Spray drying of pequi pulp: process performance and physicochemical and nutritional properties of the powdered pulp

The objective of this work was to optimize the spray drying of pequi pulp using maltodextrin as carrier agent and Tween 80 as surfactant agent. A central composite rotatable design was used to evaluate the influence of inlet air temperature (140 to 200°C), maltodextrin (15 to 30%) and surfactant (0 to 5%) concentration on the process performance and physicochemical and nutritional properties of the dried powdered pulp. The dependent variables were process yield (27.4 - 51.7%), outlet air temperature (106.5 - 135°C), energetic efficiency (29.9 - 44.8%), moisture content (0.25 - 1.43%), water activity (0.09 to 0.21), hygroscopicity (9.1 - 12.1 g adsorbed moisture/100g dry matter), vitamin C content (129.8 - 303.0 mg/g solids pequi) and total carotenoids content (8.2 - 94.9 mg carotenoids/g solids pequi). The spray drying of pequi pulp was optimized for maximum vitamin C and total carotenoids content using response surface methodology, which were attained at 152°C, surfactant concentration of 1% and maltodextrin concentration of 18%. The characterization of the pequi pulp powder obtained at the optimized condition evaluating the particles sizes, bulk density and porosity. The morphology showed spherical and smooth particles with several sizes.59FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPSem informaçã

The effects of interval length between sessions in a hypercholesterolemia education class.

This study focused on the effects of different intervals between sessions of a hypercholesterolemia education class on post-intervention outcomes. The same comprehensive group-programme contents on hypercholesterolemia were delivered either monthly (for 6 months) or twice-monthly (for 3 months) by the same teaching professionals in a community setting. The twice-monthly programme included 46 participants (male/female = 7/39, average age: 65.8 years)and the monthly programme consisted of 48(male/female = 9/39, age: 66.4). At the beginning of the study, all subjects belonged to the 'contemplation' stage of diet and exercise habits within the Transtheoretical Model of Change. The stage-matched intervention helped many participants move to the 'action ' stage by 6 months after the last session, especially in the twice-monthly group. The change rate of exercise from the 'contemplation' stage to the 'action' stage was significantly higher in the twice-monthly group (76.1 percent) than in the monthly (54.2 percent ). In both monthly and twice-monthly formats, participants' satisfaction and understanding levels at the end of the programme were high, but were significantly higher in the twice-monthly group. Through favorable lifestyles and higher levels of satisfaction and learning, the twice-monthly format may produce more positive results in cholesterol management than the monthly format, as the shorter period of time makes the programme more intensive.</p

Dust Storms from Degraded Drylands of Asia: Dynamics and Health Impacts

Asian dust events are massive meteorological phenomena during which dust particles from Chinese and Mongolian deserts are blown into the atmosphere and carried by westerly winds across Northeast Asia. Recently, there has been steady increase in both the frequency and the severity of Asian atmospheric dust events. Concern has been expressed regarding the potential health hazards in affected areas. The principal nature of the damage associated with Asian dust events differs between the emission (sandstorm) and downwind (air pollution) regions. In the emission region, the health impacts of dust storms are reflected in the high prevalence of respiratory diseases and severe subjective symptoms. Extreme dust storm events may cause a disaster to happen. In downwind regions such as Japan, analysis of Asian dust particles has shown the presence of ammonium ions, sulfate ions, nitrate ions, and heavy metal compounds that are considered not to originate from soil. Asian dust particles have been thought to adsorb anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants during transport. Therefore, Asian dust events coincide with increases in daily hospital admissions and clinical visits for allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. Although the effect of Asian dust on human health in each region is influenced by a variety of different mechanisms, human activities are partly responsible for such negative effects in many situations. We therefore need to address these environmental problems

Lack of medical resources and public health vulnerability in Mongolia's winter disasters

Introduction: Many countries face the need to address medical resource shortages following various disasters. The dzud is a winter disaster that occurs in Mongolia following drought in dryland areas, and it leads to high livestock mortality. Affected provinces suffer increased mortality rates for children aged under 5 years. Using various factors, including medical resources, the present study aimed to evaluate the health risks for children during the dzud. Methods: Data from all of Mongolia’s 21 provinces and the capital of Ulaanbaatar were analyzed. The change in child mortality (CCM) was defined as the difference in the under-five mortality rate from 2009 to 2010. To determine the correlations, the CCM was compared with the urbanization rate (proportion of urban population), number of physicians and nurses (per 1000 residents), average temperature, total precipitation (October 2009 to February 2010), and declining rate in livestock numbers for 2009-10 (percentage livestock loss) in each province. Results: The correlation coefficients between the CCM and each factor were as follows: number of physicians (r=-0.506, p=0.016), urbanization rate (r=-0.467, p=0.029), and percentage livestock loss (r=0.469, p=0.028). In the multiple regression analysis, the number of physicians was significantly negatively related to the CCM (standardizing coefficient -0.492, p=0.020). Conclusion: These results suggest that increased medical resources and infrastructure development have positive effects on child health - even in the setting where the dzud causes considerable damage to livestock

