Proteomic profile of vitrified in vitro-produced bovine embryos (Bos taurus indicus).

BACKGROUND: The proteomic profile of cryopreserved in vitro produced bovine embryos is little known but can provide insights on the successful application of cryo procedures in support of animal breeding. OBJECTIVE: To identify embryonic proteins and biomarkers related to improved cryotolerance of vitrified in vitro produced bovine embryos. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proteins were isolated from embryo pools (n = 25 embryos per replicate) and analyzed using the nanoLC - MS/MS system. Further, the UniProtKB database (Uniprot -http://www.uniprot.org/) was used for protein identification. Proteins were classified based on their molecular mass, isoelectric point, and enzymatic activity. Post-translational modification predictions and functional gene ontology analysis were performed as well. Finally, a protein-protein interaction network was created to shed light on the embryo interactome. RESULTS: Based on the MS/MS approach, 66 proteins were identified from vitrified Bos taurus embryos. The retrieved proteins were presumably annotated, which allowed a description of the qualitative and functional aspects of the embryo proteome after the vitrification process. CONCLUSION: These findings allowed us to conclude that in vitro-produced vitrified embryos expressed proteins that underlie biological processes related to reproduction, stress and lipid metabolic process, which are essential to maintain embryo viability. doi.org/10.54680/fr22410110512.

The efficacy of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives in controlling the fungus Ilyonectria liriodendri, the causative agent of black foot disease in grapevines.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficiency of derivatives of 8-Hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) in controlling the fungus Ilyonectria liriodendri. METHODS AND RESULTS: The in vitro tests consisted of assessing its susceptibility to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the inhibition of mycelial growth. While the in vivo tests consisted of applying and assessing the most effective products for the protection of wounds, in both preventive + curative and curative forms. The MIC values for PH 151 (6·25 µg ml-1 ) showed better results when compared to the fungicides tebuconazole (>50 µg ml-1 ) and mancozeb (12·5 µg ml-1 for strain 176 and 25 µg ml-1 for strain 1117). PH 151 significantly inhibited mycelial growth, while mancozeb did not differ from the control. In in vivo tests, PH 151 again demonstrated excellent results in vitro, especially when applied preventively. CONCLUSIONS: The derivative of 8HQ PH 151 was effective in controlling the fungus I. liriodendri in vitro and proved to be a promising option for protecting wounds. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study points to the prospect of an effective and safe preventive antifungal product, which would enable the use of pesticides in vine culture to be reduced.

Topology-induced dynamics in a network of synthetic oscillators with piecewise affine approximation.

In synthetic biology approaches, minimal systems are used to reproduce complex molecular mechanisms that appear in the core functioning of multi-cellular organisms. In this paper, we study a piecewise affine model of a synthetic two-gene oscillator and prove existence and stability of a periodic solution for all parameters in a given region. Motivated by the synchronization of circadian clocks in a cluster of cells, we next consider a network of N identical oscillators under diffusive coupling to investigate the effect of the topology of interactions in the network's dynamics. Our results show that both all-to-all and one-to-all coupling topologies may introduce new stable steady states in addition to the expected periodic orbit. Both topologies admit an upper bound on the coupling parameter that prevents the generation of new steady states. However, this upper bound is independent of the number of oscillators in the network and less conservative for the one-to-all topology.

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficiency of Extenders Added to Thawed Stallion Semen.

BACKGROUND: Addition of extenders to thawed semen could improve fertility. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficiency of extenders to increase viability of thawed semen, measured by sperm parameters in vitro and pregnancy rates after artificial insemination (AI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sperm motility and acrosin activity were measured during a thermoresistance test (TRT). RESULTS: Progressive motility decreased (P<0.05) after 30 min in thawing semen treated with saline solution (SS) and only after 60 min with Tyrode's solution (TS) or freezing diluent (FD). The total motility decreased (P<0.05) after 60 min in thawed semen treated with SS, and after 90 min in thawed semen containing TS or FD. The acrosin activity decreased (P<0.05) after 60 min during the TRT, but there was no difference among treatments throughout the TRT. The pregnancy rates were similar among thawed-semen supplemented with SS, TS or FD. CONCLUSION: The extenders neither improve sperm parameters nor enhance AI results.

Temporal expression of pluripotency-associated transcription factors in sheep and cattle preimplantation embryos.

