Organoids, tissue slices and organotypic cultures: advancing our understanding of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through in vitro and ex vivo models.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the worst prognoses of all common solid cancers. For the large majority of PDAC patients, only systemic therapies with very limited efficacy are indicated. In addition, immunotherapies have not brought the advances seen in other cancer types.

Toward the Development of the Trojan Female Technique in Pest Insects: Male-Specific Influence of Mitochondrial Haplotype on Reproductive Output in the Seed Beetle .

Biocontrol techniques that impair reproductive capacity of insect pests provide opportunities to control the dynamics of their populations while minimizing collateral damage to non-target species and the environment. The Trojan Female Technique, or TFT, is a method of the trans-generational fertility-based population control through the release of females that carry mitochondrial DNA mutations that negatively affect male, but not female, reproductive output. TFT is based on the evolutionary hypothesis that, due to maternal inheritance of mitochondria, mutations which are beneficial or neutral in females but harmful in males can accumulate in the mitochondrial genome without selection acting against them.

Allelopathic influence of usnic acid on Physcomitrium patens: A proteomics approach.

Allelopathy, the chemical interaction of plants by their secondary metabolites with surrounding organisms, profoundly influences their functional features. Lichens, symbiotic associations of fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria, produce diverse secondary metabolites, among other usnic acid, which express to have potent biological activities. Mosses, i.

An evaluation of the cytotoxic potential of medicinal mushrooms against human breast cancer cell lines.

Medicinal mushroom extracts, i.e. their dried biomass, have long been known as sources of bioactive compounds with positive effects on the human health.

Changes of peripheral serotonin in the psychosocially stressed rats treated with linden honey.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of linden honey in maintaining the stability of peripheral serotonergic system in the psychosocially stressed rats. In this experiment we examined concentration of serotonin (5-HT) in Serbian linden honey, as well as concentrations of 5-HT and MAO A activity in the blood of chronically stressed rats treated with linden honey. The investigated parameters were quantified using HPLC method with electrochemical detector, HPLC method with a fluorescent detector, and assay of enzyme activities.

Bone quality analysis of the mandible in alcoholic liver cirrhosis: Anatomical, microstructural, and microhardness evaluation.

Objectives: Alcoholic bone disease has been recognized in contemporary literature as a systemic effect of chronic ethanol consumption. However, evidence about the specific influence of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC) on mandible bone quality is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore microstructural, compositional, cellular, and mechanical properties of the mandible in ALC individuals compared with a healthy control group.

Is There a Relationship Between Prenatal Dexamethasone and Postnatal Fructose Overexposure and Testicular Development, Function, and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Rats?

Prenatal glucocorticoid overexposure alters the developmental program of fetal reproductive organs and results in numerous changes that can lead to various disorders later in life. Moderate fructose consumption during childhood and adolescence may impair the development and function of reproductive organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal dexamethasone (Dx) exposure in combination with postnatal fructose overconsumption on testicular development and function in fetal and adult male rat offspring.

Therapeutic Potential of Prenylated Flavonoids of the Fabaceae Family in Medicinal Chemistry: An Updated Review.

Much attention has been paid to the potential biological activities of prenylated flavonoids (PFs) in various plant families over the last decade. They have enormous potential for biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, and neuroprotective activities. Medicinal chemists have recently shown a strong interest in PFs, as they are critical to the development of new medicines.

The Influence of the Chemical Composition of Beeswax Foundation Sheets on Their Acceptability by the Bee's Colony.

Beeswax is one of the most important products for the well-being of bee colonies. The wax glands of young worker bees produce beeswax, which serves as a building material for honeycomb construction. Beekeepers using hives with mobile frames mainly utilize local beeswax to make foundations.

Modeling the Distribution of the Rare and Red-Listed Halophytic Moss Species Under Various Climate Change Scenarios in Serbia.

is a rare moss species of the salty grasslands in Serbia. It is threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction and loss, although it reproduces sexually. In this study, we tested different models predicting its distribution under several climate scenarios over the next 8 decades.

Re-design and evaluation of diclofenac-based carborane-substituted prodrugs and their anti-cancer potential.

In this study, we investigated a novel anti-cancer drug design approach by revisiting diclofenac-based carborane-substituted prodrugs. The redesigned compounds combine the robust carborane scaffold with the oxindole framework, resulting in four carborane-derivatized oxindoles and a unique zwitterionic amidine featuring a nido-cluster. We tested the anti-cancer potential of these prodrugs against murine colon adenocarcinoma (MC38), human colorectal carcinoma (HCT116), and human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29).

Diagnosing missed cases of spinal muscular atrophy in genome, exome, and panel sequencing datasets.

Purpose: We set out to develop a publicly available tool that could accurately diagnose spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in exome, genome or panel sequencing datasets aligned to a GRCh37, GRCh38, or T2T reference genome.

Methods: The SMA Finder algorithm detects the most common genetic causes of SMA by evaluating reads that overlap the c.840 position of the SMN1 and SMN2 paralogs.

Allometry, sexual dimorphism, and Rensch's rule in pygmy and marbled newts.

Allometry, the relationship between body size and the size of other body parts, explains a significant portion of morphological variation across biological levels, at the individual level, within and between species. We used external morphology measurements of 6 Triturus (sub)species, focussing on the T. marmoratus species group, to explore allometric parameters within and between taxa.

Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups.

Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission-fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cohesion remains a gap in our knowledge of cooperative behavior in animals.

International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice.

There is growing interest in the potential exploitation of the gut microbiome as a diagnostic tool in medicine, but evidence supporting its clinical usefulness is scarce. An increasing number of commercial providers offer direct-to-consumer microbiome diagnostic tests without any consensus on their regulation or any proven value in clinical practice, which could result in considerable waste of individual and health-care resources and potential drawbacks in the clinical management of patients. We convened an international multidisciplinary expert panel to standardise best practices of microbiome testing for clinical implementation, including recommendations on general principles and minimum requirements for their provision, indications, pre-testing protocols, method of analyses, reporting of results, and potential clinical value.

Assessment of the Linnaean type material of the Nose-horned viper, Vipera ammodytes (Linnaeus, 1758).

Within the framework of surveys investigating the origins of Linnaean taxa, we assessed the evidence supporting historical taxonomic and nomenclatural proposals and decisions regarding the nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes). The viper was described as Coluber ammodytes Linnaeus, 1758 from "the Orient." Bruno (1968) assessed the pre-Systema Naturae Ed.

Redescription of the poorly known Allopodoiulus schioedtei (Verhoeff, 1898) and the identity of Xestoiulus luteus (Attems, 1951) (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae).

Based on old type material and freshly collected specimens, we evaluate and clarify the taxonomic status of two poorly known Balkan species, Allopodoiulus schioedtei (Verhoeff, 1898) and Xestoiulus luteus (Attems, 1951), and propose their synonymy with X. luteus syn. nov.

(R)evolution of Viruses: Introduction to biothermodynamics of viruses.

As of 26 April 2024, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has registered 14690 virus species. Of these, only several dozen have been chemically and thermodynamically characterized. Every virus species is characterized by a specific empirical formula and thermodynamic properties - enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy.

Combining treatments for migraine prophylaxis: the state-of-the-art.

Combination treatments for migraine prophylaxis present a promising approach to addressing the diverse and complex mechanisms underlying migraine. This review explores the potential of combining oral conventional prophylactics, onabotulinumtoxin A, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway, and small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants). Among the most promising strategies, dual CGRP inhibition through mAbs and gepants may enhance efficacy by targeting both the CGRP peptide and its receptor, while the combination of onabotulinumtoxin A with CGRP treatments offers synergistic pain relief.

A pioneering longterm experiment on mesophotic macrofouling communities in the North Atlantic.

The mesophotic zone represents one of our planet's largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing their structures at mesophotic depths remain poor. This lack of understanding limits our ability to predict anthropogenic impacts or conduct restoration operations in the mesophotic and the lower boundary of the euphotic zones.

Dynamics of West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Spread in the Balkans in the Context of Global Spatio-Temporal Dispersal.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is considered one of the most widely distributed arboviruses worldwide. In 2018, Serbia was among the European countries reporting the highest number of WNV cases. This study aimed to characterize WNV strains circulating in Serbia, and to estimate the pathways and dynamics of WNV-2 spread in the Balkans and globally through the phylogenetic approach.

Osteosarcopenic adiposity and its relation to cancer and chronic diseases: Implications for research to delineate mechanisms and improve clinical outcomes.

This is the third review in our series examining the connection between osteosarcopenic adiposity/obesity (OSA/OSO) syndrome and health impairments. The objective here was to examine whether there is a causal and/or bidirectional relationship between OSA and some chronic diseases. The search (in PubMed, Scopus, and WoS), screened for articles from their inception to the end of February 2024.