Physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex Brown hen eggs from three different housing systems

The aim of this study was to compare physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex hen eggs collected from three different housing systems: enriched cage housing, aviary housing, and free-range systems. The following physical and mechanical characteristics if eggs were compared: dimensions, surface area, volume, sphericity, shape index, shell thickness, weight, composition, yolk to albumen ratio, rupture force, specific deformation, absorbed energy, and firmness. The largest and heaviest eggs were collected from cage housing, followed by eggs from free-range systems and aviary housing. According to shape index, eggs from aviary housing can be described as round, while eggs from cage housing and free-range systems can be characterised as normal or standard. Eggs from free-range laying hens had the highest yolk percentage and yolk to albumen ratio (26.2% and 0.427). In comparison to eggs from aviary housing and free-range systems, eggs from enriched cage housing had the thickest shells and the highest shell strength, and required the highest force to rupture those eggs. The average force required to rupture Hisex Brown hen eggs from cage housing in all three axes was 44.14 N, which was 12.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from a free-range system (39.37 N) and 17.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from aviary housing (37.68 N). The highest forces required to rupture eggs from all three housing systems were determined on loading along the X-front axis and the lowest forces were determined along the Z-axis. The results obtained in this study can be useful to producers when selecting hen housing systems in order to reduce egg damage during storage and transport.Keywords: egg composition, egg weight, rupture force, shape index, shell thicknes

Cameriere’s European formula for age estimation: A study on the children in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Introduction: A method for age estimation, based on measurements of projections of open apices and heights of developing permanentteeth on orthopantomograms (OPTs), was presented by Cameriere in 2006 and adopted European formula was presented in 2007. Aim: This cross-sectional study tested the accuracy of Cameriere’s European formula on a sample from the City of Sarajevo, Bosniaand Herzegovina. Materials and methods: A final sample of 560 OPTs of 305 girls and 255 boys aged 8 to 14 years was obtained. The sample was collected at the Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine at the University of Sarajevo (SFUNSA). Dental age was compared to chronological age and mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated. Intra-rater and inter-rater agreement of the evaluated variables were calculated. Results: The dental age was underestimated when compared to chronological age, precisely, mean underestimation was -0.14 years ingirls and -0.17 years in boys. The values of MAE were 0.62 years in girls and 0.56 years in boys. The greatest error was found for the 14-year old group; DA was -1.04 years and -0.70 years in girls and boys respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed that Cameriere’s European formula might be a useful tool for age estimation in children from Bosnia and Herzegovina under the age of 14 years

The attitudes of European consumers toward innovation in bread; interest of the consumers toward selected quality attributes

16 pages, 7 tables, 4 figures.-- The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.comThe present survey is integrated in the European project entitled EU-FRESHBAKE. This three years project started in October 2006. It aims at developing innovative processes and innovative formulations for the Bake Off technology taking into consideration, energy demand of the process, nutrition parameters and overall quality of the bread. To help and to advise the project on the expectations of the European consumers toward innovation, a consumer survey has been carried out taking into consideration 1050 consumers from 5 countries (Belgium, Croatia, Spain, France and Poland). The global objectives are (i) to better understand the attitudes of the European innovations in bread and (ii) to understand the main determinants of it. Globally the key points that arose from the survey were the environmental concern and the concern regarding health; these two aspects seem to steer the attitudes of the consumer. Basically, two categories of consumers were observed; (i) frequent (daily) buyers with a focus on quality and pleasure and (ii) less frequent buyers (once a week) with a more pronounced interest in nutrition and energy (process). The first group was named the crust group and the second one the crumb group. The crumb family seems to be the one that is the most interested in the outcomes of the EU-FRESHBAKE project. This group is concerned by nutrition quality and would prefer a bread which has been done with a less energy demanding process. The “crust” group is schematically less interested in the nutrition, in the shelf life and in the energy demand of the process used to prepare the bread. The results from this survey should be handled with care due to the relative small size of the sample and to the fact that the average age of the sample was rather young.This study (report, paper, workshop…) has been carried out with financial support from the Commission of the European Communities, FP6, Thematic Area “Food quality and safety”, FOOD-2006-36302 EU-FRESH BAKE.Peer reviewe

Predicting impacts of chemicals from organisms to ecosystem service delivery: A case study of endocrine disruptor effects on trout

We demonstrate how mechanistic modeling can be used to predict whether and how biological responses to chemicals at (sub)organismal levels in model species (i.e., what we typically measure) translate into impacts on ecosystem service delivery (i.e., what we care about). We consider a hypothetical case study of two species of trout, brown trout (Salmo trutta; BT) and greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias; GCT). These hypothetical populations live in a high-altitude river system and are exposed to human-derived estrogen (17α‑ethinyl estradiol, EE2), which is the bioactive estrogen in many contraceptives. We use the individual based model in STREAM to explore how seasonally varying concentrations of EE2 could influence male spawning and sperm quality. Resulting impacts on trout recruitment and the consequences of such for anglers and for the continued viability of populations of GCT (the state fish of Colorado) are explored. in STREAM incorporates seasonally varying river flow and temperature, fishing pressure, the influence of EE2 on species-specific demography, and inter-specific competition. The model facilitates quantitative exploration of the relative importance of endocrine disruption and inter-species competition on trout population dynamics. Simulations predicted constant EE2 loading to have more impacts on GCT than BT. However, increasing removal of BT by anglers can enhance the persistence of GCT and offset some of the negative effects of EE2. We demonstrate how models that quantitatively link impacts of chemicals and other stressors on individual survival, growth, and reproduction to consequences for populations and ecosystem service delivery, can be coupled with ecosystem service valuation. The approach facilitates interpretation of toxicity data in an ecological context and gives beneficiaries of ecosystem services amore explicit role in management decisions. Although challenges remain, this type of approach may be particularly helpful for site-specific risk assessments and those in which trade offs and synergies among ecosystem services need to be considered

Notch signaling during human T cell development

Notch signaling is critical during multiple stages of T cell development in both mouse and human. Evidence has emerged in recent years that this pathway might regulate T-lineage differentiation differently between both species. Here, we review our current understanding of how Notch signaling is activated and used during human T cell development. First, we set the stage by describing the developmental steps that make up human T cell development before describing the expression profiles of Notch receptors, ligands, and target genes during this process. To delineate stage-specific roles for Notch signaling during human T cell development, we subsequently try to interpret the functional Notch studies that have been performed in light of these expression profiles and compare this to its suggested role in the mouse

External push and internal pull forces recruit curvature-sensing N-BAR domain proteins to the plasma membrane

Many of the more than 20 mammalian proteins with N-BAR domains1-2 control cell architecture3 and endocytosis4-5 by associating with curved sections of the plasma membrane (PM)6. It is not well understood whether N-BAR proteins are recruited directly by processes that mechanically curve the PM or indirectly by PM-associated adaptor proteins that recruit proteins with N-BAR domains that then induce membrane curvature. Here, we show that externally-induced inward deformation of the PM by cone-shaped nanostructures (Nanocones) and internally-induced inward deformation by contracting actin cables both trigger recruitment of isolated N-BAR domains to the curved PM. Markedly, live-cell imaging in adherent cells showed selective recruitment of full length N-BAR proteins and isolated N-BAR domains to PM sub-regions above Nanocone stripes. Electron microscopy confirmed that N-BAR domains are recruited to local membrane sites curved by Nanocones. We further showed that N-BAR domains are periodically recruited to curved PM sites during local lamellipodia retraction in the front of migrating cells. Recruitment required Myosin II-generated force applied to PM connected actin cables. Together, our study shows that N-BAR domains can be directly recruited to the PM by external push or internal pull forces that locally curve the PM

Usefulness of Discarded Vitreous Samples from Routine Vitrectomy

Purpose. To describe the histopathological features of vitreous samples obtained after vitrectomy surgery from diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Methods. Vitreous specimens from 137 patients who underwent vitrectomy for different clinical conditions were analysed. All samples were centrifuged and each resulting pellet was fixed and processed as part of routine paraffin section histopathology. The histopathological features were categorized in a semiquantitative fashion. The samples from diabetic and nondiabetic patients were compared. Results. The 125 included patients (58 diabetic, 60% males) were aged 64.2±13.9 years. The presence of hemorrhage, inflammatory cells, and histiocytes was significantly higher in the diabetic group (P<0.001, P=0.028, and P=0.016, resp.), showing more vessels (P<0.001) and ghost vessels (P=0.049). The presence of inflammatory cells was the feature with the highest sensitivity for detecting diabetes mellitus (98%) and also the highest negative predictive value (89%). In the multivariate analysis, three variables emerged as independent significant predictors of diabetes in vitrectomy samples: hemorrhage, endothelial-lined vessels, and age (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.019, resp.). Conclusions. Different histopathological features can be found in vitreous samples from diabetic patients. Analysis of vitrectomy samples may serve as a tool for diabetes management

