Effect of lactic acid bacteria on the control of Fusarium oxysporum and Ralstonia solanacearum on singly infected and co-infected tomato plants.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the control of Fol59 and Rs on singly infected and co-infected tomato plants and to address molecular pathways that may be involved in this interaction. METHODS AND RESULTS: To assess the development of the disease, individual infection and coinfection were stimulated in plants under controlled conditions, at two concentrations of Rs and Fol59 applied at two different moments. Additionally, the antagonistic activity of LAB against Rs and Fol59 in vitro and its biocontrol efficacy in planta were evaluated. Preliminary results indicate that inoculation with 1 × 106 microconidia ml-1 of Fol59 and 1 × 108 cfu ml-1 of Rs may be a reliable synchronous coinfection method. Of the 68 LAB strains evaluated in vitro, AC13, AC40, and AC49 had an antagonistic effect on both pathogens, with AC40 showing the highest efficacy rate after submerging the seeds in suspension and sowing them in substrate. Finally, gene expression experiments confirmed the AC40 effect on the expression of PR-1a, ERF1, and LoxA genes. CONCLUSION: The delayed appearance of symptoms and the reduced severity of the disease may be associated with the expression of PR-1a, ERF1, and LoxA genes related to salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid pathways respectively.

Associations of PFAS-related plasma metabolites with cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.

The wide-spread environmental pollutants per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have repeatedly been associated with elevated serum cholesterol in humans. However, underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Furthermore, we have previously observed inverse associations with plasma triglycerides. To better understand PFAS-induced effects on lipid pathways we investigated associations of PFAS-related metabolite features with plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. We used 290 PFAS-related metabolite features that we previously discovered from untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectometry metabolomics in a case-control study within the Swedish Västerbotten Intervention Programme cohort. Herein, we studied associations of these PFAS-related metabolite features with plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in plasma samples from 187 healthy control subjects collected on two occasions between 1991 and 2013. The PFAS-related features did not associate with cholesterol, but 50 features were associated with triglycerides. Principal component analysis on these features indicated that one metabolite pattern, dominated by glycerophospholipids, correlated with longer chain PFAS and associated inversely with triglycerides (both cross-sectionally and prospectively), after adjustment for confounders. The observed time-trend of the metabolite pattern resembled that of the longer chain PFAS, with higher levels during the years 2004-2010. Mechanisms linking PFAS exposures to triglycerides may thus occur via longer chain PFAS affecting glycerophospholipid metabolism. If the results reflect a cause-effect association, as implied by the time-trend and prospective analyses, this may affect the general adult population.

Allergen Profile of London Plane Tree Pollen: Clinical and Molecular Pattern in Central Spain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Platanus acerifolia (London plane tree) is a deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family. Sensitization to this plant varies with geography. Madrid, located in central Spain, has one of the highest London plane tree pollen concentration levels on the Iberian Peninsula. We evaluated both the clinical characteristics and the molecular sensitization pattern of patients with allergy to London plane tree pollen in the region of Madrid. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients allergic to London plane tree pollen were selected according to their clinical symptoms and positive results in skin prick testing and/or specific IgE determination. Serum was collected, and allergen components were evaluated using immunodetection techniques as well as ImmunoCAP. The IgE-binding proteins detected were identified and characterized using mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Analysis of serum samples from allergic patients revealed 9 IgE-binding bands in London plane tree pollen extract. Among these, the 45-kDa protein, which corresponded to Pla a 2, was detected in 76.3% of patients. However, the 18-kDa (Pla a 1) and 9-kDa (Pla a 3) bands were detected in 44.7% and 23.7% of sera, respectively. These results were confirmed using purified proteins. Characterization of the allergen revealed the 27-kDa protein to be glutathione-S-transferase. CONCLUSIONS: The molecular profile of patients sensitized to London plane tree pollen differs from that reported in studies from other locations. In the population we studied, the prevalence of Pla a 2 was higher than that of Pla a 1 and Pla a 3. In addition, the minor allergen previously referred to as Pla a 4 was characterized as glutathione-S-transferase.

Cardiovascular and cancer mortality in relation to dietary polychlorinated biphenyls and marine polyunsaturated fatty acids: a nutritional-toxicological aspect of fish consumption.

BACKGROUND: Co-exposure to environmental contaminants present in fish could mitigate the beneficial effects of fish consumption and possibly explain the lack of association observed for mortality in some geographical regions. OBJECTIVE: To assess the independent associations of dietary exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and long-chain omega-3 fish fatty acids intake with cardiovascular and cancer mortality. METHODS: We used the prospective population-based Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men comprising 32 952 women and 36 545 men, free from cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes at baseline in 1998. Validated estimates of dietary PCBs and long-chain omega-3 fish fatty acids [i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] intake were obtained via a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Information on death was ascertained through register linkage. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 15.5 years, we ascertained 16 776 deaths. We observed for cardiovascular mortality, comparing extreme quintiles in multivariable models mutually adjusted for PCBs and EPA-DHA, dose-dependent associations for dietary PCB exposure, hazard ratio (HR) 1.31 (CI 95%: 1.08 to 1.57; P-trend 0.005) and for dietary EPA-DHA intake, HR 0.79 (CI 95%: 0.66 to 0.95; P-trend 0.041). For cancer mortality, no clear associations were discerned. CONCLUSION: The beneficial effect of fish consumption on the cardiovascular system seems compromised by co-exposure to PCBs - one likely explanation for the inconsistent associations observed between fish consumption and mortality.

