bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Durability of Goods – Economic, Legal and Informational Aspects
Authors: Kalachev S. L. , Makhotina I. A.
Published: July 2021

The article studies reliability of technically complicated goods as complex customer characteristics; the most informative indicators, i.e. service life; the dependence of durability on economic characteristics of the product; trends of reducing service life of goods and possible negative economic and ecological after-effects were shown; an attempt was made to compare customer costs on different stages of the product life cycle. The authors provide requirements to manufacturers' responsibility and product sellers concerning warranty periods and service life, service support and repair of technically complicated goods, legal consequences of product breakdown within the frames of warranty periods and service life. Statistics given by Rospotrebnadzor dealing with faulty technically complicated products was analyzed. Summarized information of recommended service life and average amount of work per breakdown fixed in relative inter-state standards was provided. The stated information was compared with figures of durability and reliability in today's practice of manufacturing and selling house-hold electric machines and devices. On the basis of EU guidelines one variant of legal way of resolving the problem of attaining the optimum service life for customers and manufacturers was proposed. The authors give recommendations on fixing obligatory requirements on limiting use of short-life and difficult to utilize materials in details of technically difficult goods.
Methodological Aspects of Using Mechanism of Financing Projects Based on State and Private Partnership
Authors: Petrikova E. M. , Lokshin N. V.
Published: July 2021

The article provides a detailed analysis of key methods to assess the efficiency of projects based on state and private partnership (S&PP), including the appraisal of commercial, social-economic, macro-economic and budget efficiency. For such projects implemented on principles of project financing the authors highlighted the necessity of additional analysis of finance stability and return of credit financing. The article gives the author's definition of the mechanism of financing S&PP projects and explains methodological characteristics of assessing their efficiency for different participants and in interests of different concerned parties (state, business, banks). Special attention is paid to detailed study of the technology of calculating each parameter of assessing the efficiency for investment S&PP projects. Finally, conclusions were drawn about practical opportunities to use all the parameters, demonstrated above to assess the efficiency of projects in Russia, as well as key difficulties arising in the process of analysis and appraisal.
Investment in Commodity Stocks as Way to Minimize Risks in Crisis
Authors: Arkadev D. A. , Lyandau Yu. V.
Published: July 2021

Managing stocks in crisis is an effective method of providing sustainable functioning of the company and maintaining sales on the necessary level. To arrange this process it is essential to identify groups of products bringing high profit, products being in demand and products, which should be denied, as their sales are no higher than 2% of the total sales. The authors consider management of finished commodity stocks as a method to provide sustainability in crisis, in particular, pandemic. At the same time they highlight the key factors of stock monitoring, including possibility to build-up moderate stocks of free cash, methods of building-up and gaining commodity stocks, keep the balance between stock costs and costs of their maintenance, etc. To raise the efficiency of stock management the authors propose the following solutions for accumulating cash: crediting as the easiest way of raising funds to get stocks, which can affect negatively the finance sustainability of the organization; emergency meeting of proprietors and informing them about the strategy of crisis counteracting, including delay of paying dividends; building-up the urgent reserve and discharging unnecessary employees or transferring them on parttime work; discounts and sales, which can clear stock-houses and get needed funds. The article gives classification of products proceeding from 5 groups: leading products, accompanying products, substitutes, complex products and status products, each of the groups was characterized.
Analyzing the Universal Character of Tourist Sector in the Leningrad Region
Authors: Pavlova Yu. Yu.
Published: July 2021

The article studies the tourist sector as a factor of social and economic development of the region. The author gives a definition of the term ‘universal character of tourist sector', formulates key criteria meeting the principle of universality, on the basis of which the approach to region analysis was developed. This approach gives an opportunity to find the degree of customer satisfaction with tourist services and shows whether the region is ready for developing new tourist programs within the frames of traditional, special and rear types of tourism. As an example the article analyzes the universal character of tourist sector in the Leningrad region, which showed a number of problems. Proceeding from this the author proposes to design a mechanism of their solution at the expense of enlarging the list of tourist services offered to customer and improving their quality. By analyzing the universal character of tourist sector it will be possible to find out and eliminate drawbacks in the tourist sphere and in designing strategy of efficient development of tourism in the region aimed at building-up the tourist traffic, which could become a factor of its social and economic development.
Regional Funds of Scientific and Innovation Activity Support: Institutional Aspect
Authors: Topoleva T. N.
Published: July 2021

Shaping innovation economy in Russia stipulates passing-over from traditional partial models to system-integrated models of development accompanied by building institutional vector of succession of federal and regional institutions. A special role in processes of interaction between state, business and science is entrusted to institutions of development, which are to foster knowledge generation and successful practices of innovatization. The article studies specific features of scientific and innovation activity support funds, which help realize measures aimed at stimulating and raising efficiency of the scientific and innovation sector on the regional level. State support of institutions of development and science was analyzed and experience of such funds in the Krasnoyarsk area, Tatarstan, Perm area, Smolensk region was investigated as they demonstrate positive dynamics and adequacy in principle lines of functioning. Problems and drawbacks of these funds' work were systematized by 4 large groups: institutional and legal, finance and economic, organizational and managerial and social ones. On the basis of this analysis measures aimed at improving the organizational efficiency of funds and upgrading the regional innovation environment were identified. A conclusion was drawn about the necessity to intensify state and non-state support of fundamental and applied research, to stimulate setting-up of collaborative partnerships in order to raise scientific, technological and innovation competences in regions in view of solving strategic tasks of development.
Estrategia de capacitación soportada en TIC para la rápida adaptación de nuevos docentes: Caso docentes de inglés colegio Ecomundo Guayaquil-Ecuador.
Authors: Holguín Chalén Jennifer , León Rodríguez Giraldo de la Caridad
Published: July 2021

