Phenolic compounds and carotenoids amounts on guava epicarp injury, 'girdling'

A anomalia do epicarpo da goiaba, comumente relatada por agricultores e técnicos como o "anelamento juvenil da goiaba", tem causado preocupação devido à desinformação sobre o assunto. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar quimicamente as concentrações de substâncias fenólicas e carotenoides na região do epicarpo de goiabas afetadas pelo "anelamento", visando a caracterizar essa anomalia previamente relatada. Foram analisadas substâncias fenólicas (taninos, flavonas/flavonóis, antocianinas e fenóis totais) e carotenoides em epicarpos de frutos verdes e maduros de goiabeiras cv. Paluma, com e sem anomalia. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado, sendo estabelecidos seis tratamentos com o epicarpo dos frutos maduro sem anomalia na região inferior (FMSI); frutos maduros sem injuria na região superior (FMSS); frutos verdes sem anomalia na região inferior (FVSI); frutos verdes sem anomalia na região superior (FVSS); frutos verdes com anomalia na região inferior (FVCI); frutos verdes com anomalia na região superior (FVCS). Dentre as substâncias analisadas, os carotenoides, os taninos e os fenóis totais mostram indicativos para a caracterização do anelamento. Tanto substâncias fenólicas quanto carotenoides apresentam propriedades antioxidantes e, dessa forma, poderiam estar relacionadas à defesa antioxidante causada por um fator de estresse ainda desconhecido, que promove o "anelamento" característico apresentado pelas goiabas.Guava epicarp injuries, popularly known as "girdling", have been concerned technicians and producers due to misunderstand about their causes. The objective of this study was to analyze the amounts of phenolic compounds and carotenoids present on guava epicarp region affected by injury ("girdling") in order to characterize chemically those regions. Concentrations of phenolic compounds (tannins, flavones/flavonols, anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds) and carotenoids were analyzed on tissue from unripe and ripe guava injured and non-injured epicarp fruits (Psidium guajava cv. Paluma). The experimental design was randomized, and were established six treatments: epicarp from ripe fruit without injury in the lower (FMSI) and upper region (FMSS) of the fruit, unriped fruit without injury (lower - FVSI - and upper region - FVSS), injured unriped fruit with injury (lower - FVCI - and upper region - FVCS). Higher concentrations of phenolic compounds, carotenoids of tannins, were found on tissues of unripe fruit epicarp with "girdling" when compared with health epicarps. Results showed the participation of phenolics compounds (tannins) and carotenoids as possible substances that characterized the injury formation. Although phenolic compounds and carotenoids have antioxidant properties and are often related as antioxidant defenses, the causes of "girdling" of guava fruits are still unknown

Emotion-related impulsivity moderates the cognitive interference effect of smartphone availability on working memory

Although recent studies suggest that the mere presence of a smartphone might negatively impact on working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, and attentional processes, less is known about the individual differences that are liable to moderate this cognitive interference effect. This study tested whether individual differences in emotion-related impulsivity traits (positive urgency and negative urgency) moderate the effect of smartphone availability on cognitive performance. We designed an experiment in which 132 college students (age 18–25 years) completed a laboratory task that assessed visual working memory capacity in three different conditions: two conditions differing in terms of smartphone availability (smartphone turned off and visible, smartphone in silent mode and visible) and a condition in which the smartphone was not available and was replaced by a calculator (control condition). Participants also completed self-reports that assessed their thoughts after the task performance, positive/negative urgency, and problematic smartphone use. The results showed that participants with higher positive urgency presented increased cognitive interference (reflected by poorer task performance) in the “silent-mode smartphone” condition compared with participants in the “turned-off smartphone” condition. The present study provides new insights into the psychological factors that explain how smartphone availability is liable to interfere with high-level cognitive processes

Secreted miR-210-3p as non-invasive biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

