–900 cm−1), nucleic acid (∼1240 and ∼1080 cm−1), and certain lipid features, such as ω‐cyclic fatty acids (∼2929 cm−1). Much research has been conducted to discriminate and quantify the specific microorganisms using this technique since the 1990s. In this chapter, we review recent work focusing on standardizing chemometric‐processing steps, investigations of bacterial biofilms, spore characterization, microbial injury, and bacterial growth. Advantages and disadvantages of the application of IR spectral techniques for microbiological research are also presented.
Regulatory Considerations in Applying Vibrational Spectroscopic Methods for Quality Control
Authors: Baeten Vincent , Fernández Pierna Juan Antonio , Dehareng Frédéric , Sinnaeve Georges , Dardenne Pierre
Published: November 2010

Much work remains to be done in order to ascertain the role of vibrational spectroscopic techniques in quality control in the context of accreditation and official control. Apart from some recent initiatives, the number of vibrational spectroscopic methods being used in this context is relatively small compared with their use in other daily control procedures. The first section of this chapter summarizes some of the key regulations related to official controls and feed and their implication in the application of the vibrational spectroscopic techniques to official control. The next section presents the general guidelines for the adequate application of spectroscopic methods in feed quality controls and the use of vibrational spectroscopy methods in proficiency tests. Two examples, using infrared spectroscopy, have been selected. One example shows its use for raw milk analysis and payment in Belgium; the second example concerns the control in the feed sector with meat and bone meal detection.
Authentication and Traceability of Agricultural and Food Products Using Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Vermeulen Philippe , Fernández Pierna Juan Antonio , Abbas Ouissam , Dardenne Pierre , Baeten Vincent
Published: November 2010

Various labels are designed to help preserve quality food products coming from particular geographical areas and protect consumers against imitations and false information. Traceability is an essential tool to enhance trader and consumer confidence in the safety, quality, and authenticity of the food. It also helps the regulatory authorities to detect fraud and dangerous substances. Traceability with regard to authenticity issues can be interpreted as verifying the product labels, tracing the origin of food, or confirming the presence of ingredients claimed to be in that food. Scientific research in this area is focused mainly on developing analytical methods to authenticate the geographical origin of food, and also to monitor possible changes in food properties during storage, distribution, and up to the point of retail sale (i.e., degradation and aging over time). The use of vibrational spectroscopy (near‐infrared, mid‐infrared, and Raman) in traceability helps in authenticating the geographical origin, the variety/species origin, and the production process of food and feed products. In this chapter, several examples are discussed to illustrate the high potential of vibrational spectroscopy to tackle authenticity challenges. Some applications are also presented to interpret and translate the analytical results into specifications useful for the food processing industry and the consumer.
Biodesulfurization
Authors: Grossman M.
Published: November 2010

Removal of organic sulfur from crude oil derived fuels is a large‐scale refinery operation that adds significantly to the cost of motor vehicle fuels. This is accomplished by hydrodesulfurization (HDS), a process that converts organic sulfur into hydrogen sulfide using high temperature and hydrogen pressure. To meet the increasingly more stringent regulations on the sulfur content of fuels, more severe and hence more costly HDS operating conditions are required. Biodesulfurization has been viewed as a potentially more cost‐effective alternative to HDS because of the inherently mild conditions at which biological systems operate. Both reductive and oxidative approaches to biodesulfurization have been explored and both have received some level of success. Evaluation of these approaches has shown that selectivity for sulfur, substrate range, and reaction rate are of particular importance for effective desulfurization of fuels. Of the possible candidate systems, the sulfur selective oxidative pathway has emerged as the most promising approach. This pathway involves the selective and sequential oxidation of the sulfur moiety followed by hydrolytic cleavage of the remaining carbon–sulfur bond. Significant progress has been made on understanding the enzymology and genetics of this system. The desulfurization of a wide range of model compounds as well as a variety of fuel oils has been demonstrated. Although the potential exists for application of this technology to fuels desulfurization, perhaps more promising are applications in chemical synthesis.
Catalyst Characterization – Heterogeneous
Authors: Knözinger Helmut , Taglauer Edmund
Published: November 2010

