Role of lipids in the control of autophagy and primary cilium signaling in neurons

The brain is,after the adipose tissue,the organ with the greatest amount of lipids and diversity in their composition in the human body.In neurons,lipids are involved in signaling pathways controlling autophagy,a lysosome-dependent catabolic process essential for the maintenance of neuronal homeostasis and the function of the primary cilium,a cellular antenna that acts as a communication hub that transfers extracellular signals into intracellular responses required for neurogenesis and brain development.A crosstalk between primary cilia and autophagy has been established;however,its role in the control of neuronal activity and homeostasis is barely known.In this review,we briefly discuss the current knowledge regarding the role of autophagy and the primary cilium in neurons.Then we review the recent literature about specific lipid subclasses in the regulation of autophagy,in the control of primary cilium structure and its dependent cellular signaling in physiological and pathological conditions,specifically focusing on neurons,an area of research that could have major implications in neurodevelopment,energy homeostasis,and neurodegeneration.

Meningeal T-cells in the cross-talk between memory consolidation and sleep

Some years ago,the infiltration of T-cells into the central nervous system(CNS) was considered a pathological condition exclusively.However,during the last two decades,a growing body of studies has shown that T-cells are essential players regulating several physiological processes exerted by the CNS,including stress resilience,social behavior.

Phosphorylated tau as a toxic agent in synaptic mitochondria: implications in aging and Alzheimer’s disease

During normal aging,there is a decline in all physiological functions in the organism.One of the most affected organs is the brain,where neurons lose their proper synaptic function leading to cognitive impairment.Aging is one of the main risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer’s disease.One of the main responsible factors for synaptic dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of abnormal proteins forming aggregates.The most studied brain aggregates are the senile plaques,formed by Aβpeptide;however,the aggregates formed by phosphorylated tau protein have gained relevance in the last years by their toxicity.It is reported that neurons undergo severe mitochondrial dysfunction with age,with a decrease in adenosine 5′-triphosphate production,loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential,redox imbalance,impaired mitophagy,and loss of calcium buffer capacity.Interestingly,abnormal tau protein interacts with several mitochondrial proteins,suggesting that it could induce mitochondrial dysfunction.Nevertheless,whether tau-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction occurs indirectly or directly is still unknown.A recent study of our laboratory shows that phosphorylated tau at Ser396/404(known as PHF-1),an epitope commonly related to pathology,accumulates inside mitochondria during normal aging.This accumulation occurs preferentially in synaptic mitochondria,which suggests that it may contribute to the synaptic failure and cognitive impairment seen in aged individuals.Here,we review the main tau modifications promoting mitochondrial dysfunction,and the possible mechanism involved.Also,we discuss the evidence that supports the possibility that phosphorylated tau accumulation in synaptic mitochondria promotes synaptic and cognitive impairment in aging.Finally,we show evidence and argue about the presence of phosphorylated tau PHF-1 inside mitochondria in Alzheimer’s disease,which could be considered as an early event in the neurodegenerative process.Thus,phosphorylated tau PHF-1 inside the mitochondria could be considered such a potential therapeutic target to prevent or attenuate age-related cognitive impairment.

Induction of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Non-Premature Sprague-Dawley Rats and the Effect of Administering Breast Milk-Isolated <i>Lactobacillus salivarius</i>LPLM-O1

Due to an increasing incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), as well as its associated mortality and long-term complications seen in surviving patients, the main focus of research in NEC has shifted to the prevention and treatment of the disease. The hypothesis of this work is that the strain Lactobacillus salivarius LPLM-O1 can decrease the intestinal injuries in a model of induced NEC. 26 newborn Sprague-Dawley pups were used in this study and randomized in three groups: control group (n = 6), which were fed with infant formula (Similac NeosureTM, Abbott);probiotic group (n = 10), which were fed with the same infant formula but fortified with 109 colony-forming units (CFU) of Lactobacillus salivarius LPLM-O1, and the NEC-induced group (n = 10). Each group was fed with 100 μl of food formula every three hours, using a modified syringe. The probiotic and NEC groups were exposed to asphyxia- and cold-induced stress to develop experimental NEC. At the end of the experiment (96 hrs), animals were sacrificed, and their small intestines were carefully removed and evaluated for typical signs of NEC, microbiological count and histological analyses. The histological analysis of the NEC-induced group showed transmural necrosis (grade 4);in the probiotic group, the grade was comparatively lower (grade 2). Survival ratewas higher in the probiotic group (83%) than in the NEC-induced group (46%);however, the difference in not statistically significant (p = 0.14). Lactic acid bacteria counts were higher in the probiotic group than in the NEC-induced group (8.4 × 108 and 6.1 × 107 CFU/intestine tissue gram, respectively). According to these results, the model of artificial induction of NEC was effectively establishedin all pups, and the probiotic strain slightly decreases the injuries’ grade in newborn pups.

Levels of Empathy among Dental Students in Five Chilean Universities

Aim: To compare empathic levels among dental students of five Dental Faculties in Chile. Material and Methods: Empathic orientation of dental students was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, the Spanish version for students (S version), validated in Chile and culturally adapted to dental students. The data were compared using analysis of variance trifactorial (model III) and by a discriminant analysis. Results: It was found that differences exist between universities empathic orientation, courses, and gender. Conclusions: The results showed a great variability of empathetic guidance values on the factors studied. Discriminant test confirm the similarity and differences found among faculties from the data matrix provided by the scale used. It is not possible in this investigation to explain the variability found.

Thiol-Mediated Reduction of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Tellurite Resistance

The goal of this work was to enhance tellurite toxicity against Gram positive bacteria, especially Staphyloccocus aureus. Using a combination of assays (growth inhibition zones, growth curves, and minimal inhibitory concentrations), tellurite toxicity against this bacterium was tested in the presence of various SH- and OH-containing compounds. Results showed that the noxiousness of tellurite was strongly enhanced in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol. The potentiating effect was observed in S. aureus ATCC 6538 (the model organism of this study) and in other Gram positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtillis ATCC 6051 and the methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain 622-4. No enhancing effect was observed in Gram negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli BW25113, Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 11388. These results open new perspectives for studying the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram positive bacteria, which are responsible for numerous nosocomial infections.

New Record of Black Turtle Chelonia mydas agassizii in High Latitudes of Eastern South Pacific Ocean

A juvenile specimen of the black turtle, Chelonia mydas agassizii, was located in the shores of Cabo Tamar Island in the western entrance of the Strait of Magellan, Chile. A king crab angler found the specimen, and donated it to the Río Seco Natural History Museum’s vertebrate collection for further studies and exhibition. Morphological measurements and a genetic analysis derived from an mtDNA fragment amplified and sequenced, suggest that this specimen corresponds to the species Chelonia mydas agassiizii and that it is closely related to the Galapagos Islands black turtle population. Possible influences of the El Ni？o Southern Oscillation phenomenon on this tropical species in the Eastern South Pacific Ocean are briefly discussed.

Empathy Levels of Dental Students of Central America and the Caribbean

Objective: The aim of this study is to check whether there are differences in the distribution of empathy levels in dental students from nine faculties of dentistry Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic. Methods: The levels of empathy and matrices of empathy construct matrices are estimated dental students by using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, the Spanish version for students (S version) culturally validated in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic measured by arbitrator criteria. Cronbach α is estimated. Data of empathic orientation of the studied factors between faculties are analyzed and compared by ANOVA and Duncan test and matrices of empathy construct using discriminant analysis. Results: We find that there are differences in levels of empathy between universities, courses, gender and interaction between the Dental Faculty (University) and Course. The comparison between matrices shows unexplained variances and differences observed between the levels of empathy in student populations. Conclusions: Variability in empathy is observed in the studied factors and among student populations. The variability is an empirical finding, but is not possible in this work, to explain why.

Empathy Gender in Dental Students in Latin America: An Exploratory and Cross-Sectional Study

Background: It is well-founded that empathy is an attribute that increases the likelihood of good communication between health professionals and patients, and it is usual that there is the conviction that empathy levels are higher in women than in men. Aims: A study comparing levels of empathy gender of students in 18 schools of dentistry from six Latin American countries was conducted. Method: An exploratory cross-sectional study of which empathy levels were measured by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for dental students (S version) and these levels were compared between genders by t-student test, after verification of normal distribution and homoscedasticity. Results: Variability was found in the results of the comparisons. In some cases, empathy levels were higher in women, others in men and in most of them there were no differences between genders. Conclusions: The observed results do not support the belief that women are more empathetic than men. However, more studies must be performed in more powers and countries to verify that the results described constitute a scientific fact and not just a feature of dental students specifically in the countries studied.

Empathy Levels of Dentistry Students in Peru and Argentina

Objectives: To compare the empathy of students in two faculties of Dentistry in Peru and Argentina, three factors were considered: universities, academic year and gender. Material and Methods: Empathy matrices in Dentistry students were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, culturally validated in Peru and Argentina. Empathy data were compared among and within the faculties tested using a three-factor analysis of variance (model III), a Duncan test, and a discriminant analysis. The level of significance used was less than 0.05. Results: We found that differences existed between the students tested. The comparison between the levels of empathy in the studied factors and the presence of unexplained variance showed that empathy was able to differentiate populations. Conclusions: The results indicate variability in the empathy values associated with the factors studied. The discriminant test confirms the differences between faculties revealed by the data matrix resulting from the JSE. These differences are possibly due to the effect of educational and social factors.

Oral Health Status in Adult Population in Chile(Decayed,Missing,Filled and Permanent Tooth):Clinical Observation at National Level

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the differences in the oral health status of adult population between women and men by the clinical status of the permanent first molar. Methods: The data were obtained in a non-random sample of 132,174 patients from a large cohort who were under dental treatment nationwide in Chile during 2011. Results: The results show a greater frequency of “filled and not decayed” (45.6%), “decayed” (18.8%) and followed by “missing by decay” (15.4%). Moreover, an association is established between the “filled and decayed” condition to the female gender and the condition “decayed” and “missing by decay” to the male gender (Significance level α ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: This study concluded that there was a dependent association between gender and the oral health status of permanent first molars in adult patients.

From BIM model to 3D construction printing:A framework proposal

The growth of 3D construction printing needs appropriate integration into the planning and execution phases of building projects.With this aim,the Architecture,Engineering,and Construction sector(AEC)has been increasingly adopting building information modeling(BIM)systems to synchronize design and construction processes.This study proposes a technical workflow to manage 3D construction printing into BIM models,evaluating various procedures according to construction element features.Based on mature software platforms,the research details the data transfer process using a case study of a single-story home.The case delves into design procedures for constructing walls of varied shapes,adjustments in width,joints,openings,textures,fillings,and the insertion of reinforcements and services while also discussing requirements of other building elements.Work steps for managing design information and controlling printing machines are described.The study’s outcome presents a comprehensive information flow,encompassing model segmentation,geometric data transfer,adjustments of details,and the generation of printing paths.Then,it is offered a discussion that underlines the importance of a synergistic digital information flow that merges both design and execution phases,promoting construction efficiency and the embrace of innovative technologies.The contribution of the paper focuses on technical design strategies for 3D construction printing,but also on suggesting an integrated process.