Bio-Guided Optimization of Cystoseira abies-marina Cosmeceuticals Extraction by Advanced Technologies

Cystoseira abies-marina (reclassified as Gongolaria abies-marina) is a brown seaweed species rich in meroterpenoids, presenting interesting antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, there is still a lot to uncover regarding the bioactive potential of this species, as evidenced by the lack of records of antiaging activities from Cystoseira abies-marina, making this macroalga an excellent candidate for studies of its cosmeceutical potential. Ultrasound-(UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) are advanced sustainable technologies that are very efficient in enhancing bioactive compound extraction. Applying these extraction techniques to a new biological matrix often calls for optimizing the parameters toward the best extraction yield. Since Cystoseira abies-marina is a new matrix for both UAE and MAE techniques, the present work proposes the optimization of the extraction process, using a novel approach: instead of only focusing on increasing the yield, the goal of this work is to determine the parameters for UAE and MAE that lead to extracts with better antiaging activities. For this bio-guided approach, several Cystoseira abies-marina extracts were prepared by UAE and MAE under varying conditions of solvent, time, and algae/solvent ratios. Their antiaging activities were then determined, and all the results combined to unveil the conditions yielding extracts with higher cosmeceutical potential. Using statistical tools, it was found that, for UAE, the best conditions were ethyl acetate, 15 min, and a ratio of 1:4, which led to an extract with high yield, and causing the strong inhibition of tyrosinase and elastase. In turn, ethanol, 10 min, and a ratio of 1:4 were the best conditions for MAE, leading to the extract with the best antioxidant activity. The results show that the proposed bio-guided approach was effective in obtaining extracts with high cosmeceutical potential, unveiling the possibility of modulating an extract’s activity by changing the extraction method.FUNDING: Thanks are due to FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for supporting G.P.R.’s grant (SFRH/BD/144446/2019), through National and European Funds and co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Regional Operational Programme Centro 2020, as well as to FCT, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE, through funding the cE3c center (UIDB/00329/2020). This work received financial support from PT National Funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through projects UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. A.F.P. thanks FCT for funding through the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus (2020.01614.CEECIND/CP1596/CT0007).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Macroalgae from S. Miguel Island as a potential source of antiproliferative and antioxidant products

Ulva compressa, Gelidium microdon, Osmundea pinnatifida, Fucus spiralis and Cystoseira abies-marina from the coast of S. Miguel Island were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity against HeLa tumour cell line, antioxidant potential and total phenolic content. From each alga, the hexane fraction (HF) of the methanol extract, the methanol residue (MF) and the dichloromethane extract (DE), were obtained and evaluated. The highest antiproliferative activity against HeLa cell line was found in C. abies-marina and F. spiralis DE (IC50 8.8 μg/mL and 10.7 μg/mL, respectively), and presented selective cytotoxicity, when tested against Vero cell line. Fluorescence microscopy studies of the two most active extracts suggest an apoptosis-inducing activity. Concerning the antioxidant activity, high values were found on F. spiralis MF and HF (EC50 0.62 μg/mL and 2.01 μg/mL, respectively), even higher than those obtained for trolox and quercetin. This high antioxidant activity in F. spiralis MF can be explained by its content in phenolic compounds, but not for HF, where the antioxidant compounds must be less polar. These results suggest that some macroalgae from the Azorean sea have great potential which could be considered for future applications in medicine, food production or cosmetics industry

Valuable compounds on conifers, macroalgae and halophyte species

XXIII Encontro Nacional da Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, Aveiro 12 a 14 de Junho de 2013.As part of our on-going investigation on bioactive secondary metabolites, we carried out the phytochemical study of the endemic conifer Juniperus brevifolia and the macroalga Cystoseira abies-marine from Azores Islands, and also of the halophyte Salicornia ramosissima from Aveiro lagoon. This communication gives an overview on the isolation, structural characterization and bioactivity of the most interesting secondary metabolites found in these species.University of Aveiro, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), European Union, QREN, FEDER and COMPETE for funding the QOPNA research unit (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2011), the Portuguese NMR Network

Usefulness of Routine Fractional Flow Reserve for Clinical Management of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Diabetes

