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Drought stress triggers complex and multilayered physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses contributing to plant stress adaptation mechanisms. In this study, we performed comparative transcriptomic and biochemical analyses between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive rapeseed ( Brassica napus ) cultivars to identify candidate early response regulatory genes and molecular pathways associated with enhanced response to drought at the seedling stage. Under drought stress, the tolerant cultivar exhibited higher relative water content, greater proline accumulation, elevated antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced membrane damage compared to the sensitive cultivar. Transcriptomic profiling revealed distinct early-response gene expression signatures between the cultivars. The cultivar-specific expression patterns of the candidate regulatory genes encoding transcription factors ( DREB2A , ABI5 , NAC019 , ZAT10 , MYB15 , MYB44 ), protein kinases ( SRK2E , SRK2I ), calmodulin-like proteins ( CML37 , CML40 ), components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system ( RDUF2 , PUB23 ), along with drought-responsive effector genes ( NCED3 , RD29B , HAI1 ) may facilitate early activation of abscisic acid (ABA) and calcium signaling pathways, enhance activities of antioxidant enzymes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification, promote proline accumulation, and potentially improve the efficiency of protein degradation and turnover in the drought-tolerant cultivar. Together, these findings provide valuable insights into candidate genes and regulatory pathways associated with enhanced early drought responses in rapeseed, offering potential targets for genetic improvement through molecular breeding technologies.

Clinical tests for the assessment of postural balance in people with intellectual disability have been the most commonly used single or multi-item tests, but some tests have been developed, such as the BESTest. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the test–retest reliability and limits of agreement of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) in young people with intellectual disabilities. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 65 young people (ages 16–25 years) with intellectual disability. The participants completed the BESTest (27 items) twice. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated to determine the test–retest reliability of the BESTest. The BESTest overall scores' test–retest reliability was rated as excellent (≥ 0.75). Stability limits/verticality and reactive are fair to good (≥ 0.40– < 0.75). Biomechanical constraints, transitions and anticipatory movements, sensory orientation, and gait stability were excellent (≥ 0.75). Current evidence shows that young people with intellectual disabilities have impaired postural balance. However, there appears to be a lack of assessment tools that reliably evaluate the postural balance of this population. The results from this investigation show that BESTest provides \"excellent reliability\" (≥ 0.75) to assess postural balance in young people with intellectual disability.

Background and objective Physical activity has benefits for the cardiovascular system, however, what levels and types of activity provide optimal cardiovascular health is unclear. We aimed to determine the level of physical activity that has the most benefits against cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for prospective cohort studies on leisure-time (LTPA) or occupational physical activity (OPA) as the exposure and major types of CVD (total CVD, coronary heart disease [CHD], stroke, and atrial fibrillation [AF]) incidence as the outcome. Risk of bias of studies was evaluated using the ROBINS-I tool. Summary hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using random-effects pairwise model. Results A total of 103 studies were included in the analysis. The highest versus the lowest LTPA was associated with a lower risk of overall CVD (HR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.77–0.86), CHD (HR = 0.83; 0.79–0.88), and stroke (HR = 0.83; 0.79–0.88), but not AF (HR = 0.98; 0.92–1.05). Linear dose-response analyses showed a 10%, 12%, 9%, and 8% risk reduction in CVD, CHD, stroke, and AF incidence, respectively, for every 20 MET-hours/week increase in LTPA. In nonlinear dose-response analyses, there were inverse associations up to 20 MET-hours/week with 19% and 20% reduction in CVD and CHD risk, and up to 25 MET-hours/week with 22% reduction in stroke, with no further risk reduction at higher LTPA levels. For AF, there was a U-shaped nonlinear association with the maximum 8% risk reduction at 10 MET-hours/week of LTPA. Higher levels of OPA were not associated with risk of CVD, CHD, stroke, or AF. Conclusions Overall, results showed an inverse dose-response relationship between LTPA and risk of CVD, CHD, stroke, and AF. Running was the most beneficial LTPA but the risk was similar among various LTPA intensities. OPA showed no benefits in total or any type of CVD.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are blebs of either plasma membrane or intracellular membranes carrying a cargo of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. EVs are produced by eukaryotic cells both under physiological and pathological conditions. Genetic and environmental factors (diet, stress, etc.) affecting EV cargo, regulating EV release, and consequences on immunity will be covered. EVs are found in virtually all body fluids such as plasma, saliva, amniotic fluid, and breast milk, suggesting key roles in immune development and function at different life stages from in utero to aging. These will be reviewed here. Under pathological conditions, plasma EV levels are increased and exacerbate immune activation and inflammatory reaction. Sources of EV, cells targeted, and consequences on immune function and disease development will be discussed. Both pathogenic and commensal bacteria release EV, which are classified as outer membrane vesicles when released by Gram-negative bacteria or as membrane vesicles when released by Gram-positive bacteria. Bacteria derived EVs can affect host immunity with pathogenic bacteria derived EVs having pro-inflammatory effects of host immune cells while probiotic derived EVs mostly shape the immune response towards tolerance.

