The metabolomic-gut-clinical axis of Mankai plant-derived dietary polyphenols

24openInternationalBothBackground: Polyphenols are secondary metabolites produced by plants to defend themselves from environmental stressors. We explored the effect of Wolffia globosa ‘Mankai’, a novel cultivated strain of a polyphenol-rich aquatic plant, on the metabolomic-gut clinical axis in vitro, in-vivo and in a clinical trial. Methods: We used mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics methods from three laboratories to detect Mankai phenolic metabolites and examined predicted functional pathways in a Mankai artificial-gut bioreactor. Plasma and urine polyphenols were assessed among the 294 DIRECT-PLUS 18-month trial participants, comparing the effect of a polyphenol-rich green-Mediterranean diet (+1240 mg/polyphenols/day, provided by Mankai, green tea and walnuts) to a walnuts-enriched (+440 mg/polyphenols/day) Mediterranean diet and a healthy controlled diet. Results: Approximately 200 different phenolic compounds were specifically detected in the Mankai plant. The Mankai-supplemented bioreactor artificial gut displayed a significantly higher relative-abundance of 16S-rRNA bacterial gene sequences encoding for enzymes involved in phenolic compound degradation. In humans, several Mankai-related plasma and urine polyphenols were differentially elevated in the green Mediterranean group compared with the other groups (p < 0.05) after six and 18 months of intervention (e.g., urine hydroxy-phenyl-acetic-acid and urolithin-A; plasma Naringenin and 2,5-diOH-benzoic-acid). Specific polyphenols, such as urolithin-A and 4-ethylphenol, were directly involved with clinical weight-related changes. Conclusions: The Mankai new plant is rich in various unique potent polyphenols, potentially affecting the metabolomic-gut-clinical axisopenYaskolka Meir, A.; Tuohy, K.; von Bergen, M.; Krajmalnik-Brown, R.; Heinig, U.; Zelicha, H.; Tsaban, G.; Rinott. E.; Kaplan, A.; Aharoni, A.; Zeibich, L.; Chang, D.; Dirks, B.; Diotallevi, C.; Arapitsas, P.; Vrhovsek, U.; Ceglarek, U.; Haange, S.; Rolle-Kampczyk, U.; Engelmann, B.; Lapidot, M.; Colt, M.; Sun, Q.; Shai, I.Yaskolka Meir, A.; Tuohy, K.; von Bergen, M.; Krajmalnik-Brown, R.; Heinig, U.; Zelicha, H.; Tsaban, G.; Rinot, T.E.; Kaplan, A.; Aharoni, A.; Zeibich, L.; Chang, D.; Dirks, B.; Diotallevi, C.; Arapitsas, P.; Vrhovsek, U.; Ceglarek, U.; Haange, S.; Rolle-Kampczyk, U.; Engelmann, B.; Lapidot, M.; Colt, M.; Sun, Q.; Shai, I

Electrical transport and magnetic properties of the misfit layer compound (LaS)1.14NbS2

(LaS)1.14NbS2 is a misfit layer compound built of alternate double layers of LaS with La in square pyramidal coordination with sulphur and sandwiched with NbS2 as occurs in 2H-NbS2. The electrical transport properties and magnetic properties were determined using single crystals and powder compacts. The compound is a p-type metal (Hall coefficient RH and Seebeck coefficient positive) with a strong anisotropy of the electrical resistivity: rho perpendicular to c/ rho /sub //c/=5*10-5. The electrical transport properties are interpreted as being due to holes in 4d(z2) band of the NbS2 part of the structure. The 4d(z2) band which is half-filled in the case of 2H-NbS2 contains 0.12 hole/Nb atom. This corresponds to a donation of 0.88 electron/Nb atom from the LaS part, the charge of La being +2.8. The magnetic properties are interpreted as being due to the LaS part. In the temperature region 40-300 K the curve of reciprocal magnetic susceptibility (not corrected) against T is linear with a Curie constant C of 1.4*10-6 m3 K (mol La)-1 corresponding to 0.14 4f electron at La, 0.86 electron being donated to the 4d(z2) band of the NbS2 part. Down to 4 K there are no signs of superconductivity

Beitrag zur Beschichtung von Kernbrennstoffteilchen im Fließbett

In a fluidized bed of a conical 3 inch coating furnace temperature gradients, zones of deposition and the composition of the gas mixture in and above the bed were studied. Measurements with thermo-couples as well as theoretical co siderations led to defining the temperature distribution regarding the particles and the gas composition across the bed. Thermal equilibrium was found to exist between the incoming gas and the bed of particles beyond a short heating-up stage above the nozzle system. No significant axial temperature gradients were detected here; radial temperature gradients remain small (<20 °C). Zones of deposition were defined by thickness measurements carried out on the pyrocarbon deposits obtained on small fixed rods mounted in the bed. Comparison of plasma-oxidized pyrocarbon deposits on particles and fixed rods demonstrates the strong influence of particle movement and gas velocity on the structure of the pyrocarbon. Gas was sampled in the zone of reaction by a suction method using small graphites tubes. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Measurement results compared with calculated gas composition for the thermodynamical equilibrium case rendered the composition to approach that of equilibrium above the heating-up stage