UV lighting in horticulture: A sustainable tool for improving production quality and food safety

Ultraviolet (UV) is a component of solar radiation that can be divided into three types defined by waveband: UV-A (315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm), and UV-C (<280 nm). UV light can influence the physiological responses of plants. Wavelength, intensity, and exposure have a great impact on plant growth and quality. Interaction between plants and UV light is regulated by photoreceptors such as UV Resistance Locus 8 (UVR8) that enables acclimation to UV-B stress. Although UV in high doses is known to damage quality and production parameters, some studies show that UV in low doses may stimulate biomass accumulation and the synthesis of healthy compounds that mainly absorb UV. UV exposure is known to induce variations in plant architecture, important in ornamental crops, increasing their economic value. Abiotic stress induced by UV exposure increases resistance to insects and pathogens, and reduce postharvest quality depletion. This review highlights the role that UV may play in plant growth, quality, photomorphogenesis, and abiotic/biotic stress resistance

Gut Microbial Antigenic Mimicry in Autoimmunity

The gut microbiota plays a major role in the developmental biology and homeostasis of cells belonging to the adaptive and innate arms of the immune system. Alterations in its composition, which are known to be regulated by both genetic and environmental factors, can either promote or suppress the pathogenic processes underlying the development of various autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, to just name a few. Cross-recognition of gut microbial antigens by autoreactive T cells as well as gut microbe-driven alterations in the activation and homeostasis of effector and regulatory T cells have been implicated in this process. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the positive and negative associations between alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota and the development of various autoimmune disorders, with a special emphasis on antigenic mimicry

Interoperability and governance in the European Health Data Space regulation

The proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is a much-awaited project. It aspires to create a harmonised framework – a common European data space – for the administration of health data (primary use) across Member States and the promotion of healthcare research and innovation (by establishing rules for the secondary use of health data). As such, although the EHDS proposal is a legal document, in its essence, it includes provisions that introduce not only legal, but also institutional, and technical-infrastructural changes. Overall, together with the Regulation 2017/745 on medical devices, the Data Governance Act (DGA), the Data Act, the AI Act, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EHDS proposal will complete the regulatory canvas for the use of health data in the European Union. Although we are supportive of the EHDS initiative, there are aspects of the proposal that require further debate, reconsideration, and amendments. Following previous work on potential power asymmetries encapsulated in the Proposal, in this commentary, we focus on the provisions of/for interoperability of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems (Ar. 14–32) as well as the provisions on the structure of Health Data Access bodies and their cross-border organisation (section 3). We recommend a series of amendments to orientate the EHDS project better to its constitutive goals: the promotion of public health research and respect for the rights of the individuals

Supplemental LED increases tomato yield in mediterranean semi-closed greenhouse

Supplemental light (SL) is a technique used to increase horticulture yield, especially in northern countries, where the Daily Light Integral (DLI) is a limiting factor during fall and winter, and which could also be used to obtain higher tomato yield at the mediterranean latitude. In this study, three tomato hybrid (F1) cultivars were grown for year-round production in a commercial semi-closed glasshouse in Southern Italy: two of the cherry fruit-type (‘Juanita’ and ‘Sorentyno’) and one mini plum fruit-type (‘Solarino’). From 120 to 243 days after transplant, light-emitting diode (LED) toplights were used as SL, with a photoperiod of 18 h. The main climatic parameters inside and outside the glasshouse were recorded, and tomato plants’ development and yield were examined. Plants grown with LEDs had longer stems as compared to control treatment (9.53 vs. 8.79 m), a higher stem thickness and yielded more trusses. On average, the yield was 21.7% higher with LEDs. ‘Sorentyno’ was the cultivar with the highest cumulated productivity when it was grown under SL. However, the cultivar with best light use efficiency under LEDs was ‘Solarino’. Therefore, supplemental LED from mid-December until march enhanced tomato growth and yield, opening a favorable scenario for large-scale application of this technology also in the mediterranean area

From ceria nanotubes to nanowires through electrogeneration of base

The preparation of Ce(OH)3/CeO2 nanostructures (NSs) through electrogeneration of base into anodic alumina membranes was studied. The effects of solvent (alcohol and/or water), Ce3? partner anion nature (chloride or nitrate) and concentration, applied potential or current density in driving the morphology toward nanowires (NWs) and/or nanotubes (NTs) was described. The structural analysis performed by X-Ray Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy allowed to evidence that the presence of Ce(IV) into the nanostructures strongly depends on the oxygen content in the growing environment