A New Age for Quercus spp. Fruits: Review on Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Related Biological Activities of Acorns

The current global food system must adapt to the expected growth of world population (about 9 billion individuals by 2050). This adaptation will probably include an increased consumption of edible wild foods, due to their richness in micronutrients and bioactive compounds, besides providing a cost‐effective and sustainable way of improving caloric food security. A striking example of such natural matrices is the Quercus genus, which has the additional advantage of being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In a traditional sense, Quercus fruits (acorns) were mainly used in animal feeding, despite their potentially important role on the rural economy. But this preconception is changing. In fact, their nutritional value, high contents in phytochemical compounds, biological activity (such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective properties) and use in the treatment of specific diseases (such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease) have raised the interest in integrating acorns into the human diet. Accordingly, this comprehensive overview was designed to provide an evidence‐based review of the literature, with the objective to achieve useful conclusions regarding the nutritional properties, methodologies of extraction, identification, and characterization of a wide variety of bioactive compounds and scientifically validated bioactivities in Quercus species worldwide. The industrial by‐products from acorn oil extraction or flour production are also included. Data regarding the analytical techniques, individual compounds, and their bioactivities, are organized in tables. The reported data are discussed and directions for further investigations are suggested, highlighting the use of acorns in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.     

CSBD Healing in Rats after Application of Bovine Xenogeneic Biomaterial Enriched with Magnesium Alloy

Xenogeneic biomaterials Cerbone^® and OsteoBiol^® are widely used in oral implantology. In dental practice, xenogeneic biomaterial is usually combined with autologous bone to provide bone volume stability needed for long-term dental implants. Magnesium alloy implants dissolve and form mineral corrosion layer that is directly in contact with bone tissue, allowing deposition of the newly formed bone. CSBD heals by intramembranous ossification and therefore is a convenient model for analyses of ostoconductive and osteoinductive properties of different type of biomaterials. Magnesium alloy-enriched biomaterials have not yet been applied in oral implantology. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate biological properties of potentially new bovine xenogeneic biomaterial enriched with magnesium alloy in a 5 mm CSBD model. Osteoconductive properties of Cerabone^®, Cerabone^® + Al. bone, and OsteoBiol^® were also analyzed. Dynamics of bone healing was followed up on the days 3, 7, 15, 21, and 30. Calvary bone samples were analyzed by micro-CT, and values of the bone morphometric parameters were assessed. Bone samples were further processed for histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Histological observation revealed CSBD closure at day 30 of the given xenogeneic biomaterial groups, with the exception of the control group. TNF-α showed high intensity of expression at the sites of MSC clusters that underwent ossification. Osx was expressed in pre-osteoblasts, which were differentiated into mature osteoblasts and osteocytes. Results of the micro-CT analyses showed linear increase in bone volume of all xenogeneic biomaterial groups and also in the control. The highest average values of bone volume were found for the Cerabone^® + Mg group. In addition, less residual biomaterial was estimated in the Cerabone^® + Mg group than in the Cerabone^® group, indicating its better biodegradation during CSBD healing. Overall, the magnesium alloy xenogeneic biomaterial demonstrated key properties of osteoinduction and biodegradidibility during CSBD healing, which is the reason why it should be recommended for application in clinical practice of oral implantology.     

S. sanguinis adhesion on rough titanium surfaces: Effect of culture media

Bacterial colonization plays a key role in dental implant failure, because they attach directly on implant surface upon implantation. Between different types of bacteria associated with the oral environment, Streptococcus sanguinis is essential in this process since it is an early colonizer. In this work the relationship between titanium surfaces modified by shot blasting treatment and S. sanguinis adhesion; have been studied in approached human mouth environment. Bacteria pre-inoculated with routinary solution were put in contact with titanium samples, shot-blasted with alumina and silicon carbide, and adhesion results were compared with those obtained when bacteria were pre-inoculated with modified artificial saliva medium and on saliva pre-coated titanium samples. Our results showed that bacterial adhesion on titanium samples was influenced by culture conditions. When S. sanguinis was inoculated in routinary culture media, colonies forming unities per square millimeter presented an increment correlated with roughness and surface energy, but separated by the type of particle used during shot-blasting treatment; whereas in modified artificial saliva only a relationship between bacteria adhered and the increment in both roughness and surface energy were observed, regardless of the particle type. Finally, on human saliva pre-coated samples no significant differences were observed among roughness, surface energy or particle.     

Weak mismatch epitaxy and structural Feedback in graphene growth on copper foil

Graphene growth by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition on low cost copper foils shows great promise for large scale applications. It is known that the local crystallography of the foil influences the graphene growth rate. Here we find an epitaxial relationship between graphene and copper foil. Interfacial restructuring between graphene and copper drives the formation of (n10) facets on what is otherwise a mostly Cu(100) surface, and the facets in turn influence the graphene orientations from the onset of growth. Angle resolved photoemission shows that the electronic structure of the graphene is decoupled from the copper indicating a weak interaction between them. Despite this, two preferred orientations of graphene are found, ±8° from the Cu[010] direction, creating a non-uniform distribution of graphene grain boundary misorientation angles. Comparison with the model system of graphene growth on single crystal Cu(110) indicates that this orientational alignment is due to mismatch epitaxy. Despite the differences in symmetry the orientation of the graphene is defined by that of the copper. We expect these observations to not only have importance for controlling and understanding the growth process for graphene on copper, but also to have wider implications for the growth of two-dimensional materials on low cost metal substrates.      

Heat Conduction Analytical Solutions to be Applied in Boundary Conditions Obtained from Discrete Data

Analytical solutions have varied uses. One is to provide solutions that can be used in verification of numerical methods. Another is to provide relatively simple forms of exact solutions that can be used in estimating parameters, thus, it is possible to reduce computation time in comparison with numerical methods. In this paper, an alternative procedure is presented. Here is used a hybrid solution based on Green＇s function and real characteristics （discrete data） of the boundary conditions.     

Types of the National Markets of Ancillary Services and Balancing Energy

Modeling of ancillary services market can be described as institutional arrangements for establishing ancillary services management in deregulated electricity market. Models of the national ancillary services markets are market models which offer transmission system operator efficient procurement of ancillary services, reducing the system management risk, more competitive electricity market, better utilization of production facilities and complete deregulation of electricity markets. This paper deals with current mode of ancillary services market and potential market development in Croatia. Described models are used for establishing market of ancillary services which should occur in parallel with the electricity market.     

Modelling Interactions Between Lot-Scale Decentralised Water Infrastructure and Urban Form – a Case Study on Infiltration Systems

Modelling the design and implementation of urban water infrastructure (particularly decentralised systems) for strategic planning and policymaking requires detailed information of the spatial environment and quantitative knowledge of social preferences. Currently available models, however, mostly use land use, population and impervious cover data without much regard for detailed urban form or society. This study develops an algorithm for determining urban form from minimal spatial data input by incorporating local planning regulations. The interaction between urban form and implementation of lot-scale infiltration systems under different social, biophysical and climate constraints is then investigated, firstly by looking at how this varies in different residential land uses and subsequently in a case study of a typical Melbourne residential subdivision of mixed land uses. Feasibility of infiltration and its downstream impact (runoff volume, frequency and pollution) were assessed for a range of social preferences (quantified as allowable garden space) and climate scenarios (30 % increase/decrease in rainfall and evapotranspiration). Performance indicators were determined through long-term simulation with the MUSIC software. Results show how different biophysical, planning, social and climate conditions affect infiltration feasibility as well as system performance. High infiltrating soils, for example, allow smaller, well-performing and socially less-imposing systems. Low infiltrating soils lead to larger system sizes, occupy much of the allotment’s garden space, but nevertheless provide the benefit of runoff frequency reduction. Overall, climate impact was not significant except for areas with poorly infiltrating soils. Joint consideration of social, planning, climate and water management aspects potentially allows more efficient policymaking, as an array of system configurations can be tested against different multi-faceted scenarios. Such models can help facilitate better participatory planning and policymaking.     

Effect of the molecular architecture of graft copolymers on the phase morphology and tensile properties of PS/EVA blends

Graft copolymers of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA) grafted with polystyrene (PS) with different molecular weight and different EVA/PS ratio were prepared by coupling reaction between acyl chloride functionalized PS (PS‐COCl) and hydrolyzed EVA. PS‐COCl with controlled molecular weight was prepared by anionic polymerization of styrene, followed by end capping with phosgene. The effect of the molecular architecture of the graft copolymer on the compatibilization of PS/EVA blends was investigated. Substantial improvement in the elongation at break and ductility was observed using the graft copolymer with PS segments with molecular weight as high as 66,000 g/mol and with a PS proportion equal or higher than EVA. The effect of the compatibilization on the morphology was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The blend that presented the highest value of elongation at break also displayed dispersed phase constituted by inclusions of the PS phase inside the EVA particle forming a cocontinuous structure, as observed by AFM. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008