Biosynthesis of vitamins and enzymes in fermented foods by lactic acid bacteria and related genera - A promising approach

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely employed in food fermentation processes for the biosynthesis of certain important products or metabolites. Fermented food provides plenty of vital nutrients and bioactive components that affect a number of functions of human body in a positive way. Fermented milks can be made more functional by incorporating probiotic strains and furthermore, if they are capable of synthesizing essential biomolecules such as vitamins, enzymes, exopolysaccharides, bacteriocins or bioactive peptides serve into the functional and technological properties of the products. Current paper reviews recent advances associated with biosynthesis of vitamins and enzymes by virtue of LAB and related genera. The outcomes of several studies indicate promising applications at commercial level; however adequate selection of strain is vital to increase the concentration and bioavailability of such biomolecules in fermented foods

Long-term neurocognitive function of pediatric patients with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID): pre- and post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).

BACKGROUND:Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only cure for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term neurodevelopment of patients with SCID following myeloablative chemotherapy and HSCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixteen pediatric patients diagnosed with SCID were tested using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the validated Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) pre- and 1-year post-HSCT. Three years post-HSCT, there were 11 patients available for testing and four patients available 5 years post-HSCT. Patients greater than 3 years of age were administered the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Both raw scores and scaled scores were analyzed. RESULTS:There was a significant decrease 1 year post-HSCT in the Bayley Mental Developmental Index (MDI) [92.5 (pre) vs. 70.81 (1 year post), p < 0.0001] and the VABS [99.73 (pre) vs. 79.87 (1 year post), p = <0.0001]. There was a significant decrease over time in the MDI [95.00 (pre) vs. 72.64 (1 year post) vs. 71.82 (3 years post), p < 0.0001], but no significant change between 1 and 3 years post-HSCT. There was no change in the Bayley Psychomotor Development Scale (PDI) [82.4 (pre) vs. 84.8 (1 year post), p = 0.68]. The PDI scores decreased over time [86.29 (pre) vs. 86 (1 year post) vs. 74.14 (3 years post), p = 0.045]. Although there was a decrease in scaled scores, there was not a loss of skills. Analysis of raw scores showed that there was an increase in the raw test scores, which indicated that these children acquired developmental skills, but at a slower rate than normal infants and toddlers. Younger children had a more significant decrease in adaptive scores compared with older children. CONCLUSIONS:These findings may reflect the effects of the isolation and prolonged hospitalization that characterizes the immediate post-transplant period. Patients miss out on social interactions and learning opportunities that normally occur at their respective stages of development. These restrictions keep patients from acquiring developmentally appropriate cognitive skills as well as gross and fine motor developmental milestones. Longitudinal follow-up will be important to quantify acquisition of skills

A study of feto-maternal outcome in case of premature rupture of membrane at a tertiary care center

Background: Premature rupture of membranes is the rupture of the fetal membranes in the absence of uterine contraction or before the onset of labor. When this occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, it is termed as preterm premature rupture of membranes. Management depends upon gestational age and the presence of complicating factors. An accurate assessment of gestational age and knowledge of the maternal, fetal and neonatal risks are essential to appropriate evaluation, counselling, and care of patients with PROM. The purpose of the study is timely diagnosis and appropriate management of the cases of PROM and PPROM to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Methods: A Prospective study was performed at the department of obstetrics and gynecology, at a tertiary care center from August 2020 to December 2021. A clinical data sheet was made for recording all information about the pregnant women after taking their consent. And their maternal and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Results: a total of 150 cases of PROM and PPROM were taken during our study out of which 53.33% belong to the younger age group, 43.33% were primi gravida, 66.66% belonged to the lower socioeconomic class, 25.33% had a previous history of abortion followed by dilatation and evacuation, rate of cesarean delivery was 34.66% and rate of NICU admission of neonates was 15.78% and 57.87% babies had low birth weight and rate of stillbirth was 1.97%. whereas 34.66% of cases had various complications related to PROM. Conclusions: Individualized management of PROM cases depending on the gestational age and risk of complications and antibiotic coverage is the best way to achieve a good fetomaternal outcome

Functional polymorphisms in the promoter regions of MMP2 and MMP3 are not associated with melanoma progression

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes that cleave various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membranes. MMPs are expressed in melanocytes and their overexpression has been linked to tumor development, progression and metastasis. At the genetic level, the following functional promoter polymorphisms are known to modify the gene transcription: -1306 C/T and -735 C/T in the MMP2 gene, and -1171 5A/6A in the MMP3 gene. Functional polymorphisms in MMP genes' promoter regions may modulate the risk for melanoma progression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated MMP2 and MMP3 germline polymorphisms in a group of 1002 melanoma patients using PCR-based methods, including fragment size analysis and melting temperature profiles. Two-sided Chi-Square, Cochran-Armitage tests for trend, Fisher's exact tests, and Kendall's Tau tests were performed to evaluate the associations between genotype and various clinical and epidemiologic factors. Multivariate analyses were conducted using logistic regression, adjusting for known melanoma confounders such as age, sex, phenotypic index, moles, freckles, and race. Survival estimates were computed using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences in survival were assessed using the log rank test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All genotypes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. After adjustment for age, sex and phenotypic characteristics of melanoma risk, no significant associations were identified with the clinical, pathological, and epidemiological variables studied. The melting profile for MMP2 -735 C/T identified a new change in one sample. A new PCR-amplification followed by direct sequencing confirmed a heterozygote G to A substitution at position -729.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study does not provide strong evidence for further investigation into the role of the MMP2 and MMP3 variants in melanoma progression.</p

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson

Measurement of the top quark-pair production cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at \sqrt{s}=7\TeV

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs(\ttbar) in $pp$ collisions at \sqrt{s}=7 \TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron $e$ or muon $\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton ($ee$, $\mu\mu$ or $e\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb-1, 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-\ttbar Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be $12.2 \pm 3.9$ events and $2.5 \pm 0.6$ events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM \ttbar production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be \sigmattbar=145 \pm 31 ^{+42}_{-27} pb where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measurement agrees with perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 30 pages plus author list (50 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, CERN-PH number and final journal adde

Measurement of the top quark pair cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using final states with an electron or a muon and a hadronically decaying τ lepton

A measurement of the cross section of top quark pair production in proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is reported. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb -1. Events with an isolated electron or muon and a τ lepton decaying hadronically are used. In addition, a large missing transverse momentum and two or more energetic jets are required. At least one of the jets must be identified as originating from a b quark. The measured cross section, σtt-=186±13(stat.)±20(syst.)±7(lumi.) pb, is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction