Phenotypic and molecular characterization of plants regenerated from non-cryopreserved and cryopreserved wild Solanum lycopersicum Mill. seeds

BACKGROUND: Before cryopreservation is routinely used, its effect on the trueness-to-type of the regenerated plant material needs to be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: In this work, we studied the effect of seed cryopreservation on the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of wild Solanum lycopersicum Mill. plants. METHODS: Thirty-five morphological traits of plants regenerated from cryopreserved seeds were compared to those measured on plants regenerated from non-cryopreserved seeds. RESULT: No statistically significant differences were observed between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved samples, either in the first or in the second generation post-liquid nitrogen exposure. However, at the molecular level, the genetic analyses performed on the second generation plants germinated from control and cryopreserved seeds using 14 nuclear Simple Sequences Repeats (SSR) markers uncovered some changes in microsatellite length between control and cryopreserved samples. These results confirm at the botanical phenotype level the effectiveness of seed cryostorage for conservation and regeneration of true-to-type S. lycopersicum plants. CONCLUSION: Further experiments are required to clarify potential phenotypic effects of the changes observed in the DNA

Factores asociados a resultados funcionales en pacientes con ictus isquémico tratados con trombolisis endovenosa en un hospital del Perú.

Objective: To describe the treatment of acute ischemic strokes with intravenous rtPA and determine the factors associated with the functional outcomes of patients treated with thrombolysis in a Peruvian hospital. Material and Methods: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients with ischemic stroke who received rtPA over a period of 3 years was performed. The association of demographic and clinical data with functional status was assessed 3 months after the intervention. Simple and multivariate Poisson regression models were performed to evaluate associations with functional prognosis, and Relative Risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of association. Results: During the study period, 74 patients (1.19% of the total) received IV thrombolysis, and 68.18% of them achieved functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days. We found a mortality of 6%, an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) rate of 3%. Glycemia >140 mg/dl (OR 5.12; 1.31-20.02; p = 0.019), and posterior circulation infarcts (OR 7.47; 1.01-55.15; p = 0,04) were associated with an increased risk of functional dependency. Conclusions: In the studied cohort, most of the patients who underwent thrombolytic therapy achieved a functional independence at 3 months. Hyperglycemia (>140gr/dl) and vertebro-basilar infarcts were associated with an increased risk of functional dependenceObjetivo: Describir el tratamiento del ictus isquémico agudo con reperfusión endovenosa y determinar los factores asociados al rendimiento funcional de pacientes sometidos a trombolisis en un hospital peruano. Material y Métodos: Estudio prospectivo y longitudinal de una cohorte de pacientes con ictus isquémico que recibieron rtPA en un periodo de 3 años. Se evaluó la relación entre datos demográficos y clínicos y el estado funcional a los 3 meses de la intervención. La asociación del pronóstico funcional se valoró mediante el modelo de regresión simple y multivariado de Poisson, y el Riesgo Relativo (RR) con un intervalo de confianza (IC) al 95%, como medida de asociación. Resultados. Durante el periodo del estudio, 74 pacientes (1.19% del total) recibieron el tratamiento. El  68,18% logró independencia funcional (mRS 0-2) a los 90 días. La mortalidad fue de 6 % y un 3% mostró hemorragia intracerebral (HIC). Glicemia >140 mg/dl (OR 5,12; 1,31-20,02; p=0,019) e infarto de tipo posterior (OR 7,47; 1,01-55,15; p =0,04) se asociaron a un mayor riesgo de dependencia funcional. Conclusiones: En la cohorte estudiada, la mayoría de los pacientes alcanzaron independencia funcional a los 3 meses de tratamiento trombolítico. La hiperglicemia (>140gr/dl) y el infarto vertebro-basilar se asociaron con un mayor riesgo de dependencia funcional

Evidence of the effect of strong stripping channels on the dynamics of the 8 Li + 58Ni reaction

