Meat products are a staple of many diets around the world, but they have been subject to criticism due to their potential negative impact on human health. In recent years, there has been a growing ...interest in developing novel approaches to improve the healthy characteristics of meat products, with a particular focus on reducing the levels of harmful salts, lipids, and nitrites. This review aims to provide an overview of the latest research on the various methods being developed to address these issues, including the use of alternative salts, lipid-reducing techniques, and natural nitrite alternatives. By exploring these innovative approaches, we can gain a better understanding of the potential for improving the nutritional value of meat products, while also meeting the demands of consumers who are increasingly concerned about their health and well-being.
We studied changes in the expression of growth‐associated protein 43 (GAP43), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and calcium‐binding proteins (calbindin Cb and parvalbumin Pv) in the dorsal ...lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of four capuchin monkeys with laser‐induced retinal lesions. The lesions were generated with the aid of a neodymium‐YAG dual‐frequency laser with shots of different intensity and at different survival time in each animal. The expression of these proteins in the layers of the dLGN was evaluated by performing histodensitometry of coronal sections throughout the nucleus. High‐power laser shots administered at the border of the optic disc (OD)‐injured fibers resulted in large scotomas. These lesions produced a devastating effect on fibers in this passage, resulting in large deafferentation of the dLGN. The time course of plasticity expressed in this nucleus varied with the degree of the retinal lesion. Topographically, corresponding portions of the dLGN were inferred by the extent of the ocular dominance column revealed by cytochrome oxidase histochemistry in flattened preparations of V1. In the region representing the retinal lesion, the expression of GFAP, GAP43, Pv, and Cb increased and decreased in the corresponding dLGN layers shortly after lesion induction and returned to their original values with different time courses. Synaptogenesis (indicated by GAP43 expression) appeared to be increased in all layers, while “cleansing” of the glial‐damaged region (indicated by GFAP expression) was markedly greater in the parvocellular layers, followed by the magnocellular layers.
Schematic drawings of optic discs laser lesions and of series of coronal sections of the dLGN, in three monkeys, depicting the areas of the nucleus deafferented by the lesions.
Schematic drawings of optic discs laser lesions and of series of coronal sections of the dLGN, in three monkeys, depicting the areas of the nucleus deafferented by the lesions.
We studied the time course of changes of cytochrome oxidase (CytOx) blob spatial density and blob cross‐sectional area of deprived (D) and nondeprived (ND) portions of V1 in four capuchin monkeys ...after massive and restricted retinal laser lesions. Laser shots at the border of the optic disc produced massive retinal lesions, while low power laser shots in the retina produced restricted retinal lesions. These massive and restricted retinal lesions were intended to simulate glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, respectively. We used a Neodymium‐YAG dual frequency laser to make the lesions. We measured Layer III blobs in CytOx‐reacted tangential sections of flat‐mounted preparations of V1. The plasticity of the blob system and that of the ocular dominance columns (ODC) varied with the degree of retinal lesions. We found that changes in the blob system were different from that of the ODC. Blob sizes changed drastically in the region corresponding to the retinal lesion. Blobs were larger and subjectively darker above and below the non deprived ODC than in the deprived columns. With restricted lesions, blobs corresponding to the ND columns had sizes similar to those from non‐lesioned areas. In contrast, blobs corresponding to the deprived columns were smaller than those from nonlesioned areas. With massive lesions, ND blobs were larger than the deprived blobs. Plastic changes in blobs described here occur much earlier than previously described.
Variation of cytochrome oxidase blob cross sectional area of deprived and nondeprived regions of V1 in cases with restricted (light blue and red) and massive (dark blue and orange) retinal lesions. Insert show a schematic diagram of the fiber track of the retinal surface illustrating the lesions used in this study. Note an extensive ganglion cell axons degeneration after the optic disc laser lesions (red arrow).
Studies that aim to produce flexible films of composite materials based on ionomers-PZT, and volume fractions lower than 10% PZT, in order to monitor damage in aeronautical structures are seldom ...investigated. The growing emphasis on the use of polymers capable of self-healing after damage or activation by heating has motivated the application of self-healing ionomers as polymeric matrices in composites with piezoelectric particles aiming to monitor damage. Flexible composite films were developed based on the self-healing polymer matrix Surlyn® 8940 ionomer (DuPontTM—Wilmington, DE, USA) and PZT particles (connectivity 2–3) in volume fractions of 1, 3, 5 and 7%, with thickness around 50–100 µm. The choice of PZT volume fractions followed the preliminary requirement that establishes a final density, which is lower or at least close to the density of the materials used in aeronautical structures. Since the application of composites based on epoxy resin/carbon fibers has been increasing in the aeronautical segment, this material (with density lower than 1500 kg/m3) was chosen as a reference for the present work. Thus, due to self-healing (a characteristic of the matrix Surlyn® 8940) combined with recyclability, high flexibility and low thickness, the flexible composite films showed advantages to be applied on aeronautical structures, which present complex geometries and low-density materials. The manufactured films were characterized by SEM, XRD, DMA and mechanical tensile tests. The results were discussed mainly in terms of the volume fraction of PZT. X-ray diffraction patterns showed coexistent rhombohedral and tetragonal phases in the PZT particles-dispersed composite, which can potentialize the alignment of ferroelectric domains during polarization under strong electrical field, enhancing dielectric and piezoelectric properties toward sensing applications. DMA and tensile testing results demonstrated that the addition of PZT particles did not impair either dynamic or quasi-static mechanical performance of the flexible composite films. It was concluded that the PZT volume fraction should be lower than 3% because, for higher values, the molecular mobility of the polymer would suffer significant reductions. These findings, combined with the high flexibility and low density of the ceramic particle-filled thermoplastic polymer, render the developed flexible composite film a very promising candidate for strain and damage sensing in aeronautical structures.
Human T lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus associated with inflammatory diseases, including HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM), and host genetic factors may be involved in disease ...evolution. The forkhead Box P3 (FOXP3) transcription factor is linked to homeostasis of the immune system, and the presence of polymorphisms in the promoter region of the
gene should reflect its expression levels and consequent activation of regulatory T cells, which may contribute to severe inflammatory disorders, such as HAM. This study evaluated the rs2232365 polymorphism (-924 A/G) located in the promoter region of the
gene and its association with HAM. Forty DNA samples from asymptomatic carriers and 25 samples from HAM patients were used, in addition to 130 control samples. The polymorphism was genotyped by conducting real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (quantitative PCR qPCR) on extracted DNA. The proviral loads (PVLs) and CD4
and CD8
T lymphocyte counts were determined by qPCR and FACSCalibur flow cytometry, respectively. The PVLs, CD4
T lymphocyte concentrations, and tumor necrosis factor-
dosages were considered predictive factors of the clinical profiles of HTLV-1 infection, all of which had higher levels in the HAM group. Carriers of the
genotype for the polymorphism rs2232365 had high PVLs and CD4
T lymphocyte concentrations.
Agroforestry systems have been promoted as a solution to address trade-offs between environmental conservation efforts and the need for increased agricultural productivity on smallholder farms in ...Brazil. However, the impact of land use change from degraded pasture to agroforestry on soil properties remains unclear. The objectives of this research were to: (1) assess soil chemical, physical and biological properties across distinct land uses (degraded pasture, agroforestry and secondary forest); and (2) understand relationships between litter quality, soil organic matter (SOM) and key soil quality parameters in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Soils, macroinvertebrates and litter were collected in April and September of 2018 under five land uses, including: three types of agroforestry systems, a degraded pasture and a secondary forest in Sapucaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our results showed that soil properties clearly separated the three agroforestry systems plots (AS1, AS2, AS3) from the forest and pasture plots. Moreover, litter quality and SOM likely influence multiple biological and physiochemical soil properties under agroforestry systems and secondary forest. Our findings suggest that agroforestry systems can help support soil biological, chemical and physical properties and that the litter quality may be an important driver of their effects and potential contributions to soil restoration in the region.
Successive applications of insecticides to control
L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) have resulted in the emergence of resistant populations of this insect. A novel control measure for this target insect ...could be the use of botanical insecticides derived from plant tissues. Hence, we experimentally tested aqueous extracts of
(Rich.),
(Mart.), and
(Vell.) K. Schum. found in the Brazilian savannah in order to investigate their potential to disrupt the life cycle of
. Aqueous extracts of the leaves of
and
negatively affected the development of
in all stages of the life cycle, prolonging the larval stage and causing mortality in the larval or pupal stages. Treatments with
and
extracts caused the lowest fecundity and the number of hatched larvae. The harmful effects of these aqueous extracts on the life cycle of
may be attributable to the flavonoids and other phenolic compounds present in
and
. These aqueous botanical extracts are low in toxicity when compared to non-aqueous pesticides, and may emerge as an effective approach for control of populations of
.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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•The use of Butia catarinensis seeds to obtain bioactive extracts is a novelty.•Ethanol-water provides extracts with good antioxidant and antibacterial activities.•The supercritical ...extracts presented high antibacterial activity.
The Butia catarinensis species are native to the southern region of South America. Most part of the harvested butia fruits is used to produce frozen pulp, while the seeds are usually discarded. Considering that, butia seeds are practically unexplored scientifically or commercially, this study aimed to provide an alternative to valorize this industrial waste. Different extraction methods were compared in terms of process global yield, extract composition, total phenolic content (TPC), and also antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the recovered extracts. The methods used were: supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) conducted at 40°C–60°C and pressures from 100 to 300bar, and the low pressure extractions (LPE) – ultrasonic assisted (UE) and Soxhlet (SE) – with different solvents. The method SE using ethanol (EtOH) as solvent provided the best extraction yield (18.4%). The extracts obtained by ETOH and ethanol-water (EtOH-H2O) (1/1, v/v) presented the best TPC values and antioxidant performance. The extracts obtained by SFE at 40°C/200bar, 50°C/100bar, 60°C/300bar and by LPE with ETOH and EtOH-H2O were considered strong bacterial inhibitors. The main identified compounds were cinnamic acid and caprylic acids.
The efferent ducts represent an important site of toxicity in the male reproductive tract but are not routinely examined in toxicity studies. This article describes a primary efferent duct toxicity ...that resulted in secondary testicular changes in rats. Male rats were administered LTI-1, a leukotriene A4 hydrolase inhibitor, at doses up to 250 mg/kg/d for 3 month or 150 mg/kg/d for 6 month. At the highest dose levels, testicular changes were predominantly unilateral and characterized by diffuse dilation or atrophy of the seminiferous tubules. These testicular changes correlated with granulomatous inflammation in the corresponding efferent ducts, suggesting that the mechanism for the testicular changes involves obstruction and impaired fluid reabsorption in the efferent ducts. Subsequent buildup in fluid volume and back-pressure upstream of the blockage cause dilation of the seminiferous tubules, which, in its late stages, progress to tubular atrophy. There are important differences in efferent duct anatomy between rats and larger mammals, including humans, such that the latter are less susceptible to testicular injury by this mechanism. Because of the limited relevance of this rat-specific finding to humans, it is important to distinguish testicular changes secondary to efferent duct toxicity from primary drug-induced testicular toxicity.
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