Proteomic analysis of the sponge Aggregation Factor implicates an ancient toolkit for allorecognition and adhesion in animals.

The discovery that sponges (Porifera) can fully regenerate from aggregates of dissociated cells launched them as one of the earliest experimental models to study the evolution of cell adhesion and allorecognition in animals. This process depends on an extracellular glycoprotein complex called the Aggregation Factor (AF), which is composed of proteins thought to be unique to sponges. We used quantitative proteomics to identify additional AF components and interacting proteins in the classical model, , and compared them to proteins involved in cell interactions in Bilateria.

Soymilk stability increase using polyphenols microcapsules.

Functional beverages have aroused a great interest to the food industry. Among the functional ingredients, there is a growing demand for antioxidant incorporation into foods, which implies a challenge to preserve their bioactivity. The health benefits provided by soymilk can be improved by the addition with microcapsules of polyphenols from peanut skin and this procedure is an alternative to protect these natural and bioactive compounds from environmental factors.

Microencapsulation of phenolic compounds extracted from soybean seed coats by spray-drying.

This study aimed to characterize and microencapsulate soybean seed coats phenolic compounds by spray-drying, evaluating physicochemical properties and storage stability. Different extraction methodologies were used to obtain crude extract (SCE), ethyl acetate fraction, water fraction, and bound phenolic extract. Extraction yield, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant capacity were determined.

Identification of the functional domain of the dense core vesicle biogenesis factor HID-1.

Large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) mediate the regulated release of neuropeptides and peptide hormones. HID-1 is a trans-Golgi network (TGN) localized peripheral membrane protein contributing to LDCV formation. There is no information about HID-1 structure or domain architecture, and thus it remains unknown how HID-1 binds to the TGN and performs its function.

Short-term effects of tropospheric ozone and other environmental factors on emergency admissions due to pregnancy complications: A time-series analysis in the Madrid Region.

Air pollution has been linked to adverse neonatal outcomes, mainly in the case of prolonged exposures. This study focuses on the short-term effects on maternal health. We conducted a retrospective ecological time-series study in the Madrid Region covering the period 2013-2018.

How heat waves, ozone and sunlight hours affect endocrine and metabolic diseases emergency admissions? A case study in the region of Madrid (Spain).

Background: Studies which analyse the joint effect of acoustic or chemical air pollution variables and different meteorological variables on neuroendocrine disease are practically nonexistent. This study therefore sought to analyse the impact of air pollutants and environmental meteorological variables on daily unscheduled admissions due to endocrine and metabolic diseases in the Madrid Region from January 01, 2013 to December 31, 2018.

Material And Methods: We conducted a longitudinal, retrospective, ecological study of daily time series analysed by Poisson regression, with emergency neuroendocrine-disease admissions in the Madrid Region as the dependent variable.

Short-term impact of noise, other air pollutants and meteorological factors on emergency hospital mental health admissions in the Madrid region.

Background: A number of environmental factors, such as air pollution, noise in urbanised settings and meteorological-type variables, may give rise to important effects on human health. In recent years, many studies have confirmed the relation between various mental disorders and these factors, with a possible impact on the increase in emergency hospital admissions due to these causes. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of a range of environmental factors on daily emergency hospital admissions due to mental disorders in the Madrid Autonomous Region (MAR), across the period 2013-2018.

Short-term effects of air pollution and noise on emergency hospital admissions in Madrid and economic assessment.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to study the effect of air pollution and noise has on the population in Madrid Community (MAR) in the period 2013-2018, and its economic impact.

Methods: Time series study analysing emergency hospital admissions in the MAR due to all causes (ICD-10: A00-R99), respiratory causes (ICD-10: J00-J99) and circulatory causes (ICD-10: I00-I99) across the period 2013-2018. The main independent variables were mean daily PM, PM, NO, 8-h ozone concentrations, and noise.

Urban Road Surface Discrimination by Tire-Road Noise Analysis and Data Clustering.

The surface condition of roadways has direct consequences on a wide range of processes related to the transportation technology, quality of road facilities, road safety, and traffic noise emissions. Methods developed for detection of road surface condition are crucial for maintenance and rehabilitation plans, also relevant for driving environment detection for autonomous transportation systems and e-mobility solutions. In this paper, the clustering of the tire-road noise emission features is proposed to detect the condition of the wheel tracks regions during naturalistic driving events.

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Muted and Remixed the World's Acoustics for a While.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to analyze the effects of the pandemic on the world's sound environment.

Recent Findings: The confinements associated with the pandemic led to a reduction in sound levels worldwide and a change in the perception of soundscapes in the absence of traffic noise and human-generated noise.

Summary: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and regions around the world adopted a series of interventions in 2020 that have been referred to as "lockdown" or "confinement.

Imaging Secretory Granule Budding from the Trans-Golgi Network Using Retention Using Selective Hook (RUSH).

The retention using selective hook (RUSH) system enables us to synchronize and visualize the movement of cargoes along the secretory pathway. A fluorescently tagged cargo of interest is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and released in a biotin-dependent manner. Here, we report a detailed protocol describing the steps necessary to perform RUSH experiments to study secretory granule biogenesis at the trans-Golgi network (TGN).

Body Composition, Anemia, and Kidney Function among Guatemalan Sugarcane Workers.

Rates of anemia among agricultural workers, who are also at risk for kidney injury and chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu), are unknown. We evaluated body composition through the sum of three skinfolds among 203 male sugarcane cutters and assessed the relationship of variables related to nutrition, anemia (hemoglobin < 13 g/dL), and elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ≥ 5.7%) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using linear regression.

Cross-sectional study examining the accuracy of self-reported smoking status as compared to urinary cotinine levels among workers at risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown origin in Guatemala.

Objectives: There is a lack of information on cotinine levels in rural populations in low-income and middle-income countries like Guatemala. Therefore, there is a need to explore smoking status and biomarkers of tobacco use in epidemiological research in rural, low-income populations, in particular those at-risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu).

Design: We evaluated self-reported smoking status against urinary cotinine levels, the gold standard biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure, among agricultural workers at four separate cross-sectional time points.

Sugarcane Workweek Study: Risk Factors for Daily Changes in Creatinine.

Introduction: Agricultural workers laboring in thermally stressful environments are at increased risk for kidney injury and chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu), and their environmental and occupational exposures have been considered to be important risk factors. This study examined the effects of repeated kidney stress from the simultaneous strain of work and other factors experienced by workers in Guatemala during a typical workweek.

Methods: We collected data from 107 sugarcane workers across 7 consecutive work shifts.

Mutations in HID1 Cause Syndromic Infantile Encephalopathy and Hypopituitarism.

Objective: Precursors of peptide hormones undergo posttranslational modifications within the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Dysfunction of proteins involved at different steps of this process cause several complex syndromes affecting the central nervous system (CNS). We aimed to clarify the genetic cause in a group of patients characterized by hypopituitarism in combination with brain atrophy, thin corpus callosum, severe developmental delay, visual impairment, and epilepsy.

NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and caspase 1 (CASP1) modulation by intracellular Cl concentration.

The impairment of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) activity induces intracellular chloride (Cl ) accumulation. The anion Cl , acting as a second messenger, stimulates the secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which starts an autocrine positive feedback loop. Here, we show that NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and caspase 1 (CASP1) are indirectly modulated by the intracellular Cl concentration, showing maximal expression and activity at 75 mM Cl , in the presence of the ionophores nigericin and tributyltin.

International Total Worker Health: Applicability to Agribusiness in Latin America.

Total Worker Health (TWH) is a framework for integrating worker and workplace safety, health, and well-being, which has achieved success in European and US settings. However, the framework has not been implemented in Latin America or in agricultural sectors, leaving large and vulnerable populations underrepresented in the implementation and evaluation of these strategies to improve safety and promote health and well-being. This study presents a case study of how a TWH approach can be applied to a multinational Latin American agribusiness.

Environmental metal exposures and kidney function of Guatemalan sugarcane workers.

Background: Exposure to environmental metals can cause nephrotoxicity. There is an international epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu). Whether metal exposures contribute to kidney dysfunction in populations at risk for CKDu remains unresolved.

Does exposure to noise pollution influence the incidence and severity of COVID-19?

Research that analyzes the effect of different environmental factors on the impact of COVID-19 focus primarily on meteorological variables such as humidity and temperature or on air pollution variables. However, noise pollution is also a relevant environmental factor that contributes to the worsening of chronic cardiovascular diseases and even diabetes. This study analyzes the role of short-term noise pollution levels on the incidence and severity of cases of COVID-19 in Madrid from February 1 to May 31, 2020.

Epidermal growth factor receptor activity upregulates lactate dehydrogenase A expression, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and lactate secretion in cultured IB3-1 cystic fibrosis lung epithelial cells.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. It has been postulated that reduced HCO transport through CFTR may lead to a decreased airway surface liquid pH. In contrast, others have reported no changes in the extracellular pH (pHe).

Workplace Screening Identifies Clinically Significant and Potentially Reversible Kidney Injury in Heat-Exposed Sugarcane Workers.

An epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) has emerged in the past two decades in agricultural communities, characterized by progressive renal failure with a dearth of early clinical symptoms. The aim of this study is to improve understanding of the natural history of this disease and to evaluate the impact of an educational and behavioral intervention on the trajectories of renal decline among a cohort of Guatemalan sugarcane workers. We identified groups of workers based on their kidney function during a longitudinal parent study conducted among sugarcane workers during the 2016-2017 harvest season.