Anchovy shelf life as affected by different chilling methods during distribution

Anchovies are a very labile fish and deteriorate fast under chilling conditions. In the South of Spain, fishing boats land their catches in wooden boxes with ice (12 to 14 kg). For some years now, fish processors have prepared this species for market distribution by placing about 7 kg fish in expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes containing water and ice. Then, in the distribution market, boxes are dewatered and re-iced. Transportation of the fish in EPS boxes containing water and ice was recently forbidden on the grounds that boxes for transportation of fish in ice must have holes to let melted ice drain away. In this paper, the effect of preserving the anchovy in water and ice from landing to the distribution market was studied and compared with the more traditional methods of storing the fish in ice in either wooden or EPS boxes. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory analyses were carried out over three different storage trials to account for the effect of seasonality. Little differences were found among lots, but some of the parameters showed that fish transported in water and ice did present less spoilage than fish stored in ice, especially when compared to the wooden boxes. According to these results, chilling of this fish in water and ice can be used as an alternative preserving method during transport.     

Spatial and temporal evolution of the levels of tritium in the Tagus River in its passage through Caceres (Spain) and the Alentejo (Portugal)

This work is the result of a collaboration between Spanish and Portuguese laboratories. The specific objective was to quantify the time evolution during 1994, 1995 and 1996 of the radioecological impact of the liquid releases of 3H from the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) in the section of the Tagus River corresponding to Cáceres province in Spain and the Alentejo region in Portugal. We found that the temporal evolution of the levels of tritium depends on the management of the water held in the cooling reservoir of the ANPP and the presence of the dams that exist along the river. This management regime has a 12-month period. Also the movement of the mass of tritiated water (HTO) downriver was much faster during 1996 than 1995 or 1994 due to the hydrological differences between those years and consequently to the different amounts of water transferred between the reservoirs of the dams. From the hypothesis that hydrodynamically it is impossible to differentiate tritiated water from non-tritiated water, a model was constructed that satisfactorily reproduces the temporal evolution of the 3H in the zone of the Tagus River in which the exchange of water takes place, with the cooling reservoir of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant.     

Microbiological condition of ground meat retailed in Monterrey, Mexico

Eighty-eight samples of ground meat were randomly collected from retail stores in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico, and were analyzed for microbial contamination. Methods were those recommended by the Mexican regulation and/or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Over 75% of the samples contained > 10(5) total mesophilic microorganisms per g, and over 40% had >10(6) total coliforms per g. Fecal coliforms were present in most samples. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 2.3% of the samples, Salmonella spp. in 11.4%, Listeria spp. in 62%, and L. monocytogenes in 16%. Escherichia coli was detected in 76% of samples, but none was serotype O157:H7. Shigella spp. was not found in any sample. Fusarium spp. and Mucor spp. were detected in 3.4% of the samples, and low levels of yeast in 93%. The microbiological quality of the ground meat analyzed was unsatisfactory, and the product could be an important cause of food poisoning.     

Effect of water purification on its radioactive content

We have analyzed the dissolved activity of various radionuclides of natural origin (226Ra and (234,235,235)U) and artificial origins (90Sr and (239+240)Pu), together with other non-radioactive physico-chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, dry residue, [Ca2+], [Mg2+], [K+] and [Fe(2+,3+)], in both pre-potable and potable water from 17 treatment plants in Extremadura (Spain). We have established a series of criteria and complementary techniques to the traditional methods of purification, aimed at the quantitative elimination of the presence in solution of the mentioned radionuclides. We highlight: (a) the increment of the mineral content of the water in its treatment succeeds in eliminating 226Ra, until reaching values close to 70%; (b) the increment of the mineralization of the water by addition of chemical reagents, conducted within the pH values 7.1 and 7.8, succeeds in eliminating up to 90% of the total uranium in dissolution; (c) the elimination of 90Sr during the purification is poor, in general, reaching average levels of only 15% when the purification process is practiced within concrete ranges for potable water (pH > 7, conductivity > 150 microS/cm, dry residue > 150 mg/l, [Ca2+] > 10 mg/l and [Mg2+] > 1.2 mg/l), and finally, (d) the decrease of the solubility of the iron, as low as it can get during the purification process, together with an increase of the conductivity associated, in principle, to parallel increments of other variables not analyzed in this work, such as SO4(2-), CO3(2-), etc., the activity of dissolved (239+240)Pu decreases to 90%. The application of the traditional processes of water purification outside the ranges and criteria formulated can increase the presence in dissolution up to 400%, for some radionuclides, largely the consequence of its redissolution from the non-soluble fraction of the water.     

Environmental risk of particulate and soluble platinum group elements released from gasoline and diesel engine catalytic converters

A comparison of platinum-group element (PGE) emission between gasoline and diesel engine catalytic converters is reported within this work. Whole raw exhaust fumes from four catalysts of three different types were examined during their useful lifetime, from fresh to 80,000 km. Two were gasoline engine catalysts (Pt-Pd-Rh and Pd-Rh), while the other two were diesel engine catalysts (Pt). Samples were collected following the 91441 EUDC driving cycle for light-duty vehicle testing, and the sample collection device used allowed differentiation between the particulate and soluble fractions, the latter being the most relevant from an environmental point of view. Analyses were performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (quadrupole and high resolution), and special attention was paid to the control of spectral interference, especially in the case of Pd and Rh. The results obtained show that, for fresh catalysts, the release of particulate PGE through car exhaust fumes does not follow any particular trend, with a wide range (one-two orders of magnitude) for the content of noble metals emitted. The samples collected from 30,000-80,000 km present a more homogeneous PGE release for all catalysts studied. A decrease of approximately one order of magnitude is observed with respect to the release from fresh catalysts, except in the case of the diesel engine catalyst, for which PGE emission continued to be higher than in the case of gasoline engines. The fraction of soluble PGE was found to represent less than 10% of the total amount released from fresh catalysts. For aged catalysts, the figures are significantly higher, especially for Pd and Rh. Particulate PGE can be considered as virtually biologically inert, while soluble PGE forms can represent an environmental risk due to their bioavailability, which leads them to accumulate in the environment.     

Rat brain cholinergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons express GABAA receptors derived from the alpha3 subunit

In order to study the most abundant GABAA receptor subtypes expressed in cholinergic, dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons (i.e., in neurons of the so-called "global" projection systems), we employed double-immunocytochemical techniques combining the labeling of GABAA receptor alpha1, alpha2 and alpha3 subunit with markers for these cells. Cholinergic neurons in the striatum, habenula, and pedunculo-pontine nucleus were immunonegative for the alpha1 subunit, and most were also alpha2-immunonegative. However, cholinergic neurons in the striatum, septum and pedunculo-pontine nucleus were alpha3 immunopositive. Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta were highly immunopositive for the alpha3, and noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus were immunoreactive for the alpha3 and the alpha2-subunit; although neurons of these areas were negative for alpha1. Similarly, serotonergic neurons in raphe also showed a high level of labeling of alpha3, while there was a lack of immunoreactivity for the alpha1-subunit, and only some individual neurons were positive for the alpha2 subunit. As the presence of different alpha-subunits confers specific physiological and pharmacological properties to GABAA receptors, the abundance of receptors containing the alpha3 subunit (and the scarcity of receptor subtypes including the other alpha-subunits studied) may have important implications for the GABAergic regulation of brain "global" or "diffuse" projection systems.     

Graphite-teflon composite bienzyme electrodes for the determination of cholesterol in reversed micelles. Application to food samples

A bienzyme amperometric composite biosensor for the determination of free and total cholesterol in food samples is reported. Cholesterol oxidase and horseradish peroxidase, together with potassium ferrocyanide as a mediator, are incorporated into a graphite-70% Teflon matrix. The compatibility of this biosensor design with predominantly nonaqueous media allows the use of reversed micelles as working medium. The reversed micelles are formed with ethyl acetate as continuous phase (in which cholesterol is soluble), a 4% final concentration of 0.05 mol L(-1) phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, as dispersed phase, and 0.1 mol L(-1) AOT as emulsifying agent. Studies on the repeatability of the amperometric response obtained at +0.10 V, with and without regeneration of the electrode surface by polishing, on the useful lifetime of one single biosensor and on the reproducibility in the fabrication of different pellets illustrate the robustness of the biosensor design. Determination of free and total cholesterol in food samples such as butter, lard, and egg yoke was carried out, and the obtained results were advantageously compared with those provided by using a commercial Boehringer test kit.     

Achromatic fourier processor with holographic optical lenses

An optical Fourier processor that allows the use of broadband light sources and colored inputs is designed, fabricated, and tested. We develop a design technique based on phase manipulation in the Fourier plane to construct an image processor that provides a chromatically corrected image making use of the good aberrations behavior of symmetrical optical systems. Only a small number of diffractive lenses and one achromatic refractive lens are required to obtain a real image. We verify our design experimentally using holographic lenses, which are presented, owing to their versatility, as a good alternative to expensive blazed diffractive elements.     

A new method for selecting calf pericardium for use in cardiac bioprostheses on the basis of morphological and mechanical criteria

The durability of existing calf pericardium bioprostheses is limited by phenomena such as mechanical stress and calcification, the factors most frequently implicated in valve failure. Varying the preferred direction of the collagen fibers influences the mechanical behavior of the pericardial membrane. Given this possible variation, a strict control of the selection of the biomaterial employed in the construction of valve leaflets is essential, but a reliable method of selection has yet to be established.This study describes the development of a new system of in vitro selection involving a hydraulic simulator that reproduces the mechanical behavior of pericardial membranes subjected to the stress of continuous flow.By combining morphological criteria such as thickness and homogeneity with those of mechanical behavior, and by selecting paired samples from different parts of the pericardium, we obtained excellent mathematical fits. Linear regression analysis provided the mode of predicting the tensile strength in a given sample when this value had been determined in its twin. The upper zones of calf pericardium, corresponding to either right or left ventricle but at a distance from ligamentous structures, showed the best mean results at rupture (60 MPa) and permitted the most reliable prediction. The expected stress for an elongation of 30% was 1.12 MPa, as was previously observed, with a 95% confidence interval of between 1.11 and 1.14 MPa.These trials, together with the careful selection of the pairs, should help to establish definitive selection criteria. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

孔隙率对Al2O3高孔隙率多孔介质EHC的影响

新型多孔介质燃烧技术主要采用泡沫陶瓷 ( Ceramic Foams)、波纹状陶瓷 ( Fabric LamellaStructure)等高孔隙率多孔介质。基于气、固相局部热平衡假设的有效导热系数 EHC( EffectiveHeat Conductivity)描述了气流与固体骨架中导热、弥散和热辐射多种传热方式的综合效果 ,是一个重要的传热特性 ,对其研究非常不足。通过实验与数值模拟确定不同孔隙率 Al2 O3 陶瓷的 EHC:基于测定的温度分布 ,给定 EHC的初值 ,采用有限体积法进行流场数值模拟 ;比较测量与计算的温度均方根差 ,通过对 EHC搜索寻优 ,间接确定泡沫陶瓷的有效导热系数。结果表明 Al2 O3 陶瓷的EHC随温度增加而增加 ,对速度不敏感 ;孔隙率高的陶瓷其 EHC较大。给出试样 EHC与温度和空管速度的拟合式 ;将颗粒床 EHC的 Z&B模型外推到 Al2 O3 高孔隙率陶瓷 ,并给出 EHC预示结果