The effect of probiotic Bl-04 on innate antiviral responses .

Consumption of certain probiotic strains may be beneficial for reducing the risk of acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), however, underlying immunological mechanisms are elusive. Bl-04™ has been reported in humans to significantly reduce the risk of URTIs, affect the innate immunity in the nasal mucosa, and reduce nasal lavage virus titer after a rhinovirus (RV) challenge. To study the immunological mechanisms, we investigated the effect of Bl-04 on cytokine production and transcriptomes of human monocyte-derived macrophages (Mfs) and dendritic cells (DCs), and further on RV replication and cytokine production in MRC-5 fibroblasts.

Enhancing Bioaccessibility of Plant Protein Using Probiotics: An In Vitro Study.

As plant-based diets become more popular, there is an interest in developing innovations to improve the bioaccessibility of plant protein. In this study, seven probiotic strains ( subsp. B420, Bl-04, NCFM, HN001, subsp.

Prevalence of vomiting and nausea and associated factors after chronic and acute gluten exposure in celiac disease.

Background: Vomiting and nausea seem to be relatively specific symptoms related to gluten ingestion in treated celiac disease. However, the overall prevalence and associated factors of these symptoms after chronic gluten exposure at celiac disease diagnosis and acute re-exposure during gluten challenge remain obscure.

Methods: Medical data on 815 adult celiac disease patients were collected at diagnosis from the medical records and through supplementary interviews.

The Effect of Human Milk Oligosaccharides and subspecies Bi-26 on Simulated Infant Gut Microbiome and Metabolites.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) shape the developing infant gut microbiota. In this study, a semi-continuous colon simulator was used to evaluate the effect of 2 HMOs-2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL)-on the composition of infant faecal microbiota and microbial metabolites. The simulations were performed with and without a probiotic subspecies Bi-26 (Bi-26) and compared with a control that lacked an additional carbon source.

Effects of Bacterial Lysates and Metabolites on Collagen Homeostasis in TNF-α-Challenged Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

During skin aging, the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, such as type I collagen, decreases and the synthesis of ECM-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) rises, leading to an imbalance in homeostasis and to wrinkle formation. In this study, we examined the effects of bacterial lysates and metabolites from three bifidobacteria and five lactobacilli on collagen homeostasis in human dermal fibroblasts during challenge with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), modeling an inflammatory condition that damages the skin's structure. Antiaging properties were measured, based on fibroblast cell viability and confluence, amount of type I pro-collagen, ratio of MMP-1 to type I pro-collagen, cytokines, and growth factors.

In Vitro Screen of Lactobacilli Strains for Gastrointestinal and Vaginal Benefits.

Traditional probiotics comprise mainly lactic acid bacteria that are safe for human use, tolerate acid and bile, and adhere to the epithelial lining and mucosal surfaces. In this study, one hundred commercial and non-commercial strains that were isolated from human feces or vaginal samples were tested with regards to overall growth in culture media, tolerance to acid and bile, hydrogen peroxide (HO) production, and adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells (VECs) and to blood group antigens. As a result, various of the tested lactobacilli strains were determined to be suitable for gastrointestinal or vaginal applications.

The economic costs, management and regulation of biological invasions in the Nordic countries.

A collective understanding of economic impacts and in particular of monetary costs of biological invasions is lacking for the Nordic region. This paper synthesizes findings from the literature on costs of invasions in the Nordic countries together with expert elicitation. The analysis of cost data has been made possible through the InvaCost database, a globally open repository of monetary costs that allows for the use of temporal, spatial, and taxonomic descriptors facilitating a better understanding of how costs are distributed.

Selective Utilization of the Human Milk Oligosaccharides 2'-Fucosyllactose, 3-Fucosyllactose, and Difucosyllactose by Various Probiotic and Pathogenic Bacteria.

Prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are found in human milk, which are not digested by infants but are metabolized by beneficial gut bacteria. We determined the ability of 57 bacterial strains within the Family Lactobacillaceae and genera and and potentially pathogenic bacteria to ferment the HMOs 2'-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, and difucosyllactose. In addition, prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose, fucose, and glucose were evaluated as carbon sources for these bacterial strains.

Effect of Phytase on in Vitro Hydrolysis of Phytate and the Formation of -Inositol Phosphate Esters in Various Feed Materials.

Phytase is commonly used as a feed enzyme in monogastric animals to increase the bioavailability of phytate phosphorus and other nutrients. The accumulation of -inositol phosphate intermediates during phytate degradation in various segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of spp.

High-Fat Diet, Betaine, and Polydextrose Induce Changes in Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Metabolism in C57BL/6J Mice.

Scope: High-fat diets are a likely cause of low-grade inflammation and obesity-related pathologies. This study measures the effects of a high-fat diet, in combination with two dietary supplements-betaine and polydextrose-on metabolism and inflammation in the adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice.

Methods And Results: Forty male C57BL/6J mice are fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks and compared with low-fat-diet-fed control animals (n = 10).

Increased HSF1 expression predicts shorter disease-specific survival of prostate cancer patients following radical prostatectomy.

Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease and the clinical outcome is varying. While current prognostic tools are regarded insufficient, there is a critical need for markers that would aid prognostication and patient risk-stratification. Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) is crucial for cellular homeostasis, but also a driver of oncogenesis.

A high-content image analysis approach for quantitative measurements of chemosensitivity in patient-derived tumor microtissues.

Organotypic, three-dimensional (3D) cancer models have enabled investigations of complex microtissues in increasingly realistic conditions. However, a drawback of these advanced models remains the poor biological relevance of cancer cell lines, while higher clinical significance would be obtainable with patient-derived cell cultures. Here, we describe the generation and data analysis of 3D microtissue models from patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Global tests for novelty.

Outlier detection covers the wide range of methods aiming at identifying observations that are considered unusual. Novelty detection, on the other hand, seeks observations among newly generated test data that are exceptional compared with previously observed training data. In many applications, the general existence of novelty is of more interest than identifying the individual novel observations.

Optimization of Invasion-Specific Effects of Betulin Derivatives on Prostate Cancer Cells through Lead Development.

The anti-invasive and anti-proliferative effects of betulins and abietane derivatives was systematically tested using an organotypic model system of advanced, castration-resistant prostate cancers. A preliminary screen of the initial set of 93 compounds was performed in two-dimensional (2D) growth conditions using non-transformed prostate epithelial cells (EP156T), an androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP), and the castration-resistant, highly invasive cell line PC-3. The 25 most promising compounds were all betulin derivatives.

Cdc20 and securin overexpression predict short-term breast cancer survival.

Background: Cdc20 is an essential component of cell division and responsible for anaphase initiation regulated by securin degradation. Cdc20 function is strongly regulated by the spindle assembly checkpoint to ensure the timely separation of sister chromatids and integrity of the genome. We present the first results on Cdc20 in a large clinical breast cancer material.

Quantification of dynamic morphological drug responses in 3D organotypic cell cultures by automated image analysis.

Glandular epithelial cells differentiate into complex multicellular or acinar structures, when embedded in three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrix. The spectrum of different multicellular morphologies formed in 3D is a sensitive indicator for the differentiation potential of normal, non-transformed cells compared to different stages of malignant progression. In addition, single cells or cell aggregates may actively invade the matrix, utilizing epithelial, mesenchymal or mixed modes of motility.

Low cdc27 and high securin expression predict short survival for breast cancer patients.

Cell cycle regulators cdc27 and securin participate in control of the mitotic checkpoint and survey the mitotic spindle to maintain chromosomal integrity. This is achieved by their functions in metaphase-anaphase transition, DNA damage repair, enhancement of mitotic arrest and apoptosis. We report on the roles of cdc27 and securin in aneuploidy and prognosis of breast cancer.

Lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate promote morphogenesis and block invasion of prostate cancer cells in three-dimensional organotypic models.

Normal prostate and some malignant prostate cancer (PrCa) cell lines undergo acinar differentiation and form spheroids in three-dimensional (3-D) organotypic culture. Acini formed by PC-3 and PC-3M, less pronounced also in other PrCa cell lines, spontaneously undergo an invasive switch, leading to the disintegration of epithelial structures and the basal lamina, and formation of invadopodia. This demonstrates the highly dynamic nature of epithelial plasticity, balancing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition against metastable acinar differentiation.

Illuminating the evolutionary history of liverworts (Marchantiophyta)-towards a natural classification.

The phylogenetic relationships of liverworts were reconstructed using the sequence data of four genome regions including rbcL, rps4 and trnL-F of the chloroplast and 26S large subunit ribosomal rRNA gene of the nucleus, and 90 characters of morphological, ultrastructural and developmental aspects. The taxa sampled consisted of 159 species including 135 liverworts (108 genera, 54 families and 29 suborders), 13 mosses, two hornworts, seven vascular plants and two charophyte algae. Analyses based on maximum parsimony using both direct optimization (POY) and static alignment (NONA), as well as Bayesian inference (MrBayes) were done.

Radionuclide imaging of tumor xenografts in mice using a gelatinase-targeting peptide.

Tumors express MMP-2 and MMP-9 gelatinases, which are involved in the formation of tumor vasculature. This suggests that a tumor and its surrounding neovasculature can be visualized by a sensitive gelatinase recognition method. We have studied tumor radioimaging using a gelatinase inhibitory peptide CTTHWGFTLC (CTT), which in a mouse model targets the tumor site following an intravenous injection.

Control of chemical risks during the treatment of soil contaminated with chlorophenol, creosote and copper-chrome-arsenic-wood preservatives.

Background: Exposure to chemicals in polluted soil was studied during the remediation of four polluted sites. They are sawmill areas contaminated with chlorophenols and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furanes (PCDD/F), wood impregnating plants contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from creosote oil, old gas works area contaminated with PAH, and a wood impregnation plant contaminated with copper-chromium-arsenic (CCA) preservative.

Methods: The exposure levels were determined by both air and biological monitoring.

FIOH external quality assurance scheme for organic solvent metabolites.

The scheme consists of analyses for phenol,2,5-hexanedione, and mandelic, trichloroacetic and methylhippuric acids in urine. The present participants are 31 laboratories from 14 countries. Samples are prepared by pooling urine obtained from occupationally exposed workers or by spiking with appropriate pure metabolites.

Biological monitoring of isopropyl nitrate.

Four healthy men were exposed to an isopropyl nitrate (IPN) concentration of 45.8 mg/m3 for 60 min. The IPN in the expired air, blood and urine of volunteers was analysed by gas chromatography.