Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in the carotenoid content of ketchups and gazpachos through HPLC/ESI(Li(+) )-MS/MS correlated with their antioxidant capacity.

BACKGROUND Carotenoids are important antioxidant compounds in the human diet. Owing to their constrained polyene structure, carotenoids can exist in cis and trans isomeric forms that can be difficult to differentiate in natural samples. In ketchups and gazpachos, all-trans isomeric forms are predominant. However, during thermal processing, cis isomers are formed. Therefore the determination of carotenoid isomers is required for the assessment of the nutritional value of foods. RESULTS The main carotenoid found in ketchups was trans-lycopene, whereas in gazpachos a higher contribution to the total carotenoid content was made by other carotenoids such as 5-, 9- and 13-cis-lycopene, lutein, β-carotene and α-carotene. Ketchups exhibited the highest lipophilic antioxidant content owing to their higher content of trans-lycopene, the main carotenoid in tomatoes. CONCLUSION Direct analysis of carotenoids by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) often produces poor results requiring offline time- and sample-consuming derivatisation techniques. Therefore in this work a simple ESI-MS approach is described for the direct analysis of carotenoids in ketchups and gazpachos using the post-column addition of lithium chloride to promote the cationisation of carotenoids. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper presents for the first time the identification of 5-, 9- and 13-cis-lycopene in ketchups and gazpachos.
Enhanced atheroprotection and lesion remodelling by targeting the foam cell and increasing plasma cholesterol acceptors.

AIMS Atherosclerosis development can be ameliorated by promoting reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) from arteries. The process involves cholesterol efflux from foam cells to extracellular acceptors such as apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that mediate transport to the liver. Perilipin-2 (PLIN2) is a lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein that in macrophages facilitates cholesterol storage and prevents efflux. We hypothesized that atheroprotection would be enhanced by concurrently targeting PLIN2 to increase the efflux capacity of foam cells and increasing plasma apoA-I and HDL. METHODS AND RESULTS PLIN2-knockout and wild-type mice lacking apolipoprotein E (PLIN2(-/-)/apoE(-/-) and PLIN2(+/+)/apoE(-/-)) were treated with a helper-dependent adenoviral vector encoding human apoA-I (HDAd-AI) or with control empty vector. Treatment with HDAd-AI increased hepatic apoA-I production, plasma apoA-I and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and apoA-I deposition in lesions to a similar extent in PLIN2(-/-)/apoE(-/-) and PLIN2(+/+)/apoE(-/-) mice. However, atherosclerosis development at the aortic sinus was considerably lower in HDAd-AI-treated PLIN2(-/-)/apoE(-/-) mice. A more stable lesion phenotype, with increased collagen content, was primarily associated to treatment with HDAd-AI, but was enhanced under PLIN2 deficiency. PLIN2 deficiency and apoA-I cumulatively reduced LDs and cholesterol ester content in cultured macrophages. Neutral lipid in atheroma was significantly reduced in HDAd-AI-treated PLIN2(-/-)/apoE(-/-) mice, and RCT from macrophages to feces was enhanced in PLIN2(-/-) macrophages. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate a mutually beneficial relationship between PLIN2 deficiency and elevated apoA-I/HDL-C in preventing atherosclerosis development. The data support that targeting foam cell components to mobilize cholesterol may be a promising strategy to enhance the atheroprotection of plasma cholesterol acceptors.
Proteins in ecotoxicology – How, why and why not?

The growing interest in the application of proteomic technologies to solve toxicology issues and its relevance in ecotoxicology research has resulted in the emergence of “ecotoxicoproteomics”. There is a general consensus that ecotoxicoproteomics is a powerful tool to spot early molecular events involved in toxicant responses, which are responsible for the adverse effects observed at higher levels of biological organization, thus contributing to elucidate the mode of action of stressors and to identify specific biomarkers. Ultimately, early‐warning indicators can then be developed and deployed in “in situ” bioassays and in environmental risk assessment. The number of field experiments or laboratory trials using ecologically relevant test‐species and involving proteomics has been, until recently, insufficient to allow a critical analysis of the real benefits of the application of this approach to ecotoxicology. This article intends to present an overview on the applications of proteomics in the context of ecotoxicology, focusing mainly on the prospective research to be done in invertebrates. Although these represent around 95% of all animal species and in spite of the key structural and functional roles they play in ecosystems, proteomic research in invertebrates is still in an incipient stage. We will review applications of ecotoxicoproteomics by evaluating the technical methods employed, the organisms and the contexts studied, the advances achieved until now and lastly the limitations yet to overcome will be discussed.
Cellular complexity captured in durable silica biocomposites

