Sensory attributes of coffee beverages and their relation to price and package information: A case study of Colombian customers' preferences.

Sensory analysis is a powerful tool for creating profiles of food and beverages based on information perceived by the human senses. This paper investigates 18 of the most popular Colombian coffees. Individuals from nine different cities assessed products in two different ways: degree of presence (absence) of sensory properties and degree of acceptance (liking). The results focused on identifying variations in sensory evaluations due to the city, as well as classification of the products according to their degree of acceptance or rejection, and investigating associations between sensory attributes, price, and label-package information. A correspondence analysis allowed us to investigate the variation introduced by the factor city. The most preferred/rejected products were identified through preference mapping. The level of intensity of the smelling sensory attribute positively affects the price and the information presented at the product´s label-package. However, tasting attributes negatively affects price and perceptions of the product´s label-package information. We conclude that smelling sensory attributes has greater impact on purchase intentions than tasting attributes. Decision-makers should manage scent, price, and label-package characteristics wisely because they are part of the first experience of the customer.

Comparison of base substitutions in response to nitrogen ion implantation and 60Co-gamma ray irradiation in Escherichia coli

To identify the specificity of base substitutions, a novel experimental system was established based on rifampicin-resistant (Rif r) mutant screening and sequencing of the defined region of the rpoB gene in E. coli. We focused on comparing mutational spectra of base substitutions induced by either low energy nitrogen ion beam implantation or 60Co-gamma rays. The most significant difference in the frequency of specific kinds of mutations induced by low energy nitrogen ion beam was that CG -> TA transitions were significantly increased from 32 to 46, AT -> TA transversions were doubled from 7 to 15 in 50 mutants, respectively. The preferential base substitutions induced by nitrogen ion beam implantation were CG -> TA transitions, AT -> GC transitions, AT -> TA transversions, which account for 92.13 percent (82/89) of the total. The mutations induced by 60Co-gamma rays were preferentially GC -> AT and AT -> GC transitions, which totaled 84.31 percent (43/51).