Oral bioaccessibility of toxic and essential elements in raw and cooked commercial seafood species available in European markets

KAUST Repository

Alves, Ricardo N.

2017-11-17

The oral bioaccessibility of several essential and toxic elements was investigated in raw and cooked commercially available seafood species from European markets. Bioaccessibility varied between seafood species and elements. Methylmercury bioaccessibility varied between 10 (octopus) and 60% (monkfish). Arsenic (>64%) was the toxic element showing the highest bioaccessibility. Concerning essential elements bioaccessibility in raw seafood, selenium (73%) and iodine (71%) revealed the highest percentages. The bioaccessibility of elements in steamed products increased or decreased according to species. For example, methylmercury bioaccessibility decreased significantly after steaming in all species, while zinc bioaccessibility increased in fish (tuna and plaice) but decreased in molluscs (mussel and octopus).Together with human exposure assessment and risk characterization, this study could contribute to the establishment of new maximum permissible concentrations for toxic elements in seafood by the European food safety authorities, as well as recommended intakes for essential elements.

Modelling lead bioaccessibility in urban topsoils based on data from Glasgow, London, Northampton and Swansea, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appleton, J.D.; Cave, M.R.; Wragg, J.

2012-01-01

Predictive linear regression (LR) modelling between bioaccessible Pb and a range of total elemental compositions and soil properties was executed for the Glasgow, London, Northampton and Swansea urban areas in order to assess the potential for developing a national urban bioaccessible Pb dataset for the UK. LR indicates that total Pb is the only highly significant independent variable for estimating the bioaccessibility of Pb. Bootstrap resampling shows that the relationship between total Pb and bioaccessible Pb is broadly the same in the four urban areas. The median bioaccessible fraction ranges from 38% in Northampton to 68% in London and Swansea. Results of this study can be used as part of a lines of evidence approach to localised risk assessment but should not be used to replace bioaccessibility testing at individual sites where local conditions may vary considerably from the broad overview presented in this study. - Highlights: ► Total Pb is the only significant predictor for bioaccessible Pb in UK urban topsoils. ► Bootstrap resampling confirms relationship similar in four urban areas. ► Median bioaccessible fraction ranges from 38 to 68%. ► Results can be used for initial risk assessment in UK urban areas. - Total Pb is the only significant predictor for bioaccessible Pb in topsoils from four urban areas in the UK.

Effect of sulfur-containing spices on the bioaccessibility of trace minerals from selected cereals and pulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Meena; Platel, Kalpana

2017-07-01

Garlic and onion, which are rich in organo-sulfur compounds, are reported to enhance the bioaccessibility of Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn; however, there is a lack of similar information on the bioaccessibility of copper, manganese and chromium. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of exogenous garlic and onion on the bioaccessibility of these trace minerals from selected food grains. The effect of two levels of garlic (0.25 and 0.5 g/10 g grain -1 ) and onion (1.5 and 3 g/10 g grain -1 ) on the bioaccessibility of these trace minerals from two representative cereals and pulses was determined by employing an in vitro dialysability procedure. Both garlic and onion significantly improved the bioaccessibility of Cu, especially when added at the higher level, in most of the foods examined. The enhancing effect of garlic on Mn bioaccessibility was found in cooked sorghum and chickpea, whereas onion significantly improved Mn bioaccessibility in cooked rice and chickpea. The addition of both spices did not exert any enhancing effect on Cr bioaccessibility from the cereals and pulses. The bioaccessibility of Cu, as well as Mn to a lesser extent, from vegetarian diets can be significantly improved by incorporating garlic and onion in the diet. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quantifying statistical relationships between commonly used in vitro models for estimating lead bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Kaihong; Dong, Zhaomin; Liu, Yanju; Naidu, Ravi

2016-04-01

Bioaccessibility to assess potential risks resulting from exposure to Pb-contaminated soils is commonly estimated using various in vitro methods. However, existing in vitro methods yield different results depending on the composition of the extractant as well as the contaminated soils. For this reason, the relationships between the five commonly used in vitro methods, the Relative Bioavailability Leaching Procedure (RBALP), the unified BioAccessibility Research Group Europe (BARGE) method (UBM), the Solubility Bioaccessibility Research Consortium assay (SBRC), a Physiologically Based Extraction Test (PBET), and the in vitro Digestion Model (RIVM) were quantified statistically using 10 soils from long-term Pb-contaminated mining and smelter sites located in Western Australia and South Australia. For all 10 soils, the measured Pb bioaccessibility regarding all in vitro methods varied from 1.9 to 106% for gastric phase, which is higher than that for intestinal phase: 0.2 ∼ 78.6%. The variations in Pb bioaccessibility depend on the in vitro models being used, suggesting that the method chosen for bioaccessibility assessment must be validated against in vivo studies prior to use for predicting risk. Regression studies between RBALP and SRBC, RBALP and RIVM (0.06) (0.06 g of soil in each tube, S:L ratios for gastric phase and intestinal phase are 1:375 and 1:958, respectively) showed that Pb bioaccessibility based on the three methods were comparable. Meanwhile, the slopes between RBALP and UBM, RBALP and RIVM (0.6) (0.6 g soil in each tube, S:L ratios for gastric phase and intestinal phase are 1:37.5 and 1:96, respectively) were 1.21 and 1.02, respectively. The findings presented in this study could help standardize in vitro bioaccessibility measurements and provide a scientific basis for further relating Pb bioavailability and soil properties.

Bioaccessibility of metal cations in soil is linearly related to its water exchange rate constant.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Brian D; Peak, Derek; Siciliano, Steven D

2011-05-01

Site-specific risk assessments often incorporate the concepts of bioaccessibility (i.e., contaminant fraction released into gastrointestinal fluids) or bioavailability (i.e., contaminant fraction absorbed into systemic circulation) into the calculation of ingestion exposure. We evaluated total and bioaccessible metal concentrations for 19 soil samples under simulated stomach and duodenal conditions using an in vitro gastrointestinal model. We demonstrated that the median bioaccessibility of 23 metals ranged between exchange rates of metal cations (k(H₂O)) indicated that desorption kinetics may influence if not control metal bioaccessibility.

Bioaccessible mineral content of malted finger millet (Eleusine coracana), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Science.gov (United States)

Platel, Kalpana; Eipeson, Sushma W; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2010-07-14

Malted grains are extensively used in weaning and geriatric foods. Malting generally improves the nutrient content and digestibility of foods. The present investigation examined the influence of malting of finger millet, wheat, and barley on the bioaccessibility of iron, zinc, calcium, copper, and manganese. Malting increased the bioaccessibility of iron by >3-fold from the two varieties of finger millet and by >2-fold from wheat, whereas such a beneficial influence was not seen in barley. The bioaccessibility of zinc from wheat and barley increased to an extent of 234 and 100%, respectively, as a result of malting. However, malting reduced the bioaccessibility of zinc from finger millet. Malting marginally increased the bioaccessibility of calcium from white finger millet and wheat. Whereas malting did not exert any influence on bioaccessibility of copper from finger millet and wheat, it significantly decreased (75%) the same from barley. Malting did increase the bioaccessibility of manganese from brown finger millet (17%) and wheat (42%). Thus, malting could be an appropriate food-based strategy to derive iron and other minerals maximally from food grains.

The effect of pulsed electric fields on carotenoids bioaccessibility: The role of tomato matrix.

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Bot, Francesca; Verkerk, Ruud; Mastwijk, Hennie; Anese, Monica; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Capuano, Edoardo

2018-02-01

Tomato fractions were subjected to pulsed electric fields treatment combined or not with heating. Results showed that pulsed electric fields and heating applied in combination or individually induced permeabilization of cell membranes in the tomato fractions. However, no changes in β-carotene and lycopene bioaccessibility were found upon combined and individual pulsed electric fields and heating, except in the following cases: (i) in tissue, a significant decrease in lycopene bioaccessibility upon combined pulsed electric fields and heating and heating only was observed; (ii) in chromoplasts, both β-carotene and lycopene bioaccessibility significantly decreased upon combined pulsed electric fields and heating and pulsed electric fields only. The reduction in carotenoids bioaccessibility was attributed to modification in chromoplasts membrane and carotenoids-protein complexes. Differences in the effects of pulsed electric fields on bioaccessibility among different tomato fractions were related to tomato structure complexity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of biochar on isoproturon partitioning and bioaccessibility in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, B.J.; Pickering, F.L.; Freddo, A.; Whelan, M.J.; Coulon, F.

2013-01-01

The influence of biochar (5%) on the loss, partitioning and bioaccessibility of 14 C-isoproturon ( 14 C-IPU) was evaluated. Results indicated that biochar had a dramatic effect upon 14 C-IPU partitioning: 14 C-IPU extractability (0.01 M CaCl 2 ) in biochar-amended treatments was reduced to 14 C-IPU extractability in biochar free treatments decreased with ageing from 90% to 40%. A partitioning model was constructed to derive an effective partition coefficient for biochar:water (K BW of 7.82 × 10 4 L kg −1 ). This was two orders of magnitude greater than the apparent K foc value of the soil organic carbon:water (631 L kg −1 ). 14 C-radiorespirometry assays indicated high competence of microorganisms to mineralise 14 C-IPU in the absence of biochar (40.3 ± 0.9%). Where biochar was present 14 C-IPU mineralisation never exceeded 2%. These results indicate reduced herbicide bioaccessibility. Increasing IPU application to ×10 its recommended dose was ineffective at redressing IPU sequestration and its low bioaccessibility. Highlights: •Biochar had a dramatic effect on IPU partitioning. •IPU extractability was reduced to BW ) was 7.82 × 10 4 L kg −1 . •K BW was 124 times greater than the apparent K foc value of the control. •Biochar precluded microbial bioaccessibility – no catabolic response was observed. -- Biochar dramatically reduced 14 C-IPU extractability ( BW being ×123 greater than the apparent K foc . Correspondingly, microbial bioaccessibility of IPU was negligible

Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from (post-pyrolytically treated) biochars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hilber, Isabel; Mayer, Philipp; Gouliarmou, Varvara

2017-01-01

Bioaccessibility data of PAHs from biochar produced under real world conditions is scarce and the influence of feedstock and various post-pyrolysis treatments common in agriculture, such as co-composting or lacto-fermentation to produce silage fodder, on their bioavailability and bioaccessibility...

Influence of heat processing on the bioaccessibility of zinc and iron from cereals and pulses consumed in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemalatha, Sreeramaiah; Platel, Kalpana; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2007-01-01

Influence of heat processing on the bioaccessibility of zinc and iron from food grains consumed in India was evaluated. Cereals - rice (Oryza sativa), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays), and pulses - chickpea (Cicer arietinum) - whole and decorticated, green gram (Phaseolus aureus) - whole and decorticated, decorticated black gram (Phaseolus mungo), decorticated red gram (Cajanus cajan), cowpea (Vigna catjang), and French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) were examined for zinc and iron bioaccessibility by employing an in vitro dialysability procedure. Both pressure-cooking and microwave heating were tested for their influence on mineral bioaccessibility. Zinc bioaccessibility from food grains was considerably reduced upon pressure-cooking, especially in pulses. Among cereals, pressure-cooking decreased zinc bioaccessibility by 63% and 57% in finger millet and rice, respectively. All the pressure-cooked cereals showed similar percent zinc bioaccessibility with the exception of finger millet. Bioaccessibility of zinc from pulses was generally lower as a result of pressure-cooking or microwave heating. The decrease in bioaccessibility of zinc caused by microwave heating ranged from 11.4% in chickpea (whole) to 63% in cowpea. Decrease in zinc bioaccessibility was 48% in pressure-cooked whole chickpea, 45% and 55% in pressure-cooked or microwave-heated whole green gram, 32% and 22% in pressure-cooked or microwave-heated decorticated green gram, and 45% in microwave-heated black gram. Iron bioaccessibility, on the other hand, was significantly enhanced generally from all the food grains studied upon heat treatment. Thus, heat treatment of grains produced contrasting effect on zinc and iron bioaccessibility.

Bioaccessibility of phytoene and phytofluene is superior to other carotenoids from selected fruit and vegetable juices.

Science.gov (United States)

Mapelli-Brahm, Paula; Corte-Real, Joana; Meléndez-Martínez, Antonio J; Bohn, Torsten

2017-08-15

Phytoene and phytofluene are major abundant dietary carotenoids largely ignored in the context of agro-food and health. The bioaccessibility of phytoene and phytofluene in tomato, carrot, blood orange (sanguinello cultivar), and apricot juices was analysed following simulated gastro-intestinal digestion with coffee cream as a lipid source, and compared with that of other main carotenoids from these matrices. The bioaccessibility of phytoene and phytofluene, and also total carotenoid bioaccessibility, followed the order: sanguinello>apricot>tomato>carrot. Phytoene was consistently the carotenoid with the highest bioaccessibility, up to 97%, generally followed by phytofluene. The higher bioaccessibility of these carotenoids could mainly be due to their marked difference in chemical structure and matrix distribution. For most juices, cis-isomers presented a higher bioaccessibility than their all-trans counterparts (P<0.05). The dietary source that provided highest amounts of potentially absorbable phytoene/phytofluene was by far tomato juice (5mg/250mL juice). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relating soil geochemical properties to arsenic bioaccessibility

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — soil element total concentration, soil pH and arsenic bioaccessibility values. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: EPA cannot release personally...

In vitro digestion with bile acids enhances the bioaccessibility of kale polyphenols.

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Yang, Isabelle; Jayaprakasha, Guddarangavvanahally K; Patil, Bhimanagouda

2018-02-21

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a leafy green vegetable belonging to the Brassicaceae family, and kale leaves have large amounts of dietary fiber and polyphenolics. Dietary fiber can bind bile acids, thus potentially decreasing cholesterol levels; however, whether the polyphenols from kale contribute to in vitro bile acid binding capacity remains unclear. In the present study, kale was extracted with hexane, acetone, and MeOH : water and the dried extracts, as well as the fiber-rich residue, were tested for their bile acid binding capacity. The fiber-rich residue bound total bile acids in amounts equivalent to that bound by raw kale. The lyophilized acetone extract bound significantly more glycochenodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate and less of other bile acids. To test whether bile acid binding enhanced the bioaccessibility of polyphenolic compounds from kale, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify chemical constituents and measure their bioaccessibility in an in vitro digestion reaction. This identified 36 phenolic compounds in kale, including 18 kaempferol derivatives, 13 quercetin derivatives, 4 sinapoyl derivatives, and one caffeoylquinic acid. The bioaccessibility of these phenolics was significantly higher (69.4%) in digestions with bile acids. Moreover, bile acids enhanced the bioaccessibility of quercetin by 25 times: only 2.7% of quercetin derivatives were bioaccessible in the digestion without bile acids, but with bile acids, their accessibility increased to 69.5%. Bile acids increased the bioaccessibility of kaempferol from 37.7% to 69.2%. The extractability and biostability of total phenolics in the digested residue increased 1.8 fold in the digestions with bile acids. These results demonstrated the potential use of kale to improve human health.

Influence of mercury bioaccessibility on exposure assessment associated with consumption of cooked predatory fish in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Escribano, Silvia; Ruiz, Antonio; Barrios, Laura; Vélez, Dinoraz; Montoro, Rosa

2011-04-01

Predatory fish tend to accumulate high levels of mercury (Hg). Food safety assessment of these fish has been carried out on the raw product. However, the evaluation of the risk from Hg concentrations in raw fish might be modified if cooking and bioaccessibility (the contaminant fraction that solubilises from its matrix during gastrointestinal digestion and becomes available for intestinal absorption) were taken into account. Data on Hg bioaccessibility in raw predatory fish sold in Spain are scarce and no research on Hg bioaccessibility in cooked fish is available. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Hg bioaccessibility in various kinds of cooked predatory fish sold in Spain to estimate their health risk. Both Hg and bioaccessible Hg concentrations were analysed in raw and cooked fish (swordfish, tope shark, bonito and tuna). There were no changes in Hg concentrations during cooking. However, Hg bioaccessibility decreased significantly after cooking (42 ± 26% in raw fish and 26 ± 16% in cooked fish), thus reducing in swordfish and tope shark the Hg concentration to which the human organism would be exposed. In future, cooking and bioaccessibility should be considered in risk assessment of Hg concentrations in predatory fish. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure Assessment of Cadmium and Arsenic in Pakchoi Genotypes Grown in Co-Contaminated Soils

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yanyan; Zheng, Xiaoman; Shohag, Md. Jahidul Islam; Gu, Minghua

2017-01-01

In many countries cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) commonly coexist in soils contaminated by mining activities, and can easily enter the human body via consumption of leafy vegetables, like the popularly consumed pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), causing major health concerns. In the present study, bioaccessibility and human exposure of Cd and As were assessed in twenty genotypes of pakchoi cultured at two different levels of co-contamination to identify low health risk genotypes. The bioaccessibilities of Cd and As represent a fraction of the total metals content could be bioaccessible for human, in the present study, significant differences in pakchoi Cd and As bioaccessibility were observed among all tested genotypes and co-contaminated levels. Cd and As bioaccessibility of pakchoi were in the ranges of 24.0–87.6% and 20.1–82.5%, respectively, for in the high level co-contaminated soils, which was significantly higher than for low level co-contaminated soils with 7.9–71.8% for Cd bioaccessibility and 16.1–59.0% for As bioaccessibility. The values of bioaccessible established daily intakes (BEDI) and the total bioaccessible target hazard quotients (TBTHQ) of Cd and As were also considerably higher in high level co-contaminated soils than in low level co-contaminated soils. Two genotypes (Meiguanqinggengcai and Zhenqing60F1) contained relatively low concentrations and bioaccessible Cd and As and, their BEDI and TBTHQ for Cd and As ranged below the tolerable limits set by the FAO/WHO (BEDI of Cd contaminated soils for adults and children. Consequently, these findings suggest identification of safe genotypes in leafy vegetable with low health risk via genotypic screening and breeding methods could be a useful strategy to ensure the safety of food crops grown in those Cd and As co-contaminated fields due to mining activities. PMID:28850097

Effects of cooking and subcellular distribution on the bioaccessibility of trace elements in two marine fish species.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Mei; Ke, Cai-Huan; Wang, Wen-Xiong

2010-03-24

In current human health risk assessment, the maximum acceptable concentrations of contaminants in food are mostly based on the total concentrations. However, the total concentration of contaminants may not always reflect the available amount. Bioaccessibility determination is thus required to improve the risk assessment of contaminants. This study used an in vitro digestion model to assess the bioaccessibility of several trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Se, and Zn) in the muscles of two farmed marine fish species (seabass Lateolabrax japonicus and red seabream Pagrosomus major ) of different body sizes. The total concentrations and subcellular distributions of these trace elements in fish muscles were also determined. Bioaccessibility of these trace elements was generally high (>45%), and the lowest bioaccessibility was observed for Fe. Cooking processes, including boiling, steaming, frying, and grilling, generally decreased the bioaccessibility of these trace elements, especially for Cu and Zn. The influences of frying and grilling were greater than those of boiling and steaming. The relationship of bioaccessibility and total concentration varied with the elements. A positive correlation was found for As and Cu and a negative correlation for Fe, whereas no correlation was found for Cd, Se, and Zn. A significant positive relationship was demonstrated between the bioaccessibility and the elemental partitioning in the heat stable protein fraction and in the trophically available fraction, and a negative correlation was observed between the bioaccessibility and the elemental partitioning in metal-rich granule fraction. Subcellular distribution may thus affect the bioaccessibility of metals and should be considered in the risk assessment for seafood safety.

Food processing strategies to enhance phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability in plant-based foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribas-Agustí, Albert; Martín-Belloso, Olga; Soliva-Fortuny, Robert; Elez-Martínez, Pedro

2017-06-13

Phenolic compounds are important constituents of plant-based foods, as their presence is related to protective effects on health. To exert their biological activity, phenolic compounds must be released from the matrix during digestion in an absorbable form (bioaccessible) and finally absorbed and transferred to the bloodstream (bioavailable). Chemical structure and matrix interactions are some food-related factors that hamper phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability, and that can be counteracted by food processing. It has been shown that food processing can induce chemical or physical modifications in food that enhance phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability. These changes include: (i) chemical modifications into more bioaccessible and bioavailable forms; (ii) cleavage of covalent or hydrogen bonds or hydrophobic forces that attach phenolic compounds to matrix macromolecules; (iii) damaging microstructural barriers such as cell walls that impede the release from the matrix; and (iv) create microstructures that protect phenolic compounds until they are absorbed. Indeed, food processing can produce degradation of phenolic compounds, however, it is possible to counteract it by modulating the operating conditions in favor of increased bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This review compiles the current knowledge on the effects of processing on phenolic compounds bioaccessibility or bioavailability, while suggesting new guidelines in the search of optimal processing conditions as a step forward towards the design of healthier foods.

Bioaccessibility of lead in airborne particulates from car battery repair work.

Science.gov (United States)

Dartey, Emmanuel; Berlinger, Balazs; Thomassen, Yngvar; Ellingsen, Dag G; Odland, Jon Ø; Nartey, Vincent K; Yeboah, Francis A; Weinbruch, Stephan

2014-12-01

The bioaccessibility of Pb in air particulate matter from two car battery repair workshops in Kumasi (Ghana) was measured (64 full shift personal aerosol samples). An artificial lung lining fluid simulant (Hatch solution) was applied for leaching the bioaccessible fraction in half of the samples, the other half was leached with synthetic gastric juice. At both locations, the Pb solubility (median) in gastric juice (89% and 92%) is substantially higher than in Hatch solution (4.9% and 5.6%). The high solubility of Pb in gastric juice may be related to the presence of Pb oxides. The low bioaccessibility of Pb in Hatch solution is in good agreement with previous work on mine tailings, urban aerosol, car exhaust, welding fumes and indoor dust. The high bioaccessibility of Pb in the gastrointestinal tract underpins the importance of improving the personal hygienic behavior at the workplace. It is recommended that air monitoring of Pb should include the extrathoracic aerosol fraction using inhalable aerosol samplers, as particles of this size fraction are most likely transferred to the gastrointestinal tract in addition to the non-lung-soluble particles transported from the lung by mucociliary and phagocytosis clearance.

Oral bioaccessibility of toxic and essential elements in raw and cooked commercial seafood species available in European markets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alves, Ricardo N.; Maulvault, Ana L.; Barbosa, Vera L.; Fernandez-Tejedor, Margarita; Tediosi, Alice; Kotterman, Michiel; Heuvel, van den Fredericus H.M.; Robbens, Johan; Fernandes, José O.; Romme Rasmussen, Rie; Sloth, Jens J.; Marques, António

2017-01-01

The oral bioaccessibility of several essential and toxic elements was investigated in raw and cooked commercially available seafood species from European markets. Bioaccessibility varied between seafood species and elements. Methylmercury bioaccessibility varied between 10 (octopus) and 60%

Replication of an ivg protocol to estimate bioaccessible arsenic in materials from a gold mining area in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio Benedito Ono

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Tests for bioaccessibility are useful in human health risk assessment. No research data with the objective of determining bioaccessible arsenic (As in areas affected by gold mining and smelting activities have been published so far in Brazil. Samples were collected from four areas: a private natural land reserve of Cerrado; mine tailings; overburden; and refuse from gold smelting of a mining company in Paracatu, Minas Gerais. The total, bioaccessible and Mehlich-1-extractable As levels were determined. Based on the reproducibility and the accuracy/precision of the in vitro gastrointestinal (IVG determination method of bioaccessible As in the reference material NIST 2710, it was concluded that this procedure is adequate to determine bioaccessible As in soil and tailing samples from gold mining areas in Brazil. All samples from the studied mining area contained low percentages of bioaccessible As.

Bioaccessibility of tocopherols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid from milk- and soy-based fruit beverages: influence of food matrix and processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Cilla, Antonio; Alegría, Amparo; de Ancos, Begoña; Sánchez-Moreno, Concepción; Cano, M Pilar; Plaza, Lucía; Clemente, Gonzalo; Lagarda, María J; Barberá, Reyes

2012-07-25

A study was made of the effect of high-pressure processing (HPP) and thermal treatment (TT) on plant bioactive compounds (tocopherols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid) in 12 fruit juice-milk beverages and of how the food matrix [whole milk (JW), skimmed milk (JS), and soy milk (JSy)] modulates their bioaccessibility (%). HPP (400 MPa/40 °C/5 min) produced a significant decrease in carotenoid and ascorbic acid bioaccessibility in all three beverages and maintained the bioaccessibility of tocopherols in JW and JS while decreasing it in JSy. TT (90 °C/30 s) produced a significant decrease in tocopherol and carotenoid bioaccessibility in all three beverages and increased the bioaccessibility of ascorbic acid. With regard to the food matrix, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid bioaccessibility was greatest in JW beverages and lowest in JSy beverages, whereas no significant differences were found among the three beverages in terms of carotenoid bioaccessibility. HPP-treated samples showed higher tocopherol and carotenoid bioaccessibility than TT-treated samples, thus indicating that HPP combined with a milk matrix positively modulates the bioaccessibility of certain types of bioactive components of food, mainly those of a lipophilic nature.

Influence of food acidulants and antioxidant spices on the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from selected vegetables.

Science.gov (United States)

Veda, Supriya; Platel, Kalpana; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2008-09-24

Four common food acidulants--amchur, lime, tamarind, and kokum--and two antioxidant spices--turmeric and onion--were examined for their influence on the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from two fleshy and two leafy vegetables. Amchur and lime generally enhanced the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from these test vegetables in many instances. Such an improved bioaccessibility was evident in both raw and heat-processed vegetables. The effect of lime juice was generally more pronounced than that of amchur. Turmeric significantly enhanced the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from all of the vegetables tested, especially when heat-processed. Onion enhanced the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from pressure-cooked carrot and amaranth leaf and from open-pan-boiled pumpkin and fenugreek leaf. Lime juice and the antioxidant spices turmeric and onion minimized the loss of beta-carotene during heat processing of the vegetables. In the case of antioxidant spices, improved bioaccessibility of beta-carotene from heat-processed vegetables is attributable to their role in minimizing the loss of this provitamin. Lime juice, which enhanced the bioaccessibility of this provitamin from both raw and heat-processed vegetables, probably exerted this effect by some other mechanism in addition to minimizing the loss of beta-carotene. Thus, the presence of food acidulants (lime juice/amchur) and antioxidant spices (turmeric/onion) proved to be advantageous in the context of deriving maximum beta-carotene from the vegetable sources.

Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure Assessment of Cadmium and Arsenic in Pakchoi Genotypes Grown in Co-Contaminated Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yanyan; Zheng, Xiaoman; Shohag, Md Jahidul Islam; Gu, Minghua

2017-08-29

In many countries cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) commonly coexist in soils contaminated by mining activities, and can easily enter the human body via consumption of leafy vegetables, like the popularly consumed pakchoi ( Brassica chinensis L.), causing major health concerns. In the present study, bioaccessibility and human exposure of Cd and As were assessed in twenty genotypes of pakchoi cultured at two different levels of co-contamination to identify low health risk genotypes. The bioaccessibilities of Cd and As represent a fraction of the total metals content could be bioaccessible for human, in the present study, significant differences in pakchoi Cd and As bioaccessibility were observed among all tested genotypes and co-contaminated levels. Cd and As bioaccessibility of pakchoi were in the ranges of 24.0-87.6% and 20.1-82.5%, respectively, for in the high level co-contaminated soils, which was significantly higher than for low level co-contaminated soils with 7.9-71.8% for Cd bioaccessibility and 16.1-59.0% for As bioaccessibility. The values of bioaccessible established daily intakes (BEDI) and the total bioaccessible target hazard quotients (TBTHQ) of Cd and As were also considerably higher in high level co-contaminated soils than in low level co-contaminated soils. Two genotypes (Meiguanqinggengcai and Zhenqing60F1) contained relatively low concentrations and bioaccessible Cd and As and, their BEDI and TBTHQ for Cd and As ranged below the tolerable limits set by the FAO/WHO (BEDI of Cd < 0.83 μg kg -1 bw day -1 , BEDI of As < 3 μg kg -1 bw day -1 ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (TBTHQ for Cd and As < 1), this applied for both levels of co-contaminated soils for adults and children. Consequently, these findings suggest identification of safe genotypes in leafy vegetable with low health risk via genotypic screening and breeding methods could be a useful strategy to ensure the safety of food crops grown in those Cd and As co

Enzymatic cell wall degradation of high-pressure-homogenized tomato puree and its effect on lycopene bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmero, Paola; Colle, Ines; Lemmens, Lien; Panozzo, Agnese; Nguyen, Tuyen Thi My; Hendrickx, Marc; Van Loey, Ann

2016-01-15

High-pressure homogenization disrupts cell structures, assisting carotenoid release from the matrix and subsequent micellarization. However, lycopene bioaccessibility of tomato puree upon high-pressure homogenization is limited by the formation of a process-induced barrier. In this context, cell wall-degrading enzymes were applied to hydrolyze the formed barrier and enhance lycopene bioaccessibility. The effectiveness of the enzymes in degrading their corresponding substrates was evaluated (consistency, amount of reducing sugars, molar mass distribution and immunolabeling). An in vitro digestion procedure was applied to evaluate the effect of the enzymatic treatments on lycopene bioaccessibility. Enzymatic treatments with pectinases and cellulase were proved to effectively degrade their corresponding cell wall polymers; however, no further significant increase in lycopene bioaccessibility was obtained. A process-induced barrier consisting of cell wall material is not the only factor governing lycopene bioaccessibility upon high-pressure homogenization. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Is there sufficient ‘sink’ in current bioaccessibility determinations of organic pollutants in soils?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, C.D.; Mosquera-Vazquez, M.; Gomez-Eyles, J.L.; Mayer, P.; Gouliarmou, V.; Blum, F.

2013-01-01

Bioaccessibility tests can be used to improve contaminated land risk assessments. For organic pollutants a ‘sink’ is required within these tests to better mimic their desorption under the physiological conditions prevailing in the intestinal tract, where a steep diffusion gradient for the removal of organic pollutants from the soil matrix would exist. This is currently ignored in most PBET systems. By combining the CEPBET bioaccessibility test with an infinite sink, the removal of PAH from spiked solutions was monitored. Less than 10% of spiked PAH remained in the stomach media after 1 h, 10% by 4 h in the small intestine compartment and c.15% after 16 h in the colon. The addition of the infinite sink increased bioaccessibility estimates for field soils by a factor of 1.2–2.8, confirming its importance for robust PBET tests. TOC or BC were not the only factors controlling desorption of the PAH from the soils. -- Highlights: •Inclusion of a ‘contaminant trap’ significantly increases bioaccessibility estimates of PAH in contaminated soils. •The ‘contaminant trap’ operated within realistic physiological timescales. •The inclusion of a colon compartment is important as it increases bioaccessibility of the high molecular weight PAH. •Soil carbon content as TOC or BC was not the only control on the desorption of PAH from field soils. -- The inclusion of a ‘contaminant trap’ within physiologically based extraction tests significantly increases the bioaccessibility estimates of PAHs in contaminated soils

Bioaccessibility of Hg, Cd and As in cooked black scabbard fish and edible crab.

Science.gov (United States)

Maulvault, Ana Luísa; Machado, Raquel; Afonso, Cláudia; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Nunes, Maria Leonor; Coelho, Inês; Langerholc, Tomaz; Marques, António

2011-11-01

Regular consumption of seafood has been widely recommended by authorities. Yet, some species accumulate high levels of contaminants like Hg, Cd and As. In addition, the risks associated to the consumption of such seafood may increase if consumers use cooking practices that enhance the concentration of contaminants and their bioaccessibility. In this study, the bioaccessibility of Hg, Cd and As was assessed with in vitro human digestion of raw and cooked black scabbard fish (Hg; steamed, fried and grilled) and edible crab (Cd and As; steamed and boiled) tissues. Additionally, the toxicological hazards associated with the consumption of these products were also discussed. Generally, Hg, Cd and As bioacessibility increased throughout the digestion process. Cadmium and As revealed high bioaccessibility rates in raw and cooked samples (up to 100%), whereas lower bioaccessible fractions of Hg was observed (up to 40%). Furthermore, this study pointed out the importance of food matrix, elemental chemical properties and cooking practices in the bioaccessibility of Hg, Cd and As. The toxicological hazards revealed that edible crab brown meat (Cd) and grilled black scabbard fish (MeHg) consumption in children should be moderated. In contrast, edible crab muscle (Cd) and fried or steamed black scabbard fish (MeHg) should be consumed to minimize exposure. The use of bioaccessible contaminant data strongly reduced the toxicological risks of MeHg, whereas less risk reduction occurred with Cd and inorganic As. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of lactic acid bacteria to reduce mercury bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadán-Piedra, C; Alcántara, C; Monedero, V; Zúñiga, M; Vélez, D; Devesa, V

2017-08-01

Mercury in food is present in either inorganic [Hg(II)] or methylmercury (CH 3 Hg) form. Intestinal absorption of mercury is influenced by interactions with other food components. The use of dietary components to reduce mercury bioavailability has been previously proposed. The aim of this work is to explore the use of lactic acid bacteria to reduce the amount of mercury solubilized after gastrointestinal digestion and available for absorption (bioaccessibility). Ten strains were tested by addition to aqueous solutions containing Hg(II) or CH 3 Hg, or to food samples, and submission of the mixtures to gastrointestinal digestion. All of the strains assayed reduce the soluble fraction from standards of mercury species under gastrointestinal digestion conditions (72-98%). However their effectiveness is lower in food, and reductions in bioaccessibility are only observed with mushrooms (⩽68%). It is hypothesized that bioaccessible mercury in seafood forms part of complexes that do not interact with lactic acid bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On-line coupling of physiologically relevant bioaccessibility testing to inductively coupled plasma spectrometry: Proof of concept for fast assessment of gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of micronutrients from soybeans.

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Herrera, Mónica Alejandra; Rosende, María; Arruda, Marco Aurélio Zezzi; Miró, Manuel

2016-10-05

In-vitro physiologically relevant gastrointestinal extraction based on the validated Unified BARGE Method (UBM) is in this work hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry in a batch-flow configuration for real-time monitoring of oral bioaccessibility assays with high temporal resolution. A fully automated flow analyzer is designed to foster in-line filtration of gastrointestinal extracts at predefined times (≤15 min) followed by on-line multi-elemental analysis of bioaccessible micro-nutrients, viz., Cu, Fe and Mn, in well-defined volumes of extracts (300 μL) of transgenic and non-transgenic soybean seeds taken as model samples. The hyphenated flow setup allows for recording of temporal extraction profiles to gain full knowledge of the kinetics of the gastrointestinal digestion processes, including element leaching and concomitant precipitation and complexation reactions hindering bioavailability. Simplification of the overall standard procedure is also feasible by identification of steady-state extraction conditions. Our findings indicate that reliable measurement of oral bioaccessible pools of Cu, Fe and Mn in soybean might be obtained in less than 180 min rather than 240 min as endorsed by UBM. Using a matrix-matched external calibration, limits of detection according to the 3s criteria were 0.5 μg/g for Mn, 0.6 μg/g for Cu and 2.3 μg/g for Fe. Trueness of the automatic bioaccessibility method was confirmed by mass balance validation with recoveries ranging from 87 to 116% regardless of the target element and sample. Cu was the micronutrient with the highest oral bioaccessibility ranging from 73% to 83% (7.5-7.9 μg/g) for non-transgenic and transgenic soybeans, respectively, followed by Mn and Fe within the ranges of 29-31% (10.8-11.4 μg/g) and 11-15% (8-14 μg/g), respectively, regardless of transgenesis. The proposed kinetic method is proven suitable for fast and expedient estimation of the nutritional value of

Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Calendula officinalis Supercritical Extract as Affected by in Vitro Codigestion with Olive Oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Diana; Navarro Del Hierro, Joaquín; Villanueva Bermejo, David; Fernández-Ruiz, Ramón; Fornari, Tiziana; Reglero, Guillermo

2016-11-23

Supercritical extracts of marigold (ME) were produced and characterized. The bioaccessibility of terpenes, especially that of pentacyclic triterpenes (PT), the particle-size distribution, and antioxidant activity after the in vitro codigestion of ME with olive oil (OO) were determined. ME produced without cosolvent was richer in taraxasterol, lupeol, α-amyrin, and β-amyrin than extracts with cosolvent. All terpenes showed high bioaccessibility without OO (>75%). Significant correlations were found between the molecular properties of compounds (logP and number of rotatable bonds) and their bioaccessibility. Codigestion with OO enhanced the bioaccessibility (around 100% for PT), which could be related to a higher abundance of low-size particles of the digestion medium. The antioxidant activity of the digested ME increased around 50%, regardless of OO. PT-rich extracts from marigold display high bioaccessibility and improved antioxidant activity after in vitro digestion, although complete bioaccessibility of PT can be reached by codigestion with oil, without affecting antioxidant activity.

Analysis of bioaccessible concentration of trace elements in plant based edible materials by INAA and ICPMS methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, R.K.; Maharia, R.S.; Acharya, R.; Reddy, A.V.R.

2014-01-01

The total metal concentration and bioaccessible concentration of Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se in Momordica charantia, Asparagus racemosus, Terminalia arjuna and Syzyzium cumini were measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis (ICP-MS). The bioaccessible concentrations were determined in the gastrointestinal digest obtained after treating dried powdered samples sequentially in gastric and intestinal fluid of porcine origin at physiological conditions. The bioaccessible concentration of Fe was in the range of 58-67 mg kg -1 , Mn was 10.2-14.6 mg kg -1 , Cu was 3.7-4.8 mg kg -1 and Zn was 10.6-18.4 mg kg -1 , were within the safety limits set for vegetable food stuff set by Joint FAO/WHO. The bioaccessibility of Zn, an essential element, was high (40-50 %) in M. charantia and in S. cumini. In addition, the total metal contents and bioaccessible concentration of Ni, Se, Cd and Pb in these samples were measured by ICP-MS. The total Cd content in S. cumini (2.6 ± 0.2 mg kg -1 ) and its bioaccessible concentration (0.6 mg kg -1 ) were strikingly high as compared to the other samples. Though total Hg contents were determined by ICP-MS, but their bioaccessible concentrations were below the detection limit (0.036 mg kg -1 ). (author)

Lead Speciation and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Compost-Amended Urban Garden Soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Attanayake, Chammi P.; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Ma, Qing; Pierzynski, Gary M.; Ransom, Michel D. (NWU); (KSU)

2017-01-01

In situ soil amendments can modify the Pb bioavailability by changing soil Pb speciation. Urban soils from three vegetable gardens containing different total Pb concentrations were used. The study evaluated how compost amendment and aging of soil-compost mixture in situ affected the following: (i) soil Pb speciation in the field and (ii) change of soil Pb speciation during an in vitro bioaccessibility extraction mimicking gastric phase dissolution at pH 2.5. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy was used to determine Pb speciation in amended and nonamended soils and residues left after in vitro bioaccessibility extraction of those soils. Compost amendment and aging of compost in the field had a negligible effect on Pb bioaccessibility in the soils. Major Pb species in the soils were Pb sorbed to Fe oxy(hydr)oxide (Pb-Fh) and to soil organic C (Pb-Org). The fraction of Pb-Org was increased as soil-compost mixture aged in the field. During the in vitro extraction, the fraction of Pb-Fh was decreased, the fraction of Pb-Org was increased, and hydroxypyromorphite was formed in both amended and nonamended soils. Freshly incorporated compost enhanced the dissolution of Pb-Fh during the extraction. As soil-compost mixture aged in the field, the dissolution of Pb-Fh was low, demonstrating more stability of the Pb-Fh during the extraction. Compost amendment showed potential to contribute to reduced bioaccessibility of Pb as compost aged in the soil by increasing Pb-Org fraction in the field and stability of Pb-Fh during the in vitro bioaccessibility extraction.

Bioaccessible nutrients and bioactive components from fortified products prepared using finger millet (Eleusine coracana).

Science.gov (United States)

Oghbaei, Morteza; Prakash, Jamuna

2012-08-30

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), a staple food in semi-arid parts of the world, is a rich source of nutrients and bioactive components comparable to rice and wheat but with higher fibre content. Unprocessed and processed finger millet (whole flour (WFM), sieved flour (SFM), wafers and vermicelli with altered matrices (added Fe or Zn or reduced fibre)) were analysed for chemical composition, bioaccessible Fe, Zn and Ca, in vitro digestible starch (IVSD) and protein (IVPD) and bioactive components (polyphenols and flavonoids). WFM and SFM flours differed significantly in their composition. Sieving decreased the content of both nutrients and antinutrients in WFM but increased their digestibility/bioaccessibility. WFM products with Zn and Fe showed highest IVPD, whereas SFM products with Fe showed highest IVSD. Products with externally added Fe and Zn showed maximum bioaccessibility of Fe and Zn respectively. WFM had the highest levels of total polyphenols and flavonoids, 4.18 and 15.85 g kg⁻¹ respectively; however, bioaccessibility was highest in SFM vermicelli. The availability of nutrients and bioactive components was influenced by both processing methods and compositional alterations of the food matrix in finger millet products, and bioaccessibility of all constituents was higher in vermicelli (wet matrix) than in wafers (dry matrix). Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Particulate metal bioaccessibility in physiological fluids and cell culture media: Toxicological perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Leclercq, Bérénice; Alleman, Laurent Yves; Perdrix, Esperanza; Riffault, Véronique; Happillon, Mélanie; Strecker, Alain; Lo-Guidice, Jean-Marc; Garçon, Guillaume; Coddeville, Patrice

2017-07-01

According to the literature, tiny amounts of transition metals in airborne fine particles (PM 2.5 ) may induce proinflammatory cell response through reactive oxygen species production. The solubility of particle-bound metals in physiological fluids, i.e. the metal bioaccessibility is driven by factors such as the solution chemical composition, the contact time with the particles, and the solid-to-liquid phase ratio (S/L). In this work, PM 2.5 -bound metal bioaccessibility was assessed in various physiological-like solutions including cell culture media in order to evidence the potential impact on normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) when studying the cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of PM 2.5 towards the target bronchial compartment. Different fluids (H 2 O, PBS, LHC-9 culture medium, Gamble and human respiratory mucus collected from COPD patients), various S/L conditions (from 1/6000 to 1/100,000) and exposure times (6, 24 and 72h) were tested on urban PM 2.5 samples. In addition, metals' total, soluble and insoluble fractions from PM 2.5 in LHC-9 were deposited on NHBE cells (BEAS-2B) to measure their cytotoxicity and inflammatory potential (i.e., G6PDH activity, secretion of IL-6 and IL-8). The bioaccessibility is solution-dependent. A higher salinity or organic content may increase or inhibit the bioaccessibiliy according to the element, as observed in the complex mucus matrix. Decreasing the S/L ratio also affect the bioaccessibility depending on the solution tested while the exposure time appears less critical. The LHC-9 culture medium appears to be a good physiological proxy as it induces metal bioaccessibilities close to the mucus values and is little affected by S/L ratios or exposure time. Only the insoluble fraction can be linked to the PM 2.5 -induced cytotoxicity. By contrast, both soluble and insoluble fractions can be related to the secretion of cytokines. The metal bioaccessibility in LHC-9 of the total, soluble, and insoluble

Bioaccessibility of metals in fish, shellfish, wild game, and seaweed harvested in British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Brian D; Chan, Hing Man

2013-08-01

Fish, shellfish, wild game, and seaweed are important traditional foods that are essential to the physical and cultural well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The goal of this study was to measure the concentration and bioaccessibility of As, Cd, Hg, Se, Cu and Mn in 45 commonly consumed traditional foods collected by harvested by the First Nations Food, Nutrition, and Environment Study (FNFNES) from 21 First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada, in 2008-2009. A significant and negative correlation was observed between Hg concentration and Hg bioaccessibility. Metal bioaccessibility tended to be high; median values ranging between 52% (Mn) and 83% (Cu). The notable exceptions were observed for As in wild game organs (7-19%) and rabbit meat (4%) as well as Hg in salmon eggs (10%). Results of Principal Components Analysis confirmed the unique pattern of bioaccessibility of As and Hg in traditional foods, suggesting that, unlike other metals, As and Hg bioaccessibility are not simply controlled by food digestibility under the operating conditions of the in vitro model. These data provide useful information for dietary contaminant risk assessment and intake assessments of essential trace elements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel targeted approach to better understand how natural structural barriers govern carotenoid in vitro bioaccessibility in vegetable-based systems.

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Palmero, Paola; Lemmens, Lien; Ribas-Agustí, Albert; Sosa, Carola; Met, Kristof; de Dieu Umutoni, Jean; Hendrickx, Marc; Van Loey, Ann

2013-12-01

An experimental approach, allowing us to understand the effect of natural structural barriers (cell walls, chromoplast substructures) on carotenoid bioaccessibility, was developed. Different fractions with different levels of carotenoid bio-encapsulation (carotenoid-enriched oil, chromoplasts, small cell clusters, and large cell clusters) were isolated from different types of carrots and tomatoes. An in vitro method was used to determine carotenoid bioaccessibility. In the present work, a significant decrease in carotenoid in vitro bioaccessibility could be observed with an increasing level of bio-encapsulation. Differences in cell wall material and chromoplast substructure between matrices influenced carotenoid release and inclusion in micelles. For carrots, cell walls and chromoplast substructure were important barriers for carotenoid bioaccessibility while, in tomatoes, the chromoplast substructure represented the most important barrier governing bioaccessibility. The highest increase in carotenoid bioaccessibility, for all matrices, was obtained after transferring carotenoids into the oil phase, a system lacking cell walls and chromoplast substructures that could hamper carotenoid release. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food matrix and processing influence on carotenoid bioaccessibility and lipophilic antioxidant activity of fruit juice-based beverages.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Roque, María Janeth; de Ancos, Begoña; Sánchez-Vega, Rogelio; Sánchez-Moreno, Concepción; Cano, M Pilar; Elez-Martínez, Pedro; Martín-Belloso, Olga

2016-01-01

The biological activity of carotenoids depends on their bioaccessibility and solubilization in the gastrointestinal tract. These compounds are poorly dispersed in the aqueous media of the digestive tract due to their lipophilic nature. Thus, it is important to analyze the extent to which some factors, such as the food matrix and food processing, may improve their bioaccessibility. Beverages formulated with a blend of fruit juices and water (WB), milk (MB) or soymilk (SB) were treated by high-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) (35 kV cm(-1) with 4 μs bipolar pulses at 200 Hz for 1800 μs), high-pressure processing (HPP) (400 MPa at 40 °C for 5 min) or thermal treatment (TT) (90 °C for 1 min) in order to evaluate the influence of food matrix and processing on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and on the lipophilic antioxidant activity (LAA). The bioaccessibility of these compounds diminished after applying any treatment (HIPEF, HPP and TT), with the exception of cis-violaxanthin + neoxanthin, which increased by 79% in HIPEF and HPP beverages. The lowest carotenoid bioaccessibility was always obtained in TT beverages (losses up to 63%). MB was the best food matrix for improving the bioaccessibility of carotenoids, as well as the LAA. The results demonstrate that treatment and food matrix modulated the bioaccessibility of carotenoids as well as the lipophilic antioxidant potential of beverages. Additionally, HIPEF and HPP could be considered as promising technologies to obtain highly nutritional and functional beverages.

Bioaccessible trace metals in lip cosmetics and their health risks to female consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Peng; Lei, Tingting; Jia, Liming; Yury, Badmatsybenov; Zhang, Zhaohan; Du, Yingqiu; Feng, Yujie; Xing, Baoshan

2018-07-01

Females can be exposed to toxic elements in lip cosmetics following ingestion. The bioaccessibility of Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Sb and Pb in lip cosmetics (n = 32) were assessed via the dilute HCl extraction method, In Vitro Gastrointestinal protocol (IVG) and the United States Pharmacopeia Methodology (USPM), and then health risks were characterized. The total concentrations of trace metals (TMs) in lip cosmetics were in the range of 15.55-111.97 mg/kg (Mean: 60.99 mg/kg). Cu, Pb and Cr were the three major TMs and accounting for >75% of the total concentrations. Except Sb and Pb in 4/32 and 4/32 samples were higher than the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration of the United States) limits, the other TMs were lower than that limits. Only bioaccessible Pb in all samples significantly exceeded the FDA limit 0.1 mg/kg in candy. Using IVG or USPM might be preferable for evaluating the TMs exposure over HCl since they better represent gastrointestinal physiology. The estimated average daily intake (ADI) of bioaccessible ∑TMs through lip cosmetics ingestion of career women and female college students were under safety level. The long-term exposure of bioaccessible TMs by lip cosmetics using would inevitably cause non-carcinogenic health risk. This is the first report on the in vitro tests used for evaluating bioaccessible TMs in lip cosmetics. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of biochar on isoproturon partitioning and bioaccessibility in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, B J; Pickering, F L; Freddo, A; Whelan, M J; Coulon, F

2013-10-01

The influence of biochar (5%) on the loss, partitioning and bioaccessibility of (14)C-isoproturon ((14)C-IPU) was evaluated. Results indicated that biochar had a dramatic effect upon (14)C-IPU partitioning: (14)C-IPU extractability (0.01 M CaCl2) in biochar-amended treatments was reduced to <2% while, (14)C-IPU extractability in biochar free treatments decreased with ageing from 90% to 40%. A partitioning model was constructed to derive an effective partition coefficient for biochar:water (KBW of 7.82 × 10(4) L kg(-1)). This was two orders of magnitude greater than the apparent Kfoc value of the soil organic carbon:water (631 L kg(-1)). (14)C-radiorespirometry assays indicated high competence of microorganisms to mineralise (14)C-IPU in the absence of biochar (40.3 ± 0.9%). Where biochar was present (14)C-IPU mineralisation never exceeded 2%. These results indicate reduced herbicide bioaccessibility. Increasing IPU application to ×10 its recommended dose was ineffective at redressing IPU sequestration and its low bioaccessibility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic Resource Management and Design

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Kimberly R.

2015-01-01

We have now reached a tipping point at which electronic resources comprise more than half of academic library budgets. Because of the increasing work associated with the ever-increasing number of e-resources, there is a trend to distribute work throughout the library even in the presence of an electronic resources department. In 2013, the author…

Estimated Bioaccessibility to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from Frequently Consumed Dried Fruits in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nooshin Rahimzadeh

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We sought to determine levels of oral bioaccessibility of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF from frequently consumed dried fruits in Iran. Fifty samples from frequently consumed types of dried fruits were analyzed for moisture, acidity and HMF content before and after in vitro digestion. Besides, bioaccessibility of HMF in dried fruits using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestive model and HMF intake from dried fruits based on consumption of each dried fruit groups wasdetermined. The mean estimated intake of HMF was 72.90 mg/kg and the maximum intake was 240.23 mg/kg for fruit bread. The mean bioaccessibility was 60.26%. There was a correlation between HMF and acid content of fruit bread (r= 0.98, P<0.05. In conclusion, the HMF levels in dried fruits remains high even after the in vitro digestion.

Fat content affects bioaccessibility and efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of lutein esters added to milk and yogurt

OpenAIRE

Xavier, Ana Augusta Odorissi; Mercadante, Adriana Zerlotti; Garrido-Fernández, Juan; Pérez-Gálvez, Antonio

2014-01-01

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Addition of lutein to dairy products is an alternative that widens the range of foods which could be lutein sources. However, bioaccessibility is an essential aspect to be considered during the development of products with added bioactive substances. We evaluated the in vitro bioaccessibility of lutein esters added to milk and yogurt with different fat contents, and determined the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of the esters during digestion. Bioaccessibility of lutei...

Bioaccessibility of Pb from ammunition in game meat is affected by cooking treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mateo, Rafael; Baos, Ana R; Vidal, Dolors; Camarero, Pablo R; Martinez-Haro, Monica; Taggart, Mark A

2011-01-14

The presence of lead (Pb) ammunition residues in game meat has been widely documented, yet little information exists regarding the bioaccessibility of this Pb contamination. We study how cooking treatment (recipe) can affect Pb bioaccessibility in meat of animals hunted with Pb ammunition. We used an in vitro gastrointestinal simulation to study bioaccessibility. The simulation was applied to meat from red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) hunted with Pb shot pellets and cooked using various traditional Spanish game recipes involving wine or vinegar. Total Pb concentrations in the meat were higher in samples with visible Pb ammunition by X-ray (mean±SE: 3.29±1.12 µg/g w.w.) than in samples without this evidence (1.28±0.61 µg/g). The percentage of Pb that was bioaccessible within the simulated intestine phase was far higher in meat cooked with vinegar (6.75%) and wine (4.51%) than in uncooked meat (0.7%). Risk assessment simulations using our results transformed to bioavailability and the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic model (IEUBK; US EPA) show that the use of wine instead of vinegar in cooking recipes may reduce the percentage of children that would be expected to have >10 µg/dl of Pb in blood from 2.08% to 0.26% when game meat represents 50% of the meat in diet. Lead from ammunition in game meat is more bioaccessible after cooking, especially when using highly acidic recipes. These results are important because existing theoretical models regarding Pb uptake and subsequent risk in humans should take such factors into account.

Does the source migration pathway of HBCDs to household dust influence their bio-accessibility?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

García-Alcega, Sonia [Soil Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH (United Kingdom); Rauert, Cassie; Harrad, Stuart [School of Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Collins, Chris D., E-mail: c.d.collins@reading.ac.uk [Soil Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH (United Kingdom)

2016-11-01

A study was conducted to assess the human bioaccessibility of dust contaminated with hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) via two migration pathways a) volatilisation with subsequent partitioning to dust particles, and b) abrasion of treated textile fibres directly to the dust. This was achieved using previously developed experimental chamber designs to generate dust samples contaminated with HBCDs emitted from a HBCD treated textile curtain. The generated dust samples were exposed to an in vitro colon extended physiologically based extraction test (CE-PBET). The bioaccessibility of the HBCDs which were incorporated within dust as a result of volatilisation from the curtain material with subsequent partitioning to dust was higher than in dusts contaminated with HBCDs via abrasion of the curtain (35% and 15% respectively). We propose this occurs due to a stronger binding of HBCDs to treated fabric fibres than that experienced following volatilisation and sorption of HBCDs to dust particles. - Highlights: • Migration pathways via which HBCDs enter dust influences its bioaccessibility. • HBCDs more bioaccessible when incorporated to dust via volatilisation. • Contamination of dusts is more variable via abrasion than volatilisation.

Application of an in vitro digestion model for 210Po bioaccessibility assessment in seafood.

Science.gov (United States)

Roselli, Carla; Desideri, Donatella; Feduzi, Laura; Ugolini, Lucia; Meli, Maria Assunta

2017-12-01

This study aims to investigate the bioaccessibility of 210 Po in seafood and the impact of food preparation on this radionuclide. Polonium bioaccessibility is the fraction of 210 Po mobilised from food matrices into digestive extractants when applying an in vitro digestion model. The degree of bioaccessibility of 210 Po in food has important implications for estimating ingestion doses from this radionuclide. The simulation of gastrointestinal digestion was divided into three stages through the use of synthetic saliva, gastric and bile-pancreas solutions. Following pre-treatment with a saliva solution, raw and cooked seafood samples underwent one of the following treatments: (a) simulated gastric digestion only or (b) simulated complete gastrointestinal digestion (gastric digestion followed by bile-pancreas digestion). No significant difference (P > 0.05) in 210 Po mobility was found between samples that underwent gastric digestion compared to those that only underwent gastro-intestinal digestion. However, a significant difference (P 210 Po bioaccessibility was found between raw and cooked seafood undergoing both gastric and gastro-intestinal digestion.

Does the source migration pathway of HBCDs to household dust influence their bio-accessibility?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

García-Alcega, Sonia; Rauert, Cassie; Harrad, Stuart; Collins, Chris D.

2016-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the human bioaccessibility of dust contaminated with hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) via two migration pathways a) volatilisation with subsequent partitioning to dust particles, and b) abrasion of treated textile fibres directly to the dust. This was achieved using previously developed experimental chamber designs to generate dust samples contaminated with HBCDs emitted from a HBCD treated textile curtain. The generated dust samples were exposed to an in vitro colon extended physiologically based extraction test (CE-PBET). The bioaccessibility of the HBCDs which were incorporated within dust as a result of volatilisation from the curtain material with subsequent partitioning to dust was higher than in dusts contaminated with HBCDs via abrasion of the curtain (35% and 15% respectively). We propose this occurs due to a stronger binding of HBCDs to treated fabric fibres than that experienced following volatilisation and sorption of HBCDs to dust particles. - Highlights: • Migration pathways via which HBCDs enter dust influences its bioaccessibility. • HBCDs more bioaccessible when incorporated to dust via volatilisation. • Contamination of dusts is more variable via abrasion than volatilisation.

Organoclays reduce arsenic bioavailability and bioaccessibility in contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Binoy; Naidu, Ravi; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Xi, Yunfei [South Australia Univ., Mawson Lakes, SA (AU). Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR); South Australia Univ., Mawson Lakes, SA (AU). Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE)

2012-05-15

Purpose: Naturally occurring layer silicate clay minerals can be value added by modifying their surface properties to enhance their efficacy in the remediation of environmental contaminants. Silicate clay minerals modified by the introduction of organic molecules into the mineral structure are known as organoclays and show much promise for environmental remediation applications. The present study assesses the extent of decrease in bioavailable and bioaccessible arsenic (As) via enhanced adsorption by soil treated with organoclays. Materials and methods: Organoclays were prepared from hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA) and Arquad {sup registered} 2HT-75 (Arquad) at surfactant loadings equivalent to twice the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of an Australian bentonite and characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption of arsenate onto the organoclays from aqueous solutions. Encouraged by these results, the organoclays were applied to As-spiked soils, at 10% and 20% (w/w) rates, to assess their capacity to stabilise soil As. After 1 month of incubation in the laboratory, bioavailable (1 mM Ca(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} extractable) and bioaccessible (1 M glycine extractable) As from the spiked soils were assessed. Results and discussion: Both the organobentonites effectively removed As from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent prepared with Arquad adsorbed 23% more As from aqueous phase than adsorbent prepared with HDTMA. Adsorption of As was controlled by anion exchange and electrostatic attraction. When applied to As-contaminated soils, the organoclays reduced the bioavailable As by as much as 81%. The extent of reduction of bioaccessible As was only up to 58%. The adsorbents were not as efficient in reducing bioaccessible As in contaminated soils as compared with bioavailable As. It could be attributed to the extreme pH condition (pH = 3) of the extractant used in the physiologically based extraction test method for

Arsenic in cooked rice: Effect of chemical, enzymatic and microbial processes on bioaccessibility and speciation in the human gastrointestinal tract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Guoxin; Van de Wiele, Tom; Alava, Pradeep; Tack, Filip; Du Laing, Gijs

2012-01-01

Rice, used as staple food for half of the world population, can easily accumulate arsenic (As) into its grain, which often leads to As contamination. The health risk induced by presence of As in food depends on its release from the food matrix, i.e., its bioaccessibility. Using an in vitro gastrointestinal simulator, we incubated two types of cooked rice (total As: 0.389 and 0.314 mg/kg). Arsenic bioaccessibility and speciation changes were determined upon gastrointestinal digestion. Washing with deionized water and cooking did not result in changes of As speciation in the rice although the arsenic content dropped by 7.1–20.6%. Arsenic bioaccessibility of the cooked rice in the small intestine ranged between 38 and 57%. Bioaccessibility slightly increased during digestion in the simulated small intestine and decreased with time in the simulated colon. Significant speciation changes were noted in the simulated colon, with trivalent monomethylarsonate (MMA III ) becoming an important species. - Highlights: ► We studied arsenic bioaccessibility and speciation in rice during in vitro digestion. ► Bioaccessibility in cooked rice ranged between 38 and 57%. ► Bioaccessibility increased in the small intestine and dropped in the colon. ► Significant speciation changes were observed in the colon. ► Toxic trivalent monomethylarsonate (MMA III ) was produced in the colon. - Arsenic bioaccessibility and speciation changes were studied upon in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of As-polluted rice with specific attention to the role of colon micro-organisms.

The effect of aging on sequestration and bioaccessibility of oxytetracycline in soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuxia; Bao, Yanyu; Cai, Zhang; Zhang, Zhenzihao; Cao, Peilin; Li, Xinqian; Zhou, Qixing

2015-07-01

Veterinary antibiotics introduced into soil environment may change the composition and functioning of soil microbial communities and promote the spreading of antibiotic resistance. Actual risks depend on the antibiotic's bioaccessibility and sequestration in soils, which may vary with contact time and soil properties. We elucidated changes in the horsebean plant's bioaccessible oxytetracycline with increasing contact time in three different soils (cinnamon, red, and brown soil) and observed discrepancy in oxytetracycline dissipation using sequential extractions with H2O-, 0.01 M CaCl2-, and Mcllvaine- in the same three soils. The results showed lower quantities of oxytetracycline with increasing contact time over 20 days than the level in freshly contaminated soils but hugely discrepant quantities among the three tested soils. In addition, aging largely reduced dissipation of H2O-, 0.01 M CaCl2-, and Mcllvaine- extracted oxytetracycline in soils before planting. However, bioturbation helped increase the H2O-, CaCl2-, and Mcllvaine- extracted oxytetracyline from cinnamon and brown soils with aging. Lastly, correlation analysis indicated that bioaccessibility of oxytetracycline significantly correlates with the total of H2O-, CaCl2-, and Mcllvaine- extracted oxytetracycline (0.676**, p oxytetracycline with aging. Overall, this study provides some basic understanding of the aging effect on sequestration and bioaccessibility of veterinary antibiotics in soils.

Applying no-depletion equilibrium sampling and full-depletion bioaccessibility extraction to 35 historically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bartolomé, Nora; Hilber, Isabel; Sosa, Dayana

2018-01-01

Assessing the bioaccessibility of organic pollutants in contaminated soils is considered a complement to measurements of total concentrations in risk assessment and legislation. Consequently, methods for its quantification require validation with historically contaminated soils. In this study, 35...... with polyoxymethylene was used to determine freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while sorptive bioaccessibility extraction (SBE) with silicone rods was used to determine the bioaccessible PAH concentrations (Cbioacc) of these soils. The organic carbon partition...... Capacity Ratio (SCR); particularly for soils with very high KD. The source of contamination determined bioaccessible fractions (fbioacc). The smallest fbioacc were obtained with skeet soils (15%), followed by the pyrogenically influenced soils, rural soils, and finally, the petrogenically contaminated soil...

