The study investigated, in a rat model of low-level and moderate environmental exposure to cadmium (Cd; 1 or 5 mg Cd/kg diet, respectively, for 3-24 months), whether the co-administration of 0.1% extract from Aronia melanocarpa L. berries (AE) may protect against oxidative stress in the liver. The intoxication with Cd, dose- and duration-dependently, weakened the enzymatic antioxidative barrier (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase), decreased the concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione and total thiol groups), and increased the concentrations of oxidized glutathione, hydrogen peroxide, xanthine oxidase, and myeloperoxidase in this organ. These resulted in a decrease in the total antioxidative status (TAS), an increase in the total oxidative status (TOS), and development of oxidative stress in the liver (evaluated based on the index of oxidative stress calculated as the ratio of TOS and TAS). The administration of AE at both levels of Cd treatment significantly improved the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative barrier, decreased the concentration of pro-oxidants, and protected from the development of oxidative stress in the liver. In conclusion, consumption of aronia products may prevent Cd-induced destroying the oxidative/antioxidative balance and development of oxidative stress in the liver protecting against this organ damage.

The present article investigates the threshold analysis of yielding in a variable thickness rotating disk based on the Tresca criterion. The analysis is conducted on a Functionally Graded Material (FGM) constructed from tailored materials, following the theory of small deformations and for the case of plane stress. The elasticity modulus, density, and yield stress are assumed to be power functions of the radial coordinate. Poisson’s ratio is considered constant due to small variations in different materials. Additionally, the governing equation for the rotating disk is solved analytically. Besides the material type, another factor affecting the distribution of effective stress magnitudes is the cross-sectional shape (profile) of the disk. The thickness of the cross-sectional disk varies radially as a power function. In the current analysis, different conditions for the onset of yielding and the evolution of plastic flow are considered. For evaluation and validation, the obtained results are compared and validated against similar results for specific cases (homogeneous disk and constant thickness graded disk) available in previous references. The results indicate that considering variable thickness for the disk section significantly affects the stresses and the location of the initiation of yielding

Chenopodium quinoa Willd (quinoa), a member of the Amaranthaceae family, is an allotetraploid annual plant, endemic to South America. The plant of C. quinoa presents significant ecological plasticity with exceptional adaptability to several environmental stresses, including salinity. The resilience of quinoa to several abiotic stresses, as well as its nutritional attributes have led to significant shifts in quinoa cultivation worldwide over the past century. This work first defines germination sensu stricto in quinoa where the breakage of the pericarp and the testa is followed by endosperm rupture (ER). Transcriptomic changes in early seed germination stages lead to unstable expression levels in commonly used reference genes that are typically stable in vegetative tissues. Noteworthy, no suitable reference genes have been previously identified specifically for quinoa seed germination under salt stress conditions. This work aims to identify these genes as a prerequisite step for normalizing qPCR data. To this end, germinating seeds from UDEC2 and UDEC4 accessions, with different tolerance to salt, have been analyzed under conditions of absence (0 mM NaCl) and in the presence (250 mM NaCl) of sodium chloride. Based on relevant literature, six candidate reference genes: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Monensin sensitivity1 (MON1), Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTBP), Actin-7 (ACT7), Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBC), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S), were selected and assessed for stability using the RefFinder Tool encompassing the statistical algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt in the evaluation. The data presented supports the suitability of CqACT7 and CqUBC as reference genes for normalizing gene expression during seed germination under salinity stress. These recommended reference genes can be valuable tools for consistent qPCR studies in quinoa seeds.

Worldwide, the prevalence of surgery under general anaesthesia has increased significantly, on one hand because of modern anaesthetic and pain control techniques, and on the other hand because of better diagnosis and increased complexity of surgical technique. Together with the development of new concepts in the surgical field, the attention of researchers and clinicians turned to minimizing the impact of surgical trauma and offering minimal invasive procedures. This fact is due to the recent discoveries in the field of cellular and molecular mechanisms, that have revealed a systemic inflammatory and pro-oxidative impact that not only lasts in the perioperative period, but also impacts the long term, contributing to more difficult recovery, increased morbidity, and mortality, and finally a negative financial impact. Detailed molecular and cellular analysis have shown an overproduction of inflammatory and pro-oxidative species, that are responsible for an augmentation of the systemic inflammatory status and more difficult postoperative recovery. Moreover, it was shown that there are a series of changes in certain epigenetic structures, the most important being the microRNAs. Based on these findings, a series of modern, targeted therapeutic approaches have been proposed, with the final goal of blocking these mechanisms and reducing the redox state. Recent studies carried out had a positive clinical impact regarding antioxidant therapy and have shown that it can be used in the perioperative period with beneficial clinical impact. This review describes and details the most important molecular and cellular mechanisms that impact the surgical patient undergoing general anaesthesia, and it presents a series of antioxidant therapies that can reduce systemic inflammation.

Coral reefs are critical ecosystems globally for marine fauna, biodiversity and through the services they provide to humanity. However, they are significantly threatened by anthropogenic stressors, such as climate change. By combining 9 environmental variables and ecological and health-based thresholds obtained from the available literature, we develop, using fuzzy logic (discontinuous functions), a Coral Reef Stress Exposure Index (CRSEI) for remotely monitoring coral reef exposure to environmental stressors. Our approach capitalises on the abundance of readily available satellite Earth Observation (EO) data available in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud-based geospatial processing platform. CRSEI values from 3157 distinct reefs were generated and mapped across 12 important coral reef ecosystem regions. Quantitative analyses indicated that the index detected significant temporal differences in stress and was, therefore, able to capture historic change at a global scale. We also applied the CRSEI to three case-study reef ecosystems, previously well-monitored for stress and disturbance using other methods. PCA analysis indicated that depth, current, sea surface temperature (SST) and SST anomaly accounted for the greatest contribution to the variance in stress in these three regions. The CRSEI corroborated temporal and spatial differences in stress exposure from known disturbances within these reference regions, in addition to identifying the potential drivers of inter- and intra-region differences in stress, namely depth, degree heating weeks and SST anomaly. We discuss how the index can be further improved in future with site-specific thresholds for each stress variable, and the incorporation of additional variables not currently available in GEE. This index provides an open access tool, built around a free and powerful processing platform, that has broad potential to assist in the regular monitoring of our increasingly imperilled coral reef ecosystems, and, in particular, those that are remote or inaccessible.

Inside Central Nervous System (CNS) appears neurons and glia cells. There are more glial cells than neurons and have more functions than neurons. Glia name represents different kind of cells, ones from neural origin (astrocytes, radial glia, and oligodendroglia), and others from blood monocytes (microglia). During ontogeny, neurons appear first (rat fetal 15th) and after astrocytes (rat fetal 21th) indicating a bigger importance function in the CNS. Also, during the phylogeny, reptiles have less astrocytes compared to neurons and in humans, astrocytes are double in number than neurons. This data, perhaps means that astrocytes are more special cells and work in memory and learning? Astrocytes have an important role in different mechanisms protecting CNS across the production of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory proteins, cleaning extracellular medium and helping neurons to communicate with each other correctly. Inflammatory mediators production are important to prevent changes in normal physiology. But, excessive or continue production leads to many diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Sclerosis Lateral Amyotrophic (ELA), Multiple sclerosis (MS), and neurodevelopment diseases, like Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, and Autism's symptomatology. Different drugs and thecniques can reverse oxidative stress and/or inflammatory excess. This review is intended to serve as an approximation to the field.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition that involves a progressive decline in muscle mass and function, leading to increased risks of falls, frailty, and mortality. Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, aging-related processes like inflammation, oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial capacity, and cell apoptosis contribute to this decline. Disruption of the circadian system with age may initiate these pathways in skeletal muscle, preceding the onset of sarcopenia. At present, there is no pharmacological treatment for sarcopenia, only resistance exercise and proper nutrition may delay its onset. Melatonin, derived from tryptophan, emerges as an exceptional candidate for treating sarcopenia due to its chronobiotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Its impact on mitochondria, organelle where it is synthesized and crucial in aging skeletal muscle, further highlights its potential. In this review, we discuss the influence of clock genes in muscular aging, with special reference to peripheral clock genes in the skeletal muscle, as well as their relationship with melatonin, which is proposed as a potential therapy against sarcopenia.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in cellular senescence and aging, as well as in the onset and progression of many diverse genetic and acquired diseases and conditions. The search for biomarkers of oxidative stress has become relevant to many biomedical fields using many different methods and approaches. Fluorescence methodology is advantageous because of its simplicity and high sensitivity. Fluorescent probes are frequently used to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress in experimental or clinical settings, often involving the use of flow cytometry and related single-cell based technologies. To assess the specific role of reactive oxygen species in oxidative stress studies by cytometric methodologies, it is essential to detect and characterize these species accurately. However, the detection and quantitation of individual intracellular ROS is still a challenge, but different and complementary strategies may focus on other endpoints of oxidative stress. In this review we present and discuss briefly the limitations and perspectives of such approaches. Based on our results, we also provide recommendations for proper design of cytometric studies of oxidative stress in order to prevent or minimize experimental errors..

This paper proposed an explicit and simple representation of velocity fluctuation and the Reynolds stress tensor in terms of the mean velocity field. The proposed turbulence equations are closed. The proposed formulations reveal that the mean vorticity is the key source of producing turbulence. It is found that there are no velocity fluctuation and turbulence if there were no vorticity. As a natural consequence, the laminar- turbulence transition condition was obtained in a rational way.

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) plays a very important role in the annual national vegetable supply and export trade. In recent years, the cadmium content of agricultural soils has increased. As a result, cabbage yields and quality have declined significantly. Studies have shown that selenium can counteract the harmful effects of cadmium on plants and can alleviate the stress caused by cadmium during the growth of plants. However, the mechanism of exogenous selenium application in the alleviation of cadmium stress in cabbage seedlings has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, exogenous selenium (10μMol/L) was applied under cadmium (25μMol/L) stress and the physiological mechanisms such as biomass, photosynthetic pigment, leaf stomata parameters, selenium and cadmium content, chloroplast ultrastructure, active oxygen accumulation, leaf membrane esterification and antioxidant enzyme activity were determined. The protective mechanism of exogenous selenium on cabbage seedlings under cadmium stress was investigated. The re-sults showed that exogenous application of selenium could effectively alleviate the decrease in growth, photosynthetic pigment and gas exchange characteristics of cabbage seedlings under cadmium stress, im-prove cabbage root vitality, reduce root leaf cadmium content and alleviate cadmium stress-induced damage. Ultrastructural observation showed that cadmium stress caused the disruption of the internal structure of chloroplasts of cabbage leaves, while exogenous selenium treatment alleviated the chloroplast damage to some extent, improved the stability of the inner capsule membrane and alleviated the cadmium stress-induced damage to photosynthetic organs. Cadmium stress also caused oxidative damage and ex-cessive accumulation of ROS in the leaves of cabbage seedlings as evidenced by significant accumulation of O2-, H2O2, MDA and electrolyte leakage. On the other hand, after exogenous selenium treatment, cadmium stress- induced oxidative damage could be reduced by up-regulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD, POD and APX. At the same time, cadmium stress significantly increased GSH levels, and exogenous selenium treatment further increased GSH levels, thereby increasing the tolerance of cabbage to cadmium stress. In conclusion, by protecting the photosynthetic system, eliminating excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species in cadmium-stressed cabbage seedlings, alleviating oxidative stress and reducing cadmium levels in the plant, exogenous selenium can further improve cadmium tolerance in cabbage seedlings.

Chronic heat stress (CHS) has been exerting great pressure on the poultry industry due to the global warming. CHS-induced negative impacts deeply change the physiology, metabolism, egg production and meat quality of ducks. To reduce the increasing economic loss, different environmental strategies have been adopted. Here, we comprehensively compared three rearing modes for Cherry-Valley ducks (CVds) mainly by changing the environmental temperature. Plus, the transcriptome analysis and physiological anatomy were implied to investigate the underlying molecular biology and pneumonocyte dynamics. It turns out that the CVds affected by CHS have poor growth performance and bad carcass traits. In addition, the irreversible damage caused by CHS in the lung tissue of CVds was observed. Furthermore, several potential genes related to CHS have been found, such as HSPA8, IGF1, FGFR1, ACSL3, ACSL6, NR1H3 and GAPDH. This study strongly indicates the severe injury of CHS from the high-temperature environment and points out one of the adopting directions for duck rearing.

Inhaled particulate matter (PM) is a key player in the millions of yearly deaths worldwide related to air pollution. The oxidative potential of PM provides an indication of its ability to promote an oxidative environment. When the human lungs are exposed to PM, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in such oxidative environment, if excessive, may lead to cell damage via oxidative stress. Inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, airway remodeling, and many different cell death modes (apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, among others) can be triggered by oxidative stress via complex molecular pathways, which also involve the adaptive cellular response. But ROS can also directly interact with macromolecules such as proteins and lipids, as well as nucleic acids, having been reported to induce DNA damage and epigenetic modifications, which jeopardizes homeostasis. These facts have been extensively studied in in vitro models and confirmed in in vivo models.In this review, we delve beyond conventional assessments of airborne particles, discussing their oxidative potential and the PM-induced ROS-mediated cellular damage observed in in vitro models. The close link between oxidative stress and inflammation, and the manifestation of different cell death modes is highlighted by reviewing the latest literature. The effects of ROS on the balance of DNA damage and repair, carcinogenicity and epigenetics interplay are then analyzed. Finally, we expand on the latest reports on the antioxidants’ potential to counteract the deleterious effects of ROS, and disclose future perspectives for the topic.

