Effect of different concentrations of stem juice of Oxalis tuberosa Mol. and juice of the fruit of Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer on the antioxidant activity of the heat-treated functional beverage / Efeito de diferentes concentrações de suco do caule de Oxalis tuberosa Mol. e de suco do fruto de Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer sobre a atividade antioxidante da bebida funcional tratada termicamente

Abstract Functional beverages with added health benefits are popular among peoples and athletes because they help them recover faster from intense workouts and perform better overall. This research set out to determine how well heat-treated stem juice from Oxalis tuberosa Mol. "oca" and fruit juice from Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer "laqa-laqa" performed as an antioxidant in a functional drink. The "oca" stems and the "laqa-laqa" fruit were collected to obtain the juice. For this study, 30 semi-trained panellists used sensory evaluation to rate four treatments (Bo, B1, B2, and B3) with varying quantities of "oca" and "laqa-laqa" juice. The results concluded that the treatment B2, which included 300 ml of "oca" stem juice, 800 ml of "laqa-laqa" juice, 1000 ml of treated water, and 220 g of refined sugar, was given the highest score after a physicochemical evaluation of its colour, smell, taste, and overall appearance. Similarly, the results showed that the protein content increased by 1.38%, the fat content by 1.08%, the moisture percentage by 99.5%, the ash content by 1.82%, and the carbohydrate content by 6.22% after B2 treatment. Similarly, results revealed significant enhancement in antioxidant profiling such as total polyphenols: 1825 mg of gallic acid/100 g and antioxidant Activity: 89.56% μmol of trolox /100 g. In conclusion, due to its high energy content and antioxidant activity, it may be a viable nutritional option for athletes who engage in rigorous, frequent physical exertion.

Resumo As bebidas funcionais com benefícios adicionais à saúde são populares entre as pessoas e os atletas porque os ajudam a se recuperar mais rapidamente de exercícios intensos e a ter um desempenho geral melhor. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo determinar o quão beneficamente o suco do caule tratado termicamente de Oxalis tuberosa Mol. "oca" e o suco de fruta de Gaultheria glomerata (Cav.) Sleumer "laqa-laqa" atuaram como antioxidante em bebida funcional. Os caules da "oca" e os frutos da "laqa-laqa" foram coletados para a obtenção do suco. Para este estudo, 30 provadores semitreinados usaram a avaliação sensorial para avaliar quatro tratamentos (B0, B1, B2 e B3) com quantidades variadas de suco de "oca" e "laqa-laqa". Os resultados indicaram que o tratamento B2, que incluía 300 mL de suco de caule de "oca", 800 mL de suco de "laqa-laqa", 1.000 mL de água tratada e 220 g de açúcar refinado, obteve a maior pontuação após avaliação físico-química e avaliação de cor, cheiro, sabor e aparência geral. Da mesma forma, os resultados mostraram que o teor de proteína aumentou em 1,38%, o teor de gordura, em 1,08%, o percentual de umidade, em 99,5%, o teor de cinzas, em 1,82%, e o teor de carboidratos, em 6,22%, após o tratamento B2. Da mesma forma, os resultados revelaram aumento significativo no perfil antioxidante, como polifenóis totais: 1.825 mg de ácido gálico/100 g e atividade antioxidante de 89,56% μmol de trolox /100 g. Em conclusão, devido ao seu alto teor energético e à atividade antioxidante, pode ser uma opção nutricional viável para atletas que praticam esforço físico rigoroso e frequente.

Nanoscopic Characterization of Starch Biofilms Extracted from the Andean Tubers Ullucus tuberosus, Tropaeolum tuberosum, Oxalis tuberosa, and Solanum tuberosum.

