The effectiveness of care robots in alleviating physical burden and pain for caregivers: Non-randomized prospective interventional study - Preliminary study.

Background: Caregiver burden significantly affects both patients and caregivers but is often overlooked in clinical practice. Physical and emotional strain on caregivers can compromise the quality of care. Care robots are emerging as solutions to alleviate these burdens by assisting with routine tasks, thereby reducing caregivers' physical strain and stress.

A Novel App for Assessing the Caregivers' Physical Activity: A Pilot/Feasibility Study.

This study sought to determine the feasibility and clinical value of using a novel mobile application (app) to record the muscle/physical activity (PA) of caregivers. In all, 23 caregivers were enrolled and they were trained to use the app and a wearable device that automatically recorded their care activities and PA/burden. Data were collected for 42 days.

Grape skin extract reduces adipogenesis- and lipogenesis-related gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ signaling pathway.

We previously reported that grape skin ethanol extract (GSE) decreases adipogenic transcription factor gene expression, inhibiting triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In this study, we hypothesized that GSE may induce differential expression profiles in adipocytes, thus providing protection against obesity. Thirty-five genes involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) signaling pathway, lipid metabolism, or adipogenesis were identified through microarray analysis of adipocytes treated with GSE.

Grape skin and loquat leaf extracts and acai puree have potent anti-atherosclerotic and anti-diabetic activity in vitro and in vivo in hypercholesterolemic zebrafish.

Three major sources of flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which are commonly used in food industry, namely loquat leaf (LL), grape skin (GS) and acai puree, were tested in regard to their potential anti-atherosclerotic and anti-diabetic activity. The compounds were evaluated by in vitro antioxidant assay using a macrophage model and for in vivo hypolipidemic activity using zebrafish. In assays in vitro, all extracts demonstrated potent ferric ion reductive capacity, radical-scavenging activity and inhibition of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation at a final concentration of 0.

Recombinant S-layer proteins of Lactobacillus brevis mediating antibody adhesion to calf intestine alleviated neonatal diarrhea syndrome.

A chimeric gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and a S-layer protein from Lactobacillus brevis KCTC3102, and/or two copies of the Fc-binding Z-domain, a synthetic analog of the B-domain of protein A, was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The S-layer fusion proteins produced in a 500-l fermentor were likely to be stable in the range of pH 5 to 8 and 0 degree to 40 degrees . Their adhesive property enabled an easy and rapid immobilization of enzymes or antibodies on solid materials such as plastics, glass, sol-gel films, and intestinal epithelial cells.

Directed immobilization of DNA-binding proteins on a cognate DNA-modified chip surface.

Here we describe a useful method for the site-directed immobilization of proteins with a DNA-binding domain (DNA-BD) on the cognate DNA-coated gold surface for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging analyses. In order to assess the performance of this procedure, we utilized two DNA-BDs, yeast GAL4 DNA-BD, and bacterial LexA DNA-BD. After the immobilization of the cognate double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) to a gold chip surface with a monolayer of poly(l-lysine) for sequence-specific DNA-protein interaction, purified recombinant GAL4 DNA-BD:EGFP and LexA DNA-BD:RFP fusion proteins were applied to a dsDNA-spotted gold chip, and were subsequently analyzed using an SPR imaging system.