Enhancement of the nutritional status of beef patties by adding flaxseed flour

Flaxseed flour was used as a functional ingredient in the production of beef patties. Beef patties were produced with five different formulations; the addition of 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% and 15% flaxseed flour. Control samples were formulated with 10% and 20% fat addition. Raw and cooked beef patties were analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, ash, pH, color parameters and fatty acid profiles. Beef patties were evaluated for cooking loss and sensory properties. Fat and ash content of raw patties increased, while moisture and protein content decreased with increased flaxseed flour. The same trend (except fat content) was also observed after cooking. The addition of flaxseed flour did not affect pH values of raw and cooked beef patties. The addition of flaxseed flour improved the cooking loss but, increased the energy value (as kcal/100 g). L and a values of raw beef patties containing flaxseed flour were close to controls with 10% fat. α-linolenic acid content of raw and cooked beef patties increased as the level of flaxseed flour increased. The PUFA/SFA ratio increased from 0.04 in the control with 10% fat to 0.62 in the raw beef patties with 15% flaxseed flour. The n-6/n-3 ratio decreased from 5.76 in the control with 10% fat to 0.36 in the raw beef patties with 15% flaxseed flour. The nutritional status of beef patties was enhanced with minimal composition and sensory changes with 3% or 6% flaxseed flour addition.     

The efficiency of Norwegian road toll companies

This paper analyses the level of efficiency at which road toll companies are operated in Norway. Two alternative methods are applied for this purpose: data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The data comprise a total of 20 toll companies that have been in operation in the period 2003–2008. The findings of the paper are as follows: 1) There is a great potential for efficiency improvement in the sector, irrespective of the method used, but the variation in the efficiency scores is dependent on the method used; 2) there is no evidence of economies of scale, as has been found by other authors, such as Odeck 2008, How efficient and productive are road toll companies? Evidence from Norway, Transport Policy. 15, 232–241 and, Amdal, E., Bårdsen, G., Johansen K. and Welde M., 2007. Operating costs in Norwegian toll companies: a panel data analysis. Transportation. 34, 681–695. These results suggest that toll companies could generate significant savings by employing industry best practices. Further, decision makers are warned not to be indifferent to the approach used i.e., DEA and SFA, as these may give very different results.     

Performance evaluation of the efficiency of Philippine Private Higher Educational Institutions: application of frontier approaches

This paper evaluates the efficiency performance of Philippine Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs), using frontier approaches known as data envelopment analysis – Malmquist indices and stochastic frontier analysis. The sample consists of 30 private educational institutions, which were granted autonomy over the time period 1999–2003, with a total of 150 observations. The paper also analyzes whether technical inefficiency is systematically related to age, ownership (private sectarian versus private non‐sectarian), and autonomy status. Significant new findings show that higher technological progress boosted the higher productivity growth of the majority of PHEIs (about 66.67%). We also found that age and ownership have positive and statistically significant effects on its technical inefficiency. PHEIs obtained a technical efficiency of 71.2%, and therefore need to increase their output revenues by 28.8% to be efficient. These new findings contribute significantly to educational performance.     

SFA废水以PSB方式生物降解工艺路线之抉择

本文着重研究PSB处理SFA废水的优化工艺条件。经SFA废水成分的测定,探索了该废水“边可溶化边PSB降解”的“双边”处理的可能性,改进了日本小林正泰提出的必须“先可溶化后PSB降解”的“先后”处理的传统理论。在研究废水的预处理工艺以及溶解氧与去除率关系等基础上,揭示了处理系统生物化学代谢变化的规律,并进而探讨了后续工序的处理方法及菌体利用的可能性。试验表明,PSB法在有机废水处理中是有应用前途的新工艺。     

Relationships between intramuscular fat content, selected carcass traits, and fatty acid profile in bulls using a F2-population

The quality and nutritional value of beef is related to the amount of intramuscular fat (IMF) as well as to its fatty acid composition. In this study the relations between the IMF content and the total fatty acid composition, the fatty acids (FA) of triacylglycerols (TG) and the FA of phospholipids (PL) in longissimus muscle of F₂ Charolais × German Holstein crossbred bulls have been analysed. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, C18:2n-6; C18:3n-3) and stearic acid (C18:0) are strongly positively correlated to IMF in longissimus muscle at the quantitative level (mg/100 g fresh tissue), but there are negative correlation coefficients for the relative proportion of these fatty acids to IMF. The relationships between IMF and the fatty acid profile of the subfractions TG and PL are lower compared to total muscle fat. Selected carcass fat traits are positively correlated to most of the fatty acids.     

Comparative analysis of the fatty acid and sterol profiles of widely consumed Mediterranean crustacean species

Comparative analysis of FA, NL and sterol profiles in the Nephropsnorvegicus (langoustine), Palinurusvulgaris (lobster) and Penaeuskerathurus (shrimp) muscle and cephalothorax showed that C16:0, C16:1ω-7, C18:0, C18:1ω-9, C20:4ω-6, EPA and DHA were found to be their major FA. Highest EPA occurred in langoustine muscle TL, DHA in both shrimp tissues TL while C20:4ω-6 in lobster muscle and cephalothorax TL. Muscle and cephalothorax NL consisted mainly of sterols (42.5–54.4% and 13.7–43.1%) and triacylglycerols (35.4–45.8% and 44.6–59.4%). Cholesterol was the major sterol (70.90–98.58% and 97.10–98.31% of total sterols in muscle and cephalothorax respectively) followed by avenasterol (0.18–20.32% and 0.07–0.70%) and β-sitosterol (0.29–7.30% and 0.23–0.75%). Lower concentrations of brassicasterol, stigmasterol, Δ7-stigmasterol, campesterol and campestanol were also found. The examined crustaceans muscle (edible part) was found to be a good ω-3 PUFA source for the consumers, while the cephalothorax (which is usually discarded) could be used effectively as a source for ω-3 PUFA production.