Recent advances in electronic tongues

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Optimization of yogurt production using demineralized whey

The effect of three independent fermentation variables: demineralized whey powder (0.0; 1.5 and 3.0%), lactic culture concentration (1.0; 2.0 and 3.0%) and mix treatment temperature (85; 90 and 95°C) was studied. Fermentation time to reach pH 4.3, instrumental consistency and appearance, visual consistency and taste of the product were evaluated. Product consistency increased as mix treatment temperature increased and demineralized whey powder decreased. The powder had a stronger influence on instrumental consistency than did temperature. Appearance was better when whey powder was used at 1.4 to 1.6%. Visual consistency decreased as whey powder increased but addition of demineralized whey powder did not negatively affect yogurt flavor.

Double-blind comparison of venlafaxine and amitriptyline in outpatients with major depression with or without melancholia

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine and amitriptyline in outpatients with major depression with or without melancholia. This was an 8-week, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group comparison of venlafaxine and amitriptyline. Outpatients with DSM-IV major depression, a minimum score of 20 on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and depressive symptoms for at least 1 month were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to venlafaxine or amitriptyline, both drugs titrated to a maximum of 150 mg/day until study day 15. The primary efficacy variables were the final on-therapy scores on the HAM-D, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Clinical Global Impression severity scales. Data were evaluated on an intent-to-treat basis using the LOCF method. One hundred and 16 patients were randomized, and 115 were evaluated for efficacy. Both drugs showed efficacy in the treatment of depression with or without melancholia. No significant differences were noted between treatments for any efficacy parameter. However, significantly (p < 0.05) more patients in the amitriptyline group had at least one adverse event. These results should support the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine in comparison with amitriptyline for treating major depression with or without melancholia.

Intrauterine dentistry: an integrated model of prevention.

Intrauterine Dentistry is a highly relevant subject of our time. The use of preventive measures in the intrauterine stage can avoid several diseases, among these, dental caries. The WHO advises that from the 4th month of pregnancy, women should avoid the intake of sugar, so that the fetus, future child, does not develop an exaggerated attraction for these types of foods, thus being susceptible to caries. Through questionnaires sent to gynecologist-obstetricians and dentists, this research investigated the information they have about this subject and how they instruct their patients. Questionnaires were also sent to pregnant women requesting information about the instructions they had received for the prevention of oral diseases of their fetus. Seventy-one percent of the dentists and 80% of the gynecologist-obstetricians reported having instructed the pregnant women to reduce the intake of sugar. However, only 13.6% of the dentists and no gynecologist-obstetrician instructed the reduction of sugar intake between the 12th and 18th week of pregnancy. A total of 42.2% of the pregnant women referred to these instructions, but none received instruction as to the specific period of the 12th and 18th week. An ideal model of treatment for pregnant women must include integrated and multiprofessional treatment, in which general dentists and gynecologist-obstetricians work together with the participation of the patient.

Morphology and histochemistry of the hyolingual apparatus in chameleons

We reexamined the morphological and functional properties of the hyoid, the tongue pad, and hyolingual musculature in chameleons. Dissections and histological sections indicated the presence of five distinctly individualized pairs of intrinsic tongue muscles. An analysis of the histochemical properties of the system revealed only two fiber types in the hyolingual muscles: fast glycolytic and fast oxidative glycolytic fibers. In accordance with this observation, motor-endplate staining showed that all endplates are of the en-plaque type. All muscles show relatively short fibers and large numbers of motor endplates, indicating a large potential for fine muscular control. The connective tissue sheet surrounding the entoglossal process contains elastin fibers at its periphery, allowing for elastic recoil of the hyolingual system after prey capture. The connective tissue sheets surrounding the m. accelerator and m. hyoglossus were examined under polarized light. The collagen fibers in the accelerator epimysium are configured in a crossed helical array that will facilitate limited muscle elongation. The microstructure of the tongue pad as revealed by SEM showed decreased adhesive properties, indicating a change in the prey prehension mechanics in chameleons compared to agamid or iguanid lizards. These findings provide the basis for further experimental analysis of the hyolingual system. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Uso do grau de preferência alimentar para a caracterizaç ão da alimentação de peixes na APA de São Pedro e Analândia

We studied feeding habits of four fish species in two watershed at APA - Área de Proteção Ambiental (Area of Environmental Protection) in São Pedro and Analândia, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Feeding Preference Degree (FPD) was used to demonstrate the importance of each food item for the species of both basins. Feeding habits of both species of lambari was variable. The allochtonous items such as insects, autochtonous items, and vegetal material were very important, characterizing omnivory. The bagre (Rhamdia quelen) fed mainly on insects at the Jacaré-pepira Basin and also on fishes at the Corumbataí basin. The cascudo Hypostomus strigaticeps ingested autochtonous vegetal material and sediments at both basins.

Disfunção temporária do nervo lingual após uso de máscara laríngea. Relato de caso

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The laryngeal mask has been frequently used in Anesthesiology. Although the rate of complications with this technique is smaller than that of the endotracheal tube, it is not devoid of risks, especially in cases of difficult airways. The objective of this study was to report a case of unilateral lingual nerve damage after the use of the laryngeal mask airway. CASE REPORT: A female patient underwent a surgical procedure for removal of bilateral breast prosthesis under general, balanced anesthesia, with a size three laryngeal mask. The balloon was inflated with 30 mL of air. After the first postoperative hour, she developed decreased sensation and pain in the oropharynx and posterior two thirds of the tongue, which evolved for loss of taste in the next 24 hours. A tentative diagnosis of lingual nerve neuropraxis secondary to the use of the laryngeal mask was made. After three weeks, her symptoms subsided. CONCLUSION: Although complications after the use of the laryngeal mask airway are rare, they do occur, and neuropraxis of the lingual nerve is one of them. The diagnosis is clinical and it has a good outcome, with resolution of the symptoms within a few weeks or months. © Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia, 2007.

Estudo anatômico e distribuição das papilas valadas no gato doméstico

The tongue of domestic animals varies in size and shape and according to these animals feeding habits, there are different degrees of tongue surface specialization. At the dorsal surface of the tongue lingual papillae can be observed, such as the vallate papillae, related to taste perception. With the help of a magnifying glass, differences in the number, size and distribution of vallate papillae were studied. Fifty five tongues of adult domestic cats from both sexes (38 females and 17 males) were analyzed. The samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin. The vallate papillae were found to be symmetrically distributed on 21 tongues (38.18%). However, it was observed that in some of the tongues the number of vallate papillae varied when one side of the tongue was compared to its contralateral side. The vallate papillae showed different shapes: elongated (42.58%), oval (31.61%), round (25.48%) and pear shaped (0.33%). The vallate papillae were classified into 10 different categories: symmetrical I (2 right and 2 left), II (3:3), III (4:4) and asymmetrical IV (3:2), V (4:2), VI (2:3), VII (4:3), VIII (5:3), IX (3:4) and X (4:5). Measurements of length and width were made with averages of 0.84 ± 0.23 mm and 0.55 ± 0.18 mm, respectively, besides the calculation of the total area of these papillae per tongue, that showed average of 2,74 ± 0,31 mm 2 in males and 1,94 ± 0,14 mm 2 in females However, upon examining the lingual papillae of the cat tongues, specimens demonstrating 7, 8 or 9 vallate papillae, arranged in pairs (4:3, 5:3, 3:4 and 4:5) by category, were observed in this study but not cited in the literature.

Características reológicas e sensoriais de bebidas lácteas funcionais

This research studied the effects of the independent variables whey protein concentrate - WPC (3.0; 3.5; 4.0%), skimmed milk powder - SMP (4.0; 5.0; 6.0%), and isolated soy protein - IPS (1.5; 2.0; 2.5%) on the rheological and sensorial characteristics of functional dairy beverages. In all tests 7% of sucrose was added to the ingredients. The rheological parameters were obtained in duplicate at the temperature of 10° C using a cone and plate rheometer, and fitted to the Power law model. The samples revealed a non-Newtonian fluid behavior both in the upward and downward curves, typical of a tixotropic fluid. The dairy beverages were submitted to a sensory analysis by a group of fifty untrained tasters who used a hedonic scale of nine points, the extremes being 1 - disliked extremely and 9 - liked extremely, in order to evaluate the following parameters: general acceptability; appearance and color; consistency; taste and aroma. The dairy beverage produced with 3% WPC, 6% SMP and 1.5% IPS, (treatment 3), was the one that obtained the best average score for those attributes and was preferred by the tasters. The variables SMP and IPS and the interaction between WPC and SMP presented a positive effect on the sensory consistency attributes: the higher amount of those ingredients in the formula the more the tasters liked the consistency.

Optimization of a synbiotic formulation of soy yoghurt containing yacon extract by response surface methodology

A synbiotic yoghurt based on a combination of soymilk and yacon water extract (from yacon root tubers) was developed as a novel food product fermented with a probiotic culture of Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus ssp jugurti 4l6. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the independent variables soymilk protein concentration and percentage of yacon extract in the formulation through a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD), consisting of a 22 factorial design with two levels (-1, +1), two central points (0) and four axial points (± a, 0) (0, ± α). The responses were assessed by consumer acceptance tests. The optimization indicated that a formulation with a soymilk protein concentration of 1.74g/L and 25.86% of yacon extract gave the best average values, 5.91 for the taste and 6.00 for the overall impression responses. The formulation with 40% of yacon extract and the same concentration of soymilk protein achieved similar acceptance values: taste (5.94) and overall impression (5.87), however, with the extra yacon, it probably had a greater content of prebiotic fructooligosaccharides. Consequently, both formulations may give useful functional foods, with sensory properties comparable with those of soy yoghurt (control formulation). Copyright © 2010 by New Century Health Publishers.

A sound education: Becoming aware of the sound around us

In this article it is intended to discuss the issue of noise pollution from an unusual point of view: noise pollution is not only the result of sound increase worldwide, but, particularly, the poor quality of our listening habits in modern life as well. In contemporary society we are subject to a considerable amount of stimulus to all our senses: vision, scent, taste and hearing which are becoming more and more insensible due to over exposure in our environment. These increased stimuli make us look for alternatives to reduce our ability to perceive them and be protected from injuries. However, our sensitivity will also decrease. In the specific case of environment noise, over exposure has made us forget the enchantment of certain sounds that used to give us pleasure or evoke good feelings by many ways, making us recall certain good things, bringing particular moments of our lives to our memory or even filling us with strong emotion. The Canadian composer and music educator, R. Murray Schafer, believes that noise pollution is the result of a society who became deaf. Closing our ears to noise protect us from noise pollution but also prevent us from grasping subtleties of listening. Contemporary world does not help us to be aware of sound in the space around us; acquiring this hearing ability is a matter of focus, interest and practice. Sound education exercises are aimed at children, teenagers and adults who want to improve their listening ability to environmental sounds, perceive its proprieties and learn how sound affects us and touches our feelings. The results are easy to accomplish and contribute to our awareness of the sound environment around us and to the conception of the environmental sound as a composition made by everybody and everything through positive actions, strong will and high sensitivity. Copyright © (2011) by the International Institute of Acoustics & Vibration.

Chemical and biochemical characterization of guava and araçá fruits from different regions of Brazil

Guava and araçá, species of the Psidium genus, are important options for Brazilian agribusiness, especially the former species, due to their fruit characteristics, such as appearance, taste and richness in minerals and phenolic compounds. These fruits can be consumed in natura or in several processed forms. The active germplasm bank is an important tool for genetic resource characterization and plant breeding studies. Sixty guava and ten araçá accessions of the Psidium active germplasm, sampled in 44 different Brazilian regions and grown at Embrapa Semiarid, were chemically and biochemically characterized in order to support breeding programs. The accessions were grown in a randomized block design, with two replications and three plants/plot. The sugar, proteins, soluble solids, titratable acidity, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus contents were determined. Large variations were observed in the analyzed compounds, which could be attributed to the diversity of genotypes and also to the environmental conditions, which affect the plant metabolism. The high variability observed in most parameters of the accessions is an important factor for the improvement of these species. Most guava accessions showed higher titratable acidity and soluble solids than those found in commercial cultivars and, in araçá, these levels were even higher, which makes them promising for commercial exploitation. Moreover, fruits of the guava and araçá accessions present good sources of sugars and minerals. Special attention should be given to some guava and araçá accessions from Maranhão and Pernambuco States, respectively, which showed high levels for titratable acidity, soluble solids, SS/TA ratio, total soluble sugars, calcium, magnesium and iron, should be targets of breeding programs for new Psidium cultivars. © ISHS.

Hepatitis C Virus NS2 Protein Inhibits DNA Damage Pathway by Sequestering p53 to the Cytoplasm

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and often leads to end-stage liver disease. The DNA damage checkpoint pathway induces cell cycle arrest for repairing DNA in response to DNA damage. HCV infection has been involved in this pathway. In this study, we assess the effects of HCV NS2 on DNA damage checkpoint pathway. We have observed that HCV NS2 induces ataxia-telangiectasia mutated checkpoint pathway by inducing Chk2, however, fails to activate the subsequent downstream pathway. Further study suggested that p53 is retained in the cytoplasm of HCV NS2 expressing cells, and p21 expression is not enhanced. We further observed that HCV NS2 expressing cells induce cyclin E expression and promote cell growth. Together these results suggested that HCV NS2 inhibits DNA damage response by altering the localization of p53, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of HCV infection. © 2013 Bitter et al.

Optimization of the surimi production from Mechanically Recovered Fish Meat (MRFM) using response surface methodology

The by-products generated from industrial filleting of tilapia surimi can be used for the manufacture of surimi. The surimi production uses large amounts of water, which generates a wastewater rich in organic compounds (lipids, soluble proteins and blood). Optimizing the number of washing cycles will contribute to a more sustainable production. A mathematical model of mechanically recovered tilapia meat (Oreochromis niloticus) for the processing of surimi (minced fish washing cycles and tapioca starch addition) based on two quality parameters (texture and moisture) was constructed by applying the response surface methodology (RSM). Each factor had an important effect on the moisture and texture of surimi. This study found that the optimal formulation for producing the best surimi using the by-products of tilapia filleting in manufacturing fish burger were the addition of 10% tapioca starch and three minced fish washing cycles. A microstructural evaluation supported the findings of the mathematical model. Practical Applications: The use of mechanically recovered fish meat (MRFM) for the production of surimi enables the utilization of the by-products of filleting fish. However, the inferior quality of the surimi produced from MRFM in relation to that produced with fillets necessitates the addition of starch; secondly, surimi production consumes a large volume of water. RSM provides a valuable means for optimizing the number of washing cycles and starch amounts utilized in fish burger production. Tapioca starch, widely produced in Brazil, has desirable characteristics (surface sheen, smooth texture, neutral taste and clarity in solution) for use in MRFM-produced surimi. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.