Search Results (21)

Background: Remifentanil, an ultra-short-acting µ-receptor agonist, is used with propofol for optimal laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion. However, no studies have assessed its effects when combined with thiopental on LMA conditions. The combined use of thiopental and remifentanil may offer advantages, such as enhanced cardiovascular and respiratory stability. This study aims to compare the administration of thiopental with different doses of remifentanil to assess their combined effects on LMA insertion conditions and success in a prospective, randomised double-blind study. Method: A total of 100 ASA I–II patients (18–65 years), including both male and female participants, were randomly assigned to four remifentanil dose groups (0.5–3 µg.kg⁻¹). Induction involved thiopental (5 mg.kg⁻¹) after remifentanil. LMA insertion conditions were evaluated using a six-variable scale. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and bispectral index monitor (BIS) values, as well as apnoea duration, eyelash reflex loss time, and insertion attempts, were recorded at baseline, before insertion, and at 5 min post-insertion. Results: Time to eyelash reflex loss and LMA insertion were shorter in Groups III and IV than in Groups I and II (p < 0.001). Apnoea duration was longest in Group IV, followed by Group III (p < 0.001). Groups III and IV had significantly better LMA placement, mouth opening, and ease of insertion (p < 0.05). Coughing and gagging were highest in Group I (p < 0.001). SAP, MAP, HR, and DAP were significantly lower in Group IV at various time points (p < 0.05). HR was significantly higher in Group I compared to Groups II and III at multiple time points (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The administration of 5 mg.kg⁻¹ thiopental with 2 μg.kg⁻¹ remifentanil has been found to provide a stable haemodynamic response and 96% excellent or satisfactory laryngeal mask insertion conditions without increasing the duration of apnoea. Full article

Understanding the hydration kinetics of cement paste is essential for adjusting the early-age performance of concrete. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) has emerged as an innovative technique to evaluate cement hydration progress by analyzing the evolution of transverse relaxation time (T₂) signals. This study provides insights into the influence of a super-absorbent polymer (SAP) as an internal curing agent and calcium oxide (CaO) as an expansive agent (EA) on LF-NMR spectroscopy of cement paste for the first time. The chemical compositions of the cement and CaO-based EA were determined by X-ray fluorescence, while the morphological characterizations of the cement, SAP and CaO-based EA materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Based on the extreme points in the first-order derivatives of the T₂ signal maximum amplitude curve, the hydration progress was analyzed and identified with four stages in detail. The results showed that the use of the SAP with a higher content retarded the hydration kinetics more evidently at a very early age, thus prolonging the duration of the induction and acceleration stages. The use of the CaO-based EA shortened the induction, acceleration and deceleration stages, which verified its promotion of hydration kinetics in the presence of the SAP. The combination of 3 wt% SAP and 2 wt% CaO consumed more water content synergistically in the first 100 h by hydration reactions. These findings revealed the roles of SAP and CaO-based EA (commonly adopted for low-shrinkage concrete) in adjusting hydration parameters and the microstructure evolution of cement-based materials, which would further offer fundamental knowledge for the early-age cracking control of concrete structures. Full article

Honey, a natural food with a rich history, is produced by honeybees and other species of bees from nectar, other plant fluids, and honeydew of sap-sucking insects. During foraging, these bees may be exposed to plant protection products (PPPs), metals, and metalloids, potentially leading to residues in honey and hive products that could have a negative impact on human safety. Recognizing the lack of an appropriate methodology for pesticide contamination of honey and other hive products, this research aims to support the need for studies on residues in pollen and bee products for human consumption to establish safe maximum residue levels (MRLs) for consumers. A UHPLC-MS/MS residues method and a modified QuEChERS extraction were applied to simultaneously determine 237 pesticide residues in honey and pollen. The study in North Sardinia analyzed honey and pollen samples from six areas for pesticide residues and verified 27 heavy metals and metalloid residues using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The data obtained showed residues at levels close to the LOQ of the method, cycloate in a few samples of pollen, and dichlorvos, zoxamide, cycloate, and chlorantraniliprole in honey samples. All samples showed the absence of heavy metal contamination. Overall, no risk to human health was identified. The results of this study confirm that honey and pollen may be a good bioindicator of environmental contamination of a wide area surrounding honeybee hives. Full article

Phytoplasmas are obligate intracellular pathogens that profoundly modify the development, physiology and behavior of their hosts by secreting effector proteins that disturb signal pathways and interactions both in plant and insect hosts. The characterization of effectors and their host-cell targets was performed for only a few phytoplasma species where it was shown that the SAP11 effector alters plant morphology by destabilizing plant transcription factors: TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1-CYCLOIDEA-PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCPs). To explore the possible role of the SAP11-like effector from ‘Ca. P. solani’, we used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant. The SAP11-like effector gene from ‘Ca. P. solani’ was introduced into arabidopsis by floral dip and transgenic lines were regenerated. In planta bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC) assays in agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaf cells were conducted to detect interactions between SAP11-like and AtTCP2 and AtTCP4 using confocal microscopy. SAP11-like from ‘Ca. P. solani’ induced significant phenotypic changes in arabidopsis, including crinkled leaves with reduced size, lower biomass, more axillary branches, changes in root morphology, and crinkled and smaller siliques. The BIFC assays proved in planta interaction of SAP11-like effector with AtTCP2 and AtTCP4. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the interaction between the ‘Ca. P. solani’ effector and plant transcription factors, suggesting a potential mechanism of modulating plant development and induction of characteristic symptoms in ‘Ca. P. solani’-infected plants. Full article

The secreted aspartic peptidases (Saps) of Candida albicans play crucial roles in various steps of fungal–host interactions. Using a flow cytometry approach, this study investigated the expression of Saps1–3 antigens after (i) incubation with soluble proteins, (ii) interaction with mammalian cells, and (iii) infection in immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Supplementation strategies involving increasing concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA) added to yeast carbon base (YCB) medium as the sole nitrogenous source revealed a positive and significant correlation between BSA concentration and both the growth rate and the percentage of fluorescent cells (%FC) labeled with anti-Saps1–3 antibodies. Supplementing the YCB medium with various soluble proteins significantly modulated the expression of Saps1–3 antigens in C. albicans. Specifically, immunoglobulin G, gelatin, and total bovine/human sera significantly reduced the %FC, while laminin, human serum albumin, fibrinogen, hemoglobin, and mucin considerably increased the %FC compared to BSA. Furthermore, co-cultivating C. albicans yeasts with either live epithelial or macrophage cells induced the expression of Saps1–3 antigens in 78% (mean fluorescence intensity [MFI] = 152.1) and 82.7% (MFI = 178.2) of the yeast cells, respectively, compared to BSA, which resulted in 29.3% fluorescent cells (MFI = 50.9). Lastly, the yeasts recovered from the kidneys of infected immunosuppressed mice demonstrated a 4.8-fold increase in the production of Saps1–3 antigens (MFI = 246.6) compared to BSA, with 95.5% of yeasts labeled with anti-Saps1–3 antibodies. Altogether, these results demonstrated the positive modulation of Saps’ expression in C. albicans by various key host proteinaceous components, as well as by in vitro and in vivo host challenges. Full article

