Effect of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller) on the antioxidant capacity of donkey milk

The cladodes of Opuntia ficus‐indica (L.) Miller were fed to lactating donkeys as an alternative food, in order to evaluate effects on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of their milk. Lactating donkeys were divided into two groups: standard feeding and alternative feeding. With regard to chemical composition, no differences were observed. Total antioxidant capacity was constant in the standard feeding group, while it increased in the alternative feeding group: the radical scavenging activity increased from 95.53% to 96.62% in the ABTS test and from 28.40% to 33.33% in the DPPH test. This indicated that alternative feeding affects the antioxidant capacity of milk.     

Direct detection of antibiotic resistance genes in specimens of chicken and pork meat

Antibiotic resistance (AR) in bacteria, a major threat to human health, has emerged in the last few decades as a consequence of the selective pressure exerted by the widespread use of antibiotics in medicine, agriculture and veterinary practice and as growth promoters in animal husbandry. The frequency of 11 genes [tet(M), tet(O), tet(K), erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), vanA, vanB, aac (6')-Ie aph (2')-Ia, mecA, blaZ] encoding resistance to some antibiotics widely used in clinical practice was analysed in raw pork and chicken meat and in fermented sausages as well as in faecal samples from the relevant farm animals using a molecular approach based on PCR amplification of bacterial DNA directly extracted from specimens. Some of the 11 AR genes were highly prevalent, the largest number being detected in chicken meat and pig faeces. The genes found most frequently in meat were tet(K) and erm(B); vanB and mecA were the least represented. All 11 determinants were detected in faecal samples except mecA, which was found only in chicken faeces. erm(B) and erm(C) were detected in all faecal samples. The frequency of AR genes was not appreciably different in meat compared to faecal specimens of the relevant animal except for vanB, which was more prevalent in faeces. Our findings suggest that AR genes are highly prevalent in food-associated bacteria and that AR contamination is likely related to breeding rather than processing techniques. Finally, the cultivation-independent molecular method used in this work to determine the prevalence of AR genes in foods proved to be a rapid and reliable alternative to traditional tools.     

The role of citation networks to explain academic promotions: an empirical analysis of the Italian national scientific qualification

Scientometrics - The aim of this paper is to study the role of citation network measures in the assessment of scientific maturity. Referring to the case of the Italian national scientific...     

Microscopic insight into the single step growth of in-plane heterostructures between graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

Graphene-h-BN hybrid nanostructures are grown in one step on the Pt(111) surface by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition using a single precursor, the dimethylamino borane complex. By varying the deposition conditions, different nanostructures ranging from a fully continuous hybrid monolayer to well-separated Janus nanodots can be obtained. The growth starts with heterogeneous nucleation on morphological defects such as Pt step edges and proceeds by the addition of small clusters formed by the decomposition of the dimethylamino borane complex. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements indicate that a sharp zigzag in-plane boundary is formed when graphene grows aligned with the Pt substrate and consequently with the h-BN layer as well. When graphene is rotated by 30°, the graphene armchair edges are seamlessly connected to h-BN zigzag edges. This is confirmed by a thorough density functional theory (DFT) study. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data suggests that both h-BN and graphene present the typical electronic structure of self-standing non-interacting materials.

     

Multi-Objective Optimization Model Based on Localized Loops for the Rehabilitation of Gravity-fed Pressurized Irrigation Networks

Nowadays, some of the existing irrigation distribution networks (IDNs) are facing hydraulic performance problems, due partly to the ageing of pipe networks, initial design flaws, improper management or/and the increase in water demand. Rehabilitation of these networks may become an inevitable need to provide the best services to farmers. To this end, a comprehensive computer model was developed to assist planners and decision makers in the determination of the most cost-effective strategy for the rehabilitation of irrigation networks. This model incorporates an innovative algorithm for the automatic search of the best looping positions in the network. Two multi-objective optimizations were applied for the rehabilitation of a real medium-size network operating on-demand and by gravity, one included the looping option while the other excluded this option. The two Pareto fronts, associated with each optimization, clearly indicated that it is imperative to consider the localized loops option during the rehabilitation process as it provided superior cost-effective solutions. The comparison between two selected cases from each front showed that even though the two solutions offered the same magnitude of improvement to the network, a cost saving of about 77% is obtained by choosing the case with the looping option. The model developed in the framework of this work represents a powerful optimization tool for cost-effective rehabilitation of irrigation networks.     

