According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the United States, traumatic brain injury is among the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. The consequences of TBI include diffuse brain atrophy, local post-traumatic atrophy, arachnoiditis, pachymeningitis, meningocerebral cicatrices, cranial nerve lesions, and cranial defects. In 2019, the economic cost of injuries in the USA alone was USD 4.2 trillion, which included USD 327 billion for medical care, USD 69 billion for work loss, and USD 3.8 trillion for the value of statistical life and quality of life losses. More than half of this cost (USD 2.4 trillion) was among working-age adults (25–64 years old). Currently, the development of new diagnostic approaches and the improvement of treatment techniques require further experimental studies focused on modeling TBI of varying severity.

Our study aimed to apply a proteomic approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of oxalate on rat renal tubular epithelial cells. NRK-52E cells were treated with or without oxalate and subjected to quantitative proteomics to identify key proteins and key pathological changes under high oxalate stimulation. A total of 268 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between oxalate-treated and control groups were identified, with 132 up-regulated and 136 down-regulated proteins. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that DEPs are associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis, ferroptosis, pro-inflammatory cytokines, vitamin D, and biomineralization. SPP1, MFGE8, ANKS1A, and NAP1L1 were up-regulated in the oxalate-treated cells and the hyperoxaluric stone-forming rats, while SUB1, RNPS1, and DGLUCY were down-regulated in both cases. This altered proteomic landscape sheds light on the pathological processes involved in oxalate-induced renal damage and identifies potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to mitigate the effects of hyperoxaluria and reduce the risk of CaOx stone formation.

Mercury (Hg) has been extensively studied due to its impact on the environment and health, but its effects on wild mammal populations are still poorly known. Therefore, the use of biomonitors has gained importance. Our objective was to report and compare, for the first time, the amount of mercury in small mammals belonging to three trophic guilds and to provide an initial toxicology perspective in the Mezquital Valley, a critically polluted area of Central Mexico. We quantified total Hg from the hair and liver of a nectarivorous bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), an insectivorous bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) and a granivorous mouse (Peromyscus melanophrys) using atomic absorption spectrometry during the dry and rainy seasons. We compared the mercury concentrations between seasons, species and matrices. In all species, the average mercury content was higher in hair than liver, and there was no correlation between matrices. There was no difference in mercury content among species. Hg concentrations in the livers of P. melanophrys and C. townsendii were lower during the dry season than the rainy season, suggesting a seasonal decline in mercury availability. All of the values detected were below the neurotoxicity threshold reported in small mammals (10 ppm); however, we propose constant monitoring of Hg in their environment and confirm the utility of these species as biomonitors.

Heterozygosity is a fundamental measure routinely used to compare between populations to infer the level of genetic variation and their relative effective population sizes. However, such comparison is highly influenced by the magnitude of selection pressure on the genomic regions used. Using over 2 million Single Nucleotide Variants (SNVs) from chimpanzee and mouse populations, this study shows that the heterozygosities estimated using neutrally evolving sites of large populations were two times higher than those of small populations. However, this difference was only ~1.6 times for the heterozygosities estimated using nonsynonymous sites. This suggests an excess in the nonsynonymous heterozygosities due to the segregation of deleterious variants in small populations. This excess in the nonsynonymous heterozygosities of the small populations was estimated to be 23–31%. Further analysis revealed that the magnitude of the excess is modulated by effective population size (Ne) and selection intensity (s). Using chimpanzee populations, this investigation found that the excess in nonsynonymous diversity in the small population was little (6%) when the difference between the Ne values of large and small populations was small (2.4 times). Conversely, this was high (23%) when the difference in Ne was large (5.9 times). Analysis using mouse populations showed that the excess in the nonsynonymous diversity of highly constrained genes of the small population was much higher (38%) than that observed for the genes under relaxed selective constraints (21%). Similar results were observed when the expression levels of genes were used as a proxy for selection intensity. These results emphasize the use of neutral regions, less constrained genes, or lowly expressed genes when comparing the heterozygosities between populations.

The speedy growth of copper oxide nanoparticle (CuO NP) manufacturing due to their wide application in industries has caused concerns due to their increased discharge into the environment from both purposeful and accidental sources. Their presence at an elevated concentration in the environment can cause potential hazards to the plant kingdom, specifically to staple food crops. However, limited research is available to determine the consequences of CuO NPs. The present study aimed to assess the morphological and cytological changes induced by CuO NPs on Pisum sativum L., a key staple food crop. Seeds of Pisum sativum were exposed to various concentrations of CuO NPs (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 ppm) for 2 h, and their effects on seed germination (SG), radicle length (RL), cell proliferation kinetics (CPK), mitotic index (MI), cell death (CD), micronucleus frequency (MNF), and chromosomal aberration frequency (CAF) were studied. The results indicate a significant reduction in SG, RL, CPK, and MI and a significant dose-dependent increase in CD, MNF, and CAF. CuO NP treatment has led to abnormal meiotic cell division, increased incidence of micronucleus frequency, and chromosomal aberration frequency. Additionally, the CuO NP-treated groups showed an increase in the percentage of aberrant meiotic cells such as laggard (LG), double bridge (DB), stickiness (STC), clumped nuclei (CNi), precocious separation (PS), single bridge (SB), and secondary association (SA). CuO NP treatment led to reductions in SG as follows: 55% at 24 h, 60.10% at 48 h, and 65% at 72 h; reductions in RL as follows: 0.55 ± 0.021 cm at 24 h, 0.67 ± 0.01 cm at 48 h, and 0.99 ± 0.02 cm at 72 h; reductions in CPK as follows: 34.98% at prophase, 7.90% at metaphase, 3.5% at anaphase, and 0.97% at telophase. It also led to a 57.45% increase in CD, a 39.87% reduction in MI, and a 60.77% increase in MNF at a higher concentration of 125 ppm. The findings of this study clearly show that CuO NPs have a genotoxic effect on the food crop plant Pisum sativum.

This study examined the metabolic rate (MO2, oxygen consumption) of goldfish (Carassius auratus) under normal management conditions in aquaculture. Using an intermittent respirometry system, we assessed daily variations and the effects of feeding, handling, temperature increase, and anesthetics. MO2 exhibited a daily rhythm, with higher values during day. Feeding to satiety produced a 35% increase in MO2 compared to fasted animals, with a maximum peak after 3 h and returning to baseline after 7 h. Handling stress (5 min) produced a 140% MO2 peak (from 180 to 252 mg O2 kg−1 h−1), returning to the routine MO2 after 2.5 h. An increase in water temperature (+0.1 °C min−1) up to 30 °C caused MO2 to peak at 200% after 2.5 h from the start of the temperature increase. The use of common anesthetics in aquaculture (MS-222, 2-phenoxyethanol and clove oil in deep anesthesia concentration) affects MO2 during the first few minutes after anesthetic recovery, but also during the following 4 h. It can be concluded that the metabolic rate is a good indicator of the goldfish’s response to aquaculture practices involving energy expenditure and stress. Thus, intermittent respirometry is a valuable non-invasive tool for understanding and improving fish welfare in aquaculture.

The apple jewel beetle (AJB), Agrilus mali Matsumura (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a dangerous pest of commercial apple orchards across China, the largest apple production country in the world, and has recently become invasive in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of northwestern China, where wild apple forests also occur. This pest poses a serious threat to apple production and wild apple forests throughout the world. Global warming is expected to change the geographical distribution of A. mali in China, but the extent of this is unknown. Based on empirical data from 1951 to 2000, a MaxEnt model was used to forecast the ecological distribution of A. mali under three different climate scenarios projected in the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The results showed that the most important variables were the maximum temperature of November, precipitation in January, and minimum temperatures in April. Under all climate scenarios, the forecasted suitable regions for A. mali in China will expand northward in the 2050s and 2070s. The forecasted highly suitable regions will be 1.11–1.34 times larger than they are currently, and their central distributions will be 61.57–167.59 km further north. These findings suggest that the range and damage caused by A. mali in China will increase dramatically in the future. Monitoring and management measures should be implemented urgently to protect both the commercial apple industry and wild apple resources.

Inner ear disorders, including sensorineural hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuritis, are prevalent conditions that significantly impact the quality of life. Despite their high incidence, the underlying pathophysiology of these disorders remains elusive, and current treatment options are often inadequate. Emerging evidence suggests that pericytes, a type of vascular mural cell specialized to maintain the integrity and function of the microvasculature, may play a crucial role in the development and progression of inner ear disorders. The pericytes are present in the microvasculature of both the cochlea and the vestibular system, where they regulate blood flow, maintain the blood–labyrinth barrier, facilitate angiogenesis, and provide trophic support to neurons. Understanding their role in inner ear disorders may provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of these conditions and lead to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, improving the standard of living. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed overview of the role of pericytes in inner ear disorders, highlighting the anatomy and physiology in the microvasculature, and analyzing the mechanisms that contribute to the development of the disorders. Furthermore, we explore the potential pericyte-targeted therapies, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic approaches, as well as gene therapy strategies.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease composed of various biologically distinct subtypes, each characterized by unique molecular features. Its formation and progression involve a complex, multistep process that includes the accumulation of numerous genetic and epigenetic alterations. Although integrating RNA-seq transcriptome data with ATAC-seq epigenetic information provides a more comprehensive understanding of gene regulation and its impact across different conditions, no classification model has yet been developed for breast cancer intrinsic subtypes based on such integrative analyses. In this study, we employed machine learning algorithms to predict intrinsic subtypes through the integrative analysis of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data. We identified 10 signature genes (CDH3, ERBB2, TYMS, GREB1, OSR1, MYBL2, FAM83D, ESR1, FOXC1, and NAT1) using recursive feature elimination with cross-validation (RFECV) and a support vector machine (SVM) based on SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) feature importance. Furthermore, we found that these genes were primarily associated with immune responses, hormone signaling, cancer progression, and cellular proliferation.