Characteristics of formed Atlantic salmon jerky

Abstract: Smoked salmon (Salmo salar L.) processing may generate large amounts of small pieces of trimmed flesh that has little economic value. Opportunities exist to develop new added‐value foods from this by‐product. Brining was compared with dry salting for the production of formed salmon jerky‐style strips that were then smoked. The formulations also contained brown sugar and potato starch. Salted samples had higher salt concentrations and required less force to break using a TA‐XT2 Texture Analyzer. Brined samples contained more fat and were darker, redder and more yellow than the salted samples. Processing concentrated omega‐3 fatty acids compared with raw salmon, and the brined jerky had the highest omega‐3 fatty acid content. A panel of 57 consumers liked the appearance and aroma of both samples equally (approximately 6.7 for appearance and 6.3 for aroma on the 9‐point hedonic scale. Higher acceptability scores for taste, texture, and overall quality were given to the brined product (6.7 to 6.9 against 6.2 to 6.3). Practical Application: Salmon trim from smoking facilities can be utilized to produce a jerky that is a good source of omega‐3 fatty acids, simultaneously adding value and reducing the waste stream.     

Transit-time flow measurement for detection of early graft failure during myocardial revascularization

BACKGROUND: A low-flow situation in arterial and venous grafts has been associated with high rates of perioperative infarction and mortality. This study was designed to look at intraoperative graft flow and resistance in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Coronary artery bypass graft flow was measured in 46 patients. Transit-time flow was used for coronary flow measurements at rest as well as after maximal vasodilation with adenosine infusion. RESULTS: Forty-three of the 46 patients showed normal internal mammary artery graft flow (>20 mL/min); 3 patients had no or minimal graft flow. Redoing the graft anastomosis in these 3 patients resulted in normalization of graft flow. The mean flow increased significantly after correction from 0.5 +/- 0.7 mL/min to 15.7 +/- 9.6 mL/min (p < 0.02). Conversely, vascular resistance decreased significantly from 138 +/- 10 to 4.8 +/- 1.8 Ohmv (p < 0.0001), as did the pulsatility index (from 146.9 +/- 95.7 to 3.4 +/- 1.8; p < 0.001). After correction, coronary flow reserve was 2.5 +/- 1.1. CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of intraoperative flow and resistance as well as derived variables allow assessment of early graft function and thus help prevent graft failure and reduce perioperative infarction. Transit-time volume flow might be a simple tool for quality control in coronary bypass procedures.     

Annealing of Sintered Pb0.9175La0.055Zr0.975Ti0.025O3 in Air

Annealing of a sintered pellet of Pb_0.9175La_0.055Zr_0.975Ti_0.025O₃ in air without any precautions against PbO evaporation results in a core–shell microstructure with a solid PLZT core and a porous ZrO₂-rich shell.     

Glass-ionomer cements in restorative dentistry

This article reviews the current status and future prospects for glass-ionomer materials. These materials are of two chemical types: the older, self-hardening cements, which set by an acid-base neutralization reaction to give relatively brittle materials; and the newer, resin-modified cements, which set partly by polymerization and partly by neutralization. Compared with the self-hardening cements, the latter materials have improved esthetics, improved resistance to moisture, and greater toughness. Both types of glass-ionomer cement bond well to enamel and dentin and release a clinically useful amount of fluoride. They have been used in a variety of applications: as liners or bases, for luting of stainless steel crowns, for Class V restorations in permanent teeth, and for Class II and Class III restorations in primary teeth. The resin-modified glass-ionomers are particularly promising for these latter uses, although it is too early to be sure whether their long-term durability is sufficient. Self-hardening glass-ionomer materials are likely to retain specific niches of clinical application, including in their metal-reinforced and cermet-containing forms.     

125I-Tyr1]biphalin binding to opioid receptors of rat brain and NG108-15 cell membranes

Mono iodinated analogues of biphalin [(Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-NH-)2], both nonradioactive [I-Tyr1]biphalin and radioactive [125I-Tyr1]biphalin have been synthesized. The radioligand binding profiles of these compounds for two types of tissues, rat brain membranes, and NG108-15 cell membranes were identical to the parent biphalin. This is additional evidence for the hypothesis that biphalin behaves like a monomeric ligand and that only one intact tyrosine is necessary for high biological activity. The second tyrosine could be used for successful radioiodination which may greatly simplify biochemical and pharmacological studies of biphalin. The results of receptor binding studies show that the binding of both biphalin and [I-Tyr1]biphalin to the delta and mu opioid receptors are not independent. [125I-Tyr1]Biphalin binds to delta receptors as shown in NG108-15 cell membranes. Nevertheless, [125I]biphalin binding to delta receptors in rat brain membranes was hardly evident and mu receptor binding predominated or at least was much more readily detectable in this preparation.     

Matrilineal inheritance of complex I dysfunction in a multigenerational Parkinson's disease family

Recent data suggesting complex I dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) arises from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation does not conclusively answer whether the responsible genetic lesion is inherited (primary) or somatic (secondary). To address this question, we identified a family in which multiple members over three generations are affected with PD through exclusively maternal lines. Cytoplasmic hybrids (cybrids) were created for 15 family members over two generations by transferring each individual's mtDNA to mtDNA-depleted human neuroblastoma cells. Eight of the 15 cybrid lines contained mtDNA obtained from maternally descended family members and seven contained mtDNA from paternally descended family members. After 6 weeks of culture, cybrid cell lines were assayed for complex I activity and oxidative stress, and mitochondrial morphology was analyzed by electron microscopy. Compared with the cybrid lines containing mtDNA from paternal descendants, cybrid lines containing mtDNA from maternal descendants had lower complex I activity, increased reactive oxygen species production, increased radical scavenging enzyme activities, and more abnormal mitochondrial morphologic features. These findings were present in cybrid lines containing mtDNA from maternal descendants with PD as well as in currently asymptomatic young maternal descendants, and support a precedent for inherited mtDNA mutation in some persons with PD.     

Potential for non-shivering thermogenesis in perfused chicken (Gallus domesticus) muscle

The state of Oregon decided to cover all potentially eligible Medicaid citizens to 100% of poverty. Previously, Oregon had covered persons up to 67% of poverty. In order to keep overall program costs in check. Oregon decided to limit the number of services that its Medicaid program would cover. Oregon's normative choice was to contain program costs by covering all eligible persons up to 100% of poverty, while at the same time uniformly limiting access to certain services for everyone in the overall group of eligible persons. The state developed a prioritization list of medical services and priced the components on the list. The amount of money ultimately available for the Medicaid program was a political decision informed by data about the cost of different services and influenced by the priorities set through an independent process of priority-setting. Physicians were asked to determine what works medically, how well it works, and what benefits accrue to patients. Recognizing that physician perspectives on efficacy might vary from patients' perspectives on valuation of benefits, Oregon's planners developed a method for valuing medical outcomes that stemmed from particular medical interventions. This blend of medical fact and value to patients allowed for comparing valuations by introducing cost considerations. Condition-treatment (CT) pairs linked a medical condition with one or more courses of treatment. The goal was to determine the likely incremental medical benefit from a given treatment. In addition, Oregon developed a Quality-of-Well-Being scale to determine the net patient benefit from medical intervention and used a telephone survey to value that net benefit. A cost-benefit ratio was derived, and a prioritization of CT pairs was developed. The article analyzes and evaluates Oregon's use of cost-benefit calculations in the allocation of Medicaid funds, noting that Oregon itself backed away from many of the implications of its cost-benefit analysis and that the Americans with Disabilities Act has constrained use of quality-of-life judgments in Medicaid resource allocation decision-making.