Ultrastructural study of pollen and tapetum development in Hydrocleys nymphoides, Alisma plantago-aquatica, and Sagittaria montevidensis (Alismataceae).

The Alismataceae family, widely distributed across tropical temperate swamps and wetlands, includes 15 genera post-merger with Limnocharitaceae. In Argentina, six genera are represented across three clades. Embryological characters, notably the male gametophyte and anther, are crucial in taxonomy due to their stability against environmental changes. This study aims to analyze the ultrastructure of the tapetum and pollen grain development in three economically and ecologically important species representing each clade: Sagittaria montevidensis (Clade A), Hydrocleys nymphoides (Clade B), and Alisma plantago-aquatica (Clade C). Anthers at different developmental stages were processed according to classic techniques for their observation with bright-field and transmission electron microscopy. The three studied species within the Alismataceae family exhibit similar reproductive characteristics. Seven stages of pollen grain development were identified. The microsporogenesis is successive with a regular meiosis. The ultrastructure of the tapetal cells shows similarities to other species with plasmodial tapetum. During the microspore tetrad stage, there is tapetal hyperactivity and an increase in secretion processes. In the free microspore stage, the tapetal cells lose their walls and increase the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum forming a network of cisternae that extend into evaginations. Later cells completely invade the anther locule and fuse to form a tapetal plasmodium. No peritapetal membrane with orbicules was observed. Pollen is released at the tricellular stage. The pollen grain wall presents an ectexine with a basal layer, columellae, and tectum with supratectal spines while an endexine is not observed in any of the three species. This research enhances the understanding of tapetal cell interactions with developing pollen grains and contributes to the knowledge of the ultrastructure of plasmodial tapetum. Moreover, these findings highlight evolutionary reproductive patterns in Alismataceae, suggesting the plasmodial tapetum as a synapomorphy for the order.

The built environment is more predictive of cardiometabolic health than other aspects of lifestyle in two rapidly transitioning Indigenous populations.

Background: Many subsistence-level and Indigenous societies around the world are rapidly experiencing urbanization, nutrition transition, and integration into market-economies, resulting in marked increases in cardiometabolic diseases. Determining the most potent and generalized drivers of changing health is essential for identifying vulnerable communities and creating effective policies to combat increased chronic disease risk across socio-environmental contexts. However, comparative tests of how different lifestyle features affect the health of populations undergoing lifestyle transitions remain rare, and require comparable, integrated anthropological and health data collected in diverse contexts. Methods: We developed nine scales to quantify different facets of lifestyle (e.g., urban infrastructure, market-integration, acculturation) in two Indigenous, transitioning subsistence populations currently undergoing rapid change in very different ecological and sociopolitical contexts: Turkana pastoralists of northwest Kenya (n = 3,692) and Orang Asli mixed subsistence groups of Peninsular Malaysia (n = 688). We tested the extent to which these lifestyle scales predicted 16 measures of cardiometabolic health and compared the generalizability of each scale across the two populations. We used factor analysis to decompose comprehensive lifestyle data into salient axes without supervision, sensitivity analyses to understand which components of the multidimensional scales were most important, and sex-stratified analyses to understand how facets of lifestyle variation differentially impacted cardiometabolic health among males and females. Findings: Cardiometabolic health was best predicted by measures that quantified urban infrastructure and market-derived material wealth compared to metrics encompassing diet, mobility, or acculturation, and these results were highly consistent across both populations and sexes. Factor analysis results were also highly consistent between the Turkana and Orang Asli and revealed that lifestyle variation decomposes into two distinct axes-the built environment and diet-which change at different paces and have different relationships with health. Interpretation: Our analysis of comparable data from Indigenous peoples in East Africa and Southeast Asia revealed a surprising amount of generalizability: in both contexts, measures of local infrastructure and built environment are consistently more predictive of cardiometabolic health than other facets of lifestyle that are seemingly more proximate to health, such as diet. We hypothesize that this is because the built environment impacts unmeasured proximate drivers like physical activity, increased stress, and broader access to market goods, and serves as a proxy for the duration of time that communities have been market-integrated.

Specific cleavage of IGFBP-4 by papp-a in nervous tissue.

