Cork Oak Seedling Growth under Different Soil Conditions from Fertilisation, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Amino Acid Application

Regeneration process deals with some constrains related with the livestock management, pasture rotations, and dependence of a sequence of favourable climatic years, among others, which can lead to a continuous delay in the initiation of the regeneration process. The purpose of this study is to promote an increase of cork oak seedling growth in order to decrease the time required for regeneration and also to contribute to avoid the effect of post-transplant stress on cork oak. With this objective, a study was carried out on a greenhouse, where the effect of fertilisation, mycorrhizal fungi inoculation, and amino acid supply were tested. Results showed that cork oak seedling capability to growth, expressed as total seedling dry weight, was positively affected by treatments, except when only fertilisation was applied. We verified that cork oak seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi presented better results in terms of aerial structures growth. Any of the treatments was suitable to contribute positively for tap root and total belowground dry weight accumulation. Only fine roots structures were sensitive to treatments effects; it was verified that both inoculated and non-inoculated seedlings subjected to fertilisation were capable to invest largely on the production of these structures (33 and 30%, respectively). To reinforce the cork oak seedling growth, the equilibrium between fertilisers and mycorrhizal fungi inoculation would probably be the better option to enhance the cork oak regeneration process. Thus, the balance between shoot and root systems growth would be guaranteed, fertilisation mainly for root system and mycorrhizal fungi inoculation for shoot growth

Cutaneous streptococcal abscess treated by photodynamic therapy

Background: Photodynamic therapy has been investigated in different areas of health through experimental conditions. Its action can alter fundamental structures for the survival of microorganisms without any development of microbial resistance.Materials and Methods: Young sheep presenting with abscess in the left forelimb caused by Streptococcus spp. was previously treated with antibiotics. There was no clinical improvement with the treatments, and the bacteria presented sensitivity in vitro. Therefore, Photodynamic therapy associating methylene blue and red laser (660 nm) was used to treat the abscess.Results: After a day of treatment, complete healing was witnessed with no recurrence was observed during the 3-month follow-up period.Conclusion: The scientific results of the antimicrobial effect of PDT proved to be a therapeutic option with great potential for clinical application.Keywords: Photoinactivation, Laser, Sheep, Streptococcus spp

Keratocystic odontogenic tumor overexpresses invadopodia-related proteins, suggesting invadopodia formation

OBJECTIVE: Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KOT) is an odontogenic neoplasm that shows aggressive clinical behavior and local invasiveness. Invadopodia are actin-rich cellular protrusions exhibiting proteolytic pericellular activity, thereby inducing focal invasion in neoplastic cells and increasing neoplasms aggressiveness. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate immunoexpression of invadopodia-related proteins, cortactin, MT1-MMP, Tks4, and Tks5, in KOT. STUDY DESIGN: Immunohistochemistry of 16 cases of KOT, eight cases of calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor (CCOT), and eight samples of the oral mucosa (OM) was carried out to assess the expression of the above described invadopodia-related proteins in the basal and suprabasal layer. RESULTS: KOT samples showed higher and significant immunoexpression of cortactin, MT1-MMP, TKs4, and TKs5 compared with the CCOT and OM samples. Significant expression of all these proteins was observed in the basal layer compared with the suprabasal layer in KOT. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of cortactin, MT1-MMP, TKs4, and TKs5 was observed in KOT compared with samples of CCOT and OM. These proteins were also overexpressed in the basal over the suprabasal layer of KOT samples. Taken together, these results suggest the participation of invadopodia-related proteins on the pathogenesis of this lesion

UV-Vis spectrophotometry and chemometrics as tools for recognition of the biochemical profiles of organic banana peels (Musa sp.) according to the seasonality in southern Brazil

Banana (Musa sp.) has received wide interest in popular and scientific medicine because of its rich composition in bioactive metabolites, e.g., phenolic compounds, found in interesting concentrations in its peel. Banana peel is a residue that is under-exploited by the industry. Thus, with the intention to give a destination to this by-product towards health care or cosmetics industries, we evaluated its aqueous extract (AE) as a source of bioactive phenolic compounds, aiming at to apply them in future studies of biological activities. For that, in this study samples of banana peels were chemically profiled throughout the year to identify the best harvest time of those biomasses regarding their phenolic composition. In this sense, we used additional information on the chemical heterogeneity of the samples determined by the seasoning, through a set of analytical and climatic data to elaborate chemometric models, supported by bioinformatics tools. Through PCA and HCA analyzes, it was detected that low temperatures; normally observed in winter; strongly modulate the banana metabolism, leading to increased amounts of phenolic compounds, and improving the antioxidant activity of the banana peel AE. The samples collected during the months of winter showed a similar profile and a relatively high concentration of phenolic compounds with potential for future studies of biological activities.CAPES -Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(407323/2013-9)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A distinctive new species of Ouratea (Ochnaceae) from the Jalapao Region, Tocantins, Brazil

Ouratea acicularis R. Chacon & K. Yamamoto (Ochnaceae), a new species from the recently created Estacao Ecologica serra Geral do Tocantins, jalapao region, Brazil, is described. Ouratea acicularis appears to be most closly allied to O. oleifolia (A. Saint- Hilaire) Engler. Both species share a pubescent indumentum on the young branches, leaf surfaces, inflorescence axes, and outer surface of the flower buds, as well as revolute leaves and acute flower buds. Ouratea acicularis is uinque inthe genus in its aciculate leaf blade, at least 4 times narrower than in O. oleifolia, with a strongly revolute margin that conceals the abaxial leaf surface except for the midrib, as well as its inconspicuous secondary venation and narrower flower buds. Anatomically, O. acicularis differs from other previously studied species of Ouratea Aublet in that the cells of the adaxial epidermis have an hourglass-shaped lumen, pluricellular forked hairs fused at the base, an unusually large cap of fivers and sclereids above the collateral vascular bundles, and in the predominantly 2-layered chlorechyma. the stems of O. acicularis are noteworthy for the conspicuous secretory cavities of the cortex and secondary xylem, in which fibers and vessel members predominate.18339740

Compartmentalized cytotoxic immune response leads to distinct pathogenic roles of natural killer and senescent CD8⁺ T cells in human cutaneous leishmaniasis

Cytotoxic activity mediated by CD8+ T cells is the main signature of the immunopathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Here, we performed a broad evaluation of natural killer (NK) cell phenotypic and functional features during cutaneous leishmaniasis. We demonstrate for the first time that CL patients present the accumulation of circulating NK cells with multiple features of replicative senescence including low proliferative capacity and shorter telomeres, elevated expression of CD57, KLRG1 but diminished CD27 stimulatory receptor expression. Moreover, they exhibited higher cytotoxic and inflammatory potential than age‐matched controls. The accumulation of circulating senescent NK cells (CD56dim CD57bright) correlated positively with skin lesion size in the same patients, suggesting that they, like circulating senescent CD8+ T cells, may contribute to the immunopathology of CL. However, this senescent population had lower cutaneous lymphocyte antigen expression and so had diminished skin‐homing potential compared with total or senescent CD8+ T cells. This was confirmed in CL skin lesions where we found a predominance of CD8+ T cells (both senescent and non‐senescent) that correlated with the severity of the disease. Although there was also a correlation between the proportions of senescent NK cells (CD56+ CD57+) in the skin and lesion size, this was less evident. Collectively our results demonstrate first‐hand that senescent cytotoxic cells may mediate skin pathology during human cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, as senescent cytotoxic CD8+ T cells predominate in the skin lesions, they may have a greater role than NK cells in mediating the non‐specific skin damage in CL

Filter-based stochastic algorithm for global optimization

We propose the general Filter-based Stochastic Algorithm (FbSA) for the global optimization of nonconvex and nonsmooth constrained problems. Under certain conditions on the probability distributions that generate the sample points, almost sure convergence is proved. In order to optimize problems with computationally expensive black-box objective functions, we develop the FbSA-RBF algorithm based on the general FbSA and assisted by Radial Basis Function (RBF) surrogate models to approximate the objective function. At each iteration, the resulting algorithm constructs/updates a surrogate model of the objective function and generates trial points using a dynamic coordinate search strategy similar to the one used in the Dynamically Dimensioned Search method. To identify a promising best trial point, a non-dominance concept based on the values of the surrogate model and the constraint violation at the trial points is used. Theoretical results concerning the sufficient conditions for the almost surely convergence of the algorithm are presented. Preliminary numerical experiments show that the FbSA-RBF is competitive when compared with other known methods in the literature.The authors are grateful to the anonymous referees for their fruitful comments and suggestions.The first and second authors were partially supported by Brazilian Funds through CAPES andCNPq by Grants PDSE 99999.009400/2014-01 and 309303/2017-6. The research of the thirdand fourth authors were partially financed by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia) within the Projects UIDB/00013/2020 and UIDP/00013/2020 of CMAT-UM and UIDB/00319/2020

Outcomes of the RAFT Trial: Robotic surgery After Focal Therapy

OBJECTIVES: To report toxicity of treatment observed in men participating in the Robotic surgery After Focal Therapy (RAFT) clinical trial. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men were eligible for this prospective single group interventional study if they had histologically confirmed recurrent/residual prostate adenocarcinoma following primary FT. The short-form Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26) measured prior to salvage robotic prostatectomy (S-RARP) and 3-monthly post-operatively together with Clavien-Dindo complications (I-IV). Secondary outcomes included biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCFS) following surgery and need for salvage treatment after surgery. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03011606. RESULTS: 24 men were recruited between February 2016 and September 2018. 1 patient withdrew from the trial after consenting and before S-RARP. 23 men completed 12-month post S-RARP follow-up. Median EPIC-26 urinary continence scores initially deteriorated after 3 months (82.4 versus 100) but there was no statistically significant difference from baseline at 12 months (100 versus 100, p=0.31). Median lower urinary tract symptom scores improved after 12 months compared to baseline (93.8 versus 87.5, p=0.01). At 12 months, 19/23 (83%) were pad-free and 22/23 (96%) required 0/1 pads. Median sexual function subscale scores deteriorated and remained low at 12 months (22.2 versus 58.3, p<0.001). Utilising a minimally important difference of 9 points, at 12 months after surgery 17/23 (74%) reported urinary continence to be "better" or "not different" to pre-operative baseline. The corresponding figure for sexual function (utilising a minimally important difference of 12 points) was 7/23 (30%). There was no statistically significant difference on median bowel/hormonal subscale scores. Only a single patient had a post-operative complication (Clavien-Dindo Grade I). BCFS at 12 months after surgery was 82.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 60.1% - 93.1%] while 4/23 (17%) received salvage radiation. CONCLUSIONS: The RAFT clinical trial suggests toxicity of surgery after FT is low, with good urinary function outcomes, albeit sexual function deteriorated overall. Oncological outcomes at 12 months appear acceptable

HIF-1α is Overexpressed in Odontogenic Keratocyst Suggesting Activation of HIF-1α and NOTCH1 Signaling Pathways

BACKGROUND: The odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is an odontogenic cyst that shows aggressive and intriguing biological behavior. It is suggested that a hypoxic environment occurs in OKC, which led us to investigate the immunoexpression and location of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and other hypoxia-related proteins. METHODS: Twenty cases of OKC were evaluated for the expression of Notch homolog 1 (NOTCH1), HIF-1α, disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 12 (ADAM-12), and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HBEGF) by immunohistochemistry and compared to eight control cases of calcifying odontogenic cystic (COC), orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst (OOC), and normal oral mucosa (OM) in basal and parabasal layers. RESULTS: In OKC, all the proteins tested were expressed significantly higher in both basal (except for NOTCH1 and HBEGF in OOC) and suprabasal epithelial layers compared to controls. Looking at the epithelial layers within OKC, we observed an increased NOTCH1 and HIF-1α expression in parabasal layers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that hypoxia occurs more intensively in OKC compared to COC, OM, and OOC. Hypoxia appeared to be stronger in parabasal layers as observed by higher HIF-1α expression in upper cells. Overexpression of NOTCH1, ADAM-12, and HBEGF in OKC was observed, which suggests that microenvironmental hypoxia could potentially regulate the expression of hypoxia-related proteins, and consequently, its clinical and biological behavior