Book review: intoxication by Jean-Luc Nancy

What is the relationship between philosophy, poetry and intoxication and should we expect ‘a sober or drunk discourse’ on the topic? Intoxication, a short reflection from Jean-Luc Nancy, explores the ambivalent pleasures of intoxication as it has been configured within histories of philosophical and poetic thought. This abundant meander through the work of Plato, Hegel and Baudelaire among others offers readers a rewarding, even intoxicating, experience, writes Bjarke Mørkøre Stigel Hansen

Dokumentasjon av råstoffegenskaper hos økologisk laks.Forprosjekt

Filetkvaliteten av økologisk og konvensjonelt produsert laks ble sammenlignet. Filetene kom fra to oppdrettere som produserer både konvensjonell og økologisk laks, og fileter fra to vektklasser (3-4 kg og 5-6 kg) ble undersøkt høsten 2011. Den økologisk produserte laksen hadde fastere tekstur målt både fysisk og sensorisk (etter varmebehandling), den tålte noe mer håndtering og den var rødere i kjøttet sammenlignet med konvensjonelt produsert laks. Forskjellene var imidlertid relativt små, og resultatene bør følges opp for å kunne fastslå om økologisk laks generelt er fastere og rødere enn konvensjonell laks. Totalt fettnivå, proteinnivå og aminosyresammensetning i filet var ikke forskjellige mellom økologisk og konvensjonell laks, men fettsyreprofilen var forskjellig. Den økologisk produserte fisken hadde en høyere andel omega-3 (EPA/DHA) fettsyrer sammenlignet med den konvensjonelt produserte fisken. Grunnet høyere innhold av omega-3 fettsyrer i den økologiske laksen kan det være interessant å undersøke lagringsstabiliteten til dette produktet.Dokumentasjon av råstoffegenskaper hos økologisk laks.ForprosjektpublishedVersio

Lesions of the biliary system in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Gallbladders with mucosal outpouchings (diverticula) were found in a population of Atlantic salmon farmed in sea water. Soft tissue calcification affected the skin, skeletal muscle and gut, as identified by histological observations. In addition, inflammation of muscle and intestinal tissue and lymphocytic and fibrous reaction were present in the liver. The general fish population was characterized by poor growth and unspecified mortalities. Here we describe the observed lesions and discuss them in the light of the general health status of the population.Lesions of the biliary system in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)publishedVersio

Delineating mastitis cases in dairy cows: development of an IoT-enabled intelligent decision support system for dairy farms

Mastitis, an intramammary bacterial infection, is not only known to adversely affect the health of a dairy cow but also to cause significant economic loss to the dairy industry. The severity and spread of mastitis can be restrained by identifying the early signs of infection in the cows through an intelligent decision support system. Early intervention and control of infection largely depend on the availability of on-site high throughput machinery, which can analyze milk samples regularly. However, due to limited resources, marginal and small farms usually cannot afford such high-end machinery, hence, the financial loss in such farms due to mastitis may become significant. To overcome such limitations, this article proposes a low-complexity yet affordable automated system for accurate prediction of early signs of clinical mastitis infection in dairy cows. In this work, behavioral data collected through Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled wearable sensors for cows is utilized to develop a support vector machine (SVM) model for the daily prediction of mastitis cases in a dairy farm. The dataset from the research herd utilizes the information of 415 cows collected in the span of 4.75 years in which 75 cows had mastitis. In addition to relevant behavioral features, other statistically significant features, such as daily milk yield, lactation period, and age are also utilized as features. Our study indicates that the SVM model comprising a subset of behavioral and nonbehavioral features can deliver a mastitis prediction accuracy of 89.2%.U.K. Research and Innovation (Grant Number: 104989

Rib abnormalities and their association with focal dark spots in Atlantic salmon fillets

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Gene Expression Profiling of Soft and Firm Atlantic Salmon Fillet

Texture of salmon fillets is an important quality trait for consumer acceptance as well as for the suitability for processing. In the present work we measured fillet firmness in a population of farmed Atlantic salmon with known pedigree and investigated the relationship between this trait and gene expression. Transcriptomic analyses performed with a 21 K oligonucleotide microarray revealed strong correlations between firmness and a large number of genes. Highly similar expression profiles were observed in several functional groups. Positive regression was found between firmness and genes encoding proteasome components (41 genes) and mitochondrial proteins (129 genes), proteins involved in stress responses (12 genes), and lipid metabolism (30 genes). Coefficients of determination (R2) were in the range of 0.64–0.74. A weaker though highly significant negative regression was seen in sugar metabolism (26 genes, R2 = 0.66) and myofiber proteins (42 genes, R2 = 0.54). Among individual genes that showed a strong association with firmness, there were extracellular matrix proteins (negative correlation), immune genes, and intracellular proteases (positive correlation). Several genes can be regarded as candidate markers of flesh quality (coiled-coil transcriptional coactivator b, AMP deaminase 3, and oligopeptide transporter 15) though their functional roles are unclear. To conclude, fillet firmness of Atlantic salmon depends largely on metabolic properties of the skeletal muscle; where aerobic metabolism using lipids as fuel, and the rapid removal of damaged proteins, appear to play a major role

