Versatility of Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model Organism for Evaluating Foodborne Neurotoxins and Food Bioactive Compounds in Nutritional Neuroscience.

Epidemiological evidence has shown that the regular ingestion of vegetables and fruits is associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases. The introduction of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) principle into animal experiments has led to the use of valid, cost-effective, and efficient alternative and complementary invertebrate animal models which are simpler and lower in the phylogenetic hierarchy. Caenorhabditis elegans (C.

Evaluating amyloid-beta aggregation and toxicity in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans models of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, clinically characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral disturbances. Its pathogenesis is not fully comprehended but involves intracellular depositions of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau. Currently, pharmacological interventions solely slow the progression of symptoms.

Evaluating polyglutamine protein aggregation and toxicity in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans models of Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a repeat of the cytosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide (CAG) in the huntingtin gene (HTT). This results in the translation of a mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein with an abnormally long polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat. The pathology of HD leads to neuronal cell loss, motor abnormalities, and dementia.

Synergistic activity of Pitstop-2 and 1,6-hexanediol in aggressive human lung cancer cells.

Metastatic cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, which involves changes in the metabolic fluxes, including endocytosis, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and mitochondrial metabolism, to satisfy their massive demands for energy, cell division, and proliferation compared to normal cells. We have previously demonstrated the ability of two different types of compounds to interfere with linchpins of metabolic reprogramming, Pitstop-2 and 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HD). 1,6-HD disrupts glycolysis enzymes and mitochondrial function, enhancing reactive oxygen species production and reducing cellular ATP levels, while Pitstop-2 impedes clathrin-mediated endocytosis and small GTPases activity.

PrEP15-19 Choices: an implementation study protocol of HIV prevention with oral and long-acting injectable cabotegravir PrEP in real-word settings among sexual and gender minority adolescents in Brazil.

Introduction: Long-acting injectable (LAI) cabotegravir is a promising new method for preventing HIV. Safe and effective long-acting agents for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection are needed to increase preventive options among sexual and gender minority adolescents.

Methods And Analysis: This is a multisite, prospective implementation study of three PrEP modalities (LAI-PrEP, event-driven (ED) and daily oral), using a mixed-method design with quantitative and qualitative approaches.

A voltammetric method for determining N-nitrosodimethylamine in losartan and olmesartan drugs.

Recently, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) of Brazil recalled several lots of sartan drugs due to the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). NDMA is a highly potent carcinogenic contaminant that harms human health; therefore, the presence of NDMA in sartan drugs must be checked through appropriate analytical methods. This work successfully developed a new analytical method for determining NDMA without chemical pretreatment of losartan and olmesartan drug samples.

Proteolytic profile and nematicidal potential of proteases produced by Pleurotus djamor in coprocultures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the proteolytic profile of the cell-free crude extract (CFCE) of Pleurotus djamor and its nematicidal action on Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. larvae in coprocultures.

Silver Nanoparticles from : Evaluation of Potential Ovicidal Activity on Eggs.

The filtrate of the nematophagous fungus produces silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with nematicidal potential. However, there are currently no reports of its activity against eggs. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential ovicidal activity of AgNPs- on eggs.

Factors Associated With the Presence and Severity of Nutritional Impact Symptoms in Individuals With Head and Neck Cancer Before Treatment.

As head and neck cancer (HNC) affects regions directly related to the digestive tract, it is consistently associated with nutritional impact symptoms (NISs), which further reduce food intake and affect nutritional status. Early identification of patients with NIS can assist therapy. This is a cross-sectional study with HNC patients from a cancer reference hospital.

Performance of indirect adherence measures for daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV among adolescent men who have sex with men and transgender women in Brazil.

Background: Consistent monitoring of PrEP adherence with accurate measurement tools at point-of-care could greatly contribute to reaching adolescents with poor adherence. We aimed to assess the performance of indirect adherence measures to oral PrEP among adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) and adolescent transgender women (ATGW).

Methods: PrEP15-19 is a prospective, multicenter, PrEP demonstration cohort study that includes AMSM and ATGW aged 15-19 in three Brazilian cities.

Pharmacological Block of Genicular Nerves in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.

 To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of the pharmacological block of the genicular nerves as a modality in the therapeutic arsenal for knee osteoarthritis, since it is simple, safe, and minimally invasive.  The pharmacological block of the genicular nerves was performed in 20 patients with grades 3 and 4 knee osteoarthritis per the Kellgren-Lawrence classification. We assessed their clinical and functional outcomes one, three, and six months after the procedure.

