Effectiveness of antioxidants in preventing oxidation of palm oil enriched with heme iron: A model for iron fortification in baked products

Bakery products such as biscuits, cookies, and pastries represent a good medium for iron fortification in food products, since they are consumed by a large proportion of the population at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia, mainly children. The drawback, however, is that iron fortification can promote oxidation. To assess the extent of this, palm oil added with heme iron and different antioxidants was used as a model for evaluating the oxidative stability of some bakery products, such as baked goods containing chocolate. The palm oil samples were heated at 220°C for 10 min to mimic the conditions found during a typical baking processing. The selected antioxidants were a free radical scavenger (tocopherol extract (TE), 0 and 500 mg/kg), an oxygen scavenger (ascorbyl palmitate (AP), 0 and 500 mg/kg), and a chelating agent (citric acid (CA), 0 and 300 mg/kg). These antioxidants were combined using a factorial design and were compared to a control sample, which was not supplemented with antioxidants. Primary (peroxide value and lipid hydroperoxide content) and secondary oxidation parameters (p-anisidine value, p-AnV) were monitored over a period of 200 days in storage at room temperature. The combination of AP and CA was the most effective treatment in delaying the onset of oxidation. TE was not effective in preventing oxidation. The p-AnV did not increase during the storage period, indicating that this oxidation marker was not suitable for monitoring oxidation in this model.

Effectiveness of antioxidants in preventing oxidation of palm oil enriched with heme iron: A model for iron fortification in baked products

Bakery products such as biscuits, cookies, and pastries represent a good medium for iron fortification in food products, since they are consumed by a large proportion of the population at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia, mainly children. The drawback, however, is that iron fortification can promote oxidation. To assess the extent of this, palm oil added with heme iron and different antioxidants was used as a model for evaluating the oxidative stability of some bakery products, such as baked goods containing chocolate. The palm oil samples were heated at 220°C for 10 min to mimic the conditions found during a typical baking processing. The selected antioxidants were a free radical scavenger (tocopherol extract (TE), 0 and 500 mg/kg), an oxygen scavenger (ascorbyl palmitate (AP), 0 and 500 mg/kg), and a chelating agent (citric acid (CA), 0 and 300 mg/kg). These antioxidants were combined using a factorial design and were compared to a control sample, which was not supplemented with antioxidants. Primary (peroxide value and lipid hydroperoxide content) and secondary oxidation parameters (p-anisidine value, p-AnV) were monitored over a period of 200 days in storage at room temperature. The combination of AP and CA was the most effective treatment in delaying the onset of oxidation. TE was not effective in preventing oxidation. The p-AnV did not increase during the storage period, indicating that this oxidation marker was not suitable for monitoring oxidation in this model.

Patents in the Information and Communications Technology Sector - Development Trends, Problem Areas and Pressures for Change

The patent system was created for the purpose of promoting innovation by granting the inventors a legally defined right to exclude others in return for public disclosure. Today, patents are being applied and granted in greater numbers than ever, particularly in new areas such as biotechnology and information andcommunications technology (ICT), in which research and development (R&D) investments are also high. At the same time, the patent system has been heavily criticized. It has been claimed that it discourages rather than encourages the introduction of new products and processes, particularly in areas that develop quickly, lack one-product-one-patent correlation, and in which theemergence of patent thickets is characteristic. A further concern, which is particularly acute in the U.S., is the granting of so-called 'bad patents', i.e. patents that do not factually fulfil the patentability criteria. From the perspective of technology-intensive companies, patents could,irrespective of the above, be described as the most significant intellectual property right (IPR), having the potential of being used to protect products and processes from imitation, to limit competitors' freedom-to-operate, to provide such freedom to the company in question, and to exchange ideas with others. In fact, patents define the boundaries of ownership in relation to certain technologies. They may be sold or licensed on their ownor they may be components of all sorts of technology acquisition and licensing arrangements. Moreover, with the possibility of patenting business-method inventions in the U.S., patents are becoming increasingly important for companies basing their businesses on services. The value of patents is dependent on the value of the invention it claims, and how it is commercialized. Thus, most of them are worth very little, and most inventions are not worth patenting: it may be possible to protect them in other ways, and the costs of protection may exceed the benefits. Moreover, instead of making all inventions proprietary and seeking to appropriate as highreturns on investments as possible through patent enforcement, it is sometimes better to allow some of them to be disseminated freely in order to maximize market penetration. In fact, the ideology of openness is well established in the software sector, which has been the breeding ground for the open-source movement, for instance. Furthermore, industries, such as ICT, that benefit from network effects do not shun the idea of setting open standards or opening up their proprietary interfaces to allow everyone todesign products and services that are interoperable with theirs. The problem is that even though patents do not, strictly speaking, prevent access to protected technologies, they have the potential of doing so, and conflicts of interest are not rare. The primary aim of this dissertation is to increase understanding of the dynamics and controversies of the U.S. and European patent systems, with the focus on the ICT sector. The study consists of three parts. The first part introduces the research topic and the overall results of the dissertation. The second part comprises a publication in which academic, political, legal and business developments that concern software and business-method patents are investigated, and contentiousareas are identified. The third part examines the problems with patents and open standards both of which carry significant economic weight inthe ICT sector. Here, the focus is on so-called submarine patents, i.e. patentsthat remain unnoticed during the standardization process and then emerge after the standard has been set. The factors that contribute to the problems are documented and the practical and juridical options for alleviating them are assessed. In total, the dissertation provides a good overview of the challenges and pressures for change the patent system is facing,and of how these challenges are reflected in standard setting.

"In vitro" comparative experimental study of antimicrobial action of mouth washing products

Regular use of mouth rinses modifies the oral habitat, since bacterial populations are submitted to a high selective pressure during the treatment exercised by the active presence of the disinfectant. Mostly mouth rinses are based on the antibacterial effect of Chlorhexidine, Triclosan, essential oils and other antibacterials although other pharmaceutical characteristics can also affect their effectiveness. In this paper we compare"in vitro" the antibacterial effect of different oral rinsing solutions. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentrations (MBC) were determined as well as the kinetics of bacterial death in the presence of letal concentrations of the mouth rinses. MIC values expressed as Maximal Inhibitory Dilution (MID) of the mouth rinse ranged from 1 to 1/2048 depending on the microorganism and product, whereas Minimal Biocidal Concentration (MBC), expressed as Maximal Biocidal Dilution (MBD) ranged from 1 to 1/1024, being in general one dilution less than MIC. Maximal Biocidal Dilution is a good tool to measure the actual efficiency of mouth washing solutions. However, kinetics of death seems to be better in our work killing curves demonstrate that bacterial populations are mostly eliminated during the first minute after the contact of bacterial suspension and the mouth-washing solution. In all tested bacterial species mouth-washing solutions tested were able to reduce until suspension treated except 1 and 5

Valuing equity-linked death benefits in jump diffusion models

The paper is motivated by the valuation problem of guaranteed minimum death benefits in various equity-linked products. At the time of death, a benefit payment is due. It may depend not only on the price of a stock or stock fund at that time, but also on prior prices. The problem is to calculate the expected discounted value of the benefit payment. Because the distribution of the time of death can be approximated by a combination of exponential distributions, it suffices to solve the problem for an exponentially distributed time of death. The stock price process is assumed to be the exponential of a Brownian motion plus an independent compound Poisson process whose upward and downward jumps are modeled by combinations (or mixtures) of exponential distributions. Results for exponential stopping of a Lévy process are used to derive a series of closed-form formulas for call, put, lookback, and barrier options, dynamic fund protection, and dynamic withdrawal benefit with guarantee. We also discuss how barrier options can be used to model lapses and surrenders.

Immune Antibodies and Helminth Products Drive CXCR2-Dependent Macrophage-Myofibroblast Crosstalk to Promote Intestinal Repair.

Helminth parasites can cause considerable damage when migrating through host tissues, thus making rapid tissue repair imperative to prevent bleeding and bacterial dissemination particularly during enteric infection. However, how protective type 2 responses targeted against these tissue-disruptive multicellular parasites might contribute to homeostatic wound healing in the intestine has remained unclear. Here, we observed that mice lacking antibodies (Aid-/-) or activating Fc receptors (Fcrg-/-) displayed impaired intestinal repair following infection with the murine helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb), whilst transfer of immune serum could partially restore chemokine production and rescue wound healing in Aid-/- mice. Impaired healing was associated with a reduced expression of CXCR2 ligands (CXCL2/3) by macrophages (MΦ) and myofibroblasts (MF) within intestinal lesions. Whilst antibodies and helminths together triggered CXCL2 production by MΦ in vitro via surface FcR engagement, chemokine secretion by intestinal MF was elicited by helminths directly via Fcrg-chain/dectin2 signaling. Blockade of CXCR2 during Hpb challenge infection reproduced the delayed wound repair observed in helminth infected Aid-/- and Fcrg-/- mice. Finally, conditioned media from human MΦ stimulated with infective larvae of the helminth Ascaris suum together with immune serum, promoted CXCR2-dependent scratch wound closure by human MF in vitro. Collectively our findings suggest that helminths and antibodies instruct a chemokine driven MΦ-MF crosstalk to promote intestinal repair, a capacity that may be harnessed in clinical settings of impaired wound healing.

