bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suitability of Customer Relationship Management Systems for the Management of Study Participants in Biomedical Research
Authors: Rienhoff O. , Schulze T. G. , Nussbeck S. Y. , Schwanke J.
Published: July 2013

Background: Longitudinal biomedical research projects study patients or participants over a course of time. No IT solution is known that can manage study participants, enhance quality of data, support re-contacting of participants, plan study visits, and keep track of informed consent procedures and recruitments that may be subject to change over time.. In business settings management of personal is one of the major aspects of customer relationship management systems (CRMS).

Objectives: To evaluate whether CRMS are suitable IT solutions for study participant management in biomedical research.

Methods: Three boards of experts in the field of biomedical research were consulted to get an insight into recent IT developments regarding study participant management systems (SPMS). Subsequently, a requirements analysis was performed with stake-holders of a major biomedical research project. The successive suitability evaluation was based on the comparison of the identified requirements with the features of six CRMS.

Results: Independently of each other, the interviewed expert boards confirmed that there is no generic IT solution for the management of participants. Sixty-four requirements were identified and prioritized in a requirements analysis. The best CRMS was able to fulfill forty-two of these requirements. The non-fulfilled requirements demand an adaption of the CRMS, consuming time and resources, reducing the update compatibility, the system’s suitability, and the security of the CRMS.

Conclusions: A specific solution for the SPMS is favored instead of a generic and commercially-oriented CRMS. Therefore, the development of a small and specific SPMS solution was commenced and is currently on the way to completion.
The desert moss Pterygoneurum lamellatum (Pottiaceae) exhibits an inducible ecological strategy of desiccation tolerance: Effects of rate of drying on shoot damage and regeneration
Authors: Stark Lloyd R. , Greenwood Joshua L. , Brinda John C. , Oliver Melvin J.
Published: July 2013

• Premise of the study: Bryophytes include clades that incorporate constitutive desiccation tolerance, especially terrestrial species. Here we test the hypothesis that the opposing ecological strategy of desiccation tolerance, inducibility, is present in a desert moss, and address this hypothesis by varying rates of drying in a laboratory study. Desiccation tolerance is arguably the most important evolutionary innovation relevant to the colonization of land by plants; increased understanding of the ecological drivers of this trait will eventually illuminate the responsible mechanisms and ultimately open doors to the potential for the application of this trait in cultivated plants.

• Methods: Plants were cloned, grown in continuous culture (dehardened) for several months, and subjected to rates of drying (drying times) ranging from 30 min to 53 h, rehydrated and tested for recovery using chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf damage, and regeneration of protonema and shoots.

• Key results: Rate of drying significantly affected all recovery responses, with very rapid drying rates severely damaging the entire shoot except the shoot apex and resulting in slower growth rates, fewer regenerative shoots produced, and a compromised photosynthetic system as inferred from fluorescence parameters.

• Conclusions: For the first time, a desert moss is shown to exhibit an ecological strategy of desiccation tolerance that is inducible, challenging the assumption that arid‐land bryophytes rely exclusively on constitutive protection. Results indicate that previous considerations defining a slow‐dry event in bryophytes need reevaluation, and that the ecological strategy of inducible desiccation tolerance is probably more common than currently understood among terrestrial bryophytes.
Mechanistic studies on the CAN-mediated intramolecular cyclization of δ-aryl-β-dicarbonyl compounds
Authors: Casey Brian M , Sadasivam Dhandapani V , Flowers II Robert A
Published: July 2013

The synthesis of 2-tetralones through the cyclization of δ-aryl-β-dicarbonyl substrates by using CAN is described. Appropriately functionalized aromatic substrates undergo intramolecular cyclizations generating 2-tetralone derivatives in moderate to good yields. DFT computational studies indicate that successful formation of 2-tetralones from δ-aryl-β-dicarbonyl radicals is dependent on the stability of the subsequent cyclohexadienyl radical intermediates. Furthermore, DFT computational studies were used to rationalize the observed site selectivity in the 2-tetralone products.
ML212: A small-molecule probe for investigating fluconazole resistance mechanisms in Candida albicans
Authors: Youngsaye Willmen , Hartland Cathy L , Morgan Barbara J , Ting Amal , Nag Partha P , Vincent Benjamin , Mosher Carrie A , Bittker Joshua A , Dandapani Sivaraman , Palmer Michelle , Whitesell Luke , Lindquist Susan , Schreiber Stuart L , Munoz Benito
Published: July 2013

The National Institutes of Health Molecular Libraries and Probe Production Centers Network (NIH-MLPCN) screened >300,000 compounds to evaluate their ability to restore fluconazole susceptibility in resistant Candida albicans isolates. Additional counter screens were incorporated to remove substances inherently toxic to either mammalian or fungal cells. A substituted indazole possessing the desired bioactivity profile was selected for further development, and initial investigation of structure–activity relationships led to the discovery of ML212.
Computer-Automated Tinnitus Assessment: Noise-Band Matching, Maskability, and Residual Inhibition
Authors: Henry James A. , Roberts Larry E. , Ellingson Roger M. , Thielman Emily J.
Published: July 2013

Background:Psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus typically include loudness and pitch match, minimum masking level (MML), and residual inhibition (RI). We previously developed and documented a computer-automated tinnitus evaluation system (TES) capable of subject-guided loudness
and pitch matching. The TES was further developed to conduct computer-aided, subject-guided testing for noise-band matching (NBM), MML, and RI.Purpose:The purpose of the present study was to document the capability of the upgraded TES to obtain measures of NBM, MML, and RI, and to determine
the test-retest reliability of the responses obtained.Research Design:Three subject-guided, computer-automated testing protocols were developed to conduct NBM. For MML and RI testing, a 2‐12 kHz band of noise was used. All testing was repeated during a second session.Study
Sample:Subjects meeting study criteria were selected from those who had previously been tested for loudness and pitch matching in our laboratory. A total of 21 subjects completed testing, including seven females and 14 males.Results:The upgraded TES was found to be fairly time efficient.
Subjects were generally reliable, both within and between sessions, with respect to the type of stimulus they chose as the best match to their tinnitus. Matching to bandwidth was more variable between measurements, with greater consistency seen for subjects reporting tonal tinnitus or wide-band
noisy tinnitus than intermediate types. Between-session repeated MMLs were within 10 dB of each other for all but three of the subjects. Subjects who experienced RI during Session 1 tended to be those who experienced it during Session 2.Conclusions:This study may represent the first
time that NBM, MML, and RI audiometric testing results have been obtained entirely through a self-contained, computer-automated system designed specifically for use in the clinic. Future plans include refinements to achieve greater testing efficiency.
Self-Reported Hearing Loss in Baby Boomers from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study: Audiometric Correspondence and Predictive Value
Authors: Swanepoel De Wet , Eikelboom Robert H. , Hunter Michael L. , Friedland Peter L. , Atlas Marcus D.
Published: July 2013

Background:The baby boomer population will become high users of the health-care system in coming years. Self-report of hearing loss at a primary health-care visit may offer timely referrals to audiological services, but there has been no population-based study of self-reported
hearing loss in the baby boomer generation.Purpose:To determine the clinical value and audiometric correspondence of self-reported hearing loss as a screening tool for the baby boomer population.Research Design:A population-based study, Busselton Healthy Ageing Study (BHAS),
surveying baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 from the shire of Busselton, Western Australia.Study Sample:A randomized sample of noninstitutionalized baby-boomers listed on the electoral roll (n = 6690) and resident in the shire are eligible to participate. This study reports on
data from the first 1004 attendees (53.5% female) with a mean age of 56.23 (SD = 5.43).Data Collection and Analysis:Data from a self-report question on hearing loss and diagnostic pure tone audiometry was utilized for this study. Analysis included screening performance measures of self-report
compared to audiometric cut-offs, receiver operator curve (ROC) to determine optimal level, analysis of variance to compare hearing status to self-report, and binary logistic regression to determine best audiometric predictors.Results:Of the sample, 16% self-reported hearing loss (72.1%
males). Logistic regression indicated 4000 Hz as the most important individual frequency related to self-report while the four-frequency average (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) >25 dB in the worse ear was the most significant averaged cutoff with 68% sensitivity and 87% specificity. Of those
who self-reported a hearing loss, 80% had either a four-frequency average hearing loss >25 dB in the worse ear or a high-frequency average (4000 and 8000 Hz) hearing loss greater than 35 dB in the worse ear.Conclusions:Baby boomer adults who self-report hearing impairment on direct
inquiry are most likely to have a hearing loss. A simple question at a primary health care visit may facilitate a timely referral for audiological services in a baby boomer adult, who may be more amenable to rehabilitation.
François Hollande et la nouvelle donne diplomatique française
Authors: Loncle François
Published: July 2013

Depuis un an, la diplomatie française a retrouvé, grâce à François Hollande et à son ministre des Affaires étrangères, Laurent Fabius, de la dignité, de la clairvoyance et de l’influence. Cinq dossiers importants témoignent de la réorientation fondamentale entreprise depuis mai 2012 : la gestion de la crise malienne, le traitement des prises d’otages, la mise en œuvre d’une nouvelle politique africaine, la relation avec la Chine et la politique européenne. En même temps qu’il mettait en œuvre une nouvelle politique, François Hollande s’est attaché à revivifier les relations avec maints pays que son prédécesseur, Nicolas Sarkozy, avait délaissées.
Les ruses de la « pensée magique », ou les promesses à l'épreuve des réalités
Authors: Estrosi Christian
Published: July 2013

La « pensée magique », qui est une variante molle de l’idéologie, voit le monde non pas tel qu’il est, mais tel qu’elle voudrait qu’il soit, niant ainsi la réalité. L’élection de François Hollande et la victoire du PS ont traduit, au plus fort des crises que traverse la France depuis 2008, un besoin de changement. Les difficultés que traversent notre pays ne se se résoudront pas dans l’affrontement entre l’État et le secteur privé mais par une stratégie de développement à long terme et d’industries d’avenir.
L'Afrique en marche
Authors: Gambotti Christian
Published: July 2013

