The Thirring interaction in the two-dimensional axial-current-pseudoscalar derivative coupling model

The authors reexamine the two-dimensional model of massive fermions interacting with a massless pseudoscalar field via axial-current-pseudoscalar derivative coupling. Performing a canonical field transformation on the Bose field algebra the model is mapped into the Thirring model with an additional vector-current-scalar-derivative interaction (Schroer-Thirring model). The complete bosonized version of the model is presented. The bosonized composite operators of the quantum Hamiltonian are obtained as the leading operators in the Wilson short distance expansion.Comment: 13 page

Antioxidant activity of thyme waste extract in O/W emulsions

Thymus vulgaris (thyme) is an aromatic plant and its essential oil has been applied as antimicrobial and antioxidant due to the presence of phenolic compounds. However, after steam distillation, the deodorized plant material is rejected, despite the possible presence of bioactive compounds. Ethanolic thyme waste extract revealed the presence of benzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and sinapic acid. This waste thyme extract had the capacity for preventing the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products in emulsions O/W (oil in water), constituted by diverse proportions of wheat and almond oils, without interfering with the viscosity parameters, for 10 weeks, at 37 °C. The increasing proportion of almond oil (≥50%) in the emulsion increases its resistance to oxidation, which is improved with the presence of an optimal concentration of tested thyme waste extract (0.02% and 0.04%). The waste thyme extract can, therefore, be used as an antioxidant either in food or pharmaceutical emulsions O/W, replacing the synthetic antioxidants.Agência financiadora Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia-FCT; Portugal UID/BIA/04325/2013-MEDTBIO UID/MAR/00350/2013info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Is there more to olive oil than healthy lipids?

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy dietary pattern whose main characteristic is olive oil consumption. The potential health benefits of olive oil have been extensively investigated and the present review provides the more recent clinical evidence supporting the positive impact of olive oil intake on human health. PubMed (n = 227) and Scopus (n = 308) databases were searched for published clinical studies in English over the past six years (October 2016 to December 2022), following key word searches of “olive oil” and “health”. Major findings associated olive oil with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, improvement in endothelial function and lipid profile, prevention of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and modulation of the gut microbiota. These benefits are attributed to the nutritional composition of olive oil, which has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (oleic acid in particular) and minor compounds such as polyphenols (oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol). Although additional research continues to be required, the more recently generated evidence supports the potential of olive oil to contribute beneficially to health and to the prevention and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases, as a consequence of the synergism between its components’ complexity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synthesis and evaluation of novel bioactive composite starch/bioactive glass microparticles

The aim of the development of composite materials is to combine the most desired properties of two or more materials. In this work, the biodegradable character, good controlled-release properties, and natural origin of starch-based biomaterials are combined with the bioactive and bone-bonding properties of bioactive glass (BG). Novel, bioactive composite starch-BG microparticles were synthesized starting from a blend of starch and polylactic acid (50%/50% wt) with BG 45S5 powder using a simple emulsion method. Morphological and chemical characterization showed that these particles exhibited a spherical morphology with sizes up to 350 m and that BG 45S5 was incorporated successfully into the composite particles. Upon immersion in a solution simulating body fluids, for periods up to 3 weeks, their bioactive nature was confirmed, as a calcium-phosphate layer resembling biological apatite was formed onto their surface. The short-term cytotoxicity of these materials was also tested by placing 24-h leachables of the materials extracted in culture medium in contact with a fibroblastic cell line (L929) up to 72 h. At this time period, two biochemical tests - MTT and total protein quantification - were performed. The results showed that these materials are not cytotoxic. These results constitute the basis of future encapsulation studies using bone-acting therapeutic agents such as bone morphogenetic proteins or other bone-relevant factors. The particles developed here may be very useful for applications in which controlled release, degradability, and bone-bonding ability are the main requirements.FCT Foundation for Science and Technology, through funds from the POCTI and/or FEDER programmes

The metabolic and analytical changes of healthy volunteers upon intake of Portuguese extra virgin olive oil: a comparison study between pre- and post-intervention

(1) Background: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is studied mostly for its health benefits in preventing non-communicable chronic diseases, particularly within a Mediterranean dietary pattern. However, few studies have addressed the effect of EVOO in healthy individuals, prior to an established disease. This study aims to evaluate the impact of Northern Portuguese polyphenol-rich EVOO (NPPR-EVOO) consumption on various important clinical parameters in healthy adult volunteers. (2) Methods: This quasi-experimental intervention study assessed the impact of NPPR-EVOO for a period of 100 days. Serum total cholesterol, HbA1c, HDL-c, LDL-c, and CRP, and anthropometric measures—waist and hip perimeters, hand grip strength, and body fat—were assessed and food logs were analyzed. (3) Results: Serum HbA1c (5.12 ± 0.32%; 4.93 ± 0.24, p = 0.000) and LDL-c (96.50 ± 28.57 mg/dL; 87.41 ± 31.38 mg/dL, p = 0.017) significantly decreased following NPPR-EVOO. Also, daily energy significantly increased, but no changes in other dietary parameters, or anthropometry, were seen. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not explain the differences found in individuals regarding serum lipid profile and HbA1c, reinforcing the role of EVOO’s effect. (4) Conclusions: NPPR-EVOO lowered the serum levels of LDL cholesterol and HbA1c, providing clues on the effect of EVOO-putative health benefits. These results pave the way for a deeper exploration of EVOO as a functional food.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DNA damage as a consequence of NLR activation

DNA damage observed during plant immune responses is reported to be an intrinsic component of plant immunity. However, other immune responses may suppress DNA damage to maintain host genome integrity. Here, we show that immunity-related DNA damage can be abrogated by preventing cell death triggered by Nucleotide-binding, Leucine-rich-repeat immune Receptors (NLRs). SNI1 (suppressor of npr1-1, inducible 1), a subunit of the structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) 5/6 complex, was reported to be a negative regulator of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and to be necessary for controlling DNA damage. We find that cell death and DNA damage in sni1 loss-of-function mutants are prevented by mutations in the NLR signaling component EDS1. Similar to sni1, elevated DNA damage is seen in other autoimmune mutants with cell death lesions, including camta3, pub13 and vad1, but not in dnd1, an autoimmune mutant with no visible cell death. We find that as in sni1, DNA damage in camta3 is EDS1-dependent, but that it is also NLR-dependent. Using the NLR RPM1 as a model, we also show that extensive DNA damage is observed when an NLR is directly triggered by effectors. We also find that the expression of DNA damage repair (DDR) genes in mutants with cell death lesions is down regulated, suggesting that degraded DNA that accumulates during cell death is a result of cellular dismantling and is not sensed as damaged DNA that calls for repair. Our observations also indicate that SNI1 is not directly involved in SAR or DNA damage accumulation

Improved estimators of extreme Wang distortion risk measures for very heavy-tailed distributions

A general way to study the extremes of a random variable is to consider the family of its Wang distortion risk measures. This class of risk measures encompasses several indicators such as the classical quantile/Value-at-Risk, the Tail-Value-at-Risk and Conditional Tail Moments. Trimmed and winsorised versions of the empirical counterparts of extreme analogues of Wang distortion risk measures are considered. Their asymptotic properties are analysed, and it is shown that it is possible to construct corrected versions of trimmed or winsorised estimators of extreme Wang distortion risk measures who appear to perform overall better than their standard empirical counterparts in difficult finite-sample situations when the underlying distribution has a very heavy right tail. This technique is showcased on a set of real fire insurance data

PARTICIPAÇÃO SOCIAL NA ELABORAÇÃO E EXECUÇÃO DO PLANO PLURIANUAL DE MACAPÁ-AP NO PERÍODO DE 2013 A 2016: ALGUNS ENUNCIADOS A PARTIR DO FENÔMENO

Este artigo apresenta o resultado do estudo, envolvendo análise documental, entrevistas e observação participante, sobre dinâmicas de participação da sociedade no processo de elaboração/execução do planejamento de Macapá (capital do estado do Amapá), através de um desenho institucional de gestão compartilhada proposto pelo governo que assumiu a administração pública de 2013 a 2016. Evidenciou-se que a criação do Estado do Amapá, em 1988, impulsionou processos de transformação espacial, social, econômica e política, com renovação das elites locais, constatando-se que, em 2013, ocorreram os maiores esforços de mobilização para elaboração compartilhada do planejamento municipal e de alocação de recursos em programas de gestão participativa. O respectivo governo implantou experiências participativas com denominações variadas como “O Povo no Comando”, “Congresso do Povo” e “Prefeitura na sua Rua”, alterando a abordagem de relacionamento com a sociedade a partir da segunda metade de seu mandato, gerando avanços e empoderamentos, apresentando conflitos, limitações e desafios