Effect of sprouting on nutritional quality of pulses

In order to investigate the nutritional quality of industrial-scale sprouted versus unsprouted chickpeas and green peas, before and after cooking, the ultrastructure, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, starch digestibility, mineral content and accessibility were analysed. Sprouting did not deeply affect raw seed structure, although after cooking starch granules appeared more porous and swelled. Chemical composition of raw sprouted seeds was not strongly affected, excepting an increase in protein (both pulses), and in free sugars (in peas; +10% and +80%, respectively, p?<?.05). The industrial sprouting favoured phytic acid leaching in cooking water (?35% in seeds, compared to unsprouted cooked ones, p?<?.05), and promoted antioxidant capacity reductions in raw and cooked seeds (?10% and ?37%, respectively, p?<?.05). In conclusion, sprouting on an industrial-scale induced mild structural modifications in chickpeas and peas, sufficient to reduce antinutritional factors, without strongly influencing their nutritional quality. These products could represent nutritionally interesting ingredients for different dietary patterns as well as for enriched cereal-based foods.     

Grape phytochemicals: a bouquet of old and new nutraceuticals for human health

Health benefits associated with Mediterranean diets are due to the significantly large intake of functional plant foods and beverages, i.e., fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, wine, beer, and olive oil, containing a great array of bioactive phytochemicals or nutraceutical compounds. Therefore, the low risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary hearth disease and certain cancers, observed in some population groups, results from a diversified eating style, either in term of foods and food components. The paradigm of the relationship between the chemical diversity of a particular food and the array of its biological activities may be symbolized by grape. Despite the extensive knowledge about phenylpropanoids, principally polyphenols (stilbenes and anthocyanins) and condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins), in grape and wine, little it is known about the other compounds, such as tetrahydro-beta-carbolines. Recently, it has been attached importance to the dietary indoleamines, melatonin, and serotonin, in different plant foods, including grape, thus further supporting the hypothesis that health benefits, associated with Mediterranean dietary style, are due to plant food chemical diversity.     

Targeted and cytotoxic therapy in coordinated sequence (TACTICS): erlotinib, bevacizumab, and standard chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer, a phase II trial

BackgroundThis trial focused on optimally combining existing targeted therapies and cytotoxic chemotherapy in the treatment of unselected patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsPatients with previously untreated advanced-stage nonsquamous NSCLC were eligible for this trial. In module A, patients received up to 4 cycles of erlotinib 150 mg daily and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Patients then received carboplatin (AUC = 6), paclitaxel 200 mg/m2, and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg for 4 cycles in module B. Patients who did not have progressive disease in module A received maintenance erlotinib 150 mg daily and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks in module C.ResultsForty-eight patients were enrolled in this multicenter phase II trial. Most patients were male (62.5%) and white (77.1%) with stage IV disease (93.8%) and adenocarcinoma histologic type (66.7%). The overall response rate in module A was 10.4%, in module B it was 15.1%, and in module C it was 5.5%. The study achieved its primary endpoint, with a nonprogression rate of 45.8% in module A. The median overall survival (OS) was 12.6 months.ConclusionThe novel systemic therapy regimen is feasible in patients with advanced NSCLC. However there is no further role for developing this regimen in unselected patients with NSCLC.     

Krabbe s disease - case report

OBJECTIVE: Report a case of Krabbés disease with necropsy. METHODS: Review of medical and necropsy records. RESULTS: An 8 months-old male patient developed tremors, swallowing difficulty and excessive salivation for 4 months prior to admission, evolving with vomiting and fever. Physical examination showed microcephaly and diffuse pigmentation of the retinae. Neurological examination showed flexion of upper limbs with spastic hyperthony, symmetrical global hyperreflexia, nystagmus and spontaneous spasms. EEG showed multifocal irritative activity. There was increase in both CSF protein and gamaglobulin. The patient evolved with transitory hyperthermia, vomiting and pneumopathy, dying on the 23rd day after admission. Post mortem studies revealed microcephaly with widening of brain sulci. Histological examination revealed several globoid cells in the deep portion of the white matter, reactive gliosis and demyelination. CONCLUSIONS: These findings were similar to those in the world literature, indicating a poor prognosis due to substantial brain damage.     

The EEG of the early premature

EEGs were taken of 33 premature babies of 27-32 weeks of conceptional age who were considered normal for their conceptional age by clinical criteria. The EEGs were divided into epochs of 1 min each and their characteristics of temporal and spatial organization as well as amount and distribution of special patterns were coded and analyzed. The records were mostly discontinuous, with synchronous and symmetric bursts. There was much rhythmic activity in all frequencies and some patterns were consistently asymmetric. At least one pattern, the sawtooth, seems to be characteristic of this early conceptional age. Follow-up EEGs and clinical examinations were done on 17 children at 6-8 months of age post term. Three more died before 6 months and on one a telephone report was obtained from the mother. The characteristics of the neonatal EEGs were compared with those published on smaller groups of early prematures and those on later premature babies.     

Evaluation of cell proliferation, epidermal growth factor receptor, and bcl-2 immunoexpression as prognostic factors for patients with World Health Organization grade 2 oligodendroglioma

BACKGROUND: Prognostic factors in oligodendrogliomas are an area of controversy in neuropathology. Although grading and the study of some morphologic variables may be of value as prognostic parameters, the variability of postoperative disease free survival in patients with World Health Organization Grade 2 oligodendroglioma indicates that the biologic behavior of this entity remains unknown. The objective of the current study was to evaluate immunoexpression of the proliferation index (PI), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and bcl-2 as prognostic factors in patients with Grade 2 oligodendroglioma. METHODS: In a series of 19 cases of pure Grade 2 oligodendroglioma, we assessed the mitotic count, labeling index for MIB-1 and PCNA, and immunoreactivity for EGFR and bcl-2 with semiquantitative parameters and compared these with postoperative disease free survival. Statistical analyses using the Cox-Mantel nonparametric test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: Disease free survival was significantly shorter when the MIB-1 PI was > 5% (P = 0.0096) and the PCNA PI was > 9% (P = 0.00011) and when mitoses were observed (P = 0.00004). The paired variables also were found to correlate: MIB-1 versus PCNA (P = 0.04), MIB-1 versus mitotic count (P = 0.0184), and PCNA versus mitotic count (P = 0.0079). In all cases, there was immunoreactivity for EGFR; conversely, all cases were negative for bcl-2 in the cells with an oligodendrocyte phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: The PI was found to correlate with the postoperative disease free survival in patients with Grade 2 oligodendroglioma; therefore, the authors suggest a possible subdivision of Grade 2 oligodendrogliomas into two groups based on the mitotic count and PI.