Background: Traumatic events adversely affect the clinical course of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our investigation explores the correlation between prolonged interpersonal trauma and the severity of symptoms related to obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders. Methods: The study follows a cross-sectional and observational design, employing the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to examine areas linked to interpersonal trauma, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) to assess anxious and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, respectively. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: We recruited 107 OCD-diagnosed patients, categorizing them into subgroups based on the presence or absence of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD). The ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the onset age of OCD (p=0.083), psychiatric familial history (p=0.023), HAM-A, and Y-BOCS (p=0.000). Logistic regression indicated a statistically significant association between the presence of cPTSD and Y-BOCS scores (p=0.000). Conclusion: The coexistence of cPTSD in OCD exacerbates obsessive-compulsive symptoms and increases the burden of anxiety. Further advancements in this field are crucial for mitigating the impact of early trauma on the trajectory of OCD and associated anxious symptoms.

Background: In military flight operations fighter pilots work during flights constantly under hyperoxic breathing conditions with supplemental oxygen in varying hypobaric environments. These conditions are suspected to cause oxidative stress to neuronal organ tissues. For civilian flight operations the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also recommends supplemental oxygen for flying under hypobaric conditions equivalent to higher than 3048m altitude and makes it mandatory for conditions equivalent of more than 3657m altitude. Aim: We hypothesized that hypobaric-hyperoxic civilian commercial and private flight conditions with supplemental oxygen in a flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber at 2500m and 4500m equivalent altitude would cause significant oxidative stress in healthy individuals. Methods: 12 healthy subjects (6m, 6f, mean age 35,7yrs) from a larger cohort were selected to perform a 3hrs flight simulation in a hypobaric chamber with increasing supplemental oxygen levels (35%,50%,60% and 100% FiO2 via venturi valve equipped face mask) switching back and force between simulated altitudes of 2500m and 4500m. Arterial blood pressure and oxygen saturation were constantly measured via radial catheter and blood samples for blood gases taken from the catheter at each altitude and oxygen level. Additional blood samples from the arterial catheter at baseline and 60% oxygen at both different altitudes were centrifuged inside the chamber and the serum frozen instantly at minus 21°Celsius for later analysis of the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde low density lipoprotein (M-LDL) and glutathione-peroxidase (GLP) via elisa test. Results: 11 subjects finished the study without adverse events. Whereas PO2 levels increased in the mean with increasing oxygen levels from baseline 96.2 mmHg to 160.9 mmHg at 2500m altitude and 60% FiO2 and 113.2 mmHg at 4500m altitude and 60% FiO2, there was no significant increase in both oxidative markers from baseline to 60% FiO2 at these simulated altitudes. Some individuals had a slight increase, some not at all or even a slight decrease. A moderate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient 0,55) existed between subject age and glutathione peroxidase levels at 60% FiO2 at 4500m altitude. Conclusion: Supplemental oxygen of 60% FiO2 in a flight simulation comparing to flying in cabin pressure levels equivalent to 2500m-4500m altitude does not lead to a significant increase or decrease in the oxidative stress markers M-LDL and GLP in serum of arterial blood.

Tissue engineered heart valves can grow, repair, and remodel after implantation, presenting a more favorable long-term solution compared to mechanical and porcine valves. Achieving functional engineered valve tissue requires the maturation of human cells seeded onto valve scaffolds under favorable growth conditions in bioreactors. The mechanical stress and strain on developing valve tissue caused by different pressure and flow conditions in bioreactors are currently unknown. The aim of this study is to quantify the wall shear stress (WSS) magnitude in heart valve prostheses under different valve geometries and bioreactor flow rates. To achieve this, the study used fluid-structure interaction simulations to obtain the valve's opening geometries during the systolic phase. These geometries were then used in computational fluid dynamics simulations with refined near-wall mesh elements and ranges of prescribed inlet flow rates. The data obtained included histograms and regression curves that characterized the distribution, peak, and median WSS for various flow rates and opening configurations. The study also found that the upper region of the valve near the commissures experienced higher WSS magnitudes than the rest of the valve.

Progress in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on the recognition of the primary causes of the disease, which can be deduced from the knowledge of risk factors and biomarkers measurable in the early stages of the disease. Insights into risk factors and the time course of biomarker abnormalities point to a role for mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the onset and development of AD. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipid antioxidant and electron transporter in the mitochondrial electron transport system. The availability and activity of CoQ10 is crucial for proper mitochondrial function and cellular bioenergetics. Based on the mitochondrial hypothesis of AD and the hypothesis of oxidative stress, the regulation of the efficiency of the oxidative phosphorylation system by means of CoQ10 can be considered promising in restoring the mitochondrial function impaired in AD, or in preventing the onset of mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of amyloid and tau pathology in AD.

Background: Multiple drug delivery systems obtained by loading nanoparticles (NPs) with different drugs with different physicochemical properties present a promising strategy to achieve synergistic effects between drugs or overcome undesired effects. This study aims to develop a new NP by loading Quercetin (Que) and valproic acid (VPA) onto chitosan. In this context, our study investigated the antioxidant activities of chitosan NPs loaded with single and dual drugs containing Que against oxidative stress. Method: The synthesis of single (Que or VPA) and dual-drug (Que and VPA) loaded chitosan NPs, characterization of the NPs, conducting in vitro antioxidant activity studies, and analysis of the cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of the NPs in SH-SY5Y cell lines were performed. Result: The NP applications that protected cell viability to the greatest extent against H2O2-induced cell damage were, respectively, 96 µg/ml of Que-loaded chitosan NP (77.30%, 48 h), 2 µg/ml of VPA-loaded chitosan NP (70.06%, 24 h), 96 µg/ml of blank chitosan NP (68.31%, 48 h), and 2 µg/ml of Que and VPA-loaded chitosan NP (66.03%, 24 h). Conclusion: Our study establishes a successful paradigm in developing drug-loaded NPs, with uniform and homogeneous distribution of drugs onto NPs. Chitosan NPs loaded with both single and dual drugs possessing antioxidant activity were successfully developed.

Wheat is widely grown in the Mediterranean region, where plants frequently face water shortages. Recently, more attention to rationalizing irrigation water has been increased due to the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems. Therefore, two field trials were conducted at the Agriculture Research Station of Nubaria, Egypt, in two consecutive seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) to examine three irrigation regimes' effects, i.e., 60, 80, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) combined with foliar ascorbic acid (AsA) or vitamin B2 (VB2) on yield and water productivity of wheat in two separate experiments. A split-plot design was used with three replicates. Irrigation treatments occupied the main plots, while the subplot in the first experiment was placed by ascorbic acid (AsA) and vitamin B2 in the second experiment. Results indicated that 100% ETc produced higher wheat yield and its attributes and insignificantly surpassed 80% ETc. Compared to the unsprayed plots, the foliar application of 6 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 significantly increased grain yield, components, and water use efficiency. The interaction between irrigation regimes (100% ETc or 80% ETc) and foliar application of 6.0 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 resulted in the highest values with no significant difference. Foliar application of ascorbic acid or vitamin B2 saved 20% of irrigation water while yielding a reduction that did not exceed 10%. The biplot graph of treatments x traits (TT) was a useful statistical tool for examining the impact of treatments on yield and its characteristics and identifying the links between these factors. Results suggest that riboflavin or ascorbic acid may have a potential role as an effective antioxidant for enhancing the tolerance for drought stress in wheat.

Omentin is an adipokine mainly produced by visceral fat tissue, and it has two isoforms: omentin-1 and omentin-2. Omentin-1 is predominantly secreted by visceral adipose tissue, deriving specially from the stromal vascular fraction cells of white adipose tissue (WAT). Levels of omentin-1 are also expressed in other WAT depots, like epicardial adipose tissue. Omentin-1 exerts several beneficial effects in glucose homeostasis in obesity and diabetes. In addition, research has suggested that omentin may have atheroprotective (protective against the development of atherosclerosis) and anti-inflammatory effects, potentially contributing to cardiovascular health. This review highlights the potential therapeutic targets of omentin-1 in metabolic-related disorders.

Financial stress can have significant implications for individuals, businesses, asset prices and the economy as a whole. This study examines the nonlinear structure and dynamic changes in the multifractal behavior of cross-correlation between the financial stress index (FSI) and four well-known commodity indices, namely Commodity Research Bureau Index (CRBI), Baltic Dry Index (BDI), London Metal Index (LME) and Brent Oil prices (BROIL), using multifractal detrended cross correlation analysis (MFDCCA). For analysis, we utilized daily values of FSI and commodity index prices from 16th June 2016 to 9th July 2023. The following are the most important empirical findings: (I) All of the chosen commodity market indices show cross correlations with the FSI and have notable multifractal characteristics. (II) The presence of power law cross-correlation implies that a noteworthy shift in FSI is likely to coincide with a considerable shift in the commodity indices. (III) The multifractal cross-correlation is highest between FSI and Brent Oil (BROIL) and lowest with LME. (IV) The rolling windows analysis reveals a varying degree of persistency between FSI and commodity markets. The findings of this study have a number of important implications for commodity market investors and policymakers.

The ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6), as the only member of the Arf family III protein, has been extensively studied for its diverse biological functions in animals. Previously, the Arf6 protein in Magnaporthe oryzae was found to be crucial for endocytosis and polarity establishment during asexual development. However, its role remains unclear in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Here, we identified and characterized SsArf6 in S. sclerotiorum using a reverse genetic approach. Deletion of SsArf6 impaired hyphal growth and development, and produced more branches. Interestingly, knockout of SsArf6 enhanced the tolerance of S. sclerotiorum to oxidative stress but the sensitivity to osmotic stress, and increased melanin accumulation, indicative of different roles of SsArf6 in various stress responses. Moreover, the appressorium formation was severely impaired, and fungal virulence to host plants was significantly reduced. Overall, our findings demonstrate the essential role of SsArf6 in hyphal development, stress responses, appressorium formation, and fungal virulence to host plants.

The (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating with both homogeneous and defect-free microstructure were successfully prepared by in situ on the surface of 42CrMo steel using the coupling of the ultra-high-speed laser cladding (EHLA in German) technology with the direct reaction synthesis (DRS) technology, and were comparatively analyzed with the IN625 coating prepared by the EHLA. The microstructure of the fused cladding layer was investigated by selected scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and double spherical aberration transmission electron microscopy (DSA-TEM). The residual stress distribution on both sides of the fused cladding interface was characterised by nanoindentation stress test based on the modified O&P method and the G&S energy method. The results show that the interface of (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coatings is affected by about 670 kJ Joule heat released from the in-situ reaction, and the interfacial width reaches 24 μm, so that it is 6 times higher than that of IN625 coating prepared by EHLA, which effectively reduces the stress gradient in the interfacial region and alleviates the stress mismatch on both sides of the interface. However, the surface hardness of (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating is lower than that of the IN625 coating, with a value of about 240 HV0.2, and the average wear weight loss was only 10% of that of the IN625 coating, which is on the one hand attributed to the in-situ authigenic TiCB, TiC, NbMo3B4, and NbMo2B2 phases supporting the (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating substrate to achieve the abrasion reduction and wear resistance. On the other hand, it is attributed to the formation of nano-equiaxial ultrafine grains in the depth range of 250 nm below the wear surface area by the coupling of the three fields of plastic rheology-heat-force, which dynamically strengthens the wear surface.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measurement of the fluctuation of time between each heartbeat and reflects the function of the autonomic nervous system. HRV is an important indicator for both physical and mental status and for broad-scope diseases. In this review, we discuss how wearable devices can be used to monitor HRV, and we compare the HRV monitoring function among different devices. In addition, we have reviewed the recent progress in HRV tracking with wearable devices and its value in health monitoring and disease diagnosis. Although many challenges remain, we believe HRV tracking with wearable devices is a promising tool that can be used to improve personal health.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dental caries, dental anxiety, and salivary cortisol levels in children visiting pediatric dental clinics and their implications on pediatric oral health. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dental university in the UAE. A total of 60 children, aged 4-12 years, were included. Salivary cortisol levels were measured using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Dental caries status was evaluated, and dental anxiety levels were assessed using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's correlation coefficient, were performed to determine significant differences and associations. Results: The study group showed significantly higher salivary cortisol levels compared to the control group (p<0.0001). A strong positive correlation was found between salivary cortisol levels and dental caries status (p<0.001). However, no significant difference in dental anxiety levels was observed between the study and control groups (p=0.85). A strong positive correlation was found between dental anxiety levels and dental caries status (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings indicate a significant association between salivary cortisol levels and dental caries, suggesting that higher cortisol levels are associated with active caries. Dental anxiety levels were positively correlated with dental caries. Understanding the relationship between these variables can contribute to better oral health strategies and interventions for children, emphasizing the importance of managing dental anxiety and stress in pediatric dental care. Clinical Significance: This study highlights the potential of salivary cortisol as a biomarker for assessing stress and its impact on oral health in children. By addressing dental anxiety and stress, dental professionals can provide child-friendly dental care, enhance preventive measures, and improve oral health outcomes in pediatric patients.

The climate and its changes are major risk factors for agricultural activities because agricultural systems are highly affected by climatic factors such as temperature, rain, humidity, wind, and solar radiation. While some agricultural areas of the world are irrigated, the vast majority rely on natural rainfall patterns. Farmers will consume more water as a result of climate change and experience less water availability, resulting in a decrease in production capacity. As one of the most important natural phenomena affecting agricultural productivity, drought is a limiting environment for plant growth. The response of plants to water stress is complex and involves coordination between gene expression and its integration with hormones. It has been shown that bacteria have mechanisms to reduce water stress in these plant species and promote greater growth. The underlined mechanism involves root-to-shoot phenotypic changes in growth rate, architecture, hydraulic conductivity, water conservation, plant cell protection, and damage restoration through integrating phytohormones modulation, stress-induced enzymatic apparatus, and metabolites. This review demonstrates how plant growth-promoting bacteria can mitigate negative effects associated with water stress in plants and provide examples of technology conversion in agroecosystems.

Salinity stress affect plant growth and development by causing osmotic stress, and nutrient imbalances through excess Na+, K+ and Cl- ion accumulations that induce toxic effects during germination, seedling development, vegetative growth, flowering, and fruit set. However, the effects of salt stress on such processes, especially in polyploidised leguminous plants remains unexplored and scantly reported compared to their diploid counterparts. This paper discusses the physiological and molecular response of legumes towards salinity stress based osmotic and ionic imbalances in plant cells. A multigenic response involving various compatible solutes, osmolytes, ROS, polyamines and antioxidant activity, together with genes encoding proteins involved in the signal transduction, regulation and response mechanisms to this stress were identified and discussed. This discussion reaffirms polyploidisation as the driving force in plant evolution and adaptation to environmental stress constraints such as drought, feverish temperatures, and in particular, salt stress. As a result, thorough physiological and molecular elucidation of the role of gene duplication through induced autopolyploidisation and possible mechanisms regulating salinity stress tolerance in grain legumes must be further studied.

Natural cellulose hydrogels have been widely used to enhance mechanical properties. However, existing natural fiber composite hydrogels are not reusable, limiting their potential applications. To address this issue, we designed and prepared a polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol /bamboo microfibril double network tough hydrogel using a simple method. The bamboo microfibril and polyvinyl alcohol form a tight and rigid network through hydrogen bonding, improving mechanical properties. The prepared polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol/bamboo microfibril double network tough hydrogel has the advantages of reusability and fatigue resistance. Furthermore, both the elastic modulus and toughness of the hydrogel increase with increasing bamboo microfibril content. We also demonstrated that the hydrogel can be recast after cyclic compression, maintaining its recyclability, stability, and certain stiffness and toughness. Our study highlights the potential of hydrogels for controllable mechanical properties, fatigue resistance and shows that polyvinyl alcohol/glycerol/bamboo microfibril hydrogel has broad value for plasticity and reuse.

NCX 470, a nitric oxide (NO)-donating bimatoprost, was shown to ameliorate ocular hemodynamics and retinal physiology in rabbits following endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced ischemia/reperfusion. Here we used the same model to compare NCX 470 (0.1% bid) to Lumigan® (bimatoprost 0.01% ophthalmic solution, LUM) and bimatoprost administered at equimolar dose as NCX 470 (0.072%, BIM). Intraocular pressure (IOP), ophthalmic artery resistive index (OA-RI) and electroretinogram (ERG) were computed prior to treatment and at various time-points thereafter. Gluthatione (GSH), 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH2dG), Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Caspase-3 protein expression and activity were determined in retina at week 6. ET-1 increased IOP (VEHIOP_Baseline=20.5±0.8 and VEHIOP_Week6=24.8±0.3mmHg) and OA-RI (VEHOA-RI_Baseline=0.36±0.02 and VEHOA-RI_Week6=0.55±0.01) while it reduced rod/cone responses. Oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptotic markers were also increased in ET-1-treated eyes. NCX 470 prevented IOP (NCX 470IOP_Week6=18.1±0.6mmHg) and OA-RI (NCX 470OA-RI_Week6=0.33±0.01) changes and restored ERG amplitude; these effects were only partially shared by LUM or BIM. Additionally, NCX 470 reduced oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in retina of treated eyes. BIM and LUM were numerically less effective on these parameters. Data suggest that NCX 470 repeated ocular dosing ameliorates ocular hemodynamics and retinal cell dysfunction consequent to ischemia/reperfusion via both, NO- and bimatoprost-mediated mechanisms.

Antarctica is the continent with the lowest local human impact, yet it is still vulnerable to contaminants coming from external sources. Emerging pollutants, like PFAS, pose an increasing threat to this environment and therefore require more in-depth investigations to understand their environmental fate and biological impacts. The present study, part of the AntaGPS project, focuses on expression analysis at the transcriptional level of genes coding for 4 antioxidant enzymes (sod1, sod2, gpx1, gpx4) in different organs of an Antarctic fish species, Trematomus newnesi. The kidney showed a higher level of expression than the liver of wildlife specimens. The mRNA levels were also assessed in fish exposed to 1.5 μg/L of PFOA for 10 days. In the liver, the treatment induced an increase in gene expression for all the considered enzymes, while in the kidney it induced a general decrease. The obtained results constitute a starting point for using the expression of antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers, both of oxidative stress and exposure to PFAS, in future biomonitoring campaigns in the Antarctic marine environment.

1) Background: There are few studies of burnout syndrome (BS) in occupational therapists (OTs), and protective factors of BS has received little attention in the scientific literature. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of BS, characterize the associated psychosocial factors, and analyze their relationship with health in a sample of Spanish OTs. (2) Methods A total of 127 therapists completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and other standardized questionnaires measuring: personality traits (reduced five-factor personality inventory, NEO-FFI), coping styles (Coping Strategies Questionnaire, CAE), work-family conflict (Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen, SWING), professional factors (role ambiguity/clarity and modified role conflict questionnaires), and the perception of health (Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire). Several correlational and multiple regression analyses were performed to study the psychosocial predictors of burnout and its relationship with health perception. (3) Results showed that 15.8% of the professionals presented BS, with emotional exhaustion (EE; 38.7%) being the most compromised dimension. Neuroticism, role conflict, negative work-family interaction, and open emotional expression (OE) significantly predicted a higher EE. The main predictors of cynicism (CY) were being male, role conflict, and OE. Finally, role conflict and role ambiguity and social support-seeking were significant predictors of reduced professional efficiency (PE). (4) Conclusion: A high percentage of OTs with BS advocates becoming aware of the importance of this syndrome in the health community, it would be critical to consider the protective factors (i.e., emotional management, social support) that help promote OTs’ well-being and health.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common ocular disease characterized by the de-generation of the central area of the retina in elderly population. Progression and response to treatment is influenced by genetic and non-genetic factors. Proteomics is a powerful tool to study, at the molecular level, the mechanisms underlaying the progression of the diseases, to identify new therapeutical targets and to establish biomarkers to monitor progression and treatment ef-fectiveness. In this work we pursue to systematically review the use of proteomic-based ap-proaches for the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of AMD, as well as the progression of the disease and the on-treatment patient monitoring. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines were followed. Proteomic approaches have identified key players on the onset of the disease, such as proteins involved in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress, but also in the progression to advanced stages, including factors related to extracellular matrix integrity and angiogenesis. Although an-ti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)-based therapy has been crucial in the treatment of neovascular AMD it is necessary to get deeper into the underlying disease mechanisms to move forward to next-generation therapies of the later-stage forms of this multifactorial disease.

Transcription factors (TFs) are the regulatory proteins that act as molecular switches in controlling stress responsive gene expression. Among them MYB transcription factor family is one of the largest TF family in plants, playing a significant role in plant growth, development, phytohormone signaling and stress-responsive processes. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is one of the most important C4 crop plant of the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and South-east Asia for sustaining food and fodder productions. To explore the evolutionary mechanism and functional diversity of the MYB family in pearl millet, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide survey and identified 279 MYB TFs (PgMYB) in pearl millet and distributed unevenly across seven chromosomes of pearl millet. Phylogenetic analysis of identified PgMYBs classified them into 18 subgroups and members of the same group showed a similar gene structure and conserved motif/s pattern. Further, duplication events were identified in pearl millet that indicated towards evolutionary progression and expansion of the MYB family. Transcriptome data and relative expression analysis by qRT-PCR identified differentially expressed candidate PgMYBs (PgMYB2, PgMYB9, PgMYB88 and PgMYB151) under dehydration, salinity, heat and phytohormones (ABA, SA and MeJA) treatment. Taken together, this study provides valuable information for a prospective functional characterization of MYB family members of pearl millet and genetic improvement of crop plants.

In recent decades, the interest in PFAS has grown exponentially around the world, due to the toxic effects induced by these chemical compounds in humans, as well as in other animals and in plants. However, current knowledge related to the antistress responses that organisms can express when exposed to these substances is still insufficient and therefore it requires further investigation. The present study focuses on antioxidant responses in Squalius cephalus and Padogobius bonelli, exposed to significant levels of PFAS in an area of the Veneto region subjected to a recent relevant pollution case. These two ubiquitous freshwater species were sampled in three rivers characterized by different concentrations of PFAS. Several biomarkers of oxidative stress have been evaluated and the results suggest that PFAS chronic exposure induces some physiological responses in the target species, at both cellular and tissue scales. The risk of oxidative stress seems to be kept under control by the antioxidant system by means of gene activation at the mitochondrial level. Moreover, the histological analysis suggests an interesting protective mechanism against damage to the protein component based on lipid vacuolization.

This study aims to systematically review and meta-analyze the nitro-oxidative stress (O&NS)/antioxidant (ANTIOX) ratio in the peripheral blood of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science for articles published from inception until July 31, 2021. Forty-six studies on 3.798 MCI individuals and 6.063 healthy controls were included. The O&NS/ANTIOX ratio was significantly higher in MCI than in controls with a Standardized Mean Difference (SMD)=0.378 (95% CI: 0.250; 0.506). MCI individuals showed increased lipid peroxidation (SMD=0.774, 95%CI: 4.416; 1.132) and O&NS-associated toxicity (SMD=0.621, CI: 0.377; 0.865) and reduced glutathione (GSH) defenses (SMD=0.725, 95%CI: 0.269; 1.182) as compared with controls. MCI was also accompanied by significantly increased homocysteine (SMD=0.320, CI: 0.059; 0.581), but not protein oxidation, and lowered non-vitamin (SMD=0.347, CI: 0.168; 0.527) and vitamin (SMD=0.564, CI: 0.129; 0.999) antioxidant defenses. The results show that MCI is at least in part due to increased neuro-oxidative toxicity and suggest that treatments targeting lipid peroxidation and the GSH system may be used to treat or prevent MCI.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are one of Australia's most charismatic native small marsupial species. Unfortunately, populations of koalas are rapidly declining throughout Australia and they continue to face increasing pressure from a changing ecosystem. Negative stimulants in the environment can elicit stress responses through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Depending on the duration of the negative stimulant, the stress response can lead to either acute or chronic side effects, and is shown through the activation of the neuroendocrine stress system and the release of glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol). Wild koalas entering clinical care face novel stressors that can be out of a wildlife carer's control. In this pilot study, we monitored physiological stress in three wild koalas at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in New South Wales, Australia. Acute and chronic stress was indexed non-invasively, with faecal samples taken to evaluate acute stress, and fur samples taken to evaluate chronic stress. Sampling occurred sporadically over four months, from the start of September 2018 to the end of December 2018. Results attempt to understand the stress response of koalas to negative stimulants in the environment by comparing faecal glucocorticoids on days where a known stressor was recorded with days where no known stressor was recorded. Furthermore, variations in faecal and fur glucocorticoids were compared between the three koalas in this study. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of stress tracking of wild rescued koalas in a sanctuary. We suggest that further monitoring of baseline, acute and chronic stress will be needed to better understand how koalas respond to negative stimulants associated with clinical care.

Mental stress is one of the serious factors that lead to many health problems. Scientists and physicians have developed various tools to assess the level of mental stress in its early stages. Several neuroimaging tools have been proposed in the literature to assess mental stress in the workplace. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is one important candidate because it contain rich information about mental states and condition. In this paper, we review the existing EEG signal analysis methods on the assessment of mental stress. The review highlights the critical differences between the research findings and argues that variations of the data analysis methods contribute to several contradictory results. The variations in results could be due to various factors including lack of standardized protocol, the brain region of interest, stressor type, experiment duration, proper EEG processing, feature extraction mechanism, and type of classifier. Therefore, the significant part related to mental stress recognition is choosing the most appropriate features. In particular, a complex and diverse range of EEG features, including time-varying, functional, and dynamic brain connections, requires integration of various methods to understand their associations with mental stress. Over this, the review suggests fusing the cortical activations with the connectivity network measures and deep learning approaches to improve the accuracy of mental stress level assessment.

Possible alterations of maternal immune function due to psychological stress may reflect immunoactive factor levels in breast milk. This study aimed to assess the association between maternal distress and breast milk levels of secretory IgA (SIgA), IgM, IgG, and lactoferrin (LF). We hypothesized this association is moderated by maternal social support achieved from others during lactation. The study group included 103 lactating mothers and their healthy 5-months-old infants. Maternal distress was determined based on the State Anxiety Inventory and the level of salivary cortisol. Social support was assessed using Berlin Social Support Scales. Breast milk samples were collected to test for SIgA, IgM, IgG, and LF using the ELISA method. Milk immunoactive factors were regressed against maternal anxiety, social support, salivary cortisol, and infant gestational age using the general regression model. Maternal anxiety was negatively associated with milk levels of LF (β=-0.22, p<0.05) and SIgA (β=-0.29, p<0.01), while social support was positively associated with milk IgG (β=0.25, p<0.05). Neither anxiety nor social support was related to milk IgM. No association was found between the level of maternal salivary cortisol and immunoactive factors in milk. Our results suggest that maternal psychological well-being and social support may affect milk immune properties.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus considered as a threat to human health due to large epidemics and serious clinical outcomes such as microcephaly in newborns. Like all flaviviruses, ZIKV relies on the cellular machinery to complete its viral cycle, with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) being the critical site of viral replication factories. The sudden high protein load in the ER induces an ER stress to which the cell responds with an appropriate unfolded protein response (UPR) in an attempt to restore its disturbed homeostasis. When the restoration fails, the cell signaling leads to a programmed cell death by apoptosis with the upregulation of the UPR-induced C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) which acts as the main trigger for this fatal outcome. Our previous studies have shown the ability of ZIKV to manipulate various cellular responses in order to optimize virus production. ZIKV is able to delay apoptosis to its benefit and although ER stress is induced, the UPR is not complete. Here we discovered that ZIKV impairs the expression of CHOP/DDIT3, the main factor responsible of ER-stress driven apoptosis. Surprisingly, the mechanism does not take place at the transcriptional level but at the translational level.

Direct and indirect anthropogenic factors play a massive role in driving wildlife species towards extinction. Longitudinal retrospective studies identify key ‘factors’ responsible for the decline in numbers of wildlife, however, lack the reasoning behind the events leading to mortality. The overarching aim of this study was to categorize these ‘factors’ into different stressor categories faced by reptiles to understand its impact on an individual, and to compare how each stressor category influences the survival of an individual. The results from this study indicated that almost half of the number of reptiles being hospitalized were due to exposure to preliminary stressors such as lawn mowing incidents and pet attack. Primary and secondary admissions were fairly equal in number, however the mortality rate for secondary admissions was drastically high (~80%). The discussion integrates species’ ecology and stress physiology which can prove to have multi-faceted benefits across the fields of ecology and animal welfare. Ecologists can use the results from this study to comprehend species’ activity patterns to better plan reptilian conservation programs, whereas, for wildlife clinicians and rehabilitators, assignment of stressor categories could be a beneficial tool for bolstering the welfare monitoring program for small native reptiles in clinical settings.

Rising temperature is among the most remarkably stressful phenomena induced by global climate changes with negative impacts on crop productivity and quality. It has been previously shown that volatiles belonging to the isoprenoid family can confer protection against abiotic stresses. In this work, two Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Chardonnay’ clones (SMA130 and INRA809) differing for a mutation of the DXS gene encoding for 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (the first dedicated enzyme of the 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway) and involved in the regulation of isoprenoids biosynthesis were investigated in field trials and laboratory experiments. Leaf monoterpene emission, chlorophyll fluorescence and gas-exchange measurements were assessed over three seasons at different phenological stages and either carried out in vivo or controlled conditions under contrasting temperatures. A significant (p<0.001) increase in leaf monoterpene emission was observed in INRA809 when plants were experiencing high temperatures and over two experiments while no differences were recorded for SMA130. Significant variation was observed for the rate of leaf CO2 assimilation under heat stress, with INRA809 maintaining higher photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance values than SMA130 (p=0.003) when leaf temperature increased above 30°C. At the same time, maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) was affected by heat stress in the non-emitting clone (SMA130), while the INRA809 showed a significant resilience of PSII under elevated temperature conditions. Consistent data were recorded between field seasons and temperature treatments in controlled environment conditions suggesting a strong influence of monoterpene emission on heat tolerance under elevated temperatures. This work provides further insights on the photoprotective role of isoprenoids under high temperatures in Vitis vinifera and additional studies should focus at unravelling the mechanisms underlying heat tolerance on the monoterpene-emitter grapevine clone.

Despite existing strong evidence on oxidative markers overproduction following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), the mechanism by which oxidative enzyme Cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP2E1) contributes to I/R outcomes is not clear. In this study, we sought to evaluate the functional significance of CYP2E1 in I/R. CYP2E1 KO mice and controls were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo-90min) followed by 24hr of reperfusion to induce focal I/R injury models. Then, histological and chemical analyses were conducted to investigate the role of CYP2E1 in lesion volume, oxidative stress, and inflammation exacerbation. Also, the role of CYP2E1 on the BBB integrity was investigated by measuring 20-Hydroxyecosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) activity, as well as, in vivo BBB transfer rate. Following I/R, the CYP2E1 KO mice exhibited a significantly lower lesion volume, and neurological deficits compared to controls (p<0.005). Also, ROS production, apoptosis, and the neurodegeneration were significantly lower in the CYP2E1(-/-) I/R group (p<0.001). The BBB damage was significantly lower in CYP2E1(-/-) mice compared to WT (p<0.001), while 20-HETE production was increased by 41%. Besides, inflammatory cytokines expression and the number of activated microglia were significantly lower in CYP2E1(-/-) mice following I/R. CYP2E1 suppression ameliorates I/R injury and protects BBB integrity by reducing both oxidative stress and inflammation.

The problem of simulating wakes in a stratified oceanic environment with active background turbulence is considered. Anisotropic RANS turbulence models are tested against laboratory and eddy-resolving models of the problem. An important aspect of our work is to acknowledge that the environment is not quiescent; therefore, additional sources are included in the models to provide a non-zero background turbulence. The RANS models are found to reproduce some key features from the eddy-resolving and laboratory descriptions of the problem. Tests using the freestream sources show the intuitive result that background turbulence causes more rapid wake growth and decay.

Heart failure (HF) is a disease state which has been shown to affect 1-2% of the global population, being often associated with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity or hyperlipidaemia which increase the prevalence of the disease, the rate of hospitalization and the mortality. Although recent advances in both pharmacological and non pharmacological approaches have led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes in patients affected by HF, residual unmet needs remain. Treatment of the disease remains unclear particularly related to poorly defined strategies in the early stages of myocardial dysfunction. Nutritional support in patients developing HF and nutraceutical supplementation have recently been shown to may contribute in the protection of the failing myocardium, though their place in the treatment of HF still needs to be better clarified. In this context, the ONUS-HF working group aimed to assess the optimal nutraceutical approach to HF in the early phases of the disease in order to counteract selected pathways which are imbalanced in the failing myocardium. In particular, we reviewed several of the most relevant pathophysiological and molecular changes occurring druing the early stages of myocardial dysfunction. These include mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum stress, insufficient nitric oxide (NO) release, cardiac stem cell mobilization and imbalanced regulation of metalloproteinases. Several candidates for nutraceutical supplementation in HF, such as CoQ10, grape seed extract, Olea Europea L- related antioxidants, SGLT2 inhibitors-rich apple extract and bergamot polyphenolic fraction have been assessed for their potential contribution to cardiomyocyte prottection. This approach should define the optimal approach for more targeted and successful strategies based on the use of nutraceuticals in HF to be confirmed by means of clinical trials exploring efficacy and safety of these compounds.

Psychiatry remains in a permanent state of crisis, which fragmented psychiatry from the field of medicine. The crisis in psychiatry is evidenced by the many different competing approaches to psychiatric illness including psychodynamic, biological, molecular, pan-omics, precision, cognitive and phenomenological psychiatry, folk psychology, mind-brain dualism, descriptive psychopathology, and postpsychiatry. The current “gold standard” DSM/ICD taxonomies of mood disorders and schizophrenia are unreliable and preclude to employ a deductive reasoning approach. Therefore, it is not surprising that mood disorders and schizophrenia research was unable to revise the conventional classifications and did not provide more adequate therapeutic approaches. The aim of this paper is to explain the new nomothetic network psychiatry (NNP) approach, which uses machine learning methods to build data-driven causal models of mental illness by ensembling risk-resilience, adverse outcome pathways (AOP), cognitome, brainome, symptomatome, and phenomenome latent scores in a causal model. The latter may be trained, tested and validated with Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis. This approach not only allows to compute pathway-phenotypes or biosignatures, but also to construct reliable and replicable nomothetic networks, which are, therefore, generalizable as disease models. After integrating the validated feature vectors into a well-fitting nomothetic network, clustering analysis may be applied on the latent variable scores of the R/R, AOP, cognitome, brainome, and phenome latent vectors. This pattern recognition method may expose new (transdiagnostic) classes of patients which if cross-validated in independent samples may constitute new (transdiagnostic) nosological categories.

The principal minimum horizontal stress plays an important role in the study of reservoir characteristics, modeling of oil and gas reservoir, drilling, production and stimulating wells. However, it is currently not possible to measure the minimum horizontal stress along the wellbore as a geophysical parameter logging. Minimum horizontal stress is measured by leak-off test (LOT) at only several points in a well. In order to have the values all along the wellbore, experimental formulas were established to determine the minimum horizontal stresses for different fields. Then these formulas must be calibrated with LOT data whose number is usually limited, even sometimes unavailable. On the other hand, the empirical formulas of one field might not be accurate for another. This study presents a new approach to solve the problem of minimum horizontal stress estimation by a combination of artificial intelligence and geostatistics. The method consists of using artificial neural network (ANN) to build a model of minimum horizontal stress estimation from relevant parameters such as true vertical depth, pore pressure and vertical stress, then combined with Kriging interpolation to obtain the distribution in space of the minimum horizontal stress. Hence, this method can estimate the minimum horizontal stress with a limited amount of available data and therefore we do not need to drill new wells or to find empirical formulas for each survey area. The method was then applied in a case study involved real geomechanical dataset of Hai Thach - Moc Tinh field in Nam Con Son basin, Vietnam.

In aerobic environments, bacteria are exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS). To avoid an excess of ROS, microorganisms are equipped with powerful enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Corynebacterium glutamicum, a widely used industrial platform organism, uses mycothiol (MSH) as major low molecular weight (LMW) thiol and non-enzymatic antioxidant. In aerobic bioreactor cultivations C. glutamicum becomes exposed to oxygen concentrations surpassing the air saturation, which are supposed to constitute a challenge for the intracellular MSH redox balance. In this study, the role of MSH was investigated at different oxygen levels (pO2) in bioreactor cultivations in C. glutamicum. Despite the presence of other highly efficient antioxidant systems, such as catalase, the MSH deficient ΔmshC mutant was impaired in growth in bioreactor experiments performed at pO2 values of 30%. At a pO2 level of 20% this growth defect was abolished, indicating a high susceptibility of the MSH-deficient mutant towards elevated oxygen concentrations. Bioreactor experiments with C. glutamicum expressing the Mrx1-roGFP2 redox biosensor revealed a strong oxidative shift in the MSH redox potential (EMSH) at pO2 values above 20%. This indicates, that the LMW thiol MSH is an essential antioxidant to maintain the robustness and industrial performance of C. glutamicum during aerobic fermentation processes.

7β-(3-ethyl-cis-crotonoyloxy)-1α-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-3,14-dehydro-Z-notonipetranone (ECN), a sesquiterpenoid obtained from a natural origin (Tussilago farfara)has proved to be effective in minimizing various side effects associated with opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The current study focused on investigating the effects of ECN on neuropathic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) by mainly focusing on oxidative stress, inflammatory and apoptotic proteins expression in mice. Neuropathic pain was induced in mice by PSNL surgery performed on day 1 and ECN (1 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.), was administered once daily for 11 days, starting from the third day after surgery. ECN post-treatment was found to reduce hyperalgesia and allodynia in a dose dependent manner. ECN significantly reversed the severity of neuropathic pain by improving distress symptoms and survival rate. ECN remarkably reversed the histopathological abnormalities associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. Furthermore, ECN prevented the suppression of antioxidants (glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), hemeoxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase) by PSNL. Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrotic factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase) expression was reduced by ECN administration. Treatment with ECN was successful in reducing caspase-3 level consistent with the observed modulation of pro-apoptotic proteins. Additionally, ECN showed protective effect on the lipid content of myelin sheath as evident from FTIR spectroscopy which showed the shift of lipid component bands to higher values. Thus, anti-neuropathic potential of ECN might be due to inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammatory mediators and pro-apoptotic proteins.

Sustainable agricultural production is endangered by several ecological factors such as drought, extreme temperatures, excessive salts, parasitic ailments, and insect pest infestation. These challenging environmental factors may have adverse effects on future agriculture production in many countries. In modern agriculture, conventional crop breeding techniques alone are inadequate for achieving the increasing population’s food demand on a sustainable basis. The advancement of molecular genetics and related technologies are promising tools for the selection of new crop species. Gene pyramiding through marker assisted selection (MAS) and other techniques have accelerated the development of durable resistant/tolerant lines with high accuracy in the shortest possible period of time for agricultural sustainability. Gene stacking has not been fully utilized for biotic stress resistance development and quality improvement in most of the major cultivated crops. This review emphasizes on gene pyramiding techniques that are being successfully deployed in modern agriculture for improving crop tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses for sustainable crop improvement.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factors (MIF) are pivotal cytokines/chemokines for vertebrate immune systems. MIFs are typically soluble single-domain proteins that are conserved across plant, fungal, protist, and metazoan kingdoms but their functions have not been determined in most phylogenetic groups. Here we describe an atypical multidomain MIF protein. The marine dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedra produces a transmembrane protein with an extra-cytoplasmic MIF domain, which localizes to cell wall-associated membranes and vesicular bodies. This protein is also present in the membranes of extracellular vesicles accumulating at the secretory pores of the cells. Upon exposure to biotic stress, L. polyedra exhibits reduced expression of the MIF gene and reduced abundance of the surface-associated protein. These findings indicate that the transmembrane MIF may contribute to intercellular communication and/or interactions between free-living organisms in multispecies planktonic communities and raise the question of possible analogies in MIF functions between cells of metazoan organisms and protist communities.

Measurements of copper and zinc in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) show contradictory results.Aim of the study: To examine serum levels of these minerals in TDT in relation to iron overload indices and erythron variables. Methods: This study recruited 60 children with TDT and 30 healthy children aged 3-12 years old.Results: Zinc was significantly higher in TDT children than in control children, whilst copper and the copper to zinc ratio were significantly lowered in TDT. Serum zinc was significantly associated with the number of blood transfusions and iron overload variables (including serum iron and TS%) and negatively with erythron variables (including hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin). Serum copper was significantly and negatively associated with the same iron overload and erythron variables. The copper to zinc ratio was significantly correlated with iron, TS%, ferritin, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. Albumin levels were significantly higher in TDT children than in control children. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the increase in zinc in children with TDT may be explained by iron loading anemia and hemolysis and the consequent shedding of high amounts of intracellular zinc into the plasma. Increased albumin levels and treatment with Desferral may further contribute towards higher zinc levels in TDT. We suggest that the elevations in zinc in TDT are a compensatory mechanism protecting against infection, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Previous proposals for prophylactic use of zinc supplements in TDT may not be warranted.

Exposure to psychosocial stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including vascular aging, angiogenesis, and atherosclerosis-based cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is a complex enzyme (also called CD26) that acts as a membrane-anchored cell surface exopeptidase. DPP4 is upregulated in metabolic and inflammatory cardiovascular disorders. The widespread expression of DPP4 macrophages and immune cells and the noncatalytic function of DPP4 (also called CD26) as a signaling and binding protein across a wide range of species suggest a teleological role for DPP4 in inflammation and immune response. DPP-4 exhibits many physiological and pharmacological functions by regulating its extremely abundant substrates [e.g., stromal cell-derived factor-1α/ C-X-C chemokine receptor type-4, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), etc.]. Over last ten year, emerging data demonstrated unexpected roles for GLP-1 and DPP-4 in extracellular and intracellular signaling, immune activation, inflammation, oxidative stress production, cell apoptosis, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism,. This mini review has focuses on recent novel findings in this field, highlighting an imbalance between GLP-1 and DPP4 as a potential therapeutic molecular target in treatments of chronic psychological stress-related atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in humans and animals.

For crystal periodic structure prediction, a new and concise approach based on the principles of statistical physics was employed to derive a new form of the equation to determine their period vectors (cell edge vectors), under general external stress. Then the new form is applicable to both classical physics and quantum physics. It also turned out to be the equation of state and the mechanical equilibrium condition for crystals under external stress and temperature. It should be helpful in piezoelectric and piezomagnetic studies, as the period vectors were changed by the external stress. For linear elastic crystals, it is actually also the microscopic but temperature-dependent form of the generalized Hooke's law, then can be used to calculate the corresponding elastic constants of the law, for given temperatures.

In schizophrenia, a single latent trait underlies psychosis, hostility, excitation, mannerism, negative (PHEMN) symptoms, formal thought disorders (FTD) and psychomotor retardation (PMR). Schizophrenia is accompanied by a breakdown of gut and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) pathways, increased tryptophan catabolite (TRYCAT) levels, bacterial translocation, and lowered natural IgM and paraoxonase (PON)1 activity. The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of schizophrenia symptom domains and the biomarker correlates of these factors. We recruited 80 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy subjects and assessed the IgA/IgM responses to paracellular/transcellular (PARA/TRANS) ratios, IgA responses to TRYCATs, natural IgM to malondialdehyde and Gram-negative bacteria, and PON1 enzymatic activity.Direct Hierarchical Exploratory Factor Analysis showed a bifactorial oblique model with a) a general factor which loaded highly on all symptom domains, named overall severity of schizophrenia (“OSOS”); and b) a single-group factor (SGF) loading on negative symptoms and PMR. We found that 40% of the variance in the OSOS score was explained by IgA/IgM to PARA/TRANS ratio, male sex and education while 36.9% of the variance in SGF score was explained by IgA to PARA/TRANS, IgM to Gram-negative bacteria, female sex (positively associated) and IgM to MDA, and PON1 activity (negatively associated). Schizophrenia phenomenology comprises two biologically-validated dimensions, namely a general OSOS dimension and a single-group negative symptom dimension, which are associated with a breakdown of gut/BBB barriers, increased bacterial translocation and lowered protection against oxidation, inflammation and bacterial infections through lowered PON1 and natural IgM.

During the last decade, essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived from marine sources have been investigated as nonpharmacological dietary supplements to improve different pathological conditions, as well as aging. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary n-3 PUFA monoacylglycerides (MAG, both EPA and DHA) on the mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress of a short-lifespan model, Drosophila melanogaster, sampled at five different ages. Our results showed that diets supplemented with MAG-EPA and MAG-DHA increased median lifespan by 14.6% and decreased mitochondrial proton leak resulting in an increase of mitochondrial coupling. The flies fed on MAG-EPA also had higher electron transport system capacity and mitochondrial oxidative capacities. Moreover, both n-3 PUFAs delayed the occurrence of lipid peroxidation, but only flies fed the MAG-EPA diet showed maintenance of superoxide dismutase activity during aging. Our study therefore highlights the potential of n-3 PUFA monoacylglycerides as nutraceutical compounds to delay the onset of senescence by acting directly or indirectly on the mitochondrial metabolism, and suggests that Drosophila could be a relevant model for the study of the fundamental mechanisms linking the effects of n-3 PUFAs to aging.

We have experimentally analyzed multi-azimuth degradation mechanisms that govern failures of commercially-available high-power (1 Watt) phosphor-coated white (hppc-W) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) covered with peanut-shaped lens under three current-stress aging (CSA) conditions. Comprehensive analyses focus on photometric, chromatic, electrical, thermal, and packaging characteristics. At the packaging level, (a) the decrease of the phosphor-conversion efficiency, (b) the yellow-browning of the optical lens, and (c) the darkening of the silver-coated reflective layer deposited with extraneous chemical elements (e.g., C, O, Si, Mg, and Cu, respectively) contribute collectively to the integral degradation of the optical power. By contrast, Ohmic contacts, thermal properties, and angles of maximum intensity remain unchanged after 3840 h aging in three cases. Particularly at the chip level, the formation of point defects increases the number of non-radiative recombination centers, and thus decreases the optical power during aging stages. Nevertheless, in view of the change of the ideality factor, the dopant activation and the annealing effect facilitate the increase of the optical power in two specific aging stages (192 h∼384 h and 768 h∼1536 h), respectively. This work offers a systematic guidance for the development of reliable LED-based light sources in general-lighting areas.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) belong to the family of heme containing peroxidases, produced mostly from polymorphonuclear neutrophils. The active enzyme (150 kD) is the product of MPO gene located on long arm of chromosome 17. The primary gene product undergoes several modifications like removal of introns and signal peptide and leads to the formation of enzymatically inactive glycosylated apoproMPO which complexes with chaperons, producing active proMPO by the insertion of heme moiety. The active enzyme is a homodimer of heavy and light chain protomers. This enzyme is released into extracellular fluid after oxidative stress and different inflammatory responses. MPO is the only type of peroxidase using H2O2 to oxidize several halides and pseudohalides to form different hypohalous acids. So the antibacterial activities of MPO involve the production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species. Controlled MPO release at the site of infection is of prime importance for its efficient activities. Any uncontrolled degranulation exaggerates the inflammation that can also lead to tissue damage even in absence of inflammation. Several types of tissue injuries and pathogenesis of several other major chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, diabetes and cancer have been reported to be linked with myeloperoxidase derived oxidants. So the enhanced level of MPO activity is one of the best diagnostic tool of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers among these commonly occurring diseases.

Dormancy is a physiological state that confers winter hardiness to and orchestrates phenological phase progression in temperate perennial plants. Weather fluctuations caused by climate change increasingly disturb dormancy onset and release in many plant species including tree crops leading to aberrant growth, flowering, and fruiting. Currently, research in this field is impeded by the lack of affordable non-invasive methods for on-line monitoring of dormancy. We report on an automatic framework for low-cost, long-term, and scalable dormancy studies in deciduous plants. The proposed method is based on continuous near-field sensing of the photosynthetic activity of shoots via pulse-amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence sensors connected remotely to a data processing system. The resulting high-resolution time series of JIP-test parameters indicative of the responsiveness of the photosynthetic apparatus to environmental stimuli are subjected to frequency-domain analysis. The proposed approach allows to overcome the variance coming from diurnal changes of insolation and to derive estimations on the depth of dormancy. Our approach was validated over three seasons in an experimental apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) orchard by collating the non-invasive estimations with the results of traditional methods (growing of the cuttings obtained from the tress at different phases of dormancy) and the output of commonly used chilling requirement models. We discuss the advantages of the proposed monitoring framework such as prompt detection of freeze damages along with its potential limitations.

Background: Social skills deficits are present in 43.3% of major depressed patients and significantly impact health-related quality of life. However, studies concerning social deficits as state-dependent markers of depression are limited. Objective: To delineate the effects of severity of depression, personality characteristics, family support satisfaction and self-esteem on social skills in clinical depression. Methods: We recruited 150 patients with major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder and assessed 1) Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), 2) Social Skill Inventory (SSI), 3) Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve (APGAR) Questionnaire 4) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and 5) Maudsley Personal Inventory (MPI). Results: Social skills deficits were significantly associated with female gender, age < 40 years, depression severity, introvert / neurotic personality, and lowered family support satisfaction and self-esteem. A large part of the variance (47.2%) in social skills deficits was predicted by satisfaction of family support, introvert personality, and low self-esteem. Exploratory Factor Analysis showed that a bifactorial model best fitted the data with a) a general factor loading highly on BDI-II, SSI emotional and social, APGAR, RSES, MPI_introvert and MPI_neurotic scores, and b) a single-group factor loading on both SSI, RSES, and MPI introvert scores. Conclusion: In clinical depression, social skills deficits covary with increasing severity of depression and thus constitute a state marker of depression, and independently from severity of depression covary with introvert personality features. As such, remission of social skills deficits may emerge as a novel objective for the treatment of depression and prevention of new episodes.

(1) Background: COVID-19 had devastating effects on both physical and mental well-being, prompting the need for interventions. This study aimed to explore the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on mental health, mindfulness, and sleep disorders in COVID-19 survivors.; (2) Methods: In this interventional parallel study, the sample was selected university students in nursing and midwifery faculties using total population sampling. The intervention included providing counseling on mindfulness methods by trained experts. General health, mindfulness and sleep quality questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS22, descriptive and interferential statistic. A significance level of 0.05 was considered; (3) Results: In this study, the mean age of the students was 20.29 ± 2.03 years. 69.5% of the participants were female and 96% were single. 71.3% were studying nursing and 67% had a history of Corona infection. The intervention was only effective on general health questionnaire and the mean score of this questionnaire was 1.7 higher than the control group; (4) Conclusions: the study indicated that MBSR intervention improves mindfulness, mental health, and sleep quality in COVID-19 survivors. Regular assessment and use of this intervention can help address long-term challenges and improve overall well-being.

Suffocation syndrome is the leading cause of hypoxia and mortality in the most common lung diseases, asthma and COVID-19. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) have been shown to be the main-stay of critical care in these diseases. Meanwhile, mortality from strangulated hypoxia is highest in low-income countries because ICSs are not currently available to many patients. Warm alkaline hydrogen peroxide solutions (WAHPSs) have reportedly been invented in recent years to urgently turn thick sputum, mucus, pus, serous fluid, blood clots and many other biological masses con-taining the enzyme catalase into a fluffy oxygenated foam. It has been shown that the mechanism of action of WAHPSs consists in alkaline saponification of lipid and protein-lipid complexes of bi-ological masses and their transformation into oxygen foam, because hydrogen peroxide is urgently decomposed into water and oxygen gas under the action of the biological masses catalase enzyme At that excess oxygen is absorbed into blood through lungs and increases blood oxygen saturation. Based on the described mechanism of action of WAHPSs and the high availability of their ingre-dients, it is suggested that mortality from choking and hypoxia in asthma and COVID-19 can be reduced by combining ICSs with inhaled WAHPSs, especially in poor countries. The essence of the inventions underlying the formation of WAHPSs is given.

Background: The seasonal variation of peptic ulcers is a rhythmic phenomenon reported worldwide, exhibiting diverse patterns and controversies. Unfortunately, it has remained an unresolved mystery for more than 90 years. Numerous studies have found that this phenomenon was closely associated with multiple environmental factors, but the underlying mechanism has never been elucidated. Objectives: This study aims to elucidate the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers and identify the role of environmental factors in the disease. Methods: Based on a recently identified etiology of peptic ulcers, two inverse operations in calculus, differentiation and integration, are iterated to analyze the existing data. First, the fluctuation curve in the seasonal variation is differentiated twice into the monthly incidences caused by multiple individual environmental factors, and the fluctuation curve due to each individual environmental factor is generated separately. Second, the monthly incidences caused by the individual environmental factors are integrated twice to reproduce the fluctuation curves in the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers. Results: The differentiations of the fluctuation curves in the season variation reveal a parallel relationship between the psychological impacts of each individual environmental factor and the monthly incidences of peptic ulcers. The integrations of the monthly incidences caused by 3 environmental factors reproduce the fluctuation curves in 3 representative seasonal patterns of peptic ulcers but make the parallel relationships invisible. Discussion: The parallel relationships revealed a causal role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers, whereas the reproduction of the fluctuation curves elucidated that multiple environmental factors cause the seasonal variation of peptic ulcers by Superposition Mechanism. The regional differences in environmental factors result in the diverse patterns, as well as the controversy questioning the seasonality of peptic ulcers. Significantly, the data analyses exemplify the application of a new concept, Superposition Mechanism, which might be an indispensable methodological complement to life science and medicine.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a multifunctional role in lipid biosynthesis, calcium storage, protein folding, and processing. Thus, maintaining ER homeostasis in insulin-secreting beta-cells is essential. Several pathophysiological conditions and pharmacological agents disrupt the ER homeostasis, thereby causing ER stress. The cells react to ER stress by initiating an adaptive signaling process called the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, the ER initiates death signaling pathways whenever the ER stress persists. ER stress has been linked to several diseases, such as cancers, obesity, and diabetes. Thus, the regulation of ER stress may provide possible therapeutic targets for many diseases. Current evidence suggests that chronic hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia linked to type II diabetes disrupt ER homeostasis, resulting in irreversible UPR activation and cells death. Despite much progress in understanding the pathophysiology of UPR and ER stress, to date, the mechanisms of ER stress in relation to type II diabetes remain unclear. This review provided up-to-date information regarding the current status of UPR, ER stress mechanisms, insulin dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the therapeutic potential of targeting specific ER stress pathways.

Ethylene is a plant hormone controlling physiological and developmental processes such fruit maturation, hairy root formation and leaf abscission. Its effect on regeneration systems, such as organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis (SE), has been studied and progresses in molecular biology techniques have contributed to unveil mechanisms behind its effects. This compound affects regeneration differently, depending on the species, genotype and explant. In some species, ethylene seems to revert recalcitrance in genotypes with low regeneration capacity. However, its effect is not addictive, since in genotypes with high regeneration capacity this ability decreases in the presence of ethylene precursors, suggesting that regeneration is modulated by ethylene. Several lines of evidence have shown that the role of ethylene on regeneration is markedly connected to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as to hormonal-crosstalk, in particular with key regeneration hormones and growth regulators of the auxin and cytokinin families. Transcriptional factors of the ethylene response factor (ERF) family are regulated by ethylene and strongly connected to SE induction. Thus, an evident connection between ethylene, stress responses and regeneration capacity is markedly established. In this review the effect of ethylene and the way it interacts with other players during organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis is discussed.

In laser-assisted milling, higher temperature in shear zone softens the material potentially resulting in a shift of mean residual stress, which significantly affects the damage tolerance and fatigue performance of product. In order to guide the selection of laser and cutting parameters based on the preferred mean residual stress, inverse analysis is conducted by predicting residual stress based on guessed process parameters, which is defined as the forward problem, and applying iterative gradient search to find process parameters for next iteration, which is defined as the inverse problem. An analytical inverse analysis is therefore proposed for the mean residual stress in laser-assisted milling. The forward problem is solved by analytical prediction of mean residual stress after laser-assisted milling. The residual stress profile is predicted through the calculation of thermal stress, by treating laser beam as heat source, and plastic stress by first assuming pure elastic stress in loading process, then obtaining true stress with kinematic hardening followed by the stress relaxation. The variance-based recursive method is applied to solve inverse problem by updating process parameters to match the measured mean residual stress. Three cutting parameters including depth of cut, feed per tooth, and cutting speed, and two laser parameters including laser-tool distance and laser power, are updated with respected to the minimization of resulting residual stress and measurement in each iteration. Experimental measurements are referred on the laser-assisted milling of Ti-6Al-4V grade 5 and ELI. The percentage difference between experiments and predictions is less than 5% for both materials, and the selection is completed within 50 loops.

The construction of sustainable urban forests follows the principle that well-being in people is promoted when exposed to tree population. Facial expression is the direct representation of inner emotion that can be used to assess real-time perception in urban forests. The emergence and change of facial expressions for forest visitors are in an implicit process. The reserved character of oriental races strengthens the requirement for the accuracy to recognize expressions through instrument rating. In this study, a dataset was established with 2,886 randomly photographed faces from visitors in a constructed urban forest park and a promenade at summertime in Shenyang City at Northeast China. Six experts were invited to choose 160 photos in total with 20 images representing one of eight typical expressions as angry, contempt, disgusted, happy, neutral, sad, scared, and surprised emotions. The FireFACE ver. 3.0 software was used to test hit-ratio validation as the accuracy (ac.) to match machine-recognized photos with those identified by experts. According to Kruskal-Wallis test on the difference from averaged scores in 20 recently published papers, contempt (ac.=0.40%, P=0.0038) and scared (ac.=25.23%, P=0.0018) expressions cannot pass the validation test. Therefore, the FireFACE can be used as an instrument to analyze facial expression from oriental people in urban forests but contempt and scared expressions cannot be identified.

This article deals with an analytical approach to determining the stress state in trochoidal profiles under shear bending. The transverse shear stresses cannot be neglected, especially in the case of (space-saving) shafts with a low aspect ratio (l/d). In addition to bending stresses, the transverse shear stresses are a significant component of the principal stresses. The approach is based on a formulation of the elastic behavior of a non-circular-profiled shaft using complex stress functions, according to Muskhelishvili. In order to determine the shear stresses, similar to the torsion load case, a conformal mapping must be found that can completely transform the unit circle in the model plane to the profile area in the real plane. For simple and higher epiotrochoidal profiles, an exact and complete mapping was determined from the contour equation. The method was applied to such profiles as an example. Equations were derived to determine the maximum shear and bending stresses and the bending deformations. For practical applications, additional equations for the main stresses that are decisive in dimensioning were determined. Accompanying numerical investigations were carried out and compared with the analytical results, where a very good agreement was observed.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by varying degrees of difficulty in social interaction and communication. These deficits are often associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, indicating alterations in both intestinal microbiota composition and metabolic activities. The intestinal microbiota influences the function and development of the nervous system. In individuals with ASD, there is an increase in bacterial genera such as Clostridium, as well as species involved in the synthesis of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) like Prevotella copri. Conversely, decreased amounts of Akkermansia muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium spp. are observed. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is one of the polyphenols with the greatest beneficial activity on microbial growth and its consumption is associated with reduced psychological distress. Therefore, the objective of this review is to analyze how EGCG and its metabolites can improve the microbial dysbiosis present in ASD and its impact on the pathology. The analysis reveals that EGCG inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile. Moreover, it increases the abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Akkermansia spp. As a result, EGCG demonstrates efficacy in increasing the production of metabolites involved in maintaining epithelial integrity and improving brain function. This identifies EGCG as highly promising for complementary treatment in ASD.

The molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in animals to high temperatures remain unclear. This experiment was performed with Sprague-Dawley rats housed at 22 ℃ (control group; CT), and 42 ℃ for 30 min (H30), 60 min (H60), and 120 min (H120). Transcriptomic analysis using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) from blood (CT and H120), liver (CT, H30, H60, and H120), and adrenal glands (CT, H30, H60, and H120) was performed. The differentially expressed mRNA isoforms (DEIs) were identified and annotated by the CLC Genomics Workbench. Biological process and metabolic pathway analyses were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. A total of 225, 5,764, and 4,988 DEIs in the blood, liver, and adrenal glands were observed. Furthermore, the number of novel differentially expressed transcript lengths with annotated genes and the novel differentially expressed transcript with non-annotated genes were 136 and 8 in blood, 3,549 and 120 in the liver, as well as 3,078 and 220 in adrenal glands, respectively. A total of 35 genes were involved in the heat stress response, out of which Dnaja1, LOC680121, Chordc1, AABR07011951.1, Hsp90aa1, Hspa1b, Cdkn1a, Hmox1, Bag3 and Dnaja4 were commonly identified in the liver and adrenal glands, suggesting that these genes may regulate heat stress response through interactions between liver and adrenal glands. The results suggest that the identified mRNA isoforms could be considered as potential candidates for selecting mammals to improve thermotolerance.

Recent studies releaved that the high production of reactive oxidative species due to exposure of fine or ultrafine particles are implicated in many chronical respiratory disorders. However, the poor standard of clinical data in sub-Saharan countries makes very difficult the assessment of knowledge of air pollution health impact in urban cities. Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate distribution of respiratory disorders associated to exposure of air fine and ultrafine particles through changes of some oxidative stress biomarkers among motorbike drivers from two cities of Cameroon Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a standardized questionnaire was conducted in 2019 on 191 motorcycle drivers (MD) working in Douala and Dschang. Then, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by colorimetric methods. The data of participants after clustered in Excel Microsoft were analysed and statistically compared using Spss 2.0 software. Results: The motorbike drivers recruited to both cities were aged from 21 to 40, with mean age of 29.93 (± 0.82). The distribution of respiratory disorders as running nose, cold, dry cough, chest discomfort, and breathlessness, was significantly increased among MD in Douala. According to results of biological assays, SOD and MDA, were significantly more increased among MD recruited in Douala, compared to those of Dschang. The change of these oxidative stress markers was significantly correlated with mobilization of neutrophils and Monocytes showing initiation and evolution of subjacent inflammatory reactions, and seemed to be significantly influenced by place of habitation of MD. Conclusion: Through this study it is confirmed the evidence of initiation and evolution of oxidative stress with long-term exposure to air fine or ultrafine particles among active people in Urban cities. Further studies should be conducted with more analysis to provide evidence cellular damage and dysfunction related to chronically exposure to fine air PM among active people in metropolitan of sub-Saharan Africa context.

Background: In 1962, Susser and Stein observed that the mortality rates of peptic ulcers in England and Wales increased markedly in the 1910s, maintained at a high level during the 1910s-1940s, and began to decline steadily since the early 1950s. They termed this epidemic pattern a birth-cohort phenomenon, but its mechanism has never been elucidated. Susser and Stein speculated that the occurrences of extraordinary social environmental factors roughly fit the fluctuations, but the role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers has never been identified. Objectives: This study aims to elucidate the mechanism of the birth-cohort phenomenon of peptic ulcers and identify the role of environmental factors in the disease. Methods: Starting from an etiology identified recently, this study uses the two inverse operations in calculus, differentiation, and integration, to analyze the existing data. First, a fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon is differentiated into multiple annual mortality rates caused by individual environmental factors. Second, these annual mortality rates are integrated to reproduce the fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon. Results: The differentiation reveals a parallel relationship between the psychological impacts of environmental factors and the mortality rates of peptic ulcers, whereas the integration reproduces a representative fluctuation curve in the birth-cohort phenomenon. The successive occurrences of multiple social environmental factors from the 1910s to 1940s maintained the increase in mortality rates, while the sustained improvements in living environments explained the steady decline of the mortality rates from the early 1950s. Conclusion: The parallel relationship suggests a causal role of environmental factors in peptic ulcers, whereas the reproduction of a representative fluctuation curve indicates that multiple environmental factors caused the birth-cohort phenomenon by Superposition Mechanism. Significantly, this study challenges the current reductionist approach used to study disease in modern medicine by demonstrating the effectiveness of an opposite methodological concept focused on integration.

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have been reported to play important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. However, no comprehensive analysis of this family has been performed in Gossypium, which are important economic crop and suffer various stresses in growth and development. Here we conducted a comprehensive analysis of LRR-RLK family in four Gossypium species (G. arboreum, G. barbadense, G. hirsutum and G. raimondii). A total of 1641 LRR-RLK genes were identified in the four Gossypium species involved in our study. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree revealed that all the LRR-RLK genes were divided into 21 subgroups. Exon-intron organization structure of LRR-RLK genes kept relative conserved in subfamilies and between Arabidopsis and Gossypium. Subfamilies XI and XII were found dramatically expanded in Gossypium. Tandem duplication acted as an important mechanism in expansion of Gossypium LRR-RLK gene family. Function analysis suggested that plant hormone signaling and plant-pathogen interaction pathway were enriched in Gossypium LRR-RLK genes. Promoters analysis and expression profiles analysis revealed that Gossypium LRR-RLK genes were extensively regulated by TFs, phytohormone and various environmental stimuli, and play key roles in stress defense and diverse development processes. Our study provided valuable information for further function study of Gossypium LRR-RLK genes.

Background: Brain oxidative lipid damage and inflammation are common in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Paraoxonase-1 and 3 (PON1 and PON3) protein expression have been described in tissues with no PON1 and PON3 gene expression. In the present study, we aimed to examine differences in PON1 and PON3 protein expression in the brain of a mouse model of AD. Methods: We used peroxidase-based and fluorescence-based immunohistochemistry in 5 brain regions (olfactory bulb, forebrain, posterior midbrain, hindbrain and cerebellum) of transgenic (Tg2576) mice with the Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) responsible for a familial form of AD and corresponding wild-type mice. Results: We found intense PON1 and PON3 positive staining in star-shaped cells surrounding Aβ plaques in all Tg2576 mouse brain regions studied. Although we could not co-localize PON1 and PON3 with astrocytes, brain star-shaped cells, we found some co-localization of PON3 with microglia. Conclusions: These results suggest that 1) PON1 and PON3 cross the blood-brain barrier in discoidal HDLs and are transferred to specific brain cell types, and 2) PON1 and PON3 play an important role in preventing oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in particular cell types, likely astrocytes and microglia, in AD pathology, and potentially in other neurodegenerative diseases

Stress Granules formation is a pro-survival mechanism helping cells to cope with environmental challenges. Stress Granules have been studied for two decades in fundamental research, and are now being examined in the context of human pathogenesis. Here, we review studies highlighting stress granules’ involvement in cancer development through translational pattern modification.

Stress can reduce the accuracy of radiation therapy owing to muscle contraction and changes in breathing patterns. This study aimed to predict stress in patients before each treatment session using artificial intelligence (AI) from biological signals to enhance treatment accuracy. We measured 123 stress cases in 41 patients and calculated stress scores by analyzing seven stress-related features derived from heart rate variability obtained from photoplethysmography. The study analyzed stress score distribution and observed its trend changes throughout the treatment. Before-treatment information was used to predict changes in stress features during treatment. AI models included both non-pre-trained (Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Transformer) and pre-trained (ChatGPT) models. The performance was evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation, exact match ratio, accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score. More than 90% of the patients experienced stress during radiation therapy. From all the classifications, LSTM and prompt engineering GPT4.0 had the highest accuracy (feature classification, LSTM: 0.703, GPT4.0: 0.659, stress classification: LSTM: 0.846, GPT4.0: 0.769). Our research pioneers the use of AI and biological signals for stress prediction in radiation therapy, potentially identifying patients needing psychological support, and suggesting methods to improve radiotherapy effectiveness through stress management.

Running at odds with the timing imposed by the circadian clock plays an important role in the process that leads to communicable and non communicable diseases. The primary objective of this study was to analyse whether early dinner eater children were at lower risks of acute respiratory infections than late dinner eater children, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from July to December 2020 on children attending Majorcan emergency services. Clinical data collected included timing, symptoms, laboratory tests and imaging studies of current illness. Each diagnosis was validated by general paediatricians. Our survey on dinner time habits was carried out by using self-administered questionnaires. Results: A total of 669 children under age 18 were included in the study. The median of dinner time was 8:30 pm. Late dinner eaters accounted for a higher proportion of acute otitis media than early dinner eaters (7% vs 3%; P=0.028). Other infectious diseases were not associated with dinner time habits. Conclusions: We make a preliminary estimate of the link between late dinner habits and acute otitis media in children. However, no conclusions about causality can be established due to the observational design of the study.

Zero-rate output (ZRO) drift induces deteriorated micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) gy-roscope performances, severely limiting its practical applications. Hence, it is vital to explore an effective method toward ZRO drift reduction. In this work, we conduct an elaborate investigation on the impacts of the internal and packaging stresses on the ZRO drift at the thermal start-up stage, and propose a temperature-induced stress release method to reduce the duration and magnitude of ZRO drift. Self-developed high-Q dual mass tuning fork gyroscopes (TFGs) are adopted to study the correlations between temperature, frequency and ZRO drift. Furthermore, a rigorous finite element simulation model is built based on the actual device and packaging structure, revealing the temperature and stresses distribution inside TFGs. Meanwhile, the relationship between temperature and stresses are deeply explored. Moreover, we introduce a temperature-induced stress release process to generate thermal stresses and reduce the temperature-related device sensitivity. By this way, the ZRO drift duration is drastically reduced from ~2000 s to ~890 s, and the drift magnitude decreases from ~0.4 °/s to ~0.23 °/s. This stress release method achieves a small bias instability (BI) of 7.903 °/h and a low angle random walk (ARW) of 0.792 °/√h, and the long-term bias performance is significantly improved.

The mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius and its relative, A. mollis, have been previously proved to possess diverse pharmacological effects. Therefore, evaluating the differentially expressed proteins of these species under tidal flooding stress is essential to fully exploit and benefit from their medicinal values. The roots of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis were exposed to 6 h of flooding stress per day for 10 days. The dry weight, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, anatomical characteristics, carbon and energy levels, and two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS technology were used to reveal the divergent flooding resistant strategies. A. ilicifolius performed better under tidal flooding stress, which was reflected in the integrity of the morphological structure, more efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of up-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. A. mollis could not survive in flooding conditions for a long time, as revealed by incomplete cell structures of the roots, less efficient use of carbon and energy, and a higher percentage of down-regulated proteins associated with carbon and energy metabolism. Energy provision and flux balance played a role in the flooding tolerance of A. ilicifolius and A. mollis.

This research investigates fiber-reinforced cementitious composites, with a particular emphasis on the geometric properties of soft micro and macro fibers. These fibers are characterized by a lower elastic modulus and larger aspect ratios than steel fibers. The composites were manufactured using a cement-to-sand ratio of 1:2.5, with 20% fly ash serving as a partial substitute. In order to attain varying strengths, two water-to-binder ratios (0.55 and 0.60) were implemented. Synthetic fibers, such as carbon and polypropylene, and natural sisal fibers, were introduced in volumes varying from 0.4% to 2.27%, with aspect ratios ranging from 71 to 3750. The flexural strength and behavior were evaluated using 75x75x380 mm prisms, while the compressive strength was measured using 50 mm cubes. Load-deflection curves were developed to investigate fracture behavior. The behavior of specimens reinforced with fibers post-cracking is dependent upon the matrix compressive strength, fiber type, quantity, and aspect ratio. A regression analysis was conducted on data from this study and previous publications to develop an equation that predicts the ratio of modulus of rupture (MOR) to initial fracture strength. The variables are matrix strength and fiber characteristics. The results reveal that carbon fiber-reinforced composites (CFRCCs) exhibit considerable brittleness post-cracking, despite exhibiting a flexural strength that is two to three times greater than that of control specimens. When workability is not compromised, the maximal load capacity and deflection are improved by increasing the fiber volume and aspect ratio. The maximal load stress is more significantly influenced by volumes of fibers than by aspect ratio.

Diurnal and seasonal changes of abiotic environmental factors shape plant performance and distribution. Changes of growth temperature and light intensity may vary significantly on a diurnal, but also on a weekly or seasonal scale. Hence, acclimation to a changing temperature and light regime is essential for plant survival and propagation. In the present study, we analyzed photosynthetic CO₂ assimilation and metabolic regulation of the central carbohydrate metabolism in two natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana originating from Russia and south Italy during exposure to heat and a combination of heat and high light. Our findings indicate that it is hardly possible to predict photosynthetic capacities to fix CO₂ under combined stress from single stress experiments. Further, capacities of hexose phosphorylation were found to be significantly lower in the Italian than in the Russian accession which could explain an inverted sucrose-to-hexose ratio. Together with the finding of significantly stronger accumulation of anthocyanins under heat/high light these observations indicate a central role of hexokinase activity in stabilization of photosynthetic capacities within a changing environment.

Major depression is accompanied by increased IgM-mediated autoimmune responses to oxidative specific epitopes (OSEs). Nevertheless, these responses have not been examined in bipolar disorder type 1 (BP1) and BP2. IgM responses to malondialdehyde (MDA), phosphatidinylinositol, oleic acid, and azelaic acid were determined in 35 healthy controls, and 101 mood disorder patients, namely 47 major depressed (MDD), 29 BP1, and 25 BP2 patients. We also measured serum total peroxides, IgG to oxidized LDL (oxLDL), IgM to nitroso-adducts, and IgM/IgA directed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS). IgM responses to OSEs were significantly higher in MDD and BP1 as compared with controls and higher in MDD than in BP2. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis showed that 57.7% of the variance in the clinical phenome of mood disorders was explained by number of episodes, IgM directed to OSEs and nitroso-adducts, IgG to oxLDL, and peroxides. There were significant specific indirect effects of IgA/IgM to LPS on the clinical phenome, which were mediated by peroxides, IgM OSEs, and IgG oxLDL. Using PLS we have constructed a data-driven nomothetic network which ensembled causome (increased plasma LPS load), adverse outcome pathways (namely neuro-affective toxicity), and clinical phenome features of mood disorders in a data-driven model. Based on those feature sets, cluster analysis discovered a new diagnostic class characterized by increased plasma LPS load, peroxides, autoimmune responses to OSEs and nitroso-adducts, and increased phenome scores. Using the new nomothetic network approach, we constructed a mechanistically transdiagnostic diagnostic class indicating neuro-affective toxicity in 74.3% of the mood disorder patients.

This paper presents an approach to the analysis of beams with rectangular cross-sections subjected to Saint-Venant torsion using the Fourier analysis, body forces being not considered. The Saint-Venant torsion of beams, also called free torsion or unrestrained torsion, is characterized by the absence of axial stresses due to torsion; only shear stresses are developed. The solution to this torsion problem consists of finding the Prandtl stress function that satisfies the governing equation and the boundary conditions, the governing equation being such that the Laplacian of the stress function has a constant value within the cross-section. In this paper, Fourier sine series was utilized to describe the constant value of the above mentioned Laplacian, while double sine series or simple sine series was utilized to describe the Prandtl stress function. Closed-form solutions in form of infinite series were derived for shear stresses, torsional constant and warping function. Those solutions were identical to the exact solutions.

Curcumin and trans-cinnamaldehyde are acrolein-based Michael acceptor compounds that are commonly found in domestic condiments, and known to cause cancer cell death via redox mechanisms. Based on the structural features of these compounds we designed and synthesized several 2-cinnamamido-N-substituted-cinnamamide (bis-cinnamamide) compounds. One of the derivatives, (Z)-2-[(E)-cinnamamido]-3-phenyl-N-propylacrylamide 1512 showed a moderate antiproliferative potency (HCT-116 cell line inhibition of 32.0 µM), good selectivity profile (no inhibition of normal cell lines), and proven cellular activities leading to apoptosis. SAR studies led to more than 10-fold increase in activity. Our most promising compound, [(Z)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-N-propyl-2-[(E)-3-(thien-2-yl)propenamido)propenamide] 4112 killed colon cancer cells at IC50 = 0.89 µM (Caco-2), 2.85 µM (HCT-116) and 1.65 µM (HT-29), while exhibiting much weaker potency on C-166 and BHK normal cell lines (IC50 = 71 µM and 77.6 µM, respectively). Cellular studies towards identifying the compounds mechanism of cytotoxic activities revealed that apoptotic induction occurs in part as a result of oxidative stress. Importantly, the compounds showed inhibition of cancer stem cells that are critical for maintaining the potential for self-renewal and stemness. The results presented here show discovery of covalently-acting Michael addition compounds that potently kill cancer cells by a defined mechanism, with minimal effect on normal noncancerous cell.

The orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide family has emerged as a focal point of neuroscientific research following the discovery that this family plays a crucial role in a variety of physiological and behavioral processes. These neuropeptides serve as powerful neuromodulators, intricately shaping autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses across species. Notably, they serve as master regulators of vigilance and stress responses; however, their role in complex processes such as food intake, metabolism, and thermoregulation warrant further investigation. This narrative review provides a journey through the evolution of our understanding of the orexin system, from its initial discovery to the promising progress made in developing orexin derivatives. It goes beyond conventional boundaries, striving to synthesize the multifaceted activities of orexins. Special emphasis is placed on domains such as stress response, fear, anxiety, and learning, in which the authors contributed to the literature with original publications. This article demonstrates the orchestrating role of the orexins in several intricate and integrative physiological processes. It also overviews the advancement of orexin pharmacology, which has already yielded some promising successes, particularly in the treatment of sleep disorders. This interdisciplinary approach to studying neuropeptides unveils their significance as vital connectors between transient functional changes and lasting structural adaptations. Ultimately, it advances our understanding of the intricate physiological and behavioral contributions of the orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide family.

Silver in different forms is used for medical purposes from ancient times. It is not yet well known, which form of silver is more biocompatible and less toxic. Here we considered silver nanoparticles and silver citrate. Also, the relationships of neurotoxicity of silver compaunds with ageing factor is not yet described. To assess the role of nanoform in neurotoxicity of silver and role of ageing a long-term experiment was conducted. We had four control groups of intact mice and four experimental groups which were exposed to silver nanoparticles and silver citrate for two months. Four groups of mice were introduced into the experiment since the age of five months to assess ageing factors. It was shown that the nanoform does play a certain role in neurotoxicity of silver. Silver citrate seems to be a more preferable silver compound. Ageing can be regarded as a positive factor that neutralizes toxic action of silver compounds. It may be due to the development of physiological/cognitive functions with the age as well as adaptation to unnatural content in the individual cages that is definitely stressful for mice.

Using hierarchical regression analysis within a mediation model framework, the present study explores direct and indirect (through life satisfaction) causal impacts of commuting stress on turnover intention of employees from 29 business organizations in six populous cities of Turkey. A semi-random heterogeneous sample of 214 employees with different demographics was surveyed in winter and summer times for also capturing seasonal variations of variables. The results supporting the partial mediating role of life satisfaction in the positive relationship between commuting stress and turnover intention infer that commuting stress induces turnover intention directly and indirectly (by reducing life satisfaction). The analysis of variance reveals that demographic characteristics of employees such as gender, marital status, age, and family size together with commuting type and commuting duration matter for their perceived commuting stress, life satisfaction, and turnover intention levels. Commuting stress perception is relatively higher in summer time whereas the other magnitudes are consistently and significantly invariant between two survey implementations. The study concludes with a call for the consideration of commuting stress and life satisfaction together with environmental and demographic factors when analyzing the antecedents and consequences of employee turnover intention.

Background: A meaningful part of schizophrenia patients suffer from physiosomatic symptoms (formerly named psychosomatic) which are reminiscent of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (FF) and are associated with signs of immune activation and increased levels of tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs). Aims: To examine whether FF symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with breakdown of the paracellular pathway, zonulin, lowered natural IgM responses to oxidative specific epitopes (OSEs); and whether FF symptoms belong to the behavioral-cognitive-physical-psychosocial-(BCPS)-worsening index consisting of indices of a general cognitive decline (G-CoDe), symptomatome of schizophrenia, and quality of life (QoL)-phenomenome. Methods: FF symptoms were assessed using the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Rating scale in 80 schizophrenia patients and 40 healthy controls and serum cytokines/chemokines, IgA levels to TRYCATs, IgM to OSEs, zonulin and transcellular/paracellular (TRANS/PARA) molecules were assayed using ELISA methods. Results: A large part (42.3%) of the variance in the total FF score was explained by the regression on the PARA/TRANS ratio, pro-inflammatory cytokines, IgM to zonulin, IgA to TRYCATs (all positively) and IgM to OSEs (inversely). There were highly significant correlations between the total FF score and G-CoDe, symtopmatome, QoL phenomenome and BCPS-worsening score. FF symptoms belong to a common core shared by G-CoDe, symtopmatome, and QoL phenomenome. Discussion: The physio-somatic symptoms of schizophrenia are driven by various pathways including increased zonulin, breakdown of the paracellular tight-junctions pathway, immune activation with induction of the TRYCAT pathway, and consequent neurotoxicity. It is concluded that FF symptoms are part of the phenome of schizophrenia and BCPS-worsening as well.

