bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of bedside errors in transfusion medicine (PROBE‐TM) study: a cluster‐randomized, matched‐paired clinical areas trial of a simple intervention to reduce errors in the pretransfusion bedside check
Authors: Murphy Michael F. , Casbard Angela C. , Ballard Sally , Shulman Ira A. , Heddle Nancy , Aubuchon James P. , Wendel Silvano , Thomson Amanda , Hervig Tor , Downes Katharine , Carey Patricia M. , Dzik Walter H. ,   on behalf of the BEST Research Collaborative
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUND: Transfusion of the incorrect blood component is a frequent serious incident associated with transfusion and often involves misidentification of the patient and/or the unit of blood. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a simple intervention designed to improve performance of the bedside check and to observe the durability of any effect. The intervention was a tag on blood bags reminding staff to check the patient's wristband. The tag was positioned in such a way that the transfusionist was required to remove the tag to spike the unit.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The intervention was tested in a multicenter cluster‐randomized controlled trial incorporating short‐term and long‐term follow‐up periods. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients transfused with red cell units for whom the key elements of the bedside check were all correctly completed.

RESULTS: Fifteen matched‐paired clinical areas at 12 participating hospitals in six countries were included in the trial. Combining data from all participating hospitals, the bedside check was correctly performed in 37 percent of transfusions during the baseline audit period. There was no evidence of a favorable effect of the intervention immediately after its introduction (pooled odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.54‐2.17). There was similarly no evidence of a favorable effect after continued use of the intervention for an additional 8 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS: A simple intervention in the form of a barrier warning label on blood bags reminding staff to check the patient's wristband failed to improve bedside transfusion practice. The robust study design developed for this study could be applied to investigate other interventions to improve the safety of bedside transfusion practice.
Coexistence of autoantibodies and alloantibodies to red blood cells due to blood transfusion
Authors: Ahrens Norbert , Pruss Axel , Kähne Andreas , Kiesewetter Holger , Salama Abdulgabar
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUND: Autoantibodies (AUTO) to red blood cells (RBCs) are frequently associated with alloantibodies (ALLO). The mechanism for the coexistence of these antibodies is obscure.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Between August 1998 and June 2006, all in‐ and outpatients of the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, with detectable AUTO were included in this study. Serologic examination was performed with standard techniques for the detection of RBC antibodies.

RESULTS: A total of 717 patients were found to have AUTO, with ALLO observed in 200 of these patients (28%). The history of antibody production could be evaluated in 98 of the 200 patients. Both AUTO and ALLO were due to RBC transfusion in 73 cases (75%) and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation in 6 cases (6%). Nine (9%) patients were primarily alloimmunized and subsequently developed AUTO. The remaining 10 (10%) patients were primarily autoimmunized and later developed ALLO. Only 6 of these patients had chronic idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

CONCLUSION: The majority of AUTO associated with ALLO appears to be due to RBC transfusion that must be recognized as a major cause for autoimmunization.
Evaluation of the COM.TEC cell separator in predicting the yield of harvested CD34+ cells
Authors: Movassaghi Kamran , Jaques Gabrielle , Schmitt‐Thomssen Angela , Fischer Eike G. , Paulus Margit , Heuft Hans G. , Schwella Nimord
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUND: This multicenter study was performed with the intention to evaluate the exactness of the predicted CD34+ cell yield calculated by two leukapheresis programs of the cell separator COM.TEC upon the number of donor's circulating CD34+ cells and the blood volume processed.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients and healthy donors (n = 166) received mobilization by chemotherapy and/or granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor and underwent CD34+ cell harvest by the leukapheresis programs MNC or RV‐PBSC (n = 203).

RESULTS: CD34+ cells were collected by 112 harvests on MNC and by 91 collections on RV‐PBSC. The median collection efficiency of CD34+ cells was significantly better for the program MNC than for RV‐PBSC (p < 0.001): 67% (31‐109) vs. 42% (19‐100). The collected CD34+ cell yield was in median more exactly by MNC than by RV‐PBSC (p < 0.001): 85% (31‐176) vs. 59% (22‐110) of the predicted value. Concentrates obtained by RV‐PBSC showed in median significantly higher percentages of mononuclear cells (p < 0.001) and CD34+ cells (p < 0.001), 86% (43‐99) vs. 56% (25‐95) and 1.2% (0.2‐14.3) vs. 0.4% (0.1‐6.0), and had lower contaminations by erythrocytes (p < 0.001) and platelets (p < 0.001), 13 mL (4‐48) vs. 25 mL (5‐60) and 1.9 × 1011 vs. 3.1 × 1011, than those harvested by MNC.

CONCLUSION: The significantly better collection efficiency of CD34+ cells and the more exact prediction of the harvested CD34+ cell yield make the leukapheresis program MNC a safe and efficient procedure. However, concentrates collected by RV‐PBSC are of a better cellular quality with a significantly higher percentage of mononuclear and CD34+ cells and a lower contamination by erythrocytes and platelets.
A cluster‐randomized controlled trial of a blood conservation algorithm in patients undergoing total hip joint arthroplasty
Authors: Wong Cindy J. , Vandervoort Margaret K. , Vandervoort Suzanne L. , Donner Allan , Zou Guangyong , MacDonald John K. , Freedman John , Karkouti Keyvan , MacDonald Steven J. , Feagan Brian G.
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUND: The optimum strategy for reducing allogeneic blood transfusion in patients undergoing total hip joint arthroplasty (THJA) is unknown.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The effectiveness of a comprehensive blood conservation algorithm (BCA) was evaluated by means of a cluster randomization trial. Thirty hospitals performing primary THJA were randomly assigned to implement the algorithm or to continue with usual care (UC). Subsequently, the institutional rate of allogeneic transfusion was determined for 60 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at each site. The BCA consisted of patient and provider education, hemoglobin‐based recommendations for specific blood conservation strategies (recombinant human erythropoietin [rHuEPO] or autologous blood donation [ABD]) and transfusion guidelines. The main outcome measure was the institutional allogeneic transfusion rate.

RESULTS: One hospital withdrew consent after randomization, resulting in 14 hospitals assigned to BCA and 15 to UC. In the BCA arm, the institutional rates of rHuEPO use and ABD participation were 20.1 and 27.1 percent compared to 0.6 and 25.8 percent, respectively, in the UC arm. The allogeneic transfusion rate was substantially reduced in hospitals assigned to the BCA group (p = 0.02; absolute risk reduction, 9.6% [26.1% UC vs. 16.5% BCA]). Multivariate analysis of patient‐level data showed that assignment to the UC arm was an independent risk factor for allogeneic transfusion (p = 0.037; odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0‐3.1) when adjusted for other prognostic factors. No differences were observed in the use of autologous blood.

CONCLUSION: A comprehensive approach to blood conservation was superior to UC for reducing allogeneic transfusion in patients undergoing THJA.
Toward better renoprotection: Lessons from angiotensin receptor blockers
Authors: MIYATA Toshio , TAKIZAWA Shunya
Published: April 2007

The rising tide of chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially diabetic nephropathy, has become a worldwide catastrophe. However, therapeutic options to prevent or retard the progression of CKD still remain very limited. The understanding of its molecular mechanisms and the delineation of tools able to modify them are thus of critical importance. The discovery that some antihypertensive agents inhibiting the renin‐angiotensin system, such as angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, protect the kidney opens new therapeutic perspectives. In this article, we focus on their renoprotective actions beyond blood pressure lowering.
Quality of life of end‐stage renal disease patients and study on the implementation of nocturnal home hemodialysis in Greece
Authors: STAVRIANOU Kallirroi , PALLIKARAKIS Nicolas
Published: April 2007

The aim of this study was to measure the overall health‐related quality of life of patients receiving hemodialysis in Greece and to assess willingness, motivation, and concerns about participating in a nocturnal home hemodialysis program. This review measured successfully the quality of life of 146 end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis in 10 hemodialysis centers all over Greece and studied the factors that affect their choice to adopt a specific treatment. Physical and mental health status and health‐related quality of life, measured by the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form accompanied by the demographic data gathered, provide information that can help to improve ESRD patient care in Greece. A comparison with the Greek general population identifies lower physical functioning scores for the ESRD patients, while the mental functioning scores are comparable with those of the Greek general population. Moreover, it is important to notice the willingness expressed by half of the patients to participate in a potential program of nocturnal home hemodialysis.
Uremic hyperhomocysteinemia: A randomized trial of folate treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular events
Authors: VIANNA Areuza C. A. , MOCELIN Altair J. , MATSUO Tiemi , MORAIS‐FILHO Domingos , LARGURA Alvaro , DELFINO Vinicius A. , SOARES Abel E. , MATNI Anuar M.
Published: April 2007

Homocysteine is a risk factor for atherosclerosis in the general population, and serum homocysteine levels are almost universally elevated in chronic renal failure patients. When such patients are treated with dialysis, cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 50% of their mortality, which, in some proportion, may be pathophysiologically related to the elevated serum homocysteine levels. From April 2003 to March 2005, we conducted a 2‐year, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial of 186 patients with end‐stage kidney disease due to any cause, who were older than 18 years and stable on hemodialysis. Patients were assigned to receive either oral folic acid 10 mg 3 times a week immediately after every dialysis session under nurse supervision or an identical‐appearing placebo for the entire study. On admission, plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels were above 13.9 μmol/L in 96.7% of patients (median 25.0 μmol/L, range 9.3–104.0 μmol/L). In the placebo group, tHcy levels remained elevated at 6, 12, and 24 months, while oral folate significantly decreased tHcy to a median value of 10.5 (2.8–20.3) μmol/L, (p<0.01). During the study, 38 patients (folic acid group 17 vs. placebo group 21; p=0.47) died from cardiovascular disease. Kaplan–Meier life table analysis dealing with the incidence of cardiovascular events, both fatal and nonfatal (myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, angina, heart failure, cerebrovascular accident), showed that 2 years of folic acid treatment and the lowering of the homocysteine blood levels had no effect on cardiovascular events (p=0.41; hazard ratio 1.24, 95% CI 0.74–2.10). However, the carotid artery intima‐media wall thickness measured in a blinded fashion decreased from 1.94 ± 0.59 mm to 1.67 ± 0.38 mm (p<0.01) after 2 years of folate therapy. In this short‐term study of uremic patients, 2 years of folic acid supplementation normalized the tHcy blood levels in 92.3% of patients but did not change the incidence of cardiovascular events compared with the control group. However, ultrasonography of the common carotid arteries performed at entry and 24 months later showed a significant decrease in intima‐media thickness with folate supplementation. This suggests that early folate supplementation may benefit patients with chronic renal failure by preventing cardiovascular deterioration.
Functional iron deficiency in hemodialysis patients with high ferritin
Authors: KOPELMAN Robert C. , SMITH Lorelei , PEOPLES Leonard , BIESECKER Ronna , RIZKALA Adel R.
Published: April 2007