Influence Of The Degree Of Hydrolysis And Type Of Enzyme On Antioxidant Activity Of Okara Protein Hydrolysates

The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates obtained by the enzymatic hydrolysis of okara using an endopeptidase (Alcalase) and exopeptidase (Flavourzyme). The reaction was monitored by the pH-stat procedure in which five aliquots were collected during the hydrolysis by each enzyme, corresponding to different degrees of hydrolysis (DH). The antioxidant activities of the aliquots were evaluated by the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods. For the hydrolysates obtained using Alcalase, the antioxidant activities increased from: 68.6 to 99.5% (ABTS), 14.5 to 17.7% (DPPH) and 222.6 to 684.9 [iM Trolox (FRAP), when the DH varied from 0 to 33.6%. With respect to Flavourzyme, the results were: 67.2 to 88.2% (ABTS), 9.5 to 18.5% (DPPH) and 168.0 to 360.3 [µM Trolox (FRAP), when the DH increased up to 5.8%. The results showed that the protein hydrolysates had antioxidant capacities, which were influenced by the degree of hydrolysis and the type of enzyme. © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Alimentos, SBCTA. All rights reserved.36237538

The Effect of Minimum and Maximum Air Temperatures in the Summer on Heat Stroke in Japan: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Study

An increase in the global surface temperature and changes in urban morphologies are associated with increased heat stress especially in urban areas. This can be one of the contributing factors underlying an increase in heat strokes. We examined the impact of summer minimum air temperatures, which often represent nighttime temperatures, as well as a maximum temperature on a heat stroke. We collected data from the records of daily ambulance transports for heat strokes and meteorological data for July and August of 2017–2019 in the Tottori Prefecture, Japan. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to determine the association of maximum/minimum air temperatures and the incidence of heat strokes. We used a logistic regression to identify factors associated with the severity of heat strokes. A total of 1108 cases were identified with 373 (33.7%) calls originating in the home (of these, 59.8% were the age of ≥ 75). A total of 65.8% of cases under the age of 18 were related to exercise. Days with a minimum temperature ≥ 25 °C had an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 3.77 (2.19, 6.51) for the incidence of an exercise-related heat stroke (reference: days with a minimum temperature < 23 °C). The odds ratio for a heat stroke occurring at home or for calls for an ambulance to the home was 6.75 (4.47, 10.20). The severity of the heat stroke was associated with older age but not with air temperature. Minimum and maximum air temperatures may be associated with the incidence of heat strokes and in particular the former with non-exertional heat strokes

Study of the processes of enzymatic hydrolysis and spray drying to obtain a protein hydrolysate of chicken breast meat powder

