56 research outputs found
Hat szigma az Ă©lelmiszertermelĂ©sben - a biolĂłgiai folyamatok optimalizálásának kihĂvásai = Six sigma in food production - challenges for 'bio' process optimization
A fogyasztĂłi magatartás változásai Ă©s az ipari Ă©lelmiszer-előállĂtás terĂ©n elĂ©rt technolĂłgiai haladás egyaránt igĂ©nyli az innovatĂv minĹ‘sĂ©gĂĽgyi stratĂ©giák lĂ©tĂ©t. A legutĂłbbi idĹ‘kben kĂĽlönösen a sertĂ©shĂşs ágazatban honosodtak meg a kĂ©nyelmi termĂ©kek előállĂtását lehetĹ‘vĂ© tevĹ‘ innovatĂv minĹ‘sĂ©gĂĽgyi stratĂ©giák. Ezen okbĂłl kifolyĂłlag a minĹ‘sĂ©girányĂtási mĂłdszerek szerepe a sertĂ©shĂşs Ă©rtĂ©kláncon belĂĽl egyre inkább felĂ©rtĂ©kelĹ‘dik. A fogyasztĂł-szállĂtĂł perspektĂva sĂşlyponti szerepe szempontjábĂłl a Hat Szigma ĂgĂ©retes lehet a sertĂ©shĂşs termelĹ‘k minĹ‘sĂ©girányĂtási döntĂ©seinek meghozatalánál. A Hat Szigma minĹ‘sĂ©girányĂtási mĂłdszere a folyamatok teljesĂtmĂ©nyĂ©nek strukturált mĂłdon valĂł javĂtására szolgál. A jelen tanulmány Ă©rtĂ©keli a Hat Szigma koncepciĂł által nyĂşjtott optimalizálási lehetĹ‘sĂ©get a szabványosĂtott ipari sertĂ©shĂşs előállĂtási folyamatokban egy strukturált Hat Szigma megközelĂtĂ©s kialakĂtásával. A szerzĹ‘k körvonalazzák a sertĂ©stenyĂ©sztĹ‘ gazdaságok Ă©s egy hĂşsfeldolgozĂł vállalat viszonylatában a szállĂtĂł-ĂĽgyfĂ©l folyamatok optimalizálási lehetĹ‘sĂ©geit, kiválasztva a megfelelĹ‘ QM (minĹ‘sĂ©girányĂtási) eszközöket, alkalmazva azokat a biolĂłgiai folyamatok igĂ©nyeire. A termelĂ©si fázisok közötti intenzĂv egyĂĽttműködĂ©s Ă©s kommunikáciĂł a farmtĂłl a fogyasztĂłig tartĂł ellátási lánc kritikus sikertĂ©nyezĹ‘je. Changes in consum er’s behaviour and technological advances of the industrial food production need innovative quality strategies. Especially the pork sector has implemented new innovative quality strategies for convenient products in recent times. For this reason, the role of quality m anagem ent m ethods within the pork value chain is more and more important. To emphasize the custom er-supplier perspective Six Sigma is promising in quality m anagem ent decisions of pork producers. Six Sigma is a m ethod of quality m anagem ent to improve the perform ance of processes in a structurized way. In the present study the optimization potential of the Six Sigma concept in standardized industrial processes of pork production are evaluated designing a structured Six Sigma approach for this purpose. Optimization potential of the suppliercustom er processes between pig farms and a meat processor is outlined and also suitable QM tools are selected and adopted to the demand of ’bio’ processes. An intensive collaboration and communication between stages of production is a critical success factor for supply chain management from the farm to the consumer
Role of the Maillard Reaction in Aging of Tissue Proteins: Advanced Glycation End Product-Dependent Increase in Imidazolium Cross-Links in Human Lens Proteins
Dicarbonyl compounds such as glyoxal and methylglyoxal are reactive dicarbonyl intermediates in the nonenzymatic browning and cross-linking of proteins during the Maillard reaction. We describe here the quantification of glyoxal and methylglyoxal-derived imidazolium cross-links in tissue proteins. The imidazolium salt cross-links, glyoxal-lysine dimer (GOLD) and methylglyoxal-lysine dimer (MOLD), were measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and were present in lens protein at concentrations of 0. 02-0.2 and 0.1-0.8 mmol/mol of lysine, respectively. The lens concentrations of GOLD and MOLD correlated significantly with one another and also increased with lens age. GOLD and MOLD were present at significantly higher concentrations than the fluorescent cross-links pentosidine and dityrosine, identifying them as major Maillard reaction cross-links in lens proteins. Like the N-carboxy-alkyllysines Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine and Nepsilon-(carboxyethyl)lysine, these cross-links were also detected at lower concentrations in human skin collagen and increased with age in collagen. The presence of GOLD and MOLD in tissue proteins implicates methylglyoxal and glyoxal, either free or protein-bound, as important precursors of protein cross-links formed during Maillard reactions in vivo during aging and in disease
