Biological Changes Research Articles

Mining the secreted and membrane transcriptome of Hyalomma dromedarii ticks for identification of potential protective antigens

Abstract Background Members belonging to the tick genus Hyalomma function as a multi-host reservoir for several pathogens and important parasites infesting large animals, such as camels, goats, cattle and sheep. In Egypt, there is a high risk of pathogen transmission as camels and cattle are imported from Sudan and Ethiopia and shipped to slaughterhouses and animal markets located in populated areas. Hyalomma dromedarii ticks are semi-desert vectors and, similar to other members of the genus Hyalomma, characterized by long-term feeding. During this process, different physiological, biochemical and immunological interactions occur within both the feeding ticks and their hosts. These biological changes affect the different tick developmental phases. The aim of this study was to explore the transcriptome of mixed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) collected from H. dromedarii eggs, larvae, nymphs and fed and unfed adults, using the Gateway cDNA library prepared in pCMV sport6.1 vector Methods The clones were sequenced and searched for potential secreted, membrane-associated or transmembrane (SMaT) sequences. The identified SMaT sequences were compared to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) non-redundant protein sequence database using Blastx. Annotation and functional classification were achieved by comparison to sequences in the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot and VectorBase databases and to the publicly available annotated proteomes of six hard tick species (H. asiaticum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Dermacentor silvarum, Rhipicephalus microplus, Ixodes scapularis and Haemaphysalis longicornis) in addition to the published H. dromedarii sialotranscriptome. For the common sequences, we predicted the physicochemical properties, secondary structures and antigenicity of the fragments similar to matched sequences in the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database using three different methods. Results The quality-trimmed sequences from the cDNA library revealed 319 SMaT transcripts among 1248 sequenced clones. Annotation of the SMaT sequences using the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database revealed only 232 non-redundant sequences with at least one match. According to the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot and Vectorbase databases, the SMaT sequences were either secreted (extracellular) (29 sequences) or cellular (transmembrane and membrane-associated) (203 sequences). These were classified into 10 functional classes: biogenesis (49 sequences), defense (9 sequences), development (36 sequences), signal transduction (28 sequences), transport (15 sequences), protein modification (33 sequences), homeostasis (6 sequences), metabolism (45 sequences) and miscellaneous/uncharacterized (11 sequences). A total of 60 sequences were shared between H. dromedarii SMaT, the sialotransciptome and six other hard tick species. The peptide fragments of these sequences that aligned to proteins from the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database were predicted to be promising epitopes and mapped to 10 functional classes at different ratios. Conclusions Our immuno-informatics analysis identified 60 sequences common among hard tick species and encoded by H. dromedarii salivary glands. These annotated SMaT sequences of H. dromedarii will pave the way for the identification and discovery of novel potential protective antigens that are either secreted, membrane-associated or transmembrane. Graphical abstract

Deliberate Absence: Mapping the Presence of Indian Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Youth in Social and Medical Rights-Based Work Initiatives for the Community

Background: Adolescence, the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, involves significant biological, social, cognitive and emotional changes. In India, adolescents (10–18 years) form 21% of the population, increasing to 33% when including those aged 10–24 years, making India home to the world’s largest adolescent population. The concept of adolescence, unlike the biological process of puberty, is culturally determined and influenced by globalisation and changing societal values. Objectives: This article aims to (a) elucidate the barriers hindering transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth in India from accessing gender affirmation, including familial rejection, constraining legal provisions and inadequate public health infrastructure; (b) underscore the impact of socio-cultural and political attitudes on health disparities faced by TGD youth, emphasising the need for comprehensive and individualised healthcare and socio-cultural support; (c) advocate for a socio-medical approach to address the unique challenges of Indian TGD youth, focusing on collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals, social institutions and policymakers; (d) propose strategies for improving access to early gender-affirmative care, including training healthcare providers, promoting comprehensive medical support and advocating for the rights of TGD youth. Methods: A blind review of literature was conducted using PUBMED/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PsycINFO and SCOPUS with keywords such as ‘transgender youth’, ‘nonbinary and gender diverse youth’, ‘gender-affirming medical care in India’ and ‘youth mental health’. The search eventually included peer-reviewed publications, books, reviews, editorials, opinion pieces, feature stories and individual case reports. Articles were screened and thematically analysed to synthesise findings. Results: The review highlights significant barriers to gender-affirming care for TGD youth in India, including familial rejection, restrictive legal frameworks and inadequate public health infrastructure. Socio-cultural and political attitudes contribute to health disparities, necessitating comprehensive healthcare and socio-cultural support. Conclusions: Addressing the challenges faced by TGD youth in India requires a socio-medical approach, emphasising collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, social institutions and policymakers. Strategies for improvement include training healthcare providers, promoting comprehensive medical support and advocating for the rights of TGD youth to ensure early and effective gender-affirmative care.

Symposium Review: The Impact of Fatty Acids as Bioactive Nutrients on the Development of Offspring

Fatty acids (FA) are normally considered a source of energy; however, some FA are essential nutrients with different biological functions such as ligands to membrane and nuclear receptors, and upon binding they modify cell function and transcript expression. The bioactive effects of the FA depend on the FA type and family (i.e., n-6 vs n-3). The FA effects on developmental programming have been studied in cattle and sheep with some similarities in the outcomes between species. Feeding n-3 FA during late gestation improves offspring production performance (i.e., milk yield in dairy cows and growth in beef cattle and sheep) compared with the offspring of dams supplemented with mono- and unsaturated FA or with offspring of dams with no FA supplementation. Also, there is a sexual dimorphism in the outcomes of n-3 FA supplementation, where the increase in growth due to n-3 FA seems to be more evident in males; but it might decrease growth in females. There are multiple assumptions as to how this physiological process occurs. Based on published literature, the developmental effect does not appear to be due to changes in hypothalamic regulations of dry matter intake and energy expenditure or liver and adipose tissue functions. The changes in offspring growth can be attributed to changes in gastrointestinal tract physiology, changes in immune response, or both, probably due to epigenetic changes in those tissues. Feeding n-3 FA in late gestation to the pregnant dam increases expression of amino acid transporters (mRNA and protein) in the offspring's duodenum, associated with changes in DNA methylation. Regarding immune function, the increase in offspring performance has been associated with decreased haptoglobin after weaning in calves or increases in lipid mediators, such as resolvin-D1 at birth. Omega-3 supplementation during late gestation affects offspring growth; changes in the offspring's gut and immune system biology can explain the sexual dysmorphism observed in changed body weight; however, we are unaware which of these basic mechanisms is responsible for the observed changes in biology.

The Role of Gender in Turkish Women’s Pregnancy Experiences

Background: Apart from the biological changes women experience throughout pregnancy, their exposure to a gender discrimination stemming from cultural values adopted by the society in which they live can make it difficult for them to adapt to pregnancy and thus lead to negative pregnancy experiences. Aim: This research was conducted using a cross-sectional and relation-seeking approach to evaluate the effects of social gender inequality on pregnancy experiences. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional and relation-seeking study were gathered between 25 November 2019 and 25 January 2020 using face-to face interviews the researcher conducted with childbearing women who visited the outpatient clinic and non-stress test units of a hospital for the pregnancy follow-up. Results:: When using the Pregnancy Experiences Scale to assess childbearing women, higher scores indicated more positive emotions than negative emotions. Independent variables that affect the scores on the Pregnancy Experiences Scale include a willingness to be pregnant, the baby's sex, the woman’s income status, gestational week and the Perception of Gender Scale (p<0.005). A positive but weakly significant relationship was found among the total score on the Perception of Gender Scale, the total score on the Pregnancy Experiences Scale and the average scores of positive emotions intensity and frequency in all sub-dimensions (p<0.005). Conclusion: Based on the data, we conclude that women’s pregnancy experiences are generally positive, and that social gender inequality is a significant determinant affecting pregnancy experiences.

Temporal Study of Environmental DNA and Acoustic Data Reveals Coexistence of Sympatric Bat Species in a North American Ecosystem

ABSTRACTBats are a species‐rich mammalian order that provide a host of ecosystem services, but presently face threats from habitat loss, disease, climate change, and insect declines. Bat species often co‐occur with other ecologically similar bats, making them a suitable group in which to study niche overlap and partitioning. This study aimed to compare different non‐invasive sources of data on wildlife populations, while examining dietary, temporal, and spatial partitioning patterns among sympatric bat species. We used two different methods to assess niche partitioning among insectivorous bats at a site in the San Francisco Bay Area, California: (1) eDNA sequencing of bat feces that were collected weekly from a bat roost, and (2) nightly acoustic recordings of ultrasonic bat calls from recorders at multiple sites. Both the eDNA and acoustic data were collected over the course of an entire roosting season in 2020. We hypothesized that the insectivorous bats at this site would rely on one or more niche partitioning mechanisms to promote interspecific coexistence and limit competition. We found evidence of fine‐scale spatial partitioning of the broad community of bat species in our study area based on acoustic data, as well as temporal differences in activity of different species. The two species using the roosting site, Tadarida brasiliensis and Eptesicus fuscus, displayed some differences in the identities and relative abundances of prey species consumed, but both ultimately exhibited a strong reliance on dipterans and aquatic‐dependent insects. We demonstrate differences between the acoustic data and eDNA data, which has implications for how such datasets may be interpreted in future research. The study finds evidence of some types of niche partitioning in this community and characterizes baseline interactions between species, providing a foundation for future efforts to non‐invasively monitor for unexpected biological change in local ecosystems.

The Application of Calculus in Physics

One of the foundational areas of mathematics is calculus. Functions, limits, differential and integral calculus, and their applications make up most of the subject. Differentiation and integration are the limits of certain processes and forms, functions are the essential subjects of calculus investigation, and limits are the fundamental notions of calculus. This article explores the applications of calculus to gravity, rotational inertia, and force in physics. This exploration of calculus highlights the enduring importance of this mathematical tool in theoretical and applied physics, and its key role in driving future scientific breakthroughs. Calculus is a mathematical tool for studying the rate of change, area under a curve, and limits. By precisely expressing the rate of change information of a function at a given location, such as slope, area, and curvature, it can aid in the understanding and solution of problems pertaining to changes in physics, engineering, biology, and other subjects. The growth of mathematics is substantially aided by the introduction of calculus. employing calculus to find solutions to a wide range of issues that usually required only elementary mathematics. It makes it possible to describe functions, velocities, accelerations, and curve slopes using a common set of symbols.

Family support and depressive symptoms among the elderly in Gunungkidul Health Center Sumberejo-Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Background: The elderly represent an age group that undergoes various physical, biological, psychological, and social changes that impact their health. The elderly population in Indonesia continues to grow, reaching 11.49% in 2016 and is projected to reach 14.51% by 2020. Increased life expectancy does not always correlate with good health, making the elderly more vulnerable to various issues, including depression. The prevalence of elderly depression in Indonesia is 11.6%, with the highest rates occurring in the older age groups. Purpose: To examine the relationship between the level of family support received by the elderly and depressive symptoms they experience. Method: A quantitative study using a correlational analytic design with a cross-sectional research strategy. The sampling technique was random sampling, with 36 elderly individuals aged 60-74 years as the sample. Data was collected using a questionnaire to determine the relationship between family support and the depressive symptoms in the elderly. The data was analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with the Spearman’s rank correlation test. Results: The univariate analysis provided information on the respondents' characteristics, family support, and depressive symptoms. The majority of respondents received good family support (66.7%), while most respondents did not experience depressive symptoms (75%). The Spearman’s rank correlation test found a significant value of 0.001<0.05, indicating that family support is related to the incidence of depressive symptoms in the elderly. Conclusion: Providing family support can reduce depressive symptoms in the elderly, as indicated by the statistical test results showing a significance value of 0.001 <0.05. This means there is a relationship between family support and the incidence of depressive symptoms among the elderly.

The Effect of Mindfulness and Spiritual Combination Breathing Exercises towards Anxiety, Depression and Blood Pressure of Ischemic Stroke Patients

Background: Ischemic stroke causes serious ongoing problems in the lives of sufferers, including biological, psychological and spiritual changes so that comprehensive and multidisciplinary nursing care is necessary. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of Mindfulness and Spiritual Combination Breathing Exercises towards anxiety, depression and blood pressure of ischemic stroke patients. Methods: This research is a quantitative research that uses a quasy experimental research design with a pretest - posttest control group design approach. The population of all ischemic stroke patients at RSAU dr. M.Munir Lanud Abdulrachman Saleh Malang as many as 108 people. The sample size is 50 respondents. The sampling technique is purposive sampling. The intervention group was given a combination of Mindfulness and SpiritualityBreathing Exerciseswithin 10-15 minutes 2 times a day for 5 days and the control group was given intervention according to hospital standards. Analysis used the Manova test with a significant p value <0.05. Results: The results of the study using the Manova test showed that there was a significant effect between anxiety, depression and blood pressure after giving the Combination of Spiritual Mindfulness and Breathing Exercise sshowed that p value = 0.000, with the highest partial Eta Squared value of 0.643 anxiety followed by 0.579 depression and 0.263 blood pressure. Conclusion: A combination of Spiritual Mindfulness and Breathing Exercises effectively reduce the level of anxiety, depression and blood pressure of ischemic stroke patients.

