Fractionation of whey protein isolate with supercritical carbon dioxide to produce enriched α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin food ingredients

An environmentally friendly protein fractionation process using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO(2)) as an acid was developed to produce enriched α-lactalbumin (α-LA) and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) fractions from whey protein isolate solutions containing from 2 to 10% WPI. This study investigated the effects of pH, temperature, WPI concentration, and residence time on the precipitation kinetics and recovery yields of individual whey proteins and the relative enrichment and composition of both protein fractions. At 5.5-34 MPa and 60-65 °C, solubilized SCO(2) decreased solution pH and induced the formation and precipitation of α-LA aggregates. Gel electrophoresis and HPLC of the enriched fractions demonstrated the production of ≥ 60% pure α-LA, and ≥ 70% pure β-LG, under various operating conditions, from WPI containing ～57% β-LG and 21% α-LA. The enriched fractions are ready-to-use food ingredients with neutral pH, untainted by acids and contaminants.     

Atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide of the Late Pleistocene from Antarctic ice cores

The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica Dome C ice core enables us to extend existing records of atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) back to 650,000 years before the present. A combined record of CH4 measured along the Dome C and the Vostok ice cores demonstrates, within the resolution of our measurements, that preindustrial concentrations over Antarctica have not exceeded 773 +/- 15 ppbv (parts per billion by volume) during the past 650,000 years. Before 420,000 years ago, when interglacials were cooler, maximum CH4 concentrations were only about 600 ppbv, similar to lower Holocene values. In contrast, the N2O record shows maximum concentrations of 278 +/- 7 ppbv, slightly higher than early Holocene values.     

PATHWAYS OF MEDICAL PROGRESS

During the three decades that have passed, medical science has ascended to a high plateau of achievement. The climb has involved several pathways; among them: (1) the physiological approach toward disease as experiments which nature performs on organisms, (2) the more intelligent interpretation of the functional reactions of the body in disease in accordance with latest discoveries in physiology, (3) the supplementation of observable phenomena through use of laboratory instruments, (4) the assumption of active investigation both on patients and experimental animals by clinicians themselves, (5) the shuttling of problems between clinical and experimental laboratories and (6) correlated research in clinical and physiological departments. As we look down from the heights we have reached, we have reason to be pleased with our progress; but when we look ahead we become aware that there are still high mountain ranges to be climbed. We realize that their ascent can not be accomplished by employing merely the methods, equipment and strategy that have proved successful so far; we must improve the application of principles that are old and well established, and evolve others that are new. Above all, we from laboratories and clinics must join hands to help each other climb; and through correlated team-work overcome the great obstacles that jealous nature places in our way. I have ventured to suggest a few directions which such mutual help may take. They include (1) means by which new fundamental discoveries can be utilized more quickly by clinicians and practitioners of medicine; (2) plans by which younger clinical investigators can be given approximately the same opportunity for training in research technique as their colleagues entering experimental sciences; (3) pleas that the shuttling of problems between hospitals and laboratories of fundamental science may continue in order that the ultimate significance of clinical results may be better understood and that the applicability of fundamental discoveries to nature's experiments may be tested; (4) judicious combination of talents of laboratory and clinical workers, whenever this leads to greater economy of effort and does not infringe upon the primary duties of each participant to his calling. The spirit of correlation which is involved in all these plans of advance is a silent force which grows not only through mutual interest in each other's problems but also through frank respectful criticism of each other's trends. With such a spirit of correlated effort science marches on.     

Spatio-temporal impacts of roads on the persistence of populations: analytic and numerical approaches

Roads can have drastic impacts on wildlife populations. Although there is wide recognition of the negative impacts caused by roads and a wealth of practical studies, there is a lack of theoretical work that can be used to predict the impact of road networks or to implement mitigation measures. Here, using Skellam’s diffusion model, we develop analytic and numerical approaches to analyze the impact of road networks on the survival of populations. Our models show that the viability of a population is determined not only by road density but also by the size and shape of patches. Accordingly, we studied the minimum size of a patch to sustain a population with given diffusion and growth parameters. We provide simple formulas to estimate the minimum patch size, and illustrate the importance of shape with square and rectangular patches. Our models also allow the estimation of time to extinction after road construction for a population in a patch smaller than that of the minimum size. Finally, using numerical computations we illustrate how the spatial arrangement of fences strongly affects both the equilibrium density and the spatial distribution of populations, and that not all fence layouts are equally effective. We anticipate that our methods provide a tool to assess the impact of geometrical features of road networks on wildlife and that they can be used to design mitigation measures to prevent the decline and extinction of populations in an anthropogenically disturbed landscape.     

Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed cross-linking of feruloylated arabinoxylans with beta-casein

Heterologous conjugates of wheat arabinoxylan and beta-casein were prepared via enzymatic cross-linking, using sequential addition of the arabinoxylan to a mixture of beta-casein, peroxidase, and hydrogen peroxide. The maximal formation of adducts between the beta-casein and the feruloylated arabinoxylan was reached at a protein-to-arabinoxylan ratio of 10:1, in combination with a molar ratio hydrogen peroxide to substrate of 2:1 and a molar protein-to-enzyme ratio between 10(2) and 10(4). The protein-arabinoxylan adducts were separated from the arabinoxylan homopolymers by size exclusion and anion exchange chromatography. The molar ratio protein:arabinoxylan in the purified conjugates varied between 0.1 and 5.6. This is the first report on the large-scale enzymatic preparation of heterologous protein-arabinoxylan conjugates.     

High colonization by native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of rubber trees in small-holder plantations on low fertility soils in North East Thailand

Rubber tree is a very important crop in Thailand, representing an essential source of income for farmers. In the past two decades, rubber tree plantations have been greatly expanding in unfavorable areas, where climate conditions are difficult and soil fertility is very poor. To optimize latex yields, mineral fertilizers have been widely used. A better understanding of the roles of the biological compartment in soil fertility is essential to determine alternative management practices to sustain soil fertility and optimize latex yields. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely recognized as beneficial for plants, mainly through their role in improving plant nutrient uptake. The objective of this study was to assess the AMF populations in rubber tree plantations and the impact of both soil characteristics and plantation age on these communities. Our results showed that all rubber trees were highly colonized, regardless of the soil structure and nutrient contents. AMF colonization was not affected by the age of the trees, suggesting that maintaining the symbiosis is likely to be beneficial at all stages. A better understanding and management of the microbial communities would contribute to maintaining or restoring soil fertility, leading to a better tree growth and optimized latex yield.     

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia in a dog with a bleeding diathesis

Abstract: An 11‐year‐old female spayed Whippet dog was referred to the Veterinary Hospital of the National Veterinary School of Lyon with a 3‐month history of chronic bleeding, cutaneous masses suggestive of hematomas, and hemorrhagic diarrhea. Laboratory abnormalities included leukopenia with neutropenia and lymphopenia, rouleaux formation, marked hyperproteinemia with hyperglobulinemia and normoalbuminemia, hypercalcemia, markedly increased serum urea concentration, mildly increased creatinine concentration, and proteinuria. Hemostatic screening tests showed marked prolongation of thrombin time, increased concentrations of fibrin(ogen) degradation products and D‐dimers, and slightly prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time. Serum and urine protein electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal peak identified as IgM by immunoelectrophoresis and an M‐spike, respectively. Cytologic evaluation of bone marrow revealed a hypocellular sample with lymphoplasmacytic cells comprising approximately 50% of all nucleated cells. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia with secondary bleeding diathesis. Treatment with prednisone and chlorambucil was initiated, and the dog had a good response.     

Sustainable green tea production through agroecological management and land conversion practices for restoring soil health,crop productivity and economic efficiency: Evidence from Northern Vietnam

Tea is a very important cash crop in Vietnam as it provides crucial income and employment for farmers in poor rural areas. Unfortunately, the dominance of long-term, conventional tea cultivation has caused severe soil health degradation and environmental pollution. At the same time, as tea production may provide a better net income compared with other annual crops such as rice and vegetables, farmers have been converting parts of their allocated land to cultivate tea plants. Little is known about the benefit of agroecological management as an alternative to conventional tea management practices, and thus, there is a need to understand how it can improve tea yields, quality and the livelihoods of the farmers. Conducted in Northern Vietnam from 2019 to 2022, this study examined the impacts of agroecological tea management practices on soil health indicators, tea yield and quality, and net income of tea farmers. We showed that agroecological management practices significantly enhanced soil organic matter by 0.8% and soil pH by 0.5 units on average. Conversely, conventional management based on chemical fertilizer applications, significantly increased soil total nitrogen by 0.15%–0.2%. No significant differences were observed between soil texture and other soil chemical characteristics. Soil biological parameters were also significantly higher in agroecological tea soil and root samples than in conventional tea plots. Average AMF frequency and intensity of the agroecological tea roots were 98% and 37%, respectively, compared with 73% and 15% of the conventional tea roots. Likewise, soil macrofauna and mesofauna abundance in the agroecological tea plantations was 76 individuals/m² and 101 individuals/100 g fresh soil on average, respectively, while that of conventional tea farms were 34 and 63 individuals/100 g fresh soil, respectively. Interestingly, a comparison between the converted and nonconverted lands did not show any significant effect of the conversion on soil physicochemical and biological characteristics, apart from tea root AMF colonization. Conventional tea management consistently resulted in higher tea yield and yield components, even though the differences were not always statistically significant. Despite lower tea yields, agroecological tea adopters earned around USD 8400 ha/year more than the farmers still practicing conventional management. This study shows that it is economically and environmentally more sustainable to produce organic tea than conventional tea, and our results should encourage more farmers to adopt such agroecological practices in Northern Vietnam.     

Evaluation in pot and field trials of resistance of potato cultivars and breeding lines to common scab caused byStreptomyces scabies

Summary The resistance to common scab of nine cultivars and eight advanced breeding lines of potatoes, fiveSolanum andigenum Juz. et Buk. clones, and three potato breeding lines selected for resistance to common scab, was investigated in a field and a pot trial. In the pot trial potaroes were planted in inoculated coarse river sand in plastic pots (150 mm in diameter) placed on irrigated subsoil in a glassfibre house. In a field trial potatoes were planted in an artificially infested field. The harvested tubers were scored individually for scab incidence according to two scales, viz. a 1–5 point scale for percentage surface covered with scab and a 1–3 point scale for lesion type. A scab index value was calculated for each tuber. A significant correlation coefficient of 0.82 was obtained for the results of the two tests.