The impact of sugar and fat reduction on perception and liking of biscuits

Reducing the fat and/or sugar content in biscuits can be a way to improve their nutritional composition. Seventy-nine consumers of biscuits were recruited to study the impact of these reductions on liking and perception. Four categories of products were selected from a wide range of biscuits available at the French market. Three to six variants of each type of biscuit were produced based on reduced content of sugar, fat or both. Consumers tested the samples under laboratory conditions (6 sessions), recording their liking during initial sessions and crispiness, sweetness and fat perception during latter sessions. Sugar-reduced biscuits were perceived as less sweet than standard biscuits at low reduction levels, whereas fat-reduced biscuits were perceived as less fatty than standard biscuits at higher reduction levels (except for one biscuit among the three biscuits studied). A reduction in the sugar content had no effect on perception of fat, whereas a reduction in the fat content sometimes induced a reduced sweetness perception. For most of the biscuits studied, the least appreciated variants were those perceived as (1) less sweet, (2) less sweet and less fatty or (3) less sweet and less crispy than standard biscuits. Moreover, the variants only perceived as less fatty were not significantly disliked. These results suggest that from a sensory point of view, it is more acceptable to reduce the fat than the sugar content in biscuits, at least when products are not perceived as being less sweet

Untersuchungen zur katalytischen CO2-Hydrierung in Dreiphasensystemen

Zur Entwicklung eines effizienten Verfahrens zur CO2-Hydierung im Dreiphasensystem erfolgten in dieser Arbeit Untersuchungen zur Optimierung des Katalysatorsystems, zum Screening nach neuen geeigneten Lösungsmitteln und zum Einfluss der Prozessführung. Durch Variieren des Trägersystems und der Präparationsmethode ergaben sich sieben Kupferkatalysatoren, welche sich in ihren Eigenschaften und ihrer katalytischen Aktivität unterschieden. Zudem gelang die Immobilisierung von Kupferkatalysatoren auf Aluminiumoxid und auf Glas. Es wurde eine kontinuierliche Anlage mit Rieselbettreaktor entwickelt und in Betrieb genommen, welche die Durchführung der CO2-Hydrierung in Gasphase und im Dreiphasensystem bei bis zu 90 bar ermöglicht. Im Batchversuch zeigte sich der Einfluss der Lösungsmittel auf die Effizienz des Katalysators. Vielversprechende Lösungsmittel wurden dann zur Methanolsynthese im kontinuierlichen Prozess eingesetzt, um den Einfluss der Prozessbedingungen zu untersuchen

The Fragility of Persistently Economically Distressed Counties in Central Appalachia and the Promise of Public Leadership

Appalachia has long experienced economic distress, but significant progress has been made since the establishment of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the 1960s. However, many counties in central Appalachia continue to experience persistent economic distress despite several advantages that are normally conducive to progress. This study examines Rowan County, Kentucky in comparison to four other rural Kentucky counties with varying degrees of economic progress. Quantitative comparisons were made on the basis of out-migration, educational attainment, and industrial diversity. Qualitative data was then gathered till·ough interviews to understand decisive events that affected progress as well as long-term causes of change over time. Findings indicate that rural counties that experience persistent economic distress are comparatively fragile. Single events, such as a general economic downturn or departure of a company, can be devastating and long lasting. At the same time, interviews showed that political and community leadership can be decisive. This includes deliberate long-term planning; communication and cooperation between local governments, business, and community leaders; enthusiastic fostering of small business and local entrepreneurship; and a willingness to revise local policies and regulations (e.g., zoning, alcohol sales, and property taxes) in order to attract business and improve quality of life

Cyanotic nephropathy and use of non-ionic contrast agents during cardiac catherization in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Background: Chronic cyanosis with its associated rheologic changes is a known risk factor for glomerular nephropathy. Therefore, contrast-induced nephrotoxicity should be an important consideration for angiographers comparable to diabetics. On the other hand, progressions in diagnostic and interventional techniques have led to expanded indications and a more widespread use of x-ray contrast agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in the small group of patients with cyanotic heart disease prior to surgical repair. Methods: We investigated 23 cyanotic patients with an oxygen saturation of 82 (50–92)%, age 25 (5–63) years, and 13 control subjects with atrial septal defect, age 37 (20–66) years. Blood viscosity was measured before and after cardiac catherization. Renal damage was evaluatated by selective analysis of urinary proteins and enzymes. Results: Before cardiac catheterization, 48% of the cyanotic patients had a moderate glomerulopathy. Cardiac catherization was performed with 3.0 (1.2 – 6.8) mls/kg non ionic contrast medium. Only one of the 23 patients (4.3%) with normal urinary analysis before cardiac catheterization showed renal damage, which involved tubular and glomerular function. Elevated blood viscosity in cyanotic patients was slightly reduced by the contrast. None of the acyanotic controls had contrast-induced nephropathy. Conclusions: The use of non-ionic contrast medium does not worsen cyanotic glomerulopathy. This finding may be due to the reduction of blood viscosity by the application of the contrast medium. The finding of contrast-induced nephropathy in one patient underlines the importance of monitoring renal function after cardiac catheterization

