Propriétés biochimiques et organoleptiques de trois mets traditionnels ivoiriens (attiéké, placali, attoukpou) à base de granulés de manioc natifs

Des granulés de manioc natif ont été produits et conservés pendant 24 mois en vu de les utiliser après reconstitution pour préparer les mets traditionnels. Trois mets traditionnels ivoiriens (attiéké, attoukpou, placali) ont été confectionnés avec les granulés de manioc natif produits à partir trois cultivars de manioc: Bonoua, Soglo et Yacé. Les propriétés biochimiques et organoleptiques de ces mets ont été déterminées selon les méthodes d’analyse standard. Les résultats ont montré que l’attiéké de manioc frais contenait 45,17% d’amidon et 0,49% de sucres, tandis que celui obtenu avec les granulés avait une teneur en amidon de 31,45 et 8,4 % de sucres. En ce qui concerne l’attoukpou, les teneurs en amidon et en sucres étaient respectivement de 47,93 et 0,8% lorsque le manioc frais est utilisé pour la préparation alors que les teneurs obtenues pour l’attoukpou préparé avec les granulés étaient de 35,5% pour l’amidon et 8,4% pour les sucres, comme dans le cas de l’attiéké des granulés. L’acidité titrable du placali est de 20 méq.g/100 g avec le manioc frais contre 5 méq. g/100g, pour le produit obtenu avec les granulés. Le placali de manioc frais contient 0,9 mg HCN/100 g et celui obtenu à partir des granulés n’en contient que des traces. Les teneurs en amidon, en sucres totaux et en sucres réducteurs sont respectivement de 8,37, 12, 3, et 3,03% pour le placali de manioc frais contre 6, 13,2 et 3,55% pour celui fait à partir des granulés. L’évaluation des propriétés organoleptiques des produits a révélé qu’il n’y aucune différence significative entre les produits issus du manioc frais et ceux obtenus avec les granulés de manioc natif conservés pendant deux ans, s’agissant de la couleur, l’arôme et de la texture. Par contre, en ce qui concerne le goût et l’aigreur, les mets confectionnés avec les granulés de manioc natifs ont été jugés meilleurs par rapport à ceux issus du manioc frais.Mots clés : Granulés de manioc natifs, propriétés biochimiques et organoleptiques, mets traditionnels ivoiriens, attiéké, placali, attoukpou

K-Shell Photoabsorption Studies of the Carbon Isonuclear Sequence

K-shell photoabsorption cross sections for the isonuclear C I - C IV ions have been computed using the R-matrix method. Above the K-shell threshold, the present results are in good agreement with the independent-particle results of Reilman & Manson (1979). Below threshold, we also compute the strong 1s -> np absorption resonances with the inclusion of important spectator Auger broadening effects. For the lowest 1s -> 2p, 3p resonances, comparisons to available C II, C III, and C IV experimental results show good agreement in general for the resonance strengths and positions, but unexplained discrepancies exist. Our results also provide detailed information on the C I K-shell photoabsorption cross section including the strong resonance features, since very limited laboratory experimental data exist. The resultant R-matrix cross sections are then used to model the Chandra X-ray absorption spectrum of the blazar Mkn 421

Outcomes in Neonates with Pulmonary Atresia and Intact Ventricular Septum Underwent Pulmonary Valvulotomy and Valvuloplasty Using a Flexible 2-French Radiofrequency Catheter

Purpose : Outcomes in 6 neonates with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) Undergoing radiofrequency pulmonary valvulotomy and valvuloplasty (RPVV) were reported to identify the factors favorable for RPVV as the treatment of choice. Materials and Methods: From May 2000 to January 2008, 6 patients with PAWS were included in this retrospective study. They were aged I day to 90 days old. Study modalities included review of recordings of presentations and profiles of chest radiography, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization with angiography. Hemodynamic profiles from the echocardiography and the cardiac catheterization were analyzed. Results: Echocardiography showed severe tricuspid regurgitation, membranous atresia of the pulmonary valve, intact ventricular septum, patent ductus arteriosus, and hypoplastic right ventricle in 6 patients. The pulmonary valve annulus were 4.2 to 6.9 mm in diameters, and those of the tricuspid valve were 7.1 to 10.1 mm. Elevated serum level of cardiac enzymes were found in 1 patient with ventriculocoronary communication (VCC). At cardiac catheterization, the ratio of systolic pressure of the right ventricle to that of the left ventricle ranged from 1.43 to 2.33 before RPVV, and from 0.54 to 1.15 after RPVV ((p=0. 027). The pressure gradients ranged from 76 to 136 mmHg before RPVV, and from 15 to 39 mmHg after RPVV (p=0.028). The echocardiographic gradients ranged from 16 to 32 mmHg within 24 hours after RPVV, and from 15 to 50 mmHg at the follow-ups. Conclusion: RPVV can be a treatment of choice for neonates with PAIVS, if there is patent infundibulum, no right-ventricular dependent coronary circulation, and adequate tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve

Dynamical coupled-channels: the key to understanding resonances

Recent developments on a dynamical coupled-channels model of hadronic and electromagnetic production of nucleon resonances are summarized.Comment: Invited Plenary talk at the 20th European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics (EFB20), September 10-14 2007, Pisa, Italy. To appear in the proceedings in Few-Body System

Serotonin and corticosterone rhythms in mice exposed to cigarette smoke and in patients with COPD:implication for COPD-associated neuropathogenesis

The circadian timing system controls daily rhythms of physiology and behavior, and disruption of clock function can trigger stressful life events. Daily exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) can lead to alteration in diverse biological and physiological processes. Smoking is associated with mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have abnormal circadian rhythms, reflected by daily changes in respiratory symptoms and lung function. Corticosterone (CORT) is an adrenal steroid that plays a considerable role in stress and anti-inflammatory responses. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5HT) is a neurohormone, which plays a role in sleep/wake regulation and affective disorders. Secretion of stress hormones (CORT and 5HT) is under the control of the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Since smoking is a contributing factor in the development of COPD, we hypothesize that CS can affect circadian rhythms of CORT and 5HT secretion leading to sleep and mood disorders in smokers and patients with COPD. We measured the daily rhythms of plasma CORT and 5HT in mice following acute (3 d), sub-chronic (10 d) or chronic (6 mo) CS exposure and in plasma from non-smokers, smokers and patients with COPD. Acute and chronic CS exposure affected both the timing (peak phase) and amplitude of the daily rhythm of plasma CORT and 5HT in mice. Acute CS appeared to have subtle time-dependent effects on CORT levels but more pronounced effects on 5HT. As compared with CORT, plasma 5HT was slightly elevated in smokers but was reduced in patients with COPD. Thus, the effects of CS on plasma 5HT were consistent between mice and patients with COPD. Together, these data reveal a significant impact of CS exposure on rhythms of stress hormone secretion and subsequent detrimental effects on cognitive function, depression-like behavior, mood/anxiety and sleep quality in smokers and patients with COPD

Lipidomics Reveals Early Metabolic Changes in Subjects with Schizophrenia: Effects of Atypical Antipsychotics

There is a critical need for mapping early metabolic changes in schizophrenia to capture failures in regulation of biochemical pathways and networks. This information could provide valuable insights about disease mechanisms, trajectory of disease progression, and diagnostic biomarkers. We used a lipidomics platform to measure individual lipid species in 20 drug-naïve patients with a first episode of schizophrenia (FE group), 20 patients with chronic schizophrenia that had not adhered to prescribed medications (RE group), and 29 race-matched control subjects without schizophrenia. Lipid metabolic profiles were evaluated and compared between study groups and within groups before and after treatment with atypical antipsychotics, risperidone and aripiprazole. Finally, we mapped lipid profiles to n3 and n6 fatty acid synthesis pathways to elucidate which enzymes might be affected by disease and treatment. Compared to controls, the FE group showed significant down-regulation of several n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including 20:5n3, 22:5n3, and 22:6n3 within the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipid classes. Differences between FE and controls were only observed in the n3 class PUFAs; no differences where noted in n6 class PUFAs. The RE group was not significantly different from controls, although some compositional differences within PUFAs were noted. Drug treatment was able to correct the aberrant PUFA levels noted in FE patients, but changes in re patients were not corrective. Treatment caused increases in both n3 and n6 class lipids. These results supported the hypothesis that phospholipid n3 fatty acid deficits are present early in the course of schizophrenia and tend not to persist throughout its course. These changes in lipid metabolism could indicate a metabolic vulnerability in patients with schizophrenia that occurs early in development of the disease. © 2013 McEvoy et al

Stabilization of Deterministically Chaotic Systems by Interference and Quantum Measurements: The Ikeda Map Case

We propose a method which can effectively stabilize fixed points in the classical and quantum dynamics of a phase-sensitive chaotic system with feedback. It is based on feeding back a selected quantum sub-ensemble whose phase and amplitude stabilize the otherwise chaotic dynamics. Although the method is rather general, we apply it to realizations of the inherently chaotic Ikeda map. One suggested realization involves the Mach-Zender interferometer with Kerr nonlinearity. Another realization involves a trapped ion interacting with laser fields.Comment: RevTeX, 5 pages, two figure

Quasi-static stop band with flexural metamaterial having zero rotational stiffness

Metamaterials realizing stop bands have attracted much attentions recently since they can break-through the well-known mass law. However, achieving the stop band at extremely low frequency has been still a big challenge in the fields of elastic metamaterials. In this paper, we propose a new metamaterial based on the idea of the zero rotational stiffness, to achieve extremely low frequency stop band for flexural elastic waves. Unlike the previous ways to achieve the stop band, we found that the zero rotational stiffness can provide a broad stop band at extremely low frequency, which starts from even almost zero frequency. To achieve the zero rotational stiffness, we propose a new elastic metamaterial consisting of blocks and links with the hinge connection. Analytic developments as well as numerical simulations evidence that this new metamaterial can exhibit extremely low and broad stop band, even at the quasi-static ranges. In addition, the metamaterial is shown to exhibit the negative group velocity at extremely low frequency ranges, as well as the quasi-static stop band, if it is properly designed.ope

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) juice provides an HIV-1 entry inhibitor and candidate topical microbicide

BACKGROUND: For ≈ 24 years the AIDS pandemic has claimed ≈ 30 million lives, causing ≈ 14,000 new HIV-1 infections daily worldwide in 2003. About 80% of infections occur by heterosexual transmission. In the absence of vaccines, topical microbicides, expected to block virus transmission, offer hope for controlling the pandemic. Antiretroviral chemotherapeutics have decreased AIDS mortality in industrialized countries, but only minimally in developing countries. To prevent an analogous dichotomy, microbicides should be: acceptable; accessible; affordable; and accelerative in transition from development to marketing. Already marketed pharmaceutical excipients or foods, with established safety records and adequate anti-HIV-1 activity, may provide this option. METHODS: Fruit juices were screened for inhibitory activity against HIV-1 IIIB using CD4 and CXCR4 as cell receptors. The best juice was tested for inhibition of: (1) infection by HIV-1 BaL, utilizing CCR5 as the cellular coreceptor; and (2) binding of gp120 IIIB and gp120 BaL, respectively, to CXCR4 and CCR5. To remove most colored juice components, the adsorption of the effective ingredient(s) to dispersible excipients and other foods was investigated. A selected complex was assayed for inhibition of infection by primary HIV-1 isolates. RESULTS: HIV-1 entry inhibitors from pomegranate juice adsorb onto corn starch. The resulting complex blocks virus binding to CD4 and CXCR4/CCR5 and inhibits infection by primary virus clades A to G and group O. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the possibility of producing an anti-HIV-1 microbicide from inexpensive, widely available sources, whose safety has been established throughout centuries, provided that its quality is adequately standardized and monitored