Cultivation and analysis of anthocyanins containing-, blue potatoes

Anthocyanins, as secondary plant substance in different agricultural crops such as potatoes and cereals have positive effects on health due to their antioxidant capacity. Therefore food industry, nutritional medicine and consumers have an increasing interest in these crops. The objectives of the interdisciplinary research project (AGIP) starting in march 2006 are ascertainment and assessment of the impact of different agricultural production processes and production intensities. Furthermore, the impact of different ways of food preparation concerning anthocyanin content and antioxidative capacity in selected cultivated plants will be tested. Main focus will be on potatoes due to the fact that potatoes as a staple food are consumed in large quantities. Therefore potatoes can be an important quantitative source for anthocyanins

Landwirtschaft und Agrarpolitik in Deutschland und Frankreich: Auf der Suche nach neuen Wegen

Agricultural and Food Policy, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Metaanalyse empirischer Abschreckungsstudien Untersuchungsansatz und erste empirische Befunde

Dieses Papier beschreibt in Grundzügen die Vorgehensweise und erste Ergebnisse einer Meta-Analyse empirischer Arbeiten zur negativen Generalpr ävention. Von vielen hundert Studien aus allen Fach- und Themengebieten wurden zufällig 200 ausgewählt und mittels einer Meta-Analyse ausgewertet. Die daraus resultierenden Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Ergebnisse einer Arbeit wesentlich von ihrem Design, den verwendeten Kontrollvariablen und den untersuchten Delikten beeinflusst werden. Es zeigt sich, dass einerseits die Abschreckungshypothese insgesamt eher bestätigt wird, andererseits jedoch noch viele potentielle Hindernisse berücksichtigt werden müssen (Publication Bias, Multikollinearität, etc.). Klarere Ergebnisse sind zu erwarten, sobald die Datenbasis auf einem wesentlich größeren Anteil aller verfügbarer Studien beruht.Meta-Analyse, negative Generalprävention, Abschreckung

A circular "basic space" as complement of space-time - an outcome of analogies between natural systems

Natural systems are categorized according to their structural and dynamical similarities. A two-dimensional schema is proposed as a kind of "periodic table" of natural systems. Six of eight levels in this schema serve as sources of analogies, two levels are the targets of analogical reasoning. The source domains are the atomic, molecular, macromolecular, micro-organismic, organismic and socio-cultural systems and processes. One of the target domains discussed in the article is the level of subatomic particles. The other target domain, not discussed in the article, could be the level of future supra-national systems. Three types of processes are identified occurring in natural systems: conservation, modification and transformation. Modifications allow a reversible adaptation of a system to environmental influences by changing its internal state. The entirety of all internal states defines the "state space" of the system. Similarities of state spaces between systems of six levels are investigated. A dual-space picture of natural systems can be defined on six levels, the source domains of analogical reasoning. On the subatomic level, space-time is identified as part of the state space of subatomic particles. However, space-time needs a completion by an additional state space in order to obtain a dual-space picture also for subatomic particles. A "basic space" is proposed, so that subatomic particles exist simultaneously in space-time and in basic space. The basic space is assumed to be a circular space, where masses and charges circulate force-free and generate the spin and the magnetic moment of particles. A presumption about the existence of hypothetical matter not detectable in space-time is derived. Such primitive forms of matter could exist in basic space only and represent the dark matter

Kartoffeln mit Zusatznutzen – Antioxidative Kapazität und Erträge ausgewählter blau- und rotfleischiger Kartoffelsorten im ökologischen und integrierten Landbau

In a three year research project a representative spectrum of coloured potato varieties were cultivated and tested in detail regarding yield potential and the influence of production systems (organic/integrated). The varying anthocyanin content as well as the antioxidant capacity of the types used were analysed to determine their potential health benefits. Types with a particularly high content undergo further tests to show the influence of the manner of preparation (boiling, steaming, frying) and determine their use for the processing industry. The cultivation of high yield blue types can be an alternative to the cultivation of yellow fleshed high yield types in organic or integrated operating farm companies

Circulating metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 transcripts in gastric cancer patient plasma as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker

METHODS: We provide for the first time a blood-based assay for transcript quantification of the metastasis inducer MACC1 in a prospective study of gastric cancer patient plasma. MACC1 is a strong prognostic biomarker for tumor progression and metastasis in a variety of solid cancers. We conducted a study to define the diagnostic and prognostic power of MACC1 transcripts using 76 plasma samples from gastric cancer patients, either newly diagnosed with gastric cancer, newly diagnosed with metachronous metastasis of gastric cancer, as well as follow-up patients. Findings were controlled by using plasma samples from 54 tumor-free volunteers. Plasma was separated, RNA was isolated, and levels of MACC1 as well as S100A4 transcripts were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Based on the levels of circulating MACC1 transcripts in plasma we significantly discriminated tumor-free volunteers and gastric cancer patients (P < 0.001). Levels of circulating MACC1 transcripts were increased in gastric cancer patients of each disease stage, compared to tumor-free volunteers: patients with tumors without metastasis (P = 0.005), with synchronous metastasis (P = 0.002), with metachronous metastasis (P = 0.005), and patients during follow-up (P = 0.021). Sensitivity was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.45-0.85) and specificity was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.77-0.95), respectively. Importantly, gastric cancer patients with high circulating MACC1 transcript levels in plasma demonstrated significantly shorter survival when compared with patients demonstrating low MACC1 levels (P = 0.0015). Furthermore, gastric cancer patients with high circulating transcript levels of MACC1 as well as of S100A4 in plasma demonstrated significantly shorter survival when compared with patients demonstrating low levels of both biomarkers or with only one biomarker elevated (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Levels of circulating MACC1 transcripts in plasma of gastric cancer patients are of diagnostic value and are prognostic for patient survival in a prospective study

Chemical Conversion of Fischer-Tropsch Waxes and Plastic Waste Pyrolysis Condensate to Lubricating Oil and Potential Steam Cracker Feedstock

The global economy and its production chains must move away from petroleum-based products, to achieve this goal, alternative carbon feedstocks need to be established. One area of concern is sustainable production of synthetic lubricants. A lubricating oil can be described as a high boiling point (>340 ◦C) liquid with solidification at least below room temperature. Historically, many lubricants have been produced from petroleum waxes via solvent or catalytic dewaxing. In this study, catalytic dewaxing was applied to potential climate neutral feedstocks. One lubricant was produced via Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis and the other lubricant resulted from low temperature pyrolysis of agricultural waste plastics. The waxes were chosen because they each represented a sustainable alternative towards petroleum, i.e., FT waxes are contrivable from biomass and CO2 by means of gasification and Power-to-X technology. The pyrolysis of plastic is a promising process to complement existing recycling processes and to reduce environmental pollution. Changes in cloud point, viscosity, and yield were investigated. A bifunctional zeolite catalyst (SAPO-11) loaded with 0.3 wt% platinum was used. The plastic waste lubricants showed lower cloud points and increased temperature stability as compared with lubricants from FT waxes. There was a special focus on the composition of the naphtha, which accumulated during cracking. While the plastic waste produced higher amounts of naphtha, its composition was quite similar to those from FT waxes, with the notable exception of a higher naphthene content

Structuring and Provision of Manufacturing knowledge through the Manufacturing Resource Ontology

One challenge in manufacturing-integrated product development is the accessibility of the required manufacturing knowledge. Here, ontologies offer the possibility to structure and formalize information in the form of a knowledge base in order to act as a generic interface to the manufacturing and design specific systems. This paper describes the development of a generic knowledge base called MARON (MAnufacturing Restriction ONtology) for the structured representation of manufacturing restrictions via formalized manufacturing capabilities. Using the example of an expert system for process element-oriented manufacturability analysis, it is shown how MARON contributes to automated decision support in the context of manufacturing-oriented design

Analog of microwave-induced resistance oscillations induced in GaAs heterostructures by terahertz radiation

We report on the study of terahertz radiation-induced MIRO-like oscillations of magnetoresistivity in GaAs heterostructures. Our experiments provide an answer on two most intriguing questions-effect of radiation helicity and the role of the edges-yielding crucial information for an understanding of the MIRO (microwave-induced resistance oscillations) origin. Moreover, we demonstrate that the range of materials exhibiting radiation-induced magneto-oscillations can be largely extended by using high-frequency radiation