FTIR measurement of cellulose microfibril angle in historic Scots pine wood and its use to detect fungal decay

Microfibril angle (MFA) – the orientation of cellulose fibres in the S2 layer of the secondary cell wall – is a key determinant of the stiffness and strength of timber. The microfibril angle depends on the way in which the timber was grown and its position within the tree. Microfibril angle can be measured by X-ray diffraction and other methods, but the methods in current use are slow or require advanced instrumentation. The aim of this study was to explore the use of polarised Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy as a relatively fast and inexpensive method for measuring MFA in historic Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). The FTIR measurements were calibrated against X-ray measurements of MFA in modern Scots pine. We observed a wide range in MFA values and a radial pattern of MFA similar to modern Scots pine in undecayed Scots pine heartwood from sixteenth and seventeenth century beams in Scottish secular buildings. The density of the heartwood was also similar to modern plantation-grown Scots pine despite the much slower growth rate recorded in the ring widths of the historic timber. The sapwood, which had been attacked by both insect pests and fungi, showed an erratic reduction in density and a large increase in MFA compared to the modern material. The increased sapwood MFA was attributed to selective destruction of the S2 layer of the wood cell walls by fungal decay. Using MFA measurements in conjunction with density offers the possibility to estimate the mechanical properties of sound historic pine timber, to detect fungal decay more sensitively than by density alone, and to distinguish between pest and fungal attack in a way that relates directly to the remaining mechanical performance of the timber

The Effects of Processing and Ripening on the Quality of Pizza Cheese

End of Project ReportThe main aims of this project were to quantify the changes in fuctionality during maturation of cheese and to develop an understanding of the factors which mediate the development of functionality. The approach to achieving these objectives involved the establishment of a suitable pilot plant production procedure for low moisture Mozzarella, developing and/or adapting existing methods for objective evaluation of the functional properties of pizza cheeses, and evaluating the effects of ripening and variations in cheesemaking conditions (e.g. pH at stretching) on the composition, yield and functionality of low moisture Mozzarella cheese. The main conclusions were as follows: The technology for developing low moisture Mozzarella cheeses, with different compositions and functionalities, via alteration of cheesemaking parameters, has been developed. A database has been established on the storage-related changes that occur in texture, proteolysis and functionality of low moisture Mozzarella cheeses of different compositions. In addition an extensive database on the compositional, biochemical, microstructural, rheological and/or functional properties of different commerical cheeses - low moisture Mozzarella, Cheddar and analogue pizza cheese, has been compiled. The functionality of low moisture Mozzarella changes markedly on storage/ripening at 4ºC. Initially, during the first 5-10 days of storage, the functionality of the baked cheese is poor but then improves on further storage as reflected by reductions in melt time and apparent viscosity (chewiness) and increases in stretchability and flowability. The changes in functionality are mediated by storage-related increases in pH, proteolysis, protein-bound water and free oil in the cheese. On prolonged storage (e.g. > 60 d at 4ºC), the cheese functionality becomes impaired as the shredded cheese develops an increased susceptibility to clumping/balling which makes it difficult to dispense the cheese onto the pizza pie and achieve a uniform surface distribution. Moreover, the baked cheese tends to exude excess free oil and loses its desired level of chewiness attaining a 'soupy' consistency. Novel methods were developed/adapted to objectively quantify functionality in the raw (susceptibility of shredded cheese to clump) and cooked (stretchability, chewiness, viscoelasticity) cheeses.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Trypanosome diversity in wildlife species from the Serengeti and Luangwa Valley ecosystems

<p>Background: The importance of wildlife as reservoirs of African trypanosomes pathogenic to man and livestock is well recognised. While new species of trypanosomes and their variants have been identified in tsetse populations, our knowledge of trypanosome species that are circulating in wildlife populations and their genetic diversity is limited.</p> <p>Methodology/Principal Findings: Molecular phylogenetic methods were used to examine the genetic diversity and species composition of trypanosomes circulating in wildlife from two ecosystems that exhibit high host species diversity: the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. Phylogenetic relationships were assessed by alignment of partial 18S, 5.8S and 28S trypanosomal nuclear ribosomal DNA array sequences within the Trypanosomatidae and using ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 for more detailed analysis of the T. vivax clade. In addition to Trypanosoma brucei, T. congolense, T. simiae, T. simiae (Tsavo), T. godfreyi and T. theileri, three variants of T. vivax were identified from three different wildlife species within one ecosystem, including sequences from trypanosomes from a giraffe and a waterbuck that differed from all published sequences and from each other, and did not amplify with conventional primers for T. vivax.</p> <p>Conclusions/Significance: Wildlife carries a wide range of trypanosome species. The failure of the diverse T. vivax in this study to amplify with conventional primers suggests that T. vivax may have been under-diagnosed in Tanzania. Since conventional species-specific primers may not amplify all trypanosomes of interest, the use of ITS PCR primers followed by sequencing is a valuable approach to investigate diversity of trypanosome infections in wildlife; amplification of sequences outside the T. brucei clade raises concerns regarding ITS primer specificity for wildlife samples if sequence confirmation is not also undertaken.</p&gt

Biochemical and Functional Relationships in Cheese.

End of Project ReportCheese is used extensively in cooking applications, mainly because of its flavour and heat-induced functionality, which is a composite of different attributes such as softening, flow and stretch. The functional attributes of cooked cheese generally have a major impact on the quality of foods in which cheese is included as an ingredient, e.g. pizza pie. Owing to its importance in cookery applications, numerous studies have been undertaken on the effects of different factors on the age-related changes in the functionality of cooked cheese, especially Mozzarella, and to a lesser extent, Cheddar and processed cheese. These studies have shown that the functionality of natural cheese is dynamic, with the different functional attributes undergoing marked changes during ripening, and, for a given cheese variety, the desired functional attributes are optimum within a specific time frame during maturation. The time at which the cheese becomes functional and the width of the window - and hence the functional shelf-life, are affected by the extent of chemical changes, including the increase in proteolysis and the ratio of bound to free moisture. The main aims of this project were to investigate the effects of the following on the age-related changes in heat-related functional attributes (e.g. stretchability, fluidity) of cheese: * fat reduction, * the degree of fat emulsification, * the pH and calcium content and their interaction, * the correlation between proteolysis and functional attributes, especially attributes other than flowability, e.g. rheological properties of raw cheese, stretchability of heated cheese, and * the age-related changes in the functionality of cheeses other than Mozzarella, e.g. analogue pizza cheese and Emmental. At the outset of this project, comparatively little information was available on the effects of the above parameters on the age-related changes in heatinduced functional attributes (e.g. stretchability, fluidity) of cheese, especially for varieties other than Mozzarella.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Risk-based evidence for animal health policy

No abstract available

Search for the disappearance of muon antineutrinos in the NuMI neutrino beam

We report constraints on muon antineutrino oscillation parameters that were obtained by using the two MINOS detectors to measure the 7% antineutrino component of the NuMI neutrino beam. In the Far Detector, we select 130 events in the charged-current muon antineutrino sample, compared to a prediction of 136.4 +/- 11.7(stat) ^{+10.2}_{-8.9}(syst) events under the assumption |dm2bar|=2.32x10^-3 eV^2, snthetabar=1.0. A fit to the two-flavor oscillation approximation constrains |dm2bar|<3.37x10^-3 eV^2 at the 90% confidence level with snthetabar=1.0

Exploring the role of small-scale livestock keepers for national biosecurity - the pig case

Small-scale keepers are less likely to engage with production organisations and may therefore be less aware of legislation, rules and biosecurity practices which are implemented in the livestock sector. Their role in the transmission of endemic and exotic diseases is not well studied, but is believed to be important. The authors use small-scale pig keepers in Scotland as an example of how important small-scale livestock keepers might be for national biosecurity. In Scotland more than two thirds of pig producers report that they keep less than 10 pigs, meaning that biosecurity practices and pig health status on a substantial number of holdings are largely unknown; it is considered important to fill this knowledge gap. A questionnaire was designed and implemented in order to gather some of this information. The questionnaire comprised a total of 37 questions divided into seven sections (location of the enterprise, interest in pigs, details about the pig enterprise, marketing of pigs, transport of pigs, pig husbandry, and pig health/biosecurity). Over 610 questionnaires were sent through the post and the questionnaire was also available online. The questionnaire was implemented from June to October 2013 and 135 questionnaires were returned by target respondents. The responses for each question are discussed in detail in this paper. Overall, our results suggest that the level of disease identified by small-scale pig keepers is low but the majority of the small-scale pig keepers are mixed farms, with associated increased risk for disease transmission between species. Almost all respondents implemented at least one biosecurity measure, although the measures taken were not comprehensive in the majority of cases. Overall as interaction between small-scale keepers and commercial producers exists in Scotland the former can pose a risk for commercial production. This investigation fills gaps in knowledge which will allow industry stakeholders and policy makers to adapt their current disease programmes and contingency plans to the reality of small-scale pig-keeping enterprises’ health and biosecurity status. We predict that some conclusions from this work will be relevant to countries with similar pig production systems and importantly some of these findings will relate to small-scale producers in other livestock sectors

Compassion, stigma, and professionalism among emergency personnel responding to the opioid crisis: An exploratory study in New Hampshire, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in the United States for those under 50 years of age, and New Hampshire has been disproportionately affected, resulting in increased encounters with the emergency response system. The ensuing impact on emergency personnel has received little attention. The present study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of emergency personnel responding to the opioid crisis in NH, with a focus on their views toward people who use opioids. METHODS: Thirty-six emergency personnel (emergency department clinicians, n = 18; emergency medical service providers, n = 6; firefighters, n = 6; and police officers, n = 6) in 6 New Hampshire counties were interviewed about their experiences responding to overdoses and their perspectives on individuals who use opioids. Directed content analysis was used to identify themes in the transcribed, semistructured interviews. The results were reviewed for consensus. RESULTS: Several categories of themes were identified among emergency personnel's accounts of their overdose response experiences and perspectives, including varied degrees of compassion and stigma toward people who use opioids; associations between compassion or stigma and policy- and practice-related themes, such as prehospital emergency care and the role of emergency departments (EDs); and primarily among personnel expressing compassion, a sense of professional responsibility that outweighed personal biases. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the magnitude of the ongoing opioid crisis, some emergency personnel in New Hampshire have sustained or increased their compassion for people who use opioids. Others' perspectives remain or have become increasingly stigmatizing. The associations of compassion and stigma with various policy- and practice-related themes warrant further investigation