The Biological Changes of Synaptic Plasticity in the Pathological Process of Sepsis-associated Encephalopathy.

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a form of cognitive and psychological impairment resulting from sepsis, which occurs without any central nervous system infection or structural brain injury. Patients may experience long-term cognitive deficits and psychiatric disorders even after discharge. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. As cognitive function and mental disease are closely related to synaptic plasticity, it is presumed that alterations in synaptic plasticity play an essential role in the pathological process of SAE. Here, we present a systematic description of the pathogenesis of SAE, which is primarily driven by glial cell activation and subsequent release of inflammatory mediators. Additionally, we elucidate the alterations in synaptic plasticity that occur during SAE and comprehensively discuss the roles played by glial cells and inflammatory factors in this process. In this review, we mainly discuss the synaptic plasticity of SAE, and the main aim is to show the consequences of SAE on inflammatory factors and how they affect synaptic plasticity. This review may enhance our understanding of the mechanism underlying cognitive dysfunction and provide valuable insights into identifying appropriate therapeutic targets for SAE.

Association of a history of acute kidney injury with major adverse cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease patients

Abstract Background/introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is strongly associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), particularly heart failure, in both general and critically ill populations. A recent study questioned whether this association holds true only for patients without chronic kidney disease (CKD). Purpose To evaluate the association of a history of AKI with MACE in a large real-world CKD population defined using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using Merative® Explorys electronic health records (>54 million patients) from Jan 2010 to Dec 2019. Six cohorts of CKD patients (diagnosed or not) were created, one for each stage (1-5). Patients were required to have two consecutive abnormal eGFR, uACR/uPCR results within 3-18 months to determine CKD stage, to have at least a 12-months lookback period, and no history of end-stage kidney disease. CKD classification was not mutually exclusive (individual patients could contribute to multiple stages). Index date was the date of the second abnormal test. History of AKI was defined using ICD diagnosis codes, not through biological changes. We followed each patient until the occurrence of a composite of MACE including death, coronary events [acute coronary syndrome + coronary revascularization], any stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, or loss to follow-up, or for up to 5 years. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate associations between the history of AKI and the risk of MACE during follow-up, adjusted for the following confounders: age, sex, ethnicity, systolic blood pressure, eGFR, BMI, CV history, diabetes, and any CKD diagnosis at baseline. Results Most of the 969,394 patients included in at least one CKD stage cohort were in stage 3a (see table) and Caucasian. Mean ages were 57-75y and 42%-64% were females across the 5 CKD stages. The prevalence of pre-existing CV disease increased from 24% in stage 1 to 57% in stage 4. The proportion of patients with a history of AKI increased from 4% in stage 1 to 36% in stage 4, as well as, the proportion of patients with a ICD code for CKD diagnosis at baseline (3% to 44%). The 5-year incidence of the composite of MACE increased from 25.1% in stage 1 to 65.8% in stage 5. Death was the most frequent event across all stages. In multivariable analysis, a history of AKI was associated with increased risk of MACE (hazard ratios, HR 1.19 to 1.32), all-cause death (HR 1.12 to 1.86), and hospitalization for Heart Failure (HR 1.59 to 1.98) for all CKD stages, and coronary events for stage 2 to 5 (HR 1.14 to 1.22), but not stroke. Conclusion Patients with CKD and a history of AKI are at higher risk of adverse CV outcomes, especially hospitalization for heart failure. This study suggest that these patients should receive cardio -protective intervention.

Hydrological cycle amplification imposes spatial patterns on the climate change response of ocean pH and carbonate chemistry

Abstract. ​​​​​​​Ocean CO2 uptake and acidification in response to human activities are driven primarily by the rise in atmospheric CO2 but are also modulated by climate change. Existing work suggests that this “climate effect” influences the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon and acidification via the global increase in ocean temperature, although some regional responses have been attributed to changes in circulation or biological activity. Here, we investigate spatial patterns in the climate effect on surface ocean acidification (and the closely related carbonate chemistry) in an Earth system model under a rapid CO2-increase scenario and identify a different driving process. We show that the amplification of the hydrological cycle, a robustly simulated feature of climate change, is largely responsible for the spatial patterns in this climate effect at the sea surface. This “hydrological effect” can be understood as a subset of the total climate effect, which includes warming, hydrological cycle amplification, circulation, and biological changes. We demonstrate that it acts through two primary mechanisms: (i) directly diluting or concentrating dissolved ions by adding or removing freshwater and (ii) altering the sea surface temperature, which influences the solubility of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and acidity of seawater. The hydrological effect opposes acidification in salinifying regions, most notably the subtropical Atlantic, and enhances acidification in freshening regions such as the western Pacific. Its single strongest effect is to dilute the negative ions that buffer the dissolution of CO2, quantified as alkalinity. The local changes in alkalinity, DIC, and pH linked to the pattern of hydrological cycle amplification are as strong as the (largely uniform) changes due to warming, explaining the weak increase in pH and DIC seen in the climate effect in the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.

SEXUALITY EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH KNOWLEDGE IN MANCAR VILLAGE

Adolescence is a critical period of transition marked by biological, psychological, and social changes. This community service program aimed to educate adolescents on reproductive health through sexuality education at the Youth Posyandu in Mancar Village, Jombang. Conducted on June 26, 2024, the program involved 15 adolescent participants. It addressed the lack of knowledge about reproductive health and sought to improve adolescents' understanding and attitudes toward their reproductive well-being. A series of activities, including seminars, discussions, and demonstrations, were held to provide comprehensive information on reproductive health. The results showed a significant increase in the participants' knowledge, with 100% of the adolescents demonstrating a good understanding of reproductive health by the end of the program. This initiative highlighted the importance of open access to reproductive health education for adolescents and encouraged parental involvement in discussing reproductive health topics. The program concluded successfully, with participants actively engaging in the learning process and demonstrating increased awareness of reproductive health issues.

Inhibiting mtDNA transcript translation alters Alzheimer's disease-associated biology.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) features changes in mitochondrial structure and function. Investigators debate where to position mitochondrial pathology within the chronology and context of other AD features. To address whether mitochondrial dysfunction alters AD-implicated genes and proteins, we treated SH-SY5Y cells and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons with chloramphenicol, an antibiotic that inhibits mtDNA-generated transcript translation. We characterized adaptive, AD-associated gene, and AD-associated protein responses. SH-SY5Y cells and iPSC neurons responded to mtDNA transcript translation inhibition by increasing mtDNA copy number and transcription. Nuclear-expressed respiratory chain mRNA and protein levels also changed. There were AD-consistent concordant and model-specific changes in amyloid precursor protein, beta amyloid, apolipoprotein E, tau, and α-synuclein biology. Primary mitochondrial dysfunction induces compensatory organelle responses, changes nuclear gene expression, and alters the biology of AD-associated genes and proteins in ways that may recapitulate brain aging and AD molecular phenomena. In AD, mitochondrial dysfunction could represent a disease cause or consequence. We inhibited mitochondrial translation in human neuronal cells and neurons. Mitochondrial and nuclear gene expression shifted in adaptive-consistent patterns. APP, Aβ, APOE, tau, and α-synuclein biology changed in AD-consistent patterns. Mitochondrial stress creates an environment that promotes AD pathology.

Severe anemia in preterm infants associated with increased bacterial virulence potential and metabolic disequilibrium.

Anemia in preterm infants is associated with gut dysbiosis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Our study aimed to identify the bacterial functions and metabolites that can explain the underlying mechanisms of anemia associated disease conditions. We conducted a case control study in preterm infants with cases having a hematocrit 25%. The control infants were matched by birth gestational age and weight. Fecal samples were collected before, at the onset, and after the onset of anemia in cases and with matched postnatal age in controls for metagenomics and metabolomics analyzes. 18 anemic and 20 control infants with fecal samples collected at 17 days, 5 weeks, and 7 weeks postnatal age were included. Virulence factor potential, decrease in beta diversity evolution, and larger changes in metabolome were associated with severe anemia. Metabolite abundances of N-acetylneuraminate and butyrobetaine were associated with virulence factor potential. Anemic group had decreased prostaglandin and lactic acid levels. Fecal omics data showed that severe anemia is associated with a pro-inflammatory gut microbiota with more virulent and less commensal anaerobic bacterial activities. Future studies can examine the link between anemia-associated dysbiosis and clinical outcomes and predict an infant-specific hematocrit threshold that negatively affects clinical outcomes. Severe anemia in preterm infants contributes to a pro-inflammatory gut with greater bacterial virulence and less commensal bacterial activities. The multiomics approach using non-invasive fecal biospecimens identified functional and metabolic changes in the gut microbiota and these mechanistic changes are plausible explanations for anemia-associated disease conditions in preterm infants. Our findings identified biological changes of the gut environment in severely anemic preterm infants that can offer guidance for clinical management.

Metabolomics Reveal Key Metabolic Pathway Responses to Anxiety State Regulated by Serotonin in Portunus trituberculatus.

Anxiety refers to the pathological persistence and intensification of emotional responses to danger, affecting health from psychological and physical aspects. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter involved in the onset of anxiety. To explore the biological changes in the formation of anxiety in crustaceans under the regulation of serotonin, we applied the open field-like test method for assessing anxiety states of larval Portunus trituberculatus, a highly aggressive crustacean species with a more simple neural structure compared with rodents and mammals. Compared with the control group, serotonin treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the time spent by the larvae in the central zone, suggesting anxiety-like behavior. Clonazepam treatment reversed this result and provided further evidence that the behavior of larval P. trituberculatus displayed anxiety. Moreover, a non-targeted metabolomic analysis found a significant alteration in the metabolites involved in tryptophan metabolism pathways associated with anxiety, including L-kynurenine, N-acetyl serotonin, and serotonin. These metabolites are involved in the serotonin pathway, the kynurenine pathway, and other pathways that affect anxiety through tryptophan metabolism. There were no significant differences in tryptophan metabolism levels between the control and clonazepam treatment groups. Our results demonstrate the possible existence of anxiety-like behavior in the larvae of P. trituberculatus from two perspectives. Being a species with a simpler neural structure than that of mammals, the larvae of P. trituberculatus offer a convenient model for studying the mechanisms of anxiety in crustaceans.

Glycosylation of chrysin with β-d-glucose tetraacetate (LQFM280) enhances its in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective effects against the toxicity induced by 3-nitropropionic acid.

Chrysin (CHR) is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in the human diet, recognized for its potential in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. However, its limited water solubility restricts its bioavailability and therapeutic applications. To address this issue and bolster the neuroprotective properties of CHR for potential nutraceutical or medicinal use, we investigated a novel compound, LQFM280, formed by conjugating CHR with β-d-glucose tetraacetate. We conducted both in vitro (using SH-SY5Y cells, mutant STHdhQ111/Q111 cells, and wild-type STHdhQ7/Q7 cells), and in vivo (mice) neurotoxicity experimental model induced by 3-nitropropionic acid, which mimic biological changes akin to Huntington's disease in humans. Compared to non-glycosylated CHR, LQFM280 showed superior in vitro effects in preventing neurotoxicity caused by increased mitochondrial vulnerability due to mutant huntingtin. In vivo findings demonstrated that LQFM280 has heightened efficacy in mitigating weight loss, memory and locomotor impairment, oxidative stress, and disruptions in the antioxidant defense system, as well as succinate dehydrogenase, and cholinesterase activities induced by 3-nitropropionic acid. These findings underscore the significant enhancement of chrysin's neuroprotective effects through glycosylation with β-d-glucose tetraacetate, positioning it as a promising candidate for use as a nutraceutical or food supplement to promote health benefits.

Environmental Diagnosis through a Flow Cytometric Approach.

In an era when ecological and environmental needs and responsibilities apply pressure on the world's countries and sustainability takes centre stage, ecologic/environmental (E/E) laboratories stand as beacons of scientific inquiry, innovating, optimising, and applying various tests for a better knowledge of our natural resources and the quality status of ecosystems. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of flow cytometry (FC) as a tool for assessing environmental quality, mainly using living organisms and their biological changes as bioindicators. Cytometric approaches applied to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems ensure the detection of biochemical and functional status of the cells composing either an organ thereof or the organism itself. In addition to cytometric evaluations of the biotic matrix, a brief overview of the techniques for the environmental assessment of biotic and abiotic matrices using mass spectrometry is given. The technique involving the continuous monitoring of the chemical and physical parameters of water, sediment, and soil is basically incapable of detecting any additive and synergetic effects of toxicants on living organisms. Therefore, techniques employing bioindicators provide valuable information for environmental diagnosis, and several studies have demonstrated the strong relationship between specific environmental data and cell/organ behaviour.

BALANCED NUTRITION EDUCATION AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS SCREENING OF MALE ADOLESCENTS IN DORMITORY

Introduction: Adolescence is a golden period of reproductive, psychological and intelligence development. During the transition period between childhood and adulthood, biological, emotional, social and cognitive changes occur. Fulfilling nutrition during this period is important. This activity aims to educate teenagers about balanced nutrition and screen their nutritional status. Methods: This community service activity is carried out by providing education about balanced nutrition through lecture and discussion methods. While screening the nutritional status of adolescents is done through anthropometric measurements of body weight and height. The results of anthropometric measurements were then processed using the BMI formula according to age to obtain a z-score that describes the nutritional status of adolescents. This activity was carried out in dormitory of a high school with 36 young male participants. Results: Based on verbal observation and evaluation, students can receive and understand the material about balanced nutrition that is given properly. The results of the nutritional status screening showed that 31 of the adolescents in this activity (86%) had good nutrition but there were still students who had problems with thinness (3%), overweight (8%) and obesity(3%). Conclusion: It is recommended that schools and boarding schools follow up on students who are not in the good nutrition category. Students are directed to consume a balanced diet and physical activity so as to achieve the ideal body weight according to their height and age.

How lactate affects immune strategies in lymphoma.

Tumor cells undergo metabolic reprogramming through shared pathways, resulting in a hypoxic, acidic, and highly permeable internal tumor microenvironment (TME). Lactate, once only regarded as a waste product of glycolysis, has an inseparable dual role with tumor immunity. It can not only provide a carbon source for immune cells to enhance immunity but also help the immune escape through a variety of ways. Lymphoma also depends on the proliferation signal of TME. This review focuses on the dynamic process of lactate metabolism and immune function changes in lymphoma and aims to comprehensively summarize and explore which genes, transcription factors, and pathways affect the biological changes and functions of immune cells. To deeply understand the complex and multifaceted role of lactate metabolism and immunity in lymphoma, the combination of lactate targeted therapy and classical immunotherapy will be a promising development direction in the future.

MRI-Based Multi-Class Relevance Vector Machine Classification of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Machine learning algorithms are a promising automated candidate that can help mitigate the growing need for dementia experts. Despite the substantial development in MRI-based machine learning analyses, case misclassification is a universal finding, yet the reasons behind misclassification are poorly understood. We implemented a multi-class classification approach that uses relevance vector machine and logistic classification to classify research participants based on their whole-brain T1-weighted MRI scans. A total of 468 participants from seven diagnostic classes were included: 144 healthy controls, 84 Alzheimer's disease, 108 behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 30 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), 30 non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA), 30 corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and 42 progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPS). We compared the algorithm's diagnostic accuracy against the clinical, pathological, genetic, and quantitative imaging data. The exact neurodegenerative syndrome was predicted in 71% of the cases, the neurodegenerative disease spectrum was predicted in 80% of the cases, and the algorithm distinguished controls from any dementia in 85% of the cases. The algorithm showed high performance in diagnosing healthy controls, moderate performance in diagnosing AD, bvFTD, and svPPA, and low performance in diagnosing CBS, nfvPPA, and PSPS. Based on the quantitative imaging data, most of the misclassified neurodegenerative cases had minimal atrophy and brain volumes comparable to healthy controls. In AD, early-onset AD cases with minimal brain atrophy represented most of the misclassified cases. In bvFTD, FTD genetic mutation carriers (predominantly C9orf72 repeat expansion), FTD phenocopy, patients meeting only possible bvFTD criteria represented most misclassified cases. Case misclassification in machine learning studies in neurodegenerative diseases results from neurodegenerative disease heterogeneity and the limitations of structural MRI's ability to capture the whole gamut of biological changes. Larger and more inclusive datasets that are representative of population biologic heterogeneity are needed to train better machine learning techniques, and a margin of error is expected and should be acceptable, like the uncertainty of a clinical diagnosis by a dementia expert.