Nitrogen uptake, grain yield, and oil concentration of dwarf castor beans under nitrogen rates and inoculation of rhizobacteria in grasses-legumes rotation.

Introduction: Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been primarily studied for atmospheric nitrogen (N) fixation but they also have the capacity to improve nutrition and yield of crop plants. Methods: Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate the effects of inoculation with PGPB in association with different N rates on N uptake, grain yield, and oil concentration of dwarf castor beans in succession to legumes and grasses in Ilha Solteira, Brazil. The treatments consisted of N rates (0 to 180 kg ha-1 of N) and inoculation with three plant growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillum brasiliense, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, applied by leaf) and a control with no-inoculation. Results: The grain and oil yields of castor beans were increased by 20 and 40% at a rate of 103 kg ha-1 of N in succession to grasses as compared to without N application. In addition, the grain yield of castor bean after legumes was increased by 28, 64, and 40% with estimated rates of 97, 113, and 92 kg ha-1 of N in combination with inoculations of A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens as compared to without N application, respectively. Shoot, grain, and total N uptake were improved with foliar inoculation of A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens at the N rates of 45, 90, and 135 kg ha-1, respectively. Discussion and conclusions: Topdressing of N at the rate of 103 kg ha-1 and foliar inoculation in succession to grasses and 180 kg ha-1 of N without the effect of foliar inoculation in succession to legumes are recommended for higher grain and oil yield of castor beans. Foliar inoculations with A. brasilense, B. subtilis, and P. fluorescens increased grain yield under reduced use of N fertilizer by 44, 37, and 49% in dwarf castor cultivation in succession to legumes, potentially contributing to sustainable agriculture.

Learning Curve for In-Hospital Mortality of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Insights from the Brazilian National Registry. / Curva de Aprendizagem da Mortalidade Hospitalar da Substituição da Válvula Aórtica Transcateter: Insights do Registro Nacional Brasileiro.

BACKGROUND: Robust data on the learning curve (LC) of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are lacking in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: To assess TAVR's LC in Brazil over time. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Brazilian TAVR registry from 2008 to 2023. Patients from each center were numbered chronologically in case sequence numbers (CSNs). LC was performed using restricted cubic splines adjusted for EuroSCORE-II and the use of new-generation prostheses. Also, in-hospital outcomes were compared between groups defined according to the level of experience based on the CSN: 1st to 40th (initial-experience), 41st to 80th (early-experience), 81st to 120th (intermediate-experience), and over 121st (high-experience). Additional analysis was performed grouping hospitals according to the number of cases treated before 2014 (>40 and ≤40 procedures). The level of significance adopted was <0.05. RESULTS: A total of 3,194 patients from 25 centers were included. Mean age and EuroSCORE II were 80.7±8.1 years and 7±7.1, respectively. LC analysis demonstrated a drop in adjusted in-hospital mortality after treating 40 patients. A leveling off of the curve was observed after case #118. In-hospital mortality across the groups was 8.6%, 7.7%, 5.9%, and 3.7% for initial-, early-, intermediate-, and high-experience, respectively (p<0.001). High experience independently predicted lower mortality (OR 0.57, p=0.013 vs. initial experience). Low-volume centers before 2014 showed no significant decrease in the likelihood of death with gained experience, whereas high-volume centers had a continuous improvement after case #10. CONCLUSION: A TAVR LC phenomenon was observed for in-hospital mortality in Brazil. This effect was more pronounced in centers that treated their first 40 cases before 2014 than those that reached this milestone after 2014.

Curva de Aprendizagem da Mortalidade Hospitalar da Substituição da Válvula Aórtica Transcateter: Insights do Registro Nacional Brasileiro / Learning Curve for In-Hospital Mortality of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Insights from the Brazilian National Registry

Resumo Fundamento Dados robustos sobre a curva de aprendizagem (LC) da substituição da válvula aórtica transcateter (TAVR) são escassos nos países em desenvolvimento. Objetivo Avaliar a LC da TAVR no Brasil ao longo do tempo. Métodos Analisamos dados do registro brasileiro de TAVR de 2008 a 2023. Pacientes de cada centro foram numerados cronologicamente em número sequencial de caso (NSC). A LC foi realizada usando um spline cúbico restrito ajustado para o EuroSCORE-II e o uso de próteses de nova geração. Ainda, os desfechos hospitalares foram comparados entre grupos definidos de acordo com o nível de experiência, com base no NSC: 1º ao 40º caso (experiência inicial), 41º ao 80º caso (experiência básica), 81º ao 120º caso (experiência intermediária) e 121º caso em diante (experiência alta). Análises adicionais foram conduzidas de acordo com o número de casos tratados antes de 2014 (>40 e ≤40 procedimentos). O nível de significância adotado foi p <0,05. Resultados Foram incluídos 3194 pacientes de 25 centros. A idade média foi 80,7±8,1 anos e o EuroSCORE II médio foi 7±7,1. A análise da LC demonstrou uma queda na mortalidade hospitalar ajustada após o tratamento de 40 pacientes. Um patamar de nivelamento na curva foi observado após o caso 118. A mortalidade hospitalar entre os grupos foi 8,6%, 7,7%, 5,9%, e 3,7% para experiência inicial, básica, intermediária e alta, respectivamente (p<0,001). A experiência alta foi preditora independente de mortalidade mais baixa (OR 0,57, p=0,013 vs. experiência inicial). Centros com baixo volume de casos antes de 2014 não mostraram uma redução significativa na probabilidade de morte com o ganho de experiência, enquanto centros com alto volume de casos antes de 2014 apresentaram uma melhora contínua após o caso de número 10. Conclusão Observou-se um fenômeno de LC para a mortalidade hospitalar do TAVR no Brasil. Esse efeito foi mais pronunciado em centros que trataram seus 40 primeiros casos antes de 2014 que naqueles que o fizeram após 2014.

Abstract Background Robust data on the learning curve (LC) of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are lacking in developing countries. Objective To assess TAVR's LC in Brazil over time. Methods We analyzed data from the Brazilian TAVR registry from 2008 to 2023. Patients from each center were numbered chronologically in case sequence numbers (CSNs). LC was performed using restricted cubic splines adjusted for EuroSCORE-II and the use of new-generation prostheses. Also, in-hospital outcomes were compared between groups defined according to the level of experience based on the CSN: 1st to 40th (initial-experience), 41st to 80th (early-experience), 81st to 120th (intermediate-experience), and over 121st (high-experience). Additional analysis was performed grouping hospitals according to the number of cases treated before 2014 (>40 and ≤40 procedures). The level of significance adopted was <0.05. Results A total of 3,194 patients from 25 centers were included. Mean age and EuroSCORE II were 80.7±8.1 years and 7±7.1, respectively. LC analysis demonstrated a drop in adjusted in-hospital mortality after treating 40 patients. A leveling off of the curve was observed after case #118. In-hospital mortality across the groups was 8.6%, 7.7%, 5.9%, and 3.7% for initial-, early-, intermediate-, and high-experience, respectively (p<0.001). High experience independently predicted lower mortality (OR 0.57, p=0.013 vs. initial experience). Low-volume centers before 2014 showed no significant decrease in the likelihood of death with gained experience, whereas high-volume centers had a continuous improvement after case #10. Conclusion A TAVR LC phenomenon was observed for in-hospital mortality in Brazil. This effect was more pronounced in centers that treated their first 40 cases before 2014 than those that reached this milestone after 2014.

Anthropogenic land-use change decreases pollination and male and female fitness in terrestrial flowering plants.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The majority of the earth's land area is currently occupied by humans. Measuring how terrestrial plants reproduce in these pervasive environments is essential for understanding their long-term viability and their ability to adapt to changing environments. METHODS: We conducted hierarchical and phylogenetically-independent meta-analyses to assess the overall effects of anthropogenic land-use changes on pollination, and male and female fitness in terrestrial plants. KEY RESULTS: We found negative global effects of land use change (i.e., mainly habitat loss and fragmentation) on pollination and on female and male fitness of terrestrial flowering plants. Negative effects were stronger in plants with self-incompatibility (SI) systems and pollinated by invertebrates, regardless of life form and sexual expression. Pollination and female fitness of pollination generalist and specialist plants were similarly negatively affected by land-use change, whereas male fitness of specialist plants showed no effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that angiosperm populations remaining in fragmented habitats negatively affect pollination, and female and male fitness, which will likely decrease the recruitment, survival, and long-term viability of plant populations remaining in fragmented landscapes. We underline the main current gaps of knowledge for future research agendas and call out not only for a decrease in the current rates of land-use changes across the world but also to embark on active restoration efforts to increase the area and connectivity of remaining natural habitats.

Potential of different species of actinobacteria in the management of Meloidogyne javanica.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are one of the most harmful soil-borne plant pathogens in the world. Actinobacteria are known phytopathogen control agents. The aim of this study was to select soil actinobacteria with control potential against the RKN (Meloidogyne javanica) in tomato plants and to determine mechanisms of action. Ten isolates were tested and a significant reduction was observed in the number of M. javanica eggs, and galls 46 days after infestation with the nematode. The results could be explained by the combination of different mechanisms including parasitism and induction of plant defense response. The M. javanica eggs were parasited by all isolates tested. Some isolates reduced the penetration of juveniles into the roots. Other isolates using the split-root method were able to induce systemic defenses in tomato plants. The 4L isolate was selected for analysis of the expression of the plant defense genes TomLoxA, ACCO, PR1, and RBOH1. In plants treated with 4L isolate and M. javanica, there was a significant increase in the number of TomLoxA and ACCO gene transcripts. In plants treated only with M. javanica, only the expression of the RBOH1 and PR1 genes was induced in the first hours after infection. The isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Streptomyces sp. (1A, 3F, 4L, 6O, 8S, 9T, and 10U), Kribbella sp. (5N), Kitasatospora sp. (2AE), and Lentzea sp. (7P). The efficacy of isolates from the Kitasatospora, Kribbella, and Lentzea genera was reported for the first time, and the efficacy of Streptomyces genus isolates for controlling M. javanica was confirmed. All the isolates tested in this study were efficient against RKN. This study provides the opportunity to investigate bacterial genera that have not yet been explored in the control of M. javanica in tomatoes and other crops.

Microbiological attributes as indicators of soil quality in coffee growing systems in Southwest Bahia, Brazil.

Microorganisms are important indicators of soil quality due to their sensitivity to changes, reflecting the impacts caused by different land uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological and physical-chemical attributes of the soil in areas cultivated with coffee under three different management systems (shaded coffee and full sun coffee with two spacings), as well as in adjacent areas under pasture and native forest, in Bahia, Brazil. The microbiological and physicochemical indicators evaluated were basal soil respiration (MBR), soil total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), metabolic quotient (qCO2), microbial quotient (qMic), enzyme activities (urease, acid phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA)). Physical and chemical indicators (particle size, texture, pH, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, and sum of bases) were also evaluated. Biological and chemical attributes were much more discriminative of study areas in the dry season. Microbial quotient (qMic) and metabolic quotient (qCO2) in the dry season showed that pasture is the most degraded land use. Conversely, nature forest and coffee with Grevillea were similar and were the best ones. In general, soil quality indicators were more sensitive to discriminate pasture and native forest from coffee systems, which, in turn, were not well discriminated among themselves.

Amyloidosis: a rare cause of severe acute liver failure.

Gastrointestinal amyloidosis can be primary, more associated with monoclonal plasma cell dyscrasia, or secondary, usually secondary to a tissue-destructive, chronic inflammatory process (such as inflammatory bowel disease, for example) and long-term dialysis. The rare presentation of severe acute liver failure in systemic amyloidosis can make this diagnosis/ management more difficult. Hepatomegaly with signs of diffuse infiltrative disease and periportal involvement associated with thoracic and other abdominal radiological findings in the appropriate clinical context may constitute a diagnostic imaging clue in this challenge.

OncoTherad® (MRB-CFI-1) Nanoimmunotherapy: A Promising Strategy to Treat Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-Unresponsive Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Crosstalk among T-Cell CX3CR1, Immune Checkpoints, and the Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling Pathway.

This study assessed the safety and efficacy of OncoTherad® (MRB-CFI-1) nanoimmunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients unresponsive to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and explored its mechanisms of action in a bladder cancer microenvironment. A single-arm phase I/II study was conducted with 44 patients with NMIBC who were unresponsive to BCG treatment. Primary outcomes were pathological complete response (pCR) and relapse-free survival (RFS). Secondary outcomes comprised response duration and therapy safety. Patients' mean age was 65 years; 59.1% of them were refractory, 31.8% relapsed, and 9.1% were intolerant to BCG. Moreover, the pCR rate after 24 months reached 72.7% (95% CI), whereas the mean RFS reached 21.4 months. Mean response duration in the pCR group was 14.3 months. No patient developed muscle-invasive or metastatic disease during treatment. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 77.3% of patients, mostly grade 1-2 events. OncoTherad® activated the innate immune system through toll-like receptor 4, leading to increased interferon signaling. This activation played a crucial role in activating CX3CR1+ CD8 T cells, decreasing immune checkpoint molecules, and reversing immunosuppression in the bladder microenvironment. OncoTherad® has proved to be a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, besides showing likely advantages in tumor relapse prevention processes.

Soybean Yield and Nutrition Grown on the Straw of Grain Sorghum Inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense and Intercropped with BRS Paiaguás Grass.

The adoption of diversified agricultural systems that employ integrated cultural practices appears to be the way to sustainably intensify tropical agriculture. Our objectives were to evaluate the dry matter (DM) accumulation of sorghum inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense, with or without a nitrogen fertilization split, intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás), and how these practices influenced the nutrition and development of soybean in succession. The design was a randomized complete block in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial, consisting of sorghum monoculture cropped or intercropped with palisade grass, sorghum either inoculated or not with A. brasilense, and nitrogen applied at 120 kg ha-1 N only at sowing, only at topdressing, or split-30% at sowing and 70% at topdressing at the beginning of the panicle initiation stage. The residual impacts of these treatments on the following soybean crop were also evaluated. Higher DM yield occurred in sorghum inoculated with A. brasilense, however, this result varied by year. The sorghum-palisade grass intercrop produced a higher amount of straw than sorghum monoculture. The nutrition of soybean was adequate regardless of treatments, but grain yield was higher when the sorghum residue was inoculated. The inoculation of A. brasilense in sorghum intercropped with palisade grass increased yield. The nutrition of soybean was adequate regardless of the treatments, while grain yield was higher on the inoculated sorghum residues. The inoculation of A. brasilense in sorghum intercropped with palisade grass increased DM yield. The intercropping increased the production of biomass for animal grazing and DM for soil coverage. The inoculation of sorghum by A. brasilense and its intercropping with palisade grass contributed to higher soybean yield in succession.

Integrating public engagement to intensify pollination services through ecological restoration.

Globally, human activities impose threats to nature and the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination. In this context, ecological restoration provides opportunities to create managed landscapes that maximize biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture, e.g., via provision of pollination services. Managing pollination services and restoration opportunities requires the engagement of distinct stakeholders embedded in diverse social institutions. Nevertheless, frameworks toward sustainable agriculture often overlook how stakeholders interact and access power in social arenas. We present a perspective integrating pollination services, ecological restoration, and public engagement for biodiversity conservation and agricultural production. We highlight the importance of a comprehensive assessment of pollination services, restoration opportunities identification, and a public engagement strategy anchored in institutional analysis of the social arenas involved in restoration efforts. Our perspective can therefore guide the implementation of practices from local to country scales to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.

TAVI com próteses balão-expansíveis de nova geração versus auto-expansíveis de nova geração: análise do registro brasileiro de TAVI - RIBAC-NT / TAVI with new generation balloon-expandable prostheses versus new generation self-expandable prostheses: analysis of the Brazilian TAVI registry - RIBAC-NT

INTRODUÇÃO: Não existem estudos comparando os desfechos clínicos do implante de válvula aórtica transcateter (TAVI) com próteses balão-expansíveis (BE) versus auto-expansíveis (AE) de nova geração na realidade brasileira. OBJETIVO: Comparar os resultados clínicos intra-hospitalares de TAVI realizados com próteses BE de nova geração contra próteses AE de nova geração em centros brasileiros participantes do RIBAC-NT. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados dados de centros ativamente participantes do registro brasileiro de TAVI. Critério de inclusão: todos os procedimentos de TAVI em válvula nativa tricúspide com utilização de próteses de nova geração. Critério de exclusão principal: procedimentos pela via transapical. Os casos foram separados conforme a prótese utilizada em grupo BE (Sapien S3, S3 Ultra e Myval) e AE (Evolut R, Evolut PRO, Acurate Neo, Acurate Neo2 e Portico). Desfecho primário analisado foi morte intra-hospitalar. Desfechos secundários: complicação vascular maior, sangramento maior, sangramento com risco de vida, qualquer acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) e novo implante de marcapasso. RESULTADOS: Ao todo 1703 pacientes de 25 centros foram incluídos na análise, sendo 887 no grupo BE e 819 no grupo AE. A idade média da população foi 80,7±7,2 anos e 48,9% eram mulheres. O grupo AE teve uma maior proporção de pacientes do sexo feminino (53,5% vs. 44,6%, P=<0,001), maior prevalência de doença arterial periférica (16,2% vs. 11%, P=0,002) e de doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (16,8% vs. 11,5%, P=0,002), além de Euroscore 2 maior (6,2 vs. 5,5, P=0,03). Tabela 1 estão demonstradas a comparação das características do procedimento entre os grupos. Pacientes do grupo BE realizaram mais procedimentos com anestesia geral, mais por via transfemoral e também com maior proporção de acessos totalmente percutâneos. No grupo AE houve maior necessidade de pré e pós-dilatação e discreta maior incidência de embolização e necessidade de uma segunda prótese, assim como maior incidência de oclusão coronariana. Tabela 2 sumariza o comparativo dos desfechos clínicos. Não houve diferença significativa para a mortalidade intra-hospitalar entre os grupos. Também não se observou diferença entre complicações vasculares, sangramentos, AVE e necessidade de novo marcapasso. Regressão logístico multivariada ajustando para diferenças entre os grupos não indicou diferença de mortalidade entre utilização de prótese BE vs. AE (OR 0,95, P=0,8). Preditores independentes de mortalidade foram sexo feminino (OR 0,49, P=0,009) e Euroscore 2 (OR 1,04, P=0,006). CONCLUSÃO: Em estudo de vida real de pacientes submetidos a TAVI no Brasil, não houve diferença da mortalidade intra-hospitalar entra a utilização de próteses BE de nova geração em comparação a utilização de próteses AE de nova geração.

Architecture of a Data Portal for Publishing and Delivering Open Data for Atmospheric Measurement.

Atmospheric data are collected by researchers every day. Campaigns such as GOAmazon 2014/2015 and the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory collect essential data on aerosols, gases, cloud properties, and meteorological parameters in the Brazilian Amazon basin. These data products provide insights and essential information for analyzing and predicting natural processes. However, in Brazil, it is estimated that more than 80% of the scientific data collected are not published due to the lack of web portals that collect and store these data. This makes it difficult, or even impossible, to access and integrate the data, which can result in the loss of significant amounts of information and significantly affect the understanding of the overall data. To address this problem, we propose a data portal architecture and open data deployment that enable Big Data processing, human interaction, and download-oriented approaches with tools that help users catalog, publish and visualize atmospheric data. Thus, we describe the architecture developed, based on the experience of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Data Center, which incorporates the principles of FAIR, the infrastructure and content management system for managing scientific data. The portal partial results were tested with environmental data from contaminated areas at the University of São Paulo. Overall, this data portal creates more shared knowledge about atmospheric processes by providing users with access to open environmental data.

Investigation of the clinical utility of adhesion molecules in the management of thyroid nodules.

To better understand the relationship among cell adhesion molecules (CAM) and investigate the clinical diagnostic and prognostic application of ICAM-1 (ICAM1), LFA-1 (ITGAL), and L-selectin (SELL) proteins and mRNA corresponding expression in thyroid cancer. Gene expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR, and protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. We evaluated 275 patients (218 women, 57 men, 48.4 ± 14.5 years old), including 102 benign and 173 malignant nodules. The 143 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and 30 follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) patients were managed according to current guidelines and followed-up for 78.7 ± 54.2 months. Malignant and benign nodules differed concerning mRNA (p = 0.0027) and protein (p = 0.0020 for nuclear) expression of L-selectin and ICAM-1 (mRNA: p = 0.0001 and protein: p = 0.0014) and protein expression of LFA-1 (p = 0.0168), but not mRNA expression of LFA-1 (p = 0.2131). SELL expression was more intense in malignant tumors (p = 0.0027). ICAM1 (p = 0.0064) and ITGAL (p = 0.0244) mRNA expression was higher in tumors with lymphocyte infiltrate. ICAM-1 expression correlated with younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.0312) and smaller tumor size (p = 0.0443). Also, LFA-1 expression correlated with higher age at diagnosis (p = 0.0376) and was more intense at stage III and IV (p = 0.0077). In general, the protein expression of the 3 CAM decreased as the process of cellular dedifferentiation occurred. We suggest that the SELL and ICAM1 genes and L-selectin and LFA-1 protein expression may help confirm malignancy and assist in the histological characterization of follicular patterned lesions, but we were unable to correlate these CAMs with patient outcomes.

Clinical and histopathology characteristics of Castleman disease: a multicenter study of 51 Brazilian patients.

Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare and heterogeneous lymphoproliferative disorder, with limited available clinical information in Brazil. A retrospective study was carried out through information contained in the medical records of 51 patients, between July 1999 and June 2020. Seven patients were excluded, and 44 were analyzed in total. The average age of unicentric CD (UCD) patients was 35 years old and of multicentric CD (MCD) patients was 49 years old (p = 0.013). Regarding gender, there was a predominance of females among patients with UCD (68.4%) and males in patients with MCD (57.9%) (p = 0.103). The most common site of involvement in UCD was the cervical region (36.8%). A total of 73.7% of patients with UCD and 68.4% of patients with MCD presented the histological form hialyne-vascular (HV) (p = 0.499). Most patients with laboratory abnormalities had MCD. A total of 78% of the patients were asymptomatic, with the majority of symptomatic patients with MCD (p = 0.042). Only two of the 27 patients evaluated for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had positive serology. HHV-8 was evaluated in 14 cases, being positive in two. Of the patients with UCD, 94.7% underwent excisional biopsy, against only 41.2% of patients with MCD (p = 0.01). The mean follow-up was 61 months. We observed similarities in the clinical profile between patients in our study and patients described in the literature, such as gender, mean age, B symptoms, visceromegaly, fluid accumulation, and treatment. Unlike the literature, the cervical region was the most affected site, besides the greater association of the HV histological subtype among patients with MCD.

Inoculation of Pochonia chlamydosporia triggers a defense response in tomato roots, affecting parasitism by Meloidogyne javanica.

Pochonia chlamydosporia is a soil-dwelling fungus and biological control agent of nematodes, active ingredient in commercial bionematicides. The fungus is also endophytically associated with the roots of several plant species, promoting their growth and inducing systemic resistance. In this study, different pathways and tomato defense metabolites were studied to identify mechanisms induced by P. chlamydosporia that contribute to the control of Meloidogyne javanica, at early and late developmental stages. Some defense responses activated by the fungus appeared related to the nematode life cycle. Among the evaluated biochemical analysis, root colonization of P. chlamydosporia showed an increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds, such as chlorogenic acid. In addition, the expression of some host plant genes was also modified. The interaction of the fungus with roots parasitized by M. javanica resulted in the highest expression of Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase (PAL), Chalcone synthase (LECHS 2), and Protease Inhibitor (PI1) genes at 24 days post-inoculation. At the second sampling time (44 days), there was an increase in the expression of the Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog (RBOH) gene. Fungus reduced the expression of the ACC-oxidase and Pathogenesis-Related Proteins 1 (PR-1) genes in roots. Moreover, P. chlamydosporia inoculation changed metabolites and phytohormone profiles of the gall formed by M. javanica. Plant defense response appeared to involve the jasmonic acid and phytosphingosine cascades. With this analysis, it was possible to propose new molecular mechanisms induced by the fungus that contribute to the control of M. javanica.

Systems biology and OMIC data integration to understand gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a set of diverse diseases affecting many parts/ organs. The five most frequent GI cancer types are esophageal, gastric cancer (GC), liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer (CRC); together, they give rise to 5 million new cases and cause the death of 3.5 million people annually. We provide information about molecular changes crucial to tumorigenesis and the behavior and prognosis. During the formation of cancer cells, the genomic changes are microsatellite instability with multiple chromosomal arrangements in GC and CRC. The genomically stable subtype is observed in GC and pancreatic cancer. Besides these genomic subtypes, CRC has epigenetic modification (hypermethylation) associated with a poor prognosis. The pathway information highlights the functions shared by GI cancers such as apoptosis; focal adhesion; and the p21-activated kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt, transforming growth factor beta, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. These pathways show survival, cell proliferation, and cell motility. In addition, the immune response and inflammation are also essential elements in the shared functions. We also retrieved information on protein-protein interaction from the STRING database, and found that proteins Akt1, catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), E1A binding protein P300, tumor protein p53 (TP53), and TP53 binding protein 1 (TP53BP1) are central nodes in the network. The protein expression of these genes is associated with overall survival in some GI cancers. The low TP53BP1 expression in CRC, high EP300 expression in esophageal cancer, and increased expression of Akt1/TP53 or low CTNNB1 expression in GC are associated with a poor prognosis. The Kaplan Meier plotter database also confirmed the association between expression of the five central genes and GC survival rates. In conclusion, GI cancers are very diverse at the molecular level. However, the shared mutations and protein pathways might be used to understand better and reveal diagnostic/prognostic or drug targets.

Heteromorphic stamens are differentially attractive in Swartzia (Fabaceae).

The division of labour hypothesis between stamens has explained the evolution of divergent functions between dimorphic stamens in the same flower. However, little is known about whether the distinct type of stamens differs in attractiveness to pollinators. Therefore, we investigate whether the two types of stamens commonly found in Swartzia have different visual and olfactory attractants. We performed observations of anthesis dynamics, registration and collection of floral visitors, measurements of reflectance of floral parts and chemical analysis of the volatile organic compounds of the floral parts of two species, S. flaemingii and S. simplex. Both species have two distinct sets of stamens: one with smaller and abundant stamens in the centre of the flower and the other with fewer but larger abaxial stamens. The sets differ in UV reflectance (only S. simplex) and exhibit a distinct chromatic contrast. Concerning olfactory attractiveness, aliphatic compounds make up most of the odour of the two species, both whole flowers and most of their floral organs. On the other hand, only S. simplex presented apocarotenoids (as ionones) and benzenoids. Furthermore, there are differences in the proportion of volatiles emitted by the stamen in both cases, as the high proportion of sesquiterpenes among the smaller stamens compared to the larger ones. In conclusion, the two types of stamens found in S. flaemingii and S. simplex show a distinct attractiveness. In addition, our data have demonstrated diverse ways of differential attractiveness both between distinct stamens set per flower and between the two species from the same pollen flowers genus.