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Abstract Context Diabetes and hypertension are frequent comorbidities of acromegaly. Objective To analyze the course of diabetes and hypertension at diagnosis and after multimodal therapy in a large cohort of patients with acromegaly. Design and Setting Retrospective study at a tertiary care center. Patients and Methods A total of 522 patients with acromegaly treated according to a preestablished protocol. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and its relationship with biochemical indices of acromegalic control. Results The cohort was stratified according to disease activity upon last visit to clinic: (1) surgical remission (n = 122), (2) pharmacologically controlled (n = 92), (3) active disease (n = 148), (4) insulinlike growth factor (IGF)-1 discordance (n = 64), and (5) growth hormone (GH) discordance (n = 96). The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension at diagnosis was 30% and 37%, respectively, and did not change upon the last visit (30.6% and 38%). Both comorbidities were more prevalent at diagnosis and on the last visit than in the general population. Diabetes was less prevalent on the last visit in patients who achieved surgical remission than in those who persisted with active disease (25% vs 40%, P = 0.01). Upon multivariate analysis, diabetes was associated with an IGF-1 at diagnosis >2× upper limit of normal, with the persistence of active acromegaly, the presence of hypertension upon the last visit, with the presence of a macroadenoma, and with female sex. Conclusion Our findings underscore the importance of an integral approach when managing these patients, focusing not only on the control of GH and IGF-1 levels but also on the timely diagnosis and the specific treatment of each comorbidity. The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was analyzed in 522 patients with acromegaly at diagnosis and after therapy. Both were equally prevalent at diagnosis and upon last visit.

Key MessageThe aerenchyma in the stem bark of mangroves allows a gas flow pathway outside the xylem, mainly in the lower stem, as the aerenchyma is similar to aerial roots.Mangroves have developed a network of gas spaces in aerenchyma tissue to allow an internal pathway for gas flow into the roots. The presence of aerenchyma in the stem bark of Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans suggests that air might flow through this tissue external to the xylem. The structure of R. mangle and A. germinans stem bark aerenchyma and the air volumetric flow rate (Q) among aerial roots and two different levels in the stem were compared. Samples of the bark and aerenchyma traits were analyzed using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and resin casts. Hypertrophy in lenticels widened their opening. In A. germinans, there were interconnected canal segments with a straight and parallel pattern in the upper part of the stem and curvatures in the lower level. In R. mangle, the canals were more extended. Both species contained honeycomb-like aerenchyma in the lower level of the stem, contributing to canal structures' resistance to internal pressure. Both species had phi thickening in the radial walls, and R. mangle H-trichosclereids supporting the canal structures may resist internal pressure. The lysis of cortical cells contributed to canal formation in the lower stem of A. germinans. The shape and length of the aerenchyma longitudinal canals were determined mainly by the species. There was a more significant effect of stem level and roots on traits related to intercellular spaces in aerenchyma and lenticel openings. Mangrove species share common functional adaptations and have developed distinctive structural features that allow them to live in a temporary anaerobic root environment.

Although mangrove forests are great carbon sinks, they also release carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from soil, plants, and water through respiration. Many studies have focused on CO 2 effluxes only from soils, but the role of biogenic structures such as pneumatophore roots has been poorly studied. Hence, CO 2 effluxes from pneumatophores were quantified at sediment-air (non-flooded sediment) and water–air (flooded sediment) interfaces along a salinity gradient in three mangrove types (fringe, scrub, and basin) dominated by Avicennia germinans during the dry and rainy seasons in Yucatan, Mexico. Pneumatophore abundance explained up to 91% of CO 2 effluxes for scrub, 87% for fringe, and 83% for basin mangrove forests at the water–air interface. Overall, CO 2 effluxes were inversely correlated with temperature and salinity. The highest CO 2 effluxes were in the fringe and the lowest were in the scrub mangrove forests. Flooding decreased CO 2 effluxes from the dry to the rainy season in all mangrove forests. These results highlight the contribution of pneumatophores to mangrove respiration, and the need to include them in our current carbon budgets and models, but considering different exchange interfaces, seasons, and mangrove ecotypes.

