Lactic Acid Concentration and Microbial Spoilage in Anaerobically and Aerobically Stored Ground Beef

Lactic acid concentration of coarsely ground beef, packaged in low oxygen permeability casings, is inversely related to sensory acceptability of the meat following regrinding and aerobic storage for six additional days. Samples, reground and stored aerobically after periods of anaerobic storage, were assayed for total aerobic bacterial counts, percentage of gram-positive microflora, and pH. Lactic acid concentration ranged from 130 to 1055 mg per 100g ground beef and increased with anaerobic storage. During 6 days of aerobic storage, both increases and decreases in concentration were noted and related to changes in microbial flora. A positive correlation was found between the proportion of gram-positive bacteria (lactic acid bacteria) and lactic acid and pH.     

Liquid Immiscibility in the Systems X2O-MO-B2O3-SiO2 (X=Na, K; M=Mg, Ca, Ba) and Na2O-MgO-BaO-B2O3-SiO2

The limits of miscibility at 650°C were determined for compositions with the mole ratio SiO₂/B₂O₃=1.07 in the systems X₂O-MO-B₂O₃-SiO₂ (X = Na,K; M = Mg,Ca,Ba) and Na₂O-MgO-BaO-B₂O₃-SiO₂. The form of the miscibility gaps in the quaternary systems is similar to that previously described for the system Na₂O-ZnO-B₂O₃-SiO₂. The topography of miscibility gaps in systems of this type is discussed in detail. The extent of the miscibility gap is correlated with the polarizing power of each cation, X and M (Na > K and Zn ≅ Mg > Ca > Ba) both among the seven quaternary systems and within the single five-component system examined. The possibility of using empirical correlations observed among the quaternary systems to predict the behavior of other compositions, or of more complex systems, is explored.     

Rheology and Microstructure of Succinylated Canola Protein Isolate

Steady shear rheological properties of aqueous dispersions of unmodified and succinylated canola (rapeseed) protein (54 and 84% modification of free amino groups) were examined over a wide range of pH (3.5–11.0) and NaCl concentration (0.0–0.70M). All dispersions were pseudoplastic and followed power-law or power-law plastic flow behavior. Apparent viscosity at shear rates of 10 and 1000 s-1 was affected by extent of succinylation, pH, NaCl concentration, and interactions among these factors. At both shear rates, protein solubility and hydrophobicity were reliable predictors of apparent viscosity. Dispersion microstructure, as revealed by light microscopy, appeared to play an important role in flow behavior.     

Taster Response to Salt in Minced Fish

Cooked fish minces, alone and with four added levels of salt, were tasted at the same sessions as five solutions of similar salt concentration. Saltiness was measured by the tasters using the method of magnitude estimation. The magnitude estimation exponent for salt in cooked fish mince was 1.05 whereas that for the solution was significantly higher at 1.51.     

AROUSAL LEVELS AND THOUGHT PROCESSES DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION.

BIOELECTRIC RECORDINGS AND VERBAL REPORTS OF MENTAL ACTIVITIES WERE COLLECTED FROM 10 SS DURING 6 HR. OF SENSORY DEPRIVATION. SS AND 3 EXPERTS INDEPENDENTLY RATED THE REPORTS FOR TYPE OF THOUGHT PROCESS, LEVEL OF THOUGHT ORGANIZATION, AND THEIR LEVEL OF AROUSAL DURING THE REPORT PERIOD. RESULTS INDICATE THAT SS ARE NOT HIGHLY ACCURATE RATERS FOR THE 3 CATEGORIES MENTIONED, AND THE MAJORITY OF THOUGHT DISORGANIZATIONS AND NONREALITY-ORIENTED THOUGHT PROCESSES OCCUR DURING LOW LEVELS OF AROUSAL. THE CONCLUSION REACHED IS THAT SENSORY DEPRIVATION DOES NOT DISRUPT THE NORMAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVELS OF AROUSAL AND THOUGHT PROCESSES, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF USUAL ENVIRONMENTAL CUES SS MAY MISINTERPRET THEIR MENTAL EXPERIENCES. (22 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Keeping Warm and Staying Well. Does Home Energy Efficiency Mediate the Relationship between Socio-economic Status and the Risk of Poorer Health?

This paper discusses the findings of two surveys, undertaken in 2000 and 2001, which investigated relationships between home energy efficiency, socio-economic status and respondent health. Data were collected through interviews with an informant from each household and energy surveys. Respondents were drawn from relatively poor households. The main health measure used in the analysis, respondent-assessed overall health, was statistically significantly related to other health indicators, including SF36 scores, the reported presence of limiting conditions and health care behaviours such as visiting the GP. Worse respondent self-assessed health was statistically significantly related to occupational, wealth and income measures of poorer socio-economic status. However, measures of heating satisfaction and sense of mastery displaced the socio-economic measures when they were included in the predictive logistic regression model for self-assessed respondent health. Objective home energy efficiency, measured by SAP ratings, was associated with health in the model independently of the subjective measure. The findings support other evidence that home energy efficiency makes an important contribution to the relationship between lower socio-economic status and poorer health, and document the combined relationship between objective and subjectively measured home energy efficiency and health.