Bioaccessibility of Pb from ammunition in game meat is affected by cooking treatment.

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Rafael Mateo

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The presence of lead (Pb ammunition residues in game meat has been widely documented, yet little information exists regarding the bioaccessibility of this Pb contamination. We study how cooking treatment (recipe can affect Pb bioaccessibility in meat of animals hunted with Pb ammunition. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used an in vitro gastrointestinal simulation to study bioaccessibility. The simulation was applied to meat from red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa hunted with Pb shot pellets and cooked using various traditional Spanish game recipes involving wine or vinegar. Total Pb concentrations in the meat were higher in samples with visible Pb ammunition by X-ray (mean±SE: 3.29±1.12 µg/g w.w. than in samples without this evidence (1.28±0.61 µg/g. The percentage of Pb that was bioaccessible within the simulated intestine phase was far higher in meat cooked with vinegar (6.75% and wine (4.51% than in uncooked meat (0.7%. Risk assessment simulations using our results transformed to bioavailability and the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic model (IEUBK; US EPA show that the use of wine instead of vinegar in cooking recipes may reduce the percentage of children that would be expected to have >10 µg/dl of Pb in blood from 2.08% to 0.26% when game meat represents 50% of the meat in diet. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Lead from ammunition in game meat is more bioaccessible after cooking, especially when using highly acidic recipes. These results are important because existing theoretical models regarding Pb uptake and subsequent risk in humans should take such factors into account.

Assessing the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of metals and metalloids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Jack C; Juhasz, Albert; Smith, Euan; Naidu, Ravi

2015-06-01

Bioavailability (BA) determines the potential harm of a contaminant that exerts on the receptor. However, environmental guidelines for site contamination assessment are often set assuming the contaminant is 100 % bioavailable. This conservative approach to assessing site risk may result in the unnecessary and expensive remediation of a contaminated site. The National Environmental Protection Measures in Australia has undergone a statutory 5-year review that recommended that contaminant bioavailability and bioaccessibility (BAC) measures be adopted as part of the contaminated site risk assessment process by the National Environment Protection Council. We undertook a critical review of the current bioavailability and bioaccessibility approaches, methods and their respective limitations. The 'gold' standard to estimate the portion of a contaminant that reaches the system circulatory system (BA) of its receptor is to determine BA in an in vivo system. Various animal models have been utilised for this purpose. Because of animal ethics issues, and the expenses associated with performing in vivo studies, several in vitro methods have been developed to determine BAC as a surrogate model for the estimation of BA. However, few in vitro BAC studies have been calibrated against a reliable animal model, such as immature swine. In this review, we have identified suitable methods for assessing arsenic and lead BAC and proposed a decision tree for the determination of contaminant bioavailability and bioaccessibility for health risk assessment.

Effect of different home-cooking methods on the bioaccessibility of zinc and iron in conventionally bred cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) consumed in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Elenilda J; Carvalho, Lucia M J; Dellamora-Ortiz, Gisela M; Cardoso, Flávio S N; Carvalho, José L V

2016-01-01

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Wap.) is an excellent source of iron and zinc. However, iron from plant sources is poorly absorbed compared with iron from animal sources. The objective of this study was to evaluate iron and zinc bioaccessibility in cowpea cultivars after processing. Zinc and iron bioaccessibilities in cowpea samples were determined based on an in vitro method involving simulated gastrointestinal digestion with suitable modifications. When water-soaked beans were cooked in a regular pan, the highest percentage of bioaccessible iron obtained was 8.92%, whereas when they were cooked in a pressure cooker without previous soaking, the highest percentage was 44.33%. Also, the percentage of bioaccessible zinc was 52.78% when they were cooked in a regular pan without prior soaking. Higher percentages of bioaccessible iron were found when cooking was done in a pressure cooker compared with regular pan cooking. In all cultivars, cooking of cowpea beans in both pressure cooker and in a regular pan yielded higher percentages of bioaccessible zinc compared with availability of bioaccessible iron. Iron bioaccessibility values suggest that cooking in a regular pan did not have a good effect on iron availability, since the percentage of bioaccessible iron was lower than that of zinc. The determination of iron and zinc bioaccessibility makes it possible to find out the actual percentage of absorption of such minerals and allows the development of efficient strategies for low-income groups to access foods with high levels of these micronutrients.

Fatty acids, mercury, and methylmercury bioaccessibility in salmon (Salmo salar) using an in vitro model: Effect of culinary treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Sara; Afonso, Cláudia; Cardoso, Carlos; Batista, Irineu; Chaveiro, Nádia; Nunes, Maria Leonor; Bandarra, Narcisa Maria

2015-10-15

The effect of culinary treatments on the fatty acid profile, mercury (Hg), and methylmercury (MeHg) levels of salmon was studied. The bioaccessibility of fatty acids, Hg, and MeHg in raw and grilled salmon was determined. The most intense thermal treatment (grilling) did not alter the relative fatty acid (FA) profile. There were bioaccessibility differences between FAs. To the authors' knowledge, for the first time, higher bioaccessibility of the long-chain FAs than the short- and medium-chain FAs was measured. Chemical interaction phenomena seemed to play a role. On the other hand, higher levels of unsaturation decreased bioaccessibility. Two main alternative hypotheses were put forward, either lower polarity led to higher incorporation of FAs with longer hydrophobic aliphatic chain and lower number of double bonds in the emulsion present in the bioaccessible fraction or enzymatic selectivity preferentially hydrolyzed some FAs on the basis of their structure or position in the triacylglycerol molecule. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship Between Total and Bioaccessible Lead on Children’s Blood Lead Levels in Urban Residential Philadelphia Soils

Science.gov (United States)

Relationships between total soil or bioaccessible lead (Pb), measured using an in vitro bioaccessibility assay, and children’s blood lead levels (BLL) were investigated in an urban neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, with a history of soil Pb contamination....

Enhanced Bioaccessibility of Curcuminoids in Buttermilk Yogurt in Comparison to Curcuminoids in Aqueous Dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Shishan; Augustin, Mary Ann; Sanguansri, Luz; Shen, Zhiping; Ng, Ken; Ajlouni, Said

2016-03-01

Curcuminoids have low bioavailability due to low aqueous solubility. We compared the bioaccessibility of curcuminoids delivered in buttermilk yogurt to that of curcuminoid powder in an aqueous dispersion. Buttermilk containing added curcuminoids (300 mg/100 g, 0.3% w/w) was used for yogurt manufacture. We measured percentage of curcuminoids remaining in yogurts after manufacture and after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal fluids, and the in vitro bioaccessibility of the curcuminoids. Curcuminoids were stable during yogurt manufacture. At the end of in vitro digestion, approximately 11% of the curcuminoids delivered in yogurt was degraded compared to yogurt was 15-fold more bioaccessible than curcuminoids in aqueous dispersion. The small change in yogurt properties (decrease in total lactic acid bacteria counts of yogurts. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phenolic compounds in bread: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelino, Donato; Cossu, Marta; Marti, Alessandra; Zanoletti, Miriam; Chiavaroli, Laura; Brighenti, Furio; Del Rio, Daniele; Martini, Daniela

2017-07-19

Cereal-based products, like breads, are a vehicle for bioactive compounds, including polyphenols. The health effects of polyphenols like phenolic acids (PAs) are dependent on their bioaccessibility and bioavailability. The present review summarizes the current understanding of potential strategies to improve phenolic bioaccessibility and bioavailability and the main findings of in vitro and in vivo studies investigating these strategies applied to breads, including the use of raw ingredients with greater phenolic content and different pre-processing technologies, such as fermentation and enzymatic treatment of ingredients. There is considerable variability between in vitro studies, mainly resulting from the use of different methodologies, highlighting the need for standardization. Of the few in vivo bioavailability studies identified, acute, single-dose studies demonstrate that modifications to selected raw materials and bioprocessing of bran could increase the bioavailability, but not necessarily the net content, of bread phenolics. The two medium-term identified dietary interventions also demonstrated greater phenolic content, resulting from the modification of the raw materials used. Overall, the findings suggest that several strategies can be used to develop new bread products with greater phenolic bioaccessibility and bioavailability. However, due to the large variability and the few studies available, further investigations are required to determine better the usefulness of these innovative processes.

Effect of different home-cooking methods on the bioaccessibility of zinc and iron in conventionally bred cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp consumed in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elenilda J. Pereira

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Wap. is an excellent source of iron and zinc. However, iron from plant sources is poorly absorbed compared with iron from animal sources. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate iron and zinc bioaccessibility in cowpea cultivars after processing. Methods: Zinc and iron bioaccessibilities in cowpea samples were determined based on an in vitro method involving simulated gastrointestinal digestion with suitable modifications. Results: When water-soaked beans were cooked in a regular pan, the highest percentage of bioaccessible iron obtained was 8.92%, whereas when they were cooked in a pressure cooker without previous soaking, the highest percentage was 44.33%. Also, the percentage of bioaccessible zinc was 52.78% when they were cooked in a regular pan without prior soaking. Higher percentages of bioaccessible iron were found when cooking was done in a pressure cooker compared with regular pan cooking. In all cultivars, cooking of cowpea beans in both pressure cooker and in a regular pan yielded higher percentages of bioaccessible zinc compared with availability of bioaccessible iron. Conclusions: Iron bioaccessibility values suggest that cooking in a regular pan did not have a good effect on iron availability, since the percentage of bioaccessible iron was lower than that of zinc. The determination of iron and zinc bioaccessibility makes it possible to find out the actual percentage of absorption of such minerals and allows the development of efficient strategies for low-income groups to access foods with high levels of these micronutrients.

Bioaccessibility of pistachio polyphenols, xanthophylls, and tocopherols during simulated human digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandalari, Giuseppina; Bisignano, Carlo; Filocamo, Angela; Chessa, Simona; Sarò, Mariagiovanna; Torre, Germana; Faulks, Richard M; Dugo, Paola

2013-01-01

The bioaccessibility of bioactives from pistachios has not been previously evaluated. In the present study we quantified the release of polyphenols, xanthophylls (lutein), and tocopherols from pistachios (raw pistachios, roasted salted pistachios, and muffins made with raw pistachios) during simulated human digestion. A dynamic gastric model of digestion that provides a realistic and predictive simulation of the physical and chemical processing and accurately mimics the residence time and the luminal environment within the human stomach was used for the digestion studies. More than 90% of the polyphenols were released in the gastric compartment, with virtually total release in the duodenal phase. No significant differences were observed between raw shelled and roasted salted pistachio. The presence of a food matrix (muffin) decreased the bioaccessibility of protocatechuic acid (78%) and luteolin (36%). Almost 100% bioaccessibility of lutein and tocopherols was found after duodenal digestion, with no difference among the three samples. The rapid release of the assayed bioactives in the stomach maximizes the potential for absorption in the duodenum and contributes to the beneficial relation between pistachio consumption and health-related outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Total and Bioaccessible Soil Arsenic and Lead Levels and Plant Uptake in Three Urban Community Gardens in Puerto Rico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Misenheimer

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Arsenic (As and lead (Pb are two contaminants of concern associated with urban gardening. In Puerto Rico, data currently is limited on As and Pb levels in urban garden soils, soil metal (loid bioaccessibility, and uptake of As and Pb in soil by edible plants grown in the region. This study examined total and bioaccessible soil As and Pb concentrations and accumulation in 10 commonly grown garden plants collected from three urban community gardens in Puerto Rico. Bioavailability values were predicted using bioaccessibility data to compare site-specific bioavailability estimates to commonly used default exposure assumptions. Total and bioaccessible As levels in study soils ranged from 2 to 55 mg/kg and 1 to 18 mg/kg, respectively. Total and bioaccessible Pb levels ranged from 19 to 172 mg/kg and 17 to 97 mg/kg, respectively. Measured bioaccessibility values corresponded to 19% to 42% bioaccessible As and 61% to 100% bioaccessible Pb when expressed as a percent of total As and Pb respectively. Predicted relative percent bioavailability of soil As and Pb based on measured bioaccessibility values ranged from 18% to 36% and 51% to 85% for As and Pb respectively. Transfer factors (TFs measuring uptake of As in plants from soil ranged from 0 to 0.073 in the edible flesh (fruit or vegetable of plant tissues analyzed and 0.073 to 0.444 in edible leaves. Pb TFs ranged from 0.002 to 0.012 in flesh and 0.023 to 0.204 in leaves. Consistent with TF values, leaves accumulated higher concentrations of As and Pb than the flesh, with the highest tissue concentrations observed in the culantro leaf (3.2 mg/kg dw of As and 8.9 mg/kg dw of Pb. Leaves showed a general but not statistically-significant (α = 0.05 trend of increased As and Pb concentration with increased soil levels, while no trend was observed for flesh tissues. These findings provide critical data that can improve accuracy and reduce uncertainty when conducting site-specific risk determination of

Bioaccessibility of metals in soils and dusts contaminated by marine antifouling paint particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, Andrew; Singh, Nimisha; Richards, Jonathan P.

2009-01-01

Fragments of antifouling paint and environmental geosolids have been sampled from the island of Malta and analysed for total and bioaccessible metals. Total concentrations of Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn were two to three orders of magnitude higher in spent antifouling composites relative to respective values in background soils and road dusts. Paint fragments were visible in geosolids taken from the immediate vicinity of boat maintenance facilities and mass balance calculations, based on Ba as a paint tracer, suggested that the most contaminated soils, road dusts and boatyard dusts contained about 1%, 7% and 9%, respectively, of antifouling particles. Human bioaccessibilities of metals were evaluated in selected samples using a physiologically based extraction technique. Accessibilities of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the most contaminated solids were sufficient to be cause for concern for individuals working in the boat repair industry and to the wider, local community. - Geosolids near boat maintenance facilities are contaminated by antifouling paint particles containing high concentrations of bioaccessible metals.

Bioaccessibility of metals in soils and dusts contaminated by marine antifouling paint particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turner, Andrew, E-mail: aturner@plymouth.ac.u [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Singh, Nimisha; Richards, Jonathan P. [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom)

2009-05-15

Fragments of antifouling paint and environmental geosolids have been sampled from the island of Malta and analysed for total and bioaccessible metals. Total concentrations of Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn were two to three orders of magnitude higher in spent antifouling composites relative to respective values in background soils and road dusts. Paint fragments were visible in geosolids taken from the immediate vicinity of boat maintenance facilities and mass balance calculations, based on Ba as a paint tracer, suggested that the most contaminated soils, road dusts and boatyard dusts contained about 1%, 7% and 9%, respectively, of antifouling particles. Human bioaccessibilities of metals were evaluated in selected samples using a physiologically based extraction technique. Accessibilities of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the most contaminated solids were sufficient to be cause for concern for individuals working in the boat repair industry and to the wider, local community. - Geosolids near boat maintenance facilities are contaminated by antifouling paint particles containing high concentrations of bioaccessible metals.

Bioaccessibility and digestive stability of carotenoids in cooked eggs studied using a dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Nimalaratne, Chamila; Savard, Patricia; Gauthier, Sylvie F; Schieber, Andreas; Wu, Jianping

2015-03-25

Among dietary carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are known to protect against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the elderly. Egg yolk is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, however, the effect of cooking and gastrointestinal digestion on yolk carotenoids is poorly understood. An in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal model (TIM-1) was used to investigate the digestive stability and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from boiled, fried, and scrambled eggs. Bioaccessibility but not digestive stability was significantly affected by the method of cooking. The main egg carotenoids, all-E-lutein and all-E-zeaxanthin, were stable during the digestion with average recoveries of 90 and 88%, respectively. No trans-cis isomerization of carotenoids was observed during digestion. Both all-E-lutein and all-E-zeaxanthin from scrambled eggs showed significantly lower bioaccessibility compared to boiled eggs. The results indicate that the bioaccessibility of egg carotenoids can be affected by different food preparation methods.

Arsenic speciation in total contents and bioaccessible fractions in atmospheric particles related to human intakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Minjuan; Chen, Xunwen; Zhao, Yinge; Yu Chan, Chuen; Wang, Wei; Wang, Xuemei; Wong, Ming Hung

2014-01-01

Speciation of inorganic trivalent arsenicals (iAs III ), inorganic pentavalent arsenicals (iAs V ), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in total arsenic (As) content and its bioaccessible fractions contained in road dust, household air-conditioning (AC) filter dust and PM 2.5 was investigated. Inorganic As, especially iAs V , was observed as the dominant species. Physiologically based extraction test (PBET), an in-vitro gastrointestinal method, was used to estimate the oral As bioaccessibility in coarse particles and the species present in the oral bioaccessible fraction. A composite lung simulating serum was used to mimic the pulmonary condition to extract the respiratory bioaccessible As and its species in PM 2.5 . Reduction of iAs V to iAs III occurred in both in-vitro gastrointestinal and lung simulating extraction models. The inorganic As species was the exclusive species for absorption through ingestion and inhalation of atmospheric particles, which was an important exposure route to inorganic As, in addition to drinking water and food consumption. - Highlights: • Inorganic As species was the predominant species in dust and airborne particles. • Existence of iAs III in dust and airborne particles increases human health risks. • Reduction from iAs V to iAs III occurred through in-vitro gastrointestinal model. • Reduction from iAs V to iAs III occurred in the simulating pulmonary region. • Atmospheric particles were important exposure sources of inorganic As. - Atmospheric particles are important exposure sources of inorganic As, of which the bioaccessibility is dependent on the extraction phases and models used

Bioaccessible contents of inorganic elements in plant based edible materials by INAA and ICPMS methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maharia, R.S.; Dutta, R.K.; Acharya, R.; Reddy, A.V.R.

2013-01-01

We report total metal contents and their Bioaccessibility concentrations from Momordica Charantia (karela), Asparagus racemosus (satavari), Terminalia arjuna (arjuna bark) and Syzyzium cumini (jamun). The metal bioaccessibilities were determined by treating the dried powdered samples sequentially in gastric and intestinal fluid of porcine origin and the concentrations of the elements were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). (author)

Oral bioaccessibility of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in settled dust: A review of measurement methods, data and influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Raffy, Gaëlle; Mercier, Fabien; Glorennec, Philippe; Mandin, Corinne; Le Bot, Barbara

2018-06-15

Many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), suspected of reprotoxic, neurotoxic or carcinogenic effects, were measured in indoor settled dust. Dust ingestion is a non-negligible pathway of exposure to some of these SVOCs, and an accurate knowledge of the real exposure is necessary for a better evaluation of health risks. To this end, the bioaccessibility of SVOCs in dust needs to be considered. In the present work, bioaccessibility measurement methods, SVOCs' oral bioaccessibility data and influencing factors were reviewed. SVOC bioaccessibilities (%) ranged from 11 to 94, 8 to 100, 3 to 92, 1 to 81, 6 to 52, and 2 to 17, for brominated flame retardants, organophosphorus flame retardants, polychlorobiphenyls, phthalates, pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, respectively. Measurements method produced varying results depending on the inclusion of food and/or sink in the model. Characteristics of dust, e.g., organic matter content and particle size, also influenced bioaccessibility data. Last, results were influenced by SVOC properties, such as octanol/water partition coefficient and migration pathway into dust. Factors related to dust and SVOCs could be used in prediction models. To this end, more bioaccessibility studies covering more substances should be performed, using methods that are harmonized and validated by comparison to in-vivo studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility and health risk of arsenic, mercury and other metals in urban street dusts from a mega-city, Nanjing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Xin; Zhang, Yun; Luo Jun; Wang Tijian; Lian Hongzhen; Ding Zhuhong

2011-01-01

The oral bioaccessibility and the human health risks of As, Hg and other metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd, Cr, Mn, V and Fe) in urban street dusts from different land use districts in Nanjing (a mega-city), China were investigated. Both the total contents and the oral bioaccessibility estimated by the Simple Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET) of the studied elements varied with street dusts from different land use districts. Cd, Zn, Mn, Pb, Hg and As showed high bioaccessibility. SBET-extractable contents of elements were significantly correlated with their total contents and the dust properties (pH, organic matter contents). The carcinogenic risk probability for As and Cr to children and adults were under the acceptable level ( -4 ). Hazard Quotient values for single elements and Hazard Index values for all studied elements suggested potential non-carcinogenic health risk to children, but not to adults. - Highlights: → Spatial variation of elements in street dusts from different land use districts. → Oral bioaccessibility of elements in street dusts from different land use districts. → Human health risks of elements in street dusts from different land use districts. - Bioaccessibility and health risks of trace elements differed with street dusts from different land use districts in Nanjing.

A lead isotopic study of the human bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils from Glasgow, Scotland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, John G.; Broadway, Andrew; Cave, Mark R.; Wragg, Joanna; Fordyce, Fiona M.; Graham, Margaret C.; Ngwenya, Bryne T.; Bewley, Richard J.F.

2011-01-01

The human bioaccessibility of lead (Pb) in Pb-contaminated soils from the Glasgow area was determined by the Unified Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) Method (UBM), an in vitro physiologically based extraction scheme that mimics the chemical environment of the human gastrointestinal system and contains both stomach and intestine compartments. For 27 soils ranging in total Pb concentration from 126 to 2160 mg kg -1 (median 539 mg kg -1 ), bioaccessibility as determined by the 'stomach' simulation (pH ∼ 1.5) was 46-1580 mg kg -1 , equivalent to 23-77% (mean 52%) of soil total Pb concentration. The corresponding bioaccessibility data for the 'stomach + intestine' simulation (pH ∼ 6.3) were 6-623 mg kg -1 and 2-42% (mean 22%) of soil Pb concentration. The soil 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios ranged from 1.057 to 1.175. Three-isotope plots of 208 Pb/ 206 Pb against 206 Pb/ 207 Pb demonstrated that 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios were intermediate between values for source end-member extremes of imported Australian Pb ore (1.04) - used in the manufacture of alkyl Pb compounds (1.06-1.10) formerly added to petrol - and indigenous Pb ores/coal (1.17-1.19). The 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios of the UBM 'stomach' extracts were similar ( 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratio was discernible in the UBM. However, the source of Pb appeared to be less important in determining the extent of UBM-bioaccessible Pb than the overall soil total Pb concentration and the soil phases with which the Pb was associated. The significant phases identified in a subset of samples were carbonates, manganese oxides, iron-aluminium oxyhydroxides and clays. - Highlights: → We determined the human bioaccessibility of Pb in urban soils by in vitro extraction. → We determined the isotopic composition of Pb in soils and simulated stomach extracts. → Soil stable Pb isotope ratios (e.g. 206 Pb/ 207 Pb) indicated a range of sources of Pb. → 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios in soils and their simulated stomach extracts were very similar

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Bioaccessible Fraction from Eryngium foetidum Leaves

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Suwitcha Dawilai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Eryngium foetidum (EF has long been used as a medicinal plant and culinary spice in tropical regions. Phytochemicals in its leaves have been proposed to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The present study used in vitro digestion coupled with Caco-2 cells to assess such activities. Caco-2 cells were incubated with aqueous fraction from simulated digestion (bioaccessible fraction of EF leaves with/without bile extract prior to stimulation with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1 and IL-8 in culture media and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS were measured. Approximately 24% β-carotene and 35% lutein of leaves were present in the aqueous fraction. The transfer of caffeic and chlorogenic acids to the aqueous fraction was 76%–81%, while that of kaempferol was 48%. Prior incubation of Caco-2 cells with the bioaccessible fraction suppressed IL-1β activated IL-8 and MCP-1 by 33%, but the fraction lacking mixed micelles decreased IL-8 and MCP-1 levels only by 11%. The pretreatment of Caco-2 cells with the bioaccessible fraction of EF reduced ROS by 34%; the fraction lacking mixed micelles decreased ROS by 28%. These data suggest that bioactive compounds partitioning in mixed micelles play a significant role to suppress the proinflammatory insult but with a modest antioxidant effect.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their Bioaccessibility in Meat: a Tool for Assessing Human Cancer Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamidi, Elliyana Nadia; Hajeb, Parvaneh; Selamat, Jinap; Abdull Razis, Ahmad Faizal

2016-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are primarily formed as a result of thermal treatment of food, especially barbecuing or grilling. Contamination by PAHs is due to generation by direct pyrolysis of food nutrients and deposition from smoke produced through incomplete combustion of thermal agents. PAHs are ubiquitous compounds, well-known to be carcinogenic, which can reach the food in different ways. As an important human exposure pathway of contaminants, dietary intake of PAHs is of increasing concern for assessing cancer risk in the human body. In addition, the risks associated with consumption of barbecued meat may increase if consumers use cooking practices that enhance the concentrations of contaminants and their bioaccessibility. Since total PAHs always overestimate the actual amount that is available for absorption by the body, bioaccessibility of PAHs is to be preferred. Bioaccessibility of PAHs in food is the fraction of PAHs mobilized from food matrices during gastrointestinal digestion. An in vitro human digestion model was chosen for assessing the bioaccessibility of PAHs in food as it offers a simple, rapid, low cost alternative to human and animal studies; providing insights which may not be achievable in in vivo studies. Thus, this review aimed not only to provide an overview of general aspects of PAHs such as the formation, carcinogenicity, sources, occurrence, and factors affecting PAH concentrations, but also to enhance understanding of bioaccessibility assessment using an in vitro digestion model.

Toxic metals in children's toys and jewelry: Coupling bioaccessibility with risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Xin-Yi; Li, Shi-Wei; Zhang, Shu-Jun; Fan, Ying-Ying; Ma, Lena Q.

2015-01-01

A total of 45 children's toys and jewelry were tested for total and bioaccessible metal concentrations. Total As, Cd, Sb, Cr, Ni, and Pb concentrations were 0.22–19, 0.01–139, 0.1–189, 0.06–846, 0.14–2894 and 0.08–860,000 mg kg −1 . Metallic products had the highest concentrations, with 3–7 out of 13 samples exceeding the European Union safety limit for Cd, Pb, Cr, or Ni. However, assessment based on hazard index >1 and bioaccessible metal showed different trends. Under saliva mobilization or gastric ingestion, 11 out of 45 samples showed HI >1 for As, Cd, Sb, Cr, or Ni. Pb with the highest total concentration showed HI <1 for all samples while Ni showed the most hazard with HI up to 113. Our data suggest the importance of using bioaccessibility to evaluate health hazard of metals in children's toys and jewelry, and besides Pb and Cd, As, Ni, Cr, and Sb in children's products also deserve attention. - Highlights: • Contamination of toxic metals in children's toys and jewelry (TJ) were studied. • Metals including Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in some TJ exceeded the EU safety limits. • Hazard index of TJ was assessed based on bioaccessible metals via saliva mobilization and oral ingestion. • Hazard index was >> 1 for Ni, and unacceptable for As, Cd, Cr, and Sb in some TJ. - Assessment of health hazard of children's toys and jewelry based on bioaccessible metals suggested that besides Pb and Cd, As, Ni, Cr, and Sb in children's products deserve attention

Bioaccessibility of Fipronil Sorbed to Soil and House Dust

Science.gov (United States)

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide with uses ranging from soil treatment, to the control of household pests and ectoparasites on pets. Soils and house dusts readily sorb fipronil and when these soils and dusts are ingested, the fipronil may become bioaccessible for uptake ...

Positive relationship detected between soil bioaccessible organic pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes at dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Mingming; Ye, Mao; Wu, Jun; Feng, Yanfang; Wan, Jinzhong; Tian, Da; Shen, Fangyuan; Liu, Kuan; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin; Jiang, Xin; Yang, Linzhang; Kengara, Fredrick Orori

2015-01-01

Co-contaminated soils by organic pollutants (OPs), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been becoming an emerging problem. However, it is unclear if an interaction exists between mixed pollutants and ARG abundance. Therefore, the potential relationship between OP contents and ARG and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) abundance was investigated from seven dairy farms in Nanjing, Eastern China. Phenanthrene, pentachlorophenol, sulfadiazine, roxithromycin, associated ARG genes, and intI1 had the highest detection frequencies. Correlation analysis suggested a stronger positive relationship between the ARG abundance and the bioaccessible OP content than the total OP content. Additionally, the significant correlation between the bioaccessible mixed pollutant contents and ARG/intI1 abundance suggested a direct/indirect impact of the bioaccessible mixed pollutants on soil ARG dissemination. This study provided a preliminary understanding of the interaction between mixed pollutants and ARGs in co-contaminated soils. - Highlights: • Coexistence of OPs, antibiotics, and ARGs in dairy farm soils was ubiquitous. • Bioaccessible pollutants exhibited positive correlation with ARG abundance. • ARGs significantly correlated with intI1. • Bioaccessible pollutants demonstrated strong correlation with intI1. • The intI1 gene might serve as a potential proxy for mixed pollution. - Coexistence of mixed OPs and ARGs in dairy farm soils was ubiquitous; a positive correlation can be found between the bioaccessible OP fractions and ARG/intI1 abundance.

Bioaccessibility of metals and human health risk assessment in community urban gardens.

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo, M; De Miguel, E; Ortega, M F; Mingot, J

2015-09-01

Pseudo-total (i.e. aqua regia extractable) and gastric-bioaccessible (i.e. glycine+HCl extractable) concentrations of Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in a total of 48 samples collected from six community urban gardens of different characteristics in the city of Madrid (Spain). Calcium carbonate appears to be the soil property that determines the bioaccessibility of a majority of those elements, and the lack of influence of organic matter, pH and texture can be explained by their low levels in the samples (organic matter) or their narrow range of variation (pH and texture). A conservative risk assessment with bioaccessible concentrations in two scenarios, i.e. adult urban farmers and children playing in urban gardens, revealed acceptable levels of risk, but with large differences between urban gardens depending on their history of land use and their proximity to busy areas in the city center. Only in a worst-case scenario in which children who use urban gardens as recreational areas also eat the produce grown in them would the risk exceed the limits of acceptability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visualizing and Quantifying Bioaccessible Pores in Field-Aged Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Clay Soils Using Synchrotron-based X-ray Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, W.; Kim, J.; Zhu, N.; McBeth, J. M.

2015-12-01

Microbial hydrocarbon degradation is environmentally significant and applicable to contaminated site remediation practices only when hydrocarbons (substrates) are physically bioaccessible to bacteria in soil matrices. Powerful X-rays are produced by synchrotron radiation, allowing for bioaccessible pores in soil (larger than 4 microns), where bacteria can be accommodated, colonize and remain active, can be visualized at a much higher resolution. This study visualized and quantified such bioaccessible pores in intact field-aged, oil-contaminated unsaturated soil fractions, and examined the relationship between the abundance of bioaccessible pores and hydrocarbon biodegradation. Using synchrotron-based X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) at the Canadian Light Source, a large dataset of soil particle characteristics, such as pore volumes, surface areas, number of pores and pore size distribution, was generated. Duplicate samples of five different soil fractions with different soil aggregate sizes and water contents (13, 18 and 25%) were examined. The method for calculating the number and distribution of bioaccessible pores using CT images was validated using the known porosity of Ottawa sand. This study indicated that the distribution of bioaccessible pore sizes in soil fractions are very closely related to microbial enhancement. A follow-up aerobic biodegradation experiment for the soils at 17 °C (average site temperature) over 90 days confirmed that a notable decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations occurred in soils fractions with abundant bioaccessible pores and with a larger number of pores between 10 and 100 μm. The hydrocarbon degradation in bioactive soil fractions was extended to relatively high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (C16-C34). This study provides quantitative information about how internal soil pore characteristics can influence bioremediation performance.

Biodegradation, bioaccessibility, and genotoxicity of diffuse polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution at a motorway site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, A.R.; de Lipthay, J.R.; Reichenberg, F.

2006-01-01

Diffuse pollution of surface soil with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is problematic in terms of the large areas and volumes of polluted soil. The levels and effects of diffuse PAH pollution at a motorway site were investigated. Surface soil was sampled with increasing distance from...... in the most polluted samples close to the pavement. Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin extraction of soil PAHs, as a direct estimate of the bioaccessibility, indicated that only 1-5% of the PAHs were accessible to soil bacteria. This low bioaccessibility is suggested to be due to sorption to traffic soot...... the asphalt pavement and tested for total amounts of PAHs, amounts of bioaccessible PAHs, total bacterial populations, PAH degrader populations, the potential for mineralization of C-14-PAHs, and mutagenicity. Elevated PAH concentrations were found in the samples taken 1-8 m from the pavement. Soil sampled...

Enhancing the lycopene in vitro bioaccessibility of tomato juice synergistically applying thermal and non-thermal processing technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayathunge, K G L R; Stratakos, Alexandros Ch; Cregenzán-Albertia, Oliver; Grant, Irene R; Lyng, James; Koidis, Anastasios

2017-04-15

The influence of moderate intensity pulsed electric field pre-processing on increasing the lycopene bioaccessibility of tomato fruit, and the combined effect of blanching, ultrasonic and high intensity pulsed electric field processing on further enhancement of the lycopene bioaccessibility after juicing were investigated. Maximum total lycopene bioaccessibility (9.6%) of the tomato fruit was achieved by a 4μs pre-processed treatment after 24h holding period and further processing results revealed that all treatments were effective to increase the total lycopene. Most of juice processing treatments decreased the release of lycopene from the tomato matrix during digestion. Only the treatment of blanching followed by high intensity pulsed electric field showed a significant release of trans-(4.01±0.48) and cis-(5.04±0.26μg/g) lycopene, achieving 15.6% total lycopene bioaccessibility. Thus, processing of pre-blanched juice using high intensity pulsed electric field, derived from pre-processed tomato was the best overall process to achieve the highest nutritive value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electronic Resource Management Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Ellingsen

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Computer applications which deal with electronic resource management (ERM are quite a recent development. They have grown out of the need to manage the burgeoning number of electronic resources particularly electronic journals. Typically, in the early years of e-journal acquisition, library staff provided an easy means of accessing these journals by providing an alphabetical list on a web page. Some went as far as categorising the e-journals by subject and then grouping the journals either on a single web page or by using multiple pages. It didn't take long before it was recognised that it would be more efficient to dynamically generate the pages from a database rather than to continually edit the pages manually. Of course, once the descriptive metadata for an electronic journal was held within a database the next logical step was to provide administrative forms whereby that metadata could be manipulated. This in turn led to demands for incorporating more information and more functionality into the developing application.

Lowering of cholesterol bioaccessibility and serum concentrations by saponins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vinarova, Liliya; Vinarov, Zahari; Atanasov, Vasil; Pantcheva, Ivayla; Tcholakova, Slavka; Denkov, Nikolai; Stoyanov, Simeon

2015-01-01

Using an in vitro digestion model, we studied the effect of six saponin extracts on the bioaccessibility of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids (SFAs). In the absence of saponins, around 78% of the available cholesterol was solubilized in the simulated intestinal fluids. The addition of two

Electronic Resources Management Project Presentation 2012

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2012-11-05

This presentation describes the electronic resources management project undertaken by the KAUST library. The objectives of this project is to migrate information from MS Sharepoint to Millennium ERM module. One of the advantages of this migration is to consolidate all electronic resources into a single and centralized location. This would allow for better information sharing among library staff.

Biodegradation, bioaccessibility, and genotoxicity of diffuse polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution at a motorway site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, A.R.; de Lipthay, J.R.; Reichenberg, F.

2006-01-01

the asphalt pavement and tested for total amounts of PAHs, amounts of bioaccessible PAHs, total bacterial populations, PAH degrader populations, the potential for mineralization of C-14-PAHs, and mutagenicity. Elevated PAH concentrations were found in the samples taken 1-8 m from the pavement. Soil sampled...... in the most polluted samples close to the pavement. Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin extraction of soil PAHs, as a direct estimate of the bioaccessibility, indicated that only 1-5% of the PAHs were accessible to soil bacteria. This low bioaccessibility is suggested to be due to sorption to traffic soot...... particles. The increased PAH level close to the pavement was reflected in slightly increased mutagenic activity (1 m, 0.32 +/- 0.08 revertants g(-1) soil; background/24 m: 0.08 +/- 0.04), determined by the Salmonella/microsome assay of total extractable PAHs activated by liver enzymes. The potential...

Effect of Cooking on Speciation and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Hg and As from Rice, Using Ordinary and Pressure Cookers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Wen; Wang, Guang; Li, Kaiming; Zhao, Wenbo; Wu, Ye

2018-05-03

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, and owing to environmental pollution, it is a major source of human exposure to mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As). We evaluated the impact of cooking on the speciation and bioaccessibility of Hg and As from rice in this study. Results show that the dominant Hg and As species in rice from Guangzhou market in China were their inorganic forms (iHg and iAs), respectively. The cooking process modified the levels of Hg and As. Average Hg and As bioaccessibility in raw rice was 69.74 and 80.32%, respectively. Hg bioaccessibility decreased to 46.22 and 42.37% for pressure- and ordinary-cooked rice, respectively. In contrast, As bioaccessibility remained unchanged except after cooking with a large amount of water. Protein denaturation and the amount of soluble and volatile forms determine the bioaccessibility of Hg and As in cooked rice by being released into the cooking water or into the air. From the bioaccessibility data, the average established daily intake (EDI) values of Hg and As from pressure-cooked rice for children and adults were 0.034 and 0.025 μg kg -1  day -1 (Hg), and 0.735 and 0.559 μg kg -1  day -1 (As), respectively. This study provides novel insights into Hg and As exposure due to rice cooking.

PRINCIPLES OF CONTENT FORMATION EDUCATIONAL ELECTRONIC RESOURCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

О Ю Заславская

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers modern possibilities of information and communication technologies for the design of electronic educational resources. The conceptual basis of the open educational multimedia system is based on the modular architecture of the electronic educational resource. The content of the electronic training module can be implemented in several versions of the modules: obtaining information, practical exercises, control. The regularities in the teaching process in modern pedagogical theory are considered: general and specific, and the principles for the formation of the content of instruction at different levels are defined, based on the formulated regularities. On the basis of the analysis, the principles of the formation of the electronic educational resource are determined, taking into account the general and didactic patterns of teaching.As principles of the formation of educational material for obtaining information for the electronic educational resource, the article considers: the principle of methodological orientation, the principle of general scientific orientation, the principle of systemic nature, the principle of fundamentalization, the principle of accounting intersubject communications, the principle of minimization. The principles of the formation of the electronic training module of practical studies in the article include: the principle of systematic and dose based consistency, the principle of rational use of study time, the principle of accessibility. The principles of the formation of the module for monitoring the electronic educational resource can be: the principle of the operationalization of goals, the principle of unified identification diagnosis.

Effect of olive cultivar on bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of phenolic fraction of virgin olive oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Quintero-Flórez, Angélica; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Sánchez-Quezada, Cristina; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Gaforio, José J; Jimenez, Antonio; Beltrán, Gabriel

2017-06-05

This study aims to characterize the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of seven monovarietal virgin olive oils (VOOs) and evaluate their in vitro gastrointestinal stability. 'Picual', 'Blanqueta', 'Sevillana', 'Habichuelero', and 'Chetoui' olive cultivars were selected for VOO extraction. The oils were subjected to in vitro digestion. The recovery index (RI) of phenolic compounds after each digestion step and the bioaccessibility index (BI) were evaluated. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the bioaccessible fraction (BF) of VOOs was determined by DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC assays, as well as by studying the intracellular reactive oxygen species in Caco-2 cells. Differences were found in the composition of phenolic compounds in VOOs depending on cultivars. During the digestive process, important losses of phenolic compounds were observed between the buccal and duodenal steps, unlike HTy and Ty, which presented increased recovery due to the hydrolysis of secoiridoid derivatives. Differences in the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds were found between varieties of VOOs. 'Sevillana' VOO had the highest total bioaccessibility (36%), followed by the 'Picual' (19%), 'Chetoui' (17%), 'Habichuelero' (10%), and 'Blanqueta' (8%) varieties. The BF of all the varieties of VOO showed similar radical ABTS scavenging capacity, 'Chetoui', and 'Blanqueta'-BF having the highest radical DPPH scavenging capacity, and 'Habichuelero' and 'Picual'-BF showing protective effects against the peroxyl radical measured by ORAC FL assay. All VOO-BFs presented decreases in ROS levels in Caco-2 cells. Our results suggest differences in the bioaccessibility of phenolics from diverse VOO varieties, which could lead to different biological properties. Therefore, this study represents a first step toward the development of novel dietary strategies focusing on the phenolic supplementation of different VOOs to preserve human health.

Implementing CORAL: An Electronic Resource Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Whitfield, Sharon

2011-01-01

A 2010 electronic resource management survey conducted by Maria Collins of North Carolina State University and Jill E. Grogg of University of Alabama Libraries found that the top six electronic resources management priorities included workflow management, communications management, license management, statistics management, administrative…

Food matrix and cooking process affect mineral bioaccessibility of enteral nutrition formulas.

Science.gov (United States)

Galán, María Gimena; Drago, Silvina Rosa

2014-02-01

When enteral formulas (EF) are administered orally as a supplement to the normal diet, they are often mixed with conventional foods or included in recipes in order to seek new flavors and textures and avoid monotony. The aims of this work were to study the bioaccessibility of Fe, Zn and Ca from commercial EF and the impact upon their incorporation into sweet preparations. Twenty commercial EF, before and after inclusion in sweet food (rice pudding, RP; banana smoothie, BS; tea, T; chocolate dessert, CD) were evaluated regarding Fe, Zn and Ca dialyzability (%DFe , %DZn , %DCa ) as an estimator of mineral bioaccessibility. Fe, Zn and Ca dialyzability from EF was variable and generally low. Heating during EF-sweet food preparation (T and CD) lowered values to 44.1 %DFe , possibly due to degradation of vitamin C, and 52.7 %DZn and 25.3 %DCa , due to the interaction with food components. EF and EF-sweet foods did not represent a good supply of Fe, Zn and Ca as recommended. This study demonstrated how the bioaccessibility of these minerals is affected by the food matrix in which EF is included as well as heating during food preparation. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bioaccessibility in seafood: Culinary practices effects on dietary exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos Fogaça, Fabíola Helena; Soares, Cristina; Oliveira, Marta; Alves, Ricardo N; Maulvault, Ana L; Barbosa, Vera L; Anacleto, Patrícia; Magalhães, João Avelar; Bandarra, Narcisa M; Ramalhosa, Maria João; Morais, Simone; Marques, António

2018-07-01

This work aimed to determine the effect of culinary practices on the contamination level and bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seafood. The selected farmed seafood species (marine shrimp, clams and seaweed) were commercially available in Portugal. The mean concentrations of PAHs varied between 0.23 and 51.8 µg kg -1 , with the lowest value being observed in raw shrimp and the highest in dried seaweed. The number of compounds detected in seaweed and clams (naphthalene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(j)fluoranthene) were higher than in shrimp (fluorene and pyrene). Among the PAHs measured, fluorene was the predominant one. There was a significant interaction effect between species and culinary treatment (p < 0.05), thus boiled and dried seaweed samples presented the lowest and the highest levels of fluorene (0.13 and 1.8 µg kg -1 ), respectively. The daily intake of PAHs decreased with bioaccessibility, varying from 22% for benzo(k)fluoranthene (in raw clam) to 84% for phenanthrene (in steamed clam). According to the potency equivalent concentrations, screening values and bioaccessibility of PAHs, the consumption of marine shrimp, clam and seaweed is considered as safe for consumers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from Beijing using an in vitro test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Xiangyu; Tang, Lily; Zhu Yongguan; Xing Baoshan; Duan Jing; Zheng Minghui

2006-01-01

As an important human exposure pathway of contaminants, soil ingestion is of increasing concern for assessing health risk from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils. A wide range of total PAH concentrations ranging from 0.112 μg g -1 to 27.8 μg g -1 in soils collected from different public sites, including gas stations, roadsides, bus stops, a kindergarten, primary and middle schools, a university and residential area, was detected. In general, total PAHs concentrations in soils from traffic areas were significantly higher than that from the other sites, indicating a dominant contribution from motor vehicles. Physiologically based in vitro tests were used to evaluate the oral bioaccessibility of PAHs in surface soil under different land uses in Beijing regarding both gastric and small intestinal conditions. It was found that the oral bioaccessibility of total PAHs in small intestinal condition, ranging from 9.2% to 60.5% of total PAHs in soil, was significantly higher than gastric condition, ranging from 3.9% to 54.9%. The bioaccessibility of individual PAHs in soils generally decreased with the increasing ring number of PAHs in both gastric and small intestinal conditions. However, the ratio of bioaccessibility of individual PAHs in gastric condition to that in small intestinal condition, generally increased with increasing ring number, indicating the relatively pronounced effect of bile extract on improving bioaccessibility of PAHs with relatively high ring numbers characterized by their high K ow values. The observation that bile extract at a level higher than critical micelle concentration could reduce the surface tension of digestive juice substantially, which may cause PAHs to be available for intestinal absorption, calls for more careful establishment of reliable soil criteria for PAHs, especially concerning the health of children who may ingest a considerable amount of PAH-contaminated soil via outdoor hand-mouth activities. - Oral

Managing electronic resources a LITA guide

CERN Document Server

Weir, Ryan O

2012-01-01

Informative, useful, current, Managing Electronic Resources: A LITA Guide shows how to successfully manage time, resources, and relationships with vendors and staff to ensure personal, professional, and institutional success.

A lead isotopic study of the human bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils from Glasgow, Scotland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farmer, John G., E-mail: J.G.Farmer@ed.ac.uk [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, Scotland (United Kingdom); Broadway, Andrew [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, Scotland (United Kingdom); Cave, Mark R.; Wragg, Joanna [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, England (United Kingdom); Fordyce, Fiona M. [British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, EH9 3LA, Scotland (United Kingdom); Graham, Margaret C.; Ngwenya, Bryne T. [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, Scotland (United Kingdom); Bewley, Richard J.F. [URS Corporation Ltd, Manchester, M1 6HS, England (United Kingdom)

2011-11-01

The human bioaccessibility of lead (Pb) in Pb-contaminated soils from the Glasgow area was determined by the Unified Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) Method (UBM), an in vitro physiologically based extraction scheme that mimics the chemical environment of the human gastrointestinal system and contains both stomach and intestine compartments. For 27 soils ranging in total Pb concentration from 126 to 2160 mg kg{sup -1} (median 539 mg kg{sup -1}), bioaccessibility as determined by the 'stomach' simulation (pH {approx} 1.5) was 46-1580 mg kg{sup -1}, equivalent to 23-77% (mean 52%) of soil total Pb concentration. The corresponding bioaccessibility data for the 'stomach + intestine' simulation (pH {approx} 6.3) were 6-623 mg kg{sup -1} and 2-42% (mean 22%) of soil Pb concentration. The soil {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios ranged from 1.057 to 1.175. Three-isotope plots of {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb against {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb demonstrated that {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios were intermediate between values for source end-member extremes of imported Australian Pb ore (1.04) - used in the manufacture of alkyl Pb compounds (1.06-1.10) formerly added to petrol - and indigenous Pb ores/coal (1.17-1.19). The {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios of the UBM 'stomach' extracts were similar (< 0.01 difference) to those of the soil for 26 of the 27 samples (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) and lower in 24 of them. A slight preference for lower {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratio was discernible in the UBM. However, the source of Pb appeared to be less important in determining the extent of UBM-bioaccessible Pb than the overall soil total Pb concentration and the soil phases with which the Pb was associated. The significant phases identified in a subset of samples were carbonates, manganese oxides, iron-aluminium oxyhydroxides and clays. - Highlights: {yields} We determined the human bioaccessibility of Pb in urban soils by in vitro extraction. {yields} We

Flow-through dynamic microextraction system for automatic in vitro assessment of chyme bioaccessibility in food commodities.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Lais A; Rosende, María; Korn, Maria Graças A; Miró, Manuel

2018-10-05

An automatic flow-through dynamic extraction method is proposed for the first time for in vitro exploration, with high temporal resolution, of the transit of the chyme from the gastric to the duodenal compartment using the Versantvoort's fed-state physiologically relevant extraction test. The flow manifold was coupled on-line to an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP OES) for real-time elucidation of the bioaccessible elemental fraction of micronutrients (viz., Cu, Fe and Mn) in food commodities across the gastrointestinal tract. The simulated intestinal and bile biofluid (added to the gastric phase) was successively pumped at 1.0 mL min -1 through a large-bore column (maintained at 37.0 ± 2.0 °C) initially loaded with a weighed amount of linseed (250 mg) using a PVDF filter membrane (5.0 μm pore size) for retaining of the solid sample and in-line filtration of the extracts. The lack of bias (trueness) of the on-line gastrointestinal extraction method coupled to ICP OES was confirmed using mass balance validation following microwave assisted digestion of the residual (non-bioaccessible) elemental fraction. Mass balance validation yielded absolute recoveries spanning from 79 to 121% for the overall analytes and samples. On-line dynamic extraction was critically appraised against batch counterparts for both gastric and gastrointestinal compartments. Due to the lack of consensus in the literature regarding the agitation method for batch oral bioaccessibility testing, several extraction approaches (viz., magnetic stirring, end-over-end rotation and orbital shaking) were evaluated. Improved gastric extractability of Fe along with bioaccessible data comparable to the dynamic counterpart based on the continuous displacement of the extraction equilibrium was obtained with batchwise magnetic stirring, which is deemed most appropriate for ascertaining worst-case/maximum bioaccessibility scenarios. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All

Towards a deeper understanding of fatty acid bioaccessibility and its dependence on culinary treatment and lipid class: a case study of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata).

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Sara; Afonso, Cláudia; Cardoso, Carlos; Oliveira, Rui; Alves, Francisca; Nunes, Maria L; Bandarra, Narcisa M

2016-11-08

The bioaccessibility of total lipids and fatty acids (FA) in raw and grilled gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) was determined using an in vitro digestion model. The particular impact of grilling on the FA profile of seabream was also studied. In addition, the influence of lipid class on the bioaccessibility of each FA was analysed. Grilling did not change the relative FA profile, and only the absolute values were altered. However, the relative FA profile varied across lipid classes, being more dissimilar between TAG and phospholipids. Long-chain SFA and PUFA seemed to be less bioaccessible. Moreover, grilling reduced bioaccessibility of protein, fat and many FA, with the highest reductions found in PUFA such as the DHA. Strong evidence supporting a predominantly regioselective action of lipase during in vitro digestion was found, and the impact of this phenomenon on FA bioaccessibility was assessed.

Use of an in vitro digestion method to estimate human bioaccessibility of Cd in vegetables grown in smelter-impacted soils: the influence of cooking.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelfrêne, Aurélie; Waterlot, Christophe; Guerin, Annie; Proix, Nicolas; Richard, Antoine; Douay, Francis

2015-08-01

Metal contamination of urban soils and homegrown vegetables has caused major concern. Some studies showed that cadmium (Cd) was among the most significant hazards in kitchen garden soils and prolonged exposure to this metal could cause deleterious health effects in humans. In general, most risk assessment procedures are based on total concentrations of metals in vegetables. The present study assesses human bioaccessibility of Cd in vegetables cultivated in smelter-impacted kitchen garden soils. Seven vegetables (radish, lettuce, French bean, carrot, leek, tomato, and potato) were considered. Using the UBM protocol (unified BARGE bioaccessibility method), the bioaccessibility of Cd was measured in raw/cooked vegetables. A considerable amount of Cd was mobilized from raw vegetables during the digestion process (on average 85% in the gastric phase and 69% in the gastrointestinal phase), which could be attributed to a high uptake of Cd during the growth of the vegetables. Most Cd is accumulated in the vacuoles of plant cells, except what is absorbed by the cell wall, allowing Cd to be released from plant tissues under moderate conditions. Cooking by the steaming process generally increased the bioaccessibility of Cd in French bean, carrot, and leek. For potato, few or no significant differences of Cd bioaccessibility were observed after the steaming process, while the frying process strongly decreased bioaccessibility in both phases. The estimation of metal bioaccessibility in vegetables is helpful for human health risk assessment.

Comparison of the Bioavailability of Waste Laden Soils Using ''In Vivo'' ''In Vitro'' Analytical Methodology and Bioaccessibility of Radionuclides for Refinement of Exposure/Dose Estimates; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

P. J. Lioy; M. Gallo; P. Georgopoulos; R. Tate; B. Buckley

1999-01-01

The bioavailability of soil contaminants can be measured using in vitro or in vivo techniques. Since there was no standard method for intercomparison among laboratories, we compared two techniques for bioavailability estimation: in vitro dissolution and in vivo rat feeding model for a NIST-traceable soil material. Bioaccessibility was measured using a sequential soil extraction in synthetic analogues of human saliva, gastric and intestinal fluids. Bioavailability was measured in Sprague Dawley rats by determining metal levels in the major organs and urine, feces, and blood. Bioaccessibility was found to be a good indicator of relative metal bioavailability. Results are presented from bioaccessible experiments with Cesium in contaminated DOE soils, and total alpha and beta bioaccessibility. The results indicate that the modified methodology for bioaccessibility can be used for specific radionuclide analysis

Bioaccessibility, dietary exposure and human risk assessment of heavy metals from market vegetables in Hong Kong revealed with an in vitro gastrointestinal model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Junli; Wu, Fuyong; Wu, Shengchun; Cao, Zhihong; Lin, Xiangui; Wong, Ming Hung

2013-04-01

A systematic survey of heavy metal (HM) concentrations and bioaccessibilities in market vegetables in Hong Kong were carried out for assessing potential health risk to local inhabitants. The average concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in nine major groups of fresh vegetable varied within 0.007-0.053, 0.05-0.17, 0.05-0.24, 0.26-1.1, 0.62-3.0, and 0.96-4.3 mg kg(-1), respectively, and their average bioaccessibilities varied within 21-96%, 20-68%, 24-62%, 29-64%, 30-77%, and 69-94%, respectively. The bioaccessible estimated daily intakes (BEDIs) of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn from vegetables were far below the tolerable limits. The total bioaccessible target hazard quotient (TBTHQ) of the six HMs was 0.18 and 0.64 for average and high consumers, respectively, with Cd and leafy vegetable being the major risk contributors. Risk assessment of HMs from foods should be modified by taking bioaccessibility into account. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geochemical Weathering Increases Lead Bioaccessibility in Semi-Arid Mine Tailings

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Sarah M.; Webb, Sam M.; Bargar, John R.; O'Day, Peggy A.; Maier, Raina M.; Chorover, Jon

2012-01-01

Mine tailings can host elevated concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s that represent a significant hazard to surrounding communities and ecosystems. Eolian transport, capable of translocating small (micrometer-sized) particles, can be the dominant mechanism of toxic metal dispersion in arid or semi-arid landscapes. Human exposure to metals can then occur via direct inhalation or ingestion of particulates. The fact that measured doses of total lead (Pb) in geomedia correlate poorly with blood Pb levels highlights a need to better resolve the precise distribution of molecularly-speciated metal-bearing phases in the complex particle mixtures. Species distribution controls bioaccessibility, thereby directly impacting health risk. This study seeks to correlate Pb-containing particle size and mineral composition with lability and bioaccessibility in mine tailings subjected to weathering in a semi-arid environment. We employed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), coupled with sequential chemical extractions, to study Pb speciation in tailings from the semi-arid Arizona Klondyke State Superfund Site. Representative samples ranging in pH from 2.6 to 5.4 were selected for in-depth study of Pb solid-phase speciation. The principle lead-bearing phase was plumbojarosite (PbFe6(SO4)4(OH)12), but anglesite (PbSO4) and iron oxide-sorbed Pb were also observed. Anglesite, the most bioavailable mineral species of lead identified in this study, was enriched in surficial tailings samples, where Pb concentrations in the clay size fraction were 2–3 times higher by mass relative to bulk. A mobile and bioaccessible Pb phase accumulates in surficial tailings, with a corresponding increase in risk of human exposure to atmospheric particles. PMID:22553941

Availability and bio-accessibility of metals in the clay fraction of urban soils of Sevilla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madrid, F.; Diaz-Barrientos, E.; Madrid, L.

2008-01-01

The availability of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn present in the finest size particles of urban soils is studied by comparing the concentrations in the clay fraction with those extracted from the whole soil by either single-extraction or sequential extraction method. Many metals are preferentially present in the finest particles as compared to coarser fractions. This is true for most metals studied, except Mn and, perhaps, Cd. Those metals present in the clay fraction are often in easily bio-accessible forms, especially Cu, Pb and Zn. The results suggest that bio-accessible forms of these three metals are distributed among the three sequential fractions, and even the fraction considered as 'residual' is also bio-accessible to a significant extent. The statistical analysis shows some distinctions among metals that are compared to the 'urban', 'natural', or intermediate behaviour of the various metals as proposed earlier in the literature. - The recreational use of most urban soils causes that the availability of metals in the finest soil particles must be studied and eventually controlled

Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of methylmercury from seafood commonly consumed in North America: In vitro and epidemiological studies.

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Siedlikowski, Maia; Bradley, Mark; Kubow, Stan; Goodrich, Jaclyn M; Franzblau, Alfred; Basu, Niladri

2016-08-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global contaminant of concern and human exposures are largely realized via seafood consumption. While it is assumed that 95-100% of the ingested MeHg from seafood reaches systemic circulation, recent in vitro studies have yielded results to suggest otherwise. Of the published studies to have characterized the bioaccessibility or bioavailability of MeHg from seafood, only a handful of seafood species have been characterized, there exists tremendous variability in data within and across species, few species of relevance to North America have been studied, and none of the in vitro studies have adapted results to an epidemiology study. The objective of the current study was two-fold: (a) to characterize in vitro MeHg bioaccessibility and bioavailability from ten commonly consumed types of seafood in North America; and (b) to apply the bioaccessibility and bioavailability data from the in vitro study to an existing human MeHg exposure assessment study. Raw seafood samples (cod, crab, halibut, salmon, scallop, shrimp, tilapia, and three tuna types: canned light, canned white, fresh) were purchased in Montreal and their MeHg concentrations generally overlapped with values reported elsewhere. The bioaccessibility of MeHg from these samples ranged from 50.1±19.2 (canned white tuna) to 100% (shrimp and scallop) of the amount measured in the raw undigested sample. The bioavailability of MeHg from these samples ranged from 29.3±10.4 (crab) to 67.4±9.7% (salmon) of the value measured in the raw undigested sample. There were significant correlations between the initial MeHg concentration in seafood with the percent of that Hg that was bioaccessible (r=-0.476) and bioavailable (r=-0.294). When the in vitro data were applied to an existing MeHg exposure assessment study, the estimated amount of MeHg absorbed into systemic circulation decreased by 25% and 42% when considering bioaccessibility and bioavailability, respectively. When the in vitro data

Comparison of Nitrogen Bioaccessibility from Salmon and Whey Protein Hydrolysates using a Human Gastrointestinal Model (TIM-1

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Bomi Framroze

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The TIM-1 system is a computer-controlled multi-compartmental dynamic model that closely simulates in vivo gastrointestinal tract digestion in humans. During digestion, the compounds released from meal matrix by gastric and intestinal secretions (enzymes are progressively absorbed through semipermeable membranes depending on their molecular weight. These absorbed (dialysed compounds are considered as bioaccessible, which means that they can be theoretically absorbed by the small intestine in the body. Methods: Salmon protein hydrolysate (SPH, whey protein hydrolysates extensively (WPHHigh or weakly (WPH-Low hydrolysed, non-hydrolysed whey protein isolate (WPI and mixtures of WPI:SPH (90:10, 80:20 were digested in TIM-1 using the conditions for a fast gastrointestinal transit that simulate the digestion of a liquid meal in human adults. During digestion (2 hours, samples were collected in intestinal compartments (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and in both jejunal and ileal dialysates to determine their nitrogen content. All the products were compared in terms of kinetics of nitrogen absorption through the semipermeable membranes (bioaccessible nitrogen and nitrogen distribution throughout the intestinal compartments at the end of the 2 hour digestion. Results: After a 2 h-digestion in TIM-1, SPH was the protein substrate from which the highest amount of nitrogen (67.0% becomes available for the small intestine absorption. WPH-High had the second highest amount (56.0% of bioaccessible nitrogen while this amount decreased to 38.5–42.2% for the other protein substrates. The high nitrogen bioaccessibility of SPH is consistent with its richness in low molecular weight peptides (50% < 1000 Da. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that SPH provides a higher proportion of bioaccessible nitrogen to a healthy adult compared to all forms of whey proteins, including extensively hydrolysed whey protein hydrolysate. The substitution of

Stability and bioaccessibility of anthocyanins in bakery products enriched with anthocyanins.

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Karakaya, Sibel; Simsek, Sebnem; Eker, Alper Tolga; Pineda-Vadillo, Carlos; Dupont, Didier; Perez, Beatriz; Viadel, Blanca; Sanz-Buenhombre, Marisa; Rodriguez, Alberto Guadarrama; Kertész, Zsófia; Hegyi, Adrienn; Bordoni, Alessandra; El, Sedef Nehir

2016-08-10

Anthocyanins, water soluble polyphenols, have been associated with several beneficial health effects. The aim of this study was to determine how the baking process and food matrix affect anthocyanin stability and bioaccessibility in bakery products in order to develop functional foods. Three well known regularly consumed bakery products (buns, breadsticks and biscuits) were enriched with anthocyanin (AC) isolated from grape skin alone or in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (AC + DHA) to reveal knowledge on AC as active ingredients in real food systems rather than pure compounds. Anthocyanin amounts added to the formulations of buns, breadsticks and biscuits were 34 mg per 100 g, 40 mg per 100 g and 37 mg per 100 g, respectively. The effect of processing, storage and the food matrix on AC stability and bioaccessibility was investigated. In addition, the sensory properties of bakery products were evaluated. Breadsticks enriched with AC and AC + DHA received the lowest scores in the pre-screening sensory test. Therefore breadsticks were excluded from further analysis. AC retentions, which were monitored by determination of malvidin 3-O-glucoside, in the bun and biscuit after baking were 95.9% (13.6 mg per 100 g) and 98.6% (15.2 mg per 100 g), respectively. Biscuits and buns enriched only with AC showed significantly higher anthocyanin bioaccessibilities (57.26% and 57.30%, respectively) than the same ones enriched with AC + DHA. AC stability in enriched products stored for 21 days was significantly lower than in products stored for 7 days (p products.

Effect of domestic processing on the polyphenol content and bioaccessibility in finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum).

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Hithamani, Gavirangappa; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2014-12-01

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for polyphenolic content and their bioaccessibility. Total polyphenols of native finger millet was 10.2mg/g which reduced by 50% after sprouting or pressure-cooking, while 12-19% reduction was seen after open-pan boiling. Total flavonoids of the grain reduced drastically on sprouting, pressure-cooking or open-pan boiling. Concentration of phenolic acids generally increased during sprouting and roasting of finger millet. Pressure cooking, open-pan boiling and microwave-heating reduced the bioaccessible polyphenols by 30-35%, while the same was increased by 67% by sprouting. Significant reduction of total polyphenols was observed in pressure-cooked, open-pan boiled and microwave-heated pearl millet. Concentration of sinapic and salicylic acids were highest phenolic acids of pearl millet. Total polyphenols reduced during sprouting and pressure-cooking. There was a 20% increase in the bioaccessible polyphenols after sprouting of pearl millet. Thus, sprouting and roasting provided more bioaccessible phenolics from these two common millets studied. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Solid Phase Distribution and Bioaccessibility of Arsenic, Chromium, and Nickel in Natural Ironstone Soils in the UK

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Joanna Wragg

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Thirty soil samples (12 residential gardens and 18 allotments were collected from the Cherwell District of north Oxfordshire in south-central England. The underlying parent geology of the area is dominated by Jurassic ironstone. The samples were analysed for their total contents of As, Cr, and Ni by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and for the bioaccessible fractions of these elements using a physiologically based extraction test. Four soils (two residential soils and two allotment soils were chosen for further determination of their element solid phase distribution. The study showed that whilst total concentrations of As, Cr, and Ni are elevated due to the soil parent material, the bioaccessibility test showed that only a small proportion of the total concentration is available for absorption into the human body (<15%. The sequential extraction test showed that the nonmobile forms of the elements are strongly sorbed on to iron oxides. Parent material geology has a significant effect on the total element concentrations and the bioaccessibility of potentially harmful element (PHE. Land use does not show such a large effect but the allotment bioaccessibility data show a bigger spread and possibly higher values for As and Cr which may be due to agronomic (cultivation practices such as addition of fertilisers and organic matter.

Health impact of bioaccessible metal in lip cosmetics to female college students and career women, northeast of China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Peng; Liu, Sa; Zhang, Zhaohan; Meng, Ping; Lin, Nan; Lu, Binyu; Cui, Fuyi; Feng, Yujie; Xing, Baoshan

2015-01-01

Actual measure-based studies have estimated ingestion rate of moderate and high daily use to female college students and career women in northeast of China. Sequential extraction analyses showed that total bioaccessible metals concentration in lipstick ranged from 2.103 to 31.103 μg/g and in lip balm ranged from 0.100 to 3.716 μg/g. The relationship between total bioaccessible metal concentrations and the cost of lip cosmetics showed a negative correlation. Lead was detected in all 30 products (100%), with an average concentration of 0.346 for lip balm and 0.407 μg/g for lipstick. With the exception of chromium content in three lipsticks, the estimated exposure in female college students and career women to target metals via lipstick and lip balm ingestion (calculated for moderate and high use) were much lower than the acceptable reference limits. The findings strongly emphasize the need to focus on the health risk of lip balm. - Highlights: • Lip cosmetics are one of non-dietary exposure source for metals. • Binding force of trace metals was possibly weaker in lip balm, not lipstick. • Bioaccessible metal intakes from lip cosmetics are below reference dose values. - Bioaccessible Metal in Lip Cosmetics and Exposure Assessment

Influence of Organic Matter - Mineral Interfacial Reactions on Metal(loid) Speciation and Bioaccessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Chorover, J.; Kong, S.; Root, R. A.; Thomas, A.

2015-12-01

Bioaccessibility of contaminant metals in geomedia is often measured on the basis of kinetic release to solution during in vitro reaction with biofluid simulants. We postulate that development of a predictive-mechanistic understanding of bioaccessibility requires knowledge of metal(loid) molecular speciation upon sample introduction, as well as its change over the course of the in vitro reaction. Our results - including data from batch, column, mesocosm and field studies pertaining to arsenic, lead, and zinc contaminated materials - indicate the strong influence of organic matter and associated biological activity on metal(loid) speciation in mine tailings and related model systems. Furthermore, presence/absence of organic matter during bioassays affects the kinetics of metal(loid) release into biofluid simulants through multiple mechanisms.

Effects of a high fat meal matrix and protein complexation on the bioaccessibility of blueberry anthocyanins using the TNO gastrointestinal model (TIM-1).

Science.gov (United States)

Ribnicky, David M; Roopchand, Diana E; Oren, Andrew; Grace, Mary; Poulev, Alexander; Lila, Mary Ann; Havenaar, Robert; Raskin, Ilya

2014-01-01

The TNO intestinal model (TIM-1) of the human upper gastrointestinal tract was used to compare intestinal absorption/bioaccessibility of blueberry anthocyanins under different digestive conditions. Blueberry polyphenol-rich extract was delivered to TIM-1 in the absence or presence of a high-fat meal. HPLC analysis of seventeen anthocyanins showed that delphinidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3-galactoside, delphinidin-3-arabinoside and petunidin-3-arabinoside were twice as bioaccessible in fed state, whilst delphinidin-3-(6″-acetoyl)-glucoside and malvidin-3-arabinoside were twice as bioaccessible under fasted conditions, suggesting lipid-rich matrices selectively effect anthocyanin bioaccessibility. TIM-1 was fed blueberry juice (BBJ) or blueberry polyphenol-enriched defatted soybean flour (BB-DSF) containing equivalent amounts of free or DSF-sorbed anthocyanins, respectively. Anthocyanin bioaccessibility from BB-DSF (36.0±10.4) was numerically, but not significantly, greater than that from BBJ (26.3±10.3). Ileal efflux samples collected after digestion of BB-DSF contained 2.8-fold more anthocyanins than same from BBJ, suggesting that protein-rich DSF protects anthocyanins during transit through upper digestive tract for subsequent colonic delivery/metabolism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of cooking and delivery modes of thymol and carvacrol on retention and bioaccessibility in starchy foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Aravena, Gabriela; García, Olga; Muñoz, Ociel; Pérez-Correa, José R; Parada, Javier

2016-04-01

Oregano and thyme possess beneficial properties for human health, mainly attributable to monoterpenes such as thymol and carvacrol. The main objective of this research was to assess, on starchy food, the impact of cooking (boiling and baking) and delivery (ground leaves and essential oil) modes on retention and bioaccessibility of thymol and carvacrol. Retention was assessed after cooking, while bioaccessibility was estimated in cooked samples using an in vitro digestion model. Our results indicate that bioaccessibility was weakly dependent on cooking and delivery modes (27-33%). Boil cooking presented 20% more retention than baking for both compounds. When essential oil was added to the food matrix, thymol was retained almost 25% more when compared with ground leaves' addition. Conversely, carvacrol was retained 39% more when ground leaves were added. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Acids from a Commercial Aleurone-Enriched Bread Compared to a Whole Grain Bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Dall'Asta, Margherita; Bresciani, Letizia; Calani, Luca; Cossu, Marta; Martini, Daniela; Melegari, Camilla; Del Rio, Daniele; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Brighenti, Furio; Scazzina, Francesca

2016-01-13

Wheat aleurone, due to its potentially higher bioaccessibility and bioavailability of micronutrients and phenolic acids, could represent a useful ingredient in the production of commonly consumed cereal-based food. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic acids both from an aleurone-enriched bread and from a whole grain bread. The two bread samples were firstly characterized for the phenolic acid content. An in vitro digestion was then performed in order to evaluate the release of phenolic acids. The results obtained suggest that the bioaccessibility of the phenolic acids in the aleurone-enriched bread is higher than in the whole grain bread. These in vitro results suggest the potential use of aleurone in the production of foods, and this may represent an attractive possibility to vehicle nutritionally interesting components to consumers.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Phenolic Acids from a Commercial Aleurone-Enriched Bread Compared to a Whole Grain Bread

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Margherita Dall’Asta

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Wheat aleurone, due to its potentially higher bioaccessibility and bioavailability of micronutrients and phenolic acids, could represent a useful ingredient in the production of commonly consumed cereal-based food. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro bioaccessibility of phenolic acids both from an aleurone-enriched bread and from a whole grain bread. The two bread samples were firstly characterized for the phenolic acid content. An in vitro digestion was then performed in order to evaluate the release of phenolic acids. The results obtained suggest that the bioaccessibility of the phenolic acids in the aleurone-enriched bread is higher than in the whole grain bread. These in vitro results suggest the potential use of aleurone in the production of foods, and this may represent an attractive possibility to vehicle nutritionally interesting components to consumers.

Comparison of a static and a dynamic in vitro model to estimate the bioaccessibility of As, Cd, Pb and Hg from food reference materials Fucus sp. (IAEA-140/TM) and Lobster hepatopancreas (TORT-2)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres-Escribano, Silvia [Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Apdo. 73, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain); Denis, Sylvain; Blanquet-Diot, Stephanie [Clermont Universite, Universite d' Auvergne, Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Auvergne, ERT 18, Conception ingenierie et developpement de l' aliment et du medicament, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand (France); Calatayud, Marta [Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Apdo. 73, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain); Barrios, Laura [Departamento de Informatica Cientifica (SGAI-CSIC), C/ Pinar 19, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Velez, Dinoraz, E-mail: deni@iata.csic.es [Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Apdo. 73, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain); Alric, Monique [Clermont Universite, Universite d' Auvergne, Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Auvergne, ERT 18, Conception ingenierie et developpement de l' aliment et du medicament, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand (France); Montoro, Rosa [Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Apdo. 73, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

2011-01-01

Bioaccessibility, the fraction of an element solubilized during gastrointestinal digestion and available for absorption, is a factor that should be considered when evaluating the health risk of contaminants from food. Static and dynamic models that mimic human physiological conditions have been used to evaluate bioaccessibility. This preliminary study compares the bioaccessibility of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) in two food certified reference materials (CRMs) (seaweed: Fucus sp., IAEA-140/TM; Lobster hepatopancreas: TORT-2), using two in vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods: a static method (SM) and a dynamic multicompartment method (TIM-1). There are significant differences (p < 0.05) between the bioaccessible values of As, Cd, Pb and Hg obtained by SM and TIM-1 in the two CRMs. The specific form in which the elements studied are present in the CRM may help to explain the bioaccessibility values obtained. - Research Highlights: {yields}Data are reported for As, Cd, Pb and Hg bioaccessibility from food CRMs. {yields}The static and TIM-1 methods give significantly different bioaccessibility values. {yields}The possible influence of speciation on bioaccessibility is discussed. {yields}To improve bioaccessibility quality data, food reference materials are needed.

Comparison of a static and a dynamic in vitro model to estimate the bioaccessibility of As, Cd, Pb and Hg from food reference materials Fucus sp. (IAEA-140/TM) and Lobster hepatopancreas (TORT-2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres-Escribano, Silvia; Denis, Sylvain; Blanquet-Diot, Stephanie; Calatayud, Marta; Barrios, Laura; Velez, Dinoraz; Alric, Monique; Montoro, Rosa

2011-01-01

Bioaccessibility, the fraction of an element solubilized during gastrointestinal digestion and available for absorption, is a factor that should be considered when evaluating the health risk of contaminants from food. Static and dynamic models that mimic human physiological conditions have been used to evaluate bioaccessibility. This preliminary study compares the bioaccessibility of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) in two food certified reference materials (CRMs) (seaweed: Fucus sp., IAEA-140/TM; Lobster hepatopancreas: TORT-2), using two in vitro gastrointestinal digestion methods: a static method (SM) and a dynamic multicompartment method (TIM-1). There are significant differences (p < 0.05) between the bioaccessible values of As, Cd, Pb and Hg obtained by SM and TIM-1 in the two CRMs. The specific form in which the elements studied are present in the CRM may help to explain the bioaccessibility values obtained. - Research Highlights: →Data are reported for As, Cd, Pb and Hg bioaccessibility from food CRMs. →The static and TIM-1 methods give significantly different bioaccessibility values. →The possible influence of speciation on bioaccessibility is discussed. →To improve bioaccessibility quality data, food reference materials are needed.

Bioaccessibility of Fukushima-Accident-Derived Cs in Soils and the Contribution of Soil Ingestion to Radiation Doses in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahara, Shogo; Ikegami, Maiko; Yoneda, Minoru; Kondo, Hitoshi; Ishizaki, Azusa; Iijima, Masashi; Shimada, Yoko; Matsui, Yasuto

2017-07-01

Ingestion of contaminated soil is one potential internal exposure pathway in areas contaminated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Doses from this pathway can be overestimated if the availability of radioactive nuclides in soils for the gastrointestinal tract is not considered. The concept of bioaccessibility has been adopted to evaluate this availability based on in vitro tests. This study evaluated the bioaccessibility of radioactive cesium from soils via the physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) and the extractability of those via an extraction test with 1 mol/L of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The bioaccessibility obtained in the PBET was 5.3% ± 1%, and the extractability in the tests with HCl was 16% ± 3%. The bioaccessibility was strongly correlated with the extractability. This result indicates the possibility that the extractability in HCl can be used as a good predictor of the bioaccessibility with PBET. In addition, we assessed the doses to children from the ingestion of soil via hand-to-mouth activity based on our PBET results using a probabilistic approach considering the spatial distribution of radioactive cesium in Date City in Fukushima Prefecture and the interindividual differences in the surveyed amounts of soil ingestion in Japan. The results of this assessment indicate that even if children were to routinely ingest a large amount of soil with relatively high contamination, the radiation doses from this pathway are negligible compared with doses from external exposure owing to deposited radionuclides in Fukushima Prefecture. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Comparison of the extraction efficiencies of different leaching agents for reliable assessment of bio-accessible trace metal fractions in airborne particulate matter

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Mukhtar A.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In present study, an in-vitro physiologically based extraction test has been applied for extraction of bio-accessible trace metal fractions in airborne particulate matter (APM samples collected from different urban sites in Austria and Pakistan using the leaching agents H2O, sodium chloride, ammonium acetate, ammonium citrate, synthetic gastric juice and artificial lung fluids. Obtained extracts were then measured using an ETV-ICP-OES procedure which allowed highly sensitive measurement of dissolved analytes even in the presence of leaching agents. Derived results indicated that the investigated leaching agents extract different amounts of trace metals. In general, leaching agents with organic nature yielded comparatively greater extractable and thus bio-accessible trace metal fractions to that of simple solvents like H2O or aqueous NaCl solution. With water, only 26.3±4.0% of Cd was found to be bio-accessible whereas 88.4±24.8 of Cd was obtained as bio-accessible fraction with the use of synthetic gastric juice. The concentrations of bio-accessible metal fractions varied from 0.4 ng m−3 (Cd to 714 ng m−3 (Zn and 0.3 ng m−3 (Cd to 190 ng m−3 (Zn for PM10 samples collected from Karachi (Pakistan and Graz (Austria respectively.

Bioaccessibility and excretion of arsenic in Niu Huang Jie Du Pian pills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, Iris; Sylvester, Steven; Lai, Vivian W.-M.; Owen, Andrew; Reimer, Kenneth J.; Cullen, William R.

2007-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) often contain significant levels of potentially toxic elements, including arsenic. Niu Huang Jie Du Pian pills were analyzed to determine the concentration, bioaccessibility (arsenic fraction soluble in the human gastrointestinal system) and chemical form (speciation) of arsenic. Arsenic excretion in urine (including speciation) and facial hair were studied after a one-time ingestion. The pills contained arsenic in the form of realgar, and although the total arsenic that was present in a single pill was high (28 mg), the low bioaccessibility of this form of arsenic predicted that only 4% of it was available for absorption into the bloodstream (1 mg of arsenic per pill). The species of arsenic that were solubilized were inorganic arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) but DMAA and MMAA were detected in urine. Two urinary arsenic excretion peaks were observed: an initial peak several (4-8) hours after ingestion corresponding to the excretion of predominantly As(III), and a larger peak at 14 h corresponding predominantly to DMAA and MMAA. No methylated As(III) species were observed. Facial hair analysis revealed that arsenic concentrations did not increase significantly as a result of the ingestion. Arsenic is incompletely soluble under human gastrointestinal conditions, and is metabolized from the inorganic to organic forms found in urine. Bioaccessible arsenic is comparable to the quantity excreted. Facial hair as a bio-indicator should be further tested

Importance of chemical binding type between As and iron-oxide on bioaccessibility in soil: Test with synthesized two line ferrihydrite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Seulki [Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, 6-7, Inchon-ro 22-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02855 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Kyung [Division of Public Infrastructure Assessment, Environmental Assessment Group, Korea Environmental Institute, Sejong 30147 (Korea, Republic of); Jho, Eun Hea [Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 81 Oedae-ro, Mohyeonmyeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17035 (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Kyoungphile, E-mail: kpnam@snu.ac.kr [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Arsenic (As)-adsorbed and As-coprecipiated two-line ferrihydrites were synthesized. • Bioaccessibility was closely related to chemical binding type of As in Fe oxide. • Chemical binding type needs to be considered to characterize the risk of As in soil. - Abstract: Bioaccessible concentrations of As associated with Fe oxide as different chemical binding types were determined in soils using the in vitro Physiologically Based Extraction Test (PBET). When compared to the five-step sequential extraction data, most of the As extracted by in vitro PBET originated from the amorphous Fe oxide-bound fraction, and more importantly, the bioaccessibility of As ranged from 0 to 58.8% in 24 soil samples. Two batches of ferrihydrite were synthesized separately. For one batch, As was adsorbed onto the ferrihydrite after synthesis; for the other one, As was added while synthesizing ferrihydrite to co-precipitate. The bioaccessible concentration of As determined by in vitro PBET of the former was 415 mg of As/kg of ferrihydrite and that of the latter was 67 mg of As/kg of ferrihydrite. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) analysis indicated that As–O–Fe bonds were evident in As-associated ferrihydrite sample and especially, As was found within the Fe oxide lattice in the co-precipitated sample. Our data suggest that binding type between As and Fe oxide should be considered when determining the bioaccessibility of As in soil, which, in turn, greatly influences the realistic risk of As present in soil.

Toxic metals in children's toys and jewelry: coupling bioaccessibility with risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Xin-Yi; Li, Shi-Wei; Zhang, Shu-Jun; Fan, Ying-Ying; Ma, Lena Q

2015-05-01

A total of 45 children's toys and jewelry were tested for total and bioaccessible metal concentrations. Total As, Cd, Sb, Cr, Ni, and Pb concentrations were 0.22-19, 0.01-139, 0.1-189, 0.06-846, 0.14-2894 and 0.08-860,000 mg kg(-1). Metallic products had the highest concentrations, with 3-7 out of 13 samples exceeding the European Union safety limit for Cd, Pb, Cr, or Ni. However, assessment based on hazard index >1 and bioaccessible metal showed different trends. Under saliva mobilization or gastric ingestion, 11 out of 45 samples showed HI >1 for As, Cd, Sb, Cr, or Ni. Pb with the highest total concentration showed HI toys and jewelry, and besides Pb and Cd, As, Ni, Cr, and Sb in children's products also deserve attention. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Lycopene bioaccessibility and starch digestibility for extruded snacks enriched with tomato derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghan-Shoar, Zeinab; Mandimika, Tafadzwa; Hardacre, Allan K; Reynolds, Gordon W; Brennan, Charles S

2011-11-23

To improve the nutritional value of energy-dense extruded snacks, corn grits were replaced with tomato paste and/or tomato skin powder at ratios of 5, 10, and 20% and extruded to make expanded snack foodlike products. Using a model digestion system, lycopene bioaccessibility and uptake from the snacks into Caco-2 cells were determined. The digestibility of the starch, the main nutrient component of the snacks, was also investigated. While extrusion cooking reduced the lycopene content of the snacks, the proportion of bioaccessible lycopene increased. Lycopene uptake by the Caco-2 cells from the extruded snacks exceeded that of the control in which the lycopene was not extruded, by 5% (p snacks varied depending on the type of tomato derivative and its concentration. Optimization of the extrusion cooking process and the ingredients can yield functional extruded snack products that contain bioavailable lycopene.

Gender Analysis Of Electronic Information Resource Use: The Case ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Based on the findings the study concluded that access and use of electronic information resources creates a “social digital divide” along gender lines. The study ... Finally, the library needs to change its marketing strategies on the availability of electronic information resources to increase awareness of these resources.

Users satisfaction with electronic information resources and services ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated users satisfaction on the use of electronic information resources and services in MTN Net libraries in ABU & UNIBEN. Two objectives and one null hypotheses were formulated and tested with respect to the users' satisfaction on electronic information resources and services in MTN Net libraries in ...

Influence of Matrix Composition on the Bioaccessibility of Copper, Zinc and Nickel in Urban Residential Dust and Soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, P.; Beauchemin, S.; Nugent, M.; Dugandzic, R.; Lanouette, M.; Chenier, M.

2008-01-01

This study examines factors affecting oral bioaccessibility of metals in household dust, in particular metal speciation, organic carbon content, and particle size, with the goal of addressing risk assessment information requirements. Investigation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) speciation in two size fractions of dust (< 36 μ m and 80-150 μ m) using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicates that the two metals are bound to different components of the dust: Cu is predominately associated with the organic phase of the dust, while Zn is predominately associated with the mineral fraction. Total and bioaccessible Cu, nickel (Ni), and Zn were determined (on dry weight basis) in the < 150 μ m size fraction of a set of archived indoor dust samples (n = 63) and corresponding garden soil samples (n = 66) from the City of Ottawa, Canada. The median bioaccessible Cu content is 66 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 5 μ g g-1 in soil; the median bioaccessible Ni content is 16 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 2 μ g g-1 in soil; and the median bioaccessible Zn content is 410 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 18 μ g g-1 in soil. For the same data set, the median total Cu content is 152 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 17 μ g g-1 in soil; the median total Ni content is 41 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 13 μ g g-1 in soil; and the median total Zn content is 626 μ g g-1 in dust compared to 84 μ g g-1 in soil. Organic carbon is elevated in indoor dust (median 28%) compared to soil (median 5%), and is a key factor controlling metal partitioning and therefore bioaccessibility. The results show that house dust and soil have distinct geochemical signatures and should not be treated as identical media in exposure and risk assessments. Separate measurements of the indoor and outdoor environment are essential to improve the accuracy of residential risk assessments.

In vitro bioaccessibility of copper azole following simulated dermal transfer from pressure-treated wood

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — In vitro bioaccessibility of copper azole following simulated dermal transfer from pressure-treated wood. This dataset is associated with the following publication:...

Nutrient and Total Polyphenol Contents of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables, and Estimation of Their Iron Bioaccessibility Using the In Vitro Digestion/Caco-2 Cell Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francis Kweku Amagloh

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Dark green leafy vegetables (DGLVs are considered as important sources of iron and vitamin A. However, iron concentration may not indicate bioaccessibility. The objectives of this study were to compare the nutrient content and iron bioaccessibility of five sweet potato cultivars, including three orange-fleshed types, with other commonly consumed DGLVs in Ghana: cocoyam, corchorus, baobab, kenaf and moringa, using the in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model. Moringa had the highest numbers of iron absorption enhancers on an “as-would-be-eaten” basis, β-carotene (14169 μg/100 g; p < 0.05 and ascorbic acid (46.30 mg/100 g; p < 0.001, and the best iron bioaccessibility (10.28 ng ferritin/mg protein. Baobab and an orange-fleshed sweet potato with purplish young leaves had a lower iron bioaccessibility (6.51 and 6.76 ng ferritin/mg protein, respectively compared with that of moringa, although these three greens contained similar (p > 0.05 iron (averaging 4.18 mg/100 g and β-carotene levels. The ascorbic acid concentration of 25.50 mg/100 g in the cooked baobab did not enhance the iron bioaccessibility. Baobab and the orange-fleshed sweet potato with purplish young leaves contained the highest levels of total polyphenols (1646.75 and 506.95 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents/100 g, respectively; p < 0.001. This suggests that iron bioaccessibility in greens cannot be inferred based on the mineral concentration. Based on the similarity of the iron bioaccessibility of the sweet potato leaves and cocoyam leaf (a widely-promoted “nutritious” DGLV in Ghana, the former greens have an added advantage of increasing the dietary intake of provitamin A.

Enhancing Nutraceutical Bioavailability from Raw and Cooked Vegetables Using Excipient Emulsions: Influence of Lipid Type on Carotenoid Bioaccessibility from Carrots.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ruojie; Zhang, Zipei; Zou, Liqiang; Xiao, Hang; Zhang, Guodong; Decker, Eric Andrew; McClements, David Julian

2015-12-09

The influence of the nature of the lipid phase in excipient emulsions on the bioaccessibility and transformation of carotenoid from carrots was investigated using a gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model. Excipient emulsions were fabricated using whey protein as an emulsifier and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), fish oil, or corn oil as the oil phase. Changes in particle size, charge, and microstructure were measured as the carrot-emulsion mixtures were passed through simulated mouth, stomach, and small intestine regions. Carotenoid bioaccessibility depended on the type of lipids used to form the excipient emulsions (corn oil > fish oil ≫ MCT), which was attributed to differences in the solubilization capacity of mixed micelles formed from different lipid digestion products. The transformation of carotenoids was greater for fish oil and corn oil than for MCT, which may have been due to greater oxidation or isomerization. The bioaccessibility of the carotenoids was higher from boiled than raw carrots, which was attributed to greater disruption of the plant tissue facilitating carotenoid release. In conclusion, excipient emulsions are highly effective at increasing carotenoid bioaccessibility from carrots, but lipid type must be optimized to ensure high efficacy.

Predicting oral relative bioavailability of arsenic in soil from in vitro bioaccessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Several investigations have been conducted to develop in vitro bioaccessibility (IVBA) assays that reliably predict in vivo oral relative bioavailability (RBA) of arsenic (As). This study describes a meta-regression model relating soil As RBA and IVBA that is based upon data comb...

In vitro bioaccessibility of individual carotenoids from persimmon (Diospyros kaki, cv. Rojo Brillante) used as an ingredient in a model dairy food.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Cayuela, Tomás; Nuño-Escobar, Beatriz; Welti-Chanes, Jorge; Cano, M Pilar

2017-12-11

Addition of persimmon fruit, which is highly rich in carotenoids, to dairy products represents an alternative to obtain functional foods. However, carotenoid bioaccessibility is strongly influenced by fat content and food composition. That is why in vitro bioaccessibility of individual carotenoids was evaluated in persimmon-based dairy products formulated with whole (3.6% fat) or skimmed milk (0.25% fat) and different freeze-dried persimmon tissues. Unambiguous identification of seven xanthophylls (neoxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lutein epoxide and β-cryptoxanthin) and three hydrocarbon carotenes (α-carotene, β-carotene and lycopene) was achieved using high-performance liquid chromatography with a reverse-phase C-30 column. Total carotenoid content declined up 71% through the digestion process. In vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids was significantly higher in dairy products formulated with whole milk than those with skimmed milk, representing a difference of more than 21% (in the formulation using persimmon whole fruit as ingredient). Furthermore, addition of whole milk to any type of persimmon tissue significantly improved the bioaccessibility of total provitamin A carotenoids, reaching the highest values (38%) with whole fruit and whole milk. The higher fat content in whole milk exerted a significant influence on carotenoid bioaccessibility, especially when using freeze-dried persimmon whole fruit. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of pollution control on lead inhalation bioaccessibility in PM2.5: A case study of 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shi-Wei; Li, Hong-Bo; Luo, Jun; Li, Hui-Ming; Qian, Xin; Liu, Miao-Miao; Bi, Jun; Cui, Xin-Yi; Ma, Lena Q

2016-09-01

Pollution controls were implemented to improve the air quality for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing. To investigate the influence of pollution control on Pb inhalation bioaccessibility in PM2.5, samples were collected before, during, and after YOG. The objectives were to identify Pb sources in PM2.5 using stable isotope fingerprinting technique and compare Pb inhalation bioaccessibility in PM2.5 using two simulated lung fluids. While artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) simulates interstitial fluid at pH 7.4, Gamble's solution simulates fluid in alveolar macrophages at pH 4.5. The Pb concentration in PM2.5 samples during YOG (88.2ngm(-3)) was 44-48% lower than that in non-YOG samples. Based on stable Pb isotope ratios, Pb in YOG samples was mainly from coal combustion while Pb in non-YOG samples was from coal combustion and smelting activities. While Pb bioaccessibility in YOG samples was lower than those in non-YOG samples (59-79% vs. 55-87%) by ALF, it was higher than those in non-YOG samples (11-29% vs. 5.3-21%) based on Gamble's solution, attributing to the lower pH and organic acids in ALF. Different Pb bioaccessibility in PM2.5 between samples resulted from changes in Pb species due to pollution control. PbSO4 was the main Pb species in PM2.5 from coal combustion, which was less soluble in ALF than PbO from smelting activities, but more soluble in Gamble's solution. This study showed it is important to consider Pb bioaccessibility during pollution control as source control not only reduced Pb contamination in PM2.5 but also influenced Pb bioaccessibility. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Organizational matters of competition in electronic educational resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ирина Карловна Войтович

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article examines the experience of the Udmurt State University in conducting competitions of educational publications and electronic resources. The purpose of such competitions is to provide methodological support to educational process. The main focus is on competition of electronic educational resources. The technology of such contests is discussed through detailed analysis of the main stages of the contest. It is noted that the main task of the preparatory stage of the competition is related to the development of regulations on competition and the definition of criteria for selection of the submitted works. The paper also proposes a system of evaluation criteria of electronic educational resources developed by members of the contest organizing committee and jury members. The article emphasizes the importance of not only the preparatory stages of the competition, but also measures for its completion, aimed at training teachers create quality e-learning resources.

Bioaccessibility of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Sb in toys and low-cost jewelry.

Science.gov (United States)

Guney, Mert; Zagury, Gerald J

2014-01-21

Children can be exposed to toxic elements in toys and jewelry following ingestion. As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Sb bioavailability was assessed (n = 24) via the in vitro gastrointestinal protocol (IVG), the physiologically based extraction test (PBET), and the European Toy Safety Standard protocol (EN 71-3), and health risks were characterized. Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb were mobilized from 19 metallic toys and jewelry (MJ) and one crayon set. Bioaccessible Cd, Ni, or Pb exceeded EU migratable concentration limits in four to six MJ, depending on the protocol. Using two-phase (gastric + intestinal) IVG or PBET might be preferable over EN 71-3 since they better represent gastrointestinal physiology. Bioaccessible and total metal concentrations were different and not always correlated, indicating that bioaccessibility measurement may provide more accurate risk characterization. More information on impacts of multiple factors affecting metals mobilization from toys and jewelry is needed before recommending specific tests. Hazard index (HI) for Cd, Ni, or Pb were >1 for all six MJ exceeding the EU limits. For infants (6-12 mo old), 10 MJ had HI > 1 for Cd, Cu, Ni, or Pb (up to 75 for Cd and 43 for Pb). Research on prolonged exposure to MJ and comprehensive risk characterization for toys and jewelry exposure is recommended.

CHALLENGES OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES IN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper discusses the role of policy for proper and efficient library services in the electronic era. It points out some of the possible dangers of embarking in electronic resources without a proper focus at hand. Thus, it calls for today's librarians and policy makers to brainstorm and come up with working policies suitable to ...

The effects of lead sources on oral bioaccessibility in soil and implications for contaminated land risk management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer, Sherry; McIlwaine, Rebekka; Ofterdinger, Ulrich; Cox, Siobhan F.; McKinley, Jennifer M.; Doherty, Rory; Wragg, Joanna; Cave, Mark

2015-01-01

Lead (Pb) is a non-threshold toxin capable of inducing toxic effects at any blood level but availability of soil screening criteria for assessing potential health risks is limited. The oral bioaccessibility of Pb in 163 soil samples was attributed to sources through solubility estimation and domain identification. Samples were extracted following the Unified BARGE Method. Urban, mineralisation, peat and granite domains accounted for elevated Pb concentrations compared to rural samples. High Pb solubility explained moderate-high gastric (G) bioaccessible fractions throughout the study area. Higher maximum G concentrations were measured in urban (97.6 mg kg −1 ) and mineralisation (199.8 mg kg −1 ) domains. Higher average G concentrations occurred in mineralisation (36.4 mg kg −1 ) and granite (36.0 mg kg −1 ) domains. Findings suggest diffuse anthropogenic and widespread geogenic contamination could be capable of presenting health risks, having implications for land management decisions in jurisdictions where guidance advises these forms of pollution should not be regarded as contaminated land. - Highlights: • Urban, mineralisation, peat and granite sources accounted for elevated Pb in soil. • Pb solubility was higher in urban and mineralisation domains. • Higher Pb solubility resulted in high oral bioaccessibility compared to rural areas. • Diffuse background and natural Pb contamination could pose human health risks. • Contaminated land policy should not dismiss diffuse or geogenic pollution sources. - Diffuse and widespread Pb sources displayed high oral bioaccessibility, providing implications for contaminated land risk assessment guidance that excludes these forms of pollution

Comparison of Two Static in Vitro Digestion Methods for Screening the Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids in Fruits, Vegetables, and Animal Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Daniele B; Chitchumroonchokchai, Chureeporn; Mariutti, Lilian R B; Mercadante, Adriana Z; Failla, Mark L

2017-12-27

In vitro digestion methods are routinely used to assess the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and other dietary lipophilic compounds. Here, we compared the recovery of carotenoids and their efficiency of micellarization in digested fruits, vegetables, egg yolk, and salmon and also in mixed-vegetable salads with and without either egg yolk or salmon using the static INFOGEST method22 and the procedure of Failla et al.16 Carotenoid stability during the simulated digestion was ≥70%. The efficiencies of the partitioning of carotenoids into mixed micelles were similar when individual plant foods and salad meals were digested using the two static methods. Furthermore, the addition of cooked egg or salmon to vegetable salads increased the bioaccessibility of some carotenoids. Our findings showed that the two methods of in vitro digestion generated similar estimates of carotenoid retention and bioaccessibility for diverse foods.

Saponins from soy and chickpea: stability during beadmaking and in vitro bioaccessibility

Science.gov (United States)

This study investigated the stability of saponins during the making and simulated digestion of soy and soy-chickpea breads and the bioaccessibility of saponins in digested breads. Recovery of saponins in soy bread exceeded that in soy-chickpea breads, and recovery of type A and B saponins was great...

Use of Electronic Resources in a Private University in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined awareness and constraints in the use of electronic resources by lecturers and students of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria. It aimed at justifying the resources expended in the provision of electronic resources in terms of awareness, patronage and factors that may be affecting awareness and use ...

Electronic Resources Management System: Recommendation Report 2017

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-05-01

This recommendation report provides an overview of the selection process for the new Electronic Resources Management System. The library has decided to move away from Innovative Interfaces Millennium ERM module. The library reviewed 3 system as potential replacements namely: Proquest 360 Resource Manager, Ex Libris Alma and Open Source CORAL ERMS. After comparing and trialling the systems, it was decided to go for Proquest 360 Resource Manager.

use of electronic resources by graduate students of the department

African Journals Online (AJOL)

respondent's access electronic resources from the internet via Cybercafé .There is a high ... KEY WORDS: Use, Electronic Resources, Graduate Students, Cybercafé. INTRODUCTION ... Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Uyo. Olu Olat ...

Bioaccessibility of calcium, iron and magnesium in residues of citrus and characterization of macronutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Joyce Grazielle Siqueira; Rebellato, Ana Paula; Greiner, Ralf; Pallone, Juliana Azevedo Lima

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to estimate bioaccessibility of Ca, Fe and Mg in residues of orange, lime, and their mixture, in order to evaluate the effects of cooking in water on mineral bioaccessibility and also to determine the composition of macronutrients and myo-inositol phosphate content. The citrus samples contained on average 9.53g/100 g moisture, 6.09g/100 g protein, 3.23g/100g ash, 3.15g/100g lipids, 34.26g/100g insoluble fiber, 27.88g/100g soluble fiber and 25.64g/100g carbohydrates. The percentage of soluble and dialyzable minerals ranged from 19.36 to 77.33% and from 5.59 to 69.06% for Fe, from 33.34 to 60.84% and 14.71 to -26.13% for Ca, and from 29.95 to 94.20% and 34.42 to 62.51%, for Mg, respectively. It was verified that cooking influenced the minerals bioaccessibility and increased the dialyzable fraction of Fe and Mg, but decreased the fraction of Ca dialysate, except to orange. No myoinositol phosphate esters were detected. The Principal Component Analysis allowed the separation of different types of citrus residues, but did not discriminate the raw and cooked samples. This study pointed the potential of citrus residue to be used for human consumption and contribute to the necessary dietary minerals and macronutrients, with high content of soluble and insoluble fibers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Bioavailability of Waste Laden Soils Using ''In Vivo'' ''In Vitro'' Analytical Methodology and Bioaccessibility of Radionuclides for Refinement of Exposure/Dose Estimates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

P. J. Lioy; M. Gallo; P. Georgopoulos; R. Tate; B. Buckley

1999-09-15

The bioavailability of soil contaminants can be measured using in vitro or in vivo techniques. Since there was no standard method for intercomparison among laboratories, we compared two techniques for bioavailability estimation: in vitro dissolution and in vivo rat feeding model for a NIST-traceable soil material. Bioaccessibility was measured using a sequential soil extraction in synthetic analogues of human saliva, gastric and intestinal fluids. Bioavailability was measured in Sprague Dawley rats by determining metal levels in the major organs and urine, feces, and blood. Bioaccessibility was found to be a good indicator of relative metal bioavailability. Results are presented from bioaccessible experiments with Cesium in contaminated DOE soils, and total alpha and beta bioaccessibility. The results indicate that the modified methodology for bioaccessibility can be used for specific radionuclide analysis.

Electronic resource management practical perspectives in a new technical services model

CERN Document Server

Elguindi, Anne

2012-01-01

A significant shift is taking place in libraries, with the purchase of e-resources accounting for the bulk of materials spending. Electronic Resource Management makes the case that technical services workflows need to make a corresponding shift toward e-centric models and highlights the increasing variety of e-formats that are forcing new developments in the field.Six chapters cover key topics, including: technical services models, both past and emerging; staffing and workflow in electronic resource management; implementation and transformation of electronic resource management systems; the ro

Food Matrix Effects of Polyphenol Bioaccessibility from Almond Skin during Simulated Human Digestion

Science.gov (United States)

Mandalari, Giuseppina; Vardakou, Maria; Faulks, Richard; Bisignano, Carlo; Martorana, Maria; Smeriglio, Antonella; Trombetta, Domenico

2016-01-01

The goal of the present study was to quantify the rate and extent of polyphenols released in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) from natural (NS) and blanched (BS) almond skins. A dynamic gastric model of digestion which provides a realistic simulation of the human stomach was used. In order to establish the effect of a food matrix on polyphenols bioaccessibility, NS and BS were either digested in water (WT) or incorporated into home-made biscuits (HB), crisp-bread (CB) and full-fat milk (FM). Phenolic acids were the most bioaccessible class (68.5% release from NS and 64.7% from BS). WT increased the release of flavan-3-ols (p digestion, whereas CB and HB were better vehicles for BS. FM lowered the % recovery of polyphenols, the free total phenols and the antioxidant status in the digestion medium, indicating that phenolic compounds could bind protein present in the food matrix. The release of bioactives from almond skins could explain the beneficial effects associated with almond consumption. PMID:27649239

Utilization of electronic information resources by academic staff at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the utilization of Electronic Information resources by the academic staff of Makerere University in Uganda. It examined the academic staff awareness of the resources available, the types of resources provided by the Makerere University Library, the factors affecting resource utilization. The study was ...

Studies on tender wheatgrass: estimation of elemental content, bioaccessibility of essential elements and antioxidant activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, A.V.R.; Acharya, R.; Nair, A.G.C.; Kulkarni, S.D.; Rajurkar, N.S.

2008-08-01

Tender wheatgrass is being consumed by human beings in juice form or as it is due to its antioxidant potential and medicinal value. Systematic studies were carried out to (i) estimate elemental profiles as a function of growth period and conditions, bioaccessibility of different elements and the antioxidant potential of the tender wheatgrass, (ii) determine the optimum growth period for obtaining maximum benefit and (iii) examine the possible correlation between antioxidant potential and mineral content. Wheatgrass was grown in four different conditions namely (i) tap water, (ii) tap water with nutrients, (iii) soil and tap water and (iv) soil with nutrient solution. The studies were carried out on the wheatgrass of 5-20 days old. For comparison with laboratory grown wheatgrass, a set of commercially available wheatgrass tablets and wheat seeds were also studied. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used for concentration determination of elements in the wheatgrass, wheat seeds and wheatgrass tablets. A total of 15 elements like Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Br, Fe and Zn were determined in the samples of shoots and roots of tender wheatgrass. A comparison with the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of different essential elements with that in tender wheatgrass revealed that wheatgrass is a good source of minerals for health benefits rather than a food supplement. Bioaccessible fractions of various elements were estimated by a chemical NAA method by subjecting the samples to in vitro gastric and gastro-intestinal digestion followed by NAA. The bioaccessibility concentrations by both the measurements were in the range of 9-60%. It was found that bioaccessibility of the elements studied was the highest from fresh wheatgrass and the lowest from wheat seeds. Accuracy of the NAA method was evaluated by analyzing two biological reference materials, SRM 1573a (Tomato leaves) from NIST, USA and ICHTJ CTA-vtl-2 (Tobacco leaves) from INCT, Poland. The antioxidant

Improvement of curcuminoid bioaccessibility from turmeric by a nanostructured lipid carrier system.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sung Jin; Garcia, Coralia V; Shin, Gye Hwa; Kim, Jun Tae

2018-06-15

Turmeric contains curcumin and its analogues, which show anticancer and antiinflammatory effects; however, curcuminoids are lipophilic and are poorly absorbed by the human body. Nanostructured lipid carriers for encapsulating whole turmeric powder were successfully produced by ultrasonication, and their physicochemical properties and stability in simulated gastric and intestinal media were evaluated. The turmeric nanostructured lipid carriers (TNLCs) exhibited a round shape, small diameter (282 ± 7.19 nm), adequate zeta potential (-22.75 ± 1.20 mV), and high encapsulation efficiency (93.3 ± 0.01%). The TNLCs were able to protect the encapsulated curcuminoids under acidic gastric conditions, and effectively released 95 ± 2.51% of the curcuminoids in the simulated intestinal medium, demonstrating their suitability for controlled release. The in vitro bioaccessibility of the encapsulated curcuminoids was 75 ± 1.24%, representing more than a fourfold increase compared to that of free turmeric. Therefore, the proposed TNLCs are a promising delivery system for increasing the bioaccessibility of curcuminoids from turmeric. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of a laboratory scale selenomethionine-enriched bread. Selenium bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Martínez, María; Pérez-Corona, Teresa; Caímara, Carmen; Madrid, Yolanda

2015-01-14

This study focuses on the preparation at lab scale of selenomethionine-enriched white and wholemeal bread. Selenium was supplemented either by adding selenite directly to the dough or by using lab-made selenium-enriched yeast. The best results were obtained when using fresh selenium-enriched yeast. The optimum incubation time for selenomethionine-enriched yeast preparation, while keeping formation of selenium byproducts to a minimum, was 96 h. Selenium content measured by isotope dilution analysis (IDA)-ICP-MS in Se-white and Se-wholemeal bread was 1.28 ± 0.02 μg g–1 and 1.16 ± 0.02 μg g–1 (expressed as mean ± SE, 3 replicates), respectively. HPLC postcolumn IDA-ICP-MS measurements revealed that selenomethionine was the main Se species found in Se-enriched bread, which accounted for ca. 80% of total selenium. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay provided selenium bioaccessibility values of 100 ± 3% and 40 ± 1% for white and wholemeal Se-enriched bread, respectively, being selenomethionine the main bioaccessible Se species in white bread, while in wholemeal bread this compound was undetectable.

Electronic Resources Management Project Presentation 2012

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2012-01-01

This presentation describes the electronic resources management project undertaken by the KAUST library. The objectives of this project is to migrate information from MS Sharepoint to Millennium ERM module. One of the advantages of this migration

Bioprocessing of wheat bran improves in vitro bioaccessibility and colonic metabolism of phenolic compounds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mateo Anson, N.; Selinheimo, E.; Havenaar, R.; Aura, A.-M.; Mattila, I.; Lehtinen, P.; Bast, A.; Poutanen, K.; Haenen, G.R.M.M.

2009-01-01

Ferulic acid (FA) is the most abundant phenolic compound in wheat grain, mainly located in the bran. However, its bioaccessibility from the bran matrix is extremely low. Different bioprocessing techniques involving fermentation or enzymatic and fermentation treatments of wheat bran were developed

Practical guide to electronic resources in the humanities

CERN Document Server

Dubnjakovic, Ana

2010-01-01

From full-text article databases to digitized collections of primary source materials, newly emerging electronic resources have radically impacted how research in the humanities is conducted and discovered. This book, covering high-quality, up-to-date electronic resources for the humanities, is an easy-to-use annotated guide for the librarian, student, and scholar alike. It covers online databases, indexes, archives, and many other critical tools in key humanities disciplines including philosophy, religion, languages and literature, and performing and visual arts. Succinct overviews of key eme

Utilisation of Electronic Information Resources By Lecturers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study assesses the use of information resources, specifically, electronic databases by lecturers/teachers in Universities and Colleges of Education in South Western Nigeria. Information resources are central to teachers' education. It provides lecturers/teachers access to information that enhances research and ...

Bioaccessibility and health risk of heavy metals in ash from the incineration of different e-waste residues.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Xiao-Qing; Shen, Dong-Sheng; Shentu, Jia-Li; Long, Yu-Yang; Feng, Yi-Jian; Shen, Chen-Chao

2015-03-01

Ash from incinerated e-waste dismantling residues (EDR) may cause significant health risks to people through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact exposure pathways. Ashes of four classified e-waste types generated by an incineration plant in Zhejiang, China were collected. Total contents and the bioaccessibilities of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in ashes were measured to provide crucial information to evaluate the health risks for incinerator workers and children living in vicinity. Compared to raw e-waste in mixture, ash was metal-enriched by category incinerated. However, the physiologically based extraction test (PBET) indicates the bioaccessibilities of Ni, Pb, and Zn were less than 50 %. Obviously, bioaccessibilities need to be considered in noncancer risk estimate. Total and PBET-extractable contents of metal, except for Pb, were significantly correlated with the pH of the ash. Noncancer risks of ash from different incinerator parts decreased in the order bag filter ash (BFA) > cyclone separator ash (CFA) > bottom ash (BA). The hazard quotient for exposure to ash were decreased as ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. Pb in ingested ash dominated (>80 %) noncancer risks, and children had high chronic risks from Pb (hazard index >10). Carcinogenic risks from exposure to ash were under the acceptable level (incinerated ash are made.

Development of a simulated earthworm gut for determining bioaccessible arsenic, copper, and zinc from soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Wai K; Smith, Ben A; Stephenson, Gladys L; Siciliano, Steven D

2009-07-01

Soil physicochemical characteristics and contamination levels alter the bioavailability of metals to terrestrial invertebrates. Current laboratory-derived benchmark concentrations used to estimate risk do not take into account site-specific conditions, such as contaminant sequestration, and site-specific risk assessment requires a battery of time-consuming and costly toxicity tests. The development of an in vitro simulator for earthworm bioaccessibility would significantly shorten analytical time and enable site managers to focus on areas of greatest concern. The simulated earthworm gut (SEG) was developed to measure the bioaccessibility of metals in soil to earthworms by mimicking the gastrointestinal fluid composition of earthworms. Three formulations of the SEG (enzymes, microbial culture, enzymes and microbial culture) were developed and used to digest field soils from a former industrial site with varying physicochemical characteristics and contamination levels. Formulations containing enzymes released between two to 10 times more arsenic, copper, and zinc from contaminated soils compared with control and 0.01 M CaCl2 extractions. Metal concentrations in extracts from SEG formulation with microbial culture alone were not different from values for chemical extractions. The mechanism for greater bioaccessible metal concentrations from enzyme-treated soils is uncertain, but it is postulated that enzymatic digestion of soil organic matter might release sequestered metal. The relevance of these SEG results will need validation through further comparison and correlation with bioaccumulation tests, alternative chemical extraction tests, and a battery of chronic toxicity tests with invertebrates and plants.

Discipline, availability of electronic resources and the use of Finnish National Electronic Library - FinELib

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanna Torma

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This study elaborated relations between digital library use by university faculty, users' discipline and the availability of key resources in the Finnish National Electronic Library (FinELib, Finnish national digital library, by using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that the perceived availability of key electronic resources by researchers in FinELib was a stronger predictor of the frequency and purpose of use of its services than users' discipline. Regardless of discipline a good perceived provision of central resources led to a more frequent use of FinELib. The satisfaction with the services did not vary with the discipline, but with the perceived availability of resources.

The Role of the Acquisitions Librarian in Electronic Resources Management

Science.gov (United States)

Pomerantz, Sarah B.

2010-01-01

With the ongoing shift to electronic formats for library resources, acquisitions librarians, like the rest of the profession, must adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of electronic resources by keeping up with trends and mastering new skills related to digital publishing, technology, and licensing. The author sought to know what roles…

Analysis of Pedagogic Potential of Electronic Educational Resources with Elements of Autodidactics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor A.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: in recent years didactic properties of electronic educational resources undergo considerable changes, nevertheless, the question of studying of such complete phenomenon as “an electronic educational resource with autodidactics elements” remains open, despite sufficient scientific base of researches of the terms making this concept. Article purpose – determination of essence of electronic educational resources with autodidactics elements. Materials and Methods: the main method of research was the theoretical analysis of the pedagogical and psychological literature on the problem under study. We used the theoretical (analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalization methods, the method of interpretation, pedagogical modeling, and empirical methods (observation, testing, conversation, interview, analysis of students’ performance, pedagogical experiment, peer review. Results: we detected the advantages of electronic educational resources in comparison with traditional ones. The concept of autodidactics as applied to the subject of research is considered. Properties of electronic educational resources with a linear and nonlinear principle of construction are studied.The influence of the principle of construction on the development of the learners’ qualities is shown. We formulated an integral definition of electronic educational resources with elements of autodidactics, namely, the variability, adaptivity and cyclicity of training. A model of the teaching-learning process with electronic educational resources is developed. Discussion and Conclusions: further development of a problem will allow to define whether electronic educational resources with autodidactics elements pedagogical potential for realization of educational and self-educational activity of teachers have, to modify technological procedures taking into account age features of students, their specialties and features of the organization of process of training of

Preservation and conservation of electronic information resources of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The major holdings of the broadcast libraries of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) are electronic information resources; therefore, providing safe places for general management of these resources have aroused interest in the industry in Nigeria for sometimes. The need to study the preservation and conservation of ...

Culinary practices mimicking a polysaccharide-rich recipe enhance the bioaccessibility of fat-soluble micronutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhuique-Mayer, Claudie; Servent, Adrien; Descalzo, Adriana; Mouquet-Rivier, Claire; Amiot, Marie-Josèphe; Achir, Nawel

2016-11-01

This study was carried out to assess the impact of heat processing of a complex emulsion on the behavior of fat soluble micronutrients (FSM) in a traditional Tunisian dish. A simplified recipe involved, dried mucilage-rich jute leaves, tomato paste and olive oil, followed by a cooking treatment (150min). Hydrothermal pattern and viscosity were monitored along with the changes of FSM content and the bioaccessibility (called micellarization, using an in vitro digestion model). Partitioning of carotenoids differed according to their lipophilicity: lycopene, β-carotene and lutein diffused to the oil phase (100%, 70% and 10% respectively). In contrast with the poor carotenes/tocopherol bioaccessibility (0.9-1%), the highest micellarization was observed for lutein (57%) and it increased with heating time and viscosity change. Domestic culinary cooking practices probably increase the bioavailability of carotenes mainly by their diffusion to the oil phase, facilitating their in vivo transfer into micelles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Organogel-Derived Capsaicin Nanoemulsion with Improved Bioaccessibility and Reduced Gastric Mucosa Irritation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Muwen; Cao, Yong; Ho, Chi-Tang; Huang, Qingrong

2016-06-15

Capsaicin (CAP) is the major active component in chili peppers with health-promoting benefits. However, the low bioavailability and irritating quality of CAP greatly limit its applications in functional foods. The objective of this study was to develop a food-grade nanoemulsion to increase the dissolution and bioaccessibility of CAP and to alleviate its irritating effects. To achieve this goal, CAP was first dissolved in medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT), followed by the addition of sucrose stearate S-370 as organogelator to develop CAP-loaded organogel. The oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion was formed using organogel as the oil phase and Tween 80 as the emulsifier. After ultrasonication treatment, droplet sizes of emulsion were decreased to 168 nm with enhanced dissolution rate and bioaccessibility. In vivo study further confirmed the reduced rat gastric mucosa irritation caused by CAP. The organogel-derived nanoemulsion was proved to be an effective delivery system for CAP-based functional food products.

Building an electronic resource collection a practical guide

CERN Document Server

Lee, Stuart D

2004-01-01

This practical book guides information professionals step-by-step through building and managing an electronic resource collection. It outlines the range of electronic products currently available in abstracting and indexing, bibliographic, and other services and then describes how to effectively select, evaluate and purchase them.

Analysis of Human Resources Management Strategy in China Electronic Commerce Enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Fang

The paper discussed electronic-commerce's influence on enterprise human resources management, proposed and proved the human resources management strategy which electronic commerce enterprise should adopt from recruitment strategy to training strategy, keeping talent strategy and other ways.

Bioaccessible Antioxidants in Milk Fermented by Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum Strains

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Mérilie; Savard, Patricia; Rivière, Audrey; LaPointe, Gisèle

2015-01-01

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum is among the dominant species of the human gastrointestinal microbiota and could thus have potential as probiotics. New targets such as antioxidant properties have interest for beneficial effects on health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioaccessibility of antioxidants in milk fermented by selected B. longum subsp. longum strains during in vitro dynamic digestion. The antioxidant capacity of cell extracts from 38 strains, of which 32 belong to B. longum subsp. longum, was evaluated with the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) method. On the basis of screening and gene sequence typing by multilocus locus sequence analysis (MLSA), five strains were chosen for fermenting reconstituted skim milk. Antioxidant capacity varied among the strains tested (P = 0.0009). Two strains of B. longum subsp. longum (CUETM 172 and 171) showed significantly higher ORAC values than the other bifidobacteria strains. However, there does not appear to be a relationship between gene sequence types and antioxidant capacity. The milk fermented by each of the five strains selected (CUETM 268, 172, 245, 247, or PRO 16-10) did not have higher initial ORAC values compared to the nonfermented milk samples. However, higher bioaccessibility of antioxidants in fermented milk (175–358%) was observed during digestion. PMID:25802836

Food Matrix Effects of Polyphenol Bioaccessibility from Almond Skin during Simulated Human Digestion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppina Mandalari

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The goal of the present study was to quantify the rate and extent of polyphenols released in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT from natural (NS and blanched (BS almond skins. A dynamic gastric model of digestion which provides a realistic simulation of the human stomach was used. In order to establish the effect of a food matrix on polyphenols bioaccessibility, NS and BS were either digested in water (WT or incorporated into home-made biscuits (HB, crisp-bread (CB and full-fat milk (FM. Phenolic acids were the most bioaccessible class (68.5% release from NS and 64.7% from BS. WT increased the release of flavan-3-ols (p < 0.05 and flavonols (p < 0.05 from NS after gastric plus duodenal digestion, whereas CB and HB were better vehicles for BS. FM lowered the % recovery of polyphenols, the free total phenols and the antioxidant status in the digestion medium, indicating that phenolic compounds could bind protein present in the food matrix. The release of bioactives from almond skins could explain the beneficial effects associated with almond consumption.

Are Chinese consumers at risk due to exposure to metals in crayfish? A bioaccessibility-adjusted probabilistic risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Qian; Nunes, Luís M; Greenfield, Ben K; Dang, Fei; Zhong, Huan

2016-03-01

Freshwater crayfish, the world's third largest crustacean species, has been reported to accumulate high levels of metals, while the current knowledge of potential risk associated with crayfish consumption lags behind that of finfish. We provide the first estimate of human health risk associated with crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) consumption in China, the world's largest producer and consumer of crayfish. We performed Monte Carlo Simulation on a standard risk model parameterized with local data on metal concentrations, bioaccessibility (φ), crayfish consumption rate, and consumer body mass. Bioaccessibility of metals in crayfish was found to be variable (68-95%) and metal-specific, suggesting a potential influence of metal bioaccessibility on effective metal intake. However, sensitivity analysis suggested risk of metals via crayfish consumption was predominantly explained by consumption rate (explaining >92% of total risk estimate variability), rather than metals concentration, bioaccessibility, or body mass. Mean metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) in surveyed crayfish samples from 12 provinces in China conformed to national safety standards. However, risk calculation of φ-modified hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) suggested that crayfish metals may pose a health risk for very high rate consumers, with a HI of over 24 for the highest rate consumers. Additionally, the φ-modified increased lifetime risk (ILTR) for carcinogenic effects due to the presence of As was above the acceptable level (10(-5)) for both the median (ILTR=2.5×10(-5)) and 90th percentile (ILTR=1.8×10(-4)), highlighting the relatively high risk of As in crayfish. Our results suggest a need to consider crayfish when assessing human dietary exposure to metals and associated health risks, especially for high crayfish-consuming populations, such as in China, USA and Sweden. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using XML Technologies to Organize Electronic Reference Resources

OpenAIRE

Huser, Vojtech; Del Fiol, Guilherme; Rocha, Roberto A.

2005-01-01

Provision of access to reference electronic resources to clinicians is becoming increasingly important. We have created a framework for librarians to manage access to these resources at an enterprise level, rather than at the individual hospital libraries. We describe initial project requirements, implementation details, and some preliminary results.

Electronic Resources and Mission Creep: Reorganizing the Library for the Twenty-First Century

Science.gov (United States)

Stachokas, George

2009-01-01

The position of electronic resources librarian was created to serve as a specialist in the negotiation of license agreements for electronic resources, but mission creep has added more functions to the routine work of electronic resources such as cataloging, gathering information for collection development, and technical support. As electronic…

Caco-2 accumulation of lutein is greater from human milk than from infant formula despite similar bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipkie, Tristan E; Banavara, Dattatreya; Shah, Bhavini; Morrow, Ardythe L; McMahon, Robert J; Jouni, Zeina E; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2014-10-01

Clinical evidence suggests that the bioavailability of lutein is lower from infant formula than from human milk. The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics of human milk and lutein-fortified infant formula that may impact carotenoid delivery. Carotenoid bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption were modeled by in vitro digestion coupled with Caco-2 human intestinal cell culture. Twelve human milk samples were assessed from 1-6 months postpartum, and 10 lutein-fortified infant formula samples from three lutein sources in both ready-to-use and reconstituted powder forms. The relative bioaccessibility of lutein was not different (p > 0.05) between human milk (29 ± 2%) and infant formula (36 ± 4%). However, lutein delivery was 4.5 times greater from human milk than infant formula when including Caco-2 accumulation efficiency. Caco-2 accumulation of lutein was increasingly efficient with decreasing concentration of lutein from milk. Carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 accumulation were not affected by lactation stage, total lipid content, lutein source, or form of infant formula (powder vs. liquid). These data suggest that the bioavailability of carotenoids is greater from human milk than infant formula primarily due to intestinal absorptive processes, and that absorption of lutein is potentiated by factors from human milk especially at low lutein concentration. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electronic Resources Management System: Recommendation Report 2017

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-01-01

This recommendation report provides an overview of the selection process for the new Electronic Resources Management System. The library has decided to move away from Innovative Interfaces Millennium ERM module. The library reviewed 3 system

Bioaccessibility of nutrients and micronutrients from dispersed food systems: impact of the multiscale bulk and interfacial structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Marze, Sébastien

2013-01-01

Many food systems are dispersed systems, that is, they possess at least two immiscible phases. This is generally due to the coexistence of domains with different physicochemical properties separated by many interfaces which control the apparent thermodynamic equilibrium. This feature was and is still largely studied to design pharmaceutical delivery systems. In food science, the recent intensification of in vitro digestion tests to complement the in vivo ones holds promises in the identification of the key parameters controlling the bioaccessibility of nutrients and micronutrients. In this review, we present the developments of in vitro digestion tests for dispersed food systems (mainly emulsions, dispersions and gels). We especially highlight the evidences detailing the roles of the constituting multiscale structures. In a perspective section, we show the potential of structured interfaces to allow controlled bioaccessibility.

Phosphorus Amendment Efficacy for In Situ Remediation of Soil Lead Depends on the Bioaccessible Method

Science.gov (United States)

A validated method is needed to measure reductions of in vitro bioaccessible (IVBA) Pb in urban soil remediated with amendments. This study evaluated the effect of in vitro extraction solution pH and glycine buffer on bioaccesible Pb in P-treated soils. Two Pb-contaminated soils...

Iron and zinc bioaccessibility of fermented maize, sorghum and millets from five locations in Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabaza, Molly; Shumoy, Habtu; Muchuweti, Maud; Vandamme, Peter; Raes, Katleen

2018-01-01

The present study is an evaluation of iron and zinc bioaccessibility of fermented maize, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet from five different locations in Zimbabwe. Iron and zinc contents ranged between 3.22 and 49.7 and 1.25-4.39mg/100gdm, respectively. Fermentation caused a reduction of between 20 and 88% of phytic acid (PA) while a general increase in soluble phenolic compounds (PC) and a decrease of the bound (PC) was observed. Bioaccessibility of iron and zinc ranged between 2.77 and 26.1% and 0.45-12.8%, respectively. The contribution of the fermented cereals towards iron and zinc absolute requirements ranged between 25 and 411% and 0.5-23% with higher contribution of iron coming from cereals that were contaminated with extrinsic iron. Populations subsisting on cereals could be more at risk of zinc rather than iron deficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility and Cellular Uptake of β-Carotene Encapsulated in Model O/W Emulsions: Influence of Initial Droplet Size and Emulsifiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Lu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of the initial emulsion structure (droplet size and emulsifier on the properties of β-carotene-loaded emulsions and the bioavailability of β-carotene after passing through simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT digestion were investigated. Exposure to GIT significantly changed the droplet size, surface charge and composition of all emulsions, and these changes were dependent on their initial droplet size and the emulsifiers used. Whey protein isolate (WPI-stabilized emulsion showed the highest β-carotene bioaccessibility, while sodium caseinate (SCN-stabilized emulsion showed the highest cellular uptake of β-carotene. The bioavailability of emulsion-encapsulated β-carotene based on the results of bioaccessibility and cellular uptake showed the same order with the results of cellular uptake being SCN > TW80 > WPI. An inconsistency between the results of bioaccessibility and bioavailability was observed, indicating that the cellular uptake assay is necessary for a reliable evaluation of the bioavailability of emulsion-encapsulated compounds. The findings in this study contribute to a better understanding of the correlation between emulsion structure and the digestive fate of emulsion-encapsulated nutrients, which make it possible to achieve controlled or potential targeted delivery of nutrients by designing the structure of emulsion-based carriers.

Impact of Different Types of Activated Carbon on the Bioaccessibility of 14C-phenanthrene in Sterile and Non-Sterile Soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayodeji Oyelami

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, the impact of three different types of activated carbon (AC on the bioaccessibility of 14C-phenanthrene in non-sterile and sterile soils was investigated. A single dose (1% of each of the different AC (CB4, CP1 and AQ5000 was blended with soil spiked with 50 mg·kg−1 of 12C/14C-phenanthrene. The mineralisation of the 14C-phenanthrene was monitored over a 14 day incubation period by indigenous soil microflora and an enriched inoculum of Pseudomonas sp., while uptake in earthworms, Eisenia fetida, was measured after incubation for 10 days at 1, 25, 50 and 100 d. Bioaccessibility was assessed using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD solution. Results showed that the presence of AC had a significant effect upon the extents of mineralisation, earthworm uptake and HPCD extraction, when compared to the control. Aquasorb CB4 was the least effective amongst the different AC used. The characteristics of the different AC used was also seen to have a major influence on how each AC would have an effect on its use in soil remediation in reducing bioaccessibility, mobility and risk.

The Internet School of Medicine: use of electronic resources by medical trainees and the reliability of those resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Egle, Jonathan P; Smeenge, David M; Kassem, Kamal M; Mittal, Vijay K

2015-01-01

Electronic sources of medical information are plentiful, and numerous studies have demonstrated the use of the Internet by patients and the variable reliability of these sources. Studies have investigated neither the use of web-based resources by residents, nor the reliability of the information available on these websites. A web-based survey was distributed to surgical residents in Michigan and third- and fourth-year medical students at an American allopathic and osteopathic medical school and a Caribbean allopathic school regarding their preferred sources of medical information in various situations. A set of 254 queries simulating those faced by medical trainees on rounds, on a written examination, or during patient care was developed. The top 5 electronic resources cited by the trainees were evaluated for their ability to answer these questions accurately, using standard textbooks as the point of reference. The respondents reported a wide variety of overall preferred resources. Most of the 73 responding medical trainees favored textbooks or board review books for prolonged studying, but electronic resources are frequently used for quick studying, clinical decision-making questions, and medication queries. The most commonly used electronic resources were UpToDate, Google, Medscape, Wikipedia, and Epocrates. UpToDate and Epocrates had the highest percentage of correct answers (47%) and Wikipedia had the lowest (26%). Epocrates also had the highest percentage of wrong answers (30%), whereas Google had the lowest percentage (18%). All resources had a significant number of questions that they were unable to answer. Though hardcopy books have not been completely replaced by electronic resources, more than half of medical students and nearly half of residents prefer web-based sources of information. For quick questions and studying, both groups prefer Internet sources. However, the most commonly used electronic resources fail to answer clinical queries more than half

Effect of mastication on lipid bioaccessibility of almonds in a randomized human study and its implications for digestion kinetics, metabolizable energy, and postprandial lipemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Grundy, Myriam M L; Grassby, Terri; Mandalari, Giuseppina; Waldron, Keith W; Butterworth, Peter J; Berry, Sarah E E; Ellis, Peter R

2015-01-01

The particle size and structure of masticated almonds have a significant impact on nutrient release (bioaccessibility) and digestion kinetics. The goals of this study were to quantify the effects of mastication on the bioaccessibility of intracellular lipid of almond tissue and examine microstructural characteristics of masticated almonds. In a randomized, subject-blind, crossover trial, 17 healthy subjects chewed natural almonds (NAs) or roasted almonds (RAs) in 4 separate mastication sessions. Particle size distributions (PSDs) of the expectorated boluses were measured by using mechanical sieving and laser diffraction (primary outcome). The microstructure of masticated almonds, including the structural integrity of the cell walls (i.e., dietary fiber), was examined with microscopy. Lipid bioaccessibility was predicted by using a theoretical model, based on almond particle size and cell dimensions, and then compared with empirically derived release data. Intersubject variations (n = 15; 2 subjects withdrew) in PSDs of both NA and RA samples were small (e.g., laser diffraction; CV: 12% and 9%, respectively). Significant differences in PSDs were found between these 2 almond forms (P masticated particles, as predicted by using the mathematical model (8.5% and 11.3% for NAs and RAs, respectively). This low percentage of lipid bioaccessibility is attributable to the high proportion (35-40%) of large particles (>500 μm) in masticated almonds. Microstructural examination of the almonds indicated that most intracellular lipid remained undisturbed in intact cells after mastication. No adverse events were recorded. Following mastication, most of the almond cells remained intact with lipid encapsulated by cell walls. Thus, most of the lipid in masticated almonds is not immediately bioaccessible and remains unavailable for early stages of digestion. The lipid encapsulation mechanism provides a convincing explanation for why almonds have a low metabolizable energy content and

Bioaccessibility of the Bioactive Peptide Carnosine during in Vitro Digestion of Cured Beef Meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcolini, Elena; Babini, Elena; Bordoni, Alessandra; Di Nunzio, Mattia; Laghi, Luca; Maczó, Anita; Picone, Gianfranco; Szerdahelyi, Emoke; Valli, Veronica; Capozzi, Francesco

2015-05-27

A bioactive compound is a food component that may have an impact on health. Its bioaccessibility, defined as the fraction released from the food matrix into the gastrointestinal tract during digestion, depends on compound stability, interactions with other food components, and supramolecular organization of food. In this study, the effect of pH on the bioaccessibility of the bioactive dipeptide carnosine was evaluated in two commercial samples of the Italian cured beef meat bresaola at two key points of digestion: before the gastric and after the duodenal phases. The digestion process was simulated using an in vitro static system, whereas capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used for quantitative analysis. The gap between the total carnosine content, measured by CZE, and its free diffusible fraction observable by NMR spectroscopy, was 11 and 19% for two independent bresaola products, where such percentages represent the fraction of carnosine not accessible for intestinal absorption because it was adsorbed to the food matrix dispersed in the digestion fluid.

Iron mineralogy and bioaccessibility of dust generated from soils as determined by reflectance spectroscopy and magnetic and chemical properties--Nellis Dunes recreational area, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Harland L.; Reynolds, Richard L.; Morman, Suzette A.; Moskowitz, Bruce; Kokaly, Raymond F.; Goossens, Dirk; Buck, Brenda J.; Flagg, Cody; Till, Jessica; Yauk, Kimberly; Berquó, Thelma S.

2013-01-01

Atmospheric mineral dust exerts many important effects on the Earth system, such as atmospheric temperatures, marine productivity, and melting of snow and ice. Mineral dust also can have detrimental effects on human health through respiration of very small particles and the leaching of metals in various organs. These effects can be better understood through characterization of the physical and chemical properties of dust, including certain iron oxide minerals, for their extraordinary radiative properties and possible effects on lung inflammation. Studies of dust from the Nellis Dunes recreation area near Las Vegas, Nevada, focus on characteristics of radiative properties (capacity of dust to absorb solar radiation), iron oxide mineral type and size, chemistry, and bioaccessibility of metals in fluids that simulate human gastric, lung, and phagolysosomal fluids. In samples of dust from the Nellis Dunes recreation area with median grain sizes of 2.4, 3.1, and 4.3 micrometers, the ferric oxide minerals goethite and hematite, at least some of it nanosized, were identified. In one sample, in vitro bioaccessibility experiments revealed high bioaccessibility of arsenic in all three biofluids and higher leachate concentration and bioaccessibility for copper, uranium, and vanadium in the simulated lung fluid than in the phagolysosomal fluid. The combination of methods used here to characterize mineral dust at the Nellis Dunes recreation area can be applied to global dust and broad issues of public health.

ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF LATIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena Yu. Balalaieva

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The article investigates the current state of development of e-learning content in the Latin language. It is noted that the introduction of ICT in the educational space has expanded the possibility of studying Latin, opened access to digital libraries resources, made it possible to use scientific and educational potential and teaching Latin best practices of world's leading universities. A review of foreign and Ukrainian information resources and electronic editions for the study of Latin is given. Much attention was paid to the didactic potential of local and online multimedia courses of Latin, electronic textbooks, workbooks of interactive tests and exercises, various dictionaries and software translators, databases and digital libraries. Based on analysis of the world market of educational services and products the main trends in the development of information resources and electronic books are examined. It was found that multimedia courses with interactive exercises or workbooks with interactive tests, online dictionaries and translators are the most widely represented and demanded. The noticeable lagging of Ukrainian education and computer linguistics in quantitative and qualitative measures in this industry is established. The obvious drawback of existing Ukrainian resources and electronic editions for the study of Latin is their noninteractive nature. The prospects of e-learning content in Latin in Ukraine are outlined.

An inter-laboratory trial of the unified BARGE bioaccessibility method for arsenic, cadmium and lead in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wragg, Joanna; Cave, Mark; Basta, Nick; Brandon, Esther; Casteel, Stan; Denys, Sebastien; Gron, Christian; Oomen, Agnes; Reimer, Kenneth; Tack, Karine; Van de Wiele, Tom

2011-01-01

The Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) has carried out an inter-laboratory trial of a proposed harmonised in vitro physiologically based ingestion bioaccessibility procedure for soils, called the Unified BARGE Method (UBM). The UBM includes an initial saliva phase and simulated stomach and intestine compartments. The trial involved the participation of seven laboratories (five European and two North American) providing bioaccessibility data for As (11 samples), Cd (9 samples) and Pb (13 samples) using soils with in vivo relative bioavailability data measured using a swine model. The results of the study were compared with benchmark criteria for assessing the suitability of the UBM to provide data for human health risk assessments. Mine waste and slag soils containing high concentrations of As caused problems of poor repeatability and reproducibility which were alleviated when the samples were run at lower soil to solution ratios. The study showed that the UBM met the benchmark criteria for both the stomach and stomach and intestine phase for As. For Cd, three out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase but only one for the stomach and intestine phase. For Pb two, out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase and none for the stomach and intestine phase. However, the study recommends tighter control of pH in the stomach phase extraction to improve between-laboratory variability, more reproducible in vivo validation data and that a follow up inter-laboratory trial should be carried out.

An inter-laboratory trial of the unified BARGE bioaccessibility method for arsenic, cadmium and lead in soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wragg, Joanna [British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Cave, Mark, E-mail: mrca@bgs.ac.uk [British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Basta, Nick [School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210-1085 (United States); Brandon, Esther [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Casteel, Stan [College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 65205 (United States); Denys, Sebastien [INERIS, Parc Technologique Alata, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Gron, Christian [DHI Water Environment Health, Horsholm (Denmark); Oomen, Agnes [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Reimer, Kenneth [Environmental Sciences Group, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Tack, Karine [INERIS, Parc Technologique Alata, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Van de Wiele, Tom [Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, University of Ghent, Ghent (Belgium)

2011-09-01

The Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) has carried out an inter-laboratory trial of a proposed harmonised in vitro physiologically based ingestion bioaccessibility procedure for soils, called the Unified BARGE Method (UBM). The UBM includes an initial saliva phase and simulated stomach and intestine compartments. The trial involved the participation of seven laboratories (five European and two North American) providing bioaccessibility data for As (11 samples), Cd (9 samples) and Pb (13 samples) using soils with in vivo relative bioavailability data measured using a swine model. The results of the study were compared with benchmark criteria for assessing the suitability of the UBM to provide data for human health risk assessments. Mine waste and slag soils containing high concentrations of As caused problems of poor repeatability and reproducibility which were alleviated when the samples were run at lower soil to solution ratios. The study showed that the UBM met the benchmark criteria for both the stomach and stomach and intestine phase for As. For Cd, three out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase but only one for the stomach and intestine phase. For Pb two, out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase and none for the stomach and intestine phase. However, the study recommends tighter control of pH in the stomach phase extraction to improve between-laboratory variability, more reproducible in vivo validation data and that a follow up inter-laboratory trial should be carried out.

Elektronik Bilgi Kaynaklarının Seçimi / Selection of Electronic Information Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pınar Al

2003-04-01

Full Text Available For many years, library users have used only from the printed media in order to get the information that they have needed. Today with the widespread use of the Web and the addition of electronic information resources to library collections, the use of information in the electronic environment as well as in printed media is started to be used. In time, such types of information resources as, electronic journals, electronic books, electronic encyclopedias, electronic dictionaries and electronic theses have been added to library collections. In this study, selection criteria that can be used for electronic information resources are discussed and suggestions are provided for libraries that try to select electronic information resources for their collections.

Effects of biochars on the bioaccessibility of phenanthrene/pyrene/zinc/lead and microbial community structure in a soil under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Ni; Shi, Renyong; Liu, Zongtang; Bian, Yongrong; Wang, Fang; Song, Yang; Jiang, Xin

2018-01-01

The immobilization of co-contaminants of organic and inorganic pollutants by biochar is an efficient remediation strategy. However, the effect of biochar amendments on the bioaccessibility of the co-contaminants in dry versus flooded soils has rarely been compared. In batch experiments, bamboo-derived biochar (BB) had a higher sorption capacity for phenanthrene (Phe)/pyrene (Pyr)/zinc (Zn) than corn straw-derived biochar (CB), while CB had a higher sorption capacity for lead (Pb) than BB. After 150days of incubation, the amendments of 2% CB, 0.5% BB and 2% BB effectively suppressed the dissipation and reduced the bioaccessibility of Phe/Pyr by 15.65%/18.02%, 17.07%/18.31% and 25.43%/27.11%, respectively, in the aerobic soils. This effectiveness was more significant than that in the anaerobic soils. The accessible Zn/Pb concentrations were also significantly lower in the aerobic soils than in the anaerobic soils, regardless of treatments. The Gram-negative bacterial biomass and the Shannon-Weaver index in the aerobic soil amended with 2% CB were the highest. The soil microbial community structure was jointly affected by changes in the bioaccessibility of the co-contaminants and the soil physiochemical properties caused by biochar amendments under the two conditions. Therefore, dry land farming may be more reliable than paddy soil cultivation at reducing the bioaccessibility of Phe/Pyr/Zn/Pb and enhancing the soil microbial diversity in the short term. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Interactions Between Flavonoid-Rich Extracts and Sodium Caseinate Modulate Protein Functionality and Flavonoid Bioaccessibility in Model Food Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Elegbede, Jennifer L; Li, Min; Jones, Owen G; Campanella, Osvaldo H; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2018-05-01

With growing interest in formulating new food products with added protein and flavonoid-rich ingredients for health benefits, direct interactions between these ingredient classes becomes critical in so much as they may impact protein functionality, product quality, and flavonoids bioavailability. In this study, sodium caseinate (SCN)-based model products (foams and emulsions) were formulated with grape seed extract (GSE, rich in galloylated flavonoids) and green tea extract (GTE, rich in nongalloylated flavonoids), respectively, to assess changes in functional properties of SCN and impacts on flavonoid bioaccessibility. Experiments with pure flavonoids suggested that galloylated flavonoids reduced air-water interfacial tension of 0.01% SCN dispersions more significantly than nongalloylated flavonoids at high concentrations (>50 μg/mL). This observation was supported by changes in stability of 5% SCN foam, which showed that foam stability was increased at high levels of GSE (≥50 μg/mL, P < 0.05) but was not affected by GTE. However, flavonoid extracts had modest effects on SCN emulsion. In addition, galloylated flavonoids had higher bioaccessibility in both SCN foam and emulsion. These results suggest that SCN-flavonoid binding interactions can modulate protein functionality leading to difference in performance and flavonoid bioaccessibility of protein-based products. As information on the beneficial health effects of flavonoids expands, it is likely that usage of these ingredients in consumer foods will increase. However, the necessary levels to provide such benefits may exceed those that begin to impact functionality of the macronutrients such as proteins. Flavonoid inclusion within protein matrices may modulate protein functionality in a food system and modify critical consumer traits or delivery of these beneficial plant-derived components. The product matrices utilized in this study offer relevant model systems to evaluate how fortification with flavonoid

Access to electronic resources by visually impaired people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Craven

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Research into access to electronic resources by visually impaired people undertaken by the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management has not only explored the accessibility of websites and levels of awareness in providing websites that adhere to design for all principles, but has sought to enhance understanding of information seeking behaviour of blind and visually impaired people when using digital resources.

Impact of Redox Condition on Fractionation and Bioaccessibility of Arsenic in Arsenic-Contaminated Soils Remediated by Iron Amendments: A Long-Term Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quan Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Iron-bearing amendments, such as iron grit, are proved to be effective amendments for the remediation of arsenic- (As- contaminated soils. In present study, the effect of redox condition on As fractions in As-contaminated soils remediated by iron grit was investigated, and the bioaccessibility of As in soils under anoxic condition was evaluated. Results showed that the labile fractions of As in soils decreased significantly after the addition of iron grit, while the unlabile fractions of As increased rapidly, and the bioaccessibility of As was negligible after 180 d incubation. More labile fractions of As in iron-amended soils were transformed into less mobilizable or unlabile fractions with the contact time. Correspondingly, the bioaccessibility of As in iron-amended soils under the aerobic condition was lower than that under the anoxic condition after 180 d incubation. The redistribution of loosely adsorbed fraction of As in soils occurred under the anoxic condition, which is likely ascribed to the reduction of As(V to As(III and the reductive dissolution of Fe-(hydroxides. The stabilization processes of As in iron-amended soils under the anoxic and aerobic conditions were characterized by two stages. The increase of crystallization of Fe oxides, decomposition of organic matter, molecular diffusion, and the occlusion within Fe-(hydroxides cocontrolled the transformation of As fractions and the stabilization process of As in iron-amended soils under different redox conditions. In terms of As bioaccessibility, the stabilization process of As in iron-amended soils was shortened under the aerobic condition in comparison with the anoxic condition.

Significance of Cooking Oil to Bioaccessibility of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Raw and Cooked Fish: Implications for Human Health Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Xiu-Bo; Su, Yang; Bao, Lian-Jun; Tao, Shu; Zeng, Eddy Y

2017-04-26

The present study examined the bioacessibility of DDTs and PBDEs in cooked fish (yellow grouper; Epinephelus awoara) with and without heating using the colon extended physiologically based extraction test. The bioaccessibility of DDTs and PBDEs increased from 60 and 26% in raw fish to 83 and 63%, respectively, after the addition of oil to raw fish. However, they decreased from 83 to 66% and from 63 to 40%, respectively, when oil-added fish were cooked. Human health risk assessment based on bioaccessible concentrations of DDTs and PBDEs in fish showed that the maximum allowable daily fish consumption rates decreased from 25, 59, and 86 g day -1 to 22, 53, and 77 g day -1 for children, youths, and adults, respectively, after fish were cooked with oil. These findings indicated that the significance of cooking oil to the bioaccessibility of DDTs and PBDEs in food should be considered in assessments of human health risk.

Assessment on the occupational exposure of urban public bus drivers to bioaccessible trace metals through resuspended fraction of settled bus dust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Peng [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Liu, Sa [Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360 (United States); Ye, Wenyuan [Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 46, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Lin, Nan; Meng, Ping [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Feng, Yujie, E-mail: yujief@hit.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Zhang, Zhaohan; Cui, Fuyi; Lu, Binyu [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Xing, Baoshan [Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2015-03-01

Limited information is available on the bioaccessible fraction of trace metals in the resuspended fraction of settled bus dust in order to estimate bus drivers ' occupational exposure. In this study, 45 resuspended fraction of settled dust samples were collected from gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses and analyzed for trace metals and their fraction concentrations using a three-step sequential extraction procedure. Experimental results showed that zinc (Zn) had the greatest bioaccessible fraction, recorded as an average of 608.53 mg/kg, followed in order of decreasing concentration by 129.80 mg/kg lead (Pb), 56.77 mg/kg copper (Cu), 34.03 mg/kg chromium (Cr), 22.05 mg/kg nickel (Ni), 13.17 mg/kg arsenic (As) and 2.77 mg/kg cadmium (Cd). Among the three settled bus dust exposure pathways, ingestion was the main route. Total exposure hazard index (HIt) for non-carcinogenic effect trace metals was lower than the safety level of 1. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for drivers was estimated for trace metal exposure. Pb and Ni presented relatively high potential risks in the non-carcinogenic and potentially carcinogenic health assessment for all drivers. ILCR was in the range of 1.84E − 05 to 7.37E − 05 and 1.74E − 05 to 6.95E − 05 for gasoline and CNG buses, respectively. - Highlights: • As, Cd and Ni had relatively higher bioaccessibility and mobility in the resuspended fraction of settled bus dust. • Bioaccessible metal concentrations were higher in gasoline-fueled buses than those in CNG-fueled buses. • The carcinogenic risk probabilities to drivers were around the acceptable level.

Library training to promote electronic resource usage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Tove Faber; Tibyampansha, Dativa; Ibrahim, Glory

2017-01-01

Purpose: Increasing the usage of electronic resources is an issue of concern for many libraries all over the world. Several studies stress the importance of information literacy and instruction in order to increase the usage. Design/methodology/approach: The present article presents the results...

Why and How to Measure the Use of Electronic Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Bernon

2008-11-01

Full Text Available A complete overview of library activity implies a complete and reliable measurement of the use of both electronic resources and printed materials. This measurement is based on three sets of definitions: document types, use types and user types. There is a common model of definitions for printed materials, but a lot of questions and technical issues remain for electronic resources. In 2006 a French national working group studied these questions. It relied on the COUNTER standard, but found it insufficient and pointed out the need for local tools such as web markers and deep analysis of proxy logs. Within the French national consortium COUPERIN, a new working group is testing ERMS, SUSHI standards, Shibboleth authentication, along with COUNTER standards, to improve the counting of the electronic resources use. At this stage this counting is insufficient and its improvement will be a European challenge for the future.

Wheat bread enriched with green coffee - In vitro bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phenolics and antioxidant activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Świeca, Michał; Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula; Dziki, Dariusz; Baraniak, Barbara

2017-04-15

The potential bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phenolics, caffeine and antioxidant activity of wheat bread enriched with green coffee were studied. Supplementation enhanced nutraceutical potential by improving phenolic content and lipid protecting capacity. The simulated-digestion-released phenolics (mainly caffeic acid, syringic acid and vanillic acid) from bread, also caused significant qualitative changes (chlorogenic acids were cleaved and significant amounts of caffeic acid and ferulic acid were determined). Compared to the control, for the bread with 1% and 5% of the functional component the contents of phenolics were 1.6 and 3.33 times higher. Also, an approximately 2.3-fold increase in antioxidant activity was found in bread containing 5% of the supplement. The compounds responsible for antioxidant potential have high bioaccessibility but poor bioavailability. The qualitative composition of the phenolic fraction has a key role in developing the antioxidant potential of bread; however, caffeine and synergism between antioxidants are also important considerations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elemental concentrations and bioaccessibilities in beached plastic foam litter, with particular reference to lead in polyurethane.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Andrew; Lau, Kwan S

2016-11-15

Seventy samples of foamed plastic collected from a high-energy, sandy beach in SW England have been characterised by FTIR and XRF. Most samples were polyurethane (PU; n=39) or polystyrene (PS; n=27) that were associated with variable concentrations of Br-Cl, Fe and Zn, indicative of the presence of halogenated flame retardants, iron oxides and Zn-based additives, respectively. Many samples of rigid PU contained Pb, historically used as a catalyst, at concentrations of up to 16,000μgg -1 . A physiological extraction test that simulates the conditions in the gizzard of plastic-ingesting seabirds was applied to selected samples and results revealed that while Br and Zn were not measurably bioaccessible, Pb mobilisation progressed logarithmically over a period of time with maximum accessibilities after 220h of ~10% of total metal. Foamed PU is a source of bioaccessible Pb in the marine environment that has not previously been documented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A method to simultaneously determining the reduction in PAH dissolved concentrations and bioaccessibility in carbon amended soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marchal, Geoffrey; Smith, Kilian E. C.; Rein, Arno

In order to investigate the potential of different soil amendments (activated charcoal (AC), charcoal (biochar), compost) to sorb PAHs and their effect on bioaccessibility and biodegradation of PAHs in soil, a method was developed that can determine simultaneously the changes in PAH dissolved...

Oral bioaccessibility and human exposure to anthropogenic and geogenic mercury in urban, industrial and mining areas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodrigues, S.M.; Coelho, C.; Cruz, N.; Monteiro, R.J.R.; Henriques, B.; Duarte, A.C.; Romkens, P.F.A.M.; Pereira, E.

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to characterize the link between bioaccessibility and fractionation of mercury (Hg) in soils and to provide insight into human exposure to Hg due to inhalation of airborne soil particles and hand-to-mouth ingestion of Hg-bearing soil. Mercury in soils from mining,

Food matrix effects on bioaccessibility of B-Carotene can be measured in a vitro gastrointestinal model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loo-Bouwman, van C.A.; Naber, T.H.J.; Minekus, M.; Hulshof, P.J.M.; Schaafsma, G.

2014-01-01

Since the food matrix determines ß-carotene availability for intestinal absorption, food matrix effects on the bioaccessibility of ß-carotene from two diets were investigated in vitro and compared with in vivo data. The “mixed diet” consisted of ß-carotene-rich vegetables, and the “oil diet”

Effect of an organic amendment on availability and bio-accessibility of some metals in soils of urban recreational areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Florido, Maria del Carmen; Madrid, Fernando [Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia de Sevilla, CSIC, Apartado 1052, 41080 Sevilla (Spain); Madrid, Luis, E-mail: madrid@irnase.csic.e [Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia de Sevilla, CSIC, Apartado 1052, 41080 Sevilla (Spain)

2011-02-15

A composted biosolid from wastewater treatment was added to soils of two public parks of Sevilla, and successive samples were taken during one year. In one of the parks, a second addition of biosolid was carried out after the first year. The soil contents in metals (pseudo-total) and their plant-available and oral bio-accessible fractions were significantly altered when the soils were amended with biosolid. Increase of the bio-accessible metal contents represents a deterioration of the environmental quality of recreational areas, where hand-to-mouth transfer of pollutants to children is likely to occur, although part of the metals added might be leached by rainfall or irrigation. The limits established in several countries for metal contents of soils in recreational areas are often exceeded after application of the biosolid. A careful study of the metal contents of recycled wastes is thus recommended before being used for green area maintenance. - Research highlights: Metal bio-accessibility in urban soils is significant for quality of life of citizens. Some metal-rich amendments can alter metal availability in urban soils. Metal contents of amendments in recreational areas must then be kept to a minimum. A case study of a composted biosolid used in urban green areas of Sevilla is given. - Metal-containing amendments can deteriorate the environmental quality of soils of urban recreational areas.

Effect of an organic amendment on availability and bio-accessibility of some metals in soils of urban recreational areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florido, Maria del Carmen; Madrid, Fernando; Madrid, Luis

2011-01-01

A composted biosolid from wastewater treatment was added to soils of two public parks of Sevilla, and successive samples were taken during one year. In one of the parks, a second addition of biosolid was carried out after the first year. The soil contents in metals (pseudo-total) and their plant-available and oral bio-accessible fractions were significantly altered when the soils were amended with biosolid. Increase of the bio-accessible metal contents represents a deterioration of the environmental quality of recreational areas, where hand-to-mouth transfer of pollutants to children is likely to occur, although part of the metals added might be leached by rainfall or irrigation. The limits established in several countries for metal contents of soils in recreational areas are often exceeded after application of the biosolid. A careful study of the metal contents of recycled wastes is thus recommended before being used for green area maintenance. - Research highlights: → Metal bio-accessibility in urban soils is significant for quality of life of citizens. → Some metal-rich amendments can alter metal availability in urban soils. → Metal contents of amendments in recreational areas must then be kept to a minimum. → A case study of a composted biosolid used in urban green areas of Sevilla is given. - Metal-containing amendments can deteriorate the environmental quality of soils of urban recreational areas.

A study of the bio-accessibility of welding fumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Berlinger, Balázs; Ellingsen, Dag G; Náray, Miklós; Záray, Gyula; Thomassen, Yngvar

2008-12-01

The respiratory bio-accessibility of a substance is the fraction that is soluble in the respiratory environment and is available for absorption. In the case of respiratory exposure the amount of absorbed substance plays a main role in the biological effects. Extensive bio-accessibility studies have always been an essential requirement for a better understanding of the biological effects of different workplace aerosols, such as welding fumes. Fumes generated using three different welding techniques, manual metal arc (MMA) welding, metal inert gas (MIG) welding, and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding were investigated in the present study. Each technique was used for stainless steel welding. Welding fumes were collected on PVC membrane filters in batches of 114 using a multiport air sampler. Three different fluids were applied for the solubility study: deionised water and two kinds of lung fluid simulants: lung epithelial lining fluid simulant (Gamble's solution) and artificial lung lining fluid simulant (Hatch's solution). In order to obtain sufficient data to study the tendencies in solubility change with time, seven different leaching periods were used (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 h), each of them with three replicates. The effect of dissolution temperature was also studied. The total amounts of selected metals in the three different welding fumes were determined after microwave-assisted digestion with the mixture of aqua regia and hydrofluoric acid. The most obvious observation yielded by the results is that the solubility of individual metals varies greatly depending on the welding technique, the composition of the leaching fluid and leaching time. This study shows that the most reasonable choice as a media for the bio-assessment of solubility might be Hatch's solution by a dissolution time of 24 h.

Bioaccessibility tests accurately estimate bioavailability of lead to quail

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, W. Nelson; Basta, Nicholas T; Chaney, Rufus L.; Henry, Paula F.; Mosby, David; Rattner, Barnett A.; Scheckel, Kirk G.; Sprague, Dan; Weber, John

2016-01-01

Hazards of soil-borne Pb to wild birds may be more accurately quantified if the bioavailability of that Pb is known. To better understand the bioavailability of Pb to birds, we measured blood Pb concentrations in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) fed diets containing Pb-contaminated soils. Relative bioavailabilities were expressed by comparison with blood Pb concentrations in quail fed a Pb acetate reference diet. Diets containing soil from five Pb-contaminated Superfund sites had relative bioavailabilities from 33%-63%, with a mean of about 50%. Treatment of two of the soils with phosphorus significantly reduced the bioavailability of Pb. Bioaccessibility of Pb in the test soils was then measured in six in vitro tests and regressed on bioavailability. They were: the “Relative Bioavailability Leaching Procedure” (RBALP) at pH 1.5, the same test conducted at pH 2.5, the “Ohio State University In vitro Gastrointestinal” method (OSU IVG), the “Urban Soil Bioaccessible Lead Test”, the modified “Physiologically Based Extraction Test” and the “Waterfowl Physiologically Based Extraction Test.” All regressions had positive slopes. Based on criteria of slope and coefficient of determination, the RBALP pH 2.5 and OSU IVG tests performed very well. Speciation by X-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrated that, on average, most of the Pb in the sampled soils was sorbed to minerals (30%), bound to organic matter (24%), or present as Pb sulfate (18%). Additional Pb was associated with P (chloropyromorphite, hydroxypyromorphite and tertiary Pb phosphate), and with Pb carbonates, leadhillite (a lead sulfate carbonate hydroxide), and Pb sulfide. The formation of chloropyromorphite reduced the bioavailability of Pb and the amendment of Pb-contaminated soils with P may be a thermodynamically favored means to sequester Pb.

Euler European Libraries and Electronic Resources in Mathematical Sciences

CERN Document Server

The Euler Project. Karlsruhe

The European Libraries and Electronic Resources (EULER) Project in Mathematical Sciences provides the EulerService site for searching out "mathematical resources such as books, pre-prints, web-pages, abstracts, proceedings, serials, technical reports preprints) and NetLab (for Internet resources), this outstanding engine is capable of simple, full, and refined searches. It also offers a browse option, which responds to entries in the author, keyword, and title fields. Further information about the Project is provided at the EULER homepage.

Processing black mulberry into jam: effects on antioxidant potential and in vitro bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomas, Merve; Toydemir, Gamze; Boyacioglu, Dilek; Hall, Robert D; Beekwilder, Jules; Capanoglu, Esra

2017-08-01

Black mulberries (Morus nigra) were processed into jam on an industrialised scale, including the major steps of: selection of frozen black mulberries, adding glucose-fructose syrup and water, cooking, adding citric acid and apple pectin, removing seeds, and pasteurisation. Qualitative and quantitative determinations of antioxidants in black mulberry samples were performed using spectrophotometric methods, as well as HPLC- and LC-QTOF-MS-based measurements. These analyses included the determination of total polyphenolic content, % polymeric colour, total and individual anthocyanin contents, antioxidant capacity, and in vitro bioaccessibility in processing samples. Jam processing led to a significant reduction in total phenolics (88%), total flavonoids (89%), anthocyanins (97%), and antioxidant capacity (88-93%) (P < 0.05). Individual anthocyanin contents, determined using HPLC analysis, also showed a significant decrease (∼99% loss). In contrast, % recovery of bioaccessible total phenolics, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay) increased after jam processing (16%, 12%, and 37%, respectively). Fruit processing resulted in losses of polyphenols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity of black mulberry jam. Optimisation of food processing could help to protect the phenolic compounds in fruits which might be helpful for the food industry to minimise the antioxidant loss and improve the final product quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of Electronic Information Resources Skills Training for Lecturers on Pedagogical Practices and Research Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Bhukuvhani, Crispen; Chiparausha, Blessing; Zuvalinyenga, Dorcas

2012-01-01

Lecturers use various electronic resources at different frequencies. The university library's information literacy skills workshops and seminars are the main sources of knowledge of accessing electronic resources. The use of electronic resources can be said to have positively affected lecturers' pedagogical practices and their work in general. The…

The impact of soil organic matter and soil sterilisation on the bioaccessibility of {sup 14}C-azoxystrobin determined by desorption kinetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clegg, Helen; Riding, Matthew J. [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Oliver, Robin [Syngenta, Jealotts Hill Research Station, Bracknell RG42 6ET (United Kingdom); Jones, Kevin C. [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Semple, Kirk T., E-mail: k.semple@lancaster.ac.uk [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom)

2014-08-15

Highlights: • Desorption of azoxystrobin from soils occurs in a bi-phasic manner. • Soil organic matter, indigenous microorganisms and contact time reduce desorption. • Choice of extractant is important in determining predicting the bioaccessible fraction. - Abstract: As soils represent a major sink for most pesticides, factors influencing pesticide degradation are essential in identifying their potential environmental risk. Desorption of {sup 14}C-azoxystrobin was investigated over time in two soils under sterile and non-sterile conditions using exhaustive (solvent) and non-exhaustive (aqueous) methods. Desorption data were fitted to a two-compartment model, differentiating between fast and slow desorbing fractions. With increased ageing, rapid desorption (F{sub rap}) (bioaccessibility) decreased with corresponding increases in slowly desorbing fractions (F{sub slow}). The rapid desorption rate constant (k{sub fast}) was not affected by ageing, sterility or extraction solvent. The non-exhaustive extractions had similar desorption profiles; whereas exhaustive extractions in aged soils had the highest F{sub rap}. In non-sterile soil, F{sub rap} was lower resulting in higher F{sub slow}, while desorption rates remained unaffected. Organic matter (OM) reduces F{sub rap}; but not desorption rates. Microorganisms and OM enhanced ageing effects, reducing the fraction of fast desorbing chemicals and potentially the bioaccessibility of pesticides in soil.

Food matrix effects on bioaccessibility of β-carotene can be measured in an in vitro gastrointestinal model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loo-Bouwman, C.A. van; Naber, T.H.J.; Minekus, M.; Breemen, R.B. van; Hulshof, P.J.M.; Schaafsma, G.

2014-01-01

Since the food matrix determines β-carotene availability for intestinal absorption, food matrix effects on the bioaccessibility of β-carotene from two diets were investigated in vitro and compared with in vivo data. The "mixed diet" consisted of β-carotene-rich vegetables, and the "oil diet"

Understanding the Effect of Particle Size and Processing on Almond Lipid Bioaccessibility through Microstructural Analysis: From Mastication to Faecal Collection

Science.gov (United States)

Mandalari, Giuseppina; Parker, Mary L.; Bisignano, Carlo; Raciti, Roberto; Baer, David J.; Wilde, Peter J.

2018-01-01

We have previously reported on the low lipid bioaccessibility from almond seeds during digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In the present study, we quantified the lipid released during artificial mastication from four almond meals: natural raw almonds (NA), roasted almonds (RA), roasted diced almonds (DA) and almond butter from roasted almonds (AB). Lipid release after mastication (8.9% from NA, 11.8% from RA, 12.4% from DA and 6.2% from AB) was used to validate our theoretical mathematical model of lipid bioaccessibility. The total lipid potentially available for digestion in AB was 94.0%, which included the freely available lipid resulting from the initial sample processing and the further small amount of lipid released from the intact almond particles during mastication. Particle size distributions measured after mastication in NA, RA and DA showed most of the particles had a size of 1000 µm and above, whereas AB bolus mainly contained small particles (<850 µm). Microstructural analysis of faecal samples from volunteers consuming NA, RA, DA and AB confirmed that some lipid in NA, RA and DA remained encapsulated within the plant tissue throughout digestion, whereas almost complete digestion was observed in the AB sample. We conclude that the structure and particle size of the almond meals are the main factors in regulating lipid bioaccessibility in the gut. PMID:29443942

Understanding the Effect of Particle Size and Processing on Almond Lipid Bioaccessibility through Microstructural Analysis: From Mastication to Faecal Collection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppina Mandalari

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We have previously reported on the low lipid bioaccessibility from almond seeds during digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT. In the present study, we quantified the lipid released during artificial mastication from four almond meals: natural raw almonds (NA, roasted almonds (RA, roasted diced almonds (DA and almond butter from roasted almonds (AB. Lipid release after mastication (8.9% from NA, 11.8% from RA, 12.4% from DA and 6.2% from AB was used to validate our theoretical mathematical model of lipid bioaccessibility. The total lipid potentially available for digestion in AB was 94.0%, which included the freely available lipid resulting from the initial sample processing and the further small amount of lipid released from the intact almond particles during mastication. Particle size distributions measured after mastication in NA, RA and DA showed most of the particles had a size of 1000 µm and above, whereas AB bolus mainly contained small particles (<850 µm. Microstructural analysis of faecal samples from volunteers consuming NA, RA, DA and AB confirmed that some lipid in NA, RA and DA remained encapsulated within the plant tissue throughout digestion, whereas almost complete digestion was observed in the AB sample. We conclude that the structure and particle size of the almond meals are the main factors in regulating lipid bioaccessibility in the gut.

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers. An Industry--University Partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulledge, Thomas R.; Sommer, Rainer; Tarimcilar, M. Murat

1999-01-01

Electronic Commerce Resource Centers focus on transferring emerging technologies to small businesses through university/industry partnerships. Successful implementation hinges on a strategic operating plan, creation of measurable value for customers, investment in customer-targeted training, and measurement of performance outputs. (SK)

Microencapsulation structures based on protein-coated liposomes obtained through electrospraying for the stabilization and improved bioaccessibility of curcumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Mascaraque, Laura G; Casagrande Sipoli, Caroline; de La Torre, Lucimara Gaziola; López-Rubio, Amparo

2017-10-15

Novel food-grade hybrid encapsulation structures based on the entrapment of phosphatidylcholine liposomes, within a WPC matrix through electrospraying, were developed and used as delivery vehicles for curcumin. The loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of the proposed system was studied, and the suitability of the approach to stabilize curcumin and increase its bioaccessibility was assessed. Results showed that the maximum loading capacity of the liposomes was around 1.5% of curcumin, although the loading capacity of the hybrid microencapsulation structures increased with the curcumin content by incorporation of curcumin microcrystals upon electrospraying. Microencapsulation of curcumin within the proposed hybrid structures significantly increased its bioaccessibility (∼1.7-fold) compared to the free compound, and could successfully stabilize it against degradation in PBS (pH=7.4). The proposed approach thus proved to be a promising alternative to produce powder-like functional ingredients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cola soft drinks for evaluating the bioaccessibility of uranium in contaminated mine soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lottermoser, Bernd G.; Schnug, Ewald; Haneklaus, Silvia

2011-01-01

There is a rising need for scientifically sound and quantitative as well as simple, rapid, cheap and readily available soil testing procedures. The purpose of this study was to explore selected soft drinks (Coca-Cola Classic (registered) , Diet Coke (registered) , Coke Zero (registered) ) as indicators of bioaccessible uranium and other trace elements (As, Ce, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Th, Y, Zn) in contaminated soils of the Mary Kathleen uranium mine site, Australia. Data of single extraction tests using Coca-Cola Classic (registered) , Diet Coke (registered) and Coke Zero (registered) demonstrate that extractable arsenic, copper, lanthanum, manganese, nickel, yttrium and zinc concentrations correlate significantly with DTPA- and CaCl 2 -extractable metals. Moreover, the correlation between DTPA-extractable uranium and that extracted using Coca-Cola Classic (registered) is close to unity (+ 0.98), with reduced correlations for Diet Coke (registered) (+ 0.66) and Coke Zero (registered) (+ 0.55). Also, Coca-Cola Classic (registered) extracts uranium concentrations near identical to DTPA, whereas distinctly higher uranium fractions were extracted using Diet Coke (registered) and Coke Zero (registered) . Results of this study demonstrate that the use of Coca-Cola Classic (registered) in single extraction tests provided an excellent indication of bioaccessible uranium in the analysed soils and of uranium uptake into leaves and stems of the Sodom apple (Calotropis procera). Moreover, the unconventional reagent is superior in terms of availability, costs, preparation and disposal compared to traditional chemicals. Contaminated site assessments and rehabilitation of uranium mine sites require a solid understanding of the chemical speciation of environmentally significant elements for estimating their translocation in soils and plant uptake. Therefore, Cola soft drinks have potential applications in single extraction tests of uranium contaminated soils and may be used for

Cola soft drinks for evaluating the bioaccessibility of uranium in contaminated mine soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lottermoser, Bernd G., E-mail: Bernd.Lottermoser@utas.edu.au [School of Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania 7001 (Australia); Schnug, Ewald; Haneklaus, Silvia [Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Federal Institute for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kuehn-Institute (JKI), Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig (Germany)

2011-08-15

There is a rising need for scientifically sound and quantitative as well as simple, rapid, cheap and readily available soil testing procedures. The purpose of this study was to explore selected soft drinks (Coca-Cola Classic (registered) , Diet Coke (registered) , Coke Zero (registered) ) as indicators of bioaccessible uranium and other trace elements (As, Ce, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Th, Y, Zn) in contaminated soils of the Mary Kathleen uranium mine site, Australia. Data of single extraction tests using Coca-Cola Classic (registered) , Diet Coke (registered) and Coke Zero (registered) demonstrate that extractable arsenic, copper, lanthanum, manganese, nickel, yttrium and zinc concentrations correlate significantly with DTPA- and CaCl{sub 2}-extractable metals. Moreover, the correlation between DTPA-extractable uranium and that extracted using Coca-Cola Classic (registered) is close to unity (+ 0.98), with reduced correlations for Diet Coke (registered) (+ 0.66) and Coke Zero (registered) (+ 0.55). Also, Coca-Cola Classic (registered) extracts uranium concentrations near identical to DTPA, whereas distinctly higher uranium fractions were extracted using Diet Coke (registered) and Coke Zero (registered) . Results of this study demonstrate that the use of Coca-Cola Classic (registered) in single extraction tests provided an excellent indication of bioaccessible uranium in the analysed soils and of uranium uptake into leaves and stems of the Sodom apple (Calotropis procera). Moreover, the unconventional reagent is superior in terms of availability, costs, preparation and disposal compared to traditional chemicals. Contaminated site assessments and rehabilitation of uranium mine sites require a solid understanding of the chemical speciation of environmentally significant elements for estimating their translocation in soils and plant uptake. Therefore, Cola soft drinks have potential applications in single extraction tests of uranium contaminated soils and may be used for

Effect of mastication on lipid bioaccessibility of almonds in a randomized human study and its implications for digestion kinetics, metabolizable energy, and postprandial lipemia1234

Science.gov (United States)

Grundy, Myriam ML; Grassby, Terri; Mandalari, Giuseppina; Waldron, Keith W; Butterworth, Peter J; Berry, Sarah EE

2015-01-01

Background: The particle size and structure of masticated almonds have a significant impact on nutrient release (bioaccessibility) and digestion kinetics. Objectives: The goals of this study were to quantify the effects of mastication on the bioaccessibility of intracellular lipid of almond tissue and examine microstructural characteristics of masticated almonds. Design: In a randomized, subject-blind, crossover trial, 17 healthy subjects chewed natural almonds (NAs) or roasted almonds (RAs) in 4 separate mastication sessions. Particle size distributions (PSDs) of the expectorated boluses were measured by using mechanical sieving and laser diffraction (primary outcome). The microstructure of masticated almonds, including the structural integrity of the cell walls (i.e., dietary fiber), was examined with microscopy. Lipid bioaccessibility was predicted by using a theoretical model, based on almond particle size and cell dimensions, and then compared with empirically derived release data. Results: Intersubject variations (n = 15; 2 subjects withdrew) in PSDs of both NA and RA samples were small (e.g., laser diffraction; CV: 12% and 9%, respectively). Significant differences in PSDs were found between these 2 almond forms (P masticated particles, as predicted by using the mathematical model (8.5% and 11.3% for NAs and RAs, respectively). This low percentage of lipid bioaccessibility is attributable to the high proportion (35–40%) of large particles (>500 μm) in masticated almonds. Microstructural examination of the almonds indicated that most intracellular lipid remained undisturbed in intact cells after mastication. No adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: Following mastication, most of the almond cells remained intact with lipid encapsulated by cell walls. Thus, most of the lipid in masticated almonds is not immediately bioaccessible and remains unavailable for early stages of digestion. The lipid encapsulation mechanism provides a convincing explanation for

Impact of bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phenolic compounds in biological systems upon the antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of Triplaris gardneriana seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, José Joaquim Lopes; de Almeida, Thiago Silva; de Medeiros, Jackeline Lima; Vieira, Leonardo Rogério; Moreira, Thaís Borges; Maia, Ana Isabel Vitorino; Ribeiro, Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos; de Brito, Edy Sousa; Farias, Davi Felipe; Carvalho, Ana Fontenele Urano

2017-04-01

The most studied bioactive potential of phenolic compounds corresponds to antioxidant activity, which in turn, is associated with a reduction in the incidence of various human diseases. However, the total quantity of these bioactive substances in foods and medicinal preparations does not reflect the amount absorbed and metabolized by the body. The present study aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility of Triplaris gardneriana seeds ethanolic extract (EETg) by determination of phenolic composition and antioxidant activities before and after in vitro digestion as well as to estimate its bioavailability by chemical analysis of plasma and urine in animal models after oral administration. The bioaccessibility indexes of phenolic compounds in EETg were 48.65 and 69.28% in the presence and absence of enzymes, respectively. Among the identified phenolics classes, flavonoids, represented by galloylated procyanidins type B, proved to be more bioaccessible, 81.48 and 96.29% in the post-intestinal phase with and without enzymes, respectively. The oral administration in Wistar rats resulted in a significant decrease in plasma of the total antioxidant capacity, TAC, by FRAP assay 4h after beginning the experiment. For urine samples, an increase in TAC by DPPH and FRAP was observed from 1 and 4h after administration, respectively. UPLC-QTOF analysis of urine detected 2 metabolites originated from the degradation of phenolic compounds, i.e. hippuric acid and phenylacetil glycine. These results suggest that phenolic compounds in T. gardneriana are unstable under gastrointestinal conditions, being flavonoids the components with higher bioaccessibility; besides that, they showed limited bioavailability due to their rapid biotransformation and urinary elimination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility of selected trace metals in urban PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} samples: a model study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falta, Thomas; Koellensperger, Gunda; Hann, Stephan [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Division of Analytical Chemistry, Vienna (Austria); Limbeck, Andreas [Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna (Austria)

2008-02-15

Bioaccessibility of trace metals originating from urban particulate matter was assessed in a worst case scenario to evaluate the uptake and thus the hazardous potential of these metals via gastric juice. Sampling was performed over a period of about two months at the Getreidemarkt in downtown Vienna. Concentrations of the assayed trace metals (Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Tl and Pb) were determined in PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} samples by ICP-MS. The metal concentrations in sampled air were in the low picogram to high nanogram per cubic metre range. The concentrations in PM{sub 2.5} samples were generally lower than those in PM{sub 10} samples. The average daily intake of these metals by inhalation for a healthy adult was estimated to be in the range of <1 ng (Tl) to >1,000 ng (Zn). To estimate the accessibility of the inhaled and subsequently ingested metals (i.e. after lung clearance had taken place) in the size range from 2.5- to 10-{mu}m aerodynamic equivalent diameter, a batch-extraction with synthetic gastric juice was performed. The data were used to calculate the bioaccessibility of the investigated trace metals. Extractable fractions ranged from 2.10% (Ti in PM{sub 2.5}) to 91.0% (Cd in PM{sub 2.5}), thus yielding bioaccessible fractions (PM{sub 2.5-10}) from 0.16 ng (Ag) to 178 ng (Cu). (orig.)

A simple method using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Nolan S; Beauchemin, Diane

2012-03-02

A simple method for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic (As) in rice was developed using a continuous on-line leaching method to release the bio-accessible fraction. The continuous on-line leaching method has several advantages over commonly used batch methods including quicker and easier sample preparation, reduced risk of contamination and access to real time leaching data. The bio-accessibility of As in the samples was monitored using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from a certified reference material as well as cooked and uncooked white rice showed that the majority of As was leached by saliva. Results obtained using the continuous on-line leaching method were comparable to those obtained using a batch method. Speciation analysis of the saliva leachate was performed using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic forms of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)) were clearly separated within 5 min in a single chromatographic run. Over 92% of bio-accessible As in the certified reference material and uncooked white rice sample was in the form of DMA and As(V), whereas it was present as DMA and As(III) in the cooked white rice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term efficiency of soil stabilization with apatite and Slovakite: the impact of two earthworm species (Lumbricus terrestris and Dendrobaena veneta) on lead bioaccessibility and soil functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Tica, D; Udovic, M; Lestan, D

2013-03-01

Remediation soil is exposed to various environmental factors over time that can affect the final success of the operation. In the present study, we assessed Pb bioaccessibility and microbial activity in industrially polluted soil (Arnoldstein, Austria) stabilized with 5% (w/w) of Slovakite and 5% (w/w) of apatite soil after exposure to two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Dendrobaena veneta, used as model environmental biotic soil factors. Stabilization resulted in reduced Pb bioaccessibility, as assessed with one-step extraction tests and six-step sequential extraction, and improved soil functioning, mirrored in reduced β-glucosidase activity in soil. Both earthworm species increased Pb bioaccessibility, thus decreasing the initial stabilization efficacy and indicating the importance of considering the long-term fate of remediated soil. The earthworm species had different effects on soil enzyme activity, which can be attributed to species-specific microbial populations in earthworm gut acting on the ingested soil. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digestive recovery of sulfur-methyl-L-methionine and its bioaccessibility in Kimchi cabbages using a simulated in vitro digestion model system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hae-Rim; Cho, Sun-Duk; Lee, Woon Kyu; Kim, Gun-Hee; Shim, Soon-Mi

2014-01-15

Sulfur-methyl-L-methionine (SMM) has been known to provide various biological functions such as radical scavenging effect, inhibition of adipocyte differentiation, and prevention of gastric mucosal damage. Kimchi cabbages are known to be a major food source providing SMM but its bioaccessibility has not been studied. The objective of current study was to determine both the digestive stability of SMM and the amount released from Kimchi cabbages under a simulated in vitro digestion model system. The in vitro digestion model system simulating a human gastrointestinal tract was carried out for measuring digestive recovery and bioaccessibility of SMM. SMM was quantified by using high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. Recovery of an SMM standard after digestion was 0.68 and 0.65% for fasted and fed conditions, respectively, indicating that the digestive stability of the SMM standard was not affected by dietary energy or co-ingested food matrix. The SMM standard was also significantly stable in acidic pH (P < 0.05). The bioaccessibility of SMM from Kimchi cabbages was measured under a fasted condition, resulted in 8.83, 14.71 and 10.88%, for salivary, gastric and small intestinal phases, respectively. Results from our study suggest that SMM from Kimchi cabbages, a component of food sources, is more bioavailable than SMM by itself. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Speciation and bioaccessibility of mercury in adobe bricks and dirt floors in Huancavelica, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagan, Nicole; Robins, Nicholas; Gonzales, Ruben Dario Espinoza; Hsu-Kim, Heileen

2015-04-01

Huancavelica, Peru, a historic cinnabar refining site, is one of the most mercury (Hg)-contaminated urban areas in the world. Exposure is amplified because residents build their adobe brick homes from contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were to compare two Hg-leaching procedures, and their application as risk-assessment screening tools in Hg-contaminated adobe brick homes in Huancavelica. The purpose was to evaluate potential health implications, particularly for children, after ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles. Hg was measured in adobe brick and dirt floor samples from 60 households by total Hg extraction, simulated gastric fluid (GF) extraction, and sequential selective extraction (SSE), which provides more detailed data but is resource-intensive. Most of the Hg present in samples was relatively insoluble, although in some households soluble Hg species were present at concentrations that may be of concern after ingestion. A strong correlation was identified between results from simulated GF extraction of adobe bricks and dirt floors and the more soluble fractions of Hg from SSE. Simulated GF extraction data were combined with ingestion and body mass characteristics for small children to compare potential risk of ingestion of Hg-contaminated soil with current health standards. Simulated GF extraction can be used as a risk assessment screening tool for effective allocation of time and resources to households that have measurable concentrations of bioaccessible Hg. Combining simulated GF extraction data with health standards enables intervention strategies targeted at households with the greatest potential health threat from ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles.

Sulforaphane formation and bioaccessibility are more affected by steaming time than meal composition during in vitro digestion of broccoli

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarvan-Kruse, Irmela; Kramer, E.; Bouwmeester, Hans; Dekker, Matthijs; Verkerk, R.

2017-01-01

Broccoli is a rich source of the glucosinolate glucoraphanin (GR). After hydrolysis of GR by the endogenous enzyme myrosinase, sulforaphane (SF) or sulforaphane nitrile (SFN) are produced, depending on environmental conditions. How the conversion of GR and bioaccessibility of released breakdown

Effect of Miscanthus cultivation on metal fractionation and human bioaccessibility in metal-contaminated soils: comparison between greenhouse and field experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelfrêne, Aurélie; Kleckerová, Andrea; Pourrut, Bertrand; Nsanganwimana, Florien; Douay, Francis; Waterlot, Christophe

2015-02-01

The in situ stabilization of metals in soils using plants with great biomass value is a promising, cost-effective, and ecologically friendly alternative to manage metal-polluted sites. The goal of phytostabilization is to reduce the bioavailable concentrations of metals in polluted soil and thus reduce the risk to the environment and human health. In this context, this study aimed at evaluating Miscanthus × giganteus efficiency in phytostabilizing metals on three contaminated agricultural sites after short-term exposure under greenhouse conditions and after long-term exposure under field conditions. Particular attention was paid to the influence of Miscanthus cultivation on (i) Cd, Pb, and Zn fractionation using sequential extractions and (ii) metal bioaccessibility using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion test. Data gave evidence of (i) different behaviors between the greenhouse and the field; (ii) metal redistribution in soils induced by Miscanthus culture, more specifically under field conditions; (iii) higher environmental availability for Cd than for Pb and Zn was found in both conditions; and (iv) overall, a higher bioaccessible fraction for Pb (about 80 %) and Cd (65-77 %) than for Zn (36-52 %) was recorded in the gastric phase, with a sharp decrease in the intestinal phase (18-35 % for Cd, 5-30 % for Pb, and 36-52 % for Zn). Compared to soils without culture, the results showed that phytostabilization using Miscanthus culture provided evidence for substantial effects on oral bioaccessibility of Cd, Pb, and Zn.

Heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) partitioning and bioaccessibility in uncontaminated and long-term contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, Dane T.; Ming Hui; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

2009-01-01

We investigated the pore-water content and speciation of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in a range of uncontaminated and long-term contaminated soils in order to establish their potential bioaccessibility to soil biota, plants and humans. Among the samples, soil pH (0.01 M CaCl 2 ) ranged from 4.9 to 8.2. The total metal content of the uncontaminated soils ranged from 3.8 to 93.8 mg Cu kg -1 , 10.3 to 95 mg kg -1 Zn, 0.1 to 1.8 mg Cd kg -1 and 5.2 to 183 mg kg -1 Pb, while metal content in the contaminated soils ranged from 104 to 6841 mg Cu kg -1 , 312 to 39,000 mg kg -1 Zn, 6 to 302 mg Cd kg -1 and 609 to 12,000 mg kg -1 Pb. Our analysis of pore-water found the Cu concentrations to be much higher in contaminated soils than in uncontaminated soils, with the distribution coefficients (K d ) correlating significantly with the log of dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Despite the high total metal content of the contaminated soil, Zn, Cd and Pb were not generally found at elevated levels in the pore-water with the exception of a single contaminated soil. A long period of ageing and soil weathering may have led to a substantial reduction in heavy metal concentrations in the pore-water of contaminated soils. On the other hand, Pb bioaccessibility was found to be comparatively high in Pb contaminated soils, where it tended to exceed the total Pb values by more than 80%. We conclude that, despite the extensive ageing of some contaminated soils, the bioaccessibility of Pb remains relatively high.

Heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) partitioning and bioaccessibility in uncontaminated and long-term contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamb, Dane T.; Ming Hui; Megharaj, Mallavarapu [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, Building X, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia); Naidu, Ravi, E-mail: ravi.naidu@crccare.com [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, Building X, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia)

2009-11-15

We investigated the pore-water content and speciation of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in a range of uncontaminated and long-term contaminated soils in order to establish their potential bioaccessibility to soil biota, plants and humans. Among the samples, soil pH (0.01 M CaCl{sub 2}) ranged from 4.9 to 8.2. The total metal content of the uncontaminated soils ranged from 3.8 to 93.8 mg Cu kg{sup -1}, 10.3 to 95 mg kg{sup -1} Zn, 0.1 to 1.8 mg Cd kg{sup -1} and 5.2 to 183 mg kg{sup -1} Pb, while metal content in the contaminated soils ranged from 104 to 6841 mg Cu kg{sup -1}, 312 to 39,000 mg kg{sup -1} Zn, 6 to 302 mg Cd kg{sup -1} and 609 to 12,000 mg kg{sup -1} Pb. Our analysis of pore-water found the Cu concentrations to be much higher in contaminated soils than in uncontaminated soils, with the distribution coefficients (K{sub d}) correlating significantly with the log of dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Despite the high total metal content of the contaminated soil, Zn, Cd and Pb were not generally found at elevated levels in the pore-water with the exception of a single contaminated soil. A long period of ageing and soil weathering may have led to a substantial reduction in heavy metal concentrations in the pore-water of contaminated soils. On the other hand, Pb bioaccessibility was found to be comparatively high in Pb contaminated soils, where it tended to exceed the total Pb values by more than 80%. We conclude that, despite the extensive ageing of some contaminated soils, the bioaccessibility of Pb remains relatively high.

Methodological Aspects of In Vitro Assessment of Bio-accessible Risk Element Pool in Urban Particulate Matter

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sysalová, J.; Száková, J.; Tremlová, J.; Kašparovská, Kateřina; Kotlík, B.; Tlustoš, P.; Svoboda, Petr

2014-01-01

Roč. 161, č. 2 (2014), s. 216-222 ISSN 0163-4984 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA521/09/1150; GA ČR(CZ) GAP503/12/0682 Program:GA; GA Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : risk elements * urban particulate matter * in vitro tests * bio-accessibility Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 1.748, year: 2014

Use of the physiologically-based extraction test to assess the oral bioaccessibility of metals in vegetable plants grown in contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Intawongse, Marisa [Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Centre, School of Applied Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST (United Kingdom); Dean, John R. [Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Centre, School of Applied Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST (United Kingdom)], E-mail: john.dean@unn.ac.uk

2008-03-15

The oral bioaccessibility of metals in vegetable plants grown on contaminated soil was assessed. This was done using the physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) to simulate the human digestion of plant material. A range of vegetable plants, i.e. carrot, lettuce, radish and spinach, were grown on metal contaminated soil. After reaching maturity the plants were harvested and analysed for their total metal content (i.e. Cr, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The plant samples were then subsequently extracted using an in vitro gastrointestinal approach or PBET to assess the likelihood of oral bioaccessibility if the material was consumed by humans. - Evaluation of a physiologically-based extraction test to assess the risk to humans of consuming contaminated vegetables.

Use of the physiologically-based extraction test to assess the oral bioaccessibility of metals in vegetable plants grown in contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intawongse, Marisa; Dean, John R.

2008-01-01

The oral bioaccessibility of metals in vegetable plants grown on contaminated soil was assessed. This was done using the physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) to simulate the human digestion of plant material. A range of vegetable plants, i.e. carrot, lettuce, radish and spinach, were grown on metal contaminated soil. After reaching maturity the plants were harvested and analysed for their total metal content (i.e. Cr, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The plant samples were then subsequently extracted using an in vitro gastrointestinal approach or PBET to assess the likelihood of oral bioaccessibility if the material was consumed by humans. - Evaluation of a physiologically-based extraction test to assess the risk to humans of consuming contaminated vegetables

Carnauba wax p-methoxycinnamic diesters: Characterisation, antioxidant activity and simulated gastrointestinal digestion followed by in vitro bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Claisa Andréa Silva; Vieira, Ícaro Gusmão Pinto; Sousa, Paulo Henrique Machado; Muniz, Celli Rodrigues; Gonzaga, Maria Leônia da Costa; Guedes, Maria Izabel Florindo

2016-04-01

The beneficial biological effects of cinnamic acid derivatives and the lack of studies on the antioxidant activity and bioavailability of cinnamic esters from carnauba wax, diesters were extracted from carnauba wax powder. Their structural, physical and morphological characteristics, antioxidant activity and in vitro bioaccessibility were measured. p-Methoxycinnamic diester (PCO-C) was identified, which has a crystalline, apolar structure and exhibited significant antioxidant activity (107.27 ± 3.92 μM Trolox/g of dry weight) before and after simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and 32.46% bioaccessibility. In human cells, PCO-C (250 μg/mL) inhibited the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, with an effect similar to that of Trolox (80 μM). Thermogravimetric analysis showed that PCO-C had high thermal stability and high UV absorption between 250 and 350 nm. These results indicate that this compound is promising as an antioxidant for pharmaceutical and food industry applications, such as the development of active packaging and functional foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

USE OF ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WHEN TRAINING IN WORK WITH SPREADSHEETS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Х А Гербеков

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Today the tools for maintaining training courses based on opportunities of information and communication technologies are developed. Practically in all directions of preparation and on all subject matters electronic textbook and self-instruction manuals are created. Nevertheless the industry of computer educational and methodical materials actively develops and gets more and more areas of development and introduction. In this regard more and more urgent is a problem of development of the electronic educational resources adequate to modern educational requirements. Creation and the organization of training courses with use of electronic educational resources in particular on the basis of Internet technologies remains a difficult methodical task.In article the questions connected with development of electronic educational resources for use when studying the substantial line “Information technologies” of a school course of informatics in particular for studying of spreadsheets are considered. Also the analysis of maintenance of a school course and the unified state examination from the point of view of representation of task in him corresponding to the substantial line of studying “Information technologies” on mastering technology of information processing in spreadsheets and the methods of visualization given by means of charts and schedules is carried out.

The effect of cooking and washing rice on the bio-accessibility of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn using an on-line continuous leaching method.

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, Nolan S; Beauchemin, Diane

2013-01-03

A previously developed method based on continuous on-line leaching with artificial gastro-intestinal fluids was used to determine the bio-accessible fraction of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn in brown and white rice from California by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Saliva generally accounted for the largest percentage of total element leached in comparison to gastric and intestinal juices. Arsenic speciation analysis was performed on the saliva and gastric juice leachates using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic species of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)), as well as Cl(-) in the gastric juice leachate, were successfully separated within 5.5min using a simple nitric acid gradient. While cooking rice had relatively little effect on total bio-accessibility, a change in species from As(V) and DMA to As(III) was observed for both types of rice. On the other hand, washing the rice with doubly deionized water prior to cooking removed a large percentage of the total bio-accessible fraction of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low bioaccessibility of vitamin D2 from yeast-fortified bread compared to crystalline D2 bread and D3 from fluid milks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipkie, Tristan E; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Weaver, Connie M

2016-11-09

The assessment of the efficacy of dietary and supplemental vitamin D tends to be confounded by differences in the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D response between vitamin D 2 and vitamin D 3 . Serum response differences from these vitamers may be due to differences in bioavailability. To address this specifically, the bioaccessibility was assessed for vitamin D 2 from breads fortified with UV-treated yeast, and a benchmark against staple vitamin D 3 fortified foods including bovine milks and infant formula, as well as crystalline vitamin D 2 fortified bread. Fortified foods were subjected to a three-stage static in vitro digestion model, and vitamin D was analyzed by HPLC-MS. Vitamin D bioaccessibility was significantly greater from bovine milks and infant formula (71-85%) than from yeast-fortified sandwich breads (6-7%). Bioaccessibility was not different between whole wheat and white wheat bread (p > 0.05), but was ∼4× lower from yeast-fortified bread than from crystalline vitamin D 2 fortified bread (p yeast cells were observed in the digesta of yeast fortified bread. These results indicate that the low bioavailability of yeast D 2 in comparison to other vitamin D 2 sources is likely due to entrapment within a less digestible yeast matrix and not only to metabolic differences between vitamins D 2 and D 3 .

Comparison of five in vitro digestion models to in vivo experimental results: Lead bioaccessibility in the human gastrointestinal tract

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiele, T.R. van de; Oomen, A.G.; Wragg, J.; Cave, M.; Minekus, M.; Hack, A.; Cornelis, C.; Rompelberg, C.J.M.; Zwart, L.L. de; Klinck, B.; Wijnen, J. van; Verstraete, W.; Sips, A.J.A.M.

2007-01-01

This paper presents a multi-laboratory comparison study of in vitro models assessing bioaccessibility of soil-bound lead in the human gastrointestinal tract under simulated fasted and fed conditions. Oral bioavailability data from a previous human in vivo study on the same soil served as a reference

Enhanced Bioaccessibility of Crocetin Sugar Esters from Saffron in Infusions Rich in Natural Phenolic Antioxidants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stella A. Ordoudi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to examine whether and to what extent the bioaccessibility of the major saffron apocarotenoids, namely crocetin sugar esters (CRTSEs, is affected by the presence of strong water-soluble antioxidants, ingredients of the herbs found in commercial tea blends with saffron. An in vitro digestion model was applied to infusions from these products to investigate the possible changes. All of the studied infusions were rich in total phenols (9.9–22.5 mg caffeic acid equivalents/100 mg dry infusion and presented strong DPPH radical scavenging activity regardless of the composition of the corresponding herbal blends. RP-HPLC-DAD and LC-MS analysis enabled the grouping of the infusions into hydroxycinnamic acid-rich and in flavan-3-ol-rich ones. CRTSEs in herbal tea infusions were found to be significantly more bioaccessible (66.3%–88.6% than those in the reference saffron infusion (60.9%. The positive role of strong phenolic antioxidants (caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid on the stability of CRTSEs was also evidenced in model binary mixtures. On the contrary, cinnamic acid, exerting no antioxidant activity, did not have such an effect. Our findings suggest that strong radical scavengers may protect the crocetin sugar esters from oxidation during digestion when present in excess.

Enhanced Bioaccessibility of Crocetin Sugar Esters from Saffron in Infusions Rich in Natural Phenolic Antioxidants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ordoudi, Stella A; Kyriakoudi, Anastasia; Tsimidou, Maria Z

2015-09-25

The present study aims to examine whether and to what extent the bioaccessibility of the major saffron apocarotenoids, namely crocetin sugar esters (CRTSEs), is affected by the presence of strong water-soluble antioxidants, ingredients of the herbs found in commercial tea blends with saffron. An in vitro digestion model was applied to infusions from these products to investigate the possible changes. All of the studied infusions were rich in total phenols (9.9-22.5 mg caffeic acid equivalents/100 mg dry infusion) and presented strong DPPH radical scavenging activity regardless of the composition of the corresponding herbal blends. RP-HPLC-DAD and LC-MS analysis enabled the grouping of the infusions into hydroxycinnamic acid-rich and in flavan-3-ol-rich ones. CRTSEs in herbal tea infusions were found to be significantly more bioaccessible (66.3%-88.6%) than those in the reference saffron infusion (60.9%). The positive role of strong phenolic antioxidants (caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid) on the stability of CRTSEs was also evidenced in model binary mixtures. On the contrary, cinnamic acid, exerting no antioxidant activity, did not have such an effect. Our findings suggest that strong radical scavengers may protect the crocetin sugar esters from oxidation during digestion when present in excess.

Bioaccessibility, Intestinal Permeability and Plasma Stability of Isorhamnetin Glycosides from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes-Ricardo, Marilena; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, César; Gutiérrez-Uribe, Janet A; Cepeda-Cañedo, Eduardo; Serna-Saldívar, Sergio O

2017-08-22

Isorhamnetin glycosides are representative compounds of Opuntia ficus-indica that possess different biological activities. There is slight information about the changes in bioaccessibility induced by the glycosylation pattern of flavonoids, particularly for isorhamnetin. In this study, the bioaccessibility and permeability of isorhamnetin glycosides extracted from O. ficus-indica were contrasted with an isorhamnetin standard. Also, the plasma stability of these isorhamnetin glycosides after intravenous administration in rats was evaluated. Recoveries of isorhamnetin after oral and gastric digestion were lower than that observed for its glycosides. After intestinal digestion, isorhamnetin glycosides recoveries were reduced to less than 81.0%. The apparent permeability coefficient from apical (AP) to basolateral (BL) direction (Papp (AP-BL) ) of isorhamnetin was 2.6 to 4.6-fold higher than those obtained for its glycosides. Isorhamnetin diglycosides showed higher Papp (AP-BL) values than triglycosides. Sugar substituents affected the Papp (AP-BL) of the triglycosides. Isorhamnetin glycosides were better retained in the circulatory system than the aglycone. After intravenous dose of the isorhamnetin standard, the elimination half-life was 0.64 h but increased to 1.08 h when the O. ficus-indica extract was administered. These results suggest that isorhamnetin glycosides naturally found in O. ficus-indica could be a controlled delivery system to maintain a constant plasmatic concentration of this important flavonoid to exert its biological effects in vivo.

Assessment of the solubility and bioaccessibility of arsenic in realgar wine using a simulated gastrointestinal system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying-Nan; Sun, Guo-Xin; Williams, Paul N; Huang, Qing; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2011-05-15

Consumption of arsenic (As) wine is a traditional activity during the classic Chinese festival of Duanwu, colloquially known worldwide as the Dragon Boat Day. Arsenic wine is drunk on the morning of the fifth day of the fifth lunar calendar month to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famed Chinese poet who drowned himself in protest of a corrupt government, and to protect against ill fortune. Although realgar minerals are characteristically composed of sparingly soluble tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfides (As(4)S(4)), purity does vary with up to 10% of As being present as non-sulfur bound species, such as arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)). Despite, the renewed interest in As speciation and the bioaccessibility of the active As components in realgar based Chinese medicines, little is known about the safety surrounding the cultural practice of drinking As wine. In a series of experiments the speciation and solubility of As in a range of wines were investigated. Furthermore, a simulated gastrointestinal system was employed to predict the impact of digestive processes on As bioavailability. The predominant soluble As species found in all the wines were As(III) and As(V). Based on typical As wine recipes employing 0.1 g realgar mL(-1) wine, the concentration of dissolved As ranged from ca. 100 to 400 mg L(-1) depending on the ethanol content of the preparation: with the As solubility found to be higher in wines with a lower proportion of ethanol. Based on a common 100 mL measure of wine with a concentration of 400 mg As L(-1), the amount of soluble As would equate to around half of the acute minimal lethal dose for adults. This is likely an underestimate of the bioaccessible concentration, as a three-fold increase in bioaccessibility could be observed in the intestinal phase based on the results from the stimulated gastrointestinal system. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Total and Bioaccessible Soil Arsenic and Lead Levels and Plant Uptake in Three Urban Community Gardens in Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are two contaminants of concern associated with urban gardening. In Puerto Rico, data currently is limited on As and Pb levels in urban garden soils, soil metal (loid) bioaccessibility, and uptake of As and Pb in soil by edible plants grown in the regio...

Analytical Study of Usage of Electronic Information Resources at Pharmacopoeial Libraries in India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil Tyagi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to know the rate and purpose of the use of e-resource by the scientists at pharmacopoeial libraries in India. Among other things, this study examined the preferences of the scientists toward printed books and journals, electronic information resources, and pattern of using e-resources. Non-probability sampling specially accidental and purposive technique was applied in the collection of primary data through administration of user questionnaire. The sample respondents chosen for the study consists of principle scientific officer, senior scientific officer, scientific officer, and scientific assistant of different division of the laboratories, namely, research and development, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacovigilance, pharmacology, pharmacogonosy, and microbiology. The findings of the study reveal the personal experiences and perceptions they have had on practice and research activity using e-resource. The major findings indicate that of the total anticipated participants, 78% indicated that they perceived the ability to use computer for electronic information resources. The data analysis shows that all the scientists belonging to the pharmacopoeial libraries used electronic information resources to address issues relating to drug indexes and compendia, monographs, drugs obtained through online databases, e-journals, and the Internet sources—especially polices by regulatory agencies, contacts, drug promotional literature, and standards.

Page 170 Use of Electronic Resources by Undergraduates in Two ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

undergraduate students use electronic resources such as NUC virtual library, HINARI, ... web pages articles from magazines, encyclopedias, pamphlets and other .... of Nigerian university libraries have Internet connectivity, some of the system.

Using paired soil and house dust samples in an in vitro assay to assess the post ingestion bioaccessibility of sorbed fipronil

Science.gov (United States)

For children, ingestion of soils and house dusts can be an important exposure pathway for regulated organic compounds. Following ingestion, the extent to which compounds desorb and become bioaccessible is a critical determinant of systemic adsorption.We characterized the physicoc...

Model of e-learning with electronic educational resources of new generation

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A. V. Loban

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article: improving of scientific and methodical base of the theory of the е-learning of variability. Methods used: conceptual and logical modeling of the е-learning of variability process with electronic educational resource of new generation and system analysis of the interconnection of the studied subject area, methods, didactics approaches and information and communication technologies means. Results: the formalization complex model of the е-learning of variability with electronic educational resource of new generation is developed, conditionally decomposed into three basic components: the formalization model of the course in the form of the thesaurusclassifier (“Author of e-resource”, the model of learning as management (“Coordination. Consultation. Control”, the learning model with the thesaurus-classifier (“Student”. Model “Author of e-resource” allows the student to achieve completeness, high degree of didactic elaboration and structuring of the studied material in triples of variants: modules of education information, practical task and control tasks; the result of the student’s (author’s of e-resource activity is the thesaurus-classifier. Model of learning as management is based on the principle of personal orientation of learning in computer environment and determines the logic of interaction between the lecturer and the student when determining the triple of variants individually for each student; organization of a dialogue between the lecturer and the student for consulting purposes; personal control of the student’s success (report generation and iterative search for the concept of the class assignment in the thesaurus-classifier before acquiring the required level of training. Model “Student” makes it possible to concretize the learning tasks in relation to the personality of the student and to the training level achieved; the assumption of the lecturer about the level of training of a

A survey of the use of electronic scientific information resources among medical and dental students

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Aarnio Matti

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate medical and dental students' utilization of electronic information resources. Methods A web survey sent to 837 students (49.9% responded. Results Twenty-four per cent of medical students and ninteen per cent of dental students searched MEDLINE 2+ times/month for study purposes, and thiry-two per cent and twenty-four per cent respectively for research. Full-text articles were used 2+ times/month by thirty-three per cent of medical and ten per cent of dental students. Twelve per cent of respondents never utilized either MEDLINE or full-text articles. In multivariate models, the information-searching skills among students were significantly associated with use of MEDLINE and full-text articles. Conclusion Use of electronic resources differs among students. Forty percent were non-users of full-text articles. Information-searching skills are correlated with the use of electronic resources, but the level of basic PC skills plays not a major role in using these resources. The student data shows that adequate training in information-searching skills will increase the use of electronic information resources.

Access to electronic information resources by students of federal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper discusses access to electronic information resources by students of Federal Colleges of Education in Eha-Amufu and Umunze. Descriptive survey design was used to investigate sample of 526 students. Sampling technique used was a Multi sampling technique. Data for the study were generated using ...

Adoption and use of electronic information resources by medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated the adoption and use of electronic information resources by medical science students of the University of Benin. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and 390 students provided the data. Data collected were analysed with descriptive Statistics(Simple percentage and ...

Cadmium bioaccumulation and gastric bioaccessibility in cacao: A field study in areas impacted by oil activities in Ecuador

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barraza, F.; Schreck, E.; Lévêque, T.; Uzu, G.; López, F.; Ruales, J.; Prunier, J.; Marquet, A.; Maurice, L.

2017-01-01

Cacao from South America is especially used to produce premium quality chocolate. Although the European Food Safety Authority has not established a limit for cadmium (Cd) in chocolate raw material, recent studies demonstrate that Cd concentrations in cacao beans can reach levels higher than the legal limits for dark chocolate (0.8 mg kg −1 , effective January 1st, 2019). Despite the fact that the presence of Cd in agricultural soils is related to contamination by fertilizers, other potential sources must be considered in Ecuador. This field study was conducted to investigate Cd content in soils and cacao cultivated on Ecuadorian farms in areas impacted by oil activities. Soils, cacao leaves, and pod husks were collected from 31 farms in the northern Amazon and Pacific coastal regions exposed to oil production and refining and compared to two control areas. Human gastric bioaccessibility was determined in raw cacao beans and cacao liquor samples in order to assess potential health risks involved. Our results show that topsoils (0–20 cm) have higher Cd concentrations than deeper layers, exceeding the Ecuadorian legislation limit in 39% of the sampling sites. Cacao leaves accumulate more Cd than pod husks or beans but, nevertheless, 50% of the sampled beans have Cd contents above 0.8 mg kg −1 . Root-to-cacao transfer seems to be the main pathway of Cd uptake, which is not only regulated by physico-chemical soil properties but also agricultural practices. Additionally, natural Cd enrichment by volcanic inputs must not be neglected. Finally, Cd in cacao trees cannot be considered as a tracer of oil activities. Assuming that total Cd content and its bioaccessible fraction (up to 90%) in cacao beans and liquor is directly linked to those in chocolate, the health risk associated with Cd exposure varies from low to moderate. - Highlights: • Cd in cacao beans is enriched 4 times compared to soils contents. • Cd bioaccumulates in beans mainly through root

Where Do Electronic Books Fit in the College Research Arsenal of Resources?

Science.gov (United States)

Barbier, Patricia

2007-01-01

Student use of electronic books has become an accepted supplement to traditional resources. Student use and satisfaction was monitored through an online course discussion board. Increased use of electronic books indicate this service is an accepted supplement to the print book collection.

The impact of steeping, germination and hydrothermal processing of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains on phytate hydrolysis and the distribution, speciation and bio-accessibility of iron and zinc elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemmens, Elien; De Brier, Niels; Spiers, Kathryn M; Ryan, Chris; Garrevoet, Jan; Falkenberg, Gerald; Goos, Peter; Smolders, Erik; Delcour, Jan A

2018-10-30

Chelation of iron and zinc in wheat as phytates lowers their bio-accessibility. Steeping and germination (15 °C, 120 h) lowered phytate content from 0.96% to only 0.81% of initial dry matter. A multifactorial experiment in which (steeped/germinated) wheat was subjected to different time (2-24 h), temperature (20-80 °C) and pH (2.0-8.0) conditions showed that hydrothermal processing of germinated (15 °C, 120 h) wheat at 50 °C and pH 3.8 for 24 h reduced phytate content by 95%. X-ray absorption near-edge structure imaging showed that it indeed abolished chelation of iron to phytate. It also proved that iron was oxidized during steeping, germination and hydrothermal processing. It was further shown that zinc and iron bio-accessibility were respectively 3 and 5% in wheat and 27 and 37% in hydrothermally processed wheat. Thus, hydrothermal processing of (germinated) wheat paves the way for increasing elemental bio-accessibility in whole grain-based products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of in situ immobilization of Lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) in contaminated soils with phosphate and iron: solubility and bioaccessibility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cui, Y.S.; Du, X.; Weng, L.P.; Riemsdijk, van W.H.

2010-01-01

The effect of in situ immobilization of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) in soil with respectively phosphate and iron is well recognized. However, studies on combined Pb and As-contaminated soil are fewer, and assessment of the effectiveness of the immobilization on mobility and bioaccessibility is also

Bioaccessibility of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in mine waste, urban soil, and road dust in the historical mining village of Kaňk, Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Drahota, Petr; Raus, Karel; Rychlíková, Eva; Rohovec, Jan

2017-06-15

Historical mining activities in the village of Kaňk (in the northern part of the Kutná Hora ore district, Czech Republic) produced large amounts of mine wastes which contain significant amounts of metal(loid) contaminants such as As, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Given the proximity of residential communities to these mining residues, we investigated samples of mine waste (n = 5), urban soil (n = 6), and road dust (n = 5) with a special focus on the solid speciation of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn using a combination of methods (XRD, SEM/EDS, oxalate extractions), as well as on in vitro bioaccessibility in simulated gastric and lung fluids to assess the potential exposure risks for humans. Bulk chemical analyses indicated that As is the most important contaminant in the mine wastes (~1.15 wt%), urban soils (~2900 mg/kg) and road dusts (~440 mg/kg). Bioaccessible fractions of As were quite low (4-13%) in both the simulated gastric and lung fluids, while the bioaccessibility of metals ranged between waste materials and highly contaminated urban soil. Based on the risk assessment, arsenic was found to be the element posing the greatest risk.

Strategic Planning for Electronic Resources Management: A Case Study at Gustavus Adolphus College

Science.gov (United States)

Hulseberg, Anna; Monson, Sarah

2009-01-01

Electronic resources, the tools we use to manage them, and the needs and expectations of our users are constantly evolving; at the same time, the roles, responsibilities, and workflow of the library staff who manage e-resources are also in flux. Recognizing a need to be more intentional and proactive about how we manage e-resources, the…

REVIEW OF MOODLE PLUGINS FOR DESIGNING MULTIMEDIA ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FROM LANGUAGE DISCIPLINES

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Anton M. Avramchuk

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Today the problem of designing multimedia electronic educational resources from language disciplines in Moodle is very important. This system has a lot of different, powerful resources, plugins to facilitate the learning of students with language disciplines. This article presents an overview and comparative analysis of the five Moodle plugins for designing multimedia electronic educational resources from language disciplines. There have been considered their key features and functionality in order to choose the best for studying language disciplines in the Moodle. Plugins are compared by a group of experts according to the criteria: efficiency, functionality and easy use. For a comparative analysis of the plugins it is used the analytic hierarchy process.

Modern ICT Tools: Online Electronic Resources Sharing Using Web ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Modern ICT Tools: Online Electronic Resources Sharing Using Web 2.0 and Its Implications For Library And Information Practice In Nigeria. ... The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader). If you would like more ...

A review on factors influencing bioaccessibility and bioefficacy of carotenoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Priyadarshani, A M B

2017-05-24

Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most prevalent deficiency disorders in the world. As shown by many studies plant food based approaches have a real potential on prevention of vitamin A deficiency in a sustainable way. Carotenoids are important as precursors of vitamin A as well as for prevention of cancers, coronary heart diseases, age-related macular degeneration, cataract etc. Bioaccessibility and bioefficacy of carotenoids are known to be influenced by numerous factors including dietary factors such as fat, fiber, dosage of carotenoid, location of carotenoid in the plant tissue, heat treatment, particle size of food, carotenoid species, interactions among carotenoids, isomeric form and molecular linkage and subject characteristics. Therefore even when carotenoids are found in high quantities in plant foods their utilization may be unsatisfactory because some factors are known to interfere as negative effectors.

THE MODEL OF LINGUISTIC TEACHERS’ COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT ON DESIGNING MULTIMEDIA ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN THE MOODLE SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton M. Avramchuk

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of developing the competency of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system. The concept of "the competence of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system" is justified and defined. Identified and characterized the components by which the levels of the competency development of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system should be assessed. Developed a model for the development of the competency of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system, which is based on the main scientific approaches, used in adult education, and consists of five blocks: target, informative, technological, diagnostic and effective.

Developing Humanities Collections in the Digital Age: Exploring Humanities Faculty Engagement with Electronic and Print Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Kachaluba, Sarah Buck; Brady, Jessica Evans; Critten, Jessica

2014-01-01

This article is based on quantitative and qualitative research examining humanities scholars' understandings of the advantages and disadvantages of print versus electronic information resources. It explores how humanities' faculty members at Florida State University (FSU) use print and electronic resources, as well as how they perceive these…

The impact of soil organic matter and soil sterilisation on the bioaccessibility of 14C-azoxystrobin determined by desorption kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Clegg, Helen; Riding, Matthew J; Oliver, Robin; Jones, Kevin C; Semple, Kirk T

2014-08-15

As soils represent a major sink for most pesticides, factors influencing pesticide degradation are essential in identifying their potential environmental risk. Desorption of (14)C-azoxystrobin was investigated over time in two soils under sterile and non-sterile conditions using exhaustive (solvent) and non-exhaustive (aqueous) methods. Desorption data were fitted to a two-compartment model, differentiating between fast and slow desorbing fractions. With increased ageing, rapid desorption (Frap) (bioaccessibility) decreased with corresponding increases in slowly desorbing fractions (F(slow)). The rapid desorption rate constant (k(fast)) was not affected by ageing, sterility or extraction solvent. The non-exhaustive extractions had similar desorption profiles; whereas exhaustive extractions in aged soils had the highest F(rap). In non-sterile soil, F(rap) was lower resulting in higher F(slow), while desorption rates remained unaffected. Organic matter (OM) reduces F(rap); but not desorption rates. Microorganisms and OM enhanced ageing effects, reducing the fraction of fast desorbing chemicals and potentially the bioaccessibility of pesticides in soil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing oral bioaccessibility of trace elements in soils under worst-case scenarios by automated in-line dynamic extraction as a front end to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosende, María [FI-TRACE group, Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemossa, km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears E-07122 (Spain); Magalhães, Luis M.; Segundo, Marcela A. [REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, R. de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, Porto 4050-313 (Portugal); Miró, Manuel, E-mail: manuel.miro@uib.es [FI-TRACE group, Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemossa, km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears E-07122 (Spain)

2014-09-09

Highlights: • Automatic oral bioaccessibility tests of trace metals under worst-case scenarios. • Use of intricate and realistic digestive fluids (UBM method). • Analysis of large amounts of soils (≥400 mg) in a flow-based configuration. • Smart interface to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. • Comparison of distinct flow systems mimicking physiological conditions. - Abstract: A novel biomimetic extraction procedure that allows for the in-line handing of ≥400 mg solid substrates is herein proposed for automatic ascertainment of trace element (TE) bioaccessibility in soils under worst-case conditions as per recommendations of ISO norms. A unified bioaccessibility/BARGE method (UBM)-like physiological-based extraction test is evaluated for the first time in a dynamic format for accurate assessment of in-vitro bioaccessibility of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in forest and residential-garden soils by on-line coupling of a hybrid flow set-up to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Three biologically relevant operational extraction modes mimicking: (i) gastric juice extraction alone; (ii) saliva and gastric juice composite in unidirectional flow extraction format and (iii) saliva and gastric juice composite in a recirculation mode were thoroughly investigated. The extraction profiles of the three configurations using digestive fluids were proven to fit a first order reaction kinetic model for estimating the maximum TE bioaccessibility, that is, the actual worst-case scenario in human risk assessment protocols. A full factorial design, in which the sample amount (400–800 mg), the extractant flow rate (0.5–1.5 mL min{sup −1}) and the extraction temperature (27–37 °C) were selected as variables for the multivariate optimization studies in order to obtain the maximum TE extractability. Two soils of varied physicochemical properties were analysed and no significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level

Assessing oral bioaccessibility of trace elements in soils under worst-case scenarios by automated in-line dynamic extraction as a front end to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosende, María; Magalhães, Luis M.; Segundo, Marcela A.; Miró, Manuel

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Automatic oral bioaccessibility tests of trace metals under worst-case scenarios. • Use of intricate and realistic digestive fluids (UBM method). • Analysis of large amounts of soils (≥400 mg) in a flow-based configuration. • Smart interface to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. • Comparison of distinct flow systems mimicking physiological conditions. - Abstract: A novel biomimetic extraction procedure that allows for the in-line handing of ≥400 mg solid substrates is herein proposed for automatic ascertainment of trace element (TE) bioaccessibility in soils under worst-case conditions as per recommendations of ISO norms. A unified bioaccessibility/BARGE method (UBM)-like physiological-based extraction test is evaluated for the first time in a dynamic format for accurate assessment of in-vitro bioaccessibility of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in forest and residential-garden soils by on-line coupling of a hybrid flow set-up to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Three biologically relevant operational extraction modes mimicking: (i) gastric juice extraction alone; (ii) saliva and gastric juice composite in unidirectional flow extraction format and (iii) saliva and gastric juice composite in a recirculation mode were thoroughly investigated. The extraction profiles of the three configurations using digestive fluids were proven to fit a first order reaction kinetic model for estimating the maximum TE bioaccessibility, that is, the actual worst-case scenario in human risk assessment protocols. A full factorial design, in which the sample amount (400–800 mg), the extractant flow rate (0.5–1.5 mL min −1 ) and the extraction temperature (27–37 °C) were selected as variables for the multivariate optimization studies in order to obtain the maximum TE extractability. Two soils of varied physicochemical properties were analysed and no significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level

Estimation of the bio-accessible fraction of Cr, As, Cd and Pb in locally available bread using on-line continuous leaching method coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamsal, Ram P; Beauchemin, Diane

2015-03-31

A previously developed, efficient and simple on-line leaching method was used to assess the maximum bio-accessible fraction (assuming no synergistic effect from other food and beverage) of potentially toxic elements (Cr, As, Cd and Pb) in whole wheat brown and white bread samples. Artificial saliva, gastric juice and intestinal juice were successively pumped into a mini-column, packed with bread (maintained at 37 °C) connected on-line to the nebulizer of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument equipped with a collision-reaction interface (CRI) using hydrogen as reaction gas to minimize carbon- and chlorine-based polyatomic interferences. In contrast to the conventional batch method to which it was compared, this approach provides real-time monitoring of potentially toxic elements that are continuously released during leaching. Mass balance for both methods was verified at the 95% confidence level. Results obtained from the whole wheat brown and white bread showed that the majority of Cr, Cd and Pb was leached by gastric juice but, in contrast, the majority of As was leached by saliva. While there was higher total content for elements in whole wheat bread than in white bread, a higher percentage of elements were bio-accessible in white bread than in whole wheat bread. Both the on-line and batch methods indicate that 40-98% of toxic elements in bread samples are bio-accessible. While comparison of total analyte concentrations with provisional tolerable daily intake values may indicate some serious health concern for children, when accounting for the bio-accessibility of these elements, bread consumption is found to be safe for all ages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phytases Improve Myo-Inositol Bioaccessibility in Rye Bread: A Study Using an In Vitro Method of Digestion and a Caco-2 Cell Culture Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Duliński, Robert; Cielecka, Emilia Katarzyna; Pierzchalska, Małgorzata; Żyła, Krzysztof

2015-03-01

Preparations of 6-phytase A (EC 3.1.3.26) and phytase B (acid phosphatase, EC 3.1.3.2) were applied alone and combined in the preparation of dough to estimate their catalytic potential for myo- inositol liberation from rye flour in the breadmaking technology. The experimental bread samples were ground after baking and subjected to determination of myo- inositol bioavailability by an in vitro method that simulated digestion in a human alimentary tract, followed by measurements of myo- inositol transport through enterocyte- -like differentiated Caco-2 cells to determine its bioaccessibility. Myo- inositol content was measured by a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) technique. The concentration of myo- inositol in the dialysates of control bread was 25.3 µg/mL, whereas in the dialysates of bread sample baked with 6-phytase A, the concentration increased to 35.4 µg/mL, and in the bread baked with phytase B to 64.98 µg/mL. Simultaneous application of both enzymes resulted in myo- inositol release of 64.04 µg/mL. The highest bioaccessibility of myo- inositol, assessed by the measurement of the passage through the Caco-2 monolayer was determined in the bread baked with the addition of 6-phytase A. Enzymatically modified rye bread, particularly by the addition of 6-phytase A, may be therefore a rich source of a highly bioaccessible myo - -inositol.

Phytases Improve Myo-Inositol Bioaccessibility in Rye Bread: A Study Using an In Vitro Method of Digestion and a Caco-2 Cell Culture Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilia Katarzyna Cielecka

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Preparations of 6-phytase A (EC 3.1.3.26 and phytase B (acid phosphatase, EC 3.1.3.2 were applied alone and combined in the preparation of dough to estimate their catalytic potential for myo-inositol liberation from rye flour in the breadmaking technology. The experimental bread samples were ground after baking and subjected to determination of myo-inositol bioavailability by an in vitro method that simulated digestion in a human alimentary tract, followed by measurements of myo-inositol transport through enterocyte-like differentiated Caco-2 cells to determine its bioaccessibility. Myo-inositol content was measured by a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD technique. The concentration of myo-inositol in the dialysates of control bread was 25.3 μg/mL, whereas in the dialysates of bread sample baked with 6-phytase A, the concentration increased to 35.4 μg/mL, and in the bread baked with phytase B to 64.98 μg/mL. Simultaneous application of both enzymes resulted in myo-inositol release of 64.04 μg/mL. The highest bioaccessibility of myo-inositol, assessed by the measurement of the passage through the Caco-2 monolayer was determined in the bread baked with the addition of 6-phytase A. Enzymatically modifi ed rye bread, particularly by the addition of 6-phytase A, may be therefore a rich source of a highly bioaccessible myo-inositol.

Phytases Improve Myo-Inositol Bioaccessibility in Rye Bread: A Study Using an In Vitro Method of Digestion and a Caco-2 Cell Culture Model

Science.gov (United States)

Cielecka, Emilia Katarzyna; Pierzchalska, Małgorzata; Żyła, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

Summary Preparations of 6-phytase A (EC 3.1.3.26) and phytase B (acid phosphatase, EC 3.1.3.2) were applied alone and combined in the preparation of dough to estimate their catalytic potential for myo-inositol liberation from rye flour in the breadmaking technology. The experimental bread samples were ground after baking and subjected to determination of myo-inositol bioavailability by an in vitro method that simulated digestion in a human alimentary tract, followed by measurements of myo-inositol transport through enterocyte- -like differentiated Caco-2 cells to determine its bioaccessibility. Myo-inositol content was measured by a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) technique. The concentration of myo-inositol in the dialysates of control bread was 25.3 µg/mL, whereas in the dialysates of bread sample baked with 6-phytase A, the concentration increased to 35.4 µg/mL, and in the bread baked with phytase B to 64.98 µg/mL. Simultaneous application of both enzymes resulted in myo-inositol release of 64.04 µg/mL. The highest bioaccessibility of myo-inositol, assessed by the measurement of the passage through the Caco-2 monolayer was determined in the bread baked with the addition of 6-phytase A. Enzymatically modified rye bread, particularly by the addition of 6-phytase A, may be therefore a rich source of a highly bioaccessible myo- -inositol. PMID:27904333

A water-leach procedure for estimating bioaccessibility of elements in soils from transects across the United States and Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, Robert G.; Hall, G.E.M.; Vaive, J.E.; Pelchat, P.

2009-01-01

An objective of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project is to provide relevant data concerning bioaccessible concentrations of elements in soil to government and other institutions undertaking environmental studies. A protocol was developed that employs a 1-g soil sample agitated overnight with 40 mL of reverse-osmosis de-ionized water for 20 h, and determination of 63 elements following three steps of centrifugation by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry the following day. Statistical summaries are presented for those 48 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, I, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, Pr, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Tb, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr, and pH) for which d s (L/kg), were determined and their relevance to estimating bioaccessible amounts of elements to soil fauna and flora is discussed. Finally, a possible link between W concentrations in human urine and water-extractable W levels in Nevada soils is discussed.

Electronic resource management systems a workflow approach

CERN Document Server

Anderson, Elsa K

2014-01-01

To get to the bottom of a successful approach to Electronic Resource Management (ERM), Anderson interviewed staff at 11 institutions about their ERM implementations. Among her conclusions, presented in this issue of Library Technology Reports, is that grasping the intricacies of your workflow-analyzing each step to reveal the gaps and problems-at the beginning is crucial to selecting and implementing an ERM. Whether the system will be used to fill a gap, aggregate critical data, or replace a tedious manual process, the best solution for your library depends on factors such as your current soft

Electronic Resource Management System. Vernetzung von Lizenzinformationen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michaela Selbach

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In den letzten zehn Jahren spielen elektronische Ressourcen im Bereich der Erwerbung eine zunehmend wichtige Rolle: Eindeutig lässt sich hier ein Wandel in den Bibliotheken (fort vom reinen Printbestand zu immer größeren E-Only-Beständen feststellen. Die stetig wachsende Menge an E-Ressourcen und deren Heterogenität stellt Bibliotheken vor die Herausforderung, die E-Ressourcen effizient zu verwalten. Nicht nur Bibliotheken, sondern auch verhandlungsführende Institutionen von Konsortial- und Allianzlizenzen benötigen ein geeignetes Instrument zur Verwaltung von Lizenzinformationen, welches den komplexen Anforderungen moderner E-Ressourcen gerecht wird. Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG unterstützt ein Projekt des Hochschulbibliothekszentrums des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (hbz, der Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg, der Verbundzentrale des Gemeinsamen Bibliotheksverbundes (GBV und der Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt, in dem ein bundesweit verfügbares Electronic Ressource Managementsystem (ERMS aufgebaut werden soll. Ein solches ERMS soll auf Basis einer zentralen Knowledge Base eine einheitliche Nutzung von Daten zur Lizenzverwaltung elektronischer Ressourcen auf lokaler, regionaler und nationaler Ebene ermöglichen. Statistische Auswertungen, Rechteverwaltung für alle angeschlossenen Bibliotheken, kooperative Datenpflege sowie ein über standardisierte Schnittstellen geführter Datenaustausch stehen bei der Erarbeitung der Anforderungen ebenso im Fokus wie die Entwicklung eines Daten- und Funktionsmodells. In the last few years the importance of electronic resources in library acquisitions has increased significantly. There has been a shift from mere print holdings to both e- and print combinations and even e-only subscriptions. This shift poses a double challenge for libraries: On the one hand they have to provide their e-resource collections to library users in an appealing way, on the other hand they have to manage these

Bioaccessibilities and health implications of heavy metals in exposed-lawn soils from 28 urban parks in the megacity Guangzhou inferred from an in vitro physiologically-based extraction test.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yang-Guang; Gao, Yan-Peng

2018-02-01

This study focused on characterizing the oral bioaccessibilities and human health risks of eight heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn) in surface-exposed lawn soils from 28 urban parks in Guangzhou. The physiologically-based extraction test (PBET) method was used to assess bioavailability (in gastric and intestinal phases) and human health risk was assessed via statistical modelling (carcinogenic risk assessment, hazard quotients and hazard indices). Mean bioaccessibilities of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn from all soil samples were 50.90 ± 17.67%, 5.81 ± 1.67%, 7.12 ± 3.24%, 17.91 ± 18.34%, 11.93 ± 2.88%, 34.33 ± 10.02%, 1.68 ± 0.48%, 26.71 ± 5.06%, respectively. The concentrations of most heavy metals were higher in the gastric phase, except for Cr and Ni which remained higher in the intestinal phase. Principal component analysis revealed that the bioaccessibilities of the heavy metals could be split into three groupings, based on the urban park of soil origin. The carcinogenic risk probabilities for Pb and Cr were under the acceptable level (heavy metal contaminants in urban environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Electron Microscopy Outreach Program: A Web-based resource for research and education.

Science.gov (United States)

Sosinsky, G E; Baker, T S; Hand, G; Ellisman, M H

1999-01-01

We have developed a centralized World Wide Web (WWW)-based environment that serves as a resource of software tools and expertise for biological electron microscopy. A major focus is molecular electron microscopy, but the site also includes information and links on structural biology at all levels of resolution. This site serves to help integrate or link structural biology techniques in accordance with user needs. The WWW site, called the Electron Microscopy (EM) Outreach Program (URL: http://emoutreach.sdsc.edu), provides scientists with computational and educational tools for their research and edification. In particular, we have set up a centralized resource containing course notes, references, and links to image analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction software for investigators wanting to learn about EM techniques either within or outside of their fields of expertise. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Technical Communicator: A New Model for the Electronic Resources Librarian?

Science.gov (United States)

Hulseberg, Anna

2016-01-01

This article explores whether technical communicator is a useful model for electronic resources (ER) librarians. The fields of ER librarianship and technical communication (TC) originated and continue to develop in relation to evolving technologies. A review of the literature reveals four common themes for ER librarianship and TC. While the…

Operationally defined species characterization and bioaccessibility evaluation of cobalt, copper and selenium in Cape gooseberry (Physalis Peruviana L.) by SEC-ICP MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojcieszek, Justyna; Ruzik, Lena

2016-03-01

Physalis peruviana could attract great interest because of its nutritional and industrial properties. It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and carotenoids. Physalis Peruviana is also known to have a positive impact on human health. Unfortunately, still little is known about trace elements present in Physalis Peruviana and their forms available for the human body. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate bioaccessibility and characterization of species of cobalt, copper and selenium in Physalis Peruviana fruits. Total and extractable contents of elements were determined by mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP MS). In order to separate the different types of metal complexes Physalis peruviana fruits were treated with the following solvents: Tris-HCl (pH 7.4), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (pH 7.4) and ammonium acetate (pH 5.5). The best efficiency of extraction of: cobalt was obtained for ammonium acetate (56%) and Tris-HCl (60%); for copper was obtained for SDS (66%), for selenium the best extraction efficiency was obtained after extraction with SDS (48%). To obtain information about bioaccessibility of investigated elements, enzymatic extraction based on in vitro simulation of gastric (pepsin) and intestinal (pancreatin) digestion was performed. For copper and selenium the simulation of gastric digestion leads to the extraction yield above 90%, while both steps of digestion method were necessary to obtain satisfactory extraction yield in the case of cobalt. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to on-line ICP MS detection was used to investigate collected metal species. The main fraction of metal compounds was found in the 17 kDa region. Cobalt and copper create complexes mostly with compounds extracted by means of ammonium acetate and SDS, respectively. Cobalt, copper and selenium were found to be highly bioaccessible from Physalis Peruviana. Investigation of available standards of cobalt and selenium

Cola soft drinks for evaluating the bioaccessibility of uranium in contaminated mine soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Lottermoser, Bernd G; Schnug, Ewald; Haneklaus, Silvia

2011-08-15

There is a rising need for scientifically sound and quantitative as well as simple, rapid, cheap and readily available soil testing procedures. The purpose of this study was to explore selected soft drinks (Coca-Cola Classic®, Diet Coke®, Coke Zero®) as indicators of bioaccessible uranium and other trace elements (As, Ce, Cu, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Th, Y, Zn) in contaminated soils of the Mary Kathleen uranium mine site, Australia. Data of single extraction tests using Coca-Cola Classic®, Diet Coke® and Coke Zero® demonstrate that extractable arsenic, copper, lanthanum, manganese, nickel, yttrium and zinc concentrations correlate significantly with DTPA- and CaCl₂-extractable metals. Moreover, the correlation between DTPA-extractable uranium and that extracted using Coca-Cola Classic® is close to unity (+0.98), with reduced correlations for Diet Coke® (+0.66) and Coke Zero® (+0.55). Also, Coca-Cola Classic® extracts uranium concentrations near identical to DTPA, whereas distinctly higher uranium fractions were extracted using Diet Coke® and Coke Zero®. Results of this study demonstrate that the use of Coca-Cola Classic® in single extraction tests provided an excellent indication of bioaccessible uranium in the analysed soils and of uranium uptake into leaves and stems of the Sodom apple (Calotropis procera). Moreover, the unconventional reagent is superior in terms of availability, costs, preparation and disposal compared to traditional chemicals. Contaminated site assessments and rehabilitation of uranium mine sites require a solid understanding of the chemical speciation of environmentally significant elements for estimating their translocation in soils and plant uptake. Therefore, Cola soft drinks have potential applications in single extraction tests of uranium contaminated soils and may be used for environmental impact assessments of uranium mine sites, nuclear fuel processing plants and waste storage and disposal facilities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier

Assessment of the solubility and bioaccessibility of arsenic in realgar wine using a simulated gastrointestinal system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yingnan; Sun Guoxin; Williams, Paul N.; Huang Qing; Zhu Yongguan

2011-01-01

Consumption of arsenic (As) wine is a traditional activity during the classic Chinese festival of Duanwu, colloquially known worldwide as the Dragon Boat Day. Arsenic wine is drunk on the morning of the fifth day of the fifth lunar calendar month to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famed Chinese poet who drowned himself in protest of a corrupt government, and to protect against ill fortune. Although realgar minerals are characteristically composed of sparingly soluble tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfides (As 4 S 4 ), purity does vary with up to 10% of As being present as non-sulfur bound species, such as arsenate (As V ) and arsenite (As III ). Despite, the renewed interest in As speciation and the bioaccessibility of the active As components in realgar based Chinese medicines, little is known about the safety surrounding the cultural practice of drinking As wine. In a series of experiments the speciation and solubility of As in a range of wines were investigated. Furthermore, a simulated gastrointestinal system was employed to predict the impact of digestive processes on As bioavailability. The predominant soluble As species found in all the wines were As III and As V . Based on typical As wine recipes employing 0.1 g realgar mL -1 wine, the concentration of dissolved As ranged from ca. 100 to 400 mg L -1 depending on the ethanol content of the preparation: with the As solubility found to be higher in wines with a lower proportion of ethanol. Based on a common 100 mL measure of wine with a concentration of 400 mg As L -1 , the amount of soluble As would equate to around half of the acute minimal lethal dose for adults. This is likely an underestimate of the bioaccessible concentration, as a three-fold increase in bioaccessibility could be observed in the intestinal phase based on the results from the stimulated gastrointestinal system. - Research highlights: → Drinking realgar wine is a traditional activity during the classic Chinese festival of Duanwu for more than

MODEL OF AN ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE OF NEW GENERATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anatoliy V. Loban

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The mathematical structure of the modular architecture of an electronic educational resource (EER of new generation, which allows to decompose the process of studying the subjects of the course at a hierarchically ordered set of data (knowledge and procedures for manipulating them, to determine the roles of participants of process of training of and technology the development and use of EOR in the study procrate.

Bioaccessible peptides released by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of fermented goat milks.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Montoro, Miriam; Jauregi, Paula; Navarro-Alarcón, Miguel; Olalla-Herrera, Manuel; Giménez-Martínez, Rafael; Amigo, Lourdes; Miralles, Beatriz

2018-06-01

In this study, ultrafiltered goat milks fermented with the classical starter bacteria Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarus subsp. thermophilus or with the classical starter plus the Lactobacillus plantarum C4 probiotic strain were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and/or high performance liquid chromatography-ion trap (HPLC-IT-MS/MS). Partial overlapping of the identified sequences with regard to fermentation culture was observed. Evaluation of the cleavage specificity suggested a lower proteolytic activity of the probiotic strain. Some of the potentially identified peptides had been previously reported as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antioxidant, and antibacterial and might account for the in vitro activity previously reported for these fermented milks. Simulated digestion of the products was conducted in the presence of a dialysis membrane to retrieve the bioaccessible peptide fraction. Some sequences with reported physiological activity resisted digestion but were found in the non-dialyzable fraction. However, new forms released by digestion, such as the antioxidant α s1 -casein 144 YFYPQL 149 , the antihypertensive α s2 -casein 90 YQKFPQY 96 , and the antibacterial α s2 -casein 165 LKKISQ 170 , were found in the dialyzable fraction of both fermented milks. Moreover, in the fermented milk including the probiotic strain, the k-casein dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor (DPP-IV) 51 INNQFLPYPY 60 as well as additional ACE inhibitory or antioxidant sequences could be identified. With the aim of anticipating further biological outcomes, quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analysis was applied to the bioaccessible fragments and led to potential ACE inhibitory sequences being proposed. Graphical abstract Ultrafiltered goat milks were fermented with the classical starter bacteria (St) and with St plus the

Evaluation of the impact of food matrix change on the in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) slices during two drying processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhongyuan; Wang, Xiaoyan; Li, Yixiang; Wei, Qiuyu; Liu, Chunju; Nie, Meimei; Li, Dajing; Xiao, Yadong; Liu, Chunquan; Xu, Lang; Zhang, Min; Jiang, Ning

2017-12-13

The food matrix is a limiting factor in determining the bioaccessibility of carotenoids. The impact of food matrix change on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids during drying processes is still unknown. The effect of intermittent microwave vacuum-assisted drying (IMVD) and hot air drying (HAD) on the in vitro liberation and micellization of carotenoids in pumpkin slices was studied. This variable depended on the changes of the matrix driven by the drying process. Different changes in the cell morphology and carotenoid distribution of pumpkin slices during the two processing methods were observed. For IMVD, cell wall degradation and complete chromoplast organelle disruption contributed to the improvement in the liberation and micellization of carotenoids. In the HAD-dried sample, large pigment aggregates hindered the liberation of carotenoids. The carotenoid level in the micellar fraction appeared to be lower than that in the aqueous supernatant during the two processes, suggesting that the new obstacles formed during processing and/or digestion hindered the incorporation of carotenoids in mixed micelles.

Comparison of the colloidal stability, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of corn protein hydrolysate and sodium caseinate stabilized curcumin nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yong-Hui; Yuan, Yang; Yang, Xiao-Quan; Wang, Jin-Mei; Guo, Jian; Lin, Yuan

2016-07-01

The aims of this work were to construct corn protein hydrolysate (CPH)-based curcumin nanoparticles (Cur NPs) and to compare the colloidal stability, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of the Cur NPs stabilized CPH and sodium caseinate (NaCas) respectively. The results indicated that Cur solubility could be considerably improved after the Cur NPs fabrication. The spectroscopy results demonstrated that the solubilization of Cur should be attributed to its complexation with CPH or NaCas. The Cur NPs exhibited good colloidal stability after 1 week's storage but showed smaller (40 nm) size in CPH than in NaCas (100 nm). After lyophilization, the Cur NPs powders showed good rehydration properties and chemical stability, and compared with NaCas, the size of Cur NPs stabilized by CPH was still smaller. Additionally, the Cur NPs exhibited higher chemical stability against the temperature compared with free Cur, and the CPH could protect Cur from degradation more efficiently. Comparing with NaCas, the Cur NPs stabilized by CPH exhibited better bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity. This study demonstrated that CPH may be better than NaCas in Cur NPs fabrication and it opens up the possibility of using hydrophobic protein hydrolysate to construct the NPs delivery system.

Bioaccessibility, Cellular Uptake, and Transport of Astaxanthin Isomers and their Antioxidative Effects in Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Cheng; Zhang, Hua; Liu, Ronghua; Zhu, Honghui; Zhang, Lianfu; Tsao, Rong

2017-11-29

The bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and antioxidative activities of three astaxanthin geometric isomers were investigated using an in vitro digestion model and human intestinal Caco-2 cells. This study demonstrated that the trans-cis isomerization of all-E-astaxanthin and the cis-trans isomerization of Z-astaxanthins could happen both during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and cellular uptake processes. 13Z-Astaxanthin showed higher bioaccessibility than 9Z- and all-E-astaxanthins during in vitro digestion, and 9Z-astaxanthin exhibited higher transport efficiency than all-E- and 13Z-astaxanthins. These might explain why 13Z- and 9Z-astaxanthins are found at higher concentrations in human plasma than all-E-astaxanthin in reported studies. All three astaxanthin isomers were effective in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis as seen in the antioxidant enzyme (CAT, SOD) activities ; 9Z- and 13Z- astaxanthins exhibited a higher protective effect than all-E-astaxanthin against oxidative stress as demonstrated by the lower cellular uptake of Z-astaxanthins and lower secretion and gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 in Caco-2 cells treated with H 2 O 2 . We conclude, for the first time, that Z-astaxanthin isomers may play a more important role in preventing oxidative stress induced intestinal diseases.

Surface passivity largely governs the bioaccessibility of nickel-based powder particles at human exposure conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedberg, Yolanda S; Herting, Gunilla; Latvala, Siiri; Elihn, Karine; Karlsson, Hanna L; Odnevall Wallinder, Inger

2016-11-01

The European chemical framework REACH requires that hazards and risks posed by chemicals, including alloys and metals, are identified and proven safe for humans and the environment. Therefore, differences in bioaccessibility in terms of released metals in synthetic biological fluids (different pH (1.5-7.4) and composition) that are relevant for different human exposure routes (inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact) have been assessed for powder particles of an alloy containing high levels of nickel (Inconel 718, 57 wt% nickel). This powder is compared with the bioaccessibility of two nickel-containing stainless steel powders (AISI 316L, 10-12% nickel) and with powders representing their main pure alloy constituents: two nickel metal powders (100% nickel), two iron metal powders and two chromium metal powders. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, microscopy, light scattering, and nitrogen absorption were employed for the particle and surface oxide characterization. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to quantify released amounts of metals in solution. Cytotoxicity (Alamar blue assay) and DNA damage (comet assay) of the Inconel powder were assessed following exposure of the human lung cell line A549, as well as its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (DCFH-DA assay). Despite its high nickel content, the Inconel alloy powder did not release any significant amounts of metals and did not induce any toxic response. It is concluded, that this is related to the high surface passivity of the Inconel powder governed by its chromium-rich surface oxide. Read-across from the pure metal constituents is hence not recommended either for this or any other passive alloy. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility of polyphenols associated with dietary fiber and in vitro kinetics release of polyphenols in Mexican 'Ataulfo' mango (Mangifera indica L.) by-products.

Science.gov (United States)

Blancas-Benitez, Francisco J; Mercado-Mercado, Gilberto; Quirós-Sauceda, Ana E; Montalvo-González, Efigenia; González-Aguilar, Gustavo A; Sáyago-Ayerdi, Sonia G

2015-03-01

The biological properties of polyphenol (PP) depend on its bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Therefore, part of PP released from the food matrix in the gastrointestinal tract through enzymatic hydrolysis is at least partially absorbed. The aim of this study is to determine the bioaccessibility of PP associated with dietary fiber (DF) and the kinetics release of PP in mango (Mangifera indica L.) 'Ataulfo' by-products by an in vitro model. Soluble and insoluble DF values were 7.99 and 18.56% in the mango paste and 6.98 and 22.78% in the mango peel, respectively. PP associated with soluble and insoluble DF was 6.0 and 3.73 g GAE per 100 g in the paste and 4.72 and 4.50 g GAE per 100 g in the peel. The bioaccessibility of PP was 38.67% in the pulp paste and 40.53% in the peel. A kinetics study shows a release rate of 2.66 and 3.27 g PP min(-1) in the paste and peel, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of the paste increased as digestion reached a value of 2.87 mmol TE min(-1) at 180 min. The antioxidant capacity of the peel had its maximum (28.94 mmol TE min(-1)) between 90 and 120 min of digestion; it started with a value of 2.58 mmol TE min(-1), and thereafter increased to 4.20 mmol TE min(-1) at 180 min. The major PPs released during the digestion of paste were gallic and hydroxybenzoic acids, while in the peel, they were hydroxycinnamic and vanillic acids. It was concluded that these phenolic compounds are readily available for absorption in the small intestine and exert different potential health benefits.

GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina P. Lavrentieva

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the causes of insufficient effective use of electronic learning resources and sets out the guidelines on ways to solve the aforementioned problems. The set of didactic, methodical, psychological, pedagogical, design and ergonomic quality requirements is considered for evaluation, selection and application of information and communication technologies in the educational process. The most appropriate mechanisms for the ICT introduction into the learning process are disclosed as it should meet the specific learning needs of the student and the objectives of the educational process. The guidance for psycho-educational assessment of quality of electronic educational resources is provided. It is argued that the effectiveness of the ICT use is to be improved by means of quality evaluation mechanisms involved into the educational process.

Availability, Use and Constraints to Use of Electronic Information Resources by Postgraduates Students at the University of Ibadan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dare Samuel Adeleke

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Availability, awareness and use of electronic resources provide access to authoritative, reliable, accurate and timely access to information. The use of electronic information resources (EIRs can enable innovation in teaching and increase timeliness in research of postgraduate students which will eventual result into encouragement of the expected research-led enquiry in this digital age. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Samples of 300 of postgraduate students within seven out 13 Faculties were randomly selected. Data were collected using questionnaire designed to elicit response from respondents and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Results indicated that internet was ranked most available and used in the university. Low level of usage of electronic resources, in particular, full texts data bases is linked to a number of constraints: Interrupted power supply was ranked highest among other factors as speed and capacity of computers, retrieval of records with high recall and low precision, retrieving records relevant to information need, lack of knowledge of search techniques to retrieve information effectively, non possession of requisite IT skills and problems accessing the internet. The study recommended that usage of electronic resources be made compulsory, intensifying awareness campaigns concerning the availability, training on use of electronic resources and the problem of power outage be addressed.

Assessment of the solubility and bioaccessibility of arsenic in realgar wine using a simulated gastrointestinal system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yingnan; Sun Guoxin [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); Williams, Paul N. [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Huang Qing [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Zhu Yongguan, E-mail: ygzhu@rcees.ac.cn [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361003 (China)

2011-05-15

Consumption of arsenic (As) wine is a traditional activity during the classic Chinese festival of Duanwu, colloquially known worldwide as the Dragon Boat Day. Arsenic wine is drunk on the morning of the fifth day of the fifth lunar calendar month to commemorate the death of Qu Yuan, a famed Chinese poet who drowned himself in protest of a corrupt government, and to protect against ill fortune. Although realgar minerals are characteristically composed of sparingly soluble tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfides (As{sub 4}S{sub 4}), purity does vary with up to 10% of As being present as non-sulfur bound species, such as arsenate (As{sup V}) and arsenite (As{sup III}). Despite, the renewed interest in As speciation and the bioaccessibility of the active As components in realgar based Chinese medicines, little is known about the safety surrounding the cultural practice of drinking As wine. In a series of experiments the speciation and solubility of As in a range of wines were investigated. Furthermore, a simulated gastrointestinal system was employed to predict the impact of digestive processes on As bioavailability. The predominant soluble As species found in all the wines were As{sup III} and As{sup V}. Based on typical As wine recipes employing 0.1 g realgar mL{sup -1} wine, the concentration of dissolved As ranged from ca. 100 to 400 mg L{sup -1} depending on the ethanol content of the preparation: with the As solubility found to be higher in wines with a lower proportion of ethanol. Based on a common 100 mL measure of wine with a concentration of 400 mg As L{sup -1}, the amount of soluble As would equate to around half of the acute minimal lethal dose for adults. This is likely an underestimate of the bioaccessible concentration, as a three-fold increase in bioaccessibility could be observed in the intestinal phase based on the results from the stimulated gastrointestinal system. - Research highlights: {yields} Drinking realgar wine is a traditional activity during the

A Study on Developing Evaluation Criteria for Electronic Resources in Evaluation Indicators of Libraries

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Younghee

2010-01-01

This study aimed to improve the current state of electronic resource evaluation in libraries. While the use of Web DB, e-book, e-journal, and other e-resources such as CD-ROM, DVD, and micro materials is increasing in libraries, their use is not comprehensively factored into the general evaluation of libraries and may diminish the reliability of…

Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated site soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephenson, G.; Angell, R.; Strive, E.; Ma, W.

2010-01-01

Although the bioavailability and/or bioaccessibility of contaminants in soil can be measured by various ecological receptors, the methods that are suitable for metals do not necessarily work well for petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs). In this study, several biological and chemical methods were used at various PHC contaminated sites to find the most fitting method for different soil types in terms of predicting the biological responses of organisms as measured by standard single species toxicity tests. Organisms such as plants, earthworms, and collembolan were exposed to soils with different PHC concentrations. Multiple endpoints were then measured to evaluate the biological responses. The exposure concentrations for the 4 CCME hydrocarbon fractions were measured using hexane:acetone extraction as well as extractions with cyclodextrin, and a mixture of enzymes to simulate the gastro-intestinal fluid of an earthworm. The estimated exposure concentrations depended on the extraction method. The study showed that existing methodologies must be modified in order to better estimate the biological effect of PHCs in soil. Comparative data was presented and discussed along with proposed methodological modifications.

Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated site soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stephenson, G.; Angell, R.; Strive, E.; Ma, W. [Stantec Consulting Ltd., Surrey, BC (Canada)

2010-07-01

Although the bioavailability and/or bioaccessibility of contaminants in soil can be measured by various ecological receptors, the methods that are suitable for metals do not necessarily work well for petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs). In this study, several biological and chemical methods were used at various PHC contaminated sites to find the most fitting method for different soil types in terms of predicting the biological responses of organisms as measured by standard single species toxicity tests. Organisms such as plants, earthworms, and collembolan were exposed to soils with different PHC concentrations. Multiple endpoints were then measured to evaluate the biological responses. The exposure concentrations for the 4 CCME hydrocarbon fractions were measured using hexane:acetone extraction as well as extractions with cyclodextrin, and a mixture of enzymes to simulate the gastro-intestinal fluid of an earthworm. The estimated exposure concentrations depended on the extraction method. The study showed that existing methodologies must be modified in order to better estimate the biological effect of PHCs in soil. Comparative data was presented and discussed along with proposed methodological modifications.

