Can satiety be measured?

An energy-controlled study on a Western diet composed of 45% fat, 40% carbohydrate and 15% protein by energy was carried out. The study consisted of four test phases having a length of 9 days in each case, where 8 healthy free-living subjects were adjusted to individual energy requirements at maintenance level. Between the tests, wash-out phases of 4-5 months were inserted to avoid adaptation effects. By using a standard breakfast of constant composition, satiety was evaluated by applying the concept of categorical comparison, which was based on the common fact, that the perception between two meals is changed and usually a set of sensations can be discriminated. These were termed very full and full (just after finishing a meal), appetite and hungry (just before the next meal). These sensations were used as categories on a categorical scale. The evaluation of satiety was performed such that on each day of the four test phases the subjects had to select over a period of 4 h every 30 min one category out of the four, what corresponded to the individual sensation at that time. This procedure was followed by a mathematical treatment of data such that the individual judgements were transformed into a numerical system. As a result, the time course of satiety was available characterizing the time-dependent change of the interoception after consuming the test meal. Using this concept highly reliable results were obtained as demonstrated by the comparison of the four test series.     

Can satiety be measured?

An energy‐controlled study on a Western diet composed of 45% fat, 40% carbohydrate and 15% protein by energy was carried out. The study consisted of four test phases having a length of 9 days in each case, where 8 healthy free‐living subjects were adjusted to individual energy requirements at maintenance level. Between the tests, wash‐out phases of 4–5 months were inserted to avoid adaptation effects. By using a standard breakfast of constant composition, satiety was evaluated by applying the concept of categorical comparison, which was based on the common fact, that the perception between two meals is changed and usually a set of sensations can be discriminated. These were termed very full and full (just after finishing a meal( appetite and hungry (just before the next meal). These sensations were used as categories on a categorical scale. The evaluation of satiety was performed such that on each day of the four test phases the subjects had to select over a period of 4 h every 30 min one category out of the four, what corresponded to the individual sensation at that time. This procedure was followed by a mathematical treatment of data such that the individual judgements were transformed into a numerical system. As a result, the time course of satiety was available characterizing the time‐dependent change of the interoception after consuming the test meal. Using this concept highly reliable results were obtained as demonstrated by the comparison of the four test series.     

Can the unauthorised use of ceftiofur be detected in poultry?

Ceftiofur is a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat cattle and swine for bacterial infection of the respiratory tract. It is not authorised for use in poultry within the European Union. Due to the complexity of the chemistry and metabolism of ceftiofur, maximum residue limits (MRLs) are based on desfuroylceftiofur (DFC) equivalents after chemical conversion of all compounds that have an intact ß-lactam ring. In practice the DFC is usually stabilised as the acetamide (desfuroylceftiofur acetamide – DFCA) for analysis. Because of recent evidence of off-label use in the European Union, a policy need emerged to develop a cost-effective method for the detection of ceftiofur residues in poultry tissues. One-day-old chicks were each dosed subcutaneously with ceftiofur and samples taken from day 1 to day 44 post-dosing. Residues of ceftiofur parent compound were detected in whole chicks, wing feathers and faeces. On the basis of this finding it was decided to evaluate ceftiofur parent, as the marker, instead of proceeding with the time-consuming conversion to DFCA. Expected metabolites, DFC and desfuroylceftiofur cysteine disulfide (DCCD), were not detected in whole chicks, muscle or liver, but DFC was found in wing feathers. These results indicate that determination of ceftiofur parent compound in either whole chicks or possibly wing feathers and faeces may allow the detection of the misuse of ceftiofur.     

Can the optimum artificial tear treatment for dry eye disease be predicted from presenting signs and symptoms?

Purpose

To assess dry eye treatment with four preservative-free dry eye artificial tear treatments to facilitate evidence-based prescribing.

