Effect of moisture on salmonella spp. heat resistance in cocoa and hazelnut shells

The heat resistance of food-poisoning outbreak and non-outbreak associated strains of Salmonella (S. Enteritidis, S. Montevideo, S. Napoli, S. Oranienburg, S. Poona, S. Senftenberg and S. Typhimurium) was established in confectionery-related materials such as crushed cocoa bean and hazelnut shells at low moisture contents (≤ 4% w/w). The two most heat resistant strains in cocoa and hazelnut shells at ca. 4% w/w moisture were S. Oranienburg and S. Enteritidis PT30. Both strains were associated with outbreaks from dried materials. Their D_100°C values were ca. 2.5 min in crushed cocoa bean shells and 7–11 min in crushed hazelnut shells. Addition of moisture to ca. 7% w/w markedly reduced D-values (D_80°C of 2–4.5 min) for both strains in the two matrices.     

Resistant starch—An accessible fiber ingredient acceptable to the Western palate

Dietary fiber intakes in Western societies are concerningly low and do not reflect global recommended dietary fiber intakes for chronic disease prevention. Resistant starch (RS) is a fermentable dietary fiber that has attracted research interest. As an isolated ingredient, its fine particle size, relatively bland flavor, and white appearance may offer an appealing fiber source to the Western palate, accustomed to highly refined, processed grains. This review aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the current knowledge (classification, production methods, and characterization methods), health benefits, applications, and acceptability of RS. It further discusses the present market for commercially available RS ingredients and products containing ingredients high in RS. The literature currently highlights beneficial effects for dietary RS supplementation with respect to glucose metabolism, satiety, blood lipid profiles, and colonic health. An exploration of the market for commercial RS ingredients indicates a diverse range of products (from isolated RS2, RS3, and RS4) with numerous potential applications as partial or whole substitutes for traditional flour sources. They may increase the nutritional profile of a food product (e.g., by increasing the fiber content and lowering energy values) without significantly compromising its sensory and functional properties. Incorporating RS ingredients into staple food products (such as bread, pasta, and sweet baked goods) may thus offer an array of nutritional benefits to the consumer and a highly accessible functional ingredient to be greater exploited by the food industry.     

Xylitol bioproduction from wheat straw: hemicellulose hydrolysis and hydrolyzate fermentation

A 2² central composite design with five center points was performed to estimate the effects of temperature (120, 130 and 140 °C) and acid loading (100, 150 and 200 mg g^?1) on the yield of monomeric xylose recovery from wheat straw hemicellulose (Y_S/RM). Under the best hydrolysis condition (140 °C and 200 mg g^?1), a Y_S/RM of 0.26 g g^?1 was achieved. After vacuum concentration and detoxification by pH alteration and active charcoal adsorption, the hydrolyzate was used as source of xylose for xylitol bioproduction in a stirred tank reactor. A xylitol production of 30.8 g L^?1 was achieved after 54 h^?1 of fermentation, resulting in a productivity (Q_P) of 0.57 g L^?1 h^?1 and bioconversion yield (Y_P/S) of 0.88 g g^?1. The maximum specific rates of xylose consumption and xylitol production were 0.19 and 0.15 g g^?1 h^?1, respectively. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of prepartum injection of vitamin E on health in transition dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate parenteral vitamin E for the prevention of peripartum disease in dairy cows. A randomized clinical trial was conducted in 21 commercial dairy herds. Cows (n = 1142) were randomly assigned to receive either a single subcutaneous injection of 3000 IU of vitamin E, or placebo, 1 wk before expected calving. Serum alpha-tocopherol was significantly increased in treated cows at 7 and 14 d, but not at 21 d after injection. Overall, there were no significant differences between treatment groups in the incidence of retained placenta, clinical mastitis, metritis, endometritis, ketosis, displaced abomasum, or lameness. However, there was a conditional benefit of treatment for reduction of the incidence of retained placenta. Cows with marginal pretreatment vitamin E status (serum alpha-tocopherol to cholesterol mass ratio < 2.5 x 10(-3)) that received an injection of vitamin E tended to have reduced risk of retained placenta. However, in cows with adequate serum vitamin E, there was no reduction in the incidence of any disease. For clinical application, primiparous animals were most likely to benefit from prepartum injection of vitamin E.     

Environmental exposure and risk assessment of fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents in wastewater and river water of the Glatt Valley Watershed,Switzerland

The mass flows of fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents (FQs) were investigated in the aqueous compartments of the Glatt Valley Watershed, a densely populated region in Switzerland. The major human-use FQs consumed in Switzerland, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and norfloxacin (NOR), were determined in municipal wastewater effluents and in the receiving surface water, the Glatt River. Individual concentrations in raw sewage and in final wastewater effluents ranged from 255 to 568 ng/L and from 36 to 106 ng/L, respectively. In the Glatt River, the FQs were present at concentrations below 19 ng/L. The removal of FQs from the water stream during wastewater treatment was between 79 and 87%. During the studied summer period, FQs in the dissolved fraction were significantly reduced downstream in the Glatt River (15-20 h residence time) (66% for CIP and 48% for NOR). Thus, after wastewater treatment, transport in rivers causes an additional decrease of residual levels of FQs in the aquatic environment. Refined predicted environmental concentrations for the study area compare favorably with the measured environmental concentrations (MEC) obtained in the monitoring study. Total measured FQ concentrations occurring in the examined aquatic compartments of the Glatt Valley Watershed were related to acute ecotoxicity data from the literature. The risk quotients obtained (MEC/PNEC < 1) following the recommendations of the European guidelines or draft documents suggest a low probability for adverse effects of the occurring FQs, either on microbial activity in WWTPs or on algae, daphnia, and fish in surface waters.     

Discrimination of aerial deposition sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran downwind from a pulp mill near Ketchikan, Alaska

Drinking water is supplied by individual roof-catchment systems for homes and businesses near a dissolving sulfite pulp mill (now closed) located just north of Ketchikan in southeast Alaska. This study was conducted to determine if polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) found in the sediments of the roof-catchment cisterns resulted from historical deposition of stack emissions from the pulp mill's multi-fuel power boilers. Fly ash from the power boilers had maximum total PCDD/F concentrations of 3.08 x 10(5)-3.10 x 10(6) ng/kg, which resulted from combustion of bleach plant wastewater sludge and saltwater-soaked wood waste. Cistern sediments had maximum total PCDD/F concentrations of 7.71 x 10(4) ng/kg. Potential sources of PCDDs/Fs in the cistern sediments were considered to be automobile exhaust, heating oil combustion, and private trash burning as well as pulp mill boiler emissions. Discriminant analysis was used to analyze differences between profiles of tetra through octa homologue classes of PCDDs/ Fs (defined as proportional contributions to total concentration) from different source terms. Homologue profiles of potential sources from Ketchikan included in this analysis were fly ash collected from the mill's power boilers and soils collected from background areas (areas with similar PCDD/F sources as the residences [e.g., auto exhaust and burn barrels] near the mill but beyond the zone of aerial deposition of emissions from the mill). Profiles for emissions from automobile exhaust, fertilizers, oil heating, residential trash burning, and residential wood heating were also included in the source "training" data set (for the discriminant analysis) using data from published literature. The classification rules developed from the discriminant analysis were applied to the following test media sampled at Ketchikan: roof-catchment cistern sediments and soils collected from areas in the vicinity of the mill's power boilers (i.e., nearby residential or commercial [developed] areas, on the mill property, and nearby forestlands). The homologue profiles of cistern sediment and nearby developed area soil samples were similar to background soils, whereas the profiles for the forestland soil samples (influenced by emissions from the mill but not other anthropogenic sources) closely matched the fly ash pattern. The homologue profiles of the emission sources from published data were more similar to one another than either background soils or fly ash. Soil samples from the mill property were classified as members of all source groups. On the basis of these analyses, the composition of PCDDs/Fs detected in the cistern sediments is typical of Ketchikan background conditions and not reflective of mill emissions.     

Abiotic transformation of toxaphene by superreduced vitamin B12 and dicyanocobinamide

Toxaphene is a complex organochlorine pesticide mixture, residues of which are widespread in the environment. Previous studies with the isolated bacterium Sulfurospirillum (formerly Dehalospirillum) multivorans resulted in an effective anaerobic biotransformation of toxaphene. Since the bacterium contains a corrinoid derivative in the active center of the tetrachloroethene dehalogenase, we attempted to use superreduced corrinoids for abiotic transformation of toxaphene. The two corrinoids studied were dicyanocobinamide and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). Superreduced dicyanocobinamide mediated a rapid transformation of toxaphene. More than 90% of the initial pool was transformed within 6 h. The transformation was nonselective, and even the most persistent metabolite in environmental samples, the so-called dead-end metabolite 2-exo,3-endo,6-exo,8,9,10-hexachlorobornane (B6-923 or Hx-Sed) was transformed within hours. Superreduced cyanocobalamin was also able to transform toxaphene albeit at significantly lower velocity. The lack of transformation products detectable in gas chromatograms of hexanes-extracted fractions of the assays suggests rapid, sequential dehalogenation and/or destruction of the C10-hydrocarbon backbone of the compounds of technical toxaphene.     

无反作用力的摇振器--DuoShake

无反作用力的摇振器-DuoShake,已应用于低速机至1200m/min高速纸机,定量范围18～550g/m2,已在中国、欧洲、北美和南美的70台纸机上应用.     

Occurrence of major and trace elements in powdered milk from Argentina

The concentrations of major and trace elements in Argentinean commercial powdered milk samples were determined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Also the daily intake (DI) was calculated for adults and infants. The concentrations of B, Mg, Na, K and Ca were significantly higher in skimmed milk. Cu, Mo, Fe, Mn and Zn were significantly higher in infant formula. All the DIs were below the tolerable upper intake levels. The mean As concentration (26.0 ± 8.6 ng/g) in the powdered skimmed milk samples was slightly higher than in the others. Mean Pb concentrations ranged from 4.1 ± 2.1 to 13.5 ± 8.2 ng/g. The highest mean U concentration was 7.8 ± 2.6 ng/g for whole milk. This study contributes to the knowledge of major and trace elements in powdered milk and its contribution to the diet in Argentina.