2004 Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program Summary of Analyses

To supplement other environmental monitoring programs and to protect the health of people consuming fish from waters within this state, the state of Iowa conducts fish tissue monitoring. Since 1980, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII (U.S. EPA), and the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) have cooperatively conducted annual statewide collections and analyses of fish for toxic contaminants. Beginning in 1983, this monitoring effort became the Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program (the RAFT program). Currently, the RAFT program is the only statewide fish contaminant-monitoring program in Iowa. Historically, the data generated from the RAFT program have enabled IDNR to document temporal changes in contaminant levels and to identify Iowa lakes and rivers where high levels of contaminants in fish potentially threaten the health of fish-consuming Iowans. The Iowa RAFT monitoring program incorporates three different but equally important types of monitoring sites: 1) status, 2) trend, and 3) follow-up.

2003 Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program; Summary of Analyses

To supplement other environmental monitoring programs and to protect the health of people consuming fish from waters within this state, the state of Iowa conducts fish tissue monitoring. Since 1980, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII (U.S. EPA), and the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) have cooperatively conducted annual statewide collections and analyses of fish for toxic contaminants. Beginning in 1983, this monitoring effort became the Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program (the RAFT program). Currently, the RAFT program is the only statewide fish contaminant-monitoring program in Iowa. Historically, the data generated from the RAFT program have enabled IDNR to document temporal changes in contaminant levels and to identify Iowa lakes and rivers where high levels of contaminants in fish potentially threaten the health of Iowans consuming fish. The Iowa RAFT monitoring program incorporates three different but equally important types of monitoring sites: 1) status, 2) trend, and 3) follow-up.

2002 Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program Summary of Analyses

To supplement other environmental monitoring programs and to protect the health of people consuming fish from waters within this state, the state of Iowa conducts fish tissue monitoring. Since 1980, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII (U.S. EPA), and the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) have cooperatively conducted annual statewide collections and analyses of fish for toxic contaminants. Beginning in 1983, this monitoring effort became the Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program (the RAFT program). Currently, the RAFT program is the only statewide fish contaminant-monitoring program in Iowa. Historically, the data generated from the RAFT program have enabled IDNR to document temporal changes in contaminant levels and to identify Iowa lakes and rivers where high levels of contaminants in fish potentially threaten the health of fish consuming Iowans. The Iowa RAFT monitoring program incorporates three different but equally important types of monitoring sites: 1) status, 2) trend, and 3) follow-up.

2001 Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program; Summary of Analyses

To supplement other environmental monitoring programs and to protect the health of people consuming fish from waters within this state, the state of Iowa conducts fish tissue monitoring. Since 1980, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII (U.S. EPA), and the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) have cooperatively conducted annual statewide collections and analyses of fish for toxic contaminants. Beginning in 1983, this monitoring effort became the Regional Ambient Fish Tissue Monitoring Program (the RAFT program). Currently, the RAFT program is the only statewide fish contaminant-monitoring program in Iowa. Historically, the data generated from the RAFT program have enabled IDNR to document temporal changes in contaminant levels and to identify Iowa lakes and rivers where high levels of contaminants in fish potentially threaten the health of fish consuming Iowans.

Fish oil supplementation does not alter energy efficiency in healthy males

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fish oil (FO) supplementation prevents the development of obesity and insulin resistance, and upregulate the expression of UCP3 in skeletal muscle in rodents. This may represent indirect evidence that FO promotes fat oxidation and/or alter energy efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether such effects can be observed in humans. The metabolic effects of FO were assessed during exercise in order to obtain a direct measurement of energy efficiency. METHODS: Eight healthy male volunteers were studied with and without supplementation with 7.2 g/day FO (including 1.1 g/day eicosopentaenoic acid and 0.7 g/day decosahexaenoic acid) during 14 days. Their VO(2 max) was measured on cycle ergometer. Thereafter, energy metabolism (substrate oxidation, energy expenditure and energy efficiency) was assessed during a 30 min cycling exercise at 50% VO(2 max) performed 2 h 30 after a standardized, high carbohydrate breakfast. RESULTS: VO(2 max) was 38.6+/-2.2 after FO and 38.4+/-2.0 (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) in control conditions (NS). Basal plasma glucose, insulin and NEFA concentrations, and energy metabolism were similar with FO and in controls. During exercise, the increases in plasma NEFA concentrations, energy expenditure, glucose and lipid oxidation, and the decreases in glycaemia and insulinemia were not altered by FO intake. Energy efficiency was 22.4+/-0.6% after FO vs 21.8+/-0.7% in controls. In order to ascertain that the absence of effects of FO was not due to consumption of a carbohydrate meal immediately before exercise, 4 of the 8 subjects were re-studied in fasting conditions, FO also failed to alter energy efficiency in this subset of studies. CONCLUSION: FO supplementation did not significantly alter energy metabolism and energy efficiency during exercise in healthy humans.

