Organic and healthy: assessing the impact of claims and third-party certifications on premium price

Organic food consumption is steadily growing across a variety of product categories. While consumers are increasingly focused on the healthiness of the food they purchase, companies are experimenting alternative ways to communicate and guarantee the organic and health-related benefits of their products. This study explores the effect of different combinations of front-of-package (FoP) components on premium price. Specifically, we focus on the interaction and visual salience of FoP organic claims, health-related claims, and third-party organic certifications. Based on an analysis of grocery sales data and product packaging visuals, the study identifies FoP component combinations that could maximise premiums. We offer insights to marketing managers and companies involved in enhancing the communication of organic food benefits to consumers

Occurrence of geminivirus in tomato-producing areas in Submedio Sao Francisco.

This is the first report of geminivirus in Submedio Sao Francisco and reveals a wide dispersal of this virus that was previously described in the Federal District (1994) and state of Sao Paulo (1997), Minas Gerais (1996) and Bahia (1996).Suplemento. Edição dos Resumos do 30 Congresso Brasileiro de Fitopatologia, Poços de Caldas, 1997

Structural Analysis of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus P Protein: Identification of Intrinsically Disordered Domains

Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus P protein plus the viral RNA, N and L viral proteins, constitute the viral replication complex. In this report we describe that HRSV P protein has putative intrinsically disordered domains predicted by in silico methods. These two domains, located at the amino and caboxi terminus, were identified by mass spectrometry analysis of peptides obtained from degradation fragments observed in purified P protein expressed in bacteria. The degradation is not occurring at the central oligomerization domain, since we also demonstrate that the purified fragments are able to oligomerize, similarly to the protein expressed in cells infected by HRSV. Disordered domains can play a role in protein interaction, and the present data contribute to the comprehension of HRSV P protein interactions in the viral replication complex

Hydrogeological behaviour and geochemical features of waters in evaporite-bearing low-permeability successions: A case study in Southern Sicily, Italy

Knowledge about the hydrogeological behaviour of heterogeneous low-permeability media is an important tool when designing anthropogenic works (e.g., landfills) that could potentially have negative impacts on the environment and on people’s health. The knowledge about the biogeochemical processes in these media could prevent “false positives” when studying groundwater quality and possible contamination caused by anthropogenic activities. In this research, we firstly refined knowledge about the groundwater flow field at a representative site where the groundwater flows within an evaporite-bearing low-permeability succession. Hydraulic measurements and tritium analyses demonstrated the coexistence of relatively brief to very prolonged groundwater pathways. The groundwater is recharged by local precipitation, as demonstrated by stable isotopes investigations. However, relatively deep groundwater is clearly linked to very high tritium content rainwater precipitated during the 1950s and 1960s. The deuterium content of some groundwater samples showed unusual values, explained by the interactions between the groundwater and certain gases (H2S and CH4), the presences of which are linked to sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea detected within the saturated medium through biomolecular investigations in the shallow organic reach clayey deposits. In a wider, methodological context, the present study demonstrates that interdisciplinary approaches provide better knowledge about the behaviour of heterogeneous low-permeability media and the meaning of each data type

in silico verification and parallel reaction monitoring prevalidation of potential prostate cancer biomarkers

Purpose: Targeted proteomics of potential biomarkers is often challenging. Hence, we developed an intermediate workflow to streamline potential urinary biomarkers of prostate cancer (PCa). Materials & methods: Using previously discovered potential PCa biomarkers; we selected proteotypic peptides for targeted validation. Preliminary in silico immunohistochemical and single reaction monitoring (SRM) verification was performed. Successful PTPs were then prevalidated using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and reconfirmed in 15 publicly available databases. Results: Stringency-based targetable potential biomarkers were shortlisted following in silico screening. PRM reveals top 12 potential biomarkers including the top ranking seven in silico verification-based biomarkers. Database reconfirmation showed differential expression between PCa and benign/normal prostatic urine samples. Conclusion: The pragmatic penultimate screening step, described herein, would immensely improve targeted proteomics validation of ..

Higher frequencies of lymphocytes expressing the natural killer group 2D receptor in patients with Behcet disease

Behçet disease (BD) is an inflammatory systemic disease with a fluctuating course, which can affect the skin, eyes, central nervous system, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and vascular systems. No laboratory tests are currently available for the diagnosis of BD and monitoring disease activity. Moreover there is a lack of knowledge on BD pathogenesis. This study focused on circulating Natural Killer (NK), NKT and T cells evaluated as CD3neg CD56pos, CD3pos CD56pos, and CD3pos CD56neg. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 38 BD patients and 20 healthy controls (HC). The frequencies of NK, NKT, and T cells expressing CD16, CD69, NKG2D, Nkp30, Nkp46, and NKG2A were assessed by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic potential of NK cells was evaluated by flow cytometry as the percentage of cells expressing the degranulation marker CD107a after incubation with K562 cells. The levels of 27 cytokines were determined in plasma with a multiplex bead-based assay. Higher percentages of NK, NKT, and T cells expressing NKG2D were detected in PBMCs of BD patients than HC. ROC curve analysis showed that the evaluation of NKG2Dpos NK, NKT, and T cell percentages discriminated between BD patients and HC. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the BD Current Activity Form (BDCAF) scores and the frequencies of NKG2Dpos NK and NKT cells. A higher frequency of NK cells expressing CD107a was induced in PBMCs from BD patients than HC after incubation with K562 cells. Concentrations of IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IP-10, and MIP-1β were higher in plasma of BD patients than HC. Monitoring the frequencies of NKG2Dpos lymphocytes could help the clinicians in BD patients management. In addition, the increased expression of NKG2D in BD patients is likely involved in disease pathogenesis

Distribution and genetic diversity of tomato-infecting begomoviruses in Brazil.

Tomato-infecting begomoviruses have been reported throughout Brazil since the introduction of the B biotype of Bemisia tabaci. Here, we report a large scale survey on the distribution and genetic diversity of tomato-infecting begomoviruses. Tomato samples withtypical begomovirus symptoms were collected in seven different states, comprising the major tomato growing areas of the country. Viruses were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal primers for the genus Begomovirus. PCR-amplified fragments were cloned and sequenced. Based on sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses, at least seven previously undescribed species of begomoviruses were found. Four of the new viruses were found exclusively in the Southeastern states, two exclusively in the Northeastern states, and one was found in both regions. Sequence comparisons reveal strong evidence of recombination among the Brazilian begomoviruses.Together, the results indicate the existence of a high degree of pre-existing genetic diversity among tomato-infecting begomoviruses in Brazil and suggest that these viruses have emerged after being transferred from natural hosts to tomatoes, due to he introduction into Brazil of a novel polyfagous biotype of the whitefly vector

Increased expression of interleukin-22 in patients with giant cell arteritis

GCA is characterized by arterial remodelling driven by inflammation. IL-22 is an attractive cytokine which acts at the crosstalk between immune and stromal cells. We hypothesized that IL-22 might be induced in GCA and might be involved in disease pathogenesis

Aqueous Humor Analysis in Overlapping Clinical Diagnosis of Cytomegalovirus and Rubella Virus Anterior Uveitis

Background and Objectives: A cross-sectional single-center study was conducted to investigate the etiology in hypertensive anterior uveitis whose clinical features are not fully distinctive from cytomegalovirus or from rubella virus and to demonstrate the possible coexistence of both these viruses in causing anterior uveitis. Materials and Methods: The clinical charts of a cohort of patients with hypertensive viral anterior uveitis of uncertain origin consecutively seen in a single center from 2019 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed; data on the clinical features, aqueous polymerase chain reaction, and antibody response to cytomegalovirus and rubella virus were collected. Results: Forty-three eyes of as many subjects with viral anterior uveitis of uncertain origin were included. Thirty-two patients had an aqueous polymerase chain reaction or antibody index positive to cytomegalovirus only, while 11 cases had an aqueous antibody response to both cytomegalovirus and rubella virus. This latter overlapping group had a statistically significant higher rate of hypochromia and anterior vitritis (p-value: 0.02 and < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The simultaneous presence of intraocular antibodies against cytomegalovirus and rubella virus could redefine the differential diagnosis of hypertensive viral anterior uveitis, demonstrating a possible "converged" immune pathway consisting in a variety of stimuli

One-loop f(R) gravity in de Sitter universe

Motivated by the dark energy issue, the one-loop quantization approach for a family of relativistic cosmological theories is discussed in some detail. Specifically, general $f(R)$ gravity at the one-loop level in a de Sitter universe is investigated, extending a similar program developed for the case of pure Einstein gravity. Using generalized zeta regularization, the one-loop effective action is explicitly obtained off-shell, what allows to study in detail the possibility of (de)stabilization of the de Sitter background by quantum effects. The one-loop effective action maybe useful also for the study of constant curvature black hole nucleation rate and it provides the plausible way of resolving the cosmological constant problem.Comment: 25 pages, Latex file. Discussion enlarged, new references added. Version accepted in JCA