Background and Objectives: Most published research has only investigated a single timepoint after the onset of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), meaning that they have been unable to observe the relationship between the dynamic changes in cytokines and SAP progression. In this study, we attempted to reveal the relationship between dynamic changes in cytokine expression levels and SAP disease progression and the relationship between cytokines, using continuous large-scale cytokine detection. Materials and Methods: Seventy rats were randomly assigned to control (Con), sham operation (SO) and SAP groups. The SAP group was randomly allocated to five subgroups at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 h after the operation. In the SAP group, 5% sodium taurocholate was injected retrograde into the pancreatic bile duct. Animals in the SO group received a similar incision, a turning over of the pancreas. Control animals did not receive any treatment. We observed the survival, ascites fluid amount, pancreatic histopathological scores and serum amylase activity of SAP rats. We used the cytokine microarray to simultaneously detect 90 cytokines and the dynamic changes in one experiment and to analyze the correlation between cytokine expression and disease progression. Results: The mortality of SAP rats increased with an increase in time. Serum amylase activity, pancreatic histopathological scores and ascites fluid amount were time-dependent. Compared with normal rats, 69 cytokines in SAP rats were significantly changed for at least one timepoint, and 49 cytokines were significantly changed at different timepoints after SAP induction. The changes in inflammatory cytokines were significantly upregulated at 6 and 9 h and 12 h and then significantly decreased. Conclusions: The trend of cytokine expression in SAP rats was not consistent with the disease progression. The cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and MAPK signal’s dominant cytokines were always highly expressed at various time points over the course of SAP. Full article

Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) are a kind of zinc finger protein with an A20/AN1 domain and contribute to plants’ adaption to various abiotic and biological stimuli. However, little is known about the SAP genes in maize (Zea mays L.). In the present study, the SAP genes were identified from the maize genome. Subsequently, the protein properties, gene structure and duplication, chromosomal location, and cis-acting elements were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. Finally, their expression profiles under osmotic stresses, including drought and salinity, as well as ABA, and overexpression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303a cells, were performed to uncover the potential function. The results showed that a total of 10 SAP genes were identified and named ZmSAP1 to ZmSAP10 in maize, which was unevenly distributed on six of the ten maize chromosomes. The ZmSAP1, ZmSAP4, ZmSAP5, ZmSAP6, ZmSAP7, ZmSAP8 and ZmSAP10 had an A20 domain at N terminus and AN1 domain at C terminus, respectively. Only ZmSAP2 possessed a single AN1 domain at the N terminus. ZmSAP3 and ZmSAP9 both contained two AN1 domains without an A20 domain. Most ZmSAP genes lost introns and had abundant stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements in their promoter region. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that all ZmSAP genes were regulated by drought and saline stresses, as well as ABA induction. Moreover, heterologous expression of ZmSAP2 and ZmSAP7 significantly improved the saline tolerance of yeast cells. The study provides insights into further underlying the function of ZmSAPs in regulating stress response in maize. Full article

Streptomyces bacteria produce a wide number of antibiotics and antitumor compounds that have attracted the attention of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. In this study, we provide evidence showing that the xylem sap from grapevines has a positive effect on the production of different antibiotics by several Streptomyces species, including S. ambofaciens ATCC 23877 and S. argillaceus ATCC 12596 among others. The production of several already known compounds was induced: actinomycin D, chromomycin A3, fungichromin B, mithramycin A, etc., and four compounds with molecular formulas not included in the Dictionary of Natural Products (DNP v28.2) were also produced. The molecules present in the xylem sap that acts as elicitors were smaller than 3 kDa and soluble in water and insoluble in ether, ethyl acetate, or methanol. A combination of potassium citrate and di-D-fructose dianhydrides (related to levanbiose or inulobiose) seemed to be the main effectors identified from the active fraction. However, the level of induction obtained in the presence of these compounds mix was weaker and delayed with respect to the one got when using the whole xylem sap or the 3 kDa sap fraction, suggesting that another, not identified, elicitor must be also implied in this induction. Full article

Surface coatings are critical in biomaterials and biomedical devices. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a well-known technology for the generation of thin films on a surface. However, the granular structures produced using CVD are rare. Recently, we used PPX-C, an excellent insulating material, for granular structure coating using CVD. Colloidal self-assembly is also a well-established method to generate granular structures named colloidal self-assembled patterns (cSAPs). In this study, we combined these two technologies to generate hierarchical granular structures and tested the biophysical effect of these hybrid surfaces on human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Two CVD-derived granular structures were made using water or glycerin droplets (i.e., CVD or GlyCVD surfaces). Water drops generate porous particles, while glycerin drops generate core–shell particles on the surface. These particles were dispersed randomly on the surface with sizes ranging from 1 to 20 μm. These CVD surfaces were hydrophobic (WCA ~ 80–110 degrees). On the other hand, a binary colloidal crystal (BCC), one type of cSAPs, composed of 5 μm Si and 400 nm carboxylated polystyrene (PSC) particles, had a close-packed structure and a hydrophilic surface (WCA ~ 45 degrees). The hybrid surfaces (i.e., CVD-BCC and GlyCVD-BCC) were smooth (Ra ~ 1.1–1.5 μm) and hydrophilic (WCA ~ 50 degrees), indicating a large surface coverage of BCC dominating the surface property. The hybrid surfaces were expected to be slightly negatively charged due to naturally charged CVD particles and negatively charged BCC particles. Cell adhesion was reduced on the hybrid surfaces, leading to an aggregated cell morphology, without reducing cell activity, compared to the flat control after 5 days. qPCR analysis showed that gene expression of type II collagen (COL2) was highly expressed on the GlyCVD-BCC without chemical induction after 3 and 14 days compared to the flat control. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of combining two technologies to make hybrid structures that can modulate stem cell attachment and differentiation. Full article

The objective of the present study was to investigate metal(loid)s in soils, in the trunk xylem sap and in the leaves of the Dipteryx alata plant located near the highway with high vehicle traffic in agricultural regions and near landfills, and to assess the transfer of metal(loid)s from soil to plant and possible health risk assessment. Trunk xylem sap, leaves and soil samples were collected at three sites near the highway. The analysis of trace elements was carried out using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES). In the three soil sampling sites far from the highway edge, 15 elements were quantified. The concentrations of elements in the soil presented in greater proportions in the distance of 5 m in relation to 20 and 35 m. The metal(loid)s content in the study soil was higher than in other countries. The concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, Se and Zn in the xylem sap were much higher than the leaves. The values of transfer factor of P, Mg and Mn from soil to the xylem sap and transfer factor of P from soil to leaf were greater than 1, indicating that the specie have a significant phytoremediation and phytoextraction potential. This plant has a tendency to accumulate As, Cd and Cr in its leaf tissues. The chronic hazard index (HI) values recorded in this study were above 1 for adults and adolescents. It is concluded that the soil, the trunk xylem sap and leaves of this plant are contaminated by heavy metals. Ingestion of the trunk xylem sap of this plant can cause toxicity in humans if ingested in large quantities and in the long term; therefore, its consumption should be avoided. Full article

Phytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens that live mainly in the phloem of their plant hosts. They dramatically manipulate plant development by secreting effector proteins that target developmental proteins of their hosts. Traditionally, the effects of individual effector proteins have been studied by ectopic overexpression using strong, ubiquitously active promoters in transgenic model plants. However, the impact of phytoplasma infection on the host plants depends on the intensity and timing of infection with respect to the developmental stage of the host. To facilitate investigations addressing the timing of effector protein activity, we have established chemical-inducible expression systems for the three most well-characterized phytoplasma effector proteins, SECRETED ASTER YELLOWS WITCHES’ BROOM PROTEIN 11 (SAP11), SAP54 and TENGU in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. We induced gene expression either continuously, or at germination stage, seedling stage, or flowering stage. mRNA expression was determined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, protein accumulation by confocal laser scanning microscopy of GFP fusion proteins. Our data reveal tight regulation of effector gene expression and strong upregulation after induction. Phenotypic analyses showed differences in disease phenotypes depending on the timing of induction. Comparative phenotype analysis revealed so far unreported similarities in disease phenotypes, with all three effector proteins interfering with flower development and shoot branching, indicating a surprising functional redundancy of SAP54, SAP11 and TENGU. However, subtle but mechanistically important differences were also observed, especially affecting the branching pattern of the plants. Full article