Incorporation of Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina maxima biomass in pasta products. Part 1: Preparation and evaluation

BACKGROUND: Microalgae are able to enhance the nutritional content of conventional foods and hence to positively affect human health, due to their original chemical composition. The aim of the present study was to prepare fresh spaghetti enriched with different amounts of microalgae biomass (Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina maxima) and to compare the quality parameters (optimal cooking time, cooking losses, swelling index and water absorption), chemical composition, instrumental texture and colour of the raw and cooked pasta enriched with microalgae biomass with standard semolina spaghetti. RESULTS: The incorporation of microalgae results in an increase of quality parameters when compared to the control sample. The colour of microalgae pastas remained relatively stable after cooking. The addition of microalgae resulted in an increase in the raw pasta firmness when compared to the control sample. Of all the microalgae studied, an increase in the biomass concentration (0.5–2.0%) resulted in a general tendency of an increase in the pasta firmness. Sensory analysis revealed that microalgae pastas had higher acceptance scores by the panellists than the control pasta. CONCLUSION: Microalgae pastas presented very appellative colours, such as orange and green, similar to pastas produced with vegetables, with nutritional advantages, showing energetic values similar to commercial pastas. The use of microalgae biomass can enhance the nutritional and sensorial quality of pasta, without affecting its cooking and textural properties. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Atrial fibrillation and its complications in arterial hypertension: The potential preventive role of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia in the general population with a prevalence that reaches one third of patients with arterial hypertension. Several risk factors frequently associated with hypertension predispose the myocardium to AF by inducing atrial inflammation and fibrosis and altering atrial electrical and mechanical characteristics. AF influences the quality of life of hypertensive patients since it increases incidence of stroke and other thromboembolic events, and mortality. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the ω-3 family (ω-3 PUFA) have been demonstrated to be beneficial in cardiovascular disease prevention by reducing plasma lipids and blood pressure levels and decreasing the risk of sudden death. These fatty acids can act as potent anti-inflammatory and anti-arrhythmic agents. Many studies have investigated a possible preventive effect of ω-3 PUFA on incident AF reporting contradictory results. This article overviews the evidence currently available on this important topic and provides some conclusive remarks on the possibility that these fatty acids could be beneficial in hypertensive patients.     

Response of Egg Parasitoid Telenomus busseolae to Sex Pheromone of Sesamia nonagrioides

The olfactory cues involved in the host-finding behavior of Telenomus busseolae Gahan, a solitary egg parasitoid of the corn stalk borer, Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefebvre), were studied. The female wasp was attracted to odors from calling virgin females of S. nonagrioides in a Y-tube olfactometer. No response was elicited by noncalling virgin female moths and/or mated female moths. A four-component commercially available sex pheromone of the corn borer was also tested, as were the individual components of the mixture. T. busseolae respond to the whole blend [(Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate, (Z)-11-hexadecenol, (Z)-11-hexadecenal, and dodecyl acetate in the ratio of 8.5:1:1:2]. Z11–16:OH was the only compound that elicited no significant activity. These results suggest that the sex pheromone released by the host female S. nonagrioides is used by T. busseolae as an indirect cue to locate egg masses of this host.     

Detection of Pathological Markers of Neurodegenerative Diseases following Microfluidic Direct Conversion of Patient Fibroblasts into Neurons

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are clinically diagnosed using neuropsychological and cognitive tests, expensive neuroimaging-based approaches (MRI and PET) and invasive and time-consuming lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample collection to detect biomarkers. Thus, a rapid, simple and cost-effective approach to more easily access fluids and tissues is in great need. Here, we exploit the chemical direct reprogramming of patient skin fibroblasts into neurons (chemically induced neurons, ciNs) as a novel strategy for the rapid detection of different pathological markers of neurodegenerative diseases. We found that FAD fibroblasts have a reduced efficiency of reprogramming, and converted ciNs show a less complex neuronal network. In addition, ciNs from patients show misfolded protein accumulation and mitochondria ultrastructural abnormalities, biomarkers commonly associated with neurodegeneration. Moreover, for the first time, we show that microfluidic technology, in combination with chemical reprogramming, enables on-chip examination of disease pathological processes and may have important applications in diagnosis. In conclusion, ciNs on microfluidic devices represent a small-scale, non-invasive and cost-effective high-throughput tool for protein misfolding disease diagnosis and may be useful for new biomarker discovery, disease mechanism studies and design of personalised therapies.