Microbial and physicochemical modifications of hake (Merluccius merluccius) steaks stored under carbon dioxide enriched atmospheres

Microbial counts (total viable, Brochothrix thermosphacta, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae), biochemical parameters [pH, total volatile nitrogen, nucleotide breakdown products, non‐volatile amines, D (−) and L (+) lactic acid and short‐chain fatty acids] and sensory attributes (colour and odour) of refrigerated (2 °C) hake (Merluccius merluccius) steaks under carbon dioxide enriched air (CO₂ /air, 20/80 v/v and CO₂ /air, 40/60 v/v) and air atmospheres were determined. When compared with air, sensory results showed shelf‐life extension of 4 and 11 days for 20% and 40% CO₂‐enriched atmospheres, respectively. Microbial and biochemical results also revealed that the 40% CO₂‐enriched atmosphere was the most effective packaging type for refrigerated hake. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Do Synovial Inflammation and Meniscal Degeneration Impact Clinical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy? A Histological Study

The menisci exert a prominent role in joint stabilization and in the distribution of mechanical loading. Meniscal damage is associated with increased risk of knee OA. The aim of this study was to characterize the synovial membrane and meniscal tissues in patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for meniscal tear and to evaluate association with clinical outcomes. A total of 109 patients were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) measuring pain and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were recorded at baseline and at 2-years follow-up. Histological and immunohistochemical characterizations were performed on synovial membranes and meniscal tissues. More than half of the patients demonstrated synovial mononuclear cell infiltration and hyperplasia. Synovial fibrosis was present in most of the patients; marked vascularity and CD68 positivity were observed. Inflammation had an impact on both pain and knee symptoms. Patients with synovial inflammation had higher values of pre-operative VAS and inflammation. Higher pre-operative pain was observed in patients with meniscal MMP-13 production. In conclusion, multivariate analysis showed that synovial inflammation was associated with pre-operative total KOOS scores, knee symptoms, and pain. Moreover, meniscal MMP-13 expression was found to be associated with pre-operative pain in multivariate analysis. Thus, targeting inflammation of the synovial membrane and meniscus might reduce clinical symptoms and dysfunction at the time of surgery.     

A New Human Platelet Lysate for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Production Compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice Conditions

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are classified as advanced therapy medicinal products, a new category of GMP (good manufacturing practice)-compliant medicines for clinical use. We isolated MSCs from 5 bone marrow (BM) samples using human platelet lysate (HPL) instead of foetal bovine serum (FBS). We used a new method of HPL production consisting of treating platelet (PLTs) pools with Ca-Gluconate to form a gel clot, then mechanically squeezing to release growth factors. We compared the new HPL (HPL-S) with the standard (HPL-E) obtained by freezing/thawing cycles and by adding heparin. HPL-S had not PLTs and fibrinogen but the quantity of proteins and growth factors was comparable to HPL-E. Therefore, HPL-S needed fewer production steps to be in compliance with GMP conditions. The number of colonies forming unit-fibroblasts (CFU-F) and the maintenance of stem markers showed no significant differences between MSCs with HPL-E and HPL-S. The cumulative population doubling was higher in MSCs with HPL-E in the earlier passages, but we observed an inverted trend of cell growth at the fourth passage. Immunophenotypic analysis showed a significant lower expression of HLA-DR in the MSCs with HPL-S (1.30%) than HPL-E (14.10%). In conclusion, we demonstrated that HPL-S is an effective alternative for MSC production under GMP conditions.     

Irisin and Secondary Osteoporosis in Humans

Irisin is a peptide secreted by skeletal muscle following exercise that plays an important role in bone metabolism. Numerous experiments in vitro and in mouse models have shown that the administration of recombinant irisin promotes osteogenesis, protects osteocytes from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, prevents disuse-induced loss of bone and muscle mass, and accelerates fracture healing. Although some aspects still need to be elucidated, such as the dose- and frequency-dependent effects of irisin in cell cultures and mouse models, ample clinical evidence is emerging to support its physiological relevance on bone in humans. A reduction in serum irisin levels, associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, was observed in postmenopausal women and in both men and women during aging, Recently, cohort studies of subjects with secondary osteoporosis showed that these patients have lower circulating levels of irisin, suggesting that this myokine could be a novel marker to monitor bone quality in this disease. Although there are still few studies, this review discusses the emerging data that are highlighting the involvement of irisin in some diseases that cause secondary osteoporosis.     

Organic acids produced by lactobacilli, enterococci and yeasts isolated from Picante cheese

 Four species of bacteria (Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei) and three species of yeasts (Debaryomyces hansenii, Yarrowia lipolytica and Cryptococcus laurentii), previously isolated from Picante cheese, were cultured in ovine and in caprine milk and assayed for sugar and organic acids metabolism for 6 days. The results indicated that both milk types can be coagulated by the four strains of lactic acid bacteria. Lb. paracasei led to a faster and greater reduction in pH. Production of lactic acid correlated to lactose degradation, and was highest for Lb. paracasei followed by E. faecium; citrate metabolism was apparent for E. faecalis and, to a lesser extent, for E. faecium, Lb. plantarum and Lb. paracasei. Relatively high contents of formic acid were found when inoculation was with Enterococcus and with Lb. plantarum. Received: 4 February 1999     

RoboCup: Today and tomorrow—What we have learned

RoboCup is an increasingly successful attempt to promote the full integration of AI and robotics research. The most prominent feature of RoboCup is that it provides the researchers with the opportunity to demonstrate their research results as a form of competition in a dynamically changing hostile environment, defined as the international standard game definition, which the gamut of intelligent robotics research issues are naturally involved. This article describes what we have learned from the past RoboCup activities, mainly the first and the second RoboCups, and overviews the future perspectives of RoboCup in the next century. First, the issue on what and why RoboCup is addressed, and a wide range of research issues are explained. Next, the current leagues are introduced and the research achievements are reviewed from a viewpoint of system architecture. Some of these achievements are included in this special issue. Finally, prospects for future activities are discussed.     

Influence of the Heating Rate on the Pasting Properties of Various Flours

Viscoamylographic tests were carried out on six commercial flour samples, three wheat flours (WF), two semolinas (S) and one rice flour (RF), using the Brabender Micro Visco‐Amylo‐Graph (MVA). The slurries were subjected to a definite temperature profile (30°C‐95°C, 95°C×30 min, 95°C‐50°C, 50°C×30 min), stirring at 250 min⁻¹ and using a 300 cm·g_f cartridge and recording the viscosity (in Brabender Units, BU) as a function of temperature and time. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of different heating rates (1.5, 3.0, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0°C/min) on the pasting properties of the various flours. The peak viscosity of WFs and Ss increased when high heating rates were applied, while the RF showed similar pasting properties independently of the heating rate. These behaviours were mainly ascribed to the different molecular organisation of the starch granules, responsible of different swelling and gelatinising extents, and also to a different kinetic of alpha‐amylase inactivation according to the heating rate applied. The key role of the alpha‐amylase activity in controlling the pasting viscosity of the different samples was demonstrated by the viscoamylographic test performed in the presence of silver nitrate as enzyme inhibitor.     

Rheological and thermogravimetric studies of the crosslinking process of functionalized acrylic latexes

Acrylic latexes are among one of the most widely used binders in the chemical bonding of textile nonwovens. This article investigates the crosslinking process of functionalized acrylic latices to understand the binder behavior during the processing of nonwovens and in the final product. Two techniques are used: rheology, to follow the structural development within the latex polymer, and thermogravimetry, to investigate the reaction through the weight loss resulting from the formation of evolving side products. The work has been carried out on latices functionalized by two crosslinking agents: N‐methylol acrylamide (NMA) and N‐methylol methacrylamide (NMMA). The results highlight the importance of the nature of the crosslinking agent, especially, its hydrophilic character, and the influence of the pH of the latex dispersions on the crosslinking mechanism, as well as on the final mechanical properties of the latex films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1117–1123, 2006     

Comparison and Validation of Different Magnetic Force Microscopy Calibration Schemes

The future of consumer electronics depends on the capability to reliably fabricate nanostructures with given physical properties. Therefore, techniques to characterize materials and devices with nanoscale resolution are crucial. Among these is magnetic force microscopy (MFM), which transduces the magnetic force between the sample and a magnetic oscillating probe into a phase shift, enabling the locally resolved study of magnetic field patterns down to 10 nm. Here, the progress done toward making quantitative MFM a common tool in nanocharacterization laboratories is shown. The reliability and ease of use of the calibration method based on a magnetic reference sample, with a calculable stray field, and a deconvolution algorithm is demonstrated. This is achieved by comparing two calibration approaches combined with numerical modeling as a quantitative link: measuring the probe's effect on the voltage signal when scanning above a nanosized graphene Hall sensor, and recording the MFM phase shift signal when the probe scans across magnetic fields produced by metallic microcoils. Furthermore, in the case of the deconvolution algorithm, it is shown how it can be applied using the open‐source software package Gwyddion. The estimated magnetic dipole approximation for the most common probes currently in the market is also reported.