Brain clocks capture diversity and disparities in aging and dementia across geographically diverse populations.

Brain clocks, which quantify discrepancies between brain age and chronological age, hold promise for understanding brain health and disease. However, the impact of diversity (including geographical, socioeconomic, sociodemographic, sex and neurodegeneration) on the brain-age gap is unknown. We analyzed datasets from 5,306 participants across 15 countries (7 Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) and 8 non-LAC countries).

The consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with adiposity, but not with metabolic indicators in a prospective cohort study of Chilean preschool children.

Background: Increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been identified as a risk factor for obesity and various diseases, primarily in adults. Nonetheless, research in children is limited, especially regarding longitudinal studies with metabolic outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the longitudinal association between consumption of UPF, adiposity, and metabolic indicators in Chilean preschool children.

Incidence, risk factors and therapy response of acute graft-versus-host disease after myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide.

Posttransplant cyclophosphamide, sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (PTCy/siro/MMF) constitutes an innovative and well-tolerated acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) prophylaxis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but risk factors for aGVHD incidence and therapy failure in this setting are scarce. This study prospectively registered all consecutive adult patients with hematologic malignancies who received a myeloablative allo-HSCT using PTCy/siro/MMF prophylaxis at our institution between 2017 and 2023. A total of 385 patients were included, of whom 44%, 34% and 22% were transplanted from matched sibiling, matched unrelated and haploidentical donors, respectively.

Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior With Self-Rated Health Status in Brazilian Older Adults.

In a longevity society, as we live longer, adopting healthy lifestyles is essential to develop and maintain functional ability, which enables well-being in older adults. We aim to examine the associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SBs) with self-rated health (SRH) status in older Brazilian adults. We analyzed 21,701 persons aged 60 or older from the Brazilian National Health Survey.

Simultaneous analysis of antimicrobial residues and contaminants in poultry droppings by HPLC-MS/MS: a tool for environmental and food safety monitoring.

Animal waste is a potential pollution hazard as it can harbour contaminants, such as antimicrobial residues, mycotoxins, and pesticides, becoming a risk to the public, animal, and environmental health. To assess this risk, 15 experimental broiler chickens orally received contaminants to evaluate excretion levels. An analytical method was previously developed to detect 18 substances in poultry droppings using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS).

Stochastic image spectroscopy: a discriminative generative approach to hyperspectral image modelling and classification.

This paper introduces a new latent variable probabilistic framework for representing spectral data of high spatial and spectral dimensionality, such as hyperspectral images. We use a generative Bayesian model to represent the image formation process and provide interpretable and efficient inference and learning methods. Surprisingly, our approach can be implemented with simple tools and does not require extensive training data, detailed pixel-by-pixel labeling, or significant computational resources.

Faster Maximal Exact Matches with Lazy LCP Evaluation.

MONI (Rossi et al., 2022) is a BWT-based compressed index for computing the matching statistics and maximal exact matches (MEMs) of a pattern (usually a DNA read) with respect to a highly repetitive text (usually a database of genomes) using two operations: LF-steps and longest common extension (LCE) queries on a grammar-compressed representation of the text. In practice, most of the operations are constant-time LF-steps but most of the time is spent evaluating LCE queries.

RNAseq analysis of whole zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae revealed the main cellular biological effects of geosmin and microcystin exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Cyanobacterial blooms are common events that releases secondary metabolites into water posing considerable threats to the environment, wildlife, and public health. Some of these metabolites, such as microcystin, have been extensively studied and associated with harmful effects in mammals and aquatic organisms, while the biological effects of others, like geosmin, remain much less investigated. Enhancing our understanding of cyanotoxins effects on organisms is especially relevant facing the complex scenarios projected due to global warming.

Efficiency of periodontal treatment to improve type 2 diabetes mellitus outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of economic evaluations.

Background: To assess the efficiency of periodontal treatment (PT) in improving diabetes-related outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis, providing an updated and comprehensive synthesis from economic evaluations (EE).

Methods: Seven databases and one register were independently searched by two reviewers for articles published up to 8 May 2024. Studies that assessed the efficiency of PT versus no treatment or other dental treatments were included.

Assessment of professional empowerment among midwives in selected LAC: A multisite descriptive study.

