Deciphering the Anti-Aflatoxinogenic Properties of Eugenol Using a Large-Scale q-PCR Approach

Produced by several species of Aspergillus, Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin contaminating many crops worldwide. The utilization of fungicides is currently one of the most common methods; nevertheless, their use is not environmentally or economically sound. Thus, the use of natural compounds able to block aflatoxinogenesis could represent an alternative strategy to limit food and feed contamination. For instance, eugenol, a 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol present in many essential oils, has been identified as an anti-aflatoxin molecule. However, its precise mechanism of action has yet to be clarified. The production of AFB1 is associated with the expression of a 70 kB cluster, and not less than 21 enzymatic reactions are necessary for its production. Based on former empirical data, a molecular tool composed of 60 genes targeting 27 genes of aflatoxin B1 cluster and 33 genes encoding the main regulatory factors potentially involved in its production, was developed. We showed that AFB1 inhibition in Aspergillus flavus following eugenol addition at 0.5 mM in a Malt Extract Agar (MEA) medium resulted in a complete inhibition of the expression of all but one gene of the AFB1 biosynthesis cluster. This transcriptomic effect followed a down-regulation of the complex composed by the two internal regulatory factors, AflR and AflS. This phenomenon was also influenced by an over-expression of veA and mtfA, two genes that are directly linked to AFB1 cluster regulation

Investigation into obedience in the face of unethical behavior

Significant concern about obedience in the face of unethical behavior in many corporate scandals is growing worldwide. However, the issue is underexplored because this type of research is faced by the challenge that the perpetrators are reluctant to harm their image by admitting their wrongdoings. The purpose of this study is to obtain a deeper understanding of the human aspects of obedience in the face of unethical behavior among employees in organizations. Using a qualitative cross-case approach, ten employees were interviewed, representing top, middle, and low-level employees in a broad range of private medium-to-large-sized enterprises. The analysis process involved reducing the raw data into meaningful themes, particularly why employees perform unethical behavior. The study's findings provide complex reasons for obedience in the face of unethical behavior, and it is shown to be the rule and habit of organizations. The respondents also explained why they justified their misbehavior. The employees' viewpoints on obedience in the face of unethical behavior will be useful for organizations to curb unlawful practices in the workplace, as these have detrimental effects on them

Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach

Objective: To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. Design: Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. Setting: Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. Participants: Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). Results: Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. Conclusions: In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population

Comment on "electromagnetic resonances in individual and coupled split-ring resonators"

Resonances appearing in split-ring resonators (SRR) were explained by the theory about the magnetoelectric coupling in the tensor polarizability of these particles. The relative strength of the resonances was explained from the numerical values of the different polarizabilities computed with the model. No resonant absorption was observed for incident waves with the perpendicular polarization

