The composition and microbial quality of pre-packed dates purchased in Greater Glasgow

Composition and microbiological contamination was measured in samples of pre-packed dates purchased from a number of stores and retail outlets in Greater Glasgow. The sugar content of dried pitted dates was c . 74%, about 10% more than reported on those packs where nutritional information was given. Potentially pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were identified in some of the samples together with lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and moulds, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus . Fresh dates were the most heavily contaminated of all samples, probably owing to the high moisture content.     

A comparison of the dissolution of model compounds and the kerogen of Green River oil shale by oxidation with perchloric acid — A model for the kerogen of Green River oil shale

A stepwise degradation of a kerogen concentrate of Green River oil shale was effected by oxidation with perchloric acid of varying boiling point and concentration. Dissolution of the kerogen concentrate occurred between 160 and 170°C. Several model compounds were also oxidized with perchloric acid. The model compounds were polyethylene, graphite, nylon, and polyethylene oxide. The results indicated that the kerogen was similar to polyethylene oxide. The results of this study and previous work were used to present a model for the structure of the kerogen of Green River oil shale.     

A model for the compressive buckling of extended chain polymers

A model for the compressive buckling of an extended polymer chain is presented. The application of classical elastic instability analysis to an idealized polymer chain reveals that the bending rigidity and critical buckling loads for a chain are proportional to the force constants for valence bond angle bending and torsion. Highly oriented polymer fibres are treated as a collection of elastic chains that interact laterally. The critical stresses to buckle this collection of chains are calculated following a procedure developed to predict the compressive strengths of fibre-reinforced composites. This buckling stress is predicted to be equal to the shear modulus of the fibres and is the limiting value of compressive strength. Comparison of experimental and predicted values shows that the theory overestimates the compressive strength, but that there is a correlation of shear modulus with axial compressive strength. Consideration of flaws in both the theory and the material indicate that the compressive strength should be proportional to either the shear modulus or shear strength of the fibres.Nomenclature P axial compressive load (force) - P _cr critical buckling load (force) - M,M _i bending moments - l length of a link - p number of links - k elastic hinge constant - , _i angular rotation of hinges - L overall chain or column length - v,v _i lateral deflection of buckled chain or column - x, y, z Cartesian coordinate axes - E Young's modulus of isotropic column - I moment of inertia - a _ij matrix coefficients - A _p coefficient for exact buckling loads of chains - T energy change due to work of external load on buckled column or chain - U ₁ bending strain energy change of buckled column or chain - U ₂, U ₂ ^e , U ₂ ^s strain energy changes in elastic foundation, where e refers to extension mode buckling and s refers to shear mode buckling - E _t transverse modulus - G longitudinal shear modulus - b dimension associated with chain packing - A cross-sectional area per chain (=b ²) - f(x) curve fitted to shape of buckled chain - m,n,r integers - a _n coefficients of trigonometric series - _y normal strain iny-direction - _y normal stress iny-direction - xy shear strain inxy plane - xy shear stress inxy plane - u _x displacement inx-direction - u _y displacement iny-direction - V volume     

Environmental Control Symposium

MAN is but a part of the universe; his capabilities make him a significant link, in the cycle of life. To ensure this life, man must live in harmony with his environment. Recently, a disharmony has been discovered which could have grave effects upon the existence of man. It appears that man in his great thrust forward is destroying his own environment. The gravity of this threat to man's own existence carries some intrinsic problems of its own: man must allow his reason rather than his emotion to take command.     

Expert judgement on the long term possibilities of conventional emission abatement technologies for passenger cars

Topics in Catalysis - This paper presents the results of a quantitatively substantiated “expert judgement” concerning the potential for further reduction of the exhaust emissions of...     

