A Comprehensive Ecotoxicological Evaluation of a Treated Olive Mill Wastewater and Obtained Sludge.

Olive mill wastewaters (OMWWs) are an environmental problem in the Mediterranean region, and it is crucial to explore strategies for their treatment and repurposing. The chemical precipitation technique (CPT) has been presented as a cost-effective wastewater treatment solution that might be applied to OMWW. The CPT-resulting precipitant subproducts (sludge) may be reprocessed (e.

Convergence: Multi-omics and AI are reshaping the landscape biomedical research.

This special volume of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease showcases a transformative era in biomedical research, driven by the convergence of multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and systems biology. The volume is focused across eight thematic sections-spanning cancer, inflammatory and infectious diseases, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular health, autophagy, respiratory disease, and heme biology-this volume highlights how integrative methodologies are helping to simplify the complexity of disease mechanisms. These studies discuss not only biomarker discovery and disease mechanisms, but also how redox biology, lipidomics, machine learning, and proteogenomics are redefining pathophysiological frameworks.

Marine-Derived Collagen and Chitosan: Perspectives on Applications Using the Lens of UN SDGs and Blue Bioeconomy Strategies.

Marine biomass, particularly from waste streams, by-products, underutilized, invasive, or potential cultivable marine species, offers a sustainable source of high-value biopolymers such as collagen and chitin. These macromolecules have gained significant attention due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, functional versatility, and broad applicability across health, food, wellness, and environmental fields. This review highlights recent advances in the uses of marine-derived collagen and chitin/chitosan.

Ecotoxicological Assessment of Sediment Samples Impacted by Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents Transporting Contaminants of Emerging Concern.

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be important sources of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) for riverine ecosystems, with some accumulation in sediments. This study investigated the ecotoxicological effects of sediment samples collected near three WWTPs. Sediment elutriates, simulating resuspension conditions, and whole sediment samples were tested.

Long-term retrieval performance is associated with CA1 hippocampal volume in older adults and individuals at risk for dementia.

Background: Long-term retrieval (LTR) and accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF) paradigms might help differentiating individuals at increased dementia risk from healthy controls (HC).

Objective: We investigated the utility of a LTR paradigm in discriminating subjective cognitive decline (SCD) from HC and its relationship to the CA1 body volume, a hippocampal structure pivotal to the memory circuitry.

Methods: LTR was assessed via recall rates of the ADAS-cog word list and the FCSRT-IR free recall in 59 DELCODE study participants, including individuals with SCD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as HC, all of them DELCODE study participants.

Allometric scale model reveals temperature effects on growth and reproduction in Daphnia magna.

Climate change amplifies temperature variability, thereby subjecting organisms to increased stress as they more frequently encounter temperatures outside their optimal range. Temperature influences resource distribution across fundamental processes in organisms, such as metabolism, reproduction and overall fitness, yet energy allocation strategies are primarily understood under stable temperature conditions. Predicting organisms' responses to fluctuating temperatures, however, remains challenging.

COMPASS Complex Subunits Set1 and Ash2 Are Required for Oocyte Determination and Maintenance of the Synaptonemal Complex.

Female gametogenesis is orchestrated by dynamic epigenetic modifications. In mammals, SETDB1, a histone H3K9 methyltransferase, is required for proper meiotic progression and early embryonic development. In , the ortholog of SETDB1 plays a critical role in germ cell differentiation, transposon silencing, and the transcriptional repression of specific germline genes during oocyte fate determination.

Perceptions of fairness, inclusion and safety: the differential impact of contrasting experiences on academics and professional services staff.

The current study explores how organizational dimensions relate to and impact organizational commitment, comparing staff in academic positions with staff in professional services roles. Data was collected from 281 academic and 294 professional services staff within university environments who completed extensive questionnaires. Overall academics manifested lower levels of emotional attachment to, and perceived obligation to remain in their university, felt less safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up and lower support for their work-life balance than their professional services colleagues.

Ecological assessment and corrosion inhibition potential of novel double-chain arginine-based cationic surfactants.

This study investigates the environmental impact and corrosion inhibition of novel double-chain arginine-based cationic surfactants developed as antimicrobial agents. The research focuses on asymmetric double-chain surfactants (LANHCx) with a 12-carbon alkyl chain and a second chain of 3-10 carbons, linked to the amino acid polar head group via amide bonds. The study assessed how alkyl chain length affects the ecological properties.

An overview of the contaminant mixtures present in key consumed fish and seafood species along the Portuguese territory.

This study evaluates the concentrations of potentially toxic elements - mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead and selenium - in seven marine species (Xiphias gladius, Aphanopus carbo, Merluccius merluccius, Helicolenus dactylopterus, Loligo vulgaris, Cancer pagurus and Ruditapes decussatus) across different locations in mainland Portugal and the Azores. The results showed a significant interaction between species and site, indicating that elemental concentrations varied by species and sampling site. This highlights the complex interplay of biological and environmental factors, such as habitat, feeding habits and local sources of contamination.

Unravelling the role of environmentally realistic concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in altering gametogenesis and gonadal health of female Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas): a histopathological approach.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) raise environmental concerns due to their potential adverse effects on marine bivalves. However, research on females, particularly their gonad quality and reproduction, remains limited. Despite the availability of numerous health status biomarkers, histopathological analysis remains crucial for assessing toxicological effects.

The role of oxygen in the synthesis of the MoCT MXene from the MoGaC MAX phase.

MAX phases are layered materials that have been known for over 60 years and MXenes are their metaphorical children, a family of two-dimensional (2D) materials that appeared in 2011. MXenes are often synthesised by etching out the layers of the A element of their parent MAX phases. The remaining 2D MXene layers are very reactive and spontaneously become covered by a layer called the surface termination.

Non-dietary personal pesticide exposure using silicone wristbands across 10 European countries.

Individuals are exposed to pesticides via dietary and non-dietary exposure routes. There is a growing need for aggregated exposure estimates across occupationally and non-occupationally exposed populations. Exposure to current-use and legacy pesticides was studied using silicone wristbands worn by farmers, residents living close to treated fields (neighbors), and the general population (consumers), in total, 641 participants across 10 European countries.

Halophyte decocted extract alleviates metabolic and histopathological disturbances induced in human-like rodent model, .

Background: The effect of halophyte plant "Salicornia arabica" decocted extract (HDE) on histological damage and metabolic disorders induced by a High-Caloric Diet (HCD) in Psammomys obesus (P. obesus) was investigated.

Methods: Forty P.

Trauma, personality structure and psychopathology: a cartography of psychodynamic constructs.

Background: In this study, network analysis technique is applied to dissect the links between personality organization, reflective functioning, attachment security, primary affective traits, childhood trauma and psychopathological symptoms.

Methods: A total sample of 498 (77% female) participants from the general population was investigated. A cross-sectional network between personality organization [IPO-16], hypomentalizing [RFQ-6], attachment [ECR-RD8]), primary affective traits [BANPS-GL], depression, anxiety and somatization symptoms [BSI-18], addiction [WHO-ASSIST] and childhood trauma [CTQ] was estimated via the EBICglasso and relimp algorithm.

Decreasing mercury concentrations in beaks of the giant warty squid Moroteuthopsis longimana in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean) since the 1970s.

The giant warty squid Moroteuthopsis longimana is an important prey of top predators in the Southern Ocean. It is therefore a major link in the pathway of contaminants like mercury (Hg) to higher levels in food webs. In this study, we evaluated changes in Hg concentrations in beaks of adult M.

SMAS: Structural MRI-based AD Score using Bayesian supervised VAE.

This study introduces the Structural MRI-based Alzheimer's Disease Score (SMAS), a novel index intended to quantify Alzheimer's Disease (AD)-related morphometric patterns using a deep learning Bayesian-supervised Variational Autoencoder (Bayesian-SVAE). The SMAS index was constructed using baseline structural MRI data from the DELCODE study and evaluated longitudinally in two independent cohorts: DELCODE (n=415) and ADNI (n=190). Our findings indicate that SMAS has strong associations with cognitive performance (DELCODE: r=-0.

Addressing Critical Fungal Pathogens Under a One Health Perspective: Key Insights from the Portuguese Association of Medical Mycology.

Fungal infections have emerged as a significant public health concern, especially with the increasing incidence of severe mycoses caused by pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida auris, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. These fungi, listed as critical priorities by the World Health Organization, pose a heightened risk due to rising antifungal resistance and their severe impact on immunocompromised individuals. This article, coordinated by the Portuguese Association of Medical Mycology, highlights the importance of adopting a One Health perspective to address fungal threats comprehensively.

Synthetic Mimotopes of Salivary Peptides against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro.

To replicate, SARS-CoV-2 requires its receptor-binding domain (RBD) motif in the Spike protein to interact with specific cellular receptors, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), in human cells. Hence, we aimed to select high-affinity naturally expressed salivary peptides by bioinformatics to assess their potential to block the Spike-RBD/ACE2 interaction in vitro and to evaluate their SARS-CoV-2 antiviral performance. We designed a pipeline with 2,193 salivary peptides and performed molecular docking with 298 peptides using BLASTp.

Polysaccharide-based screen-printed colorimetric sensor for amines detection in packaged fish.

Generic expiration dates continue to serve as freshness indicators for highly perishable foods such as fish. In fact, "best before" dates are a prediction of the estimated limit of safe quality. Therefore, they do not provide real-time information of the fish freshness, resulting in an inaccurate assessment of its quality.

Silent smoke, silent stress: Mussels as sentinels of cigarette pollution in coastal waters.

Cigarette butts are a major source of marine litter, releasing contaminants such as nicotine and its metabolite cotinine into aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed sublethal biochemical responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed for 28 days to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5, 5.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on arterial hypertension monitoring in Portugal.

Introduction And Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare provided to patients with arterial hypertension in Portugal.

Methods: The pre-pandemic and pandemic periods were compared using publicly available data on performance and health outcomes indicators from the Portuguese National Health Service (NHS). Pre-pandemic data were modeled to project hypothetical scenarios without a pandemic using an exponential smoothing algorithm, and then compared with data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergent pollutants, escalating pressures: GenX effects on mussels in a changing environment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent pollutants with rising concern due to their stability and toxicity. The production of novel PFAS with shorter carbon chains in the environment raises concerns related to their stability and their potential toxicity in organisms. This study examines the effects of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid ammonium (HFPO-DA, or GenX) on the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis under different salinity conditions.

Fostering sustainability: Enzymatic modeling of juice production pomace for advancing innovative ingredients in non-dairy infant food applications.

Apple pomace, a by-product of juice production, is often discarded despite its nutritional and bioactive potential. To reduce waste and add value, this study developed cookies for children enriched with enzymatically treated apple pomace using Rapidase Fiber, containing arabinofuranosidase, cellulase, and polygalacturonase. The phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional composition of apple pomace flour were assessed before and after enzymatic treatment.