La repercusión de las TIC en el mundo ha sido evidente. En la actualidad, estas herramientas han precipitado una revolución constante en casi todos los ámbitos sociales, incluyendo al educativo. Las TIC como parte de la innovación educativa, ha supuesto grandes desafíos, especialmente para docentes quienes han tenido que actualizarse en conocimientos y habilidades que se requieren en la educación del siglo XXI. Considerando estas exigencias, en el presente trabajo se muestran los resultados del estudio de caso acerca del diseño de una estrategia de capacitación basada en las TIC para los nuevos docentes del área de inglés de primaria de la Unidad Educativa Particular Bilingüe Ecomundo de Guayaquil. La investigación evaluó el nivel de conocimiento de los docentes en cuanto a metodologías y gestión de funciones administrativas competentes a su labor, así como también su grado de identificación y alineación con la filosofía institucional, misión y visión, y jornadas de actualización de habilidades; con el fin de poder llevar a cabo un programa de capacitación basado en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación para una rápida adaptación del nuevo personal de inglés de la institución.
Preferencias y tendencias turísticas de los visitantes de la zona 2 (Pichincha, Napo y Orellana) en tiempos de COVID-19
Authors: Molina Velásquez Edison , Mañay Mena Dianna , Mamarandi Mossot Andrea , Villagrán Olivo Pedro
Published: July 2021

El presente artículo fue realizado con la finalidad de identificar las principales preferencias turísticas que tienen los visitantes en sus recorridos turísticos por las provincias de Pichincha, Napo y Orellana pertenecientes a la zona de planificación 2 - centro norte del Ecuador en el escenario actual de Covid-19. La metodología trabajada, mediante el uso de métodos cuantitativos y cualitativos, permitió el reconocimiento del comportamiento turístico en cuanto a gasto, frecuencia, ocupación, estadía, duración de viaje; así como tendencias, concentraciones y flujos turísticos, los cuales se reflejaron a través de estadísticas complementadas con el uso de sistemas de información geográfica SIG. Con base en esto se determinó una disminución considerable en los flujos turísticos que arriban a la zona 2, así como nuevas tendencias y preferencias de viaje directamente relacionadas con la pandemia mundial, que destacan el turismo de proximidad con un segmento de mercado mayoritariamente joven de 16 a 35 años.
Constructing Automatic Classification Models for Chinese-language Chief Complaint (Preprint)
Authors: Shen Si
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Chief complaint is the initial, general, and written description of a patient’s symptoms provided during the hospital intake process. By improving the automatic classification of chief complaint text, the quality and efficiency of patients’ hospital visits can be improved.

OBJECTIVE

Using chief complaint data in Chinese from the Information Centre of Jiangsu Commission Health, we built models for automatically detecting the correct treating department and then conducted various tests on those models using machine learning and deep learning.

METHODS

The study tested and compared the performances of the traditional machine learning model of SVM with deep learning models of Bi-LSTM, Bi-LSTM-CRF, At-Bi-LSTM-CRF and Bi-GRU-CRF on the chief complaint text data mainly. It is mainly based on Chinese character expansion model train and test in all traditional machine learning and deep learning models.

RESULTS

We found that the Bi-LSTM performed better at the chief complaint classification task than the SVM and that the performance difference between the deep learning models constructed is not obvious. The F scores of Bi-LSTM, Bi-LSTM-CRF, At-Bi-LSTM-CRF and Bi-GRU-CRF model built for the experiment effectively reach 88.10, 87.91, 88.14 and 87.98.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the Bi-LSTM performed better at the chief complaint classification task than the SVM and that the performance difference between the deep learning models constructed is not obvious. The F scores of Bi-LSTM, Bi-LSTM-CRF, At-Bi-LSTM-CRF and Bi-GRU-CRF model built for the experiment effectively reach 88.10, 87.91, 88.14 and 87.98.
Online misinformation is linked to COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and refusal (Preprint)
Authors: Pierri Francesco , Perry Brea , DeVerna Matthew , Yang Kai-Cheng , Flammini Alessandro , Menczer Filippo , Bryden John
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Widespread uptake of vaccines is necessary to achieve herd immunity. However, uptake rates varied across U.S. states during the first six months of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Online misinformation may play an important role in vaccine hesitancy, and there is a need to comprehensively quantify the impact of misinformation on beliefs, behaviors, and health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This work investigates the extent to which COVID-19 vaccination rates and vaccine hesitancy are associated with levels of online misinformation about vaccines across geographical regions. We also look for evidence of directionality from online misinformation to vaccine hesitancy.

METHODS

Vaccine uptake recordings were taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data over the week of March 19 to 25, 2021. Vaccine hesitancy data and misinformation data were taken over the period, Jan 4th to March 25th, 2021. We leverage over 22 M individual responses to surveys administered on Facebook to assess vaccine hesitancy rates, and we identify online misinformation by focusing on low-credibility sources shared on Twitter by over 1.67M users geolocated within U.S. regions. Statistical analysis was done using multivariate regression models adjusting for socioeconomic, demographic and political confounding factors.

RESULTS

We find a negative relationship between misinformation and vaccination uptake rates. Online misinformation is also correlated with vaccine hesitancy rates taken from survey data. Associations between vaccine outcomes and misinformation remain significant when accounting for political as well as demographic and socioeconomic factors. While vaccine hesitancy is strongly associated with Republican vote share, we observe that the effect of online misinformation on hesitancy is strongest across Democratic rather than Republican counties. Granger causality analysis shows evidence for a directional relationship from online misinformation to vaccine hesitancy.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that there are geographically located hotspots of vaccine refusal which are associated with online misinformation and unexplained by other factors. Our results support a need for interventions that address online misinformation, allowing individuals to make better-informed health decisions.
COVID-19 | Facebook | misinformation | Twitter | vaccine hesitancy | vaccines
Kegagalan Pasar di Balik Ekspor Benih Lobster di Indonesia
Authors: Rossa Sherlly , Gratiana Tyas Vita Wimasari Silvestra , Rahmawati Sulis , Aprilianto Thomas Teddy
Published: July 2021

Indonesia merupakan negara eksportir utama benih lobster pada negara-negara produsen lobster di dunia. Penetapan Permen KP Nomor 12 Tahun 2020 menjadi titik balik dengan asumsi kesejahteraan nelayan, peningkatan ekonomi, dan devisa menjadi dalih utama dalam proses penetapannya. Kausalitas yang dihasilkan dari penetapan Permen KP Nomor 12 memicu terjadinya suatu aksi tragedi sumber daya kepemilikan bersama yang dimanfaatkan sebagai lahan untuk mencari keuntungan sebesar-besarnya yang mencerminkan suatu paham merkantilisme. Selain itu, eksternalitas dan ketidakefisiensi pasar akan menjadi permasalahan baru yang berkepanjangan karena tidak terpenuhinya prinsip ekonomi yang berwawasan dan keberlanjutan lingkungan dalam proses pelaksanaannya. Adanya disparitas harga antara nelayan dan eksportir yang begitu terlihat menimbulkan pertanyaan bagi pemerintah mengenai dalih diberlakukannya Permen KP Nomor 12 Tahun 2020. Oleh karena itu, tulisan ini mencoba menganalisis dasar kebijakan Permen KP Nomor 12 Tahun 2020 dalam hubungan dengan keberlanjutan kesetersediaan sumber daya kelautan hingga implementasinya dalam mendorong net ekspor pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitif dan kualitatif berupa tabel, grafik, dan studi pustaka dari sumber relevan yang berhasil menjelaskan fenomena ini. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keberlanjutan sumber daya laut akan menjadi problematik bagi negara apabila kebijakan yang dikeluarkan dengan dalih kesejahteraan nelayan berbanding terbalik dengan tujuan utamanya.
Strategic Litigation as a Tool to Combat Modern Slavery
Authors: Sinclair James
Published: July 2021

The legal, political and commercial landscape surrounding modern slavery has developed significantly since 2008. However, the relative weakness of enforcement mechanisms within legislation designed to combat labour exploitation has meant that there have been few meaningful changes to abusive commercial practices. This article explores whether corporate accountability litigation could fill the enforcement void. It looks at the prospects for such litigation in the UK and concludes that there are significant challenges to be overcome. For litigation to be a successful lever of corporate change, it will require jurisprudential developments, extensive resourcing and dedicated, persistent professionals.
Irregular Victims: Investigating the Immigration Status Decisions of Post-NRM Victims of Human Trafficking, the Availability of Eligible Benefits and the Related Impact on Victims of Trafficking
Authors: Williams-Woods Alexandra , Mellon Yvonne
Published: July 2021

Human trafficking is connected to migration as it often involves crossing international borders. This article argues that by failing to view the issue of human trafficking through the lens of migration, the current framework for assisting victims of human trafficking fails to ensure the protection of the individuals concerned. This article offers an innovative perspective by analysing the specific legal position of victims of human trafficking in the context of UK domestic law and international agreements, and tracing this to survivor experiences. The extent to which non-UK national survivors of human trafficking are able to access the rights that they are entitled to in the UK is explored, as well as what factors influence the accessibility of these rights. Utilising an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing scholarship of law and politics, this article links a review of the current legal landscape relating to immigration status for trafficking victims with empirical work exploring the experiences of non-UK national trafficking survivors.
Collaborating to Identify, Recover and Support Victims of Modern Slavery
Authors: Brewster Ben
Published: July 2021

