Cultivatiion Conditions and Selenium Fertilization Alter the Phenolic Profile, Glucosinolate, and Sulforaphane Content of Broccoli

John W. Finley,Rebecca J. Robbins,Anna-Sigrid Keck,Gary Banuelos 한국식품영양과학회 2005 Journal of medicinal food Vol.8 No.2

Broccoli is a food often consumed for its potential health-promoting properties. The health benefits of broc-coli are partly associated with secondary plant compounds that have bioactivity; glucosinolates and phenolic acids are two ofthe most abundant and important in broccoli. In an effort to determine how variety, stress, and production conditions affectthe production of these bioactive components broccoli was grown in the greenhouse with and without selenium (Se) fertil-ization, and in the field under conventional or organic farming procedures and with or without water stress. High-performanceliquid chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to separate and identify 12 primary phenolic compounds. Variety had amajor effect: There was a preponderance of flavonoids in the Majestic variety, but hydroxycinnamic esters were relativelymore abundant in the Legacy variety. Organic farming and water stress decreased the overall production of phenolics. Se fer-tilization increased glucosinolates in general, and sulforaphane in particular, up to a point; above that Se fertilization decreasedglucosinolate production. Organic farming and water stress also decreased glucosinolate production. These data show envi-ronmental and genetic variation in phenolics and glucosinolates in broccoli, and warn that not all broccoli may contain allhealth-promoting bioactive components. They further show that selection for one bioactive component (Se) may decrease thecontent of other bioactive components such as phenolics and glucosinolates.

Contact analysis on self-affine surfaces using finite element method

S. Hyun(현상일),L. Pei,J.-F. Molinari,M. O. Robbins 대한기계학회 2004 대한기계학회 춘추학술대회 Vol.2004 No.10

Finite-element methods are used to study non-adhesive, frictionless contact between elastic solids with self-affine surfaces. We find that the total contact area rises linearly with small loads. The mean pressure in the contact regions is independent of load and proportional to the root-mean-square slope of the rough surface. Connected contact clusters show different patterns from fractal-like contact areas normally observed in experiments. The probability of finding a cluster area a<SUB>c</SUB> drops as a<SUB>c</SUB><SUP>-r</SUP> where r depends on roughness exponent. The distribution of pressures drops exponentially in the high pressure regime where plastic deformation may occur.

Relationships between Body Mass Index and Social Support, Physical Activity, and Eating Habits in African American University Students

Wi-Young So,B. Swearingin,J. Robbins,P. Lynch,M. Ahmedna 한국간호과학회 2012 Asian Nursing Research Vol.6 No.4

Purpose: We aimed to examine the relationships between obesity and the level of social support for healthy behaviors, amount of physical activity (PA), and dietary habits in African Americans. Methods: The subjects were 412 university students who visited a health promotion center at North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA between September 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. We administered a social support survey, the National Institutes of Health Fruit, Vegetable, and Fat Screener, the Paffenbarger PA Questionnaire, and measures of body mass index, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure. Data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression analyses. Results: Results showed that men in the overweight group had WC and systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and below average PA; those in the obese group had WC, SBP, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measurements associated with CVD risk and below average PA. Women in the overweight group had WC and SBP measurements associated with CVD risk, and those in the obesity group hadWC, SBP, and DBP measurements associated with CVD risk and below average PA. Logistic regression analysis showed that increasing PA by 1,000 kcal/week decreased the prevalence of obesity by 9.3% in men and 9.0% in women. Conclusion: Thus, low PA was a significant risk factor for obesity among African Americans. However, the level of social support and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fat were not found to be significant risk factors in this study. Purpose: We aimed to examine the relationships between obesity and the level of social support for healthy behaviors, amount of physical activity (PA), and dietary habits in African Americans. Methods: The subjects were 412 university students who visited a health promotion center at North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA between September 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. We administered a social support survey, the National Institutes of Health Fruit, Vegetable, and Fat Screener, the Paffenbarger PA Questionnaire, and measures of body mass index, waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure. Data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression analyses. Results: Results showed that men in the overweight group had WC and systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and below average PA; those in the obese group had WC, SBP, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measurements associated with CVD risk and below average PA. Women in the overweight group had WC and SBP measurements associated with CVD risk, and those in the obesity group hadWC, SBP, and DBP measurements associated with CVD risk and below average PA. Logistic regression analysis showed that increasing PA by 1,000 kcal/week decreased the prevalence of obesity by 9.3% in men and 9.0% in women. Conclusion: Thus, low PA was a significant risk factor for obesity among African Americans. However, the level of social support and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fat were not found to be significant risk factors in this study.

Reaction of Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistant Plant Introductions to Root-Knot and Reniform Nematodes

( Jeong Dong Lee ),( Hyun Jee Kim ),( Robert T. Robbins ),( James A. Wrather ),( Jason Bond ),( Henry T. Nguyen ),( J. Grover Shannon ) 한국육종학회 2015 Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Vol.3 No.4

Soybean cyst [SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe], southern root-knot [RKN, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood] and reniform nematodes [RN, Rotylenchlus reniformis (Linford and Oliveria)] are common plant-parasitic nematode species in southern US fields. Each nematode individually or collectively causes significant economic losses to field grown soybean. A subset of 120 soybean plant introductions (PIs) selected from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection have been shown to be resistant to one or more SCN populations (HG Types); however, many of these PIs have not been screened for resistance to either RKN or RN. The objective of this research was to evaluate these germplasm accessions for resistance to RKN and RN. The evaluation for RKN resistance was conducted in RKN infested field plantings after potatoes near Charleston, MO in 2006 and 2007. The evaluation for RN resistance was performed in a greenhouse at Fayetteville, AR, in 2007. Out of these accessions, 64 PIs were identified with high or moderate resistance to RKN. Of these 64 lines, 24 accessions showed good resistance to both RKN and RN. These new sources of resistance to multiple nematodes will be valuable materials for soybean breeding programs to develop new resistant cultivars that can overcome yield losses caused by one or more of these nematode species.

Substance P stimulates human airway submucosal gland secretion mainly via a CFTR-dependent process

Choi, Jae Young,Khansaheb, Monal,Joo, Nam Soo,Krouse, Mauri E.,Robbins, Robert C.,Weill, David,Wine, Jeffrey J. American Society for Clinical Investigation 2009 The Journal of clinical investigation Vol.119 No.5

<P>Chronic bacterial airway infections are the major cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). Normal airway defenses include reflex stimulation of submucosal gland mucus secretion by sensory neurons that release substance P (SubP). CFTR is an anion channel involved in fluid secretion and mutated in CF; the role of CFTR in secretions stimulated by SubP is unknown. We used optical methods to measure SubP-mediated secretion from human submucosal glands in lung transplant tissue. Glands from control but not CF subjects responded to mucosal chili oil. Similarly, serosal SubP stimulated secretion in more than 60% of control glands but only 4% of CF glands. Secretion triggered by SubP was synergistic with vasoactive intestinal peptide and/or forskolin but not with carbachol; synergy was absent in CF glands. Pig glands demonstrated a nearly 10-fold greater response to SubP. In 10 of 11 control glands isolated by fine dissection, SubP caused cell volume loss, lumen expansion, and mucus flow, but in 3 of 4 CF glands, it induced lumen narrowing. Thus, in CF, the reduced ability of mucosal irritants to stimulate airway gland secretion via SubP may be another factor that predisposes the airways to infections.</P>

Application of surface complexation modeling to trace metals uptake by biochar-amended agricultural soils

