Structure-based Discovery of Novel Small Molecule Wnt Signaling Inhibitors by Targeting the Cysteine-rich Domain of Frizzled.

Frizzled is the earliest discovered glycosylated Wnt protein receptor and is critical for the initiation of Wnt signaling. Antagonizing Frizzled is effective in inhibiting the growth of multiple tumor types. The extracellular N terminus of Frizzled contains a conserved cysteine-rich domain that directly interacts with Wnt ligands. Structure-based virtual screening and cell-based assays were used to identify five small molecules that can inhibit canonical Wnt signaling and have low IC50 values in the micromolar range. NMR experiments confirmed that these compounds specifically bind to the Wnt binding site on the Frizzled8 cysteine-rich domain with submicromolar dissociation constants. Our study confirms the feasibility of targeting the Frizzled cysteine-rich domain as an effective way of regulating canonical Wnt signaling. These small molecules can be further optimized into more potent therapeutic agents for regulating abnormal Wnt signaling by targeting Frizzled

From expanded digraphs to lifts of voltage digraphs and line digraphs

In this note we present a general approach to construct large digraphs from small ones. These are called expanded digraphs, and, as particular cases, we show the close relationship between lifted digraphs of voltage digraphs and line digraphs, which are two known ways to obtain dense digraphs. In the same context, we show the equivalence between the vertex-splitting and partial line digraph techniques. Then, we give a sufficient condition for a lifted digraph of a base line digraph to be again a line digraph. Some of the results are illustrated with two well-known families of digraphs, namely, the De Bruijn and Kautz digraphs, where it is shown that both families can be seen as lifts of smaller De Bruijn digraphs with appropriate voltage assignments.Research of the first two authors is supported by MINECO under project MTM2014-60127-P, and by AGAUR under project 2014SGR1147. The first author has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 res

Thermosonication applied to blueberry juice – impact on quality properties

Aim: The conventional heat treatment (HT) is still used by the food processing industry as a solution to inactivate pathogenic agents and to extend the shelf-life of juice products. However, pasteurization involves quality modifications of the final product by losing part of its nutritional value and properties. This factor is critical in industrial juice manufacture, whose freshness is essential. This study aims to evaluate if thermosonication (TS) can be considered a potential alternative to the pasteurization of blueberry juice. Method: Juices were prepared by defrosting the frozen blueberries and then using a cold centrifugal juicer. Freshly prepared juices were thermosonicated with a sonicator probe (700 W, 20 kHz, 100% amplitude) at 45 and 55 °C for 25 and 1 min and using an ultrasonic bath (230 V, 35 kHz) at the same temperatures for 30 and 60 min. These processes were compared to the traditional pasteurization by the juice heat-treated at 75 °C for 1 min. The temperature/time binomials were chosen based on the 5-log10 L. innocua reduction. Physicochemical parameters, anthocyanins content, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and enzyme activity were monitored before and after treatments.Results: The TS applied with the probe (TSP) had significant positive effects on blueberry juice, such as the increase of antioxidant activity (according to the ABTS scavenging method), the inactivation of enzymatic activity (a residual activity of about 25% and 1% was achieved for POD and PPO), and the decrease on the browning index. However, a significant reduction of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins was observed. HT had the most impact on juice colour parameters but was the most effective method in totally inactivating the POD enzyme. TS with ultrasonic bath (TSB) showed no significant differences in antioxidant activity and anthocyanins compared with the untreated juice. However, also juice colour was significantly changed. Conclusion: TSP and TSB effectively maintained or improved most blueberry juice quality characteristics compared with HT and untreated samples. Nevertheless, since TSB needs a higher treatment time for the 5log10 microbial inactivation, physicochemical parameters were more negatively affected. Therefore, thermosonication (especially TSP) seems a possible processing option to preserve blueberry juice quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Introduction: a post-pandemic new context for food studies teaching methods

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, several technological tools were already being used in the educational environment of the food area. Digital technologies occurred in a more dynamic way in the research sector, while in the teaching-learning system, it happened with a little more prudence, either due to insufficient infrastructure or poor familiarity with such technological resources. As a consequence of adopted sanitary measures, social isolation implied a very fast implementation of the digital transformation in the educational environment to avoid disruption and minimize the impact on learning processes. The new configuration brought challenges to educators and students and also promoted the development of capabilities and skills necessary to explore a range of new tools. The promotion of theoretical and practical knowledge in an integrated, dynamic, sustainable, responsible, and flexible way requires a reflection between traditional and new teaching methods. This session will discuss the barriers and established strategies to access learning platforms, communication tools, methodology for assessment, virtual classes, and others. It is important to assure the excellence and front position of leadership of education for the food area and support public policies in making decisions that will define the future of food studies in production, processing, and consumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhancing the safety and quality of blueberry juice by thermosonication

