Browning Inhibition and Textural Changes of Pre-Peeled Potatoes Caused by Anaerobic Conditions

Sulphite treatment is often used for inhibition of enzymatic browning of pre-peeled potatoes. Introduction of CO₂ or N₂ gases in the immersion water was investigated as an alternative to sulphite. The samples were stored at 4 °C. Daily introduction of the gases reduced the O₂ content from approx. 8.8 mg/L (measured at 20 °C) to 0.2-1.9 mg/L during the immersion period. The CO₂ treatment inhibited the browning completely and N₂ treatment did not. It is assumed that this is due to the lower pH in the CO₂ water. When CO₂ was added only one time at the start of the experiment, it also inhibited discoloration, but the immersion water developed a weak brown colour. Both the CO₂ and the N₂ treatment induced hardening in the outer potato tuber tissue after cooking after 4-7 d of storage, as did Na₂SO₃ solutions.     

Statistical analysis of the quantal basis of secretory granule formation

ABSTRACT The size distribution of vesicles exocytosed from secretory cells displays quantal nature, vesicle volume is periodic multi‐modal, suggesting that these heterogeneous vesicles are aggregate sums of a variable number of homogeneous basic granules. Whether heterogeneity is a lumping‐together artifact of the measurement or an inherent intra‐cell feature of the vesicles is an unresolved question. Recent empirical evidence will be provided for the quantal nature of intra‐cell vesicle volume, supporting the controversial paradigm of homotypic fusion: basic cytoplasmic granules fuse with each other to create heterogeneously sized vesicles. An EM‐algorithm‐based method is presented for the conversion of multi‐modal to quantal data that provides as by‐product estimates of means and variances of basic granule packaging. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:1–10, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Activation and metacognition of inaccessible stored information: Potential bases for incubation effects in problem solving.

Two experiments were conducted with a hybrid procedure that involved a battery of indirect criterion tests designed to study the activation and metacognition of inaccessible stored information. In each experiment, subjects first attempted to recall some rare target words in response to a series of definitions meant to cue retrieval from long-term semantic memory. For the words that could not be recalled initially, the subjects rated their feelings of knowing. They then performed a lexical-decision task in which the target words and other control words were presented. Reaction times were measured as a function of the feeling-of-knowing ratings and the length of the interval between the initial exposure to the definitions and the subsequent lexical decisions. Faster decisions occurred for the target words than for the controls, especially when strong feelings of knowing had been expresseed about the targets. Similar facilitation was obtained in a subsequent old-new recognition task. It appears that unsuccessful attempts to retrieve inaccessible stored information prime the later recognition of the information through a process of spreading activation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selected aggregate properties significantly affect the behaviour of bituminous paving mixtures

This paper presents a summary of some of the findings obtained during a series of research projects aimed to select, define and evaluate the significant aggregate and filler properties, and to relate them to the behaviour of bituminous concrete. The paper discusses a new concept and test method suggested for an objective quantitative evaluation of the geometric irregularity of aggregate particles (shape, angularity and surface texture combined) in a wide range of particle sizes. The aggregate parameters were found to be significantly correlated to the physical properties and mechanical behaviour of the bituminous mixtures composed of the aggregates tested. The paper also summarizes research work and findings related to a special evaluation of important physico-chemical properties of the filler and their significant effect on the immediate properties and the long-term durability behaviour of bituminous paving mixtures.     

Toxicity Assessments of Multisized Gold and Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish Embryos

The potential toxicity of nanoparticles is addressed by utilizing a putative attractive model in developmental biology and genetics: the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Transparent zebrafish embryos, possessing a high degree of homology to the human genome, offer an economically feasible, medium‐througput screening platform for noninvasive real‐time assessments of toxicity. Using colloidal silver (cAg) and gold nanoparticles (cAu) in a panoply of sizes (3, 10, 50, and 100 nm) and a semiquantitative scoring system, it is found that cAg produces almost 100% mortality at 120 h post‐fertilization, while cAu produces less than 3% mortality at the same time point. Furthermore, while cAu induces minimal sublethal toxic effects, cAg treatments generate a variety of embryonic morphological malformations. Both cAg and cAu are taken up by the embryos and control experiments, suggesting that cAg toxicity is caused by the nanoparticles themselves or Ag⁺ that is formed during in vivo nanoparticle destabilization. Although cAg toxicity is slightly size dependent at certain concentrations and time points, the most striking result is that parallel sizes of cAg and cAu induce significantly different toxic profiles, with the former being toxic and the latter being inert in all exposed sizes. Therefore, it is proposed that nanoparticle chemistry is as, if not more, important than specific nanosizes at inducing toxicity in vivo. Ultimately such assessments using the zebrafish embryo model should lead to the identification of nanomaterial characteristics that afford minimal or no toxicity and guide more rational designs of materials on the nanoscale.     

Effect of merging levels of locomotion scores for dairy cows on intra- and interrater reliability and agreement

Locomotion scores are used for lameness detection in dairy cows. In research, locomotion scores with 5 levels are used most often. Analysis of scores, however, is done after transformation of the original 5-level scale into a 4-, 3-, or 2-level scale to improve reliability and agreement. The objective of this study was to evaluate different ways of merging levels to optimize resolution, reliability, and agreement of locomotion scores for dairy cows. Locomotion scoring was done by using a 5-level scale and 10 experienced raters in 2 different scoring sessions from videos from 58 cows. Intra- and interrater reliability and agreement were calculated as weighted kappa coefficient (κw) and percentage of agreement (PA), respectively. Overall intra- and interrater reliability and agreement and specific intra- and interrater agreement were determined for the 5-level scale and after transformation into 4-, 3-, and 2-level scales by merging different combinations of adjacent levels. Intrarater reliability (κw) ranged from 0.63 to 0.86, whereas intrarater agreement (PA) ranged from 60.3 to 82.8% for the 5-level scale. Interrater κw = 0.28 to 0.84 and interrater PA = 22.6 to 81.8% for the 5-level scale. The specific intrarater agreement was 76.4% for locomotion level 1, 68.5% for level 2, 65% for level 3, 77.2% for level 4, and 80% for level 5. Specific interrater agreement was 64.7% for locomotion level 1, 57.5% for level 2, 50.8% for level 3, 60% for level 4, and 45.2% for level 5. Specific intra- and interrater agreement suggested that levels 2 and 3 were more difficult to score consistently compared with other levels in the 5-level scale. The acceptance threshold for overall intra- and interrater reliability (κw and κ ≥0.6) and agreement (PA ≥75%) and specific intra- and interrater agreement (≥75% for all levels within locomotion score) was exceeded only for the 2-level scale when the 5 levels were merged as (12)(345) or (123)(45). In conclusion, when locomotion scoring is performed by experienced raters without further training together, the lowest specific intra- and interrater agreement was obtained in levels 2 and 3 of the 5-level scale. Acceptance thresholds for overall intra- and interrater reliability and agreement and specific intra- and interrater agreement were exceeded only in the 2-level scale.     

Cross impact analysis of technological innovation and developmentin the softwood lumber industry in Canada: a structural modelingapproach

The potential of processing and product innovations to alleviate the problem of declining quality of logs facing the Canadian softwood industry is examined. Comparative forecasts were made of the consequences of three technological investment strategies: continuation of present levels, increased investment in processing R&D, and increased investment in product R&D. The study identified a mixed strategy of investment in both processing and product technologies as the best approach for the Canadian softwood lumber industry to maintain profitability and market share in the markets in which it competes with US producers     

How Critical Infrastructure Orients International Relief in Cascading Disasters

Critical infrastructure and facilities are central assets in modern societies, but their impact on international disaster relief remains mostly associated with logistics challenges. The emerging literature on cascading disasters suggests the need to integrate the nonlinearity of events in the analyses. This article investigates three case studies: the 2002 floods in the Czech Republic, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima meltdown in Japan. We explore how the failure of critical infrastructure can orient international disaster relief by shifting its priorities during the response. We argue that critical infrastructure can influence aid request and delivery, changing needs to address the cascades, and contain cascading technology‐based events. The conclusions propose remaining challenges with applying our findings.