Abstract Coffee, one of the world’s most popular beverages, carries with it a large economic and environmental burden in the form of spent coffee grounds (SCG), the unutilized portion of the coffee bean left after brewing. However, while currently unrealized, this waste stream has the potential to be converted to various high-value bio-products. Potential uses for SCG range from energy, to nutraceuticals, and construction materials. This paper outlines the possible uses of SCG as a promising green source and reviews the most recent results from studies being done to valorize SCG.
Bio bašta predstavlja prostor koji čovek oblikuje tako da prirodi omogući uspostavljanje sopstvene ravnoteže. U takvom prostoru biljke, insekti i životinje žive u simbiozi, a bašta postaje izvor hrane ne samo za čoveka, već i za širi ekosistem. Rad razmatra nastanak, realizaciju i održavanje projekta bio bašte, kao i njegov uticaj na porodicu i zajednicu koje su u njemu učestvovale posredno ili neposredno. Projekat je razvijan tokom, približno, šest meseci, uz korišćenje prirodnih i recikliranih materijala, a inspiracija je pronađena na platformama Trag biljke i Pinterest. Bašta se sastoji od podignutih leja formiranih slojevitim organskim materijalima i podržanih pratećom sadnjom koja privlači oprašivače i korisne insekte, čime se održava ekološka ravnoteža. U slučajevima intervencije korišćeni su prirodni, domaći preparati. Pored ekološke funkcije, projekat ima i dublju socijalnu i obrazovnu dimenziju, jer podstiče zajedničko porodično vreme, učenje i razmenu znanja u zajednici, kao i stvaranje prostora mira u periodima društvene nestabilnosti. Rad ukazuje na to da priroda pruža sve neophodne resurse, da se vrednost zdrave hrane nalazi u deljenju i odgovornosti, te da održive prakse prevazilaze logiku pohlepe i granice „nemogućeg“.
Aptamers have been spotlighted as promising bio-recognition elements because they can be tailored to specific target molecules, bind to targets with a high affinity and specificity, and are easy to chemically synthesize and introduce functional groups to. In particular, fluorescent aptasensors are widely used in biological applications to diagnose diseases as well as prevent diseases by detecting cancer cells, viruses, and various biomarkers including nucleic acids and proteins as well as biotoxins and bacteria from food because they have the advantages of a high sensitivity, selectivity, rapidity, a simple detection process, and a low price. We introduce screening methods for isolating aptamers with q high specificity and summarize the sequences and affinities of the aptamers in a table. This review focuses on aptamer-based fluorescence detection sensors for biological applications, from fluorescent probes to mechanisms of action and signal amplification strategies.
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological endocrine and metabolic disorder. Chinese herbal medicine has some advantages in the treatment of PCOS with its unique theoretical system and rich clinical practice experiences. AIM OF THE STUDY The present study was to investigate the potential mechanisms of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula (BSJPF) on the treatment of PCOS. MATERIAL AND METHODS The combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS) rapid analysis, network pharmacology, molecular docking analysis and bio-experiments were firstly conducted to identify the main effective components of BSJPF, and to predict the potential mechanisms. The ovarian granulosa cell line (KGN) was treated with testosterone to construct the PCOS model in vitro, and the cells were further treated with the lyophilized powder of BSJPF. The levels of proliferation, autophagy and apoptosis were detected to explore the mechanisms of BSJPF on treating PCOS. RESULTS Firstly, thirty-six active compounds were identified in BSJPF and thirty-one potential targets on PCOS were found. Then, PI3K and PDK1 were verified to have good binding activity with the active compounds through molecular docking analysis. In bio-experiments, BSJPF significantly alleviated the arrested proliferation of KGN cells in G0/G1 phase and reduced the active levels of autophagy and apoptosis of KGN cells induced by testosterone. Additionally, the inhibition of autophagy diminished apoptosis, while the repression apoptosis enhanced autophagy. Finally, BSJPF significantly decreased the FOXO1 expression levels induced by testosterone, especially for nuclear FOXO1, and significantly activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSIONS BSJPF significantly alleviated the activated autophagy and apoptosis in KGN induced by testosterone through PI3K/AKT1/FOXO1pathway, which is an effective treatment for PCOS.
Victoria Sánchez-Martín, Esperanza López-López, Diego Reguero-Paredes
et al.
BACKGROUND Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is increasingly used for clinical decision-making in oncology. However, ctDNA could represent ≤ 0.1 % of cell-free DNA in early-stage tumors and its detection requires high-sensitive techniques such as digital PCR (dPCR). METHODS In 46 samples from patients with early-stage breast cancer, we compared two leading dPCR assays for ctDNA analysis: QX200 droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) system from Bio-Rad which is the gold-standard in the field, and Absolute Q plate-based digital PCR (pdPCR) system from Thermo Fisher Scientific which has not been reported before. We analyzed 5 mL of baseline plasma samples prior to any treatment. RESULTS Both systems displayed a comparable sensitivity with no significant differences observed in mutant allele frequency. In fact, ddPCR and pdPCR possessed a concordance > 90 % in ctDNA positivity. Nevertheless, ddPCR exhibited higher variability and a longer workflow. Finally, we explored the association between ctDNA levels and clinicopathological features. Significantly higher ctDNA levels were present in patients with a Ki67 score > 20 % or with estrogen receptor-negative or triple-negative breast cancer subtypes. CONCLUSION Both ddPCR and pdPCR may constitute sensitive and reliable tools for ctDNA analysis with an adequate agreement in early-stage breast cancer patients.