Two highly divergent alcohol dehydrogenases of melon exhibit fruit ripening-specific expression and distinct biochemical characteristics

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) participate in the biosynthetic pathway of aroma volatiles in fruit by interconverting aldehydes to alcohols and providing substrates for the formation of esters. Two highly divergent ADH genes (15% identity at the amino acid level) of Cantaloupe Charentais melon (Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis) have been isolated. Cm-ADH1 belongs to the medium-chain zinc-binding type of ADHs and is highly similar to all ADH genes expressed in fruit isolated so far. Cm-ADH2 belongs to the short-chain type of ADHs. The two encoded proteins are enzymatically active upon expression in yeast. Cm-ADH1 has strong preference for NAPDH as a co-factor, whereas Cm-ADH2 preferentially uses NADH. Both Cm-ADH proteins are much more active as reductases with Kms 10–20 times lower for the conversion of aldehydes to alcohols than for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes. They both show strong preference for aliphatic aldehydes but Cm-ADH1 is capable of reducing branched aldehydes such as 3-methylbutyraldehyde, whereas Cm-ADH2 cannot. Both Cm-ADH genes are expressed specifically in fruit and up-regulated during ripening. Gene expression as well as total ADH activity are strongly inhibited in antisense ACC oxidase melons and in melon fruit treated with the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating a positive regulation by ethylene. These data suggest that each of the Cm-ADH protein plays a specific role in the regulation of aroma biosynthesis in melon fruit

Spreadsheet Framework for Visual Exploration of Biomedical Datasets

In this paper, we present our spreadsheet framework, which uses a spreadsheet-likeinterface for exploring biomedical datasets. The principles and advantages of this classof visualization systems are illustrated, and a case study for the analysis of hip jointcongruity is presented. Throughout this use case, we see how end users can comparedifferent datasets, apply parallel operations on data, create analysis templates, andhow this helps them in the exploration process

Quality of Life and Clinical Evaluation of Calcaneoplasty with a Balloon System for Calcaneal Fracture at 5 Years of Follow-Up

Calcaneal fractures are a challenging clinical problem. Management of this type of injury remains controversial, especially in the context of intra-articular fractures. Surgical treatment with open reduction and internal synthesis (ORIF) is considered the standard treatment for CF, but it is associated with many complications. Several minimally invasive techniques such as balloon-assisted reduction, pin fixation, and tricalcium phosphate augmentation have been proposed to avoid the frequent and recurrent postoperative problems related to these fractures. We retrospectively examined 20 patients (mean age was 54.5), all undergoing minimally invasive calcaneoplasty surgery at our Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology between 2012 and 2016. X-ray and CT scan were performed preoperatively and at 5 years of follow-up (57.9 ± 6 months). The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score was used for clinical examination, and the Short-Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to assess the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). All 20 patients were available at the final follow-up. The mean AOFAS score was 82.25/100. The VAS results attest an overall average of 2.7/10 (0-9). The average of the parameters "Physical Health"and "Mental Health"was, respectively, 81.25 and 83.55. In terms of postoperative complications, we observed no cases of superficial or deep infections. Clinical response after balloon-assisted reduction, pin fixation, and tricalcium phosphate augmentation has shown a comparable or better outcome according to the AOFAS and VAS score. Quality-of-life scores, obtained according to the SF-36 questionnaire, are considered high. From both a clinical and quality-of-life point of view, our study highlights that there is not gender distinction. Further comparative studies with a higher number of patients are needed which assess the quality of life in the various techniques used to treat calcaneal fractures

Multi-Finger Haptic Rendering of Deformable Objects, In. Tenth Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments

The present paper describes the integration of a multi-finger haptic device with deformable objects in an interactive environment. Repulsive forces are synthesized and rendered independently for each finger of a user wearing a Cybergrasp force-feedback glove. Deformation and contact models are based on mass-spring systems, and the issue of the user independence is dealt with through a geometric calibration phase. Motivated by the knowledge that human hand plays a very important role in the somatosensory system, we focused on the potential of the Cybergrasp device to improve perception in Virtual Reality worlds. We especially explored whether it is possible to distinguish objects with different elasticities. Results of performance and perception tests are encouraging despite current technical and computational limitations

Phenolic and furanic compounds of Portuguese chestnut and French, American and Portuguese oak wood chips

Botanical species used on aging process must be wisely and judiciously chosen, and for this selection, a basic knowledge of the chemical composition of woods is warranted. Aiming to contribute to extend the knowledge of the chemical composition of several wood species useful for enological purposes, we have focused our studies on Portuguese chestnut and French, American and Portuguese oak chips. The profile of low molecular weight phenolic composition of these chips was achieved, using an optimized extraction method based on pressurized liquid extraction, followed by the quantification of phenolic acids, phenolic aldehydes and furanic derivatives by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD). The identification of those compounds was also confirmed by LC-DAD/ESI-MS. This study allowed the determination of the low molecular phenolic composition of Portuguese chestnut and French, American and Portuguese oak wood. According to our results, the influence of the botanical species seems to be more relevant than the geographic origin of the wood species

Gene expression profiles in human HepG2 cells treated with extracts of the Tamarindus indica fruit pulp

Tamarindus indicaL. (T. indica) or locally known as asam jawa belongs to the family of Leguminosae. The fruit pulp had been reported to have antioxidant activities and possess hypolipidaemic effects. In this study, we attempted to investigate the gene expression patterns in human hepatoma HepG2 cell line in response to treatment with low concentration of the fruit pulp extracts. Microarray analysis using Affymetrix Human Genome 1.0 S.T arrays was used in the study. Microarray data were validated using semi-quantitative RT–PCR and real-time RT–PCR. Amongst the significantly up-regulated genes were those that code for the metallothioneins (MT1M, MT1F, MT1X) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTA1, GSTA2, GST02) that are involved in stress response. APOA4, APOA5, ABCG5 and MTTP genes were also significantly regulated that could be linked to hypolipidaemic activities of the T. indica fruit pulp

Microarray analysis revealed different gene expression patterns in HepG2 cells treated with low and high concentrations of the extracts of Anacardium occidentale shoots

In this study, the effects of low and high concentrations of the Anacardium occidentale shoot extracts on gene expression in liver HepG2 cells were investigated. From MTT assays, the concentration of the shoot extracts that maintained 50% cell viability (IC50) was 1.7 mg/ml. Cell viability was kept above 90% at both 0.4 mg/ml and 0.6 mg/ml of the extracts. The three concentrations were subsequently used for the gene expression analysis using Affymetrix Human Genome 1.0 S.T arrays. The microarray data were validated using real-time qRT–PCR. A total of 246, 696 and 4503 genes were significantly regulated (P < 0.01) by at least 1.5-fold in response to 0.4, 0.6 and 1.7 mg/ml of the extracts, respectively. Mutually regulated genes in response to the three concentrations included CDKN3, LOC100289612, DHFR, VRK1, CDC6, AURKB and GABRE. Genes like CYP24A1, BRCA1, AURKA, CDC2, CDK2, CDK4 and INSR were significantly regulated at 0.6 mg/ml and 1.7 mg but not at 0.4 mg/ml. However, the expression of genes including LGR5, IGFBP3, RB1, IDE, LDLR, MTTP, APOB, MTIX, SOD2 and SOD3 were exclusively regulated at the IC50 concentration. In conclusion, low concentrations of the extracts were able to significantly regulate a sizable number of genes. The type of genes that were expressed was highly dependent on the concentration of the extracts used