Boundaries Are Blurred: Wild Food Plant Knowledge Circulation across the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian Borderland

The circulation of local ecological knowledge (LEK) is a promising avenue of research for wild plant studies. To encourage the acceptance, celebration, and appreciation of biocultural diversity, which is rapidly disappearing nowadays, we need to estimate and assess multifaceted local ecological knowledge. It has direct application for local communities in informing effective policies for improving food security and building community-specific responses to environmental and social transitions. The present study draws on data collected among two ethnic groups—Lithuanians and Poles—via 200 semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observation conducted in 2018 and 2019 in Podlasie Voivodeship (Poland), the Vilnius Region (Lithuania), and the Hrodna Region (Belarus). We aimed to observe LEK circulation in the border area through cross-ethnic and cross-country comparisons. A total of 2812 detailed use reports of wild plants were recorded. In total, 72 wild plant taxa belonging to 33 plant families were used across the food domain. Our findings show that cross-country differences were minimal, while there was some variation between the ethnic groups selected as case studies. We emphasize the need, in future studies, to combine quantitative research with qualitative approaches in order to more thoroughly identify peculiarities of cross-border circulation as a reservoir for community food resilience and biocultural diversity

Promotion of Wild Food Plant Use Diversity in the Soviet Union, 1922-1991

In the Soviet Union, wild food played a secondary role in diet (as cultivated species dominated). Yet the authorities eventually acknowledged their importance as diet diversifiers and a safety reservoir, and started to promote their use through various means, including publishing books on the use of wild food plants. These government publications appeared during a specific time, and therefore, we mapped all centralized publications in order to understand the dynamics of the promotion of wild-plant-related knowledge. For deeper analysis, we selected a sample of 12 books promoting wild food plants, and compared the taxa and uses represented in these works, which fall into two key periods: during World War II (1941-1943) and after the war (1953-1989). A total of 323 plant taxa belonging to 69 plant families were named, of which Rosaceae had the highest number of proposed food uses, prompting the reader to explore the use of borderland species. Most diverse food uses were attributed to Sorbus aucuparia, followed by Rosa and Vaccinium oxycoccos. Wartime books had fewer taxa with less variety, with a clear preference for staple food and substitutes, while post-war books promoted desserts and alcoholic drinks

RELAÇÃO ENTRE TIPOS DE TEMPO, EVENTOS DE PRECIPITAÇÃO EXTREMA E INUNDAÇÕES NO ESPAÇO URBANO DE SÃO SEPÉ –RS

O trabalho tem como objetivo relacionar os eventos de precipitação pluvialextrema com a ocorrência de inundações na zona urbana de São Sepé - RS, noperíodo de 1980-2006. Para analisar a distribuição temporo-espacial daprecipitação na área urbana, bem como sua variação sazonal, optou-se pelainstalação de 4 pluviômetros, confeccionados de forma artesanal. A coleta dosdados do pluviômetro foi realizada no período de 1 ano escolhendo-se o mêsmais representativo de cada estação do ano como amostra. Através docruzamento dos eventos pluviais extremos encontrados na análise dos dadosmeteorológicos com os episódios de inundações noticiados pela imprensa localforam selecionados sete episódios de maior impacto no espaço urbano. Combase na análise dos episódios observou-se que volume mínimo de precipitaçãocapaz de originar esse tipo de impacto é de 38 mm registrado em 24 horas e ovolume máximo de precipitação registrado em 24 horas foi de 121,8 mm.Quanto à intensidade da precipitação verifica-se que as inundações só ocorremquando as precipitações são moderadas a fortes ou de intensidade superior(forte e muito forte). As precipitações moderadas são suscetíveis de causarinundações apenas se acompanhadas de intensidades menores. As inundaçõespuderam ser distribuídas em 3 grupos quanto à gênese do episódio que lhes deuorigem: inundações relacionadas a passagens frontais rápidas; inundaçõesrelacionadas a frentes estacionárias e inundações relacionadas à atuaçãoconjunta de instabilidades tropicais e frentes polares. Quanto às repercussõesdas inundações no espaço urbano, em todos os episódios analisados ocorreramdanos tais como a invasão das casas pelas águas e moradores desabrigados,além de danos materiais como a perda total ou parcial dos imóveis e pontes edanificação das vias urbanas. Por fim procurou-se espacializar as áreassuscetíveis a inundações bem como aquelas áreas que podem vir a ser atingidaspor inundações à medida que a urbanização se intensificar.The research has have the objective of relate the extreme stormwaterprecipitation events with the ocurrence of floading at the São Sepé city urbanarea, at the period from 1980 to 2006. In order to analyze the time-spaceprecipitation on the urban area, as well as its seasonal variation. It was decidefor the instalation of four rain gauges, made by craftwork form. The datascollects from the rain gauges were made between the period of one year andwas chosen the most representative mounth of each season as sample. Throughthe datas crossing of the extreme stormwater events reported by local presswere chosen seven floading cases which had the most impact at the urban area.Using as parameter the cases analyzes was noticed the level of precipitaioncapable of criate this sort of impact is at least 38 m m noted in 24 hours and thelarge precipitation volume noted in 24 hours was 121,8 m m . The intensity ofprecipitation check that the floading only occur when the the precipitations arefrom averages to strong or with an intensity upper ( strong and stronger) . Theaverages precipitations are susceptible of causing floading only if followed ofminor intensities. The floading could been distributed in three groups accordingthe episode beggining ; floading conected to fast frontal passages; floadingconected to local fronts and floading conected to the acting of joint tropicalsinstability and pollars fronts. As much as the floading repercussion of urbanarea, all the cases analyzed ocurred damage as like as the invasion of houses bythe water causing homeless people, besides material damages like total orpartial lost of property and bridges and also the danification of rubans ways.Finally, was look forward to establish the susceptibles areas to floading as wellas that aeras that might been reached by floadings in measure the urbanizationgrows

A DISSEMINAÇÃO DA PESQUISA AMBIENTAL: UM DESAFIO PARA A COMUNICAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA

Este artigo aborda a relação entre a comunicação científica e a pesquisa ambiental. O conhecimento científico fragmentado é incapaz de compreender a dinâmica da complexa rede que envolve a temática ambiental. Com isso surge um desafio no campo de ensino e nas práticas de pesquisa, cujos resultados são disseminados pelos periódicos científicos que podem ou não legitimar novas formas de conhecimento. Neste sentido, apresentamos algumas reflexões sobre as funções da comunicação científica, da responsabilidade do pesquisador, bem como da necessidade de uma reformulação das políticas dos periódicos científicos, implicando maior visibilidade para as pesquisas, que apreendam a complexidade ambiental

Identification of stably expressed reference small non-coding RNAs for microRNA quantification in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma tissues

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a family of small non‐coding RNAs (sncRNAs) playing important roles in human carcinogenesis. Multiple investigations reported miRNAs aberrantly expressed in several cancers, including high‐grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGS‐OvCa). Quantitative PCR is widely used in studies investigating miRNA expression and the identification of reliable endogenous controls is crucial for proper data normalization. In this study, we aimed to experimentally identify the most stable reference sncRNAs for normalization of miRNA qPCR expression data in HGS‐OvCa. Eleven putative reference sncRNAs for normalization (U6, SNORD48, miR‐92a‐3p, let‐7a‐5p, SNORD61, SNORD72, SNORD68, miR‐103a‐3p, miR‐423‐3p, miR‐191‐5p, miR‐16‐5p) were analysed on a total of 75 HGS‐OvCa and 30 normal tissues, using a highly specific qPCR. Both the normal tissues considered to initiate HGS‐OvCa malignant transformation, namely ovary and fallopian tube epithelia, were included in our study. Stability of candidate endogenous controls was evaluated using an equivalence test and validated by geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. Combining results from the three different statistical approaches, SNORD48 emerged as stably and equivalently expressed between malignant and normal tissues. Among malignant samples, considering groups based on residual tumour, miR‐191‐5p was identified as the most equivalent sncRNA. On the basis of our results, we support the use of SNORD48 as best reference sncRNA for relative quantification in miRNA expression studies between HGS‐OvCa and normal controls, including the first time both the normal tissues supposed to be HGS‐OvCa progenitors. In addition, we recommend miR‐191‐5p as best reference sncRNA in miRNA expression studies with prognostic intent on HGS‐OvCa tissues

