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In the traditional canning process the food is heated in its can and the heat treatment, typically 120°C for 20 minutes, is sufficient to sterilise both contents and container. This relatively severe heat treatment has practical disadvantages and in recent years an alternative treatment known as UHT (ultra‐high temperature) processing, has been introduced. The foodstuff, usually a liquid, is heated to a higher temperature for a very much shorter time — 140°C for 5 seconds is typical — usually in a continuous operation. The containers are sterilised separately before filling aseptically with the heat‐processed food. Containers for UHT products are made from plastics (chiefly polypropylene), paper board, aluminium foil or from laminates or other combinations of these materials.

With the many choices that can be built into information systems, it is possible to customize such systems for users. This customization may be based on the tasks that users are accomplishing, or on the personal characteristics of users, or a combination of these factors. An experiment is reported in which detailed logging of use of experimental information systems was used to determine the optimal configuration of the systems for each user. Tasks were varied, and the cognitive abilities of users were tested to assess one important personal characteristic. The results showed that it was possible to create an optimal configuration to match the cognitive abilities of users, but that it was more difficult to assess which configuration was the best match for specific tasks. The person‐in‐task interaction proved to be the least powerful indicator of design configurations. These results suggest that usable information systems can be created for users by careful analysis of the interaction of design features with personal characteristics such as cognitive abilities.

As a typical nature-based solution to climate change, forestry carbon sinks are vital to achieving carbon neutrality in China. However, regulations in China are insufficient to promote the development of carbon offset projects in forestry. This study aims to identify the regulatory obstacles impeding the development of forestry offsets under China’s certified emission reduction (CCER) and explore ways to improve the regulatory system.

This study conducts a qualitative analysis using a normative legal research method. This study conducted a synthetic review of national and local regulatory documents to gain insights into the regulatory landscape of forestry offsets in China. The main contents and characteristics of these documents are illustrated. Furthermore, related secondary literature was reviewed to gain further insight into forestry offset regulations and to identify significant gaps in China’s CCER regulation.

Forestry offset regulations under the CCER are characterized by fragmentation and a relatively lower legally binding force. There is no systematic institutional arrangement for forestry offset development, impeding market expectations and increasing transaction costs. The main challenges in China’s regulation of forestry carbon sinks include entitlement ambiguity, complicated rules for registration and verification, a lack of mechanisms for incentives, risk prevention and biodiversity protection.

Forestry carbon sinks’ multiple environmental and social values necessitate their effective development and utilization. This study assessed forestry offset regulations in China and proposed corresponding institutional arrangements to improve forestry carbon sink regulations under the CCER.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the public health and societal implications of climate change in South East Asia, and create a framework for planning national and regional responses.

The paper elaborates on the adverse consequences of climate change in South East Asia, the current efforts taken by the regional countries, the current barriers to deal with the problems and presents a framework for planning responses.

The consequences of climate change from a public health perspective, as well as from an economic, political and resource security standpoint, for South East Asia can be disastrous. Consequently, there is an urgent need to plan national and regional level measures for climate change mitigation and develop comprehensive plans in response to the current and projected climate‐related health risks.

The paper attempts to provide a detailed framework for addressing the health‐related risks of climate change, in such a manner that it can be followed by all countries of the region.

South East Asia could face disastrous public health consequences due to climate change. A detailed framework for mitigating climate change effects in the context of public health has been suggested, focusing on strengthening the evidence base to aid climate change policy, advancing knowledge and training to mitigate climate change, implementing adaptation measures, greenhouse gas reduction and developing collaborative work. Following the framework could yield substantial benefits for the South East Asian countries.

A meat quality grading system is essential to meet consumers' increasingly diversified demand for food quality in the global market. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the upcoming Chinese quality grading labels and examine the information effect of labeling standards on pork consumption choices.

Using an online survey with choice experiments, this study estimates consumer valuation for the fat thickness of different pork primal cuts by simulating three scenarios. Generalized mixed logit models in WTP space are used to analyze the choice experiment data.

Chinese consumers prefer lean pork to fatty pork and this preference does not vary significantly between primal cuts. Consumer valuation for ungraded high-quality (lean) pork increases after the implementation of the quality grading. Meanwhile, they are willing to pay high premiums for labeled pork (including level 1, 2, 3), and there are higher premiums for pork with higher levels. Besides, incomplete information on labeling standards could achieve more premiums for pork than relatively complete information.

This study pays attention to essential but few-noticed pork quality grading. The findings provide references for pork industry practices and policy-making of the meat quality grading system in China and globally by examining incomplete and relatively complete information effects on consumer choices.

The objective of this research was to determine the optimal age and pregnancy status for buying and selling replacement of beef females for risk-neutral and risk-averse producers.

A hedonic pricing model was estimated to measure how age, pregnancy status, breed and cull cow prices impact the sale price of these cattle. Data came from an annual heifer and cow sale in Tennessee between 2009 and 2018. A financial simulation model was developed to generate distributions of net present value (NPV) for buying replacement females at various ages and pregnancy status and then selling that female at various ages and pregnancy status.

The hedonic pricing model indicates sale prices were highest for five-year-old cows that were between four to five months pregnant. NPV was higher for buying heifers versus buying cows and for buying an open female versus a pregnant female. Regardless of age and pregnancy status when purchased, NPV was higher when the female was sold as pregnant prior to the end of her productive life. The risk analysis showed that risk aversion, buying older open cows and selling them as pregnant earlier in their productive life was preferred

This research offers unique insight into how pregnancy status and age at sale impacts the animal's NPV while considering risk. These results have implications for educating producers on purchasing and selling decisions of heifers and cows as well as for lenders who finance these purchases.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between gratitude and subjective well-being (SWB) of employees working in the information technology (IT) sector in India. The study investigated a moderated mediation model for gratitude and SWB, treating employee engagement as a mediator and gender as a moderator.

Data was collected from 162 professionals working IT sector in India. Process Macro, AMOS and IBM SPSS 22 were used to analyze the mediation and moderation effects.

The results depicted that employee engagement fully mediates the positive association between gratitude practice and the SWB of employees as well as the demographic variable; gender also demonstrated a full moderation effect between them.

This research may be one of the few studies from the Indian context that explore whether gratitude practiced by employees working in the IT sector can play a significant role in impacting their SWB. Past research models had not introduced employee engagement’s indirect impact on the examined variables.

Legislation plays an essential role in addressing climate change in China. However, many barriers to formulating national legislation to address climate change have so far prevented its enactment. The bottom-up approach adopted in the international climate regime sets a good example. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the regional legislation to address climate change in China through exploring the following two questions: whether it is necessary to enact climate change legislation at regional level first and whether it is feasible to develop such regional legislation in the absence of national climate change law.

This paper analyses the necessity and feasibility of regional legislation to address climate change. Section 2 introduces the current legislative framework on climate change in China. Section 3 investigates whether it is better to push the legislative agenda at regional, rather than national level. Section 4 analyses the feasibility of establishing regional legislative systems. Section 5 explores the key issues in formulating and promoting regional legislation.

This paper concludes that it is necessary and feasible to pilot regional legislation before enacting national legislation. Under these circumstances, local governments can take the initiative to begin formulating regional legislation.

Addressing climate change needs immediate action and effective measures. It is, thus, necessary to reconsider the approach that China should adopt when developing legislation on climate change. This paper contributes to broadening current knowledge of regional climate change legislation in China.

This paper aims to describe a new process for suppressing the formation of orange peel, which is a polymer laser sintering (LS) process error.

The target for controlling the suppression of orange peel is securing the contact between the molten polymer and the surrounding powder. The authors set the powder bed temperature closer to the melting temperature than that for a typical LS. Alternatively, the authors use a low-power laser to irradiate the powder bed surrounding the parts being built. The surface finish of the built parts was evaluated using a three-dimensional scanner.

Both approaches were effective in suppressing orange peel. From the viewpoint of reusability of the used powder, the process that includes low-power laser irradiation is practical. The presence or absence of contact between the surrounding powder and the molten polymer determines whether the orange peel is formed.

The authors have not tested orange peel suppression for complex shapes.

The authors have demonstrated a concrete process that can suppress orange peel formation even for powders with low melt-flow rates. Furthermore, a mechanism for the formation/suppression of orange peel based on the experimental results was proposed.