Needs for Future Research

One application of statistics which is used only infrequently in the food industry is statistical quality control of production processes. This type of control is not at all new and has been applied with great success in other industries. At the present time it is beginning to be applied in the food industry. 

In the formulation of new processes and new methods of analysis and in the comparison of different processes and methods of analysis the use of statistics is especially important. Research on methods often involves comparison of two or more methods in different locations using different operators who perform the analysis. In this case, statistical tools are available which make it possible to compare these methods and processes in terms of statistical differences and to conclude finally that there actually is, or is not, a real advantage in one or another procedure when it is carried on under carefully stated conditions. If statistical methods are not used in making these comparisons, reliance must be placed usually in experience and in intuitive processes, in which case the amount of confidence which may be placed in the results is usually in considerable doubt. 

A similar situation is found in the introduction of new varieties and hybrids of fruits and vegetables and of new breeds of livestock and in other endeavors where in many cases years of research go into consideration of the qualities of a raw product from the point of view of its growing characteristics and its appearance, size, color, and other attributes judged in the raw state. In the past, many of these research efforts have virtually ended at this point without extension of research to a consideration of the manufactured product. In these cases statistical methods may be used for determining the characteristics of differences among these raw products which might make them especially acceptable as a finished product. If this kind of research is followed up by similar considerations of the manufacturing process and of the acceptability of the final product, the whole procedure takes on a different form and appears to be a considerably more useful evaluation. 

After a product or a process has been appropriately evaluated in terms of its usefulness and adequacy in the manufacturing operation the evaluation of the resulting product in terms of its acceptability to the consumer remains to be done. This also should be done with the aid of statistical methods, since there is at present in many cases no substitute for the subjective evaluation of a quality attribute of a food product. Where they exist, objective methods are usually used in conjunction with subjective methods in an effort to correlate them, with a view to the ultimate use of the objective method as a simple and inexpensive index of the quality of the product in question. In terms of research, however, in many cases this may not be done because no objective methods of evaluation exist. A good example concerns the evaluation of the flavor of a food product where, with practically no exceptions, subjective evaluation must be used. 

In the use of subjective methods of evaluation much needs to be known concerning the statistical characteristics of the procedures used. 

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Despite his own achievements, Furukawa s chapter indicates the need for future research. How did chemists and physicists work together in the 1940s and 1950s to create a new unified discipline of polymer science It would also be useful to look at how the discipline was taught in the period between 1940 and 1965, especially in the United States. To do this, one would need to examine which courses were taught, the launch of new journals and the evolution of textbooks across various editions. As the polymer science in America started in a few key institutions, notably Brooklyn Polytechnic, it would also be valuable to look at the diffusion of the new discipline from these seed institutions, tracing the careers of the early alumni and coworkers such as Charles Overberger. 

Celik I (1993) Numerical Uncertainty in Fluid Flow Calculations Needs for Future Research. ASME J Fluids Engineering 115 194-195. 

Recently, Francesconi (2003) mentioned critically that the extraction procedures currently applied are practically more or less useful for water-soluble species only, so that more versatile procedures for numerous stUl unknown lipid-soluble species are needed for future research covering the whole complex picture of As speciation. 

This paper summarizes the development and application of both a philosophic and quantitative framework for unifying research approaches and findings in residue decay, exposure assessment, and cholinesterase response (Popcndorf Lefflngwell. Res. Rev. 82 125, 1982). Examples are provided for using this model to Interpret the potential cholinesterase response from a known foliar residue and to establish reentry intervals to prevent excessive cholinesterase Inhibition. The potential and limitations of extrapolating this approach to other settings is also discussed, as are the needs for future research to support a comprehensive approach to pesticide use, residues, and exposure controls. 

References are made to the more important meetings and publications and to the formation of societies devoted to the promotion of interest in the field. In conclusion, the needs for future research are suggested. 

Regarding the hydraulic stability under severe wave action, the present state of knowledge, the limitations, and the needs for future research may be summarized as follows ... 

Celik I (1993) Numerical uncertainty in fluid flow calculations needs for future research. ASME J Huids Eng 115 194-195... 

This chapter is intended to provide sufficient information to allow one to read the following chapters in any order they prefer. The objective and need for this book are presented in the introductory section. Nomenclature for organic acids is presented on an elementary level for nongeochemists. A historical account is then given on the role of organic acids in geological processes, which is followed by a brief synopsis of each chapter. The final section explores the needs for future research in terms of natural system studies and laboratory experimental studies. 

Computers have greatly enhanced the speed and accuracy of the predictive nature of QSAR, however they are only tools to aid investigation and elucidation of the relationship between structure and properties. A clear understanding of the system and the fundamental questions that need to be answered are still a requirement for future research. 

Protocols for rhizosphere sampling need to be developed. Upon quantifying processes at the rhizosphere level, we may find whether large or small rhizosphere volumes or high or low rates of exudation are plant-specific and how they will benefit plants. This is not clear as yet and is an area for future research. In addition, reliable methods that enable us to distinguish between dormant and active soil microbial biomass could represent the crucial step in order to mechanistically understand C and N flows among plants, soil, and microbes in the rhizosphere. 

Chewable tablets and sprinkle capsule formulations have been very well received by both patients and their parents for use in children with full dentition (older than 3 years, [75-77]. This is potentially a very fruitful area for future research and development. Pharmaceutical preparations developed for administration to young children need to have consistent bioavailability when administered with food [78]. 

An improved understanding of the neurobiological substrates underlying attentional mechanisms, as well as the mechanisms of stimulant action, could aid in the development of future medication formulations. The lack of data on stimulant use in particular populations, especially among preschoolers and children with developmental disabilities, and questions regarding the safety and efficacy of long-term stimulant treatment underscore the need for further research. 

With this twenty-fifth Volume, Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biochemistry has completed its first quarter-century. This serial publication was initiated with the dual objective of presenting definitive accounts of the status of matured fields and of providing, for areas of high activity, critical evaluations that would serve as guidelines for future research. The past 25 years have seen an acceleration of research unprecedented in the history of science, and the extent to which Advances has usefully fulfilled a need, and yet provided flexibility in accommodating to change, may be judged by the frequency with which many of the older articles are still cited. 

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