Economic Factors and Settings for Market Transformation in Asia

The Asian region as an economic powerhouse gains more importance every year: the population is becoming more affluent and the role of its markets is increasing on a global scale. This article analyzes the level of economic development of Asian countries. To determine the said level, the corresponding indicators were used, among them, GDP and GDP per capita, exports and imports, key partners in trade relations, the Economic Complexity Index, and the Logistics Performance Index. To order countries by the Economic Complexity Index and the International Logistics Performance Index, quadrants are constructed. The results indicate that Japan, Singapore and South Korea are countries with high scores for both indexes. Countries interested in importing goods but not holding strong positions in the Economic Complexity Index are India and Thailand. The main factors influencing the Asian market development are people’s diligence, international trade and investment. Along with investments, global production networks and supply chain management are crucial for the Asian market

Meniscus maturation in the swine model: role of endostatin in cellular differentiation

The development of an engineered meniscus derives from the need to regenerate a tissue which is largely unable to self-repair with consequent loss of functionality. Hence a deeper knowledge of the native meniscus morphology and biomechanics in its different regions, including molecules involved in regulation of the maturation process, is essential. The meniscus is a complex tissue, displaying great regional variation in extracellular matrix components and in vascularization, as a result of several biomechanical stimuli. Its biochemical composition is modulated to adapt the tissue to the different functions that are required throughout growth, until a \u201cmature\u201d phase is reached in adulthood. The aim of this work is to evaluate the biological role of Endostatin in the regulation of angiogenesis as in the fibro-chondrogenic differentiation of neonatal meniscal cells in the pig. The swine is an attractive model for meniscal repair studies, as its knee joint is closely comparable to the human one in terms of anatomical structure, vascularization, and healing potential. Our preliminary data show that Endostatin contributes to the acquisition of chondrocyte phenotype in an undifferentiated but committed cellular population. Thus, a better understanding of the role of Endostatin in cell metabolism might lead to a deeper knowledge of the events regulating meniscus maturation. These findings may be crucial for the development of an engineered scaffold able to induce meniscal cell differentiation by releasing Endostatin-rich microspheres

Seasonal changes in crude and lipid composition of herring fillets, byproducts, and respective produced oils

Crude and fatty acid composition analyses were performed on fillets, byproducts, and oil originating from herring (Clupea harengus) caught off the North Sea from June 1999 to January 2001. Monthly statistical differences were found in the fat content, the range of variation being larger in fillets than in byproducts. The most consistent change observed in fillets was an increase of unsaturation from May to September reflected in a reduced percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas for byproducts and oil this trend was not so well defined. The results indicated that the lowest values of the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the oil were found from January to March (approximately 14%), coinciding with the postspawning and starvation period. In contrast, the highest values were found from June to August (approximately 23%). Thus, the herring byproducts are all year an adequate raw material for fish oil production; however, during the summer they are richer in PUFAs

Seasonal changes in crude and lipid composition of herring fillets, byproducts, and respective produced oils

Crude and fatty acid composition analyses were performed on fillets, byproducts, and oil originating from herring (Clupea harengus) caught off the North Sea from June 1999 to January 2001. Monthly statistical differences were found in the fat content, the range of variation being larger in fillets than in byproducts. The most consistent change observed in fillets was an increase of unsaturation from May to September reflected in a reduced percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas for byproducts and oil this trend was not so well defined. The results indicated that the lowest values of the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the oil were found from January to March (approximately 14%), coinciding with the postspawning and starvation period. In contrast, the highest values were found from June to August (approximately 23%). Thus, the herring byproducts are all year an adequate raw material for fish oil production; however, during the summer they are richer in PUFAs

Upgrading of maatjes herring byproducts: production of crude fish oil

Fish oil has been extracted from byproducts of the maatjes (salted) herring production using a pilot plant consisting of a mincer, heat exchanger, and three-phase decanter. The crude herring oil obtained had an initial peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV) and free fatty acids (FFA) level of only 3 mequiv of peroxide/kg of lipid, 8.9, and 2.9%, respectively. 5,8,11,14,17-Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were present in considerable amounts (99 and 91 g/kg, respectively). During storage of the oil, no photooxidation could be detected. Storage at room temperature led to significant autoxidation over time, apparent from primary and tertiary oxidation products, measured by a decrease of hydroperoxides and an increase of fluorescent compounds (FC). Storage at 50 C resulted in significant increases in secondary (AV) and tertiary oxidation (FC) products. At all storage conditions, the FFA contents remained low (<3%) and the -tocopherol content remained constant. These results open the possibility for fish oil production of good quality using salted herring byproducts

Characterisation of fatty acids in biological oil samples using comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography.

Comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography can adequately resolve very complex mixtures of analytes such as the fatty acid mixtures which are contained in, e.g., fish and vegetable oils. Well-ordered patterns are obtained in the two-dimensional separation plane which can be used to tentatively identify peaks when no standard is available. The technique which can also be used for quantification, i.e., quantitative ratio analysis, should be especially useful for fingerprinting purposes. Unravelling the composition of complex mixtures such as fish oils appears to be highly rewarding

Stability of crude herring oil produced from fresh byproducts : influence of temperature during storage

Crude herring oil, extracted from fresh byproducts, was stored at 0, 20, and 50°C in order to study the effect of temperature on lipid oxidation. The oil had an initial peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV), and free fatty acids of 0.7 meq peroxides/kg of lipid, 0.4, and 0.6%, respectively. During storage, the oil reached the secondary oxidation stage for all 3 temperatures. The formation of fluorescent compounds was inhibited at 0°C. Significant decrease of the α-tocopherol content was found after storage at 0 and 20°C, but no consumption occurred at 50°C. The development of oxidation products over time exhibited a temperature-dependency with a very good correlation