Facial expression recognition in image sequences using geometric deformation features and Support Vector Machines.

In this paper, two novel methods for facial expression recognition in facial image sequences are presented. The user has to manually place some of Candide grid nodes to face landmarks depicted at the first frame of the image sequence under examination. The grid-tracking and deformation system used, based on deformable models, tracks the grid in consecutive video frames over time, as the facial expression evolves, until the frame that corresponds to the greatest facial expression intensity. The geometrical displacement of certain selected Candide nodes, defined as the difference of the node coordinates between the first and the greatest facial expression intensity frame, is used as an input to a novel multiclass Support Vector Machine (SVM) system of classifiers that are used to recognize either the six basic facial expressions or a set of chosen Facial Action Units (FAUs). The results on the Cohn-Kanade database show a recognition accuracy of 99.7% for facial expression recognition using the proposed multiclass SVMs and 95.1% for facial expression recognition based on FAU detection.     

Hexabromocyclododecane enantiomers: microsomal degradation and patterns of hydroxylated metabolites

The degradation of the enantiomers of α-, β-, and γ-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) by phase I metabolism was investigated using induced rat liver microsomes. HBCD isomers were quantified using HPLC-MS/MS (ESI(-)) after separation on a combination of a reversed phase and a chiral analytical column. The degradation of all six isomers followed first-order kinetics and the estimated half-lives ranged from 6.3 min for both β-HBCD enantiomers to 32.3 min in case of (+)-γ-HBCD. (+)-α- and (-)-γ-HBCD displayed significantly shorter half-lives than their corresponding antipodes. It could be shown that this degradation led to a significant enrichment of the first eluting enantiomers (-)-α- and (+)-γ-HBCD. Individual patterns of mono- and dihydroxylated derivatives obtained from each α- and γ-HBCD enantiomer were seen to be distinctly characteristic. The patterns of monohydroxylated HBCD derivatives detected in liver and muscle tissues of pollack, mackerel and in herring gull eggs were largely similar to those observed in the in vitro experiments with rat liver microsomes. This enabled individual hydroxy-HBCDs to be assigned to their respective parent HBCD enantiomers.     

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory properties of lentil protein hydrolysates: Determination of the kinetics of inhibition

ACE inhibitory activity was studied for different hydrolysates obtained from protein concentrates of two lentil varieties by in vitro gastrointestinal simulation, Alcalase/Flavourzyme, papain and bromelain. Protein/peptide profiles studied by electrophoresis and HPLC-SEC showed a rich composition of the hydrolysates in small peptides ranging in size from 0.244 to 1.06 kDa. ACE inhibitory activity was measured using the HPLC Hippuryl-His-Leu (HHL) substrate method. Significantly different (P < 0.05) IC₅₀ values ranging between 0.053 and 0.190 mg/ml were obtained for different hydrolysates. Furthermore, the inhibition mechanism investigated using Lineweaver–Burk plots revealed a non-competitive inhibition of ACE with inhibitor constants (K_i) between 0.16 and 0.46 mg/ml. These results demonstrate that hydrolysates of lentil proteins obtained by different enzymatic digestions may contain bioactive components.     

Molecular analysis of yeasts from Indonesian cassava and glutinous rice tapé

Tapé is a popular delicacy in Indonesia that is prepared by fermenting starch-rich material. Yeast plays an important role in the making of tapé especially in the aroma and taste of the product. In this study, yeasts were isolated from tapé and subjected to diversity analysis using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique on 5.8S rRNA encoding gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). A total of 21 yeast isolates were obtained from 3 different types of Indonesian tapé (cassava tapé, white-, and black-glutinous rice tapé). The identified yeast species from cassava tapé were Pichia jadinii, Candida glabrata, and Clavispora lusitaniae. P. fabianii, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Ogataea polymorpha were obtained from white glutinous rice tapé, while Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Wickerhamomyces anomalus were obtained from black glutinous rice tapé.     

