Consumer interest in specialty beers in three European markets.

This study explores the quality perception of specialty beers (SBs) in Italy, Spain and Poland. Five-hundred and fifty mainstream beer consumers were enrolled in this study (two-hundred and thirty Italians, one hundred and sixty Poles and Spaniards respectively). The authors adopted a conjoint rating experiment in which the respondents were given forty SB profiles to evaluate. Each profile was described on six attributes (malt type, adjuncts, alternative source of sugars, characterizing ingredients, sensory characteristics, and retail price) varied at different levels and were asked to state his/her preference for each profile on a 9-point scale of interest. The results of this study showed that the ideal SB: (1) for the aggregate Polish panel is brewed from malted wheat, raw wheat, honey, and tropical fruits, is alcoholic and is priced below 2.00 Euros; (2) for the aggregate Italian panel consists of a beer brewed from malted wheat, maize, honey, and vanilla, is blonde and costs a maximum of 2.00 Euros; (3) for the aggregate Spanish panel is brewed from malted wheat, rye or maize, vanilla, is fruity and is priced below 2.00 Euros. The heterogeneity of interest in specialty beers observed in the three countries under test requires for the adaptation of a SB specifically to each culture in which it is sold. In this process of customization, brewers must take into account that gender modulates the effect of culture on consumer interest in SB sensory characteristics and ingredient formulation.

Off-flavours in wines through indirect transfer of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from coatings.

This paper assesses the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the drying of coatings on the sensory characters of corks and wines. According to Italian National Standard Method 11021:2002, a small-scale chamber was used (1) to expose wines to the drying of coatings with both low and high VOCs, and (2) to expose corks to the same coatings. After exposure to the coatings, the corks were then placed in direct contact with wine. Different styles of white, red and rose wines were tested. In both directly exposed wines and in wines after contact with the exposed cork, the taste and smell off-flavour perception and intensity were assessed by a panel of eight experienced wine tasters using a five-point numerical scale according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard methods. The results showed that the sensory characters of wines, especially taste, were influenced by the VOC content of the coatings. The taste off-flavour perception was found to be higher than the smell in wines exposed to coatings with either high or low VOCs contents. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan analysis prove that: (1) panellist's answers were significantly different, (2) it was difficult to differentiate the off-flavour perception on the high-level scale, and (3) the panellist off-flavour perceptions versus wine style discriminated the wines into two groups (red and white/rose). For all the wine styles, Pearson's test showed no significant correlation between off-flavour perception levels and the main chemical characters of the wines. For the wines that were in direct contact with the exposed corks, the panellists detect the off-flavours according to the levels of VOCs in the coating and wine styles and they assessed the highest levels of alteration were to the taste.

Incidence of schizophrenia in south-east London between 1965 and 1997.

BACKGROUND: There has been much debate about changes in the incidence of schizophrenia. AIMS: To identify any changes in incidence of schizophrenia in Camberwell, south-east London, between 1965 and 1997. METHOD: Research Diagnostic Criteria and DSM-III-R diagnoses were generated for all first contacts by the OPCRIT computer program, and incidence rates of schizophrenia in seven time periods were measured. Indirect standardisation and Poisson models were used to measure the effect of time period and to examine interactions with age and gender. RESULTS: There was a continuous and statistically significant increase in the incidence of schizophrenia, which was greatest in people under 35 years of age and was not gender-specific. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of schizophrenia has doubled in south-east London over the past three decades.

Specificity and sensitivity of betaAPP in head injury.

INTRODUCTION: Beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) expression has been found in traumatic brain injury, hypoxia, ischemia and infection which affect axonal transport. Although betaAPP is a sensitive marker for detecting axonal damage, it has become non-specific for a particular type of injury. The aim of this study was to identify a difference in the pattern, distribution and intensity of betaAPP expression in head injury compared to hypoxic/ischemic insults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen primary head injury and 12 primary hypoxic/ischemic cases were selected. The anterior and posterior parts of corpus callosum, internal capsule (basal ganglia), middle cerebellar peduncles (cerebellum) and pons were examined and stained immunohistochemically for betaAPP antibody. A computerized system of image analysis was used to examine the intensity (strength of staining) and density (area fraction) of betaAPP. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the overall intensity and density of betaAPP expression (p < 0.05) and in all 5 brain regions in cases of head injury compared to the hypoxic/ischemic group (p < 0.05). Positive staining for betaAPP was found in all regions in all cases of head injury, however, 4 out of 12 cases of hypoxia/ischemia were positive for betaAPP. One case expressed positivity in all 5 regions, 2 cases exhibited positivity in the pons alone, with only 1 case exhibiting immunoreactivity in the posterior corpus callosum and internal capsule. Differences in the pattern of betaAPP expression identified a predominantly granular pattern with a dirty background seen in hypoxia/ischemia, while fusiform swellings, beaded and thick filaments with clear background were observed in head injury. CONCLUSION: There are differences in the pattern, distribution and intensity of betaAPP in head injury compared to hypoxia/ischemia. These could be due to pathophysiological differences. The results may be helpful in differentiating head injury from hypoxia in medicolegal cases.