The reliability of third-party certification in the food chain: From checklists to risk-oriented auditing

In recent years, certification has become increasingly relevant for agribusiness. In Europe, substantial parts of the value chain are already being certified by standards such as the International Food Standard (IFS) or GLOBALGAP (the former EurepGap). It is not known, however, whether these approaches can de facto ensure high quality control. This article is based on a database analysis of the German certification system Quality and Safety (QS) and a workshop with the QS-certification bodies conducting 85% of all agricultural audits. It seeks to deduce the first empirical hypotheses concerned with the connection between the reliability of third-party certification and the institutional framing of standards.     

Insect‐Specific Production of New GameXPeptides in Photorhabdus luminescens TTO1, Widespread Natural Products in Entomopathogenic Bacteria

Discovery of new natural products by heterologous expression reaches its limits, especially when specific building blocks are missing in the heterologous host or the production medium. Here, we describe the insect‐specific production of the new GameXPeptides E–H ( 5 – 8 ) from Photorhabdus luminescens TTO1, which can be produced heterologously from expression of the GameXPeptide synthetase GxpS only upon supplementation of the production media with the missing building blocks, and thus must be regarded as the true natural products under natural conditions.     

The Balance Between Reactivity and Stability of Modified Oxide Surfaces Illustrated by the Behavior of Sulfated Zirconia Catalysts

The stability of a series of sulfated zirconia catalysts, promoted with up to 2 wt% iron or manganese, in their calcined state was investigated. Phase composition, nature of surface sulfate species, degree of hydroxylation, and butane isomerization activity changed during aging over months in various atmospheres and during milling. The metastability of small oxide particles is discussed, including literature data on alumina, titania and other oxides. Catalytically active fractions of a material easily transition into more stable, less active forms.     

Relative bioavailability of coumarin from cinnamon and cinnamon-containing foods compared to isolated coumarin: a four-way crossover study in human volunteers

Scope: Cassia cinnamon contains high levels (up to 1 %) of coumarin. Heavy consumption of this spice may result in a dose exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI). In this context, the question was raised whether coumarin in the plant matrix of cinnamon has the same bioavailability as isolated coumarin. Methods and results: A four‐way crossover study was performed, in which the same dose of 12 mg coumarin was administered in different formulations to 24 healthy volunteers. The relative extent of absorption measured as urinary excretion of the main metabolite 7‐hydroxycoumarin (7OHC) was found to be 62.8% for isolated coumarin in a capsule (reference), 56.0% for cinnamon in capsules, 66.1% for cinnamon tea, and 54.7% for cinnamon in rice pudding (means, n=23, observation period 8 hours). Additionally, 7OHC plasma levels were measured for 105 minutes after administration and revealed a fast absorption of coumarin from cinnamon tea leading to the highest peak concentrations. Conclusion: The relative extent of absorption of coumarin from powder of cassia cinnamon is only slightly lower than that of isolated coumarin. Therefore, the TDI of coumarin can be used for risk assessment of coumarin exposure from cinnamon‐containing meals.     

The effect of feed demand on greenhouse gas emissions and farm profitability for organic and conventional dairy farms

The reduction of product-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in milk production appears to be necessary. The reduction of emissions on an individual farm might be highly accepted by farm owners if it were accompanied by an increase in profitability. Using life cycle assessments to determine the product carbon footprints (PCF) and farm-level evaluations to record profitability, we explored opportunities for optimization based on analysis of 81 organic and conventional pasture-based dairy farms in southern Germany. The objective of the present study was to detect common determining factors for low PCF and high management incomes (MI) to achieve GHG reductions at the lowest possible operational cost. In our sample, organic farms, which performed economically better than conventional farms, produced PCF that were significantly higher than those produced by conventional farms [1.61 ± 0.29 vs. 1.45 ± 0.28 kg of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂eq) per kg of milk; means ± SD)]. A multiple linear regression analysis of the sample demonstrated that low feed demand per kilogram of milk, high grassland yield, and low forage area requirements per cow are the main factors that decrease PCF. These factors are also useful for improving a farm's profitability in principle. For organic farms, a reduction of feed demand of 100 g/kg of milk resulted in a PCF reduction of 105 g of CO₂eq/kg of milk and an increase in MI of approximately 2.1 euro cents (c)/kg of milk. For conventional farms, a decrease of feed demand of 100 g/kg of milk corresponded to a reduction in PCF of 117 g of CO₂eq/kg of milk and an increase in MI of approximately 3.1 c/kg of milk. Accordingly, farmers could achieve higher profits while reducing GHG emissions. Improved education and training of farmers and consultants regarding GHG mitigation and farm profitability appear to be the best methods of improving efficiency under traditional and organic farming practices.     

