Friedmann Equation for Brans Dicke Cosmology

In the context of Brans-Dicke scalar tensor theory of gravitation, the cosmological Friedmann equation which relates the expansion rate $H$ of the universe to the various fractions of energy density is analyzed rigorously. It is shown that Brans-Dicke scalar tensor theory of gravitation brings a negligible correction to the matter density component of Friedmann equation. Besides, in addition to $\Omega_{\Lambda}$ and $\Omega_{M}$ in standard Einstein cosmology, another density parameter, $\Omega_{_{\Delta}}$, is expected by the theory. This implies that if $\Omega_{_{\Delta}}$ is found to be nonzero, data will favor this model instead of the standard Einstein cosmological model with cosmological constant and will enable more accurate predictions for the rate of change of Newtonian gravitational constant in the future.Comment: minor reference change

Can hyperbolic phase of Brans-Dicke field account for Dark Matter?

We show that the introduction of a hyperbolic phase for Brans-Dicke (BD) field results in a flat vacuum cosmological solution of Hubble parameter H and fractional rate of change of BD scalar field, F which asymptotically approach constant values. At late stages, hyperbolic phase of BD field behaves like dark matter

Estabilidad y compuestos de oxidación volátiles de aceites prensados en frío de semillas de uva, lino y comino negro, afectados por la oxidación térmica

The old-pressed oils (CPO) from grape seeds (GSO), flax seeds (FSO) and black cumin seeds (BSO) were analyzed for their fatty acid profiles, tocopherols, total phenolics, bioactives and phenolic compositions. The stability of CPO under thermal oxidation conditions was evaluated. The main fatty acid in FSO was linolenic acid (56.5% of total fatty acids); while GSO and BSO were rich in linoleic acid, which accounted for 66.8 and 56.8%, respectively. GSO was rich in ?-tocopherol (123.0 mg/kg), while ?-tocopherol was a prevalent isomer in FSO and BSO (137.9 and 128.9 mg/kg, respectively). The total phenolic contents in the oils ranged from 554 mg GAE/kg oil (FSO) to 1140 mg GAE/kg oil (BSO). Luteolin, dihydroquercetin and benzoic acids were the dominant bioactives and phenolics in FSO, GSO and BSO, respectively. Based on the oxidative stability index (OSI) value, BSO showed the highest value (6.14 h) among the other oils. The oxidative stability of FSO and BSO were higher than GSO according to peroxide value (PV) and conjugated diene (CD) values of the oils during storage at 60 °C. Hexanal, 2,4-heptadienal and (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal were the major volatile oxidation compounds (VOC) in FSO. Hexanal and (E)-2-heptanal were the main identified VOC in the GSO and BSO under the same oxidation conditions.Los aceites prensados en frío (CPO) de semilla de uva (OSG), semilla de lino (FSO) y semilla de comino negro (BSO) se analizaron para determinar su perfil de ácidos grasos, tocoferoles, compuestos fenólicos totales, compuestos bioactivos y composición fenólica. Se evaluó la estabilidad del CPO en condiciones de oxidación térmica. El ácido graso principal en FSO fue ácido linolénico (56,5%), mientras que GSO y BSO fueron ricos en ácido linoleico que representó el 66,8% y 56,8%, respectivamente. La OSG fue rica en ?-tocoferol (123,0 mg/kg), mientras que el ?-tocoferol fue el tocoferol mayoritario en el FOE y BSO (137,9 y 128,9 mg/kg, respectivamente). El contenido fenólico total de los aceites varió de 554 mg GAE/kg de aceite en FSO a 1140 mg GAE/kg de aceite en BSO. La luteolina, la dihidroquercetina y los ácidos benzoicos fueron los bioactivos y fenólicos dominantes en FSO, GSO y BSO, respectivamente. En base al valor del índice de estabilidad de la oxidación (OSI), BSO mostró el valor más alto (6,14 h) entre los otros aceites. La estabilidad oxidativa de FSO y BSO fue mayor que la OSG según el valor de peróxido (PV) y los valores de dieno conjugado (CD) de los aceites durante el almacenamiento a 60 °C. Hexanal, 2,4-heptadienal y (E, E) -2,4-heptadienal fueron los principales compuestos de oxidación volátiles (VOC) en FSO. Hexanal y (E) -2-heptanal fueron los principales VOC identificados en la OSG y la BSO en las mismas condiciones de oxidación

