Comparative effect of high pressure processing and traditional thermal treatment on the physicochemical, microbiology, and sensory analysis of olive jam

In the present work the effect of the processing by high hydrostatic pressures (HPP) was assessed as an alternative to the thermal treatment of pasteurization in olive jam. The effects of both treatments on the product after processing were compared and stability during storage under refrigeration was assessed through the characterization of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. To assess the effect of processing, two HPP treatments (450 and 600MPa) and thermal pasteurization (80 °C for 20 min) were applied, comparing them with the unprocessed product. HPP 600MPa versus the rest of treatments showed a reduction in microorganisms, greater clarity and less browning, and sensory acceptance. The shelf-life of the refrigerated product would indicate the feasibility of the application of the HPP technology for food with similar shelf-life to that obtained with the traditional treatment of pasteurization, but with a better sensory quality.<br><br>En el presente trabajo se valoró el efecto del procesado por altas presiones hidrostáticas (HPP) como método alternativo al tratamiento térmico de pasteurización en la mermelada de aceitunas. Para ello se comparó el efecto de ambos tratamientos sobre el producto procesado y se evaluó su estabilidad durante el almacenamiento en refrigeración, mediante la caracterización de los aspectos físico-químicos, microbiológicos, y sensoriales. Para evaluar el efecto del procesado, se aplicaron dos tratamientos de HPP (450 y 600MPa) y otro de pasteurización térmica (80 °C durante 20 min), comparándose con el producto no procesado. Las muestras tratadas con HPP 600MPa presentaron, frente al resto de tratamientos una reducción en la presencia de microorganismos, mayor claridad y menor pardeamiento, y una mayor aceptación sensorial. El estudio de la vida útil del producto en refrigeración, indicaría la viabilidad de la aplicación de la tecnología de HPP para obtener alimentos con vida útil similar a la obtenida con el tratamiento tradicional de pasteurización, pero con mejor calidad sensorial

JADOPPT: java based AutoDock preparing and processing tool

[EN]Motivation: AutoDock is a very popular software package for docking and virtual screening. However, currently it is hard work to visualize more than one result from the virtual screening at a time. To overcome this limitation we have designed JADOPPT, a tool for automatically preparing and processing multiple ligand-protein docked poses obtained from AutoDock. It allows the simultaneous visual assessment and comparison of multiple poses through clustering methods. Moreover, it permits the representation of reference ligands with known binding modes, binding site residues, highly scoring regions for the ligand, and the calculated binding energy of the best ranked results. Availability and Implementation: JADOPPT, supplementary material (Case Studies 1 and 2) and video tutorials are available at http://visualanalytics.land/cgarcia/JADOPPT.html Contacts: [email protected] or [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Multifunctional T cell response to DosR and Rpf antigens is associated with protection in long-Term mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected individuals in Colombia

ABSTARCT: Multifunctional T cells have been shown to be protective in chronic viral infections. In mycobacterial infections, however, evidence for a protective role of multifunctional T cells remains inconclusive. Short-term cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis RD1 antigens 6-kDa early secretory antigenic target (ESAT6) and 10-kDa culture filtrate antigen (CFP10), which are induced in the early infection phase, have been mainly used to assess T cell multifunctionality, although long-term culture assays have been proposed to be more sensitive than short-term assays for assessment of memory T cells, which are essential for long-term immunity. Here we used a long-term culture assay system to study the T cell immune responses to the M. tuberculosis latency-associated DosR antigens and reactivation-associated Rpf antigens, compared to ESAT6 and CFP10, in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and household contacts of PTB patients with long-term latent tuberculosis infection (ltLTBI), in a community in which M. tuberculosis is endemic. Our results showed that the DosR antigens Rv1737c (narK2) and Rv2029c (pfkB) and the Rv2389c (rpfD) antigen of M. tuberculosis induced higher frequencies of CD4+ or CD8+ mono- or bifunctional (but not multifunctional) T cells producing interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and/or tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α) in ltLTBI, compared to PTB. Moreover, the frequencies of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells with a CD45RO+ CD27+ phenotype were higher in ltLTBI than in PTB. Thus, the immune responses to selected DosR and Rpf antigens may be associated with long-term latency, correlating with protection from M. tuberculosis reactivation in ltLTBI. Further study of the functional and memory phenotypes may contribute to further discrimination between the different states of M. tuberculosis infections

