Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Pancreatic Alpha and Beta Cells and Metabolic Profile in Broilers.

To evaluate the impact of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) supplementation on pancreatic islet areas, alpha and beta cell populations, blood glucose levels, and lipid profiles in broilers, broilers were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (T1) without SC and a treatment group (T2) supplemented with SC. Islet areas, alpha and beta cell counts, serum glucose and insulin levels, and lipid profiles were assessed. SC supplementation significantly decreased blood glucose levels compared to the control group.

The pericardium forms as a distinct structure during heart formation.

The heart integrates diverse cell lineages into a functional unit, including the pericardium, a mesothelial sac that supports heart movement, homeostasis, and immune responses. However, despite its critical roles, the developmental origins of the pericardium remain uncertain due to disparate models. Here, using live imaging, lineage tracking, and single-cell transcriptomics in zebrafish, we find the pericardium forms within the lateral plate mesoderm from dedicated anterior mesothelial progenitors and distinct from the classic heart field.

A STAT3 Degrader Demonstrates Pre-clinical Efficacy in Venetoclax resistant Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Unlabelled: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy that continues to have poor prognosis despite recent therapeutic advances. Venetoclax (Ven), a BCL2-inhibitor has shown a high response rate in AML; however, relapse is invariable due to mitochondrial dysregulation that includes upregulation of the antiapoptotic protein MCL1, a central mechanism of Ven resistance (Ven-res). We have previously demonstrated that the transcription factor STAT3 is upregulated in AML hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and can be effectively targeted to induce apoptosis of these aberrant cells.

Y chromosome linked UTY modulates sex differences in valvular fibroblast methylation in response to nanoscale extracellular matrix cues.

Aortic valve stenosis (AVS) is a progressive disease wherein males more often develop valve calcification relative to females that develop valve fibrosis. Valvular interstitial cells (VICs) aberrantly activate to myofibroblasts during AVS, driving the fibrotic valve phenotype in females. Myofibroblasts further differentiate into osteoblast-like cells and produce calcium nanoparticles, driving valve calcification in males.

Investigations of cardiac fibrosis rheology by in vitro cardiac tissue modeling with 3D cellular spheroids.

Cardiac fibrosis refers to the abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix within the cardiac muscle, leading to increased stiffness and impaired heart function. From a rheological standpoint, knowledge about myocardial behavior is still lacking, partially due to a lack of appropriate techniques to investigate the rheology of in vitro cardiac tissue models. 3D multicellular cardiac spheroids are powerful and versatile platforms for modeling healthy and fibrotic cardiac tissue in vitro and studying how their mechanical properties are modulated.

Validation of a modified QuEChERS method for the quantification of residues of currently used pesticides in Cuban agricultural soils, using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

We present an analytical method to detect and quantify residues of currently used pesticides (CUPs), which include 31 active ingredients (ai) and seven transformation products (TPs) in tropical and agricultural soils of Cuba. Ten isotopically labeled analogous compounds served as internal standards (IL-IS). The novelty of this research is the inclusion of different tropical soils type scarcely studied for CUPs and TPs, based on the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method, followed by chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Defective Biomechanics and Pharmacological Rescue of Human Cardiomyocytes with Filamin C Truncations.

Actin-binding filamin C (FLNC) is expressed in cardiomyocytes, where it localizes to Z-discs, sarcolemma, and intercalated discs. Although FLNC truncation variants () are an established cause of arrhythmias and heart failure, changes in biomechanical properties of cardiomyocytes are mostly unknown. Thus, we investigated the mechanical properties of human-induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) carrying .

Hydrogel-Embedded Precision-Cut Lung Slices Model Lung Cancer Premalignancy Ex Vivo.

Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Although smoking cessation is the best prevention, 50% of lung cancer diagnoses occur in people who have quit smoking. Research into treatment options for high-risk patients is constrained to rodent models, which are time-consuming, expensive, and require large cohorts.

The Influence of the Microbiome on Urological Malignancies: A Systematic Review.

The microbiome, once considered peripheral, is emerging as a relevant player in the intricate web of factors contributing to cancer development and progression. These often overlooked microorganisms, in the context of urological malignancies, have been investigated primarily focusing on the gut microbiome, while exploration of urogenital microorganisms remains limited. Considering this, our systematic review delves into the complex role of these understudied actors in various neoplastic conditions, including prostate, bladder, kidney, penile, and testicular cancers.

Image harmonization and deep learning automated classification of plus disease in retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal vascular disease affecting premature infants that can culminate in blindness within days if not monitored and treated. A disease stage for scrutiny and administration of treatment within ROP is "plus disease" characterized by increased tortuosity and dilation of posterior retinal blood vessels. The monitoring of ROP occurs via routine imaging, typically using expensive instruments ($50 to $140 K) that are unavailable in low-resource settings at the point of care.

Pooling of six respiratory samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: A validation and cost study in a cohort in Lima, Peru.

Background: The continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to a high demand for diagnostic testing and major shortages in testing materials, especially in low- and middle-income countries. As an alternative to testing individual samples, pooling of respiratory samples has been suggested. Previous studies have assessed performance of pooling, mainly using nasopharyngeal samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, but few studies have examined the performance of pooling the more practical nasal swabs or saliva samples.

Paraneoplastic or treatment-associated dermatomyositis: a diagnostic challenge.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by proximal myopathy and dermatological findings. Approximately 15-30% of DM cases emerge as a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by a concomitant malignancy. Although more rare, in cancer patients DM has also been reported as a possible result of toxicity of some antineoplastic agents, such as taxanes and monoclonal antibodies.

3D-bioprinted, phototunable hydrogel models for studying adventitial fibroblast activation in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease of the lung vasculature, characterized by elevated pulmonary blood pressure, remodeling of the pulmonary arteries, and ultimately right ventricular failure. Therapeutic interventions for PAH are limited in part by the lack ofscreening platforms that accurately reproduce dynamic arterial wall mechanical properties. Here we present a 3D-bioprinted model of the pulmonary arterial adventitia comprised of a phototunable poly(ethylene glycol) alpha methacrylate (PEG-αMA)-based hydrogel and primary human pulmonary artery adventitia fibroblasts (HPAAFs).

Cellular Biomechanic Impairment in Cardiomyocytes Carrying the Progeria Mutation: An Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation.

Given the clinical effect of progeria syndrome, understanding the cell mechanical behavior of this pathology could benefit the patient's treatment. Progeria patients show a point mutation in the lamin A/C gene (LMNA), which could change the cell's biomechanical properties. This paper reports a mechano-dynamic analysis of a progeria mutation (c.

Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes interfacing conductive polymers and carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become promising advanced materials and a new tool to specifically interact with electroresponsive cells. Likewise, conductive polymers (CP) appear promising electroactive biomaterial for proliferation of cells. Herein, we have investigated CNT blends with two different conductive polymers, polypyrrole/CNT (PPy/CNT) and PEDOT/CNT to evaluate the growth, survival, and beating behavior of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM).

Regulation of extracellular matrix composition by fibroblasts during perinatal cardiac maturation.

Background: Cardiac fibroblasts are the main non-myocyte population responsible for extracellular matrix (ECM) production. During perinatal development, fibroblast expansion coincides with the transition from hyperplastic to hypertrophic myocardial growth. Therefore, we investigated the consequences of fibroblast loss at the time of cardiomyocyte maturation by depleting fibroblasts in the perinatal mouse.

Toxic erythema of chemotherapy induced by liposomal doxorubicin, a clinical case.

A 76-year-old woman presented to the medical oncology outpatient clinic with painful, burning, pruritic erythematous plaques involving both palms and axillae that had suddenly appeared five days before. Examination revealed no additional relevant findings and laboratory studies did not show any alteration. The patient had been recently diagnosed with a high-grade angiosarcoma of the breast (probably radiation induced) and after frequent local recurrences, was being treated with liposomal doxorubicin (three cycles were administered, the last of which was seven days before the appearance of the mentioned lesions).

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Applications in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited heart muscle disorder characterized by progressive replacement of cardiomyocytes by fibrofatty tissue, ventricular dilatation, cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Interest in molecular biomechanics for these disorders is constantly growing. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a well-established technic to study the mechanobiology of biological samples under physiological and pathological conditions at the cellular scale.

Concordance in RT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 between samples preserved in viral and bacterial transport medium.

Background: While the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in samples preserved in viral transport medium (VTM) by RT-PCR is a standard diagnostic method, this may preclude the study of bacterial respiratory pathogens from the same specimen. It is unclear if the use of skim milk, tryptone, glucose, and glycerin (STGG) transport media, used for study of respiratory bacteria, allows an efficient and concurrent study of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Objectives: To determine the concordance in SARS-CoV-2 detection by real time RT-PCR between paired nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs preserved in STGG and nasal (NS) swabs preserved in VTM.

Poor Perception and Knowledge of Electronic Cigarettes Among Adolescents and Their Parents.

Objectives: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and vaping are a popular form of substance abuse among adolescents. Studies have shown that adolescents have a poor understanding of e-cigs but little is known about parental understanding. The primary objective was to assess if a discrepancy in perception and knowledge regarding the content and safety profile of e-cigs between adolescents and their parents exists.

SARS-CoV-2 infections in households in a peri-urban community of Lima, Peru: A prospective cohort study.

Background: We assessed the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a prospective study of households in Lima, Peru.

Methods: Households with a child, a young adult 18-50 years, and an adult age >50 years in peri-urban Lima were followed with twice-a-week household visits during a 2-month period. Nasal swabs and saliva specimens were collected twice weekly, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected weekly from each participant, regardless of symptoms.

ASXL1 mutations are associated with distinct epigenomic alterations that lead to sensitivity to venetoclax and azacytidine.

The BCL2-inhibitor, Venetoclax (VEN), has shown significant anti-leukemic efficacy in combination with the DNMT-inhibitor, Azacytidine (AZA). To explore the mechanisms underlying the selective sensitivity of mutant leukemia cells to VEN and AZA, we used cell-based isogenic models containing a common leukemia-associated mutation in the epigenetic regulator ASXL1. KBM5 cells with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated correction of the ASXL1 mutation showed reduced leukemic growth, increased myeloid differentiation, and decreased HOXA and BCL2 gene expression in vitro compared to uncorrected KBM5 cells.