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The Effect of Cytochalasans on the Actin Cytoskeleton of Eukaryotic Cells and Preliminary Structure–Activity Relationships
Get PDFIn our ongoing search for new bioactive fungal metabolites, two new cytochalasans were isolated from stromata of the hypoxylaceous ascomycete Hypoxylon fragiforme. Their structures were elucidated via high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Together with 23 additional cytochalasans isolated from ascomata and mycelial cultures of different Ascomycota, they were tested on their ability to disrupt the actin cytoskeleton of mammal cells in a preliminary structure–activity relationship study. Out of all structural features, the presence of hydroxyl group at the C7 and C18 residues, as well as their stereochemistry, were determined as important factors affecting the potential to disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, reversibility of the actin disrupting effects was tested, revealing no direct correlations between potency and reversibility in the tested compound group. Since the diverse bioactivity of cytochalasans is interesting for various applications in eukaryotes, the exact effect on eukaryotic cells will need to be determined, e.g., by follow-up studies involving medicinal chemistry and by inclusion of additional natural cytochalasans. The results are also discussed in relation to previous studies in the literature, including a recent report on the anti-Biofilm activities of essentially the same panel of compounds against the pathogenic bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus
The Influence of International Experience on Bargaining Behavior
Get PDFOver a period of time rational behavior/strategies of the people have been studied using ultimatum games in the form of dictator game, trust game, social ultimatum game etc. The typical ultimatum games includes a distribution of the specific amount of money/monetary benefit through a proposal by a person designated as “proposer” to himself / herself and to a different person designated as “responder”. The proposal from the "proposer" will be implemented when the “responder” accepts it and there by terminating the game. In case the “responder” rejects the proposal the game will terminated with both the person involved in the game (prosper and responder) gaining nothing. The subject of the study relates to the bargaining Behavior through ultimatum game in the form of dictator game of people taking into account of the international experience, linked to the question of whether the international experience of the respondents positively influences their fairness and justice. In order to confirm or reject these results, n (number) = 270 German volunteers participated in a corresponding experimental analysis. The results confirmed that the international experience of the test persons in part can have a positive influence on the bargaining behavior, if one must react to the decision of a predecessor
Consumers impact on food quality under frozen conditions in Germany
No full textPurpose
More than 50 per cent of all German households own a freezing appliance and so far the market of frozen foods is constantly increasing (1 per cent from 2017 to 2018). Despite frozen foods playing an important role in our everyday life, little is known about the consumer’s habits at home. The purpose of this paper is to uncover gaps in the knowledge about consumer behaviour when handling frozen food. Moreover, the impact of consumers on the quality of frozen products should be assessed.
Design/methodology/approach
A representative online survey was carried out to investigate different aspects of consumer behaviour concerning frozen foods. Respondents (n=2,053) were questioned about their general handling habits regarding eight different food groups: fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, bread, pastries, ready-to-eat meals and leftovers. The focus was on freezing, pre-handling, packaging and thawing – depending on the age of those questioned and combined with best practice advice regarding quality storage of frozen products.
Findings
Most Germans have the opportunity to freeze food and keep their freezers full or medium loaded. Older participants act more efficiently towards quality storage, but more education about freezing and frozen storage would be generally helpful to maintain quality of frozen foods and increase utilisation of freezers, using their full preservation potential.
Research limitations/implications
No open questions were asked due to the scope of more than 2,000 participants, which, in retrospect, would have been instructive.
Originality/value
Consumer handling of frozen food in Germany was investigated in a representative way for the first time, covering age groups from 18 to 69 and household sizes from 1 to 4 people, focussing on eight major food groups
A project to improve awareness for cyber security in smart textile applications
Get PDFThe textile and clothing industry is facing structural changes and will enter into the interdisciplinary market of Smart Textiles. This market has a high market potential, but there is also plenty new challenges. That is why our project systematically investigates the integration and IT security of electronic communication systems in textile products. The main objectives are the scientific investigation of the area of IT security of smart textile products, the transfer of existing security concepts as well as the development of secur innovative prototypes. Based on the knowledge gained, guidelines for further action are deduced and courses for the textile and clothing industry will be created, ensuring an intensive multidisciplinary and cross- industry know-how transfer. This challenge is to be solved by an interdisciplinary team of scientists and companies from the fields of textile and clothing as well as information technology
In Vitro Research Reproducibility: Keeping Up High Standards
Get PDFConcern regarding the reproducibility of observations in life science research has emerged in recent years, particularly in view of unfavorable experiences with preclinical in vivo research. The use of cell-based systems has increasingly replaced in vivo research and the application of in vitro models enjoys an ever-growing popularity. To
avoid repeating past mistakes, high standards of reproducibility and reliability must be established and maintained in the field of in vitro biomedical research. Detailed guidance documenting the appropriate handling of cells has been authored, but was received
with quite disparate perception by different branches in biomedical research. In that regard, we intend to raise awareness of the reproducibility issue among scientists in all branches of contemporary life science research and their individual responsibility in this
matter. We have herein compiled a selection of the most susceptible steps of everyday in vitro cell culture routines that have the potential to influence cell quality and recommend practices to minimize the likelihood of poor cell quality impairing reproducibility with modest investment of time and resources
Reductive modification of genetically encoded 3-nitrotyrosine sites in alpha synuclein expressed in E.coli
Get PDFyrosine nitration is a post-translational protein modification relevant to various pathophysiological processes. Chemical nitration procedures have been used to generate and study nitrated proteins, but these methods regularly lead to modifications at other amino acid residues. A novel strategy employs a genetic code modification
that allows incorporation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) during ribosomal protein synthesis to generate a recombinant protein with defined 3-NT-sites, in the absence of other post-translational modifications. This approach was applied to study the generation and stability of the 3-NT moiety in recombinant proteins produced in E.coli. Nitrated alpha-synuclein (ASYN) was selected as exemplary protein, relevant in Parkinson's disease (PD). A procedure was established to obtain pure tyrosine-modified ASYN in mg amounts. However, a rapid (t1/
2 = 0.4 h) reduction of 3-NT to 3-aminotyrosine (3-AT) was observed. When screening for potential mechanisms, we found that 3-NT can be reduced enzymatically to 3-AT, whilst biologically relevant low molecular weight reductants, such as NADPH or GSH, did not affect 3-NT. A genetic screen for E.coli proteins, involved in the
observed 3-NT reduction, revealed the contribution of several, possibly redundant pathways. Green fluorescent protein was studied as an alternative model protein. These data confirm 3-NT reduction as a broadly-relevant pathway in E.coli. In conclusion, incorporation of 3-NT as a genetically-encoded non-natural amino acid allows
for generation of recombinant proteins with specific nitration sites. The potential reduction of the 3-NT moiety by E.coli, however, requires attention to the design of the purification strategy for obtaining pure nitrated protein
Dispersion and Performance of a Nanoclay/Whey Protein Isolate Coating upon its Upscaling as a Novel Ready-to-Use Formulation for Packaging Converters
Get PDFStudies on composition optimisation showed that the mixing of nanoclays to whey protein-isolate (WPI)-based coating formulations offers an effective strategy to reduce the oxygen permeability of coated polymer films. The scaling up of the various processing stages of these formulations was undertaken to prove their industrial feasibility. The aim was to investigate the effect of various preparation methods at different production scales (pilot- and semi-industrial scale) on the barrier performance and morphological properties of the applied nanocomposites. A nano-enhanced composition was converted into a so-called “ready-to-use” formulation by means of a solid-state pre-dispersion process using ball-milling. The process yielded a nearly dust-free, free-flowing powder containing agglomerated particles, which can easily be mixed with water. The preparation of a coating formulation using the ready-to-use granules and its upscaling for roll-to-roll converting at pilot- and semi-industrial scale was also successfully implemented. The effects of both the production at various scales and ultrasound treatment on the morphology and barrier performance of the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, as well as oxygen permeability measurements. Results have shown that the addition of nanoclays to WPI-based coating formulations ultimately led to significantly reduced oxygen permeabilities to 0.59 cm3, 100 µm·m−2·d−1·bar−1 (barrier improvement factor, BIF of 5.4) and 0.62 cm3, 100 µm·m−2·d−1·bar−1 (BIF of 5.1) in cases of pilot- and semi-industrial-processed coatings, respectively, compared to a reference without nanoclay. In both cases, a similar degree of nanoparticle orientation was achieved. It was concluded that the solid state pre-dispersion of the nanoplatelets during the production of the ready-to-use formulation is the predominant process determining the ultimate degree of nanoparticle orientation and dispersion state
Toxicity of ionizing radiation (IR) in a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived 3D early neurodevelopmental model
No full textPrenatal brain development is a complex and sensitive process, highly susceptible to environmental influences such as pollutants, stress, malnutrition, drugs, tobacco exposure, or ionizing radiation (IR). Disturbances in development may cause life-long disabilities and diseases, such as ADHD, childhood cancers, cognitive problems, depression, anxiety and more severe developmental disabilities. Due to increasing medical imaging, radiation therapy, natural terrestrial radiation, radioactive pollution and long-distance flights, humans are increasingly exposed to IR. However, data on impact of IR on very early human brain development are scarce, particularly in the very first weeks of gestation. Here we investigated the effects of low-dose X-ray IR (1 Gy) in a 3D early brain developmental model derived from human pluripotent stem cells. In this model very early neural stem cells, neuroectodermal progenitor cells (NEP), were exposed to low-dose IR and direct as well as delayed effects were investigated. Expression of 20 different marker genes crucial for normal neural development was determined 48 h and 9 days post IR (pIR). All but one of the analyzed marker genes were reduced 48 h after IR, and all but seven genes normalized their expression by day 9 pIR. Among the seven markers were genes involved in neurodevelopmental and growth abnormalities. Moreover, we could show that stemness of the NEP was reduced after IR. We were thus able to identify a significant impact of radiation in cells surviving low-dose IR, suggesting that low-dose IR could have a negative impact on the early developing human brain, with potential later detrimental effects
Intelligente Verpackungen im Lebensmittelsektor
No full textEntwicklungen zum Thema Nachhaltigkeit, zu verbesserter Produktsicherheit und höheren Qualitätsstandards sind in allen Bereichen der Life Science Technologien bedeutend. Diese Themen werden in der Lebensmittelindustrie unter anderem durch den Einsatz intelligenter Verpackungskonzepte umgesetzt. Intelligente Verpackungen sorgen für die fortwährende Überwachung der Qualität eines Produkts und übermitteln die entsprechenden Informationen an den Kunden. Dadurch können Lebensmittelabfälle reduziert und die Zufriedenheit des Kunden erhöht werden. Je nach abgepacktem Produkt werden unterschiedliche Arten intelligenter Verpackungstechnologien verwendet. Momentan wird zwischen den drei Hauptgruppen Datenträger, Indikatoren und Sensoren unterschieden. Obwohl diese derzeit kaum verbreitet sind, ist ihr Potenzial bereits weithin bekannt