Cuidado de crianças e adolescentes em tratamento oncológico na pandemia da COVID-19: experiência de familiares / Care of children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment in the COVID-19 pandemic: experience of family members / Atención de niños y adolescentes en tratamiento oncológico en la pandemia de COVID-19: experiencia de familiares

RESUMO Objetivo: descrever as experiências vivenciadas por familiares de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, em tratamento oncológico, durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Método: estudo qualitativo, exploratório e descritivo, com 20 familiares de crianças e adolescentes em tratamento oncológico em um ambulatório de oncopediatria. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas em setembro e outubro de 2020 e posterior análise de conteúdo. Resultados: as experiências vivenciadas pelos familiares no cuidado à criança e ao adolescente durante a pandemia revelam repercussões e formas de enfrentamento advindas das preocupações e inseguranças relacionadas à COVID-19, das mudanças na rotina e da reorganização das programações terapêuticas para a continuidade do tratamento oncológico. Conclusão: tanto as crianças e os adolescentes quanto seus familiares redobraram as precauções que estavam habituados antes da pandemia. Observou-se a necessidade de reorganização e reagendamentos de consultas, procedimentos e internações, mas sem prejuízos para a terapêutica programada. A insegurança e a ansiedade foram os sentimentos mais presentes, relacionados à evolução da COVID-19(AU)

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the experience of family members of children and adolescents with cancer undergoing cancer treatment, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, with 20 family members of children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment in a pediatric oncology outpatient clinic. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in September and October 2020 and subsequent content analysis. Results: the experiences lived by family members in the care of children and adolescents during the pandemic reveal repercussions and ways of coping arising from concerns and insecurities related to COVID-19, changes in routine and the reorganization of therapeutic programs for the continuity of cancer treatment. Conclusion: both children and adolescents and their families redoubled the precautions they were used to before the pandemic. There was a need for reorganization and rescheduling of consultations, procedures and hospitalizations, but without prejudice to the planned therapy. Insecurity and anxiety were the most present feelings related to the evolution of COVID-19(AU)

RESUMEN Objetivo: describir las vivencias de familiares de niños y adolescentes con cáncer, en tratamiento oncológico, durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Método: estudio cualitativo, exploratorio y descriptivo, junto a 20 familiares de niños y adolescentes en tratamiento oncológico en un ambulatorio de oncología pediátrica. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas en septiembre y octubre y posterior análisis de contenido. Resultados: las experiencias vividas por los familiares en el cuidado de niños y adolescentes durante la pandemia revelan repercusiones y formas de enfrentamiento derivadas de las preocupaciones e inseguridades relacionadas con el COVID-19, los cambios de rutina y la reorganización de los programas terapéuticos para la continuidad del tratamiento oncológico. Conclusión: tanto los niños y los adolescentes como sus familiares redoblaron las precauciones a las que estaban acostumbrados antes de la pandemia. Hubo necesidad de reorganización y reprogramación de consultas, procedimientos y hospitalizaciones, pero sin perjuicio de la terapia prevista. La inseguridad y la ansiedad fueron los sentimientos más presentes relacionados con la evolución del COVID-19(AU)

Identification of an atypical interaction site in the BTB domain of the MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1.

The repurposing of structurally conserved protein domains in different functional contexts is thought to be a driving force in the evolution of complex protein interaction networks. The BTB/POZ domain is such a versatile binding module that occurs over 200 times in the human proteome with diverse protein-specific adaptations. In BTB-zinc-finger transcription factors, the BTB domain drives homo- and heterodimerization as well as interactions with non-BTB-domain-containing proteins. Which mechanisms encode specificity in these interactions at a structural level is incompletely understood. Here, we uncover an atypical peptide-binding site in the BTB domain of the MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1 (MIZ1) that arises from local flexibility of the core BTB fold and may provide a target site for MIZ1-directed therapeutic approaches. Intriguingly, the identified binding mode requires the BTB domain to be in a homodimeric state, thus holding opportunities for functional discrimination between homo- and heterodimers of MIZ1 in the cell.

Yield response to soil test phosphorus in Switzerland: Pedoclimatic drivers of critical concentrations for optimal crop yields using multilevel modelling.

Phosphorus (P) management in agroecosystems is driven by opposing requirements in agronomy, ecology, and environmental protection. The widely used maintenance P fertilization strategy relies on critical concentrations of soil test P (STP), which should cause the lowest possible impact on the environment while still ensuring optimal yield. While both soil P availability and crop yields are fundamentally related to pedoclimatic conditions, little is known about the extent to which soil and climate variables control critical STP. The official P fertilization guidelines for arable crops in Switzerland are based on empirically derived critical concentrations for two soil test methods (H2O-CO2 and AAE10). To validate those values and evaluate their relation to pedoclimatic conditions, we established nonlinear multivariate multilevel yield response models fitted to long-term data from six sites. The Mitscherlich function proved most suitable out of three functions and model fit was significantly enhanced by taking the multilevel data structure into account. Yield response to STP was strongest for potato, intermediate for barley, and lowest for wheat and maize. Mean critical STP at 95% maximum yield ranged among crops from 0.15-0.58 mg kg-1 (H2O-CO2) and 0-36 mg kg-1 (AAE10). However, pedoclimatic conditions such as annual temperature or soil clay content had a large impact on critical STP, entailing changes of up to 0.9 mg kg-1 (H2O-CO2) and 80 mg kg-1 (AAE10). Critical STP for the AAE10 method was also affected by soil pH. Our findings suggest that the current Swiss fertilization guidelines overestimate actual crop P demand on average and that site conditions account for large parts of the variation in critical STP. We propose that site-specific fertilization recommendations could be improved on the basis of agro-climate classes in addition to soil information, which can help to counteract the accumulation of unutilized soil P by long-term P application.

Environmental Parameters Affecting the Concentration of Iodine in New Zealand Pasture.

Iodine (I) is an essential trace element commonly deficient in agricultural systems. Whereas there is much information on I in food crops, there is a lacuna of knowledge on the environmental factors that affect pasture I concentrations. We aimed to identify the most important environmental factors affecting the concentration of I in New Zealand pastures, and the consequences to agricultural systems. Soil and pastoral samples were collected throughout the country and analyzed for I and other elements. The soils contained 1.1 to 86 mg I kg, with 0.005 to 1.4 mg kg in the pasture. In 26% of pastures, I concentrations were insufficient for sheep nutrition, whereas 87% contained insufficient I for cattle nutrition. Pasture I concentrations were negatively correlated with the distance from the sea, and the concentration of oxalate-extractable amorphous Al, Fe, and Si oxides, which immobilize soil I. Soil organic C and clay increased I retention in soil but did not significantly affect pasture I concentrations. Future work should investigate how soil properties affect pasture I uptake in inland areas.