老邻新居

坐落于布达佩斯市中心的纽约宫无疑是这个城市最著名的建筑之一。这次的工程主要是扩建这个古老建筑,在这座4层老建筑旁边“逐层”平铺,新建一个7层高的五星酒店,一个独一无二的与古城堡相连的五星酒店。整个设计的重点是会议区域,这是一个总占地面积超过1900m2的大型会议区,具     

Suitability of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus plantarum as Probiotics Intended for Fruit Juices Containing Citrus Extracts

A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum and 4 strains of bifidobacteria were inoculated in apple juice and in a commercial beverage labeled as “red‐fruit juice,” containing citrus extracts as natural preservatives; the suitability of the probiotics was evaluated in relation to their resistance to 2 kinds of citrus extracts (biocitro and lemon extract), survival in juices at 4 and 37 °C, and inhibition of Zygosaccharomyces bailii. Cell count of L. plantarum and bifidobacteria over time was fitted through the Weibull equation, for the evaluation of the first reduction time (δ), death time, and microbiological shelf life (the break‐point was set to 7 log cfu/mL). Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis experienced the highest δ‐value (23.21 d) and death time (96.59 d) in the red‐fruit juice at 4 °C, whereas L. plantarum was the most promising strain in apple juice at 37 °C. Biocitro and lemon extract did not exert a biocidal effect toward probiotics; moreover, the probiotics controlled the growth of Z. bailii and the combination of L. plantarum with 40 ppm of biocitro reduced the level of the yeast after 18 d by 2 log cfu/mL.     

A Liquid Biopsy in Bladder Cancer—The Current Landscape in Urinary Biomarkers

The non-muscle invasive bladder cancer tends to recur and progress. Therefore, it requires frequent follow-ups, generating costs and making it one of the most expensive neoplasms. Considering the expensive and invasive character of the current gold-standard diagnostic procedure, white-light cystoscopy, efforts to find an alternative method are ongoing. Although the last decade has seen significant advancements in urinary biomarker tests (UBTs) for bladder cancer, international guidelines have not recommended them. Currently, the paramount urgency is to find and validate the test with the best specificity and sensitivity, which would allow for the optimizing of diagnosis, prognosis, and a treatment plan. This review aims to summarise the up-to-date state of knowledge relating to UBTs and new developments in the detection, prognosis, and surveillance of bladder cancer and their potential applications in clinical practice.     

Occurrence and risk assessment of population exposed to deoxynivalenol in foods derived from wheat flour in Brazil

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most important of the trichothecenes in terms of amounts and occurrence in wheat. This compound was shown to be associated with a glomerulonephropathy involving an increase of immunoglobulin A in humans. This study assessed the occurrence of DON in wheat flour and the exposure of Brazilian teenagers, adults and elderly to this mycotoxin due to intake of wheat flour-based products. DON extraction in wheat flour was carried out by solid phase extraction and the quantification was performed by ultra-high proficiency liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. A total of 77.9% of all samples were positive for DON, with concentrations ranging from 73.50 to 2794.63 µg kg^?1. The intake was calculated for the average and 90th percentile of the contamination levels of DON in foods based-wheat for teenagers, adults and elderly in Brazil, and compared with the provisional maximum tolerable daily intakes (PMTDI). Females of all age groups were exposed to DON at higher levels when compared to males in regard of consumption of breads and pastas. Teenagers were the main consumers of foods derived from wheat flour, with maximum probable daily intakes of 1.28 and 1.20 µg kg^?1 b.w. day^?1 for females and males, respectively. This population is at an increased risk of exposure to DON due to consumption of wheat flour-based foods in Brazil.     

Bromodomain Inhibitor JQ1 Provides Novel Insights and Perspectives in Rhabdomyosarcoma Treatment

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. It is classified into two main subtypes: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar (aRMS). MYC family proteins are frequently highly expressed in RMS tumors, with the highest levels correlated with poor prognosis. A pharmacological approach to inhibit MYC in cancer cells is represented by Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif (BET) protein inhibitors. In this paper, we evaluated the effects of BET inhibitor (+)-JQ1 (JQ1) on the viability of aRMS and eRMS cells. Interestingly, we found that the drug sensitivity of RMS cell lines to JQ1 was directly proportional to the expression of MYC. JQ1 induces G1 arrest in cells with the highest steady-state levels of MYC, whereas apoptosis is associated with MYC downregulation. These findings suggest BET inhibition as an effective strategy for the treatment of RMS alone or in combination with other drugs.     

