A comparison of processing characteristics of pre-rigor and post-rigor cow beef

Two Hoi stein cows were slaughtered and divided into pre-rigor and post-rigor processed sides. Salt (NaCl) was added at levels of 0%, 4%, and 8% to test preblending possibilities. Four chilling treatments were conducted upon coarse ground vacuum packaged samples of each salt level for the pre-rigor processed blends. The four chilling treatments included CO2 snow chill, agitated brine chill, 0°C chill, and -29°C chill. A fifth chilling treatment was the 0°C conventional chill of the side not processed pre-rigor. This treat ment served as a post-rigor control for processing characteristic comparisons. All salt level and chilling treatment (pre- and post-rigor) combinations were analyzed for fat, moisture, pH, water holding capacity, emulsifying capacity, odor, aerobic psychrophile, mesophile, and lactic acid bacteria counts. Patties from the 0% salt level blends for each chilling treatment were analyzed for cook loss and shear force to test for retail application. Moisture content, fat content, pH, water holding capacity, and redness increased (P\u3c.05) as salt level increased. Emulsifying capacity was highest at the salt level and lowest at the 0% salt level. Chilling treatments processed pre-rigor had higher pH and emulsifying capacities than the post-rigor processed control (P\u3c.05). There was no difference (P\u3c.05) in water holding capacity between pre- and post-rigor processed treatments. There were no differences in color, cookloss, or shear force between pre- and post-rigor chilling treatments (P\u3c.05). There was a trend for aerobic, mesophi-lic, psychrophilic, and lactic acid bacteria counts to be lower for the post-rigor chilling treatment than for the four pre-rigor chilling treatments. Results indicate that pre-rigor cow beef is equal to or superior than post-rigor cow beef for use in preblends containing approximately 4% salt or for use in retail or food service ground beef patties

Seawater acidification more than warming presents a challenge for two Antarctic macroalgal-associated amphipods

Elevated atmospheric pCO2 concentrations are triggering seawater pH reductions and seawater temperature increases along the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). These factors in combination have the potential to influence organisms in an antagonistic, additive, or synergistic manner. The amphipods Gondogeneia antarctica and Paradexamine fissicauda represent prominent members of macroalgal-associated mesograzer assemblages of the WAP. Our primary objective was to investigate amphipod behavioral and physiological responses to reduced seawater pH and elevated temperature to evaluate potential cascading ecological impacts. For 90 d, amphipods were exposed to combinations of seawater conditions based on present ambient (pH 8.0, 1.5°C) and predicted end-of-century conditions (pH 7.6, 3.5°C). We recorded survival, molt frequency, and macroalgal consumption rates as well as change in wet mass and proximate body composition (protein and lipid). Survival for both species declined significantly at reduced pH and co-varied with molt frequency. Consumption rates in G. antarctica were significantly higher at reduced pH and there was an additive pH-temperature effect on consumption rates in P. fissicauda. Body mass was reduced for G. antarctica at elevated temperature, but there was no significant effect of pH or temperature on body mass in P. fissicauda. Exposure to the pH or temperature levels tested did not induce significant changes in whole body biochemical composition of G. antarctica, but exposure to elevated temperature resulted in a significant increase in whole body protein content of P. fissicauda. Our study indicates that while elevated temperature causes sub-lethal impacts on both species of amphipods, reduced pH causes significant mortality

Arctic coralline algae elevate surface pH and carbonate in the dark

Red coralline algae are projected to be sensitive to ocean acidification, particularly in polar oceans. As important ecosystem engineers, their potential sensitivity has broad implications, and understanding their carbon acquisition mechanisms is necessary for making reliable predictions. Therefore, we investigated the localized carbonate chemistry at the surface of Arctic coralline algae using microsensors. We report for the first time carbonate ion concentration and pH measurements ([CO ]) at and above the algal surface in the microenvironment. We show that surface pH and [CO ] are higher than the bulk seawater in the light, and even after hours of darkness. We further show that three species of Arctic coralline algae have efficient carbon concentrating mechanisms including direct bicarbonate uptake and indirect bicarbonate use via a carbonic anhydrase enzyme. Our results suggest that Arctic corallines have strong biological control over their surface chemistry, where active calcification occurs, and that net dissolution in the dark does not occur. We suggest that the elevated pH and [CO ] in the dark could be explained by a high rate of light independent carbon fixation that reduces respiratory CO release. This mechanism could provide a potential adaptation to ocean acidification in Arctic coralline algae, which has important implications for future Arctic marine ecosystems

USING THE COLLABORATIVE CROSS MOUSE POPULATION TO INVESTIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENETIC FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE COMPLEX BEHAVIORS

