Bioavailability of Iron, Zinc, Phytate and Phytase Activity during Soaking and Germination of White Sorghum Varieties

The changes in phytate, phytase activity and in vitro bioavailability of iron and zinc during soaking and germination of three white sorghum varieties (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), named Dorado, Shandweel-6, and Giza-15 were investigated. Sorghum varieties were soaked for 20 h and germinated for 72 h after soaking for 20 h to reduce phytate content and increase iron and zinc in vitro bioavailability. The results revealed that iron and zinc content was significantly reduced from 28.16 to 32.16% and 13.78 to 26.69% for soaking treatment and 38.43 to 39.18% and 21.80 to 31.27% for germination treatments, respectively. Phytate content was significantly reduced from 23.59 to 32.40% for soaking treatment and 24.92 to 35.27% for germination treatments, respectively. Phytase enzymes will be activated during drying in equal form in all varieties. The results proved that the main distinct point is the change of phytase activity as well as specific activity during different treatment which showed no significant differences between the varieties used. The in vitro bioavailability of iron and zinc were significantly improved as a result of soaking and germination treatments

Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC.

The production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4). The measurement of the ratio of the inclusive production cross sections of the ψ(2S) and J/ψ resonances is reported as a function of the centrality of the collisions and of transverse momentum, in the region p_{T}<12  GeV/c. The results are compared with the corresponding measurements in pp collisions, by forming the double ratio [σ^{ψ(2S)}/σ^{J/ψ}]_{Pb-Pb}/[σ^{ψ(2S)}/σ^{J/ψ}]_{pp}. It is found that in Pb-Pb collisions the ψ(2S) is suppressed by a factor of ∼2 with respect to the J/ψ. The ψ(2S) nuclear modification factor R_{AA} was also obtained as a function of both centrality and p_{T}. The results show that the ψ(2S) resonance yield is strongly suppressed in Pb-Pb collisions, by a factor of up to ∼3 with respect to pp. Comparisons of cross section ratios with previous Super Proton Synchrotron findings by the NA50 experiment and of R_{AA} with higher-p_{T} results at LHC energy are also reported. These results and the corresponding comparisons with calculations of transport and statistical models address questions on the presence and properties of charmonium states in the quark-gluon plasma formed in nuclear collisions at the LHC

An intriguing association between dental and mental pathology in addicted and control subjects: A cross-sectional survey

Recent clinical studies suggest that substance use may be associated with an acceleration of the ageing process, possibly related to a deficit of stem cell number or function. As this clinic had access to both medical and drug dependent patients, we tested the hypothesis that there may be an association between previously identified deficits.A cross-sectional survey was performed looking at both dental and mental dysfunction. Both a dental index (DI) and a mental index (MI) were defined as previously described and utilised as summary measures of such pathology.From 249 substance use disorder (SUD) and 134 general medical controls (N-SUD), 248 and 91 patients were selected with ages less than 57 years as the primary focus of analysis. The mean (+/- S.D.) ages (32.59 +/- 7.98 vs 35.65 +/- 15.45 years) were similar. The DI was found to correlate with the MI in a significant manner in SUD (R = 0.14, p = 0.03), N-SUD (R = 0.27, p = 0.009) and in the whole group (R = 0.17, p = 0.001). The (univariate) association of MI with DI (p = 0.019) and DI with MI (p = 0.0037) remained highly significant at multivariate regression after adjustment for psychiatric diagnoses and measures of dose-duration exposure to common addictive drugs. The qualitative appearance of the surfaces of best fit for the relationship between age, DI and MI was different in the two groups.These results suggest that the robust statistical association between dental and mental pathology may be related to common underlying pathophysiological mechanisms such as a progeroid or stem cell deficiency process in clinical addiction