8 research outputs found

    Air- borne ultrasonic application in the drying of grape skin: Kinetic and quality considerations

    Full text link
    [EN] The aim of this work was to address the air-borne application of power ultrasound in the convective drying of grape skin, a by-product of winemaking. For that purpose, convective drying experiments were carried out on red grape skin at 40, 50, 60 and 70 C with (21.7 kHz, 45 W) and without power ultrasound application. The kinetic intensification was evaluated by modeling the drying kinetics using empirical and diffusion models. Meanwhile, the quality of the dried product was determined by obtaining ethanolic extracts and assessing the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity by means of the FRAP method. Moreover, individual polyphenols were identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and a Partial Component Analysis (PCA) was performed in order to elucidate the relationships between the measured variables that were related to bioactive content. Both temperature and ultrasound application had a significant (p < 0.05) influence on the drying kinetics, which were satisfactorily described by both the Peleg and diffusion models. In addition, both factors significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the total phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity of the extracts. Ultrasound application reduced the antioxidant potential, probably due to oxidase activation and cell degradation. Bioactive potential, on the other hand, was increased as a consequence of hightemperature drying, leading in particular to a greater release of malvidin 3-O-b-D-galactoside.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and ERDF and it is a program of the European Commission ERDF-European Commission (Ref. DPI2012-37466-C03-03); Generalitat Valenciana (PROME-TEOII/2014/005) and the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (PAID-02-11).Cruz, L.; Clemente Polo, G.; Mulet Pons, A.; Ahmad-Qasem Mateo, MH.; Barrajón-Catalán, E.; García Pérez, JV. (2016). Air- borne ultrasonic application in the drying of grape skin: Kinetic and quality considerations. Journal of Food Engineering. 168:251-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2015.08.001S25125816

    Associations between repetitive negative thinking and resting-state network segregation among healthy middle-aged adults

    Get PDF
    Background: Repetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) includes negative thoughts about the future and past, and is a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices have been linked to RNT but several regions within large-scale networks are also involved, the efficiency of which depends on their ability to remain segregated. Methods: Associations between RNT and system segregation (SyS) of the Anterior Salience Network (ASN), Default Mode Network (DMN) and Executive Control Network (ECN) were explored in healthy middle-aged adults (N = 341), after undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Regression analyses were conducted with RNT as outcome variable. Explanatory variables were: SyS, depression, emotional stability, cognitive complaints, age and sex. Results: Analyses indicated that RNT was associated with depression, emotional stability, cognitive complaints, age and segregation of the left ECN (LECN) and ASN. Further, the ventral DMN (vDMN) presented higher connectivity with the ASN and decreased connectivity with the LECN, as a function of RNT. Conclusion: Higher levels of perseverative thinking were related to increased segregation of the LECN and decreased segregation of the ASN. The dissociative connectivity of these networks with the vDMN may partially account for poorer cognitive control and increased self-referential processes characteristic of RNT

    Variations in influenza vaccination coverage among the high-risk population in Sweden in 2003/4 and 2004/5: a population survey

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Sweden, the vaccination campaign is the individual responsibility of the counties, which results in different arrangements. The aim of this study was to find out whether influenza vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) had increased between 2003/4 and 2004/5 among population at high risk and to find out the influence of personal preferences, demographic characteristics and health care system characteristics on VCRs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An average sample of 2500 persons was interviewed each season (2003/4 and 2004/5). The respondents were asked whether they had had an influenza vaccination, whether they suffered from chronic conditions and the reasons of non-vaccination. For every county the relevant health care system characteristics were collected via a questionnaire sent to the medical officers of communicable diseases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No difference in VCR was found between the two seasons. Personal invitations strongly increased the chance of having had a vaccination. For the elderly, the number of different health care professionals in a region involved in administering vaccines decreased this chance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sweden remained below the WHO-recommendations for population at high risk due to disease. To meet the 2010 WHO-recommendation further action may be necessary to increase vaccine uptake. Increasing the number of personal invitations and restricting the number of different administrators responsible for vaccination may be effective in increasing VCRs among the elderly.</p

    Tècniques no destructives per al control del processament d'aliments

    Get PDF
    L'ús de tècniques no destructives en el control de qualitat d'aliments es fa cada dia més convenient, especialment si es tracta de tècniques ràpides, no invasives i econòmiques. Per mitjà d'estes mesures no destructives sobre el producte, és possible desenrotllar un control basat no sols en paràmetres del procés —temperatura, pressió, etc.—, sinó també en propietats fisicoquímiques del producte, de manera que es poden aconseguir així uns nivells menors de rebuig i una millor qualitat del producte final. L'aplicació d'estes tècniques per al control es realitzarà de manera diferent segons es tracte de processos continus o discontinus. En el primer cas, es necessiten mesures ràpides per a permetre el control en línia; per a processos discontinus, aquest factor és menys determinant. En el present treball es mostren diferents exemples de possibles usos de tècniques no destructives d'anàlisi d'aliments, com ara l'espectroscòpia infraroja, la visió artificial o els ultrasons. Estes tècniques han demostrat la seua utilitat, per exemple, en l'estimació de la qualitat del raïm per a millorar el procés de vinificació, en processos de fregitel·la per a controlar la qualitat de l'oli, en el control de cambres de maduració de formatges i per a estimar les propietats texturals i la composició dels mateixos o en el control de l'assecat.The use of non-destructive techniques for quality control is becoming a need, especially if fast, non-invasive and low cost techniques are considered. Throughout these non-destructive measurements carried out on the product, it is possible to develop a quality control based not only on the process parameters —temperature, pressure, etc.—, but also on the product physico-chemical properties, achieving higher quality levels and lower number of defective pieces. The application of these techniques for quality control will be developed in a different way for continuous and discontinuous processes. In the first case fast on-line measurements are required, for discontinuous process this factor is less important. The present work shows examples of non-destructive techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, computer vision or ultrasounds for food analysis. These techniques have proved to be useful, for example, to asses the quality of grapes in vinery, in frying processes for oil quality control, to control cheese maturation chambers and to estimate the cheese textural properties or in the control of drying processes

