Competitiveness in the Footwear Industry

For the Footwear industry as a whole (i. e. design, manufacturing and marketing),the relative importance of factors affecting competitiveness varies with each segment ofproduction. In the high quality segment--ladies and mens formal footwear, boots withexotic leather and leather sports shoes--fashion, variety and quality are often more impo-rtant than cost. Retailers or manufacturers--cum--retailers often many--often hundreds--     

Are there benefits in introducing dairy heifers to the main dairy herd in the evening rather than the morning?

Twenty-eight Holstein Friesian dairy heifers were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments after calving. These experimental heifers were introduced to an established group of resident cows either between 0600 and 0800h (i.e., after morning milking, a.m.) or between 1600 and 1800 h (i.e., after evening milking, p.m.). The size of the resident group remained constant at 18 animals (12 multiparous cows and 6 primiparous cows). There were 5 replicate or resident groups in total, and 2 to 3 nonexperimental primiparous cows in each group were replaced by a.m. and by p.m. heifers as they calved. Fresh total mixed ration was provided daily between 1000 and 1030 h, and concentrate feed was offered in the milking parlor. The behavior of the experimental heifers was assessed over a 2-h period immediately after mixing into the resident group, and also after feed provision during the first month in the group. In addition, time spent lying was assessed each week for 1 mo using data loggers attached over 24-h periods. The lying behavior and location of the entire group was also assessed by direct observations during the 2-h period before evening milking on 2 consecutive days each week for 1 mo. The time spent feeding by experimental heifers was recorded automatically using computerized feeding gates. Milk production, milk cortisol concentrations, and changes in body condition and body weight were also assessed over the first month after calving. Heifers in the a.m. treatment spent longer in receipt of aggressive behaviors such as threats, butts, and chases immediately after mixing compared with those in the p.m. treatment. During the feeding periods, heifers in the a.m. treatment were observed feeding for longer, showed less pen exploration, and also received more butts. No significant treatment effects were shown on overall feed intake levels, milk yield, milk cortisol concentrations, body weight, or body condition score loss. However, feed intakes were higher in the a.m. treatment during the second week after mixing, and automated recordings showed that a.m. animals spent longer average periods of time feeding. No significant treatment differences were shown in overall time spent lying, with heifers in both treatments lying for less than 4h during the first 24h in the group. Observations of the entire group showed that p.m. heifers spent less time lying than resident animals or a.m. heifers. In conclusion, the reduction in received aggression and the lack of adverse effects on performance (milk production and weight and condition loss) suggest that heifers should be introduced to the main dairy herd after evening rather than morning milking. Further research to determine the relative importance of time of day and time since feeding on behavior immediately after mixing would be beneficial.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air in the St. Lawrence Basin (Québec)

High-volume air samples were collected from 1993 to 1996 in rural areas of Québec to investigate on the levels and the vapor-particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Ranges for the mean concentrations of total PAHs (ng m(-3)) were as follows: Villeroy, 3.31-18.92; St. Anicet, 7.57-22.84; and Mingan, 0.50-0.53. Lower molecular weight PAHs predominated at all locations. Particle-gas partition coefficients (Kp) were in good correlation with their vapor pressures (r2 = 0.79-0.97) with slopes deviating from the expected value of -1. The curve of the fractions of PAHs on particles in St Anicet in 1995 fell on that of Lake Superior. In St. Anicet, fractions of phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and chrysene on particles were close to those calculated from the soot-air partition coefficient (KSA). At all sites the mean ratios of particulate PAH of the same molecular weight but of very different reactivities were similar during the same sampling days, suggesting that particle-bearing PAHs in Villeroy and Mingan were of the same nature as those found in St. Anicet where adsorption onto soot particles was the major mechanism. Furthermore, the enthalpies of desorption for the predominant PAHs were close at all sites.     

Where's the Joy in Cooking? Representations of Taste,Tradition, and Science in the Joy of Cooking

Procuring, preparing, and consuming foods are symbolic processes learned and reified within cultural boundaries. While many cultures have established tradition or taste as rules to guide food activities, contemporary Americans are mainly guided by a fascination with health and risk (Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma). As reflections of and contributors to public understandings of food and risk, cookbooks can be rich sites for scholarly investigation (Driver; Nestle and McIntosh). In the current study, we explore the representation of tradition, taste, and science in the introductory materials of the Joy of Cooking. While discussions of science were more common than those of taste or tradition, science did not replace the presence of taste and tradition. The presence of science, taste, and tradition varied over time, suggesting that, though they remain criteria for eaters, their importance is constantly negotiated.     

The Intelligent Industrial Facility in the New Economy

AbstractToquotefromanarticlethatappearedintheAugust９th，２０００editionoftheTorontoGlobeandMail，ReportonBusiness：ProductivitysoaredintheUnitedStatesatthestrongestpacesincetheearly１９８０＇s，propelledbythecomputerizationoftheworkingworldandmassiveinvestmentbybusinessineverfasterhigh－techequipment．Thebillionsofdollarsbeingspentonnewcomputerequipmentandnewelectroniccommercesystemscontinuedtopayoffinthesecondquarter，allowingtheeconomicoutputperworkertosurpassthealreadyhighexpectationsof…     

