bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of dropout in weight loss interventions: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Moroshko I. , Brennan L. , O'Brien P.
Published: August 2011

Attendance and completion of weight loss intervention is associated with better weight loss outcomes; however, attrition is neither consistently reported nor comprehensively explored in the weight loss literature. A systematic review was undertaken to identify factors associated with attrition in weight loss interventions involving overweight or obese (body mass index ≥ 25) adults (18–65 years). Sixty‐one studies published before May 2011 and addressing factors associated with weight loss programme attrition were identified. Conclusions were limited by the large number of variables explored, the small number of studies exploring each variable, the large variety of study settings and methodologies used, the inconsistent reporting of results, and the conflicting findings across studies. A consistent set of predictors has not yet been identified. The majority of studies relied on pre‐treatment routinely collected data rather than variables selected because of their theoretical and/or empirical relationship with attrition. However, psychological and behavioural patient factors and processes associated with the treatment were more commonly associated with attrition than patient background characteristics. Future research should consider theoretically grounded social–psychological and behavioural processes as potential predictors of dropout. Identification of patients at risk of dropout will contribute to both the effectiveness and the cost‐effectiveness of weight loss interventions.
A Lineal City in the Pampas: Politics, Materialization and Revolution in Wladimiro Acosta's Vision for Buenos Aires
Authors: Minuchin Leandro
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Critics of modern architectural utopias have referred to the notions of construction and politics as irreconcilable elements of an unsurpassable antinomy. By studying Wladimiro Acosta's attempt to interrupt the unfolding of the capitalist urban process in Buenos Aires through an integral revision of the Spanish block, I explore the political potential embedded in the instance of materialization and highlight construction's involvement in the transformation of the prevailing forms of urban appearance. I argue that Acosta's proposal for a lineal city contains important theoretical and architectural reflections on how to conceive construction as a constitutive element of urban politics. In a contemporary urban scenario, where the production of the city's material and infrastructural landscape seems increasingly detached from democratic control, revisiting historical examples that position the notions of construction and emancipation as part of a single political prism may prove to be indispensable.
“Mongrel City”: Cosmopolitan Neighbourliness in a Delhi Squatter Settlement
Authors: Datta Ayona
Published: August 2011

Abstract: This paper examines the construction of a “cosmopolitan neighbourliness” which emerges in a Delhi squatter settlement in the context of communal violence. Through interviews with over 80 inhabitants, I suggest that an openness to “others” in the settlement is produced in order to construct a home for oneself in an exclusionary city through a series of relational constructs—between the “cosmopolitan” city and the “parochial” village; between the “murderous” city and the “compassionate” slum; between the exclusionary urban public sphere and the “inclusive” neighbourhood sphere. The squatter settlement is internalised as a microcosm of a “mongrel city”, a place which through its set of oppositional constructs becomes inherently “urban”. “Cosmopolitan neighbourliness”, however, remains fragile and gendered. It is a continuous strategic practice that attempts to bridge across differences of caste and religion through gendered performances that avert and discourage communal violence even when the city becomes murderous.
ON THE IMMORALITY OF THREATENING
Authors: Anderson Scott A.
Published: August 2011

A plausible explanation of the wrongfulness of threatening, advanced most explicitly by Mitchell Berman, is that the wrongfulness of threatening derives from the wrongfulness of the act threatened. This essay argues that this explanation is inadequate. We can learn something important about the wrongfulness of threatening (with implications for thinking about coercion) by comparing credible threats to some other claims of impending harm. A credible bluff threat to do harm is likely to be more and differently wrongful than making intentionally false warnings about other sources of harm. This essay surveys some examples to secure this point, shows that Berman's moralized account of their wrongfulness is wanting, and offers the outline of an approach better suited to explain the wrongfulness of threatening.
A META‐DESCRIPTIVIST THEORY OF PROPER NAMES
Authors: Costa Claudio F.
Published: August 2011

This paper proposes a new, stronger version of the cluster theory of proper names. It introduces a meta‐identifying rule that can establish a cluster's main descriptions and explain how they must be satisfied in order to allow the application of a proper name. At the same time, it preserves some main insights of the causal‐historical view. With the resulting rule we can not only give a more detailed reply to the counter‐examples to descriptivism, but also explain the informative contents of proper names and why they are rigid designators in contrast with descriptions.
DO WE SENSE MODALITIES WITH OUR SENSE MODALITIES?1
Authors: Nanay Bence
Published: August 2011

It has been widely assumed that we do not perceive dispositional properties. I argue that there are two ways of interpreting this assumption. On the first, extensional, interpretation whether we perceive dispositions depends on a complex set of metaphysical commitments. But if we interpret the claim in the second, intensional, way, then we have no reason to suppose that we do not perceive dispositional properties. The two most important and influential arguments to the contrary fail.
A Police Authority—the Denial of Conflict
Authors: Brogden M.
Published: August 2011

‘I'm sorry you're not satisfied. We like to co-operate, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll call an early meeting of the Watch Committee and put you on the agenda.’

