Cymbopogon citratus showing nematicidal activity against Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri.

This paper describes a novel in vivo study of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) to assess its anthelmintic activity. To this end, C57BL/6 mice were separated into three groups: G1: uninfected; G2: negative control infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri and administered with 3% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); and G3: infected with H. polygyrus bakeri and treated with C.

Experimental tests challenge the evidence of a healthy human blood microbiome.

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has made it possible to investigate microbial communities in various environments, including different sites within the human body. Therefore, the previously established belief of the sterile nature of several body sites, including human blood, has now been challenged. However, metagenomics investigation of areas with an anticipated low microbial biomass may be susceptible to misinterpretation.

Chronic Intestinal Failure and Short Bowel Syndrome in Adults: The State of the Art.

Background: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a devastating malabsorptive condition and the most common cause of chronic intestinal failure (CIF). During the intestinal rehabilitation process, patients may need parenteral support for months or years, parenteral nutrition (PN), or hydration/electrolyte supplementation, as a bridge for the desired enteral autonomy.

Summary: Several classification criteria have been highlighted to reflect different perspectives in CIF.

Gut microbiota in very early systemic sclerosis: the first case-control taxonomic and functional characterisation highlighting an altered butyric acid profile.

Objectives: In systemic sclerosis (SSc), gastrointestinal involvement is one of the earliest events. We compared the gut microbiota (GM), its short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and host-derived free fatty acids (FFAs) in patients with very early diagnosis of SSc (VEDOSS) and definite SSc.

Methods: Stool samples of 26 patients with SSc, 18 patients with VEDOSS and 20 healthy controls (HC) were collected.

Host genetics and gut microbiota influence lipid metabolism and inflammation: potential implications for ALS pathophysiology in SOD1 mice.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons, with genetic and environmental factors contributing to its complex pathogenesis. Dysregulated immune responses and altered energetic metabolism are key features, with emerging evidence implicating the gut microbiota (GM) in disease progression. We investigated the interplay among genetic background, GM composition, metabolism, and immune response in two distinct ALS mouse models: 129Sv_G93A and C57Ola_G93A, representing rapid and slow disease progression, respectively.

Steroid-Refractory Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis in Infliximab-Experienced Patients.

Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a potentially life-threatening complication of ulcerative colitis (UC) that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, with a substantial number of patients needing colectomy. Infliximab (IFX) has been increasingly used as a rescue therapy for patients who have failed intravenous steroids and has been more frequently used as an induction and maintenance therapy in moderate-to-severe UC. Therefore, the number of patients admitted with ASUC previously exposed to IFX has been increasing, raising additional challenges in the medical management of these patients to avoid emergent colectomy.

Malignancy and mass-forming phenotypes of IgG4-related disease: a challenging diagnosis.

Mass-forming phenotypes of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) mimic malignancy and histological confirmation can be challenging. A woman in her 70s with HIV infection presented with painless obstructive jaundice and weight loss. Magnetic resonance imaging was suggestive of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Evaluation of different molecular systems for detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater samples.

Wastewater-based epidemiology has proved to be a suitable approach for tracking the spread of epidemic agents including SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Different protocols have been developed for quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater samples, but little is known on their performance. In this study we compared three protocols based on Reverse Transcription Real Time-PCR (RT-PCR) and one based on Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection from 35 wastewater samples.

Experimental colitis in young Tg2576 mice accelerates the onset of an Alzheimer's-like clinical phenotype.

Systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation affect the natural course of the sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as supported by epidemiological and preclinical data, and several epidemiological studies indicate a higher prevalence of AD in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we explored whether colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in young, presymptomatic/preplaque mice worsens and/or anticipates age-dependent cognitive impairment in Tg2576, a widely used mouse model of AD. We demonstrated that DSS colitis induced in young Tg2576 mice anticipates the onset age of learning and memory deficit in the Morris water maze test.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis stratification: unveiling patterns with virome, inflammation, and metabolism molecules.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an untreatable and clinically heterogeneous condition primarily affecting motor neurons. The ongoing quest for reliable biomarkers that mirror the disease status and progression has led to investigations that extend beyond motor neurons' pathology, encompassing broader systemic factors such as metabolism, immunity, and the microbiome. Our study contributes to this effort by examining the potential role of microbiome-related components, including viral elements, such as torque tenovirus (TTV), and various inflammatory factors, in ALS.

Oral microbiota signatures associated with viremia and CD4 recovery in treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected patients.

Purpose: Few reports focused on the role of oral microbiome diversity in HIV infection. We characterized the microbiota-immunity axis in a cohort of treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) focusing on the oral microbiome (OM) and immunological responsivity.

