Microwave irradiation enhances the <i>in vitro </i>antifungal activity of citrus by-product aqueous extracts against <i>Alternaria alternata</i>

The effect of two lemon by-product aqueous extracts at different concentrations (14, 7, 3.5 and 1 mg mL−1) was tested against the in vitro growth of Alternaria alternata. Prior to extraction, one batch of by-product was dehydrated by freeze-drying (untreated by-product), while the other batch was treated by microwave irradiation in conjunction with freeze-drying (microwave-treated by-product). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for the identification of individual phenolic compounds with potent antifungal activities. Both lemon by-product aqueous extracts inhibited the mycelial growth and suppressed the spore germination of the fungus in a concentration-dependent manner. In general, the extracts obtained from the microwave-treated lemon by-product displayed enhanced antifungal activity than those obtained from the untreated one. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that both lemon by-product extracts affected the hyphal morphology of the fungus. The antifungal activity of the extracts was attributed to their phenolic acid and ascorbic acid contents

Ubiquitylation of the ER-Shaping Protein Lunapark via the CRL3KLHL12 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex

Summary: Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) control key cellular processes by promoting ubiquitylation of a multitude of soluble cytosolic and nuclear proteins. Subsets of CRL complexes are recruited and activated locally at cellular membranes; however, few CRL functions and substrates at these distinct cellular compartments are known. Here, we use a proteomic screen to identify proteins that are ubiquitylated at cellular membranes and found that Lunapark, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-shaping protein localized to ER three-way junctions, is ubiquitylated by the CRL3KLHL12 ubiquitin ligase. We demonstrate that Lunapark interacts with mechanistic target of rapamycin complex-1 (mTORC1), a central cellular regulator that coordinates growth and metabolism with environmental conditions. We show that mTORC1 binds Lunapark specifically at three-way junctions, and lysosomes, where mTORC1 is activated, make contact with three-way junctions where Lunapark resides. Inhibition of Lunapark ubiquitylation results in neurodevelopmental defects indicating that KLHL12-dependent ubiquitylation of Lunapark is required for normal growth and development

Potential effects of oilseed rape expressing oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1) and of purified insecticidal proteins on larvae of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis

Despite their importance as pollinators in crops and wild plants, solitary bees have not previously been included in non-target testing of insect-resistant transgenic crop plants. Larvae of many solitary bees feed almost exclusively on pollen and thus could be highly exposed to transgene products expressed in the pollen. The potential effects of pollen from oilseed rape expressing the cysteine protease inhibitor oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1) were investigated on larvae of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis (= O. rufa). Furthermore, recombinant OC-1 (rOC-1), the Bt toxin Cry1Ab and the snowdrop lectin Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA) were evaluated for effects on the life history parameters of this important pollinator. Pollen provisions from transgenic OC-1 oilseed rape did not affect overall development. Similarly, high doses of rOC-1 and Cry1Ab as well as a low dose of GNA failed to cause any significant effects. However, a high dose of GNA (0.1%) in the larval diet resulted in significantly increased development time and reduced efficiency in conversion of pollen food into larval body weight. Our results suggest that OC-1 and Cry1Ab expressing transgenic crops would pose a negligible risk for O. bicornis larvae, whereas GNA expressing plants could cause detrimental effects, but only if bees were exposed to high levels of the protein. The described bioassay with bee brood is not only suitable for early tier non-target tests of transgenic plants, but also has broader applicability to other crop protection products

Methods for analysis of brain connectivity : An IFCN-sponsored review

The goal of this paper is to examine existing methods to study the "Human Brain Connectome" with a specific focus on the neurophysiological ones. In recent years, a new approach has been developed to evaluate the anatomical and functional organization of the human brain: the aim of this promising multimodality effort is to identify and classify neuronal networks with a number of neurobiologically meaningful and easily computable measures to create its connectome. By defining anatomical and functional connections of brain regions on the same map through an integrated approach, comprising both modern neurophysiological and neuroimaging (i.e. flow/metabolic) brain-mapping techniques, network analysis becomes a powerful tool for exploring structural-functional connectivity mechanisms and for revealing etiological relationships that link connectivity abnormalities to neuropsychiatric disorders. Following a recent IFCN-endorsed meeting, a panel of international experts was selected to produce this current state-of-art document, which covers the available knowledge on anatomical and functional connectivity, including the most commonly used structural and functional MRI, EEG, MEG and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and measures of local and global brain connectivity. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.Peer reviewe

Limited Occurrence of Denitrification in Four Shallow Aquifers in Agricultural Areas of the United States

The ability of natural attenuation to mitigate agricultural nitrate contamination in recharging aquifers was investigated in four important agricultural settings in the United States. The study used laboratory analyses, field measurements, and flow and transport modeling for monitoring well transects (0.5 to 2.5 km in length) in the San Joaquin watershed, California, the Elkhorn watershed, Nebraska, the Yakima watershed, Washington, and the Chester watershed, Maryland. Ground water analyses included major ion chemistry, dissolved gases, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes, and estimates of recharge date. Sediment analyses included potential electron donors and stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Within each site and among aquifer-based medians, dissolved oxygen decreases with ground water age, and excess N2 from denitrification increases with age. Stable isotopes and excess N2 imply minimal denitrifying activity at the Maryland and Washington sites, partial denitrification at the California site, and total denitrification across portions of the Nebraska site. At all sites, recharging electron donor concentrations are not sufficient to account for the losses of dissolved oxygen and nitrate, implying that relict, solid phase electron donors drive redox reactions. Zero-order rates of denitrification range from 0 to 0.14 μmol N L−1d−1, comparable to observations of other studies using the same methods. Many values reported in the literature are, however, orders of magnitude higher, which is attributed to a combination of method limitations and bias for selection of sites with rapid denitrification. In the shallow aquifers below these agricultural fields, denitrification is limited in extent and will require residence times of decades or longer to mitigate modern nitrate contamination

Tracking the hydro-climatic signal from lake to sediment: a field study from central Turkey

Palaeo-hydrological interpretations of lake sediment proxies can benefit from a robust understanding of the modern lake environment. In this study, we use Nar Gölü, a non-outlet, monomictic maar lake in central Turkey, as a field site for a natural experiment using observations and measurements over a 17-year monitoring period (1997–2014). We compare lake water and sediment trap data to isotopic, chemical and biotic proxies preserved in its varved sediments. Nar Gölü underwent a 3 m lake-level fall between 2000 and 2010. δ18Olakewater is correlated with this lake-level fall, responding to the change in water balance. Endogenic carbonate is shown to precipitate in isotopic equilibrium with lake water and there is a strong relationship between δ18Olakewater and δ18Ocarbonate, which suggests the water balance signal is accurately recorded in the sediment isotope record. Over the same period, sedimentary diatom assemblages also responded, and conductivity inferred from diatoms showed a rise. Shifts in carbonate mineralogy and elemental chemistry in the sediment record through this decade were also recorded. Intra-annual changes in δ18Olakewater and lake water chemistry are used to demonstrate the seasonal variability of the system and the influence this may have on the interpretation of δ18Ocarbonate. We use these relationships to help interpret the sedimentary record of changing lake hydrology over the last 1725 years. Nar Gölü has provided an opportunity to test critically the chain of connection from present to past, and its sedimentary record offers an archive of decadal- to centennial-scale hydro-climatic chang