Adaptive mechanisms in dogs adopted from shelters: A behavioral assessment of the use of a synthetic analogue of the canine appeasing pheromone

Adaptation to a new socio-environment might represent a very hard step for sheltered dogs, because of a higher level of difficulty in coping with unfamiliar conditions. The adaptation process can be logically and scientifically related to the concept of stress and welfare, limiting the success rate of rehoming. A synthetic analogue of the Dog Appeasing Pheromone (Dog Appeasing Pheromone, DAP) is reported to have a reassuring effect in puppies and adult dogs in a wide variety of stressful situations. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of DAP (Adaptil® Ceva Vetem S.p.A.) in dogs re-homed from rescue shelters. The study was designed as a prospective open-label clinical trial. Significant decreases were observed in adult dogs for wandering in the house restlessly (p=0.022) and hiding fearfully in protected corners (p=0.033), whereas in puppies treatment with DAP significantly (p<0.05) improved the reaction towards unfamiliar dogs (p=0.048) and wandering in the house restlessly (p=0.022). In both adults and puppies a significant improvement in interaction with owners was observed. In particular, "looking continuously for the owners" and "following the owners everywhere like a shadow" were significantly improved (p=0.0012 and 0.0016 respectively) in adult dogs. Separation reactions revealed a significant decrease (p<0.05) and in puppies the tendency to vocalize in absence of the owner was also significantly reduced (p=0.0029). Both adults and puppies showed a decreased tendency to wake suddenly in the night (p=0.024 and p=0.026 respectively) and wander around the home (p=0.012 and p=0.026 respectively). In contrast, for house-training no significant difference was reported in adults, whereas for puppies there was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the mean scores for urination and/or defecation wherever in the house and after coming home. Data regarding the overall assessment suggested a significant improvement in all the efficacy variables considered in the study. The analysis of owners' degree of satisfaction at the final visit showed that DAP treatment was considered successful by 84.4 % of owners. Results suggest that DAP might improve dogs' adaptability throughout the first weeks following adoption and can be considered a useful tool for reducing stress in re-homed dogs

Effect of Xylanase on the Technological Behaviour of Wheat Flours

The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of enzyme xylanase on the technological behaviour of wheat flours, particularly in alveograms and bread making, using two flour qualities and two bread making methods. The enzyme used was xylanase from Bacillus subtilis which is sold for mainly for baking applications. Breads were made applying both the French and the pan bread methods. Experts scored the external and internal characteristics of breads. Increase in enzyme concentration produced a decrease in maximum pressure (P) and tensile strength/extensibility (P/L) but deformation energy (W) remained almost constant in the alveogram. This means that the water released by the hydrolysis of insoluble pentosans has reduced the tenacity of the dough. The higher the enzyme concentration, the lower the dough consistency during kneading. Besides, the greatest improvement of quality was produced when xylanase was added to low quality flour and when the French type bread making method was applied.Fil: Osella, C.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Tecnología de Los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: de la Torre, M. A. G.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Tecnología de Los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Erben, Melina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Tecnología de Los Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Gallardo, A.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Tecnología de Los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Sanchez, H.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería Química. Instituto de Tecnología de Los Alimentos; Argentin

Aspectos tefrológicos de la erupción del volcán Quizapú de 1932 en la región de la laguna Llancanelo, Payenia (Mendoza, Argentina)

El Volcán Quizapú es parte del Complejo Volcánico Cerro Azul-Descabezado Grande, ubicado en la Provincia de Talca, Chile (36,67°S - 70,77°O, altura máxima: 3788 m s.n.m.). La erupción del 10 de abril de 1932 fue uno de los mayores eventos volcánicos del siglo XX. Tuvo un carácter pliniano y arrojó un volumen de tefras entre 5 y 30 km3 (según diferentes autores), que por efecto de los vientos dominantes del oeste cubrieron gran parte de la región central de Argentina, llegando a la costa atlántica y afectando a otros países del este de Sudamérica. Los efectos climáticos y el impacto en las regiones más proximales del sur de Mendoza, particularmente en el Departamento de Malargüe, fueron muy significativos. El estudio de los eyectos constituye un campo de exploración de gran valor no solamente para conocer las características, alcances y efectos de esa erupción sino también para evaluar aspectos relacionados con la tefrología. En esta contribución se analiza un depósito de tefras en los alrededores de la Laguna Llancanelo, en las cercanías de Malargüe, una de las áreas más afectadas por la erupción. Las determinaciones sedimentológicas, mineralógicas y texturales (petrografía, microscopía electrónica y determinaciones químicas semicuantitativas con EDS) permitieron caracterizar la composición granulométrica, petrográfica y química semicuantitativa de las tefras. Estas características son afines a las de los materiales piroclásticos eyectados por la erupción del volcán Quizapú de 1932 estudiados por otros autores, por lo que se asignan a dicho evento volcánico. Las tefras depositadas en la zona de estudio son de tamaño arena muy fina a mediana con significativa cantidad de fracciones menores a 10 µm. Las trizas son pumíceas, fibrosas, con diferentes conformaciones morfológicas y abundante vesicularidad que favorece el entrampamiento de partículas menores en las vesículas de las mayores. La composición química revela un alto contenido de sílice que alcanza hasta cerca del 70% de los componentes, con alrededor de un 15% de Al y cantidades subordinadas de K, Na, Ca, Zn, Mg, Cu, Fe y Ti. Es notorio el alto contenido de K, asociado a un aumento relativo por desilicación de la tefra con el transcurso del tiempo. También son importantes los contenidos de Fe y Cu, en este último caso posiblemente asociado a transformaciones post-depositacionales por meteorización. La composición de las trizas señala una erupción de tipo pliniano magmática andesítico-dacítica con contenido hidromagmático, intensa fragmentación y aglutinación durante el enfriamiento. Las evidencias de campo demostraron que la erupción afectó severamente la región sepultando y quemando suelos, carbonizando vegetación y cegando sectores marginales de la laguna. Estudios de esta naturaleza aportan a una clasificación sistemática y comparativa de la peligrosidad volcánica, considerando que las tefras resultantes de la erupción del Quizapú contienen hasta un 10% de partículas PM 10 (tamaño <10 µm) que corresponden a los tamaños “respirables” y en consecuencia altamente nocivos para la salud. Desde el enfoque socioeconómico, estos estudios sirven de base para su aplicación a otros eventos eruptivos muy recientes ocurridos en Argentina (volcanes Hudson, Copahue, Chaitén, Llaima, Peteroa y Puyehue-Cordón Caulle), y permiten elaborar metodologías específicas para analizar la peligrosidad de futuros eventos volcánicos

Evidence for Strong and Weak Phenyl-C61-Butyric Acid Methyl Ester Photodimer Populations in Organic Solar Cells

In polymer/fullerene organic solar cells, the photochemical dimerization of phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) was reported to have either a beneficial or a detrimental effect on device performance and stability. In this work, we investigate the behavior of such dimers by measuring the temperature dependence of the kinetics of PCBM de-dimerization as a function of prior light intensity and duration. Our data reveal the presence of both “weakly” and “strongly” bound dimers, with higher light intensities preferentially generating the latter. DFT simulations corroborate our experimental findings and suggest a distribution of dimer binding energies, correlated with the orientation of the fullerene tail with respect to the dimer bonds on the cage. These results provide a framework to rationalize the double-edged effects of PCBM dimerization on the stability of organic solar cells

Light-induced reversible modification of the work function of a new perfluorinated biphenyl azobenzene chemisorbed on Au (111)

This work was financially supported by EC through the Marie-Curie ITN SUPERIOR (PITN-GA-2009-238177) and IEF MULTITUDES (PIEF-GA-2012-326666), the ERC project SUPRAFUNCTION (GA-257305), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche through the LabEx project Chemistry of Complex Systems (ANR-10-LABX-0026_CSC), and the International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC). The work in Mons is further supported by the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme (P7/05) initiated by the Belgian Science Policy Office, and by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS). J.C. is an FNRS research director. The synthesis team in Switzerland acknowledges financial support by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI)

Un nuovo Caulomorphus Faust, 1886 d'Anatolia (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Molytinae)

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