Assessing nutritional quality of milk-based sport supplements as determined by furosine

Milk proteins have a strong position in the sport nutrition markets, such as sport supplements for highly trained athletes, apart from bodybuilders. Furosine, a well-known index for the availability of lysine and subsequently of the extent of the Maillard reaction, was evaluated in different common ingredients used for formulation, as well in commercial sport supplements. Furosine content ranged from 2.8 to 1125.7 mg/100 g protein in commercial sport supplements being usually lower in samples containing mainly whey protein isolates or casein, as compared with whey protein concentrates. It is estimated that 0.1–36.7% of the lysine content is not available in this type of products. The use of high quality ingredients for the manufacture of sport supplements reveals important, since it could be the major source of protein intake of certain group of consumers in high or moderate training regime. Furosine is an appropriate indicator to estimate the nutritional quality of sport supplements. A reference value of 70 mg furosine/100 g protein content in dried sport supplements could be set up for controlling the quality of milk-based ingredients used in the formulation. Samples with higher levels are suspected of use of low quality milk-based ingredients or inappropriate storage conditions.     

The canonical processes of a dramatized approach to information presentation

This paper describes the application “Carletto the spider” in terms of the mapping with the canonical processes of media production. “Carletto the spider” is a character-based guide to a historical site and implements the Dramatour approach for the design of drama-based interactive presentations. Dramatization makes presentations more engaging, thus improving the reception of the content by the user. The major technical issue of the approach is the segmentation of the presentation into audiovisual units that are edited on-the-fly in a way that guarantees dramatic continuity while adapting to the user response. We describe the workflow of the application and its mapping to the canonical processes of media production, envisaging possible standardizations for the application portability.     

Integration of InGaP/GaAs/Ge triple‐junction solar cells on deeply patterned silicon substrates

We report preliminary results on InGaP/InGaAs/Ge photovoltaic cells for concentrated terrestrial applications, monolithically integrated on engineered Si(001) substrates. Cells deposited on planar Ge/Si(001) epilayers, grown by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition, provide good efficiency and spectral response, despite the small thickness of the Ge epilayers and a threading dislocation density as large as 10⁷/cm². The presence of microcracks generated by the thermal misfit is compensated by a dense collection grid that avoids insulated areas. In order to avoid the excessive shadowing introduced by the use of a dense grid, the crack density needs to be lowered. Here, we show that deep patterning of the Si substrate in blocks can be an option, provided that a continuous Ge layer is formed at the top, and it is suitably planarized before the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The crack density is effectively decreased, despite that the efficiency is also lowered with respect to unpatterned devices. The reasons of this efficiency reduction are discussed, and a strategy for improvement is proposed and explored. Full morphological analysis of the coalesced Ge blocks is reported, and the final devices are tested under concentrated AM1.5D spectrum. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of Ca,Cd, Cu,Fe, K,Mg, Mn,Mo, Na,Se, and Zn in Foodstuffs by Atomic Spectrometry After Sample Preparation Using a Low-Cost Closed-Vessel Conductively Heated Digestion System

Establishing fast, simple, low-cost, and efficient sample preparation procedures to determine elements in foodstuffs is a relevant aspect for nutritional and health purposes. For this reason, the recently proposed closed-vessel conductively heated digestion system (CHDS) was evaluated for the digestion of milk powder, chocolate powder, and soluble coffee samples aiming for Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn determinations by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS) and Cd, Mo, and Se determinations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with tandem configuration (ICP-MS/MS). The accuracy was evaluated by analyzing two milk certified reference materials digested by the CHDS and a microwave oven for comparison. When using the CHDS, recoveries for the analytes varied from 91 to 104 %. For microwave digestions, recoveries within the 94–109 % intervals were obtained. The method was then applied to the samples. For comparative purposes, the analytes were also determined in the samples after microwave digestion, and the results between the two digestion systems showed no differences based on a paired t test at a 95 % confidence level. Similar analytical blanks were obtained because quartz digestion tubes were used in both digestion systems. The CHDS with quartz tubes is an interesting alternative for laboratories dedicated to large-scale routine analysis because volatile elements usually found in very low concentrations in food samples such as Cd and Se can also be determined.     

