Significant metabolic improvement by a water extract of olives: animal and human evidence.

Purpose: Dyslipidemia and impaired glucose metabolism are the main health issues of growing prevalence and significant high healthcare cost, requiring novel prevention and/or therapeutic approaches. Epidemiological and animal studies revealed that olive oil is an important dietary constituent, inducing normolipidemia. However, no studies have specifically investigated the polyphenol-rich water extract of olives (OLWPE), generated during olive oil production.

Brain natriuretic peptide plasma levels as a marker of prognosis in patients with community-acquired infection.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the N-terminal prohormone form of BNP (NT-proBNP) in patients with acute community-acquired infection as a predictive marker and its correlation with the type of infection. We studied 42 patients with acute community-acquired infection. Levels of NT-proBNP were measured in all patients at hospital admission and on the third day, as well as in a control group of 84 healthy blood donors.

Spatiotemporal distribution of Fras1/Frem proteins during mouse embryonic development.

The Fras1/Frem gene family encodes for structurally similar, developmentally regulated extracellular matrix proteins. Mutations in Fras1, Frem1 and Frem2 have been identified in different classes of mouse bleb mutants, while defects in the human orthologs FRAS1 and FREM2 are causative for Fraser syndrome. The hallmark phenotypic feature of bleb mice is embryonic skin blistering due to dermal-epidermal detachment.

Combination of amplification and post-amplification strategies to improve optical DNA sensing.

The work evaluated a series of approaches to optimise detection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified DNA samples by an optical sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) (BiacoreX). The optimised procedure was based on an asymmetric PCR amplification system to amplify predominantly one DNA strand, containing the sequence complementary to a specific probe. The study moved into two directions, aiming to improve the analytical performance of SPR detection in PCR amplified products.

Quantitative analysis of gene amplification in insecticide-resistant Culex mosquitoes.

The amplification of carboxylesterase structural genes followed by their overexpression is the most common mechanism of resistance to organophosphorus insecticides in Culex mosquitoes. Most resistant Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes have co-amplified estalpha2(1) and estbeta2(1) genes. Recently, Southern, DNA dot-blot analysis and phosphorimaging technology were used to quantify the est gene copy number in aphids and mosquitoes.