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50 Pág., In March 2022, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratifcation vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by two new families (bunyaviral Discoviridae and Tulasviridae), 41 new genera, and 98 new species. Three hundred forty-nine species were renamed and/or moved. The accidentally misspelled names of seven species were corrected. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as now accepted by the ICTV, This work was supported in part through Laulima Govern ment Solutions, LLC prime contract with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under Contract No. HHSN272201800013C. J.H.K. performed this work as an employee of Tunnell Government Services (TGS), a subcontractor of Laulima Gov ernment Solutions, LLC under Contract No. HHSN272201800013C. This work was also funded in part by Contract No. HSHQDC 15-C-00064 awarded by DHS S&T for the management and operation of The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, a federally funded research and development center operated by the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (V.W.); and NIH contract HHSN272201000040I/HHSN27200004/D04 and grant R24AI120942 (N.V., R.B.T.). S.S. acknowledges support from the Mississippi Agri cultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), USDA-ARS pro ject 58-6066-9-033 and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, Hatch Project, under Accession Num ber 1021494.

Samples from multiple animals may be pooled and tested to reduce costs of surveillance for infectious agents in aquatic animal populations. The primary advantage of pooling is increased population-level coverage when prevalence is low (

Wild Acetes sibogae australis from northern Moreton Bay, Australia displaying opacity of the hepatopancreas were sampled and examined histologically, revealing infection by multinucleate plasmodia of a haplosporidian-like parasite in the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas. A morphological and phylogenetic investigation identified the parasite as a novel species of the order Haplosporida, and the parasite is described as Haplosporidium acetes n. sp. This is the first report of disease caused by a haplosporidian in wild Australian decapod crustaceans, and the first record of haplosporidiosis in sergestid shrimp. Infections of H. acetes were observed in all cell types (R, B, F and E) within the hepatopancreas. Infected epithelial cells became hypertrophied as they filled with haplosporidian parasites and, in heavy infections, caused almost complete displacement of normal hepatopancreas tissue. Although sporulation was not observed, infected jelly prawns appeared terminally diseased. Infections became grossly evident in around 5% of wild prawns during early autumn at a time of year when jelly prawn populations decline rapidly with decreasing water temperatures, however histopathology indicated at least 13% of apparently normal jelly prawns were also infected. Further studies are required in order to determine if this parasite influences jelly prawn population dynamics. In addition, we report co-infection of a novel microsporidian parasite in the Enterocytozoon Group Microsporidia (EGM) infecting nuclei of hepatopancreatic epithelial cells. The microsporidian was phylogenetically distinct from Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) known to infect penaeid shrimp in Asia.

Design and reporting quality of diagnostic accuracy studies (DAS) are important metrics for assessing utility of tests used in animal and human health. Following standards for designing DAS will assist in appropriate test selection for specific testing purposes and minimize the risk of reporting biased sensitivity and specificity estimates. To examine the benefits of recommending standards, design information from published DAS literature was assessed for 10 finfish, seven mollusc, nine crustacean and two amphibian diseases listed in the 2017 OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals. Of the 56 DAS identified, 41 were based on field testing, eight on experimental challenge studies and seven on both. Also, we adapted human and terrestrial-animal standards and guidelines for DAS structure for use in aquatic animal diagnostic research. Through this process, we identified and addressed important metrics for consideration at the design phase: study purpose, targeted disease state, selection of appropriate samples and specimens, laboratory analytical methods, statistical methods and data interpretation. These recommended design standards for DAS are presented as a checklist including risk-of-failure points and actions to mitigate bias at each critical step. Adherence to standards when designing DAS will also facilitate future systematic review and meta-analyses of DAS research literature.

Background The aim of the study was to evaluate the current opinion and clinical decision-making process of international pancreatologists, and to systematically identify key study questions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis (CP) for future research. Methods An online survey, including questions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of CP and several controversial clinical case vignettes, was send by e-mail to members of various international pancreatic associations: IHPBA, APA, EPC, ESGE and DPSG. Results A total of 288 pancreatologists, 56% surgeons and 44% gastroenterologists, from at least 47 countries, participated in the survey. About half (48%) of the specialists used a classification tool for the diagnosis of CP, including the Mayo Clinic (28%), Mannheim (25%), or Buchler (25%) tools. Overall, CT was the preferred imaging modality for evaluation of an enlarged pancreatic head (59%), pseudocyst (55%), calcifications (75%), and peripancreatic fat infiltration (68%). MRI was preferred for assessment of main pancreatic duct (MPD) abnormalities (60%). Total pancreatectomy with auto-islet transplantation was the preferred treatment in patients with parenchymal calcifications without MPD abnormalities and in patients with refractory pain despite maximal medical, endoscopic, and surgical treatment. In patients with an enlarged pancreatic head, 58% preferred initial surgery (PPPD) versus 42% initial endoscopy. In patients with a dilated MPD and intraductal stones 56% preferred initial endoscopic ± ESWL treatment and 29% preferred initial surgical treatment. Conclusion Worldwide, clinical decision-making in CP is largely based on local expertise, beliefs and disbeliefs. Further development of evidence-based guidelines based on well designed (randomized) studies is strongly encouraged.

One in five adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) known to services display challenging behaviours (CBs), and these individuals are at risk for restrictive practices and poor care. Staff attitudes may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of CBs. We investigated the effectiveness of co-produced Who's Challenging Who? training delivered by people with ID to staff.This study involved a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of Who's Challenging Who? training with follow-up at six and 20 weeks post-randomisation.two staff from each of 118 residential care settings for adults with ID at least one of whom displayed aggressive CB.Self-reported Staff Empathy for people with Challenging Behaviour Questionnaire.intention to treat of all randomised settings. ISCRTN registration: ISRCTN53763600.118 residential settings (including 236 staff) were randomised to either receive training (59 settings) or to receive training after a delay (59 settings). The primary analysis included data from 121 staff in 76 settings (51% of staff, 64% of settings). The adjusted mean difference on the transformed (cubed) Staff Empathy for people with Challenging Behaviour Questionnaire score at the primary end point was 1073.2 (95% CI: -938.1 to 3084.5, P = 0.296) in favour of the intervention group (effect size Cohen's d = .19).This is the first large-scale RCT of a co-produced training course delivered by people with ID. Findings indicated a small positive (but statistically non-significant) effect on increased staff empathy at 20 weeks, and small to moderate effects for staff reported secondary outcomes in favour of the intervention group.

The syntheses of CpM(i-PrDAB)2 (M = Nb, Ta; Cp = (C5H5); i-PrDAB = bis-isopropyl-1,4-diazabuta-1,3-diene) are reported. Both show fluxional NMR spectra indicating that the two DAB rings differ. The X-ray crystal structure of CpNb(i-PrDAB)2 shows one ring to be more folded than the other. Density functional calculations have been used to investigate the degree of folding of the chelate ring in the compounds Cp2M(R-DAB), (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta; R = H, i-Pr; DAB = 1,4-diazabuta-1,3-diene) and CpM(R-DAB)2 (M = Nb and Ta). For Cp2M(R-DAB) the group 4 compounds all have folded rings whereas the Nb and Ta compounds have planar rings. In all compounds the rings are reduced and the folding is driven by the electron number requirements of the metal centre.

In Australia, disease caused by betanodavirus has been reported in an increasing number of cultured finfish since the first report of mortalities in 1990. Partial coat protein gene sequences from the T2 or T4 regions of 8 betanodaviruses from barramundi Lates calcarifer, sleepy cod Oxyeleotris lineolata, striped trumpeter Latris lineata, barramundi cod Cromileptes altivelis, Australian bass Macquaria novemaculata and gold-spotted rockcod Epinephelus coioides from several Australian states were determined. Analysis of the 606 bp nucleotide sequences of the T2 region of 4 isolates demonstrated the close relationship with isolates from the red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) genotype and the Cluster Ia subtype. Comparison of a smaller 289 bp sequence from the T4 region identified 2 distinct groupings of the Australian isolates within the RGNNV genotype. Isolates from barramundi from the Northern Territory, barramundi, sleepy cod, barramundi cod and gold-spotted rockcod from Queensland, and striped trumpeter from Tasmania shared a 96.2 to 99.7% nucleotide identity with each other. These isolates were most similar to the RGNNV genotype Cluster Ia. Isolates from Australian bass from New South Wales and from barramundi from South Australia shared a 98.6% sequence identity with each other. However, these isolates only shared an 85.8 to 87.9% identity with the other Australian isolates and representative RGNNV isolates. The closest nucleotide identity to sequences reported in the literature for the New South Wales and South Australian isolates was to an Australian barramundi isolate (Ba94Aus) from 1994. These 2 Australian isolates formed a new subtype within the RGNNV genotype, which is designated as Cluster Ic.

Objective Bariatric surgery reverses obesity-related comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes mellitus. Several studies have already described differences in anthropometrics and body composition in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass compared with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, but the role of adipokines in the outcomes after the different types of surgery is not known. Differences in weight loss and reversal of insulin resistance exist between the 2 groups and correlate with changes in adipokines. Methods Fifteen severely obese women (mean body mass index [BMI]: 46.7 kg/m 2 ) underwent 2 types of laparoscopic weight loss surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass=10, adjustable gastric banding=5). Weight, waist and hip circumference, body composition, plasma metabolic markers, and lipids were measured at set intervals during a 24-month period after surgery. Results At 24 months, patients who underwent Roux-en-Y were overweight (BMI 29.7 kg/m 2 ), whereas patients who underwent gastric banding remained obese (BMI 36.3 kg/m 2 ). Patients who underwent Roux-en-Y lost significantly more fat mass than patients who underwent gastric banding (mean difference 16.8 kg, P P =.003), and levels correlated with weight loss, loss of fat mass, insulin levels, and Homeostasis Model of Assessment 2. Adiponectin correlated with insulin levels and Homeostasis Model of Assessment 2 ( r =−0.653, P =.04 and r =−0.674, P =.032, respectively) in the patients who underwent Roux-en-Y at 24 months. Conclusion After 2 years, weight loss and normalization of metabolic parameters were less pronounced in patients who underwent gastric banding compared with patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Our findings require confirmation in a prospective randomized trial.

A laparoscopically implantable electrical device that intermittently blocks both vagi near the esophagogastric junction led to significant excess weight loss (EWL) in an initial clinical trial in obese patients. The study objective was to optimize therapy algorithms and determine the EWL achieved with a second-generation device at university hospitals in Australia, Norway, and Switzerland.Data acquired during the initial clinical trial were analyzed and subsequently used to select alternative electrical algorithms. In the second trial, vagal blocking using one selected therapy algorithm was initiated 2 weeks after implanting the second-generation device. The patients were followed up for 6 months to assess the EWL and safety, including adverse events.In the initial clinical trial, vagal blocking algorithm durations of 90-150 s were associated with greater EWL compared with either shorter or longer algorithm durations (P.01). The second trial enrolled 27 patients (mean body mass index 39.3+/-.8 kg/m2) to evaluate a 120-s blocking algorithm. At 6 months, greater EWL was achieved (22.7%+/-3.1%, n=24) compared with the initial study and first-generation device (14.2%+/-2.2%, n=29, P=.03). In both trials, an association was found between the number of 90-150-s algorithms delivered daily and greater EWL (P=.03). No deaths, unanticipated device-related adverse events, or medically serious adverse events were associated with the device.This second-generation vagal blocking device, using a therapy algorithm of 120-s duration, resulted in a clinically acceptable safety profile and significantly greater EWL compared with the first-generation device delivering a wider range of therapy algorithm durations.

Five years (2000–04) of spatially complete snow-free land surface albedo data have been produced using high-quality-flagged diffuse bihemispherical (white sky) and direct-beam directional hemispherical (black sky) land surface albedo data derived from observations taken by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard the NASA Terra satellite platform (MOD43B3, collection 4). In addition, a spatially complete snow-free aggregate albedo climatological product was generated. These spatially complete products were prepared using an ecosystem-dependent temporal interpolation technique that retrieves missing data within 3%–8% error. These datasets have already been integrated into research and operational projects that require snow-free land surface albedo. As such, this paper provides details regarding the spatial and temporal distribution of the filled versus the original MOD43B3 data. The paper also explores the intra- and interannual variation in the 5-yr data record and provides a qualitative comparison of zonal averages and annual cycles of the filled versus the original MOD43B3 data. The analyses emphasize the data’s inter- and intraannual variation and show that the filled data exhibit large- and small-scale phenological behavior that is qualitatively similar to that of the original MOD43B3. These analyses thereby serve to showcase the inherent spectral, spatial, and temporal variability in the MOD43B3 data as well as the ability of the fill technique to preserve these unique regional and pixel-level phenological characteristics.

