Correcting biases in psychiatric diagnostic practice in Northwest Russia: Comparing the impact of a general educational program and a specific diagnostic training program

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A general education in psychiatry does not necessary lead to good diagnostic skills. Specific training programs in diagnostic coding are established to facilitate implementation of ICD-10 coding practices. However, studies comparing the impact of these two different educational approaches on diagnostic skills are lacking. The aim of the current study was to find out if a specific training program in diagnostic coding improves the diagnostic skills better than a general education program, and if a national bias in diagnostic patterns can be minimised by a specific training in diagnostic coding.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A pre post design study with two groups was carried in the county of Archangels, Russia. The control group (39 psychiatrists) took the required course (general educational program), while the intervention group (45 psychiatrists) were given a specific training in diagnostic coding. Their diagnostic skills before and after education were assessed using 12 written case-vignettes selected from the entire spectrum of psychiatric disorders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a significant improvement in diagnostic skills in both the intervention group and the control group. However, the intervention group improved significantly more than did the control group. The national bias was partly corrected in the intervention group but not to the same degree in the control group. When analyzing both groups together, among the background factors only the current working place impacted the outcome of the intervention.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Establishing an internationally accepted diagnosis seems to be a special skill that requires specific training and needs to be an explicit part of the professional educational activities of psychiatrists. It does not appear that that skill is honed without specific training. The issue of national diagnostic biases should be taken into account in comparative cross-cultural studies of almost any character. The mechanisms of such biases are complex and need further consideration in future research. Future research should also address the question as to whether the observed improvement in diagnostic skills after specific training actually leads to changes in routine diagnostic practice.</p

Meat substitutes : Resource demands and environmental footprints

FThe modern food system is characterized with high environmental impact, which is in many cases associated with increased rates of animal production and overconsumption. The adoption of alternatives to meat proteins (insects, plants, mycoprotein, microalgae, cultured meat, etc.) might potentially influence the environmental impact and human health in a positive or negative way but could also trigger indirect impacts with higher consumption rates. Current review provides a condensed analysis on potential environmental impacts, resource consumption rates and unintended trade-offs associated with integration of alternative proteins in complex global food system in the form of meat substitutes. We focus on emissions of greenhouse gases, land use, non-renewable energy use and water footprint highlighted for both ingredients used for meat substitutes and ready products. The benefits and limitations of meat substitution are highlighted in relation to a weight and protein content. The analysis of the recent research literature allowed us to define issues, that require the attention of future studies.Peer reviewe

Impact of PEF (Pulsed Electric Fields) on Olive Oil Yield and Quality

Olive oil holds significant importance in the European diet and is renowned globally for its sensory attributes and health benefits. The effectiveness of producing olive oil is greatly influenced by factors like the maturity and type of olives used, as well as the milling techniques employed. Generally, mechanical methods can extract approximately 80% of the oil contained in the olives. The rest 20% of the oil remains in the olive waste generated at the end of the process. Additionally, significant amounts of bioactive compounds like polyphenols are also lost in the olive pomace. Traditionally, heat treatment, enzymes, and other chemicals are used for the enhancement of oil extraction; however, this approach may impact the quality of olive oil. Therefore, new technology, such as pulsed electric field (PEF), is of great benefit for nonthermal yield and quality improvements

Ultrasound-assisted green solvent extraction of high-added value compounds from microalgae Nannochloropsis spp.

The aim of this work was to investigate ultrasound (US)-assisted green solvent extraction of valuable compounds from the microalgae Nannochloropsis spp. Individual green solvents (water, ethanol (EtOH), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) and binary mixture of solvents (water-DMSO and water-EtOH) were used for the extraction procedures. Maximum total phenolic compounds yield (Yp 0.33) was obtained after US pre-treatment (W = 400 W, 15 min), being almost 5-folds higher compared to that found for the untreated samples and aqueous extraction (Yp 0.06). The highest yield of total chlorophylls (Yc 0.043) was obtained after US (W = 400 W, 7.5 min), being more than 9-folds higher than those obtained for the untreated samples and aqueous extraction (Yc 0.004). The recovery efficiency decreased as DMSO &gt; EtOH &gt; H2O. The optimal conditions to recover phenolic compounds and chlorophylls from microalgae were obtained after US pre-treatment (400 W, 5 min), binary mixtures of solvents (water-DMSO and water-EtOH) at 25–30%, and microalgae concentration of 10%

Evaluation of disruption/permeabilization methodologies for Microcystis aeruginosa as alternatives to obtain high yields of microcystin release

