Effects of Heat Treatment Processes: Health Benefits and Risks to the Consumer

Macroalgae are a biological group that has mainly been used in Asian countries; however, the interest shown by Western society is recent, its application in the industrial sector having increased in the last few decades. Seaweeds are filled with properties which are beneficial to our health. To use them as food and enhance these properties, heat has been used on them. This process alters the bioactive compounds. If we study the levels of moisture, they can vary according to the drying methods used. High values of moisture can lead to a short shelf life due to oxidation, microbial or enzyme activity, so controlling these values is highly recommended. Heat causes enzymatic activity as well as oxidation, which leads to degradation of phenolic compounds in comparison with freeze-drying, which causes fewer losses of these components. Due to the same occurrences, lipid content can also vary, modifying the bioactive compounds and their benefits. Pigments are some of the components most affected by heat, since, through this process, seaweeds or seaweed products can suffer a change in color. Iodine in macroalgae can decrease drastically; on the other hand, protein yield can be greatly enhanced. Some studies showed that the amount of arsenic in raw seaweeds was higher than when they were heat processed, and that arsenic values varied when different heat treatments were applied. Additionally, another study showed that heat can alter protein yield in specific species and have a different effect on other species.

Yisaipu® Provide AS Patients With an Economical Therapeutic Option While Original Biologicals are More Advantageous in the COVID-19 Epidemic Situation

Objectives: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents have been regarded as the most effective treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) so far. However, economic factors limited the prescription of original biologicals in China. Yisaipu® is a biosimilar for etanercept as pre fill syringes (PFS), which has entered China’s national medical insurance catalog for more than 10 yr and was widely used because it greatly reduced the economic burden of AS patients. Yisaipu® is provided subcutaneous injection in hospital setting only. We collected clinical data of AS patients before, during and after COVID-19 epidemic, in an attempt to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of original biologicals and Yisaipu® during regular follow up and COVID-19 epidemic.Methods: AS patients who received original biologicals or Yisaipu® in our department for more than 1 yr were included in our study. General data, demographic characteristics, disease activity, quality of life and medical compliance were collected from regular visits. The patients were followed up through telephone interviews from April 20th to 27th, 2020 about the overall impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.Results: There was no significant difference in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-CRP (ASDAS-CRP) between the two groups. Health Assessment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-s) showed that Yisaipu® group was superior to original biological group in terms of eating, gripping and driving. In addition, the medical cost of Yisaipu® was lower than that of original biologicals. The overall impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on patients of original biological group was comparatively smaller than that on Yisaipu® group.Conclusions: Yisaipu® provided AS patients with an economical selection during regular follow-up, while original biologicals had certain advantages in the COVID-19 epidemic setting, including a longer time interval between two drug administrations and the self-injection dose form of medication.

Biocultural key species: an assembly of biotic resources with biocultural importance

Background The cultural importance assigned to biodiversity is a complex subject, its study has been developed from ethnobotany and ethnomicology, mainly. A new proposal to address cultural importance is from the biocultural key species. Therefore, integrating information on the knowledge and use of various biological groups, the species with the greatest cultural relevance were selected. Methods An index (BKSI: Biocultural Key Species Index) was integrated, which assesses the relevance based on general attributes associated with fauna, flora and funga. The study was carried out in the Náhuatl community called El Barco, Lolotla; in the Huastec Hidalguense region. Field work was carried out for two years (2018–2019) with 24 field trips. Percentage ethnographic method combined with snowball (10% of the population) were applied; and as the ethnographic tool multiple free listings (n = 50) were used. Results In total of 335 species associated to 537 traditional names in Spanish and indigenous language (Náhuatl) are reported, that belongs to different biological groups (fungi and plants; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). The biocultural relevance degree was categorized respect to the obtained value in the index (BKSI); a representative set of each biological group was selected, being those with the highest biocultural relevance. Conclusions It is proposed that these species constitute a useful tool in the application of programs that promote the conservation of diversity from a biocultural approach; they may even promote the proper use of resources or biological restoration.

Cataract Surgery with Intraocular Lens Implantation in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis: Outcomes in the Era of Biological Therapy

This study compared the outcomes of cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated chronic anterior uveitis treated with antimetabolite drugs and systemic corticosteroids (Non-Biological Group) versus patients treated with antimetabolites and biological drugs (Biological Group). A cohort of patients with cataract in JIA-associated uveitis undergoing phacoemulsification with IOL implantation was retrospectively evaluated. The main outcome was a change in corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) in the two groups. Ocular and systemic complications were also recorded. The data were collected preoperatively and at 1, 12, and 48 months after surgery. Thirty-two eyes of 24 children were included: 10 eyes in the Non-Biological Group and 22 eyes in the Biological Group. The mean CDVA improved from 1.19 ± 0.72 logMAR preoperatively to 0.98 ± 0.97 logMAR at 48 months (p = 0.45) in the Non-Biological Group and from 1.55 ± 0.91 logMAR preoperatively to 0.57 ± 0.83 logMAR at 48 months (p = 0.001) in the Biological Group. The postoperative complications, including synechiae, cyclitic membrane, IOL explantation, glaucoma, and macular edema, were not statistically different between the two groups. An immunosuppressive treatment with biological drugs can improve the visual outcome after cataract surgery in patients with JIA-associated uveitis, but it does not significantly reduce postoperative ocular complications.