Toxicity of organic farming‑compatible products to the coffee leaf miner

The objective of this work was to evaluate the toxicity of organic farming‑compatible products to the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella. Lime sulphur, enriched Bordeaux mixture (Viça Café Plus), and the "supermagro" biofertilizer were first tested in laboratory. The most promising product was tested afterwards under field conditions. In laboratory, different concentrations of each product were applied on L. coffeella eggs and on infested coffee‑mined leaves. Only lime sulphur had ovicidal effects at an acceptable concentration (1.6%) for field applications, but no significant effect on larvae mortality was found. Enriched Bordeaux mixture and the "supermagro" biofertilizer had no effect on L. coffeella eggs and larvae. In the field trial, biweekly or monthly sprayings of lime sulphur at different concentrations caused population decrease after 30 days; however, this effect was not significant after 60 or 90 days.

Flour production from shrimp by-products and sensory evaluation of flour-based products

The objective of this work was to evaluate the production of flour using by-products (cephalothorax) obtained from the shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) industry, and to perform a sensory analysis of shrimp flour-based products. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses on fresh cephalothorax and on manufactured flour were performed, as well as the determination of cholesterol content of this flour, and the sensorial evaluation of soup and pastry made with this flour. By the microbiological analyses, no pathogenic microorganism was detected in the samples. Physicochemical analyses of flour showed high levels of protein (50.05%) and minerals (20.97%). Shrimp cephalothorax flour showed high levels of cholesterol. The sensory evaluation indicated a good acceptance of the products, with satisfactory acceptability index (81% for soup, and 83% for pastry), which indicates that shrimp cephalothorax in the form of flour has a potential for developing new products.

Parasitic fauna in hybrid tambacu from fish farms

The objective of this work was to evaluate the parasitic fauna of hybrid tambacu (Colossoma macropomum x Piaractus mesopotamicus) from fish farms and the host-parasite relationship. A hundred and fourteen fish were collected from four fish farms in Macapá, in the state of Amapá, Brazil, 80.7% of which were infected by: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ciliophora); Piscinoodinium pillulare (Dinoflagellida); Anacanthorus spatulatus, Notozothecium janauachensis, and Mymarothecium viatorum (Monogenoidea); Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae (Acanthocephala); Cucullanus colossomi (Nematoda); Perulernaea gamitanae (Lernaeidae); and Proteocephalidae larvae (Cestoda). A total of 8,136,252 parasites were collected from the examined fish. This is the first record of N. buttnerae, C. colossomi, N. janauachensis, M. viatorum, and Proteocephalidae for hybrid tambacu in Brazil. Ichthyophthirius multifiliis was the most prevalent parasite, whereas endohelminths were the less. A positive correlation was observed between number of I. multifiliis and total length and weight of fish, as well as between number of P. gamitanae and total length. The infection by I. multifiliis had association with the parasitism by Monogenoidea. Low water quality contributes to high parasitism of hybrid tambacu by ectoparasites, which, however, does not influence the relative condition factor of fish.

