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Rubber and resin are potentially important products of guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) that can assure the profitability of this crop as an agricultural alternative for the semi-arid areas of central and eastern Spain. This study analyzes, for the first time, the changes in rubber and resin production across 27 guayule accessions (traditional and modern) and along three cycles under the agroclimatic conditions of Castilla-La Mancha, simulating industrial management with a biannual harvest. The rubber content (% of dry mass) increased from 4.2% in one-year-old plants to 6.6% in two-year-old plants, but decreased after harvesting. Contrastingly, the rubber yield doubled in contiguous sampling, reaching a mean of 303.6 kg ha−1, with a maximum yield of 341.2 kg ha−1 after the first harvest. Three patterns of rubber production were established based on the production periods. A similar analysis was performed for resin production, which was heterogeneous across accessions belonging to the same rubber groups. In this case, three independent groups were established to classify the resin accumulation profiles following the same criteria of production periods. Here, we demonstrate that biannual harvesting has the potential to enhance rubber accumulation in summer, although more research is needed for its adaption to current harvesting techniques in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately one-third of the waste biomass from the cultivation of guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) for natural rubber production is leaf tissue; however, whether it can be valorized is not known. Guayulins and argentatins are potential high-value products that can be recovered from guayule resin during rubber/latex processing. Argentatins are highly abundant in guayule stem resin; however, unlike the guayulins, their occurrence in leaves has not been investigated. The present study determined the content of argentatins and isoargentatins A and B in the leaves of a pure guayule accession (R1040) and two hybrids (CAL-1 and AZ-2) under conditions of irrigation and non-irrigation. The resin content in leaves was ~10%, which provides a suitable starting point for economic exploitation. The highest production of argentatins occurred in plants under irrigation, with yields of 4.2 and 3.6 kg ha−1 for R1040 and AZ-2, respectively. The R1040 accession had the highest percentage of resin and the greatest total argentatin content (24.5 g kg−1 dried leaf), principally due to the abundance of argentatin A. Contrastingly, CAL-1 consistently showed the lowest argentatin content based on dried leaf weight and production (0.6 kg ha−1). The substantial abundance of argentatins in guayule leaves suggests the potential for future exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scale-up and the economic feasibility of the synthesis of St-MMA-GMA-PEGMA particles biofunctionalized with HSA were studied. First, the geometrical similarity of laboratory and pilot plant reactors was checked to develop the scale up of the process according to a criterion of partial similarity. The selected criterion was constant Re number. Then, a reaction in the pilot plant scale was carried out, confirming the suitability of the scale-up criterion, since particles with similar characteristics (same particle size with a deviation of just 6%) and functional groups were obtained. Finally, the design of an industrial plant able to produce 581 Tm/year of HSA functionalized St-MMA-GMA-PEGMA particles was addressed. The economic feasibility of this plant was confirmed by a value of internal rate of return (IRR) of 14.8% and a net present value (NPV) of 5452 M€, with a payback time between six and seven years, for the price of a cartridge 25% lower than that from the current treatments for bilirubin removal from patients with liver failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes the development of styrene-divinylbenzene (St-DVB) particles with polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA) and/or glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) brushes for the removal of bilirubin from blood in haemodialyzed patients. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was immobilized onto the particles using ethyl lactate as a biocompatible solvent, which allowed the immobilization of up to 2 mg BSA/g of particles. The presence of albumin on the particles increased their capacity for bilirubin removal from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) by 43% compared to particles without albumin. The particles were tested in plasma, finding that St-DVB-GMA-PEGMA particles that had been wetted in ethyl lactate with BSA reduced the concentration of bilirubin in plasma by 53% in less than 30 min. This effect was not observed in particles without BSA. Therefore, the presence of albumin on the particles enabled quick and selective removal of bilirubin from plasma. Overall, the study highlights the potential use of St-DVB particles with PEGMA and/or GMA brushes for bilirubin removal in haemodialyzed patients. The immobilization of albumin onto the particles using ethyl lactate increased their capacity for bilirubin removal and enabled quick and selective removal from plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperbilirubinemia is one of the main causes of death in patients with severe