Although human perception of food flavors involves integration of multiple sensory inputs, the most salient sensations are taste and olfaction 1. Ortho- and retronasal olfaction are particularly ...crucial to flavor because they provide the qualitative diversity so important to identify safe versus dangerous foods 2. Historically, flavor research has prioritized aroma volatiles present at levels exceeding the orthonasally measured odor threshold 3, ignoring the variation in the rate at which odor intensities grow above threshold. Furthermore, the chemical composition of a food in itself tells us very little about whether or not that food will be liked. Clearly, alternative approaches are needed to elucidate flavor chemistry. Here we use targeted metabolomics and natural variation in flavor-associated sugars, acids, and aroma volatiles to evaluate the chemistry of tomato fruits, creating a predictive and testable model of liking. This nontraditional approach provides novel insights into flavor chemistry, the interactions between taste and retronasal olfaction, and a paradigm for enhancing liking of natural products. Some of the most abundant volatiles do not contribute to consumer liking, whereas other less abundant ones do. Aroma volatiles make contributions to perceived sweetness independent of sugar concentration, suggesting a novel way to increase perception of sweetness without adding sugar.
► Large natural variation in tomato fruit flavor-associated chemicals is described ► That variation was used to create a predictive and testable model of liking ► The results provide insights into flavor chemistry and consumer liking ► Aroma volatiles contribute to perceived sweetness independent of sugar concentration
The use of graphene in spintronic devices depends, among other things, on its ability to convert a spin excitation into an electric charge signal, a phenomenon that requires a spin-orbit coupling ...(SOC). Here we report the observation of two effects that show the existence of SOC in large-area CVD grown single-layer graphene deposited on a single crystal film of the ferrimagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG). The first is a magnetoresistance of graphene induced by the magnetic proximity effect with YIG. The second is the detection of a dc voltage along the graphene layer resulting from the conversion of the spin current generated by spin pumping from microwave driven ferromagnetic resonance into a charge current, which is attributed to the inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect.
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•UV filters levels in beach waters of Gran Canaria Island have been monitored.•Highest levels were obtained for BP-3, BMDBM and OC UV filters.•First time that DHHB levels are reported ...in coastal waters.•Higher UV-filters levels were found in “semi-enclosed” beaches compared to open beaches.•A preliminary risk assessment approach was applied for BP-3, 4-MBC and EHMC.
Due to the growing concern about human health effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the use of UV filters has increased in recent decades. Unfortunately, some common UV filters are bioaccumulated in aquatic organisms and show a potential for estrogenic activity. The aim of the present study is to determine the presence of some UV filters in the coastal waters of six beaches around Gran Canaria Island as consequence of recreational seaside activities. Eight commonly used UV filters: benzophenone-3 (BP-3), octocrylene (OC), octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA), ethylhexyl methoxy cinnamate (EHMC), homosalate (HMS), butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane (BMDBM), 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), were monitored and, with the exception of OD-PABA, all were detected in the samples collected. 99% of the samples showed some UV filters and concentration levels reached up to 3316.7ng/L for BP-3. Environmental risk assessment (ERA) approach showed risk quotients (RQ) higher than 10, which means that there is a significant potential for adverse effects, for 4-MBC and EHMC for those samples with highest levels of UV filters.
We present a novel nuclear energy density functional method to calculate spectroscopic properties of atomic nuclei. Intrinsic nuclear quadrupole deformations and rotational frequencies are considered ...simultaneously as the degrees of freedom within a symmetry conserving configuration mixing framework. The present method allows the study of nuclear states with collective and single-particle character. We calculate the fascinating structure of the semimagic ^{44}S nucleus as a first application of the method, obtaining an excellent quantitative agreement both with the available experimental data and with state-of-the-art shell model calculations.
Pollution of coasts by toxic metals and metalloids is a worldwide problem for which phytoremediation using halophytes and associated microbiomes is becoming relevant. Metal(loid) excess is a ...constraint for plant establishment and development, and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) mitigate plant stress under these conditions. However, mechanisms underlying this effect remain elusive. The effect of toxic metal(loid)s on activity and gene expression of ROS-scavenging enzymes in roots of the halophyte Spartina densiflora grown on real polluted sediments in a greenhouse experiment was investigated. Sediments of the metal-polluted joint estuary of Tinto and Odiel rivers and control, unpollutred samples from the Piedras estuary were collected and submitted to ICP-OES. Seeds of S. densiflora were collected from the polluted Odiel marshes and grown in polluted and unpolluted sediments. Rhizophere biofilm-forming bacteria were selected based on metal tolerance and inoculated to S. densiflora and grown for 4 months. Fresh or frozen harvested plants were used for enzyme assays and gene expression studies, respectively. Metal excess induced SOD (five-fold increase), whereas CAT and ascorbate peroxidase displayed minor induction (twofold). A twofold increase of TBARs indicated membrane damage. Our results showed that metal-resistant PGPR (P. agglomerans RSO6 and RSO7 and B. aryabhattai RSO25) contributed to alleviate metal stress, as deduced from lower levels of all antioxidant enzymes to levels below those of non-exposed plants. The oxidative stress index (OSI) decreased between 50 and 75% upon inoculation. The results also evidenced the important role of PAL, involved in secondary metabolism and/or lignin synthesis, as a pathway for metal stress management in this halophyte upon inoculation with appropriate PGPR, since the different inoculation treatments enhanced PAL expression between 3.75- and five-fold. Our data confirm, at the molecular level, the role of PGPR in alleviating metal stress in S. densiflora and evidence the difficulty of working with halophytes for which little genetic information is available.
There have been few studies carried out into empathy in physiotherapists. Burnout can debilitate the quality of care and the efficacy of treatment as the empathetic capacity of the professional ...diminishes.
The objective of the study was to examine the association between the construct burnout, empathy and sociodemographic aspects in Spanish physiotherapists.
A cross-sectional electronic survey including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (for burnout assessment), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (for empathy assessment) and sociodemographic data was answered by 461 Spanish physical therapists. A descriptive, bivariate and lineal regression analysis was performed.
There was an association between burnout and empathy. Specifically, higher levels of burnout are associated with lower levels of empathy, whilst years of work experience is associated with lower levels of burnout.
The results of this study contribute to a greater understanding of the relationship between the level of burnout and the dimensions of empathy in physiotherapists. The influence of burnout, which causes difficulties in the mobilization of the professional towards the establishment of a quality therapeutic relationship, is highlighted.
KEY MESSAGES
Emotional exhaustion is associated to greater personal discomfort and less empathy.
The depersonalization is associated to personal discomfort and less empathy.
Depersonalization is negatively associated to the lack of perspective.
Nuclear matrix elements (NME) for the most promising candidates to detect neutrinoless double beta decay have been computed with energy density functional methods including deformation and pairing ...fluctuations explicitly on the same footing. The method preserves particle number and angular momentum symmetries and can be applied to any decay without additional fine tunings. The finite range density dependent Gogny force is used in the calculations. An increase of 10%-40% in the NME with respect to the ones found without the inclusion of pairing fluctuations is obtained, reducing the predicted half-lives of these isotopes.
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