V̇Opeak estimation in people with overweight and obesity before and after a 14-week lifestyle intervention.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the validity and applicability of a non-exercise estimation of cardiorespiratory fitness using resting seismocardiography (SCG eV̇Opeak) in people with overweight and obesity before and after a 14-week lifestyle intervention.

Methods: The study was carried out at a Folk high school that offers 14-week courses on lifestyle changes where participants live at the school and voluntarily participate in daily lectures and activities. Sixty-seven men and women with age and body mass index between 18 and 70 years and 25-50 kg·m were tested at baseline, and 52 had a follow-up test after 14 weeks.

Naturally occurring polyphenolic inhibitors of amyloid beta aggregation.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and is one of the main causes of death in developed countries. Consumption of foods rich in polyphenolics is strongly correlated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Our study has investigated the biological activity of previously untested polyphenolic compounds in preventing amyloid β aggregation.

ω-Conotoxin GVIA mimetics that bind and inhibit neuronal Ca(v)2.2 ion channels.

The neuronal voltage-gated N-type calcium channel (Ca(v)2.2) is a validated target for the treatment of neuropathic pain. A small library of anthranilamide-derived ω-Conotoxin GVIA mimetics bearing the diphenylmethylpiperazine moiety were prepared and tested using three experimental measures of calcium channel blockade.

Carboxymethylated-kappa-casein: a convenient tool for the identification of polyphenolic inhibitors of amyloid fibril formation.

Reduced and carboxymethylated-kappa-casein (RCM-kappa-CN) is a milk-derived amyloidogenic protein that readily undergoes nucleation-dependent aggregation and amyloid fibril formation via a similar pathway to disease-specific amyloidogenic peptides like amyloid beta (Abeta), which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. In this study, a series of flavonoids, many known to be inhibitors of Abeta fibril formation, were screened for their ability to inhibit RCM-kappa-CN fibrilisation, and the results were compared with literature data on Abeta inhibition. Flavonoids that had a high degree of hydroxylation and molecular planarity gave good inhibition of RCM-kappa-CN fibril formation.

Omega-conotoxin GVIA mimetics based on an anthranilamide core: effect of variation in ammonium side chain lengths and incorporation of fluorine.

A number of omega-conotoxin GVIA mimetics based on an anthranilamide core were prepared and tested for their affinity for rat brain Ca(v)2.2 channels. Features such as the presence of hydroxyl and fluoro substituents on the tyrosine side chain mimic, the length of the chains on the lysine/arginine side chain mimics and the use of diguanidino and diamino substituents rather than mono-guanidine/mono-amine substitution were examined.