Methods: The sequencing of 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable region was performed on salivary samples of 15 healthy control (HC) and 12 HIV + patients before starting ART and after reaching virological suppression.

Acute toxicity of total ammonia to Macrobrachium rosenbergii postlarvae at different salinity levels.

Nitrogen compounds, particularly ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, are a major problem in shrimp production systems. These compounds can accumulate in the aquatic environment and reach harmful or even lethal levels. Thus, monitoring the levels of nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia and studying their effects on the animals are essential.

Alterations of circulating free fatty acids in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Free fatty acids (FFA) have gained research interest owing to their functions in both local and systemic immune regulation. Changes in the serum levels of anti-inflammatory short chain fatty acids (SCFA), primarily derived from the gut microbiota, and pro-inflammatory medium (MCFA) and long (LCFA) chain fatty acids, derived from either the gut microbiota or the diet, have been associated with autoimmunity. Circulating FFA were retrospectively analysed by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method in the serum of 18 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) at the baseline and 6 months (n = 10) after immunosuppressive treatments, and 18 healthy controls (HC).

Machine learning methods for genomic prediction of cow behavioral traits measured by automatic milking systems in North American Holstein cattle.

Identifying genome-enabled methods that provide more accurate genomic prediction is crucial when evaluating complex traits such as dairy cow behavior. In this study, we aimed to compare the predictive performance of traditional genomic prediction methods and deep learning algorithms for genomic prediction of milking refusals (MREF) and milking failures (MFAIL) in North American Holstein cows measured by automatic milking systems (milking robots). A total of 1,993,509 daily records from 4,511 genotyped Holstein cows were collected by 36 milking robot stations.

Interplay between desiccation and oxidative stress responses in iron-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria.

Variations in water availability represent a foremost stress factor affecting the growth and survival of microorganisms. Acidophilic bioleaching bacteria are industrially applied for releasing metals from mineral sulphides, and they are considered extremely tolerant to oxidative conditions prevailing in acidic bioleaching environments. Such processes usually are performed in heaps and thus these microorganisms are also exposed to intermittent desiccations or high osmolarity periods that reduce the water availability.

Genome-wide association study between copy number variation and feeding behavior, feed efficiency, and growth traits in Nellore cattle.

Background: Feeding costs represent the largest expenditures in beef production. Therefore, the animal efficiency in converting feed in high-quality protein for human consumption plays a major role in the environmental impact of the beef industry and in the beef producers' profitability. In this context, breeding animals for improved feed efficiency through genomic selection has been considered as a strategic practice in modern breeding programs around the world.

Longitudinal genomic analyses of automatically-recorded vaginal temperature in lactating sows under heat stress conditions based on random regression models.

Background: Automatic and continuous recording of vaginal temperature (T) using wearable sensors causes minimal disruptions to animal behavior and can generate data that enable the evaluation of temporal body temperature variation under heat stress (HS) conditions. However, the genetic basis of T in lactating sows from a longitudinal perspective is still unknown. The objectives of this study were to define statistical models and estimate genetic parameters for T in lactating sows using random regression models, and identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with HS indicators derived from automatically-recorded T.

Discovery of Orally Available and Brain Penetrant AEP Inhibitors.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most widespread form of dementia, with one of the pathological hallmarks being the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). These tangles consist of phosphorylated Tau fragments. Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) is a key Tau cleaving enzyme that generates aggregation-prone Tau fragments.

Quality of death in patients in advanced chronic liver disease and cancer patients managed by gastroenterologists in Portugal: are we doing it right?

Introduction: The incidence of chronic progressive diseases is rising and investment on quality of death and dying is of utmost importance to minimize physical and emotional suffering. There is still a gap in palliative care (PC) between patients with cancer and those with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Our objectives were to characterize clinical attitudes and therapeutic interventions and to evaluate the differences in end-of-life care between inpatients with cancer and ACLD under gastroenterology care.

Genetic parameters for calf feeding traits derived from automated milk feeding machines and number of bovine respiratory disease treatments in North American Holstein calves.

Precision livestock farming technologies, such as automatic milk feeding machines, have increased the availability of on-farm data collected from dairy operations. We analyzed feeding records from automatic milk feeding machines to evaluate the genetic background of milk feeding traits and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in North American Holstein calves. Data from 10,076 preweaning female Holstein calves were collected daily over a period of 6 yr (3 yr included per-visit data), and daily milk consumption (DMC), per-visit milk consumption (PVMC), daily sum of drinking duration (DSDD), drinking duration per-visit, daily number of rewarded visits (DNRV), and total number of visits per day were recorded over a 60-d preweaning period.