Search

The aim of the current study is to investigate whether the time of day at which exercise is performed affects metabolic, glucose and insulin responses to exercise in adults. Databases were searched for randomised controlled (parallel and crossover) trials with participants aged from 18 to 65 year, an intervention of any exercise carried out at a specific time of the day and compared to any exercise carried out at a different time of the day. From 2458 screened articles, 12 studies were included in the systematic review of which 5 studies were included in the meta-analyses which compared 24 h continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data, between morning and afternoon/evening exercise, on the day exercise was performed (SMD = 0.12 [−0.22–0.46] p = 0.76) and the day after exercise (SMD = −0.02 [−0.36–0.33] p = 0.94. Similar findings were observed in the wider systematic review with a general unclear risk of bias and a low certainty in these data. The results indicate that there is no clear effect of the time of the day on metabolic responses to exercise and exercise at any time of day should be the goal of public health strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of 12 weeks of karate training on cardiometabolic parameters, oxidative stress, and inflammation in adolescents with overweight and obesity. Method: Seventy adolescents were randomized into 2 groups: control received nutritional and psychological interventions once a week for 12 weeks, and treatment received nutritional and psychological interventions once a week, plus 3 karate sessions per week, for 12 weeks. The main outcome measure was improvement in cardiometabolic parameters, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Results: After the intervention period, the treatment group showed a reduction in resting heart rate (77.86 [10.89]), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (40.86 [8.31]), and triglycerides (75.18 [32.29]) and an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (95.64 [42.53]) in relation to pretraining. Regarding oxidative stress markers, there was a reduction in protein carbonylation (0.07 [0.06]) and nitric oxide (1.39 [1.11]) and an increase in superoxide dismutase (0.68 [0.31]) and glutathione (0.11 [0.08]) compared with pretraining. With respect to inflammation, adiponectin increased (14.54 [5.36]) after the intervention when compared with preintervention. Conclusion: The study concluded that the intervention may improve cardiometabolic parameters, oxidative stress, and inflammation in adolescents with overweight and obesity. Long-term effects need to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes are nutrient-dense crops with health-promoting benefits. However, several barriers are associated with their consumption. Emerging issues including food neophobic tendencies or taboos, unclear dietary guidelines on legume consumption, health concerns, and socio-economic reasons, as well as long cooking procedures, adversely affect legume consumption frequency. Pre-treatment methods, including soaking, sprouting, and pulse electric field technology, are effective in reducing the alpha-oligosaccharides and other anti-nutritional factors, eventually lowering cooking time for legumes. Extrusion technology used for innovative development of legume-enriched products, including snacks, breakfast cereals and puffs, baking and pasta, represents a strategic way to promote legume consumption. Culinary skills such as legume salads, legume sprouts, stews, soups, hummus, and the development of homemade cake recipes using legume flour could represent effective ways to promote legume consumption. This review aims to highlight the nutritional and health effects associated with legume consumption, and strategies to improve their digestibility and nutritional profile. Additionally, proper educational and culinary approaches aimed to improve legumes intake are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydration practices in the view of hip, knee, or spine surgery instruct patients to avoid caffeinated drinks, alcoholic beverages, and sugar-sweetened drinks because they adversely impact body fluid homeostasis. However, some patients might be inclined to not include beer among the prohibited beverages because of its low alcohol content and conflicting evidence about its rehydrating effects. The author of this opinion article discusses the shreds of evidence that establish beer as a drink to avoid prior to orthopedic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of formulating the Singularity of Nature was enunciated by Einstein's mathematical formula, demonstrating the equivalency of energy and mass (E = mc2). Despite that statement of principle, it has proven impossible to achieve this goal scientifically by directly merging biology and physics into one continuum. More recently, it has been realized that biology can be traced to its origins by reducing evolutionary biology to cell-cell signaling, the unicellular state being seen as a continuum from genotype to phenotype. Mechanistically, Self-referential Self-organization founded on The First Principles of Physiology offers a mechanistic explanation for 'how and why' evolution has transpired, fueled by the ambiguity (Torday and Miller, 2017a) caused by the differential between internal and external cellular entropy. The reduction of biology to cellular networks uniquely gains purchase to the roles of Quantum Mechanics, such as The Pauli Exclusion Principle, The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, Non-Localization and Coherence with their homologies in cellular-molecular biology. This opportunity to find the common denominator between physics and biology predicts that consciousness is the denoument of this continuum. As 'proof of principle', the classic dogmatic association of terminal addition with evolution is shown to be due to cell-cell signaling, both developmentally and phylogenetically, as a manifestation of the Singularity. These novel insights offer the opportunity to empirically formulate the basis for the Singularity of Nature for the first time.

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Clinical Healthcare is the property of Chinese Journal of Clinical Healthcare and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Man is composed of a physical structure and within is the soul. Soul is nurtured and developed by the physique and other physiological phenomena. Islam is very mindful about the spiritual demands that are entailed with the corporeal requirements. Only a healthy body can possess a soul or mind that may cause some valuables for an individual and for a nation afterwards. Islam bestowed upon the follower the liberty towards all the edibles, but to avoid the things that are injurious to human body and soul. To take alcohol and flesh of pig as food, as all the physical sciences have investigated, are very harmful and devastating for not only physical health but would cause a very destructive spiritual disorder in human morality. This paper presents an analytical study of the Islamic commandments that can be helpful in the avoidance of the usage of the injurious products with alcohol and pig as food elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the intraoperative risk factors associated with neonatal hypoglycemia. Methods From August 2019 to July 2020, a total of 229 neonatal surgical children were recruited. Based upon the level of neonatal intraoperative blood glucose, individuals below 2.2 mmol/L were assigned into hypoglycemia group (n=19) and those above or equal to 2.2 mmol/L into non-hypoglycemic group (n=210). The relevant clinical data of two groups were compared with regards to preoperative profiles (including age, body weight, corrected gestational age, postnatal Apgar score, gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension, neonatal bilirubin concentration, albumin concentration, anemia, hypoproteinemia and parenteral nutrition) and intraoperative findings (including ASA grade, operative duration, operation approach, intraoperative blood glucose, intraoperative blood transfusion volume, infusion volume, blood loss volume, urine volume, dosing of vasoactive drugs and body temperature). Results The corrected gestational age of hypoglycemic and non-hypoglycemic groups was[35(34, 38) vs. 38(35, 39) week], body weight[(2.15±0.68) vs. (2.81±0.74) kg], 1 min Apgar score[9(8, 10) vs. 10(10, 10)], incidence of hypoproteinemia[36.84%(7/19) vs. 11.90%(25/210)], ASA grade[3(2, 3) vs. 2(2, 2)], intraoperative blood transfusion volume[42.11%(8/19) vs. 19.52%(41/210)]. The above results showed significant sinter-group tatistical differences (P < 0.05). No significant inter-group difference existed in preoperative blood glucose level or operative duration (P>0.05). The results of multivariate analysis indicated that high ASA grade and low corrected gestational age were independent risk factors for neonatal hypoglycemia (P=0.026 and P=0.006). Conclusion Occurrence of intraoperative hypoglycemia in neonates is associated with high ASA grade and low corrected gestational age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective -- The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of mothers with the early complementary feeding to infants in the IV Koto Sub-district, Agam District, West Sumatera Province of Indonesia. Materials and Methods -- Qualitative methods, with a phenomenological approach were used in this study. This study was carried out from September to November 2022 in District IV Koto, Agam Regency. Ten mothers of infant aged 6-23 months who introduced complementary foods to their infants before six months of age were included in this study using a purposive sampling technique. Mothers who were not able to communicate well were excluded from this study. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to collect the data. Data analysis used conventional content analysis. Results -- The experience of mothers in early complementary feeding of their infants were explored using five themes. These findings were that mothers perceived the benefits of early complementary feeding, infant cues, the need to work outside the home, insufficient breastmilk supply, receiving advice regarding early complementary feeding from grandmothers, and cultural beliefs. Conclusion -- Mothers perceived the benefit of early complementary feeding for their infants and themselves. Therefore, health professionals should provide assistance and counseling to mothers breastfeeding their babies so they can continue with exclusive breastfeeding and introduce complementary foods at the right time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrating cells can extend their leading edge by forming myosin-driven blebs and F-actin-driven pseudopods. When coerced to migrate in resistive environments, Dictyostelium cells switch from using predominately pseudopods to blebs. Bleb formation has been shown to be chemotactic and can be influenced by the direction of the chemotactic gradient. In this study, we determine the blebbing responses of developed cells of Dictyostelium discoideum to cAMP gradients of varying steepness produced in microfluidic channels with different confining heights, ranging between 1.7 μm and 3.8 μm. We show that microfluidic confinement height, gradient steepness, buffer osmolarity and Myosin II activity are important factors in determining whether cells migrate with blebs or with pseudopods. Dictyostelium cells were observed migrating within the confines of microfluidic gradient channels. When the cAMP gradient steepness is increased from 0.7 nM/μm to 20 nM/μm, cells switch from moving with a mixture of blebs and pseudopods to moving only using blebs when chemotaxing in channels with confinement heights less than 2.4 μm. Furthermore, the size of the blebs increases with gradient steepness and correlates with increases in myosin-II localization at the cell cortex. Reduction of intracellular pressure by high osmolarity buffer or inhibition of myosin-II by blebbistatin leads to a decrease in bleb formation and bleb size. Together, our data reveal that the protrusion type formed by migrating cells can be influenced by the channel height and the steepness of the cAMP gradient, and suggests that a combination of confinement-induced myosin-II localization and cAMP-regulated cortical contraction leads to increased intracellular fluid pressure and bleb formation.

Background and Purpose: Drainage of obstructed kidney attributable to extrinsic ureteral obstruction (EUO), required to prevent renal damage, is often achieved using Double-J ureteral stents. However, these stents fail frequently, and there is considerable debate regarding what stent size, type, and configuration offer the best option for sustained drainage. In this study, we examine the impact of stent diameter and choice of single/tandem configuration, subject to EUO and various degrees of stent occlusion, on stent failure. Materials and Methods: Computational fluid dynamics simulations and an in vitro ureter-stent experiment enabled quantification of flow behavior in stented ureters subject to EUO and stent occlusions. Various single and tandem stents under EUO were considered. In each simulation and experiment, changes in renal pressure were monitored for different degrees of stent lumen occlusion, and onset of stent failure as well as simulated distributions of fluid flow between stent and ureter lumina were determined. Results: For an encircling EUO that completely obstructs the ureter lumen, with or without partial stent occlusion, the choice of stent size/configuration has little effect on renal pressure. The pressure increases significantly for ∼90% stent lumen occlusion, with failure at >95% occlusion, independent of stent diameter or a tandem configuration, and with little influence of occlusion length along the stent. Conclusions: Stent failure rate is independent of stent diameter or single/tandem configuration, for the same percentage of stent lumen occlusion, in this model. Stent failure incidence may decrease for larger diameter stents and tandem configurations, because of the larger luminal area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion is a mass transport phenomenon caused by chaotic thermal movements of molecules. Studying the transport in specific domain is simplified by using evolutionary differential equations for local concentration of the molecules instead of complete information on molecular paths [1]. Compounds in a fluid mixture tend to smooth out its spatial concentration inhomogeneities by diffusion. Rate of the transport is proportional to the concentration gradient and coefficient of diffusion of the compound in ordinary diffusion. The evolving concentration profile c(x,t) is then solution of evolutionary partial differential equation deltac/deltat=DDeltac where D is diffusion coefficient and Delta is Laplacian operator. Domain of the equation may be a region in space, plane or line, a manifold, such as surface embedded in space, or a graph. The Laplacian operates on smooth functions defined on given domain. We can use models of diffusion for such diverse tasks as: a) design of method for precise measurement of receptors mobility in plasmatic membrane by confocal microscopy [2], b) evaluation of complex geometry of trabeculae in developing heart [3] to show that the conduction pathway within the embryonic ventricle is determined by geometry of the trabeculae.

A sophisticated mechanistic understanding of physiology and disease requires knowledge of how sex-biasing factors cause sex differences in phenotype. In therian mammals, all sex differences are downstream of the unequal effects of XX vs. XY sex chromosomes. Three major categories of sex-biasing factors are activational and organizational effects of gonadal hormones, and sex chromosome effects operating outside of the gonads. These three types of effects can be discriminated from each other with established experimental designs and animal models. Two important mouse models, which allow conclusions regarding the sex-biasing effects of sex chromosome complement, interacting with gonadal hormone effects, are the Four Core Genotypes model and the XY* model. Chromosome Y consomic strains give information about the role of the Y chromosome. An important recent change in sexual differentiation theory is the increasing realization that sex-biasing factors can counteract the effects of each other, reducing rather than producing sex differences in phenotype. This change in viewpoint rationalizes a change in experimental strategies for dissecting sex chromosome effects. The overall goal is to understand the sexome, defined as the sum of effects of sex-biasing factors on gene systems and networks.

