Skip to main content

Home/ Honors Scientific Research 2023-2024/ Group items tagged current

Rss Feed Group items tagged

ryleighnyp

Electrical grounding technique may improve health outcomes of NICU babies -- ScienceDaily - 2 views

  • "What we can conclude is that a baby's autonomic nervous system is able to sense the electrical environment and it seems as though a baby is more relaxed when grounded,"
  • redesigning incubators to ground babies and cancel out the electrical field
  •  
    I think a possible research idea could be redesigning NICU incubators to allow for less electromagnet interference with the babies with the use of grounding.
  •  
    Interesting, for sure. Two things... the actual measurements they made on children (skin tests, etc.) are a no-go for us. I'm not sure what our model system could be for checking the electrical outputs of whatever design changes were made. We would need to know a lot more about the current setup in NICUs. There is no doubt a lot of design in how things are currently set up. Essentially: why things are set up the way they are right now? You would have to know every variable currently considered, and then look for spots where simple changes can be made. Second thing: go back to the ISEF categories in Engineering and check out how those projects look at the national level. Just go get a feel. Engineering is a bit different from typical "hypothesis testing" seen in most natural sciences. Very cool, but different. Give it a look.
ryleighnyp

Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep: Current Biology - 3 views

  • study by Strauss and Dehaene13Strauss M. Dehaene S. Detection of arithmetic violations during sleep.Sleep (Basel). 2019; 42: zsy232PubMed Google Scholar focused on electro- and magnetoencephalographic responses to spoken arithmetic equations (addition, multiplication, or subtraction operations).
  • study by Strauss and Dehaene13Strauss M. Dehaene S. Detection of arithmetic violations during sleep.Sleep (Basel). 2019; 42: zsy232PubMed Google Scholar focused on electro- and magnetoencephalographic responses to spoken arithmetic equations (addition, multiplication, or subtraction operations).
    • ryleighnyp
       
      Magnetoencephalography is a technique used to measure the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain. It is a non-invasive method that can provide high temporal and spatial resolution of brain activity. In the context of the research paper, the authors mention a study by Strauss and Dehaene that focused on electro- and magnetoencephalographic responses to spoken arithmetic equations during wakefulness and sleep. (Copilot)
  •  
    An interesting Sleep study about how scientist can communicate with people who are sleeping
Sean Nash

Satellite Monitoring of Biodiversity Moves Within Reach | Current Science Daily - 2 views

  • Data for the study came from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The network uses standardized methods to collect biodiversity and Earth observation data across the United States which are then made publicly available. NEON imaging spectrometer data collected from research flights have a pixel size of 1x1 meter.
    • Sean Nash
       
      I wonder if any of the imagery they have is: 1. Accessible by us, and 2. Available for our area. If so, it might be as simple as doing plant diversity surveys to look for ground truth in our area (young forests & grasslands) between what is REALLY on the ground here, vs. what the satellite imagery shows.
  • Biodiversity monitoring from space possible via satellite
  • The reflectance of plants is determined by their chemical, anatomical and morphological characteristics, which are important for interactions among plants and with their environment. “Plants with similar traits, as well as closely related species, therefore tend to have similar reflectance spectra,” explains Schweiger.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Spectral diversity calculated in forests with closed canopies and large individual trees matched plant diversity determined on the ground better than spectral diversity calculated in open landscapes dominated by small herbaceous plants and grasses.
katherine-medina

Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity:... - 1 views

  • the rhizome
  • Ginger has staring potential for treating a number of ailments including degenerative disorders (arthritis and rheumatism), digestive health (indigestion, constipation and ulcer), cardiovascular disorders (atherosclerosis and hypertension), vomiting, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
    • katherine-medina
       
