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Innovative oenological products and techniques constantly need to be optimized in order to produce high quality wines that are able to fulfill the demanding consumers, with a pleasant colour, astringency, bitterness and a balanced organoleptic profile. New mesoporous materials with viability and environmental safety characteristics, might be a feasible alternative to the use of bentonite, while nowadays in the winemaking there is a major challenge caused by wastes derivate mainly from wine clarification stages. This study was aimed at investigating the influence of conventional (bentonite and activated coal) and alternative (MCM-41, SBA-15, KIT-6) fining agents on enological parameters, colour, as well as on the antioxidant activity of a Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Our results show that mesoporous materials, KIT-6 and SBA-15 (6 g/L) present the highest reduction on antioxidant activity with 23.08% and 24.41%, while bentonite and activated coal (1.5 g/L) reduced with 20.72%, respectively 33.18%. Cluster analysis performed with the values of antioxidant activity differentiated wines treated with activated carbon from other wines.

Polyphenols in red wine are bioactive compounds with positive effects on health and disease prevention. White grape musts and wines have a lower concentration of phenolic compounds compared to the red ones and are therefore considered less beneficial to health. In Andalucía, a region located in the South West of Spain, Pedro Ximenez white grapes are desiccated under the sun for a week before they are pressed and the juice (must) is obtained. This ancient procedure increases the variety and content of polyphenols present in the Pedro Ximenez must (PXM). We incorporated PXM into the daily diet of aged Mus spretus mice (24 months) and investigated their properties by comparing several parameters determined in these old mice with those measured in young mice (two months old). Biochemical, histological, and transcriptional analyses indicated that PXM exhibited potent antioxidant properties, promoted the normalization of the biotransforming ability of several cytochromes, i.e., the P 450 family, in the liver, and regularized hepatic apoptosis, promoting proliferation instead. Our data indicated that PXM possesses a profound ability to promote liver regeneration in terms of both the structure and the function, thus contributing to a healthy aging process.

The influence on aroma compounds chips or staves and toasting degree have been analyzed in red wines aged for two periods of time. Ethyl propanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, E-2-hexenol, octanal, nonanal, decanal, γ-nonalactone, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol and cis-whiskey lactone were the compounds that contribute the most to the aroma series profile. By means of principal components analysis, esters were related to the aging time; cis-whiskey lactone with the type of wood pieces and octanal, 5-methyl furfural and cis-whiskey lactone with the toasting degree. Star plot show that woody aroma compounds are dominant in wines aged with low toasting degree oak pieces, whereas medium plus toasted pieces increased the concentration of aroma compounds with fruity aroma descriptors. Wines with prominent fruity or woody aromas can be obtained depending upon the degree of toasting of wood pieces used for aging., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aging is characterized by deterioration of biomolecules and impaired stress responses that make the elderly especially vulnerable to environmental pollutants. The pesticide p,p'-DDE is a DDT derivative that generates great concern because of its wide distribution and its harmful effects on both human health and the environment. We analyzed here the biological responses elicited by p,p'-DDE exposure in the liver of aged Mus spretus mice. Data demonstrate that the elderly constitute a population especially sensitive to this noxious environmental pollutant. We also demonstrated here that the daily consumption of sun-dried Pedro Ximénez (PX) white-grape must (PXM) protects the liver of aged mice from both the age and the damages caused by p,p'-DDE exposure. The PXM activity was exerted through the restoration of the hepatic metabolisms of lipids and carbohydrates and, probably, is a consequence of the ability of this polyphenol-rich mixture to avoid oxidative stress. Nutritional interventions including PXM, which ameliorates the effects of unavoidable exposure to pesticides in our food, are helpful tools that can help elderly populations to enjoy a healthy and expanded lifetime., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Many modern alcoholic beverages are subjected to ageing processes during which compounds extracted from wood contribute decisively to the overall beverage character. Wines represent a perfect example of beverage in which ageing is a crucial technological manufacturing step. During winemaking, producers accelerate chemical changes in wine composition by traditional and alternative methods, such as the use of oak wood barrels and/or oak wood chips. Our research aimed to investigate the overall volatile composition and sensory quality of red wines aged for two timeframes, namely, 1.5 and 3 months, and with two technological variants, i.e., American and French oak wood chips. Red grapes from the Fetească neagră ( Vitis vinifera ) variety were harvested from a vineyard in the North-East region of Romania. Stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) was used to extract minor aromas present in wine samples. The results showed clear differences between wines treated with American and French oak chips. Furthermore, ageing for 3 months increased the concentration of cis -whiskey lactone and guaiacol in American oak-treated wine samples. For wines aged with French oak chips, we observed higher concentrations of furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 4-vinylguaiacol, and trans -whiskey lactone. The increased presence of chemical compounds in wine aged with French oak chips generated prominent smoky, licorice, and toasty aromas, whereas in wines aged with American oak chips, notes of vanilla, toasty, and cacao aromas were noticed. Moreover, red wines aged with American and French oak chips were discriminated by chemometric analysis, which confirmed the evolution of aroma compounds.

Production of sparkling wines involve a second alcoholic fermentation and contact with yeast less over an extended period of time, which influences the aroma composition and sensory quality of the resulting wines. Sparkling wines obtained with two yeast strains inoculated as free cells, immobilized in alginate bed and bioimmobilized as biocapsules, were aged during 32 months. Among the volatile compounds, high Odor Activity Values were obtained with isoamyl acetate, ethyl propanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, hexanol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, decanal, octanoic acid, decanoic acid and TDN. Taken together these contribute more than 70% of the overall aromatic series value. Although some results rely more on the yeast strain than the inoculation format, specific aroma compounds were associated with the immobilization format, allowing the classification of sparkling wines by PCA. As a result the aroma quality of sparkling wines could be improved using immobilized yeasts., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesoporous nanomaterials were used to prevent protein haze in Muscat Ottonel and Pedro Ximénez wines. Major volatile compounds, polyols and turbidity were analyzed in fined wines and the results were compared with untreated and fined with bentonite wines. Two commercial mesoporous nanomaterial labelled as SBA-15 and MCM-41 provided a notable turbidity reduction and prevent protein haze as was demonstrated by the heat stability tests. Only, the siliceous material labelled as KIT-6 was not suitable for wine fining. All the chemical families were affected by the fining agents, although the loss of aroma compounds was lower with nanomaterials than with bentonite. The impact on volatile compounds concentration depends on tested wine, independently on the fining agent used. Wines were distinguished by principal components analysis, which was carried out using the volatile compounds as classifying variables. Wines treated with SBA-15 were closest to the control wine in terms of volatile compounds concentration., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Context:   Exercise-associated muscle cramps are a common clinical problem for athletes., Objective:   To determine whether acute passive static stretching altered cramp threshold frequency (CTF) of electrically induced muscle cramps., Design:   Crossover study., Setting:   Laboratory., Patients or Other Participants:   Seventeen healthy college-aged individuals., Intervention(s):   Stretching or no stretching., Main Outcome Measure(s):   The independent variable was the static stretch versus the no-stretch condition, and the dependent variable was the CTF., Results:   The CTF increased in both the control (pretest: 18.12 ± 6.46 Hz, posttest: 19.65 ± 7.25 Hz; P = .033) and stretching (pretest: 18.94 ± 5.96 Hz, posttest: 20.47 ± 7.12 Hz; P = .049) groups. No difference between the groups was found (t 15 = 0.035, P = .97)., Conclusions:   Acute passive static stretching did not seem to increase the CTF.

Background: Although there are reports that metronomic cyclophosphamide (CTX) can be immune stimulating, the impact of its combination with anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer remains to be evaluated., Methods: Murine EMT-6/P breast cancer, or its cisplatin or CTX-resistant variants, or CT-26 colon, were implanted into Balb/c mice. Established tumours were monitored for relative growth following treatment with anti-CTLA-4 antibody alone or in combination with; (a) metronomic CTX (ldCTX; 20 mg kg -1  day -1 ), b) bolus (150 mg kg -1 ) plus ldCTX, or (c) sequential treatment with gemcitabine (160 mg kg -1 every 3 days)., Results: EMT-6/P tumours responded to anti-CTLA-4 therapy, but this response was less effective when combined with bolus plus ldCTX. Anti-CTLA-4 could be effectively combined with either ldCTX (without a bolus), or with regimens of either sequential or concomitant gemcitabine, including in orthotopic EMT-6 tumours, and independently of the schedule of drug administration. Tumour responses were confirmed with CT-26 tumours but were less pronounced in drug-resistant EMT-6/CTX or EMT-6/DDP tumour models than in the parent tumour. A number of tumour bearing mice developed spontaneous metastases under continuous therapy. The majority of cured mice rejected tumour re-challenges., Conclusions: Metronomic CTX can be combined with anti-CTLA-4 therapy, but this therapy is impaired by concomitant bolus CTX. Sequential therapy of anti-CTLA-4 followed by gemcitabine is effective in chemotherapy-naive tumours, although tumour relapses can occur, in some cases accompanied by the development of spontaneous metastases.

The number of patients who need coronary artery surgery growth every year. Most of these surgical operations are with extracorporeal circulation (ECC). Recently in our hospital this surgery is realized without ECC in selected patients. Some studies shows that this surgery is an alternative in the treatment of coronary artery disease, especially for aged patients with associated disease and in Jehovah's witness faith. A coronary artery diameter at the anastomotic site of 2 mm or greater and satisfactory hemodynamics with the cardiac manipulation are needed to realize this surgery. Given these limitations this technique has proved useful in selected patients requiring revascularization of the left anterior descending, circumflex or right coronary artery (not for grafting the posterior descending branch). The need of mechanical ventilation, days at ICU, blood required, morbidity and mortality, in our experience as in other studies, were fewer than surgery with CEC.

The cardiac arrest is a situation associated with a abrupt and unexpected interruption of the spontaneous breath and circulation. It's a frequent cause to admit people in hospital. There the patients are admitted to the intensive care unit in order to care for them after cardiac arrest. We have studied 68 cases about cardiac arrest, their evolution, death rate and many factors usually described by another authors as prognostic of these patients. We encountered a higher mortality the longer the time of arrest, the higher the score on the Apache scale, on the lower the score on the Glasgow coma scale. Another point is if we aren't sure about the cause of the cardiac arrest or it's cerebrovascular accidents or upper airway failure, the prognostic is worse. Finally, if the ECG at the moment of the admission is asystole the death rate is 100%.