hepatic problems, which justifies the research for bilirubin removal solutions. In this study, St-MMA particles with PEGMA and/or GMA brushes were synthesized. First, the recipe for St-MMA was optimized and then adapted for PEGMA and GMA incorporation. Different solvents were then assayed to improve the BSA immobilization capacity of the particles. Ethyl lactate proved to be the best solvent, reaching a BSA immobilization capacity improvement of up to 60% for St-MMA-GMA-PEGMA particles. These particles also presented the best results for BR removal from PBS. No significant differences in the final capacity for BR removal from PBS media were observed when BSA was attached to the particles; however, the kinetics were greatly improved, requiring half the time. Finally, St-MMA-GMA-PEGMA particles that were wetted in EL with BSA reduced the bilirubin concentration in plasma from levels that threaten the survival of critical patients to levels close to those of healthy individuals in less than 30 min. On the contrary, particles without BSA were unable to remove bilirubin from plasma. Thus, the attachment of albumin to the particles plays a key role in selectively reducing bilirubin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of synthetic pesticides has created considerable concern for both human health and the environment, which has prompted the search for safer alternatives, such as the resin of guayule (Parthenium argentatum). Thus, in the present study, we aimed to test the biopesticide activity of crude guayule resin and three derived fractions and compare them to reference products that act against four of the most economically significant plant pests: Tetranychus urticae, Bemisia tabaci, Myzus persicae and Frankliniella occidentalis. None of the guayule products caused plant damage. The crude guayule resin and the hexane and ethyl acetate fractions displayed moderate to high contact mortality against T. urticae and B. tabaci, as well as moderate to high antifeedant activity against T. urticae, B. tabaci and M. persicae. No significant activity was observed against F. occidentalis. A correlation analysis of the activity and fraction composition revealed that guayulins C and D, isoargentatins A and B, argentatins A, B and D and an unknown compound C6 were likely responsible for the contact mortality. By contrast, the antifeedant activity appeared to be caused by guayulins A and B against T. urticae and B. tabaci and by guayulins C and D and argentatin B against M. persicae. The feeding reduction in F. occidentalis was associated with an unknown compound C2 and argentatin C. Therefore, guayule appears to be a promising novel biopesticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rollators are widely used in clinical rehabilitation for gait assessment, but gait analysis usually requires a great deal of expertise and focus from medical staff. Smart rollators can capture gait parameters autonomously while avoiding complex setups. However, commercial smart rollators, as closed systems, can not be modified; plus, they are often expensive and not widely available. This work presents a low cost open-source modular rollator for monitorization of gait parameters and support. The whole system is based on commercial components and its software architecture runs over ROS2 to allow further customization and expansion. This paper describes the overall software and hardware architecture and, as an example of extended capabilities, modules for monitoring dynamic partial weight bearing and for estimation of spatiotemporal gait parameters of clinical interest. All presented tests are coherent from a clinical point of view and consistent with input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the principal polymers in the global plastic market thanks to its versatility and continuous improvement. In this work, PU elastomeric materials having thermoregulating properties through the incorporation of microcapsules (mSD-(LDPE·EVA-RT27)) from low-density polyethylene and vinyl acetate containing paraffin®RT27 as PCM were produced. Elastomers were synthesized while varying the molar ratio [NCO]/[OH] between 1.05 and 1.1 and the microcapsule (MC) content from 0.0 to 20.0 wt.%. The successful synthesis of the PUs was confirmed by IR analyses. All the synthesized elastomers presented a structure formed by a net of spherical microparticles and with a minimum particle size for those with 10 wt.% MC. The density and tensile strength decreased with the MC content, probably due to worse distribution into the matrix. Elastomer E-1.05 exhibited better structural and stability properties for MC contents up to 15 wt.%, whereas E-1.1, containing 20 wt.% MC, revealed mechanical and thermal synergy effects, demonstrating good structural stability and the largest latent heat. Hence, elastomers having a large latent heat (8.7 J/g) can be produced by using a molar ratio [NCO]/[OH] of 1.1 and containing 20 wt.% mSD-(LDPE·EVA-RT27). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (n = 12) or maltodextrin (control) (n = 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium longum. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by an enhancement in vasoconstriction, is clearly associated with hypertension. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) bioactive compounds have been recognized to have hypotensive properties. Recently, we have reported that crocetin exhibits potent vasodilator effects on isolated aortic rings from hypertensive rats. In this work, we have aimed to analyze the anticontractile ability of crocetin or crocetin esters pool (crocins) isolated from saffron. Thus, we have studied the effects of saffron carotenoids on endothelium-dependent and -independent regulation of smooth muscle contractility in genetic hypertension. Methods: We have measured the isometric responses of aortic segments with or without endothelium obtained from spontaneously hypertensive rats. The effects of carotenoids were studied by assessing the endothelial modulation of phenylephrine-induced contractions (10-9-10-5 M) in the presence or absence of crocetin or crocins. The role of nitric oxide and prostanoids was analyzed by performing the experiments with L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) or indomethacin (both 10-5 M), respectively. Results: Crocetin, and to a minor extent crocins, diminished the maximum contractility of phenylephrine in intact rings, while crocins, but not crocetin, increased this contractility in de-endothelizated vessels. In the intact vessels, the effect of crocetin on contractility was unaffected by indomethacin but was abolished by L-NAME. However, crocetin but not crocins, lowered the already increased contractility caused by L-NAME. Conclusions: Saffron compounds, but especially crocetin have endothelium-dependent prorelaxing actions. Crocins have procontractile actions that take place via smooth muscle cell mechanisms. These results suggest that crocetin and crocins activate different mechanisms involved in the vasoconstriction pathway in hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous changes in our society require adapted training that encompasses both technical and competency knowledge. There is a high level of demand, especially in areas such as engineering, which can affect the mental health of students, producing high levels of stress and psychological distress, hindering self-efficacy and academic performance. Embodied learning working on self-awareness, stress reduction and self-knowledge can help to generate healthier environments. Creative therapies can be a tool to promote the prevention of health problems in this group of the population. In particular, Dance Movement Therapy has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving health in clinical and non-clinical settings. In this work, a body awareness program based on Dance Movement Therapy is developed and implemented in engineering students. Through a mixed pre-post methodology, its impact is evaluated and analyzed in an experimental group of engineering students. Psychometric tests, physiological variables and reflective diaries are used as data sources. The results show that the experimental group, compared with the control group, increased their levels of body awareness and connectedness, well-being and life satisfaction and reduced their stress levels. The results were supported by cortisol measures. Likewise, the students acknowledged having increased their levels of self-awareness and self-knowledge and considered the inclusion of these bodily approaches in higher education to be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF)-based Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is an important field of research. A suitable model for the QTF is important to obtain quantitative measurements with these devices. Analytical models have the limitation of being based on the double cantilever configuration. In this paper, we present an electromechanical finite element model of the QTF electrically excited with two free prongs. The model goes beyond the state-of-the-art of numerical simulations currently found in the literature for this QTF configuration. We present the first numerical analysis of both the electrical and mechanical behavior of QTF devices. Experimental measurements obtained with 10 units of the same model of QTF validate the finite element model with a good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of Hyssopus officinalis (Lamiaceae) essential oil grown in southeastern Spain was analyzed by GC-MS. Due to the high relevance of this species in the world market, the study is focused on chemical heterogeneity of different oil batches and their extraction yield, cultivated under irrigation and non-irrigation conditions and with different harvesting dates. All essential oil samples have two main terpene compounds which are pinocamphone and iso-pinocamphone, accounting for approximately 35-40% of the total oil content. Other relevant compounds were identified, with β-pinene, which accounted for 10-17% contribution to the total composition, standing out. Significant differences between their volatile composition have been observed between treatments, being limonene, (E)-β-ocimene, pinocarveol, α-pinene and β-phellandrene the compounds that contributed most to the discrimination. It was also observed that the irrigation period is the most favourable for the cultivation of hyssop in this region, specially for batch 7 which gives the highest extraction yield and the best EO quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of parabens on the shelf-life of crocetin esters and picrocrocin in aqueous saffron solutions was studied. Degradation of saffron crocetin esters fits a firstorder kinetics model, and the results indicated that the crocetin (β-D-glucosyl)-(β-Dgentiobiosyl) esters were more stable than the crocetin di-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) esters regardless of whether trans and cis isomers were considered. Under all tested conditions both parabens gave good results, especially propyl paraben that showed a greater influence on the degradation rate constant, except for cis-crocetin di-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester and ciscrocetin (β-D-glucosyl)-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester. In presence of propyl paraben (200 mg/L), the half-life periods of trans-crocetin di-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester improved considerably, up to four-fold. Special attention has been paid to the effect of propyl paraben on 46 saffrons with different crocetin ester contents. No differences were observed in terms of picrocrocin. By analysis of variance, it is noteworthy that there were differences between the mean content of crocetin esters for all analysed saffron, except for trans-crocetin (β-D-glucosyl)-(β-D-gentiobiosyl) ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the results of a survey conducted in 2020 with Spanish Olympic swimmers and rowers, who were confined to their homes due to the epidemiological crisis. The questionnaire was administered between 23 April and 25 May. Responses to the questionnaire on emotional and adaptive reactions during the COVID-19 confinement (REACOVID-19) were received from 88 subjects, who represented 100% of the total population of Spanish Olympic swimmers and rowers. Through this questionnaire, they were asked about their living conditions, their daily training habits and their psychological, cognitive and emotional adaptation during the confinement. The results show the commitment of these athletes to their sports goals and their responsibility in respecting the confinement rules. Sixty-seven per cent of them stated that they had not left their homes for 96 days. In these extreme circumstances, the majority trained an average of 11 to 13 h a week and coped with the confinement with a positive attitude, in spite of the inconveniences of social isolation, the lack of equipment and technical support for training and the limitations of their physical space. The article analyzes which emotional and social factors influenced both their motivation and their hours of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an exploratory and interpretative study on the development of self-reflection and self-knowledge in university teachers by an embodied experience. Dance Movement Therapy and Body–Mind Centering share the fundamentals of the paradigm of embodied cognition through a first-person full-body experience. Using these principles, a training program was designed and implemented in a cohort of 22 university teachers. The article offers details of the program and the adaptations necessary to carry it out in a higher-education context. The results of the qualitative analysis that was conducted suggested that the transformative learning paradigm could be useful to explain the process carried out by the participants. With the necessary limitations, the incorporation of awareness and attentive participation in bodily states and actions manifests as a transformative element in the teacher. The participants, despite initial resistance, see possibilities for applying this knowledge in their teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams containing thermoregulatory microcapsules has been carried out under reduced pressure conditions with a new foaming formulation to reduce the final composite densities. These optimized RPU foams were able to overpass the drawbacks exhibited by the previous composites over the studied temperature range, working as insulating and thermal energy storage materials. The change in the formulation allowed to decrease the final foam density and enhance their mechanical strength. The effect of the operating pressure (atmospheric, 800 mbar, and 700 mbar) and microcapsules content (up to 30 wt%) on the physical, mechanical, and thermal PU foam properties was studied. The reduction of the pressure from atmospheric to 800 mbar did not have any effect on the cell size, strut thickness, and compression strength 10% of deformation, the Young modulus being even higher at 800 mbar. Nevertheless, a strong impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties was observed for the foam composites obtained at 700 mbar. A deleterious impact on the RPU foams thermal conductivity was observed when using low-pressure conditions. Thermal analyses showed that a composite able to work as heat accumulator and thermal insulation both at transient and at steady state was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to assess the antifungal and antioxidant activity of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from distilled solid by-products from aromatic plants (Artemisia dracunculus, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas, Origanum vulgare and Satureja montana) against 14 fungi strains isolated from sheep cheese and identified at species level using DNA barcoding based on β-tubulin sequence analysis. In addition, capacity of fungi to produce ochratoxin A, patulin, cyclopiazonic acid and sterigmatocystin was analyzed. Of the isolates, 85.7% belonged to Penicillium (P. commune/biforme, P. crustosum) and 14.3% to Aspergillus (A. puulaauensis and A. jensenii), the first time