The extraction of the wide range of useful bioactive compounds produced by cyanobacteria is still a major bottleneck at industrial scale. In addition to the high costs, extraction efficiencies are also commonly low, with low cell disruption efficiencies playing a particularly significant role in intracellular compounds' release. To increase the chances of an extended use of the cyanobacteria toxin microcystin in several biotechnological fields, we aimed to optimize five different disruption techniques: bead milling, microwave, freeze-thaw cycles, high-speed homogenization, and sonication. For each of the methods tested, the conditions that maximized the intracellular organic matter release were: i) 20% of beads and treatment time of 7?min (bead milling); ii) 800?W for 1.5?min (microwave); iii) three 12-h freeze-thaw cycles at ?20?°C; iv) 15,000?rpm for 7?min (high-speed homogenization); and v) 40?kHz for 10?min (sonication). Sonication and freeze-thaw cycles followed by sonication revealed to be the most effective methodologies to ensure a maximum intracellular organic matter release and, consequently, microcystin availability for being extracted. The decrease of cells' viability was however more evident in freeze-thaw cycles, freeze-thaw cycles followed by sonication, and microwave where only 0.3, 0.05 and 0.9% of the initial cells, respectively, maintained their viability after being treated. On the other hand, sonication and bead milling reduced the viability of the original culture to 5 and 15.5%, respectively, while high-speed homogenization did not show any significant differences compared to control. According to the results obtained in this study, the most suitable methodology to maximize the release of microcystin was therefore the use of sonication (40?kHz) during 10?min.This research work was supported by the grant SFRH/BPD/98694/2013 (Bruno Fernandes) and SFRH/BD/52335/2013 (Pedro Geada) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal). Luís Loureiro is recipient of a fellowship supported by a doctoral advanced training (call NORTE-69-2015-15) funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020 — Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This study wassupported bythe Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684), Project UID/Multi/04423/2013, Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462), FCT Strategic Project of UID/BIO/ 04469/2013 unit, by the project NOVELMAR (reference NORTE-010145-FEDER-000035), co-financed by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Norte 2020) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the ERDF, and by BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European RegionalDevelopment FundunderthescopeofNorte2020 —Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enzymatic Extraction of Fucoxanthin from Brown Seaweeds

Brown seaweeds contain a number of bioactive compounds. The xanthophyll, fucoxanthin, has in vivo efficacy against disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. Organic solvents are traditionally employed to extract fucoxanthin, but carry a toxic chemical and environmental burden. The aim of this study was to optimise a fucoxanthin extraction method using enzymes, water, low-temperature dehydration and mechanical blending, to produce yields comparable to those achieved with an organic solvent (acetone). Response surface methodology was applied, using Fucus vesiculosus as a model species. A fucoxanthin yield of 0.657 mg g-1 (dry mass) was obtained from F. vesiculosus blade using the enzymatic method, equivalent to 94% of the acetone-extracted yield. Optimum extraction parameters were determined to be enzyme-to-water ratio 0.52%, seaweed-to-water ratio 5.37% and enzyme incubation time 3.05 h. These findings may be applied to the development of value-added nutraceutical products from seaweed

Determination of antioxidant compounds in foodstuff

© 2017 Scrivener Publishing LLC. Phenolic compounds, vitamins and carotenoids are naturally found in different foodstuff. These antioxidant compounds play an important role in human health and are of interest for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries. Modern chromatographic and spectrometric techniques have made analysis easier than ever before, but their success depends on the extraction method used. In fact, the different antioxidants are identifified using chromatographic techniques coupled to diff erent specififi c detectors according to the characteristics of each molecule. Beyond their well-known health-promoting effects, antioxidant molecules can also be used to functionalize or preserve the freshness, nutritive value, flflavor and color of foodstuff s, which justify their incorporation into several matrices. In this chapter, the most common antioxidant compounds in foodstuff will be described, as well as the methodologies involved in their extraction, separation, identifification and quantifification. The bioactive properties and industrial applications of these compounds through innovative techniques will also be taken into account.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intensification of food freezing under the effect of pulsed electric fields

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude de l’effet du traitement par champs électriques pulsés (CEP) sur l’amélioration de la congélation des tissus végétaux. Pour l’ensemble de notre étude, nous avons démontré que l’effet des champs électriques pulsés est complexe. Le prétraitement entraîne une électroperméabilisation des membranes. Les analyses calorimétriques ont mis en évidence que l’électroperméabilisation conduit à une augmentation de la teneur en eau liée. Les transferts de matière entre les milieux intra et extracellulaires sont intensifiés. Cela conduit à une modification dynamique de la composition des deux compartiments au cours de la congélation. En effet, les essais réalisés sur le cryo-pressage assisté par CEP démontrent que les températures de fusion sont plus basses et que le jus récupéré est beaucoup plus concentré. Il a été constaté que le temps de congélation d’un échantillon soumis préalablement à un prétraitement par champs électriques pulsés est sensiblement plus court que celui d’un échantillon sans prétraitement. D’autre part, l’électroperméabilisation facilite les transferts de matière avec le milieu extérieur. Le prétraitement par CEP accélère notamment l’imprégnation des tissus végétaux par des cryoprotectants, l’évaporation de l’eau libre et la sublimation de l’eau congelée. Finalement, le prétraitement par champs électriques pulsés induit des modifications de la structure des échantillons, de leur composition et influence favorablement les transferts couplés de masse et d’énergie.This work is focused on the study of the effects of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on the improvement of plant tissues freezing. These studies have demonstrated that the effects of the PEF are rather complex. The PEF treatment results in membrane electro-permeabilization. Calorimetric analyses showed that the electro-permeabilization leads to an increase in bound water content. It also results in acceleration of mass transfer processes between intra- and extracellular parts of a tissue. The dynamic modification of the composition of these two parts during the freezing was observed. Experimental tests using the PEF-assisted cryo-pressing demonstrated that the melting temperatures were lower and that the extracted juice was much more concentrated as compared to untreated tissues. Moreover, the PEF-treatment allowed significant decreasing of freezing time. Furthermore, the electro-permeabilization facilitates the mass transfer with the external medium. The PEF treatment accelerates the impregnation of plant tissues by cryoprotectants, evaporation of free water and sublimation of frozen water. Finally, the treatment by PEF induces changes in the structure of the samples, their composition and positively influences both the mass and energy transfers

Applicability of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Pre-Treatment for a Convective Two-Step Drying Process

Available literature and previous studies focus on the Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) parameters influencing the drying process of fruit and vegetable tissue. This study investigates the applicability of PEF pre-treatment considering the industrial-scale drying conditions of onions and related quality parameters of the final product. First, the influence of the PEF treatment (W = 4.0 kJ/kg, E = 1.07 kV/cm) on the convective drying was investigated for samples dried at constant temperatures (65, 75, and 85 &deg;C) and drying profiles (85/55, 85/65, and 85/75 &deg;C). These trials were performed along with the determination of the breakpoint to assure an industrial drying profile with varying temperatures. A reduction in drying time of 32% was achieved by applying PEF prior to drying at profile 85/65 &deg;C (target moisture &le;7%). The effective water diffusion coefficient for the last drying section has been increased from 1.99 &times; 10&minus;10 m2/s to 3.48 &times; 10&minus;10 m2/s in the PEF-treated tissue. In case of the 85/65 &deg;C drying profile, the PEF-treated sample showed the highest benefits in terms of process efficiency and quality compared to the untreated sample. A quality analysis was performed considering the colour, amount of blisters, pyruvic acid content, and the rehydration behavior comparing the untreated and PEF-treated sample. The PEF-treated sample showed practically no blisters and a 14.5% higher pyruvic acid content. Moreover, the rehydration coefficient was 47% higher when applying PEF prior to drying

Applicability of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Pre-Treatment for a Convective Two-Step Drying Process

Available literature and previous studies focus on the Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) parameters influencing the drying process of fruit and vegetable tissue. This study investigates the applicability of PEF pre-treatment considering the industrial-scale drying conditions of onions and related quality parameters of the final product. First, the influence of the PEF treatment (W = 4.0 kJ/kg, E = 1.07 kV/cm) on the convective drying was investigated for samples dried at constant temperatures (65, 75, and 85 °C) and drying profiles (85/55, 85/65, and 85/75 °C). These trials were performed along with the determination of the breakpoint to assure an industrial drying profile with varying temperatures. A reduction in drying time of 32% was achieved by applying PEF prior to drying at profile 85/65 °C (target moisture ≤7%). The effective water diffusion coefficient for the last drying section has been increased from 1.99 × 10−10 m2/s to 3.48 × 10−10 m2/s in the PEF-treated tissue. In case of the 85/65 °C drying profile, the PEF-treated sample showed the highest benefits in terms of process efficiency and quality compared to the untreated sample. A quality analysis was performed considering the colour, amount of blisters, pyruvic acid content, and the rehydration behavior comparing the untreated and PEF-treated sample. The PEF-treated sample showed practically no blisters and a 14.5% higher pyruvic acid content. Moreover, the rehydration coefficient was 47% higher when applying PEF prior to drying