Predictors and correlates of taste preferences in European children: The IDEFICS study

The present study investigated taste preferences in a sample of 1705 children aged 6 to 9 years from survey centres in Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, and Spain and aimed to identify factors correlated with taste preference. Children’s preferences for varying levels of sucrose (sweet) in apple juice and fat, sodium chloride (salt) and monosodium glutamate (umami) in crackers were assessed using paired-comparison tests. Socio-demographics (age, sex, parental education), early feeding practises (breastfeeding, introduction of fruits), parenting behaviour (TV viewing, using food as a reward) and taste threshold sensitivity for sucrose (sweet), sodium chloride (salt), caffeine (bitter) and monosodium glutamate (umami) were investigated as possible correlates of taste preferences. Parents reported on socio-demographics, early feeding and parenting behaviour. Taste thresholds were determined via a paired-comparison staircase method. Country of residence was the strongest factor related to preferences for all four tastes. Taste preferences also differed by age. Preference for sugar and salt increased between 6 and 9 years of age while preference for monosodium glutamate decreased. The age differences remained significant even after adjustment for sex, country of residence, parental education and early feeding habits. Sex, parental education, early feeding habits, TV viewing, using food as a reward and taste thresholds were not consistently related to taste preferences among the survey centres. In summary, the results highlight the importance of culture and age in taste preferences in children younger than 10 years of age.     

Social support as a moderator of the relationship between recent history of depression and smoking cessation among lower-educated women.

We examined psychosocial mechanisms linking recent history of depression and subsequent short-term smoking cessation. Our sample included lower-educated women smokers who registered for a brief cessation intervention (registrant panel; n = 1,198), and a quasicontrol panel not participating in the intervention (population panel; n = 682). Women were surveyed by telephone every 6 months for a period of 2 years, measuring psychosocial variables (motivation, self-efficacy, perceived stress, and social support) and self-reported smoking status (7-day abstinence) at each point. In both panels, smoking rate and self-efficacy were strong independent predictors of subsequent cessation, but recent history of depression (as measured 6 months earlier) was not a significant predictor. However, among only the registrant panel, the effects of recent history of depression were significantly moderated by social support. Recently depressed women who had higher levels of perceived social support were as likely to quit subsequently as women who did not have a recent history of depression. The determinants of successful quitting among lower-educated women differ between those who seek assistance and those who do not.     

System-wide emissions implications of increased wind power penetration

This paper discusses the environmental effects of incorporating wind energy into the electric power system. We present a detailed emissions analysis based on comprehensive modeling of power system operations with unit commitment and economic dispatch for different wind penetration levels. First, by minimizing cost, the unit commitment model decides which thermal power plants will be utilized based on a wind power forecast, and then, the economic dispatch model dictates the level of production for each unit as a function of the realized wind power generation. Finally, knowing the power production from each power plant, the emissions are calculated. The emissions model incorporates the effects of both cycling and start-ups of thermal power plants in analyzing emissions from an electric power system with increasing levels of wind power. Our results for the power system in the state of Illinois show significant emissions effects from increased cycling and particularly start-ups of thermal power plants. However, we conclude that as the wind power penetration increases, pollutant emissions decrease overall due to the replacement of fossil fuels.     

Potentiality of Indian pineapple leaf fiber for apparels

The use of textile-grade fiber extracted from the Indian pineapple leaf is an unexplored area. Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) is fine, soft, and moderately strong and is much acceptable for fashion garment. An attempt has been made to extract and soften Indian PALF from the pineapple leaves by decortication and subsequent water retting. Decorticated cum retted fiber has shown better physicomechanical and surface appearance properties than decorticated fiber. Fine yarn (38 tex) was spun in a suitable spinning system, and the property performance was found to be suitable to make eco-sustainable novelty fabric. Fabric was developed by using cotton as warp yarn and PALF-based yarn as weft in a handloom. The developed fabric shows very good physical and mechanical properties, desired for apparels. This inferred that Indian PALF may be successfully used to make eco-niche apparel quality fabric as well as novelty textiles.     

