Effect of Brewing Time and Temperature on the release of Manganese and Oxalate from Lipton Tea and Azadirachta Indica (Neem), Phyllanthus Amarus and Moringa Oleifera blended Leaves

This study evaluates the oxalate content and manganese released in three plant material (Moringa oleifera leaves, Phyllanthus amarus leaves, Neem leaves) used as tea and compared with the conventional Lipton tea. The manganese and oxalate test was determined by varying brewing temperature at 29\ub0C, 50\ub0C, 100\ub0C for different times 2mins, 5mins, and 10mins in 200ml of water. From the experimental result, oxalate released in the tea samples brewed for 2mins, 5mins and 10mins in 200ml, was 0.15mg, 0.31mg 0.44mg at 29\ub0C , 0.20mg, 0.44mg, 0.88mg at 50\ub0C, 0.56mg, 0.88mg, 1.22mg at 100\ub0C for Phyllanthus amarus, 0.11mg, 0.33mg, 0.55mg at 29\ub0C, 0.22mg, 0.44mg, 0.66mg, at 50\ub0C, 0.33mg, 0.65mg, 0.88mg, at 100\ub0C for Moringa oleifera, 0.16mg, 0.39mg, 0.68mg at 29\ub0C, 0.39mg, 0.50mg, 0.73mg at 50\ub0C 0.46mg, 0.80mg, 1.12mg, at 100\ub0C for Azadirachta indica, 0.20mg, 0.44mg, 0.60mg at 29\ub0C 0.33mg, 0.55mg, 0.80mg, at 50\ub0C 0.68mg, 0.88mg, 1.08mg at 100\ub0C for Lipton respectively. Manganese in the tea samples brewed for 5mins and 10mins in 200ml, released 0.36mg, 0.48mg at 50\ub0C, 0.98mg, 1.18mg at 100\ub0C for Phyllanthus amarus, 0.26mg, 0.36mg at 50\ub0C, 0.58mg, 0.66mg at 100\ub0C for Moringa oleifera, 0.46mg, 0.56mg at 50\ub0C, 0.72mg, 0.76mg at 100\ub0C for Azadirachta indica, 3.0mg, 6.08mg at 50\ub0C, 4.16mg, 8.56mg at 100\ub0C Lipton. Oxalate release was highest in Phyllanthus amarus blended leaves sample brewed for 10mins at 100\ub0C and lowest in Moringa oleifera blended leaves sample at brewing temperature and time of 29\ub0C and 2mins respectively. While manganese release is highest in Lipton at a brewing temperature of 100\ub0C for 10mins and lowest in Moringa oleifera leaves sample at a brewing temperature of 50\ub0C for 5mins. The result shows that the rate of release of manganese and oxalate in brewed tea increase with increase in brewing temperature and time

Liver transplantation for alcoholic cirrhosis: Long term follow-up and impact of disease recurrence

Background. Alcoholic liver disease has emerged as a leading indication for hepatic transplantation, although it is a controversial use of resources. We aimed to examine all aspects of liver transplantation associated with alcohol abuse. Methods. Retrospective cohort analysis of 123 alcoholic patients with a median of 7 years follow-up at one center. Results. In addition to alcohol, 43 (35%) patients had another possible factor contributing to cirrhosis. Actuarial patient and graft survival rates were, respectively, 84% and 81% (1 year); 72% and 66% (5 years); and 63% and 59% (7 years). After transplantation, 18 patients (15%) manifested 21 noncutaneous de novo malignancies, which is significantly more than controls (P=0.0001); upper aerodigestive squamous carcinomas were over-represented (P=0.03). Thirteen patients had definitely relapsed and three others were suspected to have relapsed. Relapse was predicted by daily ethanol consumption (P=0.0314), but not by duration of pretransplant sobriety or explant histology. No patient had alcoholic hepatitis after transplantation and neither late onset acute nor chronic rejection was significantly increased. Multiple regression analyses for predictors of graft failure identified major biliary/vascular complications (P=0.01), chronic bile duct injury on biopsy (P=0.002), and pericellular fibrosis on biopsy (P=0.05); graft viral hepatitis was marginally significant (P=0.07) on univariate analysis. Conclusions. Alcoholic liver disease is an excellent indication for liver transplantation in those without coexistent conditions. Recurrent alcoholic liver disease alone is not an important cause of graft pathology or failure. Potential recipients should be heavily screened before transplantation for coexistent conditions (e.g., hepatitis C, metabolic diseases) and other target-organ damage, especially aerodigestive malignancy, which are greater causes of morbidity and mortality than is recurrent alcohol liver disease

