Religion, spirituality, and DNA methylation in HPA-axis genes among Hispanic/Latino adults.

Aim: Investigate associations between religion and spirituality (R&S) and DNA methylation of four HPA-axis genes (i.e. 14 CpG sites) among 992 adults from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos cohorts.

Plasma protein-based organ-specific aging and mortality models unveil diseases as accelerated aging of organismal systems.

Aging is a complex process manifesting at molecular, cellular, organ, and organismal levels. It leads to functional decline, disease, and ultimately death, but the relationship between these fundamental biomedical features remains elusive. By applying elastic net regularization to plasma proteome data of over 50,000 human subjects in the UK Biobank and other cohorts, we report interpretable organ-specific and conventional aging models trained on chronological age, mortality, and longitudinal proteome data.

In vitro pharmacological characterization of growth hormone secretagogue receptor ligands using the dynamic mass redistribution and calcium mobilization assays.

Ghrelin modulates several biological functions via selective activation of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). GHSR agonists may be useful for the treatment of anorexia and cachexia, while antagonists and inverse agonists may represent new drugs for the treatment of metabolic and substance use disorders. Thus, the identification and pharmacodynamic characterization of new GHSR ligands is of high interest.

First Evidence of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 UK Clone in Pediatric Invasive Infections in Italy by Molecular Surveillance.

Invasive group A streptococci infections are increasing worldwide, mainly due to the emm1 lineage M1 UK emergence. Although this variant has recently been described in adult Italian patients, its circulation in children has not yet been established. Characterizing by whole genome sequencing 6 invasive group A streptococci strains isolated between 2022 and 2023, we highlighted M1 UK lineage circulation in pediatric patients in Italy.

Spectral exponent assessment and neurofilament light chain: a comprehensive approach to describe recovery patterns in stroke.

Introduction: Understanding the residual recovery potential in stroke patients is crucial for tailoring effective neurorehabilitation program We propose using EEG and plasmatic Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels as a model to depict longitudinal patterns of stroke recovery.

Methods: We enrolled 13 patients (4 female, mean age 74.7 ± 8.

Phytochemical Composition and Pharmacological Efficacy Evaluation of , , and Essential Oils for the Control of Honeybee () Varroosis.

is currently considered the parasite that causes the greatest damage and economic losses to honeybee farms. Its presence is often associated with that of viral and bacterial pathogens, which ultimately leads to colony collapse. Careful control of the parasitic load is therefore necessary to avoid the onset of these events.

Chemical Profile of Essential Oils of Selected Lamiaceae Plants and In Vitro Activity for Varroosis Control in Honeybees .

The most significant ectoparasitic mite of honeybees, , has a detrimental effect on bee health and honey output. The principal strategy used by the control programs is the application of synthetic acaricides. All of this has resulted in drug resistance, which is now a major worry for beekeeping.

pharmacological characterization of standard and new lysophosphatidic acid receptor antagonists using dynamic mass redistribution assay.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive phospholipid that acts as an agonist of six G protein-coupled receptors named LPA receptors (LPA). LPA elicits diverse intracellular events and modulates several biological functions, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Overactivation of the LPA-LPA receptor system is reported to be involved in several pathologies, including cancer, neuropathic pain, fibrotic diseases, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes.

Interaction of Quercetin, Cyanidin, and Their -Glucosides with Planar Lipid Models: Implications for Their Biological Effects.

Flavonoids are specialized metabolites produced by plants, as free aglycones or as glycosylated derivatives, which are particularly endowed with a variety of beneficial health properties. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antifungal, antiviral, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive effects of flavonoids are now known. These bioactive phytochemicals have been shown to act on different molecular targets in cells including the plasma membrane.

Clonal Spread of Hospital-Acquired NDM-1-Producing and in an Italian Neonatal Surgery Unit: A Retrospective Study.

This article reports a rapid and unexpected spread of colonization cases of NDM-1 carbapenemase-producing and in a neonatal surgical unit (NSU) at Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy. Between the 16th of November 2020 and the 18th of January 2021, a total of 20 NDM-1 carbapenemase-producing ( = 8) and ( = 12) were isolated from 17 out of 230 stool samples collected from neonates admitted in the aforementioned ward and time period by an active surveillance culture program routinely in place to monitor the prevalence of colonization/infection with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms. All strains were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of resistance determinants, PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) and multilocus-sequence typing (MLST).

A retrospective case-control study on menstrual cycle changes following COVID-19 vaccination and disease.

There has been increasing public concern that COVID-19 vaccination causes menstrual disturbance regarding the relative effect of vaccination compared to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our objectives were to test potential risk factors for reporting menstrual cycle changes following COVID-19 vaccination and to compare menstrual parameters following COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 disease. We performed a secondary analysis of a retrospective online survey conducted in the UK in March 2021.

Influence of Defatting and Pasteurization on Nutrients and Oxidative Stress Markers in Human Milk.

Background: It is well known that the best nutritional option for infants is human milk, and that when breastfeeding is not possible, human milk banks are a possible alternative. However, in the case of infants with fat transport disorder like chylothorax, defatting of human milk is mandatory.

Research Aim: The aim of the study was to reduce milk fat content without reducing other nutrients, increasing oxidative stress, or introducing harmful microorganisms.

Antioxidant activity and protective effect of the outer scales hydroalcoholic extract of Allium cepa L. var. Tropea on toxicity damage induced by Cadmium in Caco-2 cells.

The characterization of bioactive metabolites and the protective effects against Cadmium (Cd) of the hydroalcoholic extract from Allium cepa var. Tropea (Tropea red onion) in human Caco-2 colon adenocarcinoma cells and in vitro antioxidant effects were investigated. Tropea red onion extract showed high levels of bioactive compounds and a strong activity as radical scavenger and inhibitor of lipid peroxidation.

Nematicidal Potential of Sulla ( L.) against the Root-Knot Nematode .

The content of nematicidal metabolites such as saponins, flavonoids and tannins in sulla ( L.) suggests its potential nematicidal activity. In this study, the biocidal activity of 62.

Digestive and gastroprotective effects of Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I.Richardson (syn. A. moschata Wulfen) (Asteraceae): From traditional uses to preclinical studies.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I.Richardson (syn.

Pharmacology of Kappa Opioid Receptors: Novel Assays and Ligands.

The present study investigated the pharmacology of the human kappa opioid receptor using multiple assays, including calcium mobilization in cells expressing chimeric G proteins, the dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) label-free assay, and a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay that allows measurement of receptor interaction with G protein and β-arrestin 2. In all assays, dynorphin A, U-69,593, and [D-Pro]dyn(1-11)-NH behaved as full agonists with the following rank order of potency [D-Pro]dyn(1-11)-NH > dynorphin A ≥ U-69,593. [Dmt,Tic]dyn(1-11)-NH behaved as a moderate potency pure antagonist in the kappa-β-arrestin 2 interaction assay and as low efficacy partial agonist in the other assays.

Prevalence and Molecular Typing of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales among Newborn Patients in Italy.

The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), especially () and (), is a serious public health threat in pediatric hospitals. The associated risk in newborns is due to their underdeveloped immune system and limited treatment options. The aim was to estimate the prevalence and circulation of CPE among the neonatal intensive units of a major pediatric hospital in Italy and to investigate their molecular features.

Nematicidal Activity of Essential Oil from Lavandin ( × Emeric ex Loisel.) as Related to Chemical Profile.

Essential oils (EOs) from lavandin are known for a large spectrum of biological properties but poorly and contrastingly documented for their activity against phytoparasitic nematodes. This study investigated the toxicity of EOs from three different lavandin cultivars, Abrialis, Rinaldi Cerioni, and Sumiens, either to juveniles () and eggs of the root-knot nematode and to infective stages of the lesion nematode . The suppressive activity of treatments with EOs from the three lavandin cultivars in soil infested by was also investigated in a greenhouse experiment on potted tomato.

Stress and spirituality in relation to HPA axis gene methylation among US Black women: results from the Black Women's Health Study and the Study on Stress, Spirituality and Health.

Few epigenetics studies have been conducted within the Black community to examine the impact of diverse psychosocial stressors and resources for resiliency on the stress pathway (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). Among 1000 participants from the Black Women's Health Study, associations between ten psychosocial stressors and DNA methylation (DNAm) of four stress-related genes ( and ) were tested. Whether religiosity or spirituality (R/S) significantly modified these stress-DNAm associations was also assessed.

R|S Atlas: Identifying existing cohort study data resources to accelerate epidemiological research on the influence of religion and spirituality on human health.

Objective: Many studies have documented significant associations between religion and spirituality (R/S) and health, but relatively few prospective analyses exist that can support causal inferences. To date, there has been no systematic analysis of R/S survey items collected in US cohort studies. We conducted a systematic content analysis of all surveys ever fielded in 20 diverse US cohort studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify all R/S-related items collected from each cohort's baseline survey through 2014.

"The Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH): Psychometric Evaluation and Initial Validation of the SSSH Baseline Spirituality Survey".

This paper describes the development and initial psychometric testing of the baseline Spirituality Survey (SS-1) from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH) which contained a mixture of items selected from validated existing scales and new items generated to measure important constructs not captured by existing instruments. The purpose was to establish the validity of new and existing measures in our racially/ethnically diverse sample. Psychometric properties of the SS-1 were evaluated using standard psychometric analyses in 4,634 SSSH participants.