Capillary electrophoresis characterization of the casein fraction of cheeses made from cows', ewes' and goats' milks

Casein fractions and their breakdown products in Iberico-type cheeses made from the milk of cows, ewes or goats were analysed by capillary electrophoresis in order to characterize them. The actions of plasmin and chymosin on caseins were evaluated by comparing the electropherograms of caseins from milk and from cheese, both with and without treatment with plasmin. Characteristic capillary electrophoresis patterns were obtained for cheeses made from the milk of each of the three species, and the main components were identified. Caprine para-kappa-casein and bovine beta-caseins, eluting at the first and at the last part of the electropherogram respectively, were found to be indicative of the presence of the milks of these species.     

The Effect of Food Type (Fish Nuggets or French Fries) on Oil Blend Degradation during Repeated Frying

Abstract: Oil that is reused multiple times for deep frying goes through changes in chemical composition and physical characteristics, affecting the quality of the fried foods. In this study, the effect of the food type (fish nuggets or French fries) on the degradation of an oil blend during the deep‐fat frying of each food at 180°C during 12 days was determined, and the characteristics of the fried products were evaluated. The degradation of oil during repeated use was relatively faster when fish nuggets were fried than when French fries were fried, as higher values of total polar compounds were obtained. Practical Application: The results are useful for producers of French fries and fish nuggets, such as restaurants or fast foods sellers, providing them with practical guidelines within the permitted values established by the regulatory authorities. The studied foods have high economic importance and are different in their composition. Under the studied conditions, the tested oil blend may be used during 4 d (4 h per day) with a daily replenishment, without discarding the oil when frying fish nuggets, and must be discarded after 8 d when French fries are processed. This suggestion allows preparing safe fried foods for consumers.     

Short communication: Effect of subclinical mastitis on proteolysis in ovine milk

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of intramammary infection (IMI) on the endogenous proteolysis of milk. Four control checks were carried out in the half-udder milk of 10 ewes that acquired unilateral subclinical mastitis. Two of these checks were conducted before the infection was established and 2 after. Ten healthy ewes were tested as a control group. The presence of a subclinical IMI involved an increase of the products of casein hydrolysis, the proteose-peptone (p-p) fraction and minor (m) caseins, and a decrease of β-casein. As a result, a significant increase in the proteolysis index (PI), calculated as the ratio of m-casein to the sum of caseins (α + β + κ), took place. α-Casein and κ-casein were not significantly affected by IMI. Correlations confirmed the scenario: log₁₀ of somatic cell count (SCC) was positively correlated with p-p content and negatively with β-casein, whereas log₁₀ SCC was not correlated with α-casein or κ-casein. On the other hand, p-p content was positively correlated with m-casein and PI and negatively with β-casein, but no correlation was detected between p-p content and α- or κ-casein. Furthermore, between casein fractions, m-casein was only significantly correlated with β-casein. These results suggest that use of indices of proteolysis of caseins such as p-p, m-casein, and PI, could be applied together with SCC to evaluate the cheese-making quality of milk.     

The effect of the absence of Ni,Co, and Ni–Co catalyst pretreatment on catalytic activity for hydrogen production via oxidative steam reforming of ethanol

This article presents a study of the catalytic performance of Ni, Co, and Ni–Co–Mg–Al mixed oxides obtained from hydrotalcite precursors for the oxidative steam reforming of ethanol (OSRE) when no pretreatment (pre-reduction) is accomplished. Two catalysts (a Ni-based monometallic and an equimolar Ni–Co-based catalyst) achieve in situ reduction over shorter time periods compared with the other bimetallic catalysts and also, exhibit the best catalytic activity. On the contrary, the monometallic Co catalyst did not exhibit good catalytic performance, likely because of the existence of resistant spinel phases to soft reduction processes and/or to the re-oxidation of Co. The equimolar presence of Ni and Co generates a synergistic effect evidenced by the increase in the reducibility, basicity, and mobility of electrophilic oxygen species of the solid. The results yield important information for better understanding the catalytic system under study.     

Modelling commuting time in the US: Bootstrapping techniques to avoid overfitting

The research on commuting has emerged in recent decades, but the issue of whether the empirical techniques used are appropriate has not been analysed. Thus, results from prior research could be based on non-accurate models, leading to misleading conclusions. We apply an algorithmic approach based on bootstrapping, variable selection, and mean absolute prediction errors, which is designed to avoid overfitting. Using the American Time Use Survey, we find that models with a reduced set of explanatory variables have similar accuracy to standard econometric models. Our results shed light on the importance of determining whether models can be overfitted.     

