Non‐digestible carbohydrates in Brazilian soybean seeds [Glycine max (L.) Merril]

Non‐digestible carbohydrate fraction (NDCF) consists of a range of bioactive compounds that escape digestion in the small intestine. NDCF is mainly composed of dietary fibre (DF) and non‐digestible oligosaccharides (NDO). The objective of this work was to analyse directly and compare the NDCF in two Brazilian cultivars of soybean seed with commercial flour. Brazil is the second major soybean producer in the world. The seed cultivars showed on average a NDCF value of 32.80 g per 100 g dry weight (dw). Regarding DF, insoluble DF (IDF) was the main fraction amounting on average to 98%. Uronic acids were significantly higher than neutral sugar (NS) in IDF and soluble DF (SDF) fractions. There was a considerable amount of Klason lignin – on average 84.14% of DF. Regarding NS profile, mannose was the most important sugar in SDF, whereas galactose and arabinose were predominant in IDF. Stachyose was the main oligosaccharide in NDO. DF and NDO were in the same proportion (94.2:5.8) in tested cultivars. No differences in swelling, water retention, or oil retention capacities between seed cultivars were detected. This study on non‐digestible carbohydrate components in soybean seed gives a different approach to the current nutritional knowledge on protein and oil constituents.     

New Paradigm in NKT Cell Antigens: MCS-0208 (2-(Hydroxymethyl)phenylthio-phytoceramide) – an Aryl-Phytoceramide Compound with a Single Hydroxyl Group Stimulates NKT Cells

Natural Killer T (NKT) cells play an important role in the immune response and can be activated by glycolipids presented by CD1d protein. We present MCS-0208, an unprecedented arylthioether-phytoceramide able to induce potent invariant NKT (iNKT) cell activation, notably when tested in human iNKT cells. This arylsphingolipid analog has a simple phenyl group containing a single hydroxyl substituent as a surrogate of the sugar ring. The phenylthioether structure contrasts with α-galactosylceramide ( 1 ), the prototypical glycolipid used to induce iNKT cell stimulation, where the galactose 2’-OH and 3’-OH substituents are accepted as the minimal footprint and considered critical for NKT T cell receptor (TCR) recognition. A computational study supports the recognition of aromatic compound by the CD1d and TCR proteins as radically new structures for NKT cell stimulation.     

The AFLATOX® Project: Approaching the Development of New Generation,Natural-Based Compounds for the Containment of the Mycotoxigenic Phytopathogen Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin Contamination

The control of the fungal contamination on crops is considered a priority by the sanitary authorities of an increasing number of countries, and this is also due to the fact that the geographic areas interested in mycotoxin outbreaks are widening. Among the different pre- and post-harvest strategies that may be applied to prevent fungal and/or aflatoxin contamination, fungicides still play a prominent role; however, despite of countless efforts, to date the problem of food and feed contamination remains unsolved, since the essential factors that affect aflatoxins production are various and hardly to handle as a whole. In this scenario, the exploitation of bioactive natural sources to obtain new agents presenting novel mechanisms of action may represent a successful strategy to minimize, at the same time, aflatoxin contamination and the use of toxic pesticides. The Aflatox^® Project was aimed at the development of new-generation inhibitors of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus spp. proliferation and toxin production, through the modification of naturally occurring molecules: a panel of 177 compounds, belonging to the thiosemicarbazones class, have been synthesized and screened for their antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic potential. The most effective compounds, selected as the best candidates as aflatoxin containment agents, were also evaluated in terms of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and epi-genotoxicity to exclude potential harmful effect on the human health, the plants on which fungi grow and the whole ecosystem.     

Chromatic interior environments for the elderly: A literature review

The impact of the physical environment on individuals has arisen as a growing body of research in population wellbeing. Yet, most of studies in this area do not focus on elderly even though they are particularly susceptible to the characteristics of their interior spaces. It is a well‐known fact that to be old is to acquire a tolerance of disabilities based on the gradual degeneration. A common problem is a dysfunction in visual sensitivity and accordingly, the alteration of their environmental color perception. That is why these impairments need to be understood in order to minimize the elderly spatial difficulties. To know at what point there is a loss in the ability to perceive color is necessary to understand how should we take these facts into consideration. A state‐of‐the‐art literature review of current studies from the last 20 years is carried out. The aim is to analyze existing practices on Evidence‐Based Research through a multidisciplinary approach in order to create knowledge about chromatic built environments for the elderly. Data are identified and considered together with empirical experience about color, perception, built environment and elderly. Thus, the way in which elderly perceive the space is explored. The adjustments in the formulation of these impairments throughout any design strategy to adapt the environment to their physiological changes are determined. This article aims to determine a design interpretation of the various findings, demonstrating that color, as a parameter of the visual performance, influences visual comfort and helps performance in architecture for old people.     

Stabilization of nano-TiO2 aqueous dispersions with poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer and their incorporation in photocatalytic acrylic varnishes

In this work, TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed and stabilized in water using a novel type of dispersant based on tailor-made amphiphilic block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (mPEG-b-P4VP) prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The performance of this new block copolymer as dispersant was compared to a polyelectrolyte dispersant commonly used for TiO₂, sodium salt of polyacrylic acid (Na-PAA). The effect of dispersion technique and type and amount of dispersant on deagglomeration and stability of the TiO₂ aqueous suspensions were studied. After incorporation in a standard waterborne acrylic varnish formulation, dry film transparency, photocatalytic activity, and nanoparticle cluster size were also evaluated. The results show that mPEG-b-P4VP copolymer with appropriate block lengths can have a better performance than Na-PAA in terms of aqueous dispersion stabilization and cluster size reduction in the acrylic matrix. This translates into higher film transparency and photocatalytic performance.     

Detecting vegetable oil adulteration in hazelnut paste (Corylus avellana L.)

The possibilities of detecting hazelnut paste adulterated with refined and non-refined vegetable oils have been studied. Research was focussed mainly on peanut, high oleic-acid sunflower, corn and soybean oils which have a similar composition to hazelnut oil. The analytical procedures to detect fatty acid (FA), triacylglycerol (TAG) and tocopherol profiles as indicators of adulteration were determined. The better indicators experimentally determined were seven FA (palmitic, stearic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic, behenic and lignoceric acids) and different TAG with three unsaturated FA (the code letters used for FA are: P = C_16:0; S = C_18:0; O = C_18:1; L = C_18:2;; L_n = C_18:3) (LLL_n, LLL and OOO), two unsaturated FA (POL, PLL and SOO), and one unsaturated FA (PPL). As expected, when refined vegetable oils were added to hazelnut paste, the increment of stigmasta-3,5-diene allowed detection at levels of 2% oil added. Limits of detection were measured using standard and adulterated hazelnut with different amounts of non-refined vegetable oils added (5%, 10%, 20% and 30%). The distribution of tocopherols and tocotrienols is highly useful, except in the case of added sunflower oil. The differences between the experimental and theoretical values of the TAG with equivalent carbon number (ΔECN) of 42 does not improve the detection limit of hazelnut paste adulterated with peanut or sunflower oils. Similarly, tocopherols usually added to refined vegetable oils as an antioxidant were also determined.     

An Isoperimetric Problem in Cayley Graphs

Let T be a minimal generating subset of a group G . Let Γ be the Cayley graph defined on G by . Let d ₂ be the minimal cardinality of the boundary of two points. We show that, for |S|>4 , every cutset with cardinality less than d ₂ must isolate a single vertex. Received April 1996, and in final form February 1999.     

Ertha Diggs and the Ancient Stone Arch Mystery

Michael Serra describes a class project for constructing arches and examining their properties. The objective was for students to review and apply the properties of isosceles triangles, trapezoids, regular polygons, and of interior and exterior angle sums. They were to practice communicating mathematically and modeling in two and three dimensions. It is a fun two-day activity of hands-on mathematics and problem solving.