METROPOLITAN AGRICULTURE, SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND THE FOOD-CITY RELATIONSHIP IN SOUTHERN EUROPE

Peri-urban agriculture is a pivotal issue in the debate on sustainable management of land in metropolitan regions worldwide. Multiple socioeconomic and environmental solutions introduced by new models of peri-urban agriculture are playing an important role in planning and management of fringe land. The recent development of peri-urban agriculture in Southern European cities was supposed to reflect latent, crisis-driven processes of 'coming back to land': new land has been extensively cultivated, and new relations have been created between farmers, communities and territories within peri-urban areas. This study describes some relevant experiences of peri-urban farming in 6 metropolitan regions (Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Athens, Istanbul) representative of different socioeconomic contexts in Southern Europe, outlining strengths and weaknesses in the use of fringe land for cropping, and evidencing relevant implications for urban sustainability

Relationship between Human Aging Muscle and Oxidative System Pathway

Ageing is a complex process that in muscle is usually associated with a decrease in mass, strength, and velocity of contraction. One of the most striking effects of ageing on muscle is known as sarcopenia. This inevitable biological process is characterized by a general decline in the physiological and biochemical functions of the major systems. At the cellular level, aging is caused by a progressive decline in mitochondrial function that results in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the addition of a single electron to the oxygen molecule. The aging process is characterized by an imbalance between an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species in the organism and the antioxidant defences as a whole. The goal of this review is to examine the results of existing studies on oxidative stress in aging human skeletal muscles, taking into account different physiological factors (sex, fibre composition, muscle type, and function)

A defective ABC transporter of the MRP family, responsible for the bean lpa1 mutation, affects the regulation of the phytic acid pathway, reduces seed myo-inositol and alters ABA sensitivity

We previously identified the lpa1 (low phytic acid) 280-10 line that carries a mutation conferring a 90% reduction in phytic acid (InsP6) content. In contrast to other lpa mutants, lpa1(280-10) does not display negative pleiotropic effects. In the present paper, we have identified the mutated gene and analysed its impact on the phytic acid pathway. Here, we mapped the lpa1(280-10) mutation by bulk analysis on a segregating F2 population, an then, by comparison with the soybean genome, we identified and sequenced a candidate gene. The InsP6 pathway was analysed by gene expression and quantification of metabolites. The mutated Pvmrp1(280-10) cosegregates with the lpa1(280-10) mutation, and the expression level of several genes of the InsP6 pathway are reduced in the lpa1(280-10) mutant as well as the inositol and raffinosaccharide content. PvMrp2, a very similar paralogue of PvMrp1 was also mapped and sequenced. The lpa1 mutation in beans is likely the result of a defective Mrp1 gene (orthologous to the lpa genes AtMRP5 and ZmMRP4), while its Mrp2 paralog is not able to complement the mutant phenotype in the seed. This mutation appears to down-regulate the InsP6 pathway at the transcriptional level, as well as altering inositol-related metabolism and affecting ABA sensitivity

Phenolic composition of some Tunisian medicinal plants associated with anti-proliferative effect on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells

AbstractPlants have been seen to possess the potential to be excellent biological matrices to serve as a basis for investigating the presence of promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Several successful anti-cancer medicines - or their analogues - nowadays in use are plant derived and many more are under clinical trials. Under current circumstances, the purpose of this work was to test aqueous and ethanolic extracts of five aromatic and medicinal plants from arid zones on some tumor cell lines. These plants, Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng, Crithmum maritimum (L.) Spreng, Hammada scoparia (Pomel) Iljin, Retama raetam (Forssk.) and Zizyphus lotus (L.) Desf., widely used in Tunisian ethnomedicine, were assessed for their phenolic compounds, antioxidants and anticancer activities in aqueous and ethanol extracts. Total polyphenols, flavonoid and tannin contents were determined colorimetrically and some of these molecules were identified using RP-HPLC. A significant difference on phenolic contents and composition were found among the investigated plants. Cymbopogon schoenanthus was the richest in phenolic compounds (approx. 72%) with quercetine-3-o-rhamnoside (approx. 33%) as main contributor. For all the tested plants, the highest antioxidant capacity was detected in the ethanolic extracts rather than in the aqueous ones. The highest antiproliferative potential was observed for the ethanolic extracts. Hammada scoparia, Retama raetam and Zizyphus lotus exhibited important antiproliferative effect that reached 67% at a 1% extract concentration. Taken together, the present study supports the potential development of chemotherapeutic agents from, at least, four of the five studied Tunisian ethnomedicinal plants

Influence of Light Stress on the Accumulation of Xanthophylls and Lipids in Haematococcus pluvialis CCALA 1081 Grown under Autotrophic or Mixotrophic Conditions

The influence of light stress and trophic environmental conditions on the production of astaxanthin, other xanthophylls and lipids from an Argentinian strain of Haematococcus pluvialis was investigated. Microalgae cultures were incubated for two weeks in autotrophic or mixotrophic conditions (with sodium acetate in the culture medium) and subjected to two different light stresses. HPLC analyses showed that: 1) regardless of the growth conditions, microalgal cells accumulated most of the astaxanthin (about 90%) in esterified form; 2) maximal increase of astaxanthin level was observed in the culture grown in autotrophic conditions subjected to moderate light stress (90 μmol photons m-2 s-1), while the same light regime in mixotrophic conditions led to a lower increase (only 25.8 fold); 3) in the case of high light stress (350 μmol photons m-2 s-1), the adaptive response of microalgae also led to a significant increase in the amount of astaxanthin both in autotrophic (22 fold increase) and in mixotrophic (16 fold increase) conditions; 4) an inverse correlation (R2 = 0.977) exists between the amount of lipids and that of astaxanthin accumulated by Haematococcus grown under different growth conditions; 5) lutein was found to be the most accumulated pigment in microalgae not subjected to light stress.Fil: Doria, Enrico. University of Pavia. Department of Biology and Biotechnology; ItaliaFil: Temporiti, Marta Elisabetta E.. University of Pavia. Department of Biology and Biotechnology; ItaliaFil: Damiani, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Popovich, Cecilia Angelines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Leonardi, Patricia Ines. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Nielsen, Erik. University of Pavia. Department of Biology and Biotechnology; Itali

Genetic reduction of antinutrients in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seed, increases nutrients and in vitro iron bioavailability without depressing main agronomic traits

In common bean, lectins, phytic acid, polyphenols and tannins exert major antinutritional effects when grains are consumed as a staple food. Reduced iron and zinc absorption, low protein digestibility and high toxicity at the intestinal level are the causes of their antinutritional effect. To improve grain nutritional characteristics, the “low phytic acid” (lpa) trait recently obtained in bean and carried by the bean mutant lpa-280-10, was introgressed into different lectin-free (lf) lines, a few of which were white-seeded. The “white seed coat” (wsc) trait is correlated with a reduced amount of tannins and polyphenols in bean seed, and thus higher Fe bioavailability. Lf + lpa bean lines producing colored and white seeds, were developed. Three of these lines were submitted to a first field performance test carried out in two Italian locations, and two of them to biochemical analyses that evaluated fourteen nutritional parameters. Seedling emergence and grain yield of lf + lpa beans were statistically comparable to those of wild type cultivars, confirming the absence of major agronomic defects associated with the lpa trait. The presence of the three genetic traits lf, lpa and wsc in the same genetic background leads to a significant increase of the content of important nutrients such as crude proteins, total zinc, free phosphorus, and, in part, total iron. Iron bioavailability (as measured in vitro via a Caco-2 cell model) in lf + lpa brown and black seeds, was not significantly different from that surveyed in the wild type colored parents, while, it was on average twelve times higher in lf + lpa white bean seeds. Up to now, the white-seeded lf + lpa beans seem thus to be the only materials having really improved nutritional qualities

Hepatic abscess caused by trans-gastric migration of a fishbone

Background Stomach or duodenal perforation due to foreign body are usually associated with the development of a walled-off abdominal mass or abscess, and are less prone to cause systemic signs of infection. Methods and Case presentation A 65-year-old man with no comorbidities was admitted for rapid onset of abdominal discomfort, fever, and chills. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed an 8 cm abscess in the left lobe of the liver. The lesion was aspirated under ultrasound guidance; cultures from the abscess grew Streptococcus constellatus. Chest CT scan, colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and blood cultures were negative. The patient’s clinical status rapidly improved with antibiotic therapy, but a follow-up CT scan revealed the presence of a thin, 3 cm-long radiopaque object at the site of the previous abscess. A few months later, due to symptomatic cholelithiasis, the patient underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and concurrent removal of a 3 cm-long fishbone, which was embedded into the wall of the gastric antrum and the third segment of the liver, the latter which was partially resected. Results The small gastrotomy was reapproximated with a single resorbable stitch. The post-operative course was uneventful and at 6 month follow up, the patient was asymptomatic without evidence of residual abdominal pathology. Conclusions Asymptomatic perforation of the gastric wall by an ingested foreign body can occur and be subsequently complicated by a liver abscess. A contained perforation can be successfully managed conservatively

Changes in genotoxic stress response, ribogenesis and PAP (3’-phosphoadenosine 5’-phosphate) levels are associated with loss of desiccation tolerance in overprimed Medicago truncatula seeds

Re‐establishment of desiccation tolerance is essential for the survival of germinated seeds facing water deficit in the soil. The molecular and ultrastructural features of desiccation tolerance maintenance and loss within the nuclear compartment are not fully resolved. In the present study, the impact of desiccation‐induced genotoxic stress on nucleolar ultrastructure and ribogenesis was explored along the rehydration−dehydration cycle applied in standard seed vigorization protocols. Primed and overprimed Medicago truncatula seeds, obtained through hydropriming followed by desiccation (dry‐back), were analysed. In contrast to desiccation‐tolerant primed seeds, overprimed seeds enter irreversible germination and do not survive dry‐back. Reactive oxygen species, DNA damage and expression profiles of antioxidant/DNA Damage Response genes were measured, as main hallmarks of the seed response to desiccation stress. Nuclear ultrastructural features were also investigated. Overprimed seeds subjected to dry‐back revealed altered rRNA accumulation profiles and up‐regulation of genes involved in ribogenesis control. The signal molecule PAP (3′‐phosphoadenosine 5′‐phosphate) accumulated during dry‐back only in primed seeds, as a distinctive feature of desiccation tolerance. The presented results show the molecular and ultrastructural landscapes of the seed desiccation response, including substantial changes in nuclear organization

Effect of in-water oxygen prebreathing at different depths on decompression-induced bubble formation and platelet activation

Effect of in-water oxygen prebreathing at different depths on decompression-induced bubble formation and platelet activation in scuba divers was evaluated. Six volunteers participated in four diving protocols, with 2 wk of recovery between dives. On dive 1, before diving, all divers breathed normally for 20 min at the surface of the sea (Air). On dive 2, before diving, all divers breathed 100% oxygen for 20 min at the surface of the sea [normobaric oxygenation (NBO)]. On dive 3, before diving, all divers breathed 100% O2 for 20 min at 6 m of seawater [msw; hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) 1.6 atmospheres absolute (ATA)]. On dive 4, before diving, all divers breathed 100% O2 for 20 min at 12 msw (HBO 2.2 ATA). Then they dove to 30 msw (4 ATA) for 20 min breathing air from scuba. After each dive, blood samples were collected as soon as the divers surfaced. Bubbles were measured at 20 and 50 min after decompression and converted to bubble count estimate (BCE) and numeric bubble grade (NBG). BCE and NBG were significantly lower in NBO than in Air [0.142+/-0.034 vs. 0.191+/-0.066 (P<0.05) and 1.61+/-0.25 vs. 1.89+/-0.31 (P<0.05), respectively] at 20 min, but not at 50 min. HBO at 1.6 ATA and 2.2 ATA has a similar significant effect of reducing BCE and NBG. BCE was 0.067+/-0.026 and 0.040+/-0.018 at 20 min and 0.030+/-0.022 and 0.020+/-0.020 at 50 min. NBG was 1.11+/-0.17 and 0.92+/-0.16 at 20 min and 0.83+/-0.18 and 0.75+/-0.16 at 50 min. Prebreathing NBO and HBO significantly alleviated decompression-induced platelet activation. Activation of CD62p was 3.0+/-0.4, 13.5+/-1.3, 10.7+/-0.9, 4.5+/-0.7, and 7.6+/-0.8% for baseline, Air, NBO, HBO at 1.6 ATA, and HBO at 2.2 ATA, respectively. The data show that prebreathing oxygen, more effective with HBO than NBO, decreases air bubbles and platelet activation and, therefore, may be beneficial in reducing the development of decompression sickness