Chitooligosaccharides as novel ingredients of fermented foods

Chitooligosaccharides (COSs) have been clinically evaluated for their immunostimulating effects after oral intake. Similar to dietary supplements, prebiotics and biopreservatives, these water-soluble bioactives are easily incorporated into dairy products and beverages. Notwithstanding, the use of COS in fermented foods would be limited by its antimicrobial properties. In order to study the interaction with yoghurts as a model of fermented food, the effects of COS on chemical composition, viability, morphology and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria, fatty acid profiles and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were assessed over 28 days and after chemical digestion. There were no significant differences between the nutritional composition of controls and yoghurts supplemented with concentrations up to 0.1% w/w of COS. However, the acidification of milk decreased at 0.5% (p < 0.05) and the formation of yoghurt failed at 3.0%, without affecting viable counts. Lipid hydrolysis of yoghurts supplemented with 0.1% COS was not affected by chemical digestion. No significant differences were found between CLA percentages of controls and supplemented yoghurts after digestion. Although the nutritional composition, fatty acids and viable counts were not significantly modified after COS supplementation, the present study shows that COS diminishes bacterial acidification at concentrations higher than 0.1%, thus limiting the amounts that could be added to yoghurt.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimento

Autologous microsurgical breast reconstruction and coronary artery bypass grafting: an anatomical study and clinical implications

OBJECTIVE: To identify possible avenues of sparing the internal mammary artery (IMA) for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in women undergoing autologous breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flaps. BACKGROUND: Optimal autologous reconstruction of the breast and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are often mutually exclusive as they both require utilisation of the IMA as the preferred arterial conduit. Given the prevalence of both breast cancer and coronary artery disease, this is an important issue for women's health as women with DIEP flap reconstructions and women at increased risk of developing coronary artery disease are potentially restricted from receiving this reconstructive option should the other condition arise. METHODS: The largest clinical and cadaveric anatomical study (n=315) to date was performed, investigating four solutions to this predicament by correlating the precise requirements of breast reconstruction and CABG against the anatomical features of the in situ IMAs. This information was supplemented by a thorough literature review. RESULTS: Minimum lengths of the left and right IMA needed for grafting to the left-anterior descending artery are 160.08 and 177.80 mm, respectively. Based on anatomical findings, the suitable options for anastomosis to each intercostals space are offered. In addition, 87-91% of patients have IMA perforator vessels to which DIEP flaps can be anastomosed in the first- and second-intercostal spaces. CONCLUSION: We outline five methods of preserving the IMA for future CABG: (1) lowering the level of DIEP flaps to the fourth- and fifth-intercostals spaces, (2) using the DIEP pedicle as an intermediary for CABG, (3) using IMA perforators to spare the IMA proper, (4) using and end-to-side anastomosis between the DIEP pedicle and IMA and (5) anastomosis of DIEP flaps using retrograde flow from the distal IMA. With careful patient selection, we hypothesize using the IMA for autologous breast reconstruction need not be an absolute contraindication for future CABG

RED-WINE: an advanced Wireless Sensor Network for real time road infrastructure monitoring

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) aim to improve road transport safety and efficiency, to manage road networks in the interest of the society and to provide real time responses to events. Monitoring equipments for road and traffic conditions (inductive coils, remote cameras, weather stations, acoustic systems, ...) are on the market, but a fully integrated solution is not yet available: every system relies on public networks (usually cellular networks) or custom communication systems to send data to Traffic Control Centres. Recently, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), i.e. networks composed of many low-cost sensors, laid along roads and connected through radio links, have been proposed as an alternative to current high-cost localized traffic measurement systems. However, available WSN communication protocols are not suited for ITS systems, due to their unpredictable latency and to the energy consumption of nodes. This paper presents RED-WINE (Roadside Event Detection - WIreless NEtwork), an innovative system composed of multi-sensor nodes, or GRAPEs, installed on the roadside. RED-WINE is a low power, low cost, easy to maintain and open solution to automatically generate safety warnings at ‘black spots’. The system supports configurations ranging from isolated (to monitor a spot) to fully distributed (to monitor a road) always using the same sensor technology. The isolated solution is already a commercial product, with nodes installed at critical roadside points in order to detect local events, and is described at the beginning of this paper. The know-how acquired from it lead to the implementation of the distributed system, where a large number of nodes, communicating using a new protocol leveraging on their linear topology, can cover stretches of road up to 5 km in length. Its implementation and testing was done in the EU co-funded projects Safespot, SAVEME and COSMO

Real-Time Tools for Situational Awareness and Emergency Management in Transport Infrastructures

Critical transport infrastructures such as interchanges, long tunnels and bridges represent the most vulnerable environments within a transportation network; they are characterized by limited access/egress points and high volumes of users in close confines. A number of factors must be addressed to ensure maximum safety of both travellers and emergency service personnel; these include emergency preparedness, timely support for the decision-making process, and planning of optimal interventions in emergency management situations. This paper discusses the integration of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and virtual reality (VR) to support the self-evacuation of travellers and operational procedures of rescue personnel within these environments, focusing on two key aspects of emergency operations: (i) collecting real-time data and (ii) improving the timeliness of first responders through efficient provision of the collected data. Testimonials, technical results and recommendations collated from two pilot installations realised within the EU-funded SAVE ME project demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative impact of such an approach on emergency situation management

Thermo-compression of biodegradable thermoplastic corn starch films containing chitin and chitosan

Films based on thermoplastic corn starch (TPS) and chitosan/chitin were obtained by melt-mixing and thermo-compression. Chitosan and chitin incorporation to TPS matrix induced some structural modifications due mainly to the interactions between starch hydroxyl and chitosan/chitin amino groups. Crystallinity degree of TPS films was increased with biopolymers incorporation. Enthalpy melting values for TPSechitosan/chitin films resulted lower than those corresponding to TPS control ones. Films had homogeneous and smooth surfaces, without pores and cracks and no glycerol migration was evidenced by Scanning Electronic Microscopy. Films fracture surfaces were uniform without the presence of unmelting starch granules neither chitosan/chitin agglomerates. Films with chitosan/chitin presented higher color, UV absorption capacity and opacity than TPS films. Addition of 10 g chitosan or chitin/100 g starch decreased 35 and 56% water vapor permeability, respectively. Biopolymers addition to TPS increased tensile strength and elastic modulus, and decreased elongation at break. Starch and glycerol rich domains where evidenced in TPS matrixes by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. Finally, TPS-chitosan films reduced Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli growth in the contact zone.Fil: Lopez, Olivia Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigaciones En Criotecnología de Alimentos (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Investigaciones En Criotecnología de Alimentos (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Villar, Marcelo Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Gentili, A.. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, M. S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Albertengo, L.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química; Argentin