Shelf life and sensory assessment of tilapia quenelle during frozen storage

The objective of this work was to evaluate the shelf life and sensory attributes of tilapia quenelle. Treatments consisted of two types of packages - polyethylene zipper (retort pouch) (QA) and polyethylene waxed paper box (QB) - stored at -18ºC for 120 days. Tilapia quenelle was stable for all parameters established by Brazilian legislation. Average values of the evaluated attributes in different packages, during storage, showed no significant difference, except for the "refrigeration" flavor. However, during the storage period, there were significant differences for sensory attributes, as "moist appearance", fish and product aroma, and off flavors of "mud" and "refrigeration". Preserving product quality as for its sensory attributes, during storage, shows that tilapia quenelle is a convenience product and contributes to the increase of fish consumption.

Study of fish swimming activity using Acoustical Doppler Velocimetry (ADV) techniques

Peer reviewed

Building Environmental Management System for Laboratory Products Manufacturing Company according ISO 14001-standard

Tutkielman tavoitteena on rakentaa toimiva ympäristöjärjestelmä Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy:lle. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on myös löytää kahdelle täysin erilaiselle toiminnalle yhtenäinen ympäristöjärjestelmä, jonka avulla pystytään ottamaan huomioon molempien toimipaikkojen hieman erilaiset vaatimukset. Lisäksi tavoitteena on muodostaa ympäristöjärjestelmälle oma organisaatio, jonka avulla ympäristöjärjestelmän integrointi yrityksen prosesseihin voidaan suorittaa sujuvasti. Aluksi tutkimusongelmaa lähestytään teoreettisesta näkökulmasta,jossa tarkastellaan ympäristöjärjestelmän historiaa, rakennetta, etuja sekä ISO 14001–standardin rakennetta ja sen etenemistä ympäristöjärjestelmän rakentamisen yhteydessä aina kolmannen osapuolen sertifiointiin asti. Empiria osa alkaa alustavalla ympäristökatselmuksella, jossa selvitetään ympäristöasioiden hoidon nykytaso ja luodaan pohja koko ympäristöjärjestelmän luomiselle, jonka vankimpana perustana on ympäristöpolitiikka. Johdon hyväksymä ympäristöpolitiikka varmistaa johdon sitoutumisen järjestelmään. Ympäristöjärjestelmän toimintarakenteen muodostaminen kahdelle erilaiselle toiminnalle onnistui tutkimuksessa kiitettävästi. Se miten ympäristöjärjestelmä toimii todellisuudessa, tullaan näkemään käytännön kokemuksien yhteydessä.

Managing Configurable Products in Mass Customization

Massaräätälöinti on tärkeä osa nykyaikaista tuotestrategiaa. Massaräätälöinti mahdollistaa asiakaskohtaisesti muokattujen tuotteiden valmistuksen massatuotannon tehokkuudella. Massaräätälöinti edellyttää laajamittaista tietojärjestelmien hyväksikäyttöä, niin räätälöityjen tuotteiden mallinnuksessa, tuotteistuksessa kuin ylläpidossakin. Diplomityössä käsittelen taustatekijöitä jotka ovat johtaneet massaräätälöinnin syntyyn ja yleistymiseen. Käsittelyssä ovat myös erilaiset tavat toteuttaa massaräätälöintiä ja tietojärjestelmät jota tukevat massaräätälöintiä. Diplomityön empiirisessä osassa tarkastellaan Nokia Networksin tapaa toteuttaa massaräätälöintiä sekä esitellään tärkeimmät tätä tukevat järjestelmät. Empiirisen osan painopiste on kuitenkin hyvin vahvasti keskittynyt yhteen tuoterakenteiden osaan, joka on aiheuttanut haasteita Nokia Networksin massaräätälöintikonseptille. Tämä tuoterakenteen osa on valjastettu moneen erilaiseen käyttöön, mikä aiheuttaa ongelmia tietojärjestelmissä ja prosesseissa joihin se on vaikuttamassa. Työn tarkoituksena on kartoittaa kaikki ne ongelmat joita tämä tuoterakenteen osa aiheuttaa sulavalle massaräätälöinnin toteuttamiselle, niin yleisesti kuin järjestelmä- ja prosessimielessäkin. Työ on tehty osana laajamittaista projektia. Projektin tarkoituksena on kehittää uusi ja joustavampi ratkaisu tuoterakenteisiin, mandollistaen asiakaskohtaisten räätälöityjen tuotteiden valmistamisen, niin että se sopii Nokia Networksin järjestelmä sekä prosessi ympäristöön.