Purpose. To determine the main components of the functional state of masters athletes and its dynamics in training and competitive activities. Materials and methods. The work is based on the results of a comprehensive functional examination of 19 athletes at mean age of 42.2 ± 7.8 years specializing in Ironman 70.3 triathlon for a period of 1 to 4 years. Functional diagnostics of the cardiovascular, respiratory and autonomous nervous system as well as biochemical studies were performed, the level of physical performance was determined. Results. The main factors limiting the functional state level of the masters athletes were revealed: “metabolic activity” (32.1 % of the total load) “enzymatic activity” (24.84 %), “autonomic” (16.2 %). The main correlations between the indicators of basic body systems functional state in masters athletes were established. The multiple regression equation was calculated, which allowed determining the influence of certain significant parameters on the functional state level in the masters athletes. Based on a comparative analysis of the functional state of the masters athletes, the dynamics of changes in the functional state indicators in training and competitive activities were determined. Conclusions. The main indicators that provide information on a comprehensive diagnosis presenting the level of functional status of masters athletes are: ALT; AST; CPK; LDH; spare capacity; total metabolic capacity; coefficient of blood circulation efficiency. The high reliability of the results obtained allows their use in both complex and rapid functional diagnostics of masters athletes.

In forced conditions, where the heart rate and step frequency have been matched, cardiolocomotor synchronization (CLS) has been recognized. However, knowledge about the occurrence of CLS and its triggers in sports gesture in real contexts is little known. To address this gap, the current study tested the hypothesis that CLS in running spontaneous conditions would emerge at entrainment bands of muscle activation frequencies associated with a freely chosen step frequency. Sixteen male long-distance runners undertook treadmill assessments running ten three-minute bouts at different speeds (7, 7.5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 km⋅h–1). Electrocardiography and surface electromyography were recorded simultaneously. The center frequency was the mean of the frequency spectrum obtained by wavelet decomposition, while CLS magnitude was determined by the wavelet coherence coefficient (WCC) between the electrocardiography and center frequency signals. The strength of CLS affected the entrainment frequencies between cardiac and muscle systems, and for WCC values greater than 0.8, the point from which we consider the emerging CLS, the entrainment frequency was between 2.7 and 2.8 Hz. The CLS emerged at faster speeds (13–15 km⋅h–1) most prevalently but did not affect the muscle activation bands. Spontaneous CLS occurred at faster speeds predominantly, and the entrainment frequencies matched the locomotor task, with the entrainment bands of frequencies emerging around the step frequencies (2.7–2.8 Hz). These findings are compatible with the concept that interventions that determine optima conditions of CLS may potentiate the benefits of the cardiac and muscle systems synchronized in distance runners.

In forced conditions, where the heart rate and step frequency have been matched, cardiolocomotor synchronization (CLS) has been recognized. However, knowledge about the occurrence of CLS and its triggers in sports gesture in real contexts is little known. To address this gap, the current study tested the hypothesis that CLS in running spontaneous conditions would emerge at entrainment bands of muscle activation frequencies associated with a freely chosen step frequency. Sixteen male long-distance runners undertook treadmill assessments running ten three-minute bouts at different speeds (7, 7.5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 km⋅h–1). Electrocardiography and surface electromyography were recorded simultaneously. The center frequency was the mean of the frequency spectrum obtained by wavelet decomposition, while CLS magnitude was determined by the wavelet coherence coefficient (WCC) between the electrocardiography and center frequency signals. The strength of CLS affected the entrainment frequencies between cardiac and muscle systems, and for WCC values greater than 0.8, the point from which we consider the emerging CLS, the entrainment frequency was between 2.7 and 2.8 Hz. The CLS emerged at faster speeds (13–15 km⋅h–1) most prevalently but did not affect the muscle activation bands. Spontaneous CLS occurred at faster speeds predominantly, and the entrainment frequencies matched the locomotor task, with the entrainment bands of frequencies emerging around the step frequencies (2.7–2.8 Hz). These findings are compatible with the concept that interventions that determine optima conditions of CLS may potentiate the benefits of the cardiac and muscle systems synchronized in distance runners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is a common and essential element for maintaining life in bacteria, plants and animals and is found in soil, fresh waters and marine waters; however, over exposure is toxic to organisms. Iron is used in electron transport complexes within mitochondria as well as a co-factor in many essential proteins. It is also established that iron accumulation in the central nervous system in mammals is associated with various neurological disorders. Ample studies have investigated the long-term effects of iron overload in the nervous system. However, its acute effects in nervous tissue and additional organ systems warrant further studies. This study investigates the effects of iron overload on development, behavior, survival, cardiac function, and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the Drosophila melanogaster. Additionally, physiological responses in crayfish were examined following Fe 3+ exposure. Fe 3+ reduced neuronal excitability in proprioceptive neurons in a crayfish model. Thus, Fe 3+ may block stretch activated channels (SACs) as well as voltage-gated Na + channels. Exposure also rapidly reduces synaptic transmission but does not block ionotropic glutamatergic receptors, suggesting a blockage of pre-synaptic voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels in both crustacean and Drosophila models. The effects are partly reversible with acute exposure, indicating the cells are not rapidly damaged. This study is relevant in demonstrating the effects of Fe 3+ on various physiological functions in different organisms in order to further understand the acute and long-term consequences of overload., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of Shenfu (SF) injection on donor heart preservation. Methods: Twelve pigs were randomly divided into SF group (n=6) and control group (n=6). After eight hours of perfusion, the differences in hemoglobin, the expression of Bcl-2 and BAX, and changes in the myocardial ultrastructure were compared to illustrate the effects of SF injection in heart preservation. Results: The differences in free hemoglobin between the SF group and the control group were statistically significant (P=0.001), and there was significant interaction of groups with times (P=0.019), but the perfusion time may not be associated with the hemoglobin concentration (P=0.616). According to Western blotting analysis, the expression of Bcl-2 was higher in the SF group than in the control group, while the expression of BAX was not different between the two groups. As to ultrastructural changes, both groups exhibited mitochondrial swelling and myofilament lysis, but the degree of damage in the SF group was smaller. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the application of SF injection for heart preservation may protect against cardiomyocytes and erythrocytes apoptosis, and Bcl-2 protein may play a role in these physiological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimation of gestational age (GA) is important to make timely decisions and provide appropriate neonatal care. Clinical maturity scales to estimate GA have used skin texture and color to assess maturity at birth facing situations of the uncertainty of pregnancy dating. The size and darkness of the areola around the nipple to grade skin characteristics are based on visual appearance. The melanin index (M‐Index) is an optical skin parameter related to the melanin content in the tissue. This study is aimed to associate the M‐Index of the skin with the GA. Methods: A cross‐sectional study evaluated 80 newborns at birth. A photometer device quantified the skin pigmentation on the areolae, forearms, and soles. Paired average differences of M‐Index were compared among the three body sites. The skin M‐Indexes were compared between subgroups of newborns until 34 weeks or with 34 and more. Results: The skin over the areola had the highest values of M‐Index compared with the forearm or sole areas (P <.001 for both). Infants with a GA between 34 and <37 weeks had higher M‐Index values over the areola than the group with a GA with 24 to <34 weeks: 41.7 (8.9) and 38.3 (10.5) median (IQR), P =.005. Conclusions: The measurable M‐Index values have the potential to improve physical evaluation in assessing GA at birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objective: When investigating dose-response relationships in rehabilitation studies, dose is often equated with duration of therapy. However, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, dose