Functional traits of ecosystem engineers as predictors of associated fauna.

The ongoing combination of global warming and increased anthropogenic pressure is causing latitudinal shifts in marine species, potentially impacting community composition, local richness, and marine trophic webs. This study investigates the factors influencing the distribution and diversity of intertidal seaweed and associated peracarid communities, including their functional traits, and explores various facets of beta diversity (taxonomic and functional). We hypothesize that: 1) abiotic factors such as temperature and anthropogenic pressure significantly influence seaweed distribution and diversity shifts, and 2) changes in seaweed functional diversity have an impact on the diversity and functioning of its associated peracarid communities.

The 'Erlenmeter': a low-cost, open-source turbidimeter for no-sampling phenotyping of microorganism growth.

This work presents a low-cost, open-source turbidimeter, the 'Erlenmeter', designed to monitor the growth of microorganisms in batch cultures. It is easy to build, based exclusively on inexpensive off-the-shelf electronic components and 3D-printed parts. The Erlenmeter allows measuring the optical density of cultures on standard Erlenmeyer flasks without the need to open the flasks to collect aliquots, ensuring speed, minimal use of consumables, and elimination of the risk of contamination.

Liquid Biopsy for Disease Monitoring in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Link between Biology and the Clinic.

Introduction: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis offers a non-invasive method to identify sensitising and resistance mutations in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is a valuable tool for mutations detection and disease's clonal monitoring.

Material And Methods: An amplicon-based targeted gene NGS panel was used to analyse 101 plasma samples of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with known oncogenic mutations, mostly EGFR mutations, serially collected at different clinically relevant time points of the disease.

Establishing a governance threshold in small-scale fisheries to achieve sustainability.

The lack of effective governance is a major concern in small-scale fisheries. The implementation of governance that encompasses the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic, and ecological) is still a worldwide challenge. We examined nine stalked barnacle fisheries (Pollicipes pollicipes) across Southwest Europe to better understand the relationship between governance elements and sustainability.

Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients With Lung Cancer: Experience From a Thoracic Oncology Center.

Background: Cancer patients appear to be at a higher risk of complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Specific data related to lung cancer (LC) patient management, active treatment, and/or recent diagnosis are still very limited. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical presentation, baseline features, and clinical outcomes of LC patients with COVID-19.

Clinical Application of Next-Generation Sequencing of Plasma Cell-Free DNA for Genotyping Untreated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has remarkable potential as a non-invasive lung cancer molecular diagnostic method. This prospective study addressed the clinical value of a targeted-gene amplicon-based plasma next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay to detect actionable mutations in ctDNA in patients with newly diagnosed advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: ctDNA test performance and concordance with tissue NGS were determined, and the correlation between ctDNA findings, clinical features, and clinical outcomes was evaluated in 115 patients with paired plasma and tissue samples.

Resistance Profile of Osimertinib in Pre-treated Patients With EGFR T790M-Mutated Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Osimertinib efficacy in pre-treated patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been demonstrated in clinical trials, but real-world data, particularly regarding resistance profile, remains limited. This study aims to analyze the resistance mechanisms acquired after treatment with Osimertinib. Clinical outcomes and molecular results from re-biopsies at the time of osimertinib progression of EGFR T790M-mutated NSCLC patient were analyzed.

Pituitary metastasis unveiling a lung adenocarcinoma.

Summary: Pituitary metastasis (PM) can be the initial presentation of an otherwise unknown malignancy. As PM has no clinical or radiological pathognomonic features, diagnosis is challenging. The authors describe the case of a symptomatic PM that revealed a primary lung adenocarcinoma.

Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score predicts survival among advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma patients treated with anti-PD1 agents.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors were approved for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Despite improved survival, not all patients benefit from these agents. Here, the prognostic impact of pretreatment modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was assessed.

Climate change vulnerability assessment of the main marine commercial fish and invertebrates of Portugal.

This is the first attempt to apply an expert-based ecological vulnerability assessment of the effects of climate change on the main marine resources of Portugal. The vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and expected directional effects of 74 species of fish and invertebrates of commercial interest is estimated based on criteria related to their life-history and level of conservation or exploitation. This analysis is performed separately for three regions of Portugal and two scenarios of climate change (RCP 4.

Replicated anthropogenic hybridisations reveal parallel patterns of admixture in marine mussels.

Human-mediated transport creates secondary contacts between genetically differentiated lineages, bringing new opportunities for gene exchange. When similar introductions occur in different places, they provide informally replicated experiments for studying hybridisation. We here examined 4,279 mussels, sampled in Europe and genotyped with 77 ancestry-informative markers.

Venous and Lung Thromboembolism in the Context of Lung Cancer: Clinical Manifestations, Risk Factors and Prognosis.

Introduction: The relationship between cancer and thromboembolic events has been known for a long time. Lung and venous thromboembolism are frequent complications of lung cancer and its treatment, being a great cause of morbidity and mortality. We pretend to establish the relationship between lung and venous thromboembolism and lung cancer, describe patient characteristics and analyze the impact in the survival and prognosis.

Genetic diversity increases with depth in red gorgonian populations of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Background: In the ocean, the variability of environmental conditions found along depth gradients exposes populations to contrasting levels of perturbation, which can be reflected in the overall patterns of species genetic diversity. At shallow sites, resource availability may structure large, persistent and well-connected populations with higher levels of diversity. In contrast, the more extreme conditions, such as thermal stress during heat waves, can lead to population bottlenecks and genetic erosion, inverting the natural expectation.

Deep segregation in the open ocean: Macaronesia as an evolutionary hotspot for low dispersal marine invertebrates.

Diversification and speciation of terrestrial organisms are anticipated in oceanic islands such as Macaronesia, a group of Atlantic islands that have remained unconnected to continental landmasses. Hitherto, the diversification of marine organisms in oceanic islands, especially those with low vagility, has received little direct empirical analysis using molecular markers. Here, we focus on such a case study, through applying a multilocus molecular approach to investigate the diversity and evolution of a group that lacks a planktonic larval stage, the isopod genus Dynamene, in Macaronesia and Northeast Atlantic.

Overall Survival Analysis and Characterization of an EGFR Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Population.

Background: Patients with activating somatic mutations in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) have better clinical outcomes when treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI) over chemotherapy. However, the impact of the use of TKIs on overall survival outside clinical trials is not well established.

Objective: To characterize and analyze the overall survival of a Caucasian population with NSCLC and EGFR mutations.

Spontaneous regression of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma after core needle biopsy.

Spontaneous regression (SR) of cancer, especially lung cancer, is a rare biological event with a mechanism that is not currently understood. Immunological mechanisms seem to be the stronger explanation in SR of a lung cancer. We report the rare case of SR of a lung adenocarcinoma stage IA, in a 75-year-old man, which was incidentally diagnosed and histologically confirmed.

Deep-sea crustacean trawling fisheries in Portugal: quantification of effort and assessment of landings per unit effort using a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).

Mapping and quantifying bottom trawling fishing pressure on the seafloor is pivotal to understand its effects on deep-sea benthic habitats. Using data from the Vessel Monitoring System of crustacean trawlers along the Portuguese margin, we have identified the most exploited areas and characterized the most targeted habitats and water depths. We estimated a total trawling effort of 69596, 66766, and 63427 h y for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014 respectively which, considering the total landings estimated for this gear, yield values of 20.

Distribution and species identification in the crustacean isopod genus Leach, 1814 along the North East Atlantic-Black Sea axis.

Sphaeromatid isopods, such as , are common and abundant members of the invertebrate fauna of littoral and shallow sublittoral substrates. Six species of occur in the northern hemisphere. Only two species exist outside this range, in Australia.

Harvest locations of goose barnacles can be successfully discriminated using trace elemental signatures.

European Union regulations state that consumers must be rightfully informed about the provenance of fishery products to prevent fraudulent practices. However, mislabeling of the geographical origin is a common practice. It is therefore paramount to develop forensic methods that allow all players involved in the supply chain to accurately trace the origin of seafood.

Fatty Acids of Densely Packed Embryos of Carcinus maenas Reveal Homogeneous Maternal Provisioning and No Within-Brood Variation at Hatching.

Embryonic development of decapod crustaceans relies on yolk reserves supplied to offspring through maternal provisioning. Unequal partitioning of nutritional reserves during oogenesis, as well as fluctuating environmental conditions during incubation, can be sources of within-brood variability. Ultimately, this potential variability may promote the occurrence of newly hatched larvae with differing yolk reserves and an unequal ability to endure starvation and/or suboptimal feeding during their early pelagic life.

Genetic Diversity and Local Connectivity in the Mediterranean Red Gorgonian Coral after Mass Mortality Events.

Estimating the patterns of connectivity in marine taxa with planktonic dispersive stages is a challenging but crucial task because of its conservation implications. The red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata is a habitat forming species, characterized by short larval dispersal and high reproductive output, but low recruitment. In the recent past, the species was impacted by mass mortality events caused by increased water temperatures in summer.

Unravelling polar lipids dynamics during embryonic development of two sympatric brachyuran crabs (Carcinus maenas and Necora puber) using lipidomics.

Embryogenesis is an important stage of marine invertebrates with bi-phasic life cycles, as it conditions their larval and adult life. Throughout embryogenesis, phospholipids (PL) play a key role as an energy source, as well as constituents of biological membranes. However, the dynamics of PL during embryogenesis in marine invertebrates is still poorly studied.

Trace element fingerprinting of cockle (Cerastoderma edule) shells can reveal harvesting location in adjacent areas.

Determining seafood geographic origin is critical for controlling its quality and safeguarding the interest of consumers. Here, we use trace element fingerprinting (TEF) of bivalve shells to discriminate the geographic origin of specimens. Barium (Ba), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr) and lead (Pb) were quantified in cockle shells (Cerastoderma edule) captured with two fishing methods (by hand and by hand-raking) and from five adjacent fishing locations within an estuarine system (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal).

EGFR exon mutation distribution and outcome in non-small-cell lung cancer: a Portuguese retrospective study.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations play a predictive role in advanced stages of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We conducted this study in order to assess EGFR status in a Portuguese population and its role in NSCLC patients' outcomes. Patients were submitted to EGFR assessment by high-resolution melting and/or direct sequencing.

Towards operational modeling and forecasting of the Iberian shelves ecosystem.

There is a growing interest on physical and biogeochemical oceanic hindcasts and forecasts from a wide range of users and businesses. In this contribution we present an operational biogeochemical forecast system for the Portuguese and Galician oceanographic regions, where atmospheric, hydrodynamic and biogeochemical variables are integrated. The ocean model ROMS, with a horizontal resolution of 3 km, is forced by the atmospheric model WRF and includes a Nutrients-Phytoplankton-Zooplankton-Detritus biogeochemical module (NPZD).