Effects of Sedentarism and Treadmill Training in Mechanical Properties of Muscles of Ovariectomized Rats with High-Fat Diet

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of physical training in the maintenance of muscle strength in rats with HFD （high-fat diet） after OVX （ovariectomy）. Eighty Wistar rats are at eight weeks of age and weight 200 g which divided into 8 groups （n = 10） and treated for 12 weeks： GA： OVX ＋ ND （normal diet）, GB： OVX ＋ ND ＋ training, GC： sham ＋ ND, GD： sham ＋ ND ＋ training, GE： OVX ＋ HFD, GF： OVX ＋ HFD ＋ training, GG： sham ＋ HFD and GH： sham ＋ HFD ＋ training. HFD consists of standard ration for rats with addition of 30% lipids. In training groups, physical training five training/week was conducted on a treadmill with adaptation period of three weeks up to 18 m/s for one hour, training were performed for 12 weeks. The sedentary animals remained in individual box. To analyze the effects of training and diet, tensile strength tests of the gastrocnemius muscles were conducted： the speed of 0.1 mm/min. Analysis of variance was performed to compare groups. The mean （SD） obtained for the maximum load （N） were： GA 57.77 （6.89）, GB 62.74 （5.07）, GC 49.45 （6.06）, GD 59.42 （5.26） and GE 55.58 （4.72）, GF 62.50 （4.56）, GG 58.35 （4.54） and GH 56.67 （5.87）, respectively. There were no differences for maximum load between surgeries （p = 0.004） and between treatments （p = 0.000）. Differences were found also for the relationship surgery diet treatment （p = 0.007）. For the variable stiffness （N/mm）, there were not statistically significant differences： GA 5.03 （0.72）, GB 5.08 （1.09）, GC 5.17 （0.53）, GD 5.35 （0.80）, GE 5.52 （1.20）, GF 5.36 （1.07）, GG 4.83 （1.03） and GH 5.40 （0.73）. For the toughness （N/mm）, there were differences between treatments （p = 0.010） and the ratio diet treatment （p = 0.024）： GA 455.00 （107.21）, GB 541.96 （126.80）, GC 394.97 （84.67）, GD 566.90 （157.07）; GE 424.63 （113.03）, GF 478.07 （106.03）; GG 517.44 （98.65?     

Exploitation of the Antibacterial Properties of Photoactivated Curcumin as ‘Green’ Tool for Food Preservation

In the search for non-chemical and green methods to counteract the bacterial contamination of foods, the use of natural substances with antimicrobial properties and light irradiation at proper light waves has been extensively investigated. In particular, the combination of both techniques, called photodynamic inactivation (PDI), is based on the fact that some natural substances act as photosensitizers, i.e., produce bioactive effects under irradiation. Notably, curcumin is a potent natural antibacterial and effective photosensitizer that is able to induce photodynamic activation in the visible light range (specifically for blue light). Some practical applications have been investigated with particular reference to food preservation from bacterial contaminants.     

L'Épaisseur d'un décimètre carré 1

Résumé:

Le présent article illustre les difficultés qui peuvent surgir lorsque la distinction entre les notions mathématiques et leurs modèles issus du monde physique n'est pas bien comprise. Les exemples fournis touchent divers ordres d'enseignement, notamment celui de la formation des enseignantes et des enseignants pour le primaire.     

Radiant floors integrated with PCM for indoor temperature control

The control of indoor thermal comfort in buildings through thermal inertia during the summer season plays a fundamental role in the design of energy efficient buildings, especially in the Mediterranean climate. In fact, lightweight, highly insulated buildings cannot provide the necessary mass to buffer thermal gains. Phase change materials (PCM) have been used to provide lightweight building components with the required thermal inertia without increasing their overall mass. So far the integration of PCM into lightweight piped radiant floors for the control of thermal comfort during summer cooling regimes has not been investigated. This paper reports the development of a lightweight piped radiant floor prototype with an integrated PCM layer aimed at buffering internal gains at constant temperature during summer cooling regimes without affecting its winter warming capacity. Both the construction of the laboratory specimens and the development of the optimized finite element models are detailed and the assessment of the floor performance in a simulated room is discussed.     

Development of a FACS-verified set of basic and self-conscious emotion expressions.

In 2 studies, the authors developed and validated of a new set of standardized emotion expressions, which they referred to as the University of California, Davis, Set of Emotion Expressions (UCDSEE). The precise components of each expression were verified using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). The UCDSEE is the first FACS-verified set to include the three “self-conscious” emotions known to have recognizable expressions (embarrassment, pride, and shame), as well as the 6 previously established “basic” emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise), all posed by the same 4 expressers (African and White males and females). This new set has numerous potential applications in future research on emotion and related topics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tritrichomonas foetus adhere to superhydrophilic vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube surface

For the first time, we show that Tritrichomonas foetus can adhere on superhydrophilic vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) films. Scanning electron microscopy shows an unusual adhesion with a higher membrane filopodium projection in all directions, directly attached to superhydrophilic VACNT tips.     

Combined Effects of Parallel and Series Detention Basins for Flood Peak Reduction

A simple analytical method is proposed that allows a preliminary evaluation of the overall efficiency of a detention basin system for flood risk reduction in a specific target section. Solutions are provided both for parallel and series systems, under some simplifying assumptions concerning the linearity of detention basin, river network and watershed responses. Further, for the series configuration a regressive model is proposed for the computation of the overall efficiency, because of the complexity of analytical solution. A case study is also presented, where the overall efficiency of a system of nine detention basins is computed by means of both the analytical and the regressive model. Results are discussed to assess the different influence of detention basins in parallel or in a series system.     

A Weibull model to describe antimicrobial kinetics of oregano and lemongrass essential oils against Salmonella Enteritidis in ground beef during refrigerated storage

The antimicrobial effect of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.) essential oils (EOs) against Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis in in vitro experiments, and inoculated in ground bovine meat during refrigerated storage (4 ± 2 °C) for 6 days was evaluated. The Weibull model was tested to fit survival/inactivation bacterial curves (estimating of p and δ parameters). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value for both EOs on S. Enteritidis was 3.90 μl/ml. The EO concentrations applied in the ground beef were 3.90, 7.80 and 15.60 μl/g, based on MIC levels and possible activity reduction by food constituents. Both evaluated EOs in all tested levels, showed antimicrobial effects, with microbial populations reducing (p ≤ 0.05) along time storage. Evaluating fit-quality parameters (RSS and RSE) Weibull models are able to describe the inactivation curves of EOs against S. Enteritidis. The application of EOs in processed meats can be used to control pathogens during refrigerated shelf-life.