Evaluating the Efficacy of Lysozyme Against Lactic Acid Bacteria Under Different Winemaking Scenarios

This study evaluated the efficacy of lysozyme in winemaking to control lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In a wineryvinification, indigenous LAB were partially and completely inhibited when lysozyme was added to red and whitegrape must respectively. This result was confirmed by using two selected strains of Lactobacillus brevis andOenococcus oeni to contaminate the grape must. In the red wine microvinification, the cell population decreasedonly temporarily and malolactic fermentation terminated at different times, depending on the grape must pH andlysozyme dosage. In the white wine microvinification, cell mortality rates differed according to lysozyme dosagerather than pH values. During the fermentation, lysozyme activity was stable or decreased, depending on theabsence or presence of grape must respectively. The study highlighted that lysozyme efficacy is strongly affected bythe type of vinification

Bacterial Inoculation Strategies for the Achievement of Malolactic Fermentation in High-alcohol Wines

The purpose of this work was to study the induction of malolactic fermentation (MLF) in a wine that does not oftensupport malic acid deacidification because of its high alcohol content. Amarone wine, known for its high alcoholcontent, served as a model. Simultaneous and sequential alcoholic and malolactic fermentation (AF/MLF) wereconducted by direct inoculation of bacteria, which resulted in successful MLF in wines containing approximately16% (v/v) alcohol. At higher ethanol contents, stuck MLF occurred because of growth inhibition. To overcomethis technological problem, the performance of bacteria was tested in wine containing approximately 17% (v/v)ethanol using a starter preparation consisting of cells acclimatised in a wine-water solution (1:1) for 24 h and 48h respectively. Total l-malic acid depletion was recorded when the bacterial cells that had been acclimatised for48 h were inoculated simultaneously with yeast to conduct AF. The method by which the bacterial cultures areprepared and the time of inoculation affects the efficacy of MLF in high-alcohol wines. The inoculation of yeastswith acclimatised bacteria before AF seems to be a valid strategy to obtain complete MLF in high-alcohol wines

Can the grey literature help us understand the decline and extinction of the Near Threatened Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in Latium, central Italy?

AbstractTo trace the local extinction of the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in Latium, central Italy, and examine the causes of the species' disappearance, we reviewed and classified information from both the scientific and grey literature according to the reliability and geographical accuracy of the records. The temporal and spatial patterns of 160 records from 23 geographical subunits from 1832 to 2006 suggest that the species collapsed between 1960 and 1975; two different extinction patterns were revealed by a set of multivariate analyses. In northern Latium the species collapsed because of several independent local threats. In central and southern Latium the species collapsed because of catastrophic habitat alteration (land reclamation during the 1930s) that negatively affected the source population. After this event the species went extinct in hilly and mountainous areas, where several population sinks occurred. We presume that this latter process drove the remnant otter subpopulations to extinction in central Italy, emphasizing the role of an extinction vortex in causing the collapse of this metapopulation rather than the classical threats recognized for this species. The value of the grey literature for a posteriori historical analysis of local extinction dynamics is highlighted by this research

Resin-immobilized palladium nanoparticle catalysts for organic reactions in aqueous media: Morphological aspects

An insight into the nano- and micro-structural morphology of a polymer supported Pd catalyst employed in different catalytic reactions under green conditions is reported. The pre-catalyst was obtained by copolymerization of the metal-containing monomer Pd(AAEMA)2 [AAEMA = deprotonated form of 2-(acetoacetoxy) ethyl methacrylate] with ethyl methacrylate as co-monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. This material was used in water for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl bromides, and for the reduction of nitroarenes and quinolines using NaBH4 or H2, as reductants. TEM analyses showed that in all cases the pristine Pd(II) species were reduced in situ to Pd(0), which formed metal nanoparticles (NPs, the real active species). The dependence of their average size (2-10 nm) and morphology on different parameters (temperature, reducing agent, presence of a phase transfer agent) is discussed. TEM and micro-IR analyses showed that the polymeric support retained its porosity and stability for several catalytic cycles in all reactions and Pd NPs did not aggregate after reuse. The metal nanoparticle distribution throughout the polymer matrix after several recycles provided precious information about the catalytic mechanism, which was truly heterogeneous in the hydrogenation reactions and of the so-called "release and catch" type in the Suzuki coupling

