The inorganic polymer, polyphosphate (polyP), is present in all organisms examined to date with putative functions ranging from the maintenance of bioenergetics to stress resilience and protein homeostasis. Bioenergetics in the glacier-obligate, segmented worm, , is characterized by a paradoxical increase in intracellular ATP levels as temperatures decline. We show here that steady-state, mitochondrial polyP levels vary among species of Annelida, but were elevated only in in response to thermal stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is still a significant lack of knowledge regarding many aspects of the etiopathology and consequences of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in humans. For example, the variety of molecular mechanisms mediating this infection, and the long-term consequences of the disease remain poorly understood. It first seemed like the SARS-CoV-2 infection primarily caused a serious respiratory syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis work aimed to identify a combination of isotopic and molecular biomarkers in bovine muscle and adipose tissue for authentication of the diet of beef cattle. Muscle and adipose tissue samples were collected from animals one of four dietary treatments fed over a 1 year period : pasture (P), barley-based concentrate (C), silage followed by pasture (SiP) or silage followed by pasture with concentrate (SiPC). In total, 83 variables were studied including volatile compounds, colour and reflectance measurements, stable isotope ratios, fatty acids, β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It is well established the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical cancer (CC) etiology. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection seems to synergize with HPV in CC multistage process. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation of HPV and CT infection in young student women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the addition of a commercial phosphate mixture in 2 dry-ripened Spanish-style sausages: "salchichón" and "chorizo." Three batches of each of those sausages were prepared with low and high levels of phosphates, and selected quality variables (moisture, pH, a(w) , lactic and acetic acid, α-amino nitrogen, total free fatty acids, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, microbial counts, color, and texture analysis) were compared against controls. Furthermore, phosphate-added and control sausages were ranked by consumers in order of preference.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to characterize the HPV infection status in adolescents and young university women in Portugal. The distribution of HPV genotypes was evaluated by PCR DNA genotyping after self-sampling collection from 435 women of exfoliated cervical cells using a commercial kit. We observed an overall frequency of HPV infection of 11.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) was used as an analytical tool to verify the preslaughter diet of beef cattle. Muscle and tail hair samples were collected from animals fed either pasture (P), a barley-based concentrate (C), silage followed by pasture (SiP), or silage followed by pasture with concentrate (SiPC) for 1 year (n = 25 animals per treatment). The (13)C/(12)C, (15)N/(14)N, (2)H/(1)H, and (34)S/(32)S isotope ratios in muscle clearly reflected those of the diets consumed by the animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultielemental (C, N, H, S) stable isotope ratio analysis was used as an analytical tool to verify the geographical origin of beef from several European and non-European countries. Beef samples were collected from nine different countries, and the (13)C/(12)C, (15)N/(14)N, (2)H/(1)H, and (34)S/(32)S ratios of defatted beef were measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). There were highly significant differences in the mean isotopic values of the beef from different countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of XPD genotypes as genetic indicator of susceptibility to ovarian cancer. We have used a case-control study. We analysed DNA samples from 141 ovarian cancer patients and 202 control subjects, for three XPD polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a group of multifunctional enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of glutathione with a variety of electrophilic compounds, including cytotoxic agents. A significant percentage of normal individuals exhibit genetic polymorphism with a homozygous deletion (null genotype) of the genes, leading to absence of the enzyme.
Methods: In the present study we analyzed GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms in the genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood of patients with ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy (paclitaxel and cisplatinum) after cytoreductive surgery and assessed its correlation with the clinical outcome of these patients.