Comparative Proteomics of Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) Proteome across Species and Lactation Stages and the Potentials of MFGM Fractions in Infant Formula Preparation

Milk is a lipid-in-water emulsion with a primary role in the nutrition of newborns. Milk fat globules (MFGs) are a mixture of proteins and lipids with nutraceutical properties related to the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), which protects them, thus preventing their coalescence. Human and bovine MFGM proteomes have been extensively characterized in terms of their formation, maturation, and composition. Here, we review the most recent comparative proteomic analyses of MFGM proteome, above all from humans and bovines, but also from other species. The major MFGM proteins are found in all the MFGM proteomes of the different species, although there are variations in protein expression levels and molecular functions across species and lactation stages. Given the similarities between the human and bovine MFGM and the bioactive properties of MFGM components, several attempts have been made to supplement infant formulas (IFs), mainly with polar lipid fractions of bovine MFGM and to a lesser extent with protein fractions. The aim is thus to narrow the gap between human breast milk and cow-based IFs. Despite the few attempts made to date, supplementation with MFGM proteins seems promising as MFGM lipid supplementation. A deeper understanding of MFGM proteomes should lead to better results

Review: Insects and former foodstuffs for upgrading food waste biomasses/streams to feed ingredients for farm animals

The increasing global need to find alternative protein/energy sources has triggered research in the field of non-conventional feed ingredients, with insects and former foodstuffs being the most promising. Insects contain high level of protein and fat, whereas former foodstuffs contain high energy in the form of carbohydrates and fats; therefore, both should be considered as promising alternative feed ingredients for livestock production. In addition to the nutritional value, they also represent a way by which food waste biomasses/streams can be upgraded to valuable feed ingredients. This review outlines the main nutritional and safety issues of insects and former foodstuffs, and also considers the legal framework involved. The importance of the type of insect metamorphosis and tailored substrates that could lead to the production of a premium feed is also described. This is also the first time that a review discusses the nutritional quality of former foodstuffs. Energy and the main nutrient content of former foodstuff are compared with the composition of common cereals as the principal energy sources in animal feed. For both ingredients a critical review of the safety issues is provided. Based on the current data available, both insects and former foodstuffs have an excellent potential use as alternative feed ingredients for livestock production. When produced in line with the criteria set by major feed/food authorities, they are characterized by high quality and safety standards. This makes them comparable to other feed materials and ingredients currently available on the market, although their full nutritional, functional, safety and sustainability evaluation cannot be considered complete

Fate of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes in Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Reared on Two Artificial Diets

Ensuring food security is one of the main challenges facing the world over the next 30 years. There is, thus, an urgent need to significantly increase the supply of sustainable protein that can be transformed into animal feed. Proteins from insects offer a valuable alternative. This article presents the results of challenge tests conducted to investigate the dynamics of the microbial load of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae grown on contaminated substrates. Four separate challenge tests were performed on two substrates: the Gainesville diet and a homemade diet. The challenge test procedure was carried out in accordance with ISO/DIS 20976-2 (under development). The results of this study show that, when grown on contaminated substrates, BSF larvae do not eliminate Salmonella Typhimurium or L. monocytogenes, but can reduce their microbial load. Sanitation processes downstream of the breeding of BSF larvae are, however, required to reduce the microbiological risks of this novel food

CEREBROSPINAL FLUID DRAINAGE DEVICES: EXPERIMENTAL CARACTERIZATION

Hydrocephalus is a pathophysiology due to the excess of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles and it can be caused by congenital defects, brain abnormalities, tumors, inflammations, infections, intracranial hemorrhage and others. Hydrocephalus can be followed by significant rise of intraventricular pressure due to the excess of production of cerebrospinalfluid over the absorption, resulting in a weakening of intellectual functions, serious neurological damage (decreased movement, sensation and functions), critical physical disabilities and even death. A procedure for treatment involves the placement of a ventricular catheter into the cerebral ventricles to divert/drain the cerebrospinal fluid flow to a bag outside of the patient body – provisory treatment known as external ventricular drainage (EVD). Another option is the permanent treatment, internal ventricular drainage (IVD), promoting the cerebrospinal fluid drainage to other body cavity, being more commonly the abdominal cavity. In both cases, EVD and IVD, it is necessary to use of some type of neurological valve in order to control the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. In the present work is proposed an experimental procedure to test the hydrodynamic behavior of a complete drainage system, or parts of them, in order to verify its performance when subjected to pressure gradients found in the human body. Results show that the method is well adapted to quantify the pressure drop in neurological systems

A Drone-based Application for Scouting Halyomorpha halys Bugs in Orchards with Multifunctional Nets

In this work, we consider the problem of using a drone to collect information within orchards in order to scout insect pests, i.e., the stink bug Halyomorpha halys. An orchard can be modeled as an aisle-graph, which is a regular and constrained data structure formed by consecutive aisles where trees are arranged in a straight line. For monitoring the presence of bugs, a drone flies close to the trees and takes videos and/or pictures that will be analyzed offline. As the drone's energy is limited, only a subset of locations in the orchard can be visited with a fully charged battery. Those places that are most likely to be infested should be selected to promptly detect the pest. We implemented the proposed approach on a DJI drone and evaluated its performance in the real-world environment

The westward lithospheric drift, its role on the subduction and transform zones surrounding Americas. Andean to cordilleran orogenic types cyclicity

