The isolation and analysis of circulating cell-free tumor DNA in plasma is a powerful tool with considerable potential to improve clinical outcomes across multiple cancer types, including NSCLC. ...Assays of this nature that use blood as opposed to tumor samples are frequently referred to as liquid biopsies. An increasing number of innovative platforms have been recently developed that improve not only the fidelity of the molecular analysis but also the number of tests performed on a single specimen. Circulating tumor DNA assays for detection of both EGFR sensitizing and resistance mutations have already entered clinical practice and many other molecular tests — such as detection of resistance mutations for Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) receptor tyrosine kinase rearrangements — are likely to do so in the near future. Due to an abundance of new evidence, an appraisal was warranted to review strengths and weaknesses, to describe what is already in clinical practice and what has yet to be implemented, and to highlight areas in need of further investigation. A multidisciplinary panel of experts in the field of thoracic oncology with interest and expertise in liquid biopsy and molecular pathology was convened by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer to evaluate current available evidence with the aim of producing a set of recommendations for the use of liquid biopsy for molecular analysis in guiding the clinical management of advanced NSCLC patients as well as identifying unmet needs. In summary, the panel concluded that liquid biopsy approaches have significant potential to improve patient care, and immediate implementation in the clinic is justified in a number of therapeutic settings relevant to NSCLC.
Pleural biopsy findings offer greater diagnostic sensitivity in malignant pleural effusions compared with pleural fluid. The adequacy of pleural biopsy techniques in achieving molecular marker status ...has not been studied, and such information (termed “actionable” histology) is critical in providing a rational, efficient, and evidence-based approach to diagnostic investigation.
What is the adequacy of various pleural biopsy techniques at providing adequate molecular diagnostic information to guide treatment in malignant pleural effusions?
This study analyzed anonymized data on 183 patients from four sites across three countries in whom pleural biopsy results had confirmed a malignant diagnosis and molecular profiling was relevant for the diagnosed cancer type. The primary outcome measure was adequacy of pleural biopsy for achieving molecular marker status. Secondary outcomes included clinical factors predictive of achieving a molecular diagnosis.
The median age of patients was 71 years (interquartile range, 63-78 years), with 92 of 183 (50%) male. Of the 183 procedures, 105 (57%) were local anesthetic thoracoscopies (LAT), 12 (7%) were CT scan guided, and 66 (36%) were ultrasound guided. Successful molecular marker analysis was associated with mode of biopsy, with LAT having the highest yield and ultrasound-guided biopsy the lowest (LAT vs CT scan guided vs ultrasound guided: LAT yield, 95%; CT scan guided, 86%; and ultrasound guided, 77% P = .004). Biopsy technique and size of biopsy sample were independently associated with successful molecular marker analysis. LAT had an adjusted OR for successful diagnosis of 30.16 (95% CI, 3.15-288.56; P = .003) and biopsy sample size an OR of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.02-1.37) per millimeter increase in tissue sample size (P < .03).
Although previous studies have shown comparable overall diagnostic yields, in the modern era of targeted therapies, this study found that LAT offers far superior results to image-guided techniques at achieving molecular profiling and remains the optimal diagnostic tool.
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Multi-species mushroom-based products (MPs) sold in Italy were authenticated by metabarcoding (MB). One degenerated primer pair was projected for the ITS-1 region amplification. The final data were ...interpreted using positive controls and extraction blanks. Sequences of macrofungi, microfungi and bacteria were detected in 100%, 90.9% and 77.3% of the MPs, respectively. Not edible and toxic macrofungi were also found, although in low sequence amount. The match between species declared on MPs label and species detected by MB was 59.1%. Cases of voluntary species substitution cannot be excluded. Methods to authenticate these products, still poorly investigated, should be further employed, and MB protocol should be standardized to be used in the context of both official control and companies’ self-control. Alternative approaches should be considered for canned and frozen MPs, in virtue of the observed DNA fragmentation.
•Multi-species mushroom-based products sold in Italy were authenticated by metabarcoding.•Primers were de novo projected and positive controls/extraction blanks were included.•Sequences of macrofungi, microfungi and bacteria were detected.•Not edible and toxic macrofungi were also found.•Protocols should be standardized to be used in the context of official control and self-control.
During June 2018, several symptomatic fig (Ficus carica) cuttings, showing twig blight, subcortical discolouration and apical dieback were collected from a nursery in Catania province, Sicily ...(Italy). Isolations from diseased tissue consistently showed the presence of the same fungal colony. Morphology of the fungal isolates together with sequence data of the nuclear rDNA internal transcriber spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene and partial beta-tubulin (tub2) gene of representatives isolates revealed the presence of the fungus Neofusicoccum parvum. Pathogenicity tests were conducted by inoculating fig cuttings with mycelial plugs. After 10 days, the inoculated plants developed cankers similar to those observed in the greenhouse and after 26 days all inoculated plants were dead. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report worldwide of N. parvum causing disease on this host.
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•The VFAs and MCFAs of banana (peel and pulp), cocoa, and coffee have been performed.•The fermentations were performed upon uncontrolled, 6.6 and 5.2 pH conditions.•Acidification ...rates and acid percentages within 21-day fermentation were reported.•The findings gave interesting results regarding gCARBOX kg−1TVS for VFAs and MCFAs.•Microbial community taxa were identified to order and genus level for each substrate.
Carboxylates generation from banana (peel and pulp), coffee, and cacao fermentation agro-waste, upon uncontrolled and controlled pHs of 6.6 (heat-driven methanogens inactivation) and 5.2 (pH inactivation), was studied. Regarding volatile fatty acids (VFAs), acetic was the highest for cocoa (96.2 g kg−1TVS) at pH 4.5. However, butyric was relevant for banana pulp (90.7 g kg−1TVS), at controlled pH 6.6. The highest medium chain fatty acid (MCFAs) level was hexanoic (cocoa, 3.5 g kg−1TVS), while octanoic reached a maximum of 2.8 g kg−1TVS for coffee at pH 6.6. At pH 5.2 MCFAs yield was relatively low. Uncontrolled pH conditions, using banana resulted in superior VFAs production compared to controlled conditions. Thus, pH became a determining variable when deciding the time and kind of carboxylic acid to be recovered. The bacterial community at the end of the chain elongation process was dominated by phyla Firmicutes, and Clostridium as the most common genera.
Promoting arthropod biodiversity to increase ecosystem services through ecological intensification is a challenge for agriculture. And recent evidence suggests that standard pesticide applications ...not only harm natural enemies but may also fail to deliver long-term pest control solutions. To fuel ecological intensification and build predictive frameworks for pest management incorporating estimates of pest abundance, natural enemy abundance and their associated interactions is essential. Within this framework, there is a need to shift the focus from a single pest and predator to consider the community of predatory arthropods that interact with communities of prey. We took a network-based approach to investigate community interactions of predatory arthropods that feed on key pests and alternative prey in cotton over a three-year period. We merged prey activity, generalist predator communities collected from cotton canopies, and reconstructed trophic interactions with DNA detection frequencies estimated from molecular gut content analysis. Overall, many predator diets overlap, resulting in similar foraging patterns on groups of cotton pests. Moreover, predation on key cotton pests, such as stink bugs and white flies, was low. Therefore, ecological intensification that increases specialized arthropod predators within the community should improve biological control service delivery.
•Predatory arthropod communities and associated prey communities are dynamic over a season and between years.•Crop stages contain dissimilar predatory communities for biological services.•Gut analysis and network estimates of predators shows overlap in biological services.•Aphids appear to provide food for many predator species.•Whiteflies and stink bugs in cotton represent weaknesses in natural pest regulation.
This study aimed to explore the genetic diversity and molecular relationships of different genotypes of locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The investigation involved the utilization of ...chloroplast SSR markers and PCR techniques with 12 primers to examine 29 samples of Ambon bananas. The findings revealed monomorphic (uniform pattern) and polymorphic (varying patterns) DNA bands within the samples. In almost all samples, the monomorphic band pattern was found to be dominant at around 450 base pairs. Meanwhile, in 500 base pairs (primer 4), two different monomorphs were found.Additionally, primers 8 and 11 demonstrated multiple fragment band patterns, indicating the presence of polymorphism among the samples. The results of the dendogram analysis show that the level of similarity of all samples is relatively high. However, there are groups that represent genetic diversity. At a similarity level of 0.82 there are three clusters, four clusters at 0.85, seven clusters at 0.9 and so on. Of the 29 accessions studied, it is known that there are 11 samples that are completely genetically similar. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity and relationships among locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge regarding the molecular characteristics of these bananas and hold significance for conservation and breeding initiatives.
Acral and mucosal melanomas are often driven by sequence variants in the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, with nearly 40% harboring alterations in the KIT locus. Despite advances in the knowledge of ...KIT-mutated melanomas, little is known about the molecular reprogramming that occurs during KIT-mediated melanoma progression owing to the rarity of acral and mucosal melanomas and the lack of comprehensive biological tools and models. To this end, we used a murine model that allows us to ascertain the molecular underpinnings of the stages of cancer progression—transformation, tumorigenesis, immune engagement, and tumor escalation. We found dramatic increases in biosynthetic demands associated with the transformation stage, including DNA and RNA metabolism, leading to replication stress. Tumorigenesis was closely linked to neuronal and axonal development, likely necessary for invasion into the host. Immune engagement highlighted early immune excitation and rejection pathways, possibly triggered by abrupt neoantigen exposure. Finally, tumor escalation pathways proved consistent with immune evasion, with immune-related pathways becoming significantly downregulated. To our knowledge, it is previously unreported that these critical milestones needed for KIT-driven melanoma tumor formation have been studied at the molecular level using isogenically matched and phenotypically defined cells.
This study aimed to explore the genetic diversity and molecular relationships of different genotypes of locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The investigation involved the utilization of ...chloroplast SSR markers and PCR techniques with 12 primers to examine 29 samples of Ambon bananas. The findings revealed monomorphic (uniform pattern) and polymorphic (varying patterns) DNA bands within the samples. In almost all samples, the monomorphic band pattern was found to be dominant at around 450 base pairs. Meanwhile, in 500 base pairs (primer 4), two different monomorphs were found.Additionally, primers 8 and 11 demonstrated multiple fragment band patterns, indicating the presence of polymorphism among the samples. The results of the dendogram analysis show that the level of similarity of all samples is relatively high. However, there are groups that represent genetic diversity. At a similarity level of 0.82 there are three clusters, four clusters at 0.85, seven clusters at 0.9 and so on. Of the 29 accessions studied, it is known that there are 11 samples that are completely genetically similar. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity and relationships among locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge regarding the molecular characteristics of these bananas and hold significance for conservation and breeding initiatives.
Esophageal and gastric pythiosis in a dog Silva, Emanoelly Machado Sousa da; Martins, Kamila Peruchi Fernandes; Pereira, Asheley Henrique Barbosa ...
Ciência rural,
2024, Letnik:
54, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Pythiosis is the disease caused by aquatic oomycetes of the genus Pythium. In dogs the typical course of the disease involves the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by transmural thickening of the ...stomach or intestines. However, infection by Pythium spp. has only rarely been recognized as a cause of esophagitis in dogs. Thus, the present reports a case of esophageal and gastric pythiosis in an eight-month-old female pit bull dog. The dog was attended at the hospital after two months presenting regurgitation and dyspnea. It was reported that the dog lived in an urban area and had no previous sanitary issues. At clinical examination it was noted that the dog presented crackling sounds at pulmonary auscultation. A support therapy accompanied by antibiotics has been employed; however, 22 days after hospitalization the clinical condition worsened, and the dog died. At necropsy, the wall of the distal segment of the esophagus and the cardia and part of the fundus of the stomach were expanded by a focal extensive irregular intramural annular mass. Additionally, there was a transmural esophageal fistula. At histology, the walls of the esophagus and stomach were extensively expanded by multifocal extensive areas of necrosis, associated with a pyogranulomatous infiltrate and abundant granulation tissue containing multiple negative images of hyphae that were highlighted by silver impregnation (Grocott). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry and PCR for P. insidiosum were both positive in samples of paraffin-embedded esophageal tissue.
RESUMO: A Pitiose é uma doença causada por oomicetos aquáticos do gênero Pythium. Em cães o curso típico da doença envolve o trato gastrointestinal, caracterizado por espessamento transmural do estômago ou intestinos. No entanto, a infecção por Pythium spp. raramente foi reconhecida como causa de esofagite em caninos. Assim, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo relatar um caso de pitiose esofágica e gástrica em um canino Pit Bull fêmea de oito meses de idade. O cão foi recebido no hospital com histórico de regurgitação e dispneia durante dois meses. Foi relatado que o animal era de um domicílio de área urbana e não possuía histórico pregresso de enfermidades. No exame clínico contatou-se ainda crepitações à ausculta pulmonar. Foi instituído tratamento de suporte e antibioticoterapia, porém após 22 dias de internação, o cão evoluiu para o óbito. Na necropsia, as paredes do segmento distal do esôfago e o cárdia e parte do fundo do estômago estavam expandidos por uma massa anular intramural focalmente extensiva e irregular. Além disso, havia uma fístula esofágica transmural. À histologia, as paredes do esôfago e do estômago apresentavam-se difusamente expandidas por áreas multifocais extensas de necrose, associadas a infiltrado piogranulomatoso, abundante proliferação de fibroblastos imaturos, neovascularização e contendo múltiplas imagens negativas de hifas realçadas pela impregnação por prata (Grocott). Além disso, tanto a imuno-histoquímica como PCR para P. insidiosum foram positivas em amostras de esôfago embebidas em parafina.
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