Abstract
Peanut butter and yoghurt are targeted for adulteration intended at consumer deception. This study aimed to fingerprint and detect peanut butter and yoghurt adulteration with cassava flour and starch using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in a quasi-experimental approach. Ingredients for laboratory sample preparation were obtained from the Kumasi Metropolis. Peanut butter was adulterated at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20% w/w and yoghurt at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 45, 50% w/w. Selected concentrations mimicked practices on the market. Marketed products were randomly sampled from six markets in the Kumasi Metropolis to validate the study models. Samples were scanned with a hand-held NIRS in triplicates. Chemometric (Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) models) statistical methods were employed to develop classification and prediction models. Peaks with spectral bands such as 1050 , 1200 and 1450 nm were observed for peanut butter and 990–1100 nm, 1100–1200 nm and 1300–1408 nm were observed for yoghurt in the NIR spectrum. Some yoghurt brands were suspected of containing cassava starch, while Peanut butter from the different markets differed based on classification models. Cassava flour and starch concentrations were quantitatively predicted by PLSR with an R2 CV of 0.98 and an error of 0.9 g/100 g (low error).
Abstract
Campylobacter infections and campylobacteriosis-associated post-infectious sequelae are a significant global health burden that needs to be addressed from a specific African perspective. We conducted a comprehensive literature search on NCBI PubMed to compile a comprehensive narrative review article on Campylobacter infections in Africa, focusing on key aspects in human and veterinary medicine as well as food hygiene. We specifically focused on the epidemiology of enteropathogenic Campylobacter spp. in sub-Saharan and North Africa considering antimicrobial susceptibility. The most significant sequela resulting from molecular mimicry to Campylobacter surface structures is the Guillain-Barré syndrome, which was mainly examined in the context of limited studies conducted in African populations. A dedicated subsection is allocated to the limited research on the veterinary medically important species Campylobacter fetus. There are significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiome, especially in rural areas, which affect the colonization with Campylobacter spp. and the manifestation of campylobacteriosis. There may be a problem of overdiagnosis due to asymptomatic colonization, particularly in the detection of Campylobacter using molecular biological techniques. To reduce the colonization and infection rate of Campylobacter, we propose implementing several control measures and urge further research to improve the current understanding of the peculiarities of campylobacteriosis in Africa.
Asymptotic uniform upper density, shortened as a.u.u.d., or simply upper density, is a classical notion which was first introduced by Kahane for sequences in the real line.
Syndetic sets were defined by Gottschalk and Hendlund. For a locally compact group 𝐺, a set 𝑆 ⊂ 𝐺 is syndetic, if there exists a compact subset 𝐶 ⋐ 𝐺 such that 𝑆𝐶 = 𝐺. Syndetic sets play an important role in various fields of applications of topological groups and semigroups, ergodic theory and number theory. A lemma in the book of Fürstenberg says that once a subset 𝐴 ⊂ ℤ has positive a.u.u.d., then its difference set 𝐴 − 𝐴 is syndetic.
The construction of a reasonable notion of a.u.u.d. in general locally compact Abelian groups (LCA groups for short) was not known for long, but in the late 2000’s several constructions were worked out to generalize it from the base cases of ℤ𝑑 and ℝ𝑑. With the notion available, several classical results of the Euclidean setting became accessible even in general LCA groups.
Here we work out various versions in a general locally compact Abelian group 𝐺 of the classical statement that if a set 𝑆 ⊂ 𝐺 has positive asymptotic uniform upper density, then the difference set 𝑆 − 𝑆 is syndetic.
Abstract
While three-dimensional measurement technology is spreading fast, its meaningful application to sedimentary geology still lacks content. Classical shape descriptors (such as axis ratios, circularity of projection) were not inherently three-dimensional, because no such technology existed. Recently a new class of three-dimensional descriptors, collectively referred to as mechanical descriptors, has been introduced and applied for a broad range of sedimentary particles. First-order mechanical descriptors (registered for each pebble as a pair {S, U} of integers), refer to the respective numbers of stable and unstable static equilibria and can be reliably detected by hand experiments. However, they have limited ability of distinction, as the majority of coastal pebbles fall into primary class
Abstract
Stable hydrogen isotope compositions of metamorphic rocks and minerals can provide information on the origin of metamorphic fluids, which is especially important in systems that had experienced multiple metamorphic events. The Sopron orthogneiss-micaschist complex is a good target as it records signs of Variscan and Alpine metamorphic events as well as Variscan granitic magmatism. In this study tourmaline-bearing rocks (pegmatitic orthogneisses and kyanite-chlorite-muscovite schists) of the Sopron metamorphic complex were sampled and their tourmaline grains were analyzed for stable hydrogen isotope compositions (δ2H). The δ2H values (−23 ± 1‰, relative to V-SMOW) are in accordance with a fluid flux from devolatilization of subducted, seawater-containing rocks. Tourmaline-chlorite hydrogen isotope fractionations correspond to about 550 °C, indicating that δ2H values formed close to peak metamorphic temperatures are preserved without retrograde isotope exchange during cooling.
