Juice matrix composition and ascorbic acid fortification effects on the phytochemical,antioxidant and pigment stability of açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.)

The effects of juice matrix composition on the phytochemical stability of açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) were evaluated by contrasting natural clarified juice systems with isolated polyphenolic and anthocyanin fractions, in the presence or absence of ascorbic acid (500 mg/l) under accelerated storage conditions (37 °C). Polyphenolic (anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin polyphenolics) and anthocyanin fractions were isolated using C18 Sep-Pak columns and then re-dissolved in the original aqueous juice matrix (unbound fraction) or in a citric acid buffer (pH 3.5). The isolation of anthocyanins from the açai matrix improved their colour stability but a greater retention of non-anthocyanin polyphenolics and antioxidant properties was favoured by the initial juice composition. The presence of non-anthocyanin polyphenolics exerted a protective effect against ascorbic acid oxidation and enhanced polyphenolic and antioxidant stability in isolates fortified with ascorbic acid. However, all isolates obtained from açai experienced significant colour, polyphenolic, and antioxidant losses during storage and this indicated that optimization of early stages of industrial processing, storage and distribution are necessary to retain the functional properties of açai-containing products.     

Bacterial inhibiting surfaces caused by the effects of silver release and/or electrical field

In this study, silver-palladium surfaces and silver-bearing stainless steels were designed and investigated focusing on electrochemical principles to form inhibiting effects on planktonic and/or biofilm bacteria in water systems. Silver-resistant Escherichia coli and silver-sensitive E. coli were used for the evaluation of inhibiting effects and the inhibiting mechanism. For silver-palladium surfaces combined with bacteria in media, the inhibiting effect was a result of electrochemical interactions and/or electrical field, and in some specific media, such as ammonium containing, undesired silver ions release can occur from their surfaces. For silver-bearing stainless steels, the inhibiting effect can only be explained by high local silver ions release, and can be limited or deactivated dependent on the specific environment.     

Comparison of the microflora isolated from spoiled cold-smoked salmon from three smokehouses

The microflora on spoiled, sliced and vacuum packed, cold-smoked salmon from three smokehouses was quantified and characterized in two independent experiments. Large variations in the microflora were observed both within (i.e. among vacuum packs from the same batch) and among the smokehouses. Lactic acid bacteria dominated the microflora, which reached 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹. Total viable counts of microorganisms alone were not related to quality, though spoilage characteristics were typical for microbiological spoilage. Among the lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus curvatus (ca 52–55%) was the most common species in both experiments with Lactobacillus saké, Lactobacillus plantarum, Carnobacterium spp. and Leuconostoc spp. present in smaller numbers. In some cases, large numbers of Enterobacteriaceae were also present and identified species were Serratia liquefaciens, Enterobacter agglomerans and Hafnia alvei. The microflora on cold-smoked salmon appeared to be related to the source of contamination i.e. the raw material and/or the smokehouse rather than being specific for the product, thus rendering the identification of the specific spoilage organisms difficult.     

Effect of tumbling and RN genotype on sensory perception of cured-smoked pork loin

Effects of tumbling and RN genotype on sensory perception of cured-smoked loins were studied on loins from 32 crossbred female pigs containing Hampshire blood. Right-side loins were intermittently tumbled during 4 h, whereas left-side loins were left non-tumbled. Tumbled loins were more tender and uniform in cured colour as well as less acidulous in taste compared with non-tumbled loins. Further, the formation of undesirable pores was lower in tumbled loins. Final juiciness tended to be higher and meat taste intensity lower in tumbled loins, whereas initial juiciness did not differ. There were no significant interactions between tumbling and RN genotype for sensory attributes. RN⁻ carriers (RN⁻/rn⁺) were more acidulous in taste, had more pronounced meat taste and were saltier than non-carriers (rn⁺ /rn⁺). Moreover, they tended to have higher initial juiciness and more undesirable pores, and be less homogeneous in cured pink colour. No differences in consumer preference between the four treatments were detected in the ranking test, but most persons ranked non-tumbled loins highest regarding overall liking. Instrumental tenderness measurements agreed well with sensory tenderness scores.     

The Effects of Personal Construct Group Therapy on Breast Cancer Survivors.

In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of a brief personal construct group therapy on breast cancer survivors (N = 42) randomly assigned to either the treatment or wait-list control condition. The Gottschalk Gleser Content Analysis Scales were used to measure the effects for group across time (preand posttreatment, pretreatment, and 3-month posttreatment) on the personal construct states of threat, threat to existence, dislocation, and hope. Analyses showed that the beneficial effects of therapy achieved posttreatment were maintained at 3-month follow-up. The therapeutic group factors (I. D. Yalom, 1995) identified by the therapy group members as helpful in achieving these outcomes are also reported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrodialytic removal of cadmium from straw combustion fly ash

Fly ash from straw combustion contains valuable nutrients when returned to agricultural soils. In many instances, however, this fly ash may contain heavy metals, such as cadmium, at levels which often exceed the limits given by the Danish legislation. Thus before utilizing the nutrients, cadmium must be removed from these ashes. The use of an electrodialytic remediation method to remove cadmium from fly ash arising from straw combustion and containing 11.2 mg Cd kg^?1 DM (dry matter) was accessed. After 36 days of remediation at a constant current density of 5.6 mA cm^?2 more than 97% of the cadmium had been removed from around 150 g ash on a dry basis. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Gamers,Surfers, Social Media Users: Unpacking the role of interest in English

Across stages of acquisition, second language (L2) competencies are contingent on the variation among individuals learning the language, in both informal and formal learning contexts. This study investigates a group of outliers whose extreme test scores serve as a foundation to examine them as individuals. The study addresses the outliers' characteristics as good L2 readers but poor first language (L1) readers. Combining quantitative (test results, survey, and language logs) and qualitative (focus groups and interviews) data among 21 adolescents in Norway (aged 16–17 years), the study identifies dimensions of individual language use in L1 Norwegian and L2 English. Findings revealed that they explained their English proficiency by the role of interest and their extensive use of English technology and tools outside school. In‐depth analysis identified three profiles: the Gamer, who spends up to 8 hr daily playing online games while using English mainly; the Surfer, who spends hours on the Internet, searching for authentic language situations, commonly involving English; and the Social Media User, who produces and consumes information in English through social media. Additionally, the Gamers read printed novels voluntarily outside the classroom. This study offers unique perspectives and new directions for future L2 research.     

"Affect dynamics, affective forecasting, and aging": Correction to Nielsen, Knutson, and Carstensen (2008).

Reports an error in "Affect dynamics, affective forecasting, and aging" by Lisbeth Nielsen, Brian Knutson and Laura L. Carstensen (Emotion, 2008[Jun], Vol 8[3], 318-330). The first author of the article was listed as being affiliated with both the National Institute on Aging and the Department of Psychology, Stanford University. Dr. Nielsen would like to clarify that the research for this article was conducted while she was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. The copyright notice should also have been listed as "In the Public Domain." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-06717-002.) Affective forecasting, experienced affect, and recalled affect were compared in younger and older adults during a task in which participants worked to win and avoid losing small monetary sums. Dynamic changes in affect were measured along valence and arousal dimensions, with probes during both anticipatory and consummatory task phases. Older and younger adults displayed distinct patterns of affect dynamics. Younger adults reported increased negative arousal during loss anticipation and positive arousal during gain anticipation. In contrast, older adults reported increased positive arousal during gain anticipation but showed no increase in negative arousal on trials involving loss anticipation. Additionally, younger adults reported large increases in valence after avoiding an anticipated loss, but older adults did not. Younger, but not older, adults exhibited forecasting errors on the arousal dimension, underestimating increases in arousal during anticipation of gains and losses and overestimating increases in arousal in response to gain outcomes. Overall, the findings are consistent with a growing literature suggesting that older people experience less negative emotion than their younger counterparts and further suggest that they may better predict dynamic changes in affect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Estrogen-induced alterations in amh and dmrt1 expression signal for disruption in male sexual development in the zebrafish

Dmrt1 and amh are genes involved in vertebrate sex differentiation. In this study, we cloned dmrt1 and amh cDNAs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and investigated the effects of exposure to 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2), during early life on their patterns of expression and impact on the subsequent gonadal phenotype. Expression of both amh and dmrt1 in embryos was detected as early as at 1 day post fertilization (dpf) and enhanced expression of amh from 25 dpf was associated with the period of early gonadal differentiation. Sex-dependent differences in enhanced green fluorescent protein transgene expression driven by the promoter of the germ cell-specific vas gene were exploited to show that at 28dpf and 56dpf both amh and dmrt1 mRNA were overexpressed in males compared with females. Exposure during early life to environmentally relevant concentrations of EE2 had a suppressive effect on the expression of both amh and dmrt1 mRNAs and this was associated with a cessation/retardation in male gonadal sex development. Our findings indicate that estrogen-induced suppression in expression of dmrt1 and amh during early life correlate with subsequent disruptive effects on the sexual phenotype in males.     

Pay as You Speed,ISA with incentives for not speeding: A case of test driver recruitment

The Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) project we describe in this article is based on Pay as You Drive principles. These principles assume that the ISA equipment informs a driver of the speed limit, warns the driver when speeding and calculates penalty points. Each penalty point entails the reduction of a 30% discount on the driver's car insurance premium, which therefore produced the name, Pay as You Speed. The ISA equipment consists of a GPS-based On Board Unit with a mobile phone connection to a web server. The project was planned for a three-year test period with 300 young car drivers, but it never succeeded in recruiting that number of drivers. After several design changes, the project eventually went forward with 153 test drivers of all ages. This number represents approximately one thousandth of all car owners in the proving ground of North Jutland in Denmark. Furthermore the project was terminated before its scheduled closing date. This article describes the project with an emphasis on recruitment efforts and the project's progress. We include a discussion of possible explanations for the failure to recruit volunteers for the project and reflect upon the general barriers to using ISA with ordinary drivers.