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Advances in informatics, robotics, and imaging techniques make it possible to use state-of-the-art digital reconstruction technologies for high-throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) affected by stress factors, as well as for the ontology of their structural and functional traits. Digital imaging of structural and functional features of the aboveground part of plants is non-destructive and plants can be monitored throughout their entire life cycle. In the experiment with tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.; cv. Gruzanski zlatni) grown in controlled environmental conditions and affected by gradual soil dehydration, we evaluated phenotypic traits and phenotypic plasticity by the PlantScreenTM platform using digital imaging of plant optical signals. In this study, 25 different morpho-physiological traits of the plant were evaluated during the precise control and monitoring of the water content in the soil. Different levels of plant water supply induced statistically significant differences in the formation of individual phenotypic traits. Several plant traits have been identified that are characterized by low variability in both well-hydrated and water-stressed conditions, as well as traits with high phenotypic plasticity. Geometric traits (especially Isotop, Round-2top, and Compside) showed a relatively low level of drought-induced phenotypic plasticity. However, functional and chemometric characteristics (ΔF/F′m, Rfd, Water-1, and ARI-1) showed the potential to exhibit rapid plasticity in water-stressed conditions. Our results confirmed that a high-throughput phenotyping methodology coupled with advanced statistical analysis tools can be successfully applied to characterize crop stress responses and identify traits associated with crop stress tolerance.

Aspergillus species are among the most significant producers of aflatoxins, which can contaminate a wide range of agricultural and food products at any stage of production. The aim of this research was to utilize molecular methods to determine and characterize the variability between isolates of standard Aspergillus species. Genomic DNA was isolated from the mycelium of all tested Aspergillus isolates. PCR amplifications were performed using gene-specific primers. The PCR method successfully amplified the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region and portions of the b-tubulin and calmodulin genes of all tested Aspergillus isolates. PCR products obtained after amplification with primer pairs (ITS1/ITS4 and Bt2a/Bt2b), followed by digestion with restriction enzymes HhaI, MwoI, and AlwI in RFLP analysis, facilitated the identification of variability among the studied Aspergillus species. The results of PCR-RFLP analysis on the tested isolates were consistent with those previously obtained through morphological examinations, indicating the effectiveness of this molecular method for identification and determination of variability among important Aspergillus species. The presented molecular method based on PCR-RFLP analysis, due to its advantages such as reproducibility, speed, and high sensitivity, represents a valuable tool for monitoring and controlling contamination by Aspergillus species in the food supply chain. The method described in this study can be successfully used for rapid identification and determination of variability between isolates of Aspergillus species, contributing to improved food safety control and public health.

In this study we have investigated the effect of T. harzianum on growth, content of chlorophyll and epidermal flavonols and metal distribution in tomato plants. Trichoderma strain, isolated from the A horizon (5-30 cm) of agricultural soil used in organic production, was applied near the root in the sixth leaf development phase of tomato. Tomato plants were grown in a growth cabinet up to the stage of 10 leaves. Content of chlorophyll (Chl), epidermal flavonols (Flav) and antocyanins (Ant) were measured in vivo non-destructively. The concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, and Zn was measured in different parts of tomato plants by ICP-OES method. Results have shown that Trichoderma application positively affected growth of tomato plants, and significantly decreased nitrogen balance index. In Trichoderma treated plants the contents of Cr and Ni were significantly reduced in roots, while content of Cd tended to decrease in all plant parts, significantly in roots. Presented results indicate that investigated isolate is worthwhile testing for plant growth promotion in field conditions, taking in account different supply of macro and micronutrients.

Herein we have demonstrated that both superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimic, cationic Mn(III) meso-tetrakis( N-n-hexylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin (MnTnHex-2-PyP5+), and non-SOD mimic, anionic Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(4-carboxylatophenyl)porphyrin (MnTBAP3−), protect against oxidative stress caused by spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion via suppression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pro-inflammatory pathways. Earlier reports showed that Mn(III) N-alkylpyridylporphyrins were able to prevent the DNA binding of NF-κB in an aqueous system, whereas MnTBAP3− was not. Here, for the first time, in a complex in vivo system-animal model of spinal cord injury-a similar impact of MnTBAP3−, at a dose identical to that of MnTnHex-2-PyP5+, was demonstrated in NF-κB downregulation. Rats were treated subcutaneously at 1.5 mg/kg starting at 30 min before ischemia/reperfusion, and then every 12 h afterward for either 48 h or 7 days. The anti-inflammatory effects of both Mn porphyrins (MnPs) were demonstrated in the spinal cord tissue at both 48 h and 7 days. The downregulation of NF-κB, a major pro-inflammatory signaling protein regulating astrocyte activation, was detected and found to correlate well with the suppression of astrogliosis (as glial fibrillary acidic protein) by both MnPs. The markers of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl formation, were significantly reduced by MnPs. The favorable impact of both MnPs on motor neurons (Tarlov score and inclined plane test) was assessed. No major changes in glutathione peroxidase- and SOD-like activities were demonstrated, which implies that none of the MnPs acted as SOD mimic. Increasing amount of data on the reactivity of MnTBAP3− with reactive nitrogen species (RNS) (.NO/HNO/ONOO−) suggests that RNS/MnTBAP3−-driven modification of NF-κB protein cysteines may be involved in its therapeutic effects. This differs from the therapeutic efficacy of MnTnHex-2-PyP5+ which presumably occurs via reactive oxygen species and relates to NF-κB thiol oxidation; the role of RNS cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testosterone replacement therapy is becoming more and more popular in men as "anti-aging medicine". Testosterone has beneficial effects on body mass and muscle gain, and much research has examined testosterone in palliative cancer therapy for oncology patients. In addition to direct effects on weight gain, testosterone improves mood and self-confidence, strength, libido, muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive functions and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Lower testosterone levels are found in 65 % of male patients with progressive tumors compared to only 6 % of men in the general population. We hypothesize that perioperative substitution testosterone therapy (PSTT) together with a balanced diet, may be more effective than balanced diet alone in the overall treatment outcome of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Therefore, PSTT in combination with a balanced diet should be considered as an additional tool for head and neck carcinoma treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a multifactorial condition characterized by a destructive immune response that failed to be attenuated by common regulatory mechanisms which reduce inflammation and promote mucosa healing. The inhibition of CD26, a multifunctional glycoprotein that controls the immune response via its dipeptidyl peptidase (DP) 4 enzyme activity, was proven to have beneficial effects in various autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The polarization of macrophages into either pro-inflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory M2 subclass is a key intersection that mediates the immune-inflammatory process in UC. Hence, we hypothesized that the deficiency of CD26 affects that process in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced model of UC. We found that mRNA expression of M2 markers arginase 1 and Fizz were increased, while the expression of M1 marker inducible NO synthase was downregulated in CD26 -/- mice. Decreased STAT1 mRNA, as well as upregulated pSTAT6 and pSTAT3, additionally support the demonstrated activation of M2 macrophages under CD26 deficiency. Finally, we investigated DP8 and DP9, proteins with DP4-like activity, and found that CD26 deficiency is not a key factor for the noted upregulation of their expression in UC. In conclusion, we demonstrate that CD26 deficiency regulates macrophage polarization toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, which is driven by STAT6/STAT3 signaling pathways. This process is additionally enhanced by the reduction of M1 differentiation via the suppression of proinflammatory STAT1. Therefore, further studies should investigate the clinical potential of CD26 inhibitors in the treatment of UC.

Herein we have demonstrated that both superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimic, cationic Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(N-n-hexylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin (MnTnHex-2-PyP(5+)), and non-SOD mimic, anionic Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(4-carboxylatophenyl)porphyrin (MnTBAP(3-)), protect against oxidative stress caused by spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion via suppression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pro-inflammatory pathways. Earlier reports showed that Mn(III) N-alkylpyridylporphyrins were able to prevent the DNA binding of NF-κB in an aqueous system, whereas MnTBAP(3-) was not. Here, for the first time, in a complex in vivo system-animal model of spinal cord injury-a similar impact of MnTBAP(3-), at a dose identical to that of MnTnHex-2-PyP(5+), was demonstrated in NF-κB downregulation. Rats were treated subcutaneously at 1.5 mg/kg starting at 30 min before ischemia/reperfusion, and then every 12 h afterward for either 48 h or 7 days. The anti-inflammatory effects of both Mn porphyrins (MnPs) were demonstrated in the spinal cord tissue at both 48 h and 7 days. The downregulation of NF-κB, a major pro-inflammatory signaling protein regulating astrocyte activation, was detected and found to correlate well with the suppression of astrogliosis (as glial fibrillary acidic protein) by both MnPs. The markers of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl formation, were significantly reduced by MnPs. The favorable impact of both MnPs on motor neurons (Tarlov score and inclined plane test) was assessed. No major changes in glutathione peroxidase- and SOD-like activities were demonstrated, which implies that none of the MnPs acted as SOD mimic. Increasing amount of data on the reactivity of MnTBAP(3-) with reactive nitrogen species (RNS) (.NO/HNO/ONOO(-)) suggests that RNS/MnTBAP(3-)-driven modification of NF-κB protein cysteines may be involved in its therapeutic effects. This differs from the therapeutic efficacy of MnTnHex-2-PyP(5+) which presumably occurs via reactive oxygen species and relates to NF-κB thiol oxidation; the role of RNS cannot be excluded.