Accuracy of BRT and Delvotest microbial inhibition tests as affected by composition of ewe's milk

The presence of drug residues in ewe's milk samples can be determined by microbial assays. The main limitation of these tests is the large number of false-positive results associated with them. False-positive results can be explained by the interaction of certain substances naturally existing in ewe's milk with the growth of the microorganism used in the test. In this study, milk chemical composition (fat, protein, lactose, total solids), somatic cell counts (SCCs), free fatty acid concentrations, and lactoperoxidase system components were determined in order to investigate their influence on the rate of false-positive results for the BRT and Delvotest microbiological inhibitor tests. Milk samples were obtained after morning milking of Manchega ewes at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, and 135 days after parturition. The animals did not receive any kind of treatment or medicated feed throughout the experiment. The false-positive rates for BRT and Delvotest were 3.75 and 2.4%, respectively. When the logistic regression model was applied, the percentages of total solids for positive samples were significantly different from those for negative samples (16.90 versus 18.42% for BRT, 16.05 versus 18.45% for Delvotest), while the SCC logarithmic transformation was significantly higher for the positive samples than for the negative samples (5.38 versus 5.11 log units for BRT, 5.32 versus 5.11 log units for Delvotest). Moreover, Delvotest-positive samples exhibited thiocyanate concentrations higher than those of Delvotest-negative samples (8.18 mg/liter versus 6.85 mg/liter). Further analyses are needed to confirm the possible presence of antimicrobial residues in this particular type of milk sample.     

Detection limits of beta-lactam antibiotics in ewe milk by penzym enzymatic test.

The Penzym is an enzymatic test widely used for the detection of beta-lactam antibiotic residuals in milk. It is a specific method with good sensitivity to this group of antibiotics and enables results to be obtained within a short time. In the present work, the detection limits of 10 beta-lactam antibiotics were determined in ewe milk, given the lack of previous studies of the Penzym test in ovine milk. For each antibiotic, eight concentrations were tested on 20 ewe milk samples proceeding from individual ewes (160 analyses per drug). The limits of the Penzym test were determined by means of logistic regression models, as follows: 5 microg/kg amoxicillin, 4 microg/kg ampicillin, 33 microg/kg cloxacillin, 3 microg/kg penicillin "G," 43 microg/kg cephadroxil. 10 microg/kg cephalosporin "C," 16 microg/kg cephalexin, 900 microg/kg cephoperazone, 120 microg/kg Ceftiofur, and 77 microg/kg cephuroxime. The percentages of positive results for those antibiotics at the maximum residue limit (MRL) concentration established by the European Union (EU) were: 100% (penicillin "G"), 93.3% (ampicillin), 93.3% (cloxacillin), 56.7% (Ceftiofur), and 56.7% (amoxicillin).     

Nutritional status and its correlates in Equatorial Guinean preschool children: results from a nationally representative survey

BACKGROUND: In Equatorial Guinea, as a result of the recent growth of the oil industry, there is an opportunity to address important public health problems through public and private initiatives. To propose effective nutrition and public health strategies, it is important first to have reliable information on the nutritional status of the population and the underlying factors affecting it. OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status and the prevalence of anemia among Equatoguinean children in a nationally representative sample and to identify the risk factors associated with the nutritional problems detected. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey using a multistaged, stratified, cluster-selected sample. The survey included a sociodemographic, health, and dietary questionnaire and measurement of hematocrit and anthropometric features, from which nutritional indicators based on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards were calculated. Logistic regression models were used for the multivariate analysis. A total of 552 children aged 0 to 60 months were surveyed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of stunting (< -2 height-for-age z-scores [HAZ]) was 29.7% based on the NCHS reference and 35.2% based on WHO standards; the risk factors associated with stunting were age (p < .0001), low socioeconomic status (p = .01), and fishing by a member of the household (p = .003) The prevalence of mild anemia (hemoglobin < 110 g/L) was 69.3%, and that of moderate or severe anemia (hemoglobin < 80 g/L) was 8.3%. The only significant risk factor associated with moderate to severe anemia was low household socioeducational level (p = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Stunting and anemia are public health problems in Equatorial Guinea. Integrated strategies, including fighting poverty and improving maternal education, should be undertaken.     

Comparative evaluation of surfactant and hydrophobizing agent concentration in relation to the optimal particle size of metered-dose inhalers

The aim of the present study was to formulate stabilized suspension-type metered-dose inhalation aerosols, and to examine the connection between the stabilizing additives and the optimal particle size. For the stabilization of the suspended particles, hydrophilic- and hydrophobic-type additives were applied. Oleil oleate was selected as a hydrophilic anionic surfactant, and the hydrophobizing agent was dimethyl siloxane polymer. The effect of the amount of the applied hydrophilic and hydrophobic additives on the optimal particle size was modeled by a second-order polynomial equation fitted to the data gathered by a face-centered central composite statistical design. We found that if the proper type and amount of additives are selected, it is possible to acquire the therapeutically best composition.