Grape wine lees improves the rheological and adds antioxidant properties to ice cream

[[abstract]]The effect of adding grape wine lees (GWL) (50, 100 and 150 g kg(-1), wet weight basis) on the rheological and antioxidant properties of ice cream was evaluated to determine the potential of using GWL as a value-added ingredient in ice cream. Black queen grape was selected because it was the only species for red winemaking in Taiwan. The addition of GWL decreased the specific gravity, pH, melting Fate, firmness, lightness and the amount of freezable water in ice cream, but increased the viscosity, yellowness and fat destabilization in a dose dependent circumstance. However, the ice cream with high GWL contents (100 and 150 g kg(-1)) also showed unpleasant effects, such as the decrease of overrun and the increase of particle size of fat globule. The level of 50 g kg(-1) was applicable because it improved the functionality without the disadvantages in the overrun and particle size. Furthermore, GWL significantly increased the DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power of ice cream, and also its inhibitory effect toward the oxidation of human erythrocyte membrane. It appeared that the antioxidants in GWL were quite stable to the process of ice cream making. (C) 2008 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

VIABILITY, FATTY ACID COMPOSITION, AND STRUCTURE OF THE CORALLINE ALGA CORALLINA PILULIFERA

The decrease in the seaweed flora in some rocky areas, known as algal whitening or barren ground, is associated with some species of coralline algae. To determine the biological characteristics of a representative species of branched coralline alga, the number of medullary tiers was counted and ranged from 12 to 16. The 18S rDNA, psbA, and rbcL genes were used to confirm the identification of Corallina pilulifera. Measuring viability using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride showed highly viability from December to January. Cultural conditions of 16 C, 16 h light:8 h dark cycle, and 40 mu E m(-2) s(-1) light intensity were optimal for maintaining the viability of the coralline alga for up to three days. The fatty acids included 31.4% omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid. Scanning electron microscopy of the surface structure revealed unique round wells about 7.9 +/- 1.3 mu m in diameter. The coralline alga, preventing fleshy seaweeds, may be used as a potential template for the creation of new environmentally friendly biomimetic antifouling material against the attachment of soft foulants, especially micro- and macroalgae.X111Ysciescopu

Antioxidative properties of protein hydrolysate from defatted peanut kernels treated with esperase

[[abstract]]The aim of this study was to facilitate development of natural antioxidants from defatted peanut kernels. Protein hydrolysates obtained from defatted peanut kernels with esperase treatment for 2 h exhibited higher antioxidative activity toward linolenic acid peroxidation than other proteases (including neutrase, pepsin, protease A and protease N). The esperase hydrolysate of peanut protein (EHPP) was further separated with 3 and 5 kDa molecular cut-off membranes to determine the influence of molecular weight. EHPP with molecular weight 3 similar to 5 kDa showed higher relative antioxidative activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity and metal chelating activity than that with molecular weight lower than 3 kDa or higher than 5 kDa. The fraction was further purified by ion exchange chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography; the final peanut peptides exhibited higher relative antioxidative activity (27.5) than ascorbic acid (9.5). This study reported for the first time that protein hydrolysates from defatted peanut kernels possess antioxidative activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Protein Degradation of RNA Polymerase II-Association Factor 1(PAF1) Is Controlled by CNOT4 and 26S Proteasome

The PAF complex (PAFc) participates in various steps of the transcriptional process, from initiation to termination, by interacting with and recruiting various proteins to the proper locus for each step. PAFc is an evolutionarily conserved, multi-protein complex comprising PAF1, CDC73, CTR9, LEO1, yRTF1 and, in humans, hSKI8. These components of PAFc work together, and their protein levels are closely interrelated. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of PAF1 protein degradation. We found that PAF1 protein levels are negatively regulated by the expression of CNOT4, an ortholog of yNOT4 and a member of the CCR4-NOT complex. CNOT4 specifically controls PAF1 but not other components of PAFc at the protein level by regulating the polyubiquitination of PAF1 and its subsequent degradation by the 26S proteasome. The degradation of PAF1 was found to require nuclear localization, as no PAF1 degradation by CNOT4 and the 26S proteasome was observed with NLS (nucleus localization signal)-deficient PAF1 mutants. However, chromatin binding by PAF1 was not necessary for 26S proteasome- or CNOT4-mediated degradation. Our results suggest that CNOT4 controls the degradation of chromatin-unbound PAF1 via the 26S proteasome.open1184Ysciescopu

Effects of fluid resuscitation on cerebral tissue oxygenation changes in a piglet model of hemorrhagic shock