Immobilization of Monolayer Protected Lipophilic Gold Nanorods on a Glass Surface

We present a novel process of immobilization of gold nanorods (GNRs) on a glass surface. Wedemonstrate that by exploiting monolayer protection of the GNRs, their unusual opticalproperties can be completely preserved. UV–visible spectroscopy and atomic forcemicroscopy analysis are used to reveal the optical and morphological properties of monolayerprotected immobilized lipophilic GNRs, and molecular dynamics simulations are used toelucidate their surface molecule arrangements

Hungry brains: A meta-analytical review of brain activation imaging studies on food perception and appetite in obese individuals

The dysregulation of food intake in chronic obesity has been explained by different theories. To assess their explanatory power, we meta-analyzed 22 brain-activation imaging studies. We found that obese individuals exhibit hyper-responsivity of the brain regions involved in taste and reward for food-related stimuli. Consistent with a Reward Surfeit Hypothesis, obese individuals exhibit a ventral striatum hyper-responsivity in response to pure tastes, particularly when fasting. Furthermore, we found that obese subjects display more frequent ventral striatal activation for visual food cues when satiated: this continued processing within the reward system, together with the aforementioned evidence, is compatible with the Incentive Sensitization Theory. On the other hand, we did not find univocal evidence in favor of a Reward Deficit Hypothesis nor for a systematic deficit of inhibitory cognitive control. We conclude that the available brain activation data on the dysregulated food intake and food-related behavior in chronic obesity can be best framed within an Incentive Sensitization Theory. Implications of these findings for a brain-based therapy of obesity are briefly discussed

A common terminology for the external anatomy of centipedes (Chilopoda)

A common terminology for the external morphological characters of centipedes (Chilopoda) is proposed. Terms are selected from the alternatives used in the English literature, preferring those most frequently used or those that have been introduced explicitly. A total of 330 terms are defi ned and illustrated, and another ca. 500 alternatives are listed.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Compostagem para Londrina, PR: definição de um sistema de gestão de resíduos sólidos domésticos.

A pesquisa visa analisar a inserção da compostagem como elemento central para propostas de sistemas de gerenciamento integrado de resíduos sólidos no município de Londrina, Paraná. A partir de um levantamento das potencialidades desta modalidade de tratamento de resíduos, em face da predominância de componentes orgânicos, na geração de resíduos sólidos urbanos, e da vocação agrícola do Brasil, busca-se analisar elementos para a aplicação desta técnica nos sistemas integrados de gestão de resíduos.Sober 2015

A common terminology for the external anatomy of centipedes (Chilopoda)

A common terminology for the external morphological characters of centipedes (Chilopoda) is proposed. Terms are selected from the alternatives used in the English literature, preferring those most frequently used or those that have been introduced explicitly. A total of 330 terms are defi ned and illustrated, and another ca. 500 alternatives are listed.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Methylation of all BRCA1 copies predicts response to the PARP inhibitor rucaparib in ovarian carcinoma

Accurately identifying patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) who respond to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) therapy is of great clinical importance. Here we show that quantitative BRCA1 methylation analysis provides new insight into PARPi response in preclinical models and ovarian cancer patients. The response of 12 HGSOC patient-derived xenografts (PDX) to the PARPi rucaparib was assessed, with variable dose-dependent responses observed in chemo-naive BRCA1/2-mutated PDX, and no responses in PDX lacking DNA repair pathway defects. Among BRCA1-methylated PDX, silencing of all BRCA1 copies predicts rucaparib response, whilst heterozygous methylation is associated with resistance. Analysis of 21 BRCA1-methylated platinum-sensitive recurrent HGSOC (ARIEL2 Part 1 trial) confirmed that homozygous or hemizygous BRCA1 methylation predicts rucaparib clinical response, and that methylation loss can occur after exposure to chemotherapy. Accordingly, quantitative BRCA1 methylation analysis in a pre-treatment biopsy could allow identification of patients most likely to benefit, and facilitate tailoring of PARPi therapy.Olga Kondrashova … M.K. Oehler … [et al.] (Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS)