A systematic review of articles influencing United States retail cheese packaging, labeling, and market trends related to cheese in the marketplace and cheese during consumption.

Innovation around cheese is constant in attempts to meet ever-increasing consumer demands. Retail packaging provides a canvas to communicate to consumers added value from innovations or inherent properties of cheese. Packaging itself may also be the subject of cheese-related innovation. This systematic review of literature organizes research over the past 10 years related to cheese packaging innovation that consumers experience in the marketplace and during consumption of cheese products. The review discusses shipping, displaying cheese at grocery stores, the value of branding, purchasing preferences by demographics, health and nutrition claims, opportunities to highlight protein in cheese, marketing to children, issues of obesity and cheese, diet cheeses, allergens and non-dairy or vegan cheese, opening cheese packaging, cutting of cheese, cooking with cheese, eating cheese, the growing trend of snacking and convenience, and flavor preferences. This review provides helpful insights to cheese producers applying findings from research of various styles of cheeses, cheese marketers communicating effectively to consumers, cheese developers designing new products relevant to recent consumer demands, smaller or specialized companies seeking to differentiate their cheese product through available technology and strategy, and cheese lovers or those with hobbies surrounding food wanting to know recent advancements in cheese packaging. This review is a tool for discovering relevant articles relating to cheese packaging in a marketplace and consumption setting to guide cheese and cheese packaging and labeling innovation in the United States.

Activity, stability, and binding capacity of ß-galactosidase immobilized on electrospun nylon-6 fiber membrane.

In this research, we explored various immobilized enzyme support materials, including the novel nylon-6 fiber membrane (NFM), and evaluated the increase in surface area and its effect on enzyme binding potential. We also manipulated incubation and reaction conditions and assessed the subsequent effects on activity and stability of ß-galactosidase, with comparisons between various solid support materials and free (dissolved) enzyme. Nylon-6 fiber membranes were created by electrospinning and were compared with other materials as solid supports for enzyme binding. The other materials included polyvinylidene fluoride 5-kDa nanofiltration dairy membranes, nylon-6 pellets, and silica glass beads. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the large surface area of NFM, which correlated with greater enzyme activity compared with the relatively flatter surfaces of the other solid support materials. Enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically with the color-changing substrate o-nitrophenyl-ß-d-galactopyranoside. Compared with the other solid supports, NFM had greater maximum enzyme binding potential. Across pH conditions ranging from 3.5 to 6.0 (including the optimal pH of 4.0-5.0), enzyme activity was maintained on the membrane-immobilized samples, whereas free enzyme did not maintain activity. Altering the storage temperature (4, 22, and 50°C) affected enzyme stability (i.e., the ability of the enzyme to maintain activity over time) of free and polyvinylidene fluoride membrane samples. However, NFM samples maintained stability across the varying storage temperatures. Increasing the immobilization solution enzyme concentration above the maximum enzyme binding capacity had no significant effect on enzyme stability for membrane-immobilized samples; however, both had lower mean stability than free enzyme by approximately 74%. With further development, ß-galactosidase immobilized on NFM or other membranes could be used in continuous processing in the dairy industry for a combination of filtration and lactose hydrolysis-creating products that are reduced in lactose and increased in sweetness, with no requirement for "added sugars" on the nutrition label and no enzyme listed as final product ingredient.

Acoustic field visualisation using local absorption of ultrasound and thermochromic liquid crystals.

Acoustic field and vibration visualisation is important in a wide range of applications. Laser vibrometry is often used for such visualisation, however, the equipment has a high cost and requires significant user expertise, and the method can be slow, as it requires scanning point by point. Here we suggest a different approach to visualisation of acoustic fields in the kHz - MHz range, using paint-on or removable film sensors, which produce a direct visual map of ultrasound displacement. The sensors are based on a film containing thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC), along with a backing/underlay layer which improves absorption of ultrasound. The absorption generates heat, which can be seen by a change in colour of the TLC film. A removable sensor is used to visualise the resonant modes of an air-coupled flexural transducer operated from 410 kHz to 7.23 MHz, and to visualise 40 kHz standing waves in a Perspex plate. The thermal basis of the visualisation is confirmed using thermal imaging. The speed and cost of visualisation makes the new sensor attractive for use in condition monitoring, for fast assessment of transducer quality, or for analysis of acoustic field distribution in power ultrasonic systems.

The investigation of guided wave propagation around a pipe bend using an analytical modeling approach.

Guided wave inspection has the advantage of providing full volumetric coverage of tens of meters of pipe from a single test location. However, guided wave behavior is complex and there are many factors to consider such as the numerous possible vibrational modes and multiple reflections. The guided wave inspection technique is potentially valuable for pipelines that cannot be inspected with internal "pigs." However, in situations such as this, there are often bends in the pipe and the presence of the bend is known to distort the received signals. In order to address this issue, a study has been carried out that uses a combination of finite element analysis and experimentation to understand the behavior of guided waves in pipe bends. In addition to this, an analytical modeling methodology is put forward that uses basic information from finite element models of pipe bends to create a computationally fast solution to a potentially infinite number of scenarios. The analytical model can be used to both predict the effects of pipe bends on a range of signals and undo the distortion caused by pipe bends. Examples of this are given and compared to finite element results for flaws beyond pipe bends.

Detection of rebars in concrete using advanced ultrasonic pulse compression techniques.

A pulse compression technique has been developed for the non-destructive testing of concrete samples. Scattering of signals from aggregate has historically been a problem in such measurements. Here, it is shown that a combination of piezocomposite transducers, pulse compression and post processing can lead to good images of a reinforcement bar at a cover depth of 55 mm. This has been achieved using a combination of wide bandwidth operation over the 150-450 kHz range, and processing based on measuring the cumulative energy scattered back to the receiver. Results are presented in the form of images of a 20 mm rebar embedded within a sample containing 10 mm aggregate.

Acoustic fields of nonplanar radiators.

A theoretical approach is described which predicts the fields of acoustic radiators with a predefined surface topography. This is achieved by dividing the surface of the source into small elements, each of which is oriented parallel to the tangent to the surface at that point. The result is an improved modeling performance, in that it is more efficient and requires far fewer elements compared to other numerical approaches using parallel elements. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental results from curved electrostatic radiators, to demonstrate that the approach has promise.

Isolation and characterization of the major fluoranthene-hemoglobin adducts formed in vivo in the rat.

The binding of fluoranthene (FA) to hemoglobin was studied both in vitro and in vivo in the rat. The in vitro binding of microsomally activated FA to rat hemoglobin appeared to involve the fluoranthene 2,3-dihydrodiol-1,10b-epoxides. Three classes of hemoglobin adducts were observed in rats chronically administered FA in the diet. Based on high pressure liquid chromatography retention times, UV and mass spectral evidence, and behavior upon cis-diol affinity chromatography, the major class of globin adducts formed in vivo was demonstrated to result from binding of syn and anti isomers of FA 2,3-dihydrodiol-1,10b-epoxides to beta-cysteine-125 of rat hemoglobin. These adducts represented at least 41% of the total binding to globin. A minor class of adducts (12% of the total binding) appeared to involve the binding of an unidentified FA metabolite to the same cysteine residue of the protein. A substantial portion of FA binding to rat hemoglobin in vivo (29%) involved metabolic pathways which were not duplicated by simple in vitro systems. That portion of the binding to globin has not been characterized.

Ultrasonic propagation in finite-length granular chains.

A narrowband ultrasound source has been used to generate solitary wave impulses in finite-length chains of spheres. Once the input signal is of sufficient amplitude, both harmonics and sub-harmonics of the input frequency can be generated as non-linear normal modes of the system, allowing a train of impulses to be established from a sinusoidal input. The characteristics of the response have been studied as a function of the physical properties of the chain, the input waveform and the level of static pre-compression. The results agree with the predictions of a theoretical model, based on a set of discrete dynamic equations for the spheres for finite-length chains. Impulses are only created for very small pre-compression forces of the order of 0.01N, where strongly non-linear behaviour is expected.

Analysis of solitary wave impulses in granular chains using ultrasonic excitation.

The propagation of broad bandwidth solitary wave impulses, generated within granular chains by narrow bandwidth ultrasonic excitation, is studied in detail. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental results. It is demonstrated that the observed effects result from a sum of a solitary wave traveling out from the source with a wave that reflects from the far end of the chain. It is shown that this combination, when used with an excitation in the form of a long-duration tone burst, encourages the generation of multiple impulses with a characteristic periodicity. This study shows that the properties of the chain structure and the excitation can be adjusted so as to generate ultrasonic solitary wave impulses with a high amplitude and known frequency content, which are of interest in applications such as biomedical ultrasound.

Humidity and aggregate content correction factors for air-coupled ultrasonic evaluation of concrete.

This paper describes the use of non-contact ultrasound for the evaluation of concrete. Micromachined capacitance transducers are used to transmit ultrasonic longitudinal chirp signals through concrete samples using air as the coupling medium, and a pulse compression technique is then employed for measurement of time of flight through the sample. The effect on the ultrasonic wave speed of storing concrete samples, made with the same water/cement ratio, at different humidity levels is investigated. It is shown that there is a correlation between humidity and speed of sound, allowing a correction factor for humidity to be derived. A strong positive linear correlation between aggregate content and speed of sound was then observed; there was no obvious correlation between compressive strength and speed of sound. The results from the non-contact system are compared with that from a contact system, and conclusions drawn concerning coupling of energy into the samples.

The effect of pargyline and desmethylimipramine on monoamine concentrations and amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis in the mouse brain.

1. Pargyline (100 mg/kg) increased the concentration of cerebral noradrenaline dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the mouse. Amphetamine (5 mg/kg) reduced the concentration of noradrenaline and increased the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine. 2. When amphetamine was administered 4 h after an injection of pargyline, the effect of the sympathomimetic drug on the concentrations of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine was not altered. The effect on the dopamine content was reversed, amphetamine causing a decrease instead of an increase. 3. Pargyline increased the concentration of cerebral glycogen, whereas amphetamine caused a decrease. 4. The administration of amphetamine 4 h after pargyline resulted in a decrease in brain glycogen similar to that seen after amphetamine alone. 5. These results suggest that the potentiation of the effect of amphetamine on animal behaviour by pretreatment with an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase is not mediated through a central action on noradrenaline release. 6. Amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis was antagonized by 71% by desmethylimipramine (10 mg/kg). 7. The change in glycogen concentration as a function of time after an injection of amphetamine was not modified when 2 consecutive doses of amphetamine were given with an interval between doses of 30 minutes.

Effect of depletion of cerebral monoamines on the concentration of glycogen and on amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis in the brain.

1. An increase in the concentration of glycogen occurs in the mouse brain after depletion of cerebral catecholamines by alpha methyl-p-tyrosine methylester (H44/68), diethyldithiocarbamate, or reserpine.2. Depletion of cerebral 5-hydroxytryptamine with parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) does not result in a change in the concentration of brain glycogen.3. When H44/68 is administered together with reserpine to inhibit the synthesis and storage of cerebral catecholamines, and thus bring about their total depletion from the brain, the cerebral glycogenolytic effect of amphetamine is abolished.4. Amphetamine-inducing glycogenolysis is only partially antagonized if only one of the catecholamine-depleting agents H44/68, diethyldithiocarbamate, or reserpine is injected prior to the amphetamine. The persistence of this glycogenolytic effect of amphetamine is possibly due to the presence of residual stores of catecholamines available for release by the stimulant drug.5. Depletion of cerebral 5-hydroxytryptamine by PCPA does not result in any antagonism of amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis.6. The results suggest that amphetamine depletes brain glycogen by the release of central catecholamines rather than by a direct action at receptors.

