Recent changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced different definitions regarding the eligibility of various types of land used by grazing animals. In particular, shrublands and other ...low-quality areas which have traditionally been used as grazinglands are now not eligible for European Union income support payments. Subject to these changes, a large part of livestock farms will be affected, being partially or fully deprived of EU income support. In addition to these policy-driven changes, pasture-fed livestock farms in Greece are faced with a unique system of grazingland allocation, as all grazing areas in the country are state-owned. These areas are allocated for a short period either directly to farmers who are permanent residents of the Municipalities or to other livestock farmers through an auction system, which does not take into account the grazing capacity thus bringing about environmental degradation. This paper investigates the effects of CAP changes and of this communal land allocation system based on the findings of a typological analysis. The study focuses on a typical Greek territory in terms of land uses, economic activities and sociodemographic developments. Data from a questionnaire survey are used to build a typology of local livestock farms in terms of their nutritional management and land use characteristics and then the profile of each type is investigated through the estimation of a Multinomial Logit Model where the dependent variable is the cluster participation. Three distinct types of farms (clusters) are determined. Cluster 1 includes traditional farms which rear sheep and goats and bovine for meat, which are highly dependent on grazingland uses and EU income support. Cluster 2 farms – mainly sheep and goat – have evolved a ‘double’ dependency on land in the form of grazingland but also of cropland for feedstuff production, which renders them more resilient to policy changes. Finally, Cluster 3 farms are intensive dairy cattle farms and use artificial (cultivated) privately-owned grazinglands and cropland for feedstuff production. Market-oriented measures are proposed for each type and suggestions for an integrated land use plan are made, including long-term leasing of land and the consideration of environmental criteria for land allocation, thus rendering farmers responsible for keeping their land in a good production state.
Fungal peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) is very difficult to treat and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Among fungal pathogens, Aspergillus ...peritonitis presents a higher mortality rate when compared to Candida peritonitis and its identification as well as appropriate treatment remains a challenge for the physicians. We critical reviewed all published cases in literature of Aspergillus peritonitis in PD patients. The results showed that a total of 55 cases (51% males) of Aspergillus peritonitis in PD patients were reported from 1968 to 2019. Mean patient age was 49.54±19.63years and mean PD duration prior to fungal infection was 33.31±32.45months. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated in 17/55 patients, Aspergillus niger in 15, Aspergillus terreus in 9, unidentified Aspergillus spp. in 6, Aspergillus flavus in 4, whereas sporadic cases of other Aspergillus spp. were reported. As far as predisposing factors are concerned, 75% of patients suffered from prior bacterial peritonitis receiving antimicrobial therapy. Initial antifungal treatment was intravenous and/or intraperitoneal administration of amphotericin B formulations monotherapy in 47.2% of patients or in combination with fluconazole in 13.2%, or with itraconazole in 13.2%, or with caspofungin in 3.8%, or with ketoconazole or with 5-FC in 1.9%, each. Peritoneal catheter removal was performed in 85.5% of cases. Mortality rate was 38.2%, while 81.8% of the survived patients switched to hemodialysis. Conclusively, Aspergillus peritonitis diagnosis can be difficult, due to unspecific symptoms. Early treatment with appropriate antifungal agents can be determinant for patient prognosis. Despite appropriate treatment, reported mortality remains high.
In this work the effect of the initial nitrogen concentration on the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) properties namely the saponification number (SN), the iodine value (IV), the cetane number (CN) and ...the higher heating value (HHV) of bio-oil produced by Chlorella sorokiniana was examined. Also, the lipid and protein content of the biomass of C. sorokiniana and the biomass yield were measured. Anaerobic digestate and glycerol were used to formulate the culture media. The initial concentration of atomic nitrogen varied in the four cultivations and it was equal to 108.2 mg/l, 300 mg/l, 800 mg/l and 2000 mg/l while the initial concentration of carbon was held constant and equal to 13.99 ± 0.1 g/l. As the initial nitrogen concentration was increased, the lipid content decreased while the protein content and the biomass yield increased. Fatty acids (FA) from C10:0 to C26:1 were produced, however, the fatty acids that were found in the highest percentage were C16:0, C16:1, C18:1 and C18: 2. With respect to saturation, monosaturated FA were predominant in all treatments constituting from 55.9% to 59.4% of the total FA, while significant percentages of saturated FA were produced ranging from 24.5% to about 31.1%. With respect to the chain length, medium chain FA predominate constituting from 59.5% to 81.3% of the total FA. The four measured FAME properties, with the exception of the cetane number (CN) for the No = 2000 mg, were within acceptable limits. It was shown that when the nitrogen concentration in the medium increases, while the carbon concentration remains constant, the biomass carbon yield coefficient increases substantially.
•Algal biomass yield was up to 7.6 g/l and was decreasing when initial nitrogen supply (No) was decreasing.•Lipid content was up to 39.8% and was decreasing when No was increasing.•Medium chain (C16–C18) and monosaturated (MUFA) fatty acids were predominant.•FAME properties, except for the CN for the No = 2000 mg/l treatment, were within acceptable limits.
Although APC mutations occur at a high frequency in colorectal cancers, few studies have performed a comprehensive analysis by screening the whole gene for mutations and assessing allelic loss. APC ...seems to act as a tumor-suppressor gene in a "nonclassical" fashion: data from familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) show that the site of the germ-line mutation determines the type of "second hit" in FAP tumors, and simple protein inactivation is selected weakly, if at all. In this study, we screened the entire coding region of APC for mutations and assessed allelic loss in a set of 41 colorectal cancer cell lines. Of 41 cancers, 32 (83%) showed evidence of APC mutation and/or allelic loss. We identified several APC mutations and found a "hotspot" for somatic mutation in sporadic colorectal tumors at codon 1,554. Our results suggest that APC mutations occur in the great majority of colorectal cancers, the exceptions almost all being RER+ tumors, which may substitute for altered APC function by mutations in β -catenin and/or at other loci. When combined with previously published data, our results show that there is interdependence of the "two hits" at APC in sporadic colorectal tumors as well as in FAP. APC mutations in the "mutation cluster region," especially those close to codon 1,300, are associated with allelic loss, whereas tumors with mutations outside this region tend to harbor truncating mutations. The causes of this phenomenon are probably selection for retained N-terminal and lost C-terminal APC functions, effects on β -catenin levels, and APC protein stability.
Aims: To evaluate the antagonistic effect of Pseudomonas M162 against Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Methods and Results: The antagonistic activity of M162 was tested in vivo and in vitro, and its ...mode of action examined by siderophore production and immunological responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fry. Pseudomonas M162 inhibited the growth of Fl. psychrophilum in vitro and increased the resistance of the fish against the pathogen, resulting in a relative per cent survival (RPS) of 39·2%. However, the siderophores produced by M162 did not have an inhibitory effect on Fl. psychrophilum. In fish fed with M162, the probiotic colonized the gastrointestinal tract and stimulated peripheral blood leucocyte counts, serum lysozyme activity and total serum immunoglobulin levels after 3 weeks from the start of feeding. Conclusions: This study showed the potential of Pseudomonas M162 as a probiotic by reducing the mortalities that occurred during an experimental Fl. psychrophilum infection, resulting mainly through the immunostimulatory effects of the bacterium. Significance and Impact of the Study: Rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS) causes high mortalities during the early life stages of the fish’s life cycle, partly because their adaptive immunity has not yet fully developed. Thus, immunomodulation by probiotics could be an effective prophylactic method against RTFS.
Using the order parameter of seismicity defined in natural time, we suggest a simple model for the explanation of Båth law, according to which a mainshock differs in magnitude from its largest ...aftershock by approximately 1.2 regardless of the mainshock magnitude. In addition, the validity of Båth law is studied in the Global Centroid Moment Tensor catalogue by using two different aftershock definitions. It is found that the mean of this difference, when considering all the pairs mainshock-largest aftershock, does not markedly differ from 1.2 and the corresponding distributions do not depend on the mainshock’s magnitude threshold in a statistically significant manner. Finally, the analysis of the cumulative distribution functions provides evidence in favour of the proposed model.
Background
Evidence from healthcare professionals suggest that consumer compliance to healthy diet and lifestyle changes is often poor. The present study investigated the effect of advice provided by ...a physician or dietitian on consumer adherence to these measures combined with consuming foods with added plant sterols (PS) with the aim of lowering low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C).
Methods
One hundred mildly‐to‐moderately hypercholesterolaemic individuals were enrolled into a parallel, randomised, placebo‐controlled study. Dietitians (dietitian group; DG) advised 50 individuals in six weekly face‐to‐face behavioural therapy sessions, whereas the other 50 received standard advice from physicians (physician group, PG). Both groups consumed foods with added PS (three servings a day) for 6 weeks. Subsequently, all individuals were followed‐up for another 6 weeks under real‐life conditions. Blood lipids were measured at baseline and weeks 6 and 12 and 3‐day diet diaries were taken at weeks 1, 6 and 12.
Results
Individuals in the DG significantly improved their dietary habits, physical activity and increased PS intake compared to the PG. After 6 weeks, LDL‐C decreased in both groups compared to baseline without any significant differences between groups. At week 12, LDL‐C was further significantly improved only in the DG (P = 0.006) compared to week 6. Total cholesterol, LDL‐C and triglycerides were significantly lower in the DG compared to the PG at week 12 after adjusting for levels at week 6 (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively).
Conclusions
Although structured counselling by dietitians and common standard advice by physicians were equally effective with respect to improving blood cholesterol after 6 weeks, dietitians were more effective in the longer‐term (i.e. 6 weeks after the end of the intervention period).
We study Li and, for the first time, K, Mg and Zn ion intercalation on the surface of the Zr2CS2 MXene monolayer, taking advantage of the fact that the S terminations lower the diffusion barrier of ...the ions. We find that the Zr2CS2-Li, Zr2CS2-K and Zr2CS2-Mg structures are identical, with only Zr2CS2-Zn differing as to the position of the ion and Zn detaching from the MXene’s surface during migration. Regarding the use of Zr2CS2 as anode material in ion batteries, we examine as criteria the adsorption energy, diffusion barrier energy and open-circuit voltage for each of the ions considered. We show that the K ion has higher mobility, as well as lower open-circuit voltage. These results lead to the fact that KIB have fastest charge/discharge rates and higher energy density than LIB, MIB, and ZIB when it comes to the use of S-terminated, Zr-based materials as negative (anode) electrodes. KIB, therefore, seem the best alternative to LIB, especially after taking under consideration K’s low cost and abundance of resources.
•S termination atoms lower the ion diffusion barrier on the surface of the Zr2CS2 MXene.•The Zn ion detaches from the Zr2CS2 surface during migration.•KIB have fastest charge/discharge rates and higher energy density when using the Zr2CS2 MXene as anode electrode.•KIB seem the best alternative to LIB after taking under consideration K’s low cost and abundance of resources
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