Alam, Md. Samrat,Swaren, Logan,von Gunten, Konstantin,Cossio, Manuel,Bishop, Brendan,Robbins, Leslie J.,Hou, Deyi,Flynn, Shannon L.,Ok, Yong Sik,Konhauser, Kurt O.,Alessi, Daniel S. Elsevier 2018 Applied geochemistry Vol.88 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Biochar has emerged as a useful amendment to release nutrients into agricultural soil, to increase crop productivity, and as a sorbent to remediate metals and organics contamination. Since soils have heterogeneous physical properties across a given crop field, and even over a growing season, it is imperative to select the most appropriate biochar for the intended purpose and in defining the amendment level. In this study, we investigate the adsorption of Cd(II) and Se(VI) as model pollutant cations and anions, respectively, to two agricultural soils amended with a wood pin chip biochar (WPC). The proton reactivity of each sorbent was determined by potentiometric titration, and single-metal, single-sorbent experiments were conducted as a function of pH. The resulting data were modeled using a non-electrostatic surface complexation modeling (SCM) approach to determine the proton and metal binding constants and surface functional group concentrations of each soil and WPC. The SCM approach is a considerable advance over empirical modeling approaches because SCM models can account for changes in pH, ionic strength, temperature, and metal-to-sorbent ratio that may happen over the course of a growing season. The constants derived from the single-metal, single-sorbent experiments were then used to predict the extent of metal adsorption in more complex mixtures of Cd, Se, soil and WPC. Overall the SCM approach was successful in predicting metal distribution in multi-component mixtures. In cases where the predictions were poorer than expected, we identify reasons and discuss future experiments needed to further the application of SCM to sorbent mixtures containing biochar.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Cd(II) and Se(VI) adsorption to biochar, soils and their admixtures is tested as a function of pH. </LI> <LI> Surface complexation modeling is applied to biochar-amended soils for the first time. </LI> <LI> Potential impacts of metal-DOC complexes is explored. </LI> <LI> Cd(II) and Se(VI) adsorption to biochar-soil mixtures is generally well-predicted by models. </LI> <LI> Surface complexation models are a promising alternative to empirical adsorption models in the systems tested. </LI> </UL> </P>

Cancer gene therapy using a novel secretable trimeric TRAIL

Kim, C-Y,Jeong, M,Mushiake, H,Kim, B-M,Kim, W-B,Ko, J P,Kim, M-H,Kim, M,Kim, T-H,Robbins, P D,Billiar, T R,Seol, D-W Nature Publishing Group 2006 Gene therapy Vol.13 No.4

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF family, is a type II transmembrane cytokine molecule. Soluble TRAIL has been shown to induce apoptosis in a wide variety of cancer cells in vitro and to suppress tumor growth specifically without damaging normal cells and tissues in vivo. In our previous report, we have demonstrated that an artificial gene encoding the polypeptide composed of the three functional elements (a secretion signal, a trimerization domain and an apoptosis-inducing moiety of TRAIL gene sequence) expresses and secretes highly apoptotic trimeric TRAIL into the culture supernatant. Here, as an approach to TRAIL-based cancer gene therapy, we developed an adenoviral vector delivering the gene that encodes our secretable trimeric TRAIL (stTRAIL). This adenovirus (Ad-stTRAIL) potently induced apoptosis in vitro in cancer cell lines such as HeLa, MDA-MB-231, A549, HCT116 and U-87MG. In an animal xenograft tumor model bearing a human glioma cell line U-87MG, intratumoral delivery of Ad-stTRAIL dramatically suppressed tumor growth without showing detectable adverse side effects. Histological analysis revealed that Ad-stTRAIL suppresses tumor growth by inducing apoptotic cell death. Contrary to the known rapid clearance of systemically delivered TRAIL protein from the blood circulation, stTRAIL expressed by Ad-stTRAIL in tumor tissues persisted for more than 4 days. In a comparison of tumor suppressor activity between Ad-stTRAIL and Ad-flTRAIL (delivering the full-length TRAIL gene) after mixing infected cells with uninfected cells and implanting these mixed cells in nude mice, Ad-stTRAIL showed higher tumor suppressor activity than that of Ad-flTRAIL. Our data reveal that a gene therapy using Ad-stTRAIL has a promising potential to treat human cancers including gliomas.Gene Therapy (2006) 13, 330–338. doi:10.1038/sj.gt.3302658; published online 29 September 2005