Hygienic aspects of porcine gullets

In an attempt to elaborate good manufacturing practices, including the collection, processing and storage of porcine gullets, their bacterial condition immediately after collection (100 samples), as well as that of deep frozen gullets just before incorporation into meat products (40 samples), was assessed. Fresh gullets were found to be contaminated to a high degree: poured plate colony count at 30°C (PPCC) approximately 10(6) to 10(7) and Enterobacteriaceae approximately 10(3) to 10(4) cfu g(-1). Deep frozen gullets showed even higher counts: PPCC approximately 10(7) to 10(8) and Enterobacteriaceae approximately 10(4) to 10(5) cfu g(-1). Hygiene during collection was visually assessed in six abattoirs and found to be satisfactory in two, moderate in three and poor in one. The effects of processing, by cleaning or removal of the mucus membrane, on bacterial condition, pH, colour and odour were assessed before and during storage at 4°C and 20°C. Both cleaning and removal of the mucus membrane resulted in up to approximately a tenfold reduction of colony counts. After 7 days' storage at 4°C these were significantly lower than those of unprocessed gullets (P < 0·01). Processed gullets stored at 4°C were no longer fit for consumption after 4 days' storage. It being impossible to achieve a marked improvement in the bacteriological condition of gullets, the incorporation of these products into sausages should be discouraged and their use in petfoods only allowed under reasonable conditions of hygiene and chilling.     

Bond strengths of toluenes, anilines, and phenols: to hammett or not

The Hammett equation correlates the effects of Y on many different chemical properties of YC(6)H(4)ZX families of compounds. One of the most surprising is that the Z-X bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE), a homolytic property, can be correlated for some 4-YC(6)H(4)ZX families with electrophilic substituent constants, sigma(p)(+)(Y), which were largely derived from the rates of the heterolytic S(N)1 solvolyses of para-substituted cumyl chlorides. Although there is no Hammett correlation of the C-X BDEs in 4-YC(6)H(4)CH(2)X (X = H, halide, OPh) families, there are good correlations of N-X BDEs with sigma(p)(+)(Y) in 4-YC(6)H(4)NHX (X = H, CH(3), OH, F) and excellent correlations of O-X BDEs with sigma(p)(+)(Y) in 4-YC(6)H(4)OX (X = H, CH(3), CH(2)Ph) families. The reasons for this varied behavior are discussed.     

Analysis of the Insect OS-D-Like Gene Family

Insect OS-D-like proteins, also known as chemosensory (CSP) or sensory appendage proteins (SAP), are broadly expressed in various insect tissues, where they are thought to bind short to medium chain length fatty acids and their derivatives. Although their specific function remains uncertain, OS-D-like members have been isolated from sensory organs (including the sensillum lymph in some cases), and a role in olfaction similar to that of the insect odorant binding proteins (OBP) has been suggested for some. We have identified 15 new OS-D-like sequences: four from cDNA clones described herein and 11 from sequence databases. The os-d-like genes from the Anopheles gambiae, Apis mellifera, Drosophila melanogaster, and Drosophila pseudoobscura genomes typically have single, small introns with a conserved splice site. Together with all family members entered on GenBank, a total of 70 OS-D-like proteins, representing the insect orders Diptera, Dictyoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and Phasmatodea, were analyzed. A neighbor joining distance phenogram identified several protein similarity classes that were characterized by highly conserved sequence motifs, including (A) N-terminal YTTKYDN(V/I)(N/D)(L/V)DEIL, (B) central DGKELKXX(I/L)PDAL, and (C) C-terminal KYDP. In contrast, three similarity classes were characterized by their diversion from these conserved motifs. The functional importance of conserved amino acid residues is discussed in relation to the crystal and NMR structures of MbraCSPA6.     

基于Android的Java程序设计移动学习平台

以"Java程序设计"作为改革示范课程,研究构建移动学习平台的关键技术,设计一个基于Android的移动学习平台。文章详细介绍了这一学习平台:该平台应用了移动互联、Web应用、C/S模式结构、三层框架等信息技术,旨在为学习者构建一种全新的学习方式;平台学习内容的交互式设计采用了主页推送模式、练习与测试模式、论坛互动模式和活动发布模式,学生借助平台不仅可以获取最新Java资讯,还能够进行Java知识的随堂练习、课后复习、技术沟通和知识共享,从而为传统课堂教学提供互补。     

Molecular aspects of the transport and toxicity of ochratoxin a

Ochratoxins are a class of naturally occurring compounds produced by several fungi. The most toxic is ochratoxin A (OTA), and occurrence of some human nephropathies and tumors correlate with enhanced OTA exposure. In this Account, the following areas are examined: molecular details of the binding of OTA to human serum albumin (HSA), the influences of binding to HSA on the trans-port of OTA across epithelial cell membranes by organic anion transport proteins, the oxidative activation of OTA, and the formation of OTA adducts with biological molecules. These studies are beginning to provide a detailed chemical model for the trans-port, accumulation, and genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of OTA.     

Fluoroscopic MR imaging at 0.064 Tesla

The authors developed a system for ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols at low field. The system design permits the acquisition of the raw data in the background while the reconstruction and display steps repeat as fast as they can in the foreground. The performance speeds depends partly on the desired use. By collecting raw data at a rate of 20 ms per echo with an echo delay of 9 ms, a complete data cycle for a 128x64 image takes 1.28 s. However, once half of that data is incorporated into the reconstruction, the image appears complete. Using this set of parameters the authors were able to get the rate of the recon/display loop to paint about two times per completed raw data cycle, showing an entirely new image at least once per second with an apparent frame rate of two per second. Interleaving of two or three orthogonal scans reduces the speed of update but provides better information. The authors discuss the system design for rapid scan/recon/display and demonstrate the image quality available at low field strength with scan times below one second.