Objective: to identify the perception of professional empowerment among midwives in selected Latin American countries (LA). Specifically, this study aimed to compare i) the global level of empowerment among midwives in different LA countries, ii) the scores according to the different dimensions of the scale, and iii) scores according to area the of expertise.

Design: A quantitative, observational, analytical, cross-sectional and multisite study using an adaptation of the Perceptions Midwifery Empowerment Scale (PEMS).

Educational disparities in brain health and dementia across Latin America and the United States.

Background: Education influences brain health and dementia. However, its impact across regions, specifically Latin America (LA) and the United States (US), is unknown.

Methods: A total of 1412 participants comprising controls, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) from LA and the US were included.

Condensed tannins from Pinus radiata bark: Extraction and their nanoparticles preparation in water by green method.

This work reports for the first time the production of condensed tannin nanoparticles stable in water via modification with glycine betaine. Pine bark, as a byproduct from the paper industry, was used as a source of condensed tannins of high molecular weight. Different glycine betaine concentrations were tested to produce condensed tannin nanoparticles, and the obtained nanoparticles were subjected to several characterization techniques (Dynamic Light Scattering, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-Attenuated total reflectance, thermogravimetric analysis).

Identification of Antioxidant Methyl Derivatives of -Carbonyl Hydroquinones That Reduce Caco-2 Cell Energetic Metabolism and Alpha-Glucosidase Activity.

α-glucosidase, a pharmacological target for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is present in the intestinal brush border membrane and catalyzes the hydrolysis of sugar linkages during carbohydrate digestion. Since α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) modulate intestinal metabolism, they may influence oxidative stress and glycolysis inhibition, potentially addressing intestinal dysfunction associated with T2DM. Herein, we report on a study of an -carbonyl substituted hydroquinone series, whose members differ only in the number and position of methyl groups on a common scaffold, on radical-scavenging activities (ORAC assay) and correlate them with some parameters obtained by density functional theory (DFT) analysis.

Comprehensive Nutritional and Functional Characterization of Novel Mycoprotein Derived from the Bioconversion of spp.

This study aimed, for the first time, to determine the nutritional composition, beta-glucan and ergosterol contents, phenolic compound composition, and biological and functional activities of a novel mycoprotein produced through a bioconversion process of spp., a brown seaweed. An untargeted metabolomics approach was employed to screen metabolites and annotate molecules with nutraceutical properties.

Enhancing adipose tissue functionality in obesity: senotherapeutics, autophagy and cellular senescence as a target.

Obesity, a global health crisis, disrupts multiple systemic processes, contributing to a cascade of metabolic dysfunctions by promoting the pathological expansion of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). This expansion is characterized by impaired differentiation of pre-adipocytes and an increase in senescent cells, leading to a pro-inflammatory state and exacerbated oxidative stress. Particularly, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and adipose tissue hypoxia further impair cellular function, promoting chronic disease development.

Genetic and epigenetic landscape of early-onset oral squamous cell carcinoma: Insights of genomic underserved and underrepresented populations.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a poor prognosis and the treatment employed generates significant physical deformity in patients. In recent years, an increase in the incidence of cases of OSCC has been observed in adult patients up to 45 years old in several genetic underrepresented and underserved countries. The increase in OSCC cases in young people is very relevant because it shows that OSCC does not make exceptions and hereditarily must play an important role.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

The aims were (i) to determine the effects of Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on sleep disturbances, pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and (ii) to determine the dose-response association between CBT-I dose (total minutes) and improvements in sleep disorders, pain intensity and disability in patients with CMP. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and SCOPUS until December 17, 2023. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using CBT-I without co-interventions in people with CMP and sleep disorders were eligible.

Taxonomic classification with maximal exact matches in KATKA kernels and minimizer digests.

For taxonomic classification, we are asked to index the genomes in a phylogenetic tree such that later, given a DNA read, we can quickly choose a small subtree likely to contain the genome from which that read was drawn. Although popular classifiers such as Kraken use -mers, recent research indicates that using maximal exact matches (MEMs) can lead to better classifications. For example, we can ■ build an augmented FM-index over the the genomes in the tree concatenated in left-to-right order; ■ for each MEM in a read, find the interval in the suffix array containing the starting positions of that MEM's occurrences in those genomes; ■ find the minimum and maximum values stored in that interval; ■ take the lowest common ancestor (LCA) of the genomes containing the characters at those positions.