SummaryPluripotency-associated transcription factors (PATFs) modulate gene expression during early mammalian embryogenesis. Despite a strong understanding of PATFs during mouse embryogenesis, limited progress has been made in ruminants. This work aimed to describe the temporal expression of eight PATFs during both sheep and cattle preimplantation development. Transcript availability of PATFs was evaluated by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in eggs, cleavage-stage embryos, morulae, and blastocysts. Transcripts of five genes were detected in all developmental stages of both species (KLF5, OCT4, RONIN, ZFP281, and ZFX). Furthermore, CMYC was detected in all cattle samples but was found from cleavage-stage onwards in sheep. In contrast, NR0B1 was detected in all sheep samples but was not detected in cattle morulae. GLIS1 displayed the most significant variation in temporal expression between species, as this PATF was only detected in cattle eggs and sheep cleavage-stage embryos and blastocysts. In silico analysis suggested that cattle and sheep PATFs share similar size, isometric point and molecular weight. A phenetic analysis showed two patterns of PATF clustering between cattle and sheep, among several mammalian species. In conclusion, the temporal expression of pluripotency-associated transcription factors differs between sheep and cattle, suggesting species-specific regulation during preimplantation development.

Porcine sperm vitrification II: Spheres method.

Owing to current problems in boar sperm cryopreservation, this study proposes to evaluate vitrification in spheres as an alternative cryopreservation procedure, comparing the use or not of permeable cryoprotectants and two warming methods. Extended (n = 3; r = 4) and raw (n = 5; r = 2) porcine spermatozoa were diluted in media, in the absence or presence of either 4% dimethylformamide or 4% glycerol, to a final concentration of 5 × 106  spermatozoa/ml and vitrified using the spheres method. Two warming procedures were evaluated: a rapid method (30 s at 37°C) and an ultrarapid method (7 s at 75°C, followed by 30 s at 37°C). Percentages of total motility (phase contrast), membrane function (hypo-osmotic swelling test), acrosome integrity (phase contrast), sperm viability (6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide stain), chromatin condensation (toluidine blue stain) and chromatin susceptibility to acid denaturation (acridine orange stain) were evaluated in the samples before and after vitrification. Results, analysed using Friedman's test, suggest that rapid warming of raw porcine spermatozoa vitrified without permeable cryoprotectants may preserve DNA condensation and integrity better than the other processing methods studied in this work. Hence, porcine sperm vitrification using spheres could be used to produce embryos with ICSI to further validate this method.

Porcine sperm vitrification I: cryoloops method.

The aims of this study were to evaluate porcine sperm vitrification in cryoloops, with and without two different cryoprotectants and assess two warming procedures. Extended (n = 3; r = 4) and raw (n = 5; r = 2) semen was diluted in media without and with cryoprotectants (4% dimethylformamide and 4% glycerol) to a final concentration of 20 × 106 spermatozoa ml-1 and vitrified using the cryoloops method. Two warming procedures were evaluated: rapid method (30 s at 37°C) and an ultra-rapid method (7 s at 75°C, followed by 30 s at 37°C). Total motility (phase contrast), sperm viability (6-carboxifluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide stain), membrane function (hypo-osmotic swelling test), acrosome integrity (phase contrast), chromatin condensation (toluidine blue stain) and chromatin susceptibility to acid denaturation (acridine orange stain) were evaluated before and after vitrification and analysed using Friedman's test. In all media, the only seminal parameters that were maintained after vitrification were chromatin condensation and integrity. Vitrification of porcine spermatozoon using cryoloops, both in the presence or absence of cryoprotectants and independent of the warming procedure used, permits conservation of sperm chromatin condensation and integrity. It would be interesting to further verify this by producing porcine embryos using vitrified spermatozoon with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Genotype x environment interaction and stability of soybean cultivars for vegetative-stage characters.

