Predicting corporate investment/non-investment grade by using interval-valued fuzzy rule-based systems—A cross-region analysis

Systems for predicting corporate rating have attracted considerable interest in soft computing research due to the requirements for both accuracy and interpretability. In addition, the high uncertainty associated primarily with linguistic uncertainties and disagreement among experts is another challenging problem. To overcome these problems, this study proposes a hybrid evolutionary interval-valued fuzzy rule-based system, namely IVTURS, combined with evolutionary feature selection component. This model is used to predict the investment/non-investment grades of companies from four regions, namely Emerging countries, the EU, the United States, and other developed countries. To evaluate prediction performance, a yield measure is used that combines the return and default rates of companies. Here, we show that using interval-valued fuzzy sets leads to higher accuracy, particularly with the growing granularity at the fuzzy partition level. The proposed prediction model is then compared with several state-of-the-art evolutionary fuzzy rule-based systems. The obtained results show that the proposed model is especially suitable for high-dimensional problems, without facing rule base interpretability issues. This finding indicates that the model is preferable for investors oriented toward developed markets such as the EU and the United States.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) Isolates of Hospitalized Children from Bolivia Reveal High Heterogeneity and Multidrug-Resistance

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging pathogen frequently associated with acute diarrhea in children and travelers to endemic regions. EAEC was found the most prevalent bacterial diarrheal pathogen from hospitalized Bolivian children less than five years of age with acute diarrhea from 2007 to 2010. Here, we further characterized the epidemiology of EAEC infection, virulence genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility of EAEC isolated from 414 diarrheal and 74 non-diarrheal cases. EAEC isolates were collected and subjected to a PCR-based virulence gene screening of seven virulence genes and a phenotypic resistance test to nine different antimicrobials. Our results showed that atypical EAEC (a-EAEC, AggR-negative) was significantly associated with diarrhea (OR, 1.62, 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.09, p < 0.001) in contrast to typical EAEC (t-EAEC, AggR-positive). EAEC infection was most prevalent among children between 7–12 months of age. The number of cases exhibited a biannual cycle with a major peak during the transition from warm to cold (April–June). Both typical and a-EAEC infections were graded as equally severe; however, t-EAEC harbored more virulence genes. aap, irp2 and pic were the most prevalent genes. Surprisingly, we detected 60% and 52.6% of multidrug resistance (MDR) EAEC among diarrheal and non-diarrheal cases. Resistance to ampicillin, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines was most common, being the corresponding antibiotics, the ones that are frequently used in Bolivia. Our work is the first study that provides comprehensive information on the high heterogenicity of virulence genes in t-EAEC and a- EAEC and the large prevalence of MDR EAEC in Bolivia.     

The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in the Interplay between a Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet and the Infant Gut Microbiota and Its Therapeutic Implications for Reducing Asthma

Gut microbiota is well known as playing a critical role in inflammation and asthma development. The very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is suggested to affect gut microbiota; however, the effects of VLCKD during pregnancy and lactation on the infant gut microbiota are unclear. The VLCKD appears to be more effective than caloric/energy restriction diets for the treatment of several diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. However, whether adherence to VLCKD affects the infant gut microbiota and the protective effects thereof on asthma remains uncertain. The exact mechanisms underlying this process, and in particular the potential role of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), are still to be unravelled. Thus, the aim of this review is to identify the potential role of SCFAs that underlie the effects of VLCKD during pregnancy and lactation on the infant gut microbiota, and explore whether it incurs significant implications for reducing asthma.     

Consumer confidence in the safety of milk and infant milk formula in China

A series of food safety incidents related to domestically produced dairy in China harmed consumer confidence and caused a dramatic decrease in dairy consumption from 2008 to 2010. Compared with previous studies that mainly assessed consumer confidence in food or dairy in general, this study focused on 2 specific dairy products, milk and infant milk formula (IMF). Based on data from 934 Chinese consumers, confidence in the safety of milk and IMF was measured by using a multi-item scale with 2 dimensions—optimism and pessimism. We found that Chinese consumers were optimistic about the safety of milk and IMF but, at the same time, were concerned about the risks related to milk and IMF. Chinese consumers have less confidence in IMF than in milk. Structural equation modeling indicated that consumer trust in manufacturers and third parties in the dairy supply chain and confidence in other foods, such as meat and fish, can foster consumer confidence in the safety of milk and IMF, while the extent of recall of the melamine infant formula incident in 2008 and trait worry exert negative effects. In addition, consumers with more children or less family income are likely to be more confident in domestically produced IMF. These insights into consumer confidence and its determinants can assist dairy supply chains and regulatory institutions in formulating effective risk communication strategies to strengthen consumer confidence.     

