Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 February 2013-31 March 2013

This article documents the addition of 142 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources database. Loci were developed for the following species: Agriophyllum squarrosum, Amazilia cyanocephala, Batillaria attramentaria, Fungal strain CTeY1 (Ascomycota), Gadopsis marmoratus, Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata, Liriomyza sativae, Lupinus polyphyllus, Metschnikowia reukaufii, Puccinia striiformis and Xylocopa grisescens. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Amazilia beryllina, Amazilia candida, Amazilia rutila, Amazilia tzacatl, Amazilia violiceps, Amazilia yucatanensis, Campylopterus curvipennis, Cynanthus sordidus, Hylocharis leucotis, Juniperus brevifolia, Juniperus cedrus, Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus thurifera, Liriomyza bryoniae, Liriomyza chinensis, Liriomyza huidobrensis and Liriomyza trifolii. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Peer Reviewe

Semi-industrial development of nutritious and healthy seafood dishes from sustainable species

This study aimed to devise innovative, tailor-made, appealing, tasty and semi-industrialized dishes, using sustainable and under-utilized seafood species (bib, common dab, common carp, blue mussel and blue whiting), that can meet the specific nutritional and functional needs of children (8-10-years), pregnant women (20-40-years) and seniors (≥60-years). Hence, contests were organised among cooking schools from 6 European countries and the best recipes/dishes were reformulated, semi-industrially produced and chemically and microbiologically evaluated. The dishes intended for: (i) children and pregnant women had EPA + DHA and I levels that reached the target quantities, supporting the claim as “high in I”; and (ii) seniors were “high in protein” (24.8%-Soup_S and 34.0%-Balls_S of the energy was provided by proteins), “high in vitamin B12”, and had Na contents (≤0.4%) below the defined limit. All dishes reached the vitamin D target value. Sausages_C, Roulade_P, Fillet_P and Balls_S had a well-balanced protein/fat ratio. Roulade_P presented the highest n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA ratio (3.3), while Sausages_C the lowest SFA/UNS ratio (0.2). Dishes were considered safe based on different parameters (e.g. Hg-T, PBDEs, Escherichia coli). All represent dietary sources contributing to meet the reference intakes of target nutrients (33->100%), providing valuable options to overcome nutritional and functional imbalances of the three groups.This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no. 773400 (SEAFOODTOMORROW). This work was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CEX 2018-000794-S), the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group Water and Soil Quality Unit 2017 SGR 1404) and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES) through national funds (UID/QUI/50006/2019, UIDB/50006/2020, UIDP/50006/2020, UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020). The authors also thank FCT and the European Union's H2020 Research and Innovation Programme for funding through the project Systemic - An integrated approach to the challenge of sustainable food systems: adaptive and mitigatory strategies to address climate change and malnutrition. Sara Cunha also acknowledges FCT for the IF/01616/2015 contract. Biotage is acknowledged for providing SPE cartridges and Bekolut for the QuEChERS kits. This output reflects the views only of the author(s), and the European Union cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein

Qualidade da matéria orgânica de solos sob cultivo de café consórciado com adubos verdes

O aporte de resíduos orgânicos, associado ao processo de humificação, promove melhoria dos atributos do solo e garante ao agricultor a manutenção do sistema produtivo. As leguminosas visam, além do fornecimento de nutrientes para o café, melhorar a qualidade da matéria orgânica do solo com a formação das substâncias húmicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o impacto do uso de leguminosas, como adubo verde, na qualidade das substâncias húmicas em solos sob café em duas condições edafoclimáticas na Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais. Foram cultivados amendoim forrageiro, calopogônio, estilosantes, mucuna e espécies espontâneas durante quatro anos, em duas propriedades de agricultores familiares. Após quatro anos, realizaram-se a coleta de solo, extração e purificação das SH para obtenção dos ácidos fúlvicos (AFs) e húmicos (AHs). Foram realizadas análise elementar (CHNO), UV-visível, infravermelho e termogravimetria do material purificado. Os resultados evidenciaram que os AHs possuem maior peso molecular, hidrofobicidade, condensação, e compostos aromáticos com maior teor de C, conferindo maior estabilidade estrutural em relação aos AFs. O ambiente voltado para a face sul, com menor incidência de luz, menor temperatura e maior umidade, possui substâncias húmicas estruturalmente mais estáveis e resistentes à degradação do que as extraídas de solo voltado para o noroeste. O tratamento com calopogônio apresentou baixo teor de C e elevado teor de O na composição dos AFs, caracterizando compostos de menor estabilidade estrutural em relação aos AFs, sob os tratamentos com estilosantes, mucuna e espontâneas. Nos AHs, o uso das leguminosas apresentaram resultados semelhantes

Influence of monoolein on progesterone transdermal delivery

abstract This work aimed to investigate in vitro the influence of monoolein (MO) on progesterone (PG) transdermal delivery and skin retention. Information about the role of MO as an absorption enhancer for lipophilic molecules can help on innovative product development capable of delivering the hormone through the skin in a consistent manner, improving transdermal therapy of hormonal replacement. MO was dispersed in propylene glycol under heat at concentrations of 0% (control), 5% w/w, 10% w/w and 20% w/w. Then, 0.6% of PG (w/w) was added to each formulation. Permeation profile of the hormone was determined in vitro for 48 h using porcine skin in Franz diffusion cells. PG permeation doubled when 5% (w/w) of MO was present in formulation in comparison to both the control and higher MO concentrations (10% and 20% w/w). An equal trend was observed for PG retention in stratum corneum (SC) and reminiscent skin (E+D). PG release rates from the MO formulations, investigated using cellulose membranes, revealed that concentrations of MO higher than 5% (w/w) hindered PG release, which indeed negatively reflected on the hormone permeation through the skin. In conclusion, this work demonstrated the feasibility of MO addition (at 5% w/w) in formulations as a simple method to increase transdermal PG delivery for therapies of hormonal replacement. In contrast, higher MO concentrations (from 10% to 20% w/w) can control active release, and this approach could be extrapolated to other lipophilic, low-molecular-weight molecules

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19

Interindividual clinical variability in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is vast. We report that at least 101 of 987 patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia had neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against interferon-w (IFN-w) (13 patients), against the 13 types of IFN-a (36), or against both (52) at the onset of critical disease; a few also had auto-Abs against the other three type I IFNs. The auto-Abs neutralize the ability of the corresponding type I IFNs to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. These auto-Abs were not found in 663 individuals with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and were present in only 4 of 1227 healthy individuals. Patients with auto-Abs were aged 25 to 87 years and 95 of the 101 were men. A B cell autoimmune phenocopy of inborn errors of type I IFN immunity accounts for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in at least 2.6% of women and 12.5% of men