Long-term biotic homogenization in the East African Rift System over the last 6 million years of hominin evolution.

Eastern Africa preserves the most complete record of human evolution anywhere in the world but we have little knowledge of how long-term biogeographic dynamics in the region influenced hominin diversity and distributions. Here, we use spatial beta diversity analyses of mammal fossil records from the East African Rift System to reveal long-term biotic homogenization (increasing compositional similarity of faunas) over the last 6 Myr. Late Miocene and Pliocene faunas (~6-3 million years ago (Ma)) were largely composed of endemic species, with the shift towards biotic homogenization after ~3 Ma being driven by the loss of endemic species across functional groups and a growing number of shared grazing species. This major biogeographic transition closely tracks the regional expansion of grass-dominated ecosystems. Although grazers exhibit low beta diversity in open environments of the Early Pleistocene, the high beta diversity of Mio-Pliocene browsers and frugivores occurred in the context of extensive woody vegetation. We identify other key aspects of the Late Cenozoic biogeographic development of eastern Africa, their likely drivers and place the hominin fossil record in this context. Because hominins were undoubtedly influenced by many of the same factors as other eastern African mammals, this provides a new perspective on the links between environmental and human evolutionary histories.

A risk-based approach to the analysis of potential climate change effects on fish communities associated to Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean is recognized as a climate change hotspot, with ongoing warming anticipated to impact its habitats and their associated fish fauna. Among these habitats, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica stands out as a foundational species, critical for the stability of coastal fish communities. However, our understanding of climate change consequences on P. oceanica associated fish fauna to date remains limited in part due to a lack of long-term data. This study aimed to highlight potential climate change risks to fish species associated with Posidonia, integrating data on species' thermal envelopes with their habitat and depth preferences into a climate change risk index. Specifically, 9 species, including three pipefish and several wrasse species of the genus Symphodus, emerged as being at higher potential risk from climatic change. A historical time series from Palma Bay (Balearic Islands, Spain), spanning 45 years and providing clear evidence of warming, was employed to evaluate trends in species abundance and occurrence in relation to their relative climate risk score. While certain high-risk species like Symphodus cinereus and Diplodus annularis showed an increase in abundance over time, others, such as the pipefish Syngnathus acus, Syngnathus typhle and Nerophis maculatus experienced declines. The absence of observed declines in some high-risk species could be attributed to several factors, such as acclimation, adaptation, or unmet response thresholds. However, this does not rule out the potential for future changes in these species. Factors such as increased nutrient influx due to growing human populations and changes in fishing regulations may also have contributed to the observed trends. These findings underscore the intricate interplay of environmental and anthropogenic factors and accentuate the pressing need for sustained, long-term data acquisition to fathom the implications of climate change on this highly important marine ecosystem.

Evolutionary ecology of masting: mechanisms, models, and climate change.

Many perennial plants show mast seeding, characterized by synchronous and highly variable reproduction across years. We propose a general model of masting, integrating proximate factors (environmental variation, weather cues, and resource budgets) with ultimate drivers (predator satiation and pollination efficiency). This general model shows how the relationships between masting and weather shape the diverse responses of species to climate warming, ranging from no change to lower interannual variation or reproductive failure. The role of environmental prediction as a masting driver is being reassessed; future studies need to estimate prediction accuracy and the benefits acquired. Since reproduction is central to plant adaptation to climate change, understanding how masting adapts to shifting environmental conditions is now a central question.

Detecting sorghum aphid infestation in grain sorghum using leaf spectral response.

