Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DISINTEGRATION EFFICIENCY OF SODIUM STARCH GLYCOLATES, PREPARED FROM DIFFERENT NATIVE STARCHES

In a comparative evaluation, the disintegration efficiency of sodium starch glycolates prepared from seven different native starches (potato, maize, waxy maize, wheat, rice, sago and tapioca) were compared. All the sodium starch glycolates tested had a high swelling capacity, but the rate of water uptake into the disintegrant particles varied from high for sodium potato starch glycolate to low for sodium rice starch glycolate. As an effect of the high swelling capacity, it was found that the origin of the starch plays a minor role for the disintegration time of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate tablets, where swelling and the subsequent development of a disintegration force is the predominant disintegration mechanism. On the other hand, for tablets prepared from alpha-lactose monohydrate, where the rate of water penetration plays a paramount role in the disintegration process, the disintegration time depends on the origin of the starch in the sodium starch glycolate. The disintegration time decreased with an increase of the rate of water penetration into the disintegrant particles. The differences in water penetration rates into the sodium starch glycolate particles were attributed to differences in chemical composition, crystallinity and particle size of the starches from which the sodium starch glycolates were prepared.
Integrated Fruit Growing in Europe

Integrated agriculture, a new force in Europe, is derived from the expansion of the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) to all field practices. Unlike organic farming, integrated agriculture does not seek the elimination of chemicals, but rather strives to reduce high-environmental impact methods and to encourage high technology with a low environmental impact. Integrated fruit growing has special relevance to Europe, where much of the production is concentrated in intensive family farm operations. The successful implementation of integrated fruit growing will involve close coordination of national and regional governments, university research, extension services, growers, and grower organizations.
Effects of in ovo injection of threonine on hatchability, intestinal morphology, and somatic attributes in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

ABSTRACT A total of 540 Japanese quail eggs were in ovo injected threonine (THR) at day 11 of embryonic development to evaluate the effects of in ovo feeding of THR on the hatchability, somatic attributes, and gut morphology of hatchlings. A completely randomized experimental design with 9 treatments and 4 replicates of 15 eggs per replicate was used. The treatments were non-injected (control) eggs and those receiving in ovo injections of 0.05 or 0.1 ml of saline (diluent) with or without THR (5 mg/ml) in the air sac (IAS) or under the air sac (UAS). Although the number of hatched eggs injected with 0.05 ml diluent both with and without THR under the air sac was not significant in comparison to the control group, it was higher than that of the other injected treatments. Interestingly, the under air sac injection of 0.05 ml THR showed enhanced gut morphology in comparison with the other treatments. The dried yolk-free body weight of all chicks was not statistically significant. Overall, the present results suggest that the injection of 0.05 ml THR under the air sac may improve the intestinal morphology in newly hatched quail while having no negative effects on final yolk-free body weight.
Développement d'un ergomètre-cheville : application à l'étude de l'évolution des propriétés mécaniques du muscle humain soumis à un vol spatial

L'adaptation des proprietes biomecaniques du muscle humain a la microgravite est a ce jour imparfaitement decrite dans la litterature. Seule la generation de force en conditions statiques (epreuves de contractions isometriques) et dynamiques (dans le cas particulier des contractions isocinetiques) a ete decrite a ce jour. L'examen de la bibliographie associee aux etudes animales montre que les effets de la microgravite sur la fonction musculaire ont ete decrits de facon extensive, chez le rat en particulier. A ce titre, d'un point de vue purement biomecanique, les etudes ont portee a la fois sur les proprietes contractiles de muscles posturaux antigravitaires (generation de force statique et dynamique, cinetique de contraction, vitesse maximale de raccourcissement musculaire) mais aussi sur l'elasticite musculo-tendineuse. L'etude presentee s'est donc fixee comme objectif d'etudier de la facon la plus exhaustive possible les proprietes contractiles mais egalement les proprietes viscoelastiques de l'ensemble muscle-tendon et du systeme musculo-articulaire permettant la flexion-extension de la cheville chez l'homme. Une demarche de developpement technologique est decrite, dont l'objet a ete de developper un outil original, l'ergometre-cheville. Il permet de mesurer le couple produit a une articulation en conditions isometriques et isocinetiques, de mesurer une raideur musculo-tendineuse (test de quick-release), et de calculer la raideur, la viscosite et l'inertie du systeme musculo-articulaire etudie (test des perturbations sinusoidales). L'articulation de la cheville a ete retenue dans le cadre de l'etude, en raison de la presence du groupe musculaire triceps sural. De par sa fonction posturale antigravitaire, il est attendu que ce groupe va presenter un processus d'adaptation a la disparition du vecteur gravite, qui se traduira par une modification de ses proprietes biomecaniques. Sept cosmonautes ont ete testes a la Cite des Etoiles, avant et apres des vols de 1, 3 et 6 mois. Les resultats les plus notables montrent qu'immediatement apres le retour du vol : - La production de force statique est significativement diminuee pour l'ensemble des sujets. - La production de force dynamique est significativement diminuee pour tous les sujets. - La vitesse de raccourcissement du triceps sural, evaluee a un couple constant de 15N. M est statistiquement augmentee pour les sujets ayant vole au moins trois mois. - La raideur musculo-articulaire presente une tendance systematique a la chute. - L'index de raideur musculo-tendineuse est significativement augmente chez tous les sujets ayant vole au moins 3 mois.
Complementary food resources of carnivory and frugivory affect local abundance of an omnivorous carnivore

A major unresolved question for omnivorous carnivores, like most species of bears, is to what degree are populations influenced by bottom–up (food supply) or top–down (human-caused mortality) processes. Most previous work on bear populations has focused on factors that limit survival (top–down) assuming little effect of food resource supply. When food resources are considered, most often they consider only the availability/supply of a single resource, particularly marine-subsidized or terrestrial sources of protein (carnivory) or alternately hard or soft mast (frugivory). Little has been done to compare the importance of each of these factors for omnivorous bears or test whether complementary resources better explain individual animal and population measures such as density, vital rates, and body size. We compared landscape patterns of digestible energy (kcal) for buffaloberry (a key source of carbohydrate) and ungulate matter (a key source of protein and lipid) to local measures in grizzly bear Ursus arctos abundance at DNA hair snag sites in west-central Alberta, Canada. We tested support for bottom–up hypotheses in either single (carnivory [meat] versus frugivory [fruit]) or complementary (additive or multiplicative) food resources, while accounting for a well-known top–down limiting factor affecting bear survival (road density). We found support for both top–down and bottom–up factors with complementary resources (co-limitation) supported over single resource supplies of either meat or fruit. Our study suggests that the availability of food resources that provide complementary nutrients is more important in predicting local bear abundance than single foods or nutrients (e.g. protein) or simply energy per se. This suggests a nutritionally multidimensional bottom–up limitation for a low density interior population of grizzly bears.
Histological observations on Borrelia burgdorferi growth in naturally infected female Ixodes ricinus

Chez des femelles infectees naturellement, a jeun, prenant leur repas de sang, et gorgees, Borrelia burgdorferi a ete visualisee par essai d'immunofluorescence, par coloration par l'argent, et en microscopie electronique. Chez la majorite des femelles a jeun, les borrelies ont ete detectees dans l'intestin moyen seulement. Pendant le repas de sang, l'infection de la lumiere de l'intestin moyen a ete presente seulement chez des femelles nourries pendant 0,5 et 1 jour sur des lapins. Toutes les femelles infectees nourries pendant 2 jours ou davantage, incluant des tiques gorgees, ont contenu des bacteries dans tous les tissus autres que la lumiere de l'intestin moyen. Ces phenomenes indiquent que si la regurgitation peut produire un mode de transmission de B. burgdorferi, cela doit probablement prendre place au commencement du repas de sang. La demonstration de la presence de spirochetes nombreux dans les tissus des acini et des canaux des glandes salivaires de toutes les femelles prenant leur repas de sang systematiquement infectees, fournit un argument de plus a la transmission salivaire de la bacterie. Bien que des borrelies systemiques aient pu se trouver intracellulairement dans differents tissus de la tique, elles se sont situees de facon preponderante dans un site extracellulaire. La penetration des cellules de l'hote par B. burgdorferi a souvent ete detectee dans la couche basale de l'hypodermis, et de l'epithelium de l'intestin moyen et de l'ovaire. Les resultats indiquent que B. burgdorferi se multiplie dans les differents tissus de la tique pendant et apres le repas de sang.
Effect of inulin supplementation in male mice fed with high fat diet on biochemical profile and α-amylase gene expression

Purpose : To evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of inulin supplementation in Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) male mice fed with high fat diet. Methods : NMRI male mice (n = 36) were divided into three groups. Control (C1), obese (O1) and experimental mice (E1) were fed during 8 weeks as follows: C1 with normal rodent pellet, O1 with high fat diet, and E1 with high fat diet plus 20 % inulin. C2, O2, and E2 were fed as follows: C2 with normal rodent pellets for 12 weeks; O2 with high fat diet during 8 weeks and switched to normal rodent pellet during next 4 weeks; and E2 with high fat diet over a period of 8 weeks and switched to normal rodent pellet plus 20 % inulin for 4 weeks. Body weight, serum glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and hepatic α-amylase gene expression were measured. Results : Groups receiving high fat diet showed higher weight (30.71 ± 0.66 g in O2, p < 0.001), nonfasting blood glucose levels (257.69 ± 5.10 mg/dl in O2, p < 0.001), TG (282.15 ± 1.83 mg/dl in O2, (p < 0.001)), and cholesterol levels (335.72 ± 2.23 mg/dl in O2, (p < 0.001)), compared with control. In C2 group, mean body weight was 25.71 ± 0.54 g, non-fasting blood level 161.54 ± 4.48 mg/dl, TG level 214.29 ± 5.54 mg/dl, and cholesterol level 164.29 ±4.57 mg/dl. Compared to obese group, mice receiving inulin showed lower blood glucose levels (223.10 ± 8.7 mg/dl in E2, p < 0.001), body weight (27.86 ± 0.57 g in E2, p < 0.001), TG (232.14 ± 4.02 mg/dl in E2, p < 0.001) and cholesterol (249.97 ± 2.28 in E2, p < 0.001). A slight decrease in hepatic α-amylase gene expression was observed only in E1. Conclusion : Besides its sweetening properties, inulin may also find use as a potential anti-obesity compound. Keywords : High-fat diet, Inulin, Obesity, Blood glucose, Biochemical profile
The hydrothermal vent barnacles Eochionelasmus (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha) from the North Fiji, Lau and Manus Basins, South-West Pacific

Le cirripede balanomorphe vivant le plus primitif, Eochionelasmus ohtai ohtai Yamaguchi, 1990, a ete decrit de sources hydrothermales du bassin nord des Fiji, Pacifique occidental (Yamaguchi & Newman 1990). Depuis, Eochionelasmus ohtai a ete trouve dans deux autres sites hydrothermaux; l'un dans le bassin de Lau (ouest des iles Tonga, Desbruyeres et al. 1994) et l'autre dans le bassin de Manus (nord de la Papouasie-Nouvelle Guinee; Tufar 1990, Galkin 1992a, b). Ce sont des bassins en forme d'arc, distants du bassin nord des Fiji d'environ 1200 km a l'est et 3000 km au nord-est, respectivement. Ces bassins, contrairement aux rides medio-oceaniques, sont des unites de petite taille sans connection entre elles; malgre cela, les trois populations d'Eochionelasmus different peu dans leur aspect exterieur, mais de petites differences ont ete observees dans le developpement ontogenique des plaques dans la population de Manus. En consequence, tandis que l'on considere que les populations des bassins nord des Fiji et de Lau representent la meme forme E. ohtai ohtai, une nouvelle sous-espece, E. ohtai manusensis est proposee pour la population de Manus.
Listeria monocytogenes Occurrence and Growth at Refrigeration Temperatures in Fresh Blue Crab ( Callinectes sapidus ) Meat.

In this study, 126 samples of freshly cooked and picked blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus ) meat collected from different processing facilities were analyzed for the presence of Listeria spp. Thirteen samples (10%) were positive for Listeria , with 10 samples positive for L. monocytogenes and 3 samples positive for L. innocua . Fraser broth was used in a 5-tube most probable number (MPN) enumeration, in duplicate, of Listeria in 25-g samples incubated at 36°C for 24 h and plated in modified Oxford agar and blood agar with API strip confirmation. The levels of Listeria cells found in fresh blue crab meat were always less than 100/g with only one exception, in which the MPN index was 1,100/g. A L. monocytogenes strain (168) isolated from fresh blue crab meat was inoculated (less than 50 CFU/g) into pasteurized crab meat and incubated at 1.1, 2.2, and 5°C for 21 days. Growth curves were obtained by analyzing 2-g samples at intervals of 0, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, and 21 days. When inoculated into pasteurized blue crab meat, L. monocytogenes had an increased growth rate as the storage temperature increased, with approximately a 7-log10-unit increase in population at 5°C and only a 2.5-log10-unit increase in population at 1.1 °C after the 21 days of incubation.
Effect of pond depth and lining plastic color on growth and nitrogen fixing capacity of the cyanobacteria, Anabaena sp. E3

Cyanobacteria are a cheap source of nitrogen and quite suitable for farmers of developing countries. Although, they live in a diverse range of environments, different environmental variables influence their nitrogen fixing ability. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of pond depth and lining plastic colors on nitrogen fixing capacity of Anabaena species strain E3. Factorial combinations of four pond lining plastic colors and two depths were laid out in a complete randomized design with three replications. The ANOVA results revealed that the 20 cm depth pond had a higher mean growth rate (0.063 OD day -1 ), dissolved oxygen (17.63 mg L -1 ), dry biomass (0.58 g L -1 ) and total nitrogen (27.77 mg L -1 ) than the 40 cm depth. The highest mean growth rate (0.089 OD day -1 ), dissolved oxygen (19.07 mg L -1 ), dry biomass (0.66 g L -1 ) and total nitrogen (41.60 mg L -1 ) were registered in the treatment with a transparent lining plastic color. Moreover, it was noted that, the test strain under the treatment combinations of 20 cm depth and transparent plastic lining expressed the highest mean optical density (1.227), heterocyst frequency (2.92%) and pH (10.28). Therefore, for mass-production of E3-strain-based biofertilizer, the strain should be grown in ponds of 20 cm depth with transparent plastic. Keywords: Cyanobacteria, dry biomass, growth rate, shallow pond, total nitrogen
RESPONSE OF CAPE GOOSEBERRY PLANTS (Physalis peruviana L.) TO SOME ORGANIC AMENDMENTS AND FOLIAR SPRAY WITH CHITOSAN

Two field experiments were conducted in a private farm at Al-Nubaria region, Behira Governorate, Egypt, during the successive seasons of 2009 and 2010, to study the effect of some organic manures, i.e., poultry, sheep and farmyard manures as well as three concentrations of chitosan foliar treatments (0, 400 and 800 ppm) on growth, chemical composition, yield and quality of Cape gooseberry plants cv. “Balady” under an organic farming system. The main results could be summarized as follows: The highest and significant values of plant height, number of branches, fresh and dry weights of Cape gooseberry plants was obtained with the addition of sheep manure combined with foliar application of chitosan at 800 ppm. N, P and K contents as well as total chlorophyll concentration of Cape gooseberry leaves significantly increased by the addition of sheep manure as a soil amendment combined with foliar application of chitosan at 800 ppm. Application of sheep manure combined with foliar spraying with chitosan at 800 ppm resulted in the highest significant values of fruit setting, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and total yield. Cape gooseberry plants, which fertilized with sheep manure combined with 800 ppm chitosan foliar application gave the highest values of reducing sugars, carotenoids, polyphenolic substances and vitamin C content of fruits, while the addition of farmyard manure combined with chitosan or without treatments (control) gave the lowest one. This study demonstrated that it is possible to produce highest growth, yield and quality of Cape gooseberry plants by applying sheep manure as an organic amendment in combination with foliar application of chitosan at 800 ppm during the organic production system under Al-Nubaria conditions.
Effect of certain surfactants on the starch in bread

Addition of Tristearin (C 18 TG) improved loaf volume in a manner similar to that of shortening. Triolein (C 18 'TG), when used to replace shortening in the breadmaking formula, improved volume only slightly, probably because less solid fat was present. Using the hydrated form of monoglycerides (MG) was more effective than blending the MG with the flour in a high-speed mixer or adding them as is. Light micrographs of starch isolated from bread showed that MG or sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) added to the formula reduced the swelling of starch, whereas shortening did not. If the effect of MG on crumb firmness relates to their effect on starch swelling, then the mechanism of softening for MG is different than that for shortening. The SSL had a somewhat different effect in this limited water system than it had in an excess water system. The effect appeared to be similar to that in the excess water system heated to a lower temperature. Studies with bread made from defatted flour showed that MG reduced crumb firmness, whereas shortening did not. This supports the idea that the mechanisms by which these two lipids reduce crumb firmness are different
Towards novel stem cell and protein based therapies for myocardium regeneration

Human cardiac stem/progenitor cells (hCSCs) have a recognized role in myocardial repair upon ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury, mainly through auto/paracrine signaling. However, the mechanisms underlying this response are still poorly understood. To further investigate hCSC regenerative process, we established the first in vitro human heterotypic model of myocardial I/R injury using hCSCs and human induced pluripotent cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). This model recapitulates hallmarks of I/R, namely hiPSC-CM death upon insult, protective effect of hCSCs on hiPSC-CM viability (37.6% higher vs hiPSC-CM mono-culture), and hCSC proliferation (approximately 3-fold increase vs hCSCs mono-culture), emphasizing the importance of paracrine communication between these two populations. In particular, in co-culture supernatant upon injury, we report higher angiogenic functionality as well as a significant increase in CXCL6 secretion rate, suggesting an important role of this chemokine in myocardial regeneration. hCSCs response to I/R was further characterized using mass-spectrometry tools allowing us to propose new pathways in the hCSCs-mediated regenerative process, including cell cycle regulation, proliferation through EGF signaling, and reactive oxygen species detoxification. This work contributes with new insights into hCSC biology in response to I/R, and the model established constitutes an important tool to study the molecular mechanisms involved in the myocardial regenerative process. Human I/R injury 2D in vitro model
The impact of financial transaction taxes: Evidence from Italy

This study gives first evidence on the consequences of the introduction of a transaction tax in Italian financial markets in 2013. We discuss the consequences of this tax on trading volume, volatility, and trading costs of FTSE MIB stocks. The structure of the tax introduction gives us the opportunity to see the particular consequences of a market-wide tax on high-frequency trading behavior.
Perturbation de la fonction thyroïdienne : mise en place d’une stratégie de criblage des produits chimiques

En depit de la pression reglementaire croissante pour mieux detecter les produits chimiques potentiellement responsables de perturbations de la fonction thyroidienne, les moyens de les cribler restent insuffisants et imparfaits. Un tel criblage implique l’utilisation de nombreux tests in vitro ciblant chacun l’un des divers mecanismes de toxicite potentiellement implique, ou des tests in vivo plus longs et plus contraignants. Trois modeles d’etude ont ainsi ete evalues pour leur potentiel a simplifier les procedures de criblage actuellement preconisees. Le premier modele d’etude qui a ete propose est un modele in vivo d’exposition a court terme par voie orale de rats mâles adultes. Le suivi de l’expression de genes permet de realiser un criblage de la perturbation de la fonction thyroidienne apres 7 jours d’exposition seulement. Le second modele d’etude qui a ete retenu pour ce travail est la lignee cellulaire PCCl3 de thyrocytes de rats, identifiee comme un modele potentiel pour le criblage de la toxicite thyroidienne. Enfin, la pertinence pressentie de l’utilisation d’un modele d’hepatocytes cryopreserves (LiverbeadsTM) a ete confirmee pour l’identification des composes toxiques thyroidiens chez le rongeur dont l’action est mediee par le foie. Trois modeles d’etude in vitro et in vivo utilisables lors des tests de criblage des produits chimiques perturbateurs de la fonction thyroidienne ont donc ete identifies. L’evaluation de cette perturbation est rendue possible par l’utilisation de variations d’expression de genes comme principal parametre d’etude