Microalgae contain an abundance of valuable bioactive compounds such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phenolics and, consequently, present great commercial interest. The aim of this work is the ...study and optimization of recovering the aforementioned components from the microalgae species
through conventional extraction in a laboratory-scale apparatus using a "green" mixture of ethanol/water 90/10
/
. The effect of three operational conditions-namely, temperature (30-60 °C), duration (6-24 h) and solvent-to-biomass ratio (20-90 mL
/g
), was examined regarding the extracts' yield (gravimetrically), antioxidant activity, phenolic, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents (spectrophotometric assays), as well as concentration in key carotenoids, i.e., astaxanthin, lutein, and β-carotene (reversed-phase-high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)). For this purpose, a face-centered central composite design (FC-CCD) was employed. Data analysis resulted in the optimal extraction conditions of 30 °C, for 24 h with 37 mL
/g
and validation of the predicted models led to 15.39%
/
yield, 52.58 mg
/mg
(IC50) antioxidant activity, total phenolic, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content of 18.23, 53.47 and 9.92 mg/g
, respectively, and the total sum of key carotenoids equal to 4.12 mg/g
. The experimental data and predicted results were considered comparable, and consequently, the corresponding regression models were sufficiently reliable for prediction.
This article looks at the Health CASCADE project, a European-funded Innovative Training Network project that aims to advance co-creation into a rigorous scientific methodology with evidence-based ...methods, practices and supportive technologies.
The effect of mixing rules and the incorporation of an association term in a cubic equation of state (EoS), on the modelling of phase equilibria of natural gas mixtures in the presence of hydrogen ...bonding compounds, is investigated. To this purpose, the Peng-Robinson equation of state coupled with the van der Waals one-fluid mixing rules, the UMR-PRU group contribution EoS and the CPA-PR EoS, are evaluated in the prediction of phase equilibrium in ternary and multicomponent mixtures containing natural gas components, water and methanol or monoethylene glycol. It is concluded that UMR-PRU and CPA-PR give significantly improved results over the classical Peng-Robinson EoS, indicating that the use of advanced mixing rules and the explicit implementation of an association term in a cubic EoS is important for modelling the phase equilibrium of natural gas mixtures containing associating compounds.
Abstract Bipolar disorder (BD), a stress-related disease, is characterized by altered glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signalling. Stress response includes activation of heat shock factor (HSF) and ...subsequent heat shock protein (HSP) synthesis which regulate GR folding and function. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible role of HSFs, HSPs and their interaction with GR in BD. We applied immunoprecipitation, SDS-PAGE/Western blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) in lymphocytes (whole cell or nuclear extracts) from BD patients and healthy subjects and determined the HSPs (HSP90 and HSP70), the heterocomplexes HSP90-GR and HSP70-GR, the HSFs (HSF1 and HSF4) as well as the HSF-DNA binding. The HSP70-GR heterocomplex was elevated ( p < 0.05) in BD patients vs healthy subjects, and nuclear HSP70 was reduced ( p ≤ 0.01) in bipolar manic patients. Protein levels of HSF1, HSF4, HSP90, HSP90-GR heterocomplex, and HSF-DNA binding remained unaltered in BD patients vs healthy subjects. The corresponding effect sizes (ES) indicated a large ES for HSP70-GR, HSP70, HSF-DNA binding and HSF4, and a medium ES for HSP90, HSF1 and HSP90-GR between healthy subjects and bipolar patients. Significant correlations among HSFs, HSPs, GR and HSP70-GR heterocomplex were observed in healthy subjects, which were abrogated in bipolar patients. The higher interaction between GR and HSP70 and the disturbances in the relations among heat shock response parameters and GR as observed in our BD patients may provide novel insights into the contribution of these factors in BD aetiopathogenesis.
Summary Bipolar disorder (BD), a severe mental illness, has been correlated with alterations in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling. Since it is phosphorylated GR that contributes to receptor ...function and determines its transcriptional activity, the Ser211 being a biomarker for activated GR in vivo , it is pertinent that we seek to determine the putative role of the total phosphorylation status of GR and site-specific phosphorylation at serine 211 (S211) in BD and their possible association with parameters of apoptosis. In lymphocytes from 48 BD patients under multiple psychotropic therapy and 20 healthy subjects, we measured whole cell GR, total GR phosphorylation, and phosphorylation of GR at serine 211 in nucleus, using immunoprecipitation, phosphospecific antibody and Western-blot analysis. Cytosolic cytochrome c and Bax and whole cell HSP70 were determined by immunoblot analysis. One-way ANOVA statistical analysis was carried out. Total phosphorylated GR was lower ( P < 0.001) while the GR S211 was higher ( P < 0.001) in all BD patients as compared to healthy subjects. HSP70 was reduced in euthymic ( P < 0.05), depressed ( P < 0.001) and manic ( P < 0.001) as compared to healthy subjects. Cytochrome c was higher in all-patient groups as compared to healthy subjects, however without reaching statistical significance ( P > 0.05). Bax levels were lower in the cytosolic fraction of all three BD groups. We provide the first evidence of altered GR phosphorylation joined with signs of apoptosis in lymphocytes of BD patients and suggest that the phosphorylation status of GR may play a role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Stereotactic biopsy and open biopsy represent useful diagnostic tools of breast lesions. However, both affect the Quality of Life (QoL) in various degrees. We conducted this prospective longitudinal ...comparative study in order, first to access the impact of these techniques on short-term QoL and second to compare and critically discuss our results with those of literature review. Group A (58 patients) underwent vacuum-assisted stereotactic biopsy and Group B (46 patients) underwent open biopsy. The Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQol) was estimated using the European Quality of Life scale (EuroQol) and the SF-36 (The 36-Item Short-Form Health Status Survey) questionnaires. The stereotactic breast biopsy seems to be more accepted from the patients as it affects quality of life to a lesser extent than open breast biopsy. This difference is mainly attributable to a reduction of physical discomfort and pain.
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