Microalgae represent a potential sustainable alternative for the enhancement and protection of agricultural crops. Cellular extracts and dry biomass of the green alga Acutodesmus dimorphus were ...applied as a seed primer, foliar spray, and biofertilizer, to evaluate seed germination, plant growth, and fruit production in Roma tomato plants. A. dimorphus culture, culture growth medium, and different concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %) of aqueous cell extracts in distilled water were used as seed primers to determine effects on germination. Seeds treated with A. dimorphus culture and with extract concentrations higher than 50 % (0.75 g mL⁻¹) triggered faster seed germination—2 days earlier than the control group. The aqueous extracts were also applied as foliar fertilizers at various concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %) on tomato plants. Extract foliar application at 50 % (3.75 g mL⁻¹) concentration resulted in increased plant height and greater numbers of flowers and branches per plant. Two dry biomass treatments (50 and 100 g) were applied 22 days prior to seedling transplant and at the time of transplant to assess whether the timing of the biofertilizer application influenced the effectiveness of the biofertilizer. Biofertilizer treatments applied 22 days prior to seedling transplant enhanced plant growth, including greater numbers of branches and flowers, compared to the control group and the biofertilizer treatments applied at the time of transplant. The A. dimorphus culture, cellular extract, and dry biomass applied as a biostimulant, foliar spray, and biofertilizer, respectively, were able to trigger faster germination and enhance plant growth and floral production in Roma tomato plants.
Background and Aims
A variant (p.Arg225Trp) of peroxisomal acyl‐CoA oxidase 2 (ACOX2), involved in bile acid (BA) side‐chain shortening, has been associated with unexplained persistent ...hypertransaminasemia and accumulation of C27‐BAs, mainly 3α,7α,12α‐trihydroxy‐5β‐cholestanoic acid (THCA). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of ACOX2 deficiency‐associated hypertransaminasemia (ADAH), its response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), elucidate its pathophysiological mechanism and identify other inborn errors that could cause this alteration.
Methods and Results
Among 33 patients with unexplained hypertransaminasemia from 11 hospitals and 13 of their relatives, seven individuals with abnormally high C27‐BA levels (>50% of total BAs) were identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The p.Arg225Trp variant was found in homozygosity (exon amplification/sequencing) in two patients and three family members. Two additional nonrelated patients were heterozygous carriers of different alleles: c.673C>T (p.Arg225Trp) and c.456_459del (p.Thr154fs). In patients with ADAH, impaired liver expression of ACOX2, but not ACOX3, was found (immunohistochemistry). Treatment with UDCA normalized aminotransferase levels. Incubation of HuH‐7 hepatoma cells with THCA, which was efficiently taken up, but not through BA transporters, increased reactive oxygen species production (flow cytometry), endoplasmic reticulum stress biomarkers (GRP78, CHOP, and XBP1‐S/XBP1‐U ratio), and BAXα expression (reverse transcription followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot), whereas cell viability was decreased (tetrazolium salt‐based cell viability test). THCA‐induced cell toxicity was higher than that of major C24‐BAs and was not prevented by UDCA. Fourteen predicted ACOX2 variants were generated (site‐directed mutagenesis) and expressed in HuH‐7 cells. Functional tests to determine their ability to metabolize THCA identified six with the potential to cause ADAH.
Conclusions
Dysfunctional ACOX2 has been found in several patients with unexplained hypertransaminasemia. This condition can be accurately identified by a noninvasive diagnostic strategy based on plasma BA profiling and ACOX2 sequencing. Moreover, UDCA treatment can efficiently attenuate liver damage in these patients.
It is unknown how plasma leptin affects fat oxidation depending on sex in young adults. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations of plasma leptin with resting ...fat oxidation (RFO), maximal fat oxidation during exercise (MFO), and insulin sensitivity, considering the different responses in men and women, and the mediating role of fatness and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Sixty-five young adults (22.5 ± 4.3 years; body mass index = 25.2 ± 4.7 kg·m
, 23 females) participated in this study. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin were analyzed. Variables related to insulin resistance (HOMA1-IR, HOMA2-IR), secretion (HOMA-%β), and sensitivity (HOMA-%S, QUICKI) were computed. RFO and MFO were determined through indirect calorimetry. A peak oxygen uptake (VO
peak) test was performed until exhaustion after the MFO test. The MFO was relativized to body mass (MFO-BM) and the legs' lean mass divided by the height squared (MFO-LI). In men, leptin was negatively associated with MFO-BM and positively with HOMA-%β (
≤ 0.02 in both). In women, leptin was positively associated with RFO and QUICKI, and negatively with MFO-BM (
< 0.05 in all). The association between leptin and MFO was mediated by CRF (
< 0.05), but not by fat mass (
> 0.05). Plasma leptin is associated with fat oxidation and insulin secretion/sensitivity, with different responses within each sex. The association between leptin and fat oxidation is mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness.
Background
Wilson disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism caused by mutations in the
ATP7B
gene. An early diagnosis is crucial to prevent evolution of the disease, as ...implantation of early therapeutic measures fully prevents its symptoms. As population genetics data predict a higher than initially expected prevalence, it was important to define the basic diagnostic tools to approach population screening.
Methods
A highly genetically homogeneous cohort of 70 patients, belonging to 50 unrelated families, has been selected as a framework to analyze all their clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics, to define the disease in our population, with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 12,369, and determine the most useful features that reach diagnostic value.
Results
Serum ceruloplasmin below 11.5 mg/dL and cupremia below 60 μg/mL, were the best analytical predictors of the disease in asymptomatic individuals, while cupruria or hepatic copper determination were less powerful. Genetic analysis reached a conclusive diagnosis in all 65 patients available for complete testing. Of them, 48 were carriers of at least one p.Leu708Pro mutant allele, with 24 homozygotes. Nine patients carried a promoter deletion mutation, revealing that extended sequencing beyond the
ATP7B
gene-coding region is essential. All mutations caused hepatic damage since early ages, increasing its severity as diagnosis was delayed, and neurological symptoms appear.
Conclusion
Serum ceruloplasmin determination followed by genetic screening would reduce costs and favor the prioritization of non-invasive procedures to reach a definitive diagnosis, even for asymptomatic cases.
Summary
The production of alkaliphilic microalgae can contribute to address the challenging cost of using pure carbon dioxide in large reactors. At high pH values, carbon dioxide is rapidly scavenged ...and the supply rates of dissolved inorganic carbon from the atmosphere to alkaline media are high. The present study aimed to identify microalgal strains that can cope with high alkalinity and aeration rates. Eight strains were studied and the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus almeriensis and Nannochloropsis gaditana were the only ones that were able to grow under these conditions. Their biomass productivities using laboratory‐scale bubble columns with no pH control and high aeration flow were 0.20 ± 0.03, 0.24 ± 0.03 and 0.08 ± 0.01 g·L−1·day−1, respectively. The production of the two former was scaled up to pilot‐scale bubble columns. Overall, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide that was transformed into biomass was in the range of 10%–30%, depending on the strain used and the photobioreactor setup. The biomass was rich in proteins and β‐carotene, both valuable products, highlighting the potential production of food ingredients while capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The present study aimed to identify microalgal strains that can cope with high alkalinity and aeration rates. Eight strains were investigated; the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus almeriensis and Nannochloropsis gaditana were the only ones that were able to grow under these conditions.
We report the use of a tetraborylated perylenediimide as starting material for the preparation of a tetracorannulene-perylenediimide that is able to bind up to two fullerene-C
molecules by host-guest ...molecular recognition with preference over C
. Titration with fullerene-C
is followed by a dramatic shift of the aromatic signals in
H NMR and an initial increase in the fluorescence of the system. By this simple mechanism, fluorogenic sensing of fullerene-C
is easily accomplished by an unprecedented fluorescent turn-on mechanism.
Context.
The accurate classification of hundreds of thousands of galaxies observed in modern deep surveys is imperative if we want to understand the universe and its evolution.
Aims.
Here, we report ...the use of machine learning techniques to classify early- and late-type galaxies in the OTELO and COSMOS databases using optical and infrared photometry and available shape parameters: either the Sérsic index or the concentration index.
Methods.
We used three classification methods for the OTELO database: (1)
u
−
r
color separation, (2) linear discriminant analysis using
u
−
r
and a shape parameter classification, and (3) a deep neural network using the
r
magnitude, several colors, and a shape parameter. We analyzed the performance of each method by sample bootstrapping and tested the performance of our neural network architecture using COSMOS data.
Results.
The accuracy achieved by the deep neural network is greater than that of the other classification methods, and it can also operate with missing data. Our neural network architecture is able to classify both OTELO and COSMOS datasets regardless of small differences in the photometric bands used in each catalog.
Conclusions.
In this study we show that the use of deep neural networks is a robust method to mine the cataloged data.
This article proposes methodology for evaluating the accuracy of the pore pressure generation model devised by Byrne, as implemented in a commercial software program using a Mohr-Coulomb-type failure ...criterion and a Finn constitutive model. The different empirical formulas of liquefaction developed by Seed and Idriss are reviewed, as well as various constitutive models specified in the literature, emphasizing the selection of the Finn model for the liquefaction study. In the analysis a comparison is carried out using the factors of safety against liquefaction (FSLs) devised by Seed and Idriss and the adapted formula by Boulanger and Idriss. The analysis assumes a hypothesis to verify whether a soil element is liquefied. The results are then compared with those of a numerical model that simulates a soil column, the base of which is subjected to the same seismic inputs of varying magnitudes, Mw, and peak ground accelerations, Pga, to which the empirical model was subjected. Adjusted equations are provided on the based on that comparison to allow for the calibration of the Byrne equation using the (N1)60 value obtained via a standard penetration test (SPT), for the study of liquefaction problems in situations in which there are earthquakes of varying magnitudes.
Background
Controversy exists regarding the way alcohol use is associated with vascular structure and arterial stiffness parameters. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between ...alcohol consumption with vascular structure and arterial stiffness in an adult population.
Methods
We conducted a cross‐sectional study. Five hundred and one participants were recruited by random sampling from an urban population of 43,946 individuals aged 35 to 75 years, assigned from 5 healthcare centers located in Salamanca, Spain. This was a subanalysis of the EVA study. Arterial stiffness was assessed by measuring cardio‐ankle vascular index (CAVI) and brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (ba‐PWV) with the VaSera VS‐1500® device, and carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cf‐PWV) with the Sphygmocor®. Vascular structure was evaluated by measuring the carotid intima–media thickness (c‐IMT) with a Sonosite Micromax® ultrasound. Alcohol consumption was calculated using a standardized questionnaire and quantified in g/wk.
Results
In the multiple regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, smoking status, and systolic blood pressure, the c‐IMT and cf‐PWV values of individuals drinking > 70 g/wk were higher than those of the reference group (nondrinkers) by 0.02 mm (p = 0.030) and 0.42 m/s (p = 0.021), respectively. The association between alcohol consumption with vascular structure and arterial stiffness only attains statistical significance for cf‐PWV (p = 0.039) and c‐IMT (p = 0.019), showing an association which suggests a J‐shaped association. This association was not statistically significant for ba‐PWV and CAVI (p = 0.446 and p = 0.141, respectively), although a similar trend was observed with ba‐PWV.
Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that heavy alcohol consumption (>70 g/wk) is associated with increased c‐IMT and cf‐PWV. Moreover, we found a J‐shaped association between alcohol consumption and c‐IMT and cf‐PWV values as markers of vascular structure and arterial stiffness, with no association with ba‐PWV and CAVI being observed.
The results of this study address a topical issue, the association that chronic alcohol use can have on the development of cardiovascular disease and specifically on intermediate markers in the development of atherosclerosis. Moderate alcohol consumption (≤ 30 g/week) is associated with better values of vascular structure (carotid intima‐media thickness) and arterial stiffness (carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity).
Although US and European research has documented improvement in earnings quality associated with corporate governance characteristics, the situation in Latin America is questionable, given the ...business environment in which firms operate, which is characterized by controlling family ownership and weak legal protection. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between the internal mechanisms of Corporate Governance and Earnings Management measured by discretionary accrual. We use a sample of listed Latin American non-financial companies from the period 2006-2009. Our results show how in the Latin American context the role of external directors is limited and that Boards which meet more frequently take a more active position in the monitoring of insiders, so showing a lower use of manipulative practices. In addition, we find a non-linear relation between insider ownership and discretionary accruals, also pointing to the fact that ownership concentration may be a manipulative practices constrictor mechanism only when the ownership of main shareholders is moderate. The findings have important policy implications since this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study to analyze the relation between the effectiveness of the government and the earnings management behavior. As policy implications, we document how when a country implements controls aimed at reducing corruption, strengthening the rule of law or improving the effectiveness of government, this leads to a reduction in firm earnings management.
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