Female-bias in systemic lupus erythematosus: How much is the X chromosome to blame?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is an immune-mediated disease associated with substantial medical burden. Notably, lupus exhibits a striking female bias, with women having significantly higher susceptibility compared to men, up to 14-fold higher in some ethnicities. Supernumerary X chromosome syndromes, like Klinefelter (XXY) and Triple X syndrome (XXX), also present higher SLE prevalence, whereas Turner syndrome (XO) displays lower prevalence.

Optimising thermochemical energy storage: a comprehensive analysis of CaCO composites with CaSiO, CaTiO, and CaZrO.

With the increasing amount of renewable energy produced, many governments and industries are pushing for the installation of battery energy storage system (BESS) solutions. Thermal batteries are systems that store heat made from various energy sources, and can be used to produce electricity upon demand. These systems are easily scalable and can be installed in cities, homes and remote locations.

Vanadium Chloro-Substituted Schiff Base Catecholate Complexes are Reducible, Lipophilic, Water Stable, and Have Anticancer Activities.

A hydrophobic Schiff base catecholate vanadium complex was recently discovered to have anticancer properties superior to cisplatin and suited for intratumoral administration. This [VO(HSHED)(DTB)] complex, where HSHED is -(salicylideneaminato)-'-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine and the non-innocent catecholato ligand is di--butylcatecholato (DTB), has higher stability compared to simpler catecholato complexes. Three new chloro-substituted Schiff base complexes of vanadium(V) with substituted catecholates as co-ligands were synthesized for comparison with their non-chlorinated Schiff base vanadium complexes, and their properties were characterized.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity of Ingested Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials.

An exponential increase in products containing titanium dioxide nanomaterials (TiO), in agriculture, food and feed industry, lead to increased oral exposure to these nanomaterials (NMs). Thus, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) emerges as a possible route of exposure that may drive systemic exposure, if the intestinal barrier is surpassed. NMs have been suggested to produce adverse outcomes, such as genotoxic effects, that are associated with increased risk of cancer, leading to a concern for public health.

Generation and characterization of induced pluripotent stem cell line (IBBISTi004-A) from an Angelman syndrome patient carrying a class II deletion of the maternal chromosome 15q11.2-q13.

Angelman Syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by several (epi)genetic alterations. The patients present strong neurological impairment due to the absence of a functional maternal UBE3A gene in neurons. Here, we generated and characterized a new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a female child with Angelman syndrome harbouring a class II deletion.

Investigation of the genotoxicity of digested titanium dioxide nanomaterials in human intestinal cells.

The widespread use of titanium dioxide nanomaterials (TiO NMs) in food and consumer products such as toothpaste or food contact materials, suggests the relevance of human oral exposure to these nanomaterials (NMs) and raises the possibility of adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). We previously showed that the in vitro digestion of TiO NMs may increase their toxicity in intestinal cells. In this work, we analyzed the genotoxicity and the intracellular reactive oxygen species induction by physiologically relevant concentrations of three different TiO NMs (NM-102, NM-103 and NM-105) in Caco-2 and HT29-MTX-E12 intestinal cells, while considering the potential influence of the digestion process in the NMs' physiochemical characteristics.

Pediatric Endodontic Treatment of Adolescent Patients.

This article is intended to familiarize clinicians with several pulp therapy modalities and new materials that are currently available for immature young pulp in the adolescent population. Objectives and considerations for immature young permanent teeth as well as the healing potential of the young pulp tissue after treatment of the inflammatory process are discussed. The article emphasizes that the future holds great possibilities for the regeneration of dental pulp in adolescent patients.

Analysis of the Characteristics and Cytotoxicity of Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials Following Simulated In Vitro Digestion.

