Cranberry juice for prophylaxis of urinary tract infections--conclusions from clinical experience and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowack, Rainer; Schmitt, Wilhelm

2008-09-01

Cranberry juice (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a widely used and recommended North-American folk remedy for prophylaxis of urinary tract infections (UTI). Clinical trials have documented its efficacy in women with recurrent UTI, but so far not in other groups of patients. The composition of effective cranberry products and its dosage in UTI prophylaxis have not been defined. Intriguing experimental research has identified an anti-adhesive mechanism of cranberry juice that prevents docking of bacteria on host tissues. This efficacy mechanism can be traced in patients' urine following oral intake of cranberry products and appears to be due to proanthocyanidins with an A-type linkage of flavanols. The application of this anti-adhesion mechanism of cranberry-proanthocyandins is currently also investigated in other common diseases of bacterial pathogenesis, for example Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and dental caries/periodontal disease. The use of cranberry products appears to be safe and provide additional benefits by anti-oxidant and cholesterol-lowering activity.

Cranberry juice suppressed the diclofenac metabolism by human liver microsomes, but not in healthy human subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Ushijima, Kentarou; Tsuruoka, Shu-ichi; Tsuda, Hidetoshi; Hasegawa, Gohki; Obi, Yuri; Kaneda, Tae; Takahashi, Masaki; Maekawa, Tomohiro; Sasaki, Tomohiro; Koshimizu, Taka-aki; Fujimura, Akio

2009-01-01

AIM To investigate a potential interaction between cranberry juice and diclofenac, a substrate of CYP2C9. METHODS The inhibitory effect of cranberry juice on diclofenac metabolism was determined using human liver microsome assay. Subsequently, we performed a clinical trial in healthy human subjects to determine whether the repeated consumption of cranberry juice changed the diclofenac pharmacokinetics. RESULTS Cranberry juice significantly suppressed diclofenac metabolism by human liver microsomes. On the other hand, repeated consumption of cranberry juice did not influence the diclofenac pharmacokinetics in human subjects. CONCLUSIONS Cranberry juice inhibited diclofenac metabolism by human liver microsomes, but not in human subjects. Based on the present and previous findings, we think that although cranberry juice inhibits CYP2C9 activity in vitro, it does not change the pharmacokinetics of medications metabolized by CYP2C9 in clinical situations. PMID:19694738

Drying-induced physico-chemical changes in cranberry products.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalska, Anna; Wojdyło, Aneta; Honke, Joanna; Ciska, Ewa; Andlauer, Wilfried

2018-02-01

Sugar-free cranberry juice (XAD) and juice with 15% of maltodextrin were dried by freeze-, vacuum and spray drying methods. Total phenolics (589-6435mg/kg dry matter) including 5 flavonols, 3 phenolic acids, 2 procyanidins and 5 anthocyanins were stronger affected by juice formulation than by drying methods. Spray drying of juice, regardless of its formulation, was competitive to freeze drying in terms of polyphenols' retention. Increase in temperature up to 100°C during vacuum drying of XAD extracts resulted in degradation of polyphenolics (down to 4%), except chlorogenic acid. Its content increased with rise in temperature and accelerated hydroxymethylfurfural formation. The stronger the impact of drying, the more chlorogenic acid is present in cranberry products. In all powders analysed, formation of furoylmethyl amino acids was noted. Antioxidant capacity of cranberry products was influenced by juice formulation and was linked to content of polyphenols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cranberry in prevention of urinary tract Infections in pregnancy

OpenAIRE

Miranda-Machado Pablo Andrés

2011-01-01

The urinary infection tract is the most common infectious complication in pregnancy.The aim was to conduct a literature review of the evidence on effectiveness, safetyand cost effectiveness of cranberry products in preventing urinary tract infection inpregnancy. Studies suggest a potential protective effect of cranberry products againsturinary tract infection in pregnancy and there is no documented evidence of danger orcontraindication in pregnancy or lactation. The cost effectiveness of cran...

Cranberry magnetite deposits Avery County, N.C., and Carter County, Tenn.

Science.gov (United States)

Kline, M.H.; Ballard, T.J.

1948-01-01

The Cranberry magnetite deposits occur in pre-Cambrian granite-gneiss in a belt extending from 3 miles southeast of Cranberry, N.C., to about 6 miles southwest of Magnetic City, Tenn. The belt forms a curve, elongated to the north, approximately 26 miles in length.

Cranberry Flavonoids Modulate Cariogenic Properties of Mixed-Species Biofilm through Exopolysaccharides-Matrix Disruption.

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Dongyeop Kim

Full Text Available The exopolysaccharides (EPS produced by Streptococcus mutans-derived glucosyltransferases (Gtfs are essential virulence factors associated with the initiation of cariogenic biofilms. EPS forms the core of the biofilm matrix-scaffold, providing mechanical stability while facilitating the creation of localized acidic microenvironments. Cranberry flavonoids, such as A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs and myricetin, have been shown to inhibit the activity of Gtfs and EPS-mediated bacterial adhesion without killing the organisms. Here, we investigated whether a combination of cranberry flavonoids disrupts EPS accumulation and S. mutans survival using a mixed-species biofilm model under cariogenic conditions. We also assessed the impact of cranberry flavonoids on mechanical stability and the in situ pH at the biofilm-apatite interface. Topical application of an optimized combination of PACs oligomers (100-300 μM with myricetin (2 mM twice daily was used to simulate treatment regimen experienced clinically. Treatments with cranberry flavonoids effectively reduced the insoluble EPS content (>80% reduction vs. vehicle-control; p<0.001, while hindering S. mutans outgrowth within mixed-species biofilms. As a result, the 3D architecture of cranberry-treated biofilms was severely compromised, showing a defective EPS-matrix and failure to develop microcolonies on the saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (sHA surface. Furthermore, topical applications of cranberry flavonoids significantly weaken the mechanical stability of the biofilms; nearly 90% of the biofilm was removed from sHA surface after exposure to a shear stress of 0.449 N/m2 (vs. 36% removal in vehicle-treated biofilms. Importantly, in situ pH measurements in cranberry-treated biofilms showed significantly higher pH values (5.2 ± 0.1 at the biofilm-apatite interface vs. vehicle-treated biofilms (4.6 ± 0.1. Altogether, the data provide important insights on how cranberry flavonoids treatments modulate

Deacidification of cranberry juice by electrodialysis with bipolar membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozoy, Elodie; Boudesocque, Leslie; Bazinet, Laurent

2015-01-21

Cranberry is recognized for its many benefits on human health; however, its high acidity may be a limiting factor for its consumption. This study aimed to investigate the deacidification of cranberry juice using a two simultaneous step electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) process. In step 1 (deacidification), during the 6 h treatment, the pH of the juice increased from 2.47 to 2.71 and a deacidification rate of 22.84% was obtained, whereas in step 2 (pH lowering) the pH of juice 2 was almost stable. Citric, quinic, and malic acid were extracted with a maximum of 25% and were mainly transferred to the KCl 2 fraction. A significant loss of anthocyanins in juice 2 (step 2) was observed, due to their oxidation by oxygen incorporated by the centrifugal pump. This also affected its coloration. The first step of the EDBM process was successful for cranberry juice deacidification and could be improved by increasing the number of membranes stacked.

[Efficacy and safety profile of cranberry in infants and children with recurrent urinary tract infection].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Puentes, V; Uberos, J; Rodríguez-Belmonte, R; Nogueras-Ocaña, M; Blanca-Jover, E; Narbona-López, E

2015-06-01

Cranberry prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection in infants has proven effective in the experimental model of the adult. There are few data on its efficacy, safety and recommended dose in the pediatric population. A controlled, double-blind Phase III clinical trial was conducted on children older than 1 month of age to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cranberry in recurrent urinary tract infection. The assumption was of the non-inferiority of cranberry versus trimethoprim. Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan Meier analysis. A total of 85 patients under 1 year of age and 107 over 1 year were recruited. Trimethoprim was prescribed to 75 patients and 117 received cranberry. The cumulative rate of urinary infection associated with cranberry prophylaxis in children under 1 year was 46% (95% CI; 23-70) in children and 17% (95% CI; 0-38) in girls, effectively at doses inferior to trimethoprim. In children over 1 year-old cranberry was not inferior to trimethoprim, with a cumulative rate of urine infection of 26% (95% CI; 12-41). The cranberry was well tolerated and with no new adverse effects. Our study confirms that cranberry is safe and effective in the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection in infants and children. With the doses used, their efficiency is not less than that observed for trimethoprim among those over 1 year-old. (Clinical Trials Registry ISRCTN16968287). Copyright © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cranberry and Grape Seed Extracts Inhibit the Proliferative Phenotype of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas

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Kourt Chatelain

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Proanthocyanidins, compounds highly concentrated in dietary fruits, such as cranberries and grapes, demonstrate significant cancer prevention potential against many types of cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate cranberry and grape seed extracts to quantitate and compare their anti-proliferative effects on the most common type of oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma. Using two well-characterized oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, CAL27 and SCC25, assays were performed to evaluate the effects of cranberry and grape seed extract on phenotypic behaviors of these oral cancers. The proliferation of both oral cancer cell lines was significantly inhibited by the administration of cranberry and grape seed extracts, in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, key regulators of apoptosis, caspase-2 and caspase-8, were concomitantly up-regulated by these treatments. However, cranberry and grape seed extracts elicited differential effects on cell adhesion, cell morphology, and cell cycle regulatory pathways. This study represents one of the first comparative investigations of cranberry and grape seed extracts and their anti-proliferative effects on oral cancers. Previous findings using purified proanthocyanidin from grape seed extract demonstrated more prominent growth inhibition, as well as apoptosis-inducing, properties on CAL27 cells. These observations provide evidence that cranberry and grape seed extracts not only inhibit oral cancer proliferation but also that the mechanism of this inhibition may function by triggering key apoptotic regulators in these cell lines. This information will be of benefit to researchers interested in elucidating which dietary components are central to mechanisms involved in the mediation of oral carcinogenesis and progression.

Cranberry for Urinary Tract Infection: From Bench to Bedside.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabavi, Seyed Fazel; Sureda, Antoni; Daglia, Maria; Izadi, Morteza; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad

2017-01-01

Urinary tract infections are common infectious diseases which can occur in any part of the urinary tract such as bladder, kidney, ureters, and urethra. They are commonly caused by bacteria that enter through the urethra. Urinary tract infections commonly develop in the bladder and spread to renal tissues. Up to now, there are different antimicrobial agents which have beneficial role on urinary tract infections. However, most of them cause different adverse effects and therefore, much attention has been paid to the search for effective therapeutic agents with negligible adverse effects. Cranberry is known as one of the most important edible plants, which possesses potent antimicrobial effects against the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections. Growing evidence has shown that cranberry suppresses urinary tract infections and eradicates the bacteria. Therefore, the aim of this study is to critically review the available literature regarding the antimicrobial activities of cranberry against urinary tract infection microorganisms. In addition, we discuss etiology, epidemiology, risk factors, and current drugs of urinary tract infections to provide a more complete picture of this disease.

Baked Pork Chops With Apple Cranberry Sauce

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... bakedporkchopswithapplecranberrysauce.html Baked Pork Chops With Apple Cranberry Sauce To use the sharing features on this page, ... minutes Number of Servings: 4 A wonderful fruit sauce adds the perfect touch to these pork chops— ...

7 CFR 929.104 - Outlets for excess cranberries.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CRANBERRIES... development of foreign and domestic markets, including, but not limited to dehydration, radiation, freeze...

Assessing Wild Bee Biodiversity in Cranberry Agroenvironments: Influence of Natural Habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Gervais, Amélie; Fournier, Valérie; Sheffield, Cory S; Chagnon, Madeleine

2017-08-01

The conservation of bee populations for pollination in agricultural landscapes has attracted a lot of recent research interest, especially for crop industries undergoing expansion to meet increased production demands. In Canada, much growth has been occurring with commercial cranberry production, a field crop which is largely dependent on bee pollination. Wild bee pollinators could be negatively impacted by losses of natural habitat surrounding cranberry fields to accommodate increased production, but growers have little insight on how to manage their lands to maximize the presence of wild bees. Here, we described a 2-yr study where bee diversity and species composition were investigated to better understand the dynamic between natural habitat and cranberry fields. Bees were sampled using pan-traps and hand netting both within cranberry fields and in one of the three adjacent natural habitat types once a week during the crop flowering period. We found that bee community composition among cranberry fields did not differ based on the respective adjacent habitat type, but fields bordered by meadows were marginally less diverse than fields bordered by forest. As one would expect, field and natural habitat communities differed in terms of species composition and species richness. There was no evidence that one type of natural habitat was more favorable for the bees than another. Future agrobiodiversity studies should simultaneously examine bee diversity comprised in both crop fields and adjacent natural environments to better understand the species dynamics essential to the preservation of pollination services. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cranberry-derived proanthocyanidins prevent formation of Candida albicans biofilms in artificial urine through biofilm- and adherence-specific mechanisms.

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Rane, Hallie S; Bernardo, Stella M; Howell, Amy B; Lee, Samuel A

2014-02-01

Candida albicans is a common cause of nosocomial urinary tract infections (UTIs) and is responsible for increased morbidity and healthcare costs. Moreover, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburse for hospital-acquired catheter-associated UTIs. Thus, development of specific approaches for the prevention of Candida urinary infections is needed. Cranberry juice-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs) have efficacy in the prevention of bacterial UTIs, partially due to anti-adherence properties, but there are limited data on their use for the prevention and/or treatment of Candida UTIs. Therefore, we sought to systematically assess the in vitro effect of cranberry-derived PACs on C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. C. albicans biofilms in artificial urine were coincubated with cranberry PACs at serially increasing concentrations and biofilm metabolic activity was assessed using the XTT assay in static microplate and silicone disc models. Cranberry PAC concentrations of ≥16 mg/L significantly reduced biofilm formation in all C. albicans strains tested, with a paradoxical effect observed at high concentrations in two clinical isolates. Further, cranberry PACs were additive in combination with traditional antifungals. Cranberry PACs reduced C. albicans adherence to both polystyrene and silicone. Supplementation of the medium with iron reduced the efficacy of cranberry PACs against biofilms. These findings indicate that cranberry PACs have excellent in vitro activity against C. albicans biofilm formation in artificial urine. We present preliminary evidence that cranberry PAC activity against C. albicans biofilm formation is due to anti-adherence properties and/or iron chelation.

Cranberry: A good source of natural antioxidants

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Tumbas Vesna T.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of extracts of cranbeny fruit and mixed tea (containing 40% cranberry on stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH radicals has been investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR spectroscopy. All investigated extracts possess very high antioxidant activity, which increased dose-dependently at mass concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 mg/ml. The high contents of phenolic s (3.60-4.52 mg/g, anthocyanins (0.23-1.52 mg/g, flavan-3-ols (1.25-3.05 mg/g and vitamin C (0.07-0.15 mg/g in investigated extracts indicated that these compounds significantly contributed to the antioxidant activity. All these results show that the extracts of cranberry fruit and mixed tea can be used as easily accessible source of natural antioxidants and as a possible food supplement.

Differences between kinematic synergies and muscle synergies during two-digit grasping

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Michele eTagliabue

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The large number of mechanical degrees of freedom of the hand is not fully exploited during actual movements such as grasping. Usually, angular movements in various joints tend to be coupled, and EMG activities in different hand muscles tend to be correlated. The occurrence of covariation in the former was termed kinematic synergies, in the latter muscle synergies. This study addresses two questions: (i Whether kinematic and muscle synergies can simultaneously accommodate for kinematic and kinetic constraints. (ii If so, whether there is an interrelation between kinematic and muscle synergies. We used a reach-grasp-and-pull paradigm and recorded the hand kinematics as well as 8 surface EMGs. Subjects had to either perform a precision grip or side grip and had to modify their grip force in order to displace an object against a low or high load. The analysis was subdivided into three epochs: reach, grasp-and-pull, and static hold. Principal component analysis (PCA, temporal or static was performed separately for all three epochs, in the kinematic and in the EMG domain. PCA revealed that (i Kinematic- and muscle-synergies can simultaneously accommodate kinematic (grip type and kinetic task constraints (load condition. (ii Upcoming grip and load conditions of the grasp are represented in kinematic- and muscle-synergies already during reach. Phase plane plots of the principal muscle-synergy against the principal kinematic synergy revealed (iii that the muscle-synergy is linked (correlated, and in phase advance to the kinematic synergy during reach and during grasp-and-pull. Furthermore (iv, pair-wise correlations of EMGs during hold suggest that muscle-synergies are (in part implemented by coactivation of muscles through common input. Together, these results suggest that kinematic synergies have (at least in part their origin not just in muscular activation, but in synergiestic muscle activation. In short: kinematic synergies may result from muscle

Drying characteristics of osmotically pretreated cranberries : Energy and quality aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabowski, S.; Marcotte, M. [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St. Hyacinthe, PQ (Canada). Food Research and Development Centre; Poirier, M.; Kudra, T. [Natural Resources Canada, Varennes, PQ (Canada). CANMET Energy Technology Centre

2002-06-01

This paper presents the results of a study in which osmotically pretreated cranberries were dried. The osmotic treatment included dehydration and sugar infusion. The process involved pretreating halved cranberries in a standard osmotic solution followed by freeze-drying, vacuum-drying and air-drying in various dryers, such as cabinet-air-through, fluid bed, pulsed fluid bed, and vibrated fluid bed dryers. The intent was to identify the best drying technology. The comparison criteria selected were energy consumption and product quality. Product quality for freeze-dried berries was quantified based on anthocyanins content, rehydration ratio, color, and taste. Unit heat consumption could be used for selecting the drying method, as all other drying methods yielded similar but slightly lower quality products. The highest energy efficiency was obtained with the vibrated fluid bed and the pulsed fluid bed. It was noted that drying rates were reduced during the second drying period when sugar was infused into the cranberries during osmotic pretreatment, but the total energy consumption was reduced by osmotic dehydration. 22 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs.

Effects of cranberry juice consumption on vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dohadwala, Mustali M; Holbrook, Monika; Hamburg, Naomi M; Shenouda, Sherene M; Chung, William B; Titas, Megan; Kluge, Matthew A; Wang, Na; Palmisano, Joseph; Milbury, Paul E; Blumberg, Jeffrey B; Vita, Joseph A

2011-05-01

Cranberry juice contains polyphenolic compounds that could improve endothelial function and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. The objective was to examine the effects of cranberry juice on vascular function in subjects with coronary artery disease. We completed an acute pilot study with no placebo (n = 15) and a chronic placebo-controlled crossover study (n = 44) that examined the effects of cranberry juice on vascular function in subjects with coronary artery disease. In the chronic crossover study, subjects with coronary heart disease consumed a research preparation of double-strength cranberry juice (54% juice, 835 mg total polyphenols, and 94 mg anthocyanins) or a matched placebo beverage (480 mL/d) for 4 wk each with a 2-wk rest period between beverages. Beverage order was randomly assigned, and participants refrained from consuming other flavonoid-containing beverages during the study. Vascular function was measured before and after each beverage, with follow-up testing ≥12 h after consumption of the last beverage. Mean (±SD) carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a measure of central aortic stiffness, decreased after cranberry juice (8.3 ± 2.3 to 7.8 ± 2.2 m/s) in contrast with an increase after placebo (8.0 ± 2.0 to 8.4 ± 2.8 m/s) (P = 0.003). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, digital pulse amplitude tonometry, blood pressure, and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity did not change. In the uncontrolled pilot study, we observed improved brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (7.7 ± 2.9% to 8.7 ± 3.1%, P = 0.01) and digital pulse amplitude tonometry ratio (0.10 ± 0.12 to 0.23 ± 0.16, P = 0.001) 4 h after consumption of a single 480-mL portion of cranberry juice. Chronic cranberry juice consumption reduced carotid femoral pulse wave velocity-a clinically relevant measure of arterial stiffness. The uncontrolled pilot study suggested an acute benefit; however, no chronic effect on measures of endothelial vasodilator function was found. This trial

Cranberry juice and combinations of its organic acids are effective against experimental urinary tract infection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Heidi Dorthe; Struve, Carsten; Christensen, Søren Brøgger

2017-01-01

The antibacterial effect of cranberry juice and the organic acids therein on infection by uro28 pathogenic Escherichia coli was studied in an experimental mouse model of urinary tract infection (UTI). Reduced bacterial counts were found in the bladder (P ... administered singly, did not have any effect in the UTI model. Apparently, the antibacterial effect of the organic acids from cranberry juice on UTI can be obtained by administering a combination of malic acid and either citric or quinic acid. This study show for the first time that cranberry juice reduce E...

Managing Cuscuta gronovii (Swamp Dodder in Cranberry Requires an Integrated Approach

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Hilary A. Sandler

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Dodders (Cuscuta spp. are parasitic plants that threaten the sustainability of many crops. Because this parasite is very adept and successful from biological and ecological perspectives, a single control strategy is unlikely to provide sufficient economic control. Dodder (C. gronovii is a particularly serious pest in commercial cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon production. Multiple viable strategies must be integrated and tailored into a weed management plan to provide acceptable control. The key to sustainable management of this serious pest will require a combination of chemical and cultural approaches, supported by understanding the complicated nature of dodder biology. Research from small fruit production systems like cranberry into the biology of dodder (e.g., germination patterns, host preference, use of plant growth regulators may provide insights that could ultimately be useful for other crop system management plans. This paper will present the current knowledge base for integrated management of dodder in cranberry as well as highlight relevant research from other crops and potential topics for future research.

Hydrologic and nutrient response of groundwater to flooding of cranberry farms in southeastern Massachusetts, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Seasonal flooding of cranberry farms is essential for long-term sustainability of cranberry production in southeastern Massachusetts, with roughly 90% of growers flooding for fall harvesting and winter protection. Although considered a significant source of recharge to the regional unconfined aquif...

Cranberry derivatives enhance biofilm formation and transiently impair swarming motility of the uropathogen Proteus mirabilis HI4320.

Science.gov (United States)

O'May, Che; Amzallag, Olivier; Bechir, Karim; Tufenkji, Nathalie

2016-06-01

Proteus mirabilis is a major cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), emphasizing that novel strategies for targeting this bacterium are needed. Potential targets are P. mirabilis surface-associated swarming motility and the propensity of these bacteria to form biofilms that may lead to catheter blockage. We previously showed that the addition of cranberry powder (CP) to lysogeny broth (LB) medium resulted in impaired P. mirabilis swarming motility over short time periods (up to 16 h). Herein, we significantly expanded on those findings by exploring (i) the effects of cranberry derivatives on biofilm formation of P. mirabilis, (ii) whether swarming inhibition occurred transiently or over longer periods more relevant to real infections (∼3 days), (iii) whether swarming was also blocked by commercially available cranberry juices, (iv) whether CP or cranberry juices exhibited effects under natural urine conditions, and (v) the effects of cranberry on medium pH, which is an indirect indicator of urease activity. At short time scales (24 h), CP and commercially available pure cranberry juice impaired swarming motility and repelled actively swarming bacteria in LB medium. Over longer time periods more representative of infections (∼3 days), the capacity of the cranberry material to impair swarming diminished and bacteria would start to migrate across the surface, albeit by exhibiting a different motility phenotype to the regular "bull's-eye" swarming phenotype of P. mirabilis. This bacterium did not swarm on urine agar or LB agar supplemented with urea, suggesting that any potential application of anti-swarming compounds may be better suited to settings external to the urine environment. Anti-swarming effects were confounded by the ability of cranberry products to enhance biofilm formation in both LB and urine conditions. These findings provide key insights into the long-term strategy of targeting P. mirabilis CAUTIs.

Systematic synergy modeling: understanding drug synergy from a systems biology perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Di; Liu, Xi; Yang, Yiping; Yang, Hongjun; Lu, Peng

2015-09-16

Owing to drug synergy effects, drug combinations have become a new trend in combating complex diseases like cancer, HIV and cardiovascular diseases. However, conventional synergy quantification methods often depend on experimental dose-response data which are quite resource-demanding. In addition, these methods are unable to interpret the explicit synergy mechanism. In this review, we give representative examples of how systems biology modeling offers strategies toward better understanding of drug synergy, including the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network-based methods, pathway dynamic simulations, synergy network motif recognitions, integrative drug feature calculations, and "omic"-supported analyses. Although partially successful in drug synergy exploration and interpretation, more efforts should be put on a holistic understanding of drug-disease interactions, considering integrative pharmacology and toxicology factors. With a comprehensive and deep insight into the mechanism of drug synergy, systems biology opens a novel avenue for rational design of effective drug combinations.

210Pb content in phytocoenoses with cranberry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dushanskene-Duzh, R.F.; Butkus, V.F.

1983-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to study 210 Pb concentration levels in different biotopes of cranberry growing (Oxycoccus palustris Pers.), to determine concentration distribution of this radionuclide over the organs of this plant and to reveal the effect of ecological conditions on concentration levels. Material is collected in southern Lithua in five biotopes in the form of certain belts of plant communities: reed brushwood (mesotrophic place of groWth), lake mire (mesotrophic place of growing), grassy-forest belt (oligotropic bog), forest belt (low slope of the upper ologotrophic bog), head mire (central part of oligotrophic bog). It is stated that levels and distribution of 210 Pb concentration in cranberry organs growing in oligotrophic and mesotrophic biotopes are approximately equal. Its largest part is concentrated in roots, then come shoots with leaves and only negligible part falls on fruits. Direct correlation exists between 210 Pb concentration in roots and shoots with leaves, and back correlation exists between shoots with leaves and fruits

Pilot Study to Evaluate Compliance and Tolerability of Cranberry Capsules in Pregnancy for the Prevention of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wing, Deborah A; Rumney, Pamela J; Hindra, Sasha; Guzman, Lizette; Le, Jennifer; Nageotte, Michael

2015-11-01

To evaluate the compliance with and tolerability of daily cranberry capsule ingestion for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) prevention in pregnancy. A total of 49 pregnant women from two sites were randomly assigned to cranberry or matching placebo, two doses daily, at gestational ages less than 16 weeks. Patients were followed monthly for urinary tract infection until delivery. Up to seven monthly visits were scheduled for each patient. Delivery data were evaluated. Of 38 evaluable patients, the mean compliance rate over the study period was 82% (range, 20%-100%). This compliance rate and the 74% of patients achieving good (≥75%) compliance were similar between those who received cranberry capsules and placebo. Compliance evaluation revealed that most patients stopped capsule consumption after 34-38 weeks of participation. Multivariate logistic regression and longitudinal analysis showed a significant interaction time effect with cranberry treatment. However, cranberry consumption was not a significant predictor of gastrointestinal intolerance or study withdrawal. Although 30% of patients withdrew for various reasons, only 1 withdrew because of intolerance to the cranberry capsules. Loss to follow-up was mostly due to provider change (9 of 49 [18%]) and therapy disinterest (4 of 49 [8%]). Seven cases of ASB occurred in 5 patients: 2 of 24 (8%) in the cranberry group and 3 of 25 (12%) in the placebo group. No cases of cystitis or pyelonephritis were observed. One third of pregnant women could not complete the study protocol for various reasons. Compliance with and tolerability of cranberry capsule ingestion appear good; these capsules provide a potentially effective means to prevent ASB in pregnancy. Further studies with large samples are necessary to confirm the findings.

APPLE PHYTOCHEMICALS FOR HUMAN BENEFITS

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R. D. Chakole

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk. Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals. While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals

Microwave-Osmotic/Microwave-Vacuum Drying of Whole Cranberries: Comparison with Other Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Wray, Derek; Ramaswamy, Hosahalli S

2015-12-01

A novel drying method for frozen-thawed whole cranberries was developed by combining microwave osmotic dehydration under continuous flow medium spray (MWODS) conditions with microwave vacuum finish-drying. A central composite rotatable design was used to vary temperature (33 to 67 °C), osmotic solution concentration (33 to 67 °B), contact time (5 to 55 min), and flow rate (2.1 to 4.1 L/min) in order to the determine the effects of MWODS input parameters on quality of the dried berry. Quality indices monitored included colorimetric and textural data in addition to anthocyanin retention and cellular structure. Overall it was found that the MWODS-MWV process was able to produce dried cranberries with quality comparable to freeze dried samples in much shorter time. Additionally, cranberries dried via the novel process exhibited much higher quality than those dried via either vacuum or convective air drying in terms of color, anthocyanin content, and cellular structure. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Isotopic Exchange HPLC-HRMS/MS Applied to Cyclic Proanthocyanidins in Wine and Cranberries

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Edoardo; Rossetti, Fabrizio; Scampicchio, Matteo; Boselli, Emanuele

2018-01-01

Cyclic B-type proanthocyanidins in red wines and grapes have been discovered recently. However, proanthocyanidins of a different chemical structure (non-cyclic A-type proanthocyanidins) already known to be present in cranberries and wine possess an identical theoretical mass. As a matter of fact, the retention times and the MS/MS fragmentations found for the proposed novel cyclic B-type tetrameric proanthocyanidin in red wine and the known tetrameric proanthocyanidin in a cranberry extract are herein shown to be identical. Thus, hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange was applied to HPLC-HRMS/MS to confirm the actual chemical structure of the new oligomeric proanthocyanidins. The comparison of the results in water and deuterium oxide and between wine and cranberry extract indicates that the cyclic B-type tetrameric proanthocyanidin is the actual constituent of the recently proposed novel tetrameric species ([C60H49O24]+, m/z 1153.2608). Surprisingly, the same compound was also identified as the main tetrameric proanthocyanidin in cranberries. Finally, a totally new cyclic B-type hexameric proanthocyanidin ([C90H73O36]+, m/z 1729.3876) belonging to this novel class was identified for the first time in red wine. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Muscle synergy space: learning model to create an optimal muscle synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Alnajjar, Fady; Wojtara, Tytus; Kimura, Hidenori; Shimoda, Shingo

2013-01-01

Muscle redundancy allows the central nervous system (CNS) to choose a suitable combination of muscles from a number of options. This flexibility in muscle combinations allows for efficient behaviors to be generated in daily life. The computational mechanism of choosing muscle combinations, however, remains a long-standing challenge. One effective method of choosing muscle combinations is to create a set containing the muscle combinations of only efficient behaviors, and then to choose combinations from that set. The notion of muscle synergy, which was introduced to divide muscle activations into a lower-dimensional synergy space and time-dependent variables, is a suitable tool relevant to the discussion of this issue. The synergy space defines the suitable combinations of muscles, and time-dependent variables vary in lower-dimensional space to control behaviors. In this study, we investigated the mechanism the CNS may use to define the appropriate region and size of the synergy space when performing skilled behavior. Two indices were introduced in this study, one is the synergy stability index (SSI) that indicates the region of the synergy space, the other is the synergy coordination index (SCI) that indicates the size of the synergy space. The results on automatic posture response experiments show that SSI and SCI are positively correlated with the balance skill of the participants, and they are tunable by behavior training. These results suggest that the CNS has the ability to create optimal sets of efficient behaviors by optimizing the size of the synergy space at the appropriate region through interacting with the environment.

Effects of cranberry juice consumption on vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease123

Science.gov (United States)

Dohadwala, Mustali M; Holbrook, Monika; Hamburg, Naomi M; Shenouda, Sherene M; Chung, William B; Titas, Megan; Kluge, Matthew A; Wang, Na; Palmisano, Joseph; Milbury, Paul E; Blumberg, Jeffrey B; Vita, Joseph A

2011-01-01

Background: Cranberry juice contains polyphenolic compounds that could improve endothelial function and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Objective: The objective was to examine the effects of cranberry juice on vascular function in subjects with coronary artery disease. Design: We completed an acute pilot study with no placebo (n = 15) and a chronic placebo-controlled crossover study (n = 44) that examined the effects of cranberry juice on vascular function in subjects with coronary artery disease. Results: In the chronic crossover study, subjects with coronary heart disease consumed a research preparation of double-strength cranberry juice (54% juice, 835 mg total polyphenols, and 94 mg anthocyanins) or a matched placebo beverage (480 mL/d) for 4 wk each with a 2-wk rest period between beverages. Beverage order was randomly assigned, and participants refrained from consuming other flavonoid-containing beverages during the study. Vascular function was measured before and after each beverage, with follow-up testing ≥12 h after consumption of the last beverage. Mean (±SD) carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a measure of central aortic stiffness, decreased after cranberry juice (8.3 ± 2.3 to 7.8 ± 2.2 m/s) in contrast with an increase after placebo (8.0 ± 2.0 to 8.4 ± 2.8 m/s) (P = 0.003). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, digital pulse amplitude tonometry, blood pressure, and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity did not change. In the uncontrolled pilot study, we observed improved brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (7.7 ± 2.9% to 8.7 ± 3.1%, P = 0.01) and digital pulse amplitude tonometry ratio (0.10 ± 0.12 to 0.23 ± 0.16, P = 0.001) 4 h after consumption of a single 480-mL portion of cranberry juice. Conclusions: Chronic cranberry juice consumption reduced carotid femoral pulse wave velocity—a clinically relevant measure of arterial stiffness. The uncontrolled pilot study suggested an acute benefit; however, no chronic effect on measures of

New and Emerging Viruses of Blueberry and Cranberry

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James J. Polashock

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Blueberry and cranberry are fruit crops native to North America and they are well known for containing bioactive compounds that can benefit human health. Cultivation is expanding within North America and other parts of the world raising concern regarding distribution of existing viruses as well as the appearance of new viruses. Many of the known viruses of these crops are latent or asymptomatic in at least some cultivars. Diagnosis and detection procedures are often non-existent or unreliable. Whereas new viruses can move into cultivated fields from the wild, there is also the threat that devastating viruses can move into native stands of Vaccinium spp. or other native plants from cultivated fields. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of blueberry and cranberry viruses, focusing not only on those that are new but also those that are emerging as serious threats for production in North America and around the world.

New and Emerging Viruses of Blueberry and Cranberry

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Robert R.; Polashock, James J.; Tzanetakis, Ioannis E.

2012-01-01

Blueberry and cranberry are fruit crops native to North America and they are well known for containing bioactive compounds that can benefit human health. Cultivation is expanding within North America and other parts of the world raising concern regarding distribution of existing viruses as well as the appearance of new viruses. Many of the known viruses of these crops are latent or asymptomatic in at least some cultivars. Diagnosis and detection procedures are often non-existent or unreliable. Whereas new viruses can move into cultivated fields from the wild, there is also the threat that devastating viruses can move into native stands of Vaccinium spp. or other native plants from cultivated fields. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of blueberry and cranberry viruses, focusing not only on those that are new but also those that are emerging as serious threats for production in North America and around the world. PMID:23202507

Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits

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Liu Rui

2004-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk. Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals. While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals.

Daily cranberry juice for the prevention of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy: a randomized, controlled pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wing, Deborah A; Rumney, Pamela J; Preslicka, Christine W; Chung, Judith H

2008-10-01

We compared the effects of daily cranberry juice cocktail to those of placebo during pregnancy on asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic urinary tract infections. A total of 188 women were randomized to cranberry or placebo in 3 treatment arms of A-cranberry 3 times daily (58), B-cranberry at breakfast then placebo at lunch and dinner (67), and C-placebo 3 times daily (63). After 27.7% (52 of 188) of the subjects were enrolled in the study the dosing regimens were changed to twice daily dosing to improve compliance. There were 27 urinary tract infections in 18 subjects in this cohort, with 6 in 4 group A subjects, 10 in 7 group B subjects and 11 in 7 group C subjects (p = 0.71). There was a 57% and 41% reduction in the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria and all urinary tract infections, respectively, in the multiple daily dosing group. However, this study was not sufficiently powered at the alpha 0.05 level (CI 0.14-1.39 and 0.22-1.60, respectively, incidence rate ratios). Of 188 subjects 73 (38.8%) withdrew, most for gastrointestinal upset. These data suggest there may be a protective effect of cranberry ingestion against asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic urinary tract infections in pregnancy. Further studies are planned to evaluate this effect.

Understanding synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Geary, Nori

2013-02-01

Analysis of the interactive effects of combinations of hormones or other manipulations with qualitatively similar individual effects is an important topic in basic and clinical endocrinology as well as other branches of basic and clinical research related to integrative physiology. Functional, as opposed to mechanistic, analyses of interactions rely on the concept of synergy, which can be defined qualitatively as a cooperative action or quantitatively as a supra-additive effect according to some metric for the addition of different dose-effect curves. Unfortunately, dose-effect curve addition is far from straightforward; rather, it requires the development of an axiomatic mathematical theory. I review the mathematical soundness, face validity, and utility of the most frequently used approaches to supra-additive synergy. These criteria highlight serious problems in the two most common synergy approaches, response additivity and Loewe additivity, which is the basis of the isobole and related response surface approaches. I conclude that there is no adequate, generally applicable, supra-additive synergy metric appropriate for endocrinology or any other field of basic and clinical integrative physiology. I recommend that these metrics be abandoned in favor of the simpler definition of synergy as a cooperative, i.e., nonantagonistic, effect. This simple definition avoids mathematical difficulties, is easily applicable, meets regulatory requirements for combination therapy development, and suffices to advance phenomenological basic research to mechanistic studies of interactions and clinical combination therapy research.

Prevention of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria with Cranberries and Roselle Juice in Home-care Patients with Long-term Urinary Catheterization

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Shu-Chuan Lin

2014-09-01

Conclusion: Based on our results, neither Roselle tea nor cranberry juice was able to reduce the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria. It is inferred that cranberry juice or Roselle tea can only be used in ordinary day health care for the urinary tract.

Hand Grasping Synergies As Biometrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Vrajeshri; Thukral, Poojita; Burns, Martin K; Florescu, Ionut; Chandramouli, Rajarathnam; Vinjamuri, Ramana

2017-01-01

Recently, the need for more secure identity verification systems has driven researchers to explore other sources of biometrics. This includes iris patterns, palm print, hand geometry, facial recognition, and movement patterns (hand motion, gait, and eye movements). Identity verification systems may benefit from the complexity of human movement that integrates multiple levels of control (neural, muscular, and kinematic). Using principal component analysis, we extracted spatiotemporal hand synergies (movement synergies) from an object grasping dataset to explore their use as a potential biometric. These movement synergies are in the form of joint angular velocity profiles of 10 joints. We explored the effect of joint type, digit, number of objects, and grasp type. In its best configuration, movement synergies achieved an equal error rate of 8.19%. While movement synergies can be integrated into an identity verification system with motion capture ability, we also explored a camera-ready version of hand synergies-postural synergies. In this proof of concept system, postural synergies performed well, but only when specific postures were chosen. Based on these results, hand synergies show promise as a potential biometric that can be combined with other hand-based biometrics for improved security.

The American cranberry crowned jewel of the bog at the 2014 U.S.A. Science & Engineering Festival

Science.gov (United States)

For researchers in Dr. Juan Zalapa’s Cranberry Genetics and Genomics Lab, part of the USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit, cranberries are more than a side dish on their Thanksgiving tables, they are the main course in their daily studies. The majority of these little red super-fruits come from t...

Hand Grasping Synergies As Biometrics

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Ramana Vinjamuri

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Recently, the need for more secure identity verification systems has driven researchers to explore other sources of biometrics. This includes iris patterns, palm print, hand geometry, facial recognition, and movement patterns (hand motion, gait, and eye movements. Identity verification systems may benefit from the complexity of human movement that integrates multiple levels of control (neural, muscular, and kinematic. Using principal component analysis, we extracted spatiotemporal hand synergies (movement synergies from an object grasping dataset to explore their use as a potential biometric. These movement synergies are in the form of joint angular velocity profiles of 10 joints. We explored the effect of joint type, digit, number of objects, and grasp type. In its best configuration, movement synergies achieved an equal error rate of 8.19%. While movement synergies can be integrated into an identity verification system with motion capture ability, we also explored a camera-ready version of hand synergies—postural synergies. In this proof of concept system, postural synergies performed well, but only when specific postures were chosen. Based on these results, hand synergies show promise as a potential biometric that can be combined with other hand-based biometrics for improved security.

Effects of Blueberry and Cranberry Juice Consumption on the Plasma Antioxidant Capacity of Healthy Female Volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen(Vægter), Christian Bjerggaard; Kyle, J; Jenkinson, AM

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether consumption of 500 ml of blueberry juice or cranberry juice by healthy female subjects increased plasma phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. DESIGN: Latin square arrangement to eliminate ordering effects. After an overnight fast, nine volunteers consumed 500 ml...... of blueberry juice, cranberry juice or a sucrose solution (control); each volunteer participated on three occasions one week apart, consuming one of the beverages each time. Blood samples were obtained by venipuncture at intervals up to four hours after consumption of the juices. Urine samples were also......-120 min. This corresponded to a 30% increase in vitamin C and a small but significant increase in total phenols in plasma. Consumption of blueberry juice had no such effects. CONCLUSION: The increase in plasma antioxidant capacity following consumption of cranberry juice could mainly be accounted...

Synergies between energy supply networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Jianzhnog; Yan, Jinyue; Desideri, Umberto

2017-01-01

Energy system integration uses a whole-system approach to optimize the synergies between energy supply networks to facilitate and coordinate the grid integration of distributed energy resources while enabling the synergies and conflicts between the local distribution networks and the national lev...... and integration of local renewables including solar energy wind geothermal waste heat and biomass is presented.......Energy system integration uses a whole-system approach to optimize the synergies between energy supply networks to facilitate and coordinate the grid integration of distributed energy resources while enabling the synergies and conflicts between the local distribution networks and the national level...... objectives to be understood and optimally coordinated. The latest research on the network coupling technologies analysis of synergies between energy supply networks and optimal use of synergies in network operation is discussed. A diagram on the possible interactions between different energy networks...

Identification and field evaluation of attractants for the cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus Say.

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Szendrei, Zsofia; Averill, Anne; Alborn, Hans; Rodriguez-Saona, Cesar

2011-04-01

Studies were conducted to develop an attractant for the cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus, a pest of blueberry and cranberry flower buds and flowers in the northeastern United States. In previous studies, we showed that cinnamyl alcohol, the most abundant blueberry floral volatile, and the green leaf volatiles (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and hexyl acetate, emitted from both flowers and flower buds, elicit strong antennal responses from A. musculus. Here, we found that cinnamyl alcohol did not increase capture of A. musculus adults on yellow sticky traps compared with unbaited controls; however, weevils were highly attracted to traps baited with the Anthonomus eugenii Cano aggregation pheromone, indicating that these congeners share common pheromone components. To identify the A. musculus aggregation pheromone, headspace volatiles were collected from adults feeding on blueberry or cranberry flower buds and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Three male-specific compounds were identified: (Z)-2-(3,3-dimethyl-cyclohexylidene) ethanol (Z grandlure II); (Z)-(3,3-dimethylcyclohexylidene) acetaldehyde (grandlure III); and (E)-(3,3- dimethylcyclohexylidene) acetaldehyde (grandlure IV). A fourth component, (E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol (geraniol), was emitted in similar quantities by males and females. The emission rates of these volatiles were about 2.8, 1.8, 1.3, and 0.9 ng/adult/d, respectively. Field experiments in highbush blueberry (New Jersey) and cranberry (Massachusetts) examined the attraction of A. musculus to traps baited with the male-produced compounds and geraniol presented alone and combined with (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and hexyl acetate, and to traps baited with the pheromones of A. eugenii and A. grandis. In both states and crops, traps baited with the A. musculus male-produced compounds attracted the highest number of adults. Addition of the green leaf volatiles did not affect A. musculus attraction to its pheromone but skewed the sex ratio

Automated cycled sprinkler irrigation for spring frost protection of cranberries

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Sprinkler irrigation is essential for preventing spring frost bud damage in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait). Risk-averse growers have been reluctant to adopt the intermittent cycling of irrigation pumps as a standard management practice. In the spring of 2013 and 2014, an experiment was conduc...

Effects of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and bumble bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) presence on cranberry (Ericales: Ericaceae) pollination.

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Evans, E C; Spivak, M

2006-06-01

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., are frequently used to pollinate commercial cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait., but information is lacking on the relative contribution of honey bees and native bees, the effects of surrounding vegetation on bee visitation, and on optimal timing for honey bee introduction. We begin with a descriptive study of numbers of honey bees, bumble bees, and other bees visiting cranberry blossoms, and their subsequent effect on cranberry yield, on three cranberry properties in 1999. The property surrounded by agricultural land, as opposed to wetlands and woodlands, had fewer numbers of all bee types. In 2000, one property did not introduce honey bee colonies, providing an opportunity to document the effect of lack of honey bees on yield. With no honey bees, plants along the edge of the bed had significantly higher berry weights compared with nonedge plants, suggesting that wild pollinators were only effective along the edge. Comparing the same bed between 1999, with three honey bee colonies per acre, and 2000, with no honey bees, we found a significant reduction in average berry size. In 2000, we compared stigma loading on properties with and without honey bees. Significantly more stigmas received the minimum number of tetrads required for fruit set on the property with honey bees. Significantly more tetrads were deposited during mid-bloom compared with early bloom, indicating that mid-bloom was the best time to have honey bees present. This study emphasizes the importance and effectiveness of honey bees as pollinators of commercial size cranberry plantings.

LHC-ILC synergy

CERN Document Server

Godbole, Rohini M

2006-01-01

I will begin by making a few general comments on the synergy between the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which will go in action in 2007 and the International Linear Collider (ILC) which is under planning. I will then focus on the synergy between the LHC and the PLC option at the ILC, which is expected to be realised in the later stages of the ILC program. In this I will cover the possible synergy in the Higgs sector (with and without CP violation), in the determination of the anomalous vector boson couplings and last but not the least, in the search for extra dimensions and radions.

Effect of acid whey and freeze-dried cranberries on lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition of nitrite-/nitrate-free fermented sausage made from deer meat

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Małgorzata Karwowska

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective This study evaluated the effect of acid whey and freeze-dried cranberries on the physicochemical characteristics, lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition of nitrite-free fermented sausage made from deer meat and pork fat. Antioxidant interactions between acid whey and cranberry compounds were also explored. Methods Four formulations of fermented venison sausage were prepared: F1 (control, F2 (with 5% liquid acid whey, F3 (with 0.06% of freeze-dried cranberries, and F4 (with 5% liquid acid whey and 0.06% of freeze-dried cranberries. Each sample was analyzed for pH, water activity (aw, heme iron content, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS value and conjugated dienes at the end of the manufacturing process and at 30 and 90 days of refrigerated storage. Fatty acid composition was measured once at the end of the manufacturing process. Results At the end of ripening, all samples presented statistically different values for a pH range of 4.47 to pH 4.59. The sum of the unsaturated fatty acids was higher, while the conjugated diene and the TBARS values were lower in sausages with freeze-dried cranberries as compared to the control sausage. The highest content of heme iron (21.52 mg/kg at day 90 was found in the sausage formulation with the addition of freeze-dried cranberries, which suggests that the addition of cranberries stabilized the porphyrin ring of the heme molecule during storage and thereby reduced the release of iron. The use of liquid acid whey in combination with cranberries appears to not be justified in view of the oxidative stability of the obtained products. Conclusion The results suggest that the application of freeze-dried cranberries can lower the intensity of oxidative changes during the storage of nitrite-free fermented sausage made from deer meat.

Cranberry SSR multiplexing panels for DNA horticultural fingerprinting and genetic studies

Science.gov (United States)

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is in need of inexpensive high-throughput DNA fingerprinting methods for genetic research and germplasm purity testing for agricultural purposes. Therefore, we designed and validated 16-multiplexing panels containing 61 evenly distributed simple sequence (SSR) marke...

Construction of a high-density American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) composite map using genotyping-by-sequencing for multi-pedigree linkage mapping

Science.gov (United States)

The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is a recently domesticated, but economically important, fruit crop with limited molecular resources. New genetic resources could accelerate genetic gain in cranberry through characterization of its genomic structure and by enabling molecular-assist...

The effect of cranberry juice and cranberry proanthocyanidins on the infectivity of human enteric viral surrogates.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xiaowei; Howell, Amy B; D'Souza, Doris H

2010-06-01

The effect of cranberry juice (CJ) and cranberry proanthocyanidins (PAC) on the infectivity of human enteric virus surrogates, murine norovirus (MNV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV-F9), MS2(ssRNA) bacteriophage, and phiX-174(ssDNA) bacteriophage was studied. Viruses at high (approximately 7 log(10) PFU/ml) or low (approximately 5 log(10) PFU/ml) titers were mixed with equal volumes of CJ, 0.30, 0.60, and 1.20 mg/ml final PAC concentration, or water and incubated for 1 h at room temperature. Viral infectivity after treatments was evaluated using standardized plaque assays. At low viral titers, FCV-F9 was undetectable after exposure to CJ or the three tested PAC solutions. MNV-1 was reduced by 2.06 log(10) PFU/ml with CJ, and 2.63, 2.75, and 2.95 log(10) PFU/ml with 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/ml PAC, respectively. MS2 titers were reduced by 1.14 log(10) PFU/ml with CJ, and 0.55, 0.80, and 0.96 log(10) PFU/ml with 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/ml PAC, respectively. phi-X174 titers were reduced by 1.79 log(10) PFU/ml with CJ, and 1.95, 3.67, and 4.98 log(10) PFU/ml with PAC at 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/ml, respectively. Experiments using high titers showed similar trends but with decreased effects. CJ and PAC show promise as natural antivirals that could potentially be exploited for foodborne viral illness treatment and prevention. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial activity and synergy of antibiotics with two biphenyl compounds, protosappanins A and B from Sappan Lignum against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Guo-Ying; Han, Zong-Qi; Han, Jun; Hao, Xiao-Yan; Tang, Hua-Shu; Wang, Gen-Chun

2015-10-01

This study aims to investigate antimicrobial ingredients from Sappan Lignum and to evaluate their synergy on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains with antibiotics. Bioactivity-guided phytochemical procedures were used to screen the active compounds. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were assayed by broth microdilution. The synergy was evaluated through checkerboard microdilution and loss of viability assays. Protosappanins A (PsA) and B (PsB) were identified from Sappan Lignum extracts. They showed active against both S. aureus and MRSA with MIC or MIC50 at 64 (PsA) and 128 (PsB) mg/L alone. When they were used in combination with antibiotics, they showed best synergy with amikacin and gentamicin with MIC50 (mg/L) of amikacin reduced more significantly from 32 to four (with PsA) and eight (with PsB), and the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) ranged between 0.078 and 0.500 (FICI50  = 0.375). Moreover, the resistance of MRSA towards amikacin and gentamicin could be reversed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria. The combined bactericidal mode could as well be synergy. PsA and PsB showed very low cytotoxicity in comparison with their promising activity against MRSA. Protosappanins A and B showed both alone activities and resistance reversal effects of amikacin and gentamicin against MRSA, which warrant further investigations for potential combinatory therapy of MRSA infection. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Conserving carnivorous arthropods: an example from early-season cranberry (Ericaceae) flooding

Science.gov (United States)

Biological control plays an important role in many IPM programs, but can be disrupted by other control strategies, including chemical and cultural controls. In commercial cranberry production, a spring flood can replace an insecticide application, providing an opportunity to study the compatibility ...

Cranberry syrup vs trimethoprim in the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections among children: a controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uberos J

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Jose Uberos,1 Mercedes Nogueras-Ocana,2 Verónica Fernandez-Puentes,1 Rocio Rodriguez-Belmonte,1 Eduardo Narbona-López,1 Antonio Molina-Carballo,1 Antonio Munoz-Hoyos11Paediatric Clinical Management Unit, San Cecilio University Clinical Hospital, Avda de Madrid s/n, Granada, Spain; 2Paediatric Urology, San Cecilio University Clinical Hospital, Avda de Madrid s/n, Granada, SpainObjectives: The present study forms part of the ISRCTN16968287 clinical assay. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cranberry syrup in the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI.Design: Phase III randomized clinical trial.Setting: The study was conducted at the San Cecilio Clinical Hospital (Granada, Spain.Participants: A total of 192 patients were recruited. The subjects were aged between 1 month and 13 years. Criteria for inclusion were a background of recurrent UTI (more than two episodes of infection in the last 6 months, associated or otherwise with vesicoureteral reflux of any degree, or renal pelvic dilatation associated with UTI. Criteria for exclusion from recruitment to the study included the co-existence of UTI with other infectious diseases or with metabolic diseases, chronic renal insufficiency, and the presence of allergy or intolerance to any of the components of cranberry syrup or trimethoprim.Primary outcome measures: The primary objective was to determine the risk of UTI associated with each intervention.Results: Of the 198 patients initially eligible, 192 were finally included in the study to receive either cranberry syrup or trimethoprim. UTI was observed in 47 patients, 17 of whom were males and 30 females. We recruited 95 patients diagnosed with recurrent UTI on entry; during follow-up, 26 patients had a UTI (27.4%, 95% CI: 18.4%–36.3%. Six patients (6.3% were male and 20 (21.1% were female. Eighteen patients (18.9% of the total, 95% CI: 11%–26.3% receiving trimethoprim had a UTI and eight patients (8

Phytochemical Screening and Preliminary Evaluation of Analgesic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, the methanolic root extract of Cissus polyantha was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening, analgesic and anti-inflammatory studies. Phytochemical studies was carried out using standard phytochemical protocol while the analgesic studies was carried out using acetic acid-induced writhing tests in ...

Phytochemical Screening and Thrombolytic Activity of Chloroform ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present study was designed to investigate thrombolytic properties of chloroform extract of Urena sinuata along with phytochemical study for the presence of phytochemical constituents. The concentrated extracts were collected and allow to air dry for complete evaporation of chloroform. Phytochemical analyses were ...

Phytochemical screening, proximate analysis and acute toxicity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening results indicate the presence of saponins, flavonoids, phytosterols and phenols. Acute toxicity study showed there was no mortality at 8000 mg/kg of the extract. The results indicate that the plant is rich in phytochemicals and is relatively safe. Key words: Phytochemicals, acute toxicity, proximate ...

Influence of Pollen, Chia Seeds and Cranberries Addition on the Physical and Probiotics Characteristics of Yogurt

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Carmen Pop

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Yoghurt is a fermented milk product obtained from fermentation of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus strains. The effect of bee pollen, chia seeds and cranberries on the viability of probiotic bacteria in yogurts during storage (21 days at refrigerated temperature (4°C was evaluated. The yogurt supplementation with 1,4 % chia seeds and 7,6% cranberries significantly improves the stability of the lactic acid bacteria, that contained the recommended levels of (106–107 cfu/g probiotic bacteria at the end of 21-day shelf life.

7 CFR 929.56 - Special provisions relating to withheld (restricted) cranberries.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

...) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and Orders; Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts), DEPARTMENT OF... beginning of the marketing season of each fiscal period with respect to which the marketing policy proposes... dealers, (3) The prices at which cranberries are being sold for processing in products, (4) The prices at...

Flight Synchrony among the Major Moth Pests of Cranberries in the Upper Midwest, USA

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Shawn A. Steffan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii Riley, sparganothis fruitworm (Sparganothis sulfureana Clemens, and blackheaded fireworm (Rhopobota naevana Hübner are historically significant pests of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton in the Upper Midwest (Wisconsin, USA. Their respective natural histories are well documented but correlations between developmental benchmarks (e.g., larval eclosion and degree-day accruals are not yet known. Treatment timings are critical to the optimization of any given control tactic, and degree-day accrual facilitates optimization by quantifying the developmental status of pest populations. When key developmental benchmarks in the pest life cycle are linked to degree-days, real-time weather data can be used to predict precise treatment timings. Here, we provide the degree-day accumulations associated with discrete biological events (i.e., initiation of flight and peak flight for the three most consistent moth pests of cranberries in Wisconsin. Moths were trapped each spring and summer from 2003 to 2011. To characterize flight dynamics and average timing of flight initiation, pheromone-baited trap-catch data were tallied for all three pest species within each of seven growing seasons. These flight dynamics were then associated with the corresponding degree-day accumulations generated using the cranberry plant’s developmental thresholds. Finally, models were fit to the data in order to determine the peak flight of each species. The initiation of the spring flight among all three moth species was highly synchronous, aiding in the timing of control tactics; however, there were substantial differences in the timing of peak flight among the moth species. Characterization of the relationship between temperature and pest development allows pest management professionals to target specific life stages, improving the efficacy of any given pest control tactic.

Can Cranberries Contribute to Reduce the Incidence of Urinary Tract Infections? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of Clinical Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Luís, Ângelo; Domingues, Fernanda; Pereira, Luísa

2017-09-01

We sought to clarify the association between cranberry intake and the prevention of urinary tract infections. This systematic review, which complies with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statement, was done as a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of clinical trials. The findings clearly showed the potential use of cranberries for the clinical condition of urinary tract infection. Cranberry products significantly reduced the incidence of urinary tract infections as indicated by the weighted risk ratio (0.6750, 95% CI 0.5516-0.7965, p urinary tract infections were more susceptible to the effects of cranberry ingestion. The results of the current study could be used by physicians to recommend cranberry ingestion to decrease the incidence of urinary tract infections, particularly in individuals with recurrent urinary tract infections. This would also reduce the administration of antibiotics, which could be beneficial since antibiotics can lead to the worldwide emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synergy cycles in the Norwegian innovation system: The relation between synergy and cycle values

OpenAIRE

Inga Ivanova; Oivind Strand; Loet Leydesdorff

2014-01-01

The knowledge base of an economy measured in terms of Triple Helix relations can be analyzed in terms of mutual information among geographical, sectorial, and size distributions of firms as dimensions of the probabilistic entropy. The resulting synergy values of a TH system provide static snapshots. In this study, we add the time dimension and analyze the synergy dynamics using the Norwegian innovation system as an example. The synergy among the three dimensions can be mapped as a set of part...

Synergy disclosures in mergers and acquisitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.D.R.P. Dutordoir (Marie); P.G.J. Roosenboom (Peter); M. Teixeira de Vasconcelos (Manuel)

2013-01-01

textabstractWe examine bidding firms’ motives for disclosing a synergy forecast when announcing a merger or acquisition. Our sample consists of 1,990 M&A deals, of which 345 announce synergy estimates. Our results suggest that synergy disclosures serve to obtain a more favorable market reception for

Rapid flow cytometry analysis of antimicrobial properties of nettle powder and cranberry powder

Science.gov (United States)

Hattuniemi, Maarit; Korhonen, Johanna; Jaakkola, Mari; Räty, Jarkko; Virtanen, Vesa

2010-11-01

Both nettle (Urtica dioica) and cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus) are widely known to have good influence on health. The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial properties of nettle powder and cranberry powder against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and monitor the growth of the bacteria by a rapid flow cytometry (FCM) method. For FCM measurements samples were stained with fluorescent dyes. The inhibitory effects of plant material on growth of E. coli were estimated by comparing the results of control sample (E. coli) to E. coli samples with plant material. FCM offers both a brilliant tool to investigate the kinetics of the growth of bacterium, since subsamples can be taken from the same liquid medium during the growing period and with fluorescent dyes a rapid method to investigate viability of the bacterium.

The Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) reduction program: using cranberry treatment to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections and avoid Medicare payment reduction penalties.

Science.gov (United States)

Saitone, T L; Sexton, R J; Sexton Ward, A

2018-01-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established a total HAC scoring methodology to rank hospitals based upon their HAC performance. Hospitals that rank in the lowest quartile based on their HAC score are subject to a 1% reduction in their total Medicare reimbursements. In FY 2017, 769 hospitals incurred payment reductions totaling $430 million. This study analyzes how improvements in the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), based on the implementation of a cranberry-treatment regimen, impact hospitals' HAC scores and likelihood of avoiding the Medicare-reimbursement penalty. A simulation model is developed and implemented using public data from the CMS' Hospital Compare website to determine how hospitals' unilateral and simultaneous adoption of cranberry to improve CAUTI outcomes can affect HAC scores and the likelihood of a hospital incurring the Medicare payment reduction, given results on cranberry effectiveness in preventing CAUTI based on scientific trials. The simulation framework can be adapted to consider other initiatives to improve hospitals' HAC scores. Nearly all simulated hospitals improved their overall HAC score by adopting cranberry as a CAUTI preventative, assuming mean effectiveness from scientific trials. Many hospitals with HAC scores in the lowest quartile of the HAC-score distribution and subject to Medicare reimbursement reductions can improve their scores sufficiently through adopting a cranberry-treatment regimen to avoid payment reduction. The study was unable to replicate exactly the data used by CMS to establish HAC scores for FY 2018. The study assumes that hospitals subject to the Medicare payment reduction were not using cranberry as a prophylactic treatment for their catheterized patients, but is unable to confirm that this is true in all cases. The study also assumes that hospitalized catheter

Motor synergies and the equilibrium-point hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Latash, Mark L

2010-07-01

The article offers a way to unite three recent developments in the field of motor control and coordination: (1) The notion of synergies is introduced based on the principle of motor abundance; (2) The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis is described as offering a computational framework to identify and quantify synergies; and (3) The equilibrium-point hypothesis is described for a single muscle, single joint, and multijoint systems. Merging these concepts into a single coherent scheme requires focusing on control variables rather than performance variables. The principle of minimal final action is formulated as the guiding principle within the referent configuration hypothesis. Motor actions are associated with setting two types of variables by a controller, those that ultimately define average performance patterns and those that define associated synergies. Predictions of the suggested scheme are reviewed, such as the phenomenon of anticipatory synergy adjustments, quick actions without changes in synergies, atypical synergies, and changes in synergies with practice. A few models are briefly reviewed.

Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry quantification of urinary proanthocyanin A2 dimer and its potential use as a biomarker of cranberry intake

Science.gov (United States)

The lack of a biomarker for the consumption of cranberries has confounded the interpretation of several studies investigating the effect of cranberry products, especially juices, on health outcomes. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric ...

Phytochemicals Perturb Membranes and Promiscuously Alter Protein Function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingólfsson, Helgi I; Thakur, Pratima; Herold, Karl F; Hobart, E Ashley; Ramsey, Nicole B; Periole, Xavier; de Jong, Djurre H; Zwama, Martijn; Yilmaz, Duygu; Hall, Katherine; Maretzky, Thorsten; Hemmings, Hugh C; Blobel, Carl; Marrink, Siewert J; Kocer, Armagan; Sack, Jon T; Andersen, Olaf S

A wide variety of phytochemicals are consumed for their perceived health benefits. Many of these phytochemicals have been found to alter numerous cell functions, but the mechanisms underlying their biological activity tend to be poorly understood. Phenolic phytochemicals are particularly promiscuous

Phytochemicals Perturb Membranes and Promiscuously Alter Protein Function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingólfsson, Helgi I; Thakur, Pratima; Herold, Karl F; Hobart, E Ashley; Ramsey, Nicole B; Periole, Xavier; de Jong, Djurre H; Zwama, Martijn; Yilmaz, Duygu; Hall, Katherine; Maretzky, Thorsten; Hemmings, Hugh C; Blobel, Carl; Marrink, Siewert J; Kocer, Armagan; Sack, Jon T; Andersen, Olaf S

2014-01-01

A wide variety of phytochemicals are consumed for their perceived health benefits. Many of these phytochemicals have been found to alter numerous cell functions, but the mechanisms underlying their biological activity tend to be poorly understood. Phenolic phytochemicals are particularly promiscuous

Modeling the impacts of wetland restoration in former cranberry farms on nitrogen removal

Science.gov (United States)

In population-dense Massachusetts (USA) acquiring historical wetlands for ecological restoration efforts can be difficult and expensive. Retiring cranberry bogs create a rare opportunity to restore historical wetlands. Environmental managers face important decisions about how to ...

Dietary antioxidant synergy in chemical and biological systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sunan; Zhu, Fan

2017-07-24

Antioxidant (AOX) synergies have been much reported in chemical ("test-tube" based assays focusing on pure chemicals), biological (tissue culture, animal and clinical models), and food systems during the past decade. Tentative synergies differ from each other due to the composition of AOX and the quantification methods. Regeneration mechanism responsible for synergy in chemical systems has been discussed. Solvent effects could contribute to the artifacts of synergy observed in the chemical models. Synergy in chemical models may hardly be relevant to biological systems that have been much less studied. Apparent discrepancies exist in understanding the molecular mechanisms in both chemical and biological systems. This review discusses diverse variables associated with AOX synergy and molecular scenarios for explanation. Future research to better utilize the synergy is suggested.

Preliminary Phytochemical and Physicochemical Characterization of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To carry out phytochemical and physicochemical studies on the leaves of Gynura segetum. Methods: Preliminary phytochemical and physicochemical studies using chromatographic techniques,were carried out, Parameters evaluated include ash value, loss on drying and extractive value, amongst others.

Sensory Synergy as Environmental Input Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fady eAlnajjar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The development of a method to feed proper environmental inputs back to the central nervous system (CNS remains one of the challenges in achieving natural movement when part of the body is replaced with an artificial device. Muscle synergies are widely accepted as a biologically plausible interpretation of the neural dynamics between the CNS and the muscular system. Yet the sensorineural dynamics of environmental feedback to the CNS has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we address this issue by exploring the concept of sensory synergy. In contrast to muscle synergy, we hypothesize that sensory synergy plays an essential role in integrating the overall environmental inputs to provide low-dimensional information to the CNS. We assume that sensor synergy and muscle synergy communicate using these low-dimensional signals. To examine our hypothesis, we conducted posture control experiments involving lateral disturbance with 9 healthy participants. Proprioceptive information represented by the changes on muscle lengths were estimated by using the musculoskeletal model analysis software SIMM. Changes on muscles lengths were then used to compute sensory synergies. The experimental results indicate that the environmental inputs were translated into the two dimensional signals and used to move the upper limb to the desired position immediately after the lateral disturbance. Participants who showed high skill in posture control were found to be likely to have a strong correlation between sensory and muscle signaling as well as high coordination between the utilized sensory synergies. These results suggest the importance of integrating environmental inputs into suitable low-dimensional signals before providing them to the CNS. This mechanism should be essential when designing the prosthesis’ sensory system to make the controller simpler

Sensory synergy as environmental input integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Alnajjar, Fady; Itkonen, Matti; Berenz, Vincent; Tournier, Maxime; Nagai, Chikara; Shimoda, Shingo

2014-01-01

The development of a method to feed proper environmental inputs back to the central nervous system (CNS) remains one of the challenges in achieving natural movement when part of the body is replaced with an artificial device. Muscle synergies are widely accepted as a biologically plausible interpretation of the neural dynamics between the CNS and the muscular system. Yet the sensorineural dynamics of environmental feedback to the CNS has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we address this issue by exploring the concept of sensory synergy. In contrast to muscle synergy, we hypothesize that sensory synergy plays an essential role in integrating the overall environmental inputs to provide low-dimensional information to the CNS. We assume that sensor synergy and muscle synergy communicate using these low-dimensional signals. To examine our hypothesis, we conducted posture control experiments involving lateral disturbance with nine healthy participants. Proprioceptive information represented by the changes on muscle lengths were estimated by using the musculoskeletal model analysis software SIMM. Changes on muscles lengths were then used to compute sensory synergies. The experimental results indicate that the environmental inputs were translated into the two dimensional signals and used to move the upper limb to the desired position immediately after the lateral disturbance. Participants who showed high skill in posture control were found to be likely to have a strong correlation between sensory and muscle signaling as well as high coordination between the utilized sensory synergies. These results suggest the importance of integrating environmental inputs into suitable low-dimensional signals before providing them to the CNS. This mechanism should be essential when designing the prosthesis' sensory system to make the controller simpler.

Phytochemicals perturb membranes and promiscuously alter protein function.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingólfsson, Helgi I; Thakur, Pratima; Herold, Karl F; Hobart, E Ashley; Ramsey, Nicole B; Periole, Xavier; de Jong, Djurre H; Zwama, Martijn; Yilmaz, Duygu; Hall, Katherine; Maretzky, Thorsten; Hemmings, Hugh C; Blobel, Carl; Marrink, Siewert J; Koçer, Armağan; Sack, Jon T; Andersen, Olaf S

2014-08-15

A wide variety of phytochemicals are consumed for their perceived health benefits. Many of these phytochemicals have been found to alter numerous cell functions, but the mechanisms underlying their biological activity tend to be poorly understood. Phenolic phytochemicals are particularly promiscuous modifiers of membrane protein function, suggesting that some of their actions may be due to a common, membrane bilayer-mediated mechanism. To test whether bilayer perturbation may underlie this diversity of actions, we examined five bioactive phenols reported to have medicinal value: capsaicin from chili peppers, curcumin from turmeric, EGCG from green tea, genistein from soybeans, and resveratrol from grapes. We find that each of these widely consumed phytochemicals alters lipid bilayer properties and the function of diverse membrane proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations show that these phytochemicals modify bilayer properties by localizing to the bilayer/solution interface. Bilayer-modifying propensity was verified using a gramicidin-based assay, and indiscriminate modulation of membrane protein function was demonstrated using four proteins: membrane-anchored metalloproteases, mechanosensitive ion channels, and voltage-dependent potassium and sodium channels. Each protein exhibited similar responses to multiple phytochemicals, consistent with a common, bilayer-mediated mechanism. Our results suggest that many effects of amphiphilic phytochemicals are due to cell membrane perturbations, rather than specific protein binding.

Phytochemical Screening, Antibacterial and Toxicological Activities ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical screening, antibacterial and toxicological activities of extracts of the stem bark of Acacia senegal were investigated. The phytochemical analyses according to standard screening tests using conventional protocols revealed the presence of tannins, saponins and sterols in the stem bark of the plant.

Proximate composition, phytochemical screening and antianaemic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, the phytochemical screening and anti-anaemic effect of Aloe barbadensis leaves was investigated in nutritionally stressed rats. Preliminary phytochemical screening test of the plant revealed that it contained tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, saponins, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. Sets of male albino ...

A combination of grapefruit seed extract and concentrated cranberry juice as a potential antimicrobial preservative for the improvement of microbiological stability of hypromellose gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernatoniene, Jurga; Keraitė, Rasa; Masteiková, Ruta; Pavilonis, Alvydas; Savickas, Arūnas

2013-10-01

Aqueous hypromellose gels are not microbiologically stable - they show signs of microorganism growth during storage. To extend the shelf-life of the gels, antimicrobial preservatives are needed. Some substances of plant origin are known for their antimicrobial properties, and thus they may be used as an alternative to synthetic preservatives. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological stability of aqueous hypromellose gel and the effectiveness of natural substances - grapefruit seed extract (GSE), concentrated cranberry juice, and a combination thereof - on the antimicrobial protection of the gel. The evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of GSE and cranberry juice showed that their antimicrobial effects differed. Both cranberry juice and GSE inhibited the growth of the standard gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but the effect of GSE was significantly stronger. Candida albicans was sensitive only to GSE. For this reason, in order to affect all the microorganisms studied, either a combination of 0.7% GSE and 10% cranberry juice, or 5% GSE alone may be used. The combination of GSE and cranberry juice was effective only in acidic medium (pH being 2.5-5), while the antimicrobial effect of GSE was not dependent on the pH value.

Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry quantification of urinary proanthocyanin A2 dimer and its potential use as a biomarker of cranberry intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Jason M; Ren, Xiaobai; Zampariello, Carly; Polasky, Daniel A; McKay, Diane L; Blumberg, Jeffrey B; Chen, C-Y Oliver

2016-01-01

The lack of a biomarker for the consumption of cranberries has confounded the interpretation of several studies investigating the effect of cranberry products, especially juices, on health outcomes. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric method for the quantification of the proanthocyanin dimer A-2 in human urine and validate urinary proanthocyanin dimer A-2 as a biomarker of cranberry intake. Five healthy, nonsmoking, premenopausal women (20-30 years of age, body mass index: 18.5-25 kg/m(2) ) were assigned to consume a cranberry beverage containing 140 mg proanthocyanin and 35 kilocalories at 237 mL/day, according to a weekly dosing schedule for 7 weeks. Eleven 24 h and morning spot urine samples each were collected from each subject. A reliable, sensitive method for the detection of proanthocyanin dimer A-2 in urine using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed with a limit of quantitation of 0.25 ng/mL and a relative standard deviation of 7.26%, precision of 5.7%, and accuracy of 91.7%. While proanthocyanin dimer A-2 was quantifiable in urine, it did not appear to be excreted in a concentration that corresponded to the dosing schedule and intake of cranberry juice. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using lingonberry and cranberry juices and their antimicrobial activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Puišo, Judita; Jonkuvienė, Dovilė; Mačionienė, Irena; Šalomskienė, Joana; Jasutienė, Ina; Kondrotas, Rokas

2014-09-01

In this study lingonberry and cranberry juices were used for silver nanoparticle synthesis. The berry juices were characterized by total phenolics, total anthocyanins and benzoic acid content, respectively 1.9-2.7mg/ml, 55.2-83.4mg/l and 590.8-889.2mg/l. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was performed at room temperature assisting in solutions irradiated by ultraviolet for 30min. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and microscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles as well as the dark red color of colloid of silver samples showed the formation of stable nanoparticles. Broad localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks in UV-vis spectra indicated the formation of polydispersive silver nanoparticles and LSPR was observed at 485nm and 520nm for the silver nanoparticles synthesis using lingonberry and cranberry juices, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles was determined against the reference strains of microorganisms that could be found in food products: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13076, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111, Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and foodborne B. cereus producing and non-producing enterotoxins. Silver nanoparticles showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and were most active against S. aureus ATCC 25923, B. subtilis ATCC 6633 and B. cereus ATCC 11778 reference cultures, and less active against C. albicans ATCC 10231 and foodborne B. cereus. It can be concluded that lingonberry and cranberry juices could be used as bioreductants for silver ions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergy in supramolecular chemistry

CERN Document Server

Nabeshima, Tatsuya

2014-01-01

Synergy and Cooperativity in Multi-metal Supramolecular Systems, T. NabeshimaHierarchically Assembled Titanium Helicates, Markus AlbrechtSupramolecular Hosts and Catalysts Formed by Self-assembly of Multinuclear Zinc Complexes in Aqueous Solution, Shin AokiSupramolecular Assemblies Based on Interionic Interactions, H. MaedaSupramolecular Synergy in the Formation and Function of Guanosine Quadruplexes, Jeffery T. DavisOn-Surface Chirality in Porous Self-Assembled Monolayers at Liquid-Solid Interface, Kazukuni Tahar

Gallic acid as a protective antioxidant against anthocyanin degradation and color loss in vitamin-C fortified cranberry juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Roidoung, Sunisa; Dolan, Kirk D; Siddiq, Muhammad

2016-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate different antioxidants for anthocyanin (ACY) retention in vitamin C fortified cranberry juice and assess its quality. Cranberry juice was fortified with 40-80mg/100mL vitamin C and added hesperidin, catechin, and gallic acid at different concentrations. Juice was pasteurized at 85°C for 1min and stored at 23°C for 16days. ACYs, vitamin C, color intensity, and browning index (BI) were evaluated at 2-day intervals. Gallic acid was found to be the most effective antioxidant against ACYs degradation and significantly (p<0.05) increased red color intensity by 37% and ACY concentration by 41%, compared to the control. After 16-day storage, the BI of gallic acid-added juice was significantly lower (0.80 vs 1.00) than the control juice. The outcome of this research provided a potential solution of using gallic acid to preserve a health-beneficial component (ACYs), and endogenous red color in cranberry juice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Barriers to Participation in Cost-Share Programs For Pollinator Conservation by Wisconsin (USA) Cranberry Growers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaines-Day, Hannah R; Gratton, Claudio

2017-08-01

The expansion of modern agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitat, resulting in a global decline in biodiversity, including bees. In many countries, farmers can participate in cost-share programs to create natural habitat on their farms for the conservation of beneficial insects, such as bees. Despite their dependence on bee pollinators and the demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship, participation in such programs by Wisconsin cranberry growers has been low. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers that prevent participation by Wisconsin cranberry growers in cost-share programs for on-farm conservation of native bees. We conducted a survey of cranberry growers (n = 250) regarding farming practices, pollinators, and conservation. Although only 10% of growers were aware of federal pollinator cost-share programs, one third of them were managing habitat for pollinators without federal aid. Once informed of the programs, 50% of growers expressed interest in participating. Fifty-seven percent of growers manage habitat for other wildlife, although none receive cost-share funding to do so. Participation in cost-share programs could benefit from outreach activities that promote the programs, a reduction of bureaucratic hurdles to participate, and technical support for growers on how to manage habitat for wild bees.

Understanding Barriers to Participation in Cost-Share Programs For Pollinator Conservation by Wisconsin (USA Cranberry Growers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah R. Gaines-Day

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The expansion of modern agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitat, resulting in a global decline in biodiversity, including bees. In many countries, farmers can participate in cost-share programs to create natural habitat on their farms for the conservation of beneficial insects, such as bees. Despite their dependence on bee pollinators and the demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship, participation in such programs by Wisconsin cranberry growers has been low. The objective of this study was to understand the barriers that prevent participation by Wisconsin cranberry growers in cost-share programs for on-farm conservation of native bees. We conducted a survey of cranberry growers (n = 250 regarding farming practices, pollinators, and conservation. Although only 10% of growers were aware of federal pollinator cost-share programs, one third of them were managing habitat for pollinators without federal aid. Once informed of the programs, 50% of growers expressed interest in participating. Fifty-seven percent of growers manage habitat for other wildlife, although none receive cost-share funding to do so. Participation in cost-share programs could benefit from outreach activities that promote the programs, a reduction of bureaucratic hurdles to participate, and technical support for growers on how to manage habitat for wild bees.

Phytochemical screening and antiproliferative effects of methanol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preliminary Phytochemical screening. Thin layer chromatographic profile (TLC) of methanol crude extract and antiproliferative studies were carried out in this research. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrate, glycoside, anthraquinone, steroid, triterpenes, saponin, tannins, flavonoids and alkaloid.

Total quality index of ultrasound-treated blueberry and cranberry juices and nectars.

Science.gov (United States)

Režek Jambrak, Anet; Šimunek, Marina; Djekic, Ilija

2018-01-01

The influence of ultrasound in combination with elevated temperature (thermosonication) is important in inactivation effects on microorganisms. However, overall quality of these products can be deteriorated. The aim of this study was to examine the use of a single quality index in evaluating effects of ultrasound technology on quality characteristics of blueberry and cranberry juices and nectars. For the purpose of this study based on 10 quality parameters, two mathematical models for calculating a single total quality index have been introduced. Samples were treated according to the experimental design, with high power ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz under various conditions (treatment time: 3, 6 and 9 min, sample temperature: 20 ℃, for thermosonication: 40 and 60 ℃ and amplitude: 60, 90 and 120 µm). Mathematical index of total quality index in order to evaluate total quality of ultrasound-treated juices and nectars was established. For cranberry juices, treatments '11' (amplitude 120 µm) and '16' (amplitude 60 µm) both for 9 min and the temperature of 20 ℃ were best scored for both models. Treatment '6' (amplitude 120 µm, 3 min treatment time and the sample temperature of 20 ℃) for cranberry nectars was among the best for both models. Ultrasound treatments '6' of amplitude 120 µm, 3 min and the temperature of 20 ℃ and '11' same amplitude 120 µm and temperature, but 9 min were best scored blueberry juices for both models. Blueberry nectar had best total quality index for treatments '5' (amplitude 120 µm, 6 min treatment time and the sample temperature of 40 ℃) and '6' (amplitude 120 µm, 3 min treatment time and the sample temperature of 20 ℃).

Quality assessment of US-extracts from cranberries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. S. Rodionova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents experimental results of determining physical and chemical parameters, antioxidant activity and macronutrient content in the obtained extracts prepared from fresh and previously frozen cranberries, using the method of ultrasonic extraction. As the experimental setup used the extractor with a submersible ultrasonic emitter. The essence of his work is as follows: the mixture of extractant, and a vegetable substrate in different proportions loaded in a container with emitter, and then include ultrasonic generator. Vibrations of ultrasonic frequency (22 kHz, high frequency excited mechanical vibrations under the effect of which in the treated mixture formed in the zone of intensive cavitation and diffuse to the dissolution of the cellular substrates in the extractant. The extraction process was carried out at a temperature of 20–22 °C for 15 min. Freezing was performed according to the technology shock freezing at a temperature from -35 to -40 °C and to achieve the internal product temperature of -18 °C. As a control examined the extract obtained according to the traditional technology by steeping at a temperature of 85–90 for 5 minutes and further cooling for 2–3 hours. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of pre-freezing on the physical-chemical characteristics of the ex-tracts from cranberries, obtained using the method of ultrasonic extraction. The results of the research showed the feasibility of pre-freezing the berries before extraction, the possibility of obtaining extracts with improved functionality(antioxidant activity, content of macroelements, organic acids and quality (mass fraction of dry substances of frozen berries that is necessary to substantiate the technological regimes in the practical implementation of the production of extracts using the sequential freezing and ultrasound seasonally adjusted production of berry raw materials.

Muscle synergy analysis in children with cerebral palsy

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lu; Li, Fei; Cao, Shuai; Zhang, Xu; Wu, De; Chen, Xiang

2015-08-01

Objective. To explore the mechanism of lower extremity dysfunction of cerebral palsy (CP) children through muscle synergy analysis. Approach. Twelve CP children were involved in this study, ten adults (AD) and eight typically developed (TD) children were recruited as a control group. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals were collected bilaterally from eight lower limb muscles of the subjects during forward walking at a comfortable speed. A nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm was used to extract muscle synergies. In view of muscle synergy differences in number, structure and symmetry, a model named synergy comprehensive assessment (SCA) was proposed to quantify the abnormality of muscle synergies. Main results. There existed larger variations between the muscle synergies of the CP group and the AD group in contrast with the TD group. Fewer mature synergies were recruited in the CP group, and many abnormal synergies specific to the CP group appeared. Specifically, CP children were found to recruit muscle synergies with a larger difference in structure and symmetry between two legs of one subject and different subjects. The proposed SCA scale demonstrated its great potential to quantitatively assess the lower-limb motor dysfunction of CP children. SCA scores of the CP group (57.00 ± 16.78) were found to be significantly less (p < 0.01) than that of the control group (AD group: 95.74 ± 2.04; TD group: 84.19 ± 11.76). Significance. The innovative quantitative results of this study can help us to better understand muscle synergy abnormality in CP children, which is related to their motor dysfunction and even the physiological change in their nervous system.

Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activities of Hibiscus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical properties and the antibacterial potency of rosselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) leaf extracts were evaluated using the cold maceration method, agar diffusion method and qualitative phytochemical analysis respectively. The methanolic extract was tested against Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and ...

Phytochemical analysis and toxicological evaluation of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, Flavonoid, Alkaloids, Anthraquinone, Saponin and Cardiac glycosides. This work thus justifies the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in the treatment of anaemia and its safety profile. Keywords: Toxicological, Ethno toxicity, Hematological and phytochemical ...

Eine Extraktkombination aus Cranberry, Brunnenkresse und Meerrettich in der Anwendung bei Frauen mit unkompliziertem Harnwegsinfekt // A Complex Preparation of Cranberry, Horseradish and Watercress in the Treatment of Non-Severe Lower Urinary Tract Infect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiel I

2016-01-01

Full Text Available iIntroduction:/i Urinary tract infections (UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections affecting women. Due to the growing problem of antibiotic resistances there is an urgent need for alternative herbal medicinal products for the treatment of non-severe lower UTIs. Vaccinium macrocarpon is effective through various mechanisms of action without inducing resistances in microorganisms. Thus, an observational study (n = 48 was conducted with a preparation of a standardized cranberry extract (67 mg proanthocyanidines combined with glucosinolates containing extracts of Nasturtium officinale and Armoracia rusticana.br iMethods:/i Women (≥ 18 years with an increase in leukocytes in the urine and clinical symptoms typical for UTIs like dysuria, imperative strangury, augmented or new onset of incontinence and suprapubic pain received one of the tablets containing the combined herbal extracts twice daily during the first week and one tablet per day for the following 4 weeks. After 14 days (t1 and after 35 days (t2 taking the tablets a further survey and control check-up with a urine test have been conducted. Patients with persistent clinical symptoms received an antibiotic, for the others the intake of the tablets with the herbal combined extract preparation was continued.briResults:/i 34 patients (70,8 % could abstain from taking antibiotics within the first 14 days (t1 and 32 patients (66,7 % within 35 days (t2. 28 patients (87,5 % were without symptoms at t2. No adverse events were observed.briConclusion:/i This observational study was the first clinical study performed with a combined extract preparation containing Cranberry, Nasturtium and Armoracia, which furthermore supports the concept of using alternative medicine treating non-severe lower UTIs. p bKurzfassung: /biEinleitung:/i Harnwegsinfektionen (HWIs gehören zu den häufigsten bakteriellen Infektionen, die Frauen betreffen. Durch die wachsende Problematik der Antibiotika

Phytochemical Screening, Proximate and Mineral Composition of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Leaves of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) grown in Tepi area was studied for their class of phytochemicals, mineral and proximate composition using standard analytical methods. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid, terpenoids, saponins, quinones, phenol, tannins, amino acid and ...

Phytochemical and antioxidant evaluation of Moringa oleifera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Moringa oleifera, a plant with a wide range of medicinal, nutritional and economic benefits was examined for phytochemicals and evaluated for antioxidant activities. Phytochemical tests, total phenol and flavonoid contents were determined using standard procedures. Antioxidant activities of the methanol extracts and ...

Phytochemical analysis of selected medicinal plants | Hussain ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keeping in view their importance, this work was carried out to investigate the quantitative determination of their crude phytochemicals, vitamins and protein contents. The quantitative determination of crude phytochemicals (alkaloids, total phenols, flavonoids and saponins) vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin C, niacin and pectin) ...

Phytochemical screening, proximate and elemental analysis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Citrus sinensis was screened for its phytochemical composition and was evaluated for the proximate and elemental analysis. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of reducing sugar, saponins, cardiac glycosides, tannins and flavonoids. The elemental analysis indicated the presence of the following mineral ...

Does Synergy Exist in Nursing? A Concept Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Witges, Kim A; Scanlan, Judith M

2015-01-01

The aim is to analyze the concept of synergy, particularly as the concept applies to teamwork, and determine if the concept has utility in improving the work environment for nurses. Tackling nursing shortages that result from a poor work environment is a priority for many nurse leaders. Producing synergy among teams may be an effective strategy in enhancing the work environment. However, the understanding of synergy and the ability to produce synergy among teams has been seldom highlighted or discussed within nursing literature. Walker and Avant's approach was used to guide this concept analysis of synergy. Literature searches involved databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus), Internet search engines (Google), and hand searches. The analysis suggests that synergy is an outcome of the successful collaboration of the following three attributes: group cohesion, the pursuit of a common goal, and the achievement of a positive gain, considerably more than what was thought possible by the group. The foundation for this accomplishment requires an underlying feeling of special importance, the acknowledgment of each member's role, and open communication and dialogue among members. Nursing leaders would benefit from a broader understanding of synergy, and the mindful application and utility of synergy as an outcome of effective teamwork among nurses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Plant extracts of spices and coffee synergistically dampen nuclear factor-κB in U937 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolberg, Marit; Paur, Ingvild; Balstad, Trude R; Pedersen, Sigrid; Jacobs, David R; Blomhoff, Rune

2013-10-01

A large array of bioactive plant compounds (phytochemicals) has been identified and synergy among these compounds might contribute to the beneficial effects of plant foods. The transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) has been suggested as a target for many phytochemicals. Due to the complexity of mechanisms involved in NF-κB regulation, including numerous feedback loops, and the large number of phytochemicals which regulate NF-κB activity, we hypothesize that synergistic or antagonistic effects are involved. The objectives of our study were to develop a statistical methodology to evaluate the concept of synergy and antagonism and to use this methodology in a monocytic cell line (U937 expressing an NF-κB-luciferase reporter) treated with lipopolysaccharide and phytochemical-rich plant extracts. Both synergistic and antagonistic effects were clearly observed. Observed synergy was most pronounced for the combinations of oregano and coffee, and thyme and oregano. For oregano and coffee the synergistic effect was highest at 5 mg/mL with 13.9% (P oregano the highest synergistic effects was at 3 mg/mL with 13.7% (P phytochemical-rich plants may exert synergistic and antagonistic effects on NF-κB regulation. Such complex mechanistic interactions between phytochemicals are likely to underlie the protective effects of a plant-based diet on life-style related diseases. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The leaves and bark of Carica papaya (Pawpaw) were subjected to solvent extraction using both water and methanol. Preliminary phytochemical evaluation of the extracts was performed followed by antimicrobial studies against some bacteria using the agar-well diffusion method. The phytochemical analysis showed that ...

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of Azadiracta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed that both stem bark and leaf extracts contain alkaloid, tannin, anthraquinone, flavonoid, phenols and terpenoid. The extracts of the plant demonstrated antibacterial activity due to presence of phytochemical constituents hence, the application of the decoction of leaf and stem bark ...

Looking beyond fertilizer: Assessing the contribution of nitrogen from hydrologic inputs and organic matter to plant growth in the cranberry agroecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Stackpoole, S.M.; Kosola, K.R.; Workmaster, B.A.A.; Guldan, N.M.; Browne, B.A.; Jackson, R. D.

2011-01-01

Even though nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient for successful cranberry production, N cycling in cranberry agroecosystems is not completely understood. Prior research has focused mainly on timing and uptake of ammonium fertilizer, but the objective of our study was to evaluate the potential for additional N contributions from hydrologic inputs (flooding, irrigation, groundwater, and precipitation) and organic matter (OM). Plant biomass, soil, surface and groundwater samples were collected from five cranberry beds (cranberry production fields) on four different farms, representing both upland and lowland systems. Estimated average annual plant uptake (63.3 ?? 22.5 kg N ha-1 year-1) exceeded total average annual fertilizer inputs (39.5 ?? 11.6 kg N ha-1 year-1). Irrigation, precipitation, and floodwater N summed to an average 23 ?? 0.7 kg N ha-1 year-1, which was about 60% of fertilizer N. Leaf and stem litterfall added 5.2 ?? 1.2 and 24.1 ?? 3.0 kg N ha-1 year-1 respectively. The estimated net N mineralization rate from the buried bag technique was 5 ?? 0.2 kg N ha-1 year-1, which was nearly 15% of fertilizer N. Dissolved organic nitrogen represented a significant portion of the total N pool in both surface water and soil samples. Mixed-ion exchange resin core incubations indicated that 80% of total inorganic N from fertilizer, irrigation, precipitation, and mineralization was nitrate, and approximately 70% of recovered inorganic N from groundwater was nitrate. There was a weak but significant negative relationship between extractable soil ammonium concentrations and ericoid mycorrhizal colonization (ERM) rates (r = -0.22, P fertilizer N in order to maximize the benefits of ERM fungi in actively mediating N cycling in cranberry agroecosystems. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Preliminary Investigation on the Phytochemical Constituents of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Demand for honey consumption nowadays is continuously increasing worldwide due to its multiple importance from food to medicine. The medicinal value of honey lies in the bioactive phytochemical constituents that produce health benefits to man. Investigation of the phytochemical constituents of the two honey samples ...

An in-silico investigation of anti-Chagas phytochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

McCulley, Stephanie F; Setzer, William N

2014-01-01

Over 18 million people in tropical and subtropical America are afflicted by American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease. In humans, symptoms of the disease include fever, swelling, and heart and brain damage, usually leading to death. There is currently no effective treatment for this disease. Plant products continue to be rich sources of clinically useful drugs, and the biodiversity of the Neotropics suggests great phytomedicinal potential. Screening programs have revealed numerous plant species and phytochemical agents that have shown in-vitro or in-vivo antitrypanosomal activity, but the biochemical targets of these phytochemicals are not known. In this work, we present a molecular docking analysis of Neotropical phytochemicals, which have already demonstrated antiparasitic activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, with potential druggable protein targets of the parasite. Several protein targets showed in-silico selectivity for trypanocidal phytochemicals, including trypanothione reductase, pteridine reductase 2, lipoamide dehydrogenase, glucokinase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, cruzain, dihydrofolate-reductase/thymidylate-synthase, and farnesyl diphosphate synthase. Some of the phytochemical ligands showed notable docking preference for trypanothione reductase, including flavonoids, fatty-acid-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons, geranylgeraniol and the lignans ganschisandrine and eupomatenoid-6.

Synergies of the Liberalization of the Railway Transport Market

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Panák Michal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The liberalization of transport market brings various effects, which in the context of the assessment of synergies can affect in different ways the company, a customer as such, and transport undertakings operating on the railway transport market as well. This paper provides an innovative perspective on the relationship between liberalization and synergy, defining new types of synergies that have not yet been monitored in the conditions of railway transport. This approach is interesting because of the possibility of assessing the operation of railway undertakings in the open transport market. The eminent is characteristic of integration type synergies and emergence type synergies in relation to railway transport, as well as the breakdown of synergies in relation to the customer and carrier.

Initial growth and yield structure of selected cultivars of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. cultivated on mineral soils

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Szwonek Eugeniusz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of cranberry cultivation on mineral soils and to assess the influence of vegetative biomass development, generative growth and yield components on the yielding of three cranberry cultivars originating in the USA (Stevens, Pilgrim and Ben Lear at two locations in Poland. The key biometrical traits involved in yield formation were taken into account, and the soil and plant chemical conditions were evaluated. All of the measured biometrical characteristics were strongly influenced by the location and the year of cultivation, and varietal differences were also noted. The most important determinants that explained yield variation were: the number of uprights per square meter, floral induction and berry set. However, the participation of each component in yield variation was strongly affected by the location, age of plantation and to a minor extent by the cultivar. The study confirmed the possibility of cranberry cultivation on mineral soils with a low pH. The biggest average yield of the three years was collected from cv. Stevens as cultivated on sandy soil in contrast to the same cultivar grown on sandy loam soil. In the case of sandy loam soil after acidification, cv. Pilgrim appeared to be a relatively better yielding cultivar.

Phytochemicals in nutrition and health

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Meskin, Mark S

2002-01-01

... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xv CHAPTER 1 Evidence-Based Herbalism EDZARD ERNST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CHAPTER 2 Phytochemical...

Ethnobotanical and phytochemical studies on some species of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJB SERVER

2006-11-02

Nov 2, 2006 ... applications of the plants investigated and their constituent phytochemical groups which are relevant ..... Literature review on phytochemical studies of cassia ... extracts antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type I and.

Toward a Formal Model of Cognitive Synergy

OpenAIRE

Goertzel, Ben

2017-01-01

"Cognitive synergy" refers to a dynamic in which multiple cognitive processes, cooperating to control the same cognitive system, assist each other in overcoming bottlenecks encountered during their internal processing. Cognitive synergy has been posited as a key feature of real-world general intelligence, and has been used explicitly in the design of the OpenCog cognitive architecture. Here category theory and related concepts are used to give a formalization of the cognitive synergy concept....

Phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of crude extracts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The bark and wood parts of the root of Terminalia mollis was investigated for its phytochemical and antimicrobial properties. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of tannins and resins as the major secondary metabolites. Test for antimicrobial activity of the plant crude extracts using the agar diffusion method ...

Molecular Mechanisms of Inhibition of Streptococcus Species by Phytochemicals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soheila Abachi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This review paper summarizes the antibacterial effects of phytochemicals of various medicinal plants against pathogenic and cariogenic streptococcal species. The information suggests that these phytochemicals have potential as alternatives to the classical antibiotics currently used for the treatment of streptococcal infections. The phytochemicals demonstrate direct bactericidal or bacteriostatic effects, such as: (i prevention of bacterial adherence to mucosal surfaces of the pharynx, skin, and teeth surface; (ii inhibition of glycolytic enzymes and pH drop; (iii reduction of biofilm and plaque formation; and (iv cell surface hydrophobicity. Collectively, findings from numerous studies suggest that phytochemicals could be used as drugs for elimination of infections with minimal side effects.

Effectiveness of Cranberry Capsules to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections in Vulnerable Older Persons: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in Long-Term Care Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Caljouw, Monique A A; van den Hout, Wilbert B; Putter, Hein; Achterberg, Wilco P; Cools, Herman J M; Gussekloo, Jacobijn

2014-01-01

Objectives To determine whether cranberry capsules prevent urinary tract infection (UTI) in long-term care facility (LTCF) residents. Design Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter trial. Setting Long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Participants LTCF residents (N = 928; 703 women, median age 84). Measurements Cranberry and placebo capsules were taken twice daily for 12 months. Participants were stratified according to UTI risk (risk factors included long-term catheterization, diabetes mellitus, ≥1 UTI in preceding year). Main outcomes were incidence of UTI according to a clinical definition and a strict definition. Results In participants with high UTI risk at baseline (n = 516), the incidence of clinically defined UTI was lower with cranberry capsules than with placebo (62.8 vs 84.8 per 100 person-years at risk, P = .04); the treatment effect was 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57–0.97). For the strict definition, the treatment effect was 1.02 (95% CI = 0.68–1.55). No difference in UTI incidence between cranberry and placebo was found in participants with low UTI risk (n = 412). Conclusion In LTCF residents with high UTI risk at baseline, taking cranberry capsules twice daily reduces the incidence of clinically defined UTI, although it does not reduce the incidence of strictly defined UTI. No difference in incidence of UTI was found in residents with low UTI risk. PMID:25180378

Comparative genetic mapping reveals synteny and collinearity between the American cranberry and diploid blueberry genomes

Science.gov (United States)

Cranberry (section Oxcycoccus) and blueberry (section Cyanococcus), are closely related and recently domesticated fruit crops in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae). Both the Oxycoccus and Cyanococcus sections are presumed to have an American origin and likely evolved from a common ancestor; howe...

78 FR 51043 - Cranberries Grown in States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-20

... Determination of Sales History AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule revises the determination of sales history provisions currently prescribed under the cranberry... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 929 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-12-0042...

78 FR 28149 - Cranberries Grown in States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-14

... Determination of Sales History AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY... Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee). This change would modify sales history calculations so that they... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 929 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-12-0042...

The phytochemical, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of five ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of five medicinal plants against the wound infecting bacteria. ... Phytochemical analyses of the extracts were performed using thin layer chromatography (TLC). ... Antibacterial activity of the plants was evaluated using micro-dilution and bioautography methods.

Phytochemical And Ethnobotanical Evaluation Of The Leaves Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical analysis and ethnobotanical survey of the leaves of Talinum triangulare (Jacq) Wild were investigated. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, phenols, flavonoids and saponins while the leaf extract was devoid of glycosides, steroids and carbohydrates. Quantitative ...

NMR-based metabolomics reveals urinary metabolome modifications in female Sprague-Dawley rats by cranberry procyanidins.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haiyan; Tayyari, Fariba; Edison, Arthur S; Su, Zhihua; Gu, Liwei

2016-08-01

A (1)H NMR global metabolomics approach was used to investigate the urinary metabolome changes in female rats gavaged with partially purified cranberry procyanidins (PPCP) or partially purified apple procyanidins (PPAP). After collecting 24-h baseline urine, 24 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly separated into two groups and gavaged with PPCP or PPAP twice using a dose of 250 mg extracts per kilogram body weight. The 24-h urine samples were collected after the gavage. Urine samples were analyzed using (1)H NMR. Multivariate analyses showed that the urinary metabolome in rats was modified after administering PPCP or PPAP compared to baseline urine metabolic profiles. 2D (1)H-(13)C HSQC NMR was conducted to assist identification of discriminant metabolites. An increase of hippurate, lactate and succinate and a decrease of citrate and α-ketoglutarate were observed in rat urine after administering PPCP. Urinary levels of d-glucose, d-maltose, 3-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, formate and phenol increased but citrate, α-ketoglutarate and creatinine decreased in rats after administering PPAP. Furthermore, the NMR analysis showed that the metabolome in the urine of rats administered with PPCP differed from those gavaged with PPAP. Compared to PPAP, PPCP caused an increase of urinary excretion of hippurate but a decrease of 3-(3'-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and phenol. These metabolome changes caused by cranberry procyanidins may help to explain its reported health benefits and identify biomarkers of cranberry procyanidin intake. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What is synergy? The Saariselkä agreement revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jing; Wennerberg, Krister; Aittokallio, Tero

2015-01-01

Many biological or chemical agents when combined interact with each other and produce a synergistic response that cannot be predicted based on the single agent responses alone. However, depending on the postulated null hypothesis of non-interaction, one may end up in different interpretations of synergy. Two popular reference models for null hypothesis include the Bliss independence model and the Loewe additivity model, each of which is formulated from different perspectives. During the last century, there has been an intensive debate on the suitability of these synergy models, both of which are theoretically justified and also in practice supported by different schools of scientists. More than 20 years ago, there was a community effort to make a consensus on the terminology one should use when claiming synergy. The agreement was formulated at a conference held in Saariselkä, Finland in 1992, stating that one should use the terms Bliss synergy or Loewe synergy to avoid ambiguity in the underlying models. We review the theoretical relationships between these models and argue that one should combine the advantages of both models to provide a more consistent definition of synergy and antagonism.

Can Measured Synergy Excitations Accurately Construct Unmeasured Muscle Excitations?

Science.gov (United States)

Bianco, Nicholas A; Patten, Carolynn; Fregly, Benjamin J

2018-01-01

Accurate prediction of muscle and joint contact forces during human movement could improve treatment planning for disorders such as osteoarthritis, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and cerebral palsy. Recent studies suggest that muscle synergies, a low-dimensional representation of a large set of muscle electromyographic (EMG) signals (henceforth called "muscle excitations"), may reduce the redundancy of muscle excitation solutions predicted by optimization methods. This study explores the feasibility of using muscle synergy information extracted from eight muscle EMG signals (henceforth called "included" muscle excitations) to accurately construct muscle excitations from up to 16 additional EMG signals (henceforth called "excluded" muscle excitations). Using treadmill walking data collected at multiple speeds from two subjects (one healthy, one poststroke), we performed muscle synergy analysis on all possible subsets of eight included muscle excitations and evaluated how well the calculated time-varying synergy excitations could construct the remaining excluded muscle excitations (henceforth called "synergy extrapolation"). We found that some, but not all, eight-muscle subsets yielded synergy excitations that achieved >90% extrapolation variance accounted for (VAF). Using the top 10% of subsets, we developed muscle selection heuristics to identify included muscle combinations whose synergy excitations achieved high extrapolation accuracy. For 3, 4, and 5 synergies, these heuristics yielded extrapolation VAF values approximately 5% lower than corresponding reconstruction VAF values for each associated eight-muscle subset. These results suggest that synergy excitations obtained from experimentally measured muscle excitations can accurately construct unmeasured muscle excitations, which could help limit muscle excitations predicted by muscle force optimizations.

Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping

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Slomka Kajetan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available We explored synergies between two legs and two subjects during preparation for a long jump into a target. Synergies were expected during one-person jumping. No such synergies were expected between two persons jumping in parallel without additional contact, while synergies were expected to emerge with haptic contact and become stronger with strong mechanical contact. Subjects performed jumps either alone (each foot standing on a separate force platform or in dyads (parallel to each other, each person standing on a separate force platform without any contact, with haptic contact, and with strong coupling. Strong negative correlations between pairs of force variables (strong synergies were seen in the vertical force in one-person jumps and weaker synergies in two-person jumps with the strong contact. For other force variables, only weak synergies were present in one-person jumps and no negative correlations between pairs of force variable for two-person jumps. Pairs of moment variables from the two force platforms at steady state showed positive correlations, which were strong in one-person jumps and weaker, but still significant, in two-person jumps with the haptic and strong contact. Anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to action initiation were observed in oneperson trials only. We interpret the different results for the force and moment variables at steady state as reflections of postural sway.

75 FR 5900 - Cranberries Grown in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-05

... process and to encourage more diverse candidates on the Committee. The independent grower members and... independent growers on the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee). The order regulates the handling of... locally by the Committee. This rule would revise the nomination and balloting procedures for independent...

75 FR 18394 - Cranberries Grown in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-12

... process and to encourage more diverse candidates on the Committee. The independent grower members and...: This rule revises the nomination and balloting procedures for independent growers on the Cranberry... the nomination and balloting procedures for independent growers to allow them to participate in the...

Seeds and Synergies

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

'Seeds and Synergies presents inspiring evidence of change in practice and policy ... Seeds of inspiration: breathing new life into the formal agricultural research .... and Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation and Agricultural Commodity ...

Proanthocyanidin accumulation and transcriptional responses in the seed coat of cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with different susceptibility to postharvest darkening.

Science.gov (United States)

Freixas Coutin, José A; Munholland, Seth; Silva, Anjali; Subedi, Sanjeena; Lukens, Lewis; Crosby, William L; Pauls, K Peter; Bozzo, Gale G

2017-05-25

Edible dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that darken during postharvest storage are graded lower and are less marketable than their non-darkened counterparts. Seed coat darkening in susceptible genotypes is dependent upon the availability of proanthocyanidins, and their subsequent oxidation to reactive quinones. Mature cranberry beans lacking this postharvest darkening trait tend to be proanthocyanidin-deficient, although the underlying molecular and biochemical determinants for this metabolic phenomenon are unknown. Seed coat proanthocyanidin levels increased with plant maturation in a darkening-susceptible cranberry bean recombinant inbred line (RIL), whereas these metabolites were absent in seeds of the non-darkening RIL plants. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was used to monitor changes in the seed coat transcriptome as a function of bean development, where transcript levels were measured as fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments mapped. A total of 1336 genes were differentially expressed between darkening and non-darkening cranberry bean RILs. Structural and regulatory genes of the proanthocyanidin biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in seed coats of the darkening RIL. A principal component analysis determined that changes in transcript levels for two genes of unknown function and three proanthocyanidin biosynthesis genes, FLAVANONE 3-HYDROXYLASE 1, DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE 1 and ANTHOCYANIDIN REDUCTASE 1 (PvANR1) were highly correlated with proanthocyanidin accumulation in seed coats of the darkening-susceptible cranberry bean RIL. HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that in vitro activity of a recombinant PvANR1 was NADPH-dependent and assays containing cyanidin yielded epicatechin and catechin; high cyanidin substrate levels inhibited the formation of both of these products. Proanthocyanidin oxidation is a pre-requisite for postharvest-related seed coat darkening in dicotyledonous seeds. In model plant species, the accumulation of

Analysis preliminary phytochemical raw extract of leaves Nephrolepis pectinata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natally Marreiros Gomes

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The Nephrolepis pectinata popularly known as paulista fern, ladder-heaven, cat tail, belongs to the family Davalliaceae. For the beauty of the arrangements of their leaves ferns are quite commercialized in Brazil, however, have not been described in the literature studies on their pharmacological potential. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze the phytochemical properties of the crude extract of the leaves of Nephrolepis pectinata. To perform the phytochemical analysis were initially made the collection of the vegetable, preparation of voucher specimen, washing, drying and grinding. Then, extraction by percolation method and end the phytochemical analysis. Preliminary results phytochemicals the crude extract of the leaves of Nephrolepis pectinata tested positive for reducing sugars, phenols/tannins (catechins tannins and catechins.

Phytochemical composition and acute toxicity evaluation of aqueous ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical constituents and acute toxicity of the aqueous root bark extract of Securidaca longipedunculata Linn. The result of phytochemical screening revealed the presence of some secondary metabolites of pharmacological significance in the aqueous root bark extract ...

A novel computational framework for deducing muscle synergies from experimental joint moments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anantharaman eGopalakrishnan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Prior experimental studies have hypothesized the existence of a ‘muscle synergy’ based control scheme for producing limb movements and locomotion in vertebrates. Such synergies have been suggested to consist of fixed muscle grouping schemes with the co-activation of all muscles in a synergy resulting in limb movement. Quantitative representations of these groupings (termed muscle weightings and their control signals (termed synergy controls have traditionally been derived by the factorization of experimentally measured EMG. This study presents a novel approach for deducing these weightings and controls from inverse dynamic joint moments that are computed from an alternative set of experimental measurements – movement kinematics and kinetics. This technique was applied to joint moments for healthy human walking at 0.7 and 1.7 m/s, and two sets of ‘simulated’ synergies were computed based on two different criteria (1 synergies were required to minimize errors between experimental and simulated joint moments in a musculoskeletal model (pure-synergy solution (2 along with minimizing joint moment errors, synergies also minimized muscle activation levels (optimal-synergy solution. On comparing the two solutions, it was observed that the introduction of optimality requirements (optimal-synergy to a control strategy solely aimed at reproducing the joint moments (pure-synergy did not necessitate major changes in the muscle grouping within synergies or the temporal profiles of synergy control signals. Synergies from both the simulated solutions exhibited many similarities to EMG derived synergies from a previously published study, thus implying that the analysis of the two different types of experimental data reveals similar, underlying synergy structures.

Generational Differences in Work-Family Conflict and Synergy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas J. Beutell

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502. Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best predictors of work interfering with family conflict for each generational group. Work-family synergy presented a more complex picture. Work-family conflict and synergy were significantly related to job, marital, and life satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Generational differences in work-family conflict and synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Beutell, Nicholas J

2013-06-19

This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502). Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work) but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best predictors of work interfering with family conflict for each generational group. Work-family synergy presented a more complex picture. Work-family conflict and synergy were significantly related to job, marital, and life satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Generational Differences in Work-Family Conflict and Synergy

Science.gov (United States)

Beutell, Nicholas J.

2013-01-01

This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502). Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work) but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best predictors of work interfering with family conflict for each generational group. Work-family synergy presented a more complex picture. Work-family conflict and synergy were significantly related to job, marital, and life satisfaction. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:23783221

Phytochemical, Analgesic And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening was carried out on the ethylacetate portion of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Pseudocedrella kotschyii and then evaluated for its analgesic (acetic acid-induced writhing) and anti-inflammatory (raw egg albumin-induced oedema) activities in mice and rats respectively. Phytochemical screening ...

Effect of packaging materials on nutrients, phytochemicals and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of packaging materials on nutrients, phytochemicals and sensory attributes of Moinmoin. R.A. Mustapha, G.A. Ogundahunsi, O.I. Olanrewaju, O.O. Bolajoko. Abstract. Objective: The effect of packaging materials on nutrients, phytochemicals and sensory attributes of moinmoin cooked and wrapped with nylon, banana, ...

Distribution of cranberry fruit-rotting fungi in new jersey and evidence for nonspecific host resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Stiles, C M; Oudemans, P V

1999-03-01

ABSTRACT A survey was conducted over a 3-year period to determine the frequencies and distributions of fruit-rotting fungi in New Jersey cranberry beds. In the first 2 years of the study, Physalospora vaccinii and Glomerella cingulata were the most prevalent and widespread field-rotting fungi. In the third year, the frequency of G. cingulata declined markedly. Other species such as Coleophoma empetri, Phyllosticta vaccinii, and Phomopsis vaccinii were isolated at high frequencies from a limited number of locations. Storage-rotting fungi including Allantophomopsis cytisporea and A. lycopodina were isolated at low frequencies, but were widely distributed within the growing region. On sound fruit, a somewhat different profile emerged. Fungi such as Phyllosticta elongata, Alternaria spp., and Physalospora vaccinii were commonly isolated. In comparisons among different cranberry cultivars, no differences in the fungal profiles were seen. This was interpreted to indicate that if differences in fruit-rot resistance exist, they are likely to be general forms of resistance rather than fungal species-specific mechanisms.

Managing Risk and Synergies R&D-Collaborations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahnke, Volker; Overby, Mikkel Lucas

2004-01-01

&D collaborations simultaneously. We use modern portfolio theory as an analogy to show how companies active in mobile telecommunication manage risks and create synergies by simultaneously engaging in several inter-firm collaborations.Keywords: Portfolio theory, risk, synergy, R&D collaboration, mobile commerce...

SYNERGY EFFECTS IN WORK TEAMS

OpenAIRE

Raluca C. Zoltan

2014-01-01

Today’s organization increasingly utilizes all kind of teams in order to surpass their competitors through flexibility, adaptability and innovation, features which are seen to characterize the teams. For this purpose, the concept of synergy in teams’ activity is often mentioned as the prime reason for which collective work is considered to be superior comparative with individual work. But what exactly does it mean? The present paper aims to shed some light on the concept of synergy in work te...

The role of phytochemicals as micronutrients in health and disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Howes, Melanie-Jayne R; Simmonds, Monique S J

2014-11-01

Intake of dietary phytochemicals has frequently been associated with health benefits. Noninfectious diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and diabetes are major causes of death, whereas dementia cases are also increasing to 'epidemic' proportion. This review will focus on recent progress on mechanisms underlying the potential role of dietary phytochemicals in CVD, diabetes, cancer and dementia, with consideration of the latest clinical data. The association of tea (Camellia sinensis), particularly catechins, with reported mechanistic effects for CVD, diabetes, cancer and cognition contributes to our understanding of the suggested benefits of tea consumption on health from limited and inconclusive clinical trial and epidemiological data. Resveratrol, which occurs in grapes (Vitis vinifera) and wine, and curcumin, a component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), are also emerging as potentially relevant to health, particularly for CVD and dementia, with some promising data also concluded for curcumin in cancer. Other phytochemicals mechanistically relevant for health include anthocyanins, isoflavones and glucosinolates, which are also discussed. Evidence for the role of phytochemicals in health and disease is growing, but associations between phytochemicals and disease need to be more firmly understood and established from more robust clinical data using preparations that have been phytochemically characterized.

Muscle synergies during bench press are reliable across days.

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiansen, Mathias; Samani, Afshin; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst Albin

2016-10-01

Muscle synergies have been investigated during different types of human movement using nonnegative matrix factorization. However, there are not any reports available on the reliability of the method. To evaluate between-day reliability, 21 subjects performed bench press, in two test sessions separated by approximately 7days. The movement consisted of 3 sets of 8 repetitions at 60% of the three repetition maximum in bench press. Muscle synergies were extracted from electromyography data of 13 muscles, using nonnegative matrix factorization. To evaluate between-day reliability, we performed a cross-correlation analysis and a cross-validation analysis, in which the synergy components extracted in the first test session were recomputed, using the fixed synergy components from the second test session. Two muscle synergies accounted for >90% of the total variance, and reflected the concentric and eccentric phase, respectively. The cross-correlation values were strong to very strong (r-values between 0.58 and 0.89), while the cross-validation values ranged from substantial to almost perfect (ICC3, 1 values between 0.70 and 0.95). The present findings revealed that the same general structure of the muscle synergies was present across days and the extraction of muscle synergies is thus deemed reliable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of Phytochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A preliminary step to investigating the phytochemical and vitamin B contents of eleven rice lines designated as IWA (IRRI - WARDA - AGRA) lines, together with two popular and most preferred varieties (FARO 44 and R8) were carried-out. The phytochemical properties investigated included flavonoid, phenol and saponin ...

Dissection of protein interactomics highlights microRNA synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenliang; Zhao, Yilei; Xu, Yingqi; Sun, Yong; Wang, Zhe; Yuan, Wei; Du, Zhimin

2013-01-01

Despite a large amount of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been validated to play crucial roles in human biology and disease, there is little systematic insight into the nature and scale of the potential synergistic interactions executed by miRNAs themselves. Here we established an integrated parameter synergy score to determine miRNA synergy, by combining the two mechanisms for miRNA-miRNA interactions, miRNA-mediated gene co-regulation and functional association between target gene products, into one single parameter. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that synergy score accurately identified the gene ontology-defined miRNA synergy (AUC = 0.9415, psynergy, implying poor expectancy of widespread synergy. However, targeting more key genes made two miRNAs more likely to act synergistically. Compared to other miRNAs, miR-21 was a highly exceptional case due to frequent appearance in the top synergistic miRNA pairs. This result highlighted its essential role in coordinating or strengthening physiological and pathological functions of other miRNAs. The synergistic effect of miR-21 and miR-1 were functionally validated for their significant influences on myocardial apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The novel approach established in this study enables easy and effective identification of condition-restricted potent miRNA synergy simply by concentrating the available protein interactomics and miRNA-target interaction data into a single parameter synergy score. Our results may be important for understanding synergistic gene regulation by miRNAs and may have significant implications for miRNA combination therapy of cardiovascular disease.

COMPARATIVE NUTRITIONAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

phytochemical information on some Nigerian Solanum species are scanty and it is difficult to ... used for the determination of crude protein, lipid, fibre, ash content, carbohydrate .... by the statistical analysis system (INSTAT Software). Tukey-.

Synergy as a rationale for phage therapy using phage cocktails.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmerer, Matthew; Molineux, Ian J; Bull, James J

2014-01-01

Where phages are used to treat bacterial contaminations and infections, multiple phages are typically applied at once as a cocktail. When two or more phages in the cocktail attack the same bacterium, the combination may produce better killing than any single phage (synergy) or the combination may be worse than the best single phage (interference). Synergy is of obvious utility, especially if it can be predicted a priori, but it remains poorly documented with few examples known. This study addresses synergy in which one phage improves adsorption by a second phage. It first presents evidence of synergy from an experimental system of two phages and a mucoid E. coli host. The synergy likely stems from a tailspike enzyme produced by one of the phages. We then offer mathematical models and simulations to understand the dynamics of synergy and the enhanced magnitude of bacterial control possible. The models and observations complement each other and suggest that synergy may be of widespread utility and may be predictable from easily observed phenotypes.

Vitamins and phytochemical contents in four leafy vegetables ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The vitamins evaluated include vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and E while the phytochemicals were alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols, hydrocyanic acid and phytic acid. The results indicated high levels of vitamins and phytochemicals in the leaves. The different processing methods produced diverse effects on the vitamin ...

Alterations in upper limb muscle synergy structure in chronic stroke survivors

Science.gov (United States)

Rymer, William Z.; Perreault, Eric J.; Yoo, Seng Bum; Beer, Randall F.

2013-01-01

Previous studies in neurologically intact subjects have shown that motor coordination can be described by task-dependent combinations of a few muscle synergies, defined here as a fixed pattern of activation across a set of muscles. Arm function in severely impaired stroke survivors is characterized by stereotypical postural and movement patterns involving the shoulder and elbow. Accordingly, we hypothesized that muscle synergy composition is altered in severely impaired stroke survivors. Using an isometric force matching protocol, we examined the spatial activation patterns of elbow and shoulder muscles in the affected arm of 10 stroke survivors (Fugl-Meyer synergies were identified using non-negative matrix factorization. In both groups, muscle activation patterns could be reconstructed by combinations of a few muscle synergies (typically 4). We did not find abnormal coupling of shoulder and elbow muscles within individual muscle synergies. In stroke survivors, as in controls, two of the synergies were comprised of isolated activation of the elbow flexors and extensors. However, muscle synergies involving proximal muscles exhibited consistent alterations following stroke. Unlike controls, the anterior deltoid was coactivated with medial and posterior deltoids within the shoulder abductor/extensor synergy and the shoulder adductor/flexor synergy in stroke was dominated by activation of pectoralis major, with limited anterior deltoid activation. Recruitment of the altered shoulder muscle synergies was strongly associated with abnormal task performance. Overall, our results suggest that an impaired control of the individual deltoid heads may contribute to poststroke deficits in arm function. PMID:23155178

Phytochemical, Proximate and Metal Content Analysis of the Leaves ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: The phytochemical analysis of Psidium guajava was carried out by using a standard procedure. Ash, fat, protein, carbohydrate and fibre contents were determined using proximate analysis while the metal contents were determined using Pearson's method. Results: The phytochemical analysis revealed the ...

Phytochemical screening of Plumbago zeylanica: A potent Herb

OpenAIRE

Richa Tyagi; Ekta Menghani

2014-01-01

The results of the phytochemical screening carried out on Plumbago zeylanica leaf sample showed the existence of beneficial phytonutrients. The results showed that Plumbago zeylanica all six solvent extract contained reducing sugar, terpenoids , tannin, alkaloids and flavonoid. The results of the phytochemical screening on the three species of medicinal plants were discussed in relations to their usefulness to mankind.

Phytochemicals in Human Milk and Their Potential Antioxidative Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Apollinaire Tsopmo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Diets contain secondary plant metabolites commonly referred to as phytochemicals. Many of them are believed to impact human health through various mechanisms, including protection against oxidative stress and inflammation, and decreased risks of developing chronic diseases. For mothers and other people, phytochemical intake occurs through the consumption of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Research has shown that some these phytochemicals are present in the mother’s milk and can contribute to its oxidative stability. For infants, human milk (HM represents the primary and preferred source of nutrition because it is a complete food. Studies have reported that the benefit provided by HM goes beyond basic nutrition. It can, for example, reduce oxidative stress in infants, thereby reducing the risk of lung and intestinal diseases in infants. This paper summarizes the phytochemicals present in HM and their potential contribution to infant health.

Influence of power ultrasound on the main quality properties and cell viability of osmotic dehydrated cranberries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowacka, Malgorzata; Fijalkowska, Aleksandra; Wiktor, Artur; Dadan, Magdalena; Tylewicz, Urszula; Dalla Rosa, Marco; Witrowa-Rajchert, Dorota

2018-02-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound treatment in two osmotic solutions, carried out at different time, on some physical properties, antioxidant activity and cell survival of cranberries. Ultrasound treatment was conducted at 21kHz for 30 and 60min in liquid medium: 61.5% sucrose solution and 30% sucrose solution with 0.1% steviol glycosides addition. Some samples before the ultrasound treatment were subjected to cutting or blanching. The results showed that dry matter content and concentration of the dissolved substances increased during ultrasound treatment in osmotic solution, however higher value was observed for treatment in 61.5% sucrose solution and for longer time. Water activity and volume of cranberries did not change after the ultrasonic treatment. Combined treatment led to colour and antioxidant activity alterations as well. A cell viability of whole and cut samples decreased after 60min of osmotic treatment and completely lost in the blanched samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prehension synergies and control with referent hand configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Latash, Mark L; Friedman, Jason; Kim, Sun Wook; Feldman, Anatol G; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M

2010-04-01

We used the framework of the equilibrium-point hypothesis (in its updated form based on the notion of referent configuration) to investigate the multi-digit synergies at two levels of a hypothetical hierarchy involved in prehensile actions. Synergies were analyzed at the thumb-virtual finger (VF) level (VF is an imaginary digit with the mechanical action equivalent to that of the four actual fingers) and at the individual finger level. The subjects performed very quick vertical movements of a handle into a target. A load could be attached off-center to provide a pronation or supination torque. In a few trials, the handle was unexpectedly fixed to the table and the digits slipped off the sensors. In such trials, the hand stopped at a higher vertical position and rotated into pronation or supination depending on the expected torque. The aperture showed non-monotonic changes with a large, fast decrease and further increase, ending up with a smaller distance between the thumb and the fingers as compared to unperturbed trials. Multi-digit synergies were quantified using indices of co-variation between digit forces and moments of force across unperturbed trials. Prior to the lifting action, high synergy indices were observed at the individual finger level while modest indices were observed at the thumb-VF level. During the lifting action, the synergies at the individual finger level disappeared while the synergy indices became higher at the thumb-VF level. The results support the basic premise that, within a given task, setting a referent configuration may be described with a few referent values of variables that influence the equilibrium state, to which the system is attracted. Moreover, the referent configuration hypothesis can help interpret the data related to the trade-off between synergies at different hierarchical levels.

Muscle Synergies Control during Hand-Reaching Tasks in Multiple Directions Post-stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon Israely

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: A muscle synergies model was suggested to represent a simplifying motor control mechanism by the brainstem and spinal cord. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of such control mechanisms in the rehabilitation of post-stroke individuals during the execution of hand-reaching movements in multiple directions, compared to non-stroke individuals.Methods: Twelve non-stroke and 13 post-stroke individuals participated in the study. Muscle synergies were extracted from EMG data that was recorded during hand reaching tasks, using the NMF algorithm. The optimal number of synergies was evaluated in both groups using the Variance Accounted For (VAF and the Mean Squared Error (MSE. A cross validation procedure was carried out to define a representative set of synergies. The similarity index and the K-means algorithm were applied to validate the existence of such a set of synergies, but also to compare the modulation properties of synergies for different movement directions between groups. The similarity index and hierarchical cluster analysis were also applied to compare between group synergies.Results: Four synergies were chosen to optimally capture the variances in the EMG data, with mean VAF of 0.917 ± 0.034 and 0.883 ± 0.046 of the data variances, with respective MSE of 0.007 and 0.016, in the control and study groups, respectively. The representative set of synergies was set to be extracted from movement to the center of the reaching space. Two synergies had different muscle activation balance between groups. Seven and 17 clusters partitioned the muscle synergies of the control and study groups. The control group exhibited a gradual change in the activation in the amplitude in the time domain (modulation of synergies, as reflected by the similarity index, whereas the study group exhibited consistently significant differences between all movement directions and the representative set of synergies. The study findings support

Premises and Limitations in Defining and Measuring Synergy from M&As

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aevoae George Marian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Mergers and acquisitions are performed worldwide mainly because of synergy. Although many invoke the term synergy as the key motivation of why they engage in M&As, research has led us to understand that it is not very clear in terms of what it actually is. In the scientific literature, synergy is mostly defined as being “2+2=5”. Thus, we first thought that it can only be a positive effect. But, latter on, we found out that synergy is not only positive, it can be negative as well, known as negative synergy or dyssynergy. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on what is synergy, how can we quantify and classify it and why acquiring firms tend to pay more for the target firm. We believe that there is a link between the amount of premium paid for a target firm and the expectations for synergy.

Robustness of muscle synergies during visuomotor adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reinhard eGentner

2013-09-01

Full Text Available During visuomotor adaptation a novel mapping between visual targets and motor commands is gradually acquired. How muscle activation patterns are affected by this process is an open question. We tested whether the structure of muscle synergies is preserved during adaptation to a visuomotor rotation. Eight subjects applied targeted isometric forces on a handle instrumented with a force transducer while electromyographic (EMG activity was recorded from 13 shoulder and elbow muscles. The recorded forces were mapped into horizontal displacements of a virtual sphere with simulated mass, elasticity, and damping. The task consisted of moving the sphere to a target at one of eight equally spaced directions. Subjects performed three baseline blocks of 32 trials, followed by six blocks with a 45° CW rotation applied to the planar force, and finally three wash-out blocks without the perturbation. The sphere position at 100 ms after movement onset revealed significant directional error at the beginning of the rotation, a gradual learning in subsequent blocks, and aftereffects at the beginning of the wash-out. The change in initial force direction was closely related to the change in directional tuning of the initial EMG activity of most muscles. Throughout the experiment muscle synergies extracted using a non-negative matrix factorization algorithm from the muscle patterns recorded during the baseline blocks could reconstruct the muscle patterns of all other blocks with an accuracy significantly higher than chance indicating structural robustness. In addition, the synergies extracted from individual blocks remained similar to the baseline synergies throughout the experiment. Thus synergy structure is robust during visuomotor adaptation suggesting that changes in muscle patterns are obtained by rotating the directional tuning of the synergy recruitment.

Screening of cytoprotectors against methotrexate-induced cytogenotoxicity from bioactive phytochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Shaobin; Wu, Ying; Yang, Jianbo

2016-01-01

As a well known anti-neoplastic drug, the cytogenotoxicity of methotrexate (MTX) has received more attention in recent years. To develop a new cytoprotector to reduce the risk of second cancers caused by methotrexate, an umu test combined with a micronucleus assay was employed to estimate the cytoprotective effects of ten kinds of bioactive phytochemicals and their combinations. The results showed that allicin, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, eleutherosides and isoflavones had higher antimutagenic activities than other phytochemicals. At the highest dose tested, the MTX genetoxicity was suppressed by 34.03%∼67.12%. Of all the bioactive phytochemical combinations, the combination of grape seed proanthocyanidins and eleutherosides from Siberian ginseng as well as green tea polyphenols and eleutherosides exhibited stronger antimutagenic effects; the inhibition rate of methotrexate-induced genotoxicity separately reached 74.7 ± 6.5% and 71.8 ± 4.7%. Pretreatment of Kunming mice with phytochemical combinations revealed an obvious reduction in micronucleus and sperm abnormality rates following exposure to MTX (p phytochemicals combinations had the potential to be used as new cytoprotectors.

Synergies between nonproliferation regimes: A pragmatic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Findlay, Trevor; Meier, Oliver

2001-01-01

Full text: With the recent progress in establishing international nonproliferation regimes, the question of synergies between different verification and monitoring regimes is becoming more acute. Three multilateral and universal nonproliferation organisations covering safeguards on civil nuclear materials, nuclear testing, and chemical weapons are up and running. A regime on biological weapons is under negotiation. Several regional organisations concerned with monitoring nonproliferation commitments in the nuclear field are in place; others are being established. Past discussions on synergies between these regimes have suffered from being too far-reaching. These discussions often have not reflected adequately the political difficulties of cooperation between regimes with different membership, scope and institutional set-up. This paper takes a pragmatic look at exploiting synergies and identifies some potential and real overlaps in the work between different verification regimes. It argues for a bottom-up approach and identifies building blocks for collaboration between verification regimes. By realising such, more limited potential for cooperation, the ground could be prepared for exploiting other synergies between these regimes. (author)

Infrastructures for healthcare: From synergy to reverse synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Langhoff, Tue Odd; Amstrup, Mikkel Hvid; Mørck, Peter; Bjørn, Pernille

2018-03-01

The Danish General Practitioners Database has over more than a decade developed into a large-scale successful information infrastructure supporting medical research in Denmark. Danish general practitioners produce the data, by coding all patient consultations according to a certain set of classifications, on the entire Danish population. However, in the Autumn of 2014, the system was temporarily shut down due to a lawsuit filed by two general practitioners. In this article, we ask why and identify a political struggle concerning authority, control, and autonomy related to a transformation of the fundamental ontology of the information infrastructure. We explore how the transformed ontology created cracks in the inertia of the information infrastructure damaging the long-term sustainability. We propose the concept of reverse synergy as the awareness of negative impacts occurring when uncritically adding new actors or purposes to a system without due consideration to the nature of the infrastructure. We argue that while long-term information infrastructures are dynamic by nature and constantly impacted by actors joining or leaving the project, each activity of adding new actors must take reverse synergy into account, if not to risk breaking down the fragile nature of otherwise successful information infrastructures supporting research on healthcare.

Muscle synergies evoked by microstimulation are preferentially encoded during behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Alexander Overduin

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Electrical microstimulation studies provide some of the most direct evidence for the neural representation of muscle synergies. These synergies, i.e. coordinated activations of groups of muscles, have been proposed as building blocks for the construction of motor behaviors by the nervous system. Intraspinal or intracortical microstimulation has been shown to evoke muscle patterns that can be resolved into a small set of synergies similar to those seen in natural behavior. However, questions remain about the validity of microstimulation as a probe of neural function, particularly given the relatively long trains of supratheshold stimuli used in these studies. Here, we examined whether muscle synergies evoked during intracortical microstimulation in two rhesus macaques were similarly encoded by nearby motor cortical units during a purely voluntary behavior involving object reach, grasp, and carry movements. At each microstimulation site we identified the synergy most strongly evoked among those extracted from muscle patterns evoked over all microstimulation sites. For each cortical unit recorded at the same microstimulation site, we then identified the synergy most strongly encoded among those extracted from muscle patterns recorded during the voluntary behavior. We found that the synergy most strongly evoked at an intracortical microstimulation site matched the synergy most strongly encoded by proximal units more often than expected by chance. These results suggest a common neural substrate for microstimulation-evoked motor responses and for the generation of muscle patterns during natural behaviors.

Quantitative evaluation of muscle synergy models: a single-trial task decoding approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Delis, Ioannis; Berret, Bastien; Pozzo, Thierry; Panzeri, Stefano

2013-01-01

Muscle synergies, i.e., invariant coordinated activations of groups of muscles, have been proposed as building blocks that the central nervous system (CNS) uses to construct the patterns of muscle activity utilized for executing movements. Several efficient dimensionality reduction algorithms that extract putative synergies from electromyographic (EMG) signals have been developed. Typically, the quality of synergy decompositions is assessed by computing the Variance Accounted For (VAF). Yet, little is known about the extent to which the combination of those synergies encodes task-discriminating variations of muscle activity in individual trials. To address this question, here we conceive and develop a novel computational framework to evaluate muscle synergy decompositions in task space. Unlike previous methods considering the total variance of muscle patterns (VAF based metrics), our approach focuses on variance discriminating execution of different tasks. The procedure is based on single-trial task decoding from muscle synergy activation features. The task decoding based metric evaluates quantitatively the mapping between synergy recruitment and task identification and automatically determines the minimal number of synergies that captures all the task-discriminating variability in the synergy activations. In this paper, we first validate the method on plausibly simulated EMG datasets. We then show that it can be applied to different types of muscle synergy decomposition and illustrate its applicability to real data by using it for the analysis of EMG recordings during an arm pointing task. We find that time-varying and synchronous synergies with similar number of parameters are equally efficient in task decoding, suggesting that in this experimental paradigm they are equally valid representations of muscle synergies. Overall, these findings stress the effectiveness of the decoding metric in systematically assessing muscle synergy decompositions in task space.

In vitro antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of methanol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of D. edulis and F. capensis leaves were evaluated. Each plant leaves were extracted in methanol using standard procedures. The phytochemical screening of the resulting extracts showed the presence of cardiac glycosides, ...

How valid are claims for synergy in published clinical studies?

Science.gov (United States)

Ocana, A; Amir, E; Yeung, C; Seruga, B; Tannock, I F

2012-08-01

Clinical trials evaluating drug combinations are often stimulated by claims of synergistic interactions in preclinical models. Overuse or misuse of the term synergy could lead to poorly designed clinical studies. We searched PubMed using the terms 'synergy' or 'synergistic' and 'cancer' to select articles published between 2006 and 2010. Eligible studies were those that referred to synergy in preclinical studies to justify a drug combination evaluated in a clinical trial. Eighty-six clinical articles met eligibility criteria and 132 preclinical articles were cited in them. Most of the clinical studies were phase I (43%) or phase II trials (56%). Appropriate methods to evaluate synergy in preclinical studies included isobologram analysis in 18 studies (13.6%) and median effect in 10 studies (7.6%). Only 26 studies using animal models (39%) attempted to evaluate therapeutic index. There was no association between the result of the clinical trial and the use of an appropriate method to evaluate synergy (P=0.25, chi-squared test). Synergy is cited frequently in phase I and phase II studies to justify the evaluation of a specific drug combination. Inappropriate methods for evaluation of synergy and poor assessment of therapeutic index have been used in most preclinical articles.

Prolongevity effects of a botanical with oregano and cranberry extracts in Mexican fruit flies: examining interactions of diet restriction and age.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Sige; Carey, James R; Liedo, Pablo; Ingram, Donald K; Yu, Binbing

2012-04-01

Botanicals rich with phytochemicals have numerous health benefits. Dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan in diverse species. We previously demonstrated that an oregano-cranberry (OC) mixture can promote longevity in the Mexican Fruit fly (Mexfly, Anastrepha ludens Loew). However, little is known about the interaction between botanicals and DR, and the age-dependent effect of botanicals on lifespan and reproduction. Here we investigated these issues by feeding Mexflies a full or DR diet supplemented with or without 2% OC. Lifespan and daily egg production of individual flies were recorded. The effect of short-term OC supplementation was evaluated by implementing the supplementation at three age intervals-young, middle, and old age. We found that OC increased lifespan of Mexflies on the full or DR diet when compared to their respective controls. OC increased reproduction of females on the full diet and, to a lesser extent, on the DR diet. Short-term OC supplementation was not sufficient to extend lifespan for males at all three age intervals nor for females at young and old age intervals. However, OC supplementation at the middle age interval was sufficient to extend lifespan in females, while only OC supplementation at the young age interval increased reproduction in females. Our findings suggest that OC extends lifespan and promotes reproduction partly through DR-independent pathways, and short-term supplementation have varied impact on longevity and reproduction. This also suggests a positive interaction between non-genetic interventions in promoting longevity and provides guidance for using botanicals as aging interventions in humans.

Muscle Synergy-Driven Robust Motion Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Kyuengbo; Iwamoto, Masami; Kakei, Shinji; Kimpara, Hideyuki

2018-04-01

Humans are able to robustly maintain desired motion and posture under dynamically changing circumstances, including novel conditions. To accomplish this, the brain needs to optimize the synergistic control between muscles against external dynamic factors. However, previous related studies have usually simplified the control of multiple muscles using two opposing muscles, which are minimum actuators to simulate linear feedback control. As a result, they have been unable to analyze how muscle synergy contributes to motion control robustness in a biological system. To address this issue, we considered a new muscle synergy concept used to optimize the synergy between muscle units against external dynamic conditions, including novel conditions. We propose that two main muscle control policies synergistically control muscle units to maintain the desired motion against external dynamic conditions. Our assumption is based on biological evidence regarding the control of multiple muscles via the corticospinal tract. One of the policies is the group control policy (GCP), which is used to control muscle group units classified based on functional similarities in joint control. This policy is used to effectively resist external dynamic circumstances, such as disturbances. The individual control policy (ICP) assists the GCP in precisely controlling motion by controlling individual muscle units. To validate this hypothesis, we simulated the reinforcement of the synergistic actions of the two control policies during the reinforcement learning of feedback motion control. Using this learning paradigm, the two control policies were synergistically combined to result in robust feedback control under novel transient and sustained disturbances that did not involve learning. Further, by comparing our data to experimental data generated by human subjects under the same conditions as those of the simulation, we showed that the proposed synergy concept may be used to analyze muscle synergy

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using cranberry powder aqueous extract: characterization and antimicrobial properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashour, Asmaa A; Raafat, Dina; El-Gowelli, Hanan M; El-Kamel, Amal H

2015-01-01

The growing threat of microbial resistance against traditional antibiotics has prompted the development of several antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs), including silver NPs (AgNPs). In this article, a simple and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of AgNPs using the cranberry powder aqueous extract is reported. Cranberry powder aqueous extracts (0.2%, 0.5%, and 0.8% w/v) were allowed to interact for 24 hours with a silver nitrate solution (10 mM) at 30°C at a ratio of 1:10. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and their concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The prepared NPs were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, measurement of ζ-potential, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The in vitro antimicrobial properties of AgNPs were then investigated against several microbial strains. Finally, in vivo appraisal of both wound-healing and antimicrobial properties of either plain AgNPs (prepared using 0.2% extract) or AgNP-Pluronic F-127 gel was conducted in a rat model after induction of a Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P wound infection. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, where a surface-plasmon resonance absorption peak was observed between 432 and 438 nm. Both size and concentration of the formed AgNPs increased with increasing concentration of the extracts. The developed NPs were stable, almost spherical, and polydisperse, with a size range of 1.4-8.6 nm. The negative ζ-potential values, as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, indicated the presence of a capping agent adsorbed onto the surface of the particles. In vitro antimicrobial evaluation revealed a size-dependent activity of the AgNPs against the tested organisms. Finally, AgNPs prepared using 0.2% extract exhibited a substantial in vivo healing potential for full-thickness excision wounds in rats. AgNPs were successfully synthesized from a silver nitrate solution

Preliminary Phytochemical Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Plants are the natural producers of medicinal agents like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolics. These phytocompounds alone or in combination act as a therapeutic agent in various disease complications. Various chemical reagents are used to determine the major phytochemicals present in plant parts. Protocols involved in screening of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, phytosterols, fixed oils, and fats are shown in this chapter.

Protection against ionizing radiation by antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, Joseph F.; Landauer, Michael R.

2003-01-01

The potential of antioxidants to reduce the cellular damage induced by ionizing radiation has been studied in animal models for more than 50 years. The application of antioxidant radioprotectors to various human exposure situations has not been extensive although it is generally accepted that endogenous antioxidants, such as cellular non-protein thiols and antioxidant enzymes, provide some degree of protection. This review focuses on the radioprotective efficacy of naturally occurring antioxidants, specifically antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals, and how they might influence various endpoints of radiation damage. Results from animal experiments indicate that antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E and selenium compounds, are protective against lethality and other radiation effects but to a lesser degree than most synthetic protectors. Some antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals have the advantage of low toxicity although they are generally protective when administered at pharmacological doses. Naturally occurring antioxidants also may provide an extended window of protection against low-dose, low-dose-rate irradiation, including therapeutic potential when administered after irradiation. A number of phytochemicals, including caffeine, genistein, and melatonin, have multiple physiological effects, as well as antioxidant activity, which result in radioprotection in vivo. Many antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals have antimutagenic properties, and their modulation of long-term radiation effects, such as cancer, needs further examination. In addition, further studies are required to determine the potential value of specific antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals during radiotherapy for cancer

Superfruits: Phytochemicals, antioxidant efficacies, and health effects - A comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sui Kiat; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Shahidi, Fereidoon

2018-01-23

The term "superfruit" has gained increasing usage and attention recently with the marketing strategy to promote the extraordinary health benefits of some exotic fruits, which may not have worldwide popularity. This has led to many studies with the identification and quantification of various groups of phytochemicals. This contribution discusses phytochemical compositions, antioxidant efficacies, and potential health benefits of the main superfruits such as açai, acerola, camu-camu, goji berry, jaboticaba, jambolão, maqui, noni, and pitanga. Novel product formulations, safety aspects, and future perspectives of these superfruits have also been covered. Research findings from the existing literature published within the last 10 years have been compiled and summarized. These superfruits having numerous phytochemicals (phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, iridoids, coumarins, hydrolysable tannins, carotenoids, and anthocyanins) together with their corresponding antioxidant activities, have increasingly been utilized. Hence, these superfruits can be considered as a valuable source of functional foods due to the phytochemical compositions and their corresponding antioxidant activities. The phytochemicals from superfruits are bioaccessible and bioavailable in humans with promising health benefits. More well-designed human explorative studies are needed to validate the health benefits of these superfruits.

Development of phytoxpro TLC videodensitometer for phytochemical screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd Jalil Abd Hamid; Shafii Khamis

2004-01-01

A simple low-cost PhytoXPro TLC Video densitometer was developed to facilitate phytochemical screening in medicinal plants. It was based on a digital video camera system interface to a PC Image capturing of TLC chromatograin through the USB digital video camera is performed according to the selected resolution. Region of interest (ROI) of TLC chromatogram image are selected and transformed to color histogram, based on the HSI color space components. The possibility of phytochemical fingerprint identification from the created color histogram was examined The performance characteristics of the system provide sufficient sensitivity for use in semi quantitative analysis. This type of low-cost system can be installed on conventional PCs with easy to use, and quick documentation system for screening of phytochemical constituents in medicinal plants. (Author)

The effect of aging on respiratory synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kweon, Migyoung; Son, Sung Min; Kwon, Yong Hyun

2015-04-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on respiratory synergy, through the comparison of an elderly group and a young group, to help further understanding of postural control in the elderly. [Subjects and Methods] Ten community-dwelling elderly subjects and ten young subjects performed standing under two different respiratory conditions: quiet breathing and apnea. Center of foot pressure displacement and joint angular movements of the head, trunk, pelvis, hips, knees and ankles were measured. [Results] The results of this study showed that the elderly group had a respiratory synergy different from that of the young group. The elderly group in quiet stance used significantly more hip and pelvis movements when compensating for respiratory disturbance than standing with apnea, while the young group used significantly more whole body segments. There were no differences in angular displacements in the quiet stance between the elderly and the young groups. [Conclusion] The elderly group demonstrated a respiratory synergy pattern different from that of the young group. The findings indicate that aging changes the respiratory synergy pattern and this change is not due to decreased functioning of the ankle joint alone.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL REVIEW OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mgina

Lyantagaye – Ethnopharmacological and phytochemical review of Allium and Tulbaghia … 60 ... produced in the plant by the aging process. As simply stated ..... exhibit anti-infective activity against ..... implications for telomere evolution. Cell.

Phytochemical and chemosystematic studies of Euxylophora paraensis (Rutaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isidoro, Marsele Machado; Silva, Maria Fatima das Gracas Fernandes da; Fernandes, Joao Batista; Vieira, Paulo Cezar; Arruda, Alberto C.; Silva, Sebastiao da Cruz

2012-01-01

Phytochemical studies of the leaves and stem have led to the identification of the known coumarins isooxypeucedanin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, 8-methoxymarmesin and marmesin, flavonoids quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and hesperidin, alkaloids skimmianine and N-methylflindersine and limonoid limonin. The compounds isolated and the chemical profile of Euxylophora obtained from the literature clearly indicate its phytochemical affinities with other Rutoideae species. (author)

Target Choice and Unique Synergies in Global Mobile Telephony

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Claussen, Jörg; Köhler, Rebecca; Kretschmer, Tobias

2018-01-01

their foresight to select specific targets: First, they lower integration costs by selecting geographically close targets. This effect is stronger when buyer and target are in the same country, but only if the market is not so concentrated that it provokes regulatory interventions. Second, they select targets......The success of acquisitions rests on detecting and realizing unique synergies between buyer and target through their dyadic relationships. We study the role of unique dyad-specific synergies in the selection of takeover targets in the global mobile telecommunications industry. Firms use...... that can be acquired at a modest bid premium because they have asymmetric bargaining power. Finally, they select targets which can generate significant synergies due to technological synergies. Our work expands the existing target selection literature by studying dyad-specific factors within a single...

Comparative phytochemical and growth inhibitory studies on the leaf ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative phytochemical and growth inhibitory studies on the leaf and root bark extracts of securinega Virosa (roxb ex. Willd) baill ... The growth inhibitory tests were carried out between 1-30 mg/ in a period of 24-96 h while the phytochemical screening was carried out on the plant parts using standard methods. At 24 h ...

Novel Methods to Enhance Precision and Reliability in Muscle Synergy Identification during Walking

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yushin; Bulea, Thomas C.; Damiano, Diane L.

2016-01-01

Muscle synergies are hypothesized to reflect modular control of muscle groups via descending commands sent through multiple neural pathways. Recently, the number of synergies has been reported as a functionally relevant indicator of motor control complexity in individuals with neurological movement disorders. Yet the number of synergies extracted during a given activity, e.g., gait, varies within and across studies, even for unimpaired individuals. With no standardized methods for precise determination, this variability remains unexplained making comparisons across studies and cohorts difficult. Here, we utilize k-means clustering and intra-class and between-level correlation coefficients to precisely discriminate reliable from unreliable synergies. Electromyography (EMG) was recorded bilaterally from eight leg muscles during treadmill walking at self-selected speed. Muscle synergies were extracted from 20 consecutive gait cycles using non-negative matrix factorization. We demonstrate that the number of synergies is highly dependent on the threshold when using the variance accounted for by reconstructed EMG. Beyond use of threshold, our method utilized a quantitative metric to reliably identify four or five synergies underpinning walking in unimpaired adults and revealed synergies having poor reproducibility that should not be considered as true synergies. We show that robust and unreliable synergies emerge similarly, emphasizing the need for careful analysis in those with pathology. PMID:27695403

Consequences of biomechanically constrained tasks in the design and interpretation of synergy analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Katherine M; Tresch, Matthew C; Perreault, Eric J

2015-04-01

Matrix factorization algorithms are commonly used to analyze muscle activity and provide insight into neuromuscular control. These algorithms identify low-dimensional subspaces, commonly referred to as synergies, which can describe variation in muscle activity during a task. Synergies are often interpreted as reflecting underlying neural control; however, it is unclear how these analyses are influenced by biomechanical and task constraints, which can also lead to low-dimensional patterns of muscle activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether commonly used algorithms and experimental methods can accurately identify synergy-based control strategies. This was accomplished by evaluating synergies from five common matrix factorization algorithms using muscle activations calculated from 1) a biomechanically constrained task using a musculoskeletal model and 2) without task constraints using random synergy activations. Algorithm performance was assessed by calculating the similarity between estimated synergies and those imposed during the simulations; similarities ranged from 0 (random chance) to 1 (perfect similarity). Although some of the algorithms could accurately estimate specified synergies without biomechanical or task constraints (similarity >0.7), with these constraints the similarity of estimated synergies decreased significantly (0.3-0.4). The ability of these algorithms to accurately identify synergies was negatively impacted by correlation of synergy activations, which are increased when substantial biomechanical or task constraints are present. Increased variability in synergy activations, which can be captured using robust experimental paradigms that include natural variability in motor activation patterns, improved identification accuracy but did not completely overcome effects of biomechanical and task constraints. These results demonstrate that a biomechanically constrained task can reduce the accuracy of estimated synergies and highlight

Anticipatory synergy adjustments reflect individual performance of feedforward force control.

Science.gov (United States)

Togo, Shunta; Imamizu, Hiroshi

2016-10-06

We grasp and dexterously manipulate an object through multi-digit synergy. In the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis, multi-digit synergy is defined as the coordinated control mechanism of fingers to stabilize variable important for task success, e.g., total force. Previous studies reported anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) that correspond to a drop of the synergy index before a quick change of the total force. The present study compared ASA's properties with individual performances of feedforward force control to investigate a relationship of those. Subjects performed a total finger force production task that consisted of a phase in which subjects tracked target line with visual information and a phase in which subjects produced total force pulse without visual information. We quantified their multi-digit synergy through UCM analysis and observed significant ASAs before producing total force pulse. The time of the ASA initiation and the magnitude of the drop of the synergy index were significantly correlated with the error of force pulse, but not with the tracking error. Almost all subjects showed a significant increase of the variance that affected the total force. Our study directly showed that ASA reflects the individual performance of feedforward force control independently of target-tracking performance and suggests that the multi-digit synergy was weakened to adjust the multi-digit movements based on a prediction error so as to reduce the future error. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protection against ionizing radiation by antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, J.F.; Landauer, M.R.

2003-01-01

Full text: The potential of antioxidants to reduce the cellular damage induced by ionizing radiation has been studied in animal models for more than 50 years. The application of antioxidant radioprotectors to various human exposure situations has not been extensive although it is generally accepted that endogenous antioxidants, such as cellular non-protein thiols and antioxidant enzymes, provide some degree of protection. This review focuses on the radioprotective efficacy of naturally-occurring antioxidants, specifically antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals, and how they might influence various endpoints of radiation damage. Results from animal experiments indicate that antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E and selenium compounds, are protective against lethality and other radiation effects but to a lesser degree than most synthetic protectors. Some antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals have the advantage of low toxicity although they are generally protective when administered at pharmacological doses. Naturally-occurring antioxidants also may provide an extended window of protection against low-dose, low-dose-rate irradiation, including therapeutic potential when administered after irradiation. A number of phytochemicals, including caffeine, genistein, and melatonin, have multiple physiological effects, as well as antioxidant activity, which result in radioprotection in vivo. Many antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals have antimutagenic properties, and their modulation of long-term radiation effects, such as cancer, needs further examination. In addition, further studies are required to determine the potential value of specific antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals during radiotherapy for cancer

Dietary phytochemicals and neuro-inflammaging: from mechanistic insights to translational challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Davinelli, Sergio; Maes, Michael; Corbi, Graziamaria; Zarrelli, Armando; Willcox, Donald Craig; Scapagnini, Giovanni

2016-01-01

An extensive literature describes the positive impact of dietary phytochemicals on overall health and longevity. Dietary phytochemicals include a large group of non-nutrients compounds from a wide range of plant-derived foods and chemical classes. Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made to realize that oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) and chronic, low-grade inflammation are major risk factors underlying brain aging. Accumulated data strongly suggest that phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices may exert relevant negative immunoregulatory, and/or anti-O&NS activities in the context of brain aging. Despite the translational gap between basic and clinical research, the current understanding of the molecular interactions between phytochemicals and immune-inflammatory and O&NS (IO&NS) pathways could help in designing effective nutritional strategies to delay brain aging and improve cognitive function. This review attempts to summarise recent evidence indicating that specific phytochemicals may act as positive modulators of IO&NS pathways by attenuating pro-inflammatory pathways associated with the age-related redox imbalance that occurs in brain aging. We will also discuss the need to initiate long-term nutrition intervention studies in healthy subjects. Hence, we will highlight crucial aspects that require further study to determine effective physiological concentrations and explore the real impact of dietary phytochemicals in preserving brain health before the onset of symptoms leading to cognitive decline and inflammatory neurodegeneration.

Preliminary phytochemicals evaluation of different solvent extracts of Gynura procumbens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazlina Ahmad Hassali; Fazliana Mohd Saaya; Anuar, A.M.K.; Shafii Khamis

2014-01-01

Phytochemicals are natural bioactive compounds found in plants, such as vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants, flowers, leaves and roots that work with nutrients and fibers to protect against various human diseases. Gynura procumbens or locally known as Sambung Nyawa is a plant species widely planted in many warmer regions. It is a perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, which may grow to 100 cm high with oval-shaped, leaves to 10 cm long and have a rather fleshy feel. Gynura procumbens has been used for the treatment of eruptive fevers, rash and kidney disease. The leaves of this plant continue to be used as folk medicine to control diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. The aim of this research was to evaluate the presence of phytochemicals constituents in different solvent extracts of Gynura procumbens leaves. Qualitative phytochemicals screening of hexane, chloroform, methanol and water extracts were carried out for the detection of terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, lipids, coumarin, cardiac glycosides and anthraquinones. The phytochemicals screening showed positive results for terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, lipids, coumarin and anthraquinones in methanol and water extracts of Gynura procumbens. The diversity of phytochemicals present suggests that Gynura procumbens leaves could serve as a source of useful drugs. (author)

A Typical Synergy

Science.gov (United States)

van Noort, Thomas; Achten, Peter; Plasmeijer, Rinus

We present a typical synergy between dynamic types (dynamics) and generalised algebraic datatypes (GADTs). The former provides a clean approach to integrating dynamic typing in a statically typed language. It allows values to be wrapped together with their type in a uniform package, deferring type unification until run time using a pattern match annotated with the desired type. The latter allows for the explicit specification of constructor types, as to enforce their structural validity. In contrast to ADTs, GADTs are heterogeneous structures since each constructor type is implicitly universally quantified. Unfortunately, pattern matching only enforces structural validity and does not provide instantiation information on polymorphic types. Consequently, functions that manipulate such values, such as a type-safe update function, are cumbersome due to boilerplate type representation administration. In this paper we focus on improving such functions by providing a new GADT annotation via a natural synergy with dynamics. We formally define the semantics of the annotation and touch on novel other applications of this technique such as type dispatching and enforcing type equality invariants on GADT values.

Cranberry extract inhibits in vitro adhesion of F4 and F18+Escherichia coli to pig intestinal epithelium and reduces in vivo excretion of pigs orally challenged with F18+ verotoxigenic E. coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Coddens, Annelies; Loos, Michaela; Vanrompay, Daisy; Remon, Jean Paul; Cox, Eric

2017-04-01

F4 + E. coli and F18 + E. coli infections are an important threat for pig industry worldwide. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat infected piglets, but the emerging development of resistance against antibiotics raises major concerns. Hence, alternative therapies to prevent pigs from F4 + E. coli and F18 + E. coli infections need to be developed. Since cranberry previously showed anti-adhesive activity against uropathogenic E. coli, we aimed to investigate whether cranberry extract could also inhibit binding of F4 + E. coli and F18 + E. coli to pig intestinal epithelium. Using the in vitro villus adhesion assay, we found that low concentrations of cranberry extract (20μg or 100μg/ml) have strong inhibitory activity on F4 + E. coli (75.3%, S.D.=9.31 or 95.8%, S.D.=2.56, respectively) and F18 + E. coli adherence (100% inhibition). This effect was not due to antimicrobial activity. Moreover, cranberry extract (10mg or 100mg) could also abolish in vivo binding of F4 and F18 fimbriae to the pig intestinal epithelium in ligated loop experiments. Finally, two challenge experiments with F18 + E. coli were performed to address the efficacy of in-feed or water supplemented cranberry extract. No effect could be observed in piglets that received cranberry extract only in feed (1g/kg or 10g/kg). However, supplementation of feed (10g/kg) and drinking water (1g/L) significantly decreased excretion and diarrhea. The decreased infection resulted in a decreased serum antibody response indicating reduced exposure to F18 + E. coli. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactions Between Agricultural Chemicals and the Soil Microflora and Their Effects on {sup 14}C-Parathion Metabolism in Cranberry Soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferris, I. G.; Lichtenstein, E. P. [Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

1981-05-15

Full text: The fate of {sup 14}C-parathion in a loam and ''cranberry soil'' was investigated utilizing a closed system to enable monitoring of {sup 14}CO{sub 2} evolution, and to obtain a total {sup 14}C balance. Soils were treated with {sup 14}C-parathion at rates equivalent to about 3 ppm and incubated at 23 ± 2°C. After 3 weeks of soil incubation differences in the persistence of {sup 14}C-parathion were evident: 76% of applied radiocarbon remained as unchanged parathion in loam soil compared with only 4% in a cranberry soil; conversely, {sup 14}C-degradation products amounted to 26% and 91% of applied radiocarbon, respectively. Interactions were found to occur between fungicides and the biodegradation of {sup 14}C-(ring)-parathion in cranberry soil. Captafol (Difolatan® inhibited the metabolism of {sup 14}C-parathion. The inhibition was a linear function of the applied captafol concentration with a no effect concentration of 1 ppm. On the other hand, 100 ppm of Manzate®(maneb) or Benlate® (benomyl) altered the pathway of {sup 14}C-parathion degradation in favour of bound {sup 14}C-residues. In soil-free medium inoculated with cranberry soil microorganisms {sup 14}C-(ring)- parathion was degraded within 4 days principally to volatile {sup 14}C-compounds (presumably {sup 14}CO{sub 2}). On the -contrary, no degradation of {sup 14}C-parathion occurred in an inoculated medium that also contained a 100-ppm benomyl suspension, apparently benomyl inhibited the hydrolysis/oxidation of {sup 14}C-parathion. Soil amendments of 100 ppm nitrogen (N) as (NH{sub 4}){sub 2}SO{sub 4}, or to a lesser extent KNO{sub 3}, inhibited the metabolism of {sup 14}C-( ring)-parathion to {sup 14}CO{sub 2}. In summary, some agricultural chemicals have an effect on parathiondegrading microorganisms resulting in an increase in bound {sup 14}C-residues and an increased persistence of toxic parathion residues.

Cranberry juice concentrate does not significantly decrease the incidence of acquired bacteriuria in female hip fracture patients receiving urine catheter: a double-blind randomized trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunnarsson AK

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Anna-Karin Gunnarsson,1 Lena Gunningberg,2 Sune Larsson,1 Kenneth B Jonsson1 1Institution of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; 2Institution of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI is a common complication among patients with hip fractures. Receiving an indwelling urinary catheter is a risk factor for developing UTIs. Treatment of symptomatic UTIs with antibiotics is expensive and can result in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Cranberries are thought to prevent UTI. There is no previous research on this potential effect in patients with hip fracture who receive urinary catheters. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate whether intake of cranberry juice concentrate preoperatively decreases the incidence of postoperative UTIs in hip fracture patients that received a urinary catheter. Design: This study employed a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Method: Female patients, aged 60 years and older, with hip fracture (n=227 were randomized to receive cranberry or placebo capsules daily, from admission, until 5 days postoperatively. Urine cultures were obtained at admission, 5 and 14 days postoperatively. In addition, Euro Qual five Dimensions assessments were performed and patients were screened for UTI symptoms. Result: In the intention-to-treat analysis, there was no difference between the groups in the proportion of patients with hospital-acquired postoperative positive urine cultures at any time point. When limiting the analysis to patients that ingested at least 80% of the prescribed capsules, 13 of 33 (39% in the placebo group and 13 of 47 (28% in the cranberry group (P=0.270 had a positive urine culture at 5 days postoperatively. However, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.270. Conclusion: Cranberry concentrate does not seem to effectively prevent UTIs in female patients with hip fracture and

Studies of teh phytotoxicity of the seed of phytochemical screening ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytotoxicity of the seed and phytochemical screening of the leaf of Ricinus communis were investigated. The secondary metabolites in the leaf were screened and identified. The leaves were sun dried, pulverized and sieved. The resulting powdered extract was subjected to phytochemical tests. A proximate analysis ...

Muscle synergy extraction during arm reaching movements at different speeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabzevari, Vahid Reza; Jafari, Amir Homayoun; Boostani, Reza

2017-01-01

Muscle synergy is the activation of a group of muscles that contribute to a particular movement. The goal of the present study is to examine the hypothesis that human reaching movements at different speeds share similar muscle synergies and to investigate the kinesiology basis and innervation of muscles. Electromyographic activity from six muscles of the upper limb and shoulder girdle were recorded during three movements at different speeds, i.e. slow, moderate and fast. The effect of window length on the RMS signal of the EMG was analyzed and then EMG envelope signals were decomposed using non-negative matrix factorization. For each of the ten subjects, three synergies were extracted which accounted for at least 99% of the VAF. For each movement, the muscle synergies and muscle activation coefficients of all participants were clustered in to three partitions. Investigation showed a high similarity and dependency of cluster members due to the cosine similarity and mutual information in muscle synergy clustering. For further verification, the EMG envelope signals for all subjects were reconstructed. The results indicated a lower reconstruction error using the center of the muscle synergy clusters in comparison with the average of the activation coefficients, which confirms the current research's hypothesis.

Coevolution: A synergy in biology and ecology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WenJun Zhang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Synergy refers to that in an open and complex system consisting of a large number of subsystems, far from equilibrium, its subsystems interact in a nonlinear way to produce synergistic effects and thus make the system generate a self-organization structure in space/time with certain functions. Biologists and ecologists, tend to use coevolution/coadaptation to represent the terminology "synergy". Coevolution and research methodology were briefly discussed in present paper.

Impact of Cranberry Juice Enriched with Omega-3 Fatty Acids Adjunct with Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment on Metabolic Control and Periodontal Status in Type 2 Patients with Diabetes with Periodontal Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zare Javid, Ahmad; Maghsoumi-Norouzabad, Leila; Ashrafzadeh, Elnaz; Yousefimanesh, Hojat Allah; Zakerkish, Mehrnoosh; Ahmadi Angali, Kambiz; Ravanbakhsh, Maryam; Babaei, Hosein

2018-01-01

Cranberries, high in polyphenols, have been associated with a favorable glycemic response in patients with type 2 diabetes and also are beneficial for oral health. Because type 2 diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease have a physiological relationship, this study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that cranberry juice enriched with omega-3 will improve glycemic and lipid profiles and periodontal status in patients with diabetes with periodontal disease. In this randomized clinical trial, 41 patients with diabetes (age 35-67 years) with periodontal disease were recruited and randomly assigned to 4 groups: control (C; n = 12), receiving omega-3 (I1; n = 10, 1 g/ twice daily), cranberry juice (I2; n = 9, 200 ml, twice daily), and cranberry juice enriched with omega-3 (I3; n = 10, 200 ml, containing 1 g omega-3) twice daily for 8 weeks. Nonsurgical periodontal therapy was provided for all patients during the study. Fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, probing depth, anthropometric indices, and 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls were measured pre- and postintervention. Glycated hemoglobin was decreased significantly in I1 and I3 groups. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels increased significantly in the I3 group compared to baseline and compared to I1 and I2 groups. Probing depth was significantly reduced in all groups postintervention. Consumption of cranberry juice enriched with omega-3 can be beneficial as adjuvant therapy with nonsurgical periodontal therapy in decreasing glycated hemoglobin, increasing HDL-C, and improving periodontal status in patients with diabetes with periodontal disease.

Synergy: a framework for leadership development and transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacini, Christine M

2005-06-01

The Synergy Model has been adopted as an organizing framework for nursing practice, education, and leadership at Clarian Health Partners, Inc. of Indiana. This article describes the evolution of educational programs at Clarian, in concert with the implementation of the Synergy Model. Philosophical and operational changes in staff orientation, professional development, and management development are described.

The Philosophy of Modern Scientific Knowledge: the Language of Synergy and the Synergy of Language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larisa Kiyashchenko

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The issue of the formation of present-day scientific knowledge is viewed in the paper through the prism of language. Language is seen here not merely as an external form vis-a-vis the content of scientific knowledge, but rather as the mode of emergence and existence of scientific knowledge as a certain reality (Shverev 2001: 509,  the one that evolves as a result of cognitive and communicative practices in transdisciplinary studies. The mutual influence of the language of synergy and the synergy of language leads to a new unity of scientific experience and gives rise to the philosophy of transdisciplinarity (Киященко 2006: 17. 

Field Synergy Principle for Energy Conservation Analysis and Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qun Chen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Optimization of mass and energy transfer process is critical to improve energy efficiency. In this contribution we introduce the field synergy principle as a unified principle for analyzing and improving the performance of the transfer process. Three field synergy numbers are introduced for heat, mass, and momentum transfer, respectively, and three cases are demonstrated for validation. The results indicate that the field synergy numbers will increase when reducing the angle between the velocity vector and the temperature gradient or the species concentration gradient fields in the convective heat or mass transfer, and the overall heat or mass transfer capability is therefore enhanced. In fluid flows, it will reduce the fluid flow drag to decrease the synergy number between the velocity and the velocity gradient fields over the entire domain and to decrease the product between the fluid viscosity and the velocity gradient at the boundary simultaneously.

PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY OF RHEUM EMODI

OpenAIRE

Mir Ashfaq Ahmad; K. W. Shah; Showkat Ahmad Wani

2012-01-01

Preliminary phytochemical investigation of aqueous and methanolic rhizome extracts of Rheum emodi followed by their TLC profiling were carried out. Phytochemical analysis reveals the presence of diverse groups of phytoconstituents in two different extracts (aqueous and methanolic rhizome extracts). Chemical constituents also show different Rf values in two different solvent systems.

Historical aspects and causes of the synergy beginning as a science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakimtsov V. V.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the historical aspects of the beginning and development of a new popular science – synergy, as a means of interdisciplinary communication among scholars. Using methodological apparatus of synergy here were considered the basics of studies. Historical aspects of the origin, beginning and formation of synergy as a science and its application in all aspects of human life were analyzed. Current research areas within synergy and nonlinear dynamics were presented. Was presented a question of order and organization of global issues (energetic, environmental, social and economic and systems, that were developed by human using synergy. The conclusion was made on the need for a synergistic approach to all aspects of human life and especially to the economy – it is undeniable in the science of human development in society and especially within the manufacturing process.

Phytochemical content of hot and cold water extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Habboo, Maysam Dahham; Nor, Norefrina Shafinaz Md.; Ibrahim, Nazlina

2018-04-01

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (Lamiaceae) is a plant with ethnobotanical applications including antifungal and antibacterial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical contents of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves water extract prepared in cold and hot distilled water. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phytochemicals components such as a flavonoid, terpenoid and steroid in both extracts. Cold water extract has two extra components: saponin and alkaloid that may be destroyed by the exposure to heat.

Team synergies in sport: Theory and measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duarte Araújo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Individual players act as a coherent unit during team sports performance, forming a team synergy. A synergy is a collective property of a task-specific organization of individuals, such that the degrees of freedom of each individual in the system are coupled, enabling the degrees of freedom of different individuals to co-regulate each other. Here, we present an explanation for the emergence of such collective behaviors, indicating how these can be assessed and understood through the measurement of key system properties that exist, considering the contribution of each individual and beyond These include: to (i dimensional compression, a process resulting in independent degree of freedom being coupled so that the synergy has fewer degrees of freedom than the set of components from which it arises; (ii reciprocal compensation, if one element do not produce its function, other elements should display changes in their contributions so that task goals are still attained; (iii interpersonal linkages, the specific contribution of each element to a group task; and (iv, degeneracy, structurally different components performing a similar, but not necessarily identical, function with respect to context. A primary goal of our analysis is to highlight the principles and tools required to understand coherent and dynamic team behaviors, as well as the performance conditions that make such team synergies possible, through perceptual attunement to shared affordances in individual performers. A key conclusion is that teams can be trained to perceive how to use and share specific affordances, explaining how individual’s behaviours self-organize into a group synergy.Ecological dynamics explanations of team behaviors can transit beyond mere ratification of sport performance, providing a comprehensive conceptual framework to guide the implementation of diagnostic measures by sport scientists, sport psychologists and performance analysts.

Explosive spreading on complex networks: The role of synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Quan-Hui; Wang, Wei; Tang, Ming; Zhou, Tao; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2017-04-01

In spite of the vast literature on spreading dynamics on complex networks, the role of local synergy, i.e., the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect greater than the sum of the individual elements, has been studied but only for irreversible spreading dynamics. Reversible spreading dynamics are ubiquitous but their interplay with synergy has remained unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we articulate a model to incorporate local synergistic effect into the classical susceptible-infected-susceptible process, in which the probability for a susceptible node to become infected through an infected neighbor is enhanced when the neighborhood of the latter contains a number of infected nodes. We derive master equations incorporating the synergistic effect, with predictions that agree well with the numerical results. A striking finding is that when a parameter characterizing the strength of the synergy reinforcement effect is above a critical value, the steady-state density of the infected nodes versus the basic transmission rate exhibits an explosively increasing behavior and a hysteresis loop emerges. In fact, increasing the synergy strength can promote the spreading and reduce the invasion and persistence thresholds of the hysteresis loop. A physical understanding of the synergy promoting explosive spreading and the associated hysteresis behavior can be obtained through a mean-field analysis.

Phytochemical screening and anthelmintic activities of andrachne cordifolia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajaib, M.; Wahla, S.Q.; Wahla, U.G.

2017-01-01

The present work was done to assess the phytochemical screening and anthelmintic potential of leaves and bark of Andrachne cordifolia (Wall. ex Decne.) Muell. The phytochemical screening for reducing sugars, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, anthraquinones and alkaloids was performed. Saponins, terpenoids and tannins were reported in all the extracts. Anthelmintic activity of the extracts was carried out at four concentrations 20, 50, 80, 100 mg/mL. The time taken for death and paralysis of Haemonchus contortous were determined. Significance anthelmintic potential was shown by all the macerates which was dose dependent and compared to standard piperazine citrate. Chloroform macerate of leaf and petroleum ether extract of bark showed good activity. This may be because of the vicinity of phytochemical constituents like terpenoids, saponins and tannins in the plants. The results indicated that plant has secondary metabolites that have broad anthelmintic properties and plant might be a novel source of pharmaceutical drugs against helminthes. (author)

Beyond synergies. Comment on "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" by Marco Santello et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Andrew B.

2016-07-01

The target paper by Santello et al. [1] uses the observation that hand shape during grasping can be described by a small set of basic postures, or ;synergies,; to describe the possible neural basis of motor control during this complex behavior. In the literature, the term ;synergy; has been used with a number of different meanings and is still loosely defined, making it difficult to derive concrete analogs of corresponding neural structure. Here, I will define ;synergy; broadly, as a set of parameters bound together by a pattern of correlation. With this definition, it can be argued that behavioral synergies are just one facet of the correlational structuring used by the brain to generate behavior. As pointed out in the target article, the structure found in synergies is driven by the physical constraints of our bodies and our surroundings, combined with the behavioral control imparted by our nervous system. This control itself is based on correlational structure which is likely to be a fundamental property of brain function.

Preliminary Phytochemical and Physicochemical Characterization of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To carry out phytochemical and physicochemical studies on the leaves of Gynura ... International Pharmaceutical Abstract, Chemical Abstracts, Embase, Index ... (DOAJ), African Journal Online, Bioline International, Open-J-Gate and ...

preliminary phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

1Department of Pre-ND and General Studies, School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic, ... revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroids alkaloids and terpenoids. ... phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of extract.

NUTRITIVE VALUE AND PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

Nutritive Value and Phytochemical Composition of Solanum incanum. NUTRITIVE VALUE ... Proximate analysis: The recommended method of association of analytical ... The result of proximate composition from the present study revealed that ...

Medicinal, Pharmacological and Phytochemical Potentials of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Medicinal, Pharmacological and Phytochemical Potentials of Annona Comosus linn. ... Therapeutic plants, and the drugs derived from them, are the most important ... also as treatment to: diarrhea, indigestion, pneumonia, bronchitis, arthritis, ...

Phytochemicals in Skin Cancer Prevention and Treatment: An Updated Review

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Chau Yee Ng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Skin is the largest human organ, our protection against various environmental assaults and noxious agents. Accumulation of these stress events may lead to the formation of skin cancers, including both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Although modern targeted therapies have ameliorated the management of cutaneous malignancies, a safer, more affordable, and more effective strategy for chemoprevention and treatment is clearly needed for the improvement of skin cancer care. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds derived from plants and herbal products. These agents appear to be beneficial in the battle against cancer as they exert anti-carcinogenic effects and are widely available, highly tolerated, and cost-effective. Evidence has indicated that the anti-carcinogenic properties of phytochemicals are due to their anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-angiogenic effects. In this review, we discuss the preventive potential, therapeutic effects, bioavailability, and structure–activity relationship of these selected phytochemicals for the management of skin cancers. The knowledge compiled here will provide clues for future investigations on novel oncostatic phytochemicals and additional anti-skin cancer mechanisms.

Tapping Geography's Potential for Synergy with Creative Instructional Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Conway-Gomez, Kristen; Williams, Nikki; Atkinson-Palombo, Carol; Ahlqvist, Ola; Kim, Eje; Morgan, Miranda

2011-01-01

We define synergy, explain its importance within the context of rapidly changing academia, and provide examples of how geographic educators have used creative instructional approaches to create synergies. Both the content of geography and some of the instructional approaches used by geographic educators support the discipline's ability to deliver…

Phytochemical screening of different extracts of Kalanchoe laciniata

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Maria Manan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids and flavonoids distribution in n-hexane and aqueous-methanolicextract of kalanchoelaciniata was assessed and compared. The present study was carried out to study the phytochemical constituents of Kalanchoe laciniata. Aqueous-methanol and n-hexane were the solvents used for the extraction of the plant. Phytochemical analysis was carried out on both of these extracts, indicated that n-hexane extract constitutes tannins, terpenoids on the other hand aqueous-methanolic extract contains saponins, tannins, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides  and anthraquinones. 

The number and choice of muscles impact the results of muscle synergy analyses

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Katherine Muterspaugh Steele

2013-08-01

Full Text Available One theory for how humans control movement is that muscles are activated in weighted groups or synergies. Studies have shown that electromyography (EMG from a variety of tasks can be described by a low-dimensional space thought to reflect synergies. These studies use algorithms, such as nonnegative matrix factorization, to identify synergies from EMG. Due to experimental constraints, EMG can rarely be taken from all muscles involved in a task. However, it is unclear if the choice of muscles included in the analysis impacts estimated synergies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the number and choice of muscles on synergy analyses. We used a musculoskeletal model to calculate muscle activations required to perform an isometric upper-extremity task. Synergies calculated from the activations from the musculoskeletal model were similar to a prior experimental study. To evaluate the impact of the number of muscles included in the analysis, we randomly selected subsets of between 5 and 29 muscles and compared the similarity of the synergies calculated from each subset to a master set of synergies calculated from all muscles. We determined that the structure of synergies is dependent upon the number and choice of muscles included in the analysis. When five muscles were included in the analysis, the similarity of the synergies to the master set was only 0.57 ± 0.54; however, the similarity improved to over 0.8 with more than ten muscles. We identified two methods, selecting dominant muscles from the master set or selecting muscles with the largest maximum isometric force, which significantly improved similarity to the master set and can help guide future experimental design. Analyses that included a small subset of muscles also over-estimated the variance accounted for (VAF by the synergies compared to an analysis with all muscles. Thus, researchers should use caution using VAF to evaluate synergies when EMG is measured from a small

Synergy Maps: exploring compound combinations using network-based visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Richard; Guha, Rajarshi; Korcsmaros, Tamás; Bender, Andreas

2015-01-01

The phenomenon of super-additivity of biological response to compounds applied jointly, termed synergy, has the potential to provide many therapeutic benefits. Therefore, high throughput screening of compound combinations has recently received a great deal of attention. Large compound libraries and the feasibility of all-pairs screening can easily generate large, information-rich datasets. Previously, these datasets have been visualized using either a heat-map or a network approach-however these visualizations only partially represent the information encoded in the dataset. A new visualization technique for pairwise combination screening data, termed "Synergy Maps", is presented. In a Synergy Map, information about the synergistic interactions of compounds is integrated with information about their properties (chemical structure, physicochemical properties, bioactivity profiles) to produce a single visualization. As a result the relationships between compound and combination properties may be investigated simultaneously, and thus may afford insight into the synergy observed in the screen. An interactive web app implementation, available at http://richlewis42.github.io/synergy-maps, has been developed for public use, which may find use in navigating and filtering larger scale combination datasets. This tool is applied to a recent all-pairs dataset of anti-malarials, tested against Plasmodium falciparum, and a preliminary analysis is given as an example, illustrating the disproportionate synergism of histone deacetylase inhibitors previously described in literature, as well as suggesting new hypotheses for future investigation. Synergy Maps improve the state of the art in compound combination visualization, by simultaneously representing individual compound properties and their interactions. The web-based tool allows straightforward exploration of combination data, and easier identification of correlations between compound properties and interactions.

antibacterial properties and preliminary phytochemical analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City. *Correspondence ... phytochemical analysis of the dried leaves extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, ... for the synthesis of useful drugs.

Comparative Phytochemical screening and Physicochemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Physicochemical characterization was carried out to determine the saponification value, refractive index, specific gravity, peroxide value and acid value of the oil. The results of the phytochemical screening showed that alkaloid, carbohydrate, saponins, glycosides were present in the sample obtained from Romi New ...

Role of Polyphenols and Other Phytochemicals on Molecular Signaling

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Swapna Upadhyay

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Optimized nutrition through supplementation of diet with plant derived phytochemicals has attracted significant attention to prevent the onset of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular impairments, cancer, and metabolic disorder. These phytonutrients alone or in combination with others are believed to impart beneficial effects and play pivotal role in metabolic abnormalities such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, glucose intolerance, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress. Epidemiological and preclinical studies demonstrated that fruits, vegetables, and beverages rich in carotenoids, isoflavones, phytoestrogens, and phytosterols delay the onset of atherosclerosis or act as a chemoprotective agent by interacting with the underlying pathomechanisms. Phytochemicals exert their beneficial effects either by reducing the circulating levels of cholesterol or by inhibiting lipid oxidation, while others exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet activities. Additionally, they reduce neointimal thickening by inhibiting proliferation of smooth muscle cells and also improve endothelium dependent vasorelaxation by modulating bioavailability of nitric-oxide and voltage-gated ion channels. However, detailed and profound knowledge on specific molecular targets of each phytochemical is very important to ensure safe use of these active compounds as a therapeutic agent. Thus, this paper reviews the active antioxidative, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, or antiangiogenesis role of various phytochemicals for prevention of chronic diseases.

Determination of Phytochemical Compounds, and Tyrosinase ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To determine the phytochemical content, and tyrosinase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of the wood ... problems from current whitening cosmetics such as ochronosis ... antibiotics may lead to drug resistance of many bacterial ...

Effects of Extraction Methods on Phytochemicals of Rice Bran Oils Produced from Colored Rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Mingyai, Sukanya; Srikaeo, Khongsak; Kettawan, Aikkarach; Singanusong, Riantong; Nakagawa, Kiyotaka; Kimura, Fumiko; Ito, Junya

2018-02-01

Rice bran oil (RBO) especially from colored rice is rich in phytochemicals and has become popular in food, cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications owing to its offering health benefits. This study determined the contents of phytochemicals including oryzanols, phytosterols, tocopherols (Toc) and tocotrienols (T3) in RBOs extracted using different methods namely cold-press extraction (CPE), solvent extraction (SE) and supercritical CO 2 extraction (SC-CO 2 ). Two colored rice, Red Jasmine rice (RJM, red rice) and Hom-nin rice (HN, black rice), were studied in comparison with the popular Thai fragrant rice Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML 105, white rice). RBOs were found to be the rich source of oryzanols, phytosterols, Toc and T3. Rice varieties had a greater effect on the phytochemicals concentrations than extraction methods. HN rice showed the significantly highest concentration of all phytochemicals, followed by RJM and KDML 105 rice, indicating that colored rice contained high concentration of phytochemicals in the oil than non-colored rice. The RBO samples extracted by the CPE method had a greater concentration of the phytochemicals than those extracted by the SC-CO 2 and SE methods, respectively. In terms of phytochemical contents, HN rice extracted using CPE method was found to be the best.

Exo-exo synergy between Cel6A and Cel7A from Hypocrea jecorina

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badino, Silke Flindt; Christensen, Stefan Jarl; Kari, Jeppe

2017-01-01

Synergy between cellulolytic enzymes is essential in both natural and industrial breakdown of biomass. In addition to synergy between endo- and exo-lytic enzymes, a lesser known but equally conspicuous synergy occurs among exo-acting, processive cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) such as Cel7A and Cel6A...... from Hypocrea jecorina. We studied this system using microcrystalline cellulose as substrate and found a degree of synergy between 1.3 and 2.2 depending on the experimental conditions. Synergy between enzyme variants without the carbohydrate binding module (CBM) and its linker was strongly reduced...... compared to the wild types. One plausible interpretation of this is that exo-exo synergy depends on the targeting role of the CBM. Many earlier works have proposed that exo-exo synergy was caused by an auxiliary endo-lytic activity of Cel6A. However, biochemical data from different assays suggested...

Proximate, Mineral and Phytochemical Composition of Dioscorea ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

Keywords: Dioscorea dumetorum, proximate composition, mineral analysis, phytochemical screening ... were analyzed using atomic absorption ... determined using a Hack Dr/200 Spectrophotometer. ... Lead Acetate. +. +. + .... cosmetics.

Dietary phytochemical intake from foods and health outcomes: a systematic review protocol and preliminary scoping

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Vivienne X; Kent, Katherine

2017-01-01

Introduction Dietary phytochemicals are found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains and may be categorised in a nested hierarchical manner with many hundred individual phytochemicals identified to date. To associate phytochemical intakes with positive health outcomes, a fundamental step is to accurately estimate the dietary phytochemical intake from foods reported. The purpose of this systematic review protocol is to describe the process to be undertaken to summarise the evidence for food-based dietary phytochemical intakes and health outcomes for adults. Methods and analysis The review will be undertaken following the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions using the Review Manager software. Phytochemical subclasses (phenolic acids, flavanols, etc) will be used to search for relevant studies using the Web of Science and Scopus scientific databases. The retrieved studies will be screened based on inclusion of natural whole food items and health outcomes. Phytochemical studies related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, overweight, glucose tolerance, digestive, reproductive, macular and bone health and mental disorders, fatigue and immunity will be examined based on prior scoping. The evidence will be aggregated by the food types and health outcomes. Comparison of differences in the outcomes for randomised controlled trials and observational studies will be undertaken. The strength of the review lies in its focus on whole food items and health conditions rather than one type of phytochemical related to one single health condition. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be conducted where an adequate number of publications are found per phytochemical subclass. Dissemination By comparing the outcomes from experimental and observational studies, the review will determine whether the overall conclusions related to the phytochemical subclasses are the same between study types for the identified health

The American cranberry mitochondrial genome reveals the presence of selenocysteine (tRNA-Sec and SECIS) insertion machinery in land plants

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The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) mitochondrial genome was assembled and reconstructed from whole genome 454 Roche GS-FLX and Illumina shotgun sequences. Compared with other Asterids, the reconstruction of the genome revealed an average size mitochondrion (459,678 nt) with comparat...

Forest biorefinery: Potential of poplar phytochemicals as value-added co-products.

Science.gov (United States)

Devappa, Rakshit K; Rakshit, Sudip K; Dekker, Robert F H

2015-11-01

The global forestry industry after experiencing a market downturn during the past decade has now aimed its vision towards the integrated biorefinery. New business models and strategies are constantly being explored to re-invent the global wood and pulp/paper industry through sustainable resource exploitation. The goal is to produce diversified, innovative and revenue generating product lines using on-site bioresources (wood and tree residues). The most popular product lines are generally produced from wood fibers (biofuels, pulp/paper, biomaterials, and bio/chemicals). However, the bark and other tree residues like foliage that constitute forest wastes, still remain largely an underexploited resource from which extractives and phytochemicals can be harnessed as by-products (biopharmaceuticals, food additives and nutraceuticals, biopesticides, cosmetics). Commercially, Populus (poplar) tree species including hybrid varieties are cultivated as a fast growing bioenergy crop, but can also be utilized to produce bio-based chemicals. This review identifies and underlines the potential of natural products (phytochemicals) from Populus species that could lead to new business ventures in biorefineries and contribute to the bioeconomy. In brief, this review highlights the importance of by-products/co-products in forest industries, methods that can be employed to extract and purify poplar phytochemicals, the potential pharmaceutical and other uses of >160 phytochemicals identified from poplar species - their chemical structures, properties and bioactivities, the challenges and limitations of utilizing poplar phytochemicals, and potential commercial opportunities. Finally, the overall discussion and conclusion are made considering the recent biotechnological advances in phytochemical research to indicate the areas for future commercial applications from poplar tree species. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simple test of synergy between ampicillin and vancomycin for resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, M; Barbadora, K; Wadowsky, R M

1994-11-01

The combination of ampicillin and vancomycin kills some but not all strains of ampicillin- and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. We compared a simple test for synergy utilizing a commercially available microdilution susceptibility system with time-kill studies and determined acceptable breakpoints for this test for 20 strains of ampicillin- and vancomycin-resistant E. faecium. The combination of ampicillin and vancomycin was tested for synergy by time-kill, broth macrodilution, and broth microdilution procedures. Repeat testing of isolates by macro- and microdilution synergy methods yielded MICs that were within one twofold dilution of each other for both intra- and intertest comparisons. Synergy was always detected by time-kill studies when the MIC of ampicillin in the combination synergy screen was 16 micrograms/ml in the combination microdilution synergy screen. The determination of the synergy by the broth microdilution procedure appears to be simple, convenient, and accurate.

Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad) phytochemicals composition is modulated by household processing techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Uckoo, Ram M; Jayaprakasha, Guddadarangavvanahally K; Balasubramaniam, V M; Patil, Bhimanagouda S

2012-09-01

Grapefruits (Citrus paradisi Macfad) contain several phytochemicals known to have health maintaining properties. Due to the consumer's interest in obtaining high levels of these phytochemicals, it is important to understand the changes in their levels by common household processing techniques. Therefore, mature Texas "Rio Red" grapefruits were processed by some of the common household processing practices such as blending, juicing, and hand squeezing techniques and analyzed for their phytochemical content by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results suggest that grapefruit juice processed by blending had significantly (P levels of flavonoids (narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, didymin, and poncirin) and limonin compared to juicing and hand squeezing. No significant variation in their content was noticed in the juice processed by juicing and hand squeezing. Ascorbic acid and citric acid were significantly (P processed by juicing and blending, respectively. Furthermore, hand squeezed fruit juice had significantly higher contents of dihydroxybergamottin (DHB) than juice processed by juicing and blending. Bergamottin and 5-methoxy-7 gernoxycoumarin (5-M-7-GC) were significantly higher in blended juice compared to juicing and hand squeezing. Therefore, consuming grapefruit juice processed by blending may provide higher levels of health beneficial phytochemicals such as naringin, narirutin, and poncirin. In contrast, juice processed by hand squeezing and juicing provides lower levels of limonin, bergamottin, and 5-M-7-GC. These results suggest that, processing techniques significantly influence the levels of phytochemicals and blending is a better technique for obtaining higher levels of health beneficial phytochemicals from grapefruits. Practical Application:  Blending, squeezing, and juicing are common household processing techniques used for obtaining fresh grapefruit juice. Understanding the levels of health beneficial phytochemicals

Strategies for microbial synthesis of high-value phytochemicals

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sijin; Li, Yanran; Smolke, Christina D.

2018-03-01

Phytochemicals are of great pharmaceutical and agricultural importance, but often exhibit low abundance in nature. Recent demonstrations of industrial-scale production of phytochemicals in yeast have shown that microbial production of these high-value chemicals is a promising alternative to sourcing these molecules from native plant hosts. However, a number of challenges remain in the broader application of this approach, including the limited knowledge of plant secondary metabolism and the inefficient reconstitution of plant metabolic pathways in microbial hosts. In this Review, we discuss recent strategies to achieve microbial biosynthesis of complex phytochemicals, including strategies to: (1) reconstruct plant biosynthetic pathways that have not been fully elucidated by mining enzymes from native and non-native hosts or by enzyme engineering; (2) enhance plant enzyme activity, specifically cytochrome P450 activity, by improving efficiency, selectivity, expression or electron transfer; and (3) enhance overall reaction efficiency of multi-enzyme pathways by dynamic control, compartmentalization or optimization with the host's metabolism. We also highlight remaining challenges to — and future opportunities of — this approach.

Miscibility Studies on Polymer Blends Modified with Phytochemicals

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekaran, Neelakandan; Kyu, Thein

2009-03-01

The miscibility studies related to an amorphous poly(amide)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) [PA/PVP] blend with a crystalline phytochemical called ``Mangiferin'' is presented. Phytochemicals are plant derived chemicals which intrinsically possess multiple salubrious properties that are associated with prevention of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Incorporation of phytochemicals into polymers has shown to have very promising applications in wound healing, drug delivery, etc. The morphology of these materials is crucial to applications like hemodialysis, which is governed by thermodynamics and kinetics of the phase separation process. Hence, miscibility studies of PA/PVP blends with and without mangiferin have been carried out using dimethyl sulfoxide as a common solvent. Differential scanning calorimetry studies revealed that the binary PA/PVP blends were completely miscible at all compositions. However, the addition of mangiferin has led to liquid-liquid phase separation and liquid-solid phase transition in a composition dependent manner. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy was undertaken to determine specific interaction between the polymer constituents and the role of possible hydrogen bonding among three constituents will be discussed.

Agriculture and Bioactives: Achieving Both Crop Yield and Phytochemicals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irineo Torres-Pacheco

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Plants are fundamental elements of the human diet, either as direct sources of nutrients or indirectly as feed for animals. During the past few years, the main goal of agriculture has been to increase yield in order to provide the food that is needed by a growing world population. As important as yield, but commonly forgotten in conventional agriculture, is to keep and, if it is possible, to increase the phytochemical content due to their health implications. Nowadays, it is necessary to go beyond this, reconciling yield and phytochemicals that, at first glance, might seem in conflict. This can be accomplished through reviewing food requirements, plant consumption with health implications, and farming methods. The aim of this work is to show how both yield and phytochemicals converge into a new vision of agricultural management in a framework of integrated agricultural practices.

Effect of roasting regime on phytochemical properties of Senna occidentalis seeds

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Abiodun A. Olapade

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Senna occidentalis seeds were roasted at varying temperatures of 190, 210 and 230 oC each for 10, 15 and 20 min. Phytochemicals of the roasted seeds were determined using standard methods. The phytochemicals analysed were tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, oxalate and phenolics. Phytochemicals are compounds hypothesized for much of the disease-protection provided by diets high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and plant-based beverages. This study has clearly shown that roasting time and temperature have significant effects on the seed parameters analyzed. There was an increase in tannin, alkaloid, saponin and phenolic contents and a decrease in the contents of flavonoids and oxalates.

Simulating Serial-Target Antibacterial Drug Synergies Using Flux Balance Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krueger, Andrew S.; Munck, Christian; Dantas, Gautam

2016-01-01

Flux balance analysis (FBA) is an increasingly useful approach for modeling the behavior of metabolic systems. However, standard FBA modeling of genetic knockouts cannot predict drug combination synergies observed between serial metabolic targets, even though such synergies give rise to some of t...

Food synergies for improving bioavailability of micronutrients from plant foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, K Madhavan; Augustine, Little Flower

2018-01-01

Plant foods are endowed with micronutrients but an understanding of bioavailability is essential in countries primarily dependent on plant based foods. Bioavailability depends majorly on food synergies. This review examines the nature of certain food synergies and methods to screen and establish it as a strategy to control micronutrient deficiency in the populations. Strong evidence on the synergistic effect of inclusion of vitamin C rich fruits and non-vegetarian foods in enhancing the bioavailability of iron has been demonstrated. Fat is found to be synergistic for vitamin A absorption. Red wine and protein have been explored for zinc absorption and effect of fat has been studied for vitamin D. Methods for screening of bioavailability, and biomarkers to demonstrate the synergistic effects of foods are required. Translation of food synergy as a strategy requires adaptation to the context and popularization of intelligent food synergies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generational Differences in Work-Family Conflict and Synergy

OpenAIRE

Beutell, Nicholas

2013-01-01

This paper examines differences in work-family conflict and synergy among the four generational groups represented in the contemporary workforce: Generation Y Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures using data from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (n = 3,502). Significant generational differences were found for work-family conflict (work interfering with family and family interfering with work) but not for work-family synergy. Mental health and job pressure were the best pred...

The efficacy of Elekta Synergy image-guided radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Shigeyuki; Takanaka, Tsuyoshi; Kumano, Tomoyasu

2008-01-01

We evaluated the efficacy of Elekta Synergy image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) system equipped with cone beam CT (CBCT) for high accuracy radiation therapy. In cases set up with body marking who had large set up error could be adjusted by this system within 1 mm error. IGRT with CBCT correction provided precise set up. Elekta Synergy IGRT system is useful for high accuracy set up and will facilitate novel precise radiotherapy techniques. (author)

SYNERGY EFFECTS IN WORK TEAMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca C. ZOLTAN

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Today’s organization increasingly utilizes all kind of teams in order to surpass their competitors through flexibility, adaptability and innovation, features which are seen to characterize the teams. For this purpose, the concept of synergy in teams’ activity is often mentioned as the prime reason for which collective work is considered to be superior comparative with individual work. But what exactly does it mean? The present paper aims to shed some light on the concept of synergy in work teams and its positive effects, namely, the social consequences of collective work such as social compensation, social indispensability, social comparison, social identity, but also its negative effects, such as free-riding, social loafing and sucker effect. These are important group phenomena that managers should be aware of because they have a major impact on team performance, and consequently, on organization performance.

Field synergy characteristics in condensation heat transfer with non-condensable gas over a horizontal tube

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junxia Zhang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Field synergy characteristics in condensation heat transfer with non-condensable gas (NCG over a horizontal tube were numerically simulated. Consequently, synergy angles between velocity and pressure or temperature gradient fields, gas film layer thickness, and induced velocity and shear stress on gas–liquid interface were obtained. Results show that synergy angles between velocity and temperature gradient fields are within 73.2°–88.7° and ascend slightly with the increment in mainstream velocity and that the synergy is poor. However, the synergy angle between velocity and pressure gradient fields decreases intensively with the increase in mainstream velocity at θ ≤ 30°, thereby improving the pressure loss. As NCG mass fraction increases, the gas film layer thickness enlarges and the induced velocity and shear stress on gas–liquid interface decreases. The synergy angles between velocity and temperature gradient fields increase, and the synergy angles between velocity and pressure gradient fields change at θ = 70°, decrease at θ 70°. When the horizontal tube circumference angle increases, the synergy angles between velocity and temperature or pressure gradient fields decrease, the synergy between velocity and pressure fields enhances, and the synergy between velocity and temperature fields degrades.

Hybrid fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete: fiber synergy at low ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Flexural toughness tests were performed and results were extensively analysed to identify synergy, if any, associated with various fiber combinations. Based on various analysis schemes, the paper identifies fiber combinations that demonstrate maximum synergy in terms of flexural toughness. Journal of Civil Engineering ...

Ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies misunderstood without landscape history

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Stephanie A. Tomscha

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Dramatic changes in ecosystem services have motivated recent work characterizing their interactions, including identifying trade-offs and synergies. Although time is arguably implicit in these ideas of trade-offs and synergies (e.g., temporal dynamics or changes in ecosystem services, such interactions are routinely inferred based on the spatial relationships among ecosystem services alone (e.g., spatial concordance of ecosystem services indicates synergies, whereas incongruence signifies trade-offs. The limitations of this approach have not been fully explored. We quantified ecosystem service interactions using correlations among contemporary ecosystem services and compared these results to those derived by incorporating change in ecosystem services from an earlier decade. To document change over ~60 years in an urbanizing floodplain, we used aerial photography to map multiple floodplain-associated ecosystem services. Our results demonstrate how incorporating landscape baselines can influence measured synergies and trade-offs. Spatial correlations among contemporary ecosystem services missed several interactions that were detected when using prior baseline ecosystem services. Ignoring the history of ecosystem services and their change over time may result in missed opportunities to foster their synergies and lead to unnecessary trade-offs. Efforts to incorporate ecosystem services into land management should include long-term monitoring and baseline reconstructions of ecosystem services.

Inter-subject variability of muscle synergies during bench press in power lifters and untrained individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiansen, M; Madeleine, P; Hansen, E A; Samani, A

2015-02-01

The purpose of the study was to elucidate the role of expertise on muscle synergies involved in bench press. Ten expert power lifters (EXP) and nine untrained participants (UNT) completed three sets of eight repetitions at 60% of three repetition maximum in bench press. Muscle synergies were extracted from surface electromyography data of 21 bench press cycles using non-negative matrix factorization algorithm. The synergy activation coefficient represents the relative contribution of the muscle synergy to the overall muscle activity pattern, while the muscle synergy vector represents the relative weighting of each muscle within each synergy. Describing more than 90% of the variability, two muscle synergies reflected the eccentric and concentric phase. The cross-correlations (ρ(max)) for synergy activation coefficient 2 (concentric phase) were 0.83 [0.71;0.88] and 0.59 [0.49;0.77] [Median ρ(max) (25th;75th percentile)] (P = 0.001) in UNT and EXP, respectively. Median correlation coefficient (ρ) for muscle synergy vector 2 was 0.15 [-0.08;0.46] and 0.48 [0.02;0.70] (P = 0.03) in UNT and EXP, respectively. Thus, EXP showed larger inter-subject variability than UNT in the synergy activation coefficient during the concentric phase, while the muscle synergy vectors were less variable in EXP. This points at the importance of a specialized neural strategy in elite bench press performance. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting synergy in atomic layer etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanarik, Keren J. [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Tan, Samantha [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Yang, Wenbing [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Kim, Taeseung [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Lill, Thorsten [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Kabansky, Alexander [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Hudson, Eric A. [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Ohba, Tomihito [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Nojiri, Kazuo [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Yu, Jengyi [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Wise, Rich [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Berry, Ivan L. [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Pan, Yang [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Marks, Jeffrey [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States); Gottscho, Richard A. [Lam Research Corp., Fremont, CA (United States)

2017-03-27

Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a multistep process used today in manufacturing for removing ultrathin layers of material. In this article, the authors report on ALE of Si, Ge, C, W, GaN, and SiO₂ using a directional (anisotropic) plasma-enhanced approach. The authors analyze these systems by defining an “ALE synergy” parameter which quantifies the degree to which a process approaches the ideal ALE regime. This parameter is inspired by the ion-neutral synergy concept introduced in the 1979 paper by Coburn and Winters. ALE synergy is related to the energetics of underlying surface interactions and is understood in terms of energy criteria for the energy barriers involved in the reactions. Synergistic behavior is observed for all of the systems studied, with each exhibiting behavior unique to the reactant–material combination. By systematically studying atomic layer etching of a group of materials, the authors show that ALE synergy scales with the surface binding energy of the bulk material. This insight explains why some materials are more or less amenable to the directional ALE approach. Furthermore, they conclude that ALE is both simpler to understand than conventional plasma etch processing and is applicable to metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics.

Synergy Repetition Training versus Task Repetition Training in Acquiring New Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Vrajeshri; Craig, Jamie; Schumacher, Michelle; Burns, Martin K; Florescu, Ionut; Vinjamuri, Ramana

2017-01-01

Traditionally, repetitive practice of a task is used to learn a new skill, exhibiting as immediately improved performance. Research suggests, however, that a more experience-based rather than exposure-based training protocol may allow for better transference of the skill to related tasks. In synergy-based motor control theory, fundamental motor skills, such as hand grasping, are represented with a synergy subspace that captures essential motor patterns. In this study, we propose that motor-skill learning through synergy-based mechanisms may provide advantages over traditional task repetition learning. A new task was designed to highlight the range of motion and dexterity of the human hand. Two separate training strategies were tested in healthy subjects: task repetition training and synergy training versus a control. All three groups showed improvements when retested on the same task. When tested on a similar, but different set of tasks, only the synergy group showed improvements in accuracy (9.27% increase) compared to the repetition (3.24% decline) and control (3.22% decline) groups. A kinematic analysis revealed that although joint angular peak velocities decreased, timing benefits stemmed from the initial feed-forward portion of the task (reaction time). Accuracy improvements may have derived from general improved coordination among the four involved fingers. These preliminary results warrant further investigation of synergy-based motor training in healthy individuals, as well as in individuals undergoing hand-based rehabilitative therapy.

Enteric-coated and highly standardized cranberry extract reduces antibiotic and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use for urinary tract infections during radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma

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Bonetta A

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Alberto Bonetta,1 Giandomenico Roviello,2,3 Daniele Generali,3,4 Laura Zanotti,3 Maria Rosa Cappelletti,3 Chiara Pacifico,5 Francesco Di Pierro6 1Oncological Radiotherapy Operative Unit, ASST, Cremona, 2Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, 3Molecular Therapy and Pharmacogenomics Unit, ASST, Cremona, 4Department of Medical, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, 5Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University Hospital of Siena, Siena, 6Velleja Research Scientific Department, Milan, Italy Introduction: Worldwide, bacterial resistance to antibiotic therapy is a major concern for the medical community. Antibiotic resistance mainly affects Gram-negative bacteria that are an important cause of lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs. Pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer is a risk factor for LUTIs. Cranberry extract is reported to reduce the incidence of LUTIs. The prophylactic role of an enteric-coated, highly standardized cranberry extract (VO370® in reducing LUTI episodes, urinary discomfort, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID and antibiotic use during radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma was evaluated. Methods: A total of 924 patients with prostate carcinoma treated by radiotherapy to the prostatic and pelvic areas were randomized to receive (n=489 or not (n=435 the enteric-coated, highly standardized cranberry extract for 6–7 weeks concurrently with irradiation. Outcomes were analyzed by using Mann–Whitney U test and Pearson’s X2 test. Primary endpoint was the number of patients with LUTI; secondary endpoints were incidence of recurrence, days of treatment with antibiotics and number of subjects treated with NSAIDs, and incidence of dysuria. Results: The treatment was very well tolerated, and there were no serious side effects. All enrolled patients completed the study. Urinary infections were detected in 53 of the 489 patients (10

Phytochemical screening and in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening and in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of seven plant extracts. Titilayo Johnson, Oduje A. Akinsanmi, Enoch J. Banbilbwa, Tijani A. Yahaya, Karima Abdulaziz, Kolade Omole ...

Cultural effect on synergy realization in cross-border acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Daojuan; Hain, Daniel; Dao, Li Thuy

2017-01-01

This study examines two levels of cultural differences - national and organizational on synergy realization simultaneously by considering two critical implementation factors as the moderators: pre-acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition coordination efforts. Meanwhile, we argue cultural...... by Nordic companies. Results show that both national and organizational cultural differences only exert negative impact on realization of Type-2 synergy which is more implicit/intangible, less predictable, usually tacit-knowledge intensive and/or complementary, but no impact on realization of Type-1 synergy...... which is explicit/tangible, more predictable, less tacit-knowledge intensive, and/or based on cost reduction and similarity. Meanwhile, national cultural differences generate stronger negative effect at higher level of significance than that of organizational cultural differences. Moreover, proactive...

The quest for synergy when developing the urban fringe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jesper Rohr; Engberg, Lars A.

How can planning policies related to urban fringe development and disadvantaged neighbourhoods create synergy? This question is approached and answered by various research fields and explored on various urban-planning levels, displaying case-studies related to urban regeneration, post......-industrial and suburban development and urban fringe literature. The present paper adds to these discussions by analysing two case-studies in Denmark in which local government pursue traditional urban-growth strategies in urban-fringe development - a post-industrial harbour and a large suburb, located just outside...... analyses this synergy by first describing the legislative, interventionist and financial context for urban-growth strategies deployed in the cases. On this background, the paper explores synergy potential related to policy as well as private-sector actors (local businesses, social housing organizations...

Phytochemical profiling as a solution to palliate disinfectant limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Malheiro, J; Gomes, I; Borges, A; Bastos, M M S M; Maillard, J-Y; Borges, F; Simões, M

2016-10-01

The indiscriminate use of biocides for general disinfection has contributed to the increased incidence of antimicrobial tolerant microorganisms. This study aims to assess the potential of seven phytochemicals (tyrosol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, cinnamaldehyde, coumaric acid, cinnamic acid and eugenol) in the control of planktonic and sessile cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol showed antimicrobial properties, minimum inhibitory concentrations of 3-5 and 5-12 mM and minimum bactericidal concentrations of 10-12 and 10-14 mM against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Cinnamic acid was able to completely control adhered bacteria with effects comparable to peracetic acid and sodium hypochlorite and it was more effective than hydrogen peroxide (all at 10 mM). This phytochemical caused significant changes in bacterial membrane hydrophilicity. The observed effectiveness of phytochemicals makes them interesting alternatives and/or complementary products to commonly used biocidal products. Cinnamic acid is of particular interest for the control of sessile cells.

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activities of Combretum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activities of Combretum molle and Pericopsis laxiflora. Kossi-Kuma Agbalevon Koevi, Vinsoun Millogo, Jean Baptiste Hzounda Fokou, Abdou Sarr, Georges Anicet Ouedraogo, Emmanuel Bassene ...

Lethal synergy involving bicyclomycin: an approach for reviving old antibiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Muhammad; Li, Liping; Zhao, Xilin; Kerns, Robert J; Berger, James M; Drlica, Karl

2014-12-01

One way to address the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance is to revive old compounds that may have intrinsic lethal activity that is obscured by protective factors. Bicyclomycin is an old inhibitor of the Rho transcription terminator that by itself shows little rapid lethal activity. However, bicyclomycin participates in bacteriostatic synergy, which raises the possibility that conditions for lethal synergy may exist, perhaps through a suppression of protective factors. Bicyclomycin was combined with bacteriostatic inhibitors of gene expression, and bactericidal activity was measured with several cultured Gram-negative pathogens. When used alone, bicyclomycin failed to rapidly kill growing cultures of Escherichia coli; however, the additional presence of bacteriostatic concentrations of tetracycline, chloramphenicol or rifampicin led to rapid killing. Four other pathogen species, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and Shigella dysenteriae, also exhibited enhanced killing when bicyclomycin was combined with tetracycline or rifampicin. This lethal synergy was achieved at low concentrations (slightly above the MIC) for all agents tested in combinations. Follow-up work with E. coli indicated that lethal synergy arose from a blockage of transcription elongation. Moreover, lethal synergy was reduced when bicyclomycin was added 60 min before tetracycline, suggesting that bicyclomycin induces a protective factor. The action of bicyclomycin illustrates the potential present in a largely abandoned antibacterial agent; it exhibits lethal synergy when coadministered with known, bacteriostatic inhibitors of gene expression. The identification of protective factors, which are currently uncharacterized, may reveal new ways to promote the lethal action of some old antibiotics. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved

A model-based approach to predict muscle synergies using optimization: application to feedback control

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Reza eSharif Razavian

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new model-based method to define muscle synergies. Unlike the conventional factorization approach, which extracts synergies from electromyographic data, the proposed method employs a biomechanical model and formally defines the synergies as the solution of an optimal control problem. As a result, the number of required synergies is directly related to the dimensions of the operational space. The estimated synergies are posture-dependent, which correlate well with the results of standard factorization methods. Two examples are used to showcase this method: a two-dimensional forearm model, and a three-dimensional driver arm model. It has been shown here that the synergies need to be task-specific (i.e. they are defined for the specific operational spaces: the elbow angle and the steering wheel angle in the two systems. This functional definition of synergies results in a low-dimensional control space, in which every force in the operational space is accurately created by a unique combination of synergies. As such, there is no need for extra criteria (e.g., minimizing effort in the process of motion control. This approach is motivated by the need for fast and bio-plausible feedback control of musculoskeletal systems, and can have important implications in engineering, motor control, and biomechanics.

A model-based approach to predict muscle synergies using optimization: application to feedback control.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif Razavian, Reza; Mehrabi, Naser; McPhee, John

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new model-based method to define muscle synergies. Unlike the conventional factorization approach, which extracts synergies from electromyographic data, the proposed method employs a biomechanical model and formally defines the synergies as the solution of an optimal control problem. As a result, the number of required synergies is directly related to the dimensions of the operational space. The estimated synergies are posture-dependent, which correlate well with the results of standard factorization methods. Two examples are used to showcase this method: a two-dimensional forearm model, and a three-dimensional driver arm model. It has been shown here that the synergies need to be task-specific (i.e., they are defined for the specific operational spaces: the elbow angle and the steering wheel angle in the two systems). This functional definition of synergies results in a low-dimensional control space, in which every force in the operational space is accurately created by a unique combination of synergies. As such, there is no need for extra criteria (e.g., minimizing effort) in the process of motion control. This approach is motivated by the need for fast and bio-plausible feedback control of musculoskeletal systems, and can have important implications in engineering, motor control, and biomechanics.

Quantifying synergy: a systematic review of mixture toxicity studies within environmental toxicology.

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Nina Cedergreen

Full Text Available Cocktail effects and synergistic interactions of chemicals in mixtures are an area of great concern to both the public and regulatory authorities. The main concern is whether some chemicals can enhance the effect of other chemicals, so that they jointly exert a larger effect than predicted. This phenomenon is called synergy. Here we present a review of the scientific literature on three main groups of environmentally relevant chemical toxicants: pesticides, metal ions and antifouling compounds. The aim of the review is to determine 1 the frequency of synergy, 2 the extent of synergy, 3 whether any particular groups or classes of chemicals tend to induce synergy, and 4 which physiological mechanisms might be responsible for this synergy. Synergy is here defined as mixtures with minimum two-fold difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations using Concentration Addition (CA as a reference model and including both lethal and sub-lethal endpoints. The results showed that synergy occurred in 7%, 3% and 26% of the 194, 21 and 136 binary pesticide, metal and antifoulants mixtures included in the data compilation on frequency. The difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations was rarely more than 10-fold. For pesticides, synergistic mixtures included cholinesterase inhibitors or azole fungicides in 95% of 69 described cases. Both groups of pesticides are known to interfere with metabolic degradation of other xenobiotics. For the four synergistic metal and 47 synergistic antifoulant mixtures the pattern in terms of chemical groups inducing synergy was less clear. Hypotheses in terms of mechanisms governing these interactions are discussed. It was concluded that true synergistic interactions between chemicals are rare and often occur at high concentrations. Addressing the cumulative rather than synergistic effect of co-occurring chemicals, using standard models as CA, is therefore regarded as the most important step in

Quantifying synergy: a systematic review of mixture toxicity studies within environmental toxicology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cedergreen, Nina

2014-01-01

Cocktail effects and synergistic interactions of chemicals in mixtures are an area of great concern to both the public and regulatory authorities. The main concern is whether some chemicals can enhance the effect of other chemicals, so that they jointly exert a larger effect than predicted. This phenomenon is called synergy. Here we present a review of the scientific literature on three main groups of environmentally relevant chemical toxicants: pesticides, metal ions and antifouling compounds. The aim of the review is to determine 1) the frequency of synergy, 2) the extent of synergy, 3) whether any particular groups or classes of chemicals tend to induce synergy, and 4) which physiological mechanisms might be responsible for this synergy. Synergy is here defined as mixtures with minimum two-fold difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations using Concentration Addition (CA) as a reference model and including both lethal and sub-lethal endpoints. The results showed that synergy occurred in 7%, 3% and 26% of the 194, 21 and 136 binary pesticide, metal and antifoulants mixtures included in the data compilation on frequency. The difference between observed and predicted effect concentrations was rarely more than 10-fold. For pesticides, synergistic mixtures included cholinesterase inhibitors or azole fungicides in 95% of 69 described cases. Both groups of pesticides are known to interfere with metabolic degradation of other xenobiotics. For the four synergistic metal and 47 synergistic antifoulant mixtures the pattern in terms of chemical groups inducing synergy was less clear. Hypotheses in terms of mechanisms governing these interactions are discussed. It was concluded that true synergistic interactions between chemicals are rare and often occur at high concentrations. Addressing the cumulative rather than synergistic effect of co-occurring chemicals, using standard models as CA, is therefore regarded as the most important step in the risk

Dietary Phytochemicals in Neuroimmunoaging: A New Therapeutic Possibility for Humans?

Science.gov (United States)

Corbi, Graziamaria; Conti, Valeria; Davinelli, Sergio; Scapagnini, Giovanni; Filippelli, Amelia; Ferrara, Nicola

2016-01-01

Although several efforts have been made in the search for genetic and epigenetic patterns linked to diseases, a comprehensive explanation of the mechanisms underlying pathological phenotypic plasticity is still far from being clarified. Oxidative stress and inflammation are two of the major triggers of the epigenetic alterations occurring in chronic pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made to realize that chronic, low-grade inflammation is one of the major risk factor underlying brain aging. Accumulated data strongly suggest that phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices may exert relevant immunomodulatory and/or anti-inflammatory activities in the context of brain aging. Starting by the evidence that a common denominator of aging and chronic degenerative diseases is represented by inflammation, and that several dietary phytochemicals are able to potentially interfere with and regulate the normal function of cells, in particular neuronal components, aim of this review is to summarize recent studies on neuroinflammaging processes and proofs indicating that specific phytochemicals may act as positive modulators of neuroinflammatory events. In addition, critical pathways involved in mediating phytochemicals effects on neuroinflammaging were discussed, exploring the real impact of these compounds in preserving brain health before the onset of symptoms leading to inflammatory neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.

Dietary Phytochemicals In Neuroimmunoaging: A New Therapeutic Possibility For Humans?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graziamaria Corbi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Although several efforts have been made in the search for genetic and epigenetic patterns linked to diseases, a comprehensive explanation of the mechanisms underlying pathological phenotypic plasticity is still far from being clarified. Oxidative stress and inflammation are two of the major triggers of the epigenetic alterations occurring in chronic pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made to realize that chronic, low-grade inflammation is one of the major risk factor underlying brain ageing. Accumulated data strongly suggest that phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices may exert relevant immunomodulatory and/or anti-inflammatory activities in the context of brain aging. Starting by the evidence that a common denominator of aging and chronic degenerative diseases is represented by inflammation, and that several dietary phytochemicals are able to potentially interfere with and regulate the normal function of cells, in particular neuronal components, aim of this review is to summarise recent studies on neuroinflammaging processes and proofs indicating that specific phytochemicals may act as positive modulators of neuroinflammatory events. In addition, critical pathways involved in mediating phytochemicals effects on neuroinflammaging were discussed, exploring the real impact of these compounds in preserving brain health before the onset of symptoms leading to inflammatory neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.

Report: Potential of nano-emulsions as phytochemical delivery system for food preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Zaffar; Jahangir, Muhammad; Liaquat, Muhammad; Shah, Syed Wasim Ahmad; Khan, Muhammad Mumtaz; Stanley, Roger; D'Arcy, Bruce

2017-11-01

Nature is a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. These plant based compounds have rich scope as antioxidants, antimicrobial compounds and food preservatives and so for long time to be used in meat, fruits, vegetables and processed food items, either as added preservative or as coating material in various food applications, but the major limitation is their limited solubility in a food grade medium. Nano-emulsion is a best choice as a medium having vast area of application. The major advantage of nano-emulsion would be the solubility of a vast group of compounds, due to the presence of water and lipid phases. In this way, nano-emulsions can be proved to be the most suitable candidate as phytochemical delivery system for food preservation. In present article, the use of phytochemicals as potent food preservatives has been reviewed, in context of solubility of phytochemicals in nano-emulsion and applications of food grade nano-emulsions to food systems.

Suboptimal Muscle Synergy Activation Patterns Generalize their Motor Function across Postures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, M Hongchul; Ting, Lena H

2016-01-01

We used a musculoskeletal model to investigate the possible biomechanical and neural bases of using consistent muscle synergy patterns to produce functional motor outputs across different biomechanical conditions, which we define as generalizability. Experimental studies in cats demonstrate that the same muscle synergies are used during reactive postural responses at widely varying configurations, producing similarly-oriented endpoint force vectors with respect to the limb axis. However, whether generalizability across postures arises due to similar biomechanical properties or to neural selection of a particular muscle activation pattern has not been explicitly tested. Here, we used a detailed cat hindlimb model to explore the set of feasible muscle activation patterns that produce experimental synergy force vectors at a target posture, and tested their generalizability by applying them to different test postures. We used three methods to select candidate muscle activation patterns: (1) randomly-selected feasible muscle activation patterns, (2) optimal muscle activation patterns minimizing muscle effort at a given posture, and (3) generalizable muscle activation patterns that explicitly minimized deviations from experimentally-identified synergy force vectors across all postures. Generalizability was measured by the deviation between the simulated force direction of the candidate muscle activation pattern and the experimental synergy force vectors at the test postures. Force angle deviations were the greatest for the randomly selected feasible muscle activation patterns (e.g., >100°), intermediate for effort-wise optimal muscle activation patterns (e.g., ~20°), and smallest for generalizable muscle activation patterns (e.g., synergy force vector was reduced by ~45% when generalizability requirements were imposed. Muscles recruited in the generalizable muscle activation patterns had less sensitive torque-producing characteristics to changes in postures. We

Pharmacognostic standardization and preliminary phytochemical studies of Gaultheria trichophylla.

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Fiaz; Najum us Saqib, Qazi

2015-01-01

Gaultheria trichophylla Royle (Ericaceae) has long been used for various ailments in traditional systems of medicines; most importantly it is used against pain and inflammation. This study determines various pharmacognostic and phytochemical standards helpful to ensure the purity, safety, and efficacy of medicinal plant G. trichophylla. Intact aerial parts, powdered materials, and extracts were examined macro- and microscopically and pharmacognostic standardization parameters were determined in accordance with the guidelines given by the World Health Organization (WHO). Parameters including extractive values, ash values, and loss on drying were determined. Preliminary phytochemical tests, fluorescence analysis, and chromatographic profiling were performed for the identification and standardization of G. trichophylla. The shape, size, color, odor, and surface characteristics were noted for intact drug and powdered drug material of G. trichophylla. Light and scanning electron microscope images of cross section of leaf and powdered microscopy revealed useful diagnostic features. Histochemical, phytochemical, physicochemical, and fluorescence analysis proved useful tools to differentiate the powdered drug material. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the presence of important phytoconstituents such as gallic acid, rutin, and quercetin. The data generated from the present study help to authenticate the medicinally important plant G. trichophylla. Qualitative and quantitative microscopic features may be helpful for establishing the pharmacopeia standards. Morphology as well as various pharmacognostic aspects of different parts of the plant were studied and described along with phytochemical and physicochemical parameters, which could be helpful in further isolation and purification of medicinally important compounds.

Handwriting: three-dimensional kinetic synergies in circle drawing movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Hooke, Alexander W; Karol, Sohit; Park, Jaebum; Kim, Yoon Hyuk; Shim, Jae Kun

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate central nervous system (CNS) strategies for controlling multifinger forces during a circle-drawing task. Subjects drew 30 concentric, discontinuous clockwise and counter clockwise circles, at self and experimenter-set paces. The three-dimensional trajectory of the pen's center of mass and the three-dimensional forces and moments of force at each contact between the hand and the pen were recorded. Uncontrolled Manifold Analysis was used to quantify the synergies between pen-hand contact forces in radial, tangential and vertical directions. Results showed that synergies in the radial and tangential components were significantly stronger than in the vertical component. Synergies in the clockwise direction were significantly stronger than the counterclockwise direction in the radial and vertical components. Pace was found to be insignificant under any condition.

Systematic Review of the Use of Phytochemicals for Management of Pain in Cancer Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew M. Harrison

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Pain in cancer therapy is a common condition and there is a need for new options in therapeutic management. While phytochemicals have been proposed as one pain management solution, knowledge of their utility is limited. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the biomedical literature for the use of phytochemicals for management of cancer therapy pain in human subjects. Of an initial database search of 1,603 abstracts, 32 full-text articles were eligible for further assessment. Only 7 of these articles met all inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The average relative risk of phytochemical versus control was 1.03 [95% CI 0.59 to 2.06]. In other words (although not statistically significant, patients treated with phytochemicals were slightly more likely than patients treated with control to obtain successful management of pain in cancer therapy. We identified a lack of quality research literature on this subject and thus were unable to demonstrate a clear therapeutic benefit for either general or specific use of phytochemicals in the management of cancer pain. This lack of data is especially apparent for psychotropic phytochemicals, such as the Cannabis plant (marijuana. Additional implications of our findings are also explored.

Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of Analgesic Activity of Oroxylum indicum

OpenAIRE

Das, B. K.; Al-Amin, M. M.; Russel, S. M.; Kabir, S.; Bhattacherjee, R.; Hannan, J. M. A.

2014-01-01

We aimed to study phytochemical screening and analgesic activity of ethanol extract of Oroxylum indicum. The dried powder of the barks of the plant was extracted with 95% ethanol and was subjected to various phytochemical tests to ascertain the principle constituents contained in the extract. The result revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides in the ethanol extract of Oroxylum indicum. The extract was screened for analgesic activity by using hot plate, acetic acid-...

Muscle synergies and complexity of neuromuscular control during gait in cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Katherine M; Rozumalski, Adam; Schwartz, Michael H

2015-12-01

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have impaired movement due to a brain injury near birth. Understanding how neuromuscular control is altered in CP can provide insight into pathological movement. We sought to determine if individuals with CP demonstrate reduced complexity of neuromuscular control during gait compared with unimpaired individuals and if changes in control are related to functional ability. Muscle synergies during gait were retrospectively analyzed for 633 individuals (age range 3.9-70y): 549 with CP (hemiplegia, n=122; diplegia, n=266; triplegia, n=73; quadriplegia, n=88) and 84 unimpaired individuals. Synergies were calculated using non-negative matrix factorization from surface electromyography collected during previous clinical gait analyses. Synergy complexity during gait was compared with diagnosis subtype, functional ability, and clinical examination measures. Fewer synergies were required to describe muscle activity during gait in individuals with CP compared with unimpaired individuals. Changes in synergies were related to functional impairment and clinical examination measures including selective motor control, strength, and spasticity. Individuals with CP use a simplified control strategy during gait compared with unimpaired individuals. These results were similar to synergies during walking among adult stroke survivors, suggesting similar neuromuscular control strategies between these clinical populations. © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Phytochemical study of prickly pear from southern Morocco

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Z. Bouzoubaâ

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This work concerns the phytochemical study of the prickly pear pulp’s fruits of two opuntia cultivars; Achefri and Amouslem widely present in two regions of southern Morocco; Arbaa Sahel and Asgherkis that are different in their altitude and annual rainfall. The results of the phytochemical study show that the levels of antioxidants have a non-significant difference between the fruits of the two sites (comparing Amouslem and Achefri in the same site, on the one hand, for the differences due to the variety or cultivar, on the other hand between Amouslem and Achefri from the two sites to show the site effect.

Cranberry extract-enriched diets increase NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase and catalase activities in obese but not in nonobese mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Boušová, Iva; Bártíková, Hana; Matoušková, Petra; Lněničková, Kateřina; Zappe, Lukáš; Valentová, Kateřina; Szotáková, Barbora; Martin, Jan; Skálová, Lenka

2015-10-01

Consumption of antioxidant-enriched diets is 1 method of addressing obesity, which is associated with chronic oxidative stress and changes in the activity/expression of various enzymes. In this study, we hypothesized that the modulation of antioxidant enzymes and redox status through a cranberry extract (CBE)-enriched diet would differ between obese and nonobese mice. The CBE used in this study was obtained from the American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon, Ericaceae), a popular constituent of dietary supplements that is a particularly rich source of (poly)phenols and has strong antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to test and compare the in vivo effects of 28-day consumption of a CBE-enriched diet (2%) on the antioxidant status of nonobese mice and mice with monosodium glutamate-induced obesity. Plasma, erythrocytes, liver, and small intestine were studied concurrently to obtain more complex information. The specific activities, protein, and messenger RNA expression levels of antioxidant enzymes as well as the levels of malondialdehyde and thiol (SH) groups were analyzed. Cranberry extract treatment increased the SH group content in plasma and the glutathione S-transferase activity in the erythrocytes of the obese and nonobese mice. In addition, in the obese animals, the CBE treatment reduced the malondialdehyde content in erythrocytes and increased quinone oxidoreductase (liver) and catalase (erythrocytes and small intestine) activities. The elevation of hepatic quinone oxidoreductase activity was accompanied by an increase in the corresponding messenger RNA levels. The effects of CBE on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and redox status were more pronounced in the obese mice compared with the nonobese mice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Degradation of Parathion by Microorganisms from Cranberry Bogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorder, G.W.; Lichtenstein, E.P.

1981-01-01

Full text: Oxygen concentration and different carbon sources drastically altered parathion degradation in culture media inoculated with microorganisms from Wisconsin cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) growing soils. These microorganisms also grew in basal salts media utilizing parathion as a sole carbon source. 14 CO 2 was produced only from phenyl-labelled parathion while 14 C-(ethyl)-parathion derived radiocarbon remained in the stale media of the soil-free cultures. Addition of 0.05% glucose to basal salts medium inhibited 14 C-(phenyl)-parathion degradation while the addition of 0.05% yeast extract to basal salts medium also inhibited microbiological degradation of the insecticide to 14 CO 2 , but to a lesser extent. Aminoparathion and aminoparaoxon were formed only in basal salts medium with 0.05% yeast extract. Aerobic cultures produced more 14 CO 2 from 14 C-(phenyl)-parathion and less aminoparathion than anaerobic cultures. Aminoparathion was more abundant in cultures with inocula obtained from the 18- to 23-cm layer than with culture inocula obtained from the 0- to 5-cm soil layer under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. (author)

Postural Hand Synergies during Environmental Constraint Exploitation

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Cosimo Della Santina

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Humans are able to intuitively exploit the shape of an object and environmental constraints to achieve stable grasps and perform dexterous manipulations. In doing that, a vast range of kinematic strategies can be observed. However, in this work we formulate the hypothesis that such ability can be described in terms of a synergistic behavior in the generation of hand postures, i.e., using a reduced set of commonly used kinematic patterns. This is in analogy with previous studies showing the presence of such behavior in different tasks, such as grasping. We investigated this hypothesis in experiments performed by six subjects, who were asked to grasp objects from a flat surface. We quantitatively characterized hand posture behavior from a kinematic perspective, i.e., the hand joint angles, in both pre-shaping and during the interaction with the environment. To determine the role of tactile feedback, we repeated the same experiments but with subjects wearing a rigid shell on the fingertips to reduce cutaneous afferent inputs. Results show the persistence of at least two postural synergies in all the considered experimental conditions and phases. Tactile impairment does not alter significantly the first two synergies, and contact with the environment generates a change only for higher order Principal Components. A good match also arises between the first synergy found in our analysis and the first synergy of grasping as quantified by previous work. The present study is motivated by the interest of learning from the human example, extracting lessons that can be applied in robot design and control. Thus, we conclude with a discussion on implications for robotics of our findings.

Disease-management partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in delivering chronic-illness care.

Science.gov (United States)

Cramm, Jane Murray; Nieboer, Anna Petra

2012-06-01

This study explored associations among disease-management partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in the delivery of chronic-illness care. This study had a cross-sectional design. The study sample consists of 218 professionals (out of 393) participating in 22 disease-management partnerships in various regions of the Netherlands. We assessed the relationships among partnership functioning, synergy and effectiveness in the delivery of chronic-illness care. Partnership functioning was assessed through leadership, resources, administration and efficiency. Synergy was considered the proximal outcome of partnership functioning, which, in turn, influenced the effectiveness of disease-management partnerships [measured with the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) survey instrument]. Overall ACIC scores ranged from 3 to 10, indicating basic/intermediate to optimal/comprehensive delivery of chronic-illness care. The results of the regression analysis demonstrate that partnership effectiveness was positively associated with leadership (β = 0.25; P≤ 0.01), and resources (β = 0.31; P≤ 0.001). No significant relationship was found between administration, efficiency and partnership effectiveness. Partnership synergy acted as a mediator for partnership functioning and was statistically significantly associated with partnership effectiveness (β = 0.25; P≤ 0.001). Disease-management partnerships seemed better able to deliver higher levels of chronic-illness care when synergy is created between partners. Synergy was more likely to emerge with boundary-spanning leaders who understood and appreciated partners' different perspectives, could bridge their diverse cultures and were comfortable sharing ideas, resources and power. In addition, the acknowledgement of and ability to use members' resources are valuable in engaging partners' involvement and achieving synergy in disease-management partnerships.

Inter- and Intrasubject Similarity of Muscle Synergies During Bench Press With Slow and Fast Velocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Samani, Afshin; Kristiansen, Mathias

2018-01-01

We investigated the effect of low and high bar velocity on inter- and intrasubject similarity of muscle synergies during bench press. A total of 13 trained male subjects underwent two exercise conditions: a slow- and a fast-velocity bench press. Surface electromyography was recorded from 13 muscles, and muscle synergies were extracted using a nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm. The intrasubject similarity across conditions and intersubject similarity within conditions were computed for muscle synergy vectors and activation coefficients. Two muscle synergies were sufficient to describe the dataset variability. For the second synergy activation coefficient, the intersubject similarity within the fast-velocity condition was greater than the intrasubject similarity of the activation coefficient across the conditions. An opposite pattern was observed for the first muscle synergy vector. We concluded that the activation coefficients are robust within conditions, indicating a robust temporal pattern of muscular activity across individuals, but the muscle synergy vector seemed to be individually assigned.

Synergy in RF Current Drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Giruzzi, G.

2005-01-01

Auxiliary methods for efficient non-inductive current drive in tokamaks generally involve the interaction of externally driven waves with superthermal electrons. Among the possible schemes, Lower Hybrid (LH) and Electron Cyclotron (EC) current drive have been so far the most successful. An interesting aspect of their combined use is the fact that since they involve possibly overlapping domains in velocity and configuration spaces, a synergy between them is expected for appropriate parameters. The signature of this effect, significant improvement of the EC current drive efficiency, results from a favorable interplay of the quasilinear diffusions induced by both waves. Recently, improvements of the EC current drive efficiency in the range of 2-4 have been measured in fully non-inductive discharges in the Tore Supra tokamak, providing the first clear evidence of this effect in steady-state conditions. We present here the experimental aspects of these discharges. The associated kinetic modeling and current state of understanding of the LH-EC synergy phenomenon are also discussed. (authors)

Synergy in RF Current Drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Giruzzi, G.

2005-01-01

Auxiliary methods for efficient non-inductive current drive in tokamaks generally involve the interaction of externally driven waves with superthermal electrons. Among the possible schemes, Lower Hybrid (LH) and Electron Cyclotron (EC) current drive have been so far the most successful. An interesting aspect of their combined use is the fact that since they involve possibly overlapping domains in velocity and configuration spaces, a synergy between them is expected for appropriate parameters. The signature of this effect, significant improvement of the EC current drive efficiency, results from a favorable interplay of the quasilinear diffusions induced by both waves. Recently, improvements of the EC current drive efficiency in the range of 2-4 have been measured in fully non-inductive discharges in the Tore Supra tokamak, providing the first clear evidence of this effect in steady-state conditions. We present here the experimental aspects of these discharges. The associated kinetic modeling and current state of understanding of the LH-EC synergy phenomenon are also discussed

Effectiveness of a Combination of Cranberries, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Vitamin C for the Management of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women: Results of a Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Montorsi, Francesco; Gandaglia, Giorgio; Salonia, Andrea; Briganti, Alberto; Mirone, Vincenzo

2016-12-01

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in women and many patients with recurrent UTIs do not eradicate the condition albeit being treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. The use of nutritional supplements might reduce the risk of recurrent UTIs. However, the role of supplements taken as single agents appears to be limited. We hypothesized that a combination of cranberries, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and vitamin C might produce a clinical benefit due to their additive or synergistic effects. We prospectively enrolled 42 consecutive women with recurrent UTIs treated with 120mg cranberries (minimum proanthocyanidin content: 32mg), 1 billion heat-killed L. rhamnosus SGL06, and 750mg vitamin C thrice daily for 20 consecutive d. Patients were advised to stop taking these supplements for 10 d and then to repeat the whole cycle three times. Patients were contacted three mo and six mo following the end of the administration of these supplements and evaluated with a semistructured interview and urinalysis. Responders were defined as the absence of symptoms and negative urinalysis or urine culture. Follow-up data were available for 36 patients. Overall, 26 (72.2%) and 22 patients (61.1%) were responders at the 3-mo and 6-month follow-up. No major side effects were recorded. The administration of cranberries, L. rhamnosus, and vitamin C might represent a safe and effective option in women with recurrent UTIs. We evaluated the effectiveness of cranberries, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and vitamin C thrice daily for 20 consecutive d monthly for 3 mo for the management of recurrent urinary tract infections in women. Our results show that this approach might represent a safe and effective option. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical screening for antibacterial activity of potential ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

GREGORY

2011-12-16

Dec 16, 2011 ... Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, P.O. Box 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ... In this study, five medicinal plants were selected to ..... phytochemical analysis of some Indian medicinal plants. Indian J.

Phytochemical composition, total phenolic content and ferric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigerian Journal of Technological Research ... The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenoids ... The leaf extract also gave the highest FRAP value, with the root bark extract having the ...

Preliminary phytochemical screening of roots and aerial parts of leptadenia pyrotechnica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munazir, M.; Qureshi, R.; Munir, M.

2015-01-01

Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne is a medicinal plant that is native to hot deserts of Pakistan. This plant is sporadically known with reference to bioactivity including phytochemical screening especially from Pakistan. The present study was designed to screen out four major groups of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins from eight solvents based roots and aerial parts extracts viz., hexane, chloroform, acetone, ethyl acetate, butanol, ethanol, methanol and water of the selected plant. The qualitative screening showed the presence of all major groups of phytochemicals in both plant parts extracts in which methanolic ones were the most efficient that extracted all the selected classes of phytochemicals. Quantitative screening revealed various concentrations of selected phytochemicals in both plant parts. The alkaloid contents were 3.267±0.643and 3±0.6 in roots and aerial parts respectively (p>0.05). The total flavonoid content was 76.867±2.266 and 139.448±8.677 QE/100g in roots and aerial parts respectively. In the case of total saponin contents, the proportions were 0.34±0.013% and 0.4 0.010% in roots and aerial parts respectively, whereas; total tannin contents were 62.713±4.841 and154.961±5.853 mg of TAE/100g of extract in roots and aerial parts, respectively. This study will serve as a benchmark for further pharmacological studies on the said plant that may be harnessed for drug development in the future. (author)

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in pest management: Progress in the development of a UAV-deployed mating disruption system for Wisconsin cranberries

Science.gov (United States)

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a powerful new tool for agriculture. Currently, UAVs are used almost exclusively as crop reconnaissance devices (“eyes in the sky”), not as pest control delivery systems. Research in Wisconsin cranberries is taking UAVs in a new direction. The Steffan and Lu...

Phytochemical Screening, Polyphenolic Content and Alpha ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

traditionally in the management of diabetes mellitus and in the treatment of wounds and stomach ache. In this study, phytochemical screening, total phenolic contents and alpha-glucosidase ... Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases (Di Matteo and Esposito, 2003) as well as inflammation and problems caused by cell and ...

Lamiaceae extracts as a source of phytochemicals with promissory antioxidant properties

OpenAIRE

Martins, Natália; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Barros, Lillian; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.

2015-01-01

Plant extracts have been used over years due to their marked healing properties. Primitive societies used them not only as botanical preparations for therapeutic uses, but also as prophylaxis and for psychological effects. Despite the recognized millenary health evidences, numerous phytochemicals responsible for those benefits remain unknown. Among the heterogeneous group of secondary metabolites, phenolic compounds have been pointed out as relevant bioactive phytochemicals [1-3]....

Phytochemical screening and In vivo anti-ulcer activity of Ethanolic extract of Heliotropium indicum L

OpenAIRE

S.Nethaji; T. Ushadevi; C.Manoharan

2013-01-01

The phytochemical compounds and anti-ulcer activity of leaves and root extracts of Heliotropium indicum Linn. The preliminary phytochemical screening was performed by in vitromethod and anti-ulcer activity was conducted by in vivomethod. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates and glycosides, phytosterols, fixed oils and fats, phenolic compounds and tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids,proteins and amino acids. The ethanolic extract of Heliotropium indicumleaf ...

Entrepreneurial Creativity through Motivational Synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Amabile, Teresa M.

1997-01-01

Defines and describes entrepreneurial creativity, which is the generation and implementation of novel, appropriate ideas to establish a new venture. Discusses the need for motivational synergy, which results when strong levels of personal interest and involvement are combined with the promise of rewards that confirm competence. (Author/CR)

Lowbush cranberry acts through DAF-16/FOXO signaling to promote increased lifespan and axon branching in aging posterior touch receptor neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Scerbak, Courtney; Vayndorf, Elena; Hernandez, Alicia; McGill, Colin; Taylor, Barbara

2018-05-01

Medicinal berries are appreciated for their health benefits, in traditional ecological knowledge and nutrition science. Determining the cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of berry supplementation may contribute to our understanding of aging. Here, we report that lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) treatment causes marked nuclear localization of the central aging-related transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO in aged Caenorhabditis elegans. Further, functional DAF-16 is required for the lifespan extension, improved mechanosensation, and posterior touch receptor neuron morphological changes induced by lowbush cranberry treatments. DAF-16 is not observed in nuceli nor required for lifespan extension in lifespan-extending Alaskan blueberry treatments and, while DAF-16 is not visibly induced into the nucleus in lifespan-extending Alaskan chaga treatments, it is required for chaga-induced lifespan extension. These findings underscore the importance of DAF-16 in the aging of whole organisms and touch receptor neurons and also, importantly, indicate that this critical pathway is not always activated upon consumption of functional foods that impact aging.

Pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies of Helleborus niger L root

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V Kishor Kumar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Helleborus niger L (Ranunculaceae is used Ayurvedic and Unani systems and other herbal medicine systems. The roots of H. niger have a good medicinal value. Aims: To conduct a pharmacognostical and phytochemical study of H. niger. Materials and Methods: The pharmacognostical studies on roots including parameters such as taxonomical, macroscopic, microscopic characters, physico-chemical, ultra-violet analysis and phytochemical studies are established. Results: Macroscopically, the roots are brownish-black in colour, cylindrical in shape, feeble odour, slightly acrid taste with irregularly branched. Microscopically the root showed the presence of epidermis, air-chambers, fissure periderm, periderm, inner cortex, pith, phloem, xylem, vessels and xylem vessels. Microscopic examination of the powder showed the presence of parenchyma cells, parenchyma mass, periderm, cell inclusion, laticifer, lateral wall pith, perforation, xylem bundle and xylem elements. Ultra-violet and ordinary light analyses with different reagents were conducted to identify the drug in powder form. Physico-chemical evaluation established, Ash values - Total, acid insoluble, water soluble and sulphated ash values were 7.3%, 4.1%, 3.7% and 5.2%, respectively. Extractive values - Alcohol soluble, water soluble and ether soluble extractive values were 22.8%, 7.4% and 5.6%, respectively. Loss on drying was 3.3%. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of carbohydrate, glycoside, saponins, flavonoid, phytosterols, tannins and phenolic compounds. Conclusions: The results of the study can serve as a valuable resource of pharmacognostic and phytochemical information. This will serve as appropriate, standards for discovery of this plant material in future investigations and applications and also contribute towards establishing pharmacopoeial standards.

Bactericidal antibiotic-phytochemical combinations against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhone Myint Kyaw

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA infection is a global concern nowadays. Due to its multi-drug resistant nature, treatment with conventional antibiotics does not assure desired clinical outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to find new compounds and/or alternative methods to get arsenal against the pathogen. Combination therapies using conventional antibiotics and phytochemicals fulfill both requirements. In this study, the efficacy of different phytochemicals in combination with selected antibiotics was tested against 12 strains of S. aureus (ATCC MRSA 43300, ATCC methicillin sensitive S. aureus or MSSA 29213 and 10 MRSA clinical strains collected from National University Hospital, Singapore. Out of the six phytochemicals used, tannic acid was synergistic with fusidic acid, minocycline, cefotaxime and rifampicin against most of strains tested and additive with ofloxacin and vancomycin. Quercetin showed synergism with minocycline, fusidic acid and rifampicin against most of the strains. Gallic acid ethyl ester showed additivity against all strains in combination with all antibiotics under investigation except with vancomycin where it showed indifference effect. Eugenol, menthone and caffeic acid showed indifference results against all strains in combination with all antibiotics. Interestingly, no antagonism was observed within these interactions. Based on the fractional inhibitory concentration indices, synergistic pairs were further examined by time-kill assays to confirm the accuracy and killing rate of the combinations over time. The two methods concurred with each other with 92% accuracy and the combinatory pairs were effective throughout the 24 hours of assay. The study suggests a possible incorporation of effective phytochemicals in combination therapies for MRSA infections.

Comparative Evaluation of the Nutrients and Phytochemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Materials and Methods: The leaves (Ocimum gratissmium and Lasianthera africana) were randomly obtained from Umuahia Main Market and Uyo Central Market, respectively. ... Keywords: Phytochemicals, Ocimum gratissmium, Lasianthera africana proximate composition, mineral composition, Beta-carotene, Vitamin C ...

New phytochemicals as potential human anti-aging compounds: Reality, promise, and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrêa, Rúbia C G; Peralta, Rosane M; Haminiuk, Charles W I; Maciel, Giselle Maria; Bracht, Adelar; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2018-04-13

Aging is an inevitable process influenced by genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Indirect evidence shows that several phytochemicals can have anti-aging capabilities, although direct evidence in this field is still limited. This report aims to provide a critical review on aspects related to the use of novel phytochemicals as anti-aging agents, to discuss the obstacles found when performing most anti-aging study protocols in humans, and to analyze future perspectives. In addition to the extensively studied resveratrol, epicatechin, quercetin, and curcumin, new phytochemicals have been reported to act as anti-aging agents, such as the amino acid L-theanine isolated from green tea, and the lignans arctigenin and matairesinol isolated from Arctium lappa seeds. Furthermore, this review discusses the application of several new extracts rich in phytochemicals with potential use in anti-aging therapies. Finally, this review also discusses the most important biomarkers to test anti-aging interventions, the necessity of conducting epidemiological studies and the need of clinical trials with adequate study protocols for humans.

Standardised high dose versus low dose cranberry Proanthocyanidin extracts for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in healthy women [PACCANN]: a double blind randomised controlled trial protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Asma, Babar; Vicky, Leblanc; Stephanie, Dudonne; Yves, Desjardins; Amy, Howell; Sylvie, Dodin

2018-05-02

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are amongst the most common bacterial infections affecting women. Although antibiotics are the treatment of choice for UTI, cranberry derived products have been used for many years to prevent UTIs, with limited evidence as to their efficacy. Our objective is to assess the efficacy of a cranberry extract capsule standardized in A-type linkage proanthocyanidins (PACs) for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection. We will perform a 1:1 randomized, controlled, double blind clinical trial in women aged 18 years or more who present ≥2 UTIs in 6 months or ≥ 3 UTIs in 12 months. One hundred and forty-eight women will be recruited and randomized in two groups to either receive an optimal dose of cranberry extract quantified and standardized in PACs (2 × 18.5 mg PACs per day) or a control dose (2 × 1 mg PACs per day). The primary outcome for the trial is the mean number of new symptomatic UTIs in women during a 6-month intervention period. Secondary outcomes are: (1) To evaluate the mean number of new symptomatic UTIs with pyuria as demonstrated by a positive leucocyte esterase test; (2) To detect the mean number of new symptomatic culture-confirmed UTIs; (3) To quantify urinary PACs metabolites in women who take a daily dose of 37 mg PACs per day compared to women who take a daily dose of 2 mg per day for 6 months; (4) To characterize women who present recurrent UTI based on known risk factors for recurrent UTI; (5) To describe the side effects of daily intake of cranberry extract containing 37 mg PACs compared to 2 mg PACs. This report provides comprehensive methodological data for this randomized controlled trial. The results of this trial will inform urologists, gynaecologists, family physicians and other healthcare professionals caring for healthy women with recurrent UTI, as to the benefits of daily use of an optimal dose of cranberry extract for the prevention of recurrent UTI. Clinicaltrials

antibacterial properties and preliminary phytochemical analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

IBDF Ministeroida Agricultura, Riode Janesio, 63pp. Edeoja, O.H., Okwu, E.D. and Mbaebie, O.B. (2005). Phytochemical constituents of some Nigerian medicinal plants. African Journal of Biotechnology. 4(7):685-688. Ekhaise, F.O. and Okoruwa, P. (2001). Antibacterial activity of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) extract on.

Phytochemical Studies on Bauhinia racemosa Lam. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Hardwickia binata Roxb

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G. K. Sharanabasappa

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper deals with the phytochemical studies on Bauhinia racemosa Lam., Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Hardwickia binata Roxb. The phytochemical study of three plants involve preliminary phytochemical studies, physico-chemical studies, quantitative estimation of primary and secondary metabolites, TLC study and HPLC fingerprint study of ethanolic extract of leaves of three plants. In HPLC fingerprint study, the three peaks at a retention time of 15 min, 17 min and 19 min were identical in B. racemosa and B. purpurea which was confirmed by overlaid spectra. The generated data may be useful in suggesting chemotaxonomical interrelation between three plants.

Phytochemical investigation of leaves and fruits extracts of Chamaerops humilis L.

OpenAIRE

H. Benmehdi; O. Hasnaoui; O. Benali; F. Salhi

2011-01-01

The major aim of this work is the research of the bioactif compounds isolated from the Chamaerops humilis L. From this perspective, phytochemical study was undertaken on this western Mediterranean plant. Phytochemical Screening based on tests of colouration and precipitation were undertaken by three solvents with different polarities such as water, ethanol and diethylether. The tests carried out on leaves and fruits show presence of tannins, flavonoids and saponins. However, less ...

Phytochemical investigation and antimicrobial activity of Caesalpinia bonduc (linn) Roxb seeds

OpenAIRE

V. Subramani; M. Kamaraj; B. Ramachandran; J. Jerome Jeyakumar

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate phytochemical properties, antimicrobial activity and trace metal concentrations of Caesalpinia bonducella. The phytochemical screening of the extracts of leaves of C. bonducella revealed the presence of bioactive compounds such as Steroid, Triterpenoids, Reducing Sugar(A), Reducing Sugar(B), Sugars, Flavonoids, Saponin, Amino acids with absence of Alkaloids, Phenolic Compounds, Catachins, Tannins, Anthroquinones.  The ethanol solvent was used for extrac...

Scientific Synergy between LSST and Euclid

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Jason; Nichol, Robert C.; Aubourg, Éric; Bean, Rachel; Boutigny, Dominique; Bremer, Malcolm N.; Capak, Peter; Cardone, Vincenzo; Carry, Benoît; Conselice, Christopher J.; Connolly, Andrew J.; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Hatch, N. A.; Helou, George; Hemmati, Shoubaneh; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hložek, Renée; Jones, Lynne; Kahn, Steven; Kiessling, Alina; Kitching, Thomas; Lupton, Robert; Mandelbaum, Rachel; Markovic, Katarina; Marshall, Phil; Massey, Richard; Maughan, Ben J.; Melchior, Peter; Mellier, Yannick; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Robertson, Brant; Sauvage, Marc; Schrabback, Tim; Smith, Graham P.; Strauss, Michael A.; Taylor, Andy; Von Der Linden, Anja

2017-12-01

Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) are poised to dramatically change the astronomy landscape early in the next decade. The combination of high-cadence, deep, wide-field optical photometry from LSST with high-resolution, wide-field optical photometry, and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy from Euclid will be powerful for addressing a wide range of astrophysical questions. We explore Euclid/LSST synergy, ignoring the political issues associated with data access to focus on the scientific, technical, and financial benefits of coordination. We focus primarily on dark energy cosmology, but also discuss galaxy evolution, transient objects, solar system science, and galaxy cluster studies. We concentrate on synergies that require coordination in cadence or survey overlap, or would benefit from pixel-level co-processing that is beyond the scope of what is currently planned, rather than scientific programs that could be accomplished only at the catalog level without coordination in data processing or survey strategies. We provide two quantitative examples of scientific synergies: the decrease in photo-z errors (benefiting many science cases) when high-resolution Euclid data are used for LSST photo-z determination, and the resulting increase in weak-lensing signal-to-noise ratio from smaller photo-z errors. We briefly discuss other areas of coordination, including high-performance computing resources and calibration data. Finally, we address concerns about the loss of independence and potential cross-checks between the two missions and the potential consequences of not collaborating.

Solar + Storage Synergies for Managing Commercial-Customer Demand Charges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gagnon, Pieter J. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Govindarajan, Anand [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bird, Lori A. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Darghouth, Naim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mills, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-10-24

We study the synergies between behind-the-meter solar and storage in reducing commercial-customer demand charges. This follows two previous studies that examined demand charge savings for stand-alone solar in both the residential and commercial sectors. In this study we show that solar and storage show consistent synergies for demand charge management, that the magnitude of reductions are highly customer-specific, and that the magnitude of savings is influenced by the design of the electricity tariff.

Biotransformation of corn phytochemicals by Fusarium verticillioides

Science.gov (United States)

Phytochemicals, microbial metabolites, and agrochemicals can individually or collectively impact the diversity and frequency of fungal species occurring in agricultural field environments. Resistance to such chemicals by plant pathogenic fungi is common and potentially devastating to crop quality, ...

The potential role of phytochemicals in wholegrain cereals for the prevention of type-2 diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Diets high in wholegrains are associated with a 20-30% reduction in risk of developing type-2 diabetes (T2D), which is attributed to a variety of wholegrain components, notably dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Most phytochemicals function as antioxidants in vitro and have the potential to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation which are implicated in the pathogenesis of T2D. In this review we compare the content and bioavailability of phytochemicals in wheat, barley, rice, rye and oat varieties and critically evaluate the evidence for wholegrain cereals and cereal fractions increasing plasma phytochemical concentrations and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in humans. Phytochemical content varies considerably within and among the major cereal varieties. Differences in genetics and agro-climatic conditions explain much of the variation. For a number of the major phytochemicals, such as phenolics and flavanoids, their content in grains may be high but because these compounds are tightly bound to the cell wall matrix, their bioavailability is often limited. Clinical trials show that postprandial plasma phenolic concentrations are increased after consumption of wholegrain wheat or wheat bran however the magnitude of the response is usually modest and transient. Whether this is sufficient to bolster antioxidant defences and translates into improved health outcomes is still uncertain. Increased phytochemical bioavailability may be achieved through bio-processing of grains but the improvements so far are small and have not yet led to changes in clinical or physiological markers associated with reduced risk of T2D. Furthermore, the effect of wholegrain cereals and cereal fractions on biomarkers of oxidative stress or strengthening antioxidant defence in healthy individuals is generally small or nonexistent, whereas biomarkers of systemic inflammation tend to be reduced in people consuming high intakes of wholegrains. Future dietary

Muscle synergies in neuroscience and robotics: from input-space to task-space perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiano eAlessandro

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we review the works related to muscle synergies that have been carried-out in neuroscience and control engineering. In particular, we refer to the hypothesis that the central nervous system (CNS generates desired muscle contractions by combining a small number of predefined modules, called muscle synergies. We provide an overview of the methods that have been employed to test the validity of this scheme, and we show how the concept of muscle synergy has been generalized for the control of artificial agents. The comparison between these two lines of research, in particular their different goals and approaches, is instrumental to explain the computational implications of the hypothesized modular organization. Moreover, it clarifies the importance of assessing the functional role of muscle synergies: although these basic modules are defined at the level of muscle activations (input-space, they should result in the effective accomplishment of the desired task. This requirement is not always explicitly considered in experimental neuroscience, as muscle synergies are often estimated solely by analyzing recorded muscle activities. We suggest that synergy extraction methods should explicitly take into account task execution variables, thus moving from a perspective purely based on input-space to one grounded on task-space as well.

Practice effects on intra-team synergies in football teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Pedro; Chung, Dante; Carvalho, Thiago; Cardoso, Tiago; Davids, Keith; Araújo, Duarte; Garganta, Júlio

2016-04-01

Developing synchronised player movements for fluent competitive match play is a common goal for coaches of team games. An ecological dynamics approach advocates that intra-team synchronization is governed by locally created information, which specifies shared affordances responsible for synergy formation. To verify this claim we evaluated coordination tendencies in two newly-formed teams of recreational players during association football practice games, weekly, for fifteen weeks (thirteen matches). We investigated practice effects on two central features of synergies in sports teams - dimensional compression and reciprocal compensation here captured through near in-phase modes of coordination and time delays between coupled players during forward and backwards movements on field while attacking and defending. Results verified that synergies were formed and dissolved rapidly as a result of the dynamic creation of informational properties, perceived as shared affordances among performers. Practising once a week led to small improvements in the readjustment delays between co-positioning team members, enabling faster regulation of coordinated team actions. Mean values of the number of player and team synergies displayed only limited improvements, possibly due to the timescales of practice. No relationship between improvements in dimensional compression and reciprocal compensation were found for number of shots, amount of ball possession and number of ball recoveries made. Findings open up new perspectives for monitoring team coordination processes in sport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A measure of internal synergy of the collective system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novikov V.A.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The authors examine the methodology of HRM personnel management based on ratings. Proposed to represent a collective system that uses a matrix of pair relations as a system of linear differential equations. The condition of auto generation of an autonomous system can be determined by the application of the Laplace transformation to the system. This condition mainly depends on the main eigenvalue of dating relationships matrix. Assuming the oscillation frequency is straightly proportional to the system's synergy rating, a special algorithm of comparative evaluation of several collective systems was suggested. Methods: The calculation of the rating of internal synergies is based on the representation of the collective system as a system of linear differential equations, the coefficients of which are obtained by questionnaire survey of all members of the team. Internal representation of the system's synergism as a stimulation of an autonomous system allows using the eigenvector of the system as a measure of internal synergies. Results: The result of this method is the rating of members of interacting collective systems in terms of their contribution to the self-organization sharing behavior.  Conclusions:  Using a matrix of pair relations allows without direct programming and only using MathCad determines the measure of internal synergy of a collective system.  

Molecular mechanism of synergy between the antimicrobial peptides PGLa and magainin 2.

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Zerweck, Jonathan; Strandberg, Erik; Kukharenko, Olga; Reichert, Johannes; Bürck, Jochen; Wadhwani, Parvesh; Ulrich, Anne S

2017-10-13

PGLa and magainin 2 (MAG2) are amphiphilic α-helical membranolytic peptides from frog skin with known synergistic antimicrobial activity. By systematically mutating residues in the two peptides it was possible to identify the ones crucial for the synergy, as monitored by biological assays, fluorescence vesicle leakage, and solid-state 15 N-NMR. Electrostatic interactions between anionic groups in MAG2 and cationic residues in PGLa enhance synergy but are not necessary for the synergistic effect. Instead, two Gly residues (7 and 11) in a so-called GxxxG motif in PGLa are necessary for synergy. Replacing either of them with Ala or another hydrophobic residue completely abolishes synergy according to all three methods used. The designer-made peptide MSI-103, which has a similar sequence as PGLa, shows no synergy with MAG2, but by introducing two Gly mutations it was possible to make it synergistic. A molecular model is proposed for the functionally active PGLa-MAG2 complex, consisting of a membrane-spanning antiparallel PGLa dimer that is stabilized by intimate Gly-Gly contacts, and where each PGLa monomer is in contact with one MAG2 molecule at its C-terminus.

Human and veterinary medicine: the priority for public health synergies

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Adriano Mantovani

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The concepts of ‘one medicine’ and 'one ‘health’ are supported and visualised as a tree (medicine, placed on the fertile soil (basic sciences, which divides into the two major branches of human and veterinary medicine, connected by the large branch of public health; minor branches (specialisations depart from the three larger ones. The synergy between human and veterinary medicine is not only a must for public health, but also implies ethical considerations. The basic reasons requiring synergy are found in the common sharing of the environment, in the use of animal products by humans, in the common culture and in the many problems to be faced together. The long list of adversities requiring synergy is topped by zoonoses (intended both in the classic and in the extended sense and food safety that extends to many other items connected with nutrition, environment, human/animal coexistence and the management of public health; the entire quality of human life is affected. Human and veterinary medicine have a strong cultural background (many subject matters in common, but unfortunately the undergraduate and postgraduate education programme (with few important exceptions do not offer training in cooperation. The synergy between human and veterinary medicines is an indicator of 'good public health practice' and any obstacles to this collaboration should be identified and eliminated. The logo for a public health founded on synergy is drawn as an umbrella formed by the medical and veterinary activities, protecting the population (consumers and producers, the animals and their products and the environment from the possible adversities linked to health.

The Impact of Technical–Nontechnical Factors Synergy on Innovation Performance: The Moderating Effect of Talent Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Bo Shi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Innovation and talent are the guarantee of the sustainable development of an enterprise. However, internet companies are facing two major problems: innovation scarcity and frequent talent flow. The gradual intensification of competition is leading internet companies to realize the importance of collaborative innovation of an enterprise’s internal elements. Previous studies have pointed out that appropriate talent flow is conducive to improve the corporation’s innovation performance, too low or too high talent flow has a negative impact on the enterprise’s innovation ability. This study explores the relationship between talent flow, technical–nontechnical element synergy and collaborative innovation performance in the internet industry. The results show that the technical–nontechnical element synergy is beneficial to improve the collaborative innovation performance, and the comprehensive coordination of the elements can generate integration advantages that single element synergy cannot produce. As a moderator variable, talent flow can positively moderate the relationship between technical–market synergy, technical–strategy synergy, technical–institution synergy and collaborative innovation performance. However, because of the particularity of organization and culture, talent flow has no moderating effect on the relationship between technical–culture synergy, technical–organization synergy and innovation performance. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions on how to promote internet enterprise internal element synergy and use the talent flow frequency to improve collaborative innovation performance.

Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of Aqueous and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Annona senegalensis possess phytochemicals with activities against Shigella flexineri a human intestinal pathogen which causes dysentery and Pseudomonas aeruginosa an opportunistic human pathogen which causes all kinds of infections including urinary tract, ...

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial screening of crude ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The leaves, stem bark and root bark of Ekebergia senegalensis, which has some traditional medicinal applications were investigated. Phytochemical analysis gave positive results for carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, tannins and alkaloids. The crude methanol extracts showed growth inhibitory effects on Salmonella ...

Phytochemical And Ethnobotanical Evaluation Of The Leaves Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BSN

University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria. Abstract ... estimation of each phytochemical present showed that the leaf extract contained ... saponins. Ethnobotanical survey showed that Talinum triangulare has a number of.

Advanced phytochemical analysis of herbal tea in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J; Deng, J W; Chen, Y W; Li, S P

2013-10-25

Herbal tea is a commonly consumed beverage brewed from the leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, stems and roots of plants species rather than Camellia sinensis L., which has been widely used for health care and diseases prevention for centuries. With the increasing consumption of herbal tea, a number of public health issues e.g., efficacy, safety and quality assurance have attracted concern. However, to date, there is no a review focus on herbal tea. Phytochemical analysis, as a key step to investigate the chemical composition of herbal tea and ensure the quality, is very important. In this review, we summarized and discussed the recent development (2005-2012) in phytochemical analysis of herbal tea commonly used in China. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food-borne pathogens, health and role of dietary phytochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, K; Labbe, R G

1998-12-01

Infectious diseases transmitted by food have become a major public health concern in recent years. In the USA alone, there are an estimated 6-33 million cases each year. The list of responsible agents continues to grow. In the past 20 years some dozen new pathogens that are primarily food-borne have been identified. Fruits and vegetables, often from the global food market, have been added to the traditional vehicles of food-borne illness; that is, undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, or unpasteurized milk. Such products are minimally processed and have fewer barriers to microbial growth such as salt, sugar or preservatives. The evolution of the epidemiology of food-borne illness requires a rethinking of traditional, though still valid, solutions for their prevention. Among various strategies to prevent food-borne pathogens, use of dietary phytochemicals is promising. The major obstacle in the use of dietary phytochemical is the consistency of phytochemicals in different foods due to their natural genetic variation. We have developed a novel tissue-culture-based selection strategy to isolate elite phenolic phytochemical-producing clonal lines of species belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Among several species we have targeted elite clonal lines of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) against Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfrigens in fresh and processed meats. We are also evaluating high phenolic profile-containing clonal lines of basil (Ocimum basilicum) to inhibit gastric ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori. Other elite lines of the members of the family Lamiaceae, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and salvia (Salvia officinalis) also hold promise against a wide range of food pathogens such as Salmonella species in poultry products and Vibrio species in seafood.

Nuclear and Renewable Energy Synergies Workshop: Report of Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruth, M.; Antkowiak, M.; Gossett, S.

2011-12-01

Two of the major challenges the U.S. energy sector faces are greenhouse gas emissions and oil that is both imported and potentially reaching a peak (the point at which maximum extraction is reached). Interest in development of both renewable and nuclear energy has been strong because both have potential for overcoming these challenges. Research in both energy sources is ongoing, but relatively little research has focused on the potential benefits of combining nuclear and renewable energy. In September 2011, the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA) convened the Nuclear and Renewable Energy Synergies Workshop at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to identify potential synergies and strategic leveraging opportunities between nuclear energy and renewable energy. Industry, government, and academic thought leaders gathered to identify potential broad categories of synergies and brainstorm topic areas for additional analysis and research and development (R&D). This report records the proceedings and outcomes of the workshop.

Nuclear and Renewable Energy Synergies Workshop: Report of Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruth, M.; Antkowiak, M.; Gossett, S.

