Do cereal mixed‐linked β‐glucans possess immune‐modulating activities?

β‐glucans are known for their immune‐modulating properties. However, the heterogeneity of these glucose polymers makes a distinction between the different sources and structures necessary—a fact that has been little allowed for in the literature. We have focused on β‐glucans from cereals as they are already used as functional food ingredients due to their established cholesterol lowering effect. Cereal β‐glucans have shown in vitro activity on cytokine secretion, phagocytic activity and cytotoxicity of isolated immune cells, and activation of the complement system. Animal studies suggest a possible protective effect against an intestinal parasite, against bacterial infection, and a synergistic effect in antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Animal studies have shown activity of orally applied cereal β‐glucans indicating uptake or interaction with cells of the gastrointestinal tract. However, uptake is still debated, interaction with intestinal epithelial cells has been suggested but not clarified, and mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. So far, cereal β‐glucans have not shown immune modulation in the few conducted human studies and further studies are needed to clarify their effect.     

What do we know about grapevine bunch compactness? A state‐of‐the‐art review

Bunch compactness (or density) is a grapevine specific trait that affects the commercial quality and sanitary status of wine and tablegrapes. Compact bunches are more susceptible to diverse pests and diseases such as Botrytis bunch rot and their berries ripen more heterogeneously, causing important economic losses through a reduction in crop yield and grape and wine quality. Bunch compactness is determined by the fraction of the morphological volume of the bunch that is filled by berries, but this simple definition contrasts sharply with the difficulty to measure it. While there are several objective and quantitative methods available to measure bunch compactness, the lack of a consistent approach between researchers makes comparing measurements difficult. The complexity of bunch compactness initially arises from the several bunch and berry traits that influence it, and from the distinct effects that these traits may cause in different cultivars. In addition to this genetic effect, diverse environmental signals impact on bunch compactness by affecting those primary factors that contribute to the solid component of the bunch (berry number, berry size) or to its spatial arrangement (rachis architecture). Last, several viticultural approaches, including agronomic techniques and growth regulators, have also proven to affect bunch compactness in different ways. This review aims to discuss present knowledge about this relevant grapevine trait.     

2010"尚高杯"中国室内设计大奖赛获奖名单

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The trend of reduced hop‐content in Pilsner‐type beer in Germany. A change in taste?

A time series analysis of the development of bitterness units (BU) of a collective of 1,202 Pilsner beer samples analysed between 1983 and 2013 shows a small but statistically significant decline from values of around 30 BU in the 1980s to values of around 27 in the last years. The results confirm a trend to lower hopped Pilsner beers, which could derive from economic pressures on the breweries combined with a lack of regulations, or a change in consumer preference. So–called Pilsner beers with extremely low BU values are judged as a being misleading to the consumer, which is an offence against European food law. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

色彩·自然——富士施乐2010年文件解决方案展亮相羊城

2010年1月26日,全球领先的文件管理专家——富士施乐举办的2010年文件解决方案展抵达广州。本届展会秉承富士施乐一贯的节能、环保理念,以“色彩·自然“为主题,首次全面系统地展示了富士施乐新一代环保概念彩色文件管理解决方案,完美诠释了“高效、高质、低碳“的彩色办公新境界。     

寻味·知新——雀巢专业餐饮2010年春夏菜品趋势发布会

3月17日下午，由雀巢专业餐饮举办的“寻味·知新——2010年春夏菜品趋势发布会”在重庆洲际酒店隆重举行。发布会上，雀巢专业餐饮预测了今年春夏菜品的流行趋势：随着南北融合的理念渗透到餐饮界的更深层面，新调味——鲜辣当先、新食材——健康至上、新技法——推陈出新．将会成为2010年凉菜创新的主题。     

High Relative Humidity In‐Package of Fresh‐Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Advantage or Disadvantage Considering Microbiological Problems and Antimicrobial Delivering Systems?

ABSTRACT:  This hypothesis article states that the high relative humidity (RH) of packaged fresh-cut fruits or vegetables that is associated with spoilage can be used as an advantageous way to deliver antimicrobial compounds using cyclodextrins (CDs) as carriers. CDs can function as antimicrobial delivery systems as they can release antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds (guest molecules) as the humidity levels increase in the headspace. Hydrophobic antimicrobial guests can be complexed with CDs due to the amphiphatic nature of the host. Then, at high RH values, due to the water–CDs interaction, host–guest interactions are weakened; consequently, the antimicrobial molecule is released and should protect the product against the microbial growth. Potential antimicrobial compounds capable of forming complexes with CDs are discussed, as well as possible applications to preserve fresh-cut produce and future research in this area.     

Is There a Potential Consumer Market for Low‐Sodium Fermented Sausages?

The NaCl levels in dry fermented sausages were reduced by 50% or were substituted with KCl, CaCl₂, or a blend of KCl and CaCl₂ (1:1). The quality, safety, and the potential consumer market of dry fermented sausages were assessed. Neither 50% reduction of the NaCl content nor the substitution of 50% of the NaCl with KCl influenced the fermentation and maturation process. However, when CaCl₂ was used as the substitute salt (50%), there was a significant decrease in pH, an increase in the water activity, and a decrease in lactic acid and micrococcus bacterial counts. Overall, the sensory acceptance decreased in dry fermented sausages with reduced sodium content. However, cluster analysis and internal preference mapping revealed potential for commercialization of samples with 50% of the NaCl content substituted with KCl or with a mixture of KCl and CaCl₂ (1:1).     

中国科技核心期刊·全国纺织工业优秀期刊——欢迎订阅2010年《纺织器材》

《纺织器材》是由中国纺织信息中心、中国纺织机械器材工业协会和陕西纺织器材研究所共同主办,由全国纺织器材科技信息中心、     

How many protein‐coding genes are there in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome?

We have compared the results of estimations of the total number of protein-coding genes in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, which have been obtained by many laboratories since the yeast genome sequence was published in 1996. We propose that there are 5300-5400 genes in the genome. This makes the first estimation of the number of intronless ORFs longer than 100 codons, based on the features of the set of genes with phenotypes known in 1997 to be correct. This estimation assumed that the set of the first 2300 genes with known phenotypes was representative for the whole set of protein-coding genes in the genome. The same method used in this paper for the approximation of the total number of protein-coding sequences among more than 40 000 ORFs longer than 20 codons gives a result that is only slightly higher. This suggests that there are still some non-coding ORFs in the databases and a few dozen small ORFs, not yet annotated, which probably code for proteins.