By contrast, pioneer axon navigation required the intracellular domain, suggesting that FMI-1 acts as receptor transducing Torin 2 ic50 a signal in this case. Our findings indicate that FMI-1 is a cell-type dependent axon guidance factor with different domain requirements for its different functions in pioneers and followers.”
“Background: Allergic lung inflammation

is impaired in diabetic rats and is restored by insulin treatment. In the present study we investigated the effect of insulin on the signaling pathways triggered by allergic inflammation in the lung and the release of selected mediators. Methods: Diabetic male Wistar rats (alloxan, 42 mg/kg, i.v., 10 days) and matching controls were sensitized by s.c. injections of ovalbumin (OA) in aluminium hydroxide, 14 days before OA (1 mg/0.4 ml) or saline intratracheal challenge. A group of diabetic rats were treated with neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin (NPH, 4 IU, s.c.), 2 h before the AZD5153 manufacturer OA challenge. Six hours after the challenge, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for mediator release and lung tissue was homogenized for Western blotting analysis of signaling pathways. Results: Relative

to non-diabetic rats, the diabetic rats exhibited a significant reduction in OA-induced phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK, 59%), p38 (53%), protein kinase B (Akt, 46%), protein kinase C (PKC)-alpha (63%) and PKC-delta (38%) in lung homogenates following the antigen challenge. Activation of the NF-kappa B p65 subunit and phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha were almost suppressed in diabetic rats. Reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, 32%) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, 46%) in the lung homogenates was also observed. The BAL concentration of prostaglandin

(PG)-E(2), nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin (IL)-6 was reduced in diabetic rats GSK923295 (74%, 44% and 65%, respectively), whereas the cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-2 concentration was not different from the control animals. Treatment of diabetic rats with insulin completely or partially restored all of these parameters. This protocol of insulin treatment only partially reduced the blood glucose levels. Conclusion: The data presented show that insulin regulates MAPK, PI3K, PKC and NF-kappa B pathways, the expression of the inducible enzymes iNOS and COX-2, and the levels of NO, PGE(2) and IL-6 in the early phase of allergic lung inflammation in diabetic rats. It is suggested that insulin is required for optimal transduction of the intracellular signals that follow allergic stimulation. Copyright (C) 2010 S.

Results: In total we included 1009 subjects, 105 cases with schizophrenia (10.4%) and 904 controls (89.6%). The mean suPAR values were 4.01 ng/ml (SD = 1.43) for the cases vs 1.91 ng/ml (SD = 1.35) for the controls (P smaller than .001).

Multiple logistic regression with odds ratio (OR) for suPAR levels bigger than 4.0 ng/ml yielded: schizophrenia, OR: 46.15 95% CI 22.69-93.87, P smaller than .001; age, OR: 1.02 95% CI 0.99-1.02, P = .15; male sex, OR: 0.70 95% CI 0.35-1.36, P = .29; and current smoking, OR: 3.51 95% CI 1.78-6.94, P smaller than .001. Conclusions: Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher suPAR levels than healthy controls. Further studies are warranted to clarify if find more elevated suPAR levels are involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and/or the increased mortality found in patients with schizophrenia.”
“Context: Whether menopause-related changes in sex steroids account for midlife weight gain in women or whether weight drives changes in sex steroids remains unanswered.\n\nObjective: The PP2 mw objective of the study was to characterize the potential reciprocal nature of the associations between sex hormones and their binding protein with waist circumference in midlife women.\n\nDesign,

Setting, and Participants: The study included 1528 women (mean age 46 yr) with 9 yr of follow-up across the menopause transition from the observational Study of Women’s Health

