Comparison of vacuum impregnation and soaking techniques for addition of the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus to minimally processed melon

This study aimed to evaluate the vacuum impregnation (VI) and soaking methods in the addition of Lactobacillus acidophilusLA‐3 to minimally processed melon (MPM). The melons were washed, sanitised in chlorine solution (200 mg L^?1), peeled and cutted into cubes. Lactobacillus acidophilusLA‐3 (1.4 × 10¹⁰ CFU g^?1) were added to the MPM through both techniques. The L. acidophilusLA‐3 count in MPM was similar to those commonly found in dairy products having probiotic claim, but VI was more efficient than soaking in maintaining the viability (8.61 and 7.98 Log CFU g^?1, respectively). The pH, acidity and soluble solids were not affected by probiotic culture and the incorporation technique; however, the VI affected the firmness of fruit. The MPM was within Brazilian standards for their microbiological characteristics. MPM may be used as a carrier of probiotic bacteria, being one more alternative for individuals who consume probiotic products.     

Weak associativity and restricted rotation

A restricted rotation induced by a weak associative law is introduced. The corresponding equivalence relation is identical to the Glivenko congruence on Tamari lattices, i.e. lattices of binary trees endowed by the well-known rotation operation.     

Gemeinsame österreichisch-ungarische Sedimentforschung im Rahmen des EFRE-Projektes SEDDON

The multiple uses of the Danube River for navigation, hydropower production and as a drinking water supply influence its ecological quality. Flow restrictions due to regulation as well as impacts on the sediment regime such as retention in the catchment area and interruption of the sediment continuum result in changes of the hydromorphological structures and can produce major problems in the context of sediment management. In light of these facts, cross-border investigations of sediment transport at the Danube River are called for. As there are no uniform research approaches shared by Austria and Hungary, the EU-funded project SEDDON (Sediment Research and Management at the Danube River) aims to compare different monitoring and modeling techniques used to determine sediment transport, and to develop mutual solutions. Further, the laboratory equipment currently used for hydraulic model experiments is evaluated and a research channel with a free flowing discharge of up to 10 m³/s without pumping will be constructed, allowing large-scale joint laboratory tests concerning sediment to be performed.     

Using non-food information to identify food-choice segment membership

Food companies, governments, and societal organizations use an increasing number of food-choice motives to persuade consumers to buy food products, and the question which combinations of motives matter for which type of consumer has become of central relevance. In this study, we use a concomitant mixture-modeling approach to uncover consumer segments in terms of food-choice motives, using a nationwide sample in the Netherlands. The results reveal seven segments with distinct profiles and demonstrate that age and membership of environmental organizations play an essential role in segment membership probabilities. Our findings support the idea that information about non-food-related consumer behavior improves the identification of segments. In an additional analysis, we demonstrate how organizational membership also provides an effective way to access consumer segments as compared to diverse media outlets. We discuss the implications of our findings for segmentation practice.     

Modular Functionalization of Electrodes by Cross‐Coupling Reactions at Their Surfaces

Due to the increasing importance of modified electrodes for many applications in nanotechnology, including molecular electronics, bioelectronics, and sensors, there is a need to find ways to chemically attach suitable molecular films onto the electrodes. Combining the electroreduction of aryl diazonium salts with the Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction, a new modular technique to modify electrodes is presented. The new technique allows a wide range of functional groups to be introduced onto electrode surfaces with high surface coverage by the functional subunit. Various organic subunits, including redox chromophores, are successfully attached to platinum electrodes. The corresponding films are characterized using cyclic voltammetry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and contact‐angle measurements. The electroreduction of diazonium salts is successfully achieved on a broad variety of conducting and semiconducting surfaces, which shows that the technique is applicable to a broad variety of substrates.     

Trusted virtual domains: Color your network

Trusted Virtual Domains (TVDs) provide a secure IT infrastructure offering a homogeneous and transparent enforcement of access control policies on data and network resources. In this article, we give an overview of the fundamental ideas and basic concepts behind TVDs, present a realization of TVDs, and discuss application scenarios.     

Leveling up and down: The experiences of benign and malicious envy.

Envy is the painful emotion caused by the good fortune of others. This research empirically supports the distinction between two qualitatively different types of envy, namely benign and malicious envy. It reveals that the experience of benign envy leads to a moving-up motivation aimed at improving one’s own position, whereas the experience of malicious envy leads to a pulling-down motivation aimed at damaging the position of the superior other. Study 1 used guided recall of the two envy types in a culture (the Netherlands) that has separate words for benign and malicious envy. Analyses of the experiential content of these emotions found the predicted differences. Study 2 and 3 used one sample from the United States and one from Spain, respectively, where a single word exists for both envy types. A latent class analysis based on the experiential content of envy confirmed the existence of separate experiences of benign and malicious envy in both these cultures as well. The authors discuss the implications of distinguishing the two envy types for theories of cooperation, group performance, and Schadenfreude. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling water sorption dynamics of cellular solid food systems using free volume theory

Water sorption and dynamical properties of bread crust were studied using gravimetric sorption experiments. Water uptake and loss were measured while relative humidity (RH) was step-wise in- or decreased. Experimental results were compared with Fickian diffusion models and empirical models like the exponential and power-law model. From comparison of experimental sorption curves and the power-law model for short times it followed for all bread crust that the diffusional coefficient n is close to one. It turned out that this is not due to so-called case II diffusion and water transport that is limited by relaxation of the solid material but due to the fact that RH did not instantaneously but gradually increased to the set value.Sorption curves of isotherm experiments could be best described by the Fickian diffusion model for low RH and by the exponential model for large RH. Transport rates depend on moisture content and show a maximum around RH = 0.7, corresponding to a water mass fraction ω₁ = 0.12. Diffusion rates could be well described by free volume theory up to the maximum, but this theory could not explain the strong decrease at higher ω₁. Indications for a local glass-rubber transition at room temperature were found near a water mass fraction ω₁ ≈ 0.09. This corresponds very well to the start of the crisp–non-crisp transition as measured by a sensory panel, but not to the glass-rubber transition at ω₁ ≈ 0.12 as measured by other techniques like Differential Scanning Calorimetry. So it seems that more than one glass-rubber like transitions may be important to describe the properties of heterogeneous cellular food systems.     

Divergent principles in third world rural planning: a case study on impoldering

Third World rural planning involves the transfer of First World technologies to the socially and ecologically vulnerable tropical environment. This transfer is guided by normative, “ideological” views concerning social and environmental issues which often remain implicit. To uncover these views, a content analysis of a series of papers has been carried out, focused on impoldering as a type of project with far reaching social and environmental impacts. Three types of “ideologies” could be distinguished, which have been labelled as sociocratic, eco‐sociocratic and technocratic. They differentiate significantly with regard to (1) values attached to ecological and cultural systems, (2) preferred pace and scale of projects, (3) envisaged project feasibility, (4) the range of feasible alternatives, as well as (5) the institutional background of their adherents. The latter separation, however, is not complete. This may stimulate the growth of insight in the normative background of the seemingly objective rationality of project design.