Aging-induced memory loss due to decreased N1-acetyl-5-methoxykynuramine,a melatonin metabolite,in the hippocampus:a potential prophylactic agent for dementia

Melatonin(N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine)is known as the hormone of darkness because it is synthesized at night and involved in regulating the circadian clock.The hormone is primarily synthesized by the vertebrate pineal gland,but is ubiquitous among invertebrates,unicellular organisms,plants,and even cyanobacteria(Hattori and Suzuki,2024).Melatonin is well-conserved evolutionarily and possesses several physiological functions,such as immune response,bone and glucose metabolism,and memory formation besides regulating the circadian rhythm.

Context-dependency in medicine:how neuronal excitability influences the impact of dopamine on cognition

Dopamine,often termed the"feel-good"neurotransmitter,plays a crucial role in myriad physiological and psychological brain processes.While dopamine is primarily associated with pleasure,reward,and motivation,its effects can be quite complex;and this complexity is further compounded when examining how dopamine functions in typical versus disease-affected neural circuits.In pa rticula r,epilepsy,characte rized by heightened brain excitability,is linked to cognitive dysfunction,and dopamine is implicated in elements of both its pathology and treatment.Neuroscience has been successful in describing the synaptic abnormalities believed to contribute to memory issues in epilepsy,aiding in the search for effective therapies for what persists as a major medical issue.

Apolipoprotein A-I binding protein-mediated neuroprotection in glaucomatous neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration

Glaucoma is a multifactorial eye disorder that can cause vision loss and irreversible blindness,affecting individ uals aged 40 to 80 yea rs worldwide.Due to the aging population,it is expected that the number of people affected by glaucoma will surpass 111 million by 2040 as the disease becomes more prevalent.Glaucoma primarily contributes to optic nerve axon loss and the progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs),subsequently leading to vision impairment.

Aging impairs the osteocytic regulation of collagen integrity and bone quality

Poor bone quality is a major factor in skeletal fragility in elderly individuals.The molecular mechanisms that establish and maintain bone quality,independent of bone mass,are unknown but are thought to be primarily determined by osteocytes.We hypothesize that the age-related decline in bone quality results from the suppression of osteocyte perilacunar/canalicular remodeling(PLR),which maintains bone material properties.We examined bones from young and aged mice with osteocyte-intrinsic repression of TGFβsignaling(TβRII^(ocy−/−))that suppresses PLR.The control aged bone displayed decreased TGFβsignaling and PLR,but aging did not worsen the existing PLR suppression in male TβRII^(ocy−/−)bone.This relationship impacted the behavior of collagen material at the nanoscale and tissue scale in macromechanical tests.The effects of age on bone mass,density,and mineral material behavior were independent of osteocytic TGFβ.We determined that the decline in bone quality with age arises from the loss of osteocyte function and the loss of TGFβ-dependent maintenance of collagen integrity.

Defined hydrogels for spinal cord organoids:challenges and potential applications

Organoids of the central nervous system,primarily derived from pluripotent stem cells or neural stem cells,are three-dimensional tissue cultures with self-organizing properties.When exposed to the right combinations of signals,they differentiate into a 3D tissue consisting of complex cytoarchitecture and native cell types,including various neuron subtypes and glial cells.These features closely mimic native tissues,making them invaluable for developmental studies and disease modeling.In recent years,spinal cord organoids(SCOs)have been developed to investigate spinal cord development,injuries,and various neurological disorders.As an integral part of the central nervous system,SCOs play a vital role and serve as a site for studying both neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases.

Short-term Association of Meteorological Elements on COVID-19 Pandemic in a Semi-arid City of Northwest China,2021-2022

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outbreak in late 2019 significantly impacted global health.The virus’s rapid spread,with its long incubation period and high infection level,caused substantial disruption to regular social frameworks,production,and lifestyles^([1]).COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through close contact,long-range contaminants,and airborne routes.

Neural plasticity in Parkinson's disease:a neuroimaging perspective

Parkinson's disease(PD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by classical motor signs of bradykinesia,rigidity,tremors,and postural instability usually manifesti ng unilate rally or at least asymmetrically.The disease involves a loss of dopaminergic neurons projecting from the substantia nigra pars compacta to the dorsal striatum.

Information for Authors Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedcine

GENERAL Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine is sponsored by Hainan Medical University Journal Publisher,and aims to set up an acdemic communicating platform for scientists all over the world on tropical biomedicine and related sciences.The Journal invites concise reports of original research in all areas of tropical biomedicine and related fields,both experimental and clinical,including modern,traditional and epidemiological studies,from any part of the world.Review articles based primarily on authors'own research on internationally important topics will be accepted.

Desert ecological control and ecological industrial construction: Practice and inspiration from China

Desertification poses significant threats to the ecological security and sustainable economic and social development of countries worldwide. In China, existing desertified land primarily lies between 35°–50°N, covering arid and semi-arid regions and a total area of 1.688×106 km^(2), which represents 17.58%of the total territorial area of the country (Fig. 1).

Information for Authors Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedcine

GENERAL Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine is sponsored by Hainan Medical University Journal Publisher,and aims to set up an acdemic communicating platform for scientists all over the world on tropical biomedicine and related sciences.The Journal invites concise reports of original research in all areas of tropical biomedicine and related fields,both experimental and clinical,including modern,traditional and epidemiological studies,from any part of the world.Review articles based primarily on authors'own research on internationally important topics will be accepted.Short communications and letters to the editor are also welcome.

Event segmentation in ADHD:neglect of social information and deviant theta activity point to a mechanism underlying ADHD

Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is one of the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents.Although the symptoms appear to be well described,no coherent conceptual mechanistic framework integrates their occurrence and variance and the associated problems that people with ADHD face.Aims The current study proposes that altered event segmentation processes provide a novel mechanistic framework for understanding deficits in ADHD.Methods Adolescents with ADHD and neurotypically developing(NT)peers watched a short movie and were then asked to indicate the boundaries between meaningful segments of the movie.Concomitantly recorded electroencephalography(EEG)data were analysed for differences in frequency band activity and effective connectivity between brain areas.Results Compared with their NT peers,the ADHD group showed less dependence of their segmentation behaviour on social information,indicating that they did not consider social information to the same extent as their unaffected peers.This divergence was accompanied by differences in EEG theta band activity and a different effective connectivity network architecture at the source level.Specifically,NT adolescents primarily showed error signalling in and between the left and right fusiform gyri related to social information processing,which was not the case in the ADHD group.For the ADHD group,the inferior frontal cortex associated with attentional sampling served as a hub instead,indicating problems in the deployment of attentional control.Conclusions This study shows that adolescents with ADHD perceive events differently from their NT peers,in association with a different brain network architecture that reflects less adaptation to the situation and problems in attentional sampling of environmental information.The results call for a novel conceptual view of ADHD,based on event segmentation theory.

Considerations of advanced aqueous batteries recycling:A perspective

1.Introduction Battery technology,serving as a basis for a rechargeable society,has developed rapidly over a century[1].The progress can be roughly divided into three stages,with the initial two mainly focusing on aqueous battery systems.Prior to 1859,research primarily focused on the conceptualization of batteries and the development of primary(non-rechargeable)cells[2].In the subsequent150 years,rechargeable battery technology emerged。

The Importance of Our Dialogue

China-Europe dialogue is not only beneficial to the two sides but also holds global significance.HISTORICALLY,learning from the East spread to the West and Western learning spread to the East,creating a story of exchanges and mutual learning among human civilizations.These exchanges are primarily characterized by complementarity,non-equivalence and practicality.

Allergenicity mitigation strategies of seafood allergens for hypoallergen

Introduction Seafood is a widely consumed and nutritionally rich food source,but it ranks among the top allergens,with shellfish and fish being major triggers of allergic reactions.These reactions,primarily caused by proteins such as tropomyosin(TM)in shellfish and parvalbumin(PV)in fish,can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis in susceptible individuals.The development of hypoallergenic seafood is becoming increasingly important to provide safe alternatives for those with seafood allergies.This comment reviews recent advances in allergenicity mitigation strategies,highlighting the progress made and future potential in producing hypoallergenic seafood products.

Improving Lives China-Africa cooperation propels space industry,drives socio-economic progress

In the past,outer space was primarily the domain of a few powerful countries and generally considered separate from broader concerns of human security and development.However,in recent times,space technology development has been a dynamic arena in which the majority of the world’s countries,including countries across the continent of Africa,are actively engaged to address their most pressing socio-economic challenges.Since the turn of the millennium,countries across Africa have demonstrated growing interest in developing their space capabilities to address their most pressing challenges,including but not limited to climate change,poverty,terrorism,and forced migration.

Surge in bioplastic textile market expected

The global market for bioplastic textiles,valued at US$l,046 million in 2022,is projected to expand by15.5%CAGR,reaching$3,827 million by 2032.This substantial growth is primarily driven by the escalating demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable goods in response to growing consumer awareness and governmental regulations aimed at reducing plastic consumption and waste.

Recycling agricultural plastic mulch:limitations and opportunities in the United States

Plastic mulches have become an essential component of modern agriculture since their introduction in the 1950s.However,disposal of plastic mulches poses serious environmental challenges as plastics that are not considered biodegradable or compostable can take several hundred years to degrade.Each year in the United States,only 9%of overall plastic waste is recycled while 79%is accumulated in landfills or the natural environment.Recycling of plastic mulch is especially constrained due to the contamination that results from their use in farming.Currently,recovered mulches are reported to have 30%–80%surface contamination,primarily from soil and plant debris.Plastic mulch waste is concentrated in areas where they are used and can provide logistical opportunities to the plastic recycling industries.Plastic recycling includes mechanical,advanced(chemical and thermal),and biological methods,that may all be used for polyethylene(PE).Most plastic is recycled using the mechanical method,while advanced and biological methods are promising but face significant financial and technical challenges.For all recycling methods,strategies are needed for managing surface contamination to realize the recycling potential of plastic mulch.

AaMYB3 interacts with AabHLH1 to regulate proanthocyanidin accumulation in Anthurium andraeanum(Hort.)—another strategy to modulate pigmentation

Proanthocyanidins(PAs),also known as“condensed tannins”,are colorless metabolites produced through the flavonoid pathway that are involved in stress resistance in plants.Because PAs are involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway,they play a role in the modification of pigmentation conferred by anthocyanins in ornamental organs.In this study,we isolated the gene and functionally characterized an R2R3-MYB transcription factor(TF),AaMYB3,and a basic helix-loop-helix TF,AabHLH1,from Anthurium andraeanum(Hort.),a typical tropical flower.AaMYB3 is primarily expressed in the spathe and negatively correlates with anthocyanin accumulation.A complementation test in an Arabidopsis tt8 mutant showed that AabHLH1 successfully restores the PA-deficient seed coat phenotype.The ectopic overexpression of AaMYB3 alone or its coexpression with AabHLH1 in transgenic tobacco resulted in light pink or even pale-pink corolla limbs by reducing their anthocyanin levels and greatly enhancing their accumulation of PAs.This overexpression of the anthurium TF genes upregulated the late anthocyanin enzymeencoding genes(NtDFR and NtANS)and the key PA genes(NtLAR and NtANR)in transgenic tobacco.The interaction between AaMYB3 and the AabHLH1 protein was confirmed using yeast two-hybrid(Y2H)and bimolecular fluorescence complementation(BiFC)assays.In the developing red spathes of the cultivars“Vitara”and“Tropical”,the expression of AaMYB3 was closely linked to PA accumulation,and AaMYB3 was coexpressed with AaCHS,AaF3H,AaDFR,AaANS,AaLAR,and AaANR.The expression pattern of AabHLH1 was similar to that of AaF3′H.Our results suggest that AaMYB3 and AabHLH1 are involved in the regulation of PA biosynthesis in anthurium and could potentially be used to metabolically engineer PA biosynthesis in plants.

Genome-wide identification of imprinted genes in pigs and their different imprinting status compared with other mammals

DEAR EDITOR,Genomic imprinting often results in parent-of-origin specific differential expression of maternally and paternally inherited alleles and plays an essential role in mammalian development and growth.Mammalian genomic imprinting has primarily been studied in mice and humans,with only limited information available for pigs.To systematically characterize this phenomenon and evaluate imprinting status between different species,we investigated imprinted genes on a genome-wide scale in pig brain tissues.

Experts consensus on the procedure of dental operative microscope in endodontics and operative dentistry

The dental operative microscope has been widely employed in the field of dentistry,particularly in endodontics and operative dentistry,resulting in significant advancements in the effectiveness of root canal therapy,endodontic surgery,and dental restoration.However,the improper use of this microscope continues to be common in clinical settings,primarily due to operators’insufficient understanding and proficiency in both the features and established operating procedures of this equipment.In October 2019,Professor Jingping Liang,Vice Chairman of the Society of Cariology and Endodontology,Chinese Stomatological Association,organized a consensus meeting with Chinese experts in endodontics and operative dentistry.The objective of this meeting was to establish a standard operation procedure for the dental operative microscope.Subsequently,a consensus was reached and officially issued.Over the span of about four years,the content of this consensus has been further developed and improved through practical experience.