Across the Nation.\n\nMain Outcome Measures: Waist circumference, SHBG, testosterone, FSH, and estradiol were measured.\n\nResults: Current waist circumference predicted future SHBG, testosterone, and FSH but not vice versa. For each (SD) higher current waist circumference, at the subsequent visit SHBG was lower by 0.04-0.15 (SD), testosterone was higher by 0.08-0.13 (SD), and log(2) FSH was lower by 0.15-0.26 (SD). Estradiol results were distinct from those above, changing direction across the menopause transition. Estradiol and waist circumference were negatively associated in early menopausal transition stages and positively associated in later transition stages (for each (SD) higher current waist circumference, future estradiol was lower BTSA1 chemical structure by 0.15 (SD) in pre- and early perimenopause and higher by 0.38 (SD) in late peri- and postmenopause; P for interaction <0.001). In addition, they appeared to be reciprocal, with current waist circumference associated with future estradiol and current estradiol associated with future waist circumference. However, associations in the direction of current waist circumference predicting future estradiol levels were of considerably larger magnitude than the reverse.\n\nConclusions: These Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation data suggest that the predominant temporal sequence is that weight gain leads to changes in sex steroids rather than vice versa.

Results: Compared to female WT mice, OPN-null mice did not develop cSCCs. UVB irradiation stimulated OPN protein expression in the dorsal skin by 11 h and remains high at 24-48 h. OPN did not mediate UVB-induced epidermal hyperplasia; instead, it protected basal keratinocytes from undergoing apoptosis upon UVB exposure. Likewise, the addition of OPN suppressed UVB-induced OPN-null cSCC cell apoptosis, the activation of caspase-9 activity, and increased phosphorylation of FAK at Y397. Furthermore, the expression of CD44 and FAK in WT mice epidermis was greater than that of

OPN-null mice prior to and during early acute UVB exposure. Conclusion: These data support the hypothesis that chronic UVB-induced OPN expression protects the survival of initiated basal keratinocytes and, consequently, facilitates cSCC develop. (C) 2014 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published Selleck ICG-001 by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The objective of this study was to investigate how joint MS-275 order specific biomechanical loading influences the functional development and phenotypic stability of cartilage grafts engineered in vitro using stem/progenitor cells isolated from different source tissues. Porcine bone marrow derived multipotent stromal cells (BMSCs) and infrapatellar fat pad derived multipotent stromal cells (FPSCs) were seeded in agarose hydrogels and cultured

in chondrogenic medium, while simultaneously subjected to 10 MPa of cyclic hydrostatic pressure (HP). To mimic the endochondral phenotype observed in vivo with cartilaginous tissues engineered using BMSCs, the culture media was additionally supplemented with hypertrophic factors, while the loss of phenotype observed in vivo with FPSCs was induced by withdrawing transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta see more 3 from the media. The application of HP was found to enhance the functional development of cartilaginous

tissues engineered using both BMSCs and FPSCs. In addition, HP was found to suppress calcification of tissues engineered using BMSCs cultured in chondrogenic conditions and acted to maintain a chondrogenic phenotype in cartilaginous grafts engineered using FPSCs. The results of this study point to the importance of in vivo specific mechanical cues for determining the terminal phenotype of chondrogenically primed multipotent stromal cells. Furthermore, demonstrating that stem or progenitor cells will appropriately differentiate in response to such biophysical cues might also be considered as an additional functional assay for evaluating their therapeutic potential. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The prevalent challenge facing tissue engineering today is the lack of adequate vascularization to support the growth, function, and viability of tissue substitutes that require blood vessel supply. Researchers rely on the increasing knowledge of angiogenic and vasculogenic processes to stimulate vascular network formation within three-dimensional tissue constructs.

