Age-related differences of microRNA-21 in leukocytes and its association with physical performance

INTRODUCTION: Several studies suggest chronic inflammation as an underlying biological mechanism for the decline in physical performance of elderly (Cesari et al., 2004; Tiainen et al., 2010). Moreover, it has been shown that habitual exercise ameliorates the higher proinflammatory gene expression in leukocytes of elderly (Gano et al., 2011). Within the last years several microRNAs (short, non-coding RNAs) have been demonstrated to regulate gene expression also in the context of exercise immunology (Wessner et al., 2010). Interestingly, some of these microRNAs (miRs) such as miR-21 and miR-146 are involved in pathways important for ageing as well as inflammatory processes (Olivieri et al. 2012). Therefore, the main aims of the current study were (1) to investigate whether miR-21 and miR-146 levels in leukocytes are affected by age and (2) to correlate performance levels of elderly to miR gene expression levels. METHODS: Healthy young (n=7, age: 25.28 ± 2.3 years) and old (n=25, age: 83.40 ± 5.63 years) females participated in the study. After an overnight fast, leukocytes were isolated from heparinized blood using BD Vacutainer CPT tubes. miR-21 and miR146 gene expression in leukocytes was determined by quantitative RT-PCR using miScript Primer Assays (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Additonally, leukocyte numbers and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, hs-IL6, IL1-ra) were quantified. In order to relate potential inflammtaory markers to the fitness level of the elderly, several functional tests were performed (handgrip, 6min walking test, chair-rise test, isokinetic measurement of knee extension and flexion). Differences between groups were detected by unpaired t-tests. Correlations between markers were characterized using Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Interestingly, miR-21 expression in leukocytes was significantly enhanced in the elderly (+55.1%, p=0.036) while miR-146a levels were not affected by age (p=0.492). However, miR-21 correlated signifantly with hs-CRP levels (r=0.352; p=0.033), we did not detect any associations between miR-21 expression and performance parameters of the elderly: Handgrip (r=0.533; p=0.121), 6-min Walking Test (r=0.231; p=0.220), Chair Rise (r=0.336; p=0.070), Peak Torque knee extension (r=0.589; p=0.105) as well as flexion (r=0.203; p=0.291). CONCLUSION: In conclusion these preliminary results show that miR-21 seems to be enhanced with age but not influenced by fitness level of the elderly. Gene targets of miR-21 have been identified in the TGF-β signaling pathway. Therefore, next steps would be to associate the changes in miR-21with its potential targets to further elucidate its role in the ageing process

Polyester Polyols from Waste PET Bottles for Polyurethane Rigid Foams

This paper describes a modified process to produce polyester polyols from PET wastes derived from the “bottle fraction residue” of the German Dual System (DSD) [11] employing a waste oligoester condensate of the polyesterification process with the addition of some glycols of longer chain and occasional modification with further dicarboxylic acids to produce polyester polyols of a broad range of properties which are further reacted to form polyurethane or polyisocyanurate rigid foams for insulation, construction materials, or coatings

Oligonucleotide microarray for identification of Enterococcus species

For detection of most members of the Enterococcaceae, the specificity of a novel oligonucleotide microarray (ECC-PhyloChip) consisting of 41 hierarchically nested 16S or 23S rRNA gene-targeted probes was evaluated with 23 pure cultures (including 19 Enterococcus species). Target nucleic acids were prepared by PCR amplification of a 4.5-kb DNA fragment containing large parts of the 16S and 23S rRNA genes and were subsequently labeled fluorescently by random priming. Each tested member of the Enterococcaceae was correctly identified on the basis of its unique microarray hybridization pattern. The evaluated ECC-PhyloChip was successfully applied for identification of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis in artificially contaminated milk samples demonstrating the utility of the ECC-PhyloChip for parallel identification and differentiation of Enterococcus species in food sample

Promotion Activities in the Implementation of Digital Media at Vocational Schools: Empirical Results of an Interview Study

Die digitale Transformation erfordert von Schulen einen weitreichenden Wandel auf verschiedenen Ebenen, um digitale Medien als Innovation in den Unterrichtsalltag zu integrieren. Dabei gilt es, verschiedene Dimensionen der Schulentwicklung ganzheitlich anzusprechen. Bei derartigen inkrementellen Veränderungsprozessen einer Organisation können Barrieren auftreten, die den Innovationsprozess bremsen. Promotoren überwinden durch intensive und aktive Förderung der Innovation diese Barrieren. Dazu zählen Aktivitäten des Fach-, Macht-, Prozess- und Beziehungspromotors. Auf Basis einer Interviewstudie an 16 Berufsschulen in Baden-Württemberg (n=46) wird die Bedeutung und Ausgestaltung von Promotionsaktivitäten für den Implementationsprozess digitaler Medien an Schulen beleuchtet. Es zeigt sich, dass der Fachpromotor (z. B. Weitergabe von Wissen durch interne Schulungen) die grösste Rolle im Innovationsprozess der betrachteten Schulen spielt. Die Rolle des Machtpromotors bezieht sich auf die Bereitstellung von Ressourcen (z. B. finanzielle Mittel) und Schaffung günstiger Rahmenbedingungen. Der Prozesspromotor übernimmt überwiegend planerische und koordinierende Aufgaben und bringt beteiligte Akteure der Schule zusammen. Am wenigsten Bedeutung wird dem Beziehungspromotor beigemessen. Das Anregen und Pflegen von Kooperationen mit anderen Schulen oder Ausbildungsbetrieben wird von den Berufsschulen nur punktuell fokussiert, wobei genau diese externen Impulse wichtige Anreize zur Weiterentwicklung der eigenen Schule liefern können. Darauf aufbauend werden Handlungsempfehlungen zum Implementationsprozess digitaler Medien für Schulen und Bildungspolitik abgeleitet.The digital transformation requires schools to change extensively at different levels in order to integrate digital media as an innovation into teaching. This involves addressing various dimensions of school development in a holistic sense. In such incremental change processes of an organisation, barriers can arise that slow down the innovation process. Promoters overcome these barriers through intensive and active promotion of innovation. These include expert promoter, power promoter, process promoter and relationship promoter activities. Based on an interview study at 16 vocational schools in Baden-Wurttemberg (n=46), the significance and design of promoter activities for the implementation process of digital media at schools is analysed. It is shown that the expert promoter (e.g. transfer of knowledge through internal training) plays the largest role in the innovation process of the schools considered. The role of the power promoter refers to the provision of resources (e.g. financial resources) and the creation of conductive conditions. The process promoter mainly takes on planning and coordinating tasks and brings together the school actors involved. The least importance is attached to the relationship promoter. The vocational schools focus only selectively on initiating and maintaining cooperation with other schools or training companies, although it is precisely these external impulses that can provide important stimuli for the further development of their own schools. Based on this, recommendations for the implementation process of digital media for schools and education policy are derived

Associations between Prediagnostic Circulating Bilirubin Levels and Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers in the UK Biobank

Evidence from experimental studies suggests that bilirubin, a metabolic by-product of hemoglobin breakdown, has anticancer activity and may, therefore, reduce the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. We conducted a prospective study among 440,948 participants in the UK Biobank and found that higher prediagnostic circulating bilirubin levels were robustly associated with a lower risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is compatible with the antioxidant hypothesis of bilirubin. We further observed negative associations between bilirubin and risk of colorectal cancer, which were less robust and could be due to reverse causality, whereby undiagnosed cancer affects bilirubin levels. The observed positive associations between bilirubin and risk of hepatobiliary cancers may indicate underlying liver disease processes. No associations were found for cancers of the mouth, stomach, and pancreas. Bilirubin is a novel biomarker for disease development that is routinely measured in clinical settings. Provided that our findings are replicated in further studies, circulating bilirubin could serve as a future risk stratification marker for certain GI cancers. We investigated associations between serum levels of bilirubin, an endogenous antioxidant, and gastrointestinal cancer risk. In the UK Biobank, prediagnostic serum levels of total bilirubin were measured in blood samples collected from 440,948 participants. In multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between bilirubin levels and gastrointestinal cancer risk (colorectum, esophagus, stomach, mouth, pancreas, and liver). After a median follow-up of 7.1 years (interquartile range: 1.4), 5033 incident gastrointestinal cancer cases were recorded. In multivariable-adjusted models, bilirubin levels were negatively associated with risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC, HR per 1-SD increment in log-total bilirubin levels 0.72, 95%CI 0.56-0.92, p = 0.01). Weak and less robust negative associations were observed for colorectal cancer (CRC, HR per 1-SD increment in log-total bilirubin levels 0.95, 95%CI 0.88-1.02, p = 0.14). Bilirubin levels were positively associated with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, HR per 1-SD increment in log-total bilirubin levels 2.07, 95%CI 1.15-3.73, p = 0.02) and intrahepatic bile duct (IBD) cancer (HR per 1-SD increment 1.67, 95%CI 1.07-2.62, p = 0.03). We found no associations with risks of stomach, oral, and pancreatic cancers. Prediagnostic serum levels of bilirubin were negatively associated with risk of EAC and positively associated with HCC and IBD cancer. Further studies are warranted to replicate our findings for specific GI cancers

Exploring the health benefits of raw white garlic consumption in humans: A mini review

Introduction: Raw white garlic, a fundamental food in both culinary and medicinal practices globally, has gained attention for its potential health benefits. Despite widespread use, clinical research has predominantly focused on aged black garlic or garlic extracts, leaving raw white garlic consumption in humans underexplored. This mini review aims to summarize the evidence from clinical and observational studies on the health effects of raw white garlic consumption. Methods: A search in PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted to identify clinical and observational studies on raw white garlic consumption. Twelve clinical trials and 10 observational studies meeting the predefined inclusion criteria were selected for review. Results: Results from clinical trials revealed diverse health effects of raw garlic consumption, including improved lipid profiles, blood pressure regulation, fibrinolytic activity, antioxidant status, and glucose metabolism. Observational studies reported the association of raw garlic consumption with improvements of important health outcomes, including cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, insulin homeostasis, and liver function. However, both clinical and observational studies were heterogenous in design, participant characteristics, durations, and outcome measures. Observational studies were limited to Asian populations. Conclusion: While human studies indicate that raw garlic may exert various health benefits, larger randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up and cohort studies are needed to explore the full potential of raw garlic consumption in human health promotion. Our mini-review aims to summarize the currently available evidence on raw garlic consumption in humans