The microbiome of the marine flatworm Macrostomum lignano provides fitness advantages and exhibits circadian rhythmicity

AbstractThe close association between animals and their associated microbiota is usually beneficial for both partners. Here, we used a simple marine model invertebrate, the flatworm Macrostomum lignano, to characterize the host-microbiota interaction in detail. This analysis revealed that the different developmental stages each harbor a specific microbiota. Studies with gnotobiotic animals clarified the physiological significance of the microbiota. While no fitness benefits were mediated by the microbiota when food was freely available, animals with microbiota showed significantly increased fitness with a reduced food supply. The microbiota of M. lignano shows circadian rhythmicity, affecting both the total bacterial load and the behavior of specific taxa. Moreover, the presence of the worm influences the composition of the bacterial consortia in the environment. In summary, the Macrostomum-microbiota system described here can serve as a general model for host-microbe interactions in marine invertebrates.</jats:p

One year follow-up of physical performance and quality of life in patients surviving COVID-19: a prospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to affect many countries globally, with the long-term impact of the disease now being recognized. According to the latest research, some of the affected individuals continue to experience functional limitations, reduced physical performance and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) even after eight months. This prospective cohort study aimed to describe the longer-term recovery of physical performance and HRQoL in COVID-19 survivors over one year. METHOD: A cohort (n = 43; 32-84 years old) hospitalized with COVID-19 between March and June 2020 was followed over one year and assessed at three time points: hospital discharge, 3 months and 12 months post-admission. Participants experienced mild (10/43) to critical (6/43) pneumonia and stayed in the hospital for a median of 10 days (IQR 9). Participants were assessed for physical performance (six-minute walk test), HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L), COVID-19 related limitations in functionality (PCFS), hospital-related anxiety and depression (HADS-A/-D), lung function (FEV1, FVC) and dyspnea during activity (mMRC). All assessments were conducted by physiotherapists trained in cardio-respiratory rehabilitation. RESULTS: After discharge, 8/34 showed reduced physical performance, 9/42 had lower HRQoL and 14/32 had COVID-19 induced limitations in functionality on the PCFS scale. Physical performance did not change significantly between discharge and 12-month follow-up, but 15/34 participants showed clinically relevant improvements in walking distance (>30 m). However, 16/34 had a decreased walking distance >30 m when comparing 3-month to 12-month follow-up. At 12 months, 12/41 of participants still perceived COVID-19 related limitations in daily life on the PCFS scale. For HRQoL, 12/41 participants still perceived moderate-to-severe symptoms of pain and discomfort and 13/41 slight-to-severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: This cohort of adult patients hospitalized for mild to severe COVID-19 in Switzerland was generally mildly affected but still reported some limitations after one year. These results offer preliminary indications for ongoing support after hospitalization and point towards the need for specific, individualized follow-up to support their recovery. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04375709

Incidence and diversity of the fungal genera Aspergillus and Penicillium in Portuguese almonds and chestnuts

Almonds (Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb) and European (sweet) chestnuts (Castanea sativa Miller) are of great economic and social impact in Mediterranean countries, and in some areas they constitute the main income of rural populations. Despite all efforts to control fungal contamination, toxigenic fungi are ubiquitous in nature and occur regularly in worldwide food supplies, and these nuts are no exception. This work aimed to provide knowledge on the general mycobiota of Portuguese almonds and chestnuts, and its evolution from field to the end of storage. For this matter, 45 field chestnut samples and 36 almond samples (30 field samples and six storage samples) were collected in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. All fungi belonging to genus Aspergillus were isolated and identified to the section level. Fungi representative of other genera were identified to the genus level. In the field, chestnuts were mainly contaminated with the genera Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Penicillium, and the genus Aspergillus was only rarely found, whereas almonds were more contaminated with Aspergillus. In almonds, Aspergillus incidence increased significantly from field to the end of storage, but diversity decreased, with potentially toxigenic isolates belonging to sections Flavi and Nigri becoming more significant and widespread throughout storage. These fungi were determined to be moderately associated, which can be indicative of mycotoxin co-contamination problems if adequate storage conditions are not secured.P. Rodrigues was supported by grants SFRH/BD/28332/2006 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), and SFRH/PROTEC/49555/2009 from FCT and Polytechnic Institute of Braganca, Portugal

Enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed coupling of arylboronic acids, 1,3-enynes, and Imines by alkenyl-to-allyl 1,4-rhodium(I) migration

A chiral rhodium complex catalyzes the highly enantioselective coupling of arylboronic acids, 1,3-enynes, and imines to give homoallylic sulfamates. The key step is the generation of allylrhodium(I) species by alkenyl-to-allyl 1,4-rhodium(I) migration

What we talk about when we talk about "global mindset": managerial cognition in multinational corporations

Recent developments in the global economy and in multinational corporations have placed significant emphasis on the cognitive orientations of managers, giving rise to a number of concepts such as “global mindset” that are presumed to be associated with the effective management of multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper reviews the literature on global mindset and clarifies some of the conceptual confusion surrounding the construct. We identify common themes across writers, suggesting that the majority of studies fall into one of three research perspectives: cultural, strategic, and multidimensional. We also identify two constructs from the social sciences that underlie the perspectives found in the literature: cosmopolitanism and cognitive complexity and use these two constructs to develop an integrative theoretical framework of global mindset. We then provide a critical assessment of the field of global mindset and suggest directions for future theoretical and empirical research

Metabolism within the tumor microenvironment and its implication on cancer progression: an ongoing therapeutic target

Since reprogramming energy metabolism is considered a new hallmark of cancer, tumor metabolism is again in the spotlight of cancer research. Many studies have been carried out and many possible therapies have been developed in the last years. However, tumor cells are not alone. A series of extracellular components and stromal cells, such as endothelial cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating T cells, surround tumor cells in the so-called tumor microenvironment. Metabolic features of these cells are being studied in deep in order to find relationships between metabolism within the tumor microenvironment and tumor progression. Moreover, it cannot be forgotten that tumor growth is able to modulate host metabolism and homeostasis, so that tumor microenvironment is not the whole story. Importantly, the metabolic switch in cancer is just a consequence of the flexibility and adaptability of metabolism and should not be surprising. Treatments of cancer patients with combined therapies including anti-tumor agents with those targeting stromal cell metabolism, anti-angiogenic drugs and/or immunotherapy are being developed as promising therapeutics.Mª Carmen Ocaña is recipient of a predoctoral FPU grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. Supported by grants BIO2014-56092-R (MINECO and FEDER), P12-CTS-1507 (Andalusian Government and FEDER) and funds from group BIO-267 (Andalusian Government). The "CIBER de Enfermedades Raras" is an initiative from the ISCIII (Spain). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the evolution of form and function in the amniote jaw.

The amniote jaw complex is a remarkable amalgamation of derivatives from distinct embryonic cell lineages. During development, the cells in these lineages experience concerted movements, migrations, and signaling interactions that take them from their initial origins to their final destinations and imbue their derivatives with aspects of form including their axial orientation, anatomical identity, size, and shape. Perturbations along the way can produce defects and disease, but also generate the variation necessary for jaw evolution and adaptation. We focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate form in the amniote jaw complex, and that enable structural and functional integration. Special emphasis is placed on the role of cranial neural crest mesenchyme (NCM) during the species-specific patterning of bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, and other jaw tissues. We also address the effects of biomechanical forces during jaw development and discuss ways in which certain molecular and cellular responses add adaptive and evolutionary plasticity to jaw morphology. Overall, we highlight how variation in molecular and cellular programs can promote the phenomenal diversity and functional morphology achieved during amniote jaw evolution or lead to the range of jaw defects and disease that affect the human condition