Mathematical modeling of gallic acid release from chitosan films with grape seed extract and carvacrol

Controlled release of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds from packaging films is of utmost importance for extending the shelf-life of perishable foods. This study focused on the mathematical modeling of gallic acid release into an aqueous medium from three chitosan films, formulated with grape seed extract (GSE) and carvacrol. We quantified the release by HPLC technique during 30days at three temperatures (5, 25 and 45°C). The diffusion coefficients, varying with temperature according to an Arrhenius-type relationship, and the respective activation energies for Film-1 and Film-2 were, respectively [Formula: see text] m2s-1 and [Formula: see text] m2s-1, Ea1=58kJmol-1 and Ea2=60kJmol-1 as obtained from the Fickian fit. The low concentrations of gallic acid released by Film-3 could not be detected by HPLC, therefore the respective diffusion coefficient was not estimated. This study will help with the development and optimization of active packaging (AP) films aiming at improved food preservation and shelf-life extension.Javiera F. Rubilar gratefully acknowledges her Ph.D. grant from ErasmusMundus 2008-1022/001 Frame ECW/17, EACEA(European Union), financial support of the Fondecyt-Postdoctoral #3140349 project from CONICYT, and also “Dirección de Investigación e Innovación Escuela de Ingeniería” at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Rui M. S. Cruz acknowledges grant SFRH/BPD/70036/2010 from Fundac¸ ão para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How do nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies affect strigolactone production and exudation?

Plants exude strigolactones (SLs) to attract symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere. Previous studies have demonstrated that phosphorus (P) deficiency, but not nitrogen (N) deficiency, significantly promotes SL exudation in red clover, while in sorghum not only P deficiency but also N deficiency enhances SL exudation. There are differences between plant species in SL exudation under P- and N-deficient conditions, which may possibly be related to differences between legumes and non-legumes. To investigate this possibility in detail, the effects of N and P deficiencies on SL exudation were examined in Fabaceae (alfalfa and Chinese milk vetch), Asteraceae (marigold and lettuce), Solanaceae (tomato), and Poaceae (wheat) plants. In alfalfa as expected, and unexpectedly in tomato, only P deficiency promoted SL exudation. In contrast, in Chinese milk vetch, a leguminous plant, and in the other non-leguminous plants examined, N deficiency as well as P deficiency enhanced SL exudation. Distinct reductions in shoot P levels were observed in plants grown under N deficiency, except for tomato, in which shoot P level was increased by N starvation, suggesting that the P status of the shoot regulates SL exudation. There seems to be a correlation between shoot P levels and SL exudation across the species/families investigated

The North American tree-ring fire-scar network

Fire regimes in North American forests are diverse and modern fire records are often too short to capture important patterns, trends, feedbacks, and drivers of variability. Tree-ring fire scars provide valuable perspectives on fire regimes, including centuries-long records of fire year, season, frequency, severity, and size. Here, we introduce the newly compiled North American tree-ring fire-scar network (NAFSN), which contains 2562 sites, >37,000 fire-scarred trees, and covers large parts of North America. We investigate the NAFSN in terms of geography, sample depth, vegetation, topography, climate, and human land use. Fire scars are found in most ecoregions, from boreal forests in northern Alaska and Canada to subtropical forests in southern Florida and Mexico. The network includes 91 tree species, but is dominated by gymnosperms in the genus Pinus. Fire scars are found from sea level to >4000-m elevation and across a range of topographic settings that vary by ecoregion. Multiple regions are densely sampled (e.g., >1000 fire-scarred trees), enabling new spatial analyses such as reconstructions of area burned. To demonstrate the potential of the network, we compared the climate space of the NAFSN to those of modern fires and forests; the NAFSN spans a climate space largely representative of the forested areas in North America, with notable gaps in warmer tropical climates. Modern fires are burning in similar climate spaces as historical fires, but disproportionately in warmer regions compared to the historical record, possibly related to under-sampling of warm subtropical forests or supporting observations of changing fire regimes. The historical influence of Indigenous and non-Indigenous human land use on fire regimes varies in space and time. A 20th century fire deficit associated with human activities is evident in many regions, yet fire regimes characterized by frequent surface fires are still active in some areas (e.g., Mexico and the southeastern United States). These analyses provide a foundation and framework for future studies using the hundreds of thousands of annually- to sub-annually-resolved tree-ring records of fire spanning centuries, which will further advance our understanding of the interactions among fire, climate, topography, vegetation, and humans across North America