In Vivo Analysis of the Regeneration Capacity and Immune Response to Xenogeneic and Synthetic Bone Substitute Materials

Although various studies have investigated differences in the tissue reaction pattern to synthetic and xenogeneic bone substitute materials (BSMs), a lack of knowledge exists regarding the classification of both materials based on the DIN ISO 10993-6 scoring system, as well as the histomorphometrical measurement of macrophage subtypes within their implantation beds. Thus, the present study was conducted to analyze in vivo responses to both xenogeneic and synthetic bone substitute granules. A standardized calvaria implantation model in Wistar rats, in combination with established scoring, histological, histopathological, and histomorphometrical methods, was conducted to analyze the influence of both biomaterials on bone regeneration and the immune response. The results showed that the application of the synthetic BSM maxresorb^® induced a higher pro-inflammatory tissue response, while the xenogeneic BSM cerabone^® induced a higher anti-inflammatory reaction. Additionally, comparable bone regeneration amounts were found in both study groups. Histopathological scoring revealed that the synthetic BSM exhibited non-irritant scores at all timepoints using the xenogeneic BSM as control. Overall, the results demonstrated the biocompatibility of synthetic BSM maxresorb^® and support the conclusion that this material class is a suitable alternative to natural BSM, such as the analyzed xenogeneic material cerabone^®, for a broad range of indications.     

Molecular Insights in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Systematic Review

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most common benign tumors of female genital diseases, unlike uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare and aggressive uterine cancer. This narrative review aims to discuss the biology and diagnosis of LMS and, at the same time, their differential diagnosis, in order to distinguish the biological and molecular origins. The authors performed a Medline and PubMed search for the years 1990–2022 using a combination of keywords on the topics to highlight the many genes and proteins involved in the pathogenesis of LMS. The mutation of these genes, in addition to the altered expression and functions of their enzymes, are potentially biomarkers of uterine LMS. Thus, the use of this molecular and protein information could favor differential diagnosis and personalized therapy based on the molecular characteristics of LMS tissue, leading to timely diagnoses and potential better outcomes for patients.     

Functional Beverages: The Emerging Side of Functional Foods

In recent times, there has been growing recognition of the key role of foods and beverages in disease prevention and treatment. Thus, the production and consumption of functional foods has gained much importance as they provide a health benefit beyond the basic nutritional functions. At present, beverages are by far the most active functional food category because of convenience and possibility to meet consumer demands for container contents, size, shape, and appearance, as well as ease of distribution and storage for refrigerated and shelf‐stable products. Moreover, they are an excellent delivering means for nutrients and bioactive compounds including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, ω‐3 fatty acids, plant extracts, and fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics. However, in most cases, specific concerns have been raised over their safety. This review reports on the scientific advances in the emerging area of functional beverages with a focus on commercially available products, as well as on the potential health benefits related to their consumption.     

Biomass ash-based mineral admixture prepared from municipal sewage sludge and its application in cement composites

Biomass as the biodegradable fraction of both agricultural products and industrial and municipal waste is currently a versatile energy resource. It can be stored and converted in practically any form of energy carrier and also into biochemicals and biomaterials from which, once they have been used, the energy content can be recovered to generate electricity, heat, or transport fuels. Moreover, the residues of its incineration can often be reused as pozzolanic additions to cement which can be considered as an environmentally friendly way of their disposal. In this paper, municipal sewage sludge with the organic carbon content of 27% was used for the preparation of biomass ash that should potentially find use as environmentally friendly mineral admixture to construction binders. Based on physical and chemical characterization of the raw material that showed a suitable chemical and phase composition, organic matter in a significant amount, and no thermal decomposition processes above 700 °C, biomass ash was produced. The biomass ash was obtained by incineration of sewage sludge at 700 °C, and mechanical activation contained 52% of amorphous phase which correlates with its good pozzolanic activity. The concentration of heavy metals, soluble chlorides, nitrates, and sulfates in biomass ash is found well below the standard permissible values. The composites prepared with a biomass ash dosage of 10, 20, and 30 wt% of Portland cement exhibited good functional properties. The increase in porosity up to 6% and decrease in compressive strength up to 3% were satisfactory. The results of leaching tests showed that composites with biomass ash contain only trace amounts of chlorides, nitrates, and sulfates. Apparently, the chlorides contained in biomass ash (0.7 mg/g) were immobilized in the cement matrix because the amounts of leached chlorides (0.04 wt%) were the same for all composites and well below the permissible limit for concrete. As revealed by the X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses, a significant decrease in portlandite content with increasing biomass ash content confirmed the pozzolanic reaction in biomass ash containing composite mixes. The environmental assessment showed a significant decrease in both carbon dioxide production and energy consumption with the increasing biomass ash content. For the composite with 30% biomass ash dosage, it was 21% of CO₂ and 11% of energy, as compared with the reference mix. The combination of good functional and environmental parameters of the analyzed composites makes good prerequisites for their application in construction industry. Taylor-made mineral admixture on biomass ash basis can find a broad use as eco-efficient admixture to cement- and lime-based binders.