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Quality Evaluation (quality + evaluation)
Selected AbstractsSAFETY and QUALITY EVALUATION of A YOGURT-BASED DRINK PROCESSED BY A PILOT PLANT PEF SYSTEMJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2004G.A. EVRENDILEK ABSTRACT Yogurt-based drink samples were prepared by mixing plain yogurt, water, sugar, and strawberry flavored fruit syrup. the samples were treated by both the mild heat (60C for 30 s) combined with a pilot plant pulsed electric field (PEF) system and the mild heat only in order to determine changes in the product safety and quality. Changes in the product safety were measured as microbial count, and changes in the product quality as L, a, b, oBrix and pH values. the treated and control samples were stored at 4 and 22C for microbial, physical and sensory evaluations. Since the 60C-treated samples exploded after 14-day storage, the safety and quality evaluations for 91 days were performed for the 60C? and control samples, only. Microbial count of the 60C? samples was significantly lower than that of the control samples at the two temperatures for the 91-day storage (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the L, a, b values, oBrix and pH between the control and 60C? samples (P < 0.05). the control and 60C? samples revealed no significant difference in the selected sensory attributes (P < 0.05). [source] SENSORY AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY EVALUATION OF VACUUM-PACKED SLICED COOKED CHICKEN BREAST.JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2 2003SHELF-LIFE ESTIMATION Sensory evaluation and a microbiological study charted the development of lactic acid and psychotropic bacteria and of Brochothrix thermosphacta. Six different sensory methods were used to estimate product shelf-life; of these, the method based on average smell and taste was deemed the most suitable, since these parameters had a greater impact on shelf-life. From a microbiological point of view, mean shelf-life times were estimated at each temperature and compared with the estimates of the tasting panel. In the samples stored at the three lowest study temperatures (2.3, 6.5 and 10C), lactic acid and psychotropic bacteria counts of 107,108 cfu/g were not achieved; this agrees with the absence of sensory rejection at the end of the experiment. At 13.5 and 17.7C, mean shelf-life estimated microbiologically was shorter than that estimated using sensory methods. This difference, which here amounted to at least 8 days, is due to the so-called "delayed change", reported in previous experiments with cooked meat products. [source] PROCESSING AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF WHOLE CANNED ,DWARF' GOLDEN APPLES (SPONDIAS CYTHEREA)JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 1 2002DAVID RAMSUNDAR ,Dwarf' golden apples (Spondias cytherea) were canned in sucrose syrup of either 30 d,Brix (L) or 40 d,Brix (H). Processing was either by hot filling (HF) of syrup at 92C in filled cans or by steam-exhausting (SE) of the filled cans at 85C for 12,14 min, followed by processing at 100C for 20 min (W20) or 30 min (W30). Sensory evaluation of commercial sterile products, SE-LW30 and SE-LW30 indicated there were no differences (P < 0.05) in appearance, color, taste, aroma and texture. Overall scores indicated that fruits in syrup were liked definitely to like slightly. Panelists indicated that they might or definitely will purchase the products. Fruits in 40 d,Brix syrup were firmer than in 30 d,Brix syrup. By week 8 of storage at 28,30C, pH was stable between 3.6,3.7, and ,cut-out'd,Brix of syrup for LW30 and HW30 products was 24.0 , 24.5 and 28.5, respectively. [source] PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL AND SENSORY QUALITY EVALUATION OF POTATO VARIETIES (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.)JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 2 2000J.E. PARDO ABSTRACT Seven table potato varieties were studied for pH, soluble solids content, moisture, firmness, color, external appearance of raw tubers and flavor and texture of the fried and boiled product. Monalisa was the most appreciated variety regarding external appearance, Bartina was preferred for the flavor of the fried product while Victoria and Desiree were the best for flavor and texture of boiled potatoes. The different scores by variety depending on frying or boiling suggest a specific use for each variety. Soluble solids content, pH, and moisture determinations showed minimal differences between varieties. Firmness was highest in the two varieties with the least moisture (Desiree and Victoria) and lowest in varieties with a high degree of moisture (Bartina and Caesar); fresh potato firmness had a positive correlation with these sensorial parameters when the product was boiled. All colorimetric parameters were useful to discriminate red skin from yellow-white skin varieties. [source] Effects of Fertilizer Phosphorus on Yield Traits of Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) Under Field ConditionsJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 1 2003A. Yemane Abstract Cool-season food legumes (CSFLs) are important supplementary protein sources and soil fertility restorers for subsistence farmers in Ethiopia. Yields of CSFLs, however, are limited by low soil fertility, as they are grown in poor soils, often without fertilizer. Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) is one of the CSFLs cultivated in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. It is highly appreciated by the local people for its taste. This paper reports on the effect of phosphorus (P) on the yield and nutrition value of Dekoko under field conditions, and compares the results with those obtained for Ater (Pisum sativum var. sativum). The experiment was conducted in the 1998 and 1999 growing seasons. Three rates of P equivalent to zero, 30, and 60 kg ha,1 P2O5 were tested. Biomass, leaf area index, branches/plant, pods/m2 and yield responded positively while seeds/pod and seed weight were not significantly affected by P. Tissue P contents in shoots and roots increased with an increase in P application rate, while P in the nodules was not affected. Crude protein (CP) content increased from 24.9 % of dry matter (DM) at P0 to 26.2 % at P2, and from 24.3 % at P0 to 25.2 % at P2, in Dekoko and Ater seeds, respectively, while total sugars decreased with an increase in P application rate. Cysteine in Dekoko and asparagine and threonine in both varieties decreased, while lysine and other amino acids were not significantly affected by P. P improved seed yield and CP content without greatly affecting the amino acid profile of Dekoko, when compared with that of the FAO/WHO (1991, Protein Quality Evaluation. Food and Nutrition, Paper 51. FAO/WHO, Rome) standard pattern of amino acid for children 2,5 years of age. Thus, improving yield through fertilization may help to improve nutritional quality and household food security for subsistence farmers. [source] Quality Evaluation of Pinto Beans and Green Beans Canned in Two Large Reusable ContainersJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2003W.G. McGlynn ABSTRACT: As an alternative to standard metal cans, 2 large-scale, reusable containers were constructed with volumetric capacities 3.6 to 3.8 times greater and process times 1.36 to 2.05 times longer than a nr 10 can. Effects of increased process time on product quality were measured by conducting objective color and texture evaluations on green beans and pinto beans canned in both containers. Green beans and pinto beans had comparable texture profiles to beans processed conventionally in nr 10 cans. The color of green beans also was comparable; the color of pinto beans was darker, possibly due to contact with the metal container. Color and texture differences were minimal between inner and outer product layers. [source] Hydrogeochemistry and Water Quality Evaluation along the Flow Path in the Unconfined Aquifer of the Düzce Plain, North-western TurkeyACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2010Nail ÜNSAL Abstract: The Düzce Plain has a multi-aquifer system, which consists of a near surface unconfined aquifer, along with first and second deeper confined aquifers. Hydrochemical evolution and water quality are related to infiltration of the precipitation, recharge from the formations surrounding the plain, flow path of groundwater and the relationship between surface and groundwater. The groundwater in the unconfined aquifer flows towards the Efteni Lake and the Büyük Melen River. Surface waters are divided into two main hydrochemical facies in the study area: (a) Ca2+,HCO3,; and (b) Ca2+, Mg2+,HCO3, SO2,4. The groundwater has generally three main hydrochemical facies: (a) Ca2+,HCO,; (b) Ca2+, Mg2+,HCO,3; and (c) Ca2+, Mg2+,HCO,3, CI,. The hydrochemical facies "a" and "b" dominate within shallow depths in recharge areas under rapid flow conditions, while hydrochemical facies "c" characterizes shallow and mixed groundwater, which dominate intermediate or discharge areas (near Efteni Lake and Büyük Melen River) during low flow conditions and agricultural contamination. Calcium and bicarbonate ions, total hardness and electrical conductivity of total dissolved solids (EC-TDS) values increase along the groundwater flow path; but these parameters remain within the limits specified by the standards set for industrial and agricultural usages. [source] PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON PHYSICAL AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES OF SOME INDIGENOUS AND IMPORTANT RICE CULTIVARS OF NORTH-EASTERN HILL REGION OF INDIAJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 6 2008TH. PREMILA DEVI ABSTRACT The northeastern hills of India are endowed with rich source of rice germplasm, which may be safely estimated about 9,000 accessions, excluding the redundancies. Even though much of the germplasm have been collected, studies on nutritional aspects of these local cultivars are still lacking. Fifteen important indigenous rice genotypes collected from different rice growing ecosystem of this region were studied for physical and nutritional qualities. Kernel color of the genotypes varied from white to dark purple. All the genotypes except Manipuri were of bold-grain type. Most of the genotypes studied have fat contents more than 2.0%. The protein content was found higher in Chahou angouba and Naga special. Five cultivars were identified as high-protein cultivars of rice, with 10,12.07% protein content. Amylose content varied from 2.27 to 24.5%. Most of long-grained genotypes recorded lesser amylose than short grained. Chahou varieties were found aromatic and glutinous, which demand higher market prices in local market. PRACTICAL APPLICATION The north-eastern hills of India are endowed with rich source of rice germplasm, and much of the germplasm have been collected, but studies on basic and advanced nutritional aspects of these local cultivars are still lacking. This part of India has valuable rice genotypes of strong aroma, glutinous characters and slender grains with high amount of protein, fat and fiber. Having not known to the rest of the world and even to indigenous end users, some of such cultivars have already been lost, and some more are at the verge of extinction. Quality evaluation done in the present study provided useful information on their commercial exploitation and utilization in breeding programs of nutritional enhancement of rice to fight malnutrition among rice-consuming population, which is largest in the world. [source] Virtual laboratory: A distributed collaborative environmentCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2004Tiranee Achalakul Abstract This article proposes the design framework of a distributed, real-time collaborative architecture. The architecture concept allows information to be fused, disseminated, and interpreted collaboratively among researchers who live across continents in real-time. The architecture is designed based on the distributed object technology, DCOM. In our framework, every module can be viewed as an object. Each of these objects communicates and passes data with one another via a set of interfaces and connection points. We constructed the virtual laboratory based on the proposed architecture. The laboratory allows multiple analysts to collaboratively work through a standard web-browser using a set of tools, namely, chat, whiteboard, audio/video exchange, file transfer and application sharing. Several existing technologies are integrated to provide collaborative functions, such as NetMeeting. Finally, the virtual laboratory quality evaluation is described with an example application of remote collaboration in satellite image fusion and analysis. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 12: 44,53, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20008 [source] European comparison of costs and quality in the prevention of secondary complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (2000,2001)DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 7 2002A. Gandjour Abstract Aims To compare the out-patient costs and process quality of preventing secondary complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Methods A total of 188 European physician practices assessed annual services for one hypothetical average patient (cost evaluation) and 178 practices reported retrospective data on one or two real patients (quality evaluation) in 2000/2001. In countries with a detailed fee-for-service schedule (Germany, Italy, and Switzerland) reimbursement fees were used to approximate costs. These fee-for-service schedules were also used to develop index (average) fees for all countries, in order to measure resource utilization. The following process quality indicators were evaluated: control of HbA1c; control of lipids; urine test for (micro)albuminuria; control of blood pressure; foot examination; neurological examination; eye examination; and patient education. For each country an average quality rating was calculated by weighting the response to each quality indicator with the level of scientific evidence. Results Average quality ratings ranged from 0.40 in The Netherlands to 0.62 in the UK (0 = lowest rating; 1 = highest rating). Total annual costs for secondary prevention were higher in Switzerland than in Germany and Italy (EUR475, EUR381, and EUR283, respectively). Resource utilization was highest in Germany and lowest in the UK. Conclusions The overall quality of preventive services documented was found to be poor in the seven European countries studied. The UK rated as both the most effective and the most efficient country in providing secondary prevention in Type 2 diabetes. [source] Production and quality evaluation of instant lassiINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DAIRY TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2009SANJAY R HINGMIRE Instant lassi was prepared from cows' milk standardized to 4% fat and 8.5% solids-nonfat and heated to 85°C for 30 min, followed by cooling at 37°C and adding 50% v/v lactic acid to adjust the pH to 3.4, 3.6 and 3.8. The sugar was added at the rate of 8%, 10% and 12% and mixed thoroughly in a Waring blender. The synthetic flavours vanilla, strawberry and pineapple were also added at the rate of 0.2% and stored at refrigeration temperature. The sensory evaluation of flavoured instant lassi adjusted to pH 3.8 and 12% sugar indicated no influence in colour, appearance or overall acceptability of compared to control. Among the different flavours used, pineapple-flavoured instant lassi scored highest for colour, appearance and overall acceptability. Both pH and sugar had significant effects, flavoured instant lassi having a higher specific gravity and lower viscosity than the control. [source] Chemical characterization and protein quality evaluation of leaf protein concentrates from Glyricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephalaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Johnson Oluwasola Agbede Summary Leaves and leaf protein concentrates (LPCs) from leaves of Glyricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala were analysed for chemical constituents. The protein quality of the LPC, with or without dl -methionine supplementation, was estimated by using sixty weanling albino rats. Glyricidia leaves contained higher crude protein and lower crude fibre than L. leucocephala leaves, while the ash values were identical. In the LPCs, crude protein showed a good balance of amino acids and nutritionally important minerals. The gross energy (GE) was only enhanced in the LPC of Glyricidia and, although tannin content was reduced in the LPCs, the phytate concentration increased. The rat bioassay did not suggest that, even when supplemented with dl -methionine, Glyricidia or Leucaena LPC would support rat growth when used as the sole sources of dietary protein. Based on the analytical and bioassay data, the nutritional potentials and limitations of these under-utilized protein resources are discussed. [source] A fuzzy preference-ranking model for a quality evaluation of hospital web sitesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 11 2006R. Ufuk Bilsel This article presents a quality evaluation model for measuring the performance of hospital Web sites. The model is developed on the basis of a conceptual framework, which consists of seven major e-service quality dimensions, including tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, confidence, empathy, quality of information, and integration of communication issues of Web sites. The dimensions and their associated attributes are first obtained from published articles in the health care and information technology literature and then adapted according to the suggestions of related domain experts. Two multicriteria decision-making methods are used in the evaluation procedure. Determined Web site evaluation dimensions and their relevant attributes are weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Vagueness in some stages of the evaluation required the incorporation of fuzzy numbers in the assessment process. Both fuzzy and crisp data are then synthesized using the fuzzy PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) ranking method. The model is applied initially to measure the performance of the Web sites of Turkish hospitals. This study should be of interest to health care and technology practitioners and researchers, as the findings shed light on the further development of performance measurements for hospital Web sites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 1181,1197, 2006. [source] Using Cpk index with fuzzy numbers to evaluate service qualityINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2002Hong Tau Lee Service quality is measured by customers' satisfaction. Traditionally, the degree of satisfaction is calculated from the data obtained from questionnaires that have been filled by customers directly. The percentile of each different level of a customer's satisfaction is employed to summarize and compare the quality of service provided by different enterprises. This approach does not consider the consistency of the customers' perceptions, thus making comparison difficult. This paper introduces the concept of a process capability index that considers both the average and the consistency of the data simultaneously. Evaluations of service quality are usually vague and linguistic. We use the fuzzy numbers of linguistic variables developed in fuzzy set theory to modify the process capability index, and then apply it to evaluate the quality of a service. The average and consistency of the data obtained from a service quality evaluation are thus considered simultaneously, making the comparison of the performance of service quality easier. Moreover, the value of the index can be applied to help to point out the direction for improving the performance of service quality whenever it is lower than some default value. [source] A parallel program using SHELXD for quick heavy-atom partial structural solution on high-performance computersJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2007Zheng-Qing Fu A parallel algorithm has been designed for SHELXD to solve the heavy-atom partial structures of protein crystals quickly. Based on this algorithm, a program has been developed to run on high-performance multiple-CPU Linux PCs, workstations or clusters. Tests on the 32-CPU Linux cluster at SER-CAT, APS, Argonne National Laboratory, show that the parallelization dramatically speeds up the process by a factor of roughly the number of CPUs applied, leading to reliable and instant heavy-atom sites solution, which provides the practical opportunity to employ heavy-atom search as an alternative tool for anomalous scattering data quality evaluation during single/multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD/MAD) data collection at synchrotron beamlines. [source] Review Article: Fragrance technology for the dermatologist , a review and practical applicationJOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Claudia S Cortez-Pereira MSc Summary Cosmetic product development has increased in recent years. The value of a product is emphasized in its safety and effectiveness. The stability study in the context of product quality evaluation during shelf life becomes primordial to guarantee the integrity of the physical, chemical, and olfactory properties. In this study, aromatic compositions had been submitted to the stability normal test, at low temperature (4.0 ± 2.0 °C), at room temperature (22.0 ± 2.0 °C), and in oven (45.0 ± 2.0 °C). The compositions were analyzed at 15, 30, 60, and 90 days versus a fresh aromatic composition 48 h after preparation, in which the organoleptic characteristics and pH value were evaluated besides undertaking sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that at the high temperature (45.0 ± 2.0 °C), in which the oxidative processes of the fragrance components are accelerated, the cosmetic preparation "A" was chosen because it showed more acceptable physical,chemical properties and in terms of sensory evaluation of perfume character and intensity was approved for commercial use. [source] THE EFFECT OF REFRIGERATED STORAGE ON SENSORY PROFILE AND PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINIMALLY PASTEURIZED ORANGE JUICEJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 2009TATIANA BEATRIS TRIBESS ABSTRACT Minimal pasteurization of orange juice (OJ) consists of using minimum holding time and temperature to ensure partial inactivation of pectin methylesterase (PME). This process produces juice with preserved sensory attributes and has a better acceptance by consumers when compared with commercially pasteurized OJ. Sensory profile and physical-chemical characteristics of minimally processed OJ was determined, during refrigerated storage, for two OJ blends with different pH values and the same level of PME thermal inactivation. A selected and trained sensorial panel (n = 16) performed sensory analysis, based on a quantitative descriptive analysis, twice a week for 30 days, evaluating the attributes of appearance (suspended particles and color intensity), odor (natural orange and fermented orange) and flavor (orange characteristic, fermented orange, acid and bitter taste). Storage presented great effect on OJ sensory profile; however, it was not noticeable on physical-chemical characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Minimal pasteurization of orange juice (OJ) consists of using minimum holding time and temperature to ensure partial inactivation of pectin methylesterase. This process produces juice with longer shelf life than fresh squeezed orange juice, preserved sensory attributes and better acceptance by consumers when compared with commercially pasteurized OJ. This study can contribute for quality evaluation of minimally pasteurized OJ under refrigeration. [source] Developing a model for quality evaluation in residential care for people with intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2000B. Maes Abstract The present article describes the development of a general model for the evaluation, enhancement and assurance of quality of care processes in residential facilities for children and adults with intellectual disability. The framework is based on current theories regarding quality of life and quality evaluation, on a consensus between several participants in Delphi discussion-rounds, and on a questionnaire for care providers and clients in all Flemish residential facilities. The model describes 13 quality standards and a list of indicators concerning organization and support interventions. Facilities may use this set of criteria and indicators in several ways within a continuous and dynamic system of internal quality assurance. Finally, the prospects of and conditions for the implementation of this model are discussed. [source] Highly accelerated first-pass contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of the peripheral vasculature: Comparison of gadofosveset trisodium with gadopentetate dimeglumine contrast agentsJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 5 2009Jeffrey H. Maki MD Abstract Purpose: To investigate the blood pool agent gadofosveset trisodium for first-pass, dynamic peripheral contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (pMRA), and compare the results with a conventional gadolinium contrast agent. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 patients were imaged at 1.5T using a prototype peripheral vascular coil with high SENSE acceleration. Five received gadopentetate dimeglumine (,0.25 mmol/kg), and 11 received gadofosveset trisodium (five standard-dose 0.03 mmol/kg, six high-dose 0.05 mmol/kg). Quantitative contrast-enhancement and qualitative image quality evaluation was compared between agents and doses. Results: High-quality diagnostic images were uniformly obtained. The contrast ratio did not significantly differ between gadopentetate dimeglumine and high-dose gadofosveset trisodium, both of which were greater than standard-dose gadofosveset trisodium. High-dose gadofosveset trisodium was equivalent to gadopentetate dimeglumine in image quality and subjective vessel-to-background ratio, but significantly better for depicting small muscular arteries. Standard-dose gadofosveset trisodium showed equivalent image quality and small artery depiction with a slight but significant decrease in vessel-to-background ratio as compared to gadopentatate dimeglumine. Both gadofosveset trisodium doses trended toward more venous enhancement, but this was not a diagnostic problem. Conclusion: First-pass peripheral CE-MRA using gadofosveset trisodium is feasible, yielding image quality comparable to double to triple-dose gadopentetate dimeglumine. Increasing the gadofosveset trisodium dose to 0.05 mmol/kg yields further improvements. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:1085,1092. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Quantitative analysis and chromatographic fingerprinting for the quality evaluation of Forsythia suspensa extract by HPLC coupled with photodiode array detectorJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 23-24 2009Yonggang Xia Abstract A simple and reproducible HPLC-photodiode array detector method has been described for evaluating and controlling quality of Forsythia suspensa extract (FSE). First, by analysis of chromatographic fingerprints, the similarities of chromatograms of FSE samples from the same pharmaceutical company exceeded 0.999, 0.997 and 0.960, respectively, although they were much lower from different pharmaceutical companies. Second, by further comparing many batches of extract chromatograph charts with the corresponding reference herb materials, the "common peaks" 3, 5, 7 and 10 were defined as "marker peaks", which were identified as (+)-pinoresinol-,- D -glucoside, forsythiaside, phillyrin and phillygenin, respectively. Third, four "marker peaks" were simultaneously determined based on fingerprint chromatogram for further controlling the quality of FSE quantitatively. Namely, the newly developed method was successfully applied to analyze 38 batches of FSE samples supplied by three pharmaceutical factories, which showed acceptable linearity, intra-day precision (RSD<2.76%), inter-day precision (RSD<3.43%) and the average recovery rates in the range of (95.38±2.96)% to (101.60±3.08)%. At last, hierarchical clustering analysis and Bayes discriminant analysis statistical methods were used to classify and differentiate the 38 FSE samples to provide the basis for guiding reasonable use of FSE and controlling its quality better. [source] Editorial: High quality evaluation in BritainJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 1 2002Article first published online: 12 MAR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] A universal index formula suitable to multiparameter water quality evaluationNUMERICAL METHODS FOR PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS, Issue 3 2004Lihong Peng Abstract Based on hypothesis of "base value" of water quality parameter, a universal index suitable to multi-parameter water quality evaluation was presented, as the monitoring values of parameters in the water quality index formula in logarithm function form were replaced by their relative values, and optimizing the parameters of different indices in the formula was carried out by Genetic Algorithms. Each index of water quality can be weighted into comprehensive index by compromise active function. The correctitude of formula was verified by using this method to asses the water quality states of many spots. The formula has shown its simplicity of calculation, practicability, generality, comparability and objectivity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 20: 368,373, 2004 [source] Computer-aided NMR assay for detecting natively folded structural domains,PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006Takayuki Hondoh Abstract Structural genomics projects require strategies for rapidly recognizing protein sequences appropriate for routine structure determination. For large proteins, this strategy includes the dissection of proteins into structural domains that form stable native structures. However, protein dissection essentially remains an empirical and often a tedious process. Here, we describe a simple strategy for rapidly identifying structural domains and assessing their structures. This approach combines the computational prediction of sequence regions corresponding to putative domains with an experimental assessment of their structures and stabilities by NMR and biochemical methods. We tested this approach with nine putative domains predicted from a set of 108 Thermus thermophilus HB8 sequences using PASS, a domain prediction program we previously reported. To facilitate the experimental assessment of the domain structures, we developed a generic 6-hour His-tag-based purification protocol, which enables the sample quality evaluation of a putative structural domain in a single day. As a result, we observed that half of the predicted structural domains were indeed natively folded, as judged by their HSQC spectra. Furthermore, two of the natively folded domains were novel, without related sequences classified in the Pfam and SMART databases, which is a significant result with regard to the ability of structural genomics projects to uniformly cover the protein fold space. [source] Unreliability of co-occurrence-based sediment quality guidelines for contaminated sediment evaluations at Superfund/hazardous chemical sitesREMEDIATION, Issue 2 2005Anne Jones-Lee Many Superfund/hazardous chemical sites include waterbodies whose sediments contain hazardous chemicals. With the need to assess, rank, and remediate contaminated sediments at such sites, as well as in other waterways, regulators seek a simple, quantitative assessment approach that feeds easily into a decision-making scheme. Numeric, co-occurrence-based "sediment quality guidelines" have emerged with the appearance of administrative simplicity. However, the very foundation of the co-occurrence approach, based on the total concentrations of a chemical(s) in sediment, is technically invalid; its application relies on additional technically invalid presumptions. Use of technically invalid evaluation approaches renders any assessment of the significance of sediment contamination unreliable. This article reviews the technical roots and assumptions of the co-occurrence-based SQGs, the fundamental flaws in the rationale behind their development and application, and their misapplication for sediment quality evaluation. It also reviews concepts and approaches for the more reliable evaluation, ranking, and cleanup assessment of contaminated sediments at Superfund sites and elsewhere. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Recency and duration neglect in subjective assessment of television picture qualityAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2001David S. Hands Digitally coded television pictures exhibit transient picture impairments that can vary in intensity and duration. It is an important practical question to determine the extent to which these transient impairments affect the overall quality of a television sequence, as a function of their location within the sequence, their duration and their magnitude. Five experiments are reported. It is shown that retrospective quality ratings are poorer when the worst-quality video occurs at the end compared to the beginning of a 30 s video sequence. This recency effect was eliminated when subjects were asked to continuously evaluate picture quality. The duration of an impairment was found to have little impact on quality ratings. A regression analysis found that quality ratings were best predicted by the peak impairment intensity. The results were interpreted in terms of Hogarth and Einhorn's (1992) belief-adjustment model. The implications for television picture quality evaluation are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Improved chromatographic fingerprints for facile differentiation of two Ganoderma spp.BIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2009Chun-Mei Fu Abstract This paper addresses a comprehensive and comparative study of six phytochemical extraction methods for triterpenes from the fruiting body of Ganoderma spp. Quantitative analysis of extracts was performed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. In general, pressurized liquid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction under optimized conditions produce better yields, and the former also significantly reduces the total time of extraction and manipulation of a sample, as well as the amount of solvent used in comparison with conventional soxhlet, reflux, ultrasonic, and methanol,CO2 supercritical fluid extractions. Based on the improved extraction protocol, the fingerprinting profiles for two species of Lingzhi were established using the consistent chromatographic features of 12 authentic samples. Eleven common peaks of ganoderic/ganoderenic acids were identified using LC-ESI-MS-MS. These specific triterpene groups were adopted as chemical markers for Lingzhi. Using chemometric analysis, the developed fingerprinting was successfully applied to differentiate between the two species under the Ganoderma genus and is applicable as a method for quality evaluation of this valuable medicinal fungus and its related proprietary products. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Rapid characterization and quality control of complex cell culture media solutions using raman spectroscopy and chemometricsBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2010Boyan Li Abstract The use of Raman spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics for the rapid identification, characterization, and quality assessment of complex cell culture media components used for industrial mammalian cell culture was investigated. Raman spectroscopy offers significant advantages for the analysis of complex, aqueous-based materials used in biotechnology because there is no need for sample preparation and water is a weak Raman scatterer. We demonstrate the efficacy of the method for the routine analysis of dilute aqueous solution of five different chemically defined (CD) commercial media components used in a Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell manufacturing process for recombinant proteins. The chemometric processing of the Raman spectral data is the key factor in developing robust methods. Here, we discuss the optimum methods for eliminating baseline drift, background fluctuations, and other instrumentation artifacts to generate reproducible spectral data. Principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) were then employed in the development of a robust routine for both identification and quality evaluation of the five different media components. These methods have the potential to be extremely useful in an industrial context for "in-house" sample handling, tracking, and quality control. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 290,301. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Automated quality evaluation of digital fundus photographsACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 6 2009Herman Bartling Abstract. Purpose:, Retinal images acquired by means of digital photography are often used for evaluation and documentation of the ocular fundus, especially in patients with diabetes, glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. The clinical usefulness of an image is highly dependent on its quality. We set out to develop and evaluate an automatic method of evaluating the quality of digital fundus photographs. Methods:, A method for making a numerical quantification of image sharpness and illumination was developed using MatlabÔ image analysis functions. Based on their sharpness and illumination measures, 1000 fundus photographs, randomly selected from a clinical database, were assigned to four predefined quality groups (not acceptable, acceptable, good, very good). Six independent observers, comprising three experienced ophthalmologists and three ophthalmic nurses with extensive experience in fundus image acquisition, classified a selection of 100 of these images into the corresponding quality groups. Results:, Automatic quality evaluation was more sensitive than evaluation by human observers in terms of ability to discriminate between good and very good images. The median concordance between the six human observers and the automatic evaluation was substantial (kappa = 0.64). Conclusions:, The proposed method provides an objective quality assessment of digital fundus photographs which agrees well with evaluations made by qualified human observers and which may be useful in clinical practice. [source] SAFETY and QUALITY EVALUATION of A YOGURT-BASED DRINK PROCESSED BY A PILOT PLANT PEF SYSTEMJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2004G.A. EVRENDILEK ABSTRACT Yogurt-based drink samples were prepared by mixing plain yogurt, water, sugar, and strawberry flavored fruit syrup. the samples were treated by both the mild heat (60C for 30 s) combined with a pilot plant pulsed electric field (PEF) system and the mild heat only in order to determine changes in the product safety and quality. Changes in the product safety were measured as microbial count, and changes in the product quality as L, a, b, oBrix and pH values. the treated and control samples were stored at 4 and 22C for microbial, physical and sensory evaluations. Since the 60C-treated samples exploded after 14-day storage, the safety and quality evaluations for 91 days were performed for the 60C? and control samples, only. Microbial count of the 60C? samples was significantly lower than that of the control samples at the two temperatures for the 91-day storage (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the L, a, b values, oBrix and pH between the control and 60C? samples (P < 0.05). the control and 60C? samples revealed no significant difference in the selected sensory attributes (P < 0.05). [source] EFFECT OF STORAGE TEMPERATURE AND TIME ON QUALITY IN MINIMALLY PROCESSED LITCHI FRUIT (LITCHI CHINENSIS SONN.)JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 3 2010ELIA NORA AQUINO BOLAÑOS ABSTRACT Rind browning is the most serious marketing problem for litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruit, although it has no effect on the quality of the edible aril portion. Physicochemical, biochemical and subjective quality evaluations were done in minimally processed (peeled and vacuum-packed) litchi cv. Racimo Rojo fruit stored 18 days at 2, 5 or 10C. Little change was observed in total soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH, independent of storage temperature. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity decreased, total phenolic compound content remained unchanged and peroxidase (POD) activity increased during storage. Correlation was low (<0.63) between color parameters (L*, a*and b*) and PPO and POD activities, and phenolic compounds. The minimally processed fruit stored at 2C exhibited characteristics similar to fresh fruit, whereas those stored at 5 and 10C emitted disagreeable odors that lowered their subjective quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The insignificant physicochemical changes observed here suggest that when stored at 2C, litchi fruit can be offered as a minimally processed product with characteristics similar to fresh fruit. Unlike most other minimally processed fruit products and other litchi varieties, pulp browning was not a significant problem in litchi cv. Racimo Rojo after peeling, providing it a potential commercial advantage. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||