Fatty acids composition and lipolysis of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese: effect of the milk cooling temperature at the farm

Franceschi Piero,Formaggioni Paolo,Brasca Milena,Natrella Giuseppe,Faccia Michele,Malacarne Massimo,Summer Andrea 아세아·태평양축산학회 2023 Animal Bioscience Vol.36 No.1

Objective: The aim was to study the influence of cooling milk at 9°C at the farm versus keeping it at 20°C on Parmigiano Reggiano cheese lipolysis. Methods: A total of six cheesemaking trials (3 in winter and 3 in summer) were performed. In each trial, milk was divided continuously into two identical aliquots, one of which was kept at 9°C (MC9) and the other at 20°C (MC20). For each trial and milk temperature, vat milk (V-milk) and the resulting 21 month ripened cheese were analysed. Results: Fat and dry matter and fat/casein ratio were lower in MC9 V-milk (p≤0.05) than in MC20. Total bacteria, mesophilic lactic acid and psychrotrophic and lipolytic bacteria showed significant differences (p≤0.05) between the two V-milks. Regarding cheese, fat content resulted lower and crude protein higher (p≤0.05) both in outer (OZ) and in inner zone (IZ) of the MC9 cheese wheels. Concerning total fatty acids, the MC9 OZ had a lower concentration of butyric, capric (p≤0.05) and medium chain fatty acids (p≤0.05), while the MC9 IZ had lower content of butyric (p≤0.05), caproic (p≤0.01) and short chain fatty acids (p≤0.05). The levels of short chain and medium chain free fatty acids (p≤0.05) were lower and that of long chain fatty acids (p≤0.05) was higher in MC9 OZ cheese. The principal component analysis of total and free fatty acids resulted in a clear separation among samples by seasons, whereas slight differences were observed between the two different milk temperatures. Conclusion: Storing milk at 9°C at the herd affects the chemical composition of Parmigiano Reggiano, with repercussion on lipolysis. However, the changes are not very relevant, and since the cheese can present a high variability among the different cheese factories, such changes should be considered within the “normal variations” of Parmigiano Reggiano chemical characteristics.

Superconducting Junctions of InAs Semiconductor Nanowires

Doh, Yong-Joo,Franceschi, Silvano De,van Dam, Jorden A.,Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.,Kouwenhoven, Leo P. The Korean Superconductivity Society 2008 Progress in superconductivity Vol.9 No.2

InAs semiconductor nanowires can provide a promising platform to integrate superconducting quantum circuit, which exploits tunable supercurrent under the operation of gate voltage. We report temperature and magnetic field dependence of the nanowire superconducting junctions, which is in agreement with the proximity-effect theory of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor weak link. Superconducting coherence length of the InAs nanowire is estimated from the fit and magnetic-field dependence of the critical current and the subgap structure of dI/dV is discussed as well.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women attending cervical cancer screening in the Republic of Korea

Oh, Jin-Kyoung,Franceschi, Silvia,Kim, Bu-Kyung,Kim, Ji-Young,Ju, Young-Hee,Hong, Eun-Kyung,Chang, Young-Chul,Rha, Seo-Hee,Kim, Hyun-Ho,Kim, Jung-Hye,Kim, Chang-Young,Shin, Hai-Rim Lippincott Williams Wilkins, Inc. 2009 European journal of cancer prevention Vol.18 No.1

Cervical cancer screening with the conventional Papanicolaou test is recommended for the women aged 30 years and more in Korea. Cervical infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important cause of cervical cancer and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection and may also be associated with risk of cervical cancer. A cross-sectional study of women attending the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program in Busan and Suwon was carried out. Exfoliated cervical cells were collected, and questionnaires were administered to 4595 women. High-risk HPV types and CT were tested by Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2). HPV genotyping of 355 high-risk HPV-positive women at HC2 was performed using linear array. Age-standardized prevalence of high-risk HPV types and CT was 10.4% (95% confidence interval: 9.5–11.3) and 4.3% (95% confidence interval: 3.7–4.8). That 68.5% of women were high-risk HPV-positive at HC2 was confirmed by Linear Array whereas 17.5% seemed to be infected with only low-risk HPV types, not normally detected by HC2. Korean women showed a relatively high prevalence of high-risk HPV and a rather low prevalence of CT. As in cancer-free women in other Asian populations, HPV 52, 58, and 39 were detected more frequently than HPV 16. Cross-reaction of HC2 with low-risk HPV types is of some concern, were the test to be used in primary screening.

Andreev reflection versus Coulomb blockade in hybrid semiconductor nanowire devices.

Doh, Yong-Joo,De Franceschi, Silvano,Bakkers, Erik P A M,Kouwenhoven, Leo P American Chemical Society 2008 NANO LETTERS Vol.8 No.12

<P>Semiconductor nanowires provide promising low-dimensional systems for the study of quantum transport phenomena in combination with superconductivity. Here we investigate the competition between the Coulomb blockade effect, Andreev reflection, and quantum interference, in InAs and InP nanowires connected to aluminum-based superconducting electrodes. We compare three limiting cases depending on the tunnel coupling strength and the characteristic Coulomb interaction energy. For weak coupling and large charging energies, negative differential conductance is observed as a direct consequence of the BCS density of states in the leads. For intermediate coupling and charging energy smaller than the superconducting gap, the current-voltage characteristic is dominated by Andreev reflection and Coulomb blockade produces an effect only near zero bias. For almost ideal contact transparencies and negligible charging energies, we observe universal conductance fluctuations whose amplitude is enhanced because of Andreev reflection at the contacts.</P>

Experimental model of tympanic colic (acute abdomen) in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)

Malcon Andrei Martinez-Pereira,Raphaela da Cunha Franceschi,Barbara Paranhos Coelho,Gustavo da Rosa Funkler,Denise Maria Zancan 한국실험동물학회 2014 Laboratory Animal Research Vol.30 No.3

Digestive disorders caused by sudden changes in diet or inappropriate diet are among the most common disorders of the digestive system. Cecal or intestinal tympany, one consequence of inappropriate diet, is characterized by the accumulation of gases, marked distension of the cecum and colon and the induction of inflammatory processes. To know the effects of intestinal tympany on the enteric plexuses, we developed a method of experimental tympanic colic (TC) in the Chinchilla lanigera. This species was used in view of its susceptibility to TC. TC was induced with a diet rich in alfalfa associated with grain overload for two weeks. Physical and clinical examination including the von Frey test confirmed the diagnosis. The chinchillas with acute abdomen were treated with 1% ketoprofen and resumption of a balanced diet. Necropsy and histopathological analysis showed tympany-induced alterations mainly in the cecum and colon. After treatment, the control conditions were restored. The TC protocol is proposed as an experimental approach designed to aid the study of the effects of acute intestinal inflammation and obstruction caused by an inappropriate diet.

Regulation of bone formation using rapamycin-induced BMP2 expression system: influence of implanted cell number

Lim, Dong-Jin,Park, Bae-Keun,Jang, Won-Gu,Lee, Kkot-Nim,Franceschi, Renny,Kim, Sun-Hun,Lee, Shee-Eun,Koh, Jeong-Tae The Korean Society of Toxicogenomics and Toxicopro 2010 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.6 No.2

A rapamycin (RPM)-inducible fibroblast cell line expressing BMP2, BLK-RapBMP2, was previously developed using a stringent dimerizer-regulated transcription system to achieve more kinetic control of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) expression for exogenous bone regeneration. This study examined the precise control of BMP2 synthesis and the induction of bone formation using various amounts of cells and rapamycin. The response to the rapamycin analogue (AP21967) caused the BLK-RapBMP2 cells to induce BMP2 expression in a cell amount-dependent manner corresponding to changes in the bone formation components in vitro and in vivo. The administration of rapamycin (1 mg/kg, i.p. for 6 weeks) induced variable ectopic bone formation to diverse number ($2-10{\times}10^6$) of BLK-RapBMP2 cells in collagen hydrogel implants of a skin pouch in C57BL/6 mice. Microradiographic, biochemical (total calcium and phosphate concentration) and histological analyses suggest that control of the implanted cell number affects the level of rapamycin-induced bone formation. These results suggest that this technical control of BMP2 expression by adjusting the number of cells is a potential factor that might allow more precise control of bone regeneration.

Phenotypic and Genomic Characterization of AmpCProducing Klebsiella pneumoniae From Korea

Mattia Palmieri,Stephane Schicklin,Andreu Coello Pelegrin,Sonia Chatellier,Christine Franceschi,Caroline Mirande,박연준,Alex van Belkum 대한진단검사의학회 2018 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.38 No.4

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria has continuously increased over the past few years; bacterial strains producing AmpC β-lactamases and/or extendedspectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are of particular concern. We combined high-resolution whole genome sequencing and phenotypic data to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance to cephamycin and β-lactamase in Korean Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, in which no AmpC-encoding genes were detected by PCR. We identified several genes that alone or in combination can potentially explain the resistance phenotype. We showed that different mechanisms could explain the resistance phenotype, emphasizing the limitations of the PCR and the importance of distinguishing closely-related gene variants.

Quantum Interference Eects in InAs Semiconductor Nanowires

도용주,Aarnoud L. Roest,Erik P. A. M. Bakkers,Silvano De Franceschi,Leo P. Kouwenhoven 한국물리학회 2009 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.54 No.1

We report quantum interference eects in InAs semiconductor nanowires strongly coupled to superconducting electrodes. In the normal state, universal conductance uctuations are investigated as a function of the magnetic eld, the temperature, the bias and the gate voltage. The results are found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions for weakly disordered one-dimensional conductors. In the superconducting state, the uctuation amplitude is enhanced by a factor up to ~1.6, which is attributed to a doubling of the charge transport via Andreev re ection. At a temperature of 4.2 K, well above the Thouless temperature, conductance uctuations are almost entirely suppressed and the nanowire conductance exhibits anomalous quantization in steps of e^2/h. We report quantum interference eects in InAs semiconductor nanowires strongly coupled to superconducting electrodes. In the normal state, universal conductance uctuations are investigated as a function of the magnetic eld, the temperature, the bias and the gate voltage. The results are found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions for weakly disordered one-dimensional conductors. In the superconducting state, the uctuation amplitude is enhanced by a factor up to ~1.6, which is attributed to a doubling of the charge transport via Andreev re ection. At a temperature of 4.2 K, well above the Thouless temperature, conductance uctuations are almost entirely suppressed and the nanowire conductance exhibits anomalous quantization in steps of e^2/h.

Calpain-1 knockout reveals broad effects on erythrocyte deformability and physiology.

Wieschhaus, Adam,Khan, Anwar,Zaidi, Asma,Rogalin, Henry,Hanada, Toshihiko,Liu, Fei,De Franceschi, Lucia,Brugnara, Carlo,Rivera, Alicia,Chishti, Athar H Biochemical Society 2012 Biochemical journal Vol.448 No.1

<P>Pharmacological inhibitors of cysteine proteases have provided useful insights into the regulation of calpain activity in erythrocytes. However, the precise biological function of calpain activity in erythrocytes remains poorly understood. Erythrocytes express calpain-1, an isoform regulated by calpastatin, the endogenous inhibitor of calpains. In the present study, we investigated the function of calpain-1 in mature erythrocytes using our calpain-1-null [KO (knockout)] mouse model. The calpain-1 gene deletion results in improved erythrocyte deformability without any measurable effect on erythrocyte lifespan in vivo. The calcium-induced sphero-echinocyte shape transition is compromised in the KO erythrocytes. Erythrocyte membrane proteins ankyrin, band 3, protein 4.1R, adducin and dematin are degraded in the calcium-loaded normal erythrocytes but not in the KO erythrocytes. In contrast, the integrity of spectrin and its state of phosphorylation are not affected in the calcium-loaded erythrocytes of either genotype. To assess the functional consequences of attenuated cytoskeletal remodelling in the KO erythrocytes, the activity of major membrane transporters was measured. The activity of the K+-Cl- co-transporter and the Gardos channel was significantly reduced in the KO erythrocytes. Similarly, the basal activity of the calcium pump was reduced in the absence of calmodulin in the KO erythrocyte membrane. Interestingly, the calmodulin-stimulated calcium pump activity was significantly elevated in the KO erythrocytes, implying a wider range of pump regulation by calcium and calmodulin. Taken together, and with the atomic force microscopy of the skeletal network, the results of the present study provide the first evidence for the physiological function of calpain-1 in erythrocytes with therapeutic implications for calcium imbalance pathologies such as sickle cell disease.</P>

The Orphan Nuclear Receptor SHP Is a Positive Regulator of Osteoblastic Bone Formation

Jeong, Byung-Chul,Lee, Yong-Soo,Bae, In-Ho,Lee, Chul-Ho,Shin, Hong-In,Ha, Hyun Jung,Franceschi, Renny T,Choi, Hueng-Sik,Koh, Jeong-Tae Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2010 Journal of bone and mineral research Vol.25 No.2

<P>The orphan nuclear receptor small heterodimer partner (SHP; NR0B2) interacts with a diverse array of transcription factors and regulates a variety of cellular events such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. However, the role of SHP in bone formation has not yet been elucidated. SHP expression is significantly increased during osteoblast differentiation, and its expression is partially regulated by bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), which plays an important role in bone formation. In our study, inhibition of SHP expression significantly repressed BMP-2-induced osteoblast differentiation and ectopic bone formation. In accordance with these in vitro and in vivo results, osteoblast differentiation in <I>SHP</I><SUP>−/−</SUP> mice primary osteoblasts was significantly repressed, and the mice showed decreased bone mass resulting from decreased numbers of osteoblasts. Finally, SHP physically interacts and forms a complex with runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) on the osteocalcin gene promoter, and overexpression of SHP increased Runx2 transactivity via competition with histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), an enzyme that inhibits DNA binding of Runx2 to its target genes. Taken together, these results indicate that SHP acts as a novel positive regulator of bone formation by augmenting osteoblast differentiation through regulation of the transcriptional activity of Runx2. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research</P>