This article presents findings from a series of case studies into the impact of multi- agency anti-slavery partnerships in the UK. The research draws upon empirical evidence from a number of geographic regions as the basis of a comparative analysis involving the full spectrum of statutory and non-statutory organisations that undertake anti-slavery work. The article focuses, in particular, on the role of partnerships in victim identification and support, while simultaneously discussing issues and drawing upon existing discourse associated with policy, legislation and the macro conditions that impose barriers on such efforts.
COVID-19’s Impact on Anti-Trafficking Efforts: What do we know?
Authors: Hanley Idel , Gauci Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2021

Early analysis indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency public health measures, and the consequent socio-economic context1 have increased individual vulnerability to human trafficking. It also indicates an impact on anti-trafficking efforts both in the short and the longer term. This article explores some of those impacts, identifies issues to look out for moving forward and examines the applicability and resilience of existing legal frameworks.
Pivoting technology: understanding working conditions in the time of COVID-19
Authors: Thinyane Hannah , Gallo Michael
Published: July 2021

State lockdowns and travel restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19 have limited the ability of frontline responders to conduct on-site visits and inhibited their efforts to assess working conditions and monitor for labour exploitation within global supply chains. These challenges have increased multinational corporations’ reliance on remote technologies to assist in their supply chain due diligence processes. Our research investigates the use of one such example, Apprise Audit, which is a digital solution used for worker interviews in social compliance auditing that was modified to enable remote data collection. Based on a series of interviews with implementing partners and industry experts, our research finds that Apprise Audit Remote helps to overcome the difficulties of gathering worker feedback in the presence of COVID related constraints. Using this work as a case study, we then further elaborate on the practical opportunities and limitations associated with ICT-enabled remote auditing.
Cultural Competence of Western Psychotherapists in Helping Sex Trade Survivors: An Initial Exploration
Authors: Spyropoulos Daphne Catherine
Published: July 2021

Sex-trafficking survivors that come from the Developing world and who become free in the west, can receive help from western psychotherapists. A therapist who is able to provide help to a former sex-slave of this origin is answering to a need for culturally competent mental health professionals. To serve this goal, the author analyses the example of Nigerian women who become free in the west and provides information about their background that could be useful in session. Parallel to this discussion, the question of whether cross-cultural differences can be overcome in therapy in an ethical way arises.
Considering a Regional Approach to Combating Human Trafficking in the Caribbean: The ECOWAS Example
Authors: St. George Jill , Durbin Tom
Published: July 2021

This paper seeks to explore the current practices employed in two regional organisations with regards combating human trafficking. Both West Africa, through ECOWAS, and the Caribbean, through CARICOM, have established regional agreements with neighbouring states to achieve regional cooperation where possible. However CARICOM policies are in their infancy with regards human trafficking, while ECOWAS has a vast network of agreements in place. This paper will consider the successes of the ECOWAS agreements and their possible assistance and relevance to the Caribbean to assist in CARICOM’s fight against human trafficking.
Trafficking in Human Beings as an Enterprise: Highlighting Key Questions About Data Shortage on the Business Side
Authors: Muraszkiewicz Julia , Watson Hayley , Wadhwa Kush , De Hert Paul
Published: July 2021

Researchers and policymakers face a shortage of data on the business side of human trafficking. This inevitably leads to problems when trying to combat this crime. Questions such as: who is involved in trafficking, how do they operate, what is their relationship with organised crime groups (or other traffickers and third parties) remain unanswered. The purpose of this article is to harvest the knowledge on what we know about trafficking as a criminal enterprise and, in turn, encourage further research. The article also aims to show that the challenges encountered by researchers.
Toward Assessment of Child Survivors of Restavèk in Haiti: Development and Evaluation of a Locally Adapted Psychosocial Assessment Instrument
Authors: Kennedy Cara
Published: July 2021

Restavèk is a form of child domestic slavery in Haiti that affects an estimated 300,000 children. This article describes the development and evaluation of an instrument to assess mental health and psychosocial problems among survivors of restavèk living in Port au Prince, Haiti. The Youth Self-Report was adapted to reflect the mental health problems that emerged in a previous qualitative study among the same target population. Internal consistency reliability scores were acceptable to good for all scales. Test-retest reliability scores were adequate for all scales, and good for the internalizing and total problems scales. Criterion validity could not be assessed.
The Relationship Between Human Rights Violations and Human Trafficking
Authors: Muraszkiewicz Julia
Published: July 2021

Human trafficking is lucrative crime, often trans border, affecting every country in the world. In the course of this crime victims are subjected heinous experiences. Consequently the crime has been described as a grave violation of human rights. However, there are those that question the legal nature of trafficking in human beings, and whether it really is a violation of human rights. This article explores the relationship between human trafficking and human rights, and analyses what are the impacts of that relationship on State’s duties to fight the crime.
Academic Collaborative Efforts to Promote STEM Equity in High Needs Schools
Authors: DeJarnette Nancy K. , Deeb Ruba S. , Pallis Jani
Published: July 2021

