EPA or DHA Supplementation Increases Triacylglycerol,but not Phospholipid,Levels in Isolated Rat Cardiomyocytes

It is well recognized that a high dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has profound benefits on health and prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, in recent years there has been a dramatic surge of interest in the health effects of n-3 LC-PUFA derived from fish, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Notwithstanding, the metabolic fate and the effects of these fatty acids once inside the cell has seldom been comprehensively investigated. Using cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes as model system we have investigated for the first time, by means of high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy in combination with gas chromatography (GC), the modification occurring in the cell lipid environment after EPA and DHA supplementation. The most important difference between control and n-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented cardiomyocytes highlighted by HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy is the increase of signals from mobile lipids, identified as triacylglycerols (TAG). The observed increase of mobile TAG is a metabolic response to n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation, which leads to an increased lipid storage. The sequestration of mobile lipids in lipid bodies provides a deposit of stored energy that can be accessed in a regulated fashion according to metabolic need. Interestingly, while n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation to neonatal rat cardiomyocytes causes a huge variation in the cell lipid environment, it does not induce detectable modifications in water-soluble metabolites, suggesting negligible interference with normal metabolic processes.     

Effects of different surface treatments of zirconia on the bond strength of self-adhesive resinous cement

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different zirconia surface treatments on the bond strength of two self-adhesive resinous cements (SARC).

Methods: Two hundred and eight cylindrical specimens were obtained from Y-TZP zirconia (half with diameter 3.2 mm and half with 4.8 mm). After sintering and polishing, specimens were divided into four groups (n = 26), according to surface treatment: Control (no treatment); Sandblasting (Al₂O₃ particles); Rocatec (Al₂O₃ particles, tribochemical silica coating and silane application); Laser (Nd: YAG laser: 20 Hz, 100 mJ, 0.2 J/cm²). The surface roughness (Ra) was evaluated after the surface treatments, and the groups were divided into two subgroups (n = 13), according to the SARC tested: RelyX U200 and Bifix SE. The 2.2-mm cylinders were bonded to 4.8-mm cylinders and stressed until failure under shear using a universal testing machine. Bond strength and Ra were analyzed using ANOVA, and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05).

Results: Surface treatment was significant (p < 0.0001), but cement type (p = 0.73) was not. Related to roughness, significant differences were found for the treatment type (p < 0.0001), with laser being the treatment with higher Ra values.

Conclusions: Nd:YAG laser produced a rougher surface and a higher bond strength compared with sandblasting, silicatization, and control groups.     

Modulatory effects of yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) on the PI3K‐AKT signaling pathway

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of yerba maté (YM) extract on the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐AKT signaling pathway in vivo. The mice were introduced to either standard‐ or high‐fat diet (HFD). After 8 weeks on an HFD, mice were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions, water or yerba maté extract at 1.0 g/kg. After treatment, glucose blood level and hepatic insulin response were evaluated. Liver tissue was examined to determine the mRNA levels using the PI3K‐AKT PCR array. The nuclear translocation of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) was determined by an electrophoretic mobility‐shift assay. Our data demonstrated that yerba maté extract significantly decreased the final body weight, glucose blood levels, and insulin resistance of mice. Molecular analysis demonstrated that an HFD downregulated Akt2, Irs1, Irs2, Pi3kca, Pi3kcg, and Pdk1; after yerba maté treatment, the levels of those genes returned to baseline. In addition, an HFD upregulated Pepck and G6pc and increased FOXO1 nuclear translocation. The intervention downregulated these genes by decreasing FOXO1 nuclear translocation. The results obtained demonstrate for the first time the specific action of yerba maté on the PI3K‐AKT pathway, which contributed to the observed improvement in hepatic insulin signaling.     

Regional Water Balance and Economic Assessment as Tools for Water Management in Coastal Lebanon

The Lebanese coast is highly subject to seawater intrusion and groundwater deterioration. The study is carried out in Byblos district (Jbeil Caza) 35 km north of Beirut. It aims to investigate the seawater intrusion, to determine the regional water balance of the region and finally to estimate the economic value of that water for agricultural use. The monitoring of the aquifer was achieved through samples from different wells chosen randomly. As for the regional water balance, it was determined with use of a GIS model. The economic evaluation was carried out, using the contingent valuation method to estimate the willingness to pay of farmers to contribute to the improvement of groundwater quality; two alternative scenarios were proposed and compared with the current situation. The annual regional water balance is positive, which means that the region is rich in water. The monitoring results show that the coastal part of the region is slightly contaminated by seawater intrusion due to the excess of pumping from the aquifer. The economic evaluation estimated that farmers would contribute by 102 US$ yr^− 1 for the first proposal and 166.67 US$ yr^− 1 for the second.     

CFRP-Based Strengthening Technique to Increase the Flexural and Energy Dissipation Capacities of RC Columns

A strengthening technique, combining carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates and strips of wet layup CFRP sheet, is used to increase both the flexural and the energy dissipation capacities of reinforced concrete (RC) columns of square cross section of low to moderate concrete strength class, subjected to constant axial compressive load and increasing lateral cyclic loading. The laminates were applied according to the near surface mounted technique to increase the flexural resistance of the columns, while the strips of CFRP sheet were installed according to the externally bonded reinforcement technique to enhance the concrete confinement, particularly in the plastic hinge zone where they also offer resistance to the buckling and debonding of the laminates and longitudinal steel bars. The performance of this strengthening technique is assessed in undamaged RC columns and in columns that were subjected to intense damage. The influence of the concrete strength and percentage of longitudinal steel bars on the strengthening effectiveness is assessed. In the groups of RC columns of 8 MPa concrete compressive strength, this technique provided an increase of about 67% and 46% in terms of column’s load carrying capacity, when applied to undamaged and damaged columns, respectively. In terms of energy dissipation capacity, the increase ranged from 40%–87% in the undamaged columns, while a significant increase of about 39% was only observed in one of the damaged columns. In the column of moderate concrete compressive strength (29 MPa), the technique was even much more effective, since, when compared to the maximum load and energy dissipation capacity of the corresponding strengthened column of 8 MPa of average compressive strength, it provided an increase of 39% and 109%, respectively, showing its appropriateness for RC columns of buildings requiring upgrading against seismic events.     

Attention remediation following traumatic brain injury in childhood and adolescence.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently affects both the basic and the superordinate components of attention; deficits vary according to patient age. This study evaluated the efficacy of a specific remediation intervention for attention. Sixty-five TBI patients (aged 6?18 years) with attention deficit were assessed at baseline and at 1-year follow-up: 40 patients received attention-specific neuropsychological training for 6 months, and the control group comprised 25 patients. Cognitive assessment included a Wechsler Intelligence Scale (e.g., A. Orsini, 1993) and the Continuous Performance Test II (CPT II; C. K. Conners, 2000). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS; S. Sparrow, D. Balla & D. V. Cicchetti, 1984) was administered to assess the treatment's ecological validity. At baseline, all patients presented with a mild intellectual disability and pathological scores on the CPT II. At follow-up, significant differences were found between the 2 groups on the CPT II and VABS: The clinical group improved more than the control group. Specific remediation training for attention, including a combination of a process-specific approach and metacognitive strategies, significantly improved attention performance. Improvement in attention skills also affected adaptive skills positively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Engineered Sleeping Beauty Transposon as Efficient System to Optimize Chimp Adenoviral Production

Sleeping Beauty (SB) is the first DNA transposon employed for efficient transposition in vertebrate cells, opening new applications for genetic engineering and gene therapies. A transposon-based gene delivery system holds the favourable features of non-viral vectors and an attractive safety profile. Here, we employed SB to engineer HEK293 cells for optimizing the production of a chimpanzee Adenovector (chAd) belonging to the Human Mastadenovirus C species. To date, chAd vectors are employed in several clinical settings for infectious diseases, last but not least COVID-19. A robust, efficient and quick viral vector production could advance the clinical application of chAd vectors. To this aim, we firstly swapped the hAd5 E1 with chAd-C E1 gene by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We demonstrated that in the absence of human Ad5 E1, chimp Ad-C E1 gene did not support HEK293 survival. To improve chAd-C vector production, we engineered HEK293 cells to stably express the chAd-C precursor terminal protein (ch.pTP), which plays a crucial role in chimpanzee Adenoviral DNA replication. The results indicate that exogenous ch.pTP expression significantly ameliorate the packaging and amplification of recombinant chAd-C vectors thus, the engineered HEK293ch.pTP cells could represent a superior packaging cell line for the production of these vectors.     

Involvement of Clostridium gasigenes and C. algidicarnis in 'blown pack' spoilage of Brazilian vacuum-packed beef

The objectives of this study were to isolate psychrotrophic clostridia from Brazilian vacuum-packed beef cuts (spoiled or not) and to identify the isolates by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Anaerobic psychrotrophic microorganisms were also enumerated and samples were collected to verify the incidence of psychrotrophic clostridia in the abattoir environment. Vacuum-packed beef cuts (n = 8 grossly distended and n = 5 non-spoiled) and environmental samples were obtained from a beef packing plant located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Each sample was divided in three subsamples (exudate, beef surface and beef core) that were analyzed for vegetative forms, total spore-forming, and sulfide reducing spore-forming, both activated by alcohol and heat. Biochemical profiles of the isolates were obtained using API20A, with further identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The growth temperature and the pH range were also assessed. Populations of psychrotrophic anaerobic vegetative microorganisms of up to 10¹⁰ CFU/(g, mL or 100 cm²) were found in ‘blown pack’ samples, while in non-spoiled samples populations of 10⁵ CFU/(g, CFU/mL or CFU/100cm²) was found. Overall, a higher population of total spores and sulfide reducing spores activated by heat in spoiled samples was found. Clostridium gasigenes (n = 10) and C. algidicarnis (n = 2) were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among the ten C. gasigenes isolates, six were from spoiled samples (C1, C2 and C9), two were isolated from non-spoiled samples (C4 and C5) and two were isolated from the hide and the abattoir corridor/beef cut conveyor belt. C. algidicarnis was recovered from spoiled beef packs (C2). Although some samples (C3, C7, C10 and C14) presented signs of ‘blown pack’ spoilage, Clostridium was not recovered. C. algidicarnis (n = 1) and C. gasigenes (n = 9) isolates have shown a psychrotrophic behavior, grew in the range 6.2-8.2. This is the first report on the isolation of psychrotrophic Clostridium (C. gasigenes and C. algidicarnis) in Brazil. This study shows that psychrotrophic Clostridium may pose a risk for the stability of vacuum-packed beef produced in tropical countries during shelf-life and highlights the need of adopting control measures to reduce their incidence in abattoir and the occurrence of ‘blown pack’ spoilage.     

NSCLC as the Paradigm of Precision Medicine at Its Finest: The Rise of New Druggable Molecular Targets for Advanced Disease

Standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) historically consisted of systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy until the early 2000s, when precision medicine led to a revolutionary change in the therapeutic scenario. The identification of oncogenic driver mutations in EGFR, ALK and ROS1 rearrangements identified a subset of patients who largely benefit from targeted agents. However, since the proportion of patients with druggable alterations represents a minority, the discovery of new potential driver mutations is still an urgent clinical need. We provide a comprehensive review of the emerging molecular targets in NSCLC and their applications in the advanced setting.