Penerapan Jurnalisme Sastra pada pemberitaan Cakaplah.com

ABSTRAK Name : Medina Sahara. El Deparment : Ilmu Komunikasi Judul : Penerapan Jurnalisme Sastra pada pemberitaan Cakaplah.com Jurnalisme sastra adalah sebuah penulisan laporan jurnalistik dengan menggunakan narasi prosa. Penggunaan 5W+1H pada jurnalisme sastra diubah menjadi pendekatan baru yang lebih naratif, yang mana what menjadi jalur atau plot, who menjadi karakter, when menjadi kronologi, where menjadi setting tempat, why menjadi motif dan how menjadi narasi. Jurnalisme sastra mempunyai sebuah kelebihan dalam hal menyampaikan fakta kepada pembaca, terdapat kecilnya kemungkinan sebuah penyembunyian fakta pada pemberitaannya, karena berita yang disajikan tidak melaporkan secara kronologis, melainkan melaporkan fakta-fakta yang ada dan didramatisir sedemikian rupa. Jurnalis mengobservasi sebuah objek liputannya seperti seorang penulis novel yang mencari dan mendapatkan sebuah realitas pengisahan. Alasan penulis memilih Penerapan Jurnalisme Sastra pada Pemberitaan Cakaplah.com , karena penulis ingin mengetahui sejauh mana penerapan jurnalisme sastra pada pemberitaan oleh Cakaplah.com, dengan menggunakan analisis indikator yang meliputi fakta, sudut pandang, emosi, detail deskriptif, konstruksi adegan dan emosi. Mengungkap persoalan di atas, peneliti menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif dengan sumber data primer wawancara dengan staf redaksi. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah bahwa Cakaplah.com belum menerapkan semua indikator-indikator teknik penulisan berita jurnalisme sastra, Cakaplah.com hanya menerapkan dua indikator yakni fakta dan sudut pandang, yang mana indikator tersebut sama halnya dengan pemberitaan seperti straight news dan lain-lain, tidak terkhusus seperti pemberitaan jurnalisme yang menerapkan fakta, sudut pandang, emosi, detail deskriptif, konstruksi adegan dan dialog. Namun, di dalam pemberitaannya Cakaplah.com tetap menuliskan pemberitaan yang menarik minat pembaca dengan bahasa yang sederhana namun memikat, dan Cakaplah.com belum menuliskan dengan baik penulisan jurnalisme sastra pada pemberitaannya. Kata Kunci : Penerapan, Jurnalisme Sastra, Cakaplah.co

Innovate contactor for CO2 recovery

Innovate contactor for CO2 recover

Role of bianisotropy in negative, permeability and left-handed metamaterials

The recently proposed artificial media with negative magnetic permeability and left-handed metamaterials are revisited at the light of the theory of artificial bi(iso/aniso)tropic-media. In particular, the existence of bianisotropic effects in those materials is investigated, making use of an approximate model. Some unexplained properties of the electromagnetic-wave propagation through these media, revealed by closer inspection of previous numerical simulations and experimental work, are highlighted. It is shown that these peculiarities are properly explained if the bianisotropy is explicitly accounted for. The bianisotropy is related to the existence of magnetoelectric coupling in the artificial constituents (artificial atoms) of the medium. A simple modification of the artificial atom that precludes the bianisotropy is also proposed.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología TIC2001-316

Presynchronization of estrous cycles in dairy cows before ovsynch + CIDR and resynchronization of repeat estrus using the CIDR

Postpartum anestrus is one of the major limitations to achieving acceptable pregnancy rates. The Ovsynch protocol is an excellent tool to improve reproductive efficiency of dairy cows because it can induce estrous cycles in anestrous cows. In the first experiment, administering two PGF2 injections to lactating dairy cows 14 days apart with the second injection given 12 days before the Ovsynch protocol increased (P\u3c0.05) pregnancy rate by 10 percentage points in cycling and noncycling cows. Inserting a progesterone-releasing insert (CIDR) for 7 days during the Ovsynch protocol did not further increase pregnancy rates. In a second experiment, a resynchronization treatment consisting of a used CIDR inserted for 7 days from days 13 to 20 after insemination increased (P\u3c0.05) embryo survival from day 30 to 58 by 11 percentage points but failed to increase overall rate of return to estrus and conception rate at the second AI (first eligible estrus after first AI).; Dairy Day, 2001, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2001

Comprehensive analysis of strip- and slot-line guided forward, backward, and complex magnetostatic waves

This paper presents a comprehensive and accurate analysis of the guidance of volume and surface magnetostatic waves by strips or slots in the presence of a ferrite slab magnetized to saturation by an external uniform magnetic field. The strip/slot can be directly printed on the ferrite surface or separated from it by means of a dielectric layer of arbitrary thickness. The problem is posed in terms of a suitable integral equation accounting for the magnetostatic limit. This equation is solved by using a spectral-domain formulation. The proposed method allows for the consideration of arbitrary magnetization angles and the presence of upper and/or lower ground planes. Strip-guided forward, backward, and complex surface magnetostatic waves have been obtained and analyzed in terms of the appropriate waveguide parameters. Slot-guided backward volume magnetostatic waves have been also computed and studied. Theoretical results have been checked against theoretical (magnetostatic and full wave) and experimental data available in the literature with reasonable agreement