1,720,972 research outputs found
Occurrence of ochratoxin A in typical salami produced in different regions of Italy
Full text linkA total of 172 different salamis were purchased from farms and small salami factories located in four Italian regions (Piedmont, Veneto, Calabria, and Sicily) and analyzed for the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA). Analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorimetric detector (HPLC-FLD). The detection limit (LOD) for the method used was 0.05 μg/kg, while the quantitation limit (LOQ) was 0.20 μg/kg; the average recovery rate was 89.1%. OTA was detected in 22 salamis, and 3 samples exceeded the Italian guidance value for OTA in pork meat (1 μg/kg). In particular, what emerges from this research is the high percentage of spicy salamis among positive samples (68.2%, 15 out of 22), although spicy salamis are only 27.3% of the total number of samples collected and analyzed. Red chili pepper contaminated by OTA could be responsible for the presence of the mycotoxin in these spicy salamis. It follow that, also the control of some ingredients used in the manufacture of these meat products, like spices, should not be neglected
Assessment of Ochratoxin-A exposure in Ornamental and Self-Consumption Backyard Chickens: preliminary data
No full textOchratoxin A in artisan salami produced in Veneto (Italy)
Full text linkFifty samples of artisan salami purchased in Veneto (Italy) were analysed for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA). The analytical method, based on a sample preparation procedure with immunoaffinity columns (IACs), together with analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD), has guaranteed a high rate of recovery (about 97%), limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ), respectively, of 0.06 μg kg−1 and 0.20 μg kg−1. OTA was detected in five samples, but only one exceeded the guideline value (1 μg kg−1) established by the Italian Ministry of Health for pork meat and derived products. The results would seem to suggest that salami made with the traditional, non-industrial production method can be considered safe as regards contamination by OTA. However, the very high concentration observed in one sample proves that a high OTA contamination is also possible in this type of product. Thus, the controls of mycotoxin contamination must consider also salami
Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in conventional and organic milk offered for sale in Italy
Full text linkIn the present study, 58 samples of milk were analyzed
for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). The samples
were purchased during the period April–May 2013 in a random
manner from local stores (supermarkets, small retail
shops, small groceries, and specialized suppliers) located in
the surrounding of Bologna (Italy). The commercial samples
of milk were either organic (n = 22) or conventional (n = 36);
fresh milk samples and UHT milk samples, whole milk samples,
and partially skim milk samples were present in both the
two considered categories. For the quantification of AFM1 in
milk, the extraction-purification technique based on the use of
immunoaffinity columns was adopted and analyses were performed
using HPLC-FD. AFM1 was detected in 35 samples,
11 from organic production and 24 from conventional production.
No statistically (P > 0.05) significant differences were
observed in the concentration of AFM1 in the two categories
of product. The levels of contamination found in the positive
samples ranged between 0.009 and 0.026 ng mL−1. No sample
exceeded the limit defined at community level for AFM1 in
milk (0.05 μg kg−1). This demonstrates the effectiveness of
the checks before the placing on the market of these food
products. Thus, the Baflatoxins^ problem that characterized
the summer of 2012 does not seem to have had effect on the
contamination level of the considered milk samples
LC–MS/MS Analysis of Five Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Sheep and Cow Milk Samples Collected in Jordan Valley
Full text linkThe purpose of the present study was to evaluate the presence of five neonicotinoid pesticides, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam, in sheep and cow milk samples collected from animals bred in the Jordan Valley. In this area, numerous citrus plantations are present, and these insecticides are commonly used to protect plants from pests and diseases. Thirty-seven sheep milk samples and 31 cow milk samples were analysed. The analytical method, based on a single cleanup extraction step with SPE cartridges packed with diatomaceous earth material, together with analysis by LC–MS/MS, has guaranteed average recoveries between 75.1% and 88.3%, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.5 and 1 μg/kg, respectively, for all the five neonicotinoids. LOQ was much lower than the codex maximum residues limits for these pesticides in milks. No residues of the five neonicotinoids were found in any sample at a concentration level above LOD
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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