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified

Separation of domestic wastes for composting and compost evaluation in cucumber production [separacion de residuos domiciliarios para la preparación de compost y su análisis en la producción de pepinos]

The management of domestic wastes is not merely an issue of home technology, but of strategies, education and social awareness; it requires the participation of authorities, businessmen and civil society. The objective of this study was under these premises, with emphasis on the participation of society to manage kitchen wastes and garden residues through composting in a residential area of Zapopan, Jalisco, in August, 2007. A program of collection, quantification, classification and evaluation of the neighbors' response to the call to separate the kitchen waste was implemented. For composting the residues were deposited in two wooden bins in alternating layers with garden waste up to place 3000 kg of kitchen waste and 1595 kg of garden waste per bin. The composting period was 105 d, in which an average of 4 kg garbage d -1 house -1 was generated. Each household generated an average of 1.92 kg -1 of kitchen waste. According to the 21 fractions of waste classification, it was found that 47.4 % were kitchen waste, 10.7 % paper, 7.4 % garden waste and 0.4 % aluminum cans and paper. In addition, 61 % of household waste can be handled by composting, 24.3 % by recycling, 12.4 % by composting when consumption patterns of the population change by using new technologies to manufacture compostable materials and only 2.3 % can be handled in sanitary landfills. At the end of composting the kitchen and garden wastes became a product with texture and smell similar to a gardening land; the loss of volume and dry matter was 44 and 44.7 %. The compost was characterized by: pH 8.26, conductivity 5.55 dS m -1, total N 1.5 %, Na 370.54 mg kg -1, Cu 35.38 mg kg -1, Be 0.56 mg kg -1, Al 7927 mg kg -1, Ba 44 mg kg -1, Cd 0.49 mg kg -1, Ca 5.44 %, Cr 6.33 mg kg -1, Pb 8.67 mg kg -1, Co 1.42 mg kg -1, Fe 4379.74 mg kg -1, Mg 0.32 %, Mn 767.07 mg kg -1, Mo 13.75 mg kg -1, Ni 3.16 mg kg -1, P 0.24 %, K 1.2 %, Ag<0.29 mg kg -1, Zn 165.28 mg kg -1, Sb 18.87 mg kg -1, Ti 118.99 mg kg -1 and V 10.32 mg kg -1. In a greenhouse study with cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) grown for 103 d in pots with different compost and sand ratios, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the number and cumulative weight of cucumbers harvested per pot in five of six treatments, nor between the weight and average length of the cucumbers. According to the analysis 2369 kg of kitchen waste and 1185 kg of garden residues should be subjected to composting per day. For 120 d of composting it is required a minimum area of 2257 m 2, where 10 windows (31 m long, 3 m wide and 2 m high) would be installed to have a compost production of 2246 kg d -1 to reach the stationary phase

Separation of domestic wastes for composting and compost evaluation in cucumber production [separacióen de residuos domiciliarios para la preparación de compost y su análisis en la producción de pepinos]

