The DDHD2-STXBP1 interaction mediates long-term memory via generation of saturated free fatty acids.

The phospholipid and free fatty acid (FFA) composition of neuronal membranes plays a crucial role in learning and memory, but the mechanisms through which neuronal activity affects the brain's lipid landscape remain largely unexplored. The levels of saturated FFAs, particularly of myristic acid (C14:0), strongly increase during neuronal stimulation and memory acquisition, suggesting the involvement of phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity in synaptic plasticity. Here, we show that genetic ablation of the PLA1 isoform DDHD2 in mice dramatically reduces saturated FFA responses to memory acquisition across the brain. Furthermore, DDHD2 loss also decreases memory performance in reward-based learning and spatial memory models prior to the development of neuromuscular deficits that mirror human spastic paraplegia. Via pulldown-mass spectrometry analyses, we find that DDHD2 binds to the key synaptic protein STXBP1. Using STXBP1/2 knockout neurosecretory cells and a haploinsufficient STXBP1+/- mouse model of human early infantile encephalopathy associated with intellectual disability and motor dysfunction, we show that STXBP1 controls targeting of DDHD2 to the plasma membrane and generation of saturated FFAs in the brain. These findings suggest key roles for DDHD2 and STXBP1 in lipid metabolism and in the processes of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.

Interventions about physical activity and diet and their impact on adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: a Prisma systematic review.

PURPOSE: Over the past few decades, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults (AYA) has been increasing. The impact of behaviors, such as physical activity (PA) and nutrition, on disease progression, prognosis, and overall health and quality of life for AYA cancer survivors is of significant importance. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PA and diet interventions for AYA cancer survivors and to critically evaluate existing literature, gaps, and limitations. METHODS: A search of literature was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar following the PRISMA guidelines. Twenty-two studies were included from online databases from 2012 to 2022, 13 of which were randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: Most interventions were related to PA, with only four studies including nutrition or Diet interventions. The interventions were generally feasible and acceptable to AYA cancer survivors, and digitally based PA interventions were commonly used. PA interventions mainly comprised aerobic and resistance training and were individualized. Overall, this review found various PA and diet interventions for AYA cancer survivors that were feasible and well-accepted, but gaps in knowledge and design still exist. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review underscores the importance of conducting more research on diet interventions for YCS. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#aboutregpage.

Embedded Sensors with 3D Printing Technology: Review.

Embedded sensors (ESs) are used in smart materials to enable continuous and permanent measurements of their structural integrity, while sensing technology involves developing sensors, sensory systems, or smart materials that monitor a wide range of properties of materials. Incorporating 3D-printed sensors into hosting structures has grown in popularity because of improved assembly processes, reduced system complexity, and lower fabrication costs. 3D-printed sensors can be embedded into structures and attached to surfaces through two methods: attaching to surfaces or embedding in 3D-printed sensors. We discussed various additive manufacturing techniques for fabricating sensors in this review. We also discussed the many strategies for manufacturing sensors using additive manufacturing, as well as how sensors are integrated into the manufacturing process. The review also explained the fundamental mechanisms used in sensors and their applications. The study demonstrated that embedded 3D printing sensors facilitate the development of additive sensor materials for smart goods and the Internet of Things.

Multidimensional associations of physical performance, balance, wellness and daily activities with frailty in older adults with coexisting frailty and diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of frailty and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the older population heightens the risk of adverse events. However, research on functional and wellness factors associated with frailty in this population is limited. PURPOSE: To investigate the associations of physical performance, functional dependency, physical activity, nutritional status, sleep, self-perceived health and depression with frailty in community-dwelling older adults with coexisting frailty and type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: The study included 123 community-dwelling older adults (73.7 ± 6.0 years) with pre-frailty/frailty and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery), functional dependency (Barthel Index and Lawton & Brody), physical activity and inactivity (GeneActiv wrist-worn accelerometer), malnutrition risk (Mini Nutritional Assessment), sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), self-perceived health (EuroQoL 5-Dimension 3-Level) and depression (Yesavage 15-item-Geriatric-Depression-Scale) were evaluated through personal interviews. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to categorize the variables into components, and logistic regressions were used to propose the best-fitted model for each component. RESULTS: The PCA identified four components: (i) physical performance, with gait speed and leg mean velocity as the main variables associated with frailty; (ii) balance, showing significant associations with monopodal balance; (iii) daily activities, with moderate to vigorous physical activity and the Lawton and Brody score as the main variables associated with frailty within this component; and (iv) wellness factors, with nutritional status, self-perceived health and depression score as the primary variables associated with frailty. CONCLUSIONS: This research underscores the significance of physical function and daily activities as protective factors against frailty in community-dwelling older adults with coexisting frailty and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The health dimension contributes both protective and risk factors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessments in managing frailty in this population. REPORTING METHOD: The study adhered to the STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Disease-associated tau impairs mitophagy by inhibiting Parkin translocation to mitochondria.