Treatment of anterior vaginal wall prolapse with and without polypropylene mesh: a prospective, randomized and controlled trial - Part I

Objective To compare the use of polypropylene mesh (PM) and the traditional anterior vaginal wall colporraphy in women with anterior vaginal wall prolapse (AVWP) using objective and subjective tests and evaluation of quality of life (QoL). Materials and Methods One hundred women were randomly distributed in two preoperatory groups. The first group (mesh) (n = 45) received a PM implant and the control group (n = 55) was submitted to traditional colporraphy. Postoperatory follow-up was done after 12 months. The primary objective was the correction of the Ba point ≤ -2 POP-Q (Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System) and the secondary objective was the improvement of vaginal symptoms and QoL through ICIQ-VS (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Vaginal Symptoms). Complications related to the use of PM or not were also described. Results There was a significant difference between all POP-Q measures of pre- and postoperatory periods of each group in particular. There was a significant difference of the Ba point of the postoperatory period between the Mesh and Control group. The mean of Ba point in the Mesh group was statistically lower than of the Control group, depicting the better anatomical result of the first group. Both techniques improved vaginal symptoms and QoL. The most frequent complication of the Mesh group was prepubic hematoma in the perioperative period. In 9.3% of the cases treated with mesh it was observed PM exposition at the anterior vaginal wall after 12 months, being most of them treated clinically. Conclusion The treatment of AVWP significantly improved the Ba point in the Mesh group in comparison to the Control group. There were no differences of the vaginal symptoms and QoL between the two groups after 12 months. There were few and low grade complications on both groups.Federal University of Sao Carlos Department of MedicineHealth Secretary of Jau Ambulatory of UrogynecologyFederal University of São Paulo Department of Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery, Department of GynecologyUNIFESP, Department of Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery, Department of GynecologySciEL

Evaluation of a novel human IgG1 anti-claudin3 antibody that specifically recognizes its aberrantly localized antigen in ovarian cancer cells and that is suitable for selective drug delivery

Membrane protein claudin3 has been recently suggested as a marker for biologically aggressive tumors and a possible target for the therapeutic delivery of active anti-cancer compounds. Claudin3-binding molecules such as the Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), CPE-related molecules, and murine and chimeric antibodies have shown promising antitumor efficacy in preclinical oncological settings. We first engineered a fully human anti-claudin3 IgG1 antibody (IgGH6) by fusing the human IgG1 Fc-domain to the anti-claudin3 scFvH6 previously isolated from a pre-immune phage display library. The construct was expressed in mammalian cells and specifically targeted claudin3 endogenously expressed on the surface of different human ovarian cancer cell lines. No detectable cross-reactivity with other homologous claudins was observed. The epitope recognized by IgGH6 is located within the minor extracellular domain of claudin3 and becomes accessible only in tumor cells characterized by incomplete junction formation. Confocal microscopy experiments demonstrated that IgGH6 was actively internalized in tumor cells after binding to native claudin3 and co-localized, likely within intracellular vesicles, with the C-CPE peptide. Preliminary results indicate that IgGH6 accumulated in vivo in free claudin3 ovarian carcinoma xenografts. For its selective uptake in tumor cells and its human nature, IgGH6 represents a valuable candidate for antibody-drug conjugate therapeutic applications in ovarian cancer patients