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Purpose: The recently released EANM/SNMMI guideline, endorsed by several important clinical and imaging societies in the field of breast cancer (BC) care (ACR, ESSO, ESTRO, EUSOBI/ESR, EUSOMA), emphasized the role of [18F]FDG PET/CT in management of patients with no special type (NST) BC. This review identifies and summarizes similarities, discrepancies and novelties of the EANM/SNMMI guideline compared to NCCN, ESMO and ABC recommendations. Methods: The EANM/SNMMI guideline was based on a systematic literature search and the AGREE tool. The level of evidence was determined according to NICE criteria, and 85 % agreement or higher was reached regarding each statement. Comparisons with NCCN, ESMO and ABC guidelines were examined for specific clinical scenarios in patients with early stage through advanced and metastatic BC. Results: Regarding initial staging of patients with NST BC, [18F]FDG PET/CT is the preferred modality in the EANM-SNMMI guideline, showing superiority as a single modality to a combination of contrast-enhanced CT of thorax-abdomen-pelvis plus bone scan in head-to-head comparisons and a randomized study. Its use is recommended in patients with clinical stage IIB or higher and may be useful in certain stage IIA cases of NST BC. In NCCN, ESMO, and ABC guidelines, [18F]FDG PET/CT is instead recommended as complementary to conventional imaging to solve inconclusive findings, although ESMO and ABC also suggest [18F]FDG PET/CT can replace conventional imaging for staging patients with high-risk and metastatic NST BC. During follow up, NCCN and ESMO only recommend diagnostic imaging if there is suspicion of recurrence. Similarly, EANM-SNMMI states that [18F]FDG PET/CT is useful to detect the site and extent of recurrence only when there is clinical or laboratory suspicion of recurrence, or when conventional imaging methods are equivocal. The EANM-SNMMI guideline is the first to emphasize a role of [18F]FDG PET/CT for assessing early metabolic response to primary systemic therapy, particularly for HER2+ BC and TNBC. In the metastatic setting, EANM-SNMMI state that [18F]FDG PET/CT may help evaluate bone metastases and determine early response to treatment, in agreement with guidelines from ESMO. Conclusions: The recently released EANM/SNMMI guideline reinforces the role of [18F]FDG PET/CT in the management of patients with NST BC supported by extensive evidence of its utility in several clinical scenarios.

This case series aims to characterize the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) induced by anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNFα) therapy in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, namely rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondylarthritis (SpA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Patients with a diagnosis of SLE induced by anti-TNFα therapy and registered on the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register (Reuma.pt) who started their first anti-TNFα between 2001 and 2020 were included. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained by consulting Reuma.pt. The diagnosis of SLE induced by anti-TNFα was considered if there was a temporal relationship between the onset of anti-TNFα therapy and manifestations (clinical and immunological) in accordance with the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria (2019). A total of 607 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and six cases of SLE induced by anti-TNF-α therapy were reviewed: two patients were affected by RA, three patients by SpA, and one by PsA. All these patients had articular and constitutional symptoms that improved after discontinuation of the anti-TNFα agent. After switching to a second anti-TNFα agent, there was no recurrence of SLE over time. The development of SLE secondary to anti-TNFα agents in inflammatory rheumatic patients is rare. In this case series, all patients had a mild disease that improved after therapy discontinuation without recurrence of the disease. SLE induced by anti-TNFα should be considered in the follow-up of RA, SpA, and PsA patients.

Abstract As CMOS technologies face challenges in dimensional and voltage scaling, the demand for novel logic devices has never been greater, with spin-based devices offering scaling potential, at the cost of significantly high switching energies. Alternatively, magnetoelectric materials are predicted to enable low-power magnetization control, a solution with limited device-level results. Here, we demonstrate voltage-based magnetization switching and reading in nanodevices at room temperature, enabled by exchange coupling between multiferroic BiFeO3 and ferromagnetic CoFe, for writing, and spin-to-charge current conversion between CoFe and Pt, for reading. We show that, upon the electrical switching of the BiFeO3, the magnetization of the CoFe can be reversed, giving rise to different voltage outputs. Through additional microscopy techniques, magnetization reversal is linked with the polarization state and antiferromagnetic cycloid propagation direction in the BiFeO3. This study constitutes the building block for magnetoelectric spin-orbit logic, opening a new avenue for low-power beyond-CMOS technologies.

The synthesis of oxides using plant extracts as precursors has attracted attention as it is an economical, efficient, and ecological route. Euterpe oleracea Mart, available in the Legal Amazon, has great potential due to its composition, rich secondary metabolites. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the potential of aqueous açaí leaf extract as precursors in synthesizing FexOy-type oxides. The synthesis was developed in two stages to obtain the hematite phases (step 1) and the magnetite phase (step 2). The effect of pH on phase formation and structure was evaluated in step 1. Then, the material was obtained in step 2 by precipitation with pH adjustment. The powders were characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that pH played a significant role in the thermal behavior, crystallite sizes, and structural parameters of hematite, with neutral or acidic pH being more attractive for obtaining crystallites between 21 and 24 nm. Magnetite with 21.51 nm crystallites was precipitated, indicating possible capping of the Fe3O4 particles and preserving their magnetic characteristics.

Spontaneous subcapsular and perirenal hemorrhage, known as Wunderlich syndrome (WS), is a rare clinical manifestation of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). We report a case of a 48-year-old male with a history of recurrent episodes of leg muscle tenderness and dysesthesia, bilateral flank pain, painful nodular skin lesions in the lower limbs, weight loss, and difficult-to-control arterial hypertension. The abdominopelvic computed tomography angiography showed a large left perirenal hematoma, leading to the patient’s admission to the intensive care unit. After the exclusion of infectious or neoplastic foci, the patient was diagnosed with PAN and started intravenous methylprednisolone pulses with a good response. Since WS is a rare initial clinical manifestation of PAN, an early diagnosis and aggressive treatment will significantly improve clinical outcomes.

In several industrial fields, environmental and operational data are acquired with numerous purposes, potentially generating a huge quantity of data containing valuable information for management actions. This work proposes a methodology for clustering time series based on the K-medoids algorithm using a convex combination of different time series correlation metrics, the COMB distance. The multidimensional scaling procedure is used to enhance the visualization of the clustering results, and a matrix plot display is proposed as an efficient visualization tool to interpret the COMB distance components. This is a general-purpose methodology that is intended to ease time series interpretation; however, due to the relevance of the field, this study explores the clustering of time series judiciously collected from data of a wind farm located on a complex terrain. Using the COMB distance for wind speed time bands, clustering exposes operational similarities and dissimilarities among neighboring turbines which are influenced by the turbines’ relative positions and terrain features and regarding the direction of oncoming wind. In a significant number of cases, clustering does not coincide with the natural geographic grouping of the turbines. A novel representation of the contributing distances—the COMB distance matrix plot—provides a quick way to compare pairs of time bands (turbines) regarding various features.

Introduction: The release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is a key factor contributing to the severity of acute respiratory distress syndromes (ARDS). Identifying potential new pathways that can be targeted to modulate this pathological process will offer insights and open up new treatment possibilities for managing this condition. Aim: To evaluate if cyclic nucleotides stimulators are capable of modulating NETs release in vitro. Methods: We stimulated healthy neutrophils with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or serum from severe COVID-19 patients (n = 15) as a model of ARDS condition in the presence and in absence of three different cyclic nucleotides stimulators drugs: the guanylyl cyclase activator cinaciguat (0.5 μg/mL, 1 μg/mL and 5 μg/mL), the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil (10 μM, 50μM and 100 μM) or the inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-3 (PDE-3) milrinone (100 μM, 250 μM and 500 μM). Cell incubation images were captured using Incucyte after a duration of 1.5 hours. The number of cells that underwent netosis and those that did not were determined and the percentage of netosis was calculated. Images were analyzed by fluorescence. Results: In PMA-stimulated neutrophils, cinaciguat reduced NETs release by 35% at 1μM and 49% at 5μM, but not at the lower concentration of 0.5μM. Sildenafil reduced NETs release by 14% at 50 μM and 62% at 100 μM, but showed no effect at the lower concentration of 10 μM. Milrinone reduced NETs release by 51% at 500μM but not at the lower concentrations of 100 μM and 250 μM. When neutrophils were stimulated with COVID-19 serum, cinaciguat at 5μM reduced NETs release by 30%, sildenafil at 100μM by 19%, and milrinone at 500 μM by 24%, but there was no effect at the lower concentrations of all three drugs. Conclusion: Cinaciguat, sildenafil and milrinone were capable of “in vitro” reducing netosis induced by PMA and COVID-19 serum. Such findings indicate an involvement of cGMP and cAMP in modulating NETs formation and highlight the potential of targeting the production of these cyclic nucleotides as a novel approach for treating ARDS and other inflammatory conditions associated with excessive NETs release.