Effect of receptor blocking drugs on the depletion of brain glycogen by amphetamine.

1. Amphetamine sulphate (5 mg/kg), administered intraperitoneally, reduces the concentration of glycogen in the mouse brain by 25-30% after 30 minutes.2. The effect of several receptor blocking drugs on the amphetamine-induced cerebral glycogenolysis was studied.3. DL-Propranolol (0.25 mg/kg) and pronethalol (10 mg/kg) antagonized the depletion of brain glycogen by amphetamine.4. Phentolamine, methysergide, atropine and mepyramine failed to antagonize the amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis.5. D-Propranolol, chlorpromazine and phenoxybenzamine antagonized the glycogenolytic effect of amphetamine only when administered in sedative doses.6. It is concluded that amphetamine-induced glycogenolysis in the mouse brain may be mediated through a beta-adrenoceptor.

Physiological and drug-induced changes in the glycogen content of mouse brain.

1. The effect of the method of killing on the concentration of glycogen in mouse brain was determined. The cerebral glycogen content of mice killed by immersion in liquid nitrogen did not differe significantly from that of animals decapitated and the heads immediately frozen. A delay before freezing led to the rapid loss of brain glycogen, with a 17% fall at 10 s and an 82% loss after 5 min.2. Hyperglycaemia, induced by the administration of D-glucose, resulted in an 8.3% loss of brain glycogen after 120 min. Insulin hypoglycaemia produced a 10.7% fall in glycogen at 60 min followed by an 11.2% increase at 120 min.3. Exposure to either high (32 degrees C) or low (10 degrees C) ambient temperatures caused a depletion of brain glycogen.4. A circadian rhythm of brain glycogen concentration was found, with a nadir which was coincident with the peak of locomotor activity and body temperature.5. Drugs from several pharmacological classes were studied for their in vivo effect on the concentration of glycogen in mouse brain.6. Brain glycogen was increased by all the depressant drugs tested, and by some drugs which had little effect on behaviour (diphenhydramine, phenytoin and propranolol), or which caused excitation (caffeine and nialamide).7. Glycogen was depleted only by amphetamine-like compounds or by bemegride-induced convulsions.8. The results are discussed with particular reference to the possible relation between catecholamines and glycogen metabolism in the brain.

The effect of sodium -hydroxybutyrate on the metabolism of dopamine in the brain.

1. Sodium gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB-Na), when given to rats and mice, caused a sleep-like state and a fall in body temperature of about 10 degrees C.2. GHB-Na produced a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of dopamine (DA) in the brains of mice kept at an environmental temperature of 18-20 degrees C or 30-32 degrees C.3. The concentrations of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA), the metabolites of DA, were increased in the striatal tissues of rats and mice, after the administration of GHB-Na. However there was a delay of 60 min before the concentration of HVA increased whereas there appeared to be little delay before the concentration of DOPAC increased.4. When GHB-Na was administered to reserpine-treated animals, no increase occurred in the concentration of dopamine in the brains of mice or rats, or of DOPAC in the rat brain.5. Reserpine did not prevent the induction of the sleep-like state by GHB-Na.6. The results presented suggest that the effect of GHB-Na in increasing the concentration of DA requires unimpaired storage mechanisms for the amine.

Changes in the tissue concentration of folate and vitamin B(12) during maturation and ageing.

Age-dependent changes in folate and vitamin B(12) metabolism of mice have been investigated. The concentration of folate in liver plasma and blood showed a postnatal increase to a maximum at approx. 25 weeks. Total folate concentrations then remained constant whereas free folate decreased slowly up to week 98. Conversely both total and free folate of the brain were reduced extensively during the first 10 weeks of life after which time total folate concentration stabilised whilst that of free folate continued to decline slowly. The concentration of vitamin B(12) in brain, liver and plasma showed an initial rapid increase. The vitamin continued to accumulate more slowly in the brain and liver from weeks 10 to 98. The concentration of vitamin B(12) in the plasma appeared to achieve equilibrium after a period of accumulation lasting 25 weeks. These results suggest that during maturation the characteristics of folate metabolism of the brain are distinct from those of peripheral tissues, and that folate, unlike vitamin B(12) metabolism, undergoes continuing change with advancing age.

Circadian rhythms of folate and vitamin B(12) concentration in relation to convulsive thresholds of mice.

Circadian rhythms of folate and vitamin B(12) concentrations in the liver, brain and blood of Swiss mice have been determined. The relation of the changes in vitamin concentration to circadian rhythms in locomotor activity, drinking activity and convulsive thresholds (maximal electroshock seizure threshold) have been determined also. Both free folic acid (FFA) and total folic acid (TFA) of liver and blood showed minimum values at 21.00-24.00 h and maximum values at 06.00-09.00 h. Liver TFA declined at a steady rate from the peak value at 09.00 h whereas liver FFA and plasma folate maintained constant values from 09.00-18.00 h then declined rapidly. Brain folate (TFA and FFA) showed no rhythm. The concentrations of vitamin B(12) in plasma, liver and brain showed only minor fluctuations. Locomotor and drinking activities showed very similar rhythms with a sustained period of high activity between 12.00-21.00 h followed by a much shorter second period of high activity (23.00-03.00 h). Convulsive threshold declined during the first period of increased locomotor and drinking activities reaching a minimum value at 21.00 h thus just preceding the nadir in folate concentrations in liver and blood.

Biliary surgery after cardiac transplantation.

Many patients have undergone successful cardiac transplantation. These patients are at risk of developing the same surgical diseases as the general population. The side effects of immunotherapy may mandate intervention at a different point in the natural history of these processes. From February 1984 through December 1989, 24 patients underwent an operative biliary tract procedure following cardiac transplantation. Seventeen patients underwent elective cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography. The mean hospital stay was 5.4 days, and there was no morbidity or mortality. Seven patients underwent urgent procedures; four of them developed severe complications and three died as a result of their biliary tract disease. Two patients in the urgent group had previously exhibited symptoms of biliary tract disease, and five were previously asymptomatic. There was no significant difference in time from transplantation to biliary procedure between the elective group (mean, 17 months; range, 3 weeks to 47 months) and the urgent group (mean, 18 months; range, 3 weeks to 44 months). Patients who undergo cardiac transplantation should be screened for cholelithiasis. The presence of symptoms should not be required before recommending operative intervention.

Monitoring of binder removal from injection molded ceramics using air-coupled ultrasound at high temperature.

A pair of capacitance-type air-coupled ultrasonic transducers have been constructed that were capable of operating in air at temperatures of 500 to 600 degrees C. These devices were then used to monitor the pyrolytic removal of organic binder from injection molded silicon nitride ceramic components using air-coupled ultrasound inside a furnace at elevated temperatures. Through-thickness waveforms were obtained in the ceramic and compared with simultaneous measurements of the mass of the sample. Both the ultrasonic velocity and signal amplitudes could be used to monitor the change in mass of the injection molded ceramic, and other phenomena (such as softening and redistribution of the binder) were observed.

Air-coupled piezoelectric detection of laser-generated ultrasound.

A pulsed laser has been used to generate ultrasonic transients in samples of metal and fiber-reinforced polymer composite material. These have been detected using an air-coupled piezoelectric transducer. It is demonstrated that such a transduction system can be used for longitudinal waves in bulk material, Rayleigh waves at solid surfaces and Lamb waves in thin plates.