bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary pattern and hypertension in Korean adults
Authors: Park Jong Eun , Jung Hyeyoung , Lee Jung Eun
Published: February 2013

Objective

To assess the dietary pattern associated with hypertension and pre-hypertension among Korean male and female adults.

Design

Cross-sectional study from a representative sample of the Korean population.

Setting

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV, which was conducted in 2007 and 2008.

Subjects

Males and females (n 5308) over the age of 20 years.

Results

Scores for three major dietary patterns (‘whole food’, ‘Western’ and ‘drinking’) were generated using a factor analysis of thirty predefined food groups based on the food items consumed. We used polytomous logistic regression analyses to obtain odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals for pre-hypertension and hypertension. Participants with a high drinking pattern score (moderate to high alcohol intake, salted fermented seafood intake) had a significantly higher prevalence of pre-hypertension or hypertension than those with a lower drinking pattern score; odds for the top quintile v. the bottom quintile were OR = 1·56 (95 % CI 1·23, 1·99; P trend = 0·001) for pre-hypertension and OR = 3·05 (95 % CI 2·12, 4·40; P trend < 0·001) for hypertension. The whole food pattern was not associated with either pre-hypertension or hypertension, while the Western pattern was associated with the prevalence of hypertension only among men.

Conclusions

Our finding warrants further prospective studies to examine whether alcohol drinking and salty food consumption increase the risk of developing hypertension in Koreans.
Nutritional knowledge in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents
Authors: Tallarini Anna , Zabeo Alessandra , Ferraretto Anita
Published: February 2013

Objective

To evaluate general knowledge about nutrition in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents.

Design

Knowledge about nutrition-related items such as healthy eating, breakfast, snacks, fast food, beverages, fruits and vegetables, cereals and tubers, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, milk and dairy products, fats and dressings, and sweets was analysed by means of a self-administered questionnaire (QuesCA IT) containing thirty-one questions, that was translated and adapted from a Swiss version (QuesCA) previously used in Geneva and Vaud.

Setting

North of Italy (Bergamo, Milan).

Subjects

Students (n614) belonging to two different age groups: 9–11 years (GR1) and 12–16 years (GR2).

Results

Data analysis showed that nutritional knowledge varied in relation to the age of the participants, increasing in particular in the older group, although this difference was not statistically significant for all the considered items. Nutritional knowledge also varied in relation to the gender of the participants, with females in particular seeming to possess better cognition. For each age group there was poor knowledge about the items healthy diet, snacks, milk and dairy products, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, and fats and dressings. Moreover, the percentage of participants who declared own knowledge as insufficient was higher in GR2 compared with GR1.

Conclusions

The present research demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the main concepts of healthy nutrition both in the youngest and oldest participants of the survey. This evidence, together with the presence of higher self-consciousness in GR2, should be taken into account in specific educational interventions during the school period.
Change of behaviour when selecting food products in a supermarket environment after reminding consumers about weight management
Authors: Saarela Anna-Maria
Published: February 2013

Objective

The aim was to explore how the behaviour of consumers changed while they selected food in a supermarket environment after they were reminded about weight management. This investigation was carried out from the perspective of selection criteria, reading of package labels, nutritional quality of the products selected and time taken to select a product.

Design

The subjects, who were actively watching their weight, participated in two consecutive tasks in a supermarket. They were given a shopping list of eleven food categories and asked to think aloud while selecting from each category a product they usually buy and a product they would use for weight management. The data (n 792 selections) were collected through interviews and a verbal analysis protocol combined with wireless audio-visual observation.

Subjects

Thirty-six consumers were recruited from a sample of 367 supermarket customers.

Setting

Kuopio, Finland.

Results

The subjects’ behaviour changed radically after they were reminded about weight management. In the first selection, taste and familiarity were the main food selection criteria while in the latter selection the energy/fat content predominated. Consequently, the nutritional quality of products improved greatly because subjects read package labels twice as much in the latter selection. The time taken to select a product increased significantly, on average, from 23 (sd 10) to 60 (sd 51) s/product (P = 0·000).

Conclusions

Only by reminding consumers about weight management was there a significant impact on their food selection behaviour. Marketing communication should be developed which quickly and easily promotes consumers’ awareness of healthy food in supermarkets.
De Branges’ theorem on approximation problems of Bernstein type
Authors: Baranov Anton , Woracek Harald
Published: February 2013

The Bernstein approximation problem is to determine whether or not the space of all polynomials is dense in a given weighted ${C}_{0} $-space on the real line. A theorem of de Branges characterizes non-density by existence of an entire function of Krein class being related with the weight in a certain way. An analogous result holds true for weighted sup-norm approximation by entire functions of exponential type at most $\tau $ and bounded on the real axis ($\tau \gt 0$ fixed).

We consider approximation in weighted ${C}_{0} $-spaces by functions belonging to a prescribed subspace of entire functions which is solely assumed to be invariant under division of zeros and passing from $F(z)$ to $ \overline{F( \overline{z} )} $, and establish the precise analogue of de Branges’ theorem. For the proof we follow the lines of de Branges’ original proof, and employ some results of Pitt.
Astrometric observations of neutron stars
Authors: Chatterjee Shami
Published: February 2013

Astrometric observations of neutron stars have been conducted with a variety of techniques and over a wide range of wavelengths, ranging from radio-pulse timing and Very Long Baseline Interferometry to optical and X-ray imaging. Here I review the techniques and scientific goals behind recent high-precision neutron-star astrometry. Such measurements can yield model-independent distances and velocities that can be exploited, for example, to locate neutron-star birth sites, establish reference-frame ties, model the Galactic electron-density distribution, and constrain the astrophysics of supernova explosions. Recently, the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope has identified several highly luminous recycled pulsars, and precise measurement of their distances is of paramount importance to understand their energetics and astrophysics. The ongoing science returns from precision astrometry will continue in the long term with improvements in technology such as focal-plane arrays and synergies with new telescopes such as Gaia and the Square Kilometer Array.
Parallaxes of metal-poor main-sequence stars
Authors: Chaboyer Brian , Feiden G. , Benedict G. F. , McArthur B. E. , Harrison T. E. , McWilliam A. , Nelan E. P. , Patterson R. J. , Sarajedini A.
Published: February 2013

Our team was awarded 108 orbits of Hubble Space Telescope time to obtain parallaxes and photometry of nine metal-poor stars with [Fe/H] < −1.5 dex. The parallaxes are obtained from observations with the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS 1r; 11 orbits per star) and photometry was obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (one orbit per star). The first data were obtained in October 2008, and the data collection is ongoing. It is anticipated that the observations will be complete in June 2013. Preliminary data reduction has been completed for five of our target stars. The parallax errors vary from 0.12 to 0.16 milli-arcseconds, and the parallaxes are at least an order of magnitude more accurate than existing Hipparcos parallaxes for these stars. The errors in the true distance modulus range from 0.02 to 0.03 mag. Ground-based high-resolution spectra have been analyzed to obtain accurate abundances for three stars. The properties of the two stars with accurate abundances and parallaxes are in excellent agreement with those predicted by stellar evolution models.
Distance estimates in the Milky Way using tidal streams
Authors: Fantin Daniele S. M.
Published: February 2013

During the past 20 years, numerous stellar streams have been discovered in both the Milky Way and the Local Group. These streams have been tidally torn from orbiting systems, which suggests that most should roughly trace the orbit of their progenitors around the Galaxy. As a consequence, they play a fundamental role in understanding the formation and evolution of our Galaxy. This project is based on the possibility of applying a technique developed by Binney to various tidal streams and overdensities in the Galaxy. The aim is to develop an efficient method to constrain the Galactic gravitational potential, to determine its mass distribution, and to test distance measurements. Here we apply the technique to the Grillmair & Dionatos GD-1 cold stellar stream. In the unrealistic case of noise-free data, the results show that the technique provides excellent discrimination against incorrect potentials and that it is possible to predict the heliocentric distance very accurately. This changes dramatically when errors are taken into account, which wash out most of the results. Nevertheless, it is still possible to rule out spherical potentials and set constraints on the distance of a given stream.
Cepheid distances from the Baade–Wesselink method
Authors: Gieren Wolfgang , Storm Jesper , Nardetto Nicolas , Gallenne Alexandre , Pietrzyński Grzegorz , Fouqué Pascal , Barnes Thomas G. , Majaess Daniel
Published: February 2013

Recent progress on Baade–Wesselink (BW)-type techniques to determine the distances to classical Cepheids is reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on the near-infrared surface-brightness (IRSB) version of the BW method. Its most recent calibration is described and shown to be capable of yielding individual Cepheid distances accurate to 6%, including systematic uncertainties. Cepheid distances from the IRSB method are compared to those determined from open cluster zero-age main-sequence fitting for Cepheids located in Galactic open clusters, yielding excellent agreement between the IRSB and cluster Cepheid distance scales. Results for the Cepheid period–luminosity (PL) relation in near-infrared and optical bands based on IRSB distances and the question of the universality of the Cepheid PL relation are discussed. Results from other implementations of the BW method are compared to the IRSB distance scale and possible reasons for discrepancies are identified.
VERA status and results
Authors: Kobayashi H. ,   the VERA collaboration
Published: February 2013

VERA is a Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) array for astrometry, composed of four 20 m radio telescopes. They are located over a range of around 2300 km in Japan. VERA consists of a two-beam system equipped with 2, 6.7, 8, 22, and 43 GHz receivers. The two-beam system is used for phase referencing of the VLBI observations, to compensate for atmospheric-turbulence effects between two nearby objects. It has achieved measurements of annual parallaxes within 5 kpc with 10% accuracy. Observed sources are water, SiO, and methanol masers, which are found in molecular gas around star-forming regions and evolved stars. We have carried out a large program of astrometry to reveal the Galaxy's structure and velocity field. VERA has already measured trigonometric parallaxes of more than 30 sources and observed around a hundred sources using the two-beam astrometry technique. Maser sources are associated with high-mass star-forming regions, which are thought to trace the arm structure of the Galaxy. Using annual parallax and proper-motion measurements, their structure will be shown without kinematic distance assumptions. Some sources exhibit large differences between trigonometric-parallax measurements and kinematic distances. We present the status of the VERA project as well as recent results.
Maximum-likelihood implementation of the tip-of-the-red-giant-branch method
Authors: Makarov Dmitry
Published: February 2013

The luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) provides an excellent measure of galaxy distances and is easily determined in the resolved images of nearby galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We use a maximum-likelihood algorithm to locate the TRGB in galaxy colour–magnitude diagrams. The algorithm is optimized by introducing reliable photometric errors and a completeness characterization determined based on artificial-star experiments. The program has been tested extensively using Monte Carlo simulations, artificial galaxies, and a sample of nearby dwarf galaxies observed with the HST's WFPC2 and ACS cameras. Our procedure is shown to be reliable, yield good accuracy, and does not introduce any systematic errors. The methodology is especially useful in cases in which the TRGB approaches the photometric limit and/or the RGB is poorly populated.
Improving Type Ia supernova characterization through multiwavelength studies of Type Ia supernova host galaxies
Authors: Tucker Brad , Schmidt Brian P. , Garnavich Peter
Published: February 2013

Past investigations have shown a connection between the properties of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and their host galaxies. We refine these studies using ultraviolet through mid-infrared observations of both nearby and distant SN Ia hosts. We present new results showing that the properties of SNe Ia, both intrinsic and with respect to their use as distance indicators, appear to depend on a combination of metallicity, stellar age, and star-formation rate of the host. We suggest that the stellar population age and location of the supernova progenitor all can play a roll in using SNe Ia as precision distance indicators, and advocate that a multiwavelength approach is one way to disentangle the different influences, resulting in an improvement of 8% in distance measurements.
Statistical analysis of the determinations of the Sun's Galactocentric distance
Authors: Malkin Zinovy
Published: February 2013

Based on several tens of R0 measurements made during the past two decades, several studies have been performed to derive the best estimate of R0. Some used just simple averaging to derive a result, whereas others provided comprehensive analyses of possible errors in published results. In either case, detailed statistical analyses of data used were not performed. However, a computation of the best estimates of the Galactic rotation constants is not only an astronomical but also a metrological task. Here we perform an analysis of 53 R0 measurements (published in the past 20 years) to assess the consistency of the data. Our analysis shows that they are internally consistent. It is also shown that any trend in the R0 estimates from the last 20 years is statistically negligible, which renders the presence of a bandwagon effect doubtful. On the other hand, the formal errors in the published R0 estimates improve significantly with time.
Scientific goals of Nano-JASMINE
Authors: Yamada Yoshiyuki , Fujita Sho , Gouda Naoteru , Kobayashi Yukiyasu , Hara Takuji , Nishi Ryoichi , Yoshioka Satoshi , Hozumi Shunsuke ,   the JASMINE Working Group
Published: February 2013

Nano-JASMINE is an ultrasmall Japanese satellite (with a weight of 35 kg), designed to carry out an astrometric mission. The target accuracy is 3 milliarcseconds (mas) for stars brighter than magnitude 7.5 at zw-band wavelengths of 0.6–1.0 μm. The observational strategy is the same as that of Gaia and Hipparcos. The time span of 20 years since the Hipparcos mission will enable us to update the proper motion data obtained at that time. With the help of these updated measurements, we expect that some stars will be resolved into multiple stars. In addition, taking advantage of the small primary mirror (with a diameter of 5 cm), we can measure bright stars which cannot be observed with Gaia because of saturation limits. The core data reduction for the Nano-JASMINE mission will use Gaia's Astrometric Global Iterative Solution (agis). A collaboration between the Gaiaagis and Nano-JASMINE teams was initiated in 2007.
Evaluation of microlens distributions in gravitationally lensed systems based on accurate radio observations
Authors: Zakharov Alexander F. , Simić Saša , Popović Luka Č. , Jovanović Predrag
Published: February 2013

Enormous progress is being made in developing observational facilities. As a result, there are new opportunities to observe structures at sub-mas resolution. To explore gravitationally lensed systems, we simulate radio-lobe images distorted by microlensing. We show that the positions of ‘holes’ in lensed images may indicate the positions of microlens groups or overdensities.
The Buffering-Boosting Hypothesis of the Expression of General and Personal Belief in a Just World for Successes and Failures
Authors: Alves Hélder , Correia Isabel
Published: February 2013

Although past research on the expression of belief in a just world (BJW) identified such statements as judgment norms, it has not ascertained whether their social value holds when individuals refer to good and bad outcomes. We investigated whether this is the case – a more stringent test of the “BJW as judgment norms” view. Participants judged the targets on two dimensions of social value: social desirability and social utility. We hypothesized, and found, that high versus low BJW buffered the negativity of the associated negative dimension(s) of discourses and boosted the positivity of the associated positive dimension(s) of discourses. This buffering-boosting pattern is discussed as revealing the system justification functions of the expression of BJW.
Who Is to Blame?
Authors: Zagefka Hanna , Binder Jens , Brown Rupert , Hancock Landon
Published: February 2013

Contradictory evidence can be found in the literature about whether ingroup identification and perceived relative deprivation are positively or negatively related. Indeed, theoretical arguments can be made for both effects. It was proposed that the contradictory findings can be explained by considering a hitherto unstudied moderator: the extent to which deprivation is attributed to the ingroup. It was hypothesized that identification would only have a negative impact on deprivation, and that deprivation would only have a negative impact on identification, if ingroup attributions are high. To test this, we experimentally manipulated attributions to the ingroup among British student participants (N = 189), who were asked about their perceived deprivation vis-à-vis German students, yielding support for the hypotheses.
Post Ischemia Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Synaptic Alterations and Alleviates Long-Term Memory Impairment
Authors: Tsai Yi-Wei , Yang Yea-Ru , Sun Synthia H , Liang Keng-Chen , Wang Ray-Yau
Published: February 2013

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is important for learning and memory, especially after a brain injury such as ischemia. Newborn hippocampal neurons contribute to memory performance by establishing functional synapses with target cells. This study demonstrated that the maturation of hippocampal neurons is enhanced by postischemia intermittent hypoxia (IH) intervention. The effects of IH intervention in cultured neurons were mediated by increased synaptogenesis, which was primarily regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/PI3K/AKT. Hippocampal neo-neurons expressed BDNF and exhibited enhanced presynaptic function as indicated by increases in the pSynapsin expression, synaptophysin intensity, and postsynapse density following IH intervention after ischemia. Postischemia IH-induced hippocampal neo-neurons were affected by presynaptic activity, which reflected the dynamic plasticity of the glutamatergic receptors. These alterations were also associated with the alleviation of ischemia-induced long-term memory impairment. Our results suggest that postischemia IH intervention rescued ischemia-induced spatial learning and memory impairment by inducing hippocampal neurogenesis and functional synaptogenesis via BDNF expression.
Modeling and Simulation at the Interface of Nonclinical and Early Clinical Drug Development
Authors: Visser SAG , Manolis E , Danhof M , Kerbusch T
Published: February 2013

The role of modeling and simulation (M&S) in early drug development was discussed in a break out session of the European Medicines Agency/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EMA/EFPIA) M&S workshop held in December 2011 in London, UK. The discussions were focused on two themes: (i) M&S in nonclinical and early clinical drug development and (ii) M&S for first‐in‐human (FIH) dose selection. Illustrative case studies were presented and links are listed in Table 1. Common objectives and next steps were identified, discussed, and agreed.

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e30; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.3; advance online publication 27 February 2013
Modeling and Simulation in Clinical Pharmacology and Dose Finding
Authors: Staab A , Rook E , Maliepaard M , Aarons L , Benson C
Published: February 2013

The breakout session 2 of the European Medicines Agency/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Modeling and Simulation (M&S) workshop focused on two topics: when and how M&S should be used and would be accepted by the authorities for the dose‐regimen selection; and when and how M&S can be applied to register a dosing regimen without the need for a specific study. Each topic was introduced by an industry and regulatory perspective, followed by case examples for illustration (Table 1).

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e29; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.5; advance online publication 27 February 2013
Furan: A Food-borne Flavor Carcinogen
Authors: Zhang Xinchen , Chen Feng , Wang Mingfu
Published: February 2013

Cancer has been ranked as #1 threat to human's health and life and cancer research has been a challenging topic for medical and biological researchers since it was found. Even with the development of advanced medicine and medical technology, there has been no complete cure of most of cancers so far. Besides looking for effective medicines to treat cancer cases, simple preventative practices in daily life based on reducing food-derived carcinogens are of equal importance. Furans are a class of highly volatile heterocyclic organic compounds associated with the flavor of many foodstuffs. In year 2004 FDA announced wide presence of furans in thermally-processed food products especially in canned and jarred food. Furan in food is of concern because it was found to induce tumors at high doses according to animal tests and considered to be possible human carcinogen (group 2B) by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Furan reduction in foods is quite challenging and the only promising mitigation approach seems to be intervention of the reaction pathways of furan formation, which relies on deeper and clearer understanding of the wide precursors and their respective reactions. So far, research on establishing model systems in which the formation mechanisms of furan and its derivatives can be studied has been ongoing but far from maturation. Therefore, there need to be more mature models established and tuned in order to draw a full picture of furan formation mechanism.
Evaluation of Melamine Analysis in Flavor Raw Materials using GC-MS Versus LC-MS-MS
Authors: Broekhans J. , Leijs H.
Published: February 2013

The evaluation of the compound melamine is studied by two different methods, GC-MS and by LC-MS-MS. Results of the effectiveness of the methods are reported as well as the feasibility of sample time preparation. Several matrices are used to evaluate these methods for melamine, for example, in samples of dog food and in milk products.
Enzymatic Modification of Wheat Proteins for Flavor Generation
Authors: Villafuerte Romero Marissa , Raghavan Sree , Ho Chi-Tang
Published: February 2013

Wheat gluten was modified by enzymatic hydrolysis only or in combination with enzymatic deamidation. When subjected to Maillard reaction, the hydrolysates generated important flavor compounds such as pyrazines and furans. Umamizyme or Flavourzyme was used for hydrolysis whereas Glutaminase Daiwa was used for deamidation. Isolation of volatile compounds was conducted by solid–phase microextraction (SPME) followed by identification by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Single or double enzymatic treatment produced same volatiles but in general, deamidation increased the quantities. The major pyrazines identified were methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethylpyrazine, and 2-methyl-6-propylpyrazine whereas the major furans include 2-furfural, 2-acetylfuran, 2-furfurylalcohol, and 5-methyl-2-furfural. Although similar volatile profiles were obtained in Umamizyme and Flavourzyme systems, much greater amounts of flavor compounds were observed in the former.
Volatile Flavor Constituents of Chamomile from Eight Different Areas of Greece
Authors: Gourna P. C. , Demertzis P. G. , Akrida-Demertzi K.
Published: February 2013

Chamomile is a well-known medicinal plant species belonging to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. Nowadays, chamomile is a highly favored and much-used medicinal plant in folk and traditional medicine throughout the world and can therefore be considered as an important medicinal species. It is an annual herb, growing up to 20–60 cm tall with branching stems. It has a typical compositae flower, with white rays and yellow conical center that is hollow. Although there are numerous varieties of chamomile, the two most popular are Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) and German or wild chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L. or Chamomilla recutita). Matricaria chamomilla is the only variety of this family that thrives in Greece.

The objective of this study was to identify the volatile constituents of chamomile (dried chamomile flower heads and chamomile infusions) from eight areas of Greece (Rodopi, Corfu, Ioannina, Karditsa, Evritania, Fthiotida, Chania and Rhodes). Chamomile samples were collected in two different time periods (during May of 2009 and 2010). The identification of volatile components was performed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the HS-SPME sampling two SPME fibers, coated with divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS 50/30 μm) and carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS 75 μm) were used. Each analysis was carried out in triplicate. Individual volatile compounds were identified by comparison of their retention indices (RIs) with those found in the literature and by comparison of the mass spectra of each compound with the Wiley mass spectral library as well as with the NIST mass spectral library. Sixty-nine compounds were totally identified in the dried chamomile flower heads, whereas fewer (twenty-six) compounds were identified in chamomile infusions. Between the two SPME fibers evaluated, the DVB/CAR/PDMS 50/30 μm fiber was shown to be the best choice for all the samples.
Profile of Aroma-related Volatile Compounds Isolated from Probiotic Dry-fermented Sausages Produced with Free or Immobilized L. Casei using SPME GC/MS Analysis
Authors: Sidira Marianthi , Kanellaki Maria , Kourkoutas Yiannis
Published: February 2013

Dry fermented sausages are typical Mediterranean meat-products, the acceptability of which is strongly influenced by their quality. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an important role in meat fermentation, as they induce flavour and texture changes, together with a preservative effect, resulting in an increase of the product's shelf life, while they may provide specific health benefits. To deliver the beneficial effects, probiotics need to contain an adequate amount of live bacteria (at least 106 cfu/g) at the time of consumption, able to survive the acidic conditions of the upper GI tract and proliferate in the intestine, a requirement that is not always fulfilled. Since it is well established that cell immobilization enhances the viability of cultures, the aim of the present study was to assess the volatile compounds in probiotic dry-fermented sausages produced with free or immobilized L. casei ATCC 393 on wheat. Of note, microbiological and molecular analysis confirmed that the levels of the adjunct strain in the new products after 66 days of ripening were above the minimum concentration for conferring the probiotic effect. SPME GC/MS analysis of volatiles suggested an improved profile of aroma-related compounds in sausages containing the immobilized cells. In total, 124 compounds were detected and the most important volatile by-products identified were esters, organic acids, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds. Principal Component Analysis of the semi-quantitative data revealed that the nature of the starter culture affected significantly the volatile composition. Finally, the overall high quality of the novel probiotic products was ascertained by the preliminary sensory test and an indication of increased shelf-life was evident, in contrast to sausages containing no starter culture. Our study demonstrated the application and efficacy of cell immobilization for the production of high quality novel probiotic products in meat industry.
Bioactive Peptides and Human Health
Authors: Shahidi Fereidoon , Li Quanqaun
Published: February 2013

Peptides released from food proteins are often bioactive and are known to have regulatory and modulatory functions in humans and can be used as nutraceticals and functional food components for promotion of human health and for disease risk reduction. Therefore, interest in identification and characterization of bioactive peptides from plant and animal sources has increased in past decades. Depending on their structural properties, bioactive peptides possess different functionalities, such as antihypertensive, antioxidant, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and hence are multifunctional. Based on the most current literature, this review presents a comprehensive account of advances in bioactive peptides and their bioactivities, sources, technological properties, applications, bioavailability and safety issues.
Emulsion in Oral Delivery of Bioactive Lipophilic Phytochemicals
Authors: Ting Yuwen , Li Shiming , Ho Chi-Tang , Huang Qingrong
Published: February 2013

Phytochemicals, plant secondary metabolites produced as part of the defensive mechanism to stressful environmental condition, are widely studied for their ability to provide health benefits. However, more than half of the phytochemicals discovered are lipophilic and, thus, exhibit low solubility in aqueous environment. Oral delivery route involves passage through gastrointestinal (GI) tract containing a constant aqueous flow of the digestion process with radical pH changes and substantial enzymatic activities. Moreover, phytochemicals, compare to synthetic drugs, are frequently chemically labile, sensitive to environmental conditions and rapidly metabolized activities. Therefore, an effective delivery vehicle designed for oral delivery of phytochemical should retain functional properties beyond just to encapsulate but also to protect, to control release, and to enhance intestinal absorption and permeation. Edible O/W emulsions are regularly applied method for lipophilic compound delivery in food and pharmaceutical industries. Through choosing different composition materials and processing methods, emulsion delivery vehicles can offer favorably flexible alternations that have enormous potential being applied to diverse phytochemicals. When applied for oral delivery of lipophilic phytochemical, O/W emulsions are shown to appreciably augment compound in vivo oral bioavailability employing various functional mechanisms. This article provides a brief overview of different types of O/W emulsion system that is presently available as well as commonly applied processing methods and design strategies. In particular, the current state-of-the-art in applications of O/W emulsion for improving in vivo bioavailability and efficacy will also be discussed.
Review on Chemical Analysis and Formation Mechanism of Cholesterol Oxidation Products
Authors: Wong Daniel , Wang Mingfu
Published: February 2013

Extensive studies have been carried out on the thermally induced food-borne toxicants in various food products. Their effects on human health have been investigated in many previous researches. Moreover, chemical and analytical approach, isolation, characterization and quantification of harmful compounds in food are well documented in Food Chemistry researches. This short review aims to give an overview on chemistry, qualitative and quantitative analyses, as well as their formation in food products. Establishment of a robust and reliable analytical method remains the foremost important requirement in the use of HPLC and/or GC.
Impact on Epigenetics in Cancer Chemoprevention by Natural Dietary Compounds
Authors: Wu Jia-Ching , Lai Ching-Shu , Dushenkov Slavik , Wang Ying-Jan , Ho Chi-Tang , Pan Min-Hsiung
Published: February 2013

Epigenetics refers to modification in gene expression that occurs without a change in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modification mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA influence. Aberrant epigenetic alterations play a significant role in disease development, including cancer. Natural dietary compounds demonstrate cancer prevention activity by regulating expression of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes through epigenetic mechanisms. Examples of these natural dietary compound-modulated epigenetic events of cancer prevention include retinoic acid from spinach, genistein and daidzein from soybeans, sulforaphane from broccoli, apigenin from celery, quercetin from berries, resveratrol from grapes, EGCG from green tea, vitamin D3 from fish, and curcumin from turmeric. In this review, we focus on the effect of natural dietary compounds on epigenetic modification during the process of cancer development.
Tea Extracts Confer Its Antiproliferating Effects Through Inhibition of Nicotine- and Estrogen-induced 9-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Upregulation in Human Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Ho Yuan-Soon , Pan Min-Hsiung
Published: February 2013

We have previously demonstrated that the tea-polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could be used as an agent for blocking smoking (nicotine, Nic)- or hormone (estradiol, E2)-induced breast cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting a common signaling pathway. We found that Nic (>0.1 μM, 24 h) and E2 (>1 nM, 24 h) significantly increased α9-nicotinic acetylcholine (α9-nAChR) mRNA and protein expression levels in human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. We then hypothesized that green tea and black tea-extract ingredients (TEIs) with inhibitory effects on α9-nAChR protein levels could be used to block the Nic- or E2-mediated carcinogenic signals. Our previous results indicated that treatment with EGCG (1 μM) profoundly decreased Nic- and E2-induced MCF-7 proliferation by down regulating α9-nAChR expression. In addition, our previous study, using a luciferase promoter activity experiment, demonstrated that α9-nAChR promoter activity was significantly induced by 24-h treatment with Nic (10 μM) or E2 (10 nM) (>1.8 and ∼2.3-fold, respectively) in MCF-7 cells. Pretreatment with EGCG eliminated the Nic- and E2-induced α9-nAChR promoter-dependent luciferase activity. We further demonstrated that treatment with TEIs (10 μg/mL) profoundly inhibited α9-nAChR proteins level when compared with EGCG-treatment alone in breast cancer cells. This study reveals the novel antitumor mechanisms of TEI, and these results may have significant applications for chemopreventive purposes in human breast cancer.
Inhibitory Effects of 5-Demethyltangeretin and 5-Acetyloxy-6,7,8,4′-tetramethoxyflavone on Human Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Lai Ching-Shu , Zeng Jun-Yan , Li Shiming , Huang Qingrong , Ho Chi-Tang , Pan Min-Hsiung
Published: February 2013

Tangeretin (5,6,7,8,4′-pentamethoxyflavone, TAN), a natural polymethoxyflavone (PMF) present in citrus fruits, is reported to have several biological functions. Our previous studies show that demethylation at the C5 group of PMFs resulted in more potent anti-cancer property. In this study, we prepared an acetylated TAN (5-ATAN) with an acetyl group at C5 position to replace 5-methyl group of tangeretin and compared the anti-proliferative activities of TAN, 5-demethyl TAN (5-DTAN) and 5-ATAN. We found that all the PMFs caused significant cytotoxicity effect in human colon cancer HCT116 and HT-29 cells. Treatment of HCT116 cells with TAN, 5-DTAN and 5-ATAN resulted in G2/M phase cell cycle arrest while 5-DTAN and 5-ATAN also triggered apoptosis but not TAN. Cleavage of caspase-3 and increased p53 protein expression observed in 5-DTAN and 5-ATAN-treated HCT116 cells suggested the apoptosis-dependent mechanism. Moreover, 5-ATAN exhibited a more effective anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effect than 5-DTAN in HT-29 cells. Interestingly, cell cycle arrest at S and G2/M phase were found in 5-ATAN treated HT-29 cells whereas 5-DTAN only caused G2/M phase arrest. These results suggest that 5-DTAN and 5-ATAN could be effective anti-cancer agents.
Peracetylated Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Effectively Prevents Human Breast Cancer Cell Metastasis by Targeting the Matrix Metalloproteinases Activity and Fatty Acid Synthase Expression
Authors: Chiou Yi-Shiou , Jia-Lin Ma Nianhan , Sang Shengmin , Li Shiming , Wang Ying-Jan , Ho Chi-Tang , Pan Min-Hsiung
Published: February 2013

Anti-metastasis effects of a major green tea polyphenol - (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been reported, but the fully acetylated form of EGCG, peracetylated EGCG (AcEGCG), a postulated prodrug form of EGCG with improved bioavailability, remains unexplored. In human breast carcinoma, upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) involved in tumor metastasis are associated with tumor cell aggressiveness and a poor prognosis. In this study, we have investigated the anti-metastatic potential of AcEGCG in breast cancer cells. Herein we showed that AcEGCG was more effective than EGCG in preventing the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell motility, transformation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) in both estrogen receptor positive and negative breast cancer cells. We found that AcEGCG was more potent than EGCG in reducing EGF-induced MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, AcEGCG also inhibited the expression of FAS by EGF in MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, AcEGCG exerted a more inhibitory effect on the intracellular lipid accumulation than that of EGCG. Taken together, our results suggest for the first time that molecular targets of MMPs and FAS by AcEGCG may be a potential strategy for breast cancer therapy.
Acute Limit Oral Toxicity Study of 2,4,5-Trimethoxybenzaldehyde in Rats
Authors: Chen Chin-Chu , Kuo Chia-Feng
Published: February 2013

2,4,5-TMBA is a bitter principle present in plants and has been shown to be a catalytic activity of cyclooxygenase-2. In previous study, we showed that 2,4,5-TMBA suppresses adipogenesis and promotes lipolysis. In this study, we conducted an acute limit oral toxicity test by gavaging 8-9 weeks old male Sprague-Dawley rats with 2000 mg/kg of 2,4,5-TMBA. The animals were observed for 7 days for any abnormal behavior or physiology. On day 8, all animals were sacrificed and subjected to visual and microscopic examination. The results indicate that rats gavaged with 2,4,5-TMBA at the dose of 2000 mg/kg did not develop significant toxicity during 7 days observation period. Evaluation of subchronic toxicity will need to be conducted before 2,4,5-TMBA is developed as anti-obesity nutraceutical.
Boosted subunits: a framework for recognising sign language from videos
Authors: Han Junwei , Awad George , Sutherland Alistair
Published: February 2013

This study addresses the problem of vision‐based sign language recognition, which is to translate signs to English. The authors propose a fully automatic system that starts with breaking up signs into manageable subunits. A variety of spatiotemporal descriptors are extracted to form a feature vector for each subunit. Based on the obtained features, subunits are clustered to yield codebooks. A boosting algorithm is then applied to learn a subset of weak classifiers representing discriminative combinations of features and subunits, and to combine them into a strong classifier for each sign. A joint learning strategy is also adopted to share subunits across sign classes, which leads to a more efficient classification. Experimental results on real‐world hand gesture videos demonstrate the proposed approach is promising to build an effective and scalable system.
Optimised image retargeting using aesthetic‐based cropping and scaling
Authors: Liang Yun , Su Zhuo , Wang Chuntao , Wang Dong , Luo Xiaonan
Published: February 2013

Image retargeting is a critical technique in displaying images on devices with different resolutions. This study presents a new image retargeting algorithm based on aesthetic‐based cropping and scaling. A composite measurement is first constructed under the guidelines of composition aesthetics in photographing. An aesthetic‐based cropping is proposed to yield an optimal candidate retargeted image with maximum aesthetic value computed via a constructed composite measurement. The optimal candidate is uniformly scaled to obtain the retargeted image of target size. Some subjective and objective assessments demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly improves the aesthetics of retargeted images while preserving the important objects. It also achieves better performance in terms of aesthetics than a number of conventional image retargeting approaches.
Moisture-assisted cracking and atomistic crack path meandering in oxidized hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films
Authors: Matsuda Yusuke , King Sean W. , Oliver Mark , Dauskardt Reinhold H.
Published: February 2013

Moisture-assisted cracking of silica-derived materials results from a stress-enhanced reaction between water molecules and moisture-sensitive SiOSi bonds at the crack tip. We report the moisture-assisted cracking of oxidized hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films (a-SiCO:H) consisting of both moisture-sensitive SiOSi bonds and moisture-insensitive bonds. The sensitivity of the films to moisture-assisted cracking was observed to increase with the SiOSi bond density, ρSiOSi. This sensitivity was correlated with the number of SiOSi bonds ruptured, NSiOSi, through an atomistic kinetic fracture model. By comparing these correlated NSiOSi values with those estimated by a planar crack model, we demonstrated that at the atomistic scale the crack path meanders three-dimensionally so as to intercept the most SiOSi bonds. This atomistic crack path meandering was verified by a computational method based on graph theory and molecular dynamics. Our findings could provide a basis for better understanding of moisture-assisted cracking in materials consisting of other types of moisture-sensitive and moisture-insensitive bonds.
Numerical simulation of vortex-induced vibration of a square cylinder at a low Reynolds number
Authors: Zhao Ming , Cheng Liang , Zhou Tongming
Published: February 2013

Vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of a square cylinder at a Reynolds number of 100 and a low mass ratio of 3 are studied numerically by solving the Navier-Stokes equations using the finite element method. The equation of motion of the square cylinder is solved to simulate the vibration and the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian scheme is employed to model the interaction between the vibrating cylinder and the fluid flow. The numerical model is validated against the published results of flow past a stationary square cylinder and the results of VIV of a circular cylinder at low Reynolds numbers. The effect of flow approaching angle (α) on the response of the square cylinder is investigated. It is found that α affects not only the vibration amplitude but also the lock-in regime. Among the three values of α (α = 0°, 45°, and 22.5°) that are studied, the smallest vibration amplitude and the narrowest lock-in regime occur at α = 0°. It is discovered that the vibration locks in with the natural frequency in two regimes of reduced velocity for α = 22.5°. Single loop vibration trajectories are observed in the lock-in regime at α = 22.5° and 45°, which is distinctively different from VIV of a circular cylinder. As a result, the vibration frequency in the in-line direction is the same as that in the cross-flow direction.
Adsorption of lactic acid on chiral Pt surfaces—A density functional theory study
Authors: Franke J.-H. , Kosov D. S.
Published: February 2013

The adsorption of the chiral molecule lactic acid on chiral Pt surfaces is studied by density functional theory calculations. First, we study the adsorption of L-lactic acid on the flat Pt(111) surface. Using the optimed PBE - van der Waals (oPBE-vdW) functional, which includes van der Waals forces on an ab initio level, it is shown that the molecule has two binding sites, a carboxyl and the hydroxyl oxygen atoms. Since real chiral surfaces are (i) known to undergo thermal roughening that alters the distribution of kinks and step edges but not the overall chirality and (ii) kink sites and edge sites are usually the energetically most favored adsorption sites, we focus on two surfaces that allow qualitative sampling of the most probable adsorption sites. We hereby consider chiral surfaces exhibiting (111) facets, in particular, Pt(321) and Pt(643). The binding sites are either both on kink sites—which is the case for Pt(321) or on one kink site—as on Pt(643). The binding energy of the molecule on the chiral surfaces is much higher than on the Pt(111) surface. We show that the carboxyl group interacts more strongly than the hydroxyl group with the kink sites. The results indicate the possible existence of very small chiral selectivities of the order of 20 meV for the Pt(321) and Pt(643) surfaces. L-lactic acid is more stable on Pt(321)S than D-lactic acid, while the chiral selectivity is inverted on Pt(643)S. The most stable adsorption configurations of L- and D-lactic acid are similar for Pt(321) but differ for Pt(643). We explore the impact of the different adsorption geometries on the work function, which is important for field ion microscopy.