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Objective: Although postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) often complicates recovery from major surgery, the pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. We explored whether systemic inflammation, in response to surgical trauma, triggers hippocampal inflammation and subsequent memory impairment, in a mouse model of orthopedic surgery.Methods: C57BL/6J, knock out (lacking interleukin [IL]-1 receptor, IL-1R(-/-)) and wild type mice underwent surgery of the tibia under general anesthesia. Separate cohorts of animals were tested for memory function with fear conditioning tests, or euthanized at different times to assess levels of systemic and hippocampal cytokines and microglial activation; the effects of interventions, designed to interrupt inflammation (specifically and nonspecifically), were also assessed.Results: Surgery caused hippocampal-dependent memory impairment that was associated with increased plasma cytokines, as well as reactive microgliosis and IL-1beta transcription and expression in the hippocampus. Nonspecific attenuation of innate immunity with minocycline prevented surgery-induced changes. Functional inhibition of IL-1beta, both in mice pretreated with IL-1 receptor antagonist and in IL-1R(-/-) mice, mitigated the neuroinflammatory effects of surgery and memory dysfunction.Interpretation: A peripheral surgery-induced innate immune response triggers an IL-1beta-mediated inflammatory process in the hippocampus that underlies memory impairment. This may represent a viable target to interrupt the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to evaluate modified atmosphere effectiveness in minimally processed cauliflower aiming food safety maintenance for consumers, as conservation of product physical and chemical characteristics for better quality. Cauliflowers cv. Cindy were selected, washed, sanitized with sodium hypochlorite (200 mg L-1) and rinsed. After processing, they were immersed, one more time, in sodium hypochlorite solution (50 ppm) and dried by the air. Portions of 200 g were made and placed in different atmospheres: T1 = 0.05 % CO2 + 23 % O2; T2 = vacuum; T3 = tray of expanded polystyrene with polyvinyl chloride film (PVC) and T4 = 6 % CO2 + 4 % O2 + 90 % N2. The packages were stored in cold chamber at 5 ºC ± 1 and 85% ± 5 of relative humidity. Analysis were performed every two days and the evaluated traits were: loss of fresh mass, respiratory activity, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, reducing sugars, instrumental color, visual and microbiological analysis. The experimental design was completely randomized, in factorial design. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared using Tukey test at 5% of probability and regression analysis for storage period. Tray of expanded polystyrene with PVC delayed for two days product climacteric peak in relation to other modified atmosphere. Furthermore, it provided quality attributes maintenance. The best notes of visual appearance and the best intention of purchase were attributed to minimally processed cauliflower wrapped in modified atmosphere with 6% CO2. + 4% O2.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia da utilização da atmosfera modificada em couve-flor minimamente processada, visando manter a segurança do alimento ao consumidor, além das suas características físico-químicas, mantendo sua qualidade. Foi utilizada couve-flor cv. Cindy, a qual foi selecionada, lavada, higienizada com hipoclorito de sódio (200 mg L-1) e enxaguada. Após o processamento, foi novamente imersa em solução de hipoclorito de sódio (50 ppm) e seca ao ar. Em seguida porções de 200 g foram acondicionadas em diferentes atmosferas, T1: 0,05 % CO2 + 23 % O2; T2: Vácuo; T3: Bandeja de poliestireno expandido com filme de policloreto de vinila (PVC) e T4: 6 % CO2 + 4 % O2 + 90 % N2. As embalagens foram armazenadas em câmara fria a 5±1 ºC e 85±5 % de umidade relativa. As análises foram realizadas a cada dois dias, quanto à perda de massa, atividade respiratória, sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, pH, açúcares redutores, cor instrumental, análise visual e análise microbiológica. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado (DIC), em esquema fatorial. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias foram comparadas por meio do teste de Tukey com 5 % de probabilidade, fez-se regressão para as análises no tempo de armazenamento. A bandeja de poliestireno expandido com filme de PVC atrasou por dois dias o pico climatérico do produto em relação às demais atmosferas modificadas, além de proporcionar a manutenção dos atributos de qualidade. As melhores notas de aparência visual e a melhor intenção de compra foram atribuídas para a couve-flor minimamente processada acondicionada na atmosfera modificada ativa com 6 % CO2. + 4 % O2.