Contamination of Salmonella spp. in a pig finishing herd, from the arrival of the animals to the slaughterhouse

The aim of the present study was to investigate the contamination sources and the transmission of Salmonella within a pig finishing herd in Italy. Nine sets of samples were collected during the fattening period from cleaned and disinfected pens, animals at different ages (4 days after arrival, 90, 150, 170 and 240 days of age) and at slaughter. Salmonella was isolated from cleaned pens, individual faecal samples, the truck used to transport the pigs to the abattoir and after slaughter (cecal contents, mesenteric lymph nodes and carcasses). Several serovars were isolated: Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella derby on farm; Salmonella bovismorbificans, Salmonella bredeney, Salmonella blockley, Salmonella hadar and Salmonella corvallis from the truck; S. derby, S. hadar, S. bredeney, S. bovismorbificans and Salmonella infantis at slaughter. Antibiotic resistance of the strains was tested and PFGE was carried out to investigate the on-farm epidemiology of Salmonella. The results showed that the environmental contamination may have represented a major source of infection for the pigs both on farm and during transport to the abattoir.     

Magma ascent and the pressurization of Mount Etna's volcanic system

After a period of deflation during the 1991-1993 flank eruption, Mount Etna underwent a rapid inflation. Seismicity and ground deformation show that since 1994, a huge volume of magma intruded beneath the volcano, producing from 1998 onward a series of eruptions at the summit and on the flank of the volcano. The last of these, started on 27 October 2002, is still in progress and can be considered one of the most explosive eruptions of the volcano in recent times. Here we show how geodetic data and seismic deformation, between 1994 and 2001, indicate a radial compression around an axial intrusion, consistent with a repressurization of Mount Etna's plumbing system at a depth of 6 to 15 kilometers, which triggered most of the seismicity and provoked the dilatation of the volcano and the recent explosive eruptive activity.     

PAMELA measurements of cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra

Protons and helium nuclei are the most abundant components of the cosmic radiation. Precise measurements of their fluxes are needed to understand the acceleration and subsequent propagation of cosmic rays in our Galaxy. We report precision measurements of the proton and helium spectra in the rigidity range 1 gigavolt to 1.2 teravolts performed by the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA (payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics). We find that the spectral shapes of these two species are different and cannot be described well by a single power law. These data challenge the current paradigm of cosmic-ray acceleration in supernova remnants followed by diffusive propagation in the Galaxy. More complex processes of acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays are required to explain the spectral structures observed in our data.     

Prediction of chemical composition and peroxide value in unground pet foods by near‐infrared spectroscopy

The massive development of the pet food industry in recent years has lead to the formulation of hundreds of canine and feline complete extruded foods with the objective of meeting both the needs of the animals and numerous demands from pet owners. In the meantime, highly variable raw material compositions and the industry's new production techniques oblige manufacturers to monitor all phases of the extrusion process closely in order to ensure the targeted composition and quality of the products. This study aimed at evaluating the potential of infrared technology (visible and near‐infrared spectrophotometer; 570–1842 nm) in predicting the chemical composition and peroxide value (PV) of unground commercial extruded dog foods. Six hundred and forty‐nine commercial extruded dog foods were collected. For each product, an unground aliquot was analysed by infrared instrument while a second aliquot was sent to a laboratory for proximate analysis and PV quantification. The wide range of extruded dog food typologies included in the study was responsible for the wide variability observed within each nutritional trait, especially crude fibre and ash. The mean value of the 208 pet foods sampled for PV quantification was 17.49 mEq O₂/kg fat (min 2.2 and max 94.10 mEq O₂/kg fat). The coefficients of determination in cross‐validation of NIRS prediction models were 0.77, 0.97, 0.83, 0.86, 0.78 and 0.94 for moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash and nitrogen‐free extract (NFE) respectively. PV prediction was less precise, as demonstrated by the coefficient of determination in cross‐validation (0.66). The results demonstrated the potential of NIRS in predicting chemical composition in unground samples, with lower accuracy for moisture and ash, while PV prediction models suggest use for screening purposes only.     

Energy saving effect analysis of water system renovation in a coking plant

A coking plant extended many times, and its capacity of the cooling water system is not match with it, the consumption of new water is much more than that used by others in the same industry. The water system renovation is addressed for an extended coking plant. The installation of two 600 m3/h cooling towers and restoration the existing two cooling towers are to promote the cooling capacity so that the amount of discharge and feed could be reduced. At the same time, the pipe net for waste water reutilisation is installed, by which part of the waste water is reused as supplement water for quenching hot coke and the other was piped to ironworks for reuse. With the field test, the water consumption per ton of coke production is cut down from 9.03 m3 to 3.21 m3. And the annual water saving is more than 6×106 m3. Furthermore, the electric consumption is reduced by 2×106 kWh and about 3×106 yuan of annual running cost is saved.     

佛香茶香气成分的研究

 佛香茶是云南名茶,具有香高持久、带板栗香的香型特点。用GC／MS法分析了佛香茶的香气组成,共鉴定出30种香气成分。其主要成分如下:芳樟醇、α-松油醇、香叶醇、橙花醇、橙花叔醇、α-[HT6”,5”SS]律[HT5”]草烯、氧化长叶松烯、氧化石竹烯、丁酸-4-已烯酯、四甲基-十六碳-2-烯-Ⅰ-醇。     

Two-dimensional nanosheets produced by liquid exfoliation of layered materials

If they could be easily exfoliated, layered materials would become a diverse source of two-dimensional crystals whose properties would be useful in applications ranging from electronics to energy storage. We show that layered compounds such as MoS(2), WS(2), MoSe(2), MoTe(2), TaSe(2), NbSe(2), NiTe(2), BN, and Bi(2)Te(3) can be efficiently dispersed in common solvents and can be deposited as individual flakes or formed into films. Electron microscopy strongly suggests that the material is exfoliated into individual layers. By blending this material with suspensions of other nanomaterials or polymer solutions, we can prepare hybrid dispersions or composites, which can be cast into films. We show that WS(2) and MoS(2) effectively reinforce polymers, whereas WS(2)/carbon nanotube hybrid films have high conductivity, leading to promising thermoelectric properties.     

Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for heartwater using monoclonal antibodies to a Cowdria ruminantium-specific 32-kilodalton protein

Hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to Cowdria ruminantium were raised. Four mAbs of the IgG isotype reacted in western blots with a 32-kilodalton Cowdria protein (Cr32), which had previously been shown to be conserved and immunodominant. A fifth mAb of the IgM isotype recognized a 40-kDa Cowdria protein. The latter mAb was negative in an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA), whereas the other four were positive. mAb No. 4F10B4 showed the strongest signal in western blots using three different stocks of Cowdria. Immuno-gold labeling of Cowdria organisms in vitro using 4F10B4 showed that Cr32 has surface-exposed antigenic determinants. Using mAb 4F10B4, a competitive ELISA was developed which detected specific Cowdria antibodies in goat, sheep and cattle sera. Antibodies in animal sera competed with binding of mAb 4F10B4 to a crude sonicated Cowdria antigen obtained from infected endothelial cell cultures. The competition ELISA (CELISA) detected antibodies in 55 out of 70 (79%) goats experimentally infected with one of eight different Cowdria stocks. Fourteen out of the 15 sera which were shown negative in the CELISA were also negative in the IFA. Nevertheless, all 15 sera recognized some epitopes of the immunodominant Cowdria-specific 32 kDa protein as judged from their reaction with this protein in western blots. Overall, there was 89% agreement between CELISA and IFA considering all 70 goat sera. Moreover, antibodies were detected in nine out of nine sheep infected with one of three different stocks of Cowdria and in sera from calves experimentally infected by two different strains of heartwater. There were no cross-reactions with Ehrlichia phagocytophila antibodies in goat sera, nor with Anaplasma marginale antibodies in bovine sera. Lack of cross-reactivity and detection of antibodies to eight geographically widely distributed stocks of Cowdria, makes the competition ELISA a promising test for use in heartwater endemic areas.     

The T'OLCHE', a Maya system of communally managed forest belts: the causes and consequences of its disappearance

The T'OLCHE' is a protected forest belt about 10–20 m wide that runs through the Mayan landscape on the limits of the maize fields of the farmers. This study explores its traditional use and management and traces how it has changed in the last 30 years in the study village in Yucatán, Mexico. A major change is in its extent; little remains of the 10–20% of the area it occupied in the past. Two of the causes of this are identified as being a credit programme of the local bank and 1973 state legislation concerning cattle. The causes and consequences of this decline are discussed in relation with other farmer-perceived changes in overall landuse, including a fall in maize yields. The ecological roles of the T'OLCHE' are examined. It is argued that the T'OLCHE' plays an essential role in the regeneration of the fallow vegetation and in the maintenance of biological diversity. The case of the T'OLCHE' suggests the need for a diversified and politicized look on Common Property Resource Management.     

酰胺化果胶的亚氯酸钠脱色技术研究

对酰胺化果胶的亚氯酸钠脱色技术进行研究。试验表明,影响亚氯酸钠对酰胺化脱色效果的主要因素有酒精体系的pH值,亚氯酸钠的质量分数以及酒精体积分数等;同时对脱色完成后的清洗工艺进行研究。通过优化过程中的各个参数,可以在保证酰胺化果胶质量的前提下有效改善脱色效果,为工业化生产奠定良好的基础。