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A reprint of the article "A Baker's Dozen," by John W. Dolan, which appeared in the September 2005 issue of the journal "LC-GC North America," is presented. It provides tips for reliable liquid chromatography (LC) gradient method operation which include ensuring high quality reagents, maintaining the cleanliness of the LC system to avoid microbial growth and buffer crystal salts, and degassing. It also recommends the use of a system suitability test and quality control (QC) samples.

The article discusses about several packing solutions used to extend the shelf life of clean label products. Topics discussed include the freezable packaging solution as freezing decrease the rates of many deteriorative reactions in foods, use of active packing to inhibit microbial growth, reduce lipid oxidation, and control ripening to ensure overall food quality and safety; and use of microwave-assisted pasteurization systems (MAPS) and microwave-assisted thermal sterilization (MATS).

The article discusses the importance of proper design of storage vessels for dry bulk materials to avoid microbial growth. It cites factors affecting the growth of microorganisms in food processing environments which include moisture, nutrients, and temperature. It also describes two primary flow patterns that can be developed in a storage vessel, such as funnel flow and mass flow.

The article focuses on instruments and methods used for measuring food moisture content and water activity. It refers moisture content as the amount of water present in a product while water activity refers to how much water is free and available for the growth of organisms. It discusses two methods used to measure moisture content such as the loss on drying and Karl Fischer titration. It also cites methods used for water activity such as capacitance sensors and chilled-mirror dewpoint system. INSET: Water Activity Software Aids in Formulation.

The article discusses the use of humidification and dehumidification tools in reducing the energy consumption of buildings in the U.S. It states that humidification is applied in places with dry climates while dehumidification is used in warm humid climates aiming to reduce microbial growth. Some of the tools designed to humidify and dehumidify the air of these buildings include isothermal humidifier and cooling coil.

The article presents information on bioremediation through glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramic material has the ability to retain heavy metals by itself and it allows the development of microorganisms on its surface. Thus, the glass-ceramic material constitutes an ideal biological filter and can be used as bedding material in a bioremediation processes. It is important to note that a material developed from industrial and urban waste has been addressed. Bacterial development on the surface of the glass-ceramic specimens significantly increases the amount of heavy metals removed from the aqueous solution, which means that microorganisms are important in retaining heavy metals through biofilm formation.

The article presents information on a research supporting a hypothesis that primitive microbial life forms existed on Mars. It reflects that the evidence of life is preserved in Martian meteorites recovered on Earth. The findings were presented at the 37th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference by members of the research team. It is observed that if the discovery is confirmed, it will be an important insights into the universe that science has ever uncovered. The new findings made in the relatively young Nakhla meteorite from Mars.

The article discusses the role of minimizing oxygen level for food preservation. It highlights various factors which affects food quality including microbial growth, enzymatic activity and moisture transfer. It also informs about the importance of creating new food packaging technologies for the food packaging industry to minimize biochemical deteriorative reactions.

The article focuses on improving the extended shelf life (ESL) of milk products. It states that ESL is described by treating milk products to decrease the growth of microbes beyond extreme package's hygienic conditions, pasteurization, and refrigeration in a specific market. It mentions that ESL European milk is expected to have a shelf life of about 21 days compared to 12 days of pasteurization.

Discusses the efforts to determine the microbial content of compost. Technique in compost analysis; Effects of microbial content on the performance of compost as soil inoculant and disease suppressant; Indicators of compost quality; Strategies for improving compost quality.

The article presents a case study of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California, where ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) fixtures were installed to remove microbial growth on air handler's evaporator coils. It mentions that airport's air conditioning supervisor Richard Yakel contacted Jim Edson from Santa Clarita-based firm NUView Environmental for a solution. It also states that UV-C installation resulted in increased energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality.

The article presents a study related to analysis of different manure samples to identify environmental and feed variables that influenced shifts in microbial communities related to foaming. It states that foaming samples had significantly higher pH, foaming capacity, methane production rate and lysine in comparison to non-foaming samples. It also presents a bar plot showing the differences in proportion of microorganisms between foaming and non-foaming sites.

The article discusses the importance of solutions of commercially available nanoparticles in sanitation of pig barn surfaces. Topics discussed include use of nanoparticles to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and as an alternative to chemical disinfectants; Laboratory-scale tests to evaluate the effect of various types of commercially available nanoparticles and; use of zinc oxide nanoparticles in air filter systems to reduce bio aerosol levels.

The article reports on latest active food packaging techniques to enhance the protection of contained food. Topics discussed include incorporation of natural essential oils such as rosemary and oregano by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University to reduce the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, use of color changing ink which can be printed on packages to detect the external changes and survey of cloud technology provider GT Nexus regarding impact of products' paucity on consumers.

A study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies found inadequate or insufficient information to determine if damp indoor environments created by microbial growth are related to serious health problems. The committee found evidence of upper respiratory tract symptoms in asthmatics and "limited evidence" of shortness of breath for otherwise healthy children.

Focuses on the concerns over indoor air quality in office buildings in the United States, specifically on microbial growth. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, & Air Conditioning Engineers' definition of an acceptable indoor environment; Problems in residential and commercial buildings in the United States.