Seasonal and ontological variation in diet and age-related differences in prey choice, by an insectivorous songbird

The diet of an individual animal is subject to change over time, both in response to short-term food fluctuations and over longer time scales as an individual ages and meets different challenges over its life cycle. A metabarcoding approach was used to elucidate the diet of different life stages of a migratory songbird, the Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) over the 2017 summer breeding season in Somerset, the United Kingdom. The feces of adult, juvenile, and nestling warblers were screened for invertebrate DNA, enabling the identification of prey species. Dietary analysis was coupled with monitoring of Diptera in the field using yellow sticky traps. Seasonal changes in warbler diet were subtle, whereas age class had a greater influence on overall diet composition. Age classes showed high dietary overlap, but significant dietary differences were mediated through the selection of prey; (i) from different taxonomic groups, (ii) with different habitat origins (aquatic vs. terrestrial), and (iii) of different average approximate sizes. Our results highlight the value of metabarcoding data for enhancing ecological studies of insectivores in dynamic environments

Evolution of electronic and ionic structure of Mg-clusters with the growth cluster size

The optimized structure and electronic properties of neutral and singly charged magnesium clusters have been investigated using ab initio theoretical methods based on density-functional theory and systematic post-Hartree-Fock many-body perturbation theory accounting for all electrons in the system. We have systematically calculated the optimized geometries of neutral and singly charged magnesium clusters consisting of up to 21 atoms, electronic shell closures, binding energies per atom, ionization potentials and the gap between the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. We have investigated the transition to the hcp structure and metallic evolution of the magnesium clusters, as well as the stability of linear chains and rings of magnesium atoms. The results obtained are compared with the available experimental data and the results of other theoretical works.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figures, 3 table

Q2Q^2 Independence of QF2/F1QF_2/F_1, Poincare Invariance and the Non-Conservation of Helicity

A relativistic constituent quark model is found to reproduce the recent data regarding the ratio of proton form factors, $F_2(Q^2)/F_1(Q^2)$. We show that imposing Poincare invariance leads to substantial violation of the helicity conservation rule, as well as an analytic result that the ratio $F_2(Q^2)/F_1(Q^2)\sim 1/Q$ for intermediate values of $Q^2$.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C typos corrected, references added, 1 new figure to show very high Q^2 behavio

First insights into the diet composition of Madeiran and Monteiro’s storm petrels (Hydrobates castro and H. monteiroi) breeding in the Azores

Although studying the diet of threatened species is crucial in terms of conservation, the diet of the Madeiran Storm Petrel (Hydrobates castro) and the vulnerable, Azores-endemic Monteiro's Storm Petrel (H. monteiroi) is mostly unknown. The only information available to date comes from anecdotal observations, analysis of mercury levels and stable isotopes. Here is presented the first insights into prey consumption by adults and chicks from the two species breeding in the Azores Archipelago, Portugal, in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The rapidly developing field of metabarcoding was used to identify dietary items from fecal samples, to species level where possible. A total of thirteen fish, five cephalopod, one crustacean and two oligochaete operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected. Results suggest that both petrel species feed mainly on myctophid fish. However, differences were detected between the prey species consumed by (i) H. monteiroi and H. castro, (ii) two distinct H. castro populations (Vila and Praia islets), and (iii) chicks and adults within the same population

A measurement of the tau mass and the first CPT test with tau leptons

We measure the mass of the tau lepton to be 1775.1+-1.6(stat)+-1.0(syst.) MeV using tau pairs from Z0 decays. To test CPT invariance we compare the masses of the positively and negatively charged tau leptons. The relative mass difference is found to be smaller than 3.0 10^-3 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Letts.

Measurement of the B0 Lifetime and Oscillation Frequency using B0->D*+l-v decays

The lifetime and oscillation frequency of the B0 meson has been measured using B0->D*+l-v decays recorded on the Z0 peak with the OPAL detector at LEP. The D*+ -> D0pi+ decays were reconstructed using an inclusive technique and the production flavour of the B0 mesons was determined using a combination of tags from the rest of the event. The results t_B0 = 1.541 +- 0.028 +- 0.023 ps, Dm_d = 0.497 +- 0.024 +- 0.025 ps-1 were obtained, where in each case the first error is statistical and the second systematic.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.