Oral platelet gel supernatant plus supportive medical treatment versus supportive medical treatment in the management of radiation-induced oral mucositis: a matched explorative active control trial by propensity analysis

OBJECTIVES:: In this active control trial, the rate of radio-induced WHO grade 3/4 oral mucositis and the change in quality of life, assessed by OMWQ-HN, were measured in subjects with head and neck cancer treated by platelet gel supernatant (PGS) and supportive medical treatment versus subjects treated by supportive medical treatment alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Eighty patients with nonmetastatic head and neck cancer underwent curative or adjuvant radiotherapy. All patients underwent supportive medical treatment and/or PGS at the beginning and during radiotherapy. Sixteen patients received PGS in association with supportive medical treatment. To obtain 2 groups virtually randomized for important clinical characteristics subjects were matched, by propensity analysis, with a group of subjects (64 patients) treated with supportive medical treatment alone. RESULTS:: Subjects treated with standard supportive treatment experienced significant higher WHO grade 3/4 toxicity (55%; 35/64) than subjects treated by PGS (13%; 3/16). The reduced toxicity found in PGS group paralleled with the evidence that they developed later symptoms with respect to controls. The Cox proportional hazard model indicated that patients treated with standard supportive medical treatment experienced 2.7-fold increase (hazard ratio=2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-5.7) in the occurrence of WHO grade 3/4 toxicity. PGS group significantly experienced higher quality of life than control groups as measured by OMWQ-HN. A significant decrease in the opioid analgesics usage was found in the PGS group. CONCLUSIONS:: These preliminary data should be interpreted with caution and could serve as a framework around which to design future trials

Butterflies as bioindicators of metal contamination

Anthropogenic trace metal contamination has significantly increased and has caused many hazardous consequences for the ecosystems and human health. The Terni basin valley (Central Italy) shows a heavy load of pollutants from industrial activities, while the characteristic orography structure of the valley favours air stagnation, thus limiting air pollution dispersal. The present study conducted in 2014 aimed to determine the concentration of ten metals in five species of butterflies at nine sites in the Terni valley along a 21-km-long transect, including both relatively pristine and industrial areas. At sites where soil contamination was high for a given metal, such as for chromium as in the case of site 4 (the closest to the steel plant) and for lead as in the case of site 2 (contaminated by a firing range), higher levels of contamination were observed in the tissues of butterflies. We found a correlation between soil contamination and the concentration of Cr, Al and Sr in the tissues of some species of butterflies. The sensitivity to contamination differed among the five species; in particular, Coenonympha pamphilus was generally the species that revealed the highest concentrations of all the ten trace metals at the sites closer to the industrial area. It is known that C. pamphilus is a sedentary species and that its host plants are the Poaceae, capable of accumulating high quantities of metals in their rhizosphere region, thus providing the link with soil contamination. Therefore, monitoring the metal concentration levels in butterflies might be a good indicator and a control tool of environmental quality, specifically in areas affected by high anthropogenic pollution loads linked to a specific source

COVID-19 and genetic variants of protein involved in the SARS-CoV-2 entry into the host cells

The recent global COVID-19 public health emergency is caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections and can manifest extremely variable clinical symptoms. Host human genetic variability could influence susceptibility and response to infection. It is known that ACE2 acts as a receptor for this pathogen, but the viral entry into the target cell also depends on other proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the variability of genes coding for these proteins involved in the SARS-CoV-2 entry into the cells. We analyzed 131 COVID-19 patients by exome sequencing and examined the genetic variants of TMPRSS2, PCSK3, DPP4, and BSG genes. In total we identified seventeen variants. In PCSK3 gene, we observed a missense variant (c.893G>A) statistically more frequent compared to the EUR GnomAD reference population and a missense mutation (c.1906A>G) not found in the GnomAD database. In TMPRSS2 gene, we observed a significant difference in the frequency of c.331G>A, c.23G>T, and c.589G>A variant alleles in COVID-19 patients, compared to the corresponding allelic frequency in GnomAD. Genetic variants in these genes could influence the entry of the SARS-CoV-2. These data also support the hypothesis that host genetic variability may contribute to the variability in infection susceptibility and severity

Selecting elephant grass families and progenies to produce bioenergy through mixed models (REML/BLUP).

Abstract Brazil has great potential to produce bioenergy since it is located in a tropical region that receives high incidence of solar energy and presents favorable climatic conditions for such purpose. However, the use of bioenergy in the country is below its productivity potential. The aim of the current study was to select full-sib progenies and families of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum S.) to optimize phenotypes relevant to bioenergy production through mixed models (REML/BLUP). The circulating diallel-based crossing of ten elephant grass genotypes was performed. An experimental design using the randomized block methodology, with three repetitions, was set to assess both the hybrids and the parents. Each plot comprised 14-m rows, 1.40 m spacing between rows, and 1.40 m spacing between plants. The number of tillers, plant height, culm diameter, fresh biomass production, dry biomass rate, and the dry biomass production were assessed. Genetic-statistical analyses were performed through mixed models (REML/BLUP). The genetic variance in the assessed families was explained through additive genetic effects and dominance genetic effects; the dominance variance was prevalent. Families such as Capim Cana D'África x Guaçu/I.Z.2, Cameroon x Cuba-115, CPAC x Cuba-115, Cameroon x Guaçu/I.Z.2, and IAC-Campinas x CPAC showed the highest dry biomass production. The family derived from the crossing between Cana D'África and Guaçu/I.Z.2 showed the largest number of potential individuals for traits such as plant height, culm diameter, fresh biomass production, dry biomass production, and dry biomass rate. The individual 5 in the family Cana D'África x Guaçu/I.Z.2, planted in blocks 1 and 2, showed the highest dry biomass production

Arranjo espacial e monitoramento da mosca-branca com armadilhas adsivas em cultivo de tomateiro industrial.

Diante da necessidade de um sistema de amostragem rápido e eficiente na cultura de tomateiro industrial, que possibilite racionalizar o controle químico da mosca-branca, Bemisia tabaci biótipo B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), determinou-se o arrajo espacial do ataque desta praga no cultivo e o número de amostras para monitoramento, com base na captura de adultos em armadilha amarela adesiva.Resumo PDF 174

Combining ability in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) for energy biomass production.

The objective of this study was to estimate and evaluate the general and specific combining abilities of hybrid combinations for energy biomass production, adopting the methodology of Griffing as adapted by Geraldi and Miranda Filho in evaluation cuts referring to two periods, the wet and dry seasons, and in relation to total dry matter yield (TDMY). The experiment was conducted at Pesagro Rio, located in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil, in a randomized block design with three replicates. Crosses were performed in a partial diallel system. Treatments consisted of 10 parents, 25 hybrid combinations, and 1 control. Three evaluation cuts were made: two in the wet season and one in the dry season. The following traits were evaluated: plant height, stem diameter, leaf width, number of tillers, percentage of dry matter, dry matter yield, and TDMY. Regarding the general combining ability effects, the parents “Cameroon-Piracicaba” and “Mercker” showed outstanding positive values. Of the hybrid combinations, “Cubano Pinda”?“Mercker”, “Cameroon-Piracicaba”?“Três Rios”, “Cameroon-Piracicaba”?“Mercker 86-México”, “IAC-Campinas”?“Três Rios”, “IAC-Campinas”?“Mercker 86-México”, and “Guaçu IZ.2”?“Roxo” showed superior productive performance. Hybrids can be obtained with superior energy biomass production to that of the currently available elephant grass cultivars

Ghost-gluon coupling, power corrections and ΛMSˉ\Lambda_{\bar{\rm MS}} from lattice QCD with a dynamical charm

This paper is a first report on the determination of \Lambda_{\msbar} from lattice simulations with 2+1+1 twisted-mass dynamical flavours {\it via} the computation of the ghost-gluon coupling renormalized in the MOM Taylor scheme. We show this approach allows a very good control of the lattice artefacts and confirm the picture from previous works with quenched and ${\rm N}_f$=2 twisted-mass field configurations which prove the necessity to include non-perturbative power corrections in the description of the running. We provide with an estimate of \Lambda_{\msbar} in very good agreement with experimental results. To our knowledge it is the first calculation with a dynamical charm quark which makes the running up to $\alpha_s(M_Z)$ much safer.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables (new version accepted to be published in Phys. Rev. D

Combined selection for adaptability, genotypic stability and cowpea yield from mixed models.

The potential expression of crop productivity is a constant challenge for plant breeders in the face of oscillations in environmental variables, making selection difficult and increasing the operational and methodological costs in obtaining the ideal cultivar for a determined region. The objective of the research was to investigate the effects of genotype x environment interaction in the selection of cowpea lines with high grain yield, adaptability, and genotypic stability simultaneously, in environments of the Northwest region of Rio de Janeiro State, using mixed models (Maximum Restricted Likelihood - REML/Best Linear Unbiased Prediction - BLUP)