Effects of different calcium salts on properties of milk related to heat stability

Insoluble calcium salts were added to milk to increase total calcium by 30 mM, without changing properties influencing heat stability, such as pH and ionic calcium. There were no major signs of instability associated with coagulation, sediment formation or fouling when subjected to ultra high temperature (UHT) and in-container sterilisation. The buffering capacity was also unaltered. On the other hand, addition of soluble calcium salts reduced pH, increased ionic calcium and caused coagulation to occur. Calcium chloride showed the largest destabilising effect, followed by calcium lactate and calcium gluconate. Milk became unstable to UHT processing at lower calcium additions compared to in-container sterilisation.

Influence of temperature on the motility of Pseudomonas oryzihabitans and control of Globodera rostochiensis

The motility and efficacy of Pseudomonas oryzihabitans as a biocontrol agent against the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis were studied with respect to temperature. The influence of soil moisture on bacterial movement was also tested. In a closed container trial, P. oryzihabitans significantly reduced invasion of second stage juveniles (J2) of G. rostochiensis in potato roots, its effect being more marked at 25 and 21 degreesC than at 17 degreesC. P. oryzihabitans motility in vitro was optimal at 26 degreesC and inhibited at temperatures below 18 degreesC. In soil, both temperature and matric potential affected bacterial movement. At 16 degreesC its movement and survival were suppressed, but they were unaffected at 25 degreesC. At both temperatures the biocontrol agent moved faster in the wetter (- 0.03 MPa) than in the drier soil (- 0.1 MPa). These results suggest that temperature is a key factor in determining the potential of P. or.yzihabitans as a biocontrol agent. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of cottonseed longevity

The objective of this work was to determine the viability equation constants for cottonseed and to detect the occurrence and depletion of hardseededness. Three seedlots of Brazilian cultivars IAC-19 and IAC-20 were tested, using 12 moisture content levels, ranging from 2.2 to 21.7% and three storage temperatures, 40, 50 and 65 degrees C. Seed moisture content level was reached from the initial value (around 8.8%) either by rehydration, in a closed container, or by drying in desiccators containing silica gel, both at 20 degrees C. Twelve seed subsamples for each moisture content/temperature treatment were sealed in laminated aluminium-foil packets and stored in incubators at those temperatures, until complete survival curves were obtained. Seed equilibrium relative humidity was recorded. Hardseededness was detected at moisture content levels below 6% and its releasing was achieved either naturally, during storage period, or artificially through seed coat removal. The viability equation quantified the response of seed longevity to storage environment well with K-E = 9.240, C-W = 5.190, C-H = 0.03965 and C-Q = 0.000426. The lower limit estimated for application of this equation at 65 degrees C was 3.6% moisture content.

The effect of wheat straw residue on the emergence and early growth of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

The management of straw residue can be a concern in non-inversion tillage systems where straw tends to be incorporated at shallow depths or left on the soil surface. This can lead to poor crop establishment because straw residue can impede or hinder crop emergence and growth. Small container-based experiments were undertaken using varying amounts of wheat straw residue either incorporated or placed oil the soil surface. The effects on (lays to seedling emergence, percentage emergence, seedling dry-weight and soil temperature using sugar beet and oilseed rape were investigated because these crops often follow wheat in a cropping sequence. The position of the straw residue was found to be the primary factor in reducing crop emergence and growth. Increasing the amount of straw residue (from 3.3 t ha(-1) to 6.7 t ha(-1)) did not show any consistent trends in reducing crop emergence or growth. However, in some instances, results indicated that an interaction between the position and the amount of straw residue Occurred particularly when the straw and seed was placed on the soil surface. Straw placed on the soil surface significantly reduced mean day-time soil temperature by approximately 2.5 degrees C compared to no residue. When the seed and straw was placed on the soil Surface a lack of seed-to-soil contact caused a reduction in emergence by approximately 30% because of the restriction in available moisture that limited the ability for seed imbibition. This trend was reversed when the seed was placed in the soil, but with straw residue still on the soil surface, because the surface straw was likely to reduce moisture evaporation and improved seed-to-soil contact that led to rapid emergence. In general, when straw was mixed in or placed on the soil surface along with the seed, sugar beet and oilseed rape emergence and early growth biomass was significantly restricted by approximately 50% compared to no residue. The consequences of placing seed with or near to straw residue have been shown to cause a restriction in crop establishment. In both oilseed tape and sugar beet, this could lead to a reduction in final crop densities, poor, uneven growth and potentially lower yields that could lower financial margins. Therefore, if farmers are planning to use non-inversion tillage methods for crop establishment, the management and removal of straw residue from near or above the seed is considered important for successful crop establishment. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulated irrigation of woody ornamentals to improve plant quality and precondition against drought stress

Regulated irrigation has the potential to improve crop quality in woody ornamentals by reducing excessive vigour and promoting a more compact habit. This research aimed to compare the effectiveness and the mode of action of two techniques, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and partial root drying (PRD), when applied to container-grown ornamentals through drip irrigation. Results showed that RDI and PRD reduced growth in Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', but in Forsythia x intermedia 'Lynwood', significant reductions were recorded only with RDI. Physiological measurements in Forsythia indicated that reductions in stomatal conductance (g(s)) occurred in both treatments, but those in the RDI tended to be more persistent. Reduced g(s) in PRD was consistent with the concept that chemical signals from the root can regulate stomatal aperture alone; however, the data also suggested that optimising the growth reduction required a moderate degree of shoot water deficit (i.e. a hydraulic signal to be imposed). As RDI was associated with tissue water deficit, it was used in a second experiment to determine the potential of this technique to precondition container-grown plants against subsequent drought stress (e.g. during retail stages or after planting out). Speed of acclimation would be important in a commercial context, and the results demonstrated that both slow and rapid imposition of RDI enabled Forsythia plants to acclimate against later drought events. This article discusses the potential to both improve ornamental plant quality and enhance tolerance to subsequent adverse conditions through controlled, regulated irrigation.

Triazole induced drought tolerance in horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

We determined the influence of the triazole derivatives paclobutrazol, penconazole, epixiconazole, propiconazole and myclobutanil on the drought tolerance and post drought recovery of container-grown horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) saplings. Myclobutanil neither conferred drought resistance, as assessed by its effects on a number of physiological and biochemical parameters, nor affected growth parameters measured after recovery from drought. Chlorophyll fluorescence (F,IF,,), photosynthetic rates, total foliar chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, foliar proline concentration and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were consistently higher and leaf necrosis and cellular electrolyte leakage was lower at the end of a 3-week drought in trees treated with paclobutrazol, penconazole, epixiconazole or propiconazole than in control trees. Twelve weeks after drought treatment, leaf area and shoot, root and total plant dry masses were greater in triazole-treated trees than in control trees with the exception of those treated with myclobutanil. In a separate Study, trees were subjected to a 2-week drought and then sprayed with paclobutrazol, penconazole, epixiconazole, propiconazole or myclobutanil. Chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic rate, foliar chlorophyll concentration and catalase activity over the following 12 weeks were 20 to 50% hi-her in triazole-treated trees than in control trees. At the end of the 12-week recovery period, leaf area and shoot, root and total plant dry masses were higher in triazole-treated trees than in control trees, with the exception of trees treated with myclobutanil. Application of triazole derivatives, with the exception of myclobutanil, enhanced tolerance to prolonged drought and, when applied after a 2-week drought, hastened recovery from drought. The magnitude of treatment effects was in the order epixiconazole approximate to propiconazole > penconazole > paclobutrazol > myclobutanil.

The effect of free Ca2+ on the heat stability and other characteristics of low-heat skim milk powder

Low-heat skim milk powder (SMP), reconstituted to 25% total solids, was found to have poor heat stability. This could be improved by reducing the free Ca2+ concentration to 1.14 mm, or lower, by the addition of either Amberlite IR-120 ion-exchange resin in its sodium form or tri-sodium citrate in skim milk prior to evaporation and spray drying. Reduction in Ca2+ concentration was accompanied by increases in pH, particle size, and kinematic viscosity, and by a reduction in zeta-potential and changes in colour. In-container sterilisation of the reconstituted powder increased particle size, zeta-potential, kinematic viscosity and a* and b* values. However. Ca2+ concentration, pH and whiteness decreased. This study elucidated the importance of Ca2+ concentration and pH on heat stability of low-heat SMP, suggesting that Ca2+ concentration and pH in bulk milk are useful indicators for ensuring that spray dried milk powder has good heat stability. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sub-irrigation of Petunia: benefits in dry summers

