Haplotypes of intron 4 of the estrogen receptor alpha gene and hip fractures: a replication study in Caucasians

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite their great impact, few genetic association studies have used hip fractures as an endpoint. However, the association of two polymorphisms on intron 4 of estrogen receptor alpha (<it>ESR1</it>) with hip fractures was recently reported in a Chinese population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether such association is also present in Caucasians.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed those two SNPs and another neighbour SNP located on the exon 4 of <it>ESR1 </it>in 787 patients with hip fractures and 953 controls from Spain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The allelic frequencies differed markedly from those reported in Asian populations. Nevertheless, haplotypes including the rs3020314 and rs1884051 loci in intron 4 showed a significant association with hip fractures (omnibus test p = 0.006 in the whole group and 0.00005 in women). In the sex-stratified analysis, the association was significant in females, but not in males. In women, the CA haplotype appeared to have a protective influence, being present in 6.5% of the controls, but only in 3% of patients with fractures (odds ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.59; estimated population preventive fraction 3.5%). The inclusion of the rs1801132 SNP of exon 4 further increased the statistical significance of the association (odds ratio 0.17; 95% CI 0.08-0.37; p = 0.00001). Each SNP appeared to contribute independently to the association. No genotype-related differences in gene expression were found in 42 femoral bone samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study confirms the association of some polymorphisms in the region of exon 4/intron 4 of <it>ESR1 </it>and hip fractures in women. However, there are marked differences in allele frequencies between Asian and Caucasian populations.</p

Extremely Long-Lived Stigmas Allow Extended Cross-Pollination Opportunities in a High Andean Plant

High-elevation ecosystems are traditionally viewed as environments in which predominantly autogamous breeding systems should be selected because of the limited pollinator availability. Chaetanthera renifolia (Asteraceae) is an endemic monocarpic triennial herb restricted to a narrow altitudinal range within the high Andes of central Chile (3300–3500 m a.s.l.), just below the vegetation limit. This species displays one of the larger capitulum within the genus. Under the reproductive assurance hypothesis, and considering its short longevity (monocarpic triennial), an autogamous breeding system and low levels of pollen limitation would be predicted for C. renifolia. In contrast, considering its large floral size, a xenogamous breeding system, and significant levels of pollen limitation could be expected. In addition, the increased pollination probability hypothesis predicts prolonged stigma longevity for high alpine plants. We tested these alternative predictions by performing experimental crossings in the field to establish the breeding system and to measure the magnitude of pollen limitation in two populations of C. renifolia. In addition, we measured the stigma longevity in unpollinated and open pollinated capitula, and pollinator visitation rates in the field. We found low levels of self-compatibility and significant levels of pollen limitation in C. renifolia. Pollinator visitation rates were moderate (0.047–0.079 visits per capitulum per 30 min). Although pollinator visitation rate significantly differed between populations, they were not translated into differences in achene output. Finally, C. renifolia stigma longevity of unpollinated plants was extremely long and significantly higher than that of open pollinated plants (26.3±2.8 days vs. 10.1±2.2, respectively), which gives support to the increased pollination probability hypothesis for high-elevation flowering plants. Our results add to a growing number of studies that show that xenogamous breeding systems and mechanisms to increase pollination opportunities can be selected in high-elevation ecosystems

