Optimization of the flow cytometry method of detection, quantification and qualification of microorganisms in carrot juice.

Fresh, unpasteurized carrot juice is a popular element of the everyday diet of many consumers, and as such the matter of the juice's microbial safety remains an important one. Imaging flow cytometry (FCM) allows a fast enumeration and determination of cells, as well as their further differentiation. However, carrot juice is a difficult food product to analyze with the use of FCM due to interference from autofluorescence and the presence of plant debris.

Analysis of the Effect of Various Potential Antimicrobial Agents on the Quality of the Unpasteurized Carrot Juice.

Short shelf-life and poor microbial quality of minimally processed foods of plant origin pose a serious problem for the food industry. Novel techniques of minimal treatment combined with disinfection are being researched, and, for fresh juice, the addition of antimicrobial agents appears to be a promising route. In this research, fresh, nonfiltered, unpasteurized carrot juice was mixed with four potential antimicrobials (bourbon vanilla extract, peppermint extract, cannabidiol oil, and grapefruit extract).

Mitochondrial Dynamics in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Unraveling the Role of Fusion and Fission Processes.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a diverse group of disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration and death of neurons, leading to a range of neurological symptoms. Despite the heterogeneity of these conditions, a common denominator is the implication of mitochondrial dysfunction in their pathogenesis. Mitochondria play a crucial role in creating biomolecules, providing energy through adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generated by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and producing reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Current progress, strategy, and prospects of PD-1/PDL-1 immune checkpoint biosensing platforms for cancer diagnostics, therapy monitoring, and drug screening.

Recent technological advancements in testing and monitoring instrumentation have greatly contributed to the progress in cancer treatment by surgical, chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic interventions. However, the mortality rate still remains high, calling for the development of new treatment strategies with higher efficacy. Extensive efforts driven in this direction have included broadening of early cancer screening and applying innovative theranostic nanotechnologies.

Temperature, Salinity and Garlic Additive Shape the Microbial Community during Traditional Beetroot Fermentation Process.

Plant-based traditional fermented products are attracting a lot of interest in global markets. An example of them is beetroot leaven, which is valued for its high bioactive compound content. The variety of production recipes and the spontaneous nature of red beet fermentation favor its high diversity.

DNA Aptamer Beacon Probe (ABP) for Monitoring of Adenosine Triphosphate Level in SW480 Cancer Cells Treated with Glycolysis Inhibitor 2-Deoxyglucose.

Early cancer screening enables timely detection of carcinogenesis, and aids in prompt clinical intervention. Herein, we report on the development of a simple, sensitive, and rapid fluorometric assay based on the aptamer probe (aptamer beacon probe, ABP) for monitoring the energy-demand biomarker adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an essential energy source that is released into the tumor microenvironment. Its level plays a significant role in risk assessment of malignancies.

Effective Optical Image Assessment of Cellulose Paper Immunostrips for Blood Typing.

Novel high-performance biosensing devices, based on a microporous cellulose matrix, have been of great interest due to their high sensitivity, low cost, and simple operation. Herein, we report on the design and testing of portable paper-based immunostrips (IMS) for in-field blood typing in emergencies requiring blood transfusion. Cellulose fibrils of a paper membrane were functionalized with antibodies via supramolecular interactions.

Effect of Processing Treatment and Modified Atmosphere Packing on Carrot's Microbial Community Structure by Illumina MiSeq Sequencing.

The aim of this study was to analyze the microbiome of carrot ( subsp. ) subjected to minimal pre-treatment (rinsing in organic acid solution) and packaging in a high-oxygen modified atmosphere, and then stored for 17 days under refrigeration conditions (4 °C). The highest levels of bacteria in the carrot microbiome were characterized, at almost 78%, by bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae families.

Water-Induced Tuning of the Emission of Polyaniline LEDs within the NIR to Vis Range.

Tuning of the emission within the near-infrared to visible range is observed in -toluenesulfonic acid-doped polyaniline light emitting diodes (PANI/PTSA), when water molecules are absorbed by the active material (wet PANI/PTSA). This is a hybrid material that combines a conjugated π-electron system and a proton system, both strongly interacting in close contact with each other. The proton system successfully competes with the electron system in excitation energy consumption (when electrically powered), thanks to the inductive resonance energy transfer from electrons to protons in wet PANI/PTSA at the energy levels of combination of vibrations and overtones in water, with subsequent light emission.

Effect of Resveratrol Treatment on Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells through Alterations of Bcl-2 Family Members.

Pancreatic cancers are among of the most lethal types of neoplasms, and are mostly detected at an advanced stage. Conventional treatment methods such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy often do not bring the desired therapeutic effects. For this reason, natural compounds are increasingly being used as adjuvants in cancer therapy.

Cytotoxic and Proapoptotic Effects of Resveratrol in In Vitro Studies on Selected Types of Gastrointestinal Cancers.

Cancer diseases are currently one of the greatest health challenges in clinical medicine worldwide. Classic methods of treatment often lead to numerous side effects, including the development of multidrug resistance. For this reason, increasing hope is being placed on compounds of natural origin, mainly due to their pleiotropic effect on different types of cells, protective effect on normal cells and toxic effect on cancerous ones.

Role of tesmin expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the most frequent cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Tesmin (MTL5) is a 60 kDa protein which has cysteine rich motifs, characteristic of metallothioneins. Tesmin expression was first observed in germ cells during spermatogenesis.

Pilot Test on Pre-Swim Hygiene as a Factor Limiting Trihalomethane Precursors in Pool Water by Reducing Organic Matter in an Operational Facility.

Pool water must be constantly disinfected. Chlorine compounds used to disinfect pools react with organic substances such as sweat, urine, and personal care products introduced into pool water by users and results in the formation of disinfection byproducts. Trihalomethanes (THM), including chloroform and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, were quantified using a two-stage process: determining initial THM and chloroform levels; then searching for a cheap and easy-to-use method to improve water quality.

Gated Resonance Energy Transfer (gRET) Controlled by Programmed Death Protein Ligand 1.

The resonance energy transfer (RET) between an excited fluorescent probe molecule and a plasmonic nanoparticle (AuNP) has been investigated to evaluate the effect of protein molecules on the RET efficiency. We have found that the energy transfer to a functionalized AuNP can be modulated by a sub-monolayer film of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein. The interactions of PD-L1 with AuNP@Cit involve incorporation of the protein in AuNP shell and formation of a submonolayer adsorption film with voids enabling gated surface plasmon resonance energy transfer (SPRET).

High-performance modified cellulose paper-based biosensors for medical diagnostics and early cancer screening: A concise review.

A remarkable progress in the development of portable paper-based biosensors (PBBs) and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) has recently been achieved. In these devices, a paper formed of microfibers of cellulose, a carbohydrate biopolymer, offers both an ample space in its micropores for analytical reagents storage and a capillary force to drive liquid samples to a dedicated reaction zone for instantaneous detection of the desired analytes. Owing to the low cost and ultra-high sensitivity, these novel devices have become a promising alternative to traditional advanced analytical instruments and offer great potential for applications in medical emergencies, health diagnostics at points-of-care, and broad early-cancer screening.

Impact of physical and microbiological parameters on proper indoor air quality in nursery.

Although the evaluation of air quality in the residential and office rooms has been significantly developed in recent decades, the issues associated with securing the air quality requirements in nurseries are still not well recognised. This study presents the results of tests regarding the physical and microbiological properties of air in selected rooms of a nursery, including the alternatively variable way of rooms ventilation. The experiment was conducted in four different rooms from the 20th of November 2017 to the 16th of April 2018.

Monitoring of dynamic ATP level changes by oligomycin-modulated ATP synthase inhibition in SW480 cancer cells using fluorescent "On-Off" switching DNA aptamer.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy source in cells and an important biomolecule participating in cellular reactions in living organisms. Since the ATP level changes dynamically reflecting the development of a debilitating disease or carcinogenesis, we have focused in this work on monitoring of the oligomycin (OMC)-modulated ATP synthase inhibition using a fluorescent-switching DNA aptamer designed for the detection of ATP (Apt(ATP)), as the model for studies of dynamic ATP level variation. The behavior of the ATP aptamer has been characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy.

Toward early cancer detection: Focus on biosensing systems and biosensors for an anti-apoptotic protein survivin and survivin mRNA.

The development of biosensors for cancer biomarkers has recently been expanding rapidly, offering promising biomedical applications of these sensors as highly sensitive, selective, and inexpensive bioanalytical tools that can provide alternative methodology to that afforded by the advanced hyphenated-instrumental techniques. In this review, we focus particularly on the detection of a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) family, protein survivin (Sur), a ubiquitous re-organizer of the cell life cycle with the ability to inhibit the apoptosis and induce an enhanced proliferation leading to the unimpeded cancer growth and metastasis. Herein, we critically evaluate the progress in the development of novel biosensing systems and biosensors for the detection of two survivin (Sur) biomarkers: the Sur protein and its messenger RNA (Sur mRNA), including immunosensors, electrochemical piezo- and impedance-sensors, electrochemi-luminescence biosensors, genosensors based on oligonucleotide molecular beacons (MBs) with fluorescent or electrochemical transduction, as well as the microfluidic and related analytical platforms based on solution chemistry.

Optical Biosensing System for the Detection of Survivin mRNA in Colorectal Cancer Cells Using a Graphene Oxide Carrier-Bound Oligonucleotide Molecular Beacon.

The anti-apoptotic protein survivin is one of the most promising cancer biomarkers owing to its high expression in human cancers and rare occurrence in normal adult tissues. In this work, we have investigated the role of supramolecular interactions between a graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet nanocarrier and a survivin molecular beacon (SurMB), functionalized by attaching fluorophore Joe and quencher Dabcyl (SurMB-Joe). Molecular dynamics simulations revealed hydrogen bonding of Joe moiety and Dabcyl to GO carriers that considerably increase the SurMB-GO bonding strength.

Hairpin-Hairpin Molecular Beacon Interactions for Detection of Survivin mRNA in Malignant SW480 Cells.

Cancer biomarkers offer unique prospects for the development of cancer diagnostics and therapy. One of such biomarkers, protein survivin (Sur), exhibits strong antiapoptotic and proliferation-enhancing properties and is heavily expressed in multiple cancers. Thus, it can be utilized to provide new modalities for modulating the cell-growth rate, essential for effective cancer treatment.

Ternary Interactions and Energy Transfer between Fluorescein Isothiocyanate, Adenosine Triphosphate, and Graphene Oxide Nanocarriers.

The interactions of fluorescent probes and biomolecules with nanocarriers are of key importance to the emerging targeted drug delivery systems. Graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs) as the nanocarriers offer biocompatibility and robust drug binding capacity. The interactions of GONs with fluorophores lead to strong fluorescence quenching, which may interfere with fluorescence bioimaging and biodetection.

Characterization of specific spoilage organisms (SSOs) in vacuum-packed ham by culture-plating techniques and MiSeq next-generation sequencing technologies.

Background: Knowledge regarding microaerophilic and anaerobic specific spoilage organisms (SSOs) is crucial for an appropriate evaluation of vacuum-packed ham. The objective of this study was to characterize the SSO community in vacuum-packed ham by a culture-dependent technique and MiSeq next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform. The relation between changes among the SSO group in the ham and changes in sensory characteristics of the product was also assessed.

Cannabinoid-like anti-inflammatory compounds from flax fiber.

Flax is a valuable source of fibers, linseed and oil. The compounds of the latter two products have already been widely examined and have been proven to possess many health-beneficial properties. In the course of analysis of fibers extract from previously generated transgenic plants overproducing phenylpropanoids a new terpenoid compound was discovered.

[The employment of synthetic biodegradable polymers in reconstructions of the peripheral nerves].

In this study we presented the possibility of using a synthetic biodegradable polymers to production a conduits employ in reconstructions of the peripheral nerves in experimental studies and medical practice. The aliphatic polyesters are most common used to this purpose. The poly(phosphoesters) and polyurethanes are used rather rare.