A comparative study on quality, shelf life and sensory attributes of Atlantic salmon slaughtered on board slaughter vessels against traditional land-based facilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the shelf life and quality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) slaughtered onboard vessels and shipped to Denmark in −0.8 °C refrigerated seawater (RSW) as compared to traditional land-based slaughtering facilities having fish on ice. The quality and shelf life were measured on fresh and smoked fillets including blood spot counting, fillet gaping, texture hardness, microbiological counts, Quality Index Method (QIM) and sensory analysis. Blood spot counting and fillet gaping were measured on smoked fillets. Fresh fish slaughtered onboard the vessel had significantly lower fillet gaping scores as compared to those slaughtered at the facility, while no difference was found on smoked fillets. There were no significant differences in blood spots counts nor texture hardness between any of the groups. Salmon slaughtered on the vessel had a significant lower QIM score. The total mesophilic count and H2S producing bacteria for fish slaughtered onboard vessels were significant lower at the end of storage (21d). Sensory analysis after 18 days of storage revealed minimal differences between the groups, whereas fish from the vessel had lower protein precipitation. We conclude that fish slaughtered onboard vessels and transported in superchilled RSW onboard a slaughter vessel presents good quality and improves shelf life over time.publishedVersio

PENGARUH KETERAMPILAN KERJA TERHADAP PRODUKTIVITAS KERJA ARSIPARIS BAPUSIPDA SE-BANDUNG RAYA

Penelitian ini dilakukan di Badan Perpustakaan dan Kearsipan Daerah (BAPUSIPDA) yang ada di sekitar Bandung raya. Penelitian ini mengkaji tentang rendahnya produktivitas kerja arsiparis Bapusipda se-Bandung raya yang diduga disebabkan oleh kurangnya tingkat keterampilan kerja para arsiparis. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode survey eksplanasi, dimana data dikumpulkan dengan menyebarkan angket yang dikembangkan dengan menggunakan model skala likert pada 31 pegawai arsiparis di Bapusipda se-Bandung raya yang diambil sebagai sampel. Data yang terkumpul dalam penelitian ini diuji dengan menggunakan uji regresi linier sederhana. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) tingkat keterampilan kerja arsiparis berada pada kategori sedang; (2) tingkat produktivitas kerja arsiparis berada pada kategori cukup; (3) terdapat pengaruh yang sangat kuat dari keterampilan kerja terhadap produktivitas kerja arsiparis di Bapusipda se-Bandung raya. Penelitian ini menyarankan agar pihak Bapusipda memberikan dorongan motivasi yang lebih kepada para pegawai dengan cara memberikan penghargaan dan pengakuan yang tepat dan wajar kepada pegawai atas prestasi kerja yang telah dicapainya. Selain itu, pihak Bapusipda seyoganya mengadakan kegiatan pendidikan dan pelatihan dengan intensitas yang lebih tinggi, agar profesionalisme dan produktivitas kerja para arsiparis meningkat. ---------- This research was conducted in Agency for Library and Archives (henceforth, BAPUSIPDA). It investigates the low productivity of the archivists in the institution, which was assumed to have been caused by a lack of work skills. This research adopts survey-explanatory method, where data were collected by distributing a set of questionnaires using Likert scale to a sample of 36 archivists in BAPUSIPDA. The collected data were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results show that: (1) the level of archivists’ work skills was at the medium category; (2) the level of productivity of the archivists was at the moderate category; and (3) there was quite significant influence of work skills on work productivity of the archivists at BAPUSIPDA. This study recommends that BAPUSIPDA should further motivate the employees by giving adequate and appropriate rewards and recognition for their work achievements. In addition, BAPUSIPDA should also provide more intensive inservice educational activities and training in order to develop the archivists’ professionalism and work productivity

EX-spot: Mørke flekker i laksefilet. Årsak til dannelse og tiltak som hemmer utvikling

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Raw material properties of organically produced salmon

The fillet quality of organically and conventionally produced salmon were analyzed and evaluated in autumn 2011. Fillets from two weight classes (3-4 kg and 5-6 kg, round weight) were obtained from two independent fish farmers who produce both conventional and organic salmon. The organically produced salmon had firmer texture measured both by physical and sensory evaluation (after heat treatment), the fillets were more robust, and had a redder meat color compared to the conventional salmon. The differences were however relatively small, and further studies may reveal if organic salmon generally are firmer and redder than conventional salmon. The total level of fillet fat, protein content and amino acid composition did not differ between organic and conventional salmon, but the organically produced fish had a higher proportion of omega-3 (EPA/DHA) fatty acids compared with the conventionally produced fish. Due to a greater content of omega-3 fatty acids in the organic salmon, it may be interesting to examine the storage stability of this product.Raw material properties of organically produced salmonpublishedVersio