The 8 Li + 58Ni collision is investigated at 23.9, 26.1, 28.7, and 30 MeV bombarding energies. Quasielastic angular distributions and the singles 7 Li angular and energy distributions are presented. Coupled-reaction channels (CRC) calculations, which include the coupling of the elastic channel to 59Ni = 58Ni + n states above and below the neutron threshold, provide a simultaneous description of the quasielastic and transfer distributions and evidence the strong effect of the one-neutron transfer/breakup channels on the quasielastic scattering. The 7 Li angular and energy distributions have been also successfully analyzed combining the continuum discretized coupled channels (CDCC) method, for the elastic breakup, and the IAV model of Ichimura, Austern, and Vincent [Phys. Rev. C 32, 431 (1985)], for the nonelastic breakup. These calculations indicate that most of the 7 Li yields are due to nonelastic breakup contributions (transfer), whereas elastic breakup plays a minor role.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP (Brazil), Contratos No. 2019/02759-0, No. 2019/07767-1, No. 2016/17612-7 y No. 2013/22100-7Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nével Superior, Brasil (CAPES), código de financiación: 88887.355019/2019Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España. proyecto No. FIS2017-88410-PFondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)Programa Horizon 2020 de la Unión Europea No. 65400

Safety and efficacy of balloon-mounted stent in the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease: a multicenter experience

Background Randomized clinical trials have failed to prove that the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is better than that of medical management. A recent study using a self-expandable stent showed acceptable lower rates of periprocedural complications. Objective To study the safety and efficacy of a balloon-mounted stent (BMS) in the treatment of symptomatic ICAD. Methods Prospectively maintained databases from 15 neuroendovascular centers between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed. Patients were included if they had severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis in the target artery, medical management had failed, and they underwent intracranial stenting with BMS after 24 hours of the qualifying event. The primary outcome was the occurrence of stroke and mortality within 72 hours after the procedure. Secondary outcomes were the occurrence of stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), and mortality on long-term follow-up. Results A total of 232 patients were eligible for the analysis (mean age 62.8 years, 34.1% female). The intracranial stenotic lesions were located in the anterior circulation in 135 (58.2%) cases. Recurrent stroke was the qualifying event in 165 (71.1%) while recurrent TIA was identified in 67 (28.9%) cases. The median (IQR) time from the qualifying event to stenting was 5 (2–20.75) days. Strokes were reported in 13 (5.6%) patients within 72 hours of the procedure; 9 (3.9%) ischemic and 4 (1.7%) hemorrhagic, and mortality in 2 (0.9%) cases. Among 189 patients with median follow-up time 6 (3–14.5) months, 12 (6.3%) had TIA and 7 (3.7%) had strokes. Three patients (1.6%) died from causes not related to stroke. Conclusion Our study has shown that BMS may be a safe and effective treatment for medically refractory symptomatic ICAD. Additional prospective randomized clinical trials are warranted

Absence of ferromagnetic order in high quality bulk Co-doped ZnO samples

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Bulk Zn(1-x)Co(x)O samples were synthesized via standard solid-state reaction route with different Co molar concentrations up to 21%. A detailed microstructural analysis was carried out to investigate alternative sources of ferromagnetism, such as secondary phases and nanocrystals embedded in the bulk material. Conjugating different techniques we confirmed the Zn replacement by Co ions in the wurtzite ZnO structure, which retains, however, a high crystalline quality. No segregated secondary phases neither Co-rich nanocrystals were detected. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry demonstrates a paramagnetic Curie-Weiss behavior with antiferromagnetic interactions. We discuss the observed room temperature paramagnetism of our samples considering the current models for the magnetic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3459885]1083FAPEMIGConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPEMIG_BrasilCNPq_BrasilFAPESP_Brasi

Endomicroscopic and transcriptomic analysis of impaired barrier function and malabsorption in environmental enteropathy

