Biological response to different diets of fermented and unfermented mixtures of flour and cereal brans

The objective of this study was to biologically evaluate eight mixtures of flour and brans prepared with non‐conventional foods popularly denominated ‘multimixtures’, which differed from each other in terms of type of bran (wheat or rice), presence or absence of cassava leaf powder and submission or non‐submission to a solid‐state fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 6 h/30 °C, utilising female Wistar/UFPEL rats. Biological indices determined were food efficiency ratio (FER), protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein efficiency ratio (NPR) and in vivo digestibility. Liver, spleen and kidney specimens were collected at the end of the experiment. In vivo digestibility of diets containing multimixtures formulated with wheat bran was superior to diets containing rice bran, presenting values from 76.5% to 82.8%, which corresponds to up to 85% of casein digestibility. The results allowed the conclusion that fermentation tended to improve food efficiency, but did not influence in vivo digestibility.     

Disentangling the Role of the SnO Layer on the Pyro-Phototronic Effect in ZnO-Based Self-Powered Photodetectors

Self-powered photodetectors (PDs) have been recognized as one of the developing trends of next-generation optoelectronic devices. Herein, it is shown that by introducing a thin layer of SnO film between the Si substrate and the ZnO film, the self-powered photodetector Al/Si/SnO/ZnO/ITO exhibits a stable and uniform violet sensing ability with high photoresponsivity and fast response. The SnO layer introduces a built-in electrostatic field to highly enhance the photocurrent by over 1000%. By analyzing energy diagrams of the p-n junction, the underlying physical mechanism of the self-powered violet PDs is carefully illustrated. A high photo-responsivity (R) of 93 mA W⁻¹ accompanied by a detectivity (D*) of 3.1 × 10¹⁰ Jones are observed under self-driven conditions, when the device is exposed to 405 nm excitation laser wavelength, with a laser power density of 36 mW cm⁻² and at a chopper frequency of 400 Hz. The Si/SnO/ZnO/ITO device shows an enhancement of 3067% in responsivity when compared to the Al/Si/ZnO/ITO. The photodetector holds an ultra-fast response of ≈ 2 µs, which is among the best self-powered photodetectors reported in the literature based on ZnO.     

Predictive accuracy of body mass index in estimating body fatness measured by bioelectrical impedance

The aim of this study was to determinate the performance of body mass index (BMI) for the diagnosis of obesity and as a predictor of body fatness in adult Chilean subjects. We conducted a study in 433 women (18-73 years old; BMI: 19.7 to 69.7 kg/m2) and 264 men (18-83 y.; BMI: 19.1 to 54.8 kg/m2). Bioelectrical resistance was measured by impedance method and fat mass percent (FM%) was calculated by fatness-specific equations developed by Segal et al. Obesity was defined as a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2. Increased fatness was defined by the FM% cut-off points of at least 25% for men and at least 30% for women. Sixty-four percent of women and 23.6% of men with BMI below 30 kg/m2 had FM% higher than 30% and 25%, respectively. A value of BMI of 26 kg/m2 in women and 30 kg/m2 in men had the best agreement to the cut-off points of fatness according to sensitivity vs. specificity analysis The following equations were developed to predict individual fatness: women FM% = 0.96 x BMI + 0.154 x age + 1.44 (r2 = 0.75; standard error 3.8%); men FM% = 0.99 x BMI + 0.141 x age - 9.914 (r2 = 0.66; standard error 4.4%). Differences between measured and predicted FM% presented a wide variation, with a range of +/- 2 sd of 7.5% in women and 8.8% in men. The commonly used value of BMI 330 kg/m2 as a cut-off point for obesity does not have adequate sensitivity and specificity for the screening of increased fatness subjects, specially in women. In this study BMI shows a low reliability as a predictor of individual body fatness, particularly in men and in subjects with a BMI below 30 kg/m2.     

Identification of the goose species (Anser anser) in Italian "Mortara" salami by DNA sequencing and a Polymerase Chain Reaction with an original primer pair

"Mortara" goose salami is a typical product of the Lomellina zone (Italy) and is home-made in accordance with old traditions. A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was set up using Italian goose breeds meat and the earlier mentioned product. A zone of the cytochrome b of mitochondrial DNA of goose was sequenced and a specific primer pair was successfully designed to identify the species Anser anser in salami.     

A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of the Lipoxygenases Superfamily in Shewanella Woodyi Strain （Strain ATCC 519081MS32）

Sbewanella bacteria have real potential for the bioremediation of contaminated environmental and presents a differential that are three lipoxygenases described in its genome. Lipoxygenases （LOX） are a family of iron-containing enzymes that catalyze the dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lipids. They occur ubiquitously in plants and mammals, and only recently, they have been detected in coral, moss, fungi and a number of bacteria as well. In this work, analyzed three enzymes lipoxigenases described for Shewanella woodyi deposited in GeneBank as probable LOX gene in the Swoo_2318 S. woodyi ATCC 51908： Proteins Code （ACA86597.1） hypothetical protein, （ACA87192. I） arachidonate 15-1ipoxygenase and （AEF01209.1） arachidonate 15-1ipoxygenase precursor the strain S. woodyi DSM 12036. The bioinformatics tools tend to solve impossible problems to be addressed in the past decades. These analyses identified were the three proteins described as lipoxygenases have different secondary structures, the phosphorylation sites; the protein GRAVY （grand average of hydropathy） and protein isoelectric point are distinct. However, binding site is Fe for three lipoxygenases. This suggested that three lipoxygenases deserve special attention for work in situ, due to peculiar characteristics and still not know what is the need ofS. woodyi have in its genome three genes encoding the same protein.     

Acceleration tests using gasolines formulated with di-TAE, TAEE and MTBE ethers

This study evaluates the acceleration and performance of car engines fueled by gasoline formulated with di-tert-amyl ether (di-TAE), tert-amyl ethyl ether (TAEE), and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), whose compositions contain an oxygen concentration of 2.7 wt.%. The performance tests were carried out in a roll dynamometer using a Fiat-Strada commercial vehicle equipped with open-loop electronic fuel injection. The use of ethers from partially renewable sources, such as di-TAE and TAEE in gasoline formulations, is an attractive alternative to reduce fossil fuel consumption. These ethers, both pure and in formulations, require a lower air/fuel ratio, since part of the oxygen needed to oxidize the fuel is already present in the molecule. The results obtained in acceleration tests using gasoline formulated with the di-TAE, TAEE and MTBE ethers indicated that the best acceleration response was obtained with the gasoline/TAEE mixture and the lowest specific consumption was with the gasoline/di-TAE mixture. TAEE is an adequate alternative to replace MTBE in Otto cycle internal combustion engines, since this compound is partially biorenewable and provides a comparable thermal efficiency and lower specific fuel consumption.     

An eutrophication index for lowland sandy rivers in Mediterranean coastal climatic regions of Southern Africa

The eutrophication of waterways has become an endemic global problem. Nutrient enrichment from agriculture activities and waste water treatment plants are major drivers, but it remains unclear how lowland sandy rivers respond to eutrophication. The objective of this study was the development and verification of eutrophication index for sandy rivers (EISR) to prioritize nutrient enrichment river stretches caused by different land use activities that include point and nonpoint sources of nutrient enrich water. The Berg River drainage system in South Africa served as a case study area for this purpose during the dry seasons (December and January) of 2015 and 2016. In the initial EISR development phase, periphyton, benthic biomass (chl‐a mg m^?2), and macroinvertebrate families were employed as benthic bioindicators of river bedforms, whereas in the second phase, physicochemical and abiotic variables were used as target indicator. Using a weight of support approach, the site receiving sewage effluent was categorize as heavily polluted whereas sites impacted by agriculture land use activities were polluted. The EISR that focuses strongly on benthic bioindicators, which are close to the transfer of nutrients and energy in the food web, showed a distinct difference between river bedform impacted by sewage effluent and agriculture none point source. A maximum benthic algae biomass of 110 mg m^?2 chl‐a was recorded with higher sediment orthophosphate concentration at sewage‐impacted sites. The outcome of the proposed EISR showed that it can be employed as a decision support tool for eutrophication management of sandy rivers.