A Food-Grade Method for Enhancing the Levels of Low Molecular Weight Proanthocyanidins with Potentially High Intestinal Bioavailability

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are a group of bioactive molecules found in a variety of plants and foods. Their bioavailability depends on their molecular size, with monomers and dimers being more bioavailable than those that have a higher polymerization degree. This study aimed to develop a method to convert high-molecular-weight PACs to low-molecular-weight ones in a grape seed extract (GSE) from Vitis vinifera L. Therefore, GSE was subjected to alkaline treatment (ATGSE), and its difference in chemical composition, compared to GSE, was evaluated using a molecular networking (MN) approach based on results obtained from HPLC-ESI HRMS/MS characterization analysis. The network analysis mainly noted the PAC cluster with about 142 PAC compounds identified. In particular, the obtained results showed a higher content of monomeric and dimeric PACs in ATGSE compared to GSE, with 58% and 49% monomers and 31% and 24% dimers, respectively. Conversely, trimeric (9%), polymeric (4%), and galloylated PACs (14%) were more abundant in GSE than in ATGSE (6%, 1%, and 4%, respectively). Moreover, in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were investigated, showing the high beneficial potential of both extracts. In conclusion, ATGSE could represent an innovative natural matrix rich in bioavailable and bioaccessible PACs for nutraceutical applications with potential beneficial properties.     

Control of the Autophagy Pathway in Osteoarthritis: Key Regulators,Therapeutic Targets and Therapeutic Strategies

Autophagy is involved in different degenerative diseases and it may control epigenetic modifications, metabolic processes, stem cells differentiation as well as apoptosis. Autophagy plays a key role in maintaining the homeostasis of cartilage, the tissue produced by chondrocytes; its impairment has been associated to cartilage dysfunctions such as osteoarthritis (OA). Due to their location in a reduced oxygen context, both differentiating and mature chondrocytes are at risk of premature apoptosis, which can be prevented by autophagy. AutophagomiRNAs, which regulate the autophagic process, have been found differentially expressed in OA. AutophagomiRNAs, as well as other regulatory molecules, may also be useful as therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe and discuss the role of autophagy in OA, focusing mainly on the control of autophagomiRNAs in OA pathogenesis and their potential therapeutic applications.     

Various ways of calculating echocardiographic left ventricular mass and their relative prognostic values

OBJECTIVE: To compare the calculations of left ventricular mass according to thick-wall [American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and Penn convention] and thin-wall (Wikstrand formula) models. METHODS: We have reexamined the data from the cross-sectional study on the general population sample of Vobarno and from a prospective longitudinal study of hypertensive patients assessing the prognostic significance of changes in left ventricular mass during a follow-up period of 10 years on average (Brescia population). RESULTS: For the Vobarno and Brescia populations, we found a close relationship between values of left ventricular mass calculated by using a thin-wall ellipsoidal model (Wikstrand formula) and those calculated using a thick-wall model with Penn convention or ASE left ventricle measurements (r = 0.99, for both the Vobarno and Brescia populations). Highest values of Penn left ventricle mass were slightly underestimated by use of the thin-wall formula. The numbers of nonfatal cardiovascular events and the relative risks, evaluated by Cox proportional hazard models for 151 patients seen at follow-up did not differ for patients with persistence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), those with regression of LVH, and those with normal left ventricle mass, both at baseline and at follow-up, when these different ways of measuring left ventricle mass and partition values for LVH were used. CONCLUSIONS: The calculation of left ventricle mass according to the ASE recommendations or to the Penn convention, both of which are based on the assumption that the left ventricle can be represented by a prolate ellipsoid with both the internal and external long axes twice the short axis, produces results similar to those obtained using an alternate formula for the calculation of left ventricle mass, considering wall thickness constant around the ellipsoidal cavity. The cardiovascular risk stratification, in relation both to baseline left ventricular mass and to its change during long-term antihypertensive treatment, does not differ significantly among the results of these three different calculations.     

Parental education related to adolescent stress-coping and substance use: Development of a mediational model.

This research tested the relation of socioeconomic status (SES), indexed by parental education, to stress-coping variables and substance use in a sample of 1,391 adolescents. Lower education was related to higher level of adolescent substance use, lower levels of protective factors, and higher levels of risk factors. Mediation analyses indicated that the effect of education on adolescent substance use was mediated through relationships to parental support, academic competence, behavioral competence, negative life events, and friends' substance use. Moderation analyses indicated that adolescents from lower education families were more vulnerable to risk factors but also derived more benefit from protective factors. Multiple-group analysis indicated that moderation was attributable to larger paths in the lower education group for negative events and friends' use. Implications for the relation between SES and health risk are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visualizing the Uncertainty of Graph‐based 2D Segmentation with Min‐path Stability

This paper presents a novel approach to visualize the uncertainty in graph‐based segmentations of scalar data. Segmentation of 2D scalar data has wide application in a variety of scientific and medical domains. Typically, a segmentation is presented as a single unambiguous boundary although the solution is often uncertain due to noise or blur in the underlying data as well as imprecision in user input. Our approach provides insight into this uncertainty by computing the “min‐path stability”, a scalar measure analyzing the stability of the segmentation given a set of input constraints. Our approach is efficient, easy to compute, and can be generally applied to either graph cuts or live‐wire (even partial) segmentations. In addition to its general applicability, our new approach to graph cuts uncertainty visualization improves on the time complexity of the current state‐of‐the‐art with an additional fast approximate solution. We also introduce a novel query enabled by our approach which provides users with alternate segmentations by efficiently extracting local minima of the segmentation optimization. Finally, we evaluate our approach and demonstrate its utility on data from scientific and medical applications.     

Assessing the contact‐activation of coagulation during hemodialysis with three different polysulfone filters: A prospective randomized cross‐over trial

Introduction: During hemodialysis (HD) the interaction of the blood with the dialyzer triggers both an inflammatory reaction and an activation of the coagulation cascade. An accepted parameter to quantify the extent of coagulation activation during HD is not available. This study aims to evaluate its amplitude, comparing dialyzers made of different polysulfone polymers, by measuring D‐dimers in the filter‐rinsing fluids (Frf) and to test whether Frf D‐dimers are suitable candidate markers to assess contact coagulation activation during HD. Methods: In a prospective, cross‐over study 41 hemodialysis patients were randomly allocated to nine HD sessions with three types of polysulfone membranes: Filter A: Poliflux®RevaclearMAX; Filter B: Helixone®Fx80, Filter C: Polyflux®H210. Findings: A total of 117 HD sessions were studied. The mean (SD) filter (Frf) D‐dimers were 0.19 µg/L (0.56) for Filter A; 0.66 µg/L (2.81) for Filter B; 0.33 µg/L (1.13) for Filter C. Significant differences were found: A vs. B (P < 0.01), A vs. C (P = 0.01); B vs. C not significant. A large between‐patient variability of D‐dimer filter levels was found. D‐Dimers in blood showed a similar trend but differences were not significant. Discussion: The contact activation of coagulation during HD may also vary among filters made up with similar polysulfones. D‐dimer in the filter rinsing fluid but not in the blood can be considered a candidate marker for the evaluation of thrombogenicity during HD. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism(s) and to confirm the usefulness of filter rinsing fluid D‐Dimers as a clotting activation marker during HD.     

Paint and Click: Unified Interactions for Image Boundaries

Image boundaries are a fundamental component of many interactive digital photography techniques, enabling applications such as segmentation, panoramas, and seamless image composition. Interactions for image boundaries often rely on two complementary but separate approaches: editing via painting or clicking constraints. In this work, we provide a novel, unified approach for interactive editing of pairwise image boundaries that combines the ease of painting with the direct control of constraints. Rather than a sequential coupling, this new formulation allows full use of both interactions simultaneously, giving users unprecedented flexibility for fast boundary editing. To enable this new approach, we provide technical advancements. In particular, we detail a reformulation of image boundaries as a problem of finding cycles, expanding and correcting limitations of the previous work. Our new formulation provides boundary solutions for painted regions with performance on par with state‐of‐the‐art specialized, paint‐only techniques. In addition, we provide instantaneous exploration of the boundary solution space with user constraints. Finally, we provide examples of common graphics applications impacted by our new approach.     

Hydrogenation of C=C and C=O groups on ruthenium-tin catalysts

The effect of addition of tin on the catalytic activity of Ru/C catalysts has been investigated in the liquid phase hydrogenation of -methylstyrene and hydrocinnamaldehyde. On increasing the Sn content, the amount of CO chemisorbed decreases, indicating a decrease in the number of Ru surface atoms. In the hydrogenation of -methylstyrene the specific activity of Ru (calculated per Ru surface atom) remains constant regardless of the Sn/Ru ratio. An increase of specific activity is however observed in the hydrogenation of hydrocinnamaldehyde. It is suggested that tin, present mainly as Sn ions, enhances the reactivity of the C=O group.