Interestingly, the neuroprotective effects of Wld(S) span all species tested,

which suggests that there is an ancient, Wld(S)-sensitive axon destruction program. Recent studies with Wld(S) also reveal that Wallerian degeneration is genetically related to several dying back axonopathies, thus arguing that Wallerian degeneration can serve as a useful model to understand, and potentially treat, axon degeneration in diverse traumatic or disease contexts.”
“This article provides an overview of international reference laboratories ASP2215 clinical trial and their advent in India. International reference laboratory chains constitute Networks of Excellence in laboratory testing with best in trade quality management systems, good laboratory practices, laboratory information management systems, electronic document control, and a linked training management system. Its operations are Lean and Six Sigma driven. Reference laboratories invest in innovation, technology, large-scale operations, and cost-efficient testing. They provide high-quality as well as esoteric testing services and serve as models to evolve as centers of excellence in diagnostic testing. Policy and regulatory support can enhance the potential of these laboratories.”
“Autoantibodies to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) are specifically, if rarely, present in systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE) patient sera. Even SLE patients lacking PCNA reactivity often show reaction to PCNA-binding protein. Here, immunoreactivity to chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1), an essential molecule check details for DNA replication and a PCNA-binding protein, was compared for the sera of SLE patients, normal healthy controls (NHCs) and other disease controls, and in autoimmune sera reactive to standard autoantigens, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent S63845 mw assay (ELISA), indirect immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting. CAF1 and IRF1 expression in SLE and NHC peripheral mononuclear cells were compared by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Serum interferon-gamma-inducing protein-10 and anti-double-stranded (ds)DNA antibody levels were measured

by ELISA. Increased CAF-1 autoimmune reactivity was recognized in SLE or serum anti-dsDNA antibody-positive patients. Significantly greater central nervous system (CNS) involvement (aseptic meningitis) and serum anti-dsDNA antibody titers were present more often in anti-CAF-1 antibody-positive than antibody-negative SLE patients. IFN-gamma positively regulated CAF-1 expression in vitro and was associated with anti-CAF-1 antibody production in SLE. Thus, a novel anti-CAF-1 autoantibody is frequently found in patients with SLE and is a useful biomarker for diagnosis, especially in cases with CNS involvement. Aberrant IFN-gamma regulation appears to play an important role in anti-CAF-1 antibody production in SLE.

3%) was 2.62 (95% CI, 1.16 to 5.91).

There was no association with ESRD risk after adjustment for risk factors of CKD progression. Conclusions In a CKD cohort, HbA(1c) values in the prediabetes range are associated with mortality. Such values should be therefore included among the risk factors for negative outcomes Entinostat concentration in CKD populations.”
“Protein SUMOylation (SUMO is small ubiquitin-related modifier) is a dynamic process that is strictly regulated under physiological and pathological conditions. However, little is known about how various intra- or extra-cellular stimuli regulate expression levels of components in the SUMO system. SUMO isoforms SUMO2 and SUMO3 can rapidly convert to be conjugated in response Selleck Emricasan to a variety of cellular stresses. Owing to the limitations of sequence homology, SUMO2 and SUMO3 cannot be differentiated between and are thus referred to as SUMO2/3. Whether these two isoforms are regulated in distinct manners has never been addressed. In the present paper we report that the expression of SUMO3, but not SUMO2, can be down-regulated

at the transcription level by cellular oxidative stress. In the present study, we checked SUMO2 and SUMO3 mRNA levels in cells exposed to various doses of H(2)O(2) and in cells bearing different levels of ROS (reactive oxygen species). We found an inverse relationship between SUMO3 transcription and ROS levels. We characterized a promoter region specific for the mouse Sumo3 gene that is bound by the redox-sensitive transcription factor Sp1 (specificity protein 1) and demonstrated oxidation of Sp1, as well this website as suppression of Sp1-DNA binding upon oxidative stress. This revealed for the first time that the expression of SUMO2 and SUMO3 is regulated differently by ROS. These findings may enhance our understanding about the regulation of SUMOylation

and also shed light on the functions of Sp1.”
“Objective: GH insensitivity (GHI) is caused in the majority of cases by impaired function of the GH receptor (GHR). All but one known GHR mutation are in the coding sequence or the exon/intron boundaries. We identified and characterised the first intronic defect occurring in the polypyrimidine tract of the GHR in a patient with severe GHI.\n\nDesign: We investigated the effect of the novel defect on mRNA splicing using an in vitro splicing assay and a cell transfection system.\n\nMethods: GHR was analysed by direct sequencing. To assess the effect of the novel defect, two heterologous minigenes (wild-type and mutant L1-GHR8-L2) were generated by inserting GHR exon 8 and its flanking wild-type or mutant intronic sequences into a well-characterised splicing reporter (Adml-par L1-L2). (32)P-labelled pre-mRNA was generated from the two constructs and incubated in HeLa nuclear extracts or HEK293 cells.\n\nResults: Sequencing of the GHR revealed a novel homozygous defect in the polypyrimidine tract of intron 7 (IVS7-6T > A).

Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Background: Long-term benefit and safety of infliximab treatment in patients with chronic sarcoidosis remain unclear. Objectives: It was the aim of this study to assess the clinical benefit and safety of long-term infliximab treatment in patients with chronic steroid-resistant sarcoidosis. Methods: We conducted

a retrospective chart review of all patients with chronic steroid-resistant Selleck GSK461364 sarcoidosis who received infliximab between January 2003 and November 2010. Pulmonary function tests and index lesions before and after infliximab therapy were assessed. Results: Between January 2003 and November 2010, 28 patients received infliximab, 16 of them for more than 12 months. Five (31%) of these 16 patients with long-term infliximab treatment had a predominantly pulmonary disease, whereas 11 (69%) had a predominantly extrapulmonary involvement. Mean duration of treatment for the 16 patients was 29 months (range 12-62). Six of 11 (55%) patients with mainly extrapulmonary sarcoidosis showed a complete remission of their index lesion, 4/11 (36%) had a partial remission and 1/11 (9%) showed no response. One out of 5 patients with predominantly pulmonary sarcoidosis showed a >10% improvement

in percentage predicted forced vital capacity, 3/5 showed a 0-10% improvement, Z-VAD-FMK supplier and in 1/5 patients, percentage predicted forced vital capacity declined during infliximab treatment. Thus, overall, 14/16 (88%) patients profited

from long-term infliximab treatment. Suspected adverse effects which lead to a temporary withdrawal of infliximab therapy were noticed in 1/16 (6%) patients. Conclusions: This retrospective study indicates that long-term infliximab is very efficient and safe in patients with chronic steroid-resistant sarcoidosis when assessed with individualized treatment targets. Patients with predominantly extrapulmonary sarcoidosis seem to profit more than patients with a predominantly pulmonary disease. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“A 1-year-old boy who had left isomerism and corrected transposition of the great arteries (c-TGA) with moderate-sized ventricular septal defect, severe pulmonary Cyclosporin A mouse artery hypertension (PAH), and pulmonary vascular disease with significant right-to-left shunting received a diagnosis of type 2 Abernethy malformation, which was partly responsible for disproportionate PAH in the child. The malformation was treated by plugging of the portosystemic shunt. Follow-up cardiac catheterization on sildenafil demonstrated significant left-to-right shunting (2.16:1) and a fall in pulmonary vascular resistance, making surgical correction possible. This case highlights the importance of searching for additional rare causes of PAH in patients with congenital heart diseases when the degree of pulmonary hypertension is disproportional to the defect size.”
“Background: This study aimed to investigate the relations among the psychological well-being (i.e.

Maternal characteristics and characteristics of the present pregnancy and delivery, hysterectomy indications, operative complications, postoperative conditions and maternal outcomes were evaluated.

There were 73 emergency peripartum hysterectomies out of 114,720 deliveries, a rate of 0.63 per 1,000 deliveries. Eleven hysterectomies were performed after vaginal delivery (0.12/1,000 vaginal deliveries) and the remaining 62 hysterectomies

were performed after cesarean section (2/1,000 cesarean sections). The most common indication for hysterectomy was placenta previa and/or accreta (31 patients, 42.4%), followed by uterine atony (26 patients, 35.6%). In this study, 22 of 29 patients (75.8%) with placenta previa and 12 of 16 patients (75%) with placenta accreta had previously had cesarean sections. Cesarean section is Tariquidar inhibitor associated with placenta previa and accreta, which are the most common causes of emergency peripartum hysterectomy.

The increase in the cesarean delivery rate is leading to an increase in the rate of abnormal placentation

(placenta previa and accreta), which in turn give rise to an increase in the peripartum hysterectomy rate. Cesarean section itself is also a risk factor for emergency peripartum hysterectomy. Therefore, every effort should be made to reduce the cesarean rate by performing this procedure only for valid clinical indications. The risk factors for peripartum hysterectomy should be AZD2171 inhibitor identified GSK 4529 antenatally. The delivery and operation should be performed in appropriate clinical settings by experienced surgeons when risk factors are identified.”
“Purpose: Advances in tumor biology and clinical trials indicate that p53 transfer is an alternative therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this phase I clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and biologic activity of multiple

intraepithelial injections of recombinant adenovirus (rAd)-p53 in patients with dysplastic oral leukoplakia (OLK), the most common precursor of the oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Patients and Methods: Eighteen Chinese patients clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as having dysplastic OLK were recruited for this study. On a 15-day cycle, intraepithelial injections of rAd-p53 were administered once every 3 days at dose levels of 1 x 10(8) virus particles/cm(2). During treatment, patients were monitored for adverse events, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum antiadenoviral immunoglobulin (Ig) G/IgM. Incisional biopsies were performed 24 to 48 hours after the last injection, and immunohistochemistry was used to examine the protein expression of p53, p21, and bcl-2. The patients were followed up for 6 months to observe the initial clinical effect.

However, as women age, they are disproportionately affected by stroke, coincident with the loss of estrogen with menopause. The risk of stroke in elderly women exceeds that of men and it is clear that in some settings estrogen can have pro-inflammatory effects. This review will focus on estrogen and inflammation and its interaction with aging.”
“Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine whether alterations in the expression

of p53, caspase-3 Bcl-2, and ki-67 appear early in premalignant oral epithelium and show clonal behavior.

Study Design: Samples from 41 tumors with their adjacent non-tumor epithelia were immunohistochemically analyzed using monoclonal antibodies that recognize p53, caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Ki-67

Results:

A statistically significant association was found between the expression buy AZD1480 in tumor and adjacent epithelium of p53, caspase-3, and Bcl-2 but not of k-67. A significant association was observed between the expression of ki-67 and p53 in both localizations. In non-tumor (premalignant) epithelium samples, there was a significant inverse relationship between the 10058-F4 datasheet expressions of p53 and caspase-3 and a significant direct relationship between the expressions of p53 and Bcl-2.

Conclusions: Alterations in these proteins appear to operate in combination with premalignant epithelia to create hyperproliferative cell states that favor the acquisition of summative oncogenic errors that confer invasive capacity.”
“The risk estimates calculated from the conventional risk assessment method usually are compound specific and provide limited information for source-specific air quality control. We used a risk apportionment approach, which is a combination of receptor modeling and risk assessment, to estimate source-specific lifetime excess cancer risks of selected hazardous air pollutants. We analyzed the speciated MAPK inhibitor PM(2.5) and VOCs data collected at the Beacon Hill in Seattle, WA between 2000 and 2004 with the Multilinear Engine to first quantify source contributions to the mixture of hazardous

air pollutants (HAPs) in terms of mass concentrations. The cancer risk from exposure to each source was then calculated as the sum of all available species’ cancer risks in the source feature. We also adopted the bootstrapping technique for the uncertainty analysis. The results showed that the overall cancer risk was 6.09* 10(-5), with the background (1.61* 10(-5)). diesel (9.82* 10(-6)) and wood burning (9.45* 10(-6)) sources being the primary risk sources. The PM(2.5) Mass concentration contributed 20% of the total risk. The 5th percentile of the risk estimates of all sources other than marine and soil were higher than 1* 10(-6). It was also found that the diesel and wood burning sources presented similar cancer risks although the diesel exhaust contributed less to the PM(2.5) mass concentration than the wood burning.

For this purpose, single- and joint-population analyses with single and bivariate trait models of both populations were performed. The presence of the SSC6 QTL for backfat thickness previously identified in the IB x LR cross was detected in this population with additional molecular information, but also was confirmed in the IB x MS cross. In addition, a QTL affecting BW was detected in both crosses in a similar position to the QTL detected for backfat thickness. This is the first study in which a QTL affecting BW is detected

