Component digestibility of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) and pea (Pisum sativum) seeds and effects on the small intestine and body organs in anastomosed and intact growing pigs.

Thirty-six male growing pigs were used to compare the component digestibility of legume seeds and the impact of diets and ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA) on the morphology and enzyme activities of intestinal mucosa. The pigs were fed a control (C) diet based on casein or a diet in which 60% of crude protein (CP) was supplied by blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) (L) or pea (Pisum sativum) (P) seeds. Coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of organic matter (OM), CP and gross energy (GE) was lower in the L diet compared to the control diet. The pea-based diet presented intermediate CTTAD values of OM and GE. Coefficient of ileal apparent digestibility (CIAD) of OM and GE was lower in the legume-containing diets than with C. No significant differences were found for the CIAD of CP There was a significant interaction between diet and IRA for villus height in the jejunum and crypt width in the ileum. Duodenal and jejunal crypt width was lower in the pigs fed the legume-containing diets compared to controls. The diet influenced the specific activity of most intestinal enzymes at various sites along the small intestine. Anastomosed pigs had higher spleen and small intestine weights and lower large intestine weights as compared to intact pigs. IRA influenced intestinal villus and crypt architecture but it had no significant effect on the activities of intestinal enzymes. (Résumé d'auteur

Effect of ZrO2 nanoparticles on thermophysical and rheological properties of three synthetic oils

This article presents an experimental study on some thermophysical properties (density, viscosity and adiabatic bulk modulus) of six nanolubricants based on synthetic oils and ZrO2 nanoparticles. Two-step method with ultrasonic disruptor was used to prepare the nanodispersions. The morphology, crystalline degree and elemental composition of nanoparticles were analyzed by electron microscopy. Visual observation, temporal variation of refractive index and dynamic light scattering were used to analyze the stability of the nanolubricants and the average size of the aggregates. The presence of new interactions between nanoparticles and base oils was studied through Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Vibrating tube densimeters, rotational viscometer and rheometer equipped with cone-plate geometry were used within the temperature range from (278.15 to 373.15) K. The ability of some theoretical simple models to predict densities and viscosities of these nanolubricants as a function of temperature and nanoparticle concentration was also checked.This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the UE FEDER programme through ENE2014-55489-C2-1-R, ENE2014-55489-C2-2-R, ENE2017-86425- C2-1-R and ENE2017-86425-C2-2-R projects. Moreover, this work was funded by the Xunta de Galicia (AGRUP2015/11 and GRC ED431C 2016/001). D.C. was recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from Xunta de Galicia (Spain).S

Compatibility of neutrino DIS data and global analyses of parton distribution functions

Neutrino\antineutrino deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data provide useful constrains for the flavor decomposition in global fits of parton distribution functions (PDF). The smallness of the cross-sections requires the use of nuclear targets in the experimental setup. Understanding the nuclear corrections is, for this reason, of utmost importance for a precise determination of the PDFs. Here, we explore the nuclear effects in the neutrino\antineutrino-nucleon DIS by comparing the NuTeV, CDHSW, and CHORUS cross-sections to the predictions derived from the latest parton distribution functions and their nuclear modifications. We obtain a good description of these data and find no apparent disagreement between the nuclear effects in neutrino DIS and those in charged lepton DIS. These results also indicate that further improvements in the knowledge of the nuclear PDFs could be obtained by a more extensive use of these sets of neutrino data.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

The effect of S-substitution at the O6-guanine site on the structure and dynamics of a DNA oligomer containing a G:T mismatch

The effect of S-substitution on the O6 guanine site of a 13-mer DNA duplex containing a G:T mismatch is studied using molecular dynamics. The structure, dynamic evolution and hydration of the S-substituted duplex are compared with those of a normal duplex, a duplex with Ssubstitution on guanine, but no mismatch and a duplex with just a G:T mismatch. The S-substituted mismatch leads to cell death rather than repair. One suggestion is that the G:T mismatch recognition protein recognises the S-substituted mismatch (GS:T) as G:T. This leads to a cycle of futile repair ending in DNA breakage and cell death. We find that some structural features of the helix are similar for the duplex with the G:T mismatch and that with the S-substituted mismatch, but differ from the normal duplex, notably the helical twist. These differences arise from the change in the hydrogen-bonding pattern of the base pair. However a marked feature of the S-substituted G:T mismatch duplex is a very large opening. This showed considerable variability. It is suggested that this enlarged opening would lend support to an alternative model of cell death in which the mismatch protein attaches to thioguanine and activates downstream damage-response pathways. Attack on the sulphur by reactive oxygen species, also leading to cell death, would also be aided by the large, variable opening

The host metabolite D-serine contributes to bacterial niche specificity through gene selection

Escherichia coli comprise a diverse array of both commensals and niche-specific pathotypes. The ability to cause disease results from both carriage of specific virulence factors and regulatory control of these via environmental stimuli. Moreover, host metabolites further refine the response of bacteria to their environment and can dramatically affect the outcome of the host–pathogen interaction. Here, we demonstrate that the host metabolite, D-serine, selectively affects gene expression in E. coli O157:H7. Transcriptomic profiling showed exposure to D-serine results in activation of the SOS response and suppresses expression of the Type 3 Secretion System (T3SS) used to attach to host cells. We also show that concurrent carriage of both the D-serine tolerance locus (dsdCXA) and the locus of enterocyte effacement pathogenicity island encoding a T3SS is extremely rare, a genotype that we attribute to an ‘evolutionary incompatibility’ between the two loci. This study demonstrates the importance of co-operation between both core and pathogenic genetic elements in defining niche specificity

Measurement of GEp/GMp in ep -> ep to Q2 = 5.6 GeV2

The ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton, GEp/GMp, was measured at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) using the recoil polarization technique. The ratio of the form factors is directly proportional to the ratio of the transverse to longitudinal components of the polarization of the recoil proton in the elastic $\vec ep \to e\vec p$ reaction. The new data presented in this article span the range 3.5 < Q2 < 5.6 GeV2 and are well described by a linear Q2 fit. Also, the ratio QF2p/F1p reaches a constant value above Q2=2 GeV2.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures Added two names to the main author lis

Innovative Crop Productions for Healthy Food: The Case of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.)

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an ancient crop from Central America which has been recently rediscovered as a source of ω-3 and nutraceuticals in seeds. Besides traditional seed consumption, innovative uses of the plant seeds and leaves have been proposed based on the high protein content and the production of mucilage which lends itself to a range of applications. This chapter reviews research on the plant’s genetics and breeding, quality, and uses. Agronomic studies which have only recently started worldwide are also presented along with results from case studies in Basilicata

Measurement of Beam-Spin Asymmetries for Deep Inelastic π+\pi^+ Electroproduction

We report the first evidence for a non-zero beam-spin azimuthal asymmetry in the electroproduction of positive pions in the deep-inelastic region. Data have been obtained using a polarized electron beam of 4.3 GeV with the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The amplitude of the $\sin\phi$ modulation increases with the momentum of the pion relative to the virtual photon, $z$, with an average amplitude of $0.038 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.003$ for $0.5 < z < 0.8$ range.Comment: 5 pages, RevTEX4, 3 figures, 2 table