A new medical device uses high-frequency electrical algorithms to create intermittent vagal blocking (VBLOC therapy). The aim is to assess the effects of vagal blocking on excess weight loss (EWL), safety, dietary intake, and vagal function.An open-label, 3-center study was conducted in obese subjects (body mass index [BMI] 35-50 kg/m(2)). Electrodes were implanted laparoscopically on both vagi near the esophagogastric junction to provide electrical block. Patients were followed for 6 months for body weight, safety, electrocardiogram, dietary intake, satiation, satiety, and plasma pancreatic polypeptide (PP) response to sham feeding. To specifically assess device effects alone, no diet or exercise programs were instituted.Thirty-one patients (mean BMI, 41.2 +/- 1.4 kg/m(2)) received the device. Mean EWL at 4 and 12 weeks and 6 months after implant was 7.5%, 11.6%, and 14.2%, respectively (all P.001); 25% of patients lost25% EWL at 6 months (maximum, 36.8%). There were no deaths or device-related serious adverse events (AEs). Calorie intake decreased by30% at 4 and 12 weeks and 6 months (all Por= .01), with earlier satiation (P.001) and reduced hunger (P = .005). After 12 weeks, plasma PP responses were suppressed (20 +/- 7 vs 42 +/- 19 pg/mL). Average percent EWL in patients with PP response25 pg/mL was double that with PP response25 pg/mL (P = .02). Three patients had serious AEs that required brief hospitalization, 1 each for lower respiratory tract, subcutaneous implant site seroma, and Clostridium difficile diarrhea.Intermittent, intra-abdominal vagal blocking is associated with significant EWL and a desirable safety profile.

Previous research has shown that beef quality decreased with the age of cattle. In this study, beef trimmings from nine mature cows ( n = 9), equally representing three animal age groups (2–4, 6–8, and 10–12 yr), were restructured into steaks formulated with propyl gallate, alone or in combination with a beefy flavoring agent, to enhance palatability and stability during 6 months of frozen storage at −29 °C. Lipid oxidation, rancidity, and loss of beefy flavor in restructured steaks during extended storage were reduced by propyl gallate. The beefy flavoring agent inclusion masked mature, forage-fed beef off-flavors, intensified beefy flavor, and improved steak tenderness, juiciness and cooking yield. Thus, the combination of propyl gallate and beefy flavoring offers an effective means to enhance the palatability and storage stability of restructured beef prepared from mature cows.

In this paper, we present five-year (2000–2004) climatological statistics of Northern Hemisphere spectral white-sky albedo for the 16 International Geosphere–Biosphere Program (IGBP) ecosystem classes when accompanied by the presence of snow on the ground. These statistics are obtained using validated, high quality Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface albedo (MOD43B3) data flagged as snow in the associated Quality Assurance (QA) fields. Near Real-Time Ice and Snow Extent (NISE) data are used as an additional discriminator of snow extent. Statistics are provided for the first seven MODIS bands, ranging from 0.47 to 2.1 μm, and for three broadbands, 0.3–0.7, 0.3–5.0 and 0.7–5.0 μm. The statistics demonstrate that each ecosystem classification has a discernible spectral albedo signature when accompanied by snow on the ground. This indicates that winter canopy and the underlying surface radiative properties are impacted by the presence of snow overlying these surfaces. For example, the 0.47 μm albedo of winter snow-free evergreen needleleaf forests increases from 0.03 to 0.36 in the presence of snow, compared to an increase of 0.04 to 0.76 for croplands. In general, the albedo of snow-covered ecosystems with some winter canopy has lower albedos than ecosystems with little to no winter canopy; for example the 0.47 μm albedo of snow-covered mixed forests is 0.39 compared to 0.87 for barren/deserts and 0.95 for permanent snow. These statistics can be used within land surface models in a stand-alone mode, to prescribe albedo values in atmospheric General Circulation Models (GCMs), or be incorporated into research and operational projects. They are intended to provide researchers with representative spectral albedo values of IGBP ecosystems in the presence of snow that are derived from validated satellite data.

