Ovarian follicle growth and oocyte maturation depend on the viability of granulosa cells (GC). We quantified GC in whole mouse follicles. Single follicles were isolated from adult mouse ovaries and stained with DAPI or Live-Dead stain before fixation. An objective image analysis protocol for counting fluorescent labeled GC was developed that used Image J software to measure GC cytoplasmic and nuclear areas. These data were compared to the number of GC obtained by disaggregating 96 follicles with enzymes to produce a suspension of GC, which then was stained with trypan blue and assessed using a hemocytometer. We found a linear relation between GC/follicle and follicle diameter. Viability of GC/follicle ranged from 40 ± 11 to 72 ± 7%. A-366 supplier The coefficient of variation for image analysis of DAPI stained GC by different assessors was 4%, but the number of GC obtained from image analysis was approximately 50% less than from disaggregated follicles. The number of GC in intact mouse follicles was greater than the number reported earlier for fixed ovarian sections. We found that the number of GC was less in fluorescence labeled follicles; it is possible that the three-dimensional structure of the intact follicles obscured the fluorescent signal. Direct quantification of viable GC isolated from follicles appears to be the most accurate method.BACKGROUND Chronic pain after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with notable sensory alterations. Although the incidence of TBI is rapidly growing in older populations, elderly individuals have been largely excluded from sensory testing studies, thus limiting evidence regarding the influence of age on pain-related sensory alterations after TBI. This study aimed to investigate the effect of age on the sensory profiles of patients with and without chronic pain after moderate-to-severe TBI. METHODS Thermal and mechanical quantitative sensory testing were performed on the painful and contralateral body regions in TBI participants with pain (TBI-P) and on both forearms in TBI participants without pain (TBI-NP). Descriptive information about chronic pain and psychological comorbidities was assessed using validated questionnaires. RESULTS Participants included 37 young (18-59 years, 57% with chronic pain) and 22 elderly (≥60 years, 46% with chronic pain) survivors of moderate-to-severe TBI. TBI-P participants exhibited significant alterations in heat and pressure pain sensitivity compared to TBI-NP participants, with more pronounced decreases in heat detection in the elderly group and increased warmth sensitivity in the young group. Alterations were not always associated with chronic pain, as cold hypoesthesia was found in elderly TBI-NP participants. In both age groups, chronic pain was associated with higher levels of depressive mood. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that young and elderly TBI survivors have both common and unique sensory properties, highlighting the need to pursue sensory testing studies in older patient groups. Depression might also be an important target for pain management after TBI.Goodyschle A (1), a new butenolide, was isolated from the whole grass of Goodyera schlechtendaliana, an orchidaceous edible medicinal plant. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by 1 D and 2 D NMR experiments in addition to HRESIMS analyses. Compound 1 was evaluated for its bioactivities including cytotoxic activity against human gastric cancer (SGC-7901) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines, inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and DPPH radical scavenging activity. As a result, compound 1 showed potent BChE inhibitory activity (IC50 value = 6.88 ± 1.63 μM), moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 value = 16.25 ± 0.21 μM), and slight AChE inhibitory and cytotoxic activities. These findings suggest that compound 1 is worthy for further investigations in terms of its selective BChE inhibitory activity.There is a neoteric and rising demand for nutritional and functional foods which behooves food processors to adopt processing techniques with optimal conservation of bioactive components in foods and with minimal pernicious impacts on the environment. Ultrasonication, a mechanochemical technique has proven to be an efficacious panacea to these concerns. In this review, an analytic exploration of recent researches and designs regarding ultrasound methodology and equipment on diverse food systems, technological scales, procedural parameters and outcomes of such experimentations optimally scrutinized. The relative effects of ultrasonication on food formulations, components and attributes such as nanoemulsions, nanocapsules, proteins, micronutrients, sensory and mechanical characteristics are evaluatively delineated. In food systems where ultrasonication was employed, it was found to have a remarkable effect on one or more quality parameters. This review is a supplementation to the pedagogical awareness to scholars on the suitability of ultrasonication for research procedures, and a call to industrial food brands on the adoption of this technique for the development of foods with optimally sustained nutrient profiles.With an increase in life expectancy, the incidence of chronic degenerative pathologies such as dementia has progressively risen. Cognitive impairment leads to the gradual loss of skills, which results in substantial personal and financial cost at the individual and societal levels. Grapes and wines are rich in healthy compounds, which may help to maintain homeostasis and reduce the risk of several chronic illnesses, including dementia. This review analyzed papers that were systematically searched in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and CAB-Abstract, using the association between grapes (or their derivatives) and their effects on cognitive functions in humans. Analysis was restricted to epidemiological and randomized-controlled studies. Consumption of grape juice (200-500 mL/day) and/or light-to-moderate wine (one to four glasses/day) was generally associated with improved cognitive performance, while the results for other alcoholic beverages were controversial and inconclusive. Bioactive molecules contained in grapes and wine were also considered, with particular attention paid to resveratrol.