Introduction: Environmental enteropathy (EE) is associated with growth failure, micronutrient malabsorption and impaired responses to oral vaccines. We set out to define cellular mechanisms of impaired barrier function in EE and explore protective mechanisms. Methods: We studied 49 adults with environmental enteropathy in Lusaka, Zambia using confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE); histology, immunohistochemistry and mRNA sequencing of small intestinal biopsies; and correlated these with plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a zinc uptake test. Results: CLE images (median 134 for each study) showed virtually ubiquitous small intestinal damage. Epithelial defects, imaged by histology and claudin 4 immunostaining, were predominantly seen at the tips of villi and corresponded with leakage imaged in vivo by CLE. In multivariate analysis, circulating log-transformed LPS was correlated with cell shedding events (β = 0.83; P = 0.035) and with serum glucagon-like peptide-2 (β = -0.13; P = 0.007). Zinc uptake from a test dose of 25mg was attenuated in 30/47 (64%) individuals and in multivariate analysis was reduced by HIV, but positively correlated with GLP-2 (β = 2.72; P = 0.03). There was a U-shaped relationship between circulating LPS and villus surface area. Transcriptomic analysis identified 23 differentially expressed genes in severe enteropathy, including protective peptides and proteins. Conclusions: Confocal endomicroscopy, claudin 4 immunostaining and histology identify epithelial defects which are probably sites of bacterial translocation, in the presence of which increased epithelial surface area increases the burden of translocation. GLP 2 and other protective peptides may play an important role in mucosal protection in EE

Oral health and human papillomavirus-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Indicators of poor oral health, including smoking, have been associated with increased risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, especially oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), yet few studies have examined whether this association is modified by human papillomavirus (HPV) status. METHODS: Data from interviews and tumor HPV status from a large population-based case-control study, the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study (CHANCE), were used to estimate the association between oral health indicators and smoking among 102 HPV-positive patients and 145 HPV-negative patients with OPSCC and 1396 controls. HPV status was determined by p16INK4a (p16) immunohistochemistry. Unconditional, multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for all oral health indictors adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS: Routine dental examinations were associated with a decreased risk of both HPV-negative OPSCC (OR, 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.76) and HPV-positive OPSCC (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.36-.86). Tooth mobility (a proxy for periodontal disease) increased the risk of HPV-negative disease (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.18-2.43) slightly more than the risk for HPV-positive disease (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.95-2.20). Ten or more pack-years of cigarette smoking were strongly associated with an increased risk of HPV-negative OPSCC (OR, 4.26; 95% CI, 2.85-6.37) and were associated less with an increased risk of HPV-positive OPSCC (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.10-2.38). CONCLUSIONS: Although HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC differ significantly with respect to etiology and tumorigenesis, the current findings suggest a similar pattern of association between poor oral health, frequency of dental examinations, and both HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCC. Future research is required to elucidate interactions between poor oral health, tobacco use, and HPV in the development of OPSCC. Cancer 2017;71–80. © 2016 American Cancer Society

Elderly Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck and the Benefit of Multimodality Therapy

Limited data are available regarding outcomes in elderly head and neck cancer patients. This retrospective study was designed to characterize head and neck cancer in geriatric patients

Spin-orbit effects in the 8Li+58Ni elastic scattering

In this work we present an elastic scattering angular distribution for the 8Li+58Ni system measured at Elab = 26.1 MeV. The 8Li beam was produced in the Radioactive Ion Beams in Brasil (RIBRAS) facility using the 7Li primary beam delivered by the 8-UD Pelletron accelerator. The angular distribution covers the angular range from 20 to 85 degrees in the center of mass frame. The data have been analysed by optical model and coupled channels calculations, including couplings to low-lying states in 8Li and the spin-orbit interaction. Our results indicate that the inclusion of the spin-orbit interaction in the calculations is important to describe the data at backward angles.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) y Funda¸c˜ao de Amparo `a Pesquisa do Estado de S˜ao Paulo (FAPESP)013/22100-7 y 2016/17612-7Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior de Brasil (CAPES) y Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)-013/22100-7 y 2016/17612-