The effect of seasoning with herbs on the nutritional, safety and sensory properties of reduced-sodium fermented Cobrançosa cv. table olives

This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of seasoning Cobrancosa table olives in a brine with aromatic ingredients, in order to mask the bitter taste given by KCl when added to reduced-sodium fermentation brines. Olives were fermented in two different salt combinations: Brine A, containing 8% NaCl and, Brine B, a reduced-sodium brine, containing 4% NaCl + 4% KCl. After the fermentation the olives were immersed in seasoning brines with NaCl (2%) and the aromatic herbs (thyme, oregano and calamintha), garlic and lemon. At the end of the fermentation and two weeks after seasoning, the physicochemical, nutritional, organoleptic, and microbiological parameters, were determined. The olives fermented in the reduced-sodium brines had half the sodium concentration, higher potassium and calcium content, a lower caloric level, but were considered, by a sensorial panel, more bitter than olives fermented in NaCl brine. Seasoned table olives, previously fermented in Brine A and Brine B, had no significant differences in the amounts of protein (1.23% or 1.11%), carbohydrates (1.0% or 0.66%), fat (20.0% or 20.5%) and dietary fiber (3.4% or 3.6%). Regarding mineral contents, the sodium-reduced fermented olives, presented one third of sodium, seven times more potassium and three times more calcium than the traditional olives fermented in 8% NaCl. Additionally, according to the panelists' evaluation, seasoning the olives fermented in 4% NaCl + 4% KCl, resulted in a decrease in bitterness and an improvement in the overall evaluation and flavor. Escherichia coli and Salmonella were not found in the olives produced.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mitochondrial DNA genetic relationships at the ancient Neolithic site of Tell Halula

The extent of racemization of aspartic acid (Asp) -expressed as D/L ratio- has been used as a marker of biomolecular degradation in ancient remains. However, Asp racemization rate is highly variable, and depends on biochemical and geochemical factors. In this paper we aim to determine to which extent the fraction analyzed and the kind of sample used may influence the D/L Asp ratios. Other factors, such as burial site and sample preservation conditions, are also considered. D/L Asp ratios were obtained in 38 ancient human samples from 30 different individuals in which Real Time PCR quantification and amplification of short mtDNA fragments had been previously achieved. Four samples were taken from bones, 16 from whole teeth and 18 from dentine. In 7 cases whole tooth and dentine fractions from the same individual were analyzed. The samples belonged to 8 archaeological sites from Pre-pottery Neolithic B (PPNB), Cardial Neolithic and Chalcolithic time periods. Results show significant differences between the D/L Asp ratios obtained in dentine and whole tooth fractions from the same tooth and individual, as well as among dentine samples from the same archaeological site and among samples of the same age from different, though nearby, archaeological sites. Ancient DNA (aDNA) could be characterized in the majority of the samples, independently from their racemization values, which suggests that other factors, apart from the sample preservation stage, are more significantly affecting the racemization rate. A generalized use of the Asp racemization ratio as a threshold value for ancient DNA preservation needs to be questioned until further methodological standardization is considered

SATISFACCIÓN DE LOS ALUMNOS DE ENFERMERÍA DE LA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA SAN ANTONIO (UCAM) SOBRE SU FORMACIÓN PRÁCTICA. SEMINARIOS EN SALAS DE DEMOSTRACIONES Y PRÁCTICAS CLÍNICAS

