Modeling and Simulation of Food Products in Superchilling Technology

The food superchilling process is of increasing importance because of its benefit in achieving food quality and extending shelf life of food products. The rate of the superchilling process is critical to the products’ quality and to the productivity of the process, and therefore the superchilling dynamics are of extreme importance. The objective of this work was to develop a one-dimensional implicit finite difference numerical model for predicting partial freezing time necessary to achieve an optimal degree of superchilling in foods and to validate the model experimentally. The evaluation of degree of superchilling was determined using finite slab and measured by using a calorimetry method. There is a good level of agreement between numerical simulation and laboratory experimental results.     

Resistance of aquaculture net cage materials to biting by Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

Cod bite on aquaculture net cages has resulted in damages like frayed netting and holes, which in part can explain why cultured cod have escaped more frequently than salmon over the last years. We describe damages found on various netting materials subjected to cod bite through field experiments at commercial cod farms. Further, a method to test local cod bite resistance of traditional netting structures is suggested and initial results from a test jig prototype are given. Results from field experiments indicated that cod may have been attracted by types of netting that made it possible to draw filaments out of the twine, while stiff, coated netting structures and thick filaments showed no sign of bite damage during the test period. We concluded that netting materials for cod aquaculture must be resistant to cod bite or be repellent or uninteresting for cod. Based on the present findings, the better choice among the traditional netting materials seemed to be hard-laid netting materials, preferably with a primer that glues the filaments together.     

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of flumequine and oxolinic acid after various routes of administration to Atlantic salmon in seawater

The present preclinical study was performed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of flumequine in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in seawater after administration of different doses and dosage formulations. Flumequine was administered intravenously (dose 4.9 mg/kg fish) and orally from the drug delivery system Aqualets as Apoquin 5 g/kg (dose 25 mg/kg) and 10 g/kg (dose 50 mg/kg), respectively. Experiments were carried out with oxolinic acid administered in the same way for the purpose of comparing the two compounds. The seawater temperature was 5±0.2°C in all experiments.

The pharmacokinetic calculations showed that the distribution half-life for flumequine was and for oxolinic acid . The drugs were absorbed rapidly, and flumequine reached a plasma concentration of C_max = 2.26 μg/ml after a single oral dose of 25 mg/kg, whereas oxolinic acid reached C_max = 0.99 μg/ml. The apparent bioavailability of flumequine was found to be 40–45%, whereas the apparent bioavailability of oxolinic acid varied from 25% at a dose of 50 mg to 40% at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight of fish. The distribution profile of flumequine in the various compartment of fish appeared to be different from that of oxolinic acid. After a single oral dose (25 mg/kg) the areas under the concentration-time curves showed that flumequine was 2.3 times more concentrated in plasma and 2.6 times more concentrated in liver compared to oxolinic acid. In muscle the difference was less pronounced, flumequine being 1.4 times more concentrated than oxolinic acid.     

A mycobacterial coinfection in a dog suspected on blood smear

A 4‐year‐old neutered female crossbred Shepherd was referred for a history of 10 days of anorexia, polyuria, polydipsia, polyadenomegaly, and diarrhea. On physical examination, the dog appeared quiet, responsive, and apyretic, with generalized and severe lymphadenomegaly. Hematologic abnormalities included neutrophilic leukocytosis with left shift, and lymphopenia. Blood smears revealed intracytoplasmic bacilli negatively stained with May–Grünwald–Giemsa in neutrophils and monocytes. Lymph node smears revealed pyogranulomatous adenitis with calcified deposits and many negative‐staining rod structures, both within the cytoplasm of neutrophils and macrophages, and free in the background. An acid‐fast stain (Ziehl–Neelsen) confirmed the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection. The dog was euthanized for public health and ethical reasons, and the postmortem examination revealed severe and generalized granulomatous and necrotizing lymphadenitis, panniculitis, and hepatitis, and infiltration of epithelioid macrophages in the lungs, colon, and spleen. Numerous acid‐fast bacilli, consistent with mycobacterial infection, were observed both in the cytoplasm of epithelioid macrophages and giant cells, and free in the background. Mycobacterium bovis was first confirmed by conventional PCR of organ extracts. Mycobacterium avium was detected in a culture of the same organs. Further PCR amplifications and sequencing revealed a coinfection with 2 different species of mycobacterium, one belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex and the other to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.     

Ecology, history and silviculture of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in western Norway - a literature review

Results from a literature review on pinewood ecology, silviculture,genetics, aspects of history and forest resources of Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.) in western Norway are presented. The pinewoodscover 40 per cent of the forested land, 0.31 million ha. Duringthe last 75 years, the area has increased by 17 per cent andthe growing stock has risen from 10 to 34 million m³. The impactof man in previous times was very marked, and has had a significantinfluence on the present forest conditions. The pronounced climaticgradients mixed with the topographic variation – fromthe coastal plains via the fjord systems to the high mountains– is reflected in rather steep gradients in the pine forestvegetation. Various floristic elements can be distinguished,from oceanic via the suboceanic in the outer islands to thethermophytic, boreonemoral and boreal elements in the innerfjord districts and valleys. The introduction of spruce (Piceaspp.) plantations on 10–15 per cent of former native pineforests has not negatively affected the bird fauna at the landscapescale. Although not particular species rich, the pine forestsharbour species usually not found in other forest types. Sofar, most work in the field of silviculture and forest ecologyin the pinewoods of West Norway has been in the form of casestudies. Implications of the results for forestry in the regionare briefly discussed.     

Life history plasticity: migration ceased in response to environmental change?

Fish often migrate between habitats, and by that, fitness is improved. We estimated population parameters and studied possible migration of brown trout Salmo trutta between a Norwegian river and a tributary under two different regulated water flow regimes. In the 1970s, the main stem had high winter flows and reduced summer flows. Since 1981, the river has reduced minimum flow regime: 2.5 m³·s^?1 in winter and 6 m³·s^?1 in summer; the tributary has a natural flow regime. The growth of trout in the main stem was reduced from 1975 to 2013, with significantly lower mean lengths in all age groups. In the tributary, a similar reduction was observed in juvenile fish (age‐0 and age‐1). Mean length (mm) was unchanged in ≥age‐2 fish, while body length variation among fish ≥age‐4 was greatly reduced. The condition factor (Fulton's K) declined in both main stem and tributary. While it appears that sexual maturation was delayed in the tributary, the difference was not significant. In the 1970s, juveniles from the tributary migrated into the main stem to feed and grow, before returning to the tributary to spawn. PIT tagging of fish in the tributary in 2012 and subsequent surveys for recapture (in 2012 and 2013) indicated residency among fish in the tributary and no migration into the main stem. Thus, the migratory behaviour appears adaptive, and reduced habitat quality in terms of food and shelter due to reduced flow appears to have removed the growth benefit previously associated with the migration.     

New organizational forms within the aquaculture industry: The fish‐farming enterprise as a ‘virtual’ organization

Abstract

The international aquaculture industry is characterized by a global integration process with increasing competition across borders and continents. The rapid development of technology, the extended market rivalry due to new firm entries, and the elevation of quality standards in the international seafood market place a heavy strain on the strategy development process of aquaculture enterprises. In this article, we focus on the ties between strategic positioning in the market and the organizational configuration of the firm. The virtual organization is introduced as an organizational form for a dynamic fish‐farming enterprise. A virtual organization is characterized by flexible borders, emphasis on external cooperative relations and networks instead of ownership integration, and norm‐based relational contracts as focal governance mechanism. The results from an in‐depth, longitudinal study of a Norwegian fish farming enterprise are presented.     

Genetic variation and covariation in voluntary feed intake in pig selection programmes

Literature on the genetic variation in Voluntary Feed Intake (VFI) and traits related to VFI under ad lib. and restricted feeding has been reviewed. Also differences between breeds and selection lines are reviewed and discussed.Heritability estimates of VFI show average values of 0.12–0.59, with larger variation on real ad lib. feeding compared to “to appetite” feeding twice a day. It is also concluded that the genetic correlation between feed intake and gain is higher under ad lib. feeding than under restricted feeding, and that genetic correlation between daily gain and feed/gain decreases from about ?0.9 under restricted feeding to about ?0.6 under ad lib. feeding.Results from a Norwegian selection experiment indicate that there is no correlated response in daily feed intake (feeding “to appetite”) when selecting on backfat and daily gain, while other selection experiments, where feed conversion ratio has been the major component of the selection index, show reduced appetite.The present paper discusses the danger of reduced appetite in selection programmes that maximize short-term economic gain, and the importance of selection objectives and feeding regime on the genetic correlations between VFI and other production traits. A comparison is also made between population parameters of Norwegian and Danish Landrace pigs.     

Genetic diversity and associated pathology of Pasteurella multocida isolated from porcine pneumonia

Pasteurella multocida is a widespread respiratory pathogen in pigs associated with atrophic rhinitis and contributing to aggravation of the pulmonary lesions. The aims of the present study were to characterize isolates of P. multocida from porcine bronchopneumonia by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), PCR based capsular typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and to compare clonal complexes outlined with the type of histological lung lesions to investigate if a correlation between clonal lineages and lesions might exist. Isolates of P. multocida were obtained from cases of cranioventrally located porcine bronchopneumonia. All lung lesions were described and classified according to histological lesions. A total of 139 isolates, from lung (n=111), pericardial sac (n=21) and kidney (n=7) of 111 pigs were described using PFGE with ApaI as the restriction enzyme. Furthermore, 20 and 29 isolates were characterized by capsular serotyping and multilocus sequence typing, respectively. PFGE demonstrated 15 different clusters showing 50% or more similarity. All selected isolates were of capsular serotype A and only three main sequence types (ST) were detected among the isolates. Associations were not found between histopathology and clonal complexes of P. multocida. In conclusion, PFGE demonstrated a high diversity of genotypes of P. multocida associated with porcine bronchopneumonia. However, isolates obtained mainly belonged to few STs, indicating that isolates of P. multocida associated with porcine bronchopneumonia originates from a limited number of clonal lineages and therefore might have adapted to porcine hosts. No correlation was demonstrated between genotypes and types of lesions, and extra-pulmonary spreading was only rarely demonstrated.     

Clonality of Enterococcus faecalis associated with amyloid arthropathy in chickens evaluated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clonality of 21 strains of Enterococcus faecalis associated with arthritis and amyloid arthropathy by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The strains originated from five countries. Fifteen of the 21 strains demonstrated the same sequence type, ST82, including a reference amyloid arthropathy strain from the Netherlands. Some of the demonstrated sequence types (ST36, ST59 and ST82) have also been described from human clinical samples while other types are reported for the first time. The results confirm previous observations that outbreaks of amyloid arthropathy seem to be clonally related and indicate a wide distribution of the predominant sequence type which was demonstrated in four countries in Europe and in the USA.