      It has the potential for it, so there may not be many studies on these different things that ginger can supposedly do. So it makes me Infinitely more curious to look and see if there are other studies that actually have information about these said claims.
  • Furthermore, it has antimicrobial potential as well which can help in treating infectious diseases.[2
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • The bioactive molecules of ginger like gingerols have shown antioxidant activity in various modules
  • Inflammatory disorders such as gastritis, esophagitis, and hepatitis, which are caused not only by infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites but also by physical and chemical agents like heat, acid, cigarette smoke, and foreign bodies, are recognized as risk factors for human cancer
  • This study aimed to review the current evidence on ginger effects as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative.
  • es.[2
  • 6-Shogaol has exhibited the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in ginger, which can be attributed to the presence of alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone moiety
  • Furthermore, feeding ginger to rats at 1% w/w during administration of malathion
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow, so they fed the rats pesticides than ginger
  • so it can possibly value in treatment of Parkinson's disease.[17]
    • katherine-medina
       
      Really cool
  • This effect was improved by a treatment with 1% dietary ginger 1 month in rats which suggest that ginger may have protective role against the ethanol induced hepatotoxicity.
  • could be useful in preventing acute liver injury
  • Habib et al. showed that ginger extract can reduce the elevated expression of NFκB and TNF-α in rats with liver cancer
  • howed that gingerols can inhibit LPS-induced COX-2 expression while shogaol containing extracts has no effect on COX-2 expression
  • Ginger and its bioactive molecules are effective in controlling the extent of colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancers
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow it can do a lot.
  • They observed that [6]-gingerol inhibits TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation by impairing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB, suppresses cIAP1 expression, and increases TRAIL-induced caspase-3/7 activation
  • Inhibition of angiogenesis in the mouse skin is the mechanism of ginger for treating of skin cancer.
  • However, ginger significantly lowered blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides, and raised HDL in hyperglycemic rats, in models that are diabetic, deficient in the apolipoprotein E gene or those that have been fed a high lipid diet.
  • ethanolic extract of ginger reduced body weights and levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids in high-fat diets.
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • katherine-medina
       
      Overall a good synopsis on what ginger can do.
katherine-medina

Frontiers | Dietary Polyphenols and Their Role in Oxidative Stress-Induced Human Diseas... - 1 views

  • phenolic acids, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, lignans, stilbenes and anthocyanidins
  • They possess antioxidant, chemopreventive and a wide range of pharmacological properties (
  • Over 8,000 polyphenols have been reported from plants, out of several hundreds of polyphenols exist in human diets
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • Organic compounds bearing an aromatic ring with at least one hydroxyl group are termed as “phenolics”. In case, a compound possesses one or more aromatic rings having more than one hydroxyl group are called polyphenols (or polyphenolic compounds).
  • As per the C1-C6 or C3-C6 backbone, they are usually referred to as derivatives of benzoic acid or cinnamic acid
  • However, the role of the dietary polyphenols of their antioxidant abilities is still unclear.
    • katherine-medina
       
      How exactly is the role of antioxidants unclear?
  • Increased intake of foods containing polyphenols (for example, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, cyanidin etc.) has been claimed to lower the incidence of a majority of chronic oxidative cellular damage, DNA damage, tissue inflammations, various cancers, viral/bacterial infections, and neurodegenerative diseases
    • katherine-medina
       
      So an increase of foods with natural extracts, so just plain vegetables that are not processed.
  • γ rays
    • katherine-medina
       
      I had no idea these were a thing.
  • This review specifically focuses a current understanding on the dietary sources of polyphenols and their protective effects including mechanisms of action against various major human diseases.
  • ROS when increased or excessively produced can cause oxidative changes/damages to all cellular macromolecules
  • Several antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) aid in the removal of free radicals
  • Peroxynitrite can also destroy lipoproteins and causes lipid peroxidation of cell membranes
  • ROS can also affect protein synthesis and protein functions. Protein oxidation can result in amino acid modifications
  • Flavonoids are further classified into different subgroups based on their structures such as flavan-3-ols (examples: catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin), isoflavones (examples: genistein, genistin, daidzenin, daidzin, biochanin A, formononetin), flavones (examples: luteolin, apigenin, chrysin), flavonones (examples: hesperetin, naringenin), flavonols (examples: quercetin, kaempferol, galangin, fisetin, myricetin), flavononol (example: taxifolin), flavylium salts (examples: cyanidin, cyanin, pelargonidin), and flavanones (examples: hesperetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, isosakuranetin)
    • katherine-medina
       