The management of domestic wastes is not merely an issue of home technology, but of strategies, education and social awareness; it requires the participation of authorities, businessmen and civil society. The objective of this study was under these premises, with emphasis on the participation of society to manage kitchen wastes and garden residues through composting in a residential area of Zapopan, Jalisco, in August, 2007. A program of collection, quantification, classification and evaluation of the neighbors' response to the call to separate the kitchen waste was implemented. For composting the residues were deposited in two wooden bins in alternating layers with garden waste up to place 3000 kg of kitchen waste and 1595 kg of garden waste per bin. The composting period was 105 d, in which an average of 4 kg garbage d -1 house -1 was generated. Each household generated an average of 1.92 kg -1 of kitchen waste. According to the 21 fractions of waste classification, it was found that 47.4 % were kitchen waste, 10.7 % paper, 7.4 % garden waste and 0.4 % aluminum cans and paper. In addition, 61 % of household waste can be handled by composting, 24.3 % by recycling, 12.4 % by composting when consumption patterns of the population change by using new technologies to manufacture compostable materials and only 2.3 % can be handled in sanitary landfills. At the end of composting the kitchen and garden wastes became a product with texture and smell similar to a gardening land; the loss of volume and dry matter was 44 and 44.7 %. The compost was characterized by: pH 8.26, conductivity 5.55 dS m -1, total N 1.5 %, Na 370.54 mg kg -1, Cu 35.38 mg kg -1, Be 0.56 mg kg -1, Al 7927 mg kg -1, Ba 44 mg kg -1, Cd 0.49 mg kg -1, Ca 5.44 %, Cr 6.33 mg kg -1, Pb 8.67 mg kg -1, Co 1.42 mg kg -1, Fe 4379.74 mg kg -1, Mg 0.32 %, Mn 767.07 mg kg -1, Mo 13.75 mg kg -1, Ni 3.16 mg kg -1, P 0.24 %, K 1.2 %, Ag<0.29 mg kg -1, Zn 165.28 mg kg -1, Sb 18.87 mg kg -1, Ti 118.99 mg kg -1 and V 10.32 mg kg -1. In a greenhouse study with cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) grown for 103 d in pots with different compost and sand ratios, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the number and cumulative weight of cucumbers harvested per pot in five of six treatments, nor between the weight and average length of the cucumbers. According to the analysis 2369 kg of kitchen waste and 1185 kg of garden residues should be subjected to composting per day. For 120 d of composting it is required a minimum area of 2257 m 2, where 10 windows (31 m long, 3 m wide and 2 m high) would be installed to have a compost production of 2246 kg d -1 to reach the stationary phase

Separation of domestic wastes for composting and compost evaluation in cucumber production

The management of domestic wastes is not merely an issue of home technology, but of strategies, education and social awareness; it requires the participation of authorities, businessmen and civil society. The objective of this study was under these premises, with emphasis on the participation of society to manage kitchen wastes and garden residues through composting in a residential area of Zapopan, Jalisco, in August, 2007. A program of collection, quantification, classification and evaluation of the neighbors’ response to the call to separate the kitchen waste was implemented. For composting the residues were deposited in two wooden bins in alternating layers with garden waste up to place 3000 kg of kitchen waste and 1595 kg of garden waste per bin. The composting period was 105 d, in which an average of 4 kg garbage d-1 house-1 was generated. Each household generated an average of 1.92 kg-1 of kitchen waste. According to the 21 fractions of waste classification, it was found that 47.4 % were kitchen waste, 10.7 % paper, 7.4 % garden waste and 0.4 % aluminum cans and paper. In addition, 61 % of household waste can be handled by composting, 24.3 % by recycling, 12.4 % by composting when consumption patterns of the population change by using new technologies to manufacture compostable materials and only 2.3 % can be handled in sanitary landfills. At the end of composting the kitchen and garden wastes became a product with texture and smell similar to a gardening land; the loss of volume and dry matter was 44 and 44.7 %. The compost was characterized by: pH 8.26, conductivity 5.55 dS m-1 , total N 1.5 %, Na 370.54 mg kg-1 , Cu 35.38 mg kg-1, Be 0.56 mg kg-1 , Al 7927 mg kg-1 , Ba 44 mg kg-1 , Cd 0.49 mg kg-1, Ca 5.44 %, Cr 6.33 mg kg-1 , Pb 8.67 mg kg-1, Co 1.42 mg kg-1 , Fe 4379.74 mg kg-1, Mg 0.32 %, Mn 767.07 mg kg-1, Mo 13.75 mg kg-1, Ni 3.16 mg kg-1, P 0.24 %, K 1.2 %, Ag0.29 mg kg-1, Zn 165.28 mg kg-1, Sb 18.87 mg kg-1, Ti 118.99 mg kg-1 and V 10.32 mg kg-1. In a greenhouse study with cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) grown for 103 d in pots with different compost and sand ratios, there was no statistically significant difference (p0.05) between the number and cumulative weight of cucumbers harvested per pot in five of six treatments, nor between the weight and average length of the cucumbers. According to the analysis 2369 kg of kitchen waste and 1185 kg of garden residues should be subjected to composting per day. For 120 d of composting it is required a minimum area of 2257 m2, where 10 windows (31 m long, 3 m wide and 2 m high) would be installed to have a compost production of 2246 kg d-1 to reach the stationary phase.status: publishe

Utilization of recovered solids from tequila industry vinasse as fodder feed

Digestibility and sheep feeding trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of using fermented solids (FS) collected by centrifugation from tequila distillery wastewater. In the digestibility trial, 12 growing Pelibuey crossbred male sheep weighing 30 kg on average were randomly assigned to one of the following four dietary treatments (dry basis) in three replicates: (1) basal diet (BD); (2) DB + 15% fermented solids (FS); (3) BD + 30% FS and (4) BD + 45% FS. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and organic matter for these diets were determined. Apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein for FS were also determined. The feeding trial was conducted with 36 sheep (average initial weight 19 kg). Animals were randomly assigned to one of 12 pens (three sheep per pen). Each pen was randomly assigned to one of the four diets used in the digestibility trial, so that each dietary treatment was fed to three pens of sheep. Average daily gain and feed intake were measured over a 56 day period with subsequent calculations of the feed:gain ratio. It seems that fermented solids can be utilized successfully by sheep which consequently can contribute to feed cost savings and to solve environmental problems of the tequila industry.Digestibility and sheep feeding trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of using fermented solids (FS) collected by centrifugation from tequila distillery wastewater. In the digestibility trial, 12 growing Pelibuey crossbred male sheep weighing 30 kg on average were randomly assigned to one of the following four dietary treatments (dry basis) in three replicates: (1) basal diet (BD); (2) DB + 15% fermented solids (FS); (3) BD + 30% FS and (4) BD + 45% FS. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and organic matter for these diets were determined. Apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein for FS were also determined. The feeding trial was conducted with 36 sheep (average initial weight 19 kg). Animals were randomly assigned to one of 12 pens (three sheep per pen). Each pen was randomly assigned to one of the four diets used in the digestibility trial, so that each dietary treatment was fed to three pens of sheep. Average daily gain and feed intake were measured over a 56 day period with subsequent calculations of the feed:gain ratio. It seems that fermented solids can be utilized successfully by sheep which consequently can contribute to feed cost savings and to solve environmental problems of the tequila industry

Continuous solid-substrate fermentation of swine waste recovered solids for pig feed

The present study utilized a pilot-scale cylindrical rotating fermentor with a 3·41 m3 capacity. Recovered swine manure solids were combined with milled sorghum and fermented. Periodically, pH and fecal coliform measurements were made as quality controls of the fermented product. The fermented product was mixed with a nutritious swine supplement and fed directly to the pigs. Four animal performance trials were conducted to estimate the percentage of recovered solids recycled and to compare feed cost and grain sorghum consumption savings. After a total retention time of 4·5 days in the three-chambered fermentor, fecal coliforms died out and the fermented product (pH 4·0) appeared to be well-accepted by the pigs during the feeding trials. There were no statistical differences among the treatments. For a 4000-animal industrial piggery, it was estimated that about 64·4% of recovered solids can be recycled with about 16·5% saving of grain sorghum consumption in fattening pigs. © 1995