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Grape marc is a waste product produced during the winemaking process. The enormous volume of wine production worldwide creates a significant amount of grape marc each year. It is rich in nutrients and has excellent antioxidant properties. Lactic acid fermentation is a popular food preparation method, and by using grape marc as a substrate for fermentation, the pomace is preserved and the health benefits are improved, thus being a potentially valuable method that allows efficient management of pomace. This review describes the nutritional value of grape marc, the conditions necessary to ferment grape marc using lactic acid bacteria, and the characteristic chemical changes that occur during fermentation. Furthermore, it describes the research prospects for producing novel functional foods or products by interacting strains with phytochemicals in grape marc. More research is needed to optimize the use of starter cultures, improve fermentation efficiency, and develop sustainable processes.

Phylogenomic data provide valuable opportunities for studying evolutionary rates and timescales. These analyses require theoretical and statistical tools based on molecular clocks. We present ClockstaRX, a flexible platform for exploring and testing evolutionary rate signals in phylogenomic data. Here, information about evolutionary rates in branches across gene trees is placed in Euclidean space, allowing data transformation, visualization, and hypothesis testing. ClockstaRX implements formal tests for identifying groups of loci and branches that make a large contribution to patterns of rate variation. This information can then be used to test for drivers of genomic evolutionary rates or to inform models for molecular dating. Drawing on the results of a simulation study, we recommend forms of data exploration and filtering that might be useful prior to molecular-clock analyses.

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of height-adjustable desks in combination with prompts to break up prolonged sitting time during class time and identified social and motivational factors associated with breaking up sitting time among adolescents. Teachers’ perceptions of strategies were also examined. Methods: Over 17 weeks, 1 classroom in a government secondary school in Melbourne, Australia, was equipped with 27 height-adjustable desks and prompts (posters and desk stickers) to break up classroom sitting time. Teachers received professional development in the use of the desks and prompts. One group of adolescents (n = 55) had 2–5 lessons/week using the height-adjustable desks in an intervention classroom, and a comparison group matched by year level and subject (n = 50) was taught in traditional “seated” classrooms. Adolescents wore an activPAL monitor at baseline (T0), 4 weeks (T1), and 17 weeks (T2) and completed a survey at T0 and T2. Six teachers participated in interviews at T2. Effect sizes were calculated (d). Results: Linear mixed models found that, compared to the traditional “seated” classrooms, the adolescents in the intervention classroom had significantly lower sitting time (T1: –9.7 min/lesson, d = –0.96; T2: –6.7 min/lesson, d = –0.70) and time spent in sitting bouts >15 min (T2: –11.2 min/lesson, d = –0.62), and had significantly higher standing time (T1: 7.3 min/lesson, d = 0.84; T2: 5.8 min/lesson, d = 0.91), number of breaks from sitting (T1: 1.3 breaks/lesson, d = 0.49; T2: 1.8 breaks/lesson, d = 0.67), and stepping time (T1: 2.5 min/lesson, d = 0.66). Intervention classroom adolescents reported greater habit strength (d = 0.58), self-efficacy for breaking up sitting time (d = 0.75), and indicated that having a teacher/classmate remind them to stand as helpful (d = 0.50). Conclusion: This intervention shows promise for targeting sitting behaviors in the classroom and indicates that incorporating social and motivationa

Cellphones are considered as one of the needs and not as a want. It can distract teachers during the discussion and can cause disputes between teachers and students. The main concept of this study is to know if cellphones have a positive or negative impact on the students. The study observed that using cellphones help the students improve their academic performance. The researchers cited four variables such as study habits, behavior and attitude, and time management. A qualitative research method was used in this study. Using the descriptive research method, it focused on the assessment of Grade 12 Accountancy, Business and Management students. The researchers used four variables to determine the effects of using cellphones on academic performance such as Study habit, Behavior, Attitude and Time management. The data was collected by distributing survey questionnaires to the potential respondents using convenience sampling wherein the respondents were selected based on their availability to participate and join the study. The results of the study revealed that cellphone use affects the Academic performance of the grade 12 Accountancy, Business and management students in terms of the following variables: (1) Study Habit-shows that using Cellphones helped the students in their academic performance; (2) Behavior-shows that using cellphones helped the students to lessen their stress; (3) Attitude-shows that the use of cellphones made students comfortable; (4) Time Management-shows that students spend most of their time using cellphones rather than reading books. The results determined the Effects of cellphone use. This affects their academic performance. This study recommends that school administrators must provide a discussion about using cellphones and the study recommends the teachers ban cellphone use inside the classroom to avoid distractions on the discussion.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) founder mutation R304* (or p.R304* ; NM_003977.3:c.910C>T, p.Arg304Ter) identified in Northern Ireland (NI) predisposes to acromegaly/gigantism; its population health impact remains unexplored. We measured R304* carrier frequency in 936 Mid Ulster, 1,000 Greater Belfast (both in NI) and 2,094 Republic of Ireland (ROI) volunteers and in 116 NI or ROI acromegaly/gigantism patients. Carrier frequencies were 0.0064 in Mid Ulster (95%CI = 0.0027-0.013; P = 0.0005 vs. ROI), 0.001 in Greater Belfast (0.00011-0.0047) and zero in ROI (0-0.0014). R304* prevalence was elevated in acromegaly/gigantism patients in NI (11/87, 12.6%, P < 0.05), but not in ROI (2/29, 6.8%) versus non-Irish patients (0-2.41%). Haploblock conservation supported a common ancestor for all the 18 identified Irish pedigrees (81 carriers, 30 affected). Time to most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) was 2550 (1,275-5,000) years. tMRCA-based simulations predicted 432 (90-5,175) current carriers, including 86 affected (18-1,035) for 20% penetrance. In conclusion, R304* is frequent in Mid Ulster, resulting in numerous acromegaly/gigantism cases. tMRCA is consistent with historical/folklore accounts of Irish giants. Forward simulations predict many undetected carriers; geographically targeted population screening improves asymptomatic carrier identification, complementing clinical testing of patients/relatives. We generated disease awareness locally, necessary for early diagnosis and improved outcomes of AIP-related disease.

