Optimization of analytical methods for the assessment of the quality of fats and oils used in continuous deep fat frying

La aplicabilidad, repetibilidad y capacidad de diferentes métodos de análisis para discriminar muestras de aceites con diferentes grados de oxidación fueron evaluadas mediante aceites recogidos en procesos de fritura en continuo en varias empresas españolas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue encontrar métodos complementarios a la determinación del índice de acidez para el control de calidad rutinario de los aceites de fritura empleados en estas empresas. La optimización de la determinación de la constante dieléctrica conllevó una clara mejora de la variabilidad. No obstante, excepto en el caso del índice del ATB, el resto de métodos ensayados mostraron una menor variabilidad. La determinación del índice del ATB fue descartada ya que su sensibilidad fue insuficiente para discriminar entre aceites con diferente grado de oxidación. Los diferentes parámetros de alteración determinados en los aceites de fritura mostraron correlaciones significativas entre el índice de acidez y varios parámetros de oxidación diferentes, como la constante dieléctrica, el índice de p-anisidina, la absorción al ultravioleta y el contenido en polímeros de los triacilgliceroles. El índice de acidez solo evalúa la alteración hidrolítica, por lo que estos parámetros aportan información complementaria al evaluar la alteración termooxidativa.

Iowa Autism Council; Priories Moving Iowa Forward, 2012

Department of Education should continue data collection regarding quality educational services for ASD students in Iowa. The council requires adequate data to continue to make sound recommendations on system improvements for Iowa students.

Iowa Autism Council; Priories Moving Iowa Forward, 2011

Department of Education should continue data collection regarding quality educational services for ASD students in Iowa. The council requires adequate data to continue to make sound recommendations on system improvements for Iowa students.

Quality of life depends on the drinking pattern in alcohol-dependent patients.

AIMS: In patients with alcohol dependence, health-related quality of life (QOL) is reduced compared with that of a normal healthy population. The objective of the current analysis was to describe the evolution of health-related QOL in adults with alcohol dependence during a 24-month period after initial assessment for alcohol-related treatment in a routine practice setting, and its relation to drinking pattern which was evaluated across clusters based on the predominant pattern of alcohol use, set against the influence of baseline variables METHODS: The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Survey (MOS-SF-36) was used to measure QOL at baseline and quarterly for 2 years among participants in CONTROL, a prospective observational study of patients initiating treatment for alcohol dependence. The sample consisted of 160 adults with alcohol dependence (65.6% males) with a mean (SD) age of 45.6 (12.0) years. Alcohol use data were collected using TimeLine Follow-Back. Based on the participant's reported alcohol use, three clusters were identified: 52 (32.5%) mostly abstainers, 64 (40.0%) mostly moderate drinkers and 44 (27.5%) mostly heavy drinkers. Mixed-effect linear regression analysis was used to identify factors that were potentially associated with the mental and physical summary MOS-SF-36 scores at each time point. RESULTS: The mean (SD) MOS-SF-36 mental component summary score (range 0-100, norm 50) was 35.7 (13.6) at baseline [mostly abstainers: 40.4 (14.6); mostly moderate drinkers 35.6 (12.4); mostly heavy drinkers 30.1 (12.1)]. The score improved to 43.1 (13.4) at 3 months [mostly abstainers: 47.4 (12.3); mostly moderate drinkers 44.2 (12.7); mostly heavy drinkers 35.1 (12.9)], to 47.3 (11.4) at 12 months [mostly abstainers: 51.7 (9.7); mostly moderate drinkers 44.8 (11.9); mostly heavy drinkers 44.1 (11.3)], and to 46.6 (11.1) at 24 months [mostly abstainers: 49.2 (11.6); mostly moderate drinkers 45.7 (11.9); mostly heavy drinkers 43.7 (8.8)]. Mixed-effect linear regression multivariate analyses indicated that there was a significant association between a lower 2-year follow-up MOS-SF-36 mental score and being a mostly heavy drinker (-6.97, P < 0.001) or mostly moderate drinker (-3.34 points, P = 0.018) [compared to mostly abstainers], being female (-3.73, P = 0.004), and having a Beck Inventory scale score ≥8 (-6.54, P < 0.001), at baseline. The mean (SD) MOS-SF-36 physical component summary score was 48.8 (10.6) at baseline, remained stable over the follow-up and did not differ across the three clusters. Mixed-effect linear regression univariate analyses found that the average 2-year follow-up MOS-SF-36 physical score was increased (compared with mostly abstainers) in mostly heavy drinkers (+4.44, P = 0.007); no other variables tested influenced the MOS-SF-36 physical score. CONCLUSION: Among individuals with alcohol dependence, a rapid improvement was seen in the mental dimension of QOL following treatment initiation, which was maintained during 24 months. Improvement was associated with the pattern of alcohol use, becoming close to the general population norm in patients classified as mostly abstainers, improving substantially in mostly moderate drinkers and improving only slightly in mostly heavy drinkers. The physical dimension of QOL was generally in the normal range but was not associated with drinking patterns.

