Impacts of Anabolic-androgenic steroid supplementation on female health and offspring: Mechanisms, side effects, and medical perspectives.

The increasing prevalence of Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) among women, driven by the pursuit of improved body aesthetics, characterized by higher lean mass and reduced adipose tissue, raises significant health concerns, particularly due to the limited knowledge regarding their effects on the female organism. Prolonged use and/or high doses of AAS are linked to various harmful side effects, including mood changes, psychiatric disorders, voice deepening, clitoromegaly, menstrual irregularities, and cardiovascular complications, prompting medical societies to discourage their widespread use due to insufficient evidence supporting their safety and efficacy. Studies in female rodents have shown that AAS can lead to increased aggression, inflammation, reduced neuronal density, and negative impacts on the myocardium and blood vessels.

Small but strong: herbivory by sap-feeding insect reduces plant progeny growth but enhances direct and indirect anti-herbivore defenses.

The transmission of resistance traits to herbivores across subsequent generations is an important strategy employed by plants to enhance their fitness in environments with high herbivore pressure. However, our understanding of the impact of maternal herbivory on direct and indirect induced chemical defenses of progeny, as well as the associated costs, is currently limited to herbivory by leaf-chewing insects. In this study, we investigated the transgenerational effects of a sap-feeding insect, the green peach aphid Myzus persicae, on direct and indirect chemical defenses of bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum), and whether the effects entail costs to plant growth.

Identity Matters: Multiple Herbivory Induces Less Attractive or Repellent Coffee Plant Volatile Emission to Different Natural Enemies.

Co-infestations by herbivores, a common situation found in natural settings, can distinctly affect induced plant defenses compared to single infestations. Related tritrophic interactions might be affected through the emission of changed blends of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). In a previous study, we observed that the infestation by red spider mite (Oligonychus ilicis) on coffee plants facilitated the infestation by white mealybug (Planococcus minor), whereas the reverse sequence of infestation did not occur.

Plant communication across different environmental contexts suggests a role for stomata in volatile perception.

Plants can detect herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) from their damaged neighbours and respond by enhancing or priming their defenses against future herbivore attack. Plant communication and defense priming by volatile cues has been well documented, however, the extent to which plants are able to perceive and respond to these cues across different environmental contexts remains poorly understood. We investigated how abiotic changes that modulate stomatal conductance and/or defense signalling affect the ability of maize plants to perceive HIPVs and respond by priming their defenses.

Comparative Tolerance Levels of Maize Landraces and a Hybrid to Natural Infestation of Fall Armyworm.

Insect pests such as cause significant losses to maize (). Control of is difficult, but the use of insect resistant cultivars, including tolerant cultivars, is a promising alternative, and landraces are a potential source of insect resistance. This study investigated tolerance to in five Brazilian landraces, Amarelão, Aztequinha, Branco Antigo, Palha Roxa, and São Pedro, in relation to one conventional (non-Bt) hybrid, BM207, under field conditions.

Silicon Supplementation of Maize Impacts Fall Armyworm Colonization and Increases Predator Attraction.

Supplementation with Silicon (Si) is well-known for increasing resistance of grasses to insect herbivores. Although the exact underlying mechanism remains unknown, Si accumulation interacts with the jasmonic acid-signalling pathway, which modulates herbivore-induced plant defences. We examined whether Si supplementation alters direct and induced indirect defences in maize plants in ways that deter the initial infestation by the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith).

Lice community structure infesting (Thomas, 1911) - Ocurrence, sex bias and climatic variables on tropical island.

Few studies have provided information on parasitological indexes or other ecological characteristics of lice populations that parasitize small mammals in the Neotropical region. We used lice parasitizing a rodent species, as a study model to investigate the effect of parasite occurrence and intensity on the body condition of rodents and the effect of climatic conditions, sex and age class of . We also provide information on prevalence, mean intensity, aggregation, sexual ratio of adult lice, and proportion between life stages and lice parasitizing .

Prebiotic potential of pulp and kernel cake from Jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and Macaúba palm fruits (Acrocomia aculeata).

The jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and the macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) are palm trees of the Arecaceae family, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of Latin America, which have a low production cost and high productivity throughout the year. Due to the high content of lipids, their fruits have been used for oil extraction, which generates byproducts such as the pulps and the kernel cakes, a nutritionally rich byproduct that can be added into human food and, may have prebiotic potential. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize and evaluate the prebiotic potential of jerivá pulp (JP), macaúba pulp (MP), jerivá kernel cake (JC) and macaúba kernel cake (MC).

Draft genome sequences of five species from plantations in China, , and .

Draft genome sequences of five species [including , , , and ], , and are presented. Species of are the causal agents of Eucalyptus leaf blight disease, threatening the growth and sustainability of plantations in China. is the causal agent of stem canker in native and exotic in South Africa.

Effects of beneficial microorganisms on lowland rice development.

Microorganisms can promote plant growth by increasing phytomass production, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis rates, and grain yield, which can result in higher profits for farmers. However, there is limited information available about the physiological characteristics of lowland rice after treatment with beneficial microorganisms in the tropical region. This study aimed to determine the effects of different beneficial microorganisms and various application forms on phytomass production, gas exchange, and nutrient contents in the lowland rice cultivar 'BRS Catiana' in a tropical region.

Influence of the Expression of Inflammatory Markers on Kidney after Fetal Programming in an Experimental Model of Renal Failure.

To evaluate the expression of inflammatory markers in experimental renal failure after fetal programming. The offspring aged two and five months were divided into four groups: CC (control dams, control offspring); DC (diabetic dams, control offspring); CFA (control dams, folic acid offspring, 250 mg/Kg); and DFA (diabetic dams, folic acid offspring). Gene expression of inflammatory markers MCP-1, IL-1, NOS3, TGF-, TNF-, and VEGF was evaluated by RT-PCR.

First evaluation of the antimutagenic effect of mangaba fruit in vivo and its phenolic profile identification.

The chemical composition and functional effects of mangaba fruit pulp were evaluated through a multi-endpoint assay in mice, consisting of the bone marrow micronucleus test, gut micronucleus test, and the apoptosis, oxidative stress, and comet assays. Mangaba fruit pulp was administered in three doses, 10, 20, and 40ml/kg body weight (b.w.

Study of the utilization of light egg-type males: a proposal for the sustainability of the egg industry.

This study evaluated the performance and viability of light egg-type males, usually euthanized at the hatcheries, from White and Brown Leghorn laying hen lines. One-day-old male chicks, half from each hen line, were raised in floor pens until they were 42 d of age. The birds were distributed into 48 floor pens, furnished with tube feeders and nipple drinkers, and submitted to 24 h of continuous light, 3 feeding phases (1-7, 8-21, and 22-42 d) and diets composed of corn and soybean meal as the main ingredients.