Horizontal distribution of marine microbial communities in the North Pacific Subtropical Front.

Microbial communities are crucial for important ecosystem functions in the open ocean, such as primary production and nutrient cycling. However, few studies have addressed the distribution of microplankton communities in the remote oligotrophic region of the Pacific Ocean. Moreover, the biogeochemical and physical drivers of microbial community structure are not fully understood in these areas.

Protective Responses at the Biochemical and Molecular Level Differ between a L. Hybrid and Its Parental Genotypes to Supra-Optimal Temperatures and Elevated Air [CO].

Climate changes with global warming associated with rising atmospheric [CO] can strongly impact crop performance, including coffee, which is one of the most world's traded agricultural commodities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms of heat tolerance and the potential role of elevated air CO (eCO) in the coffee plant response, particularly regarding the antioxidant and other protective mechanisms, which are crucial for coffee plant acclimation. For that, plants of cv.

Sediment metagenomics reveals the impacts of poultry industry wastewater on antibiotic resistance and nitrogen cycling genes in tidal creek ecosystems.

The intensification of the poultry industry may lead to the increased spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. However, the impacts of wastewater discharge from poultry processing plants on the sediment resistome are relatively unexplored. Furthermore, its relationships with important biogeochemical pathways, such as the N cycle, are virtually unknown.

bark and quinine in the Portuguese official pharmacopoeias (1794-2001).

bark (bark from plants of the genus with antimalarial activity) and its alkaloid quinine were widely used to treat intermittent fevers. This paper aims to quantitatively analyze the presence of bark, quinine and other bark-derived substances in the Portuguese official pharmacopoeias published between 1794 and 2001. The analysis showed that the (1876) is the Portuguese official pharmacopeia with the highest percentage of medicines containing bark (2.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in urban wastewater from Porto, Portugal: Method optimization and continuous 25-week monitoring.

Research on the emerging COVID-19 pandemic is demonstrating that wastewater infrastructures can be used as public health observatories of virus circulation in human communities. Important efforts are being organized worldwide to implement sewage-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 that can be used for preventive or early warning purposes, informing preparedness and response measures. However, its successful implementation requires important and iterative methodological improvements, as well as the establishment of standardized methods.

Transcriptional analyses reveal different mechanism of toxicity for a chronic exposure to fluoxetine and venlafaxine on the brain of the marine fish Dicentrarchrus labrax.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) are prescribed for clinical depression and detected in aquatic ecosystems. The main aim of this study was to explore and evaluate transcriptional responses of neurotransmitter genes in the brain of a marine fish species, European seabass, and to analyze global brain transcriptomic changes by a RNA-seq technology (MACE, massive analysis of cDNA ends). The juveniles were exposed to two psychopharmaceuticals: (i) fluoxetine (FLX) at the concentration of 0.

The influence of German science on and quinine research in Portugal in the second half of the 19 century.

This paper examines the contribution of three Portuguese scientists to cultivation in the former Portuguese colonies in the second half of the 19 century, while discussing the importance of their studies in Germany to their professional lives. Portuguese pharmaceutical, medical, and botanical literature from the 19 th and 20 th century was reviewed, as well as books and articles regarding the history of pharmacy and medicine in Portugal. bark, source of the antimalarial alkaloid quinine, is obtained from a South American plant, and was an important commodity in the 19 century.

Harnessing the Potential of Native Microbial Communities for Bioremediation of Oil Spills in the Iberian Peninsula NW Coast.

Oil spills are among the most catastrophic events to marine ecosystems and current remediation techniques are not suitable for ecological restoration. Bioremediation approaches can take advantage of the activity of microorganisms with biodegradation capacity thus helping to accelerate the recovery of contaminated environments. The use of native microorganisms can increase the bioremediation efficiency since they have higher potential to survive in the natural environment while preventing unpredictable ecological impacts associated with the introduction of non-native organisms.

Depth Profile of Nitrifying Archaeal and Bacterial Communities in the Remote Oligotrophic Waters of the North Pacific.

Nitrification is a vital ecosystem function in the open ocean that regenerates inorganic nitrogen and promotes primary production. Recent studies have shown that the ecology and physiology of nitrifying organisms is more complex than previously postulated. The distribution of these organisms in the remote oligotrophic ocean and their interactions with the physicochemical environment are relatively understudied.

Quinine in Otology and Neurotology: Ototoxicity and Historic Role in Therapy.

