Tissue culture of ornamental cacti

Cacti species are plants that are well adapted to growing in arid and semiarid regions where the main problem is water availability. Cacti have developed a series of adaptations to cope with water scarcity, such as reduced leaf surface via morphological modifications including spines, cereous cuticles, extended root systems and stem tissue modifications to increase water storage, and crassulacean acid metabolism to reduce transpiration and water loss. Furthermore, seeds of these plants very often exhibit dormancy, a phenomenon that helps to prevent germination when the availability of water is reduced. In general, cactus species exhibit a low growth rate that makes their rapid propagation difficult. Cacti are much appreciated as ornamental plants due to their great variety and diversity of forms and their beautiful short-life flowers; however, due to difficulties in propagating them rapidly to meet market demand, they are very often over-collected in their natural habitats, which leads to numerous species being threatened, endangered or becoming extinct. Therefore, plant tissue culture techniques may facilitate their propagation over a shorter time period than conventional techniques used for commercial purposes; or may help to recover populations of endangered or threatened species for their re-introduction in the wild; or may also be of value to the preservation and conservation of the genetic resources of this important family. Herein we present the state-of-the-art of tissue culture techniques used for ornamental cacti and selected suggestions for solving a number of the problems faced by members of the Cactaceae family

Towards precision medicine: defining and characterizing adipose tissue dysfunction to identify early immunometabolic risk in symptom-free adults from the GEMM family study

Interactions between macrophages and adipocytes are early molecular factors influencing adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction, resulting in high leptin, low adiponectin circulating levels and low-grade metaflammation, leading to insulin resistance (IR) with increased cardiovascular risk. We report the characterization of AT dysfunction through measurements of the adiponectin/leptin ratio (ALR), the adipo-insulin resistance index (Adipo-IRi), fasting/postprandial (F/P) immunometabolic phenotyping and direct F/P differential gene expression in AT biopsies obtained from symptom-free adults from the GEMM family study. AT dysfunction was evaluated through associations of the ALR with F/P insulin-glucose axis, lipid-lipoprotein metabolism, and inflammatory markers. A relevant pattern of negative associations between decreased ALR and markers of systemic low-grade metaflammation, HOMA, and postprandial cardiovascular risk hyperinsulinemic, triglyceride and GLP-1 curves was found. We also analysed their plasma non-coding microRNAs and shotgun lipidomics profiles finding trends that may reflect a pattern of adipose tissue dysfunction in the fed and fasted state. Direct gene differential expression data showed initial patterns of AT molecular signatures of key immunometabolic genes involved in AT expansion, angiogenic remodelling and immune cell migration. These data reinforce the central, early role of AT dysfunction at the molecular and systemic level in the pathogenesis of IR and immunometabolic disorders

Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. RESULTS: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. CONCLUSIONS: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them

Bactericidal activity of caprylic acid entrapped in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

[EN] Development of nanotechnologies to improve the functionality of natural antimicrobials for food applications has received much attention in recent years. Mesoporous silica particles, such as MCM-41, have been recently proposed as smart delivery devices capable of loading and releasing large amounts of cargo. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of caprylic acid entrapped in MCM-41 nanoparticles against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes was tested and compared with the bactericidal effect of free caprylic acid using the macrodilution method. The minimum bactericidal concentration for free caprylic acid was established to be below 18.5 mM for S. aureus and L. monocytogenes and within the 18.5-20 mM range for E. coli and S. enterica. Moreover, caprylic acid loaded nanoparticles showed a total inhibition of the growth within the 18.5-20 mM range for the tested bacteria, and therefore the antimicrobial activity was preserved. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that bacteria treatment with the caprylic acid-loaded nanoparticles generated disruption of cell envelope and leakage of cytoplasmic content, which resulted in cell death. We believe that caprylic acid encapsulation in nanoparticles MCM-41 can provide an effective system for potential applications in food safety in the food industry due to the possible controlled release of fatty acid and the masking of its unpleasant organoleptic properties. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedRuiz Rico, M.; Fuentes López, C.; Pérez-Esteve, É.; Jiménez Belenguer, AI.; Quiles Chuliá, MD.; Marcos Martínez, MD.; Martínez-Máñez, R.... (2015). Bactericidal activity of caprylic acid entrapped in mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Food Control. 56:77-85. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.03.016S77855

Reviewing the use of resilience concepts in forest sciences

Purpose of the review Resilience is a key concept to deal with an uncertain future in forestry. In recent years, it has received increasing attention from both research and practice. However, a common understanding of what resilience means in a forestry context, and how to operationalise it is lacking. Here, we conducted a systematic review of the recent forest science literature on resilience in the forestry context, synthesising how resilience is defined and assessed. Recent findings Based on a detailed review of 255 studies, we analysed how the concepts of engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and social-ecological resilience are used in forest sciences. A clear majority of the studies applied the concept of engineering resilience, quantifying resilience as the recovery time after a disturbance. The two most used indicators for engineering resilience were basal area increment and vegetation cover, whereas ecological resilience studies frequently focus on vegetation cover and tree density. In contrast, important social-ecological resilience indicators used in the literature are socio-economic diversity and stock of natural resources. In the context of global change, we expected an increase in studies adopting the more holistic social-ecological resilience concept, but this was not the observed trend. Summary Our analysis points to the nestedness of these three resilience concepts, suggesting that they are complementary rather than contradictory. It also means that the variety of resilience approaches does not need to be an obstacle for operationalisation of the concept. We provide guidance for choosing the most suitable resilience concept and indicators based on the management, disturbance and application context

Biological performance of the penshell Atrina maura and mussel Mytella strigata under different water flow regimes

Three water flow rates (3.1, 7.3, and 12.1 cm s–1) were used during a 26-day period to determine their effects on shell dimensions, tissue mass, condition index, biochemical composition of tissues, and mortality of the penshell Atrina maura and mussel Mytella strigata kept in an open-flow flume. These parameters were measured at the beginning and end of the trial and significant differences were determined using non-parametric comparisons of multiple independent samples. Both species were able to withstand high seston loads and daily oscillations of temperature, which yielded negligible mortalities. Both species were affected differently by water flow. Atrina maura grew significantly larger above a flow of 7.3 cm s–1, which appears typical of species inhabiting tidal channels. At this flow, there was a significant increase in lipids and acylglycerols within the digestive gland, adductor muscle, and mantle tissue, accompanied by a significant decline in proteins and carbohydrates within the same organs. In contrast, the flow did not have a significant effect on M. strigata, except for increased lipid and acylglycerol reserves within body tissues at 3.1 and 7.3 cm s–1, and increased lipid and acylglycerol levels within the gonad at 7.3 and 12.1 cm s–1. Digestive gland proteins, carbohydrates, and glycogen increased at the highest flow. Data suggest that the penshell is a flow-conforming mollusk that prefers flows exceeding 7.3 cm s–1, and that the strigate mussel is a flow-regulating species in the range of flows that were studied.