Rye and Wheat Bran Extracts Isolated with Pressurized Solvents Increase Oxidative Stability and Antioxidant Potential of Beef Meat Hamburgers

Rye and wheat bran extracts containing phenolic compounds and demonstrating high DPPH? (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl), ABTS^?+ (2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) scavenging and oxygen radical absorbance capacities (ORAC) were tested in beef hamburgers as possible functional ingredients. Bran extracts significantly increased the indicators of antioxidant potential of meat products and their global antioxidant response (GAR) during physiological in vitro digestion. The extracts also inhibited the formation of oxidation products, hexanal and malondialdehyde, of hamburgers during their storage; however, they did not have significant effect on the growth of microorganisms. Hamburgers with 0.8% wheat bran extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential. Some effects of bran extracts on other quality characteristics such as pH, color, formation of metmyoglobin were also observed, however, these effects did not have negative influence on the overall sensory evaluation score of hamburgers. Consequently, the use of bran extracts in meat products may be considered as promising means of increasing oxidative product stability and enriching with functional ingredients which might possess health benefits.     

The genetic aspects of berries: from field to health

Berries are a relevant source of micronutrients and nonessential phytochemicals, such as polyphenol compounds, that play a synergistic and cumulative role in human health promotion. Several systematic analyses showed that berry phenolics are able to detoxify reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, blocking their production, to intervene in the cell cycle, participating in the transduction and expression of genes involved in apoptosis, and to repair oxidative DNA damage. As a consequence, the improvement of the nutritional quality of berries has become a new quality target of breeding and biotechnological strategies, to control or to increase the content of specific health‐related compounds in fruits. This work reviews, on the basis of the in vitro and in vivo evidence, the main berries' phytochemical compounds and their possible mechanisms of action on pathways involved in several type of diseases, with particular attention to cancer, inflammation, neurodegeneration, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development and validation of a Coping with Discrimination Scale: Factor structure, reliability, and validity.

Four studies were conducted to develop and validate the Coping With Discrimination Scale (CDS). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 328) identified 5 factors: Education/Advocacy, Internalization, Drug and Alcohol Use, Resistance, and Detachment, with internal consistency reliability estimates ranging from .72 to .90. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (N = 328) provided cross-validation of the 5-factor model as well as evidence for validity of the scale. The validity evidence was similar across racial groups and for males and females. In Study 3, the estimated 2-week test–retest reliabilities (N = 53) were between .48 and .85 for the 5 factors. Education/Advocacy, Internalization, Drug and Alcohol Use, and Detachment were positively associated with active coping, self-blame, substance use, and behavioral disengagement, respectively, providing further support for validity of the CDS. Finally, incremental validity evidence was obtained in Study 4 (N = 220), where it was shown that the CDS explained variance in outcome variables (i.e., depression, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and ethnic identity) that could not be explained by general coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Epitaxial Growth of Aligned Semiconductor Nanowire Metamaterials for Photonic Applications

A novel class of optical metamaterials is presented consisting of high densities of aligned gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowires fabricated using metal‐organic vapor phase‐epitaxy. Starting from a gold island film as a catalyst for nanowire growth, a sequential combination of vapor–liquid–solid and lateral growth modes is employed to obtain a continuous tunability of the nanowire volume fraction from 7% to over 35%. By choosing different crystallographic orientations of the GaP substrate, metamaterials are designed with different nanowire orientations. The anisotropy of the nanowire building blocks results in strong optical birefringence. Polarization interferometry demonstrates a very large polarization extinction contrast of 4 × 10³ combined with a sharp angular resonance which holds promise for optical sensing. Nanowire metamaterials may find applications in photonics, optoelectronics, non‐linear and quantum optics, microfluidics, bio‐, and gas sensing.     

Gelatine–starch films: Physicochemical properties and their application in extending the post‐harvest shelf life of avocado (Persea americana)

BACKGROUND: Several storage techniques have been developed to extend the post‐harvest shelf life of horticultural products. One method involves the use of edible or biodegradable coatings. Such coatings are made of biological materials that are used to coat fresh products, providing a semi‐permeable barrier to water vapour and gases, e.g. O₂ and CO₂. The influence of starch concentration, glycerol content and pH on the carbon dioxide permeability (CO₂P) and mechanical properties of gelatine–starch edible films were evaluated. RESULTS: Results showed that increments in the starch concentration and pH resulted in higher CO₂P values. Film puncture strength increased when the starch concentration decreased and the maximum resistance value (32.6 N) was obtained at pH 6. Deformation was mainly affected by glycerol and starch content. Some films were chosen in order to evaluate their effect, as coatings, in the post‐harvest shelf life of avocados (Persea americana Mill c.v. Hass). Fruits were immersed in the coating solutions, air dried and stored at two temperatures. Changes in colour, weight loss and pulp firmness were determined in fruits stored at 6 °C. In addition, respiration rate was measured in avocados kept at 20 °C. CONCLUSION: The application of gelatine–starch coatings delayed the ripening process of avocados, as indicated by a better pulp firmness and retention of skin colour, and lower weight loss of coated fruits in comparison with control avocados. The coatings also resulted in a delayed respiratory climacteric pattern, by 3 days, for coated fruits. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Alloying Elements on Microstructure,Martensitic Transformation and Mechanical Properties of Ni-Mn Based Alloys

The microstructural features,shape memory behavior and mechanical properties of Ni-Mn based alloys were investigated by dierential scanning calorimetry(DSC),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and thermal cycling test under various stresses.The transformation temperatures shifted toward lower temperatures when adding a third element into the Ni-Mn system.The addition of 10 at. pct Fe increased considerably the mechanical properties exhibiting still high transformation temp...     

Pesticide uptake in potatoes: model and field experiments

A dynamic model for uptake of pesticides in potatoes is presented and evaluated with measurements performed within a field trial in the region of Boyaca?, Colombia. The model takes into account the time between pesticide applications and harvest, the time between harvest and consumption, the amount of spray deposition on soil surface, mobility and degradation of pesticide in soil, diffusive uptake and persistence due to crop growth and metabolism in plant material, and loss due to food processing. Food processing steps included were cleaning, washing, storing, and cooking. Pesticide concentrations were measured periodically in soil and potato samples from the beginning of tuber formation until harvest. The model was able to predict the magnitude and temporal profile of the experimentally derived pesticide concentrations well, with all measurements falling within the 90% confidence interval. The fraction of chlorpyrifos applied on the field during plant cultivation that eventually is ingested by the consumer is on average 10(-4)-10(-7), depending on the time between pesticide application and ingestion and the processing step considered.