Bioaccessibility of micron-sized powder particles of molybdenum metal, iron metal, molybdenum oxides and ferromolybdenum--Importance of surface oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Mörsdorf, Alexander; Odnevall Wallinder, Inger; Hedberg, Yolanda

2015-08-01

The European chemical framework REACH requires that hazards and risks posed by chemicals, including alloys and metals, that are manufactured, imported or used in different products (substances or articles) are identified and proven safe for humans and the environment. Metals and alloys need hence to be investigated on their extent of released metals (bioaccessibility) in biologically relevant environments. Read-across from available studies may be used for similar materials. This study investigates the release of molybdenum and iron from powder particles of molybdenum metal (Mo), a ferromolybdenum alloy (FeMo), an iron metal powder (Fe), MoO2, and MoO3 in different synthetic body fluids of pH ranging from 1.5 to 7.4 and of different composition. Spectroscopic tools and cyclic voltammetry have been employed to characterize surface oxides, microscopy, light scattering and nitrogen absorption for particle characterization, and atomic absorption spectroscopy to quantify released amounts of metals. The release of molybdenum from the Mo powder generally increased with pH and was influenced by the fluid composition. The mixed iron and molybdenum surface oxide of the FeMo powder acted as a barrier both at acidic and weakly alkaline conditions. These findings underline the importance of the surface oxide characteristics for the bioaccessibility of metal alloys. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE MODEL OF LINGUISTIC TEACHERS’ COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT ON DESIGNING MULTIMEDIA ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN THE MOODLE SYSTEM

OpenAIRE

Anton M. Avramchuk

2017-01-01

The article is devoted to the problem of developing the competency of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system. The concept of "the competence of teachers of language disciplines on designing multimedia electronic educational resources in the Moodle system" is justified and defined. Identified and characterized the components by which the levels of the competency development of teachers of language disciplines on designing ...

Testing single extraction methods and in vitro tests to assess the geochemical reactivity and human bioaccessibility of silver in urban soils amended with silver nanoparticles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cruz, N.; Rodrigues, S.M.; Tavares, D.; Monteiro, R.J.R.; Carvalho, L.; Trindade, T.; Duarte, A.C.; Pereira, E.; Romkens, Paul

2015-01-01

To assess if the geochemical reactivity and human bioaccessibility of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in soils can be determined by routine soil tests commonly applied to other metals in soil, colloidal Ag was introduced to five pots containing urban soils (equivalent to 6.8mgAgkg^-1

Determining the level of awareness of the physicians in using the variety of electronic information resources and the effecting factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Papi, Ahmad; Ghazavi, Roghayeh; Moradi, Salimeh

2015-01-01

Understanding of the medical society's from the types of information resources for quick and easy access to information is an imperative task in medical researches and management of the treatment. The present study was aimed to determine the level of awareness of the physicians in using various electronic information resources and the factors affecting it. This study was a descriptive survey. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The study population included all the physicians and specialty physicians of the teaching hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and numbered 350. The sample size based on Morgan's formula was set at 180. The content validity of the tool was confirmed by the library and information professionals and the reliability was 95%. Descriptive statistics were used including the SPSS software version 19. On reviewing the need of the physicians to obtain the information on several occasions, the need for information in conducting the researches was reported by the maximum number of physicians (91.9%) and the usage of information resources, especially the electronic resources, formed 65.4% as the highest rate with regard to meeting the information needs of the physicians. Among the electronic information databases, the maximum awareness was related to Medline with 86.5%. Among the various electronic information resources, the highest awareness (43.3%) was related to the E-journals. The highest usage (36%) was also from the same source. The studied physicians considered the most effective deterrent in the use of electronic information resources as being too busy and lack of time. Despite the importance of electronic information resources for the physician's community, there was no comprehensive knowledge of these resources. This can lead to less usage of these resources. Therefore, careful planning is necessary in the hospital libraries in order to introduce the facilities and full capabilities of the

Managing Selection for Electronic Resources: Kent State University Develops a New System to Automate Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Kay

2012-01-01

Kent State University has developed a centralized system that manages the communication and work related to the review and selection of commercially available electronic resources. It is an automated system that tracks the review process, provides selectors with price and trial information, and compiles reviewers' feedback about the resource. It…

Pollution and Oral Bioaccessibility of Pb in Soils of Villages and Cities with a Long Habitation History.

Science.gov (United States)

Walraven, Nikolaj; Bakker, Martine; van Os, Bertil; Klaver, Gerard; Middelburg, Jack Jacobus; Davies, Gareth

2016-02-17

The Dutch cities Utrecht and Wijk bij Duurstede were founded by the Romans around 50 B.C. and the village Fijnaart and Graft-De Rijp around 1600 A.D. The soils of these villages are polluted with Pb (up to ~5000 mg/kg). Lead isotope ratios were used to trace the sources of Pb pollution in the urban soils. In ~75% of the urban soils the source of the Pb pollution was a mixture of glazed potsherd, sherds of glazed roof tiles, building remnants (Pb sheets), metal slag, Pb-based paint flakes and coal ashes. These anthropogenic Pb sources most likely entered the urban soils due to historical smelting activities, renovation and demolition of houses, disposal of coal ashes and raising and fertilization of land with city waste. Since many houses still contain Pb-based building materials, careless renovation or demolition can cause new or more extensive Pb pollution in urban soils. In ~25% of the studied urban topsoils, Pb isotope compositions suggest Pb pollution was caused by incinerator ash and/or gasoline Pb suggesting atmospheric deposition as the major source. The bioaccessible Pb fraction of 14 selected urban soils was determined with an in vitro test and varied from 16% to 82% of total Pb. The bioaccessibility appears related to the chemical composition and grain size of the primary Pb phases and pollution age. Risk assessment based on the in vitro test results imply that risk to children may be underestimated in ~90% of the studied sample sites (13 out of 14).

Pollution and Oral Bioaccessibility of Pb in Soils of Villages and Cities with a Long Habitation History

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolaj Walraven

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The Dutch cities Utrecht and Wijk bij Duurstede were founded by the Romans around 50 B.C. and the village Fijnaart and Graft-De Rijp around 1600 A.D. The soils of these villages are polluted with Pb (up to ~5000 mg/kg. Lead isotope ratios were used to trace the sources of Pb pollution in the urban soils. In ~75% of the urban soils the source of the Pb pollution was a mixture of glazed potsherd, sherds of glazed roof tiles, building remnants (Pb sheets, metal slag, Pb-based paint flakes and coal ashes. These anthropogenic Pb sources most likely entered the urban soils due to historical smelting activities, renovation and demolition of houses, disposal of coal ashes and raising and fertilization of land with city waste. Since many houses still contain Pb-based building materials, careless renovation or demolition can cause new or more extensive Pb pollution in urban soils. In ~25% of the studied urban topsoils, Pb isotope compositions suggest Pb pollution was caused by incinerator ash and/or gasoline Pb suggesting atmospheric deposition as the major source. The bioaccessible Pb fraction of 14 selected urban soils was determined with an in vitro test and varied from 16% to 82% of total Pb. The bioaccessibility appears related to the chemical composition and grain size of the primary Pb phases and pollution age. Risk assessment based on the in vitro test results imply that risk to children may be underestimated in ~90% of the studied sample sites (13 out of 14.

The use of a physiologically-based extraction test to assess relationships between bioaccessible metals in urban soil and neurodevelopmental conditions in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Jie; Wang, Yinding; McDermott, Suzanne; Cai, Bo; Aelion, C. Marjorie; Lead, Jamie

2016-01-01

Intellectual disability (ID) and cerebral palsy (CP) are serious neurodevelopment conditions and low birth weight (LBW) is correlated with both ID and CP. The actual causes and mechanisms for each of these child outcomes are not well understood. In this study, the relationship between bioaccessible metal concentrations in urban soil and these child conditions were investigated. A physiologically based extraction test (PBET) mimicking gastric and intestinal processes was applied to measure the bio-accessibility of four metals (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb)) in urban soil, and a Bayesian Kriging method was used to estimate metal concentrations in geocoded maternal residential sites. The results showed that bioaccessible metal concentrations of Cd, Ni, and Pb in the intestinal phase were statistically significantly associated with the child outcomes. Lead and nickel were associated with ID, lead and cadmium was associated with LBW, and cadmium was associated with CP. The total concentrations and stomach concentrations were not correlated to significant effects in any of the analyses. For lead, an estimated threshold value was found that was statistically significant in predicting low birth weight. The change point test was statistically significant (p value = 0.045) at an intestine threshold level of 9.2 mg/kg (95% confidence interval 8.9–9.4, p value = 0.0016), which corresponds to 130.6 mg/kg of total Pb concentration in the soil. This is a narrow confidence interval for an important relationship. - Highlights: • Correlation between bioavailable metals and child development were investigated. • Cd, Ni, and Pb in the intestinal phase significantly affect neurodevelopment. • Pb has a threshold value 130.6 mg/kg (of whole soil) for low birth weight. - Based on physiologically based extraction test, the 130.6 mg/kg of total Pb concentration in the soil may cause low birth weight of baby.

End-of-life resource recovery from emerging electronic products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parajuly, Keshav; Habib, Komal; Cimpan, Ciprian

2016-01-01

Integrating product design with appropriate end-of-life (EoL) processing is widely recognized to have huge potentials in improving resource recovery from electronic products. In this study, we investigate both the product characteristics and EoL processing of robotic vacuum cleaner (RVC), as a case...... of emerging electronic product, in order to understand the recovery fate of different materials and its linkage to product design. Ten different brands of RVC were dismantled and their material composition and design profiles were studied. Another 125 RVCs (349 kg) were used for an experimental trial...... at a conventional ‘shred-and-separate’ type preprocessing plant in Denmark. A detailed material flow analysis was performed throughout the recycling chain. The results show a mismatch between product design and EoL processing, and the lack of practical implementation of ‘Design for EoL’ thinking. In the best...

Use of electronic sales data to tailor nutrition education resources for an ethnically diverse population.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyles, H; Rodgers, A; Ni Mhurchu, C

2010-02-01

Nutrition education may be most effective when personally tailored. Individualised electronic supermarket sales data offer opportunities to tailor nutrition education using shopper's usual food purchases. The present study aimed to use individualised electronic supermarket sales data to tailor nutrition resources for an ethnically diverse population in a large supermarket intervention trial in New Zealand. Culturally appropriate nutrition education resources (i.e. messages and shopping lists) were developed with the target population (through two sets of focus groups) and ethnic researchers. A nutrient database of supermarket products was developed using retrospective sales data and linked to participant sales to allow tailoring by usual food purchases. Modified Heart Foundation Tick criteria were used to identify 'healthier' products in the database suitable for promotion in the resources. Rules were developed to create a monthly report listing the tailored and culturally targeted messages to be sent to each participant, and to produce automated, tailored shopping lists. Culturally targeted nutrition messages (n = 864) and shopping lists (n = 3 formats) were developed. The food and nutrient database (n = 3000 top-selling products) was created using 12 months of retrospective sales data, and comprised 60%'healthier' products. Three months of baseline sales data were used to determine usual food purchases. Tailored resources were successfully mailed to 123 Māori, 52 Pacific and 346 non-Māori non-Pacific participants over the 6-month trial intervention period. Electronic supermarket sales data can be used to tailor nutrition education resources for a large number of ethnically diverse supermarket shoppers.

Availability, Level of Use and Constraints to Use of Electronic Resources by Law Lecturers in Public Universities in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Amusa, Oyintola Isiaka; Atinmo, Morayo

2016-01-01

(Purpose) This study surveyed the level of availability, use and constraints to use of electronic resources among law lecturers in Nigeria. (Methodology) Five hundred and fifty-two law lecturers were surveyed and four hundred and forty-two responded. (Results) Data analysis revealed that the level of availability of electronic resources for the…

A systematic review of portable electronic technology for health education in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

McHenry, Megan S; Fischer, Lydia J; Chun, Yeona; Vreeman, Rachel C

2017-08-01

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature of how portable electronic technologies with offline functionality are perceived and used to provide health education in resource-limited settings. Three reviewers evaluated articles and performed a bibliography search to identify studies describing health education delivered by portable electronic device with offline functionality in low- or middle-income countries. Data extracted included: study population; study design and type of analysis; type of technology used; method of use; setting of technology use; impact on caregivers, patients, or overall health outcomes; and reported limitations. Searches yielded 5514 unique titles. Out of 75 critically reviewed full-text articles, 10 met inclusion criteria. Study locations included Botswana, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, Nigeria, India, Ghana, and Tanzania. Topics addressed included: development of healthcare worker training modules, clinical decision support tools, patient education tools, perceptions and usability of portable electronic technology, and comparisons of technologies and/or mobile applications. Studies primarily looked at the assessment of developed educational modules on trainee health knowledge, perceptions and usability of technology, and comparisons of technologies. Overall, studies reported positive results for portable electronic device-based health education, frequently reporting increased provider/patient knowledge, improved patient outcomes in both quality of care and management, increased provider comfort level with technology, and an environment characterized by increased levels of technology-based, informal learning situations. Negative assessments included high investment costs, lack of technical support, and fear of device theft. While the research is limited, portable electronic educational resources present promising avenues to increase access to effective health education in resource-limited settings, contingent

Effect of different iron compounds on rheological and technological parameters as well as bioaccessibility of minerals in whole wheat bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebellato, Ana Paula; Bussi, Jéssica; Silva, Joyce Grazielle Siqueira; Greiner, Ralf; Steel, Caroline Joy; Pallone, Juliana Azevedo Lima

2017-04-01

This study aimed at investigating the effect of iron compounds used in whole wheat flour (WWF) fortification, both on rheological properties of the dough and on bread technological quality. Furthermore, bioaccessibility of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and calcium (Ca) in the final breads was determined. Rheological properties (mainly dough development time, stability, mixing tolerance index, resistance to extension and ratio number) of the dough and the technological quality of bread (mainly oven spring and cut opening) were altered. However, producing roll breads fortified with different iron compounds was still possible. NaFeEDTA (ferric sodium ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid) proved to be the most effective iron compound in the fortification of WWF, since it presented the highest levels of solubility (44.80%) and dialysability (46.14%), followed by microencapsulated ferrous fumarate (FFm). On the other hand, the microencapsulated ferrous sulfate (FSm) and reduced iron presented the lowest solubility (5.40 and 18.30%, respectively) and dialysability (33.12 and 31.79%, respectively). Zn dialysis was positively influenced by NaFeEDTA, FSm, and ferrous fumarate. As for Ca, dialysis was positively influenced by FSm and negatively influenced by FFm. The data indicated that there is a competitive interaction for the absorption of these minerals in whole wheat roll breads, but all studied minerals can be considered bioaccessible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of fatty acyl composition and quantity of triglycerides on bioaccessibility of dietary carotenoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Tianyao; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Schwartz, Steven J; Failla, Mark L

2007-10-31

A carotenoid-rich salad meal with varying amounts and types of triglycerides (TG) was digested using simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions. Xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) and carotenes (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene) in chyme and micelle fraction were quantified to determine digestive stability and efficiency of micellarization (bioaccessibility). Micellarization of lutein (+zeaxanthin) exceeded that of alpha- and beta-carotenes, which was greater than that of lycopene for all test conditions. Micellarization of carotenes, but not lutein (+zeaxanthin), was enhanced (P structured TG (c18:1 > c8:0 > c4:0). The degree of unsaturation of c18 fatty acyl chains in TG added to the salad purée did not significantly alter the efficiency of micellarization of carotenoids. Relatively low amounts of triolein and canola oil (0.5-1%) were required for maximum micellarization of carotenes, but more oil (approximately 2.5%) was required when TG with medium chain saturated fatty acyl groups (e.g., trioctanoin and coconut oil) was added to the salad. Uptake of lutein and beta-carotene by Caco-2 cells also was examined by exposing cells to micelles generated during the simulated digestion of salad purée with either triolein or trioctanoin. Cell accumulation of beta-carotene was independent of fatty acyl composition of micelles, whereas lutein uptake was slightly, but significantly, increased from samples with digested triolein compared to trioctanoin. The results show that the in vitro transfer of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene from chyme to mixed micelles during digestion requires minimal (0.5-1%) lipid content in the meal and is affected by the length of fatty acyl chains but not the degree of unsaturation in TG. In contrast, fatty acyl chain length has limited if any impact on carotenoid uptake by small intestinal epithelial cells. These data suggest that the amount of TG in a typical meal does not limit the bioaccessibility of

SAGES: a suite of freely-available software tools for electronic disease surveillance in resource-limited settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheri L Lewis

Full Text Available Public health surveillance is undergoing a revolution driven by advances in the field of information technology. Many countries have experienced vast improvements in the collection, ingestion, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of public health data. Resource-limited countries have lagged behind due to challenges in information technology infrastructure, public health resources, and the costs of proprietary software. The Suite for Automated Global Electronic bioSurveillance (SAGES is a collection of modular, flexible, freely-available software tools for electronic disease surveillance in resource-limited settings. One or more SAGES tools may be used in concert with existing surveillance applications or the SAGES tools may be used en masse for an end-to-end biosurveillance capability. This flexibility allows for the development of an inexpensive, customized, and sustainable disease surveillance system. The ability to rapidly assess anomalous disease activity may lead to more efficient use of limited resources and better compliance with World Health Organization International Health Regulations.

Use and Cost of Electronic Resources in Central Library of Ferdowsi University Based on E-metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Davarpanah

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the usage of electronic journals in Ferdowsi University, Iran based on e-metrics. The paper also aimed to emphasize the analysis of cost-benefit and the correlation between the journal impact factors and the usage data. In this study experiences of Ferdowsi University library on licensing and usage of electronic resources was evaluated by providing a cost-benefit analysis based on the cost and usage statistics of electronic resources. Vendor-provided data were also compared with local usage data. The usage data were collected by tracking web-based access locally, and by collecting vender-provided usage data. The data sources were one-year of vendor-supplied e-resource usage data such as Ebsco, Elsevier, Proquest, Emerald, Oxford and Springer and local usage data collected from the Ferdowsi university web server. The study found that actual usage values differ for vendor-provided data and local usage data. Elsevier has got the highest usage degree in searches, sessions and downloads. Statistics also showed that a small number of journals satisfy significant amount of use while the majority of journals were used less frequent and some were never used at all. The users preferred the PDF rather than HTML format. The data in subject profile suggested that the provided e-resources were best suited to certain subjects. There was no correlation between IF and electronic journal use. Monitoring the usage of e-resources gained increasing importance for acquisition policy and budget decisions. The article provided information about local metrics for the six surveyed vendors/publishers, e.g. usage trends, requests per package, cost per use as related to the scientific specialty of the university.

Building and Managing Electronic Resources in Digital Era in India with Special Reference to IUCAA and NIV, Pune: A Comparative Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, H. K.; Singh, S. N.

2015-04-01

This paper discusses and presents a comparative case study of two libraries in Pune, India, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Information Centre and Library of National Institute of Virology (Indian Council of Medical Research). It compares how both libraries have managed their e-resource collections, including acquisitions, subscriptions, and consortia arrangements, while also developing a collection of their own resources, including pre-prints and publications, video lectures, and other materials in an institutional repository. This study illustrates how difficult it is to manage electronic resources in a developing country like India, even though electronic resources are used more than print resources. Electronic resource management can be daunting, but with a systematic approach, various problems can be solved, and use of the materials will be enhanced.

Comparison of the extraction efficiencies of different leaching agents for reliable assessment of bio-accessible trace metal fractions in airborne particulate matter

OpenAIRE

Mukhtar A.; Limbeck A.

2013-01-01

In present study, an in-vitro physiologically based extraction test has been applied for extraction of bio-accessible trace metal fractions in airborne particulate matter (APM) samples collected from different urban sites in Austria and Pakistan using the leaching agents H2O, sodium chloride, ammonium acetate, ammonium citrate, synthetic gastric juice and artificial lung fluids. Obtained extracts were then measured using an ETV-ICP-OES procedure which allowed highly sensitive measurement of d...

Metal availability and bio-accessibility in water-logged soils: in vitro experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Florido, M. C.; Madrid, F.; Madrid, L.; Ajmone-Marsan, F.

2010-05-01

Reducing conditions of submerged soils were simulated in vitro by keeping various soil samples for various times of reaction (between 1 and 15 days) in sealed flasks and N2 atmosphere under an aqueous solution, 0.01 M CaCl2 containing 1 g/l glucose. Surface samples of soils from urban green areas of Ljubljana (LJU), Torino (TOR) and Sevilla, were chosen. In the latter case, two samples of the same soil were included, before (SE-0) and after (SE-8) receiving a composted biosolid (two yearly doses of 80000 kg/ha) obtained from sewage sludge, often used as amendment by the Parks & Gardens Service of the local Government. A fifth soil (QUE) was chosen from the area affected by an accident where 2 million m3 of metal-rich mine tailings were spilled over the Guadiamar river (SW Spain) and its riparian areas. This highly polluted soil was included for comparison. Values of Eh, pH and several metal concentrations were determined in the solution after each time, and metal availability and bio-accessibility were estimated in the soils after treatment. The metals studied were Fe, Mn and some of those called 'urban' metals, namely Cu, Pb and Zn. The solution pH for LJU, TOR and SE-0 was slightly acidified in the first days and increased steadily afterwards. In contrast, QUE and SE-8 show pH increases from the beginning and a constant pH after 4-8 days. This agrees with the expected H+ consumption during reduction. Most soils show strong initial Eh decreases, subsequent slower increases up to 5-8 days and slow decreases afterwards. Solution Fe and Mn showed significant increases throughout the experiment, and Pb showed slight increases only up to 4 days. In contrast, other metals showed non-significant changes, and very low amounts were dissolved during the treatment. However, the amounts of available and, especially, bio-accessible urban metals in the solid phases were significantly increased by the treatment. Such increases may cause a greater leaching of metals to the water

[Use of internet and electronic resources among Spanish intensivist physicians. First national survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Tello, V; Latour-Pérez, J; Añón Elizalde, J M; Palencia-Herrejón, E; Díaz-Alersi, R; De Lucas-García, N

2006-01-01

Estimate knowledge and use habits of different electronic resources in a sample of Spanish intensivists: Internet, E-mail, distribution lists, and use of portable electronic devices. Self-applied questionnaire. A 50-question questionnaire was distributed among Spanish intensivists through the hospital marketing delegates of a pharmaceutical company and of electronic forums. A total of 682 questionnaires were analyzed (participation: 74%). Ninety six percent of those surveyed used Internet individually: 67% admitted training gap. Internet was the second source of clinical consultations most used (61%), slightly behind consultation to colleagues (65%). The pages consulted most were bibliographic databases (65%) and electronic professional journals (63%), with limited use of Evidence Based Medicine pages (19%). Ninety percent of those surveyed used e-mail regularly in the practice of their profession, although 25% admitted that were not aware of its possibilities. The use of E-mail decreased significantly with increase in age. A total of 62% of the intensivists used distribution lists. Of the rest, 42% were not aware of its existence and 32% admitted they had insufficient training to handle them. Twenty percent of those surveyed had portable electronic devices and 64% considered it useful, basically due to its rapid consultation at bedside. Female gender was a negative predictive factor of its use (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.2-0.63; p=0.0002). A large majority of the Spanish intensivists use Internet and E-mail. E-mail lists and use of portable devices are still underused resources. There are important gaps in training and infrequent use of essential pages. There are specific groups that require directed educational policies.

Model of e-learning with electronic educational resources of new generation

OpenAIRE

A. V. Loban; D. A. Lovtsov

2017-01-01

Purpose of the article: improving of scientific and methodical base of the theory of the е-learning of variability. Methods used: conceptual and logical modeling of the е-learning of variability process with electronic educational resource of new generation and system analysis of the interconnection of the studied subject area, methods, didactics approaches and information and communication technologies means. Results: the formalization complex model of the е-learning of variability with elec...

Integrated in vitro approaches to assess the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of silicon-biofortified leafy vegetables and preliminary effects on bone.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Imperio, Massimiliano; Brunetti, Giacomina; Gigante, Isabella; Serio, Francesco; Santamaria, Pietro; Cardinali, Angela; Colucci, Silvia; Minervini, Fiorenza

2017-03-01

Food industries are increasingly oriented toward new foods to improve nutritional status and/or to combat nutritional deficiency diseases. In this context, silicon biofortification could be an innovative tool for obtaining new foods with possible positive effects on bone mineralization. In this paper, an alternative and quick in vitro approach was applied in order to evaluate the potential health-promoting effects of five silicon-biofortified leafy vegetables (tatsoi, mizuna, purslane, Swiss chard and chicory) on bone mineralization compared with a commercial silicon supplement. The silicon bioaccessibility and bioavailability of the five leafy vegetables (biofortified or not) and of the supplement were assessed by applying a protocol consisting of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion coupled with a Caco-2 cell model. Silicon bioaccessibility ranged from 0.89 to 8.18 mg/L and bioavailability ranged from 111 to 206 μg/L of Si for both vegetables and supplement. Furthermore, the bioavailable fractions were tested on a human osteoblast cell model following the expression of type 1 collagen and alkaline phosphatase. The results obtained highlighted that the bioavailable fraction of biofortified purslane and Swiss chard improved the expression of both osteoblast markers compared with the supplement and other vegetables. These results underline the potentially beneficial effect of biofortified leafy vegetables and also indicate the usefulness of in vitro approaches for selecting the best vegetable with positive bone effects for further in vivo research.

Impact of Knowledge Resources Linked to an Electronic Health Record on Frequency of Unnecessary Tests and Treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Kenneth; Grad, Roland; Pluye, Pierre; Nowacki, Amy; Hickner, John

2012-01-01

Introduction: Electronic knowledge resources have the potential to rapidly provide answers to clinicians' questions. We sought to determine clinicians' reasons for searching these resources, the rate of finding relevant information, and the perceived clinical impact of the information they retrieved. Methods: We asked general internists, family…

Concentration and transportation of heavy metals in vegetables and risk assessment of human exposure to bioaccessible heavy metals in soil near a waste-incinerator site, South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ning; Kang, Yuan; Pan, Weijian; Zeng, Lixuan; Zhang, Qiuyun; Luo, Jiwen

2015-07-15

There is limited study focusing on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in vegetables and human exposure to bioaccessible heavy metals in soil. In the present study, heavy metal concentrations (Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb and Cd) were measured in five types of vegetables, soil, root, and settled air particle samples from two sites (at a domestic waste incinerator and at 20km away from the incinerator) in Guangzhou, South China. Heavy metal concentrations in soil were greater than those in aerial parts of vegetables and roots, which indicated that vegetables bioaccumulated low amount of heavy metals from soil. The similar pattern of heavy metal (Cr, Cd) was found in the settled air particle samples and aerial parts of vegetables from two sites, which may suggest that foliar uptake may be an important pathway of heavy metal from the environment to vegetables. The highest levels of heavy metals were found in leaf lettuce (125.52μg/g, dry weight) and bitter lettuce (71.2μg/g) for sites A and B, respectively, followed by bitter lettuce and leaf lettuce for sites A and B, respectively. Swamp morning glory accumulated the lowest amount of heavy metals (81.02μg/g for site A and 53.2μg/g for site B) at both sites. The bioaccessibility of heavy metals in soil ranged from Cr (2%) to Cu (71.78%). Risk assessment showed that Cd and Pb in soil samples resulted in the highest non-cancer risk and Cd would result in unacceptable cancer risk for children and risk. The non-dietary intake of soil was the most important exposure pathway, when the bioaccessibility of heavy metals was taken into account. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic Document Management: A Human Resource Management Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Groenewald

2004-11-01

Full Text Available This case study serve as exemplar regarding what can go wrong with the implementation of an electronic document management system. Knowledge agility and knowledge as capital, is outlined against the backdrop of the information society and knowledge economy. The importance of electronic document management and control is sketched thereafter. The literature review is concluded with the impact of human resource management on knowledge agility, which includes references to the learning organisation and complexity theory. The intervention methodology, comprising three phases, follows next. The results of the three phases are presented thereafter. Partial success has been achieved with improving the human efficacy of electronic document management, however the client opted to discontinue the system in use. Opsomming Die gevalle studie dien as voorbeeld van wat kan verkeerd loop met die implementering van ’n elektroniese dokumentbestuur sisteem. Teen die agtergrond van die inligtingsgemeenskap en kennishuishouding word kennissoepelheid en kennis as kapitaal bespreek. Die literatuurstudie word afgesluit met die inpak van menslikehulpbronbestuur op kennissoepelheid, wat ook die verwysings na die leerorganisasie en kompleksietydsteorie insluit. Die metodologie van die intervensie, wat uit drie fases bestaan, volg daarna. Die resultate van die drie fases word vervolgens aangebied. Slegs gedeelte welslae is behaal met die verbetering van die menslike doeltreffendheid ten opsigte van elektroniese dokumentbestuur. Die klient besluit egter om nie voort te gaan om die huidige sisteem te gebruik nie.

Challenges in the implementation of an electronic surveillance system in a resource-limited setting: Alerta, in Peru

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soto Giselle

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Infectious disease surveillance is a primary public health function in resource-limited settings. In 2003, an electronic disease surveillance system (Alerta was established in the Peruvian Navy with support from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD. Many challenges arose during the implementation process, and a variety of solutions were applied. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss these issues. Methods This is a retrospective description of the Alerta implementation. After a thoughtful evaluation according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC guidelines, the main challenges to implementation were identified and solutions were devised in the context of a resource-limited setting, Peru. Results After four years of operation, we have identified a number of challenges in implementing and operating this electronic disease surveillance system. These can be divided into the following categories: (1 issues with personnel and stakeholders; (2 issues with resources in a developing setting; (3 issues with processes involved in the collection of data and operation of the system; and (4 issues with organization at the central hub. Some of the challenges are unique to resource-limited settings, but many are applicable for any surveillance system. For each of these challenges, we developed feasible solutions that are discussed. Conclusion There are many challenges to overcome when implementing an electronic disease surveillance system, not only related to technology issues. A comprehensive approach is required for success, including: technical support, personnel management, effective training, and cultural sensitivity in order to assure the effective deployment of an electronic disease surveillance system.

Considering Point-of-Care Electronic Medical Resources in Lieu of Traditional Textbooks for Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, LaDonna S; Wallace, Michelle M; Adams, Courtney R; Kaufman, Michelle L; Snyder, Courtney L

2015-09-01

Selecting resources to support didactic courses is a critical decision, and the advantages and disadvantages must be carefully considered. During clinical rotations, students not only need to possess strong background knowledge but also are expected to be proficient with the same evidence-based POC resources used by clinicians. Students place high value on “real world” learning and therefore may place more value on POC resources that they know practicing clinicians use as compared with medical textbooks. The condensed nature of PA education requires students to develop background knowledge and information literacy skills over a short period. One way to build that knowledge and those skills simultaneously is to use POC resources in lieu of traditional medical textbooks during didactic training. Electronic POC resources offer several advantages over traditional textbooks and should be considered as viable options in PA education.

An in vitro assessment of bioaccessibility of arsenicals in rice and the use of this estimate within a probabilistic exposure model.

Science.gov (United States)

Trenary, Heather R; Creed, Patricia A; Young, Andrea R; Mantha, Madhavi; Schwegel, Carol A; Xue, Jianping; Kohan, Michael J; Herbin-Davis, Karen; Thomas, David J; Caruso, Joseph A; Creed, John T

2012-07-01

In this study, an in vitro synthetic gastrointestinal extraction protocol was used to estimate bioaccessibility of different arsenicals present in 17 rice samples of various grain types that were collected across the United States. The across matrix average for total arsenic was 209 ng/g±153 (\\[xmacr]±2σ). The bioaccessibility estimate produced an across matrix average of 61%±19 (\\[xmacr]±2σ). The across matrix average concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were 81 ng/g±67.7 and 41 ng/g±58.1 (\\[xmacr]±2σ), respectively. This distribution of iAs concentrations in rice was combined with the distribution of consumption patterns (from WWEIA) in a Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulator model to estimate population-based exposures. The mean consumption rate for the population as a whole was 15.7 g per day resulting in a 0.98 μg iAs per day exposure. The mean consumption rate for children 1-2 years old was 7 g per day resulting in a 0.48 μg iAs per day exposure. Presystemic biotransformation of DMA in rice was examined using an in vitro assay containing the anaerobic microbiota of mouse cecum. This assay indicated that DMA extracted from the rice was converted to dimethylthioarsinic acid, although a second oxygen-sulfur exchange to produce DMDTA was not observed.

Resource conservation approached with an appropriate collection and upgrade-remanufacturing for used electronic products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zlamparet, Gabriel I; Tan, Quanyin; Stevels, A B; Li, Jinhui

2018-03-01

This comparative research represents an example for a better conservation of resources by reducing the amount of waste (kg) and providing it more value under the umbrella of remanufacturing. The three discussed cases will expose three issues already addressed separately in the literature. The generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) interacts with the environmental depletion. In this article, we gave the examples of addressed issues under the concept of remanufacturing. Online collection opportunity eliminating classical collection, a business to business (B2B) implementation for remanufactured servers and medical devices. The material reuse (recycling), component sustainability, reuse (part harvesting), product reuse (after repair/remanufacturing) indicates the recovery potential using remanufacturing tool for a better conservation of resources adding more value to the products. Our findings can provide an overview of new system organization for the general collection, market potential and the technological advantages using remanufacturing instead of recycling of WEEE or used electrical and electronic equipment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of the Use of Electronic Human Resource Management (EHRM Within Human Resource Management (HRM Functions at Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chux Gervase Iwu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study set out to examine the effect of e-hrm systems in assisting human resource practitioners to execute their duties and responsibilities. In comparison to developed economies of the world, information technology adoption in sub-Saharan Africa has not been without certain glitches. Some of the factors that are responsible for these include poor need identification, sustainable funding, and insufficient skills. Besides these factors, there is also the issue of change management and users sticking to what they already know. Although, the above factors seem negative, there is strong evidence that information systems such as electronic human resource management present benefits to an organization. To achieve this, a dual research approach was utilized. Literature assisted immensely in both the development of the conceptual framework upon which the study hinged as well as in the development of the questionnaire items. The study also made use of an interview checklist to guide the participants. The findings reveal a mix of responses that indicate that while there are gains in adopting e-hrm systems, it is wiser to consider supporting resources as well as articulate the needs of the university better before any investment is made.

Electronic human resource management: Enhancing or entrancing?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Poisat

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Orientation: This article provides an investigation into the current level of development of the body of knowledge related to electronic human resource management (e-HRM by means of a qualitative content analysis. Several aspects of e-HRM, namely definitions of e-HRM, the theoretical perspectives around e-HRM, the role of e-HRM, the various types of e-HRM and the requirements for successful e-HRM, are examined. Research purpose: The purpose of the article was to determine the status of e-HRM and examine the studies that report on the link between e-HRM and organisational productivity. Motivation for the study: e-HRM has the capacity to improve organisational efficiency and leverage the role of human resources (HR as a strategic business partner. Main findings: The notion that the implementation of e-HRM will lead to improved organisational productivity is commonly assumed; however, empirical evidence in this regard was found to be limited. Practical/managerial implications: From the results of this investigation it is evident that more research is required to gain a greater understanding of the influence of e-HRM on organisational productivity, as well as to develop measures for assessing this influence. Contribution: This article proposes additional areas to research and measure when investigating the effectiveness of e-HRM. It provides a different lens from which to view e-HRM assessment whilst keeping it within recognised HR measurement parameters (the HR value chain. In addition, it not only provides areas for measuring e-HRM’s influence but also provides important clues as to how the measurements may be approached.

Identifying and evaluating electronic learning resources for use in adult-gerontology nurse practitioner education.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Hilaire J; Belza, Basia; Baker, Margaret; Christianson, Phyllis; Doorenbos, Ardith; Nguyen, Huong

2014-01-01

Enhancing existing curricula to meet newly published adult-gerontology advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) competencies in an efficient manner presents a challenge to nurse educators. Incorporating shared, published electronic learning resources (ELRs) in existing or new courses may be appropriate in order to assist students in achieving competencies. The purposes of this project were to (a) identify relevant available ELR for use in enhancing geriatric APRN education and (b) to evaluate the educational utility of identified ELRs based on established criteria. A multilevel search strategy was used. Two independent team members reviewed identified ELR against established criteria to ensure utility. Only resources meeting all criteria were retained. Resources were found for each of the competency areas and included formats such as podcasts, Web casts, case studies, and teaching videos. In many cases, resources were identified using supplemental strategies and not through traditional search or search of existing geriatric repositories. Resources identified have been useful to advanced practice educators in improving lecture and seminar content in a particular topic area and providing students and preceptors with additional self-learning resources. Addressing sustainability within geriatric APRN education is critical for sharing of best practices among educators and for sustainability of teaching and related resources. © 2014.

Systematic review of electronic surveillance of infectious diseases with emphasis on antimicrobial resistance surveillance in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Rattanaumpawan, Pinyo; Boonyasiri, Adhiratha; Vong, Sirenda; Thamlikitkul, Visanu

2018-02-01

Electronic surveillance of infectious diseases involves rapidly collecting, collating, and analyzing vast amounts of data from interrelated multiple databases. Although many developed countries have invested in electronic surveillance for infectious diseases, the system still presents a challenge for resource-limited health care settings. We conducted a systematic review by performing a comprehensive literature search on MEDLINE (January 2000-December 2015) to identify studies relevant to electronic surveillance of infectious diseases. Study characteristics and results were extracted and systematically reviewed by 3 infectious disease physicians. A total of 110 studies were included. Most surveillance systems were developed and implemented in high-income countries; less than one-quarter were conducted in low-or middle-income countries. Information technologies can be used to facilitate the process of obtaining laboratory, clinical, and pharmacologic data for the surveillance of infectious diseases, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) infections. These novel systems require greater resources; however, we found that using electronic surveillance systems could result in shorter times to detect targeted infectious diseases and improvement of data collection. This study highlights a lack of resources in areas where an effective, rapid surveillance system is most needed. The availability of information technology for the electronic surveillance of infectious diseases, including AMR infections, will facilitate the prevention and containment of such emerging infectious diseases. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The foodomics approach for the evaluation of protein bioaccessibility in processed meat upon in vitro digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Bordoni, Alessandra; Laghi, Luca; Babini, Elena; Di Nunzio, Mattia; Picone, Gianfranco; Ciampa, Alessandra; Valli, Veronica; Danesi, Francesca; Capozzi, Francesco

2014-06-01

The present work describes a foodomics protocol coupling an in vitro static simulation of digestion to a combination of omics techniques, to grant an overview of the protein digestibility of a meat-based food, namely Bresaola. The proteolytic activity mediated by the digestive enzymes is evaluated through Bradford and SDS-PAGE assays, combined to NMR relaxometry and spectroscopy, to obtain information ranging from the microscopic to the molecular level, respectively. The simple proteomics tool adopted here points out that a clear increase of bioaccessible proteins occurs in the gastric phase, rapidly disappearing during the following duodenal digestion. However, SDS-PAGE and the Bradford assay cannot follow the fate of the digested proteins when the products are sized meat matrix. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

From Millennium ERM to Proquest 360 Resource Manager: Implementing a new Electronic Resources Management System ERMS in an International Graduate Research University in Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-01-01

An overview of the Recommendation Study and the subsequent Implementation of a new Electronic Resources Management system ERMS in an international graduate research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It covers the timeline, deliverables

Open-Source Electronic Health Record Systems for Low-Resource Settings: Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Syzdykova, Assel; Malta, André; Zolfo, Maria; Diro, Ermias; Oliveira, José Luis

2017-11-13

Despite the great impact of information and communication technologies on clinical practice and on the quality of health services, this trend has been almost exclusive to developed countries, whereas countries with poor resources suffer from many economic and social issues that have hindered the real benefits of electronic health (eHealth) tools. As a component of eHealth systems, electronic health records (EHRs) play a fundamental role in patient management and effective medical care services. Thus, the adoption of EHRs in regions with a lack of infrastructure, untrained staff, and ill-equipped health care providers is an important task. However, the main barrier to adopting EHR software in low- and middle-income countries is the cost of its purchase and maintenance, which highlights the open-source approach as a good solution for these underserved areas. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of open-source EHR systems based on the requirements and limitations of low-resource settings. First, we reviewed existing literature on the comparison of available open-source solutions. In close collaboration with the University of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia, we identified common limitations in poor resource environments and also the main requirements that EHRs should support. Then, we extensively evaluated the current open-source EHR solutions, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and their appropriateness to fulfill a predefined set of features relevant for low-resource settings. The evaluation methodology allowed assessment of several key aspects of available solutions that are as follows: (1) integrated applications, (2) configurable reports, (3) custom reports, (4) custom forms, (5) interoperability, (6) coding systems, (7) authentication methods, (8) patient portal, (9) access control model, (10) cryptographic features, (11) flexible data model, (12) offline support, (13) native client, (14) Web client,(15) other clients, (16) code

The bioaccessibility of iodine in the biofortified vegetables throughout cooking and simulated digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rui; Li, De-Wang; Yan, Ai-Lan; Hong, Chun-Lai; Liu, Hui-Ping; Pan, Le-Hua; Song, Ming-Yi; Dai, Zhi-Xi; Ye, Ming-Li; Weng, Huan-Xin

2018-01-01

Biofortification of crops with exogenous iodine is a novel strategy to control iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). The bioaccessibility of iodine (BI) in the biofortified vegetables in the course of soaking, cooking and digestion, were examined. Under hydroponics, the concentration of iodine in leafstalks of the celery and pakchoi increased with increasing exogenous iodine concentration, 54.8-63.9% of the iodine absorbed by pakchoi was stored in the soluble cellular substance. Being soaked in water within 8 h, the iodine loss rate of the biofortified celery was 3.5-10.4% only. More than 80% of the iodine in the biofortified celery was retained after cooking under high temperature. The highest BI of the biofortified vegetables after digestion in simulated gastric and intestinal juice amounted to 74.08 and 68.28%, respectively. Factors influencing BI included pH, digestion duration, and liquid-to-solid ratio. The high BI of the biofortified vegetables provided a sound reference for the promotion of iodine biofortification as a tool to eliminate the IDD.

Bioaccessibility of U, Th and Pb in particulate matter from an abandoned uranium mine

Science.gov (United States)

Millward, Geoffrey; Foulkes, Michael; Henderson, Sam; Blake, William

2016-04-01

Currently, there are approximately 150 uranium mines in Europe at various stages of either operation, development, decommissioning, restoration or abandonment (wise-uranium.com). The particulate matter comprising the mounds of waste rock and mill tailings poses a risk to human health through the inadvertent ingestion of particles contaminated with uranium and thorium, and their decay products, which exposes recipients to the dual toxicity of heavy elements and their radioactive emissions. We investigated the bioaccessibility of 238U, 232Th and 206,214,210Pb in particulate samples taken from a contaminated, abandoned uranium mine in South West England. Sampling included a mine shaft, dressing floor and waste heap, as well as soils from a field used for grazing. The contaminants were extracted using the in-vitro Unified Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe Method (UBM) in order to mimic the digestion processes in the human stomach (STOM) and the combined stomach and gastrointestinal tract (STOM+INT). Analyses of concentrations of U, Th and Pb in the extracts were by ICP-MS and the activity concentrations of radionuclides were determined on the same particles, before and after extraction, using gamma spectroscopy. 'Total' concentrations of U, Th and Pb for all samples were in the range 57 to 16,200, 0.28 to 3.8 and 69 to 4750 mg kg-1, respectively. For U and Pb the concentrations in the STOM fraction were lower than the total and STOM+INT fractions were even lower. However, for Th the STOM+INT fractions were higher than the STOM due to the presence of Th carbonate species within the gastrointestinal fluid. Activity concentrations for 214Pb and 210Pb, including total, STOM and STOM+INT, were in the range 180 to samples were 39% and 8% in the STOM and STOM+INT, respectively, whereas the respective BAFs for 232Th were 3% and 9%. For stable 206Pb the STOM and STOM+INT BAFs were 16% and 3% for the most contaminated samples, whereas those from the field had 44% in the

Bioaccessibility and Speciation of Potential Toxicants in Some Geogenic Sources of Atmospheric Particulate Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Morman, S. A.; Wolf, R. E.; Plumlee, G.; Reynolds, R. L.

2008-12-01

The correlation of exposure to particulate matter (PM) and increased morbidity and mortality was established in the 1970's. Research focused on elucidating mechanisms of action (i.e. particle size, composition, and biodurability), has generally examined anthropogenic sources such as solid or liquid combustion byproducts of fossil fuels, byproducts from the smelting of metal ores, and commercial/industrial mineral dusts (asbestos, crystalline silica. metal dusts). While many studies exist on agricultural exposures to inorganic dust, far fewer have examined health issues related to particulate matter contributions from rural, non-agricultural dusts or other geogenic sources. Geogenic PM (produced by natural processes such as volcanic ash, volcanic fog (vog), dusts from dry lakes or glacial deposits, smoke and windborne ash from wildfires, and dusts containing various soil pathogens) and geoanthropogenic PM (produced from natural sources by processes that are modified or enhanced by human activities such as dusts from lakebeds dried by human removal of water, dusts produced from areas that have undergone desertification as a result of human practices etc.) are increasingly recognized as potential agents of toxicity and disease, via both environmental and occupational exposures. Surface sediment on some dry lake beds may contribute significant amounts of mineral dusts to the atmospheric load. For example, Owens Lake (a dry lake in southern California) has been a major source of PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 micrometers) dust in the United States. Dusts from dry and drying saline lakes may contain high concentrations of metals, such as arsenic, with known human health toxicity. Wildfires, consuming over nine million acres in 2007, also contribute significant amounts of particulate matter in addition to their other hazards. Designed to estimate the bioaccessibility of metals in soils, dusts and other environmental materials by measuring the reactivity of the

Evaluation of three electronic report processing systems for preparing hydrologic reports of the U.S Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

Science.gov (United States)

Stiltner, G.J.

1990-01-01

In 1987, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey undertook three pilot projects to evaluate electronic report processing systems as a means to improve the quality and timeliness of reports pertaining to water resources investigations. The three projects selected for study included the use of the following configuration of software and hardware: Ventura Publisher software on an IBM model AT personal computer, PageMaker software on a Macintosh computer, and FrameMaker software on a Sun Microsystems workstation. The following assessment criteria were to be addressed in the pilot studies: The combined use of text, tables, and graphics; analysis of time; ease of learning; compatibility with the existing minicomputer system; and technical limitations. It was considered essential that the camera-ready copy produced be in a format suitable for publication. Visual improvement alone was not a consideration. This report consolidates and summarizes the findings of the electronic report processing pilot projects. Text and table files originating on the existing minicomputer system were successfully transformed to the electronic report processing systems in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. Graphics prepared using a proprietary graphics software package were transferred to all the electronic report processing software through the use of Computer Graphic Metafiles. Graphics from other sources were entered into the systems by scanning paper images. Comparative analysis of time needed to process text and tables by the electronic report processing systems and by conventional methods indicated that, although more time is invested in creating the original page composition for an electronically processed report , substantial time is saved in producing subsequent reports because the format can be stored and re-used by electronic means as a template. Because of the more compact page layouts, costs of printing the reports were 15% to 25

Use and User Perception of Electronic Information Resources: A Case Study of Siva Institute of Frontier Technology, India

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Velmurugan Chandran

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to explore the use and user perception of electronic resources in Siva Institute of Frontier Technology, India. A total number of 123 users were taken into account for the study through a questionnaire-based survey method. A well-structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to the selected 200 students and staff members. 123 copies of the questionnaires were returned dully filled in and the overall response rate was 61.50 percent. The questionnaire contained both open- and close-ended questions. The collected data were classified, analyzed, and tabulated by using simple statistical methods. This study covers the impact of electronic resources on students and faculty in their academic pursuit.

A preliminary categorization of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment as secondary metal resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguchi, Masahiro; Murakami, Shinsuke; Sakanakura, Hirofumi; Kida, Akiko; Kameya, Takashi

2011-01-01

Highlights: → End-of-life electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as secondary metal resources. → The content and the total amount of metals in specific equipment are both important. → We categorized 21 EEE types from contents and total amounts of various metals. → Important equipment types as secondary resources were listed for each metal kind. → Collectability and possible collection systems of various EEE types were discussed. - Abstract: End-of-life electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has recently received attention as a secondary source of metals. This study examined characteristics of end-of-life EEE as secondary metal resources to consider efficient collection and metal recovery systems according to the specific metals and types of EEE. We constructed an analogy between natural resource development and metal recovery from end-of-life EEE and found that metal content and total annual amount of metal contained in each type of end-of-life EEE should be considered in secondary resource development, as well as the collectability of the end-of-life products. We then categorized 21 EEE types into five groups and discussed their potential as secondary metal resources. Refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and CRT TVs were evaluated as the most important sources of common metals, and personal computers, mobile phones, and video games were evaluated as the most important sources of precious metals. Several types of small digital equipment were also identified as important sources of precious metals; however, mid-size information and communication technology (ICT) equipment (e.g., printers and fax machines) and audio/video equipment were shown to be more important as a source of a variety of less common metals. The physical collectability of each type of EEE was roughly characterized by unit size and number of end-of-life products generated annually. Current collection systems in Japan were examined and potentially appropriate collection

Principles of formation of the content of an educational electronic resource on the basis of general and didactic patterns of learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ольга Юрьевна Заславская

2018-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers the influence of the development of technical means of teaching on the effectiveness of educational and methodical resources. Modern opportunities of information and communication technologies allow creating electronic educational resources that represent educational information that automates the learning process, provide information assistance, if necessary, collect and process statistical information on the degree of development of the content of the school material by schoolchildren, set an individual trajectory of learning, and so on. The main principle of data organization is the division of the training course into separate sections on the thematic elements and components of the learning process. General regularities include laws that encompass the entire didactic system, and in specific (particular cases, those whose actions extend to a separate component (aspect of the system. From the standpoint of the existence of three types of electronic training modules in the aggregate content of the electronic learning resource - information, control and module of practical classes - the principles of the formation of the electronic learning resource, in our opinion, should regulate all these components. Each of the certain principles is considered in the groups: scientific orientation, methodological orientation, systemic nature, accounting of interdisciplinary connections, fundamentalization, systematic and dosage sequence, rational use of study time, accessibility, minimization, operationalization of goals, unified identification diagnosis.

From Millennium ERM to Proquest 360 Resource Manager: Implementing a new Electronic Resources Management System ERMS in an International Graduate Research University in Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-05-17

An overview of the Recommendation Study and the subsequent Implementation of a new Electronic Resources Management system ERMS in an international graduate research university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It covers the timeline, deliverables and challenges as well as lessons learnt by the Project Team.

Ultrasonic disintegration of microalgal biomass and consequent improvement of bioaccessibility/bioavailability in microbial fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Byong-Hun; Choi, Jeong-A; Kim, Hyun-Chul; Hwang, Jae-Hoon; Abou-Shanab, Reda Ai; Dempsey, Brian A; Regan, John M; Kim, Jung Rae

2013-01-01

Microalgal biomass contains a high level of carbohydrates which can be biochemically converted to biofuels using state-of-the-art strategies that are almost always needed to employ a robust pretreatment on the biomass for enhanced energy production. In this study, we used an ultrasonic pretreatment to convert microalgal biomass (Scenedesmus obliquus YSW15) into feasible feedstock for microbial fermentation to produce ethanol and hydrogen. The effect of sonication condition was quantitatively evaluated with emphases on the characterization of carbohydrate components in microalgal suspension and on subsequent production of fermentative bioenergy. Scenedesmus obliquus YSW15 was isolated from the effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The sonication durations of 0, 10, 15, and 60 min were examined under different temperatures at a fixed frequency and acoustic power resulted in morphologically different states of microalgal biomass lysis. Fermentation was performed to evaluate the bioenergy production from the non-sonicated and sonicated algal biomasses after pretreatment stage under both mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions. A 15 min sonication treatment significantly increased the concentration of dissolved carbohydrates (0.12 g g(-1)), which resulted in an increase of hydrogen/ethanol production through microbial fermentation. The bioconvertibility of microalgal biomass sonicated for 15 min or longer was comparable to starch as a control, indicating a high feasibility of using microalgae for fermentative bioenergy production. Increasing the sonication duration resulted in increases in both algal surface hydrophilicity and electrostatic repulsion among algal debris dispersed in aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscope images supported that ruptured algal cell allowed fermentative bacteria to access the inner space of the cell, evidencing an enhanced bioaccessibility. Sonication for 15 min was the best for fermentative

The Synthesis of the Hierarchical Structure of Information Resources for Management of Electronic Commerce Entities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krutova Anzhelika S.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to develop the theoretical bases for the classification and coding of economic information and the scientific justification of the content of information resources of an electronic commerce enterprise. The essence of information resources for management of electronic business entities is investigated. It is proved that the organization of accounting in e-commerce systems is advisable to be built on the basis of two circuits: accounting for financial flows and accounting associated with transformation of business factors in products and services as a result of production activities. There presented a sequence of accounting organization that allows to combine the both circuits in a single information system, which provides a possibility for the integrated replenishment and distributed simultaneous use of the e-commerce system by all groups of users. It is proved that the guarantee of efficient activity of the information management system of electronic commerce entities is a proper systematization of the aggregate of information resources on economic facts and operations of an enterprise in accordance with the management tasks by building the hierarchy of accounting nomenclatures. It is suggested to understand nomenclature as an objective, primary information aggregate concerning a certain fact of the economic activity of an enterprise, which is characterized by minimum requisites, is entered into the database of the information system and is to be reflected in the accounting system. It is proposed to build a database of e-commerce systems as a part of directories (constants, personnel, goods / products, suppliers, buyers and the hierarchy of accounting nomenclatures. The package of documents regulating the organization of accounting at an enterprise should include: the provision on the accounting services, the order on the accounting policy, the job descriptions, the schedules of information exchange, the report card and

Estimation of total as well as bioaccessible levels and average daily dietary intake of iodine from Japanese edible seaweeds by epithermal neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, M.; Chatt, A.

2012-01-01

An epi-thermal instrumental neutron activation analysis (EINAA) method in conjunction with Compton suppression spectrometry (EINAA-CSS) was used for the determination of total iodine in eight different species of edible seaweeds from Japan. This method gave an absolute detection limit of about 2 μg. The accuracy of the method was evaluated using various reference materials and found to be generally in agreement within ±6% of the certified values. The longitudinal distributions of iodine at different growing stages in Japanese sea mustard and tangle seaweeds were investigated. For a 150-cm-high tangle, the highest concentration (5,360 mg/kg) of iodine was found at the root, then decreased slowly to 780 mg/kg in the middle portion (60-75 cm), and increased to 2,300 mg/kg at the apex. On the other hand, for a 190-cm-high sea mustard the highest levels of iodine were found both at the roots (164 mg/kg) and apex (152 mg/kg) with lower values (98 mg/kg) in the middle section. In order to estimate the bioaccessible fraction of iodine, seaweeds were digested by an in vitro enzymolysis method, dietary fibre separated from residue, and both fractions analyzed by EINAA-CSS. The average daily dietary intakes of total (0.14 mg) as well as bioaccessible fraction (0.12 mg) of iodine from the consumption of sea mustards were estimated. (author)

Bioaccessibility of pro-vitamin A carotenoids is minimally affected by non pro-vitamin a xanthophylls in maize (Zea mays sp.).

Science.gov (United States)

Thakkar, Sagar K; Failla, Mark L

2008-12-10

The absorption of some carotenoids has been reported to be decreased by coingestion of relatively high concentrations of other carotenoids. It is unclear if such interactions occur among carotenoids during the digestion of plant foods. Current varieties of maize contain limited amounts of the pro-vitamin A (pro-VA) carotenoids beta-carotene (BC) and beta-cryptoxanthin (BCX) and relatively higher levels of their oxygenated metabolites lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA). Here, we examined if LUT and ZEA attenuate the bioaccessibility of pro-VA carotenoids at amounts and ratios present in maize. BC incorporation into bile salt mixed micelles during chemical preparation and during simulated small intestinal digestion of carotenoid-enriched oil was slightly increased when the concentration of LUT was sixfold or more greater than BC. Likewise, the efficiency of BC micellarization was slightly increased during simulated small intestinal digestion of white maize porridge supplemented with oil containing ninefold molar excess of LUT to BC. Mean efficiencies of micellarization of BC, BCX, LUT, and ZEA were 16.7, 27.7, 30.3, and 27.9%, respectively, and independent of the ratio of LUT plus ZEA to pro-VA carotenoids during simulated digestion of maize porridge prepared from flours containing 0.4-11.3 microg/g endogenous pro-VA carotenoids. LUT attenuated uptake of BC by differentiated cultures of Caco-2 human cells from medium-containing micelles in a dose-dependent manner with inhibition reaching 35% when the molar ratio of LUT to BC was 13. Taken together, these results suggest that the bioaccessibility of pro-VA carotenoids in maize is likely to be minimally affected by the relative levels of xanthophylls lacking pro-VA activity present in cultivars of maize.

Cadmium bioaccumulation and gastric bioaccessibility in cacao: A field study in areas impacted by oil activities in Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Barraza, F; Schreck, E; Lévêque, T; Uzu, G; López, F; Ruales, J; Prunier, J; Marquet, A; Maurice, L

2017-10-01

Cacao from South America is especially used to produce premium quality chocolate. Although the European Food Safety Authority has not established a limit for cadmium (Cd) in chocolate raw material, recent studies demonstrate that Cd concentrations in cacao beans can reach levels higher than the legal limits for dark chocolate (0.8 mg kg -1 , effective January 1st, 2019). Despite the fact that the presence of Cd in agricultural soils is related to contamination by fertilizers, other potential sources must be considered in Ecuador. This field study was conducted to investigate Cd content in soils and cacao cultivated on Ecuadorian farms in areas impacted by oil activities. Soils, cacao leaves, and pod husks were collected from 31 farms in the northern Amazon and Pacific coastal regions exposed to oil production and refining and compared to two control areas. Human gastric bioaccessibility was determined in raw cacao beans and cacao liquor samples in order to assess potential health risks involved. Our results show that topsoils (0-20 cm) have higher Cd concentrations than deeper layers, exceeding the Ecuadorian legislation limit in 39% of the sampling sites. Cacao leaves accumulate more Cd than pod husks or beans but, nevertheless, 50% of the sampled beans have Cd contents above 0.8 mg kg -1 . Root-to-cacao transfer seems to be the main pathway of Cd uptake, which is not only regulated by physico-chemical soil properties but also agricultural practices. Additionally, natural Cd enrichment by volcanic inputs must not be neglected. Finally, Cd in cacao trees cannot be considered as a tracer of oil activities. Assuming that total Cd content and its bioaccessible fraction (up to 90%) in cacao beans and liquor is directly linked to those in chocolate, the health risk associated with Cd exposure varies from low to moderate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility of hydroxytyrosol and n-3 fatty acids as affected by the delivery system: simple, double and gelled double emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cofrades, Susana; Bou, Ricard; Flaiz, Linda; Garcimartín, Alba; Benedí, Juana; Mateos, Raquel; Sánchez-Muniz, Francisco J; Olivero-David, Raúl; Jiménez-Colmenero, Francisco

2017-06-01

This study examines the influence of different food-grade n-3 PUFA-enriched simple emulsion (SE), double emulsion (DE) and gelled double emulsion (GDE) delivery systems on the extent of lipolysis, antioxidant capacity and the bioaccessibility of hydroxytyrosol (HTy). GDE emulsion offered better protection for HTy (89%) than the other systems (79% in SE and DE). The reducing capacity of the emulsions containing HTy were not altered during oral digestion. However, "in vitro" gastric and intestinal phases significantly reduced the antioxidant activity of all systems. The structural and physical state of GDE entailed a slowing-down of triacylglyceride hydrolysis (36.4%) in comparison with that of SE and DE (22.7 and 24.8% for SE and DE, respectively).

Controlling user access to electronic resources without password

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Fred Hewitt

2015-06-16

Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes pre-determining an association of the restricted computer resource and computer-resource-proximal environmental information. Indicia of user-proximal environmental information are received from a user requesting access to the restricted computer resource. Received indicia of user-proximal environmental information are compared to associated computer-resource-proximal environmental information. User access to the restricted computer resource is selectively granted responsive to a favorable comparison in which the user-proximal environmental information is sufficiently similar to the computer-resource proximal environmental information. In at least some embodiments, the process further includes comparing user-supplied biometric measure and comparing it with a predetermined association of at least one biometric measure of an authorized user. Access to the restricted computer resource is granted in response to a favorable comparison.

Polyphenol Bioaccessibility and Sugar Reducing Capacity of Black, Green, and White Teas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelly Coe

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tea (Camellia sinensis is a widely consumed beverage and recognised for its potential enhancing effect on human health due to its rich polyphenol content. While a number of studies have investigated the quantity and type of polyphenols present in different tea samples, no study has reported the potential effect of digestive enzymes on the availability of tea polyphenols for human absorption or the subsequent impact on glycaemic response. The objectives of the present study were to assess the total polyphenol content of different teas, to assess the bioaccessibility of polyphenols in whole and bagged teas, and to determine the effect of black, white, and green tea infusions on sugar release. All of the teas were a significant source of polyphenols (10–116 mg Gallic acid equivalents/g. There was an overall increase in the release of polyphenols from both the bagged and the whole teas following in vitro digestion. Bagged green tea significantly ( reduced rapidly digestible starch from white bread samples compared to control and black and white bagged teas. The present study confirms that tea is a rich source of polyphenols and highlights the potential benefits it may have on modulating glycaemic response in humans.

Electronic theses and dissertations: a review of this valuable resource for nurse scholars worldwide.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodfellow, L M

2009-06-01

A worldwide repository of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) could provide worldwide access to the most up-to-date research generated by masters and doctoral students. Until that international repository is established, it is possible to access some of these valuable knowledge resources. ETDs provide a technologically advanced medium with endless multimedia capabilities that far exceed the print and bound copies of theses and dissertations housed traditionally in individual university libraries. CURRENT USE: A growing trend exists for universities worldwide to require graduate students to submit theses or dissertations as electronic documents. However, nurse scholars underutilize ETDs, as evidenced by perusing bibliographic citation lists in many of the research journals. ETDs can be searched for and retrieved through several digital resources such as the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (http://www.ndltd.org), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (http://www.umi.com), the Australasian Digital Theses Program (http://adt.caul.edu.au/) and through individual university web sites and online catalogues. An international repository of ETDs benefits the community of nurse scholars in many ways. The ability to access recent graduate students' research electronically from anywhere in the world is advantageous. For scholars residing in developing countries, access to these ETDs may prove to be even more valuable. In some cases, ETDs are not available for worldwide access and can only be accessed through the university library from which the student graduated. Public access to university library ETD collections is not always permitted. Nurse scholars from both developing and developed countries could benefit from ETDs.

