Human Sexual Cycles are Driven by Culture and Match Collective Moods

It is a long-standing question whether human sexual and reproductive cycles are affected predominantly by biology or culture. The literature is mixed with respect to whether biological or cultural factors best explain the reproduction cycle phenomenon, with biological explanations dominating the argument. The biological hypothesis proposes that human reproductive cycles are an adaptation to the seasonal cycles caused by hemisphere positioning, while the cultural hypothesis proposes that conception dates vary mostly due to cultural factors, such as vacation schedule or religious holidays. However, for many countries, common records used to investigate these hypotheses are incomplete or unavailable, biasing existing analysis towards primarily Christian countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we show that interest in sex peaks sharply online during major cultural and religious celebrations, regardless of hemisphere location. This online interest, when shifted by nine months, corresponds to documented human birth cycles, even after adjusting for numerous factors such as language, season, and amount of free time due to holidays. We further show that mood, measured independently on Twitter, contains distinct collective emotions associated with those cultural celebrations, and these collective moods correlate with sex search volume outside of these holidays as well. Our results provide converging evidence that the cyclic sexual and reproductive behavior of human populations is mostly driven by culture and that this interest in sex is associated with specific emotions, characteristic of, but not limited to, major cultural and religious celebrations.Comment: Main Paper: 21 pages, 4 figures Supplementary Material: 66 pages, 15 figures, 13 table

On the correlation between physicochemical properties of agar and its performance as edible coating and film to enhance shelf-life of fresh fruit

Agar is a biopolymer extensively used as gel and stabilizer. Depending on red seaweeds and agar extraction protocols, different physicochemical properties are attained. This research aimed at a better understanding the agar’s physicochemical properties effect on agar coatings performance to improve shelf-life of fresh fruits. Agar was extracted from red algae Gracilaria vermiculophylla in presence or absence of a pre-treatment with aqueous sodium hydroxide prior to extraction and purification. Agar extracts were characterized regarding molecular weight (Mw), sulphates, 3,6-anidrogalactoses (LA), gelation and melting point, extraction yield, gel strength, microstructure (via crio-SEM) and water content. Distinct agar-based coating and film formulations were prepared resorting to native and low sulphate and high anydrogalactose content-commercial agars. Glycerol and tween-80 were used as plasticizer and surfactant, respectively. Agar-based coatings were employed in fresh strawberries, which were further packed and stored at 10ºC, 80%RH and 25%van during 7-d, and shelf-life evaluated via several physicochemical, mechanical and nutritional parameters. Significant differences were observed in some properties, e.g. LA, sulphates, Mw, gel strength and microstructure – particularly in comparison to commercial agar. Coating data showed minor differences between native agar extracts and formulations but significant variations with commercial ones. Nevertheless, shelflife improvement was apparent in coated fruits when analysing colour and phenolics. Commercial agar led to slightly stronger films but native agar produced appropriated ones. This study confirms high correlations between extraction procedure and some properties of final agar which, in turn, have some key effects when used as edible coatings and films. Finally, potential use of G. vermiculophylla agar in coatings and films was established, contributing to the valorisation of environmental by-products

Effect of ferulic acid on the performance of soy protein isolate-based edible coatings applied to fresh-cut apples

The economic importance of fresh-cut fruit market is becoming progressively more significant, while the food industry shows increased interest in innovation of products bringing health benefits. The objective of this work was to assess the potential of incorporating ferulic acid (antioxidant with reported bioactivity that can act as cross-linking agent) in soy protein-based edible coating formulations in order to increase the quality and shelf life of fresh-cut apples (cv. Golden). Glycerol was used as plasticizer and ferulic acid was incorporated in concentrations between 1.0 and 4.0 g L?1. The properties of fresh-cut apples were analysed during seven days of storage at 10 °C. A common commercial antioxidant (sodium ascorbate at 10 g L?1) was tested for comparison. Uncoated apples and apples dipped into antioxidants solution were used as controls. The results emphasized the need to incorporate this phenolic antioxidant in a biopolymer matrix, due to its hydrophobic characteristics and consequently a poor dispersion along the surface of the fruit. They also indicate that the efficiency of the coatings incorporating ferulic acid is highly dependent on pH. The formulation with ferulic acid at 4.0 g L?1 and pH 7.0 has demonstrated potential application in extending the shelf life of fresh-cut apples.Thanks are due to the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (SusFoFlex, collaborative project number 289829, KBBE.2011.2.3-03). LAQV/REQUIMTE received financial support from FCT/MEC through national funds and FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020 (reference UID/QUI/50006/2013 - POCl/01/0145/FEDER/007265).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trypsin immobilisation on zeolites

