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Contents Electroejaculation is a technique that can be used to collect semen from canines, but its use with this group of animals is restricted by low success rate and low semen quality. Here, we evaluated whether pharmacological and sexual sensory stimuli, which may affect ejaculation, can increase electroejaculation efficiency and improve ejaculate quality. We worked with 20 dogs of mixed breed weighing between 5.3 and 22.2 kg, divided into two groups. Both groups were exposed to a spayed female for 10 min, but in the second group, the same spayed female had her vagina impregnated with methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate synthetic pheromone for 10 min and after receiving dinoprost tromethamine IM, 0.1 mg /kg. After stimulation, all dogs were chemically restrained with ketamine, 8 mg/kg, IM; and xylazine, 1 mg /kg, IM, and subjected to electroejaculation protocol. We obtained 100% of antegrade ejaculate in treatments when the spayed female had her vagina impregnated with pheromone and 80% when she did not. Sperm motility was significantly different (p < 0.05) between controls and the test group (10.1 ± 4.5 and 43.0 ± 8.3, respectively). We concluded that the adopted electroejaculation protocol was efficient and that the PGF2α associated with sexual sensory stimulation can improve semen quality in dogs undergoing the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to evaluate a blend of functional oils (FO) composed of copaiba and garlic essential oils, pepper oleoresin and cashew nut liquid to mitigate the effects of heat stress on productivity, egg quality, organ morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, serum biochemical profile, nutrient metabolism and body temperature of Japanese quail. A completely randomized design was used in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme (without additive; 300 and 500 mg FO/kg of feed x birds raised in a thermal comfort (TC) and heat stress (HS) environment), with 6 replicates of 8 birds per plot. The birds under HS had lower feed intake (P = 0.0000), egg mass (P = 0.0000), laying rate (P = 0.0000) and higher percentage of infertile non-commercial eggs (P = 0.0004), lower head temperature amplitude (P = 0.0000) and higher average of body temperature (P = 0.0312). HS worsened the external and internal quality of the eggs. Birds kept in HS showed higher values of cholesterol (P = 0.0000) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (P = 0.0272). The use of 300 and 500 g FO/ton of feed improved the feed conversion (P = 0.0000) and egg mass (P = 0.0000) of the quail bred under HS, respectively, by 8.4 and 7.2% and increased the relative weight of liver (P = 0.0064) and pancreas (P = 0.0492). The use of such additives also provided a higher % of yolk (P = 0.0018) and reduced the percentage of albumen (P = 0.0029) of the eggs produced in TC, in addition to reducing the amplitude of head temperature (P = 0.0484) of birds bred under HS. The breeding of Japanese quail under HS results in negative impacts on the production, physiological and qualitative aspects of the eggs. The use of 300 g/ton of FO in the diet of Japanese quail leads to improvements in feed conversion, increased liver capacity in nutritional metabolism and results in eggs with a higher proportion of yolks, being, therefore, an alternative for feeding quail in a hot climate., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors Hemylla Sousa Santos Barros, Rodrigo Fortunato de Oliveira, Cibele Silva Minafra, Ana Paula Cardoso Gomide, Francisco Ribeiro de Araujo Neto, Jennifer Cristina Ribeiro Gonçalves, Flávio Henrique de Souza Queiroz, Gabriel Martins Nobre, Bárbara Di Renzo Dos Santos Vilarinho, Manoel Correia Lima, Saullo Diogo de Assis and Fabiana Ramos dos Santos formally declared that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Several lung diseases can cause structural damage, making lung transplantation the only therapeutic option for advanced disease stages. However, the transplantation success rate remains limited. Lung bioengineering using the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of decellularized lungs is a potential alternative. The use of undifferentiated cells to seed the ECM is practical; however, sterilizing the organ for recellularization is challenging. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) may offer a solution, in which the wavelength is crucial for tissue penetration. This study aimed to explore the potential of optimizing lung recellularization with mesenchymal stem cells using PBMT (660 nm) after sterilization with PBMT (880 nm). The lungs from C57BL/6 mice were decellularized using 1% SDS and sterilized using PBMT (880 nm, 100 mW, 30 s). Recellularization was performed in two groups: (1) recellularized lung and (2) recellularized lung + 660 nm PBMT (660 nm, 100 mW, 30 s). Both were seeded with mesenchymal stem cells from human tooth pulp (DPSc) and incubated for 24 h at 37 °C and 5% CO 2 in bioreactor-like conditions with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at 20 cmH 2 O and 90% O 2 . The culture medium was analyzed after 24 h. H&E, immunostaining, SEM, and ELISA assays were performed. Viable biological scaffolds were produced, which were free of cell DNA and preserved the glycosaminoglycans; collagens I, III, and IV; fibronectin; laminin; elastin; and the lung structure (SEM). The IL-6 and IL-8 levels were stable during the 24 h culture, but the IFN-γ levels showed significant differences in the recellularized lung and recellularized lung + 660 nm PBMT groups. Greater immunological modulation was observed in the recellularized groups regarding pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-8). These findings suggest that PBMT plays a role in cytokine regulation and antimicrobial activity, thus offering promise for enhanced therapeutic strategies in lung bioengineering.

