Effects of Spray‐Drying Parameters on In Vitro Functional Properties of Camu‐Camu (Myrciaria dubia Mc. Vaugh): A Typical Amazonian Fruit

Camu‐camu (Myrciaria dubia) fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds but its shelf life is rather short. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the effect of inlet air temperature (T) and concentration (C) of maltodextrin and arabic gum on the spray‐drying process of commercial camu‐camu pulps (São Paulo and Manaus). Moisture, solubility, total phenolics (TP), ascorbic acid (AA), and proanthocyanidins (PAC) contents, and in vitro antioxidant capacity of the powders (FRAP, DPPH, Folin–Ciocalteu's reducing capacity were measured). Arabic gum resulted in better yields (22% to 30%), powder solubility (84% to 90%), and lower losses of analyzed compounds than the powders manufactured with maltodextrin. Overall, inlet air temperature had a lower impact on the responses studied than the concentration of carrier agents. Polynomial equations were generated for AA (R² = 0.993), TP (R² = 0.735), PAC (R² = 0.946), and for the antioxidant capacity assays (0.867 ≤ R² ≤ 0.963). In addition, principal component analysis showed that the lowest concentration of carrier agents (6%) in spray drying resulted in the lowest losses of bioactive compounds and, consequently, the highest antioxidant capacity.     

Estrogen content of dairy and swine wastes

Naturally occurring estrogens in animal wastes may cause negative environmental impacts, yet their abundance in animal waste treatment and storage structures is poorly documented. To better quantify estrogen concentrations in animal wastes, multiple waste samples were collected from treatment and storage structures at dairy and swine facilities and analyzed for concentrations of 17beta-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and 17alpha-estradiol by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (E2 only). Mass ratios of each estrogen to the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were also determined. Because manure application rates are typically macronutrient-based, estrogen to macronutrient ratios are proportional to areal mass application rates of estrogen to fields. Swine farrowing waste (from farrowing sows and piglets) had the highest ratios of E2 to macronutrients. Mean ratios in swine farrowing waste were roughly twice those in swine finishing waste (from growing male and nonpregnant female animals) and more than four times higher than those in dairy waste (from lactating cows in various stages of their reproductive cycles); these differences were statistically significant (alpha = 0.05). Estrone followed a similar trend. In contrast, ratios of 17alpha-estradiol to macronutrients were highest in dairy operations. These results can be used to better predict estrogen loading rates on fields receiving swine and dairy wastes.     

Developing Structural Integrated Stressor–Stress Models for Clients’ and Contractors’ Cost Engineers

Estimation is not a purely scientific task. It requires cost engineers equipped with a wide knowledge of construction and a professional ability to make judgments. However, stress will deaden their use of knowledge and influence their professional judgment in estimating. In the construction industry, cost engineers can generally be divided into two main groups: clients’ cost engineers in consultant firms or in a development company who serve clients; and contractors’ cost engineers in construction companies working for the contractors. This study investigates the causal relationships between the stressors and stress of clients’ and contractors’ cost engineers. Two stressor–stress integrated models were developed for these two cost engineer groups by using the structural equation model. The findings revealed some stressors that affected both clients’ and contractors’ cost engineers: (1) poor environment, role conflict and work underload affect their stress positively; (2) social support and Type A behavior affect their stress negatively; and (3) work underload induces stress via the role conflict among cost engineers, their supervisors, and the organization. On the other hand, some deviations between these two groups of cost engineers also occur: (1) social support acts as a source of stressors of clients’ cost engineers; (2) a private life stressor only affects the stress of contractors’ cost engineers; and (3) a closed interactive looping relationship among role conflict, Type A behavior, and work underload affects contractors’ cost engineers. Based on the results of this study, some recommendations are suggested to manage cost engineers’ stress well.     

Four practical and conceptual assessment issues that evaluators should address in capital case mental retardation evaluations.

What unique assessment issues do evaluators face when conducting mental retardation evaluations in capital cases? This article describes 4 assessment issues and reports how 20 evaluators in 1 state have approached them: (a) What methods are appropriate for evaluating adaptive functioning in this context? (b) Should information about criminal behavior be used as evidence of adaptive functioning? (c) Should correctional officers serve as informants regarding adaptive behavior? and (d) How should the Flynn effect influence the interpretation of intelligence test scores? Implications for practice are that practitioners should expect to be asked about the relation between criminal behavior and adaptive functioning, must think carefully about the validity of tests of adaptive functioning for inmates, and must be knowledgeable about the current state of Flynn effect research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An experimental study on the concrete hydration process using Fabry–Perot fiber optic temperature sensors