Varroosis – the Ongoing Crisis in Bee Keeping

Varroosis is the most destructive disease of honey bees worldwide, inflicting much greater damage and higher economic costs than all other known apicultural diseases. The disease pattern of Varroosis is not uniform, as both the rate of infestation and secondary infections determine the clinical symptoms. Brood and adults bees are impaired. The mite injures the bee through repeated intake of hemolymph with her chelicerae while the host is in the larval, pupal and adult stage. The loss of hemolymph negatively effects the organ development of the bee. Colonies infested by V. destructor develop the parasitic mite syndrome and ultimately collapse if left untreated. Favourable reproduction conditions in the new host A. mellifera, the increasing impact of secondary infections (viruses) and the lack of coordinated and comprehensive treatment strategies and control methods that are often implemented too late or unsuccessfully by the beekeeper result in reappearing wide spread colony losses. A viral infection vectored by V. destructor obviously increases its impact on colony collapses with the cause of this ongoing crisis. Varroa control should be a natural part of a beekeeper’s operation and flow into a system of Varroa control. The residues from Varroacide applications which are detectable today are all below the permitted maximum values. Although these minor detectable residues pose no threat to the consumer, they must be avoided in bee products, as honey possesses a very positive image in the mind of consumers. Received: February 20, 2008     

What separates the winners from the losers in new food product development?

The low rate of innovation and high rate of failure of new food products is a cause for concern. Whilst a wide range of product development process factors are known to influence product success and failure, these predictors are based almost exclusively upon investigations into ‘industrial’ rather than food products. In this paper, an analysis of existing models of product development is carried out, a recently developed model for reduced fat food product development is described and implications for best practice in food product development discussed. Market and consumer knowledge and retailer involvement are key success factors in food product development.     

Is the accumulation of osmoprotectant the unique mechanism involved in bacterial osmoprotection?

Sucrose, trehalose, maltose, cellobiose, gentiobiose, turanose and palatinose are very unusual osmoprotectants for Sinorhizobium meliloti, because these compounds, unlike other bacterial osmoprotectants, do not accumulate as cytosolic osmolytes in salt-stressed S. meliloti cells. Rather, these compounds were catabolized during early exponential growth, and contributed to enhance the cytosolic levels of the two endogenously-synthesized osmolytes: glutamate and the dipeptide N-acetylglutaminylglutamine amide (NAGGN). Furthermore, all of the disaccharides that acted as powerful osmoprotectants shared the same uptake routes in S. meliloti. Here, we show that these disaccharides, in fact, belong to a new family of non-accumulated sinorhizobial osmoprotectants and that two mechanisms of osmoprotection coexist in S. meliloti.     

Impact of milieu conditions on the α-lactalbumin glycosylation in the dry state

Maillard reaction is influenced by protein and sugar properties, water activity (a_w) as well as the glycosylation time and temperature. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of environmental parameters on the glycosylation reaction kinetics and to develop a technology platform for protein glycosylation as a possible substrate pre-treatment. The glycosylation reaction of bovine α-lactalbumin (α-La) was performed with lactose and maltodextrin in the dry-state at 40, 50 or 60 °C performed at a_w of 0.33, 0.44 or 0.58 for reaction times of 8, 24 or 48 h. The degree of glycosylation (DG) was determined as the loss of lysine using the ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) method. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) with Coomassie and glycoprotein staining was also performed. The reaction with lactose reached higher DG values in all cases as compared to reactions with maltodextrin (maximum DG of 85% and 31%, respectively, at a_w = 0.58 after 48 h). Lactosylation kinetics showed that the second order rate constants increased with increasing temperature and were highest at a_w = 0.58 in all cases. The activation energies were determined as 97.1 ± 37.7, 193.9 ± 9.1 and 136.6 ± 15.6 kJ/mol for a_w = 0.33, 0.44 and 0.58, respectively and showed an increasing trend with increasing temperature. Glycosylation of α-La offers a new process for improvement of functional properties as well as being a substrate pre-treatment process to control enzymatic digestion in order to generate tailor-made peptides as food additives with important health benefits like probiotics due to glycoprotein resistance to further enzyme hydrolysis.     

Levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food of animal origin in the Netherlands during the period 2001–2011

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess levels of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (DL-PCBs) in food of animal origin produced in the Netherlands, including potential trends in time. Test results from about 2500 samples of animal derived food products (beef, veal, lamb, chicken, pork, deer, milk and eggs), sampled for the National Residue Monitoring Plan from 2001–2011, were evaluated. Most samples were screened with a bioassay and, if suspected, analysed by GC-HRMS. The fraction of samples which were non-compliant with European maximum levels was rather low, being below 1% for most food products, except for lamb. Exceedance of action levels was particularly observed for lamb and beef. To obtain an insight into background levels, a randomly taken part of the samples was directly analysed by GC-HRMS. In general, only minor decreases in mean PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations could be observed for the period 2001–2011. This may be due to a plateauing of current background levels but also to factors like the sensitivity of the analytical method.     

Applications of macro–micro region concept in the state diagram and critical temperature concepts in determining the food stability

Food stability determination from a scientific basis rather than empiricism is a challenge to food scientists and engineers. Over the years, water activity and glass transition concepts are the two most successful theoretical foundations developed in determining the food stability. The macro–micro region concept in the state diagram and critical temperature concept are further extension of the water activity and glass transition concepts. This paper presents the applications of critical temperature concept in determining food stability during storage. In addition, it presents the applications of macro–micro region concept in analyzing air- and freeze-drying processes, maintaining rice quality using different drying strategies, analyzing structural changes during baking process, and determining chemical stability during storage.