Sorghum aphid, Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald) have become a major economic pest in sorghum causing 70% yield loss without timely insecticide applications. The overarching goal is to develop a monitoring system for sorghum aphids using remote sensing technologies to detect changes in plant-aphid density interactions, thereby reducing scouting time. We studied the effect of aphid density on sorghum spectral responses near the feeding site and on distal leaves from infestation and quantified potential systemic effects to determine if aphid feeding can be detected. A leaf spectrometer at 400-1000 nm range was used to measure reflectance changes by varying levels of sorghum aphid density on lower leaves and those distant to the caged infestation. Our study results demonstrate that sorghum aphid infestation can be determined by changes in reflected light, especially between the green-red range (550-650 nm), and sorghum plants respond systemically. This study serves as an essential first step in developing more effective pest monitoring systems for sorghum aphids, as leaf reflection sensors can be used to identify aphid feeding regardless of infestation location on the plant. Future research should address whether such reflectance signatures can be detected autonomously using small unmanned aircraft systems or sUAS equipped with comparable sensor technologies.

Bridging Imaging and Clinical Scores in Parkinson's Progression via Multimodal Self-Supervised Deep Learning.

Neurodegenerative diseases pose a formidable challenge to medical research, demanding a nuanced understanding of their progressive nature. In this regard, latent generative models can effectively be used in a data-driven modeling of different dimensions of neurodegeneration, framed within the context of the manifold hypothesis. This paper proposes a joint framework for a multi-modal, common latent generative model to address the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the neurodegenerative landscape in the context of Parkinson's disease (PD). The proposed architecture uses coupled variational autoencoders (VAEs) to joint model a common latent space to both neuroimaging and clinical data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). Alternative loss functions, different normalization procedures, and the interpretability and explainability of latent generative models are addressed, leading to a model that was able to predict clinical symptomatology in the test set, as measured by the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), with R2 up to 0.86 for same-modality and 0.441 cross-modality (using solely neuroimaging). The findings provide a foundation for further advancements in the field of clinical research and practice, with potential applications in decision-making processes for PD. The study also highlights the limitations and capabilities of the proposed model, emphasizing its direct interpretability and potential impact on understanding and interpreting neuroimaging patterns associated with PD symptomatology.

Antibiotic-altered gut microbiota explain host memory plasticity and disrupt pace-of-life covariation for an aquatic snail.

There is mounting evidence that intestinal microbiota communities and their genes (the gut microbiome) influence how animals behave and interact with their environment, driving individual variation. Individual covariation in behavioural, physiological, and cognitive traits among individuals along a fast-slow continuum is thought to arise because these traits are linked as part of an adaptive pace-of-life strategy. Yet paradoxically, trait intercorrelation is absent or disrupted in some populations but not others. Here, we provide experimental evidence from aquatic pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) that environmental stressors and the gut microbiota explain host phenotypic plasticity and disrupted covariation among traits. Antibiotic exposure at varying levels of ecologically relevant concentrations had multiple effects starting with gut microbiota diversity, differential abundance, and inferred function. Memory declined in line with antibiotic concentrations that caused the most profound gut microbiota disruption, and although pace-of-life traits remained rigid, their covariation did not. Moreover, inferred microbial metabolic pathways with biologically relevant host functions explained individual and treatment variation in phenotypes. Together, our results point to the gut microbiome as a proximate mechanism influencing the emergence and maintenance of phenotypic variation within populations and highlights the need to decipher whether the gut microbiome's sensitivity to environmental pollution facilitates adaptive or maladaptive phenotypic plasticity.

A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria.