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of natural products

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) is an interesting process to obtain high valuable compounds and could contribute to the increase in the value of some food by-products when used as sources of natural compounds. The main benefits will be a more effective extraction, thus saving energy, and also the use of moderate temperatures, which is beneficial for heat-sensitive compounds. For a successful application of the USAE, it is necessary to consider the influence of several process variables, the main ones being the applied ultrasonic power, the frequency, the extraction temperature, the reactor characteristics, and the solvent-sample interaction. The highest extraction rate is usually achieved in the first few minutes, which is the most profitable period. To optimize the process, rate equations and unambiguous process characterization are needed, aspects that have often been lacking. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.The authors thank the Generalitat Valenciana for their financial support in project PROMETEO/2010/062 and the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo for M.D. Esclapez's pre-doctoral grant.Esclapez Vicente, MD.; García Pérez, JV.; Mulet Pons, A.; Cárcel Carrión, JA.; Esclapez, MD. (2011). Ultrasound-assisted extraction of natural products. Food Engineering Reviews. 3(2):108-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12393-011-9036-6S10812032Abad Romero B, Bou-Maroun E, Reparet JM, Blanquet J, Cayot N (2010) Impact of lipid extraction on the dearomatisation of an Eisenia foetida protein powder. Food Chem 119:459–466Adewuyi YG (2001) Sonochemistry: environmental science and engineering applications. Ind Eng Chem Res 40:4681–4715Atchley AA, Crum LA (1988) Acoustic cavitation and bubble dynamics. In: Suslick KS (ed) Ultrasound, its chemical, physical, and biological effects. VHS Publishers, Weinheim, pp 1–64Arnold G, Leiteritz L, Zahn S, Rohm H (2009) Ultrasonic cutting of cheese: composition affects cutting work reduction and energy demand. Int Dairy J 19:314–320Barbero GF, Liazid A, Palma M, Barroso CG (2008) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of capsaicinoids from peppers. Talanta 75:1332–1337Benedito J, Carcel JA, Sanjuan N, Mulet A (2000) Use of ultrasound to assess Cheddar cheese characteristics. Ultrasonics 38:727–730Benedito J, Carcel JA, Rossello C, Mulet A (2001) Composition assessment of raw meat mixtures using ultrasonics. Meat Sci 57:365–370Bhaskaracharya RK, Kentish S, Ashokkumar M (2009) Selected applications of ultrasonics in food processing. Food Eng Rev 1:31–49Boonkird S, Phisalaphong C, Phisalaphong M (2008) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of capsaicinoids from Capsicum frutescens on a lab- and pilot-plant scale. Ultrason Sonochem 15:1075–1079Cárcel JA, Benedito J, Bon J, Mulet A (2007) High intensity ultrasound effects on meat brining. Meat Sci 76:611–619Cárcel JA, Benedito J, Rosselló C, Mulet A (2007) Influence of ultrasound intensity on mass transfer in apple immersed in a sucrose solution. J Food Eng 78:472–479Cavitus (2009) Grape colour and flavour extraction (Pat. Pend.) for red must extraction http://www.cavitus.com . Crafers. Accessed 10 Jan 2011Chea Chua S, Ping Tan C, Mirhosseini H, Ming Lai O, Long K, Sham Baharin B (2009) Optimization of ultrasound extraction condition of phospholipids from palm-pressed fiber. J Food Eng 92:403–409Chena R, Menga F, Zhang S, Liu Z (2009) Effects of ultrahigh pressure extraction conditions on yields and antioxidant activity of ginsenoside from ginseng. Sep Purif Technol 66:340–346Chivate MM, Pandit AB (1995) Quantification of cavitation intensity in fluid bulk. Ultrason Sonochem 2:19–25Da Porto C, Decorti D (2009) Ultrasound-assisted extraction coupled with under vacuum distillation of flavour compounds from spearmint (carvone-rich) plants: comparison with conventional hydrodistillation. Ultrason Sonochem 16:795–799Da Porto C, Decorti D, Kikic I (2009) Flavour compounds of Lavandula angustifolia L. to use in food manufacturing: Comparison of three different extraction methods. Food Chem 112:1072–1078Domínguez H, Núñez