Although functional iron deficiency (FID) may be present in hemodialysis (HD) patients with high serum ferritin levels (>800 ng/mL), current protocols often preclude the use of intravenous (IV) iron in these patients. However, it has not been demonstrated that iron supplementation during erythropoietin therapy is ineffective or unsafe in increasing hemoglobin (Hb) levels in patients with high serum ferritin. This report describes the hematologic efficacy and safety of ferric gluconate (FG) therapy in patients with serum ferritin >800 ng/mL. A retrospective analysis was performed on HD patients at a single California dialysis center from January 1 to December 31, 2003. Patients classified as having high ferritin levels (serum ferritin >800 ng/mL on at least 66% of routine monthly measurements and transferrin saturation [TSAT] <25% on at least 1 occasion) were stratified as follows: patients in Group I were suspected of having FID and received FG ≥250 mg IV over a 3‐month period when Hb was <11 g/dL, and patients in Group II were thought not to have FID and received <250 mg FG over a 3‐month period. Both groups received standard recombinant human erythropoietin therapy as per the unit's protocol. Of 496 patients, 95 exhibited high ferritin and of these, 39 patients had sufficient data for analysis. Group I patients (n=14) showed a significant increase in Hb levels compared with Group II (n=25). There was no increase in ferritin levels in response to iron administration. No significant differences in hospitalizations or infections were observed between groups. Hemodialysis patients with high ferritin levels may have FID, and IV iron therapy safely improves FID in some patients. A larger randomized trial examining the optimal management of iron administration in HD patients with high ferritin levels is warranted.
The Uniqueness of the Human Anterior Dentition: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis
Authors: Kieser Jules A. , Bernal Valeria , Neil Waddell John , Raju Shilpa
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:The analysis of bitemarks has a significant bearing on forensic odontology and has attracted an increasingly sophisticated array of techniques in its evaluation. Two postulates underlie all bitemark analyses: firstly, that the characteristics of the anterior teeth involved in the bite are unique, and secondly, that this uniqueness is accurately recorded in the material bitten. Here, we investigate the question of the uniqueness of the anterior dentition. To do this, we use geometric morphometric techniques based on landmark and semilandmark data. The incisor and canine occlusal surfaces of 50 randomly selected orthodontic casts of young individuals (17–20 years) of both sexes form the material for this study. We analyzed the sizes of these teeth by means of landmark and semilandmark analysis to calculate Procrustes distances between tooth outlines. In order to analyze shape variation among individuals, we carried out principal components analyses on the partial warp scores. These are derived from Partial Procrustes coordinates aligned by means of thin‐plate spline decomposition based on the bending energy matrix. The results indicate that there is no sexual dimorphism in the shape of the upper or lower arches. Plots of centroid size and first relative warps show less superposition among individuals than in shape analysis. This means that, when the size and shape are considered together, the difference between arches increases. Procrustes superimposition between the two individuals located most closely (0.0444) and the two most separated (0.1567) along the first axis of relative warp analyses show that individuals are not only differentiated by the relative position of their teeth but also by their arch shape. In conclusion, it appears that the incisal surfaces of the anterior dentition are in fact unique.
‘Paper Frames’: Lucy Hutchinson's Elegies and the Seventeenth‐Century Country House Poem
Authors: Scott‐Baumann Elizabeth
Published: April 2007

This essay won the 2006 Literature Compass Graduate Essay Prize, Renaissance Section.

The last three decades have witnessed rich discoveries in early modern women's writing, especially manuscript poetry. Lucy Hutchinson was a seventeenth‐century Puritan and republican whose corpus is now believed to include a translation of Lucretius's De Rerum Natura, an unfinished Biblical epic Order and Disorder, a parody of Waller, her Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson and twenty‐four Elegies. These Elegies (written in manuscript and now edited by David Norbrook) mourn both the death of Hutchinson's husband in prison in 1664 and the couple's hopes for a Godly republic. Hutchinson reverses certain conventions of the country house or estate poem genre; hospitality, social harmony and the fertility of the natural world are replaced with political isolation, republican disillusion and a Biblical rhetoric of grief and shame. This article compares Hutchinson's poems with two country house poems, Ben Jonson's ‘To Penshurst’ and Aemilia Lanyer's ‘Description of Cooke‐ham’, and also shows the diversity of allusions, including to John Donne's ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ and Sidney Godolphin's translation of Dido's passion for Aeneas. The Elegies reveal Hutchinson as a Puritan Parliamentarian influenced by royalist literary traditions, and an educated and talented woman poet transforming genres in subtly allusive and politically radical ways.
The Forgotten Greek Books of Elizabethan England1
Authors: Milne Kirsty
Published: April 2007

This essay was runner‐up in the 2006 Literature Compass Graduate Essay Prize, Renaissance Section.

The well‐founded view that the Elizabethans were not distinguished for Greek scholarship has spawned the mistaken presumption that no Greek books were printed in England between 1543 and 1610. In fact a variety of texts, mostly classical, were produced in London, Oxford and Cambridge during the latter half of Elizabeth's reign. Their survival raises the question of why domestic printers should have ventured into a market dominated by Continental printing‐houses, and suggests a need to reassess the place of Greek in the intellectual and cultural life of the late sixteenth century.
Noli Me Tangere: Revealing New Approaches to Early Drama
Authors: Normington Katie
Published: April 2007

This article analyses new approaches to early drama through investigating the mystery play pageant concerning Christ's appearance as a gardener to Mary Magdalene. In particular the article draws on approaches from iconographical studies, feminist readings, modern‐day restagings and dance theory to argue that the gestures of the past can find a voice in the present.
Morfotipos y Germinación de Semillas del Maitin, Ficus maitin (Moraceae)
Authors: Chaves Luis Fernando , Bianchi Guillermo , Skwierinski Y Roberto
Published: April 2007

Strangler figs (Ficus spp) are among the most diverse and abundant species in the tropics. In the present work we describe and quantify two seed (achene) morphotypes of F. maitin, ovoid and non‐ovoid, we quantify seed predation by pollinators, and study the effects of temperature and light on the germination of these morphotypes. We found that both types of seed have reduced germination rates at low temperatures, and that ovoid seeds are photosensitive. In the discussion we present the possible implications of the findings for the understanding of the life history strategy of this species.
Microhabitat Selection in Diet and Trophic Ecology of a Spiny‐Tailed IguanaCtenosaura hemilopha
Authors: Blázquez Ma Carmen , Rodríguez‐Estrella Ricardo
Published: April 2007

Annual variation in the diet of adult spiny‐tailed iguanas was studied by analyzing feces collected at 38 known iguana refuges in the desert of the southern Baja California peninsula. Iguanas consumed mostly plants, a small percentage of arthropods, their own skin, and remains from conspecifics. They consumed at least 22 of 83 plant species known to be present in the area. Leaves of three perennial Leguminosae species formed the year‐round basis of their diet. Iguanas ate flowers and fruit when available. We propose that iguanas could be efficient seed dispersers for Cactaceae, but that they crush many of the seeds of leafy tree species. No significant differences in food consumption pattern were found between dry and rainy seasons. Iguanas apparently moved to neighboring trees only when searching for food. We propose that predation risk could have more influence than the nutritional value of plants on the species' foraging behavior and microhabitat selection in this area.
Driver Ants Invading a Termite Nest: Why Do the Most Catholic Predators of All Seldom Take This Abundant Prey?
Authors: Schöning Caspar , Moffett Mark W.
Published: April 2007

Driver ants (i.e., epigaeic species in the army ant genus Dorylus, subgenus Anomma) are among the most extreme polyphagous predators, but termites appear to be conspicuously absent from their prey spectrum and attacks by driver ants on termite nests have not yet been described. Here, we report a Dorylus (Anomma) rubellus attack on a colony of the fungus‐growing termite Macrotermes subhyalinus that was observed during the dry season in a savannah habitat in Nigeria's Gashaka National Park. It was estimated that several hundred thousand termites (probably more than 2.4 kg dry mass) were retrieved. The apparent rarity of driver ant predation on Macrotermes nests may be explained by different habitat requirements, by the fact that these ants mostly forage aboveground, by efficient termite defense behavior and nest architecture that make entry into the nest difficult, and finally by driver ant worker morphology, which differs remarkably from that of subterranean Dorylus species that regularly invade and destroy termite colonies.
Habitat Characteristics of the Endangered Hoolock Gibbons of Bangladesh: The Role of Plant Species Richness
Authors: Muzaffar Sabir Bin , Islam M. Anwarul , Feeroz Mostafa M. , Kabir Mofizul , Begum Sajeda , Mahmud M. Shahriar , Chakma Suprio , Hasan M. Kamrul
Published: April 2007

Hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) are endangered small apes occurring in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and south China. All known populations have undergone declines primarily due to habitat destruction or alteration. We examined the influence of area of natural forests, area of plantations, area of agricultural land and edible plant species richness on the hoolock gibbon numbers from 22 sites in Bangladesh using multiple regression analysis. Area of natural forests and plantations were not linked to hoolock gibbon numbers, whereas area of agricultural land and edible plant species richness were both significantly linked. Higher edible plant species richness was directly related to hoolock gibbon numbers, while the area of agricultural land was inversely related. This is the first quantitative study illustrating the importance of these two variables with hoolock gibbon numbers. We also analyzed the existing habitat characteristics in two of the largest hoolock gibbon populations in Bangladesh: Lawachara (42 individuals) and Kaptai (84 individuals). Trees in Lawachara were generally smaller compared to those in Kaptai.Artocarpus,Tectona, andDipterocarpuswere the three most important genera in both sites, althoughArtocarpuswas more important in Lawachara. Each site also had an abundant variety of tree species utilized by hoolock gibbons for food. We discuss the current context of primate conservation in Bangladesh and suggest that the current conservation priority for gibbons in the country should be protection and improvement of habitat.
Effects of Vegetation Traits on Habitat Preferences of Frugivorous Birds in Atlantic Rain Forest
Authors: Hasui Érica , Gomes Verônica Souza da Mota , Silva Wesley Rodrigues
Published: April 2007

