The chemistry and bioactive properties behind microalgae-enriched gluten-free breads

This work aims to: (i) assess volatiles composition of microalgae-enriched gluten-free breads (prepared with Tetraselmis chuii, Chlorella vulgaris and Microchloropsis gaditana); (ii) report the bioaccessibility of protein and minerals after a static in vitro digestion model; (iii) understand how it affects the bioactive properties of gluten-free breads in regard to antioxidant capacity and the α-amylase inhibitory potential. Therefore, nutritional composition and bioactive properties of gluten-free breads before and after in vitro digestion model were examined. Identification of compounds responsible for the overall aroma of microalgae using GC–MS was done. There was a considerable decrease in protein and minerals available after in vitro digestion, as well as in the antioxidant potential. The overall aroma of microalgae-enriched breads was mainly due to the presence of alcohols, representing the major class of volatiles present in breads (3% to 59%), being lower for T. chuii-enriched bread. Terpenes also existed in considerable amounts especially in M. gaditana (24%) where γ-terpinene was the most abundant. Alkanoic acids were the most abundant lipophilic bioactive compounds (25%–68%), and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid was the major identified compound (13%–51%). Phytic acid is also present in all microalgae-enriched breads and may contribute to the decrease in the bioaccessibility of nutrients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluating 5G coverage in 3D scenarios under configurable antenna beam patterns

Active Antenna Systems (AASs) play a key role in the performance of 5 th Generation (5G) networks as they enable the use of Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (mMIMO) and directional beamforming. Besides, AASs can be configured with distinct broadcast beams configurations. In this work, the coverage provided by the broadcast beam configurations of a real AAS is evaluated. A 3-Dimensional (3D) configurable synthetic scenario was proposed to evaluate the resulting 5G coverage from all the possible antenna beam configurations. This analysis revealed that beam configurations with several horizontal beams and one vertical are recommended for urban macro deployments. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the percentage of covered area in a real scenario is approximated by an equivalent synthetic scenario with a Pearson correlation of 0.98. The synthetic scenario has the advantage of not requiring 3D building databases. Finally, an interference analysis in multi-site real scenarios was conducted, where it was verified that some antenna configurations introduce excessive interference for the level of coverage provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New insights on the complex planetary nebula Hen 2-113

We report infrared observations of the planetary nebula Hen 2-113 obtained with VLT/NACO, VLTI/MIDI, VLT/ISAAC and TIMMI at the ESO 3.6m. Hen 2-113 exhibits a clear ring-like structure superimposed to a more diffuse environment visible in the L' (3.8$\mu$m), M' (4.78$\mu$m) and 8.7$\mu$m bands. No clear core at 8.7$\mu$m and no fringes through the N band could be detected for this object with MIDI. A qualitative interpretation of the object structure is proposed using a diabolo-like geometrical model. The PAH content of the nebula was also studied with ISAAC and TIMMI observations. This indicates that the PAHs are mostly concentrated towards the lobes of the diabolo and the bipolar lobes of the nebula. In L' band, a void 0.3\arcsec in diameter was discovered with NACO around the central source. The L' and M' fluxes from the central source were derived from NACO data indicating an important infrared excess with respect to the expected stellar emission based on stellar models and short wavelength data. The observed flux from this source in the L' and M' is about 300 and 800 times respectively than those expected from a model including only the central star. Moreover, the central object appears resolved in L' band with measured FWHM about 155 mas. This infrared excess can be explained by emission from a cocoon of hot dust (T$\sim$1000K) with a total mass $\sim10^{-9}$M$\_{\odot}$.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Comparison of Apoptotic Cells Between Cryopreserved Ejaculated Sperm and Epididymal Sperm in Stallions

AbstractThe development of a reliable technique to freeze epididymal semen would provide a unique opportunity to preserve valuable genetic material from unexpectedly lost stallions. The aim of this study was to compare the apoptotic indices of sperm obtained from ejaculate, sperm recently recovered from the epididymides (EP), and sperm recovered from epididymides stored at 5°C for 24 hours (EP-stored). For the first category, two ejaculates from seven stallions were collected and then submitted to cryopreservation using an egg yolk-based extender. One week after the last semen collection, the stallions were submitted to bilateral orchiectomy, and sperm from one of the cauda epididymis was harvested immediately after castration (EP). The remaining testicle was stored in a passive refrigeration container at 5°C for 24 hours before the cauda epididymal sperm was harvested (EP-stored). Sperm harvesting from the epididymis for EP and EP-stored was performed by retrograde flushing of the caudal portion of the epididymis using a skim milk-based extender. The recovered sperm was then cryopreserved using the egg yolk-based extender. Sperm motility parameters were studied by computer-assisted semen analysis, and apoptosis was estimated by measuring caspase activity and membrane phospholipid translocation using epifluorescence microscopy. The samples were evaluated immediately (0 hour) and 8 hours after thawing. At 0 hour, no differences in sperm parameters were observed among the groups, but after 8 hours, significant statistical differences were observed in sperm motility parameters and plasma membrane integrity among the treatment groups. In addition, viable cells with no apoptotic signs were more prevalent in EP and EP-stored, suggesting that epididymal sperm is less sensitive to the cold shock caused by sperm cryopreservation

Behind the Scenes of Anthocyanins-From the Health Benefits to Potential Applications in Food, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Fields

Anthocyanins are widespread and biologically active water-soluble phenolic pigments responsible for a wide range of vivid colours, from red (acidic conditions) to purplish blue (basic conditions), present in fruits, vegetables, and coloured grains. The pigments' stability and colours are influenced mainly by pH but also by structure, temperature, and light. The colour-stabilizing mechanisms of plants are determined by inter- and intramolecular co-pigmentation and metal complexation, driven by van der Waals, π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and metal-ligand interactions. This group of flavonoids is well-known to have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which explains the biological effects associated with them. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the role of anthocyanins as natural colorants, showing they are less harmful than conventional colorants, with several technological potential applications in different industrial fields, namely in the textile and food industries, as well as in the development of photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells, as new photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy, pharmaceuticals, and in the cosmetic industry, mainly on the formulation of skin care formulations, sunscreen filters, nail colorants, skin & hair cleansing products, amongst others. In addition, we will unveil some of the latest studies about the health benefits of anthocyanins, mainly focusing on the protection against the most prevalent human diseases mediated by oxidative stress, namely cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes. The contribution of anthocyanins to visual health is also very relevant and will be briefly explored

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: what the neurologist should know

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a wellknown cause of disability among older people. A significant amount of these patients is asymptomatic. Once the symptoms start the worsening may follow a progressive manner. We should suspect of spondylotic myelopathy in any individual over 55 years presenting progressive changes in gait or losing fine motor control of the upper limbs. Despite its frequent prevalence, this condition is still neglected and many times confused with other supratentorial lesions regarding diagnostic. Here we address some of most important aspects of this disease, calling attention to pathophysiology, the natural history. presentation, differential diagnosis, clinical assessment and treatment.Natl Inst Traumatol & Orthoped, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Severino Sombra, Div Neurol, Grad Program Neurol Neurosci, Tavares Macedo St 95-902, BR-24220215 Vassouras, RJ, BrazilUniv Severino Sombra, Masters Program Urgencia & Emergencia Med, Vassouras, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Estado Rio de Janeiro, Sch Med, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilNeurology Division, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo, SP. BrazilUniv Fed Fluminense, Div Neurosurg, Niteroi, RJ, BrazilNeurology Division, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo, SP. BrazilWeb of Scienc

Communication: Transient Anion States Of Phenol…(h₂o)n (n = 1, 2) Complexes: Search For Microsolvation Signatures.

We report on the shape resonance spectra of phenol-water clusters, as obtained from elastic electron scattering calculations. Our results, along with virtual orbital analysis, indicate that the well-known indirect mechanism for hydrogen elimination in the gas phase is significantly impacted on by microsolvation, due to the competition between vibronic couplings on the solute and solvent molecules. This fact suggests how relevant the solvation effects could be for the electron-driven damage of biomolecules and the biomass delignification [E. M. de Oliveira et al., Phys. Rev. A 86, 020701(R) (2012)]. We also discuss microsolvation signatures in the differential cross sections that could help to identify the solvated complexes and access the composition of gaseous admixtures of these species.14105110

MnO2-Ir Nanowires: Combining Ultrasmall Nanoparticle Sizes, O-Vacancies, and Low Noble-Metal Loading with Improved Activities towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

"Although clean energy generation utilizing the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) can be considered a promising strategy, this approach remains challenging by the dependence on high loadings of noble metals, mainly Platinum (Pt). Therefore, efforts have been directed to develop new and efficient electrocatalysts that could decrease the Pt content (e.g., by nanotechnology tools or alloying) or replace them completely in these systems. The present investigation shows that high catalytic activity can be reached towards the ORR by employing 1.8 ± 0.7 nm Ir nanoparticles (NPs) deposited onto MnO2 nanowires surface under low Ir loadings (1.2 wt.%). Interestingly, we observed that the MnO2 -Ir nanohybrid presented high catalytic activity for the ORR close to commercial Pt/C (20.0 wt.% of Pt), indicating that it could obtain efficient performance using a simple synthetic procedure. The MnO2 -Ir electrocatalyst also showed improved stability relative to commercial Pt/C, in which only a slight activity loss was observed after 50 reaction cycles. Considering our findings, the superior performance delivered by the MnO2 -Ir nanohybrid may be related to (i) the significant concentration of reduced Mn3+ species, leading to increased concentration of oxygen vacancies at its surface; (ii) the presence of strong metal-support interactions (SMSI), in which the electronic effect between MnOx and Ir may enhance the ORR process; and (iii) the unique structure comprised by Ir ultrasmall sizes at the nanowire surface that enable the exposure of high energy surface/facets, high surface-to-volume ratios, and their uniform dispersion.

The relationship between genetic risk variants with brain structure and function in bipolar disorder: A systematic review of genetic-neuroimaging studies

Genetic-neuroimaging paradigms could provide insights regarding the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). Nevertheless, findings have been inconsistent across studies. A systematic review of gene-imaging studies involving individuals with BD was conducted across electronic major databases from inception until January 9th, 2017. Forty-four studies met eligibility criteria (N=2122 BD participants). Twenty-six gene variants were investigated across candidate gene studies and 4 studies used a genome-wide association approach. Replicated evidence (i.e. in >2 studies) suggests that individuals with BD carrying the BDNF Val66Met risk allele could have reduced hippocampal volumes compared to non-carriers. This review underscores the potential of gene-neuroimaging paradigms to provide mechanistic insights for BD. However, this systematic review found a single replicated finding. Suggestions to improve the reproducibility of this emerging field are provided, including the adoption of a trans-diagnostic approac