Normative ratings for perceptual and motor attributes of 750 object concepts in Spanish.

Subjective ratings of perceptual and motor attributes were obtained for a set of 750 concrete concepts in Spanish by requiring scale-based judgments from a sample of university students (N = 539). Following on the work of Amsel, Urbach, and Kutas (2012), the seven attributes were color, motion, sound, smell, taste, graspability, and pain. Normative data based on the obtained ratings are provided as a tool for future investigations. Additionally, the relationships of these attributes to other lexical dimensions (e.g., familiarity, frequency, concreteness) and the factorial organization of concepts around the main components were analyzed. The pattern of results is consistent with prior findings that highlight the relevance of dimensions related to survival as being crucially involved in conceptual processing.

Unusual ending of the second dorsal metacarpal artery as proper palmar digital arteries.

BACKGROUND: The proper palmar digital arteries arise infrequently from dorsal metacarpal arteries. This work reports the second dorsal metacarpal artery unusual ending and a vascular variation related to the superficial palmar arch. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh human upper limbs routine dissection, from a male cadaver, injected with coloured elastomeric material, immersed in 10% formalin. RESULTS: The second dorsal metacarpal artery presented terminal branches, the index finger medial proper digital palmar artery and the middle finger lateral proper digital palmar artery. At the division point of both terminal branches, the second dorsal metacarpal artery anastomoses with a thin forth common digital palmar artery. CONCLUSIONS: The value of this knowledge about the infrequent vascular dispo-sition lies in vascularised flaps design using the second dorsal metacarpal artery. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 2: 393-396).

Skewed Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) Cells, Impaired iNKT:B Cell Help and Decreased SAP Expression in Blood Lymphocytes from Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a syndrome with predominantly defective B cell function. However, abnormalities in the number and function of other lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood (PB) have been described in most patients. We have analysed the distribution of iNKT cell subpopulations in the PB of CVID patients and the ability of these cells to provide in vitro cognate B cell help. The total of iNKT cells was reduced in the PB of CVID patients, especially CD4+, CD4-/CD8- and CCR5+/CXCR3+. These findings were associated with an enrichment of memory-like and a tendency towards a reduction in TNF-α-expressing effector iNKT cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CVID patients. Moreover, an accumulation of follicular helper iNKT cells in the PB of CVID patients was demonstrated. CVID αGalCer-pulsed iNKT cells are not able to induce autologous B cell proliferation although they do induce proliferation to healthy donor B cells. Interestingly, autologous and heterologous co-cultures did not differ in the amount of immunoglobulin secreted by B cells in vitro. Finally, reduced intracellular SAP expression in iNKT cells and other lymphocytes in the blood from CVID patients was observed. These results provide further insights into the immunological mechanisms underlying the iNKT cell defects and the potential targets to improve B cell help in CVID.

Sensitivity of coccolithophores to carbonate chemistry and ocean acidification.

About one-third of the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity has been absorbed by the oceans, where it partitions into the constituent ions of carbonic acid. This leads to ocean acidification, one of the major threats to marine ecosystems and particularly to calcifying organisms such as corals, foraminifera and coccolithophores. Coccolithophores are abundant phytoplankton that are responsible for a large part of modern oceanic carbonate production. Culture experiments investigating the physiological response of coccolithophore calcification to increased CO(2) have yielded contradictory results between and even within species. Here we quantified the calcite mass of dominant coccolithophores in the present ocean and over the past forty thousand years, and found a marked pattern of decreasing calcification with increasing partial pressure of CO(2) and concomitant decreasing concentrations of CO(3)(2-). Our analyses revealed that differentially calcified species and morphotypes are distributed in the ocean according to carbonate chemistry. A substantial impact on the marine carbon cycle might be expected upon extrapolation of this correlation to predicted ocean acidification in the future. However, our discovery of a heavily calcified Emiliania huxleyi morphotype in modern waters with low pH highlights the complexity of assemblage-level responses to environmental forcing factors.

Lettuce Allergy Is a Lipid Transfer Syndrome-Related Food Allergy With a High Risk of Severe Reactions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Lipid transfer protein (LTP) sensitization is the most common cause of food allergy in the Mediterranean area, with peach allergy acting as the primary sensitizer in most cases. Lettuce has been described as a common offending food in patients with LTP syndrome. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency and clinical expression of LTP syndrome in a sample of lettuceallergic patients. METHODS: We determined specific IgE to Pru p 3 and lettuce in a sample of 30 patients with a diagnosis of lettuce allergy. Symptoms elicited by other LTP-containing plant-derived foods and the presence of cofactors were assessed. RESULTS: The clinical symptoms of lettuce allergy were frequently severe, with 18 of the 30 patients experiencing anaphylaxis. All the patients had allergic reactions to other plant foods. Cofactors were involved in the clinical reactions of 13 of the 30 patients. Sensitization to pollens was found in 90% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Lettuce allergy is found not as an isolated condition but in the context of LTP syndrome and it is characterized by severe reactions and frequent cofactor association.