Breeding and Roasting Temperature as Related to Beef Tenderness and Other Quality Factors

According to the 1964 census the production and sale of livestock provided a major source of income in the state of Utah. Twenty-three of the state\u27s twenty-nine counties received more than 40 percent of their total farming income from livestock sales in 1959. According to Taylor (1965) this is expected to increase even more. In studying the economic sources within Utah, it becomes evident that many of the state\u27s farmers and ranchers depend heavily on the sale of livestock for their livelihood. Upon observing this fact, Taylor (1965) states that farm income will depend just as heavily on the sale of livestock as in the past. He suggests one reason for this increase is because beef cattle have been replacing dairy herds and sheep since 1945. For example, between 1962-64 dairy cattle decreased by 38,000 head. The chief agricultural export items in Utah are beef and lamb in carcass form. The meat packing plants process 250 million pounds of red meat annually. Of this 250 million pounds, 209 million pounds are consumed in Utah and about 41 million pounds are exported to other states. In recent years much study and research have been done on tenderness of beef. The quality and consumption of less tender cuts of beef, which are also less expensive, would be increased if a method of cooking could be used to attain this tenderness. Hiner (1955) points out that tenderness in beef is a function of many interrelated factors namely: breeding, feeding, management, age, period of aging of raw meat, presence of collagenous and elastic fibers, the method of cooking the meat and probably many others. Recent studies have shown that low temperature cooking increases the tenderness of beef. Cover (1937 and 1943) reports that roasts cooked at 176 F were very tender but dry as compared with those roasted at 257 F. She explains that the tenderness is due to the longer cooking time rather than the oven temperature. This may be true with quantity roasts but more work needs to be done on dry-roasting at the standard oven temperature which is from 300 to 325 F. Nielsen and Hall\u27s (1965) study shows that blade roasts were more tender roasted at 225 F than at 325 F and were equally as tender as those braised. Many housewives no longer have time to roast a piece of meat for two or three hours just before dinner. If they could put the meat in the oven at a lower temperature before leaving for work in the morning and take it out in time for dinner at night; having a comparable roast in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor; their cooking problem would be somewhat simplified. The Animal Science Department of Utah State University has been experimenting with breeding Hereford and Hereford-Shorthorn crosses. One phase of their experiment is concerned with tenderness. The Food and Nutrition Department agreed to conduct tests for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor and acceptability on standing rib roasts cooked at 325 F. Through the courtesy of the Animal Science Department adjacent standing rib roasts and adjacent paired chuck roasts were furnished and were dry-roasted at 225 F and 325 F. This was done to compare tender and less tender cuts of beef roasted at the two different oven temperatures. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of genetic background, oven temperature, and dry-roasting of less tender cuts upon tenderness, juiciness, flavor and acceptability and cooking losses of tender and less tender cuts of beef

Preliminary definition of a lunar landing and launch facility (Complex 39L)

A preliminary definition of a lunar landing and launch facility has been formulated. A permanently manned lunar base and a baseline lunar module are assumed. The major features of the facility are specified and major design areas are described

SDF-1 alone and in co-operation with HGF regulates biology of human cervical carcinoma cells

Stromal Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1)-CXCR4 axis plays a pivotal role in biology and metastasis of several tumors. The aim of this study was to see if SDF-1 alone or in combination with Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) affects biology of human cervical carcinoma (HCC) cells. We found that HCC cell lines investigated in our study highly express CXCR4 on their surface. CXCR4 was also expressed on tumor cells in tissue sections derived from cervical cancer patients. At the same time normal cervical epithelium was negative for CXCR4 expression what suggests a strong correlation between CXCR4 and malignant cell phenotype. Subsequently, we studied a potential role of the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis in HCC and noticed that SDF-1 (i) chemoattracted HCC cells, (ii) enhanced their scattering, (iii) stimulated nuclear localization of beta-catenins and upregulated their target gene cyclin D1 and (iv) at the molecular level induced calcium flux and activated RAS-MAPK, PI3-AKT and JAK-STAT pathways. SDF-1-mediated functions were additionally enhanced in the presence of HGF. Thus, our data show that the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis affects biology of HCC cells. Furthermore, we postulate that this axis might become a potential target to prevent progression of cervical cancer

SDF-1 alone and in co-operation with HGF regulates biology of human cervical carcinoma cells.

Stromal Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1)-CXCR4 axis plays a pivotal role in biology and metastasis of several tumors. The aim of this study was to see if SDF-1 alone or in combination with Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) affects biology of human cervical carcinoma (HCC) cells. We found that HCC cell lines investigated in our study highly express CXCR4 on their surface. CXCR4 was also expressed on tumor cells in tissue sections derived from cervical cancer patients. At the same time normal cervical epithelium was negative for CXCR4 expression what suggests a strong correlation between CXCR4 and malignant cell phenotype. Subsequently, we studied a potential role of the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis in HCC and noticed that SDF-1 (i) chemoattracted HCC cells, (ii) enhanced their scattering, (iii) stimulated nuclear localization of beta-catenins and upregulated their target gene cyclin D1 and (iv) at the molecular level induced calcium flux and activated RAS-MAPK, PI3-AKT and JAK-STAT pathways. SDF-1-mediated functions were additionally enhanced in the presence of HGF. Thus, our data show that the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis affects biology of HCC cells. Furthermore, we postulate that this axis might become a potential target to prevent progression of cervical cancer

Smart Cities: Towards a New Citizenship Regime? A Discourse Analysis of the British Smart City Standard

Growing practice interest in smart cities has led to calls for a less technology-oriented and more citizen-centric approach. In response, this articles investigates the citizenship mode promulgated by the smart city standard of the British Standards Institution. The analysis uses the concept of citizenship regime and a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods to discern key discursive frames defining the smart city and the particular citizenship dimensions brought into play. The results confirm an explicit citizenship rationale guiding the smart city (standard), although this displays some substantive shortcomings and contradictions. The article concludes with recommendations for both further theory and practice development

One in four die from acute infectious illness in an emergency department in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Background. Despite the breadth of data supporting evidence-based practice for sepsis care in high-resource settings, there are relatively few data to guide the management of sepsis in low-resource settings, particularly in areas where HIV and tuberculosis (TB) are prevalent. Furthermore, few studies had broadened sepsis parameters to include all patients with acute infectious illness or followed patients up after hospital discharge. Understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of acute infections in a local context is the critical first step to developing locally informed targeted management strategies.Objectives. To quantify and describe the incidence of and risk factors for mortality in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated acute infectious illnesses who presented to an emergency department (ED) in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa (SA).Methods. In this prospective cohort study, patients with suspected acute infectious illness were enrolled at a district casualty ward in Mthatha, SA, between 1 July and 1 September 2017. Demographic data, interventions, diagnostic studies and disposition were prospectively collected during the initial encounter and during the hospital stay. Follow-up was conducted both in hospital and via phone interviews 30 days after the index visit.Results. A total of 301 patients presented to the ED with acute infectious illness during the study period, of whom 54.8% had complete 30-day follow-up. Of the study population, only 5.7% had a complete set of vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and temperature) documented. Of the cohort, 51.8% had HIV and 32.9% active or treated TB; 25.2% of patients died within 30 days. Accounting for medical history, diagnosis and ED interventions, risk of mortality was independently associated with age (odds ratio (OR) 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00 - 1.06), HIV-positive status (OR 4.10; 95% CI 1.44 - 11.67) and Quick Sequential (Sepsis-Related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score (OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.19) in an adjusted model. No ED interventions were protective for mortality, with intravenous fluid administration associated with increased 30-day mortality in this cohort (OR 3.65; 95% CI 1.38 - 9.62).Conclusions. Among adults with suspected acute infectious illness in Mthatha, SA, 30-day mortality was concerningly high. Mortality was highest in patients with concomitant HIV infection. In particular, vital sign assessment to identify possible sepsis in this cohort is crucial, as it affects mortality to a meaningful extent, yet is often unavailable. Future research is needed on the management of sepsis in low-resource settings, particularly in HIV-positive individuals

Electrosynthesis of Composites Consisting of FeOOH and Reduced Graphene Oxide in Graphite Electrodes

Carbon-based composite nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide, have demonstrated a great potential for applications in several areas. The present work sought to obtain, via electrosynthesis, a composite material based on graphene oxide and iron oxyhydroxide deposited onto graphite pencil surface. The electrodes modifications by electrosynthesis was performed using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The graphene oxide and the electrosynthesized FeOOH cuboids were characterized by SEM-FEG, EDX. The cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the electrochemical behavior of the graphite pencil electrode (PEG). The composites electrodes of PEG modified with GO/FeOOH (PEG/GO/FeOOH) were formed in two stages. In the first stage, there was the formation of FeHCF in PEG/GO, and subsequently, there was the formation of PEG/GO/FeOOH in alkaline medium. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v12i3.147