Salmonella surveillance in Styrian meat cutting plants

Bacteriological examinations for Salmonella in meat cutting plants constitute an important cornerstone in the Styrian Salmonella surveillance programme for pork production. A total of 1920 bulk wipe samples were tested in 1999. Salmonella was detected in 7 samples taken prior to retail cutting (n = 720), in one sample taken after retail cutting (n = 720) and in one of the swab samples collected from cutting surfaces (n = 480). The extrapolation from the random sample to the population of pork produced and cut in Styria showed the estimated average proportion p , of Salmonella contaminated pork to be 0.15 % S = 95 %; CI 0.12 % SpS 0.18 %. Based on these results sampling was restricted to wholesale cuts and carcass halves from 8 slaughterhouses and meat cutting plants in 2000. Testing a total of 1290 bulk wipe samples Salmonella were detected in three cases (p= 0.14%, S = 95 %; CI 0.17% SpS 0.25 %). This favourable situation, which was corroborated by serological examinations of finishing pig herds, does not indicate an urgent call for action in Styrian breeding and finishing establishments

An adapted heat transfer model for engines with tumble motion

In the last years, a growing interest about increasing the engine efficiency has led to the development of new engine technologies. The accurate determination of the heat transfer across the combustion chamber walls is highly relevant to perform a valid thermal balance while evaluating the potential of new engine concepts. Several works dealing with heat transfer correlations that consider the swirl motion are found in the literature; however, there is a lack of works dealing with heat transfer correlations which take into account the effect of the tumble movement. In this work, a new heat transfer model accounting for the tumble motion is presented. A two stroke HSDI Diesel engine with high tumble and no swirl is used to perform the theoretical study, the model development and its final calibration. Initially, a theoretical analysis of the gas movement phenomena is carried out based on CFD results and then, a model is developed and calibrated based on a skip-fire testing technique. Finally, a sensitivity study focused on evaluating the model robustness is performed. The results confirm an average RMSE reduction of 70% with respect to the Woschni model, being this consistent improvement qualitatively evidenced in the instantaneous heat transfer evolutionThe support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (TRA2013-41348-R) is greatly acknowledged.Olmeda González, PC.; Martín Díaz, J.; Novella Rosa, R.; Carreño, R. (2015). An adapted heat transfer model for engines with tumble motion. Applied Energy. 158:190-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.08.051S19020215

Analysis of the combustion process, pollutant emissions and efficiency of an innovative 2-stroke HSDI engine designed for automotive applications

[EN] On the last years engine researchers has been focused on improving engine efficiency in order to decrease CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, while fulfilling the increasingly stringent pollutant emissions regulations. In this framework, engine downsizing arises as a promising solution, and 2-stroke cycle operation offers the possibility of reducing the number of cylinders without incurring in NVH penalties. An experimental investigation has been performed to evaluate the performance of a newly-designed poppet valves 2-stroke engine, in terms of finding the proper in-cylinder conditions to fulfill the emission limits in terms of NOx and soot, keeping competitive fuel consumption levels. Moreover, present research work aims to improve the existing knowledge about the gas exchange processes in a 2-stroke engine with poppet valves architecture, and its impact over the combustion conditions, final exhaust emissions levels and engine efficiency. The experimental results confirm how this engine architecture presents high flexibility in terms of air management control to substantially affect the in-cylinder conditions. The in-cylinder oxygen concentration and density, which are the product of a given trapping ratio and delivered mass flow, were linked to pollutant emissions and performance by their impact on instantaneous adiabatic flame temperature and spray mixing conditions. After the optimization process, it was possible to minimize simultaneously NOx, soot and indicated fuel consumption, without observing a critical trade-off between the pollutant emissions and the fuel consumption. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research has been sponsored by the European Union in framework of the POWERFUL project, seventh framework program FP7/2007-2013, theme 7, sustainable surface transport, grant agreement No. SCP8-GA-2009-234032. The authors gratefully appreciate this support.Benajes Calvo, JV.; Novella Rosa, R.; De Lima Moradell, DA.; Tribotte, P.; Quechon, N.; Obernesser, P.; Dugue, V. (2013). Analysis of the combustion process, pollutant emissions and efficiency of an innovative 2-stroke HSDI engine designed for automotive applications. Applied Thermal Engineering. 58(1-2):181-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.03.050S181193581-

Prolonged Depression-Like Behavior Caused by Immune Challenge: Influence of Mouse Strain and Social Environment

Immune challenge by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes short-term behavioral changes indicative of depression. The present study sought to explore whether LPS is able to induce long-term changes in depression-related behavior and whether such an effect depends on mouse strain and social context. LPS (0.83 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally to female CD1 and C57BL/6 mice that were housed singly or in groups of 4. Depression-like behavior was assessed with the forced swim test (FST) 1 and 28 days post-treatment. Group-housed CD1 mice exhibited depression-like behavior 1 day post-LPS, an effect that leveled off during the subsequent 28 days, while the behavior of singly housed CD1 mice was little affected. In contrast, singly housed C57BL/6 mice responded to LPS with an increase in depression-like behavior that was maintained for 4 weeks post-treatment and confirmed by the sucrose preference test. Group-housed C57BL/6 mice likewise displayed an increased depression-like behavior 4 weeks post-treatment. The behavioral changes induced by LPS in C57BL/6 mice were associated with a particularly pronounced rise of interleukin-6 in blood plasma within 1 day post-treatment and with changes in the dynamics of the corticosterone response to the FST. The current data demonstrate that immune challenge with LPS is able to induce prolonged depression-like behavior, an effect that depends on genetic background (strain). The discovery of an experimental model of long-term depression-like behavior after acute immune challenge is of relevance to the analysis of the epigenetic and pathophysiologic mechanisms of immune system-related affective disorders

Revitalization and extension of the Grand Hotel Locarno

Zusammenfassung in englischer SpracheAbweichender Titel nach Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersDas Grand Hotel Locarno ist seit 2005 leerstehend und befindet sich in einem sanierungsbedürftigen Zustand. Im Zuge der Revitalisierung wird die historische Bausubstanz erneuert um eine zeitgemäße Nutzung zu gewährleisten. Zudem wird das Hotel in der Sockelzone sowie im Dachgeschoß erweitert.The Grand Hotel Locarno is unoccupied since 2005 and is currently in need of redevelopment. As part of the revitalization, the historic structure will be redesigned, to ensure a contemporary use. In addition the lower ground floor and the attic of the hotel will be extended.9

Parkhotel (Pörtschach, Austria)

This hotel has a basement, a ground floor and eight additional floor levels. It contains 147 bedrooms and 25 apartments, with a total of 400 beds. In addition to the usual services, the basement has a restaurant, whilst the ground floor includes the hall, reception facilities, social rooms, restaurants, cafeteria, and management office. The remaining floors are entirely devoted to apartments and bedrooms. Not only because of its first class design and decoration, this hotel is highly attractive owing to its magnificent emplacement on a strip of land that extends into the Wörther lake.Este «hotel» consta de sótano, planta baja y ocho plantas de altura. En él se distribuyen: 147 habitaciones y 25 apartamentos, con un total de 400 camas. En la planta de sótanos están los servicios generales del edificio y un restaurante; la planta baja contiene el hall, zonas de recepción, conserjería, dirección, administración, salones sociales, comedores, cafetería, etcétera; y las restantes plantas alojan los apartamentos y habitaciones. Además de su acertada organización y ambientación, le imprime gran atractivo a este hotel su soberbio emplazamiento sobre una lengua de tierra que penetra en el lago de Wörther

Die Modellierung zeitabhängiger Volatilität mittels GARCH-Modellen

Christine KöferAlpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Masterarbeit, 2015(VLID)241391

Geschäftschancen und Kapitalerhaltung : eine Frage der Definition?

