Effects of electrical stimulation on tenderness of chicken processed by the chill-pack method

Ninety chickens were assigned at random to 1 of 8 treatment groups or to a control group in each replication. The 8 treatment groups received electrical stimulation (ES) of 50 or 100 volts for a duration of 25 pulses (25p) or until no response (NS) was detected at a point in the slaughter sequence of either pre-stick (PS) or pre-chill (PC); the control group received no electrical stimulation other than stunning. The treatment groups were arranged in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Two hundred seventy-nine birds were analyzed in three replications to study the possibility of improving the tenderness, or at least preventing the toughening, of chill-pack processed chickens. Measurements made included Warner-Bratzler shear force, an objective measure of tenderness; sarcomere length; and expressible moisture index (EMI), an indication of water holding capacity (WHC) which is positively correlated with tenderness. Warner-Bratzler shear values were significantly different between replications (P\u3c.01) and between the PS and PC treatments as groups (P\u3c.05), although neither group was different from the control (P\u3e.10). The interaction between replication and treatment was significant (P\u3c.05). There was no difference in sarcomere lengths among any of the individual treatments or due to any of the factors studied. EMI was significantly different between replications (P\u3c.01) and between PS and PC stimulation groups (P\u3c.01), but neither group differed significantly from the control (P\u3e.10). Results indicate that electrical stimulation applied prior to chilling may be a feasible way to reduce toughening in chill-pack chicken

Comparative Ontogeny of Cranial Ossification in the Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma Maculatum, and the Tailed Frog, Ascaphus Truei

The ontogenetic sequence of ossification of the cranium, including descriptions of the development of individual elements, from initial appearance of bone through adulthood, is described for two species of amphibian: the Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, and the Tailed Frog, Ascaphus truei. This study is based on cleared-and-stained developmental series of 269 specimens of Ambystoma and 325 of Ascaphus. Nine stages of cranial development are defined for Ambystoma maculatum. By metamorphosis, all bones of the skull of Ambystoma except the articular have begun to ossify. The ossification sequence of Ambystoma shows little interindividual variation; only 6 specimens do not follow the modal sequence. Comparisons with other salamanders reveals basic similarities in the developmental pattern of the caudate skull. In Ascaphus truei, geographic variation in the sequence of cranial ossification is greater than previously reported for any species of amphibian. In addition, intraspecific variation within populations is also higher than previously reported. The number of bones present at any developmental stage shows a poor coorelation with external morphology. As many as 13 Gosner stages may pass after initial appearance of a given bone before it appears in all specimens in the sample. Relative to other anurans, ossification of many cranial elements is delayed in Ascaphus. This delay is discussed in terms of larval specialization, and as a possible consequence of heterochrony. Differences in the developmental patterns of ossification in Ambystoma maculatum and Ascaphus truei reflect basic differences in the evolution of larval life histories

Kinetic and fluorescence studies of the interaction of p21(ras) with guanine nucleotides and the GTPase activating proteins, p120-GAP and Nfi-GAP

The protein products of the ras proto-oncogenes, p21ras, are 21 KDa guanine nucleotide binding proteins which possess a slow intrinsic GTPase activity. These proteins are thought to be involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation, and some single point mutations in the ras genes lead to cell transformation. The biological signal mediated by p21ras is determined by the in vivo concentration of the p21ras.GTP complex since only when bound to GTP are these proteins thought to be biologically active. Nucleotide exchange of bound GDP for cytoplasmic GTP leads to the reformation of the p21ras.GTP complex. Two proteins (GAPs) have been identified which accelerate the rate of GTP hydrolysis by wild p21ras but not by oncogenic p21ras mutants. The kinetic mechanism of the p21ras.GTPase in the presence of the catalytic-domains of two GAPs, p120-GAP and neurofibromin, has been investigated. The studies are based primarily on the use of a fluorescent GTP analogue, 2'(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl)-GTP (mantGTP), which shows changes in fluorescence intensity during several elementary steps in the GTPase mechanism. The experimental results are compatible with a mechanism where the intrinsic hydrolysis of GTP by p21ras is preceded, and controlled, by a protein conformational change in the p21ras.GTP complex. p120-GAP accelerates the overall rate of GTP cleavage by promoting this rate limiting conformational change. The binding of p120-GAP to p21ras.GTP is a rapidly reversible reaction (equilibrium dissociation constant, Kd = 20 μM at l ≈ 20 mM). p120-GAP accelerates the rate of the subsequent conformational change in p21ras.GTP by a factor of 105 compared to the rate of the equivalent reaction in the absence of p120-GAP. A similar extent of activation was observed with neurofibromin although the affinity for p21N-ras.GTP was 20-fold higher than that of p120-GAP. In contrast to p120-GAP, the binding reaction with neurofibromin may not be rapidly reversible. For both proteins, increasing ionic strength lead to a marked increase in the Kd; the rate constant of the conformational change being essentially unaltered. The binding of p120-GAP and neurofibromin to the p21ras.mantGTP complex is associated with an increase in fluorescence intensity, anisotropy and energy transfer (from tryptophan residues in the GAP proteins). These fluorescence signals can be used to determine the equilibrium dissociation constants for the binding of GAP proteins to p21ras. The intrinsic GTPase activity of the Gly 12→ Pro mutant of p21ras is only weakly accelerated by either p120-GAP or neurofibromin although both GAPs bind with an affinity similar to that with the wild type p21ras protein. An explanation for the weakly transforming phenotype of this mutant compared to other Gly 12 mutants is offered. One consequence of this interpretation is that the in vivo rate of GAP-activated GTP hydrolysis and nucleotide exchange may be slower than generally assumed. Finally, the hydrodynamic properties of p21ras proteins have been investigated using time resolved fluorescence techniques combined with a range of fluorescent guanine nucleotide analogues. In all cases, the rotational correlation time of p21ras is consistent with a dimeric structure for these proteins in solution