Structural and floristic components of vegetation and fruit production were examined to evaluate the relative importance of each vegetation aspect on patterns of habitat use and to determine whether differences in degree of frugivory would affect sensitivity of birds to vegetation components. Abundances of 12 bird species were quantified in four different habitat types in the Southeastern Atlantic rain forest of Brazil using captures with mist nets. Structural and floristic traits and fruit production were sampled within plots along the mist net lines. Best explanations for the variation in species abundance were obtained by different combinations of the vegetation components (generalized linear models, Akaike information criterion; R2 mean values = 0.48, Δ AICc= 0). Although each species had a particular preference for some vegetation variables, floristic components stood out in those relationships, generating models with a stronger explanatory capacity (R2 > 0.40) and higher levels of empirical support (Δ AICc= minimum values). The variation in bird sensitivities to the floristic component was associated with bird dependence on a fruit diet: there was a correlation between the explanatory capacity of models built with only floristic composition and a species' degree of frugivory (Spearman rank correlation, r= 0.66, P= 0.04), indicating that floristics had a higher effect in more frugivorous birds. For the other vegetation components, there was no clear pattern with statistical support. These results indicate that sensitivities of bird species to vegetation aspects are associated with their dependence on a fruit diet.
A Feeding Study to Assess Nutritional Quality and Safety of Surimi Wash Water Proteins Recovered by a Chitosan‐Alginate Complex
Authors: Wibowo Singgih , Savant Vivek , Cherian Gita , Savage Thomas F. , Velazquez Gonzalo , Torres J. Antonio
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  Soluble proteins from surimi wash water (SWW) precipitated using a chitosan‐alginate (Chi‐Alg) complex and recovered by centrifugation were freeze‐dried. Analysis showed that SWW proteins (SWWP) had a crude protein content of 73.1% and a high concentration of essential amino acids, for example, 3% histidine, 9.4% lysine, 3.7% methionine, and 5.1% phenylalanine. In a rat‐feeding trial, SWWP as a single protein source showed higher (P < 0.05) modified protein efficiency ratio and net protein ratio than the casein control. Blood chemistry analysis revealed no deleterious effect from the full protein substitution or the chitosan in SWWP. Therefore, this preliminary study revealed that proteins recovered from SWW using the Chi‐Alg complex could be used in feed formulations. They could be used for food production in countries where regulatory agencies allow the use of chitosan in the production of food ingredients.
Wheat Gluten: High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits—Structure, Genetics, and Relation to Dough Elasticity
Authors: Anjum Faqir Muhammad , Khan Moazzam Rafiq , Din Ahmad , Saeed Muhammad , Pasha Imran , Arshad Muhammad Umair
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  Gluten proteins, representing the major protein fraction of the starchy endosperm, are predominantly responsible for the unique position of wheat amongst cereals. These form a continuous proteinaceous matrix in the cells of the mature dry grain and form a continuous viscoelastic network during the mixing process of dough development. These viscoelastic properties underline the utilization of wheat to prepare bread and other wheat flour based foodstuffs. One group of gluten proteins is glutenin, which consists of high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) subunits. The HMW glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS) are particularly important for determining dough elasticity. The common wheat possesses 3 to 5 HMW subunits encoded at the Glu‐1 loci on the long arms of group 1 chromosomes (1A, 1B, and 1D). The presence of certain HMW subunits is positively correlated with good bread‐making quality. Glutamine‐rich repetitive sequences that comprise the central part of the HMW subunits are actually responsible for the elastic properties due to extensive arrays of interchain hydrogen bonds. Genetic engineering can be used to manipulate the amount and composition of the HMW subunits, leading to either increased dough strength or more drastic changes in gluten structure and properties.
Variations of the Sensory Profile of Durum Wheat Altamura PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Bread during Staling
Authors: Pasqualone Antonella , Summo Carmine , Bilancia Maria Teresa , Caponio Francesco
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The typical sensory characteristics of Altamura PDO (protected designation of origin) bread are due to both the use of durum wheat remilled semolina and the prolonged sponge‐dough method based on sourdough. In this paper the sensory properties of Altamura bread were evaluated during a period of 6 days from baking. A total number of 24 descriptors was considered. The obtained results indicated that during the whole storage period many of the desirable characters such as crust consistence, crumb elasticity, crumb cohesiveness, overall aroma, and sour aroma decreased, while the undesirable stale aroma and crumb consistence increased their intensity. In any case, after 4 days from the production crumb color, crumb grain, crumb elasticity, and crumb humidity did not vary significantly.
Indigenous Dadih Lactic Acid Bacteria: Cell‐Surface Properties and Interactions with Pathogens
Authors: Collado M. Carmen , Surono Ingrid , Meriluoto Jussi , Salminen Seppo
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  Cell surface properties of dadih lactic acid bacteria strains were studied for adhesion to hydrocarbons (BATH) and aggregation abilities. Autoaggregation correlates with adhesion, which is a prerequisite for colonization and infection of the gastrointestinal tract by many pathogens, whereas coaggregation has been related to the ability to interact closely with pathogens. The results demonstrated significant differences in cell surface properties among the tested natural lactic acid bacteria food strains. Hydrophobicity increased when the cells were heat inactivated. All strains showed aggregation abilities with the pathogen strains tested, but the coaggregation properties were strain‐specific. Our results indicate that the ability to autoaggregate, together with cell surface hydrophobicity and coaggregation abilities with pathogen strains, can be used for preliminary screening in order to identify potentially probiotic bacteria suitable for human or animal use. This study suggest the importance to identify and characterize bacterial cell‐wall properties to understand their role in adhesion to hydrocarbons, autoaggregation and relation to coaggregation mechanisms, and also the relevance to future probiotic food development from natural strains.
Proteolytic and Rheological Properties of Aging Cheddar‐Like Caprine Milk Cheeses Manufactured at Different Times during Lactation
Authors: Van Hekken D.L. , Tunick M.H. , Soryal K.A. , Zeng S.S.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The effects of 24 wk of aging on the proteolytic and rheological properties of cheddar‐like cheese made from caprine milk collected at different lactation periods were evaluated. Cheddar cheese was made weekly using whole milk from Alpine goats and cheeses manufactured at weeks 4, 5, 12, 14, 15, 21, 22, and 23 of lactation were evaluated for proteolytic and rheological properties at 5 d after manufacture and after 8, 16, and 24 wk of aging at 4 °C. Rheology results indicated that a minimum of 8 wk of aging was needed to stabilize the texture of the cheese and that the most uniform cheeses were made from mid lactation milk. Cheeses manufactured at weeks 12 to 15 of lactation were the firmest, had the least flexible protein matrix (highest values for hardness, chewiness, and shear stress and rigidity at point of fracture), and the lowest degree of proteolysis. Understanding the factors that impact the texture of cheese, such as aging and the period of lactation that cheesemilk is obtained, will help develop guidance for maintaining the production of high quality and uniform caprine milk cheeses.
Detection and Quantification of Soy Allergens in Food: Study of Two Commercial Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assays
Authors: L'Hocine Lamia , Boye Joyce Irene , Munyana Christella
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 commercially available soy enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and use them in detecting soy proteins in selected food commodities. Both ELISA kits exhibited high sensitivity. The determined limits of detection (LOD) (approximately 2 and <1 μg/mL for Tepnel Biosystems and Elisa Systems kits, respectively) were lower than those claimed by the manufacturer. Quantification range for both kits was, however, narrower and in a lower concentration range than defined by the kit providers. Our examination revealed a positive cross‐reactivity with chickpea proteins and matrix interferences for both kits. The immunoreactivity of soy proteins, when tested by the Tepnel Biosystems kit, was partially reduced by papain and bromelain hydrolysis; it was significantly decreased by protein glycation (>47%). Nondenatured and nonheated soy protein isolate (SPI) samples were also significantly less antigenic than the treated ones.
Effectiveness of Radiation Processing for Elimination of Salmonella Typhimurium from Minimally Processed Pineapple (Ananas comosus Merr.)
Authors: Shashidhar Ravindranath , Dhokane Varsha S. , Hajare Sachin N. , Sharma Arun , Bandekar Jayant R.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The microbiological quality of market samples of minimally processed (MP) pineapple was examined. The effectiveness of radiation treatment in eliminating Salmonella Typhimurium from laboratory inoculated ready‐to‐eat pineapple slices was also studied. Microbiological quality of minimally processed pineapple samples from Mumbai market was poor; 8.8% of the samples were positive for Salmonella. D10 (the radiation dose required to reduce bacterial population by 90%) value for S. Typhimurium inoculated in pineapple was 0.242 kGy. Inoculated pack studies in minimally processed pineapple showed that the treatment with a 2‐kGy dose of gamma radiation could eliminate 5 log CFU/g of S. Typhimurium. The pathogen was not detected from radiation‐processed samples up to 12 d during storage at 4 and 10 °C. The processing of market samples with 1 and 2 kGy was effective in improving the microbiological quality of these products.
Food Packaging—Roles, Materials, and Environmental Issues
Authors: Marsh Kenneth , Bugusu Betty
Published: April 2007

The Institute of Food Technologists has issued this Scientific Status Summary to update readers on food packaging and its impact on the environment.
Inactivation of Enterobacter sakazakii in Infant Milk Formula by Gamma Irradiation: Determination of D10‐Value
Authors: Osaili T.M. , Shaker R.R. , Abu Al‐Hasan A.S. , Ayyash M.M. , Martin E.M.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  Enterobacter sakazakii is an emerging foodborne pathogen that has caused several cases of meningitis and necrotizing entercolitis in infants and has been associated with infant formulas. Five strains of E. sakazakii were inoculated individually into brain heart infusion broth and rehydrated or dehydrated infant milk formula and exposed to ionizing radiation. E. sakazakii strains in brain heart infusion broth and rehydrated infant milk formula (RIMF) were exposed to irradiation dose of up to 1 kGy while strains in dehydrated infant milk formula (DIMF) were exposed to irradiation dose of up to 9 kGy. The D10‐values were determined by using a linear regression model. Average calculated D10‐values ranged from 0.21 to 0.29 kGy, 0.24 to 0.37 kGy, and 1.06 to 1.71 kGy in brain heart infusion broth, RIMF, and DIMF, respectively. The results obtained from this study will be useful for powdered infant milk formula industries to reduce the risk associated with E. sakazakii.
Feasibility of Aseptic Processing of a Low‐Acid Multiphase Food Product (salsa con queso) Using a Continuous Flow Microwave System
Authors: Kumar P. , Coronel P. , Simunovic J. , Sandeep K.P.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  Aseptic processing of a low‐acid multiphase food product using a continuous flow microwave heating system can combine the advantages of an aseptic process along with those of microwave heating. Dielectric properties of 2 different brands of 1 such product (salsa con queso) were measured under continuous flow conditions at a temperature range of 20 to 130 °C. At 915 MHz, the dielectric constant ranged from 58.7 at 20 °C to 41.3 at 130 °C with dielectric loss factor ranging from 41.0 at 20°C to 145.5 at 130 °C. The loss tangent at 915 MHz ranged from 0.61 at 20 °C to 3.52 at 130 °C. The temperature profiles at the outlet during processing of salsa con queso in a 5‐kW microwave unit showed a narrow temperature distribution between the center and the wall of the tube. The study showed the feasibility of aseptic processing of salsa con queso using a continuous flow microwave system.
Isolation and Characterization of Lactobacillus Species Having Potential for Use as Probiotic Cultures for Dogs
Authors: McCoy S. , Gilliland S.E.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The need to control pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract of dogs is a growing concern. There is interest in using probiotics such as species of Lactobacillus to help control canine intestinal infections. For successful use as a probiotic, the bacterial species should be of canine intestinal origin since these species exhibit host specificity. Serial dilutions of freshly voided dog feces were plated on Lactobacillus selection (LBS) agar to isolate the cultures. Isolates were identified based on Gram stain, catalase test, and fermentation patterns using API 50 CH kits. All potential isolates were compared for bile resistance based on relative ability to grow in broth containing 0.3% Oxgall, the ability to inhibit Salmonella Typhimurium in associative broth cultures, and the production of reuterin. Of the lactobacilli isolated, Lactobacillus reuteri was the dominant species. However, some cultures of L. acidophilus also were isolated. We found variations among the isolates of L. reuteri and L. acidophilus with respect to bile tolerance. In general, isolates of L. reuteri appeared to be more bile resistant than were isolates of L. acidophilus. There were also variations in the ability to inhibit growth of S. Typhimurium. Some isolates of L. reuteri produced reuterin while others did not.
Reactive Oxygen Scavenging Activity of Matured Whiskey and Its Active Polyphenols
Authors: Koga K. , Taguchi A. , Koshimizu S. , Suwa Y. , Yamada Y. , Shirasaka N. , Yoshizumi H.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The quality of whiskey is known to improve remarkably by its storage over many years. This process is commonly termed “maturing.” In this process, polyphenols derived from lignin and tannin of the barrel have an important role in not only forming the matured flavor and taste but also contributing to the advance of clustering ethanol and water in whiskey. It is also likely that polyphenols generally possess reactive oxygen (RO) scavenging activity. The present study evaluated the RO scavenging activity (free‐radical scavenging activity, H2O2 reduction activity under peroxidase coculture, and H2O2scavenging activity) of 24 single malt whiskeys with a maturation age of 10 to 30 y produced in Japanese, Scotch (Islay), or Scotch (Speyside and Highland) regions. Single malt whiskey not only showed RO scavenging activity but there was also a positive correlation between this activity and the maturation age of whiskey exceeding the difference resulting from the manufacturing region. A nonvolatile fraction derived from the barrel was responsible for RO scavenging activity. In particular, the contents of ellagic and gallic acids and lyoniresinol, the main polyphenolic compounds in whiskey, increased with maturation age. For the free‐radical scavenging activity per molecule, each compound was 1.68 to 3.14 times that of trolox (a water‐soluble vitamin E). The activities of ellagic acid, gallic acid, and lyoniresinol in the whiskey (Yamazaki 18) were equivalent to that of 80.3, 31.2, and 11.1 ppm trolox, respectively. Accordingly, the total activity of these 3 compounds accounted for about 20% of the activity of the whiskey (630.7 ppm trolox).
The Potential Antioxidant Capacity and Angiotensin I‐Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activity of Monascus‐Fermented Soybean Extracts: Evaluation of Monascus‐Fermented Soybean Extracts as Multifunctional Food Additives
Authors: Pyo Y.‐H. , Lee T.‐C.
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACT:  The potential antioxidant capacity and angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of Monascus‐fermented soybean extracts (MFSE) were investigated. The average antioxidant capacities of 70% ethanol extracts from soybean after fermenting for 15 d at 30 °C were increased by a 5.2 to 7.4‐fold (0.26 mM trolox equivalent/g dry weight, 91.7% 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] radical scavenging effect at 3 mg/mL) when compared with those of the unfermented soybean extracts (P < 0.01). The potentially significant antioxidant properties of MFSE are associated with its content of bioactive mevinolins (r= 0.85) and isoflavone aglycones (r= 0.98), which were derived from the soybean during Monascus‐fermentation. It was also found that the water extract having a molecular mass 1 to 3 kDa showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (65.3%), which was remarkably greater (6.5 times) than the control.
The Boundary Layer Over Turbine Blade Models With Realistic Rough Surfaces
Authors: McIlroy Hugh M. , Budwig Ralph S.
Published: April 2007

Results are presented of extensive boundary layer measurements taken over a flat, smooth plate model of the front one-third of a turbine blade and over the model with an embedded strip of realistic rough surface. The turbine blade model also included elevated freestream turbulence and an accelerating freestream in order to simulate conditions on the suction side of a high-pressure turbine blade. The realistic rough surface was developed by scaling actual turbine blade surface data provided by U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The rough patch can be considered to be an idealized area of distributed spalls with realistic surface roughness. The results indicate that bypass transition occurred very early in the flow over the model and that the boundary layer remained unstable (transitional) throughout the entire length of the test plate. Results from the rough patch study indicate the boundary layer thickness and momentum thickness Reynolds numbers increased over the rough patch and the shape factor increased over the rough patch but then decreased downstream of the patch. It was also found that flow downstream of the patch experienced a gradual retransition to laminar-like behavior but in less time and distance than in the smooth plate case. Additionally, the rough patch caused a significant increase in streamwise turbulence intensity and normal turbulence intensity over the rough patch and downstream of the patch. In addition, the skin friction coefficient over the rough patch increased by nearly 2.5 times the smooth plate value. Finally, the rough patch caused the Reynolds shear stresses to increase in the region close the plate surface.
Large Eddy Simulation
of Transitional Boundary Layers at High Free-Stream Turbulence Intensity and Implications for RANS
Modeling
Authors: Lardeau Sylvain , Li Ning , Leschziner Michael
A.
Published: April 2007

Large-eddy simulations of transitional flows over a flat plate have been performed for different sets of free-stream-turbulence conditions. Interest focuses, in particular, on the unsteady processes in the boundary layer before transition occurs and as it evolves, the practical context being the flow over low-pressure turbine blades. These considerations are motivated by the wish to study the realism of a RANS-type model designed to return the laminar fluctuation energy observed well upstream of the location at which transition sets in. The assumptions underlying the model are discussed in the light of turbulence-energy budgets deduced from the simulations. It is shown that the pretransitional field is characterized by elongated streaky structures which, notwithstanding their very different structural properties relative to fully established turbulence, lead to the amplification of fluctuations by conventional shear-stress/shear-strain interaction, rather than by pressure diffusion, the latter being the process underpinning the RANS-type transitional model being investigated.
Experimental and Numerical Study of Mass/Heat Transfer on an Airfoil Trailing-Edge Slots and Lands
Authors: Cakan M. , Taslim M. E.
Published: April 2007

Proper cooling of the airfoil trailing edge is imperative in gas turbine designs since this area is often one of the life limiting areas of an airfoil. A common method of providing thermal protection to an airfoil trailing edge is by injecting a film of cooling air through slots located on the airfoil pressure side near the trailing edge, thereby providing a cooling buffer between the hot mainstream gas and the airfoil surface. In the conventional designs, at the breakout plane, a series of slots open to expanding tapered grooves in between the tapered lands and run the cooling air through the grooves to protect the trailing edge surface. In this study, naphthalene sublimation technique was used to measure area averaged mass/heat transfer coefficients downstream of the breakout plane on the slot and on the land surfaces. Three slot geometries were tested: (a) a baseline case simulating a typical conventional slot and land design; (b) the same geometry with a sudden outward step at the breakout plane around the opening; and (c) the sudden step was moved one-third away from the breakout plane in the slot. Mass/heat transfer results were compared for these slots geometries for a range of blowing ratios [M=(ρu)s∕(ρu)m] from 0 to 2. For the numerical investigation, a pressure-correction based, multiblock, multigrid, unstructured/adaptive commercial software was used in this investigation. Several turbulence models including the standard high Reynolds number k-ε turbulence model in conjunction with the generalized wall function were used for turbulence closure. The applied thermal boundary conditions to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models matched the test boundary conditions. Effects of a sudden downward step (Coanda) in the slot on mass/heat transfer coefficients on the slot and on the land surfaces were compared both experimentally and numerically.