Gondwanan dinosaur faunae during the 20 Myr preceding the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) extinction included several lineages that were absent or poorly represented in Laurasian landmasses. Among these, the South American fossil record contains diverse abelisaurids, arguably the most successful groups of carnivorous dinosaurs from Gondwana in the Cretaceous, reaching their highest diversity towards the end of this period. Here we describe Koleken inakayali gen. et sp. n., a new abelisaurid from the La Colonia Formation (Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia. Koleken inakayali is known from several skull bones, an almost complete dorsal series, complete sacrum, several caudal vertebrae, pelvic girdle and almost complete hind limbs. The new abelisaurid shows a unique set of features in the skull and several anatomical differences from Carnotaurus sastrei (the only other abelisaurid known from the La Colonia Formation). Koleken inakayali is retrieved as a brachyrostran abelisaurid, clustered with other South American abelisaurids from the latest Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian), such as Aucasaurus, Niebla and Carnotaurus. Leveraging our phylogeny estimates, we explore rates of morphological evolution across ceratosaurian lineages, finding them to be particularly high for elaphrosaurine noasaurids and around the base of Abelisauridae, before the Early Cretaceous radiation of the latter clade. The Noasauridae and their sister clade show contrasting patterns of morphological evolution, with noasaurids undergoing an early phase of accelerated evolution of the axial and hind limb skeleton in the Jurassic, and the abelisaurids exhibiting sustained high rates of cranial evolution during the Early Cretaceous. These results provide much needed context for the evolutionary dynamics of ceratosaurian theropods, contributing to broader understanding of macroevolutionary patterns across dinosaurs.

Large environmental changes reduce valence-dependent belief updating.

When updating beliefs, humans tend to integrate more desirable information than undesirable information. In stable environments (low uncertainty and high predictability), this asymmetry favors motivation towards action and perceived self-efficacy. However, in changing environments (high uncertainty and low predictability), this process can lead to risk underestimation and increase unwanted costs. Here, we examine how people (n = 388) integrate threatening information during an abrupt environmental change (mandatory quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic). Given that anxiety levels are associated with the magnitude of the updating belief asymmetry; we explore its relationship during this particular context. We report a significant reduction in asymmetrical belief updating during a large environmental change as individuals integrated desirable and undesirable information to the same extent. Moreover, this result was supported by computational modeling of the belief update task. However, we found that the reduction in asymmetrical belief updating was not homogeneous among people with different levels of Trait-anxiety. Individuals with higher levels of Trait-anxiety maintained a valence-dependent updating, as it occurs in stable environments. On the other hand, updating behavior was not associated with acute anxiety (State-Anxiety), health concerns (Health-Anxiety), or having positive expectations (Trait-Optimism). These results suggest that highly uncertain environments can generate adaptive changes in information integration. At the same time, it reveals the vulnerabilities of individuals with higher levels of anxiety to adapt the way they learn.

Effect of end-inspiratory pause duration on respiratory system compliance calculation in mechanically ventilated dogs with healthy lungs.

OBJECTIVE: To compare respiratory system compliance (CRS), expressed per kilogram of bodyweight (CRSBW), calculated without end-inspiratory pause (EIP) and after three EIP times (0.2, 0.5 and 1 seconds) with that after 3 second EIP (considered the reference EIP for static CRS) and to determine the EIP times that provided CRSBW values in acceptable agreement with static CRSBW during controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) in anaesthetized dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, nonblinded, crossover clinical study. ANIMALS: A group of 24 client-owned dogs with healthy lungs undergoing surgery in lateral recumbency. METHODS: During CMV in dogs undergoing general anaesthesia, five EIPs [0 (no EIP), 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 3 seconds] were consecutively applied in random order. Tidal volume (Vt) was set at 10 mL kg-1 and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was not applied. Respiratory rate and inspiratory time were established according to each EIP time, setting EIP between 0 and 50% of the inspiratory time. The CRSBW was calculated as [expired Vt/(plateau pressure - PEEP)]/bodyweight and recorded every 15 seconds for 2 minutes after a 5 minute equilibration period with each EIP. One-way anova for repeated measures and the Bland-Altman analysis were used to compare CRSBW and evaluate agreement between EIP times, respectively. RESULTS: The CRSBW was significantly greater as the EIP time increased up to 1 second (p < 0.05). In the Bland-Altman analysis, none of the tested EIPs (0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 seconds) provided 95% confidence intervals for limits of agreement within the maximum allowed difference considered for acceptable agreement with 3 second EIP. CONCLUSIONS: and clinical relevance An EIP ≤ to 1 second does not provide a CRSBW value in acceptable agreement with static CRSBW in healthy dogs. Besides, the application of an EIP ≤ to 0.5 seconds underestimates the static CRSBW to an increasing extent as the EIP time decreases.