Accumulation of the protein tau characterises Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, including familial forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) that carry pathogenic tau mutations. Another hallmark feature of these diseases is the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. Although disease-associated tau is known to impair several aspects of mitochondrial function, it is still unclear whether it also directly impinges on mitochondrial quality control, specifically Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Using the mito-QC mitophagy reporter, we found that both human wild-type (hTau) and FTD mutant tau (hP301L) inhibited mitophagy in neuroblastoma cells, by reducing mitochondrial translocation of Parkin. In the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system, hTau expression reduced mitophagy, whereas hP301L expression completely inhibited it. These effects were not due to changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential or the cytoskeleton, as tau specifically impaired Parkin recruitment to defective mitochondria by sequestering it in the cytosol. This sequestration was mediated by aberrant interactions of Parkin with the projection domain of tau. As mitochondria are dysfunctional in neurodegenerative conditions, these data suggest a vicious cycle, with tau also inhibiting the degradation of damaged mitochondria.

National data linkage assessment of live births and deaths in Mexico: Estimating under-five mortality rate ratios for vulnerable newborns and trends from 2008 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Linked datasets that enable longitudinal assessments are scarce in low and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the linkage of administrative databases of live births and under-five child deaths to explore mortality and trends for preterm, small (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) in Mexico. METHODS: We linked individual-level datasets collected by National statistics from 2008 to 2019. Linkage was performed based on agreement on birthday, sex, residential address. We used the Centre for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health software to identify the best candidate pairs based on similarity. Accuracy was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. We evaluated completeness by comparing the number of linked records with reported deaths. We described the percentage of linked records by baseline characteristics to identify potential bias. Using the linked dataset, we calculated mortality rate ratios (RR) in neonatal, infants, and children under-five according to gestational age, birthweight, and size. RESULTS: For the period 2008-2019, a total of 24,955,172 live births and 321,165 under-five deaths were available for linkage. We excluded 1,539,046 records (6.2%) with missing or implausible values. We succesfully linked 231,765 deaths (72.2%: range 57.1% in 2009 and 84.3% in 2011). The rate of neonatal mortality was higher for preterm compared with term (RR 3.83, 95% confidence interval, [CI] 3.78, 3.88) and for SGA compared with appropriate for gestational age (AGA) (RR 1.22 95% CI, 1.19, 1.24). Births at <28 weeks had the highest mortality (RR 35.92, 95% CI, 34.97, 36.88). LGA had no additional risk vs AGA among children under five (RR 0.92, 95% CI, 0.90, 0.93). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the utility of linked data to understand neonatal vulnerability and child mortality. We created a linked dataset that would be a valuable resource for future population-based research.

Mechanistic evaluation in the removal of chlorpheniramine and ciprofloxacin on activated carbons.

Chlorpheniramine (CPM) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption onto a granular (GAC) and pelletized activated carbon (PAC) analyzing the physicochemical mechanisms involved using the carbon's characterization were studied. Adsorption isotherm studies were performed at temperatures of 25 °C at pH values of 4, 7 and 9 and at 45 °C at a pH of 7. The characterization demonstrated that GAC has a predominantly acid character due to its predominantly negative surface charge and acidic site concentration alongside the characteristic bands detected in the X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) study. On the other hand, PAC presented a mostly basic character due to its positive surface charge and basic site concentrations. The adsorption isotherm studies demonstrated that the Freundlich isotherm better described the equilibrium data with an average deviation percentage of 7.45 and 6.74 for GAC and PAC. The temperature and desorption studies demonstrated that the adsorption process occurs through a chemisorption mechanism, and the pH study alongside the GAC and PAC characterization demonstrated that the mechanisms involved are a combination of electrostatic interactions and pi-pi interactions between the CPM and CIP molecules and the carbon's surface. These results demonstrate that the adsorption process of these pharmaceutical compounds is done through a combination of physical and chemical interactions.

