Coenzyme q metabolism is disturbed in high fat diet-induced non alcoholic Fatty liver disease in rats

Oxidative stress is believed to be a major contributory factor in the development of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common liver disorder worldwide. In this study, the effects of high fat diet-induced NAFLD on Coenzyme Q (CoQ) metabolism and plasma oxidative stress markers in rats were investigated. Rats were fed a standard low fat diet (control) or a high fat diet (57% metabolizable energy as fat) for 18 weeks. The concentrations of total (reduced + oxidized) CoQ9 were increased by >2 fold in the plasma of animals fed the high fat diet, while those of total CoQ10 were unchanged. Reduced CoQ levels were raised, but oxidized CoQ levels were not, thus the proportion in the reduced form was increased by about 75%. A higher percentage of plasma CoQ9 as compared to CoQ10 was in the reduced form in both control and high fat fed rats. Plasma protein thiol (SH) levels were decreased in the high fat-fed rats as compared to the control group, but concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) conjugated dienes were unchanged. These results indicate that high fat diet-induced NAFLD in rats is associated with altered CoQ metabolism and increased protein, but not lipid, oxidative stress.     

Structure-activity relationships and mechanism of action of Eph-ephrin antagonists: interaction of cholanic acid with the EphA2 receptor

The Eph-ephrin system, including the EphA2 receptor and the ephrinA1 ligand, plays a critical role in tumor and vascular functions during carcinogenesis. We previously identified (3α,5β)-3-hydroxycholan-24-oic acid (lithocholic acid) as an Eph-ephrin antagonist that is able to inhibit EphA2 receptor activation; it is therefore potentially useful as a novel EphA2 receptor-targeting agent. Herein we explore the structure-activity relationships of a focused set of lithocholic acid derivatives based on molecular modeling investigations and displacement binding assays. Our exploration shows that while the 3-α-hydroxy group of lithocholic acid has a negligible role in recognition of the EphA2 receptor, its carboxylate group is critical for disrupting the binding of ephrinA1 to EphA2. As a result of our investigation, we identified (5β)-cholan-24-oic acid (cholanic acid) as a novel compound that competitively inhibits the EphA2-ephrinA1 interaction with higher potency than lithocholic acid. Surface plasmon resonance analysis indicates that cholanic acid binds specifically and reversibly to the ligand binding domain of EphA2, with a steady-state dissociation constant (K(D) ) in the low micromolar range. Furthermore, cholanic acid blocks the phosphorylation of EphA2 as well as cell retraction and rounding in PC3 prostate cancer cells, two effects that depend on EphA2 activation by the ephrinA1 ligand. These findings suggest that cholanic acid can be used as a template structure for the design of effective EphA2 antagonists, and may have potential impact in the elucidation of the role played by this receptor in pathological conditions.     

A facile approach toward transition metal oxide hierarchical structures and their lithium storage properties

A simple, non-template, non-surfactant and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method is presented based on the controlled release of the reactants into the reaction solvents to induce slow nucleation and growth of three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructures of transition metal oxides. This method is a general approach, which can be used to prepare Co(3)O(4), CuO, and Ni(OH)(2)/NiO. These metal oxides with hierarchical nanostructures can be used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries with good Li storage performance, e.g. high specific capacities and stable cyclability.     

Tryptase determination in nasal washings in patients with allergic rhinitis]

An 8-year-old Italian boy, born to consanguineous parents, with clinical, histopathologic, and ultrastructural findings of lipoid proteinosis is reported. The main signs of the syndrome-papulonodular, hyperkeratotic and verrucous lesions distributed over the skin of the head and extremities, hoarseness, and dysphagia-were present in the child. The mother had papulonodular lesions on her hands and also complained of slowness in healing.     

Characterization of boron doped diamond during oxidation processes: Relationship between electronic structure and electrochemical activity

This work investigates the behaviour of BDD samples differently aged by an oxidative treatment. Two series of data are presented: the first in acid solutions was used to derive information about the electronic structure of the samples, whereas measurements in equimolar ferro/ferri cyanide solutions were performed to test the activity of the samples towards charge transfer reaction. Flat band potential as well as energy levels of conduction and valence bands were calculated for new and aged samples. These parameters, together with the current voltage response, are crucial information for a comprehensive interpretation of the behaviour of samples.     

Polychloronaphthalenes and other dioxin-like compounds in Arctic and Antarctic marine food webs

Here we report accumulation patterns of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides (HCB, p,p'DDE) in polar organisms (polar bear from Alaskan Arctic and krill, sharp-spined notothen, crocodile icefish, Antarctic silverfish, Adélie penguin, South polar skua, and Weddell seal from the Ross Sea, Antarctica). PCNs, found in most of the samples, ranged from 1.5 pg/g in krill to 2550 pg/g in South polar skua on a wet weight basis. Lower chlorinated PCNs were the predominant congeners in organisms except skua and polar bear that showed similar PCN homologue patterns. PCDD/F concentrations were <90 pg/g wet wt in polar organisms; PCDD congeners showed peculiar accumulation patterns in different organisms. Correlation existed between PCN and PCB concentrations. PCB, HCF, and p,p'DDE levels were the highest in skua liver (11,150 ng/g wet wt, 345 ng/g wet wt, and 300 ng/g wet wt, respectively). Contribution of PCNs to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQ) was negligible (<0.1%) because of the lack of most toxic congeners. The highest TEQ was found in South polar skua liver (45 pg/g, wet weight). This is the first study to document the occurrence of PCNs in Antarctic organisms. High levels of dioxin-like chemicals in skua suggest the importance of intake via diet and migration habits, thus POP detection can be useful to trace migration behavior. Moreover, POP concentrations in penguin and skua eggs prove their transfer from the mother to eggs.     

Energy-use efficiency and economic analysis of vegetable cropping sequences under greenhouse condition

Under off-seasonality, high-value vegetable cultivation in the greenhouse is more profitable and gaining more acceptances day by day. This study aims to analyze the energy requirement and energy input–output relationship with the economics of vegetable-based cropping sequences viz., tomato nursery–tomato–pepper–onion nursery (CS1), tomato nursery–pepper–soil treatment–cucumber (CS2), tomato nursery–tomato–soil treatment–cucumber (CS3), tomato nursery–cucumber–soil treatment–pepper (CS4), and tomato nursery–tomato–soil treatment–pepper (CS5) in greenhouse conditions of Indian sub-Himalayas. The five sequential treatments were statistically analyzed in randomized block design with four replications. Results reveal that cucumber production required highest input energy (1,059.9 MJ/100 m²) than tomato or pepper. The highest input (3,477.4 MJ/100 m²) and output (4,787.5 MJ/100 m²) energy was observed with CS3. Crop protection (28.9–55.7 %), manures and chemical fertilizers (17.5–33.1 %), and plant stacking, training and pruning (16.3–21.9 %) consumed the bulk of the energy for all cropping sequences. The CS3 with the highest tomato equivalent yield produced the highest net energy (1,310.1 MJ/100 m²), energy productivity (0.63 MJ/100 m²), energy intensiveness (0.297 MJ/100 m²), and benefit/cost ratio (1.82). Energy consumption in the form of indirect (70.6–80.2 %) and non-renewable (83.9–85.7 %) energy was higher than direct and renewable energy, respectively. Considering these, CS3 (tomato nursery–tomato–soil treatment–cucumber) cropping sequence will be a more suitable option for greenhouse cultivation.     

Electrodeposition of Zirconium from 1-Butyl-1-Methylpyrrolidinium-Bis(Trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide: Electrochemical Behavior and Reduction Pathway

A study on the electrochemical deposition of Zr on platinum, gold, and boron doped diamond (BDD) from 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium-bis(trifuoromethylsulphonyl) imide is presented in this work. The electrochemical behavior of zirconium ions was investigated by cyclic voltammetries and chronopotentiometries, allowing establishing the mechanism of deposition. Deposition tests were carried out at different potentials and the related samples were analyzed by SEM and EDX. Structural and chemical analyses indicate that the obtained deposits are constituted by metallic zirconium. According to the electrochemistry of zirconium and based on the experimental results, the mechanism is Zr(IV) ? Zr(II) ? Zr.     

Effect of liquid sourdough technology on the pre-biotic,texture, and sensory properties of a crispy flatbread

Food Science and Biotechnology - The present study compared liquid sourdough technology with baker’s yeast leavening when applied to the production of a semolina-based crispy flatbread....     

Interferometric analysis of reorientational nonlinear phenomena at 10.6 microm in a nematic liquid crystal

We describe an infrared interferometric technique based on a two-dimensional spatial fringe analysis Fourier method for investigating the characteristic ring diffraction pattern generated by the self-phase-modulation effect induced in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) by an infrared laser beam and for measuring the nonlinear refractive index of the NLCs. The experimental setup employs a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a cw CO2 laser emitting at 10.6 microm and a pyroelectric optoelectronic sensor matrix to detect the modulated ring-pattern intensity distribution formed in the far field by a nematic E7 sample. A Fourier-transform-based analysis of the interference fringe pattern allows comparison of the measurements with the theoretical ring-pattern intensity distribution. We show that accurate determination of the nonlinear refractive index can be obtained by analyzing the two-dimensional phase distribution of the modulated ring pattern.