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BackgroundPseudocercospora fijiensis is the causal agent of the black leaf streak disease (BLSD) of banana. Bananas are important global export commodities and a major staple food. Their susceptibility to BLSD pushes disease management towards excessive fungicide use, largely relying on multisite inhibitors and sterol demethylation inhibitors (DMIs). These fungicides are ubiquitous in plant disease control, targeting the CYP51 enzyme. We examined sensitivity to DMIs in P. fijiensis field isolates collected from various major banana production zones in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the Philippines, Guadalupe, Martinique and Cameroon and determined the underlying genetic reasons for the observed phenotypes.ResultsWe observed a continuous range of sensitivity towards the DMI fungicides difenoconazole, epoxiconazole and propiconazole with clear cross-sensitivity. Sequence analyses of PfCYP51 in 266 isolates showed 28 independent amino acid substitutions, nine of which correlated with reduced sensitivity to DMIs. In addition to the mutations, we observed up to six insertions in the Pfcyp51 promoter. Such promoter insertions contain repeated elements with a palindromic core and correlate with the enhanced expression of Pfcyp51 and hence with reduced DMI sensitivity. Wild-type isolates from unsprayed bananas fields did not contain any promoter insertions.ConclusionThe presented data significantly contribute to understanding of the evolution and global distribution of DMI resistance mechanisms in P. fijiensis field populations and facilitate the prediction of different DMI efficacy. The overall reduced DMI sensitivity calls for the deployment of a wider range of solutions for sustainable control of this major banana disease. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

This qualitative study investigates how first-generation undergraduate students of Color at a historically white institution in the U.S. make sense and process the university's mission, especially in relation to the theoretical frameworks of intersectionality and post-subjectivity. U.S. universities are often structured on market-driven ideologies. They do not necessarily deeply take into account the experiences of their first-generation students of Color to the extent that could be observed in the institution's mission and goals. In this paper, we interacted with data while thinking with theory, philosophy, and concept as a method. Through these interactions, we gained insights about the lived experiences of first-generation undergraduate students of Color and how they perceive themselves to either be represented or not, within their institution's mission. Studies like this are needed because an institution's mission communicates central philosophies to stakeholders, and a clear mission statement is warranted to ensure that first-generation students of Color feel a sense of belongingness and affinity to their campuses. We also offer implications for future research and practice.

CTNNB1 pathogenic variants are related to the improper functioning of the WNT/β-catenin pathway, promoting the development of different types of cancer of somatic origin. Bioinformatics analyses of genetic variation are a great tool to understand the possible consequences of these variants on protein structure and function and their probable implication in pathologies. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of the missense variants of uncertain significance (VUS) of the CTNNB1 gene on structure and function of the β-catenin protein. The CTNNB1 variants were obtained from the GnomAD v2.1.1 database; subsequently, a bioinformatic analysis was performed using the VarSome, UCSC Genome Browser, UniProt, the Kinase Library database, and DynaMut2 platforms to evaluate clinical significance, gene conservation, consensus sites for post-translational modifications, and the dynamics and stability of proteins. The GnomAD v2.1.1 database included 826 variants of the CTNNB1 gene, of which 385 were in exons and exon/intron boundaries. Among these variants, 214 were identified as missense, of which 146 were classified as VUS. Notably, 12 variants were in proximity to consensus sites for post-translational modifications (PTMs). The in silico analysis showed a slight tendency towards probably pathogenic for c.59C>T (p.Ala20Val) and c.983T>C (p.Met328Thr) missense VUS. These findings provide possible functional implications of these variants in some types of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: KRAS is one of the most prominent driver genes implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC), with mutations detected in 33% to 50% of CRC patients. Exon 2 harbors up to 98% of these mutations. Variants in this gene play crucial roles in the progression of the disease, influencing its development, clinical manifestations, and treatment election. This study elucidates a 17% prevalence of mutations in KRAS exon 2 among western Mexican patients with sporadic CRC. Furthermore, a 30% pooled prevalence of mutations in KRAS exon 2 was determined after analyzing an additional 16 studies from Latin America, encompassing 12,604 CRC patients. Due to advances in precision medicine treatments, knowing the pathogenic status of the KRAS gene will become imperative to optimally select targeted therapies. We searched for the prevalence of actionable somatic mutations in exon 2 of the KRAS gene in western Mexican patients with CRC. Tumor tissue DNA samples from 150 patients with sporadic CRC recruited at the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara were analyzed. Mutations in exon 2 of the KRAS gene were identified using Sanger sequencing, and the data were analyzed considering clinical–pathological characteristics. Variants in codon 12 (rs121913529 G>A, G>C, and G>T) and codon 13 (rs112445441 G>A) were detected in 26 patients (with a prevalence of 17%). No significant associations were found between these variants and clinical–pathological characteristics (p > 0.05). Furthermore, a comprehensive search was carried out in PubMed/NCBI and Google for the prevalence of KRAS exon 2 mutations in Latin American populations. The 17 studies included 12,604 CRC patients, with an overall prevalence of 30% (95% CI = 0.26–0.35), although the prevalence ranged from 13 to 43% across the different data sources. Determining the variation and frequency of KRAS alleles in CRC patients will enhance their potential to receive targeted treatments and contribute to the understanding of the genomic profile of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools in the United States have historically conducted language policing in favor of standardized American English. The current study examines links between language policies in eight immigrant families in relation to educational language policies of two public elementary schools operating under an English-only policy in Massachusetts. The study places a focus on the agency of children and parents expressed through interviews, while paying attention to the institutional power of schooling. The participating families spoke Cape Verdean Creole, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish as their heritage languages. Two theoretical frameworks informed our findings. Firstly, we use "family language policy" to define language decisions in families as a multifaceted construct. Secondly, we analyze family language beliefs and practices through a "language ideology" lens to unveil power structures influencing them. Our findings showed that the participants' spoken beliefs positioned bilingualism and heritage language maintenance as valuable. However, family language decisions showed an increasing preference for English that inherently aligned with the English-only educational policies and practices and alienated heritage languages. Our study contributes to the existing body of literature on family language policy by adding more nuance to the contextual and fluid nature of language decisions in bilingual families.

This article explores the body in relation to theatricality, identity and appearance through the examination of an interview and photographs given by one of the founders of the group The House of Disappointments in Helsinki, Finland. Photographs of their gendered, costumed bodies are posted on social media and I propose, create new ways through which the gendered body becomes a symbolic costume when viewed through the lens of peep culture--a voyeuristic world where new configurations of space create new theatrical paradigms for performance. Indeed, this action enables the idea of the human body of the social media user to be interpreted as a costume that functions as a scenographic device in itself and to become a liaison between the new ways that theatrical performance integrates itself into the culture of cyber-voyeurism within the scope of everyday life. The act of performing gender in virtual environments expands the rituals of traditional theatrical forms and the ways we see the body. In postmodern society, the act of performing the body in social media has become both a mundane gesture and a performative act. For the social media user, the act of peeping has become the norm and an intrinsic part of the process of 'being online'. Social media users participate in deliberately voyeuristic activities such as looking at people's postings, as well as sharing photos, videos, messages or comments online. Spaces like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, among others, are configured in a way that the user is socially allowed and encouraged to glimpse and participate in other people's lives. KEYWORDS costume body gender queer theatre performance scenography social media, This examination investigates the ways that the body's performance outside traditional theatrical settings becomes the means for which the creation of theatricality is carried in social media. This performance, I [...]