Chemical composition and phytosterols profile of degermed maize products derived from wet and dry milling

Maize is part of the diet of populations of all socio-economic classes in many countries around the world and is an excellent source of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, phytosterols and lignans. Phytosterols have gained considerable interest because they possess properties that significantly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood by acting as antagonists. The purpose of this study was to characterise the fractions of maize flour obtained from Italian wet and dry milling processes from a chemical viewpoint (crude proteins, crude lipids and starch) and the contents of three main phytosterols. Whole parameters exhibited a broad variability in their content. The crude protein, crude lipids and starch contents ranged from 7.43 to 18.38% dry matter (dm), 0.61 to 8.53% dm and 23.77 to 80.41% dm, respectively, and the total phytosterol content ranged from 4.6 to 53.48 mg 100 g-1 dm. Significant differences were observed in the phytosterol compositions measured in degermed maize products obtained from wet and dry milling. The campesterol content ranged from 0.54 to 6.19 mg 100 g-1 dry weight (dw), respectively, for maize flour III and dry milling maize meal feed. The stigmasterol content ranged from 0.55 to 4.77 mg 100 g-1 dw for hominy grits II and broken degermed type I, respectively. In addition, the β-sitosterol content varied significantly from 2.51 to 44.37 mg 100 g-1 dw for hominy grits II and dry milling maize meal feed, respectively

Газоаналитические средства системы контроля утечек хлора на основе электрохимических сенсоров

Созданы и внедряются газоаналитические средства контроля и сигнализации утечек хлора на основе электрохимических сенсоров с улучшенными характеристиками

Evidence from Cameroon reveals differences in the genetic structure and histories of chimpanzee populations

The history of the genus Pan is a topic of enduring interest. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are often divided into subspecies, but the population structure and genetic history of chimpanzees across Africa remain unclear. Some population genetics studies have led to speculation that, until recently, this species constituted a single population with ongoing gene flow across its range, which resulted in a continuous gradient of allele frequencies. Chimpanzees, designated here as P. t. ellioti, occupy the Gulf of Guinea region that spans southern Nigeria and western Cameroon at the center of the distribution of this species. Remarkably, few studies have included individuals from this region, hindering the examination of chimpanzee population structure across Africa. Here, we analyzed microsatellite genotypes of 94 chimpanzees, including 32 designated as P. t. ellioti. We find that chimpanzees fall into three major populations: (i) Upper Guinea in western Africa (P. t. verus); (ii) the Gulf of Guinea region (P. t. ellioti); and (iii) equatorial Africa (P. t. troglodytes and P. t. schweinfurthii). Importantly, the Gulf of Guinea population is significantly different genetically from the others, sharing a last common ancestor with the populations in Upper Guinea similar to 0.46 million years ago (mya) and equatorial Africa similar to 0.32 mya. Equatorial chimpanzees are subdivided into up to three populations occupying southern Cameroon, central Africa, and eastern Africa, which may have constituted a single population until similar to 0.10-0.11 mya. Finally, occasional hybridization may be occurring between the Gulf of Guinea and southern Cameroon population

PLANEJAMENTO TRIBUTÁRIO APLICADO À GESTÃO NAS ORGANIZAÇÕES

O presente estudo evidencia a relevância do planejamento tributário nas organizações como instrumento gerencial que auxilia os empresários e administradores na tomada de decisão e no processo de gestão, planejamento, execução e controle. O planejamento tributário, também chamado de elisão fiscal é a única forma lícita de que dispõe o contribuinte para reduzir sua carga tributária, sem que ocorra qualquer tipo de penalidade ou ilicitude. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o planejamento tributário como ferramenta de gestão em uma organização. A metodologia de pesquisa foi de ordem bibliográfica e documental. Os resultados apontam que os fundamentos da contabilidade gerencial e da aplicação da gestão eficaz com o pressuposto do planejamento tributário adequado as organizações e su relevância no processo de tomada de decisão, que serve de sustentação a partir das teorias da contabilidade tributária e gerencial e na legislação tributária no que se refere ao planejamento. Neste sentido, identificou-se que o planejamento tributário foi a ferramenta mais adequada  para a gestão dos impostos, aliada aos acessos de informações fornecidas pela contabilidade gerencial, que contribuem de forma positiva para o sucesso da empresa de pequeno porte, desde que, as informações reais entre o contador e o administrador possam ser ambas utilizadas para a tomada de decisão

Spectroscopic Kernel Quality From A Symbiotic Corn Production

The management of the inoculation of a plant's roots, by means of biofertilizers (BF) containing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, is aimed at inducing modifications of the quality of the seeds. It is here shown that a seed-soil treatment can be elicited in the fingerprints of a symbiotic treatment using Near Infra Red (NIR)-SCiO NIR-SCiO spectra collections of single kernels: overall, a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 73% have been achieved, thus suggesting that it may be possible to assign the symbiotic origin of corn from just twenty kernels, provided that the dataset is adequately representative of the cultivar and AM. A global correlation study has shown a positive general trend (R2 0.45) of quality vs. quantity, in the sense that an increase in yield corresponded to an increase in the spectral differences between the symbiotic spectra and the control ones, but the inverse was also true, as a result of the parasitic behaviour of the BF treatments. The efficacy of the symbiosis can be back predicted from the NIR spectra; in fact, around 90% of the positive yield outcome results were discriminated from the negative ones. A reduction in the foliar pH (R2 0.37) and an increase in the foliar protein (R2 0.43) were observed as immediate phenotypic signs of a productive symbiosis. The commercial raw composition of the kernels appeared to only be affected slightly by the BF treatments; thus, till now uncharted secondary compounds of the maize kernels are involved, as supported by animal performances

Autoimmune neuroinflammation triggers mitochondrial oxidation in oligodendrocytes.

Oligodendrocytes (ODCs) are myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS) supporting neuronal survival. Oxidants and mitochondrial dysfunction have been suggested as the main causes of ODC damage during neuroinflammation as observed in multiple sclerosis (MS). Nonetheless, the dynamics of this process remain unclear, thus hindering the design of neuroprotective therapeutic strategies. To decipher the spatio-temporal pattern of oxidative damage and dysfunction of ODC mitochondria in vivo, we created a novel mouse model in which ODCs selectively express the ratiometric H2 O2 biosensor mito-roGFP2-Orp1 allowing for quantification of redox changes in their mitochondria. Using 2-photon imaging of the exposed spinal cord, we observed significant mitochondrial oxidation in ODCs upon induction of the MS model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This redox change became already apparent during the preclinical phase of EAE prior to CNS infiltration of inflammatory cells. Upon clinical EAE development, mitochondria oxidation remained detectable and was associated with a significant impairment in organelle density and morphology. These alterations correlated with the proximity of ODCs to inflammatory lesions containing activated microglia/macrophages. During the chronic progression of EAE, ODC mitochondria maintained an altered morphology, but their oxidant levels decreased to levels observed in healthy mice. Taken together, our study implicates oxidative stress in ODC mitochondria as a novel pre-clinical sign of MS-like inflammation and demonstrates that evolving redox and morphological changes in mitochondria accompany ODC dysfunction during neuroinflammation

No evidence for transmission of SIVwrc from western red colobus monkeys (piliocolobus badius badius) to wild west african chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) despite high exposure through hunting

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses (SIVs) are the precursors of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIVs) which have lead to the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. By studying SIVs in wild primates we can better understand the circulation of these viruses in their natural hosts and habitat, and perhaps identify factors that influence susceptibility and transmission within and between various host species. We investigated the SIV status of wild West African chimpanzees (<it>Pan troglodytes verus) </it>which frequently hunt and consume the western red colobus monkey (<it>Piliocolobus badius badius</it>), a species known to be infected to a high percentage with its specific SIV strain (SIVwrc).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Blood and plasma samples from 32 wild chimpanzees were tested with INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score kit to detect cross-reactive antibodies to HIV antigens. Twenty-three of the samples were also tested for antibodies to 43 specific SIV and HIV lineages, including SIVwrc. Tissue samples from all but two chimpanzees were tested for SIV by PCRs using generic SIV primers that detect all known primate lentiviruses as well as primers designed to specifically detect SIVwrc. Seventeen of the chimpanzees showed varying degrees of cross-reactivity to the HIV specific antigens in the INNO-LIA test; however no sample had antibodies to SIV or HIV strain - and lineage specific antigens in the Luminex test. No SIV DNA was found in any of the samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We could not detect any conclusive trace of SIV infection from the red colobus monkeys in the chimpanzees, despite high exposure to this virus through frequent hunting. The results of our study raise interesting questions regarding the host-parasite relationship of SIVwrc and wild chimpanzees in their natural habitat.</p

Evaluation of ear rot (Fusarium verticillioides) resistance and fumonisin accumulation in Italian maize inbred lines

