The influence of processing and refrigeration on the bacterial numbers on beef and sheep offals

An investigation was carried out in a commercial abattoir on the influence of processing and refrigeration on a variety of beef and sheep offals. The influences of the different processes and the operations, to the bacterial load before refrigeration of the product, were determined. In general all the operations in the plant had an effect on the final bacterial load. The effect of inadequate refrigeration was noteworthy in all cases and this factor alone made the most significant contribution to the products having a poor shelf-life.     

Embedding requirements within Model-Driven Architecture

Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) brings benefits to software development, among them the potential for connecting software models with the business domain. This paper focuses on the upstream or Computation-Independent Model (CIM) phase of MDA. Our contention is that, whilst there are many models and notations available within the CIM phase, those that are currently popular and supported by the Object Management Group (OMG) may not be the most useful notations for business analysts nor sufficient to fully support software requirements and specification. Therefore, with specific emphasis on the value of the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) for business analysts, this paper provides an example of a typical CIM approach before describing an approach that incorporates specific requirements techniques. A framework extension to MDA is then introduced, which embeds requirements and specification within the CIM, thus further enhancing the utility of MDA by providing a more complete method for business analysis.     

A Framework and Lightweight Protocol for Multimedia Network Management

The increasing complexities of modern networks coupled with the popularity of multimedia applications have placed higher demands on network managers. This paper reviews the main requirements and challenges for effective management of multimedia networks, presents a case study of a thin-client-based multimedia system called CSL (Computer-supported Learning System) and proposes a framework for managing such networks. CSL delivers browser-based assessments and other learning materials to thousands of students at the University of Auckland. This type of demand requires more flexible schemes for the management of the network. In the framework proposed, most of the link management information will be kept in a MIB in the network and a very simple MIB will be maintained in the thin client. The MIB in the network is accessible to the network management application, and a lightweight protocol is proposed for updating of the network MIB using an agent at the thin client.     

Horizontal transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during cattle housing

Ruminant livestock, particularly cattle, is considered the primary reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7. This study examines the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 within groups of cattle during winter housing. Holstein Friesian steers were grouped in six pens of five animals. An animal inoculated with and proven to be shedding a marked strain of E. coli O157: H7 was introduced into each pen. Fecal (rectal swabs) and hide samples (900 cm2 from the right rump) were taken from the 36 animals throughout the study. Water, feed, and gate or partition samples from each pen were also examined. Within 24 h of introducing the inoculated animals into the pens, samples collected from the drinking water, pen barriers, and animal hides were positive for the pathogen. Within 48 h, the hides of 20 (66%) of 30 cohort animals from the six pens were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The first positive fecal samples from the noninoculated cohort animals were detected 3 days after the introduction of the inoculated steers. During the 23 days of the study, 15 of 30 cohort animals shed the marked E. coli O157:H7 strain in their feces on at least one occasion. Animal behavior in the pens was monitored during a 12-h period using closed circuit television cameras. The camera footage showed an average of 13 instances of animal grooming in each pen per hour. The study suggests that transmission of E. coli O157:H7 between animals may occur following ingestion of the pathogen at low levels and that animal hide may be an important source of transmission.     

Turning wine (waste) into water: Toward technological advances in the use of constructed wetlands for winery effluent treatment

The research presented in this article describes an investigation into the use of vegetated submerged reedbeds (VSR) as a practicable alternative for effluent treatment for small‐scale wine producers. In this study, we found that the hydraulic processes occurring within the VSR display significantly nonideal behavior. If the feed to the VSR was located on the surface the dead volume accounted for approximately 25% of the nonideal behavior of the system and bypass accounted for a further 6%. A preferential flow pattern was found within the VSR with the greatest flow occurring closest the surface and in the center, and the least at the sidewalls. We propose that the flow profile can be conceptualized as being hull shaped and found that this profile was the same for irregularly shaped gravel and for spherically shaped gelatinous beads. We, therefore, hypothesize that it is not dependent on the geometry of the VSR or the packing medium. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J 60: 420–431, 2014     

Criteria for justification of solar energy systems

postulate is that to be chosen as an energy source solar energy must be cheaper than alternatives. But further, where the solar energy system is a secondary power source, it must compete on the basis of the “incremental” cost of the primary energy. Reliability, environmental pollution and limitations of weight and area of the system are seen as other constraints on the choice of system. However, fuel convervation is dismissed as an irrelevant factor. The implications for developing countries are considered.     

Magnitude and direction of motion with speckle correlation and the optical fractional Fourier transform

The optical fractional Fourier transform (OFRT) in combination with speckle photography has previously been used to measure the magnitude of surface tilting and translation. Previous OFRT techniques used to determine motion have not been able to discern the direction of the tilt and translation. A simple new approach involving use of correlation is presented to overcome this limitation. Controlled variation of the minimum resolution and dynamical range of measurement is demonstrated. It is then experimentally confirmed that if a rigid body's motion is captured by two OFRT systems of different orders, the direction and magnitude of both the tilting and the in-plane translation motion of the body can be independently determined without a priori knowledge. The experimental results confirm the validity of previous theoretical predictions.     

The smart phone: a ubiquitous input device

We show how modern mobile phones (Weiser's tabs) can interact with their environment, especially large situated displays (Weiser's boards). Smart phones' emerging capabilities are fueling a rise in the use of mobile phones as input devices to such resources as situated displays, vending machines, and home appliances. Mobile phones' prevalence gives them great potential to be the default physical interface for ubiquitous computing applications. We survey interaction techniques that use mobile phones as input devices to ubiquitous computing environments. We use smart phone to describe an enhanced mobile phone. Our analysis blurs the line between smart phones and PDAs such as the Palm Pilot because the feature sets continue to converge.     

Effect of pH on survival, thermotolerance, and verotoxin production of Escherichia coli O157:H7 during simulated fermentation and storage

Heat treatment is increasingly being introduced to fermented meat processing, since the acid tolerance properties of Escherichia coli O157:H7 can permit this organism to survive traditional processing procedures. This study investigated the effect of growth pH and fermentation on the thermotolerance at 55 degrees C of E. coli O157:H7 in a model fermented meat system. E. coli O157:H7 (strain 380-94) was grown at pH 5.6 or 7.4 (18 h at 37 degrees C), fermented to pH 4.8 or 4.4 in brain heart infusion broth, and stored for 96 h. Cells grown at pH 5.6 had higher D values at 55 degrees C (D55 degrees C) than cells grown at pH 7.4 (P < 0.001). Cells fermented to pH 4.8 had higher D55 degrees C than those fermented to pH 4.4 (P < 0.001). Cells fermented to pH 4.8 demonstrated an increase in D55 degrees C during storage (P < 0.001), whereas cells fermented to pH 4.4 showed a decrease in D55 degrees C during the same period (P < 0.001). The effect of growth pH on verotoxin production by E. coli O157:H7 was assessed using the verotoxin assay. Cells grown at pH 5.6 had lower verotoxin production then cells grown at pH 7.4. This effect was not sustained over storage. These results indicate that a lower growth pH can confer cross-protection against heat. This has implications for the production of acidic foods, such as fermented meat, during which a heating step may be used to improve product safety.