Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:16:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6188.pdf: 3347604 bytes, checksum: 2a4cb7cf236e18226b1a1de44702cc06 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-03 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In order to assist the institutions of science and technology to obtain actionable information for use in strategic processes and innovation, this research proposes a systematic, based on the practices of Competitive Intelligence to verify in an area of knowledge, which are organizations that can help in their research and development by mapping them and analyzing their scientific and technological profiles. The difference of this research is in this systematic emphasis on the recovery process of technological information. This process should be more rigorous, or even better investigated because, when not applied correctly can result in a skew analysis, compromising the information production. To develop a systematic methodology adopted was the case study, choosing Embrapa Instrumentation for the application. This institution was chosen because is a unit of EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, which actively participates in innovative practices in agribusiness and intelligence. The systematic was developed in the area of instrumentation applied to agribusiness comprising four main processes: a) identification of needs and categorization of activities; b) planning; c) mapping the organization and retrieval of information; d) analysis of the scientific- technological profile and classification organizations. The results were: a) a systematic of mapping and analysis of scientific - technological profile; b) the main organizations with potential contribution in research and development activities of the institution of study; c) the scientific - technological profile of each organization; d) the positioning of these in the agro-industrial system e) the key organizations, specifically, that acted more broadly in the categories of research and development of institution of science and technology. It is evident from the results that the objective was achieved contributing to the bottleneck that exists in the literature about recovery of technological information and providing actionable information to the institution of science and technology to understand your context of operation. Universities Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, Beijing University of Technology and the Company Sinopec were identified as key to the institution of study organizations. The development and implementation of systematic contributed in so far as possible the replication of this research in other areas, at other times, to other institutions of science and technology, and foster studies of other authors in order to promote improvements in the systematic, particularly in the process of technological information retrieval. / Com o intuito de auxiliar as instituições de ciência e tecnologia a obterem informação acionável para serem utilizadas em processos estratégicos e de inovação, a presente pesquisa propõe uma sistemática, baseada nas práticas da Inteligência Competitiva, para verificar dentro de uma determinada área do conhecimento, quais são as organizações que podem contribuir em suas atividades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento mapeando-as e analisando seus perfis científico-tecnológico. O diferencial desta sistemática está na ênfase dada ao processo de recuperação das informações tecnológicas. Este processo deve ser mais rigoroso, ou mesmo melhor estudado, pois, quando não aplicado de forma correta pode acarretar em um enviesamento da análise, comprometendo a produção de informação. Para elaborar a sistemática a metodologia adotada foi a de estudo de caso, escolhendo a Embrapa Instrumentação para a aplicação. Esta instituição foi escolhida por ser uma unidade da EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária), a qual atua ativamente em práticas de inovação e inteligência no agronegócio. A sistemática foi desenvolvida na área de instrumentação aplicada ao agronegócio compreendendo quatro processos principais: a) identificação das necessidades e categorização das atividades; b) planejamento; c) mapeamento das organizações e recuperação das informações; d) análise do perfil científicotecnológico e classificação das organizações. Os resultados obtidos foram: a) a sistemática de mapeamento e análise do perfil científico-tecnológico; b) as principais organizações com potencial de contribuição nas atividades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento da organização de estudo; c) o perfil científico-tecnológico de cada uma delas; d) o posicionamento destas no sistema agroindustrial; e) as organizações chave, especificamente, as que atuaram de forma mais abrangente nas categorias de pesquisa e desenvolvimento da instituição de ciência e tecnologia. Evidencia-se através dos resultados que o objetivo da pesquisa foi atingido contribuindo com o gargalo sobre recuperação da informação tecnológica existente na literatura e fornecendo informação acionável para a instituição de ciência e tecnologia do estudo compreender seu contexto de atuação. As universidades Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, Beijing University of Technology e a empresa Sinopec foram identificadas como organizações chave para a instituição de estudo. A elaboração e aplicação da sistemática contribuiu na medida em que viabilizou a replicação desta pesquisa em outras áreas, em outros períodos, para outras instituições de ciência e tecnologia, além de fomentar estudos de outros autores afim de promover melhorias na sistemática, principalmente no que se refere ao processo de recuperação de informações tecnológicas.

Orientador: Maria Beatriz Machado Bonacelli / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T03:30:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Albuquerque_MarconiEdsonEsmeraldo_D.pdf: 3922326 bytes, checksum: 2be7fcbd4f3bbc0db14938fd6d32b13f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Este trabalho abre a caixa-preta do Modelo de Excelência Gerencial do Prêmio Nacional da Qualidade (MEG/PNQ) ao analisar a emergência e a difusão, os resultados e as limitações de um projeto vinculado a ele - o Projeto Excelência na Pesquisa Tecnológica (PEPT), da Associação Brasileira das Instituições de Pesquisa Tecnológica (ABIPTI), voltado à melhoria da gestão de Institutos e Centros de Pesquisas (ICPs) no país. A dinâmica que se eleva da co-evolução de tecnologias, instituições e organizações é central no estudo, pois ajuda na compreensão do papel e da importância das organizações que produzem e disseminam conhecimento na constituição de Sistemas de Inovação - neste caso, ICPs - e sobre como elas tomam decisões e relacionam-se com outras organizações. Assim, a análise voltou-se à co-evolução de ICPs brasileiros que aderiram ao PEPT, mudanças no ambiente técnico-científico, assim como no contexto institucional (nacional e internacional). O PNQ encoraja ICPs a reverem e a aperfeiçoarem suas rotinas. Entretanto, a capacidade de inovação dos ICPs pode ser limitada, uma vez que, imersos em ciclos de melhoria contínua, estes podem não perceber mudanças no ambiente, nem que rotinas e capacidades prevalecentes podem não atender mais a novos problemas. Daí, a importância do PEPT em mobilizar os ICPs e em promover um fórum de discussão envolvendo técnicos dessas organizações. Embora o PEPT tenha ajudado ICPs a introduzirem novas rotinas e práticas na gestão de suas atividades de C,T&I, sua real contribuição é difícil de ser percebida, dentre outros aspectos, porque se limita em uma agenda micro-institucional, focada na otimização de práticas, insuficiente para promover mudanças expressivas nas organizações. Políticas públicas, juntamente com mudança na postura dos ICPs, devem sim convergir para definir os papéis destas organizações e sua contribuição ao desenvolvimento técnico-inovativo e sócio-econômico do país. A construção de capacidades de absorção parece ser uma estratégia importante para os ICPs, pois valorizam elementos como flexibilidade e autonomia, fundamentais nessas organizações / Abstract: This work opens the black-box of the Business Excellence Model of Brazilian Quality Award (MEG/PNQ) to analyze the emergence and dissemination, results and limitations of a program linked to it - 'Projeto Excelência na Pesquisa Tecnológica (PEPT)', an iniciative led by Brazilian Association of Research and Technology Organizations (ABIPTI), dedicated to improving the managerial performance of Brazilian Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs). The dynamic that rises from the co-evolution of technologies, institutions and organizations is central to the study since it helps in understanding the roles and importance of organizations that produce and disseminate knowledge in the formation of Innovation Systems - in this case, RTOs - and how they make decisions and relate to other organizations. Thus, the analysis focused on the co-evolution of Brazilian RTOs who joined the PEPT, changes in the technical and scientific environment and in institutional set-up (national and international). PNQ encourages RTOs to review and refine their routines. However, the innovative capacity of RTOs can be limited, once immersed in cycles of continuous improvement, the RTOs can not perceive changes in the environment and that prevailing routines and capabilities do not meet new problems and requires further experimentation. PEPT was important because it was capable to mobilize RTOs and to promote a forum involving many workers of these organizations. Although PEPT has helped RTOs to introduce organizational routines and practices, its actual contribution is difficult to be perceived, because it is limited in a micro-institutional agenda, focused on optimizing organizational practices, insufficient to promote significant changes in organizations. Public policies and changing the posture of RTOs must converge to define the roles of RTOS and their contribution to technical-innovative and socio-economic development of Brazil. Construct absorption capabilities seems to be an important strategy for RTOs, because they value things like flexibility and autonomy, fundamental to these organizations / Doutorado / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

Orientadores: Sergio Luiz Monteiro Salles Filho, Carlos Americo Pacheco / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T03:23:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Corder_SolangeMaria_D.pdf: 9001180 bytes, checksum: f1ca1adf3ce1a037f8b993a1f3d673ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: O objetivo desta tese é analisar os limites e as perspectivas dos incentivos e instrumentos de financiamento à ciência, tecnologia e inovação no Brasil, no período recente. Abordar os aspectos financeiros dos investimentos à inovação é fundamental no atual contexto no qual a inovação assume um papel central nas estratégias competitivas de empresas e países. O Brasil conta com uma estrutura bancária de dimensões significativas, mas o crédito privado é um instrumento que pouco tem contribuído para o financiamento dos investimentos produtivos e inovativos por motivos como baixa demanda, cenário macroeconômico desfavorável e postura conservadora deste segmento do mercado para financiar investimentos em que as incertezas e os riscos são maiores que no mercado financeiro. O mercado de capitais brasileiro, por sua vez, tem baixa representatividade no volume de negociações reutilizadas na esfera financeira, também contribuindo pouco para a produção e para a inovação, em parte pelo pequeno número de empresas que participam deste mercado, em parte pelos problemas institucionais e regulatórios por ele apresentados. Inovações importantes vêm ocorrendo nestes mercados no nível internacional, mas elas não têm sido proveitosas, ao menos no Brasil, para ampliar o aporte de recursos em P&D&I. Apesar de crescente, o capital de risco, ainda tem baixa expressividade nos investimentos desta natureza. Por sua vez, o governo criou recentemente, diversos instrumentos de incentivo, mas estes não cobrem com a mesma intensidade todas as etapas envolvidas no processo de inovação. Ao mesmo tempo, o uso dos recursos vem sendo dificultado, ou por problemas de contingenciamento, ou pelas dificuldades de gestão destes recursos. Ampliar o alcance destes instrumentos para que a atividade de inovação e o desenvolvimento da P&D seja uma prática nas empresas dos mais diversos setores é desejável, inclusive para ocupar o espaço não coberto pelo mercado, devido à mencionada atitude conservadora dos investidores para incorporar ativos desta natureza em seus portafólios, mesmo com a emergência dos mercados secundários, da securitização de títulos, dos derivativos, e demais instrumentos que permitem segregar riscos ou ampliar a liquidez dos papéis negociados tornando-os mais aceitáveis nos mercados primários. As principais conclusões deste trabalho apontam para a insuficiência dos incentivos e instrumentos criados pelo governo e para a necessidade de um melhor aproveitamento, por parte das agências de fomento, das oportunidades do mercado, seja por meio do aumento na sua participação direta e indireta em mercados de risco, seja por meio da criação de novos conceitos de financiamento, seja pela intensificação dos mecanismos existentes. É desejável que haja uma maior cooperação entre FINEP e BNDES, pois suas ações são complementares ou até mesmo se sobrepõem. Desse modo seria conformada uma sólida base de finance e funding aos investimentos inovativos até hoje escassa no Brasil. O crescimento sustentado da economia é, porém, condição indispensável para que, também pelo lado da demanda, haja um maior estimulo no tocante às decisões de investir, criando-se assim um círculo virtuoso para o investimento produtivo e inovativo / Abstract: This thesis aims to ana1yze the limits and perspectives of the science, tecbnology and innovation financing mechanisms and incentives in Brazil over recent years. It is fundamental to address the innovation aspects of investments financing in the present context where innovation plays a key role in countries' and enterprises' competitive strategies. Brazil has a significant large banking structure, but private credit has been of little importance on financing productive and innovative investments for reasons such as low demand, unfavorable macro-economic scenery and the conservative posture of the Brazilian banking segmento The Brazilian capital market, in tum, is underdeveloped and brings modest contributions to innovation and production: on one hand because of the smalI number of enterprises participating on that market, on the other hand for the regulatory and institutional problems it presents. Important innovations have been occurring on these markets international wise but, at least on Brazil, they have not been effective as to increase to R&D&I. Althougb it presents a tendency of growth, venture capital still has low participation in this sort of investment. The govemment, in tum, has recently created some incentive mechanisms but they do not cover alI the innovation process phases with the same intensity. Furthermore, these resources are quite hard to tap, either by their decreasing amount due to reduced availability, or by the difficulties managing public resources under current mIes. Widening these mechanisms application is