Tenderising in M. longissimus dorsi of beef, veal, rabbit, lamb and pork

The decrease in toughness of M. longissimus dorsi with storage time at 1°C was effectively described by an exponential decay equation. The average rate constant for beef, veal and rabbit was 0·17 whilst that for lamb was 0·21 and that for pork, 0·40 days(-1). However, the rate constants were not significantly different due to variations both within muscles and between animals. On average, 50% of the tenderising occurred in 2 days for pork and in 4·2 days for beef, veal and rabbit, and 80% in 4·9 and 9·5 days, respectively. At the completion of tenderising, beef and rabbit were the toughest and pork the most tender, whilst the greatest tenderising occurred in beef and lamb.     

Reaction sintered silicon nitride

The strength, composition and structure of reaction sintered silicon nitride formed in the presence of oxygen or water vapour have been investigated. It is shown that chemical contamination of the nitriding gas by oxygen and water vapour to relatively high concentrations is not the cause of abnormally low strength silicon nitride. The coefficient of variation in strength and apparent crystallite size for a particular batch of samples are related to the water vapour concentration in the nitriding gas. The formation of - and -silicon nitride is discussed and it is suggested that compositional variations in -silicon nitride must be small.     

Diagnostic value of the reaction of morphological dissociation of clotted blood (RMDCB) in nonspecific pneumonias and lung cancer

The authors studied separate parameters of the reaction of morphological dissociation of clotted blood in 97 patients, 83 of them suffering chronic nonspecific pneumonia and 14--lung cancer. Such RMDCB tests as the amount of the third fraction of blood coagulation (TFCB), the time of TFCB sediment formation and "the prognostic index" are found to be of certain diagnostic value, and along with other laboratory tests and clinical symptoms these allowed a differentiation between chronic nonspecific pneumonia and lung cancer.     

A continuous-wave hybrid AlGaInAs-silicon evanescent laser

We report a novel laser architecture, the hybrid silicon evanescent laser (SEL), that utilizes offset AlGaInAs quantum wells (QWs) bonded to a silicon waveguide. The silicon waveguide is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer using a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible process, and is subsequently bonded with the AlGaInAs QW structure using low temperature O/sub 2/ plasma-assisted wafer bonding. The optical mode in the SEL is predominantly confined in the passive silicon waveguide and evanescently couples into the III-V active region providing optical gain. The SEL lases continuous wave (CW) at 1568 nm with a threshold of 23 mW. The maximum temperature for CW operation is 60/spl deg/C. The maximum single-sided fiber-coupled CW output power at room temperature is 4.5 mW.     

Context Switching in a Run-Time Reconfigurable System

A distinguishing feature of reconfigurable computing over rapid prototyping is its ability to configure the computational fabric on-line while an application is running. Conventional reconfigurable computing platforms utilize commodity FPGAs, which typically have relatively long configuration times. Shrinking the configuration time down to the nanosecond region opens possibilities for rapid context switching and virtualizing the computational resources. An experimental context-switching FPGA, called the CSRC, has been created by BAE Systems, and gives researchers the opportunity to explore context-switching applications. This paper presents results obtained from constructing both control-driven and data-driven context switching applications on the CSRC device, along with unique properties of the run-time and compile-time environment.     

Distributed intelligence for multi-camera visual surveillance

Latest advances in hardware technology and state of the art of computer vision and artificial intelligence research can be employed to develop autonomous and distributed monitoring systems. The paper proposes a multi-agent architecture for the understanding of scene dynamics merging the information streamed by multiple cameras. A typical application would be the monitoring of a secure site, or any visual surveillance application deploying a network of cameras. Modular software (the agents) within such architecture controls the different components of the system and incrementally builds a model of the scene by merging the information gathered over extended periods of time. The role of distributed artificial intelligence composed of separate and autonomous modules is justified by the need for scalable designs capable of co-operating to infer an optimal interpretation of the scene. Decentralizing intelligence means creating more robust and reliable sources of interpretation, but also allows easy maintenance and updating of the system. Results are presented to support the choice of a distributed architecture, and to prove that scene interpretation can be incrementally and efficiently built by modular software.     

Multiple-input microcantilever sensors

A surface-micromachined micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) process has been used to demonstrate multiple-input chemical sensing using selectively coated cantilever arrays. Cantilever motion due to absorption-induced stress was readout using a custom-designed, eight-channel integrated circuit. Combined hydrogen and mercury vapor detection was achieved with a palm-sized, self-powered module with spread-spectrum telemetry reporting.     

The cortisol response to psychological stress in temporomandibular dysfunction

Recombinant antibody fragments can be produced in large quantities using bacterial expression systems and could potentially be useful for the generation of biofilters for the selective removal of viral particles from fluids. A human single chain-Fv antibody library, derived from synthetic repertoires of germ line VH-gene segments rearranged in vitro and paired to a single light chain (Nissim et al., 1994, EMBO J., 13, 692-698), has recently been used to isolate hundreds of different binding specificities by panning with antigen. Antibodies from this library typically have affinities in the 10(6)-10(7) M-1 range. Occasionally, better binders are isolated but at other times the affinities recovered are poor. In the latter situation binding cannot be detected with soluble antibodies, but only by high-avidity display of multiple copies of antibodies on phage. By panning with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-coated immunotubes, we have isolated a number of antibody clones from this library that bound to the antigen only if displayed on the filamentous phage, but not in soluble form. One of these clones was selected for an affinity maturation procedure, achieved by combinatorial mutagenesis of the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of the antibody light chain, followed by selection of the resulting library for HCMV binding. By this means, we were able to isolate a number of binders, some of which exhibited specific HCMV binding in soluble form. The clone that gave the strongest ELISA signal was expressed in bacteria, purified in solution, characterised using a novel capture methodology with surface plasmon resonance detection on a BIAcore instrument and used for the production of an immunofilter for the removal of HCMV form human serum. The filter removed more than 99% of applied HCMV in 10 min circulation time, while the amount of HCMV retained non-specifically in a cartridge derivatised with a non-specific antibody was less than 10% under similar conditions.     

Stochastic aspects of bridge deck aeroelasticity under turbulent flow

Returning to an earlier frequency-domain analysis of the problem of long-span bridge response to ambient winds, the paper emphasizes the indispensable experimental information necessary to bring results into conformity with full-scale prototype action. Focus is placed upon the use of a sectional wind tunnel model under simulated turbulent flow as the prime source of this information, which consists principally of the flutter derivatives and the spectra of the wind forces, both obtained under turbulent flow. The effect of three-dimensional turbulence upon the flutter derivatives is observed to influence structural stability in a manner consistent with that observed in full-bridge wind tunnel models.     

Nanorod heterostructures showing photoinduced charge separation

Size- and shape-dependent property modifications of semiconductor nanocrystals have been a subject of intense interest because of their potential for future engineering devices. The bandgap and related optical-property tuning of these materials are mainly governed by the nature of their band edges. In addition, fusing one type of nanocrystal over another enables further control of material properties that are dependent on the relative alignments of their energy levels. On a molecular scale, the synthesis of supramolecular compounds has inspired advances in theories for photoinduced charge transfer. Heterostructured nanocrystals potentially provide a nanoscale analog of such systems. A method for preparing heterostructured nanocrystals of complex morphologies showing photoinduced charge separation is presented. It is shown that the energy and lifetime of the charge-transfer photoluminescence band can be tuned by changing the relative alignment of band edges in CdSe/CdTe heterostructure nanorods. The long-lived charge transfer states in these type II semiconductors may make them attractive for photovoltaic applications.