Gender–fair nouns in academic German. From early feminist proposals for gender–fair language to their implementation in scientific abstracts.

Der folgende Beitrag befasst sich mit Personenbezeichnungen des Deutschen und deren Verwendung bei der geschlechtergerechten Formulierung von Texten. Untersucht werden hierzu die Abstracts von zwei Konferenzen mit deutscher, österreichischer und schweizerischer Beteiligung, die im September 2017 stattfanden. Bei einer der Konferenzen konnte ein explizites Interesse an geschlechtergerechter Sprache angenommen werden, bei der anderen nicht. In die Untersuchung wurden alle deutschsprachigen Abstracts, die der Bundesrepublik Deutschland zugeordnet werden konnten, mit einbezogen. Der Beitrag hat folgenden Aufbau: Nach einer Darstellung der wichtigsten Entwicklungen feministischer Sprachpolitik in Deutschland seit Ende der 1970er–Jahre werden Leitfäden zu geschlechtergerechter Sprachebeschrieben, die ab 1980 zunehmend als Produkte der vorangegangenen Sprachpolitik entstanden. Diese Leitfäden fungieren als Instrumente der Kommunikation für sprachpolitische Analysen und Forderungen. Danach werfen wir einen allgemeinen Blick auf die sprachlichen Mittel zur Personenbezeichnung im Deutschen, um einen Hintergrund für die Diskussionen zu liefern. Die konkreten Umsetzungsvorschläge geschlechtergerechter Personenbezeichnungen werden anschließend, insbesondere im Hinblick auf ihre Anwendbarkeit in Fachtexten, diskutiert. Anhand einiger zentraler Studien werden dann die Zusammenhänge von geschlechtergerechter Sprache und Kognition in Bezug auf das bearbeitete Th ema dargestellt. Im abschließenden Analyseteil wird über die Diskussion der in den Konferenz–Abstracts vorgefundenen Personenbezeichnungen den zentralen Fragen nachgegangen, ob und auf welche Art und Weise, die Möglichkeiten geschlechtergerechter Personenbezeichnungen im Kontext der Wissenschaft angewendet werden. Nicht nur gewisse Veränderungen beim Gebrauch geschlechtergerechter Formulierungen in den letzten vierzig Jahren, sondern auch klare Unterschiede, je nach Motivation der SprachbenutzerInnen, können bei dieser Untersuchung aufgezeigt werden. Es kann anhand der analysierten Abstracts verdeutlicht werden, dass geschlechtergerechte Sprache dazu verwendet wird, Genderstereotype zu vermeiden und möglichst klare und nachvollziehbare Referenzen herzustellen. Die Untersuchung kommt dementsprechend zu dem Schluss, dass es entgegen der jahrzehntelangen Vorwürfe, geschlechtergerechte Sprache sei polemisch und unhandlich, gerade die angestrebte sprachliche Präzision der geschlechtergerechten Sprache ist, die zu deren besonderer Eignung für eine wissenschaftliche Textproduktion beiträgt.U ovome radu istražujemo na koji se način njemački jezik referira na osobu, posebno u odnosu na oblike rodno osjetljive proizvodnje teksta koji se trenutačno pronalaze u znanstvenome njemačkom jeziku. U radu analiziramo sažetke dviju konferencija održanih u rujnu 2017. kako bismo rasvijetlili stvarnu uporabu pisanoga jezika i detaljno proučili na koji se način trenutačno upotrebljavaju jezična sredstva koja se referiraju na osobu. Na konferencijama su sudjelovali austrijski, njemački i švicarski sudionici. Moglo se očekivati da će jedna od konferencija imati izričit interes za rodni jezik, a druga ne. Naš je rad strukturiran na sljedeći način: nakon kratkoga pregleda najvažnijih činjenica feminističke jezične politike u Njemačkoj od kraja sedamdesetih godina osvrnut ćemo se na sve veći broj pisanih smjernica za rodno–pravni jezik koje proizlaze iz navedenih politika od 1980. godine nadalje. Tesmjernice važni su instrumenti za širenje jezičnih analiza i političkih odredbi feminističkih pokreta. Nakon