Effects of early-postmortem glycolytic rate on beef tenderness

Electrical stimulation (ES) was applied at 500 V to one side from each of 60 beef carcasses at 30 to 40 min postmortem. Wide ranges of early-postmortem glycolytic and cooling rates were produced in the musculature by use of three different forms of ES (in addition to non-ES treatment of the contralateral sides) and application of chilling routines of four different degrees of severity. Panel and Warner-Bratzler shear evaluations of loin steaks from all 120 sides showed that tenderness was highest when glycolysis had proceeded at an intermediate rate (corresponding to the attainment of a 3-h pH of about 6·1) and was appreciably lower on both sides of this mid-value. The toughening effect of rapid glycolysis (relative to that of a moderately increased glycolytic rate) persisted through 14 days of aging at 2°C.

These observations appear to be incompatible with the view that lysosomal enzymes contribute significantly to ES-induced tenderization. They also indicate that the effect of ES on tenderness is highly dependent on the subsequent cooling rate, very slow chilling sometimes accelerating the already high rate of pH fall to such an extent that the tissue is significantly toughened. Finally, they suggest that the goal of maximizing the early-postmortem rate of pH decline in bovine muscle is misguided and, if attained, will cause sub-optimal tenderness.     

Effects of 2-Hz and 60-Hz electrical stimulation on the microstructure of beef

A comparative electron-microscope study was made of the structural changes brought about in bovine longissimus dorsi muscle by 2-Hz and 60-Hz electrical stimulation. Apart from the frequency difference, the two treatments were identical: 500V AC, 600 pulses (2Hz × 300s and 60 Hz × 10 s), and a time of application of about 40 min post mortem. The low-frequency current produced no detectable tissue disruption or irregularity in sarcomere length, whereas the 60-Hz treatment caused widespread supercontraction and the formation of contraction nodes; many sarcomeres in the internodal zones were stretched or fractured. The observations confirm and extend those of our earlier light-microscope study, and support the view that fiber disruption contributes significantly to the tenderizing effect of high-voltage electrical stimulation.     

Fully distributed robust synchronization of networked Lur’e systems with incremental nonlinearities

This paper deals with robust synchronization problems for uncertain dynamical networks of diffusively interconnected identical Lur’e systems subject to incrementally passive nonlinearities and incrementally sector bounded nonlinearities, respectively, in a fully distributed fashion. Whereas in stabilization of one single Lur’e system the conditions of passivity and sector boundedness for the uncertain nonlinear function in the negative feedback loop are commonly assumed, in our context of networked Lur’e systems we adopt the stronger assumptions of incremental passivity and incremental sector boundedness. Throughout this paper the interconnection topologies among these Lur’e agents are assumed to be undirected and connected. We design robustly synchronizing protocols and subsequently implement these protocols in a fully distributed way by means of an adaptive control law that adjusts the coupling weights between neighboring agents. Both for the cases of incrementally passive as well as incrementally sector bounded nonlinearities we obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of fully distributed robustly synchronizing protocols. The state feedback matrices are computed by solving LMIs in terms of the matrices defining the individual agent dynamics. Numerical simulation examples illustrate our theoretical results.     

Carbonization and liquid-crystal (mesophase) development. 12. Mechanisms of the co-carbonization of coals with organic additives

In industrial situations, coals interact with solvents or additives to produce liquid fuels, solvent-refined coal, coal extract and metallurgical coke. In these processes there occurs a wide variation in effects or modifications of the coal by these additives. This paper describes the modifications which can occur, using a wide range of rank of coal, when these coals interact and are co-carbonized with a wide range of additives of different chemical properties. The optical texture of the resultant cokes is given special attention. The objective of the paper is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the mechanisms of these interactions. Possible mechanisms of interactions are summarized, kinetic and chemical structural aspects of reactions are outlined, the importance is mentioned of the formation of liquid phases enabling anisotropic optical textures in modified cokes to be created, and the industrial relevance of its possible development is discussed.     