Environmental darkness signal is transferred from the retina to the pineal gland triggering melatonin secretion. Melatonin influences the synthesis and release of the hypothalamic GnRH and the adenohypophyseal gonadotropin hormones and therefore, regulates testicular function in photoperiodic species. Besides the brain, direct actions of melatonin at the testicular level have also been described. Melatonin released from the pineal gland to the circulation is taken up by peripheral tissues including testes. Testicular synthesis of melatonin has also been reported. The two key somatic cell types in the testis, Leydig and Sertoli cells, express melatonergic receptors. Melatonin acts as a local modulator of the endocrine activity in Leydig cells. In Sertoli cells, melatonin influences the oxidation state and the energy metabolism, and consequently may regulate spermatogenesis. Melatonergic receptors were also described in testicular macrophages and mast cells of infertile patients. Whereas melatonin exerts anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on testicular macrophages, it provides protective effects against oxidative stress in testicular mast cells. These data pinpoints melatonin as a key player in the regulation of testicular physiology (i.e. steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis) mostly in seasonal breeders. More importantly, melatonin is also involved in the modulation of testicular inflammatory and oxidant/anti-oxidant states in patients with idiopathic infertility.

Plant growth and productivity are hindered by abiotic stresses. Crop productivity and the ecosystem are suffering due to climate change and harmful farming practices. We urgently need to use environment-friendly techniques like Arbuscular Mychorriza Fungi (AMF) to improve crop productivity. It is a well-established fact that AMF are effective bio-fertilizers. It is believed that AMF injections can increase plant resilience to stressors like heat,metals, salt, drought, and extreme temperatures. AMF aids in enhancing tolerance mechanisms and safeguarding essential metabolic pathways. AMF, as natural root symbionts, give plants important inorganic nutrients, helping them grow better, produce more, and acclimatize even under stress. AMF acts as a bio-fertilizer, boosting plants’ ability to adjust to different environments. Thus, researchers need to conduct further studies on how AMF promotes crop quality and productivity. This review describes the current understanding of AMF’s impact on host plants at their different growth stage, their benefits, applications, and the significance of plant nutrient relationships with AMF.

Replication stress (RS) is a characteristic state of cancer cells as they tend to exchange precision of replication for fast proliferation and increased genomic instability. To overcome the consequences of improper replication control malignant cells frequently inactivate parts of their DNA damage response (DDR) pathways (the ATM-CHK2-p53 pathway), while relying on other pathways which help to maintain replication fork stability (ATR-CHK1). This creates a dependency on the remaining DDR pathways, vulnerability to further destabilization of replication and synthetic lethality of DDR inhibitors with common oncogenic alterations such as mutations of TP53, RB1, ATM, amplifications of MYC, CCNE1 and others. The response to RS is normally limited by coordination of cell cycle, transcription and replication. Inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 kinases, which prevent unscheduled mitosis entry, leads to fragility of under-replicated sites. Recent evi-dence also shows that inhibition of Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), such as CDK4/6, CDK2, CDK8/19 and CDK12/13 can contribute to RS through disruption of DNA repair and replication control. Here, we review the main causes of RS in cancers as well as main therapeutic targets – ATR, CHK1, PARP and their inhibitors.

ShK domain-containing proteins are peptides found in different parasitic and venomous organisms. From a previous transcriptomic dataset from Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a plant-endoparasitic nematode that infects forest tree species, we identified 96 transcripts potentially as ShK domain-containing proteins with unknown function in the nematode genome. This study aimed to characterize and explore the functional role of genes encoding ShK domain-containing proteins in B. xylophilus biology. We selected and functionally analyzed nine candidate genes specific from B. xylophilus. In situ hybridization revealed expression of one B. xylophilus ShK in the pharyngeal gland cells, suggesting their delivery into host cells. Most of the transcripts are highly expressed during infection and showed a significant upregulation in response to peroxide products compared to the nematode catalase enzymes. We reported for the first time, the potential involvement of ShK domain genes in oxidative stress, suggesting that these proteins may have an important role protecting or modulating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity of the host plant during parasitism.

Elevation of the intermediate amino acid metabolite Homocysteine (Hcy) causes Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), a metabolic disorder frequently associated with mutations in the methionine-cysteine metabolic cycle as well as with nutritional deficiency and aging. Previous literature suggest that HHcy is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Severe HHcy is well established to correlate with vascular pathologies primarily via endothelial cell death. Though moderate HHcy is more prevalent and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular abnormalities in later part of life, its precise role in endothelial physiology is largely unknown. In this study, we report that moderate elevation of Hcy causes endothelial dysfunction through impairment of their migration and proliferation. We established that unlike severe elevation of Hcy, moderate HHcy is not associated with suppressed endothelial VEGF/VEGFR signaling and oxidative stress induction. We further showed that moderate HHcy induces a sub-lethal ER stress that causes defective endothelial migration through abnormal actin cytoskeletal remodeling. We also found that sub-lethal increase of Hcy causes endothelial proliferation defect by suppressing mitochondrial respiration and concomitantly increases glycolysis to compensate the consequential ATP loss and maintain overall energy homeostasis. Finally, analyzing an available microarray dataset, we confirmed that these hallmarks of moderate HHcy are conserved in adult endothelial cells as well. Thus, we identified adaptive UPR and metabolic rewiring as two key mechanistic signatures in moderate HHcy-associated endothelial dysfunction. As HHcy is clinically associated with enhanced vascular inflammation and hypercoagulability, identifying these mechanistic pathways may serve as future targets to regulate endothelial function and health.

Abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, cold, heat, and heavy metals, extensively reduce global agricultural production. Approaches such as conventional breeding and transgenic breeding have been widely used to cope with these environmental stresses. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat- Cas (CRISPR/Cas) based gene-editing tool has revolutionized due to its simplicity, accessibility, adaptability, flexibility, and wide applicability. This system has a great potential to build up crop varieties with enhanced tolerance against abiotic stresses. In this review, we summarize the most recent findings on understanding the mechanism of abiotic stress response in plants and the application of CRISPR/Cas mediated gene-editing system towards enhanced tolerance to drought, salinity, cold, heat, and heavy metals stresses. Furthermore, in this review, we highlighted the recent advancements in prime editing and base editing tools for crop improvement.

An experimental series of shearing tests with water infiltration were performed on compacted unsaturated soil to simulate the behavior of shallow slope failures. Soil samples were compacted at moisture contents from dry to wet of optimum moisture content with the degree of saturation varying from 24.0% to 59.5% while maintaining the degree of compaction at 80%. Two series of shearing with infiltration tests were performed in this study. In Series-I, just before the start of shearing, matric suction was decreased by increasing pore water pressure to start water infiltration i.e. shearing is carried simultaneously with water infiltration. In Series-II, the soil was first sheared with drained pore air and undrained pore water to pre-defined value of deviatoric stress, after which matric suction was decreased by increasing pore water pressure to start water infiltration and shearing is performed by keeping deviatoric stress constant on the specimen. The test results showed that the decrease in matric suction has an effect on the volume of infiltrated water and degree of saturation. The soil slopes compacted on the dry side of optimum moisture content showed better performance than other soils, they require more decrease in matric suction to start water infiltration and showed higher deviatoric stress. In addition to this, water infiltration alone can cause the failure of shallow slopes without having to have any further loading.

In the world industry plant, solid and solid metals are always in contact even their motions not independent. Modeling of rolling die contact with slab primarily needs to describe the Tribology of contact phenomena. Consideration of continuum theory of rolling contact how a contact region is formed between rolling die and slab, and how the tangential force is distributed over the contact area with coefficient of friction is important. The central concern of numerical model is used in this work to indicate a set of equations, derived from the contact principle, that transfer the physical event into the mathematical equations including the laws of nature, such as newton’s laws, boundary conditions, state of stresses and their derivatives at particular time and locations. In this paper the elasticity stress behavior of rolling die contact with slab for number of cyclic loads is modeled. The model is including new proposed constitutive equations for discontinuity of the velocity, pressure distribution in rolling contact from the enter side to exit side of the neutral point. To verify the model, finite element simulation and experimental data from the literature are considered. The results show good agreement with finite element simulation and experimental data.

In the author's opinion, many global problems that face humanity - in the fields of education, medicine, management etc can be tackled more effectively if the cyclic nature of self-reproducing systems – including living beings – is taken into account. Summarizing the main physiological findings of the last decades on "adaptation reactions", one can very roughly say that the way of action which is effective in the sense of productive activity of people happens at the same time to be healthy, and it gives the participants of the process the feeling of happiness. The present paper represents a very short overview of the contemporary concepts of the adaptation reactions based on the fundamental understanding of their cyclic nature due to general properties of self-reproducing systems. One interesting feature of self-reproduction cycles is its first "phase of orientation" which was not discussed in detail in the past but plays a key role in the whole cycle.

(1) Background: The issue of human adaptation to the Arctic environmental factors is relevant. The adaptation can be assessed through dynamic monitoring of the functional state of a person during his/her stay there. The vitamin D level in blood is one of the markers of the functional reserves of the human body and can contribute to more successful adaptation in the Arctic. (2) Methods: The study involved 38 participants in the scientific and educational expeditionary project "Arctic Floating University-2021". Blood collection for determination of vitamin D content was carried out at the beginning of the expedition. A dynamic study was carried out for 20 days in the morning and in the evening during a marine scientific expedition to the Arctic. The main parameters of the functional state of the participants were assessed using instrumental psychophysiological, projective and questionnaire methods. Statistical methods: Mann-Whitney U-test, correlation analysis using the Spearman coefficient. (3) Results: It was found that at the beginning of the expedition, the functional state of participants with severe vitamin D deficiency is characterized by a shorter average duration of RR intervals and reduced SDNN values, which may indicate a higher level of regulatory mechanisms tension. The pronounced differences in the nature of the dynamic series of objective and projective working capacity parameters were manifested most clearly. According to the subjective questionnaire characteristics of well-being, activity and mood, no significant features of the participants with vitamin D deficiency were revealed. (4) Conclusion: The participants with vitamin D deficiency in blood are characterized by a reduced adaptive capacity during the expedition to the Arctic.

Background: A personalized approach to occupational medicine allows specialists to 1 prevent professional hazards such as stress-related depression and anxiety in extreme work environments. Objective: we aim to detect genetic markers of low resilience to stress. Methods: The study cohort included 97 elite athletes and 167 special forces personnel. The research team collected buccal mucosa samples and examined psychological status with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). We assessed 35 variants within selected genes that are most often associated with low resilience to stress, anxiety, and depression. Fisher’s Exact test was used to determine nonrandom associations between scores in the HADS scale and the genetic variants. We also trained machine learning models to predict score values from genotyping findings and ranked genetic biomarkers according to their predictive power. Results: High-risk depression profiles included C/T genotype of MTHFR C677T and A/C variant of MTHFR A1298C. Susceptibility to anxiety was associated with several polymorphisms regulating neuroactive substances, immune response, and coagulation. The ML models accurately detect depression or anxiety levels with MAE/ROV of 17.69±1.35 and 17.86±2.09% respectively. Conclusions: The study findings justify a polymorphic nature of anxiety and confirm the immune system's involvement in regulating stress response.

To understand the enhanced protection mechanism of CoCrNiAlY-YSZ-LaMgAl11O19 dou-ble-layer ceramic coating with aluminum plating, a finite element simulation method was used to simulate the distribution of thermal stress in the coating in all directions. The results show that in the air exposure of the un-aluminized coating, high temperature causes a large radial thermal stress on the surface of the LaMgAl11O19 (LMA) layer, and it increases with the increase in temperature, which is the main reason for the initiation of axial cracks. After arc aluminum plating, the aluminum plating layer effectively inhibited the volume shrinkage of the coating through good adhesion to the coating and internal diffusion, the thermal stress of the coating was considerably reduced, and the CoCrNiAlY-YSZ-LMA coating had an effective enhancement and protection effect; however, there was still a certain amount of shear thermal stress inside the LMA layer, the top of the crack, and the bottom of the crack. This thermal stress caused the initi-ation of radial microcracks in the LMA layer, which also becomes a risk point for the failure of the aluminum coating.

Linum album is an important medicinal plant contains important lignan compounds such as podophyllotoxin as well as fatty acids. Despite the high medicinal value, it has not been studied in agricultural conditions so far. This study was conducted to evaluate the morphological, phenological, and physiological responses of six L. album accessions under water deficit treatments (100% available water, 75%, 50%, and 25%) in pot conditions. Based on the results the morphological properties of accessions reduced due to water deficit. Accessions of UTLA7 and UTLA9 showed higher seed yield and dry weight of the vegetative part. The occurrence of phenological stages in the accessions showed a significant difference. Maturity was accelerated in plants under stress conditions, and accession of UTLA9 completed its growth earlier than others. Physiological responses of the accessions did not have the same trend based on the measured traits, and significant differences were observed depending on the trait and accession. The most important result of this study was the diversity of responses in different accessions. The results showed that the effect of water stress on the measured traits depends on the level of stress and accession, which suggests that it is possible to select the tolerable accessions for the production of the desired product. Based on the results, plant breeders may be able to use the chlorophyll content as a marker to identify tolerate L. album accessions.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes caseous lymphadenitis, a disease that predominantly affects sheep, goat, cattle, buffalo, and horses, but has also been recognized in other animals. This bacterium generates a severe economic impact on countries producing meat. Gene expression studies using RNA-seq is one of the most commonly used techniques to perform transcriptional experiments. Computational analysis on such data through reverse-engineering algorithms leads to a better understanding of the genome-wide complexity of gene interactomes, enabling the identification of genes having the most significant functions inferred by the activated stress response pathways. In this study, we identified the influential or causal genes from four RNA-seq data-sets from different stress conditions (high iron, low iron, acid, osmosis, and PH) in C. pseudotuberculosis, using a consensus-based network inference algorithm called miRsig and identified the causal genes in the network using the miRinfluence tool, which is based on the influence diffusion model. We found that over 50\% of the genes identified as influential have some essential cellular functions in the genomes. In the strains analyzed, most of the causal genes have crucial roles or participate in processes associated with response to extracellular stresses, pathogenicity, membrane components, and essential genes. This research brings new insight into the understanding of virulence and infection by C. pseudotuberculosis.