Viruses of Extremely Halophilic Prokaryotes

As viruses are known to be the most distinct source of biodiversity, it is not surprising that they are the most abundant biological group in hypersaline environments such as aquatic systems which have saturated salt concentrations. However, of more than 6000 known prokaryote viruses less than 100 are considered to be extremely halophilic (salt loving) and have the ability to infect bacteria. Combination of information obtained from culture dependent and culture independent methods allow better understanding of these viruses. This review will update the advances in halophilic viruses and its impact on the bacteriophage studies.

Justified Species Partiality

A core question in practical ethics is ‘which entities do we need to consider in our decision-making?’ In this chapter we evaluate the justifications and motivations for defending species-membership views of human moral status. These are views on which human beings have a distinctive type of moral status grounded in their being human or possessing some property that almost perfectly correlates with being human. Many ethicists endorse species-membership views on moral status because they believe that moral status differences are needed to support widely held and purportedly well-justified beliefs about species differentiation in consideration and treatment. We argue against the need to adopt a species-membership or human-privilege view on moral status in order to justify species partiality in consideration and treatment. The sort of partiality with respect to consideration and treatment that motivates species-membership views is largely consistent with more egalitarian views about moral status, according to which an entity’s moral status depends on its own features, not the biological group to which it belongs. Given the traditional objections to species-membership views, to the extent that justified species partiality is consistent with alternative views of moral status, there is reason to reject the moral status significance of being human.

A Comparative Study on the Effect of Cemented and other Different Biological Type of Artificial Femoral Head Prosthesis in the Treatment of Intertrochanteric Fractures in the Elderly

Background: The aim of this study is to assess comparatively the clinical effect of cemented and other biological type of artificial femoral head in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur in elder patients.Methods: The clinical data of 121 patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures treated with hip replacement from July 2017 to December 2018 in our hospital were reviewed.Results: There were 121 patients with unstable intertrochanteric fracture received hip replacement enrolled in this study. Of those patients, 60 patients received bone cement femoral prosthesis (bone cement group), while 61 cases (62 hips) received biological femoral prosthesis (biological group). The results showed that the biological group treated had shorter operation time, less intraoperative bleeding and longer time of complete weight-bearing than the bone cement group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the time of partial weight-bearing and Harris score of hip joint function between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The cemented and biological artificial type of femoral head might lead to satisfactory short-term results in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures for elder patients. Results showed that the biological group had shorter operation time, less intraoperative bleeding and longer time of complete weight-bearing than the bone cement group. For the unstable intertrochanteric fracture of femur with severe osteoporosis and difficult to maintain stability after fracture reset, biological femoral prosthesis stems might be employed for the treatment of artificial hip replacement according to the shape of the proximal femoral cavity, the quality of bone and the range of fracture coverage, which may promote the recovery of hip joint function and obtain good clinical effect.

Correlation Study Between Minerals Composition and Porosity Evolution of Black Shale Under Different Oxidation Mechanisms

The correlation between rock minerals composition and porosity evolution is essential to black shale oxidation,chemical and biological effects may act different roles which is unclear. In present study, the acid solution and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was applied to simulate the chemical and biological effects, the total organic carbon (TOC), pyrite and clay minerals content, porosity characteristics, micro-surfacemorphologyof black shale sampleswere employed to analyze the minerals-porosity correlation. Results showed that the chemical effect led to a greaterdecrease of pyrite and increase of clay minerals content than biological effect, which accompanied by a higherspecific surface areas and pore volume. These difference may attribute to the TOCcontent, which decreasedby acid erosion and led to the increase of macropores in chemical group, then promoted the minerals reactions; whereas the TOC content increased byattached and dead bacteria cell bodies on rock surface, led to the increase of micropores and less minerals reactions in biological group. It suggests that the correlation between minerals composition and porosity evolution is different in chemical and biological effects, is mainly due to the different alter trends of TOC content.

Trophic status index of lentic systems from the diversity of aquatic plants from continental Ecuador (IMAE)

Aquatic plants are a priority biological group to study due to their high representativeness in ecosystem services and because they also indicate the state of conservation of lake systems. The goal of the study is to develop an Index of Macrophytes from continental Ecuador (IMAE), which can also be applied in the Andean region as a bioindicator, thus assessing the ecological health of the continental lakes and lagoons from 12 to 4000 m, evaluating the structure and floristic composition of aquatic plants and identifying the habitat preferences of the species according to the concentration of nutrients (nitrites, phosphates and ammonium), as determining elements of their presence. 104 species of aquatic plants were found. The tolerance and indicator values have been calculated for each species meanwhile seven levels of coverage were established. Last, four classes of trophic status or water quality were defined to asses lentic systems. The present study will significantly strengthen the environmental control tools for Ecuador.

ASSESSMENT OF THE HERBOLOGICAL SITUATION OF AGRO-PHYTOCENOSES OF SPRING BARLEY DURING THE USE OF VARIOUS PRECURSORS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FIELD

The article reflects the results of many years of studying the peculiarities of the formation of the number of weeds in the agrophytocenosis of spring barley, depending on the previous culture. The general structure of weed species and their genus are estimated taking into account the features of the precursor. Species diversity has been assessed depending on the nature of the previous culture. A grouping of recorded weeds into biological groups was carried out, taking into account the type of the previous crop and the peculiarities of its cultivation technology. The general patterns of the formation of the structure of weeds are formulated taking into account typological predecessors and the dynamics of the formation of each biological group of weeds in the general structure of vegetation is evaluated. Peculiarities of the conjugate formation of weed are determined taking into account the duration of phenological phases of growth and development of spring barley, and an analysis is made of the features of increasing the total weediness of the field taking into account the competitive features of cultivated plants as precursors of spring barley.