We investigate the effect of the westerly rotation of the lithosphere on the active margins that surround the Americas and find good correlations between the inferred easterly-directed mantle counterflow and the main structural grain and kinematics of the Andes and Sandwich arc slabs. In the Andes, the subduction zone is shallow and with low dip, because the mantle flow sustains the slab; the subduction hinge converges relative to the upper plate and generates an uplifting doubly verging orogen. The Sandwich Arc is generated by a westerly-directed SAM (South American) plate subduction where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone. In this context, the slab hinge is retreating relative to the upper plate, generating the backarc basin and a low bathymetry single-verging accretionary prism. In Central America, the Caribbean plate presents a more complex scenario: a) To the East, the Antilles Arc is generated by westerly directed subduction of the SAM plate, where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone. b) To the West, the Middle America Trench and Arc are generated by the easterly-directed subduction of the Cocos plate, where the shallow subduction caused by eastward mantle flow in its northern segment gradually steepens to the southern segment as it is infered by the preexisting westerly-directed subduction of the Caribbean Plateau. In the frame of the westerly lithospheric flow, the subduction of a divergent active ridge plays the role of introducing a change in the oceanic/continental plate's convergence angle, such as in NAM (North American) plate with the collision with the Pacific/Farallon active ridge in the Neogene (Cordilleran orogenic type scenario). The easterly mantle drift sustains strong plate coupling along NAM, showing at Juan de Fuca easterly subducting microplate that the subduction hinge advances relative to the upper plate. This lower/upper plate convergence coupling also applies along strike to the neighbor continental strike slip fault systems where subduction was terminated (San Andreas and Queen Charlotte). The lower/upper plate convergence coupling enables the capture of the continental plate ribbons of Baja California and Yakutat terrane by the Pacific oceanic plate, transporting them along the strike slip fault systems as para-autochthonous terranes. This Cordilleran orogenic type scenario, is also recorded in SAM following the collision with the Aluk/Farallon active ridge in the Paleogene, segmenting SAM margin into the eastwardly subducting Tupac Amaru microplate intercalated between the proto-Liquiñe-Ofqui and Atacama strike slip fault systems, where subduction was terminated and para-autochthonous terranes transported. In the Neogene, the convergence of Nazca plate with respect to SAM reinstalls subduction and the present Andean orogenic type scenario

Utilización de imágenes ASTER y Landsat para el monitoreo de la concentración de clorofila-a en el embalse Los Molinos, Córdoba, Argentina

Remote sensing can be used as a complementary tool in water quality monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to develop models to estimate the spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in Los Molinos reservoir using Landsat 7 ETM + and ASTER imagery. Los Molinos reservoir (32 º 49 ‘S, 64 º 32’ W) is a multipurpose system used as the second source of water supply for Córdoba’s city. Physical, chemical and biological parameters were measured in the water body coinciding with the passage of the satellites by the study area. Using different statistical techniques, satellite information was related to field data obtaining algorithms that best explained the distribution of Chl-a. These models were validated and used to construct maps providing spatially rich information on patterns of water quality throughout the reservoir. Both sensors could be used for Chl-a monitoring. ASTER sensor, with higher spatial resolution that ETM+, showed a better relationship between observed versus estimated Chl-a data allowing a better discrimination of the spatial variation of the analysed parameter. The generated models can provide a basis for planning future water quality monitoring in different water bodies.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Utilización de imágenes ASTER y Landsat para el monitoreo de la concentración de clorofila-a en el embalse Los Molinos, Córdoba, Argentina

Remote sensing can be used as a complementary tool in water quality monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to develop models to estimate the spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in Los Molinos reservoir using Landsat 7 ETM + and ASTER imagery. Los Molinos reservoir (32 º 49 ‘S, 64 º 32’ W) is a multipurpose system used as the second source of water supply for Córdoba’s city. Physical, chemical and biological parameters were measured in the water body coinciding with the passage of the satellites by the study area. Using different statistical techniques, satellite information was related to field data obtaining algorithms that best explained the distribution of Chl-a. These models were validated and used to construct maps providing spatially rich information on patterns of water quality throughout the reservoir. Both sensors could be used for Chl-a monitoring. ASTER sensor, with higher spatial resolution that ETM+, showed a better relationship between observed versus estimated Chl-a data allowing a better discrimination of the spatial variation of the analysed parameter. The generated models can provide a basis for planning future water quality monitoring in different water bodies.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Utilización de imágenes ASTER y Landsat para el monitoreo de la concentración de clorofila-a en el embalse Los Molinos, Córdoba, Argentina

Remote sensing can be used as a complementary tool in water quality monitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to develop models to estimate the spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a) in Los Molinos reservoir using Landsat 7 ETM + and ASTER imagery. Los Molinos reservoir (32 º 49 ‘S, 64 º 32’ W) is a multipurpose system used as the second source of water supply for Córdoba’s city. Physical, chemical and biological parameters were measured in the water body coinciding with the passage of the satellites by the study area. Using different statistical techniques, satellite information was related to field data obtaining algorithms that best explained the distribution of Chl-a. These models were validated and used to construct maps providing spatially rich information on patterns of water quality throughout the reservoir. Both sensors could be used for Chl-a monitoring. ASTER sensor, with higher spatial resolution that ETM+, showed a better relationship between observed versus estimated Chl-a data allowing a better discrimination of the spatial variation of the analysed parameter. The generated models can provide a basis for planning future water quality monitoring in different water bodies.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse