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Freezing is a commonly used preservation method in the meat industry. The understanding of the product behavior during the freezing process can assist in a better process management and quality control. This work reports the study of freezing and thawing of three types of processed meat in order to determine process parameters in an industrial forced‑air freezing tunnel at ‑30oC. Chicken sausages (frankfurter type), mortadela (bologna type) and mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) were studied. Products were placed in several layers in corrugated cardboard boxes (CCB) for sausages and mortadela. MDCM was placed in a nylon box. Temperature sensors were inserted in the products and the freezing and thawing curves were obtained. Freezing curves were used to determine the freezing time (tf), initial freezing point (Tf) and final freezing point (T’m). Products placed in different layers in the CCB had significantly different freezing times, being the higher rates for products placed in more external layers than internal ones. The external layers of product were subjected to heat transfer by convection showing its importance to decrease freezing time. The results strongly suggest that products placed in different layers could have distinct quality properties and also play a key role in the freezing process efficiency.

Neste trabalho relata-se o caso de uma paciente de 46 anos de idade com queixa de aumento de volume periumbilical e dor leve antes da menstruação. O quadro evoluiu com aumento gradativo da dor. Foram realizados ultra-som, tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética. Após laparotomia exploradora, foi retirado material para biópsia que confirmou o diagnóstico de leiomiomatose peritoneal disseminada.The present study reports the case of a 46-year-old female patient complaining of mild premenstrual pain and increase in the volume of the periumbilical region. The condition progressed with a gradual increase of the pain intensity. Ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. Biopsy of tissue collected during exploratory laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata.

To the Editor .— Three articles on probiotics administration that appeared in Pediatrics 1–3 prompt us to present our data, which recently were briefly summarized.4 We examined in low birth weight infants the effects of 3 different kinds of probiotics ( Saccharomyces boulardii , Bacillus subtilis , and Lactobacillus GG) versus placebo on intestinal colonization, changes in the fecal flora, and production of specific IgA and IgM. We found …

Aim: To evaluate pancreatic development in newborn guinea pigs fed since birth intact or low-hydrolyzed protein formulas compared with breast milk. Methods: Forty-five newborn guinea pigs were allocated to three feeding regimens: breast milk (n = 15) and two isocaloric isonitrogen milk formulas containing intact (n = 15) or low-hydrolyzed proteins (n = 15). Body weight and food consumption were recorded every day. After 8 days, one third of pups from each group was killed, and the remaining animals were weaned. Another third was killed on day 14, and the remainders were killed on day 20. Zymogen storage was evaluated on pancreatic sections, whereas DNA and RNA concentrations were measured by a fluorometric method. Results: Compared with breast fed pups, both groups of artificially fed animals showed lower weight gain during the first 2 weeks of life but not after weaning. Both formulas fed groups had significantly lower amount of zymogen granules in pancreatic acinar cells at 8 and 14 days of life. This reduction was still present at day 20 in intact protein formula but not in low-hydrolyzed protein formula fed animals in which higher RNA/DNA ratio was also observed compared with breast fed pups. Conclusion: In newborn guinea pigs, artificial feeding is associated with reduced zymogen storage at days 8 and 14 of life. After weaning, cellular content of zymogen granules is comparable with breast fed pups only in low-hydrolyzed protein formula fed animals, even in the presence of some evidence of pancreatic hypoplasia.