Carbohydrates and performance

Our prior results showed that an acute bout of endurance exercise for 6 h, but not 1 h, decreased pancreatic amylase activity, indicating that acute endurance exercise may affect carbohydrate digestive capacity in an exercise duration-dependent manner. Here, we investigated the effects of acute endurance exercise of different intensities on mouse pancreatic amylase activity. Male C57BL/6J mice performed low- or high-intensity running exercise for 60 min at either 10 m/min (Ex-Low group) or 20 m/min (Ex-High group)...

The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition (δ18O, δ2H) of plant tissues are key tools for the reconstruction of hydrological and plant physiological processes and may therefore be used for disentangling reasons of tree mortality. However, how both elements respond to soil drought conditions before death have rarely been investigated. To test this, we performed a greenhouse study and determined predisposing fertilization and lethal soil drought effects on δ18O and δ2H values of organic matter (OM) in leaves and tree rings of living and dead saplings of five European tree species...

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in physiological processes by regulating the antioxidant defense system and enhancing immunity. Chromium is an essential mineral involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and also plays a role in maintaining normal insulin function. Based on these advantages, we hypothesized that the addition of selenomethionine (SeMet) and organic chromium (OC) to broiler diets would increase Se deposition, antioxidant capacity and immune response in meat...

The mesocarp (albedo) of passion fruit is considered a waste product but rich in soluble fibers, especially pectins. Biological activity and health benefits of pectins have recently emerged, especially in colorectal cancer and attenuating inflammation. Pectin conventional extraction often uses mineral acids, which can be hazardous to the environment, and alternatives can be costly. Here, we assessed a high-temperature and pressure method to extract pectin from the passion fruit albedo and evaluated the differences from the water-soluble fractions extracted...

Three size-fractionated samples of pine beetle-killed wood particles were used to prepare lightweight insulative foams. The foams were produced by foam-forming an aqueous slurry containing wood particles (125-1000 μm), a polymer binder, and surfactant, followed by oven drying. The effect of wood particle size on the aqueous foam stability, structure, and performance of insulative foams was investigated. While all aqueous foams were highly stable, aqueous foam stability increased with decreasing particle size...

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) solid electrolytes, acknowledged for their safety advantages over liquid counterparts, confront inherent challenges, including low ionic conductivity, restricted lithium ion migration, and mechanical fragility, notably pronounced in lithium‑sulfur batteries due to the polysulfide shuttling phenomenon. To address these limitations, we integrate a quaternary ammonium cation-modified cellulose (QACC) nanofiber, electrospun with cellulose acetate (CA) from recycled cigarette filters, into the PEO electrolyte matrix...

The sol performance of wheat starch (WS) matrix incorporating acetylated starch (AS) is crucial for the processing and quality features of wheat products. From a supramolecular structure view, how regulating salt (sodium chloride) concentration modulates the sol features, e.g., pasting, zero-shear viscosity (ZSV) and thixotropy of WS-AS binary matrix was explored. Compared to the salt-free counterpart, the saline matrices exhibited a delayed pasting profile and a decreased viscoelasticity. Thereinto, the sol at 0...

Chitosan (CS) polysaccharide is expected to exhibit greater ionic conductivity, which can be attributed to its increased amino group content when it is blended with different semiconducting materials. Herein, the work used this conducting ability of chitosan and prepared a heterogeneous MoS2 -induced magnetic chitosan (MF@CS) composite via the co-precipitation method, which was used to scrutinize the catalytic performance with Methylene Blue (MB) and Malachite Green (MG) dyes by visible light irradiation. The saturation magnetization value of the MF@CS composite is found to be 7...

Inspired by creatures, abundant stimulus-responsive hydrogel actuators with diverse functionalities have been manufactured for applications in soft robotics. However, constructing a shape memory and self-sensing bilayer hydrogel actuator with high mechanical strength and strong interfacial bonding still remains a challenge. Herein, a novel bilayer hydrogel with a stimulus-responsive TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (TOCN/PNIPAM) layer and a non-responsive TOCN/polyacrylamide (TOCN/PAM) layer is proposed as a thermosensitive actuator...

Polyelectrolyte-based conductive hydrogels are being extensively explored for applications in energy storage and as electrode materials for batteries. We synthesized ionically crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC), esterified NaCMC, and Ca2+ doped esterified NaCMC hydrogels. This work aims to understand the effect of Ca2+ ions on the NaCMC and esterified NaCMC. FTIR, SEM, Rheology and EIS studies were performed to understand the structure and dynamics of hydrogels. Results confirmed that Ca2+ ions have an important role in determining the rheological and dielectric response of hydrogels...

Although conductive hydrogels have been widely developed currently, their low sensitivity and poor stability severely limited their practical application in flexible wearable devices. Herein, a green "stencil" anchoring strategy was proposed in this study to engineer an ultra-stable and supersensitive hydrogel by virtue of polydopamine decorating sodium alginate molecular chains as "stencil" to anchor polyaniline as conductive component. The dispersion of polyaniline was significantly improved by the sodium alginate "stencil" in the conductive hydrogel...

Metal-organic framework (MOF) particles are one of the most promising adsorbents for removing organic contaminants from wastewater. However, powder-type MOF particles face challenges in terms of utilization and recovery. In this study, a novel bead-type adsorbent was prepared using activated carbon based on the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (AC-ZIF-8) and a regenerated cellulose hydrogel for dye removal. AC-ZIF-8 particles with a large surface area were obtained by carbonization and chemical activation with KOH...

Cellulose nanofiber was an ideal candidate for humidity actuators based on its wide availability, biocompatibility and excellent hydrophilicity. However, conventional cellulose nanofiber-based actuators faced challenges like poor water resistance, flexibility, and sensitivity. Herein, water-resistant, flexible, and highly sensitive cross-linked cellulose nanofibers (CCNF) single-layer humidity actuators with remarkable reversible humidity responsiveness were prepared by combining the green click chemistry modification and intercalation modulated plasticization (IMP)...

As a contribution to expand accessibility in the territory of bio-based nanomaterials, we demonstrate a novel material strategy to convert amorphous xylan preserved in wood biomass to hierarchical assemblies of crystalline nanoxylan on a multi-length scale. By reducing the end group in pressurized hot water extracted (PHWE) xylan to primary alcohol as a xylitol form with borohydride reduction, the endwise-peeling depolymerization is effectively impeded in the alkali-catalyzed hydrolytic cleavage of side substitutions in xylan...

Recently, attention has been paid to cellulose nanofibers, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCN), as new bio-based materials. In addition, hydrophobized surface on TOCNs can be expected to provide new applications. Based on our previous finding that partially 2-deoxygenated (P2D)-amylose, which was synthesized by GP-catalyzed enzymatic copolymerization of D-glucal with α-d-glucose 1-phosphate (Glc-1-P) as comonomers, was hydrophobic, in this study, hydrophobization of surfaces on TOCNs was investigated by the GP-catalyzed enzymatic grafting of P2D-amylose chains on TOCNs...

The study aimed to assess the impact of feeding Bengal gram residual forage-based pelleted Total Mixed Ration (TMR) with varying concentrate (C) to roughage (R) ratios on feed intake, nutrient utilization, growth, and carcass characteristics in Barbari kids. Sixteen weaned male Barbari kids (av. age, 233 ± 11 days; weight, 13.86 ± 0.76 kg) were divided into two groups (T1 and T2 ), each receiving different pelleted diets (TMR) with distinct concentrate to roughage ratios (T1 with 60:40; T2 with 40:60)...

Knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying species vulnerability to drought is critical to better understand patterns of tree mortality. Investigating plant adaptive strategies to drought should thus help to fill this knowledge gap, especially in tropical rainforests exhibiting high functional diversity. In a semi-controlled drought experiment on 12 rainforest tree species, we investigated the diversity in hydraulic strategies and whether they determined the ability of saplings to use stored non-structural carbohydrates during an extreme imposed drought...

We assessed the effect of a dietary pattern rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), protein and fibers, without emphasizing energy restriction, on visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and cardiometabolic risk profile. Within the 36-months randomized controlled NutriAct trial, we randomly assigned 502 participants (50-80 years) to an intervention or control group (IG, CG). The dietary pattern of the IG includes high intake of mono-/polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA/PUFA 15-20% E/10-15% E), predominantly plant protein (15-25% E) and fiber (≥30 g/day)...

BACKGROUND: Microalgae like Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) contain the carotenoid, fucoxanthin, which has been purported to promote fat loss, lower blood lipids, and improve glucose management. This study examined whether dietary supplementation with microalgae extracts from PT containing 4.4 mg/d of fucoxanthin affects changes in body composition or health markers in overweight women during an exercise and diet intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 37 females (28...

The increased life expectancy and the occurrence of premature menopause prolong the mean postmenopausal phase in women's lifespans. Although the roles of poor socioeconomic status (SES), anthropometric characteristics, and nutritional status in premature menopause and the health of postmenopausal women are well understood, the differences in nutritional status and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in postmenopausal women depending on their menopause age are less explored. Furthermore, the association between SES and MetS risk in postmenopausal women is not studied...