Parallel enzymatic and non-enzymatic formation of zinc protoporphyrin IX in pork

Zinc protoporphyrin is formed in pork homogenates in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Ferrochelatase is active in formation of the highly fluorescent pigment known from Parma ham as demonstrated by inhibition with N-methylmesoporphyrin and by thermal inactivation. A non-enzymatic transmetallisation reaction, exchange of iron in myoglobin by zinc(II), is demonstrated by Pb(II) inhibition of zinc protoporphyrin formation at low Pb(II) concentrations, but promoted at higher Pb(II) concentrations. The non-enzymatic reaction is characterised as a slow bimolecular reaction between protoporphyrin IX and zinc(II) with a second-order rate constant of 0.63 l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 35 °C and a high energy of activation of 98 kJ mol⁻¹ for acetone:water (3:1, v/v) as solvent. Zinc protoporphyrin formation is concluded to be thermodynamically controlled with a formation constant of 4 × 10⁵ M (35 °C, acetone:water (3:1)). An efficient inhibition of formation of zinc protoporphyrin by nitrite is related to myoglobin as substrate and involves both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions.     

Study of Cheese Associated Lactic Acid Bacteria Under Carbohydrate-Limited Conditions Using D-Stat Cultivation

The metabolic pathways alternative to glycolytic energy (ATP) during growth of starter and nonstarter lactic acid bacteria were studied simulating the depletion of carbohydrates during cheese ripening. D-stat cultivation strategy with the gradual decrease of galactose concentration in tryptone-arginine feeding medium was used. With the decrease of galactose feeding, the biomass yield calculated on carbohydrate consumption (Y_X/HEX) and acetate/lactate production ratio of all strains increased. We assume that ATP and biomass yields improved by directing the pyruvate flow from lactate to acetate and that metabolic energy could be obtained either by producing acetate from carbohydrates or from arginine metabolism in ADI-positive strains. Four LAB strains out of eight produced ornithine from arginine indicating active arginine-deiminase (ADI) pathway. These ADI-positive strains achieved 3-10 times higher Y_X/HEX than ADI-negative strains in tryptone-arginine medium. Lactobacillus plantarum also used serine as an energy source. Starters and NSLAB strains using the amino acids arginine and serine or limited amounts of carbohydrates therefore have the potential to influence flavor production in cheese more efficiently.     

ICT and Integrated Care: Some Dilemmas of Standardising Inter-Organisational Communication

There is a growing interest in the issues of how to organise healthcare work along individual patient cases rather than along the demarcation lines of healthcare organisations. Health information systems, such as electronic patient records, are seen as important change agents, since they are asserted to help the coordination of care across organisations through fast and accurate exchange of clinical data. The paper explores how a semi-standardised discharge letter is employed to communicate about the patient between two organisational settings, the hospital and the general practitioner. It is shown that the discharge letter plays a double role as informational tool and accounting device. And it is argued that further standardisation of the discharge letter content – in order to facilitate electronic exchange – is likely to strengthen the letters role as a tool for organisational accountability and weaken it as a clinical tool. The paper concludes that this finding adds to the theoretical understanding of how computers support cooperative work, and that understanding how healthcare professionals present themselves as accountable and trustworthy should be of major concern when designing healthcare ICTs.     

By-products from herbs essential oil production as ingredient in marinade for turkey thighs

Herb decoctions—the aqueous extract of rosemary, sage and thyme, left as by-product after steam distillation of essential oils, were investigated as a source of antioxidants in marinades for turkey thigh meat. Lipid oxidation after marinating, cooking and chill storage (warmed over flavour, WOF) was assessed by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), GC-MS and sensory judgement on marinated and untreated meat. Results showed that marinating with herb decoctions, which exerted antioxidant activity (free radical scavenging), was an effective means of retarding lipid oxidation in raw and cooked meat. Meat from the rosemary marinade had the lowest TBARS values and volatile levels, while the control samples showed the highest values throughout the marinating, cooking and storage period. Oxidative changes in meat marinated with thyme and sage were significantly more advanced than in meat marinated with rosemary decoction. The partial least squares regression (PLS-R) showed that control samples were strongly related to the oxidation variables (volatiles, TBARS, rancidity) while the marinated meat had high scores for spicy and acidic odour and flavour. Results indicated that antioxidants contained in herb decoction, could be exploited in marinades to prevent rancidity in stored, heat-treated turkey meat products.     

Application of chemometrics to low-field 1H NMR relaxation data of intact fish flesh

The possibilities for application of low-field ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a rapid method for simultaneous assessment of basic quality parameters in fish were explored. In a first experiment, 200 salmon (Salmo salar) samples mapping the variation over an entire fish were measured by NMR and subsequently analysed for oil or water content by standard chemical methods. In a second experiment, 58 differently thawed cod (Gadus morhua) samples were measured by NMR and subsequently analysed for water-holding capacity. Correlations between chemical data and NMR data were evaluated using partial least squares (PLS) regression on complete relaxation curves and compared with conventional regression models on exponential fitting parameters. Predictions on an independent test set were superior for the PLS regression models, with optimal prediction errors of 12 g kg⁻¹, 6 g kg⁻¹ and 3.9% for oil and water content in fresh salmon flesh and water-holding capacity in thawed cod flesh respectively. Thus rapid, non-invasive low-field NMR can be used to simultaneously determine both oil and water content of fish flesh. Furthermore, it can predict water-holding capacity of cod flesh, with an R² of 0.9 over the range 30–90%, as determined by a centrifuge test. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Spatial distribution of light-induced lipid oxidation in semi-hard yellow cheese as detected by confocal microscopy

