Microbiological quality and somatic cell count in bulk milk of dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius): Descriptive statistics,correlations, and factors of variation

The objectives of the present study were to monitor the microbiological quality and somatic cell count (SCC) of bulk tank milk at the world’s first large-scale camel dairy farm for a 2-yr period, to compare the results of 2 methods for the enumeration of SCC, to evaluate correlation among milk quality indicators, and to determine the effect of specific factors (year, season, stage of lactation, and level of production) on milk quality indicators. The study was conducted from January 2008 to January 2010. Total viable count (TVC), coliform count (CC), California Mastitis Test (CMT) score, and SCC were determined from daily bulk milk samples. Somatic cell count was measured by using a direct microscopic method and with an automatic cell counter. In addition, production parameters [total daily milk production (TDM, kg), number of milking camels (NMC), average milk per camel (AMC, kg)] and stage of lactation (average postpartum days, PPD) were recorded for each test day. A strong correlation (r = 0.33) was found between the 2 methods for SCC enumeration; however, values derived using the microscopic method were higher. The geometric means of SCC and TVC were 394 × 10³ cells/mL and 5,157 cfu/mL during the observation period, respectively. Somatic cell count was >500 × 10³ cells/mL on 14.6% (106/725) and TVC was >10 × 10³ cfu/mL on 4.0% (30/742) of the test days. Both milk quality indicators had a distinct seasonal pattern. For log SCC, the mean was lowest in summer and highest in autumn. The seasonal pattern of log TVC was slightly different, with the lowest values being recorded during the spring. The monthly mean TVC pattern showed a clear difference between years. Coliform count was <10 cfu/mL in most of the samples (709/742, 95.6%). A positive correlation was found between log SCC and log TVC (r = 0.32), between log SCC and CMT score (r = 0.26), and between log TVC and CC in yr 1 (r = 0.30). All production parameters and stage of lactation showed strong seasonal variation. Log SCC was negatively correlated with TDM (r = −0.35), AMC (r = −0.37), and NMC (r = −0.15) and positively correlated with PPD (r = 0.40). Log TVC had a negative correlation with AMC (r = −0.40) but a positive correlation with NMC (r = 0.32), TDM (r = 0.16), and PPD (r = 0.45). The linear mixed model with stepwise variable selection showed that the main sources of log SCC variation were PPD, TDM, PPD × season, and season. For log TVC, the same factors and year contributed to the variation.     

The Effect of a Fish Oil and/or Probiotic Intervention from Early Pregnancy Onwards on Colostrum Immune Mediators: A Randomized,Placebo-Controlled,Double-Blinded Clinical Trial in Overweight/Obese Mothers

Scope

Modifying the composition of colostrum by external factors may provide opportunities to improve the infant's health. Here, we evaluated how fish oil and/or probiotics supplementation modify concentrations of colostrum immune mediators and their associations with perinatal clinical factors on mothers with overweight/obesity.

Methods and results

Pregnant women were randomized in a double-blind manner into four intervention groups, and the supplements were consumed daily from early pregnancy onwards. Colostrum samples were collected from 187 mothers, and 16 immune mediators were measured using bead-based immunoassays. Interventions modified colostrum composition; the fish oil+probiotics group had higher concentrations of IL-12p70 than probiotics+placebo and higher FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT-3L) than fish oil+placebo and probiotics+placebo (one-way analysis of variance, post-hoc Tukey's test). Although the fish oil+probiotics group had higher levels of IFNα2 compared to the fish oil+placebo group, these differences were not statistically significant after correction for multiple testing. Multivariate linear model revealed significant associations between several immune mediators and the perinatal use of medication.

Conclusion

Fish oil/probiotics intervention exerted a minor effect on concentrations of colostrum immune mediators. However, medication during the perinatal period modulated the immune mediators. These changes in colostrum's composition may contribute to immune system development in the infant.     

Modelling of anode delamination in solid oxide electrolysis cell and analysis of its effects on electrochemical performance

Degradation of a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) during long-term operation remains to be the key obstacle to their massive production and commercialization. One of degradation processes within SOEC is anode delamination. The anode of SOEC splits at the interface with solid electrolyte due to elevated pressure of oxygen that is produced by electrochemical reactions. The main assumption that anode delamination starts at the fuel inlet is based on post-mortem analysis of SOEC. This paper addresses numerical modelling of a single, electrolyte supported, SOEC. The anode delamination is modelled by implementing the modifications of SOEC's geometry. A brief overview of the model is also given. Verification of the implemented model relies on the measurement data from literature. The simulation results show that increasing the area of delaminated anode (A_delaminated) increases the operating voltage of the SOEC if a constant electrolysis current is applied. This strongly influences the conversion efficiency (η) of the SOEC. Indeed, if linear growth of A_delaminated over time is assumed, the η of SOEC degrades very fast at the beginning of SOEC's operation. The presented model also helps analyze the hot spots of current density, where high pressure of oxygen appears.     

