Effects of different amendments (organic matter and hydrogel) on the actual evapotranspiration and crop coefficient of turf grass under field conditions

The irrigation schedule in arid areas has to be efficient in order to reduce losses due to evaporation and deep infiltration. Irrigation optimization poses the need to establish with precision the value of actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and the crop coefficient (Kc). The water soil availability can be increased using hydrogel and organic matter amendments, and their effects could vary ETa and Kc. The aim of this study was to determine the ETa, and Kc of an experimental site with lysimeters on the Spanish Mediterranean coast cropped with a turf grass variety, Agrostis stolonifera ‐L‐93, under field conditions, and amended with hydrogel and organic matter. Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) was determined from meteorological data (FAO‐Penman‐Monteith equation). ETa was calculated from the water balance, and Kc was obtained by dividing ETa by ET0. Kc was calculated and compared on a yearly, monthly and daily basis. In summer, the differences between amendments become manifest:Unamended lysimeter (100% sand) had Kc values (0.92‐1.16), similar to organic matter amended lysimeter (0.99‐1.17). Maximum and minimum Kc values for the hydrogel amended lysimeters (1.04‐1.52) were higher than those from the other because of the ability of this compound to retain water, which facilitated evapotranspiration. Finally, hydrogel helped to maintain the turf grass quality

Native foods from Brazilian biodiversity as a source of bioactive compounds

AbstractThe interest in South American native plant species has been growing in recent years due to their health benefits. Brazil is one of the world's mega-diverse locations with over 40,000 different plant species representing 20% of the world's flora. The country was visited in the 19th century by European travelers and naturalists, who described the use of native plant species as food. In this study, data on 67 species was recovered from historical documents and bibliographies. Several of the recorded species show potential as functional food in laboratory studies. Other species are unknown or not yet submitted to any study, in order to verify their health benefits

Effects of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. fruit on metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction induced by high refined carbohydrate-containing-diet in mice

AbstractObesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, which has been shown to be involved in the development of various comorbidities such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and liver damage. Phytochemicals found in some spices could modulate inflammation and improve health problems associated with the excess of adiposity. The extract of the Brazilian pepper Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (CEXA) showed positive effects in the lower dose on oral glucose tolerance, hepatic steatosis and liver inflammation. The higher dose of CEXA also showed improvement on insulin sensitivity and release of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-13 and IL-4 on adipose tissue and liver. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids in CEXA. This study suggests the potential of the Brazilian pepper to attenuate mice glucose resistance and liver inflammation, health problems commonly associated with obesity

Anti-inflammatory activity of American yam Dioscorea trifida L.f. in food allergy induced by ovalbumin in mice

AbstractTropical ecosystems are particularly rich in edible plant species with different bioactive substances. Among the plants with promising benefits for health are species from the genus Dioscorea (Dioscoreaceae), especially those named yam. Recent studies have shown the beneficial effects of different species of Dioscorea, and its main constituent, diosgenine, in the treatment of food allergy. In this study we evaluated the potential of D. trifida, the only yam native from South America, in the treatment of ovalbumin (OVA) induced food allergy in Balb/c mice. HPLC/DAD analysis showed the presence of three very distinctive groups of natural products in extracts and fractions: (I) very polar substances, including allantoin, (II) phenolic substances as flavonoids and phenolic acids and (III) diosgenin and derivatives. Sensitive mice received casein feed with supplementation of crude extract (CE) and fractions. The supplementation with all products from D. trifida reduced IGE, intestinal oedema and mucus production, parameters observed in OVA allergic mice. The results showed the potential of this food to prevent or treat this disease and the necessity to be better explored

