A Profile of Youth and Divorce: Considerations for Parents and Educators Concerning Emotional and Behavioural Fragility and Resiliency

Within Canada it is becoming increasingly common for children to experience the separation of their parents, an experience always paired with a period of adjustment for both parents and child(ren). This case study explored the behavioural and emotional profiles of a boy from one divorced family. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011), the study examined child, parent, and teacher reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviours and explored the degree to which these behaviours were perceived to have increased or decreased following the decision to end the marriage. The integration of both quantitative and qualitative data produced by the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), semi-structured interview question, and photovoice , provided a comprehensive view of the externalizing and internalizing behaviours of the youth as he navigated the stressors that accompanied his family post-divorce. Photovoice appeared effective in drawing out the youth particpant’s perspective without the pressures and anxiety that often accompany a formal interview setting between an adult and a youth. This study demonstrated a complex emotional response from a twelve year old boy in relation to his parents’ divorce. This response indicated that many adjustments are expected of children as they navigate the move from a two-parent household to two parents in separate homes. For this child, the changes included loss of a pet, moving multiple times, and developing new ways of coping to deal with the array of emotions that he was experiencing. Educators and parents may benefit from a better understanding of the effects of divorce on the emotions and behaviours of children when contemplating certain behavioural motivations as well as the effectiveness of interventions when behaviour is seen as affecting the overall psychological and academic well-being of the youth. In addition, the methods employed in this study may serve as a foundation on which to develop brief therapy relationships when working within the time constraints of school counseling

Certification of Mass Fractions of Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in Peanut Butter, BCR-385R and BCR-401R

This report describes the preparation of peanut butter (BCR-385R and BCR-401R) matrix reference materials and the certification of their content (mass fraction) of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. The preparation of the materials, the homogeneity and stability studies and the characterisation are described and the results are discussed. Uncertainties were calculated in compliance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM), including uncertainties due to possible heterogeneity and instability.JRC.D.2-Reference material

Determination of the MCPD fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters in food: Report on the collaborative trial organised by the EURL-PAH and Process Contaminants

The European Union Reference Laboratory for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Process Contaminants, hosted by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, organised on request of the Directorate-General SANTE a method validation study via collaborative trial to evaluate the performance of a method for the determination of fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD-ester), 2-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (2-MCPD-ester) and glycidyl esters (GEs) in food samples. The method validation study was conducted according to the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry harmonised protocol and the Collaborative Study Guidelines of AOAC International for blind (unpaired) replicates. The method was applied for the determination of 3-MCPD-, 2-MCPD-esters and GEs in naturally contaminated oil, fat, waffles, potato chips (crisps) and crackers. The standard operating procedure was based on the extraction of the test materials by pressurised liquid extraction, followed by acid transesterification and derivatisation of the released free (non-esterified) form with phenylboronic acid. The determination was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with electron ionisation in selected ion monitoring mode. The trial involved 10 participants, representing a cross section of research, private and official control laboratories from 4 EU Member States (Germany, UK, Ireland and The Netherlands), USA and Japan. The selection of collaborators was based on the performance in a pre-trial, organised prior to the collaborative trial with the participation of 12 laboratories. The relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 1.3 to 21%. The relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) ranged from 6.5 to 49.0%, reflecting HorRat values from 0.5 to 2.2 according to the Horwitz function modified by Thompson. However the precision was not very satisfactory (> 22% RSDR) for mass fraction levels around and lower of 100 μg/kg on fat basis. For an analyte content higher than 100 μg/kg, excellent precision was achieved with HorRat values in the range of 0.4-0.7.JRC.F.5-Food and Feed Complianc

Report on the 17th inter-laboratory comparison organised by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Four marker PAHs in cocoa products

This report presents the results of the seventeenth inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) organised by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (EURL PAH) on the determination of the four EU marker PAHs, benz[a]anthracene (BAA), benzo[a]pyrene (BAP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BBF) and chrysene (CHR) in cocoa products. It was conducted under ISO 17043 accreditation. Both officially nominated National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and official food control laboratories (OCLs) of the EU Member States were admitted as participants. In agreement with National Reference Laboratories, the test material used in this exercise was milk chocolate and cocoa powder. Participants also received a solution of PAHs in solvent of their choice (either toluene or acetonitrile) with disclosed content for the verification of their instrument calibration. . The participants were free to choose the method of analysis.. Reference values were used to benchmark the results reported by participants. The performance of the participating laboratories in the determination of the target PAHs in smoked meat was expressed by z-scores. Satisfactory performance with regard to z-scores was assigned to about 77% of the reported results.JRC.D.5-Standards for Food Bioscienc

In house validation of a reference method for the determination of boar taint compounds by LC-MSMS

Meat from male pigs may develop an off-flavour, commonly known as boar taint. For that reason male piglets are surgically castrated at young age to avoid the potential off-flavour formation. Animal welfare concerns have triggered research into alternatives to surgical castration of male piglets with the long-term goal of abandoning it by 1 January 2018. The ALCASDE study has shown that the agreement of testing results for androstenone and skatole in pig fat produced in several laboratories was not satisfactory and one of the conclusions of this project was that in a follow-on project a standardised reference method should be elaborated to rectify this shortcoming. In the suggested reference method, the 3 marker compounds (skatole, andostrenone and indole), for boar taint are quantified in pork fat by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). The fat is separated from the ground pork fat tissue sample via melting and centrifugation thereafter. The fat is spiked with isotopically labelled standards and prepared for size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The SEC purified sample is evaporated nearly to dryness and after addition of an injection standard analysed by LC-MS/MS in selected reaction monitoring mode. This method has been validated to obtain the method performance characteristics. When summarising the method performance characteristics and comparing them to requirements for official food control methods in the area of food contaminants it can be concluded that the method is fit for its intended purpose. The recovery rates are between 106 % and 115% and are therefore within the range of 60 % to 120 %. The repeatability standard deviation ranges from 7 % to 18 % and the intermediate precision between 9 % and 18 %, all below the set limit of 20 %. The measurement uncertainty (U) is below 30 % for all analytes. The method has proven to be robust and free from matrix interferences. The method is sensitive enough to determine the off-flavour compounds at the sensory threshold values.JRC.D.5-Standards for Food Bioscienc

The Certification of Mass Fractions of Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in Compound Feedingstuff (low level), Certified Reference Material ERM®-BE375

This report describes the preparation of a compound feeding stuff (ERM-BE375) matrix reference material its characterisation for the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 mass fractions. The preparation of the material, between bottle homogeneity and stability studies and the characterisation with a discussion of the results is described hereafter. Uncertainties were calculated in compliance with the ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008 (GUM) [2] and include contributions from possible hidden between bottle heterogeneity, long-term storage, the characterisation study and the contribution from the common calibrant.JRC.DG.D.2-Reference material

Einfluss des Phenolgehaltes auf die sensorischen Eigenschaften von Kakaogetränken

Um den Einfluss des Phenolgehalts auf die sensorischen Eigenschaften von Kakaogetränken zu untersuchen, wurden aus handelsüblichen Kakaopulvern unterschiedlicher Prozentanteile an Kakao Getränke zubereitet und zunächst auf ihren Gesamtphenolgehalt analysiert. Die Bestimmung des Phenolgehaltes erfolgte photometrisch nach der Methode von Linskens und Jackson mit Folin-Ciocalteu Reagenz. Die sensorische Analyse wurde mittels deskriptiver Prüfung, der QDA, durchgeführt. Der Gesamtphenolgehalt der Getränke, die für die sensorische Beurteilung herangezogen wurden, betrug für jene mit 50 und 75% Gehalt an Kakao 425,1 ± 0,6 mg CÄ/200 ml. Das Getränk mit 18% Kakao im Pulver erreichte einen Wert von 399,1 ± 3,2 mg CÄ/200 ml, welcher durch die größere Kakaopulvermenge höher war als der vom Getränk mit 25%, das einen Phenolgehalt von 351,1 ± 2,3 mg CÄ/200 ml aufwies. Mit Hilfe der QDA konnte festgestellt werden, dass die für Kakao typischen sensorischen Eigenschaften, der bittere Geschmack und das adstringierende Mundgefühl, im Getränk, welches mit Wasser und mit Kakaopulver mit 75% Kakaoanteil zubereitet wurde, am stärksten ausgeprägt waren. Durch Zuckerzugabe von 25% bei gleich bleibender Kakaopulvermenge und somit auch gleichem Phenolgehalt konnten diese Attribute, insbesondere der bittere Geschmack, maskiert werden. Durch die Zubereitung des Kakaos mit Milch konnte bei den Getränken mit 18 und 25% Kakaoanteil im Vergleich zu den Getränken mit Wasser ein signifikanter Abfall der Intensität des bitteren Geschmacks beobachtet werden, wobei die Bindung der Phenole an die Milchproteine als Ursache gesehen werden kann. Mit Hilfe der PCA konnte aufzeigt werden, dass die Getränke mit dem höchsten Phenolgehalt durch die typischen Attribute wie bitterer Geschmack und Nachgeschmack und auch durch das adstringierende Mundgefühl charakterisiert waren. Die Getränke mit 25% Kakaoanteil waren durch den fruchtigen Geschmack (Wasser) bzw. den milchigen Geschmack (Milch) und das Kakaogetränk mit 18% Anteil am stärksten durch den süßen Geschmack geprägt.In order to examine the influence of the phenolic content on the sensory properties of cocoa beverages there were made cocoa drinks from commercial cocoa powders containing different percentages of cocoa and initially they were analysed of their total phenolic content. The determination of the phenolic content was carried out by a photometric method of Linskens and Jackson with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The sensory analysis was made via descriptive assay named QDA. The total phenolic content of the beverages, which were used for the sensory evaluation was 425,1 ± 0,6 mg CE/200 ml for the one with 50 and 75% cocoa content. The cocoa drink with 18% cocoa content in the powder reached 399,1 ± 3,2 mg CE/200 ml, which was a higher value as the one of the beverage with 25% cocoa, which contained 351,1 ± 2,3 mg CE/200 ml. That was caused by the higher amount of the cocoa powder used in the drink with 18% cocoa content. Due to the QDA it could be established that the typical sensory properties of cocoa, which are the bitter taste and the astringent mouthfeel were mostly distinctive in the beverage which was made with water and with cocoa powder containing 75% cocoa. If 25% sugar was added with consistent amount of cocoa powder and consequently with the same phenolic content than these attributes, particularly the bitter taste, would disguise. By preparation of cocoa with milk it could be noticed a significant decrease of the intensity of the bitter taste in the beverages with 18 and 25% cocoa in comparison with the water based drinks, whereas the reason for that could be seen in the binding of phenols to milk proteins. With the aid of the PCA it could be shown that the beverage with the highest phenolic content was characterized by the typical attributes like bitter taste and aftertaste and also by the astringent mouthfeel. The drinks with 25% cocoa content were shaped by the fruity taste (water) and by the milky taste (milk) and the cocoa beverage with 18% content related strongest with the sweet taste

Development and validation of analytical methods for the analysis of 3-MCPD (both in free and ester form) and glycidyl esters in various food matrices and performance of an ad-hoc survey on specific food groups in support to a scientific opinion on comprehensive risk assessment on the presence of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in food

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), and 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPD), are substances that might be generated in the processing of food. EU legislation specifies maximum levels for 3-MCPD in hydrolysed vegetable proteins and soya sauce. However, besides the free forms of 2- and 3-MCPD high levels of esterified MCPD forms were found in fats and oils. Another group of substances identified in fats and oils are glycidyl esters (GE). In order to provide reliable occurrence data on the levels of both bound and free forms of those substances, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requested the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to develop suitable analysis methods and test the analysis methods on different kinds of food. Consequently two analytical methods were developed. One of the developed methods allows the determination of ester-bound analytes, whereas the other analysis method is suitable to determine free 2-MCPD and free 3-MCPD. Reliability of analysis results and robustness of the analysis methods were the main focus during method development and optimisation. The analytes were extracted with organic solvents under mild conditions. GEs are converted to monobromopropanediol esters (MBPD esters) prior to transesterification. MCPD esters and MBPD esters were transesterified followed by derivatisation of the analytes with phenyl boronic acid (PBA) in organic solvent. The PBA derivatives were measured by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) applying stable isotope labelled analogues of the analytes for quantification. The performance of both analysis methods was compliant with criteria specified by EFSA. The analytical methods were applied for the analysis of breads and bread rolls, fine bakery wares, smoked fish and meat products, fried and roasted meat, potato-based snacks and fried potato products, cereal-based snacks, and margarines. Analysis results were compiled and reported to EFSA in standard sample description (SSD) format.JRC.D.5-Standards for Food Bioscienc

Performance of evacuated flat plate solar thermal collectors

Heat losses from a flat panel solar collector can be significantly reduced by lowering the internal pressure to <0.5 Pa. Compared with conventional collectors, the resulting increase in efficiency is predicted to give a significant gain in annual heat output in the context of a temperate climate with low median irradiance. Two experimental collectors were built and tested to investigate theoretical aspects of evacuated flat plates and develop appropriate technological solutions. One had a metal tray to the rear, the other used two sheets of glass. An array of pillars supports the glass against atmospheric pressure. The experimental procedure was designed to minimise measurement uncertainty. Testing under a solar simulator, with and without a vacuum, showed a sudden drop in heat loss as the pressure was reduced below 0.5 Pa. When evacuated the heat loss coefficient fell from 7.43 to 3.65 W/m2 K and the efficiency at a nominal test condition of ΔT = 60 °C, G = 1000 W/m2 increased from 36% to 56%. Heat losses from absorber to glass were within 9% of the predicted level. This demonstrates that the heat loss mechanism is well understood

Fabrication analysis of flat vacuum enclosures for solar collectors sealed with Cerasolzer 217

Vacuum flat plate (VFP) solar thermal collectors exhibit excellent optical and thermal characteristics due to a combination of wide surface area and high vacuum thermal insulation offering a high performance and architecturally versatile collector with a variety of applications for industrial process heat and building integration. A vacuum flat plate solar collector consists of a solar absorber in a flat vacuum enclosure comprising glass or glass and metal covers sealed around the periphery with an array of support pillars to maintain the separation of the enclosure under atmospheric pressure. The edge seal must be both mechanically strong and hermetic to ensure the durability of the internal vacuum over collector lifetime. This presents several challenges for the fabrication of flat vacuum enclosures. In this study a novel sealing technique is presented using a tin-based alloy, Cerasolzer 217, to create the vacuum seal between two glass panes and an edge separating spacer. The sealing process is undertaken at temperatures ≤250 °C allowing the use of thermally tempered glass panes. The mechanical strength of the edge seal was investigated using a tensometer. It was demonstrated that the bond between glass and edge spacer was sufficiently strong to withstand induced stresses in the edge seal region. The edge seal was leak tested using a conventional Helium mass spectrometer leak detector and was shown to possess leak rates low enough to maintain an adequate vacuum pressure to supress conductive and convective heat transfer in the collector. A finite element method (FEM) is developed and validated against the experimental results and employed to predict the stresses in different regions of the enclosure. It was found that the mechanical strength limits of the seal and glass are higher than the stresses in the edge seal region and on the glass surface, respectively