Influence of environmental factors on tenuazonic acid production by Epicoccum sorghinum: An integrative approach of field and laboratory conditions

Sorghum is the fifth most cultivated and consumed grain in the world. However, this grain is frequently contaminated with toxins from fungi. The present study evaluated the effects of environmental factors on tenuazonic acid (TeA) production by Epicoccum sorghinum in the field and in controlled laboratory conditions. In this study, 50 sorghum grain samples were collected from summer and autumn growing seasons and analyzed for TeA contamination using LC-MS/MS. To further understand the ecophysiology of this fungus, an isolated strain of E. sorghinum from the field was investigated for its development and TeA production under controlled environmental conditions in the laboratory. In the ecophysiological investigation, the effects of water activity (0.90, 0.95, 0.99) and temperature (18, 22, 26 and 30?°C) were evaluated on the radial growth, enzymatic production and expression of TAS1, which is the gene involved in TeA production. Results showed that in the field, the summer season presented the highest TeA average level in the grains (587.8??g/kg) compared to level found in the autumn (440.5??g/kg). The ecophysiological investigation confirmed that E. sorghinum produces more actively TeA under environmental conditions simulating the summer season. Optimum growth, maximum TAS1 gene expression, and higher extracellular enzymatic production were observed at 26?°C with a water activity of 0.99. Pearson correlation analyses showed that the production of TeA highly correlates with fungal growth. The present study demonstrates that abiotic factors in a combined approach of field and laboratory conditions will assist in predicting the driving environmental factors that could affect growth of E. sorghinum and TeA production in sorghum grains

Draft Genome Sequence of Sorghum Grain Mold Fungus Epicoccum sorghinum, a Producer of Tenuazonic Acid

The facultative plant pathogen Epicoccum sorghinum is associated with grain mold of sorghum and produces the mycotoxin tenuazonic acid. This fungus can have serious economic impact on sorghum production. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of E. sorghinum (USPMTOX48)

Iron-mediated stabilization of soil carbon amplifies the benefits of ecological restoration in degraded lands

Recent observations across a 14‐year restoration chronosequence have shown an unexpected accumulation of soil organic carbon in strip‐mined areas of central Brazil. This was attributed to the rapid plant colonization that followed the incorporation of biosolids into exposed regoliths, but the specific mechanisms involved in the stabilization of carbon inputs from the vegetation remained unclear. Using isotopic and elemental analyses, we tested the hypothesis that plant‐derived carbon accumulation was triggered by the formation of iron‐coordinated complexes, stabilized into physically protected (occluded) soil fractions. Confirming this hypothesis, we identified a fast formation of microaggregates shortly after the application of iron‐rich biosolids, which was characterized by a strong association between pyrophosphate‐extractable iron and plant‐derived organic matter. The formation of microaggregates preceded the development of macroaggregates, which drastically increased soil carbon content (~140 Mg C/ha) a few years after restoration. Consistent with previous theoretical work, iron‐coordinated organic complexes served as nuclei for aggregate formation, reflecting the synergistic effect of biological, chemical, and physical mechanisms of carbon stabilization in developing soils. Nevertheless, iron was not the only factor affecting soil carbon content. The highest carbon accumulation was observed during the period of highest plant diversity (\u3e30 species; years 3–6), declining significantly with the exclusion of native species by invasive grasses (years 9–14). Furthermore, the increasing dominance of invasive grasses was associated with a steady decline in the concentration of soil nitrogen and phosphorus per unit of accumulated carbon. These results demonstrate the importance of interdependent ecological and biogeochemical processes, and the role of soil–plant interactions in determining the success of restoration efforts. In contrast with previous but unsuccessful attempts to restore mined areas through nutrient application alone, iron‐mediated stabilization of vegetation inputs favored the regeneration of a barren stable state that had persisted for over five decades since disturbance. The effectiveness of coupled organic matter and iron “fertilization,” combined with management of invasive species, has the possibility to enhance terrestrial carbon sequestration and accelerate the restoration of degraded lands, while addressing important challenges associated with urban waste disposal

Weak C-H...Cl-Pd interactions toward conformational polymorphism in trans-dichloridobis (triphenylphosphane) palladium (II)

A new triclinic polymorph of the title compound, [PdCl2(C18H15P)2], has two independent mol­ecules in the unit cell, with the Pd atoms located on inversion centres. One mol­ecule has an eclipsed conformation, whereas the second mol­ecule adopts a gauche conformation. The mol­ecules with a gauche conformation are involved in weak inter­molecular C-H...Cl-Pd inter­actions with symmetry-related mol­ecules. It is suggested that C-H...Cl-Pd inter­actions are mainly responsible for the existence of conformational differences, which contribute to the polymorph formation. In the crystal, there are layers of eclipsed and gauche mol­ecules separated by normal van der Waals inter­actions.FAPESP (09/08131-1)CNPqCAPESPROE

An implicit formulation for calculating final conditions in drainage maneuvers in pressurized water installations

[EN] Emptying processes are typical maneuvers that should be performed by water distribution companies for operation purposes. These processes involve a complex numerical analysis, since a set of algebraic and ordinary differential equations needs to be solved for the intricacy of hydraulic and thermodynamic formulations for two analyzed phases (liquid and gas). This research provides an implicit equation to compute exactly the final conditions in water emptying operations in single pipelines without an air valve (or admitted air). The implicit expression was developed by considering that for all final conditions, the water velocity is null, and thus, the water column length and air pocket pressure can be computed. The friction factor, internal pipe diameter, and opening maneuvers of drain valves do not disturb the final conditions in draining processes. The developed implicit formulation was validated using experimental measurements in a pipeline with a total length of 4.36 m. The equation is of utmost importance, since it can be utilized for engineers to easily plan for future conditions in water distribution networks.This research was funded by the Escuela Naval de Cadetes "Almirante Padilla"-Armada de Colombia with the financial support of the ARC-Minciencias for the project entitled "Console Prototype of engineering in virtual reality and simulation in the training of crew members in emergency procedures" with grant number 75926.Coronado-Hernández, OE.; Bonilla-Correa, DM.; Lovo, A.; Fuertes-Miquel, VS.; Gatica, G.; Linfati, R.; Coronado-Hernández, JR. (2022). An implicit formulation for calculating final conditions in drainage maneuvers in pressurized water installations. Water. 14(21):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14213364113142

Schistosoma mansoni: experimental infection of mice through the ear and estimation of skin parasitism

No presente trabalho, desenvolveu-se método de infecção de camundongos através da orelha e de recuperação de esquistossômulos resultantes dessas infecções. Cerca de 80% das cercarías postas em contacto com orelhas de camundongos penetraram. Destas, 30% foram recuperadas. como vermes adultos, do sistema porta. Da pele (das orelhas) as maiores recuperações de esquistossômulos ocorreram nos dois primeiros dias após a infecção. Os parasitas permaneceram nesse sítio por dois dias. No terceiro dia, os parasitas foram recuperados tanto da pele como dos pulmões. A partir do 4.° dia, foi predominante a recuperação de esquistossômulos ao nível dos pulmões. Do total de parasitas que potencialmente atingiriam o sistema porta, proporção elevada (73-80%) pode ser recuperada da pele, no segundo dia após a infecção, como esquistossômulos. Revelando-se apropriadas ao acesso, à migração no hospedeiro e às técnicas de recuperação de parasitas, sugere-se que orelhas de camundongos podem ser utilizadas como sítio de infecção para estudos que visem a análise parasitológica dos eventos iniciais da infecção em animais normais ou imunes.A method is presented to recover schistosomula from the skin of ear infected mice. About 80% of the cercariae applied to the ear were able to penetrate the mouse skin and 30% of them were recovered from the portal system as adult worms. The best recovery of larvae from the ear occurred in the two days that follow the penetration. From the 3rd day on, parasites were recovered both from skin and lungs and on the 4th day they were already found mainly in the lungs. From 73 to 80% of the parasites eventually found in the portal system can be recovered as schistosomula from the skin on tjhe 2nd day of infection. The use of the mouse ears is suggested for the parasitolqgical analysis of the initial events of the S. mansoni infection both in normal and in immune animals, for they are very convenient to the cercarial access and to the use of methods of study of migration and recuperation of the larvae

The partial inhibition of hypothalamic IRX3 exacerbates obesity

The Iroquois homeobox 3 (Irx3) gene has been identified as a functional long-range target of obesity-associated variants within the fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) gene. It is highly expressed in the hypothalamus, and both whole-body knockout and hypothalamic restricted abrogation of its expression results in a lean phenotype, which is mostly explained by the resulting increased energy expenditure in the brown adipose tissue. Because of its potential implication in the pathogenesis of obesity, we evaluated the hypothalamic cell distribution of Irx3 and the outcomes of inhibiting its expression in a rodent model of diet-induced obesity. Methods: Bioinformatics tools were used to evaluate the correlations between hypothalamic Irx3 and neurotransmitters, markers of thermogenesis and obesity related phenotypes. Droplet-sequencing analysis in >20,000 hypothalamic cells was used to explore the types of hypothalamic cells expressing Irx3. Lentivirus was used to inhibit hypothalamic Irx3 and the resulting phenotype was studied. Findings: IRX3 is expressed predominantly in POMC neurons. Its expression is inhibited during prolonged fasting, as well as when mice are fed a high-fat diet. The partial inhibition of hypothalamic Irx3 using a lentivirus resulted in increased diet-induced body mass gain and adiposity due to increased caloric intake and reduced energy expenditure. Interpretation: Contrary to the results obtained when lean mice are submitted to complete inhibition of Irx3, partial inhibition of hypothalamic Irx3 in obese mice causes an exacerbation of the obese phenotype. These data suggest that at least some of the Irx3 functions in the hypothalamus are regulated according to a hormetic pattern, and modulation of its expression can be a novel approach to modifying the body's energy-handling regulation.39448460FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP2013/07607-8; 2017/02983-

Integrative literature review of the reported uses of serological tests in leprosy management

An integrative literature review was conducted to synthesize available publications regarding the potential use of serological tests in leprosy programs. We searched the databases Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Índice Bibliográfico Espanhol em Ciências da Saúde, Acervo da Biblioteca da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Hanseníase, National Library of Medicine, Scopus, Ovid, Cinahl, and Web of Science for articles investigating the use of serological tests for antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I), ML0405, ML2331, leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (LID-1), and natural disaccharide octyl-leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (NDO-LID). From an initial pool of 3.514 articles, 40 full-length articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Based on these papers, we concluded that these antibodies can be used to assist in diagnosing leprosy, detecting neuritis, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, and monitoring household contacts or at-risk populations in leprosy-endemic areas. Thus, available data suggest that serological tests could contribute substantially to leprosy management.

Host genetics and population structure effects on parasitic disease

Host genetic factors exert significant influences on differential susceptibility to many infectious diseases. In addition, population structure of both host and parasite may influence disease distribution patterns. In this study, we assess the effects of population structure on infectious disease in two populations in which host genetic factors influencing susceptibility to parasitic disease have been extensively studied. The first population is the Jirel population of eastern Nepal that has been the subject of research on the determinants of differential susceptibility to soil-transmitted helminth infections. The second group is a Brazilian population residing in an area endemic for Trypanosoma cruzi infection that has been assessed for genetic influences on differential disease progression in Chagas disease. For measures of Ascaris worm burden, within-population host genetic effects are generally more important than host population structure factors in determining patterns of infectious disease. No significant influences of population structure on measures associated with progression of cardiac disease in individuals who were seropositive for T. cruzi infection were found