Le grand basculement du monde commence à se produire au lendemain de la chute du Mur. À cette date l’âme du monde devient capitaliste. Avec la mondialisation, l’Afrique se situe désormais au centre des grands enjeux mondiaux. Le « boum » démographique qu’elle connaît représente un immense marché pour les années à venir. Dans tous les secteurs d’activité, des infrastructures aux banques, en passant par l’énergie et l’eau, tout est à construire. Néanmoins l’enjeu sécuritaire est tout aussi important que le développement économique. Les élites africaines ont désormais conscience que la bonne gestion de l’économie, la bonne gouvernance, la sécurité et la démocratie sont les vecteurs d’une croissance saine et durable. « Le temps de l’Afrique » est arrivé, mais l’Afrique devra se méfier de ses « nouveaux amis » qui sont, peut-être, des prédateurs plus dangereux que les anciennes puissances coloniales. En même temps, est-il possible de faire parler d’une même voix, dans l’Union africaine, 54 États ?
La ré-industrialisation américaine : le début d'un nouveau cycle économique ?
Authors: Daziano Laurence
Published: July 2013

La ré-industrialisation de l’économie américaine est à l’origine d’un nouveau cycle de croissance aux États-Unis. Ce phénomène est le produit de deux facteurs : la flexibilité du marché du travail et la baisse des coûts de l’énergie, principalement en raison de l’exploitation massive des gaz de schiste. Cette ré-industrialisation américaine a des conséquences sur l’économie mondiale, notamment sur la baisse de la compétitivité chinoise.
Réflexions sur Global trends 2030 – Alternatives worlds
Authors: Juillet Alain
Published: July 2013

Ce rapport est particulièrement intéressant par sa détection très argumentée des grandes tendances pour les 25 prochaines années. Après l’identification, il y a 8 ans, des prémices d’un monde devenant multipolaire il met entre autres l’accent sur un processus d’individuation s’appuyant sur l’arrivée du tout numérique, la montée des classes moyennes avec pour conséquence la mutation des modes de management. Son analyse de l’évolution des États et de leurs rapports est également très documentée. Conçu par des gens soucieux de préserver l’image et le positionnement des États-Unis il a tendance à sélectionner les options qui leurs sont les plus favorables.
Exception culturelle française : étatisme ou chance historique ?
Authors: Esclatine Claude
Published: July 2013

À l’heure où les nouvelles technologies imposent leurs dictats, abaissent les frontières géographiques et ruinent les modèles économiques antérieurs, l’exception culturelle française voit son fondement se fragiliser. Ce n’est qu’avec la Révolution que les français voient la culture comme idéal démocratique. L’État crée dès lors un ministère de la Culture (ancien ministère des Lettres, Sciences et Beaux Arts) et mobilise des moyens pour investir le champ culturel (sur une multitude de sujets) tant en France que partout ailleurs dans le monde. Invention française qui a traversé siècles et régimes politiques, quels défis l’exception culturelle devra-t-elle surmonter à l’avenir ? Nos traditions, y compris dans l’enseignement à l’étranger, nous portent-elles à privilégier la culture comme cheval de Troie de nos valeurs politiques et éthiques ?
Pour une gestion durable de la forêt française
Authors: de Sèze Marc-Antoine
Published: July 2013

La forêt est le premier secteur où s’exerce réellement le développement durable. Aujourd’hui, la forêt française est à la croisée des chemins, soumise à la pression de la compétition globale. La certification du bois issu de la forêt française joue un rôle fondamental dans la compétitivité du bois français tout en garantissant le respect de la ressource et celui des hommes qui en vivent. Cette certification doit être fondée avant tout sur un modèle de gouvernance qui privilégie la recherche de consensus entre tous les acteurs, une matrice performante d’amélioration continue de la gestion durable de la forêt. Ce modèle, incarné par PEFC, existe déjà et doit être renforcé pour la compétitivité de la filière bois française.
De la haine nécessaire à la clôture totalitaire du sens
Authors: Stephanatos Gerassimos
Published: July 2013

Quelle place donner à l’« aptitude à la haine » freudienne, dans ce trajet individuel et collectif qui peut conduire de la différenciation identificatoire/identitaire nécessaire au repli et à l’aliénation ? La haine dans ses aspects destructeurs et constructeurs fait que la psyché rejette ce qu’elle n’est pas elle-même, et que l’institution sociale tend à se clore sur elle-même. Deux ordres d’effets psychiques et sociaux de la haine, irréductibles les uns aux autres malgré leurs liens essentiels, leurs correspondances innombrables et leur conjonction dangereuse, qui peut dans les conditions spécifiques transformer les « détails de différenciation » du narcissisme des petites différences en traits de haine identificatoires, mettant en action le déchaînement destructeur.
Psychanalyse du soupçon, l'altérité mise à l'épreuve
Authors: Thibaudeau Caroline
Published: July 2013

Partant de ses manifestations et de la manière dont il surgit dans la relation, le soupçon apparaît comme un indicateur éclairant de ce qui est en jeu dans le processus d’accès à la différenciation et à l’altérité, préalable à toute inscription subjective, et de ses écueils lorsqu’il révèle les failles narcissiques du sujet. Par ailleurs, définir le soupçon peut nous aider à décrypter le monde dans lequel nous vivons. En effet, le soupçon colonise les esprits, s’infiltre dans nos relations et vient contaminer nos représentations. Il entre dans la sphère sociale comme par effraction... Le soupçon serait-il le révélateur de l’état de fragilisation du lien social et de la manière dont nous envisageons notre rapport à l’Autre et l’accueil que nous lui réservons dans l’espace commun du vivre ensemble ? Parias, monstres sociaux, étrangers... autant d’archétypes ou de figures négatives de boucs émissaires, qui semblent condenser aujourd’hui l’angoisse du Réel à celle de notre pulsionnalité interne et sur lesquels se fondent les termes d’un nouveau pacte social.
La demande d'asile : l'attente du lieu d'un lien social ?
Authors: Baligand Pascale
Published: July 2013

Cet article invite à questionner la notion de lien social à partir d’une situation qui se situe à ses marges : celle des demandeurs d’asile. La demande d’asile instaure une attente que l’on peut comprendre comme attente d’un nouveau lien social, en un nouveau lieu. Nous développons ce point à partir du cas de Joseph et en référence à la figure du Nebenmensch en tant que prochain qui ouvre la possibilité d’un lien social pour le sujet en même temps qu’il lui fait une place dans le monde.
Pour une démocratie écologique
Authors: Blesson Mathieu
Published: July 2013

Quelle est la nature du contrat qui, aujourd’hui en France, caractérise le lien social ? Sous la bannière de la démocratie, un personnage nouveau a récemment fait son apparition. En effet, qu’ils soient activistes, scientifiques ou hommes politiques, les écologistes d’aujourd’hui investissent l’espace public en vue de combattre les ravages de la société industrielle et toucher ainsi le maximum de personnes. Soucieux de l’environnement, ils n’ont plus que ce mot à la bouche. C’est un véritable hymne à la nature que ces défenseurs de la planète entonnent sans forcément savoir qu’en réalité les paroles n’en sont pas écrites par eux mais par quelqu’un qui s’appelait Rousseau, Jean-Jacques de son prénom.
Le monstre : une altération esthétique pour penser l'humain
Authors: Martin-Lavaud Virginie
Published: July 2013

Le propos de cet article vise à illustrer en quoi la violence contenue dans la rencontre avec des personnes ou des formes de vie totalement différentes, est révélée et sublimée dans la figure du monstre. Nous postulons que le monstre, en tant qu’expression esthétique et entité biologique, permet aux hommes de se définir humains en proposant de penser la distinction entre l’humain et l’animal. À partir de la notion d’altération que nous distinguons de celle d’altérité, nous développons comment le monstre participe à la définition du consensus social et permet de limiter les effets de la violence provoquée par l’échec du processus d’identification.
Quels opérateurs basculent le fraternel en fraternité ?
Authors: Chapard Ingrid
Published: July 2013

Entre idéal et sublimation, pratique de la reconnaissance et activité de penser, création d’un espace divisé entre profane et sacré, la Franc-maçonnerie offre aujourd’hui une clinique de l’acte entre complexe fraternel et œdipien. Celle-ci met au travail la « prise de position à l’égard d’une autre vie psychique », et nous permet d’avancer dans l’interrogation métapsychologique freudienne de la constitution des foules, entre puissance et désir, narcissisme et libido d’objet, mouvements d’amour et de haine.
Fondement de la souffrance dans le processus psychosexuel chez les jeunes filles iraniennes
Authors: Torkghashghaei Esmat
Published: July 2013

Le tabou de la virginité qui est une initiation à l’érotisme des corps, se manifeste par le sentiment de culpabilité et la honte chez les jeunes filles iraniennes qui pèsent lourd sur les destinées affranchies de cette interdiction. La mère en tant que garante intervient comme une femme cruelle à son tour après avoir subi un sentiment de frustration et un désir insatisfait issu de ce tabou. La transmission transgénérationnelle des traumatismes et de la souffrance non dite montre un rapport avec la mélancolie, plutôt féminine, dans la culture.
Cyclic hexadepsipeptides in wheat field samples andesyn1 gene divergence among enniatin producingFusarium avenaceum strains
Authors: Stȩpień Ł. , Jestoi M. , Chełkowski J.
Published: July 2013

Fusarium avenaceum is one of the most important pathogenic species in agricultural and forest environments of moderate climate, particularly in cereals and legume pulse crops. Numerous mycotoxins can be synthesized by the species, with moniliformin and enniatins (ENN) being the prevailing metabolites. The aims of this work were to examine the amounts of ENN and beauvericin present in naturally contaminated field samples of wheat kernels and chaffs collected in Poland in 2005 and 2009 from heads infected withF. avenaceum, and to reveal the divergence of theesyn1 gene amongF. avenaceum strains of different origin. ENN-B and ENN-B1 were the major metabolites identified in wheat field samples. Chaff fractions contained significantly more mycotoxins than grain. Samples originating from 2005 were in general less contaminated with ENN than those from the 2009 season. The highest amount of ENN-B found in grain was 28,520 μg/kg. Beauvericin was only found in trace amounts in all the samples tested.F. avenaceum strains isolated from the analysed wheat samples were identified using species-specific DNA marker and translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α) sequence analysis. A higher level of sequence polymorphism was revealed for the enniatin synthetase (esyn1) gene than ecorded bytef-1α analysis. Moreover, species known to be typical beauvericin producers, e.g.Fusarium oxysporum andFusarium proliferatum, were clustered into a separate branch on the dendrogram, apart from the strains of ENN-producing species, i.e.F. avenaceum andFusarium scirpi.
Microarray evaluation of bovine hepatic gene response to fescue toxicosis
Authors: Tanaree D.D. , Duringer J.M. , Bohnert D.W. , Craig A.M.
Published: July 2013

