Neuroimaging evaluations of olfactory, gustatory, and neurological deficits in patients with long-term sequelae of COVID-19.

The World Health Organization indicated that around 36 million of patients in the European Region showed long COVID associated with olfactory and gustatory deficits. The precise mechanism underlying long COVID clinical manifestations is still debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential correlations between odor threshold, odor discrimination, odor identification, and the activation of specific brain areas in patients after COVID-19.

Privileged Scaffold Hybridization in the Design of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors.

Human Carbonic Anhydrases (hCA) are enzymes that contribute to cancer's development and progression. Isoforms IX and XII have been identified as potential anticancer targets, and, more specifically, hCA IX is overexpressed in hypoxic tumor cells, where it plays an important role in reprogramming the metabolism. With the aim to find new inhibitors towards IX and XII isoforms, the hybridization of the privileged scaffolds isatin, dihydrothiazole, and benzenesulfonamide was investigated in order to explore how it may affect the activity and selectivity of the hCA isoforms.

Mixotrophic Cultivation of (Spirulina) under Salt Stress: Effect on Biomass Composition, FAME Profile and Phycocyanin Content.

holds promise for biotechnological applications due to its rapid growth and ability to produce valuable bioactive compounds like phycocyanin (PC). This study explores the impact of salinity and brewery wastewater (BWW) on the mixotrophic cultivation of . Utilizing BWW as an organic carbon source and seawater (SW) for salt stress, we aim to optimize PC production and biomass composition.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Phenolic Compounds: Mechanistic Insights from In Vivo Studies.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) represents a significant source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and vitamin E, but it is also considered a functional food, due to the content of peculiar bioactive molecules, such as phenolic compounds, being able to modulate various processes related to aging and the most common metabolic and degenerative diseases. A lot of experimental research has focused on some of these components, but in most cases, the studies were performed in vitro testing compounds at non-physiological concentrations and achieving results that cannot easily be translated in vivo. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that in vivo these compounds are able to regulate physiological functions and prevent several pathological events including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which represent the main causes of death worldwide.

A severe case of bilateral humerus varus deformity from the Middle Bronze age necropolis of Olmo di Nogara, Northeast Italy. The contribution of biomechanical analysis to paleopathological study.

Objective: To gain insights on possible impairment of a Middle Bronze Age individual with bilateral humerus varus buried with a sword in Northeastern Italy.

Materials: A skeleton of a 40-50-year-old male from Olmo di Nogara (Italy) compared to other males from the same necropolis and to Neolithic and Iron Age samples from Italy.

Methods: Macroscopic/X-rays analysis for pathological diagnosis and cross-sectional geometric analysis.

Optimization of Brilliant Blue R photocatalytic degradation by silver nanoparticles synthesized using Chlorella vulgaris.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using microalgae is gaining recognition for its environmentally friendly and cost-effective nature while maintaining high activity of NPs. In the present study, Ag NPs were synthesized using a methanolic extract of Chlorella vulgaris and subjected to calcination. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed a crystalline nature of the products with AgO and Ag phases with an average crystalline size of 16.

Complex Biophysical and Computational Analyses of G-Quadruplex Ligands: The Porphyrin Stacks Back.

G-quadruplexes (G4 s), as non-canonical DNA structures, attract a great deal of research interest in the molecular biology as well as in the material science fields. The use of small molecules as ligands for G-quadruplexes has emerged as a tool to regulate gene expression and telomeres maintenance. Meso-tetrakis-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (TMPyP4) was shown as one of the first ligands for G-quadruplexes and it is still widely used.

Polyphenolic Content and Antimicrobial Effects of Plant Extracts as Adjuncts for Craft Herbal Beer Stabilization.

Extracts from locally grown aromatic plants can enhance the geographical characteristics and microbial stability of craft beers, which are often not pasteurized or filtered. Here, the chemical and antimicrobial properties of aqueous extracts from leaves of L., L.

Ratiometric Fluorescent pH Sensing with Carbon Dots: Fluorescence Mapping across pH Levels for Potential Underwater Applications.

Ocean acidification has become a major climate change concern requiring continuous observation. Additionally, in the industry, pH surveillance is of great importance. Consequently, there is a pressing demand to develop robust and inexpensive pH sensors.

Recent Advances in Perovskite Single-Crystal Thin Film Optoelectronic Devices.

Among novel semiconductors, perovskites have gained significant attention due to their versatility, combining tunable optoelectronic properties with relatively easy fabrication processes. However, certain issues still hinder their widespread use, often related to the presence of defects and traps within the material. Beyond defect passivation in polycrystalline thin films, an alternative approach to enhancing material quality lies in the fabrication of single crystals.

Psychometric validity of the sum score of the Sniffin' Sticks-Extended Test.

A common tool to measure olfactory function is the Sniffin' Sticks Test extended version (SSET). The SSET evaluates olfactory ability by summing the scores of three subtests: Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification. Recent meta-scientific literature revealed that many psychometric instruments currently in use have not been adequately validated, leading to a measurement crisis that raises concerns about the validity of the conclusions drawn with these instruments.

Vascular density normative data of radial peripapillary capillary plexus in healthy Caucasian subjects.

Purpose: To establish a normative database for vascular density (VD) of radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPC) in healthy Caucasian subjects.

Methods: 633 healthy Caucasian subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including slit-lamp biomicroscopy, best corrected visual acuity measurement with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts, intraocular pressure measurement, fundus examination, and macular and optic nerve head (ONH) structural optical coherence tomography (OCT). En-face 4.

A New Class of Benzo[]thiophene-chalcones as Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, Molecular Docking and ADME Studies.

In this study, heterocyclic compounds containing a benzothiophene scaffold were designed and synthetized, and their inhibitory activity against cholinesterases (ChE) and the viability of SH-SY5Y cells have been evaluated. Benzothiophenes - and benzothiophene-chalcone hybrids - were tested against both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), revealing interesting structure-activity relationships. In general, benzothiophene-chalcone hybrids from series proved to be better inhibitors of both enzymes, with compound being the best AChE inhibitor (IC = 62.

An improved dataset of force fields, electronic and physicochemical descriptors of metabolic substrates.

In silico prediction of xenobiotic metabolism is an important strategy to accelerate the drug discovery process, as candidate compounds often fail in clinical phases due to their poor pharmacokinetic profiles. Here we present Meta, a dataset of quantum-mechanical (QM) optimized metabolic substrates, including force field parameters, electronic and physicochemical properties. Meta comprises 2054 metabolic substrates extracted from the MetaQSAR database.

Cubosomes and hexosomes stabilized by sorbitan monooleate as biocompatible nanoplatforms against skin metastatic human melanoma.

Nanoparticles have become versatile assets in the medical field, providing notable benefits across diverse medical arenas including controlled drug delivery, imaging, and immunological assays. Among these, non-lamellar lipid nanoparticles, notably cubosomes and hexosomes, showcase remarkable biocompatibility and stability, rendering them as optimal choices for theranostic applications. Particularly, incorporating edge activators like sodium taurocholate enhances the potential of these nanoparticles for dermal and transdermal drug delivery, overcoming the stratum corneum, a first line of defense in our skin.

Pioneering Metal-Free Late-Stage C-H Functionalization Using Acridinium Salt Photocatalysis.

Using organic dyes as photocatalysts is an innovative approach to photocatalytic organic transformations. These dyes offer advantages such as widespread availability, adaptable absorption properties, and diverse chemical structures. Recent progress has led to the development of organic photocatalysts that can utilize visible light to modify chemically inert C-H bonds.

A Novel Affordable and Reliable Framework for Accurate Detection and Comprehensive Analysis of Somatic Mutations in Cancer.

Accurate detection and analysis of somatic variants in cancer involve multiple third-party tools with complex dependencies and configurations, leading to laborious, error-prone, and time-consuming data conversions. This approach lacks accuracy, reproducibility, and portability, limiting clinical application. was developed to address these issues as an end-to-end pipeline for detecting, classifying, and interpreting cancer mutations.

Prognostic role of gait speed in worsening heart failure.

Background: Worsening Heart Failure (WHF) is associated with adverse prognosis. Identifying novel prognostic markers in WHF is crucial. Gait speed (GS), a validated frailty index, is an easily obtainable parameter that may aid in reclassifying the risk of HF patients.

Specific buffer effects on the formation of BSA protein corona around amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

The effect of buffer species on biomolecules and biomolecule-nanoparticle interactions is a phenomenon that has been either neglected, or not understood. Here, we study the formation of a BSA protein corona (PC) around amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-NH) in the presence of different buffers (Tris, BES, cacodylate, phosphate, and citrate) at the same pH (7.15) and different concentrations (10, 50, and 100 mM).

Cultivation and nutritional characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated using Martian regolith and synthetic urine.

Long-term spatial missions will require sustainable methods for biomass production using locally available resources. This study investigates the feasibility of cultivating Chlorella vulgaris, a high value microalgal specie, using a leachate of Martian regolith and synthetic human urine as nutrient sources. The microalga was grown in a standard medium (BBM) mixed with 0, 20, 40, 60, or 100 % Martian medium (MM).

Many-Body MYP2 Force-Field: Toward the Crystal Growth Modeling of Hybrid Perovskites.

Hybrid perovskites are well-known for their optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties. Molecular dynamics simulations allow the study of these soft and ionic crystals by including dynamical effects (e.g.

ECPUB5 Polyubiquitin Gene in : Molecular Characterization and Seasonal Expression Analysis.

The spurge is known for its latex, which is rich in antioxidant enzymes and anti-phytopathogen molecules. In this study, we identified a novel polyubiquitin protein in the latex and leaves, leading to the first molecular characterization of its coding gene and expressed protein in . Using consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers (CODEHOP) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'/3'-RACE), we reconstructed the entire open reading frame (ORF) and noncoding regions.

Post-GWAS Validation of Target Genes Associated with HbF and HbA Levels.

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWASs) have identified a huge number of variants associated with different traits. However, their validation through in vitro and in vivo studies often lags well behind their identification. For variants associated with traits or diseases of biomedical interest, this gap delays the development of possible therapies.

Olfactory Function as a Potential Predictor of Cognitive Impairment in Men and Women.

Background: Different previous studies indicated olfactory function as a predictor of several types of cognitive impairment, in particular related to neurodegenerative disease. However, scanty data are available on the role of odor threshold (OT), odor discrimination (OD), and odor identification (OI) as a predictor of cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential correlations between each factor of the olfactory function versus each specific cognitive domain of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test on healthy subjects in relation to gender and age.