438 research outputs found
Shelf-life of smoked eel fillets treated with chitosan or thyme oil
The present study examined the effect of natural antimicrobials: Chitosan, thyme oil
and their combination, on the shelf- life of smoked eel fillets stored under vacuum
packaging (VP) at 4°C. Based on sensory odor data smoked eel fillets had a shelf- life
of 35 (control), 42 (thyme treated and >49 (thyme, chitosan-thyme treated) days. The
thiobarbituric acid value (TBA) value of the control eel sample was significantly
higher than the chitosan-thyme-treated eel samples. The use of chitosan singly, or in
combination with thyme oil reduced lipid oxidation (TBA) of the smoked eel samples.
A trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N) value of 10 mg N/100 g, could be suggested as
an indication of smoked eel spoilage initiation. Control and treated eel reached total
volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) values of 13.1-31.5 mg N/100 g below the maximum
permissible level of TVB-N in fish and fishery products. Eel samples reached the
value of 7.0 log cfu/g (Total Plate Count,TPC) on days 35 (smoked) and 42 (thyme
treated), whereas both chitosan and chitosan-thyme treated eel samples never reached
this limit value. Results of our study show thyme or chitosan (singly, or in
combination) inhibit the growth of mesophilic bacteria and extend the shelf- life of
smoked eel.Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud Universit
Sperm chromatin anomalies can influence decondensation after intracytoplasmic sperm injection
In this study we investigated whether morphology and chromatin anomalies in human spermatozoa can influence fertilization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). We examined unfertilized oocytes, using the fluorochrome Hoechst 33342, to determine whether a relationship exists between failure of fertilization and sperm chromatin quality. Sperm chromatin packaging quality was assessed using the chromomydn A3 (CMA3) fluorochrome, and the presence of DNA damage in spermatozoa, using in-situ nick translation. Normal males present sperm parameters with a normal morphology of >20%, CMA3 fluorescence of <30% and exhibit endogenous nicks in <10% of their spermatozoa. When patients were separated according to these values no difference was observed in their fertilization rates after ICSL When the unfertilized ICSI oocytes were examined, we found that patients with CMA3 fluorescence of <30% and nicks in <10% of their spermatozoa had only 17.5 and 21.6% respectively of their unfertilized oocytes containing spermatozoa that remained condensed. In contrast, patients with higher CMA3 and nick values had a significantly higher number, 412 and 48.9%, of their unfertilized oocytes containing condensed spermatozoa. Sperm morphology did not show any such pattern. The percentage of spermatozoa which had initiated decondensation in unfertilized oocytes was not influenced by morphology, CMA3 fluorescence or nicks. In light of these results we postulate that poor chromatin packaging and/or damaged DNA may contribute to failure of sperm decondensation after ICSI and result in failure of fertilizatio
Combined Ground Deformation Study Of Broader Area Of Patras Gulf (W. Greece) Using PSI-WAP, DGPS And Seismicity Analyses
Long-term ground deformation monitoring using the
Persistent Scatterer Interferometry Wide Area Product
(PSI-WAP) technique for the period 1992-2003,
combined with Differential GPS measurements and
seismicity analysis has provided useful information
about the tectonic motions of the tectonically complex
area of Patras Gulf (Western Greece), and lead to new
insights on the geotectonic regime of this region.
Descending ERS radar images were used to compile the
PSI-WAP product that has been calibrated using the
absolute velocity field of available GPS stations in the
area. It has been found that the deformation of the
southern part of Patras Gulf near the coastline has been
characterized by considerable subsidence (>-5mm/yr),
where unconsolidated sediments usually prevail,
compared to the northern part of the gulf. Significant
subsidence has also been identified in areas along the
down-throw side of possible faults, as well as areas
where extensive ground water pumping has occurred for
irrigation. These results correlate well with local GPS
and seismicity data
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Persistence of investor sentiment and market mispricing
We investigate changes in US market sentiment using structural break analysis over a period of five decades. We show that investor sentiment was trending and nonstationary from 1965 to 2001, a period associated with numerous crashes. Since 2001, sentiment has been substantially more mean reverting, implying the diminished effect of noise investors and their associated mispricing. We illustrate how these changes in sentiment persistence affect equity anomalies and assess the predictive power of sentiment on short-run returns when regime changes are considered. Our findings suggest that the presence of sentiment-driven investors and their market impact is significantly time-variant
A 26-Year-Old Male with Mesothelioma Due to Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma is a malignancy with poor prognosis, with an average 5-year survival rate being less than 9%. This type of cancer is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. A long exposure can cause mesothelioma and so can short ones, as each exposure is cumulative. We report a case of a 26-year-old male who was exposed to asbestos during his primary school years from the age of 6 to 12. Although the tumor mainly affects older men who in their youth were occupationally exposed to asbestos, malignant mesothelioma can also occur in young adults. A medical history was carefully taken and asbestos exposure was immediately mentioned by the patient. We conducted biopsy on the right supraclavicular lymph node. The patient was not a candidate for surgery, and chemotherapy treatment was initiated. While patient's chemotherapy is still ongoing, no other similar cases of students or teachers have been traced up to date from his school. The school building was demolished in January 2009
The nuclear lamina couples mechanical forces to cell fate in the preimplantation embryo via actin organization
During preimplantation development, contractile forces generated at the apical cortex segregate cells into inner and outer positions of the embryo, establishing the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm. To which extent these forces influence ICM-trophectoderm fate remains unresolved. Here, we found that the nuclear lamina is coupled to the cortex via an F-actin meshwork in mouse and human embryos. Actomyosin contractility increases during development, upregulating Lamin-A levels, but upon internalization cells lose their apical cortex and downregulate Lamin-A. Low Lamin-A shifts the localization of actin nucleators from nucleus to cytoplasm increasing cytoplasmic F-actin abundance. This results in stabilization of Amot, Yap phosphorylation and acquisition of ICM over trophectoderm fate. By contrast, in outer cells, Lamin-A levels increase with contractility. This prevents Yap phosphorylation enabling Cdx2 to specify the trophectoderm. Thus, forces transmitted to the nuclear lamina control actin organization to differentially regulate the factors specifying lineage identity
Performance and evaluation of a coupled prognostic model TAPM over a mountainous complex terrain industrial area
Evidence of Increased Muscle Atrophy and Impaired Quality of Life Parameters in Patients with Uremic Restless Legs Syndrome
BACKGROUND: Restless Legs Syndrome is a very common disorder in hemodialysis patients. Restless Legs Syndrome negatively affects quality of life; however it is not clear whether this is due to mental or physical parameters and whether an association exists between the syndrome and parameters affecting survival. METHOD#ENTITYSTARTX003BF;LOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Restless Legs Syndrome criteria and the presence of Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS/h >15), 70 clinically stable hemodialysis patients were assessed and divided into the RLS (n = 30) and non-RLS (n = 40) groups. Physical performance was evaluated by a battery of tests: body composition by dual energy X ray absorptiometry, muscle size and composition by computer tomography, while depression symptoms, perception of sleep quality and quality of life were assessed through validated questionnaires. In this cross sectional analysis, the RLS group showed evidence of thigh muscle atrophy compared to the non-RLS group. Sleep quality and depression score were found to be significantly impaired in the RLS group. The mental component of the quality of life questionnaire appeared significantly diminished in the RLS group, reducing thus the overall quality of life score. In contrast, there were no significant differences between groups in any of the physical performance tests, body and muscle composition. CONCLUSIONS: The low level of quality of life reported by the HD patients with Restless Legs Syndrome seems to be due mainly to mental health and sleep related aspects. Increased evidence of muscle atrophy is also observed in the RLS group and possibly can be attributed to the lack of restorative sleep
Sperm chromatin anomalies can influence decondensation after intracytoplasmic sperm injection
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