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Physiologia Plantarum 2024Chlorophyll (Chl) plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, functioning as a photosensitizer. As an integral component of this process, energy absorbed by this pigment is...
Chlorophyll (Chl) plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, functioning as a photosensitizer. As an integral component of this process, energy absorbed by this pigment is partly emitted as red fluorescence. This signal can be readily imaged by fluorescence microscopy and provides a visualization of photosynthetic activity. However, due to limited resolution, signals cannot be assigned to specific subcellular/organellar membrane structures. By correlating fluorescence micrographs with transmission electron microscopy, researchers can identify sub-cellular compartments and membranes, enabling the monitoring of Chl distribution within thylakoid membrane substructures in cyanobacteria, algae, and higher plant single cells. Here, we describe a simple and effective protocol for correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) based on the autofluorescence of Chl and demonstrate its application to selected photosynthetic model organisms. Our findings illustrate the potential of this technique to identify areas of high Chl concentration and photochemical activity, such as grana regions in vascular plants, by mapping stacked thylakoids.
Topics: Thylakoids; Chlorophyll; Photosynthesis; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
PubMed: 38945684
DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14417 -
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation... Aug 2024Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition associated with a range of persistent symptoms including headaches, cognitive dysfunction, mental fatigue, insomnia,... (Review)
Review
Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Treating Headaches, Cognitive Dysfunction, Mental Fatigue, Insomnia, and Mood Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comprehensive Review.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition associated with a range of persistent symptoms including headaches, cognitive dysfunction, mental fatigue, insomnia, and mood disorders. Conventional treatments for TBI-related symptoms can be insufficient, leading to interest in complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) approaches. This comprehensive article examines the existing literature on CIM modalities, including mind-body interventions, acupuncture/acupressure, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, biofeedback, yoga, and tai chi in the context of managing secondary complications following TBI. The article highlights potential benefits and limitations of CIM modalities, while acknowledging the need for further research to better establish efficacy and safety in this specific population.
Topics: Humans; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Mood Disorders; Complementary Therapies; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Integrative Medicine; Headache; Cognitive Dysfunction; Mental Fatigue
PubMed: 38945657
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmr.2024.02.013 -
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation... Aug 2024Neuropsychological evaluations can be helpful in the aftermath of traumatic brain injury. Cognitive functioning is assessed using standardized assessment tools and by... (Review)
Review
Neuropsychological evaluations can be helpful in the aftermath of traumatic brain injury. Cognitive functioning is assessed using standardized assessment tools and by comparing an individual's scores on testing to normative data. These evaluations examine objective cognitive functioning as well as other factors that have been shown to influence performance on cognitive tests (eg, psychiatric conditions, sleep) in an attempt to answer a specific question from referring providers. Referral questions may focus on the extent of impairment, the trajectory of recovery, or ability to return to work, sport, or the other previous activity.
Topics: Humans; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Neuropsychological Tests; Cognition Disorders
PubMed: 38945653
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmr.2024.02.010 -
Clinics in Liver Disease Aug 2024Interventions for portal hypertension are continuously evolving and expanding beyond the realm of medical management. When complications such as varices and ascites... (Review)
Review
Interventions for portal hypertension are continuously evolving and expanding beyond the realm of medical management. When complications such as varices and ascites persist despite conservative interventions, procedures including transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation, transvenous obliteration, portal vein recanalization, splenic artery embolization, surgical shunt creation, and devascularization are all potential interventions detailed in this article. Selection of the optimal procedure to address the underlying cause, treat symptoms, and, in some cases, bridge to liver transplantation depends on the specific etiology of portal hypertension and the patient's comorbidities.
Topics: Humans; Hypertension, Portal; Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; Embolization, Therapeutic; Portal Vein; Esophageal and Gastric Varices; Splenic Artery; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical; Liver Transplantation
PubMed: 38945636
DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2024.03.003 -
Clinics in Liver Disease Aug 2024Measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) effectively mirrors the severity of portal hypertension (PH) and offers valuable insights into prognosis of liver... (Review)
Review
Measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) effectively mirrors the severity of portal hypertension (PH) and offers valuable insights into prognosis of liver disease, including the risk of decompensation and mortality. Additionally, HVPG offers crucial information about treatment response to nonselective beta-blockers and other medications, with its utility demonstrated in clinical trials in patients with PH. Despite the widespread dissemination and validation of noninvasive tests, HVPG still holds a significant role in hepatology. Physicians treating patients with liver diseases should comprehend the HVPG measurement procedure, its applications, and how to interpret the results and potential pitfalls.
Topics: Humans; Hypertension, Portal; Portal Pressure; Hepatic Veins; Prognosis; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 38945633
DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2024.03.009 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Aug 2024The antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) can be detected in contemporary natural aquatic environments and has been implicated in causing intestinal damage in humans exposed...
The protective effects of Kefir extract (KE) on intestinal damage in larval zebrafish induced by Oxytetracycline: Insights into intestinal function, morphology, and molecular mechanisms.
The antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) can be detected in contemporary natural aquatic environments and has been implicated in causing intestinal damage in humans exposed to OTC-contaminated food or water. The irreversible damage caused by high concentrations of OTC to the intestine suggests that treatment through dietary means could still be necessary. This study proved the effectiveness of kefir extract (KE) in reversing intestinal damage caused by oxytetracycline (OTC) exposure. Following a 24-hour KE treatment subsequent to OTC exposure from 3 to 8 days post-fertilization of zebrafish larvae, molecular-level and microbiomic assessments revealed significant improvements. These included reduced expression of proinflammatory factors (IL-8 and IL-1β), increased antioxidant levels, and reversed unhealthy distribution of intestinal microbiota. Furthermore, KE supplementation showed potential in enhancing intestinal motility in the experiment of Nile red staining and fluorescent microbead transit. However, histological analysis showed that this short-term treatment with KE only partially reversed the intestinal morphological changes induced by OTC, suggesting that a longer treatment period might be necessary for complete restoration.
Topics: Animals; Oxytetracycline; Zebrafish; Kefir; Larva; Intestines; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Gastrointestinal Motility
PubMed: 38945628
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114642 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Aug 2024Although the industrial production of butanol has been carried out for decades by bacteria of the Clostridium species, recent studies have shown the use of the yeast...
Although the industrial production of butanol has been carried out for decades by bacteria of the Clostridium species, recent studies have shown the use of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a promising alternative. While the production of n-butanol by this yeast is still very far from its tolerability (up to 2% butanol), the improvement in the tolerance can lead to an increase in butanol production. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the adaptive capacity of the laboratory strain X2180-1B and the Brazilian ethanol-producing strain CAT-1 when submitted to two strategies of adaptive laboratory Evolution (ALE) in butanol. The strains were submitted, in parallel, to ALE with successive passages or with UV irradiation, using 1% butanol as selection pressure. Despite initially showing greater tolerance to butanol, the CAT-1 strain did not show great improvements after being submitted to ALE. Already the laboratory strain X2180-1B showed an incredible increase in butanol tolerance, starting from a condition of inability to grow in 1% butanol, to the capacity to grow in this same condition. With emphasis on the X2180_n100#28 isolated colony that presented the highest maximum specific growth rate among all isolated colonies, we believe that this colony has good potential to be used as a model yeast for understanding the mechanisms that involve tolerance to alcohols and other inhibitory compounds.
Topics: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Butanols; Fermentation; Ethanol; 1-Butanol; Ultraviolet Rays; Adaptation, Physiological
PubMed: 38945626
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114637 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Aug 2024Iron deficiency is widespread throughout the world, supplementing sufficient iron or improving the bioavailability of iron is the fundamental strategy to solve the...
Iron deficiency is widespread throughout the world, supplementing sufficient iron or improving the bioavailability of iron is the fundamental strategy to solve the problem of iron scarcity. Herein, we explored a new form of iron supplement, iron chelates of silver carp scales (SCSCP-Fe) were prepared from collagen peptide of silver carp scales (SCSCP) and FeCl·4HO, the effects of external environment and simulated gastrointestinal digestive environment on the stability of SCSCP-Fe and the structural changes of peptide iron chelates during digestion were investigated. The results of in vitro iron absorption promotion showed that the iron bioavailability of SCSCP-Fe was higher than that of FeSO. Two potential high iron chelating peptides DTSGGYDEY (DY) and LQGSNEIEIR (LR) were screened and synthesized from the SCSCP sequence by molecular dynamics and LC-MS/MS techniques. The FTIR results displayed that the binding sites of DY and LR for Fe were the carboxyl group, the amino group, and the nitrogen atom on the amide group on the peptide. ITC results indicated that the chelation reactions of DY and LR with Fe were mainly dominated by electrostatic interactions, forming chelates in stoichiometric ratios of 1:2 and 1:1, respectively. Both DY and LR had a certain ability to promote iron absorption. The transport of DY-Fe chelate may be a combination of the three pathways: PepT1 vector pathway, cell bypass, and endocytosis, while LR-Fe chelate was dominated by bivalent metal ion transporters. This study is expected to provide theoretical reference and technical support for the high-value utilization of silver carp scales and the development of novel iron supplements.
Topics: Carps; Animals; Iron Chelating Agents; Collagen; Digestion; Iron; Animal Scales; Biological Availability; Peptides; Intestinal Absorption; Humans; Fish Proteins; Ferrous Compounds; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 38945620
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114612 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Aug 2024Wine is a cultural product capable of arousing emotions. Measuring emotions and figuring out how much they could influence preferences or purchase decisions of consumers...
Wine is a cultural product capable of arousing emotions. Measuring emotions and figuring out how much they could influence preferences or purchase decisions of consumers is a new trend in sensory and consumer research. However, the complexity of feelings makes the measure of emotions extremely challenging. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of emotions related to sensory stimuli in wine tasting is still missing. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the emotional power of tasting red wines using a multidisciplinary approach, combining sensory analysis performed by trained panelists, implicit and explicit measurements of emotions and chemical analysis of the wines tasted. Various red wines, renowned for their high polyphenol content and expected to exhibit rich texture, mouthfeel, and aging potential, have been utilized to this extent. The results obtained showed that the emotions measured were well-correlated with quantitative and hedonic attributes obtained using classic sensory analysis. Some aromatic molecules can be identified as markers capable of eliciting positive and negative emotional reactions. While increasing literature in the topic is recently available, our study appears to be the first highlighting the presence of autonomic nervous system (ANS) differences verified by means of electrocardiogram (ECG) features, related to explicit and complete sensory patterns, in response to sensory stimuli related to emotional wine, with higher sympathetic values at extrema and vagal increase in the presence of neutral sensory compounds.
Topics: Wine; Humans; Emotions; Taste; Male; Female; Adult; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Odorants; Electrocardiography; Polyphenols
PubMed: 38945619
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114611 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Aug 2024In dairy products, the added sodium hyaluronate may form complexes with proteins, thereby affecting product properties. In the present study, the interaction between...
In dairy products, the added sodium hyaluronate may form complexes with proteins, thereby affecting product properties. In the present study, the interaction between whey protein isolate (WPI)/ whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) and sodium hyaluronate (SH) was characterized under thermal treatment at different temperatures (25 ℃, 65 ℃, 90 ℃ and 121 ℃) after studying effects of protein/SH ratio and pH on complex formation. The addition of SH reduced the particle size of WPI/WPH and increased potential value in the system, with greater variation with increasing treatment temperature. The structural properties of complexes were studied. The binding with SH decreased the contents of free amino group and free thiol group, as well as the fluorescence intensity and surface hydrophobicity. FTIR results and browning intensity measurement demonstrated the formation of Maillard reaction products. Moreover, the attachment of SH improved the thermal stability of WPI/WPH and decreased their antigenicity.
Topics: Whey Proteins; Hyaluronic Acid; Protein Hydrolysates; Hot Temperature; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Maillard Reaction; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Particle Size; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Food Handling
PubMed: 38945618
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114608