Explaining the Formation of Online News Startups in France and the United States: A Field Analysis

This article examines the differential formation of online news startups in Toulouse, France, and Seattle, United States. While Seattle is home to many startups, in Toulouse there have been just 4—and only 1 continues publishing. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, we argue that amount and types of capital held by journalists in the 2 cities varied as a result of differences in journalism's position in the field of power. These differences shaped the extent of startup formation in each city and structured journalists' capacities to convert their capital into the resources needed to form startups (e.g., funding, credentials, partnerships). These findings are positioned in relation to literatures on journalism innovation and comparative media.     

Model-size reduction for the analysis of symmetric structures with asymmetric boundary conditions

A simple computational procedure is presented for reducing the size of the analysis model for a symmetric structure with asymmetric boundary conditions to that of the corresponding structure with symmetric boundary conditions. The procedure is based on approximating the asymmetric response of the structure by a linear combination of symmetric and antisymmetric global approximation vectors (or modes). The key elements of the procedure are (a) restructuring the governing finite element equations to delineate the contributions to the symmetric and antisymmetric components of the asymmetric response, (b) successive application of the finite element method and the classical Rayleigh–Ritz technique. The finite element method is first used to generate a few global approximation vectors (or modes). Then the amplitudes of these modes are computed by using the Rayleigh–Ritz technique. A tracing parameter is introduced which identifies all the contributions to the antisymmetric response. The global approximation vectors are selected to be the solution corresponding to a zero value of the tracing parameter and the various-order derivatives of the solution with respect to this parameter, evaluated at zero value of the parameter. The size of the analysis model used in generating the global approximation vectors is identical to that of the corresponding structure with symmetric boundary conditions. The effectiveness of the computational procedure is demonstrated by means of numerical examples of linear static problems of shells, and its potential for solving non-linear problems is discussed.     

Photocatalyst TiO2–Co: the effect of doping depth profile on methylene blue degradation

In this work, we study the effect of doping depth profile on the photocatalytic and surface properties of TiO₂ films. Two thin film layers of TiO₂ (200 nm) and Co (5 nm), respectively, were deposited by physical evaporation on glass substrate. These films were annealed for 1 s at 100 and 400 °C and the Co layer was removed by chemical etching. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) phase images showed changes in the surface in function of thermal treatment. The grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF) measurements indicated that the thermal treatment caused migration of Co atoms to below the surface, the depths found were between 19 and 29 nm. The contact angle showed distinct values in function of the doped profile or Co surface concentration. The UV–vis spectra presented a red shift with the increasing of thermal treatment. Photocatalytical assays were performed by methylene blue discoloration and the higher activity was found for TiO₂–Co treated at 400 °C, the ESI-MS showed the fragments formed during the methylene blue decomposition.     

Effect of Combined Natural Antimicrobials on Spoilage Microorganisms and Listeria Innocua in a Whey Cheese “Ricotta”

The effect of nisin alone and in combination with Microgard? on the natural microbial flora of ricotta cheese and in post-process contamination with Listeria innocua was studied. Microbial groups studied were mesophilic, psychrotrophic, proteolytic, lactic acid and coliform bacteria, and total molds and yeasts. Considering the evolution of all microbial groups and failure criteria adopted for mesophilic and coliform bacteria, this product reached the end of its shelf life before 5 days, which is insufficient time for product commercialization. The combined use of nisin and Microgard? proved to be more effective than the individual application on these microbial groups, resulting in a 13 days shelf life extension. Additionally, the combined treatment reduced the growth of L. innocua as a post-process contamination.     

