Assessment of nutritional compounds and antinutritional factors in pea (Pisum sativum) seeds

The nutrient and antinutritional factor content of 18 pea lines was studied. The following levels were found: non‐protein nitrogen 5.2–10.2 g kg^?1 DM, protein nitrogen 35.3–42.4 g kg^?1 DM, lysine 50.7–76.3 g kg^?1 protein DM, histidine 17.8–24.8 g kg^?1 protein DM, tyrosine 22.6–30.0 g kg^?1 protein DM, protein 25.9–31.9% DM, in vitro protein digestibility 89.3–95.6%, vitamin B₁ 5.9–10.3 mg kg^?1 DM, vitamin B₂ 1.1–3.7 mg kg^?1 DM, sucrose 11.6–25.4 g kg^?1 DM, raffinose 4.1–10.3 g kg^?1 DM, stachyose 10.7–26.7 g kg^?1 DM, verbascose 0.0–26.7 g kg^?1 DM, total α‐galactosides 22.6–63.4 g kg^?1 DM, trypsin inhibitor activity 0.8–8.4 TIU mg^?1 DM, inositol hexaphosphate 2.3–6.5 g kg^?1 DM, inositol pentaphosphate 0.1–1.8 g kg^?1 DM and total inositol phosphates 2.8–7.1 g kg^?1 DM. Peas with yellow cotyledons had the highest trypsin inhibitor activities, those with light green cotyledons had the highest lysine contents, and those with dark green cotyledons were the richest in vitamins B₁ and B₂. Peas with brown testae had the lowest verbascose and sucrose contents, while they were the richest in inositol hexaphosphate. Smaller peas were characterised by the highest protein nitrogen contents as well as the highest contents of vitamins B₁ and B₂, verbascose and inositol pentaphosphate. Peas of medium size showed the lowest verbascose, α‐galactoside and vitamin B₂ contents. Bigger peas showed the lowest inositol pentaphosphate contents. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Environmental benefits of parking‐integrated photovoltaics: a 222 kWp experience

The life cycle assessment of a grid‐connected, parking integrated, 222 kW_p cadmium telluride photovoltaic system has been performed. The system was built at the University of Murcia and has been monitored for 2.5 years (sampling data every 5 min). The detailed material inventory, the energy embedded in the system, the energy payback time, and the energy return factor of the facility have been obtained and are 6.31 TJ equivalent primary energy, 2.06 and 12.16years, respectively. The average performance ratio is 0.8 with a slight monthly variation. Additionally, the environmental benefits of the architectural integration (in this case parking integration) have been quantified using a standard methodology for the calculation of several environmental parameters. Finally, the environmental benefits of renewable energy generation because of the savings of producing the same amount of electricity by the Spanish grid system have been assessed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paratesticular tumor. Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord

Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is a rare tumour typically presenting in elderly people. It tends to grow around blood vessels. Most of them have a low level of malignancy and relapses tend to be localized. Metastasis, when present, occur through the haematological route, lymph spread being very unusual. Pre-operative diagnosis is infrequent and overall prognosis is good. The choice treatment is radical orchidectomy, while long-term follow-up of these patients is mandatory. When local relapses become evident, the choice treatment is extensive local excision, followed by optional adjuvant radiotherapy. Chemotherapy has not proven to be effective. This paper reviews the current literature and contributes one case of mixed liposarcoma of the spermatic cord.     

Preparation of purified tyrosinase devoid of dopachrome tautomerase from mammalian malignant melanocytes

Although tyrosinase has been considered for a long time the only enzyme involved in mammalian melanosynthesis, it has been shown that mouse melanoma melanosomes contain high levels of dopachrome tautomerase (DCT2), an enzyme catalyzing DC tautomerization to DHICA. At least in B16 mouse melanoma, DCT is present in higher catalytic amounts than tyrosinase. Moreover, it can be anticipated that tyrosinase and DCT should be very difficult to resolve by most conventional biochemical techniques because of the structural similarity between these enzymes, as predicted from the sequence of their corresponding cDNAs. It is shown that the presence of DCT can cause serious artifacts when tyrosinase activity is determined by most of the currently available methods, such as the Dopa oxidase and melanin formation assays. We describe a simple and convenient method for the preparation of tyrosinase devoid of DCT. The method takes advantage of the different thermal stability of both enzymes. Heating of crude melanosomal extracts at 60 degrees C for 1 hr results in a complete denaturation of DCT, while tyrosinase activity is recovered almost quantitatively. The resulting tyrosinase preparation is considerably purified and the electrophoretic, immunologic and kinetic characteristics of the enzyme appear unaltered. Because if its high yield and simplicity, the method can be used for the microscale partial purification of DCT-free tyrosinase from mammalian malignant melanocytes grown in culture.     

Prognostic value of immunophenotypic detection of minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PURPOSE: The identification of immunophenotypic aberrancies through multiparametric flow cytometry makes the differentiation between normal and leukemic cells relatively simple and quick, and is therefore an attractive method for the investigation of minimal residual disease (MRD). In this report, we have analyzed the impact on relapse and relapse-free survival (RFS) of detecting immunophenotypical aberrant cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients in cytomorphologic complete remission (CR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred eleven bone marrow (BM) samples from 53 consecutive ALL (37 precursor B-ALL and 16 T-ALL) patients were analyzed. The only selection criteria were to have at least one aberrant immunophenotypic feature at diagosis and to have achieved cytomorphologic CR after induction therapy. For MRD detection, all follow-up samples were analyzed with triple labelings using a two-step acquisition procedure, in which 106 cells were screened for the possible persistence of residual leukemic cells with the same phenotypic aberrancy as that identified diagnosis. RESULTS: Patients who displayed a gradual increase in MRD levels showed a higher relapse rate (90% v22%; P < .00001) and shorter median RFS (12 months v not reached; P < .0001) than those with stable or decreasing MRD levels. This adverse prognostic influence also was observed when children and adults, as well as B-ALL and T-ALL patients, were analyzed separately. An MRD level > or = or greater than 10(-3) discriminated two risk groups of ALL patients with significantly different relapse rates and RFS at all treatment phases (end of induction, consolidation, maintenance, and out of treatment). CONCLUSION: Multiparametric flow cytometry of MRD in ALL patients is a valuable tool for relapse prediction and for the identification of a cohort of patients with very poor prognosis.     

Description of a methodology to identify and quantify groups of poor and malnourished families in the Republic of Panama

The methodology used to identify and quantify existing data on the magnitude of nutrition and health damage in different political-administrative areas and families of Panama, is described. The purpose of the present paper is to orient governmental actions of the social field toward the most affected areas and families facing food and nutrition problems. The existing information sources used were the National Nutrition Survey carried out in 1980, the National Census on School Children's Height, of 1980, and the Vital Statistics of 1982. A score determined according to the expected data reliability was applied, by district, to the preschool height retardation data of the 1980 survey, to the data compiled through the school children's height retardation census of 1982 and to the infant and one-to-four year-old children's mortality data. The districts with the highest health and nutrition damage received the lowest score. Following this procedure, 28 districts, 204 "corregimientos" and six priority family groups were selected for social action. The usefulness of this procedure to orient governmental resources toward the poor and malnourished populations is discussed, as well as the technical possibility of carrying it out, on periodical bases, in order to orient program planning and know the impact they have on health and nutrition of the population.     

In vivo quantification of response to treatment in patients with multiple myeloma by <Superscript>1</Superscript>H magnetic resonance spectroscopy of bone marrow

Object Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard non-invasive technique to detect malignant disease in the bone marrow. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can be performed as a quick adjunct to routine spinal MRI. We performed proton MRS to patients with multiple myeloma (MM) at diagnosis and after treatment to investigate the possible correlation of MRS data with response to therapy. Patients and methods Twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed MM underwent combined MRI/MRS explorations of a transverse center section in the fifth lumbar vertebral body. MRS was acquired with STEAM and 40 ms TE. Areas of unsuppressed water and lipid resonances were used to calculate the lipid-to-water ratio (LWR). Results No association was detected between initial LWRs and the clinical characteristics of patients. Post treatment MRS was available in 16 patients of whom 11 (69%) presented an LWR increase, this included all complete responders (8/8, 100%, P = 0.012). A post-treatment LWR value equal to or larger than one is proposed as a non-invasive marker of complete response to treatment. Conclusion Only patients responding to treatment presented a significant increase in bone marrow LWR after therapy. MRS may provide an adequate quantification of response to chemotherapy in patients with MM.     

Networks and the City

‘Cities need to change to survive. As living beings that are constantly replacing their cells, rebuilding their veins and arteries, and pumping energy and matter or producing waste, cities are also growing and evolving as they age.’ Just how complex, though, are cities? Sergi Valverde and Ricard V Solé of the ICREA-Complex Systems Lab at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona look at how network theory and emergent dynamics might be bringing us closer to an overarching theory of urban organisation.     

Numerical evaluation of mass transfer coefficient in stirred tank reactors with non-Newtonian fluid

In fermentation processes, a constant supply of oxygen is fundamental for cell growth. The supply rate is controlled by the volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The literature reports few numerical studies evaluating the volumetric mass transfer coefficient for aerated systems with non-Newtonian fluids in stirred tanks. The aim of this work was to undertake a numerical study of the main hydrodynamic and mass transfer parameters, including average gas hold-up, and power number. Xanthan gum solutions were used to simulated. The simulations were performed with different impeller rotational speeds (600 to 1000 revolution per minute) and specific gas flow rates (0.4 to 1.2 volume of gas per volume of liquid per minute), adopting an Euler-Euler approach and assuming uniform spherical bubbles. The turbulence was simulated with k?ε turbulence model and sst shear stress transport turbulent model. The numerical results were compared with experimental values available in the literature. The results showed good agreement between the numerical and experimental values of gas hold-up, power number, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The sst shear stress transport turbulence model provided better results, compared to the standard k?ε model, for simulation of volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a non-Newtonian fluid under the conditions used. Simulations for uniform bubbles with 3 millimeters diameter gave mass transfer coefficient values that were close to the experimental data.