Recent production of land surface anisotropy, diffuse bihemispherical (white-sky) albedo, and direct-beam directional hemispherical (black-sky) albedo from observations acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Terra and Aqua satellite platforms have provided researchers with unprecedented spatial, spectral, and temporal information on the land surface's radiative characteristics. Cloud cover, which curtails retrievals, and the presence of ephemeral and seasonal snow limit the snow-free data to approximately half the global land surfaces on an annual equal-angle basis. This precludes the MOD43B3 albedo products from being used in some remote sensing and ground-based applications, climate models, and global change research projects. An ecosystem-dependent temporal interpolation technique is described that has been developed to fill missing or seasonally snow-covered data in the official MOD43B3 albedo product. The method imposes pixel-level and local regional ecosystem-dependent phenological behavior onto retrieved pixel temporal data in such a way as to maintain pixel-level spatial and spectral detail and integrity. The phenological curves are derived from statistics based on the MODIS MOD12Q1 IGBP land cover classification product geolocated with the MOD43B3 data. The resulting snow-free value-added products provide the scientific community with spatially and temporally complete global white- and black-sky surface albedo maps and statistics. These products are stored on 1-min and coarser resolution equal-angle grids and are computed for the first seven MODIS wavelengths, ranging from 0.47-2.1 /spl mu/m and for three broadband wavelengths 0.3-0.7, 0.3-5.0, and 0.7-5.0 /spl mu/m.

Multiple pressures have stimulated the development of curricula to teach fundamental technical skills to surgeons in a laboratory setting. These include reduced resident work hours, increasing costs of operating room time, and the public and payers’ focus on medical errors and the ethics of learning basic skills on patients. In response to these demands, laparoscopic simulators have been developed using inanimate box trainers or computer-based virtual reality platforms.1,2 The goals of these simulator-based curricula are to provide an opportunity to learn and practice basic skills in a relaxed and inexpensive environment to attain a basic level of technical facility that can be transferred from the laboratory to the operating room environment. Laparoscopy has been an area where simulator curricula have attracted much interest because unique skills had to be learned not only by surgeons in training but also by surgeons in practice. This latter group had to develop a strategy to acquire novel skills and incorporate these skills into their clinical practice. Since simulator training requires an investment in both the equipment and time required for training, it is important that this investment be justified by providing proof of the value of simulators. The process to develop and prove the value of the MISTELS (McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills) physical laparoscopy simulator has followed a stepwise progression. First, the skills unique to laparoscopic surgery were identified, modeled into exercises that could be carried out in a physical simulator, and a measuring system (metrics) was developed for each exercise, providing a quantitative and objective assessment of performance based on efficiency and precision. Next, the metrics were evaluated for reliability and validity. The most important aspect of validity assessment was to evaluate the relationship of technical skill measured in the simulator to skill in the operating room. If this relationship was found to be robust, simulator performance could then be used to predict performance in the operating room. Once these steps had been completed, the simulator system could then be assessed as a means to verify that laparoscopic technical skill had reached a level thought necessary for the safe performance of basic laparoscopic surgery. In other words, we sought to determine whether the MISTELS score could be used as a summative assessment tool to separate a group that was considered competent from one that would not be considered competent purely from the technical-skill point of view. If so, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values could be determined. The purpose of this paper is to review the process used to develop the MISTELS physical laparoscopy simulator and to summarize the data accumulated over a series of experiments to prove its value as an effective tool to teach and evaluate the fundamental skills required in laparoscopic surgery. These new data are put in context with previously published preliminary data on the MISTELS system.

Aerosol processes that produce titania particles by reacting gaseous precursors (such as titanium tetrachloride) initially must mix the precursor into the oxidizer at elevated temperatures to initiate the formation of product. Oftentimes the rate of reaction is sufficiently large as to be mixing limited. Thus the rate of mixing of the reacting species will control the chemistry and morphological properties of the particles that are produced. The interplay between mixing, nucleation, and growth in these systems is difficult to observe experimentally due to the small time scales that are involved and the spatial limitations of most diagnostics. An alternative approach is direct numerical simulation (DNS). DNS refers to a class of numerical solutions of the three-dimensional time-dependent governing equations for a particular system in which no turbulence modeling assumptions are made. To within the precision of the numerical algorithm, DNS can be thought of as a numerical experiment. Here we apply DNS to th...

Aim To examine the expression of oestrogen receptors α and β (ERα and ERβ) and their regulation by 17β-oestradiol (E2) in stromal cells and adipocytes from human subcutaneous (s.c.) and omental (o.m.) adipose tissue. Methods Subcutaneous and o.m. abdominal adipose tissues were obtained from 10 women (mean age 63.5 ± 4.8 years; mean weight 75.6 ± 6.7 kg) undergoing elective or cosmetic surgery. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis were used to detect the presence of ERα and ERβ. The regulation of ERα and ERβ by E2 (10−7 M to 10−9 M) was examined using Western immunoblotting analysis in both s.c. and o.m. stromal cells and mature adipocytes cultured in serum-free, phenol red-free medium. Results Immunostaining of s.c. and o.m. adipose tissue showed that the ER subtypes were localized predominantly within the nucleus. Western analysis demonstrated that E2 treatments differentially altered ERα and ERβ expression in s.c. and o.m. adipocytes. In s.c. and o.m. stromal cells, E2 (10−8 M) produced a significant up regulation relative to control of 66 kDa ERα (s.c.:1.87 ± 0.22; o.m.:1.97 ± 0.17; p

Common bile duct stones are generally classified as primary or secondary stones based on the locations of origin. The vast majority of the stones found in the biliary tree are secondary stones. The current review discusses the pathogenesis and presentations of primary and secondary biliary stones. Based on discussion of disease pathogenesis and presentation, recommendations for the evaluation and management of common and uncommon disease processes associated with choledocholithiasis are proposed.

Physical changes in chicken gastrocnemius myofibrils incubated in 0.1 to 1.0 M NaCl solutions with or without 10 mM ortho-(P), pyro-(PP), tripoly-(TPP) or hexameta- (HMP) phosphate at pH 6.0 were examined by phase-contrast microscopy, electrophoresis, and solubility. PP and TPP performed similarly in promoting protein extraction, P had no apparent effect, and HMP exhibited an intermediate effect. PP, TPP, and HMP treatments markedly improved protein solubility in 0.3 and 0.4 M NaCl through the release of myosin, but the phosphate effect diminished in ≥ 0.6 M NaCl. Overall, phosphates influenced the ultrastructure of myofibrils and extraction of their constituents in the order: PP ∼ TPP > HMP > P ∼ nonphosphate control.

Myofibrils isolated from post-rigor chicken Pectoralis major (PM, white) and Gastrocnemius (Gas, red) muscles were irrigated with various concentrations of NaCl (0.1–1.0 M) with or without 10 mM sodium pyrophosphate at pH 5.5 and 6.0. Structural changes were examined using phase contrast microscopy. PM myofibril samples tended to show more definitive H-zones but obscure Z-lines compared to Gas myofibrils. Significant myofibril swelling, accompanied by a pronounced protein extraction, occurred in 0.5 M NaCl solution. The extent of swelling as well as protein extraction increased with the NaCl concentration up to about 0.8 M. Addition of pyrophosphate facilitated myofibril swelling and reduced the minimal NaCl concentration for swelling to 0.4 M. Without pyrophosphate, protein extraction for both PM and Gas myofibrils occurred along the A-band, sometimes starting from the centre, but when pyrophosphate was added, the extraction began from the ends of the A-band. At pH 5.5, protein extraction was similar for PM and Gas, but at pH 6.0, PM myofibrils were more extractable and their architecture changed more extensively than Gas myofibrils, especially when pyrophosphate was present. The results may explain the different water-imbibing abilities of white and red meat when processed with salt and phosphate. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry

Summary Restructured beef steaks containing beef heart surimi were prepared. Changes in flavour, texture, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and compression force of the restructured steaks were evaluated after frozen storage (−29 °C) for 1, 30, and 90 days. Incorporation of propyl gallate-washed beef heart surimi improved the steak flavour score by 7%, texture score by 30%, and cooking yield by 4%, compared to non-surimi control steaks. Addition of water-washed surimi (without propyl gallate) also improved physical properties of restructured steaks, but it induced off-flavour and rancidity development.