imperative so that R&D&I activities can become common practice of alI business sectors. These new mechanisms would fill the gap left by the resistance conservative markets that investors maintain to these risk assets, even with the emergence of secondary markets, of security bonds, of derivatives, and other mechanisms that enable them to segregate risks and increase the commercial papers liquidity, making them more acceptable on primary markets. The most important conclusions of this work reveal insufficient govemment incentives and the need for a better use of market opportunities by Funding Agencies. This goal may be achieved either by incentives to increase their role on risk markets, by new finance program concepts or by a more intense use of the existing mechanisms. It would be desirable a more cooperative attitude between FINEP and BNDES because they actions are complementary and overlap themselves. This way it would be laid solidfinance andfimding groundwork for innovative investments, stilI deficient in Brazil. Sustained economic growth is an indispensable condition so we have, also in terms of demand, a stimulus to investment decisions, permitting the creation of a "virtuous circle" to productive and innovative investment / Doutorado / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

<p>In this thesis, I investigate the effects of social and political context on the process and outcomes of science communication in two different settings, using Dietram Scheufele’s interpretation of science communication as political communication. </p> <p>In the first setting, I examine the communication of climate tipping points at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) using 26 semi-structured interviews and 271 surveys administered to members of the UNFCCC policy community. Survey results revealed that only a small minority (14.3%) of policymakers defined climate tipping points consistently with the scientific community. Interview responses revealed that many policymakers believed they were not responsible for incorporating new scientific advice into their work on negotiations, and that this was the responsibility of scientists. Scientists interviewed expressed frustration that policymakers were not willing to hear scientific information they saw as irrelevant to their work on the negotiations. Policymakers responding to interviews were also unwilling to defy social norms by introducing a topic they saw as “complicated” into negotiations. Interview respondents who believed climate tipping points should be discussed within formal negotiations also noted that they interpreted the effects of climate change as temporally or spatially immediate to themselves. </p> <p>In the second setting, I examine how the United States print media incorporated discussion of climate change into coverage of the 2017 hurricane season via a content analysis of hurricane coverage in six major US newspapers. Conservative papers and liberal papers displayed significant differences in frequency and directness of references to climate change, as well as a significant difference in the references to climate denial messages, climate consensus messages, and use of proximity cues. However, the conservative paper near a 2017 hurricane consistently displayed significant differences in coverage from the other conservative papers. This paper frequently used social norms in messaging to shift narratives of acceptability of climate change discussion among conservatives. Both conservative and liberal papers near a 2017 hurricane used proximity cues to indicate the effects of climate change are both physically and temporally near at greater rates than elite and regional papers not near a 2017 hurricane.</p> <p>Taken together, these results reveal that three major factors influenced climate change communication in these two settings. First, power to define direction and content of science communication explains the lack of communication about climate tipping points at the UNFCCC. Policymakers’ hold legitimate power over science communication. This power is codified within UNFCCC structure. Policymakers’ expert power is also interpreted as more relevant to negotiations processes than scientists’ expert power; meaning policymakers are free to define what information is “policy relevant” and therefore, what is communicated. Second, social norms influenced how and whether communication occurred. Social norms prohibiting behavior disruptive to consensus building influenced policymaker definitions of “policy relevant.” Social norms among US conservatives prohibiting serious discussion of climate tipping points were also apparent. Finally, perceptions of climate change as immediate and nearby seemed related to willingness to defy social norms around climate change communication. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Cette thèse examine l’imagination des systèmes de mesure de la performance au sein de l’industrie pharmaceutique. Par une observation participante étendue dans une grande entreprise pharmaceutique et des entretiens dans cette industrie, les trois articles de cette thèse explorent les influences intra et extra-organisationnelles qui agissent sur la forme et les raisons des systèmes de rémunération que les sociétés pharmaceutiques utilisent pour leur force de vente. Le premier article considère que les systèmes comptables émergent d’un ensemble d’inscriptions dramatisées qui mettent en scène, encadrent et médiatisent l’interaction entre les différents acteurs, internes et externes à l’organisation, qui participent à la fabrication d’un algorithme de rémunération. Le deuxième article théorise de quelle manière moral imaginaries sont constitués en objets comptables et comment les instruments comptables agissent comme médiateur moral. Il présente les systèmes émergents de mesure de la performance en tant que dispositifs de calcul moral façonnés par les imaginaires moraux contrastés de concepteurs hétérogènes. Le troisième article se concentre sur la manière dont les systèmes de mesure de la performance émergent et se stabilisent dans le contexte des marchés, afin d'explorer les infrastructures comptables au niveau de l’industrie que permettent aux acteurs organisationnels de visualiser, rendre compte et agir sur le marché lorsque ce dernier est invisible à pour ses participants. Pour que les systèmes de mesure de la performance fonctionnent sur un marché, il est nécessaire d’avoir une collaboration au sein du secteur, des opacités construites et des processus de (de)commercialisation de l’identité des acteurs. / This thesis examines the field-level imagining of Performance Measurement Systems in the pharmaceutical sector. By means of an extended participant observation in a Big Pharma company and interviews in the pharmaceutical sector, the three articles of this thesis explore the intra- and extra-organizational influences that act upon the shape and rationales of the compensation systems pharmaceutical companies operate for their sales-force. The first article explores accounting systems as emerging from a set of dramatized inscriptions that stage, frame, and mediate interaction among the different actors, internal and external to the organization, that participate in the fabrication of a compensation algorithm. The second article theorizes in what way moral imaginaries are constituted into accounting objects, and how accounting acts as a moral mediator. It shows emergent performance measurement systems as moral calculating devices that are shaped by, and engage with, the contrasting moral imaginaries of heterogeneous designers. The third paper brings the concern with how performance measurement systems emerge and stabilize in the context of markets, to explore the field-level accounting infrastructures that enable organizational actors to visualize, account for, and act upon the market when the market is invisible to its participants. For performance measurement systems to work in a market, it is suggested, they require field-level collaboration, constructed opacities, and processes of marketization and de-marketization of actors’ identities.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Jon M. Faubion / Endosperm texture is an important characteristic in determining wheat processing and end-use. The presence of puroindoline proteins on the starch surface is the biochemical marker for wheat hardness. Near-isogenic samples over expressing puroindolines have been used to assess the effect of wheat hardness on final product characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine differences among starch isolated from near-isogenic samples and to investigate the role starch surface components play in pasting. The use of near-isogenic samples over expressing puroindolines combined with the use of two methods of starch isolation (batter and dough) was an effective means to create samples with varied amounts of surface components. Starch thermal properties were characterized and surface proteins and lipids were quantified. Starch isolated from hard wheat cultivars presented more similarities with starch isolated from its soft near-isogenic line when a dough method was used than when a batter method was used. Starch from soft experimental lines isolated using a batter method showed increased MVA peak viscosity, breakdown and swelling power. Increased levels of LysoPC in starch isolated from hard wheat cultivars or soft experimental lines by dough method could have complexed with amylose and restricted granule swelling. Thereby, decreasing peak viscosity, breakdown and swelling power.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Edgar Chambers IV / Companies introduce new products with the goal of achieving success. However, many products fail. The overall objective of this research was to design processes for determining sensory and market characteristics of food products that could predict success. The first sub-objective was to determine if success could be predicted using information known before launch. The second sub-objective was to describe a process for determining specific sensory characteristics that promote success. Most methods chosen for this research are commonly used. However, previous research has identified a relationship between consumers liking and salivation, without defining a method. Thus, three salivation methods were selected for initial testing: spit, cotton rolls and sensory scale. These were tested on foods with different textures. Although all methods gave similar results, the spit method was chosen for further testing of flavor differences. Differences in salivation measurements were found for snacks where flavors were different but texture was unchanged. Next, flavored snack products from 15 countries were selected that were successful or had failed. Questionnaires were completed for each product and included questions related to authenticity, familiarity, current trends, packaging and marketplace issues such as product competition and pricing, all of which would be known before launch. A discriminant function was developed that correctly identified 75.8% of the successful flavored snack products as successful and 66.7% of the unsuccessful products as unsuccessful. Stepwise comparisons were used to determine that four variables are necessary to correctly categorize these products. The products then were clustered into three groups to select 34 products from 11 countries for further sensory testing. Information from extensive sensory descriptive methods were evaluated individually and in various combinations through stepwise regression and discriminant analysis. The final sensory model correctly predicted all successful and unsuccessful products, had an R-square of 0.84 and included nine regression factors: seven flavor attributes and two flavor attribute ratios. Many of the attributes were base flavor notes necessary for this flavored snack category. A process for selecting key attributes for success was described. For this snack category, creating products with flavors that interact well with base flavor notes can lead to a successful product.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Yong Cheng Shi / To realize the full potential of waxy wheat flours in food applications, six advanced hard waxy wheat lines were studied. Pasting properties of waxy wheat flours as well as factors governing the pasting properties were investigated. Waxy wheat starch granules swelled more extensively and were more prone to α-amylase degradation than normal wheat starch. A combination of endogenous α-amylase activity and protein matrix contributed to a large variation of pasting properties of waxy wheat flours. Bi-axial extension properties classified dough from waxy wheat as in-elastic. Waxy wheat flour had higher water absorption and lower mixing time than normal wheat flour. Waxy wheat starch affected protein hydration but not protein extractability after optimum dough mixing. Presence of some non-protein free thiol contents and some gliadins acting as chain terminators could be the underlying reasons for waxy wheat flours producing slack dough. In an effort to improve functionality of waxy wheat flours, hydro-thermal processing was used. Two temperatures (140 and 160°C), three moisture contents (0, 12.4 and 20%), and four exposure times (0, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min) were employed. Hydrothermal processing resulted in non-cohesive waxy wheat flours with high viscosity and greater acid stability than native waxy wheat flour. A closer investigation revealed the possible role of endosperm proteins in improving pasting properties of waxy wheat flours. Upon thermal processing, waxy wheat flours demonstrated a long hydration time before forming dough. Heating decreased protein solubility while no changes in starch molecular weight distribution were observed. Our results indicate that hydro-thermal processing results in increased starch protein interaction. As part of application of waxy wheat, bread was baked by replacing normal wheat flour with two hard waxy wheat flours at 15, 30, and 45% levels. Substitution with waxy wheat flour resulted in higher loaf volume and softer loaves. However, substitution at > 30% resulted in excessive post-bake shrinkage and a ‘key-hole’ shape with an open crumb structure. Bread crumb microstructure indicated a loss of starch granule rigidity and fusing of starch granules. Soluble starch content was significantly higher in bread 1-day old crumb containing waxy wheat flour than in control bread.

Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science Institute -- Animal Science & Industry / J. Scott Smith / Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are produced in meats cooked at high temperature, which are potent mutagens and a risk factor for human cancers. Occurrence of HCAs in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products and cooked meat products based on prevalence of various cooking methods that are preferred among U.S. meat consumers were investigated. The primary HCAs detected in samples were PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine), MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline), and DiMeIQx (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethyl-imidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline). RTE meat products were ranked in the following order of increasing total HCA content: pepperoni (0.05 ng/g) < hot dogs and deli meat products (0.5 ng/g) < fully cooked bacon (1.1 ng/) < rotisserie chicken meat (1.9 ng/g) < rotisserie chicken skin (16.3 ng/g). In cooked meat products, high levels of total HCAs were found in fried pork (13.91 ng/g), fried fish (14.91 ng/g), and fried bacon (17.91 ng/g). Inhibition of HCAs by rosemary extracts, which were extracted with different solvents, were evaluated in cooked beef patties. Five rosemary extracts were 100W (100% water), 10E (10% ethanol), 20E (20% ethanol), 30E (30% ethanol), and 40E (40% ethanol). Rosemary extract 20E containing a mixture of rosmarinic acid (27.3 mg/g), carnosol (72.9 mg/g), and carnosic acid (4.2 mg/g) showed the greatest inhibition of MeIQx (up to 91.7%) and PhIP (up to 85.3%). The effect of enhancement and marination on HCA formation in meat products was investigated. The addition of salt and phosphate greatly improved the water-holding capacity and decreased HCA formation (up to 58%) in enhanced fresh meat products. An greater reduction of HCAs (up to 79%) was found in marinated fresh meat; the enhancement solution for this meat contained ingredients that exhibited good antioxidant properties.

Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science Institute -- Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / David G. Renter / Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157 are important causes of foodborne illness in humans and have been associated with the consumption of undercooked, contaminated beef. Individual feedlot cattle may shed these organisms in their feces and subsequently contaminate cattle hides and carcasses at harvest. Preharvest and harvest interventions may significantly decrease the risk of beef contamination and subsequent risk of human illness. Previous research suggests that preharvest interventions for Salmonella or E. coli O157 may compliment harvest interventions and reduce the risk of carcass contamination. In my research, I used diverse study designs to develop a better understanding of the epidemiology of Salmonella and E. coli O157 and evaluate the impact of specific preharvest interventions in commercial feedlot cattle. A randomized controlled trial indicated that a commercially available vaccine did not affect the fecal prevalence of Salmonella, or health and performance of cohorts of feedlot cattle. However, the fecal prevalence of Salmonella varied by cohort, suggesting cattle source as a risk factor. In a repeated cross-sectional study, the fecal prevalence of Salmonella in cattle at feedlot arrival was not associated with the prevalence immediately prior to harvest, yet specific Salmonella subtypes, as defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), persisted throughout the feeding period. Another of my studies defined and compared PFGE subtypes of E. coli O157 isolated from cattle feces and carcass samples at harvest to determine relationships between fecal shedding and carcass contamination. Truckload appeared to be an important factor, and feces from cattle shedding both high- and low-concentrations of E. coli O157 posed a risk for carcass contamination. A stochastic Monte-Carlo modeling framework was later used to assess the impact of seasonal fecal prevalence and combinations of preharvest interventions on the risk of carcass contamination with E. coli O157. Results indicated that it may be important to incorporate multiple preharvest interventions, especially during periods of high fecal prevalence of E. coli O157. Overall, the research described in this dissertation demonstrates that multiple risk factors and interventions at the cohort level must be considered in order to mitigate the risks associated with Salmonella and E. coli O157 in beef production systems.