Development of a quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for the detection of aflatoxins in maize

An immunoassay-based lateral flow device for the quantitative determination of four major aflatoxins in maize has been developed. The one-step assay has performance comparably with that of other screening methods, as confirmed by the intra- and the inter-day precision of the data (RSD 10-22%), and can be completed in 10 min. Quantification was obtained by acquiring images of the strip and correlating intensities of the coloured lines with analyte concentration by means of a stored calibration curve carried out by diluting aflatoxins in the extract from a blank maize sample. Limit of detection (1 μg kg?1) and dynamic range (2-40 μg kg?1) allows the direct assessment of aflatoxin contamination in maize at all levels of regulatory relevance. All reagents are immobilized on the lateral flow device. In addition, very simple sample preparation, using an aqueous buffered solution, has been demonstrated to allow the quantitative extraction of aflatoxins. Twenty-five maize samples were extracted with the aqueous medium and analyzed by the developed assay. A good correlation was observed (y = 0.97x + 0.07, r2= 0.980) when data was compared with that obtained through an official method. The developed method is reliable, rapid and allows for application outside the laboratory as a point-of-use test for screening purposes.     

Analysis of Europe’s scientific production on renewable energies

An overview is given of research in the major countries of Europe in the area of renewable energies. The analysis used the Scopus (Elsevier) database of scientific literature, calculating bibliometric indices (primary production, average citations per document, percentage variation, SJR, etc.) for the geographical domain of Europe during the period 2002–2007. The aim of the study is to supplement previous works on the subject which have mostly been limited to a particular type of energy without addressing the area as a whole, as well as to expand their methodological approaches in both the data retrieval strategy and the calculation of indices. The results show Europe to be well positioned globally in this scientific field – in production, in citations, and in impact.     

Preparation of antistatic and biodegradable packaging of PLA/PHBV blend-based glassy carbon and graphene nanoplatelets composites

Glassy carbon (GC) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were used as fillers for the preparation of antistatic and biodegradable composites based on poly (lactic acid)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) blend. In this work, PLA/PHBV (80/20) blends with the addition of different GC contents (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%) were prepared by melt mixing using a twin-screw extruder, and specimens were injection molded. Furthermore, hybrid composites were prepared with the addition of 5 wt% of GNP and different GC contents (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%) using the same processing. The effect of the addition of GC and GNP on the mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties and its effect on the biodegradability of the PLA/PHVB blend was evaluated. The simultaneous addition of GC (0.3 and 0.5 wt%) and GNP (5 wt%) significantly increases the elastic modulus and decreases the electrical resistivity, becoming suitable for electrostatic discharge protection packaging applications. The hybrid composite GC0.5/GNP5 reached a maximum value of total attenuation (4.5 dB), which corresponds to 60% EMI shielding. The degree of crystallinity affects biodegradability more than the type or presence of carbon material. After 110 days of anaerobic biodegradation, the hybrid composite exhibited 10% biodegradability due to the high degree of crystallinity that hinders the biodegradability process. The hybrid composites with the addition of GC and GNP are very promising for use in antistatic packaging.     

Characterization of the backscattered radiation from petawatt laser matter interactions

The development of high peak power and energy laser systems require the assurance that any backscattered radiation will not lead to damage of the laser system. We present the characterization of the backscattered radiation for different target types and conditions at petawatt power levels and intensities (>10(20)W/cm2). We observe that radiation is generated between 700 and 900 nm, as well as the expected self emission and laser fundamental. The percentage of the incident light backscattered reduces as a function of the incident energy and is typically <1% for petawatt laser interactions.