Spider (Arachnida: Araneae) distribution across the timberline in the Swiss Central Alps (Alp Flix, Grisons) and three morphologically remarkable species

We collected 6251 adult epigeic spiders from the dwarf-shrub heath to subalpine coniferous forest on Alp Flix (CH, canton Grisons, 1950 m) between May 2005 and May 2006 using pitfall traps. Total species richness and activity density of all species decreased from the open land to the forest, although this pattern varied according to family. The distribution of the 102 species found indicates that the small area around a single tree at the timberline provides habitats for both open land and forest spider species as well as some possible timberline specialists. Five species were new to the canton Grisons: Centromerita bicolor, Centromerita concinna, Hilaira excisa, Meioneta alpica and Tallusia experta. Three species showed remarkable morphological characteristics and were analysed in more detail. We found males of Pelecopsis radicicola without the characteristic longitudinal depression on the raised carapace. It is shown that the males of Meioneta alpica have a considerably variable lamella characteristica, which is nevertheless distinct from the sister species Meioneta ressli. Because we found intermediate forms of the head region described for Metopobactrus prominulus and M. schenkeli, respectively, M. schenkeli is considered a syn. nov. of M. prominulus. This study shows that the known distribution and taxonomic status of various spider taxa in the Central Alps are still incomplete and further work on arthropods in remote areas should be strongly encouraged

MF2313

Donald Kropf & Curtis Kastner, Color and oxidative properties of irradiated beef, Kansas State University, January 1998

Muscling selection in swine and its effect on carcass traits

We are attempting to develop a well-muscled line of Durocs by selecting for minimum back fat and maximum loin eye area as estimated by the Anscan and to form a control line by randomly selecting from the same base population. The lines will be compared for performance and carcass traits, including incidence of pale soft exudative carcasses. Expected and realized heritability estimates for carcass traits will be calculated.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 2, 197

Why (not) go east? Comparison of findings from FDA Investigational New Drug study site inspections performed in Central and Eastern Europe with results from the USA, Western Europe, and other parts of the world

Since the mid-1990s, investigational sites in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have been increasingly utilized by pharmaceutical companies because of their high productivity in terms of patient enrolment into clinical trials. Based on the FDA’s publicly accessible Clinical Investigator Inspection List, we present an analysis of findings and outcome classifications from FDA inspections during Investigational New Drug (IND) studies and compare the results for the CEE region to those from Western European countries and the USA. Data from all 5531 FDA clinical trials inspections that occurred between 1994 (when the FDA first performed inspections in CEE) and the end of 2010 were entered into the database for comparative analysis. Of these, 4865 routine data audit (DA) inspections were analyzed: 401 from clinical trials performed in Western Europe, 230 in CEE, 3858 in the USA, and 376 in other countries. The average number of deficiencies per inspection ranged between 0.99 for CEE and 1.97 in Western Europe. No deficiencies were noted during 16.6%, 39.0%, and 21.5% of the inspections in Western Europe, CEE and USA, respectively. The percentages of inspections after which no follow-up action was indicated were 36.9% for Western Europe, 55.7% for CEE, and 44.3% for US sites. CEE was also the region with the lowest percentage of inspections that required official or voluntary action. On the basis of FDA inspection data, the high productivity of CEE sites appears to be accompanied by regulatory compliance as well as by data quality standards that are not inferior to those in Western regions

Venture Capital Booms and Startup Financing

We review the growing literature on the relationship between venture capital booms and startup financing, focusing on three broad areas: First, we discuss the drivers of large inflows into the venture capital asset class, particularly in recent years -- which are related to but also distinct from macroeconomic business cycles and stock market fluctuations. Second, we review the emerging literature on the real effects of venture capital financing booms. A particular focus of this work is to highlight the potential impact that booms (and busts) can have on the types of firms that VCs choose to fund and terms at which they are funded, independent of investment opportunities -- thereby shaping the trajectory of innovation being conducted by startups. Third, an important insight from recent research is that booms in venture capital financing are not just a temporal phenomenon but can also be seen in terms of the concentration of VC investment in certain industries and geographies. We also review the role of government policy, exploring the degree to which it can explain the concentration of VC funding in the US over the past forty years in just two broad areas – information and communication technologies (ICT) and biotechnology. We conclude by highlighting promising areas of further research

Selection for muscling in swine and its effect on carcass traits

Line differences in weight, litter size at different ages, and in age, loin eye area, and backfat thickness of pigs (adjusted to 200 pounds live weight) were not significant. Sex differences in weight and backfat thickness were significant. Dam groups of progeny differed significantly (P\u3c.0l) in-weights at birth and at 14 and 28 days old and in age, loin eye area, and backfat thickness adjusted to 220 pounds live weight. Hams produced by barrows in the select line were significantly (P\u3c.0l) darker and firmer than those from barrows in the control line.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 14, 197

Effects of processing variables on iridescence in precooked beef

Beef semitendinosus (ST) muscles with injected water (3 or 10% of raw muscle weight) and phosphate (0.3%) were cooked to final internal temperatures of 130 (held at 130 for 121 min), 140 (held at 140 for 12 min), 145, or 155°1\ then sliced at 30, 45, 120, 130, or 145\u3c\u3eP by either a dull or a sharp slicer. Biceps femoris (BF) muscles had the same treatment but only at 3% water addition. Controls were uninjected muscles from the opposite side of the carcass. For ST muscles (all with 0.3% added phosphate), 3% added water resulted in less iridescence than controls and those containing 10% added water. Iridescence was also lowered by cooking to 130°F (held for 121 min), slicing at 30 ÌŠF or slicing with a dull slicer blade. Iridescence varied (P\u3c.05) among muscles from different carcasses under the same cooking and slicing conditions. BF muscles had much less iridescence than ST muscles. Our results show that processing-cooking- slicing alterations can help reduce iridescence, especially for the ST (eye of round) muscle

Muscling selection in swine and its effect on carcass traits

Pigs farrowed in May, 1972, were the first born in the select and control lines. Performances of animals in the two lines were essentially the same. However, ham firmness and color differed significantly (P\u3c0.0l) between lines, with those in the select line firmer and darker than those from the control line.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November, 197

Effects of tallow and ground flaxseed on sensory and color characteristics of ribeye steaks

Forty-eight ribeye steaks from steers fed diets containing steam-flaked corn (SFC), steam-flaked corn with tallow (SFC/Tallow), or steam-flaked corn with rolled flaxseed (Flax) were used to evaluate the effects of dietary fat on sensory traits, retail display color stability, and fatty acid composition. Steaks from Flax-fed steers had increased deposition of alpha linolenic acid (C18:3n3, an omega-3 fatty acid; P<0.01) and developed a detectable off-flavor (P<0.05) when compared to those of cattle fed SFC and SFC/Tallow. There were no differences in tenderness, juiciness, or flavor intensity (P>0.10) among the three treatments. Steaks from cattle fed SFC retained a desirable color longer than those from cattle fed Flax (P<0.05) which may be attributable to premature lipid oxidation in steaks from cattle fed Flax. This study suggests that altering the fat in the diet may affect flavor and color stability of the meat. Feeding flaxseed can effectively alter composition of carcass tissues to yield beef that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may lead to premature lipid oxidation