on SSC6 in the IB x LR cross, as well as in the IB x MS resource population. Furthermore, we analyzed a previously described PLX3397 cost nonsynonymous leptin receptor (LEPR) SNP located in exon 14 (c.2002C > T) for causality with respect to this QTL within both F(2) populations. Our results supported the previously reported association between LEPR alleles and backfat thickness in the IB x LR cross, and this association was also confirmed within the IB x MS cross. An association not reported before AZD6094 research buy between LEPR alleles and BW was identified in both populations.”
“Invasive aspergillosis is a rare complication of cystic fibrosis. In this article, we describe a case of an adolescent with cystic fibrosis, which was well-controlled previously,

colonized with Aspergillus fumigatus. The patient developed fatal disseminated aspergillosis in the absence of any preexisting risk factors after a short course of intravenous corticosteroid treatment.”
“A 36 MHz surface acoustic wave delay line based oscillator has been used to study the effect of acousto-electric interaction due to photo generated charge carriers in rf sputtered ZnO film under UV illumination (lambda = 365 nm, 20-100 mu W/cm(2)). Design aspects for developing a delay line based

SAW oscillator are specified. The observed linear downshift in frequency (2.2 to 19.0 kHz) with varying UV intensity (20-100 mu W/cm(2)) is related to the fractional velocity change due to acousto-electric interaction. UV illumination level of 100 mu W/cm(2) leads to a characteristic frequency hopping behavior arising due to a change in the oscillation criteria, and is attributed to the complex EVP4593 interplay between the increased attenuation and velocity shift. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3622327]“
“The search for novel circulating blood biomarkers as predictors of cardiovascular (CV) risk and prognosis is a continuing field of interest in clinical medicine. Biomarkers from several pathophysiological pathways, including markers of organ damage, of inflammation, of the atherosclerotic process and of the coagulation pathway, have been investigated in the last decades. A particular interest has been raised for neurohormonal factors.

Following an updated review of RCC-related economic studies, we supplemented the costs of RCC reported in the literature with estimates from the latest US databases that capture the utilization of several newly approved targeted agents.

Method: We conducted analyses using the 1991-2007 SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results)-Medicare and 1996-2007 Market Scan Commercial Claims and Encounter (CCAE) and Medicare Supplemental databases, RSL3 concentration and based our estimates on a prevalent cohort of patients with RCC or kidney cancer constructed from each database. All cost estimates

were normalized to $US, year 2009 values. The incremental costing approach was applied to estimate the annual cost of RCC by treatment phases using a prevalent cohort see more of patients with RCC

identified from the 2005 SEER-Medicare database. We used the method of extended estimation equations to estimate the impact of patients’ use of targeted therapies on the annual costs of RCC, while controlling for confounding factors such as patients’ age, sex, tumour characteristics, co-morbidity and geographic regions. The method was applied to two elderly cohorts of RCC patients identified from the SEER-Medicare and the MarketScan Medicare Supplemental databases and a non-elderly cohort of patients with RCC identified from the MarketScan CCAE database.

Results: Compared with the cost of treating an elderly, non-cancer patient in the matched sample, the average cost of treating an elderly patient with RCC was $US11 169 (95% CI 10683, 11 655) more per year, based on our analyses of the latest SEER-Medicare data. The annual cost to treat patients with RCC who received targeted therapies was 3- to 4-fold greater than the cost to treat patients with RCC who received other therapies. Results from the multivariate BIIB057 price analysis showed that, after controlling for potential confounders, the annual medical cost was $US31 000-65000 higher for RCC patients treated with targeted therapies, with the largest increase observed among the non-elderly patients.

Conclusion: The economic burden of RCC is likely to

grow with an increasing use of targeted therapies. Future research is needed to understand the impact of various forces on the economic burden of RCC, such as increased disease incidence, use of minimally invasive surgical techniques and more prevalent adoption of emerging targeted therapies.”
“The aim of this study was to modify pectin by covalent attachment of the water-insoluble ligand 4-aminothiophenol to its polymeric backbone. 4-Aminothiophenol is a ligand which is highly prone to oxidation. Therefore, this ligand allows oxidative cross-linking of pectin under mild oxidative conditions. Additionally, hydrophobization of pectin can be achieved by the mentioned modi. cation which offers certain advantages over highly hydrophilic native pectins.