Sweetpotato- and Cereal-Based Infant Foods: Protein Quality Assessment,and Effect on Body Composition Using Sprague Dawley Rats as a Model

The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of sweetpotato-based complementary foods (OFSP ComFa and CFSP ComFa) and cereal-based infant products (Weanimix and Cerelac) was assessed using 3 wk-old male Sprague Dawley rats weighing between 53–67 g as a model for human infants. Also, the effect of consumption of the infant formulations on lean mass, bone mass content and fat mass was evaluated by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) using 6 wk-old Sprague Dawley rats (initial weight, 206-229 g). The ComFa products and Weanimix are household-level formulations, and Cerelac is a commercial infant cereal. The true protein digestibility score for Cerelac was 96.27%, and about 1.8% (P<0.0001) higher than that for OFSP ComFa, CFSP ComFa and Weanimix. However, OFSP ComFa had the highest un-truncated PDCAAS by a difference of 4.1%, than CFSP ComFa, and about 20% difference compared with both the Weanimix and Cerelac. All the products investigated had PDCAAS greater than 70%, the minimum protein quality requirement for complementary foods. Among the rats assigned to the four formulations, their bone mass and fat mass composition were not significantly different (P=0.08 and P=0.85, respectively). However, the rats on CFSP ComFa had higher lean mass than those on Cerelac (321.67 vs. 297.19 g; P=0.03). The findings from the PDCAAS and the DEXA-measured body composition studies indicate that complementary foods could be formulated from readily available agricultural resources at the household-level to support growth as would a nutritionally adequate industrial-manufactured infant cereal. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the findings of our studies are based on an animal model.     

Co-planting can phytoextract similar amounts of cadmium and zinc to mono-cropping from contaminated soils

Co-planting crops normally decreases the main crop yield due to the reduced soil surface area occupied by the main crop. However, in our previous experiments, co-planting Sedum alfredii, a shade-requiring, Cd and Zn-hyperaccumulating plant, with corn increased the biomass and metal phytoextraction of S. alfredii. This experiment was conducted to verify if co-planting another hyperaccumulator, Thlaspi caerulescens, with ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in a pot-trial could obtain a similar result. The soil was separated by two permeable nets with a 2 mm interface soil layer to obtain a shared rhizosphere zone. Soluble metal concentrations in the soil in different rooting zones were measured using 0.01 mol L^?1 CaCl₂ extraction. The results showed that the growth of T. caerulescens was significantly promoted by co-planting, with a growth increase of about 2-fold compared with monoculture growth. The total uptake of Cd and Zn by T. caerulescens was not decreased by co-planting, and resulted in similar phytoextraction rates for Cd (about 26.6% of the soil total Cd) and Zn (about 2.4% of the soil total Zn) when compared with monoculture, though the T. caerulescens population was decreased by 50% because of co-planting. Analysis of soil samples showed that T. caerulescens substantially reduced the concentrations of 0.01 mol L^?1 CaCl₂ extractable Cd and Zn throughout the soil, even in the interface area and the ryegrass rooting area. The ryegrass roots did not mobilize more metals for the co-planted T. caerulescens. Based on these results, existing grass on contaminated land could be partly left while planting metal hyperaccumulators for phytoremediation in order to reduce runoff from the contaminated soil. However a field scale trial would be required for these results to be verified.     

Wool-degrading <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> isolates: extracellular protease production for microbial processing of fabrics

Wool is a natural animal fiber commonly used in fabrics, but requires physical and chemical processing treatment for such applications. With the aim of developing new woollen textile products using environmentally friendly treatments, proteolytic bacteria were isolated from raw wool samples of Merino sheep and screened for wool-degrading activity. Two isolates were identified as Bacillus megaterium L4 and Bacillus thuringiensis L11 by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Both isolates grew on a minimal medium using wool-fiber or wool-fabric as sole carbon and nitrogen sources. Bacterial growth was correlated with extracellular protease activity, and maximal protease production was in early stationary phase. The exoprotease produced by L11 was found to be a thermo-tolerant metalloprotease stabilized by calcium or magnesium, and had optimum activity at pH 7.0 and temperature at 40°C. During bacterial growth the wool-fiber lost weight, but it did not show changes in diameter. When wool-fabric was used instead of wool-fiber weight loss and non-shrinking was found. These are encouraging results for textile processing that should be useful for development of new textile products by direct microbial processing. A potential alternative that could be suggested from our study would be to treat wool with wool-degrading microorganisms in order to develop environmentally friendly processes.     