This study investigated the acute effects of static (SS), dynamic (DS), and ballistic (BS) hamstring stretching on performance in male soccer players and applied machine learning (ML) to predict protocol efficacy. A total of 249 players with and without hamstring shortening completed each protocol across three sessions with 72 h of rest. Hamstring shortening classified via passive knee extension test (> 32.2° knee angle). Flexibility, strength, sprint, power, and agility were measured pre- and post-stretching. Each protocol: 4 sets × 30 s (holds/swings/bounces at 50–60 bpm), 10 s rest. ML models (k-NN, SVM, random forest) were trained on pre–post difference scores, with feature selection applied to identify key predictors and Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique used to address class imbalance. Findings indicate SS optimally acutely improves flexibility, whereas DS offers broader immediate performance benefits for a subsequent activity. Combining feature selection and data balancing increased k-NN accuracy to 53% (only ~ 20% points above the chance level of 33.3% for this three-class problem), highlighting methodological challenges in predicting individual responses. Exploratory analysis using ML using synthetic minority over-sampling technique reached a peak accuracy of 53.06% (compared to a baseline of 33.3%), demonstrating the promise of the approach but also highlighting the challenges of applying ML to predict individual responses to stretching interventions, underscoring the need for larger datasets and more advanced models.

The relation of early menarche with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains inconsistent across studies. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis of published population-based observational studies was to assess the association between age at menarche and T2DM risk. We searched online data bases through December 2013 and examined the reference lists of pertinent articles. Summary relative risks (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with a random-effects model. A total of 14 effect estimates from 10 eligible studies (three cross-sectional and seven cohort studies) included 315,428 participants and 22,085 cases of T2DM. Compared with the highest or middle category, women in the lowest category of age at menarche had higher risk of T2DM [summary RR (95 % CI) 1.22 (1.17, 1.28)]. These results were consistent between studies that conducted in the United States and in Europe. The association between age at menarche and T2DM was slightly stronger for cohort than for cross-sectional studies. These findings strongly support an association between younger age at menarche and increased risk of T2DM. Age at menarche may help identify women with increased risk of developing T2DM.

This study compared neuromuscular control under two fatigue protocols during anticipated and unanticipated change of direction (COD) maneuvers and evaluated their effects on the risk of non-contact ACL injuries. Forty-five female soccer players (mean age: 22.22 ± 2.24 years; mean height: 166.24 ± 3.33 cm; mean mass: 59.84 ± 5.03 kg) were divided into three groups: functional fatigue (Soccer specific fatigue ptotocol-SOFT90), non-functional fatigue (Bruce protocol), and control group. Before and after the implementation of neuromuscular control fatigue protocols were evaluated using the cutting motion assessment score tool (CMAS). Two-dimensional (2D) videos were recorded during anticipated and unanticipated COD trials for both dominant and non-dominant legs. Significant time effects (p < 0.05) and group-time interactions (p < 0.05) were observed in both anticipated and unanticipated conditions for both dominant and non-dominant legs after the fatigue protocols. The functional fatigue group exhibited higher CMAS changes, indicating poorer movement quality following fatigue. Notably, the non-dominant leg displayed amplified deficits during unanticipated COD maneuvers following the functional fatigue protocol. Fatigue significantly impairs neuromuscular control, particularly in unanticipated COD situations, which increases the risk of non-contact ACL injuries. To mitigate this risk, coaches, trainers, and medical professionals should prioritize targeted training and injury prevention strategies, focusing on the non-dominant leg during unanticipated COD maneuvers.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) has unique and well-known functions in female fertility, according to documents reporting improved yield of oocytes, reinforced quality of the embryo, and enhanced live births with simultaneous reduction of miscarriage. However, there is no detailed information on the bio-mechanisms linking such clinical differences. The current review aims to scrutinize the performance of IGF to regulate the normal ovarian, and its impacts on cell signaling pathways and resulting alterations in steroidogenesis and cell proliferation. The function of IGF and its receptor has been reviewed in female fertility at both molecular and biochemical levels.

Background Melatonin, as a free radical scavenger exhibiting genomic actions, regulates the antioxidant genes expression and apoptosis mechanisms. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in follicular fluid leads to oxidative stress, aberrant folliculogenesis, and intrinsic defects in PCOS oocytes. In this experimental mouse model study, oocytes of PCOS and the control groups were cultured in different melatonin concentrations (10 − 5 , 10 − 6 , and 10 − 7  M) to investigate the expression of oocyte maturation-related genes ( Gdf9 / Bmp15 ), antioxidant-related genes ( Gpx1 / Sod1 ), apoptotic biomarkers ( Bcl2 / Bax ) and total intracellular ROS levels. Results Gdf9 and Bmp15 , Gpx1 and Sod1 were up-regulated in PCOS and control oocytes cultured in all melatonin concentrations compared to those cultured in IVM basal medium ( P  < 0.05). A significant decrease in the total ROS level was observed in all groups cultured in the supplemented cultures. Melatonin increased Bcl2 and decreased Bax gene expression in PCOS and control oocytes compared to non-treated oocytes. Conclusions Melatonin increased antioxidant gene expression and regulated the apoptosis pathway, effectively reducing the adverse effects of culture conditions on PCOS oocytes. Furthermore, it influenced the expression of oocyte maturation-related genes in PCOS, providing valuable support during the IVM process.

Bacterial cells communicate with host cells and other bacteria through the release of membrane vesicles known as bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEV). BEV are established mediators of intracellular signaling, stress tolerance, horizontal gene transfer, immune stimulation and pathogenicity. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria produce extracellular vesicles through different mechanisms based on cell structure. BEV contain and transfer different types of cargo such as nucleic acids, proteins and lipids, which are used to interact with and affect host cells such as cytotoxicity and immunomodulation. The role of these membranous microvesicles in host communication, intra- and inter-species cell interaction and signaling, and contribution to various diseases have been well demonstrated. Due to their structure, these vesicles can be easily engineered to be utilized for clinical application, as shown with its role in vaccine therapy, and could be used as a diagnostic and cancer drug delivery tool in the future. However, like other novel therapeutic approaches, further investigation and standardization is imperative for BEV to become a routine vector or a conventional treatment method.