Immunoglobulin G N-glycan markers of accelerated biological aging during chronic HIV infection.

People living with HIV (PLWH) experience increased vulnerability to premature aging and inflammation-associated comorbidities, even when HIV replication is suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the factors associated with this vulnerability remain uncertain. In the general population, alterations in the N-glycans on IgGs trigger inflammation and precede the onset of aging-associated diseases. Here, we investigate the IgG N-glycans in cross-sectional and longitudinal samples from 1214 women and men, living with and without HIV. PLWH exhibit an accelerated accumulation of pro-aging-associated glycan alterations and heightened expression of senescence-associated glycan-degrading enzymes compared to controls. These alterations correlate with elevated markers of inflammation and the severity of comorbidities, potentially preceding the development of such comorbidities. Mechanistically, HIV-specific antibodies glycoengineered with these alterations exhibit a reduced ability to elicit anti-HIV Fc-mediated immune activities. These findings hold potential for the development of biomarkers and tools to identify and prevent premature aging and comorbidities in PLWH.

A Delphi consensus to identify the key screening tests/questions for a digital neurological examination for epidemiological research.

BACKGROUND: Most neurological diseases have no curative treatment; therefore, focusing on prevention is key. Continuous research to uncover the protective and risk factors associated with different neurological diseases is crucial to successfully inform prevention strategies. eHealth has been showing promising advantages in healthcare and public health and may therefore be relevant to facilitate epidemiological studies. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we performed a Delphi consensus exercise to identify the key screening tests to inform the development of a digital neurological examination tool for epidemiological research. METHODS: Twelve panellists (six experts in neurological examination, five experts in data collection-two were also experts in the neurological examination, and three experts in participant experience) of different nationalities joined the Delphi exercise. Experts in the neurological examination provided a selection of items that allow ruling out neurological impairment and can be performed by trained health workers. The items were then rated by them and other experts in terms of their feasibility and acceptability. RESULTS: Ten tests and seven anamnestic questions were included in the final set of screening items for the digital neurological examination. Three tests and five anamnestic questions were excluded from the final selection due to their low ratings on feasibility. CONCLUSION: This work identifies the key feasible and acceptable screening tests and anamnestic questions to build an electronic tool for performing the neurological examination, in the absence of a neurologist.

Distinct intestinal microbial signatures linked to accelerated systemic and intestinal biological aging.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV (PLWH), even when viral replication is controlled through antiretroviral therapy (ART), experience persistent inflammation. This inflammation is partly attributed to intestinal microbial dysbiosis and translocation, which may lead to non-AIDS-related aging-associated comorbidities. The extent to which living with HIV - influenced by the infection itself, ART usage, sexual orientation, or other associated factors - affects the biological age of the intestines is unclear. Furthermore, the role of microbial dysbiosis and translocation in the biological aging of PLWH remains to be elucidated. To investigate these uncertainties, we used a systems biology approach, analyzing colon and ileal biopsies, blood samples, and stool specimens from PLWH on ART and people living without HIV (PLWoH) as controls. RESULTS: PLWH exhibit accelerated biological aging in the colon, ileum, and blood, as measured by various epigenetic aging clocks, compared to PLWoH. Investigating the relationship between microbial translocation and biological aging, PLWH had decreased levels of tight junction proteins in the intestines, along with increased microbial translocation. This intestinal permeability correlated with faster biological aging and increased inflammation. When investigating the relationship between microbial dysbiosis and biological aging, the intestines of PLWH had higher abundance of specific pro-inflammatory bacteria, such as Catenibacterium and Prevotella. These bacteria correlated with accelerated biological aging. Conversely, the intestines of PLWH had lower abundance of bacteria known for producing the anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids, such as Subdoligranulum and Erysipelotrichaceae, and these bacteria were associated with slower biological aging. Correlation networks revealed significant links between specific microbial genera in the colon and ileum (but not in feces), increased aging, a rise in pro-inflammatory microbe-related metabolites (e.g., those in the tryptophan metabolism pathway), and a decrease in anti-inflammatory metabolites like hippuric acid. CONCLUSIONS: We identified specific microbial compositions and microbiota-related metabolic pathways that are intertwined with intestinal and systemic biological aging. This microbial signature of biological aging is likely reflecting various factors including the HIV infection itself, ART usage, sexual orientation, and other aspects associated with living with HIV. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying these connections could offer potential strategies to mitigate accelerated aging and its associated health complications. Video Abstract.

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Rib Lesions in Dairy Cows.

Unilateral or bilateral hard bony enlargement is sometimes palpated over dairy cows' ribs. Although usually not painful, these injuries may have welfare and economic implications and can be used as indicators of poor husbandry conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of rib lesions in dairy cows kept in intensive systems and to identify the risk factors either associated with the housing or with the animal's clinical history. We examined the ribs of all 1319 lactating cows from 22 Portuguese dairy farms. In each farm, housing and animal potential risk factors were recorded. Additionally, clinical examination, including lameness scoring, was performed on all cows showing rib lesions. The global rib lesions' prevalence per farm was 2.3%, ranging from 0% (n = 12 farms) to 6.1% (n = 1 farm). Lesions were found in cows with an average of 3.7 lactations. The main farm risk factors were narrow stalls; insufficient feeding places; insufficient cubicles; and the presence of an exposed curb at the back end of the stalls. Rib lesions were associated with a history of lameness but not with lame cows at the moment of examination or a history of being a downer cow. In conclusion, rib lesions' prevalence can be high in some farms, being significantly associated with cubicle design and lameness. By being associated with chronic lameness and inadequate housing, rib lesions should be included in dairy cows' welfare assessment protocols.

Deep learning networks in the segmentation of the left atrial appendage in 2D ultrasound: A comparative analysis.

Left atrial appendage (LAA) is the major source of thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Currently, LAA occlusion can be offered as a treatment for these patients, obstructing the LAA through a percutaneously delivered device. Nevertheless, correct device sizing is a complex task, requiring manual analysis of medical images. This approach is sub-optimal, time-demanding, and highly variable between experts. Different solutions were proposed to improve intervention planning, but, no efficient solution is available to 2D ultrasound, which is the most used imaging modality for intervention planning and guidance. In this work, we studied the performance of recently proposed deep learning methods when applied for the LAA segmentation in 2D ultrasound. For that, it was created a 2D ultrasound database. Then, the performance of different deep learning methods, namely Unet, UnetR, AttUnet, TransAttUnet was assessed. All networks were compared using seven metrics: i) Dice coefficient; ii) Accuracy iii) Recall; iv) Specificity; v) Precision; vi) Hausdorff distance and vii) Average distance error. Overall, the results demonstrate the efficiency of AttUnet and TransAttUnet with dice scores of 88.62% and 89.28%, and accuracy of 88.25% and 86.30%, respectively. The current results demonstrate the feasibility of deep learning methods for LAA segmentation in 2D ultrasound.Clinical relevance- Our results proved the clinical potential of deep neural networks for the LAA anatomical analysis.

Distinct Intestinal Microbial Signatures Linked to Accelerated Biological Aging in People with HIV.

Background: People with HIV (PWH), even with controlled viral replication through antiretroviral therapy (ART), experience persistent inflammation. This is partly due to intestinal microbial dysbiosis and translocation. Such ongoing inflammation may lead to the development of non-AIDS-related aging-associated comorbidities. However, there remains uncertainty regarding whether HIV affects the biological age of the intestines and whether microbial dysbiosis and translocation influence the biological aging process in PWH on ART. To fill this knowledge gap, we utilized a systems biology approach, analyzing colon and ileal biopsies, blood samples, and stool specimens from PWH on ART and their matched HIV-negative counterparts. Results: Despite having similar chronological ages, PWH on ART exhibit accelerated biological aging in the colon, ileum, and blood, as measured by various epigenetic aging clocks, compared to HIV-negative controls. Investigating the relationship between microbial translocation and biological aging, PWH on ART had decreased levels of tight junction proteins in the colon and ileum, along with increased microbial translocation. This increased intestinal permeability correlated with faster intestinal and systemic biological aging, as well as increased systemic inflammation. When investigating the relationship between microbial dysbiosis and biological aging, the intestines of PWH on ART had higher abundance of specific pro-inflammatory bacterial genera, such as Catenibacterium and Prevotella. These bacteria significantly correlated with accelerated local and systemic biological aging. Conversely, the intestines of PWH on ART had lower abundance of bacterial genera known for producing short-chain fatty acids and exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties, such as Subdoligranulum and Erysipelotrichaceae, and these bacteria taxa were associated with slower biological aging. Correlation networks revealed significant links between specific microbial genera in the colon and ileum (but not in feces), increased aging, a rise in pro-inflammatory microbial-related metabolites (e.g., those in the tryptophan metabolism pathway), and a decrease in anti-inflammatory metabolites like hippuric acid and oleic acid. Conclusions: We identified a specific microbial composition and microbiome-related metabolic pathways that are intertwined with both intestinal and systemic biological aging in PWH on ART. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying these connections could potentially offer strategies to counteract premature aging and its associated health complications in PWH.

Plasma Glycomic Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection.

People with HIV (PWH) experience an increased vulnerability to premature aging and inflammation-associated comorbidities, even when HIV replication is suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the factors that contribute to or are associated with this vulnerability remain uncertain. In the general population, alterations in the glycomes of circulating IgGs trigger inflammation and precede the onset of aging-associated diseases. Here, we investigate the IgG glycomes of cross-sectional and longitudinal samples from 1,216 women and men, both living with virally suppressed HIV and those without HIV. Our glycan-based machine learning models indicate that living with chronic HIV significantly accelerates the accumulation of pro-aging-associated glycomic alterations. Consistently, PWH exhibit heightened expression of senescence-associated glycan-degrading enzymes compared to their controls. These glycomic alterations correlate with elevated markers of inflammatory aging and the severity of comorbidities, potentially preceding the development of such comorbidities. Mechanistically, HIV-specific antibodies glycoengineered with these alterations exhibit reduced anti-HIV IgG-mediated innate immune functions. These findings hold significant potential for the development of glycomic-based biomarkers and tools to identify and prevent premature aging and comorbidities in people living with chronic viral infections.

Synthesis, characterization, and reusability of novel nanobiocomposite of endophytic fungus Aspergillus flavus and magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) with dye bioremediation potential.

The incorrect disposal of textile dyes, such as Reactive Black 5 (RB5), causes several problems for living beings and the quality of the environment. Nanobiocomposites (NBC) produced from endophytic fungi (potentially remediation dyes-agents) and magnetic nanoparticles have high biotechnological potential due to their superparamagnetic behavior, which would allow their recovery through the magnetic field after the bioremediation process. This work aimed to obtain a new nanobiocomposite from the interaction of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) with the endophyte Aspergillus flavus (Af-CL-7) to evaluate its bioremediation capacity and to reduce the toxicity of RB5 and its reuse. Before obtaining the NBC, Af-CL-7 showed discoloration of RB5 and it was tolerant to all tested concentrations of this dye. The discovery of the nanobiocomposite textile dye bioremediator product presents a significant environmental advantage by addressing the issue of water pollution caused by textile dyes. The NBC called Af-Fe3O4 was successfully obtained with the magnetized endophyte, and their magnetic properties were verified by VSM analysis and by action of magnetic fields generated by Nd-Fe-B magnets SEM analyzes showed that the nanoparticles did not cause any damage to the hypha morphology, and TEM analyzes confirmed the presence of nanoparticles in the fungus wall and also inside the cell. The NBC Af-Fe3O4 and Af-CL-7 showed, respectively, 96.1% and 92.2% of RB5 discoloration in the first use, 91.1% e 86.2% of discoloration in the validation test, and 89.0% in NBC reuse. In the toxicological bioassay with Lactuca sativa seeds, NBC showed a positive reduction in the toxicity of RB5 after treatment, allowing the hypocotyl growth to be statistically similar to the control with water. Thus, we highlight the promising obtaining process of NBC that could be applied in bioremediation of contaminated waters, wherein the industrial economic cost will depend on the fermentation efficiency, biomass production and nanoparticle synthesis.

Meta-omics integration approach reveals the effect of soil native microbiome diversity in the performance of inoculant Azospirillum brasilense.

Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been used as integrative inputs to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers. However, a holistic comprehension about PGPB-plant-microbiome interactions is still incipient. Furthermore, the interaction among PGPB and the holobiont (host-microbiome association) represent a new frontier to plant breeding programs. We aimed to characterize maize bulk soil and rhizosphere microbiomes in irradiated soil (IS) and a native soil (NS) microbial community gradient (dilution-to-extinction) with Azospirillum brasilense Ab-V5, a PGPB commercial inoculant. Our hypothesis was that plant growth promotion efficiency is a result of PGPB niche occupation and persistence according to the holobiont conditions. The effects of Ab-V5 and NS microbial communities were evaluated in microcosms by a combined approach of microbiomics (species-specific qPCR, 16S rRNA metataxonomics and metagenomics) and plant phenomics (conventional and high-throughput methods). Our results revealed a weak maize growth promoting effect of Ab-V5 inoculation in undiluted NS, contrasting the positive effects of NS dilutions 10-3, 10-6, 10-9 and IS with Ab-V5. Alpha diversity in NS + Ab-V5 soil samples was higher than in all other treatments in a time course of 25 days after sowing (DAS). At 15 DAS, alpha diversity indexes were different between NS and IS, but similar in all NS dilutions in rhizospheric samples. These differences were not persistent at 25 DAS, demonstrating a stabilization process in the rhizobiomes. In NS 10-3 +Ab-V5 and NS 10-6 Ab-V5, Ab-V5 persisted in the maize rhizosphere until 15 DAS in higher abundances compared to NS. In NS + Ab-V5, abundance of six taxa were positively correlated with response to (a)biotic stresses in plant-soil interface. Genes involved in bacterial metabolism of riboses and amino acids, and cresol degradation were abundant on NS 10-3 + Ab-V5, indicating that these pathways can contribute to plant growth promotion and might be a result of Ab-V5 performance as a microbial recruiter of beneficial functions to the plant. Our results demonstrated the effects of holobiont on Ab-V5 performance. The meta-omics integration supported by plant phenomics opens new perspectives to better understanding of inoculants-holobiont interaction and for developing better strategies for optimization in the use of microbial products.

Mechanisms of Mucor sp. CM3 isolated from the aquatic macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms to increase cadmium bioremediation.

Bioremediation of toxic metals is a feasible and low-cost remediation tool to reduce metal contamination. Plant-fungus interactions can improve this technique. Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms is a macrophyte reported to bioremediate contaminated water. Thus, the present study aimed to isolate endophytic fungi from E. crassipes, select a highly cadmium (Cd) tolerant isolate and evaluate its bioremediation potential. This was evaluated by (1) the fungus tolerance and capacity to accumulate Cd; (2) Cd effects on cell morphology (using SEM and TEM) and on the fungal antioxidant defense system, as well as (3) the effect on model plant Solanum lycopersicum L. cultivar Calabash Rouge, inoculated with the endophyte fungus and exposed to Cd. Our results selected the endophyte Mucor sp. CM3, which was able to tolerate up to 1000 g/L of Cd and to accumulate 900 mg of Cd/g of biomass. Significant changes in Mucor sp. CM3 morphology were observed when exposed to high Cd concentrations, retaining this metal both in its cytoplasm and in its cell wall, which may be linked to detoxification and metal sequestration mechanisms related to the formation of Cd-GSH complexes. In addition, Cd stress induced the activation of all tested antioxidant enzymes - superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) - in this endophytic fungus. Moreover, when inoculated in tomato plants, this fungus promoted plant growth (in treatments without Cd) and induced an increased metal translocation to plant shoot, showing its potential to increase metal bioremediation. Therefore, this study indicates that the isolated endophyte Mucor sp. CM3 can be applied as a tool in different plant conditions, improving plant bioremediation and reducing the environmental damage caused by Cd, while also promoting plant growth in the absence of contaminants.

Invasiveness, Monitoring and Control of Hakea sericea: A Systematic Review.

Solutions for ecological and economic problems posed by Hakea sericea invasions rely on scientific knowledge. We conducted a systematic review to analyze and synthesize the past and current scientific knowledge concerning H. sericea invasion processes and mechanisms, as well as monitoring and control techniques. We used ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and CAPES Periodicals to look for publications on the ecological and environmental factors involved in H. sericea establishment (question 1); responses of H. sericea to fire in native and invaded ecosystems (question 2); and H. sericea monitoring and control methods (question 3). We identified 207 publications, 47.4% of which related to question 1, mainly from Australia and South Africa, with an increasing trend in the number of publications on monitoring and modeling. The traits identified in our systematic review, such as adaptations to dystrophic environments, drought resistance, sclerophylly, low transpiration rates, high nutrient use efficiency, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rates, strong serotiny, proteoid roots and high post-fire seed survival and seedling recruitment, highlighted that H. sericea is a successful invader species due to its long adaptive history mediated by an arsenal of ecophysiological mechanisms that place it at a superior competitive level, especially in fire-prone ecosystems. Integrated cost-effective control methods in selected areas and the incorporation of information on the temporal invasion dynamics can significantly improve invasion control and mitigate H. sericea impacts while maintaining the supply of ecosystem services in invaded areas.

The key role of indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis by Bacillus thuringiensis RZ2MS9 in promoting maize growth revealed by the ipdC gene knockout mediated by the CRISPR-Cas9 system.

The bacterial biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is often related to the beneficial effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on plant development. In PGPR belonging to the Bacillus genus, the synthesis of IAA may occur through different metabolic pathways that are still poorly understood. B. thuringiensis (Bt) is well known for its insecticidal properties; however, its beneficial features are not limited to pest control. Our group has been studed the beneficial effects of Bt strain RZ2MS9 as growth promoter in a range of plant crops, including soybean, tomato, and maize. We recently demonstrated that bacterial IAA biosynthesis plays an important role in the ability of RZ2MS9 to benefit plant development. However, the molecular involved mechanisms in the IAA biosynthesis by this bacterium in the beneficial interaction with plants remain unclear. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of IAA biosynthesis by RZ2MS9. We knocked out the ipdC gene, involved in IAA biosynthesis via the tryptophan-dependent IPyA pathway, using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Our results showed that, by disrupting the IPyA pathway, the amount of IAA synthesized by the mutant RZ2MS9 (ΔipdC) in the presence of tryptophan drops 57%. The gene knockout did not affect the bacterial growth, but it did affect its ability to colonize maize. Moreover, deactivating the ipdC gene in RZ2MS9 significantly reduces its ability to promote maize growth. ΔipdC performed worse than RZ2MS9 in almost all evaluated plant parameters, including total root length, projected root area, lateral roots, aerial part dry matter, and germination speed index. Therefore, we demonstrated that tryptophan-dependent IAA biosynthesis via the IPyA pathway by RZ2MS9 is strongly influenced by the ipdC gene. Furthermore, IAA biosynthesis by RZ2MS9 is a major mechanism used by this PGPR to promote maize growth.

Mastectomia preventiva em situações de câncer de mama precoce / Preventive mastectomy in situations of early breast cancer: an integrative review

A mastectomia preventiva relacionada às neoplasias de mama precoces é um tema de grande importância na área da oncologia, especialmente para mulheres com alto risco genético de desenvolver câncer de mama. Objetivo: Descrever como a mastectomia relaciona-se com a prevenção de neoplasias de mama precoces. Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura. Para construção da pesquisa, a coleta e análise de dados foi realizada através do Portal da Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde e da base de dados Medical Literature Analysis and Retrievel System Online via PubMed, através dos Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS): "Mastectomia Profilática", "Neoplasias da Mama" e "Fatores de Risco" combinados entre si pelo operador booleano AND. Como critérios de inclusão: estudos relacionados à temática excluindo-se as revisões de literatura, com delimitação temporal dos últimos cinco anos, nos idiomas inglês, português e espanhol. A questão norteadora foi construída com base na estratégia PICo de acordo com a descrição (População, Interesse e Contexto). Resultados: Foram encontrados 76 artigos, destes 64 foram excluídos devido aos filtros utilizados e a leitura dos resumos e na íntegra, restando apenas 12 estudos para compor a amostra final. Em suma, os estudos demonstram que a mastectomia preventiva pode oferecer às mulheres com alto risco genético uma opção para reduzir suas chances de desenvolver câncer de mama. Conclusão: A mastectomia preventiva relacionada às neoplasias de mama precoces é uma opção terapêutica complexa e individualizada, que busca reduzir o risco de desenvolvimento ou recorrência do câncer de mama em mulheres de alto risco

: Preventive mastectomy related to early breast neoplasms is a topic of great concern in the field of oncology, especially for women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer. Objective: To describe how mastectomy is related to the prevention of early breast cancer. Methods: This is an integrative literature review. For the construction of the research, data collection and analysis was carried out through the Virtual Health Library Portal and the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrievel System Online database via PubMed, through the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS): "Prophylactic Mastectomy","Breast Neoplasms" and "Risk Factors" combined with the Boolean AND operator. As inclusion criteria: studies related to the theme excluding literature reviews,with publication time delimitation of the last five years, in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The research question was structured based on the PICo strategy according to the description (Population, Interest and Context). Results: 76 articles were found, of which 64 were excluded after the filters application. We performed the reading of abstracts and full text, and 12 studies were selected to compose the final sample. In summary, studies demonstrate that preventive mastectomy can offer women at high genetic risk an option to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer. Conclusion: Preventive mastectomy related to early breast neoplasms is a complex and individualized therapeutic option that seeks to reduce the risk of breast cancer development or recurrence in high-risk women

Autonomia da pessoa com problema de álcool: consentimento informado / Autonomy of individuals with alcohol-related disorders: informed consent / Autonomía de la persona con problema relacionado al alcohol: consentimiento informado

Resumo O consentimento livre e esclarecido, como forma de garantir envolvimento e participação em tratamento, é parte da abordagem terapêutica à pessoa com problemas relacionados ao uso de álcool. O valor ético central da autonomia e sua imanência para o consentimento informado apresenta desafios ético-clínicos no caso de pessoa que busca tratamento em situação de coerção, ansiedade ou depressão. Entre abril de 2018 e junho de 2019, conduziu-se estudo observacional longitudinal prospetivo que incluiu 150 pessoas com problemas relacionados ao uso de álcool assistidas em unidade especializada de tratamento. O objetivo foi verificar se o consentimento com interferência de coerção, perturbação de ansiedade ou depressão determina a participação terapêutica. A ausência de coerção judicial e sintomatologia ansiosa e a maior valorização da perceção de autonomia no consentimento informado relacionaram-se com a participação. Propõem-se contributos para reforçar a prática do consentimento informado assente no reconhecimento e promoção da autonomia.

Abstract Informed consent, as a way to ensure involvement and treatment adherence, is part of the therapeutic approach to individuals with alcohol-related disorders. Autonomy, as a core ethical value, and its immanence for informed consent presents ethical-clinical challenges in the case of individuals seeking treatment due to coercion, anxiety, or depression. Between April 2018 and June 2019, a prospective longitudinal observational study was conducted with 150 people with alcohol-related disorders attending a specialized treatment facility. The goal was to verify whether consent obtained under coercion, or influenced by anxiety disorder or depression determines therapeutic participation. Absence of judicial coercion and anxious symptomatology and the greater value placed on perceived autonomy in informed consent were related to participation. The study proposes contributions to strengthen the practice of obtaining informed consent based on the recognition and promotion of autonomy.

Resumen El consentimiento informado, que garantiza comprometimiento y participación en el tratamiento, forma parte del enfoque terapéutico del manejo de la persona con problemas relacionados al consumo de alcohol. El valor ético de la autonomía y su inmanencia para el consentimiento informado tiene desafíos ético-clínicos en el caso de personas que buscan tratamiento en situación de coerción, ansiedad o depresión. Entre abril de 2018 y junio de 2019 se realizó un estudio observacional longitudinal prospectivo con 150 personas con problemas relacionados al consumo de alcohol, asistidas por un centro de tratamiento especializado. Este estudio pretendió confirmar si el consentimiento por coerción, trastorno de ansiedad o depresión influye en la participación terapéutica. La ausencia de coerción judicial y de síntomas ansiosos, así como la mayor autonomía en el consentimiento se relacionaron con la participación. Se proponen aportes para reforzar la práctica del consentimiento informado desde el reconocimiento y promoción de la autonomía.

Influence of plant growth-promoting endophytes Colletotrichum siamense and Diaporthe masirevici on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.).

The protective and growth-promoting activities of Colletrotrichum and Diaporthe endophytes on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) are underexplored. We screened 40 endophytic fungi associated with Mexican shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) using an in vitro dual culture assay for Fusarium oxysporum, one of the most important phytopathogens of tomato plants. The three best antagonists, Colletotrichum siamense (JB224.g1), C. siamense (JB252.g1), and Diaporthe masirevicii (JB270), were identified based on multilocus sequence analysis. They were assessed in vitro for their inhibition of F. oxysporum and phosphate solubilisation capacity, and for the production of indole acetic acid. Greenhouse experiments verified the growth-promoting effects of these endophytes and the suppression of F. oxysporum symptoms in tomato plants.   Under greenhouse conditions, the JB252.g1 and JB270 isolates showed positive results for seedling emergence speed. The radicular system depth of plants inoculated with JB270 was greater than that in uninoculated plants (27.21 vs 21.95 cm). The soil plant analysis development chlorophyll metre (SPAD) index showed statistically significant results, especially for the endophyte JB224.g1 (36.99) compared to the control plants (30.90) and plants infected solely with F. oxysporum (33.64).