Studies on blackening of canned prawns. Pt. 1. Influence of copper and iron on product blackening

A linear relationship was observed between the copper content and intensity of blackening in commercially canned prawn meat. Average copper and iron contents of non-blackened canned prawn meat were 9.6 and 32.5 ppm on dry weight basis respectively. In the blackened product copper content ranged from 15.8 to 63.9 ppm and iron content between 43.7 and 71.45 ppm depending on the intensity of blackening. But incorporation of copper in the above range to experimental cans produced blackening while iron up to 250 ppm did not impart any blackening under standard conditions of canning.

Copper, zinc, iron and manganese in sediments and in the rock oyster Saccostrea cucullata in Mumbai coast

Sediment and oyster (Saccostrea cucullata) samples were collected at Dhanda, a fishing village in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The samples were analysed for copper, zinc, iron and manganese contents. Metal concentrations in the sediments and bioaccumulated levels in oysters were correlated. There is no positive correlation between the total sedimentary levels of metals analysed and the bioaccumulated levels of respective metals in oyster. A positive correlation between the bioavailable fractions of zinc, iron and manganese, and the bioaccumulated levels exists. Copper, however, shows a negative correlation with respect to the bioaccumulated levels.

Investigations on long distance transportation of fish. 3. Field trials with a dismantlable insulated galvanised iron container

The paper communicates the results of field trials conducted with a dismantlable insulated galvanised iron container designed and fabricated by the first two authors in their laboratory. Different varieties of fishes and different types of packing, namely, fresh iced, chilled iced and frozen were employed in the transportation experiments which were conducted from Kakinada to Howrah, Kakinada to New Delhi and Paradeep to Howrah. In all the experiments the container performed exceedingly well and has still remained in very trim condition.

HSPC117 deficiency in cloned embryos causes placental abnormality and fetal death

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been successfully used in many species to produce live cloned offspring, albeit with low efficiency. The low frequency of successful development has usually been ascribed to incomplete or inappropriate reprogramming of the transferred nuclear genome. Elucidating the genetic differences between normal fertilized and cloned embryos is key to understand the low efficiency of SCNT. Here, we show that expression of HSPC117, which encodes a hypothetical protein of unknown function, was absent or very low in cloned mouse blastocysts. To investigate the role of HSPC117 in embryo development, we knocked-down this gene in normal fertilized embryos using RNA interference. We assessed the post-implantation survival of HSPC117 knock-down embryos at 3 stages: E9 (prior to placenta formation); E12 (after the placenta was fully functional) and E19 (post-natal). Our results show that, although siRNA-treated in vivo fertilized/produced (IVP) embryos could develop to the blastocyst stage and implanted without any difference from control embryos, the knock-down embryos showed substantial fetal death, accompanied by placental blood clotting, at E12. Furthermore, comparison of HSPC117 expression in placentas of nuclear transfer (NT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and IVP embryos confirmed that HSPC117 deficiency correlates well with failures in embryo development: all NT embryos with a fetus, as well as IVP and ICSI embryos, had normal placental HSPC117 expression while those NT embryos showing reduced or no expression of HSPC117 failed to form a fetus. In conclusion, we show that HSPC117 is an important gene for post-implantation development of embryos, and that HSPC117 deficiency leads to fetal abnormalities after implantation, especially following placental formation. We suggest that defects in HSPC117 expression may be an important contributing factor to loss of cloned NT embryos in vivo. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of iron saturation in Brushless Doubly-Fed induction machines

This paper presents an analytical modelling approach for the Brushless Doubly-Fed Machine (BDFM) taking iron saturation into account. A generalised coupled-circuit model is developed which considers stator and rotor teeth saturation effects. A method of calculating the machine inductance parameters is presented which can be implemented in time-stepping simulations. The model has been implemented in MATLAB/Simulink and verified by Finite Element analysis and experimental tests. The tests are carried out on a 180 frame size BDFM. Flux search coils have been utilised to measure airgap and teeth flux densities. © 2010 IEEE.

Thermal plasma synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by injecting ferrocene vapor and oxygen into an argon/helium DC thermal plasma. Size distributions of particles in the reactor exhaust were measured online using an aerosol extraction probe interfaced to a scanning mobility particle sizer, and particles were collected on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids and glass fiber filters for off-line characterization. The morphology, chemical and phase composition of the nanoparticles were characterized using TEM and X-ray diffraction, and the magnetic properties of the particles were analyzed with a vibrating sample magnetometer and a magnetic property measurement system. Aerosol at the reactor exhaust consisted of both single nanocrystals and small agglomerates, with a modal mobility diameter of 8-9 nm. Powder synthesized with optimum oxygen flow rate consisted primarily of magnetite (Fe 3O 4), and had a room-temperature saturation magnetization of 40.15 emu/g, with a coercivity and remanence of 26 Oe and 1.5 emu/g, respectively. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

The phase of iron catalyst nanoparticles during carbon nanotube growth

We study the Fe-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes by complementary in situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, in situ X-ray reflectivity, and environmental transmission electron microscopy. We find that typical oxide supported Fe catalyst films form widely varying mixtures of bcc and fcc phased Fe nanoparticles upon reduction, which we ascribe to variations in minor commonly present carbon contamination levels. Depending on the as-formed phase composition, different growth modes occur upon hydrocarbon exposure: For γ-rich Fe nanoparticle distributions, metallic Fe is the active catalyst phase, implying that carbide formation is not a prerequisite for nanotube growth. For α-rich catalyst mixtures, Fe3C formation more readily occurs and constitutes part of the nanotube growth process. We propose that this behavior can be rationalized in terms of kinetically accessible pathways, which we discuss in the context of the bulk iron-carbon phase diagram with the inclusion of phase equilibrium lines for metastable Fe3C. Our results indicate that kinetic effects dominate the complex catalyst phase evolution during realistic CNT growth recipes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Primary antibody deficiency and diagnostic delay.

AIMS: To assess the occurrence of diagnostic delay in primary antibody deficiency in the period 1989-2002, since a similar study in 1989, and to assess the impact of UK national guidelines communicated in 1995. METHODS: A retrospective case note review was performed of 89 consecutive patients with antibody deficiency referred to a regional referral centre for clinical immunology in north west England and north Wales. The delay in diagnosis and the estimated resulting morbidity in terms of infections were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty six of the 89 patients experienced delay in diagnosis. The overall median delay was 2 years (mean, 4.4), resulting in substantial morbidity (equivalent to two major infections and one minor infection). This shows a moderate improvement since the previous study in 1989 and since the introduction of UK national guidelines in 1995. Respiratory infections are the most frequent presenting infections, and respiratory physicians the most common source of referral. CONCLUSIONS: There is still considerable delay in the diagnosis of primary antibody deficiency, but the data suggest an improvement in practice since the previous study in 1989 and the distribution of national guidelines in 1995.