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of feedlot production systems with and without the use of a β-adrenergic agonist compared to an all-natural production program on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. Crossbred beef steers (n = 336; initial BW = 379 ± 8 kg) were randomized to 1 of 3 treatments in a randomized complete block design (RCBD; 14 steers/pen; 8 pens/treatment). Treatments consisted of an all-natural treatment (NAT), a conventional treatment (CONV), and a conventional treatment with a β-agonist (CONV-Z). All treatments were fed the same basal diet with NAT cattle receiving no growth promoting technologies. The CONV and CONV-Z cattle were implanted with 40 mg of estradiol and 200 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA) on d 0 and were fed 33 and 9 mg/kg of monensin and tylosin daily, respectively. The CONV-Z cattle were fed zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) at 6.76 mg/kg (90% DM basis) for the last 20 days on feed (DOF) There was no effect of treatment on DMI (P = 0.83); however, CONV-Z steers gained 3.8% faster (1.64 vs. 1.58 kg/d; P < 0.01) and were 5.3% more efficient (0.160 vs. 0.152; P < 0.01) than CONV steers, and CONV steers gained 32.8% faster (1.58 vs. 1.19 kg/d; P < 0.01) and were 26.7% more efficient (0.152 vs. 0.120; P < 0.01) than NAT steers. There was a 35.7% improvement in estimated carcass gain (1.29 vs. 0.95 kg/d; P < 0.01) and a 32.6% improvement in carcass efficiency (0.126 vs. 0.095; P < 0.01) for CONV-Z steers compared to NAT steers. Hot carcass weight was increased by 8 kg for CONV-Z steers compared to CONV steers (394 vs. 386 kg; P = 0.05) and 46 kg compared to NAT steers (394 vs. 348 kg; P < 0.01). Longissimus muscle area was increased by 3.6 cm2 for CONV-Z steers compared to CONV steers (92.29 vs. 88.67 cm2; P = 0.02) and 12.1 cm2 for CONV-Z steers compared to NAT steers (92.29 vs. 80.16 cm2; P < 0.01), resulting in a 9.6% unit increase in USDA yield grade (YG) 1 (15.14 vs. 5.52%; P < 0.05) and a 21.6% unit redu

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) were widespread in Egypt until the eighteenth century. Today the species is extinct in modern Egypt but millions of mummified specimens are scattered geographically in dedicated Ibis burial sites throughout the country. Ibises were regarded as physical manifestations of the god Thoth and worshiped by the ancient Egyptians. A small number of Sacred Ibis were chosen as 'sacred animals', based on physical markings, and were reared for the temples. However, the majority of the mummified Sacred Ibis were 'votive animals' that were given as offerings to the deities by pilgrims, and then buried in catacombs associated with the temple. Their supply became an industry that is thought to have flourished from the Late Period, well into the Roman Period (c. 664 BC to AD 350). Dating of the Sacred Ibis mummies, as well as other mummified animal specimens, has been based on archaeological evidence such as the age of catacombs, the design of enclosures and the shape of the mummy containers (pottery jars, wooden chests or stone boxes). Here we present the first ages of a selection of Sacred Ibis mummies using 14C methods in order to establish how closely they match the archaeological chronology. Dates are reported from museum samples provenience from Saqqara, Roda and Thebes. Our 14C radiocarbon results date the Ibis mummies between c. 450 and 250cal BC and represent a short period of time. Those dates are falling from the Late Period to the Ptolemaic Period at maximum. Surprisingly, none of the samples were dated to the Roman era.