Steaks, fabricated with hot- (HB) or cold-boned (CB) beef and structured with salt/phosphate (SP), sodium alginate (ALG), or ALG and albumin, were packaged aerobically and anaerobically and displayed at 2°C for up to 30 days to determine effects of boning methods and binders on structured steak properties. Using SP and CB meat resulted in darker (p< 0.05) non-bloomed and bloomed steaks. Adding albumin had little effect on changing color of ALG steaks. Steaks with stronger cohesion (p

Oxidation inhibition during washing, as it affects gelling properties and binding strength of beef heart myofibrillar protein, was investigated. Crude myofibrils isolated by repeated washing in the presence of propyl gallate, ascorbate and tripolyphosphate had a lower TBA value and formed stronger gels (puncture and compression strengths) in the pH range 5.8–7.0 and in 0.6M NaCl than the control myofibrils. Inhibition of oxidation increased tensile stress of myofibrillar gels and enhanced bind strength in restructured meat. Functionality of myofibrillar protein could be protected by antioxidants used in the washing process.

Prevention of reflux is a major function of the terminal biliary duct system at its junction with the duodenum. We examined this area via scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to explore anatomic features that might play such a role in the Virginia opossum, a species with a highly developed sphincter of Oddi (SO). The terminal apparatus, most of which consists of a dilated extramural ampulla, has a lumen with abundant folds. Mucus is produced by the lining epithelium and by a plethora of glands. Three muscle layers constitute the SO: an inner longitudinal, an outer circular, and a less consistent, outermost longitudinal. The terminal apparatus forms an acute angle and narrows as it enters the duodenum; at this point, the SO becomes continuous with the muscularis externa of the intestine. Four anatomical features with potential antireflux properties may be identified: mucus production, luminal folds, and the narrow opening and oblique course of the intramural duct.

Restructured steaks were manufactured with hot or cold boned beef using alginate, alginate + dried egg albumin, or salt/phosphate formulations. Raw steaks were sampled for aerobic (26° and 35°C), and gram-negative enteric counts. Cooked vacuum-packaged steaks were sampled for aerobic, gram-negative enteric, lactobacilli and staphylococci and for the presence of Salmonella, Aeromonas, Yersinia, and Listeria during 7 wk storage (2°C). No differences in counts due to formulation were found for raw or cooked steaks. Higher aerobic counts (P

Changes were evaluated in functional and textural properties of beef batters altered by mincing, postmortem salting time and electrical stimulation. Histological examinations showed raw batters from non-stimulated (NS) meat exhibited uniform fat dispersal throughout the protein matrix regardless of salting time; however, fat channeling, increased fat and gel-water release, lower hardness and gel strength along with reduced apparent viscosity were observed in electrically stimulated (ES) meat when salting was delayed. Changes in amounts of salt-soluble protein were not consistent. Effects of pH on water-holding capacity and myofibrillar swelling accounted for most changes observed in batters from ES muscles. However, increases in apparent viscosity and hardness may have been a consequence of rigor onset.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of age of mature cows (2-4yr, 6-8yr, and 10-12yr cows; n=6 in each) on beef quality. In Experiment 1, Longissimus dorsi (LD) steaks were stored at 3°C for 0-10d. Steaks from more mature cows had an increased (P

Hot- and cold-boned (HB and CB, respectively) restructured beef roasts were cooked in either: a conduction oven, convection steamer, low temperature cook/hold over or low temperature controlled humidity cook/hold oven. CB roast cooked in the conduction oven had higher cooking yields and lower shear values than CB roasts prepared by convection and low temperature controlled humidity cook/hold oven. HB roasts, cooked in the conduction oven, also had slightly higher cooking yields than other methods. No differences for shear values were apparent for HB roasts cooked in the various ovens. A sensory panel indicated CB and HB roasts had a browned beefy flavor, were juicy and moderately blended with little aftertaste. Restructured roasts are satisfactory for food service/institutional use but differences in yield and tenderness due to cooking method should be recognized.

