Successive fermentation of aguamiel and molasses by Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to obtain high purity fructooligosaccharides

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are usually synthesized with pure enzymes using highly concentrated sucrose solutions. In this work, low-cost aguamiel and molasses were explored as sucrose alternatives to produce FOS, via whole-cell fermentation, with an Aspergillus oryzae DIA-MF strain. FOS production process was optimized through a central composite experimental design, with two independent variables: initial sucrose concentration in a medium composed of aguamiel and molasses (AgMe), and inoculum concentration. The optimized process—165 g/L initial sucrose in AgMe (adjusted with concentrated molasses) and 1 × 107 spores/mL inoculum concentration—resulted in an FOS production of 119 ± 12 g/L and a yield of 0.64 ± 0.05 g FOS/g GFi. Among the FOSs produced were kestose, nystose, 1-fructofuranosyl-nystose, and potentially a novel trisaccharide produced by this strain. To reduce the content of mono- and disaccharides in the mixture, run a successive fermentation was run with two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Fermentations run with S. cerevisiae S227 improved FOS purity in the mixture from 39 ± 3% to 61.0 ± 0.6% (w/w) after 16 h of fermentation. This study showed that agro-industrial wastes such as molasses with aguamiel are excellent alternatives as substrate sources for the production of prebiotic FOS, resulting in a lower-cost process.Orlando de la Rosa acknowledges the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT-Mexico) for the financial support given through the PBM (Program Becas Mixtas) (CVU 860996) and the APC was funded by Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila (Mexico). The study was also supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and the Project ColOsH PTDC/BTM-SAL/30071/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030071).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Predicting the current distribution of the chacoan peccary (catagonus wagneri) in the gran Chaco

The Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri), or Tagua, an endemic species living in the Chaco eco¬region, is endangered by highly increasing deforestation rates across the region, particularly in the last decade. This situation highlights the need to better understand the current distribution of the species, as well as how environmental conditions affect habitat suitability. This study predicts the distribution of the Chacoan peccary and evaluates the current environmental conditions in the Chaco for this species. Using six environmental variables and 177 confirmed occurrence records (from 2000 to 2015) provided by researchers, we developed a Species Distribution Model (SDM) applying the Maxent algorithm. The final model was highly accurate and significant (p < 0.001; AUC 0.860 ± 0.0268; omission error 1.82 %; post¬hoc validation of omission error using independent presence¬only records 1.33 %), predicting that 46.24 % of the Chaco is suitable habitat for the Chacoan peccary, with the most important areas concentrated in the middle of Paraguay and northern Argentina. Land cover, isothermality and elevation were the variables that better explained the habitat suitability for the Chacoan peccary. Despite some portions of suitable areas occurring inside protected areas, the borders and the central portions of suitable areas have recently suffered from intensive deforestation and development, and most of the highly suitable areas for the species are not under protection. The results provide fundamental insights for the establishment of priority Chacoan peccary conservation areas within its rangeFil: Paschoaletto Micchi, Katia Maria. Universidade Do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz Esalq; Brasil. Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Brazilian network; BrasilFil: Silva Angelieri, Cintia Camila. Universidade Do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz Esalq; BrasilFil: Altrichter, Mariana. Prescott College; Estados UnidosFil: Desbiez, Arnaud. Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Edimburgo; Reino Unido. Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Brazilian network; BrasilFil: Yanosky, Alberto. Asociación Guyra Paraguay. Asunción; ParaguayFil: Campos Krauer, Juan Manuel. Centro Chaqueño para la Conservación y la Investigación; ParaguayFil: Torres, Ricardo Jose. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Cabral, Hugo. Asociación Guyra Paraguay. Asunción; ParaguayFil: Cartés, José. Asociación Guyra Paraguay. Asunción; ParaguayFil: Cuellar, Rosa Leny. Fundación Kaa Iya; BoliviaFil: Gallegos, Marcelo. Secretaría de Ambiente de la Provincia de Salta. Programa Guardaparques; ArgentinaFil: Giordano, Anthony J.. No especifica;Fil: Decarre, Julieta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Maffei, Leonardo. Wildlife Conservation Society. Lima; PerúFil: Neris, Nora. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Saldivar Bellassai, Silvia. Itaipu Binacional; ParaguayFil: Wallace, Robert. Wildlife Conservation Society. New York; Estados UnidosFil: Lizarraga, Leónidas. Delegación Regional Noroeste. Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad de la Administración de Parques Nacionales. Salta; ArgentinaFil: Thompson, Jeffrey. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Velilla, Mariela. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; Paragua