‘That would be kind of you.’

Matlock had halted as he left. ‘Do you remember a time, Chief Constable, when Watch Committees gave instructions to the police?’

(Dick Morland: Heart Clock, N.E.L. Science Fiction, 1973)
Business Ownership and Women's Subordination: A Preliminary Study of Female Proprietors
Authors: Goffee Robert , Scase Richard
Published: August 2011

Over recent years some sociological attention has been devoted to the position of women in the labour market and in the domestic sphere. However, the study of women as business proprietors has been almost entirely neglected.1 This is a serious omission because the ownership of small businesses could become an increasingly important area for female economic achievement within ‘no-growth’ industrial economies.2 Further, as trends in the United States would suggest, female proprietorship may have important implications for developments within the women's movement.3 On the basis of interviews with a small number of women business owners, we explore the personal motives for and consequences of proprietorship. We suggest that although women may be compared to many other subordinate groups in their expectations of the gains to be derived from proprietorship they encounter, as women, quite distinct experiences and difficulties. Business ownership, then, does not offer a straightforward solution to women's subordination. Further, claims that female proprietorship merely incorporates a minority of women to the disregard of the majority appears, on the basis of our evidence, to be misleading.
FROM SECOND HOME TO PRIMARY RESIDENCE: MIGRATION TOWARDS RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES IN SWEDEN 1991–2005
Authors: MÜLLER DIETER K. , MARJAVAARA ROGER
Published: August 2011

Second homes are at the nexus of tourism and migration. Previous research has demonstrated that second homes are important domiciles after retirement. Nevertheless, few studies have addressed this issue specifically. Many households claim that they would use their second homes more often, and some even state that they would convert these homes into their new permanent homes. While this is a known phenomenon, its geographical outcome is rather unknown. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the conversion of second homes into primary residences. This is done with respect to timing and geographical patterns. A geo‐referenced longitudinal population database allows for identifying converted properties and linking them to information of their owners' households. This facilitates a discussion regarding the impact of conversions on planning and service provision in host communities, too. The analysis refers to the time period from 1991 to 2005.
FLEXIBILITY IN PLACE AND MEANINGS OF PLACE BY FIRST GENERATION MIGRANTS
Authors: POWELL MARK , RISHBETH CLARE
Published: August 2011

The Walking Voices research project investigates the experience and perception of local places of first generation migrants. Two key themes are addressed: the scope of the outdoor environment to support a sense of belonging to new places, and how choices and values enacted in the public realm might reflect changing transnational identities. The fieldwork focused on one neighbourhood in Sheffield, UK, and engaged participants from five different countries of origin in self‐recorded audio techniques. Analysis of narratives revealed a process of engagement with the strange and familiar in everyday places, and that emotional qualities of place attachment can be strengthened by the recognition of transnational links. The visibility of activities and interactions in outdoor places was useful both for the learning of everyday skills, and for modelling diverse cultures within the neighbourhood. We suggest that the representational qualities of place both reflect and shape transnational identities, and perceptions of these inform choices of engagement or disassociation.
MONEY, SOCIAL STATUS AND ENDOGENOUS GROWTH IN A GENERALIZED CASH‐IN‐ADVANCE MODEL
Authors: CHEN HUNG‐JU , GUO JANG‐TING
Published: August 2011

This paper analytically examines the equilibrium growth effect of money/inflation in a standard one‐sector AK model of endogenous growth with the most generalized cash‐in‐advance constraint and relative wealth‐induced preferences for social status. We show that on the economy's unique balanced growth equilibrium path, the sign of the correlation between money and output growth depends crucially on: (i) the intertemporal elasticity of substitution in consumption; and (ii) the liquidity‐constrained ratio of consumption to investment expenditure. Moreover, our model economy always exhibits a positive output–growth effect in response to changes of the strength for social status. We also undertake numerical experiments to assess the quantitative importance of our theoretical results under an empirically plausible set of parameters.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND POLICIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Authors: CHOW GREGORY C.
Published: August 2011

This article explains how economic analysis can be applied to understand environmental problems and to suggest appropriate policies to deal with these problems. Economic analysis is performed using static and dynamic models, and one‐person and several‐person game theoretical models. Policy recommendations include the control of industrial pollution in China and the regulation of world CO2 emission through the application of a resolution by the United Nations.
EXTERNAL ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND OPTIMAL PLANT LOCATION: CORRECTION
Authors: HWANG HONG , MAI CHAO‐CHENG , SHIEH YEUNG‐NAN
Published: August 2011

This note shows that there is no interior solution in Mai and Hwang's oligopolistic location model with free entry when the sum of external economies scale and the degree of returns‐to‐scale is one or less than one. Furthermore, the shape of the demand function plays a key role in the determination of the oligopolistic firm's plant location.
Efficacy, safety and tolerability of rasagiline as adjunctive therapy in elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Tolosa E. , Stern M. B.
Published: August 2011

Background:  Rasagiline, an MAO‐B inhibitor, is indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this post hoc analysis, the efficacy, safety and tolerability of rasagiline as an adjunct to levodopa were compared with placebo in elderly (≥70 years) and younger (<70 years) patients with PD.

Methods:  Data were pooled from the Parkinson’s Rasagiline: Efficacy and Safety on the Treatment of ‘OFF’ and Lasting effect in Adjunct therapy with Rasagiline Given Once daily randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials with the primary efficacy end‐point being the reduction from baseline in daily OFF time. Secondary efficacy end‐points included scores for Clinical Global Improvement (CGI)‐Examiner during ON time, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)‐ADL during OFF time, UPDRS‐Motor during ON time and total daily ON time with and without troublesome dyskinesia. Tolerability was evaluated from adverse events (AEs) in the two age groups.

Results:  Rasagiline decreased daily OFF time versus placebo (P < 0.01) and improved CGI‐Examiner score (P = 0.001) and UPDRS‐Motor ON score (P < 0.05). Changes in UPDRS‐ADL OFF score and total daily ON time without dyskinesia also favoured rasagiline but were not significant. Between‐group comparisons (≥70 vs. <70 years) showed that efficacy was unaffected by age for all end‐points (P > 0.1), and rasagiline was well tolerated amongst both groups of patients with a comparable incidence of total and dopaminergic AEs (P > 0.1).

Conclusions:  Adjunct rasagiline is efficacious and well tolerated in elderly non‐demented patients (≥70 years) with moderate to advanced PD. Confirmation of the efficacy and safety of rasagiline in the elderly patient subgroup is especially relevant because of the increasing number of elderly patients with PD.
Tristis Amor: an unpublished verse love letter from Lady Elizabeth Dacre Howard to Sir Anthony Cooke
Authors: TREHARNE ELAINE
Published: August 2011

This article brings to light a previously unknown Latin epistolary love poem, written by Lady Elizabeth Dacre‐Howard, third wife of the fourth Duke of Norfolk, and addressed to Sir Anthony Cooke, tutor to Edward VI, and father of the Cooke sisters. Its physical context contained within Elizabeth Dacre's 1561 Thynne edition of Chaucer demonstrates a Catholic woman's ownership of Chaucer's works, but also indicates the private nature of the verse. The poem references Ovid's Heroides, Valerius Maximus, and contains an explicit Martial epigram, highlighting Dacre's classical education; it is thus no surprise that she writes in Latin, even though contemporary women seem rarely to do so. The rhetorical skill and tenderness of tone suggest a woman lamenting an absent lover, here, unusually, named as Anthony Cooke. Whether this poem represents a real love affair or an exercise in composition, it heralds a new author in the history of English women's literature – a female author who knew her own mind and was herself the mother of remarkable Catholic noblewomen and thence a major aristocratic dynasty.
Residual periodontal pockets are a risk indicator for peri‐implantitis in patients treated for periodontitis
Authors: Cho‐Yan Lee Joseph , Mattheos Nikos , Nixon Kenneth Charles , Ivanovski Saso
Published: August 2011

Objectives

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical outcomes of implant treatment in periodontally compromised and periodontally healthy patients (PHP), with a minimum follow‐up period of 5 years.

Methods

Thirty treated periodontally compromised patients (PCP) and 30 PHP, with a total of 117 Straumann implants (PCP = 56, PHP = 61) were matched for age, gender, smoking and implant characteristics. The PCP group was further stratified with patients having at least one periodontal pocket ≥6 mm at follow‐up examination allocated to a “residual periodontitis” (RP) group, while the remaining patients were assigned to a “no residual periodontitis” (NRP) group. These groups were compared with respect to probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP) and marginal bone loss.

Results

The mean follow‐up period in the PCP and PHP groups was 7.99 years (range 5.04–14.40) and 8.20 years (range 5.00–13.46) respectively. There was no difference in mean PPD between the PCP and PHP groups, but the prevalence of implants with PPD ≥5 mm + BOP was greater in the PCP group than in the PHP group, at both implant‐ (27% vs. 13%) and patient‐ (37% vs. 17%) level analyses. Mean implant PPD was significantly greater in the RP group (3.18 mm) than in both the NRP (2.67 mm) and PHP (2.81 mm) groups. Mean bone loss was also significantly greater in the RP group (0.68 mm) than in the NRP (0.23 mm) and PHP groups (0.26 mm). The prevalence of bone loss and PPD ≥5 mm + BOP at the implant level was significantly greater for the RP group compared with both the NRP and PHP groups.

Conclusions

Implants in PCP with residual pocketing at follow‐up had increased PPD and bone loss compared with implants placed in PHP and PCP without residual pocketing. Hence, it is the maintenance of periodontal health rather than a previous history of periodontitis that is the critical determinant of increased risk of peri‐implantitis, highlighting the importance of effective periodontal therapy and maintenance in patients with a history of periodontitis.
THE POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AN INSTRUMENTALIST AGE
Authors: Higgins Chris
Published: August 2011

In our increasingly instrumentalist culture, debates over the privatization of schooling may be beside the point. Whether we hatch some new plan for chartering or funding schools, or retain the traditional model of government‐run schools, the ongoing instrumentalization of education threatens the very possibility of public education. Indeed, in the culture of performativity, not only the public school but public life itself is hollowed out and debased. Qualities are recast as quantities, judgments replaced by rubrics, teaching and learning turned into exchange values. Schools should be central to public life: key locations for the regeneration of values, the cultivation of judgment, and the creation of the conditions for positive freedom. In this article Chris Higgins, drawing on Hannah Arendt and Alasdair MacIntyre, goes beyond typical treatments of the schools as equalizer of individual opportunity to explore three aspects of educational publicity: the school as an object of communal concern, schooling as preparation for public life, and the classroom as public space.
ACHIEVING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Authors: Abowitz Kathleen Knight
Published: August 2011

Public schools are functionally provided through structural arrangements such as government funding, but public schools are achieved in substance, in part, through local governance. In this essay, Kathleen Knight Abowitz explains the bifocal nature of achieving public schools; that is, that schools are both subject to the unitary Public compact of constitutional principles as well as to the more local engagements with multiple publics. Knight Abowitz sketches this bifocal nature, exploring both the unitary ideal and its parameters, as well as the less understood forms of multiple, organic publics that come into being in response to localized problems in schools or districts. These publics often fail to realize their potential in the development of increased capacity for enhanced teaching and learning. The essay ultimately points to a practical application: that educational leadership of all types, and with some very specific kinds of habits and skills, is needed to help achieve public schools.
POWER AND TRUST IN THE PUBLIC REALM: JOHN DEWEY, SAUL ALINSKY, AND THE LIMITS OF PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION
Authors: Schutz Aaron
Published: August 2011

Throughout the twentieth century, middle‐class progressives embraced visions of democracy rooted in their relatively privileged life experiences. Progressive educators developed pedagogies designed to nurture the individual voice within egalitarian classrooms, assuming that collective action in the public realm could be modeled on the relatively safe small‐group interactions they were familiar with in their families, schools, and associations. Partly as a result, they remained blind to (and often denigrated) the democratic aspects of working‐class organizations, such as unions and community action groups, which found strength in solidarity. In this article Aaron Schutz argues that progressives must integrate into their models the often brutal lessons about power learned by those with less privilege. Until they do so, their approaches to democratic education will continue to have limited capacity to support social transformation and empowerment in the world as it is.
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine examiner peer review process: Development and implementation
Authors: Yuen Allen , Rogers Ian R , Hazell Wayne
Published: August 2011

Introduction: In 2005, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine set out to refine the selection, training and development of examiners. Part of this included development of an examiner peer review process.

Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to observe examiners and seek their opinions on optimal oral examiner techniques, qualities and behaviours, and additionally, to describe how this information was utilized to develop an examiner peer review process.

Methods: A qualitative stepwise method was utilized. This began with development of a list of examiner behaviours based on our direct observation of examiners. This was supplemented by a literature search to develop an examiner technique checklist. The checklist items were then put to the Court of Examiners to be rated on a scale of 1–10 for their perceived importance. A modified Delphi technique was utilized to further develop this checklist as an examiner peer review form with behavioural descriptors.

Result: An assessment form was developed with similarly themed items grouped together. This form can now be used as the basis for regular feedback to examiners by appointed senior examiners during a peer review process.

Conclusion: The present article describes the development of a list of optimal examiner attributes, followed by implementation of an examiner peer review process. The authors recommend examiner peer review for high‐stakes examinations.
Up-regulation of VEGF by Small Activator RNA in Human Corpus Cavernosum Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Chen Ruibao , Wang Tao , Rao Ke , Yang Jun , Zhang Shilin , Wang Shaogang , Liu Jihong , Ye Zhangqun
Published: August 2011

Introduction

Functional failure of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells in corpus cavernosum contributes to erectile dysfunction (ED) in aging men. Given that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may improve the function of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells through different mechanisms, it is thus expected that increasing the expression of VEGF may have beneficial effects on erectile function.

Aim

The aim of this article is to explore the possibility that VEGF can be induced by ribonucleic acid activation (RNAa) technology, and VEGF induction by RNAa has the potential of treating ED.

Methods

Primary human corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) were isolated and cultured in vitro. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin was detected by immunohistochemistry to identify CCSMCs. A previously identified VEGF promoter-targeted small activator RNA (saRNA, double-stranded [ds]VEGF-706) and a negative control dsRNA were chemically synthesized. Cultured human CCSMCs were transfected with the saRNAs. The expression of VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in transfected CCSMCs was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting assay, respectively. Immunofluorescent staining was also used to confirm VEGF protein expression in cultured CCSMCs.

Main Outcome Measure

The expression of VEGF was assessed by RT quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence assays.

Results

After transfection, RT quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of VEGF mRNA was significantly induced in dsVEGF-706 transfected cells compared with cells receiving control treatments (P < 0.05). Consistent with mRNA induction, Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis showed that VEGF protein expression was also induced by dsVEGF-706.

Conclusion

VEGF expression can be activated by RNAa in primary human CCSMCs, suggesting a potential application of RNAa-mediated VEGF activation for the treatment of ED.
Monitoring for and preventing the long‐term sequelae of bariatric surgery
Authors: Thomas Carol Michelle , Morritt Taub Leslie‐Faith
Published: August 2011

Purpose: To present a case study of a patient with multiple comorbid diseases who undergoes bariatric surgery.

Data sources: Recent clinical and research articles, bariatric professional society guidelines, and government sources were culled to provide recommendations for the care of the person who chooses bariatric surgery as the treatment for the comorbid conditions of obesity, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

Conclusions: As surgical management of obesity becomes more prevalent in an attempt to improve health‐related quality of life, reduce mortality, and address the comorbidities that are prevalent in this population, nurse practitioners (NPs) need to understand what long‐term management these patients will require.

Implications for practice: NPs are primary care providers for patients with chronic diseases. It is likely that they will make referrals for this surgery and follow the patient after the procedure at some point. Knowledge of what the procedures involve, what changes to expect in the comorbid conditions, and what long‐term monitoring and treatment should take place in the care of these patients will provide these patients with optimal care.
Variability and context specificity of narwhal (Monodon monoceros) whistles and pulsed calls
Authors: Marcoux Marianne , Auger‐Méthé Marie , Humphries Murray M.
Published: August 2011

Abstract

The behavioral and environmental context of animal calls provides insights into their functions. Narwhals are a highly vocal species and, like other social cetaceans, rely on acoustic signals to communicate. We characterize and categorize narwhal whistles and pulsed calls, as well as investigate variation in these calls under different contexts (behavior, herd, and year) using recordings made during the month of August 2006–2008, in Koluktoo Bay (72°04′N, 80°32′W). We detected similarities among whistles but not pulsed calls that were produced under a similar behavioral context. Both whistles and pulsed calls recorded within the same herd were more similar than whistles and pulsed calls recorded within different herds. We did not find any type of whistle to be associated with a specific behavior although some acoustical features might be behavior specific. Both whistles and pulsed calls show properties that are consistent with the hypothesis that narwhals produce group‐ or individual‐specific calls.
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in multiple tissues of wild and captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) off the California coast
Authors: Germain Leslie R. , McCarthy Matthew D. , Koch Paul L. , Harvey James T.
Published: August 2011

Abstract

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of serum, red blood cells (RBC), muscle, and blubber were measured in captive and wild northeast Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) at three coastal California sites (San Francisco Bay, Tomales Bay, and Channel Islands). Trophic discrimination factors (ΔTissue‐Diet) were calculated for captive seals and then applied in wild counterparts in each habitat to estimate trophic position and feeding behavior. Trophic discrimination factors for δ15N of serum (+3.8‰), lipid‐extracted muscle (+1.6‰), and lipid‐blubber (+6.5‰) are proposed to determine trophic position. An offset between RBC and serum of +0.3‰ for δ13C and −0.6‰ for δ15N was observed, which is consistent with previous research. Specifically, weaner seals (<1 yr) had large offsets, suggesting strong trophic position shifts during this life stage. Isotopic values indicated an average trophic position of 3.6 at both San Francisco Bay and Tomales Bay and 4.2 at Channel Islands. Isotopic means were strongly dependent on age class and also suggested that mean diet composition varies considerably between all locations. Together, these data indicate that isotopic composition of blood fractions can be an effective approach to estimate trophic position and dietary behavior in wild pinnipeds.
Development of a Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFA) Strip for the Rapid Detection of 1‐Aminohydantoin in Meat Samples
Authors: Tang Yong , Xu Xialing , Liu Xi , Huang Xiaoming , Chen Yaoqiang , Wang WuZhou , Xiang Junjian
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Due to the potential toxic effects of the nitrofuran family of antibiotics, their use in animals in the food industry has raised health concerns. This study was aimed to develop a lateral flow assay (LFA) based on competitive format for the detection of 1‐aminohydantoin (AHD) in meat samples. The assay could be completed in 1 min and detected AHDs derivates (CPAHD) at 3 ng/mL, equivalent to 1.40 ng/mL of AHD, which was much lower than that reported in the literature by similar method. The antibody showed no cross‐reactivity with a panel of more than 10 nitrofuran analogs except for nitrofurantoin at a high concentration. The test strip was stable at room temperature for up to 8 wk or at 37 °C for 4 wk. Parallel analyses of meat samples with LFA and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) obtained data in good agreement. This developed gold nanoparticle based LFA had a good specificity, sensitivity, stability, and reliability. It was potentially suitable for on‐the‐spot large‐scale screening of meat samples, and even more other applications.

Practical Application:  Nitrofurantoin is one of antibiotics of the nitrofuran family, which has been used not only to prevent and treat diseases, but also to promote growth in animals. However, concerning the carcinogenicity of the metabolite of nitrofurantoin (AHD), a new fast and convenient method for monitoring AHD should be established. We describe the development of a new test assay for rapid screening of meat samples.
Survival of Salmonella Typhi and Shigella dysenteriae in Dehydrated Infant Formula
Authors: Day James B. , Sharma Devang , Siddique Nusrat , Hao Yun‐Yun D. , Strain Errol A. , Blodgett Robert J. , Al‐Khaldi Sufian F.
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Powdered infant formula has previously been linked to the transmission of various bacterial pathogens in infants resulting in life‐threatening disease and death. Survival studies of 2 common foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Shigella dysenteriae, in powdered infant formula have not been previously studied despite the potentially devastating consequences from ingestion of these organisms, particularly by newborns, in case of a natural or deliberate contamination event. Therefore, to better predict the risk of S. Typhi and S. dysenteriae infection from consumption of infant formula, the present study was undertaken to determine survival of these microorganisms in dry infant formula under varying atmospheric conditions. A 2‐strain cocktail of S. Typhi and a 3‐strain cocktail of S. dysenteriae were stored for up to 12 wk in dehydrated infant formula in an ambient air or nitrogen atmosphere. Viable counts of S. Typhi at 12 wk in infant formula revealed a 2.9‐ and 1.69‐log decrease in ambient air and nitrogen atmosphere, respectively. Viable counts of S. dysenteriae at 12 wk in infant formula revealed a 0.81‐ and 0.42‐log decrease in ambient air and nitrogen atmosphere, respectively. These results show that S. Typhi and S. dysenteriae can remain viable for prolonged periods of time in powdered infant formula, and the presence of nitrogen enhances survival.

Practical Application:   Our goal in this work was to study the survival of S. Typhi and S. dysenteriae in dehydrated storage conditions in infant formula. This interest is partially generated by the possibility of using these 2 microorganisms to deliberately contaminate the food supply. The outcome of this study will help us to have a better idea how to respond and react to the risk of deliberate food contamination.
Prolonging the Viability of Lactobacillus plantarum through the Addition of Prebiotics into the Medium
Authors: Altieri Clelia , Bevilacqua Antonio , Sinigaglia Milena
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  This article reports on the effects of prebiotics on the growth/death kinetics, metabolism, and biomass production by 2 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (c19 and DSMZ 2601, isolated from table olives and purchased from a Public Collection, respectively). The research was divided into 3 different steps, in order to highlight the optimal combination for cell viability and experiments were performed under the conditions of an accelerated shelf life test; thus, 3 combinations were pointed out (fructooligosaccharides [FOS], 5 g/L; glucose + inulin, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L; glucose + FOS, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L). A sample containing only glucose was used as control. The results highlighted that the 3 combinations aforementioned prolonged cell viability over the time both under low and high inoculum conditions (3 and 9 log CFU/mL, respectively); however, FOS alone caused a reduction of biomass production, even if cell number was not affected by this compound. Therefore, as a final result of this research, the combination glucose + FOS could be proposed as a suitable mean to achieve an optimal production of biomass and prolong cell viability over the time.

Practical Application:  Food producers require a prolonged viability of probiotic bacteria in functional foods; this goal is usually achieved by refrigeration. In this article, the prolongation of cell viability through the addition of prebiotics was proposed.
The Effect of Calcinated Calcium and Chlorine Treatments on Escherichia coli O157:H7 87–23 Population Reduction in Radish Sprouts
Authors: Fransisca Lilia , Zhou Bin , Park Heekyung , Feng Hao
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  The effect of calcinated calcium spray on Escherichia coli O157:H7 87–23 population reduction during radish sprout production was studied. Artificially inoculated radish seeds were soaked in sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solutions (200 and 20000 ppm), rinsed in distilled water, and sprayed with water or a calcinated calcium solution during sprouting. Microbial plate count was obtained at each step of the process and germination rate was determined after 72 h of sprouting. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was done on treated seeds and sprouts to locate which parts were populated by the E. coli cells. The results showed that the active compound in the calcinated calcium was calcium oxide. The treatment of 200 ppm NaOCl soaking followed by 0.04% calcinated calcium spray resulted in no microbial growth after a 72‐h sprouting, while maintaining a high germination rate. The 0.4% calcinated calcium spray significantly reduced the germination rate and is therefore not recommended. Soaking the seeds in a 20000 ppm chlorine solution achieved the highest E. coli count reduction (1.65 log CFU/g). However, the E. coli cells that survived the 20000 ppm chlorine soak grew to 6 log CFU/g sprouts after a 72‐h sprouting, significantly higher than the initial count on the seeds. The SEM microimages showed that the bacteria were mostly located in the roots of the radish sprouts and all across the seed surface. The E. coli O157:H7 87–23 cells appeared to be located in biofilms or embedded into the radish sprout tissues during sprouting.

Practical Application:  The seed sanitation treatment with 20000 ppm chlorine solution that is currently used by the sprout industry was once again found to be ineffective in eliminating inoculated pathogenic cells. More importantly, the remaining cells that have survived the chlorine wash would grow during sprouting to reach an alarmingly high cell concentration. The new observation of E. coli cells and sprout tissue interaction manifested as embedding of the cells in sprout tissues, if confirmed, will have a significant impact on the microbial safety intervention strategies used in the sprout industry. This research demonstrated the importance of eliminating all pathogens on the seeds before germination and sprouting.
Lipid and Cholesterol Oxidation in Chicken Meat Are Inhibited by Sage but Not by Garlic
Authors: Mariutti Lilian Regina Barros , Nogueira Gislaine Chrystina , Bragagnolo Neura
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  The effects of the addition of sage and garlic in chicken meat on lipid and cholesterol oxidation, having as prooxidant factors the addition of salt, thermal treatment, and frozen storage, were evaluated. The content of unsaturated fatty acids did not change in the presence of sage; on the contrary, with garlic, the content of these fatty acids decreased after cooking and storage. Hexanal and pentanal contents were lower in patties containing sage, and higher in those with garlic. The 7‐ketocholesterol was the cholesterol oxide found in higher amount in raw chicken on day 0, while the formation of 7β‐ and 7α‐hydroxycholesterol was verified only from day 30 on. Cooking and storage resulted in increase of total cholesterol oxides and decrease of α‐ and γ‐tocopherol. Sage was effective in controlling lipid and cholesterol oxidation, minimizing the prooxidant effects of salt, cooking, and storage. However, garlic presented no effect as antioxidant and accelerated lipid oxidation.

Practical Application:  The addition of sage to chicken meat (0.1 g/100 g) is a good alternative to prevent and delay the formation of compounds derived from lipid oxidation that are responsible for off‐flavors and loss of nutritional quality during long‐term frozen storage. Care must be taken when using garlic to seasoning chicken meat products, such as hamburgers and meatballs, especially cooked or precooked due to its potential to promote lipid oxidation and consequently raising the risk of having the product rejected by the consumer.
Quality Assessment of Filtered Smoked Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Steaks
Authors: Pivarnik Lori F. , Faustman Cameron , Rossi Santiago , Suman Surendranath P. , Palmer Catherine , Richard Nicole L. , Ellis P. Christopher , DiLiberti Michael
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Filtered smoke (FS) has been used to preserve taste, texture, and/or color in tuna and other fish species. This treatment is particularly important in color preservation during frozen storage. The objective of this study was to compare changes in the quality profiles of FS‐treated and untreated (UT) yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) steaks stored in 3 ways: room temperature (21 to 22 °C), refrigerated (4 to 5 °C), and iced (0 °C). FS and UT steaks were processed from the same lot of fish and analyzed for chemical, microbiological, lipid oxidation, color, and sensory profiles. Similar trends were seen for microbial proliferation and accumulation of apparent ammonia and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N) during the storage temperatures evaluated. Notable exception in quality profile was found in lipid oxidation which was, as expected, lower for treated samples at all storage temperatures for TBARS (P < 0.05) and lower or significantly (P < 0.05) lower for POV values. FS increased the initial redness value significantly (P < 0.05). Unlike UT product, there was no loss of color value concomitant with quality changes for FS‐treated tuna for all storage temperatures evaluated.

Practical Application:  The overall goal of this project was to evaluate filtered smoked tuna steaks as to the impact on the overall quality profile. As a color‐stabilizing technology, it could mask deteriorating quality.
Moisture‐Induced Aggregation of Alpha‐Lactalbumin: Effects of Temperature, Cations, and pH
Authors: Liu Dasong , Zhou Peng , Liu Xiaoming , Labuza Theodore P.
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Alpha‐lactalbumin is an important dairy protein ingredient, and has been widely used in high‐protein foods such as infant formula and nutritional bars for its nutritional and functional properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the moisture‐induced aggregation of alpha‐lactalbumin in premixed protein dough model systems, and to illustrate the effects of temperature, cations, and pH on the progress of protein aggregation. Our results suggested that storage temperature was a critical factor for protein aggregation in model systems, and the formation of protein aggregates became faster with increases in storage temperature. Calcium significantly improved the thermal stability of alpha‐lactalbumin and slowed down the formation of protein aggregates. The increases in pH accelerated the aggregation of alpha‐lactalbumin. Our results also suggested that the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds together with noncovalent interactions are the main mechanisms resulting in the moisture‐induced aggregation of alpha‐lactalbumin in model systems.

Practical Application:  Alpha‐lactalbumin is an important dairy protein ingredient, and has been widely used in high‐protein foods such as infant formula and nutritional bars for its nutritional and functional properties. Our results suggested low storage temperature, the presence of calcium and low pH condition can make high‐protein food products containing alpha‐lactalbumin more stable.
Influence of Heating on the Polyphenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Grape Seed Flour
Authors: Ross Carolyn Felicity , Hoye, Jr Clifford , Fernandez‐Plotka Virginia Christina
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  The production of grape seed flour (GSF) from a waste product generated during winemaking, is of interest in product development applications due to its potential health benefits. However, before GSF can used in baking as a source of additional antioxidants, research on its heat stability is required. The overall objective of this study was to assess changes in phenolic content and antioxidant activity of GSF during heating. Merlot GSF was heated at 5 temperatures (120 to 240 °C) for 0 to 90 min. At each time/temperature combination, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavanoid content (TFC), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), 2,2 diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the extracts were determined. Specific polyphenolic compounds, including catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin, and gallic acid were also measured. Results showed that when Merlot GSF was heated to ≥180 °C, significant decreases in the TPC and antioxidant activity, measured using FRAP, DPPH, and TEAC, were observed. Longer heating times also caused a reduction in antioxidant capability. Catechin and epicatechin content decreased with increasing heating temperature while gallocatechin and gallic acid content increased. Both catechin and epicatechin content had strong positive correlations (r > 0.91) with TPC and TFC, as well with FRAP and TEAC, suggesting that the GSF antioxidant activity is related to the presence of these particular compounds. Overall, while a decrease in antioxidant content was observed during heating, this occurred at higher baking temperatures. Thus GSF may be suitable for use as an ingredient in baked goods to bolster antioxidant content.

Practical Application:  In order for Merlot grape seed flour (GSF) to be used in baking as a source of additional antioxidant compounds, the impact of heating on the polyphenolic compounds in the GSF needed to be examined. Thermal treatment of Merlot GSF caused significant decreases in the TPC, antioxidant power, and specific polyphenolic compounds when heated ≥180 °C. Thus while antioxidant content decreased with higher heating temperatures, this occurred at higher baking temperatures. Thus, GSF may be suitable for use as an ingredient in baked goods to bolster antioxidant content.
A Rapid LC/MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Nonvolatile Antiinflammatory Agents from Mentha spp.
Authors: Shen Diandian , Pan Min‐Hsiung , Wu Qing‐Li , Park Chung‐Heon , Juliani H. Rodolfo , Ho Chi‐Tang , Simon James E.
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Mints (Mentha spp.), aromatic crops grown largely for their essential oils, also are rich sources of nonvolatile antiinflammatory agents. Identification and quantitation of the constituents responsible for their antiinflammatory activity is challenging owing to the lack of suitable chromatographic methodology. In the present research, the simultaneous quantitation of antiinflammatory constituents rosmarinic acid, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid in mints was attained by using a unique tandem HPLC column system coupled with an electrospray ionization mass detection (MRM mode). The ion mode optimization for rosmarinic acid under negative and triterpenoid acids under positive was achieved by setting 2 time segments in a single run where the polarity mode was switched from negative (0 to 10 min) to positive (10 to 40 min). For the investigated concentration ranges of antiinflammatory agents in mints, good linearities (r2≥ 0.998) were obtained for each calibration curve. Validation of precision and accuracy for this method showed that intra‐ and inter‐day repeatabilities for all analytes were less than 5.51%, and the recoveries varied from 97.8% to 99.3%. The developed LC/MS/MS assay provides a suitable quality control method for the determination of antiinflammatory constituents in Mentha spp. There is a wide range of diversity in the natural product composition for these acids across the Mentha germplasm collection evaluated. The presence of these antiinflammatory acids in post‐distilled mints shows that value‐added nutraceutical enriched products can be developed with proper processing and recovery systems in addition to the distillation and capture of the valuable volatile essential oils.

Practical Application:  Results from this research would benefit both commercial farmers growing mint for essential oil and those in the food industry where value‐added phytopharmaceutical enriched products can be developed with proper processing, quality control, and recovery systems during mint essential oil distillation.
Quality of Shell Eggs Pasteurized with Heat or Heat‐Ozone Combination during Extended Storage
Authors: Perry J.J. , Rodriguez‐Saona L.E. , Yousef A.E.
Published: August 2011

Abstract: The physical quality and functionality of shell eggs, pasteurized with heat or a combination of heat and ozone, were assessed during eight weeks of storage at 4 or 25 °C. Shell eggs were treated as follows: (1) immersion heating that mimics commercial pasteurization processes (egg internal temperature of 56 ± 0.1 °C for 32 min), or (2) a newly developed combination process comprised of heating (56 ± 0.1°C, internal, for 10 min) followed by gaseous ozone treatment. Eggs were tested for yolk index, Haugh units, albumen pH, albumen turbidity, and percent overrun. Additionally, albumen samples were assayed for lysozyme activity and free sulfhydryl group content, and were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Both processed and unprocessed eggs maintained superior quality when stored at 4 °C, as opposed to 25 °C. Pasteurization, regardless of method, led to superior maintenance of Haugh units during storage but also increased albumen opacity and decreased albumen overrun. Detrimental effects on quality markers were more severe in heat‐pasteurized eggs than those treated with the ozone‐based process. Pasteurization of shell eggs by either process did not affect lysozyme activity or sulfhydryl group content. Changes in protein secondary structure, as indicated by FTIR analysis, suggest that the ozone‐based process is less damaging to albumen proteins than is the heat‐alone process. In conclusion, heat‐ozone pasteurization, by virtue of its less severe heat treatment, yields a safe final product that more closely resembles untreated shell eggs.