Fungicides are frequently used during tree fruit bloom and can threaten insect pollinators. However, little is known about how non-honey bee pollinators such as the solitary bee, Osmia cornifrons, ...respond to contact and systemic fungicides commonly used in apple production during bloom. This knowledge gap limits regulatory decisions that determine safe concentrations and timing for fungicide spraying. We evaluated the effects of two contact fungicides (captan and mancozeb) and four translaminar/plant systemic fungicides (cyprodinil, myclobutanil, penthiopyrad, and trifloxystrobin) on larval weight gain, survival, sex ratio, and bacterial diversity. This assessment was carried out using chronic oral ingestion bioassays where pollen provisions were treated with three doses based on the currently recommended field use dose (1X), half dose (0.5X), and low dose (0.1X). Mancozeb and penthiopyrad significantly reduced larval weight and survival at all doses. We then sequenced the 16S gene to characterize the larvae bacteriome of mancozeb, the fungicide that caused the highest mortality. We found that larvae fed on mancozeb-treated pollen carried significantly lower bacterial diversity and abundance. Our laboratory results suggest that some of these fungicides can be particularly harmful to the health of O. cornifrons when sprayed during bloom. This information is relevant for future management decisions about the sustainable use of fruit tree crop protection products and informing regulatory processes that aim to protect pollinators.
•Nutritional properties of goat milk and cheeses elaborated were modified.•Danbo Type cheeses elaborated can be considered a good source of CLA and TVA.•Supplemented diet increased cheese fat ...content, without affecting protein content.•Microbiological, sensory profile and consumer acceptability were not affected.•Absence of negative effects in sensory properties were maintained during the shelf life.
Goat`s milk and its dairy products have been commonly related to important nutritional and health benefits. In fact, fat fraction is one of the most important components of goat’s milk regarding its value, as lipids are involved in cheese yield, firmness, color and flavor of goat dairy products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the modification in the lipid and sensory profile of cheeses elaborated with goat milk, through diet inclusion of sunflower oil (SFO). The main objective was to elaborate Danbo Type cheeses with increased content of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and transvaccenic acid (TVA), and at the same time decrease the proportion of saturated fat, and evaluate these values during the shelf life of the cheeses. The study was conducted with 60 Saanen goats separated into two homogeneous groups and supplemented for 18 days with one of two concentrates: without added oil (control, C) or enriched with sunflower oil (SFO). Cheeses were elaborated using goat milk, collected after desirable changes in its lipid profile were achieved. Physicochemical, microbiological, and fatty acid composition together with the sensory profile were evaluated. In SFO cheeses fat content increased, without affecting protein content, microbiological, sensory profile and consumer acceptability. Also, the content of TVA increased from 2.4 to 4.4 % (p < 0.01), while CLA presented an increase from 0.8 to 1.3 % (p < 0.01). A decrease in the saturated/unsaturated ratio was observed resulting in a decrease in the atherogenic index. Therefore, inclusion of SFO in the diet of goats could be a viable alternative to increase the contribution of fatty acids with beneficial effects for health in cheeses.
In recent decades, the incidence of death and morbidity due to diabetes has increased worldwide, causing a high social and economic impact. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, ...heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. However, the molecular mechanisms that make the heart and kidneys the main targets of diabetes are not completely understood. To better understand the complex biochemical mechanism of diabetic cardiomyopathy, we investigated the effects of hyperglycemia with concomitant digoxin and ouabain stimulation in H9c2 cells. Total extracted proteins were analyzed by label-free LC-MS/MS, quantified by Scaffold software and validated by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) methodology. Here, we show that the eukaryotic initiation factors (Eifs) and elongation factors (Eefs) Eif3f, Eef2 and Eif4a1 are overexpressed following cardiotonic steroid (CTS) stimulation. Similarly, the expression of four 14-3-3 proteins that play a key role in cardiac ventricular compaction was altered after CTS stimulation. In total, the expression of nine protein groups was altered in response to the stimulation of H9c2 cells. Here, the biological consequences of these changes are discussed in depth.
Hyperglycemia is the main physiological condition that provokes tissue and vascular injuries in heart of diabetic patients. However, the changings at large scale in the expression of proteins of cardiomyocytes generated by this condition was not yet studied. Here we report for the first time the altered biosynthesis of nine groups of proteins of H9c2 cells activated by high glucose concentrations and by cardiotonic steroids (CTS). Furthermore, the increased biosynthesis of Eifs, Eefs and 14-3-3 protein groups by CTS, which play a crucial role in cardiomyopathies are original data reported in this work. These findings not only enhance our knowledge concerning to the effects of hyperglycemia and CTS on H9c2 cells but also indicate potential molecular targets to interfere in diabetes cardiomyopathy progression.
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•Relative quantification of H9c2 cells proteome under glucose and cardiotonic steroids activation.•Proteomic analyses identified 159 differentially expressed proteins.•AARSs, TRiC/CCT, Eifs, Eefs, carbohydrate metabolism, cytoskeletal and 14-3-3 groups of proteins changed their biosynthesis.•AARSs, Eefs and 14-3-3 proteins are involved in cardiomyopathies.•Parallel proteomics analysis of HEK cells and western blot were performed as validation procedure.
Objective:
To examine the relationship between experienced mental workload and physiological response by noninvasive monitoring of physiological parameters.
Background:
Previous studies have examined ...how individual physiological measures respond to changes in mental demand and subjective reports of workload. This study explores the response of multiple physiological parameters and quantifies their added value when estimating the level of demand.
Method:
The study presented was conducted in laboratory conditions and required participants to perform a visual-motor task that imposed varying levels of demand. The data collected consisted of physiological measurements (heart interbeat intervals, breathing rate, pupil diameter, facial thermography), subjective ratings of workload (Instantaneous Self-Assessment Workload Scale ISA and NASA-Task Load Index), and the performance.
Results:
Facial thermography and pupil diameter were demonstrated to be good candidates for noninvasive workload measurements: For seven out of 10 participants, pupil diameter showed a strong correlation (R values between .61 and .79 at a significance value of .01) with mean ISA normalized values. Facial thermography measures added on average 47.7% to the amount of variability in task performance explained by a regression model. As with the ISA ratings, the relationship between the physiological measures and performance showed strong interparticipant differences, with some individuals demonstrating a much stronger relationship between workload and performance measures than others.
Conclusion:
The results presented in this paper demonstrate that physiological and pupil diameter can be used for noninvasive real-time measurement of workload.
Application:
The methods presented in this article, with current technological capabilities, are better suited for workplaces where the person is seated, offering the possibility of being applied to pilots and air traffic controllers.
Summary
The only way to prevent immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) from becoming refractory would be to restore tolerance to platelets at an early phase of the disease. Numerous immune alterations ...probably accumulate in chronic ITP; thus, the chances of cure decrease significantly with time. Currently, sustained remission off treatment (SROT) is a clinical definition describing patients who can discontinue their ITP treatment without risk and maintain a state of remission. Different treatment strategies are presently being evaluated with the goal of attaining SROT, mostly combining drugs targeting the innate and/or the adaptive immune system, the inflammation state, so as increasing the platelet load. In this sense, thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO‐RAs) have shown promising results if used as upfront treatment. TPO‐RAs seem to exhibit immunomodulation and immune tolerance properties, increasing not only the platelet antigen mass but also increasing the transforming growth factor‐β concentration, and stimulating regulatory T and B lymphocytes. However, more immunological studies are needed to establish accurate molecular alterations in ITP that are potentially reversed with treatments.
Immune thrombocytopenia refractory to multiple thrombopoietin receptor agonists remains a challenging clinical problem. This commentary discusses and contextualizes the recent report on this entity ...from Moulis and colleagues, and how to move forward with these patients.
Commentary on: Moulis et al. Difficult‐to‐treat primary immune thrombocytopenia in adults: Prevalence and burden. Results from the CARMEN‐France Registry. Br J Haematol 2024;204:1476‐1482.
End-of-life (EOL) tires currently present widespread use in the civil engineering field. They have shown high potential in railway applications due to their excellent damping properties. This ...research involves the development and laboratory-scale validation of a new elastomeric material manufactured by mixing recycled EOL shredded tires and polyurethane resin. The aim of this research is to apply this elastomer in indirect rail fastenings for slab track systems composed of prefabricated concrete blocks embedded in in-situ concrete slabs, commonly used in subway tracks. After characterizing several different mixtures and identifying optimal proportions, four prototypes were tested in an external laboratory in order to validate their mechanical behavior. The test results verified the excellent performance of this elastomer under the specifications of different European Standards and showed its suitability under real conditions in railway tracks.
In recent years, gastronomy has established itself as one of the key elements for the enhancement, sustainable and consolidation of tourist destinations. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the ...advancement of knowledge on gastronomic tourism in European countries, specifically in the analysis of the relationship between gastronomy, culture and tourism as the research focuses on the city of Córdoba, Spain. The methodology of this research involved conducting surveys with foreign travelers who were lunching or dining at various restaurants in the historic area, and these facilities were characterized by having in their gastronomic menus major typical culinary products of the city using the concept of tapas, i.e., the presentation of gastronomy through small portions of food. The results of the study indicate that the healthy component of the gastronomy represents the main dimension. Based on the detected dimensions, three types of international visitors are established (healthy-cultural tourist, cultural tourist and generic tourist) which are considered valid and useful for segmenting the market. This highlights the importance given to gastronomy by tourists as part of the cultural identity of a place and the satisfaction achieved through the gastronomy of the city of Córdoba.
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