AbstractBackgroundAcute blood loss linked to severe hypovolemia and hemorrhagic shock is a critical condition in pediatric intensive care. This study was to investigate the role of various fluid resuscitation approaches to cerebral tissue oxygenation using a piglet model of hemorrhagic shock.MethodsThirty piglets received blood removal to induce hemorrhagic shock, and then were randomly assigned to a control group (no treatment), a control-normal saline (NS) group (treated with bolus normal saline 10mL/kg only), or one of three treatment groups treated with 15mL/kg/dose fluid every 30min with either whole blood (WB), lactated Ringer’s solution (LR), or NS in addition to an initial bolus of saline. The piglets’ physiological profiles, arterial blood gases, and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) levels were recorded, fractional tissue oxygen extraction was calculated, and blood hemoglobin levels were measured.ResultsThe results showed that no matter whether treated with only one dose of bolus NS (control-NS group) or with extra WB, LR, or NS, all the treated animals had a significantly higher survival rate, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), arterial oxygen tension, arterial oxygen saturation, and rScO2 than the control group (p<0.05). Animals treated with WB all survived the full experimental period, and their hemoglobin levels, MAP, and rScO2 were the highest comparing to all other groups (p<0.05).ConclusionEffective resuscitation using a high concentration of inspired oxygen and adequate fluid infusion, either as a single-dose bolus of NS or combining this with a subsequent transfusion of WB, LR, or NS, helped to stabilize the cardiovascular condition of the tested young subjects and improved cerebral tissue oxygenation over the emergent first four hours. Furthermore, WB was the best fluid choice when used in addition to the bolus NS challenge for maintaining better brain tissue oxygenation when treating hemorrhagic shock

Biologic stability of plasma ion-implanted miniscrews

published_or_final_versio

Transformation of zinc-concentrate in surface and subsurface environments: Implications for assessing zinc mobility/toxicity and choosing an optimal remediation strategy

Zinc contamination in near- and sub-surface environments is a serious threat to many ecosystems and to public health. Sufficient understanding of Zn speciation and transport mechanisms is therefore critical to evaluating its risk to the environment and to developing remediation strategies. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of contaminated soils in the vicinity of a Zn ore transportation route were thoroughly investigated using a variety of analytical techniques (sequential extraction, XRF, XRD, SEM, and XAFS). Imported Zn-concentrate (ZnS) was deposited in a receiving facility and dispersed over time to the surrounding roadside areas and rice-paddy soils. Subsequent physical and chemical weathering resulted in dispersal into the subsurface. The species identified in the contaminated areas included Zn-sulfide, Zn-carbonate, other O-coordinated Zn-minerals, and Zn species bound to Fe/Mn oxides or clays, as confirmed by XAFS spectroscopy and sequential extraction. The observed transformation from S-coordinated Zn to O-coordinated Zn associated with minerals suggests that this contaminant can change into more soluble and labile forms as a result of weathering. For the purpose of developing a soil washing remediation process, the contaminated samples were extracted with dilute acids. The extraction efficiency increased with the increase of O-coordinated Zn relative to S-coordinated Zn in the sediment. This study demonstrates that improved understanding of Zn speciation in contaminated soils is essential for well-informed decision making regarding metal mobility and toxicity, as well as for choosing an appropriate remediation strategy using soil washing

Differential Calcium Signaling by Cone Specific Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Proteins from the Zebrafish Retina

Zebrafish express in their retina a higher number of guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (zGCAPs) than mammalians pointing to more complex guanylate cyclase signaling systems. All six zGCAP isoforms show distinct and partial overlapping expression profiles in rods and cones. We determined critical Ca2+-dependent parameters of their functional properties using purified zGCAPs after heterologous expression in E.coli. Isoforms 1–4 were strong, 5 and 7 were weak activators of membrane bound guanylate cyclase. They further displayed different Ca2+-sensitivities of guanylate cyclase activation, which is half maximal either at a free Ca2+ around 30 nM (zGCAP1, 2 and 3) or around 400 nM (zGCAP4, 5 and 7). Zebrafish GCAP isoforms showed also differences in their Ca2+/Mg2+-dependent conformational changes and in the Ca2+-dependent monomer-dimer equilibrium. Direct Ca2+-binding revealed that all zGCAPs bound at least three Ca2+. The corresponding apparent affinity constants reflect binding of Ca2+ with high (≤100 nM), medium (0.1–5 µM) and/or low (≥5 µM) affinity, but were unique for each zGCAP isoform. Our data indicate a Ca2+-sensor system in zebrafish rod and cone cells supporting a Ca2+-relay model of differential zGCAP operation in these cells

Molecular lens of the nonresonant dipole force

A cylindrical molecular lens is formed by focusing a nanosecond IR laser pulse. Trajectories of a CS2 molecular beam deflected by the lens are traced using the velocity map imaging technique. The characteristic lens parameters including the focal length, minimum beam width, and distance to the minimum-width position are determined. The laser intensity dependence of the parameters is in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Exciting possibilities for molecular optics and a new type of optical chromatography are opened up.open394