Multiphasic and mixture lactic acid bacteria screening approach for the removal of antinutrients and off-flavors present in a pea, oat and potato blend.

The antinutrients and off-flavors present in plant-based foods are some of the major organoleptic and consumer acceptance drawbacks considered when developing plant-based fermented dairy alternatives (PBFDA). Here, we investigated a combination of genotypical and phenotypical consecutive screening methods to find out the optimal single- and combination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains based on volatile off-flavors, phenolic acids, saponins, and trypsin inhibitor degradation through the fermentation of a pea, oat, and potato (POP) blend. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains were the most optimal for the partial/complete degradation of p-coumaric (>98 %) and ferulic acid (10-20 %) compounds in the POP blend.

Hyperrealistic neural decoding for reconstructing faces from fMRI activations via the GAN latent space.

Neural decoding can be conceptualized as the problem of mapping brain responses back to sensory stimuli via a feature space. We introduce (i) a novel experimental paradigm that uses well-controlled yet highly naturalistic stimuli with a priori known feature representations and (ii) an implementation thereof for HYPerrealistic reconstruction of PERception (HYPER) of faces from brain recordings. To this end, we embrace the use of generative adversarial networks (GANs) at the earliest step of our neural decoding pipeline by acquiring fMRI data as participants perceive face images synthesized by the generator network of a GAN.

Nitric oxide synthase: What is its potential role in the physiology of staphylococci in meat products?

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are frequently isolated from meat products and two species are used as starter cultures in dry fermented sausages. In these products, they face various environmental conditions such as variation of redox potential and oxygen levels that can lead to oxidative stress. Furthermore, when nitrate and nitrite are added as curing salts, staphylococci also experience nitrosative stress.

Contribution of nitric oxide synthase from coagulase-negative staphylococci to the development of red myoglobin derivatives.

As part of the microbial community of meat or as starter cultures, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) serve several essential technological purposes in meat products, such as color development through the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. As the safety of nitrite as an additive has been questioned, we explored the potential of CNS to develop red myoglobin derivatives such as oxymyoglobin and nitrosomyoglobin. Nitrosoheme was extracted to evaluate NO production.

Insight into the Genome of Staphylococcus xylosus, a Ubiquitous Species Well Adapted to Meat Products.

belongs to the vast group of coagulase-negative staphylococci. It is frequently isolated from meat products, either fermented or salted and dried, and is commonly used as starter cultures in sausage manufacturing. Analysis of the genome together with expression in situ in a meat model revealed that this bacterium is well adapted to meat substrates, being able to use diverse substrates as sources of carbon and energy and different sources of nitrogen.

Evidence for Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Mediating Nitrosoheme Formation.

is used as a starter culture in fermented meat products and contributes to color formation by the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. Nitrite is a food additive that is chemically turned to nitric oxide (NO) in meat but its safety has been questioned. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of NO synthase (NOS) of C2a to produce NO.

Value of estrogenic recruitment before chemotherapy: first randomized trial in primary breast cancer.

Purpose: Several preclinical studies showed that short-term pretreatment of breast cancer cells with estrogens can increase the antitumor efficacy of different cytotoxic drugs. Some early clinical studies in patients with advanced breast cancer did seem to support these findings. Therefore, the efficacy of estrogenic recruitment followed by chemotherapy was compared with that of chemotherapy alone in a randomized phase III study in women with lymph node-positive primary breast cancer.

High-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin as second-line chemotherapy in patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.

A total of 14 patients with platinum-resistant advanced epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with a continuous infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 1200 mg/m2 per day) for 2 consecutive days weekly for 4 weeks and, thereafter, every 2 weeks in combination with a push injection of folinic acid (20 mg/m2) given just before 5-FU and after 24 h. No objective response was documented, and only five patients showed stable disease. The median survival was 6.

Respiratory manifestations of rigid spine syndrome.

Thoracic abnormalities and respiratory muscle function were investigated in nine patients with rigid spine syndrome. A severe restrictive chest wall defect and limited mobility of the spine associated with clinically significant respiratory muscle weakness were present in all patients. Respiratory muscle strength and endurance were less than 60% of control values.

Lung and respiratory muscle function in limb girdle muscular dystrophy.

Background: Pulmonary involvement is frequently observed in patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy and occurs early in the disease. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of pulmonary dysfunction; the type of dysfunction; and any correlation between patient age, disease duration, or limb weakness and lung or respiratory muscle dysfunction.

Methods: Twenty patients with strictly delineated limb girdle muscular dystrophy and 20 healthy controls were evaluated.

Enhanced release of elastase and oxidative inactivation of alpha-1-protease inhibitor by stimulated human neutrophils exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pigment 1-hydroxyphenazine.

The in vitro effects of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived phenazine pigments pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-hp) on neutrophil elastase release and myeloperoxidase-induced inactivation of alpha-1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1-PI) were investigated. 1-hp (6-25 microM), but not pyocyanin, caused a dose-dependent enhancement of elastase release by FMLP:cytochalasin B (CB)-activated human neutrophils. 1-hp (0.

Clindamycin, erythromycin, and roxithromycin inhibit the proinflammatory interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pigments with human neutrophils in vitro.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived phenazine pigments pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-hp) prime human neutrophils for enhanced, stimulus-activated release of superoxide and myeloperoxidase (MPO), respectively. In the present study, the modulatory potentials of the antimicrobial agents clindamycin, erythromycin, and roxithromycin (10 and 20 micrograms/ml) on the prooxidative interactions of pyocyanin and 1-hp (12.5 microM) with human neutrophils have been investigated.

A baboon model for in vivo assessment of mucociliary lung clearance.

A suitable baboon model (Papio ursinus) for assessing inhibitory effects on mucociliary lung clearance was required. Clearance of various dimensions of nebulized particles (99mTc-labelled) was monitored with the animals (n = 6) under either ketamine or pentobarbitone anaesthesia. The best prospect of substantial and reproducible clearance in spite of the inhibition by the anaesthesia were obtained with pentobarbitone, and using nebulized radiolabelled particles of diameter range between 10 and 45 microns, thus avoiding trapping in the non-ciliary alveoli.

Effect of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine on pulmonary mucociliary clearance monitored scintigraphically in the baboon model.

The effect of products of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa on mucociliary lung clearance has been monitored in vivo in the baboon model by scintigraphy. Clearance was found to be inhibited by both 1-hydroxyphenazine and pyocyanin, and a dose-effect was illustrated by the former. This confirms previous in vitro results as well as results from work on guinea-pigs, and holds good prospects for the use of the baboon model under anesthesia in such investigations.

Proinflammatory interactions of pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine with human neutrophils in vitro.

The effects of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived pigments, pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-hp), on membrane-associated oxidative metabolism and release of lysozomal enzymes by human neutrophils were investigated in vitro. Pyocyanin, but not 1-hp, increased the generation of superoxide and the rate and duration of oxygen uptake by activated neutrophils. Both agents increased the myeloperoxidase-mediated iodinating activity of neutrophils, which in the case of 1-hp was due to stimulation of the release of myeloperoxidase by activated neutrophils.

Effect of bacterial products on neutrophil migration in vitro.

Chronic bronchial inflammation is associated with migration of large numbers of granulocytes into the bronchial tree. A study was designed to find out whether products of bacteria commonly isolated in chronic bronchial infection stimulate neutrophil migration in vitro. Neutrophils from healthy donors were studied by a modified Boyden chamber technique.

Ascorbic acid neutralizes reactive oxidants released by hyperactive phagocytes from cigarette smokers.

During exposure to the leukoattractant FMLP (N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine) human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) exhibit a bimodal pattern of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LECL) with distinct early extracellular and later-occurring intracellular membrane-associated oxidative responses [4, 7, 14]. With the primary objective of measuring the effects of oral administration of the antioxidant ascorbate on the generation of reactive oxidants by circulating phagocytes from cigarette smokers and nonsmokers, we have developed a method for the measurement of FMLP-activated LECL in whole blood. With this method definite bimodal LECL responses, similar to those obtained with pure PMNL, were observed with FMLP-activated whole blood.

Regulation by the antioxidants ascorbate, cysteine, and dapsone of the increased extracellular and intracellular generation of reactive oxidants by activated phagocytes from cigarette smokers.

The bimodal pattern of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP)-activated luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence with distinct early (occurring within 1 min) extracellular and late intracellular oxidative responses was compared in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) from asymptomatic cigarette smokers and nonsmoking control subjects. Relative to control PMNL, the PMNL from smokers were hyperreactive to FMLP stimulation with increased generation of both extracellular (p less than 0.025) and intracellular (p less than 0.

An in-vitro study of oral therapeutic doses of co-trimoxazole and erythromycin stearate on abnormal polymorphonuclear leucocyte migration.

The effects of administration for four days of co-trimoxazole (2 X 500 mg tablets daily) and erythromycin stearate (3 X 500 mg tablets daily) on persistently abnormal polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMNL) migration in six individuals with a history of chronic or recurrent bacterial infections were studied. The effects of co-incubation of PMNL in vitro with both antimicrobial agents at concentrations of 12(-5) and 10(-4) M were also investigated. Two different leucoattractants were used, autologous serum activated with bacterial endotoxin (EAS) and the synthetic chemotactic tripeptide FMLP.

An objective filter-based, enzymatic method for the in vivo measurement of the migration of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

Incorporation of control valves into a previously described device enabled us to regulate the formation of 8 suction blisters on the upper surface of the forearm in adult human volunteers. After the removal of the raised epidermis and blister fluid, uniform areas of denuded dermis were obtained by placing hollow adhesive ring reinforcers onto each of the regions of exposed dermis. Single or double nitrocellulose filters were then placed onto each of the areas of moistened, exposed dermis.

Lung and renal uptake of technetium Tc 99m sulphur colloid related to disseminated intravascular coagulation.

In addition to a recently published case study, we present another three cases in which we observed both lung and renal uptake of technetium Tc 99m sulphur colloid which was related to a period of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Being familiar with this relationship may influence the diagnosis and course of the illness in certain patients.

Chemoprophylaxis with erythromycin stearate or amoxycillin in patients with chronic bronchitis--effects on cellular and humoral immune functions.

Twenty-six patients aged between 27 and 71 years with chronic bronchitis were divided into a control group of 6 and two groups of 10 patients each who received either erythromycin stearate or amoxycillin 1500 mg/d for 2 weeks and 1000 mg/d for 12 weeks thereafter. Immunological function tests were performed before starting chemotherapy and thereafter at 2 weeks and 14 weeks. Clinical evaluations and lung function tests showed no significant changes in any of the groups during the study period.

Mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leucocyte dysfunction in male homosexuals with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

In addition to the well-documented abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity we have observed that both polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) and mononuclear leucocytes (MNLs) from 3 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) showed markedly defective migratory responsiveness to leuko-attractants in vitro. Reduced PMNL and MNL chemotaxis is attributable, at least in part, to a serum inhibitor of leucocyte migration, since co-incubation of PMNLs from healthy control subjects with 10% AIDS serum inhibited the migration to leuko-attractants of these cells. This serum-inhibitory effect on leucocyte migration was not due to the presence in AIDS serum of increased levels of prostaglandin E2, cytomegalo-virus or anti-leukocyte antibodies.