Innovative absolute probability approach for coastal vulnerability assessment due to sea level rise: Application in Tagus Estuary, Portugal.

In coastal urban areas highly susceptible to flooding, whether from sea level rise (SLR) or storms, it is crucial to assess the vulnerability and risks posed by extreme and frequent floods. Reliable estimates of extreme natural events' return periods rely on historical data or probabilistic models, requiring extensive and robust data. From climate-scenario-based or semi-empirical models, SLR projections are represented by a central estimate or the full domain cumulative density function (CDF), entailing uncertainties.

Potential protective role of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 (IFIT3) in COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a quest to understand why certain individuals remain uninfected or asymptomatic despite repetitive exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we focused on six exposed females residing with their symptomatic and reinfected SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive COVID-19 partners. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from couples were analysed for poly (I:C)-induced mRNA expression of type I/III interferons and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs).

Expansion of the Host Range of : First Occurrence in Sunflower in Bulgaria.

Sunflower is a short-season crop of the Asteraceae family and the Helianthus genus and is the fourth most important oilseed crop in the world. During a field campaign, unusual symptoms (necrosis and longitudinal cracking of the petiole) were observed in a sunflower crop grown in the region of Kavarna (Dobrich district, Bulgaria) and strains of the genus Xanthomonas were isolated. Results based on phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses showed that they clustered with Xanthomonas euroxanthea CPBF 424T species, a pathogenic strain isolated from walnut buds in Portugal and responsible for causing walnut bacterial blight (WBB).

Dataset on the performance of Atlantic salmon () reared at different dissolved oxygen levels under experimental conditions.

Atlantic salmon () cultivated in cages and net-pens are regularly exposed to natural variations in dissolved oxygen levels, occasionally experiencing events of low oxygen availability. Quantifying the impact of low dissolved oxygen levels on fish performance can help fish farmers better manage the risks associated with such events. This article describes the zootechnical performance of Atlantic salmon reared under experimental conditions at three different dissolved oxygen levels (i.

Acoustic and Clinical Data Analysis of Vocal Recordings: Pandemic Insights and Lessons.

The interest in processing human speech and other human-generated audio signals as a diagnostic tool has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project OSCAR (vOice Screening of CoronA viRus) aimed to develop an algorithm to screen for COVID-19 using a dataset of Portuguese participants with voice recordings and clinical data. This cross-sectional study aimed to characterise the pattern of sounds produced by the vocal apparatus in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection documented by a positive RT-PCR test, and to develop and validate a screening algorithm.

Sleep prediction using data from oximeter, accelerometer and snoring for portable monitor obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to build and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to predict sleep using data from a portable monitor (Biologix system) consisting of a high-resolution oximeter with built-in accelerometer plus smartphone application with snoring recording and cloud analysis. A total of 268 patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were submitted to standard polysomnography (PSG) with simultaneous Biologix (age: years; body mass index: , apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]: events/h). Biologix channels were input features for construction an ANN model to predict sleep.

Conservation priorities for functionally unique and specialized terrestrial vertebrates threatened by biological invasions.

Invasive non-native species (INS) continue to pose a significant threat to biodiversity, including native population declines, which can ultimately disrupt ecosystem processes. Although there is growing evidence of the impacts of INS on functional diversity, most of the existing approaches to prioritization of species for conservation still focus on taxonomic diversity, neglecting the ecological role of species. We developed the functionally unique, specialized, and endangered by invasive non-native species (FUSE INS) score to fill this gap by combining functional irreplaceability (i.

Recent HIV infections and estimated HIV incidence among adolescents from key populations.

Objective: To identify recent HIV-1 infection and estimate HIV incidence among adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) and transgender women (ATGW) in Brazil.

Methods: From January to December 2020, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted with baseline data from the PrEP1519 study, an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration cohort in Brazil among sexually active AMSM/ATGW aged 15-19. For enrollment, participants were screened with a fourth-generation HIV rapid test.

The Hidden Dangers of Sedentary Living: Insights into Molecular, Cellular, and Systemic Mechanisms.

With the aging of the global population, neurodegenerative diseases are emerging as a major public health issue. The adoption of a less sedentary lifestyle has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cognitive decline, but the molecular mechanisms responsible are less clear. Here we provide a detailed analysis of the complex molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline and how lifestyle choices influence these processes.