ALBERT

Description: Optimal vitamin D status has commonly been defined as the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) at which parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations would be maximally suppressed, represented by an observed minimum plateau. Previous findings indicate a large variation in this plateau, with values ranging from

Description: This study aimed to investigate the impact of plant growth regulators, sucrose concentration, and the number of subcultures on axillary shoot multiplication, in vitro flowering, and somaclonal variation and to assess the phytochemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibitory potential of in vitro-established callus, somaclonal variant, and normal green shoots of Catharanthus roseus. The highest shoot induction rate (95.8%) and highest number of shoots (23.6), with a mean length of 4.5 cm, were attained when the C. roseus nodal explants (0.6–1 cm in length) were cultivated in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2 µM thidiazuron, 1 µM 2-(1-naphthyl) acetic acid (NAA), and 4% sucrose. The in vitro flowering of C. roseus was affected by sucrose, and the number of subcultures had a significant effect on shoot multiplication and somaclonal variation. The highest levels of phenolics and flavonoids were found in normal green shoots, followed by those in somaclonal variant shoots and callus. The phytochemicals in C. roseus extracts were qualified using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 39, 55, and 59 compounds were identified in the callus, somaclonal variant shoot, and normal green shoot tissues, respectively. The normal green shoot extracts exhibited the best free radical scavenging ability and reducing power activity. The strongest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects were found in the callus, with an IC50 of 0.65 mg/mL.

Description: The radish is a delicious, healthy vegetable and an important ingredient to many side dishes and main recipes. However, climate change, pollinator decline, and especially Fusarium wilt cause a significant reduction in the cultivation area and the quality of the radish yield. Previous studies on plant disease identification have relied heavily on extracting features manually from images, which is time-consuming and inefficient. In addition to Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images, the development of near-infrared (NIR) sensors has enabled a more effective way to monitor the diseases and evaluate plant health based on multispectral imagery. Thus, this study compares two distinct approaches in detecting radish wilt using RGB images and NIR images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The main research contributions include (1) a high-resolution RGB and NIR radish field dataset captured by drone from low to high altitudes, which can serve several research purposes; (2) implementation of a superpixel segmentation method to segment captured radish field images into separated segments; (3) a customized deep learning-based radish identification framework for the extracted segmented images, which achieved remarkable performance in terms of accuracy and robustness with the highest accuracy of 96%; (4) the proposal for a disease severity analysis that can detect different stages of the wilt disease; (5) showing that the approach based on NIR images is more straightforward and effective in detecting wilt disease than the learning approach based on the RGB dataset.

Description: Mertensia maritima (L.) Gray is threatened with extinction owing to climate change, poor seed germination, and ocean warming. In vitro explant-culture is used for ex situ preservation and plantlet massive production. In vitro cell and organ cultures serve as an alternative plant material source to investigate the biological activities and phytochemical profiles of rare plants. We aimed to develop an efficient callus and shoot production protocol and investigate bioactive metabolites, antioxidants, and enzyme inhibitory potential of M. maritima calli, shoots, and in vivo seedlings. The effects of combinations of different plant growth regulators, 6-BA (N6-benzyladenine), 6-KN (Kinetin), TDZ (Thidiazuron), and NAA (1-Naphthylacetic acid), in MS (Murashige and Skoog) nutrient medium were studied. The highest callus proliferation was obtained after 5-week cultivation over a 16-h photoperiod on growth medium MS enriched with 4 µM each of 6-BA and NAA. The medium with 2 µM 6-BA and 4 µM 6-KN had the best shoot induction rate (91.1%) with a mean of 13.4 shoots. The combination of two cytokinins (6-BA and 6-KN) was found to be effective in M. maritima shoot regeneration. The rooting frequency was 100% in ½ MS with Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA 2 µM). The number of detected compounds and chemical composition in the M. maritima shoots and seedlings extracts were similar. The total amount of phenolics in the shoots was 216.4% and 369.5% higher than in seedlings and calli, respectively. The total amount of flavonoids in the shoots was 241.1% and 429.3% higher than in seedlings and calli, respectively. The best antioxidant activity was obtained in the shoots, followed by seedlings and calli. However, the order was seedlings 〉 calli 〉 shoots regarding metal chelating ability. The strongest acetylcholinesterase inhibition properties were obtained in the calli, followed by seedlings and shoots. However, the tested samples can be ranked as seedlings 〉 shoots 〉 calli in butylcholinestrase inhibition assay. This study is the first report on the enzyme inhibitory effects of M. maritima extracts, providing valuable contributions to the scientific community.

