Article
Food Science & Technology
Nannan Dong, Changhu Xue, Yuxi Yang, Yaoguang Chang, Yuming Wang, Huarong Guo, Yongliang Liu, Yanchao Wang
Summary: This study investigated the potential of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa extract (APE) to replace fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell culture for cultured meat production. It was found that supplementation with APE and 5% FBS significantly promoted the proliferation of Carassius auratus muscle (CAM) cells and increased the expression of MyoD. CAM cells cultured in the media containing APE and 5% FBS could be continually cultured for 4 passages and showed a higher cell number compared to cells without APE. APE also facilitated large-scale culture on microcarriers under low-serum conditions.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Crystallography
Ana Petrovic, Tomislav Kizivat, Ines Bilic Curcic, Robert Smolic, Martina Smolic
Summary: Urolithiasis is a multifactorial disease with a high recurrence rate, characterized by solid deposits forming in the urinary tract. The most common type is calcium oxalate stones. In vitro models offer insight into molecular processes leading to renal stone formation and are significant for patient management.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksei Rusakov, Maria Kuz'mina, Olga Frank-Kamenetskaya
Summary: The study examines the effect of biofilm medium chemistry on oxalate crystallization, especially the impact of organic acids and environmental ions on the weddellite/whewellite ratio and morphology. Citric acid was found to have a unique effect on promoting weddellite crystallization in the presence of micromicetes, resulting in significant changes in the crystallization ratio.
Article
Crystallography
Silvija Safranko, Sara Goman, Dominik Goman, Stela Jokic, Ida Delac Marion, Nives Matijakovic Mlinaric, Atida Selmani, Martina Medvidovic-Kosanovic, Anamarija Stankovic
Summary: This study focused on the preparation and structural characterization of calcium oxalate hydrates with the presence of gallic acid (GA). The results indicated that GA inhibited the formation of COM and promoted the formation of COD, while medium pH and the amount of added GA had a significant effect on COD formation. Electrochemical measurements were performed to investigate the interactions and possible adsorption between GA and formed crystals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuai Liu, Wei Yang, Yunlei Li, Changqing Sun
Summary: Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a natural medium used in cell cultures for its abundance of nutrients necessary for cell growth. Different brands of FBS have varying influences on the expression of IL-8 in epithelial cells, possibly due to endogenous small molecules and the ERK pathway in FBS. Considering the metabolites in FBS could improve the repeatability of experimental results in scientific papers, particularly in immune-related experiments, making IL-8 an important factor in selecting FBS.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Bonnita Werner, Kristina Warton, Caroline E. Ford
Summary: Endogenous cfDNA in fetal bovine serum (FBS) may influence in vitro cfDNA measurements. Future studies should consider the presence of bovine cfDNA in FBS-supplemented media.
Article
Immunology
Bregje W. M. de Wildt, Keita Ito, Sandra Hofmann
Summary: This study suggests that human platelet lysate (hPL) can support both osteoclastic differentiation of human monocytes (MCs) and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in both mono- and co-culture. The use of hPL could potentially reduce the dependence on fetal bovine serum (FBS) in in vitro bone remodeling models.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Robert E. Paull, Dessiree Zerpa-Catanho, Nancy J. Chen, Gail Uruu, Ching Man Jennifer Wai, Michael Kantar
Summary: Calcium oxalate raphide crystals have been found to cause acridity in plants, and their formation involves a complex multistage process. Multiple peptides associated with the crystals have been identified, and actin appears to play a crucial role in their formation.
Article
Spectroscopy
Shirong Fang, Lihong Wang, Yongtian Mei, Kaibo Zheng
Summary: In this study, a fluorescent probe was developed for efficient detection of HClO/ClO- in aqueous solution, physiological saline, and different serums. The probe exhibited good sensitivity and selectivity, making it a promising method for investigating the physiological and pathological functions of HClO/ClO- in bio-systems.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Nina Seidelmann, Daniela F. Duarte Campos, Malena Rohde, Sandra Johnen, Sabine Salla, Gary Hin-Fai Yam, Jodhbir S. Mehta, Peter Walter, Matthias Fuest
Summary: The study suggests that human platelet lysate (hPL) could be a potential alternative for the culture of primary human corneal stromal keratocytes (CSK) and stromal fibroblasts (SF), showing promising results in reducing the conversion of cells into myofibroblasts (Myo-SF) and maintaining cell characteristics. A concentration of 0.5% hPL in CSK culture demonstrated comparable performance to the established 0.5% FBS protocol, indicating its potential as a xeno-free substitute.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chihiro Mochizuki, Junna Nakamura, Michihiro Nakamura
Summary: Researchers successfully prepared adhesive cell-like FBS-copper phosphate hybrid particles, which showed toxicity towards cancer cells under cell culture conditions and have great potential for various applications.
Review
Plant Sciences
Natasha S. Lawrie, Nekane Medrano Cuetos, Francesca Sini, Ghifary A. Salam, Hangyu Ding, Arthur Vancolen, Jessica M. Nelson, Roy H. J. Erkens, Giuditta Perversi
Summary: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals are biominerals found in various plants. Their formation relies on oxalic acid and calcium ions, resulting in different crystal morphologies. Raphides are needle-like CaOx crystals with debated functions, potentially involving calcium storage, heavy metal sequestration, herbivory defense, and programmed cell death.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Santosh Kumar, Filipe Natalio, Rivka Elbaum
Summary: Plants, diatoms, and sponges exhibit diverse mechanisms of biomineralization, some occurring intra-cellularly and others extracellularly. The evolution of these mineralization mechanisms is mainly driven by organism complexity and precursor reactivity.
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ren Nakamura, Daisuke Nakajima, Hironori Sato, Yusuke Endo, Osamu Ohara, Yusuke Kawashima
Summary: A new approach was developed in this study, utilizing a simple albumin depletion method coupled with LC-MS/MS to enable deep proteomic analysis of conditioned media in mammalian cell cultures. The results showed detection of over 3700 cell-derived proteins, indicating the efficacy of this method over conventional approaches.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Ivan Takeshi Cerritos-Castro, Araceli Patron-Soberano, Esau Bojorquez-Velazquez, Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Escobar, Erandi Vargas-Ortiz, Emilio Munoz-Sandoval, Ana Paulina Barba de la Rosa
Summary: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals in plants are formed in crystal idioblasts cells and have specific geometric shapes. Amaranth, a plant with high tolerance to abiotic stresses, accumulates significant amounts of CaOx crystals. This study characterized the CaOx crystals in amaranth leaves and identified proteins bound to them. The proteins were found to be related to chloroplasts and cell walls. The study provides new insights into the mechanisms of CaOx crystal formation and their potential function as a carbon source in leaves.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Martin McKee, Anthony Staines
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lucinda Hiam, Danny Dorling, Martin McKee
Summary: This study explores the views of public health experts on the adverse trends in life expectancy in England and Wales over the past decade, their causes and possible solutions, as well as their opinions on how the pre-pandemic situation influenced the UK's COVID-19 response. The findings show a lack of consensus among experts on the significance and explanations of the decline in life expectancy during this period. Some attributed it to data misinterpretation, widening health inequalities, and disinvestment in public services, while others emphasized social factors. The majority called for increased investment and implementation of existing evidence on reducing health inequalities, highlighting the need to address these underlying issues for pandemic preparedness.
Article
Allergy
Xiaoqin Liu, Oleguer Plana-Ripoll, John J. McGrath, Liselotte V. Petersen, Shyamali C. Dharmage, Natalie C. Momen
Summary: This population-based cohort study aimed to estimate the bidirectional associations between asthma and 10 broad types of mental disorders. The results showed bidirectional associations between asthma and various mental disorders, suggesting possible shared etiological factors or pathophysiologic processes.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Lucinda Hiam, Danny Dorling, Martin McKee
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Henriette. T. Horsdal, Marianne. G. Pedersen, Jorg Schullehner, Cecilie S. Ostergaard, John J. Mcgrath, Esben Agerbo, Allan Timmermann, Ane Marie Closter, Jorgen Brandt, Jesper H. Christensen, Lise M. Frohn, Camilla Geels, Matthias Ketzel, Jibran Khan, Pia Orby, Yulia Olsen, Gregor Levin, Jens-Christian Svenning, Kristine Engemann, Steen Gyldenkaerne, Birgitte Hansen, Ole Hertel, Clive E. Sabel, Christian Erikstrup, Torben Sigsgaard, Carsten B. Pedersen
Summary: The aim of this study is to provide an overview of nationwide environmental data in Denmark and its potential linkage to individual-level records to promote research on the impact of the local environment on human health. Researchers in Denmark can conduct large population-based studies using nationally complete population and health registries. Linking environmental data to individuals enables new possibilities for studying the health effects of the social, built, and physical environment.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Albinana, Zhihong Zhu, Nis Borbye-Lorenzen, Sanne Grundvad Boelt, Arieh S. Cohen, Kristin Skogstrand, Naomi R. Wray, Joana A. Revez, Florian Prive, Liselotte V. Petersen, Cynthia M. Bulik, Oleguer Plana-Ripoll, Katherine L. Musliner, Esben Agerbo, Anders D. Borglum, David M. Hougaard, Merete Nordentoft, Thomas Werge, Preben Bo Mortensen, Bjarni J. Vilhjalmsson, John J. McGrath
Summary: In this study, the authors measured the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D binding protein (DBP) in 65,589 neonatal dried blood samples. They found that the genetic correlates of DBP concentration predict the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Through a genome-wide association study, they identified 26 independent loci related to DBP concentration, with 17 of them in or close to the GC gene. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed a unidirectional effect of higher DBP concentration and higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration, as well as a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Health Policy & Services
Samantha Thomas, May C. van Schalkwyk, Mike Daube, Hannah Pitt, Darragh McGee, Martin McKee
Summary: Children around the world are exposed to extensive marketing for gambling products, which normalizes gambling as harmless entertainment despite evidence of its harms. Regulatory efforts to protect children from gambling marketing are inconsistent and inadequate. A comprehensive public health approach is urgently needed to limit the influence of gambling marketing on young people.
HEALTH PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Thomas Stubbs, Alexandros Kentikelenis, Daniela Gabor, Jayati Ghosh, Martin McKee
Summary: Recognising the lack of preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic, international organisations are calling for additional funding to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response systems in low-income and middle-income countries. This article examines the prospects of national health budgets increasing in such a context, revealing that public spending will decrease for almost half of these countries by 2024. The increase in public spending on repaying external debt is a key driver of this austerity wave, potentially leading to deteriorating population health and reduced public health services.
Review
Psychiatry
Michael Berk, Ole Kohler-Forsberg, Megan Turner, Brenda W. J. H. Penninx, Anna Wrobel, Joseph Firth, Amy Loughman, Nicola J. Reavley, John J. Mcgrath, Natalie C. Momen, Oleguer Plana-Ripoll, Adrienne O'Neil, Dan Siskind, Lana J. Williams, Andre F. Carvalho, Lianne Schmaal, Adam J. Walker, Olivia Dean, Ken Walder, Lesley Berk, Seetal Dodd, Alison R. Yung, Wolfgang Marx
Summary: Populations with common physical diseases are more likely to have major depressive disorder (MDD), and people with MDD are at a greater risk for physical diseases. This comorbidity is associated with worse outcomes, reduced treatment adherence, increased mortality, and higher healthcare utilization and costs. Shared genetic and biological pathways, as well as social and lifestyle factors, contribute to the high prevalence of comorbidity. Pharmacotherapies and psychotherapies are effective treatments, and lifestyle interventions and collaborative care models show promise for improving management.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Albinana, Zhihong Zhu, Andrew J. Schork, Andres Ingason, Hugues Aschard, Isabell Brikell, Cynthia M. Bulik, Liselotte V. Petersen, Esben Agerbo, Jakob Grove, Merete Nordentoft, David M. Hougaard, Thomas Werge, Anders D. Borglum, Preben Bo Mortensen, John J. McGrath, Benjamin M. Neale, Florian Prive, Bjarni J. Vilhjalmsson
Summary: The authors have developed a multi-polygenic score framework that increases prediction accuracy for complex diseases and traits. This framework leverages a large library of polygenic scores and is well-suited for emerging biobank data. By utilizing genetically correlated phenotypes, the sample size can be effectively increased without the need for costly and time-consuming collection of additional samples.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emil M. Pedersen, Esben Agerbo, Oleguer Plana-Ripoll, Jette Steinbach, Morten D. Krebs, David M. Hougaard, Thomas Werge, Merete Nordentoft, Anders D. Borglum, Katherine L. Musliner, Andrea Ganna, Andrew J. Schork, Preben B. Mortensen, John J. Mcgrath, Florian Prive, Bjarni J. Vilhjalmsson
Summary: The authors propose a computationally efficient time-to-event model, called ADuLT, for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to analyze genetic associations. Simulation results demonstrate that the ADuLT model outperforms Cox regression GWAS and standard case-control GWAS in the presence of ascertainment.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Critical Care Medicine
Zachary Smith, Adolfine Hokororo, Theopista Masenge, Joseph Mwanga, Salvatory Kalabamu, Marc Berg, Boris Rozenfeld, Elias Xwatsal, Noel Pastory, Idi Msoke, Hanston Ndosi, Neema Chami, Namala Mkopi, Castory Mwanga, Ambrose Agweyu, Peter Meaney
CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Oleguer Plana-Ripoll, Nanna Weye, Ann Kristin Knudsen, Christian Hakulinen, Kathrine Bang Madsen, Maria Klitgaard Christensen, Esben Agerbo, Thomas Munk Laursen, Merete Nordentoft, Allan Timmermann, Harvey Whiteford, Simon overland, Kim Moesgaard, John McGrath
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the association between different types of mental disorders and working years lost. The findings highlight the substantial impact of mental disorders on workforce participation, emphasizing the need to invest in programs that reduce the burden of lost working years and assist individuals with mental disorders in returning to the workforce.
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Alexander Kentikelenis, Abdul Ghaffar, Martin McKee, Livia Dal Zennaro, David Stuckler
Summary: Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is a neglected area in global health financing, with only 2% of funding calls including a discernible HPSR component. Efforts should be made to convince global health funders to institutionalize the inclusion of HPSR components in all funding calls.
HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaotong Wang, Valentin Hivert, Shiane Groot, Ying Wang, Loic Yengo, John J. McGrath, Kathryn E. Kemper, Peter M. Visscher, Naomi R. Wray, Joana A. Revez
Summary: The study investigates the complex relationship between vitamin D levels, skin colour, and ancestral background, and identifies new genetic determinants of vitamin D levels. The findings suggest shared genetic mechanisms underlying the synthesis and metabolism of vitamin D across diverse ancestry groups. Additionally, the study reveals genetic variants that influence both skin colour and vitamin D levels, with variants showing different effects in individuals with different complexions.