that these Aspergillus species have been found in sheep's cheese. All P. commune isolates were producers of cyclopiazonic acid, and the two Aspergillus strains produced sterigmatocystin, but the others did not produce any tested mycotoxin. Among the essential oils tested, oregano, savory and tarragon had a significant antifungal activity against all the isolated strains, but no ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity. By contrast, ethanolic extracts showed great potential as antioxidants. The identification of new molds in cheese will help the dairy industry to know more about those molds affecting the sector, and the use of aromatic plants in the control of fungal spoilage could be a suitable alternative to chemical preservatives used in the agri-food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophilic, flexible polyurethane (FPU) foams made from Hypol prepolymers are capable of retaining large amounts of water and saline solutions. The addition of different catalysts and surfactant agents to Hypol JM 5008 prepolymer was assayed to obtain a foam with good structural stability and elasticity. The combination of three catalysts, stannous octoate and two amine-based ones (Tegoamin 33 and Tegoamin BDE), and the surfactant Niax silicone L-620LV allowed to synthesize a foam with a homogeneous cell size distribution, exhibiting the highest saline absorption capacity (2.4 g/gram of foam) and almost complete shape recovery, with up to a 20% of remaining deformation. Then, superabsorbent sodium acrylate polymer (PNaA) was added to the FPU foam up to 8 pph. The urine absorption capacity of the foam was increased about 24.8% by incorporating 6 pph of PNaA, absorbing 17.46 g of saline solution per foam gram, without any negative impact on the rest of the foam properties. All these properties make the synthesized foams suitable for corporal fluids absorption applications in which elasticity and low-density are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel form-stable phase-change material (PCM) based on facing bricks was developed by incorporating thermoregulating PEG-SiO2, synthetized by sol-gel method and based on polyethylene glycol as phase-change material and silica as stabilizer compound. The PEG-SiO2 in its liquid form (sol) is firstly adsorbed inside the porous brick and lastly stabilized (gel) by controlling its gelation time, obtaining form-stable PCMs with PEG-SiO2 contents within 15–110 wt.%. Kinetic adsorption curves of the sol into bricks having different porosities as well as maximum adsorption capacities were obtained. The effective diffusion coefficients (Deff) were estimated by means of Fick's second law, it being possible to predict the adsorption of sol PEG-SiO2 by the brick as function of its porosity and the free diffusion coefficient. Finally, form-stable PCMs demonstrated an improvement in their thermal energy storage capacity (up to 338%), these materials being capable of buffering the indoor temperature during an entire operational day [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chia oil production and consumption have increased in recent years, producing a large number of by-products that had low utility or economic value for the industry. In this study, a biodegradable film was successfully prepared from mucilage extracted from defatted chia flour. The physical-chemical, optical, water vapor permeability (WVP), and mechanical properties of films made with two different types of chia matrixes (defatted flour and whole seeds) were determined. In general, defatted chia flour films exhibited a slightly reddish and yellowish color but still transparent in appearance, were good visible light barriers, and had better mechanical properties than films made with whole seeds. They also have greater WVP values than synthetic films such as low-density polyethylene. The results of the present study demonstrated that defatted chia flour can be used in producing edible films with improved quality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guayulins are a family of sesquiterpene compounds that consist of an isoprenoid nucleus substituted either by trans-cinnamic or p-anisic acid, and are present only in the resinous fraction of the rubber plant guayule (Parthenium argentatum, Gray). While the natural role of the guayulins remains enigmatic, they may serve as a defense function against other plants or herbivores by virtue of the accumulation of cinnamic acid. Prior research has suggested seasonal variation in guayulin content, which has been shown to decrease as winter arrives in two different varieties. In the present study, the effect of guayulins has been evaluated in 13 different accessions cultivated under the same conditions during autumn. A general reduction in guayulin content was found in the stems from all varieties between the September and November harvest, which was accompanied by an increase in the resin content. With respect to individual guayulins, while guayulin A was the most prominent member during most of the year, guayulin C had more prominence when temperature started to decrease. In this seasonal period, the production of each member of the guayulin family in the leaves was very balanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proficient crop production is needed to ensure the feeding of a growing global population. The association of bacteria with plants plays an important role in the health