Advances in biosensor-based analysis for antimicrobial residues in foods

Biosensors are used for a large number of applications within biotechnology, including the pharmaceutical industry and life sciences. Since the production of Biacore surface-plasmon resonance instruments in the early 1990s, there has been steadily growing use of this technology for the detection of food contaminants (e.g., veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, marine toxins, food dyes and processing contaminants). Other biosensing technologies (e.g., electrochemical and piezoelectric) have also been employed for the analysis of small-molecule contaminants. This review concentrates on recent advances made in detection and quantification of antimicrobial compounds with different types of biosensors and on the emergence of multiplexing, which is highly desirable as it increases sample analysis at lower cost and in less time. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro bioassays for the study of endocrine-disrupting food additives and contaminants

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are capable of interfering with normal hormone homeostasis by acting on several targets and through a wide variety of mechanisms. Unwanted exposure to EDCs can lead to a wide spectrum of adverse health effects, especially when exposure is during critical windows of development. Feed and food are considered to be among the main routes of inadvertent exposure to EDCs, so there is an important need for efficient detection of EDCs in these matrices.

A European perspective on progress in moving away from the mouse bioassay for marine-toxin analysis

This review considers the ethical and technical problems currently associated with employing mouse bioassays for marine-toxin analysis and the challenges and the difficulties that alternative methods must overcome before being deemed applicable for implementation into a regulatory monitoring regime. We discuss proposed alternative methods, classified as functional, immunological and analytical, for well-established European toxins as well as emerging toxins in European waters, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. We also consider emerging tools and technologies for future toxin analysis.

Detection of hazardous food contaminants by transcriptomics fingerprinting

Unprecedented biotechnological advances in the past decade have delivered powerful transcriptomics methods that provide new opportunities for a risk-based and, hence, more effective control of food quality and safety. The fundamental hypothesis underlying the application of a transcriptomics or other

Current methods of analysis for the determination of trichothecene mycotoxins in food

This article describes the trends in analytical techniques for the determination of trichothecene mycotoxins, namely deoxynivalenol, and T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereals and cereal products with particular emphasis on screening and rapid approaches. The driving force behind the changing methodologies is mainly attributed to legislative demands. However, for commercial and governmental testing laboratories, the need to use validated official methods is ever increasing to ensure quality assurance of results.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics applied to the chemical safety of food

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics is emerging as an important field of research in many scientific areas, including chemical safety of food. A particular strength of this approach is its potential to reveal some physiological effects induced by complex mixtures of chemicals present at trace concentrations. The limitations of other analytical approaches currently employed to detect low-dose and mixture effects of chemicals make detection very problematic. Besides this basic technical challenge, numerous analytical choices have to be made at each step of a metabolomics study, and each step can have a direct impact on the final results obtained and their interpretation (i.e. sample preparation, sample introduction, ionization, signal acquisition, data processing, and data analysis). As the application of metabolomics to chemical analysis of food is still in its infancy, no consensus has yet been reached on defining many of these important parameters. In this context, the aim of the present study is to review all these aspects of MS-based approaches to metabolomics, and to give a comprehensive, critical overview of the current state of the art, possible pitfalls, and future challenges and trends linked to this emerging field. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-dimensional images of dissolved sulfide and metals in anoxic sediments by a novel diffusive gradients in thin film probe and optical scanning techniques

A novel diffusive gradients in thin film probe developed comprises diffusive gel layer of silver iodide (AgI) and a back-up Microchelex resin gel layer. 2D high-resolution images of sulfide and trace metals were determined respectively on the AgI gel by densitometric analysis and on the Microchelex resin layer with laser-ablation-inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).We investigated the validity of the analytical procedures used for the determination of sulfide and trace metals. We found low relative standard deviations on replicate measurements, linear trace-metal calibration curves between the LA-ICP-MS signal and the true trace-metal concentration in the resin gel, and a good agreement of the sulfide results obtained with the AgI resin gel and with other analytical methods. The method was applied on anoxic sediment pore waters in an estuarine and marine system. Simultaneous remobilization of sulfide and trace metals was observed in the marine sediment.

O design dos jornais diários e generalistas portugueses

O presente trabalho é um estudo comparativo de imagem gráfica que visa analisar o estado actual do design gráfico dos jornais diários nacionais de cariz generalista – Público, Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias, Correio da Manhã e 24 Horas. Efectuada a análise dos jornais, é proposto o redesign do Jornal de Notícias, com o objectivo de aplicar as conclusões obtidas de forma teórica num projecto prático. As opiniões resultantes deste trabalho apresentam dois tipos de contributo: em primeiro lugar, permitem caracterizar num determinado período de tempo a apresentação visual das publicações diárias e generalistas em Portugal. Em segundo lugar, contribuem para ultrapassar as soluções de menor eficácia, potenciando a apresentação visual do conteúdo informativo das publicações acima referidas, com o objectivo de fidelizar e aumentar o número de leitores e potenciar as vendas. A metodologia utilizada para a realização da presente tese desenvolve-se em três partes: na primeira parte, a leitura bibliográfica, a investigação e o registo de informações, distribuída ao longo de treze áreas fundamentais para a compreensão e posterior aplicação às restantes partes; na segunda parte, o recurso a entrevistas a profissionais ligados ao design de publicações jornalísticas, bem como a análise de jornais diários nacionais e estrangeiros, tendo como base os resultados obtidos pelo Poynter Institute for Media Sudies no projecto Eye-Trac Research, um dos maiores estudos realizados sobre a importância da cor nas publicações jornalísticas e da forma como o leitor percorre as páginas de um jornal; na terceira parte, a realização de um projecto de redesign para o Jornal de Notícias. Na opinião de alguns especialistas, como Mario García e Rodrigo Fino, no futuro os jornais terão uma função de complementaridade relativamente às restantes plataformas de informação e o público será simultaneamente leitor no ecrã e no papel. Nesse sentido, os designers deverão encontrar novas formas de potenciar o conteúdo e de estabelecer graficamente meios eficazes de ligação entre as diferentes plataformas de informação. Independentemente do suporte, em papel ou no ecrã, a função do designer será sempre a de encontrar soluções mais eficazes para cada caso concreto.

Correlation of wear in vivo and six laboratory wear methods.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the correlation between clinical wear rates of restorative materials and enamel (TRAC Research Foundation, Provo, USA) and the results of six laboratory test methods (ACTA, Alabama (generalized, localized), Ivoclar (vertical, volumetric), Munich, OHSU (abrasion, attrition), Zurich). METHODS: Individual clinical wear data were available from clinical trials that were conducted by TRAC Research Foundation (formerly CRA) together with general practitioners. For each of the n=28 materials (21 composite resins for intra-coronal restorations [20 direct and 1 indirect], 5 resin materials for crowns, 1 amalgam, enamel) a minimum of 30 restorations had been placed in posterior teeth, mainly molars. The recall intervals were up to 5 years with the majority of materials (n=27) being monitored, however, only for up to 2 years. For the laboratory data, the databases MEDLINE and IADR abstracts were searched for wear data on materials which were also clinically tested by TRAC Research Foundation. Only those data for which the same test parameters (e.g. number of cycles, loading force, type of antagonist) had been published were included in the study. A different quantity of data was available for each laboratory method: Ivoclar (n=22), Zurich (n=20), Alabama (n=17), OHSU and ACTA (n=12), Munich (n=7). The clinical results were summed up in an index and a linear mixed model was fitted to the log wear measurements including the following factors: material, time (0.5, 1, 2 and 3 years), tooth (premolar/molar) and gender (male/female) as fixed effects, and patient as random effect. Relative ranks were created for each material and method; the same was performed with the clinical results. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 40 (±12) years. The materials had been mostly applied in molars (81%) and 95% of the intracoronal restorations were Class II restorations. The mean number of individual wear data per material was 25 (range 14-42). The mean coefficient of variation of clinical wear data was 53%. The only significant correlation was reached by OHSU (abrasion) with a Spearman r of 0.86 (p=0.001). Zurich, ACTA, Alabama generalized wear and Ivoclar (volume) had correlation coefficients between 0.3 and 0.4. For Zurich, Alabama generalized wear and Munich, the correlation coefficient improved if only composites for direct use were taken into consideration. The combination of different laboratory methods did not significantly improve the correlation. SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical wear of composite resins is mainly dependent on differences between patients and less on the differences between materials. Laboratory methods to test conventional resins for wear are therefore less important, especially since most of them do not reflect the clinical wear.

Características hidrográficas y sedimentológicas de la bahía de Sechura

En la zona central de la bahía de Sechura afloran principalmente Aguas Costeras Frías. En superficie y en condiciones normales la temperatura fluctúa de 15 a 24 °C, salinidad de 34,8 a 35,3 ups, oxígeno disuelto de 2 a 5,5 mL/L. La capa subsuperficial con valores menores a los de superficie, varían ante eventos El Niño y en menor escala en La Niña. Los sedimentos superficiales predominantes cerca a la costa son textura arenosa con bajo contenido orgánico que se extiende a mayor profundidad hacia el norte de Punta Aguja; textura areno limosa adyacentes a los de arena, ocupan gran extensión de la bahía, asociados con altos contenidos de materia orgánica, pequeñas extensiones de arena arcillosa y limo arenoso frente a la Bocana, Bayovar y Punta Tric Trac. Contenidos de carbonato más altos (70%) de origen biogénico frente a San Pablo, asociados a texturas de arena y arena limosa.

Vita sancti Odonis abbatis Cluniacensis, auctore Iohanne Cluniacense [BHL 6292].

Ce ms. a été copié dans le prieuré de Saint-Martin-des-Champs (Paris), comme les mss. Mazarine 2009 et 2012. Il correspond à l'article n°109 du catalogue de la fin du XIIe siècle de cet établissement (C. Denoël, art. à paraître). Sur la reliure, la présence d'un fragment d'un lectionnaire de l'office contenant la vie de saint Arnoul, dont le nom est tracé en capitales rubriquées, et provenant du prieuré clunisien de Saint-Arnoul de Crépy-en-Valois (Oise), s'explique par le fait que Saint-Martin-des-Champs a recueilli par voie d'échange vers la fin du XVIIe siècle un grand nombre de manuscrits appartenant à ce prieuré.

Evangelia quattuor.

Ce ms. renferme la lettre de saint Jérôme au pape Damase, "Beato papae Damaso..." (1-3v), sa préface "Plures fuisse" (4-6r), les tables de concordances évangéliques (6v-14r), les textes des quatre Évangiles accompagnés des préfaces, prologues et sommaires (14v-213v), ainsi que le Capitulare evangeliorum ou liste des péricopes évangéliques (214-231v). En marge des Évangiles, numérotation des chapitres des sommaires à l'encre rouge et indication des concordances évangéliques à l'encre brune. Entre les ff. 61 et 66, 96- 101, 155-160v et 204v-208v (c'est-à-dire dans les passages correspondant à la Passion dans chacun des quatre Evangiles), de petites lettres à l'encre rouge orangé (a, c, m) introduisent les différents protagonistes du discours, le m désignant le Christ, le c Pilate et le a le narrateur. Au f. 155, le m est partiellement développé sous la forme "mans.". Ces indications nous renseignent sur les pratiques de la lecture liturgique, qui s'effectuait à plusieurs voix. Nombreuses corrections marginales ou interlinéaires à l'encre rouge ou noire, mots à corriger parfois surlignés en couleur (cf. "aliquid" f. 76v surligné en violet), mots réécrits par-dessus grattage aux ff. 115v-116 (par le copiste E).Dans le Capitulare evangeliorum, on remarquera, parmi un sanctoral à dominante romaine, la présence de deux saints mérovingiens du Hainaut, saint Ursmer, fêté le 18 avril (f. 226v), et sainte Amalberge, fêtée le 10 juillet (f. 228), ainsi que celle des saints Emerentienne et Macaire l'Egyptien, fêtés le 23 janvier (f. 225v), et des saints martyrs romains Pierre et Marcellin, fêtés le 2 juin (f. 227). Ursmer et Amalberge ont tous deux un lien avec l'abbaye bénédictine Saint-Pierre de Lobbes: le premier en est le véritable fondateur, la seconde y a été ensevelie, mais cela n'implique pas nécessairement que le ms. ait été exécuté à Lobbes, car le culte de ces deux saints jouissait d'une diffusion régionale. Quant aux autres saints, le culte de sainte Emerentienne et de saint Macaire était répandu en particulier dans les diocèses de Cambrai et Reims et celui des martyrs Pierre et Marcellin autour de Valenciennes, Gand et Soissons, où se trouvaient depuis le IXe siècles leurs reliques ; cf. sur le culte d'Amalberge, Pierre et Marcellin: F. Dolbeau, "La bibliothèque de l'abbaye d'Hasnon...", Revue des études augustiniennes 34 (1988), p. 237-246; sur celui d'Ursmer: F. Dolbeau, "La diffusion de la Vita S. Ursmari de Rathier de Vérone", Scribere sanctorum gesta. Recueil d'études d'hagiographie médiévale offert à Guy Philippart, Turnhout, 2005, p. 181-207.Au f. 231v ont été rajoutées diverses maximes et formules pieuses, par deux mains différentes, des XIIe-XIIIe siècles.

山陵都監儀軌. 산릉도감의궤. San lūñ do kam ūi kue

Cérémonial prévu par les conseillers pour la construction du mausolée Ui Nung du roi Kyong Jong