America is at risk of facing a shortage of workers in STEM fields in the near future because lack of interest by its youth. It is well known that providing early exposure for P-12 students to engaging science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences can lead to lifelong learning and positively impact future career decisions. This manuscript describes one university’s collective efforts to bring equity to STEM education for an urban high needs school district in the northeastern part of the United States through various STEM initiatives over a five-year period. Through multiple projects and initiatives targeting both P-12 students and their teachers, descriptive results revealed a positive impact while pinpointing areas that still require attention. P-12 students indicated an increase in STEM knowledge and an increased interest in STEM careers following exposure to various STEM lessons and interactive experiences. P-12 teachers specified that Professional Development (PD) they received from university faculty as well as engaging in STEM experiences with their students enhanced their confidence in their ability to incorporate STEM lessons within their classrooms. An urban partner administrator viewed these various STEM initiatives as vital in their quest to bring equity for STEM education to their diverse student population.
African Community Life Pattern in some Novels of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston
Authors: Kpohoué Ferdinand
Published: July 2021

The objective in this paper is to investigate the preservation of the community life that characterizes African people in the novels of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston.As a matter of fact, in all of Morrison’s novels, the black community is, from one perspective, largely defined by the dominant white society and its standards. The Bluest Eye takes place in Morrison’s home town of Lorain, Ohio. In the novel, the black community of Lorain is separated from the upper-class white community, also known as Lake Shore Park, a place where blacks are not permitted. The setting for Sula is a small town in Ohio, located on a hillside known as “Bottom”. In Song of Solomon, the reader is absorbed into the black community, an entity unto itself, but yet never far removed from the white world. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, actions take place in Eatonville in Florida.The study has revealed that there exists a strong solidarity in the different communities in the novels selected for this study. Like African communities in Africa, gossips, tradition and other features appear in the novels of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston to make them different from the white communities that boarder them in America. These writers from the African diaspora work to preserve their original communities in their novels.
Effect of Diet on Bloom Time of Beef
Authors: Insausti K. , Colle M. J. , Bass P. D. , Goenaga I. , Urrutia O. , Mendizabal J. A. , Beriain M. J. , Soret B.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to assess the evolution of the bloom color in beef aged for 8 d to establish the moment of measurement in which values of L*, a* and b* stabilize and are representative of the characteristic color of the meat from beef fed different diets.Materials and MethodsIn the current study, eight young Pirenaica bulls were used. The bulls were born and reared on a private commercial Protected Denomination Origin (PDO)-approved farm located in the region of Navarra (Northern Spain). After weaning at approximately 4 mo of age, the calves were administered the same diet until month 12. The bulls were separated in two groups and each of group was fed a different energy level diet (High energy, H: 2914.2 kcal/kg vs. Low energy, L: 2548.4kcal/kg) until slaughter at 18 mo of age. Diet was based on barley (H: 26% vs. L: 22%), corn (H: 50% vs. L: 45%) and soja (H: 17% and L: 17%). The research was conducted under the highest standards of humane care and use of animals in accordance with European guidelines (EU). Longissimus dorsi muscle was removed after 24 h. post-mortem from the left side of the carcasses, pH was measured, and the meat was transported to the Meat Science Laboratory at the Public University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) under refrigeration. Steaks were aged in vacuum for 8 d post-mortem, which is the typical period for this type of meat under the PDO Ternera de Navarra. After aging, L*, a*, and b*were recorded every 3 min (5 repetitions per sample) for 102 min with a Minolta CM 2002 Spectrophotocolorimeter. Data were analyzed using the Linear General Model procedure with the IBM SPSS Statistics 24, and significance was determined at P < 0.05.ResultsThe pH values were 5.56 (H) and 5.50 (L) (P < 0.05) thus, no DFD meat was observed. Color differed depending on diet (L*H: 28.88 vs. L*L: 34.26, P < 0.01; a*H: 26.33 vs. a*L: 18.11, P < 0.001; b*H: 11.58 vs. b*L: 7.94, P < 0.001) even if the initial pigment content was not statistically different (H: 5.34 mg/g vs. L: 4.74 g/g; P = 0.107). In fact, beef from the H diet showed higher a* and b* values, and lower L* values than beef from the L diet (P < 0.05). Nonetheless, the time of stabilization for a practical color measurement did not differ between diets.ConclusionIn conclusion, despite the effect of diet on the initial beef color differences, the results of the current study showed that 15 min of meat exposure to oxygen is the minimum in either cases prior to taking measurements of color on beef aged 8 d.
The Effect of Modified Atmospheric Packaging on Beef Color Sensory Characteristics of Different Muscle pH Categories
Authors: Cassens A. , Mafi G. , VanOverbeke D. , Ramanathan R.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesAny deviation from the bright-red color of beef can lead to discounted price or consumer rejection. Fresh beef lean color is influenced by pH. Various packaging techniques have been developed to enhance the lean color of beef steaks. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of modified atmospheric packaging on three different beef muscle pH categories.Materials and MethodsThe three categories evaluated for this study were: Normal (pH = 5.57 ± 0.1; N-pH), Moderately high (pH = 5.70 ± 0.09; M-pH), and High (pH = 6.39 ± 0.03; H-pH). The pH was taken on the carcass, at the 12th and 13th rib interface within 72 h of harvest at a commercial beef processing plant. Strip loins were fabricated from each carcass (n = 12) and sent to Oklahoma State University for further analysis. Strip loins were then cut into 2.54 cm steaks and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 packaging treatments: polyvinyl chloride overwrap (PVC), carbon monoxide modified atmosphere packaging (CO-MAP; 0.4% CO, 69.6% N, and 30% CO2) and high-oxygen modified atmospheric packaging (HiOx-MAP; 80% O2, and 20% CO2). Visual color measurements for muscle color (MC; (1 = extremely bright cherry-red and 7 = extremely dark red), and surface discoloration (SD; 1 = no discoloration [0%] and 7 = extensive discoloration [81–100%]) were recorded on d 2, 4, and 6 of retail display by a trained panel. Data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS.ResultsFor all pH treatments, PVC packaging possessed the darkest muscle color (P < 0.05) score compared to CO- and HiOx-MAP. When comparing N-pH, M-pH, and H-pH values, CO-MAP had approximately a 27.3%, 22.2%, and 25.3% improvement in muscle color, indicating a brighter lean color compared to PVC. Additionally, HiOx-MAP had approximately a 10.9%, 17.4%, and 16.5% improvement in muscle color score for N-pH, M-pH, and H-pH, respectively. When packaging steaks in either CO- or HiOx-MAP there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between d 4 and 6 of retail display for muscle color. However, there was a significant (P < 0.05) darkening in muscle color for steaks packaged in PVC from d 4 to 6 of retail display. By the fourth d of retail, N-pH steaks packaged in PVC had 38.3% and 39.0% greater (P < 0.05) surface discoloration than CO- and HiOx-MAP, respectively.ConclusionThese results suggest that packaging steaks of different pH categories in CO- or HiOx-MAP can improve the surface color compared to PVC packaging.
Detection of Differences in Cook Loss and Tenderness of Aged Pork Chops Cooked to Differing Degrees of Doneness Using Sous-Vide
Authors: Bryan E. E. , Smith B. N. , Dilger R. N. , Dilger A. C. , Boler D. D.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThe objective was to determine the ability to detect differences in cook loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) value between chops aged for differing time periods and cooked to varying degrees of doneness in a sous-vide style cooker.Materials and MethodsLoins (n = 68) from pigs humanely slaughtered at the University of Illinois Meat Science Laboratory were separated between the 10th and 11th rib into anterior and posterior sections. The posterior section was cut into 6 separate 2.54 cm thick chops. The middle 4 chops were randomly designated for aging of 3 d and cooked to 63°C, aged 7 d and cooked to 63°C, aged 14 d and cooked to 63°C, or aged 14 d and cooked to 71°C. Chops (n = 272) were cooked by placing them in a water bath with an immersion circulator set to the desired end-point temperature for 90 min. Cook loss was calculated for each chop by measuring initial and final weight, and accounting for packaging weight. Four cores measuring 1.25 cm in diameter were cut parallel to the muscle fibers from each chop and analyzed for WBSF. Data were analyzed using a 1-way ANOVA. Least squares means were separated using the probability of difference (PDIFF) option in the MIXED procedure of SAS.ResultsCook loss increased as aging period or degree of doneness increased. Among chops cooked to 63°C, chops aged 3 d had 1.14% units less (P < 0.01) cook loss than those aged 7 d, and chops aged 7 d had 1.13% units less (P < 0.01) cook loss than those aged 14 d. Among chops aged for 14 d, chops cooked to 71°C had 10.06% units greater (P < 0.001) cook loss than chops cooked to 63°C. Differences in tenderness were also detected between aging periods. Among chops cooked to 63°C, chops aged 3 d required 0.27 kg more (P = 0.02) force to shear than those aged 7 d, but chops aged 7 d did not differ (P = 0.15) from those aged 14 d. End-point cooking temperature had a greater effect on tenderness, with chops aged 14 d and cooked to 71°C requiring 0.83 (P < 0.001) kg more force than those aged 14 d and cooked to 63°C. Previous studies have reported a decrease in Warner-Bratzler shear force between 7.10–21.29% when comparing early (1–3 d) and mid (7 or 9 d) aging and decreased between 3.53–15.38% when comparing mid and late (14–21 d) aging. In the present study, Warner-Bratzler shear force decreased 9.00% from early-to-mid aging and 5.86% from mid-to-late aging.ConclusionOverall, these data indicate sous-vide is an acceptable cooking method for use in experiments as expected differences in cook loss and WBSF were detected in chops aged to differing time points or cooked to differed degrees of doneness.
Predicting Early Stages of Beef Respiratory Disease Using Thermal Imaging Technology
Authors: Frandrup J. , Hall J. , Reed D. , Young J. , Ward A. , Sun X.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThe objective of this research was to utilize thermal imaging technology to estimate body temperature, so that an early stage of BRD can be detected.Materials and MethodsNinety-two steers were restrained in a squeeze chute that is housed in an indoor handling facility on 6 separate occasions. At least one image was taken of each side of the head using a thermal infrared camera (FLIR E8 WiFi, FLIR, Wilsonville, OR). The distance at which the images were taken was approximately 1 m from the steer. The rectal temperature was used as the control method to compare thermal imaging data. After thermal image acquisition, images were analyzed using the FLIR ResearchIR Max software (v. 4.40.8.28, FLIR, Wilsonville, OR), with the regions of interest being the eye and nasal cavity.ResultsThe analysis focused on minimum (MIN), maximum (MAX), mean, standard deviation (SD), and range of temperatures in the regions of interest. The REG procedure in SAS (v. 9.4, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) was used to perform stepwise regression to predict rectal temperature from the outdoor temperature (OTEMP) and all imaging features. When OTEMP was greater than –17.8°C, the regression model contained OTEMP, left nasal MAX, left nasal SD, and left eye MAX temperature and right eye temperature range, with an R2 of 0.24. When OTEMP was above freezing (0°C), the regression model contained left nasal temperature range, right eye temperature range, and average nasal mean temperature, with an R2 increase to 0.50. When using all data, the regression model fit left nasal MAX, right nasal MIN, average nasal mean, and left eye MAX temperatures and right eye temperature range, with an R2 of 0.08. These results show that thermal imaging technology has higher prediction accuracy in warmer temperature ranges than extreme cold conditions.ConclusionMore validation research on this thermal imaging technology needs to be conducted at warmer temperatures since all the current data was collected on cold winter days and a large portion of U.S. cattle are reared in more temperate and warmer areas than North Dakota such as Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida. Overall, these results show promise for using thermal imaging technology to help detect BRD in an earlier stage by detecting fever before other clinical signs of BRD are present.
Supranutritional Supplementation of Vitamin E Influences the Abundance of Antioxidant Proteins in Postmortem Longissimus Lumborum from Heifers
Authors: Kim H. M. , Suman S. P. , Li S. , Beach C. M. , Zhai C. , Nair M. N. , Harsh B. N. , Boler D. D. , Dilger A. C. , Shike D. W.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesVitamin E is a lipid-soluble antioxidant that can inhibit lipid oxidation and improve beef color stability. The effect of vitamin E on fresh beef color, from the standpoint of lipid oxidation-induced myoglobin oxidation, have been extensively studied. However, the influence of vitamin E on sarcoplasmic proteome profile of beef skeletal muscles is yet to be investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary vitamin E on sarcoplasmic proteome of postmortem beef longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle.Materials and MethodsCrossbred heifers, managed with a GrowSafe feeding system, were fed ad libitum corn-based diet containing either no supplemental (CONT) or 1000 IU vitamin E/heifer per day (VITE) for 89 d. The animals were harvested, and carcasses were chilled. The LL muscle samples were obtained from the carcasses of nine (n = 9) VITE and nine (n = 9) CONT heifers 24 h postmortem. The muscle samples were individually vacuum-packaged and frozen at –80°C for proteome analysis. Sarcoplasmic proteome was analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis, employing immobilized pH gradient strips (pH 3–10; 17 cm) in the first dimension and 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the second dimension. The gels were scanned, and the digital gel images were analyzed. The protein spots exhibiting more than 1.5-fold intensity differences (P < 0.10) between VITE and CONT were subjected to in-gel tryptic digestion and were identified by tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsFive differentially abundant spots were identified using mass spectrometry, and all the spots were over-abundant in CONT. The proteins in the differentially abundant spots were antioxidant proteins (thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase, peroxiredoxin-6, and serum albumin) and glycolytic enzymes (β-enolase and triosephosphate isomerase). The antioxidant proteins minimize oxidation of lipids and proteins in muscle matrix, whereas the glycolytic enzymes generate NADPH, which helps maintain the antioxidant proteins in their reduced forms.ConclusionThe strong antioxidant protection offered by vitamin E could have possibly led to less expression of antioxidant proteins as well as glycolytic enzymes that generate antioxidant metabolites in the VITE group, whereas the lack of such protection in CONT group may have led to increased expression of these proteins in the skeletal muscles.
A Clean-In-Place Type Sanitation Method Validation for a Benchtop Meat Grinder
Authors: Rayfield C. E. , Jadeja R. , Billups S.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThis research is designed to validate a novel clean-in-place type antimicrobial ice-based meat grinder sanitation method.Materials and MethodsFour different types of antimicrobial ice were prepared from peracetic acid (PAA, 350 mg/L) and combination PAA with 2% FreshFX® (PAAF), 2% Paradigm® (PAAP) and 2% lactic acid (PAAL). The grinders were inoculated by processing 400 g beef trim containing 400 μL of E. coli O157:H7 or S. Typhimurium DT 104 suspensions at 8.4 to 8.7 (high inoculation) and 5.3 to 5.5 (low inoculation) log CFU/mL. Each meat grinder was then treated by processing 1000 g of antimicrobial ice and 500 mL of corresponding antimicrobial solution. At the end of each treatment, 400 g un-inoculated beef was processed through the meat grinder, and the resulting ground beef was then analyzed for the presence of target pathogens by direct plating and after enrichment. Efficacies of antimicrobial ice-based treatments were compared with 1000 g deionized water ice + 500 mL deionized water (DI), and no treatment (NT) controls.ResultsAll antimicrobial ice treatments were able to reduce cross-contamination to non-detectable levels from the meat grinders inoculated at the low levels of pathogens, but after enrichment, target pathogens were detected in all the samples. Recoveries from the meat grinder inoculated with high levels of pathogens ranged from 5.95 to 3.50 log CFU/g and 5.86 to 3.46 log CFU/g for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium DT 104, respectively. All antimicrobial ice treatments were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) more effective in reducing cross-contamination in comparison of NT and DI controls. The microbial reductions achieved by different antimicrobial ice treatments were not significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different from each other.ConclusionThe antimicrobial ice-based meat grinder sanitation technique could effectively reduce foodborne pathogens from meat grinders without needing meat grinder disassembly.
Comparison of Oxidizing Solutions in the Evaluation of Metmyoglobin Reducing Activity in Dark-Cutting Beef
Authors: Price T. , Denzer M. , Mafi G. , VanOverbeke D. , Ramanathan R.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesMetmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA) is an inherent muscle biochemical property that can influence color stability. Hence, MRA is used in color research to better understand meat color changes. A greater postmortem muscle pH can affect inherent biochemical properties, including the conventional methodologies to determine MRA. The MRA methodology described in the American Meat Science Association Color Guide utilize changes in nitric oxide induced-metmyoglobin level pre- and post-incubation. However, a greater muscle pH can limit initial metmyoglobin formation. Hence, the methodology discussed in the AMSA color guide may not provide accurate results. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to compare different conditions to induce initial metmyoglobin formation.Materials and MethodsIn the first objective, normal-pH and dark-cutting steaks were dipped in 0.3%s (level recommended in the AMSA color guide) and 1% nitrite solution to induce metmyoglobin formation. Metmyoglobin formed steaks were blotted dry, vacuum packaged, and incubated at 30°C to induce metmyoglobin reduction. In the second experiment, 1% ferricyanide solution was used as an oxidizing agent. The methodology used in objective 1 was used to measure MRA. The experiments were replicated three times and the data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS.ResultsThere was no effect (P > 0.05) of nitrite concentration on MRA of dark-cutting beef. However, when 1% ferricyanide was used as an oxidizing agent, initial metmyoglobin was more (P < 0.05) in dark-cutting beef compared with 0.3% sodium nitrite solution.ConclusionThe results suggest that the use of a strong oxidizing agent can impart more metmyoglobin formation in high-pH/dark-cutting beef.
Effect of the MS Bacteriophage on STEC O157:H7 Populations in Beef
Authors: Laidler S. T. , Shebs E. L. , Giotto F. M. , Lukov M. J. , De Mello A. S.
Published: July 2021

