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Topic Review
Gut Lymphatic Vessels
Lymphatic vessels play a distinctive role in draining fluid, molecules and even cells from interstitial and serosal spaces back to the blood circulation. Lymph vessels of the gut, and especially those located in the villi (called lacteals), not only serve this primary function, but are also responsible for the transport of lipid moieties absorbed by the intestinal mucosa and serve as a second line of defence against possible bacterial infections.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Factors influence skin barrier dysfunction
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an eczematous, pruritic skin disorder with extensive barrier dysfunction and elevated interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signatures. The barrier dysfunction correlates with the downregulation of barrier-related molecules such as filaggrin (FLG), loricrin (LOR), and involucrin (IVL). IL-4 and IL-13 potently inhibit the expression of these molecules by activating signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)6 and STAT3. In addition to IL-4 and IL-13, IL-22 and IL-17A are probably involved in the barrier dysfunction by inhibiting the expression of these barrier-related molecules. In contrast, natural or medicinal ligands for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) are potent upregulators of FLG, LOR, and IVL expression. As IL-4, IL-13, IL-22, and IL-17A are all capable of inducing oxidative stress, antioxidative AHR agonists such as coal tar, glyteer, and tapinarof exert particular therapeutic efficacy for AD. These antioxidative AHR ligands are known to activate an antioxidative transcription factor, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2). This article focuses on the mechanisms by which FLG, LOR, and IVL expression is regulated by IL-4, IL-13, IL-22, and IL-17A. The author also summarizes how AHR and NRF2 dual activators exert their beneficial effects in the treatment of AD.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is secreted primarily from the hypothalamus, but other tissues, including the lungs, produce it locally. GHRH stimulates the release and secretion of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary and regulates the production of GH and hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Pituitary-type GHRH-receptors (GHRH-R) are expressed in human lungs, indicating that GHRH or GH could participate in lung development, growth, and repair. The goal of thisentry is to present and critically evaluate new findings regarding growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its actions in the settings of lung inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. The essential, unanswered question we address is whether GHRH, as revealed by synthetic peptide probes that activate or inhibit its receptor, plays key roles in lung pathophysiology that are distinct from its effects on growth and metabolism. It provides background on the physiology of GHRH in the lung, which was elucidated using recently developed GHRH receptor peptide agonists and antagonists as mechanistic probes.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Upcycling of Brewers' Spent Grains
Brewers' spent grains (BSGs) are the most important by-product of the brewing industry and are rich in protein and fiber. However, abundant amounts of BSGs are discarded annually worldwide. This project aimed to employ and compare innovative drying techniques to introduce snacks with protein sources derived from leftover BSGs. This study explored the dehydration kinetics of BSGs and the effect of three different drying methods—oven drying (OD), freeze drying (FD), and vacuum microwave drying (VMD)—on their protein content and functionality. Then, an energy and exergy analysis for the drying methods was given. Accordingly, a snack product (baked chips) using the dehydrated BSGs was developed by a sensory panel study to assess consumer acceptability of the final products. It was found that the VMD process took less drying time (48 min) compared to OD (50 min), with higher effectiveness as a drying process. VMD-treated BSG also showed moderate protein functionality and the highest overall acceptability when used in baked chips. Thus, VMD might be used as a sustainable drying technology for thermal treatment and valorization of BSG. In addition to having implications for dietary health, findings can help improve the economy of the breweries and other industries that deal with the processing of grains by valorizing their process waste and contributing to sustainability.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Major Cell Death Pathways
Programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis is an important form of cell-autonomous immune control over intracellular pathogens. PCD is mainly responsible for regulating animal development and tissue homeostasis, which regularly occurs in a broad range of human diseases, including immunological, developmental problems, neurodegeneration, and cancer.
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Cymbopogon spp. are fast-growing C4 perennial sedges from the grass family Poaceae and are primarily cultivated for their essential oils. The genus lemongrass comprises about 180 species, such as Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon flexuosus, Cymbopogon winterianus, Cymbopogon martinii, Cymbopogon nardus, and Cymbopogon refractus. Lemongrass (Cymbopogonspp.) oil is a cocktail of various terpenes and terpenoids, out of which the major components belong to cyclic and acyclic monoterpenes. The monoterpenes are derived from geranyl diphosphate (GPP).
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Precision Agriculture
According to a recent definition of Precision Agriculture (PA), developed by the International Society of Precision Agriculture, the term refers to a management strategy, which uses acquisition, processing, analysis, and combination with other information of temporal, spatial, and other data in order to facilitate decision-making based on the estimated variability. 
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Feb 2021
Biography
James Van Allen
James Alfred Van Allen (September 7, 1914 – August 9, 2006) was an American space scientist at the University of Iowa. He was instrumental in establishing the field of magnetospheric research in space. The Van Allen radiation belts were named after him, following their discovery by his Geiger–Müller tube instruments on the 1958 satellites: (Explorer 1, Explorer 3, and Pioneer 3)[1][2][3]
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Biological Detoxification of Mycotoxins
The continuous occurrence of food contaminants worldwide poses a critical threat to the health of human and livestock. One of the major contaminants in food and feed products are mycotoxins, the secondary metabolites synthesized by toxigenic fungi strains, mainly those belonging to Penicillium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Fusarium genera. Both acute and chronic exposure to mycotoxin-contaminated food may cause deleterious health effects including retarded growth, suppression of the immune response, vomiting, infertility and gastrointestinal and carcinogenic diseases. These mycotoxins occur in various products, from raw agricultural products such as corn, barley, oats, fruits and herbs, to commercial commodities including aquafeeds, beverages, fruit and vegetable-derived products. The contamination of mycotoxins can occur during any part of the complex food chain, including harvest, industry processing, transportation and/or storage, imposing social burdens on the food industry due to the waste created by contaminated products. This creates an urgent demand for mycotoxin removal methods to minimize economic loss and hazards to consumers.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Hoverfly
Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects. Insects such as aphids are considered a crop pest, and therefore the aphid-eating larvae of some hover flies serve as an economically (as well as ecologically) important predator and even potential agents for use in biological control, while the adults may be pollinators. About 6,000 species in 200 genera have been described. Hoverflies are common throughout the world and can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Hoverflies are harmless to most mammals, though many species are mimics of stinging wasps and bees, a mimicry which may serve to ward off predators.
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Nov 2022
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