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.

Climatic resilience: Marine heatwaves do not influence the variations of green crab (Carcinus maenas) megalopae supply patterns to a Western Iberian estuary.

Extreme climatic events like marine heatwaves (MHWs) are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer lasting all around the world. The consequences of these anomalously warm periods are devastating for marine ecosystems. Still, little is known about these extreme events off the western Iberia coast.

Using a mobile application to reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing for older Brazilian adults in primary care: a triple-blind randomised clinical trial.

Backgound: Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) has been evaluated in several countries, and several strategies have been devised for deprescribing drugs in older adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile application in reducing PIP for older adults in primary care facilities in Brazil.

Methods: This randomised, triple-blind, parallel-group trial was conducted in 22 public primary care facilities in Brazil.

Unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer: Insights from a Portuguese expert panel.

Introduction: The management of unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is clinically challenging and there is no current consensus on optimal strategies. Herein, a panel of Portuguese experts aims to present practical recommendations for the global management of unresectable stage III NSCLC patients.

Methods: A group of Portuguese lung cancer experts debated aspects related to the diagnosis, staging and treatment of unresectable stage III NSCLC in light of current evidence.

Predictors of immune-related adverse events and outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

Objective: To identify predictors of immune-related adverse events (IRAEs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Assess associations between outcomes and the development of IRAEs.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with NSCLC treated with ICIs between 2016 and 2020 in the Pulmonology Department of our hospital.

Older people's knowledge of the purpose of drugs prescribed at primary care appointments.

Objective: This study aimed to assess older people's knowledge of the purpose of drugs prescribed at medical appointments in primary care units and the possible factors related to their level of knowledge about their medications.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 22 basic health units in Brazil. Patients aged ≥60 years were included in this study (n=674).

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.

Polypharmacy in older patients at primary care units in Brazil.

Background Despite extensive studies of polypharmacy in older patients, no consensus regarding the definition of this practice exists in the literature. Several studies have defined polypharmacy as problematic when considering only the numbers of medications used by patients. Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence of polypharmacy prescribing by comparing two different definitions (quantitative and qualitative) and evaluating factors associated with this practice in older patients.

Elderly patients with advanced NSCLC: The value of geriatric evaluation and the feasibility of CGA alternatives in predicting chemotherapy toxicity.

Cancer is primarily a disease of the elderly, with the incidence of older patients with cancer expected to increase in the coming years. Despite remarkable advances during the last decade, lung cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the dominant (85-90%) subtype. At diagnosis, 50% of NSCLC patients are ≥70 years and 15%, over 80 years of age.

Independent estimates of marine population connectivity are more concordant when accounting for uncertainties in larval origins.

Marine larval dispersal is a complex biophysical process that depends on the effects of species biology and oceanography, leading to logistical difficulties in estimating connectivity among populations of marine animals with biphasic life cycles. To address this challenge, the application of multiple methodological approaches has been advocated, in order to increase confidence in estimates of population connectivity. However, studies seldom account for sources of uncertainty associated with each method, which undermines a direct comparative approach.

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.