Freshness-indices of roasted coffee : monitoring the loss of freshness for single serve capsules and roasted whole beans in different packaging

With the growing demand for high-quality coffee, it is becoming increasingly important to establish quantitative measures of the freshness of coffee, or the loss thereof, over time. Indeed, freshness has become a critical quality criterion in the specialty coffee scene, where the aim is to deliver the most pleasant flavor in the cup, from highest quality beans. A series of intensity ratios of selected volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the headspace of coffee (by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) were revisited, with the aim to establish robust indicators of freshness of coffee – called freshness indices. Roasted whole beans in four different packaging materials and four commercial capsule systems from the Swiss market were investigated over a period of up to one year of storage time. These measurements revealed three types of insight. First, a clear link between barrier properties of the packaging material and the evolution of selected freshness indices was observed. Packaging materials that contain an aluminum layer offer better protection. Second, processing steps prior to packaging are reflected in the absolute values of freshness indices. Third, differences in the standard deviations of freshness-indices for single serve coffee capsule systems are indicative of differences in the consistency among systems, consistency being an important quality attribute of capsules

Reproducibility of a new signal processing technique to assess joint sway during standing

Postural control strategies can be investigated by kinematic analysis of joint movements. However, current research is focussing mainly on the analysis of centre of pressure excursion and lacks consensus on how to assess joint movement during postural control tasks. This study introduces a new signal processing technique to comprehensively quantify joint sway during standing and evaluates its reproducibility. Fifteen patients with non-specific low back pain and ten asymptomatic participants performed three repetitions of a 60-second standing task on foam surface. This procedure was repeated on a second day. Lumbar spine movement was recorded using an inertial measurement system. The signal was temporally divided into six sections. Two outcome variables (mean absolute sway and sways per second) were calculated for each section. The reproducibility of single and averaged measurements was quantified with linear mixed-effects models and the generalizability theory. A single measurement of ten seconds duration revealed reliability coefficients of 0.75 for mean absolute sway and 0.76 for sways per second. Averaging a measurement of 40 seconds duration on two different days revealed reliability coefficients higher than 0.90 for both outcome variables. The outcome variables’ reliability compares favourably to previously published results using different signal processing techniques or centre of pressure excursion. The introduced signal processing technique with two outcome variables to quantify joint sway during standing proved to be a highly reliable method. Since different populations, tasks or measurement tools could influence reproducibility, further investigation in other settings is still necessary. Nevertheless, the presented method has been shown to be highly promising

Low back pain and postural control, effects of task difficulty on centre of pressure and spinal kinematics

Association of low back pain and standing postural control (PC) deficits are reported inconsistently. Demands on PC adaptation strategies are increased by restraining the input of visual or somatosensory senses. The objectives of the current study are, to investigate whether PC adaptations of the spine, hip and the centre of pressure (COP) differ between patients reporting non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) and asymptomatic controls. The PC adaption strategies of the thoracic and lumbar spine, the hip and the COP were measured in fifty-seven NSLBP patients and 22 asymptomatic controls. We tested three "feet together" conditions with increasing demands on PC strategies, using inertial measurement units (IMUs) on the spine and a Wii balance board for centre of pressure (COP) parameters. The differences between NSLBP patients and controls were most apparent when the participants were blindfolded, but remaining on a firm surface. While NSLBP patients had larger thoracic and lumbar spine mean absolute deviations of position (MADpos) in the frontal plane, the same parameters decreased in control subjects (relative change (RC): 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.03 to 0.45 and 0.03 to 0.48). The Mean absolute deviation of velocity (MADvel) of the thoracic spine in the frontal plane showed a similar and significant effect (RC: 0.12 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.25). Gender, age and pain during the measurements affected some parameters significantly. PC adaptions differ between NSLBP patients and asymptomatic controls. The differences are most apparent for the thoracic and lumbar parameters of MADpos, in the frontal plane and while the visual condition was removed

Determination of thoracic and lumbar spinal processes by their percentage position between C7 and the PSIS level

Accurate measurements of spinal movement require reliable determination of anatomical landmarks. Current methods of identifying these are not sufficiently reliable or valid for this purpose. A reliable and convenient method of placing markers on selected vertebra is needed to compare measurements between different testers, subjects and sessions

Joint position error after neck protraction-retraction movements in healthy office workers : a cross-sectional study

