The microbiology of sheep carcasses processed in a modern Indian abattoir

A study has been conducted on the microbiology of sheep carcasses processed in a modern abattoir. The data revealed that careful handling at the different stages of processing of sheep reduced the level of microbial contamination of carcasses. Processing steps such as evisceration and washing did not increase the microbial counts on the carcass surface. Sources of microbial contamination in the abattoir were examined. It was observed that skin, floor washings, intestinal contents and gambrels were the major sources of microbial contamination. Seasonality did not have any effect on the microbial contamination of carcasses. The study revealed that total plate counts in 86·6% of the carcasses ranged between 3·0–4·9log/cm². The counts of coliforms, staphylococci, enterococci and psychrotrophs were low. Pathogens such as Salmonella were not detected. The microbial counts were well within the generally acceptable levels. These findings demonstrated hygienic handling of carcasses. Shoulder and neck are the critical points for microbiological sampling as these sites showed higher microbial counts. Micrococcus and Staphylococcus predominated among microorganisms associated with carcasses. It was noted that differences occurred in microbial types of carcasses processed in tropical and temperate climates. The data generated in a model facility procided useful information for improving meat handling practices.     

Planning for the Subernarekha river system in eastern India

The study describes the systems studies carried out to plan a river basin in order to determine the nature and size of water storage facilities and releases for irrigation and industrial uses, and the associated cropping pattern. The model has been formulated in the framework of a linear programming model for a specific target year. This model is developed in the context of planning the Subernarekha river basin. The results are discussed and these provide information and insight suggesting the need for more disaggregated analysis of interaction between irrigation and related agroeconomic parameters.     

Surface characterization of 6H-SiC (0001) substrates in indentation and abrasive machining

Surface characterization of 6H-SiC (0001) substrates in indentation and abrasive machining was carried out to investigate microfracture, residual damage, and surface roughness associated with material removal and surface generation. Brittle versus plastic deformation was studied using Vickers indention and nano-indentation. To characterize the abrasive machining response, the 6H-SiC (0001) substrates were ground using diamond wheels with grit sizes of 25, 15 and 7 μm, and then polished with diamond suspensions of 3 and 0.05 μm. It is found that in indentation, there was a scale effect for brittle versus plastic deformation in 6H-SiC substrates. Also, in grinding, the scales of fracture and surface roughness of the substrates decreased with a decrease in diamond grit size. However, in polishing, a reduction in grit size of diamond suspensions gave no significant improvement in surface roughness. Furthermore, the results showed that fracture-free 6H-SiC (0001) surfaces were generated in polishing with the existence of the residual crystal defects, which were associated with the origin of defects in single crystal growth.     

An Overview of Next-Generation Androgen Receptor-Targeted Therapeutics in Development for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Traditional endocrine therapy for prostate cancer (PCa) has been directed at suppression of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling axis since Huggins et al. discovered that diethylstilbestrol (DES; an estrogen) produced chemical castration and PCa tumor regression. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) still remains the first-line PCa therapy. Insufficiency of ADT over time leads to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) in which the AR axis is still active, despite castrate levels of circulating androgens. Despite the approval and use of multiple generations of competitive AR antagonists (antiandrogens), antiandrogen resistance emerges rapidly in CRPC due to several mechanisms, mostly converging in the AR axis. Recent evidence from multiple groups have defined noncompetitive or noncanonical direct binding sites on AR that can be targeted to inhibit the AR axis. This review discusses new developments in the PCa treatment paradigm that includes the next-generation molecules to noncanonical sites, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), or noncanonical N-terminal domain (NTD)-binding of selective AR degraders (SARDs). A few lead compounds targeting each of these novel noncanonical sites or with SARD activity are discussed. Many of these ligands are still in preclinical development, and a few early clinical leads have emerged, but successful late-stage clinical data are still lacking. The breadth and diversity of targets provide hope that optimized noncanonical inhibitors and/or SARDs will be able to overcome antiandrogen-resistant CRPC.     

Influence of Montmorillonite Clay Content on Thermal,Mechanical, Water Absorption and Biodegradability Properties of Treated Kenaf Fiber/ PLA-Hybrid Biocomposites

Silicon - Nowadays, the starring attentions of the polylactic acid based composites are improved due to environmental awareness and diminution of petroleum oil. The bio-plastics were restricted to...     

Influence of Ball Burnishing Process on Equal Channel Angular Pressed Mg-Zn-Si Alloy on the Evolution of Microstructure and Corrosion Properties

Silicon - In the present study, Mg-4Zn-1Si alloy was subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) up to 4 passes at 300 °C, followed by ball burnishing using 0.3 mm...     

Cumin Prevents 17β-Estradiol-Associated Breast Cancer in ACI Rats

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths in women in less developed countries and the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. In this study, we report the inhibition of E2-mediated mammary tumorigenesis by Cuminum cyminum (cumin) administered via the diet as cumin powder, as well as dried ethanolic extract. Groups of female ACI rats were given either an AIN-93M diet or a diet supplemented with cumin powder (5% and 7.5%, w/w) or dried ethanolic cumin extract (1%, w/w), and then challenged with subcutaneous E2 silastic implants (1.2 cm; 9 mg). The first appearance of a palpable mammary tumor was significantly delayed by both the cumin powder and extract. At the end of the study, the tumor incidence was 96% in the control group, whereas only 55% and 45% animals had palpable tumors in the cumin powder and extract groups, respectively. Significant reductions in tumor volume (660 ± 122 vs. 138 ± 49 and 75 ± 46 mm³) and tumor multiplicity (4.21 ± 0.43 vs. 1.16 ± 0.26 and 0.9 ± 0.29 tumors/animal) were also observed by the cumin powder and cumin extract groups, respectively. The cumin powder diet intervention dose- and time-dependently offset E2-related pituitary growth, and reduced the levels of circulating prolactin and the levels of PCNA in the mammary tissues. Mechanistically, the cumin powder diet resulted in a significant reversal of E2-associated modulation in ERα, CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. Further, the cumin powder diet reversed the expression levels of miRNAs (miR-182, miR-375, miR-127 and miR-206) that were highly modulated by E2 treatment. We analyzed the composition of the extract by GC/MS and established cymene and cuminaldehyde as major components, and further detected no signs of gross or systemic toxicity. Thus, cumin bioactives can significantly delay and prevent E2-mediated mammary tumorigenesis in a safe and effective manner, and warrant continued efforts to develop these clinically translatable spice bioactives as chemopreventives and therapeutics against BC.     

The heterogeneous nucleation of microcellular foams assisted by the survival of microvoids in polymers containing low glass transition particles. Part I: Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation

The existing models based on classical nucleation theory are not able to explain satisfactorily the nucleation phenomenon of microcellular foams in thermoplastics. Here, we extend the analysis of Kweeder (24), who developed a new model that considers the presence of microvoids, resulting from the thermal processing history of the polymer, as potential nucleation sites. The nucleation model “concentrates” on the stresses and thus void formations in the rubber particles. Since these are pre-existing microvoids, bubble nucleation depends on the survival of these voids to grow rather than the formation of a new phase as modeled by classical nucleation theory. The population of viable microvoids with a sufficiently large radius to survive and overcome surface and elastic forces has been modeled to yield the cell density. A log-normal distribution, which relates to the rubber particle size, has been used to model the distribution of microvoids in the polymer composite material. The model depends on various process parameters such as saturation pressure, foaming temperature, concentration of nucleating agents, solubility of the blowing agent in the polymer, and the modulus. High impact polystyrene (HIPS) was added to polystyrene to obtain polymers with different concentrations of rubber gel particles, the nucleating agent, and used here for this study.     

Effect of partial replacement of di(2‐ethyl hexyl)phthalate,by a polymeric plasticizer,on the permeability and leaching properties of poly(vinyl chloride)

Acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) was used as a polymeric plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) for the partial replacement of di(2‐ethyl hexyl)phthalate (DEHP). The effect of this partial replacement on DEHP leaching from the PVC was evaluated at 10, 25, and 40°C. The study shows that the incorporation of NBR reduces the rate of DEHP leaching, the reduction being prominent at lower temperatures. Gas permeability of the NBR‐modified samples was also evaluated at the above temperatures using oxygen and carbon dioxide. A reduction in gas permeability is observed in NBR‐modified samples compared to the PVC plasticized with DEHP alone particularly in the case of carbon dioxide. Water vapor transmission rates of the NBR‐modified samples are higher than that of the control sample. The NBR‐modified PVC sample was found to be noncytotoxic in the in vitro cytotoxic evaluation both by direct contact and test on extract methods. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:4720–4727, 2006     

Swelling behavior of hydroxyapatite‐filled chitosan–poly(acrylic acid) polyelectrolyte complexes

A family of hydroxyapatite (HAP)‐filled chitosan (CHI)–poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte complexes was prepared for the development of a degradable biocompatible organic matrix with nascent HAP that will degrade in vivo over a period of time. The effects of complexation on the degradation profile of the composites as well as the interaction between the CHI–PAA matrix and HAP in the composite system were evaluated by studying the swelling behavior of these composites in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) by varying their CHI–PAA ratio and HAP content. All composite systems showed a general trend of three stages of swelling with the variation in the degree of equilibrium swelling. The percentage weight gain initially decreased in a linear way with increases in the HAP weight percentages, leading to a first equilibrium swelling, represented by the plateau; further increased to a greater extent; and finally stabilized. The CHI/PAA/HAP composites were stable in PBS up to a period of more than 45 days whereas the 50/50 CHI/PAA control sample showed a single equilibrium attained after a period of 288 h. Further exposure of the specimen to the medium led to its disintegration. It was also observed that, even though CHI and PAA were capable of binding HAP, because of the lack of efficient binding, the integrity of the CHI–HAP and PAA–HAP composites were lost within 48 h. The 50/50/80 CHI/PAA/HAP composition showed the minimum amount of swelling in the series. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4716–4722, 2006