The mediating role of visuospatial planning skills on adaptive function among young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors

The Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS) was used as a method to examine executive skills on the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF). Young adult survivors of childhood brain tumor (N = 31) and a demographically-matched comparison group (N = 33) completed the ROCF copy version and Grooved Pegboard, and informants were administered the Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Survivors had significantly lower BQSS planning and SIB-R community living skills and greater perseveration. Mediation analyses found that BQSS planning skills mediate the relationship between group and community living skills. Convergent findings of the BRIEF Planning, and discriminant findings with the BQSS Fragmentation, BRIEF Emotional Control, and Grooved Pegboard support the planning construct as the specific mediator in this model. Together, these findings highlight the role of planning skills in adaptive functions of young adult survivors of childhood brain tumor

Arteriovenous Blood Metabolomics: A Readout of Intra-Tissue Metabostasis.

The human circulatory system consists of arterial blood that delivers nutrients to tissues, and venous blood that removes the metabolic by-products. Although it is well established that arterial blood generally has higher concentrations of glucose and oxygen relative to venous blood, a comprehensive biochemical characterization of arteriovenous differences has not yet been reported. Here we apply cutting-edge, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic technologies to provide a global characterization of metabolites that vary in concentration between the arterial and venous blood of human patients. Global profiling of paired arterial and venous plasma from 20 healthy individuals, followed up by targeted analysis made it possible to measure subtle (<2 fold), yet highly statistically significant and physiologically important differences in water soluble human plasma metabolome. While we detected changes in lactic acid, alanine, glutamine, and glutamate as expected from skeletal muscle activity, a number of unanticipated metabolites were also determined to be significantly altered including Krebs cycle intermediates, amino acids that have not been previously implicated in transport, and a few oxidized fatty acids. This study provides the most comprehensive assessment of metabolic changes in the blood during circulation to date and suggests that such profiling approach may offer new insights into organ homeostasis and organ specific pathology

The importance of clonal selection of grapevine and the role of selected clones in production of healthy propagating stocks

Genetical alterations and phytosanitary status promote the variability and modify the appearance of vine. Old vine varieties in old vineyards are highly variable and well adapted to selection. Clonal selektion is based on a visual performance: valuable individuals (clones) are picked out according to visible symptoms or characters. The genetical stability of clones is proved by testing the vegetatively propagated progenies on the basis of morphological and molekular (SSR, AFLP, SMPL, RAPD) markes. Authors take great care of the visual phytosanitary selection as part of the clonal selection being the oreliminary step to develop pathogen-free propagation stocks. In Serbia (Vojvodina) the selection breeding has been carried on for several decades resulted in comparative clone trials with home and imported clones of Welsch Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, White Riesling. Among the clones of home selection SK.54 Welsch Riesling clone is the most valuable. Its clearing from pathogene is being carried on in an interregional IPA programme (HUSRB/0901/214/123) in Kecskemét. In Kecskemét, the centre of the Hungarian Danube vine region 5 vine clones have been registered (Cegléd szépe K.73, Irsai Olivér K.11, Kövidinka K.8, Hárslevelû K.9, Pannónia kincse K.56). Besides them 18 virus-tested clones have also been qualified.Works aiming at their complete exemption are going on in order to obtain clones free of propagation wood-borne diseases

The importance of clonal selection of grapevine and the role of selected clones in production of healthy propagating stocks

Genetical alterations and phytosanitary status promote the variability and modify the appearance of vine. Old vine varieties in oldvineyards are highly variable and well adapted to selection. Clonal selektion is based on a visual performance: valuable individuals (clones)are picked out according to visible symptoms or characters. The genetical stability of clones is proved by testing the vegetatively propagatedprogenies on the basis of morphological and molekular (SSR, AFLP, SMPL, RAPD) markes.Authors take great care of the visual phytosanitary selection as part of the clonal selection being the preliminary step to develop pathogen-freepropagation stocks.In Serbia (Vojvodina) the selection breeding has been carried on for several decades resulted in comparative clone trials with home andimported clones of Welsch Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, White Riesling. Among the clones of home selection SK.54 Welsch Rieslingclone is the most valuable. Its clearing from pathogene is being carried on in an interregional IPA programme (HUSRB/0901/214/123) inKecskemét.In Kecskemét, the centre of the Hungarian Danube vine region 5 vine clones have been registered (Cegléd szépe K.73, Irsai Olivér K.11,Kövidinka K.8, Hárslevelû K.9, Pannónia kincse K.56). Besides them 18 virus-tested clones have also been qualified.Works aiming at theircomplete exemption are going on in order to obtain clones free of propagation wood-borne diseases

Mechanistic insights into bacterial metabolic reprogramming from omics-integrated genome-scale models.

