Nutritional knowledge and consumption frequency of foods--a case study

The relationship between nutritional knowledge and the consumption frequency of preferred food-types was studied among one sample of Uruguayan consumers. A locally-adapted version of Parmenter & Wardle's General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire and a food consumption survey based on 39 food groups were completed by a total of 270 participants. Cluster Analysis enabled the identification of two clusters showing different levels of nutritional knowledge--cluster 1 (n = 177) and cluster 2 (n = 93), providing an average of 73.6% and 52.9% of correct answers, respectively. These clusters differed significantly (p < or = 0.05) in age and educational distribution--cluster 1 was composed mainly by older adults and persons with a higher educational level. A number of areas were identified where nutritional knowledge was extremely poor, as was the case with the recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake and the caloric content of the nutrients. Overall, nutritional knowledge was found to have a positive influence on food preferences and consumption frequency, those participants with a higher nutritional knowledge reporting a higher consumption of fruits, vegetables and low-fat products, in addition to a lower consumption of high-fat and high-sugar foods.     

Biodiesel production from Stichococcus strains at laboratory scale

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the results of an experimental campaign of autotrophic cultures of Stichococcus strains aiming at selecting the most promising strain for biofuel production. The strain selected—S. bacillaris 158/11—was cultivated in 1 L lab‐scale bubble column photobioreactors under fed‐batch and semi‐continuous conditions. A Bold basal medium supplemented with NaNO₃ as nitrogen source was adopted. Tests were carried out at 23 °C, 140 µE m^?2 s^?1, and air flow rate ranging between 0.4 and 4 vvm. Cultures were characterized in terms of pH, concentration of total nitrogen, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, biomass, lipid fraction and methyl‐ester distribution of transesterified lipids. RESULTS: S. bacillaris 158/11 proved to be the best strain to produce biodiesel. Methyl‐ester distribution was characterized by a large fraction of methyl palmitate, methyl linolenate, methyl linoleate, and methyl oleate along with phytol. The process photosynthetic efficiency—fraction of available light stored as chemical energy ‐ was about 1.5%. Specific biomass productivity was ～60 mg_DM L^?1 day^?1 under the semi‐continuous conditions tested. Total lipid productivity was 14 mg L^?1 day^?1 at a dilution rate of 0.050 L day^?1. CONCLUSION: S. bacillaris 158/11 is a potential strain for massive microalgae cultures for biofuel production. Higher biomass/total‐lipid productivity could be obtained in sunlight. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Luster Pottery from the Thirteenth Century to the Sixteenth Century: A Nanostructured Thin Metallic Film

Luster is a decorative metallic film that was applied on the surface of medieval glazed pottery. It can be obtained via the low-temperature (∼650°C), controlled reduction of copper and silver compounds. In this paper, we show that luster is a thin layered film (200–500 nm thick) that contains metallic spherical nanocrystals dispersed in a silicon-rich matrix and has a metal-free outermost glassy layer that is 10–20 nm thick. Silver nanocrystals seem to be separated from those of copper, forming aggregates 5–100 μm in diameter. This composite structure exhibits optical properties that are dependent on both the particle size and the matrix. Luster is indeed the first reproducible nanostructured thin metallic film that was made by humans.     

GOLPH3 Regulates EGFR in T98G Glioblastoma Cells by Modulating Its Glycosylation and Ubiquitylation

Protein trafficking is altered when normal cells acquire a tumor phenotype. A key subcellular compartment in regulating protein trafficking is the Golgi apparatus, but its role in carcinogenesis is still not well defined. Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3), a peripheral membrane protein mostly localized at the trans-Golgi network, is overexpressed in several tumor types including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most lethal primary brain tumor. Moreover, GOLPH3 is currently considered an oncoprotein, however its precise function in GBM is not fully understood. Here, we analyzed in T98G cells of GBM, which express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the effect of stable RNAi-mediated knockdown of GOLPH3. We found that silencing GOLPH3 caused a significant reduction in the proliferation of T98G cells and an unexpected increase in total EGFR levels, even at the cell surface, which was however less prone to ligand-induced autophosphorylation. Furthermore, silencing GOLPH3 decreased EGFR sialylation and fucosylation, which correlated with delayed ligand-induced EGFR downregulation and its accumulation at endo-lysosomal compartments. Finally, we found that EGF failed at promoting EGFR ubiquitylation when the levels of GOLPH3 were reduced. Altogether, our results show that GOLPH3 in T98G cells regulates the endocytic trafficking and activation of EGFR likely by affecting its extent of glycosylation and ubiquitylation.     

Mitochondrial Mechanisms in Septic Cardiomyopathy

Sepsis is the manifestation of the immune and inflammatory response to infection that may ultimately result in multi organ failure. Despite the therapeutic strategies that have been used up to now, sepsis and septic shock remain a leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Myocardial dysfunction is a well-described complication of severe sepsis, also referred to as septic cardiomyopathy, which may progress to right and left ventricular pump failure. Many substances and mechanisms seem to be involved in myocardial dysfunction in sepsis, including toxins, cytokines, nitric oxide, complement activation, apoptosis and energy metabolic derangements. Nevertheless, the precise underlying molecular mechanisms as well as their significance in the pathogenesis of septic cardiomyopathy remain incompletely understood. A well-investigated abnormality in septic cardiomyopathy is mitochondrial dysfunction, which likely contributes to cardiac dysfunction by causing myocardial energy depletion. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to cause mitochondrial dysfunction in septic cardiomyopathy, although it remains controversially discussed whether some mechanisms impair mitochondrial function or serve to restore mitochondrial function. The purpose of this review is to discuss mitochondrial mechanisms that may causally contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and/or may represent adaptive responses to mitochondrial dysfunction in septic cardiomyopathy.     

Metal complexes containing allenylidene and higher cumulenylidene ligands: a theoretical perspective

Transition metal complexes containing unsaturated carbenes have enjoyed a recent surge in research interest. In addition to showing potential as molecular wires and as components of opto-electronic materials, they provide multifaceted reactive sites for organic synthesis. In this Account, we describe results of recent theoretical studies that delineate the main features of electronic structure and bonding in allenylidenes and higher cumulenylidene complexes, [L(m)M]═C(═C)(n)═CR(1)R(2) (where L represents the ligand, M the metal, and n ≥ 1). Although free cumulenylidene ligands, :C(═C)(n)═CR(1)R(2), are extremely unstable and reactive species, they can be stabilized by coordination to a transition metal. The σ-donation of the electron lone pair on the terminal carbon atom to an empty metal d-orbital, together with the simultaneous π back-donation from filled metal d(π)-orbitals to empty cumulene π* system orbitals, leads to the formation of a strong M═C bond with multiple character. Density functional theory studies on the model systems [(CO)(5)Cr(═C)(n)CH(2)] and [trans-Cl(PH(3))(4)Ru(═C)(n)CH(2)](+) (where n = 1-9) have been useful in interpreting the structural and spectroscopic properties and the reactivity of this class of complexes. Geometry optimizations significantly contributed to the generalization of the sparse structural data available for allenylidene, butatrienylidene, and pentatetraenylidene complexes to higher cumulenylidene complexes (with up to eight carbon atoms in the chain), which show a clear structural trend. In particular, the geometries of all even-chain cumulenes are consistent with an almost purely cumulenic structure, whereas the geometries of odd-chain cumulenes present a significant polyyne-like carbon-carbon bond length alternation. The calculated bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of the cumulenylidene ligand remain almost constant on lengthening the cumulene chain. These BDEs indicate that there is no thermodynamic upper limit to the cumulene chain length and suggest that the synthetic difficulties in preparing higher cumulenylidenes are due to an increase in reactivity. The calculated charges on the carbon atoms show no significant polarization along the cumulene chain, indicating that charge distribution is not important in determining the regioselectivity of either electrophilic or nucleophilic attack, which is instead determined by frontier orbital factors. The breakdown of the contributions from the metal and the carbon atoms along the chain to the HOMO and LUMO shows that the HOMO has contributions mainly from the metal and the carbon atoms in even positions along the chain (C(2), C(4), C(6), and higher). In contrast, the LUMO has contributions mainly from the carbon atoms in odd positions along the chain (C(1), C(3), C(5), and higher), thus explaining the experimentally observed regioselectivity of electrophilic and nucleophilic attacks, which are directed, respectively, to even and odd positions of the cumulenylidene chain. The study of the electronic structure of cumulenylidenes has allowed us not only to give a consistent rationale for the main structural and spectroscopic properties and for the reactivity of this emerging class of compounds but also to predict the effect of ancillary ligands on the metal center or substituents on the carbon end. The result is a useful guide to new developments in the still-underexplored fields of this fascinating class of compounds.     

Process simulation of natural gas steam reforming: Fuel distribution optimisation in the furnace

This paper describes a two-step method to simulate the natural gas steam reforming for hydrogen production. The first step is to calculate reforming tube length and fuel distribution with equilibrium approach associated with heat transfer. The second step is to calculate and validate reforming performance with kinetic model. A short-cut simulation of hydrogen plant has also been performed to calculate inputs for the reformer model, such as total flow rate and composition of mixed fuel burning in the furnace chamber. Heat transfer, especially radiative heat transfer, is the key role in the steam reforming technology, due to the high heat fluxes involved. For this reason, energy modelling of the furnace chamber has been performed. The simulation evaluates the most important design variables, as tubes height, maximum tube-wall temperature, and tube pressure drop. The heat flux profile can be selected to have suitable metal temperatures to lengthen the reformer tube life. The model calculates the design parameters for reforming tube and fuel distribution among burners.     

Characterization of Soybean Proteins–Fatty Acid Systems

This study investigated, with the aim of obtaining more flexible and hydrophobic proteins, the attachment of a low chain fatty acid, decanoic acid, to alkaline and acid soybean proteins; and the effect on their conformational and functional properties. The extent of esterification was high at acid pH and also increased with heating. Protein solubility decreased, mainly at the highest temperature (60 °C). Increasing levels of fatty acid formed a complex with a slightly more soluble protein with less surface hydrophobicity. Esterified proteins exhibited aggregation/dissociation and were stabilized by different protein subunits belonging to 7S and 11S globulins. Denaturation of these soybean protein fractions (7S and 11S) were also detected in these complexes. The highest level of fatty acids favored formation of a more ordered protein structure.     

A Case Report of Germline Compound Heterozygous Mutations in the BRCA1 Gene of an Ovarian and Breast Cancer Patient

The germline carrier of the BRCA1 pathogenic mutation has been well proven to confer an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Despite BRCA1 biallelic pathogenic mutations being extremely rare, they have been reported to be embryonically lethal or to cause Fanconi anemia (FA). Here we describe a patient who was a 48-year-old female identified with biallelic pathogenic mutations of the BRCA1 gene, with no or very subtle FA-features. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and breast cancer at the ages of 43 and 44 and had a strong family history of breast and gynecological cancers.