state of the plants contributing to the increase of agricultural production. Endophytic bacteria are ubiquitous in most plant species providing, in most cases, plant promotion properties. However, the knowledge on the genetic determinants involved in the colonization of plants by endophytic bacteria is still poorly understood. In this work we have used a genetic approach based on the construction of fliM, pilX and eps knockout mutants to show that the motility mediated by a functional flagellum and the pili type IV, and the adhesion modulated by exopolysaccarides are required for the efficient colonization of rice roots by the endophyte Azoarcus sp. CIB. Moreover, we have demonstrated that expression of an exogenous diguanylate cyclase or phophodiesterase, which causes either an increase or decrease of the intracellular levels of the second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), respectively, leads to a reduction of the ability of Azoarcus sp. CIB to colonize rice plants. Here we present results demonstrating the unprecedented role of the universal second messenger cyclic-di-GMP in plant colonization by an endophytic bacterium, Azoarcus sp. CIB. These studies pave the way to further strategies to modulate the interaction of endophytes with their target plant hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Milk from red deer is richer in fat and proteins than that of cow or other ruminants. The semi-captive breeding of this species has traditionally focused on meat, velvet or hunting purposes, but recent studies suggested that the high level of nutrients, the promising content of bioactive peptides and the better digestibility than that of milk from other species could open innovative alternatives for the dairy industry. As for other non-commercial mammalian species that are gaining technological interest for the elaboration of dairy products, it is necessary to understand the aptitude and performance of milk from red deer to be used for the production of cheese, fermented milks or other products. Our study aims to assess some chemical, physical, microbiological and technological properties of red deer milk during a lactation period of 18 weeks. The results show that milk from this species is similar to that of other ruminant species whose milk is commercialized. In addition, our results indicate the best period to industrialize the milk during lactation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the benefits of using red deer milk with a technological approach. This study describes chemical, physical, microbiological and technological characteristics of red deer milk and the effect of lactation on these parameters in order to know their potential aptitude to elaborate dairy products. During 18 weeks, milk from five hinds was monitored for composition, bacteriology, somatic cell count (SCC), physical properties and rennet coagulation. Mean values (g/100 g) for fat, protein, lactose and dry matter were 10.4, 7.1, 4.3 and 24.2, respectively, and for urea, 265 mg/100 mL. Except for lactose, a significant increase in these components was observed (p < 0.01) as lactation progressed. The average values for bacteriology and SCC were 5.3 log cfu/mL and 4.7 log cells/mL, respectively. Regarding physical properties, conductivity (mean: 2.8 ms/cm), viscosity (3.1 Cp), coordinates L* (89.9) and a* (−3.1) and milk fat globule diameter (D4,3: 6.1 µm) increased along with lactation while density (1.038 g/mL) decreased (p < 0.01). The pH (6.7), acidity (22.9° Dornic), coordinate b* (8.4) and ethanol stability (66.6% v/v) were stable during the study period. The stage of lactation also has a significant impact on milk coagulation properties and mean curd yield was 3.29 g/10 mL. These results suggest that red deer milk could be a potential innovative source of milk for the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is a promising alternative source to Hevea brasiliensis for the production of natural rubber, which can reach levels of 8–9% under industrialized farming conditions. The most common method for determining rubber concentration is by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), a technique developed by the Dionex Corporation and almost exclusively performed with the Dionex ASE-200 or 350 systems. Herein, it is sought to apply and adapt the most common methods used in the literature for the Dionex system to another extraction platform, the BÜCHI Speed Extractor E-914. Results showed that using a sand sandwich method to confine the sample in the center and exploiting a larger cell volume (80 mL) for extraction prevents the occurrence of overpressure and problems with clogging. Under optimized conditions, the coefficient of variation was <15% for both resin quantification for samples containing 5.0–15.8% of resin and for rubber quantification for samples with 1.7–10.3% rubber content. The extraction time for resin (2 cycles of 5 min each) was smaller than for rubber (2 cycles of 20 min each). It would be interesting to carry out interlaboratory comparisons to standardize the method at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among other attributes, the Betaproteobacterial genus Azoarcus has biotechnological importance for plant growth-promotion and remediation of petroleum waste-polluted water and soils. It comprises at least two phylogenetically distinct groups. The "plant-associated" group includes strains that are isolated from the rhizosphere or root interior of the C4 plant Kallar Grass, but also strains from soil and/or water; all are considered to be obligate aerobes and all are diazotrophic. The other group (now partly incorporated into the new genus Aromatoleum) comprises a diverse range of species and strains that live in water or soil that is contaminated with petroleum and/or aromatic compounds; all are facultative or obligate anaerobes. Some are diazotrophs. A comparative genome analysis of 32 genomes from 30 Azoarcus-Aromatoleum strains was performed in order to delineate generic boundaries more precisely than the single gene, 16S rRNA, that has been commonly used in bacterial taxonomy. The origin of diazotrophy in Azoarcus-Aromatoleum was also investigated by comparing full-length sequences of nif genes, and by physiological measurements of nitrogenase activity using the acetylene reduction assay. Based on average nucleotide identity (ANI) and whole genome analyses, three major groups could be discerned: (i) Azoarcus comprising Az. communis, Az. indigens and Az. olearius, and two unnamed species complexes, (ii) Aromatoleum Group 1 comprising Ar. anaerobium, Ar. aromaticum, Ar. bremense, and Ar. buckelii, and (iii) Aromatoleum Group 2 comprising Ar. diolicum, Ar. evansii, Ar. petrolei, Ar. toluclasticum, Ar. tolulyticum, Ar. toluolicum, and Ar. toluvorans. Single strain lineages such as Azoarcus sp. KH32C, Az. pumilus, and Az. taiwanensis were also revealed. Full length sequences of nif-cluster genes revealed two groups of diazotrophs in Azoarcus-Aromatoleum with nif being derived from Dechloromonas in Azoarcus sensu stricto (and two Thauera strains) and from Azospira in Aromatoleum Group 2. Diazotrophy was confirmed in several strains, and for the first time in Az. communis LMG5514, Azoarcus sp. TTM-91 and Ar. toluolicum TT. In terms of ecology, with the exception of a few plant-associated strains in Azoarcus (s.s.), across the group, most strains/species are found in soil and water (often contaminated with petroleum or related aromatic compounds), sewage sludge, and seawater. The possession of nar, nap, nir, nor, and nos genes by most Azoarcus-Aromatoleum strains suggests that they have the potential to derive energy through anaerobic nitrate respiration, so this ability cannot be usefully used as a phenotypic marker to distinguish genera. However, the possession of bzd genes indicating the ability to degrade benzoate anaerobically plus the type of diazotrophy (aerobic vs. anaerobic) could, after confirmation of their functionality, be considered as distinguishing phenotypes in any new generic delineations. The taxonomy of the Azoarcus-Aromatoleum group should be revisited; retaining the generic name Azoarcus for its entirety, or creating additional genera are both possible outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollutants can generate stress in plants causing increased ethylene production that leads to the inhibition of plant growth. Ethylene production by the stressed plant may be lowered by Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) that metabolizes the immediate precursor of ethylene 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC). Thus, engineering PGPB with ACC deaminase activity can be a promising alternative to mitigate the harmful effects of pollutants and thus enhance plant production. Here we show that the aromatics-degrading and metal-resistant Azoarcus sp. CIB behaves as a PGP-bacterium when colonizing rice as an endophyte, showing a 30% increment in plant weight compared to non-inoculated plants. The cloning and expression of an acdS gene led to a recombinant strain, Azoarcus sp. CIB (pSEVA237acdS), possessing significant ACC deaminase activity (6716 nmol mg−1 h−1), constituting the first PGPB of the Rhodocyclaceae family equipped with this PGP trait. The recombinant CIB strain acquired the ability to protect inoculated rice plants from the stress induced by cadmium (Cd) exposure and to increase the Cd concentration in rice seedlings. The observed decrease of the levels of reactive oxygen species levels in rice roots confirms such a protective effect. The broad-host-range pSEVA237acdS plasmid paves the way to engineer PGPB with ACC deaminase activity to improve the growth of plants that might face stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, essential oils (EOs) have been proven to be a natural alternative to additives or pasteurization for the prevention of microbial spoilage in several food matrices. In this work, we tested the antimicrobial activity of EOs from Melissa officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, and Thymus vulgaris against three different microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, and Penicillium verrucosum. Pressed ewes' cheese made from milk fortified with EOs (250 mg/kg) was used as a model. The carryover effect of each oil was studied by analyzing the volatile fraction of dairy samples along the cheese-making process using headspace stir bar sorptive extraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results showed that the EOs contained in T. vulgaris effectively reduced the counts of C. tyrobutyricum and inhibited completely the growth of P. verrucosum without affecting the natural flora present in the cheese. By contrast, the inhibitory effect of M. officinalis against lactic acid bacteria starter cultures rendered this oil unsuitable for this matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is an interesting alternative and renewable source of rubber/latex which has been used in the past. Guayule rubber and latex products are not available in the market largely because the raw material cost is higher than the current sources produced in South-East Asia and other tropical countries (Hevea brasiliensis). Guayule contains many other compounds whose joint exploitation could make guayule cultivation profitable, especially in semi-desert areas where cultivation of other crops is difficult or impossible. Guayulins A–D, sesquiterpene esters, appear to have some commercial promise. Despite being accumulated in relatively high concentrations (its majority representative, guayulin A, can account for up to 13.7% of the resin content of this plant, which itself ranges from 6%–12%), guayulins have received little direct attention from scientists. This review presents the current knowledge about the activity of these compounds and, based on known activities of similar compounds from other species, potential uses as fungicides, miticides and insecticides are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in older men and is associated with high mortality. Despite advances in screening for early detection of PCa, a large proportion of patients continue to be diagnosed with metastatic disease, with ~20% of men showing a high tumor grade and stage. Medicinal plant extracts have a great potential to prevent/treat PCa, as well as to reduce its incidence/prevalence and improve survival rates. One of the most promising extracts is curcumin, which is a major, nontoxic, bioactive compound of Curcuma longa. Curcumin has strong antitumor activity in vitro. However, its potential beneficial in vivo affects are limited by its low intestinal absorption and rapid metabolism. In this study, curcumin was impregnated into a biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) support and characterized by FTIR and DSC, and its release by UV spectrophotometry. PLGA-curcumin was tested in different subcutaneous PCa xenograft models (PC3, 22rv1, and DU145 PCa cell-lines), and its effects evaluated by tumor progression an immuno-histochemical analysis (Trichromic, Ki67 and TUNEL stainings), were compared with those of a commercial curcumin preparation. Our results indicate that curcumin-impregnated PLGA is significantly more active (~2-fold increase) with respect to oral curcumin, which supports its use for subcutaneous administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaerobic degradation of benzoate in bacteria involves the benzoyl-CoA central pathway. Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains are a major group of anaerobic benzoate degraders, and the transcriptional regulation of the bzd genes was extensively studied in Azoarcus sp. CIB. In this work, we show that the bzdR regulatory gene and the PN promoter can also be identified upstream of the catabolic bzd operon in all benzoate-degrader Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains whose genome sequences are currently available. All the PN promoters from Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains described here show a conserved architecture including three operator regions (ORs), i.e., OR1 to OR3, for binding to the BzdR transcriptional repressor. Here, we demonstrate that, whereas OR1 is sufficient for the BzdR-mediated repression of the PN promoter, the presence of OR2 and OR3 is required for de-repression promoted by the benzoyl-CoA inducer molecule. Our results reveal that BzdR binds to the PN promoter in the form of four dimers, two of them binding to OR1. The BzdR/PN complex formed induces a DNA loop that wraps around the BzdR dimers and generates a superstructure that was observed by atomic force microscopy. This work provides further insights into the existence of a conserved BzdR-dependent mechanism to control the expression of the bzd genes in Azoarcus strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaerobic degradation of benzoate in bacteria involves the benzoyl-CoA central pathway. Azoarcus /Aromatoleum strains are a major group of anaerobic benzoate degraders, and the transcriptional regulation of the bzd genes was extensively studied in Azoarcus sp. CIB. In this work, we show that the bzdR regulatory gene and the P N promoter can also be identified upstream of the catabolic bzd operon in all benzoate-degrader Azoarcus /Aromatoleum strains whose genome sequences are currently available. All the P N promoters from Azoarcus /Aromatoleum strains described here show a conserved architecture including three operator regions (ORs), i.e., OR1 to OR3, for binding to the BzdR transcriptional repressor. Here, we demonstrate that, whereas OR1 is sufficient for the BzdR-mediated repression of the P N promoter, the presence of OR2 and OR3 is required for de-repression promoted by the benzoyl-CoA inducer molecule. Our results reveal that BzdR binds to the P N promoter in the form of four dimers, two of them binding to OR1. The BzdR/ P N complex formed induces a DNA loop that wraps around the BzdR dimers and generates a superstructure that was observed by atomic force microscopy. This work provides further insights into the existence of a conserved BzdR-dependent mechanism to control the expression of the bzd genes in Azoarcus strains., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no competing interests.