Genetic and Epigenomic Modifiers of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy (DN), the most common chronic and progressive complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), strongly affects patients’ quality of life. DN could be present as peripheral, autonomous or, clinically also relevant, uremic neuropathy. The etiopathogenesis of DN is multifactorial, and genetic components play a role both in its occurrence and clinical course. A number of gene polymorphisms in candidate genes have been assessed as susceptibility factors for DN, and most of them are linked to mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species production, neurovascular impairments and modified protein glycosylation, as well as immunomodulation and inflammation. Different epigenomic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA action have been studied in DN, which also underline the importance of “metabolic memory” in DN appearance and progression. In this review, we summarize most of the relevant data in the field of genetics and epigenomics of DN, hoping they will become significant for diagnosis, therapy and prevention of DN.     

Simple Sequence Repeat Markers in Genetic Divergence and Marker-Assisted Selection of Rice Cultivars: A Review

Sequencing of rice genome has facilitated the understanding of rice evolution and has been utilized extensively for mining of DNA markers to facilitate marker-assisted breeding. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that are tandemly repeated nucleotide sequence motifs flanked by unique sequences are presently the maker of choice in rice improvement due to their abundance, co-dominant inheritance, high levels of allelic diversity, and simple reproducible assay. The current level of genome coverage by SSR markers in rice is sufficient to employ them for genotype identification and marker-assisted selection in breeding for mapping of genes and quantitative trait loci analysis. This review provides comprehensive information on the mapping and applications of SSR markers in investigation of rice cultivars to study their genetic divergence and marker-assisted selection of important agronomic traits.     

Harmful effects of pyrethroid ester insecticide on the male reproductive system mainly through affecting testicular function and inflammatory markers

Pyrethroid esters are widely used as insecticides worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the harmful effect of deltamethrin on the male reproductive system through the assessment of reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers, and testicular function. To achieve our aim, eighty male 7-9-week-old, Wistar rats were taken, weighed, and divided into four experimental groups. The first group was kept as a control group, and the other three groups were given deltamethrin orally at different concentrations (0.87, 8.7, and 17.4 mg/kg body weight) for nine weeks. The results indicated that deltamethrin administration associated with a significant decrease in reproductive hormones, especially FSH, LH, and significant elevation in the interleukin 2 (IL2), interleukin 6 (IL6), histamine, and cortisol levels. Also, the significance of inhibition of sperm motility and viability, decreased testis weights, sperm count, and fructose in semen were noted. These findings clarify the harmful effect of deltamethrin on the male reproductive system by producing a significant alteration in reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers as well as testicular function.     

纤维素的辐射裂解及其化学性质

纤维素经高能射线辐照,能产生一系列的化学和物理性质的变化。本文报道在不同剂量的~(60)Coγ射线辐照下,稻草中的水溶性糖、易水解糖、难水解糖,以及氨基酸、蛋白质等物质的化学变化;用辐射与加泡涨剂相结合的方法处理稻草,可以降低剂量、提高效应。     

An investigation into the occurrence of sewage fungus in rivers containing papermill effluents—IV. Growth in experimental channels dosed with effluents and pure compounds

Wastewaters from the manufacture of pulp and paper have given rise to problems of excessive microbial growth in rivers over a number of years. This paper is the first in a series of four articles describing research undertaken by PIRA at four U.K. paper/board mills (one integrated with pulp production) over the period 1978–1980. This first paper briefly reviews the published literature on sewage fungus growth from pulp and paper mill discharges up to 1978, but mainly describes previously unpublished work undertaken by PIRA over the period 1965–1975. This introductory paper thus provides a state-of-the-art review of methods to control sewage fungus growth from pulp and paper mill effluents prior to commencement of the research described in the following three articles.     

Effect of precooking time and drying temperature on the physico-chemical characteristics and in-vitro carbohydrate digestibility of taro flour

Achu is a thick porridge obtained by cooking and pounding taro (Colocasia esculenta) corms and cormels in a mortar. This study was undertaken with the objective of producing precooked taro flour that can be used in the preparation of achu. Taro slices were precooked to times of 0, 20, 45 and 90 min and dried in an air convection oven at varying temperatures of 50, 60, 70 or 80 °C before milling into flour which was then analysed for its water absorption capacity (WAC), water solubility index, emulsion activity and stability, bulk density, foam capacity and least gelation concentration (LGC). Achu made from the flours were equally analysed for their relative penetrometric index, bulk density and colour. The results showed that precooking induced significant (P<0.05) decrease in foam capacity, penetrometric index, and increase in LGC, emulsion stability and WAC. The drying temperature also induces significant reduction in emulsion capacity and stability, penetrometric index, and increase in LGC, WAC. Long precooking time (>45 min) and drying temperature (>60 °C) induced significant reduction of the in-vitro carbohydrate digestibility of taro achu.     

The significance of chemical markers in the bioprocessing of fossil fuels

Biochemical conversion of crude oils is a multi-step process proceeding through a series of biochemical reactions. These reactions can be characterized by a set of chemical markers which are associated with the chemical composition of crude oils. Reactions with heavy crude oils indicate that there is an overall decrease in the concentration and chemical speciation of organic sulfur compounds, and a redistribution of hydrocarbons and organometallic species. The contents of trace metals in the crude oils, such as nickel and vanadium, also decrease. Further, heavy ends of crudes, containing the asphaltenes and the polar nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen containing fractions, as well as the organometallic compounds and complexes, are biochemically converted to lower molecular weight chemical species. In the studies reported in this paper, microorganisms used to mediate such reactions were thermophilic ( > 60°C) and pressure tolerant (up to 2500 psi). These organisms are also capable of biochemical conversion of bituminous and lignite coals in an analogous manner to their action on crude oils and follow similar trends characterized by chemical markers. For example, X-ray absorption near-edge structural (XANES) analyses of biotreated crude oils and low grade coals show that biochemical reactions lead to decreases in organic sulfides and thiophenes with a concurrent increase in sulfoxide contents. Chemically related constituents present in heavy crude oil fractions and low grade coals are the asphaltenes. Asphaltenes are complex structures containing heteroatoms and metals involved in inter- and intra-molecular bridges and stereochemical configurations. The chemical markers associated with the biochemical conversion of oils and coals indicate multiple biochemical processes involving chemical reactions at sites containing heteroatoms and metals leading to a breakdown of the structure(s) to smaller molecular weight units. Thus, using chemical markers as diagnostic tools, the extent and the efficiency of fossil fuel bioconversion may be predicted and monitored, allowing for better cost-efficient field trials. Recent results in this area will be presented and discussed in this paper.     

Complement-Opsonized Nano-Carriers Are Bound by Dendritic Cells (DC) via Complement Receptor (CR)3, and by B Cell Subpopulations via CR-1/2, and Affect the Activation of DC and B-1 Cells

The development of nanocarriers (NC) for biomedical applications has gained large interest due to their potential to co-deliver drugs in a cell-type-targeting manner. However, depending on their surface characteristics, NC accumulate serum factors, termed protein corona, which may affect their cellular binding. We have previously shown that NC coated with carbohydrates to enable biocompatibility triggered the lectin-dependent complement pathway, resulting in enhanced binding to B cells via complement receptor (CR)1/2. Here we show that such NC also engaged all types of splenic leukocytes known to express CR3 at a high rate when NC were pre-incubated with native mouse serum resulting in complement opsonization. By focusing on dendritic cells (DC) as an important antigen-presenting cell type, we show that CR3 was essential for binding/uptake of complement-opsonized NC, whereas CR4, which in mouse is specifically expressed by DC, played no role. Further, a minor B cell subpopulation (B-1), which is important for first-line pathogen responses, and co-expressed CR1/2 and CR3, in general, engaged NC to a much higher extent than normal B cells. Here, we identified CR-1/2 as necessary for binding of complement-opsonized NC, whereas CR3 was dispensable. Interestingly, the binding of complement-opsonized NC to both DC and B-1 cells affected the expression of activation markers. Our findings may have important implications for the design of nano-vaccines against infectious diseases, which codeliver pathogen-specific protein antigen and adjuvant, aimed to induce a broad adaptive cellular and humoral immune response by inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill infected cells and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies, respectively. Decoration of nano-vaccines either with carbohydrates to trigger complement activation in vivo or with active complement may result in concomitant targeting of DC and B cells and thereby may strongly enhance the extent of dual cellular/humoral immune responses.     

Effects of Berry Anthocyanins on Cognitive Performance,Vascular Function and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers: A Systematic Review of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Intervention Studies in Humans

Supplementation with anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoids mainly found in various berries, is hypothesized to be a promising approach to lower the risk of developing cognitive decline. The aim of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of dietary intervention trials describing effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance in humans, while also addressing potential underlying mechanisms. A total of 1197 articles were identified through a systematic search, and 49 studies reporting effects on cognitive performance (n = 18), vascular function (n = 22), or cardiometabolic risk markers (n = 32) were included. Significant improvements were observed on memory, while some of the studies also reported effects on attention and psychomotor speed or executive function. Vascular function markers such as brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation were also affected and consistent evidence was provided for the beneficial effects of berry anthocyanins on endothelial function. Finally, studies reported improvements in blood pressure, but effects on metabolic risk markers (e.g. carbohydrate and lipid metabolism) were less consistent. In conclusion, this review provides evidence for the beneficial effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance as memory improved. Whether observed anthocyanin-induced improvements in vascular function and blood pressure underlie beneficial effects on cognitive performance warrants further study.