MJ, Lema JM (1994) Enzymatic pretreatment to enhance oil extraction from fruits and oilseeds: a review. Food Chem 49:271–286Dong J, Liu Y, Liang Z, Wanga W (2010) Investigation on ultrasound-assisted extraction of salvianolic acid B from Salvia miltiorrhiza root. Ultrason Sonochem 17:61–65Entezari MH, Kruus P (1994) Effect of frequency on sonochemical reactions. I: oxidation of iodide. Ultrason Sonochem 1:75–79Esclapez MD, Sáez V, Milán-Yáñez D, Tudela I, Louisnard O, González-García J (2010) Sonoelectrochemical treatment of water polluted with trichloroacetic acid: from sonovoltammetry to pre-pilot plant scale. Ultrason Sonochem 17:1010–1020Ferraro V, Cruz IB, Ferreira R, Malcata JFX, Pintado ME, Castro PML (2010) Valorisation of natural extracts from marine source focused on marine by-products: review. Food Res Int 43:2221–2233Fischer CH, Hart EJ, Henglein AJ (1986) Hydrogen/deuterium isotope exchange in the hydrogen deuteride-water system under the influence of ultrasound. Phys Chem 90:3059–3060Garcia-Noguera J, Weller CL, Oliveira FIP, Rodrigues S, Fernandes FAN (2010) Dual-stage sugar substitution in strawberries with a Stevia-based sweetener. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 11:225–230García-Pérez JV, Cárcel JA, de la Fuente-Blanco S, Riera-Franco de Sarabia E (2006) Ultrasonic drying of foodstuff in a fluidized bed: parametric study. Ultrasonics 44:539–543García-Pérez JV, García-Alvarado MA, Carcel JA, Mulet A (2010) Extraction kinetics modeling of antioxidants from grape stalk (Vitis vinifera var. Bobal): Influence of drying conditions. J Food Eng 101:49–58González-García J, Sáez V, Tudela I, Díez-Garcia MI, Esclapez MD, Louisnard O (2010) Sonochemical treatment of water polluted by chlorinated organocompounds. A review. Water 2:28–74Handa SS, Preet S, Khanuja S, Longo G, Rakesh DD (2008) Extraction Technologies for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Centre for Science and High Technology, TriesteHemwimol S, Pavasant P, Shotipruk A (2006) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthraquinones from roots of Morinda citrifolia. Ultrason Sonochem 13:543–548Hielscher (2011) Teltow http:// www.hielscher.com . Accessed 10 Jan 2011Hu Y, Wang T, Wang M, Han S, Wan P, Fan M (2008) Extraction of isoflavonoids from Pueraria by combining ultrasound with microwave vacuum. Chem Engin Process 47:2256–2261Ince NH, Tezcanli G, Belen RK, Apikyan PG (2001) Ultrasound as a catalyzer of aqueous reaction systems: the state of the art and environmental applications. Appl Catal B 29:167–176Jadhav D, Rekha BN, Gogate PR, Rathod VK (2009) Extraction of vanillin from vanilla pods: a comparison study of conventional soxhlet and ultrasound assisted extraction. J Food Eng 93:421–426Ji J-b, Lu X-h, Cai M-q, Xu C-c (2006) Improvement of leaching process of Geniposide with ultrasound. Ultrason Sonochem 13:455–462Kanthale PM, Gogate PR, Pandit AB, Wilhelm AM (2003) Mapping of an ultrasonic horn: link primary and secondary effects of ultrasound. Ultrason Sonochem 10:331–335Karki B, Lamsal BP, Jung S, van Leeuwen JH, Pometto AL III, Grewell D, Khanal SK (2010) Enhancing protein and sugar release from defatted soy flakes using ultrasound technology. J Food Eng 96:270–278Kardos N, Luche J-L (2001) Sonochemistry of carbohydrate compounds. Carbohydr Res 332:115–131Kotronarou A, Mills G, Hoffmann MR (1991) Ultrasonic Irradiation of para-Nitrophenol in Aqueous Solution. J Phys Chem 95:3630–3638Kuijpers MWA, Kemmere MF, Keurentjes JTF (2002) Calorimetric study of the energy efficiency for ultrasound-induced radical formation. Ultrasonics 40:675–678Leighton TG (2007) What is ultrasound? Prog Biophys Mol Biol 93:3–83Leonelli C, Mason TJ (2010) Microwave and ultrasonic processing: now a realistic option for industry. Chem Eng Process 49:885–900Li H, Pordesimo L, Weiss J (2004) High intensity ultrasound-assisted extraction of oil from soybeans. Food Res Int 37:731–738Liu J, Li J-W, Tang J (2010) Ultrasonically assisted extraction of total carbohydrates from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and identification of extracts. Food Bioprod Process 88:215–221Lianfu Z, Zelong L (2008) Optimization and comparison of