Fat extraction from acid- and base-hydrolyzed food samples using accelerated solvent extraction

This paper describes a new in-cell method for pursuing accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) prior to lipid analysis from food samples. It is difficult to pursue direct ASE with acid- or base-hydrolyzed samples due to the corrosive nature of the reagents and material limitations. In this study ion exchange based materials were used to remove acid or base reagents in-cell without compromising the recovery of lipids. The performance data are presented here for the new methods for lipid extraction for a variety of food samples and compared to the Mojonnier method. NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRM-1546 and SRM-1849) were used to validate the ASE methods. Excellent fat recoveries were obtained for the ASE methods. The new methods presented here enhance the utility of ASE and eliminate labor intensive protocols.     

Quantifying the contribution of dissolved organic matter to soil nitrogen cycling using N isotopic pool dilution

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been recognised as a key carbon and nitrogen (N) pool involved with soil-plant-microbe interactions. Yet few studies have quantified this contribution in agricultural soils. In this study we leached DOM from a sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil under either grassland or arable cropping. Two weeks after DOM removal microbial respiration from soils was not altered. However, a significant (P<0.05) decline in microbial biomass-N, potentially mineralizable-N, gross N mineralization and gross nitrification occurred after leaching. This data illustrate that whilst DOM is a small component of the soil OM it contributed up to 25% of microbial N supply within these agricultural soils.     

Texas entry-year agriculture teachers' perceptions, practices, and preparation regarding safety and health in agricultural education

The purpose of this study was to gather benchmark data for the assessment of the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding agricultural safety issues and curricula held by Texas agricultural teachers with less than two full years of teaching experience (entry-year teachers). Seventy-four of 118 well-distributed teachers responded to this survey. Researchers concluded that more females were entering a traditionally male-dominated field. Overall, teachers addressed safety within units of instruction rather than as separate units. The most useful forms of new teaching resources that this group of teachers would like to see produced were safety videos and study guides, and class demonstration/simulation activities. There was a significant difference in rankings between teachers less than 26 years old and teachers more than 26 years old regarding the usefulness of transparencies as a new teaching resource (F = 5.00, p = 0.0268). Few teachers were currently CPR and first aid certified, even though most had received training and completed a general safety and/or health related course while in college. Teachers generally agreed philosophically with most practices and exhibited personal beliefs consistent with proper safety preparedness and practice in agricultural settings. However, many of these teachers failed to practice what was expected of safe tractor operators, such as wearing safety belts and allowing younger drivers to operate the equipment.     

A study of helminth parasites in culled cows from Ireland

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal nematode, lungworm and liver fluke infection in culled cows in Ireland. Abomasa, colorectal contents and livers were collected from 30 to 68 culled beef and dairy cows during autumn 2002 and summer 2003, respectively. Ostertagia ostertagi were found in the abomasa of only three (10%) cows sampled in autumn and in 38 (57%) cows examined in summer. The majority of positive animals had low burdens of O. ostertagi but a few individuals in the group sampled during the summer had a moderate infection (5000-10,000 adult worms). A proportion of the cows in the summer group were also co-infected with small numbers of Trichostrongylus axei. Cooperia oncophora predominated in the recoveries from the larval cultures although O. ostertagi were also recovered. The overall prevalence of Dictyocaulus viviparus was 14%, based on larval identification in faecal samples. Liver fluke, or varying degrees of pathology attributable to Fasciola hepatica, were present in 65% of the livers. The results of this study extend those of previous workers, which were largely limited to dairy cows alone and which focussed on gastrointestinal nematodes and did not include simultaneous infections with lungworm and liver fluke. It was concluded, from the level of polyparasitism evident in this study, that adult cattle should be considered in preventative approaches to bovine helminthosis.     

Effects of season, maturity, and sex on lipid class dynamics in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede)

Abstract Factors that can influence changes in lipid class concentrations in specific tissues have not been reported for largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. We investigated patterns of lipid composition by measuring seasonal levels of total lipid and major lipid classes in the muscle and liver tissues of juvenile and adult largemouth bass and gonad tissue of adults. Fish were collected in December, February, April and July to correspond with key stages of the sexual cycle. Total lipid concentrations were substantially greater in hepatic (32.8 [female] to 56.6 [male] mg. g^?1) and gonadal tissues (34.4 [F] to 204.0 [M] mg. g^?1) than in muscle (7. 5 [F] to 11.4 [M] mg. g^?1). Muscle lipid concentrations in juveniles were significantly higher (10.9 [F] and 11.4 [M] mg. g^?1) in summer than in winter in adult muscle tissue (8.6 [F] and 9.4 [MI mg. g^?1). A 44% increase in ovary lipid was observed from preparatory to prespawn stages, followed by a 78% decline after the spawn. Additionally, seasonal hepatic lipid concentrations were substantially higher in juveniles. Concentrations of lipid classes (free cholesterol [C], triacylglycerol [TAG], free-fatty acids [FFA], esterified cholesterol [CE] and phospholipid [PL]) of all tissue types varied significantly among season, sex, and maturity categories. Changes with all lipid classes in the ovary coincided with those occurring in total ovarian lipid. Mobilization and transport of TAG and PL from the liver to the ovary appeared to occur during gametogenesis. All class concentrations in juveniles were invariably higher in liver than in muscle, but seasonally variable among hepatic and gonad tissues of adults. Juvenile males showed slightly greater hepatic C concentrations than other groups. Muscle and hepatic C were generally higher in juveniles.