Key messageThe epiphyte Tillandsia recurvata modifies the anatomy of the xylem, phloem and periderm of its host Prosopis laevigata, these modifications affect water flux and photosynthetic activity in this host.The relationships between epiphytes and host plants are commensal interactions, where epiphytes obtain support to growth without damaging their hosts. However, some epiphytes may cause the death of branches in their hosts. Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) is an epiphyte with elevated reproductive success in semiarid zones of México, growing mainly on mesquite trees (Prosopis laevigata). Mesquites are of great ecological and economical importance in central and northern Mexico, but the elevated mortality of branches and even whole trees have been associated with high ball moss loads. This study evaluates whether ball moss causes structural damage in the phloem, xylem, and periderm of mesquite branches, also testing whether the physiological performance of these branches was reduced. For this we measure the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII), hydraulic conductivity, water flux, number of vessels and the effective area of conduction in mesquite branches with and without ball moss. The results demonstrated that juvenile ball moss only affected the periderm and the collapsed phloem with no damage to non-collapsed phloem or xylem, but the reproductive individuals modified the anatomy of the xylem, phloem and periderm of mesquite. These structural modifications affected both water flux and hydraulic conductivity and reduced the ΦPSII. Our findings suggest that structural and ecophysiological changes induced by the ball moss are the cause of high branch mortality in mesquite. This is the first study showing anatomical and ecophysiological evidence of an epiphytic plant damaging its host.

We assessed inter-seasonal dynamics of seed banks, dormancy and seed germination in three endemic Chihuahuan Desert succulent species, under simulated soil warming conditions. Hexagonal open top-chambers (OTCs) were used to increase soil temperature. Seeds of Echinocactus platyacanthus (Cactaceae), Yucca filifera and Agave striata (Asparagaceae) were collected and buried within and outside OTCs. During the course of one year, at the end of each season, seed batches were exhumed to test viability and germination. Soil temperature in OTCs was higher than in control plots. Yucca filifera seeds always had high germination independently of warming treatment and season. Agave striata seeds from OTCs had higher germination than those from control plots. Agave striata exhibited low germination in fresh seeds, but high germination in spring. Seeds from this species lost viability throughout the experimental timeframe, and had no viable seeds remaining in the soil. Echinocactus platyacanthus showed high germination in fresh seeds and displayed dormancy cycling, leading to high germination in spring, low germination in summer and autumn, and high germination in winter. Germination of this species was also higher in seeds from OTCs than those from control plots. Echinocactus platyacanthus formed soil seed banks and its cycle of inter-seasonal dormancy/germination could be an efficient physiological mechanism in a climate change scenario. Under global warming projections, our results suggest that future temperatures may still fall within the three studied species’ thermal germination range. However, higher germination for A. striata and E. platyacanthus at warmer temperatures may reduce the number of seeds retained in the seed bank, and this could be interpreted as limiting their ability to spread risk over time. This is the first experimental study projecting an increase in soil temperature to assess population traits of succulent plants under a climate change scenario for American deserts.

To identify the type of infections and risk factors for infection-related mortality (IRM) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Retrospective cohort study of patients <16 years of age treated in 2010-2019 was conducted. Unadjusted hazard ratios (HR) and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using Cox regression. Cumulative incidence was calculated. Data for 99 pediatric patients were analyzed. The myeloablative conditioning was the most used regimen (78.8%) and the hematopoietic stem cell source was predominantly peripheral blood (80.8%). Primary graft failure occurred in 19.2% of patients. Frequency of acute graft-versus-host disease was 46.5%. Total of 136 infectious events was recorded, the most common of which were bacterial (76.4%) followed by viral infection (15.5%) and then fungal infection (8.1%). The best predictors for infection subtypes where the following: a) for bacterial infection (the age groups of 10.1-15 years: aHR = 3.33; 95% CI: 1.62-6.85 and. >15 years: aHR = 3.34; 95% CI: 1.18-9.45); b) for viral infection (graft versus host disease: aHR = 5.36; 95% CI: 1.62-17.68), however, for fungal infection statistically significant predictors were not identified. Related mortality was 30% (n = 12). Increased risk for infection-related mortality was observed in patients with unrelated donor and umbilical cord stem cells recipients (HR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.00-9.85). Frequencies of infections and infection-related mortality appear to be similar to those reported. Unrelated donors and stem cells from umbilical cord recipients were associated with a high risk of mortality.

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) represent ~8% of the ocean, with the Pacific as the largest and top expanding area. These regions influence marine ecosystems, promoting anaerobic microbial communities. Nevertheless, only a fraction of microbial diversity has been studied, with fungi being the less explored component. So, herein we analyzed fungal diversity patterns in surface and subsurface sediments along a bathymetric transect using metabarcoding of the ITS1 region in the OMZ of the Mexican Pacific off Mazatlán. We identified 353 amplicon sequence variants (ASV), within the Ascomycota , Basidiomycota , and Rozellomycota . Spatial patterns evidenced higher alpha diversity in nearshore and subsurface subsamples, probably due to temporal fluctuations in organic matter inputs. Small-scale heterogeneity characterized the community with the majority of ASV (269 ASV) occurring in a single subsample, hinting at the influence of local biogeochemical conditions. This baseline data evidenced a remarkable fungal diversity presenting high variation along a bathymetric and vertical transects.

This study investigates the joint mechanical power (JMP) distribution in the half squat (HS) exercise through the Power-Based Training (PBT) framework, with the primary aim of providing preliminary methodological validation of this analytical approach and illustrating its capacity to characterize joint contributions across movement phases and load levels. Five professional weightlifters performed HS under five progressive loads (20–80% 1RM), while kinematics and kinetics were recorded with a Vicon motion capture system and force platforms. JMP at the hip, knee, and ankle was analyzed in four distinct movement phases. Results indicated that joint contributions varied with load and phase. Under light loads the knee tended to produce most power. As load increased, contributions shifted proximally: the hip increased both absorption and production, and the ankle’s relative contribution grew in the final lifting phase. The main eccentric (lowering deceleration) and concentric (lifting acceleration) phases concentrated the highest JMP values, though differences between phases diminished at higher loads, suggesting a more homogeneous effort distribution. These findings support the feasibility of the PBT framework for methodological joint-level analysis. Given the pilot scope and purposive elite sample, results are not intended for population inference but inform about methodological applications in training, rehabilitation, and injury-risk assessment.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly metastatic disease for which better therapies are urgently needed. Fibroblasts and macrophages are heterogeneous cell populations able to enhance metastasis, but the role of a macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk in regulating their pro-metastatic functions remains poorly understood. Here we deconvolve how macrophages regulate metastasis-associated fibroblast (MAF) heterogeneity in the liver. We identify three functionally distinct MAF populations, among which the generation of pro-metastatic and immunoregulatory myofibroblastic-MAFs (myMAFs) critically depends on macrophages. Mechanistically, myMAFs are induced through a STAT3-dependent mechanism driven by macrophage-derived progranulin and cancer cell-secreted leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF). In a reciprocal manner, myMAF secreted osteopontin promotes an immunosuppressive macrophage phenotype resulting in the inhibition of cytotoxic T cell functions. Pharmacological blockade of STAT3 or myMAF-specific genetic depletion of STAT3 restores an anti-tumour immune response and reduces metastases. Our findings provide molecular insights into the complex macrophage–fibroblast interactions in tumours and reveal potential targets to inhibit PDAC liver metastasis. An inflammatory-fibrotic tumor microenvironment supports metastatic disease progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here the authors show that metastasis-infiltrating macrophages influence metastasis-associated fibroblast (MAF) heterogeneity in liver metastatic PDAC, by promoting JAK/STAT signalling pathway activation in MAFs.

Interest in invasive species has increased around the world over the last several decades. In Mexico, studies on invasive species date as early as 1939 and the number of publications has increased considerably in recent decades. However, to our knowledge, the analysis of information gaps and research priorities is lacking. Therefore, it is necessary to identify gaps in the knowledge of invasive species in order to define future research priorities and focus conservation efforts. We assessed the current state of knowledge of biological invasions in Mexico based on the existing literature. Our aim was to identify in which areas information is absent or insufficient and which areas should be prioritised. We identified a total of 869 references. The number of references increased over time and the topics were strongly biased towards two areas: 1) natural history and geographical distribution patterns and 2) effects on native biota and ecosystems. The remaining topics were only moderately or poorly studied. Most studies focused on vascular plants (n = 280) and fishes (n = 174). Notably, a large portion of the references (n = 215) focused on only eight invasive alien species, including their ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Only 95 references examined the effects of alien species on biodiversity; these studies were mainly carried out on islands (n = 41) or in terrestrial or freshwater ecosystems in protected natural areas (n = 165). The findings of the present review can guide future studies in filling in the existing research gaps on biological invasions. Additionally, future studies should aim to define national priorities of the impacts of biological invasions and to promote the prevention and control of alien species by considering the distinct vectors and pathways of introduction and movement.