ultrasound/microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) and ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) of lycopene from tomatoes. Ultrason Sonochem 15:731–737Liazid A, Schwarz M, Varela RM, Palma M, Guillén DA, Brigui J, Macías FA, Barroso CG (2010) Evaluation of various extraction techniques for obtaining bioactive extracts from pine seeds. Food Bioprod Process 88:247–252Londoño-Londoño J, Rodrigues de Lima V, Lara O, Gil A, Crecsynski Pasa TB, Arango GJ, Ramirez Pineda JR (2010) Clean recovery of antioxidant flavonoids from citrus peel: optimizing an aqueous ultrasound-assisted extraction method. Food Chem 119:81–87Lou Z, Wang H, Zhang M, Wang Z (2010) Improved extraction of oil from chickpea under ultrasound in a dynamic system. J Food Eng 98:13–18Louisnard O, González-García J, Tudela I, Klima J, Sáez V, Vargas-Hernández Y (2009) FEM simulation of a sono-reactor accounting for vibrations of the boundaries. Ultrason Sonochem 16:250–259Luque de Castro MD, Priego-Capote F (2007) Analytical Applications of Ultrasound, Vol. 26, Techniques and Instrumentation in Analytical Chemistry. Elsevier Science, AmsterdamMa Y, Ye X, Hao Y, Xu G, Xu G, Liu D (2008) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of hesperidin from Penggan (Citrus reticulata) peel. Ultrason Sonochem 15:227–232Ma Y, Chen J-C, Liu Dong-Hong, Ye X-Q (2009) Simultaneous extraction of phenolic compounds of citrus peel extracts: effect of ultrasound. Ultrason Sonochem 16:57–62Makino K, Mossoba MM, Riesz P (1982) Chemical effects of ultrasound on aqueous solutions. Evidence for hydroxyl and hydrogen free radicals (.cntdot. OH and. cntdot. H) by spin trapping. J Chem Soc 104:3537–3539Margulis MA, Margulis IM (2003) Calorimetric method for measurement of acoustic power absorbed in a volume of liquid. Ultrason Sonochem 10:343–345Martin CJ, Law ANR (1983) Design of thermistor probes for measurement of ultrasound intensity distributions. Ultrasonics 21:85–90Mason TJ, Lorimer JP, Bates DM, Zhao Y (1994) Dosimetry in sonochemistry: the use of aqueous terephthalate ion as a fluorescence monitor. Ultrason Sonochem 1:91–95Meinhardt (2011) Leipzig. http://www.meinhardt-ultraschall.de . Accessed 10 Jan 2011Montalbo-Lomboy M, Khanal SK, van Leeuwen JH, Raman DR, Dunn L Jr, Grewell D Jr (2010) Ultrasonic pretreatment of corn slurry for saccharification: a comparison of batch and continuous Systems. Ultrason Sonochem 17:939–946Mulet A, Cárcel JA, Sanjuán N, Bon J (2003) New food drying technologies. Use of ultrasound. Food Sci Technol Int 9:215–221Naguleswaran S, Vasanthan T (2010) Dry milling of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) groats prior to wet fractionation influences the starch yield and purity. Food Chem 118:627–633Orozco-Solano M, Ruiz-Jiménez J, Luque de Castro MD (2010) Ultrasound-assisted extraction and derivatization of sterols and fatty alcohols from olive leaves and drupes prior to determination by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1217:1227–1235Patist A, Bates D (2008) Ultrasonic innovations in the food industry: from the laboratory to commercial production. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 9:147–154Price GJ (1990) The use of ultrasound for the controlled degradation of polymer solutions. In: Mason TJ (ed) Advances in sonochemistry, vol 1. Jai Press, Cambridge, pp 231–287Riener J, Noci G, Cronin DA, Morgan DJ, Lyng JG (2010) A comparison of selected quality characteristics of yoghurts prepared from thermosonicated and conventionally heated milks. Food Chem 119:1108–1113Riera E, Golás Y, Blanco A, Gallego JA, Blasco M, Mulet A (2004) Mass transfer enhancement in supercritical fluids extraction by means of power ultrasound. Ultrason Sonochem 11:241–244Riera E, Blanco A, García J, Benedito J, Mulet A, Gallego-Juárez JA, Blasco M (2010) High-power ultrasonic system for the enhancement of mass transfer in supercritical CO2 extraction processes. Physics Procedia 3:141–146Roldán-Gutiérrez JM, Ruiz-Jiménez J, Luque de Castro MD (2008) Ultrasound-assisted dynamic extraction of valuable compounds from aromatic plants and flowers as compared with steam distillation and superheated liquid extraction. Talanta 75:1369–1375Romdhane