Search results for "Biochemistry"

Zein as biodegradable material for effective delivery of alkaline phosphatase and substrates in biokits and biosensors

2016

A biodegradable material, zein, is proposed as a reagent delivery platform for biokits and biosensors based on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity/inhibition in the presence of phosphatase substrates. The immobilization and release of both the substrate and/or the active ALP, in a biodegradable and low-cost material such as zein, a prolamin from maize, and in combination with glycerol as plasticizer have been investigated. Three zein-based devices are proposed for several applications: (1) inorganic phosphorus estimation in water of different sources (river, lake, coastal water and tap water) with a detection limit of 0.2mg/L - compared to at least 1mg/L required by legislation, (2) estimat…

Perception of mineral character in Sauvignon blanc wine: inter-individual differences

2014

Revue non indexée dans le JCR.; Of the descriptors employed to characterize wine organoleptically, minerality is arguably one of the most enigmatic. The aim of the work described in this article was to delineate the nature of perceived minerality in Sauvignon wine, specifically its sensorial reality for experienced wine professionals from France and New Zealand. Participants evaluated 16 Sauvignon blanc wines (8 French; 8 New Zealand) under three conditions, ortho-nasal olfaction, palate only (Nose-clip condition), and by full tasting (global perception). Data from the global condition only are reported here. Key results include: i) that although there were quantitative differences in perce…

Importance of considering interoceptive abilities in alexithymia assessment

2019

Background Recent studies have shown that people with high alexithymia scores have decreased interoceptive abilities, which can be associated with psychological and physical disorders. Early assessments of the alexithymia trait included the evaluation of these abilities through the dimension measuring the difficulty in identifying and distinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations (the 26-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale; TAS-26). The revised version of the TAS, the TAS-20, contains a three-factor solution that does not involve a dimension assessing interoceptive abilities. However, the three items allowing the evaluation of these abilities are still present in the TAS-20. In this con…

Anger: Adrenaline receptors do not allow us to be too sinful

2013

All of us feel angry once in a while, but if anger turns into a chronic state of mind it is not only annoying to those around us, it may also make us ill. Much of the acute anger reaction is mediated by catecholamines acting on β-adrenoceptors. Chronic activation of these receptors leads to their desensitization, protecting us at least partly from the adverse effects of sustained anger.

Medical Records: A Historical Narrative

2022

The history of medical records is thousand-year-long, with earlier roots in ancient civilizations. Until the 19th century, medical records mainly served educational purposes, later assuming other roles such as in insurance or legal procedures. This article comprehensively describes and reviews the development of medical records from ancient to modern times in Europe and North America, reflecting alterations and adaptations compliant with the mental and technological capabilities of a given period. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases to collect pertinent articles. English articles or those having English abstracts were considered. The search terms included “Medical Records,” “Hea…

In vitro antitumor effects of the cold-water extracts of Mediterranean species of genus Pleurotus (higher Basidiomycetes) on human colon cancer cells

2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the cold-water extracts of Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae (CWE-Pef) and Pleurotus nebrodensis (CWE-Pn), 2 of the most prized wild and cultivated edible mushrooms, can affect the tumor phenotype of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Our results showed that treatment with CWE- Pef and CWE-Pn resulted in a significant inhibition of the viability of HCT116 cells and promoted apoptosis, as also demonstrated by the increase of Bax-to-Bcl-2 messenger RNA ratio. Moreover, we observed that both extracts were able to inhibit cell migration and to affect homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell adhesion. It also was found that treatment with CWE-Pef and CWE-Pn ne…

Characterization of N-glycosylated receptors for the tobacco lectin in the plant cell nucleus

2008

Role of oxidative stress in hepatocyte mitosis

2013

Apparent content curves: new analytical applications

1993

Analytical possibilities of apparent content curves for ternary systems are studied. The mathematical method proposed is applied to UV-Vis spectrophotometric and fluorimetric techniques. Samples containing fluoresceine/eosine/acridine and methyl red/methyl orange/cresol red are resolved by fluorimetry and UV-spectroscopy, respectively. Results obtained are in agreement with the theoretical contents in both cases.

Determination of platinum and iridium in reforming catalysts by second derivative and absorptiometric spectrophotometry

1991

Investigations on the spectrophotometric determination of platinum as a complex formed by tin(II)chloride in hydrochloric acid are reported. The determination of platinum was found to be interfered with by iridium, because it also forms a complex with tin(II) chloride. The features of the derivative absorption spectrophotometry for the quantitative determination of platinum and iridium was also studied. The analytical application of the method for the determination of platinum and iridium in catalysts was investigated.