Survival of Lactobacillus casei (LC-1) adhered to prebiotic vegetal fibers

This study evaluated the survival of Lactobacillus casei (LC-1) when adhered to four different dehydrated prebiotic fibers. After vacuum drying in oat bran with 9% β-glucan and green banana flour, LC-1 viability was 79% and 76%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed no morphological changes in the cells adhered to these fibers, and the addition of trehalose as a cell protectant had a positive and significant effect on the survival of LC-1. At different storage temperatures, oat bran had the highest stability as well as in simulated gastrointestinal conditions, where LC-1 that adhered to the oat bran had greater viability (7.1 log CFU g^? 1) than in the free form (2.4 log CFU g^? 1). In the sensory evaluation, the probiotic oat bran added to a dairy fruit beverage was well accepted by consumers.Industrial relevanceThe diversification of food products and the growing interest in health life requires from food industry innovations and new products for this. Probiotic cultures into non-dairy products is still an innovation and a challenge to the functional food segment. The development of an oat bran with LC-1 adhered is important for the functional food industries because the probiotic can be viable during dehydration and storage at room temperature. In addition the LC-1 is protected under simulated gastrointestinal conditions without compromising sensory acceptability.     

Simultaneous lactic acid and xylitol production from vine trimming wastes

Hemicellulosic hydrolyzates from vineshoot trimmings obtained by dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis were evaluated for xylitol production by Debaryomyces hansenii NRRL Y‐7426. Bioconversion was not efficient, however, since a mixture of products (mainly ethanol) was achieved. Taking into account that hexoses (such as glucose or mannose) can inhibit xylose metabolism by repression and inactivation of the xylose transport system or catabolic enzymes and that these hemicellulosic hydrolyzates are characterized by a high glucose concentration, a novel technology was developed, sequentially transforming glucose into lactic acid by Lactobacillus rhamnosus followed by fermentation of xylose into xylitol by Debaryomyces hansenii after L. rhamnosus removal by microfiltration. Optimal conditions were achieved using detoxified concentrated hemicellulosic hydrolyzates, after CaCO₃ addition in both stages of fermentation and using nitrogen purges after sampling in order to reduce the oxygen dissolved. Under these conditions 31.5 g lactic acid L^?1 (Q_LA = 1.312 g L^?1 h^?1 and Y_LA/S = 0.93 g g^?1) and 27.5 g xylitol L^?1 (Q_Xylitol = 0.458 g L^?1 h^?1 and Y_Xylitol/S = 0.53 g g^?1) were produced. Finally, lactic acid was selectively recovered using the resin Amberlite IRA 400 (0.0374 g of lactic acid g^?1 of dry resin), allowing a further recovery of xylitol by sequential stages of adsorption, concentration, ethanol precipitation, concentration and crystallization to obtain food‐grade xylitol according to a developed process. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Flavonoids and cell membrane fluidity

The membrane fluidity characteristics of multilamellar (MLV) and extruded liposomes prepared with kaempferol (K), kaempferol-3-glucoside (KG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) or (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are presented. Kaempferol caused the highest increase in fluorescence polarisation of DPH in both liposomes (other compounds had not) indicating that K with n_K/n_Lip below 0.2 or 0.1 decreased the membrane fluidity, while at higher molar ratios the membrane fluidity increased. EPR measurements with MLV and spin probes MeFASL(10,3) and MeFASL(2,11) showed a significant decrease in fluidity in the upper part of the membrane for all flavonoids measured, and in the core of the membrane an increase in fluidity for EGCG and EGC. Computer simulation of the EPR spectra showed that the membrane of the MLV used was composed of at least three coexisting domain types with different fluidity and that the order parameter of the most ordered domains is responsible for membrane fluidity alterations.     

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of Agaricus brasiliensis (Agaricus blazei Murril) in two stages of maturity

The antioxidant capability and total phenolic contents of methanolic extracts of Agaricusbrasiliensis in two stages of maturity, young (YB) and mature (MB), were evaluated in this work. Four complementary assays, reducing power, radical scavenging capacity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and chelating ability for ferrous ions were used to screen the antioxidant properties of extracts. Minor differences in the composition of phenolic compounds were detected, but the extracts showed similar antioxidant activities, except for the chelating ability for ferrous ions, higher in MB than in YB. Our results support the use of both young and mature fruiting bodies of Agaricus blazei as sources of antioxidant compounds.