2011-01-01

Two of the major challenges the U.S. energy sector faces are greenhouse gas emissions and oil that is both imported and potentially reaching a peak (the point at which maximum extraction is reached). Interest in development of both renewable and nuclear energy has been strong because both have potential for overcoming these challenges. Research in both energy sources is ongoing, but relatively little research has focused on the potential benefits of combining nuclear and renewable energy. In September 2011, the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA) convened the Nuclear and Renewable Energy Synergies Workshop at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to identify potential synergies and strategic leveraging opportunities between nuclear energy and renewable energy. Industry, government, and academic thought leaders gathered to identify potential broad categories of synergies and brainstorm topic areas for additional analysis and research and development (R and D). This report records the proceedings and outcomes of the workshop.

Managing Tensions And Forging Creative Synergies Between ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Managing Tensions And Forging Creative Synergies Between Indigenous And Modern Settlement Planning Concepts And Practices: Lessons For The Design And Planning For Sustainable Settlements And Built-Forms In Southern Africa.

Electromyogram synergy control of a dexterous artificial hand to unscrew and screw objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Benjamin A; Karnati, Nareen; Engeberg, Erik D

2014-03-21

Due to their limited dexterity, it is currently not possible to use a commercially available prosthetic hand to unscrew or screw objects without using elbow and shoulder movements. For these tasks, prosthetic hands function like a wrench, which is unnatural and limits their use in tight working environments. Results from timed rotational tasks with human subjects demonstrate the clinical need for increased dexterity of prosthetic hands, and a clinically viable solution to this problem is presented for an anthropomorphic artificial hand. Initially, a human hand motion analysis was performed during a rotational task. From these data, human hand synergies were derived and mapped to an anthropomorphic artificial hand. The synergy for the artificial hand is controlled using conventional dual site electromyogram (EMG) signals. These EMG signals were mapped to the developed synergy to control four joints of the dexterous artificial hand simultaneously.Five limb absent and ten able-bodied test subjects participated in a comparison study to complete a timed rotational task as quickly as possible with their natural hands (except for one subject with a bilateral hand absence), eight commercially available prosthetic hands, and the proposed synergy controller. Each test subject used two to four different artificial hands. With the able-bodied subjects, the developed synergy controller reduced task completion time by 177% on average. The limb absent subjects completed the task faster on average than with their own prostheses by 46%. There was a statistically significant improvement in task completion time with the synergy controller for three of the four limb absent participants with integrated prostheses, and was not statistically different for the fourth. The proposed synergy controller reduced average task completion time compared to commercially available prostheses. Additionally, the synergy controller is able to function in a small workspace and requires less physical

The Genus Phyllanthus: An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Review

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Xin Mao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The plants of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae have been used as traditional medicinal materials for a long time in China, India, Brazil, and the Southeast Asian countries. They can be used for the treatment of digestive disease, jaundice, and renal calculus. This review discusses the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological studies of Phyllanthus over the past few decades. More than 510 compounds have been isolated, the majority of which are lignins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. The researches of their remarkable antiviral, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities have become hot topics. More pharmacological screenings and phytochemical investigations are required to support the traditional uses and develop leading compounds.

Phytochemicals of Brassicaceae in plant protection and human health--influences of climate, environment and agronomic practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Björkman, Maria; Klingen, Ingeborg; Birch, Andrew N E; Bones, Atle M; Bruce, Toby J A; Johansen, Tor J; Meadow, Richard; Mølmann, Jørgen; Seljåsen, Randi; Smart, Lesley E; Stewart, Derek

2011-05-01

In this review, we provide an overview of the role of glucosinolates and other phytochemical compounds present in the Brassicaceae in relation to plant protection and human health. Current knowledge of the factors that influence phytochemical content and profile in the Brassicaceae is also summarized and multi-factorial approaches are briefly discussed. Variation in agronomic conditions (plant species, cultivar, developmental stage, plant organ, plant competition, fertilization, pH), season, climatic factors, water availability, light (intensity, quality, duration) and CO(2) are known to significantly affect content and profile of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals such as the glucosinolates and leaf surface waxes play an important role in interactions with pests and pathogens. Factors that affect production of phytochemicals are important when designing plant protection strategies that exploit these compounds to minimize crop damage caused by plant pests and pathogens. Brassicaceous plants are consumed increasingly for possible health benefits, for example, glucosinolate-derived effects on degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, factors influencing phytochemical content and profile in the production of brassicaceous plants are worth considering both for plant and human health. Even though it is known that factors that influence phytochemical content and profile may interact, studies of plant compounds were, until recently, restricted by methods allowing only a reductionistic approach. It is now possible to design multi-factorial experiments that simulate their combined effects. This will provide important information to ecologists, plant breeders and agronomists. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-Vitro Antibacterial Activities And Preliminary Phytochemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Studies on the in-vitro antibacterial activities and phytochemical screening of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Zingiber officinale (ginger) against some clinical bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) obtained from ear and urine samples were carried out using ...

RhoB mediates antitumor synergy of combined ixabepilone and sunitinib in human ovarian serous cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vishnu, Prakash; Colon-Otero, Gerardo; Kennedy, Gregory T; Marlow, Laura A; Kennedy, William P; Wu, Kevin J; Santoso, Joseph T; Copland, John A

2012-03-01

The aim was to evaluate antitumor activity of the combination of ixabepilone and sunitinib in pre-clinical models of chemotherapy naïve and refractory epithelial ovarian tumors, and to investigate the mechanism of synergy of such drug combination. HOVTAX2 cell line was derived from a metastatic serous papillary epithelial ovarian tumor (EOC) and a paclitaxel-resistant derivative was established. Dose response curves for ixabepilone and sunitinib were generated and synergy was determined using combination indexes. The molecular mechanism of antitumor synergy was examined using shRNA silencing. The combination of ixabepilone and sunitinib demonstrated robust antitumor synergy in naïve and paclitaxel-resistant HOVTAX2 cell lines due to increased apoptosis. The GTPase, RhoB, was synergistically upregulated in cells treated with ixabepilone and sunitinib. Using shRNA, RhoB was demonstrated to mediate antitumor synergy. These results were validated in two other EOC cell lines. Ixabepilone plus sunitinib demonstrated antitumor synergy via RhoB in naïve and paclitaxel-resistant cells resulting in apoptosis. This study demonstrates a novel mechanism of action leading to antitumor synergy and provides 'proof-of-principle' for combining molecular targeted agents with cytotoxic chemotherapy to improve antitumor efficacy. RhoB could be envisioned as an early biomarker of response to therapy in a planned Phase II clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ixabepilone combined with a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor such as sunitinib. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of antitumor synergy between these two classes of drugs in EOC and the pivotal role of RhoB in this synergy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of Muscle Synergy Outcomes in Clinics, Robotics, and Sports: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juri Taborri

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In the last years, several studies have been focused on understanding how the central nervous system controls muscles to perform a specific motor task. Although it still remains an open question, muscle synergies have come to be an appealing theory to explain the modular organization of the central nervous system. Even though the neural encoding of muscle synergies remains controversial, a large number of papers demonstrated that muscle synergies are robust across different tested conditions, which are within a day, between days, within a single subject, and between subjects that have similar demographic characteristics. Thus, muscle synergy theory has been largely used in several research fields, such as clinics, robotics, and sports. The present systematical review aims at providing an overview on the applications of muscle synergy theory in clinics, robotics, and sports; in particular, the review is focused on the papers that provide tangible information for (i diagnosis or pathology assessment in clinics, (ii robot-control design in robotics, and (iii athletes’ performance assessment or training guidelines in sports.

Identification and phytochemical screening of Endophytic fungi from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2015-06-30

Jun 30, 2015 ... Penicillium (03), Trichoderma (01) and Fusarium (01). The phytochemical ... guajava, Citrus spp. and Theobroma cacao (Dibong et al., 2011). ... Fermentation and extraction of metabolites: Each isolated ... Penicillium sp.1.

Nutrient and Phytochemical Composition of Some Leafy Vegetables ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the nutrient and phytochemical composition of Vernoniaamygdalina, Ocimumgratissimum, Gnetumafricanum and Gongronemalatifolium leaves. Materials and Methods: Fresh leaves of Vernoniaamygdalina (bitter leaf), Ocimumgratissimum (scent leaf), Gnetumafricanum (okazi leaf) and ...

Hormonally active phytochemicals and vertebrate evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Max R; Edwards, Thea M

2017-06-01

Living plants produce a diversity of chemicals that share structural and functional properties with vertebrate hormones. Wildlife species interact with these chemicals either through consumption of plant materials or aquatic exposure. Accumulating evidence shows that exposure to these hormonally active phytochemicals (HAPs) often has consequences for behavior, physiology, and fecundity. These fitness effects suggest there is potential for an evolutionary response by vertebrates to HAPs. Here, we explore the toxicological HAP-vertebrate relationship in an evolutionary framework and discuss the potential for vertebrates to adapt to or even co-opt the effects of plant-derived chemicals that influence fitness. We lay out several hypotheses about HAPs and provide a path forward to test whether plant-derived chemicals influence vertebrate reproduction and evolution. Studies of phytochemicals with direct impacts on vertebrate reproduction provide an obvious and compelling system for studying evolutionary toxicology. Furthermore, an understanding of whether animal populations evolve in response to HAPs could provide insightful context for the study of rapid evolution and how animals cope with chemical agents in the environment.

A Methodology to Measure Synergy Among Energy-Efficiency Programs at the Program Participant Level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonn, B.E.

2003-11-14

This paper presents a methodology designed to measure synergy among energy-efficiency programs at the program participant level (e.g., households, firms). Three different definitions of synergy are provided: strong, moderate, and weak. Data to measure synergy can be collected through simple survey questions. Straightforward mathematical techniques can be used to estimate the three types of synergy and explore relative synergistic impacts of different subsets of programs. Empirical research is needed to test the concepts and methods and to establish quantitative expectations about synergistic relationships among programs. The market for new energy-efficient motors is the context used to illustrate all the concepts and methods in this paper.

Phytochemical and biological studies of Butia capitata Becc. leaves cultivated in Egypt

OpenAIRE

Nagwa Mohamed Ammar; Mohammed Said Hefnawy; Sahar Youssef Al-Okbi; Doha Abdou Mohamed; Nabil Khamis El-Sayed; Amira Ahmed El-Anssary; Tom Mabry

2014-01-01

Objective: To study the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Butia capitata (B. capitata) leaf extracts along with phytochemical analysis of the proposed bioactive constituents. Methods: Different successive extracts of B. capitata Becc. leaves were prepared with selective organic solvents and screened for their anti-inflammatory activities in tested animals and in-vitro antioxidant effect. An extensive phytochemical investigation of the bioactive extracts through paper chromatogr...

Modeling the synergy of cofilin and Arp2/3 in lamellipodial protrusive activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Tania, Nessy; Condeelis, John; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

2013-11-05

Rapid polymerization of actin filament barbed ends generates protrusive forces at the cell edge, leading to cell migration. Two important regulators of free barbed ends, cofilin and Arp2/3, have been shown to work in synergy (net effect greater than additive). To explore this synergy, we model the dynamics of F-actin at the leading edge, motivated by data from EGF-stimulated mammary carcinoma cells. We study how synergy depends on the localized rates and relative timing of cofilin and Arp2/3 activation at the cell edge. The model incorporates diffusion of cofilin, membrane protrusion, F-actin capping, aging, and severing by cofilin and branch nucleation by Arp2/3 (but not G-actin recycling). In a well-mixed system, cofilin and Arp2/3 can each generate a large pulse of barbed ends on their own, but have little synergy; high synergy occurs only at low activation rates, when few barbed ends are produced. In the full spatially distributed model, both synergy and barbed-end production are significant over a range of activation rates. Furthermore, barbed-end production is greatest when Arp2/3 activation is delayed relative to cofilin. Our model supports a direct role for cofilin-mediated actin polymerization in stimulated cell migration, including chemotaxis and cancer invasion. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A metabolomic evaluation of the phytochemical composition of tomato juices being used in human clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Cichon, Morgan J; Riedl, Ken M; Schwartz, Steven J

2017-08-01

Juices from the traditional red tomato and a unique tangerine tomato variety are being investigated as health promoting foods in human clinical trials. However, it is unknown how the tangerine and red tomato juices differ in biologically relevant phytochemicals beyond carotenoids. Here liquid-chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry metabolomics was used to evaluate broadly the similarities and differences in carotenoids and other phytochemicals between red and tangerine tomato juices intended for clinical interventions. This untargeted approach was successful in the rapid detection and extensive characterization of phytochemicals belonging to various compound classes. The tomato juices were found to differ significantly in a number of phytochemicals, including carotenoids, chlorophylls, neutral lipids, and cinnamic acid derivatives. The largest differences were in carotenoids, including lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, neurosporene, and ζ-carotene. Smaller, but significant, differences were observed in polar phytochemicals, such as chlorogenic acid, hydroxyferulic acid, phloretin-di-C-glycoside, and isopropylmalic acid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer Aided Screening of Phytochemicals from Garcinia against the Dengue NS2B/NS3 Protease.

Science.gov (United States)

Qamar, Tahir Ul; Mumtaz, Arooj; Ashfaq, Usman Ali; Azhar, Samia; Fatima, Tabeer; Hassan, Muhammad; Hussain, Syed Sajid; Akram, Waheed; Idrees, Sobia

2014-01-01

Dengue virus NS2/NS3 protease because of its ability to cleave viral proteins is considered as an attractive target to screen antiviral agents. Medicinal plants contain a variety of phytochemicals that can be used as drug against different diseases and infections. Therefore, this study was designed to uncover possible phytochemical of different classes (Aromatic, Carbohydrates, Lignin, Saponins, Steroids, Tannins, Terpenoids, Xanthones) that could be used as inhibitors against the NS2B/NS3 protease of DENV. With the help of molecular docking, Garcinia phytochemicals found to be bound deeply inside the active site of DENV NS2B/NS3 protease among all tested phytochemicals and had interactions with catalytic triad (His51, Asp75, Ser135). Thus, it can be concluded from the study that these Gracinia phytochemicals could serve as important inhibitors to inhibit the viral replication inside the host cell. Further in-vitro investigations require confirming their efficacy.

Statistical modelling coupled with LC-MS analysis to predict human upper intestinal absorption of phytochemical mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Selby-Pham, Sophie N B; Howell, Kate S; Dunshea, Frank R; Ludbey, Joel; Lutz, Adrian; Bennett, Louise

2018-04-15

A diet rich in phytochemicals confers benefits for health by reducing the risk of chronic diseases via regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation (OSI). For optimal protective bio-efficacy, the time required for phytochemicals and their metabolites to reach maximal plasma concentrations (T max ) should be synchronised with the time of increased OSI. A statistical model has been reported to predict T max of individual phytochemicals based on molecular mass and lipophilicity. We report the application of the model for predicting the absorption profile of an uncharacterised phytochemical mixture, herein referred to as the 'functional fingerprint'. First, chemical profiles of phytochemical extracts were acquired using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), then the molecular features for respective components were used to predict their plasma absorption maximum, based on molecular mass and lipophilicity. This method of 'functional fingerprinting' of plant extracts represents a novel tool for understanding and optimising the health efficacy of plant extracts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Blueberry and Cranberry Juice Consumption on the Plasma Antioxidant Capacity of Healthy Female Volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen(Vægter), Christian Bjerggaard; Kyle, J; Jenkinson, AM

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether consumption of 500 ml of blueberry juice or cranberry juice by healthy female subjects increased plasma phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. DESIGN: Latin square arrangement to eliminate ordering effects. After an overnight fast, nine volunteers consumed 500 ml ...... for by an increase in vitamin C rather than phenolics. This also accounted for the lack of an effect of the phenolic-rich but vitamin C-low blueberry juice. Sponsorship: Funded by the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department and the Danish Government....

Techniques for rapid determination of effects of synergy between radionuclides and pollutants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saas, A.; Grauby, A.

1975-01-01

The authors present a number of chromatographic techniques for rapid determination of synergy between radionuclides and various compounds in water. The first technique consists in studying how the chemical equilibrium of iodine varies in the presence of various organic and mineral compounds. The second makes it possible to define the effects of synergy within a given hydrographic basin. A third technique deals with the effects of synergy in ground water in the presence of various types of irrigation water. Finally, to complete this set of techniques, the authors define the mobility potential of a radionuclide in a given aqueous effluent

Human synergy in the rotten banana

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svensson, Christian Franklin

Counter-activity and synergy canbe viewed as a renaissance when recapturing the human potentials in civil society. The paper discusses employees' navigations and their imaginings of the future both relating to social enterprises and civil society and relating to the municipality as a rural area....

A Conceptual Framework for Team Social Capital as Basis for Organizational Team Synergy

OpenAIRE

Raluca ZOLTAN

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to outline a conceptual framework of team social capital as a basis for reaching organizational team synergy. The dimensions of team social capital and the basic conditions required for organizational team synergy enable the extension of current model of team social capital by including of other variables. Today’s managers must consider these variables since the team tends to be the basic structural unit of current organizations and synergy, the key to achieving h...

Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jie Zhang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Overproduction of oxidants (reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in the human body is responsible for the pathogenesis of some diseases. The scavenging of these oxidants is thought to be an effective measure to depress the level of oxidative stress of organisms. It has been reported that intake of vegetables and fruits is inversely associated with the risk of many chronic diseases, and antioxidant phytochemicals in vegetables and fruits are considered to be responsible for these health benefits. Antioxidant phytochemicals can be found in many foods and medicinal plants, and play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases caused by oxidative stress. They often possess strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging abilities, as well as anti-inflammatory action, which are also the basis of other bioactivities and health benefits, such as anticancer, anti-aging, and protective action for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity and neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes recent progress on the health benefits of antioxidant phytochemicals, and discusses their potential mechanisms in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Ficus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prelimlinary phytochemical screening of Ficus exasperata root bark showed that it contains saponin, alkaloids, cardiac glycoside and reducing sugar with no traces of tannin and anthraquinone. The results of the study provide scientific basis for developing a novel broad spectrum antimicrobial herbal formulation in future.

Determining efficient extraction procedure of phytochemicals from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Determining efficient extraction procedure of phytochemicals from the fruit paste of Ziziphus abyssinica and Tamarindus indica . ... Methodology and results: The methods used included cold and soxhlet extraction using methanol as the solvent and hot extraction using distilled water. To determine the efficiency in which ...

Evaluation of phytochemical and antibacterial properties of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening of aqueous and ethanol crude extracts of the different plant parts of Terminalia avicennioides was carried out using standard chemical evaluation methods. The antibacterial effects of aqueous and ethanol crude extracts of Terminalia avicennioides against E.coli and S.typhimurium clinical and ...

Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activities of Terminalia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

CLEMENT O BEWAJI

The search for new drugs has turned researchers to plant sources for ... antioxidant as well as anticlastogenic properties (Masuda et al., 1999). ... Plant extracts were phytochemically screened using standard techniques for the qualitative detection of alkaloid, .... The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 25: 153-161.

phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of commiphora

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

2014-06-01

Jun 1, 2014 ... CIPIH Study Nine on TM, Draft Report. 1-172. Sani, Y.M., Musa, A.M., Yaro, A.H., Sani, M.B.,. Amoley, A. and Magaji, M.G. (2013). Phytochemical screening and evaluation of analgesic and anti inflammatory activities of the Methanol Leaf Extract of Cissus polyantha. J. Med. Sci., 1682-4474. Sibanda T. and ...

Phytochemical compounds of Enhalus acoroides from Wanci Island (Wakatobi) and Talango Island (Madura) Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, C. S. U.; Kasitowati, R. D.; Siagian, J. A.

2018-04-01

The existence of Enhalus acoroides certainly gives important influence to the ecosystem, both as a producer in the food web and as a living habitat. In the last decade, Enhalus acoroides was widely used as an object of marine bioprospection research. That research showed potential results as antibacterial, antifungal, even as antifouling. This is a good reason to know the content of phytochemical compounds in Enhalus acoroides from two different locations. The purpose of research purpose to determine (1) the crude extract produced by Enhalus acoroides from two different locations; and (2) the phytochemical compounds contained in the crude extract of Enhalus acoroides from two different locations. This study this research was to used samples collected from Wanci Island (Wakatobi), and Talango Island (Madura), Indonesia. The extraction process and phytochemical test were conducted at the Marine Science Laboratory, FPIK, University of Brawijaya, and lasted for two months, from June 2017 to September 2017. The extraction was done by three solvent, are methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform. Furthermore, phytochemical test was performed qualitatively. The results provided that the yield produced by Enhalus acoroides from Wanci Island, Wakatobi is relatively lower than Talango Island, Madura. Enhalus acoroides is also renowned to contain phytochemical compounds of tannins and saponins.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antimicrobial Activity of the Bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BSN

Department of Biotechnology Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 1526, ... and Serretia marcescen were susceptible to hot water extract, S. aureus was not. ... glycosides, Polyphenol, saponin and starch, detected in the phytochemical ...

Phytochemical, nutritional and medical properties of some leafy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-07-18

Jul 18, 2008 ... different types of vegetables varies considerably and they are not major ... the researchers to help the respondents to identify the vegetables ... subjected to qualitative phytochemical tests for alkaloids (Myers. Reagent) ...

Effects of 5 Weeks of Bench Press Training on Muscle Synergies: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kristiansen, Mathias; Samani, Afshin; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst A

2016-07-01

Kristiansen, M, Samani, A, Madeleine, P, and Hansen, EA. Effects of 5 weeks of bench press training on muscle synergies: A randomized controlled study. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1948-1959, 2016-The ability to perform forceful muscle contractions has important implications in sports performance and in activities of daily living. However, there is a lack of knowledge on adaptations in intermuscular coordination after strength training. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess muscle synergies before and after 5 weeks of bench press training. Thirty untrained male subjects were randomly allocated to a training group (TRA) or a control group (CON). After the pretest, TRA completed 5 weeks of bench press training, before completing a posttest, whereas subjects in CON continued their normal life. During test sessions, surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from 13 different muscles. Muscle synergies were extracted from EMG data using nonnegative matrix factorization. To evaluate differences between pretest and posttest, we performed a cross-correlation analysis and a cross-validation analysis, in which the synergy components extracted in the pretest session were recomputed, using the fixed synergy components from the posttest session. Two muscle synergies accounted for 90% of the total variance and reflected the concentric and eccentric phase, respectively. TRA significantly increased 3 repetition maximum in bench press with 19.0% (25th; 75th percentile, 10.3%; 21.7%) (p < 0.001), whereas no change occurred in CON. No significant differences were observed in synergy components between groups. However, decreases in correlation values for intragroup comparisons in TRA may suggest that the synergy components changed, whereas this was not the case in CON. Strength and conditioning professionals may consider monitoring changes in muscle synergies in training and rehabilitation programs as a way to benchmark changes in intermuscular coordination.

Estimation of kinetic parameters of anthocyanins and color degradation in vitamin C fortified cranberry juice during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Roidoung, Sunisa; Dolan, Kirk D; Siddiq, Muhammad

2017-04-01

Color degradation in cranberry juice during storage is the most common consumer complaint. To enhance nutritional quality, juice is typically fortified with vitamin C. This study determined effect of gallic acid, a natural antioxidant, for the preservation of anthocyanins (ACYs) and color, and estimated kinetics of ACYs and color degradation. Juice, fortified with 40-80mg/100mL vitamin C and 0-320mg/100mL gallic acid, was pasteurized at 85°C for 1min and stored at 23°C for 16days. Total monomeric anthocyanins and red color intensity were evaluated spectrophotometrically and data were used to determine degradation rate constants (k values) and order of reaction (n) of ACYs and color. Due to high correlation, k and n could not be estimated simultaneously. To overcome this difficulty, both n and k were held at different constant values in separate analyses to allow accurate estimation of each. Parameters n and k were modeled empirically as functions of vitamin C, and of vitamin C and gallic acid, respectively. Reaction order n ranged from 1.2 to 4.4, and decreased with increasing vitamin C concentration. The final model offers an effective tool that could be used for predicting ACYs and color retention in cranberry juice during storage. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Mechanisms of the negative synergy effect between electron cyclotron current drive and lower hybrid current drive in tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shaoyong; Hong Binbin; Tang Changjian; Yang Wen; Zhang Xinjun

2013-01-01

The synergy current drive by combining electron cyclotron wave (ECW) with lower hybrid wave (LHW) can be used to either increase the noninductive current drive efficiency or shape the plasma current profile. In this paper, the synergy current drive by ECW and LHW is studied with numerical simulation. The nonlinear relationship between the wave powers and the synergy current of ECW and LHW is revealed. When the LHW power is small, the synergy current reduces as the ECW power increases, and the synergy current is even reduced to lower than zero, which is referred as negative synergy in the this context. Research shows that the mechanism of the negative synergy is the peaking effect of LHW power profile and the trapped electrons effect. The present research is helpful for understanding the physics of synergy between electron cyclotron current drive and lower hybrid current drive, it can also instruct the design of experiments. (authors)

Muscle Synergies Heavily Influence the Neural Control of Arm Endpoint Stiffness and Energy Consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Inouye, Joshua M; Valero-Cuevas, Francisco J

2016-02-01

Much debate has arisen from research on muscle synergies with respect to both limb impedance control and energy consumption. Studies of limb impedance control in the context of reaching movements and postural tasks have produced divergent findings, and this study explores whether the use of synergies by the central nervous system (CNS) can resolve these findings and also provide insights on mechanisms of energy consumption. In this study, we phrase these debates at the conceptual level of interactions between neural degrees of freedom and tasks constraints. This allows us to examine the ability of experimentally-observed synergies--correlated muscle activations--to control both energy consumption and the stiffness component of limb endpoint impedance. In our nominal 6-muscle planar arm model, muscle synergies and the desired size, shape, and orientation of endpoint stiffness ellipses, are expressed as linear constraints that define the set of feasible muscle activation patterns. Quadratic programming allows us to predict whether and how energy consumption can be minimized throughout the workspace of the limb given those linear constraints. We show that the presence of synergies drastically decreases the ability of the CNS to vary the properties of the endpoint stiffness and can even preclude the ability to minimize energy. Furthermore, the capacity to minimize energy consumption--when available--can be greatly affected by arm posture. Our computational approach helps reconcile divergent findings and conclusions about task-specific regulation of endpoint stiffness and energy consumption in the context of synergies. But more generally, these results provide further evidence that the benefits and disadvantages of muscle synergies go hand-in-hand with the structure of feasible muscle activation patterns afforded by the mechanics of the limb and task constraints. These insights will help design experiments to elucidate the interplay between synergies and the mechanisms

Trade-off between synergy and efficacy in combinations of HIV-1 latency-reversing agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vipul; Dixit, Narendra M

2018-02-01

Eradicating HIV-1 infection is difficult because of the reservoir of latently infected cells that gets established soon after infection, remains hidden from antiretroviral drugs and host immune responses, and retains the capacity to reignite infection following the cessation of treatment. Drugs called latency-reversing agents (LRAs) are being developed to reactivate latently infected cells and render them susceptible to viral cytopathicity or immune killing. Whereas individual LRAs have failed to induce adequate reactivation, pairs of LRAs have been identified recently that act synergistically and hugely increase reactivation levels compared to individual LRAs. The maximum synergy achievable with LRA pairs is of clinical importance, as it would allow latency-reversal with minimal drug exposure. Here, we employed stochastic simulations of HIV-1 transcription and translation in latently infected cells to estimate this maximum synergy. We incorporated the predominant mechanisms of action of the two most promising classes of LRAs, namely, protein kinase C agonists and histone deacetylase inhibitors, and quantified the activity of individual LRAs in the two classes by mapping our simulations to corresponding in vitro experiments. Without any adjustable parameters, our simulations then quantitatively captured experimental observations of latency-reversal when the LRAs were used in pairs. Performing simulations representing a wide range of drug concentrations, we estimated the maximum synergy achievable with these LRA pairs. Importantly, we found with all the LRA pairs we considered that concentrations yielding the maximum synergy did not yield the maximum latency-reversal. Increasing concentrations to increase latency-reversal compromised synergy, unravelling a trade-off between synergy and efficacy in LRA combinations. The maximum synergy realizable with LRA pairs would thus be restricted by the desired level of latency-reversal, a constrained optimum we elucidated with

A Conceptual Framework for Team Social Capital as Basis for Organizational Team Synergy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca ZOLTAN

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to outline a conceptual framework of team social capital as a basis for reaching organizational team synergy. The dimensions of team social capital and the basic conditions required for organizational team synergy enable the extension of current model of team social capital by including of other variables. Today’s managers must consider these variables since the team tends to be the basic structural unit of current organizations and synergy, the key to achieving high performance in global competition.

Time-kill assay and Etest evaluation for synergy with polymyxin B and fluconazole against Candida glabrata.

Science.gov (United States)

Pankey, George; Ashcraft, Deborah; Kahn, Heather; Ismail, Abdulrahim

2014-10-01

Fluconazole-resistant Candida glabrata is an emerging pathogen that causes fungemia. Polymyxin B, a last-resort antibiotic used to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, has been found to possess in vitro fungicidal activity and showed synergy with fluconazole against a single strain of C. glabrata. Since both agents may be used simultaneously in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, this study was performed to test for possible synergy of this combination against 35 C. glabrata blood isolates, using 2 methods: a time-kill assay and an experimental MIC-MIC Etest method. Thirty-five genetically unique C. glabrata bloodstream isolates were collected from 2009 to 2011, identified using an API 20C system, and genotyped by repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR). MICs were determined by Etest and broth microdilution methods. Synergy testing was performed using a modified bacterial Etest synergy method and time-kill assay, with final results read at 24 h. The Etest method showed synergy against 19/35 (54%) isolates; the time-kill assay showed synergy against 21/35 (60%) isolates. Isolates not showing drug synergy had an indifferent status. Concordance between methods was 60%. In vitro synergy of polymyxin B and fluconazole against the majority of C. glabrata isolates was demonstrated by both methods. The bacterial Etest synergy method adapted well when used with C. glabrata. Etest was easier to perform than time-kill assay and may be found to be an acceptable alternative to time-kill assay with antifungals. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Anti-inflammatory effects of phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Fengmei; Du, Bin; Xu, Baojun

2018-05-24

Inflammation is the first biological response of the immune system to infection, injury or irritation. Evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect is mediated through the regulation of various inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor alpha-α, interferon gamma-γ as well as noncytokine mediator, prostaglandin E 2 . Fruits, vegetables, and food legumes contain high levels of phytochemicals that show anti-inflammatory effect, but their mechanisms of actions have not been completely identified. The aim of this paper was to summarize the recent investigations and findings regarding in vitro and animal model studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of fruits, vegetables, and food legumes. Specific cytokines released for specific type of physiological event might shed some light on the specific use of each source of phytochemicals that can benefit to counter the inflammatory response. As natural modulators of proinflammatory gene expressions, phytochemical from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes could be incorporated into novel bioactive anti-inflammatory formulations of various nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Finally, these phytochemicals are discussed as the natural promotion strategy for the improvement of human health status. The phenolics and triterpenoids in fruits and vegetables showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than other compounds. In food legumes, lectins and peptides had anti-inflammatory activity in most cases. However, there are lack of human study data on the anti-inflammatory activity of phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, and food legumes.

Phytochemical Screening and Proximate Analysis of Newbouldia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was conducted to assess the phytochemical and proximate composition of Newboudia laevis leaves and Allium sativum bulb extracts. The leaves and bulbs extracts were analyzed for their chemical composition and antinutritional factors (ANFs) which include moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, total ash ...

Phytochemical screening and promiximate composition and onion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A proximate analysis was also ran to determine the moisture content, ash value, protein, fats, carbohydrate and fibre value of the bulb. The results of the phytochemical screening showed that carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, acid compounds, reducing sugars and oils were present while ...

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial investigations of crude ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of phytochemicals present in the different plant parts and their antibacterial activity. Methodology and results: Leaves, flowers, stem bark, immature pods and root barks were collected from Siaya, Nandi and Nakuru Counties. These were dried and ground.

Phytochemical screening and nutrient-antinutrient composition of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Levels of some nutrients and antinutrients in 14 commonly consumed tropical green leafy vegetables were evaluated and also screened for some phytochemicals. Saponin was present in all the vegetables with the exception of Hibiscus esculentus, Solanum macrocarpon and Piper guineese while only tannin was absent in ...

Dietary fibers and associated phytochemicals in cereals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Knud Erik Bach; Nørskov, Natalja; Bolvig, Anne Katrine

2017-01-01

are unclear, but can most likely be assigned to a concerted action of dietary fiber (DF) and a wide variety of phytochemicals. Physiologically, it is important that soluble nonstarch polysaccharides contribute to higher viscosity in the small intestine as this may influence rate and extent of digestion...

Phytochemical screening, free radical scavenging and antibacterial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cassia sieberiana is a tropical plant, widely distributed throughout Sudan and Guinea savannah. It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of malarial, cancer and stomach ache. The study was conducted to screen for phytochemicals, free radical scavenging and antibacterial potentials of the root bark.

Phytochemical Evaluation of Roots of Polygonum viscosum Buch-ham

Science.gov (United States)

Das, S.; Ganapaty, S.

2015-01-01

Phytochemical evaluation of the chloroform extract of roots of Polygonum viscosum has yielded six compounds, stigmasterol, 7,4-dimethylquercetin, kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin and scutellarein. Among the six compounds isolated and characterized by chemical and spectral (UV, NMR and Mass) analysis in the present phytochemical evaluation, stigmasterol was not reported earlier from P. viscosum. The compounds, 7,4’-dimethylquercetin, quercetin and scutellarein were reported from P. hydropiper. Kaempferol from P. amphibium, P. aviculare, P. convolvulus, P. hydropiper, P. lapathifolium and P. persicari a and myricetin from P. aviculare and P. lapathifolium were also reported earlier. This appers to be the first report of the occurrence of all the six compounds from P. viscosum. PMID:26180283

Diverse Phytochemicals and Bioactivities in the Ancient Fruit and Modern Functional Food Pomegranate (Punica granatum).

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Sheng; Tian, Li

2017-09-25

Having served as a symbolic fruit since ancient times, pomegranate ( Punica granatum ) has also gained considerable recognition as a functional food in the modern era. A large body of literature has linked pomegranate polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins (ATs) and hydrolyzable tannins (HTs), to the health-promoting activities of pomegranate juice and fruit extracts. However, it remains unclear as to how, and to what extent, the numerous phytochemicals in pomegranate may interact and exert cooperative activities in humans. In this review, we examine the structural and analytical information of the diverse phytochemicals that have been identified in different pomegranate tissues, to establish a knowledge base for characterization of metabolite profiles, discovery of novel phytochemicals, and investigation of phytochemical interactions in pomegranate. We also assess recent findings on the function and molecular mechanism of ATs as well as urolithins, the intestinal microbial derivatives of pomegranate HTs, on human nutrition and health. A better understanding of the structural diversity of pomegranate phytochemicals as well as their bioconversions and bioactivities in humans will facilitate the interrogation of their synergistic/antagonistic interactions and accelerate their applications in dietary-based cancer chemoprevention and treatment in the future.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro synergy of polymyxins and carbapenems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zusman, Oren; Avni, Tomer; Leibovici, Leonard; Adler, Amos; Friberg, Lena; Stergiopoulou, Theodouli; Carmeli, Yehuda; Paul, Mical

2013-10-01

Our objective was to examine the evidence of in vitro synergy of polymyxin-carbapenem combination therapy against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. All studies examining in vitro interactions of antibiotic combinations consisting of any carbapenem with colistin or polymyxin B against any GNB were used. A broad search was conducted with no language, date, or publication status restrictions. Synergy rates, defined as a fractional inhibitory concentration index of ≤0.5 or a >2-log reduction in CFU, were pooled separately for time-kill, checkerboard, and Etest methods in a mixed-effect meta-analysis of rates. We examined whether the synergy rate depended on the testing method, type of antibiotic, bacteria, and resistance to carbapenems. Pooled rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are shown. Thirty-nine published studies and 15 conference proceeding were included, reporting on 246 different tests on 1,054 bacterial isolates. In time-kill studies, combination therapy showed synergy rates of 77% (95% CI, 64 to 87%) for Acinetobacter baumannii, 44% (95% CI, 30 to 59%) for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 50% (95% CI, 30 to 69%) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with low antagonism rates for all. Doripenem showed high synergy rates for all three bacteria. For A. baumannii, meropenem was more synergistic than imipenem, whereas for P. aeruginosa the opposite was true. Checkerboard and Etest studies generally reported lower synergy rates than time-kill studies. The use of combination therapy led to less resistance development in vitro. The combination of a carbapenem with a polymyxin against GNB, especially A. baumannii, is supported in vitro by high synergy rates, with low antagonism and less resistance development. These findings should be examined in clinical studies.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of In Vitro Synergy of Polymyxins and Carbapenems

Science.gov (United States)

Avni, Tomer; Leibovici, Leonard; Adler, Amos; Friberg, Lena; Stergiopoulou, Theodouli; Carmeli, Yehuda; Paul, Mical

2013-01-01

Our objective was to examine the evidence of in vitro synergy of polymyxin-carbapenem combination therapy against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. All studies examining in vitro interactions of antibiotic combinations consisting of any carbapenem with colistin or polymyxin B against any GNB were used. A broad search was conducted with no language, date, or publication status restrictions. Synergy rates, defined as a fractional inhibitory concentration index of ≤0.5 or a >2-log reduction in CFU, were pooled separately for time-kill, checkerboard, and Etest methods in a mixed-effect meta-analysis of rates. We examined whether the synergy rate depended on the testing method, type of antibiotic, bacteria, and resistance to carbapenems. Pooled rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are shown. Thirty-nine published studies and 15 conference proceeding were included, reporting on 246 different tests on 1,054 bacterial isolates. In time-kill studies, combination therapy showed synergy rates of 77% (95% CI, 64 to 87%) for Acinetobacter baumannii, 44% (95% CI, 30 to 59%) for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 50% (95% CI, 30 to 69%) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with low antagonism rates for all. Doripenem showed high synergy rates for all three bacteria. For A. baumannii, meropenem was more synergistic than imipenem, whereas for P. aeruginosa the opposite was true. Checkerboard and Etest studies generally reported lower synergy rates than time-kill studies. The use of combination therapy led to less resistance development in vitro. The combination of a carbapenem with a polymyxin against GNB, especially A. baumannii, is supported in vitro by high synergy rates, with low antagonism and less resistance development. These findings should be examined in clinical studies. PMID:23917322

Cooperation Formats of China and Europe: Synergies and Divergences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šteinbuka Inna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This contribution articulates the synergies and divergences of the various formats of cooperation between China and the European countries. The EU and China have a strong interest in each other’s flagship initiatives, namely the Investment Plan for Europe, and the One Belt, One Road Initiative (Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The authors argue that there are certain synergies between these initiatives. Furthermore, the new initiative EU-China Connectivity Platform is aimed to explore these synergies. The authors explore the recent developments in the EU-China investments, trade cooperation and the challenges of the ever-growing CEEC-China partnership in different formats, including the new platform of 16+1. The authors examine these implications in relation to the need to expand and adapt the content and approach of the EU-China Bilateral Investment agreement. The article concludes that the CEEC-China relation does not go against the EU; moreover, neither the CEE countries nor China have any motivation to try to weaken the EU.

Neural basis for hand muscle synergies in the primate spinal cord.

Science.gov (United States)

Takei, Tomohiko; Confais, Joachim; Tomatsu, Saeka; Oya, Tomomichi; Seki, Kazuhiko

2017-08-08

Grasping is a highly complex movement that requires the coordination of multiple hand joints and muscles. Muscle synergies have been proposed to be the functional building blocks that coordinate such complex motor behaviors, but little is known about how they are implemented in the central nervous system. Here we demonstrate that premotor interneurons (PreM-INs) in the primate cervical spinal cord underlie the spatiotemporal patterns of hand muscle synergies during a voluntary grasping task. Using spike-triggered averaging of hand muscle activity, we found that the muscle fields of PreM-INs were not uniformly distributed across hand muscles but rather distributed as clusters corresponding to muscle synergies. Moreover, although individual PreM-INs have divergent activation patterns, the population activity of PreM-INs reflects the temporal activation of muscle synergies. These findings demonstrate that spinal PreM-INs underlie the muscle coordination required for voluntary hand movements in primates. Given the evolution of neural control of primate hand functions, we suggest that spinal premotor circuits provide the fundamental coordination of multiple joints and muscles upon which more fractionated control is achieved by superimposed, phylogenetically newer, pathways.

Analgesic synergy between opioid and α2 -adrenoceptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chabot-Doré, A-J; Schuster, D J; Stone, L S; Wilcox, G L

2015-01-01

Opioid and α2 -adrenoceptor agonists are potent analgesic drugs and their analgesic effects can synergize when co-administered. These supra-additive interactions are potentially beneficial clinically; by increasing efficacy and/or reducing the total drug required to produce sufficient pain relief, undesired side effects can be minimized. However, combination therapies of opioids and α2 -adrenoceptor agonists remain underutilized clinically, in spite of a large body of preclinical evidence describing their synergistic interaction. One possible obstacle to the translation of preclinical findings to clinical applications is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying the synergistic interactions between these two drug classes. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the interactions between different opioid and α2 -adrenoceptor agonist combinations in preclinical studies. These studies have identified the spinal cord as an important site of action of synergistic interactions, provided insights into which receptors mediate these interactions and explored downstream signalling events enabling synergy. It is now well documented that the activation of both μ and δ opioid receptors can produce synergy with α2 -adrenoceptor agonists and that α2 -adrenoceptor agonists can mediate synergy through either the α2A or the α2C adrenoceptor subtypes. Current hypotheses surrounding the cellular mechanisms mediating opioid-adrenoceptor synergy, including PKC signalling and receptor oligomerization, and the evidence supporting them are presented. Finally, the implications of these findings for clinical applications and drug discovery are discussed. This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

Synergy of drug combinations in treating multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizvi, Meher; Ahmad, Junaid; Khan, Fatima; Shukla, Indu; Malik, Abida; Sami, Hiba

2015-01-01

With the emergence of metallo-betalactamases (MBL) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), the value of carbapenem, the drug of last resort, is being severely compromised. Curtailing the use of carbapenems becomes paramount if resistance is to be reined in. To study the role of synergy between combinations of drugs as an alternative treatment choice for P. aeruginosa. Synergy was studied between combinations of levofloxacin with piperacillin-tazobactam and levofloxacin with cefoperazone-sulbactam by time-kill and chequerboard techniques. P. aeruginosa were tested for antibiotic susceptibility by the disc diffusion assay (260 isolates) and E-test (60 isolates). Synergy testing by chequerboard and time-kill assays was performed with combinations of piperacillin-tazobactam with levofloxacin (11 isolates) and cefoperazone-sulbactam with levofloxacin (10 isolates). Nearly all isolates were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam (96.1 per cent), followed by piperacillin (78.5 per cent). Seventy-one isolates (27.3 per cent) were found to be multidrug resistant and 19.6 per cent were ESBL producers. MIC50 of amikacin was 32μg/ml and MIC90 was 64μg/ml. MIC50 and MIC90 of cefoperazone-sulbactam was 32μg/ml and 64μg/ml, and for levofloxacin it was 10μg/ml and 240μg/ml, respectively. Piperacillin-tazobactam had MIC50 and MIC90 of 5μg/ml and 10μg/ml, respectively. Synergy was noted in 72.7 per cent isolates for levofloxacin and piperacillin-tazobactam combination, the remaining 27.3 per cent isolates showed addition by both chequerboard and time-kill assay. For levofloxacin and cefoperazone-sulbactam, only 30 per cent isolates had synergy, 40 per cent showed addition, 20 per cent indifference, and 10 per cent were antagonistic by the chequerboard method. The combination of levofloxacin and piperacillin-tazobactam is a good choice for treatment of such strains.

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-05-02

1973). Phytochemical Methods. Chapman and Hall limited, London. pp. 49-188. Makut et al. 1219. Hill AF (1952). Economic Botany: A Textbook of useful plants and plant products. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, p. 127.

Phytochemical feeding deterrents for stored product insect pests

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nawrot, J.; Harmatha, Juraj

2012-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 4 (2012), s. 543-566 ISSN 1568-7767 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : insect feeding deterrence * antifeedant phytochemicals * isoprenoids * sesquiterpene lactones * polyphenols Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.147, year: 2012

Physicochemical Properties and Phytochemical Components of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemicals present in the products were also determined using chemical method and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). There was significant reduction in the oBrix from 8.08 to 7.60%, pH (4.41 to 4.36) and total solid (7.96 to 7.71%). Specific gravity was 1.020 while the acidity increased from 0.20 ...

Dietary cranberry, blueberry, and black raspberry affects the development of dyslipidemia and insulin insensitivity associated with metabolic syndrome in high fructose fed rats

Science.gov (United States)

Effects of feeding cranberry, blueberry, and black raspberry powder on selected parameters of metabolic syndrome were investigated in 40 growing male Sprague Dawley rats. Animals were divided into five dietary treatments of 1) control AIN93G diet, 2) high fructose (65% by weight, HF) diet, and 3-5) ...

Anticancer screening of medicinal plant phytochemicals against Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-2 (CDK2: An in-silico approach

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Wajahat Khan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-2 (CDK2 is a member of serine/threonine protein kinases family and plays an important role in regulation of various eukaryotic cell division events. Over-expression of CDK2 during cell cycle may lead to several cellular functional aberrations including diverse types of cancers (lung cancer, primary colorectal carcinoma, ovarian cancer, melanoma and pancreatic carcinoma in humans. Medicinal plants phytochemicals which have anticancer potential can be used as an alternative drug resource. Methods: This study was designed to find out anticancer phytochemicals from medicinal plants which could inhibit CDK2 with the help of molecular docking technique. Molecular Operating Environment (MOE v2009 software was used to dock 2300 phytochemicals in this study. Results: The outcome of this study shows that four phytochemicals Kushenol T, Remangiflavanone B, Neocalyxins A and Elenoside showed the lowest S-score (-17.83, -17.57, -17.26, -17.17 respectively and binds strongly with all eight active residues Tyr15, Lys33, Ileu52, Lys56, Leu78, phe80, Asp145 and Phe146 of CDK2 binding site. These phytochemicals could successfully inhibit the CDK2. Conclusion: These phytochemicals can be considered as potential anticancer agents and used in drug development against CDK2. We anticipate that this study would pave way for phytochemical based novel small molecules as more efficacious and selective anti-cancer therapeutic compounds.

Synergy among rat T cells in the proliferative response to alloantigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, P.W.; Loop, S.M.; Bernstein, I.D.

1979-01-01

A synergistic interaction in the proliferative response to alloantigen is described for mixtures of rat thymus and lymph node cells. The optimal conditions for synergy are quantitatively defined. Regression analysis of the slope of the dose-response curve has been utilized to estimate the degree of interaction in thymus--lymph node cell mixtures. The slope of the response of cell mixtures was noted to be significantly greater than the slope for the response of lympth node cells alone. Irradiation was shown to have a differential effect on the response of thymus and lymph node cells in mixtures. Irradiated thymus cells retained the capacity for synergy in mixtures, whereas irradiated lymph node cells did not. Additional studies have demonstrated that both de novo protein synthesis and specific antigen recognition by both responding cell populations in mixtures was required for maximal synergy. These studies demonstrate that synergy cannot be explained as an artifact of altered cell density in vitro. They establish that thymus cells and lymph node cells represent distinct subsets which manifest qualitatively different functions in the proliferative response to alloantigen. Thymus cells can respond directly to alloantigen by proliferation but also have the capacity to amplify the proliferative response of lymph node cells, a capacity which is resistant to X irradiation but requires recognition of alloantigen and de novo protein synthesis. Lymph node cells may similarly respond by proliferation to alloantigen but lack the amplifier activity of thymus cells. Synergy for rat lymphoidcells, like mouse lymphoid cells, has been shown to involve an interaction of thymus-derived lymphocytes

Comparison of the antioxidant activity, phytochemical and nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mill.) are ethnomedicinally used in combination (1:10) as a remedy for the treatment of hypertension in southwest Nigeria. This study compared the antiradical activity, phytochemical and proximate components of the two plants, with a view to ...

Evaluation of Functional Correlation of Task-Specific Muscle Synergies with Motor Performance in Patients Poststroke

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Si Li

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The central nervous system produces movements by activating specifically programmed muscle synergies that are also altered with injuries in the brain, such as stroke. In this study, we hypothesize that there exists a positive correlation between task-specific muscle synergy and motor functions at joint and task levels in patients following stroke. The purpose here is to define and evaluate neurophysiological metrics based on task-specific muscle synergy for assessing motor functions in patients. A patient group of 10 subjects suffering from stroke and a control group of nine age-matched healthy subjects were recruited to participate in this study. Electromyography (EMG signals and movement kinematics were recorded in patients and control subjects while performing arm reaching tasks. Muscle synergies of individual patients were extracted off-line from EMG records of each patient, and a baseline pattern of muscle synergy was obtained from the pooled EMG data of all nine control subjects. Peak velocities and movement durations of each reaching movement were computed from measured kinematics. Similarity indices of matching components to those of the baseline synergy were defined by synergy vectors and time profiles, respectively, as well as by a combined similarity of vector and time profile. Results showed that pathological synergies of patients were altered from the characteristics of baseline synergy with missing components, or varied vector patterns and time profiles. The kinematic performance measured by peak velocities and movement durations was significantly poorer for the patient group than the control group. In patients, all three similarity indices were found to correlate significantly to the kinematics of movements for the reaching tasks. The correlation to the Fugl-Meyer score of arm was the highest with the vector index, the lowest with the time profile index, and in between with the combined index. These findings illustrate that the

IT Portfolio Selection and IT Synergy

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Woo Je

2010-01-01

This dissertation consists of three chapters. The primary objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to provide a methodological framework of IT (Information Technology) portfolio management, and (2) to identify the effect of IT synergy on IT portfolio selection of a firm. The first chapter presents a methodological framework for IT project…

Synergy optimization and operation management on syndicate complementary knowledge cooperation

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Kai-Jan

2014-10-01

The number of multi enterprises knowledge cooperation has grown steadily, as a result of global innovation competitions. I have conducted research based on optimization and operation studies in this article, and gained the conclusion that synergy management is effective means to break through various management barriers and solve cooperation's chaotic systems. Enterprises must communicate system vision and access complementary knowledge. These are crucial considerations for enterprises to exert their optimization and operation knowledge cooperation synergy to meet global marketing challenges.

Phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical constituents of the leaves of Khaya senegalensis (dry zone mahogany) were determined in petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and ethanol extracts. The screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and anthraquinones. Saponins and cardiac ...

Evaluation of Phytochemical Screening and Anti Inflammatory ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Several species of Mikania have been reported to have anti‑inflammatory properties. ... to be more potent in both the conditions in vivo and in vitro, comparing with the standard drug diclofenac sodium and traditional control rumalaya perhaps due to the presence of phytochemicals like alkaloids and flavonoids in the plant.

The Phytochemical Constituents, Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic extract of the leaves of Jatropha curcas were investigated in mice and rats respectively. The phytochemical screening of the extract was also carried out. The analgesic effect was determined by acetic acid – induced writhing test in mice. While the anti- ...

Antifungal evaluation and phytochemical screening of methanolic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of the study was to further examine the medicinal value of Boswellia dalzielii plant by evaluating the antifungal activity and carrying out phytochemical screening of methanolic extract, hexane, ethyl acetate, aqueous fractions and the sub-fractions of the stem bark of the plant. Standard methods were used for ...

Cytotoxicity and phytochemical analyses of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves and flower extracts

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Alwahid, Alaa Abd; Yusoff, Wan Mohtar Wan; Nor, Norefrina Shafinaz Md.; Ibrahim, Nazlina

2015-09-01

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (Lamiaceae) is a plant with many ethnobotanical uses including antifungal and antibacterial activities. This study is aimed to determine the cytotoxicity and phytochemical content of O. stamineus leaves and flower using ethanol and water as solvents. The cytotoxicity of the extracts towards Vero cell was determined by MTT assay. The CC50 values were between 3.4-7.4 mg/ml and can be considered as nontoxic. Phytochemical screening revealed terpenes, alkaloid and phenolic were present in the leaves and flower of O. stamineus that might pose as the bioactive compound.

Ethnopharmacological Investigations of Phytochemical Constituents Isolated from the Genus Cuscuta.

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Ibrahim, Muhammad; Rehman, Kanwal; Hussain, Iqbal; Farooq, Tahir; Ali, Bisharat; Majeed, Irum; Akash, Muhammad Sajid Hamid

2017-01-01

The genus Cuscuta, of the family Cuscutaceae, is present in plants and has been traditionally used medicinally against many diseases and conditions, notably depression, mental illness, headache, spleen disease, jaundice, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Large numbers of phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, lignins, oxygen heterocyclic compounds, steroids, fatty acids, phenolic acids, resin glycosides, and polysaccharides have been isolated from different species of Cuscuta. Ethnopharmacological studies conducted on such constituents have also been shown Cuscuta to possess anticancer, antiviral, antispasmodic, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antioxidant, diuretic, and hair-growth activity. Many tribes and traditional communities have long used the different forms of Cuscuta for treatment and prevention of many diseases. In this article, we comprehensively summarize relevant data regarding the phytochemical, ethnopharmacological, and traditional therapeutic uses of Cuscuta. In addition, we review the parts of the plants that are used as traditional therapeutic agents, their regions of existence, and their possible modes of action. To conclude, we provide evidence and new insights for further discovery and development of natural drugs from Cuscuta. We show that further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of action and safety profile of phytochemical constituents isolated from Cuscuta.

Phytochemical screening and mineral composition of chewing sticks ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening of the stems of Garcinia kola, Dennettia tripetala, Acioa barteri, Dialium guineense, Maesobotrya barteri, Mallotus oppositifolius and Psidium guajava which are commonly used as chewing sticks in southern Nigeria revealed the presence of bioactive compounds comprising saponins, tannins, ...

phytochemical and antibacterial properties of garlic extracts 45

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

ABSTRACT. The antibacterial potency of aqueous and methanol extracts of garlic was determined invitro against three bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) by agar well diffusion method. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannin, flavonoid, ...

Phytochemical, nutritive and anti-nutritive composition of cassava ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical, nutritive and antinutritive composition of Cassava (Manihot esculenta L) tubers and leaves were investigated. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinone, phlobatinnins, saponins and anthrocyanosides in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of raw tubers and leaves ...

Phytochemical Composition And Effect Of Aqueous Extract Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical Composition And Effect Of Aqueous Extract Of Struchium sparganophora (L) On Cockroach Crude Extract – Induced Airway Inflammatory ... Similarly, mean percentages of neutrophils, lymphyocytes, and eosinophils in cockroach crude extract-induced rats administered with S. sparganophora crude extract ...

Prediction of drug synergy in cancer using ensemble-based machine learning techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Harpreet; Rana, Prashant Singh; Singh, Urvinder

2018-04-01

Drug synergy prediction plays a significant role in the medical field for inhibiting specific cancer agents. It can be developed as a pre-processing tool for therapeutic successes. Examination of different drug-drug interaction can be done by drug synergy score. It needs efficient regression-based machine learning approaches to minimize the prediction errors. Numerous machine learning techniques such as neural networks, support vector machines, random forests, LASSO, Elastic Nets, etc., have been used in the past to realize requirement as mentioned above. However, these techniques individually do not provide significant accuracy in drug synergy score. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to design a neuro-fuzzy-based ensembling approach. To achieve this, nine well-known machine learning techniques have been implemented by considering the drug synergy data. Based on the accuracy of each model, four techniques with high accuracy are selected to develop ensemble-based machine learning model. These models are Random forest, Fuzzy Rules Using Genetic Cooperative-Competitive Learning method (GFS.GCCL), Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Dynamic Evolving Neural-Fuzzy Inference System method (DENFIS). Ensembling is achieved by evaluating the biased weighted aggregation (i.e. adding more weights to the model with a higher prediction score) of predicted data by selected models. The proposed and existing machine learning techniques have been evaluated on drug synergy score data. The comparative analysis reveals that the proposed method outperforms others in terms of accuracy, root mean square error and coefficient of correlation.

Natural Phytochemicals in the Treatment and Prevention of Dementia: An Overview

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Rosaliana Libro

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The word dementia describes a class of heterogeneous diseases which etiopathogenetic mechanisms are not well understood. There are different types of dementia, among which, Alzheimer’s disease (AD, vascular dementia (VaD, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB and frontotemporal dementia (FTD are the more common. Currently approved pharmacological treatments for most forms of dementia seem to act only on symptoms without having profound disease-modifying effects. Thus, alternative strategies capable of preventing the progressive loss of specific neuronal populations are urgently required. In particular, the attention of researchers has been focused on phytochemical compounds that have shown antioxidative, anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties and that could represent important resources in the discovery of drug candidates against dementia. In this review, we summarize the neuroprotective effects of the main phytochemicals belonging to the polyphenol, isothiocyanate, alkaloid and cannabinoid families in the prevention and treatment of the most common kinds of dementia. We believe that natural phytochemicals may represent a promising sources of alternative medicine, at least in association with therapies approved to date for dementia.

Study of LHW and IBW synergy experiment on the HT-7 superconducting tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, X.

2001-01-01

A successful experiment on lower hybrid wave (LHW) and ion Bernstein wave (IBW) synergy has been carried out in the HT-7 superconducting tokamak. With 500 kW of LHW heating power and 200 kW of injected IBW power, it is observed that the ion temperature increases from 500 eV to about 850 eV, the electron temperature increases from 800 eV to 1.2 keV, and the averaged electron density increases from 0.9x10 19 m -3 to 2.6x10 19 m -3 . The plasma parameters were obviously enhanced by means of the LHW and IBW heating and their synergy. The charge-exchange spectra of the neutral particle analysis (NPA) diagnostics data clearly showed that the high-energy ion tail which was produced by the LHW was decreased by the synergy with the IBW, and the bulk ion temperature was increased. The mechanism of the LHW and IBW synergy effect is discussed. (author)

Screening of phytochemicals against protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1), a promising target for cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakarala, Kavita Kumari; Jamil, Kaiser

2015-02-01

Drug resistance and drug-associated toxicity are the primary causes for withdrawal of many drugs, although patient recovery is satisfactory in many instances. Interestingly, the use of phytochemicals in the treatment of cancer as an alternative to synthetic drugs comes with a host of advantages; minimum side effects, good human absorption and low toxicity to normal cells. Protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) has been established as a promising target in many diseases including various cancers. Strong evidences suggest its role in metastasis also. There are no natural compounds known to inhibit its activity, so we aimed to identify phytochemicals with antagonist activity against PAR1. We screened phytochemicals from Naturally Occurring Plant-based Anticancer Compound-Activity-Target database (NPACT, http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/npact/ ) against PAR1 using virtual screening workflow of Schrödinger software. It analyzes pharmaceutically relevant properties using Qikprop and calculates binding energy using Glide at three accuracy levels (high-throughput virtual screening, standard precision and extra precision). Our study led to the identification of phytochemicals, which showed interaction with at least one experimentally determined active site residue of PAR1, showed no violations to Lipinski's rule of five along with predicted high human absorption. Furthermore, structural interaction fingerprint analysis indicated that the residues H255, D256, E260, S344, V257, L258, L262, Y337 and S344 may play an important role in the hydrogen bond interactions of the phytochemicals screened. Of these residues, H255 and L258 residues were experimentally proved to be important for antagonist binding. The residues Y183, L237, L258, L262, F271, L332, L333, Y337, L340, A349, Y350, A352, and Y353 showed maximum hydrophobic interactions with the phytochemicals screened. The results of this work suggest that phytochemicals Reissantins D, 24,25-dihydro-27-desoxywithaferin A, Isoguaiacin

Phytochemical profile of Orthosiphon aristatus extracts after storage: Rosmarinic acid and other caffeic acid derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Lee Suan; Lau, Cher Haan; Chew, Chee Yung; Ismail, Nurul Izzati Mohd; Soontorngun, Nitnipa

2018-01-15

Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. is a medicinal herb which is traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes and kidney diseases in South East Asia. Previous studies reported higher concentration of antioxidative phytochemicals, especially rosmarinic acid (ester of caffeic acid) and other caffeic acid derivatives in this plant extract than the other herbs such as rosemary and sage which are usually used as raw materials to produce rosmarinic acid supplement in the market. The phytochemical profile of O. aristatus was investigated at different storage durations for quality comparison. The phytochemicals were extracted from the leaves and stems of O. aristatus using a reflux reactor. The extracts were examined for total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as their antioxidant capacities, in terms of radical scavenging, metal chelating and reducing power. The phytochemical profiles were also analyzed by unsupervised principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, in relation to the factor of storage at 4 °C for 5 weeks. The leaf extract was likely to have more phytochemicals than stem extract, particularly caffeic acid derivatives including glycosylated and alkylated caffeic acids. This explains higher ratio of total phenolic content to total flavonoid content with higher antioxidant capacities for the leaf extracts. Rosmarinic acid dimer and salvianolic acid B appeared to be the major constituents, possibly contributing to the previously reported pharmacological properties. However, the phytochemical profiles were found changing, even though the extracts were stored in the refrigerator (4 °C). The change was significantly observed at the fifth week based on the statistical pattern recognition technique. O. aristatus could be a promising source of rosmarinic acid and its dimer, as well as salvianolic acid B with remarkably antioxidant properties. The phytochemical profile was at least stable for a month stored at 4 °C. It is likely to be

Phytochemica: a platform to explore phytochemicals of medicinal plants

Science.gov (United States)

Pathania, Shivalika; Ramakrishnan, Sai Mukund; Bagler, Ganesh

2015-01-01

Plant-derived molecules (PDMs) are known to be a rich source of diverse scaffolds that could serve as the basis for rational drug design. Structured compilation of phytochemicals from traditional medicinal plants can facilitate prospection for novel PDMs and their analogs as therapeutic agents. Atropa belladonna, Catharanthus roseus, Heliotropium indicum, Picrorhiza kurroa and Podophyllum hexandrum are important Himalayan medicinal plants, reported to have immense therapeutic properties against various diseases. We present Phytochemica, a structured compilation of 963 PDMs from these plants, inclusive of their plant part source, chemical classification, IUPAC names, SMILES notations, physicochemical properties and 3-dimensional structures with associated references. Phytochemica is an exhaustive resource of natural molecules facilitating prospection for therapeutic molecules from medicinally important plants. It also offers refined search option to explore the neighbourhood of chemical space against ZINC database to identify analogs of natural molecules at user-defined cut-off. Availability of phytochemical structured dataset may enable their direct use in in silico drug discovery which will hasten the process of lead identification from natural products under proposed hypothesis, and may overcome urgent need for phytomedicines. Compilation and accessibility of indigenous phytochemicals and their derivatives can be a source of considerable advantage to research institutes as well as industries. Database URL: home.iitj.ac.in/∼bagler/webservers/Phytochemica PMID:26255307

Phytochemica: a platform to explore phytochemicals of medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Pathania, Shivalika; Ramakrishnan, Sai Mukund; Bagler, Ganesh

2015-01-01

Plant-derived molecules (PDMs) are known to be a rich source of diverse scaffolds that could serve as the basis for rational drug design. Structured compilation of phytochemicals from traditional medicinal plants can facilitate prospection for novel PDMs and their analogs as therapeutic agents. Atropa belladonna, Catharanthus roseus, Heliotropium indicum, Picrorhiza kurroa and Podophyllum hexandrum are important Himalayan medicinal plants, reported to have immense therapeutic properties against various diseases. We present Phytochemica, a structured compilation of 963 PDMs from these plants, inclusive of their plant part source, chemical classification, IUPAC names, SMILES notations, physicochemical properties and 3-dimensional structures with associated references. Phytochemica is an exhaustive resource of natural molecules facilitating prospection for therapeutic molecules from medicinally important plants. It also offers refined search option to explore the neighbourhood of chemical space against ZINC database to identify analogs of natural molecules at user-defined cut-off. Availability of phytochemical structured dataset may enable their direct use in in silico drug discovery which will hasten the process of lead identification from natural products under proposed hypothesis, and may overcome urgent need for phytomedicines. Compilation and accessibility of indigenous phytochemicals and their derivatives can be a source of considerable advantage to research institutes as well as industries. home.iitj.ac.in/∼bagler/webservers/Phytochemica. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

In vitro activity of vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) on urinary tract pathogens in uncomplicated urinary tract infection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bukhari, S.; Tariq, S.; Alam, M.A.; Chiragh, S.; Wazir, M.S.; Suleman, M.

2015-01-01

Background: Urinary tract infection is the most common bacterial infection in the community, mainly caused by Escherichia coli (E coli). Due to its high incidence and recurrence, problems are faced in the treatment with antibiotics. Cranberry being herbal remedy have long been the focus of interest for their beneficial effects in preventing urinary tract infections. This study was conducted to analyse in vitro activity of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) on uropathogenic E coli in uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Method: In this laboratory based single group experimental study, anti-bacterial activity of Vaccinium macrocarpon concentrate on urinary tract E coli was investigated, in vitro. Ninety-six culture positive cases of different uropathogens were identified. Vaccinium macrocarpon concentrate at different concentrations was prepared in distilled water and put in wells punched in nutrient agar. E coli isolates were inoculated on the plates and incubated at 37 Degree C for 24 hours. A citric acid solution of the same pH as that of Vaccinium macrocarpon was used and put in a well on the same plate to exclude the effect of pH. Results: A total of 35 isolates of E coli were identified out of 96 culture positive specimens of urine and found sensitive to Vaccinium macrocarpon (p<0.000). Results revealed that Vaccinium macrocarpon has antibacterial effect against E coli. Furthermore the antibacterial activity of Vaccinium macrocarpon has dose response relationship. Acidic nature of Vaccinium macrocarpon due to its pH is not contributory towards its antibacterial effect. Conclusion: Vaccinium macrocarpon concentrate may be used in urinary tract infection caused by E coli. (author)

Agronomical and phytochemical evaluation of Stevia rebaudiana genotypes

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Vouillamoz, José F.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The agronomical potential and the phytochemical variability of 18 genotypes of the Paraguayan plant Stevia rebaudiana have been investigated in Switzerland in order identify the best genotype for local cultivation. Over a two years period, yields in dry leaves ranged from 10 to 170 g m-2, with a percentage of leaves ranging from 53 to 75 %. HPLC analyses showed a notable variability in phytochemical composition, with stevioside content ranging from 0.3 to 7.9 % w/w and rebaudioside A from 0.3 to 6.5 % w/w. Cultivation of S. rebaudiana in Switzerland is feasible. With a density of 10 plants per m2, the potential yields of dry matter are approximately 1-2 t ha-1. The most productive genotypes (Pharmasaat, Hem Zaden, Stepa and Mediplant 3 and 11 will be submitted to the industry for organoleptic evaluation.

Verifying Identities of Plant-Based Multivitamins Using Phytochemical Fingerprinting in Combination with Multiple Bioassays.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Yeni; Ahn, Yoon Hee; Yoo, Jae Keun; Park, Kyoung Sik; Kwon, Oran

2017-09-01

Sales of multivitamins have been growing rapidly and the concept of natural multivitamin, plant-based multivitamin, or both has been introduced in the market, leading consumers to anticipate additional health benefits from phytochemicals that accompany the vitamins. However, the lack of labeling requirements might lead to fraudulent claims. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a strategy to verify identity of plant-based multivitamins. Phytochemical fingerprinting was used to discriminate identities. In addition, multiple bioassays were performed to determine total antioxidant capacity. A statistical computation model was then used to measure contributions of phytochemicals and vitamins to antioxidant activities. Fifteen multivitamins were purchased from the local markets in Seoul, Korea and classified into three groups according to the number of plant ingredients. Pearson correlation analysis among antioxidant capacities, amount phenols, and number of plant ingredients revealed that ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) assay results had the highest correlation with total phenol content. This suggests that FRAP and DPPH assays are useful for characterizing plant-derived multivitamins. Furthermore, net effect linear regression analysis confirmed that the contribution of phytochemicals to total antioxidant capacities was always relatively higher than that of vitamins. Taken together, the results suggest that phytochemical fingerprinting in combination with multiple bioassays could be used as a strategy to determine whether plant-derived multivitamins could provide additional health benefits beyond their nutritional value.

Synergy between phenothiazines and oxacillin against clinical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the compounds were determined by agar dilution method, and synergy between phenothiazines and oxacillin was investigated using Checkerboard (microbroth dilution) technique. Results: We found that all S. aureus strains, regardless of their susceptibility to oxacillin, ...

Evaluations of the Synergy of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, M.

2017-12-01

Analyses of the synergy and tradeoff of the water-energy-food nexus are keys to a sustainable society under the increasing demand for resources. Analyses of the water-energy-food nexus in Kumamoto, Japan showed that the paddy field for rice production, upstream of the basin with irrigated water from the river, had recharged the groundwater which is used as drinking water downstream in Kumamoto city without energy consumption for the transport of groundwater. National government regulations of "fallow rice fields" and urbanization after the 1970s caused the decrease in the groundwater recharge rate upstream in the paddy field area. This also lead to the decrease in water resources of groundwater downstream in Kumamoto city, which then required additional energy for water pumping. Therefore, the synergy of water-energy-food was lost after government regulations of rice production and urbanization which caused an impermeable layer for groundwater recharge. The nexus model has been established to analyze the synergy of water-energy-food, including cost-benefit analyses, food trade including rice with different scenarios of food self-sufficiency rates, water and energy consumption for food, and others. A decrease in rice consumption and production with the same self-sufficiency rate caused a decrease in water and energy consumption for rice production, and a decrease in carbon emissions. However, the cost of synergy loss in the water-energy-food nexus in Kumamoto did not outweigh the benefit of reductions in water and energy consumption for rice production.

From silos to synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Treadwell, Janet; Levermann, Laurie; Soffar, Gail; Giardino, Angelo

2007-08-01

Texas Children's Health Plan (TCHP) redesigned its approach to care management in an effort to provide support for member-centric care and the medical home. The changes in process and structure focused on connecting information and programs to promote care for members in a collaborative manner and taking advantage of the synergy between staff, programming, and the physician practices serving health plan membership. The results brought about an improvement in job satisfaction, positive change in the medical-loss ratio, and new innovations to support preventive and chronic care service delivery needs of the TCHP membership.

The SYNERGY biodegradable polymer everolimus eluting coronary stent: Porcine vascular compatibility and polymer safety study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Gregory J; Marks, Angela; Berg, Kimberly J; Eppihimer, Michael; Sushkova, Natalia; Hawley, Steve P; Robertson, Kimberly A; Knapp, David; Pennington, Douglas E; Chen, Yen-Lane; Foss, Aaron; Huibregtse, Barbara; Dawkins, Keith D

2015-11-15

SYNERGY is a novel platinum chromium alloy stent that delivers abluminal everolimus from an ultrathin poly-lactide-co-glycide (PLGA) biodegradable polymer. This study evaluated the in vivo degradation of the polymer coating, everolimus release time course, and vascular compatibility of the SYNERGY stent. SYNERGY stents were implanted in arteries of domestic swine. Devices were explanted at predetermined time points (up to 120 days) and the extent of PLGA coating or everolimus remaining on the stents was quantified. Everolimus levels in the arterial tissue were also evaluated. A pathological analysis on coronary arteries of single and overlapping stents was performed at time points between 5 and 270 days. PLGA bioabsorption began immediately after implantation, and drug release was essentially complete by 90 days; PLGA absorption was substantially complete by 120 days (>90% of polymer was absorbed) leaving a bare metal SYNERGY stent. Vascular response was similar among SYNERGY and control stents (bare metal, polymer-only, and 3× polymer-only). Mild increases in para-strut fibrin were seen for SYNERGY at an early time point with no significant differences in all other morphological and morphometric parameters through 270 days or endothelial function (eNOS immunostaining) at 90 or 180 days. Inflammation was predominantly minimal to mild for all device types. In a swine model, everolimus was released by 90 days and PLGA bioabsorption was complete shortly thereafter. The SYNERGY stent and its biodegradable polymer, even at a 3× safety margin, demonstrated vascular compatibility similar to bare metal stent controls. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Flexion synergy overshadows flexor spasticity during reaching in chronic moderate to severe hemiparetic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Michael D; Schut, Ingrid; Dewald, Julius P A

2017-07-01

Pharmaceutical intervention targets arm flexor spasticity with an often-unsuccessful goal of improving function. Flexion synergy is a related motor impairment that may be inadvertently neglected. Here, flexor spasticity and flexion synergy are disentangled to determine their contributions to reaching dysfunction. Twenty-six individuals participated. A robotic device systematically modulated shoulder abduction loading during ballistic reaching. Elbow muscle electromyography data were partitioned into windows delineated by elbow joint velocity allowing for the separation of synergy- and spasticity-related activation. Reaching velocity decreased with abduction loading (psynergy increased with abduction loading (psynergy is the predominant contributor to reaching dysfunction while flexor spasticity appears only relevant during unnaturally occurring passively supported movement. Interventions targeting flexion synergy should be leveraged in future stroke recovery trials. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Systematic Study of the Content of Phytochemicals in Fresh and Fresh-Cut Vegetables

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María Isabel Alarcón-Flores

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Vegetables and fruits have beneficial properties for human health, because of the presence of phytochemicals, but their concentration can fluctuate throughout the year. A systematic study of the phytochemical content in tomato, eggplant, carrot, broccoli and grape (fresh and fresh-cut has been performed at different seasons, using liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. It was observed that phenolic acids (the predominant group in carrot, eggplant and tomato were found at higher concentrations in fresh carrot than in fresh-cut carrot. However, in the case of eggplant, they were detected at a higher content in fresh-cut than in fresh samples. Regarding tomato, the differences in the content of phenolic acids between fresh and fresh-cut were lower than in other matrices, except in winter sampling, where this family was detected at the highest concentration in fresh tomato. In grape, the flavonols content (predominant group was higher in fresh grape than in fresh-cut during all samplings. The content of glucosinolates was lower in fresh-cut broccoli than in fresh samples in winter and spring sampling, although this trend changes in summer and autumn. In summary, phytochemical concentration did show significant differences during one-year monitoring, and the families of phytochemicals presented different behaviors depending on the matrix studied.

Recent development in antihyperalgesic effect of phytochemicals: anti-inflammatory and neuro-modulatory actions.

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Singh, Ajeet Kumar; Kumar, Sanjay; Vinayak, Manjula

2018-05-16

Pain is an unpleasant sensation triggered by noxious stimulation. It is one of the most prevalent conditions, limiting productivity and diminishing quality of life. Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used as pain relievers in present day practice as pain is mostly initiated due to inflammation. However, due to potentially serious side effects, long term use of these antihyperalgesic drugs raises concern. Therefore there is a demand to search novel medicines with least side effects. Herbal products have been used for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation, and phytochemicals are known to cause fewer side effects. However, identification of active phytochemicals of herbal medicines and clear understanding of the molecular mechanism of their action is needed for clinical acceptance. In this review, we have briefly discussed the cellular and molecular changes during hyperalgesia via inflammatory mediators and neuro-modulatory action involved therein. The review includes 54 recently reported phytochemicals with antihyperalgesic action, as per the literature available with PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus. Compounds of high interest as potential antihyperalgesic agents are: curcumin, resveratrol, capsaicin, quercetin, eugenol, naringenin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Current knowledge about molecular targets of pain and their regulation by these phytochemicals is elaborated and the scope of further research is discussed.

Phytochemicals and the breakthrough of traditional herbs in the management of sexual dysfunctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Adimoelja, A

2000-01-01

Traditional herbs have been a revolutionary breakthrough in the management of erectile dysfunction and have become known world-wide as an 'instant' treatment. The modern view of the management of erectile dysfunction subscribes to a single etiology, i.e. the mechanism of erection. A large number of pharmacological agents are orally consumed and vasoactive agents inserted intraurethrally or injected intrapenially to regain good erection. Modern phytochemicals have developed from traditional herbs. Phytochemicals focus their mechanism of healing action to the root cause, i.e. the inability to control the proper function of the whole body system. Hence phytochemicals manage erectile dysfunction in the frame of sexual dysfunction as a whole entity. Protodioscin is a phytochemical agent derived from Tribulus terrestris L plant, which has been clinically proven to improve sexual desire and enhance erection via the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA (De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone). Preliminary observations suggest that Tribulus terrestris L grown on different soils does not consistently produce the active component Protodioscin. Further photochemical studies of many other herbal plants are needed to explain the inconsistent results found with other herbal plants, such as in diversities of Ginseng, Eurycoma longifolia, Pimpinella pruacen, Muara puama, Ginkgo biloba, Yohimbe etc.

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial and ToxIicological evaluation of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Peperomia pellucida is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of abscesses, acne, boils, arthritis, wound healing, inflammation and gout. This study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial activities and toxicological profiles of the chloroform and methanol extracts of P. pellucida. Chemical ...

Changes in proximate and phytochemical compositions of Persea ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Persea americana (avocado pear leaves, fruits, and seeds) is one of the medicinal herbs that has been widely utilized in treating/managing disease conditions. In this study, we investigated the changes in proximate and phytochemical compositions of avocado seeds associated with ripening using standard methods.

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of apiary honey ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Honey produced by honeybee (Apis mellifera) which is used in herbal medicine was examined for its chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity. The phytochemical analysis of honey showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, reducing sugar and glycosides. Antimicrobial activity of honey on fresh ...

Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Activity of Cucurbita pepo

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of the extracts of Cucurbita pepo (backpeel and seeds) against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi were carried out using standard procedures. The extraction was achieved using percolation method with ethanol and methanol as solvents. Higher yield of the ...

Phytochemicals, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of a lichen ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Antioxidant activity assessment was performed using the free radical scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and reducing power assay. Phytochemical screening was done using chemical tests. Antibacterial activities of Cladonia digitata were determined by a disk diffusion method at ...

Antimicrobial and phytochemical analysis of leaves and bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

While quarter strength (5 g/ml) concentrations of the bark methanol and ethanol extracts were the MICs against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. The phytochemical analysis carried out on B. ferruginea leaves and bark detected the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinone, ...

Sulforaphane as a Potential Protective Phytochemical against Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Andrea Tarozzi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A wide variety of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including ischemic/traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson's disease, share common characteristics such as oxidative stress, misfolded proteins, excitotoxicity, inflammation, and neuronal loss. As no drugs are available to prevent the progression of these neurological disorders, intervention strategies using phytochemicals have been proposed as an alternative form of treatment. Among phytochemicals, isothiocyanate sulforaphane, derived from the hydrolysis of the glucosinolate glucoraphanin mainly present in Brassica vegetables, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in several in vitro and in vivo studies. In particular, evidence suggests that sulforaphane beneficial effects could be mainly ascribed to its peculiar ability to activate the Nrf2/ARE pathway. Therefore, sulforaphane appears to be a promising compound with neuroprotective properties that may play an important role in preventing neurodegeneration.

TIPdb-3D: the three-dimensional structure database of phytochemicals from Taiwan indigenous plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Chun-Wei; Lin, Ying-Chi; Chang, Hsun-Shuo; Wang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Ih-Sheng; Jheng, Jhao-Liang; Li, Jih-Heng

2014-01-01

The rich indigenous and endemic plants in Taiwan serve as a resourceful bank for biologically active phytochemicals. Based on our TIPdb database curating bioactive phytochemicals from Taiwan indigenous plants, this study presents a three-dimensional (3D) chemical structure database named TIPdb-3D to support the discovery of novel pharmacologically active compounds. The Merck Molecular Force Field (MMFF94) was used to generate 3D structures of phytochemicals in TIPdb. The 3D structures could facilitate the analysis of 3D quantitative structure-activity relationship, the exploration of chemical space and the identification of potential pharmacologically active compounds using protein-ligand docking. Database URL: http://cwtung.kmu.edu.tw/tipdb. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Phytochemical extraction, characterisation and comparative distribution across four mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit varieties.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierson, Jean T; Monteith, Gregory R; Roberts-Thomson, Sarah J; Dietzgen, Ralf G; Gidley, Michael J; Shaw, Paul N

2014-04-15

In this study we determined the qualitative composition and distribution of phytochemicals in peel and flesh of fruits from four different varieties of mango using mass spectrometry profiling following fractionation of methanol extracts by preparative HPLC. Gallic acid substituted compounds, of diverse core structure, were characteristic of the phytochemicals extracted using this approach. Other principal compounds identified were from the quercetin family, the hydrolysable tannins and fatty acids and their derivatives. This work provides additional information regarding mango fruit phytochemical composition and its potential contribution to human health and nutrition. Compounds present in mango peel and flesh are likely subject to genetic control and this will be the subject of future studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro antimicrobial and phytochemical analysis of cardiospermum halicacabum l

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shareef, H.; Rizwani, G.H.; Mahmood, S.; Khursheed, R.; Zahid, H.

2012-01-01

The present studies designed as In vitro antimicrobial and phytochemical activity of whole plant of Cardiospermum halicacabum. The extracts and seed oil exhibited antibacterial activities with zones of inhibition ranging from 7 mm to 14 mm for ethanolic, ethylacetate extracts and seed oil, 7mm to 10mm for butanolic and 7 mm to 9 mm for aqueous extracts against the gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains. Crude ethanol, aqueous extracts and seed oil exhibited appreciable fungal activity against, Candida albicans while Aspergillus niger was only active against ethanolic extract with significant zone of inhibition 18 mm. phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, saponins terpenes and sugar in the crude extract. (author)

Phytochemical and analgesic evaluation of methanol leaf extract of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical and analgesic evaluation of methanol leaf extract of ... Thirty minutes prior to intraperitoneal injection with 2 ml of 0.1% acetic acid, animals in groups ... (acetaminophen), aspirin and indomethacin while VII received saline water.

Understanding the Process and Success Factors to Increase Synergies between Research and Teaching

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Deborah Ballou

2016-12-01

Full Text Available While the synergies between research for knowledge discovery and teaching are widely accepted, the evidence is mostly implicit, verbal and poorly documented, and many times contradictive. In an effort to better understand the interaction between these important activities, the main objective of this study is to collect knowledge illustrating their synergies through specific cases. A complementary objective is to identify the important factors, which professionals should implement or avoid for increasing the likelihood that these synergies will be derived. To collect the necessary information personal interviews have been used to address the research question. The same set of questions was sent to several professionals known to have extensive experience in the areas of academic research and teaching. The respondents were asked to: 1. briefly describe the knowledge area in which the synergies occurred; 2. For the specified knowledge area, to please describe in summary form but specifically how they derived the synergy between research and teaching; and 3. Based on their personal experience, to please identify the important factors to increase the likelihood that academic research will produce benefits for teaching, and vice versa. The results strongly corroborate the importance of academic research for effective teaching. Based on the results, a set of recommendations are made to faculty members and school administrators to further promote academic research as an important factor for more effective teaching.

Modulation of Protein Quality Control Systems as Novel Mechanisms Underlying Functionality of Food Phytochemicals

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Kohta Ohnishi

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Phytochemicals are secondary metabolites of plants that are produced for their defense against environmental stresses, such as polyphenols, which are considered to play a major role in protection against ultraviolet (UV light-induced oxidative damage, as well as anti-fungal and anti-microbial activities. In addition, there is a great body of evidence showing that phytochemicals exhibit a wide array of physiological activities in humans. Accumulated data show that the bioavailability of most, if not all, phytochemicals is quite poor and their substantial biotransformation after ingestion has also been noted. Thus, they are characterized as non-nutritive xenobiotics in animals, and the question of why phytochemicals, which are produced for plant self-defense, have beneficial effects in humans is quite intriguing. Meanwhile, stress-induced denaturing of cellular proteins greatly affects their tertiary structure and critically disrupts their biological functions, occasionally leading to aggregation for the onset of some pathology. Many recent studies have indicated that protein quality control (PQC systems play key roles in counteracting ‘proteo-stress’, which is comprised of several processes, including protein refolding by heat shock proteins (HSPs and degradation of abnormal proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome system as well as autophagy.Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2013; 3(10:400-415 Page 401 of 415 Objective: Phytochemicals are xenobiotics, thus their biochemical interactions with animal proteins are considered to occur in a non-specific manner, which raises the possibility that some phytochemicals cause proteo-stress for activating PQC systems. Because their status is thought to be a critical determinant of homeostasis, the physiological functions of phytochemicals may be partially mediated through those unique systems. The present study was thus undertaken to address this possibility. Methods and Results: We focused

Insights on antimicrobial resistance, biofilms and the use of phytochemicals as new antimicrobial agents.

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Borges, Anabela; Saavedra, Maria J; Simões, Manuel

2015-01-01

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious public health problems. This is of particular concern when bacteria become resistant to various antimicrobial agents simultaneously and when they form biofilms. Consequently, therapeutic options for the treatment of infections have become limited, leading frequently to recurrent infections, treatment failure and increase of morbidity and mortality. Both, persistence and spread of antibiotic resistance, in combination with decreased effectiveness and increased toxicity of current antibiotics have emphasized the urgent need to search alternative sources of antimicrobial substances. Plants are recognized as a source of unexplored chemical structures with high therapeutic potential, including antimicrobial activity against clinically important microorganisms. Additionally, phytochemicals (plant secondary metabolites) present several advantages over synthetic molecules, including green status and different mechanisms of action from antibiotics which could help to overcome the resistance problem. In this study, an overview of the main classes of phytochemicals with antimicrobial properties and their mode of action is presented. A revision about the application of phytochemicals for biofilm prevention and control is also done. Moreover, the use of phytochemicals as scaffolds of new functional molecules to expand the antibiotics pipeline is reviewed.

Phytochemical and antibacterial properties of Parkia biglobosa and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preliminary phytochemical screening showed that both plants had similar constituents namely cardiac glycosides, steroids, tannins and alkaloids. The thin layer chromatography of the hexane and ethanol extracts of both plants were also investigated and two of the components of the ethanol extracts of both plants were ...

Phytochemical Screening and Cytotoxicity of Crude Extracts of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thin–layer chromatography (TLC) and phytochemical screening were employed to identify the chemical constituents. Cytotoxicity was characterized by 50 % inhibition (IC50) of human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthaizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

Phytochemical, proximate and anti-nutrient compositions of four ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chemical constituents of plants are influenced by environmental factors and fluctuations just as many other polygenic traits. Four different green leafy vegetables commonly used in the diets of South Eastern Nigeria were analyzed with a view to determine the phytochemicals, proximate and anti-nutrient compositions of ...

Laboratory Assessment of Bio-efficacies of Phytochemical Extracts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

They were ground into powder and stored in air-tight glass bottles. The volatile phytochemical oil ... degrees of mosquitocidal activity. These observed variations in the bio-efficacies of the different extracts could be attributed to the corresponding variations in their qualitative and quantitative bioactive compound contents.

Proximate, phytochemical and mineral compositions of seeds of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ALLSWELL

2012-06-21

Jun 21, 2012 ... Evaluation of the proximate, phytochemical and mineral compositions of seeds of three tree species was carried out at the University of Agriculture, Umudike. Mature fruits of Allanblackia floribunda,. Garcinia kola and Poga oleosa were collected from the rainforest at Umudike and Oban National Park.

Phytochemical and antibacterial properties of garlic extracts | Garba ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannin, flavonoid, carbohydrate, protein, saponin, alkaloid and glycoside in the plants while anthraquinone was absent. Both the aqueous and methanol extract of garlic were observed to be more potent against E. coli with maximum zone of growth inhibition of ...

Phytochemical and proximate analysis of Aspillia kotschyi (Sch ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical and proximate composition of Aspillia Kotschyi belonging to Compositae family which is commonly used as medicinal plant in Nigeria was determined on both the Methanolic and Petroleum spirit extracts of the plant material The Methanolic extract of the plant revealed the presence of carbohydrates, ...

Phytochemical And Antidiarrhoeal Evaluation Of The Hexane And ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The hexane and methanol extracts of the leaves were screened for possible antidiarrhoeal activities on mice gastrointestinal tract using two models which include measure of inhibition of castor oil- induced diarrhoea and measure of intestinal transit time. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, ...

Phytochemical profile of morphologically selected yerba-mate progenies

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Alice Teresa Valduga

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Yerba-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil is a native South American species. Plant progenies are populations that differ in terms of their productivity, morphology and phytochemical profile. This study aimed to determine the concentration of primary and secondary metabolites, such as antioxidants, in leaves, of yerba-mate progenies selected based on morphological characteristics. We evaluated the centesimal composition of secondary metabolites in the leaves of five yerba-mate plants. Methylxanthines and phenolic compounds were determined by UPLC-PDA, and antioxidant activity by measuring DPPH scavenging. Significant differences were found in centesimal composition and the contents of caffeine, theobromine, rutin and chlorogenic acid, as well as antioxidant activities, in selected progenies. The IC50 values were correlated with the chlorogenic acid levels (r2 = 0.5242 and soluble content (r2 = 0.7686. The morphological characteristics observed in yerba-mate leaves can be used as a tool for plant selection, to obtain matrices with different phytochemical profiles as a genetic material source.

Pleiotropic Protective Effects of Phytochemicals in Alzheimer's Disease

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Sergio Davinelli

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a severe chronic neurodegenerative disorder of the brain characterised by progressive impairment in memory and cognition. In the past years an intense research has aimed at dissecting the molecular events of AD. However, there is not an exhaustive knowledge about AD pathogenesis and a limited number of therapeutic options are available to treat this neurodegenerative disease. Consequently, considering the heterogeneity of AD, therapeutic agents acting on multiple levels of the pathology are needed. Recent findings suggest that phytochemicals compounds with neuroprotective features may be an important resources in the discovery of drug candidates against AD. In this paper we will describe some polyphenols and we will discuss their potential role as neuroprotective agents. Specifically, curcumin, catechins, and resveratrol beyond their antioxidant activity are also involved in antiamyloidogenic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. We will focus on specific molecular targets of these selected phytochemical compounds highlighting the correlations between their neuroprotective functions and their potential therapeutic value in AD.

Muscle Synergies of Untrained Subjects during 6 min Maximal Rowing on Slides and Fixed Ergometer

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Shazlin Shaharudin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The slides ergometer (SE was an improvisation from fixed ergometer (FE to bridge the gap of mechanics between ergometer rowing and on-water rowing. The specific mechanical constraints of these two types of ergometers may affect the pattern of muscle recruitment, coordination and adaptation. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the muscle synergy during 6 minutes maximal rowing on slides (SE and fixed ergometers (FE. The laterality of muscle synergy was also examined. Surface electromyography activity, power output, heart rate, stroke length and stroke rate were analyzed from nine physically active subjects to assess the rowing performance. Physically active subjects, who were not specifically trained in rowing, were chosen to exclude the training effect on muscle synergy. Principal component analysis (PCA with varimax rotation was applied to extract muscle synergy. Three muscle synergies were sufficient to explain the majority of variance in SE (94.4 ± 2.2 % and FE (92.8 ± 1.7 %. Subjects covered more rowing distance, exerted greater power output and attained higher maximal heart rate during rowing on SE than on FE. The results proved the flexibility of muscle synergy to adapt to the mechanical constraints. Rowing on SE emphasized on bi-articular muscles contrary to rowing on FE which relied on cumulative effect of trunk and upper limb muscles during propulsive phase.

Effect of fuel origin on synergy during co-gasification of biomass and coal in CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Zheng, Yan; Yang, Mingjun; Song, Yongchen

2016-01-01

The effect of fuel origin on synergy in coal/biomass blends during co-gasification has been assessed using a congruent-mass thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) method. Results revealed that synergy occurs when ash residuals are formed, followed by an almost complete gasification of biomass. Potassium species in biomass ash play a catalytic role in promoting gasification reactivity of coal char, which is a direct consequence of synergy during co-gasification. The SEM-EDS spectra provided conclusive evidence that the transfer of potassium from biomass to the surface of coal char occurs during co-pyrolysis/gasification. Biomass ash rich in silica eliminated synergy in coal/biomass blends but not to the extent of inhibiting the reaction rate of the blended chars to make it slower than that of separated ones. The best result in terms of synergy was concluded to be the combination of low-ash coal and K-rich biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Activities of Cola nitida Bark

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Durand Dah-Nouvlessounon

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Kola nut is chewed in many West African cultures and is used ceremonially. The aim of this study is to investigate some biological effects of Cola nitida’s bark after phytochemical screening. The bark was collected, dried, and then powdered for the phytochemical screening and extractions. Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of C. nitida were used in this study. The antibacterial activity was tested on ten reference strains and 28 meat isolated Staphylococcus strains by disc diffusion method. The antifungal activity of three fungal strains was determined on the Potato-Dextrose Agar medium mixed with the appropriate extract. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS methods. Our data revealed the presence of various potent phytochemicals. For the reference and meat isolated strains, the inhibitory diameter zone was from 17.5±0.7 mm (C. albicans to 9.5±0.7 mm (P. vulgaris. The MIC ranged from 0.312 mg/mL to 5.000 mg/mL and the MBC from 0.625 mg/mL to >20 mg/mL. The highest antifungal activity was observed with F. verticillioides and the lowest one with P. citrinum. The two extracts have an excellent reducing free radical activity. The killing effect of A. salina larvae was perceptible at 1.04 mg/mL. The purified extracts of Cola nitida’s bark can be used to hold meat products and also like phytomedicine.

Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on essential oils of some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-07-12

Jul 12, 2010 ... chromatograph (GC) and high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis consisted of eugenol (56.07%), 1, 8 cineole ... Key words: Essential oils, aromatic plants, phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial activity. INTRODUCTION ... microbial agents in phytopathology, medical microbiology,.

Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of the Diuretic Activity of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: The aqueous-methanol extract of Mentha viridis was administered to experimental rats at doses of 30, 50 and 100 ... species of flora for food and medicine. It is also ... Preliminary phytochemical analysis. A portion .... The regulation of.

Nutrients, phytochemicals, fungal flora and aflatoxin in fresh and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ob

In this study, the effect of salting on the pH, phytochemicals, fungal flora and nutrient composition of. Vernonia .... Vitamin C, β-carotene, carbohydrates, protein and moisture: ..... on rats fed a high cholesterol diet. ... male New Zealand rabbits.

Proximate, phytochemical and mineral compositions of seeds of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of the proximate, phytochemical and mineral compositions of seeds of three tree species was carried out at the University of Agriculture, Umudike. Mature fruits of Allanblackia floribunda, Garcinia kola and Poga oleosa were collected from the rainforest at Umudike and Oban National Park. The seeds were ...

Phytochemical and toxicological studies of Mucuna pruriens leaves ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrate, glycosides, saponins, anthraquinone, cardiac glycosides, and flavonoids in the plant. The extract at doses of 0.5, 2 and 8g/kg decreased creatinine and increased Na+ and Ca++ levels. No significant differences in other parameters were found. No signs of ...

Synergy in spreading processes: from exploitative to explorative foraging strategies.

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Pérez-Reche, Francisco J; Ludlam, Jonathan J; Taraskin, Sergei N; Gilligan, Christopher A

2011-05-27

An epidemiological model which incorporates synergistic effects that allow the infectivity and/or susceptibility of hosts to be dependent on the number of infected neighbors is proposed. Constructive synergy induces an exploitative behavior which results in a rapid invasion that infects a large number of hosts. Interfering synergy leads to a slower and sparser explorative foraging strategy that traverses larger distances by infecting fewer hosts. The model can be mapped to a dynamical bond percolation with spatial correlations that affect the mechanism of spread but do not influence the critical behavior of epidemics. © 2011 American Physical Society

Synergy between indigenous knowledge systems, modern health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... the people of this country should harness a synergy between indigenous health care systems, scientific research and modern health care methods. This article attempts to address the historical evolution of health care methods in South Africa, its effect on the community as well as challenges facing the health professions.

Simple and non-invasive techniques to evaluate the function of CircuLite Synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohite, Prashant N; Bowles, Christopher T; Sabashnikov, Anton; Popov, Aron-Frederik; Patil, Nikhil P; Sáez, Diana García; Banner, Nicholas R; Simon, André R

2014-11-01

The Synergy CircuLite micropump is a novel partial-support miniature left ventricular assist device that propels 2-3 l/min blood from the left atrium into the right subclavian artery. The ability of currently available investigative modalities to confirm Synergy pump malfunction is limited. The Synergy speed fluctuates periodically (at 10-s intervals) from the baseline to a transient decrease followed by a transient increase (alternating speed algorithm, ASA) with the purpose of changing the blood flow behaviour, thereby reducing thrombogenicity. The aim of this study was to develop a simple non-invasive monitoring technique to assess pump function based on the detection of the ASA in the peripheral microcirculation. Between February 2012 and July 2013, 10 patients with advanced chronic heart failure underwent Synergy implantation at our institution. The pump function was assessed by echocardiography and invasive monitoring according to standard protocols; additionally, the pump speed and power consumption were monitored. During the pump function assessment, the pulse oximeter waveform was recorded from the index fingers of the left and right hand with simultaneous pump auscultation using a stethoscope positioned on the pump (right infra-clavicular pocket). The pulse oximeter waveform was readily detectable from the right and left hand of all study patients. If the Synergy function was normal, there was a significant difference in the morphology of the pulse oximeter waveform from each hand: the ASA algorithm produced a more pronounced variation (giant wave) in the trace from the right hand than from the left. The giant waves invariably coincided with the sound variation associated with the ASA algorithms, which were detected regularly at 10-s intervals. We describe a simple, readily applicable, inexpensive, non-invasive technique that allows evaluation of Synergy pump function and may have diagnostic utility under conditions of suspected pump thrombus

Diets enriched with cranberry beans alter the microbiota and mitigate colitis severity and associated inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, Jennifer M; Lepp, Dion; Zhang, Claire P; Wu, Wenqing; Zarepoor, Leila; Lu, Jenifer T; Pauls, K Peter; Tsao, Rong; Wood, Geoffrey A; Robinson, Lindsay E; Power, Krista A

2016-02-01

Common beans are rich in phenolic compounds and nondigestible fermentable components, which may help alleviate intestinal diseases. We assessed the gut health priming effect of a 20% cranberry bean flour diet from two bean varieties with differing profiles of phenolic compounds [darkening (DC) and nondarkening (NDC) cranberry beans vs. basal diet control (BD)] on critical aspects of gut health in unchallenged mice, and during dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis (2% DSS wt/vol, 7 days). In unchallenged mice, NDC and DC increased (i) cecal short-chain fatty acids, (ii) colon crypt height, (iii) crypt goblet cell number and mucus content and (iv) Muc1, Klf4, Relmβ and Reg3γ gene expression vs. BD, indicative of enhanced microbial activity and gut barrier function. Fecal 16S rRNA sequencing determined that beans reduced abundance of the Lactobacillaceae (Ruminococcus gnavus), Clostridiaceae (Clostridium perfringens), Peptococcaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Rikenellaceae and Pophyromonadaceae families, and increased abundance of S24-7 and Prevotellaceae. During colitis, beans reduced (i) disease severity and colonic histological damage, (ii) increased gene expression of barrier function promoting genes (Muc1-3, Relmβ, and Reg3γ) and (iii) reduced colonic and circulating inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ and TNFα). Therefore, prior to disease induction, bean supplementation enhanced multiple concurrent gut health promoting parameters that translated into reduced colitis severity. Moreover, both bean diets exerted similar effects, indicating that differing phenolic content did not influence the endpoints assessed. These data demonstrate a proof-of-concept regarding the gut-priming potential of beans in colitis, which could be extended to mitigate the severity of other gut barrier-associated pathologies. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced development in phytochemicals analysis of medicine and food dual purposes plants used in China (2011-2014).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jing; Ge, Li-Ya; Xiong, Wei; Leong, Fong; Huang, Lu-Qi; Li, Shao-Ping

2016-01-08

In 2011, we wrote a review for summarizing the phytochemical analysis (2006-2010) of medicine and food dual purposes plants used in China (Zhao et al., J. Chromatogr. A 1218 (2011) 7453-7475). Since then, more than 750 articles related to their phytochemical analysis have been published. Therefore, an updated review for the advanced development (2011-2014) in this topic is necessary for well understanding the quality control and health beneficial phytochemicals in these materials, as well as their research trends. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rat liver mitochondrial damage under acute or chronic carbon tetrachloride-induced intoxication: Protection by melatonin and cranberry flavonoids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheshchevik, V.T.; Lapshina, E.A.; Dremza, I.K.; Zabrodskaya, S.V.; Reiter, R.J.; Prokopchik, N.I.; Zavodnik, I.B.

2012-01-01

In current societies, the risk of toxic liver damage has markedly increased. The aim of the present work was to carry out further research into the mechanism(s) of liver mitochondrial damage induced by acute (0.8 g/kg body weight, single injection) or chronic (1.6 g/ kg body weight, 30 days, biweekly injections) carbon tetrachloride – induced intoxication and to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of the antioxidant, melatonin, as well as succinate and cranberry flavonoids in rats. Acute intoxication resulted in considerable impairment of mitochondrial respiratory parameters in the liver. The activity of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) decreased (by 25%, p 4 displayed obvious irreversible impairments. Long-term melatonin administration (10 mg/kg, 30 days, daily) to chronically intoxicated rats diminished the toxic effects of CCl 4 , reducing elevated plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin concentration, prevented accumulation of membrane lipid peroxidation products in rat liver and resulted in apparent preservation of the mitochondrial ultrastructure. The treatment of the animals by the complex of melatonin (10 mg/kg) plus succinate (50 mg/kg) plus cranberry flavonoids (7 mg/kg) was even more effective in prevention of toxic liver injury and liver mitochondria damage. Highlights: ► After 30-day chronic CCl 4 intoxication mitochondria displayed considerable changes. ► The functional parameters of mitochondria were similar to the control values. ► Melatonin + succinate + flavonoids prevented mitochondrial ultrastructure damage. ► The above complex enhanced regenerative processes in the liver.

A synergy-driven approach to a myoelectric hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, S B; Ajoudani, A; Catalano, M; Grioli, G; Bicchi, A

2013-06-01

In this paper, we present the Pisa/IIT SoftHand with myoelectric control as a synergy-driven approach for a prosthetic hand. Commercially available myoelectric hands are more expensive, heavier, and less robust than their body-powered counterparts; however, they can offer greater freedom of motion and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The Pisa/IIT SoftHand is built on the motor control principle of synergies through which the immense complexity of the hand is simplified into distinct motor patterns. As the SoftHand grasps, it follows a synergistic path with built-in flexibility to allow grasping of a wide variety of objects with a single motor. Here we test, as a proof-of-concept, 4 myoelectric controllers: a standard controller in which the EMG signal is used only as a position reference, an impedance controller that determines both position and stiffness references from the EMG input, a standard controller with vibrotactile force feedback, and finally a combined vibrotactile-impedance (VI) controller. Four healthy subjects tested the control algorithms by grasping various objects. All controllers were sufficient for basic grasping, however the impedance and vibrotactile controllers reduced the physical and cognitive load on the user, while the combined VI mode was the easiest to use of the four. While these results need to be validated with amputees, they suggest a low-cost, robust hand employing hardware-based synergies is a viable alternative to traditional myoelectric prostheses.

Shared and task-specific muscle synergies of Nordic walking and conventional walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Boccia, G; Zoppirolli, C; Bortolan, L; Schena, F; Pellegrini, B

2018-03-01

Nordic walking is a form of walking that includes a poling action, and therefore an additional subtask, with respect to conventional walking. The aim of this study was to assess whether Nordic walking required a task-specific muscle coordination with respect to conventional walking. We compared the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 15 upper- and lower-limb muscles of 9 Nordic walking instructors, while executing Nordic walking and conventional walking at 1.3 ms -1 on a treadmill. Non-negative matrix factorization method was applied to identify muscle synergies, representing the spatial and temporal organization of muscle coordination. The number of muscle synergies was not different between Nordic walking (5.2 ± 0.4) and conventional walking (5.0 ± 0.7, P = .423). Five muscle synergies accounted for 91.2 ± 1.1% and 92.9 ± 1.2% of total EMG variance in Nordic walking and conventional walking, respectively. Similarity and cross-reconstruction analyses showed that 4 muscle synergies, mainly involving lower-limb and trunk muscles, are shared between Nordic walking and conventional walking. One synergy acting during upper limb propulsion is specific to Nordic walking, modifying the spatial organization and the magnitude of activation of upper limb muscles compared to conventional walking. The inclusion of the poling action in Nordic walking does not increase the complexity of movement control and does not change the coordination of lower limb muscles. This makes Nordic walking a physical activity suitable also for people with low motor skill. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Results from the SynergieHaus programme of PreussenElektra; Ergebnisse aus dem SynergieHaus-Programm der PreussenElektra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mussenbrock, K. [Preussen Elektra, Hannover (Germany)

1998-06-01

The `SynergieHaus` project is an initiative by PreussenElektra and 25 regional and municipal utilities. Its objective is to contribute towards the further development and propagation of energy-saving building techniques. Within the framework of the project, funding was granted for more than 400 residential units erected between 1995 and 1997. The main prerequisites for funding were as follows: an at least 30 % shortfall of annual heating energy demand from the specifications of the thermal protection ordinance (WSchV `95) currently in force; installation of mechanical ventilation; and an airtight building envelope. (orig.) [Deutsch] Das SynergieHaus-Projekt ist eine Initiative der PreussenElektra und 25 Regionaler und Kommunaler Versorgungsunternehmen. Ziel ist es, einen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung und Verbreitung energiesparender Bauweisen zu leisten. Im Rahmen dieses Projektes wurden zwischen 1995 und 1997 mehr als 400 neuerrichtete Wohneinheiten finanziell gefoerdert. Voraussetzung fuer eine Foerderung waren insbesondere die Unterschreitung des Jahres-Heizwaermebedarfs gemaess geltender Waermeschutzverordnung (WSchV `95) um mindestens 30%, der Einbau einer mechanischen Wohnungslueftung sowie eine luftdichte Gebaeudehuelle. (orig.)