According to consumers' newest preferences, the juice segment is expanding in the market, especially using novel high technologies for processing. Ultrasound is an up-and-coming technology increasingly being applied in the food field since it can minimize the undesirable effects of thermal processing. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of thermosonication on the inactivation kinetics of L. innocua 2030c, a non-pathogenic surrogate of L. monocytogenes, in blueberry juice. Thermal treatments were conducted as controls, and both processes' impact was assessed on some physicochemical attributes of the juice. Blueberry fruit was chosen since it is recognized as a superfruit due to its high content of health-promoting compounds. Juice samples were prepared by defrosting frozen blueberries and using a domestic centrifuge. Freshly prepared juices were inoculated with L. innocua subculture (~109 CFU/mL). Thermosonication at two amplitude levels (60 and 100%) with a pulse duration of 10 sec on and 5 sec off was applied using a sonicator probe (700 W, 20 kHz). Thermosonication and thermal treatments were performed at 45 and 55 °C until a 5-log reduction was achieved. Physicochemical parameters of the juice (pH, total soluble solids, water activity, and color) were analyzed in fresh and treated samples. All treatments/analyses were performed in triplicate. The Weibull model was successfully applied to fit L. innocua inactivation kinetic by regression analysis. The processing times needed to achieve a 5-log reduction were, in the case of thermosonicated samples, much shorter (1 and 25 min) than the heated ones (10 and 60 min), showing the effectiveness of the synergistic effect of ultrasound and mild heating compared to heat treatment alone. For thermosonication treatments, the first decimal reduction time () obtained at 55 °C was 5.13 ± 0.83 and 4.26 ± 0.36 min, respectively, for 100 and 60% amplitudes. At 45 °C, those values were reduced to 1.15 ± 0.49 and 0.51 ± 0.17 min. When thermal treatments were used, decreased to 1.18 ± 0.33 (55 HT) and 0.08 ± 0.09 min (45 HT), showing the dependence on temperature and process. Thermosonication processes were more effective in microbial inactivation and retaining quality parameters than thermal procedures, with thermosonication at 45 °C the best treatment for blueberry juice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An Exploratory Survey of Occupational Therapists\u27 Role in Hippotherapy

The term hippotherapy is derived from the Greek word for horse, or hippos. The American Hippotherapy Association (2007) defines hippotherapy as an occupational, physical, or speech therapy intervention strategy, using the movements of a horse, used as part of an intervention program to facilitate functional gain. In hippotherapy, therapists use the movements of the horse as a vehicle for improving clients\u27 functional limitations. Hippotherapy is an intervention method mentioned in the occupational therapy literature more than 20 years ago (Engel, 1984) that has received minimal research attention within our field. Little is known about the role of occupational therapists in hippotherapy and the way in which they use this form of intervention. Therefore, the purpose of the survey described in this article was to explore occupational therapists\u27 perceptions of their role in hippotherapy, the uses of equine-assisted therapy in practice, and these practitioners\u27 backgrounds and training

Influence and comparison of thermal, ultrasonic and thermosonic treatments on physicochemical quality of orange juice

Orange juice is the most popular and consumed juice worldwide, associated with healthy eating habits. Thermal pasteurization treatments are used to preserve industrially produced juice. Unfortunately, this process removes many nutritious compounds. Therefore, other milder treatments are being studied to minimize the impact on the product's final quality. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of thermosonication (TS) treatment on the quality of orange juice in comparison with heat (HT) and ultrasound (UT) treatments alone. Commercial pasteurized orange juice was treated by UT, HT or TS in a sonoreactor (20 kHz and 80% amplitude) at different temperatures 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 °C for 90, 60, 60, 30 and 30 min, respectively. These treatment times were chosen to guarantee the Staphylococcus aureus inactivation. Physicochemical characteristics, such as pH, colour and Brix, and microbial cell counts, were evaluated before and after treatments. Principal components analysis (PCA) was carried out to detect simple patterns and differences.All treatments could reduce the S. aureus presence in at least 3 log cycles, except the HT at 20, 30 and 40 °C, where an increase in microbial counts was attained. The majority of quality characteristics were not significantly affected by the applied treatments, except a* value for US 20, 30 40 and 50°C, Brix for TS 60°C and pH for US 30 and 40 °C, TS 50°C and HT 20 and 50 °C. PCA revealed two components with eigenvalues greater than one, which explained 56.1% and 28.4% of the total variance, respectively. The first component was mostly influenced by a*, pH, L*, b* and Chroma, while the second by Hue and microbial inactivation. The second component allowed a clear distinction between types of treatment, while the first component allowed separation among the processing conditions of temperature/time.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence and comparison of thermal, ultrasonic and thermosonic treatments on physicochemical quality of orange juice

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thickness dependent magnetic anisotropy of ultrathin LCMO epitaxial thin films

The magnetic properties of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) manganite thin films were studied with magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance as a function of film thickness. They maintain the colossal magnetoresistance behavior with a pronounced metal-insulator transition around 150-200 K, except for the very thinnest films studied (3 nm). Nevertheless, LCMO films as thin as 3 nm remain ferromagnetic, without a decrease in saturation magnetization, indicating an absence of dead-layers, although below approx. 6 nm the films remain insulating at low temperature. Magnetization hysteresis loops reveal that the magnetic easy axes lie in the plane of the film for thicknesses in the range of 4-15 nm. Ferromagnetic resonance studies confirm that the easy axes are in-plane, and find a biaxial symmetry in-plane with two, perpendicular easy axes. The directions of the easy axes with respect to the crystallographic directions of the cubic SrTiO3 substrate differ by 45 degrees in 4 nm and 15 nm thick LCMO films.Comment: Presented at Intermag conference (Madrid, 2008). Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Magnetic

New approaches for improving the quality of processed fruits and vegetables and their by-products

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio