Measuring automatic retrieval.

A variety of procedures have been used to assess automatic retrieval effects on memory, including implicit memory tests and the process dissociation approach. Theoretical concerns with each are summarized prior to describing a procedure for evaluating automatic retrieval that is based on retrieval speed. Specifically, in a speeded implicit task, participants were encouraged to complete word stems using strictly automatic retrieval by presenting several practice test trials that did not allow responding based on previously studied items, and by encouraging speed of responding. This speeded implicit task was compared with a condition in which conscious retrieval of studied information was not possible and a condition in which conscious retrieval was required, providing converging evidence to support the hypothesis that the speeded implicit procedure can yield pure estimates of automatic retrieval. Furthermore, evidence from a standard implicit memory task yielded comparable data that suggests that participants engaged automatic retrieval processes on this task also. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heparin and Derivatives for Advanced Cell Therapies

Heparin and its derivatives are saving thousands of human lives annually, by successfully preventing and treating thromboembolic events. Although the mode of action during anticoagulation is well studied, their influence on cell behavior is not fully understood as is the risk of bleeding and other side effects. New applications in regenerative medicine have evolved supporting production of cell-based therapeutics or as a substrate for creating functionalized matrices in biotechnology. The currently resurgent interest in heparins is related to the expected combined anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and anti-viral action against COVID-19. Based on a concise summary of key biochemical and clinical data, this review summarizes the impact for manufacturing and application of cell therapeutics and highlights the need for discriminating the different heparins.     

Relationship between thermomechanical properties and baking expansion of sour cassava starch (Polvilho azedo)

The factors involved in the baking expansion of native and sour cassava starch doughs were compared with those of native corn starch. Unlike corn starch dough, native and sour cassava starch doughs showed expansion properties during baking. The storage modulus E ′ decreased for cassava starch doughs before baking expansion, but remained unchanged for corn starch dough. Expansion during the baking of sour cassava starch was attributed to water vaporisation and the fluidity of starch paste. The fact that temperature and weight loss variations at adequate water contents were significantly greater for cassava than corn starch dough is indicative of the important role played by starch melting in expansion. Expansion ability could be correlated with changes in dough–crumb thermomechanical properties when close to the starch melting temperature. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Genome engineering allows selective conversions of terephthalaldehyde to multiple valorized products in bacterial cells

Deconstruction of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste generates opportunities for valorization to alternative products. We recently designed an enzymatic cascade that could produce terephthalaldehyde (TPAL) from terephthalic acid. Here, we showed that the addition of TPAL to growing cultures of Escherichia coli wild-type strain MG1655 and an engineered strain for reduced aromatic aldehyde reduction (RARE) strain resulted in substantial reduction. We then investigated if we could mitigate this reduction using multiplex automatable genome engineering (MAGE) to create an E. coli strain with 10 additional knockouts in RARE. Encouragingly, we found this newly engineered strain enabled a 2.5-fold higher retention of TPAL over RARE after 24 h. We applied this new strain for the production of para-xylylenediamine (pXYL) and observed a 6.8-fold increase in pXYL titer compared with RARE. Overall, our study demonstrates the potential of TPAL as a versatile intermediate in microbial biosynthesis of chemicals that derived from waste PET.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Functionalized Aryl and Biaryl Isothiocyanates against Human MCF-7 Cells

Organic isothiocyanates (ITCs) are a class of anticancer agents which naturally result from the enzymatic degradation of glucosinolates produced by Brassica vegetables. Previous studies have demonstrated that the structure of an ITC impacts its potency and mode(s) of anticancer properties, opening the way to preparation and evaluation of synthetic, non-natural ITC analogues. This study describes the preparation of a library of 79 non-natural ITC analogues intended to probe further structure-activity relationships for aryl ITCs and second-generation, functionalized biaryl ITC variants. ITC candidates were subjected to bifurcated evaluation of antiproliferative and antioxidant response element (ARE)-induction capacity against human MCF-7 cells. The results of this study led to the identification of (1) several key structure-activity relationships and (2) lead ITCs demonstrating potent antiproliferative properties.     

Structural Changes of Cassava Starch Granules after Heating at Intermediate Water Contents

DSC thermograms of cassava starch granules heated at two intermediate moisture contents of 35 and 45% of the total weight (w.t.) reveal the existence of two endothermic steps in their progressive disorganization. Structural changes have been studied by combining polarized light microscopy and electron microscopy (scanning and transmission electron microscopy). An instability of starch granule behaviour, both at granular and crystalline levels is observed at each treatment temperature. As temperature and moisture content increase, the loss of birefringence was observed in an increasing number of granules, suggesting that there is a competition of granules for water. The loss of birefringence initiates first at the hilum and is associated with the formation of cavities in the central region of the granules, showing that the disorganization first affects the less organized areas of the granule. In limited water content conditions, the radial extension of the central cavity towards the granule surface is not observed. The limited crystalline disorganization which is restricted to the inner part of the granule does not allow either a major swelling of granules or an extensive leaching of macromolecules out of granules. Increasing temperatures progressively induced the loss of granular integrity and the development of an homogeneous matrix. These structural changes are in agreement with the cooperative disorganization model of starch crystallites following which the crystalline disorganization is facilitated by the presence of water or by the plasticization of the amorphous regions connected to these crystallites.     

Chemical Probes for Profiling of MALT1 Protease Activity

The paracaspase MALT1 is a key regulator of the human immune response. It is implicated in a variety of human diseases. For example, deregulated protease activity drives the survival of malignant lymphomas and is involved in the pathophysiology of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. Thus, MALT1 has attracted attention as promising drug target. Although many MALT1 inhibitors have been identified, molecular tools to study MALT1 activity, target engagement and inhibition in complex biological samples, such as living cells and patient material, are still scarce. Such tools are valuable to validate MALT1 as a drug target in vivo and to assess yet unknown biological roles of MALT1. In this review, we discuss the recent literature on the development and biological application of molecular tools to study MALT1 activity and inhibition.     

Engineered Lipid Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis by Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in the Lungs

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and irreversible lung disease with limited therapeutic regimens. Advances in elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism and discovering novel therapeutic interventions are still in urgent need. Here, the engineered lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are developed for delivering RNA therapeutics to the lungs. Three different types of LNPs (native, cationic, and ligand incorporated) are optimized to facilitate the pulmonary delivery of RNAs. Among them, the mannose incorporated LNPs (Mannose LNPs) outperform the others and show efficient delivery of siRNAs down-regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated protein, G2 and S phase-expressed protein 1 (GTSE1). Treatment with the mannose LNPs confirms a significant decrease in collagen accumulation and EMT-related proteins in the fibrosis animal models and provides functional recovery from pulmonary fibrosis. This approach demonstrates that engineered LNPs can facilitate the delivery of RNA therapeutics to the lungs and potentially open a new regimen of treatment for pulmonary fibrosis.