In order to obtain the certificate of cultivar protection, it is necessary to prove its distinctiveness, homogeneity, and stability. Currently, there are 37 descriptors for differentiating soybeans cultivars. However, they are still not enough and, as a result, it is necessary to create, identify, and evaluate new descriptors. This study was aimed at evaluating the genotypic and environment interaction (GxE) and determining the stability of eight soybean cultivars for five vegetative-stage descriptors. The research was done in a greenhouse of the Soybean Breeding and Genetic Studies Program of Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. The treatments were composed of eight soybean cultivars, sown in two different growing seasons (January 25, 2014 and November 27, 2014). The experiments were carried out in randomized complete blocks with three replications and each experimental plot consisted of one pot with four soybean plants. The characters evaluated were: length of hypocotyl (LH), length of epicotyl (LE), length of unifoliolate leaf petiole (LUP), length of first trifoliate leaf petiole (LTLP), and rachis length of terminal leaflet of the first trifoliate leaf (RL). The data achieved from the trials were undergone genetic-statistical analyses by the GENES software. For all analyzed characters, the existence of genetic variability was observed emphasizing the vegetative-stage descriptors' utility to differentiate soybean cultivars. The occurrence of GxE interaction was detected for all characters assessed, mainly of complex nature, except by RL, which was of simple nature. The most stable cultivars for the vegetative-stage descriptors analysed were UFUS 7415 and UFUS Impacta.

BRAF Mutation Status Concordance Between Primary Cutaneous Melanomas and Corresponding Metastases: A Review of the Latest Evidence. / Concordancia mutacional de BRAF entre melanoma primario cutáneo y sus correspondientes metástasis. Revisión de la evidencia actual.

The identification of B-Raf proto-oncongene (BRAF) mutation and the emergence of targeted therapy marked a turning point in the treatment of melanoma. The study of mutation status concordance between primary tumors and metastases in this cancer has major treatment implications as it facilitates the selection of candidates for targeted therapy. This review analyzes the evidence on the level of mutation status concordance between primary tumors and different types of metastases in cutaneous melanoma and provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods used to detect BRAF mutations.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate protects renal cell lines against amphotericin B toxicity in a PKA-independent manner.

Amphotericin B is the "gold standard" agent in the management of serious systemic fungal infections. However, this drug can cause nephrotoxicity, which contributes up to 25% of all acute kidney injuries in critically ill patients. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate can protect kidney cells from death due to injury or drug exposure in some cases. Hence, the objective of this work was to evaluate if cAMP could prevent cell death that occurs in renal cell lines subjected to AmB treatment and, if so, to assess the involvement of PKA in the transduction of this signal. Two different renal cell lines (LLC-PK1 and MDCK) were used in this study. MTT and flow cytometry assays showed increased cell survival when cells were exposed to cAMP in a PKA-independent manner, which was confirmed by western blot. This finding suggests that cAMP (db-cAMP) may prevent cell death caused by exposure to AmB. This is the first time this effect has been identified when renal cells are exposed to AmB's nephrotoxic potential.

Responses of fish assemblages of sandy beaches to different anthropogenic and hydrodynamic influences.

This study tested whether some attributes of the diversity, communities and populations of surf-zone fish assemblages varied with different hydrodynamic and anthropogenic influences at four Guanabara Bay sandy beaches: Dentro (sheltered with limited human access), Fora (exposed with limited human access), Urca (sheltered with unlimited human access) and Vermelha (exposed with unlimited human access), between autumn 2011 and summer 2012. Twenty-nine species and 1613 individuals were recorded from 76 trawls. The 10 most abundant species accounted for 94·5% of the total number, but only four species (Diplodus argenteus, Harengula clupeola, Sardinella brasiliensis and Sphoeroides greeleyi) were recorded at all four beaches, revealing a high level of species substitution. Fish assemblages differed not only for diversity attributes, but also at community and population levels, with lower values of the Shannon-Wiener index, richness and total fish abundance and biomass at Vermelha beach, and higher densities of Trachinotus carolinus, Atherinella brasiliensis and S. greeleyi related to beaches with high anthropogenic influence. The findings reveal that fish assemblages of Dentro, Fora, Urca and Vermelha beaches differed not only in response to hydrodynamic influences, but also due to the effects of different degrees of human interference (i.e. presence of solid residues, population density and fishing impacts), emphasizing the importance of the sheltered and less anthropogenically affected beaches, as spawning, nursery and growth areas.

Consanguinity and founder effect for Gaucher disease mutation G377S in a population from Tabuleiro do Norte, Northeastern Brazil.

Gaucher's disease (GD) is caused by a ß-glucocerebrosidase deficiency, leading to the accumulation of glucocerebroside in the reticuloendothelial system. The prevalence of GD in Tabuleiro do Norte (TN) (1:4000) is the highest in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to present evidence of consanguinity and founder effect for the G377S mutation (c.1246G>A) among GD patients in TN based on enzyme, molecular and genealogical studies. Between March 2009 and December 2010, 131 subjects at risk for GD (GC in dried blood ≤2.19 nmol/h/ml) and 5 confirmed GD patients from the same community were submitted for molecular analysis to characterize the genetic profile of the population. Based on the enzymatic and molecular analysis, the subjects were classified into three categories: affected (n = 5), carrier (n = 20) and non-carrier (n = 111). All carriers were (G377S/wt). Affected subjects were homozygous (G377S/G377S). The identification of a single mutation in carriers and homozygotes from different generations, the history of the community and the genealogy study suggest that the high prevalence of GD in this population may be due to a combination of consanguinity and founder effect for the G377S mutation.

Polyols in grape berry: transport and metabolic adjustments as a physiological strategy for water-deficit stress tolerance in grapevine.

Polyols are important metabolites that often function as carbon and energy sources and/or osmoprotective solutes in some plants. In grapevine, and in the grape berry in particular, the molecular aspects of polyol transport and metabolism and their physiological relevance are virtually unknown to date. Here, the biochemical function of a grapevine fruit mesocarp polyol transporter (VvPLT1) was characterized after its heterologous expression in yeast. This H(+)-dependent plasma membrane carrier transports mannitol (K m=5.4mM) and sorbitol (K m=9.5mM) over a broad range of polyols and monosaccharides. Water-deficit stress triggered an increase in the expression of VvPLT1 at the fully mature stage, allowing increased polyol uptake into pulp cells. Plant polyol dehydrogenases are oxireductases that reversibly oxidize polyols into monosaccharides. Mannitol catabolism in grape cells (K m=30.1mM mannitol) and mature berry mesocarps (K m=79mM) was, like sorbitol dehydrogenase activity, strongly inhibited (50-75%) by water-deficit stress. Simultaneously, fructose reduction into polyols via mannitol and sorbitol dehydrogenases was stimulated, contributing to their higher intracellular concentrations in water-deficit stress. Accordingly, the concentrations of mannitol, sorbitol, galactinol, myo-inositol, and dulcitol were significantly higher in berry mesocarps from water-deficit-stressed Tempranillo grapevines. Metabolomic profiling of the berry pulp by GC-TOF-MS also revealed many other changes in its composition induced by water deficit. The impact of polyols on grape berry composition and plant response to water deficit stress, via modifications in polyol transport and metabolism, was analysed by integrating metabolomics with transcriptional analysis and biochemical approaches.

Hemocytes of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae): Characterization, Population Abundance, and Ultrastructural Changes Following Challenge with Leishmania infantum.

Few studies have examined the cellular immune response of ticks, and further research on the characterization of the hemocytes of ticks is required, particularly on those of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) because of the medical and veterinary importance of this tick. The aims of this study were to characterize the morphology and the ultrastructure of the different types of hemocytes of adult R. sanguineus and to determine the population abundance and the ultrastructural changes in the hemocytes of ticks infected with Leishmania infantum. The hemocytes were characterized through light and transmission electron microscopy. Within the variability of circulating cells in the hemolymph of adult R. sanguineus, five cell types were identified, which were the prohemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, spherulocytes, and adipohemocytes. The prohemocytes were the smallest cells found in the hemolymph. The plasmatocytes had polymorphic morphology with vesicles and cytoplasmic projections. The granulocytes had an elliptical shape with the cytoplasm filled with granules of different sizes and electrodensities. The spherulocytes were characterized by several spherules of uniform shapes and sizes that filled the entire cytoplasm, whereas the adipohemocytes had an irregular shape with multiple lipid inclusions that occupied almost the entire cytoplasmic space. The total counts of the hemocyte population increased in the group that was infected with L. infantum. Among the different cell types, the numbers increased and the ultrastructural changes occurred in the granulocytes and the plasmatocytes in the infected group of ticks.

Environmental factors in benign migratory glossitis and psoriasis: retrospective study of the association of emotional stress and alcohol and tobacco consumption with benign migratory glossitis and cutaneous psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: The association between benign migratory glossitis (BMG) and psoriasis (PS) has been reported in the literature. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determinate the environmental factors related to BMG and PS and to investigate their interactions. METHODS: The study population included 129 patients with PS, 399 patients with BMG and a control group (CG) of 5472 individuals with neither PS nor BMG. The environmental factors evaluated in this study included alcohol and tobacco consumption and emotional stress. The Pearson's chi-squared test was used for analysing the association of the environmental factors with PS and BMG. RESULTS: The prevalence of alcohol consumption in the PS group was significantly higher than that in the CG. Tobacco consumption had a weak negative association with the BMG group. With respect to the PS group, no statistically significant association was observed. Emotional stress was the most important factor in the two study groups. Emotional stress and alcohol use together presented a higher incidence in the study groups than in the CG. Emotional stress and tobacco consumption together had a three times higher incidence in the PS group than in the BMG group. The association of emotional stress, alcohol and tobacco consumption in the PS group was four times higher than that in the CG. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by the lack of the information about frequency, type and length time of use of tobacco and alcohol, and by difficult to measure stress thought self-report questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The interactions between PS and environmental factors differ from those between BMG and environmental factors. These differences among interactions may be responsible for different forms of manifestations of these diseases, considering being both the same disease.

Alteration in cellular viability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide production in nephrotoxicity generation by Amphotericin B: involvement of PKA pathway signaling.

Amphotericin B is one of the most effective antifungal agents; however, its use is often limited owing to adverse effects, especially nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of inhibiting the PKA signaling pathway in nephrotoxicity using Amphotericin B from the assessment of cell viability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) production in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cell lines. Amphotericin B proved to be cytotoxic for both cell lines, as assessed by the mitochondrial enzyme activity (MTT) assay; caused DNA fragmentation, determined by flow cytometry using the propidium iodide (PI) dye; and activated the PKA pathway (western blot assay). In MDCK cells, the inhibition of the PKA signaling pathway (using the H89 inhibitor) caused a significant reduction in DNA fragmentation. In both cells lines the production of interleukin-6 (IL)-6 proved to be a dependent PKA pathway, whereas tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was not influenced by the inhibition of the PKA pathway. The NO production was increased when cells were pre-incubated with H89 followed by Amphotericin B, and this production produced a dependent PKA pathway in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cells lines. Therefore, considering the present study's results as a whole, it can be concluded that the inhibition of the PKA signaling pathway can aid in reducing the degree of nephrotoxicity caused by Amphotericin B.

Role of protein kinase A signaling pathway in cyclosporine nephrotoxicity.

Cyclosporine is an important immunosuppressive agent; however, nephrotoxicity is one of the main adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of inhibiting the protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in nephrotoxicity caused by cyclosporine from the assessment of cell viability, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and nitric oxide (NO) production in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cell lines. Cyclosporine proved to be cytotoxic for both cell lines, as assessed by the mitochondrial enzyme activity assay (MTT), caused DNA fragmentation, determined by flow cytometry using the propidium iodide dye, and activated the PKA pathway (western blot assay). In MDCK cells, the inhibition of the PKA signaling pathway (H89 inhibitor) caused a significant reduction in DNA fragmentation. In both cell lines, the production of IL-6 proved to be a dependent PKA pathway, while TNF-α was not influenced by the inhibition of the PKA pathway. The NO production was increased when cells were pre-incubated with H89 followed by cyclosporine, and this production was dependent on the PKA pathway in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cells lines. Therefore, considering the present study's results, it can be concluded that the inhibition of PKA signaling pathway can aid in reducing the degree of nephrotoxicity caused by cyclosporine.

GABAergic synapses between auditory efferent neurons and type II spiral ganglion afferent neurons in the mouse cochlea.

Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) are electromotile and are implicated in mechanisms of amplification of responses to sound that enhance sound sensitivity and frequency tuning. They send information to the brain through glutamatergic synapses onto a small subpopulation of neurons of the ascending auditory nerve, the type II spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). The OHC synapses onto type II SGNs are sparse and weak, suggesting that type II SGNs respond primarily to loud and possibly damaging levels of sound. OHCs also receive innervation from the brain through the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent neurons. MOC neurons are cholinergic yet exert an inhibitory effect on auditory function as they are coupled to alpha9/alpha10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on OHCs, which leads to calcium influx that gates SK potassium channels. The net hyperpolarization exerted by this efferent synapse reduces OHC activity-evoked electromotility and is implicated in cochlear gain control, protection against acoustic trauma, and attention. MOC neurons also label for markers of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA synthesis. GABAB autoreceptor (GABABR) activation by GABA released from MOC terminals has been demonstrated to reduce ACh release, confirming important negative feedback roles for GABA. However, the full complement of GABAergic activity in the cochlea is not currently understood, including the mechanisms that regulate GABA release from MOC axon terminals, whether GABA diffuses from MOC axon terminals to other postsynaptic cells, and the location and function of GABAA receptors (GABAARs). Previous electron microscopy studies suggest that MOC neurons form contacts onto several other cell types in the cochlea, but whether these contacts form functional synapses, and what neurotransmitters are employed, are unknown. Here we use immunohistochemistry, optical neurotransmitter imaging and patch-clamp electrophysiology from hair cells, afferent dendrites, and efferent axons to demonstrate that in addition to presynaptic GABABR autoreceptor activation, MOC efferent axon terminals release GABA onto type II SGN afferent dendrites with postsynaptic activity mediated by GABAARs. This synapse may have multiple roles including developmental regulation of cochlear innervation, fine tuning of OHC activity, or providing feedback to the brain about MOC and OHC activity.

Factors associated with non-treatment of hypertension and gender differences at baseline in the ELSA-Brasil cohort.

The treatment of arterial hypertension (AH) contributes to the reduction of morbidity and mortality. Gender differences are likely to play a role, as non-treatment is associated with clinical and sociodemographic aspects. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with non-treatment of AH and gender differences in hypertensive individuals from the ELSA-Brasil cohort. The study was conducted with 5,743 baseline hypertensive cohort participants. AH was considered if there was a previous diagnosis or if systolic blood pressure (SBP) was ≥140 and/or diastolic BP (DBP) was ≥90 mmHg. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data, lifestyle, comorbidities, and use of antihypertensive medications were evaluated through interviews and in-person measurements. Treatment with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) or other antihypertensive medications and non-treatment were evaluated with multivariate logistic regression. Non-treatment was observed in 32.8% of hypertensive individuals. Of the 67.7% treated individuals, 41.1% received RAASi. Non-treatment was associated with alcohol consumption in women (OR=1.41; 95%CI: 1.15-1.73; P=0.001), lowest schooling level in men (OR=1.70; 95%CI: 1.32-2.19; P<0.001), and younger age groups in men and women (strongest association in males aged 35-44 years: OR=4.58, 95%CI: 3.17-6.6, P<0.001). Among those using RAASi, a higher proportion of white, older individuals, and with more comorbidities was observed. The high percentage of non-treatment, even in this civil servant population, indicated the need to improve the treatment cascade for AH. Public health policies should consider giving special attention to gender roles in groups at higher risk of non-treatment to reduce inequities related to AH in Brazil.

Thermography to explore plant-environment interactions.

Stomatal regulation is a key determinant of plant photosynthesis and water relations, influencing plant survival, adaptation, and growth. Stomata sense the surrounding environment and respond rapidly to abiotic and biotic stresses. Stomatal conductance to water vapour (g s) and/or transpiration (E) are therefore valuable physiological parameters to be monitored in plant and agricultural sciences. However, leaf gas exchange measurements involve contact with leaves and often interfere with leaf functioning. Besides, they are time consuming and are limited by the sampling characteristics (e.g. sample size and/or the high number of samples required). Remote and rapid means to assess g s or E are thus particularly valuable for physiologists, agronomists, and ecologists. Transpiration influences the leaf energy balance and, consequently, leaf temperature (T leaf). As a result, thermal imaging makes it possible to estimate or quantify g s and E. Thermal imaging has been successfully used in a wide range of conditions and with diverse plant species. The technique can be applied at different scales (e.g. from single seedlings/leaves through whole trees or field crops to regions), providing great potential to study plant-environment interactions and specific phenomena such as abnormal stomatal closure, genotypic variation in stress tolerance, and the impact of different management strategies on crop water status. Nevertheless, environmental variability (e.g. in light intensity, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed) affects the accuracy of thermal imaging measurements. This review presents and discusses the advantages of thermal imaging applications to plant science, agriculture, and ecology, as well as its limitations and possible approaches to minimize them, by highlighting examples from previous and ongoing research.