Guidelines for mitochondrial RNA analysis.

Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles of mammalian cells with critical involvement in metabolism and signaling. Studying their regulation in pathological conditions may lead to the discovery of novel drugs to treat, for instance, cardiovascular or neurological diseases, which affect high-energy-consuming cells such as cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, or neurons. Mitochondria possess both protein-coding and noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, and piwi-interacting RNAs, encoded by the mitochondria or the nuclear genome.

Toxicity of airborne nanoparticles: Facts and challenges.

Air pollution is one of the most severe environmental healthhazards, and airborne nanoparticles (diameter <100 nm) are considered particularly hazardous to human health. They are produced by various sources such as internal combustion engines, wood and biomass burning, and fuel and natural gas combustion, and their origin, among other parameters, determines their intrinsic toxicity for reasons that are not yet fully understood. Many constituents of the nanoparticles are considered toxic or at least hazardous, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metal compounds, in addition to gaseous pollutants present in the aerosol fraction, such as NOx, SO and ozone.

Effects of Four Weeks of In-Season Pre-Workout Supplementation on Performance, Body Composition, Muscle Damage, and Health-Related Markers in Basketball Players: A Randomized Controlled Study.

This randomized, double-blinded, experimental study investigated the effects of a four-week daily pre-workout supplementation (200 mg caffeine, 3.3 g creatine monohydrate, 3.2 g β-alanine, 6 g citrulline malate, and 5 g BCAA) vs.

Effect of the storage process on quality characteristics of hemp-enriched "tsoureki" a rich-dough baked Greek product.

The effects of the storage process on the quality characteristics of a hemp-enriched "tsoureki" (a rich-dough baked Greek product, rich-dough baked product [RDBP]) were investigated. The wheat flour was substituted with defatted hemp flour at selected ratios (0%-50% hemp:wheat flour). The baked products were stored at 25°C and at specific time intervals (0, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days), and their properties were determined, including moisture content, water activity, structure, texture, color, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity.

Sustainable Utilization of Mushroom By-Products Processed with a Combined Osmotic Dehydration Pretreatment and a Hot-Air-Drying Step.

Mushroom production and consumption are gaining increased interest due to their unique flavor and nutritional value. However, in the mushroom industry, large amounts of by-products are generated, which have a high negative environmental and economic impact. In this study, an osmotic dehydration process followed by hot-air-drying was applied to mushroom stems to produce dried mushrooms as the end product.

The science behind soft skills: Do's and Don'ts for early career researchers and beyond. A review paper from the EU-CardioRNA COST Action CA17129.

Soft skills are the elementary management, personal, and interpersonal abilities that are vital for an individual to be efficient at workplace or in their personal life. Each work place requires different set of soft skills. Thus, in addition to scientific/technical skills that are easier to access within a short time frame, several key soft skills are essential for the success of a researcher in today's international work environment.

Camphene as a Protective Agent in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) and the resulting heart failure is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Camphene has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties; however, its role in the protection of the heart from ischemia and reperfusion has not been investigated. The cardioprotective role of camphene and the mechanism that mediates its action against I/R injury was evaluated in the present study.

Properties, Structure, and Acceptability of Innovative Legume-Based Biscuits with Alternative Sweeteners.

The effects of legume incorporation and sweetener substitution on the quality characteristics of innovative biscuits were investigated. The wheat flour was substituted with chickpea and lentil flour at ratios ranging from 0 to 30% legume to whole-meal dicoccum wheat flour. The sugar was substituted by oligofructose at 50 and 100% levels.

Is Intrinsic Cardioprotection a Laboratory Phenomenon or a Clinically Relevant Tool to Salvage the Failing Heart?

Cardiovascular diseases, especially ischemic heart disease, as a leading cause of heart failure (HF) and mortality, will not reduce over the coming decades despite the progress in pharmacotherapy, interventional cardiology, and surgery. Although patients surviving acute myocardial infarction live longer, alteration of heart function will later lead to HF. Its rising incidence represents a danger, especially among the elderly, with data showing more unfavorable results among females than among males.

PPARδ activation improves cardiac mitochondrial homeostasis in desmin deficient mice but does not alleviate systolic dysfunction.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ is a major transcriptional regulator of cardiac energy metabolism with pleiotropic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and cardioprotective action. In this study, we sought to investigate whether pharmacological activation of PPARδ via intraperitoneal administration of the selective ligand GW0742 could ameliorate heart failure and mitochondrial dysfunction that have been previously reported in a characterized genetic model of heart failure, the desmin null mice (Des). Our studies demonstrate that treatment of Des mice with the PPARδ agonist attenuated cardiac inflammation, fibrosis and cardiac remodeling.

The Effect of Acute Pre-Workout Supplement Ingestion on Basketball-Specific Performance of Well-Trained Athletes.

A pre-workout supplement's (PWS; 200 mg caffeine, 3.3 g creatine monohydrate, 3.2 g β-alanine, 6 g citrulline malate and 5 g branched chained amino acid (BCAA) per dose) acute effects on the alactic (jumping, sprinting, agility), lactic (Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test, RAST) and aerobic performance (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1, Yo-Yo IRL1 VO) of well-trained basketball players was investigated in this double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Utilization of industrial hemp by-product defatted seed flour: effect of its incorporation on the properties and quality characteristics of 'tsoureki', a rich-dough baked Greek product.

Background: A rich-dough baked Greek product named 'tsoureki' was prepared using non-gluten hemp seed flour at ratios of 0:100, 10:90, 30:70, and 50:50. The effects of hemp flour addition on the properties of 'tsoureki', including physicochemical properties (moisture content, water activity, sorption phenomena), structural properties, textural properties, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and sensorial characteristics, as well as the macroscopic structure and morphological characteristics, were studied.

Results: Hemp flour addition affected dough rheology, showing tan δ values < 1, a decrease in both G' and G″ values, while both flow behavior and consistency indices were also significantly affected, which might have an influence on the final baked goods.

Food extrusion: An advanced process for innovation and novel product development.

Extrusion is a versatile process capable of producing a variety of new and novel foods and ingredients, thus increasing manufacturing opportunities. Further, it could provide nutritious, safe, sustainable, and affordable foods, especially directed at individualized consumer needs. In addition to past research efforts, more investigations should be conducted in order to refine, redesign, or develop new extrusion processing technologies.

Pharmacological activation of PPARβ/δ preserves mitochondrial respiratory function in ischemia/reperfusion stimulation of fatty acid oxidation-linked respiration and PGC-1α/NRF-1 signaling.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury leads to significant impairment of cardiac function and remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) confers cardioprotection pleiotropic effects including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions; however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PPARβ/δ activation on myocardial mitochondrial respiratory function and link this effect with cardioprotection after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R).

Protecting the Mitochondria in Cardiac Disease.

Cardiac disease is a broad cluster of several diseases, which include coronary artery disease, valve disease, congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy [...

Sex-Related Effects on Cardiac Development and Disease.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Interestingly, male and female patients with CVD exhibit distinct epidemiological and pathophysiological characteristics, implying a potentially important role for primary and secondary sex determination factors in heart development, aging, disease and therapeutic responses. Here, we provide a concise review of the field and discuss current gaps in knowledge as a step towards elucidating the "sex determination-heart axis".

Evaluation of Calcium Aluminate Slags and Pig Irons Produced from the Smelting-Reduction of Diasporic Bauxite.

This work evaluates the characteristics of calcium aluminate slag and pig iron samples obtained from the smelting of calcined and reduced diasporic bauxite ore. The study is conducted in the Pedersen process framework, which is a method to produce alumina from low-grade resources. Parameters such as the effect of crucible type, lime addition, and atmospheric conditions are studied considering the characteristics of the product pig irons and calcium aluminate slags for further uses.

Krüppel-like factor (KLF)5: An emerging foe of cardiovascular health.

Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are DNA-binding transcriptional factors, which regulate various pathways that pertain to development, metabolism and other cellular mechanisms. KLF5 was first cloned in 1993 and by 1999, it was reported as the intestinal-enriched KLF. Beyond findings that have associated KLF5 with normal development and cancer, it has been associated with various types of cardiovascular (CV) complications and regulation of metabolic pathways in the liver, heart, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.

Cardioprotective Effects of PPARβ/δ Activation against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rat Heart Are Associated with ALDH2 Upregulation, Amelioration of Oxidative Stress and Preservation of Mitochondrial Energy Production.

Accumulating evidence support the cardioprotective properties of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ); however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. The aim of the study was to further investigate the mechanisms underlying PPARβ/δ-mediated cardioprotection in the setting of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). For this purpose, rats were treated with PPARβ/δ agonist GW0742 and/or antagonist GSK0660 in vivo and hearts were subjected to ex vivo global ischemia followed by reperfusion.

Natural and synthetic antioxidants targeting cardiac oxidative stress and redox signaling in cardiometabolic diseases.

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) are metabolic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, rare genetic metabolic diseases, etc.

Influence of cardiometabolic comorbidities on myocardial function, infarction, and cardioprotection: Role of cardiac redox signaling.

The morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain high. Metabolic diseases such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus (DM), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as well as hypertension are the most common comorbidities in patients with CVD. These comorbidities result in increased myocardial oxidative stress, mainly from increased activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases, uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase, mitochondria as well as downregulation of antioxidant defense systems.

Acute administration of the olive constituent, oleuropein, combined with ischemic postconditioning increases myocardial protection by modulating oxidative defense.

Oleuropein, one of the main polyphenolic constituents of olive, is cardioprotective against ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). We aimed to assess the cardioprotection afforded by acute administration of oleuropein and to evaluate the underlying mechanism. Importantly, since antioxidant therapies have yielded inconclusive results in attenuating IRI-induced damage on top of conditioning strategies, we investigated whether oleuropein could enhance or imbed the cardioprotective manifestation of ischemic postconditioning (PostC).

The Molecular Mechanisms of Iron Metabolism and Its Role in Cardiac Dysfunction and Cardioprotection.

Iron is an essential mineral participating in different functions of the organism under physiological conditions. Numerous biological processes, such as oxygen and lipid metabolism, protein production, cellular respiration, and DNA synthesis, require the presence of iron, and mitochondria play an important role in the processes of iron metabolism. In addition to its physiological role, iron may be also involved in the adaptive processes of myocardial "conditioning".

Optimization of Osmotic Dehydration of Tomatoes in Solutions of Non-Conventional Sweeteners by Response Surface Methodology and Desirability Approach.

The osmotic dehydration (OD) of tomatoes in solutions of alternative sweeteners was investigated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), while selected desirability functions were implemented in order to define the optimum process parameters (temperature/duration of osmotic treatment, osmotic solution composition and concentration). Mass exchange, color and texture were measured during the process. Changes in color occurred rapidly at the beginning of the process, while firmness was significantly increased, indicating that OD processing led to tomato texture improvement.

Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Ischemic Heart Disease: Prevention and Therapy by Exercise and Conditioning.

Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease are among the leading causes of death and disability in Western countries. Diabetic cardiomyopathy is responsible for the most severe signs and symptoms. An important strategy for reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease is regular exercise.