The migration of oxidative damage in semi-hard yellow cheese resulting from surface exposure to 436 nm monochromatic light with an intensity of 2.5 × 10¹⁷ quanta min⁻¹ cm⁻² for 0, 5, 10, and 15 min was followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy using labelling with the lipophilic fluorescence ratio probe C₁₁-Bodipy (581/591). From 5 × 5 × 5 mm cubes of cheese exposed to light on one plane 35 μm was sliced off and fluorescence of oxidised and non-oxidised probe recorded simultaneously on the surface of the slice reaching 250 μm inwards from the exposed surface. From the emission of the fluorescence ratio probe light-induced lipid oxidation could be followed with time of exposure to light. The penetration of light inwards in the cheese with time expressed as quanta cm⁻², as calculated from light transmittance at 436 nm determined spectrophotometrically for cheese slices of up to 300 μm thickness, together with light intensity as determined by actinometry, could alone account for the inwards migration of oxidation. Diffusion of radicals seems of less importance for spatial dispersion of light-induced oxidation in semi-hard cheese.     

Social competence of adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with severe deprivation history: I. An individual approach.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 47(4) of Developmental Psychology (see record 2011-13792-001). Table 4 (p. 86) contained an error. The development of stationary vicinity for LD (late deprived) chimpanzees is misstated as ns. However, the difference is highly significant as p = .008.] Early social deprivation in highly social mammals interferes with their varying needs for security and stimulation. Toleration of social stimulation was studied in 18 adult ex-laboratory chimpanzees, who had been deprived for 16 to 27 years, during their 1st year after resocialization into 1 of 3 social groups. For this, a model of social competence was developed with 5 grades of social stimulation. The chimpanzees were classified as either early deprived (EDs; M = 1.2 years) or late deprived (LDs; M = 3.6 years) according to their age at entering the laboratory. EDs did not differ significantly from LD chimpanzees in the first 3 grades of social stimulation (i.e., the toleration of stationary vicinity, initiation of brief sociopositive contacts and gentle social play). LDs, however, clearly exceeded EDs in the 4th and 5th grade of social stimulation (i.e., their engagement in allogrooming and their toleration of passive close proximity). Furthermore, LDs showed greater social initiative in changing a social situation and had more expanded grooming networks compared with EDs. Moreover, in LDs and ED females, but not in ED males, toleration of stationary vicinity increased from the 1st to the 2nd year of group living. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A field evaluation of real-life motor vehicle accidents: Presence of unrestrained objects and their association with distribution and severity of patient injuries

Moving objects may pose an added threat to car occupants in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). However, to our knowledge, there have only been two case studies published on the subject. For the present study, accident reports and photo documentation from MVAs were collected on-scene by dedicated paramedics. Emergency medical service personnel on-scene were interviewed as necessary. Potentially harmful unrestrained objects in the involved motor vehicles (MVs) were identified and categorised by type, weight and hardness. Seatback offset by unrestrained objects was noted. The patient injury distribution (Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) body regions) and severity (AIS severity scores and New Injury Severity Score (NISS) scores) were retrospectively determined from hospital and autopsy records, and their potential relationship to unrestrained objects was explored. A total of 190 accidents involving 338 MVs and 618 individuals were included. In total, 327 individuals (53%) were injured, and 61 (10%) died. 37 of 61 were not autopsied. The mean NISS was 17 (median 8, interquartile range (IQR) 1–27). Unrestrained objects were reported for 133 motor vehicles (39%) involving 293 individuals. 35% of the unrestrained objects found in the passenger compartment weighed >2 kg. In the boot, 32% of objects weighed >20 kg. Seatback offset associated with unrestrained objects was found for 45 individuals (15%). Unrestrained objects originally located in the boot (heavy luggage, groceries and tyres were the most frequently reported) had moved into the passenger compartment on impact in 27 cases, 24 of which were associated with seatback offset. An in-depth analysis was performed on 24 patients whose injuries were highly likely to be associated with unrestrained objects, as indicated by accident reports and medical documentation. Nineteen (79%) were involved in frontal collisions, and 12 (50%) died on-scene. The mean NISS was 51.7 (median 51, IQR 27–75) in the 17 (71%) patients with seatback offset and 37.2 (median 41, IQR 22.5–50) in the 7 (29%) without seatback offset. Seatback offset was associated with more severe head and thoracic injuries and an increased incidence of abdominal and pelvic injuries. Patients injured by unrestrained objects while sitting in unharmed car seats predominantly suffered head, cervical spine and thoracic injuries. Our results indicate a need for public information campaigns. The development of car backseats that can better sustain hits from heavy objects in the cargo boot is an important area for the motor vehicle production industry to explore.     

Identical locations transmission electron microscopy study of Pt/C electrocatalyst degradation during oxygen reduction reaction

The degradation mechanisms of Pt nanoparticles supported on Carbon have been characterized during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) conditions using IL-TEM. A TEM grid is used as the sole working electrode allowing a direct correlation between the electrochemical response and the TEM analysis. We mainly observe a decrease in nanoparticle size with some particle disappearance and some particle sintering after potential cycling simulating the start-up and shut-down of a fuel cell. The observation of nanoparticles with reduced particle size provides evidence that dissolution phenomena are the main cause of degradation in Pt/C electrocatalysts, under ORR conditions.