Food consumers and industries urged the need of natural alternatives to assure food safety and quality. As a response, the use of natural compounds from herbs and spices is an alternative to ...synthetic additives associated with toxic problems. This review discusses the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of oregano essential oil (OEO) and its potential as a food additive. Oregano is a plant that has been used as a food seasoning since ancient times. The common name of oregano is given to several species: Origanum (family: Lamiaceae) and Lippia (family: Verbenaceae), amongst others. The main compounds identified in the different OEOs are carvacrol and thymol, which are responsible for the characteristic odor, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity; however, their content may vary according to the species, harvesting season, and geographical sources. These substances as antibacterial agents make the cell membrane permeable due to its impregnation in the hydrophobic domains, this effect is higher against gram positive bacteria. In addition, the OEO has antioxidant properties effective in retarding the process of lipid peroxidation in fatty foods, and scavenging free radicals. In this perspective, the present review analyzes and discusses the state of the art about the actual and potential uses of OEO as an antimicrobial and antioxidant food additives.
ABSTRACT
We explore the effects of tidal interactions on star formation (SF) by analysing a sample of CALIFA survey galaxies. The sample consists of tidally and non-tidally perturbed galaxies whose ...star-forming regions are paired at the closest stellar mass surface densities, even between the same galaxy types. The regions are then compared, both on the resolved star-formation main sequence (SFMS) plane and in annular property profiles. Star-forming regions in tidally perturbed galaxies exhibit flatter SFMS slopes compared to star-forming regions in non-tidally perturbed galaxies. Despite the fact that the annular profiles show star-forming regions in tidally perturbed galaxies as being mostly older, their SF properties are never reduced against those of non-tidally perturbed galaxies. Star-forming regions in non-tidally perturbed galaxies are better candidates for SF suppression (quenching). The lowered SF with increasing stellar mass density in tidally perturbed galaxies may suggest a lower dependence of SF on stellar mass. Though the SFMS slopes, either flatter or steeper, are found independent of stellar mass density, the effect of global stellar mass cannot be ignored when distinguishing between galaxy types. Since a phenomenon or property other than local/global stellar mass may be taking part in the modulation of SF, the integrated SF properties are related to the tidal perturbation parameter. We find weak, but detectable, positive correlations for perturbed galaxies suggesting that tidal perturbations induced by close companions increase the gas accretion rates of these objects.
Referral Criteria for Asthma: Consensus Document Blanco Aparicio, M; Delgado Romero, J; Molina París, J ...
Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology,
01/2019, Letnik:
29, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in Spain. Current treatments ensure that the disease is controlled in most cases. However, disease is often uncontrolled in daily clinical ...practice, mainly owing to underdiagnosis, loss to follow-up, and poor adherence to therapy. In order to improve this situation, we must coordinate all those health professionals who intervene in patient care. Therefore, the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMERGEN), the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG), and the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) have drawn up a consensus document in which they establish criteria for referral and guidelines for the diagnosis, control, and follow-up of patients with asthma. The document aims to facilitate continuing and improved care in this area.
Stroke causes CNS injury associated with strong fast microglial activation as part of the inflammatory response. In rat models of stroke, sulphonylurea receptor blockade with glibenclamide reduced ...cerebral edema and infarct volume. We postulated that glibenclamide administered during the early stages of stroke might foster neuroprotective microglial activity through ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel blockade. We found in vitro that BV2 cell line showed upregulated expression of KATP channel subunits in response to pro-inflammatory signals and that glibenclamide increases the reactive morphology of microglia, phagocytic capacity and TNFα release. Moreover, glibenclamide administered to rats 6, 12 and 24h after transient Middle Cerebral Artery occlusion improved neurological outcome and preserved neurons in the lesioned core three days after reperfusion. Immunohistochemistry with specific markers to neuron, astroglia, microglia and lymphocytes showed that resident amoeboid microglia are the main cell population in that necrotic zone. These reactive microglial cells express SUR1, SUR2B and Kir6.2 proteins that assemble in functional KATP channels. These findings provide that evidence for the key role of KATP channels in the control of microglial reactivity are consistent with a microglial effect of glibenclamide into the ischemic brain and suggest a neuroprotective role of microglia in the early stages of stroke.
► Reactive microglia express KATP channels in tMCAo rat brain. ► Glibenclamide improves neurological outcome and neuroprotection in tMCAo rats. ► Microglial activation enhances KATP channel expression in vitro. ► KATP channel blockade modulates microglial reactivity and phagocytosis in vitro. ► Glibenclamide effects in stroke therapy involve microglia-mediated neuroprotection.
Over the past decade magnetoelectric (ME) mutiferroic (MF) materials and their devices are one of the highest priority research topics that has been investigated by the scientific ferroics community ...to develop the next generation of novel multifunctional materials. These systems show the simultaneous existence of two or more ferroic orders, and cross-coupling between them, such as magnetic spin, polarisation, ferroelastic ordering, and ferrotoroidicity. Based on the type of ordering and coupling, they have drawn increasing interest for a variety of device applications, such as magnetic field sensors, nonvolatile memory elements, ferroelectric photovoltaics, nano-electronics etc. Since single-phase materials exist rarely in nature with strong cross-coupling properties, intensive research activity is being pursued towards the discovery of new single-phase multiferroic materials and the design of new engineered materials with strong magneto-electric (ME) coupling. This review article summarises the development of different kinds of multiferroic material: single-phase and composite ceramic, laminated composite and nanostructured thin films. Thin-film nanostructures have higher magnitude direct ME coupling values and clear evidence of indirect ME coupling compared with bulk materials. Promising ME coupling coefficients have been reported in laminated composite materials in which the signal to noise ratio is good for device fabrication. We describe the possible applications of these materials.
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Felids, including domestic cats, are definitive hosts that can shed oocysts with their ...feces. In addition to infections that occur by accidental oral uptake of food or water contaminated with oocysts, it is assumed that a large proportion of affected humans may have become infected by consuming meat or other animal products that contained infective parasitic stages of T. gondii. Since farm animals represent a direct source of infection for humans, but also a possible reservoir for the parasite, it is important to control T. gondii infections in livestock. Moreover, T. gondii may also be pathogenic to livestock where it could be responsible for considerable economic losses in some regions and particular farming systems, e.g. in areas where the small ruminant industry is relevant.
This review aims to summarize actual knowledge on the prevalence and effects of infections with T. gondii in the most important livestock species and on the effects of toxoplasmosis on livestock. It also provides an overview on potential risk factors favoring infections of livestock with T. gondii. Knowledge on potential risk factors is prerequisite to implement effective biosecurity measures on farms to prevent T. gondii infections. Risk factors identified by many studies are cat-related, but also those associated with a potential contamination of fodder or water, and with access to a potentially contaminated environment. Published information on the costs T. gondii infections cause in livestock production, is scarce. The most recent peer reviewed reports from Great Britain and Uruguay suggest annual cost of about 5–15 million US $ per country. Since these estimates are outdated, future studies are needed to estimate the present costs due to toxoplasmosis in livestock. Further, the fact that T. gondii infections in livestock may affect human health needs to be considered and the respective costs should also be estimated, but this is beyond the scope of this article.
Display omitted
•Brief overview on T. gondii prevalence in livestock•Natural and experimental T. gondii infections•Risk factors for T. gondii infection of livestock•Economic impact of toxoplasmosis in livestock
Abstract In this paper, a 3D computer vision system for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation based on the Kinect device is presented. It is intended for individuals with body scheme dysfunctions ...and left–right confusion. The system processes depth information to overcome the shortcomings of a previously presented 2D vision system for the same application. It achieves left and right-hand tracking, and face and facial feature detection (eye, nose, and ears) detection. The system is easily implemented with a consumer-grade computer and an affordable Kinect device and is robust to drastic background and illumination changes. The system was tested and achieved a successful monitoring percentage of 96.28%. The automation of the human body parts motion monitoring, its analysis in relation to the psychomotor exercise indicated to the patient, and the storage of the result of the realization of a set of exercises free the rehabilitation experts of doing such demanding tasks. The vision-based system is potentially applicable to other tasks with minor changes.
Formic (HCOOH) and acetic acids (
CH3COOH) are the most abundant carboxylic acids in the Earth's atmosphere and key compounds to aqueous‐phase chemistry. Here we present the first distributions of
...CH3COOH retrieved from the 2007–2018 satellite observations of the nadir‐looking infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI), using a neural network‐based retrieval approach. A joint analysis with the IASI HCOOH product reveals that the two species exhibit similar distributions, seasonality, and atmospheric burden, pointing to major common sources. We show that their abundance is highly correlated to isoprene and monoterpenes emissions, as well as to biomass burning. Over Africa, evidence is provided that residual smoldering combustion might be a major driver of the HCOOH and
CH3COOH seasonality. Earlier seasonal enhancement of HCOOH at Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes and late seasonal secondary peaks of
CH3COOH in the tropics suggest that sources and production pathways specific to each species are also at play.
Key Points
First atmospheric distributions of acetic acid are obtained from IASI/Metop observations
In emission regions, formic and acetic acids highly correlate with each other and with biogenic hydrocarbon emissions and biomass burning
Residual smoldering combustion appears to be a major driver of the formic and acetic acids seasonality in Africa
The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of human adipose tissue protein 53 (p53) in subjects who varied widely in terms of obesity and insulin resistance. We also analyzed ...different in vivo and in vitro models to try to comprehend the associations found in humans.
p53 was analyzed in human adipose and isolated adipocytes, in high fat-fed and GLP-1R KO mice, during in vitro adipogenesis, and in adipocytes after high glucose, rosiglitazone and inflammatory conditions. The effects of surgery-induced weight loss and ex vivo metformin were also evaluated.
Omental (OM) p53 gene expression (+27%, P=0.001) and protein (+11%, P=0.04) were increased in obese subjects and high fat diet-induced obese mice (+86%, P=0.018). Although the obesity-associated inflammatory milieu was associated with increased OM p53, this was negatively related to insulin resistance and glycated hemoglobin, and positively with biomarkers for insulin sensitivity. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that glycated hemoglobin (P<0.0001) and body mass index (P=0.048) contributed independently to explain 13.7% (P<0.0001) of the OM p53 variance. Accordingly, the improvement of insulin sensitivity with surgery-induced weight loss (+51%, P=0.01) and metformin (+42%, P=0.02) led to increased adipose p53. While the glucose-intolerant GLP-1R KO mice showed decreased mesenteric p53 (-45.4%, P=0.017), high glucose led to decreased p53 in pre-adipocytes (-27%, P<0.0001). Inflammatory treatments led to increased p53 (+35%, P<0.0001), while Rs downregulated this expression (-40%, P=0.005) in mature adipocytes.
Inflammation and insulin resistance exert dual effects on adipose p53, which seems to be the final result of these opposing forces.