The replacement of synthetic polymers by starch biofilms entails a significant potentiality. They are non-toxic materials, biodegradable, and relatively easy to gather from several sources. However, various applications may require physicochemical properties that might prevent the use of some types of starch biofilms. Causes should be explored at the nanoscale. Here we present an atomic force microscopy surface analysis of starch biofilms extracted from the Andean tubers melloco (Ullucus tuberosus), mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum), oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and potato (Solanum tuberosum) and relate the results to the macroscopic effects of moisture content, water activity, total soluble matter, water vapor permeability, elastic properties, opacity and IR absorption. Characterization reveals important differences at the nanoscale between the starch-based biofilms examined. Comparison permitted correlating macroscopic properties observed to the topography and tapping phase contrast segregation at the nanoscale. For instance, those samples presenting granular topography and disconnected phases at the nanoscale are associated with less elastic strength and more water molecule affinity. As an application example, we propose using the starch biofilms developed as a matrix to dispose of mouthwash and discover that melloco films are quite appropriate for this purpose.

Quality and Variability of Physical Therapy Protocols Varies Widely for Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Condyles.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality and variability of osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation rehabilitation protocols associated with academic orthopedic programs in the United States. DESIGN: A systematic review was performed to collect all publicly available online rehabilitation protocols for femoral condyle OCA transplant from US academic orthopedic programs participating in the Electronic Residency Application Service. These protocols were evaluated for inclusion of different rehabilitation components as well as timing of suggested initiation of these activities. RESULTS: A total of 22 protocols were included. Although 91% of protocols recommended bracing, wide variation exists in total time of utilization. Median time for full weight bearing (FWB) was 7 weeks (range 4-8). On average, each protocol mentioned 9 (range 2-18) different strengthening exercises. The median time suggested to return to high-impact activities was 9 months (range 8-12). Only 3 protocols (14%) offered criteria of advancement for each phase as well as criteria for discharge. CONCLUSION: Very few of the academic orthopedic programs have published online rehabilitation protocols following OCA transplantation. Although there is wide variation between the protocols, it allowed the identification of trends or patterns that are more common. However, there is need for more standardized evidence-based rehabilitation protocols which are easy to understand and follow by patients.

Oculocutaneous albinism type 1B associated with a functionally significant tyrosinase gene polymorphism detected with Whole Exome Sequencing.

Background: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a Mendelian disorder characterized by hypopigmentation of the skin, hair, and eyes, hypoplastic fovea, and low vision, known to be caused by mutations in the Tyrosinase (TYR) gene. Among the known TYR variants, some reduce but do not completely eliminate tyrosinase activity, allowing residual production of melanin and resulting in a contradictory assignment as either pathogenic or benign, preventing a precise clinical diagnostic.Materials and Methods: In the present work, we performed Whole Exome Sequencing and subsequent Sanger sequencing in a young male clinically diagnosed with OCA.Results: Whole-exome sequencing analysis revealed the identification of two variants in trans in TYR. The first, corresponds to a known pathogenic variant G47D, while the second S192Y, was considered a polymorphism due to its relatively high frequency in the European population.Conclusion: The lack of other pathogenic variants in TYR, the reported reduced enzymatic activity (ca. 40% respect to wt) for S192Y, together with the structural in-silico analysis strongly suggest that both reported variants are jointly disease-causing and that S192Y should be considered as likely pathogenic, especially when it is found in trans with a null variant.

Ovarian carcinoma: pathology review with an emphasis in their molecular characteristics.

