Modulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics by the Angiotensin System in Dopaminergic Neurons and Microglia.

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) dysfunctions have been associated to life-spam, and aging-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, and the neuroinflammatory associated processes. Mitochondrial dysfunctions play a major role in aging-related diseases, including dopaminergic neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. However, the mechanisms of RAS/mitochondria interactions remain to be clarified.

Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Positive Mental Health Program for Adults: Study Protocol.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a positive mental health program for adults (PMHP) in the community.

Background: Positive mental health (PMH) can be seen as a construct represented by six factors (personal satisfaction, prosocial attitude, self-control, autonomy, problem resolution, and self-actualization, and interpersonal relationship skills) according to the Multifactorial Model for PMH. Although there are several interventions in promoting mental health, research on effective promotion of PMH for adults in the community with structured and validated programs of PMH is scarce.

Focus on Achalasia in the Omics Era.

Achalasia is a rare and complex esophageal disease of unknown etiology characterized by difficulty in swallowing due to the lack of opening of the lower esophageal sphincter and the absence of esophageal peristalsis. Recent advancements in technology for analyzing DNA, RNA and biomolecules in high-throughput techniques are offering new opportunities to better understand the etiology and the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying achalasia. Through this narrative review of the scientific literature, we aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art knowledge on omics of achalasia, with particular attention to those considered relevant to the pathogenesis of the disease.

Suboptimal disease control and contributing factors in Italian IBD patients: The IBD-PODCAST Study.

Background And Aim: Suboptimal disease control (SDC) and its contributing factors in IBD according to STRIDE-II criteria is unclear. IBD-PODCAST was a non-interventional, international, multicenter real-world study to assess this.

Methods: Data from the Italian IBD cohort (N=220) are presented here.

Ecosystem engineers enhance the multifunctionality of an urban novel ecosystem: Population persistence and ecosystem resilience since the 1980s.

In degraded urban habitats, nature-based solutions aim to enhance ecosystem functioning and service provision. Bivalves are increasingly reintroduced to urban environments to enhance water quality through biofiltration, yet their long-term sustainability remains uncertain. Following the restoration of the disused South Docks in Liverpool in the 1980s, natural colonization of mussels rapidly improved dock-basin water quality and supported diverse taxa, including other filter feeders.

Inflammatory bowel disease genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metagenomics meet artificial intelligence.

Various extrinsic and intrinsic factors such as drug exposures, antibiotic treatments, smoking, lifestyle, genetics, immune responses, and the gut microbiome characterize ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, collectively called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). All these factors contribute to the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease etiology and pathogenesis leading to major challenges for the scientific community in improving management, medical treatments, genetic risk, and exposome impact. Understanding the interaction(s) among these factors and their effects on the immune system in IBD patients has prompted advances in multi-omics research, the development of new tools as part of system biology, and more recently, artificial intelligence (AI) approaches.

Deciphering Microbial Composition in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Implications for Therapeutic Response to Biologic Agents.

Growing evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiome impact the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Although IBD often requires the use of immunosuppressant drugs and biologic therapies to facilitate clinical remission and mucosal healing, some patients do not benefit from these drugs, and the reasons for this remain poorly understood. Despite advancements, there is still a need to develop biomarkers to help predict prognosis and guide treatment decisions.

Opportunistic omnivory impairs the use of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus as a trace metal biomonitor in invaded Mediterranean coastal waters.

The contribution of non-indigenous species to the transfer of contaminants in invaded food webs represents an active research area. Here we measured trace metals and CN stable isotopes in five populations of the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus and in baseline bivalve species from Spain, Italy and Greece. They were used to estimate trophic transfer effects and the trophic position and isotopic niche of C.

Recent advances in the therapeutic potential of cathelicidins.

The alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance in the last decades has prompted the search for alternatives to control infectious diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a heterogeneous class of molecules with ample antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. They can be found in many organisms, including all classes of vertebrates, providing a valuable source of new antimicrobial agents.

Urbanization and scorpion stings in Manaus, the largest metropolis in the Brazilian Amazon.

This study analyzed a total of 260 confirmed scorpion stings reported in the city of Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, from 1990 to 2020. Cases were mapped according to the GPS location of their occurrence and plotted on a satellite image of the city. The stings generally occurred close to green areas, and the hotspots of stings moved north as city grew into that direction over time.

[Update on the Diagnosis and Stratification of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: An Urgent National Need].

Acute myeloid leukemia is a neoplasm with a high lethality, with alarming results in our country, positioning it as a priority from the point of view of oncological public health. Cytology, immunophenotype, karyogram, and a few translocations/mutations by molecular biology are currently available for diagnosis and stratification. This diagnostic approach is insufficient since it allows classifying less than 50% of patients in a specific group.

The role of the brain renin-angiotensin system in Parkinson´s disease.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was classically considered a circulating hormonal system that regulates blood pressure. However, different tissues and organs, including the brain, have a local paracrine RAS. Mutual regulation between the dopaminergic system and RAS has been observed in several tissues.

Impact of treatment adherence and inhalation technique on asthma outcomes of pediatric patients: a longitudinal study.

We aimed to evaluate the longitudinal relationships, both at between- and within-person levels, that adherence to inhaled corticosteroid-based maintenance treatment and inhalation technique present with symptom control, exacerbations, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with asthma. Participants (6-14 years old) from the ARCA (Asthma Research in Children and Adolescents) cohort-a prospective, multicenter, observational study (NCT04480242)-were followed for a period from 6 months to 5 years via computer-assisted telephone interviews and a smartphone application. The Medication Intake Survey-Asthma (MIS-A) was administered to assess the implementation stage of adherence, and the Inhalation Technique Questionnaire (InTeQ) was used to assess the five key steps when using an inhaler.

Food allergy spectrum in the tropic: clinical and epidemiological profiles in a colombian hospital. A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Food allergy affects 2-10% of the general population; it is more frequent among children than among adults, and it is one of the leading causes of anaphylaxis. Diagnosis of food allergy requires a detailed medical history, skin tests, specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) tests for the food involved, and an oral challenge as final confirmation.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients who underwent oral food challenges for suspected food allergies in a reference center in Colombia.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients in Chile: A single-center analysis.

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia represents 20% of acute leukemias in adults. Currently, there is limited data in Chile regarding the clinical, cytogenetic, and prognostic characteristics of this condition.

Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, and descriptive study of 67 patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the Arturo Lopez Perez Foundation between 2018 and 2021.

Fusion of PspA to detoxified pneumolysin enhances pneumococcal vaccine coverage.

Despite the implementation of conjugate vaccines in several countries, S. pneumoniae continues to pose a great burden worldwide, causing around 1 million annual deaths. Pneumococcal proteins have long been investigated as serotype-independent vaccines against this pathogen, with promising results.

Relationship between Na/K-ATPase in thawed sperm and fertility of Angus bulls.

Since bull fertility prediction remains challenging, the identification of potential fertility markers is important considering the economic benefits to the livestock industry. The main goal of this study was to determine the Na/K-ATPase activity and expression in thawed sperm of high (HF)- and low-fertility (LF) Angus bulls. Samples from three different batches/bulls with HF (n = 4) and LF (n = 4) were used.

Astroglial S100B Secretion Is Mediated by Ca Mobilization from Endoplasmic Reticulum: A Study Using Forskolin and DMSO as Secretagogues.

S100B, a homodimeric Ca-binding protein, is produced and secreted by astrocytes, and its extracellular levels have been used as a glial marker in brain damage and neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases; however, its mechanism of secretion is elusive. We used primary astrocyte cultures and calcium measurements from real-time fluorescence microscopy to investigate the role of intracellular calcium in S100B secretion. In addition, the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) effect on S100B was investigated in vitro and in vivo using Wistar rats.