Impact of Legume Flour Addition on Pasta Structure: Consequences on Its <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vitro</Emphasis> Starch Digestibility

Pasta is popular for its ease of cooking and its low glycaemic index (GI). This interesting nutritional property can be attributed to its specific compact structure generally described as a protein network entrapping starch granules. Despite this low GI, pasta is poor in fibres and lack some essential amino acids. To enhance its nutritional composition, pasta can be fortified with non-traditional ingredients such as legume flours. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of legume flour addition on pasta structure and the inherent consequences on the in vitro digestibility of starch. The addition of a high level (35%, w/w) of legume flour, especially split pea flour, induced some minor structural changes in pasta. The inclusion of fibres, the dilution of gluten proteins by albumins and globulins, and the larger amount of thin protein films (in split pea pasta) may have favoured higher susceptibility of starch to digestive enzymes. At the opposite, the presence of some partially gelatinised starch granules in the core of fortified pasta may have favoured the decrease in the in vitro starch digestibility. As a consequence, a high level of legume flour addition in pasta did not have any significant impact on its in vitro starch digestibility. A high level of split pea and faba bean flours can thus be added to pasta to increase its nutritional composition while keeping its low glycaemic index.     

Acute dyspnoea and single tracheal localisation of mantle cell lymphoma

We report a case of a 48-year-old Chinese female with end-stage renal disease and chronic anemia on hemodialysis. Clonazepam was prescribed for myoclonus disorder two weeks prior to her hospitalization. Subsequently, she was hospitalized for neutropenic fever with thrombocytopenia and worsening anemia. Bone marrow examination demonstrated a markedly hypocellular marrow (10-20% total cellularity). Clonazepam was discontinued, with gradual improvement of thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia in 1-2 weeks. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pancytopenia associated with clonazepam. We recommend patients taking clonazepam to be monitored with regular complete blood count to check for clinically significant pancytopenia or thrombocytopenia.     

Manufacturing Devices and Instruments for Easier Rat Liver Transplantation

Orthotopic rat liver transplantation is a popular model, which has been shown in a recent JoVE paper with the use of the "quick-linker" device. This technique allows for easier venous cuff-anatomoses after a reasonable learning curve. The device is composed of two handles, which are carved out from scalpel blades, one approximator, which is obtained by modifying Kocher''s forceps, and cuffs designed from fine-bore polyethylene tubing. The whole process can be performed at a low-cost using common laboratory material. The present report provides a step-by-step protocol for the design of the required pieces and includes stencils.     

Mitochondrial morphodynamics alteration induced by influenza virus infection as a new antiviral strategy

Influenza virus infections are major public health threats due to their high rates of morbidity and mortality. Upon influenza virus entry, host cells experience modifications of endomembranes, including those used for virus trafficking and replication. Here we report that influenza virus infection modifies mitochondrial morphodynamics by promoting mitochondria elongation and altering endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria tethering in host cells. Expression of the viral RNA recapitulates these modifications inside cells. Virus induced mitochondria hyper-elongation was promoted by fission associated protein DRP1 relocalization to the cytosol, enhancing a pro-fusion status. We show that altering mitochondrial hyper-fusion with Mito-C, a novel pro-fission compound, not only restores mitochondrial morphodynamics and endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites but also dramatically reduces influenza replication. Finally, we demonstrate that the observed Mito-C antiviral property is directly connected with the innate immunity signaling RIG-I complex at mitochondria. Our data highlight the importance of a functional interchange between mitochondrial morphodynamics and innate immunity machineries in the context of influenza viral infection.     

Assessing conservation attitudes and behaviors of Congolese children neighboring the world's first bonobo (Pan paniscus) release site

Poaching and habitat destruction in the Congo Basin threaten African great apes including the bonobo (Pan paniscus), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla spp.) with extinction. One way to combat extinction is to reintroduce rescued and rehabilitated apes and repopulate native habitats. Reintroduction programs are only successful if they are supported by local populations. Ekolo ya Bonobo, located in Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is the world's only reintroduction site for rehabilitated bonobos. Here we assess whether children, of the Ilonga‐Pôo, living adjacent to Ekolo ya Bonobo demonstrate more pro‐ape conservation attitudes than children living in, Kinshasa, the capital city. We examined children's attitudes toward great apes because children are typically the focus of conservation education programs. We used the Great Ape Attitude Questionnaire to test the Contact Hypothesis, which posits that proximity to great ape habitat influences pro‐conservation attitudes toward great apes. Ilonga‐Pôo children who live in closer contact with wild bonobos felt greater responsibility to protect great apes compared to those in Kinshasa who live outside the natural habitat of great apes. These results suggest that among participants in the DRC, spatial proximity to a species fosters a greater sense of responsibility to protect and conserve. These results have implications for the successful implementation of great ape reintroduction programs in the Congo Basin. The data analyzed in this study were collected in 2010 and therefore provide a baseline for longitudinal study of this reintroduction site.