Acidic hydrothermal processing of wheat using citrate buffer largely enhances iron and zinc bioaccessibility and bioavailability to Caco-2 cells.

Phytate chelates iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in wheat. A multifactorial experiment showed that hydrothermal processing (45-60 °C, pH 4.0-6.

Serial Non-Invasive Myocardial Work Measurements for Patient Risk Stratification and Early Detection of Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients: A Single-Centre Observational Study.

Serial transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) assessment of LVEF and GLS are the gold standard in screening Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiac Dysfunction (CTRCD). Non-invasive left-ventricle (LV) pressure-strain loop (PSL) emerged as a novel method to quantify Myocardial Work (MW). This study aims to describe the temporal changes and longitudinal trajectories of MW indices during cardiotoxic treatment.

Glycosidic linkage of rare and new-to-nature disaccharides reshapes gut microbiota in vitro.

The impact of glycosidic linkage of seven rare and new-to-nature disaccharides on gut bacteria was assessed in vitro. The community shift of the inocula from four donors in response to 1 % (w/v) disaccharide supplementation was captured by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. A significant loss of bacterial alpha diversity, short lag time, low pH, and high total short-chain fatty acid displayed a faster fermentation of trehalose(Glc-α1,1α-Glc) and fibrulose(fructan, DP2-10).

Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Conservative Treatment in Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis: The AVATAR Trial.

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) represents a class I indication in symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, indications for early SAVR in asymptomatic patients with severe AS and normal left ventricular function remain debated.

Methods: The AVATAR trial (Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Conservative Treatment in Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis) is an investigator-initiated international prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of early SAVR in the treatment of asymptomatic patients with severe AS, according to common criteria (valve area ≤1 cm with aortic jet velocity >4 m/s or a mean transaortic gradient ≥40 mm Hg), and with normal left ventricular function.

Could Evening Dietary Protein Intake Play a Role in Nocturnal Polyuria?

Urea is the most abundant and the largest contributing factor for urine osmolality. Urinary urea excretion is highly interrelated with dietary protein intake. Accordingly, an increase of urinary urea excretion due to high protein diet may lead to urea-induced osmotic diuresis.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies five novel loci for age-related hearing impairment.

Previous research has shown that genes play a substantial role in determining a person's susceptibility to age-related hearing impairment. The existing studies on this subject have different results, which may be caused by difficulties in determining the phenotype or the limited number of participants involved. Here, we have gathered the largest sample to date (discovery n = 9,675; replication n = 10,963; validation n = 356,141), and examined phenotypes that represented low/mid and high frequency hearing loss on the pure tone audiogram.

Self-assembly, functionality, and in-vitro properties of quercetin loaded nanoparticles based on shellac-almond gum biological macromolecules.

Quercetin-fortified nanoparticles were prepared from almond gum (AG), a novel biological macromolecule, and Tween 80 (T80) as stabilizers and shellac (SH) as core material using an antisolvent precipitation method. The final nanoparticles were prepared by 0.67% SH, 0.

A dominant-negative GFI1B mutation in the gray platelet syndrome.

The gray platelet syndrome is a hereditary, usually autosomal recessive bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of alpha granules in platelets. We detected a nonsense mutation in the gene encoding the transcription factor GFI1B (growth factor independent 1B) that causes autosomal dominant gray platelet syndrome. Both gray platelets and megakaryocytes had abnormal marker expression.

Pharmacokinetics and endometrial tissue concentrations of enrofloxacin and the metabolite ciprofloxacin after i.v. administration of enrofloxacin to mares.

Enrofloxacin was administered i.v. to five adult mares at a dose of 5 mg/kg.

Evaluation of the nutritional characteristics of a finger millet based complementary food.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), peanuts (Arachis hypogoea), and mango (Mangifera indica) were processed separately and then combined, on the basis of their amino acid scores and energy content, into a complementary food for children of weaning age. The finger millet and kidney beans were processed by germination, autoclaving, and lactic acid fermentation. A mixture containing, on a dry matter basis, 65.

Enhancement of oxidative stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants overproducing Fe-superoxide dismutase in chloroplasts.

A chimeric gene consisting of the coding sequence for chloroplastic Fe superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) from Arabidopsis thaliana, coupled to the chloroplast targeting sequence from the pea ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit, was expressed in Nicotiana tabacum cv Petit Havana SR1. Expression of the transgenic FeSOD protected both the plasmalemma and photosystem II against superoxide generated during illumination of leaf discs impregnated with methyl viologen. By contrast, overproduction of a mitochondrial MnSOD from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia in the chloroplasts of cv SR1 protected only the plasmalemma, but not photosystem II, against methyl viologen (L.

Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide, and Ultraviolet B Have Similar Effects on mRNA Accumulation of Antioxidant Genes in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia L.

We have studied the expression of antioxidant genes in response to near ambient conditions of O3, SO2, and ultraviolet B (UV-B) in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia L. The genes analyzed encode four different superoxide dismutases (SODs), three catalases (Cat1, Cat2, and Cat3), the cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (cyt APx), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The experimental setup for each treatment was essentially the same and caused no visible damage, thus allowing direct comparison of the different stress responses.

Prostaglandins stimulate serotonin acetylation in chick pineal cells: involvement of cyclic AMP-dependent and calcium/calmodulin-dependent mechanisms.

The effects of prostaglandins (PGs) on the activity of the rate-limiting enzyme of melatonin biosynthesis, arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (NAT) were investigated on primary cultures of dispersed chick pineal cells. In indomethacin-treated cells, PGs caused a four-fold increase in NAT activity. This response was associated with an eight-fold increase in cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels.

The influence of dietary lactose on phosphorus-induced nephrocalcinosis in female rats.

The effect of dietary lactose, when compared with glucose, on phosphorus-induced nephrocalcinosis was studied in young, female rats. Nephrocalcinogenic diets containing either 0.4 or 0.

Immittance audiometry. Normative data at 220 and 660 Hz.

Normative immittance data for normal ears were collected at 220 and 660 Hz probe tone frequencies. The experimental set-up enabled conversion of simultaneously recorded susceptance and conductance data to resistance, reactance, admittance and phase angle tympanograms. Special attention was given to the subtraction of the ear canal admittance and to the pump speed.

A search for the most suitable imminent components and probe tone frequency in tympanometry.

The relative occurrence of bell-shaped and various types of W-shaped susceptance-conductance and admittance-phase tympanograms at a probe-tone frequency of 660 Hz was determined from registrations on normal ears. The diagnostic value of the susceptance-conductance versus the admittance-phase representation of tympanograms was studied on pathological middle-ear systems. Using probe-tone frequencies from 510 Hz up to 910 Hz, tympanograms for all four imminent components were recorded on 10 pathological ears and the diagnostic value compared.

Incudo-stapedial joint pathology: a tympanometric approach.

Two-component tympanometry with a high probe-tone frequency enables a better distinction to be made between mobile but normal middle-ear systems and middle-ear systems suffering from necrosis, luxation, or disruption. Susceptance and conductance tympanograms obtained from 14 patients with confirmed pathological middle-ear lesions and 8 postmortem temporal bones, experimentally manipulated either surgically or with a 1 N HCl solution, were compared to tympanograms obtained from 80 normal subjects of an earlier study. With a 660-Hz probe tone, normal middle ears generate bell-shaped or normal sharp W-shaped patterns, whereas the pathologies of the middle ear give rise to irregular multi-extrema tympanograms.

The diagnostic value of phase-angle tympanograms.

The diagnostic value of susceptance, conductance, resistance, reactance, admittance and phase-angle tympanograms is compared. Phase-angle tympanograms seem to be best suited for the discrimination between normal W patterns and broad irregular curves obtained from ossicular disruptions, luxations and necroses. Several possibilities are proposed: phase-angle tympanograms at the drum, phase-angle tympanograms at the tip of the measuring probe and corresponding phasor curves.

Tympanometry-detection of middle ear pathologies.

Two component susceptance-conductance tympanometry at a probe tone frequency of 660 Hz is superior to admittance tympanometry at 220 Hz for the detection of an ossicular discontinuity, a luxation or a necrosis. It is, however, essential to understand well the difference between non-pathological W-patterns and pathological broad multi-extrema tympanograms. The systematics of normal W-patterns is reviewed and the influence of the sign and magnitude of the pumpspeed on the shape of both types of tympanograms is discussed.

Impedance and admittance tympanometry. I. Experimental approach.

In this experimental study a procedure is developed which enables the conversion of susceptance and conductane tympanograms to reactance and resistance tympanograms. Special attention was given to the subtraction of the ear canal admittance. The procedure was applied to bell-shaped and W-notched susceptance and conductance tympanograms.

Impedance and admittance tympanometry. II. Mathematical approach.

The W-notching of susceptance, conductance and admittance tympanograms, as well as inverted-V shapes, found at high probe tone frequencies are explained, starting from realistic assumptions on the shape of resistance and reactance tympanograms. Necessary conditions for obtaining the different types of tympanograms are given. The theory shows that no pathology is necessary to explain W-notching or inverted-V shapes at higher-frequency probe tones.

Two-component versus admittance tympanometry.

The probe tone frequency of electro-acoustic bridges has a direct effect on the shape of the tympanograms obtained. At higher frequencies (800 Hz) typical patterns are generated for eardrum abnormalities and ossicular discontinuities. The 625- and 660-Hz frequencies sometimes prove to be not quite high enough to obtain the expected 'W' or undulating admittance tympanograms.