ObjectivesThis research was conducted to evaluate the killing efficiency of the Mello-Shebs (MS) O157:H7 bacteriophage against three strains of STEC O157:H7 in vitro and on beef surface under aerobic conditions.Materials and MethodsKilling efficiency of bacteriophage MS O157:H7 (University of Nevada, Reno– Meat Science library) was tested against three strains including ATCC® 43895 (stx1 and stx2 positive), ATCC® 43894 (stx1 and stx2 positive), and Micreos 128. To determine the efficiency of the phage in vitro, each strain of STEC O157:H7 was incubated at 37°C overnight and then diluted to achieve 1500 CFU/mL. Subsequently, 0.1 mL of this dilution for each strain was plated onto 1.6% LB agar plates. The experimental plates received 0.1 mL of phage solution at 108 PFU/ml, in quadruplicate. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 h and the resulting colonies were counted and compared to controls to determine killing efficiency of the phage against each STEC strain. To evaluate the effect of bacteriophage application on beef, m. cutaneous trunci (rose meat, IMPS 194) were sourced from a USDA inspected facility, fabricated into 100 cm2 and randomly assigned to either control or treatment groups. Samples acclimated to 7°C were inoculated with a STEC cocktail to result in a contamination level of approximately 3 log CFU/cm2 on meat surfaces after swabbing. After bacterial attachment for 30 min at 7°C, control samples were treated with sterile buffered peptone water (BPW) and experimental samples were treated with the phage solution at 108 PFU/ml. After dwelling for 1 h at 7°C, samples were swabbed and the resulting 1 mL was thoroughly vortexed, serial diluted, and plated onto LB plates. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 h and the resulting colonies were counted. Data was analyzed as a completely randomized design in SAS. Means were separated by LSMEANS and differences were indicated by using DIFF functions.ResultsIn vitro killing efficiency of bacteriophage MS O157:H7 was determined to be 85%, 98.89%, and 97.16% for ATCC® 43894, ATCC® 43895, and Micreos 128 strains, respectively. On beef, bacteriophage application significantly decreased STEC loads by 0.626 log CFU/cm2 (P = 0.0184, SEM = 0.21).ConclusionBacteriophage MS-O157:H7 applications as an antimicrobial on beef reduces STEC O157:H7 populations on contaminated beef. Commercial applications of this bacteriophage may improve STEC control in meat products, however, having this treatment combined with other interventions such as organic acids or UV light treatment may increase the killing efficiency of STEC populations, warranting further research to determine industry applicability.