    Brain connectivity correlates of cognitive dispersion in a healthy middle-aged population: influence of subjective cognitive complaints

    Full text link
    Cognitive dispersion, representing intraindividual fluctuations in cognitive performance, is associated with cognitive decline in advanced age. We sought to elucidate sociodemographic, neuropsychological, and brain connectivity correlates of cognitive dispersion in middle age, and further consider potential influences of the severity of subjective cognitive complaints (SCC).Five hundred and twenty healthy volunteers from the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative (BBHI) (aged 40-66 years; 49.6% females, 453 with magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions), were included and stratified into high and low SCC groups. Two analyses steps were undertaken, (i) for the whole sample and (ii) by groups. Generalized linear models and analysis of covariance were implemented to study associations between cognitive dispersion and performance (episodic memory, speed of processing, and executive function), white matter integrity, and resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attentional networks (DAN).Across-domain dispersion was negatively related to cognitive performance, rs-FC within the DMN, and between the DMN and the DAN, but not to white matter integrity. The rs-FC values were not explained by cognitive performance. When considering groups, the above findings were significant only for those with high SCC.In healthy middle-aged individuals, high cognitive dispersion was related to poorer cognition and DMN dysregulation, being these associations stronger amongst subjects with high SCC. Present results reinforce the interest in considering dispersion measures within neuropsychological evaluations, as they may be more sensitive to incipient age-related cognitive and functional brain changes than traditional measures of performance.© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]

    Influenza vaccination coverage rates in 5 European countries: a population-based cross-sectional analysis of the seasons 02/03, 03/04 and 04/05

    Full text link
    INTRODUCTION: Influenza continues to be a considerable health problem in Europe. Vaccination is the only preventive measure, reducing mortality and morbidity of influenza in all age groups OBJECTIVES: The objective of this survey was to assess and compare the level of influenza vaccination coverage during three consecutive influenza seasons (02/03, 03/04, 04/05) in the five European countries United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, understand the driving forces and barriers to vaccination now and 3 years ago and determine vaccination intentions for the following winter. METHODS: We conducted a random-sampling, telephone-based household survey among non-institutionalized individuals representative of the population aged 14 and over. The surveys used the same questionnaire for all three seasons. The data were subsequently pooled. Four target groups were determined for analysis: (1) persons aged 65 and over; (2) people working in the medical field; (3) persons suffering from chronic illness and (4) a group composed of persons aged 65 and over or working in the medical field or suffering from a chronic illness. RESULTS: The overall sample consisted of 28,021 people. The influenza vaccination coverage rate increased from 21.0% in season 02/03 to 23.6% in season 03/04 and then to 23.7% in season 04/05. The differences between the seasons are statistically significant (p = 0.01). The highest rate over all countries and seasons had Germany in season 04/05 with 26.5%, Spain had in season 02/03 with 19.3% the lowest rate totally. The coverage rate in the target group composed of person's aged 65 and over or working in the medical field or suffering from a chronic illness was 49.7% in season 02-04 and 50.0% in season 04/05. The driving forces and barriers to vaccination did not change over the years. The most frequent reasons for being vaccinated given by vaccines were: influenza, considered to be a serious illness which people wanted to avoid, having received advise from the family doctor or nurse to be vaccinated and not wanting to infect family and friends. Reasons for not being vaccinated mentioned by people who have never been vaccinated were: not expecting to catch influenza, not having considered vaccination before and not having received a recommendation from the family doctor to be vaccinated. Options encouraging influenza vaccination are: recommendation by the family doctor or nurse, more available information on the vaccine regarding efficacy and tolerance and more information available about the disease. The adjusted odds ratio of receiving influenza vaccine varied between 2.5 in Germany and 6.3 in the United Kingdom in any risk group. CONCLUSION: The vaccination coverage rate increased from the first season (21.0%) to the third season (23.7%) by 2.6%. The family doctor is the most important source of encouragement for people to be vaccinated against influenza. It seems that the public would be more likely to be vaccinated if they had more information on the efficacy and tolerance of the vaccine, as well as the disease. We therefore suggest that family doctors be better informed on influenza vaccine and the disease itself, so that they can actively inform their patients on these topics
    corecore