With the increasing frequency and magnitude of warmer days during the summer in the UK, bedding plants which were a traditional part of the urban green landscape are perceived as unsustainable and water-demanding. During recent summers when bans on irrigation have been imposed, use and sales of bedding plants have dropped dramatically having a negative financial impact on the nursery industry. Retaining bedding species as a feature in public and even private spaces in future may be conditional on them being managed in a manner that minimises their water use. Using Petunia x hybrida ‘Hurrah White’ we aimed to discover which irrigation approach was the most efficient for maintaining plants’ ornamental quality (flower numbers, size and longevity), shoot and root growth under water deficit and periods of complete water withdrawal. Plants were grown from plugs for 51 days in wooden rhizotrons (0.35 m (h) x 0.1 m (w) x 0.065 m (d)); the rhizotrons’ front comprised clear Perspex which enabled us to monitor root growth closely. Irrigation treatments were: 1. watering with the amount which constitutes 50% of container capacity by conventional surface drip-irrigation (‘50% TOP’); 2. 50% as sub-irrigation at 10 cm depth (‘50% SUB’); 3. ‘split’ irrigation: 25% as surface drip- and 25% as sub-irrigation at 15 cm depth (‘25/25 SPLIT’); 4. 25% as conventional surface drip-irrigation (‘25% TOP’). Plants were irrigated daily at 18:00 apart from days 34-36 (inclusive) when water was withdrawn for all the treatments. Plants in ‘50% SUB’ had the most flowers and their size was comparable to that of ‘50% TOP’. Differences between treatments in other ‘quality’ parameters (height, shoot number) were biologically small. There was less root growth at deeper soil surface levels for ‘50% TOP’ which indicated that irrigation methods like ‘50% SUB’ and ‘25/25 SPLIT’ and stronger water deficits encouraged deeper root growth. It is suggested that sub-irrigation at 10 cm depth with water amounts of 50% container capacity would result in the most root growth with the maximum flowering for Petunia. Leaf stomatal conductance appeared to be most sensitive to the changes in substrate moisture content in the deepest part of the soil profile, where most roots were situated.

Reconstruction of gusty wind speed time series from autonomous data logger records

The collection of wind speed time series by means of digital data loggers occurs in many domains, including civil engineering, environmental sciences and wind turbine technology. Since averaging intervals are often significantly larger than typical system time scales, the information lost has to be recovered in order to reconstruct the true dynamics of the system. In the present work we present a simple algorithm capable of generating a real-time wind speed time series from data logger records containing the average, maximum, and minimum values of the wind speed in a fixed interval, as well as the standard deviation. The signal is generated from a generalized random Fourier series. The spectrum can be matched to any desired theoretical or measured frequency distribution. Extreme values are specified through a postprocessing step based on the concept of constrained simulation. Applications of the algorithm to 10-min wind speed records logged at a test site at 60 m height above the ground show that the recorded 10-min values can be reproduced by the simulated time series to a high degree of accuracy.

Development of biomimetic squid-inspired suckers

Biomechanical properties of squid suckers were studied to provide inspiration for the development of sucker artefacts for a robotic octopus. Mechanical support of the rings found inside squid suckers was studied by bending tests. Tensile tests were carried out to study the maximum possible sucking force produced by squid suckers based on the strength of sucker stalks, normalized by the sucking areas. The squid suckers were also directly tested to obtain sucking forces by a special testing arrangement. Inspired by the squid suckers, three types of sucker artefacts were developed for the arm skin of an octopus inspired robot. The first sucker artefact made of knitted nylon sheet reinforced silicone rubber has the same shape as the squid suckers. Like real squid suckers, this type of artefact also has a stalk that is connected to the arm skin and a ring to give radial support.The second design is a straight cylindrical structure with uniform wall thickness made of silicone rubber. One end of the cylinder is directly connected to the arm skin and the other end is open. The final design of the sucker has a cylindrical base and a concave meniscus top. The meniscus was formed naturally using the surface tension of silicone gel, which leads to a higher level of the liquid around the edge of a container. The wall thickness decreases towards the tip of the sucker opening. Sucking forces of all three types of sucker artefacts were measured. Advantages and isadvantages of each sucker type were discussed. The final design of suckers has been implemented to the arm skin prototypes.

Impact of serving method on the consumption of nutritional supplement drinks: randomised trial in older adults with cognitive impairment

Aim: To analyse the influence of serving method on compliance and consumption of nutritional supplement drinks in older adults with cognitive impairment. Background: Oral nutritional supplement drinks have positive benefits on increasing nutritional status within undernourished elderly people leading to weight gain. However, consumption of these drinks is low and therefore limits their effectiveness. Design: This study was a non blind randomised control trial where participants either consumed nutritional supplement drinks in a glass/beaker or consumed them through a straw inserted directly into the container. Method: Participants with longstanding cognitive impairment were recruited from nursing homes (n=31) and hospitals (n=14). Participants were randomised to serving method. Nursing and care staff were instructed to give the supplement drinks three times per day on alternate days over a week by the allocated serving method. The researcher weighed the amount of supplement drink remaining after consumption. Data were collected over 12 months in 2011-2012. Results: 45 people participated in this study mean age 86.7 (SD 7.5 ) years. After randomisation there was no significant difference between the baseline characteristics of the two groups. Participants randomised to consume nutritional drinks from a glass / beaker drank significantly more than those who consumed them via a straw inserted directly into the container. However, supplements allocated to be given in a glass/beaker were more frequently omitted. Conclusion: Nutritional supplement drinks should be given to people with dementia who are able to feed themselves in a glass or a beaker if staffing resources allow (NIHR CSP ref 31101).