Critical behavior of cascading failures in overloaded networks.

While network abrupt breakdowns due to overloads and cascading failures have been studied extensively, the critical exponents and the universality class of such phase transitions have not been discussed. Here, we study breakdowns triggered by failures of links and overloads in networks with a spatial characteristic link length ζ. Our results indicate that this abrupt transition has features and critical exponents similar to those of interdependent networks, suggesting that both systems are in the same universality class. For weakly embedded systems (i.e., ζ of the order of the system size L) we observe a mixed-order transition, where the order parameter collapses following a long critical plateau. On the other hand, strongly embedded systems (i.e., ζ≪L) exhibit a pure first-order transition, involving nucleation and the growth of damage. The system's critical behavior in both limits is similar to that observed in interdependent networks.

Therapeutic potential of LINS01 histamine H3 receptor antagonists as antineoplastic agents for triple negative breast cancer.

The aims of this work were to evaluate the expression of histamine H3 receptor (H3R) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) samples and to investigate the antitumoral efficacy and safety of the LINS01 series of H3R antagonists, through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches. Antitumor activity of LINS01009, LINS01010, LINS01022, LINS01023 was assayed in vitro in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells (0.01-100 µM), and in vivo in 4T1 tumors orthotopically established in BALB/c mice (1 or 20 mg/kg). Additionally, H3R expression was assessed in 50 human TNBC samples. We have described a higher H3R mRNA expression in basal-like/TNBC tumors vs. matched normal tissue using TCGA Pan-Cancer Atlas data, and a higher H3R expression in human tumor samples vs. peritumoral tissue evidenced by immunohistochemistry associated with poorer survival. Furthermore, while all the essayed compounds showed antitumoral properties, LINS01022 and LINS01023 exhibited the most potent antiproliferative effects by: i) inducing cell apoptosis and suppressing cell migration in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells, and ii) inhibiting cell growth in paclitaxel-resistant 4T1 cells (potentiating the paclitaxel antiproliferative effect). Moreover, 20 mg/kg LINS01022 reduced tumor size in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, exhibiting a safe toxicological profile and potential for druggability estimated by ADME calculations. We conclude that the H3R is involved in the regulation of TNBC progression, offering promising therapeutic potential for the novel LINS01 series of H3R antagonists.

Low-Density Lipoproteins Increase Proliferation, Invasion, and Chemoresistance via an Exosome Autocrine Mechanism in MDA-MB-231 Chemoresistant Cells.

Dyslipidemias involving high concentrations of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), wherein cholesterol metabolism and protein translation initiation mechanisms have been linked with chemoresistance. Doxorubicin (Dox) treatment, a member of the anthracycline family, represents a typical therapeutic strategy; however, chemoresistance remains a significant challenge. Exosomes (Exs) secreted by tumoral cells have been implicated in cell communication pathways and chemoresistance mechanisms; the content of exosomes is an outcome of cellular cholesterol metabolism. We previously induced Dox resistance in TNBC cell models, characterizing a variant denominated as variant B cells. Our results suggest that LDL internalization in parental and chemoresistant variant B cells is associated with increased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and spheroid growth. We identified the role of eIF4F translation initiation factor and the down-regulation of tumor suppressor gene PDCD4, an inhibitor of eIF4A, in chemoresistant variant B cells. In addition, the exomes secreted by variant B cells were characterized by the protein content, electronic microscopy, and cell internalization assays. Critically, exosomes purified from LDL-treated variant B cell promoted cell proliferation, migration, and an increment in lactate concentration. Our results suggest that an autocrine phenomenon induced by exosomes in chemoresistant cells may induce modifications on signaling mechanisms of the p53/Mdm2 axis and activation of p70 ribosomal protein kinase S6. Moreover, the specific down-regulated profile of chaperones Hsp90 and Hsp70 secretion inside the exosomes of the chemoresistant variant could be associated with this phenomenon. Therefore, autocrine activation mediated by exosomes and the effect of LDL internalization may influence changes in exosome chaperone content and modulate proliferative signaling pathways, increasing the aggressiveness of MDA-MB-231 chemoresistant cells.

IQGAP1 and NWASP promote human cancer cell dissemination and metastasis by regulating ß1-integrin via FAK and MRTF/SRF.

Attachment of circulating tumor cells to the endothelial cells (ECs) lining blood vessels is a critical step in cancer metastatic colonization, which leads to metastatic outgrowth. Breast and prostate cancers are common malignancies in women and men, respectively. Here, we observe that ß1-integrin is required for human prostate and breast cancer cell adhesion to ECs under shear-stress conditions in vitro and to lung blood vessel ECs in vivo. We identify IQGAP1 and neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (NWASP) as regulators of ß1-integrin transcription and protein expression in prostate and breast cancer cells. IQGAP1 and NWASP depletion in cancer cells decreases adhesion to ECs in vitro and retention in the lung vasculature and metastatic lung nodule formation in vivo. Mechanistically, NWASP and IQGAP1 act downstream of Cdc42 to increase ß1-integrin expression both via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/focal adhesion kinase signaling at the protein level and by myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor (SRF) transcriptionally. Our results identify IQGAP1 and NWASP as potential therapeutic targets to reduce early metastatic dissemination.

Benefits and trade-offs of replacing inorganic fertilizer by organic substrate in crop production: A global meta-analysis.

Replacing inorganic fertilizer with organic substrate contributes to sustainable agricultural production capacity. However, the effects of organic substitution regimes (OSR) on global crop productivity, soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses and biofertility as function of environmental variables have not been systematically quantified. Here, we have conducted a meta-analysis of these effects using field data (211 papers with 852 observations) collected around the world. Results indicated that OSR increased crop productivity (3.04 %) and soil biofertility (soil qMBC, qMBN, microbial richness, Shannon and functionality by 11.4 %, 21.1 %, 10.2 %, 3.95 %, and 38.5 %, respectively), and reduced soil N losses (N2O emissions, NH3 volatilization and soil N leaching by 26.5 %, 26.1 %, and 33.8 %, respectively), but increased CO2 emissions (19.4 %), and paddy fields CH4 emissions (41.2 %). N rate was an important factor influencing crop productivity and soil biofertility response to OSR, and crop productivity and soil biofertility had a greater positive response at moderate substitution rates in acid soil and long-term trials, but full substitution significantly decreased crop yield. Furthermore, the increase in soil biofertility and crop yield saturated in ~10-14 and ~ 22 years after organic substrate input. The emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O significantly increased with increasing substitution rates, while the opposite was true for N leaching. The NH3 volatilization response to OSR presented a positive effect in acidic and coarse texture soil. OSR was more beneficial in mitigating soil C and N loss response (except CO2 emissions) in uplands compared to paddy fields. Therefore, implementation of OSR requires site-specific strategies to better achieve a balance between increasing crop production and reducing environmental benefits. Given that the OSR improvement varies depending on environmental variables, we propose a predictive model to initially assess the potential for OSR improvement. This study will provide scientific guidance on the reasonable application of organic substrate in agroecosystems.

Translation and linguistic validation into Spanish of the Owner-Reported Outcome Measure "Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs".

Introduction: Assessing chronic pain in dogs has been greatly favoured by the development of Owner-Reported Outcome Measures. Among them, the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) has been widely used for this purpose. Most of these tools have been written in English and its use by non English natives requires not only translation but also linguistic validation for use by veterinarians and owners. For its use, the LOAD has not undergone translation into Spanish and the objective was to generate a linguistically validated Spanish translation of the LOAD. Methods: Following the World Health Organisation and the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research published guidelines, the original LOAD English version underwent analysis and translation by two native linguists proficient in the target language. Both translations were then reviewed by a third native linguist to identify potential disparities and establish a cohesive translation (reconciliation). Subsequently, an independent linguist, fluent in both English and the target language, conducted the back translation. Finally, the research team compared the original and back translated versions to pinpoint and resolve any significant differences. Following the creation of the translated version, a cognitive debriefing was conducted to assess the questionnaire within the target population. Results: A total of 89 surveys were distributed to dog owners of varying ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Although there were some suggestions and comments, and some adjustments were made, all respondents found the survey to be clear, achieving a linguistic validation of the Spanish LOAD.

Alterations induced by Colomerus vitis on the structural and physiological leaf features of two grape cultivars.

Vitis vinifera is cultivated worldwide for its high nutritional and commercial value. More than 60 grape cultivars are cultivated in Chile. Two of these, the país and the corinto cultivars, are the oldest known and widely used for the preparation of traditional homemade drinks and consumption as table grapes. These two grape cultivars are affected by Colomerus vitis, an eriophyid mite which establishes on their leaves and forms erinea, where the mite and its offspring obtain shelter and food. Although C. vitis has a cosmopolitan distribution, few studies of its impact on the structure and physiology of affected plants have been reported. Herein we aimed to evaluate the impact of C. vitis infection on the structural and physiological leaf performance of the two grape cultivars. The results showed tissue hyperplasia and cell hypertrophy in the epidermis, with an overproduction of trichomes and emergences in the abaxial epidermis in both cultivars. The anatomical changes were similar between the país and corinto cultivars, but they were proportionally greater in the país, where the area affected by the erinea were greater. No significant changes were detected in the photosynthetic pigment content; however, there was an increase in the total soluble sugars content in the erineum leaves of the país cultivar. Higher contents of anthocyanins and total phenols, as well as the presence of the pinocembrin in the corinto cultivar, which was less affected by C. vitis, could also indicate some resistance to mites' attack, which should be investigated in future studies.

Salvadoran Celastraceae Species as a Source of Antikinetoplastid Quinonemethide Triterpenoids.

Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are among the most widespread neglected tropical diseases, and their current therapies have limited efficacy and several toxic side effects. The present study reports the chemical and antikinetoplastid profiles of extracts from five Salvadoran Celastraceae species against the Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes stage and Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania donovani promastigote forms. The phytochemical profile evinced the presence of flavonoids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenes as the main components in all plant species, whereas quinonemethide triterpenoids (QMTs) were restricted to the root bark of the studied species. Antikinetoplastid evaluation highlights the root bark extracts from Zinowewia integerrima, Maytenus segoviarum, and Quetzalia ilicina as the most promising ones, exhibiting higher potency against T. cruzi (IC50 0.71-1.58 µg/mL) and L. amazonensis (IC50 0.38-2.05 µg/mL) than the reference drugs, benznidazole (IC50 1.81 µg/mL) and miltefosine (IC50 2.64 µg/mL), respectively. This potent activity was connected with an excellent selectivity index on the murine macrophage J774A.1 cell line. These findings reinforce the potential of QMTs as antikinetoplastid agents for the development of innovative phytopharmaceuticals and the plant species under study as a source of these promising lead compounds.

Implementation of a Bleeding Management Algorithm in Liver Transplantation: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to compare the consumption of blood products before and after the implementation of a bleeding management algorithm in patients undergoing liver transplantation and to determine the feasibility of a multicentre, randomized study. Background: Liver transplantation remains the only curative therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease, but it carries a high risk of surgical bleeding. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of patients treated before (group 1) and after (group 2) implementation of a haemostatic algorithm guided by viscoelastic testing, including use of lyophilized coagulation factor concentrates (prothrombin complex and fibrinogen concentrates). Primary outcome was the number of units of blood products transfused in 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included hospital stay, mortality, and cost. Results: Data from 30 consecutive patients was analysed; 14 in group 1 and 16 in group 2. Baseline data were similar between groups. Median total blood product consumption 24 h after surgery was 33 U (IQR: 11-57) in group 1 and 1.5 (0-23.5) in group 2 (p = 0.028). Significantly fewer units of red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and cryoprecipitate were transfused in group 2 versus group 1. There was no significant difference in complications, hospital stay, or in-hospital mortality between groups. The cost of haemostatic therapy was non-significantly lower in group 2 versus group 1 (7,400 vs. 15,500 USD; p = 0.454). Conclusion: The haemostatic management algorithm was associated with a significant reduction in blood product use during 24 h after liver transplantation. This study demonstrated the feasibility and provided a sample size calculation for a larger, randomized study.

Bio-guided isolation of aromatic abietane diterpenoids from Salvia canariensis as biopesticides in the control of phytopathogenic fungi.

BACKGROUND: Biofungicides arise as a promising alternative to the indiscriminate use of harmful synthetic fungicides in crop management. RESULTS: The present study reports the bio-guided fractionation of an endemic plant from the Canary Islands, Salvia canariensis against the phytopathogens, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum. This procedure allowed identifying a series of diterpenoids with an abietane skeleton (1-5), which exhibited remarkable activity against the phytopathogenic fungi assayed. Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, as well as comparison with reported data. Compounds 2 (carnosic acid), 4 (11-acetoxy carnosic acid) and 5 (11,12-diacetoxy carnosic acid) showed significant mycelium growth inhibition (%GI > 50 at 0.1 mg/mL concentration) on all the assayed fungi, and with a potency also higher than the positive control, Fosbel-Plus, a fungicide commonly used in agriculture. A preliminary structure-activity relationship is also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underline the aromatic abietane diterpenoids as promising eco-friendly alternatives to conventional fungicides to use in integrated pest management. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

New information on paleopathologies in non-avian theropod dinosaurs: a case study on South American abelisaurids.

Studies on pathological fossil bones have allowed improving the knowledge of physiology and ecology, and consequently the life history of extinct organisms. Among extinct vertebrates, non-avian dinosaurs have drawn attention in terms of pathological evidence, since a wide array of fossilized lesions and diseases were noticed in these ancient organisms. Here, we evaluate the pathological conditions observed in individuals of different brachyrostran (Theropoda, Abelisauridae) taxa, including Aucasaurus garridoi, Elemgasem nubilus, and Quilmesaurus curriei. For this, we use multiple methodological approaches such as histology and computed tomography, in addition to the macroscopic evaluation. The holotype of Aucasaurus shows several pathognomonic traits of a failure of the vertebral segmentation during development, causing the presence of two fused caudal vertebrae. The occurrence of this condition in Aucasaurus is the first case to be documented so far in non-tetanuran theropods. Regarding the holotype of Elemgasem, the histology of two fused vertebrae shows an intervertebral space between the centra, thus the fusion is limited to the distal rim of the articular surfaces. This pathology is here considered as spondyloarthropathy, the first evidence for a non-tetanuran theropod. The microstructural arrangement of the right tibia of Quilmesaurus shows a marked variation in a portion of the outer cortex, probably due to the presence of the radial fibrolamellar bone tissue. Although similar bone tissue is present in other extinct vertebrates and the cause of its formation is still debated, it could be a response to some kind of pathology. Among non-avian theropods, traumatic injuries are better represented than other maladies (e.g., infection, congenital or metabolic diseases, etc.). These pathologies are recovered mainly among large-sized theropods such as Abelisauridae, Allosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, and Tyrannosauridae, and distributed principally among axial elements. Statistical tests on the distribution of injuries in these theropod clades show a strong association between taxa-pathologies, body regions-pathologies, and taxa-body regions, suggesting different life styles and behaviours may underlie the frequency of different injuries among theropod taxa.