Biodegradation profile and soil microbiota interactions of poly(vinyl alcohol)/starch-based fertilizers.

Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are critical for sustainable agriculture, providing essential nutrients while minimizing environmental impact. However, developing EEFs that effectively degrade after use remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the biodegradation and nutrient release profiles of EEFs composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and starch-nutrient microspheres.

MicroRNA expression profiling in the adult offspring of rats with periodontal disease.

Objective: The present study investigated the relationship between maternal periodontal disease, insulin resistance, activation of inflammatory pathways and epigenetic modifications in adult offspring.

Design: Therefore, female Wistar rats were divided into control and experimental groups. Seven days after the induction of periodontal disease, female rats from both groups were mated with healthy male rats.

Comparative satellite DNA mapping in species of the genus (Teleostei, Characiformes) and its evolutionary implications.

Satellite DNA (satDNA) sequences are dynamic components of the eukaryotic genome that can play significant roles in species diversification. The Prochilodontidae family, which includes 21 Neotropical fish species, is characterized by a conserved karyotype of 2 = 54 biarmed chromosomes, with variation in some species and populations regarding the presence or absence of B chromosomes. This study aimed to investigate whether the chromosomal distribution of specific satDNA sequences is conserved among three species (, and ) regarding organization and number of , and to compare their genomes using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH).

Perlin noise generation of physiologically realistic cardiac fibrosis.

Fibrosis, a pathological increase in extracellular matrix proteins, is a significant health issue that hinders the function of many organs in the body, in some cases fatally. In the heart, fibrosis impacts on electrical propagation in a complex and poorly predictable fashion, potentially serving as a substrate for dangerous arrhythmias. Individual risk depends on the spatial manifestation of fibrotic tissue, and learning the spatial arrangement on the fine scale in order to predict these impacts still relies upon invasive ex vivo procedures.

The role of satellite DNAs in the chromosomal rearrangements and the evolution of the rare XY1Y2 sex system in Harttia (Siluriformes: Loricariidae).

The underlying processes behind the formation, evolution, and long-term maintenance of multiple sex chromosomes have been largely neglected. Among vertebrates, fishes represent the group with the highest diversity of multiple sex chromosome systems and, with six instances, the Neotropical fish genus Harttia stands out by presenting the most remarkable diversity. However, although the origin mechanism of their sex chromosome systems is well discussed, little is known about the importance of some repetitive DNA classes in the differentiation of multiple systems.

Peri-implantitis with a potential axis to brain inflammation: an inferential review.

Peri-implantitis (PI) is a chronic, inflammatory, and infectious disease which affects dental implants and has certain similarities to periodontitis (PD). Evidence has shown that PD may be related to several types of systemic disorders, such as diabetes and insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory tract infections, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, some types of bacteria in PD can also be found in PI, leading to certain similarities in the immunoinflammatory responses in the host.

Single nuclei transcriptomics of the in situ human limbal stem cell niche.

The corneal epithelium acts as a barrier to pathogens entering the eye; corneal epithelial cells are continuously renewed by uni-potent, quiescent limbal stem cells (LSCs) located at the limbus, where the cornea transitions to conjunctiva. There has yet to be a consensus on LSC markers and their transcriptome profile is not fully understood, which may be due to using cadaveric tissue without an intact stem cell niche for transcriptomics. In this study, we addressed this problem by using single nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) on healthy human limbal tissue that was immediately snap-frozen after excision from patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Skeletal muscle mass increases after viral eradication with direct-acting antivirals in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A longitudinal study.

Background: Results of studies evaluating the effect of viral eradication following direct-acting antiviral (DDA) therapy on skeletal muscle mass of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) are scarce.

Aim: To assess the components of sarcopenia (low muscle mass, low muscle strength and low physical performance) in a cohort of CHC individuals before and after DAA therapy.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of patients with CHC who underwent body composition assessment before (T0), and at 12 (T1) and 48 (T2) weeks after DDA therapy.

Satellitome Analysis in the Southern Lapwing () Genome: Implications for SatDNA Evolution in Charadriiform Birds.

(Charadriidae; Charadriiformes) comprises around 20 species commonly referred to as lapwings. In this study, by integrating cytogenetic and genomic approaches, we assessed the satellite DNA (satDNA) composition of one typical species, , with a highly conserved karyotype. We additionally underlined its role in the evolution, structure, and differentiation process of the present ZW sex chromosome system.

Chromosomal Rearrangements and Satellite DNAs: Extensive Chromosome Reshuffling and the Evolution of Neo-Sex Chromosomes in the Genus (Teleostei; Characiformes).

Chromosomal rearrangements play a significant role in the evolution of fish genomes, being important forces in the rise of multiple sex chromosomes and in speciation events. Repetitive DNAs constitute a major component of the genome and are frequently found in heterochromatic regions, where satellite DNA sequences (satDNAs) usually represent their main components. In this work, we investigated the association of satDNAs with chromosome-shuffling events, as well as their potential relevance in both sex and karyotype evolution, using the well-known fish model.

A Hybrid Model for Cardiac Perfusion: Coupling a Discrete Coronary Arterial Tree Model with a Continuous Porous-Media Flow Model of the Myocardium.

This paper presents a novel hybrid approach for the computational modeling of cardiac perfusion, combining a discrete model of the coronary arterial tree with a continuous porous-media flow model of the myocardium. The constructive constrained optimization (CCO) algorithm captures the detailed topology and geometry of the coronary arterial tree network, while Poiseuille's law governs blood flow within this network. Contrast agent dynamics, crucial for cardiac MRI perfusion assessment, are modeled using reaction-advection-diffusion equations within the porous-media framework.

Recurrence quantification analysis for fine-scale characterisation of arrhythmic patterns in cardiac tissue.

This paper uses recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) combined with entropy measures and organization indices to characterize arrhythmic patterns and dynamics in computer simulations of cardiac tissue. We performed different simulations of cardiac tissues of sizes comparable to the human heart atrium. In these simulations, we observed four classic arrhythmic patterns: a spiral wave anchored to a highly fibrotic region resulting in sustained re-entry, a meandering spiral wave, fibrillation, and a spiral wave anchored to a scar region that breaks up into wavelets away from the main rotor.

Enhanced optimization-based method for the generation of patient-specific models of Purkinje networks.

Cardiac Purkinje networks are a fundamental part of the conduction system and are known to initiate a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. However, patient-specific modeling of Purkinje networks remains a challenge due to their high morphological complexity. This work presents a novel method based on optimization principles for the generation of Purkinje networks that combines geometric and activation accuracy in branch size, bifurcation angles, and Purkinje-ventricular-junction activation times.

Oxidative stress evaluation in patients with chronic Chagas disease.

Introduction: Chagas disease (CD), caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), is a neglected disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The parasite clearance by the immune cells is accomplished by the activation of inflammation and production of reactive oxygen species, including nitric oxide (NO) that can lead to tissue injury and DNA damage.

Cytogenetics Meets Genomics: Cytotaxonomy and Genomic Relationships among Color Variants of the Asian Arowana .

(Osteoglossiformes, Teleostei) represents one of the most valued ornamental fishes, yet it is critically endangered due to overexploitation and habitat destruction. This species encompasses three major color groups that naturally occur in allopatric populations, but the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships of color varieties remain uncertain. Here, we utilized a range of molecular cytogenetic techniques to characterize the karyotypes of five color phenotypes, which correspond to naturally occurring variants: the red ones (Super Red); the golden ones (Golden Crossback and Highback Golden); the green ones (Asian Green and Yellow Tail Silver).

Homogenisation for the monodomain model in the presence of microscopic fibrotic structures.

Computational models in cardiac electrophysiology are notorious for long runtimes, restricting the numbers of nodes and mesh elements in the numerical discretisations used for their solution. This makes it particularly challenging to incorporate structural heterogeneities on small spatial scales, preventing a full understanding of the critical arrhythmogenic effects of conditions such as cardiac fibrosis. In this work, we explore the technique of homogenisation by volume averaging for the inclusion of non-conductive micro-structures into larger-scale cardiac meshes with minor computational overhead.

TDO2-augmented fibroblasts secrete EVs enriched in immunomodulatory Y-derived small RNA.

Mounting evidence implicates extracellular vesicles (EVs) factors as mediators of cell therapy. Cardiosphere-derived cells are cardiac-derived cells with tissue reparative capacity. Activation of a downstream target of wnt/β-catenin signalling, tryptophan 2,3 dioxygenase (TDO2) renders therapeutically inert skin fibroblasts cardioprotective.

The Satellite DNA Catalogues of Two Serrasalmidae (Teleostei, Characiformes): Conservation of General satDNA Features over 30 Million Years.

Satellite DNAs (satDNAs) are tandemly repeated sequences that are usually located on the heterochromatin, and the entire collection of satDNAs within a genome is called satellitome. Primarily, these sequences are not under selective pressure and evolve by concerted evolution, resulting in elevated rates of divergence between the satDNA profiles of reproductive isolated species/populations. Here, we characterized two additional satellitomes of Characiformes fish ( and ) that diverged approximately 30 million years ago, while still retaining conserved karyotype features.

Melatonin decreases IRF-3 protein expression in the gastrocnemius muscle, reduces IL-1β and LPS plasma concentrations, and improves the lipid profile in rats with apical periodontitis fed on a high-fat diet.

To evaluate the effects of melatonin (MEL) on the expression of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4); myeloid differentiation primary response protein-88 (MyD88); TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF); IFN regulatory-factor-3 (IRF-3); nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB); plasma concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS); and lipid profile of rats with apical periodontitis (AP) fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). Eighty 60-day-old rats were divided into eight groups: control, AP, HFD, HFDAP, CNMEL, APMEL, HFDMEL and HFDAPMEL. HFD groups were fed on a HFD for 107 days.