Effect of storage on meat quality in uneviscerated turkeys held at 4°C

1. By comparison with birds examined 1 d after slaughter, those held uneviscerated at 4 °C for a further 7 d showed a statistically‐significant difference in flavour (P < 0·01) when examined by a trained taste panel and the difference increased progressively up to 24 d when the experiment ended.

2. Changes in the composition of the microflora in the small intestine and caecum were investigated because of previous evidence that meat flavour development may be influenced by the metabolic activities of intestinal organisms. The only marked effect of storage was a decline in the numbers of lactose‐positive coliform bacteria in the small intestine; there was no clear evidence of any microbial growth in the gut.

3. Although birds examined at day 8 by a sensory panel or by means of a tenderometer were slightly more tender than those tested at day 1, the differences were not statistically significant; nor were there any significant changes in texture during the remainder of the storage period. Possible reasons for the lack of any marked tenderisation are discussed.

     

Pyloric outflow obstruction secondary to sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis in a dog

A 6-year-old, male neutered mixed breed dog was presented emergently with a three-week history of hyporexia, vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss. Upon examination, the patient was dull, had generalised muscle atrophy, moderate abdominal pain and a mild amount of peritoneal effusion. A fluid-filled, distended, corrugated small bowel with marked gastroparesis and moderate peritoneal effusion was noted on abdominal ultrasonography. Endoscopy revealed hyperaemic and friable mucosa and a subjectively narrowed pylorus. Emergency exploratory celiotomy was performed due to worsening patient condition and revealed thick, diffuse, fibrous adhesions of the abdominal cavity. Based on these findings, sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) was suspected. A large mass of omentum adjacent to the greater curvature of the stomach had caused a pyloric outflow obstruction. Adhesiolysis was attempted but was unsuccessful due to the friability of the small intestines. The dog was humanely euthanased under anaesthesia. A diagnosis of SEP was confirmed via necropsy. No underlying cause was identified. This is the first known case of a pyloric outflow obstruction secondary to SEP in a dog. Although rare, this condition should be considered as a differential for dogs with signs of a pyloric outflow obstruction with concurrent ascites and abdominal pain, hyporexia, vomiting and diarrhoea.     

Formation of nanometer-scale grooves in silicon with a scanning tunneling microscope

Grooves a few nanometers wide can be formed on a Si(111) surface with a scanning tunneling microscope when the tip is above a critical voltage. This may provide a promising approach to nanodevice fabrication. The dependence of the critical voltage on tunneling current, tip polarity, and tip material was studied with silver, gold, platinum, and tungsten tips. The results are consistent with field emission of positive and negative silicon ions. The variation of critical voltage with current is explained quantitatively by a simple tunneling equation that includes the effect of the contact potential between tip and sample.     

Carboxy-terminal amino acids of gamma-A and gamma-M heavy chains

The carboxy-terminal amino acids of alpha-and micro-chains from human immunoglobulins and alpha-chains from mouse immunoglobulins have been determined by carboxypeptidase digestion and hydrazinolysis. The data suggest the following carboxy-terminal sequences: human micro: Ala-Gly-Thr-Cys-TyrCOOH; human alpha: Thr-Cys-TyrCOOH; murine alpha: (Ileu, Cys)-TyrCOOH.