Use of glucose as an ecofriendly reducing sugar in the application of sulphur dyes -Comparative study with traditional reducing agent

Attempts have been made to replace the mostly used reducing agent (sodium sulphide), and the most effective reducing agent (sodium dithionite), with an environment- friendly reducing sugar (glucose). This comparison is based on the redox potential and pH used under different concentrations of reducing agent, caustic soda and sodium carbonate. The dyeing performance resulting from the reduction of the CI Leuco Sulphur dye Black 1 by each one of the studied reducing agents is appreciated by measuring the colour yield and by evaluating dyeing fastness. The obtained results show that glucose can offer an environmentally safe alternative to sodium dithionite and sodium sulphide as a reducing agent in sulphur dyeing processes

Chemical auxiliaries free dyeing of cationized cotton with 1:2 metal complex dye

Application of 1:2 metal complex dyes on pre-cationized cotton has been studied. This unconventional process avoidsthe use of electrolyte required as exhausting agent in conventional dyeing of cotton fabric. Indeed, when we use a largeamount of salt, the discharged wastewater from dye house creates unavoidable environmental threats. The dyeing has beencarried out at the liquor ratio of 1:40 in a sealed stainless steel dyebath housed on the Ahiba Nuance speed varyingtemperature, contact time and sulphate concentration. Optimal conditions are determined using the experimental designsmethod. The results show the possibility of chemical auxiliaries free dyeing of cotton fabrics with 1:2 metal complex dye at75°C for 15 min by treating them with cationizer prior to dyeing. Adsorption kinetic and isotherm are also studied and theparallel exponential model is shown to fit experimental data with higher average regression coefficients

Edad y crecimiento de Spondyliosoma cantharus (Sparidae) en el Golfo de Túnez

Age and the growth of the black seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Gulf of Tunis were investigated using scales and otoliths. The length-weight relationship showed that the growth rates were isometric for females whereas males and the whole sample present a positive allometry. The monthly evolution in marginal increment data of scales and otoliths revealed that only one annulus is formed per year in April. Fish length and radii of the scales or otoliths were closely correlated. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was fitted on mean back-calculated length-at-age data, resulting in the parameter values L∞=35.4 cm, k=0.15 y–1 and t0=–0.19 y for scales and L∞=38.6 cm, k=0.10 y–1 and t0=–0.14 y for otoliths. Parameters estimated from scale and otoliths were significantly similar. However, taking into consideration the lower standard deviations of means for estimates based on otolith readings and the higher variance explained by the regression line fitted to otoliths, the latter seem to be more appropriate for ageing S. cantharus. The maximum age of the black seabream of the Gulf of Tunis is 10 years. Large discrepancies in growth parameters between geographic areas are the result of different growth patterns.Se han investigado la edad y el crecimiento de la cántara Spondyliosoma cantharus (Linnaeus, 1758) del Golfo de Túnez a partir de la lectura de las escamas y los otolitos. La relación talla-peso revela que las tasas de crecimiento son isométricas en las hembras, mientras que los machos y en toda la muestra existe una alometría positiva. La evolución mensual de los incrementos marginales de las escamas y los otolitos muestra que se forma un solo anillo anual en abril. La correlación entre la longitud de los peces y el radio de las escamas o los otolitos es muy elevada. La ecuación de crecimiento de von Bertalanffy se ha ajustado a la media talla-edad retrocalculada resultando en los siguientes valores para los parámetros de las escamas (L∞=35.4 cm, k=0.15 año–1, t0=–0.19 año) y los otolitos (L∞=38.6 cm, k=0.10 año–1, t0=–0.14 año). Los parámetros estimados a partir de las escamas y los otolitos resultaron significativamente similares. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta que las desviaciones estándar de las medias en las estimas son más bajas, y que la varianza explicada es mayor en la regresión ajustada a los otolitos, la lectura de los otolitos parece ser la más apropiada para datar la edad de S. cantharus. La edad máxima de la cántara del Golfo de Túnez es de 10 años. Las grandes diferencias en los parámetros de crecimiento entre áreas geográficas se deben a diferentes pautas de crecimiento

Does wet-cupping therapy improve repeated sprint ability, perceived wellness, and rating of perceived exertion in young active males?

