• Carter Roth posted an update 4 hours, 23 minutes ago

    There is an increase in the consumption of natural foods with healthy benefits such as honey. The physicochemical composition contributes to the particularities of honey that differ depending on the botanical origin. Botanical and geographical declaration protects consumers from possible fraud and ensures the quality of the product. The objective of this study was to develop prediction models using a portable near-Infrared (MicroNIR) Spectroscopy to contribute to authenticate honeys from Northwest Spain. Based on reference physicochemical analyses of honey, prediction equations using principal components analysis and partial least square regression were developed. Statistical descriptors were good for moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), color (Pfund, L and b* coordinates of CIELab) and flavonoids (RSQ > 0.75; RPD > 2.0), and acceptable for electrical conductivity (EC), pH and phenols (RSQ > 0.61; RDP > 1.5). Linear discriminant analysis correctly classified the 88.1% of honeys based on physicochemical parameters and botanical origin (heather, chestnut, eucalyptus, blackberry, honeydew, multifloral). Estimation of quality and physicochemical properties of honey with NIR-spectra data and chemometrics proves to be a powerful tool to fulfil quality goals of this bee product. Results supported that the portable spectroscopy devices provided an effective tool for the apicultural sector to rapid in-situ classification and authentication of honey.Innate immunity represents a trait common to animals and plants. Indeed, similar to animals, plants also evolved a complex defense machinery to defend against pest and pathogen attacks. Due to the concerns posed by the intensive use of agrochemicals, the possibility to stimulate the plant immune system with environmentally friendly and low-risk chemical and biological inducers is intriguing. Therefore, some plant protection products are commercially available to trigger the plant’s immune system, with benefits in terms of consumer health and environmental protection.Amino acid transporters (AATs) are integral membrane proteins and have several functions, including transporting amino acids across cellular membranes. They are critical for plant growth and development. This study comprehensively identified AAT-encoding genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), which is an important vegetable crop and serves as a model for fleshy fruit development. In this study, 88 genes were identified in the S. lycopersicum genome and grouped into 12 subfamilies, based on previously identified AATs in Arabidopsis, rice (Oryza sativa), and potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants. Chromosomal localization revealed that S. lycopersicum AAT (SlAAT) genes are distributed on the 12 S. lycopersicum chromosomes. Segmental duplication events contribute mainly to the expansion of SlAAT genes and about 32% (29 genes) of SlAAT genes were found to originate from this type of event. Expression profiles of SlAAT genes in various tissues of S. lycopersicum using RNA sequencing data from the Tomato Functional Genomics Database (http//ted.bti.cornell.edu/) showed that SlAAT genes exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns. Comprehensive data generated in this study will provide a platform for further studies on the SlAAT gene family and will facilitate the functional characterization of SlAAT genes.Tumor suppressor protein p53 (TP53) is a key transcription factor that, in response to various stress signals, regulates numerous genes involved in a broad range of cellular functions including DNA repair, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, senescence, metabolism, etc […].In children with cancer, chemotherapy can produce cytotoxic effects, resulting in immunosuppression and an augmented risk of febrile neutropenia and bloodstream infections. This has led to widespread use of antibiotic prophylaxis which, combined with intensive chemotherapy treatment, could have a long-term effect on the gastrointestinal microbiome. In this review, we aimed to analyze the current literature about the widespread use of antibiotic prophylaxis in children experiencing infectious complications induced by chemotherapy and its effects on the gut microbiome. AM 095 clinical trial Our review of the literature shows that antimicrobial prophylaxis in children with cancer is still a trending topic and, at the moment, there are not enough data to define universal guidelines. Children with cancer experience long and painful medical treatments and side effects, which are associated with great economic and social burdens, important psychological consequences, and dysbiosis induced by antibiotics and also by chemotherapy. Considering the importance of a healthy gut microbiota, studies are needed to understand the impact of dysbiosis in response to therapy in these children and to define how to modulate the microbiome to favor a positive therapeutic outcome.Genetic hemoglobinopathies are the most common single-gene disorder worldwide. Some automated hematology analyzers have the capability of flagging individuals who may have hematological disorders based on complete blood count (CBC) biomarkers. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a hematology analyzer in identifying genetic hemoglobinopathies in Cambodian women and to determine which hematological biomarkers are the best predictors. A CBC was completed using a Sysmex XN-1000 analyzer and hemoglobinopathies were determined with capillary hemoglobin electrophoresis for 808 nonpregnant Cambodian women. Sysmex XN-1000 Interpretive Program (IP) messages, which flag potential hematological disorders, were produced from CBC results. Then, 2 × 2 tables were used to determine sensitivity and specificity of the IP message “Hemoglobin defect” to detect a genetic hemoglobinopathy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses assessed the diagnostic ability of six CBC biomarkers to predict a genetic hemoglobinopathy. In total, 74% of women had a hemoglobinopathy (predominantly Hb E and α-thalassemia). “Hb defect” IP message sensitivity and specificity for genetic hemoglobinopathy detection were 10.4% and 98.6%, respectively. Variable selection strategies yielded a two-variable model including mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red blood cell (RBC) count (AIC = 99.83, AUCROC = 0.98 (95% CI 0.97, 0.99)) for the prediction of a homozygous EE disorder. Sensitivity and specificity values do not justify the use of Sysmex XN-1000 IP flag messages for identification of genetic hemoglobinopathies in Cambodian women. Development of an algorithm based on MCV and RBC biomarkers may optimize the screening ability of automated hematology analyzers.