Astrocytes are subtypes of glial cells involved in metabolic, structural, homeostatic, and neuroprotective processes that help neurons maintain viability. Insulin-like growth factors IGF-1 and IGF-2 are known to have neuroprotective effects on neurons and glial cells through interaction with specific receptors. IGF forms a complex with IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) in nervous tissue and is released from the complex via IGFBP proteolysis by specific proteases. It has been reported that IGFBP-2, 5 and 6 are cleaved by specific proteases in the central nervous system (CNS), followed by IGF release; however, it was unknown whether IGFBP-4 was exposed to a particular proteolysis in nervous tissue. Using neurons and astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cell lines (hiPSC), as well as rat brain-sourced primary neuron-glia cultures, we demonstrated that IGFBP-4 is specifically cleaved in nervous tissue by the Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein A (PAPP-A) protease and that this cleavage is IGF-dependent. Our results indicate that astrocyte rather than neuron PAPP-A cleaves IGFBP-4 in nervous tissue suggesting that this may be one of the fundamental mechanisms for IGF interchange between these two types of cells.

Participation Patterns in Leisure Activities of 6- to 8-Year-Old Typically Developing Children in Relation to Their Motor Performance.

The average level of children's motor performance has decreased in the past decades. Therefore, it is important to identify risk- or enabling factors for motor performance. One such factor could be children's participation in leisure activities (LA). LA are non-obligatory and intrinsically motivated activities performed during free time. They include physical activities, such as individual and team sports and other types of activities, such as doing crafts, hanging out with friends, and playing musical instruments. The present study explores how participating in different combinations of LA (i.e. participation patterns) are related to children's motor performance using a person-centered approach. Ninety 6- to 8-year-old typically developing children (57.8% boys) were recruited from six Dutch primary schools. LA participation and motor performance were measured with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment questionnaire and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, respectively. Children were grouped in patterns using Cluster Analysis. Comparisons among patterns were performed with one-way multivariate analysis of variance. As hypothesized, children who participated in a greater variety of LA (i.e., higher participation diversity) and who engaged more frequently in each LA (i.e., higher participation intensity) scored better on manual dexterity, balance, and total motor performance compared to those with lower participation diversity and intensity. Based on these findings, coaches, physical educators, and parents should create opportunities for children to participate in a broad range of LA and to engage in these LA frequently.

Therapeutic targeting of RNA for neurological and neuromuscular disease.

Neurological and neuromuscular diseases resulting from familial, sporadic, or de novo mutations have devasting personal, familial, and societal impacts. As the initial product of DNA transcription, RNA transcripts and their associated ribonucleoprotein complexes provide attractive targets for modulation by increasing wild-type or blocking mutant allele expression, thus relieving downstream pathological consequences. Therefore, it is unsurprising that many existing and under-development therapeutics have focused on targeting disease-associated RNA transcripts as a frontline drug strategy for these genetic disorders. This review focuses on the current range of RNA targeting modalities using examples of both dominant and recessive neurological and neuromuscular diseases.

The Potential of Photodynamic Therapy Using Solid Lipid Nanoparticles with Aluminum Phthalocyanine Chloride as a Nanocarrier for Modulating Immunogenic Cell Death in Murine Melanoma In Vitro.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a photosensitizer to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that kill target cells. In cancer treatments, PDT can potentially induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), which is characterized by a well-controlled exposure of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that activate dendritic cells (DCs) and consequently modulate the immune response in the tumor microenvironment. However, PDT still has limitations, such as the activity of photosensitizers in aqueous media and poor bioavailability. Therefore, a new photosensitizer system, SLN-AlPc, has been developed to improve the therapeutic efficacy of PDT. In vitro experiments showed that the light-excited nanocarrier increased ROS production in murine melanoma B16-F10 cells and modulated the profile of DCs. PDT induced cell death accompanied by the exposure of DAMPs and the formation of autophagosomes. In addition, the DCs exposed to PDT-treated B16-F10 cells exhibited morphological changes, increased expression of MHCII, CD86, CD80, and production of IL-12 and IFN-γ, suggesting immune activation towards an antitumor profile. These results indicate that the SLNs-AlPc protocol has the potential to improve PDT efficacy by inducing ICD and activating DCs.

