Search

This review aims to present a brief historical perspective of the clinical development of swallowing since ancient times. It also highlights the discovery of the functional meaning of the oropharyngeal organs. These historical developments are enriched with some anecdotal details.

Abstract Background The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, how it modulates brain homeostasis is not clear. The apoE protein is a major lipid carrier in the brain transporting lipids such as cholesterol among different brain cell types. Methods We generated three-dimensional (3-D) cerebral organoids from human parental iPSC lines and its isogenic APOE-deficient (APOE −/− ) iPSC line. To elucidate the cell-type-specific effects of APOE deficiency in the cerebral organoids, we performed scRNA-seq in the parental and APOE −/− cerebral organoids at Day 90. Results We show that APOE deficiency in human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids impacts brain lipid homeostasis by modulating multiple cellular and molecular pathways. Molecular profiling through single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that APOE deficiency leads to changes in cellular composition of isogenic cerebral organoids likely by modulating the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (EIF2) signaling pathway as these events were alleviated by the treatment of an integrated stress response inhibitor (ISRIB). APOE deletion also leads to activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway with concomitant decrease of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) expression in glia cells. Importantly, the critical role of apoE in cell-type-specific lipid homeostasis was observed upon APOE deletion in cerebral organoids with a specific upregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis in excitatory neurons and excessive lipid accumulation in astrocytes. Relevant to human AD, APOE4 cerebral organoids show altered neurogenesis and cholesterol metabolism compared to those with APOE3. Conclusions Our work demonstrates critical roles of apoE in brain homeostasis and offers critical insights into the APOE4-related pathogenic mechanisms.

Abstract Neurogenesis, crucial for brain resilience, is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that induces astroglial reactivity at the expense of the pro-neurogenic potential, and restoring neurogenesis could counteract neurodegenerative pathology. However, the molecular mechanisms promoting pro-neurogenic astroglial fate despite AD pathology are unknown. In this study, we used APP/PS1dE9 mouse model and induced Nerve growth factor receptor (Ngfr) expression in the hippocampus. Ngfr, which promotes neurogenic fate of astroglia during the amyloid pathology-induced neuroregeneration in zebrafish brain, stimulated proliferative and neurogenic outcomes. Histological analyses of the changes in proliferation and neurogenesis, single-cell transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, and functional knockdown studies showed that the induced expression of Ngfr reduced the reactive astrocyte marker Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2), which we found was sufficient to reduce neurogenesis in astroglia. Anti-neurogenic effects of Lcn2 was mediated by Slc22a17, blockage of which recapitulated the pro-neurogenicity by Ngfr. Long-term Ngfr expression reduced amyloid plaques and Tau phosphorylation. Postmortem human AD hippocampi and 3D human astroglial cultures showed elevated LCN2 levels correlate with reactive gliosis and reduced neurogenesis. Comparing transcriptional changes in mouse, zebrafish, and human AD brains for cell intrinsic differential gene expression and weighted gene co-expression networks revealed common altered downstream effectors of NGFR signaling, such as PFKP, which can enhance proliferation and neurogenesis in vitro when blocked. Our study suggests that the reactive non-neurogenic astroglia in AD can be coaxed to a pro-neurogenic fate and AD pathology can be alleviated with Ngfr. We suggest that enhancing pro-neurogenic astroglial fate may have therapeutic ramifications in AD.

Solid-gas interactions at electrode surfaces determine the efficiency of solid-oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers. Here, the correlation between surface-gas kinetics and the crystal orientation of perovskite electrodes is studied in the model system La0.8 Sr0.2 Co0.2 Fe0.8 O3 . The gas-exchange kinetics are characterized by synthesizing epitaxial half-cell geometries where three single-variant surfaces are produced [i.e., La0.8 Sr0.2 Co0.2 Fe0.8 O3 /La0.9 Sr0.1 Ga0.95 Mg0.05 O3-δ /SrRuO3 /SrTiO3 (001), (110), and (111)]. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrical conductivity relaxation measurements reveal a strong surface-orientation dependency of the gas-exchange kinetics, wherein (111)-oriented surfaces exhibit an activity >3-times higher as compared to (001)-oriented surfaces. Oxygen partial pressure ( pO2 )-dependent electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies reveal that while the three surfaces have different gas-exchange kinetics, the reaction mechanisms and rate-limiting steps are the same (i.e., charge-transfer to the diatomic oxygen species). First-principles calculations suggest that the formation energy of vacancies and adsorption at the various surfaces is different and influenced by the surface polarity. Finally, synchrotron-based, ambient-pressure X-ray spectroscopies reveal distinct electronic changes and surface chemistry among the different surface orientations. Taken together, thin-film epitaxy provides an efficient approach to control and understand the electrode reactivity ultimately demonstrating that the (111)-surface exhibits a high density of active surface sites which leads to higher activity.

Abstract Ce3+‐activated silica nitride phosphors (lanthanum silicate‐nitride [LSN]) are promising thermostable conversion components for white‐light‐emitting diodes, screen technologies, and other optoelectronic applications. Cr3+‐activated TiO2, on the other hand, is a strongly absorbing material depending on its size and optical microenvironment. In this work, we gathered Cr3+‐doped TiO2 and La3Si6N11:Ce3+ in an optically transparent polymethylmethacrylate matrix. Photoluminescence of the binary blends of La3Si6N11:Ce3+/TiO2 and La3Si6N11:Ce3+/TiO2:Cr3+ has been investigated under two different excitation energies by steady‐state and lifetime‐based measurements, respectively. When the microscale La3Si6N11:Ce3+ phosphor and nanoscale TiO2:Cr3+ particles were gathered at a critical concentration, the resulting composite exhibited 3.14‐fold enhancement in the emission signal intensity with respect to the additive‐free phosphor. Upon excitation, the La3Si6N11:Ce3+–TiO2:Cr3+ blend exhibited different excited‐state lifetimes for the nano‐ and microsecond time‐scales compared to the LSN. The microsecond time‐scale measurements performed under 378 nm excitation supported the existence of a potential energy transfer from the TiO2:Cr3+ to the La3Si6N11:Ce3+.

IntroductionAbnormal gene expression patterns may contribute to the onset and progression of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD).MethodsWe performed transcriptome-wide meta-analysis (N = 1440) of blood-based microarray gene expression profiles as well as neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) endophenotype analysis.ResultsWe identified and replicated five genes (CREB5, CD46, TMBIM6, IRAK3, and RPAIN) as significantly dysregulated in LOAD. The most significantly altered gene, CREB5, was also associated with brain atrophy and increased amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation, especially in the entorhinal cortex region. cis-expression quantitative trait loci mapping analysis of CREB5 detected five significant associations (P < 5 × 10-8 ), where rs56388170 (most significant) was also significantly associated with global cortical Aβ deposition measured by [18 F]Florbetapir positron emission tomography and CSF Aβ1-42 .DiscussionRNA from peripheral blood indicated a differential gene expression pattern in LOAD. Genes identified have been implicated in biological processes relevant to Alzheimer's disease. CREB, in particular, plays a key role in nervous system development, cell survival, plasticity, and learning and memory.

Microorganisms, in the most hyperarid deserts around the world, inhabit the inside of rocks as a survival strategy. Water is essential for life, and the ability of a rock substrate to retain water is essential for its habitability. Here we report the mechanism by which gypsum rocks from the Atacama Desert, Chile, provide water for its colonizing microorganisms. We show that the microorganisms can extract water of crystallization (i.e., structurally ordered) from the rock, inducing a phase transformation from gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) to anhydrite (CaSO4). To investigate and validate the water extraction and phase transformation mechanisms found in the natural geological environment, we cultivated a cyanobacterium isolate on gypsum rock samples under controlled conditions. We found that the cyanobacteria attached onto high surface energy crystal planes ({011}) of gypsum samples generate a thin biofilm that induced mineral dissolution accompanied by water extraction. This process led to a phase transformation to an anhydrous calcium sulfate, anhydrite, which was formed via reprecipitation and subsequent attachment and alignment of nanocrystals. Results in this work not only shed light on how microorganisms can obtain water under severe xeric conditions but also provide insights into potential life in even more extreme environments, such as Mars, as well as offering strategies for advanced water storage methods.

Our understanding of Alzheimers disease (AD) pathophysiology remains incomplete. Here we used quantitative mass spectrometry and coexpression network analysis to conduct the largest proteomic study thus far on AD. A protein network module linked to sugar metabolism emerged as one of the modules most significantly associated with AD pathology and cognitive impairment. This module was enriched in AD genetic risk factors and in microglia and astrocyte protein markers associated with an anti-inflammatory state, suggesting that the biological functions it represents serve a protective role in AD. Proteins from this module were elevated in cerebrospinal fluid in early stages of the disease. In this study of >2,000 brains and nearly 400 cerebrospinal fluid samples by quantitative proteomics, we identify proteins and biological processes in AD brains that may serve as therapeutic targets and fluid biomarkers for the disease.

The IPDGC (The International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium) and EADB (Alzheimer Disease European DNA biobank) are listed correctly as an author to the article, however, they were incorrectly listed more than once.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine pregnant women's nutritional status and habits in the middle and low-income groups and the level of compliance with the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet supports healthy fetal growth and development by providing sufficient nutrients for pregnant women and protecting against the development of obstetrical pathologies. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-two pregnant women aged 17-45 were included. The demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements, systolic blood pressure, fasting, and postprandial blood glucose values were noted.24-hour recall was determined and The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (MDQI) developed by Gerber et al. was used to assess nutritional status. Nutritional habits and food attitude changes during gestation were recorded. Results: Overall, 15.2% of the pregnant women had good, 54.5% had medium-good, and %29.5 had medium-poor adherence to MDQI. The dietary macronutrient intakes were close to the daily dietary recommended intakes (DRI); however, micronutrient intakes were below the recommendations. Pre-pregnancy mean BMI was found to be 26.4 kg/m2. Conclusions: According to the mean pre-pregnant BMI, the pregnant women were overweight, and their adherence to the Mediterranean diet needed to be improved. General measures should be taken to improve pregnant women's diets and micronutrient intakes, even in the Mediterranean countries where this diet is the daily nutrition habit of local inhabitant pregnant women.

Abstract Background Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) panels are usually ordered for clinically suspected cutaneous vasculitis, but their positivity rate is variable, and their prognostic significance is not clear to date. Objective The study aims to investigate the systemic involvement rate in leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) patients and the potential clinical and laboratory associations with systemic involvement, including DIF findings. Methods A retrospective study of patients with histopathologically proven cutaneous LCV examined in the dermatology department between 2013 and 2017 was performed. Results Of the 81 patients (mean age, 50.6 years), 42 (52%) were male. The mean time between the appearance of skin lesions and biopsy was 23.1 days, ranging from 2 to 180 days. DIF showed overall positivity of 90.1%, and C3 was the most frequent immunoreactant (82.7%). Any kind of extracutaneous involvement was present in 47 (58%) of patients, with renal involvement being the most frequent (53.1%), followed by articular (18.5%) and gastrointestinal (11.1%) involvement. The presence of renal disease was associated with the detection of IgG in the lesional skin (p = 0.017), and with the absence of IgM in the lesional skin (p = 0.032). There was a significant association between C3 deposition and joint involvement (p = 0.05). Study limitations This is a single-center study with a retrospective design. Conclusion DIF seems to be a useful ancillary diagnostic tool in the evaluation of cutaneous vasculitis, but the relationship between DIF findings and systemic involvement needs to be further elucidated due to contradictory data in the current literature.

Objective: The pleth variability index (PVI) allows the non-invasive detection of hemodynamic changes but is not yet commonly used in neonates. This study determined reference values for PVI in spontaneously breathing moderate to late preterm newborns during the first 12 hours of life and evaluate the relationship between these values and respiratory morbidity. Methods: The study included infants born at 32-37 weeks of gestation who had good spontaneous respiratory effort, were hemodynamically stable and were hospitalized in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. PVI, perfusion index (PI), oxygen saturation, and heart rate were prospectively monitored every 2 s for the first 12 h postnatally. Basic characteristic findings were obtained from patient records. Results: Data from a total of 58 patients were analyzed. The mean PVI was 21+-4.3% and mean PI was 0.85+-0.25%. Comparison of patients who required respiratory support (n=43) and those who received no respiratory support (n=15) showed that the heart rate (137.5+-10.6 vs. 129.7+-9.6, p=0.01) is significantly higher and PI (0.8+-0.2% vs. 0.9+-0.3%, p=0.03) is significantly lower in the respiratory support group. Moreover, PVI levels were found to be slightly higher in infants who get respiratory support (21.7+-4.5% vs. 19.2+-3.2%, p=0.05). Conclusion: PVI can be successfully measured in moderate-to late preterm newborns. More extensive studies are needed to obtain information on the clinical use of PVI, interpretation of abnormal results, its association with neonatal morbidities, and treatment management.

PURPOSEThe development of emergency radiology (ER) in Turkey has accelerated with the increase in the number of patients admitted to emergency departments. We aimed to present and discuss the responses to a survey distributed to radiologists in Turkey, which included questions about the current practice of ER and future expectations.METHODSA survey with 29 questions enquiring about the infrastructure of respondents’ hospitals and radiology units, information about emergency services and ER (including patient volume), the number of staff and equipment, the ER working plan and reporting method, and training in the field of ER were distributed to members of the Turkish Radiological Society by email.RESULTSThe response rate was 21.97% (328/1.493). The presence of distinct ER units in radiology departments was confirmed by 40.55% of respondents, while for 34.25%, ER was located inside the emergency room. Of the respondents, 26.96% stated they believed that emergency cases should be reported by emergency radiologists, and the necessity for an ER subunit in the emergency room was agreed upon by 58.64% of contributors. The majority of respondents (69.54%) agreed with the opinion that residents should receive their ER training in an ER unit.CONCLUSIONKeeping abreast of current ER practices and radiologists’ expectations may be helpful for improving national ER practices and academic studies.

Quinoa has the potential to be an important alternative source of silage as a forage crop. However, there is limited information on the ensiling of quinoa in the literature. This study investigates the silage fermentation quality, nutritive value and aerobic stability of quinoa cultivars harvested at different plant growing stages. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture in the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The experiment was laid out in a split plot with a randomized block design with three replications, the three main plots were based on harvesting times (flowering, milky and dough stages) and the five sub-plots were based on cultivars (Mint Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, French Vanilla, Red Head and Titicaca). Traits such as pH, ammonia nitrogen, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), LA, acetic acid (AA), butyric acid (BA), propionic acid, ethanol (EtOH), dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, crude protein, ash, ether extract, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and relative feed value were analyzed in order to determine silage fermentation quality and nutritive value. In addition, all silages were evaluated in terms of aerobic stability. In reference to the interaction effects, pH, ammonia nitrogen, LAB, AA, BA and EtOH, the silage fermentation quality parameters were between 3.83-4.16, 5.57-14.83%, 4.69-5.80 log10cfu/g DM, 1.37-2.10%, 0.32-0.51% and 0.79-1.63, respectively. On the other hand, DM, ADF, ash and WSC changed between 21.95-33.36%, 22.39-28.36%, 15.41-17.70% and 2.35-9.50%, respectively, as silage nutritive composition features. The carbon dioxide production values of silages exposed to air were between 5.49 g/kg and 10.26 g/kg according to interactions. Among the evaluated quinoa cultivars, cv. Titicaca and cv. French Vanilla provided superior results in terms of fermentation quality compared to other cultivars. It was also determined that it would be more appropriate to harvest these superior quinoa cultivars during the dough stage for quality silage. Among the silages, the cv. Titicaca had the best aerobic stability. As a result of this study, it was concluded that cv. French Vanilla and cv. Titicaca should be harvested during the dough stage in order to obtain better silage quality. According to the results of this study, it was deduced that the quinoa plant could be an alternative ensiling crop.

Sentetik ambalajların çevre üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerinin azaltılması ve gıdaların doğal yollarla korunmasına yönelik tüketici taleplerinin artması bu alanda alternatif yöntemlerin araştırılmasına öncülük etmiştir. Ambalaj teknolojisindeki yeniliklerden biri olan yenilebilir film ve kaplamalar, nem, gaz, yağ ve aroma geçişine karşı bariyer işlevi görerek gıdaların raf ömrünü uzatmak ve kalitesini iyileştirmek amacıyla kullanılmaktadır. Gıdaların yüzeyine ince bir tabaka şeklinde uygulanan veya ambalaj materyali olarak kullanılabilen yenilenebilir film ve kaplamaların üretiminde protein, polisakkarit ve lipid gibi farklı biyopolimerler kullanılmaktadır. Bu biyopolimerlere ek olarak yenilebilir film ve kaplamaların mekanik ve fonksiyonel özelliklerini geliştirmek amacıyla plastikleştirici madde, emülsifiyerler, antioksidan ve antimikrobiyal maddelerden de yararlanılabilmektedir. Filmlerin yapılma tekniği, kullanılan kaplama materyali tipi, kullanılan plastikleştirici madde cinsi ve konsantrasyonu, film hazırlama aşamasında yapılan kurutma işlemi ve çevresel faktörler (sıcaklık, bağıl nem, basınç) yenilebilir film veya kaplamaların fiziksel ve mekanik özelliklerini etkileyen önemli faktörlerdir. Bu derleme makalede yenilebilir film ve kaplamalar için kullanılan film materyalleri, film hazırlama yöntemleri, filmlerin yapısını etkileyen çevresel ve yapısal faktörler bir arada derlenmiş, bu faktörlerin filmlerin kalite özellikleri üzerindeki etkileri değerlendirilmiştir. Aynı zamanda yenilebilir filmlerin gıdalarda kullanım alanları da değerlendirilmiştir.

Introduction: The aim of the study is to search proximal nerve involvement by using proximal root stimulation and possible autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients with and without distal symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN). Patients and Methods: Forty patients with type 2 diabetes and ten volunteers who had no history of diabetes and neuropathy were included. Diabetic patients were equally distributed into two groups according to nerve conduction studies (NCSs): First group comprised of with electrophysiologically confirmed DSPN and second group with normal NCSs. Electrophysiological tests included motor and sensory nerve conduction, needle electromyography, F-response, H-reflex, R-R interval, and sympathetic skin responses (SSRs) studies as well as lumbar root stimulation and cauda equina motor conduction time (CEMCT) calculation. Results: The patients with DSPN had significantly longer F-response latencies and had no H-reflex while H-reflex was observed in 35% of the patients in second group. In the first group, SSRs could not be obtained from both upper and lower limbs in 45% of the patients; however, in the second group, they were absent only in 10% of patients in lower limbs. R-R interval variability was significantly lower in both diabetic groups than volunteers. When compared to the volunteers, cauda equine motor conduction time was significantly prolonged in all diabetic patients, but there was no significant difference between the patient groups. Conclusions: CEMCT prolongation, absence of H-reflex, and decreased R-R interval abnormalities indicating dysautonomia were the most important findings of our study. These results show that early electrophysiological examinations using these methods are important in diabetic patients without polyneuropathy.