Subcutaneous administration of the sphingosine kinase 2 inhibitor ABC294640 has no metabolic benefits in high fat diet-induced obesity in male mice.

Aims: Experimental evidence suggests an important role for sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its generating enzymes sphingosine kinase 1/2 (SphK1/2) in obesity. We and others have shown that plasma S1P levels are elevated in obese mice and humans. Preclinical studies suggest that genetic SphK2 ablation in mice protects from age- and diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

TDP-43 overexpression in the hypothalamus drives neuropathology, dysregulates metabolism and impairs behavior in mice.

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology is linked to the neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Huntington disease (HD). Dysregulation of metabolism and emotion is shared across these disorders and may be caused by hypothalamic pathology. Inclusions with TDP-43 are present in the hypothalamus in clinical ALS, as well as selective loss of hypothalamic neurons expressing the metabolism and emotion regulating neuropeptides hypocretin (orexin), melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and oxytocin.

Germline genetic variants in young-onset sporadic pituitary macroadenomas: A multigene panel analysis.

Mutations in several genes have been associated with familial forms of pituitary adenomas. Sporadic pituitary adenomas (i.e.

Unravelling pathological ageing with brain age gap estimation in Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and schizophrenia.

Brain age gap estimation (BrainAGE), the difference between predicted brain age and chronological age, might be a putative biomarker aiming to detect the transition from healthy to pathological brain ageing. The biomarker primarily models healthy ageing with machine learning models trained with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. BrainAGE is expected to translate the deviations in neural ageing trajectory and has been shown to be increased in multiple pathologies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), schizophrenia and Type 2 diabetes (T2D).

K-Means Clustering of Hyperpolarised C-MRI Identifies Intratumoral Perfusion/Metabolism Mismatch in Renal Cell Carcinoma as the Best Predictor of the Highest Grade.

: Early and accurate grading of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) improves patient risk stratification and has implications for clinical management and mortality. However, current diagnostic approaches using imaging and renal mass biopsy have limited specificity and may lead to undergrading. : This study explored the use of hyperpolarised [1-C]pyruvate MRI (HP C-MRI) to identify the most aggressive areas within the tumour of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) as a method to guide biopsy targeting and to reduce undergrading.

Longitudinal Identification of Pre-Lesional Tissue in Multiple Sclerosis With Advanced Diffusion MRI.

Background And Purpose: Structural MRI (sMRI) is used in monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS) but lacks sensitivity in detecting clinically relevant damage to normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), that is, pre-lesional tissue, and specificity for identifying the underlying substrate of injury. In this longitudinal study, we identified pre-lesional tissue in MS patients and investigated its microstructure by modeling diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data using diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI).

Methods: We enrolled 18 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (10 females, 31.

Photobiomodulation on vocal training and rehabilitation: Delphi consensus based on experts.

Purpose: To develop a consensus among speech-language pathologists who are voice specialists regarding the criteria for recommending and using photobiomodulation in the context of vocal therapy and training.

Methods: Seven speech-language pathologists, experts in voice, and with experience in using photobiomodulation in vocal therapy and training participated. The Delphi technique was used to achieve consensus from a panel of experts accessed independently in two phases of collection.

Challenges of Investigating Compartmentalized Brain Energy Metabolism Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in vivo.

Brain function requires continuous energy supply. Thus, unraveling brain metabolic regulation is critical not only for our basic understanding of overall brain function, but also for the cellular basis of functional neuroimaging techniques. While it is known that brain energy metabolism is exquisitely compartmentalized between astrocytes and neurons, the metabolic and neuro-energetic basis of brain activity is far from fully understood.

Postingestive reward acts through behavioral reinforcement and is conserved in obesity and after bariatric surgery.

Postingestive nutrient stimulation conditions food preferences through striatal dopamine and may be associated with blunted brain responses in obesity. In a cross-sectional study, we tested flavor-nutrient conditioning (FNC) with maltodextrin-enriched yogurt, with maltodextrin previously optimized for concentration and dextrose equivalents (n = 57), and to mask texture cues (n = 102). After conditioning, healthy volunteers (n = 52) increased preference for maltodextrin-paired (+102 kcal, CS+), relative to control (+1.

Isolation and Characterization of Infection of Four New Bacteriophages Infecting a Strain.

Bacteria from genus Vibrio continue to be one of the most common threats to aquaculture sustainability. spp. have been associated with infectious outbreaks in fish, shrimp, bivalves and even algae farms worldwide.

Multiarm, non-randomised, single-centre feasibility study-investigation of the differential biology between benign and malignant renal masses using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques (IBM-Renal): protocol.

Introduction: Localised renal masses are an increasing burden on healthcare due to the rising number of cases. However, conventional imaging cannot reliably distinguish between benign and malignant renal masses, and renal mass biopsies are unable to characterise the entirety of the tumour due to sampling error, which may lead to delayed treatment or overtreatment. There is an unmet clinical need to develop novel imaging techniques to characterise renal masses more accurately.

