Xanthomonas vesicatoria (Xv) is a member of a species complex that causes bacterial spot on tomato, one of the most important diseases of this crop worldwide. The objective of this investigation was ...to analyse several characteristics involved in Xv virulence in relation to strain aggressiveness. Motility, biofilm formation, adhesion and production of xanthan were evaluated in three local strains causing tomato bacterial spot in Argentina. The strains assayed presented differential swarming and twitching motilities, adhesion and biofilm formation abilities. The most aggressive strain, BNM 208, exhibited the greatest swarming and twitching motilities, and developed a mature biofilm with presence of defined cell clusters, a homogeneous and compact structure, and higher biomass and substratum coverage than the other two strains. Even though the three strains produced similar amounts of xanthan, BNM 208 produced the most viscous exopolysaccharide, which possibly relates to the better characteristics of its biofilm. Despite other differences, the three strains multiplied to similar levels when they were infiltrated into the leaf. The results suggest that the aggressiveness of Xv strains studied in this work was related to their ability to move by flagella or type IV pili, adhere to leaves and form well developed biofilms, factors that improve phyllosphere colonization. A better understanding of the factors involved in the Xv infection process at the early stages would contribute to developing new control strategies for this phytopathogen.
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•Bio-based organic substances (SBO) have been used in photochemical processes.•A mixture of six emerging pollutants has been used as target effluent.•SBO-mediated reactive species ...generation cannot compensate for the screen effect.•SBO have been demonstrated to enhance mild photo-Fenton (pH=5.2).
The effect of soluble bio-based organic substances (SBO) isolated from urban wastes on photochemical wastewater treatments was investigated using a mixture of six emerging pollutants (EPs), namely acetaminophen, caffeine, acetamiprid, clofibric acid, carbamazepine and amoxicillin. Solar simulated experiments showed that although SBO were able to enhance the indirect photolysis of the EPs, they could not compensate for the light screening effect produced by these colored materials. In contrast, SBO were able to enhance photo-Fenton at slightly acidic conditions (pH=5.2), most probably increasing iron availability. In the later case, the order of reactivity (amoxicillin⩾carbamazepine⩾clofibric acid>caffeine>acetaminophen>acetamiprid) was similar to that of the rate constants determined for all six EPs with OH. Finally, experiments performed at pilot plant scale with real sunlight at pH=5.2 and SBO showed that 5 of the EPs were removed in only 25min and only acetamiprid was more resistant to the process. The overall results show not only how we can use waste to clean out wastes, but also contribute to the studies which show how wastes can become a source of revenue through the industrial exploitation of their chemical value.
Clinical prediction tools (CPTs) are decision-making instruments utilizing patient data to predict specific clinical outcomes, risk-stratify patients, or suggest personalized diagnostic or ...therapeutic options. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have resulted in a proliferation of CPTs created using machine learning (ML)–yet the clinical applicability of ML-based CPTs and their validation in clinical settings remain unclear. This systematic review aims to compare the validity and clinical efficacy of ML-based to traditional CPTs in pediatric surgery.
Nine databases were searched from 2000 until July 9, 2021 to retrieve articles reporting on CPTs and ML for pediatric surgical conditions. PRISMA standards were followed, and screening was performed by two independent reviewers in Rayyan, with a third reviewer resolving conflicts. Risk of bias was assessed using the PROBAST.
Out of 8300 studies, 48 met the inclusion criteria. The most represented surgical specialties were pediatric general (14), neurosurgery (13) and cardiac surgery (12). Prognostic (26) CPTs were the most represented type of surgical pediatric CPTs followed by diagnostic (10), interventional (9), and risk stratifying (2). One study included a CPT for diagnostic, interventional and prognostic purposes. 81% of studies compared their CPT to ML-based CPTs, statistical CPTs, or the unaided clinician, but lacked external validation and/or evidence of clinical implementation.
While most studies claim significant potential improvements by incorporating ML-based CPTs in pediatric surgical decision-making, both external validation and clinical application remains limited. Further studies must focus on validating existing instruments or developing validated tools, and incorporating them in the clinical workflow.
Systematic Review
Level III
•Clinical prediction tools (CPTs) are decision-making instruments utilizing patient data to predict specific outcomes.•CPTs were first developed using statistical models and are now increasingly being supplemented by machine learning (ML).•This review investigated the clinical validity and applicability of ML-based versus statistical CPTs in pediatric surgery.
Fruit texture is a complex feature composed of mechanical and acoustic properties relying on the modifications occurring in the cell wall throughout fruit development and ripening. Apple is ...characterized by a large variation in fruit texture behavior that directly impacts both the consumer’s appreciation and post-harvest performance. To decipher the genetic control of fruit texture comprehensively, two complementing quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approaches were employed. The first was represented by a pedigree-based analysis (PBA) carried out on six full-sib pedigreed families, while the second was a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed on a collection of 233 apple accessions. Both plant materials were genotyped with a 20K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and phenotyped with a sophisticated high-resolution texture analyzer. The overall QTL results indicated the fundamental role of chromosome 10 in controlling the mechanical properties, while chromosomes 2 and 14 were more associated with the acoustic response. The latter QTL, moreover, showed a consistent relationship between the QTL-estimated genotypes and the acoustic performance assessed among seedlings. The in silico annotation of these intervals revealed interesting candidate genes potentially involved in fruit texture regulation, as suggested by the gene expression profile. The joint integration of these approaches sheds light on the specific control of fruit texture, enabling important genetic information to assist in the selection of valuable fruit quality apple varieties.
Precision measurements of the positron component in the cosmic radiation provide important information about the propagation of cosmic rays and the nature of particle sources in our Galaxy. The ...satellite-borne experiment PAMELA has been used to make a new measurement of the cosmic-ray positron flux and fraction that extends previously published measurements up to 300 GeV in kinetic energy. The combined measurements of the cosmic-ray positron energy spectrum and fraction provide a unique tool to constrain interpretation models. During the recent solar minimum activity period from July 2006 to December 2009, approximately 24,500 positrons were observed. The results cannot be easily reconciled with purely secondary production, and additional sources of either astrophysical or exotic origin may be required.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and there is currently no cure. Novel approaches to treat AD and curb the rapidly increasing worldwide prevalence and costs of dementia ...are needed. Physical inactivity is a significant modifiable risk factor for AD, estimated to contribute to 12.7% of AD cases worldwide. Exercise interventions in humans and animals have shown beneficial effects of exercise on brain plasticity and cognitive functions. In animal studies, exercise also improved AD pathology. The mechanisms underlying these effects of exercise seem to be associated mainly with exercise performance or cardiorespiratory fitness. In addition, exercise-induced molecules of peripheral origin seem to play an important role. Since exercise affects the whole body, there likely is no single therapeutic target that could mimic all the benefits of exercise. However, systemic strategies may be a viable means to convey broad therapeutic effects in AD patients. Here, we review the potential of physical activity and exercise training in AD prevention and treatment, shining light on recently discovered underlying mechanisms and concluding with a view on future development of exercise-free treatment strategies for AD.
•Associations between high cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of Alzheimer’s disease.•Systemic and central mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of exercise.•Exercise-mimicking therapeutic approaches against Alzheimer’s disease.
The incidence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has been rapidly ramped up worldwide. Hence, there is an urgent need to non-invasively detect NCDs possibly by exploiting saliva as a 'liquid biopsy' ...to identify biomarkers of the health status. Since, the absence of standardized procedures of collection/analysis and the lack of normal ranges makes the use of saliva still tricky, our purpose was to outline a salivary proteomic profile which features healthy individuals.
We collected saliva samples from 19 young blood donors as reference population and the proteomic profile was investigated through mass-spectrometry.
We identified 1,004 proteins of whose 243 proteins were shared by all subjects. By applying a data clustering approach, we found a set of six most representative proteins across all subjects including Coronin-1A, F-actin-capping protein subunit alpha, Immunoglobulin J chain, Prosaposin, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein and Heat shock 70 kDa protein 1A and 1B.
All of these proteins are involved in immune system activation, cellular stress responses, proliferation, and invasion thus suggesting their use as biomarkers in patients with NCDs.
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► The use of SBO isolated from urban wastes for water treatment has been explored. ► SBO are able to catalyze photobleaching of crystal violet. ► A CV–SBO complex might play a major ...role in the process. ► SBO favored neutral photo-Fenton processes.
Soluble bio-organic substances (SBO) isolated from urban biorefuses have been investigated in photocatalytic processes for wastewater treatment using a cationic dye, namely crystal violet (CV) as target compound. The SBO have been found to enhance the photobleaching of CV solutions with an optimal SBO concentration of ca. 20mgL−1. Mechanistic investigation based on chemical probes and changes in the absorption spectrum of CV in the presence of SBO seems to indicate that a complex formed between sensitizer and substrate plays a major role in the process. SBO have also been tested for the implementation of photo-Fenton processes at circumneutral media: the observed pseudo first order rate constants for CV decoloration was higher for UV/SBO/Fe(II)/H2O2 (5.5×10−3min−1) than for UV/Fe(II)/H2O2 (1.5×10−3min−1). A modified mechanism, in which HO are less relevant that at the acidic medium, is in agreement with results of experiments carried out with chemical probes.
The discipline of anatomy is one of the pillars of training in higher education courses in health area. Since its origin, this discipline has used the traditional method as an educational strategy. ...Since then, the discipline has undergone changes, including other teaching methods, such as active methodologies. With the COVID-19 pandemic, declared in March 2020 and the closure of higher education institutions, the teaching of anatomy was impacted, since it was necessary to adapt the modality of face-to-face teaching to remote teaching. The present study aims to evaluate the perception of teachers regarding students' anatomy learning in relation to the types of methodologies applied in remote teaching during the pandemic. For such, a cross-sectional study was carried out, which analyzed the answers of 101 anatomy teachers. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference regarding teachers' perception of learning in relation to the type of methodology used in remote teaching during the pandemic. There was also no difference in comparing perceptions regarding the type of methodology used before and during the pandemic. Given this, these data encourage the need for reflection in the academic community and new studies with educators and students, in order to identify factors that may improve the quality of anatomy learning.
Thoracic esophageal diverticula are uncommon, and controversies exist regarding their management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a relatively large cohort of patients ...with thoracic esophageal diverticula treated with minimally invasive surgical techniques.
We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent minimally invasive surgical treatment for symptomatic esophageal diverticula during a 15-year period. The primary end point was 30-day mortality. In addition, we evaluated the morbidity, improvement in dysphagia (score: 1, best to 5, worst), and quality of life (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related Quality of Life score: 0, best to 50, most symptoms).
Fifty-seven patients underwent minimally invasive surgical treatment of symptomatic thoracic esophageal diverticula. The most common symptom was dysphagia (45 of 57; 79%). A motility disorder or distal mechanical obstruction was identified in 49 patients (86%). Approaches used included video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (n = 33), laparoscopy (n = 18), and combined video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and laparoscopy (n = 6). The most common procedure performed was diverticulectomy and myotomy (47 of 57 patients; 82.5%). The 30-day mortality was 0%. There were 4 patients (7%) with postoperative leaks requiring reoperation. During follow-up, the median dysphagia score improved from 3 to 1 (p < 0.001). The median Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related Quality of Life score after surgery was 5 (excellent).
A minimally invasive surgical approach for the management of thoracic esophageal diverticula is safe and effective during intermediate-term follow-up when performed by surgeons experienced in esophageal surgery and minimally invasive techniques. Further follow-up is required to assess the durability of these results. The optimal approach and procedures performed should be determined on an individualized basis after a thorough investigation.
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