Effect of plasma exchange with albumin replacement on albumin functionality and organ dysfunction in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background & Aims: Effective treatments for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are a major unmet need. This proof-of-concept pilot study was aimed at evaluating the effects of plasma exchange (PE) with albumin 5% (PE-A5%) on albumin functional capacity and organ dysfunction in patients with ACLF.

Methods: Ten adult patients were enrolled in a single-center phase II, prospective, open-label, non-controlled study.

Longitudinal paths between parents' use of rewards and young adolescents' moral traits and prosocial behaviors.

Background: Although prior research shows supportive evidence that parental practices are associated with adolescents' prosocial behaviors, limited evidence exists on the effects of parents' use of social and material rewards on distinct forms of prosocial behaviors, and the mediating effects of sociocognitive and socioemotive traits in these relations.

Aims: The present study was designed to examine the longitudinal relations among parents' use of social and material rewards, youth prosocial traits, and prosocial behaviors.

Materials & Methods: Participants were 417 adolescents (M age = 14.

Enzymatic glycosylation of bioactive acceptors catalyzed by an immobilized fungal β-xylosidase and its multi-glycoligase variant.

A recombinant β-xylosidase (rBxTW1) from the ascomycete Talaromyces amestolkiae and a mutant derived from it, with mostly synthetic activity, have been immobilized as magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates (mCLEAs). The mCLEAs of rBxTW1 kept the excellent hydrolytic and O-transxylosylating activities of the free enzyme and had improved thermal and pH stability. The mCLEAs of the mutant also maintained or improved the catalytic properties of the soluble enzyme, synthetizing the O-xylosides of vanillin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, and the N- and S-xyloside of 3,5-dibromo-1,2,4-triazole and thiophenol, respectively.

Alpha1-antitrypsin ameliorates islet amyloid-induced glucose intolerance and β-cell dysfunction.

Objective: Pancreatic β-cell failure is central to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) has been associated with pancreatic islet inflammation and dysfunction in T2D. Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) is a circulating protease inhibitor with anti-inflammatory properties.

Increased Albumin Oxidation in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma from Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Background: Oxidative stress in the brain and peripheral systems is considered a major player in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Albumin is the main transporter and the main extracellular antioxidant in the human body.

Objective: Here we explore for the first time the oxidation status of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma albumin in AD in comparison to healthy subjects.

Negative emotions and behaviour: The role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

The objective of this study is to test a longitudinal model that analyses the direct effect of negative emotions (anger, depression and anxiety, wave 1) on prosocial and aggressive behaviour (wave 2) in adolescents. And the indirect effect of negative emotions (wave 1) on prosocial and aggressive behaviour (wave 2) through regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Data was obtained from 417 adolescents in a two-wave longitudinal study (225 girls, M age = 14.