Identifying Elements for a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for Caregivers: An International Delphi Consensus.

Caregivers of patients with heart disease may often feel physically, emotionally, and psychologically overwhelmed by their role. The analysis of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) components and caregivers' needs suggests that some interventions may benefit them. Therefore, this study aimed to identify a consensus on the CR components targeting caregivers of patients with heart disease.

Ultrasound assessment of muscle mass in critically ill patients: A correlation with nutritional support and clinical outcomes.

Background: Critically ill patients are at high risk of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Acquired weakness, which negatively impacts clinical outcomes. Traditional muscle mass and nutritional status assessments are often impractical in the ICU. Ultrasound offers a promising, non-invasive alternative.

The Potential of Phage Treatment to Inactivate Planktonic and Biofilm-Forming .

is a common cause of hospital-acquired infections and exhibits a strong resistance to antibiotics. An alternative treatment option for bacterial infections is the use of bacteriophages (or phages). In this study, two distinct phages, VB_PaD_phPA-G (phPA-G) and VB_PaN_phPA-Intesti (phPA-Intesti), were used as single suspensions or in a phage cocktail to inactivate the planktonic cells and biofilms of .

High-fat and High-sucrose Diet-induced Hypothalamic Inflammation Shows Sex Specific Features in Mice.

Hypothalamic inflammation underlies diet-induced obesity and diabetes in rodent models. While diet normalization largely allows for recovery from metabolic impairment, it remains unknown whether long-term hypothalamic inflammation induced by obesogenic diets is a reversible process. In this study, we aimed at determining sex specificity of hypothalamic neuroinflammation and gliosis in mice fed a fat- and sugar-rich diet, and their reversibility upon diet normalization.

Concentrations of glutamate and -acetylaspartate detected by magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the rat hippocampus correlate with hippocampal-dependent spatial memory performance.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been employed to investigate brain metabolite concentrations , and they vary during neuronal activation, across brain activity states, or upon disease with neurological impact. Whether resting brain metabolites correlate with functioning in behavioral tasks remains to be demonstrated in any of the widely used rodent models. This study tested the hypothesis that, in the absence of neurological disease or injury, the performance in a hippocampal-dependent memory task is correlated with the hippocampal levels of metabolites that are mainly synthesized in neurons, namely -acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate and GABA.

Distinct oscillatory patterns differentiate between segregation and integration processes in perceptual grouping.

Recently, there has been a resurgence in experimental and conceptual efforts to understand how brain rhythms can serve to organize visual information. Oscillations can provide temporal structure for neuronal processing and form a basis for integrating information across brain areas. Here, we use a bistable paradigm and a data-driven approach to test the hypothesis that oscillatory modulations associate with the integration or segregation of visual elements.

Extracellular vesicles released from microglia after palmitate exposure impact brain function.

Dietary patterns that include an excess of foods rich in saturated fat are associated with brain dysfunction. Although microgliosis has been proposed to play a key role in the development of brain dysfunction in diet-induced obesity (DIO), neuroinflammation with cytokine over-expression is not always observed. Thus, mechanisms by which microglia contribute to brain impairment in DIO are uncertain.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals biomarkers of stroke recovery in a mouse model of obesity-associated type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) are known to exacerbate cerebral injury caused by stroke. Metabolomics can provide signatures of metabolic disease, and now we explored whether the analysis of plasma metabolites carries biomarkers of how obesity and T2D impact post-stroke recovery. Male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 months leading to development of obesity with T2D or a standard diet (non-diabetic mice).

Bacteriophages to control Vibrio alginolyticus in live feeds prior to their administration in larviculture.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of two phages [VB_VaC_TDDLMA (phage TDD) and VB_VaC_SRILMA (phage SRI)] alone and in a cocktail to control Vibrio alginolyticus in brine shrimp before their administration in larviculture.

Methods And Results: Phages were isolated from seawater samples and characterized by host spectrum, growth parameters, adsorption rate, genomic analysis, and inactivation efficiency. Both phages belong to the Caudoviricetes class and lack known virulence or antibiotic-resistance genes.

Exploring Lifestyle Factors and Treatment Adherence among Older Adults with Hypertension Attending a Mobile Health Unit (MHU) in a Rural Area of Central Portugal.

This cross-sectional and analytical study aimed to characterize a sample of hypertensive older adults attending a Mobile Health Unit (MHU) in a rural area of central Portugal according to their lifestyle and to analyze the impact of lifestyles on treatment adherence. The sample comprised 235 Portuguese hypertense patients, mainly females (63.8%) with a mean age of 75 years (±8.

Sensor-based systems for the measurement of Functional Reach Test results: a systematic review.

The measurement of Functional Reach Test (FRT) is a widely used assessment tool in various fields, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and geriatrics. This test evaluates a person's balance, mobility, and functional ability to reach forward while maintaining stability. Recently, there has been a growing interest in utilizing sensor-based systems to objectively and accurately measure FRT results.