Plant phenolics have been for many years a theme of major scientific and applied interest. Grape berry phenolics contribute to organoleptic properties, color and protection against environmental ...challenges. Climate change has already caused significant warming in most grape-growing areas of the world, and the climatic conditions determine, to a large degree, the grape varieties that can be cultivated as well as wine quality. In particular, heat, drought and light/UV intensity severely affect phenolic metabolism and, thus, grape composition and development. In the variety Chardonnay, water stress increases the content of flavonols and decreases the expression of genes involved in biosynthesis of stilbene precursors. Also, polyphenolic profile is greatly dependent on genotype and environmental interactions. This review deals with the diversity and biosynthesis of phenolic compounds in the grape berry, from a general overview to a more detailed level, where the influence of environmental challenges on key phenolic metabolism pathways is approached. The full understanding of how and when specific phenolic compounds accumulate in the berry, and how the varietal grape berry metabolism responds to the environment is of utmost importance to adjust agricultural practices and thus, modify wine profile.
Introduction and hypothesis
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in the general female population. It was hypothesised that Australian female military personnel and veterans would ...experience similar types and prevalence of LUTS as the broader Australian female population.
Methods
An online cross-sectional survey was utilised to explore the pelvic health of active servicewomen and veterans in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). For the purposes of this report, only the demographic and LUTS data (excluding urinary tract infections) were extracted and descriptively analysed.
Results
A total of 491 complete survey responses were received and analysed. Respondent characteristics were comparable to those documented in a departmental report regarding ADF servicewomen. No LUTS were reported by 38% of respondents. Regular symptoms of urinary incontinence were experienced by 27% of respondents (stress urinary incontinence = 23%, urge urinary incontinence = 16%, mixed urinary incontinence = 13%), bladder storage issues by 20–27%, and various voiding impairments by 9–27%. In addition, 41% reported regularly experiencing two or more LUTS, and for over two thirds of respondents, LUTS were an ongoing issue. Relationships between age, parity, and symptoms of urinary incontinence were also seen.
Conclusions
Consistent with wider research in Australian female populations, LUTS were commonly experienced during service by ADF female military personnel and veterans. Given the high likelihood of female military personnel experiencing LUTS during their service, and a proportion experiencing ongoing symptoms, tailored monitoring and support for urinary health should be available to enhance occupational health, safety, and performance.
The contributions of the cuticle and stem scar to blueberry water loss were evaluated in four cultivars. Among the cultivars, 55–69% of the water loss occurred through the cuticle, indicating the key ...role of the cuticle and cuticular waxes in restricting water loss. Cuticular wax content at harvest ranged from 38.12 to 67.00 μg cm−2 across the four cultivars and increased during four-week postharvest storage by an average of 49.5%. Oleanolic and ursolic acid were the most abundant wax compounds. The amount and proportion of oleanolic acid were negatively related to water loss. Wax esters were at low levels in all cultivars, but their content and proportion were directly related to water loss. The stem scar size was directly related to water loss, but only within a given cultivar and not across cultivars. This study provided new knowledge on the role of the cuticular waxes and stem scar in determining water loss in blueberries.
•The cuticle contributes more than the stem scar to blueberry water loss.•Cuticular wax content increases during postharvest cold storage in blueberries.•Oleanolic acid or ursolic acid are the most abundant wax compounds in blueberries.•The wax profile affects blueberry water loss.•Stem scar size affects water loss within a given cultivar but not among cultivars.
Water availability is arguably the most important environmental factor limiting crop growth and productivity. Erratic precipitation patterns and increased temperatures resulting from climate change ...will likely make drought events more frequent in many regions, increasing the demand on freshwater resources and creating major challenges for agriculture. Addressing these challenges through increased irrigation is not always a sustainable solution so there is a growing need to identify and/or breed drought-tolerant crop varieties in order to maintain sustainability in the context of climate change. Grapevine (Vitis vinifera), a major fruit crop of economic importance, has emerged as a model perennial fruit crop for the study of drought tolerance. This review synthesizes the most recent results on grapevine drought responses, the impact of water deficit on fruit yield and composition, and the identification of drought-tolerant varieties. Given the existing gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying grapevine drought responses, we aim to answer the following question: how can we move towards a more integrative definition of grapevine drought tolerance?
‘A disintegrin and metalloproteases’ (ADAMs) are a family of transmembrane proteins with diverse functions in multicellular organisms. About half of the ADAMs are active metalloproteases and cleave ...numerous cell surface proteins, including growth factors, receptors, cytokines and cell adhesion proteins. The other ADAMs have no catalytic activity and function as adhesion proteins or receptors. Some ADAMs are ubiquitously expressed, others are expressed tissue specifically. This review highlights functions of ADAMs in the mammalian nervous system, including their links to diseases. The non-proteolytic ADAM11, ADAM22 and ADAM23 have key functions in neural development, myelination and synaptic transmission and are linked to epilepsy. Among the proteolytic ADAMs, ADAM10 is the best characterized one due to its substrates Notch and amyloid precursor protein, where cleavage is required for nervous system development or linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), respectively. Recent work demonstrates that ADAM10 has additional substrates and functions in the nervous system and its substrate selectivity may be regulated by tetraspanins. New roles for other proteolytic ADAMs in the nervous system are also emerging. For example, ADAM8 and ADAM17 are involved in neuroinflammation. ADAM17 additionally regulates neurite outgrowth and myelination and its activity is controlled by iRhoms. ADAM19 and ADAM21 function in regenerative processes upon neuronal injury. Several ADAMs, including ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM15 and ADAM30, are potential drug targets for AD. Taken together, this review summarizes recent progress concerning substrates and functions of ADAMs in the nervous system and their use as drug targets for neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Introduction
Cette étude a permis d’examiner les associations entre microfacteurs et consommation d’alcool ainsi que consommation excessive d’alcool au sein d’un vaste échantillon de jeunes ...Canadiens.
Méthodologie
Cette étude descriptive et analytique a porté sur les élèves du secondaire ayant participé à l’étude COMPASS entre 2012-2013 et 2017-2018. Nous avons utilisé la modélisation par équations d’estimation généralisées pour déterminer chez les répondants les associations entre les microfacteurs et la probabilité de consommer de l’alcool et de consommer de l’alcool de manière excessive plutôt que ne pas consommer d’alcool.
Résultats
Les élèves ayant déclaré consommer du cannabis étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool plutôt que n’en avoir jamais consommé (rapport de cotes RC = 4,46; intervalle de confiance IC à 95 % : 4,33 à 4,60), comparativement aux élèves ayant indiqué ne pas consommer de cannabis. Les élèves ayant déclaré fumer du tabac étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool de manière excessive plutôt que ne l’avoir jamais fait (RC = 2,52; IC à 95 % : 2,45 à 2,58), comparativement aux élèves non-fumeurs. Les élèves ayant déclaré disposer d’un revenu hebdomadaire de plus de 100 $ étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool de manière excessive plutôt que de ne l’avoir jamais fait (RC = 2,14; IC à 95 % : 2,09 à 2,19), comparativement aux élèves ayant indiqué ne disposer d’aucun revenu hebdomadaire.
Conclusion
Un revenu disponible plus élevé, l’usage du tabac et la consommation de cannabis étaient associés à une consommation d’alcool et à une consommation excessive d’alcool chez les jeunes. Ces résultats peuvent éclairer la mise en place de mesures de prévention de l’usage de plusieurs substances dans les écoles secondaires.
Introduction
Cette étude vise à examiner l’incidence de l’âge de la première consommation d’alcool sur la consommation actuelle d’alcool et les comportements connexes chez un large échantillon de ...jeunes Canadiens.
Méthodologie
Cette étude descriptive et analytique a été réalisée auprès d’élèves de 12e année de l’Ontario ayant participé à l’étude de référence COMPASS de 2012 à 2017. Nous avons eu recours à la modélisation par équations d’estimation généralisées (EEG) pour établir le lien entre l’âge de la première consommation d’alcool chez les répondants et la probabilité d’une consommation ou d’une absence de consommation d’alcool, d’une consommation excessive d’alcool et du mélange d’alcool et de boissons énergisantes.
Résultats
Les élèves ayant indiqué avoir consommé de l’alcool pour la première fois entre 13 et 14 ans étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool plutôt que de ne pas en consommer (RC = 2,80, intervalle de confiance IC à 95 % : 2,26 à 3,45) et étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool de façon excessive plutôt que de ne pas en consommer de façon excessive (RC = 3,22, IC à 95 % : 2,45 à 4,25) comparativement aux élèves ayant déclaré avoir consommé de l’alcool pour la première fois à 18 ans ou plus. Les élèves ayant commencé à consommer de l’alcool à 8 ans ou moins étaient plus susceptibles de déclarer consommer de l’alcool plutôt que de ne pas en consommer (RC = 3,54, IC à IC à 95 % : 2,83 à 4,43), avoir une consommation excessive d’alcool (RC = 3,99, IC à IC à 95 % : 2,97 à 5,37) et mélanger alcool et boissons énergisantes (RC = 2,26, IC à IC à 95 % : 1,23 à 4,14) comparativement aux élèves ayant commencé à consommer de l’alcool à 18 ans ou plus.
Conclusion
La consommation d’alcool pendant les premières années de l’adolescence permet de prédire la consommation d’alcool, la consommation excessive d’alcool ainsi que la tendance à mélanger alcool et boissons énergisantes lorsque les élèves arrivent en 12e année. Ces résultats soulignent le besoin de déployer de nouveaux efforts de prévention de la consommation d’alcool.
Lignin, the second most abundant biopolymer, is a promising renewable energy source and chemical feedstock. A key element of lignin biosynthesis is unknown: how do lignin precursors (monolignols) get ...from inside the cell out to the cell wall where they are polymerized? Modeling indicates that monolignols can passively diffuse through lipid bilayers, but this has not been tested experimentally. We demonstrate significant monolignol diffusion occurs when laccases, which consume monolignols, are present on one side of the membrane. We hypothesize that lignin polymerization could deplete monomers in the wall, creating a concentration gradient driving monolignol diffusion. We developed a two-photon microscopy approach to visualize lignifying Arabidopsis thaliana root cells. Laccase mutants with reduced ability to form lignin polymer in the wall accumulated monolignols inside cells. In contrast, active transport inhibitors did not decrease lignin in the wall and scant intracellular phenolics were observed. Synthetic liposomes were engineered to encapsulate laccases, and monolignols crossed these pure lipid bilayers to form polymer within. A sink-driven diffusion mechanism explains why it has been difficult to identify genes encoding monolignol transporters and why the export of varied phenylpropanoids occurs without specificity. It also highlights an important role for cell wall oxidative enzymes in monolignol export.
River rehabilitation aims at alleviating negative effects of human impacts such as loss of biodiversity and reduction of ecosystem services. Such interventions entail difficult trade-offs between ...different ecological and often socio-economic objectives. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a very suitable approach that helps assessing the current ecological state and prioritizing river rehabilitation measures in a standardized way, based on stakeholder or expert preferences. Applications of MCDA in river rehabilitation projects are often simplified, i.e. using a limited number of objectives and indicators, assuming linear value functions, aggregating individual indicator assessments additively, and/or assuming risk neutrality of experts. Here, we demonstrate an implementation of MCDA expert preference assessments to river rehabilitation and provide ample material for other applications. To test whether the above simplifications reflect common expert opinion, we carried out very detailed interviews with five river ecologists and a hydraulic engineer. We defined essential objectives and measurable quality indicators (attributes), elicited the experts´ preferences for objectives on a standardized scale (value functions) and their risk attitude, and identified suitable aggregation methods. The experts recommended an extensive objectives hierarchy including between 54 and 93 essential objectives and between 37 to 61 essential attributes. For 81% of these, they defined non-linear value functions and in 76% recommended multiplicative aggregation. The experts were risk averse or risk prone (but never risk neutral), depending on the current ecological state of the river, and the experts´ personal importance of objectives. We conclude that the four commonly applied simplifications clearly do not reflect the opinion of river rehabilitation experts. The optimal level of model complexity, however, remains highly case-study specific depending on data and resource availability, the context, and the complexity of the decision problem.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The constant pressure posed by parasites has caused species throughout the animal kingdom to evolve suites of mechanisms to resist infection. Individual barriers and physiological defenses are ...considered the main barriers against parasites in invertebrate species. However, behavioral traits and other non-immunological defenses can also effectively reduce parasite transmission and infection intensity. In social insects, behaviors that reduce colony-level parasite loads are termed "social immunity." One example of a behavioral defense is resin collection. Honey bees forage for plant-produced resins and incorporate them into their nest architecture. This use of resins can reduce chronic elevation of an individual bee's immune response. Since high activation of individual immunity can impose colony-level fitness costs, collection of resins may benefit both the individual and colony fitness. However the use of resins as a more direct defense against pathogens is unclear. Here we present evidence that honey bee colonies may self-medicate with plant resins in response to a fungal infection. Self-medication is generally defined as an individual responding to infection by ingesting or harvesting non-nutritive compounds or plant materials. Our results show that colonies increase resin foraging rates after a challenge with a fungal parasite (Ascophaera apis: chalkbrood or CB). Additionally, colonies experimentally enriched with resin had decreased infection intensities of this fungal parasite. If considered self-medication, this is a particularly unique example because it operates at the colony level. Most instances of self-medication involve pharmacophagy, whereby individuals change their diet in response to direct infection with a parasite. In this case with honey bees, resins are not ingested but used within the hive by adult bees exposed to fungal spores. Thus the colony, as the unit of selection, may be responding to infection through self-medication by increasing the number of individuals that forage for resin.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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