Tissue-derived cultured cells exhibit a remarkable range of morphological features in vitro, depending on phenotypic expression and environmental interactions. Translation of these cellular architectures into inorganic materials would provide routes to generate hierarchical nanomaterials with stabilized structures and functions. Here, we describe the fabrication of cell/silica composites (CSCs) and their conversion to silica replicas using mammalian cells as scaffolds to direct complex structure formation. Under mildly acidic solution conditions, silica deposition is restricted to the molecularly crowded cellular template. Inter- and intracellular heterogeneity from the nano- to macroscale is captured and dimensionally preserved in CSCs following drying and subjection to extreme temperatures allowing, for instance, size and shape preserving pyrolysis of cellular architectures to form conductive carbon replicas. The structural and behavioral malleability of the starting material (cultured cells) provides opportunities to develop robust and economical biocomposites with programmed structures and functions.
Structures of the Complexes of a Potent Anti-HIV Protein Cyanovirin-N and High Mannose Oligosaccharides*

The development of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) microbicides for either topical or ex vivo use is of considerable interest, mainly due to the difficulties in creating a vaccine that would be active against multiple clades of HIV. Cyanovirin-N (CV-N), an 11-kDa protein from the cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) Nostoc ellipsosporum with potent virucidal activity, was identified in the search for such antiviral agents. The binding of CV-N to the heavily glycosylated HIV envelope protein gp120 is carbohydrate-dependent. Since previous CV-N-dimannose structures could not fully explain CV-N-oligomannose binding, we determined the crystal structures of recombinant CV-N complexed to Man-9 and a synthetic hexamannoside, at 2.5- and 2.4-Å resolution, respectively. CV-N is a three-dimensional domain-swapped dimer in the crystal structures with two primary sites near the hinge region and two secondary sites on the opposite ends of the dimer. The binding interface is constituted of three stacked α1→2-linked mannose rings for Man-9 and two stacked mannose rings for hexamannoside with the rest of the saccharide molecules pointing to the solution. These structures show unequivocally the binding geometry of high mannose sugars to CV-N, permitting a better understanding of carbohydrate binding to this potential new lead for the design of drugs against AIDS.
X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease: Twenty-Five Years after the Discovery

The X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), one of six described X-linked immunodeficiencies, stems from a mutation at Xq25 which renders males impotent to mount an effective immune response to the ubiquitous EBV. Purtilo, who first observed this disease in 1969, established a Registry in 1980 to serve as a worldwide resource for the diagnosis, treatment, and research of this condition. Since Purtilo's death in late 1992, the Registry and research unit have not only continued to function as a worldwide consultative service, but have contributed the following. First, the number of affected boys has continued to grow; some 272 among 80 kindreds have been identified. Second, some boys (10%) who inherit the mutated XLP gene are immunologically abnormal even before evidence of EBV exposure. Third, the search for the XLP gene has been narrowed to a small region on Xq25. Its identification is near at hand; once cloned, this gene may well illustrate how the body orchestrates the complex immune response to EBV. Therein lies the justification for the quest for this gene, not only for the benefit of the few surviving boys and those to be born to female carriers, but also for defining its role in defending the body against a ubiquitous DNA virus.
Roles of cell division control factor SdiA: recognition of quorum sensing signals and modulation of transcription regulation targets

In Gram‐negative bacteria, N‐acylhomoserine lactone (HSL) is used as a signal in cell–cell communication and quorum sensing (QS). The model prokaryote Escherichia coli lacks the system of HSL synthesis, but is capable of monitoring HSL signals in environment. Transcription factor SdiA for cell division control is believed to play a role as a HSL sensor. Using a collection of 477 species of chemically synthesized HSL analogues, we identified three synthetic signal molecules (SSMs) that bind in vitro to purified SdiA. After SELEX‐chip screening of SdiA‐binding DNA sequences, a striking difference was found between these SSMs in the pattern of regulation target genes on the E. coli genome. Based on Northern blot analysis in vivo, a set of target genes were found to be repressed by SdiA in the absence of effectors and derepressed by the addition of SSMs. Another set of genes were, however, expressed in the absence of effector ligands but repressed by the addition of SSMs. Taken together, we propose that the spectrum of taget gene selection by SdiA is modulated in multiple modes depending on the interacting HSL‐like signal molecules.
Metabolic acidosis accompanying potassium deprivation.

BURNELL, JAMES M. , ELIZABETH J. TEUBNER, AND DAVID P. SIMPSON. bfetabolic acidosis accompanying potasszum deprivation. Am. J. Physiol. 227(2): 329-333. 1974. -Removal of potassium, with or without substitution of an equivalent amount of sodium, from the diet of dogs causes a prompt and persistent decrease in distal H+ secretion resulting in an increase in urine pH. The sequelae to this change include: I) decreased urine NH& titratable acid, and net H+ excretion. , 2) due to the resulting positive H+ balance, mild metabolic acidosis gradually develops; 3) renal NH3 production increases in response to the acidosis and NHJ+ excretion rises so that H+ balance is again restored; 4) on restoration of K+ to the diet, urine pH promptly falls, NHI+ excretion rises sharply, titratable acid excretion returns to normal, and the metabolic acidosis subsides in a few days.
Examining the Association Between Health Literacy and Medication Adherence Among Older Adults

ABSTRACT Health literacy plays a vital role in patients’ understanding of their prescribed medication instructions. To inform strategies to assist providers in communicating in a manner that is easily understood by patients, it would be beneficial to determine the relationship between health literacy and the day-to-day aspects of medication adherence. This study identified: 1) differences of health literacy levels in medication adherence; 2) the association between health literacy and medication adherence; and 3) and factors associated with medication adherence score. A convenience sample of older predominantly African-American patients (N = 389), over the age of 60, completed a cross-sectional survey. Chi-square analysis assessed health literacy differences in five aspects of medication adherence. Ordinary linear regression analysis determined factors associated with medication adherence score. Patients with limited health literacy were more likely to forget to take their medications and more likely to take less medication than instructed than patients with adequate health literacy (χ2(5) = 15.91, p = . 007, χ2(5) = 10.31, p = . 036, respectively). REALM score was also significantly associated with medication adherence score (β= .016, p < .001, β = .009, p = .033), respectively). Findings suggest that providers seeking to improve medication adherence in older adults, particularly African-American patients, should focus communication on assessing health literacy levels prior to discussing medication instructions.
Surgical resection for metastatic melanoma to the liver: the John Wayne Cancer Institute and Sydney Melanoma Unit experience.

HYPOTHESIS Metastatic melanoma to the liver is not incurable; complete surgical resection can achieve long-term survival in selected patients. BACKGROUND Metastases to the liver are diagnosed in 10% to 20% of patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV melanoma. Surgical resection has not been generally accepted as a therapeutic option, as most patients will have other sites of disease that limit their survival to a median of only 4 to 6 months. However, there is little information on outcomes following resection in those patients with disease limited to the liver. PATIENTS AND METHODS Review of the prospective melanoma databases at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, Calif, and the Sydney Melanoma Unit, Sydney, Australia, identified 1750 patients with hepatic metastases, of whom 34 (2%) underwent exploration with intent to resect the metastases. Prognostic factors within the group of patients who underwent resection were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis, and median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated. RESULTS Of 34 patients undergoing exploratory celiotomy, 24 (71%) underwent hepatic resection and 10 (29%) underwent exploration but not resection. Eighteen patients (75%) underwent complete surgical resection, while the remaining 6 underwent palliative or debulking procedures with incomplete resection. The operative resections included lobectomy (n=14), segmentectomy (4), nonanatomic resection (5), and extended lobectomy (1). The median number of resected lesions was 1, and median lesion size was 5 cm (range, 0.7-22 cm). The median disease-free interval between initial diagnosis of melanoma and development of hepatic metastases was 58 months (range, 0-264 months). Median DFS and OS estimates in the 24 patients who underwent surgical resection were 12 months (range, 0-147 months) and 28 months (range, 2-147 months), respectively. Five-year DFS and OS in this group were 12% and 29%. Macroscopically, complete resection of disease (P =.001) and histologically negative resection margins (P =.03) significantly improved DFS by univariate analysis. Patients rendered surgically free of disease also tended to have improved OS (P =.06). Median OS was 28 months for patients who underwent surgical resection compared with 4 months for patients who underwent exploration only (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Resection of metastatic melanoma to the liver may improve DFS and OS in selected patients, similar to resection of other metastatic sites. Therefore, patients with limited metastatic sites, including the liver, who can be rendered free of disease should be considered for complete surgical resection, as their prognosis is otherwise dismal.
Intake of Soy Products and Other Foods and Gastric Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study

Background Gastric cancer, the most common cancer in the world, is affected by some foods or food groups. We examined the relationship between dietary intake and stomach cancer risk in the Korean Multi-Center Cancer Cohort (KMCC). Methods The KMCC included 19 688 Korean men and women who were enrolled from 1993 to 2004. Of those subjects, 9724 completed a brief 14-food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Through record linkage with the Korean Central Cancer Registry and National Death Certificate databases, we documented 166 gastric cancer cases as of December 31, 2008. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. Results Frequent intake of soybean/tofu was significantly associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer, after adjustment for age, sex, cigarette smoking, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and area of residence (P for trend = 0.036). We found a significant inverse association between soybean/tofu intake and gastric cancer risk among women (RR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22–0.78). Men with a high soybean/tofu intake had a lower risk of gastric cancer, but the reduction was not statistically significant (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.52–1.13). There was no interaction between soybean/tofu intake and cigarette smoking in relation to gastric cancer risk (P for interaction = 0.268). Conclusions Frequent soybean/tofu intake was associated with lower risk of gastric cancer.
Effects of Lubricating Agents with Different Osmolalities on Tear Osmolarity and Other Tear Function Tests in Patients with Dry Eye

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the effects of different artificial tear eye drops on Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear osmolarity, Schirmer’s I test, and tear break-up time (TBUT) in patients with dry eye disease. Materials and methods: This 12-week, single-institution, single-masked, randomized, pilot study was conducted in Turkey between March and July 2012 in patients with dry eye. Patients were randomly assigned to receive Systane® for their right eye and Eyestil® for their left eye or to receive Tears Naturale II® for their right eye and Refresh Tears® for their left eyes. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and weeks 2, 4 and 12 after treatment initiation. Results: Twenty-two patients received Systane (right eye) and Eyestil (left eye) and 21 patients received Tears Naturale (right eye) and Refresh (left eye). At each visit and for each outcome, each treatment group demonstrated a significant improvement from baseline (p < 0.001); however, none of these outcomes were significantly different among treatment groups at any visit. At week 12, the mean OSDI improvement was similar between the Systane/Eyestil group (−26.4 ± 10.6) and the Tears Naturale/Refresh group (−27.6 ± 14.8). The mean tear osmolarity decrease (mOsm/L) at week 12 was −33.8 ± 8.3 for Eyestil, −30.3 ± 9.2 for Refresh, −28.4 ± 8.2 for Systane and −25.7 ± 13.1 for Tears Naturale. The mean Schirmer’s test increase at week 12 (mm/5 min) was 6.7 ± 3.4 for Eyestil, 6.4 ± 2.9 for Systane, 4.7 ± 2.4 for Tears Naturale and 4.7 ± 2.8 for Refresh. The mean TBUT increase at week 12 (s) was 7.0 ± 3.4 for Systane, 6.1 ± 3.3 for Eyestil, 5.8 ± 2.3 for Tears Naturale, and 5.6 ± 2.8 for Refresh. Conclusion: All four artificial tear formulations were effective in relieving dry eye signs and symptoms. Although the greatest improvement in two of the objective tests was achieved by Eyestil, the drug with the lowest osmolality, differences among the four artificial tear eye drops were not statistically significant.
Dynamic changes in water and salinity in saline-alkali soils after simulated irrigation and leaching

