Effect of low-voltage electrical stimulation after dressing on color stability and water holding capacity of bovine longissimus muscle

The effect of low voltage electrical stimulation after dressing (ES) on color stability and water holding capacity (WHC) of beef was investigated. Nine Swedish red cattle were slaughtered and the left side was electrically stimulated (80 V, 35 s) approximately 30 min after stunning, whereas the other side was not treated and used as control. Color and its stability, WHC, and protein solubility were evaluated on longissimus lumborum muscles from the two sides. ES produced a brighter red color at 24h mainly by increasing the oxygenation capacity of myoglobin (P<0.01), which was attenuated by postmortem aging. ES did not affect WHC, protein solubility and color stability (P>0.05). Therefore, this technology could accelerate meat tenderization without any negative effect on commercial attributes, such as color or drip of bovine longissimus muscle.     

Tailor‐Made Polymer Multilayers

The fabrication of multilayer assemblies from polymeric compounds is an important tool for precise control of film architecture on the nanoscale. In this report, a general, novel approach for the preparation of well‐defined polymeric multilayers is described. To achieve this, sulfonyl‐azide group containing polymers are first generated and deposited as thin films onto solid (organic) substrates. Upon thermal activation, the system crosslinks and binds to the substrate via C–H bond insertion. Through step‐and‐repeat procedures, multilayer assemblies are then generated where all the individual layers are linked to each other. As the assembly process does not require any specific molecular interactions, the described process represents a general strategy to generate tailor‐made multilayer surface coatings with wide range of film thickness and composition.     

Characterization of the cultivable microbial community in a spinach-processing plant using MALDI-TOF MS

A better and regular control of the production chain of fresh fruits and vegetables is necessary, because a contamination of the product by human- and phyto-pathogenic microorganisms may result in high losses during storage and poses a threat to human health. Therefore, detailed knowledge about the occurrence and the diversity of microorganisms within single processing steps is required to allow target-oriented produce safety control. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was successfully used to identify bacterial colonies. Bacteria can be identified with high accuracy by comparing them with generated spectra of a reference database.     

Occurrence of benzene as a heat-induced contaminant of carrot juice for babies in a general survey of beverages

A survey of benzene contamination of 451 beverage samples, using headspace sampling combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-GC/MS) with a quantification limit of 0.13 µg l^?1, was conducted. Artefactual benzene formation during headspace sampling was excluded by gentle heating at 50°C only and adjustment of sample pH to 10. The incidence of benzene contamination in soft drinks, beverages for babies, alcopops and beer-mixed drinks was relatively low, with average concentrations below the EU drinking-water limit of 1 µg l^?1. Significantly higher concentrations were only found in carrot juice, with the highest levels in carrot juice specifically intended for infants. About 94% of 33 carrot juice for infants had detectable benzene levels, with an average concentration of 1.86?±?1.05 µg l^?1. Benzene contamination of beverages was significantly correlated to iron and copper concentrations, which act as catalyst in benzene formation. The formation of benzene in carrot juice was predominantly caused by a heat-induced mechanism, which explains the higher levels in infant carrot juices that are subject to higher heat-treatment to exclude microbiological contamination.     

Exergoeconomic estimates for a novel zero-emission process generating hydrogen and electric power

This paper presents the exergoeconomic analysis of a novel process generating electric energy and hydrogen. Coal and high-temperature heat are used as input energy to the process. The process is a true “zero-emission process” because (a) no NO_X is formed during coal combustion with sulfuric acid, and (b) the combustion products CO₂ and SO₂ are removed separately as compressed liquids from the overall process. The process cycle is based on two chemical reactions. The first reaction takes place in an electrolytic cell and delivers the hydrogen product. In the second step, coal reacts with sulfuric acid in a high-pressure combustion reactor. The combustion gas is expanded in a gas turbine to produce electric power. The combustion products are compressed and separated so that almost pure CO₂ can be removed from the cycle. The overall process is characterized by very high energetic and exergetic efficiencies. However, the overall process is very capital intensive. The electrolytic cell dominates the costs associated with the overall process. Detailed results of the thermodynamic simulation, the economic and the exergoeconomic analyses of the process including estimates of the product costs are presented.     

Zweiaxiale Druckfestigkeit von ultrahochfestem Beton

Biaxial Compressive Strength of Ultra High Performance Concrete Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is characterized especially by high compressive strength up to 250 N/mm² as well as high impermeability and resistance to corrosion. These properties come along with increasing brittleness. Brittle concretes have lower scaled strength under multiaxial load compared to ductile normal strength concrete. The effective application of UHPC requires specific knowledge of load bearing behaviour under multiaxial stress conditions. This paper describes the behaviour of UHPC under biaxial compressive load in comparison to normal strength concrete. It will show that the calculation approach for DIN is not transferable to UHPC. Furthermore a model will be suggested to realistically describe the load bearing behaviour of UHPC for instance in FE models.     

Progression and Dissemination of Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Infection in a Susceptible Immunocompetent Mouse Model

Pulmonary infections caused by the group of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), are a growing public health concern with incidence and mortality steadily increasing globally. Granulomatous inflammation is the hallmark of MAC lung infection, yet reliable correlates of disease progression, susceptibility, and resolution are poorly defined. Unlike widely used inbred mouse strains, mice that carry the mutant allele at the genetic locus sst1 develop human-like pulmonary tuberculosis featuring well-organized caseating granulomas. We characterized pulmonary temporospatial outcomes of intranasal and left intrabronchial M. avium spp. hominissuis (M.av) induced pneumonia in B6.Sst1S mice, which carries the sst1 mutant allele. We utilized traditional semi-quantitative histomorphological evaluation, in combination with fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry (fmIHC), whole slide imaging, and quantitative digital image analysis. Followingintrabronchiolar infection with the laboratory M.av strain 101, the B6.Sst1S pulmonary lesions progressed 12–16 weeks post infection (wpi), with plateauing and/or resolving disease by 21 wpi. Caseating granulomas were not observed during the study. Disease progression from 12–16 wpi was associated with increased acid-fast bacilli, area of secondary granulomatous pneumonia lesions, and Arg1+ and double positive iNOS+/Arg1+ macrophages. Compared to B6 WT, at 16 wpi, B6.Sst1S lungs exhibited an increased area of acid-fast bacilli, larger secondary lesions with greater Arg1+ and double positive iNOS+/Arg1+ macrophages, and reduced T cell density. This morphomolecular analysis of histologic correlates of disease progression in B6.Sst1S could serve as a platform for assessment of medical countermeasures against NTM infection.