Development and exploitation of a controlled vocabulary in support of climate modelling

There are three key components for developing a metadata system: a container structure laying out the key semantic issues of interest and their relationships; an extensible controlled vocabulary providing possible content; and tools to create and manipulate that content. While metadata systems must allow users to enter their own information, the use of a controlled vocabulary both imposes consistency of definition and ensures comparability of the objects described. Here we describe the controlled vocabulary (CV) and metadata creation tool built by the METAFOR project for use in the context of describing the climate models, simulations and experiments of the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The CV and resulting tool chain introduced here is designed for extensibility and reuse and should find applicability in many more projects.

Boundary condition effects in the simulation study of equilibrium properties of magnetic dipolar fluids

In this paper we investigate the equilibrium properties of magnetic dipolar (ferro-) fluids and discuss finite-size effects originating from the use of different boundary conditions in computer simulations. Both periodic boundary conditions and a finite spherical box are studied. We demonstrate that periodic boundary conditions and subsequent use of Ewald sum to account for the long-range dipolar interactions lead to a much faster convergence (in terms of the number of investigated dipolar particles) of the magnetization curve and the initial susceptibility to their thermodynamic limits. Another unwanted effect of the simulations in a finite spherical box geometry is a considerable sensitivity to the container size. We further investigate the influence of the surface term in the Ewald sum-that is, due to the surrounding continuum with magnetic permeability mu(BC)-on the convergence properties of our observables and on the final results. The two different ways of evaluating the initial susceptibility, i.e., (1) by the magnetization response of the system to an applied field and (2) by the zero-field fluctuation of the mean-square dipole moment of the system, are compared in terms of speed and accuracy.

Urinary 6-Sulphatoxymelatonin Levels Are Depressed in Chronic Migraine and Several Comorbidities

Objective.- To assess urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels in a large consecutive series of patients with migraine and several comorbidities (chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety, and depression) as compared with controls. Background.- Urine analysis is widely used as a measure of melatonin secretion, as it is correlated with the nocturnal profile of plasma melatonin secretion. Melatonin has critical functions in human physiology and substantial evidence points to its importance in the regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep, and headache disorders. Methods.- Urine samples were collected into a single plastic container over a 12-hour period from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am of the next day, and 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was measured by quantitative ELISA. All of the patients were given a detailed questionnaire about headaches and additionally answered the following questionnaires: Chalder fatigue questionnaire, Epworth somnolence questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results.- A total of 220 subjects were evaluated - 73 (33%) had episodic migraine, 73 (33%) had chronic migraine, and 74 (34%) were enrolled as control subjects. There was a strong correlation between the concentration of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin detected and chronic migraine. Regarding the comorbidities, this study objectively demonstrates an inverse relationship between 6-sulphatoxymelatonin levels and depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Conclusions.- To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between the urinary concentration of melatonin and migraine comorbidities. These results support hypothalamic involvement in migraine pathophysiology.

Alternativa förpackningsmaterial och konstruktioner för »Hackman tools«-serien

Choosing a new plastic material for a container includes several different steps. In this case,the Finnish company Hackman needed a new type of packaging material for theircutlery- and kitchentool series »Hackman tools«. The project was carried out in cooperationwith the design agency Ytterborn & Fuentes, which has Hackman as a client.Several different demands were put on the material in order to fulfill as many of the clientswishes as possible. The most urgent problem with the existing container was the difficultysfor the customer to clearly see the contents in the container. Because of this problemthe customer tried to open the container in the shop. To avoid this from happening,Hackman wanted a more transparent plastic material that still fulfilled all other necessaryproperties such as strength, viscosity, printability, sealability and exhaustion strength.The final result and recommendation of a polypropylen-plastic (Evacast) was based ondetailed studies of packaging plastics and their properties as well as discussions with plasticconvertersand suppliers. The recommended plastic is avaliable in several different modelsthat fulfill all demands on material properties, environmental aspects, cost aspects and transparency.Apart from the material problem the project also included drafting some sketches and ideason new construction solutions for the container. The construction of the exsisting containerwas also a problem because of its complexity. As a result of the change of material it has beenpossible to simplify the construction.