PTPN2, a Candidate Gene for Type 1 Diabetes, Modulates Interferon-γ–Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Apoptosis

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes has a strong genetic component. Genome-wide association scans recently identified novel susceptibility genes including the phosphatases PTPN22 and PTPN2. We hypothesized that PTPN2 plays a direct role in beta-cell demise and assessed PTPN2 expression in human islets and rat primary and clonal beta-cells, besides evaluating its role in cytokine-induced signaling and beta-cell apoptosis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: PTPN2 mRNA and protein expression was evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot. Small interfering (si)RNAs were used to inhibit the expression of PTPN2 and downstream STAT1 in beta-cells, allowing the assessment of cell death after cytokine treatment. RESULTS: PTPN2 mRNA and protein are expressed in human islets and rat beta-cells and upregulated by cytokines. Transfection with PTPN2 siRNAs inhibited basal- and cytokine-induced PTPN2 expression in rat beta-cells and dispersed human islets cells. Decreased PTPN2 expression exacerbated interleukin (IL)-1beta + interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced beta-cell apoptosis and turned IFN-gamma alone into a proapoptotic signal. Inhibition of PTPN2 amplified IFN-gamma-induced STAT1 phosphorylation, whereas double knockdown of both PTPN2 and STAT1 protected beta-cells against cytokine-induced apoptosis, suggesting that STAT1 hyperactivation is responsible for the aggravation of cytokine-induced beta-cell death in PTPN2-deficient cells. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a functional role for the type 1 diabetes candidate gene PTPN2 in modulating IFN-gamma signal transduction at the beta-cell level. PTPN2 regulates cytokine-induced apoptosis and may thereby contribute to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes

Set up of a methodology for participatory plant breeding in bread wheat in France

In Organic Agriculture, cultivation environments and agronomic practices are very diverse. This diversity can be handled with decentralized selection based on the knowledge of farmers and scientists. A collaborative work between associations from Réseau Semences Paysannes and the DEAP team from INRA du Moulon set up an innovative breeding approach on farm based on decentralization and participation of farmers. This approach makes it possible to (i) create new population varieties of bread wheat locally adapted (genetic innovation) (ii) set up an organizational scheme based on decentralization and co construction between actors (societal innovation) and (iii) develop experimental designs, create statistical and data management tools which stimulate these genetic and societal innovations

Strain-Dependent Differences in Bone Development, Myeloid Hyperplasia, Morbidity and Mortality in Ptpn2-Deficient Mice

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding the protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP (encoded by PTPN2) have been linked with the development of autoimmunity. Here we have used Cre/LoxP recombination to generate Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice with a global deficiency in TCPTP on a C57BL/6 background and compared the phenotype of these mice to Ptpn2−/− mice (BALB/c-129SJ) generated previously by homologous recombination and backcrossed onto the BALB/c background. Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice exhibited growth retardation and a median survival of 32 days, as compared to 21 days for Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice, but the overt signs of morbidity (hunched posture, piloerection, decreased mobility and diarrhoea) evident in Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice were not detected in Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice. At 14 days of age, bone development was delayed in Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice. This was associated with increased trabecular bone mass and decreased bone remodeling, a phenotype that was not evident in Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice. Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice had defects in erythropoiesis and B cell development as evident in Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice, but not splenomegaly and did not exhibit an accumulation of myeloid cells in the spleen as seen in Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice. Moreover, thymic atrophy, another feature of Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice, was delayed in Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice and preceded by an increase in thymocyte positive selection and a concomitant increase in lymph node T cells. Backcrossing Ptpn2−/− (BALB/c) mice onto the C57BL/6 background largely recapitulated the phenotype of Ptpn2ex2−/ex2− mice. Taken together these results reaffirm TCPTP's important role in lymphocyte development and indicate that the effects on morbidity, mortality, bone development and the myeloid compartment are strain-dependent