Lack of Association between Vitamin D Genetic Polymorphism and Virological Characteristics of Hepatitis B Infection.

Background: Exploring polymorphisms in vitamin D-related genes (VDR) within the Brazilian population provides a valuable model to contribute to the influence of the host genetic variants on chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: 126 CHB patients were enrolled in the current study and clinical, laboratory, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OD)D] level data were obtained. Four VDR (rs7975232, rs1544410, rs10735810, rs731236) and 2 vitamin D-binding protein/carrier globulin (GC) polymorphisms (rs4588 and rs7041) were determined using TaqMan assays and nucleotide sequencing.

Post-COVID-19 inflammation and sarcopenia in obese diabetic dialysis patients.

Introduction: Diabetes, obesity, and CKD collectively impact musculoskeletal health and increase the risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 32 dialysis patients, categorized based on their COVID-19 status. Laboratory assessments included inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α).

Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil against and .

: essential oil (OEO) is safe, effective, multifunctional, and widely used. This study aimed to evaluate OEO's chemical composition and antimicrobial activity in vitro against and . : The composition of OEO was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Exploring chemical properties of essential oils from citrus peels using green solvent.

The research explored the chemical characteristics of essential oils (EOs) extracted from the peels of four citrus fruits grown in northeastern Peru (lime, sweet lemon, mandarin and orange). The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation using a green solvent, and subsequently, their physicochemical profile, bioactive, heat capacity, and RAMAN mapping were determined; in addition, the volatile composition was determined by gas chromatography (GC-MS), and the main phenols by liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The results evidenced that sweet lemon and mandarin essential oils had higher antioxidant activity (1592.

Antifungal activity of poly(lactic acid) nanofibers containing the essential oil from Corymbia citriodora Hook or the monoterpenes β-citronellol and citronellal against mycotoxigenic fungi.

Food contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi is one of the principal factors that cause food loss and economic losses in the food industry. The objective of this work was to incorporate the essential oil from Corymbia citriodora Hook and its constituents citronellal and β-citronellol into poly(lactic acid) nanofibers; to characterize the nanofibers by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry; to evaluate the antifungal activity by the fumigation method; to evaluate the antimycotoxigenic activity against Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus westerdijkiae, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus parasiticus; and to evaluate the morphology of these microorganisms. All the nanofibers had a regular, smooth, and continuous morphology.

Essential oils from Cuminum cyminum and Laurus nobilis and their principal constituents: evaluation of antifungal and antimycotoxigenic potential in Aspergillus species.

The antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activities of the essential oils (EO) from Cuminum cyminum and Laurus nobilis, and their respective principal compounds, cuminaldehyde and 1,8-cineole, were evaluated against fungi of the genus Aspergillus: A. carbonarius, A. niger, A.

Impact of sperm sex sorting on sperm quality and in vitro embryo production in bovine.

Increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposures can modify epigenetic marks in the germline, leading to the transmission of abnormal post-fertilization sperm epigenetic indicators and affecting embryonic development. Given the pivotal role of sperm cells in determining embryo quality, there is growing interest in understanding the potential effects of sperm sex sorting on embryo quality. This study aimed to investigate the impact of bovine sperm sexing on in vitro embryo production (IVP) and to associate molecular aspects of embryos analysis.

Computational Methods for Image Analysis in Craniofacial Development and Disease.

Observation is at the center of all biological sciences. Advances in imaging technologies are therefore essential to derive novel biological insights to better understand the complex workings of living systems. Recent high-throughput sequencing and imaging techniques are allowing researchers to simultaneously address complex molecular variations spatially and temporarily in tissues and organs.

Banisteriopsis caapi extract: Implications for neuroinflammatory pathways in Locus coeruleus lesion rodent model.

Ethnopharmacology Relevance: Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from the decoctions of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) Morton and Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav., used throughout the Amazon as a medicinal beverage for healing and spiritual exploration.

Mode of delivery according to Robson classification and perinatal outcomes in restricted and small for gestational age fetuses.

Objective: To evaluate the mode of delivery according to Robson classification (RC) and the perinatal outcomes in fetal growth restriction (FGR) and small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study by analyzing medical records of singleton pregnancies from two consecutive years (2018 and 2019). FGR was defined according to Delphi Consensus.

Apomixis beyond trees in the Brazilian savanna: new insights from the orchid .

n the Neotropics, the focus of apomictic studies predominantly centres on trees within the Brazilian savanna, characterized, mostly as sporophytic and facultative, associated with polyploidy and polyembryony. To enhance our understanding of the mechanisms governing apomixis and sexual reproduction in tropical herbaceous plants, we clarify the relationship between apomixis, chromosome counts, and polyembryony in the epiphytic orchid , which forms a polyploid complex within rocky outcrops in both the Brazilian savanna and the Atlantic forest. To define embryo origins and describe megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis, we performed manual self-pollinations in first-day flowers of cultivated plants, considering all three cytotypes (2, 3, 4) of this species.

How was your day? A within-person analysis of how mental health may moderate the route from daily micro-events to satisfaction after work via affect and contextual performance.

