In vitro fermentation of gum acacia - impact on the faecal microbiota

Interest in the consumption of gum acacia (GA) has been associated with beneficial health effects, which may be mediated in part by prebiotic activity. Two doses of GA and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) (1 and 2%) were tested for their efficacy over 48 h in pH- and temperature-controlled anaerobic batch cultures inoculated with human faeces. Samples were taken after 0, 5, 10, 24 and 48 h of fermentation. The selective effects of GA (increases in Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.) were similar to those of the known prebiotic FOS. The 1% dose of substrates showed more enhanced selectivity compared to the 2% dose. The fermentation of GA also led to SCFA production, specifically increased acetate after 10, 24 and 48 h of fermentation, propionate after 48 h and butyrate after 24 and 48 h. In addition, FOS led to significant increase in the main SCFAs. These results suggest that GA displays potential prebiotic properties

Patellofemoral joint loads in ACL reconstructed elite athletes during running at time of return to sport

Background: Patellofemoral joint pain and degeneration is common in patients who undergo ACL reconstruction (ACLR). The presence of patellofemoral joint pain significantly impacts on the ability to continue to participate in sport and may even have a bearing on participation in activities of daily living. What is currently unclear is the mechanisms behind this process, previous research has identified altered patellofemoral joint loading in individuals with patellofemoral joint pain when running. It is unclear if this process is occurring following ACLR. Hypothesis/Purpose: To assess the patellofemoral joint stresses during running in ACLR knees and compare the findings to non-injured knee and matched control knees. Study Design: Cohort study Methods: Thirty four elite sports practitioners who had undergone ACLR and thirty four age and sex matched controls participated in the study. The participants had their running gait assessed using 3D motion capture, and knee loads and forces calculated using inverse dynamics. Results: There was a significance difference in knee extensor moment, knee flexion angles, patellofemoral contact force (around 23% greater), and patellofemoral contact pressure (around 27% greater) between the ACLR and non-injured limb (p≤0.04) and the ACLR and control limb (p≤0.04), with no significant difference between the non-injured and control limbs (p≥0.44). Conclusion: Significantly greater levels of patellofemoral joint stress and load were found in the ACLR knee compared to the non-injured and control knees. Clinical Relevance: Altered levels of patellofemoral stress in the ACLR knee during running may predispose these individuals to patellofemoral joint pain

Moving from evaluation to trial: how do SMEs start adopting cloud ERP?

The advent of cloud technology involving low subscription overheads cost has provided small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the opportunity to adopt new cloud-based corporate-wide systems (i.e., cloud ERP). This technology, operating through subscriptionbased services, has now provided SMEs with a complete range of IT applications that were once restricted to large organisations. As anecdotal evidences suggest, SMEs are increasingly adopting cloud-based ERP software. The selection of an ERP is a complex process involving multiple stages and stakeholders, suggesting the importance of closer examination of cloud ERP adoption in SMEs. Yet, prior studies have predominantly treated technology adoption as a single activity and largely ignored the issue of ERP adoption in SMEs. Understanding of the process nature of the adoption and the factors that are important in each stage of the adoption potentially may result in guiding SMEs to make well-informed decisions throughout the ERP selection process. Thus, our study proposes that the adoption of cloud ERP should be examined as a multi-stage process. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and Ettlie’s adoption stages, as well as employing data gathered from 162 owners of SMEs, our findings show that the factors that influence the intention to adopt cloud ERP vary significantly across adoptive stages

Piezoelectric Materials Based Scaffolds Fabrication for Cardiamyocyets Cell Growth

Tissue engineering is concerned on the growth of tissue making organs for implantation back to the donor himself. Instead of using organs transplantation and expose the patient for immunological rejection possibility, implantation is another alternative approach. Artificial scaffolds have to be fabricated base on the targeted organ. The projected scaffolds should have designed shapes with a suitable mechanical toughness, wettability, porosity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Ideally, the projected scaffold should also allow imitating of the normal cell microenvironment in order to produce a tissue with the same biological functions as found in a body. Cardiomyocytes or cardiac myocytes required specific type of scaffold and in this work we developed a pattern of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a piezoelectric, fluoropolymer, and a highly non-reactive using electro spinning to form a nanoscale fibers from a liquid as a concept of energy harvesting from heart beating using piezoelectric material. Three different polymer solutions were made using 15%, 12% and 10% of PVDF each in DMF under specific condition and quantities. The second part of this experimental work is to fabricate the PVDF nanofibers from polymer solutions in the presence of conductive graphene nanoplateletes under specific condition and quantities. All produced nanofibers will be characterized and compared using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) for choosing optimal fibers

Oxidative stress contributes to cobalt oxide nanoparticles-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human hepatocarcinoma cells.

BackgroundCobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co(3)O(4)NPs) are increasingly recognized for their utility in biological applications, magnetic resonance imaging, and drug delivery. However, little is known about the toxicity of Co(3)O(4)NPs in human cells.MethodsWe investigated the possible mechanisms of genotoxicity induced by Co(3)O(4)NPs in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, apoptosis, and DNA damage were assessed in HepG2 cells after Co(3)O(4)NPs and Co(2+) exposure.ResultsCo(3)O(4)NPs elicited a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in glutathione with a concomitant increase in lipid hydroperoxide, ROS generation, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity after 24- and 48-hour exposure. Co(3)O(4)NPs had a mild cytotoxic effect in HepG2 cells; however, it induced ROS and oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage, a probable mechanism of genotoxicity. The comet assay showed a statistically significant (P < 0.01) dose- and time-related increase in DNA damage for Co(3)O(4)NPs, whereas Co(2+) induced less change than Co(3)O(4)NPs but significantly more than control.ConclusionOur results demonstrated that Co(3)O(4)NPs induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in HepG2 cells through ROS and oxidative stress

Italia-Svizzera : 1-0

Evolving online virtual worlds are intensely being utilised as 3D Virtual Learning Environments (3D VLEs) by hundreds of universities worldwide. However, there is inadequate academic research depicting satisfaction of users from the environmental design factors of 3D virtual buildings used within these virtual worlds. Specifically, there is no research evidence representing satisfaction of educational facilities’ users, namely students and faculty, from the architectural design characteristics of their 3D virtual university campuses. This research focuses explicitly on capturing the contentment levels of students towards specified variations of certain architectural design elements of the 3D virtual learning spaces, where educational sessions are conducted in 3D VLEs. This hence provides preliminary guidelines on how to enhance the design of these spaces to augment e-learning experiences of students within 3D VLEs; achieved by analysing survey results representing students’ opinions towards different architectural features of the learning spaces within different university 3D virtual campuses