Primjena tehnike bliske infracrvene spektroskopije (NIR) za nedestruktivno ispitivanje proizvoda od mliječnog praha

The production of cow’s milk in Hungary fluctuates by 15-20 % annualy. Surplus milk is dried into powder and can also be converted to modified milk powders using techniques such as ultra filtration. From approximetely 20.000 tonnes, of all milk powder types, 3.000 tonnes, is converted using ultra filtration technology. Multivariable near infrared (NIR) calibration was performed on powder mixtures of whole milk, skimmed milk, whey, retenate (protein concentrate) and lactose for rapid fat, protein, lactose, water and ash content determination. More than 150 samples were prepared and measured in two NIRS labs (Scottish Agriculture College – SAC – Aberdeen and University of Horticulture and Food Science - UHFS – Budapest). The results obtained from the same samples were compared. The aims of the study were: 1. Rapid quantitative and qualitative determination of mixtures of milk powder products using NIR technique. 2. Comparison of the results achieved in Aberdeen (SAC) and Budapest (UHFS) institutes. The mass per cent varied between 0.0-2.8% for fat, 0.0-80% for protein, 6.6-100 % for lactose, 0.0-5.0 % for water and 0.0-8.0 % for ash. High correlation coefficients (0.97-0.99) were found for all five components.Proizvodnja kravljeg mlijeka u Mađarskoj u porastu je svake godine prosječno 15-20 %. Suvišak mlijeka najčešće se suši (mlijeko u prahu) ili se pak proizvode modificirani mliječni prahovi metodama poput ultrafiltracije. Od ukupnih 20.000 tona mliječnog praha godišnje se proizvodi 3.000 tona mlijeka u prahu primjenom ultrafiltracije. Multivarijantna bliska infracrvena spektrofotometrija (NIR) je korištena za brzo određivanje udjela masti, proteina, laktoze, vlage i pepela u mješavinama prahova dobivenih iz svježeg mlijeka, obranog mlijeka, sirutke i proteinskih koncentrata. Više od 150 uzoraka priređeno je i mjereno u dva NIRS laboratorija (Scottish Agriculture College – SAC – Aberden i University of Horticulture and Food Science – UHFS – Budapest). Komparirani su rezultati dobiveni za iste uzorke. Svrha rada bila je: 1. Brzo kvalitativno i kvantitativno određivanje produkata mlijeka u prahu korištenjem NIR tehnike. 2. Usporedba rezultata dobivenih u Aberdeenu (SAC) i Budimpešti (UHFS). Udio masti varirao je između 0,0 i 2,8 %, udio proteina između 0,0 i 80 %, udio laktoze između 6,6 i 100 %, udio vode između 0,0 i 5,0 % te udio pepela između 0,0 i 8,0 %. Koeficijent korelacije za svih pet komponenti bio je između 0,97 i 0,99

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Constructs, Burden, and Management

The aim of the chapter is to raise awareness about recent constructs of negative symptoms, their burden on patients, caregivers and society, and about their management. Schizophrenia consists of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. However, treating physicians are not necessarily aware about recent constructs of negative symptoms, their presence at prodromal stage, and the distinction among primary, secondary, persistent, prominent, or predominant negative symptoms. Negative symptoms have a substantial impact on the day-to-day functioning of patients with schizophrenia and contribute more to impaired quality of life and poor functioning than positive symptoms do. Additionally, they are associated with high costs for society and a substantial burden for caregivers. Negative symptoms are not adequately treated by available antipsychotic therapies. Publications have shown that no antipsychotic has a beneficial effect when compared to another. Cariprazine is the only antipsychotic that has proven superiority over another antipsychotic (risperidone) in one clinical study

The efficacy and safety of cariprazine for the treatment of schizophrenia with negative symptoms with insufficient effectiveness of the previous antipsychotic therapyobservational research (extended abstract)

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Cognitive estimation:Performance of patients with focal frontal and posterior lesions

The Cognitive Estimation Test (CET) is a widely used test to investigate estimation abilities requiring complex processes such as reasoning, the development and application of appropriate strategies, response plausibility checking as well as general knowledge and numeracy (e.g., Shallice and Evans, 1978; MacPherson et al., 2014). Thus far, it remains unknown whether the CET is both sensitive and specific to frontal lobe dysfunction. Neuroimaging techniques may not represent a useful methodology for answering this question since the complex processes involved are likely to be associated with a large network of brain regions, some of which are not functionally necessary to successfully carry out the CET. Instead, neuropsychological studies may represent a more promising investigation tool for identifying the brain areas necessary for CET performance. We recently developed two new versions of the CET (CET-A and CET-B; MacPherson et al., 2014). We investigated the overall performance and conducted an error analysis on CET-A in patients with focal, unilateral, frontal (n= 38) or posterior (n= 22) lesions and healthy controls (n=39). We found that frontal patients' performance was impaired compared to healthy controls on CET demonstrating that our CET-A is affected by frontal lobe damage. We also found that frontal patients generated significantly poorer estimates than posterior patients on CET-A. This could not be explained by impairments in fluid intelligence. The error analyses suggested that for CET-A, extreme and very extreme responses are impaired following frontal lobe damage. However, only very extreme responses are significantly more impaired following frontal lobe than posterior damage and so represent a measure restricted to frontal "executive" impairment, in addition to overall CET performance

Accelerometer-based physical activity in a large observational cohort - study protocol and design of the activity and function of the elderly in Ulm (ActiFE Ulm) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A large number of studies have demonstrated a positive effect of increased physical activity (PA) on various health outcomes. In all large geriatric studies, however, PA has only been assessed by interview-based instruments which are all subject to substantial bias. This may represent one reason why associations of PA with geriatric syndromes such as falls show controversial results. The general aim of the Active-Ulm study was to determine the association of accelerometer-based physical activity with different health-related parameters, and to study the influence of this standardized objective measure of physical activity on health- and disability-related parameters in a longitudinal setting.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have set up an observational cohort study in 1500 community dwelling older persons (65 to 90 years) stratified by age and sex. Addresses have been obtained from the local residents registration offices. The study is carried out jointly with the IMCA - Respiratory Health Survey in the Elderly implemented in the context of the European project IMCA II. The study has a cross-sectional part (1) which focuses on PA and disability and two longitudinal parts (2) and (3). The primary information for part (2) is a prospective 1 year falls calendar including assessment of medication change. Part (3) will be performed about 36 months following baseline. Primary variables of interest include disability, PA, falls and cognitive function. Baseline recruitment has started in March 2009 and will be finished in April 2010.</p> <p>All participants are visited three times within one week, either at home or in the study center. Assessments included interviews on quality of life, diagnosed diseases, common risk factors as well as novel cognitive tests and established tests of physical functioning. PA is measured using an accelerometer-based sensor device, carried continuously over a one week period and accompanied by a prospective activity diary.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The assessment of PA using a high standard accelerometer-based device is feasible in a large population-based study. The results obtained from cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses will shed light on important associations between PA and various outcomes and may provide information for specific interventions in older people.</p

Quality of Life as an outcome in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias- obstacles and goals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The number of individuals at risk for dementia will probably increase in ageing societies as will the array of preventive and therapeutic options, both however within limited economic resources. For economic and medical purposes valid instruments are required to assess disease processes and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions for different forms and stages of illness. In principal, the impact of illness and success of an intervention can be assessed with biomedical variables, e.g. severity of symptoms or frequency of complications of a disease. However, this does not allow clear judgement on clinical relevance or comparison across different diseases.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Outcome model variables such as quality of life (QoL) or health care resource utilization require the patient to appraise their own well-being or third parties to set preferences. In Alzheimer's disease and other dementias the evaluation process performed by the patient is subject to the disease process itself because over progress of the disease neuroanatomical structures are affected that mediate evaluation processes.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Published research and methodological considerations thus lead to the conclusion that current QoL-instruments, which have been useful in other contexts, are ill-suited and insufficiently validated to play a major role in dementia research, decision making and resource allocation. New models integrating biomedical and outcome variables need to be developed in order to meet the upcoming medical and economic challenges.</p

How many segments are there in an orange? Normative data for the new Cognitive Estimation Task in an Italian population

The Cognitive Estimation Test (CET) is widely used by clinicians to assess frontal executive dysfunction. In the present work, the Italian standardization of a new version of the CET is provided. This version consists of two 9-item parallel forms (A and B) that were administered to two hundred and twenty-seven healthy Italian male and female participants aged between 19 and 91 years with 5-24 years of full-time education. Performance on the CET was not related to age or level of education; both forms showed a male CET advantage. The new CET is a useful tool for clinicians and researchers to administer the CET more than once without practice effects, which is considered important when assessing frontal executive abilities

Bringing the Cognitive Estimation Task into the 21st Century: Normative Data on Two New Parallel Forms

The Cognitive Estimation Test (CET) is widely used by clinicians and researchers to assess the ability to produce reasonable cognitive estimates. Although several studies have published normative data for versions of the CET, many of the items are now outdated and parallel forms of the test do not exist to allow cognitive estimation abilities to be assessed on more than one occasion. In the present study, we devised two new 9-item parallel forms of the CET. These versions were administered to 184 healthy male and female participants aged 18–79 years with 9–22 years of education. Increasing age and years of education were found to be associated with successful CET performance as well as gender, intellect, naming, arithmetic and semantic memory abilities. To validate that the parallel forms of the CET were sensitive to frontal lobe damage, both versions were administered to 24 patients with frontal lobe lesions and 48 age-, gender- and education-matched controls. The frontal patients’ error scores were significantly higher than the healthy controls on both versions of the task. This study provides normative data for parallel forms of the CET for adults which are also suitable for assessing frontal lobe dysfunction on more than one occasion without practice effects

The application of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) technique for

The production of cow’s milk in Hungary fluctuates by 15-20 % annualy. Surplus milk is dried into powder and can also be converted to modified milk powders using techniques such as ultra filtration. From approximetely 20.000 tonnes, of all milk powder types, 3.000 tonnes, is converted using ultra filtration technology. Multivariable near infrared (NIR) calibration was performed on powder mixtures of whole milk, skimmed milk, whey, retenate (protein concentrate) and lactose for rapid fat, protein, lactose, water and ash content determination. More than 150 samples were prepared and measured in two NIRS labs (Scottish Agriculture College – SAC – Aberdeen and University of Horticulture and Food Science - UHFS – Budapest). The results obtained from the same samples were compared. The aims of the study were: 1. Rapid quantitative and qualitative determination of mixtures of milk powder products using NIR technique. 2. Comparison of the results achieved in Aberdeen (SAC) and Budapest (UHFS) institutes. The mass per cent varied between 0.0-2.8% for fat, 0.0-80% for protein, 6.6-100 % for lactose, 0.0-5.0 % for water and 0.0-8.0 % for ash. High correlation coefficients (0.97-0.99) were found for all five components