Physical activity level and health-related quality of life in the general adult population: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known regarding health-related quality of life and its relation with physical activity level in the general population. Our primary objective was to systematically review data examining this relationship. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for health-related quality of life and physical activity related keywords in titles, abstracts, or indexing fields. RESULTS: From 1426 retrieved references, 55 citations were judged to require further evaluation. Fourteen studies were retained for data extraction and analysis; seven were cross-sectional studies, two were cohort studies, four were randomized controlled trials and one used a combined cross sectional and longitudinal design. Thirteen different methods of physical activity assessment were used. Most health-related quality of life instruments related to the Medical Outcome Study SF-36 questionnaire. Cross-sectional studies showed a consistently positive association between self-reported physical activity and health-related quality of life. The largest cross-sectional study reported an adjusted odds ratio of "having 14 or more unhealthy days" during the previous month to be 0.40 (95% Confidence Interval 0.36-0.45) for those meeting recommended levels of physical activity compared to inactive subjects. Cohort studies and randomized controlled trials tended to show a positive effect of physical activity on health-related quality of life, but similar to the cross-sectional studies, had methodological limitations. CONCLUSION: Cross-sectional data showed a consistently positive association between physical activity level and health-related quality of life. Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies precludes a definitive statement about the nature of this association.

Treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency by autologous fat injection.

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is a structural or functional trouble, which causes hypernasal speech. Velopharyngeal flaps, speech therapy and augmentation pharyngoplasty, using different implants, have all been used to address this trouble. We hereby present our results following rhinopharyngeal autologous fat injection in 18 patients with mild velopharyngeal insufficiency (12 soft palate clefts, 4 functional VPI, 2 myopathy). 28 injections were carried out between 2004 and 2007. The degree of hypernasal speech was evaluated pre- and postoperatively by a speech therapist and an ENT specialist and quantified by an acoustic nasometry (Kay Elemetrics). All patients were exhaustively treated with preoperative speech therapy (average, 8 years). The mean value of the nasalance score was 37% preoperatively and 23% postoperatively (p = 0.015). The hypernasality was reduced postoperatively in all patients (1-3 degrees of the Borel-Maisonny score). There were no major complications, two minor complications (one hematoma, one cervical pain). The autologous fat injection is a simple, safe, minimally invasive procedure. It proves to be efficient in cases of mild velopharyngeal insufficiency or after a suboptimal velopharyngoplasty.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Switzerland: a comprehensive quality control report on centre effect.

Interest groups advocate centre-specific outcome data as a useful tool for patients in choosing a hospital for their treatment and for decision-making by politicians and the insurance industry. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires significant infrastructure and represents a cost-intensive procedure. It therefore qualifies as a prime target for such a policy. We made use of the comprehensive database of the Swiss Blood Stem Cells Transplant Group (SBST) to evaluate potential use of mortality rates. Nine institutions reported a total of 4717 HSCT - 1427 allogeneic (30.3%), 3290 autologous (69.7%) - in 3808 patients between the years 1997 and 2008. Data were analysed for survival- and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) at day 100 and at 5 years. The data showed marked and significant differences between centres in unadjusted analyses. These differences were absent or marginal when the results were adjusted for disease, year of transplant and the EBMT risk score (a score incorporating patient age, disease stage, time interval between diagnosis and transplantation, and, for allogeneic transplants, donor type and donor-recipient gender combination) in a multivariable analysis. These data indicate comparable quality among centres in Switzerland. They show that comparison of crude centre-specific outcome data without adjustment for the patient mix may be misleading. Mandatory data collection and systematic review of all cases within a comprehensive quality management system might, in contrast, serve as a model to ascertain the quality of other cost-intensive therapies in Switzerland.

Quality Control/Quality Assurance Testing for Joint Density and Segregation of Asphalt Mixtures, TR-623, 2013

Longitudinal joint quality control/assurance is essential to the successful performance of asphalt pavements and it has received considerable amount of attention in recent years. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the level of compaction at the longitudinal joint and determine the effect of segregation on the longitudinal joint performance. Five paving projects with the use of traditional butt joint, infrared joint heater, edge restraint by milling and modified butt joint with the hot pinch longitudinal joint construction techniques were selected in this study. For each project, field density and permeability tests were made and cores from the pavement were obtained for in-lab permeability, air void and indirect tensile strength. Asphalt content and gradations were also obtained to determine the joint segregation. In general, this study finds that the minimum required joint density should be around 90.0% of the theoretical maximum density based on the AASHTO T166 method. The restrained-edge by milling and butt joint with the infrared heat treatment construction methods both create the joint density higher than this 90.0% limit. Traditional butt joint exhibits lower density and higher permeability than the criterion. In addition, all of the projects appear to have segregation at the longitudinal joint except for the edge-restraint by milling method.

