Is air pollution exposure linked to household income? Spatial analysis of Community Multiscale Air Quality Model results for Madrid.

This study explores the potential correlation between income and exposure to air pollution for the city of Madrid, Spain and its neighboring municipalities. Madrid is a well-known European air pollution hotspot with a high mortality burden attributable to nitrogen dioxide (NO) and fine particulate matter (PM). Statistical analyses were carried out using electoral district level data on gross household income (GHI), and NO and PM concentrations in air obtained from a mesoscale air quality model for the study area.

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for estimating the presence of and its mycotoxins in barley grains.

Members within the species complex (FSAMSC) are able to produce mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), zearalenone (ZEN) and enniatins (ENNs) in food products. Consequently, alternative methods for assessing the levels of these mycotoxins are relevant for quick decision-making. In this context, qPCR based on key mycotoxin biosynthetic genes could aid in determining the toxigenic fungal biomass, and could therefore infer mycotoxin content.

Rapid assessment of enniatins in barley grains using near infrared spectroscopy and chemometric tools.

Barley is an important crop worldwide, and it can be affected by various fungi, among them Fusarium is one of the most relevant due to the economic losses caused by mycotoxin contamination. Enniantins (ENNs) are one of the emergent group of mycotoxins that have been found in grains around the world. Nowadays, the main analytical tools available to evaluate these contaminants are based on chromatographic techniques that are efficient but time-consuming and expensive.

Survey of Freshly Harvested Oat Grains from Southern Brazil Reveals High Incidence of Type B Trichothecenes and Associated Species.

The current study investigated the fungal diversity in freshly harvested oat samples from the two largest production regions in Brazil, Paraná (PR) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS), focusing primarily on the genus and the presence of type B trichothecenes. The majority of the isolates belonged to the species complex, and were identified as sensu stricto (s.s.

Near infrared spectroscopy and smartphone-based imaging as fast alternatives for the evaluation of the bioactive potential of freeze-dried açai.

The development of green analytical techniques for food industry quality control has become an important issue in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. In this sense, near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and smartphone-based imaging (SBI) were applied to evaluate the bioactive potential of freeze-dried açai pulps. For this purpose, reference results of ninety-six samples were obtained by determining total anthocyanins (TAC), polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ORAC and TEAC) by traditional methods and correlated to NIR spectra and SBI to build predictive models based on partial square least (PLS) regression.

NIR spectroscopy and chemometric tools to identify high content of deoxynivalenol in barley.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins produced mainly by the species complex in small grain cereals, including barley. This toxin can cause alimentary disorders, immune function depression and gastroenteritis. The negative health effects associated with DON coupled to the increasing concern about green and rapid methods of analysis motivated this study.

In vitro digestion effect on mineral bioaccessibility and antioxidant bioactive compounds of plant-based beverages.

Consumption of plant-based beverages (PBB) is a growing trend; and have been used as viable substitutes for dairy based products. To date, no study has comparatively analyzed mineral composition and effect of in vitro digestion on the bioaccessibility of different PBB. The aim of this research was to investigate the content of essential minerals (calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn)) and to estimate the effect of in vitro digestion in plant-based beverages, and their antioxidant bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity).

Influence of Maturation Stages in Different Varieties of Wine Grapes ( Vitis vinifera) on the Production of Ochratoxin A and Its Modified Forms by Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus niger.

Ochratoxin A is the main contaminant mycotoxin of grapes produced mainly by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius. Besides, it is possible that the formation of modified mycotoxin occurs through the plant defense mechanism or also by fungus actions itself. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of grape variety and maturation stage on the formation of OTA and modified mycotoxin.

Quality evaluation of frozen guava and yellow passion fruit pulps by NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics.

The present study investigated the application of near infrared spectroscopy as a green, quick, and efficient alternative to analytical methods currently used to evaluate the quality (moisture, total sugars, acidity, soluble solids, pH and ascorbic acid) of frozen guava and passion fruit pulps. Fifty samples were analyzed by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and reference methods. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to develop calibration models to relate the NIR spectra and the reference values.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of antidepressant treatment in primary health care: a six-month randomised study comparing fluoxetine to imipramine.

Background: Over the past decade, studies of the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment for depression have often been based on research designs intended to measure efficacy, and for this reason the results are of limited generalizability. Research is needed comparing the clinical and economic outcomes of antidepressants in day-to-day clinical practice.

Methods: A six-month randomised prospective naturalistic study comparing fluoxetine to imipramine carried out in three primary care health centres.