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The primary mode of transmission for Chagas disease is vector-borne transmission, spread by hematophagous insects of the Triatominae subfamily. In Mexico, the triatomine Meccus pallidipennis is particularly significant in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi. This study focused on analyzing protein expression and modifications by glycosylation in different regions of the digestive tract of fifth-instar nymphs of M. pallidipennis. Two gut sections were dissected and extracted: the anterior midgut (AMG) and the proctodeum or rectum (RE). Proteins were extracted from each tissue sample and profiled by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis; protein glycosylation was analyzed by lectin affinity. Our results showed significant differences in protein expression and glycosylation between both gut regions, with modifications being more frequent in the RE. The proteins HSP70, actin, and tubulin were analyzed, finding a differential expression of the latter two between AMG and RE. Understanding glycosylation patterns provides critical insights into vector–pathogen interactions that could eventually inform novel control approaches. Furthermore, the potential use of lectins as insecticidal agents highlights the broader implications of glycoprotein research in the future development of strategies on vector control to disrupt T. cruzi transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dalbergieae lectin group encompasses several lectins with significant differences in their carbohydrate specificities and biological properties. The current work reports on the purification and characterization of a GalNAc/Gal-specific lectin from Vataireopsis araroba (Aguiar) Ducke, designated as VaL. The lectin was purified from the seeds in a single step using guar gum affinity chromatography. The lectin migrated as a single band of about 35 kDa on SDS-PAGE and, in native conditions, occurs as a homodimer. The purified lectin is stable at temperatures up to 60 °C and in a pH range from 7 to 8 and requires divalent cations for its activity. Sugar-inhibition assays demonstrate the lectin specificity towards N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, D-galactose and related sugars. Furthermore, glycan array analyses show that VaL interacts preferentially with glycans containing terminal GalNAc/Galβ1-4GlcNAc. Biological activity assays were performed using three insect cell lines: CF1 midgut cells from the spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana, S2 embryo cells from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and GutAW midgut cells from the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea. In vitro assays indicated a biostatic effect for VaL on CF1 cells, but not on S2 and GutAW cells. The lectin presented a biostatic effect by reducing the cell growth and inducing cell agglutination, suggesting an interaction with glycans on the cell surface. VaL has been characterized as a galactoside-specific lectin of the Dalbergieae tribe, with sequence similarity to lectins from Vatairea and Arachis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries are a major public health problem. Data on falls in older persons with cancer is limited and robust data on falls within those with a frailty profile are missing. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and predictive factors for falls and fall-related injuries in frail older persons with cancer.Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis from data previously collected in a large prospective multicenter observational cohort study in older persons with cancer in 22 Belgian hospitals (November 2012-February 2015). Patients ≥70 years with a malignant tumor and a frailty profile based on an abnormal G8 score were included upon treatment decision and evaluated with a Geriatric Assessment (GA). At follow-up, data on falls and fall-related injuries were documented.Results: At baseline 2141 (37.2%) of 5759 included patients reported at least one fall in the past 12 months, 1427 patients (66.7%) sustained an injury. Fall-related data of 3681 patients were available at follow-up and at least one fall was reported by 769 patients (20.9%) at follow-up, of whom 289 (37.6%) fell more than once and a fall-related injury was reported by 484 patients (62.9%). Fear of falling was reported in 47.4% of the patients at baseline and in 55.6% of the patients at follow-up. In multivariable analysis, sex and falls history in the past 12 months were predictive factors for both falls and fall-related injuries at follow-up. Other predictive factors for falls, were risk for depression, cognitive impairment, dependency in activities of daily living, fear of falling, and use of professional home care.Conclusion: Given the high number of falls and fall-related injuries and high prevalence of fear of falling, multifactorial falls risk assessment and management programs should be integrated in the care of frail older persons with cancer. Further studies with long-term follow-up, subsequent impact on cancer treatment and interventions for fall prevention, and integration of other important topics like medication and circumstances of a fall, are warranted.Trial Registration: B322201215495. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual increase of network complexity and network scale in the cloud environment, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of node failures has become a systematic problem of great research significance. This paper proposes Graph-Attention-Sage (GASage) algorithm, which is a fault RCA algorithm and scheme. The algorithm solves the RCA by incorporating TOPK sampling and Attention-Aggregation with GraphSage algorithm in large-scale and complex microservice network environment. The GASage algorithm is based on graph convolutional neural network and graph attention mechanism, which profoundly combines the characteristics of network fault RCA problems. TOPK sampling mechanism is applied in GASage to select the neighboring nodes with the top K highest correlation as the objectives to be aggregated. GASage adopts an attention mechanism when aggregated, which aggregates the features of the central node according to the weights of the adjacent nodes and the central node. The weight aggregation method can greatly improve the node representation effect in the RCA scenario. The empirical results of our experiments have demonstrated that the model learned with GASage can outperform other model with the same learning framework and achieves more than 10% improvement in precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We have previously demonstrated difficulties in written production in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) patients. We now aim to determine the neural correlates of writing production in DLB, combining clinical data and structural MRI measures., Method: Sixteen prodromal to mild DLB patients were selected to participate in the study. The GREMOTS test was used to assess writing production. Using three-dimensional T1 brain MRI images, correlations between the GREMOTS test and grey matter (GM) volume were performed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM; SPM12, XjView and Matlab R2021b softwares)., Results: VBM analysis (p < 0.001, uncorrected) revealed a positive and significant correlation between both left anterior insula and left supramarginal gyrus GM volumes and DLB patients' ability to write logatoms using the phonological route. The handwriting deficit was negatively and significantly correlated to the supplementary motor area. The parkinsonism-like characteristics of agraphia were negatively and significantly correlated with both right anterior and right posterior cerebellum GM volumes. Our study also revealed a negative and significant correlation between grammatical spelling impairments and an area of the orbitofrontal gyrus, and a negative and significant correlation between supramarginal gyrus and general slowness in dictation tasks., Conclusion: Writing disorders in early DLB patients appears to be GM decreases in several brain regions, such as the left anterior insula, the left supramaginal gyrus, as well as two areas of the right cerebellum., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To assess the decision‐making process in fit and frail older breast cancer patients. Methods: Breast cancer patients aged ≥70 years who completed the G8 frailty screening tool (G8) were included in this retrospective study. Socio‐demographic and clinical characteristics were collected, as well as information from geriatric assessment (GA). Treatment decisions were compared with national guidelines. Results: Of 177 patients, 85 patients were considered fit by the G8 (G8‐fit) and 92 patients frail (G8‐frail). All G8‐fit and 53 G8‐frail were proposed for surgery. GA was performed in 34 patients (9 G8‐fit; 25 G8‐frail) of whom 16 (2 G8‐fit;14 G8‐frail) were considered frail (GA‐frail). 28 out of these 34 patients were considered fit for surgery (including 11 GA‐frail); their impairments were unlikely to interfere with surgery or life expectancy. Reasons for adjusting treatment were physical/cognitive condition and patient preference. Ultimately, 123 patients underwent surgery in accordance with guidelines (81 G8‐fit;42 G8‐frail, p < 0.001). Survival was reduced in G8‐frail compared to G8‐fit (p = 0.001), but G8 lost its association with mortality in multivariable survival analysis. Among patients undergoing surgery, no difference in mortality was seen between G8‐fit and G8‐frail (p = 0.996). Conclusion: The G8 is associated with treatment decisions and did not affect survival in patients undergoing surgery. In the decision‐making process, the G8 may help and estimates the need for adaptive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using the EORTC Global Health Status (GHS) scale, we aimed to determine minimal clinically important differences (MCID) in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) changes for older cancer patients with a geriatric risk profile, as defined by the geriatric 8 (G8) health screening tool, undergoing treatment. Simultaneously, we assessed baseline patient characteristics prognostic for HRQOL changes.Methods: Our analysis included 1424 (G8 ≤ 14) older patients with cancer scheduled to receive chemotherapy (n = 683) or surgery (n = 741). Anchor-based methods, linking the GHS score to clinical indicators, were used to determine MCID between baseline and follow-up at 3 months. A threshold of 0.2 standard deviation (SD) was used to exclude MCID estimates too small for interpretation. Logistic regressions analysed baseline patient characteristics prognostic for HRQOL changes.Results: The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Fatigue and ECOG Performance Status (PS) were selected as clinical anchors. In the surgery group, MCID estimates for improvement and deterioration were ECOG PS (5*, 11*), GDS15 (5*, 2) and VAS Fatigue (3, 9*). In the chemotherapy group, MCID estimates for improvement and deterioration were ECOG PS (8*, 7*), GDS15 (5, 4) and VAS Fatigue (5, 5*). Estimates with * were > 0.2 SD threshold. Patients experiencing pain or malnutrition (surgery group) or fatigue (chemotherapy group) at baseline showed a significantly stable or improved HRQOL (p < 0.05) after their treatment.Conclusion: The reported MCID for improvement and deterioration depended on the anchor used and treatment received. The estimates can be used to evaluate significant changes in HRQOL and to determine sample sizes in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acibenzolar- S -methyl (ASM) is a chemical compound, which is able to induce resistance in several model and non-model plants, but the end-players of this induced defense remain ill-defined. Here, we test the hypothesis that treatment with ASM can protect apple (Malus × domestica) against the rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) and investigate the defense molecules potentially involved in resistance. We measured aphid life traits and performed behavioral assays to study the effect of ASM on plant resistance against the aphid, and then combined transcriptomic, bioinformatics, metabolic and biochemical analyses to identify the plant compounds involved in resistance. Plants treated with ASM negatively affected several life traits of the aphid and modified its feeding and host seeking behaviors. ASM treatment elicited up-regulation of terpene synthase genes in apple and led to the emission of (E,E)-α-farnesene, a sesquiterpene that was repellent to the aphid. Several genes encoding amaranthin-like lectins were also strongly up-regulated upon treatment and the corresponding proteins accumulated in leaves, petioles and stems. Our results link the production of specific apple proteins and metabolites to the antibiosis and antixenosis effects observed against Dysaphis plantaginea , providing insight into the mechanisms underlying ASM-induced herbivore resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we designed and analysed the insecticidal effectiveness of two short single-stranded DNA fragments from LdMNPV (Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus) IAP-2 gene. Our results show that the ssDNA fragments from the antisense region is selectively lethal, and rapidly decreases the population of second instar gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) larvae one day post-treatment (Control-H2O group vs oligoAn group, χ2 = 5; p < 0.05) when infected with LdMNPV as a trigger, before treatment through feeding with 75 pmol/µl of synthesized fragments from LdMNPV IAP-2 gene. Data analysis on larvae biomass did not show significant influence in all groups of the experiment when compared with the Control-H2O group. Relatively, our preliminary evaluation of biochemical parameters (total glucose and total protein concentrations) did not show significant response to the applied ssDNA oligonucleotides. Our conclusive remarks based on mortality data support the concept that antisense oligonucleotides from LdMNPV IAP-2 gene can act as an insecticide against pre-infected gypsy moth larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of the study points at an immense significance of Turkey not only in a literary picture of the world of the most eminent polish romantic poet, Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855). He grew up in Navahrudak, on the territory of present Belarus, where the Tatars, connected to Turkish and Polish culture, made a strong group, and died during the Crimean War in Istanbul, where he went as a political emissary. Mickiewicz's picture of Turkey was abundant in ambivalence. It received its full development in his lectures at Collège de France in Paris. He depicted Turkey as a historical enemy with which the Polish Republic waged wars, but also as the only country that, as the historical myth upholds, did not recognise the partitions of Poland. In the poet's works, especially in their lexis, the influence of Turkish culture is quite marked and, e.g. in clothes and in militaria, significantly affects the Polish nobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycans are involved in many biological phenomena, including signal transduction, cell adhesion, immune response or differentiation. Although a few papers have reported on the role of glycans in the development and proper functioning of the insect midgut, no data are available regarding the localization of the glycan structures on the surface of the cells in the gut of insects. In this paper, we analyzed the spatial distribution of glycans present on the surface of the midgut cells in larvae of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis, an important agricultural pest insect worldwide. For this purpose, we established primary midgut cell cultures, probed these individual cells that are freely suspended in liquid medium with a selection of seven fluorescently labeled lectins covering a range of different carbohydrate binding specificities [mannose oligomers (GNA and HHA), GalNAc/Gal (RSA and SSA), GlcNAc (WGA and Nictaba) and Neu5Ac(a-2,6)Gal/GalNAc (SNA-I)], and visualized the interaction of these lectins with the different zones of the midgut cells using confocal microscopy. Our analysis focused on the typical differentiated columnar cells with a microvillar brush border at their apical side, which are dominantly present in the Lepidopteranmidgut and function in food digestion and absorption, and as well as on the undifferentiated stem cells that are important for midgut development and repair. Confocal microscopy analyses showed that the GalNAc/Gal-binding lectins SSA and RSA and the terminal GlcNAc-recognizing WGA bound preferentially to the apical microvillar zone of the differentiated columnar cells as compared to the basolateral pole. The reverse result was observed for the mannose-binding lectins GNA and HHA, as well as Nictaba that binds preferentially to GlcNAc oligomers. Furthermore, differences in lectin binding to the basal and lateral zones of the cell membranes of the columnar cells were apparent. In the midgut stem cells, GNA and Nictaba bound more strongly to the membrane of these undifferentiated cells compared to the microvillar pole of the columnar cells, while SSA, HHA, WGA, and SNA-I showed stronger binding to the microvilli. Our results indicated that polarization of the midgut cells is also reflected by a specific distribution of glycans, especially between the basal and microvillar pole. The data are discussed in relation to the functioning and development of the insect midgut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungal lectin purified from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, further referred to as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum agglutinin or SSA, possesses insecticidal activity against important pest insects such as pea aphids ( Acyrthosiphon pisum). This paper aims at a better understanding of its activity at cellular level. Therefore, different insect cell lines were treated with SSA. These cell lines were derived from different tissues and represent the three major orders of insects important in agriculture: CF-203 (midgut Choristoneura fumiferana, Lepidoptera), GUTAW1 (midgut, Helicoverpa zea, Lepidoptera), High5 cells (ovary, Trichoplusia ni, Lepidoptera), Sf9 (ovary cells from Spodoptera frugiperda, Lepidoptera), S2 (hemocyte, Drosophila melanogaster, Diptera), and TcA (whole body, Tribolium castaneum, Coleoptera). Although the sensitivity to SSA differs between the cell lines, SSA clearly showed toxicity in all six cell lines with median effect concentrations (EC) ranging between 9 and 42 μg/ml. An in-depth analysis of the mechanism of uptake in the cells revealed superior amounts of FITC-SSA at the membrane of CF-203 cells compared to Sf9 cells, while a similar small amount of SSA was internalized in both cell lines. Pre-incubation with the clathrin-mediated endocytosis inhibitor phenylarsine oxide inhibited the internalization of SSA into the CF-203 and Sf9 cells with a respective reduction of 6- and 1.7-fold. The data are discussed in relation to the importance of cellular uptake mechanism for SSA binding and cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Myracrodruon urundeuva is a hardwood tree, and its bark, heartwood and leaf contain lectins (MuBL, MuHL and MuLL respectively) with termiticidal activity against Nasutitermes corniger. In this work, the effects of these lectins on the midgut of N. corniger workers were evaluated. RESULTS The insects were supplied with an artificial diet containing the lectins at their respective LC50 (previously determined). At 48 h after treatment, the midguts were dissected and fixed for histopathology analyses. Toluidine-blue-stained midguts from lectin-treated workers showed disorganisation, with the presence of debris in the lumen and the absence of brush border. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that the numbers of digestive and proliferating cells were lower in lectin-treated individuals than in the control, and caspase-3 staining confirmed the occurrence of cell apoptosis. Enteroendocrine cells were not seen in the treated individuals. The midguts from treated insects showed greater staining for peroxidase than the control, suggesting that the lectins caused oxidative stress. Staining with wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to FITC revealed that the lectins interfered with the integrity of the peritrophic matrix. CONCLUSION This study showed that termiticidal lectins from M. urundeuva cause severe injuries, oxidative stress and cell death in the midgut of N. corniger workers. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruiting bodies or sporocarps of dikaryotic (ascomycetous and basidiomycetous) fungi, commonly referred to as mushrooms, are often rich in entomotoxic and nematotoxic proteins that include lectins and protease inhibitors. These protein toxins are thought to act as effectors of an innate defense system of mushrooms against animal predators including fungivorous insects and nematodes. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the structures, target molecules, and regulation of the biosynthesis of the best characterized representatives of these fungal defense proteins, including galectins, beta-trefoil-type lectins, actinoporin-type lectins, beta-propeller-type lectins and beta-trefoil-type chimerolectins, as well as mycospin and mycocypin families of protease inhibitors. We also present an overview of the phylogenetic distribution of these proteins among a selection of fungal genomes and draw some conclusions about their evolution and physiological function. Finally, we present an outlook for future research directions in this field and their potential applications in medicine and crop protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA insecticides are novel preparations based on short single-stranded fragments of anti-apoptotic (IAP) genes of nuclear polyhedrosis viruses. In this article we report about the harmlessness of the DNA insecticides based on singlestranded fragments of the LdMNPV (Lymantria dispar multiple nucleocapsid polyhedrosis virus) IAP3 gene for tobacco hornworm and black cutworm, and present the first evidence of significant insect-specific insecticidal effect of singlestranded TnSNPV (Trichoplusia ni single nucleocapsid polyhedrosis virus) IAP3 gene fragments on the viability of cabbage looper and their harmlessness for black cutworm and wheat weevil. Our results show that DNA insecticides based on LdMNPV IAP3 and TnSNPV IAP3 gene fragments can be selective in action and have potential use in insect pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani agglutinin ( RSA) is a 15.5-kDa lectin accumulated in the mycelium and sclerotia of the soil born plant pathogenic fungus R. solani. Although it is considered to serve as a storage protein and is implicated in fungal insecticidal activity, its physiological role remains unclear as a result of a lack of any structure/function relationship information. Glycan arrays showed that RSA displays high selectivity towards terminal nonreducing N-acetylgalactosamine residues. We determined the amino acid sequence of RSA and also determined the crystal structures of the free form and the RSA- N-acetylgalactosamine complex at 1.6 and 2.2 Å resolution, respectively. RSA is a homodimer comprised of two monomers adopting the β-trefoil fold. Each monomer accommodates two different carbohydrate-binding sites in an asymmetric way. Despite RSA topology similarities with R-type lectins, the two-monomer assembly involves an N-terminal swap, thus creating a dimer association novel to R-type lectins. Structural characterization of the two carbohydrate-binding sites offers insights on the structural determinants of the RSA carbohydrate specificity. Database Structural data have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank database under accession numbers 4G9M and 4G9N. Structured digital abstract RSA and RSA bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Occupancy of CTLA‐4 (cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen‐4 or CD152) negatively regulates the activation of mouse T lymphocytes, as indicated by the fate of CTLA‐4‐deficient mice, by the impact of anti‐CTLA‐4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) on mouse T‐cell activation in vitro and by the impact of CTLA‐4 blockade on the course of experimental tumoral, autoimmune, alloimmune or infectious disease in this animal. The function of human CTLA‐4, however, remains less clear. The expression and function of human CTLA‐4 were further explored. CTLA‐4 was expressed under mitogenic conditions only, its expression being, at least partially, dependent on the secretion of interleukin‐2. Memory T cells expressed CTLA‐4 with faster kinetics than naive T cells. The functional role of human CTLA‐4 was assessed utilizing a panel of four anti‐CTLA‐4 mAbs that blocked the interaction between CTLA‐4 and its ligands. These mAbs, in immobilized form, profoundly inhibited the activation of T cells by immobilized anti‐CD3 mAb in the absence of anti‐CD28 mAb, but co‐stimulated T‐cell activation in the presence of anti‐CD28 mAb. Finally, and importantly, blockade of the interaction of CTLA‐4 with its ligands using soluble anti‐CTLA‐4 mAbs, in intact form or as Fab fragments, enhanced T‐cell activation in several polyclonal or alloantigen‐specific CD80‐ or CD80/CD86‐dependent assays, as measured by cytokine production, cellular proliferation or cytotoxic responses. It is concluded that interaction of CTLA‐4 with its functional ligands, CD80 or CD86, can down‐regulate human T‐cell responses, probably by intracellular signalling events and independent of CD28 occupancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clitocybe nebularis lectin (CNL) is present in fruiting bodies of clouded agaric along with several similar isolectins that are all small and stable proteins. It is a beta-trefoil type lectin forming homodimers that are essential for its functionality. It binds specifically N,N′-diacetyllactosediamine (GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAc, LacDiNac) and human blood group A determinant-containing glycan epitopes. Its most probable function is to defend fruiting bodies against predators and parasites. In addition, an endogenous regulatory function is possible for CNL, as indicated by its interaction with fungal protease inhibitors sharing the beta-trefoil fold. CNL is toxic to insects, nematodes and amoebae, as well as to leukemic T-cell lines. Bivalent carbohydrate binding is essential for the toxicity of CNL, against both invertebrates and cancer-derived cell lines. In addition, CNL exhibits potent immunostimulation of human dendritic cells, resulting in a strong T helper cell type 1 response. Based on its unique characteristics, CNL is a promising candidate for applications in human and veterinary medicine as well as in agriculture, for plant protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]