Plant protein blends in diets for Senegalese sole affect skeletal muscle growth, flesh texture and the expression of related genes

Author's accepted version (postprint).Available from 26/11/2017.Skeletal muscle growth and flesh quality of Senegalese sole fed diets containing increasing levels of plant protein blends to replace fishmeal were evaluated using muscle cellularity, texture profile and gene expression. A control fish meal-based diet (FM) was compared with three isonitrogenous (54%) and isolipidic (9%) diets with increasing levels of plant protein (PP) blends (50% PP50, 75% PP75 and 100% PP100). By the end of the experiment sole fed PP50 and PP75 had a final body length similar to the CTR (25 cm), but fish fed PP100 were significantly smaller (23 cm). Total FM replacement by PP sources resulted in significantly smaller muscle cross sectional area (CSA) mainly due to a decrease in the muscle fibre size as the total number of fibres did not vary significantly among treatments. The dietary incorporation of PP significantly reduced the expression of several key genes involved in myogenesis and muscle growth (mrf4, fgf6, myhc and mylc2). Fillet texture analysed instrumentally was affected by the total substitution of FM. Fish fed PP100 diet had a significantly higher modulus of elasticity, i.e. lower flesh stiffness, compared with the other groups. Muscle fibre size was moderately related (r = − 0.573) to the modulus of elasticity and positively correlated with the expression of lysyl oxidase (r = 0.495). The observed changes in muscle cellularity could not be associated with the expression of texture-related genes (capn2, ctsb, ctsd), since no significant differences were observed among diets. The present results point towards a modulation of the expression of several muscle growth related genes by increasing levels of PP sources that alter muscle cellularity and textural properties of Senegalese sole when total FM is replaced by PP

Extraction of mushrooms relevant compounds through gamma and electron beam irradiation

Irradiation technologies are being used by the food industry as an alternative to other preservation processes. Its impact in minor compounds or different food matrices is still an open field. The use of irradiation to improve bioactive properties has been reported as a result of an increase in the levels of phenolic compounds in the extracts obtained from cooked and derived plant products. Previous results [1] indicated higher values of phenolic compounds concentration on irradiated food products compared with those found in non-irradiated samples. In this work, the effect of gamma and electron beam radiation processing on fresh and dried mushroom compounds extractability was studied. The mushroom samples were bought directly from the producer and divided in two groups, fresh to be immediately irradiated and to dry, before irradiation with gamma and electron beam (doses 0, 1, 2 and 5 kGy), that was carried out in the irradiation facilities of C2TN (Lisbon, Portugal). The irradiated fresh samples were immediately lyophilized for subsequent analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the dried samples were grounded into powder also to be analyzed after irradiation. The results were compared with a control (non-irradiated sample), obtaining the yield for each irradiation process (gamma and e-beam) or sample type (fresh or dried). Food irradiation besides being a preservation technology, suggested to promote food bioactive compounds.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), A. Fernandes (SFRH/BPD/114753/2016), J.C.M. Barreira contract and C2TN (RECI/AAG-TEC/0400/2012 and UID/Multi/04349/2013 projects); International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Coordinated Research Project “D61024 - Development of Electron Beam and X-Ray Applications for Food Irradiation (DEXAFI)”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rheological description at the minimum gelling conditions of kappa-carrageenan/locust bean gum systems

Poster presentation at ‘Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry-7’, July, 1993Kappa-carrageenan/locust bean gum interactions at the minimum gelling concentration have been studied by dynamic and viscosity measurements at 15°C. Both rheological methods used have been shown to be complementary. The existence of a weak network structure exhibiting thixotropic behaviour has been observed. The formation of the weak network is discussed

The Fueling and Evolution of AGN: Internal and External Triggers

In this chapter, I review the fueling and evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) under the influence of internal and external triggers, namely intrinsic properties of host galaxies (morphological or Hubble type, color, presence of bars and other non-axisymmetric features, etc) and external factors such as environment and interactions. The most daunting challenge in fueling AGN is arguably the angular momentum problem as even matter located at a radius of a few hundred pc must lose more than 99.99 % of its specific angular momentum before it is fit for consumption by a BH. I review mass accretion rates, angular momentum requirements, the effectiveness of different fueling mechanisms, and the growth and mass density of black BHs at different epochs. I discuss connections between the nuclear and larger-scale properties of AGN, both locally and at intermediate redshifts, outlining some recent results from the GEMS and GOODS HST surveys.Comment: Invited Review Chapter to appear in LNP Volume on "AGN Physics on All Scales", Chapter 6, in press. 40 pages, 12 figures. Typo in Eq 5 correcte

Best Pratice Guide to Manage Vegetation and Promote Biodiversity in Linear Infrastructures

The present guide is based on the experience acquired in the framework of the LIFE LINES project (LIFE14 NAT/PT/001081) and intends to compile and disseminate the recommendable procedures for the management of biodiversity, particularly of plant diversity, in the marginal areas of linear infrastructures, primarily focusing on the national roads, decommissioned railways now used for recreation purposes (ecotrails) and power lines of very high voltage. The guide includes technical information for those in charge of the management of roads, trails and power lines (concession holders, municipalities), for environmental consultancy (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e Florestas), and for landscape and agroforestry technicians, as well as for the general public

Seed germination of six Iberian endemic species – a contribution to enhance plant conservation

Biodiversity has been degraded all around the world due to anthropogenic factors. To counteract this worldwide tendency, ecological restoration programs are expanding. In these programs, the use of native herbaceous species, particularly those endemic or threatened, can be promoted by seeding them but germination requirements for most of these species are unknown. Our research meant to fill this gap of information for six Iberian endemic species suitable to use in restoration actions - Digitalis thapsi, Ferula communis subsp. catalaunica, Linaria amethystea subsp. amethystea, Pterocephalidium diandrum, Sanguisorba hybrida, and Silene scabriflora subsp. scabriflora. Their seed germination behaviour was analysed to establish germination protocols for conservation actions. Three germination conditions were used to simulate different sown seasons. Seeds of all species were tested without pretreatment and subjected to a cold stratification. Seeds of S. hybrida and P. diandrum were additionally tested with a scarification treatment. All species reached their better germination performance under autumn conditions (15/10 C; 8/16 hours). In conclusion, for all the six Iberian endemic species tested, germination speed and percentage were suitable for their use in native plants reinforcement

Measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb^-1 for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.5. D*+/- mesons found in jets are fully reconstructed in the decay chain: D*+ -> D0pi+, D0 -> K-pi+, and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*+/-)/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*+/- mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3 < z < 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (22 pages total), 5 figures, 1 table, matches published version in Physical Review

Use of Visible and Short-Wave Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging to Fingerprint Anthocyanins in Intact Grape Berries

In red grape berries, anthocyanins account for about 50% of the skin phenols and are responsible for the final wine color. Individual anthocyanin levels and compositional profiles vary with cultivar, maturity, season, region, and yield and have been proposed as chemical markers to differentiate wines and to provide valuable information regarding the adulteration of musts and wines. A fast, easy, solvent-free, nondestructive method based on visible, short-wave, and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in intact grape berries to fingerprint the color pigments in eight different grape varieties was developed and tested against HPLC. Predictive models based on modified partial least-squares (MPLS) were built for 14 individual anthocyanins with coefficients of determination of cross-validation (R2 CV) ranging from 0.70 to 0.93. For the grouping of total and nonacylated anthocyanins, external validation was conducted with coefficient of determination of prediction (R2 P) of 0.86. HSI could potentially become an alternative to HPLC with reduced analysis time and labor costs while providing reliable and robust information on the anthocyanin composition of grape berries. © 2016 American Chemical Society

Molecular regulation of muscle development and growth in Senegalese sole larvae exposed to temperature fluctuations

Author's accepted version (post-print).NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Aquaculture (2014). Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Aquaculture (2014), 432. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.04.035.The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish that is naturally exposed to high temperature fluctuations (12 - 28 ºC) in the wild, with a life cycle predominantly estuarine during larval and juvenile phases. Farming of this species has largely improved in the past years but marked fluctuations of temperature during production still contribute to variation on growth and muscle cellularity, particularly if they occur during early stages of development. Such thermal plasticity of muscle growth must arise through changes in a multitude of physiological and molecular pathways, in which epigenetic gene regulation is likely to play an essential role. In the present work, we review recent studies addressing molecular, physiological and morphological aspects of the thermal plasticity of somatic growth in Senegalese sole larvae and early juveniles, thus aiming to improve sole rearing in aquaculture production. The present study shows that temperature during specific time frames of ontogeny has both short- and long-term effects on growth and muscle cellularity of Senegalese sole. Nevertheless, Senegalese sole also seems to rapidly adapt to environmental temperature through a set of epigenetic mechanisms and physiological responses such as regulation of feed intake, even at early developmental stages

Search for supersymmetry in final states with jets, missing transverse momentum and one isolated lepton in sqrt{s} = 7 TeV pp collisions using 1 fb-1 of ATLAS data

We present an update of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing jets, missing transverse momentum, and one isolated electron or muon, using 1.04 fb^-1 of proton-proton collision data at sqrt{s} = 7 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in the first half of 2011. The analysis is carried out in four distinct signal regions with either three or four jets and variations on the (missing) transverse momentum cuts, resulting in optimized limits for various supersymmetry models. No excess above the standard model background expectation is observed. Limits are set on the visible cross-section of new physics within the kinematic requirements of the search. The results are interpreted as limits on the parameters of the minimal supergravity framework, limits on cross-sections of simplified models with specific squark and gluino decay modes, and limits on parameters of a model with bilinear R-parity violation.Comment: 18 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 9 figures, 4 tables, final version to appear in Physical Review