M, Gourdon C (2002) Investigation in solid–liquid extraction: influence of ultrasound. Chem Eng J 87:11–19Rong L, Kojima Y, Koda S, Nomura H (2008) Simple quantification of ultrasonic intensity using aqueous solution of phenolphthalein. Ultrason Sonochem 8:11–15Sáez V, Frias-Ferrer A, Iniesta J, Gonzalez-Garcıa J, Aldaz A, Riera E (2005) Chacterization of a 20 kHz sonoreactor. Part I: analysis of mechanical effects by classical and numerical methods. Ultrason Sonochem 12:59–65Sáez V, Frias-Ferrer A, Iniesta J, Gonzalez-Garcıa J, Aldaz A, Riera E (2005) Characterization of a 20 kHz sonoreactor. Part II: analysis of chemical effects by classical and electrochemical methods. Ultrason Sonochem 12:67–72Sahena F, Zaidul ISM, Jinap S, Karim AA, Abbas KA, Norulaini NAN, Omar AKM (2009) Application of supercritical CO2 in lipid extraction–A review. J Food Eng 95:240–253Science Direct Database (2011) www.sciencedirect.com (Data of consulting: February 2011)Soria AC, Villamiel M (2010) Effect of ultrasound on the technological properties and bioactivity of food: a review. Trends Food Sci Technol 21:323–331Starmans DAJ, Nijhuis HH (1996) Extraction of secondary metabolites from plant material: a review. Trends Food Sci Technol 7:191–197Sivakumar V, Lakshmi Anna J, Vijayeeswarri J, Swaminathan G (2009) Ultrasound assisted enhancement in natural dye extraction from beetroot for industrial applications and natural dyeing of leather. Ultrason Sonochem 16:782–789Stanisavljevic IT, Lazic ML, Veljkovic VB (2007) Ultrasonic extraction of oil from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) seeds. Ultrason Sonochem 14:646–652Sun Y, Liu D, Chen J, Ye X, Yu D (2011) Effects of different factors of ultrasound treatment on the extraction yield of the all-trans-b-carotene from citrus peels. Ultrason Sonochem 18:243–249Suslick KS (2001) Sonoluminescence and sonochemistry. In: Meyers RA (ed) Encyclopedia of physical science and technology, vol 17, 3rd edn. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 363–376Trabelsi F, Ait-Iyazidi H, Berlan J, Fabre PL, Delmas H, Wilhelm AM (1996) Electrochemical determination of the active zones in a high-frequency ultrasonic reactor. Ultrason Sonochem 3:125–130Veillet S, Tomao V, Chemat F (2010) Ultrasound assisted maceration: an original procedure for direct aromatisation of olive oil with basil. Food Chem 123:905–911Velickovic DT, Milenovic DM, Ristic MS, Veljkovic VB (2008) Ultrasonic extraction of waste solid residues from the Salvia sp. Essential oil hydrodistillation. Biochem Eng J 42:97–104Vercet A, Burgos J, Crelier S, Lopez-Buesa P (2001) Inactivation of proteases and lipases by ultrasound. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 2:139–150Vilkhu K, Mawson R, Simons L, Bates D (2008) Applications and opportunities for ultrasound assisted extraction in the food industry—A review. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 9:161–169Vinatoru M (2001) An overview of the ultrasonically assisted extraction of bioactive principles from herbs. Ultrason Sonochem 8:303–313Virot M, Tomao V, Le Bourvellec C, Renard CMCG, Chemat F (2010) Towards the industrial production of antioxidants from food processing by-products with ultrasound-assisted extraction. Ultrason Sonochem 17:1066–1074Wang J, Sun B, Cao Y, Tian Y, Li X (2008) Optimisation of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from wheat bran. Food Chem 106:804–810Wang L, Weller CL (2006) Recent advances in extraction of nutraceuticals from plants. Trends Food Sci Technol 17:300–312Wei X, Chen M, Xiao Ja, Liu Y, Yu L, Zhang H, Wang Y (2010) Composition and bioactivity of tea flower polysaccharides obtained by different methods. Carbohydr Polym 79:418–422Weissler A, Cooper HW, Snyder S (1950) Chemical effects of ultrasonic waves: oxidation of potassium iodide solution by carbon tetrachloride. J Am Chem Soc 72:1769–1775Wulff-Pérez M, Torcello-Gómez A, Gálvez-Ruíz MJ, Martín-Rodríguez A (2009) Stability of emulsions for parenteral feeding: preparation and characterization of o/w nanoemulsions with natural oils and Pluronic f68 as surfactant. Food Hydrocolloids 23:1096–1102Yang B, Yang H, Li J, Li Z, Jiang Y (2011) Amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution and antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates of soy sauce lees. Food Chem 124:551–555Yang Y, Zhang F (2008) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of rutin and quercetin from Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. Ultrason Sonochem 15:308–313Zhang Z-S, Wang L-J, Li D, Jiao S-S, Chena XD, Maoa Z-H (2008) Ultrasound-assisted extraction of oil from flaxseed. Sep Purif Technol 62:192–198Zhang H-F, Yang X-H, Zhao L-D, Wang Y (2009) Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of epimedin C from fresh leaves of Epimedium and extraction mechanism. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 10:54–60Zhang Q-A, Zhang Z-Q, Yue X-F, Fan X-H, Li T, Chen S-F (2009) Response surface optimization of ultrasound-assisted oil extraction from autoclaved almond powder. Food Chem 116:513–518Zhao S, Kwok K-C, Liang H (2007) Investigation on ultrasound assisted extraction of saikosaponins from Radix Bupleuri. Sep Purif Technol 55:307–312Zhu KX, Sun X-H, Zhou H-M (2009) Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of defatted wheat germ proteins by reverse micelles. J Cereal Sci 50:266–271Zheng L, Sun D-W (2006) Innovative applications of power ultrasound during food freezing processes—a review. Trends Food Sci Technol 17:16–23Zou Y, Xie C, Fan G, Gu Z, Han Y (2010) Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of melanin from Auricularia auricula fruit bodies. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 11:611–61

Marine mammals and Good Environmental Status: Science, Policy and Society; Challenges and Opportunities

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive has become the key instrument for marine conservation in European seas. We review its implementation, focusing on cetacean biodiversity, using the examples of Spain and the Regional Seas Convention, OSPAR. The MSFD has been widely criticised for legal vagueness, lack of coordination, uncertainty about funding, and poor governance; its future role within EU Integrated Maritime Policy remains unclear. Nevertheless, the first stages of the process have run broadly to schedule: current status, environmental objectives and indicators have been described and the design of monitoring programmes is in progress, drawing on experience with other environmental legislation. The MSFD is now entering its critical phase, with lack of funding for monitoring, limited scope for management interventions, and uncertainty about how conservation objectives will be reconciled with the needs of other marine and maritime sectors, being among the main concerns. Clarity in governance, about the roles of the EU, Member States, Regional Seas Conventions and stakeholders, is needed to ensure success. However, even if (as seems likely) good environmental status cannot be achieved by 2020, significant steps will have been taken to place environmental sustainability centre-stage in the development of Integrated Maritime Policy for EU seas.Postprin

Chemicals released by male sea cucumber mediate aggregation and spawning behaviours

The importance of chemical communication in reproduction has been demonstrated in many marine broadcast spawners. However, little is known about the use of chemical communication by echinoderms, the nature of the compounds involved and their mechanism(s) of action. Here, the hypothesis that the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis uses chemical communication for aggregation and spawning was tested. Water conditioned by males, but not females, attracted both males and females; gonad homogenates and coelomic fluid had no effect on attraction. Male spawning water, but not female spawning water, stimulated males and females to release their gametes; the spermatozoa alone did not induce spawning. H. arguinensis male spawning water also induced spawning in the phylogenetically related H. mammata. This indicates that males release pheromones together with their gametes that induce spawning in conspecifics and possibly sympatric species. Finally, the male pheromone seems to be a mixture with at least one labile compound (biological activity is lost after four hours at ambient temperature) possibly including phosphatidylcholines. The identification of pheromones in sea cucumbers offers a new ecological perspective and may have practical applications for their aquaculture.