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J Benedito

Publications and source records attributed to J Benedito.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Use of the acoustic impulse-response technique for the nondestructive assessment of Manchego cheese texture.

Manchego cheese pieces were hit with an impact probe and the acoustic response was recorded, analyzed, and used to assess the textural characteristics of the cheese pieces. The textural parameters measured by traditional instrumental methods increased during ripening, although the pattern of the increase was different for different batches. For the 2 acoustic impact probes used in this study, a change in the frequency spectrum took place as cheese matured, increasing higher frequencies and the energy content. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least square regression (PLSR), considering the acoustical variables extracted from the spectrum, allowed for a good estimation of cheese texture. The textural characteristics of the cheese surface and in particular the maximum force in compression experiments (R(2) > 0.937 for MLR and R(2) > 0.852 for PLSR) were accurately predicted by the acoustic method; however, the texture of the central layers of the cheese are poorly assessed (R(2) < 0.720). The results obtained show the feasibility of using acoustic systems to assess Manchego cheese texture, aiding its classification.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2002

Application of low intensity ultrasonics to cheese manufacturing processes.

Ultrasound has been used to non-destructively assess the quality of many foods such as meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. This paper addresses the applications of low intensity ultrasonics in the cheese manufacturing processes and highlights the areas where ultrasonics could be successfully implemented in the future. The decrease of ultrasonic attenuation during the renneting process can be used to determine the optimum cut time for cheese making. The ultrasonic velocity increases during maturation for those types of cheese that become harder during this manufacturing stage, thus being an indicator of the maturity degree. Moreover, ultrasonic measurements could be linked to sensory parameters. From the ultrasonic velocity measurements at two different temperatures, it is possible to assess cheese composition, thus allowing an improvement in the quality and uniformity of cheese commercialization. In addition, in pulse-echo mode it is possible to detect cracked pieces due to abnormal fermentations and also to assess the distance of the crack from the surface.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Use of ultrasound to assess Cheddar cheese characteristics.

Blocks of Cheddar cheese were matured in temperature-controlled chambers at 5 and 12 degrees C. The ultrasonic velocity increased during maturation ranging from 1657 to 1677 ms-1 at 12 degrees C and from 1684 to 1693 ms-1 at 5 degrees C. The ultrasonic velocity was related to the square root of the deformability modulus and the slope in puncture. The increase of velocity during maturation shows the feasibility of using an ultrasonic device to non-destructively monitor Cheddar cheese maturity. Ultrasound velocity was measured at different temperatures. The velocity decreased with increasing temperature, and from the slope of the first part of the temperature-velocity curves it was possible to non-destructively assess the moisture content of different types of cheese.

Cheese↗
PubMed2000

Cheese maturity assessment using ultrasonics.

The relationship between Mahon cheese maturity and ultrasonic velocity was examined. Moisture and textural properties were used as maturity indicators. The ultrasonic velocity of the cheese varied between 1630 and 1740 m/s, increasing with the curing time mainly because of loss of water, which also produced an increase of the textural properties. Because of the nature of low-intensity ultrasonics, velocity was better related to those textural parameters that involved small displacements. Ultrasonic velocity decreased with increasing temperature because of the negative temperature coefficient of the ultrasonic velocity of fat and the melting of fat. These results highlight the potential use of ultrasonic velocity measurements to rapidly and nondestructively assess cheese maturity.

Cheese↗
PubMed1989

[Abnormal movements of vascular origin].

Three patients with hemichorea and ten with dystonia of vascular origin are reported. Five were secondary to ischemic infarcts, two to lacunar infarcts, three to intraparenchymal hematoma, and in the remaining three the type of lesion could not be determined. The patients with chorea, as opposed to those with dystonia, presented abruptly immediately after the stroke, and had a regressive evolution and good therapeutic response. The type of dyskinesia was not useful to identify the precise localization of the lesion or to determine its nature. In addition, in 5 patients multiple lesions were found and 5 had release of archaic reflexes or cortical atrophy in CT; this shows the importance of the overall functional impairment and focal lesions in the genesis of dyskinesia. There were sensory deficits in 7 patients. In 2 patients lesions were not found in the CT in spite of the presence of previous hemiparesis; this suggests that this technique has limitations to discover focal cerebral lesions in patients with focal or hemicorporal dyskinesia.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Antibiotic treatment of pneumococcal meningitis (author's transl)].

Pneumococcal meningitis, which represents the third in frequency among the purulent forms of meningitis, continues to be, in spite of antibiotic therapy, a serious problem due to its high mortality rate, which reaches 50 per cent in patients of advanced age. The antibiotic treatment of choice is penicillin G, using chloramphenicol as the substitute antibiotic and the cephalosporins in other instances. This article is a review of the cases of pneumococcal meningitis which were admitted to our hospital in the period between 1969-1977, placing especial stress on the therapy followed. Our experience in the treatment of 28 patients affected with this condition indicates therapeutic success in 45 per cent of the cases treated with penicillin G, and a rate of 70 per cent using cephaloridine. In view of these results we believe that cephaloridine should be considered an important alternative antibiotic in the therapy of pneumococcal meningitis.

Adult↗