Characteristics of orange-whey fermented beverages

The aim of the present work was to determine the populations of ABT culture microorganisms in orange and orangewhey drinks after fermentation and during 28-day storage. The evaluation involved fermented fruit drinks without whey or with added acid or sweet (rennet) whey. The Streptococcus thermophilus and Bifidobacteria counts were initially 3.5×105–8.3×105 CFU cm−3 and 2.4×106–5.9×106 CFU cm−3, respectively, and did not increase during fermentation. However, an increase was observed in the Lb. acidophilus count, which amounted to 3.0×106–2.4×107 CFU cm−3 after fermentation. During storage, the Str. thermophilus and Lb. acidophilus counts remained constant, but that for Bifidobacteria fell to 103 CFU cm−3 after 28 days. Bacteria survivability was higher in drinks containing whey than in non-whey orange drinks. In 100 cm3, antioxidant activity against ABTS/DPPH radicals varied between 260 and 550 μmol TE; vitamin C content was in the range of 15.7–17.6 mg; polyphenols were 26.6–34.4 mg (+)catechin. In the sensory evaluation the best results were obtained for non-whey drinks and those containing 50% acid whey

Prevalence and associated factors of Schistosomiasis among children in Yemen: implications for an effective control programme

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis, one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases, is a life-threatening public health problem in Yemen especially in rural communities. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of schistosomiasis among children in rural Yemen. METHODS/FINDINGS Urine and faecal samples were collected from 400 children. Urine samples were examined using filtration technique for the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs while faecal samples were examined using formalin-ether concentration and Kato Katz techniques for the presence of S. mansoni. Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental information were collected via a validated questionnaire. Overall, 31.8% of the participants were found to be positive for schistosomiasis; 23.8% were infected with S. haematobium and 9.3% were infected with S. mansoni. Moreover, 39.5% of the participants were anaemic whereas 9.5% had hepatosplenomegaly. The prevalence of schistosomiasis was significantly higher among children aged >10 years compared to those aged ≤ 10 years (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis confirmed that presence of other infected family member (P<0.001), low household monthly income (P = 0.003), using unsafe sources for drinking water (P = 0.003), living nearby stream/spring (P = 0.006) and living nearby pool/pond (P = 0.002) were the key factors significantly associated with schistosomiasis among these children. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This study reveals that schistosomiasis is still highly prevalent in Yemen. These findings support an urgent need to start an integrated, targeted and effective schistosomiasis control programme with a mission to move towards the elimination phase. Besides periodic drug distribution, health education and community mobilisation, provision of clean and safe drinking water, introduction of proper sanitation are imperative among these communities in order to curtail the transmission and morbidity caused by schistosomiasis. Screening and treating other infected family members should also be adopted by the public health authorities in combating this infection in these communities

Perfil epidemiológico do câncer de laringe no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to document the distribution and pattern of behavior of this tumor among our patients.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with diagnosis of laryngeal cancer seen in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 1990 to1996 was carried out.RESULTS: There were 242 cases, the majority of whom were from the white race (94,2%). The peak incidence was in the seventh decade of life and male to femaleratio was 15:1. The most common histological type was squamous cell carcinoma (98,76%) and by site, glottic involvement was the most frequent (44,7%), and so themost common symptom at presentation was hoarseness (76,5%). Supraglottic tumors presented, mainly, with dysphagia and the transglottics with dyspnea. As to staging, 43,3% were in IV stage at the diagnosis. The supraglottic tumors were, mainly, in the stage IV (38,3%), while the majority of glottic tumors (74,2%) were in the stage I, its reflect a worse prognosis for the supraglottic tumors. The total surgery was the mostfrequent treatment performed (50,7%).CONCLUSIONS: The laryngeal cancer diagnosis in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre is done at a late stage, making the patient’s prognosis really reserved.OBJETIVO: O objetivo foi documentar a distribuição e o padrão de comportamento deste tumor entre os nossos pacientes.MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo dos pacientes com diagnóstico de câncer de laringe atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre entre 1990 e 1996.RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 242 casos, a maioria da raça branca (94,2%). A divisão por faixa etária mostrou um pico do ocorrência na sétima década de vida e a proporção de homens em relação à mulheres foi de 15:1. O tipo histológico maiscomum foi carcinoma epidermóide (98,76%) e o sítio mais freqüentemente acometido foi a glote (44,7%), conseqüentemente, o sintoma mais comum na apresentação foi a disfonia (76,5%). Os pacientes com tumores na supraglote apresentaram, principalmente, disfagia e, aqueles com tumores transglóticos, dispnéia. Quanto ao estadiamento, 43,2% estavam no estágio IV no momento do diagnóstico. Os tumores localizados na supraglote estão relacionados com pior prognóstico, nesta amostra 38,3% dos pacientes com câncer na supraglote estavam no estágio IV, enquanto quea maioria dos tumores glóticos (74,2%) estavam no estágio I. A cirurgia total foi o tratamento mais realizado (50,7%).CONCLUSÃO: O diagnóstico do câncer de laringe no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre é feito, em sua maior parte, em estágio avançado, tornando o prognóstico desses pacientes bastante reservado