Primordial and asymptotic inflation in Brans-Dicke cosmology

The basic motivation of this work is to attempt to explain the rapid primordial inflation and the observed slow late-time inflation by using the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity. We show that the ratio of these two inflation parameters is proportional to the square root of the Brans-Dicke parameter $\omega$ $(\omega\gg1)$. We also calculate the Hubble parameter $$ and the time variation of the time dependent Newtonian gravitational constant $G$ for both regimes. The variation of the Hubble parameter predicted by Brans-Dicke cosmology is shown to be consistent with recent measurements: The value of $H$ in the late-time future is predicted as 0.86 times the present value of $H$.Comment: 7 pages, no figure

Functional recombinant protein is present in the pre-induction phases of Pichia pastoris cultures when grown in bioreactors, but not shake-flasks

Background - Pichia pastoris is a widely-used host for recombinant protein production; expression is typically driven by methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase (AOX) promoters. Recently this system has become an important source of recombinant G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for structural biology and drug discovery. The influence of diverse culture parameters (such as pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, medium composition, antifoam concentration and culture temperature) on productivity has been investigated for a wide range of recombinant proteins in P. pastoris. In contrast, the impact of the pre-induction phases on yield has not been as closely studied. In this study, we examined the pre-induction phases of P. pastoris bioreactor cultivations producing three different recombinant proteins: the GPCR, human A2a adenosine receptor (hA2aR), green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor component protein (as a GFP fusion protein; hCGRP-RCP-GFP). Results - Functional hA2aR was detected in the pre-induction phases of a 1 L bioreactor cultivation of glycerol-grown P. pastoris. In a separate experiment, a glycerol-grown P. pastoris strain secreted soluble GFP prior to methanol addition. When glucose, which has been shown to repress AOX expression, was the pre-induction carbon source, hA2aR and GFP were still produced in the pre-induction phases. Both hA2aR and GFP were also produced in methanol-free cultivations; functional protein yields were maintained or increased after depletion of the carbon source. Analysis of the pre-induction phases of 10 L pilot scale cultivations also demonstrated that pre-induction yields were at least maintained after methanol induction, even in the presence of cytotoxic concentrations of methanol. Additional bioreactor data for hCGRP-RCP-GFP and shake-flask data for GFP, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), the human tetraspanins hCD81 and CD82, and the tight-junction protein human claudin-1, demonstrated that bioreactor but not shake flask cultivations exhibit recombinant protein production in the pre-induction phases of P. pastoris cultures. Conclusions - The production of recombinant hA2aR, GFP and hCGRP-RCP-GFP can be detected in bioreactor cultivations prior to methanol induction, while this is not the case for shake-flask cultivations of GFP, HRP, hCD81, hCD82 and human claudin-1. This confirms earlier suggestions of leaky expression from AOX promoters, which we report here for both glycerol- and glucose-grown cells in bioreactor cultivations. These findings suggest that the productivity of AOX-dependent bioprocesses is not solely dependent on induction by methanol. We conclude that in order to maximize total yields, pre-induction phase cultivation conditions should be optimized, and that increased specific productivity may result in decreased biomass yields

Recent advances in Pichia pastoris as host for heterologous expression system for lipases : a review

The production of heterologous lipases is one of the most promising strategies to increase the productivity of the bioprocesses and to reduce costs, with the final objective that more industrial lipase applications could be implemented. In this chapter, an overview of the new success in synthetic biology, with traditional molecular genetic techniques and bioprocess engineering in the last 5 years in the cell factory Pichia pastoris, the most promising host system for heterologous lipase production, is presented. The goals get on heterologous Candida antarctica, Rhizopus oryzae, and Candida rugosa lipases, three of the most common lipases used in biocatalysis, are showed. Finally, new cell factories producing heterologous lipases are presented

Post-Vasectomy Semen Analysis: Optimizing Laboratory Procedures and Test Interpretation through a Clinical Audit and Global Survey of Practices

Purpose: The success of vasectomy is determined by the outcome of a post-vasectomy semen analysis (PVSA). This article describes a step-by-step procedure to perform PVSA accurately, report data from patients who underwent post vasectomy semen analysis between 2015 and 2021 experience, along with results from an international online survey on clinical practice. Materials and methods: We present a detailed step-by-step protocol for performing and interpretating PVSA testing, along with recommendations for proficiency testing, competency assessment for performing PVSA, and clinical and laboratory scenarios. Moreover, we conducted an analysis of 1,114 PVSA performed at the Cleveland Clinic's Andrology Laboratory and an online survey to understand clinician responses to the PVSA results in various countries. Results: Results from our clinical experience showed that 92.1% of patients passed PVSA, with 7.9% being further tested. A total of 78 experts from 19 countries participated in the survey, and the majority reported to use time from vasectomy rather than the number of ejaculations as criterion to request PVSA. A high percentage of responders reported permitting unprotected intercourse only if PVSA samples show azoospermia while, in the presence of few non-motile sperm, the majority of responders suggested using alternative contraception, followed by another PVSA. In the presence of motile sperm, the majority of participants asked for further PVSA testing. Repeat vasectomy was mainly recommended if motile sperm were observed after multiple PVSA's. A large percentage reported to recommend a second PVSA due to the possibility of legal actions. Conclusions: Our results highlighted varying clinical practices around the globe, with controversy over the significance of non-motile sperm in the PVSA sample. Our data suggest that less stringent AUA guidelines would help improve test compliance. A large longitudinal multi-center study would clarify various doubts related to timing and interpretation of PVSA and would also help us to understand, and perhaps predict, recanalization and the potential for future failure of a vasectomy

Impact of varicocele repair on semen parameters in infertile men: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Despite the significant role of varicocele in the pathogenesis of male infertility, the impact of varicocele repair (VR) on conventional semen parameters remains controversial. Only a few systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) have evaluated the impact of VR on sperm concentration, total motility, and progressive motility, mostly using a before-after analytic approach. No SRMA to date has evaluated the change in conventional semen parameters after VR compared to untreated controls. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of VR on conventional semen parameters in infertile patients with clinical varicocele compared to untreated controls. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed using Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases following the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICOS) model (Population: infertile patients with clinical varicocele; Intervention: VR [any technique]; Comparison: infertile patients with clinical varicocele that were untreated; Outcome: sperm concentration, sperm total count, progressive sperm motility, total sperm motility, sperm morphology, and semen volume; Study type: randomized controlled trials and observational studies). Results: A total of 1,632 abstracts were initially assessed for eligibility. Sixteen studies were finally included with a total of 2,420 infertile men with clinical varicocele (1,424 patients treated with VR vs. 996 untreated controls). The analysis showed significantly improved post-operative semen parameters in patients compared to controls with regards to sperm concentration (standardized mean difference [SMD] 1.739; 95% CI 1.129 to 2.349; p<0.001; I2=97.6%), total sperm count (SMD 1.894; 95% CI 0.566 to 3.222; p<0.05; I2=97.8%), progressive sperm motility (SMD 3.301; 95% CI 2.164 to 4.437; p<0.01; I2=98.5%), total sperm motility (SMD 0.887; 95% CI 0.036 to 1.738; p=0.04; I2=97.3%) and normal sperm morphology (SMD 1.673; 95% CI 0.876 to 2.470; p<0.05; I2=98.5%). All the outcomes showed a high inter-study heterogeneity, but the sensitivity analysis showed that no study was sensitive enough to change these results. Publication bias was present only in the analysis of the sperm concentration and progressive motility. No significant difference was found for the semen volume (SMD 0.313; 95% CI -0.242 to 0.868; I2=89.7%). Conclusions: This study provides a high level of evidence in favor of a positive effect of VR to improve conventional semen parameters in infertile men with clinical varicocele. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first SRMA to compare changes in conventional semen parameters after VR with changes in parameters of a control group over the same period. This is in contrast to other SRMAs which have compared semen parameters before and after VR, without reference to a control group. Our findings strengthen the available evidence and have a potential to upgrade professional societies’ practice recommendations favoring VR to improve conventional semen parameters in infertile men