Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria with Potential to Design Natural Biofunctional Health-Promoting Dairy Foods

peer-reviewedConsumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional dairy foods. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as dietary supplements. However, the bioactive-enrichment of health-oriented foods by naturally occurring microorganisms during dairy fermentation is in increased demand. While participating in milk fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can be exploited in situ as microbial sources for naturally enriching dairy products with a broad range of bioactive components that may cover different health aspects. Several of these bioactive metabolites are industrially and economically important, as they are claimed to exert diverse health-promoting activities on the consumer, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, anti-cholesterolemic, or microbiome modulation. This review aims at discussing the potential of these health-supporting bacteria as starter or adjunct cultures for the elaboration of dairy foods with a broad spectrum of new functional properties and added value.This work was funded by the JPI Food Processing for Health funded by the LONGLIFE Project and the APC Microbiome Institute, a Centre for Science and Technology (CSET) funded by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), through the Irish Government’s National Development Plan. The authors are grateful to the University of León (León, Spain) for granting a Ph.D. fellowship to ER

ECONOMIC IMPACTS RESULTING FROM CO-FIRING BIOMASS FEEDSTOCKS IN SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAL-FIRED PLANTS

Economic impacts of using biomass in Southeast United States coal-fired plants are estimated using a county-level biomass database; ORCED, a dynamic electricity distribution model that estimates feedstock value; ORIBAS, a GIS model that estimates feedstock transportation costs; and IMPLAN, an input-output model that determines the impacts of co-firing on economic activity.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

C-Reactive Protein Gene Variants Are Associated with Postoperative C-reactive Protein Levels After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Background: Elevated baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Several CRP gene variants have been associated with altered baseline CRP levels in ambulatory populations. However, the influence of CRP gene variants on CRP levels during inflammatory states, such as surgery, is largely unexplored. We describe the association between candidate CRP gene variants and postoperative plasma CRP levels in patients undergoing primary, elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: Using a multicenter candidate gene association study design, we examined the association between seventeen candidate CRP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and inferred haplotypes, and altered postoperative CRP levels in 604 patients undergoing CABG surgery with CPB. Perioperative CRP levels were measured immediately prior to surgery, post-CPB and on postoperative days (POD) 1–4. Results: CRP levels were significantly elevated at all postoperative time points when compared with preoperative levels (P < 0.0001). After adjusting for clinical covariates, the minor allele of the synonymous coding SNP, rs1800947 was associated with lower peak postoperative CRP levels ($P = 2.4 × 10^{-4}$) and lower CRP levels across all postoperative time points ($P = 4.8 × 10^{-5}$). rs1800947 remained highly significant after Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusion: We identified a CRP gene SNP associated with lower postoperative CRP levels in patients undergoing CABG surgery with CPB. Further investigation is needed to clarify the significance of this association between CRP gene variants and the acute-phase rise in postoperative CRP levels with regard to the risk of adverse postoperative outcomes

XThe psychosocial impact of living with an ocular prosthesis

Objective: Many patients are satisfied with their ocular prosthesis, but some describe problems with social interactions, body image and self-esteem. Although both clinical practice and research suggest that the severity of a disfiguring condition does not predict distress, there has been little research with patients living with an ocular prosthesis. The objective was to explore the psychological impact of living with an artificial eye or cosmetic shell and determine the relationship between psychological well-being and clinical and psychosocial factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study between March and September 2008 at the ocular prosthesis clinic of Moorfields Eye Hospital, UK. The primary outcome measures were mood as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and appearance-related social anxiety and social avoidance, as measured by the Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS24). Results: Mean scores on the HADS and DAS24 were within normal range, but a considerable proportion of participants were experiencing significant levels of distress. Psychosocial adjustment was unrelated to most clinical and demographic variables, but was associated with a series of cognitive processes. Conclusions: Psychological variables, rather than clinical or demographic factors, are associated with how a patient adjusts to wearing an ocular prosthesis. Such factors might be amenable to change through psychosocial intervention

What are the psychosocial outcomes of treatment for thyroid eye disease? A systematic review

Background: Thyroid eye disease (TED) causes a number of esthetic and visual problems and its treatment requires close clinical assessment, often for several years. There is evidence to suggest that clinical factors are poor indicators of patient-reported outcomes after treatments that aim to improve appearance, vision, or both. Psychosocial factors can impact on both adjustment to living with TED and also patients’ perceptions of their improvements after treatment. There has been growing recognition that it is essential to evaluate treatment efficacy in terms of psychosocial outcomes but, to date, there has been no review that has systematically evaluated psychosocial outcomes following a variety of treatments for TED. Summary: Fifteen studies were included in the review and 6 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The studies varied greatly in methodological rigor; whilst major treatments such as surgery do improve quality of life outcomes, other non-invasive treatments such as intravenous steroids can have a similar impact and show long-term benefits. Only 3 studies reviewed orbital decompressive surgery which showed better psychosocial outcomes than other types of surgery. Conclusions: The effect of some treatments remains unclear due to poor methodology and poor reporting of results. Clinicians need to be aware when planning rehabilitative treatments such as surgery the influence of psychosocial factors on quality of life outcomes and the lack of a relationship with clinical factors such as disease severity

Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 32

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

A new species of the fish louse genus Dipteropeltis Calman, 1912 (Crustacea: Branchiura) from Peru

Dipteropeltis es un género poco descrito de piojo de los peces endémico de Sudamérica. En una pequeña región de aguas negras en Loreto, Perú, se observaron y recolectaron 13 especímenes adultos y juveniles de una especie no identificada de Dipteropeltis Calman, 1912, así como un espécimen adulto de D. hirundo Calman, 1912. Se adquirieron micrografías electrónicas y ópticas de barrido para examinar y medir características clave de estos especímenes. Las diferencias morfológicas con las dos especies conocidas de Dipteropeltis, D. hirundo y D. Dipteropeltis Neethling et al., 2014, indican que los especímenes recogidos representan una nueva especie. Dipteropeltis longicaudatus sp. nov. se distingue por sus lóbulos abdominales alargados, un caparazón en forma de cresta y unos maxilares de forma única. Un espécimen representa el branquiuro más largo documentado hasta la fecha, con 31,5 mm. Además, se proporcionan los primeros datos de secuencia para este género utilizando códigos de barras de ADN, lo que corrobora la designación de una nueva especie. También se grabaron vídeos que documentan comportamientos como la fijación al hospedero, la pulsación de los lóbulos abdominales, el "desplazamiento" del disco de succión y la natación. Los hallazgos tienen implicaciones para sus hospederos teleósteos, Triportheus albus Cope, 1872 y Brycon amazonicus Spix & Agassiz, 1829, siendo este último una especie crítica para la acuicultura y la pesca comercial en la Amazonia.Revisión por pares