Ovarian carcinoma is highly aggressive and difficult to treat neoplasm, which is usually detected in advanced stages where most patients recur. Extensive investigation about several treatment modalities has been performed but this neoplasm has poor benefits from such treatments including targeted therapy. Recent data have begun to highlight the histological and molecular heterogeneity of these tumors defining this neoplasm, not as a single disease but a group of heterogeneous histological subtypes with important differences in terms of genetics, morphology, oncogenesis, prognosis, chemosensitivity and especially molecular characteristics that are likely to be targets of new molecules. In general, high-grade serous carcinomas are characterized by great genomic instability and frequent amplifications and deletions; lowgrade ovarian neoplasms are genomically stable. On this phytopathogenic basis, recent findings suggest a dual model of carcinogenesis consisting of two large groups named types I and II. Type I cancers (serous, mucinous, and low-grade endometrioid) commonly arise from well-described, genetically stable precursor lesions (usually borderline tumors); manifests as large adnexal masses with the early-stage disease, and they have a good overall prognosis. In contrast, type II carcinomas (serous, high-grade endometrioid, mixed, and undifferentiated carcinomas) originate de novo from the adnexal epithelium, often demonstrate chromosomal instability, and have aggressive biological behavior. Surprisingly, most of the genomic abnormalities detected encode known oncogenic proteins for which there is targeted therapy. Then, there is a real potential for personalized medicine adapted to the molecular portrait of tumors. In this review, I synthesize the histology and molecular pathology of ovarian carcinomas and possible strategies to reach targeted therapy.

Behavioral and genetic color vision evaluation of an albino male capuchin monkey (Sapajus apella).

Albinism is a rare phenotype that affects the pigmentation in eyes, hair, and skin. The effects of albinism in color vision are still unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate the color vision phenotype and genotype of an albino capuchin monkey. An adult albino male capuchin monkey (Sapajus apella) had the L and M opsin gene analyzed, and was trained in a behavioral task of color discrimination. Color discrimination thresholds were determined along 20 chromatic axes around the background chromaticity. A color discrimination ellipse was drawn by interpolation among these thresholds. The albino monkey's behavioral color discrimination ellipse showed poor discrimination along the red-green axis indicating a deutan phenotype. Genetic analysis revealed only the presence of the L gene in the albino monkey. This result did not differ from that obtained with ten previously tested non-albino monkeys. Behavioral and molecular analyses agreed that the albino capuchin monkey had color vision similar to that of non-albino dichromat monkeys, suggesting no influence of albinism on color discrimination.

Biodegradable foam tray based on starches isolated from different Peruvian species.

Starch was isolated from three Andean-native crops - arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) - for use as a raw material for the production of foam trays. The starches were characterized in their proximal composition, crystallinity, microstructure and thermal properties. The sweet potato starch showed the highest amylose content (42.65%) and the lowest protein content (0.30%). The oca starch granules were larger (10-30 µm) than sweet potato and arracacha starch. The highest crystallinity of sweet potato starch caused larger values of onset temperature (To), peak temperature (Tp), conclusion temperature (Tc) (67.64 °C, 72.83 °C, and 81.20 °C, respectively) than arracacha and oca starch. The novel foam trays showed good appearance, adequate expansion, and low density; however, all foam trays showed a water absorption capacity >50%, which was related to their porosity and low density. Also, sweet potato and oca starch trays showed high tensile strength (0.67 and 0.65 MPa, respectively) compared with arracacha starch trays (0.52 MPa).

Mc1r gene in Astroblepus pholeter and Astyanax mexicanus: Convergent regressive evolution of pigmentation across cavefish species.

Cave-adapted organisms are often characterized by a reduction in pigmentation, eyesight, and enhanced mechanosensory functions. Previous studies have described the genetic basis for a depigmented phenotype in multiple independent populations of the Blind Mexican Tetra, Astyanax mexicanus; the reduction in melanin content (brown; Mc1r). At least seven wild populations express the brown phenotype. In three populations, there are two different coding sequence alterations affecting Mc1r and the remaining four populations show the accumulation of sequence mutations affecting the 5' regulatory region. Thus, the Mc1r gene has been the repeated and independent location of mutations in Astyanax. As such, it would appear that this gene is a target during regressive evolution of cave adapted organisms. If this is the case, it would be expected that other cave adapted fish would have mutations in the same gene. We study here the stygobitic catfish Astroblepus pholeter, a depigmented fish found within some river caves in Ecuador. A. pholeter displays mutations in ultra-conserved areas of the pigment-controlling gene, Mc1r, that have been linked to pigment regulation in other organisms. It is thus concluded that Mc1r, a gene known to control pigment variation in many organisms, may be the target of cavernicole regressive evolution across species in different families of fish.

