Multi-source ingestion of publisher articles - The SCOAP3 repository experience

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Does the Ingestion of Isoxaflutole Herbicide Affect the Midgut and Salivary Glands of Pentatomidae Predators?

Podisus nigrispinus is a generalist predator naturally occurring in agricultural and forestry systems that effectively contributes to the population balance of phytophagous insects, especially defoliating caterpillars. Histological changes were evaluated in the salivary glands and midgut of P. nigrispinus caused by ingestion of systemic herbicide isoxaflutole. These predator females were fed with leaves of eucalyptus plants, Tenebrio molitor pupae or water, contaminated or not by herbicide. Salivary glands and midguts were dissected, processed and analyzed under a light microscope. Activity level and cell morphology of the salivary glands and midgut showed differences among insects fed on plants, contaminated water or pupae. The epithelia of the salivary gland and midgut of individuals which had no contact with the herbicide showed homogeneous cytoplasm, nucleus with predominance of decondensed chromatin and evident nucleoli, intense cell activity features. As for the insects in contact with contaminated food, they presented undeveloped nucleus and condensed chromatin. The luminal contents of the salivary glands in the contaminated insects had become more acidophilus than in insects without poisoning, as well as having heterogeneous and granular secretion, being more evident in the bioassay in which the insects fed on contaminated water. There was a marked morphological change in the midgut cells in contaminated insects. High degree of apoptosis, disorganization and secretory vacuoles in the epithelial cytoplasm were observed. The apical portion of the midgut cells proved undeveloped, irregular and partially destroyed. It is concluded that isoxaflutole causes morphological changes in the digestive system of the predator P. nigrispinus.

Sucrose ingestion causes opioid analgesia

The intake of saccharin solutions for relatively long periods of time causes analgesia in rats, as measured in the hot-plate test, an experimental procedure involving supraspinal components. In order to investigate the effects of sweet substance intake on pain modulation using a different model, male albino Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g received either tap water or sucrose solutions (250 g/l) for 1 day or 14 days as their only source of liquid. Each rat consumed an average of 15.6 g sucrose/day. Their tail withdrawal latencies in the tail-flick test (probably a spinal reflex) were measured immediately before and after this treatment. An analgesia index was calculated from the withdrawal latencies before and after treatment. The indexes (mean ± SEM, N = 12) for the groups receiving tap water for 1 day or 14 days, and sucrose solution for 1 day or 14 days were 0.09 ± 0.04, 0.10 ± 0.05, 0.15 ± 0.08 and 0.49 ± 0.07, respectively. One-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference (F(3,47) = 9.521, P<0.001) and the Tukey multiple comparison test (P<0.05) showed that the analgesia index of the 14-day sucrose-treated animals differed from all other groups. Naloxone-treated rats (N = 7) receiving sucrose exhibited an analgesia index of 0.20 ± 0.10 while rats receiving only sucrose (N = 7) had an index of 0.68 ± 0.11 (t = 0.254, 10 degrees of freedom, P<0.03). This result indicates that the analgesic effect of sucrose depends on the time during which the solution is consumed and extends the analgesic effects of sweet substance intake, such as saccharin, to a model other than the hot-plate test, with similar results. Endogenous opioids may be involved in the central regulation of the sweet substance-produced analgesia.

The requirements of a feasible plastic packaging material for cultured dairy products

The objective of this Master´s Thesis was to conduct a wide scale preliminary survey regarding the package requirements of a cultured dairy package, and to compare the currently used material polystyrene to other suitable packaging materials. Polystyrene has a long history of use in dairy cups, but in recent years its price has increased significantly compared to other common packaging materials. The overall environmental effects of a package and a package material are today a part of designing a sustainable product life cycle. In addition, in certain contexts there has been discussion of the risks posed by styrene polymer for the environment and for humans. These risks are also discussed in this thesis. Polystyrene (PS) is still the most widely used material in dairy cups. In recent years, polypropylene (PP) cups have appeared in increasing numbers on market shelves. This study focuses on the differences of the suitable polymers and examines the suitability of alternative “suitable” polymers with regards to dairy packaging. Aside from focusing on the cup manufacturer, this thesis also examines its subject matter from the viewpoint of the dairy customer, as well as observing the concrete implications of material changes in the overall value chain. It was known in advance that material permeability would be one of the determining factors and that gas transmission testing would be a significant part of the thesis. Mechanical tests were the second part of the testing process, providing information regarding package strength and protectiveness during the package’s life cycle. Production efficiency, along with uninterrupted stable production, was another important factor that was taken into consideration. These two issues are sometimes neglected in similar contexts due to their self-evident nature. In addition, materials used in production may have a surprising significance to the production and efficiency. Consistent high quality is also partly based on material selection. All of the aforementioned factors have been documented and the results have been analyzed by the development team at Coveris Rigid Finland. Coveris is now calculating the total finance effects and capacities should the material changes be implemented in practice. There are many factors in favor of switching to polypropylene at the moment. The overall production costs, as well as the environmental effects of resin production are the primary influences for said switch from the converters’ perspective.

Improving the usability of extruded wood-plastic composites by using modification technology

Using cellulosic reinforcement to produce plastic composites is a globally growing trend. One of such materials are wood-plastic composites, which are an extensively studied group of materials for which the global industry is looking for new applications. Issues such as bondability, durability and fire resistance still require development to improve the usability of the wood-plastic composite material. Improvement of the usability of wood-plastic composites is studied in this thesis through the effects of using selected modification technology in wood and plastic industry. The applied modification methods are surface by mechanical abrasion and plasma, chemical impregnation of wood flour, and structural modification by the co-extrusion process. The study shows that the properties of WPC can be influenced by the selected modification methods. The selected methods are also found to be able to result as improvement in the properties of the material. The may also affect other than just the targeted properties of the end-product, either in a positive or a negative manner. Therefore modification as performance improvement should be considered as a caseby- case study. Introducing WPC materials for new applications can be done by using modification technology. Structuralmodification can possibly be used to reduce material costs of the modified WPC material.

Interaction between repeated restraint stress and concomitant midazolam administration on sweet food ingestion in rats

Emotional changes can influence feeding behavior. Previous studies have shown that chronically stressed animals present increased ingestion of sweet food, an effect reversed by a single dose of diazepam administered before testing the animals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the response of animals chronically treated with midazolam and/or submitted to repeated restraint stress upon the ingestion of sweet food. Male adult Wistar rats were divided into two groups: controls and exposed to restraint 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 40 days. Both groups were subdivided into two other groups treated or not with midazolam (0.06 mg/ml in their drinking water during the 40-day treatment). The animals were placed in a lighted area in the presence of 10 pellets of sweet food (Froot loops®). The number of ingested pellets was measured during a period of 3 min, in the presence or absence of fasting. The group chronically treated with midazolam alone presented increased ingestion when compared to control animals (control group: 2.0 ± 0.44 pellets and midazolam group: 3.60 ± 0.57 pellets). The group submitted to restraint stress presented an increased ingestion compared to controls (control group: 2.0 ± 0.44 pellets and stressed group: 4.18 ± 0.58 pellets). Chronically administered midazolam reduced the ingestion in stressed animals (stressed/water group: 4.18 ± 0.58 pellets; stressed/midazolam group: 3.2 ± 0.49 pellets). Thus, repeated stress increases appetite for sweet food independently of hunger and chronic administration of midazolam can decrease this behavioral effect.

Bariatric and Post-Bariatric Surgery: from Metabolic Surgery to Plastic Surgery Indications

