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To determine if ingestion of lycosome-formulated dark chocolate (DC) containing astaxanthin (ASTX) improves bioavailability of ASTX and affects markers of hypoxia and oxidative stress in aging individuals. Randomized, blinded, four-arm, prospective study. Lycotec Ltd, Cambridge, United Kingdom and Institute of Cardiology, Saratov, Russian Federation. 32 healthy individuals aged 60–70 years with confirmed signs of oxidative stress (increased serum levels of oxidized LDL and malonic dialdehyde) randomized into four study groups (8 volunteers each). Volunteers of first group were given orally 10 gr of dark chocolate (DC). Individuals from the second group received 7 mg of astaxanthin (ASTX). Third group of volunteers was supplemented with 10 gr of DC and 7 mg of ASTX ingested simultaneously as two separate formulations. Last group of the individuals was given 10 gr of a lycosomal formulation of DC containing 7 mg of co-crystalized ASTX (L-DC-ASTX), a newly developed highly bioavailable nutraceutical composition of DC containing 2 groups of antioxidants (cocoa flavanols and ASTX). All formulations were given orally, once daily for a month. Serum ASTX was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Nitric oxide, malonic dialdehyde and oxidized LDL were quantified spectrophotometrically. Oxygenation parameters were evaluated by near-infrared spectroscopy. One month ingestion of singular formulation of ASTX lead to a 20 fold buildup in serum ASTX level whereas the 4 week ingestion of L-DC-ASTX formulation was accompanied by more prominent accumulation of ASTX in serum (a 40 fold increase over the basal values) at the same daily dose of ASTX. Both antioxidants taken separately decreased serum levels of oxidized LDL and malonic dialdehyde. However effect of L-DC-ASTX formulation was more prominent. ASTX ingested alone caused a borderline increase (p=0.054) in serum nitric oxide (NO) levels, whereas DC ingestion lead to small but statistically significant increase in serum NO concentration. Higher values of NO level were seen after co-ingestion of DC and ASTX, especially in case of L-DC-ASTX formulation suggesting additive/synergistic effects of DC and ASTX on nitric oxide production. These changes were in agreement with the increase in plasma oxygen transport and tissue oxygen saturation seen in the volunteers supplemented with L-DC-ASTX formulation. The nutraceutical formulation of DC and ASTX with an enhanced bioavailability of ASTX can be efficiently used for the correction of oxidative status in aging individuals.

Today, all over the world, the focus is on the use of the new technologies that would significantly improve the construction quality. The paper considers the low-rise construction development as a whole, analyzes one of the most promising areas of architectural and construction development in the world - modular construction, explores all the positive and negative aspects of modular buildings.

American foulbrood (AFB) is a highly virulent disease afflicting honey bees ( Apis mellifera ). The causative organism, Paenibacillus larvae , attacks honey bee brood and renders entire hives dysfunctional during active disease states, but more commonly resides in hives asymptomatically as inactive spores that elude even vigilant beekeepers. The mechanism of this pathogenic transition is not fully understood, and no cure exists for AFB. Here, we evaluated how hive supplementation with probiotic lactobacilli (delivered through a nutrient patty; BioPatty) affected colony resistance towards a naturally occurring AFB outbreak. Results demonstrated a significantly lower pathogen load and proteolytic activity of honey bee larvae from BioPatty-treated hives. Interestingly, a distinctive shift in the microbiota composition of adult nurse bees occurred irrespective of treatment group during the monitoring period, but only vehicle-supplemented nurse bees exhibited higher P. larvae loads. In vitro experiments utilizing laboratory-reared honey bee larvae showed Lactobacillus plantarum Lp39, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, and Lactobacillus kunkeei BR-1 (contained in the BioPatty) could reduce pathogen load, upregulate expression of key immune genes, and improve survival during P. larvae infection. These findings suggest the usage of a lactobacilli-containing hive supplement, which is practical and affordable for beekeepers, may be effective for reducing enzootic pathogen-related hive losses.

Analyzing the information-rich content of RNA can help uncover genetic events associated with social insect castes or other social polymorphisms. Here, we exploit a series of cDNA libraries previously derived from whole-body tissue of different castes as well as from three behaviourally distinct populations of the Eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. We found that the number (~0.5 M) of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) was roughly equal between nymph, worker and soldier caste libraries, but dN/dS (ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions) analysis suggested that some of these variants confer a caste-specific advantage. Specifically, the dN/dS ratio was high (~4.3) for genes expressed in the defensively specialized soldier caste, relative to genes expressed by other castes (~1.7–1.8) and regardless of the North American population (Toronto, Raleigh, Boston) from which the castes were sampled. The populations, meanwhile, did show a large difference in SNV count but not in the manner expected from known demographic and behavioural differences; the highly invasive unicolonial population from Toronto was not the least diverse and did not show any other unique substitution patterns, suggesting any past bottleneck associated with invasion or with current unicoloniality has become obscured at the RNA level. Our study raises two important hypotheses relevant to termite sociobiology. First, the positive selection (dN/dS > 1) inferred for soldier-biased genes is presumably indirect and of the type mediated through kin selection, and second, the behavioural changes that accompany some social insect urban invasions (i.e., ‘unicoloniality’) may be detached from the loss-of-diversity expected from invasion bottlenecks.