Objectives/hypothesis: Quinine, a cinchona bark-derived antimalarial alkaloid, is a known ototoxic. Isolated and named in 1820 by the French scientists Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph-Bienaimé Caventou, it has since been employed in the treatment of different maladies. Quinine was also recommended as a local anesthetic in surgical procedures in the early 20th century.

Differential expression of clade I and II N2O reductase genes in denitrifying Thauera linaloolentis 47LolT under different nitrogen conditions.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and its reduction to dinitrogen gas by the N2O reductase (encoded by the nosZ gene) is the only known biological N2O sink. Within the nosZ phylogeny there are two major clades (I and II), which seem to have different ecological niches. However, physiological differences of nosZI and nosZII expression that may impact emissions of N2O are not well understood.

Intrinsic non-stomatal resilience to drought of the photosynthetic apparatus in Coffea spp. is strengthened by elevated air [CO2].

Growing water restrictions associated with climate changes constitute daunting challenges to crop performance. This study unveils the impacts of moderate (MWD) or severe (SWD) water deficit, and their interaction with air [CO2], on the photosynthetic apparatus of Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner cv.

Resilient and Sensitive Key Points of the Photosynthetic Machinery of spp. to the Single and Superimposed Exposure to Severe Drought and Heat Stresses.

This study unveils the single and combined drought and heat impacts on the photosynthetic performance of cv. Icatu and cv. Conilon Clone 153 (CL153).

From Genes to Nitrogen Removal: Determining the Impacts of Poultry Industry Wastewater on Tidal Creek Denitrification.

The intensification of the poultry industry in the last decades has led to a sharp increase in the number of animal processing plants discharging wastewater to water bodies. These discharges may have a significant effect on environmental quality and on important ecosystem functions, such as denitrification. We conducted a seasonal survey and a microcosm experiment in an impacted and a reference tidal creek to investigate the impacts of wastewater discharge from a poultry processing plant on sedimentary microbial communities, denitrification activity, and nitrate removal.

Unknown primary Merkel cell carcinoma with cutaneous spread.

The authors present the case of a woman in the seventh decade of life with medical history of: left nephrectomy for renal tuberculosis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with chemotherapy (QT) and radiotherapy. She presented with a 2-month history of non-tender, left inguinal lymph node enlargement. Positron Emission Tomography (PET)CT -scanshowed hypermetabolic inguinal and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathies, no primary tumour.

Antibiotic Effects on Microbial Communities Responsible for Denitrification and NO Production in Grassland Soils.

Antibiotics in soils may affect the structure and function of microbial communities. In this study, we investigated the acute effects of tetracycline on soil microbial community composition and production of nitrous oxide (NO) and dinitrogen (N) as the end-products of denitrification. Grassland soils were pre-incubated with and without tetracycline for 1-week prior to measurements of NO and N production in soil slurries along with the analysis of prokaryotic and fungal communities by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and next-generation sequencing.

Kidney cancer. Heavy metals as a risk factor.

The association between exposure to heavy metals and cancer has been extensively studied, although the mechanisms involved are far from being completely understood. Concerning renal cell carcinoma, several heavy metals have been implicated as risk factors, namely cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Herewith, we investigated the presence and distribution of heavy metals in samples of renal cell carcinoma, as well as adjacent renal tissue (control samples), in patients submitted to radical or partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma.

Novel polyol-responsive monoclonal antibodies against extracellular β-D-glucans from Pleurotus ostreatus.

β-D-glucans from mushroom strains play a major role as biological response modifiers in several clinical disorders. Therefore, a specific assay method is of critical importance to find useful and novel sources of β-d-glucans with anti-tumor activity. Hybridoma technology was used to raise monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against extracellular β-d-glucans (EBG) from Pleurotus ostreatus.

A high throughput colorimetric assay of β-1,3-D-glucans by Congo red dye.

Mushroom strains contain complex nutritional biomolecules with a wide spectrum of therapeutic and prophylactic properties. Among these compounds, β-d-glucans play an important role in immuno-modulating and anti-tumor activities. The present work involves a novel colorimetric assay method for β-1,3-d-glucans with a triple helix tertiary structure by using Congo red.

Seasonal patterns of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in digestive gland and arm of octopus (Octopus vulgaris) from the Northwest Atlantic.

Among organic pollutants existing in coastal areas, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern due to their ubiquity and carcinogenic potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonal patterns of PAHs in the digestive gland and arm of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) from the Northwest Atlantic Portuguese coast. In the different seasons, 18 PAHs were determined and the detoxification capacity of the species was evaluated.