Comparison of Patient-reported Outcomes after Implant Versus Autologous Tissue Breast Reconstruction Using the BREAST-Q

Background: The demand for reconstructive breast procedures of various types has accelerated in recent years. Coupled with increased patient expectations, it has fostered the development of oncoplastic and reconstructive techniques in breast surgery. In the setting of postmastectomy reconstruction, patient satisfaction and quality of life are the most significant outcome variables when evaluating surgical success. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life after implant breast reconstruction compared with autologous breast reconstruction. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 65 women who had completed postmastectomy implant-based or autologous reconstruction in the participating center were asked to complete the BREAST-Q (Reconstruction Module). Results: Data analysis demonstrated that women with autologous breast reconstruction were significantly more satisfied with their breasts (P = 0.0003) and with the overall outcome (P = 0.0001) compared with women with implant breast reconstruction. All other BREAST-Q parameters that were considered and observed were not significantly different between the 2 patient groups. Conclusions: Through statistical analysis, our results showed that patients who underwent autologous tissue reconstruction had better satisfaction with the reconstructed breast and the outcome, while both techniques appear to equally improve psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being, and chest satisfaction

Evolving prion-like tau conformers differentially alter postsynaptic proteins in neurons inoculated with distinct isolates of Alzheimer’s disease tau

OBJECTIVES: Although accumulation of misfolded tau species has been shown to predict cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies but with the remarkable diversity of clinical manifestations, neuropathology profiles, and time courses of disease progression remaining unexplained by current genetic data. We considered the diversity of misfolded tau conformers present in individual AD cases as an underlying driver of the phenotypic variations of AD and progressive loss of synapses. METHODS: To model the mechanism of tau propagation and synaptic toxicity of distinct tau conformers, we inoculated wild-type primary mouse neurons with structurally characterized Sarkosyl-insoluble tau isolates from the frontal cortex of six AD cases and monitored the impact for fourteen days. We analyzed the accumulation rate, tau isoform ratio, and conformational characteristics of de novo-induced tau aggregates with conformationally sensitive immunoassays, and the dynamics of synapse formation, maintenance, and their loss using a panel of pre-and post-synaptic markers. RESULTS: At the same concentrations of tau, the different AD tau isolates induced accumulation of misfolded predominantly 4-repeat tau aggregates at different rates in mature neurons, and demonstrated distinct conformational characteristics corresponding to the original AD brain tau. The time-course of the formation of misfolded tau aggregates and colocalization correlated with significant loss of synapses in tau-inoculated cell cultures and the reduction of synaptic connections implicated the disruption of postsynaptic compartment as an early event. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained with mature neurons expressing physiological levels and adult isoforms of tau protein demonstrate markedly different time courses of endogenous tau misfolding and differential patterns of post-synaptic alterations. These and previous biophysical data argue for an ensemble of various misfolded tau aggregates in individual AD brains and template propagation of their homologous conformations in neurons with different rates and primarily postsynaptic interactors. Modeling tau aggregation in mature differentiated neurons provides a platform for investigating divergent molecular mechanisms of tau strain propagation and for identifying common structural features of misfolded tau and critical interactors for new therapeutic targets and approaches in AD

Distinct populations of highly potent TAU seed conformers in rapidly progressing Alzheimer's disease

Although genetic factors play a main role in determining the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), they do not explain extensive spectrum of clinicopathological phenotypes. Deposits of aggregated TAU proteins are one of the main predictors of cognitive decline in AD. We investigated the hypothesis that variabilities in AD progression could be due to diverse structural assemblies (strains) of TAU protein. Using sensitive biophysical methods in 40 patients with AD and markedly different disease durations, we identified populations of distinct TAU particles that differed in size, structural organization, and replication rate in vitro and in cell assay. The rapidly replicating, distinctly misfolded TAU conformers found in rapidly progressive AD were composed of ~80% misfolded four-repeat (4R) TAU and ~20% of misfolded 3R TAU isoform with the same conformational signatures. These biophysical observations suggest that distinctly misfolded population of 4R TAU conformers drive the rapid decline in AD and imply that effective therapeutic strategies might need to consider not a singular species but a cloud of differently misfolded TAU conformers

