No abstract

The discovery of angiotensin-I-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and a (pro)renin receptor has renewed interest in the physiology of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Through the ACE2/angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas counter-regulatory axis, ACE2 balances the vasoconstrictive, proliferative, fibrotic and proinflammatory effects of the ACE/angiotensin II/AT1 axis. The (pro)renin receptor system shows an angiotensin-dependent function related to increased generation of angiotensin I, and an angiotensin-independent aspect related to intracellular signalling. Activation of ACE2 and inhibition of ACE and renin have been at the core of the RAS regulation. The aim of this review is to discuss the biochemistry and biological functions of ACE, ACE2 and renin within and beyond the RAS, and thus provide a perspective for future bioactives from natural plant and/or food resources related to the three proteases.

An oscillation with a period of about 2100–2500 years, the Hallstatt cycle, is found in cosmogenic radioisotopes (14C and 10Be) and in paleoclimate records throughout the Holocene. This oscillation is typically associated with solar variations, but its primary physical origin remains uncertain. Herein we show strong evidences for an astronomical origin of this cycle. Namely, this oscillation is coherent to a repeating pattern in the periodic revolution of the planets around the Sun: the major stable resonance involving the four Jovian planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - which has a period of about p = 2318 years. Inspired by the Milankovi´ c’s theory of an astronomical origin of the glacial cycles, we test whether the Hallstatt cycle could derive from the rhythmic variation of the circularity of the solar system assuming that this dynamics could eventually modulate the solar wind and, consequently, the incoming cosmic ray flux and/or the interplanetary/cosmic dust concentration around the Earth-Moon system. The orbit of the planetary mass center (PMC) relative to the Sun was used as a proxy.We analyzed how the instantaneous eccentricity vector of this virtual orbit varies from 13,000 BCE to 17,000 CE. We found that it undergoes kind of pulsations as it clearly presents rhythmic contraction and expansion patterns with a 2318 year period together with a number of already known faster oscillations associated to the planetary orbital stable resonances, which are theoretically calculated. These periods include a quasi 20-year oscillation, a quasi 60-year oscillation, the 82-97 year Gleissberg oscillation and the 159-185 year Jose oscillation. There exists a quasi p/2 phase shift between the 2100–2500 year oscillation found in the 14C record and that of the calculated eccentricity function. Namely, at the Hallstatt-cycle time scale, a larger production of radionucleotide particles occurs while the Sun-PMC orbit evolves from more elliptical shapes (e ≈ 0.598) to more circular ones (e ≈ 0.590), that is while the orbital system is slowly imploding or bursting inward; a smaller production of radionucleotide particles occurs while the Sun-PMC orbit evolves from more circular shapes (e ≈ 0.590) to a more elliptical ones (e ≈ 0.598), that is while the orbital system is slowly exploding or bursting outward. Since at this timescale the PMC eccentricity variation is relatively small (e = 0.594 ± 0.004), the physical origin of the astronomical 2318 year cycle is better identified and distinguished from faster orbital oscillations by the times it takes the PMC to make pericycles and apocycles around the Sun and the times it takes to move from minimum to maximum distance from the Sun within those arcs. These particular proxies reveal a macroscopic 2318 year period oscillation, together with other three stable outer planets orbital resonances with periods of 159, 171 and 185 years. This 2318 year oscillation is found to be spectrally coherent with the D14C Holocene record with a statistical confidence above 95%, as deter...

Purpose A life cycle assessment was conducted to determine a baseline for environmental impacts of cheddar and mozzarella cheese consumption. Product loss/waste, as well as consumer transport and storage, is included. The study scope was from cradle-to-grave with particular emphasis on unit operations under the control of typical cheese-processing plants. Methods SimaPro© 7.3 (PRé Consultants, The Netherlands, 2013) was used as the primary modeling software. The ecoinvent life cycle inventory database was used for background unit processes (Frischknecht and Rebitzer, J Cleaner Prod 13(13-14): [1337][1338][1339][1340][1341][1342][1343] 2005), modified to incorporate US electricity (EarthShift 2012). Operational data was collected from 17 cheese-manufacturing plants representing 24 % of mozzarella production and 38 % of cheddar production in the USA. Incoming raw milk, cream, or dry milk solids were allocated to coproducts by mass of milk solids. Plant-level engineering assessments of allocation fractions were adopted for major inputs such as electricity, natural gas, and chemicals. Revenue-based allocation was applied for the remaining in-plant processes. Results and discussion Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are of significant interest. For cheddar, as sold at retail (63.2 % milk solids), the carbon footprint using the IPCC 2007 factors is 8.60 kg CO 2 e/kg cheese consumed with a 95 % confidence interval (CI) of 5.86-12.2 kg CO 2 e/kg. For mozzarella, as sold at retail (51.4 % milk solids), the carbon footprint is 7.28 kg CO 2 e/kg mozzarella consumed, with a 95 % CI of 5.13-9.89 kg CO 2 e/kg. Normalization of the results based on the IMPACT 2002+ life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework suggests that nutrient emissions from both the farm and manufacturing facility wastewater treatment represent the most significant relative impacts across multiple environmental midpoint indicators. Raw milk is the major contributor to most impact categories; thus, efforts to reduce milk/cheese loss across the supply chain are important. Conclusions On-farm mitigation efforts around enteric methane, manure management, phosphorus and nitrogen runoff, and pesticides used on crops and livestock can also significantly reduce impacts. Water-related impacts such as depletion and eutrophication can be considered resource management issues-specifically of water quantity and nutrients. Thus, all opportunities for water conservation should be evaluated, and cheese manufacturers, while not having direct control over crop irrigation, the largest water consumption activity, can investigate the water use efficiency of the milk they procure. The regionalized normalization, based on annual US per capita cheese consumption, showed that eutrophication represents the largest relative impact driven by phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields and emissions associated with whey-processing wastewater. Therefore, incorporating best practices around phosphorous and nitrogen management could yield improvements.

Summary-The influence of NaCl and reduced pH was determined for aminopeptidase, lipase/esterase and methanethiol-producing capability in selected lactic acid bacteria and brevibacteria in simulated cheese-like conditions. The observations on simulated cheese-like conditions were confirmed in 60% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. The activity of each enzyme decreased with NaCI addition and when the pH was reduced to approximate Cheddar chee se conditions (5% NaCI, pH 5.2). Residual intracellular aminopeptidase activity was dominated by general aminopeptidase activity (aminopeptidase N and/or aminopeptidase C) in laboratory, simulated cheese-like conditions, and 60% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese curd. During chee se aging, totallipase/esterase activity peaked at 120 d then decreased, ev en though starter culture populations remained high. Methanethiol-producing capability occurred under cheese-like conditions in whole cells, but not in cell-free extracts. Met and Met-containing peptides induced methanethiol-producing capability for 2-3 generations and could be re-induced later in the growth cycle of Brevibacterium linens BL2. Aminopeptidase and lipase/esterase activity in reduced fat cheese were not correlated to an increase in Cheddar-type flavar, but a culture's methanethiol-producing capability was associated with higher chee se consumer preference scores. Results suggest that use of cheese-like conditions may aid in selecting cultures to cheddar cheese / ripenlng / flavor /Iactococcus /Iactobacillus / brevibacterlum / methanethiol production Résumé -Influence du NaCI et du pH sur les enzymes intracellulaires qui affectent l'affinage du cheddar. L'influence du NaCI et d'une réduction du pH a été déterminée sur les ami nopeptidases, les lipases/esterases, ainsi que l'aptitude à produire du méthanéthiol de bactéries lactiques et de brevibactéries sélectionnées dans des conditions de fabrications fromagères simulées. Les observations, dans ces conditions, étaient confirmées, dans le cas du cheddar à teneur en matières grasses réduites de 60 %. Les activités de chaque enzyme diminuaient avec l'addition de NaCI et lorsque le pH était abaissé à des niveaux proches des conditions de fabrication du cheddar (NaCI5 % et pH 5,2). L'activité aminopeptidasique intracellulaire résiduelle était dominée par l'activité aminopeptidasique générale (aminopeptidase Net/ou aminopeptidase C) au laboratoire, en conditions fromagères simulées, et dans un caillé de cheddar à teneur en MG réduite de 60 %. Pendant le vieillissement des fromages, l'activité totale lipase/esterase atteignait un pic à 120 jours puis diminuait, même si les populations de levains demeuraient élevées. L'aptitude à produire du métha-néthiol se manifestait en conditions fromagères simulées dans les cellules entières, mais non dans les extraits dépourvus de cellules. Les peptides Met et Met-contenant induisaient une aptitude à produire du méthanéthiol sur deux ou trois générations, et pouvaient être réinduits ultérieurement dans le cycle de croissance de Brevibactérium lin...

No abstract

No abstract

The objective of this review is to summarize research efforts and case studies to date of the environmental impacts from dairy processing. The pervasiveness of greenhouse gas emission, water use, consumer waste, and other environmental impacts of dairy are described. An outline of the method of choice, the life cycle assessment, for conducting research and deciding appropriate allocation of the impacts is provided. Specific research examples in dairy processing highlight how the representative final product is associated with environmental impacts to air, water, and land. The primary conclusion from the study was the usefulness of life cycle assessment methodology and the need for further research due to limited studies, variable data, and the magnitude of environmental impact.