Characterization of dark chocolates based on polyphenolic profiles and antioxidant activity.

Dark chocolates were characterized according to geographical origin, cocoa variety, and cocoa content using the methylxanthine and polyphenolic composition and antioxidant activity as the data. The main study objective was to uncover sample patterns and identify possible markers of quality, variety, or origin to deal with authentication or fraud detection issues. In the study, a set of 26 dark chocolates from different varieties (e.

Deletion of the natural inhibitory protein Inh1 in Ustilago maydis has no effect on the dimeric state of the FF-ATP synthase but increases the ATPase activity and reduces the stability.

Transduction of electrochemical proton gradient into ATP synthesis is performed by FF-ATP synthase. The reverse reaction is prevented by the regulatory subunit Inh1. Knockout of the inh1 gene in the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis was generated in order to study the function of this protein in the mitochondrial metabolism and cristae architecture.

A Randomized Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 Severe Pneumonia.

Background: Convalescent plasma is frequently administered to patients with Covid-19 and has been reported, largely on the basis of observational data, to improve clinical outcomes. Minimal data are available from adequately powered randomized, controlled trials.

Methods: We randomly assigned hospitalized adult patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia in a 2:1 ratio to receive convalescent plasma or placebo.

Production of chitosan-oligosaccharides by the chitin-hydrolytic system of Trichoderma harzianum and their antimicrobial and anticancer effects.

Chitosan-oligosaccharides (COS) are low-molecular weight chitosan derivatives with interesting clinical applications. The optimization of both COS production and purification is an important step in the design of an efficient production system and for the exploration of new COS applications. Trichoderma harzianum is an innocuous biocontrol agent that represents a novel biotechnological tool due to the production of extracellular enzymes, including those that produce a COS mixture.

Mitochondrial respirasome works as a single unit and the cross-talk between complexes I, III and IV stimulates NADH dehydrogenase activity.

Ustilago maydis is an aerobic basidiomycete that depends on oxidative phosphorylation for its ATP supply, pointing to the mitochondrion as a key player in its energy metabolism. Mitochondrial respiratory complexes I, III, and IV occur in supramolecular structures named respirasome. In this work, we characterized the subunit composition and the kinetics of NADH:Q oxidoreductase activity of the digitonine-solubilized respirasome (1600 kDa) and the free-complex I (990 kDa).

FruBPase II and ADP-PFK1 are involved in the modulation of carbon flow in the metabolism of carbohydrates in Methanosarcina acetivorans.

To enhance our understanding of the control of archaeal carbon central metabolism, a detailed analysis of the regulation mechanisms of both fructose1,6-bisphosphatase (FruBPase) and ADP-phosphofructokinase-1 (ADP-PFK1) was carried out in the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans. No correlations were found among the transcript levels of the MA_1152 and MA_3563 (frubpase type II and pfk1) genes, the FruBPase and ADP-PFK1 activities, and their protein contents. The kinetics of the recombinant FruBPase II and ADP-PFK1 were hyperbolic and showed simple mixed-type inhibition by AMP and ATP, respectively.

High-resolution hydrometeorological data from a network of headwater catchments in the tropical Andes.

This article presents a hydrometeorological dataset from a network of paired instrumented catchments, obtained by participatory monitoring through a partnership of academic and non-governmental institutions. The network consists of 28 headwater catchments (<20 km) covering three major biomes in 9 locations of the tropical Andes. The data consist of precipitation event records at 0.

Mesocrystalline anatase nanoparticles synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach with enhanced light harvesting for gas-phase reaction.

Mesocrystalline TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. A simple two-step procedure at low temperature (<140 °C) allowed the nucleation of primary particles sized 2-4 nm and their subsequent assembly as almost spherical aggregates sized ≈20 nm. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies, and HRTEM studies confirmed anatase as the unique TiO2 crystalline phase.

Prognostic factors in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors in patients with RCC.

Materials And Methods: The expression of several biomarkers were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC), together with 2 analytic factors (thrombocytosis and neutrophilia), in 135 patients with advanced RCC treated with new targeted drugs (NTDs) (n = 67) and/or cytokines (CKs) (n = 68)-with 23 of the patients who received CKs also receiving NTDs-between July 1996 and February 2010. Relationships with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were searched for.

Predictive factors for response to treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: The analysis of predictive factors of response may aid in predicting which patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) would be good candidates for systemic treatments.

Materials And Methods: The expression of several biomarkers was retrospectively analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), as well as 2 analytical variables in 135 patients with advanced RCC treated with cytokines (CK) and/or new targeted drugs (NTD).

Results: 67 patients were treated solely with NTD and 68 with CK (23 also received NTD).

Impact of the incorporation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor agents on the treatment of patients with a diagnosis of advanced renal cell carcinoma: study based on experience at the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias.

Introduction: For nearly the past two decades, cytokines (CKs) have been the only systemic treatment option available for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In recent years, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have demonstrated clinical activity on this tumour. Our purpose is to describe one centre's experience with the use of CKs and TKIs in the treatment of patients with advanced RCC.

Soil emissivity and reflectance spectra measurements.

We present an analysis of the laboratory reflectance and emissivity spectra of 11 soil samples collected on different field campaigns carried out over a diverse suite of test sites in Europe, North Africa, and South America from 2002 to 2008. Hemispherical reflectance spectra were measured from 2.0 to 14 microm with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to determine the mineralogical phases of the soil samples.

Local thrombus as an isolated sign of traumatic aortic injury.

We report an unusual case of blunt traumatic aortic injury in which a mobile thrombus located at the isthmus was the only abnormality detected by transesophageal echocardiography. The case illustrates the high sensitivity of this diagnostic tool in aortic trauma and underscores the possibility of finding infrequent evidence of injury in subtle aortic lesions.