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As a biological alternative to managing diseases in crop production, we highlight the Bacillus velezensis strain LABIM41 (CMRP6330). Its genome, composed of 3,970,959 bp, possesses a rich metabolic machinery and a wide range of molecules with different biological activities and roles in its symbiotic relationship with its plant hosts.

The presence of infective larvae (L 3 ) of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites in pastures directly contributes to the constant recurrence of infections in ruminant herds. This study aimed to evaluate the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) (proteolytic crude extract and/or conidia) in the in vitro control of GIN L 3 in coprocultures. To produce the proteolytic crude extract, a suspension (10 7 conidia/mL) of D. flagrans was inoculated into a liquid medium. After 6 days, the medium was filtered, centrifuged, and its proteolytic activity was measured. For the experimental assay, fecal samples were collected directly from the rectal ampulla of naturally infected sheep, and egg counts per gram of feces (EPG) were performed. Coprocultures were prepared using 10 g of fecal material with the groups defined as follows: control group G1 (1.0 mL of denatured proteolytic crude extract); treated group G2 (1.0 mL of active proteolytic crude extract); treated group G3 (1.0 mL of active proteolytic crude extract + 1.0 mL of AC001 conidia). The coprocultures were maintained at room temperature (25ºC), for 7 days, and then the L 3 larvae were recovered. The results demonstrated that AC001 successfully produced protease (56.34 U/mL). The treatments with active proteolytic crude extract (G2) and active proteolytic crude extract + AC001 conidia (G3) were significantly different (p < 0.01) from the control group with denatured proteolytic crude extract (G1). AC001 and its proteolytic crude extract acted concomitantly on helminths directly in the fecal environment, suggesting potential future applications in the field., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The present study demonstrates the biocontrol potential of a plant growth-promoting bacterial strain using three different approaches: (i) an in vitro evaluation of antagonistic activity against important phytopathogenic fungi; (ii) an evaluation under greenhouse conditions with strawberry plants to assess the control of gray mold; and (iii) an in silico whole genome sequence mining to assign genetic features such as gene clusters or isolated genes to the strain activity. The in vitro assay showed that the B.BV10 strain presented antagonistic activity, inhibiting the mycelial growth in all the phytopathogenic fungi evaluated. The application of the Bacillus velezensis strain B.BV10 under greenhouse conditions reduced the presence of Botrytis cinerea and increased the mean fruit biomass. The genome of B.BV10 was estimated at 3,917,533 bp, with a GC content of 46.6% and 4088 coding DNA sequences, and was identified as B. velezensis . Biosynthetic gene clusters related to the synthesis of the molecules with antifungal activity were found in its genome. Genes related to the regulation/formation of biofilms, motility, and the important properties for the rhizospheric colonization were also found in the genome. The current study offers a comprehensive understanding of the genomic architecture and control activity of phytopathogenic fungi by the B. velezensis strain B.BV10 that may substantiate the industrialization of this strain in the future.

The development of bio-based products has increased in recent years, and species of the Bacillus genus have been widely used for product development due to their elevated production of antimicrobial molecules and resistance to extreme environmental conditions through endospore formation. In this context, the antifungal potential of Bacillus velezensis CMRP 4489 was investigated using in silico predictions of secondary metabolites in its genome and in vitro tests against the following phytopathogenic fungi: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Botrytis cinerea. The in-silico predictions indicated that CMRP 4489 possesses several Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) capable of producing molecules with antifungal properties and other non-identified BGCs. The in vitro assay results evidenced strong antifungal activity, inhibiting more than 60% of the tested fungi, and the isolate's molecules were stable under diverse physicochemical conditions. The in vitro assay evidenced significant antifungal activity, deformation of the hyphal structure in SS, biofilm formation capacity, and swarming motility. In the colonization assay, we observed attachment, colonization, and net-shaped biofilm formation, with the strain transitioning from the seeds to nearby structures. Therefore, CMRP 4489 showed to be a potential biocontrol agent against various diseases with agronomic importance and can be used under adverse environmental conditions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Brevibacillus brevis LABIM17 is a bacterial isolate with biotechnological potential. Its draft genome sequence contains a chromosome of 5,950,202 bp, with 5,477 coding sequences, and exhibits 12 clusters involved in the production of secondary metabolites, which are likely responsible for its antimicrobial activity against several human and plant pathogens.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder is associated with chronic inflammation and deficient production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation has an anti-inflammatory effect and has been proven effective in restoring non-depressive behavior. This study investigated whether BMMC transplantation can prevent the development of depression or anxiety in chronic mild stress (CMS), as well as its effect on inflammatory and neurogenic molecules., Method: Three groups of animals were compared: BMMC-transplanted animals subjected to CMS for 45 days, CMS non-transplanted rats, and control animals. After the CMS period, the three groups underwent the following behavioral tests: sucrose preference test (SPT), eating-related depression test (ERDT), social avoidance test (SAT), social interaction test (SIT), and elevated plus maze test (EPMT). Transplanted cell tracking and measurement of the expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and BDNF were performed on brain and spleen tissues., Results: BMMC transplantation prevented the effects of CMS in the SPT, ERDT, SAT, and SIT, while prevention was less pronounced in the EPMT. It was found to prevent increased HMGB-1 expression induced by CMS in the hippocampus and spleen, increase BDNF expression in both tissues, and prevent increased IL-1β expression in the hippocampus alone, while no effect of the transplant was observed in the TNFα expression. In addition, no transplanted cells were found in either the brain or spleen., Conclusions: BMMC transplantation prevents the development of depression and anxiety-like behavior triggered by CMS. It could prevent increased HMGB-1 and IL-1β expression in the hippocampus and increased BDNF expression in the same tissue. Cell treatment represents a further perspective in the research and treatment of depression and possible mood disorders., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of intractable epilepsy in adults. More than 30% of individuals with epilepsy have persistent seizures and have drug-resistant epilepsy. Based on our previous findings, treatment with bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) could interfere with early and chronic phase epilepsy in rats and in clinical settings. In this pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model, animals were randomly assigned to two groups: control (Con) and epileptic pre-treatment (Ep-pre-t). The latter had status epilepticus (SE) induced through pilocarpine intraperitoneal injection. Later, seizure frequency was assessed using a video-monitoring system. Ep-pre-t was further divided into epileptic treated with saline (Ep-Veh) and epileptic treated with BMMC (Ep-BMMC) after an intravenous treatment with BMMC was done on day 22 after SE. Analysis of neurobehavioral parameters revealed that Ep-BMMC had significantly lower frequency of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) in comparison to Ep-pre-t and Ep-Veh groups. Hippocampus-dependent spatial and non-spatial learning and memory were markedly impaired in epileptic rats, a deficit that was robustly recovered by treatment with BMMC. Moreover, long-term potentiation-induced synaptic remodeling present in epileptic rats was restored by BMMC. In addition, BMMC was able to reduce abnormal mossy fiber sprouting in the dentate gyrus. Molecular analysis in hippocampal tissue revealed that BMMC treatment down-regulates the release of inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) as well as the Rho subfamily of small GTPases [Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac)]. Collectively, delayed BMMC treatment showed positive effects when intravenously infused into chronic epileptic rats.

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic impact of immunohistochemical expression of BAP1 and PBRM1 in patients with early stage (pT1-pT2N0M0) clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)., Patients and Methods: A total of 441 consecutive patients treated surgically for stages I and II (TNM-AJCC 2010) ccRCC between 1990 and 2016 were selected. All cases were reviewed for uniform reclassification and the most representative tumor areas were selected for the construction of a tissue microarray. Sixty-two patients had frozen tumoral tissue available in the tumor bank of our institution for quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis., Results: Of the 441-immunostained ccRCC specimens, 91 (20.6%) and 107 (24.3%) showed negative-expression of PBRM1 and BAP1, respectively. Fifty-eight (13.2%) showed negative-expression of both markers (PBRM1-/BAP-). There was an association between both markers expression pattern and classical parameters, such as pT stage (P<0.001), tumor size (P<0.001), and tumor grade (P<0.001). Both independent PBRM1 and BAP1 negative-expression were associated with lower rates of disease-specific survival and recurrence-free survival. When patients were grouped into presence of positive expression of one or both markers vs. PBRM1-/BAP1- patients, disease-specific survival and rates were 95.3% vs. 77.6%, respectively (P<0.001). PBRM1-/BAP1-group presented a higher risk of cancer specific death (hazard ratio = 2.722, P = 0.007) and disease recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.467, P = 0.004) in multivariate analysis., Conclusion: Patients with early stage tumors that present concomitant loss of both PBRM1 and BAP1 demonstrated worse survival rates and represent a relevant risk group for tumor recurrence and death., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A primary function of 5' regions in many secretory protein mRNAs is to encode an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) targeting sequence. In this study, we show how the regions coding for the ER-targeting sequences of the influenza glycoproteins NA and HA also function as translational regulatory elements that are controlled by the viral RNA-binding protein (RBP) NS1. The translational increase depends on the nucleotide composition and 5' positioning of the ER-targeting sequence coding regions and is facilitated by the RNA-binding domain of NS1, which can associate with ER membranes. Inserting the ER-targeting sequence coding region of NA into different 5' UTRs confirmed that NS1 can promote the translation of secretory protein mRNAs based on the nucleotides within this region rather than the resulting amino acids. By analyzing human protein mRNA sequences, we found evidence that this mechanism of using 5' coding regions and particular RBPs to achieve gene-specific regulation may extend to human-secreted proteins., (© 2017 Nordholm et al.)

Background: Witches' broom disease (WBD) caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa is responsible for considerable economic losses for cacao producers. One of the ways to combat WBD is to plant resistant cultivars. Resistance may be governed by a few genetic factors, mainly found in wild germplasm., Results: We developed a dense genetic linkage map with a length of 852.8 cM that contains 3,526 SNPs and is based on the MP01 mapping population, which counts 459 trees from a cross between the resistant 'TSH 1188' and the tolerant 'CCN 51' at the Mars Center for Cocoa Science in Barro Preto, Bahia, Brazil. Seven quantitative trait loci (QTL) that are associated with WBD were identified on five different chromosomes using a multi-trait QTL analysis for outbreeders. Phasing of the haplotypes at the major QTL region on chromosome IX on a diversity panel of genotypes clearly indicates that the major resistance locus comes from a well-known source of WBD resistance, the clone 'SCAVINA 6'. Various potential candidate genes identified within all QTL may be involved in different steps leading to disease resistance. Preliminary expression data indicate that at least three of these candidate genes may play a role during the first 12 h after infection, with clear differences between 'CCN 51' and 'TSH 1188'., Conclusions: We combined the information from a large mapping population with very distinct parents that segregate for WBD, a dense set of mapped markers, rigorous phenotyping capabilities and the availability of a sequenced genome to identify several genomic regions that are involved in WBD resistance. We also identified a novel source of resistance that most likely comes from the 'CCN 51' parent. Thanks to the large population size of the MP01 population, we were able to pick up QTL and markers with relatively small effects that can contribute to the creation and selection of more tolerant/resistant plant material.

Unlabelled: Transmembrane domains (TMDs) from single-spanning membrane proteins are commonly viewed as membrane anchors for functional domains. Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) exemplifies this concept, as it retains enzymatic function upon proteolytic release from the membrane. However, the subtype 1 NA TMDs have become increasingly more polar in human strains since 1918, which suggests that selection pressure exists on this domain. Here, we investigated the N1 TMD-head domain relationship by exchanging a prototypical "old" TMD (1933) with a "recent" (2009), more polar TMD and an engineered hydrophobic TMD. Each exchange altered the TMD association, decreased the NA folding efficiency, and significantly reduced viral budding and replication at 37°C compared to at 33°C, at which NA folds more efficiently. Passaging the chimera viruses at 37°C restored the NA folding efficiency, viral budding, and infectivity by selecting for NA TMD mutations that correspond with their polar or hydrophobic assembly properties. These results demonstrate that single-spanning membrane protein TMDs can influence distal domain folding, as well as membrane-related processes, and suggest the NA TMD in H1N1 viruses has become more polar to maintain compatibility with the evolving enzymatic head domain., Importance: The neuraminidase (NA) protein from influenza A viruses (IAVs) functions to promote viral release and is one of the major surface antigens. The receptor-destroying activity in NA resides in the distal head domain that is linked to the viral membrane by an N-terminal hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD). Over the last century, the subtype 1 NA TMDs (N1) in human H1N1 viruses have become increasingly more polar, and the head domains have changed to alter their antigenicity. Here, we provide the first evidence that an "old" N1 head domain from 1933 is incompatible with a "recent" (2009), more polar N1 TMD sequence and that, during viral replication, the head domain drives the selection of TMD mutations. These mutations modify the intrinsic TMD assembly to restore the head domain folding compatibility and the resultant budding deficiency. This likely explains why the N1 TMDs have become more polar and suggests the N1 TMD and head domain have coevolved., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Membrane insertion by the Sec61 translocon in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is highly dependent on hydrophobicity. This places stringent hydrophobicity requirements on transmembrane domains (TMDs) from single-spanning membrane proteins. On examining the single-spanning influenza A membrane proteins, we found that the strict hydrophobicity requirement applies to the N(out)-C(in) HA and M2 TMDs but not the N(in)-C(out) TMDs from the type II membrane protein neuraminidase (NA). To investigate this discrepancy, we analyzed NA TMDs of varying hydrophobicity, followed by increasing polypeptide lengths, in mammalian cells and ER microsomes. Our results show that the marginally hydrophobic NA TMDs (ΔG(app) > 0 kcal/mol) require the cotranslational insertion process for facilitating their inversion during translocation and a positively charged N-terminal flanking residue and that NA inversion enhances its plasma membrane localization. Overall the cotranslational inversion of marginally hydrophobic NA TMDs initiates once ~70 amino acids past the TMD are synthesized, and the efficiency reaches 50% by ~100 amino acids, consistent with the positioning of this TMD class in type II human membrane proteins. Inversion of the M2 TMD, achieved by elongating its C-terminus, underscores the contribution of cotranslational synthesis to TMD inversion., (© 2014 Dou et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).)

Objective: To assess the incidence and risk factors associated with nasal septum injury in premature infants using reused and new nasal prongs., Method: The study was a cohort from an open therapeutic intervention. The sample included 70 infants with a gestational age inferior to 37 weeks, who used nasal prongs and were hospitalized at the neonatal service of a hospital in Recife-PE, in the Northeast of Brazil. The data were collected in patient files through the assessment of the application of the device and of the nasal septum. Multinomial Logistic Regression and Survival analyses were applied., Results: The incidence of nasal injury corresponded to 62.9%. In the multiple analysis, only the length of the infant's treatment was a determinant factor for the occurrence and severity of the injuries., Conclusion: The type of nasal prong does not serve as a risk factor for the nasal injury. The high incidence of nasal injury indicates the need to adapt the nursing care with emphasis on prevention.