Evolution of available lysine and furosine contents in milk‐based infant formulas throughout the shelf‐life storage period

The evolution of the Maillard reaction (MR) by measuring the available lysine and furosine (FUR) contents in adapted and follow‐up powdered milk‐based infant formulas over the shelf‐life storage period, at 20 and 37 °C, was studied. Available lysine and FUR contents were determined by fluorimetry and high‐performance liquid chromatography respectively. Statistically significant differences were found between adapted and follow‐up infant formulas with respect to the available lysine and FUR contents. Available lysine contents decreased significantly throughout the storage time, and the contents at 37 °C were lower than at 20 °C. A statistically significant increase in FUR contents was observed during the storage period, with the contents being high at 37 °C than at 20 °C. A simple regression analysis between the available lysine and FUR contents during (a) the first year (b) the second year and (c) the two storage years was applied. The best correlations were obtained during the first year of storage. The results obtained show a clear MR evolution during the storage of infant formulas. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

花生四烯酸生产及应用

花生四烯酸（AA）作为一种新型营养强化剂在婴幼儿配方食品中的营养强化有着重要意义,对于婴幼儿的健康发育特别是智力发育起着重要作用;同时AA还具有一系列的保健作用,对人们的健康有着重要意义。本介绍了AA生产的全过程及其工艺控制,该生产工艺达到国际领先水平。     

气相色谱-串联质谱法测定婴幼儿配方奶粉中氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯

目的 采用气相色谱-串联质谱(gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,GC-MS/MS)技术,实现对婴幼儿配方奶粉中3-氯-1,2-丙二醇脂肪酸酯(3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol ester,3-MCPDE)、2-氯-l,3-丙二醇脂肪酸酯(2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol ester,2-MCPDE)和缩水甘油脂肪酸酯(glycidol fatty acid esters, GEs)的准确定性和定量。方法 从奶粉样品中提取的脂肪经溴代反应后,其中的缩水甘油酯转变成溴丙醇酯。溴丙醇酯和样品中的氯丙醇酯在酸性条件下发生酯交换反应,溴丙醇酯被水解为游离态形式的3-溴-1,2-丙二醇(3-MBPD)、氯丙醇酯被水解为游离态形式的氯丙醇(3-MCPD、2-MCPD);水解液经碱中和后,经硅藻土固相萃取小柱净化,洗脱液脱水后氮吹浓缩,再经七氟丁酰基咪唑(HFBI)衍生;衍生液用异辛烷定容后供GC-MS/MS分析,采用同位素内标法定量,可一次性同时测定奶粉中3-MCPDE、2-MCPDE和GEs的含量。结果 该方法在20～600 ng/mL范围内线性良好(r_²≥0.99),检出限为0.005 mg/kg脂肪,定量限为0.015 mg/kg脂肪,检出限和定量限均以相应的氯丙醇或缩水甘油计。0.1、0.5 mg/kg和1.0 mg/kg水平下的加标回收率在89.7%～105.6%之间,相对标准偏差均不大于5.56%。结论 该方法灵敏、准确可靠,适合婴幼儿配方奶粉中3-MCPDE、2-MCPDE和GEs的同时测定。     

婴幼儿配方乳粉中叶黄素的测定及其储存过程中损失率的研究

目的建立一种婴幼儿配方乳粉中叶黄素含量的测定方法。并确定叶黄素标准储备液的有效期和考察婴幼儿配方乳粉储存和食用过程中叶黄素含量的损失率。方法样品经超纯水溶解后以0.1%BHT-丙酮溶液超声提取。以甲醇-甲基叔丁基醚为流动相等度洗脱,流速为1.0 m L/min,进样量50μL,柱温25℃,二极管阵列检测器检测,检测波长445 nm。结果在15 min内完成目标物的分离分析,叶黄素在0.1、1.0、10.0μg/100g 3个浓度水平的回收率为90.0%~98.9%,相对标准偏差小于1.47%(n=6),方法定量限为0.5μg/100 g。叶黄素储备液在-70℃冰箱中保存12个月内含量稳定。结论该方法快速、准确、灵敏,适合测定婴幼儿配方乳粉中叶黄素含量的检测,婴幼儿配方乳粉在储存过程中叶黄素含量有下降趋势,保质期内符合国家标准要求。     

婴幼儿羊奶粉及米粉中的细菌多样性分析

为探究婴幼儿奶粉和米粉辅食中细菌群落结构,对婴幼儿食品生产质量控制和监管提供理论依据,本研究采用Ion torrent PGM二代高通量测序平台对14个婴幼儿食品样本中细菌16Sr RNA的V4~V5可变区进行了测序分析。测序共获得13805个不同的OTU,隶属于2界、10门、20纲、50目、84科、144属。分析结果表明,婴幼儿羊奶粉样品比米粉样品具有更高的群落多样性,奶粉样品组内差异较米粉样品小。羊奶粉样品中占绝对优势菌群隶属于厚壁菌门(65.58%)和变形菌门(16.01%),在属水平上以链球菌属(24.86%)和乳球菌属(21.44%)为主;而米粉样品中蓝藻菌门(41.79%)占有绝对优势,厚壁菌门(30.99%)和变形菌门(24.48%)次之,推测主要与两种产品的原料不同有关。另外,沙门氏菌(8.75%)、李斯特氏菌(3.61%)等与食源性疾病相关的细菌种类在米粉样品组中普遍存在,经组间差异性分析表明与奶粉样品中相应丰度有统计学差异(p<0.05),提示婴幼儿米粉产品存在潜在的食品安全隐患,其原料和生产加工环节的质量控制亟需引起生产企业和食品监管部门的重视。