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Background: Medical students experience a lot of stress what may contribute to symptoms of depression. In this study we set out to look at the environmental factors which may be contributing in one medical school in Brazil.Methods: We assessed depressive symptoms using Beck's Depression Inventory in 465 and 267 medical students in 2001 and 2006 respectively. We explored possible social and environmental causes using qualitative data.Results: Nearly 15% scored above the cut off for depression in both the samples. Males in the pre-clinical stage in 2006 showed an increase in depressive symptoms than males in the same cycle in 2001 (aOR=7.36 [95% CI=0.85-63.5] p=0.07). Qualitative data confirmed that factors such as ragging and low social involvement were correlated with depressive symptoms in pre-clinical stage males.Limitations: The sample size was small both for quantitative and qualitative aspects of the study.Conclusions: It appears that ragging plays an important role in the genesis of depressive symptoms in medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: •The lack of consensus in the execution and analysis of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing is a recent conclusion in scientific evidence., Background: •Understanding essential points of this method in the assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia can contribute to more robust clinical decision-making and more effective therapeutic planning., Background: •The opinion of experts in the field on the contributions of the exam in the context of clinical decision-making and rehabilitation in oropharyngeal dysphagia is essential for this re-thinking.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of early group housing on the performance, health, and behavior of dairy calves during the pre-weaning period using systematic and meta-analysis approaches. Peer-reviewed articles written in English that compared dairy calves individually and group-housed with performance, health, or behavior outcomes were collected from Web of Science, PubMed and CabDirect databases. The resulting articles (n = 850) underwent a PRISMA 4-step appraisal process, resulting in a final sample of 51 articles containing 85 studies. The weighted or standardized mean differences between individually and group [pair or group (with > 2 calves)] housed calves were analyzed for each variable using the Der-Simonian and Laird methods. Heterogeneity between calf housing systems was evaluated by the chi-squared test and I 2 statistics. A meta-regression analysis was conducted to identify categorical covariate effects for variables with high heterogeneity. Most of the studies included in this review evaluated female calves (45.8%) weaned at 8 weeks old (52.6%). Housing systems were mainly paired housing (55.3%), followed by groups of 3 to 6 calves (30.65) and groups of 7 to 15 calves (4.7%). We did not find studies with comparable outcomes for more robust health parameters (as occurrence of diseases), only blood parameters, that were not influenced by the housing system (P > 0.05). But, weight gain and feed intake parameters were higher (P < 0.05) in group-housed calves. Through the meta-regression, we found that average daily gain was positively affected (P < 0.05) by the group housing in studies with calves housed in small pen areas (<1.5 m 2 per calf). Group-housed calves presented more active behaviors (feeding and playing) and less stress-related behaviors (self-grooming and interacting with the pen) than individually-housed calves. The behavioral tests most used were novel object, human approach, novel environment, and social tests. Individually-housed calves presented fewer vocalizations on these tests and spent more time interacting with humans during the human approach test than group-housed calves. Our findings provide consistent evidence that group housing improves the welfare of dairy calves; however, the effects on health parameters are still scarce and unclear., (© 2025, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Pesticides used in rice cultivation can cause negative health effects to non-target organisms representative of natural biodiversity. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of pesticides in surface waters from a river that flows in the middle of a rice farming-dominated area. We were also interested in evaluate biochemical and histological effects caused by exposure (16 d) to the lower and higher concentrations of the main found herbicide (bentazone, BTZ), insecticide (chlorantraniliprole, CTP) and fungicide (tebuconazole, TBZ), isolated or mixed, in Boana faber tadpoles. No significant differences were observed in the development of the animals. Tadpoles exposed to the herbicide BTZ showed higher hepatic levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). In animals exposed to CTP, MDA levels were lower than controls. Animals exposed to the fungicide TBZ showed higher hepatic activity of glutathione S-transferase and carboxylesterase (CbE), as well as higher levels of carbonyl proteins and MDA. Animals exposed to Mix showed higher activity in CbE and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the liver, as well as higher levels of MDA. In the brain and muscle of tadpoles exposed to Mix, acetylcholinesterase activity was higher. Histological changes were also observed in pesticide-exposed animals, such as increased occurrence of melanomacrophages, inflammatory infiltrates and congestion. Our data evidences the contamination of natural aquatic environments by rice pesticides, and the adverse effects of main ones in B. faber tadpoles, which suggests the contribution of pesticides derived from rice cultivation to the degradation of local biodiversity health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Agriculture is an essential economic activity in Brazil. However, it is also the main source of water quality degradation. Monitoring catchments with agricultural land use is a way to generate information on a scale to identify causes and sources of water quality degradation. This work used monitoring data derived from hydrology and the quality of surface and underground water in an intensive agricultural catchment in the Atlantic Forest biome. The Fortaleza River catchment is located in the western part of Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil and has 62 km 2 of drainage area. Hydrological and water quality monitoring was conducted for 7 years at two fluviometric stations, three lysimeters, one meteorological station, and one piezometer. Data on precipitation, temperature, water flow, surface runoff, drainage, and water quality were used. Statistical analyses were also developed. Precipitation between 2013 and 2019 presented a homogeneous distribution in monthly and annual data, with January and July the months with the highest and lowest values, respectively. Statistical difference in the average and Q 95 flows was found in upstream and downstream fluviometric sections. In terms of quality, statistical differences were identified for ammonium, nitrate, and potassium concentrations, which had higher concentrations in lysimeter runoff, indicating direct influence of agricultural activity on water quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that (i) surface water presented a positive relationship in Component 1 for the magnesium-calcium, sulphate-chloride, and acetate-bromide groups and a negative relationship for phosphate-nitrate; (ii) in lysimeters, the positive relationship occurred for Component 2 for the phosphate-chloride and sulphate-nitrate groups and was negative for ammonium-lithium and calcium-potassium-magnesium; and (iii) in piezometer, positive relationships were found for chloride-sodium and phosphate-nitrite pairs, while negative relationships were found for calcium-magnesium., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Coastal environments, such as those in the Santa Catarina State (SC, Brazil), are considered the primary receptors of anthropogenic pollutants. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the levels of emerging contaminants (ECs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in indigenous Crassostrea gasar oysters from different regions of SC coast in the summer season (March 2022). Field collections were conducted in the São Francisco do Sul, Itajaí, Florianópolis and Laguna coastal zones. We analyzed the bioaccumulation levels of 75 compounds, including antibiotics (AB), endocrine disruptors (ED), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides. Furthermore, we assessed biomarker responses related to biotransformation, antioxidant defense, heat shock protection and oxidative damage in oysters' gills. Prevalence of ECs was observed in the central and southern regions, while the highest concentrations of POPs were detected in the central-northern regions of SC. Oysters exhibited an induction in biotransformation systems (cyp2au1 and cyp356a1, sult and GST activity) and antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD, CAT and GPx). Higher susceptibility to lipid peroxidation was observed in the animals from Florianópolis compared to other regions. Correlation analyses indicated possible associations between contaminants and environmental variables in the biomarker responses, serving as a warning related to climate change. Our results highlight the influence of anthropogenic activities on SC, serving as baseline of ECs and POPs levels in the coastal areas of Santa Catarina, indicating more critical zones for extensive monitoring, aiming to conserve coastal regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationship that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Main Conclusion: The hop phenological cycle was described in subtropical condition of Brazil showing that flowering can happen at any time of year and this was related to developmental molecular pathways. Hops are traditionally produced in temperate regions, as it was believed that vernalization was necessary for flowering. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed the potential for hops to flower in tropical and subtropical climates. In this work, we observed that hops in the subtropical climate of Minas Gerais, Brazil grow and flower multiple times throughout the year, independently of the season, contrasting with what happens in temperate regions. This could be due to the photoperiod consistently being inductive, with daylight hours below the described threshold (16.5 h critical). We observed that when the plants reached 7-9 nodes, the leaves began to transition from heart-shaped to trilobed-shaped, which could be indicative of the juvenile to adult transition. This could be related to the fact that the 5th node (in plants with 10 nodes) had the highest expression of miR156, while two miR172s increased in the 20th node (in plants with 25 nodes). Hop flowers appeared later, in the 25th or 28th nodes, and the expression of HlFT3 and HlFT5 was upregulated in plants between 15 and 20 nodes, while the expression of HlTFL3 was upregulated in plants with 20 nodes. These results indicate the role of axillary meristem age in regulating this process and suggest that the florigenic signal should be maintained until the hop plants bloom. In addition, it is possible that the expression of TFL is not sufficient to inhibit flowering in these conditions and promote branching. These findings suggest that the reproductive transition in hop under inductive photoperiodic conditions could occur in plants between 15 and 20 nodes. Our study sheds light on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying hop floral development, paving the way for potential advancements in hop production on a global scale., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Analyzing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is challenging and requires training to ensure the proficiency of health professionals and improve reliability. This scoping review aims to identify and map the available evidence on training health professionals to analyze FEES functional parameters. The method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. The search was performed in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL databases, and in the gray literature. Two blinded independent reviewers screened articles by title and abstract. Then, they read the full text of the included reports, considering the eligibility criteria. Data were extracted using a standardized form. Six studies met the established eligibility criteria, published between 2009 and 2022, with few participants. All these studies addressed training as part of the process to validate a rating scale. No standardized criteria were observed regarding the selection of experts and participants, training structure, and outcome measures to assess participants' competence. The reviewed literature indicates that training must be developed to equip students and health professionals who treat dysphagia, enabling them to analyze the functional parameters of the FEES, considering variables that may influence the participants' performance., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Synthetic glucocorticoids are often found in surface waters and can cause harmful effects to aquatic organisms such as amphibians. In this work we evaluated the effects of the drugs prednisone (PD) and prednisolone (PL) on developmental, molecular, blood, biochemical and histological markers. Aquarana catesbeianus tadpoles were exposed for 16 days to environmentally relevant concentrations of 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 µg/L of both drugs. PD increased the transcript levels of the enzyme deiodinase III (Dio3), the hormones cortisol and T4 and delayed development. Changes in the thyroid gland occurred after tadpoles were exposed to both drugs, with a reduction in the diameter and number of follicles and an increase/or decrease in area. Also, both drugs caused a decrease in lymphocytes (L) and an increase in neutrophils (N), thrombocytes, the N:L ratio and lobed and notched erythrocytes. Increased activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was observed after exposure to PD. Furthermore, both drugs caused an increase in the activity of the enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase. However, only PD caused oxidative stress in exposed tadpoles, evidenced by increased levels of malondialdehyde and carbonyl proteins. Both drugs caused an increase in inflammatory infiltrates, blood cells and melanomacrophages in the liver. Our results indicate that PD was more toxic than PL, affecting development and causing oxidative stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study aimed to carry out a general diagnosis of the contamination of the coastal marine environment of the Santa Catarina state (SC, Brazil) by different classes of environmental pollutants, as well as to evaluate possible adverse effects of the contaminants on biochemical biomarkers of oysters, Crassostrea gasar and Crassostrea rhizophorae. 107 chemicals were evaluated in water, sediment and oyster samples from nine sites along the coastline of SC. We also examined various biochemical biomarkers in the oysters' gills and digestive glands to assess potential effects of contaminants. In general, the northern and central regions of the littoral of SC presented higher occurrences and magnitudes of contaminants than the southern region, which is probably related to higher urbanization of center and northern areas of the littoral. The biomarker analysis in the oysters reflected these contamination patterns, with more significant alterations observed in regions with higher levels of pollutants. Our results may serve as a first baseline for future and more extensive monitoring actions and follow-up of the degree of contamination in the state, allowing for inspection actions and management of areas most affected by marine pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tebuconazole (TBZ) and azoxystrobin (AZX) are fungicides frequently used in rice cultivation. Despite protecting crops against fungal diseases, these compounds can contaminate the natural environments close to the crops, exerting negative effects on non-target organisms, the present study aimed to characterize the contamination by fungicides of a river that flows in an area dominated by rice cultivation in the north of the state of Santa Catarina, SC, Brazil. Concentrations of TBZ and AZX found in the field were used to evaluate their negative effects on development, biochemical biomarkers and histopatology of the liver of a native tadpole species, the hammerfrog (Boana faber). Tadpoles were exposed for 16 days to the lowest (1.20 μg/L) and highest (2.60 μg/L) concentration of TBZ, lowest (0.70 μg/L) and highest (1.60 μg/L) concentration of AZX, and the mix of both fungicides at lowest and highest concentration of each found in field analyses. Exposure to the lower TBZ concentration and both concentrations of the Mix accelerated the development of tadpoles. AZX caused an increase in the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), carboxylesterase (CbE) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) in the liver, an increase in the levels of protein carbonyls (PC) in the liver and an increase in the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in muscle of tadpoles. TBZ, on the other hand, generated an increase in GST, G6PDH, PC and histopathological severity scores in liver and in muscle AChE activity. The effects were more intense in the groups exposed to the Mix of contaminants. No treatment altered brain AChE. The data showed that the fungicides from in rice cultivation found in natural aquatic environments around the crops pose risks to the health of the animals, compromising their metabolism and development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Schistosoma and affects over 240 million people worldwide. One of the most prominent causative agents is Schistosoma mansoni, which develops inside the intermediate host. Biomphalaria tenagophila is the second most important vector of schistosomiasis in Brazil and the Taim population is completely resistant to infection by S. mansoni., Objective: This study aims to identify and characterize B. tenagophila microRNAs (miRNAs) and evaluate their differential expression in S. mansoni-susceptible and -resistant populations of B. tenagophila., Methods: Two populations of B. tenagophila snails, susceptible and resistant to S. mansoni infection, were used to investigate the small RNA response of these snails after being infected with the parasite. Small RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were employed to identify and validate differentially expressed miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify miRNA precursors and mature and evaluate their differential expression., Findings: The study predicted 173 mature miRNAs and 123 precursors. Among them were six Lophotrochozoa-specific miRNAs, three mollusk-specific miRNAs, and six pre-miRNAs in a cluster. The small RNA sequencing and RT-PCR of B. tenagophila samples allowed assessing the expression patterns of miRNAs., Main Conclusions: The results obtained may support future studies in Biomphalaria spp., generating a global impact on disease control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To apply Demirjian's seven (1973, D 7 ) and four (1976, D 4 ) teeth methods in a sample of Brazilian children and compare their performances for age estimation. Panoramic radiographs of 1200 children (600 females and 600 males) were collected from Southeast Brazil. The children were equally distributed (n = 60 females and 60 males) between age intervals of 1 year between 6 and 15.9 (mean age = 10.9; standard deviation [SD]: 2.9) years. D 7 and D 4 dental age estimation methods were applied by two observers and were compared based on their error rates (error = estimated age-chronological age). Both methods overestimated the chronological age (p < 0.0001). D 7 led to overestimations of 0.71 (p < 0.0001) in females and 0.83 (p < 0.0001) in males, while the overestimations with D 4 were 0.14 (p = 0.0067) and 0.73 (p < 0.0001) for females and males, respectively. The mean age estimated by D7 was 11.7 (SD: 3.1) years, while for D4, it was 11.3 (SD: 3.3) years. Intra- and interobserver agreement was ≥ 0.98. D 4 optimized the performance of radiographic dental age estimation compared to D 7 . Improvements were reflected in the total sample and separately for female and male children from Southeast Brazil., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Rampant urbanization in coastal environments turns areas close to the seafront into a highly impacted ecosystem, possibly affecting the health and well-being of resident animal species. The tuco-tuco Ctenomys flamarioni is an endemic and endangered subterranean mammal from southern Brazil, and the anthropic influence was considered one of the main threats to the species. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the patterns of oxidative status of the species in natural areas with different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We evaluated two populations of C. flamarioni, one located in an area with intense anthropogenic impact due to urbanization and tourist activity, and the other in a non-impacted area. Oxidative injury parameters (lipid peroxidation and carbonylated protein levels), and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase and carboxylesterase were measured. Individuals inhabiting the impacted area had lower G6PDH activity and higher levels of carbonylated proteins. This combination of higher level of oxidative damage and lower antioxidant activity is an indication that the oxidative status of animals in the impacted population is possibly being affected as a consequence of anthropogenic activities in this environment. The values of the parameters obtained in the current study can be used as a reference of the oxidative state of C. flamarioni in future studies with tuco-tucos., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: People living with HIV (PWH) experience an accelerated aging process. There is no anthropometric predictive model for appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) in PWH. This study develops anthropometric models to predict and validate ASM measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in PWH; DXA scans were obtained for 125 PWH (male = 74; age >18 years) on antiretroviral therapy. Fat mass ratio was used for lipodystrophy diagnosis. A multiple stepwise linear regression considered ASM DXA as the dependent variable and validated by PRESS method. A high power of determination and low standard estimate error were found for ASM DXA -predicted (adjusted r2 = 0.84 to 0.87, standard estimate error = 1.7-1.6 kg) and high PRESS validation coefficients (Q 2PRESS = 0.84-0.86, S PRESS = 1.7-1.6 kg). The variables included were lipodystrophy diagnosis, medial calf circumference, sex, and total body weight. We present novel, reliable, and validated anthropometric models to predict ASM DXA in PWH., (Copyright © 2023 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.)

In this study, we evaluate the effects of intercropping pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) with tropical pastures for feeding Nellore cattle and compared animal performance and enteric CH 4 emissions with other pasture-based systems during the dry and rainy seasons of 2021. Thirty-six Nellore steers (with a body weight of 221 ± 7 kg and an age of 15-16 months) were randomly distributed in three treatments with three replicates (in paddocks of 1.5 hectares each): (1) a degraded pasture of Urochloa spp. (DEG); (2) a recovered and fertilized pasture of Urochloa spp. (REC); and (3) pigeon pea intercropped with Urochloa spp. (MIX). Enteric CH 4 emissions were estimated using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) tracer gas technique, and dry matter intake (DMI) was determined using internal (iNDF) and external (TiO 2 ) markers. Forages were collected by hand plucking after observations of ingestive behavior, and feces was collected after voluntary defecation. The proportion of grass and legume intake was estimated by C stable isotopes, and the forage nutritional quality was determined, while animal performance was monitored monthly, and the stocking rate was adjusted by the "put and take" technique. The results indicated that intercropping pigeon pea with tropical grasses is an interesting strategy for sustainable livestock production based on pastures. The MIX treatment was able to meet the nutritional requirements of the animals, which presented higher performance. In addition, there was a reduction in CH 4 emissions up to 70% when expressed per average daily weight gain in comparison to the DEG treatment.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease in which synovial iron deposition has been described. Transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2) represents a critical regulator of systemic iron levels. Loss of Tfr2 function in humans and mice results in iron overload. As iron contributes to inflammatory processes, we investigated whether Tfr2-deletion affects the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis in an iron-dependent manner., Methods: Using a global and conditional genetic disruption of Tfr2, we assessed the relevance of Tfr2 in K/BxN serum-transfer arthritis (STA) and macrophage polarization., Results: Male Tfr2 -/- mice subjected to STA developed pronounced joint swelling, and bone erosion as compared to Tfr2 +/+ littermate-controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, an increase of neutrophils and macrophages/monocytes was observed in the inflammatory infiltrate within the paws of Tfr2 -/- mice. To elucidate whether Tfr2 in myeloid cells has a direct role in the pathogenesis of arthritis or whether the effects were mediated via the systemic iron overload, we induced STA in Tfr2 fl/fl -LysMCre + mice, which showed normal iron-loading. Cre + female mice displayed increased disease development compared to Cre-controls. As macrophages regulate iron availability and innate immunity, we hypothesized that Tfr2-deficiency would polarize macrophages toward a pro-inflammatory state (M1) that contributes to arthritis progression. In response to IFN-γ stimulation, Tfr2 -/- macrophages showed increased expression of M1-like cytokines, IFN-γ-target genes, nitric-oxide production, and prolonged STAT1 activation compared to Tfr2 +/+ macrophages (P < 0.01), while pre-treatment with ruxolitinib abolished Tfr2-driven M1-like polarization., Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest a protective role of Tfr2 in macrophages on the progression of arthritis via suppression of M1-like polarization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest LCH received support for clinical trials to his institution from Alexion, Ascendis, Takeda, and UCB. MR received honoraria for lectures from UCB. All other authors have no financial conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The influence of temperature (25 and 32 °C) on the biomarker responses of bullfrog tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeianus) to different concentrations of the atrazine metabolite 2-hydroxyatrazine (2-HA, 0, 10, 50 and 200 ng.L -1 , 16 days), was evaluated. Temperature affected the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase. The activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and carboxylesterase presented no alterations. Frequencies of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities were also not altered. 2-HA decreased SOD activity at 25 °C and caused histopathological changes in the liver and the kidney at both temperatures, with the kidney being more affected by the combination of higher temperature and 2-HA exposure, presenting glomerular shrinkage and an increase in Bowman's space. Our results indicate that at environmentally relevant concentrations, 2-HA can cause changes in biomarker responses as well as in the morphology of liver and kidney in L. catesbeianus tadpoles. Temperature has an important influence on biomarker response and histopathological alterations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential for the metamorphosis of amphibians and their production can be influenced by environmental stressors, such as temperature fluctuations, and exposure to aquatic pollutants, such as herbicides. In the present study we evaluated the influence of different temperatures (25 and 32 °C) on the effects of the herbicide ametryn (AMT, 0 - control, 10, 50 and 200 ng.L -1 ) for 16 days on thyroidogenesis of bullfrog tadpoles. Higher temperature and AMT exposure caused a delay in the development of tadpoles, despite no differences were noted in weight gain and total length of the animals. Levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were not altered neither by AMT nor by temperature, but the highest temperature caused a decrease in total area and number of follicles in the thyroid gland. Transcript levels of thyroid hormone receptors alpha and beta (TRα and TRβ) and iodothyronine deiodinase 3 (DIO3) were lower at 32 °C, which is consistent with developmental delay at the higher temperature. Tadpoles exposed to 200 ng.L -1 of AMT at 25 °C also presented delayed development, which was consistent with lower TRα and DIO3 transcript levels. Lower levels of estradiol were noted in tadpoles exposed to AMT at the higher temperature, being also possibly related to a developmental delay. This study demonstrates that higher temperature and AMT exposure impair thyroidgenesis in bullfrog tadpoles, disrupting metamorphosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) asymmetry is associated with slow gait speed. Both mark muscle dysfunction, potential risk of falls, and adverse health outcomes. This association was found in older adults from high-income countries, but not yet studied in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, there is no HGS asymmetry referential to identify the disabling process. Thus, our study aims to verify the association of HGS asymmetry with slowness in older adults from six low- and middle-income countries and to propose cut points to slowness., Methods: A cross-sectional study with data from 12,669 older adults (≥60 years) of the Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted in six low- and middle-income countries were analyzed. Based in the difference between upper body sides HGS (asymmetry), participants were categorized in groups as 0.0-10.0% (reference group), 10.1-20.1%, 20.1-30.0% or >30.0%. Slow gait speed was established as <0.59 (men) and <0.51 (women) m/s. Associations of HGS asymmetry with gait speed were ascertained with logistic regression. HGS asymmetry index "[(HGS asymmetry*HGS)/(BMI*Age)]*100" cut points to identify slowness were generated with the ROC curve and Youden index (α = 5%)., Results: Compared to HGS reference group, those with HGS asymmetry of 10.1-20%, 20.1-30.0% and >30.0% had a superior odds for slowness [1.18(CI:1.02,1.42); 1.17(CI: 0.97; 1.44); and 1.21(CI:1.03;1.43), respectively]. HGS asymmetry index cut points to identify slowness were ≤1.14 (women) and ≤1.77 (men)., Conclusions: HGS asymmetry association with slowness is present in economically disadvantaged countries. We proposed a new index for impaired muscle function with acceptable sensibility and specificity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None. All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the main neurotransmitters involved in the adaptation processes against the damage that hypoxia can cause to the brain. Due to its antagonist action on GABA receptors, the insecticide fipronil can turn the fish more susceptible to the negative effects of hypoxia. This study aimed to understand better if fipronil affects these GABAergic responses of Tilapia ahead to hypoxia. Oreochromis Niloticus (Nile Tilapia) were exposed for 3 and 8 h to fipronil (0.0, 0.1, and 0.5 µg.L -1 ) under normoxia (dissolved O 2  > 6 mg.L -1 ) and moderate hypoxia (dissolved O 2  < 2 mg.L -1 ) conditions. Briefly, hypoxia caused opposite effects on the gene transcription of the evaluated ionotropic and metabotropic GABA receptors. Unexpectedly, we obtained reduced HIF1A mRNA and brain GABA levels, mostly in the first 3 h of the experiment, for the hypoxic group compared with the normoxia one. Besides that, we also demonstrated that the insecticide fipronil impairs the brain GABAergic signaling of a hypoxia-tolerant fish during the transition from a normoxic to an acute hypoxic state. Thus, these results predict the relevant impact on the brain metabolic adaptations of fishes exposed to such stressful conditions in an aquatic environment, as well as the effects of fipronil in the GABAergic responses to hypoxia, which in turn may have ecological and physiological significance to hypoxia-tolerant fishes exposed to this insecticide., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: During aging, changes occur in the proportions of muscle, fat, and bone. Body composition (BC) alterations have a great impact on health, quality of life, and functional capacity. Several equations to predict BC using anthropometric measurements have been developed from a bi-compartmental (2-C) approach that determines only fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM). However, these models have several limitations, when considering constant density, progressive bone demineralization, and changes in the hydration of the FFM, as typical changes during senescence. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to propose and validate a new multi-compartmental anthropometric model to predict fat, bone, and musculature components in older adults of both sexes., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 older adults of both sexes. To determine the dependent variables (fat mass [FM], bone mineral content [BMC], and appendicular lean soft tissue [ALST]) whole total and regional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body scans were performed. Twenty-nine anthropometric measures and sex were appointed as independent variables. Models were developed through multivariate linear regression. Finally, the predicted residual error sum of squares (PRESS) statistic was used to measure the effectiveness of the predicted value for each dependent variable., Results: An equation was developed to simultaneously predict FM, BMC, and ALST from only four variables: weight, half-arm span (HAS), triceps skinfold (TriSK), and sex. This model showed high coefficients of determination and low estimation errors (FM: R 2 adj : 0.83 and SEE: 3.16; BMC: R 2 adj : 0.61 and SEE: 0.30; ALST: R 2 adj : 0.85 and SEE: 1.65)., Conclusion: The equations provide a reliable, practical, and low-cost instrument to monitor changes in body components during the aging process. The internal cross-validation method PRESS presented sufficient reliability in the model as an inexpensive alternative for clinical field use., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The detrimental impact of malnutrition and cachexia in cancer patients subjected to surgical resection is well established. However, how systemic and local metabolic alterations in cancer patients impact the serum metabolite signature, thereby leading to cancer-specific differences, is poorly defined. In order to implement metabolomics as a potential tool in clinical diagnostics and disease follow-up, targeted metabolite profiling based on quantitative measurements is essential. We hypothesized that the quantitative metabolic profile assessed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used to identify cancer-induced catabolism and potentially distinguish between specific tumour entities. Importantly, to prove tumour dependency and assess metabolic normalization, we additionally analysed the metabolome of patients' sera longitudinally post-surgery in order to assess metabolic normalization., Methods: Forty two metabolites in sera of patients with tumour entities known to cause malnutrition and cachexia, namely, upper gastrointestinal cancer and pancreatic cancer, as well as sera of healthy controls, were quantified by 1 H NMR spectroscopy., Results: Comparing serum metabolites of patients with gastrointestinal cancer with healthy controls and pancreatic cancer patients, we identified at least 15 significantly changed metabolites in each comparison. Principal component and pathway analysis tools showed a catabolic signature in preoperative upper gastrointestinal cancer patients. The most specifically upregulated metabolite group in gastrointestinal cancer patients was ketone bodies (3-hydroxybutyrate, P < 0.0001; acetoacetate, P < 0.0001; acetone, P < 0.0001; false discovery rate [FDR] adjusted). Increased glycerol levels (P < 0.0001), increased concentration of the ketogenic amino acid lysine (P = 0.03) and a significant correlation of 3-hydroxybutyrate levels with branched-chained amino acids (leucine, P = 0.02; isoleucine, P = 0.04 [FDR adjusted]) suggested that ketone body synthesis was driven by lipolysis and amino acid breakdown. Interestingly, the catabolic signature was independent of the body mass index, clinically assessed malnutrition using the nutritional risk screening score, and systemic inflammation assessed by CRP and leukocyte count. Longitudinal measurements and principal component analyses revealed a quick normalization of key metabolic alterations seven days post-surgery, including ketosis., Conclusions: Together, the quantitative metabolic profile obtained by 1 H NMR spectroscopy identified a tumour-induced catabolic signature specific to upper gastrointestinal cancer patients and enabled monitoring restoration of metabolic homeostasis after surgery. This approach was critical to identify the obtained metabolic profile as an upper gastrointestinal cancer-specific signature independent of malnutrition and inflammation., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3) is a mitochondrial transmembrane protein highly expressed in the muscle that has been implicated in regulating the efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Increasing UCP3 expression in skeletal muscle enhances proton leak across the inner mitochondrial membrane and increases oxygen consumption in isolated mitochondria, but its precise function in vivo has yet to be fully elucidated. To examine whether muscle-specific overexpression of UCP3 modulates muscle mitochondrial oxidation in vivo, rates of ATP synthesis were assessed by 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and rates of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism were measured by assessing the rate of [2- 13 C]acetate incorporation into muscle [4- 13 C]-, [3- 13 C]-glutamate, and [4- 13 C]-glutamine by high-resolution 13 C/ 1 H MRS. Using this approach, we found that the overexpression of UCP3 in skeletal muscle was accompanied by increased muscle mitochondrial inefficiency in vivo as reflected by a 42% reduction in the ratio of ATP synthesis to mitochondrial oxidation., (© 2022 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a type of fermentation process with potential to use agro-industrial by-products as a carbon source. Nonetheless, there are few studies evaluating SSF compared to submerged fermentation (SmF) to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Different methodologies are available associating the two processes. In general, the