Assessment of Relationships between Sensory and Instrumental Quality of Controlled-atmosphere-stored 'Fuji' Apples by Multivariate Analysis

ABSTRACT: Physicochemical parameters, sensory attributes, and total aroma emission of ‘Fuji’ apples (Malus×domestica Borkh.) were studied in relation to storage conditions, storage duration, and shelf life period. Commercially ripe fruit were analyzed after 3, 5, and 7 mo of cold storage in normal atmosphere (AIR) (210 L/m³ O₂+ 0.3 L/m³ CO₂) or under 3 different controlled atmosphere (CA) treatments (10 L/m³ O₂+ 10 L/m³ CO₂, 20 L/m³ O₂+ 20 L/m³ CO₂, or 10 L/m³ O₂+ 30 L/m³ CO₂), after which apples were kept at 20 °C for 1, 5, and 10 d. Data were subjected to partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis. Physicochemical parameters were well preserved throughout storage, especially in CA‐stored apples; however, these apples showed lower total aroma emission. Sensory acceptability was also higher for CA‐stored fruit after 7 mo of storage, whereas no significant differences were found for shorter storage periods. Accordingly, greater scores in sensory firmness, sensory flavor, sensory acidity, and appearance were observed for fruit stored in 10 L/m³ O₂+ 10 L/m³ CO₂ after long storage. Two PLSR models were established, 1 for relating physicochemical parameters to overall acceptability, and another for assessing the correlation between sensory acidity and instrumentally measured titratable acidity. The 1st PLSR model indicated that soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, flesh firmness, and background color of the shaded side have a positive influence on acceptability. The 2nd model indicated that sensory acidity also showed an excellent correlation to instrumentally measured titratable acidity.     

Differential Age Effects on Attention-Based Inhibition: Inhibitory Tagging and Inhibition of Return.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether 2 forms of attentional inhibition, inhibition of return (IOR) and inhibitory tagging, are differentially affected by the aging process. The authors tested 24 younger adults (mean age = 22 years) and 24 older adults (mean age = 69 years) on a combined IOR and Stroop task (Vivas & Fuentes, 2001). As predicted, younger adults' performance was consistent with inhibitory tagging of objects at inhibited locations. Although older adults demonstrated intact IOR, there was no evidence of inhibitory tagging. The results suggest that age deficits in inhibition are selective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nondestructive assessment of freshness in packaged sliced chicken breasts using SW-NIR spectroscopy

A technique was developed to predict the freshness of packaged sliced chicken breast employing a nondestructive visible and short-wavelength near-infrared (SW-NIR) spectroscopy method. Spectra were recorded at 0, 7 and 14 days using a camera, spectral filter (400-1000 nm) and a halogen flood lighting system which were developed and calibrated for the purpose. Physicochemical, biochemical and microbiological properties such as moisture (x^w), water activity (a_w), pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), ATP breakdown compounds (K₁ values) and mesophilic bacteria (cfu g^− 1) were determined to predict freshness degradation. The spectra obtained were related to the storage time of the samples. The best wavelengths for modeling freshness were 413, 426, 449, 460, 473, 480, 499, 638, 942, 946, 967, 970 and 982 nm. A linear correlation was found between the visible and SW-NIR spectroscopy and parameters such as microbiological counts, K₁ and T-VBN indexes.     

On drawbody shapes: From Bergmark–Roos to kinematic models

The geometrical locus defined by the initial location of the fragments that are recovered from an extraction point in underground mining, after a given operation, is commonly named “drawbody”. A brief review of drawbody shapes in flat-bottomed hoppers is proposed. The Bergmark–Roos hypothesis is discussed and it is shown that when the continuity equation is considered, particle density increases with time and when moving toward the hopper aperture. Drawbody shapes are calculated for flows predicted from a plasticity approach, as well as from a kinematic model. Applications to complex configurations in which the flow is produced by two drawpoints, either in simultaneous or sequential extractions, are discussed in some detail. In particular, the extracted zone is calculated exactly and its dependence on distance between drawpoints is investigated. The knowledge of such locus should prove valuable when optimizing ore recovery in mining processes.     

Psychological malaise and the sociodemographic and familial characteristics of the over-user of primary care

OBJECTIVES: To find the social, demographic and family characteristics, the psychological malaise and reasons for consultation of normal and hyper-attenders at a primary care practice. DESIGN: Crossover study with a control. SETTING: Primary care. PATIENTS: 127 hyper-attenders (they attended the practice as often as, or more often than, the mean number of visits, stratified by sex and age) and 120 normal attenders chosen by stratified random sampling. INTERVENTIONS: Questionnaire with characterisation data, family demography, psychological malaise (Goldberg general health questionnaire) and reasons for consultation. RESULTS: To be considered a hyper-attender, the number of attendances per year ranged from > or = 8 (in 15 to 44-year olds) to > or = 20 (in men over 65). Hyper-attenders were about 12% of almost all groups, except in men between 45 and 64 and women over 64, in whom it was around 18%. We found no relevant differences between normal and hyper-attenders as to demography or perception of family function. In almost 60% of hyper-attenders and 34% of normal attenders (p < 0.001), psychological malaise was detected. CONCLUSIONS: If the definition of hyper-attenders is stratified by age and sex, their social and demographic characteristics are very different from in other studies, even though there are a similar number of them. However, these demographic and/or family characteristics are similar in normal and hyper-attenders.     

Amplification of the clinical spectrum of Robinow syndrome

Calcifying tendinitis is a relatively common disorder of the rotator cuff. For symptomatic patients, excision of the calcium deposits offers reliable pain relief. The arthroscopic technique is demanding. Arthroscopic localization of the deposit is frequently demanding. The technique described in this article facilitates the localization of calcium deposits based on preoperative ultrasonography. Knowing the exact topography of the deposit relative to the visible landmarks allows the surgeon to localize the site of the deposit from the intra-articular view. Probing the rotator cuff with a spinal needle and looking for calcific material at the tip of the needle is an important step in verifying the location of the deposit.     

Seroconversion of a trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in children aged 9 and 15 months

The serological response to MMR vaccine was evaluated in 109 9-month-old infants having no history of measles vaccination, and in 98 15-month-old children who had received monocomponent measles immunisation at 9 months. The combined vaccine contained Schwarz, Urabe Am9, and Wistar RA 27/3 live attenuated virus strains. Preimmunisation antibody levels were extremely low for the 9-month-old children, indicating that maternally-transmitted antibodies do not persist at this age. In the case of mumps, preimmunisation antibody levels were significantly higher in the 15-month-old than in the 9-month-old group. A difference between groups in terms of postimmunisation antibody titres was observed only for rubella, with titres being significantly higher in the older group. Seroconversion rates were high in both groups and no serious events attributable to vaccination were observed. The MMR vaccine can thus be administered to children as young as 9 months of age. Evidence for the efficacy of a two-dose schedule, i.e. at 9 and 15 months, is presented.     

Remote sensing in BOREAS: Lessons learned

The Boreal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) was a large, multiyear internationally supported study designed to improve our understanding of the boreal forest biome and its interactions with the atmosphere, biosphere, and the carbon cycle in the face of global climate change. In the initial phase of this study (early 1990s), remote sensing played a key role by providing products needed for planning and modeling. During and after the main BOREAS field campaigns (1994 and 1996), innovative remote sensing approaches and analyses expanded our understanding of the boreal forest in four key areas: (1) definition of vegetation structure, (2) land-cover classification, (3) assessment of the carbon balance, and (4) links between surface properties, weather, and climate. In addition to six BOREAS special issues and over 500 journal papers, a principal legacy of BOREAS is its well-documented and publicly available database, which provides a lasting scientific resource and opportunity to further advance our understanding of this critical northern biome.     

The influence of copper precipitation and plastic deformation hardening on the impact-transition temperature of rolled structural steels

Commercial electric arc melted low-carbon steels, provided as I beams, were characterized both microstructurally and mechanically in the as-rolled, copper precipitation, and plastically pre-deformed conditions. Inclusion size distribution, ferrite grain size, pearlite volume fraction, precipitated volume fraction of copper, and size distribution of these precipitates were deter-mined by conventional quantitative optical and electron metallographic techniques. From the tensile tests conducted at a strain rate of 10^-3 s^-1 and impact Charpy V-notched tests carried out, stress/strain curves, yield stress, and impact-transition temperature were obtained. The spe-cific fractographic features of the fracture surfaces also were quantitatively characterized. The increases in yield stress and transition temperature experienced upon either aging or work hard-ening were related through empirical relationships. These dependences were analyzed semi-quantitatively by combining microscopic and macroscopic fracture criteria based on measured fundamental properties (fracture stress and yield stress) and observed fractographic parameters (crack nucleation distance and nuclei size). The rationale developed from these fracture criteria allows the semiquantitative prediction of the temperature transition shifts produced upon aging and work hardening. The values obtained are of the right order of magnitude.     

Bodian process. Ultrastructural study

The Bodian method was used for an ultrastructural study on the optic nerve of the adult cat in order to compare the effects of two fixation techniques on the normal nerve and on the nerve during Wallerian degeneration after unilateral enucleation. Immersion fixation causes a predominately metallic deposit in the myelin sheath; the perfusion has no effect. During the Wallerian degeneration the two fixation methods lead to a metallic deposit located in the axon which is in large grains after immersion and extremely dense after perfusion. Various diffraction methods were used to identify the nature of the metallic deposit. These results emphasize the positive elements in systemically associating the electron microscope with the optic microscope for studies concerning Wallerian degeneration after metallic impregnation in the central nervous system