Several metallic nanomaterials (NMs), such as titanium dioxide nanomaterials (TiO), present beneficial properties with a broad range of innovative applications. The human population is exposed to TiO, particularly by ingestion, due to its increasing use as a food additive and inclusion in dietary supplements and food packaging materials. Whether this oral exposure may lead to adverse local or systemic outcomes has been the subject of research, but studies have generated contradictory results, reflecting differences in the physicochemical properties of the TiO studied, effects of the surrounding matrix, and modifications during digestion.

Maternal soy protein isolate diet during lactation programmes to higher metabolic risk in adult male offspring.

Soy consumption and its components, including its protein, are related to the beneficial effects of the lipid profile, decreased insulin resistance and glycaemia. However, the safety of the consumption of products containing phytoestrogens in critical stages of development has been questioned, since they may be associated with endocrine-metabolic dysfunctions in adult life. The purpose is to evaluate the effects of maternal dietary soy protein isolate (SPI) during lactation on the breast milk composition, body composition, lipid and glycaemic profiles, and thyroid hormones of dams and offspring at weaning (21 days) and in adulthood (150 days).

Maternal soybean diet during lactation alters breast milk composition and programs the lipid profile in adult male rat offspring.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of maternal dietary soybean during lactation on the milk composition, body composition, lipid profile and glucose homeostasis of dams and offspring at weaning (21 days) and adulthood (150 days).

Methods: Lactating rats were divided into: casein control (C): casein diet; soy (S): soybean diet; soy oil control (SOC): casein diet, but with fat content similar to the S group.

Results: At 21 days, S mothers showed lower estradiol, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (TG) in serum; and lower TC and TG in milk.

Sawdust Derivative for Environmental Application: Chemistry, Functionalization and Removal of textile dye from aqueous solution.

The adsorption of Violet Remazol 5R (VR 5) on wood sawdust modified with succinic anhydride (SSA) as a function of contact time, pH, and initial dye concentrations was investigated using a batch technique under ambient conditions. The SSA obtained was confirmed by IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and 13C NMR, and degrees of substitution (DS) were calculated. A study on the effect of the pH on the adsorption of VR 5 showed that the optimum pH was 2.

Ibuprofen-loaded chitosan and chemically modified chitosans--release features from tablet and film forms.

The biopolymer chitosan was chemically modified in two sequences of reactions: (i) immobilization of methyl acrylate followed by cysteamine and (ii) the sequence of immobilization reactions involving ethylene sulfide, methyl acrylate and finally cysteamine. In both cases the pendant chains have attached nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur basic centers. The corresponding structures were characterized through elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance in the solid state for carbon, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy.

Immobilization of ethylenesulfide on babassu coconut epicarp and mesocarp for divalent cation sorption.

A new synthetic methodology route consisted in reacting the natural babassu coconut mesocarp (BCM) and babassu coconut epicarp (BCE) with ethylenesufide, for adding basic sulfur centers in pendant chains that possess high potential activity for coordinating divalent cations from aqueous solution. All biomaterials were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared (IR), (13)C NMR and thermogravimetry. The sulfur elemental analysis gave 2.

Kinetics and thermodynamics of textile dye adsorption from aqueous solutions using babassu coconut mesocarp.

Extracted babassu coconut (Orbignya speciosa) mesocarp (BCM) was applied as a biosorbent for aqueous Blue Remazol R160 (BR 160), Rubi S2G (R S2G), Red Remazol 5R (RR 5), Violet Remazol 5R (VR 5) and Indanthrene Olive Green (IOG) dye solutions. The natural sorbent was processed batchwise while varying several system parameters such as stirring time, pH and temperature. The interactions were assayed with respect to both pseudo-first-order and second-order reaction kinetics, with the latter the more suitable kinetic model.

Noninvasive cortical stimulation with transcranial direct current stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Electrical stimulation of deep brain structures, such as globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus, is widely accepted as a therapeutic tool for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Cortical stimulation either with epidural implanted electrodes or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can be associated with motor function enhancement in PD. We aimed to study the effects of another noninvasive technique of cortical brain stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), on motor function and motor-evoked potential (MEP) characteristics of PD patients.