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The oral antidiabetic drug metformin is known to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties through activation of AMP kinase, thus protecting various brain tissues as cortical neurons, for example. However, the effect of metformin on the substantia nigra (SN), the main structure affected in Parkinson’s disease (PD), has not yet been studied in depth. Inflammation is a key feature of PD and it may play a
We evaluated the use of two radiolabeled lambda DNA/Hpa II substrates to detect 5'-->3', 3'-->5' single and double stranded DNA dependent exonuclease and phosphatase activities found as contaminants in restriction and modifying enzyme preparations. Looking for the meaning of the radioactive assays results in a real cloning experience, we performed a cloning simulation assay using the same conditio
Objective: To objectively assess anorectal dysfunction following nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy in stage I-II cervical carcinoma patients. Material and Methods: Between 2008 and 2012, 21 patients with primary cervical cancer stage FIGO I-II were enrolled in this prospective study. All women underwent nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy. Anorectal manometry was performed preoperatively and 6 mon
The impact of metal pollution on plant communities has been studied extensively in the past, but little is known about the effects of metal pollution on fungal communities that occur in metal-polluted soils. Metal-tolerant ecotypes of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus luteus are frequently found in pioneer pine forests in the Campine region in Belgium on metal-polluted soils. We hypothesized that
Identifying and characterizing young stars in the Solar neighbourhood is essential to find and describe planets in the early stages of their evolution. This work seeks to identify nearby young stars showing a lithium 6708 Å absorption line in the GALAH survey. A robust, data-driven approach is used to search for corresponding templates in the pool of 434 215 measured dwarf spectra in the survey. I
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) and Peritoneal Mesothelioma (PM) are both rare peritoneal malignancies. Currently, affected patients may be treated with Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy offering long-term survival or even cure in selected patients. However, many issues regarding the optimal treatment strategy are currently under debate. To aid physicians involved in
The apparition of adaptive immunity in Gnathostomata correlates with the expansion of the E-protein family to encompass E2-2, HEB, and E2A. Within the family, E2-2 and HEB are more closely evolutionarily related but their concerted action in hematopoiesis remains to be explored. Here we show that the combined disruption of E2-2 and HEB results in failure to express the early lymphoid program in Co
The evolution of complex life over the past 600 million years was disrupted by at least five mass extinctions, one of which occurred at the close of the Triassic period. The end-Triassic extinction corresponds to a period of high atmospheric-CO 2 concentrations caused by massive volcanism and biomass burning; most extinction scenarios invoke the resulting environmental perturbations in accounting
Plasmonic materials have optical cross sections that exceed by 10-fold their geometric sizes, making them uniquely suitable to convert light into electrical charges. Harvesting plasmon-generated hot carriers is of interest for the broad fields of photovoltaics and photocatalysis; however, their direct utilization is limited by their ultrafast thermalization in metals. To prolong the lifetime of ho
Bull fertility is an important trait in breeding as the semen of one bull can, potentially, be used to perform thousands of inseminations. The high number of inseminations needed to obtain reliable measures from Non-Return Rates to oestrus creates difficulties in assessing fertility accurately. Improving molecular knowledge of seminal properties may provide ways to facilitate selection of bulls wi
Natural light-harvesting is performed by pigment–protein complexes, which collect and funnel the solar energy at the start of photosynthesis. The identity and arrangement of pigments largely define the absorption spectrum of the antenna complex, which is further regulated by a palette of structural factors. Small alterations are induced by pigment–protein interactions. In light-harvesting systems
The high variability in the hydrological regime of the Eastern Hydrological Region (EHR) of Northeast Brazil often results in floods and droughts, leading to serious socio-economic issues. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate connections between spatiotemporal hydrological variability of the EHR and large-scale climate phenomena. Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to relate clim
Early caregiving is one of the strongest influences on children's development, and among the most significant modifiable environmental factor. The aim of this study was to explore the association between quality of caregiver-infant interactions and neurodevelopment of infants living in banana-growing communities in rural Costa Rica characterized as having environmental toxic exposures. Home visits
A person's lipid profile is influenced by genetic variants and alcohol consumption, but the contribution of interactions between these exposures has not been studied. We therefore incorporated gene-alcohol interactions into a multiancestry genome-wide association study of levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. We included 45 studies
Background: Allergic contact dermatitis caused by henna-based hair-colouring products has been associated with adulteration of henna with p-phenylenediamine (PPD). Objectives: To develop a testing approach based on in vitro techniques that address key events within the skin sensitization adverse outcome pathway in order to evaluate the allergenic potential of hair-colouring products. Methods: The
GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS and changes in GABAergic neurotransmission affect the overall activity of neuronal networks. The uptake of GABA into synaptic vesicles is mediated by the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), and changes in the expression of the transporter directly regulate neurotransmitter release. In this work we investigated the changes in VGAT protein leve
Microstructure imaging seeks to noninvasively measure and map microscopic tissue features by pairing mathematical modeling with tailored MRI protocols. This article reviews an emerging paradigm that has the potential to provide a more detailed assessment of tissue microstructure—combined diffusion-relaxometry imaging. Combined diffusion-relaxometry acquisitions vary multiple MR contrast encodings—
The bird retina offers an excellent model to investigate the mechanisms that coordinate the morphogenesis, histogenesis, and differentiation of neuron and glial cells. Although these developmental features have been intensively studied in the chicken (Gallus gallus, Linnaeus 1758), a precocial bird species, little is known about retinogenesis in altricial birds. The purpose of this study was to ex
Background: Lead-time is defined as the time by which screening advances the diagnosis compared with absence of screening. A sufficiently long lead-time needs to be achieved so that cancer can be detected while still curable. A very short lead-time may indicate poor sensitivity of the screening test, while a very long lead-time suggests overdiagnosis. Material and methods: In the first screening r
Objective In patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) on combination therapy (infliximab and immunosuppressant) and stopping infliximab (cohort from the study of infliximab diSconTinuation in CrOhn’s disease patients in stable Remission on combined therapy with Immunosuppressors (STORI)), the risk of short-term (≤6 months) and mid/long-term relapse (>6 months) was associated with distinct blood protein
