Desert mammals often experience scarcity of drinking water and food for prolonged periods. In this study, the first long-term acclimation experiment in a non-domesticated desert-adapted ungulate, we investigated the mechanisms used by the Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx, to adjust its physiology to progressive food and water restriction over 5 months, an experimental regimen and time course chosen to mimic what it typically experiences between spring and late summer in the desert. At the end of the acclimation period, oryx consumed less than one and half of food and water of animals in the control group and lost 8.2±2.6% of their initial body mass. Experimental animals reduced their mass-specific resting metabolic rate (RMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) by 16.2 and 25.7%, respectively, and maintained a digestive efficiency of about 70%. We found no support for the idea that reduced RMR in oryx correlated with a decreased thyroid hormone concentration in plasma. At the end of the 5 months acclimation, oryx continued to mobilize fatty acids to fuel metabolism, and did not use protein breakdown as a major source of gluconeogenesis. Oryx in the experimental group reduced their water intake by 70% and maintained constant plasma osmolality. They adjusted their water budget by reducing mass-specific TEWL, increasing urine osmolality and reducing urine volume by 40%, and excreting feces with <50% water content. Oryx have an unusually low TEWL compared with other arid-zone ungulates; both hydrated and water-deprived individuals have TEWL values, 51.7 and 39.3%, respectively, of allometric predictions for arid-zone ungulates.

To determine the efficacy of electrolysed oxidizing (EO) water in inactivating Vibrio parahaemolyticus on kitchen cutting boards and food contact surfaces. Cutting boards (bamboo, wood and plastic) and food contact surfaces (stainless steel and glazed ceramic tile) were inoculated with V. parahaemolyticus. Viable cells of V. parahaemolyticus were detected on all cutting boards and food contact surfaces after 10 and 30 min, respectively, at room temperatures. Soaking inoculated food contact surfaces and cutting boards in distilled water for 1 and 3 min, respectively, resulted in various reductions of V. parahaemolyticus, but failed to remove the organism completely from surfaces. However, the treatment of EO water [pH 2·7, chlorine 40 ppm, oxidation-reduction potential 1151 mV] for 30, 45, and 60 s, completely inactivated V. parahaemolyticus on stainless steel, ceramic tile, and plastic cutting boards, respectively. EO water could be used as a disinfecting agent for inactivating V. parahaemolyticus on plastic and wood cutting boards and food contact surfaces. Rinsing the food contact surfaces with EO water or soaking cutting boards in EO water for up to 5 min could be a simple strategy to reduce cross-contamination of V. parahaemolyticus during food preparation.

F. Baah, 'Characterization of water yam (D. alata) for existing (amala, boiled yam and pounded yam) and potential food products', 2006

Objective: We assessed the extent of energy misreporting from the use of a self-administered 7-day diet record (7-DDR) and a widely used food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) compared to total energy expenditure from doubly labeled water (DLW) in a group of postmenopausal women. Design: At baseline, 65 healthy postmenopausal women were instructed to fill out the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) FFQ and a 7-DDR. Average total energy expenditure using the DLW method was also performed at baseline. Results: On average, the women underestimated total energy intake compared to total energy expenditure assessed from DLW by 37% on the 7-DDR and 42% on the FFQ. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the interpretation of findings from the 7-DDR- and FFQ-based energy-disease association studies in postmenopausal women needs further evaluation. Sponsorship: This research was supported (in part) by the Intramural Program of the NIH (National Cancer Institute).

Water sorption isotherms and effective moisture diffusivities were determined at 20 degrees C for sponge cakes at high water activity as a function of their initial porosity, in the range 86 and 52% (0 g/g dry basis fat content), and of their fat content, ranging between 0 and 0.30 g/g dry basis (67% initial porosity). The equilibrium moisture values were not affected by food structure and decreased with increasing fat content. The effective moisture diffusivity decreased from 7.5 to 0.3 X 10(-10) m2/s with increasing moisture content from 0.30 to 2.20 g/g dry basis. Decreasing initial porosity from 86 to 52% decreased effective moisture diffusivity by more than four orders of magnitude. This behaviour was related to differences of water transfer mechanisms, with the contribution from liquid water diffusion in the solid matrix and from vapour water diffusion in pores. Increasing fat content of 0.30 g/g dry basis in sponge cake, independently of porosity, decreased effective moisture diffusivity by more than five orders of magnitude. A predictive mathematical model was used to simulate moisture intake in two-composite food systems: sponge cakes with varying initial porosities and fat contents and an agar gel as a model of a non-rate limiting water source. Increasing the density of the structure or addition of fat in the cereal-based phase could increase shelf life of composite foods.

We investigated changes in the physicochemical characteristics and functional components of the Saengsik cereal grains-milled rice, brown rice, glutinous rice, and barley- by washing with electrolyzed water. There were no changes in the composition of all cereal grains that was dried with hot-air and freeze-dried after being washed with electrolyzed water. The L and a values were not affected by drying in milled rice, brown rice, glutinous rice, or barley, but the b value increased in milled rice and glutinous rice-this increase was greater with hot-air drying than with freeze-drying.

Revised! This series is the Spanish language version of the Handbook of Florida Water Regulations by Michael T. Olexa, Luke D'Isernia, Laura Minton, Dulcy Miller, and Sara Corbett. Published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, November 2006. FE072/FE072: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua en Florida: Ley de Protección de la Calidad de los Alimentos (ufl.edu) Ask IFAS: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua de Florida (ufl.edu)

Revised! This series is the Spanish language version of the Handbook of Florida Water Regulations by Michael T. Olexa, Luke D'Isernia, Laura Minton, Dulcy Miller, and Sara Corbett. Published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, November 2006. FE072/FE072: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua en Florida: Ley de Protección de la Calidad de los Alimentos (ufl.edu) Ask IFAS: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua de Florida (ufl.edu)

Revised! This series is the Spanish language version of the Handbook of Florida Water Regulations by Michael T. Olexa, Luke D'Isernia, Laura Minton, Dulcy Miller, and Sara Corbett. Published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, November 2006. FE072/FE072: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua en Florida: Ley de Protección de la Calidad de los Alimentos (ufl.edu) Ask IFAS: Manual de los Reglamentos del Agua de Florida (ufl.edu)

Se presenta en este trabajo un análisis de costo de un destilador solar de agua, que se tomará como punto de partida para evaluar la posibilidad de construir una planta de desalación solar de agua. Esta es extraída a profundidad mediante un dispositivo neumático construido para ser utilizado en las regiones de aguas muy profundas, y desprovistas de energía eléctrica. Se presenta una breve descripción del dispositivo neumático, y su esquema de funcionamiento, dos modelos distintos de destiladores solares de agua, y un análisis de costo para la construcción de un destilador solar de agua de 2 mts. de largo por 1 mt. de ancho, (2 mts²) con batea liviana. | An cost analysis of a water solar distiller is presented in this work, that we will take as departure point to evaluate the possibility of constructing a solar plant of water purification. This water is extracted with a pneumatic device constructed to be used in the areas where water is very deep, and is used in those areas located far away from traditional power systems, as they appear in all the south region the west of the province of San Luis - Argentina. In addition we anticipates that in a high percentage these will be brackish. It’ll be presents a brief description of the pneumatic device, and its operation, two models different from water solar distillers, and an economic analysis for the construction of a 2 mts² solar water distiller with light tray. | Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES)