Method for Determining the Respiration Rate of Horticultural Produce Under Hyperbaric Treatment

A method was developed to determine the metabolic respiration rate (RR_m) of fresh produce during the transient period at the beginning of a hyperbaric treatment. This method allowed for the correction in the apparent respiration rate (RR_ap) by considering the dilution effect of flushing the system and the error associated with gas solubilisation as the gas partial pressure varied. The dilution process was simulated by using the general equation for exhaust ventilation, thus allowing for the elimination of the dilution effect during the calculation of the net respiration rate (RR_N). The error associated with the CO₂ solubilisation in the flesh of the produce was solved by measuring the CO₂ solubility in the tissues of tomato at various CO₂ partial pressures and using this value to generate a mass balance of CO₂ within the system. The RR_m was estimated by incorporating the initial respiration rate (RR_i) of untreated fruits with the respiration rate at equilibrium (RR_e). The kinetic of the RR_m was proposed to follow a negative exponential equation. The constant value (k) of the RR_m model was found to decrease exponentially with the partial pressure of CO₂ at equilibrium which affected the amount of gas solubilised and the time to reach equilibrium. The developed method should be validated for the RR_m of other produce during the transient period at the beginning of a hyperbaric treatment.     

THE INFLUENCE OF CONDITIONING ON LAGER BEER QUALITY

The relative contributions to lager beer quality of malt, conditioning, and other parts of the brewing process have been assessed by analytical and sensory evaluation. Backed beers, brewed and fermented under various conditions, were stored at temperatures of 12°C, 4°C or 0°C for periods ranging from 2 to 38 days before filtration and bottling. No evidence could be found to justify a need for long periods of beer storage. Although prolonged storage can provide a remedial process, correcting aspects of beer quality such as diacetyl levels, final gravity, and removal of ‘young beer’ flavour, all these features can be more rapidly, effectively and economically controlled by closer attention to materials quality and primary fermentation procedure.     

Retained intraocular foreign body simulating choroidal melanoma. A report of two cases

Many different lesions can be difficult to distinguish from malignant melanomas of the choroid. With the use of modern diagnostic facilities the misdiagnosis rate has been greatly reduced. In a recent report from the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study Group the incidence of misdiagnosis was only 0.48%. The presence of a retained intraocular foreign body presenting as a raised pigmented choroidal mass similar to a uveal melanoma is rare. We report two cases in which retained intraocular foreign bodies presented clinically as raised pigmented intraocular lesions. Retained intraocular foreign bodies should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ocular tumours, especially if there are any atypical features.     

Job Strain, Job Insecurity, and Health: Rethinking the Relationship.

Job strain (high demands and low control) is a widely used measure of work stress. The authors introduce a new way of looking at work stress by combining job strain with job insecurity, a combination increasingly prevalent in contemporary economies, using data from a cross-sectional survey (N = 1,188) of mid-aged Australian managers and professionals. Those reporting both strain and insecurity showed markedly higher odds for mental and physical health problems (depression: odds ratio [OR] 13.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.67-34.01; anxiety: OR 12.88, CI 5.12-32.39; physical health problems: OR 3.97, CI 1.72-9.16; and poor self-rated health: OR 7.12, CI 2.81-18.01). Job strain and insecurity showed synergistic associations with health, and employees experiencing both could be at heightened health risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making a clearing: Qualitative research in anglophone Canadian psychology.

Qualitative research (QR) occupies a middle ground between the sciences and the humanities, which goes against established research practice in psychology and most related social and health science disciplines. At present, QR in Canadian psychology is beginning to take root in some universities and research organizations. Most of the contributors to this special issue reflect this development in Anglophone Canadian psychology. This article briefly introduces the contributions to this special issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)