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [UID/Multi/04326/2013, SFRH/BD/90761/2012]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Methodologies used to estimate tobacco-attributable mortality: a review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One of the most important measures for ascertaining the impact of tobacco on a population is the estimation of the mortality attributable to its use. To measure this, a number of indirect methods of quantification are available, yet there is no consensus as to which furnishes the best information. This study sought to provide a critical overview of the different methods of attribution of mortality due to tobacco consumption.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A search was made in the Medline database until March 2005 in order to obtain papers that addressed the methodology employed for attributing mortality to tobacco use.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the total of 7 methods obtained, the most widely used were the prevalence methods, followed by the approach proposed by Peto et al, with the remainder being used in a minority of studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Different methodologies are used to estimate tobacco attributable mortality, but their methodological foundations are quite similar in all. Mainly, they are based on the calculation of proportional attributable fractions. All methods show limitations of one type or another, sometimes common to all methods and sometimes specific.</p

Counteracting Quasispecies Adaptability: Extinction of a Ribavirin-Resistant Virus Mutant by an Alternative Mutagenic Treatment

[Background] Lethal mutagenesis, or virus extinction promoted by mutagen-induced elevation of mutation rates of viruses, may meet with the problem of selection of mutagen-resistant variants, as extensively documented for standard, nonmutagenic antiviral inhibitors. Previously, we characterized a mutant of foot-and-mouth disease virus that included in its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase replacement M296I that decreased the sensitivity of the virus to the mutagenic nucleoside analogue ribavirin.[Methodology and Principal Findings] Replacement M296I in the viral polymerase impedes the extinction of the mutant foot-and-mouth disease virus by elevated concentrations of ribavirin. In contrast, wild type virus was extinguished by the same ribavirin treatment and, interestingly, no mutants resistant to ribavirin were selected from the wild type populations. Decreases of infectivity and viral load of the ribavirin-resistant M296I mutant were attained with a combination of the mutagen 5-fluorouracil and the non-mutagenic inhibitor guanidine hydrocloride. However, extinction was achieved with a sequential treatment, first with ribavirin, and then with a minimal dose of 5-fluorouracil in combination with guanidine hydrochloride. Both, wild type and ribavirin-resistant mutant M296I exhibited equal sensitivity to this combination, indicating that replacement M296I in the polymerase did not confer a significant cross-resistance to 5-fluorouracil. We discuss these results in relation to antiviral designs based on lethal mutagenesis[Conclusions] (i) When dominant in the population, a mutation that confers partial resistance to a mutagenic agent can jeopardize virus extinction by elevated doses of the same mutagen. (ii) A wild type virus, subjected to identical high mutagenic treatment, need not select a mutagen-resistant variant, and the population can be extinguished. (iii) Extinction of the mutagen-resistant variant can be achieved by a sequential treatment of a high dose of the same mutagen, followed by a combination of another mutagen with an antiviral inhibitor.Work supported by grants BFU2005-00863, BFU2008-02816/BMC, Proyecto Intramural de Frontera del CSIC 200820FO191, FIPSE 36558/06, and Fundacio´n Ramo´n Areces. CIBERehd is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscriptPeer reviewe