An Innovative Approach in the Baking of Bread with CO2 Gas Hydrates as Leavening Agents

Gas (guest) molecules are trapped in hydrogen-bonded water molecules to form gas hydrates (GH), non-stoichiometric solids that resemble ice. High pressure and low temperature are typical conditions for their development, with van der Waals forces joining the host and guest molecules. This article study investigates the application of CO₂ gas hydrates (CO₂ GH) as a leavening agent in baking, with particular reference to the production of wheat bread. The main intention of this study is to better understand the complex bread dough formed by CO₂ GH and its impact on product quality. This may enable the adaptation of CO₂ GH in baking applications, such as those that can specifically influence wheat bread properties, and so the final bread quality. The present research further examines the comparative evaluation of yeast bread with the GH bread's impact on bread quality parameters. The amount of GH was varied from 10 to 60%/amount of flour for the GH breads. The GH breads were compared with the standard yeast bread for different quality parameters such as volume, texture, and pore analysis. The results show that the bread with 20% and 40% GH obtained the best results in terms of volume and pore size. Moreover, this article also sheds some light on the future applications of the use of CO₂ GH as leavening agents in foods. This knowledge could help to create new procedures and criteria for improved GH selection for applications in bread making and other bakery or food products.

Transgelin is a poor prognostic factor associated with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) stage promoting tumor growth and migration in a TGFβ-dependent manner

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer type globally. Investigating the signaling pathways that maintain cancer cell phenotype can identify new biomarkers for targeted therapy. Aberrant transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling has been implicated in CRC progression, however, the exact mechanism by which TGFβ exerts its function is still being unraveled. Herein, we investigated TAGLN expression, prognostic value, and its regulation by TGFβ in CRC. While TAGLN was generally found to be downregulated in CRC, elevated expression of TAGLN was associated with advanced CRC stage and predicted poor overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.8, log-rank test P-value = 0.014) and disease-free survival (HR = 1.6, log-rank test P-value = 0.046), hence implicating TAGLN as poor prognostic factor in CRC. Forced expression of TAGLN was associated with enhanced CRC cell proliferation, clonogenic growth, cell migration and in vivo tumor formation in immunocompromised mice, while targeted depletion of TAGLN exhibited opposing biological effects. Global gene expression profiling of TAGLN-overexpressing or TAGLN-deficient CRC cell lines revealed deregulation of multiple cancer-related genes and signaling pathways. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed ultrastructural changes due to loss of TAGLN, including disruption of actin cytoskeleton organization and aberrant actin filament distribution. Hierarchical clustering, principle component, and ingenuity pathway analyses revealed distinct molecular profile associated with TAGLN^high CRC patients with remarkable activation of a number of mechanistic networks, including SMARCA4, TGFβ1, and P38 MAPK. The P38 MAPK was the top predicted upstream regulator network promoting cell movement through regulation of several intermediate molecules, including TGFβ1. Concordantly, functional categories associated with cellular movement and angiogenesis were also enriched in TAGLN^high CRC, supporting a model for the molecular mechanisms linking TGFβ-induced upregulation of TAGLN and CRC tumor progression and suggesting TAGLN as potential prognostic marker associated with advanced CRC pathological stage.

Effects of growth technique on the microstructure of CuInSe2 ternary semiconductor compound

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF) are employed to investigate the microstructure of bulk CuInSe2 specimens grown through the Bridgman technique and traveling heater process, respectively. We investigate the lattice parameters, grain sizes, and microstrains of the two grown samples. For a crystal grown by the vertical Bridgeman method, the vacancy VCu serves as an acceptor, resulting in p-type conduction, whereas the vacancy VSe expected to serve as a donor, occurring in n-type conduction for the crystal grown via the traveling heater technique. The concentration of crystal grown via the VBM is determined to be p-type, whereas the concentration of that grown via the THM is n-type. Concerning CuInSe2 crystal, the determined crystallite sizes obtained to be 165 and 182 nm for the VBM and THM, respectively.

Growth and anisotropy of transport properties of CuGaSe 2 single crystals

Single crystals of C u G a S e 2 are prepared by a technique based on the vertical Bridgman procedure. The crystal chemical and phase compositions were identified by using dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray diffraction data analysis, respectively. The Hall effect and the electrical conductivity were determined in terms of temperature, parallel and orthogonal to the layer surface, and the parameters proved to be strongly anisotropic. From carried out measurements, different parameters such like the carrier mobilities, the carrier concentration, the relaxation time, the diffusion coefficient, and the length of diffusion for both, majority carriers and minority carriers were estimated.

A Recyclable Heterogeneous Copper(II) Schiff Base Catalyst for the O-Arylation Reaction of Phenols with Aryl Halides

Immobilisation of copper acetate onto a modified polystyrene provided a polymer-supported copper(II) Schiff base catalyst, which is effective in the O-arylation reaction of phenols with aryl halides to give diaryl ethers in high yields. This catalyst is air-stable and was recycled for five times with minimal loss of activity.

An efficient and reusable polymer-supported palladium catalyst for the Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides

A reusable, air-stable polymer-anchored palladium (II) Schiff base complex catalyst, P-[{(NCH)C6H4}Pd(OAc)]2 was prepared and was found to be highly active in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides with phenyl boronic acid in an aqueous medium to give biaryl products in high yields.

Mitosis in the oesophageal epithelium of rats during chronic antithyroid treatment with carbimazole

The mitotic activity of the oesophageal epithelium of male rats maintained under carefully controlled conditions was studied, using the metaphase-arrest agent, vincristine sulphate. The accumulation of metaphases was linear (r = 0.97). In untreated rats there was a clear mitotic rhythm with a peak metaphase index (expressed as a percentage) of 12.4 +/- 0.86 (S.E.M.) at 12.00-15.00 h and a trough of 1.3 +/- 0.35 at 24.00 h. The overall mean metaphase index was 5.4 +/- 0.76. The effect of treatment with the antithyroid agent, carbimazole (0.1 g/100 ml in the drinking water), for 3 weeks was to depress the higher values at 12.00-18.00 h (P less than 0.01), while leaving the overall index unchanged. Carbimazole caused a significant (P less than 0.01), transient 40% increase in the metaphase index after 2 days; thereafter the metaphase index remained at control levels until 12 weeks of treatment when a steady decline occurred until 24 weeks. The results are in contrast to those in previously described experiments on thyroid follicular cells which show a large increase in the first few days of treatment, followed by a steady decline towards control levels at 12 weeks. The metabolic activity of the animals is about 50% of normal at 12 weeks when both the oesophageal epithelium and the thyroid follicular cells begin to show a reduction in proliferative activity.

Sex steroid levels in developing and adult male and female zebra finches (Poephila guttata)

Serum samples from male and female zebra finches ranging in age from 1 day before hatch to 54 days posthatch were assayed for 17 beta-estradiol (E), androgen, testosterone (T), or 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Additional samples were assayed from intact and gonadectomized adults, gonadectomized adults with intraperitoneal implants of testosterone propionate (TP) or estradiol benzoate (EB), gonadectomized nestlings, and nestlings injected subcutaneously with EB. DHT levels of developing birds did not vary as a function of either sex or age. During development, average androgen and T levels were highest during the nestling period, prior to sexual maturation, and were higher in females than in males. Endogenous androgen levels of most subjects that were sampled repeatedly rose and then declined between 24 and 49 days. TP implants produced higher T levels in adult females than in adult males. Levels of E were higher in both sexes during the hatching period (Days -1 through 0) than during the nestling period (Days 2 through 14). A greater number of males than females had relatively high E levels on Days 12 and 14 and during the second week overall. There was no sex difference in levels of E in adults, and gonadectomized adults had markedly higher E levels than intact adults. Gonadectomized nestlings had the same androgen and E levels as intact nestlings of the same age; EB injected nestlings had elevated E levels. The present results indicate specific endocrine changes that mirror events crucial to sexual differentiation of endocrine and behavioral components of reproduction, and have important implications for models of sexual differentiation in zebra finches.

Effect of coccidiosis on reproductive maturation of male Japanese quail

The effects of coccidiosis on reproductive development of male Japanese quail were examined. Male Japanese quail were exposed to high (5 x 10(5) sporulated oocysts/quail) or low (5 x 10(3) sporulated oocysts/quail) doses of Eimeria uzura at 16 or 30 days of age and sampled at 37 days. Quail given high doses of coccidia had reduced testes weight and lowered circulating concentrations of androgen compared with control males. Low doses of coccidia did not affect testes weight but did result in elevated plasma androgen levels. There were no differences in average testes weights by 51 days; however, plasma androgen was still reduced in most groups. To study the effects of coccidiosis on egg production, males exposed to high doses of coccidia at 16 (16H) or 30 (30H) days of age were mated with control females, and control males were mated with control or 16H females. The onset of laying was delayed for 5 days in the control male: 16H female group. During the first week of production, eggs from females bred to 30H males had lower fertility and hatchability than those bred to control or 16H males. By the third week of production, levels of fertility were similar. Apparently, exposure of quails to coccidiosis before sexual maturation might result in long-term effects on later reproductive capability.