Secondary somatic BRCA1/2 mutations may restore BRCA1/2 protein in hereditary ovarian carcinomas. In cell lines, BRCA2 restoration mediates resistance to platinum chemotherapy and poly (ADP-ribose) ...polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. We assessed primary and recurrent BRCA1/2-mutated ovarian carcinomas to define the frequency of secondary mutations and correlate these changes with clinical outcomes.
Neoplastic cells were isolated with laser capture microdissection, and DNA was sequenced at the site of the known germline BRCA1/2 mutation. When secondary mutations were found that restored wild-type sequence, haplotyping was performed using single nucleotide polymorphisms in tumor and paired lymphocyte DNA to rule out retention of the wild-type allele.
There were 64 primary and 46 recurrent ovarian carcinomas assessed. Thirteen (28.3%) of 46 (95% CI, 17.3% to 42.6%) recurrent carcinomas had a secondary mutation compared with two (3.1%) of 64 (95% CI, 1.0% to 10.7%) primary carcinomas (P = .0003, Fisher's exact test). Twelve (46.2%) of 26 (95% CI, 28.7% to 64.7%) platinum-resistant recurrences had secondary mutations restoring BRCA1/2, compared with one (5.3%) of 19 (95% CI, 1.2% to 24.8%) platinum-sensitive recurrences (P = .003, Fisher's exact test). Six (66.7%) of nine (95% CI, 34.8% to 87.8%) women with prior breast carcinoma had a recurrent carcinoma with a secondary mutation, compared with six (17.1%) of 35 (95% CI, 8.2% to 32.8%) with no history of breast carcinoma (P = .007, Fisher's exact test).
Secondary somatic mutations that restore BRCA1/2 in carcinomas from women with germline BRCA1/2 mutations predict resistance to platinum chemotherapy and may also predict resistance to PARP inhibitors. These mutations were detectable only in ovarian carcinomas of women whom have had previous chemotherapy, either for ovarian or breast carcinoma.
Large expanses of tropical rainforest have been converted into agricultural landscapes cultivated by smallholder farmers. This is also the case in north‐eastern Madagascar; a region that retains ...significant proportions of forest cover despite slash‐and‐burn shifting hill rice cultivation and vanilla agroforestry expansion. The region is also a global hotspot for herpetofauna diversity, but how amphibians and reptiles are affected by land‐use change remains largely unknown. Using a space‐for‐time study design, we compared species diversity and community composition across seven prevalent land uses: unburned (old‐growth forest, forest fragment, and forest‐derived vanilla agroforest) and burned (fallow‐derived vanilla agroforest, woody fallow, and herbaceous fallow) land‐use types, and rice paddy. We conducted six comprehensive, time‐standardized searches across at least 10 replicates per land‐use type and applied genetic barcoding to confirm species identification. We documented an exceptional diversity of herpetofauna (119 species; 91% endemic). Observed plot‐level amphibian species richness was significantly higher in old‐growth forest than in all other land‐use types. Plot‐level reptile species richness was significantly higher in unburned land‐use types compared with burned land‐use types. For both amphibians and reptiles, the less‐disturbed land‐use types showed more uneven communities and the species composition in old‐growth forest differed significantly from all other land‐use types. Amphibians had higher forest dependency (38% of species occurred exclusively in old‐growth forest) than reptiles (26%). Our analyses thus revealed that the two groups respond differently to land‐use change: we found less pronounced losses of reptile species richness especially in unburned agricultural habitats, suggesting that reptiles are less susceptible to land‐use change than amphibians, possibly due to their ability to cope with hotter and drier microclimates. In conclusion, our findings emphasize existing conservation opportunities – especially for reptiles – in extensive agricultural landscapes while highlighting the precarious situation of amphibians in disappearing old‐growth forests.
Proportion of species encounters across seven land‐use types (with 10 replicates each) in north‐eastern Madagascar. All 58 amphibian species with 3694 encounters (a) and all 61 reptile species (b) with 2521 encounters are displayed by forest dependency rank: 38% of amphibian species and 26% of reptile species exclusively occurred in old‐growth forest, despite that old‐growth forest is only accounting for 12.5% of the total plots. See icon reference in supplementary information (Free Icons Library).
Trees in agroforestry systems provide multiple ecological and economic functions. Smallholder vanilla agroforests include shade trees common across agroforestry systems, and small-statured support ...trees carrying the vanilla vine. Support trees have received little scientific attention so far. The objectives of our study were to assess the diversity, composition and geographic origin of support trees in vanilla agroforestry systems of north-eastern Madagascar. The region is a global biodiversity hotspot, has been undergoing a rapid land-use change and produces a large share of the globally traded vanilla spice. The studied vanilla agroforests differed in land-use history: established either directly inside forest (forest-derived) or on land previously used for slash-and-burn agriculture (fallow-derived). Among the support trees, we found 122 species of which 25% were endemic to Madagascar. The species richness per plot was four times higher in forest-derived than in fallow-derived vanilla agroforests. The species distribution was particularly uneven in fallow-derived vanilla agroforests with one species (
Jatropha curcas
) comprising 52% of all individuals. In forest-derived vanilla agroforests, 44% of all trees were native or endemic to Madagascar, whereas in fallow-derived vanilla agroforests only 11% were native or endemic. We conclude that there is a considerable diversity among support trees in Malagasy vanilla agroforestry
.
The support tree diversity is strongly affected by land-use history. Fallow-derived vanilla agroforests currently have a comparatively low species richness, yet they can play an important role in land rehabilitation, and more emphasis on growing native and endemic tree species would contribute to aligning production with conservation goals.
For years, an increasing number and diversity of genetically modified plants has been grown on a commercial scale. The need for detection and identification of these genetically modified organisms ...(GMOs) calls for broad and at the same time flexible high throughput testing methods. Here we describe the development and validation of a hexaplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening assay covering more than 100 approved GMOs containing at least one of the GMO targets of the assay. The assay comprises detection systems for Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter, Agrobacterium tumefaciens NOS terminator, Figwort Mosaic Virus 34S promoter and two construct-specific sequences present in novel genetically modified soybean and maize that lack common screening elements. Additionally a detection system for an internal positive control (IPC) indicating the presence or absence of PCR inhibiting substances was included. The six real-time PCR systems were allocated to five detection channels showing no significant crosstalk between the detection channels. As part of an extensive validation, a limit of detection (LODabs) ≤ ten target copies was proven in hexaplex format. A sensitivity ≤ ten target copies of each GMO detection system was still shown in highly asymmetric target situations in the presence of 1,000 copies of all other GMO targets of each detection channel. Furthermore, the applicability to a broad sample spectrum and reliable indication of inhibition by the IPC system was demonstrated. The presented hexaplex assay offers sensitive and reliable detection of GMOs in processed and unprocessed food, feed and seed samples with high efficiency. graphic removed
Modern society seeks to consume foods that can treat and prevent disease, as well as increase longevity, and in this context stand out functional foods rich in antioxidant compounds with proven ...health benefits, as well as beverages that bring benefits to the health and are widely used by the population, such as wine. Wine has always been linked in some way to the history of man, either because it is a beverage with its own flavor and personality or because of the health benefits it brings. Studies carried out throughout the world show that wine, taken in a moderate amount, contributes to the health of the human organism, increasing the quality and the life time, being the polyphenols the main compounds present in the wine responsible for this contribution. In this context, the objective of this study is to carry out a bibliographical review on the main researches and studies carried out with the theme wine and health, with emphasis on the beneficial effect of the phenolic composition of red wines, and thus contribute to the dissemination of the benefits of regular consumption and wine to human health.
Two different PCR-based approaches for the quantitative analysis of genetically modified organism (GMO) – components in foods are presented using Soybean derived samples as an example. The first ...method – a double competitive PCR – is well suited to determine threshold levels of GMO content in food. The other – PCR on-line measurement – is suited to determine ratios of transgenic versus non-transgenic component. Both methods provide a means to alleviate the problems of standardisation encountered with simple qualitative PCR approaches and will allow to cope with threshold levels for GMO, once issued by legislative bodies.
•Hiking was overwhelmingly positive and satisfying for inactive older adults.•Hiking helped inactive older adults get in better shape.•Being outdoors made them inactive older adults feel ...better.•Being with others in the hiking group was important to participants.
Objectives: To explore inactive older adults experiences within a group based hiking program held twice weekly for 8 weeks. Methods: As part of a larger study exploring a hiking program among older adults, a purposeful sample of participants (n = 10; age = 66.9+/-8.0), who self-reported not meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines of 150 min per week were recruited. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted at the end of the hiking program. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded following guidelines for reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Participants shared that, (1) their experience with the hiking program was overwhelmingly positive and satisfying; (2) hiking helped them get in better shape; (3) being outdoors made them feel better, and (4) being with others in the hiking group was important to them. Discussion: Inactive older adults were satisfied with and benefited from a hiking program. Positive benefits may be due to the group and nature-based experience of the program and their benefit on accountability and enjoyment. Given the low rates of PA participation among older adults, hiking programs may be a way of increasing PA uptake in this population.
An immunoassay for detection of a specific genetically modified soybean (Roundup-Ready) was validated on dried soybean powder in an interlaboratory study. Different percentages of genetically ...modified soybeans in nonmodified soybean matrix were evaluated in a blind study. Thirty-eight laboratories from 13 countries participated. The immunoassay was evaluated for 2 endpoints: (1) To give a semiquantitative result, i.e., determination of a given sample above or below a given threshold, or (2) to compute a quantitative result, i.e., percentage of genetically modified soybeans in the sample. Semiquantitative results showed that a given sample which contained <2% genetically modified soybeans was identified as below 2% with a 99% confidence level. Quantitative use of the assay resulted in a repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R) that were computed to be RSDr = 7% and RSDR = 10%, respectively, for a sample containing 2% genetically modified soybeans. Application of this method depends on availability of appropriate reference materials for a specific food matrix. Only matrix-matched reference materials can be used for analysis of food or food fractions.
The objective of this work was to evaluate Brazilian wine competitiveness in domestic market in relation to imported wines marketed in Brazil. The work is based on quantitative sources provided by ...different institutions: International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), Brazilian Union of Viticulture (UVIBRA), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA) and Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). The data referring to marketing of Brazilian and imported wines refer to the period from 1993 to 2016; and for sparkling wines data refer to the period from 1998 to 2016. During the periods evaluated, there was a 73.86% increase in wine sales and a 446% increase in sparkling wines sale; however, when we compared the volume of Brazilian wines and Brazilian sparkling wines sold, there was a reduction of 38% in the marketing of these wines, while sparkling wines commercialization recorded an increase of 518% in the volume sold. Regarding the volume of imported products, there was an increase of 737% in imported wines marketing, and an increase of 275% in imported sparkling wines marketing. In 1993, only 19.3% of imported wines were sold in relation to the total volume marketed. As of 2016, imported wines accounted for 82.1% of the volume of wines sold in Brazil. For sparkling wines, there was an inverse situation, with a reduction in the marketing of imported sparkling wines in relation to the total sold, since in 1998 imported sparkling wine accounted for 29% of Brazilian sparkling wine market and in 2016 this percentage dropped to 18.2%. It is concluded that sparkling wines are the products with greatest potential of Brazilian wine market. While still wines presents low competitiveness in relation to imported wines, being necessary to create market strategies that propitiate a greater acceptance of Brazilian wines, besides fiscal incentives to the grape producers and winemakers, reducing production costs, resulting in a lower price paid by final consumer.
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