The green rice leafhopper (GRH, Nephotettix cincticeps Uhler) is one of the most important insect pests causing serious damage to rice production and yield loss in East Asia. Prior to performing RNA-Seq analysis, we conducted an electrical penetration graph (EPG) test to investigate the feeding behavior of GRH on Ilpum (recurrent parent, GRH-susceptible cultivar), a near-isogenic line (NIL carrying Grh1) compared to the Grh1 donor parent (Shingwang). Then, we conducted a transcriptome-wide analysis of GRH-responsive genes in Ilpum and NIL, which was followed by the validation of RNA-Seq data by qPCR. On the one hand, EPG results showed differential feeding behaviors of GRH between Ilpum and NIL. The phloem-like feeding pattern was detected in Ilpum, whereas the EPG test indicated a xylem-like feeding habit of GRH on NIL. In addition, we observed a high death rate of GRH on NIL (92%) compared to Ilpum (28%) 72 h post infestation, attributed to GRH failure to suck the phloem sap of NIL. On the other hand, RNA-Seq data revealed that Ilpum and NIL GRH-treated plants generated 1,766,347 and 3,676,765 counts per million mapped (CPM) reads, respectively. The alignment of reads indicated that more than 75% of reads were mapped to the reference genome, and 8859 genes and 15,815,400 transcripts were obtained. Of this number, 3424 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 1605 upregulated in Ilpum and downregulated in NIL; 1819 genes upregulated in NIL and downregulated in Ilpum) were identified. According to the quantile normalization of the fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (FPKM) values, followed by the Student’s t-test (p < 0.05), we identified 3283 DEGs in Ilpum (1935 upregulated and 1348 downregulated) and 2599 DEGs in NIL (1621 upregulated and 978 downregulated) with at least a log₂ (logarithm base 2) twofold change (Log₂FC ≥2) in the expression level upon GRH infestation. Upregulated genes in NIL exceeded by 13.3% those recorded in Ilpum. The majority of genes associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, nucleotides, the activity of coenzymes, the action of phytohormones, protein modification, homeostasis, the transport of solutes, and the uptake of nutrients, among others, were abundantly upregulated in NIL (carrying Grh1). However, a high number of upregulated genes involved in photosynthesis, cellular respiration, secondary metabolism, redox homeostasis, protein biosynthesis, protein translocation, and external stimuli response related genes were found in Ilpum. Therefore, all data suggest that Grh1-mediated resistance against GRH in rice would involve a transcriptome-wide reprogramming, resulting in the activation of bZIP, MYB, NAC, bHLH, WRKY, and GRAS transcription factors, coupled with the induction of the pathogen-pattern triggered immunity (PTI), systemic acquired resistance (SAR), symbiotic signaling pathway, and the activation of genes associated with the response mechanisms against viruses. This comprehensive transcriptome profile of GRH-responsive genes gives new insights into the molecular response mechanisms underlying GRH (insect pest)–rice (plant) interaction. Full article

Vascular pathogens are the causal agents of main diseases threatening the health and growth of olive crops worldwide. The use of endophytic microorganisms represents a challenging and promising strategy for management of vascular diseases in olive. Although current research has been focused on analyzing the structure and diversity of the endophytic microbial communities inhabiting the olive xylem, the characterization of this ecological niche has been overlooked and to date remain unexplored, despite that the characterization of the xylem sap composition is essential to unravel the nutritional requirements of xylem-limited microorganisms. In this study, branches from plantlets and adult olive trees of cultivars Picual and Arbequina were selected to characterize the chemical and microbial composition of olive xylem sap extracted using a Scholander pressure chamber. Metabolome and ionome analyses of xylem sap were performed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based and by inductively coupled plasma with optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. Olive xylem sap metabolites included a higher relative percentage of sugars (54.35%), followed by alcohols (28.85%), amino acids (8.01%), organic acids (7.68%), and osmolytes (1.12%). Within each of these groups, the main metabolites in the olive xylem sap were mannitol, ethanol, glutamine, acetic acid, and trigonelline, whereas K and Cl⁻ were the main element and inorganic anion, respectively. Metabolomic profile varied when comparing olive plant age and genotype. The levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose and mannitol, choline, B and PO₄³⁻ were significantly higher in adult trees than in plantlets for both olive genotypes, whereas NO³⁻ and Rb content showed the opposite behavior. On the other hand, levels of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and Na were significantly higher in ‘Picual’ than in ‘Arbequina’, whereas Fe showed the opposite behavior, but only for adult trees. Microbiome composition identified Firmicutes (67%), Proteobacteria (22%) and Actinobacteriota (11%) as the main phyla, while at the genus level Anoxybacillus (52%), Cutibacterium (7%), Massilia (6%), and Pseudomonas (3%) were the most representative. Both non-supervised hierarchical clustering analysis and supervised PLS-DA analysis differentiated xylem sap chemical and microbial composition first, according to the age of the plant and then by the olive genotype. PLS-DA analysis revealed that B, ethanol, Fe, fructose, glucose, mannitol, sucrose, and Sr, and Anoxybacillus, Cutibacterium, and Bradyrhizobium were the most significant chemical compounds and bacterial genera, respectively, in the discrimination of adult olive trees and plantlets. Knowledge of the chemical composition of xylem sap will lead to a better understanding of the complex nutritional requirements of olive xylem-inhabiting microorganisms, including vascular pathogens and their potential antagonists, and may allow the better design of artificial growing media to improve the culturing of the olive microbiome. Full article

Azospirillum spp. are plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that exert beneficial effects on plant growth and yield of agronomically important plant species. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a root treatment with Azospirillum baldaniorum Sp245 on hormones in xylem sap and physiological performance in purple basil (Ocimum basilicum L. cv. Red Rubin) plants grown under well-watered conditions and after removing water. Treatments with A. baldaniorum Sp245 included inoculation with viable cells (1·10⁷ CFU mL^–1) and addition of two doses of filtered culture supernatants (non-diluted 1·10⁸ CFU mL^–1, and diluted 1:1). Photosynthetic activity, endogenous level of hormones in xylem sap (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid), leaf pigments, leaf water potential, water-use efficiency (WUE), and drought tolerance were determined. Fluorescence and gas exchange parameters, as well as leaf water potential, showed that the highest dose of filtered culture supernatant improved both photosynthetic performance and leaf water status during water removal, associated with an increase in total pigments. Moreover, gas exchange analysis and carbon isotope discrimination found this bacterial treatment to be the most effective in inducing an increase of intrinsic and instantaneous WUE during water stress. We hypothesize that the benefits of bacterial treatments based on A. baldaniorum Sp245 are strongly correlated with the synthesis of phytohormones and the induction of plant-stress tolerance in purple basil. Full article

Goats have been used as animal models in research and are increasingly kept as companion animals. However, information about effective anesthetic drugs is scarce in this species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of xylazine premedication on alfaxalone induction. Twelve clinically healthy goats weighing 18.5 ± 2 kg were randomly assigned to two groups. Induction was performed with alfaxalone alone intravenously (ALF group) or with xylazine premedication before alfaxalone administration (XYL-ALF group). The quality of induction was scored, induction doses of alfaxalone were determined, and cardiorespiratory parameters and nociceptive thresholds were measured before any treatment(s) (baseline) and at 5, 15, 25 and 35 min after alfaxalone administration. The mean dose of alfaxalone required for induction in the ALF group was greater than that in the XYL-ALF group (p < 0.001). There were no significant changes in diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) or systolic arterial pressure (SAP) compared to baseline in either group, while hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO₂) was lower from 5 to 25 min (p < 0.5) in the XYL-ALF group. The nociceptive threshold was significantly higher at 5 min in the XYL-ALF group than in the ALF group (p = 0.0417). Xylazine premedication reduced the required dose of alfaxalone for anesthetic induction and produced better antinociception than alfaxalone alone. In addition, the combination of xylazine and alfaxalone allowed for successful induction; however, oxygen supplementation is necessary to counteract xylazine-associated hypoxemia. Full article