Focusing on fatty acid profile in milk from different species after in vitro digestion

We report the fatty acid profile of raw milk and of the corresponding digested milk from different sources (human milk, formula milk and donkey, bovine, ovine and caprine milk) to gain information on the nutritional quality of different milk sources in infant nutrition.Short chain fatty acids (SC-FA) were higher in bovine and caprine milk, intermediate in ovine and donkey and lower in human and formula milk. Medium chain fatty acids (MC-FA) showed the highest values for bovine and caprine milk and the lowest for donkey and formula milk, whereas long chain fatty acids (LC-FA) were the highest in donkey and formula milk and intermediate in human milk.The percentage distribution of fatty acids liberated after in vitro digestion did not reflect the patterns found in the corresponding milk sources. In particular, MC free fatty acids (MC-FFA) showed the highest and the lowest values in donkey and in formula milk, LC-FFA showed the highest value in human milk. The total FFA was highest in human milk, lowest in formula milk and intermediate in donkey, bovine, ovine, and caprine milk

Adaptive Control Based on Retrospective Cost Optimization

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/83558/1/AIAA-46741-507.pd

Botulinum toxin type a reconstituted with lidocaine: A report of 1000 consecutive cases

(1) Background: There is an increasing demand for a reversal of the aging process and, nowadays, more patients are seeking minimally invasive methods instead of surgery to meet this goal. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the predictability of the off-label aesthetic use of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) reconstituted with lidocaine. (2) Methods: One thousand treatments, between January 2010 and January 2020, with BoNTA reconstituted with lidocaine for the rejuvenation of the upper third of the face, were performed and retrospectively evaluated. (3) Results: A few seconds after the BoNTA injections, the effect of muscle paralysis was seen in all cases; this allowed providing an optimal symmetric result with no need for a touch-up procedure at the control after three weeks. A burning sensation during the injections was claimed by almost all patients. Major complications were not registered. No touch-up procedures were required. (4) Conclusions: The results of this study show how the reconstitution of BoNTA with lidocaine may avoid imperfect results after the injections; the immediate feedback on the extent of paralysis to be expected from the chemodenervation action of BoNTA allows the physician to have immediate control of the final result

A Parallel Monte-Carlo Tree Search-Based Metaheuristic For Optimal Fleet Composition Considering Vehicle Routing Using Branch & Bound

In this paper, a Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS)-based metaheuristic is developed that guides a Branch & Bound (B&B) algorithm to find the globally optimal solution to the heterogeneous fleet composition problem while considering vehicle routing. Fleet Size and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (FSMVRPTW). The metaheuristic and exact algorithms are implemented in a parallel hybrid optimization algorithm where the metaheuristic rapidly finds feasible solutions that provide candidate upper bounds for the B&B algorithm which runs simultaneously. The MCTS additionally provides a candidate fleet composition to initiate the B&B search. Experiments show that the proposed approach results in significant improvements in computation time and convergence to the optimal solution.Comment: Submitted to the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium 202

Proliferative and apoptotic pathways in the testis of quail coturnix coturnix during the seasonal reproductive cycle

The quail Coturnix coturnix is a seasonal breeding species, with the annual reproductive cycle of its testes comprising an activation phase and a regression phase. Our previous results have proven that the testicular levels of both 17β‐estradiol (E2) and androgens are higher during the reproductive period compared to the non‐reproductive period, which led us to hypothesize that estrogens and androgens may act synergistically to initiate spermatogenesis. The present study was, therefore, aimed to investigate the estrogen responsive system in quail testis in relation to the reproduction seasonality, with a focus on the molecular pathways elicited in both active and regressive quail testes. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that the expression of ERα, which is the predominant form of estrogen receptors in quail testis, was correlated with E2 concentration, suggesting that increased levels of E2‐induced ERα could play a key role in the resumption of spermatogenesis during the reproductive period, when both PCNA and SYCP3, the mitotic and meiotic markers, respectively, were also increased. In the reproductive period we also found the activation of the ERK1/2 and Akt‐1 kinase pathways and an increase in second messengers cAMP and cGMP levels. In the non‐reproductive phase, when the E2/ERα levels were low, the inactivation of ERK1/2 and Akt‐1 pathways favored apoptotic events due to an increase in the levels of Bax and cytochrome C, with a consequent regression of the gonad

The beneficial effects of TAVI in mitral insufficiency.

