Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 – an antimicrobial and antioxidative probiotic

The paper lays out the short scientific history and characteristics of the new probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum strain ME-3 DSM-14241, elaborated according to the regulations of WHO/FAO (2002). L. fermentum ME-3 is a unique strain of Lactobacillus species, having at the same time the antimicrobial and physiologically effective antioxidative properties and expressing health-promoting characteristics if consumed. Tartu University has patented this strain in Estonia (priority June 2001, patent in 2006), Russia (patent in 2006) and the USA (patent in 2007). The paper describes the process of the identification and molecular typing of this probiotic strain of human origin, its deposition in an international culture collection, and its safety assessment by laboratory tests and testing on experimental animals and volunteers. It has been established that L. fermentum strain ME-3 has double functional properties: antimicrobial activity against intestinal pathogens and high total antioxidative activity (TAA) and total antioxidative status (TAS) of intact cells and lysates, and it is characterized by a complete glutathione system: synthesis, uptake and redox turnover. The functional efficacy of the antimicrobial and antioxidative probiotic has been proven by the eradication of salmonellas and the reduction of liver and spleen granulomas in Salmonella Typhimurium-infected mice treated with the combination of ofloxacin and L. fermentum strain ME-3. Using capsules or foodstuffs enriched with L. fermentum ME-3, different clinical study designs (including double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studies) and different subjects (healthy volunteers, allergic patients and those recovering from a stroke), it has been shown that this probiotic increased the antioxidative activity of sera and improved the composition of the low-density lipid particles (LDL) and post-prandial lipids as well as oxidative stress status, thus demonstrating a remarkable anti-atherogenic effect. The elaboration of the probiotic L. fermentum strain ME-3 has drawn on wide international cooperative research and has taken more than 12 years altogether. The new ME-3 probiotic-containing products have been successfully marketed and sold in Baltic countries and Finland

ANALYSE VIBRATOIRE DES TREILLIS DE POUTRES EN MOYENNE HAUTE FRÉQUENCE

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The market orientation - new product performance relationship: redefining the moderating role of environmental condition

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Debris-flow activity in abandoned channels of the Manival torrent reconstructed with LiDAR and tree-ring data

Hydrogeomorphic processes are a major threat in many parts of the Alps, where they periodically damage infrastructure, disrupt transportation corridors or even cause loss of life. Nonetheless, past torrential activity and the analysis of areas affected during particular events remain often imprecise. It was therefore the purpose of this study to reconstruct spatio-temporal patterns of past debris-flow activity in abandoned channels on the forested cone of the Manival torrent (Massif de la Chartreuse, French Prealps). A Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) generated Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used to identify five abandoned channels and related depositional forms (lobes, lateral levees) in the proximal alluvial fan of the torrent. A total of 156 Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris L.) with clear signs of debris flow events was analyzed and growth disturbances (GD) assessed, such as callus tissue, the onset of compression wood or abrupt growth suppression. In total, 375 GD were identified in the tree-ring samples, pointing to 13 debris-flow events for the period 1931–2008. While debris flows appear to be very common at Manival, they have only rarely propagated outside the main channel over the past 80 years. Furthermore, analysis of the spatial distribution of disturbed trees contributed to the identification of four patterns of debris-flow routing and led to the determination of three preferential breakout locations. Finally, the results of this study demonstrate that the temporal distribution of debris flows did not exhibit significant variations since the beginning of the 20th century

Composer une équipe de développement de produits nouveaux : la diversité professionnelle ne suffit pas.

In this research, we propose a model of the effect of new product team members' professional diversity on product performance. In this relationship, we take into account the mediating effect of the instrumental use of available information about customers, competitors and technology. In addition we test the moderating effect of team members' familiarity in the relationship between professional diversity and information use. The model is tested on a sample of 145 product managers or sales directors from the 58 French industrial sectors. The results underline an impact of professional diversity on the instrumental use of available information about customers, competitors and technology. The instrumental use of available information about customers and technology determine new product performance, and a total mediating effect is shown. Familiarity has the hypothesized moderating effect.Dans cette recherche, nous modélisons l'effet de la diversité professionnelle des membres d'une équipe de développement de produit nouveau sur la performance de celui-ci. Dans cette relation, nous évaluons le rôle médiateur de l'utilisation instrumentale des informations disponibles sur les consommateurs, les concurrents et la technologie. De plus, nous étudions le rôle modérateur de la familiarité des membres de l'équipe sur la relation entre diversité professionnelle et utilisation de l'information. Le modèle est testé à partir d'une enquête auprès de 145 chefs de produits ou directeurs commerciaux travaillant dans les 58 branches industrielles françaises. Les résultats indiquent l'existence d'un impact de la diversité professionnelle sur l'utilisation instrumentale des informations disponibles sur les consommateurs, les concurrents et la technologie. L'utilisation des informations disponibles sur les consommateurs et la technologie déterminent à leur tour la performance d'un produit nouveau, et un effet de médiation totale est mis en évidence. La familiarité a quant à elle l'effet modérateur supposé