Objective: To know the satisfaction of UCAM nursing students regarding the clinical training included in the practical training they attended during the undergraduate program. Method: A descriptive, observational and transversal study was carried out with nursing students of the Catholic University of San Antonio during the academic years 2004/05 and 2007/08. The studied sample consisted of all the nursing students registered in courses of second and third year with clinical training credits. A closed specific questionnaire of multiple choice was elaborated for the accomplishment of the study. Results:  More than 90% of the students state that seminars improve the clinical training and that the theoretical study of practice seminars is helpful for improving nursing techniques. Techniques learned at seminars meet real assistance. Students of both academic years describe the relation with nurses and clinical mentors at hospitals and health centers as good and very good in more than 90% of the cases. More than 80% of the students consider that clinical mentors have facilitated its integration in working team. Conclusions: It is important that the student satisfaction in internal and external practice training is good and that the relation with clinical mentors is adequate. Regarding the opinion of the students about the clinical mentor management in the Unit of Nursing Practical Training, it was concluded that there are aspects to be improved in which we have already begun to work.Objetivo. Conocer la satisfacción de los alumnos de enfermería de la Universidad Católica San Antonio sobre las prácticas que desarrollan durante su formación de pregrado. Método. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo observacional trasversal realizado en la Diplomatura de Enfermería de la Universidad Católica San Antonio durante los cursos académicos 2004/05 y 2007/08. La población objeto de estudio son todos los alumnos de enfermería matriculados en asignaturas de segundo y tercer curso con créditos prácticos. Para la realización del estudio se elaboró un cuestionario específico cerrado de respuesta múltiple. Resultados. Más del 90% de los alumnos afirman que los seminarios mejoran el inicio de las prácticas clínicas, y que el estudio teórico de los seminarios prácticos es de gran ayuda para mejorar la técnica. Las técnicas aprendidas en los seminarios se corresponden con la realidad asistencial. Los alumnos de ambos cursos académicos califican la relación con los profesionales de los centros sanitarios y socio-sanitarios como buena y muy buena en más de un 90% de los casos. Más del 80% de los alumnos consideran que el profesional – tutor ha facilitado su integración en el equipo de trabajo. Conclusiones. Se puede subrayar que la satisfacción de los alumnos tanto en las prácticas internas y externas es buena y que la relación con los profesionales – tutores es adecuada. En cuanto a la opinión de los alumnos sobre las gestiones que se llevan a cabo desde la Unidad de Prácticas de Enfermería, concluimos que existen aspectos mejorables sobre los que ya hemos comenzado a trabajar.

Proposed approaches for indicator integration. ECAPRHA Deliverable Wp 4.1

<p>Cross-tabulation of cough and the modified Valsalva maneuver (m-VM) for determining the degree of right-to-left shunt.</p

The site-specific primary calibration conditions for the Brewer spectrophotometer

The Brewer ozone spectrophotometer (the Brewer) is one of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW)'s standard ozone-monitoring instruments since the 1980s. The entire global Brewer ozone-monitoring network is operated and maintained via a hierarchical calibration chain, which started from world reference instruments that are independently calibrated via the primary calibration method (PCM) at a premium site (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii). These world reference instruments have been maintained by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in Toronto for the last 4 decades. Their calibration is transferred to the travelling standard instrument and then to network (field) Brewer instruments at their monitoring sites (all via the calibration transfer method; CTM). Thus, the measurement accuracy for the entire global network is dependent on the calibration of world reference instruments. In 2003, to coordinate regional calibration needs, the Regional Brewer Calibration Center for Europe (RBCC-E) was formed in Izaña, Spain. From that point, RBCC-E began calibrating regional references also via PCM instead of CTM. The equivalency and consistency of world and regional references are then assured during international calibration campaigns. In practice, these two calibration methods have different physical requirements, e.g., the PCM requires a stable ozone field in the short term (i.e., half-day), while the CTM would benefit from larger changes in slant ozone conditions for the calibration periods. This difference dictates that the PCM can only be implemented on Brewer instruments at certain sites and even in certain months of the year. This work is the first effort to use long-term observation records from 11 Brewer instruments at four sites to reveal the challenges in performing the PCM. By utilizing a new calibration simulation model and reanalysis ozone data, this work also quantifies uncertainties in the PCM due to short-term ozone variability. The results are validated by real-world observations and used to provide scientific advice on where and when the PCM can be performed and how many days of observations are needed to achieve the calibration goal (i.e., ensure the calibration uncertainty is within a determined criterion, i.e., ≤5 R6 units; R6 is a measurement-derived double ratio in the actual Brewer processing algorithm). This work also suggests that even if the PCM cannot be used to deliver final calibration results for mid- or high-latitude sites, the statistics of the long-term PCM fitting results can still provide key information for field Brewer instruments as stability indicators (which would provide performance monitoring and data quality assurance).</p