Length-weight relationships of coral reef fishes from the Alacran Reef, Yucatan, Mexico

Length-weight relationships were computed for 42 species of coral reef fishes from 14 families from the Alacran Reef (Yucatan, Mexico). A total of 1 892 individuals was used for this purpose. The fish species were caught by different fishing techniques such as fishhooks, harpoons, gill and trawl nets. The sampling period was from March 1998 to January 2000

Evaluation Of Culture Media For Counts Of Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis Bb 12 In Yoghurt After Refrigerated Storage

The agar RCPB pH5 has been considered a good alternative for counts of Bifidobacterium in yoghurt. However, during the refrigerated storage of yoghurt it is extremely difficult to count this microorganism due to the size of the colonies, which are so small they require the aid of a stereoscope to count them. Another agar, MRS-LP, has been also recommended for counts of Bifidobacterium in the presence of yoghurt bacteria. This study evaluated the supplementation of RCPB pH5 agar with dehydrated liver extract and the salts KH2PO4, K2HPO4, FeSO 47H2O, MnSO4H2O and MgSO 47H2O, aiming at improving the differentiation of Bifidobacterium in yoghurt after refrigerated storage, and also evaluated the selective count of Bifidobacterium in yoghurt using the agar MRS-LP. The agar MRS-LP presented the same cell recovery as non-fortified RCPB pH5 agar, used as a standard medium, thus being considered a good option for counts of Bifidobacterium in yoghurt. The fortified RCPB pH5 also presented the same recovery as the standard RCPB pH5 medium, however, the addition of dehydrated liver extract to the RCPB pH5 agar considerably increased the size of the Bifidobacterium colonies after refrigerated storage, making differentiation of the colonies much easier and reliable when compared to the standard non-fortified RPCP pH5. The addition of the salts (KH2PO4, K2HPO4, FeSO47H2O, MnSO 4H2O and MgSO47H2O) had no influence on the performance of the RCPB pH5 agar.392357361Beehrens, H., An elective and selective isolation medium for Bifidobacterium spp (1990) Lett. Appl. Microbiol, 11 (3), pp. 155-157Bomba, A., Nemcová, R., Mudronová, D., Guba, P., The possibilities of potentiating the efficacy of probiotics (2002) Trends Food Sci. Technol, 13 (4), pp. 121-126Amerian Córdoba Park Hotel (2001) Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Evaluation of Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food Including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria, , FAO/WHO, Córdoba, Argentina, 1-4 OctoberGhodussi, H.B., Robinson, R.K., Enumeration of starter cultures in fermented milks (1996) J. Dairy Res, 63 (1), pp. 151-158Lapierre, L., Undeland, P., Cox, L.J., Lithium chloride-sodium propionate agar for the enumeration of Bifidobacteria in fermented dairy products (1992) J. Dairy Sci, 75 (5), pp. 1192-1196Laroia, S., Martin, J.H., Methods for enumerating and propagating Bifidobactéria (1991) Cultured Dairy Prod. J, 26 (2), pp. 32-33Moriya, J., Fachin, L., Gândara, A.L.N., Viotto, W.H., Evaluation of culture media for counts of Bifidobacterium animalis in the presence of yoghurt bacteria (2006) Braz. J. Microbiol, 37, pp. 510-514Onggo, I., Fleet, G.H., Media for the isolation and enumeration of lactic acid bacteria from yoghurts (1993) Aust. J. Dairy Technol, 48 (2), pp. 89-92Payne, J.F., Morris, A.E.J., Beers, P., Evaluation of selective media for the enumeration of Bifidobacterium sp. in milk (1999) J. Appl. Microbiol, 86 (2), pp. 353-358Rybka, S., Kailasapathy, K., Media for the enumeration of yoghurt Bacteria (1996) Int. Dairy J, 6 (8-9), pp. 839-850Vinderola, C.G., Reinheimer, J.A., Culture media for the enumeration of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus in the presence of yoghurt bacteria (1999) Int. Dairy J, 9 (8), pp. 497-50

Evaluating the Potential Impacts of Homelessness on the Water Quality and Riparian Habitat of the Santa Ana River

This report seeks to evaluate the potential water quality and habitat impacts to the Santa Ana River due to people experiencing homelessness living on or near the river's banks. Recommendations are provided to address the issue of homelessness in the Santa Ana River

Systemic Metabolomic Changes in Blood Samples of Lung Cancer Patients Identified by Gas Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Metabolic alterations in tumor cells coupled with systemic indicators of the host response to tumor development have the potential to yield blood profiles with clinical utility for diagnosis and monitoring of treatment. We report results from two separate studies using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF MS) to profile metabolites in human blood samples that significantly differ from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma and other lung cancer cases. Metabolomic analysis of blood samples from the two studies yielded a total of 437 metabolites, of which 148 were identified as known compounds and 289 identified as unknown compounds. Differential analysis identified 15 known metabolites in one study and 18 in a second study that were statistically different (p-values <0.05). Levels of maltose, palmitic acid, glycerol, ethanolamine, glutamic acid, and lactic acid were increased in cancer samples while amino acids tryptophan, lysine and histidine decreased. Many of the metabolites were found to be significantly different in both studies, suggesting that metabolomics appears to be robust enough to find systemic changes from lung cancer, thus showing the potential of this type of analysis for lung cancer detection

Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion to C2 products: Catalysts design, market perspectives and techno-economic aspects

The energy crisis caused by the incessant growth in global energy demand joint to its associated greenhouse emissions motivates the urgent need to control and mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels. Leveraging CO2 as carbon pool to produce value-added products represents a cornerstone of the circular economy. Among the CO2 utilization strategies, electrochemical reduction of CO2 conversion to produce fuels and chemicals is booming due to its versatility and end-product flexibility. Herein most of the studies focused on C1 products although C2 and C2+ compounds are chemically and economically more appealing targets requiring advanced catalytic materials. Still, despite the complex pathways for C2+ products formation, their multiple and assorted applications have motivated the search of suitable electrocatalysts. In this review, we gather and analyse in a comprehensive manner the progress made regarding C2+ products considering not only the catalyst design and the electrochemistry features but also techno-economic aspects in order to envisage the most profitable scenarios. This state-of-the-art analysis showcases that electrochemical reduction of CO2 to C2 products will play a key role in the decarbonisation of the chemical industry paving the way towards a low-carbon future

New insights into the breathing phenomenon in ZIF-4

Structural changes in ZIFs upon adsorption remain a paradigm due to the sensitivity of the adsorption mechanism to the nature of the organic ligands and gas probe molecules. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction under operando conditions clearly demonstrates for the first time that ZIF-4 exhibits a structural reorientation from a narrow-pore (np) to a new expanded-pore (ep) structure upon N2 adsorption, while it does not do so for CO2 adsorption. The existence of an expanded-pore structure of ZIF-4 has also been predicted by molecular simulations. In simulations the expanded structure was stabilized by entropy at high temperatures and by strong adsorption of N2 at low temperatures. These results are in perfect agreement with manometric adsorption measurements for N2 at 77 K that show the threshold pressure for breathing at ∼30 kPa. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements show that CO2 is also able to promote structural changes but, in this specific case, only at cryogenic temperatures (5 K).The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the MINECO (MAT2016-80285-p), Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEOII/2014/004), H2020 (MSCA-RISE-2016/NanoMed Project), Spanish ALBA synchrotron (Projects AV-2017021985 and IH-2018012591) and Oak Ridge beam time availability (Project IPTS-20843.1). JSA and JGL acknowledge financial support from UA (ACIE17-15) to cover all the expenses for INS measurements at Oak Ridge. JGL acknowledges GV (GRISOLIAP/2016/089) for the research contract

SISTEMAS AGROFLORESTAIS EM ÁREAS URBANAS

Este trabalho teve por objetivo o levantamento de contribuições e a discussão da aplicação de Sistemas Agroflorestais (SAF) em áreas urbanas. SAF podem oferecer serviços ambientais importantes à área urbana e contribuir na melhoria de condições sócio-econômicas de parte da população urbana. Sua aplicação não se restringe a áreas de produção, sendo sua utilização possível também na recuperação de Áreas de Proteção Permanente (APP) e de Reserva Legal. Dentre as contribuições pode-se citar segurança alimentar; aumento de áreas permeáveis para minimização de enchentes e contribuição para águas subterrâneas, redução de poluição em áreas urbanas; conservação de diversidade biológica; promoção de recreação, educação e interpretação ambiental. Observa-se a importância de adequação desse tipo de sistema ao contexto urbano. As políticas públicas em relação a esse assunto ainda estão pouco estruturadas, faltando maior participação efetiva do estado nos diferentes níveis

Pengaruh Kinetika Visual untuk Penataan Lanskap Jalan Tol Bagi Pengguna (The Influence of Visual Kinetics to Landscape Arrangement of Toll Road for Users)

Tujuan dari penelitian difokuskan pada mengoptimalkan penataan lanskap dan visual sepanjang ruas jalan tol Cijago seksi II untuk meningkatkan keamanan, keselamatan, dan kenyamanan pengguna jalan tol yang kemudian akan dijadikan acuan dalam rancangan pengembangan lanskap jalan tol pada ruas tol Cijago (Jalan Tol Ruas Cinere – Jagorawi Seksi II dan III Sta. 16+700 – 20+200 di Cinere – Cisalak, Depok - Jawa Barat.). Jalan tol adalah jalan umum yang merupakan bagian dari sistem jaringan jalan nasional yang penggunanya diwajibkan membayar tol dan memiliki peran dalam perkembangan suatu daerah. Di samping itu, jalan tol merupakan jalan bebas hambatan dan jalan nasional yang dapat menunjang peningkatan pertumbuhan perekonomian. Dalam pembangunan sebuah jalan tol, pendekatan pada lanskap sepanjang koridor jalan tol menjadi aspek penting bagi keamanan dan kenyamanan pengguna jalan tol. Jalan tol memiliki perpaduan karakteristik dataran tinggi dan dataran rendah, sehingga terdapat keberagaman ketinggian lahan, kemiringan lereng sisi jalan, dan vegetasi. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode kualitatif dengan analisis deskriptif. Analisis data menghasilkan pertimbanganpertimbangan rancangan (problem statement) dari potensi dan kendala yang di analisis, kemudian dikembangkan melalui perancangan lanskap yang sesuai dengan tujuan penelitian. Ruas jalan tol Cijago belum memiliki rencana pengembangan lanskap jalan tol yang mengarah pada keamanan, keselamatan, dan kenyamanan, serta terdapatnya potensi visual yang dapat dikembangkan di sepanjang ruas jalan tol. Hal-hal ini yang menyebabkan pentingnya penataan lanskap ruas tol Cijago dengan memanfaatkan danmengoptimalkan potensi-potensi visual yang ada.Kata kunci: jalan tol, lanskap, lanskap jalan tol, visua

The Influence of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Anticancer Activity of Manuka Honey

Manuka honey (MH) is a natural food with many beneficial properties to human health, thanks to its high variety of bioactive compounds; however, little is known about its bioaccessibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the polyphenol compounds, the antioxidant capacity and the anticancer activity of MH subjected to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion in human HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Raw MH and digested MH (DMH) were assessed for total polyphenols and flavonoids by spectrophotometric and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using different methods. Cell viability, intracellular ROS production, apoptosis, cell cycle and colony formation capacity were tested after treatment with MH or DMH. Results showed that total polyphenols, total flavonoids and TAC were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced after in vitro digestion. In addition, MH and DMH at 8, 16 and 24 mg/mL had similar effects in inducing intracellular ROS production and in inhibiting the colon formation ability; MH induced a more marked apoptosis compared to DMH, while cell cycle was blocked in S phase by MH and in Sub G1 phase by DMH. Our results increase knowledge of the effect of gastrointestinal digestion on the biological effect of honey against colorectal cancer

Phase II Study of Cediranib in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: SWOG S0509

IntroductionMalignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) tumors express vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptors. We conducted a phase II study of the oral pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, cediranib, in patients with MPM after platinum-based systemic chemotherapy.MethodsPatients with MPM previously treated with a platinum-containing chemotherapy regimen and a performance status 0 to 2 were eligible for enrollment. Cediranib 45 mg/d was administered until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was response rate. Tumor measurements were made by RECIST criteria, with a subset analysis conducted using modified RECIST. A two-stage design with an early stopping rule based on response rate was used.ResultsFifty-four patients were enrolled. Of 47 evaluable patients, 4 patients (9%) had objective responses, 16 patients (34%) had stable disease, 20 patients (43%) had disease progression, 2 patients (4%) had symptomatic deterioration, and 1 patient (2%) had early death. The most common toxicities were fatigue (64%), diarrhea (64%), and hypertension (70%); 91% of patients required a dose reduction. Median overall survival was 9.5 months, 1-year survival was 36%, and median progression-free survival was 2.6 months.ConclusionCediranib monotherapy has modest single-agent activity in MPM after platinum-based therapy. However, some patient tumors were highly sensitive to cediranib. This study provides a rationale for further testing of cediranib plus chemotherapy in MPM and highlights the need to identify a predictive biomarker for cediranib