Development of Performance Properties of Ternary Mixtures and Concrete Pavement Mixture Design and Analysis (MDA): Effect of Paste Quality on Fresh and Hardened Properties of Ternary Mixtures, TPF-5(117), 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cement paste quality on the concrete performance, particularly fresh properties, by changing the water-to-cementitious materials ratio (w/cm), type and dosage of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), and airvoid system in binary and ternary mixtures. In this experimental program, a total matrix of 54 mixtures with w/cm of 0.40 and 0.45; target air content of 2%, 4%, and 8%; a fixed cementitious content of 600 pounds per cubic yard (pcy), and the incorporation of three types of SCMs at different dosages was prepared. The fine aggregate-to- total aggregate ratio was fixed at 0.42. Workability, rheology, air-void system, setting time, strength, Wenner Probe surface resistivity, and shrinkage were determined. The effects of paste variables on workability are more marked at the higher w/cm. The compressive strength is strongly influenced by the paste quality, dominated by w/cm and air content. Surface resistivity is improved by inclusion of Class F fly ash and slag cement, especially at later ages. Ternary mixtures performed in accordance with their ingredients. The data collected will be used to develop models that will be part of an innovative mix proportioning procedure.

ICD-11 for quality and safety: overview of the who quality and safety topic advisory group.

This paper outlines the approach that the WHO's Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC) network is undertaking to create ICD-11. We also outline the more focused work of the Quality and Safety Topic Advisory Group, whose activities include the following: (i) cataloguing existing ICD-9 and ICD-10 quality and safety indicators; (ii) reviewing ICD morbidity coding rules for main condition, diagnosis timing, numbers of diagnosis fields and diagnosis clustering; (iii) substantial restructuring of the health-care related injury concepts coded in the ICD-10 chapters 19/20, (iv) mapping of ICD-11 quality and safety concepts to the information model of the WHO's International Classification for Patient Safety and the AHRQ Common Formats; (v) the review of vertical chapter content in all chapters of the ICD-11 beta version and (vi) downstream field testing of ICD-11 prior to its official 2015 release. The transition from ICD-10 to ICD-11 promises to produce an enhanced classification that will have better potential to capture important concepts relevant to measuring health system safety and quality-an important use case for the classification.

Proximate basis of the covariation between a melanin-based female ornament and offspring quality.

In contradiction to sexual selection theory, several studies showed that although the expression of melanin-based ornaments is usually under strong genetic control and weakly sensitive to the environment and body condition, they can signal individual quality. Covariation between a melanin-based ornament and phenotypic quality may result from pleiotropic effects of genes involved in the production of melanin pigments. Two categories of genes responsible for variation in melanin production may be relevant, namely those that trigger melanin production (yes or no response) and those that determine the amount of pigments produced. To investigate which of these two hypotheses is the most likely, I reanalysed data collected from barn owls ( Tyto alba). The underparts of this bird vary from immaculate to heavily marked with black spots of varying size. Published cross-fostering experiments have shown that the proportion of the plumage surface covered with black spots, a eumelanin composite trait so-called "plumage spottiness", in females positively covaries with offspring humoral immunocompetence, and negatively with offspring parasite resistance (i.show $132#e. the ability to reduce fecundity of ectoparasites) and fluctuating asymmetry of wing feathers. However, it is unclear which component of plumage spottiness causes these relationships, namely genes responsible for variation in number of spots or in spot diameter. Number of spots reflects variation in the expression of genes triggering the switch from no eumelanin production to production, whereas spot diameter reflects variation in the expression of genes determining the amount of eumelanin produced per spot. In the present study, multiple regression analyses, performed on the same data sets, showed that humoral immunocompetence, parasite resistance and wing fluctuating asymmetry of cross-fostered offspring covary with spot diameter measured in their genetic mother, but not with number of spots. This suggests that genes responsible for variation in the quantity of eumelanin produced per spot are responsible for covariation between a melanin ornament and individual attributes. In contrast, genes responsible for variation in number of black spots may not play a significant role. Covariation between a eumelanin female trait and offspring quality may therefore be due to an indirect effect of melanin production.

Objective assessment of image quality in conventional and digital mammography taking into account dynamic range.

The goal of this work is to develop a method to objectively compare the performance of a digital and a screen-film mammography system in terms of image quality. The method takes into account the dynamic range of the image detector, the detection of high and low contrast structures, the visualisation of the images and the observer response. A test object, designed to represent a compressed breast, was constructed from various tissue equivalent materials ranging from purely adipose to purely glandular composition. Different areas within the test object permitted the evaluation of low and high contrast detection, spatial resolution and image noise. All the images (digital and conventional) were captured using a CCD camera to include the visualisation process in the image quality assessment. A mathematical model observer (non-prewhitening matched filter), that calculates the detectability of high and low contrast structures using spatial resolution, noise and contrast, was used to compare the two technologies. Our results show that for a given patient dose, the detection of high and low contrast structures is significantly better for the digital system than for the conventional screen-film system studied. The method of using a test object with a large tissue composition range combined with a camera to compare conventional and digital imaging modalities can be applied to other radiological imaging techniques. In particular it could be used to optimise the process of radiographic reading of soft copy images.