This study was designed to determine if an increase in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is associated with increases in NOS II protein and mRNA abundance and with altered ileal longitudinal muscle contractility. Strips of muscle taken from LPS-treated, but not control, animals exhibited reduced in vitro contractility when L-arginine was a component of the physiological salt solution. This reduction was reversed by N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), a competitive inhibitor of NOS. Full-thickness segments of jejunum, ileum, and colon taken 5 h after LPS injection exhibited increased NOS activity, NOS II immunoreactivity, and NOS II mRNA abundance. Increased NOS II immunoreactivity and mRNA abundance also were detected in ileal muscle strips taken from LPS-treated animals. These data confirm the reported effects of LPS on intestinal NOS activity and indicate that it can be attributed, at least in part, to an increase in NOS II mRNA and protein abundance. Furthermore, the data suggest that an LPS-induced increase in NOS II may lead to a decrease in ileal muscle contractility.

This case report describes the experience of a 26-year-old woman who underwent multiple jaw surgeries. An initial 22 months of unsuccessful nonsurgical therapy was followed by a 7-year period during which the following were performed: 12 surgeries of her right temporomandibular joint; one surgery of her left temporomandibular joint; bilateral coronoidectomies; one surgery of her right mandible; and three surgeries of her left mandible. This case is important because although the existence of multiple jaw surgery cases are widely noted throughout the literature, this is the first case report that presents in-depth prospective documentation.

APPROXIMATELY 10% to 15% of the adult population or more than 20 million people in the United States have gallstones. It is estimated that there are about 1 million newly diagnosed patients annually. The prevalence is higher in women, in association with multiple pregnancies, obesity, and rapid weight loss, as well as in older patients and in certain ethnic groups. In 1991, approximately 600 000 patients underwent cholecystectomy. As a cause of hospitalization, gallstones are the most common and most costly digestive disease, with an annual estimated overall cost of more than $5 billion. In humans, gallstones are composed principally of cholesterol, with pigment stones occurring less commonly. The formation of cholesterol stones is believed to result from the occurrence of cholesterol supersaturation, accelerated cholesterol crystal nucleation, and impaired gallbladder motility. Stones tend to grow for the first 2 to 3 years, at which point growth tends to stabilize; 85%

Studies were undertaken to describe the normal structure of the prairie dog gallbladder and adjacent cystic duct, and then to determine sequential changes that occurred as abnormalities in bile composition developed during high cholesterol feeding. Control animals were fed a diet with trace cholesterol, while experimental animals were fed a diet enriched with 1.2% cholesterol for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks. Light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize morphologic changes at each time interval. Biliary lipid composition was altered in all experimental groups, evidenced by significant decreases in bile-acid-to-cholesterol ratios. Cholesterol crystals appeared in experimental bile at 1 and 2 weeks, while stones formed at 3 and 4 weeks. The cystic duct and neck of the gallbladder occasionally displayed goblet cells. Little mucus was demonstrable in principal cells of the gallbladder, but much more in those lining the cystic duct. After 2 weeks of lithogenic diet, there was an increase in mucus content and secretion from all areas, as well as an influx of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes. Accumulation of plasma cells in the lamina propria was an especially prominent feature of experimental tissues. These results suggest that 1) there is regional heterogeneity in the mucus content of the gallbladder and cystic duct of the prairie dog, and 2) both regions respond to lithogenesis with mucus hypersecretion and acute and chronic inflammatory changes prior to the appearance of cholesterol gallstones.

The identification and antibiotic resistance of staphylococci and Enterobacrerinceae isolated from restructured and conventional steaks were determined. Five Sraphylococcus species, and seven species and three CDC Enteric Groups from the Family Enterobacteriaceae were identified. Sixty-seven percent of the 160 staphylococci were sensitive to the 13 antimicrobial agents tested. Antibiotic resistance was greater for staphylococci from restructured (46%) than from conventional (16%) steaks. Thirty-eight percent of the restructured and 15% of the conventional steak isolates were resistant to tetracycline. Sixty-three percent of the 97 Enterobacteriaccae were resistant to cephalothin, 10% were resistant to streptomycin and 11% were resistant to tetracycline. Less than 10% had multiple resistance.

Steaks containing 0.01% BHA, 0.75% NaCl and 10% fat were fabricated from hot- and cold-boned sides of four U.S. Standard, seven U.S. Good and one U.S. Choice steer carcasses. Carcasses were electrically stimulated (550 volts, 2.2 amps) ca 37 min postmortem. One side from each carcass was boned 4 hr postmortem (HB) while the other was placed in a 5°C cooler and boned 96 hr postmortem (CB). Hot boned sides required 29% less time to bone and yielded more (P