Bewertung von Energieeffizienztechnologien mit der Methodik EDUAR&D an zwei Beispielen
Die Methodik EDUAR&D, kurz für Energiedaten und -analyse R&D, wird zur Bewertung von Energieeffizienztechniken genutzt. Es handelt sich um einen strukturierten Such- und Analyseprozess, der verschiedene methodische Ansätze zur Darstellung, Analyse und Bewertung der Techniken miteinander verbindet. Ziel ist es, Handlungsempfehlungen, z. B. bzgl. thematischer Schwerpunktsetzung, für die zukünftige Energieforschung im Rahmen der Forschungsförderung und für die Energiepolitik abzuleiten. Die Methodik wird hier am Beispiel der organophilen Nanofiltration und der Latentwärmespeicher vorgestellt
Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Evaluations after the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
showed an increase in mental health problems and a reduction in health-related quality of life
(HRQoL). The aim of the study was to assess those aspects after the third wave of COVID-19 in
adolescents who decided to receive a vaccination. In students aged 12–17 years recruited from
schools in one German region, mental health (by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, SDQ)
and HRQoL (by KIDSCREEN-10) were assessed by both a self- and parental report. Data from
1412 adolescents (mean age 14.3 years, SD = 1.64) and 908 parents were collected. The mean self reported HRQoL was T = 53.7 (SD = 11.2), significantly higher in boys than in girls and higher in
younger (12–14 years) than in older (15–17 years) adolescents. In total, 18.7% of adolescents reported
clinically relevant psychological symptoms, especially peer problems (23.5%), emotional problems
(17.4%), and hyperactivity (17.1%). Comparing the present data to evaluations after the first and
second waves of COVID-19, adolescents rated a higher HRQoL and reported less mental health
problems after the third wave. After 1.5 years of living with the pandemic, adolescents have adapted
to the changes in everyday life. Further, the relaxation of restrictions, better school organization, and
the prospect of the vaccination may have increased optimism, wellbeing, and contentment, leading
to declining but still alarming rates of psychological symptoms
Motivations for Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination: A Comparative Study of Adolescent and Caregiver Perspectives in Germany
Given the crucial role of vaccination in halting the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to
understand the factors that motivate adolescents to get vaccinated. We surveyed adolescents and
their accompanying guardians scheduled to receive a COVID-19 vaccination (Comirnaty) in an urban
region in Germany in mid-2021 regarding their motivation for getting vaccinated and collected data
on their sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, vaccination status, and any history of
COVID-19 infection in the family. We also queried information strategies related to the SARS-CoV-2
pandemic. Motivations for getting vaccinated were similar among adolescents and their parents.
The primary reasons for vaccination were protection against SARS-CoV-2-related illness and gaining
access to leisure facilities. This was not influenced by gender, health status, migration background, or
the presence of chronic or acute diseases. The percentage of parents who had received SARS-CoV-2
immunization and the proportion of parents with a high level of education were higher among study
participants than in the general population. Adolescents were especially willing to be vaccinated
if they came from a better educational environment and had a high vaccination rate in the family.
Emphasizing the importance of vaccination among all segments of the population and removing
barriers to vaccines may lead to an ameliorated acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines
Problematic Internet Use among Adolescents 18 Months after the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Studies in recent years and especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have
shown a significant increase in the problematic use of computer games and social media. Adolescents
having difficulties in regulating their unpleasant emotions are especially prone to Problematic Internet
Use (PIU), which is why emotion dysregulation has been considered a risk factor for PIU. The aim of
the present study was to assess problematic internet use (PIU) in adolescents after the third wave
(nearly 1.5 years after the onset in Europe) of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the German region of
Siegen-Wittgenstein, all students 12 years and older from secondary-level schools, vocational schools
and universities were offered a prioritized vaccination in August 2021 with an approved vaccine
against COVID-19. In this context, the participants filled out the Short Compulsive Internet Use
Scale (SCIUS) and two additional items to capture a possible change in digital media usage time
and regulation of negative affect due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A multiple regression analysis
was performed to identify predictors of PIU. The original sample consisted of 1477 participants,
and after excluding invalid cases the final sample size amounted to 1268 adolescents aged 12–17
(x = 14.37 years, SD = 1.64). The average prevalence of PIU was 43.69%. Gender, age, digital media
usage time and the intensity of negative emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic were all found to
be significant predictors of PIU: female gender, increasing age, longer digital media usage time and
higher intensity of negative emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with higher
SCIUS total scores. This study found a very high prevalence of PIU among 12- to 17-year-olds for the
period after the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased significantly compared
to pre-pandemic prevalence rates. PIU is emerging as a serious problem among young people in
the pandemic. Besides gender and age, pandemic-associated time of digital media use and emotion
regulation have an impact on PIU, which provides starting points for preventive interventions
Adenosine/A2B receptor signaling ameliorates the effects of ageing and counteracts obesity
The combination of aging populations with the obesity pandemic results in an alarming rise in non-communicable diseases. Here, we show that the enigmatic adenosine A2B receptor (A2B) is abundantly expressed in skeletal muscle (SKM) as well as brown adipose tissue (BAT) and might be targeted to counteract age-related muscle atrophy (sarcopenia) as well as obesity. Mice with SKM-specific deletion of A2B exhibited sarcopenia, diminished muscle strength, and reduced energy expenditure (EE), whereas pharmacological A2B activation counteracted these processes. Adipose tissue-specific ablation of A2B exacerbated age-related processes and reduced BAT EE, whereas A2B stimulation ameliorated obesity. In humans, A2B expression correlated with EE in SKM, BAT activity, and abundance of thermogenic adipocytes in white fat. Moreover, A2B agonist treatment increased EE from human adipocytes, myocytes, and muscle explants. Mechanistically, A2B forms heterodimers required for adenosine signaling. Overall, adenosine/A2B signaling links muscle and BAT and has both anti-aging and anti-obesity potential
An Evolutionary Network of Genes Present in the Eukaryote Common Ancestor Polls Genomes on Eukaryotic and Mitochondrial Origin
To test the predictions of competing and mutually exclusive hypotheses for the origin of eukaryotes, we identified from a sample of 27 sequenced eukaryotic and 994 sequenced prokaryotic genomes 571 genes that were present in the eukaryote common ancestor and that have homologues among eubacterial and archaebacterial genomes. Maximum-likelihood trees identified the prokaryotic genomes that most frequently contained genes branching as the sister to the eukaryotic nuclear homologues. Among the archaebacteria, euryarchaeote genomes most frequently harbored the sister to the eukaryotic nuclear gene, whereas among eubacteria, the α-proteobacteria were most frequently represented within the sister group. Only 3 genes out of 571 gave a 3-domain tree. Homologues from α-proteobacterial genomes that branched as the sister to nuclear genes were found more frequently in genomes of facultatively anaerobic members of the rhiozobiales and rhodospirilliales than in obligate intracellular ricketttsial parasites. Following α-proteobacteria, the most frequent eubacterial sister lineages were γ-proteobacteria, δ-proteobacteria, and firmicutes, which were also the prokaryote genomes least frequently found as monophyletic groups in our trees. Although all 22 higher prokaryotic taxa sampled (crenarchaeotes, γ-proteobacteria, spirochaetes, chlamydias, etc.) harbor genes that branch as the sister to homologues present in the eukaryotic common ancestor, that is not evidence of 22 different prokaryotic cells participating at eukaryote origins because prokaryotic “lineages” have laterally acquired genes for more than 1.5 billion years since eukaryote origins. The data underscore the archaebacterial (host) nature of the eukaryotic informational genes and the eubacterial (mitochondrial) nature of eukaryotic energy metabolism. The network linking genes of the eukaryote ancestor to contemporary homologues distributed across prokaryotic genomes elucidates eukaryote gene origins in a dialect cognizant of gene transfer in nature
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Analysis of the African coelacanth genome sheds light on tetrapod evolution
It was a zoological sensation when a living specimen of the coelacanth was first discovered in 1938, as this lineage of lobe-finned fish was thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago. The modern coelacanth looks remarkably similar to many of its ancient relatives, and its evolutionary proximity to our own fish ancestors provides a glimpse of the fish that first walked on land. Here we report the genome sequence of the African coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae. Through a phylogenomic analysis, we conclude that the lungfish, and not the coelacanth, is the closest living relative of tetrapods. Coelacanth protein-coding genes are significantly more slowly evolving than those of tetrapods, unlike other genomic features . Analyses of changes in genes and regulatory elements during the vertebrate adaptation to land highlight genes involved in immunity, nitrogen excretion and the development of fins, tail, ear, eye, brain, and olfaction. Functional assays of enhancers involved in the fin-to-limb transition and in the emergence of extra-embryonic tissues demonstrate the importance of the coelacanth genome as a blueprint for understanding tetrapod evolution
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