The most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is clear cell RCC (ccRCC). It accounts for 70-80% of all renal malignancies representing the third most common urological cancer after prostate and bladder cancer. The identification of non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and responsiveness to therapy of ccRCC may represent a relevant step-forward in ccRCC management. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether specific miRNAs deregulated in ccRCC tissues present altered levels also in urine specimens. To this end we first assessed that miR-21-5p, miR-210-3p and miR-221-3p resulted upregulated in ccRCC fresh frozen tissues compared to matched normal counterparts. Next, we evidenced that miR-210-3p resulted significantly upregulated in 38 urine specimens collected from two independent cohorts of ccRCC patients at the time of surgery compared to healthy donors samples. Of note, miR- 210-3p levels resulted significantly reduced in follow-up samples. These results point to miR-210-3p as a potential non-invasive biomarker useful not only for diagnosis but also for the assessment of complete resection or response to treatment in ccRCC management

Mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic features of tuffs from the CFDDP drill hole: Hydrothermal activity in the eastern side of the Campi Flegrei volcano (southern Italy)

Abstract A 506 m drill-hole has been recently drilled in the framework of the Campi Flegrei Deep Drilling Project (CFDDP) and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) with the intention of coring the subsurface in the eastern sector of the Campi Flegrei caldera. The borehole, located in the western district of the Neapolitan city (Bagnoli Plain) 3 km to the east of the most active volcanic area and about 5 m above sea level, is now targeted for monitoring purposes. This paper reports the results obtained from the analysis of two short cores collected at depths of − 443 and − 506 m below the ground level. The cores sampled two pre-caldera tuffs. Observations performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction were used to achieve data on the primary lithology, both primary and secondary mineralogical assemblages, and the relationship between texture and secondary mineralization. Sr isotope ratios were determined on selected primary feldspars, whereas δ13C and δ18O analyses were performed on carbonates from veins and filled-voids in tuffs. Our results provide information on the hydrothermal system in the eastern sector of the caldera that was not among the goals in the previous drilling programs. Secondary mineralization suggests a saline hydrothermal environment characterized by fluids that progressively evolved from boiling toward more alkaline and cooler conditions. A paleo-temperature of ca. 160 °C has been inferred from authigenic mineral occurrences and calculated on the basis of equilibria between cored calcites and fluids presently emitted at the surface, by using carbon and oxygen isotope data. The temperature measured at the bottom of the drilling is about 80 °C

Argonaute 2 drives miR-145-5p-dependent gene expression program in breast cancer cells

To perform their regulatory functions, microRNAs (miRNAs) must assemble with any of the four mammalian Argonaute (Ago) family of proteins, Ago1–4, into an effector complex known as the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). While the mature miRNA guides the RISC complex to its target mRNA, the Ago protein represses mRNA translation. The specific roles of the various Ago members in mediating miRNAs activity, however, haven’t been clearly established. In this study, we investigated the contribution of Ago2, the only human Ago protein endowed with nuclease activity, to the function of tumor-suppressor miR-145-5p in breast cancer (BC). We show that miR-145-5p and Ago2 protein are concomitantly downregulated in BC tissues and that restoration of miR-145-5p expression in BC cells leads to Ago2 protein induction through the loosening of Ago2 mRNA translational repression. Functionally, miR-145-5p exerts its inhibitory activity on cell migration only in presence of Ago2, while, upon Ago2 depletion, we observed increased miR-145/Ago1 complex and enhanced cell motility. Profiling by microarray of miR-145-5p target mRNAs, in BC cells depleted or not of Ago2, revealed that miR-145-5p drives Ago2-dependent and -independent activities. Our results highlight that the Ago2 protein in cancer cells strictly dictates miR-145-5p tumor suppressor activity

Cyanidium chilense (Cyanidiophyceae, Rhodophyta) from tuff rocks of the archeological site of Cuma, Italy

Phlegrean Fields is a large volcanic area situated southwest of Naples (Italy), including both cave and thermoacidic habitats. These extreme environments host the genus Cyanidium; the species C. chilense represents a common phototrophic micro- organism living in anthropogenic caves. With a view to provide a comprehensive characterization for a correct taxonomic classification, morpho-ultrastructural investigations ofC. chilense from Syb’s cave (Phlegren Fields) was herein car-ried out and compared with the thermoacidophilic C. caldarium. The biofilm was also analyzed to define the roleofC. chilensein the establishment of a bio film within caveenvironments. Despite the peculiar ecological and molecular divergences,C. chilenseandC. caldariumshared all the maindiacritic features, suggesting morphological convergence within the genus; cytological identity was found amongC. chilensestrains geographically distant and adapted to different substrates, such as the porous yellow tuff of Sybil cave and calcyte, magnesite and basaltic rocks from other caves. C. chilense is generally dominant in all biofilms, developing monospecific islets, developing both super ficially or betweenfungal hyphae and coccoid cyanobacteria. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were recorded in C. chilense bio filmsfrom Sybil cave, confirming the role of EPS in facilitating cellsadhesion to the surface, creating a cohesive network of inter-connecting biofilm cell

Heterogeneity of smartphone impact on everyday life and its relationship with personality and psychopathology: A latent profile analysis

Background The relationships between problematic smartphone use and psychological factors have been extensively investigated. However, previous studies generally used variable-centered approaches, which hinder an examination of the heterogeneity of smartphone impact on everyday life. Objective In the present study, we capitalized on latent profile analysis to identify various classes of smartphone owners based on the impact associated with smartphone use (e.g., unregulated usage, preference for smartphone-mediated social relationships) and to compare these classes in terms of established psychological risk factors for problematic smartphone use. Method We surveyed 934 young adults with validated psychometric questionnaires to assess the impact of smartphones, psychopathological symptoms, self-esteem and impulsivity traits. Results Smartphone users fall into four latent profiles: users with low smartphone impact, users with average smartphone impact, problematic smartphone users, and users favoring online interactions. Individuals distributed in the problematic smartphone user profile were characterized by heightened psychopathological symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive tendencies) and impulsivity traits. Moreover, users who preferred online interactions exhibited the highest symptoms of social anxiety and the lowest levels of self-esteem. Conclusions These findings further demonstrate the multidimensionality and heterogeneity of the impact of smartphone use, calling for tailored prevention and intervention strategies

Laser Scanning Application for Geostructural analysis of Tuffaceous Coastal Cliffs: the case of Punta Epitaffio, Pozzuoli Bay, Italy

This study presents the results of a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) application aimed at characterizing the structural pattern of Punta Epitaffio tuffaceous coastal cliff, Pozzuoli Bay, Eastern Tyrrhenian margin. The study site is located in the Campi Flegrei, an active volcanic caldera, characterized by dense urbanization, near the town of Naples, Italy. The 3D digital model of the Punta Epitaffio cliff derived from TLS data, provided a base for the classification of rock discontinuities by geostatistical analysis. In particular, the work flow of geostructural data processing included: 1) statistical analysis of spatial orientation of the facets of the 3D mesh derived by the TLS survey; 2) extraction of the best-fit attitudes (dip and dip direction) of discontinuity sets for each sub-planar patch of the rock face; 3) cluster analysis of best-fit structural discontinuities; 4) definition of all the discontinuity sets and geo-structural classification of 3D model facets; 5) kinematic analysis for the definition of possible failure mechanisms. Kinematic analysis took into account primarily structurally-controlled failure mechanisms (planar sliding, wedge sliding, flexural toppling, and direct toppling). The method illustrated in this research can be extensively applied to identify unstable areas along tuffaceous coastal cliffs and define shape and volume of rocks potentially involved by failures

Polyphenol-rich diets improve glucose metabolism in people at high cardiometabolic risk: a controlled randomised intervention trial

Dietary polyphenols and long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3) are associated with lower cardiovascular risk. This may relate to their influence on glucose metabolism and diabetes risk. We evaluated the effects of diets naturally rich in polyphenols and/or LCn3 of marine origin on glucose metabolism in people at high cardiometabolic risk