Biological Interest Research Articles

An efficient optical diffuser fabricated from fungal mycelium

Scattering of light from randomly textured materials is ubiquitous and of great interest in biology and for diverse applications—including filtering, light trapping in solar cells, and speckle photography. One attractive means to build these materials is by harnessing the complexity present in structures of biological origin. Here, we report on the development of a random phase diffuser based on intertwined filamentous cells (hyphae) of the fungus Trichoderma atroviride. A fungal colony (mycelium) is grown on the surface of a gel medium, and then removed, fixated, and dehydrated, resulting in a free-standing, two-dimensional random mesh (1 cm × 1 cm × 5 μm) composed of rigid hyphae separated by air gaps. A laser beam incident on the bioplate results in speckle patterns of nearly equal intensity in transmission and reflection. By modeling the bioplate as composed of optical phase elements and computing Fraunhofer diffraction, we recover the overall shape of the observed diffuse light spot. As the hyphal density composing the sample is increased, all optical power is in the speckle pattern, and approximate Lambertian transmissivity is reached. Altogether, our observations suggest that a planar fungal colony can scatter light efficiently by imparting a random phase. These results underscore the potential of a biological structure to develop optical elements and to use light scattering to evaluate morphology in complex structures—such as filamentous mycelia.

Thermodynamic Analysis of the Solubility of Propylparaben in Acetonitrile–Water Cosolvent Mixtures

Parabens are substances used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Recent studies have indicated that these substances have toxic potential, cause endocrine disruption and can easily bioaccumulate; therefore, their physicochemical properties are of industrial, biological and environmental interest. Due to their potential use in the development of more efficient and cleaner processes, the design of environmental recovery strategies and more reasonable designs for solubility in cosolvent mixtures, studies of thermodynamic analysis and mathematical modeling are of great interest. This research studies the solubility of propylparaben in acetonitrile + water cosolvent mixtures at nine temperatures by UV/Vis spectrophotometry, analyzing the solid phase by differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate possible polymorphic changes. The solubility of propylparaben is an endothermic process, where phase separation occurs at intermediate mixtures, reaching its minimum solubility in pure water at 278.15 K and the maximum solubility in pure acetonitrile at 315.15 K. The experimental data are well-correlated with the va not Hoff, Apelblat and Buchowski–Ksiazaczak models. The results revealed that possible microheterogeneity of the MeCN + W mixture can generate phase separation in intermediate mixtures, possibly due to the formation of solvates or hydrates.

The Role of the National Institute on Aging in the Development of the Field of Geroscience.

The conceptualization of the field of geroscience, which began about 10 years ago, marks, together with the publication of "The hallmarks of aging" (see López-Otín C, Blasco MA, Partridge L, Serrano M, Kroemer G. Cell 153: 1194-1217, 2013), a significant watershed in the development of aging research. Based on a very simple and commonly accepted premise, namely, that aging biology is at the core the most significant risk factor for all chronic diseases affecting the elderly, geroscience became possible because of earlier significant developments in the field of aging biology. Here we describe the origins of the concept, as well as its current status in the field. The principles of geroscience provide an important new biomedical perspective and have spawned a significantly increased interest in aging biology within the larger biomedical scientific community.

Improving Home Economics Students’ Interest in Biology: The Influence of Certain Effective Teachers’ Classroom Management Practices

ABSTRACT
 Studies have shown that teachers’ classroom management practices play a significant role in ensuring effective education and maintenance of students’ interest. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of students’ perceptions of some teachers’ Classroom Management Practices on their Interest in Biology. Students’ Interest in Biology (SIB) and Teacher Classroom management Practices (TCMP) questionnaires were used to collect data from 331 Biology students selected from seven schools from the New Juabeng Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Students’ interest in Biology was found to be generally moderate. Task orientation, equity and teacher support were often perceived. A positive moderate significant correlation between SIB and TCMP was also recorded. Task orientation and differentiation were found to be very good predictors of SIB. It was recommended that SHS Biology teachers should take steps to orient students well on tasks and use differentiated approaches in teaching.

Didactic Sequence for Learning the Formulation of Medicines with the Use of ICT, at Upper Middle Level

The teaching of Chemistry has long been stigmatized as something difficult for teachers to do and at the same time complicated for students to understand. Some reasons may be the abstract nature of certain topics, among which is the identification of functional groups in compounds of biological interest such as the active principles of medicines. This article presents the structuring and implementation of a didactic strategy focused on the teaching-learning process of the subject of Chemistry for the theme Formulation of Medicines for which it was supported using ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). Subject taught in the curriculum of the College of Sciences and Humanities belonging to the National Autonomous University of Mexico at the high school level. The development of the strategy is based on an instructional design type ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation., Evaluation) which allows to have the opportunity for a continuous improvement of the strategy, using LKT (Learning and Knowledge Technologies) tools with a playful approach. The subject of the formulation of medicines is novel for students due to the social and environmental impact it can have on everyday life, in addition, the use of analogies allows a transfer of the knowledge taught to something more common and close to students. The results obtained reflected the influence that the use of LKT with a playful approach can have on student learning on the topic of drug formulation measured through the calculation of Hake's learning gain. We can take as an indication that the improvement of learning is real by using playful activities in the teaching of topics such as the identification of functional groups in medicines.

Establishing a Microfluidic Tumor Slice Culture Platform to Study Drug Response.

Accurate models for tumor biology and prediction of drug responses of individual tumors require novel technology to grow tumor tissue ex vivo to maintain tumor growth characteristics in situ. Models containing only tumor cells, without the stromal components of the tumor, are suboptimal for many purposes and are generally problematic because the cells are passed through extensive culture and selection. Therefore, direct culture of (human) tumors is of considerable interest for basic tumor biology and diagnostic purposes. Microfluidic technologies have been proposed to accurately mimic physiological conditions for tissue growth. Most published systems build tissues from individual cell types in so-called Organ-on-Chip (OoC) cultures. We here describe a novel OoC device for growing tumor specimens. Thin tumor slices are grown in a microfluidic 'chip' that allows precisely controlled in vitro culture conditions. The performance of the OoC device was extensively validated for predicting therapeutic responses in human breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor material. The system is amenable to primary tumor material from surgery or biopsies. In addition to using the model to predict and evaluate therapeutic responses, the model can also be used for mechanistic studies of human cancers, such as clonal evolution or immune responses, or to validate new or repurposed (cancer) drugs. The Bi/ond Cancer-on-Chip (CoC) device is designed to culture tumor slices and investigate aspects of tumor growth and drug responses. Here, we describe the step-by-step process of setting up tumor slice cultures using a Bi/ond CoC device and performing in vitro drug response evaluation. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Establishment of breast cancer tumor slice culture using a microfluidic cancer-on-chip platform for chemotherapy testing ex vivo Basic Protocol 2: Histology and immunohistochemistry-based analysis of tumor tissue architecture, cell proliferation, and cell death.

Darren P. Baker, PhD A Pioneer in the Development of Pegylated Interferon-β for Clinical Use

Darren P. Baker, PhD A Pioneer in the Development of Pegylated Interferon-β for Clinical Use

Sound generation in the flapping wing flight of insects

Flapping wing flight has been topic of recent interest with respect to the maneuverability and agility of insects. Computational fluid dynamics methods have been used to investigate the aerodynamics though typically for incompressible flow. The underlying sound generation mechanism, though of fundamental biological and physical interest, have much less attention. Experimental acoustical and high speed video studies of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) and the Oriental Flower Beetle (Protaetia orientalis) have motivated large scale simulations accounting for three dimension flow, compressibility, and fluid structure interactions. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed using the unsteady compressible flow solver (CAESIM, Adaptive Research, Inc.) using a high resolution (TVD) methodology. Models of the wing flapping motion were accomplished using mesh deformation techniques with the flapping following from rotation with prescribed bending and coupled rotation and translation from the wing’s hinge position. Fluid structure interactions with respect to the wing’s flexibility are investigated in terms of the wing bending and the leading edge vortex formation.

Biological hypercrystals

The notion of biological hypercrystal may be regarded as a step toward a broader crystal notion. In this contribution I consider the geometry of cell patterns in tissues, described in terms of Voronoi tessellations and cut-and-project techniques. In this way, we realize that (1) Voronoi tessellations, early used in the description of atomic and molecular building blocks distributions in QCs, can be extended to describe the geometry of cell arrangements in tissues of biological interest, and (2) the recourse to higher dimensional spaces can be fruitfully exploited to describe complex ordered designs in biological systems.

DESCRIPTION, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LEISHMANIA (MUNDINIA) CHANCEI N. SP. (KINETOPLASTEA: TRYPANOSOMATIDAE) FROM GHANA AND LEISHMANIA (MUNDINIA) PROCAVIENSIS N. SP. (KINETOPLASTEA: TRYPANOSOMATIDAE) FROM NAMIBIA.

Genetic and phylogenetic analysis was performed on 2 isolates of Leishmania using DNA sequence data from the RNA polymerase II large subunit gene and the ribosomal protein L23a intergenic sequence. This showed the isolates to represent 2 new species within the subgenus Leishmania (Mundinia). The addition of Leishmania (Mundinia) chancei and Leishmania (Mundinia) procaviensis creates a total of 6 named species to date within this recently described subgenus of parasitic protozoa, containing both human pathogens and nonpathogens. Their widespread geographical distribution, basal phylogenetic position within the genus Leishmania, and probable non-sand fly vectors make these L. (Mundinia) species of significant medical and biological interest.

Spatial analysis of the ancient proteome of archeological teeth using mass spectrometry imaging.

Proteins extracted from archaeological bone and teeth are utilised for investigating the phylogeny of extinct and extant species, the biological sex and age of past individuals, as well as ancient health and physiology. However, variable preservation of proteins in archaeological materials represents a major challenge. To better understand the spatial distribution of ancient proteins preserved within teeth, we applied matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) for the first time to bioarchaeological samples to visualise the intensity of proteins in archaeological teeth thin sections. We specifically explored the spatial distribution of four proteins (collagen type I, of whichthe chains alpha-1 and alpha-2, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, haemoglobin subunit alpha and myosin light polypeptide 6). We successfully identified ancient proteins in archaeological teeth thin sections using mass spectrometry imaging. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038114. However, we observed that peptides did not always follow our hypotheses for their spatial distribution, with distinct differences observed in the spatial distribution of several proteins, and occasionally between peptides of the same protein. While it remains unclear what causes these differences in protein intensity distribution within teeth, as revealed by MALDI-MSI in this study, we have demonstrated that MALDI-MSI can be successfully applied to mineralised bioarchaeological tissues to detect ancient peptides. In future applications, this technique could be particularly fruitful not just for understanding the preservation of proteins in a range of archaeological materials, but making informed decisions on sampling strategies and the targeting of key proteins of archaeological and biological interest.

Bioimaging Probes Based on Magneto-Fluorescent Nanoparticles.

Novel nanomaterials are of interest in biology, medicine, and imaging applications. Multimodal fluorescent-magnetic nanoparticles demand special attention because they have the potential to be employed as diagnostic and medication-delivery tools, which, in turn, might make it easier to diagnose and treat cancer, as well as a wide variety of other disorders. The most recent advancements in the development of magneto-fluorescent nanocomposites and their applications in the biomedical field are the primary focus of this review. We describe the most current developments in synthetic methodologies and methods for the fabrication of magneto-fluorescent nanocomposites. The primary applications of multimodal magneto-fluorescent nanoparticles in biomedicine, including biological imaging, cancer treatment, and drug administration, are covered in this article, and an overview of the future possibilities for these technologies is provided.

Relative growth rate (RGR) and other confounded variables: mathematical problems and biological solutions.

Relative growth rate (RGR) has a long history of use in biology. In its logged form, RGR = ln[(M + ΔM)/M], where M is size of the organism at the commencement of the study, and ΔM is new growth over time interval Δt. It illustrates the general problem of comparing non-independent (confounded) variables, e.g. (X + Y) vs. X. Thus, RGR depends on what starting M(X) is used even within the same growth phase. Equally, RGR lacks independence from its derived components, net assimilation rate (NAR) and leaf mass ratio (LMR), as RGR = NAR × LMR, so that they cannot legitimately be compared by standard regression or correlation analysis. The mathematical properties of RGR exemplify the general problem of 'spurious' correlations that compare expressions derived from various combinations of the same component terms X and Y. This is particularly acute when X >> Y, the variance of X or Y is large, or there is little range overlap of X and Y values among datasets being compared. Relationships (direction, curvilinearity) between such confounded variables are essentially predetermined and so should not be reported as if they are a finding of the study. Standardizing by M rather than time does not solve the problem. We propose the inherent growth rate (IGR), lnΔM/lnM, as a simple, robust alternative to RGR that is independent of M within the same growth phase. Although the preferred alternative is to avoid the practice altogether, we discuss cases where comparing expressions with components in common may still have utility. These may provide insights if (1) the regression slope between pairs yields a new variable of biological interest, (2) the statistical significance of the relationship remains supported using suitable methods, such as our specially devised randomization test, or (3) multiple datasets are compared and found to be statistically different. Distinguishing true biological relationships from spurious ones, which arise from comparing non-independent expressions, is essential when dealing with derived variables associated with plant growth analyses.

Ru(II)-Catalyzed [4 + 2]-Annulation and Arylation of 1,4-Naphthoquinones

Naphthoquinones form the core of a variety of drugs and natural products. As a result, the conjugation of 1,4-naphthoquinones with organic building blocks would offer a facile strategy toward scaffolds of biological interest. In this regard, we hereby report a Ru(II)-catalyzed [4 + 2] annulation of 1,4-naphthoquinones with benzoic acids to afford various naphthoquinone lactones. Additionally, ketone directed arylation of naphthoquinones using acetophenones under Ru(II)-catalysis was also illustrated. The feedstock availability of these precursors allowed access to a large library of naphthoquinone derivatives in good to excellent yields under fairly mild conditions. The practicality of these protocols was justified by carrying out a gram scale synthesis and further functionalizations. Also, preliminary mechanistic studies were carried out to probe the reaction mechanism.

Hominoid-specific sulcal variability is related to face perception ability.

The relationship among brain structure, brain function, and behavior is of major interest in neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and psychology. This relationship is especially intriguing when considering hominoid-specific brain structures because they cannot be studied in widely examined models in neuroscience such as mice, marmosets, and macaques. The fusiform gyrus (FG) is a hominoid-specific structure critical for face processing that is abnormal in individuals with developmental prosopagnosia (DPs)-individuals who have severe deficits recognizing the faces of familiar people in the absence of brain damage. While previous studies have found anatomical and functional differences in the FG between DPs and NTs, no study has examined the shallow tertiary sulcus (mid-fusiform sulcus, MFS) within the FG that is a microanatomical, macroanatomical, and functional landmark in humans, as well as was recently shown to be present in non-human hominoids. Here, we implemented pre-registered analyses of neuroanatomy and face perception in NTs and DPs. Results show that the MFS was shorter in DPs than NTs. Furthermore, individual differences in MFS length in the right, but not left, hemisphere predicted individual differences in face perception. These results support theories linking brain structure and function to perception, as well as indicate that individual differences in MFS length can predict individual differences in face processing. Finally, these findings add to growing evidence supporting a relationship between morphological variability of late developing, tertiary sulci and individual differences in cognition.

Bioinformatic analysis for age prediction using epigenetic clocks: Application to fisheries management and conservation biology

Epigenetic clocks are accurate tools for age prediction and are of great interest for fisheries management and conservation biology. Here, we review the necessary computational steps and tools in order to build an epigenetic clock in any species focusing on fish. Currently, a bisulfite conversion method which allows the distinction of methylated and unmethylated cytosines is the recommended method to be performed at single nucleotide resolution. Typically, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing methods provide enough coverage of CpGs to select from for age prediction while the exact implemented method depends on the specific objectives and cost of the study. Sequenced reads are controlled for their quality, aligned to either a reference or a deduced genome and methylation levels of CpGs are extracted. Methylation values are obtained in biological samples of fish that cover the widest age range possible. Using these datasets, machine learning statistical procedures and, in particular, penalized regressions, are applied in order to identify a set of CpGs the methylation of which in combination is enough to accurately predict age. Training and test datasets are used to build the optimal model or “epigenetic clock”, which can then be used to predict age in independent samples. Once a set of CpGs is robustly identified to predict age in a given species, DNA methylation in only a small number of CpGs is necessary, thus, sequencing efforts including data and money resources can be adjusted to interrogate a small number of CpGs in a high number of samples. Implementation of this molecular resource in routine evaluations of fish population structure is expected to increase in the years to come due to high accuracy, robustness and decreasing costs of sequencing. In the context of overexploited fish stocks, as well as endangered fish species, accurate age prediction with easy-to-use tools is much needed for improved fish populations management and conservation.

Degree-Based Entropy of Some Classes of Networks

A topological index is a number that is connected to a chemical composition in order to correlate a substance’s chemical makeup with different physical characteristics, chemical reactivity, or biological activity. It is common to model drugs and other chemical substances as different forms, trees, and graphs. Certain physico-chemical features of chemical substances correlate better with degree-based topological invariants. Predictions concerning the dynamics of the continuing pandemic may be made with the use of the graphic theoretical approaches given here. In Networks, the degree entropy of the epidemic and related trees was computed. It highlights the essay’s originality while also implying that this piece has improved upon prior literature-based realizations. In this paper, we study an important degree-based invariant known as the inverse sum indeg invariant for a variety of graphs of biological interest networks, including the corona product of some interesting classes of graphs and the pandemic tree network, curtain tree network, and Cayley tree network. We also examine the inverse sum indeg invariant features for the molecular graphs that represent the molecules in the bicyclic chemical graphs.

Enhanced Endosomal Signaling and Desensitization of GLP-1R vs GIPR in Pancreatic Beta Cells.

The incretin receptors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR), are prime therapeutic targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. They are expressed in pancreatic beta cells where they potentiate insulin release in response to food intake. Despite GIP being the main incretin in healthy individuals, GLP-1R has been favored as a therapeutic target due to blunted GIPR responses in T2D patients and conflicting effects of GIPR agonists and antagonists in improving glucose tolerance and preventing weight gain. There is, however, a recently renewed interest in GIPR biology, following the realization that GIPR responses can be restored after an initial period of blood glucose normalization and the recent development of dual GLP-1R/GIPR agonists with superior capacity for controlling blood glucose levels and weight. The importance of GLP-1R trafficking and subcellular signaling in the control of receptor outputs is well established, but little is known about the pattern of spatiotemporal signaling from the GIPR in beta cells. Here, we have directly compared surface expression, trafficking, and signaling characteristics of both incretin receptors in pancreatic beta cells to identify potential differences that might underlie distinct pharmacological responses associated with each receptor. Our results indicate increased cell surface levels, internalization, degradation, and endosomal vs plasma membrane activity for the GLP-1R, while the GIPR is instead associated with increased plasma membrane recycling, reduced desensitization, and enhanced downstream signal amplification. These differences might have potential implications for the capacity of each incretin receptor to control beta cell function.

A highly contiguous genome assembly for the California quail (Callipepla californica).

The California quail (Callipepla californica) is an iconic native bird of scrub and oak woodlands in California and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Here, we report a draft reference assembly for the species generated from PacBio HiFi long read and Omni-C chromatin-proximity sequencing data as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). Sequenced reads were assembled into 321 scaffolds totaling 1.08 Gb in length. Assembly metrics indicate a highly contiguous and complete assembly with a contig N50 of 5.5 Mb, scaffold N50 of 19.4 Mb, and BUSCO completeness score of 96.5%. Transposable elements (TEs) occupy 16.5% of the genome, more than previous Odontophoridae quail assemblies but in line with estimates of TE content for recent long-read assemblies of chicken and Peking duck. Together these metrics indicate that the present assembly is more complete than prior reference assemblies generated for Odontophoridae quail. This reference will serve as an essential resource for studies on local adaptation, phylogeography, and conservation genetics in this species of significant biological and recreational interest.

Preservice Biology Teachers’ Generic and Subject-specific Career Choice Motives

ABSTRACT Teachers’ career choice motives are defined as the interests, orientations, and motives of young people that motivate them to aspire the teaching career. Teachers’ career choice motives have been shown to impact teaching and job retention. Many studies investigated teachers generic career choice motives but studies on teachers’ subject-specific career choice motives are widely missing. This study investigated preservice biology teachers’ (N = 168) generic and subject-specific career choice motives by using open-ended questions and applying a qualitative content analysis approach to the data analysis. Category systems with generic and subject-specific career choice motives were deductively developed and inductively refined. The findings suggest intrinsic and altruistic motives to be most prominent. In contrast to most previous studies, the extrinsic motive benefits and returns of the teaching profession was also mentioned quite often. Furthermore, the qualitative approach made it possible to differentiate between the motives subject interest in biology and relevance of biology. Only small relationships were found between the generic and the subject-specific career choice motives of the participants and between the career choice motives and sociodemographic background variables. Implications for future research and teacher education are proposed.