Impact of Rearing Conditions on the Microbiological Quality of Raw Retail Poultry Meat

There is a gap in knowledge of microbiological quality in raw chicken products produced by nonconventional methods and no studies have reported the microbiological quality of turkeys produced under different rearing environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the microbiological quality of conventionally and organically reared whole chicken and turkey carcasses purchased from 3 retail outlets in Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.A. A total of 100 raw broiler chickens organically (n = 50) and 50 raw turkey carcasses consisting of 3 brands reared either conventionally (n = 25) or organically (n = 25) were evaluated. The FDA BAM protocol for rinsing poultry carcasses was used to enumerate of aerobic bacteria, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus spp., and for qualitative analysis of Salmonella. Organic chickens from one brand had the highest average counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp. and Campylobacter (4.8, 4.8, and 4.7 Log₁₀ CFU/mL rinsate, respectively) while the other organic brand had the lowest average counts (3.4, 3.3, and 3.1, respectively) of all 4 brands evaluated. The organic turkeys had the highest average counts of these same bacteria (4, 3.9, and 3.8, respectively) compared to the 2 brands of conventional turkeys evaluated. Salmonella (5% prevalence) was isolated only from organic chickens and turkeys. From these data, it appears that the microbiological quality of the raw product was not dependent on rearing conditions and, thus, it cannot be assumed that organic raw poultry is safer than conventionally raised poultry in terms of microbiological quality.     

Antiviral activity of donkey milk protein fractions on echovirus type 5

Antiviral activity of Ragusano donkeys' milk proteins was investigated for the effect on echovirus type 5, known to infect the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Three protein fractions were tested; casein (CN), whey protein (WP) and a low molecular whey protein fraction (LWP; <30,000 Da). The antiviral activity of WP and LWP was tested on echovirus type 5 at three concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg mL^?1); CN was assessed only at the lower concentration. All donkey milk protein fractions showed significant inhibition on virus replication at the concentration of 1 mg mL^?1, and both WP and LWP fractions showed significant inhibition on the virus replication at all concentrations tested. The strongest antiviral effect was observed for the WP fraction. These findings show that the different whey proteins in donkey milk, probably acting in synergy, exert antiviral activity on echovirus 5 and might contribute to prevent gastrointestinal virus infections in humans.     

Application of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the simultaneous confirmation of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species in turkey sample surveillance

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction was developed to simultaneously identify Listeria monocytogenes and species of the genus Listeria. Two sets of primers were used, with the first amplifying a 938-bp region of the 16S rRNA gene that is highly conserved in all Listeria species and the second amplifying a 174-bp region of the listeriolysin (hlyA) gene of L. monocytogenes. Thus, isolates of Listeria spp. yield a single 938-bp product, whereas L. monocytogenes isolates yield both the 938-bp product and a 174-bp product. The specificity of the assay was verified with all six Listeria species and 11 serotypes of L. monocytogenes, as well as nonrelated bacteria. The multiplex PCR assay was used to determine the incidence of Listeria spp., especially L. monocytogenes, in mechanically separated turkey samples (n = 150 samples). L. monocytogenes strains were selected by using the University of Vermont two-step enrichment protocol and plating to selective Palcam agar. The multiplex PCR assay was used for verification of presumptive Listeria colonies. Approximately 38% of mechanically separated turkey samples (57 of 150) yielded L. monocytogenes; an additional 18% of these samples (27 of 150) harbored other Listeria spp. Fifty-one percent (29 of 57) of the L. monocytogenes isolates were of serogroup 1, 44% (25 of 57) were of serogroup 4, and 2% (1 of 57) were assigned to serogroups other than 1 and 4.     

Anthocyanin composition of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from high- and low-quality vineyards over two years

The anthocyanin composition of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes over two vintages was studied. Samples were obtained during berry ripening from two vineyards that differed by producing fruit of high and low quality. The proportions of the individual compounds remained practically constant within a single vineyard along the sampling period, the changes in the anthocyanin composition being principally quantitative. Different multivariate statistical methods showed that the anthocyanin profile was primarily determined by variety. This genetic dependence was particularly verified when the sums of the non-acylated glucosides, the acetates and the p-coumaryl derivatives, were analysed. The mean relative content corresponding to these three anthocyanin fractions was always the same within each variety, independently either of the vineyard or the vintage year considered. Relating to the individual compounds, several permanent qualitative differences between vineyards in each variety were also found, although the difference in the total anthocyanin concentration was always much higher.