Climate change impacts on crop breeding: Targeting interacting biotic and abiotic stresses for wheat improvement.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as a staple crop is closely interwoven into the development of modern society. Its influence on culture and economic development is global. Recent instability in wheat markets has demonstrated its importance in guaranteeing food security across national borders. Climate change threatens food security as it interacts with a multitude of factors impacting wheat production. The challenge needs to be addressed with a multidisciplinary perspective delivered across research, private, and government sectors. Many experimental studies have identified the major biotic and abiotic stresses impacting wheat production, but fewer have addressed the combinations of stresses that occur simultaneously or sequentially during the wheat growth cycle. Here, we argue that biotic and abiotic stress interactions, and the genetics and genomics underlying them, have been insufficiently addressed by the crop science community. We propose this as a reason for the limited transfer of practical and feasible climate adaptation knowledge from research projects into routine farming practice. To address this gap, we propose that novel methodology integration can align large volumes of data available from crop breeding programs with increasingly cheaper omics tools to predict wheat performance under different climate change scenarios. Underlying this is our proposal that breeders design and deliver future wheat ideotypes based on new or enhanced understanding of the genetic and physiological processes that are triggered when wheat is subjected to combinations of stresses. By defining this to a trait and/or genetic level, new insights can be made for yield improvement under future climate conditions.

Linfoma pulmonar MALT: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Pulmonary Malt Lymphoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (pMALToma) is an extranodal low-grade B-cell lymphoma which originates from bronchial and/or parenchyma MALT. The authors report a case of an 81-year-old female with incidental finding of multiple bilateral pulmonary consolidations. After being submitted to an extensive workup, the diagnosis of pMALToma was finally established. The authors intend to highlight this rare entity and its challenging workup. It Is characterized by non-specific clinical manifestations and diverse imaging findings frequently leading to the need to perform more invasive techniques for a final diagnosis. (AU)

Exotic alleles contribute to heat tolerance in wheat under field conditions.

Global warming poses a major threat to food security and necessitates the development of crop varieties that are resilient to future climatic instability. By evaluating 149 spring wheat lines in the field under yield potential and heat stressed conditions, we demonstrate how strategic integration of exotic material significantly increases yield under heat stress compared to elite lines, with no significant yield penalty under favourable conditions. Genetic analyses reveal three exotic-derived genetic loci underlying this heat tolerance which together increase yield by over 50% and reduce canopy temperature by approximately 2 °C. We identified an Ae. tauschii introgression underlying the most significant of these associations and extracted the introgressed Ae. tauschii genes, revealing candidates for further dissection. Incorporating these exotic alleles into breeding programmes could serve as a pre-emptive strategy to produce high yielding wheat cultivars that are resilient to the effects of future climatic uncertainty.

Hallazgos en radiografías panorámicas de niños entre 6 y 15 años en un hospital odontológico en Argentina / Findings in panoramic radiographs of children between 6 and 15 years at a dental hospital in Argentina

Objetivo: Describir la frecuencia y localización de pato- logías y anomalías dentarias (anomalías de número, tumores, quistes y piezas retenidas) observadas en radiografías pa- norámicas de pacientes pediátricos de entre 6 y 15 años del Hospital Zonal Especializado en Odontología Infantil "Dr. A. Bollini" de la ciudad de La Plata. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observa- cional descriptivo de 300 radiografías panorámicas, de niños (n=150) y niñas (n=150) de entre 6 y 15 años, seleccionadas aleatoriamente en el área de radiología del hospital, tomadas en el período comprendido entre marzo de 2018 y marzo de 2020. Los datos obtenidos se volcaron en planillas de cálculo y con ellos se realizó un análisis estadístico descriptivo. Se utilizaron las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, tipo de ano- malía o patología (anomalías de número, tumores, quistes y piezas retenidas), pieza dentaria y ubicación (maxilar o man- díbula). Resultados: Dentro de las anomalías registradas (n=147), se encontraron en mayor medida piezas dentarias retenidas, en un 44,22% de los casos (n=65), agenesias en un 42,18% de los casos (n=62) y supernumerarios en un 13,61% de los casos (n=20). No se hallaron quistes ni tumores. Conclusión: En un 24% de las radiografías panorámicas de niños entre 6 y 15 años se halló alguna anomalía dentaria. Las anomalías más frecuentes fueron piezas dentarias reteni- das y agenesias (AU)

