Heat resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cook‐in‐bag ground beef as affected by pH and acidulant†

Summary The heat resistance of a four‐strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was tested. The temperature range was 55–62.5 °C and the substrate was beef at pH 4.5 or 5.5, adjusted with either acetic or lactic acid. Inoculated meat, packaged in bags, was completely immersed in a circulating water bath and cooked to an internal temperature of 55, 58, 60, or 62.5 °C in 1 h, and then held for pre‐determined lengths of time. The surviving cell population was enumerated by spiral plating meat samples on tryptic soy agar overlaid with Sorbitol MacConkey agar. Regardless of the acidulant used to modify the pH, the D ‐values at all temperatures were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in ground beef at pH 4.5 as compared with the beef at pH 5.5. At the same pH levels, acetic acid rendered E. coli O157:H7 more sensitive to the lethal effect of heat. The analysis of covariance showed evidence of a significant acidulant and pH interaction on the slopes of the survivor curves at 55 °C. Based on the thermal‐death–time values, contaminated ground beef (pH 5.5/lactic acid) should be heated to an internal temperature of 55 °C for at least 116.3 min and beef (pH 4.5/acetic acid) for 64.8 min to achieve a 4‐log reduction of the pathogen. The heating time at 62.5 °C, to achieve the same level of reduction, was 4.4 and 2.6 min, respectively. Thermal‐death–time values from this study will assist the retail food processors in designing acceptance limits on critical control points that ensure safety of beef originally contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.     

New approach to environmentally benign epoxidation: the solid-phase-system using urea–H2O2 and recyclable dodecatungstate on apatite

On the basis of new concept using a solid disperse phase we have developed an efficient catalytic solid-phase-system for epoxidations of alkenes using urea–hydrogen peroxide (urea–H₂O₂) complex and cetylpyridinium dodecatungstate ((CetylPy)₁₀[H₂W₁₂O₄₂]) catalyst on fluorapatite (FAp). The recovered solid catalyst phase was reused to keep the catalytic activity after several times. In the conceptual idea it is a key point that in situ solid-phase-activation of the catalyst with urea–H₂O₂ proceeds to form microcrystals of the active species dispersed on the solid phase. The dispersion of the catalyst on FAp in the case of tungstic acid (H₂WO₄) was suggested by EPMA analysis. We proposed the peroxo type of species keeping the parent polyoxometalate framework as novel active species from FT-IR spectroscopic studies. FAp phase plays important roles of dispersing the active species on its surface to have high catalytic activity and of stabilizing the active species to lead to high reusability.     

Extraction of penicillin G from simulated media by an emulsion liquid membrane process

The extraction of penicillin G from simulated media was performed by water/oil/water (w/o/w) emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) and studied under various operational conditions in a batch system. The degree of extraction achieved was between 80% and 95% under specific conditions. A concentration of greater than nine times the initial concentration of penicillin G in the external phase was obtained in the internal phase. The pH of the internal aqueous solution, containing a basic salt, was theoretically calculated on the basis of the amount of penicillin G transported into the internal phase. The calculated results agreed with the experimental data well and were used to select a suitable type and concentration of a basic salt in the internal phase to give a pH within the range 5 to 8 where penicillin G was stable after the termination of extraction. The extraction of penicillin G was successfully performed by the ELM process with sodium carbonate in the internal phase.     

The determinants of heat-shock element-directed lacZ expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Heat-shock induction of heat-shock protein genes is due to a specific promoter element (the heat-shock element, HSE). This study used lacZ under HSE control (HSE-lacZ) to characterize HSE activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells of different physiological states and differing genetic backgrounds. In batch fermentations HSE-lacZ induction by heat shock was maximal in exponential growth, and showed marked decline with the approach to stationary phase. Expression in the absence of heat shock was unaffected by growth phase, indicating that the growth-dependent expression of many yeast heat-shock genes uses promoter elements in addition to the HSE. Heat-induced expression was strongly influenced by the temperature at which cultures were grown. While basal, uninduced expression was constant during growth at different temperatures to 30 degrees C, induction by transfer to 39 degrees C was reduced by increases in growth temperature as low as 18-24 degrees C. Maximal HSE-lacZ induction (30- to 50-fold) was in cultures grown at low temperatures (18-24 degrees C), then heat shocked at 39 degrees C. Ethanol was a poor inducer. Mutations having little effect on HSE-lacZ expression included a respiratory petite; ubi4 (which inactivates the poly-ubiquitin gene); also ubc4 and ubc5 (which each inactivate one of the ubiquitin ligases involved in degradation of aberrant protein). pep4-3 increased both basal and induced beta-galactosidase about two-fold, probably because of slower turnover of this enzyme in pep4-3 strains.     

浅谈下一代网络（NGN）

计算机网络的发展日新月异。下一代计算机网络（NGN）的探讨、研究已经成为当前的潮流。下一代网络是目前电信、互联网运营商和设备厂商都在讨论的热点技术，国内外许多网络运营商都在探讨，并正在或考虑建设试验网进行更深入的研究。本文介绍了NGN的定义、主要特点、分层结构和关键技术。     

FTIR investigation of ethylene coordination and polymerization on reduced Cr/SiO2 catalyst

FTIR spectroscopy was applied to study the initial steps of ethylene polymerization on reduced chromia-silica (0.5 wt% Cr/SiO₂). To decrease the speed of the reaction small doses of gas were introduced to the catalyst in each run and C₂D₄ was used to confirm band assignments. At the initial steps of the reaction only ethylene molecules coordinated to probably Cr _A ²⁺ cations were observed. The concentration of such complexes was estimated to be about 50% of the total amount of Cr atoms in the sample. The FTIR spectrum of the polymer formed at the initial doses of C₂H₄ (when [C₂H₄] [Cr]) was found to be slightly different from that formed after excess ethylene was introduced onto the catalyst ([C₂H₄] > [Cr]).     

2-（4-氯苯氨基）甲基苯酚降解的动力学研究

采用高效液相色谱技术,开展了Fenton试剂对2-（4-氯苯氨基）甲基苯酚（CMP）的氧化降解动力学的研究。考察了初始双氧水摩尔浓度、亚铁离子摩尔浓度和温度等因素对CMP降解速率的影响,结果表明,当双氧水摩尔浓度、亚铁离子摩尔浓度增大和温度升高时,CMP的氧化速率明显加快。在30~45℃的温度范围内,其氧化降解符合假一级反应动力学模型,反应的表观活化能Ea为102.90kJ/mol。     

视觉检测系统中亮度不均匀背景的一种去除方法

刀具形状视觉检测系统中，照明不均匀对测量结果影响很大。针对这种情况，提出了基于二维二阶多项式拟合并去除不均匀背景的方法。遵循最小均方程差原理，给出了二维二阶拟合的矩阵表达式。在编制的程序中，拟合点以人机交互形式由鼠标点击选出，程序自动记录所选点的图象人材与亮度值信息，然后拟合出背景曲面，并以二值图象形式给出去除背景后的目标图象。对一幅光照模型未知的网络图象进行了背景去除，实验结果良好。     

EBZ260H型掘进机在隧道施工中的应用

以某工程为具体实例,介绍了EBZ2260H掘进机的适用范围、技术参数和主要配置;从掘进机的截割方法、维护和保养、除尘装置的正确使用等多个方面,对EBZ260H掘进机暗挖工艺和技术进行了详细阐述;归纳总结了EBZ260H掘进机的各项优点.