toga dajemo pregled najrelevantnijih jezičnih sredstava u njemačkome jeziku kojima se koristi pri referiranju na osobu kako bismo stvorili pozadinu za analizu u ovome radu. Potom se raspravlja o pojedinačnim prijedlozima o tome kako se referirati na osobu na rodno korektan način, osobito s obzirom na primjenjivost toga načina u znanstvenim tekstovima. Nakon toga prikazujemo rezultate nekih relevantnih studija o rodno korektnome jeziku i spoznaji. Konačna analiza podataka o referiranju na osobu koje smo našli u sažetcima s konferencija vraća nas na pitanje je li uopće prikladno rodno korektan jezik upotrijebiti u znanstvenim tekstovima (a ako jest, kako). Ne samo da smatramo da se rodno korektan jezik mijenjao u zadnjih četrdeset godina nego također možemo pokazati kako stavovi i motivacija govornika mogu utjecati nasinkronijsku uporabu rodno korektnoga jezika. Na temelju primjera pronađenih u analiziranim sažetcima možemo pokazati da rodno korektan jezik stvara jasne i nedvosmislene referencije istodobno izbjegavajući rodne stereotipe. Prema tome, zaključujemo da rodno korektni jezik nije – kao što se navodi u proteklim desetljećima – polemički i težak, nego se nadaje kao precizan alat za proizvodnju znanstvenoga teksta kada se njime koristi za precizno i nedvosmisleno upućivanje na objekte referencije.In this contribution, we investigate the mechanisms which the German language uses to refer to persons, in particular the forms of gender–sensitive text production found in current academic German. We analyse the abstracts of two conferences held in September 2017 to shed light on the actual use of written language and scrutinize the manner in which the linguisticmeans available to refer to persons are currently employed. Th e abstracts are taken from two conferences with Austrian, German, and Swiss participants. One of the conferences could be expected to have an explicit interest in gender–fair language, the other not. Our contribution is structured as follows: After briefly summarising the salient facts of feminist language politics in Germany since the end of the 1970s we characterise the increasing number of written guidelines for gender–fair language resulting from these policies from 1980 onwards. Th ese guidelines are important instruments for the dissemination of both the linguistic analyses and the political stipulations of feminist movements. After this we provide an overview of the most relevant linguistic means to refer to persons in the German language to create a backdrop for our text analyses. Individual suggestions are then discussed on how to refer to persons in a gender–fair manner, particularly with regard to their applicability to scientific texts. Following this, we present the results of some relevant studies on gender–fair language and cognition. Th e final analysis of references to persons, as found in recent conference abstracts, are used to return to the question of if, at all (or if so: how), gender–fair language can be used adequately in scientific texts. Not only do we fi nd that gender–fair language has changed diachronically over the last forty years, but we can also show how speakers’ attitudes and motivations can influence the synchronic use of gender–fair language. By using examples found in the abstracts analysed we can demonstrate that gender–fair language creates clear and unambiguous references while avoiding gender stereotypes. Accordingly, we conclude that gender–fair language is not – as has been repeatedly claimed during the past decades – polemic and cumbersome, but instead lends itself as a precise tool for scientific text production, when it is used to refer in an exact and unambiguous manner to its referential object

