The Metabolic and Antioxidant Activity Profiles of Aged Greek Grape Marc Spirits.

In the last decade, "expressions" of grape marc spirits aged in wooden barrels of characteristic amber color and complex sensory attributes have been introduced. Yet studies on constituents migrating from the barrel to the beverage are scarce, and their metabolic profile remains unexplored. Furthermore, the literature on the assessment of their antioxidant activity is limited.

Circulatory Metabolite Ratios as Indicators of Lifestyle Risk Factors Based on a Greek NAFLD Case-Control Study.

An ensemble of confounding factors, such as an unhealthy diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking, have been linked to a lifestyle that increases one's susceptibility to chronic diseases and early mortality. The circulatory metabolome may provide a rational means of pinpointing the advent of metabolite variations that reflect an adherence to a lifestyle and are associated with the occurrence of chronic diseases. Data related to four major modifiable lifestyle factors, including adherence to the Mediterranean diet (estimated on MedDietScore), body mass index (BMI), smoking, and physical activity level (PAL), were used to create the lifestyle risk score (LS).

Serum metabolomic profiling unveils distinct sex-related metabolic patterns in NAFLD.

Objective: Obesity poses an increased risk for the onset of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The influence of other factors, such as sex in the incidence and severity of this liver disease has not yet been fully elucidated. Thus, we aimed to identify the NAFLD serum metabolic signatures associated with sex in normal, overweight and obese patients and to associate the metabolite fluctuations across the increasing liver steatosis stages.

Urine Metabolomic Profile of Breast- versus Formula-Fed Neonates Using a Synbiotic-Enriched Formula.

The aim of this study was to compare the urine metabolic fingerprint of healthy neonates exclusively breastfed with that of neonates fed with a synbiotic-enriched formula (Rontamil Complete 1) at four time points (the 3rd and 15th days of life and the 2nd and 3rd months). The determination of urine metabolic fingerprint was performed using NMR metabolomics. Multivariate data analyses were performed with SIMCA-P 15.

Uncontrolled Thyroid during Pregnancy Alters the Circulative and Exerted Metabolome.

Normal levels of thyroid hormones (THs) are essential for a normal pregnancy outcome, fetal growth and the normal function of the central nervous system. Hypothyroidism, a common endocrine disorder during pregnancy, is a significant metabolic factor leading to cognitive impairments. It is essential to investigate whether patients with thyroid dysfunction may present an altered circulative and excreted metabolic profile, even after receiving treatment with thyroxine supplements.

Monitoring aging-associated structural alterations in Caenorhabditis elegans striated muscles via polarization-dependent second-harmonic generation measurements.

The in-vivo elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying muscles dysfunction due to aging via non-invasive label free imaging techniques is an important issue with high biological significance. In this study, polarization-dependent second-harmonic generation (PSHG) was used to evaluate structural alterations in the striated muscles during Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan. Young and old wild-type animals were irradiated.

Application of a Deep-Learning Technique to Non-Linear Images From Human Tissue Biopsies for Shedding New Light on Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

The development of label-free non-destructive techniques to be used as diagnostic tools in cancer research is of great importance for improving the quality of life for millions of patients. Previous studies have demonstrated that Third Harmonic Generation (THG) imaging could differentiate malignant from benign unlabeled human breast biopsies and distinguish the different grades of cancer. Towards the application of such technologies to clinic, in the present report, a deep learning technique was applied to THG images recorded from breast cancer tissues of grades 0, I, II, and III.

Linking the IL-17A immune response with NMR-based faecal metabolic profile in IBD patients treated with Mastiha.

Dysregulation of intestinal immune response plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Mastiha's anti-inflammatory properties are well established. Our aim was to investigate Mastiha's regulatory effect on IL-17A serum levels in IBD patients.

Insights into intrauterine growth restriction based on maternal and umbilical cord blood metabolomics.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a fetal adverse condition, ascribed by limited oxygen and nutrient supply from the mother to the fetus. Management of IUGR is an ongoing challenge because of its connection with increased fetal mortality, preterm delivery and postnatal pathologies. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) metabolomics was applied in 84 umbilical cord blood and maternal blood samples obtained from 48 IUGR and 36 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) deliveries.

Polarization-dependent second-harmonic generation for collagen-based differentiation of breast cancer samples.

Nonlinear optical imaging techniques have been widely used to reveal biological structures for accurate diagnosis at the cellular as well as the tissue level. In the present study, polarization-dependent second-harmonic generation (PSHG) was used to determine collagen orientation in breast cancer biopsy tissues (grades 0, I, II and III). The obtained data were processed using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, while second-harmonic generation (SHG) anisotropy and the "ratio parameter" values were also calculated.

Laser-induced topographies enable the spatial patterning of co-cultured peripheral nervous system cells.

The peripheral nervous system comprises glia and neurons that receive the necessary cues for their adhesion and proliferation from their extracellular milieu. In this study, a spatial platform of pseudoperiodic morphologies including patterns of nano- and micro- structures on Si were developed via direct ultrafast-laser structuring and were used as substrates for the patterning of co-cultured neuronal cells. The response of murine Schwann (SW10) and Neuro2a (N2a) cells were investigated both in monocultures and in a glia and neuronal co-culture system.

Expanding the Role of Sub-Exploited DOE-High Energy Extraction and Metabolomic Profiling towards Agro-Byproduct Valorization: The Case of Carotenoid-Rich Apricot Pulp.

Traditional extraction remains the method-of-choice for phytochemical analyses. However, the absence of an integrated analytical platform, focusing on customized, validated extraction steps, generates tendentious and non-reproducible data regarding the phytochemical profile. Such a platform would also support the exploration and exploitation of plant byproducts, which are a valuable source of bioactive metabolites.

Early Human-Milk Metabolome in Cases of Intrauterine Growth-Restricted and Macrosomic Infants.

Background: Abnormal fetal growth is associated with short-term and long-term metabolic dysregulation and susceptibility to obesity-related disorders. Maternal milk, the ideal source of infantile nutrition, protects from metabolic diseases in adulthood. By applying nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics, this study investigated the metabolic profile of early human milk/colostrum (EHM/C) at the extremes of fetal-growth conditions, which could affect its nutritional value.

On the Characterization and Correlation of Compositional, Antioxidant and Colour Profile of Common and Balsamic Vinegars.

Commercially available common and balsamic vinegars were examined, using a combination of spectrophotometric, chromatographic, colorimetric and spectroscopic methods. Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, radical scavenging capacity, phenolic profile, colour parameters, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) absorbance spectra and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) spectra were comparatively studied. The main scope was the assessment of vinegar antioxidant and metabolic profiles and the identification of the most appropriate features influencing their type and subtypes.

New -(2-phenyl-4-oxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl)-1,2-benzothiazole-3-carboxamides and acetamides as antimicrobial agents.

A series of 21 novel -[2-phenyl-4-oxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl]-1,2-benzothiazole-3-carboxamides/acetamides () as well as a series of '-(halophenylmethylidene)-1,2-benzothiazole-3-acetohydrazides () have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial and eight fungal species, among them plant, animal and human pathogens and food contaminating species. All compounds appeared to be potent and the best activity was exhibited by compound with MIC in the range of 10.7-21.

Evaluating the experimental cultivation of peppers in low-energy-demand greenhouses. An interdisciplinary study.

Background: Photovoltaics (PV) provide an alternative solution to cover energy demands in greenhouses. This study evaluates the effect of PV panels installed on the roofs of greenhouses, and the partial shading that they cause, on the growth parameters and growth indicators of the experimental cultivation of peppers (Capsicum annuum cv. California Wonder).

Cells on hierarchically-structured platforms hosting functionalized nanoparticles.

In this work, we report on a novel approach to develop hierarchically-structured cell culture platforms incorporating functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In particular, the hierarchical substrates comprise primary pseudo-periodic arrays of silicon microcones combined with a secondary nanoscale pattern of homogeneously deposited AuNPs terminated with bio-functional moieties. AuNPs with various functionalities (i.

H NMR-based metabolomics reveals the effect of maternal habitual dietary patterns on human amniotic fluid profile.

Maternal diet may influence offspring's health, even within well-nourished populations. Amniotic fluid (AF) provides a rational compartment for studies on fetal metabolism. Evidence in animal models indicates that maternal diet affects AF metabolic profile; however, data from human studies are scarce.

Herbal distillates: A new era of grape marc distillates with enriched antioxidant profile.

Grape marc distillates are traditional alcoholic beverages, produced mostly in the Mediterranean countries. The present study proposes the enrichment of a Greek traditional grape marc distillate (tsikoudia) with selected herbs to enhance its natural antioxidants and functional properties. Total phenolic content, the antiradical and antioxidant activities, as well as the phenolic and sugar profiles using NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy were evaluated.

Cell patterning via laser micro/nano structured silicon surfaces.

The surface topography of biomaterials can have an important impact on cellular adhesion, growth and proliferation. Apart from the overall roughness, the detailed morphological features, at all length scales, significantly affect the cell-biomaterial interactions in a plethora of applications including structural implants, tissue engineering scaffolds and biosensors. In this study, we present a simple, one-step direct laser patterning technique to fabricate nanoripples and dual-rough hierarchical micro/nano structures to control SW10 cell attachment and migration.

Photoacoustic imaging reveals hidden underdrawings in paintings.

A novel, non-invasive, imaging methodology, based on the photoacoustic effect, is introduced in the context of artwork diagnostics with emphasis on the uncovering of hidden features such as underdrawings or original sketch lines in paintings. Photoacoustic microscopy, a rapidly growing imaging method widely employed in biomedical research, exploits the ultrasonic acoustic waves, generated by light from a pulsed or intensity modulated source interacting with a medium, to map the spatial distribution of absorbing components. Having over three orders of magnitude higher transmission through strongly scattering media, compared to light in the visible and near infrared, the photoacoustic signal offers substantially improved detection sensitivity and achieves excellent optical absorption contrast at high spatial resolution.

Biomimetic surface structuring using cylindrical vector femtosecond laser beams.

We report on a new, single-step and scalable method to fabricate highly ordered, multi-directional and complex surface structures that mimic the unique morphological features of certain species found in nature. Biomimetic surface structuring was realized by exploiting the unique and versatile angular profile and the electric field symmetry of cylindrical vector (CV) femtosecond (fs) laser beams. It is shown that, highly controllable, periodic structures exhibiting sizes at nano-, micro- and dual- micro/nano scales can be directly written on Ni upon line and large area scanning with radial and azimuthal polarization beams.