A Novel Azeotropic Mixture for Solvent Extraction of Edible Oils

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 8 (2006): A Novel Azeotropic Mixture for Solvent Extraction of Edible Oils. Manuscript FP 06 005. Vol. VIII. April, 2006

Seed morphobiometry of wild and cultivated taxa of Phaseolus L. (Fabaceae)

A morphobiometric analysis of seeds of Phaseolus L. from 50 populations belonging to 31 wild and cultivated taxa was carried out. Based on the outcome of the study an identifi cation key was developed comprising 25 morphotypes of which 23 related to individual taxa The different patterns of seminal tegument allowed 31 taxa to cluster into three groups: (1) Phaseolus angustissimus Gray group (wrinkled seed coat) with two morphotypes, (2) Phaseolus lunatus L. group (smooth tegument with striae) with ten morphotypes and (3) Phaseolus vulgaris L. group (smooth tegument without striae) with 13 morphotypes. All the taxa exhibited uniformity in size and variability in tegument colour of seeds irrespective of the source of population and the type of habitat. Characterization of taxa into defi nite morphotypes and the groups could be useful for biosystematic investigations and the markerbased genetic selection approaches in this important leguminous crop

Cambios en aceites de oliva usados como coberturas en la conservación de berenjenas (Solanum Melongena) en relación con el tiempo y las condiciones de almacenamiento

The use of the extra virgin olive oil as covering in food preserves presents some problems and still today object of study. With this research it was investigate the changes of some analytical parameters that occur during the storage in the olive oils used as covering in eggplant preserves. It was ascertained that in the oils in presence of the eggplants a drastic decrease of the total phenols was verified immediately after the thermal treatment affecting the oxidative processes. Besides it was observed that in all the oils stored under light the values of the K270. ΔK, the total chlorophylls and the 1,2-DG36/1,3-DG36 ratio were significantly changed.El uso de aceite de oliva virgen extra como cobertura en conservas alimentarias presenta una serie de problemas que son todavía hoy objeto de estudio. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar los cambios de algunos parámetros analíticos producidos durante el almacenamiento en aceite de oliva usado como cobertura en la conservación de berenjenas. Se encontró que el aceite que ha estado en contacto con las berenjenas, sufrió una disminución de los fenoles totales inmediatamente después del tratamiento térmico, afectando a los procesos oxidativos. Se observó asimismo, que en todos los aceites almacenados a la luz variaron significativamente los valores del K270, del ΔK, de la clorofila y de la proporción de 1,2-DG36/1,3- DG36

FRET Dyes Significantly Affect SAXS Intensities of Proteins

Structural analyses in biophysics aim at revealing a relationship between a molecule's dynamic structure and its physiological function. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) are complementary experimental approaches to this. Their concomitant application in combined studies has recently opened a lively debate on how to interpret FRET measurements in the light of SAXS data with the popular example of the radius of gyration, commonly derived from both FRET and SAXS. There still is a lack of understanding in how to mutually relate and interpret quantities equally obtained from FRET or SAXS, and to what extent FRET dyes affect SAXS intensities in combined applications. In the present work, we examine the interplay of FRET and SAXS from a computational simulation perspective. Molecular simulations are a valuable complement to experimental approaches and supply instructive information on dynamics. As FRET depends not only on the mutual separation but also on the relative orientations, the dynamics, and therefore also the shapes of the dyes, we utilize a novel method for simulating FRET‐dye‐labeled proteins to investigate these aspects in atomic detail. We perform structure‐based simulations of four different proteins with and without dyes in both folded and unfolded conformations. In‐silico derived radii of gyration are different with and without dyes and depend on the chosen dye pair. The dyes apparently influence the dynamics of unfolded systems. We find that FRET dyes attached to a protein have a significant impact on theoretical SAXS intensities calculated from simulated structures, especially for small proteins. Radii of gyration from FRET and SAXS deviate systematically, which points to further underlying mechanisms beyond prevalent explanation approaches

Salvage rates and prognostic factors after relapse in children and adolescents with initially localised synovial sarcoma

Background: Previous studies have reported a poor outcome for synovial sarcoma patients whose tumours relapse. Methods: This study analysed 44 relapsing cases in a series of 118 consecutive patients<21 yr of age with non-metastatic synovial sarcoma prospectively enrolled in Italian paediatric protocols between 1979 and 2006. In an effort to identify a possible risk-adapted stratification enabling a better planning of second-line treatment, the relapsing patients' outcome was analysed vis-à-vis their clinical picture at onset, first-line treatments, clinical findings at the time of first relapse and second-line treatment modalities. Results: The first event was a local recurrence in only 15 cases, and metastatic in 29 (associated with local relapse too in 7 cases). The time to relapse ranged from 4 to 108 months (median 20 months). Overall survival was 29.7% and 21.0% five and ten years after relapsing, respectively. The variables influencing survival were the timing and type of relapse (combined) and the chances of a secondary remission, which correlated strongly with the feasibility of complete surgery. Conclusions: Our study confirmed a largely unsatisfactory prognosis after recurrences in children and adolescents with synovial sarcoma: the chances of survival can be estimated on the basis of several variables for the purposes of planning risk-adapted salvage protocols. An aggressive surgical approach should be recommended. New effective systemic agents are warranted, and experimental therapies can be offered to patients with little chance of salvage. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

N-acetylcysteine treatment ameliorates the skeletal phenotype of a mouse model of diastrophic dysplasia.

Diastrophic dysplasia (DTD) is a recessive chondrodysplasia caused by mutations in SLC26A2, a cell membrane sulfate-chloride antiporter. Sulfate uptake impairment results in low cytosolic sulfate, leading to cartilage proteoglycan (PG) undersulfation. In this work, we used the dtd mouse model to study the role of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a well-known drug with antioxidant properties, as an intracellular sulfate source for macromolecular sulfation. Because of the important pre-natal phase of skeletal development and growth, we administered 30 g/l NAC in the drinking water to pregnant mice to explore a possible transplacental effect on the fetuses. When cartilage PG sulfation was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography disaccharide analysis in dtd newborn mice, a marked increase in PG sulfation was observed in newborns from NAC-treated pregnancies when compared with the placebo group. Morphometric studies of the femur, tibia and ilium after skeletal staining with alcian blue and alizarin red indicated a partial rescue of abnormal bone morphology in dtd newborns from treated females, compared with pups from untreated females. The beneficial effect of increased macromolecular sulfation was confirmed by chondrocyte proliferation studies in cryosections of the tibial epiphysis by proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry: the percentage of proliferating cells, significantly reduced in the placebo group, reached normal values in dtd newborns from NAC-treated females. In conclusion, NAC is a useful source of sulfate for macromolecular sulfation in vivo when extracellular sulfate supply is reduced, confirming the potential of therapeutic approaches with thiol compounds to improve skeletal deformity and short stature in human DTD and related disorders