'Herbal' but potentially hazardous: an analysis of the constituents and smoke emissions of tobacco-free waterpipe products and the air quality in the cafes where they are served

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the composition and smoke emissions of 'herbal' shisha products and the air quality of establishments where they are smoked. METHODS: Three studies of 'herbal' shisha were conducted: (1) samples of 'herbal' shisha products were chemically analysed; (2) 'herbal' and tobacco shisha were burned in a waterpipe smoking machine and main and sidestream smoke analysed by standard methods and (3) the air quality of six waterpipe cafes was assessed by measurement of CO, particulate and nicotine vapour content. RESULTS: We found considerable variation in heavy metal content between the three products sampled, one being particularly high in lead, chromium, nickel and arsenic. A similar pattern emerged for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Smoke emission analyses indicated that toxic byproducts produced by the combustion of 'herbal' shisha were equivalent or greater than those produced by tobacco shisha. The results of our air quality assessment demonstrated that mean PM2.5 levels and CO content were significantly higher in waterpipe establishments compared to a casino where cigarette smoking was permitted. Nicotine vapour was detected in one of the waterpipe cafes. CONCLUSIONS: 'Herbal' shisha products tested contained toxic trace metals and PAHs levels equivalent to, or in excess of, that found in cigarettes. Their mainstream and sidestream smoke emissions contained carcinogens equivalent to, or in excess of, those of tobacco products. The content of the air in the waterpipe cafes tested was potentially hazardous. These data, in aggregate, suggest that smoking 'herbal' shisha may well be dangerous to health.

Viewing the Midnight Sun at Tornao in Lapland

Stockton 1789, T.Bewick

Grx5 glutaredoxin plays a central role in protection against protein oxidative damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glutaredoxins are members of a superfamily of thiol disulfide oxidoreductases involved in maintaining the redox state of target proteins. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two glutaredoxins (Grx1 and Grx2) containing a cysteine pair at the active site had been characterized as protecting yeast cells against oxidative damage. In this work, another subfamily of yeast glutaredoxins (Grx3, Grx4, and Grx5) that differs from the first in containing a single cysteine residue at the putative active site is described. This trait is also characteristic for a number of glutaredoxins from bacteria to humans, with which the Grx3/4/5 group has extensive homology over two regions. Mutants lacking Grx5 are partially deficient in growth in rich and minimal media and also highly sensitive to oxidative damage caused by menadione and hydrogen peroxide. A significant increase in total protein carbonyl content is constitutively observed in grx5cells, and a number of specific proteins, including transketolase, appear to be highly oxidized in this mutant. The synthetic lethality of the grx5 and grx2 mutations on one hand and ofgrx5 with the grx3 grx4 combination on the other points to a complex functional relationship among yeast glutaredoxins, with Grx5 playing a specially important role in protection against oxidative stress both during ordinary growth conditions and after externally induced damage. Grx5-deficient mutants are also sensitive to osmotic stress, which indicates a relationship between the two types of stress in yeast cells.

Le renforcement de la loi fédérale sur la protection des données : le cas de la protection de la vie privée dès la conception (privacy by design)

La protection des données est un élément essentiel d'un Etat de droit et une société démocratique, car elle accorde à chaque individu le droit de disposer de ce qui fait partie de sa sphère privée. Actuellement en Suisse, la loi fédérale sur la protection des données (LPD) est en vigueur depuis 1993. En 2010, l'Office fédéral de la justice a supervisé une évaluation de son efficacité : il en résulte que cette dernière a été prouvée, mais tendra à diminuer fortement dans les années à suivre. Pour causes principales : l'évolution des technologies, caractérisée notamment par le développement des moyens de traitement de données toujours plus variés et conséquents, et un manque d'informations des individus par rapport à la protection des données en générale et à leurs droits. Suite à l'évaluation, cinq objectifs de révision ont été formulés par le Conseil fédéral, dont celui d'intégrer la privacy by design ou « protection de la vie privée dès la conception » dans la loi. Ce concept, qui est également repris dans les travaux européens en cours, est développé à l'origine par l'Information and Privacy Commissionner de l'Ontario (Canada), Ann Cavoukian. Le principe général de la privacy by design est que la protection de la vie privée doit être incluse dans les systèmes traitant les données lors de leur conception. Souvent évoquée comme une solution idéale, répondant au problème de l'inadéquation de la loi par la logique de prévention qu'elle promeut, la privacy by design demeure toutefois un souhait dont l'application n'est que peu analysée. Ce travail cherche justement à répondre à la question de la manière de la mettre en oeuvre dans la législation suisse. Se basant sur les textes et la doctrine juridiques et une littérature dans les domaines de l'économie, l'informatique, la politique et la sociologie des données personnelles, il propose tout d'abord une revue générale des principes et définitions des concepts-clés de la protection des données en Suisse et dans le cadre international. Puis, il propose deux possibilités d'intégration de la privacy by design : la première est une solution privée non contraignante qui consiste à promouvoir le concept et faire en sorte que les responsables de traitement décident par eux-mêmes d'intégrer la privacy by design dans leurs projets ; ce procédé est possible grâce au renforcement du processus de certification déjà en cours. La deuxième option est une solution contraignante visant à intégrer le principe directement dans la loi et de prendre les mesures pour le rendre effectif ; ce travail montre que le développement de la figure du conseiller à la protection des données permet d'atteindre cet objectif. Enfin, des considérations générales sur l'application du principe sont abordées, telles que l'influence des développements en cours dans l'Union européenne sur la Suisse par rapport à la protection des données et la limite posée par le principe de territorialité.

Effects of Dietary Fat Oxidation Products and Flavonols on Lipoprotein Oxidation

Various studies suggest that oxidative modifications of low density lipoprotein (LDL), and also other lipoproteins, have an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. In addition to the oxidation products formed endogenously, oxidised triacylglycerols (TAG) and oxysterols in the diet contribute to the oxidised lipoproteins found in circulation. However, studies on both the effect of oxidised dietary lipids on lipoprotein lipid oxidation and the reactions that modify oxidised fat after ingestion have been scarce. Studies on the effects of dietary antioxidants on the lipid oxidation in vivo and the risk of atherosclerosis have been inconclusive. More clinical trials are needed to test the importance of lipoprotein oxidation as a cardiovascular risk factor in humans. In the recent years, various methods have been optimised and applied to the analysis of lipid oxidation products in vivo, and information on the molecular structures of oxidised lipids in plasma, lipoproteins and atherosclerotic plaques has started to accumulate. However, specific structures of oxidised TAG molecules present in these tissues and lipoprotein fractions have not been investigated earlier. In the orginal research in this thesis, an approach based on highperformance liquid chromatographyelectrospray ionisationmass spectrometry (HPLCESIMS) and baseline diene conjugation (BDC) methods was used in order to investigate lipid oxidation level and oxidised TAG molecular structures in pig and human lipoproteins after dietary interventions. The approach was optimised with human LDL samples, which contained various oxidation products of TAG. LDL particles of hyperlipidaemic subjects contained an elevated amount of conjugated dienes. In the pig studies, several oxidised TAG structures with hydroxy, keto, epoxy or aldehydic groups were found in chylomicrons and VLDL after diets rich in sunflower seed oil. Also, the results showed that oxidised sunflower seed oil increased the oxidation of lipoprotein lipids and their TAG molecules. TAG hydroperoxides could be detected neither in the small intestinal mucosa of the pigs fed on the oxidised oil nor in their chylomicrons or VLDL.6 In the clinical studies, dietary flavonol aglycones extracted from sea buckthorn berries did not have an effect on lipoprotein lipid oxidation and other potential risk factors of atherosclerosis, but their absorption was demonstrated. Oil supplementation seemed to increase the bioavailability of the flavonols. Oxidised TAG molecules were detected in LDL particles of the subjects after both flavonol and control diets.