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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of curing ingredients (salt, sugar, nitrate and nitrite) and nisin as preservative on the storage stability of a traditional smoked pork product of Mizoram known as Vawksa rep, under different packaging conditions.

Meat cuts (preferably ham) were cut into small pieces of uniform size and allotted to four different treatment groups, namely, T₁ (Traditional Vawksa rep + Aerobic packaging); T₂ (Traditional Vawksa rep + Vacuum packaging); T₃ (Modified Vawksa rep + Aerobic packaging) and T₄ (Modified Vawksa rep + Vacuum packaging). Vawksa rep is traditionally produced by light smoking of pork chunks. Modification was carried out by applying curing prior to smoking and applying nisin to the pork chunks after smoking and before packaging. The products were compared on the basis of physicochemical, microbiological, proximate composition and sensory qualities at five days interval under refrigerated (4 ± 1°C) conditions.

Among the treatments, pH was recorded significantly lower for T₄ as compared to other treatments with the advancement of the storage periods. The mean tyrosine value and thio-barbituric acid number of all the treatment show increasing trend with the advancement of the storage period. T₄ had better microbiological quality than other treatments, with lower aerobic plate count, Coliform count and Yeast and Mould count. Aerobic plate count was found to differ significantly (p < 0.05) throughout the period of storage. Coliform and Yeast and Mould counts were not detected in T₃ and T₄ on entire storage period. The sensory evaluation revealed highest scores for appearance, flavour, texture, juiciness and overall acceptability for T₄ than other treatments.

The manuscript has stated that combination of curing ingredients and nisin improved all the attributes (physicochemical, microbiological and sensory) and also ensured a longer shelf-life of the product.

This paper aims to verify the effect of 12 weeks of grape juice (GJ) consumption associated with aerobic exercise on the variation of the hypertensive elderly pressure.

A total of 45 hypertensive elderly of both sexes were distributed into: control group (CG, n = 10), exercise group (EG, n = 10), juice group (JG, n = 12) and juice and exercise group (JEG, n = 13). Blood pressure and heart rate were checked weekly before exercise in JG and JEG, and before and after intervention in all groups, with JG and JEG supplemented with 200 mL of GJ. Three weekly sessions of moderate walking were applied.

There was a reduction in EG, JG and JEG for systolic pressure and diastolic only for JG and JEG. The GJ consumption to the practice of aerobic exercise provided reductions in the arterial pressure of hypertensive, in addition to stabilization of the diastolic pressure.

Although the objective of the study was to compare the effect and value of intervention with controls, the study had no intervention in food consumption, which could have led to more significant results. There was a limitation in the control drink, leading the study not to be blind, which may have impaired the results. However, it is probably not a bias, as the groups were divided by residence area, and therefore, had no direct contact with the other groups. Another limitation was that the sample size was still small, which would lead to more reliable results. Finally, although the existing limitations cannot be disregarded, the results of this research are very promising, especially when the objective is the effect of GJ and aerobic exercise on blood pressure, with the possibility of implementing supplemental GJ and the inclusion or not of exercise to the hypertensive elderly.

The paper deals with the benefits of GJ consumption associated with aerobic physical exercise on the blood pressure of elderly hypertensive patients. Considering that GJ along with physical exercise was enough to reduce the blood pressure of hypertensive elderly, this may be a new model to be used to reduce and/or control blood pressure, and GJ and the exercise to be part of the daily life of the population.

The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of indicator microorganisms [Staphylococcus aureus, non-S. aureus staphylococci (NSAS), coliforms and aerobic bacteria] for contamination of chicken carcasses, carcass drip and rinse water from the informal chicken market in Gauteng, South Africa.

Chicken swabs, chicken drips and rinse waters were collected from 151 chickens from 47 random outlets. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to capture the risk factors for bacterial contamination. Standard microbiological procedures were conducted for isolation and enumeration of target bacteria.

NSAS (64% and 41%) and S. aureus (12% and 31%) were prevalent on carcasses and in carcass drip respectively. Coliforms (62%) and aerobic bacteria (85%) were detected in rinse water. Significant risk factors for contamination of carcasses with NSAS, S. aureus and coliform organisms were: evisceration of chickens on the same location used for sale, cleaning of display counter with dirty clothes/wipes, holding of differently sourced chickens in the same cage prior to slaughter, not cleaning the display table/counter and hands at all, washing knives in rinse water, high turnover of daily slaughter and length of time to display chickens.

The limitations of this research were the limited geographical coverage and small sample size.

The isolation of these indicator microorganisms suggests the potential presence of other chicken-borne pathogens not tested for in the study.

The findings serve to inform policy on public health and street-vended food and can guide control on good sanitary practices.

This is the first comprehensive report on ready to eat chickens from the informal markets in Gauteng, South Africa.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of aerobic packaging on storage quality of functional restructured spent hen meat slices (FRSHMS) at refrigerated temperature (4 ± 1°C).

FRSHMS were prepared by replacing the lean meat with different binders and extenders in pre-standardized restructured spent hen meat slices formulation. The slices of control and FRSHMS were aerobically packaged in LDPE and analyzed for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory quality.

The pH of FRSHMS was significantly higher (p = 0.03) than control on 0 and 7th day. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of both control and FRSHMS increased significantly on 21st day of storage as compared to 0 day. TBA value of FRSHMS was significantly lower (p = 0.04) as compared to that of control on 21st day. Psychrophils were detected on 14th day of storage and thereafter increased significantly (p = 0.00) in both control and FRSHMS. Coliforms were detected only on 21st day of storage in both control and FRSHMS. The sensory attributes of control, and FRSHMS were affected from 14th day onwards, but the products remained quite acceptable with sensory rating between good to very good up to 21 days during refrigerated storage.

The trials can be further carried in modified atmospheric packaging to evaluate storage stability of developed restructured spent hen meat slices.

The paper has demonstrated that the FRSHMS could be stored safely in aerobic packaging for 21 days at refrigeration temperature.

Presents the findings of a study conducted to examine the efficiency of the combined anaerobic‐aerobic reactors for the treatment of three different tannery industrial wastewaters, focusing on the fate of chromium and other associated metals. Examines elimination rates of such metals with respect to each successive treatment process. Discusses the correlation between the chemical characteristics of the wastewater influent and effluent along with the level of heavy metals in such wastewater and the produced sludge. Confirms that the use of such sludge in agriculture should be restricted and recommends the recovery of Cr from the tanning sludge.

To achieve new emission standards and enhance the denitrification of the oxidation ditch in the Handan West Sewage Treatment Plant, this research used the ASM Bio-P model based on self-made simulation software to study the optimum operation of the denitrification efficiency. The results indicate that:1) the volume of the aerobic zone was increased and the volume ratio between aerobic and anoxic zones was controlled to approximately 3:1; 2) the concentration of the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the aerobic zone was increased and was controlled at 1 mg/L in summer and 3 mg/L in winter; 3) the proper sludge retention time (SRT) was controlled and was maintained at 15 d in summer and 20 d in winter; and 4) the appropriate reflux ratio was controlled to 100% and 50% for summer and winter, respectively. The COD, TN, NH₃-N and TP in the effluent reached the first (B) standard of the Discharge Standard of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (GB18918-2002).

The Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois designed a fitness training programme which allowed the participants to choose the intensity and mode of their exercise. Between June 1993 and March 1995, the incoming recruits’ fitness level was assessed before and after the training programme in order to measure the improvement induced by the training and to compare the recruits’ fitness level to the general population. The recruits significantly improved their flexibility (19.10 vs 15.13 degrees) and abdominal strength (4.91 vs 4.98 Lovett score). The male recruits improved their aerobic capacity (recovery heart rate: 86.27 vs 81.32 bpm) and the female recruits improved their back strength (4.86 vs 4.97 Lovett score). No significant changes were observed for grip strength (54.62 vs 54.21 kg), relative body fat (19.5 vs 18.5 per cent body fat), blood pressure (diastolic: 77.99 vs 77.52 mm Hg; systolic: 125.47 vs 125.10 mm Hg), and resting heart rate (74.89 vs 74.23 bpm). Compared to population norms, the majority of the recruits were within the normal range for blood pressure, resting heart rate, abdominal and back muscle strength. A large proportion of the recruits had good flexibility, average grip strength, and fair to excellent per cent body fat. Still, 33.4 per cent of the males and 25 per cent of the females were low to very low in aerobic capacity. As a result, the fitness programme has been modified in order to further improve recruits’ fitness.

The purpose of this paper is to minimize environmental problems related to raw poultry manure application by stabilizing its nutrient and organic matter (OM) content. This can be achieved by prior digestion before its application to agricultural soils.

In the present study, changes in physicochemical and microbial properties of poultry litter were studied in order to evaluate the suitability of using the digested (stabilized) product for soil amendment. The poultry litter was digested in autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestor (ATAD) where organic solids were degraded and the heat released during the microbial degradation was used to maintain the thermophilic temperatures ( < 50ºC) at a hydraulic retention time of about 3 d.

Results of this study showed that the poultry litter undergoes physicochemical and microbial changes similar to other digestion systems; these changes include self-heating, relative increase in Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, P, K and NO₃-N and decrease in microbial population numbers, C, OM and NH₄-N contents.

ATAD is an effective method for the conversion of poultry litter into organic fertilizer, which can be readily applied to the agriculture land. ATAD is an eco-friendly, cost effective method which also reduces the length of stabilization.

The aim of this paper is to study the microbiological profile of the ackee fruit during maturation.

Ackees at ripening stage five, mature but unopened, were allowed to ripen naturally on the trees or on ripening racks used in commercial processing. The microbiological profile of fruits from this stage to that where they had ripened to the point just prior to decay (stage ten) were assessed. Aerobic and anaerobic mesophilic and thermophilic sporeformers and vegetative cells, total coliforms, E. coli, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds at each stage were determined using standard methods.

The number of microorganisms on the tree‐ripened fruits was higher than those ripened on racks. Mesophilic aerobic and anaerobic spore‐forming organisms were present in greater numbers than thermophiles at all stages of maturity. Coliforms, excluding E. coli, were found on the tree‐ripened ackees particularly in the latter stages of ripening. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts and molds found on both tree and rack‐ripened fruit may be the predominant agents in the microbiological spoilage of ackees during ripening.

This study is the first to assess the microbiological profile of ackees during ripening. It indicated that the relatively low levels of microorganisms of economic or public health significance during both tree‐ and rack‐ripening processes would not affect the commercial sterility of the canned product, even with a moderate thermal process (F_o of 3). It also suggests that controlled rack‐ripening of ackee fruit during commercial processing could improve the microbial quality of the processed product.

People with intellectual disabilities have lower levels of physical fitness compared with peers without intellectual disability, because of the high levels of sedentary behaviour in this population. This study aims to know the relationship between quality of life and physical fitness in adults with intellectual disability.

Ninety-six adults with intellectual disability were assessed with quality of life questionnaire and physical fitness tests, which involve balance, muscle strength, flexibility and aerobic condition.

Adults with higher self-reported levels of quality of life reported higher levels of physical fitness in balance, muscular strength and flexibility. In contrast, in aerobic condition were not found significant correlations with self-reported quality of life.

These findings support the hypothesis that people with intellectual disability with lower levels of physical fitness could influence in their levels of quality of life. This insight is useful for improving treatments to improve physical fitness in this population.