The performance of check-all-that-apply (CATA), projective mapping, sorting and intensity scales was assessed for determining consumer perception of probiotic yogurts, two prototypes added with ...glucose oxidase, a potential oxygen scavenger and 04 commercial brands available in the Brazilian market. Each sensory methodology was tested by administrating the tests to 30 regular consumers of the product. Napping and CATA did not provide adequate discrimination of the samples while better results were noted for sorting and intensity scales, separating the yogurts containing glucose oxidase from the commercial probiotic yogurt. Sensory methodologies using consumer responses present potential options for the characterization of food matrices with multiple sensory sensations, such as probiotic yogurt.
•CATA, sorting, napping and intensity scales to characterize probiotic yogurts•Sorting and intensity scales presented similar results.•Prototype yogurts presented red points, acid taste, bitter taste and viscous.
Overkill of large mammals is recognized as a key driver of Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in the Americas and Australia. While this phenomenon primarily affected mega-mammals, its impact on large ...Quaternary reptiles has been debated. Freshwater turtles, due to the scarcity of giant forms in the Quaternary record, have been largely neglected in such discussions. Here we present a new giant podocnemidid turtle,
sp. nov., from the Late Pleistocene Rio Madeira Formation in the Brazilian Amazon, that challenges this assumption. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses of the holotype, a massive partial lower jaw, reveal close affinities to extant Amazonian species and suggest an omnivorous diet. Body size regressions indicate
possibly reached about 180 cm in carapace length and is among the largest freshwater turtles ever found. This finding presents the latest known occurrence of giant freshwater turtles, hinting at coexistence with early human inhabitants in the Amazon.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pecan nut trees (Carya illinoensis K), due to their condition as woody and long-living species, in addition to the contribution of nuts for consumption, may also have an ...essential role in assimilating carbon dioxide and sequestering atmospheric carbon. This study aimed to determine the carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange of an orchard of young pecan nut trees in northern Mexico, and its relationship with the growth months of the trees. METHOD The study was carried out from March to November 2017 in a six-year-old pecan nut tree orchard containing trees of the Western Schley and Wichita varieties. The orchard is drip-irrigated with buried tape. The carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange between the canopy of the orchard trees and the atmosphere was determined with eddy covariance measurements using a three-dimensional sonic anemometer and an open-path infrared carbon dioxide analyzer. FINDINGS: The highest daytime carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange rate corresponded with the peak absorption rate of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the trees' canopy. It was observed between 11:00 and 14:00 hours throughout the growth months of the trees. The highest carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange rate was observed in June, at 7 micro mol square meter per second. The relationship between the carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange and the photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the trees' canopy through the growth months was described using a rectangular hyperbolic function. From March to September, the carbon sequestration of the young pecan nuts was 0.962 tons of carbon per hectare. CONCLUSION The highest carbon dioxide diurnal assimilation rate was observed in May, at 5 717.95 millimoles per square meter. Despite the young age of the pecan trees, the orchard has a retention capacity of 0.962 tons of carbon per hectare for the months evaluated. The young pecan orchard significantly contributes to the assimilation and retention of atmospheric carbon that will increase with the growth of the trees, due to greater leaf and biomass development.
The thermal, physical and morphological characteristics of dielectric insulating oil - based nanofluids were investigated. The nanofluids were produced by the two-step method, homogeneously ...dispersing AlN and TiO2 nanoparticles within insulating mineral oil (MO). The filler fraction of the nanofluids were 0.01, 0.10 and 0.50wt.%. Thermo-physical properties such as thermal conductivity and viscosity were measured. A comparison of two produced nanofluids: non-modified surface nanoparticles, and modified nanoparticles with oleic acid (OA) is presented and shown to improve stability while preserving thermal properties.
•Heavy metal levels in mangrove sediments from the north-west coast of South America were generated.•Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Ag and V were higher than those previously reported for other mangrove ...sediment.•Enrichment Factor for Ag, Cd, Cu, Se and Pb indicates anthropogenic origin due to industrial wastes.
Mangrove ecosystems are coastal estuarine systems confined to the tropical and subtropical regions. The Estero Salado mangrove located in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has suffered constant disturbances during the past 20years, due to industrial wastewater release. However, there are no published data for heavy metals present in its sediments and the relationship with anthropogenic disturbance. In the present study, metal concentrations were evaluated in surface sediment samples of the mangrove, showing that B, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, V, and Zn levels exceeded those declared in international environmental quality standards. Moreover, several metals (Pb, Sn, Cd, Ag, Mo, Zn and Ni) could be linked to the industrial wastewater present in the studied area. In addition, heavy metal levels detected in this mangrove are higher than previous reports on mangrove sediments worldwide, indicating that this mangrove ecosystem is one of the most disrupted on earth.
Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) metabolize a wide range of substrates, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), generating metabolites (o-quinones) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are ...capable of initiating and promoting carcinogenesis. Exposure to PAHs, their metabolites, and ROS further increase AKRs isoform expression that may amplify oxidative damage. Human AKR enzymes are highly polymorphic, and allelic variants may contribute to different AKRs expression in individuals. Despite the importance of AKRs in PAHs metabolism, there are no studies that evaluate, in general human populations, the effect of PAHs on AKRs expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of tobacco smoke exposure, and AKR1A1*2 and AKR1C3*2 polymorphisms, on AKR1A1 and AKR1C1–AKR1C3 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in PBLs from smokers. In the smoker group, there is a statistically significant positive association between AKR1A1, AKR1C1, and AKR1C3 mRNA induction and urine cotinine levels in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25. However, AKR1A1*2 and AKR1C3*2 alleles did not influence AKR1A1 and AKR1C1–AKR1C3 mRNA levels. These results suggest that AKRs induction by PAHs in smokers’ PBLs is associated with BMI; therefore, the role of adipose tissue accumulation in PAHs’ effects needs further investigation.
In this study, acetone and methanol extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa were obtained and used to supplement films made with potato starch and glycerol as plasticizers. Antimicrobial tests were carried ...out on the extracts and films, and the growth of Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated in film-coated sausage. The physicochemical properties of the processed films were evaluated. In in vitro tests, the acetonic extract produced greater inhibition halos than did the methanolic extract, with Escherichia coli being the most sensitive bacterial strain assayed. In the antimicrobial tests of the films, the most significant effect was observed for the films containing acetonic extract. When coated onto sausages, a more significant inhibitory effect against L. monocytogenes was observed when the sausage was vacuum-packed. The addition of extracts produced noticeable changes in the films, with those containing methanolic extracts exhibiting major changes. The glass transition temperature of the films was lower when methanolic extract was added than when acetonic extract Furthermore, the fracture tension was more greatly affected in the films containing methanolic extract. The permeability of the films containing methanolic extract was lower than that of the other films. These films also exhibited antimicrobial activity, and the addition of extracts modified their physicochemical properties.
•Acetone and methanol extracts of H. sabdariffa were obtained and used in the making of films.•The antimicrobial effect of the films obtained was evaluated in sausages.•Films with acetone extract presented greater inhibition halos.•Vacuum-packed H. sabdariffa film-coated sausages showed a higher inhibitory effect.
In this study, videothermometry's application in detecting mammary tumors in dogs is explored in-depth. The research hypothesizes that this technique can effectively identify cancerous tissues during ...surgery by analyzing thermal patterns. The methodology involved comparing thermal imaging results from dogs with palpable mammary nodules against a control group, focusing on capturing real-time thermal patterns. Results were significant, showing distinct thermal patterns in carcinomas. This indicates videothermometry's capability in accurately identifying micro metastases and differentiating between neoplastic and non-neoplastic changes. The study concludes that videothermometry has considerable potential in enhancing surgical precision, especially in tumor resection and safety margin definition, but emphasizes the need for further research to thoroughly understand the thermal signatures of various mammary tumors in dogs.
The current imperative need for new biomarkers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) prompted us to compare the proteome of serum and pleural effusion samples from cancer patients with those with ...benign lung diseases as pneumonia or tuberculosis. Samples were prefractionated through affinity chromatography prior to 2D-DIGE to detect proteins with altered expression in cancer patients. Overall, we identified more potential biomarkers in pleural effusion, which is closer to the affected organ, than in serum. Nevertheless, in both cases principal component analysis demonstrated that the pattern of significantly altered proteins discriminates between disease groups.
The biomarker candidates comprise proteins increased in malignant pleural effusions as gelsolin and the metalloproteinase inhibitor 2, and others with lower levels as S100-A8 and S100-A9. The most interesting protein was the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which is related to angiogenesis inhibition, and was significantly overexpressed both in serum and pleural effusion from NSCLC patients. More than 12 PEDF isoforms were specifically immunodetected in both fluids in 2-D blots, most of them overexpressed in NSCLC. Thus, further validation would be ideally directed to quantify individual PEDF isoforms, as it may be only one or some of them the ones altered in the cancer process.
Workflow for the discovery of new biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer in relevant biological fluids.
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