Broccoli or Sulforaphane:Is It the Source or Dose That Matters?

There is robust epidemiological evidence for the beneficial effects of broccoli consumption on health, many of them clearly mediated by the isothiocyanate sulforaphane. Present in the plant as its precursor, glucoraphanin, sulforaphane is formed through the actions of myrosinase, a β-thioglucosidase present in either the plant tissue or the mammalian microbiome. Since first isolated from broccoli and demonstrated to have cancer chemoprotective properties in rats in the early 1990s, over 3000 publications have described its efficacy in rodent disease models, underlying mechanisms of action or, to date, over 50 clinical trials examining pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and disease mitigation. This review evaluates the current state of knowledge regarding the relationships between formulation (e.g., plants, sprouts, beverages, supplements), bioavailability and efficacy, and the doses of glucoraphanin and/or sulforaphane that have been used in pre-clinical and clinical studies. We pay special attention to the challenges for better integration of animal model and clinical studies, particularly with regard to selection of dose and route of administration. More effort is required to elucidate underlying mechanisms of action and to develop and validate biomarkers of pharmacodynamic action in humans. A sobering lesson is that changes in approach will be required to implement a public health paradigm for dispensing benefit across all spectrums of the global population

A Xenon Ion Pumped Blue Dye Laser

A pulsed xenon ion laser with an output power of 5 kW at 364.5 nm has been used as a pump source for several blue dyes. Broadband conversion efficiencies exceed 20 percent. The use of a birefringent filter provides tunable output in the blue region of the spectrum with a bandwidth of 0.08 nm and a pulse width of 120 ns. © 1978 IEE

Biomarker Exploration in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Monitoring Sulforaphane Treatment Responses in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders with no drugs treating the core symptoms and no validated biomarkers for clinical use. The multi-functional phytochemical sulforaphane affects many of the biochemical abnormalities associated with ASD. We investigated potential molecular markers from three ASD-associated physiological pathways that can be affected by sulforaphane: redox metabolism/oxidative stress; heat shock response; and immune dysregulation/inflammation, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and patients with ASD. We first analyzed the mRNA levels of selected molecular markers in response to sulforaphane ex vivo treatment in PBMCs from healthy donors by real-time quantitative PCR. All of the tested markers showed quantifiability, accuracy and reproducibility. We then compared the expression levels of those markers in PBMCs taken from ASD patients in response to orally-delivered sulforaphane. The mRNA levels of cytoprotective enzymes (NQO1, HO-1, AKR1C1), and heat shock proteins (HSP27 and HSP70), increased. Conversely, mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1beta, COX-2 and TNF-alpha) decreased. Individually none is sufficiently specific or sensitive, but when grouped by function as two panels, these biomarkers show promise for monitoring pharmacodynamic responses to sulforaphane in both healthy and autistic humans, and providing guidance for biomedical interventions

Imaging the dipole-dipole energy exchange between ultracold rubidium Rydberg atoms

The long-range, anisotropic nature of the interaction among atoms in an ultracold dipolar gas leads to a rich array of possibilities for studying many-body physics. In this work, an ultracold gas of highly excited atoms is used to study energy transport due to the long-range dipole-dipole interaction. A technique is developed to measure both the internal energy states of the interacting Rydberg atoms and their positions in space. This technique is demonstrated by observing energy exchange between two spatially separated groups of Rydberg atoms excited to two different internal states. Simulations confirm the general features of the energy transport in this system and highlight subtleties associated with the homogeneity of the electric field used in this experiment

Effects of Training Intensity on Locomotor Performance in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Crossover Study

Background. Many physical interventions can improve locomotor function in individuals with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), although the training parameters that maximize recovery are not clear. Previous studies in individuals with other neurologic injuries suggest the intensity of locomotor training (LT) may positively influence walking outcomes. However, the effects of intensity during training of individuals with iSCI have not been tested. Objective. The purpose of this pilot, blinded-assessor randomized trial was to evaluate the effects of LT intensity on walking outcomes in individuals with iSCI. Methods. Using a crossover design, ambulatory participants with iSCI \u3e1 year duration performed either high- or low-intensity LT for ≤20 sessions over 4 to 6 weeks. Four weeks following completion, the training interventions were alternated. Targeted intensities focused on achieving specific ranges of heart rate (HR) or ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), with intensity manipulated by increasing speeds or applying loads. Results. Significantly greater increases in peak treadmill speeds (0.18 vs 0.02 m/s) and secondary measures of metabolic function and overground speed were observed following high- versus low-intensity training, with no effects of intervention order. Moderate to high correlations were observed between differences in walking speed or distances and differences in HRs or RPEs during high- versus low-intensity training. Conclusion. This pilot study provides the first evidence that the intensity of stepping practice may be an important determinant of LT outcomes in individuals with iSCI. Whether such training is feasible in larger patient populations and contributes to improved locomotor outcomes deserves further consideration

The Hanle Effect In Penning-excited Ions

A thermal beam of helium (23S1) metastable atoms was used to excite coherently the 2P3/2 levels of Ca, Sr and Ba in a Penning ionizing collision. The coherent excitation of the ions appears as a linear polarization of the optical emission from the excited ions. The degree of linear polarization is 5.5, 3.5 and 0.5% for Ca, Sr and Ba, respectively, with the polarization parallel to the beam direction. Hanle effect signals from the 2P3/2 level of Sr were observed and the radioactive decay rate measured

High Flux Beam Source Of Thermal Rare-gas Metastable Atoms

A high-flux beam source has been constructed for the production of helium, neon and argon metastable atoms. The source is a DC electric discharge maintained in an expanding gas. A metastable flux of 3.5*1014, and 7.2*1013 atoms s-1 sr-1 has been achieved with most probable energies of 66, 72 and 74 meV for the helium, neon and argon sources, respectively. Time-of-flight measurements showed the widths of the respective velocity distributions to be 45%, 27% and 27%

Natural Cycles, Gases

The major gaseous components of the exhaust of stratospheric aircraft are expected to be the products of combustion (CO2 and H2O), odd nitrogen (NO, NO2 HNO3), and products indicating combustion inefficiencies (CO and total unburned hydrocarbons). The species distributions are produced by a balance of photochemical and transport processes. A necessary element in evaluating the impact of aircraft exhaust on the lower stratospheric composition is to place the aircraft emissions in perspective within the natural cycles of stratospheric species. Following are a description of mass transport in the lower stratosphere and a discussion of the natural behavior of the major gaseous components of the stratospheric aircraft exhaust

Alignment Of Ions In Penning Collisions

The authors have observed the alignment of the 5p P322 state of strontium ions produced in Penning collisions between an unpolarized beam of helium metastable atoms and a strontium vapor target. The alignment is shown by a linear polarization of the optical emission from the excited ion. For a 66-meV beam of helium metastable atoms a 3.5% linear polarization of the emission relative to the beam axis was measured. It is shown how the alignment may be used to determine the probabilities for populating the various final Quasi molecular states of the ion-atom pair. The alignment of the Penning ions is an important new parameter in the description of these reactions. © 1979 The American Physical Society