Identifying where to invest and how much to invest can be very challenging for common people who have limited knowledge in the domain. Portfolio managers are financial professionals who spend a lot of time and effort to help investors in investing funds and implementing investment strategies, but not all can afford to consult them. The study aims to develop a weighted hybrid recommendation system that recommends an optimized investment portfolio based on the investor’s preferences regarding risk and return. Generally, investors usually ask investment for advice from friends or relatives with similar risk preferences or if they are interested in a particular item, the investors ask for the experience of someone who already has invested in the same item. Therefore, the methodology considers the investor’s past behavior and the past behavior of the nearest neighbor investors with similar risk preferences. Using user-based collaborative filtering the number of stocks is recommended using Pearson correlation based on the investor’s income, then using another user-based collaborative filtering the number of stocks is recommended based on the investor’s age. Weights are assigned to the recommended number of stocks generated based on income and age and their weighted average is finally considered. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed system was assessed through various experiments. Based on the received results, the authors conclude that the proposed weighted hybrid approach is robust enough for implementation in the real world. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that none of the existing approaches make use of more than one type of weighted recommendation algorithm. Additionally, the final results obtained this way have been never further fortified with the highest Sharpe ratio and minimum risk for the investor. This combination of hybrid and Sharpe ratios has never been explored before.

The electronic properties of complex oxide heterostructures are governed by the physics at the interface between the different materials. Here, the authors use infrared ellipsometry and confocal Raman spectroscopy to show the presence of non-collinear and asymmetric interfacial polar moments in SrTiO3-based heterostructures underlying the important role of oxygen vacancies in these systems.

Crithmum maritimum L. (sea fennel), an edible xerophyte of coastal habitats, is considered an emerging cash crop for biosaline agriculture due to its salt-tolerance ability and potential applications in the agri-food sector. Here, the nutritional value and bioactive properties of sea fennel are described. Sea fennel leaves, flowers, and schizocarps are composed of carbohydrates (>65%) followed by ash, proteins, and lipids. Sea fennel’s salty, succulent leaves are a source of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. Extracts obtained from flowers and fruits/schizocarps are rich in antioxidants and polyphenols and show antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis. Plant material is particularly rich in sodium (Na) but also in other nutritionally relevant minerals, such as calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), beyond presenting a potential prebiotic effect on Lactobacillus bulgaricus and being nontoxic to human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 model cells, up to 1.0% (w/v). Hence, the rational use of sea fennel can bring nutrients, aroma, and flavor to culinary dishes while balancing microbiomes and contributing to expanding the shelf life of food products.

Leaf drought tolerance traits influence plant survival in water deficit conditions, and these traits are influenced by both the plant’s evolutionary history and the environment in which the plant is currently growing. However, due to the substantial phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits, we still do not know to what degree variation in leaf traits is governed by species’ phylogenetic history or by their environment. To explore this question, we re-examined a drought tolerance dataset from 37 native Australian shrub species with varying climate origins growing in a common garden located in Melbourne, Australia. We previously measured seven leaf morphophysiological traits, and here, we estimated how phylogenetically conserved these traits are. We quantified phylogeny and the strength of correlation between the morphological traits and physiological traits before and after accounting for shared phylogenetic history. We also evaluated the relationship between species’ leaf traits and the climate of their native ranges. We present three main findings: (a) most leaf drought tolerance traits had weak phylogenetic signals, which is consistent with the convergent evolution of these traits. (b) There is weak but consistent coordination between distinct leaf drought tolerance traits, which can be masked due to species’ phylogenetic histories. (c) Leaf drought tolerance traits show strong correlations with the climate of species’ origins, and this relationship is only weakly impacted by phylogenetic signals. Therefore, the role of phylogeny on the coordination among leaf functional traits and their links to climate were limited. A better understanding of trait–environment relationships might be more pivotal than understanding the evolution of these traits for improving the predictions of species’ response to climate change–type drought, especially for shrub species that span substantial aridity gradients.

The queen conch, Aliger gigas, is an endemic and iconic marine gastropod of the Wider Caribbean region that has been harvested for thousands of years. Conch are slow-moving and require contact to mate; overfishing has reduced populations in many areas compromising its rates of reproduction. Long-range dispersal and mixing between distinct populations occur in the queen conch’s early life history stages, when pelagic larvae are transported by oceanic currents. Genetic studies suggest that gene flow between populations decreases as the distance between populations increases. Here, we assessed how the population connectivity of conch changes with spatially variable patterns of fishing exploitation by simulating larval dispersal and comparing the potential connectivity under an unexploited and a contemporary exploited reproductive scenario. Results demonstrate that reduced egg production, due to heterogeneous fishing pressure and localized depletion, significantly alters population connectivity patterns as well as the structuring of populations and metapopulations across the species’ range. This strongly suggests that estimates of contemporary demographic rates, together with estimates of reproductive output need to be included in population connectivity studies. The existence of self-sustained metapopulations of queen conch throughout the Wider Caribbean suggests that replenishment through larval dispersal occurs primarily within sub-regional spatial scales, emphasizing the need for regional and local conservation and management measures to build and protect reproductively active populations and nursery habitat across multiple jurisdictions.

Introduction: The risks and benefits in the transfusion medicine are a great challenges for blood quality assurance. They must be sufficient to support answers to the acute and late effects. The irradiation of blood components for avoid Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) isn't different. The Medicine Transfusional Service(MST) – IPOC have procedures considered of excellence in Portugal-Central that take a good prevention for DHEC. Goals: This work has with objectives introduce our procedures and results for irradiated blood components to Central Portugal region by 1 year. Material and methods: The MST-IPOC irradiated blood components (CE – erythrocyte concentrate, PP – platelets pool and CUP – platelet concentrate unit by apheresis) for internal and external hospitals use, principally to central region at Portugal and we work with Physical Medicine to maintain the quality of this service that is included in the European hemovigilance system. We has a IBL 437C irradiator since 1997 and use RAD-SURE type 25Gy hand tags and supporting labels of irradiation, separated records to internal and external irradiation, description step by step since activation doctor/technical staff and the pos tranfusional tracking of GVHD around all irradiated units in this service. Results and conclusion: Our results: 60 % CE, 70% PP and 100% CUP of all irradiated components are used in IPOC internally and 72% of those irradiated from external institutions were University Hospital of Coimbra. 94% and 6% CE, 93% and 7 % PP had irradiated for adults and children, respectively. In the evaluation of acute or late GVHD we hadnt been positive case notified in the last years. We considered that our answer are the result of our quality procedures and the good training in this process.

Introduction: Hemolysis is the breakdown of red blood cells. It has a major impact on patient safety as the need for a replacement specimen increases the risk of injury and infection. Your detection and reporting can facilitate the generation of benchmark data used to develop quality practices to monitor and reduce this leading cause in blood transfusion. The Medicine Transfusional Service-MTS IPOC have current methods of hemolysis detection according to European Council Guidelines. We consider very important for the maintenance our quality in transfusion, like a Certification ISO9001. Goals: This work show our procedures and results to evaluation of blood hemolysis in erythrocytes concentrates(CEs) around 1 year. Material and methods: Our CE are provided of Institute Portuguese of Blood and Transplantation (IPST). European Council consider that 0.8% the maximum value for stored CE at last expire data. We determine hemolysis twice time in 4 CE stored/month, 2 CE with ±10 days and 2 CEs ±30 days in our quality control. Free hemoglobin is measure with Hemocue and The value of Hb (g/dL) and Htc (%) are performed by hematology accounty. When de values are checked is calculated the percentage (%) of hemolysis. We used statistic t test 95% IC (0.005–2.0) to see the differences between Htc, Hb and hemolysis at harvest and stay on bank CEs time. Results and conclusion: Our CE stay on bank 11 days ±9.2 the total variance of Hb total is 18.05 ± 2.01 and Htc is 59.17 ± 6.02, and have a difference in the hemolysis 0.46 (t test 95% IC)when observed the stay on time in our bank and have 0.05(t test 95% IC) when observed shorted stay (1 day) versus long stay (above 20 days) .This difference in these CEs, probably,have relation with harvest time and manipulation, but never passed 0.8% and we haven't transfusion reactions in the last year. We believe that hemovigilance procedures keep good CEs until your expire data.

Introdução: O sistema MNS foi o segundo sistema sanguíneo a ser descoberto. Atualmente são conhecidos 46 antigénios pertencentes a este grupo sanguíneo, embora sem provada relevância clinica. Os anticorpos para o antigénio M e N pertencem à classe IgM são naturais, reagem a frio e raramente causam hemólise sendo dito, por isso, que não são clinicamente significativos. No caso do S e s os anticorpos são imunes (surgem após exposição ao antigénio), pertencem à classe IgG reagindo maioritariamente a 37°C e por isso são tidos como clinicamente significativos. O sistema P, à semelhança do sistema MNS, foi descoberto por Landsteiner e Levine em 1927 com a descrição dos antigénios P, P1 e Pk. A expressão destes antigénios traduz-se em cinco fenótipos possíveis nomeadamente P1, P2,p, P1K e P2K. Os anticorpos do sistema P1 pertencem à classe IgM são anticorpos naturais e caracterizam-se por apresentar maior reatividade à temperatura ambiente (TA). Embora raramente originem reações transfusionais hemolíticas, existem casos descritos na literatura de anti-P1 reativos a 37°C, capazes de provocar estas reações. Objetivos: Rever a literatura, determinar a prevalência e caracterizar os anticorpos dos Sistemas MNS e P identificados no SIMU do IPOC. Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo de dados relativos a doentes do IPOC, a quem foram identificados aloanticorpos no período entre julho de 2020 a junho 2021. A deteção de aloanticorpos ocorreu na população de doentes que efetuaram determinação do grupo sanguíneo completo/provas de compatibilidade. A identificação é efetuada recorrendo a um painel de identificação constituído por 16 células comerciais, pela técnica de referência, em tubo, nos meios Salino TA, salino 37°C, enzimático e antiglobulina (AGH). Resultados: No período em análise, foram identificados 32 aloanticorpos: 5 Anti-Lea, 5 Anti-D,4 Anti-Leb, 4 Anti-E, 4 Anti-M, 2 Anti-C, 2 Anti-P1, 2 Anti- Lua, 1 Anti- Jka, 1 Anti-K, 1 Anti- Cw e 1 Anti-Jkb. Os anticorpos dos sistemas MNS e P representam aproximadamente 20% da totalidade dos anticorpos identificados no período descrito. Estes anticorpos reagiram preferencialmente em meio Salino à TA (100%). Obteve-se ainda reação em salino a 37°C em 16% e em AGH em 83%. Conclusão: As caraterísticas evidenciadas por estes anticorpos vão de encontro ao descrito na literatura, sendo, o meio preferencial de reação o meio salino, à TA. Os meses em que foram identificados estes anticorpos, período de novembro a abril, correspondem a meses com temperatura ambiente mais baixa, o que poderá ter potenciado as reações e aumentado a probabilidade de deteção. Devido às características evidenciadas neste estudo (16% reativos a 37°C e 83% reativos em AGH), e apesar de habitualmente serem considerados sem significado clínico, na prática transfusional do SIMU serão sempre transfundidos concentrados de eritrócitos sem o antigénio em causa.

Objectives. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms and explore the association between these symptoms and clinical and pain characteristics in patients with chronic pain (CP) due to hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods. In this cross-sectional study, adult patients with CP and knee and/or hip OA were included. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Visual analogue scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and PainDetect Questionnaire assessed pain characteristics and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) evaluated functional disability. Correlation coefficients were used to explore the associations between anxiety and depression symptoms and clinical and pain characteristics. Results. A total of 61 patients (age 66.2±9.4 years, 67.2% female) were included. Most patients (70.5%) had clinically significant anxiety and/or depression symptoms. Patients with anxiety and/or depression symptoms had higher pain severity (p=0.032) and disability (p=0.014). Depression symptoms had a moderate positive correlation with WOMAC physical function subscale (r=0.520), WOMAC total (r=0.511) and HAQ (r=0.405). Conclusions. Anxiety and depression symptoms are prevalent in knee or hip OA patients with CP and were associated with higher pain severity and functional disability. These findings support the screening of anxiety and depression symptoms in OA patients, in order to develop more effective multidisciplinary treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction: Testosterone is the main hormone that regulates male reproductive functions, directly participating in spermatogenesis and increasing sexual activity. The blood measurement of this hormone is essential for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine disorders, such as hypogonadism. However, there is lack of standardization regarding patient preparation for the hormone collection in clinical laboratories. Objective: Evaluate the effect of pre-analytical variables, including fasting, circadian and seasonal variation on testosterone levels in healthy young males. Material and methods: Forty-two volunteers were selected for the study, in the city of Barbacena, Minas Gerais. Four blood samples were collected from each of the participants, three in the winter: the first one in the morning after fasting; the second in the afternoon, without fasting; the third, in the next day morning, without fasting; and the last one taken in the summer, in the morning, after fasting. Results: The analyses showed that there was a significant decrease in total testosterone levels when there was no fasting for eight hours prior to collection and in the afternoon compared to the morning, both with p < 0.001. There was no significant difference in the results obtained in winter and summer. Conclusion: It is recommended that clinical laboratories standardize the collection of total testosterone by performing the test in the morning and after an eight-hour fast, in order to reduce variability and ensure reliability in the results.

During the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, photooxidation of surface oil led to the formation of persistent photooxidized compounds, still found in shoreline sediments a decade later. Studies demonstrated that photooxidation modified both biodegradation rates of the surface oil and the effectiveness of aerial dispersant applications. Despite the significant consequences of this weathering pathway, the lack of measurements prevented photooxidation to be accounted for in the DWH oil budget calculations and in most predictive models. Here we develop a Lagrangian photooxidation module that estimates the dose of solar radiation individual oil droplets receive while moving in the ocean, quantifies the likelihood of photooxidative changes, and continues to track the transport of these persistent photooxidized compounds. We estimate and track the likelihood of photooxidation of Lagrangian oil droplets in the upper layers of the water column for the DWH case by coupling the net shortwave radiation from NOGAPS to the oil application of the Connectivity Modeling System (oil-CMS). The dose of solar radiation upon a droplet is computed with the intensity of the incoming irradiance at the ocean’s surface, the light attenuation coefficient, and the depth of the oil droplets. Considering a range of DWH empirical irradiance thresholds, we find that photooxidation can happen at short time scales of hours to days, in agreement with the new paradigm of oil photooxidation. Furthermore, the oxidized compounds are likely to form in a 110 km radius around the response site, suggesting that the oil reaching the coastline was already photooxidized. This new dynamic coupling provides a powerful tool to test oil weathering hypotheses, refine the oil budget during the DWH, and ultimately inform rapid response in future oil spills.

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an annual cool-season grain legume widely cultivated in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Mediterranean region. It is a stress-resilient crop with high nutritional value, considered a promising source of traits to breed for adaptation/mitigation of climate change effects. It is also reported as a suitable crop for more sustainable production systems such as intercropping. In this review, we elaborate an integrative perspective including not only an agronomic-based but also a variety-breeding-based strategy in grass pea to deal with climate change impacts, summarizing the current knowledge on grass pea biotic/abiotic stress resistance. Additionally, we highlight the importance of implementing fundamental techniques to create diversity (as interspecific hybridization or gene editing) and increase genetic gains (as speed breeding or the efficient identification of breeding targets via genomics) in the development of multiple stress-resistant varieties that simultaneously provide yield and quality stability under climate vulnerable environments.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Rapid tests represent an important diagnostic tool, providing results in a short period of time and eliminating the use of large automated equipment. Objective: To evaluate the performance of five rapid test kits for troponin I detection in serum. Materials and methods: Samples from 100 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were selected from a hospital in Barbacena, MG, Brazil. They were tested in the five troponin I commercial rapid test kits and the results were compared with the study reference method (quantitative chemiluminescent immunoassay). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and correlation coefficients of the rapid tests against the reference method were defined. Results: The kits from Abon®, Interteck®, Medtest® and Wama® presented the same performance, reaching equal levels of sensitivity (98.08%), specificity (100%), PPV (100%), NPV (97.96%), and correlation coefficient (0.99). The Eco Diagnostica® kit presented lower sensitivity (82.69%), low correlation coefficient (0.91) and NPV (84.21%), not reaching ideal levels even though lying within the confidence interval. Discussion: The results obtained with the Abon®, Interteck®, Medtest® and Wama® test kits corroborate pre-existing literature data on the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests for troponin detection. These tests are allowed for immediate decision making by physicians and can be used to reduce unnecessary hospitalization time and costs associated with a suspected AMI. Conclusion: The kits from Abon®, Interteck®, Medtest® and Wama® showed excellent diagnostic performance, what makes them an important diagnostic tool in smaller laboratories without automated equipment.

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) represents a sustainable and affordable source of protein, namely, to populations with vegetarian dietary habits. Despite the national germplasm genetic diversity, little is known about the Portuguese accessions’ nutritional and protein quality, leading to their underuse in breeding programs. To fill this gap, a representative collection (106 accessions) was cropped under two contrasting environments (traditional versus heat stress) and evaluated in terms of nutritional quality by near-infrared spectroscopy. Protein quality was assessed, under the stressful environment, considering the individual amino acid contents and the activity of trypsin inhibitors through mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and spectrophotometry, respectively. On top of strong genotypic control, the nutritional composition (protein, fat, fiber, moisture and ash) was also highly influenced by the environment and by genotype × environment interaction, with a clear nutritional quality ranking change for the accessions in heat stress conditions. Classified into three clusters, the accessions from the cluster with the highest individual amino acid and protein contents also showed higher trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA). Since different levels of TIA had no translation into contrasting protein digestibility, breeders focusing on common beans’ protein quality improvement, especially under challenging warming climate conditions, may take advantage of this group of accessions.

One of the molecular hallmarks of amyloidoses is ordered protein aggregation involving the initial formation of soluble protein oligomers that eventually grow into insoluble fibrils. The identification and characterization of molecular species critical for amyloid fibril formation and disease development have been the focus of intense analysis in the literature. Here, using photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP), we studied the early stages of oligomerization of human transthyretin (TTR), a plasma protein involved in amyloid diseases (ATTR amyloidosis) with multiple clinical manifestations. Upon comparison, the oligomerization processes of wild-type TTR (TTRwt) and several TTR variants (TTRV30M, TTRL55P, and TTRT119M) clearly show distinct oligomerization kinetics for the amyloidogenic variants but a similar oligomerization mechanism. The oligomerization kinetics of the TTR amyloidogenic variants under analysis showed a good correlation with their amyloidogenic potential, with the most amyloidogenic variants aggregating faster (TTRL55P > TTRV30M > TTRwt). Moreover, the early stage oligomerization mechanism for these variants involves stepwise addition of monomeric units to the growing oligomer. A completely different behavior was observed for the nonamyloidogenic TTRT119M variant, which does not form oligomers in the same acidic conditions and even for longer incubation times. Thorough characterization of the initial steps of TTR oligomerization is critical for better understanding the origin of ATTR cytotoxicity and developing novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ATTR amyloidosis.

Y chromosomes are widely believed to evolve from a normal autosome through a process of massive gene loss (with preservation of some male genes), shaped by sex-antagonistic selection and complemented by occasional gains of male-related genes. The net result of these processes is a male-specialized chromosome. This might be expected to be an irreversible process, but it was found in 2005 that the Drosophila pseudoobscura Y chromosome was incorporated into an autosome. Y chromosome incorporations have important consequences: a formerly male-restricted chromosome reverts to autosomal inheritance, and the species may shift from an XY/XX to X0/XX sex-chromosome system. In order to assess the frequency and causes of this phenomenon we searched for Y chromosome incorporations in 400 species from Drosophila and related genera. We found one additional large scale event of Y chromosome incorporation, affecting the whole montium subgroup (40 species in our sample); overall 13% of the sampled species (52/400) have Y incorporations. While previous data indicated that after the Y incorporation the ancestral Y disappeared as a free chromosome, the much larger data set analyzed here indicates that a copy of the Y survived as a free chromosome both in montium and pseudoobscura species, and that the current Y of the pseudoobscura lineage results from a fusion between this free Y and the neoY. The 400 species sample also showed that the previously suggested causal connection between X-autosome fusions and Y incorporations is, at best, weak: the new case of Y incorporation (montium) does not have X-autosome fusion, whereas nine independent cases of X-autosome fusions were not followed by Y incorporations. Y incorporation is an underappreciated mechanism affecting Y chromosome evolution; our results show that at least in Drosophila it plays a relevant role and highlight the need of similar studies in other groups.

Previous studies have reported promising differences in the quality of kernels from farmers' maize populations collected in a Portuguese region known to produce maize-based bread. However, several limitations have been identified in the previous characterizations of those populations, such as a limited set of quality traits accessed and a missing accurate agronomic performance evaluation. The objectives of this study were to perform a more detailed quality characterization of Portuguese farmers' maize populations; to estimate their agronomic performance in a broader range of environments; and to integrate quality, agronomic, and molecular data in the setting up of decision-making tools for the establishment of a quality-oriented participatory maize breeding program. Sixteen farmers' maize populations, together with 10 other maize populations chosen for comparison purposes, were multiplied in a common-garden experiment for quality evaluation. Flour obtained from each population was used to study kernel composition (protein, fat, fiber), flour's pasting behavior, and bioactive compound levels (carotenoids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds). These maize populations were evaluated for grain yield and ear weight in nine locations across Portugal; the populations' adaptability and stability were evaluated using additive main effects and multiplication interaction (AMMI) model analysis. The phenotypic characterization of each population was complemented with a molecular characterization, in which 30 individuals per population were genotyped with 20 microsatellites. Almost all farmers' populations were clustered into the same quality-group characterized by high levels of protein and fiber, low levels of carotenoids, volatile aldehydes, α- and δ-tocopherols, and breakdown viscosity. Within this quality-group, variability on particular quality traits (color and some bioactive compounds) could still be found. Regarding the agronomic performance, farmers' maize populations had low, but considerably stable, grain yields across the tested environments. As for their genetic diversity, each farmers' population was genetically heterogeneous; nonetheless, all farmers' populations were distinct from each other's. In conclusion, and taking into consideration different quality improvement objectives, the integration of the data generated within this study allowed the outline and exploration of alternative directions for future breeding activities. As a consequence, more informed choices will optimize the use of the resources available and improve the efficiency of participatory breeding activities.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is among the most important grain legumes for human consumption worldwide. Portugal has a potentially promising common bean germplasm, resulting from more than five centuries of natural adaptation and farmers' selection. Nevertheless, limited characterization of this resource hampers its exploitation by breeding programs. To support a more efficient conservation of the national bean germplasm and promote its use in crop improvement, we performed, for the first time, a simultaneous molecular marker (21 microsatellites and a DNA marker for phaseolin-type diversity analysis) and seed and plant morphological characterization (14 traits) of 175 accessions from Portuguese mainland and islands traditional bean-growing regions. A total of 188 different alleles were identified and an average pairwise Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards' chord genetic distance of 0.193 was estimated among accessions. To relate the Portuguese germplasm with the global common bean diversity, 17 wild relatives and representative accessions from the Andean and Mesoamerican gene pools were evaluated at the molecular level. No correlation was detected between the variability found and the geographic origin of accessions. Structure analysis divided the collection into three main clusters. Most of the Portuguese accessions grouped with the race representatives and wild relatives from the Andean region. One third of the national germplasm had admixed genetic origin and might represent putative hybrids among gene pools from the two original centers of domestication in the Andes and Mesoamerica. The molecular marker-based classification was largely congruent with the three most frequent phaseolin haplotype patterns observed in the accessions analyzed. Seed and plant morphological characterization of 150 Portuguese common bean accessions revealed a clear separation among genetic structure and phaseolin haplotype groups of accessions, with seed size and shape and the number of locules per pod the most discriminant traits. Additionally, we used molecular and morphological data to develop a series of smaller core collections that, by maximizing the genetic and morphological diversity of the original collection, represents the Portuguese common bean germplasm with minimum repetitiveness. A core collection with 37 accessions contained 100% of the genetic variation found in the entire collection. This core collection is appropriate for a more detailed characterization and should be explored, as a priority, in national and international common bean breeding efforts. Furthermore, the identified intermediate accessions (with admixed genetic origin) may have novel genetic combinations useful in future bean breeding.