Exploring the impact of magnetic fields on biomass production efficiency under aerobic and anaerobic batch fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In this work, the effect of moderate electromagnetic fields (2.5, 10, and 15 mT) was studied using an immersed coil inserted directly into a bioreactor on batch cultivation of yeast under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Throughout the cultivation, parameters, including CO2 levels, O2 saturation, nitrogen consumption, glucose uptake, ethanol production, and yeast growth (using OD 600 measurements at 1-h intervals), were analysed. The results showed that 10 and 15 mT magnetic fields not only statistically significantly boosted and sped up biomass production (by 38-70%), but also accelerated overall metabolism, accelerating glucose, oxygen, and nitrogen consumption, by 1-2 h. The carbon balance analysis revealed an acceleration in ethanol and glycerol production, albeit with final concentrations by 22-28% lower, with a more pronounced effect in aerobic cultivation. These findings suggest that magnetic fields shift the metabolic balance toward biomass formation rather than ethanol production, showcasing their potential to modulate yeast metabolism. Considering coil heating, opting for the 10 mT magnetic field is preferable due to its lower heat generation. In these terms, we propose that magnetic field can be used as novel tool to increase biomass yield and accelerate yeast metabolism.

Edaravone attenuates disease severity of experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis and increases gene expression of Nrf2 and HO-1.

The aim of this study was to evaluate therapeutic potential of edaravone in the murine model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and to expand the knowledge of its mechanism of action. Edaravone (6 mg/kg/day) was administered intraperitoneally from the onset of clinical symptoms until the end of the experiment (28 days). Disease progression was assessed daily using severity scores. At the peak of the disease, histological analyses, markers of oxidative stress (OS) and parameters of mitochondrial function in the brains and spinal cords (SC) of mice were determined. Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1alpha was determined at the end of the experiment. Edaravone treatment ameliorated EAE severity and attenuated inflammation in the SC of the EAE mice, as verified by histological analysis. Moreover, edaravone treatment decreased OS, increased the gene expression of the Nrf2 and HO-1, increased the activity of the mitochondrial complex II/III, reduced the activity of the mitochondrial complex IV and preserved ATP production in the SC of the EAE mice. In conclusion, findings in this study provide additional evidence of edaravone potential for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and expand our knowledge of the mechanism of action of edaravone in the EAE model.

Important role of mitochondria and the effect of mood stabilizers on mitochondrial function.

Mitochondria primarily serve as source of cellular energy through the Krebs cycle and beta-oxidation to generate substrates for oxidative phosphorylation. Redox reactions are used to transfer electrons through a gradient to their final acceptor, oxygen, and to pump hydrogen protons into the intermembrane space. Then, ATP synthase uses the electrochemical gradient to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP). During these processes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated. ROS are highly reactive molecules with important physiological functions in cellular signaling. Mitochondria play a crucial role in intracellular calcium homeostasis and serve as transient calcium stores. High levels of both, ROS and free cytosolic calcium, can damage mitochondrial and cellular structures and trigger apoptosis. Impaired mitochondrial function has been described in many psychiatric diseases, including mood disorders, in terms of lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, suppressed ATP formation, imbalanced Ca(2+) levels and increased ROS levels. In vitro models have indicated that mood stabilizers affect mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, ROS production, ATP formation, Ca(2+) buffering and the antioxidant system. Most studies support the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction is a primary feature of mood disorders. The precise mechanism of action of mood stabilizers remains unknown, but new mitochondrial targets have been proposed for use as mood stabilizers and mitochondrial biomarkers in the evaluation of therapy effectiveness.

A controlled trial of outpatient geriatric evaluation and management.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of targeted outpatient geriatric evaluation and management (GEM). DESIGN: Controlled clinical trial. Elderly persons were identified as being at high risk for hospital admission on the basis of their responses to a short, mailed, self-administered questionnaire. The high-risk elders who chose to participate in the GEM program were compared to those who continued to receive usual care. SETTING: Outpatient GEM clinic at an urban university hospital. SUBJECTS: Elderly Medicaid recipients whose probability of repeated hospital admission (Pra) within 4 years was calculated as 40% or greater (Pra > or = 0.40). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality, use of institutional services, satisfaction. RESULTS: Of the 1210 persons who were sent questionnaires, 624 responded (response rate = 51.6%), of whom 154 (24.7%) were deemed to be a high risk for hospitalization. Of these, 43 received GEM (experimental subjects); 111 received usual care (controls). At baseline, the experimental and control groups' demographic and health-related characteristics did not differ significantly. The average experimental subject was 76.5 years old, had 9.6 significant medical problems, and took 6.7 significant long-term prescription medications. During the program's first 17 months of follow-up, the experimental subjects had lower annual rates of mortality (2.9% vs 19.2%, P = 0.03) and emergency room use (0.6 vs 1.0 visits, P = 0.01) than did the controls. The experimental subjects also tended to use nursing homes, but not hospitals, at a lower rate than the controls. All of the experimental subjects rated the program as either excellent (81.0%) or good (19.0%); 100% said they would recommend it to others. Their established primary physicians rated the GEM services as appropriate and helpful. CONCLUSION: Targeted outpatient GEM was associated with reduced mortality, reduced use of emergency rooms, and a trend toward reduced use of nursing homes.

A method for increasing elders' use of advance directives.

Most published studies report that few elderly people have recorded advance directives (AD). We studied the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary intervention designed to help ambulatory frail elders to record AD. In collaboration with physicians and a trained lay volunteer, a social worker provided information and counseling to the elderly subjects, to their families, and to their proxies in a series of visits to a geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) clinic. Seventy-one percent of the subjects recorded AD. Of these, 96% named a proxy, and 83% recorded specific treatment preferences.

The Family Stories Workshop: stories for those who cannot remember.

The Family Stories Workshop (FSW) is a process through which family members and friends of persons with dementing disorders living in nursing homes develop stories of these residents' lives. The stories are meant to help staff members to develop a better, more deeply felt understanding of the lives of the residents, persons who can no longer tell their own stories. The workshop is product-oriented and is not meant as a support group and works best in organizations emphasizing individualized care. This article describes the process of the FSW as well as outcomes from preliminary implementation. It suggests ways of using elements of the process to more broadly accomplish the FSW purposes.

Educational approaches for preparing social work students for interdisciplinary teamwork on geriatric health care teams.

Interest in teamwork has fluctuated over the last several decades, with recent renewed interest. As social workers become more involved in working with older people in the coming years, their success will hinge on collaboration with other health providers. Schools of social work and clinical sites must address this through the development of educational curricula and clinical programs which prepare social workers to work on interdisciplinary geriatric health care teams. Based on the experience of the national Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training (GITT) Program, this article presents an overview of the necessary team skills for social workers, educational methods for teach ing teamwork developed at the GITT sites, and some teaching challenges.