Essential Amino Acid Quality Profile in Neglected and Underutilized Legumes (NULs)

A large number of consumers use plant-based products instead of animal-based products for their nourishment. This calls for a thorough investigation of the capacity of NULs to supply nutrients such as amino acids. Five different NULs protein extracts were profiled to ascertain the presence of the essential amino acids. In order to evaluate the quality, the essential amino acids from each of the NULs were matched against the standard FAO/WHO dietary indispensable amino acids for infants, children and adults. It was found that two of the NULs; Vigna sp. and Phaseolus sp. were the most promising, out of the five studied. Vigna sp. could supply adequate quantities of histidine (26.2 mg/g) for all the three age groups. However, isoleucine (35.9 mg/g) and the aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine + tyrosine) (94 mg/g) can supply adequate quantities for only children and adults. Lysine (53.6 mg/g) and threonine (44 mg/g) on the other hand, could be adequately supplied by Phaseolus sp. for at least, the adults’ requirement. If the digestibilities of the two NULs proteins were evaluated to ascertain the levels of the post-prandial amino acids, and the two NULs were complimented with cereals, the NULs flour could eventually supply the essential amino acids for consumers who use them as food. Keywords: Essential amino acids, Quality, Neglected legumes

Aflatoxin-Related Immune Dysfunction in Health and in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease

Both aflatoxin and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cause immune suppression and millions of HIV-infected people in developing countries are chronically exposed to aflatoxin in their diets. We investigated the possible interaction of aflatoxin and HIV on immune suppression by comparing immune parameters in 116 HIV positive and 80 aged-matched HIV negative Ghanaians with high (≥0.91 pmol/mg albumin) and low (<0.91 pmol/mg albumin) aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct (AF-ALB) levels. AF-ALB levels and HIV viral load were measured in plasma and the percentages of leukocyte immunophenotypes and cytokine expression were determined using flow cytometry. The cross-sectional comparisons found that (1) among both HIV positive and negative participants, high AF-ALB was associated with lower perforin expression on CD8+ T-cells (P = .012); (2) HIV positive participants with high AF-ALB had significantly lower percentages of CD4+ T regulatory cells (Tregs; P = .009) and naive CD4+ T cells (P = .029) compared to HIV positive participants with low AF-ALB; and (3) HIV positive participants with high AF-ALB had a significantly reduced percentage of B-cells (P = .03) compared to those with low AF-ALB. High AF-ALB appeared to accentuate some HIV associated changes in T-cell phenotypes and in B-cells in HIV positive participants

Capgras Syndrome: A Novel Probe for Understanding the Neural Representation of the Identity and Familiarity of Persons

Patients with Capgras syndrome regard people whom they know well such as their parents or siblings as imposters. Here we describe a case (DS) of this syndrome who presents several novel features. DS was unusual in that his delusion was modality-specific: he claimed that his parents were imposters when he was looking at them but not when speaking to them on the telephone. Unlike normals, DS's skin conductance responses to photographs of familiar people, including his parents, were not larger in magnitude than his responses to photographs of unfamiliar people. We suggest that in this patient connections from face-processing areas in the temporal lobe to the limbic system have been damaged, a loss which may explain why he calls his parents imposters. In addition, DS was very poor at judging gaze direction. Finally, when presented with a sequence of photographs of the same model's face looking in different directions, DS asserted that they were "different women who looked just like each other'. In the absence of limbic activation, DS creates separate memory "files' of the same person, apparently because he is unable to extract and link the common denominator of successive episodic memories. Thus, far from being a medical curiosity. Capgras syndrome may help us to explore the formation of new memories caught in flagrante delicto

Therapeutic targeting of integrin αvβ6 in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Integrin ?v?6 promotes migration, invasion, and survival of cancer cells; however, the relevance and role of ?v?6 has yet to be elucidated in breast cancer.METHODS: Protein expression of integrin subunit beta6 (?6) was measured in breast cancers by immunohistochemistry (n &gt; 2000) and ITGB6 mRNA expression measured in the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium dataset. Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan Meier curves, and bioinformatics statistical analyses were performed (Cox proportional hazards model, Wald test, and Chi-square test of association). Using antibody (264RAD) blockade and siRNA knockdown of ?6 in breast cell lines, the role of ?v?6 in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) biology (expression, proliferation, invasion, growth in vivo) was assessed by flow cytometry, MTT, Transwell invasion, proximity ligation assay, and xenografts (n ? 3), respectively. A student's t-test was used for two variables; three-plus variables used one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni's Multiple Comparison Test. Xenograft growth was analyzed using linear mixed model analysis, followed by Wald testing and survival, analyzed using the Log-Rank test. All statistical tests were two sided.RESULTS: High expression of either the mRNA or protein for the integrin subunit ?6 was associated with very poor survival (HR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.19 to 2.15, P = .002) and increased metastases to distant sites. Co-expression of ?6 and HER2 was associated with worse prognosis (HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.16 to 3.35, P = .01). Monotherapy with 264RAD or trastuzumab slowed growth of MCF-7/HER2-18 and BT-474 xenografts similarly (P &lt; .001), but combining 264RAD with trastuzumab effectively stopped tumor growth, even in trastuzumab-resistant MCF-7/HER2-18 xenografts.CONCLUSIONS: Targeting ?v?6 with 264RAD alone or in combination with trastuzumab may provide a novel therapy for treating high-risk and trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer patients.<br/

NON-INVASIVE IN VIVU TEhlPERATURE MAPPING OF ULTRASOUND HEATING USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE TECHNIQUES

Abstract-A major problem with conventional methods of measuring heating in vhu is that they are invasive and therefore interfere with heat propagation. A sensitive non-invasi\v method for temperature measurement using in \ivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the temperature dependent chemical shift of the cobalt(II1) nucleus has been developed. Initial experiments demonstrate that this technique can be used to measure ultrasound induced temperature changes in the liver. Tris(ethy1enediamine) cobalt(II1) trichloride was encapsulated in liposomes and injected into seven rats. Heating was performed using a calibrated unfocused transducer operating at 3.41 MHz. After 5 minutes of CW ultrasound exposure, the chemical shift of the cobalt complex indicated that the temperature rise within the liver was 2.0k1.2 OC. This was seen to return to normal upon cessation of heating. The acoustic power was determined in a water bath using a calibrated hydrophone. Theoretical calculations based on the transducer calibration characteristics using the monopole-source solution for estimating tissue temperature increase yielded 2.0 OC based on steady state conditions. These results indicate that experimental values agree with the heating theory

Utilizing cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) for food and nutrition security: A review

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)The critical role of indigenous crops in the socioeconomic growth of developing nations has necessitated calls for accelerated exploitation of staples. Cocoyam, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, is food for over 400 million people worldwide and is the most consumed aroid in West Africa. However, it remains an underexploited food resource. This study reviews existing literature and also makes use of primary data from interviews with indigenous cocoyam farmers, processors, consumers, and cocoyam scientists in the research Institutes of Ghana, to provide insight into existing nomenclature of the species, indigenous knowledge on food uses, nutritional value, and potential novel food applications of cocoyam. Adaptable technologies in conformity to new trends in food science that could be employed for in‐depth molecular studies and further exploitation of the crop are also discussed. It is envisaged that the provided information would contribute to global efforts aimed at exploiting the full potential of indigenous crops for sustainable food and nutrition security.DANIDA (12-PO8-GH): Strengthening Roots and Tuber Value Chains in GhanaPeer Reviewe

Malaria, Intestinal Helminths and Other Risk Factors for Stillbirth in Ghana

Objective. The objective of the study was to assess Plasmodium/intestinal helminth infection in pregnancy and other risk factors for stillbirth in Ghana. Methods. A cross-sectional study of women presenting for delivery in two hospitals was conducted during November-December 2006. Data collected included sociodemographic information, medical and obstetric histories, and anthropometric measures. Laboratory investigations for the presence of Plasmodium falciparum and intestinal helminths, and tests for hemoglobin levels were also performed. Results. The stillbirth rate was relatively high in this population (5%). Most of the stillbirths were fresh and 24% were macerated. When compared to women with no malaria, women with malaria had increased risk of stillbirth (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2–9.3). Other factors associated with stillbirth were severe anemia, low serum folate concentration, past induced abortion, and history of stillbirth. Conclusion. The fact that most of the stillbirths were fresh suggests that higher quality intrapartum care could reduce stillbirth rates

Oestrogen receptor negative early operable primary breast cancer in older women—biological characteristics and long-term clinical outcome

BackgroundOlder women are at the greatest risk of breast cancer development and a considerable number present with comorbidities. Although the majority of breast cancers in this age group express oestrogen receptor (ER), which makes endocrine therapy (primary or adjuvant) feasible, given the huge size of the elderly population, there remains a significant number of patients, in absolute term, whose tumours do not express ER and their management is challenging.MethodsOf a consecutive series of 1,758 older (≥70 years) women with early operable primary breast cancer managed in a dedicated service from 1973–2010, 252(14.3%) had ER-negative (histochemical (H) score ≤50) tumours. Their clinical outcome was retrospectively reviewed and tumour samples collected from diagnostic core biopsies were analysed for progesterone receptor (PgR), HER2 and Ki67 using immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe commonest primary treatment was surgery (N = 194, 77%) followed by primary endocrine therapy (14.3%), primary radiotherapy (5.6%) and supportive treatment only (3.1%). Among the patients undergoing surgery, most of them had grade 3 (78.1%) and node-negative disease (62.2%). Some of them (21.1%) received postoperative radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 37.5 months, 117 patients had died, out of which 48.6% were due to breast cancer. For those who underwent surgery, the regional and local recurrence rates were 2% and 1.1% per annum respectively. For those who received primary endocrine therapy, 38% progressed at 6 months, however all patients who had primary radiotherapy achieved clinical benefit at 6 months. Regardless of treatment given, the 5-year breast cancer specific and overall survival rates were 70% and 50% respectively. Biological analysis based on good quality needle core biopsy specimensfrom181 patients showed that 26.8% (N = 49), 16.9% (N = 31) and 70.7% (N = 70)expressed positivity for PgR, HER2 and Ki67 respectively. No correlation between these biomarkers and breast cancer specific survival was demonstrated.ConclusionOestrogen receptor negative early operable primary breast cancer in older women is associated with poor prognostic features in terms of biology and clinical outcome. Surgery appears to produce the best outcome as a primary treatment, however for those where neither surgery nor chemotherapy is appropriate, primary radiotherapy can be beneficial

US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.Comment: 102 pages + reference