Eye-tracking analysis of leafy vegetables

There is a great supply of leafy vegetables on the market; hence capturing consumer’s attention (and decision) is critically important. Several scientific publications deal with consumer choices and the newest technology to capture consumer attention is eye-tracking. Eye-trackers are commonly used in Western Europe and Asia also, where it is an important and widely-used tool during product developments and the creation of marketing strategies. In Hungary, there are only a few publications about eye-tracking applications in vegetable growing and food industry. In our research, photographs about sorrel, lamb lettuce, spinach, leaf lettuce and dandelion leafs were analysed by eye-tracking technology and the eye movements of the participants during their decision making process of leafy vegetables were captured and evaluated. The eye-tracking analyses were carried out in the Sensory Laboratory of the Faculty of Food Sciences of Szent István University, using a Tobii X2-60 eye-tracker and Tobii Studio (version 3.0.5, Tobii Technology AB, Sweden) software. We aimed to answer the following research questions: Are there any connections between the eye movements of participants and their decisions? What amount of visual attention can be registered during the decision making process? Furthermore, the following metrics were measured and evaluated: fixation durations on the leafy vegetables, number of returns to products, pathways of visual attention, time until the final decision making and motivation of their final decisions. Measurement of the subconscious consumer decision making processes is way easier using eye-trackers compared to the traditional questionnaire-based methods, because it is hard or impossible to control our eye movements. Eye-tracking can be used successfully for understanding the expectations and decisions of the consumers

Risk-Assessment-Based Optimization Favours the Development of Albumin Nanoparticles with Proper Characteristics Prior to Drug Loading

Albumin nanocarrier research and development is a challenging area in the field of personalized medicine and in providing advanced therapeutic solutions. Albumin as a biocompatible, nonimmunogenic, and non-toxic protein carrier that can be exploited to conjugate drugs with poor bioavailability to improve on this feature. With many different perspectives and desired target profiles, a systematic structural approach must be used in nanoparticle development. The extended Research and Development (R&D) Quality by Design thinking and methodology proved to be useful in case of specific nanoparticle development processes before. However, the coacervation method is the most frequently applied preparation method for HSA nanoparticles; there is a lack of existing research work which has directly determined the influence of process parameters, control strategy, or design space. With a quality-management-driven strategy, a knowledge space was developed for these versatile nanoparticles and an initial risk assessment was conducted on the quality-affecting factors regarding the coacervation method, followed by an optimization process via Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken experimental design. As a result of screening the effect of process variables on the fabrication of HSA nanoparticles, an optimized colloidal drug delivery system was engineered with desired nanoparticulate properties

Az intermedier anyagcsere és a szabadgyökképzés kapcsolata izolált idegvégkészülékekben és mikroglia sejtekben. = Correlation between intermediary metabolism and free radical formation in isolated nerve endings and in microglial cells

Izolált idegvégkészülékeken végzett kísérleteink alapján valószínűsítettük, hogy citrát-kör alfa-ketoglutarát dehidrogenáz enzimének szerepe lehet a reaktív oxigénszármazékok (ROS) képzésében. Ezt a feltételezést izolált enzimen végzett vizsgálatokkal megerősítettük. Megállapítottuk, hogy a ROS képzést a hipoxiás körülmények között észlelhető NADH/NAD arány növekedés erősen stimulálja. Vizsgáltuk a NADH-t termelő citrát-köri szubsztrátokkal, illetve a szukcináttal légző mitokondriumok ROS-képző tulajdonságait, a mitokondrium membránpotenciál és a ROS termelés közötti összefüggést. Rámutattunk, hogy a kvalitatíven is különböző irodalmi eredmények oka a preparátumok eltérő membránpotenciál-ja. Karakterizáltuk a mitokondrium-citoszól kapcsolatban fontos szerepet játszó glicerofoszfát inga működése során az alfa-glicerofoszfát (a-GP) mitokondriális oxidációja során képződő hidrogén peroxid keletkezési mechanizmusát, és megállapítottuk, hogy az a-GP ROS-képzése történhet mind reverz elektron transzporttal, mind pedig magán az alfa-glicerofoszfát dehidrogenáz (a-GPDH) enzimen. Kimutattuk, hogy az a-GPDH-n történő ROS-képzés jelentősen stimulálható a citoplazmatikus [Ca2+] fiziológiás tartományban történő emelésével. Megállapítottuk, hogy az idegvégkészülékekben "in situ" elhelyezkedő mitokondriumok ROS képzése a membránpotenciál csökkentésével nem befolyásolható, mely eredmény nem támasztja alá a membránpotenciál csökkentésére alapozott neuroprotekció elméletét. | Our group demonstrated that Krebs cycle enzyme alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (a-KGDH) was able to generate H2O2 and thus, could be a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria. ROS production was stimulated by the high NADH/NAD ratio mimicking hypoxic conditions. Relationship between ROS formation and mitochondrial membrane potential (mMP) was studied in isolated mitochondria respiring on NADH-linked substrates and succinate. The rate of H2O2 formation with NADH-linked substrates was sensitive to changes in mMP only in highly polarized mitochondria, while mMP could determine both the mechanism and the intensity of ROS generation in succinate-supported mitochondria. Alpha-glycerophosphate (a-GP) shuttle has a role in the oxidation of cytosolic NADH in mitochondria. We suggest that oxidation of a-GP leads to ROS generation both by reverse electron transport (RET), and by the direct ROS formation on the a-GP-dehydrogenase (a-GPDH) enzyme. In a-GP-supported mitochondria activation of a-GPDH by Ca2+ leads to an accelerated RET-mediated ROS generation as well as to a stimulated ROS production on the a-GPDH. In nerve terminals we tested whether ROS generation by "in situ" mitochondria, functioning in a normal cytosolic environment and oxidize glucose-derived substrates, is also dependent on changes in mMP. Basal ROS generation by "in situ" mitochondria is not sensitive to changes in mMP, challenging the rational of the "mild uncoupling" theory for neuroprotection

Applications of SRD-method in horticultural and food sciences

the effect of an attribute is evaluated without changing other factors. The other type is when the effect of the interactions of different treatments is analysed. In some cases, it would be necessary to use new approaches. How can we evaluate cultivars, methods, proceedings, treatments, etc. meanwhile using all parameters at the same time? Sum of Ranking Differences (SRD) is an alternative statistical method, implemented by Héberger (2010). Validation and the software implementation was done by Héberger and Kollár-Hunek (2011). Cultivars, methods, procedures, treatments, etc. can be compared successfully with SRD-method. Several international publications proved the relevancy of the methodology. In this study, SRD-method is introduced, as well as those researches, which conducted in horticultural and food sciences. Based on these, new fields of application are suggested