Thays Cristina dos Santos, Hellen Paulo Silva, Karen Rodrigues Lima
et al.
<b>Background:</b> Estrogen depletion alters bone mineralization and oxidative stress. Antioxidants like humic acids (HA) may help mitigate bone demineralization and redox imbalances. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of HA on bone mineral composition and oxidative stress markers in an experimental menopause model. <b>Methods:</b> Twenty-four female C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (n = 6/group): Sham; Sham + HA; Ovariectomized (OVX); and OVX + HA. The menopause model was induced by bilateral ovariectomy at the beginning of the experiment. HA derived from biomass vermicompost was administered daily by gavage for 28 days. After euthanasia, femurs and fragments of the gastrocnemius muscle, liver, and kidney were collected. Bone elemental composition was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) activities were assessed in muscle, renal, and hepatic tissues. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post hoc test. <b>Results:</b> Untreated OVX mice exhibited a significant reduction in femoral calcium content (<i>p</i> < 0.05). However, HA treatment increased calcium levels and improved the Ca/P ratio (<i>p</i> < 0.05). H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> activity was reduced in the liver and kidney of OVX + HA mice compared to untreated animals (<i>p</i> < 0.05). CAT activity in muscle increased in the OVX + HA group compared to the OVX (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> HA treatment improved femoral elemental composition and modulated oxidative stress markers in an experimental menopause model.
María Cristina Franco-Arellanes, Perla Xóchitl Toledo-Valdes, Cynthia Díaz-Hernández
et al.
INTRODUCTION: O-GlcNAcylation is a post-translational modification in which a single N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (GlcNAc) molecule is added to Ser or Thr residues of proteins. The O-N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase (OGT) enzyme is responsible for adding GlcNAc to the target proteins and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (OGA) that removes the GlcNAc residue. O-GlcNAcylation has been described in the pathophysiology of several diseases; however, little has been studied in dental tissue. The aim of the present work is to characterise the product of O-GlcNAcylation and its enzymes at the tissue level in the dental pulp, as well as its expression in dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) both in situ and in vitro. This enables the recognition of the behaviour of O-GlcNAcylation in pulp tissue without pathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pulp tissue was obtained from 10 healthy donors, and the expression of O-GlcNAc, OGT, and OGA was analysed using immunofluorescence with specific antibodies in different regions of the dental pulp. DPSCs were isolated, cultured, and identified with anti-STRO1 (antibody specific for human CD34+ cells, useful for DPSC identification). The expression of O-GlcNAc in DPSCs was confirmed in vitro through Western blot. Results. Different regions of the dental pulp and DPSCs express O-GlcNAc and the enzymes OGT and OGA. O-GlcNAc and OGT expression was more prominent in the odontoblastic layer, cell-rich zone, and in the central core. OGA was distributed throughout the pulp tissue with lower immunoreactivity compared to OGT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that O-GlcNAcylation may play a relevant role in human dental pulp homeostasis and in physiology of DPSCs.
Abstract We define two new computational problems in the domain of perfect genome rearrangements, and propose three algorithms to solve them. The rearrangement scenarios modeled by the problems consider Reversal and Block Interchange operations, and a PQ-tree is utilized to guide the allowed operations and to compute their weights. In the first problem, $$\mathsf {Constrained \ TreeToString \ Divergence}$$ Constrained TreeToString Divergence ( $$\textsf{CTTSD}{}$$ CTTSD ), we define the basic structure-informed rearrangement measure. Here, we assume that the gene order members of the gene cluster from which the PQ-tree is constructed are permutations. The PQ-tree representing the gene cluster is ordered such that the series of gene IDs spelled by its leaves is equivalent to that of the reference gene order. Then, a structure-informed genome rearrangement distance is computed between the ordered PQ-tree and the target gene order. The second problem, $$\mathsf {TreeToString \ Divergence}$$ TreeToString Divergence ( $$\textsf{TTSD}{}$$ TTSD ), generalizes $$\textsf{CTTSD}{}$$ CTTSD , where the gene order members are not necessarily permutations and the structure informed rearrangement measure is extended to also consider up to $$d_S$$ d S and $$d_T$$ d T gene insertion and deletion operations, respectively, when modelling the PQ-tree informed divergence process from the reference gene order to the target gene order. The first algorithm solves $$\textsf{CTTSD}{}$$ CTTSD in $$O(n \gamma ^2 \cdot (m_p \cdot 1.381^\gamma + m_q))$$ O ( n γ 2 · ( m p · 1 . 