Cereal Lignans, Natural Compounds of Interest for Human Health?

Cereals are suggested to be the most important sources of lignan in the diets of western populations. Recent epidemiological studies show that European subpopulations in which the major source of lignans are cereals, display lower disease frequency regarding metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The biological mechanisms of lignan are several. Beyond their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions at nutritional doses some lignans regulate the activity of specific nuclear receptors (NRs), such as the estrogen receptors (ERs), and also NRs that are central switches in glucose and fatty acid metabolism such as PPAR alpha, PPAR gamma and LXRs, highlighting them as selective nuclear receptor modulators (SNRMs). These include enterodiol (END) and enterolactone (ENL), the metabolites produced by the gut microbiota from food lignans. The available knowledge suggests that given some additional research it should be possible to make 'function' claims for a regular intake of lignans-rich foods related to maintaining a healthy metabolism

The large molecular gas fraction of post-starburst galaxies at z > 1

Post-starburst galaxies are sources that had the last major episode of star formation about 1 Gyr before the epoch of the observations and are on their way to quiescence. It is important to study such galaxies at redshift z > 1, during their main quenching phase, and estimate their molecular gas content to constrain the processes responsible for the cessation of star formation. We present CO(3-2) ALMA observations of two massive (Mstar ~ 5 x 10^10 Msun) post-starburst galaxies at z > 1. We measure their molecular gas fraction to be f_H2 = M_H2/Mstar ~ 8% - 16%, consistent with z < 1 post-starburst galaxies from the literature. The star formation efficiency of our targets is ~ 10x lower than that of star-forming galaxies at similar redshift, and they are outliers of the f_H2 - specific star formation rate (sSFR) relation of star-forming galaxies, as they have larger f_H2 than expected given their sSFR. The gas fraction of post-starbursts from our sample and the literature correlates with the Dn4000 spectral index, a proxy of the stellar population age. This suggests that their gas content decreases after the last major burst of star formation. Finally, one of our targets is undergoing a major merger phase with two highly star-forming companions. This hints at a picture where a perturber event (e.g., major merger) quenches star formation without completely removing the molecular gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Multidisciplinary Aspects of Design. Objects, Processes, Experiences and Narratives

The book addresses the contemporary perspectives of design on a multidisciplinary through 4 key words: objects, processes, experiences, narratives. It aims at further investigating the role of the archive for the design culture reflecting on “Memory and Future” and “The Tools of Design and the Language of Representation”, and also themes that are yet at the center of the multidisciplinary debate on design. The tenets of the conference (OPEN: objects, processes, experiences and narratives) will hence also correspond to the book sections: -Objects. Design as focused on the object, on its functional and symbolic dimension, and at the same time on the object as a tool for representing cultures; -Processes. The designer’s self-reflective moment which is focused on the analysis and on the definition of processes in various contexts, spanning innovation, social engagement, reflection on emergencies or forecasting. -Experiences. Design as a theoretical and practical strategy aimed at facilitating experiential interactions among people, people and objects or environments. -Narratives. Making history, representing through different media, archiving, narrating, and exhibiting design

A nonequilibrium renormalization group approach to turbulent reheating

We use nonequilibrium renormalization group (RG) techniques to analyze the thermalization process in quantum field theory, and by extension reheating after inflation. Even if at a high scale $\Lambda$ the theory is described by a non-dissipative $\lambda\phi^{4}$ theory, the RG running induces nontrivial noise and dissipation. For long wavelength, slowly varying field configurations, the noise and dissipation are white and ohmic, respectively. The theory will then tend to thermalize to an effective temperature given by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures; to appear in J. Phys. A; more detailed account of the calculation of the noise and dissipation kernel

Genetic characterization of Indubrasil cattle breed population.

Abstract The Indubrasil breed was developed in the Brazilian region called Triângulo Mineiro as a result of a cross between zebu cattle. Initially, it was used as a terminal cross and currently it represents approximately 4.45% of all the Brazilian zebu cattle. Studies were conducted to estimate genetic parameters in the Indubrasil using pedigree information, however, until now, no study has been developed using large-scale genomic markers in this breed. Pedigree information are widely used to investigate population parameters; however, they can neglect some estimates when compared to the use of genomic markers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the population structure and the genetic diversity of Indubrasil cattle using a high-density Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panel (Illumina BovineHD BeadChip 700k). Levels of genomic homozygosity were evaluated using three different approaches: Runs of homozygosity (FROH), % of homozygosis (FSNP), and inbreeding coefficient (Fx). Further, Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) segments conserved among the animals were investigated to identify possible regions associated with the breed characteristics. Our results indicate that even the Indubrasil breed having a small effective population size, the levels of homozygosity (FROH = 0.046) are still small. This was possibly caused by the cross conducted among different breeds for its development. It suggests no immediate risks associated with loss of genetic variation. This information might be used in breeding programs, for the breed conservation and for the expansion of the Indubrasil breed

Experience of vaccination against invasive bacterial diseases in Veneto Region (North east Italy)

The goal of this study was to describe and comment the experience of the Veneto Region in the bacterial invasive disease. Vaccina- tion coverage was 93% against pneumococcus and 95% against haemophilus influenzae type B. Regard to meningococcus C the coverage rate was 90.1% In children, 81% at 6 years of age and 78.2% at 15 years . The preliminary data of an active surveillance of invasive bacterial diseases show that the Streptoccoccus pneumoniae was the main agent involved and that its consequences were particularly serious in elderly subjects. With regard to Neisseria meningitidis, we observed a substantial reduction in the number of cases due to serogroup C and a concomitant rise in the percentage of cases due to serogroup B. The suspension of mandatory vaccination should be maintained , the monitoring of vaccination coverage and the active surveillance proved to be a very good assessment tools. The full article is free available on www.jpmh.or

Pulsed electric field processing of red grapes (cv. Rondinella): Modifications of phenolic fraction and effects on wine evolution

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a non-thermal technology able to promote color and polyphenols extraction from grape skins. Most of the publications about PEF in winemaking report data concerning international varieties, poorly considering minor cultivars and the medium/long-term effects of the treatment on wine composition during storage. PEF was applied at different specific energies (2, 10, and 20 kJ kg\u20131) on grapes of the low-color red cv. Rondinella, after crushing-destemming. Pressing yield, the evolution of color, and total phenolic index (TPI) were measured during skin maceration. Moreover, the wines were characterized for basic compositional parameters, color, anthocyanin profile, phenolic composition (glories indices), metal content (Fe, Cr, and Ni), and sensory characters, two and twelve months after the processing, in comparison with untreated samples and pectolytic enzymes (PE). PEF did not affect fermentation evolution, nor did it modify wine basic composition or metal content. Treatments at 10 and 20 kJ kg\u20131 led to higher color and TPI in wines, in comparison to PE, because of increased content of anthocyanins and tannins. The sensory evaluation confirmed these findings. Modifications remained stable in wines after twelve months. Glories indices and vitisin A content highlighted greater potential stability of wine color in PEF-treated wines