Protective Effect of Indole-3-Aldehyde in Murine COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental fungus recently included in the fungal high-priority pathogens by the World Health Organization. While immunodeficiency and/or pre-existing lung damage represent a well-recognized fertile ground for fungal growth, it is increasingly being recognized that severe viral infections may similarly favor A. fumigatus colonization and infection, as recently experienced in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Herein, in a murine model of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), obtained by the concomitant exposure to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein and A. fumigatus conidia, we found that the microbial compound indole-3-aldehyde (3-IAld) was able to ameliorate CAPA by working at multiple levels during viral infection and fungal superinfection, including epithelial barrier protection, promotion of antiviral responses, and limiting viral replication. As a consequence, 3-IAld limited the pathogenic sequelae of fungal superinfection as revealed by the controlled fungal burden and restrained inflammatory pathology. These results point to indole compounds as potential agents to prevent CAPA.

Immune gene regulation is associated with age and environmental adversity in a nonhuman primate.

Phenotypic aging is ubiquitous across mammalian species, suggesting shared underlying mechanisms of aging. Aging is linked to molecular changes to DNA methylation and gene expression, and environmental factors, such as severe external challenges or adversities, can moderate these age-related changes. Yet, it remains unclear whether environmental adversities affect gene regulation via the same molecular pathways as chronological, or 'primary', aging. Investigating molecular aging in naturalistic animal populations can fill this gap by providing insight into shared molecular mechanisms of aging and the effects of a greater diversity of environmental adversities - particularly those that can be challenging to study in humans or laboratory organisms. Here, we characterised molecular aging - specifically, CpG methylation - in a sample of free-ranging rhesus macaques living off the coast of Puerto Rico (n samples = 571, n individuals = 499), which endured a major hurricane during our study. Age was associated with methylation at 78,661 sites (31% of all sites tested). Age-associated hypermethylation occurred more frequently in areas of active gene regulation, while hypomethylation was enriched in regions that show less activity in immune cells, suggesting these regions may become de-repressed in older individuals. Age-associated hypomethylation also co-occurred with increased chromatin accessibility while hypermethylation showed the opposite trend, hinting at a coordinated, multi-level loss of epigenetic stability during aging. We detected 32,048 CpG sites significantly associated with exposure to a hurricane, and these sites overlapped age-associated sites, most strongly in regulatory regions and most weakly in quiescent regions. Together, our results suggest that environmental adversity may contribute to aging-related molecular phenotypes in regions of active gene transcription, but that primary aging has specific signatures in non-regulatory regions.

A systems approach to multilingual language attitudes: A case study of Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Purpose: People are shaped holistically by dynamic and interrelated individual and social-ecological systems. This perspective has been discussed in the context of varied aspects of bilingual experiences, namely language acquisition and development. Here, we applied a Systems Framework of Bilingualism to language attitudes, which may be especially responsive to social-ecological influences. Methodology: One hundred twenty-three French-English bilingual adults (M age = 21.20, SD = 3.21) completed self-report questionnaires on demographic information and their attitudes toward languages. A subset of these bilinguals (n = 73) completed a social network survey. Data and analysis: We used language-tagged social network analysis and geospatial demographic analysis to examine the role of individual characteristics (i.e., first language), interpersonal language dynamics (i.e., person-to-person interactions), and ecological language dynamics (i.e., neighborhood language exposure). Findings and Conclusions: At an individual level, we found that bilinguals' language background (i.e., first language) predicted attitudes of solidarity toward a language (i.e., whether a language is associated with personal identity and belongingness). When considering sociolinguistic layers of influence, we found that bilinguals' social network and neighborhood-level language exposure jointly predicted their attitudes of solidarity toward a language, as well as their attitudes toward the protection of minority languages. Originality: While most studies have examined language experience in a unidimensional nature, the present study investigated multilingual language attitudes by considering multiple systems within a social-ecological framework. Implications: Taken together, the results suggest that several interrelated interpersonal and ecological systems are associated with language attitudes, which could have important implications for planning future language policies in multilingual societies such as Montréal.

Competing Risks Analysis of Kidney Transplant Waitlist Outcomes: Two Important Statistical Perspectives.