      WOW so flavonoids have a large variety and classes.
  • urther, OS exerts deleterious effects on DNA leading to the formation of DNA lesions, which can result in genomic instability and consequently lead to cell death.
  • Polyphenols are found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as cereals, pulses, dried legumes, spinach, tomatoes, beans, nuts, peppermint, cinnamon, pears, cherries, oranges, apples, red wine, tea, cocoa, coffee and so on (Arts and Hollman, 2005; Scalbert et al., 2005). Polyphenols are classified into different groups depending on the number of aromatic (phenolic) rings they contain and the structural elements that connect these rings. They are broadly grouped into phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans
    • katherine-medina
       
      SO each polyphenol has a different number of phenolic rings. What is the difference between the different polyphenols such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans. I think that I should look at which of these groups are more effective when working with antibiotics as a way to aid them in the fight against resistant bacterias.
  • In plant derived polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids comprise the largest group with an approximately 10,000 natural analogues
  • Dietary supplements containing elevated amounts of flavonoids from strawberries, lettuce, or blueberries aid in the reversal of age-related discrepancies in the brain and behavioral control in aged rats
  • Tea catechins
    • katherine-medina
       
      I ha e looked into these a bit, but I did not know that they can help with neurodegenerative diseases.
  • reduced glutathione (GSH), and on membrane sulphydryl (-SH) group in humans has been reported by Maurya and Rizvi (2009).
  • OS can be the primary or secondary reason for various CVDs. Preclinical evidence support that OS is linked to a variety of CVDs, including atherosclerosis, ischemia, stroke, cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy, and hypertension, as well as congestive heart failure
  • Dietary flavonoids may reduce endothelial disorders linked with various risk factors for atherosclerosis before plaque creation
  • The polyphenols of Hibiscus sabdariffa weaken diabetic nephropathy in terms of serum lipid profile and kidney oxidative markers
  • . Studies suggest that a diet that includes regular consumption of fruits and vegetables (rich in polyphenols such as catechins, resveratrol, ellagic acid, naringenin, quercetin etc.) significantly lowers the risk of developing many cancers.
  • Black tea polyphenols like EGCG, theaflavins and thearubigins have potent anticancer properties
  • Anti-carcinogenic effects of resveratrol are due to the antioxidant function, which inhibits hydroperoxidase, Akt (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway, matrix metalloprotease-9, NF-kB, protein kinase C, cyclooxygenase, focal adhesion kinase and Bcl-2 (B cell lymphoma 2) biomarkers/enzymes (Athar et al., 2007)
  • Increased OS may lead to the vulnerability of the infection and also triggers the malfunctioning of cellular metabolism
  • Resveratrol shows its anti-rheumatoid arthritis properties with reduced RA patients’ swelling, tenderness, and disease activity by lowering the biochemical indicators of inflammation like MMP-3, IL-6, ESR, C-reactive protein, and undercarboxylated osteocalcin
  •  
    A good overview about polyphenols.
katherine-medina

IJMS | Free Full-Text | The Combination of Catechin and Epicatechin Gallate f... - 1 views

  • efflux
  • efflux pumps
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow, so MRSA can literally pump out antibiotics.
  • The advantage of the agents is that there is little or no direct selective pressure, and thus resistant strains are less likely to emerge
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Figure 1
    • katherine-medina
       
      I could do something similar to this in a Petree dish like the photo above.
  • Baicalin [8], diterpenes [9], tellimagrandin I [10], corilagin [11], tripeptide [12], epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) [13] and epicatechin gallat
  • The extracts and compounds from hawthorn have been reported to show a variety of pharmacological activities, such as a protective effect on patients with heart failure [17], as well as an increased force of myocardial contraction [18], improved coronary circulation [19], antioxidant effects [20] and antimicrobial activities [21].
  • For example, galloy catechins, such as ECg and Cg, reduced the high MIC level of β-lactams to the antibiotic breakpoint or even lower than the breakpoint [14,15,26,27], but non-galloylated catechins, such as C and EC, had no such effect
    • katherine-medina
       
      use galloy catechins
  • WHO-2 but ECg (32 mg/L) increased the drug accumulation
    • katherine-medina
       
      So, at this specific concentration ECg helped with increasing the amount of antibiotic, but not necessarily assisting the ability of the antibiotic to do damage.
  • C or ECg (32 mg/L) in combination with oxacillin produced FICIs of more than 0.5 or 0.5, demonstrating no or very weak ILSMR effect.
  • via inhibiting mRNA expression of efflux pump genes,
  • Some natural products can enhance the efficacy of β-lactam antibiotics, and therefore they are termed intensifiers of β-lactam susceptibility in MRSA
    • katherine-medina
       
      I would like to look into using antibiotics that are currently available to the public, and trying to enhance their ability to fight bacteria through the use of certain polyphenols or some other type of natural product.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, hawthorn is used as a peptic agent for stimulating digestion and promoting the function of the stomach, improving blood circulation and removing blood stasis
  • We also found that when C combined with ECg, the ILSMR effect was markedly increased and the ILSMR effect of the combination (C and ECg) was enhanced with the increase in the concentration of C, with a higher concentration of C resulting in a lower FICI.
  • Overall, the different abilities of C and EGC to potentiate the ILSMR effect of ECg was presumed to be due to the difference in steric hindrance provided by the hydroxy groups in the B ring of these compounds.
  • Our results showed that C in combination with ECg could significantly reduce the MIC of these six antibiotics against almost all of the clinical MRSA strains
  • These results are significant since they demonstrate the possibility that these antibiotics can be used in the clinic when combined with C and ECg.
    • katherine-medina
       
      I wonder if they have started implementing this in hospitals.
  • . Therefore, a criterion suitable for more than two compounds should be investigated in the future.
    • katherine-medina
       
      I think that this will be a useful article to go back to when looking towards developing further ideas for experiments.
  • he above results suggested the ILSMR effect of C and ECg was probably related to the inhibition of three pumps’ mRNA expressions. Which pump(s) played a more important role should be further investigated in the future experiments.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Interesting
  • Herein, our results showed that reserpine down-regulated mRNA expressions of norA and norC, but not abcA, and C, in combination with ECg, down-regulated mRNA expressions of norA, norC and abcA among eight efflux pumps, while ECg or C alone could not.
  • Sh
  •  
    An article discussing the affects of combining polyphenols with antibiotics in order to fight against MRSA.
Gannon Suarez

Physicists build circuit that generates clean, limitless power from graphene: Researche... - 0 views

  •  
    ""An energy-harvesting circuit based on graphene could be incorporated into a chip to provide clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors," said Paul Thibado, professor of physics and lead researcher in the discovery."
katherine-medina

https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2962278/v1/95a4813e-7c91-423d-8608-d3e697f79... - 0 views

    • katherine-medina
       
      A. Besides, the results implied that these stilbenes effectively inhibited the levels of adhesion and virulence genes and downregulate the production of -hemolysin. This study showed that stilbenes from pigeon pea have anti-Staphylococcus potential, and they also inhibited bacterial proliferation, biofilm formation, and key gene expressions related to adhesion and virulence of MRSA.
    • katherine-medina
       
      "Over the past few years, bacterial biofilm has aroused wide attention. And the biofilm can be called sessile microbial community where cells are attached to the surface or to other cells and can embed themselves in a protective extracellular polymeric matrix." This is a pretty interesting piece of information.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Moreover, as an ethnological herb, pigeon pea is adopted in traditional medicine for its treatments of diabetes (Al-Saeedi and Hossain 2015; Talukdar 2013), hepatic-disorder (Ghosh et al. 2006), necrosis of femoral head (Luo et al. 2009), measles (Nwodo Page 4/20 et al. 2011) and osteoporosis HUH that is really interesting considering the amount of pigeon peas I have had in arroz con gondules.
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • katherine-medina
       
      Additionally, the epidermis was the external barrier of the body and thus HaCaT (human keratinocyte) was used to investigate the cytotoxicity of these stilbenes. As a result, these compounds had no discernible harmful effects on HaCaT at concentrations of 1/4 of their MIC, and their IC50 on HaCaT were 9.58 ± 0.22, 12.76 ± 0.31, 18.38 ± 0.41 µg/mL, respectively. Hence, the maximum concentrations of these stilbenes were set at 1/4 MIC in the follow-up research It is quite remarkable that pigeon peas are that effective.
    • katherine-medina
       
      The growth cures suggested that 1 MIC and 1/2 MIC of these compounds had remarkable inhibitory effects on the MRSA growth. Wow
    • katherine-medina
       
      It is incredibly important that the article states this, "However, current researches barely reveal the anti-MRSA biofilm ability of stilbenes from pigeon pea." This makes me want to learn more and more about how pigeon pea polyphenols work mostly because it is a very unexplored area of biochemistry.
  •  
    This article is about three different stilbenes in pigeon peas that were found to fight against MRSA.
Isabella Tungjaroenkul

Sci-Hub - 11 views

  •  
    This shows current links pick one. When it opens copy paste the link of an article you want to read behind a pay wall. It will most likely have it.
Xander Kleiber

Energy-efficient computing | MIT Energy Initiative - 2 views

  • 1’s are literally thrown away, and that wasted energy is dissipated as heat.
    • Xander Kleiber
       
      In logic gates specifically, because there are cases where a 1 goes in and a 0 can come out, that 1 (directly represented by electrical voltage) gets wasted in the computation and is released as heat.
  • the inputs are 1-0 and 0-1, and the output is 1-0. That setup is wasteful: An incoming 1 is lost during the computation. The researchers solve that problem by retaining the extra inputs as “garbage bits” that carry useless information (see the bottom example). The 1-0 order doesn’t matter, but now the number of 1’s is preserved after the computation.
    • Xander Kleiber
       
      Seems like a great way to solve the issue. However, I don't see anywhere else in the article any sort of actual circuit design/implementation of said solution...
  • On the energy front, the goal is to conserve all information—not just the 1’s but the 0’s as well. Their approach is based on “reversible computing,” an idea first proposed in the 1970s.
    • Xander Kleiber
       
      Expanded upon later.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • “If you can play everything backwards, then no energy has escaped during your computation,” says Demaine.
    • Xander Kleiber
       
      So in reversible computing, if an algorithm can be reversed, that means no information (and therefore no 1's, or measures of voltage) are wasted, resulting in an even lower production of waste.
  •  
    Overall, this seems like a decent course of study. After all, mentioned throughout the article is something called "Landauer's limit," which is a limit to the efficiency of computing devices using the current, wasteful methods. Also mentioned briefly in the article is that we are continually getting much closer to this limit. This makes it a timely issue, along with the fact that not many people have elaborated on its implications or tried implementing it.
  •  
    This is really interesting... though I'm sure I would benefit from a back-and-forth conversation to make sure I'm understanding what I think I am.
katherine-medina

IJMS | Free Full-Text | Antioxidant Versus Pro-Apoptotic Effects of Mushroom-Enriched D... - 0 views

  • In addition, the gut microbiota has also been described to be modulated by mushroom bioactive molecules, with implications in reducing liver inflammation during NAFLD progression.
  • non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
    • katherine-medina
       
      I like the abbreviation
  • Of note, indeed NAFLD patients present a “metabolic inflexibility”, that is, a reduced capacity to switch back from
    • katherine-medina
       
      I did not know that
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • The increase in nutrient availability causes systemic metabolic alterations that lead to an increase in hepatic mitochondrial respiration as well as changes in the mitochondrial lipid membrane composition.
  • They are also rich in phenolic acids, such as hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and carotenoids that are known for their antioxidant activity
    • katherine-medina
       
      They are high in polyphenols, just like I had thought, I do wonder if they have tried to single out a certain flavonoid or stilbene in order to determine whether or not it was the mechanism that caused the positive reaction.
  • NASH is currently the third most common indication for liver transplantation in the United States and accounts for 10% of all HCC cases in Europe
  • The increased levels of β-oxidation seem to result in an increase in citrate within the mitochondrial matrix that can be transported to the cytosol via the citrate-malate shuttle and converted to acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate by the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase [90,106]. Indeed, NAFLD patients present increased citrate levels in plasma
  • An alternative explanation for the deficient mitochondrial respiration might be the alterations in the mitochondria lipid composition, which are already present in steatosis.
  • As defined by mitohormesis, ROS production is physiological at low levels, acting as a crucial effector in proliferation, expression of antioxidant enzymes and insulin signalling. However, high levels of ROS formation causes oxidative stress and cell damage by reacting with its different components [90,114,115]. Oxidative stress occurs when the antioxidant capacity of the cell is not sufficient to neutralize the overproduction of ROS. ROS generation causes the peroxidation of phospholipids and cardiolipin at the mitochondrial membrane
  • All these mechanisms seem to be involved in the progression from NAFL to NASH. Indeed, NASH patients present increased ROS production, DNA damage, as measured by 8-Oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) levels, and hepatic lipid peroxidation coupled with decreased expression of ETC Com
    • katherine-medina
       
      So essentially NASH patients have a higher level of ROS which damages their DNA. increase of ROS = DNA damage
  • In parallel, the negative regulation on the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) mediated by the translocation of a series of IAP antagonists such as Smac, HTRA2/Omi and apoptosis-related protein in the TGF-ß signalling pathway (ARTS) to the cytosol, results in the release and activation of caspases
  • Aiming at weight loss, calorie-restricted diets and regular physical activity can improve hepatic mitochondria dysfunction by decreasing FFA liver input and alleviating oxidative stress.
  • To sum up, mitochondria play a central role in the pathophysiology and progression of NAFLD as well as in the development of HCC, which can be a late-stage consequence of NASH. Hepatic mitochondria undergo bioenergetic remodelling to face the metabolic burden imposed by the increased FFAs load secondary to systemic IR. In turn, a decompensation of these processes may result in ROS formation and mitochondrial dysfunction, contributing to the development of NASH. Lastly, hepatic mitochondria also seem to be involved in anti-apoptotic oncogenic processes driving HCC. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction is thus a promising approach for the treatment of the NAFLD continuum. The following section describes some of the in-vitro and in-vivo studies on the beneficial effects of mushroom-enriched diets or mushroom-derived compounds/extracts (Box 2) in preventing/reverting such liver damage.
  • showed lipid metabolism-modulating properties in the liver
  • This may lead to a decrease in lipogenesis and a concomitant increase in β-oxidation that could explain the reduction in IHTG content [203]. Similarly, the supplementation with a 1% aqueous extract of A. cinnamomea for 8 weeks reduced the expression of leptin and increased the expression of adiponectin, which was accompanied by an increase of AMPK and PGC-1α and a reduced expression of ACC, FAS and SREBP
  • IHTG content that was similar to the positive control group, treated with rosiglitazone, a PPAR-agonist antidiabetic drug
    • katherine-medina
       
      Interesting, I wonder if there is more that can be done with this extract with these types of effects.
  • herefore, these studies suggest a pivotal capacity of mushroom extracts to counteract the detrimental oxidative damage of mitochondria in NAFLD.
  • which seems to exacerbate NASH. H2O2 over-production may open the mPTP, while its transmembrane diffusion to the cytoplasm may even result in highly detrimental OH• formation. [93,131,132]. In contrast, the capacity of mushroom extracts from species such as Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. (oyster mushroom) or G. lucidum to elevate the entire antioxidant defence system of hepatocytes, seems a more promising therapeutic effect against the oxidative stress in NASH.
  • . Such evidence further supports the potential of G. lucidum extracts in reversing mitochondrial dysfunction in NAFLD.
  • In this line of research, novel therapies aim to target apoptosis via mitochondria, using molecules that mimic BH3 proteins and disrupt the interactions of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins.
  • Both aqueous and ethanol extracts, or isolated compounds (GL22 from Ganoderma leucocontextum T.H Li, W.Q. Deng, Dong M. Wang & H.P. Hu) increased the pro-apoptotic Bax to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2/Bcl-xL ratio
  • The antitumorigenic effects of mushroom extracts and isolated compounds have also been demonstrated in in-vivo xenograft models, resulting in tumour size reduction and increased animal survival rates (Table 2). Furthermore, in the HCC Huh7 xenograft mice model, fatty acid binding proteins
  • Therefore, the mechanisms by which mushroom extracts or isolated compounds induce mitochondrial-related apoptosis pathways are diverse and may be related with specific bioactive compounds. Modulation of pathways crucial for cell survival and alterations in lipid homeostasis seem to be related with the pro-apoptotic effects observed in HCC cell lines and in in-vivo xenograft models.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Cool
  • New therapies need to be developed to target NAFLD and NASH,
    • katherine-medina
       
