Length–weight and length–length relationships of fish species from the Aegean Sea (Greece)

We present the relationships between total (TL), fork (FL) and standard (SL) length for 37 fish species and the relationships between TL and wet weight for 40 fish species from the Aegean Sea (Cyclades; Greece). The relationships between TL, FL and SL were all linear (for all cases: r ² > 0.928). The values of the exponent b of the length–weight relationships ranged from 2.235 to 3.704.     

Adenovirus serotype determines association and localization of the large E1B tumor antigen with cellular tumor antigen p53 in transformed cells.

The distribution and stability of the cellular tumor antigen p53 were studied in baby rat kidney cells transformed by region E1 sequences of nononcogenic adenovirus (Ad) type 5 (Ad5) or oncogenic type 12 (Ad12). In transformed cells expressing the large E1B T antigen of Ad5, p53 was associated with this T antigen. The complexed proteins were concentrated in a cytoplasmic body, which has been shown to consist of a cluster of 8-nm filaments (A. Zantema et al., Virology 142:44-58, 1985). In transformed cells expressing the E1B region of Ad12, however, no association between the viral large T antigen and p53 was detectable. In the latter case, both proteins were found almost exclusively in the nucleus. The stability of p53 in both Ad5- and Ad12-transformed cells was increased relative to that in primary cells or cells immortalized by the E1A region only. Thus, the increased stability of p53 in Ad-transformed cells is not caused by association with a viral T antigen, but it correlates with expression of E1B and with morphological transformation.     

Adiposity,blood pressure,and carotid intima‐media thickness in greek adolescents

Objective:

In children and adolescents with cardiovascular risk factors, the assessment of subclinical target‐organ damage is of paramount importance. This study investigated factors associated with carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT) in adolescents.

Design and Methods:

A cross‐sectional study was performed in 448 apparently healthy adolescents recruited from schools (mean age 14 ± 2.2 years, 211 boys), which involved cIMT measurements (common carotid artery) and assessment of lipid profile, glucose, and blood pressure (BP).

Results:

The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 28.1%/12.7% and of BP ≥95th percentile 19.6%. Left cIMT was correlated with age (r = 0.10), waist circumference (WC) (0.15), and BP (0.21/0.13, systolic/diastolic) (all P < 0.05). Right cIMT was correlated with waist to hip ratio (WHR) (0.10), whereas the mean of left and right cIMT was correlated with WC (0.12), WHR (0.12), and systolic BP (0.14) (all P < 0.05). After the age of 13 years, boys tended to have higher cIMT than girls, which was significant in the 13‐15 years subgroup (P < 0.05). In stepwise multivariate analysis (independent variables: age, gender, WC, WHR, body mass index z‐score, lipid parameters, glucose, BP), left cIMT was independently associated with systolic BP; right cIMT with WHR; mean left and right cIMT with WC. Adolescents with BP ≥90th percentile had higher left cIMT than those <90th percentile (0.63 ± 0.09 vs. 0.61 ± 0.09 mm respectively, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Central adiposity and systolic BP appear to be independently associated with increased cIMT values in apparently healthy adolescents. Left side cIMT appears to be superior to right side measurements in terms of association with cardiovascular risk factors.     

STING Millennium Suite: integrated software for extensive analyses of 3d structures of proteins and their complexes

Background  

The integration of many aspects of protein/DNA structure analysis is an important requirement for software products in general area of structural bioinformatics. In fact, there are too few software packages on the internet which can be described as successful in this respect. We might say that what is still missing is publicly available, web based software for interactive analysis of the sequence/structure/function of proteins and their complexes with DNA and ligands. Some of existing software packages do have certain level of integration and do offer analysis of several structure related parameters, however not to the extent generally demanded by a user.     