381 γ + m q ) ) time and $$O(n^2)$$ O ( n 2 ) space, where $$\gamma $$ γ is the maximum number of children of a node, n is the length of the string and the number of leaves in the tree, and $$m_p$$ m p and $$m_q$$ m q are the number of P-nodes and Q-nodes in the tree, respectively. If one of the penalties of $$\textsf{CTTSD}$$ CTTSD is 0, then the algorithm runs in $$O(n m \gamma ^2)$$ O ( n m γ 2 ) time and $$O(n^2)$$ O ( n 2 ) space. The second algorithm solves $$\textsf{TTSD}{}$$ TTSD in $$O(n^2 \gamma ^2 {d_T}^2 {d_S}^2\,m^2 (m_p \cdot 5^\gamma \gamma + m_q))$$ O ( n 2 γ 2 d T 2 d S 2 m 2 ( m p · 5 γ γ + m q ) ) time and $$O(d_T d_S m (m n + 5^\gamma ))$$ O ( d T d S m ( m n + 5 γ ) ) space, where $$\gamma $$ γ is the maximum number of children of a node, n is the length of the string, m is the number of leaves in the tree, $$m_p$$ m p and $$m_q$$ m q are the number of P-nodes and Q-nodes in the tree, respectively, and allowing up to $$d_T$$ d T deletions from the tree and up to $$d_S$$ d S deletions from the string. The third algorithm is intended to reduce the space complexity of the second algorithm. It solves a variant of the problem (where one of the penalties of $$\textsf{TTSD}$$ TTSD is 0) in $$O(n \gamma ^2 {d_T}^2 {d_S}^2\,m^2 (m_p \cdot 4^{\gamma }\gamma ^2n(d_T+d_S+m+n) + m_q))$$ O ( n γ 2 d T 2 d S 2 m 2 ( m p · 4 γ γ 2 n ( d T + d S + m + n ) + m q ) ) time and $$O(\gamma ^2 n m^2 d_T d_S (d_T+d_S+m+n))$$ O ( γ 2 n m 2 d T d S ( d T + d S + m + n ) ) space. The algorithm is implemented as a software tool, denoted MEM-Rearrange, and applied to the comparative and evolutionary analysis of 59 chromosomal gene clusters extracted from a dataset of 1487 prokaryotic genomes.
Nader Alishan Karami, Masoomeh Latifi, Nilofar Berahmand
et al.
Background: This study investigated the impact of individual factors on the Health information-seeking behavior (HISB) of infertile couples undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).
Materials and Methods: This applied study was done using the descriptive-analytical method. The population of the study remains to be infertile couples undergoing ART referred to a public Infertility Center and a private one in Bandar Abbas (capital of Hormozgan province, Southern Iran) in the summer of 2020. Using simple random sampling, 168 people were selected. The data collection tool was a questionnaire extracted from Longo HISB Model, used after validation and reliability. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential tests.
Results: The results showed that individual factors (gender, education, income, age, and cause of infertility) affect the HISB of infertile couples. Based on the analysis of variance, there was a significant difference between infertile couples concerning Passive Information Receipt (F = 2.688 and P = 0.048) so the couples with a male cause used Passive Information Receipt more.
Conclusions: Considering the results, it is necessary for the country's health system to take appropriate measures to provide an appropriate situation for better decision-making for infertile couples and improve the chances of fertility by reducing the existing inequalities to Active Information Receipt and quality health information.
Łukasz Łopusiewicz, Natalia Śmietana, Daria Paradowska
et al.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest from the food industry in new products that are increasingly desired by consumers because of the functional ingredients they contain. This category certainly includes fermented plant-based beverages, which combine the properties of plant substrates with the beneficial effects of fermentation on human health. In our study, two trial variants containing 20% and 30% black cumin (<i>Nigella sativa</i> L.) seed press cake (BCPC) were inoculated with kefir grain cultures and then incubated at 25 °C for 24 h. The resulting beverages were stored under refrigeration (6 °C) for 28 days. During storage, pH, total free amino acids, reducing sugars, changes in the microbial population, viscosity, textural parameters, and color were measured on days 1, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Throughout the storage period, the number of lactic acid bacteria, as well as yeasts, exceeded the recommended minimum level. Numerous changes in product parameters were observed in the tested beverages as a result of fermentation compared to non-fermented products. This study indicates the possibility of using BCPC as a valuable matrix for the production of a functional kefir-like beverage.
Embryonic development is a highly intricate and complex process. Different regulatory mechanisms cooperatively dictate the fate of cells as they progress from pluripotent stem cells to terminally differentiated cell types in tissues. A crucial regulator of these processes is the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). By catalyzing the mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of lysine residues on histone H3 tails (H3K27me3), PRC2 compacts chromatin by cooperating with Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) and represses transcription of target genes. Proteomic and biochemical studies have revealed two variant complexes of PRC2, namely PRC2.1 which consists of the core proteins (EZH2, SUZ12, EED, and RBBP4/7) interacting with one of the Polycomb-like proteins (MTF2, PHF1, PHF19), and EPOP or PALI1/2, and PRC2.2 which contains JARID2 and AEBP2 proteins. MTF2 and JARID2 have been discovered to have crucial roles in directing and recruiting PRC2 to target genes for repression in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Following these findings, recent work in the field has begun to explore the roles of different PRC2 variant complexes during different stages of embryonic development, by examining molecular phenotypes of PRC2 mutants in both in vitro (2D and 3D differentiation) and in vivo (knock-out mice) assays, analyzed with modern single-cell omics and biochemical assays. In this review, we discuss the latest findings that uncovered the roles of different PRC2 proteins during cell-fate and lineage specification and extrapolate these findings to define a developmental roadmap for different flavors of PRC2 regulation during mammalian embryonic development.
The mitochondrial (mt) genome is an important tool when studying the evolution of metazoan animals. The oyster family Gryphaeidae, together with Ostreidae, is one of the two extant taxa of superfamily Ostreoidea. Up until now, the available mitochondrial genomes of oysters were all limited to family Ostreidae. In the present study, the first complete mtDNA of family Gryphaeidae represented by <i>Hyotissa hyotis</i> was sequenced and compared with other available ostreoid mtDNA. The mtDNA of <i>H. hyotis</i> is 22,185 bp in length, encoding 13 protein-coding-genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 23 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Within all the intergenic regions that range from 2 to 1528 bp, two large non-coding regions were identified. The first large non-coding region, located between <i>Cox1</i> and <i>trnA</i>, contains 1528 nucleotides, while the second one is 1191 bp in length and positioned between <i>Cytb</i> and <i>Nad2</i>. The nucleotide composition of the whole mtDNA is A + T biased, accounting for 59.2%, with a negative AT skew value of −0.20 and a positive GC skew value of 0.33. In contrast to the mtDNA of Ostreidae, neither the split of <i>rrnL</i> nor <i>rrnS</i> was detected in that of <i>H. hyotis</i>. The duplication of <i>trnW</i> of <i>H. hyotis</i> was also discovered for the first time within Ostreoidea. The gene order of <i>H. hyotis</i> is quite different from those of ostreids, indicating extensive rearrangements within superfamily Ostreoidea. The reconstructed phylogeny supported <i>H. hyotis</i> as sister to Ostreidae, with the latter clade formed by <i>Ostrea</i> + (<i>Saccostrea</i> + <i>Crassostrea</i>). This study could provide important information for further understanding the mitochondrial evolution of oysters.
Veronika Heinz, Wenke Jäckel, Susann Kaltwasser
et al.
A cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of a stressosome complex from a Gram-negative bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, reveals variations in subunit composition and symmetry, which could serve to adjust the activation threshold in the response to low levels of oxygen and starvation.
Hanne Lefrère, Giuseppe Floris, Marjanka K. Schmidt
et al.
Postpartum breast cancer (PPBC) - which according to new data, can extend to 5–10 years after the birth - are estimated to represent 35–55% of all cases of breast cancer in women younger than 45 years. Increasing clinical evidence indicates that PPBC represents a high-risk form of breast cancer in young women with an approximately 2-fold increased risk for metastasis and death. Yet, the exact mechanisms that underlay this poor prognosis are incompletely understood and, hence, it is unknown why postpartum breast cancer has an enhanced risk for metastasis or how it should be effectively targeted for improved survival. This article is an accompanying resource of the original article entitled “Breast cancer diagnosed in the post-weaning period is indicative for a poor outcome” and present epidemiological data that compare standard prognostic parameters, first site of metastatic disease and survival and metastatic rates in young women with primary invasive breast cancer diagnosed within two years postpartum (PP-BC), in young women diagnosed during pregnancy (Pr-BC) and nulliparous women (NP-BC). Via an international collaboration of 13 centres participating in the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (INCIP), retrospective data of 1180 patients with primary invasive breast cancer, aged 25–40 years and diagnosed between January 1995 and December 2017 were collected. In particular, tumour-, patient, and therapy-related characteristics were collected. Furthermore, patient files were reviewed thoroughly to assess, for each parity, if and for how long breastfeeding was given. For PP-BC patients, breastfeeding history was used to differentiate breast cancers identified during lactation (PP-BCDL) from those diagnosed post-weaning (PP-BCPW). Primary exposures were prior childbirth or no childbirth, time between most recent childbirth and breast cancer diagnosis, time between cessation of lactation and breast cancer diagnosis and time between breast cancer diagnosis and metastasis or death. Distribution of standard prognostic parameters and first site of distant metastasis among study groups was determined applying fisher's exact, chi-squared, One-Way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests or logistic regression models, where applicable. The risks for metastasis and death were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. A subgroup analysis was performed in PP-BCPW patients that never lactated (PP-BCPW/NL), lactated ≤3 months (PP-BCPW/Lshort) or lactated >3 months (PP-BCPW/Llong).
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, Science (General)
BACKGROUND: Telocytes and Cajal cells have been described in human urinary tract and reproductive system in women and men. Telocytes and Cajal cells have been differentiated from other interstitial cells and were described to be an element in smooth muscle conductivity. Previous studies examined the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) segment in patients with UPJ obstruction (UPJO) and attributed the aetiology of UPJO to the low density or absence Cajal cells and telocytes. The present work aimed at the demonstration of the presence and the density of telocytes and Cajal cells in the upper urinary tract (UUT) in cases with normal UUT and UPJO. It included UPJ segment, renal pelvis, and proximal ureter. The morphological pattern of distribution of collagen in relation to smooth muscle was investigated in normal and obstructed UUT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 12 surgical specimens, 5 of them represented the normal UUT and underwent nephrectomy for oncological reasons. Seven patients underwent dismembered pyeloplasty for UPJO. Surgical specimens included renal pelvis, UPJ segment, and proximal ureter. They were subjected to standard haematoxylin and eosin stain, Gomori’s trichrome stain, immunohistochemistry with c-kit, and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Telocytes and Cajal cells were demonstrated in the muscular layer of both normal UUT and UPJO with high density in the proximal ureter in normal UUT as well as in UPJO. The UPJ segment in normal UUT had moderate density of Cajal cells and telocytes while in UPJO the cells were scanty or absent. Renal pelvis in normal UUT showed excess density of cells while obstructed renal pelvis showed scanty Cajal cells and telocytes. Ultrastructural study showed the presence of Cajal cells, telocytes, stem cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and collagen in different densities and distribution in normal and obstructed UUT. CONCLUSIONS: Examination of the UPJ segment of UPJO revealed that Cajal cells and telocytes were scanty or absent, collagen to muscle ratio was high. The low density of Cajal cells and telocytes in the renal pelvis of the obstructed UUT, compared to the normal, points out to the role of the renal pelvis in the pathogenesis of UPJO.
The effect of an oscillating electric field generated from music on yeast vacuolar proton-ATPase (V-ATPase) activity in its native environment is reported. An oscillating electric field is generated by electrodes that are immersed into a dispersion of yeast vacuolar membrane vesicles natively hosting a high concentration of active V-ATPase. The substantial difference in the ATP hydrolysing activity of V-ATPase under the most stimulating and inhibiting music is unprecedented. Since the topic, i.e., an effect of music on biomolecules, is very attractive for non-scientific, esoteric mystification, we provide a rational explanation for the observed new phenomenon. Good correlation is found between changes in the specific activity of the enzyme and the combined intensity of certain frequency bands of the Fourier spectra of the music clips. Most prominent identified frequencies are harmonically related to each other and to the estimated rotation rate of the enzyme. These results lead to the conclusion that the oscillating electric field interferes with periodic trans-membrane charge motions in the working enzyme.
Mohammad F. Zaman, Aleksa Nenadic, Ana Radojičić
et al.
Membrane contact sites between the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM) provide a direct conduit for small molecule transfer and signaling between the two largest membranes of the cell. Contact is established through ER integral membrane proteins that physically tether the two membranes together, though the general mechanism is remarkably non-specific given the diversity of different tethering proteins. Primary tethers including VAMP-associated proteins (VAPs), Anoctamin/TMEM16/Ist2p homologs, and extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts), are largely conserved in most eukaryotes and are both necessary and sufficient for establishing ER-PM association. In addition, other species-specific ER-PM tether proteins impart unique functional attributes to both membranes at the cell cortex. This review distils recent functional and structural findings about conserved and species-specific tethers that form ER-PM contact sites, with an emphasis on their roles in the coordinate regulation of lipid metabolism, cellular structure, and responses to membrane stress.
In a world where the data is a central piece, we provide a novel technique to design training plans for road cyclists. This study exposes an in-depth review of a virtual coach based on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques to schedule road cycling training sessions. Together with a dozen of road cycling participants’ training data, we were able to create and verify an e-coach dedicated to any level of road cyclists. The system can provide near-human coaching advice on the training of cycling athletes based on their past capabilities. In this case study, we extend the tests of our empirical research project and analyze the results provided by experts. Results of the conducted experiments show that the computational intelligence of our system can compete with human coaches at training planification. In this case study, we evaluate the system we previously developed and provide new insights and paths of amelioration for systems based on artificial intelligence for athletes. We observe that our system performs equal or better than the control training plans in 14 and 24 week training periods where it was evaluated as better in 4 of our 5 test components. We also report a higher statistical difference in the results of the experts’ evaluations between the control and virtual coach training plan (24 weeks; training load: X<sup>2</sup> = 4.751; resting time quantity: X<sup>2</sup> = 3.040; resting time distance: X<sup>2</sup> = 2.550; efficiency: X<sup>2</sup> = 2.142).