Yogurt fortified with GABA-producing strain and Ganoderma lucidum industrial waste

This study aimed to produce yogurt with Ganoderma lucidum residues and selected probiotic bacteria. To select the most potent GABA-producing strain (GABA - γ-aminobutyric acid), nine probiotic bacteria were subjected to the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity assay. Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 was selected and used in preparing fresh yogurts, with and without supplementation of Ganoderma residues obtained after water extraction [GW (Ganoderma waste) 2% (w/v)]. A decrease in pH during fermentation and the occurrence of syneresis were investigated. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability and anti-Escherichia activity were estimated. Further, the cytotoxic effect of yogurt extracts on the human colon cancer cell line (HCT116) was surveyed. Besides functionality, the sensory attributes were evaluated. The pH values did not significantly change with the GW addition while increasing the LAB counts [up to 9.76 ± 0.11 log colony-forming units (CFU) mL-1] and the cytotoxic effect on HCT116 cells. Yogurt produced with selected bacteria and GW had the most valuable anti-coli effect against E. coli 0157: H7 and E. coli ATCC 35218 (American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Maryland) (4.81 ± 0.62 and 5.64 ± 0.29 CFU mL-1, respectively). Although the added GW increased the yogurt functionality, it had a slightly negative effect on the taste and texture of the partially modified recipe. Yogurts fortified with GABA-producing strain and GW could potentially reduce relapse rates of depressive disorders

Emerging drugs for the treatment of vitiligo

Introduction: Vitiligo is a relatively common autoimmune depigmenting disorder of the skin. There has been a great advance in understanding the pathological basis, which has led to the development and utilization of various new molecules in treating vitiligo. This review aims at a comprehensively describing the treatments available and the emerging treatment aspects and the scope for future developments. Areas covered: This study comprehensively summarizes the current concepts in the pathogenesis of vitiligo with special focus on the cytokine and signaling pathways, which are the targets for newer drugs. JAK kinase signaling pathways and the cytokines involved are the focus of vitiligo treatment in current research, followed by antioxidant mechanisms and repigmenting mechanisms. Topical immunosuppressants may be an alternative to steroids in localized vitiligo. Newer repigmenting agents like basic fibroblast growth factors, afamelanotide have been included and a special emphasis is laid on the upcoming targeted immunotherapy. Expert opinion: The treatment of vitiligo needs to be multimodal with emphasis on targeting different limbs of the pathogenesis. Topical and oral JAK inhibitors are the most promising new class of drugs currently available for treating vitiligo and acts best in conjunction with NB-UVB

Effect of smoking on the body mass index-mortality relation: Empirical evidence from 15 studies

The authors examined the impact of smoking status on the relation between body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and mortality across a group of 15 diverse observational studies. The studies included a heterogeneous sample of national samples, cohort studies with mortality follow-up, and clinical trials. Consideration of the data according to natural strata resulted in the formation of 42 analytic cohorts. The authors examined survival through the end of follow-up for each study, as influenced by body mass index, age, and current smoking status at baseline, using a proportional hazards model to describe the relation between body mass index and mortality with control for age and smoking status. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that the estimated body mass index of minimum mortality changes when data are analyzed while ignoring smoking status; but they also demonstrate through a simulation study that eliminating smokers from the data sets prior to analysis produces results similar to those expected from the elimination of numerically similar random proportions of the data sets prior to analysis. Based on the results of these analyses, the authors find no support for the commonly held practice of eliminating smokers from a data set prior to examining the body mass index-mortality relation

Cardiovascular drug use and differences in the incidence of cardiovascular mortality in elderly Seriban men

