Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Powder Accelerates Metabolic Maturation at Early Stages of Cardiac Differentiation in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes

During fetal development, cardiomyocytes switch from glycolysis to oxidative metabolism to sustain the energy requirements of functional cells. State-of-the-art cardiac differentiation protocols yield phenotypically immature cardiomyocytes, and common methods to improve metabolic maturation require multistep protocols to induce maturation only after cardiac specification is completed. Here, we describe a maturation method using ventricle-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) that promoted early-stage metabolic maturation of cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Chemically and architecturally preserved particles (45-500 µm) of pig ventricular dECM were added to hiPSCs at the start of differentiation. At the end of our maturation protocol (day 15 of cardiac differentiation), we observed an intimate interaction between cardiomyocytes and dECM particles without impairment of cardiac differentiation efficiency (~70% of cTNT+). Compared with control cells (those cultured without pig dECM), 15-day-old dECM-treated cardiomyocytes demonstrated increased expression of markers related to cardiac metabolic maturation, MAPK1, FOXO1, and FOXO3, and a switch from ITGA6 (the immature integrin isoform) to ITGA3 and ITGA7 (those present in adult cardiomyocytes). Electrical parameters and responsiveness to dobutamine also improved in pig ventricular dECM-treated cells. Extending the culture time to 30 days, we observed a switch from glucose to fatty acid metabolism, indicated by decreased glucose uptake and increased fatty acid consumption in cells cultured with dECM. Together, these data suggest that dECM contains endogenous cues that enable metabolic maturation of hiPSC-CMs at early stages of cardiac differentiation.

Use of Apple Pomace as Substrate for Production of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Malolactic Starter Cultures

The by-products of the food industry are an economic alternative as a source of nutrients to obtain biomass. At the same time, theiruse could solve the environmental problem related to their disposal, which is highly polluting due to their elevated biochemical oxygen demand. In this work, we seek to optimize the production of cellular biomass of two native Patagonian strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (UNQLp 11 and UNQLp155), selected for its oenological and technological properties, using apple pomace (AP), a residue from the juice and cider industry. The supplementation of AP with yeast extract, salts, and Tween 80 (sAP), proved to maintain the growth of the Lpb. plantarum strains, similar to the commercial medium used to grow LAB (De Man, Rogosa, Sharpe, MRS). Cultures grown in sAP medium showed good tolerance to wine conditions (high ethanol content and low pH), demonstrated by its ability to consume L-malic acid. The subsequent inoculation of these cultures in sterile wines (Merlot and Pinot noir) was carried out at laboratory scale, evaluating cell viability and L-malic acid consumption for 21 days at 21 °C. Cultures grown in sAP media showed a similar performance to MRS media. Thus, sAP media proved to be a suitable substrate to grow oenological Lpb. plantarum strains where cultures (with high size inoculums) were able to drive malolactic fermentation, with an L-malic acid consumption higher than 90%.

Study of the mechanism of pre-burned ash leaching by hydrochloric acid

The use of hydrochloric acid for processing aluminum-containing raw materials has a number of advantages over other acids, which include: easy decomposition of aluminum compounds with the transfer of aluminum into solution; low solubility of silica in HCl, the possibility of complete separation of the solid residue without significant losses of acid, etc. The paper considers the possibility of using the method for processing ash and slag dumps accumulated in large volumes in the country. Based on the thermodynamic analysis of reactions of interaction between ash components and hydrochloric acid, the behavior of aluminum, iron and nonferrous metal compounds during leaching is studied. It was shown that the preliminary roasting of ash with calcium chloride provides a high extraction of aluminum in the solution from the cinder. Based on experimental studies, the influence of time, temperature and acid consumption on the degree of aluminum extraction into the solution has been established. At optimal conditions of leaching conducted at S:L = 1:3, T = 60 ºC, τ = 60 min extraction of aluminum in a solution as chloride amounted to 99.92 %. At the same time the extraction of silica in solid sediment due to the maximum transfer of impurities in the solution was 99.8 %. The mechanism of the leaching process is proposed. The values of activation energy and the order of the reaction, indicating the complex 3-step character of the reactions, have been calculated. It is established that the limiting stage during leaching is the dissolution of anorthite.

Copper Extraction from Oxide Ore of Almalyk Mine by H2SO4 in Simulated Heap Leaching: Effect of Particle Size and Acid Concentration

In this investigation, a laboratory-scale study to extract copper (Cu) from its oxide ore (0.425–11.2 mm particle size) was conducted using varied sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentrations (0.05–0.5 M) as a lixiviant. Through a physicochemical and mineralogical analysis of real field ore samples from the Almalyk mine heap site (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), malachite was identified as a Cu-bearing mineral. Extraction rates were analyzed according to the ore particle size and acid concentration. The Cu extraction with the smallest particle size (in 24 h) varied between 76.7% and 94.26% at varied H2SO4 concentrations (0.05–0.5 M). Almost half (50%) of Cu was extracted from the ore within 4 and 72 h of contact time for 0.425–2 mm and 5.6–11.2 mm particle sizes, respectively, using 0.15 M H2SO4. Weeklong leaching experiments with 0.5 M H2SO4 revealed a higher copper extraction rate (≥73%) from coarse ore particles (5.6–11.2 mm). Along with the copper extraction, iron (29.6 wt%), aluminum (70.2 wt%), magnesium (85.4 wt%), and calcium (44.4 wt%) were also leached out considerably through the dissolution of silicate and carbonate gangue minerals. In this study, an 80.0–94.26% copper extraction rate with reduced acid consumption (20%) proved to be a cost-effective approach.

The Effects of Linoleic Acid Consumption on Lipid Risk Markers for Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one contributor to death in the United States and worldwide. Lipid risk markers for CVD include high serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), lipoprotein (a), and triglycerides, as well as low serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Additional factors to assess CVD risk include apolipoprotein A (associated with HDL) and apolipoprotein B (associated with LDL). A suggested dietary strategy to decrease these risk factors is to replace a portion of saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids – especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). One PUFA, in particular, is the essential omega-6 PUFA linoleic acid, which has been demonstrated to affect these CVD risk markers. Therefore, this chapter will discuss the effects of linoleic acid consumption on lipid risk markers for CVD in healthy individuals, the associated mechanisms, and dietary recommendations to decrease CVD risk.