Description: At northern latitudes, non-ethnic population groups can be at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency (defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status ≤30 nmol/L). The vitamin D status of ethnic minority groups has been examined both in UK and European populations, but not in the Irish context. The aim of this study is to assess the vitamin D status from a selection of the Dublin population of South East Asian descent. A search was conducted, using the laboratory information system of St James’s Hospital, Dublin, for vitamin D requests by General practitioners. From 2013 to 2016, 186 participants were identified and 25(OH)D analysis was quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Overall, the median age was 32 years, 51% were male, and the 25(OH)D concentration ranged from 10 to 154 nmol/L. In total, 66.7% of the total sample were vitamin D deficient and 6.7% had a 25(OH)D status greater than 50 nmol/L (the 25(OH)D concentration defined by the EU as ‘sufficient’). Females had a significantly higher 25(OH)D concentration than males (25.0 vs. 18.0 nmol/L; p = 0.001) but both groups had a significant proportion with deficient status (56% and 76.8%, respectively). Seasonal variation of 25(OH)D was not evident while high rates of deficiency were also observed in those aged 50 years. Given the importance of vitamin D for health, this sub-population could be at a significantly increased risk of rickets, impaired bone metabolism, and osteoporosis. In addition, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with several non-bone related conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Currently, there is no unique vitamin D intake or vitamin D status maintenance guidelines recommended for adults of non-Irish descent; this needs to be considered by the relevant public health bodies in Ireland.

Description: Estrogen disrupting pesticides (EDP) are pesticides that modify estrogen activities in estrogen-producing vertebrates. A substantial amount of these pesticides has been detected in human tissues, and they function directly to disrupt estrogen synthesis or effector cells. This study examines EDP’s ecological distribution across Nebraska counties and its association with estrogen-related cancers (ERC). To determine the ecological distribution of selected EDP, county-level choropleth maps were created. Moreover, EDP was tested in separate linear models with different ERC to determine the association between ERC and EDP across Nebraska counties. Exposure data for this county-level study was obtained from the quality assessed agrichemical contaminant Nebraska groundwater database between 1 January 1974 and 31 December 2012. Acetochlor, atrazine, and its metabolites, deethylatrazine (DEA), and de-isopropyl atrazine (DIA) were the most frequently detected EDP in Nebraska groundwater. Moreover, Nebraska county-level potential confounder for ERC such as physically unhealthy days, % adult smoking, % obese adult, % uninsured, and % binge drinking were obtained from County Health Rankings 2010. ERC, which is the outcome variable (breast cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer), were obtained from the Nebraska State profile of the National Cancer Institute. This was expressed as county-level age-standardized incidence cancer rates between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2017. Data characteristics were determined using percentages, mean, median, 25th and 75th percentile, minimum and maximum values. The relationship between county-level cancer rates and % wells positive for pesticides after adjusting for the county level potential confounders were analyzed in a linear regression model. Water supply wells positive for atrazine and DEA were observed to cluster in the South and South East counties of Nebraska. Furthermore, breast cancer and prostate cancer incidence rates were higher in the southeast of Nebraska with more atrazine and DEA. However, breast cancer and prostate cancer were not significantly associated in a linear regression model with any of the observed EDP. In contrast, uterine cancer was statistically associated with % water supply wells positive for acetochlor (β = 4.01, p = 0.04). While consistent associations were not observed between ERC and EDP from the GIS and the linear regression model, this study’s results can drive future conversation concerning the potential estrogenic effects of acetochlor, atrazine, and its metabolites on the incidence of breast, uterine and prostate cancer in the State of Nebraska.

