The aim of this study was to evaluate phenolic composition, antioxidant potential, and lipolytic events in raw milk obtained from goat fed a dietary supplementation with olive leaves (OL), a ...by-product of the olive oil production chain. For this purpose, 30 Saanen goats were randomly allocated into 2 groups of 15 goats each: the control group received a standard diet that was prepared by taking into account the nutritional needs of lactating goats, whereas the experimental group (EG) was fed with an OL-supplemented diet (10% on a dry matter basis). At the end of the 30 d of the trial, the individual milk samples were collected and immediately analyzed for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (AOA). Subsequently, the individual phenolic compounds have been identified and quantified through an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system and a characterization of free fatty acids released in milk has been performed. The results showed a positive effect of dietary OL supplementation in improving total phenolic content and AOA; furthermore, 19 phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, simple phenols, and secoiridoids, have been identified in EG milk. In addition to this, a reduced accumulation of free fatty acids has been found in EG milk, and this finding leads us to hypothesize an inhibitory action of the identified phenolic compounds toward the enzymes responsible for lipolytic events. The use of the molecular docking approach verified the interactions, defining a fairly interesting framework for cinnamic acid, which should be able to noncovalently bind these enzymes, interfering with the recruitment of the substrate and therefore, slowing down their hydrolytic activity. In any case, this information will be subjected to in vitro evaluations for an accurate characterization of the biochemical mechanisms that can be established in milk naturally enriched with bioactive compounds.
ABSTRACT
We present a study of departures from Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) in the formation of infrared (IR) lines of Na i, Mg i, Al i, S i, K i, and Sr ii in unevolved stars of spectral ...types F, G, K and metallicities around the solar metallicity. The purpose of this investigation is to identify lines of these species that can be safely treated with the LTE approximation in the IR spectra of these types of stars. We employ a set of 40 stars observed with the GIANO spectrograph at the 3.5 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and previously investigated by Caffau et al. We were able to identify many lines that can be treated in LTE for all the above-mentioned species, except for Sr ii. The latter species can only be studied using three lines in the J band, but all three of them display significant departures from LTE. With our small-size, but high-quality sample, we can determine robustly the trends of the abundance ratios with metallicity, confirming the trends apparent from a sample that is larger by several orders of magnitude, but of lower quality in terms of resolution and S/N ratio.
Context. In recent years a number of poorly studied chemical elements, such as phosphorus, sulphur, and strontium, have received special attention as important tracers of the Galactic chemical ...evolution. Aims. By exploiting the capabilities of the infrared echelle spectrograph GIANO mounted at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, we acquired high resolution spectra of four Galactic dwarf stars spanning the metallicity range between about one-third and twice the solar value. We performed a detailed feasibility study about the effectiveness of the P, S, and Sr line diagnostics in the Y band between 1.03 and 1.10 μm. Methods. Accurate chemical abundances have been derived using one-dimensional model atmospheres computed in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). We computed the line formation assuming LTE for P, while we performed non-LTE analysis to derive S and Sr abundances. Results. We were able to derive phosphorus abundance for three stars and an upper limit for one star, while we obtained the abundance of sulphur and strontium for all of the stars. We find P/Fe and S/Fe abundance ratios consistent with solar-scaled or slightly depleted values, while the Sr/Fe abundance ratios are more scattered (by ±0.2 dex) around the solar-scaled value. This is fully consistent with previous studies using both optical and infrared spectroscopy. Conclusions. We verified that high-resolution, Y-band spectroscopy as provided by GIANO is a powerful tool to study the chemical evolution of P, S, and Sr in dwarf stars.
Context. Detailed chemical abundances of Galactic stars are needed in order to improve our knowledge of the formation and evolution of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Aims. We took advantage of the GIANO ...archive spectra to select a sample of Galactic disc stars in order to derive their chemical inventory and to compare the abundances we derived from these infrared spectra to the chemical pattern derived from optical spectra. Methods. We analysed high-quality spectra of 40 stars observed with GIANO. We derived the stellar parameters from the photometry and the Gaia data-release 2 (DR2) parallax; the chemical abundances were derived with the code MyGIsFOS. For a subsample of stars we compared the chemical pattern derived from the GIANO spectra with the abundances derived from optical spectra. We derived P abundances for all 40 stars, increasing the number of Galactic stars for which phosphorus abundance is known. Results. We could derive abundances of 14 elements, 8 of which are also derived from optical spectra. The comparison of the abundances derived from infrared and optical spectra is very good. The chemical pattern of these stars is the one expected for Galactic disc stars and is in agreement with the results from the literature. Conclusions. GIANO is providing the astronomical community with an extremely useful instrument, able to produce spectra with high resolution and a wide wavelength range in the infrared.