This work compares different types of zeolites (NaA, NaX and NaY) as potential carriers for trypsin immobilisation. Silica was also used as a traditional carrier. Covalent attachment to the carriers was tested using glutaraldehyde. The efficiency of immobilisation and activity, operation and storage stability of free and immobilised enzyme on the three supports were studied. Optimum value of operation temperature was determined for trypsin immobilised on the best zeolite. Trypsin was most successfully immobilised on NaY by covalent attachment using glutaraldehyde. Though the best efficiencies were still obtained with silica, promising results were achieved with zeolite NaY. The ratio of immobilised protein achieved was very high, especially with silica, NaX and NaY. However there was a significant loss of enzyme activity with the immobilisation of trypsin. Optimal temperature obtained with immobilised enzyme was ca. 60 ºC, higher than the correspondent temperature for free enzyme (50 ºC).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI/2000/QUI/36452.European Social Fund (ESF)

A comparative analysis on the efficiency of different carriers for trypsin immobilization

CHISA 2008 - 18th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering (CD-ROM of Full Texts)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análise em tempo-real da variação intra-cíclica da velocidade de atletas: uma abordagem baseada em labview®

Este artigo descreve o desenvolvimento de um software baseado em LabVIEW® para a leitura de velocidade de atletas em meio aquático (p.e, natação) e em meio terrestre (marcha). Os dados em tensão adquiridos por uma placa de aquisição de dados USB de baixo custo, fornecidos pelo equipamento comercial swim speedo-meter da empresa swimsportec. O software desenvolvido permite a visualização em tempo-real dos dados de velocidade e também permite a sua análise à posterior sendo guardados num ficheiro. Os valores de tensão para as diferentes velocidades foram obtidos executando deslocamentos lineares com recurso a um robô industrial ABB IRB 1400 existente no Laboratório de Automação Controlo e Robótica da Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança

Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3 on polymeric substrate for X-ray detectors based on the seebeck effect

A theoretical and experimental basis for a x-ray detector concept, based on the conversion of x-rays into thermal energy is presented. The detector follows an indirect approach: the x-rays are first converted into thermal energy, which is then converted into electrical signals by the Seebeck effect. The detector does not need high operating voltages as the detectors based on photoconductors, it shows higher efficiency in energy conversion than x-ray detectors based on scintillators and it has a better intrinsic signal to noise ratio than both photoconductor and scintillator methods. Moreover, this technique allows the fabrication of x-ray detectors on polymeric substrates, which is not so viable with the other aforementioned methods. As a drawback, the frequency response of this detector is usually low. This drawback can be overcome by reducing the mass of the detector.PTDC/CTM-AN/121038/2010 SFRH/BSAB/1014/201

Goldenhar syndrome: a rare diagnosis with possible prenatal findings

Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital disease associated with hemifacial hypoplasia as well as ear and ocular defects. Sometimes it is also associated with vertebral and other bone defects, cardiac malformations and central nervous system anomalies. Its aetiology is not yet clarified in the literature. We present a case of multiple malformations detected in the morphology ultrasound (at 22 weeks of gestation), namely absent nasal bones, micrognathia and absent left radius, among other defects. Genetic counselling, fetal brain MRI and cardiac sonography, which showed ventricular septal defect, were performed. 11 syndromes with poor fetal or neonatal prognosis were identified as possible diagnosis, using a genetic database and the couple asked for a medical termination of pregnancy. Postmortem examination has shown features consistent with Goldenhar syndrome

Influence of the concentration of locust bean gum on the gelling ability of whey peptic hydrolysates

The gelling ability of whey proteins can be changed by limited hydrolysis and by the presence of other components such as polysaccharides; depending on the environmental conditions it can either be improved or impaired. In this work the effect of LBG on the heat-set gelation of aqueous whey protein hydrolysates (10 % w/w) from pepsin was assessed at pH 7.0 by small deformation rheology. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and hydrolysates with a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 1.5, 2.5 and 4.9 % were used. Different LBG concentrations were tested: 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.55 % (w/w). The behaviour of gels from whey proteins or whey protein hydrolysates towards the presence of LBG was very similar. The evolution of the viscous and storage moduli followed the general behaviour reported for many biopolymer heat-set gelation processes including whey proteins gelation. The increase in the LBG concentration generally led to a decrease in the gel strength. However, for whey proteins a small amount of LBG (0.1 %) leads to a big enhancement in the gel strength probably due to an increase in the protein concentration of the protein enriched phase. Further increases in the LBG concentration led to a decrease in the gel strength. The gelation process is very sensible to environmental conditions and to processing and often leads to rather coarse data. The factorial planning used allowed validating conclusions using fewer experiments than those needed if no planning had been used, while still getting statistical significance out of the results. However, as many factors are involved, the modelling of the process was not straightforward