Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that has a significant association with age. Despite its increasing incidence in the population, the etiology of the disease remains poorly understood, and there are currently no effective treatments readily available. The main genes that are associated with AD are the amyloid precursor protein, presenilin-1 and presenilin-2, as well as the apolipoprotein E gene. In addition to genetic factors, a wide range of environmental and lifestyle factors are equally characterized as risk factors for the development of AD, while non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and other epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in their detrimental effects. Multiple types of ncRNAs, such as microRNAs, circular RNAs, Piwi-interacting RNAs and long non-coding RNAs are being increasingly implicated in AD. Alterations in ncRNAs can be detected in cerebrospinal fluid, as well in as the brain, highlighting these as promising biomarkers for the detection and treatment of AD. Developments in high-throughput technologies have led to the so-called 'omics' era, which involves the collection of big data and information at both molecular and protein levels, while combining the development of novel computational and statistical tools capable of analyzing and filtering such data. The present review discusses the role of ncRNAs and their use as biomarkers for AD, and summarizes the findings from the application of omics technologies in AD.

Abstract. Background Emotions and coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is a significant public health issue, due to its high prevalence and mortality rate (1). A number of clinical and experimental studies indicate that strong emotions, especially negative emotions, such as hostility, anger, depression and anxiety, precipitate coronary heart disease (2, 3). On the one hand, coronary heart disease patients have difficulty in coping with stress and depression and experience negative emotions, like anger or frustration. On the other hand, positive emotions, especially hope, contribute to health benefits and lead to lower levels of coronary heart disease and other diseases (4-7).Stress is one of the most predisposing factors of people with coronary heart disease. Between 20% and 40% of all middle-aged women and men report stress-related symptoms in population studies (8). The relation between anxiety and coronary heart disease has been the subject of several studies, most of which indicate that stressful events are associated with coronary heart disease. Sudden and profound emotional stress, namely, death of relatives, domestic abuse, severe arguments, medical diagnoses, devastating financial loss, can trigger acute heart failure in individuals who are free from cardiac disease (9). Social relationships, size and 859 This article is freely accessible online.

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The nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily is comprised of transcription factors that are ligand-activated in their majority and play a pivotal role in biological functions that are essential for life, such as metabolism and homeostasis. Following activation, they undertake the regulation of the transcription of their target genes with the help of co-regulator proteins, rendering them very promising pharmacological targets. In total, 59 NRs have been discovered in several species of the Animalia kingdom, 20 of which are still orphan receptors. The present study aimed to further enlighten the evolutionary scenario that reveals the association between members of the NR superfamily. An updated evolutionary analysis was performed for the NR protein superfamily with the aim of clustering all the NRs, and discovering conserved regions and motifs that play major roles in their signaling pathway; the mechanisms of action were also investigated. The findings of the present study demonstrate a clear separation of the NR family in three majors monophyletic branches, the steroid hormone-related, the thyroid hormone-related and the retinoid X receptor-related clusters, from which, through evolution, may correspond to three ancestral NRs that were differentiated from a common ancestral NR.

RNA modifications have recently become the focus of attention due to their extensive regulatory effects in a vast array of cellular networks and signaling pathways. Just as epigenetics is responsible for the imprinting of environmental conditions on a genetic level, epitranscriptomics follows the same principle at the RNA level, but in a more dynamic and sensitive manner. Nevertheless, its impact in the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains largely unexplored. CVD and its associated pathologies remain the leading cause of death in Western populations due to the limited regenerative capacity of the heart. As such, maintenance of cardiac homeostasis is paramount for its physiological function and its capacity to respond to environmental stimuli. In this context, epitranscriptomic modifications offer a novel and promising therapeutic avenue, based on the fine-tuning of regulatory cascades, necessary for cardiac function. This review aimed to provide an overview of the most recent findings of key epitranscriptomic modifications in both coding and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, the methods used for their detection and important associations with genetic variations in the context of CVD were summarized. Current knowledge on cardiac epitranscriptomics, albeit limited still, indicates that the impact of epitranscriptomic editing in the heart, in both physiological and pathological conditions, holds untapped potential for the development of novel targeted therapeutic approaches in a dynamic manner.