This study builds on the affective events theory and the conservation of resources theory to propose a model that analyses an affect-to-behaviour-to-outcome route, highlighting how daily micro-events and subsequent affective reactions lead to behaviours (performance) and cognitions (satisfaction after work), and how mental health moderates this process. Results from a 5-day diary study, during the pandemic (N = 250, n = 1221), provided data to test the proposed affect-to-behaviour-to-outcome route. Poorer mental health buffered the positive within-person relationship between daily micro-events, affective reactions, performance and satisfaction after work, suggesting that high levels of mental health allowed individuals to maximise the benefits of positive daily micro-events in their satisfaction after work via affect and performance.

fim3-24/ptxP-3 genotype is associated to whooping cough outbreak in Brazilian Midwest: The selection of Bordetella pertussis strains driven by vaccine immunization.

Whopping cough (or Pertussis) is an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. The disease is highly transmissible and can be fatal in children under two years old. Since the introduction of vaccine immunization in 1940, Pertussis incidence decreased worldwide.

Headache Phenotypes in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension and Its Short-Term Outcomes: A Retrospective Case Series Study.

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) presents a complex physiopathology, leading into diverse manifestations, notably variable headache phenotypes. Furthermore, its frequent overlap with migraine complicates the evaluation of treatment benefit for IIH-related headache. Our aim was to investigate if there is any relationship between demographic factors, clinical patterns of headache, treatment response, and headache short-term outcome with the headache phenotype of IIH.

Macrodystrophia Lipomatosa: A Case Report and Relevant Anatomical Considerations.

Macrodactyly, a often congenital anomaly, entails abnormal enlargement of digits, predominantly affecting hands or feet, either in isolation or as part of a syndromic condition. The authors present a case of Macrodystrophia Lipomatosa (ML), a form of macrodactyly, in a 62-year-old patient, emphasizing macrodactyly manifestations through clinical and radiological assessments. Additionally, the authors explore anatomical aspects related to nerve distribution in affected digits, providing a comprehensive understanding of ML.

The RNA binding proteins LARP4A and LARP4B promote sarcoma and carcinoma growth and metastasis.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are emerging as important regulators of cancer pathogenesis. We reveal that the RBPs LARP4A and LARP4B are differentially overexpressed in osteosarcoma and osteosarcoma lung metastases, as well as in prostate cancer. Depletion of LARP4A and LARP4B reduced tumor growth and metastatic spread in xenografts, as well as inhibiting cell proliferation, motility, and migration.

Behavioral effects of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced damage to nigro-striatal pathway and Locus coeruleus as a rodent model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), which leads to motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS). NMS can appear many years before the classical motor symptoms and are associated with the neurodegeneration of several nuclei; in this work, we highlight the neurodegeneration of Locus coeruleus (LC) in PD. The aim was to investigate the effects of depleting SNpc and LC catecholaminergic neurons on behavioral and neurobiological endpoints.

Daily uncertainty may overshadow the role of perceived manager effectiveness on daily performance via experienced daily positive affect: A multilevel study.

Objectives: In this study, we expand on the existing work on daily performance by focusing on (1) within-person fluctuation in perceived manager effectiveness in relation to daily positive affective experiences and daily performance and (2) between-person fluctuations in uncertainty as a relevant boundary condition of these relationships.

Methods: Multilevel data from 101 managers (1,010 measurement occasions) were used to test the hypotheses.

Results: The results showed that fluctuations in the perception of a manager's effectiveness related positively to daily positive affective experiences, and this relationship was moderated by the team member's uncertainty levels in such a way that perceived uncertainty buffered the positive effect of leadership effectiveness on positive affective experiences.

Redefining Mucosal Inflammation with Spatial Genomics.

The human oral mucosa contains one of the most complex cellular systems that are essential for normal physiology and defense against a wide variety of local pathogens. Evolving techniques and experimental systems have helped refine our understanding of this complex cellular network. Current single-cell RNA sequencing methods can resolve subtle differences between cell types and states, thus providing a great tool for studying the molecular and cellular repertoire of the oral mucosa in health and disease.

Long-term effect of firing protocols on surface roughness and flexural strength of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic.

This study evaluated the effect of different firing protocols on the surface roughness and flexural strength of CAD/CAM lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (LD) after aging methods. Forty-two LD bars of 16 x 4 x 2 mm (IPS e-max CAD, Ivoclar) were randomly separated into two groups according to firing protocols: Single firing-Staining, glazing, and crystallization in a single step; Multiple firings-Crystallization+First staining+Firing+Second staining+Firing+Glazing+Firing. After protocols, initial surface roughness readings were taken (Surfcorder SE1700, Kosakalab).

Mindfulness Fills in the Blank Spaces Left by Affective Uncertainty Uplifting Adaptive Behaviors.

Drawing on the integrative model of uncertainty tolerance, we aimed to investigate whether uncertainty relates to adaptive performance, at the within-person level. We argue that daily uncertainty at work will trigger negative affective reactions that, in turn, will minimize adaptive performance. Moreover, we focus on socio-cognitive mindfulness as a cross-level moderator of the indirect relationship of uncertainty on adaptive performance via negative affect.

Examination of Raw Samples and Ethanol Extracts of Gerês Propolis Collected in Different Years.

Propolis, a natural resin created by bees, has garnered significant attention from both the scientific community and industry due to an impressive range of bioactivities. Nonetheless, the intrinsic variability in its chemical composition and bioactive profiles has been hindering propolis' full potential use. We previously showed that ethanol extracts (EEs) of a Portuguese propolis sample (Gerês) collected over four consecutive years displayed similar chemical and biological profiles, a constancy never documented before.