Longitudinal effects of FTO gene polymorphism on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents. "The UP & DOWN study".

The role of polymorphism rs9939609 of the FTO gene has been related with fat mass and cardiovascular risk in adults, but it remains unclear in children and adolescents. Hence, the main aim of this study was to determine the FTO polymorphism effects on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), physical activity (PA), inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular risk both in cross-sectional analysis and after two-years of follow-up in children and adolescents. A total of 2129 participants were included in this study. The rs9939609 polymorphism was genotyped. Body composition measurements, CRF, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined at baseline and after two-year of follow-up. Moreover, plasma leptin and adiponectin were also determined as inflammatory markers. Furthermore, an index of cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF-I) was calculated. Codominant (TT vs. TA vs. AA) and dominant (AA+AT vs. TT) models were applied for statistical analysis. The results showed a main effect of the FTO genotype on body composition measures in both first and third year (p < 0.05), with lower adiposity in TT compared with AA or AA+AT group. These differences were maintained after accounting for pubertal maturity, sex, age, VO2 max, and MVPA. Moreover, lower leptin level was observed in TT compared to AA+AT group in the third year. An interaction in Gene*Time*Sex was found in height and neck circumference in dominant model (p = 0.047; p = 0.020, respectively). No differences were found in CRF, MVPA nor CVDRF-I between groups. Hence, homozygous TT allele could be a protective factor against weight gain from early childhood.

Anal cytology: Diagnosis of intestinal spirochaetosis.

OBJECTIVE: A case of intestinal spirochaetosis diagnosed in anal cytology is presented. METHODS: An anal liquid-based cytology was performed and stained with Papanicolau and Warthin-Starry stains. RESULTS: An apical filamentous "fringe" was identified in columnar cells groups. CONCLUSION: Anal cytology is a potential tool for intestinal spirochaetosis diagnosis.

Insecticide resistance levels and associated mechanisms in three Aedes aegypti populations from Venezuela.

BACKGROUND: The massive use of insecticides in public health has exerted selective pressure resulting in the development of resistance in Aedes aegypti to different insecticides in Venezuela. Between 2010 and 2020, the only insecticides available for vector control were the organophosphates (Ops) fenitrothion and temephos which were focally applied. OBJECTIVES: To determine the state of insecticide resistance and to identify the possible biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in three populations of Ae. aegypti from Venezuela. METHODS: CDC bottle bioassays were conducted on Ae. aegypti collected between October 2019 and February 2020 in two hyperendemic localities for dengue in Aragua State and in a malaria endemic area in Bolívar State. Insecticide resistance mechanisms were studied using biochemical assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect kdr mutations. FINDINGS: Bioassays showed contrasting results among populations; Las Brisas was resistant to malathion, permethrin and deltamethrin, Urbanización 19 de Abril was resistant to permethrin and Nacupay to malathion. All populations showed significantly higher activity of mixed function oxidases and glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) in comparison with the susceptible strain. The kdr mutations V410L, F1534C, and V1016I were detected in all populations, with F1534C at higher frequencies. MAIN CONCLUSION: Insecticide resistance persists in three Ae. aegypti populations from Venezuela even in the relative absence of insecticide application.

Thermal resting pattern and acute skin temperature response to exercise in older adults: Role of cardiorespiratory fitness.

BACKGROUND: Infrared thermography is a growing area of interest in sports science due to the potential of skin temperature (Tsk) measurements to provide valuable information from rest to exercise. However, limited research exists on Tsk in older adults and the impact of factors such as sex and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on Tsk. This study aims to investigate Tsk at rest and after acute exercise in older adults and assess whether sex or CRF influences Tsk. METHODS: Ninety-two participants (41 women, 68.48 ± 3.01 years) were examined with a thermographic camera in a conditioned room (23.02 ± 3.01 °C) at rest and after a graded protocol. The Tsk of 25 regions of interest (ROIs) were extracted and analysed. RESULTS: Men had higher overall Tsk at rest in 76% of ROIs, showing significant differences (p < 0.010) in six specific ROIs, independent of CRF. Both sexes had similar Tsk responses after graded exercise, with increases in distal parts (1.06 ± 0.50 °C), decreases in proximal parts (-0.62 ± 0.42 °C), and stable central Tsk (0.23 ± 0.59 °C). Increases in lower limb Tsk were significantly associated with CRF in men and women (ß = 0.438, p = 0.001, and ß = 0.535, p < 0.001, respectively), explaining 17% and 27% of the variance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a sex-specific effect on resting Tsk in older adults, suggesting that sex-specific Tsk patterns should be considered when analysing Tsk in this population. Additionally, the association between increases in lower limb Tsk and CRF suggests that Tsk could be a promising predictor of CRF in older adults.

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of a Formulation Containing Ascorbic Acid and Eudragit FS 30D Microparticles for the Controlled Release of a Curcumin-Boric Acid Solid Dispersion in Turkey Poults Infected with Salmonella enteritidis: A Therapeutic Model.

The selection of components within a formulation or for treatment must stop being arbitrary and must be focused on scientific evidence that supports the inclusion of each one. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to obtain a formulation based on ascorbic acid (AA) and Eudragit FS 30D microparticles containing curcumin-boric acid (CUR-BA) considering interaction studies between the active components carried out via Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to minimize antagonistic effects, and comprehensively and effectively treat turkey poults infected with Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis). The DSC and FTIR studies clearly demonstrated the interactions between AA, BA, and CUR. Consequently, the combination of AA with CUR and/or BA should be avoided, but not CUR and BA. Furthermore, the Eudragit FS 30D microparticles containing CUR-BA (SD CUR-BA MP) showed a limited release of CUR-BA in an acidic medium, but they were released at a pH 6.8-7.0, which reduced the interactions between CUR-BA and AA. Finally, in the S. enteritidis infection model, turkey poults treated with the combination of AA and SD CUR-BA MP presented lower counts of S. enteritidis in cecal tonsils after 10 days of treatment. These results pointed out that the use of an adequate combination of AA and CUR-BA as an integral treatment of S. enteritidis infections could be a viable option to replace the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

Changes in Muscle Deoxygenation During Squat Exercise After 6-Week Resistance Training With Different Percentages of Velocity Loss.

ABSTRACT: Costilla, M, Casals, C, Marín-Galindo, A, Sánchez-Sixto, A, Muñoz-López, A, Sañudo, B, Corral-Pérez, J, and Ponce-González, JG. Changes in muscle deoxygenation during squat exercise after 6-week resistance training with different percentages of velocity loss. J Strength Cond Res 37(8): 1573-1580, 2023-The present study compared, for the first time, the effects of 6 weeks of 20% (20VL) vs. 40% (40VL) velocity loss (VL) resistance training (RT) programs on muscle oxygen dynamics during the squat exercise. Twenty-three young men (21.4 ± 2.4 years) were randomly allocated into the 20VL group ( n = 8), 40VL group ( n = 7), or control group (CG; n = 8). The RT program consisted of 3 sets of Smith machine back squat exercise at 20VL or 40VL with a 3-minute rest between sets, twice per week for 6 weeks. Tissue oxygenation index (TOI) was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy in the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis during a squat test (8-repetition 1 m·s -1 load test), and the maximum (maxTOI) and minimum (minTOI) TOIs were measured during a 3-min recovery period. After the 6-week RT program, TOI increased significantly at the beginning of the test in both muscles (during the first 4 repetitions in the vastus lateralis and 5 repetitions in the vastus medialis) in the 20VL group ( p < 0.05), with nonsignificant changes in the 40VL group and CG. The maxTOI was significantly increased in the vastus medialis (+3.76%) and vastus lateralis (+3.97%) after the training only in the 20VL group ( p < 0.05). The minTOI in the vastus medialis reached during the test remained unchanged postintervention for both training groups, with the CG showing significantly higher values compared with the 20VL group (+14.1%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, depending on the VL reached during a squat RT program, different changes in muscle oxygen dynamics can be expected. Training at 20% of VL improves metabolic efficiency and the reoxygenation peak after the set.

Characterization of the water bodies of Extremadura (SW Spain).

Extremadura is the region that stores the greatest amount of fresh water in Spain. Such water is mainly used for power generation, irrigation in agriculture, biodiversity conservation, tourism, recreation, and human and livestock consumption. Nevertheless, crucial information on the total number of water bodies and their geometrical characteristics and spatial distribution patterns are still missing. Thus, our main goal was to characterize the Extremenian water bodies geometrically and spatially through different statistical techniques such as kernel density, Moran's index, the Getis-Ord Gi*, and principal component analysis (PCA). Firstly, all existing hydrological information was gathered, and using aerial aircraft imagery and satellite images, each water body (WB) was then carefully collected, checked, and corrected. We have inventoried 100,614 WBs (mean density: 2.45 WB km2), irregularly distributed on the territory. WBs with an area < 0.01 km2 (100 ha) represent 64.5% of the total. A multivariate statistical study was conducted, showing that livestock, aridity of the climate, and topography are the main factors controlling the density of water bodies (WBs) in this area. It can be concluded that monitoring of small bodies is crucial to understand their spatial distribution, since they are spread over areas in which extensive farming and commercial crops such as tobacco strongly influence the way of living of many families.

Bipolar multiplex families have an increased burden of common risk variants for psychiatric disorders.

Multiplex families with a high prevalence of a psychiatric disorder are often examined to identify rare genetic variants with large effect sizes. In the present study, we analysed whether the risk for bipolar disorder (BD) in BD multiplex families is influenced by common genetic variants. Furthermore, we investigated whether this risk is conferred mainly by BD-specific risk variants or by variants also associated with the susceptibility to schizophrenia or major depression. In total, 395 individuals from 33 Andalusian BD multiplex families (166 BD, 78 major depressive disorder, 151 unaffected) as well as 438 subjects from an independent, BD case/control cohort (161 unrelated BD, 277 unrelated controls) were analysed. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for BD, schizophrenia (SCZ), and major depression were calculated and compared between the cohorts. Both the familial BD cases and unaffected family members had higher PRS for all three psychiatric disorders than the independent controls, with BD and SCZ being significant after correction for multiple testing, suggesting a high baseline risk for several psychiatric disorders in the families. Moreover, familial BD cases showed significantly higher BD PRS than unaffected family members and unrelated BD cases. A plausible hypothesis is that, in multiplex families with a general increase in risk for psychiatric disease, BD development is attributable to a high burden of common variants that confer a specific risk for BD. The present analyses demonstrated that common genetic risk variants for psychiatric disorders are likely to contribute to the high incidence of affective psychiatric disorders in the multiplex families. However, the PRS explained only part of the observed phenotypic variance, and rare variants might have also contributed to disease development.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) deficiency causes age-dependent progression of female osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a crucial transcription factor for cellular redox homeostasis. The association of Nrf2 with elderly female osteoporotic has yet to be fully described. The aim was to elucidate a potential age-dependent Nrf2 contribution to female osteoporosis in mice. METHODS: Eighteen female wild type (WT) and 16 Nrf2-knockout (KO) mice were sacrificed at different ages (12 weeks = young mature adult and 90 weeks = old) to analyze their femurs. The morphological properties (trabecular and cortical) were evaluated by micro-computed tomography (µCT) and compared to gold standard histochemistry analysis. The quasi-static compression tests were performed to calculate the mechanical properties of bones. Additionally, the population of bone resorbing cells and aromatase expression by osteocytes was immunohistochemically evaluated and empty osteocyte lacunae was counted in cortical bone. RESULTS: Old Nrf2-KO mice revealed a significantly reduced trabecular bone mineral density (BMD), cortical thickness, cortical area, and bone fraction compared to old WT mice, regardless of no significant difference in skeletally mature young adult mice between WT and KO. Specifically, while all old WT mice showed thin metaphyseal trabeculae, trabecular bone was completely absent in 60% of old KO mice. Additionally, old KO mice showed significantly more osteoclast-like cells and fewer aromatase-positive osteocytes than WT mice, whereas the occurrence of empty osteocyte lacunae did not differ between both groups. Nrf2-KO mice further showed an age-dependently reduced fracture resilience compared to age-matched WT mice. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that chronic Nrf2 loss can lead to age-dependent progression of female osteoporosis.

Effects of Different Velocity Loss Thresholds on Passive Contractile Properties and Muscle Oxygenation in the Squat Exercise Using Free Weights.

