Crosstalk in the pathophysiological processes underpinning metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders have been the subject of extensive investigation, in which insulin signaling and autophagy impairment demonstrate to be a common factor in both conditions. Although it is still somewhat conflicting, pharmacological and genetic strategies that regulate these pathways may be a promising approach for aggregate protein clearancing and consequently the delaying of onset or progression of the disease. However, as the response due to this modulation seems to be time-dependent, finding the right regulation of autophagy may be a potential target for drug development for neurodegenerative diseases. In this way, this review focuses on the role of insulin signaling/resistance and autophagy in some neurodegenerative diseases, discussing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in these diseases.

We investigated the hypocholesterolemic and liver-protective effects of cooked and germinated whole mung beans. Hamsters were fed for 28 days on diets rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, differing only in protein source (20%): casein, cooked whole mung bean, and germinated mung bean. After 28 days, we found reduced plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, increased faecal cholesterol excretion, and reduced levels of asparagine aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzymes in the liver. Reduction in hepatic lipid deposition was observed between each of the mung bean groups relative to the casein group. In addition, the animals of the geminated mung bean group showed a lack of inflammatory infiltrate and better vascularisation of the hepatic tissue. Results from this study show significant hypocholesterolemic and liver-protective properties of the mung bean, which are further enhanced after germination.

We show that the assumption of a nontrivial zero band gap for a graphene sheet within an effective relativistic field theoretical model description of interacting Dirac electrons on the surface of graphene describes the experimental band gap of graphene nanoribbons for a wide range of widths. The graphene band gap is dynamically generated, corresponding to a nontrivial gapless solution, found in the limit of an infinitely wide graphene ribbon. The nanoribbon band gap is determined by the experimental graphene work function.

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Fifty-seven participants from various mental health centers and volunteers responding to an ad in a gay newspaper completed questionnaires designed to assess homophobia and self-esteem. Results indicated a significant relationship between homophobia and self-esteem. Moreover, it was found that gay males with AIDS displayed higher levels of homophobia and lower levels of self-esteem than healthy gay males. Results were interpreted employing attribution theory and self-theory.