Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model for Evaluating the Toxicology of Inorganic Nanoparticles.

Inorganic nanoparticles are nanomaterials with a central core composed of inorganic specimens, especially metals, which give them interesting applications but can impact the environment and human health. Their short- and long-term effects are not completely known and to investigate that, alternative models have been successfully used. Among these, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been increasingly applied in nanotoxicology in recent years because of its many features and advantages for toxicological screening.

Influence of Light-Curing Time and Increment Thickness on the Properties of Bulk Fill Composite Resins With Distinct Application Systems.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of light-curing time and increment thickness on the microhardness and degree of conversion (DC) of bulk fill composite resins with different application systems. Translucency parameter (TP) was also measured. Specimens of resin composites were prepared in a circular matrix using a single increment with different thicknesses (2, 4, and 6 mm) and light-cured with distinct times (10, 20, and 40 s).

Inhibition of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by grape and rice agroindustrial residues.

Agroindustrial wastes are generated daily and seem to be rich in bioactive molecules. Thus, they can potentially be used as source of compounds able to control bacterial biofilms. We investigated the potential of extracts from the residues of rice and grape to combat clinically important bacterial biofilms.

Combination of proviral and antiviral roles of B cell-intrinsic STAT1 expression defines parameters of chronic gammaherpesvirus infection.

Gammaherpesviruses are species-specific, ubiquitous pathogens that establish lifelong infection in their hosts and are associated with cancers, including B cell lymphomas. Type I and II interferons (IFNs) are critical for the control of acute and chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. However, the cell type-specific role of IFN signaling during natural infection is poorly defined and is masked by the altered viral pathogenesis observed in hosts with global IFN deficiencies.

Challenges Reconciling Theory and Experiments in the Prediction of Lattice Thermal Conductivity: The Case of Cu-Based Sulvanites.

The exploration of large chemical spaces in search of new thermoelectric materials requires the integration of experiments, theory, simulations, and data science. The development of high-throughput strategies that combine DFT calculations with machine learning has emerged as a powerful approach to discovering new materials. However, experimental validation is crucial to confirm the accuracy of these workflows.

Capsaicin Improves Systemic Inflammation, Atherosclerosis, and Macrophage-Derived Foam Cells by Stimulating PPAR Gamma and TRPV1 Receptors.

Background: Capsaicin, a bioactive compound found in peppers, is recognized for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-lipidemic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of capsaicin on atherosclerosis progression.

Methods: Apolipoprotein E knockout mice and their C57BL/6 controls were utilized to assess blood lipid profile, inflammatory status, and atherosclerotic lesions.

A Unified Atlas of T cell Glycophysiology.

Glycans are emerging as important regulators of T cell function but remain poorly characterized across the functionally distinct populations that exist . Here, we couple single-cell analysis technologies with soluble lectins and chemical probes to interrogate glycosylation patterns on major T cell populations across multiple mouse and human tissues. Our analysis focused on terminal glycan epitopes with immunomodulatory functions, including sialoglycan ligands for Siglecs.

Regioselectivity in Pyrene-Templated Polymerization Using MOFs as 1D Porous Scaffolds.

Physicochemical properties of polymers strongly depend on the arrangement and distribution of attached monomers. Templated polymerization using porous crystalline materials appears as a promising route to gain control on the process. Thus, we demonstrate here the potential of metal-organic frameworks as scaffolds with a versatile and very regular porosity, well adapted for the regioselective oxidative polymerization of pyrene.

Cumulative incidence and risk of infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with janus kinase inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who receive immunosuppressive medications have a heightened risk of infection. The goal of our study was to calculate the pooled cumulative incidence and risk of infection in patients with RA treated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi). The PubMed and EMBASE databases were queried for randomized controlled trials comparing patients with RA treated with JAKi (upadacitinib, baricitinib, tofacitinib, peficitinib, or filgotinib), defined as the treatment group, compared with control subjects, defined as participants receiving placebo or treatment regimen that was similar to that of participants in the treatment group, with the exception of JAKi.

Use of Cost-Effectiveness Thresholds in Healthcare Public Policy: Progress and Challenges.

The article offers a comparative analysis of the influence of cost-effectiveness thresholds in the decision-making processes in financing policies, coverage, and price regulation of health technologies in nine countries. We investigated whether countries used cost-effectiveness thresholds for public health policy decision making and found that few countries have adopted the cost-effectiveness threshold as an official criterion for financing, reimbursement, or pricing. However, in countries where it is applied, such as Thailand, the results have been very favorable in terms of minimizing health technology prices and ensuring the financial sustainability of the health system.

Association of Circulating Markers of Microbial Translocation and Hepatic Inflammation with Liver Injury in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Virtually the entire spectrum of liver disease is observed in association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); indeed, T2DM is now the most common cause of liver disease in the U.S. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the relevance of increased microbial translocation and systemic inflammation in the development of liver injury in patients with T2DM.

Comparing Bispectral Index Monitoring vs Clinical Assessment for Deep Sedation in the ICU: Effects on Delirium Reduction and Sedative Drug Doses-A Randomized Trial.