Background/Objectives: Patients with post-COVID-2019 syndrome may have reduced functional capacity and physical activity levels. The pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP)-an exercise training program-is designed to restore these functions and has been shown to improve dyspnea, exercise capacity, and other measures in these patients. This study aimed to analyze the effects of the RP on post-COVID-19 syndrome patients with respect to objective and subjective functional capacity, balance, and musculoskeletal strength. Methods : A prospective interventional trial was conducted before and after this phase. Patients were referred to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently directed to the RP. These patients underwent an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program (45-min sessions 3 times/week). Each session consisted of stationary cycle-ergometer and resistance musculoskeletal exercises tailored to individuals' performance. They were evaluated pre- and post-PRP using the maximal handgrip strength (HGS) test, timed up-and-go test, 6-min walk test and its derived variables, and Duke Activity Status Index questionnaire. Results : From 142 hospitalized patients admitted with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 60 completed the program, with an attendance rate of 85%. Nineteen patients were categorized as severe/critical, with a significantly higher hospital stay, compared to mild/moderate patients, and there were no differences in terms of sex distribution, age, or BMI between groups. Compared to the pre-PRP evaluation, both groups showed significant ( p < 0.001) improvements in TUG, HGS, DASI D6MWT, 6MWS, and DSP variables after the PRP conduction. In addition, the groups exhibited similar improvement patterns following PRP (intragroup analysis), with no intergroup differences. Conclusions : RPs promote both objective and subjective functional capacity in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome, with no difference in improvement regardless of the severity of the initial infection.

Background:  Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) affects 1.5 newborns per 1 thousand term live births. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) does not prevent all adverse outcomes. The experience with TH is still limited in Latin America. In Rio de Janeiro, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto treats neonates with HIE since 2017 using the servo-controlled system., Objective:  To describe the frequency of epilepsy, altered neurological exam, and neurodevelopmental delay at 12 months of age in patients treated with TH in a reference hospital in Rio de Janeiro and to evaluate the possible risk associations with clinical data and data from complementary exams., Methods:  We evaluated medical records from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hospitalization and from first evaluation recorded at 12 months of age in the High-Risk Neonate Follow-up Outpatient Sevice., Results:  A total of 30 subjects were included in the study. We found epilepsy in 18.2% of the patients, altered neurological exam in 40.9%, and neurodevelopmental delay in 36.4%. We also found a significant relationship between altered magnetic resonance imaging scan and subsequent altered neurological exam. Our findings are in line with those of the international literature, which shows that adverse outcomes are still observed, even when TH is applied. Brazilian data shows our limited access to complementary exams. The rate of loss to follow-up was of 26.6%, probably due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. More time for prospective follow-up and protocol adjustments should contribute to improve our data., Conclusion:  High incidences of epilepsy, altered neurological exams, and neurodevelopmental delay were found, despite the use of TH. A more efficient use of resources is needed, as well as measures such as early intervention., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

In this review, we consider the definitions and experimental approaches to emotional contagion and prosocial behaviour in mammals and explore their evolutionary conceptualisation for studying their occurrence in the evolutionarily divergent vertebrate group of ray-finned fish. We present evidence for a diverse set of fish phenotypes that meet definitional criteria for prosocial behaviour and emotional contagion and discuss conserved mechanisms that may account for some preserved social capacities in fish. Finally, we provide some considerations on how to address the question of interdependency between emotional contagion and prosocial response, highlighting the importance of recognition processes, decision-making systems, and ecological context for providing evolutionary explanations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests or personal relationships that influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the bestseller book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers", Robert Sapolsky argues that animals do not suffer from stress-related diseases like humans because for them, stress is episodic, while humans in contrast suffer from chronic psychological stress. In particular, the idea that fish cannot experience psychological stress is still prevalent, partly due to the lack of a homologous brain area to the neocortex. However, emerging evidence suggests that teleosts can undergo psychological stress, defined as a subjective and perceptual experience of the stressor, and in recent years, the underlying mechanisms started to be unveiled., Summary: The occurrence of cognitive appraisal in the assessment of stressors has been demonstrated in fish, indicating that the subjective evaluation of stimulus valence and salience, rather than absolute intrinsic characteristics of the stimulus itself, play a key role in the activation of the stress response. Moreover, individual biases (i.e., cognitive bias) in the cognitive appraisal of stimuli have also been described in fish, with some individuals consistently evaluating ambiguous stimuli as positive (aka optimists) whereas other individuals (aka pessimists) appraise them as negative. As a result, optimists and pessimists show consistent differences in stress reactivity and susceptibility/resilience to disease. Finally, social context has also been shown to modulate the response to aversive stimuli with the behavior of conspecifics either buffering or enhancing the response (i.e., social buffering vs. social contagion)., Key Messages: Cognitive appraisal of stressors occurs in fish, implying that the stress response is modulated by a subjective and perceptual experience of the stressor. Moreover, interindividual consistent cognitive biases in the appraisal of stressors are also present in fish making some individuals more susceptible to stress-related diseases. Therefore, psychological stress has a health toll in fish, and psychologically stressed fish can potentially have ulcers., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

(1) Background: Adolescents who are under the care of child and youth institutions are vulnerable due to factors that can include disruption to family structure or education and adverse experiences. They often experience poor or unstable support systems, leaving them at risk of delinquency. In this context, sports engagement may provide a stable structure and have positive effects in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding social and emotional skills among at-risk adolescents, with a specific focus on their engagement in sports. (2) Methods: Ninety-six adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (66 female, 30 male), residing in child and youth care institutions across Italy, Portugal, the UK, and Turkey, participated in this study. The participants were divided into 14 focus groups, each with six to eight participants of similar ages. (3) Results: Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: Emotional causes of behavioral problems; Emotional skills to regain control; Social support makes sports worthwhile; Sport as a socio-emotional resource. (4) Conclusions: The study findings highlight that although sports create many challenging emotional situations for these adolescents, they also provides resources that may help them cope with their emotions within and beyond sports.

Background: Polypharmacy in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy leads to increased risks of drug interactions, translating in potential hazardous health outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), and severe-drug interactions (SDIs) in older patients with cancer. Antineoplastic agents (ANAs) involvement and possible risk contexts (comorbidities with cardiac risk, and high-risk medications) were also analysed., Methods: Observational study with older adults (≥ 65 years) diagnosed with cancer, who were treated with antineoplastic agents (ANAs); it was conducted in three hospitals from the north of Portugal. Data collection was obtained using self-reports and medical records. DDIs were identified and classified using Micromedex® software. Descriptive and association analyze statistics were performed. Statistical hypothesis tests with p value less than 0.05 were considered significant. All statistical procedures and analysis were performed with R version 4.1.3., Results: We enrolled 552 patients. Polypharmacy prevalence was 88.40%; 76.45% and 56.16% of the patients presented with DDIs and SDIs, respectively. SDIs with ANAs were found in 21.20% of the patients. High-risk medications were associated with a higher risk of polypharmacy, DDIs, and SDIs. Polypharmacy and DDIs were higher in patients with hypertension or diabetes. SDIs were higher in patients with diabetes., Conclusion: Polypharmacy, potential DDIs and SDIs were highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. A careful review of the medication administered is necessary to decrease it. These findings warrant further research to optimize medication in this population and decrease problems related to medication, which may lead to emergency room visits and hospitalisations, compromising patient safety and/or ongoing treatments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Copper (Cu) dyshomeostasis has been linked to obesity and related morbidities and also to aging. Cu levels are higher in older or obese individuals, and adipose tissue (AT) Cu levels correlate with body mass index. Aging and obesity induce similar AT functional and structural changes, including an accumulation of senescent cells. To study the effect of Cu-mediated stress-induced premature senescent (Cu-SIPS) on preadipocytes, 3T3-L1 cell line was exposed to a subcytotoxic concentration of copper sulfate. After Cu treatment, preadipocytes acquired typical senescence characteristics including diminished cell proliferation, cell and nuclei enlargement and increased lysosomal mass (higher Lamp2 expression and a slight increased number of cells positive for β-galactosidase associated with senescence (SA-β-Gal)). Cell cycle arrest was due to upregulation of p16Ink4a Ink4a and p21 Waf1/Cip1 . Accordingly, protein levels of the proliferation marker KI67 were reduced. Cu-SIPS relates with oxidative stress and, in this context, an increase of SOD1 and HO-1 expression was detected in Cu-treated cells. The mRNA expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors, such as Mmp3, Il-6 and Tnf-α, increased in Cu-SIPS 3T3-L1 cells but no effect was observed on the expression of heterochromatin-associated protein 1(HP1). Although the downregulation of Lamin B1 expression is considered a hallmark of senescence, Cu-SIPS cells presented higher levels of Lamin B1. The dysregulation of nuclear lamina was accompanied by an increase of nuclear blebbing, but not of micronuclei number. To conclude, a Cu-SIPS model in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes is here described, which may be an asset to the study of AT dysregulation observed in obesity and aging., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Maria Salazar, Adriana Rodrigues and Liliana Matos reports financial support was provided by European Union and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Adriana Rodrigues, Maria Salazar reports a relationship with European Union and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). that includes: funding grants., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chronic respiratory diseases often necessitate lung transplantation due to irreversible damage. Organ engineering offers hope through stem cell-based organ generation. However, the crucial sterilization step in scaffold preparation poses challenges. This study conducted a systematic review of studies that analysed the extracellular matrix (ECM) conditions of decellularised lungs subjected to different sterilisation processes. A search was performed for articles published in the PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and SciELO databases according to the PRISMA guidelines. Overall, five articles that presented positive results regarding the effectiveness of the sterilisation process were selected, some of which identified functional damage in the ECM. Was possible concluded that regardless of the type of agent used, physical or chemical, all of them demonstrated that sterilisation somehow harms the ECM. An ideal protocol has not been found to be fully effective in the sterilisation of pulmonary scaffolds for use in tissue and/or organ engineering., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Moura RS et al.)

The use of artificial lighting during the incubation phase is a tool that has been studied with the aim of increasing the production rates and hatchability. Using this, this study aims to investigate the effects of the luminous incidence of white and red monochromatic light on the production and metabolism of broiler chicks subjected to low temperatures. A total of 315 eggs of Ross 708 heavy breeders were used. The eggs were distributed randomly, with 35 eggs per tray, totaling 105 eggs per incubator. The treatments were the following: incubation without the use of light; the use of white monochromatic light; and the use of red monochromatic light. The lamps used were of the LED type. The samples were distributed in the factorial completely randomized experimental design with position effect on the tray. Candling, egg weighing, calculating the probability of survival and egg weight loss were performed. Temperatures were recorded using a thermographic camera. At birth, three chicks per tray were euthanized for evaluation: weight with and without yolk residue, gastrointestinal tract biometry, and blood and liver biochemistry. Analyses were performed using the R computational program. It was observed that there was a significant effect of the treatments on the levels of calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, amylase, glucose, urea and glutamate pyruvate transaminase on the biochemical profile of the blood and on the thermographic temperatures of the eggs; the experiment was kept at low temperatures resulting in thermal stress, with an average temperature of 34.5 °C. Therefore, the use of red and white monochromatic light in the artificial incubation process for brown-colored eggs is not recommended, because in the post-hatching phase, it promoted the metabolism dysregulation on the blood biochemical profile to control the differentiation in the wavelength of traditional incubation.

