Cassini observations of the thermal plasma in the vicinity of Saturn's main rings and the F and G rings

The ion mass spectrometer on Cassini detected enhanced ion flux near Saturn's main rings that is consistent with the presence of atomic and molecular oxygen ions in the thermal plasma. The ring "atmosphere'' and "ionosphere'' are likely produced by UV photosputtering of the icy rings and subsequent photoionization of O-2. The identification of the O+ and O-2(+) ions is made using time-of-flight analysis and densities and temperatures are derived from the ion counting data. The ion temperatures over the main rings are a minimum near synchronous orbit and increase with radial distance from Saturn as expected from ion pick up in Saturn's magnetic field. The O-2(+) temperatures provide an estimate of the neutral O-2 temperature over the main rings. The ion mass spectrometer also detected significant O-2(+) outside of the main rings, near the F ring. It is concluded that between the F and G rings, the heavy ion population most likely consists of an admixture of O-2(+) and water group ions O+, OH+, and H2O+

Development of a non-dairy probiotic fermented product based on almond milk and inulin

A new fermented almond milk that combined the properties of both almonds and probiotics was considered to cover the current versatile health-promoting foods' demand. Almond milk fermentation with probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptococcus thermophilus was studied by using a Central Composite design with response surface methodology, and different factors (glucose, fructose, inulin and starters) were optimised to assure high probiotic survivals in the final product. The optimal formulation was physicochemically characterised throughout cold storage (28 days) and both probiotic survivals to invitro digestion and proteolysis were quantified. Results showed that a high probiotic population (>10(7) cfu/mL) was obtained in the previously optimised almond milk throughout storage time, which correspond to the addition of 0.75g of glucose/100mL, 0.75g of fructose/100mL, 2g/100mL inulin and 6mL/100mL inoculum. Glucose was used as the main nutrient and the production of mannitol by L. reuteri was detected. The fermentation process increased the viscosity values, forming a weak gel structure, whose physical properties hardly changed. Probiotic bacteria notably survived (51%) to the invitro digestion, surely related to the inulin presence, which would add value to the developed product by enhancing the potential health benefits of its consumption.This research has been carried out thanks to a funded project by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (PAID-05-11-2740). This work was also supported by the Conselleria de Educacion of Valencia government, which granted the author N. Bernat (ACIF/2011).Bernat Pérez, N.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Chiralt Boix, MA.; González Martínez, MC. (2015). Development of a non-dairy probiotic fermented product based on almond milk and inulin. 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Caco-2 Cell Ferritin Formation Predicts Nonradiolabeled Food Iron Availability in an In Vitro Digestion/Caco-2 Cell Culture Model. The Journal of Nutrition, 128(9), 1555-1561. doi:10.1093/jn/128.9.1555Grobben, G. J., Peters, S. W. P. G., Wisselink, H. W., Weusthuis, R. A., Hoefnagel, M. H. N., Hugenholtz, J., & Eggink, G. (2001). Spontaneous Formation of a Mannitol-Producing Variant of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides Grown in the Presence of Fructose. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67(6), 2867-2870. doi:10.1128/aem.67.6.2867-2870.2001Hutchings, J. B. (1999). Colour Measurement of Foods. Food Colour and Appearance, 238-326. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-2373-4_8Indrio, F., Riezzo, G., Raimondi, F., Bisceglia, M., Cavallo, L., & Francavilla, R. (2008). The Effects of Probiotics on Feeding Tolerance, Bowel Habits, and Gastrointestinal Motility in Preterm Newborns. The Journal of Pediatrics, 152(6), 801-806. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.11.005Jones, J. L., Fernandez, M. L., McIntosh, M. S., Najm, W., Calle, M. C., Kalynych, C., … Lerman, R. H. (2011). A Mediterranean-style low-glycemic-load diet improves variables of metabolic syndrome in women, and addition of a phytochemical-rich medical food enhances benefits on lipoprotein metabolism. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 5(3), 188-196. doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2011.03.002Kamil, A., & Chen, C.-Y. O. (2012). Health Benefits of Almonds beyond Cholesterol Reduction. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(27), 6694-6702. doi:10.1021/jf2044795Kolida, S., Tuohy, K., & Gibson, G. R. (2002). Prebiotic effects of inulin and oligofructose. British Journal of Nutrition, 87(S2), S193-S197. doi:10.1079/bjn/2002537Kopp-Hoolihan, L. (2001). Prophylactic and Therapeutic Uses of Probiotics. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 101(2), 229-241. doi:10.1016/s0002-8223(01)00060-8Kroh, L. W. (1994). Caramelisation in food and beverages. Food Chemistry, 51(4), 373-379. doi:10.1016/0308-8146(94)90188-0Li, T. Y., Brennan, A. M., Wedick, N. M., Mantzoros, C., Rifai, N., & Hu, F. B. (2009). Regular Consumption of Nuts Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women with Type 2 Diabetes. The Journal of Nutrition, 139(7), 1333-1338. doi:10.3945/jn.108.103622Liu, R. H. (2012). Health Benefits of Phytochemicals in Whole Foods. Nutritional Health, 293-310. doi:10.1007/978-1-61779-894-8_13Julian McClements, D. (2004). Food Emulsions. Contemporary Food Science. doi:10.1201/9781420039436Matissek R, Schnepel FM, Steiner G (1998) Análisis de los Alimentos: Fundamentos, Métodos y Aplicaciones, Zaragoza: Acribia S.A. publishings, pp. 123–132.Ortiz, M. E., Fornaguera, M. J., Raya, R. R., & Mozzi, F. (2012). Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1101 highly produces mannitol from sugarcane molasses as carbon source. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 95(4), 991-999. doi:10.1007/s00253-012-3945-zPatrignani, F., Iucci, L., Lanciotti, R., Vallicelli, M., Maina Mathara, J., Holzapfel, W. H., & Guerzoni, M. E. (2007). Effect of High-Pressure Homogenization, Nonfat Milk Solids, and Milkfat on the Technological Performance of a Functional Strain for the Production of Probiotic Fermented Milks. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(10), 4513-4523. doi:10.3168/jds.2007-0373Pereda, J., Ferragut, V., Quevedo, J. M., Guamis, B., & Trujillo, A. J. (2007). Effects of Ultra-High Pressure Homogenization on Microbial and Physicochemical Shelf Life of Milk. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(3), 1081-1093. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(07)71595-3Rivera-Espinoza, Y., & Gallardo-Navarro, Y. (2010). Non-dairy probiotic products. Food Microbiology, 27(1), 1-11. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2008.06.008Roberfroid, M. B. (2005). Introducing inulin-type fructans. British Journal of Nutrition, 93(S1), S13-S25. doi:10.1079/bjn20041350Roland, I. (2003). Systematic characterization of oil-in-water emulsions for formulation design. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 263(1-2), 85-94. doi:10.1016/s0378-5173(03)00364-8Rajasekaran, A., & Kalaivani, M. (2012). Designer foods and their benefits: A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 50(1), 1-16. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0726-8Savijoki, K., Ingmer, H., & Varmanen, P. (2006). Proteolytic systems of lactic acid bacteria. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 71(4), 394-406. doi:10.1007/s00253-006-0427-1Savino, F., Pelle, E., Palumeri, E., Oggero, R., & Miniero, R. (2007). Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) Versus Simethicone in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Prospective Randomized Study. PEDIATRICS, 119(1), e124-e130. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1222Sze, A., Erickson, D., Ren, L., & Li, D. (2003). Zeta-potential measurement using the Smoluchowski equation and the slope of the current–time relationship in electroosmotic flow. 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Thermoelastic properties of magnesiowustite, (Mg1-xFex)O: determination of the Anderson-Gruneisen parameter by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction at simultaneous high pressures and temperatures

The ability to perform neutron diffraction studies at simultaneous high pressures and high temperatures is a relatively recent development. The suitability of this technique for determining P-V-T equations of state has been investigated by measuring the lattice parameters of Mg1-xFexO ( x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4), in the range P < 10.3 GPa and 300 < T < 986 K, by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction. Pressures were determined using metallic Fe as a marker and temperatures were measured by neutron absorption resonance radiography. Within the resolution of the experiment, no evidence was found for any change in the temperature derivative of the isothermal incompressibility, partial derivative K-T/partial derivative T, with composition. By assuming that the equation-of-state parameters either varied linearly or were invariant with composition, the 60 measured state points were fitted simultaneously to a P-V-T-x equation of state, leading to values of partial derivative K-T/partial derivative T = -0.024 (9) GPa K-1 and of the isothermal Anderson-Gruneisen parameter delta(T) = 4.0 (16) at 300 K. Two designs of simultaneous high-P/T cell were employed during this study. It appears that, by virtue of its extended pressure range, a design using toroidal gaskets is more suitable for equation-of-state studies than is the system described by Le Godec, Dove, Francis, Kohn, Marshall, Pawley, Price, Redfern, Rhodes, Ross, Schofield, Schooneveld, Syfosse, Tucker & Welch [Mineral. Mag. (2001), 65, 737-748]. (c) 2008 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved

Migrations and habitat use of the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena) in the Atlantic Ocean

The smooth hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena, is a cosmopolitan semipelagic shark captured as bycatch in pelagic oceanic fisheries, especially pelagic longlines targeting swordfish and/or tunas. From 2012 to 2016, eight smooth hammerheads were tagged with Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags in the inter-tropical region of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, with successful transmissions received from seven tags (total of 319 tracking days). Results confirmed the smooth hammerhead is a highly mobile species, as the longest migration ever documented for this species (> 6600 km) was recorded. An absence of a diel vertical movement behavior was noted, with the sharks spending most of their time at surface waters (0-50 m) above 23 degrees C. The operating depth of the pelagic long-line gear was measured with Minilog Temperature and Depth Recorders, and the overlap with the species vertical distribution was calculated. The overlap is taking place mainly during the night and is higher for juveniles (similar to 40% of overlap time). The novel information presented can now be used to contribute to the provision of sustainable management tools and serve as input for Ecological Risk Assessments for smooth hammerheads caught in Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries.Oceanario de Lisboa through Project "SHARK-TAG: Migrations and habitat use of the smooth hammerhead shark in the Atlantic Ocean"; Investigador-FCT from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia) [Ref: IF/00253/2014]; EU European Social Fund; Programa Operacional Potencial Human

Extraluminal Amyloidoma of the Pelvic Cavity Causing Large Bowel Obstruction

Amyloidosis is a group of diverse disorders that fall into several major categories: primary, secondary, dialysis-associated, and hereditary forms. Clinically, amyloidosis may be categorized as localized or systemic. The gastrointestinal tract is among the most common places for deposition of amyloid, but large, localized amyloid deposits are an uncommon occurrence and rarely cause extraluminal bowel compression resulting in obstruction as was seen in the case presented in this clinical scenario

Conserved Odorant-Binding Proteins from Aphids and Eavesdropping Predators

Background: The sesquiterpene (E)-ß-farnesene is the main component of the alarm pheromone system of various aphid species studied to date, including the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae. Aphid natural enemies, such as the marmalade hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis, eavesdrop on aphid chemical communication and utilize (E)-ß-farnesene as a kairomone to localize their immediate or offspring preys. These aphidpredator systems are important models to study how the olfactory systems of distant insect taxa process the same chemical signal. We postulated that odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), which are highly expressed in insect olfactory tissues and involved in the first step of odorant reception, have conserved regions involved in binding (E)-ß-farnesene. Methodology: We cloned OBP genes from the English grain aphid and two major predators of this aphid species. We then expressed these proteins and compare their binding affinities to the alarm pheromone/kairomone. By using a fluorescence reporter, we tested binding of (E)-ß-farnesene and other electrophysiologically and behaviorally active compounds, including a green leaf volatile attractant. Conclusion: We found that OBPs from disparate taxa of aphids and their predators are highly conserved proteins, with apparently no orthologue genes in other insect species. Properly folded, recombinant proteins from the English grain aphid, SaveOBP3, and the marmalade hoverfly, EbalOBP3, specifically bind (E)-ß-farnesene with apparent high affinity. For the firs

Effects of hydroxyapatite and PDGF concentrations on osteoblast growth in a nanohydroxyapatite-polylactic acid composite for guided tissue regeneration

The technique of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has evolved over recent years in an attempt to achieve periodontal tissue regeneration by the use of a barrier membrane. However, there are significant limitations in the currently available membranes and overall outcomes may be limited. A degradable composite material was investigated as a potential GTR membrane material. Polylactic acid (PLA) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) composite was analysed, its bioactive potential and suitability as a carrier system for growth factors were assessed. The effect of nHA concentrations and the addition of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation was investigated. The bioactivity was dependent on the nHA concentration in the films, with more apatite deposited on films containing higher nHA content. Osteoblasts proliferated well on samples containing low nHA content and differentiated on films with higher nHA content. The composite films were able to deliver PDGF and cell proliferation increased on samples that were pre absorbed with the growth factor. nHA–PLA composite films are able to deliver active PDGF. In addition the bioactivity and cell differentiation was higher on films containing more nHA. The use of a nHA–PLA composite material containing a high concentration of nHA may be a useful material for GTR membrane as it will not only act as a barrier, but may also be able to enhance bone regeneration by delivery of biologically active molecules

Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans With Osteoarthritis Study: Baseline Participant Characteristics and Comparison to Prior Studies

Background: The Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans with OsteoaRTthritis (STAART) trial is examining the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain coping skills training (CST) program for African Americans with osteoarthritis (OA). This disparities-focused trial aimed to reach a population with greater symptom severity and risk factors for poor pain-related outcomes than previous studies. This paper compares characteristics of STAART participants with prior studies of CST or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-informed training in pain coping strategies for OA. Methods: A literature search identified 10 prior trials of pain CST or CBT-informed pain coping training among individuals with OA. We descriptively compared characteristics of STAART participants with other studies, in 3 domains of the National Institutes of Minority Health and Health Disparities' Research Framework: Sociocultural Environment (e.g., age, education, marital status), Biological Vulnerability and Mechanisms (e.g, pain and function, body mass index), and Health Behaviors and Coping (e.g., pain catastrophizing). Means and standard deviations (SDs) or proportions were calculated for STAART participants and extracted from published manuscripts for comparator studies. Results: The mean age of STAART participants, 59 years (SD = 10.3), was lower than 9 of 10 comparator studies; the proportion of individuals with some education beyond high school, 75%, was comparable to comparator studies (61-86%); and the proportion of individuals who are married or living with a partner, 42%, was lower than comparator studies (62-66%). Comparator studies had less than about 1/3 African American participants. Mean scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and function scales were higher (worse) for STAART participants than for other studies, and mean body mass index of STAART participants, 35.2 kg/m2 (SD = 8.2), was higher than all other studies (30-34 kg/m2). STAART participants' mean score on the Pain Catastrophizing scale, 19.8 (SD = 12.3), was higher (worse) than other studies reporting this measure (7-17). Conclusions: Compared with prior studies with predominantly white samples, STAART participants have worse pain and function and more risk factors for negative pain-related outcomes across several domains. Given STAART participants' high mean pain catastrophizing scores, this sample may particularly benefit from the CST intervention approach

A case study of bovine tuberculosis in an area of County Donegal, Ireland

A descriptive analysis, to investigate the potential risk factors that might have contributed to the increased incidence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) herd-breakdowns in the reference area of Co. Donegal during the fifth year of the four-area project (FAP), was performed. Seventy two different herds were restricted for BTB during the FAP; 10 of these herds were restricted twice, resulting in a total of 82 BTB breakdowns. During the first four years of the FAP, the number of BTB herd breakdowns in the area varied from a lowest of nine to a maximum of 18 per year, and were geographically dispersed. In the fifth year of the study a considerable increase in the number of BTB breakdowns (n = 32) was observed, and there was a spatial 'cluster' of infected herds in the eastern part of the study area. The increased number of BTB breakdowns during the fifth year most likely occurred because of the recrudescence of infection, herd-to-herd transmission and, to a lesser extent, purchase of infected cattle. Infected badgers remain as a possible but less likely source of infection, especially as an explanation for the cluster of infected herds. The analysis supports the hypothesis that BTB in herds is a problem that cannot be addressed successfully by dedicating our efforts to the elimination of single risk factors. Neither is it a problem that needs to be investigated only at the herd level, but rather at the area level, including groups of contiguous herds