Arabidopsis RNA-binding proteins interact with viral structural proteins and modify turnip yellows virus accumulation.

As obligate intracellular parasites, viruses depend on host proteins and pathways for their multiplication. Among these host factors, specific nuclear proteins are involved in the life cycle of some cytoplasmic replicating RNA viruses, although their role in the viral cycle remains largely unknown. The polerovirus turnip yellows virus (TuYV) encodes a major coat protein (CP) and a 74 kDa protein known as the readthrough (RT) protein.

Relationships between fecal indicator abundance in water and sand and the presence of pathogenic genes in sand of recreational beaches.

For decades, the risk of exposure to infectious diseases in recreational beaches has been evaluated through the quantification of fecal indicator bacteria in water samples using culture methods. The analyses of sand samples have recently been developed as a complement to the monitoring of recreational waters in beach quality assessments. The growing use of molecular techniques for environmental monitoring allows for the rapid detection of pathogenic genes, thus providing more accurate information regarding the health risk of exposure to contaminated sand.

Beneficial effect of GABA-producing Lactiplantibacillus strain LPB145 isolated from cheese starters evaluated in anxiety- and depression-like behaviours in rats.

In a previous study, we reported the in vitro potential probiotic and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production, of several strains from a collection of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb) strains within the community of natural whey starters from the artisanal cheese industry. GABA is a non-protein amino acid widely distributed in nature and produced in animals, plants, and microorganisms. However, the best known role of GABA is its function as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.

The effect of fluvial avulsion on the Holocene chronostratigraphic record and the agricultural signal of the world's largest coastal lagoonal system.

This study identified the occurrence of Holocene chronology hiatuses in the sedimentary record of the Patos-Mirim system caused by river avulsion processes, as well as evidence of sharp anthropogenic changes in the surrounding region of the lagoon water bodies. The presence of chronology hiatuses demonstrates the importance of considering the disturbance effect of paleo-drainage processes on the paleoenvironmental resolution and expression of the sedimentary record of such coastal plains. Anthropogenic activities especially those related to agriculture and forestry have increased significantly during the great acceleration, resulting in modifications of both the landscape and the environmental conditions of the lagoon bodies.

Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon quality descriptors determining factors that affect its sequestration in Northeast Algeria.

Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) content is crucial for soil fertility, conservation, and combating climate-related issues by sequestering CO. While existing studies explore the total content of SOC, few of them investigate the factors that favor its sequestration and the impact of land use type and management. This research aims to study the spatial variation of the total content and the quality or maturity (in terms of aromaticity) of the humic acid (HA) fraction, along with the factors that enhance its formation and conservation for a longer time in the soil.

The Microcystis-microbiome interactions: origins of the colonial lifestyle.

Species of the Microcystis genus are the most common bloom-forming toxic cyanobacteria worldwide. They belong to a clade of unicellular cyanobacteria whose ability to reach high biomasses during blooms is linked to the formation of colonies. Colonial lifestyle provides several advantages under stressing conditions of light intensity, ultraviolet light, toxic substances and grazing.

Autoimmune encephalitis in a resource-limited public health setting: a case series analysis.

Background:  Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) consists of a group of acquired diseases that affect the central nervous system. A myriad of phenotypes may be present at the onset. Due to the heterogeneity of clinical presentations, it is difficult to achieve uniformity for the diagnostic and therapeutic processes and follow-up strategies.

Pasta Enriched with Carrot and Olive Leaf Flour Retains High Levels of Accessible Bioactives after In Vitro Digestion.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the levels of antioxidants and polyphenols in pasta enriched with either carrot or olive leaf flours after simulating gastrointestinal digestion. Pasta samples were prepared with fixed amounts of carrot and olive leaf flours (15% and 6% of the total mixture, respectively). We measured the antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content at different stages of the pasta production process, starting from the initial flour to the cooked pasta, and tested samples of the liquid component and solid waste resulting from the digestion process.

Characterization of the water bodies of Extremadura (SW Spain).

Extremadura is the region that stores the greatest amount of fresh water in Spain. Such water is mainly used for power generation, irrigation in agriculture, biodiversity conservation, tourism, recreation, and human and livestock consumption. Nevertheless, crucial information on the total number of water bodies and their geometrical characteristics and spatial distribution patterns are still missing.

Effect of hydrological modification on the potential toxicity of Microcystis aeruginosa complex in Salto Grande reservoir, Uruguay.

It is widely known that the environmental conditions caused by the construction of reservoirs favor the proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria and the formation of blooms due to the high residence time of the water, low turbidity, temperature regimes, among others. Microcystin-producing cyanobacteria such as those from the Microcystis aeruginosa complex (MAC) are the most frequently found organisms in reservoirs worldwide, being the role of the environment on microcystin production poorly understood. Here, we addressed the community dynamics and potential toxicity of MAC cyanobacteria in a subtropical reservoir (Salto Grande) located in the low Uruguay river.

Rise of toxic cyanobacterial blooms is promoted by agricultural intensification in the basin of a large subtropical river of South America.

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are globally increasing with negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, water use and human health. Blooms' main driving forces are eutrophication, dam construction, urban waste, replacement of natural vegetation with croplands and climate change and variability. The relative effects of each driver have not still been properly addressed, particularly in large river basins.

Increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure and nephrotic syndrome: A case report and literature review.

Objective: To analyze how nephrotic syndrome (NS) correlates to increased intracranial pressure (ICP), and to present a case of an adult patient whose initial manifestation of NS was cephalalgia, with the later identification of raised ICP.

Methods: Data were retrospectively retrieved from the patient's record, and a literature search with the keywords "nephrotic syndrome", "intracranial hypertension" and "headache" was conducted in PubMed and Embase.

Results: This is a rare description of co-occurrence of NS and raised ICP in a 48-year-old man, in which ICP normalizes after NS remits.

Barriers and opportunities of soil knowledge to address soil challenges: Stakeholders' perspectives across Europe.

Climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soil is critical to improve soil health, enhance food and water security, contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity preservation, and improve human health and wellbeing. The European Joint Programme for Soil (EJP SOIL) started in 2020 with the aim to significantly improve soil management knowledge and create a sustainable and integrated European soil research system. EJP SOIL involves more than 350 scientists across 24 Countries and has been addressing multiple aspects associated with soil management across different European agroecosystems.

Effects of UV-B Radiation on the Performance, Antioxidant Response and Protective Compounds of Hazelnut Pollen.

Increasing ultraviolet (UV) radiation is expected to become a problem in hazelnut cultivation. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of UV-B on hazelnut pollen. To this end, the pollens were exposed to UV-B for 1, 2, and 3 h at distances of 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm.

A georeferenced rRNA amplicon database of aquatic microbiomes from South America.

The biogeography of bacterial communities is a key topic in Microbial Ecology. Regarding continental water, most studies are carried out in the northern hemisphere, leaving a gap on microorganism's diversity patterns on a global scale. South America harbours approximately one third of the world's total freshwater resources, and is one of these understudied regions.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma in a patient with multiple sclerosis using fingolimod.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disease associated with immunosuppression. Here, we report the case of a patient with multiple sclerosis, under treatment with fingolimod (FTY720, Gilenya) for 4 years, who developed this condition. Although the causal relationship cannot be established, there are cases in the literature that describe the appearance of lymphoma after the use of this medication.

Chemical Profiling of Two Italian (L.) Varieties Subjected to UV-B Stress.

The depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer due to natural and/or anthropogenic causes decreases the amount of UV-B radiation filtered, and consequently increases the risk of potential damage to organisms. In the Mediterranean region, high UV-B indices are frequent. Even for species typical of this region, such as the olive tree, the progressive increase in UV-B radiation represents a threat.

Male Fertility under Environmental Stress: Do Polyamines Act as Pollen Tube Growth Protectants?

Although pollen structure and morphology evolved toward the optimization of stability and fertilization efficiency, its performance is affected by harsh environmental conditions, e.g., heat, cold, drought, pollutants, and other stressors.

Spatial and temporal dynamics and potential pathogenicity of fecal coliforms in coastal shallow groundwater wells.

Access to water through shallow groundwater wells is a common practice in coastal settlements. This, coupled with a lack of planning for wastewater disposal promotes fecal contamination of groundwater and poses a threat to human health. Here, the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater fecal contamination was evaluated during summer and winter (2013 and 2014) in a coastal protected area having a high touristic relevance (Cabo Polonio, Uruguay).

A reply to "Relevant factors in the eutrophication of the Uruguay River and the Río Negro".

A recent paper by Beretta-Blanco and Carrasco-Letelier (2021) claims that agricultural eutrophication is not one of the main causes for cyanobacterial blooms in rivers and artificial reservoirs. By combining rivers of markedly different hydrological characteristics e.g.

Genotyping and Multivariate Regression Trees Reveal Ecological Diversification within the Microcystis aeruginosa Complex along a Wide Environmental Gradient.

Addressing the ecological and evolutionary processes underlying biodiversity patterns is essential to identify the mechanisms shaping community structure and function. In bacteria, the formation of new ecologically distinct populations (ecotypes) is proposed as one of the main drivers of diversification. New ecotypes arise when mutations in key functional genes or acquisition of new metabolic pathways by horizontal gene transfer allow the population to exploit new resources, permitting their coexistence with the parental population.

Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sharing Results and Data Obtained from the Ames Test.

We present a resource for instructors that contains results and data sets from the Ames test. Our aim is to share the results we have collected in previous semesters with other instructors, so they will be able to "conduct" the Ames test without the need to set foot in a laboratory classroom. Instructors will be able to use our online resource to perform the test remotely, as a supplement to their laboratory classroom, or even under hybrid circumstances.

Metagenomic analysis of microbiome: beyond the individual.

is a toxic, invasive bacteria with a defined biogeographic pattern attributed to the generation of ecotypes subjected to local environmental filters and to phenotypic plasticity. The interactions taking place between the cyanobacterium and the other bacteria inhabiting the external polysaccharide-rich matrix surrounding the cells, or phycosphere, may be ecotype-specific and would have different influence on the carbon and nutrient cycling in the ecosystem. Here, we describe the bacterial community or microbiome (assessed by 16S rRNA metagenomics) associated to two strains that have been described as different ecotypes: the saxitoxin-producer MVCC19 and the non-toxic LB2897.

Olive Varieties under UV-B Stress Show Distinct Responses in Terms of Antioxidant Machinery and Isoform/Activity of RubisCO.

In recent decades, atmospheric pollution led to a progressive reduction of the ozone layer with a consequent increase in UV-B radiation. Despite the high adaptation of olive trees to the Mediterranean environment, the progressive increase of UV-B radiation is a risk factor for olive tree cultivation. It is therefore necessary to understand how high levels of UV-B radiation affect olive plants and to identify olive varieties which are better adapted.

Machine learning methods for imbalanced data set for prediction of faecal contamination in beach waters.

Predicting water contamination by statistical models is a useful tool to manage health risk in recreational beaches. Extreme contamination events, i.e.