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•Phosphates provide important function to processed meat systems.•Replacement of phosphates in processed meats requires innovative approaches.•Alternative ingredients struggle to ...replicate the function of inorganic phosphates.•Pairing novel processing techniques with alternative ingredients may be promising.
Meat and meat products provide high levels of nutrition and many health benefits to consumers, yet a controversy exists regarding the use of non-meat additives, such as the inorganic phosphates that are commonly used in meat processing, and particularly their relationship to cardiovascular health and kidney complications. Inorganic phosphates are salts of phosphoric acid (e.g., sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, or calcium phosphate), whereas organic phosphates are ester compounds (e.g., the phospholipids found in cell membranes). In this sense, the meat industry remains active in its efforts to improve formulations for processed meat products with the use of natural ingredients. Despite efforts to improve formulations, many processed meat products still contain inorganic phosphates, which are used for their technological contributions to meat chemistry including improvements in water-holding capacity and protein solubilization. This review provides a thorough evaluation of phosphate substitutes in meat formulations and other processing technologies that can help eliminate phosphates from the formulations of processed meat products. In general, several ingredients have been evaluated as replacements for inorganic phosphates with varying degrees of success such as plant-based ingredients (e.g., starches, fibers, or seeds), fungi ingredients (e.g., mushrooms and mushroom extracts), algae ingredients, animal-based ingredients (e.g., meat/seafood, dairy, or egg materials), and inorganic compounds (i.e., minerals). Although these ingredients have shown some favorable effects in certain meat products, none have exactly matched the many functions of inorganic phosphates, so the support of extrinsic technologies, such as tumbling, ultrasound, high-pressure processing (HPP), and pulsed electric field (PEF), may be necessary to achieve similar physiochemical properties as conventional products. The meat industry should continue to investigate ways to scientifically innovate the formulations of, and the technologies used in, processed meat products while also listening to (and acting upon) the feedback from consumers.
The COVID-19 pandemic represented a challenge in medical care. A tool would be very useful to establish the prognosis of in-hospital death that is reliable and can be applied to the Mexican ...population entitled to the IMSS.
To propose a prognostic scale to stratify patients with viral pneumonia COVID-19 in the emergency services.
A nested case-control study was conducted in a cohort of patients who were consecutively admitted to the emergency department with viral pneumonia COVID-19. The cases were those patients who died, and the controls were those who were discharged due to health improvement. An association analysis was performed between the variables with significant differences between groups. Subsequently, the association was adjusted using a multivariate logistic regression model, from which the prognostic scale was developed.
A total of 70 subjects with COVID-19 were included, 34 cases and 36 controls. Chronic diseases, smoking, severe pulmonary involvement diagnosed by tomography, leukocytosis, and pulse oximetry less than 80% with were associated with in-hospital mortality; Odds Ratio (OR) of >1.1. Vaccination was a protective factor (OR = 0.04, CI95%: 0.01-0.16). A score greater than 3 points on the prognostic scale predicts in-hospital mortality with a specificity of 0.86 and a sensitivity of 0.73.
The proposed prognostic scale can be a useful tool in the classification of patients with COVID-19 viral pneumonia in the emergency room services of secondary care level Hospitals.
In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes synthesize the myelin, a specialized membrane to wrap axons in a discontinuous way allowing a rapid saltatory nerve impulse conduction. ...Oligodendrocytes express a number of growth factors and neurotransmitters receptors that allow them to sense the environment and interact with neurons and other glial cells. Depending on the cell cycle stage, oligodendrocytes may respond to these signals by regulating their survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Among these signals are the endocannabinoids, lipidic molecules synthesized from phospholipids in the plasma membrane in response to cell activation. Here, we discuss the evidence showing that oligodendrocytes express a full endocannabinoid signaling machinery involved in physiological oligodendrocyte functions that can be therapeutically exploited to promote remyelination in central nervous system pathologies.