Modern competing risks analysis has 2 primary goals in clinical epidemiology as follows: (i) to maximize the clinician's knowledge of etiologic associations existing between potential predictor variables and various cause-specific outcomes via cause-specific hazard models, and (ii) to maximize the clinician's knowledge of noteworthy differences existing in cause-specific patient risk via cause-specific subdistribution hazard models (cumulative incidence functions [CIFs]). A perfect application exists in analyzing the following 4 distinct outcomes after listing for a deceased donor kidney transplant (DDKT): (i) receiving a DDKT, (ii) receiving a living donor kidney transplant (LDKT), (iii) waitlist removal due to patient mortality or a deteriorating medical condition, and (iv) waitlist removal due to other reasons. It is important to realize that obtaining a complete understanding of subdistribution hazard ratios (HRs) is simply not possible without first having knowledge of the multivariable relationships existing between the potential predictor variables and the cause-specific hazards (perspective #1), because the cause-specific hazards form the "building blocks" of CIFs. In addition, though we believe that a worthy and practical alternative to estimating the median waiting-time-to DDKT is to ask, "what is the conditional probability of the patient receiving a DDKT, given that he or she would not previously experience one of the competing events (known as the cause-specific conditional failure probability)," only an appropriate estimator of this conditional type of cumulative incidence should be used (perspective #2). One suggested estimator, the well-known "one minus Kaplan-Meier" approach (censoring competing events), simply does not represent any probability in the presence of competing risks and will almost always produce biased estimates (thus, it should never be used).

Comparative Analysis of High-Frequency and Low-Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation of the Right Median Nerve in the Regression of Clinical and Neurophysiological Manifestations of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Background/Objectives: The anxiolytic effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is associated with the activation of endogenous inhibitory mechanisms in the central nervous system. Both low-frequency, high-amplitude TENS (LF-TENS) and high-frequency, low-amplitude TENS (HF-TENS) are capable of activating opioid, GABA, serotonin, muscarinic, and cannabinoid receptors. However, there has been no comparative analysis of the effectiveness of HF-TENS and LF-TENS in the treatment of GAD. The purpose of our research was to study the effectiveness of direct HF-TENS and LF-TENS of the right median nerve in the treatment of patients with GAD compared with sham TENS. Methods: The effectiveness of direct HF-TENS and LF-TENS of the right median nerve in the treatment of GAD was studied using Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). 40 patients underwent sham TENS, 40 patients passed HF-TENS (50 Hz-50 µs-sensory response) and 41 patients completed LF -TENS (1 Hz-200 µs-motor response) for 30 days daily. After completion of treatment, half of the patients received weekly maintenance therapy for 6 months. Electroencephalography was performed before and after treatment. Results: Our study showed that a significant reduction in the clinical symptoms of GAD as assessed by GAD-7 and HAM-A was observed after HF-TENS and LF-TENS by an average of 42.4%, and after sham stimulation only by 13.5% for at least 2 months after the end of treatment. However, LF-TENS turned out to be superior in effectiveness to HF-TENS by 51% and only on electroencephalography leads to an increase in PSD for the alpha rhythm in the occipital regions by 24% and a decrease in PSD for the beta I rhythm in the temporal and frontal regions by 28%. The prolonged effect of HF-TENS and LF-TENS was maintained without negative dynamics when TENS treatment was continued weekly throughout the entire six-month observation period. Conclusions: A prolonged anxiolytic effect of direct TENS of the right median nerve has been proven with greater regression of clinical and neurophysiological manifestations of GAD after LF-TENS compared to HF-TENS. Minimal side effects, low cost, safety, and simplicity of TENS procedures are appropriate as a home treatment modality.

No-load resistance training as a promising alternative to stop detraining period due to covid-19 lockdown in older adults - Case report.

Restrictions to control the COVID-19 pandemic have caused older adults to stop their usual activities, including physical exercises. The novel approach of isometric no-load resistance training (NLRT) can be an interesting alternative to conventional training to oppose the harmful effects of detraining. We described the design and preliminary evaluation of an eight-week, twice-weekly NLRT program for older adults returning to strength training programs after COVID-19 lockdown. An older woman (66 years, 61.9kg, 158.5cm) and an older man (66 years, 84.1kg, 166.5cm) who were engaged in conventional strength training programs before the first COVID-19 lockdown participated in this case study. We collected muscle thickness measures using a B-mode ultrasound imaging and maximum isometric torque using an isokinetic dynamometer. Our results revealed that NLRT seems to be a good alternative to increase muscle thickness of knee and elbow flexors and extensors muscles in older adults. However, NLRT effects were inconsistent for maximum torque.

