This study reports direct quantification of arabica in roasted and ground coffee blends of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora var. robusta. 1H–NMR analysis of water extracts of coffee blends were ...combined with multivariate statistical analysis to obtain an OPLS model with high predictive capability. This approach allowed to evaluate the composition of coffee blends of unknown arabica and robusta content, on the basis of multiple chemical components. Differences in geographical origin of the analyzed samples did not affected the compositional determination of coffee blends. This approach represents a valid tool in authentication procedures of arabica and robusta blends of roasted and ground coffee.
► Quantification of percentage of arabica in roasted and ground coffee blends. ► NMR water soluble metabolites were considered. ► Very high accuracy in prediction of percentage of arabica by OPLS model. ► Geographical origin and roasting conditions did not affect the prediction capability.
The ability of microplastics (MPs) to interact with environmental pollutants is currently of great concern due to the increasing use of plastic. Agricultural soils are sinks for multipollutants and ...the safety of biodegradable MPs in field conditions is questioned. However, still few studies have investigated the interactive effects between MPs and metals on the soil-plant system with agricultural soil and testing crops for human consumption. In this work, we tested the effect on soil and plant parameters of two common MPs, non-degradable plastic low-density polyethylene and biodegradable polymer polylactic acid at two different sizes (<250 μm and 250–300 μm) in association with arsenic (As). Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was used as a model plant in a small-scale experiment lasting 60 days. Microplastics and As explained 12 % and 47 % of total variance, respectively, while their interaction explained 21 %, suggesting a higher toxic impact of As than MPs. Plant growth was promoted by MPs alone, especially when biodegradable MPs were added (+22 %). However, MPs did not affect nutrient concentrations in roots and leaves. The effect of MPs on enzyme activities was variable depending on the time of exposure (with larger effects immediately after exposure), the type and size of the MPs. On the contrary, the co-application of MP and As, although it did not change the amount of bioavailable As in soil in the short and medium term, it resulted in a significant decrease in lettuce biomass (−19 %) and root nutrient concentrations, especially when polylactic acid was applied. Generally, MPs in association with As determined the plant-soil toxicity. This work provides insights into the risk of copollution of MPs and As in agricultural soil and its phytotoxic effect for agricultural crops. However, the mechanisms of the joint effect of MP and As on plant toxicity need further investigation, especially under field conditions and in long-term experiments.
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•Microplastics (MPs) increase biomass of lettuce plants.•The effect of MPs varies with exposure time, polymer type, and size.•Soil pH is increased by larger size of MPs (250–300 μm).•Arsenic (As) concentration in soil and roots is increased by PLA, but not by LDPE.•As-MPs co-contamination negatively affects plant growth and root nutrients.
Control measures are being introduced globally to reduce the prevalence of antibiotic resistance (ABR) in bacteria on farms. However, little is known about the current prevalence and molecular ...ecology of ABR in bacterial species with the potential to be key opportunistic human pathogens, such as
on South American farms. Working with 30 dairy cattle farms and 40 pig farms across two provinces in central-eastern Argentina, we report a comprehensive genomic analysis of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R)
, which were recovered from 34.8% (cattle) and 47.8% (pigs) of samples from fecally contaminated sites. Phylogenetic analysis revealed substantial diversity suggestive of long-term horizontal and vertical transmission of 3GC-R mechanisms. CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-2 were more often produced by isolates from dairy farms, while CTX-M-8 and CMY-2 and co-carriage of amoxicillin/clavulanate resistance and florfenicol resistance were more common in isolates from pig farms. This suggests different selective pressures for antibiotic use in these two animal types. We identified the β-lactamase gene
, which has previously only been reported in the family
, in 3GC-R
was found alongside a novel florfenicol resistance gene,
, also mobilized from a pig pathogen as part of a new composite transposon. As the first comprehensive genomic survey of 3GC-R
in Argentina, these data set a baseline from which to measure the effects of interventions aimed at reducing on-farm ABR and provide an opportunity to investigate the zoonotic transmission of resistant bacteria in this region.
Little is known about the ecology of critically important antibiotic resistance among bacteria with the potential to be opportunistic human pathogens (e.g.,
) on South American farms. By studying 70 pig and dairy cattle farms in central-eastern Argentina, we identified that third-generation cephalosporin resistance (3GC-R) in
was mediated by mechanisms seen more often in certain species and that 3GC-R pig
were more likely to be co-resistant to florfenicol and amoxicillin/clavulanate. This suggests that on-farm antibiotic usage is key to selecting the types of
present on these farms. 3GC-R
and 3GC-R plasmids were diverse, suggestive of long-term circulation in this region. We identified the
mobilization of the resistance gene
from pig pathogens into
on a novel mobile genetic element, which shows the importance of surveying poorly studied regions for antibiotic resistance that might impact human health.