Wet-cupping therapy (WCT) is one of the oldest known medical techniques, used as a traditional and complementary therapy with a wide application all around the world for general health. Research on the effects of WCT on sports performance are sparse and inconsistent. Thus, we aimed to explore the effects of WCT on repeated sprint ability, wellness, and exertion in young active males. Forty-nine active adult males (age: [28 ​± ​5] years; body height [177 ​± ​8] cm; body mass: [79 ​± ​7] kg; body mass index: [25.4 ​± ​1.8] kg/m2) were selected for the study. The participants performed a running-based sprint test on two separate occasions (Control and Post-WCT). WCT was performed 24 ​h before the testing session. They completed the Hooper questionnaire to assess their well-being (i.e., sleep, stress, fatigue, and soreness) before each session. The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was collected after each testing session. A higher maximum power (p ​< ​0.05, effect size [ES] ​= ​0.6), mean power (p ​< ​0.01, ES ​= ​0.5) and minimum power (p ​< ​0.01, ES ​= ​0.6) were recorded post-WCT as compared to Control session along with a better perceived sleep (p ​< ​0.01, ES ​= ​0.85). Perceived stress (p ​< ​0.01, ES ​= ​0.6) and RPE (p ​< ​0.001; ES ​= ​1.1) were lower during the post-WCT compared to the Control session. The present findings demonstrated that WCT moderately enhanced repeated sprint ability and had positive effects on perceived sleep, stress, and exertion. WCT may be an effective ergogenic aid to improve repeated sprint ability and general well-being in young adult males. Future large-scale multicentric clinical studies are paramount to confirm the results of our study

Chemical auxiliaries free dyeing of cationized cotton with 1:2 metal complex dye

Application of 1:2 metal complex dyes on pre-cationized cotton has been studied. This unconventional process avoids the use of electrolyte required as exhausting agent in conventional dyeing of cotton fabric. Indeed, when we use a large amount of salt, the discharged wastewater from dye house creates unavoidable environmental threats. The dyeing has been carried out at the liquor ratio of 1:40 in a sealed stainless steel dyebath housed on the Ahiba Nuance speed varying temperature, contact time and sulphate concentration. Optimal conditions are determined using the experimental designs method. The results show the possibility of chemical auxiliaries free dyeing of cotton fabrics with 1:2 metal complex dye at 75°C for 15 min by treating them with cationizer prior to dyeing. Adsorption kinetic and isotherm are also studied and the parallel exponential model is shown to fit experimental data with higher average regression coefficients

Characteristics of Chamaerops humilis L. var. humilis seed oil and study of the oxidative stability by blending with soybean oil

Herein we examine the characteristics of date seed oil extracted from Chamaerops humilis L. var. humilis seeds (HSO) cultivated in a gardening zone in Tunisia. Its physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and thermal and antioxidant properties were evaluated and compared with those of seed oil from another variety of Chamaerops humilis. The results showed that HSO possessed higher contents of oleic (44%) and linoleic (20%) acids than the other seed oil. The total tocopherol and tocotrienol content was 88 mg/100 g oil, where α-tocotrienol (64%) was the major isomer. The total phenolic (91 μg/g oil) and flavonoid contents (18 μg/g oil) of the HSO were determined, and its antioxidant capacities, measured in terms of ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging capacities, were 210 µM TEAC/g DW and 4.3 mM TEAC/g DW, respectively. The oxidative stability index (OSI) of the oil was 16 h at 110 °C. Furthermore, the OSI of soybean oil was significantly enhanced upon blending with HSO. HSO exhibited higher thermal stability than the other oils and significantly different thermal behavior. The determination of fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, bioactive content, oxidative stability, and thermal behavior of HSO demonstrated that this renewable resource can be used for edible purposes

The effect of post-lunch napping on mood, reaction time, and antioxidant defense during repeated sprint exercice

To compare the effects of two nap opportunities (20 and 90 min) to countermeasure the transient naturally occurring increased sleepiness and decreased performances during the post-lunch dip (PLD). Fourteen highly trained judokas completed in a counterbalanced and randomized order three test sessions (control (No-nap), 20- (N20) and 90-min (N90) nap opportunities). Test sessions consisted of the running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST), simple and multiple-choice reaction times (MCRT) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). From the RAST, the maximum (Pmax), mean (Pmean) and minimum (Pmin) powers were calculated. Blood samples were taken before and after the RAST to measure the effect of pre-exercise napping on energetic and muscle damage biomarkers and antioxidant defense. N20 increased Pmax and Pmean compared to No-nap (p < 0.001, d = 0.59; d = 0.66) and N90 (p < 0.001, d = 0.98; d = 0.72), respectively. Besides, plasma lactate and creatinine increased only when the exercise was performed after N20. Both N20 (p < 0.001, d = 1.18) and N90 (p < 0.01, d = 0.78) enhanced post-exercise superoxide dismutase activity compared to No-nap. However, only N20 enhanced post-exercise glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.001, d = 1.01) compared to pre-nap. Further, MCRT performance was higher after N20 compared to No-nap and N90 (p < 0.001, d = 1.15; d = 0.81, respectively). Subjective sleepiness was lower after N20 compared to No-nap (p < 0.05, d = 0.92) and N90 (p < 0.01, d = 0.89). The opportunity to nap for 20 min in the PLD enhanced RAST, MCRT performances, and antioxidant defense, and decreased sleepiness. However, the opportunity of 90 min nap was associated with decreased repeated sprint performances and increased sleepiness, probably because of the sleep inertia