How many animal-pollinated angiosperms are nectar-producing?

The diversity of plant-pollinator interactions is grounded in floral resources, with nectar considered one of the main floral rewards plants produce for pollinators. However, a global evaluation of the number of animal-pollinated nectar-producing angiosperms and their distribution world-wide remains elusive. We compiled a thorough database encompassing 7621 plant species from 322 families to estimate the number and proportion of nectar-producing angiosperms reliant on animal pollination. Through extensive sampling of plant communities, we also explored the interplay between nectar production, floral resource diversity, latitudinal and elevational gradients, contemporary climate, and environmental characteristics. Roughly 223 308 animal-pollinated angiosperms are nectar-producing, accounting for 74.4% of biotic-pollinated species. Global distribution patterns of nectar-producing plants reveal a distinct trend along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, with increased proportions of plants producing nectar in high latitudes and altitudes. Conversely, tropical communities in warm and moist climates exhibit greater floral resource diversity and a lower proportion of nectar-producing plants. These findings suggest that ecological trends driven by climate have fostered the diversification of floral resources in warmer and less seasonal climates, reducing the proportion of solely nectar-producing plants. Our study provides a baseline for understanding plant-pollinator relationships, plant diversification, and the distribution of plant traits.

International Care programs for Pediatric Post-COVID Condition (Long COVID) and the way forward.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric Post-COVID-Condition (PPCC) clinics treat children despite limited scientific substantiation. By exploring real-life management of children diagnosed with PPCC, the International Post-COVID-Condition in Children Collaboration (IP4C) aimed to provide guidance for future PPCC care. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional international, multicenter study on used PPCC definitions; the organization of PPCC care programs and patients characteristics. We compared aggregated data from PPCC cohorts and identified priorities to improve PPCC care. RESULTS: Ten PPCC care programs and six COVID-19 follow-up research cohorts participated. Aggregated data from 584 PPCC patients was analyzed. The most common symptoms included fatigue (71%), headache (55%), concentration difficulties (53%), and brain fog (48%). Severe limitations in daily life were reported in 31% of patients. Most PPCC care programs organized in-person visits with multidisciplinary teams. Diagnostic testing for respiratory and cardiac morbidity was most frequently performed and seldom abnormal. Treatment was often limited to physical therapy and psychological support. CONCLUSIONS: We found substantial heterogeneity in both the diagnostics and management of PPCC, possibly explained by scarce scientific evidence and lack of standardized care. We present a list of components which future guidelines should address, and outline priorities concerning PPCC care pathways, research and international collaboration. IMPACT: Pediatric Post-COVID Condition (PPCC) Care programs have been initiated in many countries. Children with PPCC in different countries are affected by similar symptoms, limiting many to participate in daily life. There is substantial heterogeneity in diagnostic testing. Access to specific diagnostic tests is required to identify some long-term COVID-19 sequelae. Treatments provided were limited to physical therapy and psychological support. This study emphasizes the need for evidence-based diagnostics and treatment of PPCC. The International Post-COVID Collaboration for Children (IP4C) provides guidance for guideline development and introduces a framework of priorities for PPCC care and research, to improve PPCC outcomes.

Graphene and Natural Products: A Review of Antioxidant Properties in Graphene Oxide Reduction.

This review article addresses the antioxidant properties of different natural products, including ascorbic acid, gallic acid, oxalic acid, L-glutathione (GSH), bacteriorhodopsin, green tea polyphenols, glucose, hydroxycinnamic acid, ethanoic acid, betanin, and L-glutathione, in the reduction of graphene oxide (rGO). rGO can cause damage to cells, including oxidative stress and inflammation, limiting its application in different sectors that use graphene, such as technologies used in medicine and dentistry. The natural substances reviewed have properties that help reduce this damage, neutralizing free radicals and maintaining cellular integrity. This survey demonstrates that the combination of these antioxidant compounds can be an effective strategy to minimize the harmful effects of rGO and promote cellular health.

Phylogeny and amino acid analysis in single and mixed bovine papillomavirus infections in Southern Brazil, 2016-2020.

Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) exhibit a high degree of genetic variability, and several viral types have been identified based on analysis of the L1 gene. The L1 is the main capsid protein and the main target for neutralizing antibodies. We performed a retrospective study on BPVs circulating in Rio Grande do Sul state, Southern Brazil, in 2016-2020. DNA from 43 bovine papilloma samples were amplified using two degenerate primer sets - FAP59/64 and MY09/11 - targeting the L1 region, and analyzed for phylogeny, mixed BPV infections (coinfections) and amino acid (aa) sequences. We also performed an in silico analysis with 114 BPV L1 sequences from the GenBank database to assess the agreement between the phylogeny obtained based on complete L1 sequences versus that based on the region amplified using the FAP59/64 and MY09/11 primer sets. Considering single and coinfections, we identified 31 BPV-1 (31/43; 72.1%), 27 BPV-2 (27/43; 62.8%) and 4 BPV-6 (4/43; 9.3%). Coinfections with BPV-1 and BPV-2 were observed in 61.3% of the samples. Our results are supported by in silico analyses that demonstrate that the classification using FAP59/64 or MY09/11 matches the complete L1 results, except for BPV-17 and -18, which may be mistakenly classified depending on the primers used. Furthermore, we found unique or rare amino acids in at least one L1 sequence of each BPV type identified in our study, some of which have been identified previously in papillomavirus epitopes, suggesting immune-mediated selection. Finally, our study provides an overview of BPVs circulating in Southern Brazil over the last five years and point to the combined use of primers FAP59/64 and MY09/11 for analysis of BPV coinfections and putative epitopes.

Novel genomic targets for proper subtyping of bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV-1) and BVDV-2.

Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis, the most suitable strategy for subtyping bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV-1) and BVDV-2, is not feasible for many laboratories. Consequently, BVDV isolates/strains have been frequently subtyped based on analysis of single genomic regions, mainly the 5' untranslated region (UTR). This approach, however, may lead to inaccurate and/or poorly statistically supported viral classification. Herein, we describe novel primer sets whose amplicons may be easily sequenced and used for BVDV subtyping. Initially, genomic regions previously described as the most suitable targets for BVDV subtyping were analyzed for design of high-coverage primers. The putative amplicons were analyzed in silico for their suitability to reproduce the phylogenetic classification of 118 BVDV-1 and 88 BVDV-2 complete/near-complete genomes (CNCGs) (GenBank). This analysis was also performed considering the region amplifiable by primers HCV90-368, 324-326 and BP189-389 (5'UTR), which have been used for BVDV diagnosis and/or classification. After confirming the agreement between the analyses of our primers' amplicon versus the CNCGs, we optimized the RT-PCRs and evaluated their performance for amplification of BVDV isolates/strains (n = 35 for BVDV-1; n = 33 for BVDV-2). Among the potential targets for BVDV subtyping, we designed high-coverage primers for NS3-NS4A (BVDV-1) (526 bp amplicon) and NS5B (BVDV-2) (728 bp). The classification based on these regions fully reproduced the subtyping of all CNCGs. On the other hand, subtyping based on the putative amplicons from primers HCV90-368, 324-326 and BP189-389 showed disagreements in relation the CNCG analysis. The NS3-NS4A and NS5B primers also allowed the amplification of all BVDV isolates/strains tested. Finally, we suggest the use of these primers in future phylogenetic and epidemiological studies of BVDVs.

Seeing confusion through a new lens: on the impact of atoms of confusion on novices' code comprehension.

Code comprehension is crucial for software maintenance and evolution, but it can be hindered by tiny code snippets that can confuse the developers, called atoms of confusion. Previous studies investigated how atoms impact code comprehension through the perspectives of time, accuracy, and opinions of developers. However, we need more studies evaluating other perspectives and the combination of these perspectives on a common ground through experiments. In our study, we evaluate how the eye tracking method can be used to gain new insights when we compare programs obfuscated by the atoms with functionally equivalent clarified versions. We conduct a controlled experiment with 32 novices in Python and measure their time, number of attempts, and visual effort with eye tracking through fixation duration, fixations count, and regressions count. We also conduct interviews and investigate the subjects' difficulties with the programs. In our results, the clarified version of the code with Operator Precedence reduced the time spent in the region that contains the atom to the extent of 38.6%, and the number of answer attempts by 28%. Most subjects found the obfuscated version more difficult to solve than the clarified one, and they reported the order of precedence to be difficult to validate. By analyzing their visual effort, in the obfuscated version, we observed an increase of 47.3% in the horizontal regressions count in the atom region, making its reading more difficult. The additional atoms evaluated revealed other interesting nuances. Based on our findings, we encourage researchers to consider eye tracking combined with other perspectives to evaluate atoms of confusion and educators to favor patterns that do not impact the understanding and visual effort of undergraduates.

A new (old) bovine viral diarrhea virus 2 subtype: BVDV-2e.

Bovine pestiviruses are members of the species Pestivirus A (bovine viral diarrhea virus 1, BVDV-1), Pestivirus B (BVDV-2) or Pestivirus H (HoBiPeV). To date, BVDV-2 isolates/strains have been classified into three subtypes (a-c) by phylogenetic analysis, and an additional subtype (d) has been proposed based on 5' untranslated region (UTR) secondary structures. In a previous study, we identified some BVDV-2 sequences in the GenBank database that could not be classified as subtype a, b or c by phylogenetic analysis of their genomes, UTRs or individual genes. Here, we performed a detailed study of these sequences and assessed whether they might represent a distinct BVDV-2 subtype. Initially, we collected 85 BVDV-2 complete/near-complete genomes (CNCGs) from GenBank and performed a "proof of equivalence" between phylogenetic analyses based on CNCGs and open reading frames (ORFs), which showed that ORFs may be reliably used as a reference target for BVDV-2 phylogeny, allowing us to increase our dataset to 139 sequences. Among these, we found seven sequences that could not be classified as BVDV-2a-c. The same was observed in the phylogenetic analysis of CNCGs and viral genes. In addition, the seven non-BVDV-2a-c sequences formed a distinct cluster in all phylogenetic trees, which we propose to term BVDV-2e. BVDV-2e also showed 44 amino acid changes compared to BVDV-2a-c, 20 of which are in well-defined positions. Importantly, an additional phylogenetic analysis including BVDV-2d and a pairwise comparison of BVDV-2e and BVDV-2d sequences also supported the difference between these subtypes. Finally, we propose the recognition of BVDV-2e as a distinct BVDV-2 subtype and encourage its inclusion in future phylogenetic analyses to understand its distribution and evolution.

Endovascular treatment in Behçet's disease: an integrative review.

Behçet's Disease (BD) is a rare, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and multisystemic disease. There is no universally described test for confirming diagnosis, so it is made clinically, on the basis of its classic triad of signs: oral ulcers, genital ulcers, and uveitis (inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye). The aim of this study is to evaluate the importance of endovascular treatment in Behçet's disease. The literature review conducted to achieve this objective covered 30 articles published between 2002 and 2021. Behçet's Disease affects both the venous and arterial systems. Rupture of aneurysms is the main cause of death and thus requires treatment, which can be clinical, open surgical, or endovascular. Endovascular surgery has been gaining ground for surgical treatment of arterial aneurysms, including those related to BD, although the therapy of choice is still controversial.

Sequence analysis of the DA domain of glycoprotein E2 of pestiviruses isolated from beef cattle in Southern Brazil.

The envelope glycoprotein E2 of pestiviruses is a major target for neutralizing antibodies. In this study, we analyzed the E2 DA domain of 43 pestiviruses from Southern Brazil. The isolates were identified as Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) subtypes 1a and 1b or BVDV-2b. Compared to reference strains, the BVDV-1 and -2 isolates had four and two mutations in the DA domain, respectively. All BVDV-2 isolates had a deletion of residues 724 and 725. All mutated amino acids in the BVDV isolates had the same aa substitution, and all were in previously identified antibody binding sites. It is possible that an immunity-mediated selection is acting on the pestiviruses circulating in Southern Brazil.

Estimation of suspended sediment concentration in Guamá River in the Amazon region.

Monitoring of the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is important for the analysis of morphological processes in watersheds and rivers, river habitats, and human activities associated with river management. Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) are used for measurements of flow and velocity in rivers through acoustic waves, which can also be converted into sediment concentrations. In this context, the objective is to verify the applicability of the use of ADCPs (Sontek YSI, model M9 River Surveyor) as an alternative for SSC estimates, this being a recent application of the equipment, mainly in rivers in the Amazon region rich in sediments in suspension. Thus, the Gartner method was used, calibrating its equation with the concentrations obtained by the point sampling method, collected with a bottle of Van Dorn in the Guamá River, Amazon, Brazil. The method used to obtain the SSC with data measured via ADCP resulted in a satisfactory estimate of the concentrations. The correlations between the measured and estimated sediment concentrations had R2 = 0.6827 for point sampling method and R2 = 0.8103 for vertically averaged SSC. These satisfactory results demonstrate the potential of using ADCP to estimate sediments suspended in Amazon basin.

New variants of canine parvovirus in dogs in southern Brazil.

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (canine parvovirus 2, CPV-2) has undergone a rapid evolution through mutations in the capsid protein VP2, giving rise to variants associated with unique clinicopathological and immunological features. VP2 is a major capsid protein involved in key steps of virus biology, including interactions with cellular receptors and with the immune system. This study analyzed the complete VP2 coding sequence of 38 CPV-2 isolates obtained from dogs with clinical parvovirosis in southern Brazil. Amplicons encompassing the whole VP2 coding region were subjected to nucleotide sequencing, and predicted amino acid sequences were analyzed to identify molecular markers of viral variants. Viral variants were classified as CPV-2a, -2b or -2c based on the presence of the amino acid Asn, Asp or Glu, respectively, at VP2 residue 426. Amino acid sequence analysis identified 20 CPV-2c and four CPV-2b isolates. Eleven viruses were identified as New CPV-2a, two as New CPV-2b, and one resembled the original CPV-2 and was designated CPV-2-like. In addition to the mutation at amino acid 426 of VP2, new 2a/2b variants containing a Ser297Ala mutation at residue 297 were identified. CPV-2-like samples contained some mutations that were also present in the original CPV-2 isolate, including as Leu, Thr, Ala and Asp at residues 87, 101, 300 and 305, respectively. The New CPV-2a isolates had three additional mutations (Phe267Tyr, Tyr324Ile and Thr440Ala) associated with selective pressure and development of disease in vaccinated dogs. The resemblance of the CPV-2-like isolate to CPV-2 suggests reemergence of CPV-2 and/or evolution from vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the variants with their respective reference strains, in general, according to amino acid changes. These results demonstrate the high VP2 diversity of CPV circulating in dogs in southern Brazil and indicate the emergence of new viral variants that differ markedly from the current vaccine strains.

Effect of dietary consumption as a modifier on the association between FTO gene variants and excess body weight in children from an admixed population in Brazil: the Social Changes, Asthma and Allergy in Latin America (SCAALA) cohort study.

Previous studies have shown associations of variants of the FTO gene with body weight, but none of these have involved Latin American populations with a high level of miscegenation, as is seen in the north-eastern Brazilian population. This study evaluated the association between SNP in the FTO gene and excess weight in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, the effect of diet as a modifier on this association was also investigated. This cross-sectional study included 1191 participants aged 4-11 years, who were genotyped for 400 variants of the FTO gene. Direct anthropometric measures were made and dietary data were obtained by 24-h food recall. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations of interest. Overall, 11·2 % of the individuals included in the study were overweight/obese. Interactions were identified between the percentage energy intake from proteins and obesity risk linked to the rs62048379 SNP (P interaction=0·01) and also between fat intake (PUFA:SFA ratio) and obesity risk linked to the rs62048379 SNP (P interaction=0·01). The T allele for the variant rs62048379 was positively associated with overweight/obesity in individuals whose percentage energy intake from protein was above the median (OR 2·00; 95 % CI 1·05, 3·82). The rs62048379 SNP was also associated with overweight/obesity in individuals whose PUFA:SFA ratio was below the median (OR 1·63; 95 % CI 1·05, 2·55). The association between FTO gene variants and excess body weight can be modulated by dietary characteristics, particularly by fatty acid distribution and dietary protein intake in children.

IL2RA genetic variants reduce IL-2-dependent responses and aggravate human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The outcome of Leishmania infections varies substantially, depending on the host and the parasite strain; infection may be asymptomatic or cause mild or severe skin ulcers (cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL]), limited or disseminated lesions, or lethal visceral disease. We previously reported an association between IL-2R mutations and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in children infected with Leishmania donovani. In the present study, we evaluated the possible role of IL-2 signaling in human CL. We first showed that the transcripts of several genes of the IL-2 pathway were abundant in skin lesions caused by Leishmania braziliensis. We then carried out a genetic analysis, focusing on major genes of the IL-2 pathway. We used a family-based approach and found that polymorphisms of several genes appeared to be associated with CL in a Brazilian population. Moreover, two polymorphisms of the IL2RA gene were significantly and independently associated with CL. We confirmed this result in a second Brazilian sample (also exposed to L. braziliensis) and in Iranians infected with Leishmania tropica: IL2RA rs10905669 T (Pcombined = 6 × 10(-7)) and IL2RA rs706778 T (Pcombined = 2 × 10(-9)) were associated with greater susceptibility to lesion development. These alleles were also correlated with a poor IFN-γ response and poor FOXP3(+) regulatory T cell activation. Thus, IL-2 plays a crucial role in protection against the cutaneous ulcers caused by Leishmania, and the IL-2 pathway is a potential target for strategies aiming to control Leishmania-related diseases.

IL-22 and IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP) regulate fibrosis and cirrhosis in hepatitis C virus and schistosome infections.

UNLABELLED: Interleukin (IL)-22 acts on epithelia, hepatocytes, and pancreatic cells and stimulates innate immunity, tissue protection, and repair. IL-22 may also cause inflammation and abnormal cell proliferation. The binding of IL-22 to its receptor is competed by IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP), which may limit the deleterious effects of IL-22. The role of IL-22 and IL-22BP in chronic liver diseases is unknown. We addressed this question in individuals chronically infected with schistosomes or hepatitis C virus (HCV). We first demonstrate that schistosome eggs stimulate production of IL-22 transcripts and inhibit accumulation of IL22-BP transcripts in schistosome-infected mice, and that schistosome eggs selectively stimulate production of IL-22 in cultures of blood leukocytes from individuals chronically infected with Schistosoma japonicum. High IL-22 levels in cultures correlated with protection against hepatic fibrosis and portal hypertension. To test further the implication of IL-22/IL-22BP in hepatic disease, we analyzed common genetic variants of IL22RA2, which encodes IL-22BP, and found that the genotypes, AA, GG of rs6570136 (P = 0.003; odds ratio [OR] = 2), and CC, TT of rs2064501 (P = 0.01; OR = 2), were associated with severe fibrosis in Chinese infected with S. japonicum. We confirmed this result in Sudanese (rs6570136 GG [P = 0.0007; OR = 8.2], rs2064501 TT [P = 0.02; OR = 3.1]), and Brazilians (rs6570136 GG [P = 0.003; OR = 26], rs2064501 TC, TT (P = 0.03; OR = 11]) infected with S. mansoni. The aggravating genotypes were associated with high IL22RA2 transcripts levels. Furthermore, these same variants were also associated with HCV-induced fibrosis and cirrhosis (rs6570136 GG, GA [P = 0.007; OR = 1.7], rs2064501 TT, TC (P = 0.004; OR = 2.4]). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide strong evidence that IL-22 protects against and IL-22BP aggravates liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in humans with chronic liver infections. Thus, pharmacological modulation of IL-22 BP may be an effective strategy to limit cirrhosis.

Influence of osteoporosis on the osteocyte density of human mandibular bone samples: a controlled histological human study.

OBJECTIVES: Osteocytes have emerged as key regulators of skeletal and mineral homeostasis. The number of these cells could be influenced by the presence of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Hence, the aim this study was to evaluate the osteocyte density in patients with osteopenia, and in patients with osteoporosis treated with bisphosphonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine patients were selected for this study and divided into three groups: (A) nine healthy patients (control), (B) 15 patients with osteopenia, and (C) 15 patients with osteoporosis. During the surgical insertion of dental implants in the lower jaw, bone samples were retrieved and processed for histological analysis of osteocyte density, measured as number of osteocytes/bone tissue area (µm(2) ). RESULTS: Patients with osteopenia showed statistically higher values of osteocyte density than patients with osteoporosis (P < 0.05) No significant differences were detected between osteopenia and osteoporosis subjects vs. healthy patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bone metabolism diseases (osteoporosis and osteopenia) do not seem to influence the osteocyte density; this could be due to the administration of bisphosphonates in patients with osteoporosis. This information could play a fundamental role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in a postmenopausal stage.

Immunogenicity of chimeric hemagglutinins delivered by an orf virus vector platform against swine influenza virus.

Orf virus (ORFV) is a large DNA virus that can harbor and efficiently deliver viral antigens in swine. Here we used ORFV as a vector platform to deliver chimeric hemagglutinins (HA) of Influenza A virus of swine (IAV-S). Vaccine development against IAV-S faces limitations posed by strain-specific immunity and the antigenic diversity of the IAV-S strains circulating in the field. A promising alternative aiming at re-directing immune responses on conserved epitopes of the stalk segment of the hemagglutinin (HA2) has recently emerged. Sequential immunization with chimeric HAs comprising the same stalk but distinct exotic head domains can potentially induce cross-reactive immune responses against conserved epitopes of the HA2 while breaking the immunodominance of the head domain (HA1). Here, we generated two recombinant ORFVs expressing chimeric HAs encoding the stalk region of a contemporary H1N1 IAV-S strain and exotic heads derived from either H6 or H8 subtypes, ORFVΔ121cH6/1 and ORFVΔ121cH8/1, respectively. The resulting recombinant viruses were able to express the heterologous protein in vitro. Further, the immunogenicity and cross-protection of these vaccine candidates were assessed in swine after sequential intramuscular immunization with OV-cH6/1 and OV-cH8/1, and subsequent challenge with divergent IAV-S strains. Humoral responses showed that vaccinated piglets presented increasing IgG responses in sera. Additionally, cross-reactive IgG and IgA antibody responses elicited by immunization were detected in sera and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), respectively, by ELISA against different viral clades and a diverse range of contemporary H1N1 IAV-S strains, indicating induction of humoral and mucosal immunity in vaccinated animals. Importantly, viral shedding was reduced in nasal swabs from vaccinated piglets after intranasal challenge with either Oh07 (gamma clade) or Ca09 (npdm clade) IAV-S strains. These results demonstrated the efficiency of ORFV-based vectors in delivering chimeric IAV-S HA-based vaccine candidates and underline the potential use of chimeric-HAs for prevention and control of influenza in swine.

Phylogenetic analysis of papillomaviruses in dogs from southern Brazil: molecular epidemiology and investigation of mixed infections and spillover events.

Papillomaviruses (PVs) have been identified in several animal species, including dogs (canine papillomaviruses, CPVs) and cattle (bovine papillomaviruses, BPVs). Although some BPVs may occasionally infect species other than cattle, to the best of our knowledge, BPVs have not been reported in dogs to date. Herein, we carried out a retrospective phylogenetic study of PVs circulating in dogs from southern Brazil between 2017 and 2022, also investigating possible mixed infections and spillover events. For this, we screened 32 canine papilloma samples by PCR using the degenerate primers FAP59/64 and/or MY09/11, which amplify different regions of the L1 gene; the genomic target often used for PV classification/typing. Out these, 23 PV DNA samples were successfully amplified and sequenced. All PVs amplified by FAP59/64 (n = 22) were classified as CPV-1. On the other hand, PVs amplified by MY09/11 (n = 4) were classified as putative BPV-1. Among these, three samples showed mixed infection by CPV-1 and putative BPV-1. One of the putative BPV-1 detected in co-infected samples had the L1 gene full-sequenced, confirming the gene identity. Furthermore, the phylogenetic classifications from the FAP59/64 and/or MY09/11 amplicons were supported by a careful in silico analysis, which demonstrated that the analysis based on them matches to the classification from the complete L1 gene. Overall, we described CPV-1 circulation in southern Brazil over the years and the potencial BPV infection in dogs (potential spillover event), as well as possible CPV/1/BPV-1 co-infections. Finally, we suggest the analysis of the complete genome of the putative BPVs detected in dogs in order to deepen the knowledge about the PV-host interactions.

Transcriptome Analysis Identifies the Crosstalk between Dendritic and Natural Killer Cells in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Skin ulcers of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are characterized by a localized inflammatory response mediated by innate and adaptive immune cells, including dendritic cells (DC) and natural killer (NK) cells. Bidirectional interactions between DCs and NK cells contribute to tailor leishmaniasis outcome. Despite advances in the Leishmania biology field in recent decades, the mechanisms involved in DC/NK-mediated control of Leishmania sp. pathogenesis as well as the cellular and molecular players involved in such interaction remain unclear. The present study sought to investigate canonical pathways associated with CL arising from Leishmania braziliensis infection. Initially, two publicly available microarray datasets of skin biopsies from active CL lesions were analyzed, and five pathways were identified using differentially expressed genes. The "Crosstalk between DCs and NK cells" pathway was notable due to a high number of modulated genes. The molecules significantly involved in this pathway were identified, and our findings were validated in newly obtained CL biopsies. We found increased expression of TLR4, TNFRSF1B, IL-15, IL-6, CD40, CCR7, TNF and IFNG, confirming the analysis of publicly available datasets. These findings reveal the "crosstalk between DCs and NK cells" as a potential pathway to be further explored in the pathogenesis of CL, especially the expression of CCR7, which is correlated with lesion development.

Artificial neural network approach for predicting the sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) leaf area: A non-destructive and accurate method.

The estimative of the leaf area using a nondestructive method is paramount for successive evaluations in the same plant with precision and speed, not requiring high-cost equipment. Thus, the objective of this work was to construct models to estimate leaf area using artificial neural network models (ANN) and regression and to compare which model is the most effective model for predicting leaf area in sesame culture. A total of 11,000 leaves of four sesame cultivars were collected. Then, the length (L) and leaf width (W), and the actual leaf area (LA) were quantified. For the ANN model, the parameters of the length and width of the leaf were used as input variables of the network, with hidden layers and leaf area as the desired output parameter. For the linear regression models, leaf dimensions were considered independent variables, and the actual leaf area was the dependent variable. The criteria for choosing the best models were: the lowest root of the mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and absolute mean percentage error (MAPE), and higher coefficients of determination (R2). Among the linear regression models, the equation yˆ=0.515+0.584*LW was considered the most indicated to estimate the leaf area of the sesame. In modeling with ANNs, the best results were found for model 2-3-1, with two input variables (L and W), three hidden variables, and an output variable (LA). The ANN model was more accurate than the regression models, recording the lowest errors and higher R2 in the training phase (RMSE: 0.0040; MAE: 0.0027; MAPE: 0.0587; and R2: 0.9834) and in the test phase (RMSE: 0.0106; MAE: 0.0029; MAPE: 0.0611; and R2: 0.9828). Thus, the ANN method is the most indicated and accurate for predicting the leaf area of the sesame.

Physiological Responses of Minimally Processed Sweet Potatoes Grown with Increasing Doses of Phosphate Fertilizer.

The present work aimed to study oxidative damage and protection, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and the quality of minimally processed colored sweet potatoes cultivated with increments in P2O5 fertilization. Sweet potato was cultivated with 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg ha-1 of P2O5. The roots were harvested, and the P content in the roots and leaves was quantified. The roots were minimally processed and kept for 20 days at 5 °C. In general, the roots that were fertilized with P2O5 showed a higher content of the analyzed variables. The highest P dosage in the soil increased the P content in roots and leaves and the agro-industrial yield. Roots cultivated with P2O5 showed a higher content of hydrogen peroxide, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, yellow flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids, antioxidant capacity by the DPPH method, and higher activity of the enzymes polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase. These results demonstrated the role of phosphorus in protecting against oxidative damage due to the accumulation of bioactive compounds, thus improving the physicochemical quality of minimally processed orange sweet potato.