Predictive Thermal Inactivation Model for Effects and Interactions of Temperature, NaCl, Sodium Pyrophosphate, and Sodium Lactate on Listeria monocytogenes in Ground Beef

The effects and interactions of heating temperature (60 °C to 73.9 °C), salt (0.0 % to 4.5 %?w/v), sodium pyrophosphate (0.0 % to 0.5 %?w/v), and sodium lactate (0.0 % to 4.5 %?w/v) on the heat resistance of a five-strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes in 75 % lean ground beef were examined. Meat samples in sterile filtered stomacher bags were heated in a temperature controlled waterbath to determine thermal death times. The recovery medium was tryptic soy agar supplemented with 0.6 % yeast extract and 1 % sodium pyruvate. Weibull survival functions were employed to model the primary survival curves. Then, survival curve-specific estimated parameter values obtained from the Weibull model were used for determining a secondary model. The results indicate that temperature and salt have a large impact on the inactivation kinetics of L. monocytogenes, while sodium lactate (NaL) has an impact in the presence of salt. The model presented in this paper for predicting inactivation of L. monocytogenes can be used as an aid in designing lethality treatments meant to control the presence of this pathogen in ready-to-eat products.     

Error detection for PHEV,BEV and stationary battery systems

Battery cells being electrically disconnected resulting from degradation, mechanical stress, or corrosion can lead to hazardous situations during operation of electric vehicles or storage systems in stationary applications. The mentioned errors can be acceptable in some cases when cells or cell strings are connected in parallel, but the failure is to be detected in order to guarantee the reliable and safe operation of the battery system. A method enabling the estimation whether individual battery cells are faulty (cell error or electrically disconnected) by evaluating the mean impedance and capacity information of cell groups is introduced and validated.     

Deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite on negatively charged polyphosphazene surfaces

A number of polyphosphazenes with negatively charged β‐alanine (β‐Ala) and γ‐amino butyric acid (GABA) side groups were synthesized and studied for their ability to initiate the growth of hydroxyapatite (HAp) during exposure to simulated body fluid (SBF). All the polymers were hydrolytically sensitive, with the final hydrolysis rate dependent on the specific active side groups (GABA > β‐Ala). These systems also underwent extensive mineralization, with calcium phosphate deposited across their entire surface during exposure to SBF (up to 115 wt % gain after 4 weeks). This degree of deposition is a major advance over previously reported polyphosphazene systems, which underwent a maximum of 27 wt % gain after immersion in SBF for 4 weeks. The extent of mineralization over the surface was monitored using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) coupled with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). In addition, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the identity of the mineralized material. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41741.     

Conference news

RESOURCES: ENVIRONMENT AND POLICY, by John Fernie and Alan Pitkethly, Harper and Row, London, 1985, 338 pp. (#bp12.95, paperback)

THE ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, by Per‐Olov Johansson and Karl‐Gustaf Lofgren, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1985, 292 pp. (#bp29.50, hardback only)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: STANDARDS, COMPLIANCE AND COSTS, edited by T. J. Lack, J. Wiley &; Son, Chichester, 1984, 329 pp. (#bp30, hardback)

ENVIRONMENT AND ENFORCEMENT: REGULATION AND THE SOCIAL DEFINITION OF POLLUTION, by K. Hawkins, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984, 253 pp. (#bp15 hardback; #bp6.95, paperback)

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, VOLUME 1: ELEMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, by George Tolley, Philip Graves and Glenn Blomquist, Ballinger, Cambridge, Mass, and Harper and Row, London, 1981. (#bp27.50, hardback)

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, VOLUME 4: SOLID WASTES, by George Tolley, Jospeh Havlicek and Robert Fabian, Ballinger, Cambridge, Mass. and Harper and Row, London, 1985. (#bp44.00, hardback)

World Health Organisation, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL IN RELATION TO DEVELOPMENT, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Technical Report Series, 718, 1985, 63 pp.

TRANSPORT IS FOR PEOPLE: NINTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THEORY AND PRACTICE IN TRANSPORT ECONOMICS, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, 1983, Paris (#bp15.00)

RECREATION MANAGEMENT AND PRICING, by A. G. Bovaird, M. J. Tricker and R. Stoakes, Gower Press, Aldershot, 1984, 182 pp. (#bp15, hardback)

URBAN LAND AND SHELTER FOR THE POOR, by Patrick McAuslan, Earthscan#shInternational Institute for Environment and Development, London, 1985, 145 pp.

CARING FOR THE UNEMPLOYED. Prepared for the Association of Metro‐polital Authorities by Susan Balloch, Chris Hume, Brian Jones and Peter Westland. Publishers: Bedford Square Press, London, 1985, for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

THE LONG‐TERM UNEMPLOYED. ACTION FOR A FORGOTTEN MILLION, by Peter Ashby (Head, NVCO Policy Analysis Unit). An NCVO Policy Discussion document, Bedford Square Press, London (1985).

ANTHROPOGENIC COMPOUNDS: Volume 3 Part C of The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, edited by O. Hutzinger, Springer‐Verlag, Germany, 248 pp. 1986. (DM 188.00)

HEAVY METALS IN NATURAL WATERS: APPLIED MONITORING AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT, by James W. Moore and S. Ramamoorthy, Springer‐Verlag, U.S.A. and Germany, viii #pl 268 pages, index, 1984. (DM 108.00)

DESTRUCTION AND DISPOSAL OF PCBs BY THERMAL AND NON‐THERMAL METHODS, by D. G. Ackerman, L. L. Scinto, P. S. Bakshi, R. G. Delumyea, R. J. Johnson, G. Richard, A. M. Takata and E. M. Sworzyn. Noyes Data Corporation, Park Ridge, New Jersey, 1983, xiv #pl 417 pages (no index). (#dl48.00)

ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR MANUAL (Pollution Technology Review No. 91), by Jack R. McDonald and Alan H. Dean, Noyes Data Corporation, U.S.A., 1982. (#dl48.00)

PATTY'S INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND TOXICOLOGY, edited by Lewis J. Cralley and Lester V. Cralley, Volume 3 (2nd Edition)—Theory and Rationale of Industrial Hygiene Practice: (i) Volume 3A—The Work Environment (#bp97.20); (ii) Volume 3B—Biological Responses (#bp92.00) J. Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester U.K. 1985.

SAFE DRINKING WATER. THE IMPACT OF CHEMICALS ON A LIMITED RESOURCE, edited by R. G. Rice, J. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, U.K., Lewis Publishers Inc. Chelsea MI, 1985. (#bp36.00)

PLANTS FOR ARID LANDS. (Proceedings of the Kew International Conference on Economic Plants for Arid Lands held in the Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, 23‐27 July 1984), edited by G. E. Wickens, J. R. Goodwin and D. V. Field. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1985. (#bp30.00)

REGULATED RIVERS, edited by A. Lillehammer and S. J. Saltveit, Univer‐sitetsforlaget AS, Oslo, 1984. (#bp47.50)

NUTRIENT CYCLING IN TROPICAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, by C. F. Jordan, Wiley, Chichester, 1985. (#bp13.45)     

Reconstruction in Japan

County manufacturing employment can be projected for the purpose of verifying a population projection. First, future county manufacturing employment is derived from a population projection by using assumed ratios of labor force participation, unemployment, and manufacturing employment. Second, independent projections of manufacturing employment are made, based upon statistical projections of county and national manufacturing employment trends. Third, both these quantitative projections are checked against the knowledge and judgments of leading businessmen and industrialists in the community, and adjustments are made in the quantities.