ABSTRACT: Muñoz-López, A, Marín-Galindo, A, Corral-Pérez, J, Costilla, M, Sánchez-Sixto, A, Sañudo, B, Casals, C, and Ponce-González, JG. Effects of different velocity loss thresholds on passive contractile properties and muscle oxygenation in the squat exercise using free weights. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3056-3064, 2022-The current study assessed the impact between different velocity loss thresholds on changes in the muscle contractile properties and muscle oxygenation after a single resistance training (RT) session. Thirty physically active men participated in a crossover study performing 3 sets of the squat exercise at a lifted speed of ≈0.75 m·s -1 , with 2 different velocity loss thresholds: 20% (VL20) vs 40% (VL40) in a randomized order. Contractile properties of the knee extensor muscles were tested using tensiomyography. In addition, muscle oxygenation was continuously measured from baseline until the end of the exercise session. The vastus lateralis showed a significant moment by condition interaction in time delay ( p = 0.044), muscle displacement ( p = 0.001), and contraction velocity ( p = 0.007), with greater reductions in VL40. In both trainings, oxygenated hemoglobin and tissue oxygen index decreased, whereas deoxygenated hemoglobin increased (moment as the main effect, p < 0.05), but without a moment by condition interaction. VL40 showed a lower deoxygenation slope in set 1 (-0.468%·s -1 , p = 0.001) and set 3 (-0.474%·s -1 , p = 0.037) as well as higher losses in set 1 (-41.50%, p = 0.003), set 2 (-41.84%, p = 0.002), and set 3 (-62.51%, p < 0.001), compared with VL20. No differences were found in the recovery period between conditions. In conclusion, during the RT program design, coaches and athletes should consider that VL40 produces higher mechanical and neuromuscular impairments than VL20, which seems to be necessary for hypertrophy to occur; however, VL40 also produces a longer period of lower oxygen supply than VL20, which can induce fast-to-slow muscle fiber transition.

Antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of free, conjugates and bound phenolic compounds from tomato and industrial tomato by-product.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of different fractions of phenolic compounds from tomato and tomato by-product. Soluble free phenolics and bound phenolics (BP) fractions from saladette tomato and industrial tomato by-product as well as, conjugated acid-hydrolysable phenolics (AHP) and alkaline-hydrolysable phenolics (AKHP) from saladette tomato, grape tomato and industrial tomato by-product, were tested. The scavenging effects of phenolic fractions on superoxide anion were determined using the PMS-NADH-NBT system. The myoglobin protection ratios of samples against hydroxyl radical were evaluated and the anti-proliferative effects in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line were determined. AHP fraction from tomato by-product and AKHP fraction from grape and saladette tomato showed the highest inhibitory capacity of the superoxide anion (p ≤ 0.05). All samples had a myoglobin protection ratio from 30 to 50%. Regarding to cytotoxicity assays, all phenolic fractions from tomato by-product, as well as, BP, AHP, AKHP from saladette tomato and AHP from grape tomato showed important anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line (IC50 < 20 µg/mL). From the results, we can conclude that tomato and tomato by-product are a good source of natural compound with important antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity.

Modeling the intracellular dynamics of the dengue viral infection and the innate immune response.

The interplay between the dengue virus and the innate immune response is not fully understood. Here, we use deterministic and stochastic approaches to investigate the dynamics of the interaction between the interferon-mediated innate immune response and the dengue virus. We aim to develop a quantitative representation of these complex interactions and predict their system-level dynamics. Our simulation results predict bimodal and bistable dynamics that represent viral clearance and virus-producing states. Under normal conditions, we determined that the viral infection outcome is modulated by the innate immune response and the positive-strand viral RNA concentration. Additionally, we tested system perturbations by external stimulation, such as the direct induction of the innate immune response by interferon, and a therapeutic intervention consisting of the direct application of mRNA encoding for several interferon-stimulated genes. Our simulation results suggest optimal regimes for the studied intervention approaches.

Pressure-Driven Metallization in Hafnium Diselenide.

The quest for new transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with outstanding electronic properties operating under ambient conditions draws us to investigate the 1T-HfSe2 polytype under hydrostatic pressure. Diamond anvil cell (DAC) devices coupled to in situ synchrotron X-ray, Raman, and optical (VIS-NIR) absorption experiments along with density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations prove that (i) bulk 1T-HfSe2 exhibits strong structural and vibrational anisotropies, being the interlayer direction especially sensitive to pressure changes, (ii) the indirect gap of 1T-HfSe2 tends to vanish by a -0.1 eV/GPa pressure rate, slightly faster than MoS2 or WS2, (iii) the onset of the metallic behavior appears at Pmet ∼10 GPa, which is to date the lowest pressure among common TMDs, and finally, (iv) the electronic transition is explained by the bulk modulus B0-Pmet correlation, along with the pressure coefficient of the band gap, in terms of the electronic overlap between chalcogenide p-type and metal d-type orbitals. Overall, our findings identify 1T-HfSe2 as a new efficient TMD material with potential multipurpose technological applications.