Polymerase chain reaction-mediated characterization of molds belonging to the Aspergillus flavus group and detection of Aspergillus parasiticus in peanut kernels by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction

The Aspergillus flavus group covers species of A. flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus as aflatoxin producers and Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae as koji molds. Genetic similarity among these species is high, and aflatoxin production of a culture may be affected by cultivation conditions and substrate composition. Therefore, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated method of detecting the aflatoxin-synthesizing genes to indicate the degree of risk a genotype has of being a phenotypic producer was demonstrated. In this study, 19 strains of the A. flavus group, including A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. oryzae, A. sojae, and one Aspergillus niger, were subjected to PCR testing in an attempt to detect four genes, encoding for norsolorinic acid reductase (nor-1), versicolorin A dehydrogenase (ver-1), sterigmatocystin O-methyltransferase (omt-1), and a regulatory protein (apa-2), involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis. Concurrently, the strains were cultivated in yeast-malt (YM) broth for aflatoxin detection. Fifteen strains were shown to possess the four target DNA fragments. With regard to aflatoxigenicity, all seven aflatoxigenic strains possessed the four DNA fragments, and five strains bearing less than the four DNA fragments did not produce aflatoxin. When peanut kernels were artificially contaminated with A. parasiticus and A. niger for 7 days, the contaminant DNA was extractable from a piece of cotyledon (ca. 100 mg), and when subjected to multiplex PCR testing using the four pairs of primers coding for the above genes, they were successfully detected. The target DNA fragments were detected in the kernels infected with A. parasiticus, and none was detected in the sound (uninoculated) kernels or in the kernels infected with A. niger.     

Effect of wheat bran on the mechanical properties of extruded starchy foams

Incorporation of wheat bran has a significant effect on the texture of extruded starchy products. This can be explained by changes in the mechanical parameters of the products. The stress at rupture and elastic modulus of wheat flour-based solid foams, obtained at different extrusion conditions and bran concentration, were measured using a three-point bending test. Both parameters were positively correlated with the foam relative density according to the Gibson–Ashby model. At same relative densities and bran concentration, finer structures with higher density of small cells led to a higher mechanical strength of the foams. The stress at rupture of the unexpanded material was decreased when increasing the bran concentration. Nevertheless, expanded foams with added bran at an intermediate level showed increased mechanical strength. This was attributed to the finer cellular structures obtained. The effect of increasing the bran to a higher concentration on the mechanical properties was depending on the cell wall thickness and bran particle dimensions. At high relative density, the strength of the foams was further increased due to the even finer structures obtained. At low relative density, even though finer structures were also obtained, the stress at rupture of the foams was decreased. This may be explained by the lower cell wall thicknesses and low adhesion properties between bran and starch favoring rupture of the cell walls.     

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in the environment and humans: a review

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are brominated aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbons used as flame retardants in thermal insulation building materials, upholstery textiles, and electronics. As a result of their widespread use and their physical and chemical properties, HBCDs are now ubiquitous contaminants in the environment and humans. This review summarizes HBCD concentrations in several environmental compartments and analyzes these data in terms of point sources versus diffuse sources, biomagnification potential, stereoisomer profiles, time trends, and global distribution. Generally, higher concentrations were measured in samples (air, sediment, and fish) collected near point sources (plants producing or processing HBCDs), while lower concentrations were recorded in samples from locations with no obvious sources of HBCDs. High concentrations were measured in top predators, such as marine mammals and birds of prey (up to 9600 and 19 200 ng/g lipid weight, respectively), suggesting a biomagnification potential for HBCDs. Relatively low HBCD concentrations were reported in the few human studies conducted to date (median values varied between 0.35 and 1.1 ng/g lipid weight). HBCD levels in biota are increasing slowly and seem to reflect the local market demand. One important observation is the shiftfrom the high percentage of the gamma-HBCD stereoisomer in the technical products to a dominance of the alpha-HBCD stereoisomer in biological samples. A combination of factors such as variations in solubility, partitioning behavior, uptake, and, possibly, selective metabolism of individual isomers may explain the observed changes in stereoisomer patterns. Recommendations for further work include research on how HBCDs are transferred from products into the environment upon production, use, and disposal. Time trends need to be analyzed more in detail, including HBCD stereoisomers, and more data on terrestrial organisms are needed, especially for humans. Whenever possible, HBCDs should be analyzed as individual stereoisomers in order to address their fate and effects.