Antioxidative and Antimutagenic Activities of 70% Ethanolic Extracts from Four Fungal Mycelia-Fermented Specialty Rices

The health-promoting potential of 70% ethanolic extracts of 4 rice varieties fermented with Monascus ruber, Phellinus linteus, Cordyceps sinensis and Agaricus blazei was evaluated mainly focusing on their antioxidative and antimutagenic capacities based on the following parameters: phenolic compound and phytic acid content; inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation; scavenging activity on DPPH radical; suppressing ability on mitomycin C-induced mutagenesis in E. coli cells; and protective effect on 4-nitroquinoline oxide-triggered DNA lesion in V79 hamster cells. The fermented rice extracts were superior in overall health-promoting parameters compared to the source material. The higher antimutagenic activity of the fermented rice extracts might be in part caused by a larger amount of antioxidant constituents such as phenolic compounds or phytic acid. Of the fungal species, Monascus ruber was found to impart a marked increase in both the antioxidative and antimutagenic abilities to the source material. The current study suggests a possibility that such fermented rice may contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer through a daily intake of rice-based diets

Electrochemical performance of YST infiltrated and fe doped YST infiltrated YSZ anodes for IT-SOFC

Donor doped and donor-acceptor co-doped strontium titanate perovskite are investigated for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) anodes. Y0.08Sr0.88TiO3-delta and Y0.08Sr0.92Ti1-xFexO3-delta (x = 0.2, 0.4) anodes were prepared by infiltration in 65% porous yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) scaffolds. The microstructure and electrical conductivity of Y0.08Sr0.88TiO3-delta and Y0.08Sr0.92Ti1-xFexO3-delta strongly depends on Fe content. The conductivity of Y0.08Sr0.88TiO3-delta andY(0.08)Sr(0.92)Ti(1-x)Fe(x)O(3-delta); decreases with increasing Fe content in humidified H-2. Y0.08Sr0.88TiO3-delta, Y0.08Sr0.92Ti0.8Fe0.2O3-delta, and Y0.08Sr0.92Ti0.6Fe0.4O3-delta, anodes with a Pd/CeO2 catalyst show peak power density of 298, 421, and 321 mW cm(-2), respectively, in wet H-2 at 1073 K.open0

Simultaneous deletion of floxed genes mediated by CaMKIIa-Cre in the brain and in male germ cells: application to conditional and conventional disruption of Go-alfa

The Cre/LoxP system is a well-established approach to spatially and temporally control genetic inactivation. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit (CaMKIIα) promoter limits expression to specific regions of the forebrain and thus has been utilized for the brain-specific inactivation of the genes. Here, we show that CaMKIIα-Cre can be utilized for simultaneous inactivation of genes in the adult brain and in male germ cells. Double transgenic Rosa26+/stop-lacZ::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice generated by crossing CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice with floxed ROSA26 lacZ reporter (Rosa26+/stop-lacZ) mice exhibited lacZ expression in the brain and testis. When these mice were mated to wild-type females, about 27% of the offspring were whole body blue by X-gal staining without inheriting the Cre transgene. These results indicate that recombination can occur in the germ cells of male Rosa26+/stop-lacZ::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice. Similarly, when double transgenic Gnao+/f::CaMKIIα-Cre+/Cre mice carrying a floxed Go-alpha gene (Gnaof/f) were backcrossed to wild-type females, approximately 22% of the offspring carried the disrupted allele (GnaoΔ) without inheriting the Cre transgene. The GnaoΔ/Δ mice closely resembled conventional Go-alpha knockout mice (Gnao−/−) with respect to impairment of their behavior. Thus, we conclude that CaMKIIα-Cre mice afford recombination for both tissue- and time-controlled inactivation of floxed target genes in the brain and for their permanent disruption. This work also emphasizes that extra caution should be exercised in utilizing CaMKIIα-Cre mice as breeding pairs.Fil: Choi, Chan-Il. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Yoon, Sang-Phil. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Choi, Jung-Mi. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Kim, Sung-Soo. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Lee, Young-Don. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Birnbaumer, Lutz. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados Unidos. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Suh-Kim. Haeyoung. Ajou University. School of Medicine; Corea del Su

Development of a dental handpiece angle correction device

Background Preparation of a uniform angle of walls is essential for making an ideal convergence angle in fixed prosthodontics. We developed a de novo detachable angle-correction apparatus for dental handpiece drills that could help the ideal tooth preparation. Methods We utilized a gyro sensor to measure the angular velocities to calculate the slope of an object by integrating the values, acceleration sensor to calculate the slope of an object by measuring the acceleration relative to gravity, and Kalman filter algorithm. Converting the angulation of the handpiece body to its drill part could be performed by a specific matrix formulation set on two reference points (2° and 6°). A flexible printed circuit board was used to minimize the size of the device. For convergence angle investigation, 16 volunteers were divided randomly into two groups for performing tooth preparation on a mandibular first molar resin tooth. All abutments were scanned by a 3D scanner (D700®, 3Shape Co., Japan), the convergence angle and tooth axis deviation were analyzed by a CAD program (SolidWorks 2013®, Dassault Systems Co., USA) with statistical analysis by Wilcoxon signed-rank test (α = 0.05) using SPSS statistical software (Version 16.0, SPSS Inc.). Results This device successfully maintained the stable zero point (less than 1° deviation) at different angles (0°, 30°, 60°, 80°) for the first 30 min. In single tooth preparation, without this apparatus, the average bucco-lingual convergence angle was 20.26° (SD 7.85), and the average mesio–distal (MD) convergence angle was 17.88° (SD 7.64). However, the use of this apparatus improved the average BL convergence angle to 13.21° (SD 4.77) and the average MD convergence angle to 10.79° (SD 4.48). The angle correction device showed a statistically significant effect on reducing the convergence angle of both directions regardless of the order of the directions. Conclusions The angle correction device developed in this study is capable of guiding practitioners with high accuracy comparable to that of commercial navigation surgery. The volume of the angle correction device is much smaller than that of any other commercial navigation surgery system. This device is expected to be widely utilized in various fields of orofacial surgery.This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2017R1D1A1B03036054)

A single gene of a commensal microbe affects host susceptibility to enteric infection

Indigenous microbes inside the host intestine maintain a complex self-regulating community. The mechanisms by which gut microbes interact with intestinal pathogens remain largely unknown. Here we identify a commensal Escherichia coli strain whose expansion predisposes mice to infection by Vibrio cholerae, a human pathogen. We refer to this strain as 'atypical' E. coli (atEc) because of its inability to ferment lactose. The atEc strain is resistant to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proliferates extensively in antibiotic-treated adult mice. V. cholerae infection is more severe in neonatal mice transplanted with atEc compared with those transplanted with a typical E. coli strain. Intestinal ROS levels are decreased in atEc-transplanted mice, favouring proliferation of ROS-sensitive V. cholerae. An atEc mutant defective in ROS degradation fails to facilitate V. cholerae infection when transplanted, suggesting that host infection susceptibility can be regulated by a single gene product of one particular commensal species.