Intraoperative thermal mapping of mammary tumors in dogs.

In this study, videothermometry's application in detecting mammary tumors in dogs is explored in-depth. The research hypothesizes that this technique can effectively identify cancerous tissues during surgery by analyzing thermal patterns. The methodology involved comparing thermal imaging results from dogs with palpable mammary nodules against a control group, focusing on capturing real-time thermal patterns. Results were significant, showing distinct thermal patterns in carcinomas. This indicates videothermometry's capability in accurately identifying micro metastases and differentiating between neoplastic and non-neoplastic changes. The study concludes that videothermometry has considerable potential in enhancing surgical precision, especially in tumor resection and safety margin definition, but emphasizes the need for further research to thoroughly understand the thermal signatures of various mammary tumors in dogs.

Inoculation with the endophytic bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae promotes growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Higher vacuolar proton pump activity may increase plant energy and nutrient use efficiency and provide the nexus between plant inoculation with Herbaspirillum seropedicae and growth promotion. Global change and growing human population are exhausting arable land and resources, including water and fertilizers. We present inoculation with the endophytic plant-growth promoting bacterium (PGPB) Herbaspirillum seropedicae as a strategy for promoting growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Because plant nutrient acquisition is coordinated with photosynthesis and the plant carbon status, we hypothesize that inoculation with H. seropedicae will stimulate proton (H+) pumps, increasing plant growth nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency at low nutrient levels. Plants were inoculated and grown in pots with sterile soil for 90 days. Herbaspirillum seropedicae endophytic colonization was successful and, as hypothesized, inoculation (1) stimulated root vacuolar H+ pumps (vacuolar H+-ATPase and vacuolar H+-PPase), and (2) increased plant growth, nutrient contents and photosynthetic efficiency. The results showed that inoculation with the endophytic bacterium H. seropedicae can promote plant growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency, which will likely result in a more efficient use of resources (nutrients and water) and higher production of nutrient-rich food at reduced economic and environmental costs.

Coffea canephora Peptides in Combinatorial Treatment with Fluconazole: Antimicrobial Activity against Phytopathogenic Fungus.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP peptides isolated from Coffea canephora seeds and their possible synergistic activity with the azole drug fluconazole and characterize their mechanisms of action on cells of pathogenic fungi. Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP alone or in combination with 20 µg/mL of fluconazole were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity on the fungus Fusarium solani, and the effects of these peptides on the permeability of membranes and the induction of oxidative stress were determined. Our results show that these peptides at a concentration of 400 µg/mL combined with 20 µg/mL of fluconazole were able to inhibit the growth of the tested fungi, promote changes in their growth pattern, permeabilize the membrane, and induce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some of these results were also observed with the peptides alone or with fluconazole alone, suggesting that the peptides act synergistically, promoting the potentiation of antimicrobial action. In this study, it was shown that Cc-LTP2 and Cc-GRP in combination with fluconazole were able to inhibit the growth of the fungus F. solani, to promote permeabilization of its membrane, and to induce the production of ROS, suggesting a combinatorial activity between the peptides and fluconazole.

Programmed cell death in yeast by thionin-like peptide from Capsicum annuum fruits involving activation of caspases and extracellular H+ flux.

CaThi is a thionin-like peptide isolated from fruits of Capsicum annuum, which has strong antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi, and induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fungi. ROS are molecules that appear in the early stages of programmed cell death or apoptosis in fungi. Due to this fact, in this work we analyzed some events that may be related to process of apoptosis on yeast induced by CaThi. To investigate this possibility, we evaluated phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization, presence of active caspases and the ability of CaThi to bind to DNA in Candida tropicalis cells. Additionally, we investigated mitochondrial membrane potential, cell surface pH, and extracellular H+ fluxes in C. tropicalis cells after treatment with CaThi. Our results showed that CaThi induced PS externalization in the outer leaflet of the cell membrane, activation of caspases, and it had the ability for DNA binding and to dissipate mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, the cell surface pH increased significantly when the C. tropicalis cells were exposed to CaThi which corroborates with ~96% inhibition on extracellular H+ efflux. Taking together, these data suggest that this peptide is capable of promoting an imbalance in pH homeostasis during yeast cell death playing a modulatory role in the H+ transport systems. In conclusion, our results strongly indicated that CaThi triggers apoptosis in C. tropicalis cells, involving a pH signaling mechanism.

Crop management as a driving force of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria physiology.

Crop management systems influence plant productivity and nutrient use efficiency, as well as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), which are known to influence the growth of plants via phytohormone production, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen (N) fixation and antimicrobial activity. The objective of this study was to compare the influence of two crop management system on microbial PGPR features. PGPR isolated from the rhizospheres of Carica papaya L. grown under two distinct management systems (conventional and organic) were identified and characterized. The 12 strains most efficient in solubilizing inorganic phosphate belonged to the genera Burkholderia, Klebsiella, and Leclercia. N fixation was observed in the strains B. vietnamiensis from the conventional farming system and B. vietnamiensis, B. cepacia and Leclercia sp. from the organic farming system. The B. vietnamiensis, B. cepacia, Klebsiella sp. and Klebsiella sp. isolates showed antifungal activity, while Leclercia sp. did not. The strains B. vietnamiensis and Enterobcter sp. (isolated from the conventional farming system) and Klebsiella sp. (isolated from the organic farming system) were efficient at solubilizing phosphate, producing phytohormones and siderophores, and inhibiting the mycelial growth of various phytopathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Pestalotia sp., Alternaria sp., Phoma sp., Fusarium culmorum, Geotrichum candidum). Physiological differences between the isolates from the two crop management regimes were distinguishable after 10 years of distinct management.