Fish oil replacement by soybean oil in the diet of fat snook juveniles

The objective of this work was to evaluate fish oil replacement by soybean oil in diets, as for the effects on the performance and body composition of juveniles of fat snook (Centropomus parallelus). The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, with three treatments (lipid sources) and six replicates, in a 60-day period. Fat snook juveniles (24.17±0.28g) were distributed in 18 experimental tanks of 200 L each, equipped with aeration and heating systems, under continuous water renovation (800% per day). Three isoproteic (44% CP) and isoenergetic (4,635 kcal CE kg-1) diets were formulated to comprise three replacement rates (0, 50, and 100%) of fish oil by soybean oil. Biometric analyses were done to evaluate fish performance, and two entire specimens from each replicate were used for body composition analyses. The zootechnical indices of weight gain (38.68±5.41 g), feed conversion (1.38±0.10), and specific growth at 1.70±0.18% weight gain per day were considered satisfactory. Lipid source substitution does not affect the performance and body composition of fat snook juveniles, which suggests that soybean oil can replace fish oil in diet formulation.

Model for managing non-core ideas to new companies, products and services in a Finnish forest company

Suomalainen metsäteollisuus on muutoksen partaalla. Uutisissa on nähty miten metsäyrityksen sulkevat tehtaita ja paperikoneita. Suomalaisessa metsäteollisuudessa keskitytään tällä hetkellä lähinnä kulujen alentamiseen ja tuottavuuden parantamiseen. Edellytyssille, että suomalainen metsäteollisuus pysyy kilpailukykyisenä, ovat kuitenkinuudet innovaatiot ja toimialojen välinen yhteistyö. Työn tavoitteena oli luoda toimintamalli UPM-Kymmene Oyj:lle, minkä avulla ydinliiketoimintaan kuulumattomat tuote- ja palveluideat saataisiin hyödynnettyä. Aihe on erittäin ajankohtainen, mikäli halutaan pitää tuotanto jatkossakin Suomessa. Luotumalli painottaa pk-sektorin roolia ja potentiaalia kehittää UPM-Kymmeneltä peräisin olevia ja heidän ydinliiketointaan kuulumattomista tuote ja palveluideoistauusia yrityksiä, tuotteita ja palveluita. Malli edustaa uudenlaista ajattelutapaa ja sen käyttöönotto vaatii perinteisen yrityskulttuurin uudistamista UPM-Kymmenessä.

Low-fat dairy products and blood pressure: follow-up of 2290 older persons at high cardiovascular risk participating in the PREDIMED study

High blood pressure (BP) has been ranked as the most important risk factor worldwide regarding attributable deaths. Dietary habits are major determinants of BP. Among them, frequent intake of low-fat dairy products may protect against hypertension. Our aim was to assess the relationship between low-fat dairy product intake and BP levels and their changes after 12 month follow-up in a cohort of asymptomatic older persons at high cardiovascular risk recruited into a large-scale trial assessing the effects of Mediterranean diets on cardiovascular outcomes. Data from 2290 participants, including 1845 with hypertension, were available for analyses. Dairy products were not a specific part of the intervention; thus, data were analysed as an observational cohort. Dietary information was collected with validated semi-quantitative FFQ and trained personnel measured BP. To assess BP changes, we undertook cross-sectional analyses at baseline and at the end of follow-up and longitudinal analyses. A statistically significant inverse association between low-fat dairy product intake and systolic BP was observed for the 12-month longitudinal analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the adjusted systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the highest quintile of low-fat dairy product intake ( 2 4·2 (95% CI 2 6·9, 2 1·4) and 2 1·8 (95% CI 2 3·2, 2 0·4) mmHg respectively), whereas the point estimates for the difference in diastolic BP indicated a modest non-significant inverse association. Intake of low-fat dairy products was inversely associated with BP in an older population at high cardiovascular risk, suggesting a possible protective effect against hypertension.