Fibrillization of lentil proteins is impacted by the protein extraction conditions and co-extracted phenolics.

Legume proteins can be induced to form amyloid-like fibrils upon heating at low pH, with the exact conditions greatly impacting the fibril characteristics. The protein extraction method may also impact the resulting fibrils, although this effect has not been carefully examined. Here, the fibrillization of lentil protein prepared using various extraction methods and the corresponding fibril morphology were characterized.

Epigenetic regulation of N-hydroxypipecolic acid biosynthesis by the AIPP3-PHD2-CPL2 complex.

N-Hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) is a signaling molecule crucial for systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a systemic immune response in plants that provides long-lasting and broad-spectrum protection against secondary pathogen infections. To identify negative regulators of NHP biosynthesis, we performed a forward genetic screen to search for mutants with elevated expression of the NHP biosynthesis gene FLAVIN-DEPENDENT MONOOXYGENASE 1 (FMO1). Analysis of two constitutive expression of FMO1 (cef) and one induced expression of FMO1 (ief) mutants revealed that the AIPP3-PHD2-CPL2 protein complex, which is involved in the recognition of the histone modification H3K27me3 and transcriptional repression, contributes to the negative regulation of FMO1 expression and NHP biosynthesis.

Whole-brain characterization of apoptosis after sevoflurane anesthesia reveals neuronal cell death patterns in the mouse neonatal neocortex.

In the last two decades, safety concerns about general anesthesia (GA) arose from studies documenting brain cell death in various pharmacological conditions and animal models. Nowadays, a thorough characterization of sevoflurane-induced apoptosis in the entire neonatal mouse brain would help identify and further focus on underlying mechanisms. We performed whole-brain mapping of sevoflurane-induced apoptosis in post-natal day (P) 7 mice using tissue clearing and immunohistochemistry.

The 3Rs in Experimental Liver Disease.

Patients with cirrhosis present multiple physiological and immunological alterations that play a very important role in the development of clinically relevant secondary complications to the disease. Experimentation in animal models is essential to understand the pathogenesis of human diseases and, considering the high prevalence of liver disease worldwide, to understand the pathophysiology of disease progression and the molecular pathways involved, due to the complexity of the liver as an organ and its relationship with the rest of the organism. However, today there is a growing awareness about the sensitivity and suffering of animals, causing opposition to animal research among a minority in society and some scientists, but also about the attention to the welfare of laboratory animals since this has been built into regulations in most nations that conduct animal research.

Uncommon metastases to the brain: Frontal lobe myoepithelial carcinoma.

Background: Myoepithelial tumors have been widely described as a rare form of salivary gland neoplasm, although currently soft-tissue phenotypes have also been identified. These are tumors composed entirely of myoepithelial cells that exhibit a dual epithelial and smooth muscle phenotype. The occurrence of myoepithelial tumors within the central nervous system is also extremely rare, with only a few cases reported.

Effect of UV Filters during the Application of Pulsed Light to Reduce Contamination and 3-Methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol Formation While Preserving the Physicochemical Attributes of Blonde Ale and Centennial Red Ale Beers.

Pulsed light (PL) is a novel, non-thermal technology being used to control the microbial spoilage of foods and beverages. Adverse sensory changes, commonly characterized as "lightstruck", can occur in beers when exposed to the UV portion of PL due to the formation of 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol (3-MBT) upon the photodegradation of iso-α-acids. This study is the first to investigate the effect of different portions of the PL spectrum on UV-sensitive beers (light-colored blonde ale and dark-colored centennial red ale) using clear and bronze-tinted UV filters.

PLATERO: A calibration protocol for plate reader green fluorescence measurements.

One of the most common sources of information in Synthetic Biology is the data coming from plate reader fluorescence measurements. These experiments provide a measure of the light emitted by a certain fluorescent molecule, such as the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). However, these measurements are generally expressed in arbitrary units and are affected by the measurement device gain.

Hypnosis as an alternative to general anaesthesia for paediatric superficial surgery: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Reducing perioperative anxiety and controlling pain in children are essential to optimise recovery and outcomes for both children and their parents. By acting on sensory and affective modulation of anxiety and pain, hypnosis is widely used in medical care, especially in anaesthesia. This randomised controlled clinical trial was designed to compare general anaesthesia and intraoperative hypnosis support for perioperative management of children undergoing superficial surgery.

Comparing long-term educational effects of two early childhood health interventions.

We compare the educational effects of two medical protocols that mitigate long-term consequences of prematurity or low birth weight. The two protocols are Traditional Care (TC), which uses incubators, and Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) which replaces incubators for 24-hour skin-to-skin contact between newborns and caregivers. We concentrate on educational outcomes addressing contradictory results in previous contributions.

Determination of bound volatiles in blueberries, raspberries, and grapes with an optimized protocol and a validated SPME-GC/MS method.

Bound volatiles are odorless aroma reservoirs that modify flavor when released during food processing, and their determination is important to understand the aroma of fruit beverages. However, the generation of oxidation/degradation artifacts during analyses of glycosidically-bound volatiles has not been compared across fruit species and their dependence on diverse acidic and enzymatic hydrolytic conditions remains unclear. This work aimed to optimize and compare different hydrolytic conditions for the analysis of glycosidically-bound volatiles in blueberries, raspberries, and grapes with a solid-phase microextraction - gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) methodology.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Standardisation of care improves patient outcomes.

Introduction: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgeries are major paediatric procedures requiring multidisciplinary management. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, with proven benefits in adults, remain poorly developed in paediatrics. The main objective of this Before/After study was to evaluate the impact of an ERAS program implementation for AIS on length of stay (LOS) and postoperative recovery.

No Reduction in Yield of Young Robusta Coffee When Grown under Shade Trees in Ecuadorian Amazonia.

Little is known on what impact shade trees have on the physiology of (robusta coffee) under tropical humid conditions. To fill this gap, a field experiment was conducted in the Ecuadorian Amazon to investigate how growth, nutrition (leaf N), phenological state (BBCH-scale) and yield of 5-year-old robusta coffee shrubs are affected by the presence or absence of leguminous trees, the type (organic v conventional) and intensity of management. The experiment was a factorial 5 × 4 design with four cropping systems: intensive conventional (IC), moderate conventional (MC), intensive organic (IO) and low organic (LO), and with five shading systems in a split-plot arrangement: full sun (SUN), both spp.

Impact of hormone applications on ripening-related metabolites in Gewürztraminer grapes (Vitis vinifera L.): The key role of jasmonates in terpene modulation.

Terpenes play a formative role in grape and wine flavor, particularly for high-terpenic cultivars. Differences in terpene profiles influence grape varietal character and vintage quality. Little is known about the endogenous factors controlling terpene biosynthesis in grape.

Modeling and Optimization of a Molecular Biocontroller for the Regulation of Complex Metabolic Pathways.

Achieving optimal production in microbial cell factories, robustness against changing intracellular and environmental perturbations requires the dynamic feedback regulation of the pathway of interest. Here, we consider a merging metabolic pathway motif, which appears in a wide range of metabolic engineering applications, including the production of phenylpropanoids among others. We present an approach to use a realistic model that accounts for implementation and then propose a methodology based on multiobjective optimization for the optimal tuning of the gene circuit parts composing the biomolecular controller and biosensor devices for a dynamic regulation strategy.

Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2) Regulates the Stability of Regulatory T Cells.

Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) is a cytosolic dsDNA sensor that has been broadly studied for its role in inflammasome assembly. However, little is known about the function of AIM2 in adaptive immune cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether AIM2 has a cell-intrinsic role in CD4 T cell differentiation or function.

Monolignol export by diffusion down a polymerization-induced concentration gradient.

Lignin, the second most abundant biopolymer, is a promising renewable energy source and chemical feedstock. A key element of lignin biosynthesis is unknown: how do lignin precursors (monolignols) get from inside the cell out to the cell wall where they are polymerized? Modeling indicates that monolignols can passively diffuse through lipid bilayers, but this has not been tested experimentally. We demonstrate significant monolignol diffusion occurs when laccases, which consume monolignols, are present on one side of the membrane.

Multi-Objective Optimization Tuning Framework for Kinetic Parameter Selection and Estimation.

Semi-mechanistic kinetic (i.e., dynamic) models based on first principles are particularly relevant in biology, as they can explain and predict functional behavior that arises from varying concentrations of the cellular components over time.

RBS and Promoter Strengths Determine the Cell-Growth-Dependent Protein Mass Fractions and Their Optimal Synthesis Rates.

Models of gene expression considering host-circuit interactions are relevant for understanding both the strategies and associated trade-offs that cell endogenous genes have evolved and for the efficient design of heterologous protein expression systems and synthetic genetic circuits. Here, we consider a small-size model of gene expression dynamics in bacterial cells accounting for host-circuit interactions due to limited cellular resources. We define the cellular resources recruitment strength as a key functional coefficient that explains the distribution of resources among the host and the genes of interest and the relationship between the usage of resources and cell growth.

Phenolic profiles and their responses to pre- and post-harvest factors in small fruits: a review.

The consumption of small fruits has increased in recent years. Besides their appealing flavor, the commercial success of small fruits has been partially attributed to their high contents of phenolic compounds with multiple health benefits. The phenolic profiles and contents in small fruits vary based on the genetic background, climate, growing conditions, and post-harvest handling techniques.