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•Metoprolol indirect photodegradation occurs in presence of aquatic fulvic acids, FA.•The photosensitizer effect of aquatic FA is mainly attributed to OH.•Involvement of other ...reactive species, 1O2 and/or some 3FA*was assessed.•Formation mechanisms were proposed for the several metoprolol photoproducts.•Relation between reactive species and photoproducts was established.
Metoprolol is a pharmaceutical used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and disorders, whose frequent detection in surface waters raises concern. Indirect photodegradation is an important degradation pathway in waters and dissolved organic matter has a major role as photosensitizer. In this study, metoprolol photodegradation, in the absence and in the presence of fulvic acids extracted from the Vouga River (Portugal) (VRFA), was assessed under simulated sunlight. While metoprolol direct photodegradation was deniable, indirect photolysis occurred under the presence of VRFA. It followed a pseudo-first order kinetics and after 72 h of irradiation there was a decrease of metoprolol concentration of ∼80 %. The OH radical (OH) was verified to be the main reactive species (RS) responsible for the photosensitized degradation of metoprolol, but other RS are also involved, probably triplet excited states of FA (3FA*) and singlet oxygen (1O2), as demonstrated by the higher inhibition of the photodegradation in presence of sodium azide than in presence of 2-propanol. Based on a previous identification of photoproducts, tentative degradation mechanisms were here proposed. Photoproducts analysis after 24 h irradiation in the absence and presence of scavengers, shown that different RS are involved in the formation of different products/intermediates.
Background and Aims. In ancient grapevine varieties, the experimental design of field trials is crucial to providing a reliable evaluation of quantitative traits. The main purposes of this study are ...to demonstrate the benefits of the resolvable row-column design (RCD) for quantifying intravarietal variability and performing polyclonal selection and to compare the efficiency of fully and partially replicated designs for quantifying intravarietal variability to implement the latter designs for a preliminary analysis of that variability. Methods and Results. Linear mixed models were fitted to yield data obtained in field trials with fully and partially replicated designs. The results pointed out the importance of the RCD in controlling the spatial variability present in large field trials. Although less precise, a partially replicated design proved to be useful in evaluating intravarietal variability when the average of years was used. Conclusions. The results reinforced the importance of the RCD in increasing the efficiency of intravarietal variability quantification and polyclonal selection. The partially replicated design proved to be useful when the only objective was to perform a preliminary analysis of intravarietal variability. Significance of the Study. Understanding the role of experimental design in grapevine selection field trials will help grapevine breeders enhance their knowledge about variability within ancient varieties and implement more successful polyclonal selection.
Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a primary cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young women. S. saprophyticus colonizes humans and animals but basic features of its molecular ...epidemiology are undetermined. We conducted a phylogenomic analysis of 321 S. saprophyticus isolates collected from human UTIs worldwide during 1997-2017 and 232 isolates from human UTIs and the pig-processing chain in a confined region during 2016-2017. We found epidemiologic and genomic evidence that the meat-production chain is a major source of S. saprophyticus causing human UTIs; human microbiota is another possible origin. Pathogenic S. saprophyticus belonged to 2 lineages with distinctive genetic features that are globally and locally disseminated. Pangenome-wide approaches identified a strong association between pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance, phages, platelet binding proteins, and an increased recombination rate. Our study provides insight into the origin, transmission, and population structure of pathogenic S. saprophyticus and identifies putative new virulence factors.
Following Hovione process safety screening procedures, the preparation of a 22 wt % N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) solution in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was studied by means of RC1 isothermal heat flow ...calorimetry. The mixture revealed a sudden and rapid decomposition with off-gas release, few minutes after reaching 80 °C. This triggered a thorough thermal safety investigation using several well-established differential thermal analysis techniques. The thermal stability data obtained were used to generate a predictive model for this solution decomposition using Advanced Kinetics and Technology Solutions software. The NBS/DMF solution undergoes hazardous thermal decomposition at low temperatures, and the safe working temperature (TMRad at 24 h) for 22 wt % was established as 32 °C. There was also evidence found for an autocatalytic mechanism and the influence of the NBS concentration and the equipment’s materials of construction on the decomposition onset and overall energy output. The work described herein highlights the need for important process safety management considerations when handling the NBS/DMF solution at an industrial scale.
Plant phenotyping is an emerging science that combines multiple methodologies and protocols to measure plant traits (e.g., growth, morphology, architecture, function, and composition) at multiple ...scales of organization. Manual phenotyping remains as a major bottleneck to the advance of plant and crop breeding. Such constraint fostered the development of high throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP), which is largely based on imaging approaches and automatized data retrieval and processing. Field phenotyping still poses major challenges and the progress of HTPP for field conditions can be relevant to support selection and breeding of grapevine. The aim of this review is to discuss potential and current methods to improve field phenotyping of grapevine to support characterization of inter- and intravarietal diversity.
Vitis vinifera
has a large genetic diversity that needs characterization, and the availability of methods to support selection of plant material (polyclonal or clonal) able to withstand abiotic stress is paramount. Besides being time consuming, complex and expensive, field experiments are also affected by heterogeneous and uncontrolled climate and soil conditions, mostly due to the large areas of the trials and to the high number of traits to be observed in a number of individuals ranging from hundreds to thousands. Therefore, adequate field experimental design and data gathering methodologies are crucial to obtain reliable data. Some of the major challenges posed to grapevine selection programs for tolerance to water and heat stress are described herein. Useful traits for selection and related field phenotyping methodologies are described and their adequacy for large scale screening is discussed.
There are thousands of ancient grapevine varieties in Europe, each one having a high level of intra-varietal diversity with regard to important economic traits (yield, soluble solids content, ...acidity, anthocyanins, and others). However, this potential has become exposed to a process of genetic erosion since the middle of the last century. The main objective of this work is to present experimental strategies for conservation and utilization of intra-varietal diversity. A concrete example is given about the actions performed in Portugal since 1978. Two main approaches for the conservation of intra-varietal diversity were performed: (1) strict conservation (in pots and in the field without experimental design) for future generations; and (2) conservation and, simultaneously, evaluation of the intra-varietal variability for selection to fulfil the immediate needs of the grape and wine sector (in the field with experimental design). More than 30,000 accessions of Portuguese autochthonous varieties are conserved. Using the theory of mixed models, intra-varietal diversity of the yield was found for the 59 varieties studied. The conservation and the evaluation of the intra-varietal diversity for quantitative traits will allow to extract high economic value, as well as to ensure its utilization to meet the objectives of the vine and wine sector.
The antiquity and diversity of traditional grapevine varieties guarantee a strong historical and natural character and add high economic value to viticulture and wine. A high level of intra-varietal ...diversity of quantitative traits was naturally created and accumulated over centuries. Nowadays, this diversity allows one to carry out selection within a variety and adapt it to the most diverse environmental, agricultural, and market contexts. However, an unusually intense process of genetic erosion of intra-varietal diversity broke out in the 1980s and threatens to destroy within a few decades the diversity created over centuries and millennia. Therefore, the definition of strategies and methods for conserving and exploring intra-varietal genetic variability is crucial for the sustainability of viticulture rich in history and traditions. Those strategies are presented in this work.
•Ultrasounds as a potential postharvest treatment for whole tomato fruits.•Optimal US treatment conditions were identified.•Ultrasounds treatment delays tomato red colour development and texture ...losses.•Postharvest US increases total phenolic and reduces microbial load of stored tomato.
Whole tomato fruits were treated at ultrasonic power levels from 10% to 100%, and at a constant frequency of 45kHz, for different times (1–19min). A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied to optimise ultrasonic treatments for tomato quality (colour, texture and total phenolic content (TPC)) maintenance. According to response surface analysis, the optimal treatment parameters were 55%_10min, 80%_15min and 100%_19min. At these conditions, and especially at higher power levels, a maximum retention of colour and texture, as well as an increase of TPC and microbial reduction were obtained in comparison with untreated fruits during 15 storage days at 10°C. The ultrasounds treatment was found to be effective in delaying colour development and texture losses, preserving sensorial quality of whole tomato, with increase of TPC and microbial load reduction. Moreover, this postharvest treatment can be used as an alternative for extending fresh fruits shelf-life.
In fresh-cut vegetables, plant tissues are often challenged by (a)biotic stresses that act in combination, and the response to combinatorial stresses differs from that triggered by each individually. ...Phenolic induction by wounding is a known response contributing to increase products phenolic content. Heat application is a promising treatment in minimal processing, and its interference on the wound-induced response is produce-dependent. In carrot, two-combined stress effects were evaluated: peel removal vs. shredding, and heat application (100 °C/45 s) vs. shredding, on changes in total phenolic content (TPC) during 10 days (5 °C). By applying the first stress combination, a decrease in TPC was verified on day 0 (∼50%), ascribed to the high phenolic content of peels. Recovery of initial fresh carrot levels was achieved after 7 days owing to phenolic biosynthesis induced by shredding. For the second combination, changes in TPC, phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) activity of untreated (Ctr) and heat-treated (HS) peeled shredded carrot samples were evaluated during 10 days. The heat-shock did not suppress phenolic biosynthesis promoted by PAL, although there was a two-day delay in TPC increments. Notwithstanding, phenolic accumulation after 10 days exceeded raw material TPC content. Also, the decrease in POD activity (30%) could influence quality degradation during storage.
► Whole fresh tomato (Portuguese cultivar cv. ‘Zinac’) quality was evaluated. ► Storage temperature affected tomatoes colour from green to red colour. ► Significant changes in firmness and increases ...in weight loss were also observed. ► At the end of storage a small increase of total phenolic content was denoted. ► A fractional kinetic model fitted well data of colour, firmness and weight loss.
The effects of storage at different temperatures (2, 5, 10, 15 and 20°C) conditions on whole tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. ‘Zinac’, fruits harvested at mature-green stage) quality parameters, such as colour, chilling injury, firmness, weight loss and total phenolic content, were investigated during a month period.
Storage at all temperatures had significant impact on the quality parameters analysed. Significant alterations in tomato green colour, firmness and weight loss were observed. The results also revealed a slight increase in the total phenolic content, and that refrigeration storage at 2 and 5°C induced chilling injuries.
A fractional conversion model fitted well the experimental data on colour parameters (a* and °h value), firmness and weight loss. The storage temperature effect was successfully described by the Arrhenius law. These results represent a good predictive tool for tomato quality estimation along the food chain.
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