GC-FID and GC-MS as a tool to screen the influence of wood ageing technologies in the brandies odourless and odourant compounds

The maturation of wine brandies in wooden barrels cause many sensory and physicochemical changes in these alcoholic beverages, namely its flavour modification. Previous work (Caldeira et al. 2008) pointed out the most potent odourant compounds of the wine aged brandies. Some of these compounds proceed from the distillate and others are extracted from the wood. In this study it was quantified, some odourless compounds, such as methanol and higher alcohols and several odorant compounds in brandies aged in presence of two types of wood fragments (staves and tablets), from two different kinds of woods (Limousin oak wood and Portuguese chestnut wood), and compared with those found in the same with brandy aged in wooden barrels. A taster panel have also profiled these brandies and evaluated their overall quality. The methanol and higher alcohols were quantified by GC-FID equipped with a fused silica capillary column of polyethylene glycol according to the official method [NP 3263, 1990]. The odorant compounds were quantified by GC-FID and identified by GC-MS. The results showed that the ageing system is the most discriminant factor, having a significant effect on the level of several odourant compounds. The wood botanical species affected few odourant compounds. The importance of odorant compounds was also demonstrated by the high linear correlations between their contents and the intensity of several sensory attributes. The results show the possibility of using the chromatographic results as a tool to discriminate brandies produced with different ageing technologies

The authority of next-of-kin in explicit and presumed consent systems for deceased organ donation: an analysis of 54 nations

Background. The degree of involvement by the next-of-kin in deceased organ procurement worldwide is unclear. We investigated the next-of-kin’s authority in the procure-ment process in nations with either explicit or presumed consent. Methods. We collected data from 54 nations, 25 with presumed consent and 29 with explicit consent. We char-acterized the authority of the next-of-kin in the decision to donate deceased organs. Specifically, we examined whether the next-of-kin’s consent to procure organs was always required and whether the next-of-kin were able to veto procurement when the deceased had expressed a wish to donate. Results. The next-of-kin are involved in the organ procure-ment process in most nations regardless of the consent principle and whether the wishes of the deceased to be a donor were expressed or unknown. Nineteen of the 25 nations with presumed consent provide a method for individuals to express a wish to be a donor. However, health professionals in only four of these nations responded that they do not override a deceased’s expressed wish because of a family’s objection. Similarly, health profes-sionals in only four of the 29 nations with explicit consent proceed with a deceased’s pre-existing wish to be a donor and do not require next-of-kin’s consent, but caveats still remain for when this is done. Conclusions. The next-of-kin have a considerable influ-ence on the organ procurement process in both presumed and explicit consent nations

Physiological stress in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles): Effects of host, disease and environment

A method for monitoring hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) responses of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) to stressors was validated by measuring cortisol excretion in serum and faeces. Serum and faecal samples were collected under anaesthesia from live-captured, wild badgers and fresh faeces was collected from latrines at 15 social groups in County Down, Northern Ireland. Variation in levels of cortisol in wild badgers was investigated relative to disease status, season, age, sex, body mass, body condition and reproductive status and environmental factors that might influence stress. Faecal cortisol levels were significantly higher in animals testing culture-positive for Mycobacterium bovis. Prolonged elevation of cortisol can suppress immune function, which may have implications for disease transmission. There was a strong seasonal pattern in both serum cortisol, peaking in spring and faecal cortisol, peaking in summer. Cortisol levels were also higher in adults with poor body condition and low body mass. Faecal samples collected from latrines in grassland groups had significantly higher cortisol than those collected from woodland groups, possibly as a result of greater exposure to sources of environmental stress. This study is the first to investigate factors influencing physiological stress in badgers and indicates that serological and faecal excretion are valid indices of the HPA response to a range of stressors