Development and storage stability of fish strudel

Awareness of health and nutrition of fish has led the food industry to development of fishery-based ready-to-eat products. In this study seven filling materials based on 60-70 - 80% fish mince from 7 local fish species ‘i.e.’ Talang Queen fish (Scomberoides commersonnianus), oriental sole (Brachirus orientalis), Barred sickle fish (Drepane longimana), Big eye Croaker (Pennahia anea), Japanese threadfin bream (Nemipterus japonicas), javelin grunter (pomadasys kaakan) and Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) were formulated and applied for developing fish strudels. A 9-point hedonic scale ranging from 1 (extremely dislike) to 9 (extremely like) was used for screening the acceptance of the prototypes. A 3-component D-optimal Mixture Design was also applied to optimize the fish strudel formulation. Preliminary experiments were done to identify the high-impact ingredients, which had a high effect on the sensory quality when their levels (%) were changed. The results indicated that fish strudel containing 60% Talang Queen fish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) mince in the filling materials had significantly higher liking in odor, flavor, and overall acceptability than the other prototypes. So it was selected for quality changes study. Product's characteristics and stability were studied during 6-month storage at -18 °C. The fish strudel packed in a polyethylene sealed bag was stable during the storage period. The peroxide and TVBN values remained low. The results in this paper provide important information for companies planning to develop convenience food from low value fish. Furthermore, development of strudel filled with fish mince/ flesh could be an effective way to enhance nutritional and functional value of such products. The products could be used as a nutritious snack especially for kids which could be a means of increasing fish consumption

The plant traits that drive ecosystems: Evidence from three continents.

Question: A set of easily‐measured (‘soft’) plant traits has been identified as potentially useful predictors of ecosystem functioning in previous studies. Here we aimed to discover whether the screening techniques remain operational in widely contrasted circumstances, to test for the existence of axes of variation in the particular sets of traits, and to test for their links with ‘harder’ traits of proven importance to ecosystem functioning. Location: central‐western Argentina, central England, northern upland Iran, and north‐eastern Spain. Recurrent patterns of ecological specialization: Through ordination of a matrix of 640 vascular plant taxa by 12 standardized traits, we detected similar patterns of specialization in the four floras. The first PCA axis was identified as an axis of resource capture, usage and release. PCA axis 2 appeared to be a size‐related axis. Individual PCA for each country showed that the same traits remained valuable as predictors of resource capture and utilization in all of them, despite their major differences in climate, biogeography and land‐use. The results were not significantly driven by particular taxa: the main traits determining PCA axis 1 were very similar in eudicotyledons and monocotyledons and Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae. Links between recurrent suites of ‘soft’ traits and ‘hard’ traits: The validity of PCA axis 1 as a key predictor of resource capture and utilization was tested by comparisons between this axis and values of more rigorously established predictors (‘hard’ traits) for the floras of Argentina and England. PCA axis 1 was correlated with variation in relative growth rate, leaf nitrogen content, and litter decomposition rate. It also coincided with palatability to model generalist herbivores. Therefore, location on PCA axis 1 can be linked to major ecosystem processes in those habitats where the plants are dominant. Conclusion: We confirm the existence at the global scale of a major axis of evolutionary specialization, previously recognised in several local floras. This axis reflects a fundamental trade‐off between rapid acquisition of resources and conservation of resources within well‐protected tissues. These major trends of specialization were maintained across different environmental situations (including differences in the proximate causes of low productivity, i.e. drought or mineral nutrient deficiency). The trends were also consistent across floras and major phylogenetic groups, and were linked with traits directly relevant to ecosystem processes.Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Hodgson, J.G.. The University. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology; Reino UnidoFil: Thompson, K.. The University. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology; Reino UnidoFil: Cabido, Marcelo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Cornelissen, Johannes H. C.. Free University. Faculty Earth and Life Sciences. Department of Systems Ecology; Países BajosFil: Funes, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Pérez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Vendramini, Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Falczuk, Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Zak, Marcelo Román. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Khoshnevi, M.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Pérez Rontomé, M. C.. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Shirvani, F. A.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Yazdani, S.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Abbas Azimi, R. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Bogaard, A. The University. Department of Archaeology and Prehistory; Reino UnidoFil: Boustani, S.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Charles, M.. The University. Department of Archaeology and Prehistory; Reino UnidoFil: Dehghan, M.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: de Torres Espuny, L.. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Guerrero Campo, J.. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Hynd, A.. The University. Department of Archaeology and Prehistory; Reino UnidoFil: Jones, G.. The University. Department of Archaeology and Prehistory; Reino UnidoFil: Kowsary, E.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; Irán. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Kazemi Saeed, F.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Maestro Martínez, M.. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; EspañaFil: Romo Diez, A.. Instituto Botanico de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Shaw, S.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; Irán. The University. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Siavash, B.. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands; IránFil: Villar Salvador, P.. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología; Españ

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Formal modeling of evolving self-adaptive systems

In this paper, we present a formal model, named PobSAM (Policy-based Self-Adaptive Model), for developing and modeling self-adaptive evolving systems. In this model, policies are used as a mechanism to direct and adapt the behavior of self-adaptive systems. A PobSAM model is a collection of autonomous managers and managed actors. The managed actors are dedicated to the functional behavior while the autonomous managers govern the behavior of managed actors by enforcing suitable policies. A manager has a set of configurations including two types of policies: governing policies and adaptation policies. To adapt the system behavior in response to the changes, the managers switch among different configurations. We employ the combination of an algebraic formalism and an actor-based model to specify this model formally. Managed actors are expressed by an actor model. Managers are modeled as meta-actors whose configurations are described using a multi-sorted algebra called CA. We provide an operational semantics for PobSAM using labeled transition systems. Furthermore, we provide behavioral equivalence of different sorts of CA in terms of splitting bisimulation and prioritized splitting bisimulation. Equivalent managers send the same set of messages to the actors. Using our behavioral equivalence theory, we can prove that the overall behavior of the system is preserved by substituting a manager by an equivalent one

Formal modeling of evolving self-adaptive systems

In this paper, we present a formal model, named PobSAM (Policy-based Self-Adaptive Model), for developing and modeling self-adaptive evolving systems. In this model, policies are used as a mechanism to direct and adapt the behavior of self-adaptive systems. A PobSAM model is a collection of autonomous managers and managed actors. The managed actors are dedicated to the functional behavior while the autonomous managers govern the behavior of managed actors by enforcing suitable policies. A manager has a set of configurations including two types of policies: governing policies and adaptation policies. To adapt the system behavior in response to the changes, the managers switch among different configurations. We employ the combination of an algebraic formalism and an actor-based model to specify this model formally. Managed actors are expressed by an actor model. Managers are modeled as meta-actors whose configurations are described using a multi-sorted algebra called CA. We provide an operational semantics for PobSAM using labeled transition systems. Furthermore, we provide behavioral equivalence of different sorts of CA in terms of splitting bisimulation and prioritized splitting bisimulation. Equivalent managers send the same set of messages to the actors. Using our behavioral equivalence theory, we can prove that the overall behavior of the system is preserved by substituting a manager by an equivalent one

Effects of ramadan fasting on insulin-like growth factor-1 and low-density lipoprotein in healthy adults

Backgrounds & Purpose : Ramadan fasting is a unique cycle in which man should avoid eating and drinking. In many conditions such as plasma LDL and IGF-1 concentration, effects of prolonged & Ramadan fasting are different. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Ramadan fasting on LDL & IGF-1 and their correlations. Material & Methods: 132 healthy adult volunteers (60 women, 72 men) took part in this quasi-experimental study. All participants fasted for at least 25 days in the lunar month of Ramadan.The amount of serum IGF-1 was measured by radioimmunoassay 1 week before and on the 14th and 28th days of Ramadan. Statistical analysis with ANOVA, the Student's paired t-test, and Pearson's regression analysis were all carried out in this respect. Results : No significant change in the serum concentration of IGF-1 was found in men, women or the group during this study ,but serum level of LDL was decreased significantly. Conclusions: Ramadan fasting has no effect on plasma IGF-1, but it decreases plasma LDL significantl

Isolation and Kinetic Modeling of New Culture from Compost with High Capability of Degrading n-Hexadecane, Focused on Ochrobactrum Oryzae and Paenibacillus Lautus

Nowadays, petroleum pollution is one of the most important environmental challenges in Iran. Some bacteria were isolated for hexadecane degrading from soil, sediment, and sludge; however, there is no report on its isolation from compost. This study was aimed to isolation, molecular identification of novel bacteria with high capability of hexadecane-degrading from compost using enrichments media. The isolated bacteria were identified by PCR with 16S rDNA method and were studied their ability for removing hexadecane in liquid and solid medium. According to results, the isolated bacteria were identified as O.oryzae and P.lautus. In liquid medium, hexadecane concentration decreased from 3000±1.4 to 366.96±0.9 mg/l (87.77±0.2) by O.oryzae, while the removal percent by P.lautus was 80.89±1.2 after 33 days. Hexadecane concentration decreased from 30 to 18.09±0.6 g/kg soil (39.69±1.1) during 80 days. The pseudo-first order was the best model for biodegradation by both cultures. Whereas, the kinetic behavior of hexadecane bioremediation was described by first and pseudo-first-order model (r2 = 0.798). In addition, these isolated bacteria have higher efficiency in hexadecane removal in comparison to the other previously identified bacteria. Moreover, O.oryzae can be used in remediation of petroleum products, especially diesel oil. © 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis

PobSAM : policy-based managing of actors in self-adaptive systems

In this paper, we present a formal model, named PobSAM (Policy-based Self-Adaptive Model), for modelingself-adaptive systems. In this model, policies are used as a mechanism to direct and adapt the behaviorof self-adaptive systems. A PobSAM model consists of a set of self-managed modules(SMM). An SMMis a collection of autonomous managers and managed actors. Managed actors are dedicated to functionalbehavior while autonomous managers govern the behavior of managed actors by enforcing suitable policies.To adapt SMM behavior in response to changes, policies governing an SMM are adjusted, i.e., dynamicpolicies are used to govern and adapt system behavior. We employ the combination of an algebraic formalismand an actor-based model to specify this model formally. Managers are modeled as meta-actors whosepolicies are described using an algebra. Managed actors are expressed by an actor model. Furthermore, weprovide an operational semantics for PobSAM described using labeled transition systems. Keywords: Adaptive systems; Policy-based Computing; Component-based Design; Algebra; Actor Models

Evaluating the effect of low-level laser therapy on healing of tentomized Achilles tendon in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by light microscopical and gene expression examinations

Tendon healing is impaired in individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). According to research, there is considerable improvement in the healing of surgically tenotomized Achilles tendons following low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in non-diabetic, healthy animals. This study uses light microscopic (LM) and semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analyses to evaluate the ability of LLLT in healing Achilles tendons from streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats. A total of 88 rats were randomly divided into two groups, non-diabetic and diabetic. DM was induced in the rats by injections of STZ. The right Achilles tendons of all rats were tenotomized 1 month after administration of STZ. Laser-treated rats were treated with a helium-neon (He-Ne) laser that had a 632.8-nm wavelength and 7.2-mW average power. Experimental group rats received a daily dose of 0.014 J (energy density, 2.9 J/cm2). Control rats did not receive LLLT. Animals were sacrificed on days 5, 10, and 15 post-operatively for semi-quantitative LM and semi-quantitative RT-PCR examinations of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) gene expression. The chi-square test showed that LLLT significantly reduced inflammation in non-diabetic rats compared with their non-diabetic controls (p = 0.02). LLLT significantly decreased inflammation in diabetic rats on days 5 (p = 0.03) and 10 (p = 0.02) compared to the corresponding control diabetic rats. According to the student's t test, LLLT significantly increased TGF-β1 gene expression in healthy (p = 0.000) and diabetic (p = 0.000) rats compared to their relevant controls. The He-Ne laser was effective in altering the inflammatory reaction and increasing TGF-β1 gene production. © 2014 Springer-Verlag