Sustainable extraction of proteins from lime peels using ultrasound, deep eutectic solvents, and pressurized liquids, as a source of bioactive peptides.

The aim of this work was to develop, for the first time, sustainable strategies, based on the use of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, and Pressurized Liquid Extraction, to extract proteins from lime (Citrus x latifolia) peels and to evaluate their potential to release bioactive peptides. PLE showed the largest extraction of proteins (66-69%), which were hydrolysed using three different enzymes (Alcalase 2.4 L FG, Alcalase®PURE 2.4 L, and Thermolysin). The in vitro antioxidant and antihypertensive activities of released peptides were evaluated. Although all hydrolysates showed antioxidant and antihypertensive activity, the hydrolysate obtained with Thermolysin showed the most significant values. Since the Total Phenolic Content in all hydrolysates was low, peptides were likely the main contributors to these bioactivities. Hydrolysates were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS and a total of 98 different peptides were identified. Most of these peptides were rich in amino acids associated with antioxidant activity.

T-wave Peak-to-End Changes Quantified by Time-Warping Predicts Ventricular Fibrillation in a Porcine Myocardial Infarction Model.

BACKGROUND: The T-peak-to-T-end ( Tpe) interval has shown potential in predicting ventricular arrhythmic risk. It is an appealing index to be measured during ischemia since it is less influenced by ST-segment changes than the early part of the T wave. A time-warping-based index, derived from a spatially transformed PCA lead, [Formula: see text], quantifying changes in the Tpe morphology, has previously demonstrated utility in tracking repolarization changes induced by a 5-minute ischemia model in humans. The value of [Formula: see text] as a predictor of ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes is assessed in a porcine model of myocardial ischemia with ischemia maintained for 40 minutes. METHODS: From 32 pigs undergoing a coronary occlusion, pre-occlusion and occlusion ECG recordings from 10 pigs suffering a VF episode after 10 min of occlusion (Delayed VF) and 16 that did not had any episode during the recording were analyzed. The [Formula: see text] series was measured by comparing Tpe morphologies at different stages of the occlusion relative to the peak-to-end morphology of a baseline T-wave. RESULTS: During baseline, [Formula: see text] remained stationary with an intra-recording median [IQR] value of 1.60 [1.33] ms. During artery occlusion, [Formula: see text] followed a well-marked gradual increasing trend as ischemia progressed, reaching a median of 14.58 [17.72] ms. [Formula: see text] averages were significantly higher ( ) in the VF group than in the Non-VF group at time intervals 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25 min after occlusion onset and at 10-15, 5-10 and 5-0 minutes prior to VF episode, with median values of 12.5, 18.8, 26.8, 24.0, 31.0, 18.6, 25.0 and 28.8 vs 6.3, 7.6, 8.0, 7.8, 7.8, 8.5, 7.2 and 6.0 ms, respectively. The [Formula: see text] interval was also significantly higher in the VF group at all analyzed time periods, but with a lower significance level. Pigs with maximum [Formula: see text] ≥ 20.0 ms and [Formula: see text] ≥ 85.4 ms had significantly higher risk for VF occurring in the early 5-10 minutes interval, with 90.0%/75.0% and 80.0%/69.0% sensitivity/specificity, respectively. Univariate Cox analysis yielded hazard ratios of 12.5 for [Formula: see text] vs 5.5 for [Formula: see text]. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The time-warping-based index, [Formula: see text], is a stronger VF predictor than [Formula: see text] during ischemia in a porcine model, advising for further clinical exploration studies in humans.

Ethnic Aspects of Valproic Acid P-Oxidation.

The safety of the use of psychotropic drugs, widely used in neurological and psychiatric practice, is an urgent problem in personalized medicine. This narrative review demonstrated the variability in allelic frequencies of low-functioning and non-functional single nucleotide variants in genes encoding key isoenzymes of valproic acid P-oxidation in the liver across different ethnic/racial groups. The sensitivity and specificity of pharmacogenetic testing panels for predicting the rate of metabolism of valproic acid by P-oxidation can be increased by prioritizing the inclusion of the most common risk allele characteristic of a particular population (country).