In the Mediterranean, long-term impact of typical land uses on soil fertility have not been quantified yet on replicated mixed crop-livestock farms and considering the variability of soil texture. ...Here, we report the effects, after 15 years of practice, of two legume-winter cereal rotations, olive orchards and vineyards on microbiological and chemical indicators of soil fertility and the communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We compare the changes among these four agricultural land-use types to woodland reference sites. Root colonization by AMF of English ryegrass (
L.), a grass that occurred under all land use types, was only half as heavy in biannual berseem clover (
L.)-winter cereal rotations than in 4-year alfalfa (
L.)-winter cereal rotations. In olive (
L.) orchards and vineyards (
L.), where weeds are controlled by frequent surface tillage, the AMF root colonization of ryegrass was again much lower than in the legume-cereal rotations and at the woodland reference sites. All the microbial parameters and soil organic carbon correlated most strongly with differences in occurrence and relative abundance (β-diversity) of AMF genera in soil. The soil pH and mineral nutrients in soil strongly correlated with differences in AMF root colonization and AMF genus richness (α-diversity) in soil. Diversity of AMF was much less affected by soil texture than land use, while the opposite was true for microbial and chemical soil fertility indicators. Land uses that guaranteed a continuous ground cover of herbaceous plants and that involved only infrequent tillage, such as multiyear alfalfa-winter cereal rotation, allowed members of the AMF genus
to persist and remain abundant. On the contrary, under land uses accompanied by frequent tillage and hence discontinuous presence of herbaceous plants, such as tilled olive orchard and vineyard, members of the genus
dominated. These results suggest that multiyear alfalfa-winter cereal rotation with active plant growth throughout the year is the least detrimental agricultural land use in soil carbon and AMF abundance and diversity, relative to the woodland reference.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) promote crop growth and yield by increasing N and P uptake and disease resistance, but the role of field AMF inoculation on the uptake of micronutrients, such as Fe ...and Zn, and accumulation in plant edible portions is still not clarified. Therefore, we studied the effect of field inoculation with Rhizophagus irregularis in an organic system on 11 old genotypes and a modern variety of bread wheat. Inoculation increased root colonization, root biomass and shoot Zn concentration at early stage and grain Fe concentration at harvest, while it did not modify yield. Genotypes widely varied for shoot Zn concentration at early stage, and for plant height, grain yield, Zn and protein concentration at harvest. Inoculation differentially modified root AMF community of the genotypes Autonomia B, Frassineto and Bologna. A higher abundance of Rhizophagus sp., putatively corresponding to the inoculated isolate, was only proved in Frassineto. The increase of plant growth and grain Zn content in Frassineto is likely linked to the higher R. irregularis abundance. The AMF role in increasing micronutrient uptake in grain was proved. This supports the introduction of inoculation in cereal farming, if the variable response of wheat genotypes to inoculation is considered.
Larrea divaricata Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) (jarilla) is a native plant of South America widely distributed across Argentina and used in popular medicine to treat diabetes and hypercholesterolemia by the ...Diaguita-Calchaquí, Amaichas, and Quilmes indigenous communities and by non-indigenous population (criollos) of Calamuchita, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. L. divaricata has also proved to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, the antidiabetic effects and the nutritional properties of the aqueous extract (AE) of this plant remain to be scientifically determined.
The aim of the present work was to evaluate the capacity of an aqueous extract of L. divaricata (AE) and its main compound nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) to modulate the glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and oxidative stress levels in STZ-induced diabetes in mice. The general objective of the present work was to search for extracts that can be used as adjuvant therapy in for diabetes. The suitability of the extract to be used as a dietary supplement was also assessed by determining the proximate amount of fibre, lipids, proteins, and minerals.
Diabetes was induced in mice by administration of streptozotocin (STZ). AE and NDGA were administered by the oral route. The animals’ glycaemia was periodically monitored in blood samples obtained from the tail vein. The glucose dehydrogenase method was used. The effect of the AE on cholesterol, triglycerides, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were determined in plasma samples by spectrophotometric assays.
In STZ-treated mice, AE significantly decreased glucose (33%, ***p < 0.0001) and cholesterol levels (32%, **p < 0.01). AE and NDGA decreased lipid peroxidation (30% and 38%, respectively, ***p < 0.0001), and increased GSH levels (20%, **p < 0.01). The effects of AE on glucose and lipid levels could not be ascribed to NDGA; however, this compound was involved in the extract antioxidant effects. The overall effects of AE were probably related to its antioxidant activity and to the anti-hyperglycaemic effect mainly mediated by flavonoids, fibre (carbohydrates) and mineral elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. The AE protein content also confers the extract nutritional properties.
These results support the hypothesis that AE could be used as a therapeutic adjuvant or as a nutritional supplement to control glucose levels and lipid metabolism in metabolic syndrome-associated diseases. Moreover, these results scientifically reinforce the popular use of the plant.
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Abstract
We present the optical spectroscopic evolution of SN 2023ixf seen in subnight cadence spectra from 1.18 to 15 days after explosion. We identify high-ionization emission features, signatures ...of interaction with material surrounding the progenitor star, that fade over the first 7 days, with rapid evolution between spectra observed within the same night. We compare the emission lines present and their relative strength to those of other supernovae with early interaction, finding a close match to SN 2020pni and SN 2017ahn in the first spectrum and SN 2014G at later epochs. To physically interpret our observations, we compare them to CMFGEN models with confined, dense circumstellar material around a red supergiant (RSG) progenitor from the literature. We find that very few models reproduce the blended N
iii
(
λλ
4634.0,4640.6)/C
iii
(
λλ
4647.5,4650.0) emission lines observed in the first few spectra and their rapid disappearance thereafter, making this a unique diagnostic. From the best models, we find a mass-loss rate of 10
−3
–10
−2
M
⊙
yr
−1
, which far exceeds the mass-loss rate for any steady wind, especially for an RSG in the initial mass range of the detected progenitor. These mass-loss rates are, however, similar to rates inferred for other supernovae with early circumstellar interaction. Using the phase when the narrow emission features disappear, we calculate an outer dense radius of circumstellar material
R
CSM,out
≈ 5 × 10
14
cm, and a mean circumstellar material density of
ρ
= 5.6 × 10
−14
g cm
−3
. This is consistent with the lower limit on the outer radius of the circumstellar material we calculate from the peak H
α
emission flux,
R
CSM,out
≳ 9 × 10
13
cm.
Transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in the liver and in the erythroid compartment, mutated in a form of hereditary hemochromatosis. Hepatic TFR2, together with ...HFE, activates the transcription of the iron-regulator hepcidin, while erythroid TFR2 is a member of the erythropoietin receptor complex. The TMPRSS6 gene, encoding the liver-expressed serine protease matriptase-2, is the main inhibitor of hepcidin and inactivation of TMPRSS6 leads to iron deficiency with high hepcidin levels. Here we evaluate the phenotype resulting from the genetic loss of Tmprss6 in Tfr2 total (Tfr2(-/-)) and liver-specific (Tfr2(LCKO)) knockout mice. Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(-/-) and Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(LCKO) mice have increased hepcidin levels and show iron-deficiency anemia like Tmprss6(-/-)mice. However, while Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(LCKO) are phenotypically identical to Tmprss6(-/-) mice, Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(-/-) mice have increased red blood cell count and more severe microcytosis than Tmprss6(-/-) mice. In addition hepcidin expression in Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(-/-) mice is higher than in the wild-type animals, but lower than in Tmprss6(-/-) mice, suggesting partial inhibition of the hepcidin activating pathway. Our results prove that hepatic TFR2 acts upstream of TMPRSS6. In addition Tfr2 deletion causes a relative erythrocytosis in iron-deficient mice, which likely attenuates the effect of over-expression of hepcidin in Tmprss6(-/-) mice. Since liver-specific deletion of Tfr2 in Tmprss6(-/-) mice does not modify the erythrocyte count, we speculate that loss of Tfr2 in the erythroid compartment accounts for the hematologic phenotype of Tmprss6(-/-)Tfr2(-/-) mice. We propose that TFR2 is a limiting factor for erythropoiesis, particularly in conditions of iron restriction.
BRAF Mutations in Hairy-Cell Leukemia Tiacci, Enrico; Trifonov, Vladimir; Schiavoni, Gianluca ...
The New England journal of medicine,
06/2011, Letnik:
364, Številka:
24
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In this study, investigators identified activating mutations in BRAF (specifically V600E, which is also present in some melanomas and thyroid cancers) in all 48 patients with hairy-cell leukemia who ...were evaluated.
Hairy-cell leukemia (HCL) is a distinct disease entity that is characterized by an indolent course, marked splenomegaly, progressive pancytopenia in many cases, and rare circulating tumor cells, usually with no lymphadenopathy.
1
The bone marrow, spleen, and liver are characteristically infiltrated by leukemic B cells that have abundant cytoplasm with hairy-looking projections and unique immunophenotypic features.
2
,
3
Currently, the treatment of HCL is based on highly effective purine nucleoside analogues.
4
In spite of the remarkable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of HCL during the past 50 years, the underlying genetic alterations that cause the disease remain obscure.
3
Major obstacles to . . .
Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) has a consistently ominous prognosis, even after progress in the last decades. PCL deserves a prompt identification to start the most effective treatment for this ...ultra-high-risk disease. The aim of this position paper is to revisit the diagnosis of PCL according to the presence of circulating plasma cells in patients otherwise meeting diagnostic criteria of multiple myeloma. We could identify two retrospective series where the question about what number of circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood should be used for defining PCL. The presence of ≥5% circulating plasma cells in patients with MM had a similar adverse prognostic impact as the previously defined PCL. Therefore, PCL should be defined by the presence of 5% or more circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood smears in patients otherwise diagnosed with symptomatic multiple myeloma.
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