consists of the factors frequency, intensity, time, and type. Thereby, especially quantification of intensity needs improvement to have a more precise estimate of the dose. Thus, the aim was to investigate the intensity during mobility-focused, real-life pediatric rehabilitation therapies. Design: Eleven participants (5 girls, 12.5 ± 2.1 yrs old) with neurological disorders and independent mobility wore accelerometers at wrists and ankles and a portable heart rate monitor during several of the following therapies: sports therapy, mobility-focused physiotherapy, medical training therapy, and robot-assisted gait training. Intensity of physical activity was quantified by activity counts (measured via accelerometers) and heart rate. Results: Therapy duration did not correlate with intensity. At the same time, we found significant differences between intensities of different therapies. Conclusion: Different therapies elicit different levels of intensity in children with neuromotor disorders. Heart rate and activity counts are suited to estimate the intensity of a therapy and provide complementary information. We recommend against using the duration of a therapy as a proxy for the dose to make statements about dose-response relationships. To Claim CME Credits: Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME CME Objectives: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) Appraise the importance of measuring the intensity of various types of inpatient rehabilitation therapy for determining the dose; (2) Describe the differences in intensities between different training forms and name factors that influence this intensity; and (3) Discuss the influence of the functional level of a patient on his/her potential to engage in physically intensive therapy sessions. Level: Advanced. Accreditation: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the environmental adaptation of fruit trees and accurately dividing the stages of dormancy in fruit trees have important theoretical significance for guiding the regulation of fruit yield and time to maturity. In this study, paraffin sections of 'Huanghua' and 'Mixue' lateral flower buds in different natural environments were collected, their microscopic morphology was observed, and the pattern of dormancy in Asian pear buds was established. In the flower buds, the fusion of pistils into the carpel was used as a marker of entering endodormancy, and the healing of the pistil to form the ovary was used as a marker of the pear flower buds breaking dormancy. The respiratory rate was used to validate the accuracy of the growth stage. The results showed that the Asian pear cultivars entered dormancy in early December, were in the endodormancy phase between early December and late January, broke dormancy in mid- to late January, were in the ecodormancy phase from mid-January to late February, and were in the sprouting stage from late February to mid-April. The results also indicated that there was a high correlation between respiratory intensity and dormancy, and the respiratory intensity was significantly affected by the external temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of graphene on the model herb Artemisia annua, which is renowned for producing artemisinin, a widely used pharmacological compound. Seedling growth and biomass were promoted when A. annua was cultivated with low concentrations of graphene, an effect which was attributed to a 1.4-fold increase in nitrogen uptake, a 15%-22% increase in chlorophyll fluorescence, and greater abundance of carbon cycling-related bacteria. Exposure to 10 or 20 mg/L graphene resulted in a ∼60% increase in H 2 O 2 , and graphene could act as a catalyst accelerator, leading to a 9-fold increase in catalase (CAT) activity in vitro and thereby maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. Importantly, graphene exposure led to an 80% increase in the density of glandular secreting trichomes (GSTs), in which artemisinin is biosynthesized and stored. This contributed to a 5% increase in artemisinin content in mature leaves. Interestingly, expression of miR828 was reduced by both graphene and H 2 O 2 treatments, resulting in induction of its target gene AaMYB17, a positive regulator of GST initiation. Subsequent molecular and genetic assays showed that graphene-induced H 2 O 2 inhibits micro-RNA (miRNA) biogenesis through Dicers and regulates the miR828-AaMYB17 module, thus affecting GST density. Our results suggest that graphene may contribute to yield improvement in A. annua via dynamic physiological processes together with miRNA regulation, and it may thus represent a new cultivation strategy for increasing yield capacity through nanobiotechnology., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Both cyclodextrin (CD) and porous silica possess interesting properties of adsorption and release. A silica-CD hybrid, therefore, could synergically merge the properties of the two components, giving rise to a material with appealing properties for both environmental and pharmaceutical applications. With this aim, in the present study, a first hybrid is obtained through one-pot sol-gel synthesis starting from CD and tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) as a silica precursor. In particular, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (bMCD) is selected for this purpose. The obtained bMCD-silica hybrid is a dense material containing a considerable amount of bMCD (45 wt.%) in amorphous form and therefore represents a promising support. However, since a high specific surface area is desirable to increase the release/adsorption properties, an attempt is made to produce the hybrid material in the form of an aerogel. Both the synthesis of the gel and its drying in supercritical CO 2 are optimized in order to reach this goal. All the obtained samples are characterized in terms of their physico-chemical properties (infra-red spectroscopy, thermogravimetry) and structure (X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy) in order to investigate their composition and the interaction between the organic component (bMCD) and the inorganic one (silica).

Copyright of Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)