Soil salinization is a global problem that limits agricultural development and impacts human life. This study aimed to understand the dynamic changes in water and salinity in saline-alkali soil based on an indoor soil column simulation. We studied the changes in the water and salt contents of soils with different degrees of salinization under various irrigation conditions. The results showed that after seven irrigations, the pH, conductivity and total soluble salt content of the percolation samples after irrigation generally increased initially then decreased with repeated irrigation. The soil moisture did not change significantly after irrigation. The pH, conductivity, and total soluble salt content of each layer of the soil profile exhibited general declining trends. In the soil profile from Changguo Township (CG), the pH decreased from 8.21–8.35 to 7.71–7.88, the conductivity decreased from 0.95–1.14 ms/cm to 0.45–0.68 ms/cm, and the total soluble salt content decreased from 2.63–2.81 g/kg to 2.28–2.51 g/kg. In the soil profile from Zhongjie Industrial Park (ZJ), the pH decreased from 8.36–8.54 to 7.73–7.96, the conductivity decreased from 1.58–1.68 ms/cm to 1.45–1.54 ms/cm, and the total soluble salt decreased from 2.81–4.03 g/kg to 2.56–3.28 g/kg. The transported salt ions were primarily K+, Na+ and Cl-. After several irrigations, a representative desalination effect was achieved. The results of this study can provide technical guidance for the comprehensive management of saline-alkali soils.
Thermal-activation parameters for asymmetric {211} slip in Li-Mg alloy crystals

Abstract Differential deformation tests in compression have been made on Li-65% Mg alloy single crystals at temperatures between 4·2 and 293 K. Crystals covering a range of axial orientations were used and the strong temperature dependence of the flow stress was found to begin at ∼200 K. The results divide into two sets of data depending on the sense of shear on {211} slip planes. The activation volumes and enthalpies calculated from the data are not consistent with the classical asymmetric Peierls barrier model. It is suggested that the barrier energy is dependent on the sense of slip and that this is responsible for the stress asymmetry.
Evidence that insulin‐like growth factor‐1 requires protein kinase C‐ɛ, PI3‐kinase and mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways to protect human vascular smooth muscle cells from apoptosis

Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 has been implicated in the development of occlusive vascular lesions. Although its role in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth and migration are fairly well characterized, anti‐apoptotic signals of IGF‐1 in human VSMC remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined IGF‐1 signals that protect human and rat VSMC from staurosporine (STAU)‐ and c‐myc‐ induced apoptosis, respectively. Treatment with STAU resulted in apoptotic DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization and cell shrinkage, but only occasional VSMC ‘blebbing’. STAU‐induced death and IGF‐1‐mediated survival were concentration dependent, while time‐lapse video microscopy showed that IGF‐1 inhibited c‐myc‐induced apoptosis by 90%. Pretreatment with mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors UO126 and PD098059, or with the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3‐K) inhibitor wortmannin, reversed IGF‐1‐mediated human VSMC survival by 25–27% and 66%, respectively. Translocation studies showed that IGF‐1 activated protein kinase C (PKC)‐ɛ, but not PKC‐α or PKC‐δ, even in the presence of STAU, while pharmacological PKC inhibition (Ro‐318220 or Go6976) implicated PKC‐ζ or a novel PKC isozyme in IGF‐1‐mediated survival. Transient expression of activated PKC‐ɛ but not activated PKC‐ζ decreased myc‐induced apoptosis in rat VSMC. In human VSMC, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to PKC‐ɛ partially reversed IGF‐1‐induced survival. In addition, IGF‐1 elicited a mild but sustained activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 in human VSMC that was abolished after 1 h in the presence of STAU. PKC downregulation reversed both IGF‐1‐ and PMA‐induced ERK activity, but platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐induced activity was unchanged. These results indicate for the first time that IGF‐1 can protect human VSMC via multiple signals, including PKC‐ɛ, PI3‐K and mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways.