Modulating the aroma and taste profile of soybean using novel strains for fermentation.

A key factor influencing consumer acceptance of soybean products is the aroma and taste profile, which can be modulated through fermentation using unique microbial strains. This study aimed to identify and characterize novel microbial strains with the potential to enhance flavour profiles including umami, while reducing undesirable flavour notes such as beany aromas. The results showed an 800% (8-fold) increase in free amino acids in samples fermented with , which correlated with an increase in umami intensity as measured using an E-tongue.

The Psychological and Cognitive Landscape of Adult Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Scoping Review.

Purpose Of Review: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a chronic headache disorder with increasing prevalence. Although characterized by raised intracranial pressure causing papilledema with a risk of visual impairment, psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment are frequently seen but are understudied and under-reported. Together, these can negatively affect quality of life.

The cortical neurophysiological signature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The progressive loss of motor function characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is associated with widespread cortical pathology extending beyond primary motor regions. Increasing muscle weakness reflects a dynamic, variably compensated brain network disorder. In the quest for biomarkers to accelerate therapeutic assessment, the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography is uniquely able to non-invasively capture micro-magnetic fields generated by neuronal activity across the entire cortex simultaneously.

Limited value of serum neurofilament light chain in diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

A biomarker specific for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis must be sensitive across a spectrum of clinical heterogeneity. Neurofilament light chain levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis correlate with the rate of disability progression. Previous attempts to establish a diagnostic role for neurofilament light chain have been limited to comparison with healthy individuals or controls with alternative diagnoses unlikely to be confused with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in real-world clinical practice.

Neurological update: structural and functional imaging in epilepsy surgery.

Structural and functional imaging prior to surgery in drug-resistant focal epilepsy, has an important role to play alongside electroencephalography (EEG) techniques, in planning the surgical approach and predicting post-operative outcome. This paper reviews the role of structural and functional imaging of the brain, namely computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in the preoperative work-up of people with medically refractory epilepsy. In MRI-negative patients, the precise localisation of the epileptogenic zone may be established by demonstrating hypometabolism on PET imaging or hyperperfusion on SPECT imaging in the area surrounding the seizure focus.

Regulation of the Signal-Dependent E Protein HEBAlt Through a YYY Motif Is Required for Progression Through T Cell Development.

The E protein transcription factors E2A and HEB are critical for many developmental processes, including T cell development. We have shown that the locus gives rise to two distinct HEB proteins, with alternative (HEBAlt) and canonical (HEBCan) N-terminal domains, which are co-expressed during early T cell development. While the functional domains of HEBCan have been well studied, the nature of the HEBAlt-specific (Alt) domain has been obscure.

Bedside and laboratory diagnostic testing in myasthenia.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) and congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a group of disorders with a well characterised autoimmune or genetic and neurophysiological basis. We reviewed the literature from the last 20 years assessing the utility of various neurophysiological, immunological, provocative and genetic tests in MG and CMS. Diagnostic sensitivity of repetitive nerve stimulation test ranges between 14 and 94% and specificity between 73 and 100%; sensitivity of single-fibre EMG (SFEMG) test ranges between 64 and 100% and specificity between 22 and 100%; anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody sensitivity ranges from 13 to 97% and specificity ranges from 95 to 100%.

Notch and the pre-TCR coordinate thymocyte proliferation by induction of the SCF subunits Fbxl1 and Fbxl12.

Proliferation is tightly regulated during T cell development, and is limited to immature CD4CD8 thymocytes. The major proliferative event is initiated at the 'β-selection' stage following successful rearrangement of Tcrβ, and is triggered by and dependent on concurrent signaling by Notch and the pre-T cell receptor (TCR); however, it is unclear how these signals cooperate to promote cell proliferation. Here, we found that β-selection-associated proliferation required the combined activity of two Skp-cullin-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complexes that included as substrate recognition subunits the F-box proteins Fbxl1 or Fbxl12.

Role of the serotonergic pathway in uterotonic activity of Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. - An in vitro and in vivo study.

Background: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. has been used as a traditional medicine in inducing abortion in many countries.

Potent tocolytic activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Ananas comosus on rat and human uteri.

The aim of this study was to investigate the tocolytic properties of Ananas comosus extract in rat and human uterine tissue in vitro and in the rat in vivo. Organ bath technique was employed to perform functional studies in vitro. The PhysioTel transmitter was implanted in SD rats to measure the changes in intrauterine pressure (IUP) in vivo.

A key role for IL-7R in the generation of microenvironments required for thymic dendritic cells.

Interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) signaling is critical for multiple stages of T-cell development, but a role in the establishment of the mature thymic architecture needed for T-cell development and thymocyte selection has not been established. Crosstalk signals between developing thymocytes and thymic epithelial cell (TEC) precursors are critical for their differentiation into cortical TECs (cTECs) and medullary TECs (mTECs). In addition, mTEC-derived factors have been implicated in the recruitment of thymic dendritic cells (DCs) and intrathymic DC development.

Acute recurrent lymphocytic meningitis in an immunocompetent HIV-positive African woman: Is it a Mollaret's meningitis or not?

We report a case of acute recurrent meningitis in an HIV-positive immunocompetent woman. In this case, a 34-year-old African woman with a known HIV infection presented with symptoms of acute meningitis. She was on combination antiretroviral therapy with abacavir, lamivudine, and nevirapine.

Targeted Disruption of TCF12 Reveals HEB as Essential in Human Mesodermal Specification and Hematopoiesis.

Hematopoietic stem cells arise from mesoderm-derived hemogenic endothelium (HE) during embryogenesis in a process termed endothelial-hematopoietic transition (EHT). To better understand the gene networks that control this process, we investigated the role of the transcription factor HEB (TCF12) by disrupting the TCF12 gene locus in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and inducing them to differentiate toward hematopoietic outcomes. HEB-deficient hESCs retained key features of pluripotency, including expression of SOX2 and SSEA-4 and teratoma formation, while NANOG expression was reduced.

An unusual cause of isolated secondary ovarian failure due to cerebral toxoplasmosis in an African woman with AIDS.

Primary ovarian failure is common. However, isolated secondary ovarian failure due to gonadotrophin deficiency is rare. A few cases of isolated gonadotrophin deficiency, due to congenital cerebral toxoplasmosis, have been described in children.

Life-threatening digoxin toxicity due to drug-drug interactions in an HIV-positive man.

Drug-drug interactions with corticosteroids, causing Cushing's syndrome with secondary adrenal suppression, are well known in HIV patients. Corticosteroids are widely prescribed in the HIV-positive population. However, digoxin is rarely used in HIV patients; hence, digoxin toxicity due to drug-drug interaction is not widely recognised.

Perforation of the bowel due to cytomegalovirus infection in a man with AIDS: surgery is not always necessary!

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common viral opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients and is a rare cause of bowel perforation. It invariably requires surgical intervention and is often fatal. We report a 50-year-old Caucasian man with AIDS, presented 3 weeks after developing abdominal pain and distension.

Isolated bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy in the absence of other symptoms, due to LGV in known HIV-positive MSM: is it more common than we think?

The current resurgence of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) has drawn most attention to its potential for causing proctitis; however, this case highlights the need for awareness of LGV as a cause of isolated painful bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy in a high-risk population and the importance of routine screening for LGV. We describe a case of a 37-year-old HIV positive man, in the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) who presented with bilateral enlarged inguinal lymph nodes and no other symptoms or signs. Urine nucleic acid amplification test was positive for chlamydia LGV-specific DNA.

Unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: a report of tuberculous epididymo-orchitis mimicking a testicular tumour in a Caucasian AIDS patient.

Worldwide, it is estimated that 14.8% of all new tuberculosis cases in adults are attributable to HIV infection. Genitourinary tuberculosis is a known complication and is considered to be a severe form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

An unusual cause of abdominal pain in an HIV-positive man.

We report a case of an HIV-positive man on antiretroviral therapy (ART) who developed abdominal pain due to acute-on-chronic intestinal ischaemia secondary to superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (SMVT) requiring emergency surgery. He was found to have persistently low levels of protein C on thrombophilia screening. To the best of our knowledge, the association linking SMVT to protein C deficiency in an HIV-infected patient has never been reported in the literature.

Gargantulide A, a complex 52-membered macrolactone showing antibacterial activity from Streptomyces sp.

Gargantulide A (1), an extremely complex 52-membered macrolactone, was isolated from Streptomyces sp. A42983 and displayed moderate activity against MRSA. The planar structure of 1 was determined using 2D NMR, and its stereochemistry was partially established on the basis of NOESY correlations, J-based configuration analysis, and Kishi's universal NMR database.

Late onset of cryptococcal cervical lymphadenitis following immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a patient with AIDS.

A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed HIV positive with disseminated cryptococcal infection in May 2006. Her initial CD4 was 7 cells/µL and she had a right supraclavicular nodal mass, which was biopsied and shown to be consistent with cryptococcal lymphadenitis. She was treated for disseminated cryptococcal infection and was started on antiretroviral medications subsequently.

The robustness of a signaling complex to domain rearrangements facilitates network evolution.

The rearrangement of protein domains is known to have key roles in the evolution of signaling networks and, consequently, is a major tool used to synthetically rewire networks. However, natural mutational events leading to the creation of proteins with novel domain combinations, such as in frame fusions followed by domain loss, retrotranspositions, or translocations, to name a few, often simultaneously replace pre-existing genes. Thus, while proteins with new domain combinations may establish novel network connections, it is not clear how the concomitant deletions are tolerated.

Corynanthean, eburnan, secoleuconoxine, and pauciflorine alkaloids from Kopsia pauciflora.

Eleven indole alkaloids, comprising four corynanthean, two eburnane, one aspidofractinine, one secoleuconoxine, one andranginine, and two pauciflorine type alkaloids were isolated from the stem-bark and leaf extracts of Kopsia pauciflora. Their structures were determined using NMR and MS analyses. The catharinensine type alkaloid kopsirensine B and the secoleuconoxine alkaloid arboloscine A showed moderate to weak activity in reversing MDR in vincristine-resistant KB cells.