DETECTION AND ENUMERATION OF H2S+ BACTERIA: APPLICATION TO SHEWANELLA PUTREFACIENS (CIP)

H₂S⁺ bacteria responsible for the degradation of sulfur-containing amino acids of fish muscle are currently little used to evaluate the microbiological pal quality of fish. Shewanella putrefaciens greatly predominates in this flora, and was therefore used to define a suitable culture method and medium. Inoculations by the Spiral surface method at 25C, with an incubation of 72h, gave the best counts on a medium containing two sources of sulfur (organic and inorganic) for H₂S⁺ bacteria. The culture medium and the NaCl concentration were determinant in the evaluation of this flora. At present there is no standard medium which meets these requirements.     

Potential effects of nutrient profiles on nutrient intakes in the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, USA, Israel, China and South-Africa

Introduction

Nutrient profiling is defined as the science of categorising foods based on their nutrient composition. The Choices Programme is a nutrient profile system with criteria that determine whether foods are eligible to carry a “healthier option” stamp. The Daily Menu Method which has been developed to evaluate these criteria is described here. This method simulates the change in calculated nutrient intakes which would be the result of consumers changing their diets in favour of food products that comply with the criteria.

Methods

Average intakes of energy, trans fatty acids (TFA), saturated fatty acids (SAFA), sodium, added sugar and fibre were derived from dietary intake studies and food consumption surveys of 7 countries: The Netherlands, Greece, Spain, the USA, Israel, China and South Africa. For each of the key nutrients, these average intakes were translated into three Typical Daily Menus per country. Average intakes based on these three menus were compared with average intakes from three Choices Daily Menus. To compose the Choices Menus, foods from the Typical Menus that did not comply with the Choices criteria were replaced with foods that did comply and are available on the market.

Results

Comparison of intakes from the Choices Menus with the survey data showed that calculated intakes of energy, SAFA, TFA, sodium and added sugar were reduced. Fibre intakes were increased. The size of the effect differed per country.

Conclusion

The Daily Menu Method is a useful means to predict the potential effects of nutrient profiles such as the Choices criteria, on daily nutrient intakes. The method can be applied internationally and confirms that the criteria of the Choices Programme are in line with the aim of the programme: to improve nutrient intakes in the direction of the recommendations.     

Baseline measures are altered in biomechanical studies

The purpose of this investigation was to examine if baseline measures are altered between conditions in biomechanical studies and to determine the need for baseline measurements in biomechanics. Ten runners were asked to run at varying speeds and obstacle heights. Baseline measures were acquired between all conditions. Right lower extremity kinematic and kinetic data were collected for all baseline trials and evaluated by both a group and a single subject analysis. The group analysis revealed significant differences between baselines only for the obstacle perturbation. The single subject analysis indicated that baseline measures are altered in a greater degree for kinematics than kinetics. These findings suggested that baseline measures are altered between conditions in biomechanical studies, and they should be used when a repeated measures or a single subject experimental design is being utilized.     

Differential Listeria monocytogenes Strain Survival and Growth in Katiki,a Traditional Greek Soft Cheese,at Different Storage Temperatures

Katiki Domokou is a traditional Greek cheese, which has received the Protected Designation of Origin recognition since 1994. Its microfloras have not been studied although its structure and composition may enable (or even favor) the survival and growth of several pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes. The persistence of L. monocytogenes during storage at different temperatures has been the subject of many studies since temperature abuse of food products is often encountered. In the present study, five strains of L. monocytogenes were aseptically inoculated individually and as a cocktail in Katiki Domokou cheese, which was then stored at 5, 10, 15, and 20°C. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to monitor strain evolution or persistence during storage at different temperatures in the case of the cocktail inoculum. The results suggested that strain survival of L. monocytogenes was temperature dependent since different strains predominated at different temperatures. Such information is of great importance in risk assessment studies, which typically consider only the presence or absence of the pathogen.Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous food-borne pathogen associated with outbreaks of listeriosis from consumption of various food commodities, especially dairy products, seafood, and meat (2, 26). The pathogen is of great health concern for the food industry because it is characterized by high mortality rates, amounting to 20 to 30% (14). Due to the severity of illness, especially for pregnant women, neonates, the elderly, and immunodeficient people, the level of the pathogen in food should remain low to ensure safe food products.The new regulation of the European Union (EU) for microbiological criteria for L. monocytogenes in foods has set maximum levels of 100 CFU g⁻¹ at the time of consumption for soft cheeses (8). In fact, the new EC 2073/2005 regulation in annex I lists the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, which are classified into food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria. According to the new EU regulation, food safety criteria are those which “define the acceptability of a product or a batch of foodstuff applicable to products placed on the market” (8).Legislative amendments regarding the presence of L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are of great importance. Indeed, for the first time RTE foods are legislatively distinguished according to the target population for which they are intended, i.e., whether they are intended for consumption (i) by infants, (ii) by people with special medical conditions (immunocompromised), or (iii) by other target human subpopulations. In the most recent amendment the RTE foods other than those intended for infants or for those with special medical needs are further subdivided into foods that are able to support the growth of L. monocytogenes and those that are not. Products with pH ≤ 5.0 and water activity of ≤0.94 and products with a shelf life of less than 5 days are automatically considered to belong to the category of RTE foods that are unable to support the growth of L. monocytogenes (8). The regulation also states that “other categories of products can also belong to this category, subject to scientific justification.” Last but not least, the food safety criteria for L. monocytogenes are adjusted according to the bacteria''s temporal stage in the food chain. Thus, for RTE foods that are able to support the growth of L. monocytogenes, the new regulation demands the absence of the pathogen (in 25 g) “before the food has left the immediate control of the food business operator, who has produced it” but allows up to 100 CFU g⁻¹ in “products placed on the market during their shelf life.” The 100-CFU g⁻¹ limit also applies throughout the shelf life of marketed RTE foods unable to support L. monocytogenes growth (8).The pH and the water activity of Katiki Domokou (Katiki), a spreadable RTE traditional Greek cheese, are within the limits mentioned in the regulation. This product, a white cheese with a creamy structure, was traditionally produced from goat milk or from a mixture of goat and sheep milk. It has been recognized as a Protected Designation of Origin product since 1994 (www.greekcheese.gr), and its consumption has readily increased in the last few years. The milk is initially pasteurized and cooled at 27 to 28°C. Coagulation is then conducted with or without the addition of rennet, and the mixture is left to stand at 20 to 22°C. The curd is pulped and placed in cloth sacks for draining, with high final moisture (ca. 75%) and low salt content (ca. 1%) and pH (4.3 to 4.5) while it is stored at 4 to 5°C.The quantitative estimation of kinetic parameters related to growth, survival, and death of L. monocytogenes has been described previously (2, 14, 20). The kinetic parameters of L. monocytogenes during storage at different temperatures have been the subject of many studies since temperature abuse of food products is often encountered (25, 28). However, strain characteristics or viability have not been taken into account (or have not been considered) as yet (20). This may explain the variability of findings in regard to different storage conditions (7, 17). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a powerful subtyping tool, a gold standard for epidemiology, which provides repeatable results. It has the ability to generate profiles of a wide range of microorganisms and to discriminate strains with high fidelity (11, 19). PFGE has been used in several studies to type strains of epidemiological interest as well as to trace contaminants in the food chain (12, 13, 18).The purpose of the present study was to assess the survival of five strains of L. monocytogenes inoculated either individually or as a cocktail in Katiki cheese. The cheese was stored at 5, 10, 15, and 20°C over a period of 1 month. PFGE was used to monitor the strain(s) that might survive and/or grow at different temperatures in a complex ecosystem like Katiki. The strains used in the study to form the inoculum consisted of two type strains of serotype 4b and three isolates belonging to our laboratory collection that were isolated from soft cheese and the conveyor belt of RTE foods. The strains were chosen on the basis of their source of isolation since this could be crucial to the interpretation of the data. The population was monitored throughout storage with respect to its quantitative as well as its qualitative evolution.