Pot growing Media Amendment with Calcium Cyanamide and Weed Control Relationships

The aim of this research was to characterize the effect of a pre-transplant calcium cyanamide fertilization on weed control in the potted bedding ornamental plant Impatiens wallerana and to describe the physiological mechanisms involved. The positive effect of a calcium cyanamide amendment included both ammonium toxicity on weed seed germination and a decrease of weed rates growth such as relative leaf expansion rate (RLAE) and relative growth rate (RGR). Data showed RGR-NAR (net assimilation rate), RLAE-RGR, RLAE-NAR and RGR-root dry weight relationships, which would explain ammonium toxicity to roots and weed growth responses. These effects probably could be explained by a change in hormonal root synthesis. Our results showed that a pre-transplant calcium cyanamide amendment combining with a transplant routine optimize both I. wallerana growth and weed control.Fil: Leytur, M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Duarte Vera, Alejandra Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Sala, A.. Evonik Degussa Argentina S.A.; ArgentinaFil: Giardina, B.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Evonik Degussa Argentina S.A.; ArgentinaFil: Di Benedetto, A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin

Isoprenylcysteine carboxy methyltransferase (ICMT) is associated with tumor aggressiveness and its expression is controlled by the p53 tumor suppressor

Isoprenyl cysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) plays a key role in post-translational regulation of prenylated proteins. On the basis of previous results, we hypothesized that the p53 pathway and ICMT expression may be linked in cancer cells. Here, we studied whether WT p53 and cancer-associated p53 point mutants regulate ICMT levels and whether ICMT overexpression affects tumor progression. Studying the effect of p53 variants on ICMT mRNA and protein levels in cancer cells, we found that WT p53 and p53 mutants differentially affect ICMT expression, indicating that p53 status influences ICMT levels in tumors. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we constructed ICMT?luciferase reporters and found that WT p53 represses ICMT transcription. In contrast, p53 mutants showed a positive effect on ICMT expression. Promoter truncation analyses pinpointed the repressive effect of WT p53 to the 209 and 14 region on the ICMT promoter, and ChIP assays indicated that WT p53 is recruited to this region. Instead, a different promoter region was identified as responsible for the mutant p53 effect. Studying the effect of ICMT overexpression on tumor-associated phenotypes in vitro and in vivo, and analyzing breast and lung cancer databases, we identified a correlation between p53 status and ICMT expression in breast and lung cancers. Moreover, we observed that ICMT overexpression is correlated with negative clinical outcomes. Our work unveils a link between postprenylation protein processing and the p53 pathway, indicating that the functional interplay between WT and mutant p53 alters ICMT levels, thereby affecting tumor aggressiveness.Fil: Borini Etichetti, Carla Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Di Benedetto, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Rossi, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Baglioni, María Virginia. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Medicas. Instituto de Genetica Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Bicciato, Silvio. Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia; ItaliaFil: Del Sal, Giannino. Laboratorio Nazionale del Consorzio Interuniversitario delle Biotecnologie Area di Ricerca; Italia. Università degli Studi di Trieste; ItaliaFil: Menacho Márquez, Mauricio Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones para el Descubrimiento de Fármacos de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones para el Descubrimiento de Fármacos de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Girardini Brovelli, Javier Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin

Enhancer Clusters Drive Type I Interferon-Induced TRAIL Overexpression in Cancer, and Its Intracellular Protein Accumulation Fails to Induce Apoptosis

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytokine produced and secreted by immune cells in response to an infection, often in response to interferon (IFN) stimulation. In cancer, it has also been shown that IFN stimulates the production of TRAIL, and it has been proposed that this TRAIL can induce apoptosis in an autocrine or paracrine manner in different cancer cells. Yet, the mechanism mediating TRAIL upregulation and the implications of TRAIL as an apoptotic molecule in cancer cells are still poorly understood. We show here that in certain cancer cells, TRAIL is upregulated by enhancer clusters, potent genomic regulatory regions containing densely packed enhancers that have combinatorial and additive activity and that are usually found to be associated with cancer-promoting genes. Moreover, we found that TRAIL upregulation by IFNα is mediated by these enhancer clusters in breast and lung cancer cells. Surprisingly, IFNα stimulation leads to the intracellular accumulation of TRAIL protein in these cancer cells. Consequently, this TRAIL is not capable of inducing apoptosis. Our study provides novel insights into the mechanism behind the interferon-mediated upregulation of TRAIL and its protein accumulation in cancer cells. Further investigation is required to understand the role of intracellular TRAIL or depict the mechanisms mediating its apoptosis impairment in cancer cells

Influence of the thermal processing and doping on LaMnO3 and La0.8A0.2MnO3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) perovskites prepared by auto-combustion for removal of VOCs

Single-phase oxygen stoichiometric LaMnO3 and doped La0.8A0.2MnO3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) perovskites have been prepared by a simple one-step auto-combustion method. Cation-deficient LaMnO3+δ and La0.8A0.2MnO3+δ were obtained by calcination of the former samples in air at 750 ◦C. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed oxygen desorption, and N2 ph ysisorption in order to apply them as catalysts in the complete catalytic oxidation of acetone as a model volatile organic compound. The studied phases show the expected orthorhombic and rhombohedral perovskite crystal structures. Catalytic experiments performed with all the samples show measurable activity already at 100 ◦C. At 200 ◦C, doped La0.8A0.2MnO3 samples show higher activity than undoped LaMnO3, with increasing conversion with larger A-cation size. Calcined samples also show higher activity than as-prepared ones making La0.8Ba0.2MnO3+δ the best catalyst at this temperature. All doped samples show >95% acetone conversion at T ≥ 250 ◦C with a weak dependence on the sample processing or A cation doping. The collected evidence confirms that the most important factors for the catalytic activity of these oxides are the Mn4+/Mn3+ molar ratio on the surface of the samples and the cation-deficiency of the bulk perovskite structure. In addition, increasing the symmetry of the bulk crystal structure appears to have an additional favourable effect. Despite the observation of the presence of surface carbonates, we show that it is possible to use the as-prepared samples without further thermal treatment with good results in the oxidation of acetone

The p53 tumor suppressor regulates AKR1B1 expression, a metastasis-promoting gene in breast cancer

Alteration of metabolism in cancer cells is a central aspect of the mechanisms that sustain aggressive traits. Aldo–keto reductase 1 B1 (AKR1B1) catalyzes the reduction of several aldehydes to alcohols consuming NADPH. Nevertheless, the ability of AKR1B1 to reduce different substrates renders difficult to comprehensively ascertain its biological role. Recent evidence has implicated AKR1B1 in cancer; however, the mechanisms underlying its pro-oncogenic function remain largely unknown. In this work, we report that AKR1B1 expression is controlled by the p53 tumor suppressor. We found that breast cancer patients bearing wild-type TP53 have reduced AKR1B1 expression. In cancer cell lines, p53 reduced AKR1B1 mRNA and protein levels and repressed promoter activity in luciferase assays. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that p53 is recruited to the AKR1B1 promoter. We also observed that AKR1B1 overexpression promoted metastasis in the 4T1 orthotopic model of triple-negative breast cancer. Proteomic analysis of 4T1 cells overexpressing AKR1B1 showed that AKR1B1 exerts a marked effect on proteins related to metabolism, with a particular impact on mitochondrial function. This work provides novel insights on the link between the p53 pathway and metabolism in cancer cells and contributes to characterizing the alterations associated to the pathologic role of AKR1B1

Contributions in taxonomy, ecology and sanitary importance of ectoparasites of herpetozoans and wild mammals from Argentina and Chile in the last decade

Este trabajo presenta una actualización sobre el estado de las investigaciones en ectoparásitos de mamíferos silvestres y herpetozoos de Argentina y Chile. Principalmente, focalizamos en las líneas de estudio desarrolladas en la última década, las cuales en muchos casos permitieron el establecimiento de nuevos grupos de investigación. Esta revisión surge de los resultados del Primer Taller sobre Estudios de Ectoparásitos en Argentina y Chile, en el marco del VIII Congreso Argentino de Parasitología (Corrientes, Abril de 2019). El estado actual de las investigaciones en la región evidencia un amplio conocimiento taxonómico sobre los diferentes grupos de ectoparásitos y un incremento en el abordaje de estudios ecológicos y/o epidemiológicos. Consideramos que el Estado tuvo un papel clave en la creciente importancia que fue adquiriendo el conocimiento científico sobre los ectoparásitos de Argentina y Chile. Esto se ve reflejado en la federalización del estudio de los ectoparásitos y en la formación de nuevos especialistas, recursos humanos calificados graduados en Universidades Públicas Nacionales, apoyados por becas de posgrado, y cuyas investigaciones han sido subsidiadas por diversos fondos nacionales. Consideramos fundamental generar espacios de discusión y actualización proponiendo la conformación de una red de especialistas en ectoparasitología de la región, para compartir conocimiento e información y realizar trabajos interdisciplinarios en sinergia.This work provides an update on the status of researches in ectoparasites of herpetozoans and wild mammals from Argentina and Chile. We mainly focus on the new lines of research developed in the last decade, which in many cases allowed the establishment of new research groups. This review arises from the results from the First Workshop on Ectoparasite Studies in Argentina and Chile, during the VIII Argentine Congress of Parasitology (Corrientes, April 2019). The current state of research on ectoparasites in the region shows a broad taxonomic knowledge of the different ectoparasite groups, and a marked tendency to address ecological and/or epidemiological studies. We remarked the key role of a scientific politic in the growing of the knowledge of the ectoparasites from Argentina and Chile. This is particularly reflected in the federalization of the studies and the training of new specialists, qualified people graduated from National Public Universities, supported by postgraduate scholarships, and whose research had been subsidized by various national funds. We considered that is important to be able to generate spaces for discussion and updating; and we propose the creation of a network of ectoparasitology specialists in the region, sharing knowledge and information and performing interdisciplinary work in synergy.Asociación Parasitológica ArgentinaCentro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages