bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of ionising irradiation on quality and sensory attributes of ready‐to‐eat dry fermented sausages enriched with folic acid
Authors: Galán Irene , García Maria L. , Selgas Maria D. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryDry fermented sausages have been manufactured with different concentrations of folic acid (FA) (0.6, 1.2 and 2.4 mg per 100 g of original mixture). Then, they were prepared as ready‐to‐eat meat products by using E‐beam radiation (2, 3 and 4 kGy) to increase their safety. The stability of this vitamin as well as the physico‐chemical properties, microbiological counts, colour, texture and sensory properties of the sausages was studied after irradiation. The more important changes were observed in hardness, which increased with increasing FA amount; in contrast, colour was similar in all batches, independently of FA concentration or irradiation doses applied. The sensory properties of these products were judged acceptable to tasters, although significant differences were observed between the taste of nonirradiated and irradiated samples with 3 kGy. The ionising treatment caused a decrease of 15–29% in the FA content only at the highest dose (4 kGy). Despite this loss, this new product is suitable for assuring the daily intake of FA recommended as healthy (400 μg).
Impact of β‐glucan and other oat flour components on physico‐chemical and sensory properties of extruded oat cereals
Authors: Yao Ni , White Pamela J. , Alavi Sajid 
Published: February 2011

SummaryWhole oat flour, N979‐5‐2‐4 (N979), IA95111 (IA95), ‘Jim’ and ‘Paul’ with β‐glucan concentration of 8.6%, 7.6%, 5.3%, and 5.9%, respectively, was made into extruded breakfast cereal (EBC). EBC β‐glucan had greater peak molecular weight than corresponding whole oat flour. Both whole oat flour and EBC from N979 and IA95 had greater peak viscosity (PV), as measured using a Rapid ViscoAnalyser, than that from Jim or Paul. Bile acid binding of EBC, correlated with total β‐glucan concentrations and PV, was either similar or greater than that of corresponding whole oat flour. Jim EBC had the least expansion ratio, lowest brown colour and cereal aroma but greatest tooth packing values. Paul and N979 EBC, although different from each other in a few sensory attributes, had similar acceptability as judged from a consumer test, suggesting that oats with elevated β‐glucan concentrations can be successfully incorporated into EBC with minimal processing alterations.
Improvement of emulsifying properties of milk proteins with κ or λ carrageenan: effect of pH and ionic strength
Authors: Mena‐Casanova Edith , Totosaus Alfonso 
Published: February 2011

SummaryThe objective of this work was to determine the effect of λ‐carrageenan or κ‐carrageenan on the emulsion capacity, emulsion work and emulsion stability of milk proteins concentrate (MP) or sodium caseinate (SC) emulsions at different levels of pH and ionic strength. Incorporation of carrageenans to proteins emulsions resulted in an improvement of emulsifying properties at pH 6.0 and low ionic strength (0.2 m NaCl). Although emulsion capacity was high in MP than for SC, irrespectively of carrageenan employed, addition of λ‐carrageenan increased twofold emulsion work values (15 327 Ω s−1 for MP and 11 455 Ω s−1 for SC; around 6000 Ω s−1 in the other treatments). Emulsion stability was high with λ‐carrageenan (9.8 s) than MP‐κ‐carrageenan or MP (7.45 and 7.40 s, respectively). Carrageenan improving of emulsion properties was because of the complex formation with MP, characteristic of this type of food system when pH was above of isoelectric point.
Influence of isolated flaxseed mucilage as a non‐starch polysaccharide on noodle quality
Authors: Kishk Yasser F. M. , Elsheshetawy Hemat E. , Mahmoud Eman A. M. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryPhysicochemical, cooking quality and sensory characteristics of noodles enriched by extracted flaxseed mucilage were evaluated. Noodles were prepared with replacement wheat flour with different mucilage concentrations and drying at different temperatures. Generally, physicochemical and noodle quality characteristics improved with adding flaxseed mucilage compared to control sample. The correlation between optimum cooking time with mucilage concentrations and drying temperatures established by nonlinear regression. The obtained data of cooking yield, swelling index, cooking loss and nitrogen loss were analysed using the two‐dimension response surface method. The mucilage concentration of 3% and drying temperature ranging between 68.2 and 70 °C were the best condition to prepare the noodle with high cooking quality compared to the control sample. The received scores from sensory evaluation showed that replacement of wheat flour by flaxseed mucilage improved the texture and overall acceptability of prepared noodle.
Effect of a two‐step natural organic acid treatment on microbial activity and lipid damage during blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) chilling
Authors: Sanjuás‐Rey Minia , García‐Soto Bibiana , Barros‐Velázquez Jorge , Fuertes‐Gamundi José R. , Aubourg Santiago P. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryQuality loss inhibition in chilled blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) was investigated. For it, a natural organic acid‐mixture including ascorbic, citric and lactic acids was applied in a two‐step processing strategy: (i) as an aqueous dipping medium previous to chilling storage and, (ii) included in the flake ice employed as chilling system. As a result of the acid‐mixture addition, a partial inhibition of microbial and biochemical mechanisms involved in the quality loss was obtained. Thus, aerobe and psychrotrophe counts in treated fish showed lower ranges (2.07–4.15 and 2.43–4.39 log CFU g−1, respectively) than control fish (2.64–5.83 and 2.30–5.30 log CFU g−1, respectively). Sensory analysis revealed that treated fish was still acceptable at the end of the experiment (day 9), while control fish was rejected at this time. Lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acid formation) proved to be more limiting of fish quality than lipid oxidation (peroxide and thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance formation).
Chemical composition and sensory analysis of cheese whey‐based beverages using kefir grains as starter culture
Authors: Magalhães Karina Teixeira , Dias Disney Ribeiro , de Melo Pereira Gilberto Vinicius , Oliveira José Maria , Domingues Lucília , Teixeira José António , de Almeida e Silva João Batista , Schwan Rosane Freitas 
Published: February 2011

SummaryThe aim of the present work was to evaluate the use of the kefir grains as a starter culture for tradicional milk kefir beverage and for cheese whey‐based beverages production. Fermentation was performed by inoculating kefir grains in milk (ML), cheese whey (CW) and deproteinised cheese whey (DCW). Erlenmeyers containing kefir grains and different substrates were statically incubated for 72 h at 25 °C. Lactose, ethanol, lactic acid, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, 1‐propanol, isopentyl alcohol and 1‐hexanol were identified and quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography and GC‐FID. The results showed that kefir grains were able to utilise lactose in 60 h from ML and 72 h from CW and DCW and produce similar amounts of ethanol (∼12 g L−1), lactic acid (∼6 g L−1) and acetic acid (∼1.5 g L−1) to those obtained during milk fermentation. Based on the chemical characteristics and acceptance in the sensory analysis, the kefir grains showed potential to be used for developing cheese whey‐based beverages.
Influence of extraction conditions on polyphenols content and cream constituents in black tea extracts
Authors: Chandini Shantha Kumar , Jaganmohan Rao Lingamallu , Subramanian Rangaswamy 
Published: February 2011

SummaryIncrease in water‐to‐tea ratio and extraction time increased polyphenols recovery as well as extractable‐solids‐yield (ESY) in black tea extracts. Polyphenols content‐in‐extracted solids (PES) used as a tea quality parameter, was significantly higher at 50:1 water‐to‐tea ratio and favourably improved only up to 60 min. Extending the extraction period beyond 40 min degraded theaflavins (TF) and also affected the recovery of major catechins. Although tea cream content showed a decrease with increase in water‐to‐tea ratio, the content was nearly the same (1.80–1.89%) in all these extracts when measured at a uniform 0.5% solids concentration. The extraction conditions displayed a similar influence on the other tea cream components, namely, caffeine, calcium, pectin and protein. The conditions optimised (50:1 water‐to‐tea ratio and 40 min) based on higher PES and TF/TR ratio gave a maximum PES of 0.566 g g−1 and TF of 0.46% (black tea) in the extract.
Fatigue, performance and the work environment: a survey of registered nurses
Authors: Barker Linsey M. , Nussbaum Maury A. 
Published: February 2011

barker l.m. & nussbaum m.a. (2011) Fatigue, performance and the work environment: a survey of registered nurses.Journal of Advanced Nursing67(6), 1370–1382.AbstractAims. This paper is a report of a study of perceived levels of mental, physical and total fatigue, and also acute and chronic fatigue states, among registered nurses. Relationships between dimensions of fatigue and performance were investigated, as were differences in fatigue across levels of several demographic and work environment variables.Background. Fatigue is a factor that has been linked to performance decrements in healthcare workers. As a result of the nature of their work, nurses may be particularly susceptible to multiple dimensions of fatigue, and their performance is closely linked to patient safety.Methods. An online survey was used to measure mental, physical, and total fatigue dimensions, acute and chronic fatigue states, and performance. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling in cooperation with professional nursing organizations; 745 registered nurses completed the survey between February 2008 and April 2009.Results. Reported mental fatigue levels were higher than physical fatigue levels, and acute fatigue levels were higher than chronic fatigue levels. All fatigue dimensions and states were negatively correlated with perceived performance. Longer shift lengths and hours worked per week were associated with increases in physical and total fatigue levels. Mental, physical and total fatigue levels also differed with shift schedule.Conclusions. Fatigue levels were negatively correlated with performance, further supporting the role of fatigue in nurse performance. Work environment variables were strongly associated with differences in perceived levels of fatigue. By altering the work environment, it may thus be possible to reduce fatigue levels and the rates of medical errors.
Explaining grassland biomass – the contribution of climate, species and functional diversity depends on fertilization and mowing frequency
Authors: Bernhardt‐Römermann Markus , Römermann Christine , Sperlich Stefan , Schmidt Wolfgang 
Published: February 2011

Summary1. Grassland ecosystems are often used to generate biomass in temperate regions of the world. It is well known that biomass is influenced by climate and biodiversity, but the relative importance of these two factors in relation to management has not been widely studied. To recommend management treatments maximizing biomass yields we aim to quantify the relative effects of climate species and functional diversity on biomass in differently managed grasslands.2. We studied the development of biomass yields over the last 37 years on a grassland site in Germany, with mowing at five frequencies (one to eight times per year), each with and without fertilization. We measured plant species richness (SR) and functional richness (FR) (the diversity of functional species properties) using presence–absence indices. We also measured species evenness (SE), functional evenness and functional divergence (FD) using abundance weighted indices. Climate was included as the mean temperature and sum of precipitation during the growing period. By relating biomass to the above‐mentioned climatic and biodiversity parameters, we extracted the contribution of these to biomass yields.3. Biomass changed over time for all treatments and was maximal at intermediate mowing frequencies. Temporal changes in biomass were partly explained by climate and different aspects of biodiversity, although this differed significantly between treatments. The relative importance of precipitation was highest at high mowing frequencies; the contribution of temperature was highest on less disturbed, unfertilized plots. FR and SR influenced biomass changes in the most intensive disturbance regimes on unfertilized and fertilized plots respectively. FD was most important on intensively disturbed, fertilized plots. SE influenced biomass at low mowing frequencies.4. Synthesis and applications. Climate, species and functional diversity influence annual grassland biomass yields but their importance depends on nutrient status and management frequency. Our results indicate that management treatments with intermediate disturbance regimes will maximize biomass yields in temperate environments. This recommendation may become even more important in the context of climate change: at intermediate mowing frequencies the influence of climatic variables on biomass is less important by comparison to different aspects of biodiversity.
Pubescent male students’ attitudes towards menstruation in Taiwan: implications for reproductive health education and school nursing practice
Authors: Chang Yu‐Ting , Hayter Mark , Lin Mei‐Ling 
Published: February 2011

Aim.  To explore male students’ attitudes towards menstruation.Background.  Menstruation is a biological event that is often surrounded by secrecy and social stigma that causes anxiety amongst many young girls. A key element of this is the attitudes of young males towards this reproductive health issue. However, the literature around what young males think and feel about menstruation is limited.Design.  Qualitative.Methods.  A sample of 27 male students aged between 10–12 years participated in five focus groups. Data were then subject to a thematic analysis.Results.  Five themes emerged from the data analysis that reflected the boys’ feelings, experiences and attitudes towards menstruation: ‘A silent topic’, ‘An unimportant issue’, ‘Errant information about menstruation’. In addition, according to their experience, participants gradually came to see menstruation from the ‘menstrual stereotype’ viewpoint. In their social life, they made choices that resulted in gradually regulating their behaviour that affected their ‘relationships with girls’.Conclusion.  Young boys have misguided knowledge about menstruation and this helps to perpetuate the stigma surrounding this element of reproductive health. Boys also express a desire to learn more but are often restricted in this by home and school. School nurses are the best placed professionals to address this issue.Relevance to clinical practice.  Menstrual education with boys should take a greater prominence than it often does in sexual health education in schools. Such inclusion will provide boys with a balanced and accurate knowledge base and therefore help towards reducing the social stigma around menstruation that is often experienced by young girls.
Predation risk indirectly enhances survival of seaweed recruits but not intraspecific competition in an intermediate herbivore species
Authors: Molis Markus , Preuss Inken , Firmenich Annika , Ellrich Julius 
Published: February 2011

Summary 1. Non‐consumptive predator effects are an important driver in predator–prey interactions. While indirect effects of predation risk shape interspecific species interactions, e.g. in fuelling trophic cascades, knowledge about non‐consumptive predator effects on intraspecific interactions among intimidated prey is scarce. 2. In laboratory experiments, we tested whether predation by male and female green crabs (Carcinus maenas) is stronger on small than on larger specimens of the periwinkle Littorina littorea, an important herbivore species in intertidal habitats of the temperate zone. Moreover, we asked whether size‐specific differences in predation‐induced mortality reflect as a stronger effect of predation risk (caused by nearby consuming crabs) on the foraging behaviour of more threatened periwinkles and ultimately on the recruitment success of the brown seaweed Fucus serratus. Furthermore, predator activity and prey abundance was measured in the field and the efficacy of predation risk on the survival of seaweed recruits was assessed in three field experiments with two different set‐ups (open plots and crab exclosures). 3. Male crabs consumed smaller periwinkles more often than larger conspecifics, while females refused periwinkles as food. In summer, 80–90% of periwinkles in the field attained a size at which crab predation was minimal in laboratory assays. The observed up to 15‐fold decrease in the consumption of seaweed recruits by periwinkles in the presence of nearby consuming crabs in laboratory assays was, however, independent of the size of periwinkles. Predation risk effects from the laboratory were only confirmed in field experiments using crab exclosures but not with open plots, suggesting an artefact due to trespassing by wild crabs in the open plot set‐up. 4. Synthesis. Predation risk may not change intraspecific competition for food in L. littorea. Yet, risk effects on foraging behaviour of periwinkles that experience a low threat of real predation indicate that non‐consumptive predator effects may affect prey population dynamics more strongly than consumptive predator effects. Thus predation risk effects may be indirectly beneficial for the survival of basal species like perennial seaweeds, as experimental evidence from field and laboratory experiments indicates.
Climate cues and resources interact to determine seed production by a masting species
Authors: Smaill Simeon J. , Clinton Peter W. , Allen Robert B. , Davis Murray R. 
Published: February 2011

Summary 1. Mast seeding is the intermittent production of large quantities of seed across a perennial plant population. Such seeding events in many plant species are initiated by climatic cues, but whether these cues act solely as triggers or also via alterations to nutrient availability is unclear. 2. Here, we examine the effect of nitrogenous fertilization on the relationship between seed production in Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides and two climatic cues (rainfall and temperature) at specific stages in reproductive development from 1999 to 2008. 3. Foliar nitrogen concentrations were positively correlated with rainfall among years, suggesting rainfall was affecting nitrogen availability. 4. Seedfall mass in unfertilized stands was predominantly determined by rainfall during resource priming, while seed production in fertilized stands was more affected by temperature during floral primordia development. Similarly, seedfall mass in older stands, which contain greater internal nutrient reserves, was predominantly determined by temperature. 5. Synthesis. The results of this study demonstrate that the sensitivity of seed production to climatic cues can be altered by manipulation of resource availability and therefore establish that climatic cues involved in the synchronization of mast seeding can influence reproductive effort via an effect on resource availability. These results also indicate that alterations to resource availability have the potential to alter inter‐annual patterns of seed production, but further study is required to verify this finding.
The roles of environmental filtering and colonization in the fine‐scale spatial patterning of ground‐layer plant communities in north temperate deciduous forests
Authors: Burton Julia I. , Mladenoff David J. , Clayton Murray K. , Forrester Jodi A. 
Published: February 2011

Summary1. The majority of plant species in northern temperate deciduous forests are restricted to the ground layer, but the importance of colonization processes relative to environmental filtering in structuring spatial variation in ground‐layer plant communities is poorly understood.2. Using multivariate analyses, structural equation modelling and geostatistics, we examined interactions among ground‐layer plant communities, the live overstorey and environmental gradients across a 70‐ to 90‐year‐old northern hardwood forest in Wisconsin (USA). We hypothesized that (i) fine‐scale variation is related to environmental filtering rather than dispersal limitation and colonization processes; and (ii) exogenous ‘site’ filters exert more control than the composition and structure of the overstorey.3. A transition from communities of spring ephemerals to communities of evergreen‐dimorphic species is related to a hierarchy of controls driven by elevation, soil texture and associated effects on soil moisture, overstorey composition, and O‐horizon and soil properties. An orthogonal axis distinguished among sparse communities associated with high levels of soil moisture early in the growing season and rich communities of early summer forbs associated with increasing O‐horizon N:P and %Ca, and short‐distance dispersal mechanisms. Indirect effects of tree species are significant, but cumulatively less important than exogenous site filters.4. Synthesis.The spatial patterning of ground‐layer plant communities is related to both environmental filtering and colonization. These patterns were related to species’ functional and dispersal characteristics, suggesting that processes structuring ground‐layer plant communities are not merely neutral. Loose regulation of environmental and resource gradients resulting in a coarse‐grained spatial patterning of plant communities observed in second‐growth forests may therefore be related to a simplification in overstorey composition and the absence of heterogeneity accumulating through gap dynamics.