Dass das US-amerikanische Gesellschaftsrecht Einfluss auf das Verbot der Einlagenrückgewähr hat, ist durchaus nicht alltäglich. Das liegt vor allem daran, dass ein derart umfangreicher Schutz des Gesellschaftsvermögens dem anglo-amerikanischen Rechtskreis unbekannt ist. Dennoch war es die amerikanische Rechtsprechung des vergangenen Jahrhunderts, die mit der „Corporate Opportunity Doctrine“ ein Instrument zum Schutze des Gesellschaftsvermögens schuf, dessen Samen in mehreren kontinentaleuropäischen Rechtsordnungen auf fruchtbaren Boden traf wenngleich sie hierzulande nicht unbedingt auf dieselbe Art und Weise zum Einsatz gelangt. Während der Begriff der „Corporate Opportunity“ in den USA als Teil der gesellschaftlichen Treuepflicht der Geschäftsleitung nur gesellschaftsinterne Auswirkungen zeigt, genießen „Geschäftschancen“ in Österreich unter dem normativen Schirm des allgemein geltenden Verbotes der Einlagenrückgewähr größeren Einfluss. ^Die Probleme, denen Rechtsanwender aufgrund der nur schwer fassbaren Begrifflichkeit der Geschäftschancen entgegensehen, liegen allerdings auf der Hand. Es stellen sich die zwei entscheidenden Fragen: Erstens, wie lassen sich Geschäftschancen rechtlich definieren, und zweitens, unter welchen Voraussetzungen gelten sie als Vermögenswert und damit als Teil des geschützten Gesellschaftsvermögens? Auf Basis eines geordneten Überblicks über die bisher von der Judikatur als Geschäftschancen qualifizierten Sachverhalte bemüht sich die vorliegende Arbeit um eine kritische Würdigung des herrschenden Meinungsstandes zur Frage der Einbeziehung von Geschäftschancen in das vom Verbot der Einlagenrückgewähr geschützte Gesellschaftsvermögen. Im Zentrum steht dabei die Tauglichkeit des Fremdvergleiches als zentraler Sensor einer verdeckten Einlagenrückgewähr bei der Übertragung mehrheitlich abstrakter Vermögenswerte. ^Abschließend werden Beispiele vermögenswerter Geschäftschancen illustriert.It is not commonplace for the American corporate law to have an effect on the Austrian law of prohibition to repay contributions to the shareholders. This is mainly due to the fact that such an extensive legal protection of corporate assets is unknown to the Anglo-American common law system. Nevertheless, during the past century the American jurisdiction developed the “Corporate Opportunity Doctrine” as a legal instrument in order to protect corporate opportunities from usurpation by unauthorized corporate fiduciaries. Subsequently the Corporate Opportunity Doctrine was adopted by several European civil-law jurisdictions, although it is not necessarily applied in the same way as it is in the US. Corporate opportunities in the US, as a matter of law, unfold their influence merely inside the corporation in connection with fiduciary duties. Meanwhile they enjoy a more significant status in Austria as part of the generally applicable law of prohibition to repay contributions to the shareholders. However, the vague definition of corporate opportunities reveals serious difficulties in their application in practise. In this regard two fundamental questions arise: Firstly, how can corporate opportunities be defined legally, and secondly, under which circumstances can corporate opportunities be qualified as corporate assets protected by the rule of capital maintenance?Based on a structured overview over the existing case law, this diploma thesis sets its objective in an evaluation of the current state of opinions regarding the qualification of corporate opportunities as protected corporate assets. Therefore it focuses on the capability of the principle of dealing at arms length to act as the essential sensor for hidden prohibited usurpations of corporate assets by shareholders. The thesis concludes by giving several examples of corporate opportunities qualified as protected corporate assets by the jurisdiction or by academic opinions.vorgelegt von Wolfgang Erwin KöferAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung des Verfassers/der VerfasserinKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Diplomarbeit, 2017(VLID)240081

Salmonella surveillance in Styrian meat cutting plants

Bacteriological examinations for Salmonella in meat cutting plants constitute an important cornerstone in the Styrian Salmonella surveillance programme for pork production. A total of 1920 bulk wipe samples were tested in 1999. Salmonella was detected in 7 samples taken prior to retail cutting (n = 720), in one sample taken after retail cutting (n = 720) and in one of the swab samples collected from cutting surfaces (n = 480). The extrapolation from the random sample to the population of pork produced and cut in Styria showed the estimated average proportion p , of Salmonella contaminated pork to be 0.15 % S = 95 %; CI 0.12 % SpS 0.18 %. Based on these results sampling was restricted to wholesale cuts and carcass halves from 8 slaughterhouses and meat cutting plants in 2000. Testing a total of 1290 bulk wipe samples Salmonella were detected in three cases (p= 0.14%, S = 95 %; CI 0.17% SpS 0.25 %). This favourable situation, which was corroborated by serological examinations of finishing pig herds, does not indicate an urgent call for action in Styrian breeding and finishing establishments.</p