Can ozone be used as antimicrobial in the dairy industry? A systematic review

Milk and dairy products are abundantly consumed in all cultures, but unprocessed products can harbor pathogenic microorganisms that can cause serious health risks for its consumers. To avoid this, it is necessary to process the products. Ozonation is a clean technique that has antimicrobial power due to its oxidation potential, reducing the microorganisms and limiting the production of enzymes, but the effectiveness of ozone treatment can be affected by the temperature, pH, additives, humidity, and the amount of organic matter around the cells. The goal of this systematic review was to analyze whether the use of ozone could improve the microbiological quality of dairy products and whether it could be used as an antimicrobial technique. Six databases (PubMed, Scielo, CAPES, Science Direct, Science Core Collection, and PLOS) were used in this research, with 2 independent reviewers selecting articles up to November 21, 2020, with experiments that used ozone as an antimicrobial in dairy products. A total of 731 articles were found, but only 9 were selected. The remainder were excluded according to the following criteria: was not related to the main theme; was a review; did not contain microbiological analysis; did not mention the concentration of gas and time of the ozone treatment; and was not an experiment. Important points were noted in quality criteria, which resulted in the need to standardize the methodology applied in research to improve the quality of the experiments. Studies were carried out with many different samples of milk, but the best results in reducing the microorganism count were obtained from samples containing low levels of fat.     

Can umami taste be an adequate tool for reducing sodium in food preparations?

Researches indicate that the Brazilian population is still consuming sodium in excess and national epidemiological studies, have not verified the impact of taste modifications provided by the formulations available on the market and in homemade meals. The objective is to verify whether the basic umami taste, in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG) monohydrate, is an alternative for reducing sodium in the preparation of meals. Also, to confirm the ideal concentration of MSG equivalent to acceptance with salt, and the impact of an explanatory video about warnings of salt excess on consumer behaviour, regarding the intention to use table salt in meals. For this study, three concentrations of sodium were used in the preparations rice and ground meat: one with the intrinsic sodium of the food, one with the addition of salt, 1 g for 100 g of rice and for meat, and one with salt and MSG, for 100 g of rice, 0.54% are of salt and 0.43% are of MSG and for 100 g of meat, 0.55% are of salt and 0.44% are of MSG. All quantities were suggested by a previous study, confirmed in a sensorial pre-test. The acceptability of preparations was assessed by the preference test. The levels of sodium and glutamic acid in the test preparations were also analysed. The results showed no significant difference between the exposed to the video. This study showed a sodium reduction of at least 30% in rice and 33% in ground meat, two kinds of meals widely consumed in Brazil, maintaining the same acceptance. These data suggest that the partial substitution of NaCl with MSG/umami can be an alternative to reduce sodium in meals.     

Can degradation products be used as documentation for natural attenuation of phenoxy acids in groundwater?

In situ indicators of degradation are important tools in the demonstration of natural attenuation. A literature survey on the production history of phenoxy acids and degradation pathways has shown that metabolites of phenoxy acid herbicides also are impurities in the herbicide products, making the bare presence of these compounds useless as in situ indicators. These impurities can make up more than 30% of the herbicides. Degradation of phenoxy acids was demonstrated in microcosm experiments using groundwater and sediment contaminated with MCPP, dichlorprop, and related compounds such as other phenoxypropionic acids and chlorophenols. Field observations at two phenoxy acid-contaminated sites showed the occurrence of several impurities including metabolites in the groundwater. Neither the microcosm experiments nor the field observations verified that metabolites were actually produced or accumulated in situ. However, it was demonstrated that the impurity/parent herbicide ratios can be useful in situ indicators of degradation.     

Can relative spermatozoal galactosyltransferase activity be predictive of dairy bull fertility?

