Towards domestic cooking efficiency: A case study on burger pan frying using experimental and computational results

It is well known that the use of efficient domestic cooking appliances and equipment can not only save energy, but also improve the quality of the food being prepared. This work raises the question of whether cooking procedures can also contribute to this energy efficiency. Focusing on burger pan frying, experimental data were used to develop a model able to predict cooking outcomes under different power levels supplied by an induction hob. The proposed model takes into account not only the heat consumed by water evaporation in the contact region but also the shrinkage process of the hamburger. A new formulation based on the multiplicative decomposition of the strain deformation gradient is proposed to describe the observed decoupling between weight and volume loss during the process. The model properly predicts temperature, moisture loss and shrinkage, and allows elucidation of the effects of supplying different amounts of energy on the final water content

Effect of seminal plasma proteins at freezing on ram sperm motility and viability

Este estudio se adelantó para evaluar el efecto de la adición de proteínas del plasma seminal de cordero en la criopreservación sobre la motilidad e integridad de la membrana espermática, y los cambios en el perfil electroforético de las proteínas de la membrana espermática inducidos por la criopreservación. Se usaron eyaculados de ocho corderos adultos de la raza rasa aragonesa, se les determinó su viabilidad y motilidad espermáticas y posteriormente se sometieron a un procedimiento de congelación. Las proteínas se separaron por el método de electroforesis en geles de acrilamida en dos dimensiones. Se obtuvo un mejoramiento significativo (p menor que 0,05) en la calidad del semen congelado, cuando se adicionaron proteínas del plasma seminal. El análisis bidimensional comparativo entre el semen fresco y el congelado evidenció la pérdida de 8 puntos de proteína en el espermatozoide descongelado. La concentración de un punto de proteína de membrana espermática, de bajo peso molecular (punto 2), fue más alta (p menor que 0,05) en el espermatozoide descongelado al que se adicionaron proteínas del plasma seminal. Se encontraron correlaciones entre algunos puntos de proteína y la motilidad y viabilidad espermáticas, lo cual sugiere que pueden jugar papeles importantes en el mantenimiento de la integridad y funcionalidad del espermatozoide. Se puede concluir que la adición de proteínas del plasma seminal en la congelación mejora la integridad del espermatozoide descongelado, y que la criopreservación del semen de cordero produce variaciones en la composición de las proteínas de membrana.;The aim of the study was to evaluate the cryoprotective effect of seminal plasma proteins on ram sperm motility, membrane integrity and the changes in the profile of ram sperm membrane proteins induced by cryopreservation. Fresh ejaculates from 8 mature Rasa aragonesa rams were used. Sperm motility and cell viability was assessed. The freezing procedure was based on the method described by Fiser et al. (1987). Proteins extracted from fresh and frozen-thawed semen were subjected to the Two-dimensional polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis. A significant improvement in the quality of frozenthawed sperm was obtained after addition of seminal plasma proteins (p menor que 0.05). Comparative two-dimensional polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis analysis between fresh and frozen semen, either with or without seminal plasma proteins in the cryopreservation medium, revealed that eight protein spots were lost in frozen-thawed sperm. The concentration of one sperm membrane protein spot of low Mr (spot 2) was higher (p menor que 0.05) in proteinadded frozen sperm. Correlations found between certain protein spots sperm motility and viability suggests that these proteins could play important roles in the maintenance of sperm integrity and functionality. In conclusion, the addition of seminal plasma proteins to freezing extender improved frozen-thawed ram sperm integrity quality and cryopreservation of ram semen produced variations in the sperm membrane protein composition.Ovinos-Ganado ovino - Ovis arie

Intestinal secretory and absorptive functions in Trichinella spiralis mouse model of postinfective gut dysfunction: role of bile acids

ABSTRACT Objective: Observations showing that bile acid malabsorption is frequent in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suggest that alterations in bile acid-induced secretion and absorption could contribute to IBS-associated diarrhoea. The secretory response to bile acids, fluid transport and bile absorption was examined in intestinal tissues from a Trichinella spiralis mouse model of postinfectious gut dysfunction in vitro. Changes in the protein expression of apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) were also measured. Design: T. spiralis-infected mice were killed at 18 and 25 days postinfection. Jejunal, ileal, proximal and distal colon segments were exposed to taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) or cholic acid. Short circuit current (SCC) increases were determined. Tritiated taurocholic acid (3H-TCA) absorption was determined in everted jejunal and ileal sacs. ASBT protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Results: Basal SCC increased in ileum and distal colon at 18 and 25 days postinfection, respectively. Ileal SCC responses to TDCA and cholic acid were enhanced at 18 days postinfection. Distal colon SCC response to TDCA was raised at 18 days postinfection but was significantly reduced by 25 days. Ileal 3H-TCA uptake was significantly reduced at 18 and 25 days postinfection. Surprisingly, increased ASBT expression was observed in infected animals. Conclusions: In a T. spiralis model of postinfectious gut dysfunction, decreased bile absorption and enhanced secretion in response to bile acids was observed. Decreased absorption was not, however, caused by decreased ASBT as increased expression was observed. If similar events occur postinfection, the combined effects of these disturbances may contribute to some symptoms observed in postinfectious IBS patients. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common disorder that affects up to 20% of the general population and is responsible for almost half of the referrals to gastroenterologists. 1 2 Surprisingly, the cause of IBS is poorly understood and several pathophysiological mechanisms have been implicated. [3] 11 Although bile acid malabsorption (BAM) has generally been regarded an infrequent cause of chronic diarrhoea, recent improvements in the techniques employed for assessing BAM have demonstrated that it is a much more common cause of diarrhoea than originally considered. 12 13 This has been highlighted by the recent and unexpected evidence that BAM was observed in 33% of patients with diarrhoea-predominant IBS. 13 Bile acids are synthesised in the liver and secreted into the small intestine where they facilitate fat and fat-soluble vitamin absorption. Although some bile uptake occurs in the jejunum, the main route for circulation of bile back into the liver is by active reabsorption in the terminal ileum by the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). Dysfunction of ASBT is accompanied by an interruption in the enterohepatic bile circulation, allowing bile acids to enter the colon in increased concentrations. 14 15 This subsequently induces diarrhoea as bile acids stimulate chloride ion (Cl 2 ) secretion and powerful propagating contractions in the colon. 16 Although IBS has generally been considered a motility disorder, it seems likely that the condition may involve changes in fluid and electrolyte transport across the intestinal epithelium, because diarrhoea and mucus hypersecretion are well-recognised features. In addition, intestinal secretory mechanisms may be more sensitive to secretogogues, such as bile acids, during IBS. Oddsson and colleagues 17 have shown that the small intestine in IBS patients has a greater secretory response to low bile acid concentrations. Recent work in our laboratory and by others has established the characteristics of bile acid-induced secretion and ileal bile acid absorption in normal and mast cell-deficient mice. 18-21 Similar studies have not been performed in a murine model of postinfectious gut dysfunction. The T. spiralisinfected mouse is a widely acknowledged model of postinfectious gut dysfunction in which visceral hypersensitivity and persistently altered motility, which mimic the hyperreactive state in IBS, are observed. 10 22 T. spiralis infection has two phases. Postinfectious gut dysfunction occurs after the enteric phase, when the worm is expelled from the intestine. There is also a skeletal muscle phase during which the worm is present in muscle (for the duration of the mouse's life) despite gut expulsion. Although infection with the nematode initially generates an intestinal inflammatory response that resolves after worm expulsion from the intestine, functional changes such as increased motility, visceral hypersensitivitity and increased muscle thickness persist. The current study determined the secretory effects of cholic acid and taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) in the small intestine and colon of T. spiralis-infected mice at two postinfective timepoints. In addition, studies were performed to investigate whether passive bile uptake in the jejunum and active bile absorption in the terminal ileum was also impaired in these mice. Furthermore, changes in the expression of ASBT after infection were determined in an attempt to correlate these with any observed differences in bile salt absorption. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals Experiments were performed on intestinal tissues from T. spiralis-infected and non-infected mice killed by cervical dislocation in accordance with UK Home Office regulations and with local Ethical Committee approval. Male Swiss mice (age 12-13 weeks) were obtained from Sheffield Field Laboratories and were allowed free access to food and water. Infection with T. spiralis Stock mice infected with T. spiralis were killed to obtain larvae for infecting mice to be used in experimental procedures. Larvae were recovered from stock mice by pepsin (0.5%) and hydrochloric acid (0.5%) digestion of the skeletal muscle as described by Castro and Fairbain. Measurement of transintestinal electrical activity Ussing chambers were used to measure changes in ion transport through the electrical correlate, short circuit current (SCC). Segments of jejunum (immediately distal to the ligament of Treitz), terminal ileum (6 cm before the caecum), proximal colon and distal colon were stripped of the outer muscle layers, which removed the myenteric plexus as well as the muscle coat but left intact the submucosal and mucosal plexus. Tissue was allowed to stabilise for 15 minutes after mounting, and readings of electrical activity were subsequently taken at one minute intervals. After five minutes of basal readings, either cholic acid (Sigma, St Louis, Missouri, USA) or TDCA (Sigma) was added to the serosal side and readings were taken for a further 15 minutes. We have previously looked at the effects of both the mucosal and serosal application of several bile acids to the small intestine and found a concentration of 1 mmol to be effective only from the serosal side. 19 Therefore bile acid secretion is initiated by action at the serosal side of the enterocyte. The actual effective concentration is likely to be considerably less because of the diffusion barrier, represented by subepithelial tissues, which needs to be overcome. Furthermore, in the ileum, sodium-dependent bile acid absorption also increases SCC, so to avoid this component of the overall SCC change that occurs when bile acids are applied mucosally, serosal application (when absorption is not activated) was chosen. An aliquot of 100 ml cholic acid or TDCA, dissolved in ethanol and saline, respectively, was added to the 5 ml bathing solution to yield a final concentration of 1 mmol for both substances. Preliminary studies identified that neither ethanol nor saline, added serosally, had any significant effect on basal electrical activity. The SCC generated by the sheets after bile acid administration was calculated as described above using Ohm's law. Measurement of intestinal fluid transport The transport of fluid by the mucosa was measured in everted sacs taken from proximal jejunum and terminal ileum. A 5-7 cm intestinal segment, everted on a glass rod, was filled with 0.2 ml Krebs bicarbonate saline containing 10 mmol glucose (serosal fluid) and was incubated for 30 minutes in 15 ml Krebs bicarbonate saline containing 10 mmol mannitol (mucosal fluid) at 37uC in a shaking water bath. Results are expressed as mucosal fluid transport (MFT), which is the sum of the increase in the volume (weight of tissue) of serosal fluid in the sac after incubation (serosal fluid transport) and that taken up by the gut itself (gut fluid uptake) and values were related to the initial wet weight of the empty sac (ml/g initial wet weight/ 30 minutes). Measurement of 3H-TCA absorption The absorption of taurocholic acid (TCA) was also assessed in the same everted sacs by adding TCA (1 mmol; Sigma) together with 3H-TCA (2.5 mCi/100 ml; PerkinElmer Life Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) to the mucosal fluid. At the end of the incubation period the serosal fluid was collected. The sac was deproteinised using 10% sodium tungstate (1.25 ml) and 0.33 MH 2 SO 4 (1.25 ml), homogenised and then filtered. Scintillation fluid (3 ml; Emulsifer-safe; Packard Biosciences, USA) was added to 100 ml samples of initial mucosal fluid, final mucosal fluid, final serosal fluid and gut homogenate, and radioactivity was determined using a liquid scintillation analyser (Packard TRI-CARB, 1900XR; Packard Biosciences, Pangbourne, Berkshire, UK). TCA absorption was expressed in two ways: first, as the amount taken up by the sac (mmol/g initial wet weight/30 minutes) and second as the T/M ratio, i.e. the ratio of the TCA concentration in the tissue water compared with its concentration in the mucosal fluid at the end of the incubation period, whereby a T/M ratio greater than 1 indicated active transport. Intestinal inflammation Preparation of epithelial cell homogenates for ASBT expression studies Epithelial cell homogenates were prepared from the three contiguous 3 cm segments of the most distal part of the small intestine. All further steps were performed with the preparations kept on ice. Segments were opened in the longitudinal axis and washed in isotonic saline (0.9% NaCl) to discard adhering luminal content. Mucosa were scraped with a clean glass rod. The mucosal scrapings of three animals were suspended in 5 ml buffer A (10 mmol Tris/HCl/0.13 mol NaCl/5 mmol EDTA, pH 7.4) and stirred gently for 30 minutes at 4uC. Cells were collected by centrifugation (3 min, 2000 rpm, 4uC) and suspended in 500 ml buffer B (10 mmol Tris/HCl/0.3 mol mannitol, pH 7.2) and 20 ml of a protease inhibitor cocktail (Roche, Hertfordshire, UK) to a concentration of approximately 1-2 mg/ ml. The samples containing proteins were stored at 220uC until use. The protein concentration was determined by the Bradford method (Biorad Laboratories, Munchen, Germany). Samples were solubilised in 56 sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) sample buffer containing 0.125 mmol Tris?Cl, pH 6.8, 10% SDS, 50% glycerol, 10% mercaptoethanol and 0.005% bromophenol blue, and then boiled at 100uC for 5 minutes

Immune-inflammatory and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis biomarkers are altered in patients with non-specific low back pain: A systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to investigate immune-inflammatory and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis biomarkers in individuals with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) compared to healthy control. The search was performed in five databases until 4 November 2021. Two reviewers independently conducted screenings, data extraction, risk of bias, and methodological quality assessment of 14 unique studies. All studies reported the source of the fluid analyzed: nine studies used serum, two used plasma, one used serum and plasma, and two studies used salivary cortisol. We found preliminary and limited evidence (only one study for each biomarker) of increased levels in growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), interleukin-23 (IL-23), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNF-R1) in NSLBP. Inconsistent and limited evidence was identified for interleukin-10 (IL-10). Although C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels appear to increase in NSLBP, only one study per each biomarker reported statistically significant differences. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-17 (IL-17), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) showed no significant differences. Regarding cortisol, one study showed a significant increase and another a significant decrease. More robust evidence between GDF-15, IL-23, TGF-β, and sTNF-R1 with NSLBP is needed. Moreover, contrary to the findings reported in previous studies, when comparing results exclusively with healthy control, insufficient robust evidence for IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP was found in NSLBP. In addition, cortisol response (HPA-related biomarker) showed a dysregulated functioning in NSLBP, with incongruent evidence regarding its directionality. Therefore, our effort is to find adjusted evidence to conclude which immune-inflammatory and HPA axis biomarkers are altered in NSLBP and how much their levels are affected

Sperm survival and heterogeneity are correlated with fertility after intrauterine insemination in superovulated ewes

Abstract Efficient animal production involves accurate estimations of fertilizing ability. One key factor is the plasma membrane of the sperm cell, which is actively involved in the cascade of events before oocyte fusion. Many methods are used to analyze the characteristics of this membrane, including partition in aqueous two-phase systems which is an efficient method to analyze sperm surface changes accounting for loss of viability and different functional states. Centrifugal countercurrent distribution (CCCD) analysis can also be used in an aqueous two-phase system to determine the relationship between sperm parameters and in vivo fertility in ewes. In a previous work, we found a significant correlation between two post-CCCD parameters (heterogeneity and recovered viability) and field fertility when the same sample was used after cervical AI. The present study was intended to find out whether the control of several external factors that affect reproductive efficiency is able to increase the correlation coefficient between post-CCCD parameters and fertility. Thus, 90 Rasa aragonesa ewes were controlled on the same farm and received intrauterine inseminations using the same technical equipment. The fertilizing ability of the raw semen and sperm samples selected by a dextran/swim-up process was compared using a low number of spermatozoa per insemination (7 Â 10 7 ) to enhance possible fertility differences. A new post-CCCD parameter was considered; the loss of viability (LV) occurred during the CCCD process. This variable denotes the sperm surviving ability and corresponds to the difference between the total number of viable cells loaded and recovered after the CCCD run. The mean fertility of eight sperm control samples was 60% (range: 25-76%), and there was no significant correlation between standard parameters and in vivo fertility. LV ranged from 2 to 69% (average 27%) and was negatively correlated with fertility (r ¼ À0.914, P < 0.01). Ejaculate heterogeneity (H) ranged from 20 to 47% and was positively, but not significantly, correlated with fertility (r ¼ 0.391). A predictive equation for fertility was deduced by multiple analysis with a very high correlation coefficient (r ¼ 0.967), and level of significance (P < 0.005): predictive fertility PF ¼ 52.546 À 0.594 LV þ 0.665 H. The mean fertility of 13 swim-up selected samples was 63% (range: 25-86%). Again, only parameters derived from the CCCD analysis were highly correlated with fertility, especially LV and H (P < 0.05)

Treatment of rats with a self-selected hyperlipidic diet, increases the lipid content of the main adipose tissue sites in a proportion similar to that of the lipids in the rest of organs and tissues

Adipose tissue (AT) is distributed as large differentiated masses, and smaller depots covering vessels, and organs, as well as interspersed within them. The differences between types and size of cells makes AT one of the most disperse and complex organs. Lipid storage is partly shared by other tissues such as muscle and liver. We intended to obtain an approximate estimation of the size of lipid reserves stored outside the main fat depots. Both male and female rats were made overweight by 4-weeks feeding of a cafeteria diet. Total lipid content was analyzed in brain, liver, gastrocnemius muscle, four white AT sites: subcutaneous, perigonadal, retroperitoneal and mesenteric, two brown AT sites (interscapular and perirenal) and in a pool of the rest of organs and tissues (after discarding gut contents). Organ lipid content was estimated and tabulated for each individual rat. Food intake was measured daily. There was a surprisingly high proportion of lipid not accounted for by the main macroscopic AT sites, even when brain, liver and BAT main sites were discounted. Muscle contained about 8% of body lipids, liver 1-1.4%, four white AT sites lipid 28-63% of body lipid, and the rest of the body (including muscle) 38-44%. There was a good correlation between AT lipid and body lipid, but lipid in"other organs" was highly correlated too with body lipid. Brain lipid was not. Irrespective of dietary intake, accumulation of body fat was uniform both for the main lipid storage and handling organs: large masses of AT (but also liver, muscle), as well as in the"rest" of tissues. These storage sites, in specialized (adipose) or not-specialized (liver, muscle) tissues reacted in parallel against a hyperlipidic diet challenge. We postulate that body lipid stores are handled and regulated coordinately, with a more centralized and overall mechanisms than usually assumed

MANTICORE II: IP Network as a Service Pilots at HEAnet, NORDUnet and RedIRIS

MANTICORE II follows the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) paradigm to enable National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) and other e-infrastructure providers to enhance their service portfolio by building and piloting the deployment of tools to provide infrastructure resources and IP networks as a service to virtual research communities. MANTICORE II is carrying out the following activities: * Robust and modular implementation of IaaS management tools. * Pilot software deployment and evaluation at HEAnet, NORDUnet and RedIRIS. * Design and implement a simple yet powerful graphical interface for the IP Network Service. * Study and simulate mechanisms to implement an infrastructure marketplace. * Study business models and use cases for commercial services based on MANTICORE II principles.Postprint (published version