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The effect of the addition of gelatin and starch on the rheological and sensory texture properties of sweetened plain stirred yogurt was studied. Six samples were prepared: two with gelatin (3 and 6 mg/g), three with starch (1, 5 and 10 mg/g) and a control sample without thickener. Rheological measurements were performed and flow curves were modelled according to the Herschel–Bulkley rheological model. Also, sensory evaluation was carried out using a trained panel. The addition of gelatin and starch significantly affected the instrumental texture parameters (Herschel–Bulkley's model parameters and syneresis) and the perceived sensory texture of yogurts. All sensory descriptors were well predicted by the partial least squares regression of the instrumental parameters. The addition of thickeners significantly reduced syneresis. Samples produced with 6 mg/g of gelatin did not show syneresis and showed the highest sensory viscosity, creaminess and mouth‐feel. Therefore, the use of 6 mg/g of gelatin could be a reasonable concentration to use in the production of low‐fat yogurts.

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The aim of the present work was to study the influence of modified-atmosphere packaging on the microbiological and sensory quality of shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes). Mushrooms were packaged under atmospheric air (passive modified atmosphere) and an initial gas mixture of 5% O 2 and 2.5% CO 2 (active modified atmosphere), in bags of two different films: low-density polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). As control, mushrooms were packaged in macroperforated PP films. Bags were stored at 5• C for 20 days. Package atmosphere composition, mushroom respiration rate, weight loss, microbiological counts and sensory quality were determined during storage. Risk assays were also performed. Under the studied conditions, shiitake mushroom deterioration was not due to microorganism growth, and therefore the shelf-life of this product might be defined by changes in its sensory characteristics. Sensory analysis showed that mushrooms stored under modified atmosphere (active and passive) had a higher deterioration rate than those stored in PP macroperforated films, and lower sensory quality values during the entire storage time. These results suggest that mushroom deterioration was probably due to shiitake mushrooms' sensitivity to high CO 2 concentrations.

Noninvasive evaluation of the rheological behavior of soft tissues may provide an important diagnosis tool. Nowadays, available commercial ultrasound systems only provide shear elasticity estimation by shear wave speed assessment under the hypothesis of a purely elastic model. However, to fully characterize the rheological behavior of tissues, given by its storage (G') and loss (G″) moduli, it is necessary to estimate both: shear wave speed and shear wave attenuation. Most elastography techniques use the acoustic radiation force to generate shear waves. For this type of source the shear waves are not plane and a diffraction correction is needed to properly estimate the shear wave attenuation. The use of a cylindrical wave approximation to evaluate diffraction has been proposed by other authors before. Here the validity of such approximation is numerically and experimentally revisited. Then, it is used to generate images of G' and G″ in heterogeneous viscoelastic mediums. A simulation algorithm based on the anisotropic and viscoelastic Green's function was used to establish the validity of the cylindrical approximation. Moreover, two experiments were carried out: a transient elastography experiment where plane shear waves were generated using a vibrating plate and a SSI experiment that uses the acoustic radiation force to generate shear waves. For both experiments the shear wave propagation was followed with an ultrafast ultrasound scanner. Then, the shear wave velocity and shear wave attenuation were recovered from the phase and amplitude decay versus distance respectively. In the SSI experiment the cylindrical approximation was applied to correct attenuation due to diffraction effects. The numerical and experimental results validate the use of a cylindrical correction to assess shear wave attenuation. Finally, by applying the cylindrical correction G' and G″ images were generated in heterogeneous phantoms and a preliminary in vivo feasibility study was carried out in the human liver.

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