Callogénesis in vitro para la inducción de embriogénesis somática y producción de antioxidantes en Eugenia uniflora

Eugenia uniflora is an American tree species with ecological, agronomical and medicinal importance. However, just few studies have focused on the in vitro propagation and production of secondary metabolites. This study investigated the explant sources and culture conditions for the in vitro callogenesis in E. uniflora towards induction of somatic embryogenesis and production of antioxidant compounds. Nodal segments, leaf sections and root segments from in vitro germinated seeds were used as explants and eight different combinations of auxins (2,4-D or NAA) and cytokinins (BAP or TDZ) were tested for the callus induction. The best callogenic response was observed in nodal segments, followed by leaf sections. Root segments presented comparatively poorer callogenic performance. Calli from nodal segments cultivated in MS medium with NAA (10 mM) + TDZ (5 mM) originated putative pro-embryogenic structures, while the culture in liquid medium using MS supplemented with NAA (10 mM) + TDZ (5 mM) revealed significantly higher content of phenols and flavonoids, as well as higher reducing capacity than the tested treatments and the control (fresh leaves). In summary, the calli obtained from nodal segments revealed competence for somatic embryogenesis induction and development as well as the production of secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential.Eugenia uniflora es una especie arbórea americana de importancia ecológica, agronómica y medicinal. Sin embargo, pocos estudios se han centrado en la propagación y producción in vitro de metabolitos secundarios. Este estudio investigó las fuentes de explantes y las condiciones de cultivo para la callogénesis in vitro en E. uniflora para la inducción de embriogénesis somática y la producción de compuestos antioxidantes. Se utilizaron segmentos nodales, secciones de hojas y segmentos de raíz de semillas germinadas in vitro como explantes y se probaron ocho combinaciones diferentes de auxinas (2,4-D o ANA) y citoquininas (BAP o TDZ) para la formación de callos. La mejor respuesta callogénica se observó en segmentos nodales, seguidos de secciones foliares. Los segmentos de raíz presentaron un rendimiento callogénico comparativamente menor. Los callos de segmentos nodales cultivados en medio de cultivo MS con ANA (10 mM) + TDZ (5 mM) originaron estructuras proembriogénicas putativas, mientras que el cultivo en MS medio líquido con ANA (10 mM) + TDZ (5 mM) reveló un contenido significativamente mayor de fenoles y flavonoides, así como una mayor capacidad reductora que los tratamientos probados y el control (hojas frescas). En resumen, los callos obtenidos de segmentos nodales revelaron competencia para la inducción y el desarrollo de embriogénesis somática, así como para la producción de metabolitos secundarios con potencial farmacéutico

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Biotecnología en Plinia sp: necesidades y perspectivas para un grupo desatendido de especies frutales

Plinia species comprise a group of underrated fruit trees native to the South and Central American neotropics. Their fruits have high potential as a nutraceutical food and to the medicinal industry. However, among the 80 accepted species, less than a dozen are cultivated. In this review, the state-of-the-art of the genetic diversity and the techniques of vegetative propagation of Plinia spp. was updated. Therewith, it is intended to encourage further studies for genetically disentangle the taxonomic classification the species, and the development of propagation protocols towards the establishment of commercial plantations. Establishing commercial orchards of Plinia species may open new markets for this fruit crop, but the absence of breeding programs and superior quality seedlings hinder such endeavors. The main outcomes of this study are the need of using molecular approaches for solving the taxonomic uncertainties among Plinia species and micropropagation protocols to overcome the difficulties concerning to the vegetative propagation of this species.Las especies de Plinia comprenden un grupo subestimado de árboles frutales nativos de los neotrópicos de América del Sur y Central. Sus frutos tienen un alto potencial como alimento nutracéutico y para la industria medicinal. Sin embargo, entre las 80 especies aceptadas, se cultivan menos de una docena. En esta revisión, se actualizó el estado del arte de la diversidad genética y las técnicas de propagación vegetativa de Plinia spp. Con ello, se propondrá impulsar nuevos estudios para dilucidar genéticamente la clasificación taxonómica de la especie y el desarrollo de protocolos de propagación hacia el establecimiento de plantaciones comerciales. El establecimiento de plantaciones comerciales de especies de Plinia puede abrir nuevos mercados para este cultivo de frutas, pero la ausencia de programas de mejoramiento genético y plántulas de calidad superior obstaculizan tales esfuerzos. Los principales resultados de este estudio son la necesidad de utilizar enfoques moleculares para resolver las incertidumbres taxonómicas entre las especies de Plinia y los protocolos de micropropagación para superar las dificultades relacionadas con la propagación vegetativa de esta especie

Codes and methods improvements for VVER comprehensive safety assessment: the CAMIVVER H2020 project

CAMIVVER (Codes And Methods Improvements for VVER comprehensive safety assessment) is a three years project launched under the European Union research program HORIZON 2020. The main aim of the Project is to develop and improve computer codes and methods for VVER comprehensive safety assessment. VVER reactors constitute a significant and dynamic part of the European energy market. Their safe Long Term Operation (maintenance, refuelling, safety-upgrade, revamping) relies on the industrial use of neutronics and thermal-hydraulics codes and methods that allow studying the behaviour of the plant in normal and accidental conditions. Computer codes development is strongly required for the following reasons: 1) Current codes and methods used for VVER safety assessment are subjected to growing international export controls from outside EU, threatening the EU sovereignty and security in terms of energy supply. 2) A new generation of innovative codes and methods are under development within Europe. They are improving 3Dmultiphysics modelling and uncertainty quantification capabilities and are worth being transferred from lab to industry as they will substantially improve the physics comprehension of PWR and VVER. 3) European codes and methods development for VVER safety assessment will open the VVER market to the European nuclear industry. CAMIVVER will perform developments required for the new generation codes and will generalize 3D-multiphysics coupling, performing benchmark against current industrial codes used for PWR and VVER safety assessment. CAMIVVER will demonstrate CFD assets and compatibility with uncertainty propagation in the frame of a safety assessment

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundRegular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations.MethodsThe Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model—a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates—with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality—which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds.FindingsThe leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2–100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1–290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1–211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4–48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3–37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7–9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles.InterpretationLong-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere