Trans-ancestry genome wide association study of childhood body mass index identifies novel loci and age-specific effects.

Over the past 30 years, obesity prevalence has markedly increased globally, including among children. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 1,000 genetic loci associated with obesity-related traits in adults, the genetic architecture of childhood obesity is less well-characterized. Moreover, most childhood obesity GWAS have been restricted to severely obese children, in relatively small sample sizes, and in primarily European ancestry populations.

Growing Hybrid Cuticles: Metallochitins as an Emerging Family of Bioactive Mimics of Chitin.

Inspired by the properties of natural chitin, the present work provides the first solid foundation for growing conformal ultrathin antibacterial films of organic chitin through a solvent-free molecular layer deposition (MLD) process. This work establishes the initial groundwork for growing biomimetic hybrid cuticles by combining sugar-type molecules with vapor-phase metal-organic precursors, which we term metallochitins or, more generally, metallosaccharides. The MLD process, featuring mild temperatures and solvent-free conditions, provides exceptional conformality and thickness precision, ensuring highly conformal coatings on diverse high aspect ratio substrates.

Acute stress triggers sex-dependent rapid alterations in the human small intestine microbiota composition.

Background/aims: Digestive disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are very common, predominant in females, and usually associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction, dysbiosis, and stress. We previously found that females have increased susceptibility to intestinal barrier dysfunction in response to acute stress. However, whether this is associated with changes in the small bowel microbiota remains unknown.

Parasitism by Shimbori, 2023 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of three species of Guenée, 1852: effects of preferential instar and host diet.

Unlabelled: A recently discovered koinobiont parasitoid species, Shimbori, 2023, proved to be a promising biological control agent for larvae of (Walker, 1858), (Stoll, 1782), and (J.E. Smith, 1797), all well-known pests that cause critical damage to soybean and corn crops.

The use of Pleurotus ostreatus by-products for the preparation of a gel-like polysaccharide with bioactive properties.

The mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus is widely produced in Brazil and its stipes are discarded before commercialization. In the present study, this agricultural fungal waste (mushroom stipes), was analyzed by preparing an aqueous extract and obtaining the polysaccharides by ethanol precipitation (POS-extract). The fraction presented 37 % of carbohydrates and small amounts of proteins and phenolic compounds.