New Method to Harness More Wind Energy

A new and novel method to harness more wind energy has been designed Details of the experimental results and theoretical explanation is presented in the paper. The simplicity and economic viability of the method is expected to be a boon in converting poor windy sites to usable ones and to harness more energy at the existing windmill sites

Dispersal of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus: the first case of long-distance relocation of an individual from France to Sicily.

Knowledge of juvenile dispersal is important for understanding population dynamics and for effective conservation, particularly of geographically isolated raptor populations. Here, we report the first documented case of a long-distance movement of an Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus from the French population to Sicily. This observation opens a new perspective for the conservation of the small and endangered Sicilian population of this species, providing evidence that persistence of the Italian population may be aided by new input from other countries

Aortic pathology from protein kinase G activation is prevented by an antioxidant vitamin B12 analog.

People heterozygous for an activating mutation in protein kinase G1 (PRKG1, p.Arg177Gln) develop thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) as young adults. Here we report that mice heterozygous for the mutation have a three-fold increase in basal protein kinase G (PKG) activity, and develop age-dependent aortic dilation. Prkg1R177Q/+ aortas show increased smooth muscle cell apoptosis, elastin fiber breaks, and oxidative stress compared to aortas from wild type littermates. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-to increase wall stress in the ascending aorta-induces severe aortic pathology and mortality from aortic rupture in young mutant mice. The free radical-neutralizing vitamin B12-analog cobinamide completely prevents age-related aortic wall degeneration, and the unrelated anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine ameliorates TAC-induced pathology. Thus, increased basal PKG activity induces oxidative stress in the aorta, raising concern about the widespread clinical use of PKG-activating drugs. Cobinamide could be a treatment for aortic aneurysms where oxidative stress contributes to the disease, including Marfan syndrome

Etude de l’influence des modes de transformation sur les teneurs en lycopène de quatre variétés de tomates de la région du nord du Burkina Faso

Les traitements thermiques visent à stabiliser les aliments pour de longues périodes de stockage. Ils induisent des variations dans la composition de l’aliment. Le présent travail a pour but d’évaluer l’influence des modes de transformation (séchage, cuisson) sur les teneurs en lycopène de quatre variétés de tomates (Mongal F1, Tropimech, Royale et Rio Grande) de la région nord du Burkina Faso. Les résultats en milligrammes de lycopène par gramme de tomates sont ainsi exprimés : Purée : Tropimech (0,065), Mongal F1 (0,028), Royale (0,051) et Rio Grande (0,045. Après les traitements on a noté les évolutions suivantes : Séchage à l’ombre : Tropimech (- 0.009), Mongal F1 (+0.009) Royale (-0.010) et Rio Grande (-0.009). Séchage solaire : Tropimech (-0.021), Mongal F1 (-0.007) Royale (-0.011) et Rio Grande (-0.014). Cuisson : Tropimech (-0.038), Mongal F1 (-0.014), Royale (-0.025) et Rio Grande (-0.024). Séchage solaire puis cuisson : Tropimech (-0.044),  Mongal F1 (-0.017), Royale (-0.038) et Rio Grande (-0.0035). Séchage ombre puis cuisson: Tropimech (-0.045),  Mongal F1 (-0.018), Royale (-0.035) et Rio Grande (-0.033). D’une  manière générale, les teneurs en lycopène ont subi une baisse au cours de la transformation.Mots clés : Tomates, lycopène, mode de transformation

Дослідження підходів до оцінки стану конкурентоспроможності підприємств

Мета статті – наведення підходів до оцінки стану конкурентоспроможності підприємств