Main Points
In oligodendroglial cells there is an operational endocannabinoid signaling network.
2‐AG contributes to the proliferation, directional migration and maturation of OPCs.
Manipulation of the endocannabinoid system exert beneficial therapeutic effects.
CB1 cannabinoid receptor is widely expressed in the central nervous system of animals from late prenatal development to adulthood. Appropriate activation and signaling of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in ...cortical interneurons are crucial during perinatal/postnatal ages and adolescence, when long‐lasting changes in brain activity may elicit subsequent appearance of disorders in the adult brain. Here we used an optimized immunoprecipitation protocol based on specific antibodies followed by shot‐gun proteomics to find CB1 interacting partners in postnatal rat GABAergic cortical neurons in vitro at two different stages of maturation. Besides describing new proteins associated with CB1 like dihydrolipoyllysine‐residue acetyltransferase component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (DLAT), fatty acid synthase (FASN), tyrosine 3‐monooxygenase/tryptophan 5‐monooxygenase activation protein zeta (YWHAZ), voltage‐dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), myosin phosphatase Rho‐interacting protein (MPRIP) or usher syndrome type‐1C protein‐binding protein 1 (USHBP1), we show that the signaling complex of CB1 is different between maturational stages. Interestingly, the CB1 signaling complex is enriched at the more immature stage in mitochondrial associated proteins and metabolic molecular functions, whereas at more mature stage, CB1 complex is increased in maturation and synaptic‐associated proteins. We describe also interacting partners specifically immunoprecipitated with either N‐terminal or C‐terminal CB1 directed antibodies. Our results highlight new players that may be affected by altered cannabinoid signaling at this critical window of postnatal cortical development.
Cannabinoids are lipid mediators that participate in brain development. Appropriate activation and signaling of CB1 cannabinoid receptor are crucial during perinatal/postnatal ages and adolescence when long‐lasting changes in brain activity may elicit subsequent appearance of disorders in the adult brain. Here we describe new molecular partners that associate with CB1 during neuronal postnatal maturation and may mediate the different cannabinoid actions along with the development of brain circuits.
Seedling planting plays a key role in active forest restoration and regeneration of managed stands. Plant attributes at outplanting can determine tree seedling survival and consequently early success ...of forest plantations. Although many studies show that large seedlings of the same age within a species have higher survival than small ones, others report the opposite. This may be due to differences in environmental conditions at the planting site and in the inherent functional characteristics of species. Here, we conducted a global-scale meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of seedling size on early outplanting survival. Our meta-analysis covered 86 tree species and 142 planting locations distributed worldwide. We also assessed whether planting site aridity and key plant functional traits related to abiotic and biotic stress resistance and growth capacity, namely specific leaf area and wood density, modulate this effect. Planting large seedlings within a species consistently increases survival in forest plantations worldwide. Species’ functional traits modulate the magnitude of the positive seedling size–outplanting survival relationship, showing contrasting effects due to aridity and between angiosperms and gymnosperms. For angiosperms planted in arid/semiarid sites and gymnosperms in subhumid/humid sites the magnitude of the positive effect of seedling size on survival was maximized in species with low specific leaf area and high wood density, characteristics linked to high stress resistance and slow growth. By contrast, high specific leaf area and low wood density maximized the positive effect of seedling size on survival for angiosperms planted in subhumid/humid sites. Results have key implications for implementing forest plantations globally, especially for adjusting nursery cultivation to species’ functional characteristics and planting site aridity. Nursery cultivation should promote large seedlings, especially for stress sensitive angiosperms planted in humid sites and for stress-resistant species planted in dry sites.
Water management and treatment are high concern fields with several challenges due to increasing pollutants produced by human activity. It is imperative to find integral solutions and strategic ...measures with robust remediation. Landfill leachate production is a high concern emerging problem. Especially in low middle-income countries due to no proper local waste disposition regulation and non-engineered implemented methods to dispose of urban waste. These landfills can accumulate electronic waste and release heavy metals during the degradation process. Similar phenomena include expired pharmaceuticals like antibiotics. All these pollutants accumulated in leachate made it hard to dispose of or treat. Leachate produced in non-engineered landfills can permeate soils and reach groundwater, dragging different contaminants, including antibiotics and heavy metals, which eventually can affect the environment, changing soil properties and affecting wildlife. The presence of antibiotics in the environment is a problem with particular interest to solve, mainly to avoid the development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, which represent a future risk for human health with possible epidemic implications. It has been reported that the use of contaminated water with heavy metals to produce and grow vegetables is a risk for consumers, heavy metals effects in humans can include carcinogenic induction. This work explores the opportunities to use leachate as a source of nutrients to grow microalgae. Microalgae stand out as an alternative to bioremediate leachate, at the same time, microalgae produce high-value compounds that can be used in bioplastic, biofuels, and other industrial applications.
•Micro-algae assisted bioremediation of water pollutants rich leachate is of supreme interest.•Environmental pollution is a life-threatening concern that necessitates efforts.•Pollution is a critical issue that requires joint efforts to green the environment.
We previously reported that diabetes decreased the expression of renal tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-5 in glomerulus, and claudin-2 and occludin in proximal tubule through an oxidative stress ...dependent way. Now we investigated whether all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), a compound that plays a relevant role in kidney maintenance and that possesses antioxidant properties, prevents loss of TJ proteins in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats. atRA was administered daily by gavage (1mg/kg) from Days 3–21 after STZ administration. atRA attenuated loss of body weight, proteinuria and natriuresis but it did not prevent hyperglucemia. Other metabolic alterations, such as: increased kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1, oxidative stress, protein kinase C (PKC) beta 2, NADPH oxidase subunits (p47phox and gp91phox) expressions and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, and decreased nitric oxide synthesis, nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expressions were also attenuated by atRA. In vitro scavenging capacity assays showed that atRA scavenged peroxyl radicals (ROO•), singlet oxygen (1O2) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in a concentration-dependent manner. Decreased expressions of occludin, claudins-2 and -5 induced by diabetes were ameliorated by atRA. We also found that diabetes induced tyrosine nitration (3-NT), SUMOylation and phosphorylation in serine residues of claudin-2 and atRA prevented these changes. In conclusion, atRA exerted nephroprotective effects by attenuating oxidative stress and preventing loss of renal TJ proteins.
Curcumin is a polyphenol and cisplatin is an antineoplastic agent that induces nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis, fibrosis and decrease in renal tight junction (TJ) proteins. ...The potential effect of curcumin against alterations in TJ structure and function has not been evaluated in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The present study explored whether curcumin is able to prevent the cisplatin-induced fibrosis and decreased expression of the TJ and adherens junction (AJ) proteins occludin, claudin-2 and E-cadherin in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Curcumin (200 mg kg(-1)) was administered in three doses, and rats were sacrificed 72 h after cisplatin administration. Curcumin was able to scavenge, in a concentration-dependent way, superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, peroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite anion, hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide. Cisplatin-induced renal damage was associated with alterations in plasma creatinine, expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and of kidney injury molecule-1, histological damage, increase in apoptosis, fibrosis (evaluated by transforming growth factor β1, collagen I and IV and α-smooth muscle actin expressions), increase in oxidative/nitrosative stress (evaluated by Hsp70/72 expression, protein tyrosine nitration, superoxide anion production in isolated glomeruli and proximal tubules, and protein levels of NADPH oxidase subunits p47(phox) and gp91(phox), protein kinase C β2, and Nrf2) as well as by decreased expression of occludin, claudin-2, β-catenin and E-cadherin. Curcumin treatment prevented all the above-described alterations. The protective effect of curcumin against cisplatin-induced fibrosis and decreased proteins of the TJ and AJ was associated with the prevention of glomerular and proximal tubular superoxide anion production induced by NADPH oxidase activity.
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