Adaptação ao cultivo e valorização de Lavandula luisieri

Foram estudadas diversas populações de Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martínez endémicas da Península Ibérica (Beira Interior, Castilla-la-Mancha e Andaluzia; acessos de Casal da Fraga, Mata, Penamacor e Vila Velha de Ródão – Portugal; Toledo e Sevilha – Espanha), comparando as populações relativamente ao óleo essencial (quantitativamente e qualitativamente), assim como, a sua actividade insecticida sobre pragas fitófagas (Spodoptera littoralis, Mysus persicae e Leptinotarsa decemlineata). Em função dos seus componentes escolheram-se as duas populações mais interessantes em termos da sua actividade biológica (Penamacor e Toledo) e instalaram-se dois campos produtivos em Castelo Branco e Saragoça, por forma a inferir sobre a influência do local de produção na qualidade do material vegetal obtido. Será fornecida informação técnica sobre a instalação destes campos

Pharmacological cancer treatment and venous thromboembolism risk

Risk factors for cancer-associated thrombosis are commonly divided into three categories: patient-, cancer-, and treatment-related factors. Currently, different types of drugs are used in cancer treatment. Chemotherapy has been identified as an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, it should be noted, that the risk of VTE is not consistent among all cytotoxic agents. In addition, different supportive care drugs, such as erythropoiesis stimulating agents or granulocyte colony stimulating factors, and hormonotherapy have been associated to an increased risk of VTE. Immunotherapy and molecular-targeted therapies have significantly changed the treatment of cancer over the past decade. The main subtypes include tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, small molecules, and immunomodulatory agents. The relationship between VTE and targeted therapies remains largely unknown

Bridging the gap between stellar-mass black holes and ultraluminous X-ray sources

The X-ray spectral and timing properties of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) have many similarities with the very high state of stellar-mass black holes (power-law dominated, at accretion rates greater than the Eddington rate). On the other hand, their cool disk components, large characteristic inner-disk radii and low characteristic timescales have been interpreted as evidence of black hole masses ~ 1000 Msun (intermediate-mass black holes). Here we re-examine the physical interpretation of the cool disk model, in the context of accretion states of stellar-mass black holes. In particular, XTE J1550-564 can be considered the missing link between ULXs and stellar-mass black holes, because it exhibits a high-accretion-rate, low-disk-temperature state (ultraluminous branch). On the ultraluminous branch, the accretion rate is positively correlated with the disk truncation radius and the bolometric disk luminosity, while it is anti-correlated with the peak temperature and the frequency of quasi-periodic-oscillations. Two prototypical ULXs (NGC1313 X-1 and X-2) also seem to move along that branch. We use a phenomenological model to show how the different range of spectral and timing parameters found in the two classes of accreting black holes depends on both their masses and accretion rates. We suggest that ULXs are consistent with black hole masses ~ 50-100 Msun, moderately inefficiently accreting at ~20 times Eddington.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science. Based on work presented at the Fifth Stromlo Symposium, Australian National University, Dec 200

Exceptional skull of huayqueriana (mammalia, litopterna, macraucheniidae) from the late miocene of Argentina: Anatomy, systematics, and peleobiological implications

The Huayquerías Formation (Late Miocene, Huayquerian SALMA) is broadly exposed in westcentral Argentina (Mendoza). The target of several major paleontological expeditions in the first half of the 20th century, the Mendozan Huayquerías (badlands) have recently yielded a significant number of new fossil finds. In this contribution we describe a complete skull (IANIGLA-PV 29) and place it systematically as Huayqueriana cf. H. cristata (Rovereto, 1914) (Litopterna, Macraucheniidae). The specimen shares some nonexclusive features with H. cristata (similar size, rostral border of the orbit almost level with distal border of M3, convergence of maxillary bones at the level of the P3/P4 embrasure, flat snout, very protruding orbits, round outline of premaxillary area in palatal view, and small diastemata between I3/C and C/P1). Other differences (e.g., lack of sagittal crest) may or may not represent intraspecific variation. In addition to other features described here, endocast reconstruction utilizing computer tomography (CT) revealed the presence of a derived position of the orbitotemporal canal running below the rhinal fissure along the lateroventral aspect of the piriform lobe. CT scanning also established that the maxillary nerve (CN V2) leaves the skull through the sphenoorbital fissure, as in all other litopterns, a point previously contested for macraucheniids. The angle between the lateral semicircular canal and the plane of the base of the skull is about 26°, indicating that in life the head was oriented much as in modern horses. Depending on the variables used, estimates of the body mass of IANIGLA-PV 29 produced somewhat conflicting results. Our preferred body mass estimate is 250 kg, based on the centroid size of 36 3D cranial landmarks and accompanying low prediction error. The advanced degree of tooth wear in IANIGLA-PV 29 implies that the individual died well into old age. However, a count of cementum lines on the sectioned left M2 is consistent with an age at death of 10 or 11 years, younger than expected given its body mass. This suggests that the animal had a very abrasive diet. Phylogenetic analysis failed to resolve the position of IANIGLA-PV 29 satisfactorily, a result possibly influenced by intraspecific variation. There is no decisive evidence for the proposition that Huayqueriana, or any other litoptern, were foregut fermenters.Fil: Forasiepi, Analia Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: MacPhee, Ross D. E.. American Museum Of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Hernández del Pino, Santiago Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Schmidt, Gabriela Ines. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; ArgentinaFil: Amson, Eli. Universitat Zurich; SuizaFil: Grohé, Camille. American Museum Of Natural History; Estados Unido

Real-life data on potential drug-drug interactions in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection undergoing antiviral therapy with interferon-free DAAs in the PITER Cohort Study

Background There are few real-life data on the potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between anti-HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and the comedications used. Aim To assess the potential DDIs of DAAs in HCV-infected outpatients, according to the severity of liver disease and comedication used in a prospective multicentric study. Methods Data from patients in 15 clinical centers who had started a DAA regimen and were receiving comedications during March 2015 to March 2016 were prospectively evaluated. The DDIs for each regimen and comedication were assigned according to HepC Drug Interactions (www.hep-druginteractions.org). Results Of the 449 patients evaluated, 86 had mild liver disease and 363 had moderate-to-severe disease. The use of a single comedication was more frequent among patients with mild liver disease (p = 0.03), whereas utilization of more than three drugs among those with moderate-to-severe disease (p = 0.05). Of the 142 comedications used in 86 patients with mild disease, 27 (20%) may require dose adjustment/closer monitoring, none was contraindicated. Of the 322 comedications used in 363 patients with moderate-to-severe liver disease, 82 (25%) were classified with potential DDIs that required only monitoring and dose adjustments; 10 (3%) were contraindicated in severe liver disease. In patients with mild liver disease 30% (26/86) used at least one drug with a potential DDI whereas of the 363 patients with moderate-to-severe liver disease, 161 (44%) were at risk for one or more DDI. Conclusions Based on these results, we can estimate that 30-44% of patients undergoing DAA and taking comedications are at risk of a clinically significant DDI. This data indicates the need for increased awareness of potential DDI during DAA therapy, especially in patients with moderate-to-severe liver disease. For several drugs, the recommendation related to the DDI changes from "dose adjustment/closer monitoring" in mild to moderate liver disease, to "the use is contraindicated" in severe liver disease

Association between ABO haplotypes and the risk of venous thrombosis: impact on disease risk estimation

Genetic risk score (GRS) analysis is a popular approach to derive individual risk prediction models for complex diseases. In venous thrombosis (VT), such type of analysis shall integrate information at the ABO blood group locus, which is one of the major susceptibility loci. However, there is no consensus about which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) must be investigated when properly assessing association between ABO locus and VT risk. Using comprehensive haplotype analyses of ABO blood group tagging SNPs in 5425 cases and 8445 controls from 6 studies, we demonstrate that using only rs8176719 (tagging O1) to correctly assess the impact of ABO locus on VT risk is suboptimal, because 5% of rs8176719-delG carriers do not have an increased risk of developing VT. Instead, we recommend the use of 4 SNPs, rs2519093 (tagging A1), rs1053878 (A2), rs8176743 (B), and rs41302905 (O2), when assessing the impact ofABOlocus on VT risk to avoid any risk misestimation. Compared with the O1 haplotype, the A2 haplotype is associated with a modest increase in VT risk (odds ratio, similar to 1.2), the A1 and B haplotypes are associated with an similar to 1.8-fold increased risk, whereas the O2 haplotype tends to be slightly protective (odds ratio, similar to 0.80). In addition, although the A1 and B blood groups are associated with increased von Willebrand factor and factor VIII plasma levels, only the A1 blood group is associated with ICAM levels, but in an opposite direction, leaving additional avenues to be explored to fully understand the spectrum of biological effects mediated by ABO locus on cardiovascular traits.Clinical epidemiolog

Study protocol for the multicentre cohorts of Zika virus infection in pregnant women, infants, and acute clinical cases in Latin America and the Caribbean: The ZIKAlliance consortium

Background: The European Commission (EC) Horizon 2020 (H2020)-funded ZIKAlliance Consortium designed a multicentre study including pregnant women (PW), children (CH) and natural history (NH) cohorts. Clinical sites were selected over a wide geographic range within Latin America and the Caribbean, taking into account the dynamic course of the ZIKV epidemic. Methods: Recruitment to the PW cohort will take place in antenatal care clinics. PW will be enrolled regardless of symptoms and followed over the course of pregnancy, approximately every 4 weeks. PW will be revisited at delivery (or after miscarriage/abortion) to assess birth outcomes, including microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities according to the evolving definition of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). After birth, children will be followed for 2 years in the CH cohort. Follow-up visits are scheduled at ages 1-3, 4-6, 12, and 24 months to assess neurocognitive and developmental milestones. In addition, a NH cohort for the characterization of symptomatic rash/fever illness was designed, including follow-up to capture persisting health problems. Blood, urine, and other biological materials will be collected, and tested for ZIKV and other relevant arboviral diseases (dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever) using RT-PCR or serological methods. A virtual, decentralized biobank will be created. Reciprocal clinical monitoring has been established between partner sites. Substudies of ZIKV seroprevalence, transmissio

Functional genomics of bacterial pathogens: from post-genomics to therapeutic targets

A wealth of new data have become available to the scientific community as a result of the sequencing of many pathogen genomes. A recent meeting devoted to functional genomics of pathogenic microorganisms confirmed the notion that bacterial genomes are not static, because large blocks of genes can be acquired or deleted. Less complex environments usually result in reduction in genome size, while genome expansion is usually associated with environmental change and complexity. During the meeting, pathogenicity and evolutionary aspects were illustrated for enteric pathogens, as well as the microevolution of the plague bacillus Yersinia pestis. New clues for evolution and pathogenicity were derived from comparative genomics of Listeria species. The genomic organization of Bartonellae, an emerging human pathogen, was also discussed in an evolutionary context. Population and functional genomics of Anthrax-causing bacteria highlighted current scientific interest in this potential biothreat

Interleukin 1 induces an autocrine loop hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met in murine Kaposi-like spindle cells

Several cytokines, growth factors and the HIV transactivator Tat were shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma. BKV/tat transgenic mice develop Kaposi's sarcoma-like lesions, and spindle-shaped cells (TTB) have been derived from these lesions. Here we show that TTB cells co-express hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, the product of the oncogene c-Met. An autocrine loop HGF/Met sustains spindle cell proliferation in vitro; indeed, an antisense oligomer targeted against HGF markedly inhibited cell growth. Moreover, HGF and Met are overexpressed after exposing TTB cells to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1). We argue that upon exposure to IL-1, an HGF/Met autocrine loop is induced which could explain the appearance of multiple foci of uncontrolled growth. In addition, due to its angiogenic activity, HGF may also sustain the neovascularization typical of Kaposi's sarcoma lesions