创新性淀粉节约方案——通过纤维中的淀粉回收提高纸板生产的可持续性

用于制造再生纸和纸板的纤维原材料中含有大量淀粉。由于微生物的活性,使用回收纤维的纸浆中的过程水通常含有大量淀粉水解酶。这经常导致大多数淀粉在回收纤维进入造纸机之前水解掉,因此潜在地增加了废水中的化学需氧量COD、pH值降低,并且由于碳酸钙溶解使得电导率变高。在本文中,我们提出了一种新颖的提高淀粉再利用及包装纸强度的理念。该理念包括使用特定的淀粉酶抑制剂,防止回收纤维和损纸中的淀粉水解,以及全新的助留系统用以提高淀粉在最终产品中的保留率。淀粉酶抑制剂自身或与杀菌剂组合能够有效防止淀粉水解。这在实验室研究和工厂试验均有所体现。此外,留着率和强度实验表明混凝剂、微聚物和新的高分子聚合物的组合提高了淀粉的留着率和滤水性。     

Effects of process variables and addition of polydextrose and whey protein isolate on the properties of barley extrudates

Extrusion cooking is commonly used in the production of snacks. In the present study, extrudates were prepared using barley flour alone and with the addition of either polydextrose (PD) or whey protein isolate (WPI) and both PD and WPI. Independent process variables were water content of the mass (17%, 20% and 23%), screw speed (200, 350 and 500 rpm) and temperature of section 6 and die (110, 130 and 150 °C). Expansion, hardness, water content, porosity and chemical composition of the extrudates were analysed. Highly porous and expanded snack products with high dietary fibre and protein contents were obtained from barley flour and WPI when water content of mass was 17%, screw speed 500 rpm and temperature of section 6 and die 130 °C. Barley flour alone or with PD resulted in hard and non‐expanded extrudates. Expansion of extrudates was statistically significantly increased with decreasing water content of the mass and increasing screw speed in all trials.     

Mapping the performance of PV modules, effects of module type and data averaging

A method is presented for estimating the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules at arbitrary locations in a large geographical area. The method applies a mathematical model for the energy performance of PV modules as a function of in-plane irradiance and module temperature and combines this with solar irradiation estimates from satellite data and ambient temperature values from ground station measurements. The method is applied to three different PV technologies: crystalline silicon, CuInSe₂ and CdTe based thin-film technology in order to map their performance in fixed installations across most of Europe and to identify and quantify regional performance factors. It is found that there is a clear technology dependence of the geographical variation in PV performance. It is also shown that using long-term average values of irradiance and temperature leads to a systematic positive bias in the results of up to 3%. It is suggested to use joint probability density functions of temperature and irradiance to overcome this bias.     

Coffees rich in chlorogenic acid or N-methylpyridinium induce chemopreventive phase II-enzymes via the Nrf2/ARE pathway in vitro and in vivo

Recently, the coffee constituents 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (CGA) and N-methylpyridinium (NMP) were identified as inducers of the Nrf2/antioxidant-response element (ARE) detoxifying pathway under cell-culture condition. To study the impact of CGA and NMP on the Nrf2-activating properties of a complex coffee beverage, two different model coffees were generated by variation of the roasting conditions: a low-roast coffee rich in CGA and a heavy-roast low in CGA but containing high levels of NMP. Activation of the Nrf2/antioxidant-response element pathway was monitored in vitro and in vivo.     

Tetracycline resistance genes persist at aquaculture farms in the absence of selection pressure

The prophylactic and therapeutic use of tetracyclines in aquaculture has been shown to contribute to the spread of tetracycline resistance in the environment. In this work, the prevalence of four different tetracycline-resistance genes, tetA, tetC, tetH, and tetM, in sediments from four aquaculture farms and their surroundings in the Baltic Sea was monitored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The presence of three additional tetracycline-resistance genes (tetE, tetG, and tetW) was studied qualitatively by standard PCR, and the amount of bioavailable tetracyclines and total amounts of tetracycline and oxytetracycline in samples were also measured. None of the farms were using tetracycline at the time of the sampling and one of the farms had stopped all antibiotic use six years prior to the first sampling. Two of the farms were sampled over four successive summers and two were sampled once. Our results showed greater copy numbers of tetA, tetC, tetH, and tetM at the farms compared to pristine sites and demonstrated the presence of tetE, tetG, and tetW genes in the sediments under aquaculture farms at most sampling times. However, no resistance genes were found in samples collected 200 m from any of the farms. None of the samples contained therapeutically active concentrations of tetracyclines at any of the sampling times, suggesting that the increase in the prevalence of tetracycline resistance genes is caused by the persistence of these genes in the absence of selection pressure.     

Condensation Heat Transfer and Pressure Gradient Inside Multiport Minichannels

Abstract

In this paper, the experimental heat transfer coefficients measured during condensation of R134a and R410A inside multiport minichannels are presented. The frictional pressure gradient was also measured during adiabatic two-phase flow. The need for experimental research on condensation inside multiport minichannels comes from the wide use of those channels in automotive air-conditioners. The perspective for the adoption of similar channels in the residential air conditioning applications also calls for experimental research on new high pressure refrigerants, such as R410A.

Experimental data are compared against models to show the accuracy of the models in the prediction of heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop inside minichannels.     

Modifying the 5-position of thieno[2,3-d][1,2,3]thiadiazole-6-carboxylate derivatives

Thieno[2,3-d][1,2,3]thiadiazole-6-carboxylates 3 belong to a new group of plant protecting agents as highly potent inducers of systemic acquired resistance (SAR). In order to obtain an enhanced basis set for structure activity relationship studies several modifications of the heteroaromatic core were performed by introduction of various substituents. One approach utilizing metallation techniques led to several 5-substituted derivatives 4a – h of the title compound. Using the chloro-compound 5 obtained via this route the ability to undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions was investigated, representing a complementary strategy towards derivatives 6a – c .