Importance: Approximately one-third of patients considered for coronary revascularization have diabetes, which is a major determinant of clinical outcomes, often influencing the choice of the revascularization strategy. The usefulness of fractional flow reserve (FFR) to guide treatment in this population is understudied and has been questioned. Objective: To evaluate the usefulness and rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of integrating FFR in management decisions for patients with diabetes who undergo coronary angiography. Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the PRIME-FFR study derived from the merger of the POST-IT study (Portuguese Study on the Evaluation of FFR-Guided Treatment of Coronary Disease [March 2012-November 2013]) and R3F study (French Study of FFR Integrated Multicenter Registries Implementation of FFR in Routine Practice [October 2008-June 2010]), 2 prospective multicenter registries that shared a common design. A population of all-comers for whom angiography disclosed ambiguous lesions was analyzed for rates, patterns, and outcomes associated with management reclassification, including revascularization deferral, in patients with vs without diabetes. Data analysis was performed from June to August 2018. Main outcomes and measures: Death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization (MACE) at 1 year. Results: Among 1983 patients (1503 [77%] male; mean [SD] age, 65 [10] years), 701 had diabetes, and FFR was performed for 1.4 lesions per patient (58.2% of lesions in the left anterior descending artery; mean [SD] stenosis, 56% [11%]; mean [SD] FFR, 0.81 [0.01]). Reclassification by FFR was high and similar in patients with and without diabetes (41.2% vs 37.5%, P = .13), but reclassification from medical treatment to revascularization was more frequent in the former (142 of 342 [41.5%] vs 230 of 730 [31.5%], P = .001). There was no statistical difference between the 1-year rates of MACE in reclassified (9.7%) and nonreclassified patients (12.0%) (P = .37). Among patients with diabetes, FFR-based deferral identified patients with a lower risk of MACE at 12 months (25 of 296 [8.4%]) compared with those undergoing revascularization (47 of 257 [13.1%]) (P = .04), and the rate was of the same magnitude of the observed rate among deferred patients without diabetes (7.9%, P = .87). Status of insulin treatment had no association with outcomes. Patients (6.6% of the population) in whom FFR was disregarded had the highest MACE rates regardless of diabetes status. Conclusions and relevance: Routine integration of FFR for the management of coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes may be associated with a high rate of treatment reclassification. Management strategies guided by FFR, including revascularization deferral, may be useful for patients with diabetes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Combined Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation: A New Program in Portugal, Results From the First 12 Cases

Transplant Proc. 2003 May;35(3):1107-8. Combined pancreas-kidney transplantation: a new program in Portugal, results from the first 12 cases. Martins L, Henriques A, Dias L, Ventura A, Seca R, Almeida R, Dores J, Bacelar C, Oliveira F, Lhamas A, Amil M, Rua F, Coelho T, Esteves S, Ribeiro A, Pereira R, Sarmento A, Teixeira M, Pereira M. Transplantation Department, Hospital Santo António, 4050, Porto, Portugal. [email protected] PMID: 12947877 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Trends in percutaneous coronary intervention from 2004 to 2013 according to the Portuguese National Registry of Interventional Cardiology.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present paper is to report trends in Portuguese interventional cardiology from 2004 to 2013 and to compare them with other European countries. METHODS: Based on the Portuguese National Registry of Interventional Cardiology and on official data from the Directorate-General of Health, we give an overview of developments in coronary interventions from 2004 to 2013. RESULTS: In 2013, 36 810 diagnostic catheterization procedures were performed, representing an increase of 34% compared to 2007 and a rate of 3529 coronary angiograms per million population. Coronary interventions increased by 65% in the decade from 2004 to 2013, with a total of 13 897 procedures and a rate of 1333 coronary interventions per million population in 2013. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increased by 265% from 2004 to 2013 (1328 vs. 3524), an adjusted rate of 338 primary PCIs per million, representing 25% of total angioplasties. Stents were the most frequently used devices, drug-eluting stents being used in 73% in 2013. Radial access increased from 4.1% in 2004 to 57.9% in 2013. CONCLUSION: Interventional cardiology in Portugal has been expanding since 2004. We would emphasize the fact that in 2013 all Portuguese interventional cardiology centers were participating in the National Registry of Interventional Cardiology, as well as the growth in primary PCI and increased use of radial access

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Performance of the CMS muon trigger system in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

The muon trigger system of the CMS experiment uses a combination of hardware and software to identify events containing a muon. During Run 2 (covering 2015–2018) the LHC achieved instantaneous luminosities as high as 2 × 10$^{34}$ while delivering proton-proton collisions at √(s) = 13. The challenge for the trigger system of the CMS experiment is to reduce the registered event rate from about 40MHz to about 1kHz. Significant improvements important for the success of the CMS physics program have been made to the muon trigger system via improved muon reconstruction and identification algorithms since the end of Run 1 and throughout the Run 2 data-taking period. The new algorithms maintain the acceptance of the muon triggers at the same or even lower rate throughout the data-taking period despite the increasing number of additional proton-proton interactions in each LHC bunch crossing. In this paper, the algorithms used in 2015 and 2016 and their improvements throughout 2017 and 2018 are described. Measurements of the CMS muon trigger performance for this data-taking period are presented, including efficiencies, transverse momentum resolution, trigger rates, and the purity of the selected muon sample. This paper focuses on the single- and double-muon triggers with the lowest sustainable transverse momentum thresholds used by CMS. The efficiency is measured in a transverse momentum range from 8 to several hundred