Effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the quality and bioactive compounds of Chinese cabbage (Brasicca rapa L. ssp. chinensis)

BACKGROUND : The perishability of Brassica chinensis poses a major challenge to distribution and marketing. The aim of this work was to select a suitable modified atmosphere packaging to retain the overall quality and bioactive compounds during storage. RESULTS : Four types of biorientated polypropylene packaging (BOPP) – BOPP03, BOPP04, BOPP05 and BOPP06 – with different perforations were evaluated regarding the maintenance of quality parameters (weight loss, leaf yellowing, colour L*, C*, h°), decay, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, bioactive compounds (carotenoids, ascorbic acid, total phenolic compounds), antioxidant scavenging activity, overall appearance and odour evaluation, at 10°C at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. Leaves were packed in BOPP (two 2-mm holes) and packed and unpacked leaves were included for comparison. The modified atmosphere created (2% O2 and 7% CO2) inside the BOPP05 reduced leaf yellowing (higher h°), improved the overall appearance with acceptable odour, moderately maintained chlorophyll a and b, bioactive compounds and antioxidant scavenging activity, and remained marketable for up to 10 days at 10°C. Gas composition within the packages influenced the retention of bioactive compounds and overall quality. CONCLUSION : Application of BOPP05 is a promising method for extending the shelf life of B. chinensis leaves in order to promote its utilisation and commercialisation via urban fresh-produce markets.The National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa as well as the postgraduate bursary award from the Tshwane University of Technology Research & Innovation Directorate, Pretoria, South Africa, to Ms Bevly Mmakatane Mampholo.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0010hb2016Biochemistr

AMPK and endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling regulates K-Ras plasma membrane interactions via cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase 2

K-Ras must localize to the plasma membrane and be arrayed in nanoclusters for biological activity. We show here that K-Ras is a substrate for cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases (PKGs). In intact cells, activated PKG2 selectively colocalizes with K-Ras on the plasma membrane and phosphorylates K-Ras at Ser181 in the C-terminal polybasic domain. K-Ras phosphorylation by PKG2 is triggered by activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and requires endothelial nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylyl cyclase. Phosphorylated K-Ras reorganizes into distinct nanoclusters that retune the signal output. Phosphorylation acutely enhances K-Ras plasma membrane affinity, but phosphorylated K-Ras is progressively lost from the plasma membrane via endocytic recycling. Concordantly, chronic pharmacological activation of AMPK → PKG2 signaling with mitochondrial inhibitors, nitric oxide, or sildenafil inhibits proliferation of K-Ras-positive non-small cell lung cancer cells. The study shows that K-Ras is a target of a metabolic stress-signaling pathway that can be leveraged to inhibit oncogenic K-Ras function

Epicardial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells augment cardiomyocyte-driven heart regeneration.

The epicardium and its derivatives provide trophic and structural support for the developing and adult heart. Here we tested the ability of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived epicardium to augment the structure and function of engineered heart tissue in vitro and to improve efficacy of hESC-cardiomyocyte grafts in infarcted athymic rat hearts. Epicardial cells markedly enhanced the contractility, myofibril structure and calcium handling of human engineered heart tissues, while reducing passive stiffness compared with mesenchymal stromal cells. Transplanted epicardial cells formed persistent fibroblast grafts in infarcted hearts. Cotransplantation of hESC-derived epicardial cells and cardiomyocytes doubled graft cardiomyocyte proliferation rates in vivo, resulting in 2.6-fold greater cardiac graft size and simultaneously augmenting graft and host vascularization. Notably, cotransplantation improved systolic function compared with hearts receiving either cardiomyocytes alone, epicardial cells alone or vehicle. The ability of epicardial cells to enhance cardiac graft size and function makes them a promising adjuvant therapeutic for cardiac repair.: This work was supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF; Grants NH/11/1/28922, G1000847, FS/13/29/30024 and FS/18/46/33663), Oxford-Cambridge Centre for Regenerative Medicine (RM/13/3/30159), the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Cambridge Hospitals National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre funding (SS), as well as National Institutes of Health Grants P01HL094374, P01GM081619, R01HL12836 and a grant from the Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence (CEM). J.B. was supported by a Cambridge National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre Cardiovascular Clinical Research Fellowship and subsequently, by a BHF Studentship (Grant FS/13/65/30441). DI received a University of Cambridge Commonwealth Scholarship. LG is supported by BHF Award RM/l3/3/30159 and LPO is funded by a Wellcome Trust Fellowship (203568/Z/16/Z). NF was supported by BHF grants RG/13/14/30314. NL was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Institute Strategic Programmes BBS/E/B/000C0419 and BBS/E/B/000C0434). SS and MB were supported by the British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Research Excellence. Core support was provided by the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (203151/Z/16/Z), The authors thank Osiris for provision of the primary mesenchymal stem cells (59

