Conception and Optimization of Extraction-Free Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Detection of Dry Rot Fungus .

The use of nucleic acid-based detection tools for microorganisms and fungi has become a gold standard. This is particularly the case for wood-decaying fungi like which are hard to discriminate based on macroscopic and microscopic observations. This dry rot is important to detect as it is particularly destructive in an infested building, which requires immediate action to prevent spreading and significant damage to structural elements.

Lactoferrin, a Pleiotropic Protein in Health and Disease.

Significance: Lactoferrin (Lf) is a nonheme iron-binding glycoprotein strongly expressed in human and bovine milk and it plays many functions during infancy such as iron homeostasis and defense against microorganisms. In humans, Lf is mainly expressed in mucosal epithelial and immune cells. Growing evidence suggests multiple physiological roles for Lf after weaning.

Influence of Environmental Factors on Bacteriocin Production by Human Isolates of Lactococcus lactis MM19 and Pediococcus acidilactici MM33.

The influence of temperature, initial pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources on bacteriocin secreted by Lactococcus lactis MM19 (MM19) and Pediococcus acidilactici MM33 (MM33) was evaluated. It was found that 30 and 45 °C were the growth temperatures for higher nisin and pediocin production by MM19 and MM33, respectively. The initial pH values for higher production of nisin and pediocin were 9 and 6, respectively.

Plasma fatty acid composition in French-Canadian children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. As the NAFLD pathogenesis is associated with diet and lifestyle, the aims of the present work are to assess fatty acid (FA) composition in NAFLD young French-Canadian, to determine whether treatment with n-3 FA improves the plasma FA profile, and to define the time on the effectiveness of n-3 FA supplementation. Baseline characteristics of the NAFLD subjects show increased, anthropometric and biochemical parameters.

Production of low chlorogenic and caffeic acid containing sunflower meal protein isolate and its use in functional wheat bread making.

Sunflower meal protein isolate (SMPI) is a promising food additive in different matrices. However, the uses of SMPI are limited because of the presence of antinutritional compounds like polyphenolic substances. Chlorogenic and caffeic acids are the dominants polyphenolics in the SMPI.

PPARα: A Master Regulator of Bilirubin Homeostasis.

Hypolipidemic fibrates activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α to modulate lipid oxidation and metabolism. The present study aimed at evaluating how 3 PPARα agonists, namely, fenofibrate, gemfibrozil, and Wy14,643, affect bilirubin synthesis and metabolism. Human umbilical vein epithelial cells (HUVEC) and coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC) were cultured in the absence or presence of the 3 activators, and mRNA, protein, and/or activity levels of the bilirubin synthesizing heme oxygenase- (HO-) 1 and biliverdin reductase (BVR) enzymes were determined.

Physical properties of pizza Mozzarella cheese manufactured under different cheese-making conditions.

The effect of manufacturing factors on the shreddability and meltability of pizza Mozzarella cheese was studied. Four experimental cheeses were produced with 2 concentrations of denatured whey protein added to milk (0 or 0.25%) and 2 renneting pH values (6.

A variant in the LRRFIP1 gene is associated with adiposity and inflammation.

Unlabelled: Inflammation is an important factor linking abdominal obesity with insulin resistance and related cardiometabolic risk. A genome-wide association study of adiposity-related traits performed in the Quebec Family Study (QFS) revealed that a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the LRRFIP1 gene (rs11680012) was associated with abdominal adiposity (P = 4.6 × 10(-6)).

Assessments of the extent to which health-care providers involve patients in decision making: a systematic review of studies using the OPTION instrument.

Background: We have no clear overview of the extent to which health-care providers involve patients in the decision-making process during consultations. The Observing Patient Involvement in Decision Making instrument (OPTION) was designed to assess this.

Objective: To systematically review studies that used the OPTION instrument to observe the extent to which health-care providers involve patients in decision making across a range of clinical contexts, including different health professions and lengths of consultation.

Redox properties of catechins and enriched green tea extracts effectively preserve L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate: assessment using cyclic voltammetry analysis.

A cyclic voltammetry (CV) study was performed in pH 5.5 Britton-Robinson buffer at room temperature to study the stability of 1mM l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (l-5-MTHF) in combination with epigallocatechin-gallate-enriched extract (EGCGe) and epigallocatechin-enriched extract (EGCe). The combination of l-5-MTHF with enriched catechin extracts provided enhanced stability of l-5-MTHF over a period of 12h under ambient air conditions at pH 5.

Associations between dietary patterns and gene expression profiles of healthy men and women: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Diet regulates gene expression profiles by several mechanisms. The objective of this study was to examine gene expression in relation with dietary patterns.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty four participants from the greater Quebec City metropolitan area were recruited.

Comparison of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 gene methylation levels between severely obese subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome.

Background: The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) enzyme is a novel adipokine potentially involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Previous observations demonstrated higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) DPP4 gene expression in non-diabetic severely obese men with (MetS+) vs. without (MetS-) MetS.

Comparison of RNA extraction methods for the detection of a norovirus surrogate in ready-to-eat foods.

Four nucleic acid extraction methods were evaluated for the purpose of quantifying a norovirus surrogate (murine norovirus [MNV-1]) concentrated from different food samples. Simple (strawberries and lettuce) and complex (sliced turkey breast, soft-shell clams, and potato salad) food matrices were inoculated with a viral suspension containing high (4×10(5) PFU) or low (4×10(3) PFU) numbers of viral particles. MNV-1 was eluted using either the Pulsifier™ or repetitive pipetting.

Differences in metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles between responders and non-responders to an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) supplementation.

Studies have demonstrated large within-population heterogeneity in plasma triacylglycerol (TG) response to n-3 PUFA supplementation. The objective of the study was to compare metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles of responders and non-responders of an n-3 PUFA supplementation. Thirty subjects completed a 2-week run-in period followed by a 6-week supplementation with n-3 PUFA (3 g/d).

Antioxidant activities of buttermilk proteins, whey proteins, and their enzymatic hydrolysates.

The oxygen radical absorbance capacities (ORAC) and metal chelating capacities (MCC) of protein concentrates prepared from buttermilk and cheese whey by ultrafiltration were compared with those of skim milk protein. Samples were also heat-denatured and hydrolyzed by pepsin for 2 h followed by trypsin for 3 h. The highest MCC was obtained for hydrolyzed skim milk protein.

Use of an electrodialytic reactor for the simultaneous β-lactoglobulin enzymatic hydrolysis and fractionation of generated bioactive peptides.

The enzymatic hydrolysis of β-lactoglobulin and the fractionation of peptides were performed in one step in an electrodialysis cell with ultrafiltration membranes stacked. After 240 min of treatment, 15 anionic and 4 cationic peptides were detected in the anionic and cationic peptide recovery compartments. Amongst these 15 anionic peptides, 2 hypocholesterolemic, 3 antihypertensive and 1 antibacterial peptides were recovered and concentrated with migration rates ranging from 5.

Association between polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase gene cluster and the plasma triacylglycerol response to an n-3 PUFA supplementation.

Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have been reported to have a variety of beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors. However, a large inter-individual variability in the plasma lipid response to an omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation is observed in different studies. Genetic variations may influence plasma lipid responsiveness.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic signatures of an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation in a normolipidemic/normocholesterolemic Caucasian population.

OMIC technologies, including transcriptomics and metabolomics, may provide powerful tools for identifying the effects of nutrients on molecular functions and metabolic pathways. The objective was to investigate molecular and metabolic changes following n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation in healthy subjects via traditional biomarkers as well as transcriptome and metabolome analyses. Thirteen men and 17 women followed a 2-week run-in period based on Canada's Food Guide and then underwent 6-week supplementation with n-3 PUFA (3 g/day).

Individualized weight management: what can be learned from nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics?

The rise in the prevalence of obesity observed over the past decades is taken by many as an indication of the predominance of environmental factors (the so-called obesogenic environment) over genetic factors in explaining why obesity has reached epidemic proportions. While a changing environment favoring increased food intake and decreased physical activity levels has clearly contributed to shifting the distribution of body mass index (BMI) at the population level, not everyone is becoming overweight or obese. This suggests that there are genetic factors interacting with environmental factors to predispose some individuals to obesity.

The use of cyclic voltammetry to study the oxidation of l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate and its preservation by ascorbic acid.

A cyclic voltammetry study of 1mM l-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (l-5-MTHF) was performed in pH 5.5 Britton-Robinson buffer at room temperature to study the stability of l-5-MTHF alone and in combination with ascorbic acid (AA). The degradation of l-5-MTHF and AA over a period of 12h both followed first order reaction kinetics.

Electroseparation of an antibacterial peptide fraction from snow crab by-products hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes.

Recently, a snow crab by-products hydrolysate has demonstrated antibacterial properties due to a peptide with a molecular weight of about 800Da, but only at high concentration. Consequently, peptide hydrolysate has been fractionated to obtain peptides in a more purified form. The aim of this work was to separate a snow crab by-products hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes (EDUF).

Transcriptomic profiles of skeletal muscle tissue following an euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp in insulin-resistant obese subjects.

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is an early phenomenon in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Muscle is mainly responsible for insulin-stimulated glucose clearance from the bloodstream. Thus, regulation of gene expression in muscle tissue may be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

Assessing patients' involvement in decision making during the nutritional consultation with a dietitian.

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) represents an interesting approach to optimize the impact of dietary treatment, but there is no evidence that SDM is commonly integrated into diet-related health care.

Objective: To assess the extent to which dietitians involve patients in decisions about dietary treatment.

Methods: We audiotaped dietitians conducting nutritional consultations with their patients, and we transcribed the tapes verbatim.

Associations between polymorphisms in genes involved in fatty acid metabolism and dietary fat intakes.

Background: Obesity prevalence is growing in our population. Twin studies have estimated the heritability of dietary intakes to about 30%. The objective of this study was to verify whether polymorphisms in genes involved in fatty acid metabolism are associated with dietary fat intakes.