Schistosomiasis remains one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in developing countries. After malaria, schistosomiasis is the most important tropical disease in terms of human morbidity with ...significant economic and public health consequences. Although schistosomiasis has recently attracted increased focus and funding for control, it has been estimated that less than 20% of the funding needed to control the disease in Africa is currently available. In this article the following issues are discussed: the rationale, development and objectives of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI)-supported programmes; the management approaches followed to achieve implementation by each country; mapping, monitoring and evaluation activities with quantifiable impact of control programmes; monitoring for any potential drug resistance; and finally exit strategies within each country. The results have demonstrated that morbidity due to schistosomiasis has been reduced by the control programmes. While challenges remain, the case for the control of schistosomiasis has been strengthened by research by SCI teams and the principle that a national programme using 'preventive chemotherapy' can be successfully implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, whenever the resources are available. SCI and partners are now actively striving to raise further funds to expand the coverage of integrated control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMCs) in the tumor microenvironment are thought to promote growth and immune evasion. We find that, in mouse and human ovarian tumors, cancer cells express ...anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) while CAMCs express its receptor AMHR2, suggesting a paracrine axis. Factors secreted by cancer cells induce AMHR2 expression during their reprogramming into CAMCs in mouse and human in vitro models. Overexpression of AMHR2 in the Met5a mesothelial cell line is sufficient to induce expression of immunosuppressive cytokines and growth factors that stimulate ovarian cancer cell growth in an AMH-dependent way. Finally, syngeneic cancer cells implanted in transgenic mice with Amhr2−/− CAMCs grow significantly slower than in wild-type hosts. The cytokine profile of Amhr2−/− tumor-bearing mice is altered and their tumors express less immune checkpoint markers programmed-cell-death 1 (PD1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4). Taken together, these data suggest that the AMH/AMHR2 axis plays a critical role in regulating the pro-tumoral function of CAMCs in ovarian cancer.
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•Cancer-cell-secreted factors reprogram normal omental mesothelial cells to induce AMHR2•AMH secreted by cancer cells modulates cancer-associated mesothelial cell cytokines•The paracrine AMH/AMHR2 axis regulates the pro-tumoral and immune functions of CAMCs•Deletion of Amhr2 in mesothelium reduces ovarian tumor growth and immune exhaustion
Cancer cells reprogram normal omental mesothelium into cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMCs) by inducing expression of AMHR2. In turn, cancer cells secrete AMH to regulate expression of immunosuppressive cytokines and growth factors by CAMCs. Ovarian tumors implanted in transgenic mice deficient in AMHR2 have a slower growth and reduced immune exhaustion.
The main drawback of photovoltaic (PV) laser power converters based on GaAs material is the low output voltage, which is often insufficient to power electronic circuits directly. Aside from the use ...of a dc-dc converter in combination with a single PV converter, it is possible to boost the voltage by the monolithic serial interconnection of several converter segments on a single chip, often called multiple converters. Another novel approach introduced in this paper is a multijunction PV cell, where several subcells of the same material are stacked onto a substrate and interconnected by interband tunnel diodes. This paper explores a tandem GaAs-GaAs converter and compares the results with a 2-V multiple PV converter under monochromatic laser illumination. In addition, 4-V multiple PV converters with maximum monochromatic efficiencies (810 nm) of up to 50.1% at 51.6 W/cm 2 and 6-V converters are investigated. Thereby, the fabrication technology of the devices is outlined and the influence of inhomogeneous illumination on the performance of these energy converters is discussed.
The diversity of parasite communities is mainly driven by evolutionary history, as well as the ecology of the host species. To test whether the diversity of the parasite community of four related ...Stromateidae (Pisces: Scombriformes) is related to evolutionary history (the host phylogeny) or the host’s geographical distribution, we analyzed the metazoan parasite fauna of four species of fishes of this family, from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America. Studied species were Peprilus snyderi (samples from Callao, Perú, and Antofagasta, Chile), Peprilus medius (Chorrillos, Perú), Peprilus paru (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Stromateus stellatus (Talcahuano, Chile). Our multivariate analysis strongly suggests that the diversity of the parasite fauna of the studied fishes is driven mainly by the host’s geographical distribution and not the host phylogeny.
Paronychia argentea Lam. (Arabic tea), a species spontaneously growing in the Mediterranean area, has been used in folk medicine for renal diseases.
To assess the antioxidant and protective ...potentials of different extracts from P. argentea in the renal endothelial NRK-52E cell line by several in vitro models, including a H2O2-induced oxidative stress model.
Aerial parts of P. argentea were collected in Algeria and ethanolic, chloroform and aqueous-chloroform extracts were obtained from dried plant. The antioxidant capacity was first evaluated by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) methods. Cellular viability was assessed by MTT method assay after 24 h pretreatment with each extract concentration in order to measure protection from H2O2 in NRK-52E cells. Furthermore, the intracellular ROS formation (DCFH-DA method), was determined.
P. argentea showed in vitro antioxidant activity as evidenced by the ORAC and DPPH assays. No cell toxicity was observed for concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 μg/mL of each extract. These extracts also exerted a protective effect on renal endothelial cells simultaneously treated with 1 mM H2O2. Chemical composition for the aqueous-chloroform extract was assessed by HPLC, as it showed the strongest antioxidant ability, revealing three quercetin derivatives as the main phenolic compounds.
P. argentea is endorsed with antioxidant activity and protects renal endothelial cells against oxidative damage which indicate this plant constitutes a potential treatment for renal diseases.
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