Drew Huynh (swissmaria2)

Some human traits arise via organic evolution while others are acquired from the prevailing culture via a process of social learning. A mainstream interpretation is that evolution amounts to a change in the relative frequency of gene variants in a population and that culture coevolves at arm's length. Matters look different if one starts instead from the view that organisms are modified during evolution because of changes in gene expression as much as changes in the relative frequency of gene variants. Gene expression, i.e. generation of the product encoded by a gene, is not under genetic control, for it requires location- and time-specific triggers, which cannot be provided by genes. The genes present in an individual are present in every cell, hence at all locations in the individual's body and at all times during the individual's life. The necessary location- and time-specific triggers are provided internally by developmental events and conditions, or externally by environmental events and conditions, i.e. non-genetically. Socially-learned traits, having no special connection with genes, may nevertheless influence evolution, as for any trait. Like organic traits generally, socially-learned traits can be positively or negatively selected, for they similarly influence survival and reproduction. Like learned traits generally, they can play an important role in evolution by providing repeated selective pressure. The resulting evolutionary change typically affects an associated trait (e.g. adult ability to digest the sugar contained in milk), not the socially-learned trait itself (e.g. dairying), which continues under the influence of cultural processes of change.Heat-killed lactic acid bacteria perform immunomodulatory functions and are advantageous as probiotics, considering their long product shelf-life, easy storage, and convenient transportation. In this study, we aimed to develop appropriate heat treatments for industrial preparation of probiotics with antioxidant activity. Among 75 heat-killed strains, Lactococcus lactis MG5125 revealed the highest nitric oxide inhibition (86.2%), followed by Lactobacillus acidophilus MG4559 (86.0%), Lactobacillus plantarum MG5270 (85.7%), Lactobacillus fermentum MG4510 (85.3%), L. plantarum MG5239 (83.9%), L. Selleck SB273005 plantarum MG5289 (83.2%), and L. plantarum MG5203 (81.8%). Moreover, the heat-killed selected strains markedly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The use of heat-killed bacteria with intact bio-functionality can elongate the shelf-life and simplify the food processing steps of probiotic foods, given their high stability. The antioxidant and immune-modulatory activities of the heat-killed strains selected in this study indicate a strong potential for their utilization probiotic products manufacturing.The development of adjuvant therapies for obesity treatment is justified by the high prevalence of this disease worldwide, and the relationship between obesity and intestinal microbiota is a promising target for obesity treatment. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the adjuvant treatment of obesity through the use of potential probiotics and antibiotics, either separately or sequentially. In the first phase of the experiment, animals had diet-induced obesity with consumption of a high saturated fat diet and a fructose solution. After this period, there was a reduction in caloric supply, that is the conventional treatment of obesity, and the animals were divided into 5 experimental groups control group (G1), obese group (G2), potential probiotic group (G3), antibiotic group (G4), and antibiotic followed by potential probiotic group (G5). The adjuvant treatments lasted 4 weeks and were administered daily, via gavage Animals in G1 and G2 received distilled water, the G3 obtained Lactobacillus gasseri LG-G12, and the G4 received ceftriaxone. The G5 received ceftriaxone for 2 weeks, followed by the offer o