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 lowgrade 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

Reproductive management strategies to reduce postpartum anestrus in dual-purpose cattle

Objective: Share technical aspects and recommendations to improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of dual-purpose cattle. Design/methodology/approach: A review of scientific publications was carried out to show the importance of some factors that limit reproduction, as well as management strategies to increase the reproductive potential in dual-purpose cows. Results: Strategic supplementation and selection of females with greater weight gain at weaning and at one year of age reduces the age at puberty. The duration of postpartum anestrus is reduced by weaning calves at a few days or weeks of age, restricting suckling to short periods of the day, delaying suckling, and exposing cows to a bull a few days after postpartum. On average, the combined effect of delayed suckling and exposure of cows to a bull reduces postpartum anestrus to less than 50 d and the calving-conception interval to 84 days. Milk production and calf weight gain also are improved without affecting postpartum weight changes in cows. Study limitations/implications: Extensive management of dual-purpose cattle reduces the intensive use of some reproductive biotechnologies commonly applied in other animal production systems. Findings/conclusions: Improvement in the reproductive efficiency of dual-purpose cattle can be achieved by reducing the age at puberty and postpartum anestrus by using reproductive management strategies and minor modifications to common management practices.Objective: To share technical aspects and recommendations to improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of dual-purpose cattle. Design/Methodology/Approach: A review of scientific articles published in journals was carried out to show the importance of some factors that limit reproduction, as well as to identify management strategies to increase the reproductive potential in dual-purpose cows. Results: The duration of postpartum anestrus is reduced by weaning calves at a few days or weeks of age, restricting suckling to short periods of the day, delaying suckling, and exposing cows to a bull during postpartum. On average, the combined effect of delayed suckling and exposure of cows to a bull reduces postpartum anestrus to less than 50 d and the calving-conception interval to 84 days. Milk production and calf weight gain also are improved without affecting postpartum weight changes in cows. Study Limitations/Implications: Extensive management of dual-purpose cattle reduces the intensive use of some reproductive biotechnologies commonly applied in other animal production systems. Findings/Conclusions: Improvement in the reproductive efficiency of dual-purpose cattle can be achieved by reducing the postpartum anestrus by using reproductive management strategies and minor modifications to common management practices

Parámetros de estabilidad en híbridos de girasol con alto contenido de oléico/Stability parameters in sunower hybrids with high oleic content

Se evaluaron híbridos de girasol que tienen aceite con alto contenido de ácido oléico, los cuales fueron Olisun 1, Olisun 2, Sabritas 1, Híbrido 1, Híbrido 2 e Híbrido 3, en los ambientes de Venecia, Durango, Durango, Durango en el ciclo Primavera-Verano 2010; y Venecia, Durango, en el ciclo Primavera-Verano 2011, bajo un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. El análisis de parámetros de estabilidad, reveló diferencias signicativas (p < 0.05) entre híbridos para el contenido de ácido oléico. Para rendimiento de grano el híbrido 1 fue superior (p < 0.05) a los otros híbridos evaluados. El modelo de Eberhart y Russell para las variables ácido oléico y rendimiento clasicó a los híbridos como estables, con excepción del híbrido Sabritas 1 que tuvo desviación de la regresión signicativa que lo clasicó como inconsistente. Con base en el contenido de ácido oléico, rendimiento de grano y estabilidad, los mejores híbridos fueron Híbrido 3 y Sabritas 1

Erratum: Author Correction: Identification of genes required for eye development by high-throughput screening of mouse knockouts.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0226-0.]

The muscle and neural architecture of Taenia crassiceps cysticerci revisited; implications on head-tail polarization of the larvae

Taenia crassiceps has been used for decades as an experimental model for the study of human and porcine cysticercosis. Even though, its life cycle, tissue organization, ultrastructure and immune response elicited in the host, have been extensively described, there are many other biological questions remaining to be addressed. In the present study we revisited the muscle and neural architecture of cysticerci in two of the most frequently used strains (WFU and ORF), using conventional staining and confocal microscopy imaging, aiming to assemble an updated anatomy. Differences between both strains, including polarization processes during development of the young budding larvae, are emphasized. We also performed a search for genes that have been related to peptidergic neural processes in other related flatworms. These findings can help to understand the anatomical and molecular consequences of the scolex presence or absence in both strains