Role of Complement in Liver Diseases.

This review aims to summarize recent research using animal models, cell models, and human data regarding the role of complement in liver disease. Complement is part of the innate immune system and was initially characterized for its role in control of pathogens. However, evidence now indicates that complement also plays an important role in the response to cellular injury that is independent of pathogens.

Taxonomic Additions to the Neotropical Subgenus Camponotus (Myrmobrachys) Forel 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with Emphasis on the dimorphus-Group.

We provide updated diagnoses for the senex-, burtoni- and dimorphus-groups of Camponotus (Myrmobrachys). Dichotomous keys for the C. (Myrmobrachys) groups and species of the dimorphus-group, based on type-specimens are provided.

Which Variables Are Associated with the Magnitude of the Physical Fitness Response in Older Adults? An Analysis of Their Development and Influence.

Regular physical exercise has proven to be an effective strategy for enhancing the health and well-being of older adults. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of the impacts of exercise on older adults with different health conditions, as well as in the customization of training programs according to individual capabilities. This study aimed to analyze the variables that influence the response of physical capabilities in older adults, considering their development over the aging process, with the goal of assisting professionals in creating personalized training programs.

Increasing Endoglin Deletion in Endothelial Cells Exacerbates the Severity of Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in Mouse.

Endoglin () mutation causes type 1 hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT1). HHT1 patients have arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in multiple organs, including the brain. In mice, deletion induced by R26RCreER or SM22αCre leads to AVM development in the brain and other organs.

Corrosion Resistance of Biodegradable Zinc Surfaces Enhanced by UV-Grafted Polydimethylsiloxane Coating.

Improved living conditions have led to an increase in life expectancy worldwide. However, as people age, the risk of vascular disease tends to increase due to the accumulation and buildup of plaque in arteries. Vascular stents are used to keep blood vessels open.

Zebrafish Maintenance Conditions Affect Behavioral and Biochemical Biomarkers: A Possible Interfering Factor on the Research Results.

Over the years, scientific research with fish models has grown at a rapid pace, and issues such as animal welfare are becoming increasingly important in various areas of animal husbandry and experimentation. Here, we evaluated whether behavior is affected by long-term maintenance (75 days) in an enriched environment or a chronic stress (CS) situation. In addition, we evaluated some biochemical parameters related to redox status.

Diverse Time Encoding Strategies Within the Medial Premotor Areas of the Primate.

The measurement of time in the subsecond scale is critical for many sophisticated behaviors, yet its neural underpinnings are largely unknown. Recent neurophysiological experiments from our laboratory have shown that the neural activity in the medial premotor areas (MPC) of macaques can represent different aspects of temporal processing. During single interval categorization, we found that preSMA encodes a subjective category limit by reaching a peak of activity at a time that divides the set of test intervals into short and long.

Characterizing phenotypic data of Peromyscus leucopus compared to C57BL/6J Mus musculus and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus.

Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P.

The Influence of Materials on the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC): A Literature Review.

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a cementitious composite combining high-strength concrete matrix and fiber reinforcement. Standing out for its excellent mechanical properties and durability, this material has been widely recognized as a viable choice for highly complex engineering projects. This paper proposes (i) the review of the influence exerted by the constituent materials on the mechanical properties of compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, and elastic modulus of UHPC and (ii) the determination of optimal quantities of the constituent materials based on simplified statistical analyses of the developed database.

Preserving a Legacy: Ensuring the Access and Conservation of the Harold (Harry) G. Fowler (19502018) Ant Collection and Data.

Biological collections are important repositories of biodiversity, as they include various types of data potentially useful to different areas of science and can contribute to the establishment of biodiversity conservation policies. For a long time, scientific collections were considered only as physical databases; in this context Harold G. Fowler (19502018) built an ant collection at the Universidade Estadual Paulista, campus Rio Claro (So Paulo state, Brazil), over the course of a 34-year career, comprising around 20,000 ant specimens.

A Gamma-adapted subunit vaccine induces broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants and protects mice from infection.

In the context of continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), one strategy to prevent the severe outcomes of COVID-19 is developing safe and effective broad-spectrum vaccines. Here, we present preclinical studies of a RBD vaccine derived from the Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variant adjuvanted with Alum. The Gamma-adapted RBD vaccine is more immunogenic than the Ancestral RBD vaccine in terms of inducing broader neutralizing antibodies.

Checklist of Omophoita Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) and diagnoses for some species from southern Brazil: notes on the taxonomic history, redescriptions and new records.

Morphological descriptions, taxonomic history and distribution data of Omophoita species recorded for southern Brazil (states of Paran, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) are presented. Through the analysis of the existing literature, databases, loaned material, and specimen collecting, we studied seven species of Omophoita recorded for southern Brazil: O. communis (Bechyn 1959), O.

Influence of the ANN Hyperparameters on the Forecast Accuracy of RAC's Compressive Strength.

The artificial neural networks (ANNs)-based model has been used to predict the compressive strength of concrete, assisting in creating recycled aggregate concrete mixtures and reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. Thus, the present study examines the effects of the training algorithm, topology, and activation function on the predictive accuracy of ANN when determining the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete. An experimental database of compressive strength with 721 samples was defined considering the literature.

First known case of human bertiellosis in a child in Paraná, Brazil.

Objective: To describe the first known case of human Bertiellosis in Paraná (Brazil).

Case Description: A 6-year-old male residing in the Brazilian state of Paraná was suffering from intermittent nonspecific abdominal pain and abdominal distension, associated with expulsion of live tapeworms in his feces for 7 months. He had a history of interaction with monkeys on an island.

Device to relate the superficial temperature of the forearm and the muscular conditioning of the flexor muscle for prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome in E-sports.

Currently, various labor and competitive sectors use computing devices as the primary development tool, one of them being e-sports or electronic sports. Constant use of the computer involves repetitive use of the fingers' superficial and deep flexor muscles, which causes the median nerve to squeeze and irritate in the carpal tunnel space causing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There are methods that can minimize stress on the hands and wrists through muscle conditioning.

Comprehensive characterization of patient-derived xenograft models of pediatric leukemia.

Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) remain valuable models for understanding the biology and for developing novel therapeutics. To expand current PDX models of childhood leukemia, we have developed new PDX models from Hispanic patients, a subgroup with a poorer overall outcome. Of 117 primary leukemia samples obtained, successful engraftment and serial passage in mice were achieved in 82 samples (70%).

Cell lipid biology in infections: an overview.

Lipids are a big family of molecules with a vast number of functions in the cell membranes, within the cytoplasm, and extracellularly. Lipid droplets (LDs) are the most common storage organelles and are present in almost every tissue type in the body. They also have structural functions serving as building blocks of cellular membranes and may be precursors of other molecules such as hormones, and lipoproteins, and as messengers in signal transduction.

Metabolic remodeling in astrocytes: Paving the path to brain tumor development.

The brain is a highly metabolic organ, composed of multiple cell classes, that controls crucial functions of the body. Although neurons have traditionally been the main protagonist, astrocytes have gained significant attention over the last decade. In this regard, astrocytes are a type of glial cells that have recently emerged as critical regulators of central nervous system (CNS) function and play a significant role in maintaining brain energy metabolism.

CD38 regulates ovarian function and fecundity via NAD metabolism.

Mammalian female reproductive lifespan is typically significantly shorter than life expectancy and is associated with a decrease in ovarian NAD+ levels. However, the mechanisms underlying this loss of ovarian NAD+ are unclear. Here, we show that CD38, an NAD+ consuming enzyme, is expressed in the ovarian extrafollicular space, primarily in immune cells, and its levels increase with reproductive age.

Long-term stability of aerophilic metallic surfaces underwater.

Aerophilic surfaces immersed underwater trap films of air known as plastrons. Plastrons have typically been considered impractical for underwater engineering applications due to their metastable performance. Here, we describe aerophilic titanium alloy (Ti) surfaces with extended plastron lifetimes that are conserved for months underwater.