Hydrolytic degradation of ionically cross-linked polyphosphazene microspheres

The hydrolytic degradation of gel microspheres based on calcium cross-linked phosphazene polyelectrolytes, poly[di(carboxylatophenoxy)phosphazene] (PCPP) and poly[(carboxylatophenoxy) (glycinato)phosphazene] (PCGPP), was investigated. These microspheres are of importance as carriers in protein and cell encapsulation. Both PCPP and PCGPP ionotropic polyphosphazene hydrogels are degradable in an aqueous environment (pH 7.4, 37°C). The degradation rates can be increased by incorporation of hydrolysis sensitive glycinato groups as the pendant structures in the polymer (PCGPP). Hydrolysis of these polymer hydrogels led to low molecular weight (<1,000 Da) products. The erosion and molecular weight profiles varied also according to the molecular weight of the polyphosphazene constituting the gel beads. Another approach to affect the degradation rates consists of coating microspheres with poly-L -lysine. Ionotropic polyphosphazene hydrogels have potential as biodegradable devices for controlled drug delivery systems. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Carbonization and liquid—crystal (mesophase) development. 19. Co-carbonization of oxidized coals with model organic compounds

This study examines further the phenomena of the modification of coal carbonizations by organic additives. Anthracene, pyrene and chrysene modify the carbonization in a closed system of coking coals as observed from increases in the size of optical textures of resultant cokes. Weakly caking coals are unaffected. Chrysene is the most efficient modifier probably because of its lowest calculated free valence. The co-additives tetralin and hydrogenated anthracene oil further enhance the modification processes so obviating the necessity to use hydrogenated additives. Co-carbonizations of oxidized coking and caking coals with decacyclene are effective in removing the effects of mild oxidation. Increased rates of carbonization enhance the sizes of optical textures of resultant cokes.     

PERIODIC CORRELATION IN STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DATA

Abstract. A 50-year time series of monthly stratospheric ozone readings from Arosa, Switzerland, is analyzed. The time series exhibits the properties of a periodically correlated (PC) random sequence with annual periodicities. Spectral properties of PC random sequences are reviewed and a test to detect periodic correlation is presented. An autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) model with periodically varying coefficients (PARMA) is fitted to the data in two stages. First, a periodic autoregressive model is fitted to the data. This fit yields residuals that are stationary but non-white. Next, a stationary ARMA model is fitted to the residuals and the two models are combined to produce a larger model for the data. The combined model is shown to be a PARMA model and yields residuals that have the correlation properties of white noise.     

Carbonization and liquid-crystal (mesophase) development. 8. The co-carbonization of coals with acenaphthylene and decacyclene

Several coals of different rank have been carbonized singly and also co-carbonized with acenaphthylene and decacyclene. The resultant cokes were mounted in resin and polished surfaces were examined for optical texture using a polarized-light optical microscope fitted with a half-wave retarder plate. The optical texture can be assessed qualitatively (visually) or quantitatively by a point-counting technique in terms of size and shape of constituent isochromatic anisotropic units. Some cokes from coals were Isotropic. Acenaphthylene was only able to exert a smaller influence than decacyclene on the optical texture of the resultant cokes from co-carbonizations. Decacyclene was able to modify the optical texture for both the low-rank non-fusible and the caking coals. The effects of changing the proportions of coal to additive were examined. Results are interpreted in terms of ‘depolymerization’ of the coal by the action of the additive (as solvent) and also by the action of the additive in modifying the processes of formation of semi-coke via nematic liquid crystals.     

Aspects of gasification and structure in cokes from coals

Cokes were prepared from nine coals of different rank and characterized by surface area measurement, reactivity to carbon dioxide at 1473K and Raman-laser spectroscopy. Rates of gasification of cokes on a unit surlface area basis (K¹ = g m^?2 min^?1) decreased with increasing rank of parent coal based on maximum oil reflectances. However rates of gasification could not be related to coke structure as measured by Raman-laser spectroscopy.     

Oxidation and reforming reactions of CH4 on a stepped Pt(5 5 7) single crystal

The oxidation and reforming kinetics of methane by O₂, CO₂ and H₂O were studied on a stepped Pt(5 5 7) single crystal from 623 to 1050 K under methane rich conditions. The rate of carbon deposition was followed by ex-situ Auger electron spectroscopy under non-oxidative conditions. The apparent activation energy for methane decomposition was significantly lower than the apparent barriers measured for both total oxidation, CO₂ and H₂O reforming. Total oxidation of methane to CO₂ and H₂O followed by combined dry and steam reforming (combined combustion-reforming) led to CO production rates which were higher than direct CO₂ or H₂O reforming rates. The enhanced rates are most likely due to the ability of adsorbed oxygen to prevent carbon nucleation and/or scavenge carbon enabling the reforming reaction to turnover on a larger fraction of sites. Comparable amounts of carbon were found by Auger electron spectroscopy measurements after both direct dry or steam reforming, while combined oxidation-reforming had considerable less carbon. During direct dry or steam reforming, CO₂ and H₂O serve only to scavenge adsorbed atomic carbon, while in the presence of oxygen, carbon is removed by both combustion and reforming routes.