The use and production of chemical compounds are subjected to strong legislative pressure. Chemical toxicity and adverse effects derived from exposure to chemicals are key regulatory aspects for a ...multitude of industries, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, or food, due to direct harm to humans, animals, plants, or the environment. Simultaneously, there are growing demands on the authorities to replace traditional in vivo toxicity tests carried out on laboratory animals (e.g., European Union REACH/3R principles, Tox21 and ToxCast by the U.S. government, etc.) with in silica computational models. This is not only for ethical aspects, but also because of its greater economic and time efficiency, as well as more recently because of their superior reliability and robustness than in vivo tests, mainly since the entry into the scene of artificial intelligence (AI)‐based models, promoting and setting the necessary requirements that these new in silico methodologies must meet. This review offers a multidisciplinary overview of the state of the art in the application of AI‐based methodologies for the fulfillment of regulatory‐related toxicological issues.
This article is categorized under:
Data Science > Chemoinformatics
Data Science > Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence for Toxicological Predictions
Lymnaeid snails transmit medical and veterinary important trematodiases, mainly fascioliasis. Vector specificity of fasciolid parasites defines disease distribution and characteristics. Different ...lymnaeid species appear linked to different transmission and epidemiological patterns. Pronounced susceptibility differences to absolute resistance have been described among lymnaeid populations. When assessing disease characteristics in different endemic areas, unexpected results were obtained in studies on lymnaeid susceptibility to Fasciola. We undertook studies to understand this disease transmission heterogeneity.
A ten-year study in Iran, Egypt, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru, demonstrated that such heterogeneity is not due to susceptibility differences, but to a hitherto overlooked cryptic species, Lymnaea schirazensis, confused with the main vector Galba truncatula and/or other Galba/Fossaria vectors. Nuclear rDNA and mtDNA sequences and phylogenetic reconstruction highlighted an old evolutionary divergence from other Galba/Fossaria species, and a low intraspecific variability suggesting a recent spread from one geographical source. Morphometry, anatomy and egg cluster analyses allowed for phenotypic differentiation. Selfing, egg laying, and habitat characteristics indicated a migration capacity by passive transport. Studies showed that it is not a vector species (n = 8572 field collected, 20 populations): snail finding and penetration by F. hepatica miracidium occur but never lead to cercarial production (n = 338 experimentally infected).
This species has been distorting fasciolid specificity/susceptibility and fascioliasis geographical distribution data. Hence, a large body of literature on G. truncatula should be revised. Its existence has henceforth to be considered in research. Genetic data on livestock, archeology and history along the 10,000-year post-domestication period explain its wide spread from the Neolithic Fertile Crescent. It is an efficient biomarker for the follow-up of livestock movements, a crucial aspect in fascioliasis emergence. It offers an outstanding laboratory model for genetic studies on susceptibility/resistance in F. hepatica/lymnaeid interaction, a field of applied research with disease control perspectives.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We evaluated the potential use of agri-food waste for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions and its application in different processes (e.g., water remediation, in the production of ...biomass enriched in nutritionally significant elements, etc.). Biomasses from grape seed, grape pomace, loquat seed, Calabrese broccoli stem, empty pods of carob and broad bean pods, unripe bitter orange peel, kumquat, orange pulp and Canary Island banana pulp were prepared. The percentages and biosorption capacities were evaluated and compared with those refe-renced using Valencia orange peel (Citrus sinensis Valencia late). These studies allow for easily providing added value to different agri-food wastes. The results show that the proposed biomasses were able to retain the studied metal ions and obtained different percentages, being in some cases above 90%. The highest values were obtained using broad bean pod (Pb(II) (91.5%), Cd(II) (61.7%), Co(II) (40.7%) and Ni(II) (39.7%)). Similar values were observed using grape seed, broccoli stem, carob pod and unripe bitter orange peel. Carob pod for biosorption of Cd(II) is also of great interest. These studies suggest that the agri-food residues evaluated can be applied to prepare effective biosorbents of divalent metal ions from aqueous solutions.
Early vocabulary development is crucial for future cognitive and academic outcomes, and parent-child booksharing has been recognized as a powerful home literacy practice to promote word learning. ...However, evidence about the link between booksharing and language development in diverse cultural and socioeconomic settings is currently limited, hindering the formulation of a broadly applicable framework to understand the favorable conditions for early vocabulary development. This study explores the relationship between booksharing and early receptive and expressive vocabulary in a sample of 183 mothers and their toddlers in Costa Rica, a context where reading is not a common practice and children have limited access to books. Mothers completed an interview about their booksharing practices and reported children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary. Results demonstrated a positive link between maternal booksharing and children’s expressive vocabulary. Child gender moderated the link between booksharing and receptive vocabulary, exhibiting a stronger association in girls than in boys. Mothers with lower education levels reported higher expressive vocabulary scores for their children than mothers with higher education levels. These findings underscore the significance of booksharing in the home literacy environment, even in cultural contexts with distinct reading practices. Moreover, they highlight the need to incorporate sociocultural factors into comprehensive accounts concerning the role of booksharing in early word learning.
•The relationship between self-reported maternal booksharing behavior and vocabulary development was examined in a sample of monolingual, Spanish-speaking children in Costa Rica.•Maternal booksharing behavior predicted children’s expressive vocabulary.•Child gender moderated the relationship between maternal booksharing behavior and receptive vocabulary, exhibiting a stronger association in girls than in boys.•Mothers with lower education levels reported higher expressive vocabulary scores for their children than mothers with higher education levels.
An impaired antioxidant status has been described during foetal growth restriction (FGR). Similarly, the antioxidant defence system can be compromised in preterm children with extrauterine growth ...restriction (EUGR). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the antioxidant status in prepubertal children with a history of prematurity without FGR, with and without EUGR, compared to a healthy group.
In total, 211 children were recruited and classified into three groups: 38 with a history of prematurity and EUGR; 50 with a history of prematurity and adequate extrauterine growth (AEUG); and 123 control children born at term. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities were assessed in lysed erythrocytes with spectrophotometric methods. Plasma levels of the antioxidants α-tocopherol, retinol and β-carotene were determined through solvent extraction and ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.
Children with the antecedent of EUGR and prematurity had lower CAT activity than the other two groups and lower GPx activity than the control children. Lower SOD, GPx and GR activities were observed in the AEUG group compared to the controls. However, higher concentrations of α-tocopherol and β-carotene were found in the EUGR group compared to the other groups; retinol levels were also higher in EUGR than in AEUG children. In EUGR and AEUG children, enzymatic antioxidant activities and plasma antioxidants were associated with metabolic syndrome components and pro-inflammatory biomarkers.
This study reveals, for the first time, that the EUGR condition and prematurity appear to be linked to an impairment of the antioxidant defence status, which might condition an increased risk of adverse metabolic outcomes later in life.
NeuroImmunoEndocrinology: A brief historic narrative Ponce‐Regalado, María Dolores; Pérez‐Sánchez, Gilberto; Rojas‐Espinosa, Oscar ...
Journal of leukocyte biology,
July 2022, Letnik:
112, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Although no precise moment or unique event marks its birth, neuroimmunoendocrinology arguably shares a great deal of history with other medical and biologic disciplines. It originated from empirical ...observations and suppositions that failed to prevail upon the existing axioms. Despite the widespread resistance to embracing novel ideas, the seeming defeats inspired visionary researchers. Those pioneers managed to systematize the emerging knowledge and were able to contribute to science with real foundations. In consequence, new concepts and ideas arose in physiology, anatomy, endocrinology and early immunology. Together, they gave rise to a budding approach on the integration between the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. Then, neuroimmunoendocrinology emerged as a discipline integrating an intricate system with multidirectional functions and interactions that allow for responding to internal and external threats. Such response is mediated by cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters, involved in different physiologic mechanisms of the organism homeostasis. Neuroimmunoendocrinology is no longer an area of scientific skepticism; on the contrary, it has cemented its position as a biomedical discipline worldwide for the past 70 years. Now, it offers a better understanding of pathologic processes.
Graphical
Neuroimmunoendocrinology is has established its place as a biomedical discipline worldwide in the past 70 years.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) involves the infusion of either bone marrow or blood cells preceded by toxic chemotherapy. However, there is little knowledge about the clinical ...benefits of parenteral nutrition (PN) in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy during HSCT. We investigated the lipidomic profile of plasma and the targeted fatty acid profiles of plasma and erythrocytes in children after HSCT using PN with either a fish oil-based lipid emulsion or a classic soybean oil emulsion. An untargeted liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry platform connected with a novel in silico annotation algorithm was utilized to determine the most relevant chemical subclasses affected. In addition, we explored the interrelation between the lipidomics profile in plasma, the targeted fatty acid profile in plasma and erythrocytes, several biomarkers of inflammation, and antioxidant defense using an innovative data integration analysis based on Latent Components. We observed that the fish oil-based lipid emulsion had an impact in several lipid subclasses, mainly glycerophosphocholines (PC), glycerophosphoserines (PS), glycerophosphoethanolamines (PE), oxidized PE (O-PE), 1-alkyl,2-acyl PS, lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPE), oxidized PS (O-PS) and dicarboxylic acids. In contrast, the classic soybean oil emulsion did not. Several connections across the different blocks of data were found and aid in interpreting the impact of the lipid emulsions on metabolic health.
Bariatric surgery (BS) has several benefits, including resolution of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in many patients. However, a significant percentage of patients do not experience ...improvement in fatty liver after BS, and more than 10% develop new or worsening NAFLD features. Therefore, a question that remains unanswered is why some patients experience resolved NAFLD after BS and others do not. In this study, we investigated the fecal microbiota and plasma bile acids associated with NAFLD resolution in twelve morbidly obese patients undergoing BS, of whom six resolved their steatosis one year after surgery and another six did not. Results indicate that the hallmark of the gut microbiota in responder patients is a greater abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansia, and several species of the Clostridia class (genera: Blautia, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Butyricicoccusa, and Clostridium), along with a decreased abundance of Actinomycetes/Bifidobacterium and Faecalicatena. NAFLD resolution was also associated with a sustained increase in primary bile acids (particularly non-conjugated), which likely results from a reduction in bacterial gut species capable of generating secondary bile acids. We conclude that there are specific changes in gut microbiota and plasma bile acids that could contribute to resolving NAFLD in BS patients. The knowledge acquired can help to design interventions with prebiotics and/or probiotics to promote a gut microbiome that favors NAFLD resolution.
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