Contrasting plant transcriptome responses between a pierce-sucking and a chewing herbivore go beyond the infestation site.

BACKGROUND: Plants have acquired a repertoire of mechanisms to combat biotic stressors, which may vary depending on the feeding strategies of herbivores and the plant species. Hormonal regulation crucially modulates this malleable defense response. Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) stand out as pivotal regulators of defense, while other hormones like abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), gibberellic acid (GA) or auxin also play a role in modulating plant-pest interactions. The plant defense response has been described to elicit effects in distal tissues, whereby aboveground herbivory can influence belowground response, and vice versa. This impact on distal tissues may be contingent upon the feeding guild, even affecting both the recovery of infested tissues and those that have not suffered active infestation. RESULTS: To study how phytophagous with distinct feeding strategies may differently trigger the plant defense response during and after infestation in both infested and distal tissues, Arabidopsis thaliana L. rosettes were infested separately with the chewing herbivore Pieris brassicae L. and the piercing-sucker Tetranychus urticae Koch. Moderate infestation conditions were selected for both pests, though no quantitative control of damage levels was carried out. Feeding mode did distinctly influence the transcriptomic response of the plant under these conditions. Though overall affected processes were similar under either infestation, their magnitude differed significantly. Plants infested with P. brassicae exhibited a short-term response, involving stress-related genes, JA and ABA regulation and suppressing growth-related genes. In contrast, T. urticae elicited a longer transcriptomic response in plants, albeit with a lower degree of differential expression, in particular influencing SA regulation. These distinct defense responses transcended beyond infestation and through the roots, where hormonal response, flavonoid regulation or cell wall reorganization were differentially affected. CONCLUSION: These outcomes confirm that the existent divergent transcriptomic responses elicited by herbivores employing distinct feeding strategies possess the capacity to extend beyond infestation and even affect tissues that have not been directly infested. This remarks the importance of considering the entire plant's response to localized biotic stresses.

High-Performance Aramids with Intrinsic Bactericide Activity.

Aramids, renowned for their high-performance attributes, find applications in critical fields such as protective equipment, aerospace components, and industrial filters. However, challenges arise in scenarios in which frequent washing is impractical, leading to bacterial proliferation, especially in textiles. This study outlines a straightforward and scalable method for preparing aramid-coated textiles and films endowed with inherent bactericidal activity, achieved by reacting parent aramids with vanillin. The functionalization of the aramids with bactericide moieties not only preserved the high-performance characteristics of commercial aramids but also improved their crucial mechanical properties. Tensile tests revealed an increase in Young's modulus, up to 50% compared to commercial m-aramid, accompanied by thermal performance comparable to commercial m-aramids. The evaluation of these coated textiles as bactericidal materials demonstrated robust effectiveness with A parameters (antibacterial activity) of 4.31 for S. aureus and 3.44 for K. pneumoniae. Reusability tests (washing the textiles in harsh conditions) underscored that the bactericide-coated textiles maintain their performance over at least 5 cycles. Regarding practical applications, tests performed with reconstructed human epidermis affirmed the nonirritating nature of these materials to the skin. The distinctive qualities of these metal-free intrinsic bactericidal aramids position them as ideal candidates for scenarios demanding a synergy of high performance and bactericidal properties. Applications such as first responders' textiles or filters stand to benefit significantly from these advanced materials.

Smart polymers and smartphones for Betalain measurement in cooked beetroots.

Betalains in beetroots offer notable colouring properties and health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antitumorous activities. However, they degrade due to processing and storage conditions like temperature, pH, oxygen, and light-exposure. Traditional betalain determination methods are resource-intensive solid-liquid extractions. This study proposes a novel approach using a smart polymer to rapidly quantify betalains in processed beetroots. The polymer, containing N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, selectively interacts with compounds like betalains. Characterization shows thermal stability over 250 °C and suitable mechanical properties. The film changes to colour upon interaction with betalains, allowing quantification via smartphone. The sensory polymer's efficacy was validated across 27 beetroot samples, showing no significant differences compared to traditional methods. Combining the smart polymer with a colour analysis app, "Colorimetric Titration," provides a robust and efficient means of quantifying total betalains in beetroot puree, reducing the quantification time from 180 to 90 min, promising implications for routine food industry quality assessments.