The best and poorest bovine semen samples used commercially for artificial insemination in dairy cattle typically differ in pregnancy rates by 20 to 25% but are within a range that pregnancy rates cannot be predicted consistently by commonly used laboratory assays. Sperm motility and morphology are the characteristics most often evaluated. Laboratory assays that measure other functional traits of sperm may be useful as supplemental assays to increase the reliability of predicting fertility. One such functional trait is the ability of sperm to bind to the zona pellucida, a process mediated by complementary receptors on each gamete. On mouse sperm, beta1,4-galactosyltransferase acts as a receptor for the zona pellucida. Beta1,4-galactosyltransferase is expressed on sperm from many mammals, including bovine sperm, and is a candidate for a zona pellucida receptor. The ability of sperm to bind to the zona pellucida may be related to the amount of beta1,4-galactosyltransferase present on sperm. The aim of this work was to determine if bull sperm beta1,4-galactosyltransferase activity was related to fertility. Beta1,4-galactosyltransferase enzyme assays were performed on sperm from 24 bulls whose fertility was estimated by nonreturn rate and on sperm from a second group of seven bulls whose fertility was ranked by in vivo competitive fertilization. Beta1,4-galactosyltransferase activity varied between individual bulls but was not correlated to fertility as estimated by nonreturn rate or by competitive fertilization. These results demonstrate that beta1,4-galactosyltransferase activity on sperm varies between animals, but that beta1,4-galactosyltransferase activity alone is not an accurate indicator of fertility in dairy bulls.     

Do potential methylation rates reflect accumulated methyl mercury in contaminated sediments?

Relationships between the short-term mono-methyl mercury (MeHg) production, determined as the specific, potential methylation rate constant Km (day(-1)) after 48 h of incubation with isotope-enriched 201Hg(II) at 23 degrees C, and the long-term accumulation of ambient MeHg, were investigated in contaminated sediments. The sediments covered a range of environments from small freshwater lakes to large brackish water estuaries and differed with respect to source and concentration of Hg, salinity, primary productivity, quantity and quality of organic matter, and temperature climate. Significant (p < 0.001), positive relationships were observed between Km (day(-1)) and the concentration of MeHg normalized to total Hg (%MeHg) for surface sediments (0-10, 0-15, and in one case 0-20 cm) across all environments, and across subsets of organic and minerogenic freshwaters. This suggests that the methylation process (MeHg production) overruled demethylation and net transport processes in the surface sediments. The lack of a relationship between Km and %MeHg in two brackish water sediment depth profiles (0-100 cm) indicates that demethylation and the net effect of input-output are relatively more important at greater depths. Differences in the primary production and subsequent availability of easily degradable organic matter (serving as electron donor for methylating bacteria) was indicated to be the most important factor behind observed differences in %MeHg and Km among sites. In contrast, concentrations of sulfate were not correlated to Km, %MeHg, or absolute concentrations of MeHg. We conclude that total concentrations of Hg are of importance for the long-term accumulation of MeHg, and that %MeHg in surface sediments can be used as a proxy for the rate of methylation, across a range of sites from different environments.     

Can spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics replace minks in digestibility tests?

One of the most relevant but expensive methods of assessing the quality of fish meal is the physiological digestibility test with minks. The purpose of this study was to determine whether spectroscopic and chemical analyses evaluated with chemometrics can replace minks in digestibility tests. The spectroscopic methods used were the two complementary techniques of fluorescence emission and near‐infrared reflectance. The investigation included 54 samples of high‐quality fish meal ranging from 89.6 to 93.9 on the mink digestibility index. The investigation also included determination of seven quality parameters in the fish meal to substantiate the spectroscopic models on the mink digestibility. These quality parameters include the content of protein, oil, water, water‐soluble protein, ash and the biogenic substance cadaverine as well as the titration value. The study demonstrates that the mink digestibility could be predicted from combining the two reference quality parameters oil and ash with a correlation coefficient of 0.89. The best spectroscopic calibration models on the mink digestibility resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.94 and a prediction error of 0.5 using the near‐infrared spectral ensemble and a correlation coefficient of 0.92 and a prediction error of 0.5 using the fluorescence spectral ensemble. In addition, the seven reference quality parameters could be predicted from the spectroscopic ensembles with good precision. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Can iron and zinc in rice grains (Oryza sativa L.) be biofortified with nitrogen fertilisation under pot conditions?

BACKGROUND: Because only grain yield has been investigated, the influence of fertilisation by N on the concentration of Fe and Zn in polished rice has been overlooked in China. So, using the rice cultivars of the indica Zhenong 952 and the japonica Bing 98110, pot experiments were conducted to investigate the amounts of N fertiliser (applied as urea at rates of 0, 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 g N pot^?1) that would lead to the optimum Fe and Zn concentrations in polished rice as well as grain yield. RESULTS: For Zhenong 952, the optimal Fe and Zn concentration as well as grain yield was attained at a N application of 1.00 g pot^?1; for Bing 98110 the optimum N was 1.50 g pot^?1. The ratio of Zn deposited in brown rice was about 40% of the total Zn in the plant irrespective of N application. However, Fe was only about 3%. Fe concentration in brown rice was approximately one‐half of the rice husk, one‐fifth of the peduncles, and one‐tenth of the leaves, and a little more than 1% of the root. CONCLUSION: The optimum N application, alone, on rice crops could increase Fe concentration in polished rice, but had an adverse effect for Zn. Fe appeared not to be as easily accumulated into rice seeds as was Zn. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Can natural and virtual environments be used to promote improved human health and wellbeing?

Exposure of individuals to natural environments, such as forests and coastlines, can promote stress reduction and assist in mental recovery following intensive cognitive activities. Settings as simple as hospital window views onto garden-like scenes can also be influential in reducing patients' postoperative recovery periods and analgesic requirements. This paper reviews the evidence supporting the exploitation of these restorative natural environments in future healthcare strategies. The paper also describes early research addressing the development of multisensory, computer-generated restorative environments for the benefit of patients with a variety of psychologically related conditions (including depression, attention deficit disorder, pain, and sleep deficit), who may be unable to access and experience real natural environments, such as those in hospices, military rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities. The Table of Contents art is a virtual reconstruction of Wembury Bay, in the southwest of the UK, based on imported Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) to provide the topography and a high-resolution aerial image to provide a template for the location of 3D building and vegetation models, rock features, and pathways. The 3D environment is rendered using the Unity 3 Game Development Tool and includes spatial sound effects (waves, wind, birdsong, etc.), physics-based features (such as early morning sea mist), time-of-day cycles, and real-time weather changes. The Village Church of St. Werburgh can also be seen in this image.     

Can mold contamination of homes be regulated? Lessons learned from radon and lead policies

Increasingly, airborne mold in home environments has been linked with asthma exacerbation and other respiratory diseases in both children and adults. This problem is particularly relevanttoday, as Hurricane Katrina has resulted in water damage and mold proliferation in numerous homes on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Policies to control indoor moisture and mold can help solve problems of mold contamination and associated adverse health effects, yet very little attention has been given to developing such policies. We address the question of howto develop effective policies by deriving lessons from successful control of other home environmental contaminants; namely, radon and lead. These two agents are being controlled by a variety of policy approaches, including federal regulations and guidelines, public education, and economic incentives among home buyers and sellers. We analyze the mold problem and identify both similarities and differences with the radon and lead situations in the United States. We recommend policy approaches for controlling mold in homes that rely on home marketing incentives, building and housing codes, and maintenance and rehabilitation regulations, as well as public education initiatives.     

Can the different heat shock response thresholds found in fermenting and respiring yeast cells be attributed to their differential redox states?

In this study we used a heat-shock (HS) reporter gene to demonstrate that respiring cells are intrinsically less sensitive (by 5 degrees C) than their fermenting counterparts to a sublethal heat shock. We also used an oxidant-sensitive fluorescent probe to demonstrate that this correlates with lower levels of sublethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in heat-stressed respiring cells. Moreover, this relationship between HS induction of the reporter gene and ROS accumulation extends to respiring cells that have had their ROS levels modified by treatment with the anti-oxidant ascorbic acid and the pro-oxidant H(2)O(2). Thus, by demonstrating that the ROS/HSR correlation previously demonstrated in fermenting cells also holds for respiring cells (despite their greater HS insensitivity and higher level of intrinsic thermotolerance), we provide evidence that the intracellular redox state may influence both the sensitivity of the heat-shock response (HSR) and stress tolerance in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.