Aim: The genus Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae) provides an opportunity to contrast biogeographical hypotheses within and among continents, and to analyse divergence between disjunct tropical and temperate ...forests of South America. We developed a calibrated phylogeny of Podocarpus to reconstruct the ancestral areas and potential expansion routes within Podocarpaceae. Location: Podocarpus consists of two extant subgenera: Foliolatus from Asia and Oceania, and Podocarpus located in Gondwanan continents and north to the Caribbean. The paper focuses mainly on the area occupied by the latter subgenus. Methods: We combined previously published and novel DNA sequences with fossil records. New species sequenced are members of Podocarpus subgenus Podocarpus from South and Central America. We assembled DNA sequences of the chloroplast (matK and rbcL) and nuclear (ITS1 and ITS2) to analyse phylogenetic relationships within Podocarpus subgenus Podocarpus by Bayesian methods, which were calibrated using macrofossils that could be confidently identified as modern genera. Ancestral areas were inferred using the dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis model. Results: The phylogenetic reconstruction inferred a minimum age for the origin of Podocarpus s.l. in the late Cretaceous–early Palaeogene (63 Ma) and strongly supported monophyly of the genus Podocarpus and of subgenera Podocarpus and Foliolatus. Subgenus Podocarpus consists of two monophyletic, latitudinally structured clades. One clade consists of temperate American species while the other includes species from tropical-subtropical Africa and South America. Main conclusions: The history of the subgenera within Podocarpus is older than previously reported: they can be traced back to late Cretaceous–early Palaeocene biogeographical connections between Australasia and South America through Antarctica. Latitudinally disjunct lineages within South America most probably diverged from widespread ancestors as a result of a persistent arid barrier that was established prior to the late Palaeogene. The calibrated age for the Tropical–Subtropical clade suggests an Atlantic–subtropical biogeographical corridor between South America and Africa long after the breakup of Gondwana and the stabilization of the circum-Antarctic current.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. Therapeutic strategies are still challenging due to the high relapse rate after surgery ...and multidrug resistance (MDR). It is essential to better understand the mechanisms for HCC progression and MDR for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Mammalian sirtuins (SIRTs), a family of seven members, are related to tumor progression, MDR and prognosis and were proposed as potential prognostic markers, as well as therapeutic targets for treating cancer. SIRT1 is the most studied member and is overexpressed in HCC, playing an oncogenic role and predicting poor prognosis. Several manuscripts describe the role of SIRTs2-7 in HCC; most of them report an oncogenic role for SIRT2 and −7 and a suppressive role for SIRT3 and −4. The scenario is more confusing for SIRT5 and −6, since information is contradictory and scarce. For SIRT1 many inhibitors are available and they seem to hold therapeutic promise in HCC. For the other members the development of specific modulators has just started. This review is aimed to describe the features of SIRTs1-7 in HCC, and the role they play in the onset and progression of the disease. Also, when possible, we will depict the information related to the SIRTs modulators that have been tested in HCC and their possible implication in MDR. With this, we hope to clarify the role of each member in HCC and to shed some light on the most successful strategies to overcome MDR.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The complexity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) signaling and the failure of pharmacological therapeutics reveal the significance of establishing new anti-cancer strategies. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) ...has been used as adjuvant therapy for reducing HCC recurrence and improving survival. Delta-tocotrienol (δ-tocotrienol), a natural unsaturated isoform of vitamin E, is a promising candidate for cancer treatment. In this study, we evaluated whether the combination of δ-tocotrienol with IFN-α displays significant advantages in the treatment of HCC cells. Results showed that the combination significantly decreased cell viability, migration and invasion of HCC cells compared with single therapies. Combining δ-tocotrienol and IFN-α enhanced the decrease in proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 7 and MMP-9. The combination also produced an enhancement of apoptosis together with increased Bax/Bcl-xL ratio and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. δ-tocotrienol induced Notch1 activation and changes in Erk and p38 MAPK signaling status. Blocking experiments confirmed that ROS and Erk are involved, at least in part, in the anti-cancer effects of the combined treatment. In conclusion, the combination of δ-tocotrienol with IFN-α therapy showed promising results for HCC cell treatment, which makes the combination of cytokine-based immunotherapy with natural products a potential strategy against liver cancer.
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has emerged as one of the most common multi-drug-resistant pathogens isolated from people with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, its adaptation over time to CF lungs has not been fully established.
...Sequential isolates of
from a Brazilian adult patient are clonally related and show a pattern of adaptation by loss of virulence factors.
To investigate antimicrobial susceptibility, clonal relatedness, mutation frequency, quorum sensing (QS) and selected virulence factors in sequential
isolates from a Brazilian adult patient attending a CF referral centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between May 2014 and May 2018.
The antibiotic resistance of 11 S.
isolates recovered from expectorations of an adult female with CF was determined. Clonal relatedness, mutation frequency, QS variants (RpfC-RpfF), QS autoinducer (DSF) and virulence factors were investigated in eight viable isolates.
Seven
isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and five to levofloxacin. All isolates were susceptible to minocycline. Strong, weak and normomutators were detected, with a tendency to decreased mutation rate over time.
PFGE revealed that seven isolates belong to two related clones. All isolates were RpfC-RpfF1 variants and DSF producers. Only two isolates produced weak biofilms, but none displayed swimming or twitching motility. Four isolates showed proteolytic activity and amplified
and
genes. Only the first three isolates were siderophore producers. Four isolates showed high resistance to oxidative stress, while the last four showed moderate resistance.
The present study shows the long-time persistence of two related
clones in an adult female with CF. During the adaptation of the prevalent clones to the CF lungs over time, we identified a gradual loss of virulence factors that could be associated with the high amounts of DSF produced by the evolved isolates. Further, a decreased mutation rate was observed in the late isolates. The role of all these adaptations over time remains to be elucidated from a clinical perspective, probably focusing on the damage they can cause to CF lungs.
SCOPE: Quercetin is the most abundant flavonoid in human diet. It has special interest as it holds anticancerous properties. This study aims to clarify the mechanisms involved in quercetin effects ...during the occurrence of preneoplastic lesions in rat liver. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to a two‐phase model of hepatocarcinogenesis (initiated‐promoted group). Initiated‐promoted animals also received quercetin 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight (IPQ10 and IPQ20 groups, respectively). Antioxidant defenses were modified by quercetin administration at both doses. However, only IPQ20 group showed a reduction in number and volume of preneoplastic lesions. This group showed increased apoptosis and a reduction in the proliferative index. In addition, IPQ20 group displayed a reduction of cell percentages in G₁ and S phases, accumulation in G₂, and decrease in M phase, with reduced expression of cyclin D1, cyclin A, cyclin B, and cyclin‐dependent kinase 1. Interestingly, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐α levels were reduced in IPQ20 group. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study represent a significant contribution to the current understanding on the preventive mechanisms of quercetin during the early stages of liver cancer development, demonstrating that in addition to its known proapoptotic characteristics, the flavonoid modulates the expression of critical cell cycle regulators and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐α activity.
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Sacrificial mortars for surface desalination Husillos-Rodríguez, N.; Carmona-Quiroga, Paula María; Martínez-Ramírez, S. ...
Construction & building materials,
06/2018, Volume:
173
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
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•Four absorbent mortars were designed and used as sacrificial desalinating media.•The salts elimination was most effective in anions with a smaller ionic volume.•Effectiveness ...increases with high superficial salt concentration.•Three years later, the salt concentration was 50% lower than prior to treatment.
Four absorbent mortars were designed in this study and used as sacrificial desalinating media. The mortars comprised lime, sepiolite, nanosilica (72/3/25 by weight) and three admixtures (H2O2 and two commercial aerators) and had a liquid/solid ratio of 0.9, a mean porosity of 40% and a mean pore size of 0.8–0.7 μm. These mortars were applied three times to ashlars exhibiting surface saline efflorescence on a church at Talamanca del Jarama, a town in the Spanish province of Madrid. The salts impregnating the wall were characterised with XRD, FTIR and Micro-Raman spectroscopy. The ion concentrations in the ashlars was studied with ion chromatography at 0.5 cm, 1.5 cm and 3.0 cm from the surface after each application and the inner and outer surfaces of the mortars were analysed with Micro-Raman spectroscopy to determine the desalinating efficacy of the mortars.
The mortars designed mobilised and absorbed the soluble salts in the ashlars; as a rule, elimination was most effective in anions with a smaller ionic volume and therefore greater ionic mobility and when the salt concentration was high and superficially located. Three years after application of the desalinating mortars, the salt concentration in the ashlars treated was 50% lower than prior to treatment.
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The complexities of invasive alien species (IAS) management call for a close collaboration among stakeholders to codevelop and comanage actions to deliver effective solutions. To achieve this vision, ...iterative codesign and co‐implementation of solutions is imperative.
Based on a rapid Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis (SWOT), we synthesised the positive and negative aspects of comanagement experiences for woody IAS management in Argentina. We included four case studies in protected areas: (i) Ligustrum lucidum in a periurban mountain forest; (ii) Rubus asp ulmifolius in a subtropical forest; (iii) Acacia melanoxylon in a temperate grassland; and (iv) Hedera helix in a temperate forest.
Universities, research institutes and protected areas led these management projects under varying economic, social and ecological objectives, and constrained by the availability of resources. However, these heterogeneous realities did not translate into significant differences in our comanagement experiences.
We identified personal motivations and pre‐existing funding for IAS management as key strengths for management actions. A relevant weakness was the ongoing undervaluation of applied research and stakeholder engagement in the Argentinian scientific system, resulting in a scarcity of research to inform management actions and a low interest in codesigning activities. Threats were related to the paucity of awareness and information on IAS management, and the lack of long‐term funding. Nevertheless, recent national‐level policies, such as the National Strategy for Exotic Invasive Species, together with the Forest Law for managing native forests and the mandate for the National Parks Administration to manage IAS, provide a unique opportunity to foster comanagement activities.
We recommend the development and promotion of spaces to share experiences and establish conversations among stakeholders. This should be complemented by a better alignment of disparate public policies driving IAS management in Argentina, and increased financial assistance to support local initiatives and reduce uncertainty in long‐term funding.
Resumen
Las complejidades de la gestión de especies exóticas invasoras (EEI) hacen necesaria una estrecha colaboración entre las partes interesadas para co‐desarrollar y co‐gestionar acciones para ofrecer soluciones efectivas. Para alcanzar esta visión, es imperativo el co‐diseño y la co‐implementación iterativa de soluciones.
Sintetizamos los aspectos positivos y negativos de experiencias de co‐gestión de EEI leñosas en Argentina utilizando un análisis rápido de Fortalezas, Debilidades, Oportunidades y Amenazas (FODA), basándonos en cuatro casos de co‐gestión en áreas protegidas: (i) Ligustrum lucidum en un bosque de montaña periurbano; (ii) Rubus asp ulmifolius en un bosque subtropical; (iii) Acacia melanoxylon en un pastizal templado; y (iv) Hedera helix en un bosque templado.
Universidades, centros de investigación y áreas protegidas lideraron los proyectos de gestión, con diversos objetivos ecológicos, sociales y económicos, y limitados por la disponibilidad de recursos. Sin embargo, esta heterogeneidad no se tradujo en diferencias significativas en las experiencias de co‐gestión.
Identificamos a las motivaciones personales y el financiamiento preexistente como fortalezas clave en la gestión de EEI. Una debilidad relevante fue la infravaloración por parte del sistema científico argentino de la investigación aplicada y de la interacción con actores y partes interesadas, lo que resulta en una escasez de estudios para apoyar acciones de gestión y un bajo interés en el co‐diseño de actividades. Las amenazas están vinculadas con la escasez de conciencia e información sobre la gestión de EEI y la falta de financiamiento a largo plazo. Sin embargo, recientes políticas a nivel nacional, tales como la Estrategia Nacional para Especies Exóticas Invasoras junto con la Ley de Bosques para la conservación y el manejo de bosques nativos y la obligación de la Administración de Parques Nacionales de gestionar las EEI, brindan una oportunidad única para fomentar actividades de co‐gestión.
Recomendamos desarrollar y promover espacios para compartir experiencias y establecer diálogos entre los actores y partes interesadas. Esto debería complementarse con una mejor alineación de las políticas públicas dispares que determinan la gestión de las EEI en Argentina, así como una mayor asistencia financiera para apoyar iniciativas locales y reducir la incertidumbre en el financiamiento a largo plazo.
The complexities of invasive alien species (IAS) management call for a close collaboration among stakeholders to comanage effective solutions. Based on a SWOT analysis, we identified personal motivations as the main force that helps to overcome barriers to to IAS comanagement in Argentina. We recommend the development of spaces to share experiences and establish conversations among stakeholders.
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Conservation planning requires setting priorities at the same spatial scale at which decision-making processes are undertaken considering all levels of biodiversity, but current methods for ...identifying biodiversity hotspots ignore its genetic component. We developed a fine-scale approach based on the definition of genetic hotspots, which have high genetic diversity and unique variants that represent their evolutionary potential and evolutionary novelties. Our hypothesis is that wide-ranging taxa with similar ecological tolerances, yet of phylogenetically independent lineages, have been and currently are shaped by ecological and evolutionary forces that result in geographically concordant genetic patterns. We mapped previously published genetic diversity and unique variants of biparentally inherited markers and chloroplast sequences for 9 species from 188 and 275 populations, respectively, of the 4 woody dominant families of the austral temperate forest, an area considered a biodiversity hotspot. Spatial distribution patterns of genetic polymorphisms differed among taxa according to their ecological tolerances. Eight genetic hotspots were detected and we recommend conservation actions for some in the southern Coastal Range in Chile. Existing spatially explicit genetic data from multiple populations and species can help to identify biodiversity hotspots and guide conservation actions to establish science-based protected areas that will preserve the evolutionary potential of key habitats and species.
Class 1 integrons are one of the most successful elements in the acquisition, expression and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) among clinical isolates. Little is known about the gene ...flow of the components of the genetic platforms of class 1 integrons within and between bacterial communities. Thus it is important to better understand the interactions among "environmental" intI1, its genetic platforms and its distribution with human activities.
An evaluation of two types of genetic determinants, ARG (sul1 and qacE1/qacEΔ1 genes) and lateral genetic elements (LGE) (intI1, ISCR1 and tniC genes) in a model of a culture-based method without antibiotic selection was conducted in a gradient of anthropogenic disturbances in a Patagonian island recognized as being one of the last regions containing wild areas. The intI1, ISCR1 genes and intI1 pseudogenes that were found widespread throughout natural communities were not associated with urbanization (p>0.05). Each ARG that is embedded in the most common genetic platform of clinical class 1 integrons, showed different ecological and molecular behaviours in environmental samples. While the sul1 gene frequency was associated with urbanization, the qacE1/qacEΔ1 gene showed an adaptive role to several habitats.
The high frequency of intI1 pseudogenes suggests that, although intI1 has a deleterious impact within several genomes, it can easily be disseminated among natural bacterial communities. The widespread occurrence of ISCR1 and intI1 throughout Patagonian sites with different degree of urbanization, and within different taxa, could be one of the causes of the increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant isolates that have characterized Argentina for decades. The flow of ARG and LGE between natural and clinical communities cannot be explained with a single general process but is a direct consequence of the interaction of multiple factors operating at molecular, ecological, phylogenetic and historical levels.
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