An improved ultrasound-assisted extraction process of gossypol acetic acid from cottonseed soapstock

To investigate the extracted process of gossypol acetic acid (G-AA) from cottonseed soapstock and explore the improvement of its yield and purity, a novel ultrasound-assisted extraction and crystallization method was introduced to this process. Under the optimized conditions, preliminary G-AA with the yield of 1300 mg and the purity of 95.9% could be obtained from 100 g of fresh soapstock by ultrasound-assisted extraction. In addition, UV, IR, and NMR spectrum further confirmed the detailed chemical structure of G-AA. Assay of inhibiting human prostate tumor cell line PC-3 and human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 revealed its biological activity, the values of IC 50 are 9.096 Μmol/L and 14.37 Μmol/L respectively. In comparison with the conventional solvent extraction, this novel process increases the content of G-AA over 90%, reduces the time of crystallization by 75%, and retains the anticancer activity of gossypol. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61872/1/11700_ftp.pd

Expression and localization of AβPP in SH-SY5Y cells depends on differentiation state

Neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y, due to its capacity to differentiate into neurons, easy handling, and low cost, is a common experimental model to study molecular events leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is prevalently used in its undifferentiated state, which does not resemble neurons affected by the disease. Here, we show that the expression and localization of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP), one of the key molecules involved in AD pathogenesis, is dramatically altered in SH-SY5Y cells fully differentiated by combined treatment with retinoic acid and BDNF. We show that insufficient differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells results in AβPP mislocalization

Pre-treatment and extraction techniques for recovery of added value compounds from wastes throughout the agri-food chain

The enormous quantity of food wastes discarded annually force to look for alternatives for this interesting feedstock. Thus, food bio-waste valorisation is one of the imperatives of the nowadays society. This review is the most comprehensive overview of currently existing technologies and processes in this field. It tackles classical and innovative physical, physico-chemical and chemical methods of food waste pre-treatment and extraction for recovery of added value compounds and detection by modern technologies and are an outcome of the COST Action EUBIS, TD1203 Food Waste Valorisation for Sustainable Chemicals, Materials and Fuels

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POLYSACCHARIDES-GLYCOSCIENCE, 2016

Turkey is the largest producers of hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.). Hazelnut skin: is a by-product from the hazelnut processing. The objective of the present workwas to isolate and characterize the non-cellulosic components of hazelnut skin and evaluate the classical and ultrasound extractions with respect to the yield, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the obtained polysaccharide fractions. The structure of pectic polysaccharides from the hot water extraction has been characterized by FT-IR and NMR. spectroscopic techniques

UV tagging leaves the structural integrity of an arabino-(4-0-methylglucurono)xylan polysaccharide unaffected

The ultracentrifuge is a useful tool for probing the effects of chemical or other types of substitution/mutation in macromolecules, although very few studies have been performed on polysaccharides. In this study we demonstrate that the substitution of hydroxyl groups on the polysaccharide xylan by p-carboxy-benzyl (CB) bromide groups has little observed effect on molecular weight and little apparent effect on conformation (as monitored by sedimentation velocity and intrinsic viscosity). Corn-cob arabino-(4-O-methylglucurono)xylan (AGX) and its chemically modified derivative CB-AGX were found to have intrinsic viscosities of (82.8 ± 0.4) ml/g and (77.6 ± 0.5) ml/g, respectively. Sedimentation coefficients, s20,w0, were calculated to be (1.72 ± 0.06) S and (1.77 ± 0.06) S and (weight-average) molecular weights, Mw, from sedimentation equilibrium were found to be (37000 ± 1500) g/mol and (40000 ± 3000) g/mol. From these results we concluded that the UV tagging of arabinoxylan AGX does not significantly change the structural integrity of the xylan molecule; however, the decrease in intrinsic viscosity may indicate a very slight conformational change. © Springer-Verlag 1999