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.

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.

Neurochemical abnormalities in the hippocampus of male rats displaying audiogenic seizures, a genetic model of epilepsy.

Background: Epilepsy is a disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that affects 1% of the population. However, the neurochemical alterations observed in epilepsy are not fully understood. There are different animal models of epilepsy, such as genetic or drug induced.

Disease-specific expression of the serotonin-receptor 5-HT(2C) in natural killer cells in Alzheimer's dementia.

Alzheimer's dementia (AD) is a degenerative brain disorder characterized mainly by cholinergic failure, but other neuro-transmitters are also deficient especially at late stages of the disease. Misfolded β-amyloid peptide has been identified as a causative agent, however inflammatory changes also play a pivotal role. Even though the most prominent pathology is seen in the cognitive functions, specific abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS) are also reflected in the periphery, particularly in the immune responses of the body.

Ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene reduce oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines in mononuclear cells of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Objectives: The in vitro effect of a vitamin complex in generating and reducing oxidative species in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) and plasma of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy subjects (HS) was evaluated.

Methods: Two concentrations of a vitamin complex ([A] and [20A]) with ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene were incubated with either mononuclear cells or plasma. The generation of oxidizing species was measured in a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay and the reducing response by the MTT dye reduction assay.