Azospirillum growth promotion is related to changes in ferulate and dehydrodiferulate contents in cell wall of inoculated cucumber seedlings hypocotyls

Azospirillum brasilense is a well known plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium. Plant cell growth is constrained by the primary cell wall (CW) which contains polysaccharide-bound hydroxycinammic acids (HCAs). They derive from phenylpropanoid metabolism, which first step is the reaction catalyzed by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.24). Also CW peroxidases (FAPOD; EC 1.11.1.7) play a key role in the stiffening of the CW, and in the cessation of cell elongation. Knowledge of the biochemical effects the bacteria could elicit into plant CW and how these responses could change the hypocotyl physiology still remains scarce. The objective of this work was to unravel the effects of A. brasilense Sp245 inoculation on HCAs of the primary CW in apical and basal segments of cucumber seedlings hypocotyls. Azospirillum inoculation increased hypocotyls’ length. Transferulate and p-coumarate were the major HCAs. Dimmers were detected only in the basal region of 13- and 15-d-old hypocotyls. The ratio t-ferulate/dimmer (an inverse index of CW cross-linking) was five times higher in inoculated seedlings. Enzyme activities determined were not directly involved in HCAs content changes. It was previously reported that the CW was a target for A. brasilense growth promotion. This work corroborates that the phenolics, FA, DFA, and p-coumarate bound to the CW are also involved in Azospirillum plant growth promoting strategies.EEA BalcarceFil: Dal Lago, Claudia Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agarias. Unidad Integrada. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Laboratorio de Bioquímica Vegetal y Microbiana; ArgentinaFil: Creus, Cecilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Unidad Integrada. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agarias. Laboratorio de Bioquímica Vegetal y Microbiana; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra, María Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agarias. Unidad Integrada. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Laboratorio de Bioquímica Vegetal y Microbiana; Argentin

Use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in cancer multidisciplinary team meetings: an explorative study based on EU healthcare professionals

Objectives: Multidisciplinary teams in cancer care are increasingly using information and communication technology (ICT), hospital health information system (HIS) functionalities and ICT-driven care components. We aimed to explore the use of these tools in multidisciplinary team meetings (MTMs) and to identify the critical challenges posed by their adoption based on the perspective of professionals representatives from European scientific societies. Design: This qualitative study used discussion of cases and focus group technique to generate data. Thematic analysis was applied. Setting: Healthcare professionals working in a multidisciplinary cancer care environment. Participants: Selection of informants was carried out by European scientific societies in accordance with professionals' degree of experience in adopting the implementation of ICT and from different health systems. Results: Professionals representatives of 9 European scientific societies were involved. Up to 10 ICTs, HIS functionalities and care components are embedded in the informational and decision-making processes along three stages of MTMs. ICTs play a key role in opening MTMs to other institutions (eg, by means of molecular tumour boards) and information types (eg, patient-reported outcome measures), and in contributing to the internal efficiency of teams. While ICTs and care components have their own challenges, the information technology context is characterised by the massive generation of unstructured data, the lack of interoperability between systems from different hospitals and HIS that are conceived to store and classify information rather than to work with it. Conclusions: The emergence of an MTM model that is better integrated in the wider health system context and incorporates inputs from patients and support systems make traditional meetings more dynamic and interconnected. Although these changes signal a second transition in the development process of multidisciplinary teams, they occur in a context marked by clear gaps between the information and management needs of MTMs and the adequacy of current HIS

RELATO DE VIVÊNCIAS E EXPERIÊNCIAS NA REALIDADE DO SUS - VER VIVER SUS UNESC 2014: UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA DO MUNICÍPIO DE BALNEÁRIO RINCÃO-SC

O objetivo deste trabalho foi relatar a vivência dos residentes do programa de Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde Coletiva e Saúde da Família, e dos acadêmicos de diversos cursos da área da saúde no projeto Ver Viver SUS da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense no ano de 2014. Esta experiência ocorreu entre 21 a 25 de julho no município de Balneário Rincão, onde os estudantes permaneceram neste município com o intuito de vivenciar a realidade do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) desta cidade. Desta forma, os participantes tiveram a oportunidade de conhecer diferentes instâncias em que o SUS atua. Essa experiência possibilitou o desenvolvimento da prática, conforme a teoria adquirida na academia, e permitiu que os acadêmicos desenvolvessem atividades de educação em saúde com a população e percebessem a importância e o impacto que esse diálogo educativo exerce nos usuários. Outra dimensão do projeto observada diz respeito aos desafios e possibilidades que o SUS oferece nas práticas diárias, mediante a diversidade cultural apresentada pela população

In Vitro Chemical Mapping of G-Quadruplex DNA Structures by Bis-3-Chloropiperidines

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are biologically relevant, non-canonical DNA structures that play an important role in gene expression and diseases, representing significant therapeutic targets. Accessible methods are required for the in vitro characterization of DNA within potential G-quadruplex-forming sequences (PQSs). B-CePs are a class of alkylating agents that have proven to be useful chemical probes for investigation of the higher-order structure of nucleic acids. This paper describes a new chemical mapping assay exploiting the specific reactivity of B-CePs with the N7 of guanines, followed by direct strand cleavage at the alkylated Gs

Effect of foliar application of phosphites in "hayward" kiwifruit in storage and shelf life: analysis of pectin composition

The kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var chinensis cv. Hayward), a climacteric fruit, can be harvested at physiological maturity and maintain its quality for up to six months at cold storage. The length of the storage period depends, among others, on cell wall composition and structure, which impacts on texture and softening. Indeed, solubilization and degradation of pectins occur during fruit softening, leading to disintegration of the cell wall. Pectin is a complex heterogeneous polymer that can have different interactions within the cell wall as free pectin, bound to starch, attached by calcium bridges and bound to cellulose via hydrogen bonds. The phosphites activate the synthesis of compounds that reinforce cell walls, like pectin and lignin. The aim of this work was to study the effect of foliar application of phosphite on pectin composition in cold storage and shelf life. Plants were foliar sprayed (six weekly applications) 100 days after blooming, with 0.3% potassium phosphite (KPhi; 30% P2O5, 20% K2O) or water (Control). Fruits were harvested at physiological maturity and stored for 5 and 6 months (5M and 6M) at 0°C and 90-95% RH. Kiwifruit was analyzed at the end of each storage period (ES) and its shelf life (SL, 7 day at 20°C). Samples of outer pericarp tissue were frozen and ground using liquid N2. A chemical solvent method was used to successively extract cell walls and determine the composition of pectin. The cell wall material (CWM) was obtained by the enzymes inactivation with a mixture of phenol:acetic acid:water (PAW) and water soluble pectin fraction (W-SP) was recovered. To remove the kiwifruit starch and extract their bound pectin (S-SP), a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide was used. The Na2CO3 was added to obtain the pectin attached by tightly bonds and calcium bridges (C-SP). Each extract was dialysed 5 days, lyophilized and weighed. The results showed that KPhi treatment increased the yields of total pectins respect to the Control and also resulted lower at 5M respect to 6M of storage. At shelf life, pectin yield decreased in all treatments compared to end of storage. The yield of W-SP fractions was lower in SL than in ES, and resulted highest in KPhi treatment at 6M. The yield S-SP fraction was lowest in KPhi and in SL. This could be due to the enzymatic degradation of starch. The proportion of C-SP yield also was lower in KPhi but was higher in SL. The yield of CWM decreased from the 5M to 6M and increase at SF with the application of KPhi. These results suggest that KPhi treatment promote the pectin biosynthesis and their release in shelf life. After 5-6 months of cold storage, Hayward kiwifruit enters in its last ripening/over-ripening stage related to senescence, led by cell wall disintegration. In conclusion, KPhi treatment is suggested to be used in order to maintain the firmmess Hayward kiwifruit, at least until 5 months in cold storage prior shelf life and its consumption.Fil: Rivas Velasquez, Manuel de Jesus. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Paz, Cosme Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Dal Lago, Claudia Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Noël, Giselle María Astrid. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Yommi, A. K.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Andreu, Adriana Balbina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaLV Annual Meeting Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology y XIV Annual Meeting Argentinean Society for General MicrobiologySaltaArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigaciones Bioquimica

Efeito da trimegestona sobre o tecido mamário de ratas castradas Effect of trimegestone on mammary gland of castrated rats

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito da trimegestona sobre a proliferação celular do tecido mamário de ratas castradas. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizadas 45 ratas adultas e virgens, da linhagem Wistar, submetidas à castração. Após o 60º dia da castração, confirmado o hipoestrogenismo, os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em três grupos, conforme o tratamento proposto: controle (n=15) recebeu soro fisiológico 0,9%; estrogênio (n=15) recebeu 17 beta-estradiol; e combinado (n=15) recebeu 17 beta-estradiol associado à trimegestona, todos por 60 dias consecutivos. Após o término do tratamento, procedeu-se a exérese das mamas inguinais, destinadas a análise morfométrica pela coloração de hematoxilina e eosina (HE) e imuno-histoquímica pela quantificação do anticorpo anti-PCNA no tecido mamário, seguido de eutanásia. Os parâmetros morfométricos avaliados foram: proliferação celular epitelial, atividade secretora e alteração do estroma mamário. Ocorreram nove óbitos durante o experimento. As variáveis foram submetidas à análise estatística adotando-se como significante pPURPOSE: To evaluate the efect of trimegestone on the histological changes of the mammary tissue of castrated rats. METHODS: Forty-five virgin female Wistar rats were used after oophorectomy. Sixty days after surgery, with hypoestrogenisms confirmed, the experimental rats were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 animals each, when then the specific treatment for each group was started. The control group (C) and experimental groups 1 and 2 respectively received 0.9% saline solution, 17-beta-estradiol and 17-beta-estradiol in combination with trimegestone for 60 consecutive days. After the end of treatment , the inguinal mammary glands were removed, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for morphometry and examined by immunohistochemistry for the quantification of anti-PCNA antibody in the mammary tissue, followed by euthanasia. The morphometric parameters evaluated were: epithelium cell-proliferation, secretor activity and mammary stroma changes. There were nine deaths during the experiment. The variables were submitted to statistical analysis adopting the 0.05 level of significance. RESULTS:Histological changes were observed in 16/36 rats, mild epithelial hyperplasia in 13/36, moderate epithelial hyperplasia in 3/36, with no cases of severe epithelial hyperplasia. Stromal fibrosis was found in 10/36 and secretory activity in 5/36 rats. All morphometric variables were significant in the estrogen group compared to control (p=0.0361), although there were no difference between the group receiving combined treatment and the controls (p=0.405). The immunohistochemical analysis showed no difference between groups. CONCLUSIONS:The hormones administered to castrated rats, i.e., 17 beta-estradiol alone or in combination with trimegestone, increased the proliferation of breast cells, but this effect appeared to be lower in the combined treatment, the same occurring regarding fibrosis of the mammary stroma