Introduction: Recent research indicates that some brain structures show alterations in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among them, are the basal ganglia that are involved in motor, cognitive and behavioral neural circuits., Objective: Review the literature that describes possible volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia of individuals with ASD and the impacts that these changes have on the severity of the condition., Methodology: This systematic review was registered in the design and reported according to the PRISMA Items and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023394787). The study analyzed data from published clinical, case-contemplate, and cohort trials. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using the Medical Subject Titles (MeSH) "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and "Basal Ganglia". The last search was carried out on February 28, 2023., Results: Thirty-five eligible articles were collected, analyzed, and grouped according to the levels of alterations., Conclusion: The present study showed important volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in ASD. However, the examined studies have methodological weaknesses that do not allow generalization and correlation with ASD manifestations., (© 2024 International Society for Developmental Neuroscience.)

Over time, the body undergoes a natural, multifactorial, and ongoing process named senescence, which induces changes at the molecular, cellular, and micro-anatomical levels in many body systems. The brain, being a highly complex organ, is particularly affected by this process, potentially impairing its numerous functions. The brain relies on chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters to function properly, with dopamine being one of the most crucial. This catecholamine is responsible for a broad range of critical roles in the central nervous system, including movement, learning, cognition, motivation, emotion, reward, hormonal release, memory consolidation, visual performance, sexual drive, modulation of circadian rhythms, and brain development. In the present review, we thoroughly examine the impact of senescence on the dopaminergic system, with a primary focus on the classic delimitations of the dopaminergic nuclei from A8 to A17. We provide in-depth information about their anatomy and function, particularly addressing how senescence affects each of these nuclei., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) are specific genetic variations that commonly occur in a population and often do not manifest phenotypically. However, depending on their location and the type of nucleotide exchanged, an SNV can alter or inhibit the function of the gene in which it occurs. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) receptor genes have exhibited several polymorphisms, including rs1801274, which is found in the FcgRIIa gene. The replacement of A with T results in a Histidine (H) to Arginine (R) substitution, altering the affinity of the IgG receptor for IgG subtypes and C-reactive protein (CRP). In this study, we analyzed rs1801274 and its functional implications concerning L. Infantum uptake and cytokine production., Methods: We genotyped 201 individuals from an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis to assess the presence of rs1801274 using Taqman probes for a candidate gene study. Additionally, we included seventy individuals from a non-endemic area for a functional study. Subsequently, we isolated and cultivated one-week adherent mononuclear cells (AMCs) derived from the peripheral blood of participants residing in the non-endemic region in the presence of L. infantum promastigotes, with and without antigen-specific IgG and/or CRP. We analyzed the rate of phagocytosis and the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12 p70, IL-1b, IL- 6, and IL-8 in the culture supernatants., Results and Discussion: In participants from the endemic region, the A/G (H/R isoform) heterozygous genotype was significantly associated with susceptibility to the disease. Furthermore, SNVs induced a change in the phagocytosis rate in an opsonin-dependent manner. Opsonization with IgG increased the production of IL-10, TNF-a, and IL-6 in AMCs with the H/R isoform, followed by a decrease in NO production. The results presented here suggest that the rs1801274 polymorphism is linked to a higher susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis., 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 © 2024 Catarino, Oliveira, Silva, Sales-Campos, de Vito, Silva, Naves, Oliveira, Rodrigues and Rodrigues.)

Aquaculture produces more than 122 million tons of fish globally. Among the several economically important species are the Serrasalmidae, which are valued for their nutritional and sensory characteristics. To meet the growing demand, there is a need for automation and accuracy of processes, at a lower cost. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a viable alternative for automation, reducing human intervention, work time, errors, and production costs. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in counting round fish fingerlings (Serrasalmidae) at different densities using 390 color photographs in an illuminated environment. The photographs were submitted to two convolutional neural networks for object detection: one model was adapted from a pre-trained CNN and the other was an online platform based on AutoML. The metrics used for performance evaluation were precision (P), recall (R), accuracy (A), and F1-Score. In conclusion, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are effective tools for detecting and counting fish. The pre-trained CNN demonstrated outstanding performance in identifying fish fingerlings, achieving accuracy, precision, and recall rates of 99% or higher, regardless of fish density. On the other hand, the AutoML exhibited reduced accuracy and recall rates as the number of fish increased.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is an etiological cyclic pelvic pain related to the menstrual period; it can negatively impact women's quality of life and productivity. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of PD and analyze associated symptoms in Brazilian women., Methods: An online cross-sectional study was carried out in Brazil, with a structured questionnaire regarding dysmenorrhea and associated symptoms. PD intensity was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale for Pain and classified as mild (1-3), moderate (4-7) and severe (> 8). The association between qualitative variables was performed using Pearson's Chi-Square Test. The quantification of this association was measured using multinomial logistic regression models, with calculation of Odds Ratio and confidence interval. A significance level of 5% was considered., Results: A total of 10,070 women were included. Most participants classified PD intensity as moderate (40.4%, 41.9% and 49.7%) and severe (21.2%, 24.8% and 28.4%) in the previous month, 3 months and 5 years, respectively. The most common symptoms associated with PD were irritability, abdominal distension sensation, anxiety and feeling more emotional. The increased of the risk (OR > 1.0) for moderate and severe PD-related pain intensity is related to age, nulliparity and presence PD since adolescence., Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of PD among Brazilian women, and the most common symptoms reported were irritability, abdominal distension sensation, anxiety and feeling more emotional., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Angiogenesis is considered one of the hallmarks of cancer, assisting tumor progression and metastasis. The mesoionic compound, MI-D, can induce cell death and provoke cytoskeletal and metabolic changes in cancer cells. Using in vitro and in vivo models, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of MI-D on the viability of human endothelial cells (EC) and its ability to inhibit tumor-induced angiogenesis induced by tumoral cells. For in vitro analysis, colon carcinoma (HT29) and endothelial (EA.hy926) cells were used as the tumoral and angiogenesis models, respectively. To evaluate cytotoxicity, methylene blue viability stain and annexin-V/7AAD tests were performed with both cell types. For the angiogenesis experiments, scratch wound healing and capillary tube-like formation assays were performed with the EC. The in vivo tests were performed with the chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) methodology, wherein gelatin sponge implants containing MI-D (5, 25, and 50 μM), HT29 cells, or both were grafted in the CAM. Our data showed that MI-D induced apoptosis in both endothelial and colon carcinoma cells, with a strong cytotoxic effect on the tumoral lineage. The drug inhibited the EC's migration and capillary-like structure formation in vitro. In the HET-CAM assays, MI-D reduced the number of blood vessels in the membrane when grafted alone and accompanied by tumor cells. In this study, MI-D interfered in important steps of angiogenesis, such as maintenance of endothelial cell viability, migration, formation of capillary-like structures, as well tumor-induced neovascularization, reinforcing the hypothesis that MI-D might act as an inhibitor of angiogenesis, and a potential antitumor agent., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of frozen storage for 12 mo on the concentrations of lipids and cholesterol and fatty acid profile of wooden chicken breast meat. A total of 120 samples of chicken breasts were selected, according to the degree of "wooden breast" myopathy ["severe," "moderate," and "normal" (absence of myopathy)], from male chickens slaughtered at 42 d of age, from Cobb 500 strain. Part of the samples (n = 20/grade of severity) were evaluated on the day of collection and the remainder were packaged, frozen and stored at -18°C for up to 12 mo. At the beginning (collection day) and at the end of the proposed freezing period (12 mo), analyses of lipid, cholesterol, and fatty acid profile were carried out. Percentage of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids were evaluated. Meats affected by wooden breast myopathy had lower levels of PUFA that exert beneficial effects on health, such as DHA, EPA and ARA, and this profile is impaired by prolonged storage (12 mo), which results in important nutritional losses for the consumer., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

For a long time, electrical signaling was neglected at the expense of signaling studies in plants being concentrated with chemical and hydraulic signals. Studies conducted in recent years have revealed that plants are capable of emitting, processing, and transmitting bioelectrical signals to regulate a wide variety of physiological functions. Many important biological and physiological phenomena are accompanied by these cellular electrical manifestations, which supports the hypothesis about the importance of bioelectricity as a fundamental 'model' for response the stresses environmental and for activities regeneration of these organisms. Electrical signals have also been characterized and discriminated against in genetically modified plants under stress mediated by sucking insects and/or by the application of systemic insecticides. Such results can guide future studies that aim to elucidate the factors involved in the processes of resistance to stress and plant defense, thus aiding in the development of successful strategies in integrated pest management. Therefore, this mini review includes the results of studies aimed at electrical signaling in response to biotic stress. We also demonstrated how the generation and propagation of electrical signals takes place and included a description of how these electrical potentials are measured.

Small-molecule analyte detection is key for improving quality of life, particularly in health monitoring through the early detection of diseases. However, detecting specific markers in complex multicomponent media using devices compatible with point-of-care (PoC) technologies is still a major challenge. Here, we introduce a novel approach that combines molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), electrolyte-gated transistors (EGTs) based on 2D materials, and machine learning (ML) to detect hippuric acid (HA) in artificial urine, being a critical marker for toluene intoxication, parasitic infections, and kidney and bowel inflammation. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as the sensory material and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as supramolecular receptors. Employing supervised ML techniques based on symbolic regression and compressive sensing enabled us to comprehensively analyze the EGT transfer curves, eliminating the need for arbitrary signal selection and allowing a multivariate analysis during HA detection. The resulting device displayed simultaneously low operating voltages (<0.5 V), rapid response times (≤10 s), operation across a wide range of HA concentrations (from 0.05 to 200 nmol L -1 ), and a low limit of detection (LoD) of 39 pmol L -1 . Thanks to the ML multivariate analysis, we achieved a 2.5-fold increase in the device sensitivity (1.007 μA/nmol L -1 ) with respect to the human data analysis (0.388 μA/nmol L -1 ). Our method represents a major advance in PoC technologies, by enabling the accurate determination of small-molecule markers in complex media via the combination of ML analysis, supramolecular analyte recognition, and electrolytic transistors.

The evaluation of the efficacy of incorporation of quercetin in nanoparticles is crucial, both for the development and quality control of pharmaceutical formulations. The validation of analytical methods for the precise quantification of quercetin is useful for the evaluation of various potential quercetin delivery systems and quercetin pharmacokinetics. This work aimed to validate a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method for quercetin detection and quantification in nanoparticles. Different mobile phase conditions and detection wavelengths (254 and 368 nm) were tested, and the major validation parameters were assessed (precision, accuracy, linearity, sensitivity, stability, and selectivity). The best peak resolution was obtained when quercetin was analyzed at 368 nm with a mobile phase of 1.5% acetic acid and a water/acetonitrile/methanol ratio of 55:40:5. Under these conditions, quercetin also eluted rapidly (retention time of 3.6 min). The method proved to be linear (R 2 > 0.995), specific, and repeatable (variation coefficient between 2.4% and 6.7%) and presented intermediate precision (variation coefficient between 7.2% and 9.4%). The accuracy of the analysis ranged between 88.6% and 110.7%, and detection and quantification limits were 0.046 and 0.14 µg/mL, respectively. Quercetin solutions were more stable when stored at 4 °C than at room temperature or -20 °C. This validated method satisfied more parameters of bias assessment than most recent methods for quercetin determination and presented itself as more sensitive and efficient than general spectrophotometric methods. The method was successfully used for the analysis of quercetin incorporation in nanoparticles and will be evaluated in the future for its adequacy for the determination of quercetin in more complex matrices.

Electrochemical paper-based analytical devices represent an important platform for portable, low-cost, affordable, and decentralized diagnostics. For this kind of application, chemical functionalization plays a pivotal role to ensure high clinical performance by tuning surface properties and the area of electrodes. However, controlling different surface properties of electrodes by using a single functionalization route is still challenging. In this work, we attempted to tune the wettability, chemical composition, and electroactive area of carbon-paper-based devices by thermally treating polydopamine (PDA) at different temperatures. PDA films were deposited onto pyrolyzed paper (PP) electrodes and thermally treated in the range of 300-1000 °C. After deposition of PDA, the surface is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, it is superhydrophilic, and it has a high electroactive area. As the temperature increases, the surface becomes hydrophobic, and the electroactive area decreases. The surface modifications were followed by Raman, X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), contact angle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), electrical measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical experiments. In addition, the chemical composition of nitrogen species can be tuned on the surface. As a proof of concept, we employed PDA-treated surfaces to anchor [AuCl 4 ] - ions. After electrochemical reduction, we observed that it is possible to control the size of the nanoparticles on the surface. Our route opens a new avenue to add versatility to electrochemical interfaces in the field of paper-based electrochemical biosensors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Some animal species exhibit considerable physiological and behavioural alterations in response to captivity. It has been hypothesized, but rarely tested, that such changes reflect a negative affective state that is associated to this specific context. In the last years, judgement bias measures have emerged as reliable indicators of animal affective state, under the assumption that individuals in a negative affective state are more likely to evaluate ambiguous stimuli as negative and display therefore pessimistic behaviours. Here, we have developed a judgement bias task for juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) aiming to measure optimism/pessimism in this marine species, which have previously been reported to show important dysregulations in captive settings. Our results show that juvenile sea bass exhibit a considerable bias towards pessimistic behaviours in laboratory settings. Furthermore, juveniles that received an unexpected positive event during the judgement bias test displayed more optimistic responses toward ambiguous stimuli as compared to control fish, indicating a positive change in their affective state induced by the appetitive experience. These results reveal a direct interaction of the internal affective state with decision-making processing under ambiguity in juvenile European sea bass, highlighting therefore the potential of judgement bias tests as a tool for the advancement and improvement of our understanding of welfare in finfish aquaculture., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: This research design protocol outlines the methodology for a thorough evaluation of workload monitoring and management strategies in football., Methods: The study involves conducting a global survey to fitness coaches, sports scientists, analysts, and physicians with experience in load monitoring within football. The research adheres to the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and complies with General Data Protection Regulation standards, with ethical approvals obtained from multiple Ethics Committees across various countries, including Tunisia. A consortium of professionals collaboratively crafted the survey instrument, dividing it into seven sections, each addressing specific aspects of workload monitoring in football. Survey reliability will undergo evaluation in a pilot study utilizing Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient. To ensure inclusivity, the survey will be translated into multiple languages, facilitating participation from diverse regions. As such, survey distribution will consider online platforms (such as social media) and email invitations, with a specific focus on engaging football clubs, federations, and professional networks. The targeted sample size will remain at 385 participants. Statistical analysis planning encompasses descriptive examination, exploration of variable relationships, hypothesis testing, and qualitative analyses of participant feedback and recommendations regarding load monitoring practices., Expected Results: Expected outcomes include i) A comprehensive global overview of training and match load monitoring practices in football, ii) The identification of emerging trends, an improved understanding of training optimization processes, and iii) The development of practical recommendations to enhance player well-being and performance., Conclusion: This study will contribute to the ongoing development of knowledge in the field of football workload monitoring.

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the chemical composition, lipid oxidation, and physical characteristics of fresh sausages produced with meat from the pectoralis major muscle affected by deep pectoral myopathy. For the characterization of myopathy, samples were collected from broiler chickens slaughtered between 42- and 46-days old in a slaughterhouse in the state of São Paulo. The experiment consisted of samples from pectoralis major muscle of birds affected or not by DPM (normal-absence of myopathy and DPM category 3-progressive degeneration of the pectoralis minor with a greenish appearance). After classification of the samples, a part of raw products with the pectoralis minor removed, was submitted to microbiological and physical analyses for the characterization of DPM. Afterward, only the pectoralis major muscle was used to manufacture fresh sausages and 2 groups were established. The evaluated parameters were: color, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), shear force (SF), water activity (Aw), and chemical composition. Meat pH was higher (P < 0.05) in meats with DPM, however, WHC values were lower (71.92%), which made CL value increase (25.31%). In addition, the coloring increased and the technological characteristics of raw breasts were less favorable with the presence of DPM. All fresh sausages' color (except a* higher control group), pH, and Aw values were higher in DPM group. No effect on SF values was observed between fresh sausages. In chemical composition, only protein content increased in fresh sausages with DPM. Microbiological analyses did not indicate bacterial contamination of raw samples and fresh sausages. Data obtained in the present study suggest fresh sausages produced with breasts affected by DPM are a viable alternative and may confer more favorable qualitative characteristics to sausages than the raw marketed meat., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To develop an ABP-MRI to evaluate response to NAC for invasive breast carcinoma., Study Type: A single-center, cross-sectional study., Subjects: A consecutive series of 210 women with invasive breast carcinoma who underwent breast MRI after NAC between 2016 and 2020., Field Strength/sequence: 1.5 T / Dynamic contrast-enhanced., Assessment: MRI scans were independently reevaluated, with access to dynamic contrast-enhanced without contrast and to the first, second, and third post-contrast time (ABP-MRI 1-3)., Statistical Tests: The diagnostic performance of the ABP-MRIs and the Full protocol (FP-MRI) were analyzed. The Wilcoxon non-parametric test (p-value <0.050) was used to compare the capability in measuring the most extensive residual lesion., Results: The median age was 47 (24-80) years. ABP-MRI 1 showed higher specificity (84.6%; 77/91) but a higher probability of false-negatives (16.8%) and lower sensitivity (83.2%; 99/119) than ABP-MRI 2,3 and the FP-MRI, which were identical in specificity (81.3%; 74/91), probability of false-negatives (8.4%), and sensitivity (91.6%; 109/119). ABP-MRI 2 showed a mean underestimation of only 0.03 cm in the measurement of the longest axis of the residual lesion (p = 0.008) with an average reduction in the acquisition time of 75%, compared with the FP-MRI., Conclusion: ABP-MRI 2 showed diagnostic performance equivalent to the FP-MRI with a 75% reduction in the acquisition time., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the capacity of American Thyroid Association and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology in predicting malignancy risk of thyroid nodules and to verify which one is better at avoiding unnecessary fine needle aspiration., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 565 thyroid nodules, followed at a tertiary care hospital, in an iodine-replete area. Those were classified as American Thyroid Association and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology systems and stratified according to the Bethesda classification of fine needle aspiration. The values of sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value accuracy were calculated. Also, the percentage of unnecessary biopsies was presented., Results: The mean age of the individuals was 58.2±13.5 [26-90] years for benign nodules and 41.7±15.6 [23-66] years for malignant nodules (p=0.002). Regarding gender, 92.6% (n=150) of the individuals with benign nodules and 85.7% (n=06) with malignant nodules were females (p=0.601). For American Thyroid Association, 90.9% of sensibility, 51.4% of specificity, 52.6% of accuracy, 10.2% of positive predictive value, and 98.9% of negative predictive value were found. For Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology, 90.9% of sensibility, 49.7% of specificity, 52.1% of accuracy, 9.9% of positive predictive value, and 98.9% of negative predictive value were found. .Notably, 12.3% of unnecessary fine needle aspiration were found in American Thyroid Association and 44.4% were found in Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology., Conclusion: Both Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology and American Thyroid Association are able to predict the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules. Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System developed by the American College of Radiology was better at avoiding unnecessary fine needle aspiration.

The fitness benefits of social life depend on the ability of animals to affiliate with others and form groups, on dominance hierarchies within groups that determine resource distribution, and on cognitive capacities for recognition, learning and information transfer. The evolution of these phenotypes is coupled with that of neuroendocrine mechanisms, but the causal link between the two remains underexplored. Growing evidence from our research group and others demonstrates that the tools available in zebrafish, Danio rerio, can markedly facilitate progress in this field. Here, we review this evidence and provide a synthesis of the state-of-the-art in this model system. We discuss the involvement of generalized motivation and cognitive components, neuroplasticity and functional connectivity across social decision-making brain areas, and how these are modulated chiefly by the oxytocin-vasopressin neuroendocrine system, but also by reward-pathway monoamine signaling and the effects of sex-hormones and stress physiology., (© 2023 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.)

The advent of immunotherapies with biological drugs has revolutionized the treatment of cancers and auto-immune diseases. However, in some patients, the production of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) hampers the drug efficacy. The concentration of ADAs is typically in the range of 1-10 pm; hence their immunodetection is challenging. ADAs toward Infliximab (IFX), a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases, are focussed. An ambipolar electrolyte-gated transistor (EGT) immunosensor is reported based on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) channel and IFX bound to the gate electrode as the specific probe. The rGO-EGTs are easy to fabricate and exhibit low voltage operations (≤ 0.3 V), a robust response within 15 min, and ultra-high sensitivity (10 am limit of detection). A multiparametric analysis of the whole rGO-EGT transfer curves based on the type-I generalized extreme value distribution is proposed. It is demonstrated that it allows to selectively quantify ADAs also in the co-presence of its antagonist tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), the natural circulating target of IFX., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This study evaluated the technological viability of yogurt with the addition of green-banana biomass (Musa spp.) considering the resistant starch (BBV) as a potential prebiotic ingredient and texture agent. Four yogurt formulations were prepared: control; 3% BBV; 5% BBV; and 10% BBV. They were subjected to analysis of resistant starch, lactose, fat, total dry extract, defatted dry extract, moisture, ash, proteins, pH and titratable acidity; syneresis analysis, instrumental texture and instrumental color. All four formulations met the requirements of the identity and quality regulation for fermented milks regarding the physicochemical and microbiological parameters. In the instrumental color analysis, in all treatments with added BBV, darkening was observed after 21 days, with a reduction of a* coordinate and an increase of b* coordinate. In the instrumental texture analysis, the yogurt in the Control treatment had the highest firmness (0.430 N) at 21 days among these treatments. Among the treatments with added BBV, the yogurt with 5% added BBV showed the best results for increasing the viability of lactic bacteria. It was found that yogurt with added BBV is a promising alternative in the elaboration of functional dairy products, adding value to the banana production chain by reducing the green fruit waste.