Mycotoxin contamination of maize (Zea mays L.) grain is a global threat to the safety of both human food and animal feed. Hence, the development of maize genotypes with reduced mycotoxin accumulation in grain is of major importance. In order to find maize germplasm sources of resistance to Fusarium ear rot, 34 Italian and six public inbred lines were evaluated by means of artificial inoculation in field experiments during 2009 and 2010. Relationships between ear rot and fumonisin concentration in the ears were investigated. Primary ears were challenged with a mixture of two Fusarium verticillioides isolates from Northern Italy, through kernel inoculation, and ear rot severity was assessed.The average number of visibly infected kernels per ear, after inoculation, ranged from 2 to 68 in 2009 and from 0 to 120 in 2010. Fumonisin concentrations in the inoculated ears were greater than in the experimental controls for both years. Variability was found between the inbred lines: fumonisin accumulation ranged from 0.56 to 240.83 mg kg-1 in 2009 and from 1.09 to 190.60 mg kg-1 in 2010. In both years, six inbred lines showed high fumonisin content (≥100 mg kg-1), while the other genotypes were almost equally split into two groups, low (≤10 mg kg-1) and medium (from 11 to 100 mg kg-1) fumonisin content. The number of infected kernels after artificial inoculation correlated with fumonisin concentration both in 2009 (r = 0.94; P≤0.01) and 2010 (r = 0.67; P≤0.01). Additionally, the percentage of internally infected kernels correlated positively with fumonisin concentration (r = 0.37; P≤0.01) and with the number of infected kernels (r = 0.29; P≤0.05). This research has demonstrated that Italian maize germplasm is a valid source of resistance to Fusarium ear rot. Furthermore, there is a strong association of visible Fusarium symptoms with fumonisin concentration, suggesting that selection in maize for reduced visible moulds should reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination

Seleção de microrganismos produtores de enzimas hidrolíticas isolados da região do meio oeste de Santa Catarina, Brasil

A tecnologia enzimática vem sendo utilizada por oferecer vantagens no estabelecimento de um processo tecnologicamente limpo. Enzimas hidrolíticas estão entre os principais alvos da pesquisa biotecnológica pelo grande potencial de aplicação no setor industrial. Com o objetivo de selecionar e caracterizar microrganismos amilolíticos, pectinolíticos e xilanolíticos utilizaram-se solos e resíduos agroindustriais como fonte para o isolamento. Como resultados, dezoito cepas produtoras de amilase foram isoladas. Destas, onze apresentaram Índice Enzimático (IE) superior a 2.0 e foram determinados os perfis de regulação por repressão catabólica, sendo que três apresentaram características desejadas. Estes foram cultivados em meio líquido e tiveram a atividade de amilase sacarificante determinada. Também foram selecionados quatro microrganismos produtores de pectinase, que em cultivo em meio líquido confirmaram produção das enzimas pectina liase (PMGL) e de poligalacturanase (PG). Da mesma forma, a partir de cultivo em meio sólido, foram isolados treze microrganismos produtores de xilanases, sendo onze bactérias e dois fungos filamentosos. Cinco dos microrganismos que se destacaram quanto ao IE foram cultivados em meio líquido e analisados quando à produção da enzima, assim, um fungo filamentoso e uma bactéria, originários de solo, destacaram-se como produtores de xilanase. Apesar de haver a necessidade de aprofundamentos nos estudos quanto à caracterização desses isolados e das enzimas produzidas, os resultados positivos das atividades enzimáticas demonstraram que as metodologias utilizadas e os microrganismos selecionados são promissores na obtenção das respectivas enzimas com potencial para aplicação na indústria.Palavras-chave: Enzimas hidrolíticas. Isolamento de Microrganismos. Microbiologia Aplicada

Chimpanzee population structure in Cameroon and Nigeria is associated with habitat variation that may be lost under climate change

Background: The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) is found in the Gulf of Guinea biodiversity hotspot located in western equatorial Africa. This subspecies is threatened by habitat fragmentation due to logging and agricultural development, hunting for the bushmeat trade, and possibly climate change. Although P. t. ellioti appears to be geographically separated from the neighboring central chimpanzee (P. t. troglodytes) by the Sanaga River, recent population genetics studies of chimpanzees from across this region suggest that additional factors may also be important in their separation. The main aims of this study were: 1) to model the distribution of suitable habitat for P. t. ellioti across Cameroon and Nigeria, and P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon, 2) to determine which environmental factors best predict their optimal habitats, and 3) to compare modeled niches and test for their levels of divergence from one another. A final aim of this study was to examine the ways that climate change might impact suitable chimpanzee habitat across the region under various scenarios. Results: Ecological niche models (ENMs) were created using the software package Maxent for the three populations of chimpanzees that have been inferred to exist in Cameroon and eastern Nigeria: (i) P. t. troglodytes in southern Cameroon, (ii) P. t. ellioti in northwestern Cameroon, and (iii) P. t. ellioti in central Cameroon. ENMs for each population were compared using the niche comparison test in ENMtools, which revealed complete niche divergence with very little geographic overlap of suitable habitat between populations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a positive relationship may exist between environmental variation and the partitioning of genetic variation found in chimpanzees across this region. ENMs for each population were also projected under three different climate change scenarios for years 2020, 2050, and 2080. Suitable habitat of P. t. ellioti in northwest Cameroon / eastern Nigeria is expected to remain largely unchanged through 2080 in all considered scenarios. In contrast, P. t. ellioti in central Cameroon, which represents half of the population of this subspecies, is expected to experience drastic reductions in its ecotone habitat over the coming century