Notes: The polar marine environment is characterised by low stable temperatures with seasonal variations ranging from ±3°C at lower latitudes to only ±0.2°C at high latitudes. The Arctic basin is dominated by multi-year ice. whereas the Antarctic is subject to large seasonal changes in the cover by annual sea ice. Primary production is intensely seasonal nearshore but probably less so in offshore waters where significant production is associated with the marginal ice zone. Oxygen consumption in polar zooplankton is low compared with temperate and tropical species. Annual growth rates are generally slow and, especially in herbivores, highly seasonal. It is likely that fast growth rates are possible for polar zooplankton in areas of high food availability such as ice-edge blooms, but these growth rates are not usually achieved in the more oligotrophic open-ocean areas. Lipid stores in polar herbivorous zooplankton are generally high, although some euphausiids and gelatinous zooplankton also rely on degrowth to provide energy over winter. Ice-edge blooms are of great importance to the polar marine food web although the quantitative significance of winter feeding under ice has yet to be resolved. Comparison of data on lipid storage and oxygen consumption for polar zooplankton indicates that there are large differences in the energy requirements of benthos and crustacean zooplankton. This is probably related to the high metabolic cost of staying in the water column. In contrast gelatinous zooplankton (salps, ctenophores. medusae and siphonophores) have a low energy throughput, related to a body composition which renders them essentially neutral in buoyancy and a slow but efficient means of locomotion. Under good feeding conditions many species can therefore grow and reproduce very rapidly. This emphasises the distinct energetic regime of gelatinous zooplankton, now known to be a group of major ecological importance in most waters of the world.

Notes: Restructured pork roasts were microwave cooked to an endpoint temperature of 73°C and evaluated for proximate composition, cooking loss and cooking time. Restructuring formulations were: (1) 0.75% salt and 0.2% phosphate (S/P), (2) S/P and 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0% carboxymethyl cellulose, (3) S/P and 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0% algin, and (4) 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% algin with calcium carbonate and lactic acid added at a constant ratio of 6:1:1.5, respectively. The algin/calcium restructuring resulted in faster (P〈 0.05) cooking time and less cooking loss. Decreased cooking time was attributable to improved penetration and/or dispersion of microwaves. Algin/calcium restructuring may interest companies utilizing microwave energy to precook meats and to consumers desiring quickly prepared meals. More uniform microwave heating of pork could reduce the concern of ingesting viable trichinae or other pathogens.

Notes: Rice flour and yellow or white corn flour were combined at 50, 60 and 70% levels with mechanically deboned turkey and extrusion processed at 104C and 121C. The texture of the extrudates was evaluated by Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS), and flour concentration had more effect on the WBS values than flour type; treatments with 70% flour had significantly greater WBS values. Corn flour treatments and low temperature extrusion resulted in greater TBA values. Proximate composition of extrudates confirmed moisture losses during extrusion and that high temperature processing had mixed results on ether-extractable compounds.

Notes: Abstract  Objectives and Methods: Reoperations are an integral part of a cardiac surgeon's practice. We share our experience of 546 reoperations over the last 21 years to January 2000, with the focus directed towards the timing of reoperation, reducing the mortality and morbidity of reoperation and rereplacement aortic valve surgery, and understanding the important risk factors. In addition, the precise technical steps that facilitate careful successful explantation of various devices (allograft, stented and stentless xenografts, and mechanical valves) are detailed. Results: Optimal planned reoperation before deterioration to New York Heart Association Class III/IV levels and before unfavorable cardiac and comorbidity general system failure occurs has produced low mortality and morbidity as compared with first operation results. However, unfavorable delays and late rereferral result in mortality rates of up to 22% for emergency redo AVR for degenerated bioprostheses. Conclusion: Cardiac surgical units have the opportunity to establish a closer patient-surgeon relationship, which favors, when necessary, the optimal timing of reoperation. Knowledge of the more important risk factors and adherence to specific technical steps at explantation of various devices enhances satisfactory reoperation outcomes.

Notes: Abstract  Objectives: Resternotomy is a common part of cardiac surgical practice. Associated with resternotomy are the risks of cardiac injury and catastrophic hemorrhage and the subsequent elevated morbidity and mortality in the operating room or during the postoperative period. The technique of direct vision resternotomy is safe and has fewer, if any, serious cardiac injuries. The technique, the reduced need for groin cannulation and the overall low operative mortality and morbidity are the focus of this restrospective analysis. Methods: The records of 495 patients undergoing 546 resternotomies over a 21-year period to January 2000 were reviewed. All consecutive reoperations by the one surgeon comprised patients over the age of 20 at first resternotomy: M:F 343:203, mean age 57 years (range 20 to 85, median age 60). The mean NYHA grade was 2.3 [with 67 patients (I), 273 (II), 159 (III), 43 (IV), and 4 (V classification)] with elective reoperation in 94.6%. Cardiac injury was graded into five groups and the incidence and reasons for groin cannulation estimated. The morbidity and mortality as a result of the reoperation and resternotomy were assessed. Results: The hospital/30 day mortality was 2.9% (95% CI: 1.6%-4.4%) (16 deaths) over the 21 years. First (481), second (53), and third (12) resternotomies produced 307 uncomplicated technical reopenings, 203 slower but uncomplicated procedures, 9 minor superficial cardiac lacerations, and no moderate or severe cardiac injuries. Direct vision resternotomy is crystalized into the principle that only adhesions that are visualized from below are divided and only sternal bone that is freed of adhesions is sewn. Groin exposure was never performed prophylactically for resternotomy. Fourteen patients (2.6%) had such cannulation for aortic dissection/aneurysm (9 patients), excessive sternal adherence of cardiac structures (3 patients), presurgery cardiac arrest (1 patient), and high aortic cannulation desired and not possible (1 patient). The average postop blood loss was 594 mL (95% CI:558–631) in the first 12 hours. The need to return to the operating room for control of excessive bleeding was 2% (11 patients). Blood transfusion was given in 65% of the resternotomy procedures over the 21 years (mean 854 mL: 95% Cl 765–945 mL) and 41% over the last 5 years. Conclusions: The technique of direct vision resternotomy has been associated with zero moderate or major cardiac injury/catastrophic-hemorrhage at reoperation. Few patients have required groin cannulation. In the postoperative period, there was acceptable blood loss, transfusion rates, reduced morbidity, and moderate low mortality for this potentially high risk group.

Notes: Cook loss, pH and microstructure of comminuted beef made with four NaCl (1.3, 2.0, 2.6, 3.3%) and two sodium tripolyphosphate levels (0, 0.4%) were evaluated. The addition of phosphate reduced cook loss and raised the pH of the raw product to 6.0. Scanning electron micrographs showed that samples with low cook loss had a fine protein matrix. Phosphate addition helped to reduce cook loss and overcome decreased functionality when using aged meat.

Notes: Thermal properties and components of restructured beef products formulated with five binders (0.5–5.0%) were determined after heating to 35, 45, 55, or 65°C. Binders were: isolated soy protein, sodium caseinate, waxy modified corn starch, carrageenan, and oat flour. Water losses were greater when no binders were used until 65°C was attained. Density was influenced by both temperature and binder; specific heat was influenced by temperature; and thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were influenced by binder. All thermal properties correlated with water and/or protein contents of restructured beef products.

Notes: Restructured steaks were manufactured using hot- and cold-boned (HB, CB) beef with or without a combination of sodium alginate (0.6%), CaCO3 (0.01%) and encapsulated lactate (0.6%). Evaluation of textural changes during refrigerated (4C) storage for 72 h revealed that the CB treatment resulted in more rapid gelation (12 h) of the algin/calcium binders than the HB treatment (30 h). All comparisons of physical and sensory properties confirmed that the restructured treatments with binders had greater cohesiveness than the controls (no binder). Comparison of penetration and compression force measurements revealed that HB products had the same or lower values than CB samples for all raw or cooked treatments. Sensory evaluation of bind strength and hardness suggested that statistical differences between HB and CB products were eliminated by cooking the restructured steaks.

Notes: Algin/calcium/myofibrillar protein gel interactions were investigated by modifying protein basic amino acids to an unreactive state and evaluating Instron texture profile (TP) of gels. Gels analyzed were: 1% algin and 0.075% CaCl2; 1% algin, 0.075% CaCl2 and 1.5% porcine myofibrillar protein (A/C/P); and A/C/P with lysine, histidine or arginine modified. The modification of amino acids reduced (P〈0.05) gel TP parameters of hardness, hardness 2, gumminess and chewiness. Similar TP data for protein modified gels indicated that each basic amino acid was involved in algin/protein gelation. Results provided evidence that ionic bonds between protein basic amino acids and algin carboxylate groups may be important for algin/myofibrillar protein gelation.