Concealed by darkness: Combination of NMR and HRMS reveal the molecular nature of dissolved organic matter in fractured-rock groundwater and connected surface waters.

Detailed molecular composition of solid phase extracted dissolved organic matter (SPE) collected from fractured-rock groundwater was compared to connected surface river water at two different watersheds in the unconfined chalk aquifer of Champagne in France using full scan ultrahigh resolution electrospray and photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), Orbitrap tandem MS (MS/MS) and H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). H NMR spectroscopy indicated that groundwater SPE carried a higher contribution of aliphatic compounds while surface river waters SPE were enriched in carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM), acetate derivatives and oxygenated units. Furthermore, we show here that use of photoionization (APPI(+)) in aquifer studies is key, ionizing about eight times more compounds than ESI in surface river water samples, specifically targeting the dissolved organic nitrogen pool, accounting for more than 50% of the total molecular space, as well as a non-polar, more aromatic fraction; with little overlap with compounds detected by ESI(-) FT-ICR MS.

Diversity and genetic architecture of agro-morphological traits in a core collection of European traditional tomato.

European traditional tomato varieties have been selected by farmers given their consistent performance and adaptation to local growing conditions. Here we developed a multipurpose core collection, comprising 226 accessions representative of the genotypic, phenotypic, and geographical diversity present in European traditional tomatoes, to investigate the basis of their phenotypic variation, gene×environment interactions, and stability for 33 agro-morphological traits. Comparison of the traditional varieties with a modern reference panel revealed that some traditional varieties displayed excellent agronomic performance and high trait stability, as good as or better than that of their modern counterparts.

Theoretical investigation of hydroxylated analogues of valinomycin as potassium transporter.

Valinomycin is a potent ionophore known for its ability to transport potassium ions across biological membranes. The study focuses on the hydroxylated analogues of valinomycin (HyVLMs) and compares their energy profiles and capabilities for transporting potassium ions across phospholipid membranes. Using metadynamics, we investigated the energy profiles of wildtype valinomycin (VLM_1) and its three hydroxylated analogues (VLM_2, VLM_3, and VLM_4).

Intra-annual density fluctuations in tree rings are proxies of air temperature across Europe.

Intra-Annual Density Fluctuations (IADFs) are an important wood functional trait that determine trees' ability to adapt to climatic changes. Here, we use a large tree-ring database of 11 species from 89 sites across eight European countries, covering a climatic gradient from the Mediterranean to northern Europe, to analyze how climate variations drive IADF formation. We found that IADF occurrence increases nonlinearly with ring width in both gymnosperms and angiosperms and decreases with altitude and age.

Modulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Fruits of Blanco Using Postharvest LED Irradiation.

Phlegrean mandarin fruits are already known for health-promoting properties due to the high concentration of phytochemicals in peel, pulp, and seed. Biotic and abiotic factors, including light, may modulate their biosynthesis, metabolism, and accumulation. In this context, light-emitting diodes (LED) have recently been applied to control nutritional traits, ripening process, senescence, fruit shelf-life, and pathogenic microbial spoilage of fruits.

Unveiling the Potential Distribution of the Highly Threatened Madeira Pipistrelle (): Do Different Evolutionary Significant Units Exist?

The isolation of islands has played a significant role in shaping the unique evolutionary histories of many species of flora and fauna, including bats. One notable example is the Madeira pipistrelle (), which inhabits the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Despite the high biogeographic and conservation importance of this species, there is limited information on its ecology and evolutionary history across different archipelagos.

Functional characterization of DcMYB11, an R2R3 MYB associated with the purple pigmentation of carrot petiole.

DcMYB11, an R2R3 MYB gene associated with petiole anthocyanin pigmentation in carrot, was functionally characterized. A putative enhancer sequence is able to increase DcMYB11 activity. The accumulation of anthocyanin pigments can exhibit different patterns across plant tissues and crop varieties.

Functional Properties of Natural Products and Human Health.

Natural products (NPs), broadly defined as chemicals produced by living organisms including microbes, marine organisms, animals, fungi and plants, are widely used as therapeutic agents for treating diseases and maintaining health and "wellness" [...

Basil ( L.) Leaves as a Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Basil ( L.) is an annual spicy plant generally utilized as a flavouring agent for food. Basil leaves also have pharmaceutical properties due to the presence of polyphenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.

Traditional Fermentation Affects the Nutraceutical Properties of Parkia biglobosa Seeds.

Parkia biglobosa seeds (African locust bean) play a crucial role in the diet and health of Western African populations. The seeds are spontaneously fermented to produce condiments used for food seasoning and stews preparation. Hence, to understand the health benefits of seed-based products from P.

Shifts of Leaf Litter-Induced Plant-Soil Feedback from Negative to Positive Driven by Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis between and .

Ectomycorrhizas (ECM) are a common symbiotic association between fungi and various plant species in forest ecosystems, affecting community assemblages at the landscape level. ECMs benefit host plants by increasing the surface area for nutrient uptake, defending against pathogens, and decomposing organic matter in the soil. ECM-symbiotic seedlings are also known to perform better in conspecific soils than other species unable to carry the symbiosis, in a process referred to as plant-soil feedback (PSF).

Natural Plant-Derived Compounds in Food and Cosmetics: A Paradigm of Shikonin and Its Derivatives.

Shikonin and its derivatives are the natural naphthoquinone compounds produced in the roots of the Boraginaceae family. These red pigments have been used for a long time in coloring silk, as food colorants, and in the Chinese traditional system of medicines The resurgence of public interest in natural and plant-based products has led to this category of compounds being in high demand due to their wide range of biological activities including antioxidant, antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory ones. Different researchers worldwide have reported various applications of shikonin derivatives in the area of pharmacology.

Sirtuin Inhibitor Cambinol Induces Cell Differentiation and Differently Interferes with SIRT1 and 2 at the Substrate Binding Site.

Epigenetic mechanisms finely regulate gene expression and represent potential therapeutic targets. Cambinol is a synthetic heterocyclic compound that inhibits class III histone deacetylases known as sirtuins (SIRTs). The acetylating action that results could be crucial in modulating cellular functions via epigenetic regulations.

Human-Animal Interactions in Dairy Goats.

It is widely assumed that the quality of human-animal interactions may have a strong impact on animals' living conditions and is fundamental to improving farm animal welfare. This work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of methods for assessing and monitoring the welfare of lactating goats. In particular, attention was paid to the methods regarding the assessment of the human-animal relationship.

Temperature sensitivity and decomposition rate of 101 leaf litter types from Mediterranean ecosystems.

Litter decomposition is a fundamental process, and the number of published studies has steadily increased in recent decades. However, few experiments have systematically compared a large number of litter types and evaluated their temperature sensitivity. We conducted a two-year experiment on the decomposition of litter bags containing 101 leaf litter sampled in Mediterranean ecosystems and incubated under laboratory conditions at 4 °C, 14 °C, and 24 °C.

Narratives to revert overconsumption: human-nature interdependence and Circular Economy.

Policy and practitioners' initiatives to stimulate sustainable consumption have so far failed to have notable impact on individuals' behaviors. The current commentary is a plea to social and sustainability scientists, particularly to economists dealing with sustainable agri-food systems, to dig deeper into the notion of narratives to trigger societal dynamics that stir consumers toward more sufficient lifestyles. As dominant cultural narratives have a critical role in shaping shared meanings and acceptable behaviors, in the future they could guide dramatic changes in individuals' conduct, triggering drastic modifications of current consumption patterns.

A revised landslide inventory of the Campania region (Italy).

Landslides represent a severe geohazard in many countries. The availability of inventories depicting the spatial and temporal distribution of landslides is crucial for assessing landslide susceptibility and risk for territorial planning or investigating landscape evolution. Nevertheless, these inventories are usually affected by limitations due to their nonpublic availability and inhomogeneities in characterization and mapping.

Shotgun proteomics for the identification of yeasts responsible for pink/red discoloration in commercial dairy products.

Pink/red discoloration encompasses a series of relatively common spoilage defects of commercial dairy products. In this study, we used shotgun proteomics to identify the microorganism responsible for the production of intensely red-coloured slimes found on the surface of freshly opened commercial spreadable cheese and yogurt samples. Proteome-wide characterization of microbial proteins allowed to identify 1042 and 687 gene products from Rhodotorula spp.

The Use of Carbon Dioxide as a Green Approach to Recover Bioactive Compounds from Spent Coffee Grounds.

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) contain bioactive compounds. In this work, given the increasing demand to valorize waste and use green technologies, SCG were submitted to extraction by carbon dioxide (CO) in supercritical and liquid conditions. The extraction parameters were varied to obtain the maximum yield with the maximum antioxidant activity.

Determination of the effect of the bacteriocin enterocin AS-48 on the microbial loads and bacterial diversity of blueberries.

Fresh fruits have been involved in transmission of foodborne pathogens. In the present work, five different batches of blueberries were used. One aliquot from each batch was washed with sterile saline solution (SSS) and the other one with a solution of the circular bacteriocin enterocin AS-48 in SSS.

PhenoCaB: a new phenological model based on carbon balance in boreal conifers.

Traditional phenological models use chilling and thermal forcing (temperature sum or degree-days) to predict budbreak. Because of the heightening impact of climate and other related biotic or abiotic stressors, a model with greater biological support is needed to better predict budbreak. Here, we present an original mechanistic model based on the physiological processes taking place before and during budbreak of conifers.