Genomic selection strategies to increase genetic gain in tea breeding programs.

Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is mainly grown in low- to middle-income countries (LMIC) and is a global commodity.

Chromosome-specific KASP markers for detecting Amblyopyrum muticum segments in wheat introgression lines.

Many wild-relative species are being used in prebreeding programs to increase the genetic diversity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Genotyping tools such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based arrays and molecular markers have been widely used to characterize wheat-wild relative introgression lines.

Development of a New A -Genome-Specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Marker Set for the Molecular Characterization of Wheat-Triticum monococcum Introgression Lines.

We identified 1247 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms between Triticum monococcum and wheat. We identified 191 markers validated across all seven chromosomes of T. monococcum.

Efficient inversion strategies for estimating optical properties with Monte Carlo radiative transport models.

Significance: Indirect imaging problems in biomedical optics generally require repeated evaluation of forward models of radiative transport, for which Monte Carlo is accurate yet computationally costly. We develop an approach to reduce this bottleneck, which has significant implications for quantitative tomographic imaging in a variety of medical and industrial applications.

Aim: Our aim is to enable computationally efficient image reconstruction in (hybrid) diffuse optical modalities using stochastic forward models.

Absorption of Phenolic Acids in Rice Kernels after Boiling in Spearmint Aqueous Extracts of Different Concentrations. A Diffusion Study.

In this study, an attempt was made to fortify white milled rice grains with phenolic compounds using a hydrothermal process and spearmint aqueous extracts of different % w/v concentrations. In addition, a mathematical model was acquired in order to simulate the diffusion of specific phenolic acids in rice kernels during boiling inside the extracts. Results showed that the amount of phenolic acids in rice, the potential equilibrium concentration values, as well as the diffusivity of these compounds in rice material were positively affected by the increase in % w/v bulk concentration of the aqueous extract.

Dynamic Changes in Health-Promoting Properties and Eating Quality During Off-Vine Ripening of Tomatoes.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) fruit is rich in various nutrients, vitamins and health-promoting molecules. Fresh tomatoes are an important part of the Mediterranean gastronomy, and their consumption is thought to contribute substantially to the reduced incidence of some chronic diseases in the Mediterranean populations in comparison with those of other world areas.

Effects of Nonthermal Plasma Technology on Functional Food Components.

Understanding the impact of nonthermal plasma (NTP) technology on key nutritional and functional food components is of paramount importance for the successful adoption of the technology by industry. NTP technology (NTPT) has demonstrated marked antimicrobial efficacies with good retention of important physical, chemical, sensory, and nutritional parameters for an array of food products. This paper presents the influence of NTPT on selected functional food components with a focus on low-molecular-weight bioactive compounds and vitamins.

Developments and Challenges in Online NIR Spectroscopy for Meat Processing.

Meat and meat products are popular foods due to their balanced nutritional nature and their availability in a variety of forms. In recent years, due to an increase in the consumer awareness regarding product quality and authenticity of food, rapid and effective quality control systems have been sought by meat industries. Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been identified as a fast and cost-effective tool for estimating various meat quality parameters as well as detecting adulteration.

Pain mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.

Understanding of the causes and underlying mechanisms of pain in people with RA is rapidly changing. With the advent of more effective disease modifying drugs, joint inflammation is becoming a more treatable cause of pain, and joint damage can often be prevented. However, the long-term prognosis for pain still is often unfavourable, even after inflammation is suppressed.

Ultrasonic treatment of glassy carbon for nanoparticle preparation.

Glassy carbon particles (millimetric or micrometric sizes) dispersions in water were treated by ultrasound at 20kHz, either in a cylindrical reactor, or in a "Rosette" type reactor, for various time lengths ranging from 3h to 10h. Further separations sedimentation allowed obtaining few nanoparticles of glassy carbon in the supernatant (diameter <200nm). Thought the yield of nanoparticle increased together with the sonication time at high power, it tended to be nil after sonication in the cylindrical reactor.

Ice Cream as a Vehicle for Incorporating Health-Promoting Ingredients: Conceptualization and Overview of Quality and Storage Stability.

Ice cream is a product with peculiar textural and organoleptic features and is highly appreciated by a very broad spectrum of consumers. Ice cream's structure and colloidal design, together with its low-temperature storage, renders it a very promising carrier for the stabilization and in vivo delivery of bioactive compounds and beneficial microorganisms. To date, many applications related to the design and development of functional ice cream have been documented, including products containing probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, dietary fibers, natural antioxidants such as polyphenols, essential and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and low glycemic index blends and blends fortified with mineral or trace elements.

Remote conditioning or erythropoietin before surgery primes kidneys to clear ischemia-reperfusion-damaged cells: a renoprotective mechanism?

Acute kidney injury is common, serious with no specific treatment. Ischemia-reperfusion is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Clinical trials suggest that preoperative erythropoietin (EPO) or remote ischemic preconditioning may have a renoprotective effect.

Solid lipid dispersions: potential delivery system for functional ingredients in foods.

Structured solid lipid (SL) systems have the advantages of long-term physical stability, low surfactant concentrations, and may exhibit controlled release of active ingredients. In this research work, the potential use of high-melting SLs for the production of the above structured SL carrier systems was investigated. Dispersions containing either SL or blend of solid lipid and oil (SL+O) were produced by a hot melt high-pressure homogenization method.

Soybean (Glycine max) oil bodies and their associated phytochemicals.

Unlabelled: Soybean oil bodies were isolated from 3 cultivars (Ustie, K98, and Elena) and the occurrence of 2 classes of phytochemicals (tocopherol isoforms and isoflavones) and strength of their association with isolated oil bodies was evaluated. Tocopherol is shown to be closely associated with soybean oil bodies; δ-tocopherol demonstrated a significantly greater association with oil bodies over other tocopherol isoforms. Isoflavones do not show a significant physical association with oil bodies, although there is some indication of a passive association of the more hydrophobic aglycones during oil body isolation.

Endotoxin transiently inhibits protein synthesis through Akt and MAPK mediating pathways in C2C12 myotubes.

In this study, the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on protein synthesis (PS) and intracellular signaling factors that regulate it have been investigated in C2C12 murine-derived myotubes. In particular, the role of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) [p38 and extracelluar regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2)] have been examined. The direct effect of LPS on PS was measured at 3 and 18 h.

Reduction of off-flavor generation in soybean homogenates: a mathematical model.

Unlabelled: The generation of off-flavors in soybean homogenates such as n-hexanal via the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway can be a problem in the processed food industry. Previous studies have examined the effect of using soybean varieties missing one or more of the 3 LOX isozymes on n-hexanal generation. A dynamic mathematical model of the soybean LOX pathway using ordinary differential equations was constructed using parameters estimated from existing data with the aim of predicting how n-hexanal generation could be reduced.

Mechanisms regulating muscle mass during disuse atrophy and rehabilitation in humans.

Muscle mass loss accompanies periods of bedrest and limb immobilization in humans and requires rehabilitation exercise to effectively restore mass and function. Although recent evidence points to an early and transient rise in muscle protein breakdown contributing to this decline in muscle mass, the driving factor seems to be a reduction in muscle protein synthesis, not least in part due to the development of anabolic resistance to amino acid provision. Although the AKT signaling pathway has been identified in small animals as central to the regulation of muscle protein synthesis, several studies in humans have now demonstrated a disassociation between AKT signaling and muscle protein synthesis during feeding, exercise, and immobilization, suggesting that the mechanisms regulating protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle are more complex than initially thought (at least in non-inflammatory states).

Can lineage-specific markers be identified to characterize mesenchyme-derived cell populations in the human airways?

Mesenchyme-derived cells in the airway wall including airway smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts are known to play important roles in airway remodeling. The lack of specific phenotypical markers makes it difficult to define these cell populations in primary cultures. Most relevant studies to date have used animal airway tissues, vascular tissues, or transformed cell lines with only limited studies attempting to phenotypically characterize human airway mesenchymal cells.

Manhattan transfer: lethal radiation, bone marrow transplantation, and the birth of stem cell biology, ca. 1942-1961.

This study investigates how, in the late 1940s and 1950s, fears of nuclear accidents and nuclear warfare shaped postwar radiobiology. The new and intense forms of radiation generated by nuclear reactor technology, and which would be released in the event of a nuclear war, created concerns about a public-health hazard unprecedented in form and scale. Fears of inadvertent exposure to acute and potentially lethal radiation launched a search for anti-radiation therapies, out of which emerged the new technique of bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

Detection of EETs and HETE-generating cytochrome P-450 enzymes and the effects of their metabolites on myometrial and vascular function.

Cytochrome P-450 (CYP450) enzymes of the CYP2 and -4 family in humans metabolize arachidonic acid to generate bioactive epoxyeicosatrienenoic acids (EETs) and hydroxyeicosatetrenoic acids (HETEs). We report significantly higher levels of CYP 2J2 protein expression following the onset of labor (n = 6, P < 0.05), implying increased EET-generating capacity within the uterus.

Disassociation between the effects of amino acids and insulin on signaling, ubiquitin ligases, and protein turnover in human muscle.

We determined the effects of intravenous infusion of amino acids (AA) at serum insulin of 5, 30, 72, and 167 mU/l on anabolic signaling, expression of ubiquitin-proteasome components, and protein turnover in muscles of healthy young men. Tripling AA availability at 5 mU/l insulin doubled incorporation of [1-(13)C]leucine [i.e.

Impact of particle size distribution on rheological and textural properties of chocolate models with reduced fat content.

With an increasing consumption of lipids nowadays, decreasing the fat content in food products has become a trend. Chocolate is a fat-based suspension that contains about 30%wt fat. Reducing fat content causes an increase in the molten chocolate viscosity.

Enhancement of intragastric acid stability of a fat emulsion meal delays gastric emptying and increases cholecystokinin release and gallbladder contraction.

Preprocessed fatty foods often contain calories added as a fat emulsion stabilized by emulsifiers. Emulsion stability in the acidic gastric environment can readily be manipulated by altering emulsifier chemistry. We tested the hypothesis that it would be possible to control gastric emptying, CCK release, and satiety by varying intragastric fat emulsion stability.