Comparative analysis of the processes involved in the loss of elaiophores in two species of the christianelloid clade (Malpighiaceae).

Alicia anisopetala and Callaeum psilophyllum are two closely related species that belong to the christianelloid clade of the family Malpighiaceae. Both species are pollinated by oil-collecting bees and exhibit variations at specimen and population level in the number of elaiophores per flower. These floral glands that secrete non-volatile oils constitute an ancestral trait for the family. There is evidence that the observed variations in the number of elaiophores can be the result of processes of connation or reduction associated with differences in their vascularization. In order to identify which process occurs in each species, we conducted an anatomical study in natural populations of both species distributed along a wide range of their geographical distributions in Argentina. We collected flowers of different individuals, counted the number of elaiophores per flower, carried out exomorphological observations, and used conventional histological techniques to examine the vascularization of these glands. The floral anatomy of both species does not show any modifications in other whorls related to the fusion or reduction of elaiophores. Our results indicate that the process of loss of elaiophores in A. anisopetala is caused by incomplete connation and in C. psilophyllum by reduction, suggesting that the processes that lead to the loss of elaiophores in Malpighiaceae are homoplastic and would not reflect phylogenetic signals.

Chemical defence of a centipede (Clinopodes flavidus).

Chemical substances are of utmost importance for the biotic interactions between animals and their predators/parasites; many of these semiochemicals are emitted for defence purposes. One of the most deterrent and toxic biogenic substances we know of is hydrogen cyanide, which can be stored by certain insects, millipedes, centipedes and arachnids in the form of stable and less volatile molecules. The aim of this study was to analyse the biology and chemistry of such a defence mechanism in a geophilomorph centipede (Chilopoda). The cyanogenic secretion of Clinopodes flavidus is discharged from the ventral glands, whose glandular units are located in the space between the cuticle and the trunk muscles and do not extend deep into the segment. In addition to hydrogen cyanide, the ventral secretion contains 2-methylpentanoic acid, benzaldehyde, benzoyl cyanide, 2-methyl branched C-9 carboxylic acid (tentatively identified as 2-methyloctanoic acid), methyl 2-phenylacetate, benzoic acid and mandelonitrile as well as four major proteins with a molecular weight of 150, 66.2, 59 and 55 kDa. The correlation between the presence of ventral glands and guarding with the female's ventral side facing away from the eggs and young indicates a functional link between these two traits. We hope that the specificity of the chemical composition of the ventral secretion could serve as a criterion for chemotaxonomy and that the analysis of more species will help to clarify the phylogenetic relationships within the Geophilomorpha.

Optimizing the kidney donor pool: transplanting donor kidneys after partial nephrectomy of masses or cysts.

Background: A limiting factor in expanding the kidney donor pool is donor kidneys with renal tumors or cysts. Partial nephrectomy (PN) to remove these lesions prior to transplantation may help optimize organ usage without recurrence of malignancy or increased risk of complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all recipients of a living or deceased donor graft between February 2009 and October 2022 in which a PN was performed prior to transplant due to the presence of one or more concerning growths. Donor and recipient demographics, perioperative data, donor allograft pathology, and recipient outcomes were obtained. Results: Thirty-six recipients received a graft in which a PN was performed to remove suspicious masses or cysts prior to transplant. Majority of pathologies turned out to be a simple renal cyst (65%), followed by renal cell carcinoma (15%), benign multilocular cystic renal neoplasm (7.5%), angiomyolipoma (5%), benign renal tissue (5%), and papillary adenoma (2.5%). No renal malignancy recurrences were observed during the study period (median follow-up: 67.2 months). Fourteen complications occurred among 11 patients (30.6% overall) during the first 6mo post-transplant. Mean eGFR (± standard error) at 36 months post-transplant was 51.9 ± 4.2 ml/min/1.73 m2 (N = 23). Three death-censored graft losses and four deaths with a functioning graft and were observed. Conclusion: PN of renal grafts with suspicious looking masses or cysts is a safe option to optimize organ usage and decrease the kidney non-use rate, with no observed recurrence of malignancy or increased risk of complications.