Orientadores: Miriam Dupas Hubinger, Kil Jin ParkTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de AlimentosResumo: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo dos processos de hidrólise enzimática e secagem por spray dryer para obtenção de hidrolisado proteico de peito de frango em pó. Este foi realizado em três etapas. Na primeira fase, fez-se um estudo da cinética e a seleção da melhor condição de hidrólise enzimática de peito de frango, utilizando a enzima comercial AlcalaseÒ 2.4L. Um delineamento composto central rotacional (DCCR), totalizando 17 ensaios, foi realizado com o intuito de avaliar o efeito das variáveis: temperatura (43 a 77°C), razão enzima:substrato (0,8 a 4,2% p/p) e pH (7,16 a 8,84) na cinética de hidrólise enzimática de peito de frango e nas respostas: grau de hidrólise (GH) e recuperação de proteína (RP). A hidrólise enzimática foi otimizada de modo a obter maiores valores de GH e RP, sendo que a condição escolhida foi: 52,5°C, 4,2% p/p e pH de 8,0, na qual o hidrolisado apresentou um GH de 31% e uma RP de 91%. Na condição otimizada do processo, foi realizada a caracterização do hidrolisado proteico em termos de composição química, perfil eletroforético e composição total de aminoácidos. Na segunda etapa do projeto, foi avaliado o efeito da concentração (0 a 30%, p/p) e do tipo de agente carreador (maltodextrina 10DE e goma arábica) nas características físico-químicas, de sorção de água e na temperatura de transição vítrea Tg do hidrolisado proteico de frango em pó. Os experimentos para obtenção do produto em pó foram conduzidos em um atomizador de bancada que operou com um fluxo de ar comprimido de 0,6 m3/h, vazão volumétrica do ar de secagem de 19 m3/h, temperatura do ar de 180°C e vazão mássica na alimentação de 0,2 kg/h. A adição de diferentes agentes carreadores e em diferentes concentrações resultou em produtos com características distintas quanto à umidade, densidade, tamanho de partícula e morfologia. A Tg do hidrolisado proteico em pó aumentou com a concentração de agente carreador, melhorando a estabilidade do produto. Na etapa final, a influência das condições operacionais do spray dryer sobre o desempenho do equipamento e sobre as propriedades físico-químicas e a atividade antioxidante do produto em pó foi avaliada através de um delineamento composto central rotacional. As variáveis independentes foram temperatura do ar de entrada (120 a 200°C) e vazão mássica da alimentação (0,1 a 0,38 kg/h). O desempenho operacional do spray dryer foi avaliado através do rendimento, temperatura do ar de saída, eficiência térmica do processo e produtividade, obtidos através de um balanço de massa e de energia no secador. As propriedades físico-químicas do produto em pó foram caracterizadas quanto à umidade, teor de proteína, diâmetro médio das partículas, densidade volumétrica e morfologiaAbstract: The present work had as aim to study the processes of enzymatic hydrolysis and spray drying to obtain a protein hydrolysate of chicken breast meat powder. This work was divided into three sections. In the first part, enzymatic kinetics and selection of the best condition of enzymatic hydrolysis, using the commercial enzyme AlcalaseÒ 2.4L, were evaluated. A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with three variables was used to estimate the influence of the independent variables: temperature (43 to 77°C), enzyme: substrate ratio (0.8 to 4.2% w/w) and pH (7.16 to 8.84) on the kinetics reaction and on the responses: degree of hydrolysis (DH) and protein recovery (PR). Using response surface methodology, the enzymatic hydrolysis was optimized to obtain the maximum DH and PR. The optimum conditions determined were the following: 52.5°C, 4.2% (w/w) enzyme:substrate ratio and a pH value of 8.0. Under these conditions a degree of hydrolysis of 31% and protein recovery of 91% were obtained. A characterization of the protein hydrolysate obtained using the optimized process conditions was carried out, evaluating the chemical composition, electrophoretic profile and amino acid composition. In the second part of this work, the effect of concentration (0 to 30% w/w) and type of carrier agent (maltodextrin 10DE and gum Arabic) on the physico-chemical properties, water sorption and glass transition temperature of spray dried chicken breast protein hydrolysate. The spray drying process was performed using a laboratory spray dryer. The equipment was operated with air compressed volumetric flow rate of 0.6 m3/h, air volumetric flow rate of 19 m3/h, inlet air temperature of 180°C and feed flow rate of 0.2 kg/h. The following properties: moisture content, bulk density, particle distribution and mean diameter; and the morphology, were affected by the addition of maltodextrin or gum Arabic. With respect to powder stability, the glass transition temperature increased with increasing carrier agent concentration. And the last part of the work, the influence of operational conditions of spray dryer on the equipment performance, physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of spray dried protein hydrolysate was evaluated by a central composite rotatable design. The independent variables were inlet air temperature (120 to 200°C) and feed flow rate (0.1 to 0.38 Tkg/h). The spray dryer performance was analyzed by process yield, outlet air temperature, thermal efficiency and dryer productivity, obtained by mass and heat transfer. The physicochemical properties of powders were characterized in respect to moisture and protein content, particle distribution and mean diameter, bulk density and morphologyDoutoradoEngenharia de AlimentosDoutor em Engenharia de Alimento

Comparison of Primary Care Physician Reimbursement Rates in the United States

With a growing shortage of physicians, particularly primary care physicians, the issue of adequate pay in Hawai‘i is increasingly important. Anecdotal reports of low pay in Hawai‘i have rarely been substantiated. Data from FAIR Health, a company that tracks private insurance reimbursement rates, is compared across the United States (US) for the CPT code 99213. In addition, FAIR Health and Medicare rates are compared for cities with both similar and disparate cost of living to Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i is in the second lowest quintile for payment in the US for private insurances, and providers are reimbursed significantly lower than in cities with similar cost of living by both Medicare and private insurances. Methods for increasing payment to physicians in Hawai‘i are essential to recruiting the necessary workforce. Revising payment methodologies that increase pay for services in areas of unmet need, revising Medicare Geographic Price Cost Indices to better balance pay in areas of need, and making use of the 10% Medicare Bonus Program for physicians working in Health Professions Shortage Areas are first steps to creating a sustainable plan for physician payment in the future