Library resources on the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Nancy L.

1995-07-01

Library resources are prevalent on the Internet. Library catalogs, electronic books, electronic periodicals, periodical indexes, reference sources, and U.S. Government documents are available by telnet, Gopher, World Wide Web, and FTP. Comparatively few copyrighted library resources are available freely on the Internet. Internet implementations of library resources can add useful features, such as full-text searching. There are discussion lists, Gophers, and World Wide Web pages to help users keep up with new resources and changes to existing ones. The future will bring more library resources, more types of library resources, and more integrated implementations of such resources to the Internet.

ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR ONLINE SUPPORT OF MODERN CHEMISTRY CLASSES IN SPECIALIZED SCHOOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria D. Tukalo

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This article contains material of some modern electronic educational resources that can be used via the Internet to support the modern chemistry classes in specialized school. It was drawn attention to the educational chemical experiments as means of knowledge; simulated key motivational characteristics to enhance students interest for learning subjects, their cognitive and practical activity in the formation of self-reliance and self-creative; commented forecasts for creating of conditions to enhance the creative potential of students in a modern learning environment.

Selection and Evaluation of Electronic Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doğan Atılgan

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Publication boom and issues related to controlling and accession of printed sources have created some problems after World War II. Consequently, publishing industry has encountered the problem of finding possible solution for emerged situation. Industry of electronic publishing has started to improve with the rapid increase of the price of printed sources as well as the problem of publication boom. The first effects of electronic publishing were appeared on the academic and scholarly publications then electronic publishing became a crucial part of all types of publications. As a result of these developments, collection developments and service policies of information centers were also significantly changed. In this article, after a general introduction about selection and evaluation processes of electronic publications, the subscribed databases by a state and a privately owned university in Turkey and their usage were examined.

An Exploratory study on the use of LibAnswers to Resolve, Track and Monitor Electronic Resources Issues: The KAUST Library experience

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-01-01

An Exploratory study on KAUST library use of LibAnswers in resolving electronic resources questions received in LibAnswers. It describes the findings of the questions received in LibAnswers. The author made suggestions based on the findings to improve the reference services in responding to e-resources questions.

An Exploratory study on the use of LibAnswers to Resolve, Track and Monitor Electronic Resources Issues: The KAUST Library experience

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2017-05-03

An Exploratory study on KAUST library use of LibAnswers in resolving electronic resources questions received in LibAnswers. It describes the findings of the questions received in LibAnswers. The author made suggestions based on the findings to improve the reference services in responding to e-resources questions.

The level of the usage of the human resource information system and electronic recruitment in Croatian companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Snježana Pivac

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Performing business according to contemporary requirements influences companies for continuous usage of modern managerial tools, such as a human resource information system (HRIS and electronic recruitment (ER. Human resources have been recognised as curtail resources and the main source of a competitive advantage in creation of successful business performance. In order to attract and select the top employees, companies use quality information software for attracting internal ones, and electronic recruitment for attracting the best possible external candidates. The main aim of this paper is to research the level of the usage of HRIS and ER within medium-size and large Croatian companies. Moreover, the additional aim of this paper is to evaluate the relationship among the usage of these modern managerial tools and the overall success of human resource management within these companies. For the purpose of this paper, primary and secondary research has been conducted in order to reveal the level of the usage of HRIS and ER as well as the overall success of human resource management in Croatian companies. The companies’ classification (HRIS and ER is done by using the non-hierarchical k-means cluster method as well as the nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test. Further, the companies are ranked by the multicriteria PROMETHEE method. Relevant nonparametric tests are used for testing the overall companies’ HRM. Finally, binary logistic regression is estimated, relating binary variable HRM and HRIS development. After detailed research, it can be concluded that large Croatian companies apply HRIS in majority (with a positive relation to HRM performance, but still require certain degrees of its development.

The electronic encapsulation of knowledge in hydraulics, hydrology and water resources

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Michael B.

The rapidly developing practice of encapsulating knowledge in electronic media is shown to lead necessarily to the restructuring of the knowledge itself. The consequences of this for hydraulics, hydrology and more general water-resources management are investigated in particular relation to current process-simulation, real-time control and advice-serving systems. The generic properties of the electronic knowledge encapsulator are described, and attention is drawn to the manner in which knowledge 'goes into hiding' through encapsulation. This property is traced in the simple situations of pure mathesis and in the more complex situations of taxinomia using one example each from hydraulics and hydrology. The consequences for systems architectures are explained, pointing to the need for multi-agent architectures for ecological modelling and for more general hydroinformatics systems also. The relevance of these developments is indicated by reference to ongoing projects in which they are currently being realised. In conclusion, some more general epistemological aspects are considered within the same context. As this contribution is so much concerned with the processes of signification and communication, it has been partly shaped by the theory of semiotics, as popularised by Eco ( A Theory of Semiotics, Indiana University, Bloomington, 1977).

A water-leach procedure for estimating bioaccessibility of elements in soils from transects across the United States and Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Robert G.; Hall, G.E.M.; Vaive, J.E.; Pelchat, P.

2009-01-01

An objective of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project is to provide relevant data concerning bioaccessible concentrations of elements in soil to government and other institutions undertaking environmental studies. A protocol was developed that employs a 1-g soil sample agitated overnight with 40 mL of reverse-osmosis de-ionized water for 20 h, and determination of 63 elements following three steps of centrifugation by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry the following day. Statistical summaries are presented for those 48 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, I, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, Pr, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Tb, Ti, Tl, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr, and pH) for which Ca, Cu, and Pb) along the two transects is discussed in this paper both as absolute amounts liberated by the leach and expressed as a percentage of the total, or near-total, amounts determined for the elements. The Ca data reflect broad trends in soil parent materials, their weathering, and subsequent soil development. Calcium concentrations are generally found to be lower in the older soils of the eastern USA. The Cu data are higher in the eastern half of the USA, correlating with soil organic C, with which it is sequestered. The Pb data exhibit little regional variability due to natural sources, but are influenced by anthropogenic sources. Based on the Pb results, the percentage water-extractable data demonstrate promise as a tool for identifying anthropogenic components. The soil–water partition (distribution) coefficients, Kds (L/kg), were determined and their relevance to estimating bioaccessible amounts of elements to soil fauna and flora is discussed. Finally, a possible link between W concentrations in human urine and water-extractable W levels in Nevada soils is discussed.

RESEARCH OF INFLUENCE OF QUALITY OF ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON QUALITY OF TRAINING WITH USE OF DISTANCE TECHNOLOGIES

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H. M. Kravtsov

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Communication improving of educational processes requires today new approaches to the management arrangements and forming of educational policy in the field of distance learning, which is based on the use of modern information and communication technologies. An important step in this process is the continuous monitoring of the development and implementation of information technology and, in particular, the distance learning systems in higher educational establishments. The main objective of the monitoring is the impact assessment on the development of distance learning following the state educational standards, curricula, methodical and technical equipment and other factors; factors revelation that influence the implementation and outcomes of distance learning; results comparison of educational institution functioning and distance education systems in order to determine the most efficient ways of its development. The paper presents the analysis results of the dependence of the quality of educational services on the electronic educational resources. Trends in educational services development was studied by comparing the quality influence of electronic educational resources on the quality of educational services of higher pedagogical educational institutions of Ukraine as of 2009-2010 and 2012-2013. Generally, the analysis of the survey results allows evaluating quality of the modern education services as satisfactory and it can be said that almost 70% of the success of their future development depends on the quality of the used electronic educational resources and distance learning systems in particular.

Transfer of hydrophobic contaminants in urban runoff particles to benthic organisms estimated by an in vitro bioaccessibility test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nakajima, F.; Saito, K.; Isozaki, Y.

2006-01-01

An in vitro bioaccessibility test was applied for assessing the transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in road dust, into benthic organisms living in a receiving water body. The road dust is supposed to be urban runoff particles under wet weather conditions. Sodium dodecyl...... sulfate (SDS) solution was used as a hypothetical gut fluid. Pyrene, fluoranthene and phenanthrene were the main PAH species in the SIDS extractable fraction of road dust, as well as the whole extract. Benzo(ghi)perylene showed relatively low concentrations in the SIDS extract in spite of a high...... concentration in the original dust. The PAH composition in benthic organisms (polychaetes) did not correspond with that of the surrounding sediment and the PAHs detected were also detected in high concentrations in the SDS extract of road dust. When testing the toxicity of the extracted contaminants...

Tracking the Flow of Resources in Electronic Waste - The Case of End-of-Life Computer Hard Disk Drives.

Science.gov (United States)

Habib, Komal; Parajuly, Keshav; Wenzel, Henrik

2015-10-20

Recovery of resources, in particular, metals, from waste flows is widely seen as a prioritized option to reduce their potential supply constraints in the future. The current waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment system is more focused on bulk metals, where the recycling rate of specialty metals, such as rare earths, is negligible compared to their increasing use in modern products, such as electronics. This study investigates the challenges in recovering these resources in the existing WEEE treatment system. It is illustrated by following the material flows of resources in a conventional WEEE treatment plant in Denmark. Computer hard disk drives (HDDs) containing neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets were selected as the case product for this experiment. The resulting output fractions were tracked until their final treatment in order to estimate the recovery potential of rare earth elements (REEs) and other resources contained in HDDs. The results further show that out of the 244 kg of HDDs treated, 212 kg comprising mainly of aluminum and steel can be finally recovered from the metallurgic process. The results further demonstrate the complete loss of REEs in the existing shredding-based WEEE treatment processes. Dismantling and separate processing of NdFeB magnets from their end-use products can be a more preferred option over shredding. However, it remains a technological and logistic challenge for the existing system.

Bioaccessible Porosity: A new approach to assess residual contamination after bioremediation of hydrophobic organic compounds in sub-surface microporous environments

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, A.; Ghoshal, S.

2016-12-01

We define a new parameter, "bioaccessible porosity", the fraction of aggregate volume accessible to soil bacteria, towards a priori assessment of hydrocarbon bioremediation end points. Microbial uptake of poorly soluble hydrocarbons occurs through direct uptake or micellar solubilzation/emulsification associated with biosurfactant production, and requires close proximity of bacteria and hydrocarbon phase. In subsurface microporous environments, bioremediation rates are attenuated when residual hydrophobic contamination is entrapped in sterically restrictive environments which is not accessible to soil bacteria. This study presents new approaches for characterization of the microstructure of porous media and as well, the ability of indigenous hydrocarbon degraders to access to a range of pore sizes. Bacterial access to poorly soluble hydrocarbons in soil micro pores were simulated with bioreactors with membranes with different pore sizes containing the hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, Dietzia maris. D. maris is Gram-positive, and nonmotile that we isolated as the major hydrocarbon degrader from a fine-grained, weathered, hydrocarbon-contaminated site soil. Under nutritional stress, planktonic D. maris cells were aggregated and accessed 5 µm but not 3 µm and smaller pores. However, when hexadecane was available at the pore mouth, D. maris colonized the pore mouth, and accessed pores as small as 0.4 µm. This suggests bacterial accessibility to different pore sizes is regulated by nutritional conditions. A combination of X-ray micro-CT scanning, gas adsorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry was used to characterize the range of pore sizes of soil aggregates. In case of the studied contaminated soil, the bioaccessible porosity were determined as 25% , 27% and 29% (assuming 4, 1, 0.4 µm respectively as accessibility criteria), and about 2.7% of aggregate volume was attributed to 0.006-0.4 µm pores. The 2% aggregate volume at an assumed saturation of 10% could

Using mobile electronic devices to deliver educational resources in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazal, Jonathan Robert; Ludwig, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Developing countries have far fewer trained radiography professionals than developed countries, which exacerbates the limited access to imaging services. The lack of trained radiographers reflects, in part, limited availability of radiographer-specific educational resources. Historically, organizations that provided such resources in the developing world faced challenges related to the limited stock of current materials as well as expenses associated with shipping and delivery. Four mobile electronic devices (MEDs) were loaded with educational content (e-books, PDFs, and digital applications) spanning major radiography topics. The MEDs were distributed to 4 imaging departments in Ghana, India, Nepal, and Nigeria based on evidence of need for radiography-specific resources, as revealed by survey responses. A cost comparison of postal delivery vs digital delivery of educational content was performed. The effectiveness of delivering additional content via Wi-Fi transmission also was evaluated. Feedback was solicited on users' experience with the MEDs as a delivery tool for educational content. An initial average per e-book expense of $30.05, which included the cost of the device, was calculated for the MED delivery method compared with $15.56 for postal delivery of printed materials. The cost of the MED delivery method was reduced to an average of $10.05 for subsequent e-book deliveries. Additional content was successfully delivered via Wi-Fi transmission to all recipients during the 3-month follow-up period. Overall user feedback on the experience was positive, and ideas for enhancing the MED-based method were identified. Using MEDs to deliver radiography-specific educational content appears to be more cost effective than postal delivery of printed materials on a long-term basis. MEDs are more efficient for providing updates to educational materials. Customization of content to department needs, and using projector devices could enhance the usefulness of MEDs for

Success criteria for electronic medical record implementations in low-resource settings: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Fleur; Tilahun, Binyam; Dugas, Martin

2015-03-01

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have the potential of supporting clinical work by providing the right information at the right time to the right people and thus make efficient use of resources. This is especially important in low-resource settings where reliable data are also needed to support public health and local supporting organizations. In this systematic literature review, our objectives are to identify and collect literature about success criteria of EMR implementations in low-resource settings and to summarize them into recommendations. Our search strategy relied on PubMed queries and manual bibliography reviews. Studies were included if EMR implementations in low-resource settings were described. The extracted success criteria and measurements were summarized into 7 categories: ethical, financial, functionality, organizational, political, technical, and training. We collected 381 success criteria with 229 measurements from 47 articles out of 223 articles. Most papers were evaluations or lessons learned from African countries, published from 1999 to 2013. Almost half of the EMR systems served a specific disease area like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The majority of criteria that were reported dealt with the functionality, followed by organizational issues, and technical infrastructures. Sufficient training and skilled personnel were mentioned in roughly 10%. Political, ethical, and financial considerations did not play a predominant role. More evaluations based on reliable frameworks are needed. Highly reliable data handling methods, human resources and effective project management, as well as technical architecture and infrastructure are all key factors for successful EMR implementation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Industrial processing versus home processing of tomato sauce: Effects on phenolics, flavonoids and in vitro bioaccessibility of antioxidants.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomas, Merve; Beekwilder, Jules; Hall, Robert D; Sagdic, Osman; Boyacioglu, Dilek; Capanoglu, Esra

2017-04-01

The effect of industrial and home processing, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, individual phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of tomato into tomato sauce were investigated. Industrial processing of tomato fruit into sauce had an overall positive effect on the total antioxidant capacity (∼1.2-fold higher) compared to tomato fruit whereas home processing of tomato fruit into sauce led to a decrease in these values. Untargeted LC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed 31 compounds in tomato that changed upon processing, of which 18 could be putatively identified. Naringenin chalcone is only detectable in the fruit, while naringenin is strongly increased in the sauces. Rutin content increased by 36% in the industrial processed sauce whereas decreased by 26% in the home processed sauce when compared to fruit. According to the results of an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model, industrial processing may lead to enhanced bioaccessibility of antioxidants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fruit Antioxidants during Vinegar Processing: Changes in Content and in Vitro Bio-Accessibility

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Sena Bakir

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Vinegars based on fruit juices could conserve part of the health-associated compounds present in the fruits. However, in general very limited knowledge exists on the consequences of vinegar-making on different antioxidant compounds from fruit. In this study vinegars derived from apple and grape are studied. Methods: A number of steps, starting from the fermentation of the fruit juices to the formation of the final vinegars, were studied from an industrial vinegar process. The effect of each of the vinegar processing steps on content of antioxidants, phenolic compounds and flavonoids was studied, by spectroscopic methods and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Results: The major observation was that spectrophotometric methods indicate a strong loss of antioxidant phenolic compounds during the transition from fruit wine to fruit vinegar. A targeted HPLC analysis indicates that metabolites such as gallic acid are lost in later stages of the vinegar process. Conclusion: The major conclusion of this work is that major changes occur in phenolic compounds during vinegar making. An untargeted metabolite analysis should be used to reveal these changes in more detail. In addition, the effect of vinegar processing on bio-accessibility of phenolic compounds was investigated by mimicking the digestive tract in an in vitro set up. This study is meant to provide insight into the potential of vinegar as a source of health-related compounds from fruit.

On-line monitoring of in-vitro oral bioaccessibility tests as front-end to liquid chromatography for determination of chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremr, Daniel; Cocovi-Solberg, David J; Bajerová, Petra; Ventura, Karel; Miró, Manuel

2017-05-01

A novel fully automated in-vitro oral dissolution test assay as a front-end to liquid chromatography has been developed and validated for on-line chemical profiling and monitoring of temporal release profiles of three caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) isomers, namely, 3-CQA,4-CQA and 5-CQA, known as chlorogenic acids, in dietary supplements. Tangential-flow filtration is harnessed as a sample processing approach for on-line handling of CQA containing extracts of hard gelatin capsules and introduction of protein-free samples into the liquid chromatograph. Oral bioaccessibility/dissolution test assays were performed at 37.0±0.5°C as per US Pharmacopeia recommendations using pepsin with activity of ca. 749,000 USP units/L in 0.1mol/L HCl as the extraction medium and a paddle apparatus stirred at 50rpm. CQA release rates and steady-state dissolution conditions were determined accurately by fitting the chromatographic datasets, namely, the average cumulative concentrations of bioaccessible pools of every individual isomer monitored during 200min, with temporal resolutions of ≥10min, to a first-order dissolution kinetic model. Distinct solid-to-liquid phase ratios in the mimicry of physiological extraction conditions were assessed. Relative standard deviations for intra-day repeatability and inter-day intermediate precision of 5-CQA within the 5-40µg/mL concentration range were <3.4% and <5.5%, respectively. Trueness of the automatic flow method for determination of 5-CQA released from dietary supplements in gastric fluid surrogate was demonstrated by spike recoveries, spanning from 91.5-104.0%, upon completion of the dissolution process. The proposed hyphenated setup was resorted for evaluating potential differences in dissolution profiles and content of the three most abundant chlorogenic acid isomers in dietary supplements from varied manufacturers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic Human Resources Management (e-HRM Adoption Studies: Past and Future Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winarto Winarto

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Electronic human resource management (e-HRM systems become more widely used by profit and non-profit organization. However, the field currently lacks sound theoretical frameworks that can be useful in addressing a key issue concerning the implementation of e-HRM systems, in particular to obtain a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of e-HRM systems. The objective of this paper is to provide a foundation towards the development of a theoretical framework for the implementation of e-HRM systems and develop a conceptual model that would reflect the nature of e-HRM systems’ adoption through systematic literature review. Adopting Crossan and Apaydin’s procedure of systematic review, this paper investigated 21 empirical papers of electronics human resources management, then categorized them into 4 characteristics which influence the adoption; System and technology characteristics; Organizational characteristics; User/individual characteristics, and Environmental and contextual characteristics. Finally, the e-HRM adoption research framework is drawn and based on the framework; avenues for future research are discussed.   Bahasa Indonesia Abstrak: Manajemen sumber daya manusia elektronik (selanjutnya disebut dengan e-HRM semakin banyak digunakan oleh organisasi profit dan nonprofit. Namun, bidang dan topik ini belum memiliki kerangka teori yang mapan, yang dapat digunakan untuk menganalisis isu-isu terkait penerapan e-HRM, terutama mengenai faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi adopsi sistem e-HRM. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk memberikan landasan bagi pengembangan kerangka teoritis untuk implementasi sistem e-HRM dan mengembangkan model konseptual yang akan menggambarkan adopsi sistem e-HRM melalui tinjauan literatur sistematis. Mengadopsi prosedur dan metode Crossan dan Apaydin untuk melakukan telaah literatur secara sistematis, paper ini menyelidiki 21 publikasi empiris manajemen sumber daya manusia elektronik dari 2

Content and bioaccessibility of aluminium in duplicate diets from southern Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabrera-Vique, Carmen; Mesías, Marta

2013-08-01

Aluminium is found naturally in foods and beverages, but levels increase notably during processing, packaging, storage, and cooking, as a consequence of its presence in food additives and the wide use of aluminium utensils and vessels. Dietary intake of Al was estimated in 2 population groups in southern Spain (families and university students) in a duplicate diet sampling study. Diets were sampled for 7 consecutive days, and Al was determined in acid-mineralized samples with electrothermal atomization-atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS). Mean values for Al intake were 2.93 and 1.01 mg/d in families and students, respectively, ranging from 0.12 to 10.00 mg/d. Assuming an average adult weight of 60 kg, the mean dietary exposures to aluminium were 0.34 and 0.12 mg/kg body weight/week in these groups, which amounted to 17% and 6% of the 2 mg/kg body weight estimated as the tolerable weekly intake by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Bioaccessibility of dietary Al tested with in vitro studies ranged from 0.30 to 17.26% (absorbable fraction). The highest aluminium intakes were observed in subjects consuming diets with a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which were associated to high consumption of processed and canned food. On the contrary, subjects consuming diets with a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet patterns showed the lowest Al intakes. The present findings are useful for giving both a reliable estimate of total aluminium dietary intake and tolerable intake levels according to usual dietary habits. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Improving Electronic Resources through Holistic Budgeting

Science.gov (United States)

Kusik, James P.; Vargas, Mark A.

2009-01-01

To establish a more direct link between its collections and the educational goals of Saint Xavier University, the Byrne Memorial Library has adopted a "holistic" approach to collection development. This article examines how traditional budget practices influenced the library's selection of resources and describes how holistic collection…

Effect of the consumption of a fruit and vegetable soup with high in vitro carotenoid bioaccessibility on serum carotenoid concentrations and markers of oxidative stress in young men.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Tomás, Rebeca; Larqué, Elvira; González-Silvera, Daniel; Sánchez-Campillo, María; Burgos, María Isabel; Wellner, Anna; Parra, Soledad; Bialek, Lucy; Alminger, Marie; Pérez-Llamas, Francisca

2012-03-01

To evaluate the effect of the daily intake of a fruit & vegetable soup with high in vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids on β-carotene and lycopene serum concentrations. Fourteen healthy young men (24 ± 1 years) received 300 mL/day of a carrot, tomato, and broccoli soup, containing 3.9 mg β-carotene and 4 mg lycopene, for 4 weeks followed by a 4-week washout period. The serum carotenoid response and oxidative markers were analyzed after 3 and 4 weeks of soup consumption and after a 4-week washout. The in vitro bioaccessibility of β-carotene and lycopene was 55 and 43%, respectively, in the soup. Serum β-carotene concentrations were significantly higher than baseline (0.33 ± 0.05 μmol/L) after 3 weeks (0.69 ± 0.06 μmol/L) and 4 weeks (0.78 ± 0.10 μmol/L) of soup consumption (P soup supplementation compared with baseline, while superoxide dismutase was significantly lower only after 3 weeks. Glutathione reductase, lipid, protein, and DNA oxidative markers remained unchanged. The soup contributed to increasing the concentration of each carotenoid by more than 100% after 3 and 4 weeks of consumption, the maximum increase being observed after 4 weeks. Oxidative markers did not show any variation except for GPx. Serum lycopene half-life was longer than that of β-carotene, which may be important for studies evaluating both carotenoids.

Clinician‐selected Electronic Information Resources do not Guarantee Accuracy in Answering Primary Care Physicians’ Information Needs. A review of: McKibbon, K. Ann, and Douglas B. Fridsma. “Effectiveness of Clinician‐selected Electronic Information Resources for Answering Primary Care Physicians’ Information Needs.” Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 13.6 (2006: 653‐9.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Ingrid Preddie

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Objective – To determine if electronic information resources selected by primary care physicians improve their ability to answer simulated clinical questions.Design – An observational study utilizing hour‐long interviews and think‐aloud protocols.Setting – The offices and clinics of primary care physicians in Canada and the United States.Subjects – Twenty‐five primary care physicians of whom 4 were women, 17 were from Canada, 22 were family physicians,and 24 were board certified.Methods – Participants provided responses to 23 multiple‐choice questions. Each physician then chose two questions and looked for the answers utilizing information resources of their own choice. The search processes, chosen resources and search times were noted. These were analyzed along with data on the accuracy of the answers and certainties related to the answer to each clinical question prior to the search.Main results – Twenty‐three physicians sought answers to 46 simulated clinical questions. Utilizing only electronic information resources, physicians spent a mean of 13.0 (SD 5.5 minutes searching for answers to the questions, an average of 7.3(SD 4.0 minutes for the first question and 5.8 (SD 2.2 minutes to answer the second question. On average, 1.8 resources were utilized per question. Resources that summarized information, such as the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, UpToDate and Clinical Evidence, were favored 39.2% of the time, MEDLINE (Ovid and PubMed 35.7%, and Internet resources including Google 22.6%. Almost 50% of the search and retrieval strategies were keyword‐based, while MeSH, subheadings and limiting were used less frequently. On average, before searching physicians answered 10 of 23 (43.5% questions accurately. For questions that were searched using clinician‐selected electronic resources, 18 (39.1% of the 46 answers were accurate before searching, while 19 (42.1% were accurate after searching. The difference of

Review of material recovery from used electric and electronic equipment-alternative options for resource conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Friege, Henning

2012-09-01

For waste from electric and electronic equipment, the WEEE Directive stipulates the separate collection of electric and electronic waste. As to new electric and electronic devices, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive bans the use of certain chemicals dangerous for man and environment. From the implementation of the WEEE directive, many unsolved problems have been documented: poor collection success, emission of dangerous substances during collection and recycling, irretrievable loss of valuable metals among others. As to RoHS, data from the literature show a satisfying success. The problems identified in the process can be reduced to some basic dilemmas at the borders between waste management, product policy and chemical safety. The objectives of the WEEE Directive and the specific targets for use and recycling of appliances are not consistent. There is no focus on scarce resources. Extended producer responsibility is not sufficient to guarantee sustainable waste management. Waste management reaches its limits due to problems of implementation but also due to physical laws. A holistic approach is necessary looking at all branch points and sinks in the stream of used products and waste from electric and electronic equipment. This may be done with respect to the general rules for sustainable management of material streams covering the three dimensions of sustainable policy. The relationships between the players in the field of electric and electronic devices have to be taken into account. Most of the problems identified in the implementation process will not be solved by the current amendment of the WEEE Directive.

Charting a Course through CORAL: Texas A&M University Libraries' Experience Implementing an Open-Source Electronic Resources Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Hartnett, Eric; Beh, Eugenia; Resnick, Taryn; Ugaz, Ana; Tabacaru, Simona

2013-01-01

In 2010, after two previous unsuccessful attempts at electronic resources management system (ERMS) implementation, Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries set out once again to find an ERMS that would fit its needs. After surveying the field, TAMU Libraries selected the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries-developed, open-source ERMS,…

Bioaccessible Porosity in Soil Aggregates and Implications for Biodegradation of High Molecular Weight Petroleum Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, Ali; Ghoshal, Subhasis

2015-12-15

We evaluated the role of soil aggregate pore size on biodegradation of essentially insoluble petroleum hydrocarbons that are biodegraded primarily at the oil-water interface. The size and spatial distribution of pores in aggregates sampled from biodegradation experiments of a clayey, aggregated, hydrocarbon-contaminated soil with relatively high bioremediation end point were characterized by image analyses of X-ray micro-CT scans and N2 adsorption. To determine the bioaccessible pore sizes, we performed separate experiments to assess the ability of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria isolated from the soil to pass through membranes with specific sized pores and to access hexadecane (model insoluble hydrocarbon). Hexadecane biodegradation occurred only when pores were 5 μm or larger, and did not occur when pores were 3 μm and smaller. In clayey aggregates, ∼ 25% of the aggregate volume was attributed to pores larger than 4 μm, which was comparable to that in aggregates from a sandy, hydrocarbon-contaminated soil (~23%) scanned for comparison. The ratio of volumes of inaccessible pores (4 μm) in the clayey aggregates was 0.32, whereas in the sandy aggregates it was approximately 10 times lower. The role of soil microstructure on attainable bioremediation end points could be qualitatively assessed in various soils by the aggregate characterization approach outlined herein.

Designing a model of electronic human resource management’s implementation at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirali Seyednaghavi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available : In the first phase of this study a model for electronic human resource management in government agencies based on new public services was explored by using software MAXQDA, then in the second phase, relationship between the elements of the theory were tested using software Smart PLS2. So the aim of this study is to design a model of electronic human resource management’s implementation at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. In this regard, according to Strauss and Corbin’s structured plan, five hypotheses were tested. Quantitative data analysis indicates that the pressures of the policies and global perspectives cause to move toward e-HRM. Among the contextual conditions macro structural mechanisms, considerations of actors, governance considerations have a significant impact on the strategy of new public services and therefore lead to the consequences of its implementation in public organizations. The findings suggest that e-HRM does not have a positive and meaningful impact on new public services, and in our country, although the recent political developments have somehow removed the gap between public policy makers, administrators, and the public, but there is still a long way to go.

The module of methodical support in system of electronic educational resources as the innovative element of the modern maintenance of formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ольга Николаевна Крылова

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The article introduces some results of research, which were devoted to evaluation of tearches' mobility to introduce innovations in the contents of education. The author considers innovative potential of modules of the methodical support for system of electronic educational resources.

Impact of Electronic Resources and Usage in Academic Libraries in Ghana: Evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Akussah, Maxwell; Asante, Edward; Adu-Sarkodee, Rosemary

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relationship between impact of electronic resources and its usage in academic libraries in Ghana: evidence from Koforidua Polytechnic & All Nations University College, Ghana. The study was a quantitative approach using questionnaire to gather data and information. A valid response rate of 58.5% was assumed. SPSS…

Utilization of Electronic Information Resources by Undergraduate Students of University of Ibadan: A Case Study of Social Sciences and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Owolabi, Sola; Idowu, Oluwafemi A.; Okocha, Foluke; Ogundare, Atinuke Omotayo

2016-01-01

The study evaluated utilization of electronic information resources by undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a study population of 1872 undergraduates in the Faculties of Education and the Social Sciences in University of Ibadan, from which a…

Shaping the Electronic Library--The UW-Madison Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Charles W., Ed.; Frazier, Ken; Pope, Nolan F.; Gorman, Peter C.; Dentinger, Sue; Boston, Jeanne; Phillips, Hugh; Daggett, Steven C.; Lundquist, Mitch; McClung, Mark; Riley, Curran; Allan, Craig; Waugh, David

1998-01-01

This special theme section describes the University of Wisconsin-Madison's experience building its Electronic Library. Highlights include integrating resources and services; the administrative framework; the public electronic library, including electronic publishing capability and access to World Wide Web-based and other electronic resources;…

Controlling user access to electronic resources without password

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Fred Hewitt

2017-08-22

Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes obtaining an image from a communication device of a user. An individual and a landmark are identified within the image. Determinations are made that the individual is the user and that the landmark is a predetermined landmark. Access to a restricted computing resource is granted based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the landmark is the predetermined landmark. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The use of quality benchmarking in assessing web resources for the dermatology virtual branch library of the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH).

Science.gov (United States)

Kamel Boulos, M N; Roudsari, A V; Gordon, C; Muir Gray, J A

2001-01-01

In 1998, the U.K. National Health Service Information for Health Strategy proposed the implementation of a National electronic Library for Health to provide clinicians, healthcare managers and planners, patients and the public with easy, round the clock access to high quality, up-to-date electronic information on health and healthcare. The Virtual Branch Libraries are among the most important components of the National electronic Library for Health. They aim at creating online knowledge based communities, each concerned with some specific clinical and other health-related topics. This study is about the envisaged Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries of the National electronic Library for Health. It aims at selecting suitable dermatology Web resources for inclusion in the forthcoming Virtual Branch Libraries after establishing preliminary quality benchmarking rules for this task. Psoriasis, being a common dermatological condition, has been chosen as a starting point. Because quality is a principal concern of the National electronic Library for Health, the study includes a review of the major quality benchmarking systems available today for assessing health-related Web sites. The methodology of developing a quality benchmarking system has been also reviewed. Aided by metasearch Web tools, candidate resources were hand-selected in light of the reviewed benchmarking systems and specific criteria set by the authors. Over 90 professional and patient-oriented Web resources on psoriasis and dermatology in general are suggested for inclusion in the forthcoming Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries. The idea of an all-in knowledge-hallmarking instrument for the National electronic Library for Health is also proposed based on the reviewed quality benchmarking systems. Skilled, methodical, organized human reviewing, selection and filtering based on well-defined quality appraisal criteria seems likely to be the key ingredient in the envisaged National electronic Library for

There is a Relationship between Resource Expenditures and Reference Transactions in Academic Libraries. A Review of: Dubnjakovic, A. (2012. Electronic resource expenditure and the decline in reference transaction statistics in academic libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(2, 94-100. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2012.01.001

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annie M. Hughes

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Objective – To provide an analysis of the impact of expenditures on electronic resourcesand gate counts on the increase or decrease in reference transactions.Design – Analysis of results of existing survey data from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES 2006 Academic Library Survey(ALS.Setting – Academic libraries in the United States.Subjects – 3925 academic library respondents.Methods – The author chose to use survey data collected from the 2006 ALS conducted bythe NCES. The survey included data on various topics related to academic libraries, but in the case of this study, the author chose to analyze three of the 193 variables included. The three variables: electronic books expenditure, computer hardware and software, and expenditures on bibliographic utilities, were combined into one variable called electronic resource expenditure. Gate counts were also considered as a variable. Electronic resource expenditure was also split as a variable into three groups: low, medium, and high. Multiple regression analysis and general linear modeling, along with tests of reliability, were employed. Main Results – The author determined that low, medium, and high spenders with regard to electronic resources exhibited differences in gate counts, and gate counts have an effect on reference transactions in any given week. Gate counts tend to not have much of an effect on reference transactions for the higher spenders, and higher spenders tend to have a higher number of reference transactions overall. Low spenders have lower gate counts and also a lower amount of reference transactions.Conclusion – The findings from this study show that academic libraries spending more on electronic resources also tend to have an increase with regard to reference transactions. The author also concludes that library spaces are no longer the determining factor with regard to number of reference transactions. Spending more on electronic resources is

Electronic resources access and usage among the postgraduates of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... and usage among the postgraduates of a Nigerian University of Technology. ... faced by postgraduates in using e-resources include takes too much time to find, ... Resources, Access, Use, Postgraduat, Students, University, Technology, Nigeria ... By Country · List All Titles · Free To Read Titles This Journal is Open Access.

Understanding the potential benefits of thyme and its derived products for food industry and consumer health: From extraction of value-added compounds to the evaluation of bioaccessibility, bioavailability, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzo, Jose M; Mousavi Khaneghah, Amin; Gavahian, Mohsen; Marszałek, Krystian; Eş, Ismail; Munekata, Paulo E S; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Barba, Francisco J

2018-05-17

Natural bioactive compounds isolated from several aromatic plants have been studied for centuries due to their unique characteristics that carry great importance in food, and pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. For instance, several beneficial activities have been attributed to some specific compounds found in Thymus such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties. Moreover, these compounds are classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) which means they can be used as an ingrident of may food producs. Conventional extraction processes of these compounds and their derived forms from thyme leaves are well established. Hoewever, they present some important drawbacks such as long extraction time, low yield, high solvent consumption and degradation thermolabile compounds. Therefore, innovative extraction techniques such as ultrasound, microwave, enzyme, ohmic and heat-assisted methods can be useful strategies to enhance the exytraction yield and to reduce processing temperature, extraction time, and energy and solvent consumption. Furthermore, bioaccessibility and bioavailability aspects of these bioactive compounds as well as their metabolic fates are crucial for developing novel functional foods. Additionally, immobilization methods to improve stability, solubility, and the overall bioavailability of these valuable compounds are necessary for their commercial applications. This review aims to give an overall perspective of innovative extraction techniques to extract the targeted compounds with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Moreover, the bioaccessi-bility and bioavailability of these compounds before and after processing discussed. In addition, some of the most important characteristics of thyme and their derived products discussed in this paper.

Electronic Safety Resource Tools -- Supporting Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barilo, Nick F.

2014-09-29

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Hydrogen Safety Program conducted a planning session in Los Angeles, CA on April 1, 2014 to consider what electronic safety tools would benefit the next phase of hydrogen and fuel cell commercialization. A diverse, 20-person team led by an experienced facilitator considered the question as it applied to the eight most relevant user groups. The results and subsequent evaluation activities revealed several possible resource tools that could greatly benefit users. The tool identified as having the greatest potential for impact is a hydrogen safety portal, which can be the central location for integrating and disseminating safety information (including most of the tools identified in this report). Such a tool can provide credible and reliable information from a trustworthy source. Other impactful tools identified include a codes and standards wizard to guide users through a series of questions relating to application and specific features of the requirements; a scenario-based virtual reality training for first responders; peer networking tools to bring users from focused groups together to discuss and collaborate on hydrogen safety issues; and a focused tool for training inspectors. Table ES.1 provides results of the planning session, including proposed new tools and changes to existing tools.

The effect of plant sterol-enriched turkey meat on cholesterol bio-accessibility during in vitro digestion and Caco-2 cell uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Grasso, S; Harrison, S M; Monahan, F J; Brayden, D; Brunton, N P

2018-03-01

This study evaluated the effect of a plant sterol-enriched turkey product on cholesterol bio-accessibility during in vitro digestion and cholesterol uptake by Caco-2 monolayers. Turkey products, one plant sterol-enriched (PS) and one plant sterol-free (C), were produced in an industrial pilot plant. Before simulated digestion, matrices were spiked with cholesterol (1:5 weight ratio of cholesterol to plant sterol). Plant sterols were included at a concentration equivalent to the minimum daily intake recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for cholesterol lowering. After simulated digestion, the percentage of cholesterol micellarization and uptake by Caco-2 cells in the presence of PS meat were measured. Compared to C meat, PS meat significantly inhibited cholesterol micellarization on average by 24% and Caco-2 cell accumulation by 10%. This study suggests that plant sterols in meat can reduce cholesterol uptake by intestinal epithelia and it encourages efforts to make new PS-based functional foods.

EFFECTIVE ELECTRONIC TUTORIAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei A. Fedoseev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes effective electronic tutorials creation and application based on the theory of pedagogy. Herewith the issues of necessary electronic tutorial functional, ways of the educational process organization with the use of information and communication technologies and the logistics of electronic educational resources are touched upon. 

Renewable energy resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellabban, Omar S.; Abu-Rub, Haitham A.; Blaabjerg, Frede

2014-01-01

Electric energy security is essential, yet the high cost and limited sources of fossil fuels, in addition to the need to reduce greenhouse gasses emission, have made renewable resources attractive in world energy-based economies. The potential for renewable energy resources is enormous because...... they can, in principle, exponentially exceed the world's energy demand; therefore, these types of resources will have a significant share in the future global energy portfolio, much of which is now concentrating on advancing their pool of renewable energy resources. Accordingly, this paper presents how...... renewable energy resources are currently being used, scientific developments to improve their use, their future prospects, and their deployment. Additionally, the paper represents the impact of power electronics and smart grid technologies that can enable the proportionate share of renewable energy...

Preference and Use of Electronic Information and Resources by Blind/Visually Impaired in NCR Libraries in India

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Shailendra Kumar

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to determine the preference and use of electronic information and resources by blind/visually impaired users in the leading National Capital Region (NCR libraries of India. Survey methodology has been used as the basic research tool for data collection with the help of questionnaires. The 125 in total users surveyed in all the five libraries were selected randomly on the basis of willingness of the users with experience of working in digital environments to participate in the survey. The survey results were tabulated and analyzed with descriptive statistics methods using Excel software and 'Stata version 11'. The findings reveal that ICT have a positive impact in the lives of people with disabilities as it helps them to work independently and increases the level of confidence among them. The Internet is the most preferred medium of access to information among the majority of blind/visually impaired users. The 'Complexity of content available on the net' is found as the major challenge faced during Internet use by blind users of NCR libraries. 'Audio books on CDs/DVDs and DAISY books' are the most preferred electronic resources among the majority of blind/visually impaired users. This study will help the library professionals and organizations/institutions serving people with disabilities to develop effective library services for blind/visually impaired users in the digital environment on the basis of findings on information usage behavior in the study.

Bioaccessibility and inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes of carnosic acid in sage and rosemary.

Science.gov (United States)

Ercan, Pınar; El, Sedef Nehir

2018-04-28

In this study, the aim was to determine the bioaccessibilities of carnosic acid in sage and rosemary and in vitro inhibitory effects of these samples on lipid and starch digestive enzymes by evaluating the lipase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition activities. The content of carnosic acid in rosemary (18.72 ± 0.33 mg/g) was found to be higher than that content of that in sage (3.76 ± 0.13 mg/g) (p sage and rosemary, respectively. The tested sage and rosemary showed inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (Concentration of inhibitor required to produce a 50% inhibition of the initial rate of reaction - IC 50 88.49 ± 2.35, 76.80 ± 1.68 μg/mL, respectively), α-amylase (IC 50 107.65 ± 12.64, 95.65 ± 2.73 μg/mL, respectively) and lipase (IC 50 6.20 ± 0.63, 4.31 ± 0.62 μg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that carnosic acid standard equivalent inhibition capacities (CAEIC 50 ) for these food samples were determined and these values were in agreement with the IC 50 values. These results show that sage and rosemary are potent inhibitors of lipase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase digestive enzymes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Library usage patterns in the electronic information environment. Electronic journals, Use studies, Libraries, Medical libraries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Franklin

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the methodology and results from Web-based surveys of more than 15,000 networked electronic services users in the United States between July 1998 and June 2003 at four academic health sciences libraries and two large main campus libraries serving a variety of disciplines. A statistically valid methodology for administering simultaneous Web-based and print-based surveys using the random moments sampling technique is discussed and implemented. Results from the Web-based surveys showed that at the four academic health sciences libraries, there were approximately four remote networked electronic services users for each in-house user. This ratio was even higher for faculty, staff, and research fellows at the academic health sciences libraries, where more than five remote users for each in-house user were recorded. At the two main libraries, there were approximately 1.3 remote users for each in-house user of electronic information. Sponsored research (grant funded research accounted for approximately 32% of the networked electronic services activity at the health sciences libraries and 16% at the main campus libraries. Sponsored researchers at the health sciences libraries appeared to use networked electronic services most intensively from on-campus, but not from in the library. The purpose of use for networked electronic resources by patrons within the library is different from the purpose of use of those resources by patrons using the resources remotely. The implications of these results on how librarians reach decisions about networked electronic resources and services are discussed.

Electronic resources of the rare books and valuable editions department of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University: open access for research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

І. К. Журавльова

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article describes tasks that electronic collections of rare books fulfill: broad access for readers to rare and valuable editions providing, preservation of ensuring of the original. On the example of the electronic collection of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University – «eScriptorium: electronic archive of rare books and manuscripts for research and education» the possibility of the full-text resources of the valuable editions using is shown. The principles of creation, structure, chronological frameworks, directions of adding the documents to the archive are represented. The perspectives of the project development are outlined as well as examples of the digital libraries of the European countries and Ukraine are provided, the actual task of preserving the originals of the rare books of the country is raised, the innovative approaches to serving users with electronic resources are considered. The evidences of cooperation of the Central Scientific Library of the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University with the largest world digital libraries: World Digital Library and Europeana are provided.

Electronic tracking of human resource skills and knowledge, just in time training, manageable due diligence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolodziej, M.A. [Quick Test International Inc., (Canada). Canadian Technology Human Resource Board; Baker, O. [KeySpan Energy Canada, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2001-06-01

KeySpan Energy Canada is in the process of obtaining recognition of various occupational profiles including pipeline operators, inspectors, and field and plant operators from various certifying organizations. The process of allowing individuals to obtain certification is recognized by Canadian Technology Human Resources Board as a step towards national standards for technologists and technicians. Proven competency is a must for workers in todays oil industry in response to increasingly stringent government safety regulations, environmental concerns and high public scrutiny. Quick Test international Inc. has developed a management tool in collaboration with end users at KeySpan Energy Canada. It is an electronic, Internet based competency tool for tracking personal competencies and maintaining continued competency. Response to the tool has been favourable. 2 refs., 4 figs.

In vitro bioaccessibility, transepithelial transport and antioxidant activity of Urtica dioica L. phenolic compounds in nettle based food products.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonetti, Gianpiero; Tedeschi, Paola; Meca, Giuseppe; Bertelli, Davide; Mañes, Jordi; Brandolini, Vincenzo; Maietti, Annalisa

2016-10-12

Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a well-known plant with a wide historical background use of stems, roots and leaves. Nettle leaves are an excellent source of phenolic compounds, principally 3-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), caffeoylmalic acid (CMA) and rutin. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bioaccessibility (BAC), the bioavailability (BAV) and the antioxidant activity of nettle phenolic compounds present in foods and supplements. The BAC of nettle phenolics was evaluated with an in vitro dynamic digestion of real food matrices: the type of food matrix and chemical characteristic affected the kinetics of release and solubilization, with the highest BAC after duodenal digestion. A study of duodenal trans epithelial transport evidenced low bioavailability of native forms of 3-CQA, CMA and rutin. Simulation of colonic metabolism confirmed that phenolic compounds are fermented by gut microflora, confirming the need for further investigations on the impact of phenolic compounds at the large intestine level. Photochemiluminescence assay of the simulated digestion fluids demonstrated that ingestion of Urtica based foods contributes to create an antioxidant environment against superoxide anion radicals in the entire gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

The Biomedical Resource Ontology (BRO) to enable resource discovery in clinical and translational research.

Science.gov (United States)

Tenenbaum, Jessica D; Whetzel, Patricia L; Anderson, Kent; Borromeo, Charles D; Dinov, Ivo D; Gabriel, Davera; Kirschner, Beth; Mirel, Barbara; Morris, Tim; Noy, Natasha; Nyulas, Csongor; Rubenson, David; Saxman, Paul R; Singh, Harpreet; Whelan, Nancy; Wright, Zach; Athey, Brian D; Becich, Michael J; Ginsburg, Geoffrey S; Musen, Mark A; Smith, Kevin A; Tarantal, Alice F; Rubin, Daniel L; Lyster, Peter

2011-02-01

The biomedical research community relies on a diverse set of resources, both within their own institutions and at other research centers. In addition, an increasing number of shared electronic resources have been developed. Without effective means to locate and query these resources, it is challenging, if not impossible, for investigators to be aware of the myriad resources available, or to effectively perform resource discovery when the need arises. In this paper, we describe the development and use of the Biomedical Resource Ontology (BRO) to enable semantic annotation and discovery of biomedical resources. We also describe the Resource Discovery System (RDS) which is a federated, inter-institutional pilot project that uses the BRO to facilitate resource discovery on the Internet. Through the RDS framework and its associated Biositemaps infrastructure, the BRO facilitates semantic search and discovery of biomedical resources, breaking down barriers and streamlining scientific research that will improve human health. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electronic Recruitment at CERN

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

The Human Resources Department switches to electronic recruitment. From now on whenever you are involved in a recruitment action you will receive an e-mail giving you access to a Web folder. Inside you will find a shortlist of applications drawn up by the Human Resources Department. This will allow you to consult the folder, at the same time as everyone else involved in the recruitment process, for the vacancy you are interested in. This new electronic recruitment system, known as e-RT, will be introduced in a presentation given at 10 a.m. on 11 February in the Main Auditorium. Implemented by AIS (Administrative Information Services) and the Human Resources Department, e-RT will cover vacancies open in all of CERN's recruitment programmes. The electronic application system was initially made available to technical students in July 2003. By December it was extended to summer students, fellows, associates and Local Staff. Geraldine Ballet from the Recruitment Service prefers e-RT to mountains of paper! The Hu...

Plastics disassembly versus bulk recycling: engineering design for end-of-life electronics resource recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, Pedro; Stuart, Julie Ann; Grant, Ed

2003-12-01

Annual plastic flows through the business and consumer electronics manufacturing supply chain include nearly 3 billion lb of high-value engineering plastics derived from petroleum. The recovery of resource value from this stream presents critical challenges in areas of materials identification and recycling process design that demand new green engineering technologies applied together with life cycle assessment and ecological supply chain analysis to create viable plastics-to-plastics supply cycles. The sustainable recovery of potentially high-value engineering plastics streams requires that recyclers either avoid mixing plastic parts or purify later by separating smaller plastic pieces created in volume reduction (shredding) steps. Identification and separation constitute significant barriers in the plastics-to-plastics recycling value proposition. In the present work, we develop a model that accepts randomly arriving electronic products to study scenarios by which a recycler might identify and separate high-value engineering plastics as well as metals. Using discrete eventsimulation,we compare current mixed plastics recovery with spectrochemical plastic resin identification and subsequent sorting. Our results show that limited disassembly with whole-part identification can produce substantial yields in separated streams of recovered engineering thermoplastics. We find that disassembly with identification does not constitute a bottleneck, but rather, with relatively few workers, can be configured to pull the process and thus decrease maximum staging space requirements.

Seaweed Polysaccharides (Laminarin and Fucoidan) as Functional Ingredients in Pork Meat: An Evaluation of Anti-Oxidative Potential, Thermal Stability and Bioaccessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Moroney, Natasha C.; O’Grady, Michael N.; Lordan, Sinéad; Stanton, Catherine; Kerry, Joseph P.

2015-01-01

The anti-oxidative potential of laminarin (L), fucoidan (F) and an L/F seaweed extract was measured using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, in 25% pork (longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL)) homogenates (TBARS) (3 and 6 mg/mL) and in horse heart oxymyoglobin (OxyMb) (0.1 and 1 mg/mL). The DPPH activity of fresh and cooked minced LTL containing L (100 mg/g; L100), F100 and L/F100,300, and bioaccessibility post in vitro digestion (L/F300), was assessed. Theoretical cellular uptake of antioxidant compounds was measured in a transwell Caco-2 cell model. Laminarin displayed no activity and fucoidan reduced lipid oxidation but catalysed OxyMb oxidation. Fucoidan activity was lowered by cooking while the L/F extract displayed moderate thermal stability. A decrease in DPPH antioxidant activity of 44.15% and 36.63%, after 4 and 20 h respectively, indicated theoretical uptake of L/F antioxidant compounds. Results highlight the potential use of seaweed extracts as functional ingredients in pork. PMID:25903283

Seaweed Polysaccharides (Laminarin and Fucoidan as Functional Ingredients in Pork Meat: An Evaluation of Anti-Oxidative Potential, Thermal Stability and Bioaccessibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha C. Moroney

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The anti-oxidative potential of laminarin (L, fucoidan (F and an L/F seaweed extract was measured using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, in 25% pork (longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL homogenates (TBARS (3 and 6 mg/mL and in horse heart oxymyoglobin (OxyMb (0.1 and 1 mg/mL. The DPPH activity of fresh and cooked minced LTL containing L (100 mg/g; L100, F100 and L/F100,300, and bioaccessibility post in vitro digestion (L/F300, was assessed. Theoretical cellular uptake of antioxidant compounds was measured in a transwell Caco-2 cell model. Laminarin displayed no activity and fucoidan reduced lipid oxidation but catalysed OxyMb oxidation. Fucoidan activity was lowered by cooking while the L/F extract displayed moderate thermal stability. A decrease in DPPH antioxidant activity of 44.15% and 36.63%, after 4 and 20 h respectively, indicated theoretical uptake of L/F antioxidant compounds. Results highlight the potential use of seaweed extracts as functional ingredients in pork.

Cancer risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in former agricultural soils of Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Man, Yu Bon; Lopez, Brenda Natalia; Wang, Hong Sheng; Leung, Anna Oi Wah; Chow, Ka Lai; Wong, Ming H.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Electronic recycling site contain high concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in Hong Kong. → Changing of agricultural land use to electronic waste recycling sites can increase potential cancer risk on human. → High levels of soil organic matter in soils render PBDEs and PCBs more resistant to degradation. - Abstract: The major objective of this study was to evaluate the carcinogenic risk posed to humans through PBDEs and PCBs of changing agricultural land use for recycling of e-waste and open burning of municipal waste. Nine locations were selected to represent 6 different types of land use such as e-waste dismantling workshop (EW (DW)) and e-waste open burning site (EW (OBS)). The total concentrations for PBDEs and PCBs, and the bioaccessibility of PCBs were determined using Soxhlet extraction and in vitro simulated gastric solution, respectively. Both total and bioaccessible concentrations were subsequently used to establish the cancer risk probabilities in humans via ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation of soil particles. It was found that very low cancer risk in all 6 types of different land use was caused by BDE-209. Nevertheless, at the 95th centile, the concentration of PCBs in EW (DW) and EW (OBS) indicate a low cancer risk to humans of 40 and 2.1 in a million, respectively, while the same was also observed for the bioaccessible PCBs in EW (DW) of 1.71 ± 2.96 in a million.

Merge of terminological resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Lina; Braasch, Anna

2012-01-01

In our globalized world, the amount of cross-national communication increases rapidly, which also calls for easy access to multi-lingual high quality terminological resources. Sharing of terminology resources is currently becoming common practice, and efficient strategies for integration...... – or merging – of terminology resources are strongly needed. This paper discusses prerequisites for successful merging with the focus on identification of candidate duplicates of a subject domain found in the resources to be merged, and it describes automatic merging strategies to be applied to such duplicates...... in electronic terminology resources. Further, some perspectives of manual, supplementary assessment methods supporting the automatic procedures are sketched. Our considerations are primarily based on experience gained in the IATE and EuroTermBank projects, as merging was a much discussed issue in both projects....

Complete electronics self-teaching guide with projects

CERN Document Server

Boysen, Earl

2012-01-01

An all-in-one resource on everything electronics-related! For almost 30 years, this book has been a classic text for electronics enthusiasts. Now completely updated for today's technology, this latest version combines concepts, self-tests, and hands-on projects to offer you a completely repackaged and revised resource. This unique self-teaching guide features easy-to-understand explanations that are presented in a user-friendly format to help you learn the essentials you need to work with electronic circuits. All you need is a general understanding of electronics concepts such as Oh

Oscillator clustering in a resource distribution chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Postnov, D.; Sosnovtseva, Olga; Mosekilde, Erik

2005-01-01

separate the inherent dynamics of the individual oscillator from the properties of the coupling network. Illustrated by examples from microbiological population dynamics, renal physiology, and electronic oscillator theory, we show how competition for primary resources in a resource distribution chain leads...

Large volume TENAX {sup registered} extraction of the bioaccessible fraction of sediment-associated organic compounds for a subsequent effect-directed analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwab, K.; Brack, W. [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre or Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Effect-Directed Analysis

2007-06-15

Background, Aim and Scope: Effect-directed analysis (EDA) is a powerful tool for the identification of key toxicants in complex environmental samples. In most cases, EDA is based on total extraction of organic contaminants leading to an erroneous prioritization with regard to hazard and risk. Bioaccessibility-directed extraction aims to discriminate between contaminants that take part in partitioning between sediment and biota in a relevant time frame and those that are enclosed in structures, that do not allow rapid desorption. Standard protocols of targeted extraction of rapidly desorbing, and thus bioaccessible fraction using TENAX {sup registered} are based only on small amounts of sediment. In order to get sufficient amounts of extracts for subsequent biotesting, fractionation, and structure elucidation a large volume extraction technique needs to be developed applying one selected extraction time and excluding toxic procedural blanks. Materials and Methods: Desorption behaviour of sediment contaminants was determined by a consecutive solid-solid extraction of sediment using TENAX {sup registered} fitting a tri-compartment model on experimental data. Time needed to remove the rapidly desorbing fraction trap was calculated to select a fixed extraction time for single extraction procedures. Up-scaling by about a factor of 100 provided a large volume extraction technique for EDA. Reproducibility and comparability to small volume approach were proved. Blanks of respective TENAX {sup registered} mass were investigated using Scenedesmus vacuolatus and Artemia salina as test organisms. Results: Desorption kinetics showed that 12 to 30 % of sediment associated pollutants are available for rapid desorption. t{sub r}ap is compound dependent and covers a range of 2 to 18 h. On that basis a fixed extraction time of 24 h was selected. Validation of large volume approach was done by the means of comparison to small method and reproducibility. The large volume showed a good

Power Electronics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iov, Florin; Ciobotaru, Mihai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2008-01-01

is to change the electrical power production sources from the conventional, fossil (and short term) based energy sources to renewable energy resources. The other is to use high efficient power electronics in power generation, power transmission/distribution and end-user application. This paper discuss the most...... emerging renewable energy sources, wind energy, which by means of power electronics are changing from being a minor energy source to be acting as an important power source in the energy system. Power electronics is the enabling technology and the presentation will cover the development in wind turbine...... technology from kW to MW, discuss which power electronic solutions are most feasible and used today....

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Chemopreventive Action of Mauritia flexuosa Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joilane Alves Pereira-Freire

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae, known as “Buriti,” is a Brazilian palm tree with high economic potential for local communities. Herein, we investigated the phytochemistry profile and antioxidant potential of M. flexuosa fruits and determined the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. Peels revealed upper values for phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tannins, and ascorbic acid when compared to the pulps and endocarps. All samples showed capacity to scavenger free radicals (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 mg/mL but peels presented higher scavenger action in all methods explored. Phenolic compounds identified by HPLC displayed reduced bioaccessibility after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion for pulp (38.7%, peel (18.7%, and endocarp (22.3% extracts (P<0.05. Buriti fruits also protected rat blood cells against lysis induced by peroxyl radicals. We demonstrated the promising chemopreventive potentialities of M. flexuosa fruits and their by-products and peels with higher quantities of bioactive compounds and phenolic substances before and after in vitro bioaccessibility investigation. In Brazil, these parts are discarded or underused, mainly as feed for ruminant animals. Consequently, it is extremely important to explore nutritional characteristics of these by-products for human/livestock foods and to install biofriendly techniques and sustainable biotechnology handling of natural resources.

Electronic conferencing for continuing medical education: a resource survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternberg, R J

1986-10-01

The use of electronic technologies to link participants for education conferences is an option for providers of Continuing Medical Education. In order to profile the kinds of electronic networks currently offering audio- or videoteleconferences for physician audiences, a survey was done during late 1985. The information collected included range of services, fees, and geographic areas served. The results show a broad diversity of providers providing both interactive and didactic programming to both physicians and other health care professionals.

Influence of chocolate matrix composition on cocoa flavan-3-ol bioaccessibility in vitro and bioavailability in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Neilson, Andrew P; George, Judy C; Janle, Elsa M; Mattes, Richard D; Rudolph, Ralf; Matusheski, Nathan V; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2009-10-28

Conflicting data exist regarding the influence of chocolate matrices on the bioavailability of epicatechin (EC) from cocoa. The objective of this study was to assess the bioavailability of EC from matrices varying in macronutrient composition and physical form. EC bioavailability was assessed from chocolate confections [reference dark chocolate (CDK), high sucrose (CHS), high milk protein (CMP)] and cocoa beverages [sucrose milk protein (BSMP), non-nutritive sweetener milk protein (BNMP)], in humans and in vitro. Six subjects consumed each product in a randomized crossover design, with serum EC concentrations monitored over 6 h post consumption. Areas under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) were similar among chocolate matrices. However, AUCs were significantly increased for BSMP and BNMP (132 and 143 nM h) versus CMP (101 nM h). Peak serum concentrations (C(MAX)) were also increased for BSMP and BNMP (43 and 42 nM) compared to CDK and CMP (32 and 25 nM). Mean T(MAX) values were lower, although not statistically different, for beverages (0.9-1.1 h) versus confections (1.8-2.3 h), reflecting distinct shapes of the pharmacokinetic curves for beverages and confections. In vitro bioaccessibility and Caco-2 accumulation did not differ between treatments. These data suggest that bioavailability of cocoa flavan-3-ols is likely similar from typical commercial cocoa based foods and beverages, but that the physical form and sucrose content may influence T(MAX) and C(MAX).

Utilization of bio-resources by low energy electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Tamikazu

2003-01-01

Utilization of bio-resources by radiation has been investigated for recycling the natural resources and reducing the environmental pollution. Polysaccharides such as chitosan and sodium alginate were easily degraded by irradiation and induced various kinds of biological activities, i.g. anti-microbial activity, promotion of plant growth, suppression of heavy metal stress, phytoalexins induction. Radiation degraded chitosan was effective to enhance the growth of plants in tissue culture. It was demonstrated that the liquid sample irradiation system using low energy EB was effective for the preparation of degraded polysaccharides. Methylcellulose (MC) can be crosslinked under certain radiation condition as same as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and produced the biodegradable hydrogel for medical and agricultural use. Treatment of soybean seeds by low energy EB enhanced the growth and the number of rhizobia on the root. (author)

Adaptation of mathematical educational content in e-learning resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya V. Vainshtein

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Modern trends in the world electronic educational system development determine the necessity of adaptive learning intellectual environments and resources’ development and implementation. An upcoming trend in improvement the quality of studying mathematical disciplines is the development and application of adaptive electronic educational resources. However, the development and application experience of adaptive technologies in higher education is currently extremely limited and does not imply the usage flexibility. Adaptive educational resources in the electronic environment are electronic educational resources that provide the student with a personal educational space, filled with educational content that “adapts” to the individual characteristics of the students and provides them with the necessary information.This article focuses on the mathematical educational content adaptation algorithms development and their implementation in the e-learning system. The peculiarity of the proposed algorithms is the possibility of their application and distribution for adaptive e-learning resources construction. The novelty of the proposed approach is the three-step content organization of the adaptive algorithms for the educational content: “introductory adaptation of content”, “the current adaptation of content”, “estimative and a corrective adaptation”. For each stage of the proposed system, mathematical algorithms for educational content adaptation in adaptive e-learning resources are presented.Due to the high level of abstraction and complexity perception of mathematical disciplines, educational content is represented in the various editions of presentation that correspond to the levels of assimilation of the course material. Adaptation consists in the selection of the optimal edition of the material that best matches the individual characteristics of the student. The introduction of a three-step content organization of the adaptive

Internet and Electronic Information Management

Science.gov (United States)

2004-12-01

centers to form consortia and share electronic information sources. Although traditional resource sharing arrangements encouraged competition rather...outside world, through public relations and through marketing information products or services, to its own competitive advantage (Davenport 1997: 193-217... electronic information sources are a challenge for electronic information managers. Libraries and information centers are no longer “the only game in town

Electronic Information Access and Utilization by Makerere University Students in Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisam Magara

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives – The objectives of this study were to establish the level of computer utilization skills of Makerere University (Uganda Library and Information Science (LIS students; to determine the use of electronic information resources by LIS students; to determine the attitudes of LIS students towards electronic information resources; and to establish the problems faced by LIS students in accessing electronic information resources.Methods – A questionnaire survey was used for data collection.Results – The majority of Library and Information Science students at Makerere University depend on university computers for their work, and very few of them access the library’s e-resources. The few who access e-resources are self-taught. The majority of students surveyed were unaware of Emerald and EBSCO databases relevant to Library and Information Science students, and they found accessing eresources time-consuming. Conclusion – The study concluded that a concerted effort is needed by both LIS lecturers and university librarians in promoting use of the library’s electronic resources.