Objective:To assess whether the difference in risk of cardiovascular mortality between urban and rural areas of Serbia could be explained by differences in the use of cardiovascular medication. Methods: The Serbian cohorts of the Seven Countries Study, Velika Krsna (VK), Zrenjanin (ZR) and Belgrade (BG), were enrolled in 1962-1964 and were followed up for 25 years. The survivors of these cohorts were re-examined in 1987, 1988 and 1989, respectively. This second examination of elderly men aged 65 to 84 years included a questionnaire about current use of cardiovascular medication, risk factors and diseases and a physical examination. All subjects were followed until death or the predefined censor date (10 years after baseline). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the risk of cardiovascular mortality in the rural cohorts compared to the urban cohort and to adjust for confounding. Main outcome measure: Cardiovascular death. Results: A total of 227 men from VK, 184 men from ZR and 287 men from BG were followed for a mean duration of 7.4 years and was complete for all subjects. After exclusion of 13 subjects with missing medication data, the incidences of cardiovascular mortality in VK, ZR, and BG were 60, 74, and 26 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The prevalence of cardiovascular medication use was 38% in VK, 52% in ZR, and 59% in BG. The greatest difference in use of specific medication was observed for betablockers (0% in VK and ZR, 13% in BG). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, diseases and age, the relative risks (RRs) of cardiovascular mortality were 2.12 [95% CI: 1.44¿3.12], and 2.27 [95% CI: 1.56¿3.30] in VK, and ZR compared to BG. Additional adjustment for the use of cardiovascular medication increased these RRs to 2.40 [95% CI: 1.61¿3.60] and 2.55 [95% CI: 1.72¿3.78], respectively. Conclusion:The variation in cardiovascular medication use could not explain the excess risk of mortality in the rural Serbian cohorts compared to urban Belgrade

Adhesive bonding of resin composite to various titanium surfaces using different metal conditioners and a surface modification system

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effect of three metal conditioners on the shear bond strength (SBS) of a prosthetic composite material to cpTi grade I having three surface treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred sixty eight rivet-shaped specimens (8.0x2.0 mm) were cast and subjected to polishing (P) or sandblasting with either 50 mm (50SB) or 250 mm (250SB) Al(2)O(3). The metal conditioners Metal Photo Primer (MPP), Cesead II Opaque Primer (OP), Targis Link (TL), and one surface modification system Siloc (S), were applied to the specimen surfaces, which were covered with four 1-mm thick layers of resin composite. The resin layers were exposed to curing light for 90 s separately. Seven specimens from each experimental group were stored in water at 37ºC for 24 h while the other 7 specimens were subjected to 5,000 thermal cycles consisting of water baths at 4ºC and 60ºC (n=7). All specimens were subjected to SBS test (0.5 mm/min) until failure occurred, and further 28 specimens were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Data were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc Tukey's test (α=0.05). RESULTS: On 50SB surfaces, OP groups showed higher SBS means than MPP (P<0.05), while no significant difference was found among OP, S, and TL groups. On 250SB surfaces, OP and TL groups exhibited higher SBS than MPP and S (P<0.05). No significant difference in SBS was found between OP and TL groups nor between MPP and S groups. The use of conditioners on 250SB surfaces resulted in higher SBS means than the use of the same products on 50SB surfaces (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Sandblasting associated with the use of metal conditioners improves SBS of resin composites to cpTi

Rationale and Design of the SENECA (StEm cell iNjECtion in cAncer survivors) Trial

Objectives SENECA (StEm cell iNjECtion in cAncer survivors) is a phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of delivering allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (allo-MSCs) transendocardially in subjects with anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC). Background AIC is an incurable and often fatal syndrome, with a prognosis worse than that of ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Recently, cell therapy with MSCs has emerged as a promising new approach to repair damaged myocardium. Methods The study population is 36 cancer survivors with a diagnosis of AIC, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≤40%, and symptoms of heart failure (NYHA class II-III) on optimally-tolerated medical therapy. Subjects must be clinically free of cancer for at least two years with a ≤ 30% estimated five-year risk of recurrence. The first six subjects participated in an open-label, lead-in phase and received 100 million allo-MSCs; the remaining 30 will be randomized 1:1 to receive allo-MSCs or vehicle via 20 transendocardial injections. Efficacy measures (obtained at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months) include MRI evaluation of LV function, LV volumes, fibrosis, and scar burden; assessment of exercise tolerance (six-minute walk test) and quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire); clinical outcomes (MACE and cumulative days alive and out of hospital); and biomarkers of heart failure (NT-proBNP). Conclusions This is the first clinical trial using direct cardiac injection of cells for the treatment of AIC. If administration of allo-MSCs is found feasible and safe, SENECA will pave the way for larger phase II/III studies with therapeutic efficacy as the primary outcome

Allogeneic Mesenchymal Cell Therapy in Anthracycline-Induced Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure Patients: The CCTRN SENECA Trial.

BACKGROUND: Anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) may be irreversible with a poor prognosis, disproportionately affecting women and young adults. Administration of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (allo-MSCs) is a promising approach to heart failure (HF) treatment. OBJECTIVES: SENECA (Stem Cell Injection in Cancer Survivors) was a phase 1 study of allo-MSCs in AIC. METHODS: Cancer survivors with chronic AIC (mean age 56.6 years; 68% women; NT-proBNP 1,426 pg/ml; 6 enrolled in an open-label, lead-in phase and 31 subjects randomized 1:1) received 1 × 10 RESULTS: A total of 97% of subjects underwent successful study product injections; all allo-MSC-assigned subjects received the target dose of cells. Follow-up visits were well-attended (92%) with successful collection of endpoints in 94% at the 1-year visit. Although 58% of subjects had non-CMR compatible devices, CMR endpoints were successfully collected in 84% of subjects imaged at 1 year. No new tumors were reported. There were no significant differences between allo-MSC and vehicle groups with regard to clinical outcomes. Secondary measures included 6-min walk test (p = 0.056) and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score (p = 0.048), which tended to favor the allo-MSC group. CONCLUSIONS: In this first-in-human study of cell therapy in patients with AIC, transendocardial administration of allo-MSCs appears safe and feasible, and CMR was successfully performed in the majority of the HF patients with devices. This study lays the groundwork for phase 2 trials aimed at assessing efficacy of cell therapy in patients with AIC

Determination of Specific Electrocatalytic Sites in the Oxidation of Small Molecules on Crystalline Metal Surfaces

The identification of active sites in electrocatalytic reactions is part of the elucidation of mechanisms of catalyzed reactions on solid surfaces. However, this is not an easy task, even for apparently simple reactions, as we sometimes think the oxidation of adsorbed CO is. For surfaces consisting of non-equivalent sites, the recognition of specific active sites must consider the influence that facets, as is the steps/defect on the surface of the catalyst, cause in its neighbors; one has to consider the electrochemical environment under which the “active sites” lie on the surface, meaning that defects/steps on the surface do not partake in chemistry by themselves. In this paper, we outline the recent efforts in understanding the close relationships between site-specific and the overall rate and/or selectivity of electrocatalytic reactions. We analyze hydrogen adsorption/desorption, and electro-oxidation of CO, methanol, and ammonia. The classical topic of asymmetric electrocatalysis on kinked surfaces is also addressed for glucose electro-oxidation. The article takes into account selected existing data combined with our original works.M.J.S.F. is grateful to PNPD/CAPES (Brazil). J.M.F. thanks the MCINN (FEDER, Spain) project-CTQ-2016-76221-P

At the brink of eusociality: transcriptomic correlates of worker behaviour in a small carpenter bee

Background: There is great interest in understanding the genomic underpinnings of social evolution, in particular, the evolution of eusociality (caste-containing societies with non-reproductives that care for siblings). Subsociality is a key precursor for the evolution of eusociality and characterized by prolonged parental care and parent-offspring interaction. Here, we provide the first transcriptomic data for the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata. This species is of special interest because it is subsocial and in the same family as the highly eusocial honey bee, Apis mellifera. In addition, some C. calcarata females demonstrate alloparental care without reproduction, which provides a unique opportunity to study worker behaviour in a non-eusocial species. Results: We uncovered similar gene expression patterns related to maternal care and sibling care in different groups of females. This agrees with the maternal heterochrony hypothesis, specifically, that changes in timing of offspring care gene expression are related to worker behaviour in incipient insect societies. In addition, we also detected some similarity to caste-related gene expression patterns in highly eusocial honey bees, and uncovered large lifetime changes in gene expression that accompany shifts in reproductive and maternal care behaviour. Conclusions: For Ceratina calcarata, we found that transcript expression profiles were most similar between sibling care and maternal care females. The maternal care behaviour exhibited post-reproductively by Ceratina mothers is concordant in terms of transcript expression with the alloparental care exhibited by workers. In line with theoretical predictions, our data are consistent with the maternal heterochrony hypothesis for the evolutionary development of worker behaviour in subsocial bees