Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Rui Wang
Summary: Hypertension is a complex health challenge with multiple causes, while hydrogen sulfide (H2S) serves as a multifunctional gasotransmitter. Animal studies conducted 15 years ago have established the critical role of endogenous H2S deficiency in hypertension development, leading to further investigations into its cardiovascular effects and underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. We are also beginning to understand the involvement of altered H2S metabolism in human hypertension. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of H2S's roles in hypertension development in both animals and humans, and review H2S-based antihypertension therapeutic strategies.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Pheerasak Assavanopakun, Ratana Sapbamrer, Sirinart Kumfu, Nipon Chattipakorn, Siriporn C. Chattipakorn
Summary: Air pollution poses a major threat to health, affecting cellular senescence and oxidative stress. Telomere length serves as a useful biomarker for early detection of health issues related to air pollution exposure. Different factors influence the association between telomere length and air pollution, with even low levels of exposure causing alterations.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Amanda Gomes dos Anjos, Mirco Sole, Maira Benchimol
Summary: Fire is a powerful environmental disturbance that shapes many biomes worldwide, but anthropogenic factors have altered fire regimes. Studies on anurans' responses to fire show mixed results, with some species benefiting while others are harmed. Different fire treatments and biomes did not consistently explain the variation in species abundance, highlighting the need for further research on fire management practices to preserve biodiversity impacted by fires.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irene Yin-Liao, Pria N. Mahabir, Aaron T. Fisk, Nicholas J. Bernier, Frederic Laberge
Summary: In this study, yellow perch captured at four sites in the Lake St. Clair-Detroit River system were used to assess the sublethal effects of industrial pollution. The results indicated that higher sediment levels of industrial contaminants at the most downstream Detroit River site were associated with liver detoxification activity, reduced brain size, and disrupted food web in perch. Somatic growth and relative gut size were also affected by industrial pollution. Therefore, bioindicators of fish trophic ecology can be useful in assessing aquatic ecosystem health.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bilal Abdulmawjood, Beatriz Costa, Catarina Roma-Rodrigues, Pedro V. Baptista, Alexandra R. Fernandes
Summary: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a rare malignant proliferative disease with the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) as its molecular hallmark, leading to reactive oxygen species accumulation and genetic instability. Genetic abnormalities and altered genes related to cell apoptosis, proliferation, cell adhesion, TGF-beta, and TNF-alpha pathways have been correlated with CML in the blast phase. Dysregulation of critical miRNAs like miRNA-451 and miRNA-21 is also associated with pathogenesis and disease progression in CML.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Daniel Torregrosa, Guillermo Grindlay, Luis Gras, Juan Mora
Summary: ICP-MS is commonly used in life sciences for element content and speciation studies, but can also serve as a detector for immunoassays. Despite its advantages such as high sensitivity, multiplexed capabilities, and robustness, immunoassays based on ICP-MS detection are not well-known and lack significant breakthroughs in routine clinical applications.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Caleb Scoville, Heather Mooney
Summary: Sociologists are discussing the place of traditional canon in social theory courses and revising syllabi to include more diverse authors. After instructors commit to teaching contested canonical works, the question of how to teach them arises. They propose a flexible solution and provide an example from teaching Durkheim's "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life".
TEACHING SOCIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Geetika S. Shah, Christian Phillips
Summary: This study aimed to understand women's views and preferences regarding treatment options for pelvic floor dysfunction. It found that patients with severe symptoms preferred surgical treatment, while those with mild/moderate symptoms preferred non-surgical treatment. The study highlights a shift in patient demand towards treatments with the greatest safety profile and quickest recovery time.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joao Paulo Margiotti dos Santos, Mariana Canevari de Maio, Monike Alves Lemes, Lucas Fornari Laurindo, Jesselina Francisco dos Santos Haber, Marcelo Dib Bechara, Pedro Sidnei do Prado, Eduardo Costa Rauen, Fernando Costa, Barbara Cristina de Abreu Pereira, Uri Adrian Prync Flato, Ricardo de Alvares Goulart, Eduardo Federighi Baisi Chagas, Sandra Maria Barbalho
Summary: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a disease characterized by fatty degeneration, lobular inflammation, and enlargement of hepatocytes (ballooning hepatocytes) with or without fibrosis. It affects 20% of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Altered secretion of organokines, due to liver dysfunction and associated metabolic changes, may contribute to the development and progression of NASH. Therefore, further research on the regulation of organokines in endocrine organs (such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, bone, and liver tissue) is essential for better understanding the pathogenesis of NASH and advances in its treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Daniela Lupi, Marco Palamara Mesiano, Agnese Adani, Roberto Benocci, Roberto Giacchini, Paolo Parenti, Giovanni Zambon, Antonio Lavazza, Maria Beatrice Boniotti, Stefano Bassi, Mario Colombo, Paolo Tremolada
Summary: The combined effects of pesticides and electromagnetic fields (multi-stress conditions) were analyzed in a field trial, showing severe threats to bee health and behavior, including disease appearance, increased mortality, behavioral alterations, and biochemical anomalies. The multi-stress site exhibited the worst health condition for bee colonies, with only one colony surviving out of the four initially present.
Review
Cell Biology
Marta Dziedzicka-Wasylewska, Joanna Solich, Agata Korlatowicz, Agata Faron-Gorecka
Summary: Long-lasting biological and psychological stress factors are commonly accepted as the main cause of depressive disorders. The most frequently used animal models only capture a portion of the molecular features associated with complex human disorders. Studies of stress resilience mechanisms bring us closer to understanding the process of adapting to aversive stimuli.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Marlou P. Lasschuijt, Kees de Graaf, Monica Mars
Summary: Oro-sensory exposure from the mouth affects satiation and food intake, with longer exposure leading to earlier satiation. Foods with intense taste induce earlier satiation compared to equally palatable foods. Oro-sensory exposure influences satiety by signaling to brain regions involved in taste and reward.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dimitra C. Bobori, Anastasia Dimitriadi, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Athina Samiotaki, Danai Fafouti, Ioannis Sampsonidis, Stavros Kalogiannis, Georgia Kastrinaki, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou, George Z. Kyzas, George Koumoundouros, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Martha Kaloyianni
Summary: The accumulation of microplastics has impacts on aquatic organisms and human health, which require further research. This study found that the response of fish to microplastics is dependent on the particle size, with smaller ones having a greater effect. Moreover, different fish species exhibit varying sensitivity to microplastics.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ignacio F. San Francisco, Pablo A. Rojas, Juan C. Bravo, Jorge Diaz, Luis Ebel, Sebastian Urrutia, Benjamin Prieto, Javier Cerda-Infante
Summary: The incidence of prostate cancer has been increasing annually. Metastatic disease is the main cause of mortality. It is important to develop better tools for predicting which patients will progress to non-localized clinical disease or already have micrometastatic disease. Currently, there are few biomarkers for predicting metastatic prostate cancer and more research is needed. Predicting metastasis is crucial as it significantly affects quality of life and survival.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. G. Aghila Rani, Nelson C. Soares, Betul Rahman, Hamza M. Al-Hroub, Mohammad H. Semreen, Sausan Al Kawas
Summary: The study investigates the biochemical and pathophysiological changes caused by medwakh smoking and examines the salivary metabolomics profile of medwakh smokers. Analysis of saliva samples reveals 37 uniquely and differentially abundant metabolites and 20 differentially altered metabolic pathways in medwakh smokers. The study highlights the association of altered redox homeostasis, metabolic pathways, antioxidant system, and CRP levels with the distinctive saliva metabolomics profile in medwakh smokers. Further research is needed to explore the diagnostic utility of these altered metabolites in larger cohorts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Maria Hasnain, Neelma Munir, Zainul Abideen, Faisal Zulfiqar, Hans Werner Koyro, Ali El-Naggar, Isabel Cacador, Bernardo Duarte, Jorg Rinklebe, Jean Wan Hong Yong
Summary: Unpredictable climatic changes and human activities are causing land degradation and reducing global food production. Biochar can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and degraded soils, improve soil quality, and enhance plant resilience. It can also immobilize pollutants in contaminated soils and improve crop cultivation under unfavorable conditions such as salinity, drought, flooding, and heavy metal stress.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luis M. F. Alves, Marco F. L. Lemos, Ariana B. Moutinho, Filipe R. Ceia, Juan Munoz-Arnanz, Begona Jimenez, Henrique Cabral, Sara C. Novais
Summary: Chemical pollution poses a major threat to marine ecosystems, especially to top predators like sharks, which are highly susceptible to exposure and accumulation of contaminants. This study examined the contamination levels, composition, and sources in blue sharks inhabiting the Northeast Atlantic, as well as the potential risk to human consumers. High levels of contaminants were found in most sampled sharks, with over 75% exceeding legal limits for human consumption. Consumption of meat from these sharks could potentially expose consumers to dangerous levels of methylmercury. Moreover, the assessment of single contaminants may underestimate the risk to human health, and the accumulation of contaminants in sharks appears to be influenced by their geographical distribution rather than other factors such as sex, size, or prey trophic level.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Bernardo Duarte, Juliana Melo, Renato Mamede, Joao Carreiras, Andreia Figueiredo, Vanessa F. Fonseca, Miguel Leao de Sousa, Anabela B. Silva
Summary: Food fraud is a concern for consumers, and developing traceability and authenticity tools are crucial for depicting the certification status of PGI products. The research found that using pulp multielement signatures and VIP-PLS-DA method can effectively discriminate different apple varieties and origins, providing information about product authenticity and nutritional value to consumers.
JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Tania F. L. Vicente, Carina Felix, Rafael Felix, Patricia Valentao, Marco F. L. Lemos
Summary: Plant bacterial pathogens can have devastating effects on global fruit and vegetable crops, causing economic losses and reducing food availability. Synthetic bactericides are commonly used but have drawbacks such as high cost and environmental risks. This study focuses on the use of seaweed extracts/compounds as eco-friendly alternatives to control bacterial phytopathogens, particularly highlighting the protective properties of brown algae extracts against microbial attacks.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Bernardo Duarte, Renato Mamede, Irina A. Duarte, Isabel Cacador, Patrick Reis-Santos, Rita P. Vasconcelos, Carla Gameiro, Rui Rosa, Susanne E. Tanner, Vanessa F. Fonseca
Summary: There is a need to develop tools to confirm the capture location of cephalopods due to the high demand and economic relevance. By analyzing the elements and spectral features of octopus beaks, it is possible to accurately determine their harvest location.
JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Trabulo, M. Clara P. Amorim, Paulo J. Fonseca, Manuel Vieira, Andre B. Matos, Thibaut Marin-Cudraz, Marco F. L. Lemos, Ariana B. Moutinho, Sara C. Novais, Pedro Pousao-Ferreira, Ana Candeias-Mendes, Ana M. Faria
Summary: The growth of human populations has led to an increase in marine traffic, which poses a threat to marine biodiversity. The impact of shipping noise exposure on fish early life stages is still not well understood.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ana Rita Cavaco, Goncalo Laureano, Bernardo Duarte, Jorge Marques da Silva, Carla Gameiro, Jorge Cunha, Jose Eiras Dias, Ana Rita Matos, Andreia Figueiredo
Summary: Grapevine is susceptible to downy mildew caused by Plasmopara viticola, and current control strategies using pesticides at various developmental stages jeopardize viticulture sustainability. Understanding resistance molecular processes and identifying markers to differentiate between tolerant and susceptible genotypes is crucial. This study analyzed the constitutive lipid and fatty acid composition of four grapevine genotypes with contrasting behavior, and found that susceptible genotypes have higher content of plastidial lipids and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as higher expression levels of fatty acid desaturases (FAD) genes. Tolerant genotypes, on the other hand, have higher amounts of neutral lipids, phosphatidic acid, and saturated fatty acids.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bernardo Duarte, Joao Carreiras, Bruno Fonseca, Ricardo Cruz de Carvalho, Ana Rita Matos, Isabel Cacador
Summary: The anticipated rise in heatwaves in the Mediterranean region poses a danger to crop production. This study investigates the physiological responses of S. ramosissima plants exposed to heatwave treatments, with and without marine PGPB inoculation, to evaluate potential thermal adaptation conditions. The results show that inoculated plants exhibit improved light-use efficiency, light harvesting, photoprotection, antioxidant activity, and membrane stability under heatwave conditions.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luis M. F. Alves, Ariana B. Moutinho, Luis J. Gomez, Ana L. Oropesa, Juan Munoz-Arnanz, Begona Jimenez, Marco F. L. Lemos, Vanessa F. Fonseca, Henrique Cabral, Sara C. Novais
Summary: This study aimed to determine if differences in contaminant body burden found in blue sharks from the Northeast Atlantic would result in differences in stress responses. The researchers found that sharks from the most contaminated zone exhibited more pronounced stress responses and similar differences were found in biomarker responses. These results suggest that blue sharks and these biomarkers have the potential to be used for pollution monitoring in different areas of the Atlantic.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bernardo Duarte, Renato Mamede, Isabel Cacador, Ricardo Melo, Vanessa F. Fonseca
Summary: Seafood traceability is important for producers and consumers to provide information on the origin, nutritional value, and safety of products. Using chemometric analysis of seaweed elemental signatures, it is possible to authenticate species and determine the harvest location and season. These models can be valuable for stakeholders in ensuring the safe and sustainable development of seaweed products.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sara Leston, Andreia Freitas, Joao Rosa, Ana Sofia Vila Pouca, Jorge Barbosa, Patrick Reis-Santos, Vanessa F. Fonseca, Miguel A. Pardal, Fernando Ramos
Summary: An analytical method based on UHPLC-TOF-MS was developed to detect pharmaceutical residues in estuarine and seawaters. The method has high selectivity and sensitivity, with detection limits ranging from 0.01 to 8.92 ng/L and quantification limits ranging from 0.02 to 29.73 ng/L. The method was highly efficient for multi-residue quantification in complex environmental samples.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Eloisa Toledo, Carina Felix, Tania F. L. Vicente, Ana Augusto, Rafael Felix, Bernardo Toledo, Joana Silva, Carina Trindade, Delio Raimundo, Marco F. L. Lemos
Summary: Seaweed extracts have shown effective inhibition against postharvest fungal infections in pears, providing sustainable, ecofriendly, and safe solutions.