‘Fescue toxicosis’ is a disease in livestock caused by ingestion of ergot alkaloids produced by the fungal endophyteNeotyphodium coenophialum in tall fescue; it is estimated to cost 1 billion USD in damages per year to the beef industry alone. Clinical signs include decreased reproductive fitness, necrosis of extremities, and reduced average daily gain and milk production. Little is known about the cellular mechanisms that mediate these toxic sequelae. We evaluated the effects of ergovaline-based fescue toxicosis on gene expression via oligonucleotide microarray. Liver biopsies were obtained from steers (n=4) pre- and post-exposure (0 and 29 days) to feed containing 579 ng/g ergovaline. Analyses were performed using both ANOVA with false discovery rate correction and Storey's optimal discovery procedure. Overall, down-regulation of gene expression was observed; heart contraction and cardiac development, apoptosis, cell cycle control, and RNA processing genes represented the bulk of differentially expressed transcripts. 2 CYPs (CYP2E1 and CYP4F6) were amongst the significantly upregulated results. Thus, exposure of cattle to toxic levels of ergovaline caused widespread changes in hepatic gene expression, which can both help explain macroscopic clinical signs observed in ruminant animals, and reinforce previous findings in monogastric models.
Cross-validation of predictive models for deoxynivalenol in wheat at harvest
Authors: Leggieri M. Camardo , Van der Fels-Klerx H.J. , Battilani P.
Published: July 2013

To date, several models that predict deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat at harvest are available. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two of such models, including a mechanistic model developed in Italy and an empirical model developed in the Netherlands. To this end, field data collected in the periods 2002-2004 and 2009-2011 in Italy, and in the period 2001-2010 in the Netherlands were used. These historical data covered farm observations at 1,306 wheat fields, of which 155 in the Netherlands and 1,151 in Italy. A subset of 10% of the Italian data, derived by random sampling from the total Italian dataset, was used to validate both the Italian and the Dutch model. Additionally, the Italian mechanistic model was validated using the total Dutch dataset. Before validating the Dutch model, it was recalibrated using the remaining 90% of the Italian data. Results showed that predictions of both modelling approaches (mechanistic and empirical) for independent wheat fields were in accordance. Applying a threshold for DON concentration of 1,250 ?g/kg, the mechanistic DON model predicted 90% of the samples correctly. Results for cross-validation of the mechanistic DON model and the recalibrated empirical DON model showed that 93% of the samples were correctly predicted. In general, no more than 6% of underestimates were observed.
Evaluation of different methods to preventPenicillium nordicum growth on and ochratoxin A production in country-style sausages
Authors: Comi G. , Chiesa L. , Panseri S. , Orlic S. , Iacumin L.
Published: July 2013

Penicillium nordicum is the main ochratoxin A (OTA)-producing fungal species isolated from artisanal sausages of different areas of Italy and other European countries.P. nordicum grows on and produces OTA in the sausage casing, thereby posing a health risk to Italian consumers, who commonly eat both the meat and casing of artisanal sausages. Different methods have been proposed to eliminate OTA andP. nordicum on the casings, including brushing, brushing and washing, the use of fungal starter cultures (Penicillium nalgiovense) and gaseous ozone. The aim of this study was to compare these methods with regard to eliminating the risk of OTA contamination in sausages. Three concentrations of gaseous ozone were assessed, i.e. 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/l. Only 1.5 mg/l preventedP. nordicum growth and production of OTA in sausages without influencing the physicochemical parameters and the sensory characteristic of the products. Application of this gaseous ozone concentration was then compared to the other methods, i.e. brushing, brushing and washing, a one-step starter culture ofP. nalgiovense (inoculation after casing) and a two-step starter culture (inoculation after both casing and drying). The results obtained showed that only the use of gaseous ozone and a two-step starter culture ofP. nalgiovense achieved complete inhibition ofP. nordicum growth and OTA production. However, sensory analysis of the treated sausages showed that the use of starter cultures was the best method.
Multi-mycotoxin determination in baby foods andin vitro combined cytotoxic effects of aflatoxin M1 and ochratoxin A
Authors: Tavares A.M. , Alvito P. , Loureiro S. , Louro H. , Silva M.J.
Published: July 2013

The co-occurrence of mycotoxins in baby foods, including aflatoxin M1(AFM1) and ochratoxin A (OTA), has been reported in previous studies, but data on their potential combined toxic effects are still missing. The present work aimed at (1) validating an in-house multi-mycotoxin high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) method for AFM1, total aflatoxins (aflatoxin B1(AFB1), aflatoxin B2(AFB2), aflatoxin G1(AFG1), aflatoxin G2(AFG2)) and OTA in infant formulae (milk powders) and cereal baby foods (flours), and (2) assessing the combined cytotoxic effects of AFM1and OTA in an intestine-derived cell line. The HPLC-FLD method, which included a chloroform extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, immunoaffinity column clean-up and fluorescence detection after post-column derivatisation with electrochemically generated bromine, was adequate for the analysis of baby foods and met the requirements of validation and quality control for the studied working ranges. The limits of quantification for AFM1, AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2and OTA were 0.069, 0.032, 0.020, 0.047, 0.020 and 0.244 μg/kg, respectively. The mean recovery values were 96, 114, 112, 107, 101 and 87%, respectively. A dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed for individual and combined AFM1and OTA using the Caco-2 cell line, which represents a site of contact of both mycotoxins in the body, after oral exposure. Interactions between both mycotoxins were disclosed by application of the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) models, revealing the predominance of an antagonistic pattern. In conclusion, this study proposes a HPLC-FLD method for multi-mycotoxin monitoring in baby foods and provides evidence for the interaction between AFM1and OTA, and for the applicability of CA/IA models to predict the effect of mycotoxins mixtures, further contributing to the prevention of mycotoxins-associated adverse health effects.
Global occurrence of mycotoxins in the food and feed chain: facts and figures
Authors: Schatzmayr G. , Streit E.
Published: July 2013

Mycotoxins are ubiquitously present in agricultural commodities, such as cereals and oil seeds. If ingested in sufficiently high concentrations, they exert severe toxic effects in humans and animals. In 2004, a survey programme was launched to assess the extent of mycotoxin contamination in feed and feed raw materials. Since then, over 19,000 samples have been analysed and more than 70,000 individual analyses have been conducted. While it is difficult to infer any long-term trends on a global level, the data confirm that high mycotoxin contamination is often linked to unusual weather. Overall, 72% of the samples contained detectable amounts of aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone or ochratoxin A. Co-contamination with two or more mycotoxins was detected in 38% of the samples. In most cases the concentrations were low enough to ensure compliance with EU guidance values or maximum levels. However, co-contaminated samples with concentrations below guidance and maximum values might still exert adverse effects due to synergistic interactions of the mycotoxins. Emerging mycotoxins and masked mycotoxins may also contribute to the overall toxicity of the feed and their presence is frequently detected with multi-mycotoxin LC-MS/MS. Since by-product feeds, such as distillers dried grain with solubles, often concentrate the mycotoxins of the original substrate, they contribute excessively to the overall contamination of feed rations and therefore need special attention. Regarding food the situation is quite similar: low level contamination is frequently observed in official controls but maximum levels are rarely exceeded in developed countries. As it is very difficult to remove mycotoxins from contaminated commodities, preventing them from accumulation in agricultural commodities is the most effective strategy to combat the problem. Preventive measures range from crop rotation and resistance breeding to inoculation with microbial antagonists. Nevertheless, excessive mycotoxin levels may occur despite all preventive measures. Therefore, continuous monitoring is essential and efficient detoxification strategies are needed to deal with such outbreaks.
Study of the heat transfer during the alkaline treatment in the processing of Spanish Style green table olives
Authors: Tarrado-Castellarnau M. , Domínguez Ortega J. M. , Tarrado-Castellarnau A. , Pleite Gutiérrez R.
Published: July 2013

This article describes for the first time at the industrial level the temperature rise that occurs inside the processing tank during the lye treatment. Relationships between variables that define the lye treatment have been determined from the study of the thermal characteristics of this process. The initial temperature influences other variables of this treatment, such as its duration or the slope of the linear increase of temperature produced. The study estates that this generation of heat can be principally caused by the alkaline hydrolysis reactions that occur in the interior of the fruit and, to a lesser extent, by the dilution of sodium hydroxide solution with water present in the pulp of the olives.
Discrimination of edible olive oils by means of synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy with multivariate data analysis
Authors: Dankowska A. , Małecka M. , Kowalewski W.
Published: July 2013

The potential of fluorescence spectroscopy for the classification of olive oils was investigated. Synchronous fluorescence spectra were collected in the region of 240-700 nm with the wavelength intervals of 10, 30, 60 and 80 nm. Successive projection algorithm (SPA) was applied for the determination of representative wavelengths while the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) method was used to classify olive oils. The classification error of the method was low (0,9-6,4%) for measurements collected at all wavelength intervals. The best classification accuracy was obtained for synchronous fluorescence intensities acquired at 10 selected wavelengths with the wavelength interval equal to 10 nm.
Comparative effect of high pressure processing and traditional thermal treatment on the physicochemical, microbiology, and sensory analysis of olive jam
Authors: Delgado-Adamez J. , Franco M. N. , Sánchez J. , De Miguel C. , Ramírez M. R. , Martín-Vertedor D.
Published: July 2013

In the present work the effect of the processing by high hydrostatic pressures (HPP) was assessed as an alternative to the thermal treatment of pasteurization in olive jam. The effects of both treatments on the product after processing were compared and stability during storage under refrigeration was assessed through the characterization of physicochemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. To assess the effect of processing, two HPP treatments (450 and 600MPa) and thermal pasteurization (80 °C for 20 min) were applied, comparing them with the unprocessed product. HPP 600MPa versus the rest of treatments showed a reduction in microorganisms, greater clarity and less browning, and sensory acceptance. The shelf-life of the refrigerated product would indicate the feasibility of the application of the HPP technology for food with similar shelf-life to that obtained with the traditional treatment of pasteurization, but with a better sensory quality.
Analysis of chicken fat as adulterant in butter using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics
Authors: Nurrulhidayah A. F. , Rohman A. , Amin I. , Shuhaimi M. , Khatib A.
Published: July 2013