The basal ganglia are a subcortical collection of interacting clusters of cell bodies, and are involved in reward, emotional, and motor circuits. Within all the brain processing necessary to carry out voluntary movement, the basal nuclei are fundamental, as they modulate the activity of the motor regions of the cortex. Despite being much studied, the motor circuit of the basal ganglia is still difficult to understand for many people at all, especially undergraduate and graduate students. This review article seeks to bring the functioning of this circuit with a simple and objective approach, exploring the functional anatomy, neurochemistry, neuronal pathways, related diseases, and interactions with other brain regions to coordinate voluntary movement., 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 © 2023 Rocha, Freire, Britto, Paiva, Oliveira, Fonseca, Araújo, Oliveira, Guzen, Morais and Cavalcanti.)

The objective of the present study was to characterize possible variations in the quality of wooden chicken breast meat during freezing for 12 mo, in order to prove whether the shelf life recommended by the industry allows the storage of that type of meat without compromising its consumption. Three hundred samples of male Cobb 500 broilers slaughtered at 42 d of age were used. Part of the samples (n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree) were analyzed on the day of collection (beginning), previously kept under refrigeration (4°C). The other samples were stored (-18°C) for up to 12 mo. At the end of each proposed freezing period (3, 6, 9, and 12 mo), physical and chemical analyses were performed (per period: n = 20 normal-control group; n = 20 moderate degree; n = 20 severe degree). Color (L*, a*, and b*), pH, water-holding capacity, cooking losses, tenderness, lipid oxidation, chemical composition, cholesterol concentration, mineral profile, and collagen concentration were evaluated. The physicochemical quality of wooden chicken breast meat is significantly altered during frozen storage for 12 mo, being of inferior quality when compared to normal chicken breast meat, which can negatively affect consumer acceptance. However, it should be noted that even after 12 mo of freezing, the meats did not show oxidative rancidity., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The alarm substance in fish is a pheromone released by injured individuals after a predator attack. When detected by other fish, it triggers fear/defensive responses, such as freezing and erratic movement behaviours. Such responses can also help other fish in the shoal to modulate their own behaviours: decreasing a fear response if conspecifics have not detected the alarm substance (social buffering) or triggering a fear response if conspecifics detected the alarm substance (social contagion). Response variation to these social phenomena is likely to depend on sex. Because males have higher-risk life-history strategies than females, they may respond more to social buffering where they risk not responding to a real predator attack, while females should respond more to social contagion because they only risk responding to a false alarm. Using zebrafish, we explored how the response of males and females to the presence/absence of the alarm substance is modified by the alarmed/unalarmed behaviour of an adjacent shoal of conspecifics. We found that, in social buffering, males decreased freezing more than females as expected, but in social contagion males also responded more than females by freezing at a higher intensity. Males were, therefore, more sensitive to visual information, while females responded more to the alarm substance itself. Because visual information updates faster than chemical information, males took more risks but potentially more benefits as well, because a quicker adjustment of a fear response allows to save energy to other activities. These sex differences provide insight into the modifying effect of life-history strategies on the use of social information., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Animal models enable targeting autism-associated genes, such as the shank3 gene, to assess their impact on behavioural phenotypes. However, this is often limited to simple behaviours relevant for social interaction. Social contagion is a complex phenotype forming the basis of human empathic behaviour and involves attention to the behaviour of others for recognizing and sharing their emotional or affective state. Thus, it is a form of social communication, which constitutes the most common developmental impairment across autism spectrum disorders (ASD)., Methods: Here we describe the development of a zebrafish model that identifies the neurocognitive mechanisms by which shank3 mutation drives deficits in social contagion. We used a CRISPR-Cas9 technique to generate mutations to the shank3a gene, a zebrafish paralogue found to present greater orthology and functional conservation relative to the human gene. Mutants were first compared to wild types during a two-phase protocol that involves the observation of two conflicting states, distress and neutral, and the later recall and discrimination of others when no longer presenting such differences. Then, the whole-brain expression of different neuroplasticity markers was compared between genotypes and their contribution to cluster-specific phenotypic variation was assessed., Results: The shank3 mutation markedly reduced social contagion via deficits in attention contributing to difficulties in recognising affective states. Also, the mutation changed the expression of neuronal plasticity genes. However, only downregulated neuroligins clustered with shank3a expression under a combined synaptogenesis component that contributed specifically to variation in attention., Limitations: While zebrafish are extremely useful in identifying the role of shank3 mutations to composite social behaviour, they are unlikely to represent the full complexity of socio-cognitive and communication deficits presented by human ASD pathology. Moreover, zebrafish cannot represent the scaling up of these deficits to higher-order empathic and prosocial phenotypes seen in humans., Conclusions: We demonstrate a causal link between the zebrafish orthologue of an ASD-associated gene and the attentional control of affect recognition and consequent social contagion. This models autistic affect-communication pathology in zebrafish and reveals a genetic attention-deficit mechanism, addressing the ongoing debate for such mechanisms accounting for emotion recognition difficulties in autistic individuals., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Group living animals use social and asocial cues to predict the presence of reward or punishment in the environment through associative learning. The degree to which social and asocial learning share the same mechanisms is still a matter of debate. We have used a classical conditioning paradigm in zebrafish, in which a social (fish image) or an asocial (circle image) conditioned stimulus (CS) have been paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US=food), and we have used the expression of the immediate early gene c-fos to map the neural circuits associated with each learning type. Our results show that the learning performance is similar to social and asocial CSs. However, the brain regions activated in each learning type are distinct and a community analysis of brain network data reveals segregated functional submodules, which seem to be associated with different cognitive functions involved in the learning tasks. These results suggest that, despite localized differences in brain activity between social and asocial learning, they share a common learning module and social learning also recruits a specific social stimulus integration module. Therefore, our results support the occurrence of a common general-purpose learning module, that is differentially modulated by localized activation in social and asocial learning., (© 2023. The Author(s).)