Description: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is amongst the deadliest of human cancers, with a median survival rate of just over one year following diagnosis. Characterized by rapid proliferation and diffuse infiltration into the brain, GBM is notoriously difficult to treat, with tumor cells showing limited response to existing therapies and eventually developing resistance to these interventions. As such, there is intense interest in better understanding the molecular alterations in GBM to guide the development of more efficient targeted therapies. GBM tumors can be classified into several molecular subtypes which have distinct genetic signatures, and they show aberrant activation of numerous signal transduction pathways, particularly those connected to receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which control glioma cell growth, survival, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. There are also non-canonical modes of RTK signaling found in GBM, which involve G-protein-coupled receptors and calcium channels. This review uses The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) GBM dataset in combination with a data-mining approach to summarize disease characteristics, with a focus on select molecular pathways that drive GBM pathogenesis. We also present a unique genomic survey of RTKs that are frequently altered in GBM subtypes, as well as catalog the GBM disease association scores for all RTKs. Lastly, we discuss current RTK targeted therapies and highlight emerging directions in GBM research.

Description: Multiorgan failure may not be completely resolved among people living with HIV despite HAART use. Although the chances of organ dysfunction may be relatively low, alcohol may potentiate HIV-induced toxic effects in the organs of alcohol-abusing, HIV-infected individuals. The pancreas is one of the most implicated organs, which is manifested as diabetes mellitus or pancreatic cancer. Both alcohol and HIV may trigger pancreatitis, but the combined effects have not been explored. The aim of this review is to explore the literature for understanding the mechanisms of HIV and alcohol-induced pancreatotoxicity. We found that while premature alcohol-inducing zymogen activation is a known trigger of alcoholic pancreatitis, HIV entry through C-C chemokine receptor type 5(CCR5)into pancreatic acinar cells may also contribute to pancreatitis in people living with HIV (PLWH). HIV proteins induce oxidative and ER stresses, causing necrosis. Furthermore, infiltrative immune cells induce necrosis on HIV-containing acinar cells. When necrotic products interact with pancreatic stellate cells, they become activated, leading to the release of both inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines and resulting in pancreatitis. Effective therapeutic strategies should block CCR5 and ameliorate alcohol’s effects on acinar cells.

Description: Several companies, universities, and national laboratories are developing urban-scale energy modeling that allows the creation of a digital twin of buildings for the simulation and optimization of real-world, city-sized areas. Prior to simulation-based assessment, a baseline of savings for a set of utility-defined use cases was established to clarify the initial business case for specific energy efficient building technologies. In partnership with a municipal utility, 178,337 OpenStudio and EnergyPlus models of buildings in the utility’s 1400 km2 service area were created, simulated, and assessed with measures for quantifying energy, demand, cost, and emissions reductions of each building. The method of construction and assumptions behind these models is discussed, definitions of example measures are provided, and distribution of savings across the building stock is provided under a maximum technical adoption scenario.

Description: Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin via sunlight exposure as well as ingested through diet. Vitamin D deficiency is currently a major global public health issue, with increasing prevalence in both low and high latitude locations. This cross-sectional analysis aimed to compare the intensity of individual Ultraviolet B radiation levels between women of the same ethnicity living in England and Brazil, respectively; and to investigate the association with circulating 25(OH)D concentrations. We analysed data from 135 Brazilian women (England, n = 56, 51° N; Brazil, n = 79, 16° S) recruited for the D-SOL study (Interaction between Vitamin D Supplementation and Sunlight Exposure in Women Living in Opposite Latitudes). Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), individual UVB radiation via UVB dosimeter badges and dietary intake via 4-day diet diaries. Anthropometric, skin phototype, sociodemographic and lifestyle patterns were also assessed. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration of England residents was significantly lower than Brazil residents. Daily individual UVB radiation level showed a strong significant positive correlation with serum 25(OH)D concentrations. The required UVB radiation to achieve 75 nmol/L was 2.2 SED and 38.8% of the total variance in 25(OH)D concentrations was explained uniquely by daily individual UVB radiation, after controlling for the influence of age and body mass index. Thus, these results highlight the strong positive association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and individual UVB radiation and the influence of different individual characteristics and behaviours. Collectively, these factors contribute to meaningful, country-specific, public health strategies and policies for the efficient prevention and treatment of vitamin D inadequacy.