Effect of Fucoidan on the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm) of Leukocytes from Patients with Active COVID-19 and Subjects That Recovered from SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for COVID-19 recovery. This work aimed to determine the ex-vivo effects of treatment with fucoidan (20 µg/mL) on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, using a cationic cyanine dye, 3,3′-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC₆(3)) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) isolated from healthy control (HC) subjects, COVID-19 patients (C-19), and subjects that recently recovered from COVID-19 (R1, 40 ± 13 days after infection). In addition, ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan (20 and 50 µg/mL) was evaluated on ΔΨm loss induced by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP, 150 µM) in HPBMC isolated from healthy subjects (H) and recovered subjects at 11 months post-COVID-19 (R2, 335 ± 20 days after infection). Data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces HPBMC loss of ΔΨm, even 11 months after infection, however, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered subjects. Therefore, fucoidan may be a potential treatment to diminish long-term sequelae from COVID-19, using mitochondria as a therapeutic target for the recovery of cellular homeostasis.     

Corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) by scanning electron microscopy.

The corneal endothelium is essential for the maintenance of the corneal transparency. The aim of this study was to examine the morphology of the endothelial surface and perform morphometric analysis of the normal corneal endothelial cells of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) using scanning electron microscopy. The present work demonstrates that the corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin is similar to those described in other vertebrates.     

Molecular systematics in Chrysanthemum × grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura

An attempt was made to understand the molecular systematics and genetic differences between 10 original chrysanthemum cultivars and 11 mutants. The similarity among the cultivars and mutants varied from 0.17 to 0.90 using RAPD analyses, a simple but efficient method to distinguish cultivars and to assess parentage. Two distinct groups were found. Two cultivars were present as a separate group showing differences from all other cultivars. Mutants with different flower colour could be identified at the molecular level using RAPD technique holding promise to identify unique genes as SCAR markers. A high genetic distance among the different chrysanthemums showed that there exists a possibility of introgressing new and novel genes from the chrysanthemum gene pool.     

The socioeconomics and management of Santiago de Chile''s public urban forests

Santiago, Chile's semi-arid climate and urbanized environment poses a severe limitation for the establishment and maintenance of urban forests. Municipalities, or comunas, are the main stakeholders in the management of Santiago's public urban forests. A tenable hypothesis would be that as the socioeconomic level of a comuna increases, the better the condition of a comuna's urban forest. Unfortunately, there is little comprehensive information on management, public expenditure, and structure of Santiago's public and private urban forests. To examine this hypothesis, Santiago was divided into socioeconomic strata, then using air photo interpretation and stratified field sampling, urban forest structures were quantified by socioeconomic strata. In addition, interview surveys were used to determine municipal urban forest management and expenditures for different public urban forests based on socioeconomic strata. Urban forests in the high socioeconomic strata had fewer public trees, greater tree cover, tree and leaf area density, and leaf area index than lower socioeconomic strata. The percentage of total municipal budget allocated to public urban forest management was consistent among strata, but the total public urban forest budgets were greater in the high socioeconomic strata. Public urban forest structure is related to the socioeconomic strata of Santiago's different comunas.     

Effects of nitrogen fertilization and temperature on frost hardiness of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) seedlings assessed by chlorophyll fluorescence

In a 14-week study, 1-year-old Aleppo pine seedlings were grownin two growth chambers. Seedlings were artificially hardenedby decreasing photoperiod and temperature. In each chamber halfof the seedlings were fertilized with nitrogen (8.4 mg seedling^–1).In order to determine the relative importance of the hardeningenvironment versus fertilization, each chamber was programmedto decrease night temperatures down to a low of 8 or 4°C.Chlorophyll fluorescence and frost hardiness was measured fivetimes during the experiment. A sample of seedlings from eachtreatment was exposed to an artificial frost at –5°Cand the freezing effects were assessed by measurements of chlorophyllfluorescence and visual evaluation of needle damage. Seedlingsincreased their frost hardiness during the experiment in allthe treatments but the ratio of variable to maximal chlorophyllfluorescence (F_v/F_m) measured before freezing did not vary duringthe experiment. This indicates that Aleppo pine maintains itsphotosynthetic ability during hardening in contrast to otherconiferous species from colder climates. The effect of nitrogenfertilization on frost hardiness was small in comparison withchamber effect. Nitrogen fertilization slightly delayed theacquisition of hardening in the coldest chamber. Seedlings inthe warmest chamber did not become fully resistant to –5°C,but in the coldest chamber, where night temperature reached4°C, all the seedlings were resistant to the frost. Severedamage caused by frost could be related to a rapid rise of minimalfluorescence (F₀) but the best index of damage was the dropof F_v/F_m after freezing.     

Birds as predators of cork and holm oak pests

The recent decline of Mediterranean oak woodlands in SW Iberian Peninsula is related to insect pests which affect both cork oak (Quercus suber) and holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia). We identified twenty-six bird species as potential regular predators of twenty major pests by reviewing the diet of breeding, wintering and resident species in this ecosystem. Foraging guilds are strongly associated with predation at distinct stages of the pests’ life-cycle: ground-foragers prey on overwintering pupae and larvae of seed-borers, tree-foragers prey on eggs, larvae and pupae of defoliating and wood-boring pests, and aerial-sweepers prey on airborne imagines. Bird predation can cover the complete life-cycle of pest species because different species may be complementary due to a dissimilar exploitation of foraging niches and periods. Small generalist tree-foraging passerines are important pest predators given their high densities and widespread distribution in Mediterranean oak woodlands, but management practices can have a significant negative effect in their populations.     

A new dihydroxysterol from the marine phytoplankton Diacronema sp

Diacronema sp. was cultured and its sterols were separated by column chromatography on silica gel. The new sterol 24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-cholestane-3,20-diol (1) was characterised by NMR and MS spectrometry, as well as (22E)-24-ethyl-4alpha-methyl-5alpha-cholest-22-en-3beta-ol (2) and beta-sitosterol, the major components of the sterol fractions. Neither the biosynthetic origin of the new dihydroxysterol nor its role in the biochemistry of Diacronema is known.     

Effect of Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus) ensilaging with two developed enzyme cocktails on feed intake,nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation in sheep

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of feeding Atriplex halimus (AH) silage treated with two developed enzyme cocktails to sheep on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation. The AH silage was treated without or with 2 L of ZAD1^® or ZAD2^®/1000 kg with 5% molasses and ensiled for 30 days. Barley grain (300 g/head/day) was fed as an energy supplement once daily at 10.00 hours and AH silage with or without enzyme treatment was offered ad libitum to animals twice daily at 09.00 and 16.00 hours. Sheep were fed on four experimental forage diets comprised of AH silage and barley (D1), AH silage treated with ZAD1^® and barley (D2), AH silage treated with ZAD2^® and barley (D3) and AH silage treated with a combination of ZAD1^® and ZAD2^® (1:1) and barley (D4). Ensiling AH with enzymes reduced its contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. The dry matter intake of AH of D2, D3 and D4 decreased (P < 0.001) as compared to D1. However, enzyme‐treated diets had greater total digestible nutrients intake (P < 0.001) as compared to D1. The nutrients digestibility for D2, D3 and D4 were higher than those for D1 (P < 0.001), and were higher for D3 as compared to both D2 and D4. Sheep fed on D3 had highest (P < 0.001) ruminal total volatile fatty acids concentration, ammonia nitrogen concentration and microbial protein yield. It could be concluded that AH silage treated with ZAD1^® or ZAD2^® improved digestibility and rumen fermentation in sheep.