Effect of reuterin produced by Lactobacillus reuteri on the surface of sausages to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp

Reuterin is a bacteriocin produced by some strains of Lactobacillus reuteri. The strain used in this study was isolated from raw milk from a dairy farm nearby Ankara. Beef sausage is a long years produced bratwurst style meat product in Turkey, as well as in some other countries in the Mediterranean region. Sausages are produced by raw meat; sometimes lactic starter cultures are added or spontaneous fermentation is employed. The production and storage conditions of the product promotes the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. Although nitrate is added as an antimicrobial substance against many pathogens, sometimes however nitrate application is not preventive enough on the surface because of the natural film around the sausages. Since most of the contaminations take place at post production steps, pathogenic growth is more effective on the surface of the sausages in refrigerated conditions. In this study, reuterin was applied to the surface of the sausages in order to prevent the growth of these two pathogens along with nitrate used as an additive in the product. Reuterin has inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes considerably but not of Salmonella spp. on the surface of the sausages.     

Characterization of the topography and thickness of gallium thin films by scanning tunneling microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was employed to characterize the topography of 32 and 4 µm thick gallium films; thicknesses that have not yet been addressed. The STM images revealed submicron grains on both surfaces although a reduced grain density was observed on the thinner film. The granular structure may be explained by a thin gallium oxide layer that acted as an elastic membrane against liquid gallium underneath that expanded during freezing of the sample. We also believe that the same gallium oxide layer is also responsible for an intriguing effect that appears as soon as the tungsten tip lands on the gallium film: the onset of continuous regular z-oscillations of the tip even at rest. This is an effect that we believe has not been previously reported in the literature. We have also demonstrated, for the first time, a new thickness determination method for the gallium film based on an STM image obtained during the solid-to-liquid phase transition.     

Dynamic control of unified power flow controller under unbalanced network conditions

The effective and reliable use of existing transmission lines are critically important because high-voltage transmission networks met enormous power demands are very expensive investments in terms of their costs. Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) are quite efficient to control the power flow of the transmission lines and increase the current capacity of system. Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) is the more efficient among FACTS equipments which have the potential to increase the power flow and stability of the transmission line. This paper develops new control approaches for both series and shunt inverters of UPFC. The proposed controller algorithms of shunt and series inverters are based on fuzzy logic controller and rotating orthogonal-coordinate method, respectively. Dynamic control of power flow using proposed UPFC is analyzed as mathematically. Power System Computer-Aided Design (PSCAD) is used to simulate the system and test UPFC in the simulation environment. The test results are presented to show the increased stability of the system and improved dynamic response of UPFC during faults occurred in the transmission line.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-Rhombohedral Boron Powders<Emphasis Type="Italic"> via</Emphasis> Gas Phase Thermal Dissociation of Boron Trichloride by Hydrogen

The α-rhombohedral and β-rhombohedral crystal structures of pure elemental boron powders have been synthesized via gas phase thermal dissociation of BCl₃ by H₂ on a quartz substrate. The parameters affecting the crystal structures of the final products and the process efficiency, such as BCl₃/H₂ molar ratio (1/2 and 1/4) and reaction temperature (1173 K to 1373 K [900 °C to 1100 °C]), have been examined. The experimental apparatus of original design has enabled boron powders to be obtained at temperatures lower than those in the literature. The surface/powder separation problem encountered previously with different substrate materials has been avoided. Boron powders have been synthesized with a minimum purity of 99.99 pct after repeated HF leaching. The qualitative analysis of exhaust gases has been conducted using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR). The synthesized powders have been characterized using an X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. The results of the reactions have been compared with equilibrium predictions performed using the FactSage 6.2 (Center for Research in Computational Thermochemistry, Montreal, Canada) thermochemical software.     

Production of nitric oxide (NO) by lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented products

In this study, the bacteria which were isolated from various milk and fermented food products were tested for their ability to convert metmyoglobin to nitrosomyoglobin. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from samples of raw milk, unsalted butter, Beyaz cheese, yoghurt, pickles and silage. The nitric oxide (NO) forming abilities of 1534 isolates were tested using plates of de Man, Rogosa, Sharpe agar supplemented with metmyoglobin (MRS-Mb). Ten isolates formed bright red colonies, brown or clear zones due to the conversion of metmyoglobin to nitrosomyoglobin were identified. Five of the 10 bacteria were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, three as Pediococcus acidilactici, and two as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum. NO formation ability was measured in MRS-Mb broth. There were differences not only among the species, but also among the strains of a species. The highest NO concentrations of 51.5, 51.3, 50.2 μM were produced by P. acidilactici S2, L. plantarum T119, and P. acidilactici S3, respectively.     

Some properties of bacterial cellulose produced by new native strain Gluconacetobacter sp. A06O2 obtained from Turkish vinegar

The aim of the study was to isolate and identify an acetic acid bacterial strain having high cellulose yield and to investigate some physicochemical properties of bacterial cellulose (BC). Acetic acid bacteria were isolated by using 62 samples (vinegar, fruit, vegetable, and soil) from different region of Turkey. The cellulose production ability of 153 isolates was determined. A strain (A06O2) having high and stable cellulose yield was identified by biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and compared with type strain Gluconacetobacter xylinus NRRL B‐759. Based on the results, strain A06O2 was named at the genus level as Gluconacetobacter, however, species level identification could not be made. Celluloses from both strains were purified to investigate the physicochemical properties such as thermal properties, solubility in various solvents, elemental composition, tensile properties, and surface properties by FTIR and SEM. The results showed that the cellulose samples of two bacterial strains differed in the physicochemical properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011