studies employ a 1st step by SSF to hydrolyze the agro-industrial by-products used as a carbon source, and a 2nd step to produce PHA that can be carried out by SmF or SSF. This paper reviewed and compared the different methodologies described in the literature to assess their potential for use in PHA production. The studies evaluated showed that highest PHA yields (86.2% and 82.3%) were achieved by associating SSF and SmF by Cupriavidus necator. Meanwhile, in methodologies using only SSF, Bacillus produced the highest yields (62% and 56.8%). Since PHA (%) does not necessarily represent a higher production by biomass, the productivity parameter was also compared between studies. We observed that the highest productivity results did not necessarily represent the highest PHA (%). C. necator presented the highest PHA yields associating SSF and SmF, however, is not the most suitable microorganism for PHA production by SSF. Concomitant use of C. necator and Bacillus is suggested for future studies in SSF. Also, it discusses the lack of studies on the association of the two fermentation methodologies, and on the scaling of SSF process for PHA production. In addition to demonstrating the need for standardization of results, for comparison between different methodologies., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The S-triazine herbicide ametryn (AMT) is relatively low adsorbed in soils and has high solubility in water, thus believed to affect non-target aquatic organisms such as amphibians. Temperature increases can intensify the effects of herbicides, possibly increasing the susceptibility of amphibians to these compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of temperature (25 and 32 °C) on the responses of biochemical biomarkers in bullfrog tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeianus) exposed to different concentrations of AMT (0, 10, 50 and 200 ng.L -1 ) for a period of 16 days. The antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the biotransformation enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) had their activity decreased at the highest temperature (32 °C). SOD activity was reduced at 200 ng.L -1 and 32 °C compared to the control at the same temperature. AMT exposure also decreased the activities of alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase. On the other hand, the activities of acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterase, alkaline phosphatase, levels of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl, as well genotoxic markers (micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities frequencies) were unchanged. The evaluation of integrated biomarker response index (IBR) indicated highest variations at the concentration of 200 ng.L -1  at 32 °C, suggesting that the combination of high AMT concentrations and temperatures generate more pronounced negative effects to tadpoles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Green turtles, Chelonia mydas, have been included in biomonitoring efforts given its status as an endangered species. Many studies, however, rely on samples from stranded animals, raising the question of how death affects important biochemical and molecular biomarkers. The goal of this study was to investigate post mortem fluctuations in the antioxidant response and metabolism of carbohydrates in the liver of C. mydas. Liver samples were obtained from six green turtles which were submitted to rehabilitation and euthanized due to the impossibility of recovery. Samples were collected immediately after death (t = 0) and at various time intervals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h post mortem), frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C. The activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were analyzed, as were the levels of lipid peroxidation, glycogen concentration, RNA integrity (RNA IQ) and transcript levels of carbonic anhydrase and pyruvate carboxylase genes. Comparison between post mortem intervals showed a temporal stability for all the biomarkers evaluated, suggesting that changes in biochemical and molecular parameters following green turtle death are not immediate, and metabolism may remain somewhat unaltered up to 24 h after death. Such stability may be associated with the overall lower metabolism of turtles, especially under an oxygen deprivation scenario such as organismal death. Overall, this study supports the use of biomarkers in sea turtles sampled within a period of 24 h post mortem for biomonitoring purposes, though it is recommended that post mortem fluctuations of particular biomarkers be evaluated prior to their application, given that proteins may show varying degrees of susceptibility to proteolysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study the effects of environmentally realistic concentrations of the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and oxytetracyclyne (OTC) on Lithobates catesbeianus tadpoles were evaluated, through the analyzes of the frequencies of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes, alterations in leucocytes, liver histopathology, and changes in hepatic esterase activities and oxidative stress biomarkers. The animals were exposed for 16 days at concentrations of 0 (control), 20, 90 and 460 ng L -1 . No significant difference was found in the frequencies of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities. The two highest concentrations of SMX and all concentrations of OTC caused a significant increase in the number of lymphocytes. A significant decrease in the number of neutrophils compared to the control group was observed for all concentrations tested of both antibiotics. Also, decrease in the activity of glutathione S-transferase and high histopathological severity scores, indicating liver damage, were found in tadpoles exposed to the two highest concentrations of SMX and all concentrations of OTC. The main changes in the liver histopathology were the presence of inflammatory infiltrate, melanomacrophages, vascular congestion, blood cells and eosinophils. Esterase activities were unchanged. Indeed, the two highest concentrations of OTC caused a reduction in the activities of superoxide dismutase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, while the highest concentration inhibited the activity of glutathione peroxidase and increased protein carbonyl levels. These results evidences that environmentally realistic concentrations of SMX and OTC in aquatic environments are capable to significantly disrupt tadpoles' physiology, possibly affecting negatively their survival rate in natural environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Resistance training with blood flow restriction (RTBFR) allows physically impaired people living with HIV (PWH) to exercise at lower intensities than traditional resistance training (TRT). But the acute and chronic cardiac and metabolic responses of PWH following an RTBFR protocol are unknown. The objective was to compare the safety of acute and chronic effects on hemodynamic and lipid profiles between TRT or RTBFR in PWH. In this randomized control trial, 14 PWH were allocated in RTBFR (G RTBFR ; n = 7) or TRT (G TRT; n = 7). Both resistance training protocols had 36 sessions (12 weeks, three times per week). Protocol intensity was 30% (G RTBFR ) and 80% (G TRT ). Hemodynamic (heart rate, blood pressure) and lipid profile were acutely (rest and post exercise 7th, 22nd, and 35th sessions) and chronically (pre and post-program) recorded. General linear models were applied to determine group * time interaction. In the comparisons between groups, the resistance training program showed acute adaptations: hemodynamic responses were not different (p > 0.05), regardless of the assessment session; and chronicles: changes in lipidic profile favors G RTBFR , which significantly lower level of total cholesterol (p = 0.024), triglycerides (p = 0.002) and LDL (p = 0.030) compared to G TRT . RTBFR and TRT induced a similar hemodynamic adaptation in PWH, with no significant risks of increased cardiovascular stress. Additionally, RTBFR promoted better chronic adequacy of lipid profile than TRT. Therefore, RTBFR presents a safe resistance training alternative for PWH.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02783417; Date of registration: 26/05/2016., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) pandemic changed the educational structure of dentistry courses and highlighted the importance of online tools. Understanding students' perception regarding these changes is essential to establishing future teaching-learning strategies to accommodate students' needs in higher education. The aim of this study was to assess students' perceptions of the Oral Radiology teachinglearning process before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of students (n = 111) of the 2nd, 4th and 6th semesters of the dentistry course, who answered a questionnaire with 21 items: A) Students' demographic data (5 questions); B) Students' teaching-learning experiences during the pre-pandemic period (8 questions); and C) Students' teaching-learning experiences during the post-pandemic period (8 questions). Stuart-Maxwell tests revealed statistically significant differences between students' opinions before and during the pandemic when they were asked about the structure of the Oral Radiology module (p = 0.008); their previous experience with e-learning and teaching (p < 0.001); their thoughts about the importance of e-learning in Oral Radiology (p < 0.05); and the time they spent online for academic purposes (p < 0.05). Students seem to prefer on-campus activities (before COVID-19), but the pandemic increased their awareness of the importance of e-learning, the time they spent on online studies, and their knowledge of online educational tools., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Odontológica.)

Brazilian cattle production is mostly carried out in pastures, and the need to mitigate the livestock's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its environmental footprint has become an important requirement. The adoption of well-suited breeds and the intensification of pasture-based livestock production systems are alternatives to optimize the sector's land use. However, further research on tropical systems is necessary. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of Holstein (HO) and Jersey-Holstein (JE x HO) crossbred cows in different levels of pasture intensification (continuous grazing system with low stocking rate-CLS; irrigated rotational grazing system with high stocking rate-RHS), and the interaction between these two factors on GHG mitigation. Twenty-four HO and 24 JE x HO crossbred dairy cows were used to evaluate the effect of two grazing systems on milk production and composition, soil GHG emissions, methane (CH 4 ) emission, and soil carbon accumulation (0-100 cm). These variables were used to calculate carbon balance (CB), GHG emission intensity, the number of trees required to mitigate GHG emission, and the land-saving effect. The number of trees necessary to mitigate GHG emission was calculated, considering the C balance within the farm gate. The mitigation of GHG emissions comes from the annual growth rate and accumulation of C in eucalyptus trees' trunks. The CB of all systems and genotypes presented a deficit in carbon (C); there was no difference for genotypes, but RHS was more deficient than CLS (-4.99 to CLS and -28.72 to RHS ton CO 2e. .ha -1 .year -1 ). The deficit of C on GHG emission intensity was similar between genotypes and higher for RHS (-0.480 to RHS and -0.299 to CLS kg CO 2e. .kg FCPCmilk -1 ). Lower GHG removals (0.14 to CLS higher than 0.02 to RHS kg CO 2e. .kg FCPCmilk -1 ) had the greatest influence on the GHG emission intensity of milk production. The deficit number of trees to abatement emissions was higher to HO (-46.06 to HO and -38.37 trees/cow to JE x HO) and to RHS (-51.9 to RHS and -33.05 trees/cow to CLS). However, when the results are expressed per ton of FCPCmilk, there was a difference only between pasture management, requiring -6.34 tree. ton FCPCmilk -1 for the RHS and -3.99 tree. ton FCPCmilk -1 for the CLS system. The intensification of pastures resulted in higher milk production and land-saving effect of 2.7 ha. Due to the reservation of the pasture-based dairy systems in increasing soil C sequestration to offset the GHG emissions, especially enteric CH 4 , planting trees can be used as a mitigation strategy. Also, the land-save effect of intensification can contribute to the issue, since the area spared through the intensification in pasture management becomes available for reforestation with commercial trees., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Oliveira, Berndt, Pedroso, Alves, Lemes, Oliveira, Pezzopane and Rodrigues.)

Background: To verify (1) the association between classic and specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) with body composition, hydration, and physical performance in older adults with and without sarcopenia; (2) which BIVA most accurately distinguishes sarcopenia., Methods: A sample of 94 older adults with and without sarcopenia (29 men and 65 women, 60-85 years) was evaluated. The classic and specific BIVA procedures, Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and deuterium dilution were performed. Sarcopenia was defined by muscle weakness and low skeletal muscle index, while severity was indicated by low physical performance., Results: The BIVA's potential to monitor hydration and muscle mass loss in older adults seems feasible. Classic and specific BIVA were able to distinguish sarcopenia in women (p < 0.001), but not in men. When the sarcopenia criteria were individually analyzed, both classic and specific BIVA were able to distinguish low skeletal muscle index in women, while only classic BIVA did for men. For the criterion of slow physical performance, only the classic BIVA showed severity differences for women. The vectors of adults without sarcopenia of both sexes tended to be positioned in the left region of the ellipses, revealing a predominance of soft tissues., Conclusions: Classic BIVA has a distinct sarcopenic association with body composition, hydration, and physical performance in older adults, while specific BIVA was similar between groups. Both BIVAs are sensible to detect female morphological changes (skeletal muscle index) but not for functional (handgrip, 6-min walk test) sarcopenia criteria. These procedures are promising tools for monitoring sarcopenia risks during aging., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The influence of temperature (25 and 32 °C) on the negative effects of the herbicide tebuthiuron (TBU, 0, 10, 50 and 200 ng.L-1, 16 days) on thyroid function and metamorphosis of Lithobates catesbeianus tadpoles was evaluated. Metamorphosis was accelerated by TBU exposure at 25 ºC, but delayed at 32 ºC with considerable losses of body mass. T3 and T4 levels were not altered. The highest TBU concentrarion at 25 ºC increased TR β and DIO3 transcript levels, which is consistent with development acceleration in tadpoles. At 32 ºC TR β transcript levels were lower than the values recorded at 25 ºC, and those tadpoles exposed to the highest TBU concentration presented increased diameter of thyroid follicles compared to controls at same temperature. This study evidences that TBU at environmentally realistic concentrations is able to disrupt thyroidogenesis in bullfrog tadpoles, impairing their development. These effects are influenced by temperature., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metabolic reprogramming is one of the main hallmarks of cancer cells. It refers to the metabolic adaptations of tumor cells in response to nutrient deficiency, microenvironmental insults, and anti-cancer therapies. Metabolic transformation during tumor development plays a critical role in the continued tumor growth and progression and is driven by a complex interplay between the tumor mutational landscape, epigenetic modifications, and microenvironmental influences. Understanding the tumor metabolic vulnerabilities might open novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches with the potential to improve the efficacy of current tumor treatments. Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease harboring different mutations and tumor cell phenotypes. While the increase of intra-tumor genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity is associated with tumor progression, less is known about metabolic regulation of prostate cancer cell heterogeneity and plasticity. This review summarizes the central metabolic adaptations in prostate tumors, state-of-the-art technologies for metabolic analysis, and the perspectives for metabolic targeting and diagnostic implications., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aims to analyze inter-judge reliability by measuring a few temporal parameters of swallowing using a specific software., Methods: Six databases that include the results of reliability tests performed in prior studies by the present research group were employed. The datasets were obtained using the same measurement method and include data obtained based on puree (level 3) consistency and liquid (level 0) consistency according to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative. In this study, the reliabilities corresponding to the total oral transit time (TOTT), initiation of the pharyngeal response time (PRT), and the pharyngeal transit time (PTT) were measured using the same software; the evaluations performed by a single rater for all datasets were used as the benchmark, and evaluations performed by new raters for each dataset were also included. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) with a 95% confidence interval was employed., Results: A total of 244 videofluoroscopic swallowing study images were analyzed. In all analyses, the ICCs were >0,75 and showed excellent agreement between the senior and junior raters. The TOTT for level 3 showed ICCs from 0.936 to 1.000 and that for level 0 showed ICCs from 0.997 to 1.000. Further, the PRT showed ICCs from 0.916 to 1.000 for level 3 and from 0.978 to 1.000 for level 0. The PTT showed ICCs from 0.848 to 1.000 for level 3 and from 0.984 to 1.000 for level 0., Conclusion: The reliabilities obtained using this specific software for the TOTT, PRT, and PTT showed excellent agreement.

Introduction: Introduction: functional limitation is a result of sarcopenia and is associated with loss of skeletal muscle mass (SMM). Cost-effective methods are important for the identification of sarcopenia. Objective: to propose cutoff points for normalized calf circumference (CC) in order to identify low SMM in older women based on their functional limitation. Methods: in this descriptive, cross-sectional study the CC values of a young female sample (n = 78) were used to establish cutoff points (-2 SD) for low SMM in older women (n = 67). Functional limitation was identified by the six-minute walk test (≤ 400 m). CC was normalized by body mass, height, and BMI. The diagnostic accuracy of CC was calculated with a ROC curve, using functional limitation as standard. Results: cutoff points and area under the curve (AUC) were: CC (≤ 28.5; 0.62); CC·body mass-1 (≤ 0.40; 0.63); CC·height-2 (≤ 8.52; 0.55) and CC·BMI-1 (≤ 1.10; 0.73). Only CC·BMI-1 achieved a desirable accuracy (AUC > 0.7) to distinguish functional limitation. Conclusion: the accuracy attained supports the use of CC·BMI-1 to identify low SMM in older women. In the clinical context it is possible to predict the risk of sarcopenia when sophisticated methods for determining SMM are not available.

In this study, we aimed to relate anthropometric parameters and sensory processing in typically developing Brazilian children diagnosed with a pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). This was a retrospective study of typically developing children with a PFD. Anthropometric data were collected and indices of weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, and body mass index-for-age (BMI-for-age) were analyzed as z-scores. Sensory profile data were collected for auditory, visual, tactile, vestibular, and oral sensory processing. We included 79 medical records of children with a PFD. There were no statistically significant ( p > 0.05) relationships between the anthropometric variables (weight-, length/height-, or BMI-for-age) and the sensory variables (auditory, visual, tactile, vestibular, or oral sensory processing). In conclusion, we found no relationship between anthropometric parameters and sensory processing in the sample of typically developing Brazilian children diagnosed with a PFD under study.

Radiotherapy is one of the curative treatment options for localized prostate cancer (PCa). The curative potential of radiotherapy is mediated by irradiation-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in tumor cells. However, PCa radiocurability can be impeded by tumor resistance mechanisms and normal tissue toxicity. Metabolic reprogramming is one of the major hallmarks of tumor progression and therapy resistance. Specific metabolic features of PCa might serve as therapeutic targets for tumor radiosensitization and as biomarkers for identifying the patients most likely to respond to radiotherapy. The study aimed to characterize a potential role of glutaminase (GLS)-driven glutamine catabolism as a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for PCa radiosensitization. Methods: We analyzed primary cell cultures and radioresistant (RR) derivatives of the conventional PCa cell lines by gene expression and metabolic assays to identify the molecular traits associated with radiation resistance. Relative radiosensitivity of the cell lines and primary cell cultures were analyzed by 2-D and 3-D clonogenic analyses. Targeting of glutamine (Gln) metabolism was achieved by Gln starvation, gene knockdown, and chemical inhibition. Activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) and autophagy was assessed by gene expression, western blotting, and fluorescence microscopy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were analyzed by fluorescence and luminescence probes, respectively. Cancer stem cell (CSC) properties were investigated by sphere-forming assay, CSC marker analysis, and in vivo limiting dilution assays. Single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from the blood of PCa patients were analyzed by array comparative genome hybridization. Expression levels of the GLS1 and MYC gene in tumor tissues and amino acid concentrations in blood plasma were correlated to a progression-free survival in PCa patients. Results: Here, we found that radioresistant PCa cells and prostate CSCs have a high glutamine demand. GLS-driven catabolism of glutamine serves not only for energy production but also for the maintenance of the redox state. Consequently, glutamine depletion or inhibition of critical regulators of glutamine utilization, such as GLS and the transcription factor MYC results in PCa radiosensitization. On the contrary, we found that a combination of glutamine metabolism inhibitors with irradiation does not cause toxic effects on nonmalignant prostate cells. Glutamine catabolism contributes to the maintenance of CSCs through regulation of the alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG)-dependent chromatin-modifying dioxygenase. The lack of glutamine results in the inhibition of CSCs with a high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, decreases the frequency of the CSC populations in vivo and reduces tumor formation in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, this study shows that activation of the ATG5-mediated autophagy in response to a lack of glutamine is a tumor survival strategy to withstand radiation-mediated cell damage. In combination with autophagy inhibition, the blockade of glutamine metabolism might be a promising strategy for PCa radiosensitization. High blood levels of glutamine in PCa patients significantly correlate with a shorter prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time. Furthermore, high expression of critical regulators of glutamine metabolism, GLS1 and MYC, is significantly associated with a decreased progression-free survival in PCa patients treated with radiotherapy. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that GLS-driven glutaminolysis is a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PCa radiosensitization., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: In the past 5 years, Dr. Mechthild Krause received funding for her research projects by IBA (2016), Merck KGaA (2014-2018 for preclinical study; 2018-2020 for clinical study), Medipan GmbH (2014-2018). In the past 5 years, Dr. Krause, Dr. Linge and Dr. Löck have been involved in an ongoing publicly funded (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) project with the companies Medipan, Attomol GmbH, GA Generic Assays GmbH, Gesellschaft für medizinische und wissenschaftliche genetische Analysen, Lipotype GmbH and PolyAn GmbH (2019-2021). For the present manuscript, none of the above mentioned funding sources were involved. In the past 5 years, Dr. Michael Baumann received funding for his research projects and for educational grants to the University of Dresden by Bayer AG (2016-2018), Merck KGaA (2014-open) and Medipan GmbH (2014-2018). He is on the supervisory board of HI-STEM gGmbH (Heidelberg) for the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg) and also member of the supervisory body of the Charité University Hospital, Berlin. As former chair of OncoRay (Dresden) and present CEO and Scientific Chair of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg), he has been or is responsible for collaborations with a multitude of companies and institutions, worldwide. In this capacity, he has discussed potential projects and signed contracts for research funding and/or collaborations with industry and academia for his institute(s) and staff, including but not limited to pharmaceutical companies such as Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bosch, Roche and other companies such as Siemens, IBA, Varian, Elekta, Bruker, etc. In this role, he was/is also responsible for the commercial technology transfer activities of his institute(s), including the creation of start-ups and licensing. This includes the DKFZ-PSMA617 related patent portfolio [WO2015055318 (A1), ANTIGEN (PSMA)] and similar IP portfolios. Dr. Baumann confirms that, to the best of his knowledge, none of the above funding sources were involved in the preparation of this paper. Other co-authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The author(s).)

Tebuthiuron (TBU) is a phenylurea herbicide that is extensively used in sugarcane fields. Owing to the low degradation rate, high water solubility, and leaching potential, TBU is believed to have harmful effects on aquatic organisms, such as anuran tadpoles. Contaminant effects can be influenced by temperature since increases in temperature are often associated with increased metabolic reactions. In this study, we evaluated the influence of temperature on the negative effects of TBU in bullfrog tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeianus) through a multi-biomarker approach. Tadpoles were exposed to 0 (control) 10, 50, and 200 ng L -1 of TBU for 16 days at 25 and 32 °C. TBU increased the transcript levels of genes involved in biotransformation (glutathione S-transferase, GST, and sulfotransferase, SULT) and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, SOD, and catalase, CAT) enzymes. TBU exposure also increased CAT and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, whereas SOD and carboxylesterase activities were decreased. The highest temperature caused a decrease in the activities of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and SOD but increased the activities of GST, GPx, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and acetylcholinesterase. No effects of temperature or TBU exposure were observed in genotoxic markers (frequencies of micronucleous and nuclear abnormalities) or in lipid peroxidation levels. Tadpoles exposed to TBU at all tested concentrations presented a higher index of biomarker responses than that of the control groups. Higher values of severity scores from histological analyses were found in the liver of tadpoles exposed to 50 and 200 ng L -1 of TBU at 32 °C compared with those of the control group at the same temperature. These results indicate that TBU and temperature increases are able to disturb the metabolic homeostasis of L. catesbeianus tadpoles after 16 days of exposure, causing substantial alterations in biomarker responses and liver morphology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the presence of high abundance of exogenous fatty acids, cells either store fatty acids in lipid droplets or oxidize them in mitochondria. In this study, we aimed to explore a novel and direct role of mitochondrial fission in lipid homeostasis in HeLa cells. We observed the association between mitochondrial morphology and lipid droplet accumulation in response to high exogenous fatty acids. We inhibited mitochondrial fission by silencing dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1) and observed the shift in fatty acid storage-usage balance. Inhibition of mitochondrial fission resulted in an increase in fatty acid content of lipid droplets and a decrease in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Next, we overexpressed carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1), a key mitochondrial protein in fatty acid oxidation, to further examine the relationship between mitochondrial fatty acid usage and mitochondrial morphology. Mitochondrial fission plays a role in distributing exogenous fatty acids. CPT1A controlled the respiratory rate of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation but did not cause a shift in the distribution of fatty acids between mitochondria and lipid droplets. Our data reveals a novel function for mitochondrial fission in balancing exogenous fatty acids between usage and storage, assigning a role for mitochondrial dynamics in control of intracellular fuel utilization and partitioning.

Currently, we are experiencing a true pandemic of a communicable disease by the virus SARS-CoV-2 holding the whole world firmly in its grasp. Amazingly and unfortunately, this virus uses a metabolic and endocrine pathway via ACE2 to enter our cells causing damage and disease. Our international research training programme funded by the German Research Foundation has a clear mission to train the best students wherever they may come from to learn to tackle the enormous challenges of diabetes and its complications for our society. A modern training programme in diabetes and metabolism does not only involve a thorough understanding of classical physiology, biology and clinical diabetology but has to bring together an interdisciplinary team. With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, this prestigious and unique metabolic training programme is facing new challenges but also new opportunities. The consortium of the training programme has recognized early on the need for a guidance and for practical recommendations to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic for the community of patients with metabolic disease, obesity and diabetes. This involves the optimal management from surgical obesity programmes to medications and insulin replacement. We also established a global registry analyzing the dimension and role of metabolic disease including new onset diabetes potentially triggered by the virus. We have involved experts of infectious disease and virology to our faculty with this metabolic training programme to offer the full breadth and scope of expertise needed to meet these scientific challenges. We have all learned that this pandemic does not respect or heed any national borders and that we have to work together as a global community. We believe that this transCampus metabolic training programme provides a prime example how an international team of established experts in the field of metabolism can work together with students from all over the world to address a new pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the study was to compare the impact of 12-week resistance training with blood flow restriction (G RTBFR ) versus, traditional resistance training (G TRT ) and non-training on the muscle strength and body composition HIV/AIDS participants. Muscle strength was tested at baseline, and on the 6th, 21st and 36th training sessions, using maximal repetition test. Pre- and post-intervention body composition changes were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Resistance training was undertaken three times a week comprising bilateral elbow extension and flexion exercises, unilateral flexion and bilateral knee extension. Changes in strength and body composition (pre- and post-intervention) between groups were evaluated by mixed models of repeated measures, and by paired and unpaired comparisons, considering the Effect Size. All groups were similar at baseline for muscle strength and body composition. Post-intervention, the training groups showed similar, statistically significant increases in muscle strength (G RTBFR =25.7-57.4%; G TRT= 24.5-52.3%) and skeletal muscle tissue (G RTBFR =8.4%; G TRT =8.3%). There was also a significant change in body fat ( p =0.023-0.043), with significant effect sizes for strength and skeletal muscle tissue (0.41-2.27), respectively. These results suggest that both resistance training interventions promoted muscle hypertrophy, body fat reduction and positive impact on muscle strength in people living with HIV/AIDS. Resistance training with blood flow restriction proved to be an effective alternative to include patients with marked physical weakness, unable to engage in regular strength training programme.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02783417.

Objective: To qualify a 3C approach model of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to estimate multicomponent resting energy expenditure (REE) referenced by indirect calorimetry (IC)., Methods: A sample of 155 college students, of both sexes (18-30 years old) was evaluated. Anthropometric measures, REE by IC, and whole-body DXA-scans were performed. The REE for each body component was determined after transforming the components from the molecular (DXA) to the organ tissue level. Bland-Altman and proportional bias analyses were used to verify agreement between REE measured (REE IC ) and estimated (REE DXA )., Results: Statistically significant differences were found for all sex comparisons (P < .001), except for age (P = .950). Differences from the final sex-specific models' were not found between REE IC and REE DXA (P > .05). Men also presented greater expenditure (P < .001) in each component, except for adipose tissue. The plots confirmed the validity of the model for both sexes, with low difference values between the measured and estimated REE. The mean of the differences of REE IC and REE DXA showed heteroscedasticity of the data for men (P = .004). The same error tendency was not evident for women (P = .333)., Conclusions: This 3C model, estimating REE from a multicomponent approach, allows a new application of DXA as tool for understanding intraindividual differences in terms of the mass of metabolically active tissue. Sex and populational differences should be taken in account. Consequently, we present qualified sex-specific DXA models that can be applied in different contexts such as health and sports, besides considering interpersonal differences in terms of energy expenditure., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)