Spøgelsescyklisme – Udbredelse, kendetegn og risiko: Artikel

En spøgelsescyklist er en cyklist, som ulovligt cykler mod færdselsretningen, dvs. i den forkerte side af vejen på veje med to eller flere kørespor. I dette projekt er spøgelsescyklister inddelt i grønne, gule og røde spøgelsescyklister, som er cyklister, som cykler hhv. kort (under 50 m), mellemlangt (50-500 m) og langt (over 500 m) mod færdselsretningen. Betegnelsen spøgelsescyklist er inspireret af spøgelsesbilist, som er en bilist, der kører mod færdselsretningen. Spøgelsesbilisme har fået stor opmærksomhed i mange år, mens opmærksomheden mod spøgelsescyklisme har været begrænset. I denne artikel har vi derfor rettet opmærksomheden mod netop spøgelsescyklisme.Formålet med projektet har været at udforske spøgelsescyklistfænomen nærmere, og konkret at undersøge 1) hvor mange de er, 2) hvornår de findes, 3) hvor de findes, 4) hvem de er, 5) hvorfor de findes, 6) hvor farlige de er og 7) hvordan antallet kan reduceres. For at undersøge disse delmål har vi foretaget 1) litteraturstudie af danske og udenlandske studier, erfaringer og tiltag, 2) analyse af 21 stræknings- og krydstællinger af cykeltrafik i København og Aarhus, 3) registrering af kendetegn og adfærd for 750 spøgelsescyklister i Aarhus, 4) videooptagelse og -analyse på fem lokaliteter i Aarhus, 5) stopinterview i trafikken af 50 spøgelsescyklister i Aarhus, og 6) landsdækkende web-spørgeundersøgelse blandt 1010 repræsentativt udvalgte danske trafikanter

Native Mass Spectrometry-Guided Screening Identifies Hit Fragments for HOP-HSP90 PPI Inhibition

Contemporary medicinal chemistry considers fragment‐based drug discovery (FBDD) and inhibition of protein‐protein interactions (PPI) as important means of expanding the volume of druggable chemical space. However, the ability to robustly identify valid fragments and PPI inhibitors is an enormous challenge, requiring the application of sensitive biophysical methodology. Accordingly, in this study, we exploited the speed and sensitivity of nanoelectrospray (nano‐ESI) native mass spectrometry to identify a small collection of fragments which bind to the TPR2AB domain of HOP. Follow‐up biophysical assessment of a small selection of binding fragments confirmed binding to the single TPR2A domain, and that this binding translated into PPI inhibitory activity between TPR2A and the HSP90 C‐terminal domain. An in‐silico assessment of binding fragments at the PPI interfacial region, provided valuable structural insight for future fragment elaboration strategies, including the identification of losartan as a weak, albeit dose‐dependent inhibitor of the target PPI

Wheat sprout extract induces changes on 20S proteasomes functionality.

Wheat sprouts contain a very high level of organic phosphates and a powerful cocktail of different molecules such as enzymes, reducing glycosides and polyphenols. The antioxidant properties of wheat sprouts have been widely documented and it has been shown that they are able to protect DNA against free-radicals mediated oxidative damage. Furthermore, we have recently reported on the effects of several polyphenols on 20S proteasomes, underlying the dual role of epigallocatechin-3-gallate as an antioxidant and a proteasome effector in cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wheat sprout extracts on 20S proteasome functionality. Wheat sprout extracts have been analysed and characterized for their polyphenolic content using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and RP-HPLC technique. Comparing our data with a polyphenol standard mixture we identified five different polyphenols: gallic acid, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin, epicatechin and catechin. The treatment of isolated 20S proteasomes with the extract induced a gradual inhibition of all the tested components, ChT-L, T-L, PGPH and BrAAP, in both the complexes. At low extract concentration a slight activation of the enzyme was evident only for the BrAAP component of the constitutive enzyme and the ChT-L activity of the immunoproteasome. b-casein degradation rate decreased, particularly with the immunoproteasome. Human Colon adenocarcinoma (Caco) cells, stimulated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, showed activation of the 20S proteasome activities at short incubation times and an increase in intracellular oxidative proteins. Cells treatment with wheat sprout extract led to proteasome inhibition in unstimulated cells and attenuated the effects mediated by TPA. Finally, exposure to the extract affected the expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins