Effects of therapeutic hypothermia on the gut microbiota and metabolome of infants suffering hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at birth.

Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the perinatal period can lead to significant neurological deficits in later life. Total body cooling (TBC) is a neuroprotective strategy used in the treatment of HIE and has been shown to reduce seizures and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in treated infants. Little is known, however, about the effects of HIE/TBC on the developing gut microbiota composition and subsequent metabolic profile.

TLC surface integrity affects the detection of alkali adduct ions in TLC-MALDI analysis.

Direct coupling of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry allows fast and detailed characterization of a large variety of analytes. The use of this technique, however, presents great challenges in semiquantitative applications because of the complex phenomena occurring at the TLC surface. In our laboratory, we recently observed that the ion intensities of several alkali adduct ions were significantly different between the top and interior layer of the TLC plate.

Histone modifications at the grapevine VvOMT3 locus, which encodes an enzyme responsible for methoxypyrazine production in the berry.

Some herbaceous characters in wine are attributed to the presence of aroma compounds collectively known as methoxypyrazines (MPs). In grape berries their formation has been hypothesised to start from a reaction of two amino acids or an amino acid and an unknown 1,2-dicarbonyl compound, leading to the formation of hydroxypyrazine, which is then enzymatically methylated to form a MP. The enzyme responsible of the formation of 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine has been recently identified as VvOMT3 whose regulation is still not understood.

Integrating field and satellite data for spatially explicit inference on the density of threatened arboreal primates.

Spatially explicit models of animal abundance are a critical tool to inform conservation planning and management. However, they require the availability of spatially diffuse environmental predictors of abundance, which may be challenging, especially in complex and heterogeneous habitats. This is particularly the case for tropical mammals, such as nonhuman primates, that depend on multi-layered and species-rich tree canopy coverage, which is usually measured through a limited sample of ground plots.

Comparative lipidomic study of urothelial cancer models: association with urothelial cancer cell invasiveness.

Comparative lipidomic studies were performed across the RT4 versus T24 urothelial cancer cell lines, as models for noninvasive urothelial papilloma cells (with a relatively high level of differentiation) and invasive urothelial carcinoma cells (with low level of differentiation), respectively. The aim was to investigate the differences in lipid profile associated with different levels of urothelial cancer cell invasiveness. The cellular lipidomes were characterized using our previously developed joint methodology of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance, which included analysis of the phospholipids and ceramide-based glycosphingolipids.

Insulin Resistance, Microbiota, and Fat Distribution Changes by a New Model of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in Obese Rats.

Metabolic surgery improves insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes possibly because of weight loss. We performed a novel sleeve gastrectomy in rats that resects ∼80% of the glandular portion, leaving the forestomach almost intact (glandular gastrectomy [GG]) and compared subsequent metabolic remodeling with a sham operation. GG did not affect body weight, at least after 10 weeks; improved hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity likely through increased Akt, glycogen synthase kinase 3, and AMPK phosphorylation; and reduced ectopic fat deposition and hepatic glycogen overaccumulation.

Sample Preparation for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Plant Tissues: A Review.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a mass spectrometry based molecular ion imaging technique. It provides the means for ascertaining the spatial distribution of a large variety of analytes directly on tissue sample surfaces without any labeling or staining agents. These advantages make it an attractive molecular histology tool in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research.

Impact of tissue surface properties on the desorption electrospray ionization imaging of organic acids in grapevine stem.

Rationale: Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging is a fast analytical technique used to assess spatially resolved biological processes over unmodified sample surfaces. Although DESI profiling experiments have demonstrated that the properties of the sample surface significantly affect the outcomes of DESI analyses, the potential implications of these phenomena in imaging applications have not yet been explored extensively.

Methods: The distribution of endogenous and exogenous organic acids in pith and out pith region of grapevine stems was investigated by using DESI imaging, ion chromatography and direct infusion methods.

Primates in Human-Modified and Fragmented Landscapes: The Conservation Relevance of Modelling Habitat and Disturbance Factors in Density Estimation.

Accurate density estimations of threatened animal populations is essential for management and conservation. This is particularly critical for species living in patchy and altered landscapes, as is the case for most tropical forest primates. In this study, we used a hierarchical modelling approach that incorporates the effect of environmental covariates on both the detection (i.

Antimicrobial activity of selected synbiotics targeted for the elderly against pathogenic Escherichia coli strains.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of two synbiotic combinations, Lactobacillus fermentum with short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS-LF) and Bifidobacterium longum with isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO-BL), against enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and enteropathogenic E. coli O86. Antimicrobial activity was determined (1) by co-culturing the synbiotics and pathogens in batch cultures, and (2) with the three-stage continuous culture system (gut model), inoculated with faecal slurry from an elderly donor.

Towards microbial fermentation metabolites as markers for health benefits of prebiotics.

Available evidence on the bioactive, nutritional and putative detrimental properties of gut microbial metabolites has been evaluated to support a more integrated view of how prebiotics might affect host health throughout life. The present literature inventory targeted evidence for the physiological and nutritional effects of metabolites, for example, SCFA, the potential toxicity of other metabolites and attempted to determine normal concentration ranges. Furthermore, the biological relevance of more holistic approaches like faecal water toxicity assays and metabolomics and the limitations of faecal measurements were addressed.

A major QTL controlling apple skin russeting maps on the linkage group 12 of 'Renetta Grigia di Torriana'.

Background: Russeting is a disorder developed by apple fruits that consists of cuticle cracking followed by the replacement of the epidermis by a corky layer that protects the fruit surface from water loss and pathogens. Although influenced by many environmental conditions and orchard management practices, russeting is under genetic control. The difficulty in classifying offspring and consequent variable segregation ratios have led several authors to conclude that more than one genetic determinant could be involved, although some evidence favours a major gene (Ru).

Epidemiological modelling for the assessment of bovine tuberculosis surveillance in the dairy farm network in Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

Assessing the performance of a surveillance system for infectious diseases of domestic animals is a challenging task for health authorities. Therefore, it is important to assess what strategy is the most effective in identifying the onset of an epidemic and in minimizing the number of infected farms. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the performance of the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) surveillance system in the network of dairy farms in the Emilia-Romagna (ER) Region, Italy.

The role of heterogeneity on the invasion probability of mosquito-borne diseases in multi-host models.

Heterogeneity in transmission and stochastic events can play a significant role in shaping the epidemic dynamics of vector-borne infections, especially in the initial phase of an outbreak. In this work, by using multi-type branching process methodologies, we assess how heterogeneities in transmission among a large number of host groups can affect the invasion probabilities of a mosquito-borne disease. We show with both analytical and numerical methods that heterogeneities in transmission can shape the invasion probabilities differently from how they affect the basic reproduction number (R0).

Models of breast morphogenesis based on localization of stem cells in the developing mammary lobule.

Characterization of normal breast stem cells is important for understanding their role in breast development and in breast cancer. However, the identity of these cells is a subject of controversy and their localization in the breast epithelium is not known. In this study, we utilized a novel approach to analyze the morphogenesis of mammary lobules, by combining one-dimensional theoretical models and computer-generated 3D fractals.

High production of small organic dicarboxylate dianions by DESI and ESI.

A significant production of gas-phase dicarboxylate dianions has been observed in standard ESI and DESI during the analysis of small organic dicarboxylic acids under moderate or highly alkaline conditions. In ESI, this can be attributed to an excess of hydroxyl ions (OH(-)) which favor the formation of an high amount of dianions in solution, contemporarily trapping the potential counter ions during the ESI process. The results obtained in DESI highlight the role of the surface in trapping the counter-ions during desorption process and determining the ultimate nature of the observed gas-phase ions.

WhiteRef: a new tower-based hyperspectral system for continuous reflectance measurements.

Proximal sensing is fundamental to monitor the spatial and seasonal dynamics of ecosystems and can be considered as a crucial validation tool to upscale in situ observations to the satellite level. Linking hyperspectral remote sensing with carbon fluxes and biophysical parameters is critical to allow the exploitation of spatial and temporal extensive information for validating model simulations at different scales. In this study, we present the WhiteRef, a new hyperspectral system designed as a direct result of the needs identified during the EUROSPEC ES0903 Cost Action, and developed by Fondazione Edmund Mach and the Institute of Biometeorology, CNR, Italy.

An in vitro study of the effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on the elderly faecal microbiota.

The use of dietary intervention in the elderly in order to beneficially modulate their gut microbiota has not been extensively studied. The influence of two probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus fermentum) and two prebiotics [isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) and short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS)], individually and in synbiotic combinations (B. longum with IMO, L.

Diatoms: a novel source for the neurotoxin BMAA in aquatic environments.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease is a neurological disorder linked to environmental exposure to a non-protein amino acid, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The only organisms reported to be BMAA-producing, are cyanobacteria--prokaryotic organisms. In this study, we demonstrate that diatoms--eukaryotic organisms--also produce BMAA.

Gibberellin metabolism in Vitis vinifera L. during bloom and fruit-set: functional characterization and evolution of grapevine gibberellin oxidases.

Gibberellins (GAs) are involved in the regulation of flowering and fruit-set in grapes (Vitis vinifera L.), but the molecular mechanisms behind this process are mostly unknown. In this work, the family of grapevine GA oxidases involved in the biosynthesis and deactivation of GAs was characterized.

Unexpected consequences of culling on the eradication of wildlife diseases: the role of virulence evolution.

The removal of individuals from an infected population (culling) is a common strategy used to eradicate wildlife diseases. The manipulation of host density can impose strong selective pressures on pathogen virulence by changing the ecological conditions, thus affecting the effectiveness of eradication programs. We present an analysis of the effect of virulence evolution on culling by extending a susceptible-infected model to the case of competing strains with superinfection.

Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of whole wood, cellulose and lignin methoxyl groups of Picea abies as climate proxies.

Rationale: Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C, H and O) stable isotope ratios of whole wood and components are commonly used as paleoclimate proxies. In this work we consider eight different proxies in order to discover the most suitable wood component and stable isotope ratio to provide the strongest climate signal in Picea abies in a southeastern Alpine region (Trentino, Italy).

Methods: δ(13)C, δ(18)O and δ(2)H values in whole wood and cellulose, and δ(13)C and δ(2)H values in lignin methoxyl groups were measured.

Does milk treatment before cheesemaking affect microbial and chemical traits of ripened cheese? Grana Trentino as a case study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different storage temperatures and delivery system of the milk on the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of Grana Trentino, a long-ripened hard-cooked Italian cheese. In particular, 3 kinds of milk storage and delivery were studied: milk delivered to the dairy in the traditional manner without temperature control, milk delivered at 18°C, and milk stored at the farm and delivered at 12°C. Milk, natural whey starter, and cheeses after 18 mo of ripening were sampled for microbiological profiles, physicochemical analysis, and proteolysis evaluation, and a study of cheese volatile compounds through a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique was performed.