Tighter, faster, simpler side-channel security evaluations beyond computing power

A Eurocrypt 2013 paper Security evaluations beyond computing power: How to analyze side-channel attacks you cannot mount? by Veyrat-Charvillon, Gérard, and Standaert proposed a Rank Estimation Algorithm (REA) to estimate the difficulty of finding a secret key given side-channel information from independent subkeys, such as the 16 key bytes in AES-128 or the 32 key bytes in AES-256. The lower and upper bounds produced by the algorithm are far apart for most key ranks. The algorithm can produce tighter bounds but then becomes exponentially slower; it also becomes exponentially slower as the number of subkeys increases. This paper introduces two better algorithms for the same problem. The first, the Extended Rank Estimation Algorithm (EREA), is an extension of REA using statistical sampling as a second step to increase the speed of tightening the bounds on the rank. The second, the Polynomial Rank Outlining Algorithm (PRO), is a new approach to computing the rank. PRO can handle a much larger number of subkeys efficiently, is easy to implement in a computer-algebra system such as Sage, and produces much tighter bounds than REA in less time

Geschlechtergerechte Sprache in der Wissenschaft : Gebrauch und Motivation

Seit den 1970ern ist geschlechtergerechte Sprache (ggS) im deutschen Sprachraum ein Thema. Die Diskussionen wandelten sich dabei stark. Ging es erst vorrangig um Sichtbarkeit von Frauen, stehen seit den 1990ern Heteronormativitätskritik und die Suche nach inklusiven Sprachformen im Vordergrund. Die vertretenen Positionen haben sich nicht abgelöst, sondern ergänzen sich teilweise oder stehen nebeneinander (in Konflikt). Trotz einer gewissen Institutionalisierung hat ggS ins wissenschaftliche Register kaum Aufnahme gefunden. Dabei ist Sprachwandel besonders wirksam, wenn statushohe Gruppen ihn vorleben. Zudem ist ggS exakter als ‚generische‘ Maskulina. Über ihren Gebrauch von ggS sowie ihre Präferenz bestimmter Formen, bzw. Hinderungsgründe für deren Verwendung, wurden in einer Online-Erhebung 290 Wissenschaftler_innen aus Geschlechterforschung und Medizin befragt. Die Ergebnisse wurden deskriptiv ausgewertet und dann hinsichtlich geschlechtertheoretischer Überlegungen reflektiert. In the 1970s, gender-fair language became a much debated topic in Germany. Since then, the motiva- tion for its use, as well as the linguistic forms used to promote it, have changed considerably. Initially, visibility of women was pursued. Since the 1990s, a critique of heteronormativity emerged, and a ten- dency towards more inclusive linguistic forms grew. To this day, gender-fair language is noticeably absent in most academic texts. This is surprising, as gender-fair language is more precise than the use of generic masculine forms. Also, the language use by high-status groups, such as academics, tends to function as a role model. To explore this issue, 290 academics from the areas of gender studies and medicine were consulted in an online survey about their use of gender-fair language, their preferences for certain options, and possible impediments. After a descriptive analysis of the findings, they were discussed in a gender-theoretical context and used for an outlook into future developments

Diving in at the deep end : the value of alternative in-situ approaches for systematic library search

OPAC interfaces, still the dominant access point to library catalogs, support systematic search but are problematic for open-ended exploration and generally unpopular with visitors. As a result, libraries start subscribing to simplified search paradigms as exemplified by web-search systems. This is a problem considering that systematic search is a crucial skill in the light of today’s abundance of digital information. Inspired by novel approaches to facilitating search, we designed CollectionDiver, an installation for supporting systematic search in public libraries. The CollectionDiver combines tangible and large display direct-touch interaction with a visual representation of search criteria and filters. We conducted an in-situ qualitative study to compare participants’ search approaches on the CollectionDiver with those on the OPAC interface. Our findings show that while both systems support a similar search process, the CollectionDiver (1) makes systematic search more accessible, (2) motivates proactive search approaches by (3) adding transparency to the search process, and (4) facilitates shared search experiences. We discuss the CollectionDiver’s design concepts to stimulate new ideas toward supporting engaging approaches to systematic search in the library context and beyond.Postprin

Age-stratified heritability estimation in the Framingham Heart Study families

The Framingham Heart Study provides a unique source of longitudinal family data related to CVD risk factors. Age-stratified heritability estimates were obtained over three age groups (31–49 years, 50–60 years, and 61–79 years), reflecting the longitudinal nature of the data, for four quantitative traits. Age-adjusted heritability estimates were obtained at a single common time point for the same four quantitative traits. The importance of these groups is that they consist of the same individuals. The highest age-stratified heritability estimate (h(2 )= 0.88 (± 0.06)) was for height in the model adjusting for gender over all three age groups. SBP gave the lowest heritability estimate (h(2 )= 0.15 (± 0.11)) for the 70 age group in the model adjusting for gender, height, BMI, smoker, and drinker. BMI had slightly higher estimates (h(2 )= 0.64 (± 0.11)) in the 40 age group than previously published. The highest age-adjusted heritability estimate (h(2 )= 0.90 (± 0.06)) was for height in the model adjusting for gender. SBP gave the lowest heritability estimate (h(2 )= 0.38 (± 0.09)) for unadjusted model. These results indicate that some common, complex traits may vary little in their genetic architecture over time and suggest that a common set of genes may be contributing to observed variation for these longitudinally collected phenotypes