Use of muscle synergies and wavelet transforms to identify fatigue during squatting.

Science.gov (United States)

Smale, Kenneth B; Shourijeh, Mohammad S; Benoit, Daniel L

2016-06-01

The objective of this study was to supplement continuous wavelet transforms with muscle synergies in a fatigue analysis to better describe the combination of decreased firing frequency and altered activation profiles during dynamic muscle contractions. Nine healthy young individuals completed the dynamic tasks before and after they squatted with a standard Olympic bar until complete exhaustion. Electromyography (EMG) profiles were analyzed with a novel concatenated non-negative matrix factorization method that decomposed EMG signals into muscle synergies. Muscle synergy analysis provides the activation pattern of the muscles while continuous wavelet transforms output the temporal frequency content of the EMG signals. Synergy analysis revealed subtle changes in two-legged squatting after fatigue while differences in one-legged squatting were more pronounced and included the shift from a general co-activation of muscles in the pre-fatigue state to a knee extensor dominant weighting post-fatigue. Continuous wavelet transforms showed major frequency content decreases in two-legged squatting after fatigue while very few frequency changes occurred in one-legged squatting. It was observed that the combination of methods is an effective way of describing muscle fatigue and that muscle activation patterns play a very important role in maintaining the overall joint kinetics after fatigue. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening of Fresh and Dried Moringa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The preliminary phytochemical screening of the crude aqueous extract of fresh and dried Moringa oleifera leaves, of the organic solvent and residual fractions of the extract was carried out according to the standard methods. Chemical constituents of the crude aqueous extract of the fresh leaves were found to be tannins, ...

Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antitrypanosomal Activity of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antitrypanosomal Activity of the Aerial Parts of Artemisia abyssinica Against Trypanosoma congolense Field Isolate. ... of infected blood and extracts at concentrations of 4, 2 and 0.4 mg/ml coupled with infectivity test in which a mixture of infected blood was inoculated to healthy mice.

On the origin of muscle synergies: invariant balance in the co-activation of agonist and antagonist muscle pairs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki eHirai

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Investigation of neural representation of movement planning has attracted the attention of neuroscientists, as it may reveal the sensorimotor transformation essential to motor control. The analysis of muscle synergies based on the activity of agonist-antagonist (AA muscle pairs may provide insight into such transformations, especially for a reference frame in the muscle space. In this study, we examined the AA concept using the following explanatory variables: the AA ratio, which is related to the equilibrium-joint angle, and the AA sum, which is associated with joint stiffness. We formulated muscle synergies as a function of AA sums, positing that muscle synergies are composite units of mechanical impedance. The AA concept can be regarded as another form of the equilibrium-point (EP hypothesis, and it can be extended to the concept of EP-based synergies. We introduce here a novel tool for analyzing the neurological and motor functions underlying human movements and review some initial insights from our results about the relationships between muscle synergies, endpoint stiffness, and virtual trajectories (time series of EP. Our results suggest that (1 muscle synergies reflect an invariant balance in the co-activation of AA muscle pairs; (2 each synergy represents the basis for the radial, tangential, and null movements of the virtual trajectory in the polar coordinates centered on the specific joint at the base of the body; and (3 the alteration of muscle synergies (for example, due to spasticity or rigidity following neurological injury results in significant distortion of endpoint stiffness and concomitant virtual trajectories. These results indicate that muscle synergies (i.e., the balance of muscle mechanical impedance are essential for motor control.

On the Origin of Muscle Synergies: Invariant Balance in the Co-activation of Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Pairs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio; Naritomi, Hiroaki; Koba, Keitaro; Oku, Takanori; Uno, Kanna; Uemura, Mitsunori; Nishi, Tomoki; Kageyama, Masayuki; Krebs, Hermano Igo

2015-01-01

Investigation of neural representation of movement planning has attracted the attention of neuroscientists, as it may reveal the sensorimotor transformation essential to motor control. The analysis of muscle synergies based on the activity of agonist-antagonist (AA) muscle pairs may provide insight into such transformations, especially for a reference frame in the muscle space. In this study, we examined the AA concept using the following explanatory variables: the AA ratio, which is related to the equilibrium-joint angle, and the AA sum, which is associated with joint stiffness. We formulated muscle synergies as a function of AA sums, positing that muscle synergies are composite units of mechanical impedance. The AA concept can be regarded as another form of the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis, and it can be extended to the concept of EP-based synergies. We introduce, here, a novel tool for analyzing the neurological and motor functions underlying human movements and review some initial insights from our results about the relationships between muscle synergies, endpoint stiffness, and virtual trajectories (time series of EP). Our results suggest that (1) muscle synergies reflect an invariant balance in the co-activation of AA muscle pairs; (2) each synergy represents the basis for the radial, tangential, and null movements of the virtual trajectory in the polar coordinates centered on the specific joint at the base of the body; and (3) the alteration of muscle synergies (for example, due to spasticity or rigidity following neurological injury) results in significant distortion of endpoint stiffness and concomitant virtual trajectories. These results indicate that muscle synergies (i.e., the balance of muscle mechanical impedance) are essential for motor control.

Phytochemical and anti-fungal activity of crude extracts, fractions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of the crude extracts, fractions and isolated compound were determined by agardilution. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the crude extracts was carried out using column chromatography. Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardenolides, ...

Phytochemical screening and analysis of antioxidant properties of aqueous extract of wheatgrass.

Science.gov (United States)

Durairaj, Varalakshmi; Hoda, Muddasarul; Shakya, Garima; Babu, Sankar Pajaniradje Preedia; Rajagopalan, Rukkumani

2014-09-01

To screen the phytochemical constituents and study antioxidant properties of the aqueous extract of the wheatgrass. The current study was focused on broad parameters namely, phytochemical analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and antioxidant properties in order to characterize the aqueous extract of wheatgrass as a potential free radical quencher. The phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of wheatgrass showed the presence of various secondary metabolites but the absence of sterols and quinone in general. Wheatgrass was proved to be an effective radical scavenger in all antioxidant assays. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of diverse category of bioactive compounds such as squalene, caryophyllene and amyrins in varying percentage. From the results obtained, we conclude that wheatgrass aqueous extract contains various effective compounds. It is a potential source of natural antioxidants. Further analysis of this herb will help in finding new effective compounds which can be of potent use in pharmacological field. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial activity and some phytochemical analysis of two extracts Vinca minor L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grujić Sandra M.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the antimicrobial activity as well as some phytochemical analysis of ethanol and diethyl ether extracts from plant species Vinca minor L. In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts was studied on 20 strains of microorganisms (16 bacteria and four yeasts. Testing was performed by microdilution method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC were determined. The strongest antimicrobial activity was detected on G+ bacteria of the genus Bacillus. Tested G- bacteria and yeasts were not sensitive to the action of the extracts or the sensitivity was insignificant. Phytochemical analysis involved determining the amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins, as well as the determination of antioxidant activity monitoring capability to neutralize free radicals (DPPH and the reductive potential. Phytochemical examination indicates that the total phenolic compounds were more in the ethanolic extract and the content of flavonoids and tannins marginally higher in the diethyl ether extract. The antioxidant activity (DPPH of the ethanolic extract of V. minor was significantly stronger as compared to the diethyl ether extract, and the reduction potential was approximately the same.

Investigating reduction of dimensionality during single-joint elbow movements: a case study on muscle synergies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrico eChiovetto

2013-02-01

Full Text Available A long standing hypothesis in the neuroscience community is that the CNS generates the muscle activities to accomplish movements by combining a relatively small number of stereotyped patterns of muscle activations, often referred to as muscle synergies. Different definitions of synergies have been given in the literature. The most well-known are those of synchronous, time-varying and temporal muscle synergies. Each one of them is based on a different mathematical model used to factor some EMG array recordings collected during the execution of variety of motor tasks into a well-determined spatial, temporal or spatio-temporal organization. This plurality of definitions and their separate application to complex tasks have so far complicated the comparison and interpretation of the results obtained across studies, and it has always remained unclear why and when one synergistic decomposition should be preferred to another one. By using well-understood motor tasks such as elbow flexions and extensions, we aimed in this study to clarify better what are the motor features characterized by each kind of decomposition and to assess whether, when and why one of them should be preferred to the others. We found that three temporal synergies, each one of them accounting for specific temporal phases of the movements could account for the majority of the data variation. Similar performances could be achieved by two synchronous synergies, encoding the agonist-antagonist nature of the two muscles considered, and by two time-varying muscle synergies, encoding each one a task-related feature of the elbow movements, specifically their direction. Our findings support the notion that each EMG decomposition provides a set of well-interpretable muscle synergies, identifying reduction of dimensionality in different aspects of the movements. Taken together, our findings suggest that all decompositions are not equivalent and may imply different neurophysiological substrates

Determination of in vitro synergy for dual antimicrobial therapy against resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae using Etest and agar dilution.

Science.gov (United States)

Wind, Carolien M; de Vries, Henry J C; van Dam, Alje P

2015-03-01

In response to antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to last-resort extended-spectrum cephalosporins, combination therapy of azithromycin+ceftriaxone is now recommended. Dual therapy can be effective to treat monoresistant strains as well as multidrug-resistant strains, preferably employing the effect of in vitro synergy. As reports on in vitro synergy of azithromycin+ceftriaxone in N. gonorrhoeae are conflicting, in this study an evaluation of this combination was performed using a cross-wise Etest method and agar dilution. Synergy was defined as a fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) of ≤0.5. To identify other dual treatment options for gonorrhoea, in vitro synergy was evaluated for 65 dual antimicrobial combinations using Etest. Azithromycin, cefixime, ceftriaxone, colistin, ertapenem, fosfomycin, gentamicin, minocycline, moxifloxacin, rifampicin, spectinomycin and tigecycline were screened for synergy in all possible combinations. No synergy or antagonism was found for any of the 65 combinations. The geometric mean FICI ranged from 0.82 to 2.00. The mean FICI of azithromycin+ceftriaxone was 1.18 (Etest) and 0.55 (agar dilution). The difference between both methods did not result in a difference in interpretation of synergy. Ceftriaxone-resistant strain F89 was tested in all combinations and no synergy was found for any of them. Most importantly, the ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentration of F89 was not decreased below the breakpoint with any concentration of azithromycin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Stability of vertical posture explored with unexpected mechanical perturbations: synergy indices and motor equivalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamagata, Momoko; Falaki, Ali; Latash, Mark L

2018-03-21

We explored the relations between indices of mechanical stability of vertical posture and synergy indices under unexpected perturbations. The main hypotheses predicted higher posture-stabilizing synergy indices and higher mechanical indices of center of pressure stability during perturbations perceived by subjects as less challenging. Healthy subjects stood on a force platform and held in fully extended arms a bar attached to two loads acting downward and upward. One of the loads was unexpectedly released by the experimenter causing a postural perturbations. In different series, subjects either knew or did not know which of the two loads would be released. Forward perturbations were perceived as more challenging and accompanied by co-activation patterns among the main agonist-antagonist pairs. Backward perturbation led to reciprocal muscle activation patterns and was accompanied by indices of mechanical stability and of posture-stabilizing synergy which indicated higher stability. Changes in synergy indices were observed as early as 50-100 ms following the perturbation reflecting involuntary mechanisms. In contrast, predictability of perturbation direction had weak or no effect on mechanical and synergy indices of stability. These observations are interpreted within a hierarchical scheme of synergic control of motor tasks and a hypothesis on the control of movements with shifts of referent coordinates. The findings show direct correspondence between stability indices based on mechanics and on the analysis of multi-muscle synergies. They suggest that involuntary posture-stabilizing mechanisms show synergic organization. They also show that predictability of perturbation direction has strong effects on anticipatory postural adjustment but not corrective adjustments. We offer an interpretation of co-activation patterns that questions their contribution to postural stability.

Cultural synergy in information institutions

CERN Document Server

Smiraglia, Richard P

2014-01-01

Cultural forces govern a synergistic relationship among information institutions that shapes their roles collectively and individually. Cultural synergy is the combination of perception- and behavior-shaping knowledge within, between, and among groups. Our hyperlinked era makes information-sharing among institutions critically important for scholarship as well as for the advancement of humankind. Information institutions are those that have, or share in, the mission to preserve, conserve, and disseminate information objects and their informative content. A central idea is the notion of social

Phytochemical Screening and in vitro Activity of Allium cepa. L ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Department of Applied Science, College of Science and Technology. Kaduna ... Phytochemical analysis of Allium cepa L. ethanolic extract revealed the presence of. Saponins, Tanins, flavonoids and alkaloids while steroids were not detected.

Synergy temporal sequences and topography in the spinal cord: evidence for a traveling wave in frog locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Saltiel, Philippe; d'Avella, Andrea; Wyler-Duda, Kuno; Bizzi, Emilio

2016-11-01

Locomotion is produced by a central pattern generator. Its spinal cord organization is generally considered to be distributed, with more rhythmogenic rostral lumbar segments. While this produces a rostrocaudally traveling wave in undulating species, this is not thought to occur in limbed vertebrates, with the exception of the interneuronal traveling wave demonstrated in fictive cat scratching (Cuellar et al. J Neurosci 29:798-810, 2009). Here, we reexamine this hypothesis in the frog, using the seven muscle synergies A to G previously identified with intraspinal NMDA (Saltiel et al. J Neurophysiol 85:605-619, 2001). We find that locomotion consists of a sequence of synergy activations (A-B-G-A-F-E-G). The same sequence is observed when focal NMDA iontophoresis in the spinal cord elicits a caudal extension-lateral force-flexion cycle (flexion onset without the C synergy). Examining the early NMDA-evoked motor output at 110 sites reveals a rostrocaudal topographic organization of synergy encoding by the lumbar cord. Each synergy is preferentially activated from distinct regions, which may be multiple, and partially overlap between different synergies. Comparing the sequence of synergy activation in locomotion with their spinal cord topography suggests that the locomotor output is achieved by a rostrocaudally traveling wave of activation in the swing-stance cycle. A two-layer circuitry model, based on this topography and a traveling wave reproduces this output and explores its possible modifications under different afferent inputs. Our results and simulations suggest that a rostrocaudally traveling wave of excitation takes advantage of the topography of interneuronal regions encoding synergies, to activate them in the proper sequence for locomotion.

Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) Extracts and Wine: Phytochemical Profile, Physicochemical Properties, and Carbohydrase Inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ifie, Idolo; Marshall, Lisa J; Ho, Peter; Williamson, Gary

2016-06-22

Three varieties of Hibiscus sabdariffa were analyzed for their phytochemical content and inhibitory potential on carbohydrate-digesting enzymes as a basis for selecting a variety for wine production. The dark red variety was chosen as it was highest in phenolic content and an aqueous extract partially inhibited α-glucosidase (maltase), with delphinidin 3-O-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-O-sambubioside, and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid accounting for 65% of this activity. None of the varieties significantly inhibited α-amylase. Regarding Hibiscus sabdariffa wine, the effect of fermentation temperature (20 and 30 °C) on the physicochemical, phytochemical, and aroma composition was monitored over 40 days. The main change in phytochemical composition observed was the hydrolysis of 3-O-caffeolquinic acid and the concomitant increase of caffeic acid irrespective of fermentation temperature. Wine fermented at 20 °C was slightly more active for α-glucosidase inhibition with more fruity aromas (ethyl octanoate), but there were more flowery notes (2-phenylethanol) at 30 °C.

Integration of robotics and neuroscience beyond the hand: What kind of synergies?. Comment on "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" by Marco Santello et al.

Science.gov (United States)

d'Avella, Andrea

2016-07-01

Santello et al. [1] review an impressive amount of work on the control of biological and artificial hands that demonstrates how the concept of synergies can lead to a successful integration of robotics and neuroscience. Is it possible to generalize the same approach to the control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies beyond the hand? The human hand synergies that appear most relevant for robotic hands are those defined at the kinematic level, i.e. postural synergies [2]. Postural synergies capture the geometric relations among the many joints of the hand and allow for a low dimensional characterization and synthesis of the static hand postures involved in grasping and manipulating a large set of objects. However, many other complex motor skills such as walking, reaching, throwing, and catching require controlling multi-articular time-varying trajectories rather than static postures. Dynamic control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies, especially when geometric and inertial parameters are uncertain and the joints are compliant, poses great challenges. What kind of synergies might simplify the dynamic control of motor skills involving upper and lower limbs as well as the whole body?

Pharmacological and phytochemical screening of Palestinian traditional medicinal plants Erodium laciniatum and Lactuca orientalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaradat, Nidal; AlMasri, Motasem; Zaid, Abdel Naser; Othman, Dua'a Ghazi

2017-09-01

Various epidemiological studies showed that herbal remedies containing polyphenols may protect against various diseases such as cancers, vascular diseases and inflammatory pathologies. Currently, such groups of bioactive compounds have become a subject of many antimicrobials and antioxidant investigations. Accordingly, the current study aimed to conduct biological and phytochemical screening for two Palestinian traditional medicinal plants, Erodium laciniatum and Lactuca orientalis. Current plants phytoconstituents and their antioxidant activities were evaluated by using standard phytochemical methods; meanwhile, antimicrobial activities were estimated by using several types of American Type Culture Collection and multidrug resistant clinical isolates by using agar diffusion well-variant, agar diffusion disc-variant and broth microdilution methods. Phytochemical screenings showed that L. orientalis and E. laciniatum contain mixtures of secondary and primary metabolites Moreover, total flavonoid, tannins and phenols content in E. laciniatum extract were higher than the L. orientalis extracts with almost the same antioxidant potentials. Additionally, both plants organic and aqueous extracts showed various potentials of antimicrobial activity Conclusions: Overall, the studied species have a mixture of phytochemicals, flavonoids, phenols and tannins also have antioxidant and antimicrobial activities which approved their folk uses in treatments of infectious and Alzheimer diseases and simultaneously can be used as therapeutic agents in the pharmaceutical industries.

Ethnic diversity and knowledge synergies: Rethinking the interrelations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauring, Jakob

2005-01-01

desire to see ethnical diversity as productive. Theoretical reviews and empirical research have indicated that the link between diversity and knowledge synergy cannot be taken for granted. This article argues that some theoretical rethinking of managerial strategies toward cultural diversity...

Cellular models for the evaluation of the antiobesity effect of selected phytochemicals from food and herbs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yen-Chen Tung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Dietary phytochemicals from food and herbs have been studied for their health benefits for a long time. The incidence of obesity has seen an incredible increase worldwide. Although dieting, along with increased physical activity, seems an easy method in theory to manage obesity, it is hard to apply in real life. Obesity treatment drugs and surgery are not successful or targeted for everyone and can have significant side effects. This low rate of success is the major reason that the overweight as well as the pharmaceutical industry seek alternative methods, including phytochemicals. Therefore, more and more research has focused on the role of phytochemicals to alleviate lipid accumulation or enhance energy expenditure in adipocytes. This review discusses selected phytochemicals from food and herbs and their effects on adipogenesis, lipogenesis, lipolysis, oxidation of fatty acids, and browning in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Extraction, characterization and biological studies of phytochemicals from Mammea suriga

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Mahesha M. Poojary

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The present work involves extraction of phytochemicals from the root bark of a well-known Indian traditional medicinal plant, viz. Mammea suriga, with various solvents and evaluation of their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities using standard methods. The phytochemical analysis indicates the presence of some interesting secondary metabolites like flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, saponins and tannins in the extracts. Also, the solvent extracts displayed promising antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Cryptococcus neoformans with inhibition zone in a range of 20–33 mm. Further, results of their antioxidant screening revealed that aqueous extract (with IC50 values of 111.51±1.03 and 31.05±0.92 μg/mL in total reducing power assay and DPHH radical scavenging assay, respectively and ethanolic extract (with IC50 values of 128.00±1.01 and 33.25±0.89 μg/mL in total reducing power assay and DPHH radical scavenging assay, respectively were better antioxidants than standard ascorbic acid. Interestingly, FT-IR analysis of each extract established the presence of various biologically active functional groups in it. Keywords: Mammea suriga, Phytochemical analysis, Antimicrobial activity, Antioxidant assay, FT-IR analysis

Hydrophilic carboxylic acids and iridoid glycosides in the juice of American and European cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos), lingonberries (V. vitis-idaea), and blueberries (V. myrtillus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Heidi Dorthe; Krogfelt, Karen A; Cornett, Claus

2002-01-01

iridoid glucosides were shown to be monotropein and 6,7-dihydromonotropein by MS and NMR spectroscopy. A fast reversed-phase HPLC method for quantification of the hydrophilic carboxylic acids was developed and used for analyses of cranberry, lingonberry, and blueberry juices. The level of hydrophilic...

Phytochemical, analgesic and anti-inflammatory studies of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: The preliminary phytochemical screening of the methanol leaf extract revealed the presence of terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and ... The analgesic studies were carried out at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight i.p. using acetic acid-induced writhing and thermally-induced pain in mice. The extract ...

phytochemical analysis and antibacterial effects of crude extracts of

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2015-04-30

Apr 30, 2015 ... 2Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Ambrose Alli ... microorganisms, underpinning the great need for search of novel antimicrobial drugs. ... stem bark of Brachystegia eurycoma was investigated using ... phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, ..... H4IIE hepatoma cells.

Evaluation of phytochemical screening & extraction of lycopene from Citrullus lanatus by using column chromatography

OpenAIRE

lalitha govindaraj; Suseela vivek

2015-01-01

The present study focused on the phytochemical constituents, isolation of lycopene of the Citrullus lanatusis fruits which were collected from the local market in around sulur area, India. The phytochemical analysis of fruit extracts revealed the presence of   bioactive compounds such as phenolics, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids and flavonoids in the extract. The isolation of lycopene were quantified by using column chromatography that depicted (lycopene - 68.0285 mg/k fresh wt) respe...

Synergies between renewable energy and fresh water production. Scoping study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geurts, F.; Noothout, P.; Schaap, A. [Ecofys Netherlands, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2011-02-15

The IEA Implementing Agreement for Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (IEA-RETD) investigated the opportunities for coupling renewable energy systems with fresh water supply systems. The four main conclusions of the scoping study, carried out by Ecofys, are: (1) Fresh water production based on desalination technologies provide most options for synergies with renewable energy production; (2) Linking desalination to renewable sources is currently not economically viable; (3) There is a large potential for small scale (decentralised) desalination plants; (4) Current commercially-sized desalination technologies are in need of a constant operation point. Reverse osmosis and thermal membrane technologies might give future synergies as deferrable load.

Evaluation of synergy and bacterial regrowth in photocatalytic ozonation disinfection of municipal wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Mecha, Achisa C; Onyango, Maurice S; Ochieng, Aoyi; Momba, Maggy N B

2017-12-01

The use of solar and ultraviolet titanium dioxide photocatalytic ozonation processes to inactivate waterborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Shigella species and Vibrio cholerae) in synthetic water and secondary municipal wastewater effluent is presented. The performance indicators were bacterial inactivation efficiency, post-disinfection regrowth and synergy effects (collaboration) between ozonation and photocatalysis (photocatalytic ozonation). Photocatalytic ozonation effectively inactivated the target bacteria and positive synergistic interactions were observed, leading to synergy indices (SI) of up to 1.86 indicating a performance much higher than that of ozonation and photocatalysis individually (SI≤1, no synergy; SI>1 shows synergy between the two processes). Furthermore, there was a substantial reduction in contact time required for complete bacterial inactivation by 50-75% compared to the individual unit processes of ozonation and photocatalysis. Moreover, no post-treatment bacterial regrowth after 24 and 48h in the dark was observed. Therefore, the combined processes overcame the limitations of the individual unit processes in terms of the suppression of bacterial reactivation and regrowth owing to the fact that bacterial cells were irreparably damaged. The treated wastewater satisfied the bacteriological requirements in treated wastewater for South Africa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of field synergy principle for optimization fluid flow and convective heat transfer in a tube bundle of a pre-heater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamid, Mohammed O.A.; Zhang, Bo; Yang, Luopeng

2014-01-01

The big problems facing solar-assisted MED (multiple-effect distillation) desalination unit are the low efficiency and bulky heat exchangers, which worsen its systematic economic feasibility. In an attempt to develop heat transfer technologies with high energy efficiency, a mathematical study is established, and optimization analysis using FSP (field synergy principle) is proposed to support meaning of heat transfer enhancement of a pre-heater in a solar-assisted MED desalination unit. Numerical simulations are performed on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in a circular and elliptical tube bundle. The numerical results are analyzed using the concept of synergy angle and synergy number as an indication of synergy between velocity vector and temperature gradient fields. Heat transfer in elliptical tube bundle is enhanced significantly with increasing initial velocity of the feed seawater and field synergy number and decreasing of synergy angle. Under the same operating conditions of the two designs, the total average synergy angle is 78.97° and 66.31° in circular and elliptical tube bundle, respectively. Optimization of the pre-heater by FSP shows that in case of elliptical tube bundle design, the average synergy number and heat transfer rate are increased by 22.68% and 35.98% respectively. - Highlights: • FSP (field synergy principle) is used to investigate heat transfer enhancement. • Numerical simulations are performed in circular and elliptical tubes pre-heater. • Numerical results are analyzed using concept of synergy angle and synergy number. • Optimization of elliptical tube bundle by FSP has better performance

Membrane Interactions of Phytochemicals as Their Molecular Mechanism Applicable to the Discovery of Drug Leads from Plants

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Hironori Tsuchiya

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In addition to interacting with functional proteins such as receptors, ion channels, and enzymes, a variety of drugs mechanistically act on membrane lipids to change the physicochemical properties of biomembranes as reported for anesthetic, adrenergic, cholinergic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumor, antiplatelet, antimicrobial, and antioxidant drugs. As well as these membrane-acting drugs, bioactive plant components, phytochemicals, with amphiphilic or hydrophobic structures, are presumed to interact with biological membranes and biomimetic membranes prepared with phospholipids and cholesterol, resulting in the modification of membrane fluidity, microviscosity, order, elasticity, and permeability with the potencies being consistent with their pharmacological effects. A novel mechanistic point of view of phytochemicals would lead to a better understanding of their bioactivities, an insight into their medicinal benefits, and a strategic implication for discovering drug leads from plants. This article reviews the membrane interactions of different classes of phytochemicals by highlighting their induced changes in membrane property. The phytochemicals to be reviewed include membrane-interactive flavonoids, terpenoids, stilbenoids, capsaicinoids, phloroglucinols, naphthodianthrones, organosulfur compounds, alkaloids, anthraquinonoids, ginsenosides, pentacyclic triterpene acids, and curcuminoids. The membrane interaction’s applicability to the discovery of phytochemical drug leads is also discussed while referring to previous screening and isolating studies.

Synergy of EMG patterns in gait as an objective measure of muscle selectivity in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwaan, Esther; Becher, Jules G; Harlaar, Jaap

2012-01-01

Selective motor control (SMC) is an important determinant of functioning in cerebral palsy (CP). Currently its assessment is based on subjective clinical tests with a low sensitivity. Electromyography (EMG) profiles during gait represent muscle coordination and might be used to assess SMC. EMG measurements during gait were processed into a measure of extensor synergy and thigh synergy. This was obtained in two groups of children with CP, and 30 typically developing children. Extensor synergy in CP was higher (0.95) than in healthy children (0.77), thigh synergy was almost equal in both groups. GMFM scores in the first group of 39 children with CP did not correlate to EMG based synergy measures. In a second group of 38 children with CP, a clear relation of clinical SMC score with extensor synergy was found, but only a weak relation with thigh synergy. Although an extensor synergy was validated at group level, our results present no convincing evidence for the use of EMG during gait to assess SMC in individual subjects with CP. Since gait involves both synergistic and selective contractions, the inherent motor control properties of this task will not allow for an assessment of selectivity comparable to the ability to perform isolated movements. Nevertheless, our results support the sensitive nature of EMG to represent an aberrant motor control in CP. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phytochemicals, antibacterial and antioxidative investigations of alhagi maurorum medik

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.; Shinwari, Z.K.; Hussain, J.; Perveen, R.

2015-01-01

Ethnomedicinally the plant Alhagi maurorum is used for diverse topical infections in the different culture of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. The aim of the present study is to look into the possible natural therapy in the form of bioactive fractions which can be further subjected to the isolation of natural products leading towards drug discovery. The methanolic extract and its derived fractions (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and residual aqueous fraction) of leaves, roots and flowers of Alhagi maurorum are subjected to microbicidy against Salmonella typhe, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella dysenteriae, E. coli and Bacillus anthrax, antioxidant profile by DPPH method and preliminary phytochemical investigations. It is observed that the leaves of the plant showed outstanding response to most bacterial pathogens followed by roots while the fractions from flowers were almost inactive. The antibactrial profile of the plant leaves exhibited that the crude extract, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions showed outsatandinding activities giving above 80% inhibition against B. anthracis. The crude extract showed 80% inhibition against S. dysenteriae. The ethyl acetate and crude extarct was also good against S. typhe with 78.35% and 76.50% inhibition respectively. Extracts/fractions from leaves of the plant showed strong radicle scaving activity, it may be due to the presences of phenolic compounds in plant. Phytochemical screening of crude extracts and its subsequent fractions demonstrated the presence of fats, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, saponins, phlobatannins, tannins and terpenoids in leaves and roots while the flowers were found to be devoid of any such phytochemical. (author)

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigation of Ethanol Extract of Cissampelos pareira.

Science.gov (United States)

Reza, H M; Shohel, M; Aziz, Sadia B; Pinaz, Farzana I; Uddin, M F; Al-Amin, M; Khan, I N; Jain, Preeti

2014-09-01

In this study, the ethanol extract of Cissampelos pareira has been evaluated. The extract was tested for analgesic properties using both hot plate and acetic acid-induced writhing methods. Antiinflammatory effect was investigated using two different doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight on Evans rats by carrageenan-induced paw edema test. The antipyretic activity was evaluated using Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in Wistar rats. The phytochemical screening of the extract of Cissampelos pareira exhibited the presence of several phytochemical compounds including saponins, gums and carbohydrates, reducing sugars, alkaloids and terpenoids. Ethanol extract of Cissampelos pareira exhibited significant analgesic, antiinflammatory and antipyretic activity in a dose-dependent manner. The results obtained from these studies confirm its therapeutic value against diseases caused by various pain and fever.

Synergies between the first-generation JHF-SK and NuMI superbeam experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huber, P.; Lindner, M.; Winter, W.

2003-01-01

We discuss synergies in the combination of the first-generation JHF to Super-Kamiokande and NuMI off-axis superbeam experiments. With synergies we mean effects which go beyond simply adding the statistics of the two experiments. As a first important result, we do not observe interesting synergy effects in the combination of the two experiments as they are planned right now. However, we find that with minor modifications, such as a different NuMI baseline or a partial antineutrino running, one could do much richer physics with both experiments combined. Specifically, we demonstrate that one could, depending on the value of the solar mass squared difference, either measure the sign of the atmospheric mass squared difference or CP violation already with the initial stage experiments. Our main results are presented in a way that can be easily interpreted in terms of the forthcoming KamLAND result

Gaultheria: Phytochemical and Pharmacological Characteristics

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Ren-Bing Shi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The genus Gaultheria, comprised of approximately 134 species, is mostly used in ethnic drugs to cure rheumatism and relieve pain. Phytochemical investigations of the genus Gaultheria have revealed the presence of methyl salicylate derivatives, C6-C3 constituents, organic acids, terpenoids, steroids, and other compounds. Methyl salicylate glycoside is considered as a characteristic ingredient in this genus, whose anti-rheumatic effects may have a new mechanism of action. In this review, comprehensive information on the phytochemistry, volatile components and the pharmacology of the genus Gaultheria is provided to explore its potential and advance research.

Identification of phytochemical compounds in Calophyllum inophyllum leaves

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David Febrilliant Susanto

2017-09-01

Conclusions: C. inophyllum leaves may be used as a good source of fiber. It was found that C. inophyllum leaves have the potential as herbal drugs due to their phytochemical content. The separation, isolation, and purification of bioactive compounds from this methanolic crude extract and their biological activity are under further investigation.

Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of roots, stem ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The roots, stem-bark and leaves of Grewia mollis which is used as herbal remedies for the cure of diarrhea and dysentery by natives in northern part of Nigeria were studied. The ethanol and water extracts of roots, stem-bark and leaves of the plant were subjected to phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity against ...

Phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of Annona ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of Annona vepretorum Mart (Annonaceae) leaf extracts. Mariana G e Silva, Ana P de Oliveira, Camila de S Araújo, Érica M de Lavor, Juliane C Silva, Rosemairy L Mendes, Cláudia do Ó Pessoa, Marcília P Costa, Jackson R G da S Almeida ...

Relationship between peat geochemistry and depositional environments, Cranberry Island, Maine

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, R.; Cameron, C.C.; Cohen, A.D.

1987-01-01

The Heath, Great Cranberry Island, Maine, offers a unique locality for studying lateral and vertical relationships between radically different peat types within 1 km2. The majority of The Heath is a Sphagnum moss-dominated raised bog. Surrounding the raised bog is a swamp/marsh complex containing grass, sedge, Sphagnum moss, alder, tamarack, and skunk cabbage. Swamp/ marsh-deposited peat occurs both around the margins of The Heath and under Sphagnum-dominated peat, which was deposited within the raised bog. A third peat type, dominated by herbaceous aquatics, is present underlying the swamp/marsh-dominated peat but is not present as a dominant botanical community of The Heath. The three peat types have major differences in petrographic characteristics, ash contents, and associated minerals. Sulfur contents range from a low of 0.19 wt.% (dry) within the raised bog to a high of 4.44 wt% (dry) near the west end of The Heath, where swamp/marsh peat occurring directly behind a storm beach berm has been influenced by marine waters. The presence of major geochemical variations within a 1-km2 peat deposit suggests the need for in-depth characterization of potential peat resources prior to use. ?? 1987.

Phytochemicals and heavy metals analysis of methanolic extract of edible mushrooms collected from Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

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Farhan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To qualitatively evaluate the phytochemicals and quantitatively determine the heavy metals of three species of edible mushrooms collected from the Karak area of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: The plant sample was subjected to methanolic extraction. The extraction was then concentrated by using rotary evaporator. The methanolic extract was screened for the qualitative study of various phytochemicals and quantitative measurement of heavy metals. Results: A maximum of phytochemicals were confirmed by carring out different tests. Among the different phytochemicals, alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins and carbohydrates were found to be present in the extracts, while saponins and glycosides were not detected. Similarly quantitative study of heavy metals was also conducted on the same extracts of the edible mushrooms. The results suggested that iron was present in maximum concentration than all other metals and nickel was found to be present in little amount when compared with other metals. All the metals were found present. Conclusions: The concentrations of heavy metals were investigated in the samples which were different in all samples. The presence of different phytochemicals in the mushroom is the key for its active biological profile.

New analytical approaches for faster or greener phytochemical analyses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shen, Y.

2015-01-01

Summary

Chapter 1 provides a short introduction into the constraints of phytochemical analysis. In order to make them faster, less laborious and greener, there is a clear scope for miniaturized and simplified sample preparation, solvent-free extractions

Phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of whole wheat products

Science.gov (United States)

Whole wheat contains an array of phytochemicals. We quantified alkylresorcinols (AR), phenolic acids, phytosterols, and tocols in six whole wheat products and characterized their antioxidant capacity and ability to induce quinone reductase activity (QR). Total AR content ranged from 136.8 to 233.9 m...

Building phytochemical mass spec identification protocols and database libraries

Science.gov (United States)

An optimized single LC-MS evaluation that would accurately determine the elemental composition of as many compounds present in an extract would greatly aid in the evaluation of plant tissues. For phytochemicals, we have used accurate mass analysis to quickly characterize the potential chemical formu...

Phytochemical study and antibacterial activity of different extracts of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phytochemical proprieties, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of different extracts of Pistacia lentiscus on two pathogenic bacteria. The concentration of total phenols was analyzed using Folin-Ciocalteu's method. Exracts of plant were evaluated for their antimicrobial ...

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. - a phytochemical and pharmacological review.

Science.gov (United States)

Da-Costa-Rocha, Inês; Bonnlaender, Bernd; Sievers, Hartwig; Pischel, Ivo; Heinrich, Michael

2014-12-15

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Hs, roselle; Malvaceae) has been used traditionally as a food, in herbal drinks, in hot and cold beverages, as a flavouring agent in the food industry and as a herbal medicine. In vitro and in vivo studies as well as some clinical trials provide some evidence mostly for phytochemically poorly characterised Hs extracts. Extracts showed antibacterial, anti-oxidant, nephro- and hepato-protective, renal/diuretic effect, effects on lipid metabolism (anti-cholesterol), anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects among others. This might be linked to strong antioxidant activities, inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE), and direct vaso-relaxant effect or calcium channel modulation. Phenolic acids (esp. protocatechuic acid), organic acid (hydroxycitric acid and hibiscus acid) and anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside) are likely to contribute to the reported effects. More well designed controlled clinical trials are needed which use phytochemically characterised preparations. Hs has an excellent safety and tolerability record. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Phytochemicals for taming agitated immune-endocrine-neural axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Seema

2017-07-01

Homeostasis of immune-endocrine-neural axis is paramount for human health. If this axis gets agitated due to age, genetic variations, environmental exposures or lifestyle assaults, a cascade of adverse reactions occurs in human body. Cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters, the effector molecules of this axis behave erratically, leading to a gamut of neural, endocrine, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. Current panel of drugs can tackle some of them but not in a sustainable, benign way as a myriad of side effects, causal of them have been documented. In this context, phytochemicals, the secondary metabolites of plants seem beneficial. These bioactive constituents encompassing polyphenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, lignans, stilbenoids (resveratrol), saponins, polysaccharides, glycosides, and lectins etc. have been proven to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-allergic, analgesic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, dermatoprotective, and antimicrobial properties, among a litany of other biological effects. This review presents a holistic perspective of common afflictions resultant of immune-endocrine-neural axis disruption, and the phytochemicals capable of restoring their normalcy and mitigating the ailments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Phytochemicals and Antimicrobial Properties of Three Sedge (Cyperaceae Species

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Tiwalade Adeyemi ADENIYI

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the medicinal value of notorious sedge weeds, three species:Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus rotundus and Mariscus alternifolius were investigated for their phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial properties. Preliminary qualitative phytochemical constituents and in vitro antimicrobial activities were evaluated against four fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Candida albicans, and three bacteria species: Escherichia coli,Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. Two solvents, water and ethanol, were used to produce the extracts and were screened for their antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial activity evaluation of the extracts against pathogens was carried out at 100 mg/ml concentration by Disc Diffusion method for fungi, Disc Diffusion and Agar Well Diffusion methods for bacteria. Observed activities were related to standard antibiotics, antifungal and antibacterial, which served as controls. Phytochemically, the plant extracts showed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, ketose sugars, steroids, reducing sugars and tannins. The ethanolic extract of C. rotundus exhibited the highest activity against A. niger, E. coli and S. aureus. No extract was active against C. albicans. From these findings, it was concluded that C. rotundus is a potential source of bioactive compounds for new drugs upon isolation and purification for treating infections caused by these pathogens.

The Biofunctions of Phytochemicals and Their Applications in Farm Animals: The Nrf2/Keap1 System as a Target

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Si Qin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS can be caused by mechanical, thermal, infectious, and chemical stimuli, and their negative effects on the health of humans and other animals are of considerable concern. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2-like 2/Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Nrf2/Keap1 system plays a major role in maintaining the balance between the production and elimination of ROS via the regulation of a series of detoxifying and antioxidant enzyme gene expressions by means of the antioxidant response element (ARE. Dietary phytochemicals, which are generally found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and herbs, have been reported to have health benefits and to improve the growth performance and meat quality of farm animals through the regulation of Nrf2-mediated phase II enzymes in a variety of ways. However, the enormous quantity of somewhat chaotic data that is available on the effects of phytochemicals needs to be properly classified according to the functions or mechanisms of phytochemicals. In this review, we first introduce the antioxidant properties of phytochemicals and their relation to the Nrf2/Keap1 system. We then summarize the effects of phytochemicals on the growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal microbiota of farm animals via targeting the Nrf2/Keap1 system. These exhaustive data contribute to better illuminate the underlying biofunctional properties of phytochemicals in farm animals.

Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of the Stem Bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

acer

A. F. Gabriel and H.O. Onigbanjo Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of the Stem Bark Extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus (Poir). 3. Table 2: Sensitivity test results of the extracts. Extracts. Organisms / Zones of Inhibition (mm). Ca. S a. Ec. Bs. Ps. OV. C. E. S. C. M. SC. Crude Methanol. -. -. 20. 20. 20. N. N. N. Hexane ...

Getting post-M&A integration mechanisms tuned in to technological relatedness and innovation synergy realisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wubben, Emiel F.M.; Batterink, Maarten; Omta, Onno

2016-01-01

Studies on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) typically relate innovation synergies to either context characteristics or post-M&A integration. There is little research on how to tune the relevant practices to the benefit of realising specific innovation synergies. It is the purpose of this

In vitro antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of crude extract ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-10-20

Oct 20, 2008 ... concentration of 25 mg/ml against twenty-one of the bacterial isolates, ... Key words: Afzelia africana, antimicrobial, phytochemical properties, ... A. africana mixed with millet beer has been found to ..... effects, cytostatic and antioxidant properties (Hodek et .... Role of plant polyphenols in genomic stability.

Phytochemical constituents and ethnobotany of the leaf extract of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The phytochemical screening and ethno botanical importance of the leaf of Vernonia amygdalina Del. were investigated. The secondary metabolites in the leaf were identified to establish a relationship between them and their therapeutic properties. The leaves were sun dried, pulverized and sieved. The resulting powdered ...

Cytotoxic, antioxidant and phytochemical analysis of Gracilaria species from Persian Gulf

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Alireza Ghannadi

2016-01-01

Conclusion: Considerable phytochemicals, high antioxidant potential, and moderate cytotoxic activity of G. salicornia and G. corticata make them appropriate candidates for further studies and identification of their bioactive principles.

Phytochemical and Botanical Therapies for Rosacea: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisk, Whitney A; Lev-Tov, Hadar A; Clark, Ashley K; Sivamani, Raja K

2015-10-01

Botanical and cosmeceutical therapies are commonly used to treat symptoms of rosacea such as facial erythema, papules/pustule counts, and telangiectasia. These products may contain plant extracts, phytochemicals, and herbal formulations. The objective of this study was to review clinical studies evaluating the use of botanical agents for the treatment of rosacea. MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for clinical studies evaluating botanical therapies for rosacea. Major results were summarized, and study methodology was analyzed. Several botanical therapies may be promising for rosacea symptoms, but few studies are methodologically rigorous. Several plant extract and phytochemicals effectively improved facial erythema and papule/pustule counts caused by rosacea. Many studies are not methodologically rigorous. Further research is critical, as many botanicals have been evaluated in only one study. Botanical agents may reduce facial erythema and effectively improve papule/pustule counts associated with rosacea. Although promising, further research in the area is imperative. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soybean (Glycine max) oil bodies and their associated phytochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisk, Ian D; Gray, David A

2011-01-01

Soybean oil bodies were isolated from 3 cultivars (Ustie, K98, and Elena) and the occurrence of 2 classes of phytochemicals (tocopherol isoforms and isoflavones) and strength of their association with isolated oil bodies was evaluated. Tocopherol is shown to be closely associated with soybean oil bodies; δ-tocopherol demonstrated a significantly greater association with oil bodies over other tocopherol isoforms. Isoflavones do not show a significant physical association with oil bodies, although there is some indication of a passive association of the more hydrophobic aglycones during oil body isolation. Oil bodies are small droplets of oil that are stored as energy reserves in the seeds of oil seeds, and have the potential to be used as future food ingredients. If oil body suspensions are commercialized on a large scale, knowledge of the association of phytochemicals with oil bodies will be valuable in deciding species of preference and predicting shelf life and nutritional value. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Perspectives on Phytochemicals as Antibacterial Agents: An Outstanding Contribution to Modern Therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Khatri, Savita; Kumar, Manish; Phougat, Neetu; Chaudhary, Renu; Chhillar, Anil Kumar

2016-01-01

Despite the considerable advancements in the development of antimicrobial agents, incidents of epidemics due to multi drug resistance in microorganisms have created a massive hazard to mankind. Due to increased resistance against conventional antibiotics, researchers and pharmaceutical industries are more concerned about novel therapeutic agents for the prevention of bacterial infections. Enormous wealth of traditional system of medicine gains importance in health therapies over again. With ancient credentials of potent medicinal plants, various herbal remedies came forward for the management of bacterial infections. The Ayurvedic approach facilitates the development of new therapeutic agents due to structural and functional diversity among phytochemicals. The abundance and diversity is responsible for the characterization of new lead structures from medicinal plants. Industrial interest has increased due to recent research advancements viz. synergistic and high-throughput screening approach for the evaluation of vast variety of phytochemicals. The review certainly emphasizes on the traditional medicines as alternatives to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. The review briefly describes mode of action of various antibiotics and resistance mechanisms. This review focuses on the chemical diversity and various mechanisms of action of phytochemicals against bacterial pathogens.

Litsea glutinosa (Lauraceae: Evaluation of its Foliar Phytochemical Constituents for Antimicrobial Activity

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Mutyala Naidu LAGUDU

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Litsea glutinosa revealed the presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, volatile compounds, amino acids and carbohiydrates. The antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibition concentration values were determined for these phytochemical constituents as crude extracts using the agar well diffusion and two-fold serial dilution methods. The results indicated that Bacillus subtilis was the most susceptible bacterium with high inhibition zones for the methanol and chloroform extracts of 31 mm and 26 mm, respectively. The MIC values indicated that extracts possess good antimicrobial activity with significant MIC value against Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pneumoniae at 31.2 µg/ml concentrations. The extracts showed marked antimicrobial activity against both bacteria and fungi. Among the bacterial strains, gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than the gram-negative. All the 13 microorganisms tested showed dose dependent susceptibility towards the phytochemicals present in the foliar extracts. The study suggests that Litsea glutinosa leaves possess potent antimicrobial activity and can be a good source for the development of new antibiotics.

Phytochemical and chemosystematic studies of Euxylophora paraensis (Rutaceae); Fitoquimica e quimiossistematica de Euxylophora paraensis (Rutaceae)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isidoro, Marsele Machado; Silva, Maria Fatima das Gracas Fernandes da; Fernandes, Joao Batista; Vieira, Paulo Cezar [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCAR), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica; Arruda, Alberto C.; Silva, Sebastiao da Cruz, E-mail: dmfs@ufscar.br [Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, PA (Brazil). Fac. de Quimica

2012-07-01

Phytochemical studies of the leaves and stem have led to the identification of the known coumarins isooxypeucedanin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, 8-methoxymarmesin and marmesin, flavonoids quercetin-3-O-{alpha}-L-rhamnopyranoside, myricetin-3-O-{alpha}-L-rhamnopyranoside and hesperidin, alkaloids skimmianine and N-methylflindersine and limonoid limonin. The compounds isolated and the chemical profile of Euxylophora obtained from the literature clearly indicate its phytochemical affinities with other Rutoideae species. (author)

In Vitro Synergy of Telavancin and Rifampin Against Enterococcus faecium Resistant to Both Linezolid and Vancomycin.

Science.gov (United States)

Pankey, George A; Ashcraft, Deborah S

2013-01-01

An emerging pathogen is Enterococcus faecium resistant to both linezolid and vancomycin (LRVRE). Antimicrobial combinations may be required for therapy and need to be evaluated. The combination of daptomycin and rifampin has demonstrated good in vitro activity against gram-positive bacteria, including E faecium. Telavancin, a newer lipoglycopeptide, has shown in vitro activity against E faecium. We evaluated the combination of telavancin and rifampin and compared the results to the combination of daptomycin and rifampin used previously on the same isolates. Twenty-four genetically unique (by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis), clinical LRVRE isolates were collected in the United States from 2001-2004. Etest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (μg/mL) were 0.064-8 for telavancin, 1-4 for daptomycin, and 0.012 to >32 for rifampin. In vitro synergy testing was performed in triplicate by an Etest MIC:MIC ratio method, and summation fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) was calculated: synergy ≤0.5; indifference >0.5-4; and antagonism >4. The Etest method showed synergy (ΣFICs of 0.1-0.5) with telavancin + rifampin in 20/24 (83%) isolates and indifference (ΣFICs of 0.6-0.8) in 4/24 (17%) isolates. Similarly, the daptomycin + rifampin combination showed synergy (ΣFICs of 0.1-0.5) in 21/24 (88%) isolates and indifference (ΣFICs of 0.6-1.0) in 3/24 (12%) isolates by the Etest method. No antagonism was found. In vitro synergy with both combinations (rifampin + telavancin or daptomycin) was 83% and 88%, respectively, by Etest against these LRVRE isolates. Although both daptomycin and telavancin in combination with rifampin showed a high incidence of synergistic activity, further in vitro synergy testing with this combination should be performed against additional E faecium isolates. In vitro synergy may or may not translate into in vivo effectiveness.

A Synergy Cropland of China by Fusing Multiple Existing Maps and Statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Miao; Wu, Wenbin; You, Liangzhi; Chen, Di; Zhang, Li; Yang, Peng; Tang, Huajun

2017-07-12

Accurate information on cropland extent is critical for scientific research and resource management. Several cropland products from remotely sensed datasets are available. Nevertheless, significant inconsistency exists among these products and the cropland areas estimated from these products differ considerably from statistics. In this study, we propose a hierarchical optimization synergy approach (HOSA) to develop a hybrid cropland map of China, circa 2010, by fusing five existing cropland products, i.e., GlobeLand30, Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (CCI-LC), GlobCover 2009, MODIS Collection 5 (MODIS C5), and MODIS Cropland, and sub-national statistics of cropland area. HOSA simplifies the widely used method of score assignment into two steps, including determination of optimal agreement level and identification of the best product combination. The accuracy assessment indicates that the synergy map has higher accuracy of spatial locations and better consistency with statistics than the five existing datasets individually. This suggests that the synergy approach can improve the accuracy of cropland mapping and enhance consistency with statistics.

A synergy-based hand control is encoded in human motor cortical areas

Science.gov (United States)

Leo, Andrea; Handjaras, Giacomo; Bianchi, Matteo; Marino, Hamal; Gabiccini, Marco; Guidi, Andrea; Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale; Pietrini, Pietro; Bicchi, Antonio; Santello, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano

2016-01-01

How the human brain controls hand movements to carry out different tasks is still debated. The concept of synergy has been proposed to indicate functional modules that may simplify the control of hand postures by simultaneously recruiting sets of muscles and joints. However, whether and to what extent synergic hand postures are encoded as such at a cortical level remains unknown. Here, we combined kinematic, electromyography, and brain activity measures obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging while subjects performed a variety of movements towards virtual objects. Hand postural information, encoded through kinematic synergies, were represented in cortical areas devoted to hand motor control and successfully discriminated individual grasping movements, significantly outperforming alternative somatotopic or muscle-based models. Importantly, hand postural synergies were predicted by neural activation patterns within primary motor cortex. These findings support a novel cortical organization for hand movement control and open potential applications for brain-computer interfaces and neuroprostheses. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13420.001 PMID:26880543