Butter may be adulterated with cheaper animal fats, such as chicken fat (CF). Thus, the detection and quantification of butter adulteration with CF was monitored using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometric of partial least square (PLS) at the frequency regions of 1200-1000cm–1. FTIR measurements were made on pure butter and that adulterated with varying concentrations of CF (0-100% w/w in butter). PLS calibration exhibits a good relationship between actual and FTIR predicted values of CF with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.981. The root means standard error of calibration (RMSEC) and during cross validation (RMSECV) obtained using six principal components (PCs) are 2.08 and 4.33% v/v, respectively.
Method for the validation and uncertainty estimation of tocopherol analysis applied to soybean oil with addition of spices and TBHQ
Authors: Da Silva M. G. , Almeida C. A. S. , Miguel A. M. R. O. , Gomide B. H. , Parra E. S.B. , Bragagnolo N.
Published: July 2013

The tocopherol contents of refined soybean oil with the addition of rosemary, oregano, garlic, annatto seeds and TBHQ was evaluated during storage at 25 °C and 35 °C for twelve months, in comparison with a control soybean oil without the antioxidant addition. The method proposed to assess the tocopherol content was validated and the uncertainty estimation was determined. The method presented adequate linearity and precision, accuracy between 93% and 103% and expanded uncertainty of 2%. The contents of α-, γ- and δ-tocopherols of all the tested soybean oils remained constant during the storage at 25 °C and 35 °C regardless of antioxidant addition, while β-tocopherol content decreased. The addition of a mixture of rosemary, oregano, garlic and annatto seeds increased the concentration of γ- and δ-tocopherol. The oil with spices presented a similar behavior to that of the oil with the addition of TBHQ.
Extraction of passion fruit seed oil using supercritical CO2: a study of mass transfer and rheological property by Bayesian inference
Authors: Cardoso de Oliveira R. , Rossi R. M. , Gimenes M. L. , Jagadevan S. , Machado Giufrida W. , Davantel de Barros S. T.
Published: July 2013

The extraction of oil from passion fruit seeds using supercritical CO2 was studied. Experimental data were obtained for extraction conducted at 15, 20 and 25 MPa; at temperatures of 40 and 50 °C with CO2 flow rates of 1.5 and 3.0 mL min–1. An increase in the pressure, temperature and CO2 flow rate increased the yield. The maximum extraction yield obtained was 18.5%. The mass transfer coefficients for passion fruit oil were found to be 8.496 3 10-5 s-1 at 25 MPa, 50 °C and 3 mL s–1 CO2 flow rate. Dilatant fluid behavior was observed in all tests of the rheological study.
A novel process for the aqueous extraction of oil from Camellia oleifera seed and its antioxidant activity
Authors: Yu X. , Li Q. , Du S. , Zhang R. , Xu C.
Published: July 2013

Aqueous extraction is a promising green alternative to hexane extraction. This study used a salt effect-aided aqueous extraction process (AEP-SE) for extracting Camellia oleifera seed oil (COSO) to improve oil extractability and avoid emulsification in the aqueous system. The highest oil extractability rate of 88.8% was obtained under 1.48 mol L–1 sodium carbonate, a solution-to-flour ratio of 3.85, and 3.23h of extraction time with the quality of the aqueous system-extracted oil being similar to those of a commercial sample of COSO and hexane-extracted oil in terms of color, iodine value and saponifcation value, although its moisture content was higher. Furthermore, the free fatty acid content of the aqueous system-extracted oil was lower than that of the solvent-extracted oil. The values of the inibihitory concentration at 50% of oil obtained by AEP-SE and organic solvent extraction as measured by DPPH scavenging activity essay, were 2.27 mg/mL and 3.31 mg/mL. AEP-SE is therefore a promising environmentally friendly method for the large-scale preparation of COSO.
An AS-PCR assay for accurate genotyping of FAD2A/FAD2B genes in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Yu H. T. , Yang W. Q. , Tang Y. Y. , Wang X. Z. , Wu Q. , Hu D. Q. , Wang C. T. , Yu S. L.
Published: July 2013

FAD2A and FAD2B are homoeologous genes from A and B genomes in cultivated peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) encoding fatty acid desaturates which convert oleate to linoleate. To study the genetics of oleate and breed high oleate peanut cultivars, a simple allele specific-PCR (AS-PCR) protocol for the accurate genotyping of FAD2A/FAD2B was developed to discriminate the wild and mutant allele of both genes (FAD2A 448 G > A and FAD2B 441_442insA). The results may serve to develop a feasible procedure for producing highly desired high oleate peanut cultivars through hybridization.
Determination of the characteristic sensory profiles of Aloreña table-olive
Authors: Galán-Soldevilla H. , Ruiz Pérez-Cacho P. , Hernández Campuzano J. A.
Published: July 2013

Aloreña olives are unique to and typical of the Guadalhorce region (Málaga, Spain). They possess some specific characteristics which make them an excellent product that is differentiated from the other olive varieties. The sensory profile technique was used to study the sensory attributes which best characterize the three processing styles of Aloreña table-olives. The characteristic descriptors are identified according to the round-table method and multivariate analysis. Sensory profile data obtained were analyzed using a mix of Nested Design ANOVA and Factorial ANOVA and by a canonical analysis. The effect of the factor processing style was significant only for three descriptors: fruit odor, bitter taste and firmness (p < 0.05) whereas the effect of the samples nested in each processing style was significant for all the attributes (p < 0.001). Duncan’s post hoc test and the canonical analysis showed that all samples were different within each processing style.
Pour un didacticiel multimédia de langues : positionnements technologique et méthodologique, mise en œuvre d’activités métalinguistiques d’apprentissage
Authors: Toma Antoine
Published: July 2013

Il apparaît indispensable à l’enseignant qui souhaiterait utiliser ou créer un didacticiel multimédia de langues de commencer par relier de manière très précise les possibilités offertes par les différents produits existants avec les besoins spécifiques de son cadre didactique. Il lui faut pour cela acquérir une compétence technologique suffisante pour pouvoir évaluer les conditions de mise en œuvre de l’ensemble des fonctionnalités proposées par le multimédia aujourd’hui, et aussi prendre le recul épistémologique nécessaire au positionnement méthodologique le plus approprié. L’exemple de positionnement donné ici exploite une instance originale de mise en discours de l’anglais en vue d’une didactisation basée non pas sur l’acquisition de données lexicales ou syntaxiques, mais sur la mise en œuvre d’activités métalinguistiques d’apprentissage utiles à la compréhension orale, à la production orale et à l’expression écrite et orale. Le message s’inscrivant dans un moment historique et dans un espace culturel donné, la démarche onomasiologique du didacticien va le conduire à émettre des hypothèses sur les conditions de réception et d’interprétation du contenu informationnel véhiculé. Le positionnement sémasiologique de l’apprenant lui donnera comme objectif de repérer ce contenu vis-à-vis du macrotexte qui le domine, en mobilisant, par le biais d’opérations cognitives familières que la didactisation lui propose, les données linguistiques et extralinguistiques propres à l’espace mental qu’il s’est progressivement constitué.
A financeirização do circuito imobiliário como rearranjo escalar do processo de urbanização
Authors: Sanfelici Daniel de Mello
Published: July 2013

Nos últimos cinco a dez anos, o setor imobiliário residencial no Brasil registrou uma expansão extraordinária em termos de lançamentos e vendas. Essa expansão, que vem transformando rapidamente as metrópoles brasileiras, foi impelida por um entrelaçamento sem precedentes do sistema financeiro com o circuito de produção e consumo do ambiente construído urbano no país. Na esteira desse fenômeno, muitos autores vêm tentando interpretar essas transformações à luz do movimento de financeirização da economia, como uma expressão do poder redobrado dos investidores financeiros em obter rendimentos com a transformação do espaço urbano. Esse trabalho pretende contribuir para esse debate em curso argumentando que o processo de financeirização, que nos últimos anos atingiu os negócios imobiliários no Brasil, produziu um reordenamento dos vínculos entre as escalas geográficas. A primeira parte do trabalho dedica-se, assim, a proporcionar uma visão panorâmica das transformações ocorridas nos negócios imobiliários como fruto da articulação com o sistema financeiro. Na segunda parte, apoiando-nos em uma gama de entrevistas realizadas entre 2011 e 2012 e em levantamentos de dados sobre o setor em questão, procuramos colocar em destaque as formas de articulação entre agentes situados em diferentes escalas socioespaciais. Nesse movimento, a articulação entre a escala global e a escala nacional é ilustrada pela necessidade das incorporadoras de tornarem suas atividades mais “transparentes” a fim de que seus papéis possam ser agregados ao portfólio de grandes investidores institucionais estrangeiros. Os vínculos entre a escala nacional e a local, por sua vez, são examinados como fruto do estabelecimento de parcerias entre as grandes incorporadoras financeirizadas e construtoras/incorporadoras pequenas e médias regionais. Em ambos os casos, procuramos colocar em evidência os desencontros e as tensões que resultam da aproximação de agentes expressivos de lógicas espaço-temporais díspares, demonstrando que a escala geográfica, longe de ser uma dimensão estanque do processo social, é produzida e transformada socialmente e, enquanto tal, internaliza tensões e contradições sociais. O trabalho realça, em sua conclusão, a importância da construção de nexos escalares para a reprodução do poder das finanças na atualidade.
Towards Building Efficient Malware Detection Engines Using Hybrid CPU/GPU-Accelerated Approaches
Authors: Pungila Ciprian , Negru Viorel
Published: July 2013

This chapter presents an outline of the challenges involved in constructing efficient malware detection engines using hybrid CPU/GPU-accelerated architectures and discusses how one can overcome such challenges. Starting with a general problem description for malware detection and moving on to the algorithmic background involved for solving it, the authors present a review of the existing approaches for detecting malware and discuss how such approaches may be improved through GPU-accelerated processing. They describe and discuss several hybrid hardware architectures built for detecting malicious software and outline the particular characteristics of each, separately, followed by a debate on their performance and most suitable application in real-world environments. Finally, the authors tackle the problem of performing real-time malware detection and present the most important aspects that need to be taken into account in intrusion detection systems.