Model studies on the pattern of volatiles generated in mixtures of amino acids, lipid oxidation-derived aldehydes, and glucose

The development of flavor and browning in thermally treated foods results mainly from the Maillard reaction and lipid degradation but also from the interactions between both reaction pathways. To study these interactions, we analyzed the volatile compounds resulting from model reactions of lysine or glycine with aldehydes originating from lipid oxidation [hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, or (2E,4E)-decadienal] in the presence and absence of glucose. The main reaction products identified in these model mixtures were carbonyl compounds, resulting essentially from amino-acid-catalyzed aldol condensation reactions. Several 2-alkylfurans were detected as well. Only a few azaheterocyclic compounds were identified, in particular 5-butyl-2-propylpyridine from (E)-2-hexenal model systems and 2-pentylpyridine from (2E,4E)-decadienal model reactions. Although few reaction products were found resulting from the condensation of an amino acid With a lipid-derived aldehyde, the amino acid plays an important role in catalyzing the degradation and further reaction of these carbonyl compounds. These results suggest that amino-acid-induced degradations and further reactions of lipid oxidation products may be of considerable importance in thermally processed foods

Complete genome organization of American hop latent virus and its relationship to carlaviruses

The complete genomic sequence of American hop latent virus (AHLV; genus Carlavirus) was determined. The genome consists of 8,601 nucleotides plus a 3′-polyadenylate tail. The genome encompasses six potential open reading frames (ORF) in the positive sense, and their organization is typical of other carlaviruses. Analysis of the coat protein coding sequence at both the nucleic acid level and the amino acid level indicates that AHLV is only remotely related to the other carlaviruses known to infect common hop. Polyclonal antibodies were produced against the bacterially expressed coat protein of AHLV. These antibodies differentiated between AHLV and other carlaviruses of hop

Modelling household well-being and poverty trajectories: An application to coastal Bangladesh

This is the final version. Available on open access from the Public Library of Science via the DOI in this recordData Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.Resource-based livelihoods are uncertain and potentially unstable due to variability over time, including seasonal variation: this instability threatens marginalised populations who may fall into poverty. However, empirical understanding of trajectories of household wellbeing and poverty is limited. Here, we present a new household-level model of poverty dynamics based on agents and coping strategies–the Household Economy And Poverty trajectory (HEAP) model. HEAP is based on established economic and social insights into poverty dynamics, with a demonstration of the model calibrated with a qualitative and quantitative household survey in coastal Bangladesh. Economic activity in Bangladesh is highly dependent on natural resources; poverty is widespread; and there is high variability in ecosystem services at multiple temporal scales. The results show that long-term decreases in poverty are predicated more on the stability of, and returns from, livelihoods rather than their diversification. Access to natural resources and ecosystem service benefits are positively correlated with stable income and multidimensional well-being. Households that remain in poverty are those who experience high seasonality of income and are involved in small scale enterprises. Hence, seasonal variability in income places significant limits on natural resources providing routes out of poverty. Further, projected economic trends to 2030 lead to an increase in well-being and a reduction in poverty for most simulated household types.Department for International Development (DFID)Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC

Too Little, Too Late: How the Tidal Evolution of Hot Jupiters affects Transit Surveys of Clusters

The tidal evolution of hot Jupiters may change the efficiency of transit surveys of stellar clusters. The orbital decay that hot Jupiters suffer may result in their destruction, leaving fewer transiting planets in older clusters. We calculate the impact tidal evolution has for different assumed stellar populations, including that of 47~Tuc, a globular cluster that was the focus of an intense HST search for transits. We find that in older clusters one expects to detect fewer transiting planets by a factor of two for surveys sensitive to Jupiter-like planets in orbits out to 0.5~AU, and up to a factor of 25 for surveys sensitive to Jupiter-like planets in orbits out to 0.08~AU. Additionally, tidal evolution affects the distribution of transiting planets as a function of semi-major axis, producing larger orbital period gaps for transiting planets as the age of the cluster increases. Tidal evolution can explain the lack of detected exoplanets in 47~Tuc without invoking other mechanisms. Four open clusters residing within the {\em Kepler} fields of view have ages that span 0.4-8~Gyr--if {\em Kepler} can observe a significant number of planets in these clusters, it will provide key tests for our tidal evolution hypothesis. Finally, our results suggest that observers wishing to discover transiting planets in clusters must have sufficient accuracy to detect lower mass planets, search larger numbers of cluster members, or have longer observation windows to be confident that a significant number of transits will occur for a population of stars.Comment: 23 pages including 6 figures, accepted to Ap

Ugandan Adolescents\u27 Attitudes Toward, and Shared Activities with, Same and Other-Gender Peers and Friends

Ugandan adolescents (n = 202, 54% girls; Mage = 14.26) answered closed- and open-ended questions about the gender composition of friends and attitudes about, and activities with, same- and other-gender peers and friends. Adolescents’ friendships were somewhat gender segregated, although other-gender friendships were present. Positive attitudes about same- and other-gender peers and friends were prevalent. Girls and boys displayed similar attitudes about same- and other-gender peers, with the exception of boys reporting more positive attitudes toward boys. Adolescents enjoyed the following aspects of same- and other-gender friendships: talking about problems, receiving help, sharing items and activities, receiving advice about romance and puberty, and receiving help with schoolwork. Adolescents engaged with mixed-gender peers for most shared activities, although gender segregation was present for certain activities (e.g., playing sports). Results may inform programs that support positive peer interactions among youth in sub-Saharan Africa

Spatial and temporal dynamics of multidimensional well-being, livelihoods and ecosystem services in coastal Bangladesh.

Published onlineJournal ArticlePopulations in resource dependent economies gain well-being from the natural environment, in highly spatially and temporally variable patterns. To collect information on this, we designed and implemented a 1586-household quantitative survey in the southwest coastal zone of Bangladesh. Data were collected on material, subjective and health dimensions of well-being in the context of natural resource use, particularly agriculture, aquaculture, mangroves and fisheries. The questionnaire included questions on factors that mediate poverty outcomes: mobility and remittances; loans and micro-credit; environmental perceptions; shocks; and women's empowerment. The data are stratified by social-ecological system to take into account spatial dynamics and the survey was repeated with the same respondents three times within a year to incorporate seasonal dynamics. The dataset includes blood pressure measurements and height and weight of men, women and children. In addition, the household listing includes basic data on livelihoods and income for approximately 10,000 households. The dataset facilitates interdisciplinary research on spatial and temporal dynamics of well-being in the context of natural resource dependence in low income countries.The authors gratefully acknowledge the residents of Khulna and Barisal who gave up many hours of their time to be interviewed on multiple occasions. We are indebted to their generosity and patience. In addition we would like to acknowledge the important contribution of Tauhida Nasrin and colleagues at Associates for Community and Population Research and the team of enumerators who ensured the smooth implementation of the survey; Masfiqus Salehin and Rezaur Rahman at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Munir Ahmed at Technological Assistance for Rural Advancement and Hamidul Huq at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh for their assistance in defining the social-ecological systems; Mahin Al Nahian for his assistance in implementing the survey; Rakin Muhtadee Shihab for completing the final translation of the questionnaire to Bengali; Munir Ahmed, Abir Ahammad Talukdar and Ali Mohammad Rezaie for assistance with qualitative fieldwork and pretesting; Abul Kashem Mohammad Hasan at the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services and Muhammad Zahirul Haq at icddr,b for the GIS work. The survey was part of the project Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services And Poverty Alleviation In Populous Deltas (Espa Deltas; Grant No. NE/J000892/1), part of the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme. The ESPA programme is funded by the Department for International Development, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council. Helen Adams had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis

The outcome of arthroscopic treatment of temporomandibular joint arthoropathy

The document attached has been archived with permission from the Australian Dental Association. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Ninety patients underwent arthroscopic temporomandibular joint surgery to 124 joints for arthropathy which had failed to respond to at least six months of non-surgical treatment. They were surveyed at between 6 months and 5 years (mean 2.5 years) after surgery and 63 per cent responded to the survey. They reported an 82 per cent improvement for pain (50 to 100 per cent better), 80 per cent for clicking and 82 per cent for locking. There was no morbidity following the treatment. Arthroscopic surgery sould be considered for advanced temporomandibular joint arthropathy which is refractory to non-surgical treatment.I. Rosenburg and A. N. Gos

Predominant Golgi-residency of the plant K/HDEL receptor is essential for its function in mediating ER retention

Accumulation of soluble proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of plants is mediated by a receptor termed ER RETENTION DEFECTIVE 2 (ERD2) or K/HDEL receptor. Using two gain-of-function assays and by complementing loss of function in Nicotiana benthamiana we discovered that compromising the lumenal N-terminus or the cytosolic C-terminus with fluorescent fusions abolishes its biological function and profoundly affects its subcellular localization. Based on the confirmed asymmetrical topology of ERD2 we engineered a new fluorescent ERD2 fusion protein that retains biological activity. Using this fusion, we show that ERD2 is exclusively detected at the Golgi apparatus, unlike non-functional C-terminal fusions which also label the ER. Moreover, ERD2 is confined to early Golgi compartments and does not show ligand-induced redistribution to the ER. We show that the cytosolic C-terminus of ERD2 plays a crucial role in its function. Two conserved Leucine residues that do not correspond to any known targeting motifs for ER-Golgi trafficking were shown to be essential for both ERD2 Golgi residency and its ability to mediate ER retention of soluble ligands. The results suggest that anterograde ER to Golgi transport of ERD2 is either extremely fast, well in excess of the bulk flow rate, or that ERD2 does not recycle in the way originally proposed

Soil nematodes show a midelevation diversity maximum and elevational zonation on Mt. Norikura, Japan

Little is known about how nematode ecology differs across elevational gradients. We investigated the soil nematode community along a ~2,200 m elevational range on Mt. Norikura, Japan, by sequencing the 18S rRNA gene. As with many other groups of organisms, nematode diversity showed a high correlation with elevation, and a maximum in mid-elevations. While elevation itself, in the context of the mid domain effect, could predict the observed unimodal pattern of soil nematode communities along the elevational gradient, mean annual temperature and soil total nitrogen concentration were the best predictors of diversity. We also found nematode community composition showed strong elevational zonation, indicating that a high degree of ecological specialization that may exist in nematodes in relation to elevation-related environmental gradients and certain nematode OTUs had ranges extending across all elevations, and these generalized OTUs made up a greater proportion of the community at high elevations – such that high elevation nematode OTUs had broader elevational ranges on average, providing an example consistent to Rapoport’s elevational hypothesis. This study reveals the potential for using sequencing methods to investigate elevational gradients of small soil organisms, providing a method for rapid investigation of patterns without specialized knowledge in taxonomic identification