Aim: To describe the frequency and location of dental pathologies and anomalies (number anomalies, tumors, cysts and retained dental pieces) observed in panoramic radio- graphs of pediatric patients between 6 and 15 years of age from the Hospital Especializado en Odontología Infantil "Dr. A. Bollini" from the city of La Plata. Materials and methods: A descriptive observational study was performed based on 300 panoramic radiographs of children (150 girls and 150 boys) between 6 and 15 years old, randomly selected in the Radiology area of the hospital, taken in the period between March 2018 and March 2020. The data obtained were entered into spreadsheets and a descriptive sta- tistical analysis was carried out. The following variables were evaluated: age, sex, type of anomaly or pathology (anomalies of number, tumor, cysts and retained dental pieces), dental piece and location (maxilla or mandible). Results: Among the registered anomalies (n=147), re- tained dental pieces were found to a greater extent, in 44.22% of the cases (n=65), agenesis in 42.18% of the cases (n=62) and supernumeraries in 13.61% of the cases (n=20). No cysts or tumors were found. Conclusion: In 24% of panoramic radiographs of chil- dren between 6 and 15 years old, some dental anomaly was found. The most frequent anomalies were retained dental pieces and agenesis (AU)

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia: Rare Involvement of the Central Nervous System.

Involvement of the central nervous system, although uncommon, is one of the most frequent extramedullary manifestations of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Various conditions can lead to neurological symptoms in CLL patients and distinguishing between clinically significant CLL involvement of the CNS and other aetiologies can be challenging. The authors report the case of a 90-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of low-risk CLL who presented to the emergency room with altered mental status. After the most frequent causes were ruled out and considering the underlying disease, CNS infiltration by clonal B-cells was hypothesised and later confirmed. Treatment was initiated, but the patient died soon afterwards. LEARNING POINTS: Central nervous system involvement in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is rare and characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation.CNS localisation of CLL should be considered in patients with any neurological symptom, irrespective of the stage and activity of CLL.Brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination should be performed.

Effect of Flowering Time-Related Genes on Biomass, Harvest Index, and Grain Yield in CIMMYT Elite Spring Bread Wheat.

Grain yield (YLD) is a function of the total biomass (BM) and of partitioning the biomass by grains, i.e., the harvest index (HI). The most critical developmental stage for their determination is the flowering time, which mainly depends on the vernalization requirement (Vrn) and photoperiod sensitivity genes (Ppd) loci. Allelic variants at the Vrn, Ppd, and earliness per se (Eps) genes of elite spring wheat genotypes included in High Biomass Association Panel (HiBAP) I and II were used to estimate their effects on the phenological stages BM, HI, and YLD. Each panel was grown for two consecutive years in Northwest Mexico. Spring alleles at Vrn-1 had the largest effect on shortening the time to anthesis, and the Ppd-insensitive allele Ppd-D1a had the most significant positive effect on YLD in both panels. In addition, alleles at TaTOE-B1 and TaFT3-B1 promoted between 3.8% and 7.6% higher YLD and 4.2% and 10.2% higher HI in HiBAP I and II, respectively. When the possible effects of the TaTOE-B1 and TaFT3-B1 alleles on the sink and source traits were explored, the favorable allele at TaTOE-B1 showed positive effects on several sink traits mainly related to grain number. The favorable alleles at TaFT3-B1 followed a different pattern, with positive effects on the traits related to grain weight. The results of this study expanded the wheat breeders' toolbox in the quest to breed better-adapted and higher-yielding wheat cultivars.

Subserous Type of Eosinophilic Colitis: A Rare Disease.