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) channels are Ca 2+ -permeable non-selective cation channels which mediate a wide range of physiological functions and are activated and modulated by a diverse array of stimuli. One of this ion channel's least discussed functions is in relation to the generation and maintenance of certain pain sensations. However, in the two decades which have elapsed since the identification of this ion channel, considerable data has emerged concerning its function in mediating pain sensations. TRPV4 is a mediator of mechanical hyperalgesia in the various contexts in which a mechanical stimulus, comprising trauma (at the macro-level) or discrete extracellular pressure or stress (at the micro-level), results in pain. TRPV4 is also recognised as constituting an essential component in mediating inflammatory pain. It also plays a role in relation to many forms of neuropathic-type pain, where it functions in mediating mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia.Here, we review the role of TRPV4 in mediating pain sensations., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Everyday pasta cooking has a large environmental impact. The aims of this work were to assess the effect of cooking temperatures (T C ) that were lower than the water boiling point (T BW ) on the main chemico-physical quality parameters of two pasta shapes (i.e., ziti and spaghetti) cooked at the conventional and minimum water-to-pasta ratios, as well as their optimum cooking time (OCT), cooking energy consumption, and carbon footprint, by using a novel eco-sustainable pasta cooker., Results: Once the effect of T C on OCT had been modeled in accordance with the Bigelow model, it was possible to estimate that the energy saved to heat the cooking water from ambient temperature to a lower temperature than T BW was smaller than the extra energy needed to complete the pasta cooking phase. After several cooking trials, the water uptake, cooking loss, textural properties, and thickness of the central nerve (as observed with a scanning electronic microscope) of cooked pasta were found to be independent of T C in the range of 85-98 °C., Conclusions: By using smaller amounts of water (~3 L kg -1 ) and cooking at 85 °C with the eco-sustainable pasta cooker, the energy consumption reduced from the default value of 2.8 kWh kg -1 to ~0.45 kWh kg -1 and GHG emissions to about one sixth of those resulting from the use of the average European home appliances. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Homopolymeric amino acid repeats (AARs) like polyalanine (polyA) and polyglutamine (polyQ) in some developmental proteins (DPs) regulate certain aspects of organismal morphology and behavior, suggesting an evolutionary role for AARs as developmental "tuning knobs." It is still unclear, however, whether these are occasional protein-specific phenomena or hints at the existence of a whole AAR-based regulatory system in DPs. Using novel approaches to trace their functional and evolutionary history, we find quantitative evidence supporting a generalized, combinatorial role of AARs in developmental processes with evolutionary implications. We observe nonrandom AAR distributions and combinations in HOX and other DPs, as well as in their interactomes, defining elements of a proteome-wide combinatorial functional code whereby different AARs and their combinations appear preferentially in proteins involved in the development of specific organs/systems. Such functional associations can be either static or display detectable evolutionary dynamics. These findings suggest that progressive changes in AAR occurrence/combination, by altering embryonic development, may have contributed to taxonomic divergence, leaving detectable traces in the evolutionary history of proteomes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that the evolutionary trajectories of the 20 AARs in eukaryotic proteomes are highly interrelated and their individual or compound dynamics can sharply mark taxonomic boundaries, or display clock-like trends, carrying overall a strong phylogenetic signal. These findings provide quantitative evidence and an interpretive framework outlining a combinatorial system of AARs whose compound dynamics mark at the same time DP functions and evolutionary transitions., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

Background: In several Environmental Product Declarations, the business-to-business carbon footprint (CF CDC ) of durum wheat semolina dried pasta ranged from 0.57 to 1.72 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2e ) kg -1 . In this work, the business-to-consumer carbon footprint (CF CG ) of 1 kg of dry decorticated organic durum wheat semolina pasta, as packed in 0.5 kg polypropylene bags by a South Italian medium-sized pasta factory in the years 2016 and 2017, was assessed in compliance with the Publicly Available Specification 2050 standard method., Results: Whereas CF CDC was mostly conditioned by the greenhouse gases emitted throughout durum wheat cultivation (0.67 vs 1.12 kg CO 2e kg -1 ), CF CG was mainly dependent on the use and post-consume phases (0.68 vs 1.81 kg CO 2e kg -1 ). CF CG was more or less affected by the pasta types and packing formats used, since it varied from +0.3 to +14.8% with respect to the minimum score estimated (1.74 kg CO 2e kg -1 ), which corresponded to long goods packed in 3 kg bags for catering service. Once the main hotspots had been identified, CF CG was stepwise reduced by resorting to a series of mitigation actions., Conclusion: Use of more eco-sustainable cooking practices, organic durum wheat kernels resulting from less impacting cultivation techniques, and renewable resources to generate the thermal and electric energy needs reduced CF CG by about 58% with respect to the above reference case. Finally, by shifting from road to rail freight transport and shortening the supply logistics of dry pasta and grains, a further 5% reduction in CF CG was achieved. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: No, there are no competing interests for any author.

Background: During daily pasta cooking, the general consumer pays little attention to water and energy issues. The present study aimed to measure the cooking quality and environmental impact of a standard format of dry pasta by varying the water-to-dried pasta ratio (WPR) from 12 to 2 L kg -1 ., Results: In the above WPR range, the cooked pasta water uptake (1.3 ± 0.1 g g -1 ), cooking loss (0.037 ± 0.009 g g -1 ) and degree of starch gelatinization (11.2 ± 0.8%) were approximately constant, whereas the main Texture Analysis parameters (eg, cooked pasta hardness at 30% and 90% deformation, and resilience) showed no statistically significant difference. As the WPR was reduced from 12 to 2 L kg -1 , the specific electric energy consumption linearly decreased from 1.93 to 0.39 Wh g -1 and the carbon footprint and eutrophication potential of pasta cooking lessened by approximately 80% and 50%, respectively., Conclusion: Cooking dry pasta in a large excess of water (ie, 10 L kg -1 ), as commonly suggested by the great majority of pasta manufacturers, might be pointless. Such a great mitigation with respect to the environmental impact of pasta cooking should be checked further for other commercial pasta formats and would highlight the need for novel and more suitable pasta cookers than those currently in use. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The aim of this review article is to summarize current knowledge of the pathophysiology underlying right ventricular failure (RVF), focusing, in particular, on right ventricular assessment and prognosis. The right ventricle (RV) can tolerate volume overload well, but is not able to sustain pressure overload. Right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), as a response to increased afterload, can be adaptive or maladaptive. The easiest and most common way to assess the RV is by two-dimensional (2D) trans-thoracic echocardiography measuring surrogate indexes, such as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), fractional area change (FAC), and tissue Doppler velocity of the lateral aspect of the tricuspid valvular plane. However, both volumes and function are better estimated by 3D echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The prognostic role of the RV in heart failure (HF), pulmonary hypertension (PH), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and cardiac surgery has been overlooked for many years. However, several recent studies have placed much greater importance on the RV in prognostic assessments. In conclusion, RV dimensions and function should be routinely assessed in cardiovascular disease, as RVF has a significant impact on disease prognosis. In the presence of RVF, different therapeutic approaches, either pharmacological or surgical, may be beneficial., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) poses a perioperative management dilemma to physicians looking after patients who require non-cardiac surgery. The objective of this review is to investigate mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery., Methods: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery. Pooled risk ratios for mortality and adverse outcomes (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, death) were calculated using the dichotomous analysis method and subgroup analysis was performed considering the effect of severity of AS and symptoms., Results: We identified 9 relevant studies with 29,327 participants. Among studies of severe AS, there was no significant difference in mortality (RR: 1.49, 95%CI:0.85-2.61; P=0.16) associated with non-cardiac surgery, but there was a significant increase in the composite adverse outcome (RR: 2.30, 95%CI:1.33-3.97; P=0.003). When the analysis involved any other degree of AS, eight studies were included and the pooled results showed a significant increase in composite adverse outcome (RR: 1.64, 95%CI:1.23-2.19; P<0.001) and myocardial infarction (RR: 1.90, 95%CI:1.54-2.34; P<0.001). When patients with asymptomatic AS were considered, the pooled results of four studies suggested an increased risk of composite adverse outcomes (RR: 1.59, 95%CI:1.19-2.12; P=0.002) but not mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure or stroke., Conclusions: Patients with AS undergoing non-cardiac surgery have not been shown to be at increased risk of mortality, but have significantly higher rates of adverse cardiovascular events compared to patients without AS., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) is a calcium-permeable nonselective cation channel, originally described in 2000 by research teams led by Schultz (Nat Cell Biol 2: 695-702, 2000) and Liedtke (Cell 103: 525-535, 2000). TRPV4 is now recognized as being a polymodal ionotropic receptor that is activated by a disparate array of stimuli, ranging from hypotonicity to heat and acidic pH. Importantly, this ion channel is constitutively expressed and capable of spontaneous activity in the absence of agonist stimulation, which suggests that it serves important physiological functions, as does its widespread dissemination throughout the body and its capacity to interact with other proteins. Not surprisingly, therefore, it has emerged more recently that TRPV4 fulfills a great number of important physiological roles and that various disease states are attributable to the absence, or abnormal functioning, of this ion channel. Here, we review the known characteristics of this ion channel's structure, localization and function, including its activators, and examine its functional importance in health and disease., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

We have studied scalding-type burn injury-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the spinal dorsal horn, which is a recognised marker for spinal nociceptive processing. At 5min after severe scalding injury to mouse hind-paw, a substantial number of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) immunopositive neurons were found in the ipsilateral dorsal horn. At 1h post-injury, the number of pERK1/2-labelled neurons remained substantially the same. However, at 3h post-injury, a further increase in the number of labelled neurons was found on the ipsilateral side, while a remarkable increase in the number of labelled neurons on the contralateral side resulted in there being no significant difference between the extent of the labelling on both sides. By 6h post-injury, the number of labelled neurons was reduced on both sides without there being significant difference between the two sides. A similar pattern of severe scalding injury-induced activation of ERK1/2 in spinal dorsal horn neurons over the same time-course was found in mice which lacked the transient receptor potential type 1 receptor (TRPV1) except that the extent to which ERK1/2 was activated in the ipsilateral dorsal horn at 5 min post-injury was significantly greater in wild-type animals when compared to TRPV1 null animals. This difference in activation of ERK1/2 in spinal dorsal horn neurons was abolished within 1h after injury, demonstrating that TRPV1 is not essential for the maintenance of ongoing spinal nociceptive processing in inflammatory pain conditions in mouse resulting from at least certain types of severe burn injury., (Copyright © 2010 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The activation of the immune system, by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration or surgical trauma, has been shown to be capable of affecting hippocampal function, causing memory impairment. Here, we examined the extent to which LPS-induced infection may aggravate impairment of memory function following orthopaedic surgery. Hippocampal memory function impairment was assessed using fear-conditioning tasks, while IL-1β levels in plasma and hippocampus were measured using ELISA. LPS-induced inflammation disrupted hippocampal memory consolidation as evidenced by reduced contextual freezing time exhibited by infected mice. Likewise, surgery caused hippocampal-dependent memory impairment, which was associated with increased levels of IL-1β both in plasma and hippocampus. However, a sub-pyrogenic dose of LPS alone failed to impair memory function. This dose of LPS, when administered prior to surgery, exacerbated surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction as evidenced by further reduction of contextual freezing time. Also, it caused a concomitant additional increase in the levels of IL-1β in both plasma and hippocampus of those animals. Our data suggest that sub-clinical infection may sensitise the immune system augmenting the severity of post-operative cognitive dysfunction., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Activation of members of the family of enzymes known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) is now known to be involved in the development and/or maintenance of the pain associated with many inflammatory conditions, such as herniated spinal disc pain, chronic inflammatory articular pain, and the pain associated with bladder inflammation. Moreover, ERKs are implicated in the development of neuropathic pain signs in animals which are subjected to the lumbar 5 spinal nerve ligation model and the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain. The position has now been reached where all scientists working on pain subjects ought to be aware of the importance of ERKs, if only because certain of these enzymes are increasingly employed as experimental markers of nociceptive processing. Here, we introduce the reader, first, to the intracellular context in which these enzymes function. Thereafter, we consider the involvement of ERKs in mediating nociceptive signalling to the brain resulting from noxious stimuli at the periphery which will be interpreted by the brain as pain of peripheral origin., (Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pain originating in inflammation is the most common pathologic pain condition encountered by the anesthesiologist whether in the context of surgery, its aftermath, or in the practice of pain medicine. Inflammatory agents, released as components of the body's response to peripheral tissue damage or disease, are now known to be collectively capable of activating transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4, transient receptor potential ankyrin type 1, and acid-sensing ion channels, whereas individual agents may activate only certain of these ion channels. These ionotropic receptors serve many physiologic functions-as, indeed, do many of the inflammagens released in the inflammatory process. Here, we introduce the reader to the role of these ionotropic receptors in mediating peripheral pain in response to inflammation.

Introduction: The impact of pro-inflammatory cytokines on neuroinflammation and cognitive function after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge remains elusive. Herein we provide evidence that there is a temporal correlation between high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1), microglial activation, and cognitive dysfunction. Disabling the interleukin (IL)-1 signaling pathway is sufficient to reduce inflammation and ameliorate the disability., Methods: Endotoxemia was induced in wild-type and IL-1R-/- mice by intra peritoneal injection of E. Coli LPS (1 mg/kg). Markers of inflammation were assessed both peripherally and centrally, and correlated to behavioral outcome using trace fear conditioning., Results: Increase in plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) peaked at 30 minutes after LPS challenge. Up-regulation of IL-1beta, IL-6 and HMGB-1 was more persistent, with detectable levels up to day three. A 15-fold increase in IL-6 and a 6.5-fold increase in IL-1beta mRNA at 6 hours post intervention (P < 0.001 respectively) was found in the hippocampus. Reactive microgliosis was observed both at days one and three, and was associated with elevated HMGB-1 and impaired memory retention (P < 0.005). Preemptive administration of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) significantly reduced plasma cytokines and hippocampal microgliosis and ameliorated cognitive dysfunction without affecting HMGB-1 levels. Similar results were observed in LPS-challenged mice lacking the IL-1 receptor to those seen in LPS-challenged wild type mice treated with IL-1Ra., Conclusions: These data suggest that by blocking IL-1 signaling, the inflammatory cascade to LPS is attenuated, thereby reducing microglial activation and preventing the behavioral abnormality.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a degradative enzyme for a group of endogenous signaling lipids that includes anandamide (AEA). AEA acts as an endocannabinoid and an endovanilloid by activating cannabinoid and vanilloid type 1 transient receptor potential (TRPV1) receptors, respectively, on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Inhibition of FAAH activity increases AEA concentrations in nervous tissue and reduces sensory hypersensitivity in animal pain models. Using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and reverse transcription-PCR, we demonstrate the location of the FAAH in adult rat DRG, sciatic nerve, and spinal cord. In naive rats, FAAH immunoreactivity localized to the soma of 32.7 +/- 0.8% of neurons in L4 and L5 DRG. These were small-sized (mean soma area, 395.96 +/- 5.6 mum(2)) and predominantly colabeled with peripherin and isolectin B4 markers of unmyelinated C-fiber neurons; 68% colabeled with antibodies to TRPV1 (marker of nociceptive DRG neurons), and <2% colabeled with NF200 (marker of large myelinated neurons). FAAH-IR was also present in small, NF200-negative cultured rat DRG neurons. Incubation of these cultures with the FAAH inhibitor URB597 increased AEA-evoked cobalt uptake in a capsazepine-sensitive manner. After sciatic nerve axotomy, there was a rightward shift in the cell-size distribution of FAAH-immunoreactive (IR) DRG neurons ipsilateral to injury: FAAH immunoreactivity was detected in larger-sized cells that colabeled with NF200. An ipsilateral versus contralateral increase in both the size and proportion of FAAH-IR DRG occurred after spinal nerve transection injury but not after chronic inflammation of the rat hindpaw 2 d after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. This study reveals the location of FAAH in neural tissue involved in peripheral nociceptive transmission.

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is being increasingly reported as a complication. The authors investigated the role of cytokine-mediated inflammation within the central nervous system in the development of cognitive dysfunction in a rat model., Methods: Adult rats were subjected to neuroleptic anesthesia (20 microg/kg fentanyl plus 500 microg/kg droperidol, intraperitoneal) for splenectomy or no surgery. On postanesthetic days 1, 3, and 7, cognitive function was assessed in a Y maze. To evaluate the immune response in the hippocampus, the authors measured glial activation, as well as transcription and expression of key proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. To determine propensity for apoptosis, they measured expression of Bax and Bcl-2., Results: Cognitive function in splenectomized animals was impaired at days 1 and 3 after surgery compared with cognitive function in nonanesthetized rats. At all times, anesthetized rats that were not subjected to surgery were no different from control rats. Glial activation was observed in the hippocampus only in splenectomized rats at postsurgery days 1 and 3. Interleukin-1beta messenger RNA (mRNA) was significantly increased at postsurgery days 1 and 3, with an increase in protein expression detected on day 1. There was a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA on day 1 after surgery, although this was not associated with an increase in protein expression. The ratio of Bcl-2:Bax was significantly decreased in the splenectomized animals., Conclusion: These results suggest that splenectomy performed during neuroleptic anesthesia triggers a cognitive decline that is associated with a hippocampal inflammatory response that seems to be due to proinflammatory cytokine-dependent activation of glial cells.