Therapeutic goals of hospice care environment: A systematic literature review

This paper was presented at the Architectural Research Centers Consortium conference, FUTURE of Architectural Research, May 6-9, 2015.Identification of environmental Therapeutic Goals (TGs) has proven essential in providing useful guidance for planning and design (Cohen & Weisman 1991 ). Though age-specific environmental dimensions have been suggested by several researchers during 1980's to 1990's, none of them focused on dying patients and their experience in hospice care environment, so the need for categorizing dimensions for hospice environment is evident. The objective of this study is to identify the Therapeutic Goals of hospice environment focusing on patients' experience. This study employed a systematic literature review with an approach developed by Hawker and colleagues in 2002. This study had considered a wide-ranging literature search: 7 electronic databases search (PubMed, PsyciNFO, Social Science Citation Index, Science Citation Index, ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis, Avery, and Cochrane Library), reference list search, examination of literatures recommended by relevant experts, and Google search for books, reports, and guidelines. In total 48 literatures included; 39 full text articles, 2 books, 5 guidelines, and 2 reports. The data has extracted from these literatures onto a standard template (matrix) for comparison and analysis for coding and thematic development. The study identified eight themes as TGs which have direct influence on patients' experience of hospice care environment: provide continuity of self, provision of access to nature, provision of privacy, facilitate social interaction, maximize safety & security, provision of autonomy, regulate stimulation, and provision of spiritual care. These goals reflect two characteristics; each expresses a basic or derived major patient's need, and a potential environmental facilitator for the satisfaction of the need (Lawton et al. 2000). As the physical environment of hospice has significant impact on the patients' quality of life and the possibility of a good death (Cohen et al. 2001 ), these TGs have a positive effect on patients' lives

Training Sociologists: Professional Socialization and the Emergence of Career Aspirations

The individual and departmental factors affecting graduate students\u27 professional socialization were studied by employing data from 309 PhD students in 16 graduate programs in sociology. Using Rosenbaum\u27s tournament model of opportunity structures and aspects of Tinto\u27s model of social psychological integration, this study examines students\u27 access to initial funding, resources in the department, indicators of prior ability, current professional activities, mentoring processes, and social psychological factors for their effects on socialization into the academic profession. Access to initial funding and to mentoring have substantial effects on PhD students\u27 professional socialization, but prove to be less than rational processes in the graduate program. This socialization process is found to be based more on particularistic than on universalistic criteria in the allocation of departmental resources and mentoring. Implications for graduate student mentoring, funding, and divergent career paths are highlighted

Quantitative theoretical analysis of lifetimes and decay rates relevant in laser cooling BaH

Tiny radiative losses below the 0.1% level can prove ruinous to the effective laser cooling of a molecule. In this paper the laser cooling of a hydride is studied with rovibronic detail using ab initio quantum chemistry in order to document the decays to all possible electronic states (not just the vibrational branching within a single electronic transition) and to identify the most populated final quantum states. The effect of spin-orbit and associated couplings on the properties of the lowest excited states of BaH are analysed in detail. The lifetimes of the A$^2{\Pi}_{1/2}$, H$^2{\Delta}_{3/2}$ and E$^2{\Pi}_{1/2}$ states are calculated (136 ns, 5.8 {\mu}s and 46 ns respectively) for the first time, while the theoretical value for B$^2{\Sigma}^+_{1/2}$ is in good agreement with experiments. Using a simple rate model the numbers of absorption-emission cycles possible for both one- and two-colour cooling on the competing electronic transitions are determined, and it is clearly demonstrated that the A$^2{\Pi}$ - X$^2{\Sigma}^+$ transition is superior to B$^2{\Sigma}^+$ - X$^2{\Sigma}^+$, where multiple tiny decay channels degrade its efficiency. Further possible improvements to the cooling method are proposed

Remote sensing observations of ocean physical and biological properties in the region of the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX)

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 111 (2006): C06026, doi:10.1029/2005JC003289.Satellite remote sensing estimates of surface chlorophyll, temperature, wind speed, and sea ice cover are examined in the region of the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX). Our objectives are to place SOFeX into a regional context and highlight regional mesoscale spatial and monthly temporal variability. SOFeX fertilized two patches with iron, one south of the Antarctic Polar front (PF) and one north of the PF but south of the Subantarctic Front (SAF). Satellite observable phytoplankton blooms developed in both patches. The spring sea-ice retreat near the south patch site was delayed in the 2001-2002 season, in turn delaying the naturally occurring, modest spring bloom in this region. Ambient surface chlorophyll concentrations for the area surrounding the southern patch during January 2002 are low (mean 0.26 mg/m3) compared with climatological January values (0.42 mg/m3). Regions east and west at similar latitudes exhibited higher mean chlorophyll concentrations (0.79 and 0.74 mg/m3, respectively). These modest phytoplankton blooms were likely stimulated by melting sea-ice via changes in the light-mixing regime and release of iron, and were smaller in magnitude than the iron-induced bloom within the SOFeX southern patch (> 3 mg/m3). Iron inputs from melting ice may drive much of the natural spatial and temporal variability within the seasonal ice zone. Mean chlorophyll concentrations surrounding the SOFeX northern patch site were similar to climatological values during the SOFeX season. The northern patch was stretched into a long, thin filament along the southern boundary of the SAF, likely increasing the mixing/dilution rate with surrounding waters.S. Doney and K. Moore were supported by NASA grant NAG5-12520 from the NASA Ocean Biogeochemistry Program