Biological Foundations Research Articles

Post-traumatic stress disorder: evolving conceptualization and evidence, and future research directions.

The understanding of responses to traumatic events has been greatly influenced by the introduction of the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this paper we review the initial versions of the diagnostic criteria for this condition and the associated epidemiological findings, including sociocultural differences. We consider evidence for post-traumatic reactions occurring in multiple contexts not previously defined as traumatic, and the implications that these observations have for the diagnosis. More recent developments such as the DSM-5 dissociative subtype and the ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD are reviewed, adding to evidence that there are several distinct PTSD phenotypes. We describe the psychological foundations of PTSD, involving disturbances to memory as well as to identity. A broader focus on identity may be able to accommodate group and communal influences on the experience of trauma and PTSD, as well as the impact of resource loss. We then summarize current evidence concerning the biological foundations of PTSD, with a particular focus on genetic and neuroimaging studies. Whereas progress in prevention has been disappointing, there is now an extensive evidence supporting the efficacy of a variety of psychological treatments for established PTSD, including trauma-focused interventions - such as trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) - and non-trauma-focused therapies, which also include some emerging identity-based approaches such as present-centered and compassion-focused therapies. Additionally, there are promising interventions that are neither psychological nor pharmacological, or that combine a pharmacological and a psychological approach, such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy. We review advances in the priority areas of adapting interventions in resource-limited settings and across cultural contexts, and of community-based approaches. We conclude by identifying future directions for work on trauma and mental health.

Glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) methylation, childhood maltreatment, multilevel reward responsiveness and depressive and anxiety symptoms: A neuroimaging epigenetic study.

Although epigenomic and environment interactions (Epigenome × Environment; Epi × E) might constitute a novel mechanism underlying reward processing, direct evidence is still scarce. We conducted the first longitudinal study to investigate the extent to which DNA methylation of a stress-related gene-NR3C1-interacts with childhood maltreatment in association with young adult reward responsiveness (RR) and the downstream risk of depressive (anhedonia dimension in particular) and anxiety symptoms. A total of 192 Chinese university students aged 18∼25 (Mage = 21.08 ± 1.91 years; 59.4% females) were followed in two waves. Reward positivity (RewP) and its time‒frequency components were elicited via a classic monetary reward task. Cytosine methylation in the promoter exon 1F of NR3C1 (NR3C1-1F) was sequenced via buccal cells. Childhood maltreatment, self-reported RR and depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed via questionnaires. NR3C1-1F methylation significantly interacted with childhood maltreatment on RewP but not the delta and theta components or self-reported RR. The severity and exposure number of childhood maltreatment were negatively associated with RewP among individuals with heightened NR3C1-1F methylation but positively associated with RewP among individuals with blunted NR3C1-1F methylation, demonstrating a "goodness-of-fit" interaction. This interaction was specifically linked with anhedonia dimension but not with total scores of depressive or anxiety symptoms. The current findings provide preliminary evidence for an Epi × E interaction underlying reward processing, highlight cross-level analyses of electrophysiological signals and advance knowledge of the biological foundation of stress-induced reward function and relevant symptoms. However, caution should be paid to the generalizability of these findings in high-risk clinical samples given the high-functioning characteristic of the present sample.

AlphaFold: The AI Breakthrough Redefining Medicine and Drug Discovery

AlphaFold, the 2024 Nobel Prize-winning AI innovation, has redefined protein structure prediction, addressing a long-standing challenge in biology. By accurately modeling both structured and intrinsically disordered protein regions, AlphaFold provides unprecedented insights into protein functions and interactions. This review explores its transformative applications, including its role in elucidating the dynamics of p27Kip1, a key regulator of the cell cycle, and advancing the understanding of disordered regions critical for cellular signaling. AlphaFold’s impact extends beyond structural biology into practical applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic, its accurate predictions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure accelerated vaccine development, demonstrating its potential in addressing future pandemics. Despite these successes, challenges remain in integrating AlphaFold into drug discovery pipelines. Studies on Escherichia coli proteins revealed limitations in current docking models, emphasizing the need for improved computational tools. AlphaFold’s transformative contributions have established it as a foundation of molecular biology, with profound implications for accelerating drug discovery, advancing pandemic preparedness, and driving innovations in biodiversity and personalized medicine.

Guidance for evaluating biomaterials' properties and biological potential for dental pulp tissue engineering and regeneration research.

Dental pulp regeneration is a complex and advancing field that requires biomaterials capable of supporting the pulp's diverse functions, including immune defense, sensory perception, vascularization, and reparative dentinogenesis. Regeneration involves orchestrating the formation of soft connective tissues, neurons, blood vessels, and mineralized structures, necessitating materials with tailored biological and mechanical properties. Numerous biomaterials have entered clinical practice, while others are being developed for tissue engineering applications. The composition and a broad range of material properties, such as surface characteristics, degradation rate, and mechanical strength, significantly influence cellular behavior and tissue outcomes. This underscores the importance of employing robust evaluation methods and ensuring precise and comprehensive reporting of findings to advance research and clinical translation. This article aims to present the biological foundations of dental pulp tissue engineering alongside potential testing methodologies and their advantages and limitations. It provides guidance for developing research protocols to evaluate the properties of biomaterials and their influences on cell and tissue behavior, supporting progress toward effective dental pulp regeneration strategies.

Morphological, Physiological, and Molecular Bases of Salt Tolerance in Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica and its relatives) is an important summer-flowering plant in numerous countries worldwide. However, there are few reports on salt-tolerant (ST) crape myrtle germplasm resources and their morphological and molecular biological foundations for adaptation to salinized soil, one of the main abiotic stresses in plants. This study identified the salt tolerance characteristics of 19 crape myrtle varieties and created four salt-tolerant germplasms through hybridization. Morphological anatomy and transcriptome analyses clarified that the xylem of the ST variety possessed a high number of vessels with a small lumen. Transcriptome research has indicated that under salt stress conditions, Ca2+, abscisic acid (ABA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathways are involved in salt stress responses. One of the candidate genes LiTIP1;1 (encoding a tonoplast intrinsic protein) was overexpressed in Arabidopsis and the resultant overexpression (OE) lines performed better under CK and 100 mmol∙L−1 NaCl salt stress, but not under 200 mmol∙L−1 NaCl salt stress. Corresponding to physiological traits, genes encoding tubulin and fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs), which are related to the plasma membrane localization of the cellulose synthase complex, are maintained at higher levels and are induced more by salt. In summary, this research has revealed the morphological, physiological, and molecular bases of ST crape myrtle to a certain extent and has provided a theoretical basis for further screening and breeding of salt-tolerant crape myrtle varieties.

Biological essence of blood stasis-heat syndrome in ischemic stroke and current research status of traditional Chinese medicine prevention and treatment based on thromboinflammation reaction

Blood stasis-heat syndrome is one of the common syndromes of ischemic stroke, which is manifested as syndromes of blood stasis and heat during the pathological progression of patients with ischemic stroke, but there is a lack of systematic research on its biological essence. Thromboinflammation reaction is a newly proposed pathological mechanism highly associated with thrombosis and inflammatory reaction, and it refers to the fact that under the mediation of von Willebrand factor(vWF) and the kallikrein-kinin system, thrombosis and inflammatory reaction interact with each other. Activation of T cells and neutrophils further aggravates thrombosis and worsens the pathological progression of ischemic stroke. Therefore, thromboinflammation reaction has the characteristics of the interaction between blood stasis and heat in blood stasis-heat syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Based on the research progress related to thromboinflammation reaction and the clinical syndrome characteristics and biomarkers of blood stasis-heat syndrome in ischemic stroke, this paper put forward the view that thromboinflammation reaction may be the biological foundation of blood stasis-heat syndrome in ischemic stroke. Besides, this paper systematically organized the current applications and research on the mechanism of TCM monomers or compound formulas with the effects of promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis and clearing heat and detoxifying. It is found that the pharmacological mechanisms are intimately linked to the regulation of biomarkers related to thromboinflammation reaction, verifying that the biological foundation of the blood stasis-heat syndrome in ischemic stroke is thromboinflammation reaction. This paper aims to provide a scientific basis for TCM prevention and treatment strategies for ischemic stroke targeting thromboinflammation reaction.

Autism spectrum disorder variation as a computational trade-off via dynamic range of neuronal population responses

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show neural and behavioral characteristics differing from the neurotypical population. This may stem from a computational principle that relates inference and computational dynamics to the dynamic range of neuronal population responses, reflecting the signal levels for which the system is responsive. In the present study, we showed that an increased dynamic range (IDR), indicating a gradual response of a neuronal population to changes in input, accounts for neural and behavioral variations in individuals diagnosed with ASD across diverse tasks. We validated the model with data from finger-tapping synchronization, orientation reproduction and global motion coherence tasks. We suggested that increased heterogeneity in the half-activation point of individual neurons may be the biological mechanism underlying the IDR in ASD. Taken together, this model provides a proof of concept for a new computational principle that may account for ASD and generates new testable and distinct predictions regarding its behavioral, neural and biological foundations.

The Lifespan Evolution of Individualized Neurophysiological Traits.

This study examines how brain activity reflects the development of individuality across a person's life. Using magnetoencephalography to capture brief recordings of spontaneous brain activity, the researchers distinguished between over 1,000 individuals, spanning ages 4 to 89. They found that the brain regions most associated with individuality change with age: sensory and motor regions become increasingly distinctive in early adulthood, highlighting their role in shaping a person's unique characteristics of brain activity. The study also revealed that changes in brain activity across different ages correspond to specific patterns of gene expression, shedding light on how genetics influence brain individuality. These findings deepen our understanding of the biological foundations of inter-individual differences and how it evolves over the lifespan.

Spatial correlation-based quadratic cost function for wavefront shaping through scattering media.

The feedback-based wavefront shaping emerges as a promising method for deep tissue microscopy, energy control in bio-incubation, and re-configurable structural illuminations. The cost function plays a crucial role in the feedback-based wavefront optimization for focusing light through scattering media. However, popularly used cost functions, such as intensity ( ) and peak-to-background ratio (PBR) struggle to achieve precise intensity control and uniformity across the focus spot. We have proposed an -norm-based quadratic cost function (QCF) for establishing both intensity and position correlations between image pixels, which helps to advance the focusing light through scattering media, such as biological tissue and ground glass diffusers. The proposed cost function has been integrated into the genetic algorithm, establishing pixel-to-pixel correlations that enable precise and controlled contrast optimization, while maintaining uniformity across the focus spot and effectively suppressing the background intensity. We have conducted both simulations and experiments using the proposed QCF, comparing its performance with the commonly used and PBR-based cost functions. The results evidently indicate that the QCF achieves superior performance in terms of precise intensity control, uniformity, and background intensity suppression. By contrast, both the and PBR cost functions exhibit uncontrolled intensity gain compared with the proposed QCF. The proposed QCF is most suitable for applications requiring precise intensity control at the focus spot, better uniformity, and effective background intensity suppression. This method holds significant promise for applications where intensity control is critical, such as photolithography, photothermal treatments, dosimetry, and energy modulation within and outside bio-incubation systems.

Chromosome-Scale Genome of the Fern Cibotium barometz Unveils a Genetic Resource of Medicinal Value

Ferns represent the second-largest group of vascular plants, yet their genomic resources lag far behind. Here, we present a chromosome-scale genome assembly of Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm., a medicinally important fern species. The 3.49 Gb genome, assembled into 66 chromosomes with 99.41% sequence anchorage, revealed an exceptionally high proportion (83.93%) of repetitive elements, dominated by recently expanded LTR retrotransposons. We identified 30,616 protein-coding genes, providing insights into fern-specific gene families. Genomic analyses uncover the evolutionary dynamics of 513 key biosynthetic genes, particularly those involved in terpenoid and flavonoid production. Expression profiling across tissues revealed tissue-specific regulation of these pathways, with notable upregulation of chalcone synthase genes in roots. Our structural analysis of 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, a key enzyme in terpenoid biosynthesis, demonstrated high conservation across land plants while highlighting fern-specific adaptations. The identification of multiple isoforms for key enzymes points to potential gene-duplication events or the evolution of fern-specific variants. This genome provides a foundation for understanding fern biology, evolution, and the molecular basis of their medicinal properties. It also offers valuable resources for conservation efforts and pharmacological research, paving the way for sustainable utilization of this valuable medicinal plant and advancing our understanding of plant diversity and natural product biosynthesis.

Differential Expressions of circRNAs and Regulatory Mechanisms of ceRNA Network in Liver of Wilson's Disease TX Mice.

Wilson's disease (WD) is a hereditary disorder characterized by an abnormality in copper metabolism. Liver fibrosis, and potentially cirrhosis, induced by copper accumulation are critical factors in the pathogenesis of WD. CircRNAs exhibit high stability and play crucial roles in numerous biological processes. RNA-seq technology was employed to conduct transcriptome sequencing of the liver from 12homozygous (TX) mice in the model group (NL group) and 12 wild-type (WT) mice in the control group (N group). Differentially expressed circular RNAs (DE-circRNAs) were identified, and following GO and KEGG analysis, a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed. The identified DE-circRNAs were then randomly validated using RT-qPCR. Utilizing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the study identified 54 DE-circRNAs in TX-j mice with WD-induced liver fibrosis model, among which 19 were up-regulated and 35 were down-regulated. GO analysis revealed multiple biological processes, including single-organism process, cellular process, and metabolic process. Further pathway identification using KEGG implicated several pathways, including the HIF-1, PI3K-Akt, AMPK, FoxO, signaling pathway regulating pluripotency of stem cells, phospholipase D, mTOR, Ras, cGMP-PKG, and MAPK signaling pathway, among others. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed with 20 circRNAs, 7 miRNAs, and 75 mRNAs as crucial core components. Additionally, RT-qPCR validation was performed on randomly selected DE-circRNAs, yielding consistent results (P<0.05). The findings provide a significant molecular biology foundation for understanding the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in WD and offer new insights for exploring potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Neuroimaging-Based Classification of Cisgender and Transgender Individuals Using MRI Brain Scans

In recent years, the study of gender identity has considerably evolved, moving beyond binary definitions and embracing a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of both cisgender and transgender people. In the middle of this advancement, neuroimaging and neuroscience present encouraging paths toward comprehending the biological foundations of gender identity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become essential in studying brain anatomy and function, allowing scientists to investigate possible variations in the neuroanatomy linked to different gender identities. Here, cisgender and transgender classification from brain MRI scans using a Convolutional Neural Network is presented. With the use of these methods, the possibility of identifying unique brain traits that differentiate cisgender from transgender individuals is explored, which may provide insight into the biological components of gender identity.

A Review of Biological Foundations of Anger

Anger, happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust are the six fundamental emotions that people can experience. Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. It is a blaming emotion that is aimed against individuals, and it frequently leads to violent actions. However, anger serves survival purposes and is embedded in humans. While anger is typically viewed as a psychological or social phenomenon, it also has a biological basis. This literature review focuses on anger and its underlying biological foundations. The biological basis of anger can be explained through the activation of the amygdala, which plays a crucial role in emotional processing. Additionally, studies have shown that anger is associated with decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. When a person becomes angry, this region of the brain is less active, leading to impulsive behaviors and decreased rational thinking. This explains why individuals often engage in aggressive or violent behaviors when angry. Understanding the biological basis of anger can help us better manage and control this emotion. By recognizing the physiological changes that occur when we become angry, we can take steps to calm ourselves down and develop healthier coping mechanisms.Keywords: Emotions, Anger, Amygdala, Prefrontal cortex, Biological basis

Insect Phototaxis Mechanisms Innovations in Pest Control Strategies and Applications

Phototaxis, the movement of insects toward or away from light, is a critical behavioral response that influences feeding, mating, and habitat selection. Understanding the mechanisms behind insect phototaxis can lead to the development of effective and environmentally sustainable pest control strategies and explores the biological foundations of phototaxis, including the role of insect visual systems, light sensitivity, and circadian rhythms. Recent advancements in phototaxis-based pest management, particularly the use of energy-efficient LED light traps, solar-powered traps, and wavelength-specific attractants, are also discussed. These innovations offer promising alternatives to chemical pesticides, reducing environmental impact and enhancing agricultural sustainability. The integration of phototaxis-based tools with other methods, such as biological control and habitat management, is highlighted as a way to improve pest suppression while preserving beneficial insect species. Challenges, including non-target effects, variability in insect responses, and potential light pollution, are also addressed. To emphasize the need for tailored light wavelengths, smart farming integration, and eco-friendly solutions that minimize unintended ecological consequences and underscores the potential of insect phototaxis to transform pest management, offering a comprehensive framework for more sustainable agricultural practices.

Neighborhood Stressors and Epigenetic Age Acceleration Among Older Americans.

Exposure to stressful neighborhood environments is a well-established risk factor for health deterioration and premature death. However, the biological underpinnings are not fully understood. Epigenetic aging may function as a key molecular pathway to adverse health outcomes among residents of high-stress neighborhoods. This study examines the associations between neighborhood social stressors (socioeconomic deprivation, observed and perceived disorder, and low social cohesion) and epigenetic age (DunedinPACE and Principal component adjusted [PC] PCHorvath, PCHannum, PCPhenoAge, PCGrimAge). Further, we identify subpopulations most vulnerable to neighborhood stressors. Respondent data are from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) DNA methylation subsample. Neighborhood data come from respondent reports (2014/2016) and the census (2012-2016 ACS). The analytic sample included 3,146 adults ages 56 and older (mean age = 68.8), of whom 54.9% were women and 19.3% were non-White. In multilevel regression models adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, all neighborhood stressors were associated with faster DunedinPACE (B = 0.008 to 0.017). Neighborhood deprivation, perceived disorder, and low cohesion were associated with PCPhenoAge (B = 0.27 to 0.40) or PCGrimAge acceleration (B = 0.23). Health behaviors explained these associations to some degree. However, no significant associations were found with PCHorvath and PCHannum. In interaction analyses, adverse associations with deprivation, observed disorder, and low cohesion were more pronounced for women. No consistent interactions were found for race/ethnic and education groups. Our findings indicate that neighborhood stressors can accelerate epigenetic aging, with older women particularly vulnerable to their effects. These findings provide insights into the biological foundations of health disparities rooted in neighborhood environments.

Exploring the genetic landscape of the brain-heart axis: A comprehensive analysis of pleiotropic effects between heart disease and psychiatric disorders

BackgroundThe genetic links between heart disease and psychiatric disorders are complex and not well understood. This study uses genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and advanced multilevel analyses to explore these connections. MethodsWe analyzed GWAS data from seven psychiatric disorders and five types of heart disease. Genetic correlations and overlaps were examined using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), high-definition likelihood (HDL), and Genetic analysis incorporating Pleiotropy and Annotation (GPA). Pleiotropic single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) were identified with pleiotropic analysis under the composite null hypothesis (PLACO) and annotated via Functional mapping and annotation of genetic associations (FUMA). Potential pleiotropic genes were identified using Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA) and Summary data-based Mendelian Randomization (SMR). ResultsAmong 35 trait pairs, 32 showed significant genetic correlations or overlaps. PLACO identified 15,077 SNVs, with 287 recognized as pleiotropic loci and 20 colocalization sites. MAGMA and SMR revealed 75 potential pleiotropic genes involved in diverse pathways, including cancer, neurodevelopment, and cellular organization. Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) queries provided evidence linking multiple genes to heart or psychiatric disorders. ConclusionsThis analysis reveals loci and genes with pleiotropic effects between heart disease and psychiatric disorders, highlighting shared biological pathways. These findings illuminate the genetic mechanisms underlying the brain-heart axis and suggest shared biological foundations for these conditions, offering potential targets for future prevention and treatment strategies.

Non-destructive viability assessment of cancer cell spheroids using dynamic optical coherence tomography with trypan blue validation.

3D cell cultures are widely used in biomedical research for the recapitulation of in vivo microenvironments. Viability assessment and monitoring of these intricate conformations remain an open problem as standard cell viability protocols based on colorimetry or microscopy are not directly applicable to intact 3D samples. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been explored extensively for subsurface structural and quasi-functional analysis of 3D cell cultures and tissue. Recent studies of dynamic OCT as a source of cellular contrast have found qualitative associations with necrosis in cell spheroids, suggesting potential as a viability marker. We present empirical and validated evidence for dynamic OCT as a quantitative indicator of cell viability in 3D cultures. We analysed over 240 MCF-7 cancer cell spheroids with dynamic OCT and corresponding viability measurements using the trypan blue exclusion assay. Significant effects of common reagents dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) on OCT readouts were noted. We proposed a regression-based OCT brightness normalisation technique that removed reagent-induced OCT intensity biases and helped improve correspondence to the viability assay. These results offer a quantitative biological foundation for further advances of dynamic OCT as a novel non-invasive modality for 3D culture monitoring.

Non-Structural Carbohydrates Accumulation in Seedlings Improved Flowering Quality of Tree Peony under Forcing Culture Conditions, with Roots Playing a Crucial Role.

(1) Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) is a woody ornamental plant originating from China, and beloved by people worldwide. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) play a crucial role in regulating the flowering quality of tree peonies in both field and potted conditions. However, the effects of NSCs accumulation and allocation in various organs during the vegetative growth stage on the flowering quality of tree peony under forcing culture remains unclear. (2) Two-year-old grafted seedlings of tree peony cv. 'Luoyanghong' were subjected to orthogonal treatments to investigate the role of NSCs accumulation in plants' developmental process. We measured leaf photosynthetic capacity, NSCs accumulation in the organs of seedlings, observed key ornamental characteristics of flowering quality under forcing culture conditions, and evaluated the qualities of seedlings and flowers using the seedling index (SI) and flowering index (FI), respectively. (3) There was a significant positive correlation between leaf photosynthetic capacity and NSCs accumulation in both the whole plant and roots of potted tree peony. Roots were identified as the primary organs for NSCs accumulation in potted tree peonies. Sufficient NSCs accumulation in the plant, particularly in the roots during the defoliation period, was essential not only for enhancing the seedling quality of potted tree peonies but also for improving the flowering quality under forcing culture conditions. Both the seedling index (SI) and flowering index (FI) exhibited a significant dose-response with increasing root NSCs accumulation at defoliation. The T3 group, which involved slight root pruning (by 25%), combined with a high-concentration rooting agent (750 mg·L-1) and Metarhizium anisopliae (20 million U·mL-1), resulted in the highest photosynthetic capacity, SI, FI and NSCs accumulation status (NSCAR), making it the optimal treatment combination. (4) This finding indicates that increasing NSCs accumulation in the roots of potted tree peonies is a crucial biological foundation for producing high-quality potted flowers under forcing culture conditions, which provide new insights into the importance of NSCs in tree peony flowering and may improve the production technology for high-quality potted tree peony flowers under forcing culture conditions.

Albanian first-year university students’ knowledge and acceptance of evolution

Evolutionary theory provides the foundation for modern biology with evolution as a core concept and unifying principle. This research aimed to examine evolutionary knowledge and acceptance among first-year university students. The&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;participants considered for analysis consisted of 87 students enrolled in the first-year bachelor’s in biology and biotechnology at the University of Tirana, Albania. The respondents’ average age was 18.95 ± 0.78 years, with a pronounced dominance of females (90.2%). The study used the standardized research instrument “evolution education questionnaire on acceptance and knowledge” to measure knowledge and acceptance about evolution in an international context. We employed descriptive statistics to analyze the collected data.&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;The findings of research revealed that over half of the respondents, 61%, fall into the ‘&lt;i&gt;very low knowledge&lt;/i&gt;’ category on evolution and none fall in the ‘&lt;i&gt;high knowledge&lt;/i&gt;’ category. Only 60.9% accept evolution. The need for a revision of the evolutionary concepts and topics in the curricula, from primary school, is recommended coupled with the incorporation of philosophical dialogue into teaching practice.

The construction of an inflammation classification model for HDPCs applied in guiding pulpotomy based on single-cell Raman spectroscopy

The immune defense and the repair function of the pulp tissue serve as the biological foundation of pulpotomy. The precise evaluation of the pulp inflammation extent and determining its reversibility are essential for the success of pulpotomy. The objective of this study was to classify the molecular-level of dental pulp cell physiology and inflammatory state based on the biochemical changes obtained by single-cell Raman spectroscopy. Firstly, we differentiated the growth of HDPCs (human dental pulp cells) under physiological states by employing Raman spectroscopy with multivariate statistical analysis. Raman spectroscopy reflected the biochemical changes at different growth phases, including the lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase. Secondly, we evaluated the optimal concentration and duration of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g.LPS) stimulation to establish a six-level inflammation classification model of HDPCs. Thirdly, we performed label-free characterization of biological component changes in cells of different inflammation grades by Raman spectroscopy. As a result, the differences of peaks in the region 600–1800 cm−1 demonstrated the biochemical molecular alterations in the different inflammation grades of HDPCs. As inflammation progresses in steps, protein peaks increased first and then decreased, while lipid and nucleic acid peaks gradually decreased compared to unstimulated cells. However, when the inflammatory stimulation reached grade V, the changes in the biological properties were characterized by a recovery in protein and lipid content, and a decrease in nucleic acid content. We then established the diagnostic model using the Raman spectra of HDPCs in physiological and inflammatory states, which had a prediction accuracy of 100 % and 97.4 %, respectively. Finally, we determined the reversibility threshold of HDPCs at different grades of inflammation. We observed that the inflammation of grade I and II cells had potential reversibility and could be attempted to be retained. In conclusion, Raman spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis has potential possibility to effectively distinguish the degree of inflammation in the dental pulp, thus providing new tools and perspectives on pulpotomy in clinical practice.