https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/809 Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:19:56 GMT 2026-08-26T07:19:56Z https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1574 Human development, inequality, and their associations with brain structure across 29 countries Medel, Vicente; Alliende, Luz M.; Bethlehem, Richard; Seidlitz, Jakob; Ringlein, Grace; Arango, Celso; Arnatkevičiūtė, Aurina; Asmal, Laila; Bellgrove, Mark; Benegal, Vivek; Bernardo, Miquel; Billeke, Pablo; Bosch-Bayard, Jorge; Bressan, Rodrigo; Busatto, Geraldo; Chaim-Avancini, Tiffany; Costanzi, Monise; Castro, Mariana Nair; Villarreal, Mirta Fabiana Background: The macro-social and environmental conditions in which people live, such as the level of a country's development or inequality, are associated with brain-related disorders. However, the relationship between these systemic environmental factors and the brain remains unclear. We aimed to determine the association between the level of development and inequality of a country and the brain structure of healthy adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study pooling brain imaging (T1-based) data from 145 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in 7,962 healthy adults (4,110 women) in 29 different countries. We used a meta-regression approach to relate the brain structure to the country's level of development and inequality. Results: Higher human development was consistently associated with larger hippocampi and more expanded global cortical surface area, particularly in frontal areas. Increased inequality was most consistently associated with smaller hippocampal volume and thinner cortical thickness across the brain. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the macro-economic conditions of a country are reflected in its inhabitants' brains and may explain the different incidence of brain disorders across the world. The observed variability of brain structure in health across countries should be considered when developing tools in the field of personalized or precision medicine that are intended to be used across the world. Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1574 2025-07-16T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1548 Brucella abortus Infection Promotes Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Toward Adipogenesis, Enhancing the Proinflammatory Profile Freiberger, Rosa Nicole; López, Cynthia Alicia Marcela; Palma, María Belén; Cevallos, Cintia; Sviercz, Franco Agustin; Jarmoluk, Patricio; García, Marcela Nilda; Quarleri, Jorge; Delpino, M. Victoria The most common complication of active brucellosis in humans is osteoarticular injury. In the bone marrow microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into either adipocytes or osteoblasts, and this balance is tightly regulated because an increase in adipogenesis may negatively affect bone formation and favor bone loss. The differentiation of MSCs into adipocytes or osteoblasts is tightly regulated by mechanisms that promote cell fate toward one lineage while repressing the other. Our study demonstrated that Brucella abortus infects MSCs but does not affect the deposition of organic and mineral matrix during osteoblast differentiation. However, the infection upregulates Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Ligand (RANKL) expression in osteoblasts, which may contribute to osteoclast activation and bone resorption. Conversely, B. abortus infection significantly influences adipocyte differentiation by modulating lipolysis, lipogenesis, and interactions between lipid droplets and mitochondria. This leads to increased cellular cholesterol levels and reduced intracellular triglycerides, accompanied by glycerol release. These changes result in more differentiated adipocytes and larger lipid droplets. Consequently, we observed increased IL-6 secretion and a higher leptin/adiponectin ratio. Importantly, these effects were independent of a functional type IV secretion system (T4SS), as purified Brucella DNA fully reproduced the adipogenic phenotype. Moreover, inhibition of TLR9-the primary sensor of bacterial DNA-significantly reduced the DNA-induced adipogenic response, demonstrating that adipocyte modulation is at least in part mediated through TLR9 signaling. In summary, B. abortus promotes MSC differentiation toward an inflammatory adipocyte phenotype. It involves a TLR-9-mediated DNA detection. It may contribute to osteoarticular injury and infection-associated bone resorption. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1548 2026-04-23T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1538 15 years of longitudinal genetic, clinical, cognitive, imaging, and biochemical measures in DIAN Daniels, Alisha; McDade, Eric; Llibre Guerra, Jorge J.; Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network; Xiong, Chengjie; Perrin, Richard J.; Ibañez, Laura; Supnet Bell, Charlene; Cruchaga, Carlos; Goate, Alison M.; Renton, Alan E.; Benzinger, Tammie L.S.; Gordon, Brian A.; Hassenstab, Jason; Karch, Celeste M.; Levey, Allan I.; Morris, John C.; Buckles, Virginia; Allegri, Ricardo Francisco; Chrem Méndez, Patricio Alexis The Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Observational Study (DIAN Obs) is a longitudinal, global cohort study investigating brain aging and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD), a rare monogenic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Established in 2008 with support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), DIAN Obs is designed to collect comprehensive and uniform data with the aim to characterize brain biology and clinical trajectory of individuals at risk for ADAD. Mutations in the amyloid protein precursor (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), or presenilin 2 (PSEN2) genes cause ADAD with virtually full penetrance and a predictable age at symptomatic onset. Participants, both mutation carriers and non-carriers from affected families, undergo longitudinal clinical and cognitive assessments, neurologic and physical examinations, structural and functional neuro-imaging, and amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET). Biospecimens include cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, serum, and whole blood for biochemical, genetic and multi-omic analyses, with brain donation upon death. This dataset enables one of the most detailed longitudinal examinations of the human brain across the continuum from presymptomatic to symptomatic AD. The extensive DIAN Obs data and biospecimen repository provides a globally accessible resource to advance understanding of AD pathophysiology, aging, and the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1538 2026-02-16T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1498 Persistent memory in network topologies following temporary stimuli Sevlever, Federico; Waisman, Ariel; Miriuka, Santiago; Ventura, Alejandra C. Molecular memory in signaling and gene regulatory networks shapes how cells respond to transient inputs. Here, we present a mathematical framework to quantify memory as changes in system state after temporary stimulation. Using computational models, we show that circuits with positive feedback loops, particularly those enabling bistability, sustain long-term memory, while certain negative feedbacks can erase it. We further identify minimal network motifs that reliably confer memory, revealing symmetry between activating and inactivating mechanisms. In addition, oscillatory circuits can encode memory even without positive feedback, storing information in the phase of their oscillations. Applying this approach to mouse embryonic stem cells exposed to transient differentiation cues, we find that different genes display distinct degrees of memory retention, with some reflecting partial reversion and others indicating commitment to differentiation. This framework provides a unified way to compare memory across systems and highlights how circuit architecture influences information storage in biology. Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.fleni.org.ar/xmlui/handle/123456789/1498 2025-11-21T00:00:00Z