Effects of a single dose of N-Acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine (Melatonin) and resistance exercise on the growth hormone/IGF-1 axis in young males and females

Melatonin and resistance exercise alone have been shown to increase the levels of growth hormone (GH). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ingestion of a single dose of melatonin and heavy resistance exercise on serum GH, somatostatin (SST), and other hormones of the GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis. Physically active males (n = 30) and females (n = 30) were randomly assigned to ingest either a melatonin supplement at 0.5 mg or 5.0 mg, or 1.0 mg of dextrose placebo. After a baseline blood sample, participants ingested the supplement and underwent blood sampling every 15 min for 60 min, at which point they underwent a single bout of resistance exercise with the leg press for 7 sets of 7 reps at 85% 1-RM. After exercise, participants provided additional blood samples every 15 min for a total of 120 min. Serum free GH, SST, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 were determined with ELISA. Data were evaluated as the peak pre- and post-exercise values subtracted from baseline and the delta values analyzed with separate three-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). In males, when compared to placebo, 5.0 mg melatonin caused GH to increase (p = 0.017) and SST to decrease prior to exercise (p = 0.031), whereas both 0.5 and 5.0 mg melatonin were greater than placebo after exercise (p = 0.045) and less than placebo for SST. No significant differences occurred for IGF-1; however, males were shown to have higher levels of IGFBP-1 independent of supplementation (p = 0.004). The 5.0 mg melatonin dose resulted in higher IGFBP-3 in males (p = 0.017). In conclusion, for males 5.0 mg melatonin appears to increase serum GH while concomitantly lowering SST levels; however, when combined with resistance exercise both melatonin doses positively impacts GH levels in a manner not entirely dependent on SST.     

Evaluation of chromic oxide,glycerol triether,and β-sitosterol as fecal flow markers in two species of nonhuman primates

Recovery of β-sitosterol, glycerol triether (1-hexadecyl-2,3,-didodecyl glycerol triether), and chromic oxide was studied in African green monkeys and stumptail macaques consuming diets containing 0.75 mg/Cal cholesterol and 38% of calories as safflower oil or butter. Following oral administration of these compounds, feces were collected daily for 9 days. For all animals, excretion of β-sitosterol and glycerol triether paralleled one another almost exactly. Except for two animlas, this was also true for chromic acid. Essentially 100% of the administered β-sitosterol and 90–95% of the glycerol triether were recovered; excretion of these markers virtually was complete by day 3. Ninety-two percent of the β-sitosterol was isolated in the nonsaponifiable lipid extract of the feces with less than 6% in the remaining aqueous phase. A maximum of 3.1% of the β-sitosterol and 1.8% of the glycerol triether were found in the blood. For stumptail macaques, the major excretory form of β-sitosterol was the 5β-derivative. African green monkeys were more variable; one animal excreted the bulk of the β-sitosterol unchanged while others excreted greater than 80% as the ring-saturated 5β-derivative. Animals consuming the safflower oil containing diet consistently excreted a greater percentage of the β-sitosterol unchanged, compared with those animals eating the butter containing diet. There was no evidence for steroid ring degradation in any of the animals used in this study.     

A rapid method for the preparation of ganglioside Glac2 (GD3)

A method is described for the preparation of ganglioside G_lac2 [(II³(NeuAc)₂-LacCer, GD3] from cream of bovine milk using liquid-phase extraction with methanol or ethanol followed by anion exchange chromatography. The method is rapid and inexpensive; 1 kg cream, centrifuged from 14–15 L of bovine milk, yields approximately 70 mg of pure ganglioside G_lac2. The sialic acid constituent of ganglioside G_lac2 isolated from bovine milk cream consists solely of theN-acetylneuraminic acid derivative. The major components of its ceramide consist of octadecasphing-4-enine and the 22∶0 (behenic acid) and 23∶0 fatty acids. Short hand notations for gangliosides are according to Wiegandt (Ref. 1). G_lac2, (II³(NeuAc)₂-LacCer) is NeuAcα,8NeuAcα,-3Galβ,4Glcβ,1Cer; G_tet1, (II³NeuAc-Gg₄Cer) is Gal\,3GalNAcβ,-4(NeuAcα,3)Galβ,4Glcβ,1Cer.     

The electret effect in cellulose acetate reverse osmosis membranes

The electret potentials developed by reverse osmosis electret membranes help control the undesirable deposition of charged colloidal particles on the membrane surfaces during membrane desalination. These antifouling electret membranes should help prevent the costly flux declines normally associated with deposition of colloidal iron oxides on the reverse osmosis membrane surfaces. Homocharge and heterocharge behavior of cellulose acetate membrane electrets have been studied. Asymmetric reverse osmosis membranes and dense membrane films were studied. The homocharge and heterocharge of cellulose acetate reverse osmosis electret membranes have been explained.