      Are there any new therapies to treat NASH and NAFLD
  • This distinct property of mushroom-based therapy or -containing diet is especially relevant in the multifactorial context of NAFLD and especially NASH, where systemic synergistic metabolic alterations need to be addressed.
  •  
    An article detailing a bit of the effects that mushrooms can have on the liver's mitochondrial cells.
katherine-medina

Marine Drugs | Free Full-Text | Microalgae Photo-Protectants and Related Bio-Carriers L... - 0 views

shared by katherine-medina on 14 Sep 23 - No Cached
Sean Nash liked it
  • This review focuses on the use of these microalgae compounds obtained by UV stimulation and takes advantage of their natural UV-resistant characteristics to potentially apply them as an alternative for UV protection products.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Can I put this on a plant in order to mitigate heat damage?
  • pproximately 90–99% of the solar UV radiation energy that reaches the Earth’s surface is UV-A
  • whereas only 1–10% is UV-B [4]. Both UV-A and UV-B are responsible for one of the biggest concerns related to UV radiation, which is skin cancer
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • The mechanisms leading to skin damage are not fully understood and may derive from the generation of ROS and subsequent lipid peroxidation
  • To prevent photodamage, organisms have evolved to provide biochemical and physical defenses to UV by synthesizing robust bioactive compounds
  • Some algae species synthesize substances with chemical structures that can absorb UV radiation as well as inhibit actions on melanin synthesis
    • katherine-medina
       
      Which algaes
  • Microalgae can produce organic metabolites, such as sporopollenin, scytonemin, and MAAs to mention a few, and these metabolites have the purpose to protect the microalgae from UV radiation while allowing visible radiation involved in photosynthesis to pass through
  • two marine microalgae Pavlova lutheri, currently known as Diacronema lutheri, and Odontella aurita
    • katherine-medina
       
      After I get through the other ones I will get to you my pretty
  • UV-Resistant Microalgae
  • Marine organisms, including eukaryotic microalgae and cyanobacteria, during evolution, have developed physiological and biochemical traits for defense and/or tolerance to UV rays
    • katherine-medina
       
      Come back to this part
  • This research also mentioned the Antarctic microalgae Chaetoceros dichaeta, Phaeocystis antarctica, and Polarella glacialis, these were subjected to acclimation to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and showed resistance to UV-B rays.
  • It was found that the tolerant species contained substantial amounts of acetolysis-resistant residue
  • So far, several species, e.g., Coelastrella rubescens, Coelastrella terestris, Enallax coelastroides, Scotiella chlorelloidea, Ankistrodesmus spiralis, Chlorella minutissima, Chlorella sorokiniana, and Pseudococcomyxa sp. have been reported as rich sources of MAAs
  • They are abundant in various aquatic and terrestrial environments and are known for being eco-sustainable compounds since they are the outcome of the evolution of algae. Unlike their synthetic counterparts used unconventional sunscreens, there are no possibilities for pollution caused by them [22]. Thus, algal metabolites shape the safety and sustainability profiles of commercial sunscreens [22].
    • katherine-medina
       
      How long can the algae last on the skin or leaf of a plant
  • The results obtained point out different resistance and defense mechanisms of the four microalgae in response to UV-B irradiance and suggest that the strain of Nostoc sp. tested is the most suitable for surviving under the high UV irradiation [33]
  • Certain microalgae produce organic metabolites, such as sporopollenin, scytonemin, and MAAs as well as other UV-absorbing substances to counteract the harmful effects of UV radiation and protect themselves while allowing visible radiation involved in photosynthesis to pass through
  • The best known photoprotective response in marine organisms is the production or accumulation of UV-absorbing compounds, including MAAs as the most common compounds with such properties, but there are also others, such as scytonemin, carotenoids, alganean, and various secondary metabolites
    • katherine-medina
       
      photoprootective means protecting the skin
  • f low molecular weight, commonly found in marine environments. These compounds have absorption maxima in the UV region between 310 and 360 nm, they can dissipate radiation as heat without producing ROS. Under fixed light, MAA biosynthesis seems the most effective photoprotective mechanism
  • For these reasons, they potentially can prevent UV-induced skin damage
  • It was reported that species of microalgae that were highly tolerant to UV radiation had substantial amounts of sporopollenin. This compound functions as an antimicrobial agent, confers rigidness to the cell wall, and may further protect from UV rays by increasing the optical density, whereas species containing little or no sporopollenin were highly UV radiation susceptible
  • However, the potential of microalgae as topical photoprotectants has not been fully exploited, since there are not a lot of studies regarding this application.
  • Other reports determine that scytonemin is suspected to be synthesized from metabolites of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis
    • katherine-medina
       
      No set decision on how it is created
  • Alginate is a
  • ydration
  • However, some microalgae have a great ability to overcome or counteract different stresses such as intense solar UV radiation, this has been happening over the years and with the evolution of microalgae, some examples of defense and/or tolerance mechanisms are: DNA repair, synthesis of antioxidants, and enzymatic/non-enzymatic compounds, such as MAAs and scytonemin to counteract the harmful effects of UV radiation
  • Scytonemin is a yellow-brown lipid soluble sheath pigment that absorbs maximally in the UV-A and UV-C regions, but with some absorbance in the UV-B region. It has an in vivo absorption maximum of 370 nm.
  • tigate UV damage induced.
  • photosensitizers, their antioxidant
  • V
  • ed.
  • t
  •  
    A recent article showing the potential use of microalgae as a sunscreen.
  •  
    Yes..... let's chat this one out!
Sean Nash

Large Data Sets - Society for Science - 1 views

  • Locate a data set that interests you, see how others students have used large data sets in their research, and learn about current scientific studies fueled by big data.
  •  
    Another really solid pathway into project development is the examination and study of already existing large data sets. I have seen excellent projects that didn't even require students to generate their own data. Instead, they utilize already existing data to answer questions others may not have posed before in relation to that data set. At the very least, becoming familiar with these lines of research can help you discover a line of research that is most compelling to you!
Sean Nash

Mysterious Underwater Acoustic World of British Ponds Revealed in New Study | Current S... - 3 views

  • The previously hidden and diverse underwater acoustic world in British ponds has been revealed by a team of researchers at the University of Bristol.
    • Sean Nash
       
      So... my immediate thought is: How cool would it be to do this here? One thing we DO have: PONDS. See if this *sounds* interesting. Get it? ;)
  • Acoustic monitoring has been shown to effectively survey birds and monkeys in rainforests, and marine mammals in the oceans. However, freshwater environments have remained largely unexplored despite their diverse soundscapes.
    • Sean Nash
       
      BOOM. Again, "relatively unexplored" is super exciting verbiage to me. Acoustics. Hydrophones. Is this feasible? Is the equipment affordable? If not, could we borrow one? Dig into it. What are the possibilities?
  • analysis of the audio files revealed clear daily acoustic activity cycles in each pond
    • Sean Nash
       
      Aside from the exploratory surveys you would do just to see "what's out there" and assess what we CAN learn from listening to a pond, you could make it experimental by comparing ponds you've assessed the health of by other means. In other words, do acoustic comparisons between two ponds correlate with what you find by doing a macroinvertebrate sampling? I really LIKE the possibilities in this one!
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Typically, a nocturnal chorus is made by aquatic insects that compete to attract mates by producing strange scratching sounds as they rub their genitals against their abdomens. During the daytime, however, aquatic plants dominate the underwater orchestra with rhythmic whining and ticking sounds produced as tiny oxygen bubbles are released by plants respiring in the hot sun.
  • Using this acoustic method, the presence of species, and a determination of ecological health, can be inferred simply by listening to the natural world without disturbing the environment or harming the plants and animals within it.
    • Sean Nash
       
      Here is the obvious value proposition if you could work this out.
  • Publication: Jack A. Greenhalgh, et al., Diel variation in insect-dominated temperate pond soundscapes and guidelines for survey design, Freshwater Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/fwb.14092.
    • Sean Nash
       
      BEST THING YET: Here is the FULL TEXT of the actual research paper!
1 - 14 of 14
Showing 20 items per page