科技工作者参与科普活动与对纳税人负责关系的研究

从民主的意义上讲,是公共税收支持着中国的科研活动,科技工作者应该以对纳税人负责的态度积极参与科普活动。本研究从科学的专业化、科学的精神气质和应对风险社会三个方面对科技工作者参与科普活动与对纳税人负责关系进行了理论探讨。对科技工作者参与科普活动的情况进行了调查,发现大多数科技工作者已经认识到科普活动的意义和重要性,但是从对纳税人负责角度的理解还存在明显不足。科技工作者参与科普活动的途径和形式已经多元化,但是因为科普没有被纳入科技评价机制中,他们投身科普活动的积极性不高。因此,本研究提出三方面的建议,即培育科技工作者的纳税人权利意识、将参与科普活动引入科技评价机制,以及推动公共参与。     

Sigmoidal Indentation–Strength Characteristics of Polycrystalline Alumina

The fracture properties of a series of three polycrystailine aluminas are examined using indentationstrength and double cantilever beam techniques. The indentation-strength response is shown to be sigmoidal with concave-down behavior at small indentation loads and concave-up behavior at large indentation loads. A model is developed for the general response, combining increasing toughening by ligamentary bridging at small crack lengths and increasing residual-stress relief by lateral cracking at large indentation loads. The model is fit to the strength data and used to deconvolute the underlying toughness variation and predict the intrinsic strength of the materials. Direct measurements of toughness using the "long-crack" double cantilever beam geometry are shown to overestimate the toughness variations effective during "short-crack" strength tests.     

Copolymerization Behavior of Acid‐Base Monomer Systems and Properties of their Corresponding Polymers

The copolymerization behavior of mixtures of an acidic and a basic monomer were studied as a function of the monomer feed composition. The four systems investigated in this way comprised APSA/1‐VIm, APSA/4‐VP, APSA/DAMA, and SSA/1‐VIm. The corresponding polyelectrolytes were obtained by free radical polymerization of the monomer mixtures in solution, while the isolated monomeric salts of equivalent amounts of both monomers were prone to spontaneous polymerization. For APSA/1‐VIm, APSA/4‐VP, and APSA/DAMA, a donor‐acceptor relationship was found, whereas for SSA/1‐VIm the SSA was favorably incorporated over all feed ratios. High T_g and complex viscosity data indicated a considerable degree of ionic, thermally reversible crosslinking within the polymers that were thermally stable up to at least 230 °C.

     

Autosomal Dominant Gyrate Atrophy-Like Choroidal Dystrophy Revisited: 45 Years Follow-Up and Association with a Novel C1QTNF5 Missense Variant

We present a long-term follow-up in autosomal dominant gyrate atrophy-like choroidal dystrophy (adGALCD) and propose a possible genotype/phenotype correlation. Ophthalmic examination of six patients from two families revealed confluent areas of choroidal atrophy resembling gyrate atrophy, starting in the second decade of life. Progression continued centrally, reaching the fovea at about 60 years of age. Subretinal deposits, retinal pigmentation or choroidal neovascularization as seen in late-onset retinal degeneration (LORD) were not observed. Whole genome sequencing revealed a novel missense variant in the C1QTNF5 gene (p.(Q180E)) which was found in heterozygous state in all affected subjects. Haplotype analysis showed that this variant found in both families is identical by descent. Three-dimensional modeling of the possible supramolecular assemblies of C1QTNF5 revealed that the p.(Q180E) variant led to the destabilization of protein tertiary and quaternary structures, affecting both the stability of the single protomer and the entire globular head, thus exerting detrimental effects on the formation of C1QTNF5 trimeric globular domains and their interaction. In conclusion, we propose that the p.(Q180E) variant causes a specific phenotype, adGALCD, that differs in multiple clinical aspects from LORD. Disruption of optimal cell-adhesion mechanisms is expected when analyzing the effects of the point mutation at the protein level.     

A new notion of part structure for natural language

In this paper a new notion of part structure for the semantics of natural language is presented: a notion of part structure that is relative to a situation and unlike extensional mereological notions, crucially involves conditions of integrity. The notion is motivated by a variety of different constructions of natural language.