Structural characterization of lignin and lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) of sesame hull.

In the present study, lignin and lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) constituting the cell wall structure of sesame hulls were investigated to explore novel techniques of dehulling. Milled wood lignin (MWL), Björkman LCC, and acid-soluble LCC (LCC-AcOH) were extracted from sesame hulls and characterized by carbohydrate composition analysis, molecular weight analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, thermal analysis, Py-GC/MS, 2D HSQC NMR, and 31P NMR. The results showed that rhamnose accounted for the largest proportion of the lignin and LCC fractions, followed by glucose. Björkman LCC had the largest molecular weight, MWL had the smallest molecular weight, and LCC-AcOH had the largest polydispersity index. The lignin of sesame hulls consisted of syringyl (S), guaiacyl (G), p-hydroxyphenyl (H), and caffeyl alcohol (C) units. The most abundant monomer was guaiacyl (G), followed by caffeyl alcohol (C). C-type lignin is a new type of lignin that is different from the three traditional lignin monomers. The major lignin-linked bonds in the MWL and LCC-AcOH were ß-O-4' and ß-ß', and ß-5' bonds were present in the Björkman LCC. The major LCC chemical bonds in the three fractions were PhGly. These findings will provide the factual basis for exploring different dehulling methods to enhance the quality of sesame products.

Do medical schools teach medical humanities? Review of curricula in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Medical humanities are becoming increasingly recognized as positively impacting medical education and medical practice. However, the extent of medical humanities teaching in medical schools is largely unknown. We reviewed medical school curricula in Canada, the UK and the US. We also explored the relationship between medical school ranking and the inclusion of medical humanities in the curricula. METHODS: We searched the curriculum websites of all accredited medical schools in Canada, the UK and the US to check which medical humanities topics were taught, and whether they were mandatory or optional. We then noted rankings both by Times Higher Education and U.S. News and World Report and calculated the average rank. We formally explored whether there was an association between average medical school ranking and medical humanities offerings using Spearman's correlation and inverse variance weighting meta-analysis. RESULTS: We identified 18 accredited medical school programmes in Canada, 41 in the UK, and 154 in the US. Of these, nine (56%) in Canada, 34 (73%) in the UK and 124 (80%) in the US offered at least one medical humanity that was not ethics. The most common medical humanities were medical humanities (unspecified), history, and literature (Canada); sociology and social medicine, medical humanities (unspecified), and art (UK); and medical humanities (unspecified), literature and history (US). Higher ranked medical schools appeared less likely to offer medical humanities. CONCLUSIONS: The extent and content of medical humanities offerings at accredited medical schools in Canada, the UK and the US varies, and there appears to be an inverse relationship between medical school quality and medical humanities offerings. Our analysis was limited by the data provided on the Universities' websites. Given the potential for medical humanities to improve medical education and medical practice, opportunities to reduce this variation should be exploited.

Bioactive Components and Health Benefits of Saskatoon Berry.

In response to the recent rise in numbers of diabetes patients, many treatments have been developed; but currently, oral antihyperglycemic agents and insulin are still the main clinical treatments. Since current drugs have limitations and harmful side effects, research in alternative treatments has been sought. This article reviews recent research updates of Saskatoon berries (SB), covering its background information, its main active ingredients, its structure, and its function. Flavonoid compounds in Saskatoon berries, in particular flavanol, anthocyanin, and proanthocyanin, possess anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antidiabetes impacts. The current review synthesizes the latest research on the health benefits of Saskatoon berry in a variety of domains. With further research, SB has the potential to help treat and prevent diabetes in the future.