Microbiological survey of a South African poultry processing plant

Bacterial populations associated with poultry processing were determined on neck skin samples, equipment surfaces and environmental samples by replicate surveys. Aerobic plate counts, Enterobacteriaceae counts, Enterobacteriaceae counts and Pseudomonas counts were performed by standard procedures and the prevalence of Listeria, presumptive Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus determined. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) increases in counts of all types of bacteria were obtained on product samples as a result of processing. Although bacterial counts on neck skin samples decreased by 0.3 to 0.4 log CFU g-1 after spray washing of carcasses, subsequent spinchilling and packaging of whole carcasses resulted in 0.7 to 1.2 log CFU g-1 increases. Bacterial numbers on equipment surfaces, however, decreased significantly from the "dirty" to the "clean" areas of the abattoir. Transport cages, "rubber fingers", defeathering curtains, shackles and conveyor belts repeatedly showed aerobic plate counts in excess of 5.0 log CFU 25 cm-2. Aerobic plate counts of scald tank and spinchiller water were 2 log CFU ml-1 higher than those of potable water samples. Bacterial numbers of the air in the "dirty" area were higher than those of the "clean" area. Listeria, presumptive Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 27.6, 51.7 and 24.1% of all product samples, respectively, and Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus were also isolated from selected equipment surfaces.     

Professional groups with a close irradiation dose distribution

RMAPO. O. G. Pol'skii, A. I. Sobolev, and L. F. Verbova. Moscow Scientific and Industrial Association "Radon". Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 145–152, August, 1995.     

Handling of radioactive wastes formed outside the nuclear fuel cycle

Conclusions The system of regional specialized industrial plants "Radon" was created more than 30 years ago and over this time it has made it possible to utilize radioactive wastes from industrial and scientific centers in the country. The technology adopted by the specialized industrial plants for preparing and burying radioactive wastes makes possible safe localization of the wastes for a long period of time. Investigations designed to estimate the effect of the points of burial by the specialized industrial plants on environmental objects showed that the technical solutions adopted are reliable. At the present time the system of regional specialized industrial plants is experiencing difficulties on the legislative, financial, and technical levels. The system must be reconstructed and modernized. The basis for future decisions will be determined by the legislative base and the principles which are employed in the process. The optimal path toward modernization of the regional industrial groups is to produce complexes based on them for collecting, processing, and temporary storage of radioactive wastes formed within the service zone. The Moscow Scientific and Industrial Association "Radon" is now implementing this concept. Moscow Scientific and Industrial Association "Radon." Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 79, No. 6, pp. 437–443, December, 1995.     

Use of research methods of metal physics in determining the nature of defects on the surface of strips of automobile sheet steels

Translated from Metallurg, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 18–19, March, 1995.     

Levothyroxine suppressive therapy for solitary thyroid nodule

In order to evaluate the efficacy of a TSH suppressive dose of levothyroxine to reduce the volume of a single thyroid nodule we studied 55 euthyroid patient: 45 (group A) were suppressed with LT4 (mean 1.7 +/- 0.9 micrograms/Kg/day) for 21.3 +/- 5.3 months, and 10 patients (group B) served as controls. All the nodules were "cold" at scintiscanning, solid at ultrasonography and benign by fine-needle aspiration cytology. As responders were assumed the nodules shrinked at the end of treatment of 50% in volume. Thyroid function values (TSH, T4, FT4, T3, FT3, thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies), clinical and ultrasonographic findings were evaluated initially and at the end of the study. A significant nodular volume decrease occurred in 8 treated patients (17.8%) while 37 (82.2%) amongst the group suppressed and all controls showed no change (A vs B = NS). In two untreated patients new nodules were noted; no new nodules were discovered in the treated group (A vs B p < 005). No side effects occurred in any treated patient, even if at the end of treatment a significant T4 and FT4 (p < 0.01) increase was observed. No one onset parameter can predict the response to the therapy. These results suggest that only a small group of patients affected by a single thyroid nodule seems to respond to a TSH suppressive therapy.     

Modeling of magnesium diffusion in gallium arsenide. 2. Redistribution of ion-implanted impurity

The redistribution of ion-implanted magnesium under high-rate annealing conditions is calculated. Consideration of the nonuniformity of the interstitial gallium atom distribution makes it possible to explain ascending diffusion in the region of strong distortions of a crystalline lattice.Belarusian State University of Information Science and Radioelectronics, Minsk, Belarus. Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 39–43, January–February 1995.     

Quantum concept of the rearrangement of a crystal lattice

Using quantum considerations based on the concept of lattice rearrangement waves, we carried out an analysis of processes of rearrangement of a crystal lattice occurring on a moving front (interface) of crystal rearrangement. For the introduction and quantization of these waves we use the method of acoustomechanical analogy and the Sommerfeld quantum conditions. We calculate the energies and the propagation velocities of the lattice rearrangement waves. Along with quanta having a certain momentum, quanta that have a certain angular momentum are introduced into consideration. On the basis of the concepts developed, we suggest a new expression for calculating the probability of thermofluctuational processes in a crystal. We perform a numerical analysis of the rate of growth of the -phase in iron in the process of --conversion. Satisfactory agreement with experiment is obtained. We discuss the limitations and prospects of further development of the concept suggested. For direct experimental verification of the concept we propose to investigate the diffraction of electrons and other particles on the lattice rearrangement waves, i.e., in the process of phase conversions or disintergration of crystals.Branch of the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Samara. Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 136–142, January–February, 1995.     

Numerical investigation of convective flows of a highly inhomogeneous gaseous medium

Equations of convection in a gas are analyzed and a computational algorithm that is efficient when the condition gh/RT1 is satisfied for an arbitrary (fairly large) temperature drop is proposed. Calculations of convection occurring in steady nonuniform heating of walls are performed for axisymmetric argoncontaining volumes of different shape. Results of these calculations demonstrate the establishment of steady and periodic motions of the gas.Academic Scientific Complex A. V. Luikov Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk. Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 68, No. 6, pp. 983–990, 1995.     

State and prospects of inhibitor protection of the metal resources of the Ukraine

At present, the overall losses caused by corrosion in the Ukraine are very high and increase constantly owing to an increase in the aggressiveness of the environment and a lack of corrosion-resistant materials and anticorrosion technologies. The corrosion-mechanical fracture of metals (corrosion fatigue or corrosion cracking) proves to be the most dangerous type of corrosion since it occurs without visible changes in the appearance of structures. This is true, first of all, for pipelines, chemical and power equipment, municipal utility services, etc.The Ukrainian Association of Corrosionists has recently been founded with the aim of intensifying anticorrosion activities. The Association has about 40 organizational members (including academic and specialized institutes and industrial enterprises) and about one hundred individual members—prominent experts in corrosion science. The Technical Committee TC-85 Corrosion of Metals and Alloys was founded by the State Committee on Standardization and Metrology of the Ukraine. In 1993, the Ukraine became a member of the International Corrosion Council.In view of the urgency of this problem, the Editorial Board of Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov begins a series of survey, problem, and discussion papers devoted to the problem of protection of metals against corrosion. Scientists and experts are invited to discuss this and related problems in our journal. The present work opens the series. We consider and characterize the main groups of corrosion inhibitors used in industry and indicate their developers and producers. The addresses of the Collection and computer bank of corrosion inhibitors and inhibited materials are also presented.Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 11–17, January–February, 1994.