CRISPR mutagenesis confirms the role of oca2 in melanin pigmentation in Astyanax mexicanus.

Understanding the genetic basis of trait evolution is critical to identifying the mechanisms that generated the immense amount of diversity observable in the living world. However, genetically manipulating organisms from natural populations with evolutionary adaptations remains a significant challenge. Astyanax mexicanus exists in two interfertile forms, a surface-dwelling form and multiple independently evolved cave-dwelling forms. Cavefish have evolved a number of morphological and behavioral traits and multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses have been performed to identify loci underlying these traits. These studies provide a unique opportunity to identify and test candidate genes for these cave-specific traits. We have leveraged the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing techniques to characterize the effects of mutations in oculocutaneous albinism II (oca2), a candidate gene hypothesized to be responsible for the evolution of albinism in A. mexicanus cave populations. We generated oca2 mutant surface A. mexicanus. Surface fish with oca2 mutations are albino due to a disruption in the first step of the melanin synthesis pathway, the same step that is disrupted in albino cavefish. Hybrid offspring from crosses between oca2 mutant surface and cavefish are albino, definitively demonstrating the role of this gene in the evolution of albinism in this species. This research elucidates the role oca2 plays in pigmentation in fish, and establishes that this gene is solely responsible for the evolution of albinism in multiple cavefish populations. Finally, it demonstrates the utility of using genome editing to investigate the genetic basis of trait evolution.

Associations of OCA2-HERC2 SNPs and haplotypes with human pigmentation characteristics in the Brazilian population.

Panels composed of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to pigmentation, when associated with different phenotypes, may assist in predicting the physical appearance of an individual, being very useful in forensic caseworks. We evaluated the association of seven OCA2-HERC2 SNPs and haplotypes with pigmentation characteristics (eye, skin, hair and freckles) in the highly admixed and phenotypically heterogeneous Brazilian population. All the seven SNPs evaluated presented one allele associated with phenotypes from at least two pigmentation features and the alternative allele associated with the opposite phenotypes from the same trait. The genotypic associations followed the same pattern for all seven SNPs. Nine haplotypes were observed in our sample and eight were associated with at least two pigmentation traits. Such SNPs and haplotypes could be deemed as good predictors for the presence of freckles and for skin, eye and hair pigmentation in the Brazilian population.

Evolutionary Genetics of the Cavefish Astyanax mexicanus.

Blind and depigmented fish belonging to the species Astyanax mexicanus are outstanding models for evolutionary genetics. During their evolution in the darkness of caves, they have undergone a number of changes at the morphological, physiological, and behavioral levels, but they can still breed with their river-dwelling conspecifics. The fertile hybrids between these two morphotypes allow forward genetic approaches, from the search of quantitative trait loci to the identification of the mutations underlying the evolution of troglomorphism. We review here the past 30years of evolutionary genetics on Astyanax: from the first crosses and the discovery of convergent evolution of different Astyanax cavefish populations to the most recent evolutionary transcriptomics and genomics studies that have provided researchers with potential candidate genes to be tested using functional genetic approaches. Although significant progress has been made and some genes have been identified, cavefish have not yet fully revealed the secret of their adaptation to the absence of light. In particular, the genetic determinism of their loss of eyes seems complex and still puzzles researchers. We also discuss future research directions, including searches for the origin of cave alleles and searches for selection genome-wide, as well as the necessary but missing information on the timing of cave colonization by surface fish.

Confecção de prótese ocular oca: nova proposta / The cavus ocular prostheses: a new pourpose

Na busca de próteses oculares mais leves para reabilitação de perdas oculares amplas, em que uma prótese ocular convencional poderia causar deiscência do fórnix inferior e adaptação precária, este trabalho sugere nova técnica para confecção de prótese ocular indicada para esses casos que mostrou sua aplicabilidade clínica em dados estatísticos satisfatórios.

In the search for a lighter ocular prosthesis to rehabilitate broad eye losses, where a conventional ocular prosthesis could cause lower fornix dehiscence and precarious adaptation, this paper suggests a new technique for ocular prosthesis confection indicated in such cases, showing its clinical applicability in a satisfactory statistical data.

Avaliação do desempenho operacional de dialisadores de fibra oca de polietersulfona em condições de usos múltiplos / Evaluation of the performance of hollow-fiber hemodialyzers with a polyethersulfone membrane in multiple use conditions

Introdução: A qualidade do tratamento hemodialítico depende das características da membrana utilizada. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o desempenho de dialisadores de fibra oca de polietersulfona na condição de usos múltiplos. Métodos: Trinta pacientes em programa de diálise, previamente dialisados com membranas de polisulfona, passaram a ser dialisados com membranas de polietersulfona. Os filtros foram reutilizados através de técnicas de reprocessamento automático. As concentrações de uréia, creatinina, fósforo e β2microglobulina (β2MG) foram avaliadas no 1º, 6º, 12º e 18º usos. A eficiência da diálise foi avaliada pelo Kt/V de uréia. Resultados: Nove filtros apresentaram ruptura da membrana durante o reprocessamento, tendo sido o problema resolvido após ajustes na pressão de água na sala de reuso. Um paciente foi excluído por apresentar trombose da fístula arteriovenosa. Vinte pacientes completaram o estudo, nos quais a concentração pré-diálise de uréia, creatinina, fósforo e o Kt/V não se modificaram durante a realização doestudo. Entretanto, houve uma redução significativa no nível sérico de β2MG pré-diálise após a troca para os dialisadores de polietersulfona (42,5±6,8 vs 27,6±3,1mg/dL; p<0,05). Ocorreu, também, uma redução média de 28% no nível sérico pré e pós-diálise de β2MG, sendo que a intensidade dessa redução não foi influenciada pelo reuso do capilar. Conclusões: Nosso estudo mostra que o reuso de dialisadores com membrana de polietersulfona não se associa com redução do desempenho do filtro. O nível sérico pré-diálise de β2MG se reduziu após a transferência de polisulfona para polietersulfona, sendo que essa redução não foi influenciada pelo reuso do filtro.

Introduction: The quality of the hemodialysis therapy depends on the properties of the dialyzer membrane. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of hollow fiber hemodialyzers with polyethersulfone membranes in conditions of multiple use. Methods: Thirty patients on maintenance hemodialysis were switched from polysulfone to polyethersulfone membranes. The filters were reused by automatic techniques of dialyzer reuse. The blood urea, creatinine, phosphorus and β2microglobulin (β2MG) concentrations were measured in the 1st, 6th, 12th and 18th use. The efficiency of the dialysis was evaluated by urea Kt/V. Results: Rupture of polyethersulfone membrane was observed in nine filters during reuse, and the problem was resolved after adjustments in the water pressure in the reuse room. One patient was excluded from the study due to thrombosis of the arteriovenous access. Twenty patients completed the study. For these patients, there were no changes in pre-dialysis blood urea, creatinine and phosphorus concentration during the study. Also, there was no difference in Kt/V. However, there was a significant reduction in pre-dialysis β2MG concentration after having switched to polyethersulfone membrane (42.5±6.8 vs. 27.6±3.1mg/dL; p<0.05). Furthermore, we observed a decrease of 28% between pre and post dialysis β2MG concentration, and no relationship between β2MG concentration pre and post dialysis and dialyzer reuse. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the reuse of the polyethersulfone hemodialyzer is not associated with changes in performance of the filter. Neither the predialysis β2MG concentration decrease after switching the patient from polysulfone to polyethersulfone membrane nor the intensity of this reduction is influenced by filter reuse.