2,330 research outputs found
Influence of zinc on distillerâs yeast:cellular accumulation of zinc and impact on spirit congeners
Accumulation of zinc by a whisky distilling yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied during fermentation of malt wort and synthetic defined medium. Zinc uptake by yeast cells was very rapid in malt wort, as zinc (0.32 ÎŒg/mL) was completely removed from the fermentation medium within one hour. The type of fermentable carbohydrate had an impact on the kinetics of zinc accumulation, with maltose most effective at enhancing metal uptake at zinc concentrations above 3.2 ÎŒg/mL. Enriching yeast cells with zinc by âpreconditioningâ impacted on the production of flavour congeners in the distillates produced from fermented cultures. Such distillates were characterized by an altered flavour and aroma profile. In particular, the production of some higher alcohols increased when yeast cells were preconditioned with zinc. This phenomenon is yeast strain related. Industrial fermentation processes, including brewing and distilling, may benefit from optimization of zinc bioavailability in yeast cultures resulting in more efficient fermentations and improved product quality
Leadership Matters: Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Black and Latina/o Students in a Post COVID-19 World
Communities throughout the United States were devastated by the COVID-19 virus. For instance, the mortality rates are higher within Black and Latina/o communities compared to the overall United States population. The pandemic represents another problem that will contribute to anxiety disorders and depression among Black and Latina/o students. How we combat these issues is important. During the 2020-2021 school year millions of students returned to schools and some struggled to adjust because of the traumatic experiences associated with COVID-19. Students will need the support of administrators, teachers, and mental health practitioners. For this reason, this review of literature examined the mental health challenges Black and Latina/o students encountered prior to and during the pandemic. Further, the authors developed recommendations for school leaders, mental health specialists, and teachers while providing important resources. Overall leaders can use the article as a roadmap to navigate the challenges at PreK-12 schools
A redesigned training and staff support programme to enhance job retention in employees with moderate-severe depression.
Purpose
Closing the treatment gap in depression is vital to prevent people from losing their jobs. Delivering group-based interventions at work could reach more employees than delivering 1:1 interventions in a clinical setting. This study aims to redesign a Treatment Programme to make it more acceptable and accessible for employees with depression.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods exploratory sequential design with a high level of stakeholder consultation was used to redesign an interdisciplinary Work-focussed Relational Group CBT Treatment Programme for moderate-severe depression. Qualitative data from focus groups and quantitative data from a small feasibility study were integrated to develop the new Training (and Staff Support) Programme (TSSP), which was fully specified and manualised in line with the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) for future delivery.
Findings
Focus groups identified a need for improved acceptability and accessibility of the tertiary preventative Work-focussed Relational Group CBT Treatment Programme. This programme was, therefore, simplified for delivery by peer facilitators at the worksite as an intervention for all employees rather than an indicated/targeted intervention for only those with symptoms/risk of depression. The TSSP comprised a compulsory trauma-informed educational/experiential workshop over four days plus optional open-ended, peer-led base groups set up and run by volunteer peer facilitators.
Research limitations/implications
The focus groups comprised a convenience sample who knew the researchers as a colleague or therapist, so there is a risk of selection or relationship bias. They were not involved in the data analysis which undermines the element of co-production and increases the risk of analytic or confirmation bias.
Practical implications
Delivering the new intervention in a group format will require peer facilitators to acquire skills in co-facilitation using a structured-directive leadership style and an awareness of the potential side effects of group-based interventions.
Social implications
The worksite TSSP provides a democratic learning space and empowers employees to stay at work by self-managing their symptoms and by challenging the interpersonal dynamics and organisational structures that might precipitate and perpetuate depression.
Originality/value
This intervention is fully specified and manualised with an explicit programme theory, unlike most universal worksite-based CBT programmes
Zinc accumulation and utilisation by wine yeasts
The present study has focused on the accumulation of zinc by wine yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentation of both grape juice and chemically defined medium with different carbohydrates and at varying levels of zinc. The results have shown that zinc accumulation by wine yeast was very rapid with all zinc being removed from the medium by yeast cells within the first two hours. Zinc uptake was stimulated by the presence of sucrose. Zinc affected fermentation progress at defined levels, with optimal concentrations at 1.5â2.5 ppm, depending on yeast strain and zinc bioavailability. The bioavailability of metal ions in grape must and the roles of metals in wine yeast physiology are aspects poorly understood by enologists. In brewing, it has long been recognized that malt wort may be zinc deficient and brewers often carry out zinc supplementations to avoid sluggish and incomplete fermentations. In winemaking, zinc levels in grape musts may be compromised depending on the bioavailability of zinc ions in vineyard soils as well as treatments with fertilizers and fungicides during grape growing. As a consequence, sub-optimal zinc levels in grape musts may negatively influence the fermentative performance of yeasts. We believe that optimization of metal ion bioavailability will improve yeast fermentation performance in industrial processes and this study addresses some issues relating to zinc in enology
In-plane structure and ordering at liquid sodium surfaces and interfaces from ab initio molecular dynamics
Atoms at liquid metal surfaces are known to form layers parallel to the
surface. We analyze the two-dimensional arrangement of atoms within such layers
at the surface of liquid sodium, using ab initio molecular dynamics (MD)
simulations based on density functional theory. Nearest neighbor distributions
at the surface indicate mostly 5-fold coordination, though there are noticeable
fractions of 4-fold and 6-fold coordinated atoms. Bond angle distributions
suggest a movement toward the angles corresponding to a six-fold coordinated
hexagonal arrangement of the atoms as the temperature is decreased towards the
solidification point. We rationalize these results with a distorted hexagonal
order at the surface, showing a mixture of regions of five and six-fold
coordination. The liquid surface results are compared with classical MD
simulations of the liquid surface, with similar effects appearing, and with ab
initio MD simulations for a model solid-liquid interface, where a pronounced
shift towards hexagonal ordering is observed as the temperature is lowered
Open Access and the REF: Issues and Potential Solutions Workshop
This report provides a summary of the discussion and findings of the Open
Access and the REF: Issues and Potential Solutions workshop held as
part of the End-to-End Project. The workshop was highly interactive and
feedback received indicated it was considered an excellent event, and that it
was vital and useful to bring together various key stakeholders to discuss
problems and procedures and develop ideas
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