Understanding the adaptive responses of individual bacterial strains is crucial for microbiome engineering approaches that introduce new functionalities into complex microbiomes, such as xenobiotic compound metabolism for soil bioremediation. Adaptation requires metabolic reprogramming of the cell, which can be captured by multi-omics, but this data remains formidably challenging to interpret and predict. Here we present a new approach that combines genome-scale metabolic modeling with transcriptomics and exometabolomics, both of which are common tools for studying dynamic population behavior. As a realistic demonstration, we developed a genome-scale model of Pseudomonas veronii 1YdBTEX2, a candidate bioaugmentation agent for accelerated metabolism of mono-aromatic compounds in soil microbiomes, while simultaneously collecting experimental data of P. veronii metabolism during growth phase transitions. Predictions of the P. veronii growth rates and specific metabolic processes from the integrated model closely matched experimental observations. We conclude that integrative and network-based analysis can help build predictive models that accurately capture bacterial adaptation responses. Further development and testing of such models may considerably improve the successful establishment of bacterial inoculants in more complex systems

Metabolic drift in the aging brain.

Brain function is highly dependent upon controlled energy metabolism whose loss heralds cognitive impairments. This is particularly notable in the aged individuals and in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, how metabolic homeostasis is disrupted in the aging brain is still poorly understood. Here we performed global, metabolomic and proteomic analyses across different anatomical regions of mouse brain at different stages of its adult lifespan. Interestingly, while severe proteomic imbalance was absent, global-untargeted metabolomics revealed an energymetabolic drift or significant imbalance in core metabolite levels in aged mouse brains. Metabolic imbalance was characterized by compromised cellular energy status (NAD decline, increased AMP/ATP, purine/pyrimidine accumulation) and significantly altered oxidative phosphorylation and nucleotide biosynthesis and degradation. The central energy metabolic drift suggests a failure of the cellular machinery to restore metabostasis (metabolite homeostasis) in the aged brain and therefore an inability to respond properly to external stimuli, likely driving the alterations in signaling activity and thus in neuronal function and communication

DBnorm as an R package for the comparison and selection of appropriate statistical methods for batch effect correction in metabolomic studies.

As a powerful phenotyping technology, metabolomics provides new opportunities in biomarker discovery through metabolome-wide association studies (MWAS) and the identification of metabolites having a regulatory effect in various biological processes. While mass spectrometry-based (MS) metabolomics assays are endowed with high throughput and sensitivity, MWAS are doomed to long-term data acquisition generating an overtime-analytical signal drift that can hinder the uncovering of real biologically relevant changes. We developed "dbnorm", a package in the R environment, which allows for an easy comparison of the model performance of advanced statistical tools commonly used in metabolomics to remove batch effects from large metabolomics datasets. "dbnorm" integrates advanced statistical tools to inspect the dataset structure not only at the macroscopic (sample batches) scale, but also at the microscopic (metabolic features) level. To compare the model performance on data correction, "dbnorm" assigns a score that help users identify the best fitting model for each dataset. In this study, we applied "dbnorm" to two large-scale metabolomics datasets as a proof of concept. We demonstrate that "dbnorm" allows for the accurate selection of the most appropriate statistical tool to efficiently remove the overtime signal drift and to focus on the relevant biological components of complex datasets

Effect of an eight-week high-intensity interval training programme on circulating sphingolipid levels in middle-aged adults at elevated cardiometabolic risk (SphingoFIT)-Protocol for a randomised controlled exercise trial.

Evidence indicates that sphingolipid accumulation drives complex molecular alterations promoting cardiometabolic diseases. Clinically, it was shown that sphingolipids predict cardiometabolic risk independently of and beyond traditional biomarkers such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. To date, little is known about therapeutic modalities to lower sphingolipid levels. Exercise, a powerful means to prevent and treat cardiometabolic diseases, is a promising modality to mitigate sphingolipid levels in a cost-effective, safe, and patient-empowering manner. This randomised controlled trial will explore whether and to what extent an 8-week fitness-enhancing training programme can lower serum sphingolipid levels of middle-aged adults at elevated cardiometabolic risk (n = 98, 50% females). The exercise intervention will consist of supervised high-intensity interval training (three sessions weekly), while the control group will receive physical activity counselling based on current guidelines. Blood will be sampled early in the morning in a fasted state before and after the 8-week programme. Participants will be provided with individualised, pre-packaged meals for the two days preceding blood sampling to minimise potential confounding. An 'omic-scale sphingolipid profiling, using high-coverage reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, will be applied to capture the circulating sphingolipidome. Maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests will be performed before and after the 8-week programme to assess patient fitness changes. Cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated haemoglobin, the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, static retinal vessel analysis, flow-mediated dilatation, and strain analysis of the heart cavities will also be assessed pre- and post-intervention. This study shall inform whether and to what extent exercise can be used as an evidence-based treatment to lower circulating sphingolipid levels. The trial was registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06024291) on August 28, 2023