Since the upper cervical spine (UCS) has been regarded to be distinct from the lower cervical spine (LCS), joint position error (JPE) needs to be tested separately for both regions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the JPE after cervical protraction/retraction movements, involving opposite movements of extension and flexion for the UCS and LCS. These movements are frequently performed during office work. Cervical JPEs were tracked in thirty healthy office workers while performing four tests of cervical pro-retraction movements with variations in vision and movement direction, and assessed using the Kinect head tracker (Microsoft Corp), placed in front of each participant. The JPE was expressed in constant (CE), absolute (AE) and variable errors (VE). Multilevel linear models evaluated main and interaction effects of vision, movement direction, cervical region and sex. Slightly larger JPEs have been found in the UCS. Vision showed no effect on any outcome variable. No effect exceeded typical measurement errors reported for the Kinect head tracker. This study showed, that JPEs after pro-retraction movements of the head and neck may differ for UCS and LCS. The differences were small and not beyond measurement error reported for the Kinect

Concurrent validity and reliability of a novel wireless inertial measurement system to assess trunk movement

Assessment of movement dysfunctions commonly comprises trunk range of motion (ROM), movement or control impairment (MCI), repetitive movements (RM), and reposition error (RE). Inertial measurement unit (IMU)-systems could be used to quantify these movement dysfunctions in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel IMU-system when assessing movement dysfunctions in terms of concurrent validity and reliability

Comparison of nine common coffee extraction methods: instrumental and sensory analysis

The preparation of a cup of coffee may vary between countries, cultures and individuals. Here, an analysis of nine different extraction methods is presented regarding analytical and sensory aspects for four espressi and five lunghi. This comprised espresso and lungo from a semi-automatic coffee machine, espresso and lungo from a fully automatic coffee machine, espresso from a single-serve capsule system, mocha made with a percolator, lungo prepared with French Press extraction, filter coffee and lungo extracted with a Bayreuth coffee machine. Analytical measurements included headspace analysis with HS SPME GC/MS, acidity (pH), titratable acidity, content of fatty acids, total solids, refractive indices (expressed in °Brix), caffeine and chlorogenic acids content with HPLC. Sensory analysis included visual, aroma, flavor and textural attributes as well as aftersensation. The technical differences in the extraction methods led to a higher concentration of the respective quantities in the espressi than in the lunghi. Regarding the contents per cup of coffee, the lunghi generally had a higher content than the espressi. The extraction efficiency of the respective compounds was mainly driven by their solubility in water. A higher amount of water, as in the extraction of a lungo, generally led to higher extraction efficiency. Comparing analytical data with sensory profiles, the following positive correlations were found total solids ↔ texture/body, headspace intensity ↔ aroma intensity, concentrations of caffeine/chlorogenic acids ↔ bitterness and astringenc

Rosistilla oblonga gen. nov., sp. nov. and Rosistilla carotiformis sp. nov., isolated from biotic or abiotic surfaces in Northern Germany, Mallorca, Spain and California, USA

Planctomycetes are ubiquitous bacteria with fascinating cell biological features. Strains available as axenic cultures in most cases have been isolated from aquatic environments and serve as a basis to study planctomycetal cell biology and interactions in further detail. As a contribution to the current collection of axenic cultures, here we characterise three closely related strains, Poly24$^{T}$, CA51$^{T}$ and Mal33, which were isolated from the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively. The strains display cell biological features typical for related Planctomycetes, such as division by polar budding, presence of crateriform structures and formation of rosettes. Optimal growth was observed at temperatures of 30–33 °C and at pH 7.5, which led to maximal growth rates of 0.065–0.079 h$^{-1}$, corresponding to generation times of 9–11 h. The genomes of the novel isolates have a size of 7.3–7.5 Mb and a G + C content of 57.7–58.2%. Phylogenetic analyses place the strains in the family Pirellulaceae and suggest that Roseimaritima ulvae and Roseimaritima sediminicola are the current closest relatives. Analysis of five different phylogenetic markers, however, supports the delineation of the strains from members of the genus Roseimaritima and other characterised genera in the family. Supported by morphological and physiological differences, we conclude that the strains belong to the novel genus Rosistilla gen. nov. and constitute two novel species, for which we propose the names Rosistilla carotiformis sp. nov. and Rosistilla oblonga sp. nov. (the type species). The two novel species are represented by the type strains Poly24$^{T}$ (= DSM 102938$^{T}$ = VKM B-3434$^{T}$ = LMG 31347$^{T}$ = CECT 9848$^{T}$) and CA51$^{T}$ (= DSM 104080$^{T}$ = LMG 29702$^{T}$), respectively