Background Although everolimus potentially improves long-term heart transplantation (HTx) outcomes, its early postoperative safety profile had raised concerns and needs optimization. Methods This 6-month, open-label, multicenter randomized trial was designed to compare the cumulative incidence of a primary composite safety endpoint comprising wound healing delays, pericardial effusion, pleural effusion needing drainage, and renal insufficiency events (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤30/mL/min per 1.73 m2) in de novo HTx recipients receiving immediate everolimus (EVR-I) (≤144 hours post-HTx) or delayed everolimus (EVR-D) (4-6 weeks post-HTx with mycophenolate mofetil as a bridge) with reduced-dose cyclosporine A. Cumulative incidence of biopsy-proven rejection ≥ 2R, rejection with hemodynamic compromise, graft loss, or death was the secondary composite efficacy endpoint. Results Overall, 181 patients were randomized to the EVR-I (n = 89) or EVR-D (n = 92) arms. Incidence of primary safety endpoint was higher for EVR-I than EVR-D arm (44.9% vs 32.6%; P = 0.191), mainly driven by a higher rate of pericardial effusion (33.7% vs 19.6%; P = 0.04); wound healing delays, acute renal insufficiency events, and pleural effusion occurred at similar frequencies in the study arms. Efficacy failure was not significantly different in EVR-I arm versus EVR-D arm (37.1% vs 28.3%; P = 0.191). Three patients in the EVR-I arm and 1 in the EVR-D arm died. Incidence of clinically significant adverse events leading to discontinuation was higher in EVR-I arm versus EVR-D arm (P = 0.02). Conclusions Compared with immediate initiation, delayed everolimus initiation appeared to provide a clinically relevant early safety benefit in de novo HTx recipients, without compromising efficacy. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc

Superoxide dismutase-1 intracellular content in T lymphocytes associates with increased regulatory T cell level in multiple sclerosis subjects undergoing immune-modulating treatment

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in the T-cell activation processes. ROS-dependent regulatory networks are usually mediated by peroxides, which are more stable and able to freely migrate inside cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1 represents the major physiological intracellular source of peroxides. We found that antigen-dependent activation represents a triggering element for SOD-1 production and secretion by human T lymphocytes. A deranged T-cell proinflammatory response characterizes the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We previously observed a decreased SOD-1 intracellular content in leukocytes of MS individuals at diagnosis, with increasing amounts of such enzyme after interferon (IFN)-b 1b treatment. Here, we analyzed in depth SOD-1 intracellular content in T cells in a cohort of MS individuals undergoing immune-modulating treatment. Higher amounts of the enzyme were associated with increased availability of regulatory T cells (Treg) prefer-entially expressing Foxp3-exon 2 (Foxp3-E2), as described for effective Treg. In vitro administration of recombinant human SOD-1 to activated T cells, significantly increased their IL-17 production, while SOD-1 molecules lacking dismutase activity were unable to interfere with cytokine production by activated T cells in vitro. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide addition was observed to mimic, in vitro, the SOD-1 effect on IL-17 production. These data add SOD-1 to the molecules involved in the molecular pathways contributing to re-shaping the T-cell cytokine profile and Treg differentiation

Retrospective-Cost Adaptive Control of Uncertain Hammerstein-Wiener Systems with Memoryless and Hysteretic Nonlinearities

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97108/1/AIAA2012-4449.pd

p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K mediates cAMP–PKA and estrogens biological effects on growth and survival

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