Anestesia para colocación de nusinersen intratecal en pacientes con atrofia muscular espinal / Anesthesia for instillation of intratecal nusinersen in patients for muscular atrophy

We present a series of four patients diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), 2 type II, 2 type III, for placement of spinal nusinersen/Spinraza under general anesthesia with propofol. This new treatment can improve the quality of life of these patients. Its management represents a challenge for anesthesiologists as they try to provide not only adequate general anesthesia but containment to adolescent or young patients. In particular, patients that need to enter into the operating room several times a year.

Presentamos una serie de 4 pacientes con diagnóstico de atrofia muscular espinal (AME) 2 tipo II y 2 tipo III, para colocación de nusinersen/Spinraza raquídeo bajo anestesia general con propofol. Este nuevo tratamiento puede mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes. Su manejo representa un desafío para los anestesiólogos que intentamos brindar no solo una adecuada anestesia general sino contención a pacientes adolescentes o jóvenes que necesitan ingresar al quirófano varias veces al año.

Q fever endocarditis in Spain. Clinical characteristics and outcome

Objectives To describe the clinical presentation of a large number of Q fever endocarditis (QFE) and its management considering the role of serology. Patients and methods Eighty-three patients with definite QFE (56 native and 27 prosthetic valve) with a long-term follow-up after stopping treatment (median: 48 months) were included. Final outcome (cure or relapse) was compared according with the serological titre at the end of therapy: less than 1:400 of phase I Ig G antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence (group 1, N=23) or more than 1:400 (group 2, N=30).Results Eleven patients (13.2%) died from QFE and other 8 died for other reasons not related to endocarditis during follow-up. Surgery was performed in 61 (73.5%) patients and combined antimicrobial treatment was long (median: 23 months, IQR: 12 – 36). Seven relapses were observed, but five of them had received an initial incomplete antibiotic regimen. In patients who completed the programmed treatment (range: 12 – 89 months), serological titres at the end of therapy were not useful for predicting the final outcome: one relapse in each group. Conclusions QFE requires a prolonged antimicrobial treatment, but serological titres are not useful for determining its duration (AU)

Objetivos Describir la presentación clínica de la endocarditis por fiebre Q (EFQ) y su manejo terapéutico, así como el papel de la serología en este aspecto. Pacientes y método Se incluyeron 83 casos de EFQ definidas (56 nativas y 27 protésicas) con un seguimiento prolongado después de la finalización del tratamiento (mediana de 48 meses). La evolución final (curación o recidiva) se comparó dividiendo los casos en dos grupos según el título serológico al final del tratamiento: menos de 1:400 para Ac Ig G en fase I mediante inmunofluorescencia indirecta (grupo 1, N=23) o más de 1:400 (grupo 2, N=30).Resultados Once pacientes (13.2%) murieron por EFQ y otros 8 lo hicieron durante el seguimiento por diversas razones no relacionadas con la endocarditis. Fueron operados 61 (73.5%) pacientes y el tratamiento antimicrobiano fue muy prolongado (mediana: 23 meses, RIQ: 12 – 36). Siete pacientes recidivaron al cesar el tratamiento, pero cinco de ellos no habían completado el inicialmente programado. En los pacientes que sí completaron el tratamiento antimicrobiano (rango: 12 – 89 meses), los títulos serológicos observados al final del mismo no fueron útiles para predecir la evolución final, observándose una recidiva en cada uno de los grupos. Conclusiones La EFQ requiere un tratamiento antimicrobiano prolongado, pero los títulos serológicos no son un instrumento útil para determinar su duración (AU)