Background: Nutritional supplements based on the amino acid L-arginine have been hypothesized to improve exercise performance by increasing levels of insulin and growth hormone (GH). Changes of these parameters in response to L-arginine supplementation may clarify the mechanisms underlying its putative physiological effects on physical performance., Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of L-arginine supplementation on serum insulin, GH, Growth Factor Insulin-like (IGF-1), and cortisol in response to exercise. Exercise performance was also evaluated., Design: Fifteen trained runners were divided into groups supplemented with 6 g of L-arginine (ARG) or placebo (PLA). Blood samples were collected before supplementation (T0), immediately after the first exercise session (T1), after the second exercise session (T2), and after 20 min of rest (T3). The exercise consisted of two bouts of 5 km time-trial running test., Results: There was a significant increase in serum GH (T0: 3.28±0.95 vs. 3.21±0.5 ng/mL; T1: 4.35±0.23 vs. 4.17±0.13 ng/mL; T2: 4.22±0.25 vs. 4.17±0.09 ng/mL; T3: 4.14±0.29 vs. 4.13±0.18 ng/mL) and cortisol (T0: 198.71±53.77 vs. 207.57±69.51 nmol/L; T1: 458.16±116.12 vs. 433.26±101.77 nmol/L; T2: 454.61±125.21 vs. 431.88±74.82 nmol/L; T3: 311.14±102.91 vs. 362.26±110.42 nmol/L) after T1, T2, and T3, with no significant difference between the ARG and PLA groups, respectively. There was also no significant difference observed in the variables of IGF-1, insulin, and total running time between the ARG and PLA groups., Conclusions: The supplementation of L-arginine did not appear to stimulate the production of insulin, GH, and IGF-1 and, thus, provided no benefit in hormonal response or exercise performance in trained runners.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with nasal septum injury in preterm infants in the use of noninvasive ventilation. A cross-sectional study with data collection between March and July 2012 and with search for records, interviews with mothers and nasal evaluation of 47 premature in the neonatal unit of a teaching hospital in Recife, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. A descriptive bivariate statistical analysis was performed through the chi-square test or Fisher exact test using the SPSS software. The prevalence of nasal lesions was 68.1%, associated with low birth weight and duration of treatment. The prevalence of nasal injury in this population is high and associated with low birth weight and length of stay in noninvasive ventilation. Due to these facts the necessity for preventive actions was noticed, such as continuous care in nursing, suitability of devices and permanent education in service.

Interactions that facilitate transmembrane domain (TMD) dimerization have been identified mainly using synthetic TMDs. Here, we investigated how inherent properties within natural TMDs modulate their interaction strength by exploiting the sequence variation in the nine neuraminidase subtypes (N1-N9) and the prior knowledge that a N1 TMD oligomerizes. Initially, consensus TMDs were created from the influenza A virus database, and their interaction strengths were measured in a biological membrane system. The TMD interactions increased with respect to decreasing hydrophobicity across the subtypes (N1-N9) and within the human N1 subtype where the N1 TMDs from the pandemic H1N1 strain of swine origin were found to be significantly less hydrophobic. The hydrophobicity correlation was attributed to the conserved amphipathicity within the TMDs as the interactions were abolished by mutating residues on the polar faces that are unfavorably positioned in the membrane. Similarly, local changes enhanced the interactions only when a larger polar residue existed on the appropriate face in an unfavorable membrane position. Together, the analysis of this unique natural TMD data set demonstrates how polar-mediated TMD interactions from bitopic proteins depend on which polar residues are involved and their positioning with respect to the helix and the membrane bilayer.

Neuraminidase (NA) is one of the two major influenza surface antigens and the main influenza drug target. Although NA has been well characterized and thought to function as a tetramer, the role of the transmembrane domain (TMD) in promoting proper NA assembly has not been systematically studied. Here, we demonstrate that in the absence of the TMD, NA is synthesized and transported in a predominantly inactive state. Substantial activity was rescued by progressive truncations of the stalk domain, suggesting the TMD contributes to NA maturation by tethering the stalk to the membrane. To analyze how the TMD supports NA assembly, the TMD was examined by itself. The NA TMD formed a homotetramer and efficiently trafficked to the plasma membrane, indicating the TMD and enzymatic head domain drive assembly together through matching oligomeric states. In support of this, an unrelated strong oligomeric TMD rescued almost full NA activity, whereas the weak oligomeric mutant of this TMD restored only half of wild type activity. These data illustrate that a large soluble domain can force assembly with a poorly compatible TMD; however, optimal assembly requires coordinated oligomerization between the TMD and the soluble domain.

Determinants of cognitive performance in old age have received limited attention in Latin America. We investigated the association of socio-demographic and health-related variables with cognitive performance in a sample of older adults with limited educational experience living in a poor sub-district of the city of São Paulo. This was a cross-sectional population-based study which included a sample of 384 seniors 65 years and older. Cognition was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) (episodic memory test with 10 pictures, verbal fluency (VF), Clock Drawing Test (CDT)). Results indicated that age, sex, schooling, depressive symptoms, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) level had a significant impact on the cognitive performance of the sample. Therefore, pharmacological and psychosocial interventions with a focus on improving mood and controlling hypertension may have beneficial effects on cognition among seniors with similar socio-demographic characteristics., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mammalian tapasin (TPN) is a key member of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation pathway, being part of the multi-protein complex called the peptide loading complex (PLC). Several studies describe its important roles in stabilizing empty MHC class I complexes, facilitating peptide loading and editing the repertoire of bound peptides, with impact on CD8(+) T cell immune responses. In this work, the gene and cDNA of the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) glycoprotein TPN have been isolated and characterized. The coding sequence has a 1329 bp ORF encoding a 442-residue precursor protein with a predicted 24-amino acid leader peptide, generating a 418-amino acid mature form that retains a conserved N-glycosylation site, three conserved mammalian tapasin motifs, two Ig superfamily domains, a transmembrane domain and an ER-retention di-lysine motif at the C-terminus, suggestive of a function similar to mammalian tapasins. Similar to the human counterpart, the sea bass TPN gene comprises 8 exons, some of which correspond to separate functional domains of the protein. A three-dimensional homology model of sea bass tapasin was calculated and is consistent with the structural features described for the human molecule. Together, these results support the concept that the basic structure of TPN has been maintained through evolution. Moreover, the present data provides information that will allow further studies on cell-mediated immunity and class I antigen presentation pathway in particular, in this important fish species., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Depression in old age is a complex multifactorial phenomenon that is influenced by several biopsychosocial variables. Depressive symptoms are associated with the presence of chronic diseases, with being female, with low education and low income levels, and with poor perceived health assessment. In impoverished areas, older adults may have more physical disability, as they may have less access to health services. Therefore, they may be more likely to report depressive symptoms., Methods: Population-based cross-sectional research was undertaken using data from the FIBRA study conducted in Ermelino Matarazzo, a poor subdistrict of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The participants comprised 303 elderly people, aged 65 years and over, who attended a single-session data collection effort carried out at community centers. The protocol comprised sociodemographic and self-reported health variables, and the Geriatric Depression Scale., Results: The majority of the subjects reported five or fewer symptoms of depression (79.21%), reported one or two self-reported chronic diseases (56.86%), declared themselves to have one or two self-reported health problems (46.15%), and had good perceived health assessment (40.27%). The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with a higher number of self-reported health problems, poor perceived health assessment, and lower schooling levels, in the total sample and in analyses including men only. For women, depressive symptoms were associated with the number of self-reported health problems and family income., Conclusion: The presence of health problems, such as falls and memory problems, lower perceived health, and low education (and low family income for women) were associated with a higher presence of depressive symptoms among elderly people in this poor area of São Paulo.

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging measurements of liquid water ingress in a large number of nonactivated Y-type (Na) zeolite samples prepared under different conditions are reported on. Using an experimental arrangement that permits the application of Boltzmann's transformation of the 1D (one-dimensional) diffusion equation, the spatiotemporal scaling variables required for a collapse of the measured profiles into universal curves revealed subdiffusive behavior in all cases. It is shown that the one-dimensional fractal time diffusion equation constitutes a powerful tool to analyze the data and provides a connection between the moisture dependence of the effective transport diffusivities and the shapes of the universal curves. Thus, even for anomalous diffusion, the relationship between the universal curves and structural characteristics of the system; such as porosity, tortuosity of the pore space and, in some cases, the interplay between mesopores and nanopores can be addressed.