Eosinophilic colitis is a rare heterogeneous inflammatory disorder. The pathogenesis is not well understood even though it seems to be multifactorial, with hypersensitivity as a major contributor. The clinical presentation depends on the eosinophilic infiltration of different sections within the gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis is based on the presence of peripheral eosinophilia and histopathological evidence of colon wall eosinophilic infiltration. The authors present the case of a woman with a predominantly subserous pattern of eosinophilic colitis potentially triggered by intake of an Ulmus rubra-rich product. LEARNING POINTS: Subserous eosinophilic colitis (EC) is a rare inflammatory gastrointestinal disease that should be suspected when peripheral eosinophilia is accompanied by eosinophil-rich ascites and confirmed by the presence of eosinophilic infiltration of the colon wall.Although the aetiology of EC is not fully understood, a combination of genetic predisposition, dysbiosis and environmental factors (e.g., ingested allergens) likely contribute to it.The subserous type has the best prognosis and responds well to corticosteroids, with fewer relapses than other types.

Uncovering candidate genes involved in photosynthetic capacity using unexplored genetic variation in Spring Wheat.

To feed an ever-increasing population we must leverage advances in genomics and phenotyping to harness the variation in wheat breeding populations for traits like photosynthetic capacity which remains unoptimized. Here we survey a diverse set of wheat germplasm containing elite, introgression and synthetic derivative lines uncovering previously uncharacterized variation. We demonstrate how strategic integration of exotic material alleviates the D genome genetic bottleneck in wheat, increasing SNP rate by 62% largely due to Ae. tauschii synthetic wheat donors. Across the panel, 67% of the Ae. tauschii donor genome is represented as introgressions in elite backgrounds. We show how observed genetic variation together with hyperspectral reflectance data can be used to identify candidate genes for traits relating to photosynthetic capacity using association analysis. This demonstrates the value of genomic methods in uncovering hidden variation in wheat and how that variation can assist breeding efforts and increase our understanding of complex traits.

Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Rare Presentation of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis.

Thrombocytopenia may be the initial presentation of sarcoidosis, which is a systemic granulomatous disorder. Various pathophysiological mechanisms have been identified. Immune thrombocytopenia often has a severe presentation but may respond favourably to immunosuppressive therapy. There are no guidelines for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in sarcoidosis. However, in emergency situations with major bleeding, it seems reasonable to apply the current guidelines recommended for immune thrombocytopenia. The authors report a case of sarcoidosis presenting with severe thrombocytopenia, petechial rash, and nasal and gingival bleeding. LEARNING POINTS: The association of thrombocytopenia with sarcoidosis has been well described and fully documented.Immune thrombocytopenia in sarcoidosis is usually severe and symptomatic at presentation but generally has a favourable course because of modern therapeutic management.Steroids may be administered as first-line treatment for sarcoidosis, but in emergency situations with a severe bleeding risk, it seems reasonable to apply the current guidelines for immune thrombocytopenia, namely methylprednisolone (1 g/day for 2 days) and/or intravenous immunoglobulin (1 g/kg/day for 3 days).

Masson's Tumour: A Rare Cause of Cervical Mass.

Masson's tumour, also known as intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia, is a rare non-neoplastic lesion of vascular origin, caused by an excessive reactive proliferation of endothelial cells in normal blood vessels or vascular malformations. It can affect any part of the body, presenting most frequently in the vessels of the head, neck and upper extremities. The authors describe the case of a 76-year-old female patient presenting an anterior cervical mass, measuring 2×2 cm, which was mobile, tender and slightly painful with no alteration of the overlying skin. Complementary study with ultrasound and computed tomography was inconclusive. Total excision of the lesion was performed with histology compatible with intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia. LEARNING POINTS: Masson's tumour is a rare and indolent non-neoplastic lesion of vascular origin, that can be easily confused with other pathological entities and misdiagnosed.Diagnosis can be a challenge; histological characterization is essential for differentiation from other lesions, such as angiosarcoma and Kaposi's sarcoma.Masson's tumour should be considered in patients presenting a single cervical mass.

Breeder friendly phenotyping.

The word phenotyping can nowadays invoke visions of a drone or phenocart moving swiftly across research plots collecting high-resolution data sets on a wide array of traits. This has been made possible by recent advances in sensor technology and data processing. Nonetheless, more comprehensive often destructive phenotyping still has much to offer in breeding as well as research. This review considers the 'breeder friendliness' of phenotyping within three main domains: (i) the 'minimum data set', where being 'handy' or accessible and easy to collect and use is paramount, visual assessment often being preferred; (ii) the high throughput phenotyping (HTP), relatively new for most breeders, and requiring significantly greater investment with technical hurdles for implementation and a steeper learning curve than the minimum data set; (iii) detailed characterization or 'precision' phenotyping, typically customized for a set of traits associated with a target environment and requiring significant time and resources. While having been the subject of debate in the past, extra investment for phenotyping is becoming more accepted to capitalize on recent developments in crop genomics and prediction models, that can be built from the high-throughput and detailed precision phenotypes. This review considers different contexts for phenotyping, including breeding, exploration of genetic resources, parent building and translational research to deliver other new breeding resources, and how the different categories of phenotyping listed above apply to each. Some of the same tools and rules of thumb apply equally well to phenotyping for genetic analysis of complex traits and gene discovery.

Bacteriocin enterocin CRL35 is a modular peptide that induces non-bilayer states in bacterial model membranes.

The mechanism of action of the anti-Listeria peptide enterocin CRL35 was studied with biophysical tools by using lipid mixtures that mimicked Gram-positive plasma membranes. Langmuir monolayers and infrared spectroscopy indicated that the peptide readily interacted with phospholipid assembled in monolayers and bilayers to produce a dual effect, depending on the acyl chains. Indeed, short chain mixtures were disordered by enterocin CRL35, but the gel-phases of membranes composed by longer acyl chains were clearly stabilized by the bacteriocin. Structural and functional studies indicated that non-bilayer states were formed when liposomes were co-incubated with enterocin CRL35, whereas significant permeabilization could be detected when bilayer and non-bilayer states co-existed. Results can be explained by a two-step model in which the N-terminal of the peptide firstly docks enterocin CRL35 on the lipid surface by means of electrostatic interactions; then, C-terminal triggers membrane perturbation by insertion of hydrophobic α-helix.

Encephalopathy after Bendamustine Treatment: A Rare Side Effect?

Bendamustine is a chemotherapeutic drug associated with frequent haematological and gastrointestinal adverse effects and, more rarely, neurological toxicity. We present the case of a 79-year-old man with follicular lymphoma, grade 2, Ann-Arbor stage IV-A, FLIPI 4, high risk, with bulky disease and vital organ compression, treated with R-CHOP and then rituximab-bendamustine, who developed encephalopathy approximately 2 months after the last cycle. After ruling out other possible aetiologies, we assumed the patient's encephalopathy was due to a delayed bendamustine side effect, possibly aggravated by the concomitant administration of rituximab. The authors hope to alert clinicians to this rare adverse effect, its difficult identification and the need to rule out other aetiologies. LEARNING POINTS: Bendamustine neurotoxicity is a rare side effect.Bendamustine neurotoxicity should be considered a diagnosis of exclusion in a patient with progressive encephalopathy treated with the drug.Drug cessation is the mainstay of treatment in cases of bendamustine-induced encephalopathy.

Pleuroparenchymal Fibroelastosis Associated with Crohn's Disease: A New Aetiology?

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is a relatively rare interstitial lung disease (ILD) consisting of elastofibrosis involving the subpleural parenchyma and visceral pleura with an upper lobe predominance. It can be idiopathic or associated with some forms of autoimmune disease. The authors describe the case of a 78-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD). She presented with a protracted respiratory infection (with no significant history of previous infections), and underwent high-resolution chest computerized tomography that eventually showed alterations compatible with PPFE. After exclusion of other possible underlying causes, a possible link to CD was considered. Follow-up investigation at 12 months showed clinical and radiological stability and also stable lung function under treatment with hydroxychloroquine and prednisolone. This is the first report of PPFE in the context of CD. Future studies will be important to further investigate this pathological association and its prognostic implications. LEARNING POINTS: Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) is an uncommon interstitial lung disease consisting of elastofibrosis involving the subpleural parenchyma and visceral pleura with an upper lobe predominance.PPFE can be idiopathic or associated with several conditions including autoimmune diseases and may be a direct extra-intestinal manifestation of Crohn's disease (CD).The main disease patterns of PPFE in the context of CD are organizing pneumonia, non-specific interstitial pneumonia, granulomatous interstitial lung disease, pulmonary eosinophilia and sterile necrobiotic nodules.

Yielding to the image: How phenotyping reproductive growth can assist crop improvement and production.

Reproductive organs are the main reason we grow and harvest most plant species as crops, yet they receive less attention from phenotyping due to their complexity and inaccessibility for analysis. This review highlights recent progress towards the quantitative high-throughput phenotyping of reproductive development, focusing on three impactful areas that are pivotal for plant breeding and crop production. First, we look at phenotyping phenology, summarizing the indirect and direct approaches that are available. This is essential for analysis of genotype by environment, and to enable effective management interpretation and agronomy and physiological interventions. Second, we look at pollen development and production, in addition to anther characteristics, these are critical points of vulnerability for yield loss when stress occurs before and during flowering, and are of particular interest for hybrid technology development. Third, we elaborate on phenotyping yield components, indirectly or directly during the season, with a numerical or growth related approach and post-harvest processing. Finally, we summarise the opportunities and challenges ahead for phenotyping reproductive growth and their feasibility and impact, with emphasis on plant breeding applications and targeted yield increases.

Elucidating the genetic basis of biomass accumulation and radiation use efficiency in spring wheat and its role in yield potential.

One of the major challenges for plant scientists is increasing wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield potential (YP). A significant bottleneck for increasing YP is achieving increased biomass through optimization of radiation use efficiency (RUE) along the crop cycle. Exotic material such as landraces and synthetic wheat has been incorporated into breeding programmes in an attempt to alleviate this; however, their contribution to YP is still unclear. To understand the genetic basis of biomass accumulation and RUE, we applied genome-wide association study (GWAS) to a panel of 150 elite spring wheat genotypes including many landrace and synthetically derived lines. The panel was evaluated for 31 traits over 2 years under optimal growing conditions and genotyped using the 35K wheat breeders array. Marker-trait association identified 94 SNPs significantly associated with yield, agronomic and phenology-related traits along with RUE and final biomass (BM_PM) at various growth stages that explained 7%-17% of phenotypic variation. Common SNP markers were identified for grain yield, BM_PM and RUE on chromosomes 5A and 7A. Additionally, landrace and synthetic derivative lines showed higher thousand grain weight (TGW), BM_PM and RUE but lower grain number (GM2) and harvest index (HI). Our work demonstrates the use of exotic material as a valuable resource to increase YP. It also provides markers for use in marker-assisted breeding to systematically increase BM_PM, RUE and TGW and avoid the TGW/GM2 and BM_PM/HI trade-off. Thus, achieving greater genetic gains in elite germplasm while also highlighting genomic regions and candidate genes for further study.

Escolha amorosa: da repetição à transformação / Love choice: from repetition to transformation

O presente estudo tem como objetivo a compreensão da escolha amorosa a partir da teoria psicanalítica. Partimos da hipótese de que as relações amorosas são, muitas vezes, repetições de certos padrões de comportamento da infância. As escolhas amorosas repetem essencialmente dois aspectos da formação do sujeito: a relação mãe/bebê e o Édipo. No entanto, isso ocorre de diversas formas a partir das histórias familiares de cada cônjuge. Cada sujeito, na sua singularidade, vai dar um destino para aquilo que lhe é transmitido. Mas, muitas vezes, é difícil escapar de algo que não foi representado nas gerações anteriores. O que não pôde ser revelado vai aparecer de alguma forma, ainda que disfarçado (AU)