This paper describes the contribution of Fabry–Perot (FP) fiber optic temperature sensor to investigate the effects of concrete hydration process. The FP temperature sensor was easily fabricated by controllable chemical etching and adjustable fusion splicing. Detailed optical properties of the sensor were theoretically analyzed and temperature calibration experiments were performed. A sensor with a 90 μm cavity length was demonstrated to have a temperature sensitivity of 0.01 nm/°C and the linearity coefficient of 0.99. Furthermore, the FP sensor was embedded in the concrete structure for sensing the temperature change during the early age of hydration. During the concrete hydration experiments, the measured peak temperatures of the concrete specimens with different water-to-cement (w/c) ratios of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 were 51.42 °C, 52.88 °C, and 55.08 °C, respectively, corresponding to final setting times of 13.52 h (w/c = 0.4), 14.16 h (w/c = 0.5) and 15.2 h (w/c = 0.6) after concrete casting. Temperature profiles will be used for concrete hydration heat study, which will help us to have a better understanding of cement hydration behavior.     

Attentional control in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Attentional control, the ability to maintain goal-directedness in the face of distraction, has been shown to decline in normal aging (NA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the nature and extent of deficits is under debate. This study investigated attentional control in NA and AD compared to healthy young adults in several tasks such as setting, suppressing, switching, and preparing attention. Method: Fifty-two participants (17 AD, 17 NA, and 18 young participants) underwent the Tower of London, the Zoo map test, the Stroop test, letter verbal fluency, a computerized version of the Rule shift cards tests, the Trail making test, the Plus-minus test, and a reaction time task with variable preparatory intervals. Results: Analyses of variance showed that NA as compared to young participants were impaired in the Tower of London, the Stroop test, and the Rule shift cards tests. AD as compared to NA participants were impaired in all tests except the Stroop test. Principal component analysis in young adults confirmed the modularity of attentional tasks, which was reduced in NA and AD participants. Principal component analysis in all populations showed a decline of attentional control with NA and AD regardless of the tasks, with an increase in between-participants variability only between young and NA participants. Conclusions: Attentional control dysfunction is different in NA and AD: NA affects suppressing attention, switching attention for unpredictable but not predictable events, and preparing attention for unpredictable events, whereas AD affects setting, suppressing, switching, and preparing attention with less specificity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are BPA Substitutes as Obesogenic as BPA?

Metabolic diseases, such as obesity, Type II diabetes and hepatic steatosis, are a significant public health concern affecting more than half a billion people worldwide. The prevalence of these diseases is constantly increasing in developed countries, affecting all age groups. The pathogenesis of metabolic diseases is complex and multifactorial. Inducer factors can either be genetic or linked to a sedentary lifestyle and/or consumption of high-fat and sugar diets. In 2002, a new concept of “environmental obesogens” emerged, suggesting that environmental chemicals could play an active role in the etiology of obesity. Bisphenol A (BPA), a xenoestrogen widely used in the plastic food packaging industry has been shown to affect many physiological functions and has been linked to reproductive, endocrine and metabolic disorders and cancer. Therefore, the widespread use of BPA during the last 30 years could have contributed to the increased incidence of metabolic diseases. BPA was banned in baby bottles in Canada in 2008 and in all food-oriented packaging in France from 1 January 2015. Since the BPA ban, substitutes with a similar structure and properties have been used by industrials even though their toxic potential is unknown. Bisphenol S has mainly replaced BPA in consumer products as reflected by the almost ubiquitous human exposure to this contaminant. This review focuses on the metabolic effects and targets of BPA and recent data, which suggest comparable effects of the structural analogs used as substitutes.     

Lipidomic Approaches to Study HDL Metabolism in Patients with Central Obesity Diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors characterised by central obesity, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, and changes in the circulating lipidome; the underlying mechanisms that lead to this lipid remodelling have only been partially elucidated. This study used an integrated “omics” approach (untargeted whole serum lipidomics, targeted proteomics, and lipoprotein lipidomics) to study lipoprotein remodelling and HDL composition in subjects with central obesity diagnosed with MetS (vs. controls). Compared with healthy subjects, MetS patients showed higher free fatty acids, diglycerides, phosphatidylcholines, and triglycerides, particularly those enriched in products of de novo lipogenesis. On the other hand, the “lysophosphatidylcholines to phosphatidylcholines” and “cholesteryl ester to free cholesterol” ratios were reduced, pointing to a lower activity of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in MetS; LCAT activity (directly measured and predicted by lipidomic ratios) was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance. Moreover, many phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins were significantly lower in the HDL of MetS patients and strongly correlated with BMI and clinical metabolic parameters. These results suggest that MetS is associated with an impairment of phospholipid metabolism in HDL, partially led by LCAT, and associated with obesity and underlying insulin resistance. This study proposes a candidate strategy to use integrated “omics” approaches to gain mechanistic insights into lipoprotein remodelling, thus deepening the knowledge regarding the molecular basis of the association between MetS and atherosclerosis.