(M-theory-)Killing spinors on symmetric spaces

We show how the theory of invariant principal bundle connections for reductive homogeneous spaces can be applied to determine the holonomy of generalised Killing spinor covariant derivatives of the form $D= \nabla + \Omega$ in a purely algebraic and algorithmic way, where $\Omega : TM \rightarrow \Lambda^*(TM)$ is a left-invariant homomorphism. Specialising this to the case of symmetric M-theory backgrounds (i.e. $(M,g,F)$ with $(M,g)$ a symmetric space and $F$ an invariant closed 4-form), we derive several criteria for such a background to preserve some supersymmetry and consequently find all supersymmetric symmetric M-theory backgrounds.Comment: Updated abstract for clarity. Added missing geometries to section 6. Main result stand

Optimization of an Alkylpolyglucoside-Based Dishwashing Detergent Formulation.

The aim of this work was to formulate and optimize the washing performance of an alkylpolyglucoside-based dishwashing detergent. The liquid detergent was formulated with five ingredients of commercial origin: anionic (linear sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate and sodium laurylethersulfate), nonionic (C12–C14 alkylpolyglucoside) and zwitterionic (a fatty acid amide derivative with a betaine structure) surfactants, and NaCl for viscosity control. In addition to the plate test, other properties were investigated including ‘‘cloud point’’, viscosity, and emulsion stability. Statistical analysis software was used to generate a central composite experimental design. Then, a second order design and analysis of experiments approach, known as the Response Surface Methodology, was set up to investigate the effects of the five components of the formulation on the studied properties in the region covering plausible component ranges. The method proved to be efficient for locating the domains of concentrations where the desired properties were met

Beer Polyphenols and Menopause: Effects and Mechanisms-A Review of Current Knowledge

Beer is one of the most frequently consumed fermented beverages in the world, and it has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Scientific evidence obtained from the development of new techniques of food analysis over the last two decades suggests that polyphenol intake derived from moderate beer consumption may play a positive role in different health outcomes including osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk and the relief of vasomotor symptoms, which are commonly experienced during menopause and are an important reason why women seek medical care during this period; here, we review the current knowledge regarding moderate beer consumption and its possible effects on menopausal symptoms. The effect of polyphenol intake on vasomotor symptoms in menopause may be driven by the direct interaction of the phenolic compounds present in beer, such as 8-prenylnaringenin, 6-prenylnaringenin, and isoxanthohumol, with intracellular estrogen receptors that leads to the modulation of gene expression, increase in sex hormone plasma concentrations, and thus modulation of physiological hormone imbalance in menopausal women. Since traditional hormone replacement therapies increase health risks, alternative, safer treatment options are needed to alleviate menopausal symptoms in women. The present work aims to review the current data on this subject

Intraspecific structure of the Coregonus lavaretus complex in water bodies of Siberia: a case of postglacial allopatric origin of Yukagirian whitefish

The results of morphological and genetic analyses of forms/species of the Coregonus lavaretus pidschian (Gmelin, 1789) complex from the Indigirka and Kolyma river basins are presented in the context of there being recent postglacial speciation events. It has been found that the studied whitefishes belong to the sparsely rakered and low lateral-line forms and have previously been described as Coregonus lavaretus pidschian n. jucagiricus Drjagin (Berg), 1932. Based on these characters, this whitefish does not differ from most Arctic whitefish populations (in particular from Coregonus lavaretus glacialis Kirillov, 1972). Analysis of variability of the ND1 gene (mtDNA) showed that whitefishes from the Indigirka and Kolyma basins belong to a distant phylogenetic lineage, which is significantly different from all previously studied whitefish lineages from the Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Anadyr, and Amur river basins. Analysis of variability of the ITS1 fragment (nDNA) showed that all studied forms/species (from Ob River to Amur River basins), including C. l. pidschian n. jucagiricus, have a tandem arrangement of two identical nucleotide fragments and very similar nucleotide composition of the ITS1 region. Based on contemporary data, this phylogenetic lineage of the C. pidschian complex could be considered a young postglacial allopatric species.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The influence of sleep apnea syndrome and intermittent hypoxia in carotid adventitial vasa vasorum

Subjects with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) show an increased carotid intima-media thickness. However, no data exist about earlier markers of atheromatous disease, such as the proliferation and expansion of the adventitial vasa vasorum (VV) to the avascular intima in this setting. Our aim was to assess carotid VV density and its relationship with sleep parameters in a cohort of obese patients without prior vascular events. A total of 55 subjects evaluated for bariatric surgery were prospectively recruited. A non-attended respiratory polygraphy was performed. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the cumulative percentage of time spent with oxygen saturation below 90% (CT90) were assessed. Serum concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, P-selectin, lipocalin-2 and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were measured. Contrast-enhanced carotid ultrasound was used to assess the VV density. Patients with SAHS (80%) showed a higher adventitial VV density (0.801±0.125 vs. 0.697±0.082, p = 0.005) and higher levels of sVCAM-1 (745.2±137.8 vs. 643.3±122.7 ng/ml, p = 0.035) than subjects with an AHI lower than 10 events/hour. In addition, a positive association exist between mean VV density and AHI (r = 0.445, p = 0.001) and CT90 (r = 0.399, p = 0.005). Finally, in the multiple linear regression analysis, female sex, fasting plasma glucose and AHI (but not CT90) were the only variables independently associated with the mean adventitial VV density (R2 = 0.327). In conclusion, a high VV density is present in obese subjects with SAHS, and chronic intermittent hypoxia is pointed as an independent risk factor for the development of this early step of atheromatous diseaseThis study was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria PI15/00260), European Union (European Regional Development Fund, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, “Una manera de hacer Europa”), Fundación Sociedad Española Endocrinología y Nutrición (FSEEN) and Laboratorios Almirall (“Beca FSEEN de ayuda a la investigación sobre factores de riesgo cardiovascular”, Laboratorio ESTEVE and Menarini Spain S.A. CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas and CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias are initiatives of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors would like to thank Virtudes Maria and Mª del Valle Peña (from the Unit for the Detection and Treatment of Atherothrombotic Diseases), Olga Mínguez and Lidia Pascual (from the Sleep Unit) for their help in the study

Porcine Protein Hydrolysates (PEPTEIVA ) Promote Growth and Enhance Systemic Immunity in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata)

The effects of porcine plasma protein hydrolysate (PPH) on growth, feed efficiency, and immune responses was evaluated in Sparus aurata. Fish were fed two isoproteic (48% protein), isolipidic (17% fat), and isoenergetic diets (21.7 MJ/kg) diets, one of them containing 5% PPH at the expense of fishmeal. Both diets were tested for 92 days. A significant increase in growth was observed in fish fed the PPH diet in comparison to the control group (182.2 ± 4.4 vs. 173.8 ± 4.1 g), as well as an increase in feed intake without worsening FCR values. An ex vivo assay, with splenocytes incubated with lipopolysaccharide, was conducted to evaluate the cellular immune competence of fish. Genes involved in humoral immunity (lys, IgM), pro- (tnf-α, il-1β), and anti-inflammatory (tgf-β1, il10) cytokines were upregulated in the PPH group in comparison to the control group. The inclusion of PPH in diets enhanced the antibacterial capacity of skin mucus, as the co-culture of selected bacteria (E. coli, V. anguillarum, and P. anguilliseptica) with skin mucus indicated. The present results showed that the PPH in low fishmeal diets (2%) promoted growth and feed efficiency, as well as enhancing the immune response, which indicates that this is a safe and functional ingredient for aquafeeds

Evaluating the functional properties of spray-dried porcine plasma in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed low fish meal diets.

Blood by-products are an untapped source of high-quality ingredients for aquafeeds, containing a broad variety of cytokines, hormones, growth factors, proteins, bioactive peptides, and amino acids. The effects of the spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), a type of processed animal protein on several immune parameters, were evaluated in sea bream using ex vivo and in vitro assays. In this study, fish were fed with two isoproteic, isolipidic, and isoenergetic diets: control diet (7% fish meal, FM) and SDPP diet (2% FM and 5% SDPP). At the end of the 92-days trial, those fed the SDPP diet were larger in body weight (p 0.05). The ex vivo immune stimulation of splenocytes indicated that SDPP had a beneficial effect in promoting systemic immunity, since the surface cell marker (cd4), pro- (il-1β), and anti-inflammatory (tgf-β1) cytokines, and genes involved in humoral immunity (IgM) were up-regulated. The co-culture assays of skin mucus corroborated that SDPP enhanced the antibacterial capacity of mucus against V. anguillarum. In addition, main mucus biomarkers did not show significant differences, except for cortisol levels which were lower in the SDPP diet. The present study indicated that SDPP may be considered a functional ingredient in aquafeeds formulated with low FM levels