Genetic diversity of Aedes aegypti in the Central-Upper Paraná cross-border axis in Paraguay

Correspondence: Nilsa González Brítez; [email protected]: To determine the genetic diversity of Aedes aegypti in the Central-Alto Paraná cross-border road corridor of Paraguay, an area that has reports of dengue cases. Materials and methods: Twenty adult females were selected from hatching Ae. aegypti eggs from households geolocated in the departments of Alto Paraná, Caaguazú, Cordillera and Central, between 2018 and 2019. DNA was extracted from the tissue of females for amplifying their polymorphic patterns by random amplification of polymorphic DNA by PCR (RAPD-PCR), using primers H3 and B03 in order to identify genetic parameters of population diversity. The relationships between mosquito populations according to locality were observed by unpaired arithmetic mean analysis. We used DIVA-GIS 7.3.0 and MAXENT to analyze the suitable areas of actual and potential geographic distribution of these Ae. aegypti populations. Results: Forty loci were identified by RAPD-PCR profiling, with moderate gene differentiation (Gst = 0.12). The cross-border corridor presented bioclimatic conditions for the presence of variant populations of Ae. aegypti, with precipitation in the warmest quarter and mean temperature in the driest quarter being determinant in the distribution. Conclusions: There is evidence of moderate genetic diversity in Ae. aegypti populations from areas that have reported dengue cases in the cross-border road corridor linking the Central and Alto Paraná departments of Paraguay. The study of genetic variability of Ae. aegypti is very useful for entomo-epidemiological surveillance and evaluation of possible resistance to chemical control.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPrograma Paraguayo para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y Tecnología. Proyectos de investigación y desarroll

Patologia ossicular na otite média crônica: implicações clínicas

OBJECTIVE: To compare the presence of ossicular pathologies in chronic otitis media in patients with perforated and those with and without tympanic membranes.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on histological analysis through optic microscopy. Out of 1.382 human temporal bones, we selected 144 that presented with tissue alterations compatible with chronic otitis media. These bones were collected from 96 individuals, 55 male and 41 female, aged from 10 to 88 years. Only 28 had perforated tympanic membranes.RESULTS: The analysis of the temporal bones indicated as the most common findings granulation tissue, ossicular alterations, tympanosclerosis, tympanic perforation, and cholesterol granuloma and cholesteatoma. The alterations found in this study revealed that the anvil is the most commonly affected ossicle, followed by the stapes and the malleus.CONCLUSIONS: The comparative analysis of perforated and non-perforated human temporal bones indicated that the two groups were similar regarding ossicular pathology.OBJETIVO: Comparar a presença de alterações ossiculares na otite média crônica em pacientes com membrana timpânica íntegra e com tímpano perfurado.MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Este estudo foi baseado em uma análise histológica através de microscopia ótica. De um grupo de 1.382 ossos temporais humanos, 144 foram escolhidos por apresentarem alterações teciduais compatíveis com otite média crônica. Estes ossos foram retirados de 96 indivíduos, 55 do sexo masculino e 41 do sexo feminino, com idades que variavam de 10 meses a 88 anos. Apenas 28 apresentavam a membrana timpânica perfurada, enquanto 116 ossos temporais humanos a tinham íntegra. RESULTADOS: A análise dos ossos temporais humanos apontou como os achados mais comuns o tecido de granulação, as alterações ossiculares, a timpanosclerose, a perfuração timpânica, o granuloma de colesterol e o colesteatoma. O perfil das alterações encontradas neste estudo mostram a bigorna como o ossículo mais atingido, seguido pelo estribo e pelo martelo.CONCLUSÕES: A análise comparativa dos ossos temporais com e sem perfurações da membrana timpânica indicaram que os grupos eram similares em relação à patologia ossicular

Enhancing Bitumen Properties through Worm Mix Asphalt Additives: A Study on Physical and Rheological Characteristics

This study aimed to determine how various concentrations of warm mix asphalt (WMA) additives can affect the rheological and physical characteristics of asphalt cement. Bitumen was modified by the chemical additive PAWMA® with an addition ratio of (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6), while the organic additives, Sasobit® and Kaowax®, were added at concentrations of (2, 4, and 6%) by the weight of bitumen. Bitumen hardness, softness, temperature susceptibility, viscosity, and elastic behavior have all been measured using a variety of physical and rheological tests, such as the penetration degree, softening point, penetration index, rotational viscosity, and dynamic shear rheology. This study showed that bitumen physical and rheological properties were affected differently according to the type and percentage of the WMA additive employed. The PAWMA additive, for instance, raised the bitumen penetration while Sasobit® and Kaowax® decreased the bitumen penetration degree. The inverse occurred for the softening point values. All WMA additives lowered bitumen viscosity values. Results from a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) showed that the rutting index value (G*/Sin) rose, indicating improved rutting resistance

New insights into the genetic diversity of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobiumin Yemen

The file attached is the Published/publisher’s pdf version of the article.© 2015 Sady et al. Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated

The HY5-PIF regulatory module coordinates light and temperature control of photosynthetic gene transcription

The ability to interpret daily and seasonal alterations in light and temperature signals is essential for plant survival. This is particularly important during seedling establishment when the phytochrome photoreceptors activate photosynthetic pigment production for photoautotrophic growth. Phytochromes accomplish this partly through the suppression of phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs), negative regulators of chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis. While the bZIP transcription factor long hypocotyl 5 (HY5), a potent PIF antagonist, promotes photosynthetic pigment accumulation in response to light. Here we demonstrate that by directly targeting a common promoter cis-element (G-box), HY5 and PIFs form a dynamic activation-suppression transcriptional module responsive to light and temperature cues. This antagonistic regulatory module provides a simple, direct mechanism through which environmental change can redirect transcriptional control of genes required for photosynthesis and photoprotection. In the regulation of photopigment biosynthesis genes, HY5 and PIFs do not operate alone, but with the circadian clock. However, sudden changes in light or temperature conditions can trigger changes in HY5 and PIFs abundance that adjust the expression of common target genes to optimise photosynthetic performance and growth

Residues Clustered in the Light-Sensing Knot of Phytochrome B are Necessary for Conformer-Specific Binding to Signaling Partner PIF3

The bHLH transcription factor, PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 3 (PIF3), interacts specifically with the photoactivated, Pfr, form of Arabidopsis phytochrome B (phyB). This interaction induces PIF3 phosphorylation and degradation in vivo and modulates phyB-mediated seedling deetiolation in response to red light. To identify missense mutations in the phyB N-terminal domain that disrupt this interaction, we developed a yeast reverse-hybrid screen. Fifteen individual mutations identified in this screen, or in previous genetic screens for Arabidopsis mutants showing reduced sensitivity to red light, were shown to also disrupt light-induced binding of phyB to PIF3 in in vitro co-immunoprecipitation assays. These phyB missense mutants fall into two general classes: Class I (eleven mutants) containing those defective in light signal perception, due to aberrant chromophore attachment or photoconversion, and Class II (four mutants) containing those normal in signal perception, but defective in the capacity to transduce this signal to PIF3. By generating a homology model for the three-dimensional structure of the Arabidopsis phyB chromophore-binding region, based on the crystal structure of Deinococcus radiodurans phytochrome, we predict that three of the four Class II mutated phyB residues are solvent exposed in a cleft between the presumptive PAS and GAF domains. This deduction suggests that these residues could be directly required for the physical interaction of phyB with PIF3. Because these three residues are also necessary for phyB-imposed inhibition of hypocotyl elongation in response to red light, they are functionally necessary for signal transfer from photoactivated phyB, not only to PIF3 and other related bHLH transcription factors tested here, but also to other downstream signaling components involved in regulating seedling deetiolation