Background: Controversy exists concerning indications and outcomes of major bariatric surgery procedures. Massive weight loss after bariatric surgery leads to excess skin with functional and aesthetic impairments. The aim of this study was to investigate the major bariatric surgery procedures and their outcomes in two specific subgroups of morbidly obese patients, ≥55-year-olds and the superobese. Further aims were to evaluate whether the preoperative weight loss correlates with laparoscopic gastric bypass complications. The prevalence and impact of excess skin and the desire for body contouring after bariatric surgery were also studied. Patients and Methods: Data from patients who underwent Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) and Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (LRYGB) at Vaasa Central Hospital were collected and postoperative outcomes were evaluated according to the BMI, age and preoperative weight loss. Patients who had undergone bariatric surgery procedures were asked to complete a questionnaire to estimate any impairment due to redundant skin and to analyse each patient’s desire for body contouring by area. Results: No significant difference was found in operative time, hospital stay, or overall early postoperative morbidity between LAGB and LRYGB. Mean excess weight loss percents (EWL%) at 6 and 12 months after LRYGB were significantly higher. A significant difference was found in operative time favouring patients <55 years. Intraoperative complications were significantly more frequent in the group aged >55 years. No significant difference was detected in overall postoperative morbidity rates. A significant difference was found in operative time and hospital stay favouring all patients who lost weight preoperatively. Most patients reported problems with redundant skin, especially on the abdomen, upper arms and rear/buttocks, which impaired daily physical activity in half of them. Excess skin was significantly associated with female gender, weight loss and ΔBMI. Patients with a WL >20 kg, ΔBMI ≥10 kg/m2 and an EWL % > 50 showed a significantly surplus skin discomfort (p < 0.001). Most patients desired body contouring surgery, with high or very high desire for waist/abdomen (62.2%), upper arm (37.6%), chest/breast (28.3%), and rear/buttock (35.6%) contouring. Conclusions: LRYGB is effective and safe in superobese (BMI >50) and elderly (>55 years) patients. A preoperative weight loss >5% is recommended to improve the outcomes and reduce complications. A WL >20 kg, ΔBMI ≥10 kg/m2 and an EWL % > 50 are associated with a higher functional discomfort due to redundant skin and to a stronger desire for body contouring plastic surgery.

Effects of submaximal exercise with water ingestion on intraocular pressure in healthy human males

The effects of exercise and water replacement on intraocular pressure (IOP) have not been well established. Furthermore, it is not known whether the temperature of the fluid ingested influences the IOP response. In the present study we determined the effect of water ingestion at three temperatures (10, 24 and 38ºC; 600 ml 15 min before and 240 ml 15, 30 and 45 min after the beginning of each experimental session) on the IOP of six healthy male volunteers (age = 24.0 ± 3.5 years, weight = 67.0 ± 4.8 kg, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) = 47.8 ± 9.1 ml kg-1 min-1). The subjects exercised until exhaustion on a cycle ergometer at a 60% VO2peak in a thermoneutral environment. IOP was measured before and after exercise and during recovery (15, 30 and 45 min) using the applanation tonometry method. Skin and rectal temperatures, heart rate and oxygen uptake were measured continuously. IOP was similar for the right eye and the left eye and increased post-water ingestion under both exercising and resting conditions (P<0.05) but did not differ between resting and exercising situations, or between the three water temperatures. Time to exhaustion was not affected by the different water temperatures. Rectal temperature, hydration status, heart rate, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide extraction and lactate concentration were increased by exercise but were not affected by water temperature. We conclude that IOP was not affected by exercise and that water ingestion increased IOP as expected, regardless of water temperature.

Thermoregulation in hypertensive men exercising in the heat with water ingestion

Hydration is recommended in order to decrease the overload on the cardiovascular system when healthy individuals exercise, mainly in the heat. To date, no criteria have been established for hydration for hypertensive (HY) individuals during exercise in a hot environment. Eight male HY volunteers without another medical problem and 8 normal (NO) subjects (46 ± 3 and 48 ± 1 years; 78.8 ± 2.5 and 79.5 ± 2.8 kg; 171 ± 2 and 167 ± 1 cm; body mass index = 26.8 ± 0.7 and 28.5 ± 0.6 kg/m²; resting systolic (SBP) = 142.5 and 112.5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) = 97.5 and 78.1 mmHg, respectively) exercised for 60 min on a cycle ergometer (40% of VO2peak) with (500 ml 2 h before and 115 ml every 15 min throughout exercise) or without water ingestion, in a hot humid environment (30ºC and 85% humidity). Rectal (Tre) and skin (Tsk) temperatures, heart rate (HR), SBP, DBP, double product (DP), urinary volume (Vu), urine specific gravity (Gu), plasma osmolality (Posm), sweat rate (S R), and hydration level were measured. Data were analyzed using ANOVA in a split plot design, followed by the Newman-Keuls test. There were no differences in Vu, Posm, Gu and S R responses between HY and NO during heat exercise with or without water ingestion but there was a gradual increase in HR (59 and 51%), SBP (18 and 28%), DP (80 and 95%), Tre (1.4 and 1.3%), and Tsk (6 and 3%) in HY and NO, respectively. HY had higher HR (10%), SBP (21%), DBP (20%), DP (34%), and Tsk (1%) than NO during both experimental situations. The exercise-related differences in SBP, DP and Tsk between HY and NO were increased by water ingestion (P < 0.05). The results showed that cardiac work and Tsk during exercise were higher in HY than in NO and the difference between the two groups increased even further with water ingestion. It was concluded that hydration protocol recommended for NO during exercise could induce an abnormal cardiac and thermoregulatory responses for HY individuals without drug therapy.

Hygro-elasto-plastic behavior of planar orthotropic material

The mechanical and hygroscopic properties of paper and board are factors affecting the whole lifecycle of a product, including paper/board quality, production, converting, and material and energy savings. The progress of shrinkage profiles, loose edges of web, baggy web causing wrinkling and misregistration in printing are examples of factors affecting runnability and end product quality in the drying section and converting processes, where paper or board is treated as a moving web. The structural properties and internal stresses or plastic strain differences built up during production also cause the end-product defects related to distortion of the shape of the product such as sheet or box. The objective of this work was to construct a model capable of capturing the characteristic behavior of hygroscopic orthotropic material under moisture change, during different external in-plane stretch or stress conditions. Two independent experimental models were constructed: the elasto-plastic material model and the hygroexpansivity-shrinkage model. Both describe the structural properties of the sheet with a fiber orientation probability distribution, and both are functions of the dry solids content and fiber orientation anisotropy index. The anisotropy index, introduced in this work, simplifies the procedure of determining the constitutive parameters of the material model and the hygroexpansion coefficients in different in-plane directions of the orthotropic sheet. The mathematically consistent elasto-plastic material model and the dry solids content dependent hygroexpansivity have been constructed over the entire range from wet to dry. The presented elastoplastic and hygroexpansivity-shrinkage models can be used in an analytical approach to estimate the plastic strain and shrinkage in simple one-dimensional cases. For studies of the combined and more complicated effects of hygro-elasto-plastic behavior, both models were implemented in a finite element program for a numerical solution. The finite element approach also offered possibilities for studying different structural variations of orthotropic planar material, as well as local buckling behavior and internal stress situations of the sheet or web generated by local strain differences. A comparison of the simulation examples presented in this work to results published earlier confirms that the hygro-elasto-plastic model provides at least qualitatively reasonable estimates. The application potential of the hygro-elasto-plastic model is versatile, including several phenomena and defects appearing in the drying, converting and end-use conditions of the paper or board webs and products, or in other corresponding complex planar materials.

Effect of oral ingestion of an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa on the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate in rats

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the oral ingestion of an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) on the biodistribution of the radiobiocomplex sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in rats. The animals (male Wistar rats, 2 months old, 180-220 g), were treated (1 mL) with an U. tomentosa extract (32 mg/mL, N = 5) or 0.9% NaCl solution (control, N = 5) for 7 days. After this period, Na99mTcO4 (3.7 MBq, 0.3 mL) was injected through the ocular plexus and after 10 min the rats were killed, the organs isolated and counted in a well-gamma counter. A significant (P < 0.05) alteration in Na99mTcO4 uptake i) from 0.57 ± 0.008 to 0.39 ± 0.06 %ATI/organ (P < 0.05) and from 0.57 ± 0.17 to 0.39 ± 0.14 %ATI/g (P < 0.05) was observed in the heart, ii) from 0.07 ± 0.02 to 0.19 ± 0.07 %ATI/g in the pancreas, and iii) from 0.07 ± 0.01 to 0.18 ± 0.07 %ATI/g (P < 0.05) in muscle after treatment with this extract. Although these results were obtained with animals, caution is advisable in the interpretation of the nuclear medicine examination when the patient is using this herb. This finding is probably an example of drug interaction with a radiopharmaceutical, a fact that could lead to misdiagnosis of the examination in clinical practice with unexpected consequences for the patient.

Improving the fire retardancy of extruded/coextruded wood-plastic composites

The main objective of this thesis is to study the impact of different mineral fillers and fire retardants on the reaction-to-fire properties of extruded/coextruded wood-plastic composites (WPCs). The impact of additives on the flammability properties of WPCs is studied by cone calorimetry. The studied properties are ignition time, peak heat release rate, total heat release, total smoke production, and mass loss rate. The effects of mineral fillers and fire retardants were found to vary with the type of additive, the type of additive combinations, the amount of additives, as well as the production method of the WPCs. The study shows that talc can be used to improve the properties of extruded WPCs. Especially ignition time, peak heat release rate and mass loss rate were found to be improved significantly by talc. The most significant improvement in the fire retardancy of coextruded WPCs was achieved in combinations of natural graphite and melamine. Ignition time, peak heat release rate and total smoke production were improved essentially. High increase in smoke production was found in samples where the amount of ammonium polyphosphate was 10% or higher. Coextrusion as a structural modification was found as a promising way to improve the flammability properties of composite materials in a cost-effective way.

Fish oil ingestion reduces the number of aberrant crypt foci and adenoma in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in rats

We determined the effect of fish oil (FO) ingestion on colonic carcinogenesis in rats. Male Wistar rats received 4 subcutaneous injections (40 mg/kg body weight each) of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at 3-day intervals and were fed a diet containing 18% by weight FO (N = 10) or soybean oil (SO, N = 10) for 36 weeks. At sacrifice, the colon was removed, aberrant crypt foci were counted and the fatty acid profile was determined. Intestinal tumors were removed and classified as adenoma or carcinoma. Liver and feces were collected and analyzed for fatty acid profile. FO reduced the mean (± SEM) number of aberrant crypt foci compared to SO (113.55 ± 6.97 vs 214.60 ± 18.61; P < 0.05) and the incidence of adenoma (FO: 20% vs SO: 100%), but carcinoma occurred equally in FO and SO rats (2 animals per group). The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile of the colon was affected by diet (P < 0.05): total ω-3 (FO: 8.18 ± 0.97 vs SO: 1.71 ± 0.54%) and total ω-6 (FO: 3.83 ± 0.59 vs SO: 10.43 ± 1.28%). The same occurred in the liver (P < 0.05): total ω-3 (FO: 34.41 ± 2.6 vs SO: 6.46 ± 0.59%) and total ω-6 (FO: 8.73 ± 1.37 vs SO: 42.12 ± 2.33%). The PUFA profile of the feces and liver polyamine levels did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, our findings indicate that chronic FO ingestion protected against the DMH-induced preneoplastic colon lesions and adenoma development, but not against carcinoma in rats.

Utilization of recycled mineral wool as filler in wood plastic composites

The impact of a recycled mineral wool filler on the various properties of wood plastic composites was studied and the critical factors affecting the formation of the properties were determined. An estimation of the volume of mineral wool fiber waste generated in the European Union between the years 2010-2020 was presented. Furthermore, the effect of fiber pre-treatment on the properties of the wood plastic composites were studied, and the environmental performance of a wood plastic composite containing recycled mineral fibers was assessed. The results showed that the volumes of construction and demolition waste and new mineral wool produced in the European Union are growing annually, and therefore also the volumes of recycled mineral wool waste generated are increasing. The study showed that the addition of recycled mineral wool into composites can enhance some of the mechanical properties and increase the moisture resistance properties of the composites notably. Recycled mineral wool as a filler in wood plastic composites can also improve the fire resistance properties of composites, but it does not protect the polymer matrix from pyrolysis. Fiber pre-treatment with silane solution improved some of the mechanical properties, but generally the use of maleated polypropylene as the coupling agent led to better mechanical and moisture resistance properties. The environmental performance of recycled mineral wool as the filler in wood plastic composites was superior compared to glass fibers. According to the findings, recycled mineral wool fibers can provide a technically and environmentally viable alternative to the traditional inorganic filler materials used in wood plastic composites.

Research progress in wood-plastic composites: A review

The interest towards wood-plastic composites (WPCs) is growing due to growing interest in materials with novel properties, which can replace more traditional materials, such as wood and plastic. The use of recycled materials in manufacture is also a bonus. However, the application ofWPCs has been limited because of their often poor mechanical and barrier properties, which can be improved by incorporation of the reinforcing fillers. Nanosized fillers, having a large surface area, can significantly increase interfacial interactions in the composite on molecular level, leading to materials with new properties. The review summarizes the development trends in the use on nanofillers for WPC design, which were reported in accessible literature during the last decade. The effect of the nanofillers on the mechanical properties, thermal stability, flammability and wettability ofWPC is discussed.