Affective disorders and substance abuse disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent within the US and result in substantial burdens on the affected individual, their loved ones, and society. Relatively few effective treatments exist however, due to a lack of understanding regarding the etiology of these complex disorders. Development of affective and SUDs are due to both environmental factors, (i.e. perinatal insults, childhood maltreatment, stressful life events), genetic background and the complex interplay of the two. Using inbred strains of mice can potentially disentangle the two (environment and genetic factors), and elucidate their interactions to aid in the identification of specific mechanisms. However, traditional inbred strains pose some limitations in the variation of genetic diversity present, which limits our ability to capture a full phenotypic range that may better model disease states seen in humans. In this thesis, we use a relatively new population of recombinant inbred strains, the Collaborative Cross (CC), that were designed to have increased genetic, and therefore phenotypic, diversity over traditional inbred strains. We used a panel of female F1 hybrids of CC strains (RIX) to investigate the effects of an environmental factor, nutritional deficiency in the perinatal period, genetic background, parent-of-origin (PO) and any interactions on stress response, anxiety-, and depressive-like behaviors inadulthood. From this phenotypic screen, we identified two RIX lines (RIX 41/51 and 04/17) that were outliers for novelty-induced locomotion, a predictive trait for addiction-related behaviors. We characterized RIX 41/51 and 04/17 for cocaine (COC)-related behaviors and possible underlying mechanisms including COC metabolism, HPA axis dysregulation and dopamine dynamics in the striatum. We also performed QTL mapping for low initial locomotor response to COC using an F2 intercross of CC041/TauUnc and C57BL/6NJ and identified three significant QTLs on Chr 7, 11 and 14. These studies are the first to assess the CC or RIX of CC for addiction-related behaviors and provides evidence that RIX 41/51 and 04/17 are novel models with a unique genetic diversity to study the underlying mechanisms involved in COC-related behaviors.Doctor of Philosoph

The glacial geomorphology of upper Godthåbsfjord (Nuup Kangerlua) in south-west Greenland

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of Journal of Maps. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is known to have experienced widespread retreat over the last century. Information on outlet glacier dynamics, prior to this, are limited due to both a lack of observations and a paucity of mapped or mappable deglacial evidence which restricts our understanding of centennial to millennial timescale dynamics of the GrIS. Here we present glacial geomorphological mapping, for upper Godthåbsfjord, covering 5800 km 2 at a scale of 1:92,000, using a combination of ASTER GDEM V2, a medium-resolution DEM (error < 10 m horizontal and < 6 m vertical accuracy), panchromatic orthophotographs and ground truthing. This work provides a detailed geomorphological assessment for the area, compiled as a single map, comprising of moraines, meltwater channels, streamlined bedrock, sediment lineations, ice-dammed lakes, trimlines, terraces, gullied sediment and marine limits. Whilst some of the landforms have been previously identified, the new information presented here improves our understanding of ice margin behaviour and can be used for future numerical modelling and landform dating programmes. Data also form the basis for palaeoglaciological reconstructions and contribute towards understanding of the centennial to millennial timescale record of this sector of the GrIS.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Developmental vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia: the role of animal models: Vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder that affects 1% of the US population. Based on twin and genome-wide association studies, it is clear that both genetics and environmental factors increase the risk for developing schizophrenia. Moreover, there is evidence that conditions in utero, either alone or in concert with genetic factors, may alter neurodevelopment and lead to an increased risk for schizophrenia. There has been progress in identifying genetic loci and environmental exposures that increase risk, but there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge. Furthermore, very little is known about the specific neurodevelopmental mechanisms upon which genetics and the environment act to increase disposition to developing schizophrenia in adulthood. Vitamin D deficiency during the perinatal period has been hypothesized to increase risk for schizophrenia in humans. The developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency hypothesis of schizophrenia arises from the observation that disease risk is increased in individuals who are born in winter or spring, live further from the equator or live in urban vs. rural settings. These environments result in less exposure to sunlight, thereby reducing the initial steps in the production of vitamin D. Rodent models have been developed to characterize the behavioral and developmental effects of DVD deficiency. This review focuses on these animal models and discusses the current knowledge of the role of DVD deficiency in altering behavior and neurobiology relevant to schizophrenia

Editorial: Coralline algae: Past, present, and future perspectives

Following the success of the Frontiers in Marine Science Research Topic on “Coralline Algae: Globally Distributed Ecosystem Engineers,” the Research Topic on “Coralline Algae: Past, Present and Future Perspectives” was launched to extend the opportunity for publishing further knowledge about these diverse ecosystem engineers across a broader time scale. In this Research Topic, an additional nine original research articles have been published, strengthening our understanding of coralline algae past, present, and future, including their biology, physiology and ecology. From reconstructing coralline algal assemblages during the Paleocene/Eocene thermal maximum, to understanding current trophodynamics and benthic-pelagic coupling in rhodolith beds, to assessing the adaptability of coralline algae to future warming, the original research articles in this Research Topic cover a time frame of 55.6 million years and span across an Atlantic biogeographical range from Brazil to the high Arctic.1521610info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio