A Note on the Use of Dehydrated Milk Agar for Bacterial Counts on Raw and Dried Milks

Abstract

SUMMARY: The bacterial colony count of raw milk and of milk powder using milk agar prepared from a proprietary brand of the dehydrated medium has been compared with that obtained using the fresh medium prepared in the laboratory. No significant difference was found in 17 milks which were examined using the roll‐tube technique and 8 replicates/medium but in a second series of 32 milks the plate count (3 replicates/medium) was significantly lower on the reconstituted than on the fresh medium. Some milk powders gave a much lower plate count on the reconstituted medium, due to the inability of the latter to support adequate growth of Streptococcus thermophilus.

Landscape, orientation and celestial phenomena on the ‘Coast of Death’ of NW Iberia

“…There are 8/17 sites like this and further 7/17 sites that centre on cardinal east or west, this means that 15/17 sites are included in these two categories. Also, as indicated above, for the majority of sites, the eastern horizon is statistically shown to be lower than the western for all of the confirmed dolmens in Costa de Morte (n = 31 35 ). These topographic features were often visible in the field (see Figure 5a -Pedra Cuberta).…”

“…There we explained the possible visual influence of the surrounding vegetation of the dolmens. 22 We demonstrated that those areas of Galicia without mountains or sierras, like Costa da Morte, were likely primarily covered with mixed deciduous forest, dominated by oak (Quercus) with a light under-story of shrubs and herbs during the fifth to fourth millennium BC. 23 As well as dolmens possibly being erected within these open, deciduous forests, there is evidence for the reduction of forest and the creation of pockets of grasslands at the beginning of the first half of the fifth millennia BC, 24 coinciding with the earliest dates we have for dolmens in A Coruña region, like Forno dos Mouros 5a (Ua 20009 5635 ± 50 BP, 4590-4350 cal BC, 95.4%).…”

“…Firstly, from our earlier work, we found that at least two major visual effects resulted from, or are coupled with the topographical horizon choices of the dolmen builders, namely that the horizons in the east are shown to be lower in altitude than those in the west, and statistically lower in the east than the random profiles from the same area. 50 These outcomes are also now observable on the individual horizon profiles of the dolmens. The visual effects are: (i) the lower horizons in the east make it possible for the 'rays' of the rising Sun or Moon to enter the tomb and such horizons will ensure that the Sun or the Moon can be seen from inside the dolmen entrance or even the chamber, as we see at Dombate in Costa de Morte and the southern dolmens of discussed above -Alberite, Huerta Montero and Menga 51 , and (ii), with higher horizons in the west, a large dolmen or a future mound 52 would not block the views of the horizon or the astronomical bodies setting upon it, behind the dolmen.…”

“…The geographical area and associated mound/dolmens choices were adopted from the mound clustering models created by Carrero-Pazos and Rodríguez Casal for Galicia, 18 which used a Kernel density analysis to determine the level and form of clustering of all known mounds in Galicia, to create a map that illustrates core areas of this monument clustering. 19 We chose the cluster in the most NW corner of Galicia that correspond to the historic district of Costa da Morte. 20 The details of this approach and the determination of the periphery of our case-study area can be found in Higginbottom et al 21 From our list of exposed, recognisable dolmens within this area (n = 32; Figure 1), we extracted those with orthostats that allowed for the measurement of monument orientation (Table 1, n = 17).…”

“…19 We chose the cluster in the most NW corner of Galicia that correspond to the historic district of Costa da Morte. 20 The details of this approach and the determination of the periphery of our case-study area can be found in Higginbottom et al 21 From our list of exposed, recognisable dolmens within this area (n = 32; Figure 1), we extracted those with orthostats that allowed for the measurement of monument orientation (Table 1, n = 17).…”