Physical and chemical properties of solid catalysts critically determine their performance. This review summarizes the techniques which permit analysis and determination of these properties. The physical principle and the potential of each technique is briefly discussed and characteristic examples are given. The techniques mentioned include those for determining surface area and porosity, x‐ray diffraction and absorption, electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, vibrational spectroscopies (infrared and Raman), nonlinear optical spectroscopy, neutron diffraction and inelastic scattering, nuclear spectroscopy (spectroscopies and nuclear magnetic resonance), electron spectroscopy (Auger and photoelectron spectroscopy), ion scattering spectroscopy, optical absorption and luminescence spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and thermoanalytical methods. The review concludes with a brief description of the determination of mechanical strength of solid catalysts.
Hydrogenation – Homogeneous
Authors: Oro Luis A.
Published: November 2010

Homogeneous hydrogenation constitutes an important synthetic procedure and is one of the most extensively studied reactions of homogeneous catalysis. A very large number of soluble metal complexes, usually derived from transition metals, are active catalyst under very mild conditions. Detailed mechanistic studies have now firmly established reaction pathways for some hydrogenation catalysts such as the Wilkinson's catalyst, RhCl(P(C6H5)3)3, and rhodium and iridium catalyst precursors of formula [M(diene)2L2]+or [Ir(diene)(py)(PCy3)]+, usually known as Crabtree's catalyst; other well‐known examples are RuHCl(P(C6H5)3)3and OsHCl(CO)(P(i‐C3H7)3)2complexes. Homogeneous hydrogenation reactions have found important applications. One of the most important developments of homogeneous catalysis is the synthesis of optically active compounds by asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral substrates. On the other hand, transfer hydrogenation, where the addition of hydrogen to an unsaturated substrate is provided by a donor molecule, can be considered as a viable alternative and complement to the classical reduction reactions with molecular hydrogen. The catalysts are usually late transition metal complexes with bidentate nitrogen ligands or tertiary phosphine ligands.
Hydrogenation—Homogeneous
Authors: Oro Luis A. , Carmona Daniel
Published: November 2010

The homogeneous hydrogenation of CC, CO, and CN bonds catalyzed by metallic compounds is reviewed. The transfer hydrogenation of similar types of substrates from hydrogen donors is also considered as a viable alternative to the use of molecular hydrogen. The asymmetric versions of both types of processes are also examined. The metals and ligands that generate the most active and selective systems are illustrated. Special attention has been paid to the currently accepted mechanisms for the different catalytic systems.
Heat Stabilizers
Authors: Mesch Keith A.
Published: November 2010

Halogenated polymers, particularly poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDE), require the use of heat stabilizers for effective processing. A variety of chemical classes are effective commercial heat stabilizers since they prevent the catastrophic degradation of these polymers at normal processing temperatures. The most effective class of heat stabilizers are the organotin mercaptides which can provide effective stabilization at dosages of the order of 1% or less of the PVC. Mixed metal products, consisting of combinations of calcium and zinc or barium, calcium and zinc soaps are used extensively in many flexible PVC applications. Heat stabilizers based on lead soaps and salts have been used commercially in PVC since the 1930s. During the past decade, completely new heat stabilizer technologies, based on organic compounds, have been introduced to the market for rigid PVC processing.

All heat stabilizers must provide several functions to stabilize PVC. They must neutralize hydrogen chloride, react with “defect sites” on the polymer to replace weakened carbon–chlorine bonds, prevent autoxidation effects, and disrupt conjugated polyenes on polymer. Reactive mechanisms for the major classes of technologies are reviewed. The heat stabilizers must be very cost‐effective in a highly competitive marketplace. Several suppliers and their major products are highlighted. Health and safety concerns for the major classes of heat stabilizers are also presented.
Kinetics of Radical Polymerization
Authors: Russell Gregory T.
Published: November 2010

This contribution expounds the principles of radical polymerization (RP) kinetics. It emphasizes the defining population‐balance equations and shows how everything springs from them. As far as possible, an equation‐ rather than modeling‐based approach is advocated, because this provides much greaterunderstandingof kinetics. Numerous examples in support of this philosophy are presented. The treatment covers both steady‐state and nonsteady‐state polymerization and also presents some of the extra considerations involved in acrylate polymerization, copolymerization, and emulsion polymerization. Methods for measuring the values of rate coefficients are naturally elucidated in the wider context of RP kinetics in general. The strengths and limitations of equations and methods are made clear. It is argued that very little defies explanation when proper attention is given to the necessary fundamentals.