Anti-inflammatory activity of American yam Dioscorea trifida L.f. in food allergy induced by ovalbumin in mice

Tropical ecosystems are particularly rich in edible plant species with different bioactive substances. Among the plants with promising benefits for health are species from the genus Dioscorea (Dioscoreaceae), especially those named yam. Recent studies have shown the beneficial effects of different species of Dioscorea, and its main constituent, diosgenine, in the treatment of food allergy. In this study we evaluated the potential of D. trifida, the only yam native from South America, in the treatment of ovalbumin (OVA) induced food allergy in Balb/c mice. HPLC/DAD analysis showed the presence of three very distinctive groups of natural products in extracts and fractions: (I) very polar substances, including allantoin, (II) phenolic substances as flavonoids and phenolic acids and (III) diosgenin and derivatives. Sensitive mice received casein feed with supplementation of crude extract (CE) and fractions. The supplementation with all products from D. trifida reduced IGE, intestinal oedema and mucus production, parameters observed in OVA allergic mice. The results showed the potential of this food to prevent or treat this disease and the necessity to be better explored.     

Adequacy of decompositions of relational databases

We consider conditions that have appeared in the literature with the purpose of defining a “good” decomposition of a relation scheme. We show that these notions are equivalent in the case that all constraints in the database are functional dependencies. This result solves an open problem of Rissanen. However, for arbitrary constraints the notions are shown to differ.     

Rhythmische gasblasenbildung in bleiakkumulatoren bei potentiostatischen ladebedingungen

Rhythmics gas bubbles formation in a lead storage battery is discussed under potentiostatic conditions. The rate of gas evolution has been measured and the gas composition analyzed. Some particular problems in the study of gas evolution are considered.     

Characterization of Chemically and Thermally Treated Oil‐in‐Water Heteroaggregates and Comparison to Conventional Emulsions

Heteroaggregated oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions formed by targeted combination of oppositely charged emulsion droplets were proposed to be used for the modulation of physical properties of food systems, ideally achieving the formation of a particulate 3‐dimensional network at comparably low‐fat content. In this study, rheological properties of Quillaja saponins (QS), sugar beet pectin (SBP), and whey protein isolate (WPI) stabilized conventional and heteroaggregated O/W emulsions at oil contents of 10% to 60% (w/w) were investigated. Selected systems having an oil content of 30% (w/w) and different particle sizes (d₄₃ ≤ 1.1 or ≥16.7 μm) were additionally subjected to chemical (genipin or glutaraldehyde) and thermal treatments, aiming to increase network stability. Subsequently, their rheological properties and stability were assessed. Yield stresses (τ₀) of both conventional and heteroaggregated O/W emulsions were found to depend on emulsifier type, oil content, and initial droplet size. For conventional emulsions, high yield stresses were only observed for SBP‐based emulsions (τ₀,_SBP approximately 157 Pa). Highest yield stresses of heteroaggregates were observed when using small droplets stabilized by SBP/WPI (approximately 15.4 Pa), being higher than those of QS/WPI (approximately 1.6 Pa). Subsequent treatments led to significant alterations in rheological properties for SBP/WPI systems, with yield stresses increasing 29‐fold (glutaraldehyde) and 2‐fold (thermal treatment) compared to untreated heteroaggregates, thereby surpassing yield stresses of similarly treated conventional SBP emulsions. Genipin‐driven treatments proved to be ineffective. Results should be of interest to food manufacturers wishing to design viscoelastic food emulsion based systems at lower oil droplet contents.     

Zu Fragen der Ausbildung und Weiterbildung im österreichischen Bergbau

Training and continuous education is today for the management of a mineral producing operation more important than ever before. The focus of education today in the field of mineral producing industry has not only to be dedicated versus the needs of the industry but also versus the importance of the ever increasing need of societal acceptance of industrial operations. Therefore it is expected that graduates from mining schools not only have a good knowledge of technical and economical subjects but also a good background for the realisation of environmental and safety targets for the people at work and in the neighbourhood of an operation. A strong request to the education and training at university level is therefore not only to deliver a broad knowledge but also the formation of a basis which allows to obtain authority for functions as “safety expert”, “Mine rescuer”, “waste disposal expert” and others. In the text the contents of the BSc study program “Natural resources” are reviewed and the training and education for a “Natural Resources Manager” together with the required continuous education is discussed.     

Alkylthio-substituierte Bis(benzol-1,2-dithiolato)zinkate,Benzol-1,2-dithiole und -1,2-dithiolate – Edukte für Dibenzo[c,g](1,2,5,6)tetrathiocine und Benzo[c](1,2,3)-trithiole; Untersuchungen zu Benzodithieten und ortho-Dithiobenzochinonen

Alkylthiosubstituted Bis(benzene-1,2-dithiolato)zincates, Benzene-1,2-dithioles, and -1,2-dithiolates – Educts for Dibenzo[c,g](1,2,5,6)tetrathiocins, and Benzo[c](1,2,3)trithioles; Investigations on Benzodithietes and ortho-Dithiobenzochinones Using benzenehexathiolate 1 it is possible to synthesize alkylthio-substituted benzo-1,3-dithiole-2-thiones 2 , or -ones 3 and benzo-di(1,3-dithiole-2-thiones) 4 , or -ones 5 , resp., which were cleaved under basic conditions. The generated benzene-1,2-dithiolates 7 were isolated as benzene-dithiolato zincates 8 , benzene-1,2-dithioles 11 , and benzene-1-thiole-2-thiolates 10 . Dibenzo[c,g](1,2,5,6)-tetrathiocins 9 were synthesized by oxidation of 7 or 8 in good yields. For the per(methylthio)-substituted tetrathiocin 9a the twist conformation was proved by x-ray structure analysis. The tetrathiocin 9a was probably formed via the orthodithiobenzoquinone 13a . Photolysis of 3a at room temperature in solution led to 9a and tetrakis(methylthio)benzo[c] (1,2,3)trithiole 12a as the main product, which was also formed by irradiation of 9a . The trithioles 12 were formed from 8 by reaction with sulfur dichloride. 12a was investigated by x-ray structure analysis. ortho-Dithiobenzoquinone 13c can be claimed as an intermediate upon irradiation of benzo-1,3-dithiol-2-one 3c in an argon matrix at 10 K. Depending on the wavelength the equilibrium lies either on the side of dithiobenzoquinone 13c or benzodithiete 14c . The same is true for system 15/16 , which can be reached by flash vacuum pyrolysis of 3c .