Data quality of the tokamaks diagnostics is often a neglected topic. In literature it is rather rare to find considerations regarding the data quality received from the diagnostic systems’ sensors. The scope of the paper is to provide a discussion regarding systems’ construction and analysis in scope of implementation of data quality monitoring methods for a new generation of diagnostics. Mainly considerations are performed regarding the necessity of DQM (Data Quality Monitoring) implementation, functionality, performance and required system resources. The covered topics are related to basics of system construction including: system layout and construction blocks, data processing stages, signal processing modes, system construction with resource estimation in scope of DQM implementation. Based on the covered points, it is possible to plan the extra resources or specific construction, to provide reliable design with data quality monitoring features. The data quality monitoring aspect is especially important in the modern diagnostics working with a real-time feedback loop. Such approach could be especially interesting for the ITER-like projects, since the quality of the data may directly influence the behavior of the control systems during plasma phenomena. The work is based on experience in design work of various high performance diagnostic systems for plasma physics and high energy physics.

Widespread antibiotic usage in apiculture contributes substantially to the global dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and has the potential to negatively influence bacterial symbionts of honey bees ( Apis mellifera ). Here, we show that routine antibiotic administration with oxytetracycline selectively increased tetB (efflux pump resistance gene) abundance in the gut microbiota of adult workers while concurrently depleting several key symbionts known to regulate immune function and nutrient metabolism such as Frischella perrera and Lactobacillus Firm-5 strains. These microbial changes were functionally characterized by decreased capped brood counts (marker of hive nutritional status and productivity) and reduced antimicrobial capacity of adult hemolymph (indicator of immune competence). Importantly, combination therapy with three immunostimulatory Lactobacillus strains could mitigate antibiotic-associated microbiota dysbiosis and immune deficits in adult workers, as well as maximize the intended benefit of oxytetracycline by suppressing larval pathogen loads to near-undetectable levels. We conclude that microbial-based therapeutics may offer a simple but effective solution to reduce honey bee disease burden, environmental xenobiotic exposure, and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Daisley et al. show that antibiotic treatment with oxytetracycline impairs the gut microbiota and immune system of honey bees, and reduces capped brood counts. They also show that supplementation with lactobacilli during antibiotic recovery can reverse the harmful effects of the antibiotic treatment. Their findings offer a simple microbial-based solution that aims to reduce honey bee disease burden, environmental pollution by xenobiotics, and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Lycopene rich food and dark chocolate are among the best-documented products with a broad health benefit. This study explored the systemic effect of lycopene and dark chocolate (DC) on gut microbiota, blood, liver metabolism, skeletal muscle tissue oxygenation and skin. 30 volunteers were recruited for this trial, 15 women and 15 men with a mean age of 55 ± 5.7 years and with moderate obesity, 30 < BMI < 35 kg/m2. They were randomized and divided into five equal interventional groups: three received different formulations of lycopene, one of them with a 7 mg daily dose and two with 30 mg; another group was given 10 g of DC with 7 mg lycopene embedded into its matrix, and the last group received 10 g DC. The trial was double-blinded for the three lycopene groups and separately for the 2 DC groups; the trial lasted for 1 month. By the end of the trial there were dose-dependent changes in the gut microbiota profile in all three lycopene groups with an increase of relative abundance of, e.g., Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum. This was also accompanied by dose-dependent changes in the blood, liver metabolism, skeletal muscle and skin parameters. Consumption of DC resulted in increased relative abundance of, e.g., Lactobacillus and a reduction of corneocyte exfoliation. This is the first study which reports the prebiotic potential of lycopene and DC.

The dependence of the degree of fluorene and fluoranthene degradation by the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus D1 on the culture medium composition has been studied. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAH s) have been transformed in Kirk’s medium (under conditions of laccase production) with the formation of a quinone metabolite and 9-fluorenone upon the use of fluoranthene and fluorene as substrates, respectively. More complete degradation with the formation of an intermediate metabolite, phthalic acid that has undergone subsequent utilization, has occurred in basidiomycete-rich medium (under the production of both laccase and versatile peroxidase). The formation of phthalic acid as a metabolite of fluoranthene degradation by lignolytic fungi has been revealed for the first time. The data allow the supposition that both extracellular laccase and laccase on the mycelium surface can participate in the initial stages of PAH metabolism, while versatile peroxidase is necessary for the oxidation of the formed metabolites. A scheme of fluorene metabolism by Pleurotus ostreatus D1 is suggested.

The redistribution of Mn atoms in Ga1-xMnxAs layer during medium-temperature annealing, 250-450 oC, by Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) recorded at ALBA facility, was studied. For this purpose Ga1-xMnxAs thin layer with x=0.01 was grown on AlAs buffer layer deposited on GaAs(100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) followed by annealing. The examined layer was detached from the substrate using a \"lift-off\" procedure in order to eliminate elastic scattering in XAFS spectra. Fourier transform analysis of experimentally obtained EXAFS spectra allowed to propose a model which describes a redistribution diffusion of Mn atoms in the host matrix. Theoretical XANES spectra, simulated using multiple scattering formalism (FEFF code) with the support of density functional theory (WIEN2k code), qualitatively describe the features observed in the experimental fine structure.

The paper presents some outcomes obtained during the year of 2013 of the activity in the frame of the International Atomic Energy Agency Co-ordinated research project \"Investigations of Materials under High Repetition and Intense Fusion-Relevant Pulses\". The main results are related to the effects created at the interaction of powerful pulses of different types of radiation (soft and hard X-rays, hot plasma and fast ion streams, neutrons, etc. generated in Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) facilities) with various materials including those that are counted as perspective ones for their use in future thermonuclear reactors. Besides we discuss phenomena observed at the irradiation of biological test objects. We examine possible applications of nanosecond powerful pulses of neutrons to the aims of nuclear medicine and for disclosure of hidden illegal objects. Special attention is devoted to discussions of a possibility to create extremely large and enormously diminutive DPF devices and probabilities of their use in energetics, medicine and modern electronics.