Quercetin in Sports and Exercise: A review

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(2): 1334-1384, 2023. This paper systematically reviews the latest evidence regarding Quercetin’s (Q) effect following exercise performance, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, muscle-damaging bouts and highlights blood biomarkers associated with muscle damage and recovery. Google Scholar, Web of Science, and MedLine (PubMed) searches were conducted through July- December 2021. Peer-reviewed studies that investigated Q as a single ingredient or in combination with other ingredients at dosages of 500 mg - 3000 mg, ranging from 15 min-to-1 h prior to exercise bout or chronic dose (7 days - 8 weeks) of consumption were included. A total of 34 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. Key results include significant performance improvements in the following: VO2max (n = 2), time to exhaustion (n = 4 articles), fatigue decrement (n = 1 article), muscle damage (n = 3 articles), strength, torque velocity, and neuromuscular performance (n = 3 articles), redox potential (n = 1 article), repeated sprint performance and oxygen extraction (n = 1). Q also caused a change in systemic biomarkers: decrease in creatine kinase (n = 2), c-reactive protein (n = 4), lactate dehydrogenase (n = 4), inflammatory markers (n = 3), lipid peroxidation (n = 3) in aerobic and anaerobic performance. Varied findings exist regarding the efficacy of Q supplementation on exercise performance and recovery outcomes. The source of Q, training status of subjects, and exercise protocol performed may contribute to the effectiveness of Q as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or ergogenic agent in exercise

Using capillary electrophoresis to detect amyloid protein aggregation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia accounting for ½ to ¾ of all cases. AD is characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive function over a span of 10 years, ultimately ending in death. The main possible cause of AD being researched is the formation of soluble, oligomer amyloids. Amyloids are proteins that misfold and aggregate in the brain causing potent neurotoxic effects on neurons in the brain. Microchip electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis are two potential methods of determining the level of amyloid aggregation. In order to detect at physiological concentrations, covalent dyes must be used to allow the protein to be visualized. However, covalent dyes have been shown to inhibit. The dyes may be inhibiting aggregation in any of the following ways: the attachment site of the dye to a particular group interfering with key reactions, the aromatic structure of FAM acting as an inhibitor, or the dye attachment altering a necessary charged group. In this study, the model protein albumin was labeled with BODIPY-FL dye and run through a column to separate the labeled protein from the excess dye. However, the albumin and BODIPY would not elute from the column in the original experiment. The albumin and BODIPY were run separately through a much smaller column to test if they were getting stuck in the packing. Based on UV absorbance reading from the column elutions, it was determined that albumin was getting stuck in the column. In order to move forward, a better buffer could be used to push the albumin through the column or a different model protein could be used that didn’t get stuck in the column

Capillary Electrophoresis for Analysis of Aβ1-42 Adsorption and Photo-Crosslinking

The accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers is believed to be the driving force behind Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Due to the metastable nature of Aβ oligomers, the knowledge of Aβ aggregation and accumulation is not well understood. Here, we use capillary electrophoresis (CE) and photo-induced crosslinking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) to learn about the aggregation of Aβ. First, we explore the effect of capillary coating on Aβ1-42 protein loss using CE. The dynamic coatings tested were PHEA and 50 kDa, 2000 kDa, 5000 kDa, and 8000 kDa PEO. The covalent coating tested was PVA. The results indicated that 2000 kDa PEO allowed for the best recovery of Aβ1-42 with 87%. This was better than the uncoated capillary recovery of 66%, but less than the optimal 90%. The biggest issue encountered was a protein recovery of greater than 100%, which is theoretically impossible. More procedure development should be done to solve this problem. Next, the PICUP reaction was optimized for analysis of Aβ1-42. Using a novel approach, the goal was to apply PICUP to capture Aβ1-42 oligomers and correlate bands via SDS-PAGE analysis to peaks via CE analysis. The results showed that reactants needed for successful PICUP application interfered with CE detection of Aβ1-42. We tested alternate reactants and several methods of removing reactants after PICUP application. We learned that dialysis was the most promising method of Aβ1-42 detection via CE after PICUP

Research Project for Rokenbok Educational Foundation

Research project on Equipo de Ingenieros en Accion (Team of Engineers in Action), a collaborative program of Rokenbok Educational Foundation and Center for Academic and Social Advancement.https://digital.sandiego.edu/npi-bpl-programdesign/1006/thumbnail.jp

Quantitative scattering of melanin solutions

The optical scattering coefficient of a dilute, well solubilised eumelanin solution has been accurately measured as a function of incident wavelength, and found to contribute less than 6% of the total optical attenuation between 210 and 325nm. At longer wavelengths (325nm to 800nm) the scattering was less than the minimum sensitivity of our instrument. This indicates that UV and visible optical density spectra can be interpreted as true absorption with a high degree of confidence. The scattering coefficient vs wavelength was found to be consistent with Rayleigh Theory for a particle radius of 38+-1nm.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

Enhancing Access to Holocaust Records: Developing a Prototype International Research Portal

Presentation given at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) Fall 2017, on the International Research Portal project, to enable better access to records of art looting and restitution from Europe in WWII. The presentation includes screen shots of the old and new IRP website and explains the new features, as well as the contributions to the project from students at UMD and professional provenance researchers

Overall Objectives

Perform an independent assessment of technology in “real-world ” operation conditions, focusing on fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure Leverage data processing and analysis capabilities developed under the Fuel Cell Vehicle Learning Demonstration Support market growth through reporting on technology status to key stakeholders and performing analyses relevant to the markets ’ value proposition Study fuel cell systems operating in material handling equipment (MHE), backup power, portable power, and stationary power applications; the project includes approximately 1,000 deployed fuel cell systems Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Objectives Conduct quarterly analysis of operation and maintenance data for fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure (x4) Prepare bi-annual technical composite data products (x2) Publish interim draft report of status and performance of fuel cell MHE and backup power systems Complete performance analyses on durability, reliability, and infrastructure utilizatio

Cancer history and other personal factors affect quality of life in patients with hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Although patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have been found to have reduced quality of life, little is known about how other characteristics affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of other characteristics, including history of cancer, on quality of life in patients with CHC. METHODS: One hundred forty patients from clinics at three hospitals in New York City completed a detailed epidemiologic interview about demographic and lifestyle characteristics and the SF-36 measuring health-related quality of life. We compared results from our patients to normative data using t-tests of differences between means. We used multivariate analyses to determine other personal and health-related factors associated with quality of life outcomes. RESULTS: Compared to normative data, these patients had reduced quality of life, particularly on physical functioning. The summary Physical Component Score (PCS) was 45.4 ± 10.6 and the Mental Component Score (MCS) was 48.2 ± 11.1, vs norms of 50 ± 10.0; p-values were <0.0001 and <0.05, respectively. In multivariate analyses, the PCS was significantly lower among those with cancer history, ≥ 2 other chronic conditions, less education, low physical activity, and higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Cancer was more important for men, while other chronic conditions were more important for women. On the MCS, history of depression, low physical activity, alcohol use, and female gender were independently associated with poorer scores. CONCLUSION: Several health and lifestyle factors independently influence quality of life in CHC patients. Different factors are important for men and women