High pressure in combination with elevated temperature as a method for the sterilisation of food

Application of high-pressure processing to foods can effect a decrease in the number of vegetative bacterial cells, and hence can result in pasteurisation. Inactivation of bacterial spores, however, is required for the sterilisation of foods. This article reviews the current status of the application of high-pressure treatments for the inactivation of bacterial spores, and particularly examines the requirement for a combination of high pressure and high temperature processing to achieve the sterilisation of foods

Diffusion of lactic acid in a buffered gel system supporting growth of Lactobacillus curvatus

Diffusion of lactic acid in a buffered gel system was investigated using fluorescent ratio imaging. The range of pH studied was from 5.5 to 3.8, which included the minimum pH of growth of Lactobacillus curvatus (4.26). Diffusion of lactic acid in this pH range was found to be Fickian and the estimated effective diffusion coefficient of lactic acid at 20 °C was 2.81 x 10-10 m2 s-1 with a standard deviation of 0.21 x 10-10 m2 s-1. This effective diffusion coefficient was estimated by fitting the one-dimensional solution of the Fickian diffusion equation for infinite systems to a transformed experimental data set. The original data set as recorded by the fluorescent microscope consisted of concentration-distance curves at specific time intervals. This was transformed by realigning the distance scale of all the concentration-distance curves

Sharing Classes between Separate Schools: a mechanism for improving inter-group relations in Northern Ireland?

One manifestation of division and the history of conflict in Northern Ireland is the parallel education system that exists for Protestants and Catholics. Although recent decades have seen some advances in the promotion of integrated education, around 95% of children continue to attend schools separated on ethno-religious lines. In 2007 a programme for sharing education was established. Underpinned by intergroup contact theory, and reflecting educational priorities shared by all school sectors, the programme seeks to offer children from different denominational schools an opportunity to engage with each other on a sustained basis. In this article the authors adopt a quantitative approach to examining the impact of participation in the Sharing Education Programme on a range of outcomes (out-group attitudes, positive action tendencies and out-group trust) via, first, intergroup contact (cross-group friendships) and, second, intergroup anxiety. Their findings confirm the value of contact as a mechanism for promoting more harmonious relationships, and affirm the Sharing Education Programme as an initiative that can help promote social cohesion in a society that remains deeply divided