Dynamic models for distributed generation resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morched, A.S. [BPR Energie, Sherbrooke, PQ (Canada)

2010-07-01

Distributed resources can impact the performance of host power systems during both normal and abnormal system conditions. This PowerPoint presentation discussed the use of dynamic models for identifying potential interaction problems between interconnected systems. The models were designed to simulate steady state behaviour as well as transient responses to system disturbances. The distributed generators included directly coupled and electronically coupled generators. The directly coupled generator was driven by wind turbines. Simplified models of grid-side inverters, electronically coupled wind generators and doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) were presented. The responses of DFIGs to wind variations were evaluated. Synchronous machine and electronically coupled generator responses were compared. The system model components included load models, generators, protection systems, and system equivalents. Frequency responses to islanding events were reviewed. The study demonstrated that accurate simulations are needed to predict the impact of distributed generation resources on the performance of host systems. Advances in distributed generation technology have outpaced the development of models needed for integration studies. tabs., figs.

Availability of Electronic Resources for Service Provision in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study also revealed that majority of the University libraries have adequate basic infrastructure for effective electronic information services. ... acquired by the library are put into maximal use by the library clientele, thereby ensuring the achievement of the library's objective which is satisfying the users, information needs.

Emotional Intelligence Research within Human Resource Development Scholarship

Science.gov (United States)

Farnia, Forouzan; Nafukho, Fredrick Muyia

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to review and synthesize pertinent emotional intelligence (EI) research within the human resource development (HRD) scholarship. Design/methodology/approach: An integrative review of literature was conducted and multiple electronic databases were searched to find the relevant resources. Using the content…

Antioxidant properties of chemical extracts and bioaccessible fractions obtained from six Spanish monovarietal extra virgin olive oils: assays in Caco-2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Thays H; Cabrera-Vique, Carmen; Seiquer, Isabel

2015-07-01

The antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content (TPC) of six Spanish commercial monovarietal extra virgin olive oils (Arbequina, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca, Manzanilla, Picual and Picudo) were evaluated in chemical extracts and in bioaccessible fractions (BF) obtained after in vitro digestion. Moreover, the effects of the BF on cell viability and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated in Caco-2 cell cultures. The in vitro digestion process increased the TPC and antioxidant activity evaluated by different methods (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP) compared with chemical extracts. After digestion, the Picual variety showed better beneficial effects in preserving cell integrity than the other varieties studied. Significant reductions of ROS production were observed after incubation of Caco-2 cells with the BF of all the varieties and, moreover, a protective effect against the oxidative stress induced by t-BOOH was shown for Arbequina, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca, Manzanilla and Picual. These findings seem to be an additional reason supporting the health benefits of Spanish extra virgin olive oil varieties. Multivariate factor analysis and principal component analysis were applied to assess the contribution of antioxidant activity and TPC, before and after digestion, to the characterization of the different varieties.

Size fraction effect on phthalate esters accumulation, bioaccessibility and in vitro cytotoxicity of indoor/outdoor dust, and risk assessment of human exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Wu, Fu-Yong; Huang, Min-Juan; Kang, Yuan; Cheung, Kwai Chung; Wong, Ming Hung

2013-10-15

Indoor and outdoor dusts from two urban centers in the Pearl River Delta, China, were analyzed and phthalate esters varied from 4.95 to 2,220 μg g(-1) in indoor dust, significantly higher than outdoor dust (1.70-869 μg g(-1)). Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the dominant phthalate found and the highest distribution factor (DF) (1.56 ± 0.41) was noted in the human T cell lymphoblast leukemic cell line (CCRF-CEM) indicated by Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50) decreased with particle size. The power model was found as a better fit for explaining the relationship between LC50 and phthalates (R(2)=0.46, passessment indicated that indoor dust ingestion accounted for the major source for DEHP exposure (81.4-96.4% of non-dietary exposure and 36.5% of total exposure), especially for toddlers. The cancer risks associated with DEHP via home dust were high (10(-6)-10(-4)), with 10% of houses estimated with unacceptable risks (>10(-4)). After corrected with the bioaccessibility of phthalates, the cancer risks of dust exposure were moderate (10(-7)-10(-5)). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

To get or not to get: the KAUST library e-resources acquisition experience

KAUST Repository

Ramli, Rindra M.

2014-06-01

In the challenging times of budget cuts and reviews, libraries are faced with issues, among others, such as justifying acquisition, negotiating deals and reviewing current subscriptions (pertaining to electronic resources). With the rapid increase in growth of electronic resources, libraries have to continuously assess their acquisition models and policies to constantly ensure that they are balancing their budget and users’ needs as well. This paper highlights the role played by Technical and IT department of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) library (Saudi Arabia) in acquiring the electronic resources (electronic books, electronic journals, databases, image and reference) for the community. It will describe the processes during the early days when KAUST library was inaugurated; how electronic resources were acquired and what went through during those days. The paper will elaborate further how the acquisition model has evolved and the various important roles played by the library staff in ensuring that acquisitions/subscriptions are justified, within the budget and provides ROI for the library. King Abdullah University is a graduate research university which opened in September 2009 with its first cohort of 800 graduate students (25% female) taught by 100 faculties. The focus of study and research in the university are: Mathematics and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences. The university library started with 10 staff. The library has a “state-of-the-art learning and information resource center supporting graduate education and advanced scientific research” (KAUST, 2010).

Bioaccessibility and risk assessment of essential and non-essential elements in vegetables commonly consumed in Swaziland.

Science.gov (United States)

Mnisi, Robert Londi; Ndibewu, Peter P; Mafu, Lihle D; Bwembya, Gabriel C

2017-10-01

The green leafy vegetables (Mormodica involucrate, Bidens pilosa and Amaranthus spinosus) are economic; seasonal; locally grown and easily available; easy to propagate and store; highly nutritious food substances that form an important component of diets. This study applies a physiology based extraction technique (PBET) to mimic digestion of these vegetables to determine the fraction of essential (Fe and Zn) and non-essential elements (Cd, Cr and Pb) that are made available for absorption after ingestion. Prior to the application of the PBET, the vegetables were cooked adopting indigenous Swazi cooking methods. Cooking mobilized most of the metals out of the vegetable mass, and the final substrate concentrations are: raw > cooked > supernatant for all the metals, and the order of average metal leaching was: Pb (82.2%) >Cr (70.6%) >Zn (67.5%) >Fe (60.2%) >Cd (53.6%). This meant that the bioavailable concentrations are significantly lower than in the original vegetable mass, if only the solid mass is consumed. Bioaccessibility was higher in the gastric tract than in the intestinal phases of the PBET for all the metals in all the vegetables. Risk assessment protocols employed on the non-essential elements (Cr, Cd and Pb) showed that the associated risks of ingesting metal contaminated vegetables are higher for children, than they are for adults, based on the target hazard quotient (THQ) index. However, the overall health risk associated with ingestion of these metals is low, for both children and adults, based on the HR index. Conclusively, this study expounds on the nutritional and risk benefits associated with ingesting naturally grown vegetables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilisation of Online Resources among Undergraduates in Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Electronic book (e-book) was mostly utilized as against Ejournals and E-thesis, while mobile phones and cybercafés remain the channels used in accessing online resources. it was discovered that incessant power supply, slow Internet connectivity and lack of time to access the information resources are constraints to ...

Assessment of soil lead exposure in children in Shenyang, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, H.M.; Wang, J.D.; Zhang, X.L.

2006-01-01

Soil lead pollution is serious in Shenyang, China. The paper brings together the soil work, the bioaccessibility, and the blood lead data to assess the soil lead exposure in children in Shenyang, China. Approximately 15.25% of the samples were above China Environment Protection Agency guideline concentration for soil Pb to protect human from health risk (350 mg kg -1 ). Pb concentrations varied among use scenarios. The main lead contamination sources are industry emission and automobile exhaust. Bioaccessibility also varied among use scenarios. Children, who ingested soil from industrial area, public parks, kindergarten playground, and commercial area, are more susceptible to soil lead toxicity. The industrial area soil samples presented higher bioaccessibility compared to the other use scenario soil samples contaminated by automobile exhaust. The result also suggested a most significant linear relationship between the level of Pb contamination and the amount of Pb mobilized from soil into ingestion juice. Soil pH seemed to have insignificant influence on bioaccessibility in the present study. Bioaccessibility was mainly controlled by other factors that are not investigated in this study. A linear relationship between children blood lead and soil intestinal bioaccessibility was present in the study. Children who are 4-5 years old are more likely to demonstrate the significant relationship between soil lead bioaccessibility and blood lead as their behaviors place them at greatest risk of soil lead toxicity, and their blood lead levels are more likely to represent recent exposure. - Children were exposed to soil lead and the exposure was assessed by bioaccessibility using in vitro digestion model in a modified version

Automotive electronics design fundamentals

CERN Document Server

Zaman, Najamuz

2015-01-01

This book explains the topology behind automotive electronics architectures and examines how they can be profoundly augmented with embedded controllers. These controllers serve as the core building blocks of today’s vehicle electronics. Rather than simply teaching electrical basics, this unique resource focuses on the fundamental concepts of vehicle electronics architecture, and details the wide variety of Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) that enable the increasingly sophisticated "bells & whistles" of modern designs.  A must-have for automotive design engineers, technicians working in automotive electronics repair centers and students taking automotive electronics courses, this guide bridges the gap between academic instruction and industry practice with clear, concise advice on how to design and optimize automotive electronics with embedded controllers.

Gaseous Electronics Tables, Atoms, and Molecules

CERN Document Server

Raju, Gorur Govinda

2011-01-01

With the constant emergence of new research and application possibilities, gaseous electronics is more important than ever in disciplines including engineering (electrical, power, mechanical, electronics, and environmental), physics, and electronics. The first resource of its kind, Gaseous Electronics: Tables, Atoms, and Molecules fulfills the author's vision of a stand-alone reference to condense 100 years of research on electron-neutral collision data into one easily searchable volume. It presents most--if not all--of the properly classified experimental results that scientists, researchers,

The Frustrated Nerds Project--Resources for Systems Administrators in Higher Education: A Resource Webliography

Science.gov (United States)

Henninger, Jessamyn; Aber, Susan Ward

2010-01-01

Systems Architects and Information Technology administrators working in higher education help faculty, staff, and student computer users. Yet, who helps them? What resources do these professionals value? A case study was conducted using purposeful sampling and data collection through electronic interview to gather the preferred information-seeking…

Bioaccesibility Extraction of Hydrophobic Pollutants: Benefits of Separating Leaching Agent and Acceptor Medium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cocovi-Solberg, D. J.; Miro, M.; Loibner, A. P.

2015-01-01

Bioaccessibility extractions of organic pollutants from environmental solid samples are increasingly used in environmental risk assessment and management. Recent research has indicated that many bioaccessibility extraction methods have limited sink capacity for hydrophobic organic chemicals, which...... are a step forward, they also lead to challenges related to the separation of sink and matrix and/or the subsequent quantification of the bioaccessible fraction. The present study aimed at developing a new approach for (1) enhancing the sink capacity of bioaccessibility extractions, (2) improving phase......, the developed method was applied to PAH contaminated soils and the results compared to results obtained with other existing methods....

Human Resource Development in Hybrid Libraries

OpenAIRE

Prakasan, E. R.; Swarna, T.; Vijai Kumar, *

2000-01-01

This paper explores the human resources and development implications in hybrid libraries. Due to technological changes in libraries, which is a result of the proliferation of electronic resources, there has been a shift in workloads and workflow, requiring staff with different skills and educational backgrounds. Training of staff at all levels in information technology is the key to manage change, alleviate anxiety in the workplace and assure quality service in the libraries. Staff developmen...

Preservation of and Permanent Access to Electronic Information Resources

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hodge, Gail

2004-01-01

The rapid growth in the creation and dissemination of electronic information has emphasized the digital environment's speed and ease of dissemination with little regard for its long-term preservation and access...

Implementating Information Technology in E-Human Resource Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina-Dana Popescu (Mitu

2016-01-01

More and more organizations have been replacing face-to-face human resource managementactivities with electronic human resource management, which is considered as one of the keyfactors that every organization needs to focus. Considering that human resource management isone of the necessary needs of today’s business, the goal of this article is to establish the importanceof human resource management (HRM, to examine recent research in e-HRM in order to evaluatethe cumulated evidence on the relationship between HRM and e-HRM and to outline the impact ofe-HRM on human resource. Many specialists underlined the fact that human resource requiresmore attention and careful management than any other resource of an organization. This paperalso deals with the influence of Internet and information technology on work and human resourcemanagement.

Looking for Guidelines for the Production of Electronic Textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Landoni, M.; Wilson, R.; Gibb, F.

2001-01-01

Reports the results of two studies of electronic book production, including production on the World Wide Web, and explains EBONI (Electronic Books On-screen Interface) that focuses on the evaluation of electronic resources and compiling guidelines for publishing electronic materials on the Internet for the United Kingdom higher education…

impact of the use of electronic resources on research output

African Journals Online (AJOL)

manda

... Julita Nawe. University of Dar Es Salaam Library, P.O. Box 35092, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania .... significantly, while 28.3% observed that quality of service to the community had improved .... resources and evaluate them is an important area.

Social Studies Online Resources. Media Corner.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Jeri, Ed.

1995-01-01

Maintains that three types of social studies activities are found on the information highway: (1) electronic mail; (2) information; and (3) conferencing. Describes examples of each. Discusses commercial services and resource materials and provides references to online services. (CFR)

Green Supply Chain Collaboration for Fashionable Consumer Electronics Products under Third-Party Power Intervention—A Resource Dependence Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiuh-Biing Sheu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Under third-party power intervention (TPPI, which increases uncertainty in task environments, complex channel power interplays and restructuring are indispensable among green supply chain members as they move toward sustainable collaborative relationships for increased viability and competitive advantage. From the resource dependence perspective, this work presents a novel conceptual model to investigate the influence of political and social power on channel power restructuring and induced green supply chain collaboration in brander-retailer bidirectional green supply chains of fashionable consumer electronics products (FCEPs. An FCEP refers to the consumer electronics product (e.g., personal computers, mobile phones, computer notebooks, and game consoles with the features of a well-known brand associated, a short product lifecycle, timely and fashionable design fit for market trends, and quick responsiveness to the variations of market demands. The proposed model is tested empirically using questionnaire data obtained from retailers in the FCEP brander-retailer distribution channels. Analytical results reveal that as an extension of political and social power, TPPI positively affects the reciprocal interdependence of dyadic members and reduces power asymmetry, thereby enhancing the collaborative relationship of dyadic members and leading to improved green supply chain performance. Therein, reciprocal interdependence underlying collaborative relationship is the key to reducing the external environmental uncertainties in the TPPI context.

Oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and a selection of metals in ashes; Oral biotillgaenglighet av arsenik, antimon och ett urval av metaller i askor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlsson, Christel; Bendz, David; Jones, Celia

2008-06-15

In an earlier study, financed by Varmeforsk, 'Q4-238 Environmental guidelines for reuse of ash in civil engineering applications', the total content of arsenic and lead was shown to determine whether or not reuse of some of the ashes in construction work is feasible. The model used to calculate the guidelines uses the total concentration of metals to evaluate the health risks resulting from exposure to the ashes. The use of total concentration can lead to overly conservative risk assessments if a significant fraction of the total metal content is not bioavailable. Better precision in the risk assessment can be given by the use of the bioavailable fraction of arsenic and lead in the model. As a result, ashes which are rejected on the basis of total metal concentration may be acceptable for use in engineering construction when the assessment is based on the bioavailable fraction. The purpose of the study was to (i) compile information on the oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and a selection of metals in ashes and similar materials, and on in vitro methods for determination of oral bioavailability, and (ii) experimentally estimate oral bioavailability of arsenic, antimony and some metals in a selection of ashes by analysis of the gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of these elements. The investigated elements were antimony, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel and zinc. In the literature study performed within the project a number of static and dynamic in vitro methods simulating gastrointestinal processes of contaminants were compiled. The methods include one or several segments, i.e. mouth, stomach and intestine. Among the compiled methods, the RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor volksgesundheid en milieu) in vitro method was used in the experimental part of the project. The advantages with the method was that: the method to a high degree mimicked the human gastrointestinal processes (the method included three segments mouth, stomach, and intestine

Electron beam pasteurised oil palm waste: a potential feed resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mat Rasol Awang; Hassan Hamdani Mutaat; Tamikazu Kume; Tachibana, H.

2002-01-01

Pasteurization of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) was performed using electron beam single sided irradiation. The dose profiles of oil palm EFB samples for different thickness in both directions X and Y were established. The results showed the usual characteristics dose uniformity as sample thickness decreased. The mean average absorbed dose on both sides at the surface and bottom of the samples for different thickness samples lead to establishing depth dose curve. Based on depth dose curve and operation conditions of electron beam machine, the process throughput for pasteurized oil palm EFB were estimated. (Author)

The Use of Electronic Resources by Academic Staff at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Tella, Adeyinka; Orim, Faith; Ibrahim, Dauda Morenikeji; Memudu, Suleiman Ajala

2018-01-01

The use of e-resources is now commonplace among academics in tertiary educational institutions the world over. Many academics including those in the universities are exploring the opportunities of e-resources to facilitate teaching and research. As the use of e-resources is increasing particularly among academics at the University of Ilorin,…

Building the electronic industry's roadmaps

Science.gov (United States)

Boulton, William R.

1995-02-01

JTEC panelists found a strong consistency among the electronics firms they visited: all the firms had clear visions or roadmaps for their research and development activities and had committed resources to ensure that they achieve targeted results. The overarching vision driving Japan's electronics industry is that of achieving market success through developing appealing, high-quality, low-cost consumer goods - ahead of the competition. Specifics of the vision include improving performance, quality, and portability of consumer electronics products. Such visions help Japanese companies define in detail the roadmaps they will follow to develop new and improved electronic packaging technologies.

Resources to Manage a Private Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Aigner, John; Cheek, Fredricka; Donati, Georgia; Zuravicky, Dori

1997-01-01

Includes four theme articles: "The Digital Toolkit: Electronic Necessities for Private Practice" (John Aigner); "Organizing a Private Practice: Forms, Fees, and Physical Set-up (Fredricka Cheek); "Career Development Resources: Guidelines for Setting Up a Private Practice Library" (Georgia Donati); and "Books to…

Tenax extraction for exploring rate-limiting factors in methyl-β-cyclodextrin enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs under denitrifying conditions in a red paddy soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Mingming, E-mail: sunmingming@njau.edu.cn [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Ye, Mao [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Hu, Feng, E-mail: fenghu@njau.edu.cn [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Li, Huixin [Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Teng, Ying [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Luo, Yongming [Yantai Institute of Costal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003 (China); Jiang, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Kengara, Fredrick Orori [Department of Chemistry, Maseno University, Private Bag, Maseno 40105 (Kenya)

2014-01-15

Highlights: • Enhanced anaerobic bioremediation of a red paddy soil polluted with PAHs. • 1% (w/w) methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) and 20 mM nitrate addition acted as solubility-enhancing agent and electron acceptor respectively. • Tenax extraction and a first-three-compartment modeling were applicable to explore the rate-limiting factors in the biodegradation. • Lack of PAH-degraders hindered biodegradation in control and MCD addition treatments. • Inadequate bioaccessible PAHs was vital rate-limiting factor in nitrate addition treatments. -- Abstract: The effectiveness of anaerobic bioremediation systems for PAH-contaminated soil may be constrained by low contaminants bioaccessibility due to limited aqueous solubility and lack of suitable electron acceptors. Information on what is the rate-limiting factor in bioremediation process is of vital importance in the decision in what measures can be taken to assist the biodegradation efficacy. In the present study, four different microcosms were set to study the effect of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) and nitrate addition (N) on PAHs biodegradation under anaerobic conditions in a red paddy soil. Meanwhile, sequential Tenax extraction combined with a first-three-compartment model was employed to evaluate the rate-limiting factors in MCD enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs. Microcosms with both 1% (w/w) MCD and 20 mM N addition produced maximum biodegradation of total PAHs of up to 61.7%. It appears rate-limiting factors vary with microcosms: low activity of degrading microorganisms is the vital rate-limiting factor for control and MCD addition treatments (CK and M treatments); and lack of bioaccessible PAHs is the main rate-limiting factor for nitrate addition treatments (N and MN treatments). These results have practical implications for site risk assessment and cleanup strategies.

Tenax extraction for exploring rate-limiting factors in methyl-β-cyclodextrin enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs under denitrifying conditions in a red paddy soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Mingming; Ye, Mao; Hu, Feng; Li, Huixin; Teng, Ying; Luo, Yongming; Jiang, Xin; Kengara, Fredrick Orori

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Enhanced anaerobic bioremediation of a red paddy soil polluted with PAHs. • 1% (w/w) methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) and 20 mM nitrate addition acted as solubility-enhancing agent and electron acceptor respectively. • Tenax extraction and a first-three-compartment modeling were applicable to explore the rate-limiting factors in the biodegradation. • Lack of PAH-degraders hindered biodegradation in control and MCD addition treatments. • Inadequate bioaccessible PAHs was vital rate-limiting factor in nitrate addition treatments. -- Abstract: The effectiveness of anaerobic bioremediation systems for PAH-contaminated soil may be constrained by low contaminants bioaccessibility due to limited aqueous solubility and lack of suitable electron acceptors. Information on what is the rate-limiting factor in bioremediation process is of vital importance in the decision in what measures can be taken to assist the biodegradation efficacy. In the present study, four different microcosms were set to study the effect of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCD) and nitrate addition (N) on PAHs biodegradation under anaerobic conditions in a red paddy soil. Meanwhile, sequential Tenax extraction combined with a first-three-compartment model was employed to evaluate the rate-limiting factors in MCD enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs. Microcosms with both 1% (w/w) MCD and 20 mM N addition produced maximum biodegradation of total PAHs of up to 61.7%. It appears rate-limiting factors vary with microcosms: low activity of degrading microorganisms is the vital rate-limiting factor for control and MCD addition treatments (CK and M treatments); and lack of bioaccessible PAHs is the main rate-limiting factor for nitrate addition treatments (N and MN treatments). These results have practical implications for site risk assessment and cleanup strategies

Current status of electron beam treatment of flue gas in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhiguang

2006-01-01

Fossil resource especially coal will remain the main energy resource in China over the next 3 ∼4 decades. Pollution of flue gas from fossil power station is one problem being desiderated to solve since 1990's. Electron beam treatment of flue gas as an advanced technique has been developed and used by some institutes and industries in China. The current status of flue gas treatment using electron beam and the development of electron accelerator in China are reviewed. (author)

Where Doctors Read Health Information Resources and Their ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Resources Media Preferences. Obianuju E. ... The survey research design was adopted for the study. ... media of assessing health information are the internet, electronic databases, textbooks, journals and .... for Social Sciences (SPSS).

eLearning resources to supplement postgraduate neurosurgery training.

OpenAIRE

Stienen, MN; Schaller, K; Cock, H; Lisnic, V; Regli, L; Thomson, S

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: In an increasingly complex and competitive professional environment, improving methods to educate neurosurgical residents is key to ensure high-quality patient care. Electronic (e)Learning resources promise interactive knowledge acquisition. We set out to give a comprehensive overview on available eLearning resources that aim to improve postgraduate neurosurgical training and review the available literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A MEDLINE query was performed, using the search ter...

Polyphenols from artichoke heads (Cynara cardunculus (L.) subsp. scolymus Hayek): in vitro bio-accessibility, intestinal uptake and bioavailability.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Antuono, Isabella; Garbetta, Antonella; Linsalata, Vito; Minervini, Fiorenza; Cardinali, Angela

2015-04-01

Artichoke is a rich source of health promoting compounds such as polyphenols, important for their pharmaceutical and nutritional properties. In this study, the potential for bioavailability of the artichoke polyphenols was estimated by using both in vitro digestion and Caco-2 human intestinal cell models. In vitro digestive recoveries (bio-accessibility) were found to be 55.8% for total artichoke phenolics and in particular, 70.0% for chlorogenic acid, 41.3% for 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 50.3% for 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, highlighting potential sensitivity of these compounds to gastric and small intestinal digestive conditions. Uptake of artichoke polyphenols was rapid with peak accumulation occurring after 30 min with an efficiency of 0.16%, according to the poor uptake of dietary polyphenols. Some compounds, such as coumaric acid, caffeic acid and caffeic acid derivatives, were also detected in the basolateral side assuming extra and intracellular esterase activities on chlorogenic acid. Only apigenin-7-O-glucoside was transported through the Caco-2 monolayer demonstrating its bioavailability to the extent of 1.15% at 60 min. In addition, permeability coefficient (Papp = 2.29 × 10(-5) cm s(-1)), involving apical to basolateral transport of apigenin 7-O-glucoside, was calculated to facilitate estimation of transport through the Caco-2 monolayer. Finally, the mono and dicaffeoylquinic acids present in artichoke heads exert an antioxidant activity on the human low density lipoprotein system correlated to their chemical structure. In conclusion, the utilized in vitro models, although not fully responding to the morphological and physiological features of human in vivo conditions, could be a useful tool for investigating mechanistic effects of polyphenols released from the food matrix.

Electronic Commerce: Government Services in the New Millennium.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Terrence A., Ed.

1998-01-01

This newsletter features innovations in resource management and information technology to support New York State government. The newsletter contains the following six sections: (1) "Electronic Commerce: Government Services in the New Millennium" -- examining the need for government involvement in electronic commerce policy and…

Electronic Publishing Approaches to Curriculum: Videotex, Teletext and Databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Aumente, Jerome

1986-01-01

Describes the Journalism Resources Institute (JRI) of Rutgers University in terms of its administrative organization, computer resources, computer facilities use, involvement in electronic publishing, use of the Dow Jones News/Retrieval Database, curricular options, and professional continuing education. (AYC)

PERii electronic journals: Assessing access and use by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Peter G. Underwood

institutional subscription to electronic journals through the Programme for Enhancement of .... These strategies include the promotion and marketing of these .... assist students and other library users to access PERii electronic journals resources. ..... Smith, H. Bukirwa, H. Mukasa, O. Snell, P. Adeh-Nsoh, S. Mbuyita, ...

Electronic Information – Threat or Challenge to Librarians and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Electronic Information – Threat or Challenge to Librarians and Library Buildings. ... electronic resources because as new things and methods emerge, they exist ... that world trends in the paper industry and Internet use do not justify the fears ...

Success factors for implementing and sustaining a mature electronic medical record in a low-resource setting: a case study of iSanté in Haiti.

Science.gov (United States)

deRiel, E; Puttkammer, N; Hyppolite, N; Diallo, J; Wagner, S; Honoré, J G; Balan, J G; Celestin, N; Vallès, J S; Duval, N; Thimothé, G; Boncy, J; Coq, N R L; Barnhart, S

2018-03-01

Electronic health information systems, including electronic medical records (EMRs), have the potential to improve access to information and quality of care, among other things. Success factors and challenges for novel EMR implementations in low-resource settings have increasingly been studied, although less is known about maturing systems and sustainability. One systematic review identified seven categories of implementation success factors: ethical, financial, functionality, organizational, political, technical and training. This case study applies this framework to iSanté, Haiti's national EMR in use in more than 100 sites and housing records for more than 750 000 patients. The author group, consisting of representatives of different agencies within the Haitian Ministry of Health (MSPP), funding partner the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Haiti, and implementing partner the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), identify successes and lessons learned according to the seven identified categories, and propose an additional cross-cutting category, sustainability. Factors important for long-term implementation success of complex information systems are balancing investments in hardware and software infrastructure upkeep, user capacity and data quality control; designing and building a system within the context of the greater eHealth ecosystem with a plan for interoperability and data exchange; establishing system governance and strong leadership to support local system ownership and planning for system financing to ensure sustainability. Lessons learned from 10 years of implementation of the iSanté EMR system are relevant to sustainability of a full range of increasingly interrelated information systems (e.g. for laboratory, supply chain, pharmacy and human resources) in the health sector in low-resource settings. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene

A study on the utilization of serial resources in selected tertiary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study on the utilization of serial resources in selected tertiary institutions in Ogun State. ... Lagos Journal of Library and Information Science ... Serial resources are publications either in printed form or electronic format issued in successive parts usually having numerical or chronological designations and intended to be ...

Modeling antecedents of electronic medical record system implementation success in low-resource setting hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilahun, Binyam; Fritz, Fleur

2015-08-01

With the increasing implementation of Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMR) in developing countries, there is a growing need to identify antecedents of EMR success to measure and predict the level of adoption before costly implementation. However, less evidence is available about EMR success in the context of low-resource setting implementations. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the constructs and relationships of the widely used DeLone and MacLean (D&M) information system success model to determine whether it can be applied to measure EMR success in those settings. A quantitative cross sectional study design using self-administered questionnaires was used to collect data from 384 health professionals working in five governmental hospitals in Ethiopia. The hospitals use a comprehensive EMR system since three years. Descriptive and structural equation modeling methods were applied to describe and validate the extent of relationship of constructs and mediating effects. The findings of the structural equation modeling shows that system quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.32, P quality has significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.44, P service quality has strong significant influence on EMR use (β = 0.36, P effect of EMR use on user satisfaction was not significant. Both EMR use and user satisfaction have significant influence on perceived net-benefit (β = 0.31, P mediating factor in the relationship between service quality and EMR use (P effect on perceived net-benefit of health professionals. EMR implementers and managers in developing countries are in urgent need of implementation models to design proper implementation strategies. In this study, the constructs and relationships depicted in the updated D&M model were found to be applicable to assess the success of EMR in low resource settings. Additionally, computer literacy was found to be a mediating factor in EMR use and user satisfaction of

Application of ICT-based Learning Resources for University Inorganic Chemistry Course Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatyana M. Derkach

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article studies expediency and efficiency of various ICT-based learning resources use in university inorganic chemistry course training, detects difference of attitudes toward electronic resources between students and faculty members, which create the background for their efficiency loss

Innovation and development of exhibition electronic-commerce based on the properties of electronic-commerce

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiankang

2017-06-01

There are two roadmaps of accomplishing exhibition electronic-commerce innovation and development. The first roadmap is that the exhibition organizers should seek mutual benefit cooperation with professional electronic-commerce platform of correspondent area with exhibition projects, thus help exhibitors realize their market object. The second roadmap is to promote innovation and development of electronic-commerce (Business-to-Customer) between both exhibitors and purchasers. Exhibition electronic-commerce must focus on innovative development in the following functions: market research and information service; advertising and business negotiation; online trading and online payment. With the aid of electronic-commerce, exhibition enterprise could have distinctive strengths such as transactions with virtualization, transparency, high efficiency and low cost, enhancing market link during enterprise research and development, promoting the efficiency of internal team collaboration and the individuation of external service, and optimizing resource allocation.

大學圖書館電子資源之需求分析與行銷策略之研究 A Study of Demands Analysis and Marketing Strategy of Electronic Resources in University Library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang-Yu Liu

2008-03-01

Full Text Available 電子資源的出現，使得知識載體有了新的突破，提高了使用者的便利性與即時性。對於圖書館而言，如何使電子資源的使用效益達到最高，必須思考一套有效的行銷策略。電子資源行銷概念應以讀者為導向，尊重讀者的資訊需求，並利用各種宣傳技巧，行銷電子資源，使圖書館能提供更完善的服務。本研究之目的旨在探討讀者的使用需求及電子資源的推廣策略，以獲致最有效益的行銷方式。研究對象以開南大學日間部四學院（商學院、運輸觀光學院、資訊學院、人文社會學院）學生為樣本，佐以缺口分析模型為分析架構，藉以找出個案中讀者/學生對於電子資源使用的真實需求，並進而歸納出提供服務的大學圖書館在其推廣或行銷服務上可有的因應策略。The emergence of electronic resources has made new breakthrough in knowledge carriers because of their ease of use, instant availability, and the characteristic of no time and space constraints. For public libraries to achieve maximum efficiency in its electronic resources, it is necessary to seek the most effective marketing strategies. Therefore, the marketing concept of the electronic resources should be reader oriented, such as respecting and understanding library user’s information needs. Libraries also need to utilize various media and techniques to market the electronic resources, so that more comprehensive services and experiences can be provided to readers. The purpose of this study is to investigate library user’s needs and promotion strategies of electronic resources in order to identify the most effective ways of marketing. This study focuses on the students of the four colleges (College of Business, College of Tourism, College of Information, and College of Humanities and Social Science in Kainan University as subjects in the survey questionnaire. It uses the Gap Analysis

GENDER ANALYSIS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use of internet Search engines such as google, yahoo and other free internet resources was found ... empirical studies are undertaken to examine the influence of gender ... H3: Perceived ease of use is positively related to the use of electronic.

Electronics all-in-one for dummies

CERN Document Server

Lowe, Doug

2011-01-01

Take your electronics skills to the next level! If you're looking for a solitary resource that covers everything you need to know about electronics, then look no further. This friendly-and-straightforward guide introduces the basics of electronics and enhances your learning experience by debunking and explaining concepts such as circuits, analog and digital, schematics, voltage, safety concerns, and more. Packed with nearly 900 pages of detailed information, this book shows you how to develop your own breadboard, design your own circuit, and get savvy with schematics. Cover

Electronic U.S. Government Information: Policy Issues and Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernon, Peter; McClure, Charles R.

1993-01-01

Provides an overview of U.S. federal information policy and its treatment of electronic information resources. Highlights include government publications; electronic government information; main providers of government information, including the Government Printing Office; the Freedom of Information Act; public access and use; information…

Connecting Print and Electronic Titles: An Integrated Approach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Judith; Konecky, Joan Latta; Boden, Dana W. R.

2011-01-01

Libraries make heavy investments in electronic resources, with many of these resources reflecting title changes, bundled subsets, or content changes of formerly print material. These changes can distance the electronic format from its print origins, creating discovery and access issues. A task force was formed to explore the enhancement of catalog…

The electronic Rothamsted Archive (e-RA), an online resource for data from the Rothamsted long-term experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Perryman, Sarah A M; Castells-Brooke, Nathalie I D; Glendining, Margaret J; Goulding, Keith W T; Hawkesford, Malcolm J; Macdonald, Andy J; Ostler, Richard J; Poulton, Paul R; Rawlings, Christopher J; Scott, Tony; Verrier, Paul J

2018-05-15

The electronic Rothamsted Archive, e-RA (www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk) provides a permanent managed database to both securely store and disseminate data from Rothamsted Research's long-term field experiments (since 1843) and meteorological stations (since 1853). Both historical and contemporary data are made available via this online database which provides the scientific community with access to a unique continuous record of agricultural experiments and weather measured since the mid-19 th century. Qualitative information, such as treatment and management practices, plans and soil information, accompanies the data and are made available on the e-RA website. e-RA was released externally to the wider scientific community in 2013 and this paper describes its development, content, curation and the access process for data users. Case studies illustrate the diverse applications of the data, including its original intended purposes and recent unforeseen applications. Usage monitoring demonstrates the data are of increasing interest. Future developments, including adopting FAIR data principles, are proposed as the resource is increasingly recognised as a unique archive of data relevant to sustainable agriculture, agroecology and the environment.

Internet resources and web pages for pediatric surgeons.

Science.gov (United States)

Lugo-Vicente, H

2000-02-01

The Internet, the largest network of connected computers, provides immediate, dynamic, and downloadable information. By re-architecturing the work place and becoming familiar with Internet resources, pediatric surgeons have anticipated the informatics capabilities of this computer-based technology creating a new vision of work and organization in such areas as patient care, teaching, and research. This review aims to highlight how Internet navigational technology can be a useful educational resource in pediatric surgery, examines web pages of interest, and defines ideas of network communication. Basic Internet resources are electronic mail, discussion groups, file transfer, and the Worldwide Web (WWW). Electronic mailing is the most useful resource extending the avenue of learning to an international audience through news or list-servers groups. Pediatric Surgery List Server, the most popular discussion group, is a constant forum for exchange of ideas, difficult cases, consensus on management, and development of our specialty. The WWW provides an all-in-one medium of text, image, sound, and video. Associations, departments, educational sites, organizations, peer-reviewed scientific journals and Medline database web pages of prime interest to pediatric surgeons have been developing at an amazing pace. Future developments of technological advance nurturing our specialty will consist of online journals, telemedicine, international chatting, computer-based training for surgical education, and centralization of cyberspace information into database search sites.

Gauging User Interest in Non-Traditional Library Resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandberg, Tami; Abbott, Jennifer

2015-06-23

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a government funded research laboratory based in Golden, Colorado. In addition to collecting traditional library resources such as journals, conference proceedings, and print and electronic books, the library also spends a significant portion of its collection development funds on resources not often found in many libraries: technical industry standards (e.g., ISO, IEC, ASTM, IEEE) and energy-related market reports. Assessing user needs for these resources is difficult for a number of reasons, particularly because standardized usage statistics are lacking or non-existent. Standards and market reports are generally costly and include fairly restrictive license agreements, which increase the importance of making informed collection development decisions. This presentation will discuss the NREL Library's current collection assessment and development practices as they relate to these unique resources.

MendelWeb: An Electronic Science/Math/History Resource for the WWW.

Science.gov (United States)

Blumberg, Roger B.

This paper describes a hypermedia resource, called MendelWeb that integrates elementary biology, discrete mathematics, and the history of science. MendelWeb is constructed from Gregor Menders 1865 paper, "Experiments in Plant Hybridization". An English translation of Mendel's paper, which is considered to mark the birth of classical and…

Helping Patrons Find Locally Held Electronic Resources: An Interlibrary Loan Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Pamela

2016-01-01

The University of North Texas Libraries provide extensive online access to academic journals through major vendor databases. As illustrated by interlibrary loan borrowing requests for items held in our databases, patrons often have difficulty navigating the available resources. In this study, the Interlibrary Loan staff used data gathered from the…

Usability Testing for e-Resource Discovery: How Students Find and Choose e-Resources Using Library Web Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Fry, Amy; Rich, Linda

2011-01-01

In early 2010, library staff at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio designed and conducted a usability study of key parts of the library web site, focusing on the web pages generated by the library's electronic resources management system (ERM) that list and describe the library's databases. The goal was to discover how users find and…

EDUCATIONAL NETWORK RESOURCES IN JOURNALISM AND PUBLISHING: FEATURES OF THE SITES' CONTENT AND DESIGN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna A. Zenzina

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the concept of electronic educational resource, its importance for the orientation of students in cyberspace, the basic requirements for the design and content of educational resources eligibility criteria standards. Filed benefits of having their own educational resource for high school. Singled out the importance of the interaction of educational resources with social networks. Detected differences and similarities of design and content of educational resources of Kyiv Universities in journalism and publishing.

Reliability criteria selection for integrated resource planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiu, D.; Ye, C.; Billinton, R.; Lakhanpal, D.

1993-01-01

A study was conducted on the selection of a generating system reliability criterion that ensures a reasonable continuity of supply while minimizing the total costs to utility customers. The study was conducted using the Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) reliability test system as the study system. The study inputs and results for conditions and load forecast data, new supply resources data, demand-side management resource data, resource planning criterion, criterion value selection, supply side development, integrated resource development, and best criterion values, are tabulated and discussed. Preliminary conclusions are drawn as follows. In the case of integrated resource planning, the selection of the best value for a given type of reliability criterion can be done using methods similar to those used for supply side planning. The reliability criteria values previously used for supply side planning may not be economically justified when integrated resource planning is used. Utilities may have to revise and adopt new, and perhaps lower supply reliability criteria for integrated resource planning. More complex reliability criteria, such as energy related indices, which take into account the magnitude, frequency and duration of the expected interruptions are better adapted than the simpler capacity-based reliability criteria such as loss of load expectation. 7 refs., 5 figs., 10 tabs

Power electronics for renewable energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iov, Florin; Blaabjerg, Frede

2009-01-01

sources from the conventional, fossil (and short term) based energy sources to renewable energy resources. Another is to use high efficient power electronics in power generation, power transmission/distribution and end-user application. This paper discuss some of the most emerging renewable energy sources......, wind energy and photovoltaics, which by means of power electronics are changing from being minor energy sources to be acting as important power sources in the energy system....

School Building Design and Audio-Visual Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

National Committee for Audio-Visual Aids in Education, London (England).

The design of new schools should facilitate the use of audiovisual resources by ensuring that the materials used in the construction of the buildings provide adequate sound insulation and acoustical and viewing conditions in all learning spaces. The facilities to be considered are: electrical services; electronic services; light control and…

Free and Innovative Teaching Resources for STEM Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, W. J.; McWhirter, J.; Dirks, D.

2014-12-01

The Unidata Program Center has implemented a teaching resource facility that allows educators to create, access, and share collections of resource material related to atmospheric, oceanic, and other earth system phenomena. While the facility can manage almost any type of electronic resource, it is designed with scientific data and products, teaching tools such as lesson plans and guided exercises, and tools for displaying data in mind. In addition to being very easy for educators and students to access, the facility makes it simple for other educators and scientists to contribute content related to their own areas of expertise to the collection. This allows existing teaching resources to grow in depth and breadth over time, enhancing their relevance and providing insights from multiple disciplines. Based on the open-source RAMADDA content/data management framework, the teaching resource facility provides a variety of built-in services to analyze and display data, as well as support for Unidata's rich 3D client, the Interactive Data Viewer (IDV).

HELP (INFORMATION ELECTRONIC RESOURCE "CHRONICLE OF ONU: DATES, FACTS, EVENTS": HISTORY OF UNIVERSITY IN INFORMATION SPACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. М. Гавриленко

2016-03-01

Object of research is the help information resource "The chronicle of the Odessa national university of I. I. Mechnikov: dates, facts, events". The main objective of our article – to state the main methodological bases of creation of information resource. One of advantages of information resource is possibility of continuous updating and replenishment by new information. Main objective of creation of this information resource is systematization of material on stories of the Odessa national university of I. I. Mechnikov from the date of his basis to the present, ensuring interactive access to information on the main dates, the most significant events in life of university. The base of research are sources on the history of university, chronology of historical development, formation of infrastructure, cadres and scientific researches. In information resource the main stages of development, functioning and transformation of the Odessa University are analyzed, information on its divisions is collected. For creation of this information resource in Scientific library the method of work was developed, the main selection criteria of data are allocated. This information resource have practical value for all who is interested in history of university, historians, scientists-researchers of history of science and the city of Odessa.

Electronic Journals in Academic Libraries: A Comparison of ARL and Non-ARL Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Shemberg, Marian; Grossman, Cheryl

1999-01-01

Describes a survey dealing with academic library provision of electronic journals and other electronic resources that compared ARL (Association of Research Libraries) members to non-ARL members. Highlights include full-text electronic journals; computers in libraries; online public access catalogs; interlibrary loan and electronic reserves; access…

Particles and waves in electron optics and microscopy

CERN Document Server

Pozzi, Giulio

2016-01-01

Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics merges two long-running serials, Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics and Advances in Optical and Electron Microscopy. The series features extended articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science, digital image processing, electromagnetic wave propagation, electron microscopy, and the computing methods used in all these domains. * Contains contributions from leading authorities on the subject matter* Informs and updates all the latest developments in the field of imaging and electron physics* Provides practitioners interested in microscopy, optics, image processing, mathematical morphology, electromagnetic fields, electron, and ion emission with a valuable resource* Features extended articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science, and digital image pro...

CLOUD EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR PHYSICS LEARNING RESEARCHES SUPPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleksandr V. Merzlykin

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The definition of cloud educational resource is given in paper. Its program and information components are characterized. The virtualization as the technological ground of transforming from traditional electronic educational resources to cloud ones is reviewed. Such levels of virtualization are described: data storage device virtualization (Data as Service, hardware virtualization (Hardware as Service, computer virtualization (Infrastructure as Service, software system virtualization (Platform as Service, «desktop» virtualization (Desktop as Service, software user interface virtualization (Software as Service. Possibilities of designing the cloud educational resources system for physics learning researches support taking into account standards of learning objects metadata (accessing via OAI-PMH protocol and standards of learning tools interoperability (LTI are shown. The example of integration cloud educational resources into Moodle learning management system with use of OAI-PMH and LTI is given.

QR Codes as Finding Aides: Linking Electronic and Print Library Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Danielle; Schneidewind, Jeff

2011-01-01

As part of a focused, methodical, and evaluative approach to emerging technologies, QR codes are one of many new technologies being used by the UC Irvine Libraries. QR codes provide simple connections between print and virtual resources. In summer 2010, a small task force began to investigate how QR codes could be used to provide information and…

Power electronics basics operating principles, design, formulas, and applications

CERN Document Server

Rozanov, Yuriy; Chaplygin, Evgeny; Voronin, Pavel

2015-01-01

Power Electronics Basics: Operating Principles, Design, Formulas, and Applications provides fundamental knowledge for the analysis and design of modern power electronic devices. This concise and user-friendly resource:Explains the basic concepts and most important terms of power electronicsDescribes the power assemblies, control, and passive components of semiconductor power switchesCovers the control of power electronic devices, from mathematical modeling to the analysis of the electrical processesAddresses pulse-width modulation, power quality control, and multilevel, modular, and multicell

Print and Electronic Resources: Usage Statistics at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library

Science.gov (United States)

Kapoor, Kanta

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to quantify the use of electronic journals in comparison with the print collections in the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library. Design/methodology/approach: A detailed analysis was made of the use of lending services, the Xerox facility and usage of electronic journals such as Science Direct,…

Preliminary Radiation Analysis of the Total Ionizing Dose for the Resource Prospector Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Rojdev, Kristina; Tylka, Allan J.; Atwell, William

2015-01-01

NASA's Resource Prospector (RP) is a collaborative project between multiple centers and institutions to search for volatiles at the polar regions of the Moon as a potential resource for oxygen and propellant production. The mission is rated Class D and will be the first In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) demonstration on the lunar surface and at the lunar poles. Given that this mission is rated Class D, the project is considering using commercial off the shelf (COTS) electronics parts to reduce cost. However, COTS parts can be more susceptible to space radiation than typical aerospace electronic parts and carry some additional risk. Thus, prior to parts selection, having a better understanding of the radiation environment can assist designers in the parts selection process. The focus of this paper is to provide a preliminary analysis of the radiation environment from launch, through landing on the surface, and some surface stay as an initial step in determining worst case mission doses to assist designers in screening out electronic parts that would not meet the potential dose levels experienced on this mission.

Global application of disorders of sex development-related electronic resources: e-learning, e-consultation and e-information sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Muscarella, Miriam; Kranenburg-van Koppen, Laura; Grijpink-van den Biggelaar, Kalinka; Drop, Stenvert L S

2014-01-01

The past 20 years have seen proliferation of electronic (e) resources that promote improved understanding of disorders of sex development (DSD): e-learning for physicians and trainees, e-consultation between clinicians, and e-information for families and affected individuals. Recent e-learning advances have emerged from the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology's online learning portal for current physicians and trainees. Developed with attention to developing clinical competencies incorporating learning theory, and presenting material that represents international best practice, this e-learning portal offers advances in training, making information more accessible for clinicians and trainees. Multiple levels of instruction, authentic case examples, collaborative forums for physicians and trainees, individualized feedback and user-friendly tools represent advances in trainee and physician learning that can take place in any location. e-consultation is an emerging tool that aims to connect physicians with specialists experienced in DSD care. Although it faces logistical challenges, e-consultation carries the potential to improve DSD care, especially in remote areas with limited access to DSD specialists. e-information for families and patients of all ages is widely accessible online, often with focus on DSD biology, medical care, and psychological and social support. e-information tools aid self-management and support of those affected by DSD. Efforts to improve these resources should aim to map information to individual users, incorporate optimally clear nomenclature, and continue as a 'shared enterprise' of clinicians, affected individuals, families and researchers. Improving the quality of DSD-related e-learning and e-information and developing e-consultation carries the potential to transform DSD care and support for patients, families and physicians worldwide. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Estimating children's exposure to toxic elements in contaminated toys and children's jewelry via saliva mobilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Guney, Mert; Nguyen, Alain; Zagury, Gerald J

2014-09-19

Children's potential for exposure to potentially toxic elements in contaminated jewelry and toys via mouth contact has not yet been fully evaluated. Various toys and jewelry (metallic toys and jewelry [MJ], plastic toys, toys with paint or coating, and brittle/pliable toys; n = 32) were tested using the saliva extraction (mouthing) compartment of the DIN and RIVM bioaccessibility protocols to assess As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Se mobilization via saliva. Total concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Sb were found elevated in analyzed samples. Four metals were mobilized to saliva from 16 MJ in significant quantities (>1 μg for highly toxic Cd and Pb, >10 μg for Cu and Ni). Bioaccessible concentrations and hazard index values for Cd exceeded limit values, for young children between 6 mo- and 3 yr-old and according to both protocols. Total and bioaccessible metal concentrations were different and not always correlated, encouraging the use of bioaccessibility for more accurate hazard assessments. Bioaccessibility increased with increasing extraction time. Overall, the risk from exposure to toxic elements via mouthing was high only for Cd and for MJ. Further research on children's exposure to toxic elements following ingestion of toy or jewelry material is recommended.

Improving the Status of Human and Material Resources in Public ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Improving the Status of Human and Material Resources in Public Primary School in Oyo States ... the Millennium Development Goals project in the State. ... libraries, well-equipped first aid centres, adequate electronically projected instructional ...

Innovations in electronic services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dagmara Wach

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Summarry Existence in electronic business has become increasingly difficult. High competition and considerable financial resources needed to enter electronic market are the problems of most micro and small sized enterprises, starting or developing their business. Nevertheless, there is a market niche for them, which can ensure success and grant partial financing of the business. This niche are small web projects, providing the customer with personalized service, hitting his tastes and meeting immediate needs. A projects that large websites are unable to perform. Financial sourcing of those projects comes from EU subsidies, in the framework of the Działanie 8.1. PO IG, 2007-2013.

Power Electronics in Wind Turbine Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Frede; Chen, Zhe; Teodorescu, Remus

2006-01-01

the conventional, fossil (and short term) based energy sources to renewable energy resources. The other is to use high efficient power electronics in power systems, power production and end-user application. This paper discuss the most emerging renewable energy source, wind energy, which by means of power...... electronics is changing from being a minor energy source to be acting as an important power source in the energy system. By that wind power is also getting an added value in the power system operation....

Multimedia presentation as a form of E-learning resources in the educational process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bizyaev АА

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The article describes the features of the use of multimedia presentations as an electronic learning resource in the educational process, reflecting resource requirements; pedagogical goals that may be achieved. Currently one of the main directions in the educational process is the effective use of teaching computers. Pressing issue implementation of information and communication technologies in education is to develop educational resources with the aim to increase the level and quality of education.

Sustainable Steel Carburization by Using Snack Packaging Plastic Waste as Carbon Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songyan Yin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the research regarding waste conversion to resources technology has attracted growing attention with the continued increase of waste accumulation issues and rapid depletion of natural resources. However, the study, with respect to utilizing plastics waste as carbon resources in the metals industry, is still limited. In this work, an environmentally friendly approach to utilize snack packaging plastic waste as a valuable carbon resources for steel carburization is investigated. At high temperature, plastic waste could be subject to pyrolytic gasification and decompose into small molecular hydrocarbon gaseous products which have the potential to be used as carburization agents for steel. When heating some snack packaging plastic waste and a steel sample together at the carburization temperature, a considerable amount of carbon-rich reducing gases, like methane, could be liberated from the plastic waste and absorbed by the steel sample as a carbon precursor for carburization. The resulting carburization effect on steel was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalyzer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer techniques. These investigation results all showed that snack packaging plastic waste could work effectively as a valuable carbon resource for steel carburization leading to a significant increase of surface carbon content and the corresponding microstructure evolution in steel.

Numerical simulation of transient moisture and temperature distribution in polycarbonate and aluminum electronic enclosures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shojaee Nasirabadi, Parizad; Jabbaribehnam, Mirmasoud; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2016-01-01

The challenge of developing a reliable electronic product requires huge amounts of resources and knowledge. Temperature and thermal features directly affect the life of electronic products. Furthermore, moisture can be damaging for electronic components. Nowadays, computational fluid dynamics (CF...

Students developing resources for students.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearce, Michael; Evans, Darrell

2012-06-01

The development of new technologies has provided medical education with the ability to enhance the student learning experience and meet the needs of changing curricula. Students quickly adapt to using multimedia learning resources, but these need to be well designed, learner-centred and interactive for students to become significantly engaged. One way to ensure that students become committed users and that resources become distinct elements of the learning cycle is to involve students in resource design and production. Such an approach enables resources to accommodate student needs and preferences, but also provides opportunities for them to develop their own teaching and training skills. The aim of the medical student research project was to design and produce an electronic resource that was focused on a particular anatomical region. The views of other medical students were used to decide what features were suitable for inclusion and the resulting package contained basic principles and clinical relevance, and used a variety of approaches such as images of cadaveric material, living anatomy movies and quizzes. The completed package was assessed using a survey matrix and found to compare well with commercially available products. Given the ever-diversifying arena of multimedia instruction and the ability of students to be fully conversant with technology, this project demonstrates that students are ideal participants and creators of multimedia resources. It is hoped that such an approach will help to further develop the skill base of students, but will also provide an avenue of developing packages that are student user friendly, and that are focused towards particular curricula requirements. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

eLearning resources to supplement postgraduate neurosurgery training.

Science.gov (United States)

Stienen, Martin N; Schaller, Karl; Cock, Hannah; Lisnic, Vitalie; Regli, Luca; Thomson, Simon

2017-02-01

In an increasingly complex and competitive professional environment, improving methods to educate neurosurgical residents is key to ensure high-quality patient care. Electronic (e)Learning resources promise interactive knowledge acquisition. We set out to give a comprehensive overview on available eLearning resources that aim to improve postgraduate neurosurgical training and review the available literature. A MEDLINE query was performed, using the search term "electronic AND learning AND neurosurgery". Only peer-reviewed English-language articles on the use of any means of eLearning to improve theoretical knowledge in postgraduate neurosurgical training were included. Reference lists were crosschecked for further relevant articles. Captured parameters were the year, country of origin, method of eLearning reported, and type of article, as well as its conclusion. eLearning resources were additionally searched for using Google. Of n = 301 identified articles by the MEDLINE search, n = 43 articles were analysed in detail. Applying defined criteria, n = 28 articles were excluded and n = 15 included. Most articles were generated within this decade, with groups from the USA, the UK and India having a leadership role. The majority of articles reviewed existing eLearning resources, others reported on the concept, development and use of generated eLearning resources. There was no article that scientifically assessed the effectiveness of eLearning resources (against traditional learning methods) in terms of efficacy or costs. Only one article reported on satisfaction rates with an eLearning tool. All authors of articles dealing with eLearning and the use of new media in neurosurgery uniformly agreed on its great potential and increasing future use, but most also highlighted some weaknesses and possible dangers. This review found only a few articles dealing with the modern aspects of eLearning as an adjunct to postgraduate neurosurgery training. Comprehensive

In vitro and in vivo approaches for the measurement of oral bioavailability of lead (Pb) in contaminated soils: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zia, Munir Hussain, E-mail: MunirZia@gmail.com [Technical Services Department, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, Lahore (Pakistan); USDA-ARS, Environmental Management and By-products Utilization Laboratory, Bldg. 007, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 (United States); Codling, Eton E. [USDA-ARS, Environmental Management and By-products Utilization Laboratory, Bldg. 007, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 (United States); Scheckel, Kirk G. [US-Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division, 5995 Center Hill Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224-1702 (United States); Chaney, Rufus L. [USDA-ARS, Environmental Management and By-products Utilization Laboratory, Bldg. 007, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 (United States)

2011-10-15

We reviewed the published evidence of lead (Pb) contamination of urban soils, soil Pb risk to children through hand-to-mouth activity, reduction of soil Pb bioavailability due to soil amendments, and methods to assess bioaccessibility which correlate with bioavailability of soil Pb. Feeding tests have shown that urban soils may have much lower Pb bioavailability than previously assumed. Hence bioavailability of soil Pb is the important measure for protection of public health, not total soil Pb. Chemical extraction tests (Pb bioaccessibility) have been developed which are well correlated with the results of bioavailability tests; application of these tests can save money and time compared with feeding tests. Recent findings have revealed that fractional bioaccessibility (bioaccessible compared to total) of Pb in urban soils is only 5-10% of total soil Pb, far lower than the 60% as bioavailable as food-Pb presumed by U.S.-EPA (30% absolute bioavailability used in IEUBK model). - Highlights: > Among direct exposure pathways for Pb in urban environments, inadvertent ingestion of soil is considered the major concern. > The concentration of lead in house dusts is significantly related to that in garden soil, and is highest at older homes. > In modeling risks from diet/water/soil Pb, US-EPA presumes that soil-Pb is 60% as bioavailable as other dietary Pb. > Joplin study proved that RBALP method seriously underestimated the ability of phosphate treatments to reduce soil Pb bioavailability. > Zia et al. method has revealed that urban soils have only 5-10% bioaccessible Pb of total Pb level. - Improved risk evaluation and recommendations for Pb contaminated soils should be based on bioavailability-correlated bioaccessible soil Pb rather than total soil Pb.

Bioaccessibility and arsenic speciation in carrots, beets and quinoa from a contaminated area of Chile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizarro, Isabel [Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Antofagasta, 02800 Antofagasta (Chile); Gómez-Gómez, Milagros [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); León, Jennifer; Román, Domingo [Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Antofagasta, 02800 Antofagasta (Chile); Palacios, M. Antonia, E-mail: palacor@ucm.es [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2016-09-15

Consumption of vegetables grown in arsenic (As)-contaminated soils is an important exposure route to the element for humans. The present study is focused on locally-grown, frequently-consumed vegetables, such as carrots (Daucus carota), beets (Beta vulgaris) and quinoa (Chenopodium) from the As-polluted Chiu Chiu area in Northern Chile. The latter region is affected both by As discharge from copper mining activity and natural As contamination, leading to a high As content in local food and water. For the selected vegetables, the following aspects were investigated: i) Their total As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd and Mn content; ii) Arsenic speciation in the edible part of the vegetables by liquid chromatography inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICPMS) analysis; iii) Arsenic bioaccessibility in the vegetables during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion; iv) Arsenic species present in the extracts obtained from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion; and v) Arsenic dietary exposure estimates for the assessment of the risk posed by the vegetables consumption. A significant degree of As contamination was found in the vegetables under study, their metal content having been compared with that of similar Spanish uncontaminated products. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the studied vegetables led to quantitative extraction of As from carrots and beets, whereas efficiency was about 40% for quinoa. For carrots, only As(III) and As(V) species were found, being their concentration levels similar. In the case of quinoa, around 85% of the element was present as As(V). For beets, inorganic As(V) and unknown overlapped As species (probably arsenosugars) were found. No significant transformation of the original As species was observed during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Arsenic dietary exposure values obtained for the three vegetables (0.017–0.021 μg As person{sup −1} day{sup −1}) were much lower than the JFCFA's safety limit of 50 μg As person{sup −1} day

Bioaccessibility and arsenic speciation in carrots, beets and quinoa from a contaminated area of Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizarro, Isabel; Gómez-Gómez, Milagros; León, Jennifer; Román, Domingo; Palacios, M. Antonia

2016-01-01

Consumption of vegetables grown in arsenic (As)-contaminated soils is an important exposure route to the element for humans. The present study is focused on locally-grown, frequently-consumed vegetables, such as carrots (Daucus carota), beets (Beta vulgaris) and quinoa (Chenopodium) from the As-polluted Chiu Chiu area in Northern Chile. The latter region is affected both by As discharge from copper mining activity and natural As contamination, leading to a high As content in local food and water. For the selected vegetables, the following aspects were investigated: i) Their total As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd and Mn content; ii) Arsenic speciation in the edible part of the vegetables by liquid chromatography inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICPMS) analysis; iii) Arsenic bioaccessibility in the vegetables during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion; iv) Arsenic species present in the extracts obtained from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion; and v) Arsenic dietary exposure estimates for the assessment of the risk posed by the vegetables consumption. A significant degree of As contamination was found in the vegetables under study, their metal content having been compared with that of similar Spanish uncontaminated products. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the studied vegetables led to quantitative extraction of As from carrots and beets, whereas efficiency was about 40% for quinoa. For carrots, only As(III) and As(V) species were found, being their concentration levels similar. In the case of quinoa, around 85% of the element was present as As(V). For beets, inorganic As(V) and unknown overlapped As species (probably arsenosugars) were found. No significant transformation of the original As species was observed during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Arsenic dietary exposure values obtained for the three vegetables (0.017–0.021 μg As person"−"1 day"−"1) were much lower than the JFCFA's safety limit of 50 μg As person"−"1 day"−"1. Therefore

The impact of an electronic clinical decision support for pulmonary ...