Water deficit is the primary abiotic constraint that considerably limits the productivity of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Understanding the mechanisms of adaptation to water-deficit factors is necessary in order to select varieties that are tolerant to water stress. Therefore, we conducted a comparative study to show the effects of water stress on various morpho-physiological and histological indicators, under two irrigated and rain-fed conditions, to identify drought-tolerant genotypes. Relative water content (RWC) and water loss through excised leaves (RWL) were determined by the Ladiges and Horne methods, respectively. Anatomical cuts are made on the last leaf of each genotype tested. This was finalized in anatomical sections made on plant material to find out any correlations between the studied parameters. The results obtained show that the water deficit caused a decrease in plant dimensions, a loss in water content, and a reduction in TKW. Our results indicate substantial variation of traits with potential contribution to the complex phenotype of drought tolerance in wheat genotypes. Structural changes are due to the cellular resizing of the micro-morphological constituents of the last leaf, reflecting the variations in the transpiration rate strongly conditioned by the predicted parameters. Drought tolerance was associated with small leaf surfaces, and stomatal length decreased. Substantial variation in cell epidermal was found among the cultivars. According to the main results of the study carried out, inter-varietal variability has been identified.

To improve the microbial quality and safety of meat, information on contamination source during production in processing facilities is of paramount importance. This study examined the microbiological condition of chilled carcasses (CH), primal cuts (PC), trimmings (TM), conveyor belt, stainless steel shelves, cutting tables, knives, and mesh gloves during the routine production of beef and pork at a meat packing facility for 10 weeks. Total aerobic counts (TAC) from CH of the two species were similar at 2.19 ± 0.91 (beef) and 2.26 ± 0.62 log CFU/1000 cm2 (pork). However, TAC for pork PC and TM were 1 log higher than that for CH (P <0.05), while no such differences occurred in beef. TAC for all equipment except for knives differed between the two livestock species, with those involved in the pork fabrication being 0.5-0.7 log unit higher (P < 0.05). Compared to CH, equipment showed higher frequency of Enterobacteriaceae recovery for pork, but the same was not true for beef. Gloves and knives were significant sources of E. coli for pork production. Between the two animal species, beta diversity differed for CH, meat and fixed equipment, but not for personal equipment. Equipment surfaces were the major driver for microbial community differences between the meat of the two animal species. As well, the microbial community on meat and fixed equipment differed with sampling time but not on CH or personal equipment. Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter were the most abundant bacterial genera overall. For beef, Brevundimonas, Clostridium, Macrococcus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas were attributable to equipment surfaces. For pork, equipment surface contamination was for Acinetobacter, Peptostreptococcus, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Trueperella.

Property regimes do more than allocate rights: they generate material effects visible in the landscape. We examine this in Tacora, an Aymara community in northern Chile, where 14 pastoral estancias, six formalized and eight under undivided heirship, emerged from a contested registration process initiated after 1885. Questioning the boundaries between society and environment, we combine legal-archival history, oral histories, and a 41-year Landsat NDVI record (1984-2025) paired with the SPEI drought index. Where tenure is secure, individually or collectively, bofedales show higher productivity and weaker coupling to drought, mediated by registered water rights, irrigation maintenance, and state funding; contested or non-formalized tenure shows the inverse. Tenure security thus emerges as a key institutional condition, not privatization itself, operating alongside broader drivers of Indigenous territorial life. The principle generalizes to continuous hydrosocial systems that cannot be physically fractioned: peatlands, irrigated pastures, valley wetlands, and canal networks.

Medial canthal masses encompass a broad range of lacrimal, congenital, inflammatory, vascular, and neoplastic lesions. Their clinical and radiological features may overlap, making an accurate preoperative diagnosis challenging. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman presenting with a painless, slowly enlarging right medial canthal mass with a four-year history. Examination revealed a firm, non-tender, and non-compressible lesion without inflammatory signs, epiphora, proptosis, diplopia, or ocular motility restriction. Lacrimal irrigation confirmed a patent drainage system. Ultrasonography demonstrated an 11 × 10 mm lesion containing a central hyperechoic focus with posterior acoustic shadowing, consistent with calcification. Computed tomography dacryocystography showed a well-circumscribed medial canthal mass with central calcification and a patent ipsilateral lacrimal drainage system. A dermoid cyst was suspected preoperatively. Complete excision was performed through an external medial canthal approach. Histopathological examination demonstrated a large-caliber vascular structure with a lumen largely obliterated by an organized thrombus composed of fibrin and entrapped red blood cells, with dense fibrosis, cholesterol clefts, and dystrophic calcification. These findings established the diagnosis of an organized fibrous and calcified thrombus. The postoperative course was uneventful, with satisfactory healing and no clinically evident recurrence at the two-month follow-up. This case illustrates how advanced organization, fibrosis, and calcification can obscure the vascular nature of a lesion and closely mimic a dermoid cyst. In this case, histopathological examination was decisive in establishing the definitive diagnosis.

Enterovesical fistulas complicate inflammatory bowel disease, particularly after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, creating pathways that may complicate endoscopic urological procedures performed under continuous irrigation. A 33-year-old man (61 kg; body mass index 18.8 kg/m[2]) with unclassified pancolitis (no histological features of Crohn disease in the colectomy specimen) had undergone restorative proctocolectomy with an ileal J-pouch, defunctioning loop ileostomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, with repeated failed interventions for a chronic enterovesical fistula. He underwent elective laser cystolithotripsy and suprapubic catheter exchange. After induction with fentanyl, lidocaine, propofol and rocuronium, the airway was managed with a size 4 i-gel (Intersurgical Ltd, Wokingham, UK), without an orogastric tube in its gastric channel, in the lithotomy position, with gravity-fed 0.9% saline irrigation. One hour and 23 minutes after the start of surgery, clear fluid appeared at the oropharynx. The oropharynx was suctioned, the trachea was intubated, and a nasogastric tube was placed; a second episode followed two minutes later. Irrigation was stopped. The ileostomy appliance, empty at induction, was completely distended with clear fluid, and irrigation return through the cystostomy was markedly reduced. Core temperature on admission to the intermediate care unit was 33.0 °C. Ventilatory parameters, auscultation, arterial blood gas analysis, and chest radiography showed no evidence of aspiration. He was discharged on postoperative day 7. We propose that the regurgitated fluid was predominantly irrigation fluid that had migrated retrogradely through the fistula into the ileal pouch and small bowel. To our knowledge, this mechanism has not been described previously. Fistulous urinary-gastrointestinal anatomy warrants treatment as an aspiration risk factor in its own right, with gastric-channel drainage whenever a supraglottic device is used, and deliberate monitoring of irrigation input, drainage return, stomal output, and core temperature.

The contamination of environmental systems by trace elements is an increasing concern in regions affected by intensive industrial and agricultural activities. These contaminants can infiltrate agricultural systems via irrigation with polluted water, resulting in food chain transfer and potential adverse effects on human health. In this study, water, sediment, soil, and vegetable samples were collected from the Mokolo River system in Lephalale, South Africa, and analysed for trace element concentrations. Samples were prepared, digested, and quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). To ensure accuracy of the analytical method, standard reference materials (SRMs), including trace elements in natural water standard reference material (SRM 1640a), tomato leaves standard reference material (SRM 1573a), trace elements in soil standard reference material (SRM 2587), and standard reference material of soil (AMIS 0373), were analysed, yielding percentage recoveries within acceptable ranges. Concentrations of trace elements ranged from 0.00120 to 13.5 µg/L in water, 0.0169-157 µg/g in sediment, 0.0890-94.1 µg/g in soil, and 0.00420-54.7 µg/g in vegetable samples. Elevated concentrations of nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) were observed, frequently exceeding established international guideline limits. Evaluation of human health risk assessment (HHRA) showed that Target Health Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI) values exceeded 1 for both adult and children, suggesting possible non-carcinogenic risks arising from dietary exposure. The carcinogenic risk assessment revealed elevated values of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), particularly for Cr and Pb, with consistently higher estimated risk in children than adults. These results underscore the risk of trace elements accumulation in the agricultural systems and its potential implications for human health. Continuous monitoring and appropriate management strategies are therefore recommended to mitigate contamination and reduce exposure risks.

Groundwater is a key resource for dry-season irrigation in central Myanmar, yet its mineral saturation characteristics and implications for agricultural infrastructure remain poorly understood. This study presents a hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater from 17 government-operated irrigation wells in southern Tatkon Township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Field measurements, laboratory analyses, and PHREEQC modelling were used to evaluate irrigation water quality and calcite saturation. Groundwater from most sampled wells is characterised by a Ca-Mg-HCO3 type, with hydrochemical composition mainly influenced by natural water-rock interactions, including probable carbonate weathering contributions. Most sampled wells show acidic to near-neutral conditions and are undersaturated with respect to calcite, with SIcalcite values ranging from - 2.06 to + 0.73 whereas one well shows localised calcite supersaturation. Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) values ranged from 0.91 to 3.42, remaining well below the critical threshold of 10 and indicating low sodium hazard. Conventional salinity- and sodicity-based indices indicate that most sampled groundwater has generally acceptable conditions for maintaining soil infiltration and hydraulic functioning. However, calcite undersaturation, together with acidic conditions in several wells, suggests potential concerns for concrete linings and metal pumping infrastructure, while localised supersaturation may indicate a scaling tendency. These findings highlight that irrigation management within the investigated well network should consider both soil related suitability and the potential effects of groundwater chemistry on irrigation infrastructure.

Grapevine rootstocks have been extensively characterized for their agronomic performance and drought tolerance. However, how these traits affect their adaptation to climate change remains a hypothesis. The goal of this study was to assess how an increase of 4°C can influence the behaviour of grapevines grafted onto rootstocks with a wide range of vigour/drought tolerance. For this purpose, three-year-old 'Grenache' plants grafted onto 420A, Fercal, 110R and 140Ru were grown in temperature gradient greenhouses (TGGs) at ambient (Tamb) or elevated (T+4°C) temperature. After harvesting the fruit, irrigation was withheld down to full stomatal closure point (gs < 0.01 mol H2O m[-2] s[-1]) to characterize the water relations of these plants. Elevated temperature increased stomatal conductance and decreased leaf abscisic (ABA) levels. However, significant interactions suggested a lower sensitivity of 140Ru to elevated temperature. Evapotranspiration (ET) measured with pot lysimeters confirmed that 140Ru consumed more water than 420A. The daily patterns of ET showed that the maximal transpiration rate was shifted towards the earlier hours of the day on hotter days. This early stomatal opening and closure was key to buffer daily ET increases as temperature rose. The drought susceptibility of 420A was characterised by a lower hydraulic conductivity, lower [13]C discrimination (δ[13]C), higher ABA levels under well-watered conditions, and stomatal closure that manifested at higher stem water potentials and pot matric potential, alongside lower leaf ABA levels. This suggests that water uptake ceases at higher tension in 420A inducing stomatal closure. In conclusion, 140Ru displayed drought tolerance and a low sensitivity to elevated temperature, however, this trait comes at the cost of being the rootstock with the highest water use tested.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cellular analysis is an adjunctive diagnostic tool in interstitial pneumonia (IP), yet its relationship with individual histopathological features remains unclear. We retrospectively compared BALF cellular fractions with 24 histopathological features in 67 IP patients who underwent BALF and surgical lung biopsy at a single center (2005-2020). False discovery rate correction was applied (q < 0.05), followed by multivariable logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. BALF lymphocyte proportion was negatively associated with fibroblastic foci (13.0% vs 29.0%, q = 0.002) and positively with bronchiolitis (q = 0.029), intraluminal organization (q = 0.002), and epithelioid cell granulomas (q = 0.012). On multivariable analysis, fibroblastic foci were independently associated with a lower likelihood of BALF lymphocytosis (odds ratio 0.23, p = 0.018), and this association persisted after exclusion of patients with a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) or probable UIP pattern and of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Intraluminal lymphocyte proliferation was also associated with BALF lymphocytosis, although this estimate was based on few patients. Patients with fibroblastic foci had poorer survival (p = 0.003), whereas survival did not differ when patients were stratified by BALF lymphocyte proportion. ROC analysis identified a BALF lymphocyte cutoff of 18.5% for the presence of fibroblastic foci (AUC 0.76), and adding BALF lymphocyte proportion to the high-resolution computed tomography pattern improved discrimination of fibroblastic foci (AUC 0.847 versus 0.686). Neutrophil and eosinophil proportions showed no significant associations after correction. BALF lymphocyte proportion is associated with several histopathological features in IP, most strongly with fibroblastic foci, and may provide complementary information where surgical lung biopsy is not feasible.

Tospoviridae is a family of plant viruses with genomes consisting of three molecules of negative-sense or ambisense ssRNA, comprising about 17 kb in total. Virions are enveloped, with spherical or pleomorphic morphology, and display surface projections composed of two viral glycoproteins. Arthropods in the family Thripidae serve as biological vectors for transmission to plants. Members of the family are responsible for economically important diseases in vegetable, field and ornamental crops. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Report on the family Tospoviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/tospoviridae.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different endodontic irrigation protocols on irrigant diffusion, dentin microhardness, and dentinal collagen organization. Bovine dentin specimens were irrigated with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), or 0.9% saline solution (SS) and subdivided according to the irrigation protocol as follows: conventional irrigation (CI), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), Easy Clean activation (EC), and prolonged contact without activation. Irrigant diffusion within dentin was evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and dentin microhardness was measured using Knoop microhardness testing before and after the irrigation protocols. Dentinal collagen organization was assessed by Picrosirius Red staining under polarized light microscopy. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests with a significance level of 5%. OCT analysis showed no significant differences in irrigant diffusion among NaOCl and CHX across the irrigation protocols tested (p>0.05). Dentin microhardness values did not differ significantly before and after irrigation for any solution or protocol tested (p > 0.05). Picrosirius Red analysis showed no significant differences in total birefringent area among groups (p>0.05). However, prolonged exposure to chlorhexidine resulted in significant differences in the distribution of collagen fiber birefringence for yellow, red, and green fibers compared with other irrigation protocols (p < 0.05). The irrigation protocols evaluated did not affect dentin microhardness or irrigant diffusion, but influenced dentinal collagen organization and surface morphology in an irrigant- and exposure time-dependent manner.