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Additionally, oral administration of live or heat-killed MJ2 to ovariectomized rats inhibited osteoporosis-induced bone loss. Specifically, surface proteins isolated from MJ2 promoted osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. In conclusion, MJ2 enhanced osteoblast differentiation and mineralization through the OPG/RANKL signaling pathway and the effective component of MJ2 might be its surface proteins.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease with poor prognosis. The IPF-conditioned matrix (IPF-CM) system enables the study of matrix-fibroblast interplay. While effective at slowing fibrosis, nintedanib has limitations and the mechanism is not fully elucidated. In the current work, we explored the underlying signaling pathways and characterized nintedanib involvement in the IPF-CM fibrotic process. Results were validated using IPF patient samples and bleomycin-treated animals with/without oral and inhaled nintedanib. IPF-derived primary human lung fibroblasts (HLFs) were cultured on Matrigel and then cleared using NH4OH, creating the IPF-CM. Normal HLF-CM served as control. RNA-sequencing, PCR and western-blots were performed. HIF1α targets were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in bleomycin-treated rats with/without nintedanib and in patient samples with IPF. HLFs cultured on IPF-CM showed over-expression of ‘HIF1α signaling pathway’ (KEGG, p less then 0.0001), with emphasis on SERPINE1 (PAI-1), VEGFA and TIMP1. IPF patient samples showed high HIF1α staining, especially in established fibrous tissue. PAI-1 was overexpressed, mainly in alveolar macrophages. Nintedanib completely reduced HIF1α upregulation in the IPF-CM and rat-bleomycin models. IPF-HLFs alter the extracellular matrix, thus creating a matrix that further propagates an IPF-like phenotype in normal HLFs. learn more This pro-fibrotic loop includes the HIF1α pathway, which can be blocked by nintedanib.The aim of the work was to develop an easy-to-follow protocol for designing novel functional products with the addition of food industry by-products using design thinking techniques. As a result, a 12-step protocol has been designed and presented. The protocol consists of steps from the initial formation of the design team, through all the stages of the production and prototyping, until establishing the final storage conditions and creating final documentation. The protocol has been validated and explained using a case study in which a fish industry by-product hydrolysate with bioactive properties was used to develop a novel functional food product for physically active people a date bar with carp meat and carp skin gelatin hydrolysate. Following the 12 steps presented in the protocol resulted in developing a food product with high nutritional value and antioxidant power which remains stable during storage at reduced temperatures. Moreover, the product is characterized by good sensory qualities and can be easily implemented into full-scale production. The newly designed protocol is an easy-to-follow method that could be used in almost any kind of food industry sector to sucesfully develop user-focused functional food products with by-product addition.Cycling power meters enable monitoring external loads and performance changes. We aimed to determine the concurrent validity of the novel Favero Assioma Duo (FAD) pedal power meter compared with the crank-based SRM system (considered as gold standard). Thirty-three well-trained male cyclists were assessed at different power output (PO) levels (100-500 W and all-out 15-s sprints), pedaling cadences (75-100 rpm) and cycling positions (seating and standing) to compare the FAD device vs. SRM. No significant differences were found between devices for cadence nor for PO during all-out efforts (p > 0.05), although significant but small differences were found for efforts at lower PO values (p 0.99) during all-out efforts. The coefficient of variation for PO values was consistently lower than 3%. In conclusion, the FAD pedal-based power meter can be considered an overall valid system to record PO and cadence during cycling, although it might present a small bias compared with power meters placed on other locations such as SRM.Gene fusions and their products (RNA and protein) have been traditionally recognized as unique features of cancer cells and are used as ideal biomarkers and drug targets for multiple cancer types. However, recent studies have demonstrated that chimeric RNAs generated by intergenic alternative splicing can also be found in normal cells and tissues. In this study, we aim to identify chimeric RNAs in different non-neoplastic cell lines and investigate the landscape and expression of these novel candidate chimeric RNAs. To do so, we used HEK-293T, HUVEC, and LO2 cell lines as models, performed paired-end RNA sequencing, and conducted analyses for chimeric RNA profiles. Several filtering criteria were applied, and the landscape of chimeric RNAs was characterized at multiple levels and from various angles. Further, we experimentally validated 17 chimeric RNAs from different classifications. Finally, we examined a number of validated chimeric RNAs in different cancer and non-cancer cells, including blood from healthy donors, and demonstrated their ubiquitous expression pattern.In a raw-meat-processing environment, members of the Enterobacteriaceae family can coexist with Staphylococcus aureus to form dual-species biofilms, leading to a higher risk of food contamination. However, very little is known about the effect of inter-species interactions on dual-species biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between S. aureus and raw-meat-processing environment isolates of Klebsiella oxytoca in dual-species biofilms, by employing an untargeted metabolomics tool. Crystal violet staining assay showed that the biomass of the dual-species biofilm significantly increased and reached its maximum after incubation for 21 h, compared with that of single species grown alone. The number of K. oxytoca in the dual-species biofilm was significantly higher than that of S. aureus. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that both species were evenly distributed, and were tightly wrapped by extracellular polymeric substances in the dual-species biofilms.