Background: Sedative overdoses pose a risk of delirium among patients in the ICU, with potential mitigation through the use of a processed EEG monitor (the bispectral index [BIS]) to guide depth of sedation.

Research Question: Can BIS-guided deep sedation (Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale [RASS] score, -4 or -5) reduce sedative dosage and increase delirium-free and coma-free (DFCF) days?

Study Design And Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary mixed ICU, enrolling patients requiring deep sedation for > 8 h. Patients were assigned randomly to either the clinical assessment (CA) or BIS groups (BIS range, 40-60).

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pharmacological Treatment for Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients in Colombia.

Objectives: To evaluate cost-effective pharmacological treatment in adult kidney transplant recipients from the perspective of the Colombian health system.

Methods: A decision tree model for the induction phase and a Markov model for the maintenance phase were built. A review of the clinical literature was conducted to extract probabilities, and the life-years were used as the outcome.

Tcf4 dysfunction alters dorsal and ventral cortical neurogenesis in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome mouse model showing sexual dimorphism.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of transcription factor 4 (TCF4). In this work, we focused on the cerebral cortex and investigated in detail the progenitor cell dynamics and the outcome of neurogenesis in a PTHS mouse model. Labeling and quantification of progenitors and newly generated neurons at various time points during embryonic development revealed alterations affecting the dynamic of cortical progenitors since the earliest stages of cortex formation in PTHS mice.

Using Low-cost Dyes to Visualize Glycogen Accumulation and Gut Integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a transparent, non-parasitic nematode with a simple biology, which makes it a great tool for biological sciences teaching through the staining of the cells or their molecular content. Lugol dye (iodine-potassium iodide solution) has been widely used in biochemistry to stain glycogen stores.

The clinical manifestations of hyperostosis frontalis interna: A qualitative systematic review of cases.

Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a condition defined as abnormal bone growth on the posterior aspect of the frontal bone. Despite uncertainties regarding its etiology and prognosis, clinicians typically consider HFI a benign pathology. There are no studies organizing all the possible manifestations of the disease.

The Caenorhabditis elegans neuroendocrine system and their modulators: An overview.

In this review we seek to systematically bring what has been published in the literature about the nervous system, endocrine system, neuroendocrine relationships, neuroendocrine modulations and endocrine disruptors in the alternative model Caenorhabditis elegans. The serotonergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitters are related to the modulation of the neuroendocrine axis, leading to the activation or inhibition of several processes that occur in the worm through distinct and interconnected pathways. Furthermore, this review addresses the gut-neuronal axis as it has been revealed in recent years that gut microbiota impacts on neuronal functions.

(p-ClPhSe) modulation on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism requires the insulin-like signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Organoselenium compounds modulate the metabolism by regulating carbohydrate and lipid syntheses and degradation in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Notably, p-chloro-diphenyl diselenide (p-ClPhSe) can directly regulate the activities of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism, suggesting an insulin-like effect in rodents; however, there is still a lack of scientific evidence to confirm this hypothesis. The objective of this study was to investigate (p-ClPhSe) effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Bougainvillea glabra Choisy bracts extract in free and liposomal forms reduce hyperplasia induced by let-60gain-of-function in Caenorhabditis elegans.

In this study, we evaluated the toxicological and antiproliferative effects of B. glabra Choisy bract extract (BGCE) in its free and loaded into liposomes forms administered to C. elegans mutants with let-60 gain-of-function (gf).

An Evidence Map for Social and Structural Determinants for Maternal Morbidity and Mortality: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To identify the social-structural determinants of health risk factors associated with maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States during the prenatal and postpartum periods.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Social Sciences Citation Index through November 2022 for eligible studies that examined exposures related to social and structural determinants of health and at least one health or health care-related outcome for pregnant and birthing people.

Methods Of Study Selection: After screening 8,378 unique references, 118 studies met inclusion criteria.

Influence of Carboxymethyl Cellulose on the Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using and Extracts: Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Effect Evaluation.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized and stabilized using ecological strategies: the extracts of the leaves of the plants (GS) and (PA) reduced the metallic Au ions to AuNPs. The AuNPs were analyzed as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for pyridoxine detection (vitamin B6). UV-vis spectroscopy was carried out to assess the stability of the AuNPs.

Campomanesia adamantium O Berg. fruit, native to Brazil, can protect against oxidative stress and promote longevity.

Campomanesia adamantium O. Berg. is a fruit tree species native to the Brazilian Cerrado biome whose fruits are consumed raw by the population.

Purple pitanga extract (Eugenia uniflora) attenuates oxidative stress induced by MPTP.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) has been widely used due to its specific and reproducible neurotoxic effect on the nigrostriatal system, being considered a convenient model of dopaminergic neurodegeneration to study interventions therapeutics. The purple pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) is a polyphenol-rich fruit with antioxidant and antidepressant properties, among others. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of purple pitanga extract (PPE) on acute early oxidative stress induced by intranasal 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration in rats.