A talaj katabolikus aktivitás mintázatának elemzése mikrorespirációs (MicroResp™) módszerrel
Analysis of soil catabolic activity patterns by micro-respiration (MicroResp™)
Functional diversity of the soil microbial community participates in most of the soil ecosystem services, often they have an essential role. From the many theoretical and experimental approaches, the catabolic activity pattern based on MicroResp™ technique is shown here. The method is the extension of the old-fashioned substrate induced respiration method to the microplate based multi-substrate induced respiration detection, allowing in situ community level physiological pattern of the soil microbial community. As the substrate utilization of the individual microbes may differ, the substrate utilization pattern of the sample depends on the actual composition and abundance of the soil microbial community. Substrates used in this method can be variable, mainly simple sugars, amino acids, amines or carboxylic acids are applied. The microrespiration method is fast, sensitive and reliable, therefore it is recommended to use in planned experiments and in soil monitoring programs as well.
Abstract
Background and aims
Time perception is a cognitive process involving both the ability to estimate the duration of an event (time estimation, TE) and the subjective perception of its passage (time passage, TP). Studies show that alteration in TE/TP is associated with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of these alterations in potentially problematic online behaviors. We explore TE and TP while participants were exposed to cues related to videogames, pornography, and TV series, and the relationship of TE and TP with scores from instruments that measure problematic gaming (PG), problematic pornography use (PPU), and problematic binge-watching (BW).
Methods
Participants from three independent samples (40 men from Luxembourg; 99 Spanish men, 111 Spanish women) completed an experimental task designed to assess TE and TP while they were exposed to short clips related to videogames, pornography, TV series, and documentaries (control condition). Participants also completed different self-reports.
Results
Whereas men underestimated the time that they were exposed to pornography and TV series, women overestimated it. For videogames, we showed a consistent pattern of overestimation of time duration. Time was systematically perceived as passing faster while participants were presented with TV series and pornography. Regarding the association between time perception and PG, PPU, and BW, TE did not correlate with any of the indicators of problematic engagement assessed; but TP correlated with several of these indicators.
Discussion and conclusions
The present preliminary results showed mixed evidence regarding the involvement of time perception in gaming, pornography use, and binge-watching.
Abstract
The present study offers a speech-act analysis of the phatic interaction taking place within the ritual frame of casual encounters in the elevator. The corpus consists of 70 encounters that took place in Madrid, Spain, between 2020 and 2023. The analysis draws from Edmondson & House's (1981) originally proposed interactional typology of speech acts, also found in House & Kádár (2021a, 2023) and Edmondson, House & Kádár (2022). The main findings show, among other things, that some acts that are not conceived as phatic in the typology can migrate into the phatic slots, and that the speech-act pattern of this type of encounters can be affected by sociopragmatic variables such as the relational history of the interactants, or the co-created humorous episodes in the encounters.
Abstract
The current interpretive study aimed to characterize the (non-)ritual, phatic clusters of speech acts that conventionally recur around the opening/closing phases of Persian speaking students' social encounters or occur during the core (or ‘business’) phase of natural interactions as small talk in Persian. The study was conducted in Iran's Persian linguaculture where considerable social-cultural-economic changes have taken place over the last decade or so impacting the form and content of phatic interaction in all sectors of the society. The participants of the study were 97 Persian-speaking university students attending a state-run university located in the southwest of Iran. The students were asked to audio-record their natural interactions in four different social encounters varied based on the standard sociolinguistic parameters of Social Distance and Power (+/−SD, +/−P). We adopted House & Kádár's (2022) pragmalinguistic and speech act-anchored model of phatic interaction to code the (non-)ritual realization patterns of small talks around the opening, closing, and core phases of interaction. The results indicate that small talks which are co-constructed by the Persian interactants at the opening and closing phases of their social encounters are highly ritualized in terms of the speech act types and pragmalinguistic structures employed. Further, interpersonal interchanges which involve differential sociolinguistic P and SD values require more tactfulness and care in adhering to the greeting and parting conventions as more face-threat is potentially implicated. In terms of the medial phase, except for a small number of ostensible realizations of different speech acts such as invites, offers, and apologies, core off-topic phaticity was perceived to be non-ritual and discursive in Persian the interpretation of which heavily relies upon shared sociopragmatic knowledge of the linguaculture.
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major human pathogen as it is responsible for various infections. In the past years hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP) emerged and disseminated worldwide. In this review a summary will be given about epidemiology, detection and antibiotic resistance of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. A common feature of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae is a combined expression of several virulence factors. A mucoviscosus phenotype, certain capsulare serotypes (e.g.: K1, K2, K28, K47, K63) together with additional genetic markers namely, magA, rmpA or iucABCD, are needed in combinations to achieve the hypervirulent pathotype. Plasmid coded virulence determinants are also detected, that indicates horizontal gene transfer of hypervirulence factors in K. pneumoniae.
Interestingly, infections caused by hypervirulent K. pneumoniae occur usually in the community in otherwise healthy people, and during these infections multiple infection sites are detected. Clinical pictures include both invasive infections and local abscess formation. Pyogenic liver abscess is the most frequently reported clinical manifestation and abscess formation in brain, spleen and lung are also diagnosed. Additionally, meningitis, endophthalmitis, trombophlebitis, pneumonia can also develop.
In the early reports, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains exhibited enhanced virulence but these were susceptible to commonly used antibiotics. However, recently KPC, VIM, NDM and OXA-48 carbapenemase producing hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains are increasingly reported, furthermore, well-known high-risk K. pneumoniae clones (e.g.: ST11, ST147, ST307) can develop hypervirulent pathotype, that poses an even more alarming challenge.