Aag DNA Glycosylase Promotes Alkylation-Induced Tissue Damage Mediated by Parp1

Alkylating agents comprise a major class of front-line cancer chemotherapeutic compounds, and while these agents effectively kill tumor cells, they also damage healthy tissues. Although base excision repair (BER) is essential in repairing DNA alkylation damage, under certain conditions, initiation of BER can be detrimental. Here we illustrate that the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) mediates alkylation-induced tissue damage and whole-animal lethality following exposure to alkylating agents. Aag-dependent tissue damage, as observed in cerebellar granule cells, splenocytes, thymocytes, bone marrow cells, pancreatic β-cells, and retinal photoreceptor cells, was detected in wild-type mice, exacerbated in Aag transgenic mice, and completely suppressed in Aag−/− mice. Additional genetic experiments dissected the effects of modulating both BER and Parp1 on alkylation sensitivity in mice and determined that Aag acts upstream of Parp1 in alkylation-induced tissue damage; in fact, cytotoxicity in WT and Aag transgenic mice was abrogated in the absence of Parp1. These results provide in vivo evidence that Aag-initiated BER may play a critical role in determining the side-effects of alkylating agent chemotherapies and that Parp1 plays a crucial role in Aag-mediated tissue damage.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant R01-CA075576)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant R01-CA055042)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant R01-CA149261)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P30-ES00002)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant P30-ES02109)National Center for Research Resources (U.S.) (grant number M01RR-01066)National Center for Research Resources (U.S.) (grant number UL1 RR025758, Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Hybrid of the Lee-Carter Model with Maximum Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform Filters in Forecasting Mortality Rates

This study implements various, maximum overlap, discrete wavelet transform filters to model and forecast the time-dependent mortality index of the Lee-Carter model. The choice of appropriate wavelet filters is essential in effectively capturing the dynamics in a period. This cannot be accomplished by using the ARIMA model alone. In this paper, the ARIMA model is enhanced with the integration of various maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform filters such as the least asymmetric, best-localized, and Coiflet filters. These models are then applied to the mortality data of Australia, England, France, Japan, and USA. The accuracy of the projecting log of death rates of the MODWT-ARIMA model with the aforementioned wavelet filters are assessed using mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error, and mean absolute scaled error. The MODWT-ARIMA (5,1,0) model with the BL14 filter gives the best fit to the log of death rates data for males, females, and total population, for all five countries studied. Implementing the MODWT leads towards improvement in the performance of the standard framework of the LC model in forecasting mortality rates

A Comparison of High-intensity Interval and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training on Glucose Regulation in Sedentary, Obese Individuals

It is well known that exercise is beneficial in the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D) but the ideal type of training is not clear. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on blood glucose regulation in sedentary, obese adults. METHODS: 22 sedentary, obese individuals were randomized into either HIIT or MICT. Each group exercised on a cycle ergometer 3 times/wk for 8 wks. The HIIT group performed 10, 1 min intervals at 90-95% HRmax with 1 min rest intervals in between. The MICT group performed 30 min of continuous work at 70-75% HRmax. Pre- and post-intervention testing consisted of 24-hour continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), VO2max, and anthropometric measurements. Glucose variability was calculated by multiple methods. Linear mixed models and 2-way ANOVA were used to measure differences between groups over time in the CGM values and glucose variability measures. RESULTS: Fifteen subjects finished the study, (8 = HIIT; 7 = MICT). There was a significant increase in VO2max (P = 0.01) and decrease in body fat percentage (P \u3c 0.01) but no group x time interactions. There were no significant changes in variability measures, but a significant group x time interaction was found with the mixed models in blood glucose showing a greater effect of HIIT (P = 0.002). When the two-way ANOVA was run including only subjects with a baseline average 24-hour glucose level above 100 mg/dL (HIIT = 5; MICT = 4), there were significant differences (p \u3c 0.05) found between pre-training and post-training, but not between training groups in the variability measurements (CONGA, J-Index, HBGI, M Value). In this same subset of subjects the mixed model analysis showed a significant group x time interaction for glucose demonstrating that HIIT improved glycemic control more than MICT (P \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both HIIT and MICT can improve glycemic control with a potentially more powerful effect in response to HIIT in individuals with a higher 24-hour average blood glucose. This implies that HIIT may provide a time-efficient way to reduce glycemic control and slow the progression of disease especially in individuals who are farther along in the progression of type 2 diabetes

Comparison of Caffeoylquinic Acids and Functional Properties of Domestic Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) Storage Roots with Established Overseas Varieties

Root samples of sweet potato varieties originating from South Africa (‘Ndou’, ‘Bophelo’, ‘Monate’, and ‘Blesbok’), the USA (‘Beauregard’), and Peru (‘199062.1′) were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF/MS) and chemometrics to characterize and compare the locally developed varieties with well-known established overseas varieties. The highest total phenol content was detected in ‘Bophelo’, followed by ‘Beauregard’ and Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’. The Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) model classified the storage roots of six sweet potato varieties into two clusters. In the OPLS-DA scatter plot, one cluster, which included Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’, was separated from the others. L-tryptophan and 3-caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) showed variable importance in projection (VIP) scores greater than 1.5. Based on the OPLS-DA-S-plot, L-tryptophan separated the other varieties from Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’. Peruvian variety ‘199062.1’ contained higher concentrations of CQA (1,3-diCQA, 1,4-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA, 4,5-diCQA, 3-CQA, and 5-CQA) and 5-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin 7-glucoside than other varieties. Among all sweet potato varieties analyzed, Peruvian variety ‘199062.1′ showed the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical scavenging activity, and [2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)] scavenging activity. Among the local sweet potato varieties, ‘Bophelo’ has the greatest potential for commercialization as it is the richest source of CQA