A multi-sensor robotic platform for ground mapping and estimation beyond the visible spectrum

Precision Agriculture - Accurate soil mapping is critical for a highly-automated agricultural vehicle to successfully accomplish important tasks including seeding, ploughing, fertilising and...     

Resveratrol biosynthesis: plant metabolic engineering for nutritional improvement of food

The plant polyphenol trans-resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxystilbene) mainly found in grape, peanut and other few plants, displays a wide range of biological effects. Numerous in vitro studies have described various biological effects of resveratrol. In order to provide more information regarding absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability of resveratrol, various research approaches have been performed, including in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. In recent years, the induction of resveratrol synthesis in plants which normally do not accumulate such polyphenol, has been successfully achieved by molecular engineering. In this context, the ectopic production of resveratrol has been reported to have positive effects both on plant resistance to biotic stress and the enhancement of the nutritional value of several widely consumed fruits and vegetables. The metabolic engineering of plants offers the opportunity to change the content of specific phytonutrients in plant - derived foods. This review focuses on the latest findings regarding on resveratrol bioproduction and its effects on the prevention of the major pathological conditions in man.     

Aboveground nutrient components of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. grandis in semiarid Brazil under the nature and the mycorrhizal inoculation conditions

A study was conducted to evaluate the aboveground biomass, nutrient content and the percentages of mycorrhizal colonization in Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus grandis plantations in the semiarid region (15° 09′ S 43° 49′ W) in the north of the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Results show that the total above-ground biomass (dry matter) was 33.6 Mg·ha⁻¹ for E. camaldulensis and 53.1 Mg·ha⁻¹ for E. grandis. The biomass of the stem wood, leaves, branches, and stem bark for E. camaldulensis accounted for 64.4%, 19.6%, 15.4%, and 0.6% of the total biomass, respectively (Table 2); meanwhile a similar partition of the total above-ground biomass was also found for E. grandis. The dry matter of leaves and branches of E. camaldulensis accounted for 35% of total biomass, and the contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S in leaves and branches accounted for 15.5%, 0.7%, 12.3%, 22.6%, 1.9%, and 1.4% of those in total above-ground biomass, respectively. In the trunk (bark and wood), nutrient accumulation in general was lower. Nutrient content of E. grandis presented little variation compared with that of E. camaldulensis. Wood localized in superior parts of trunk presented a higher concentration of P and bark contained significant amounts of nutrients, especially in E. grandis. This indicated that leaving vegetal waste is of importance on the site in reducing the loss of tree productivity in this semi-arid region. The two species showed mycotrophy.     

FEASIBILITY OF ULTRASOUND‐GUIDED EPIDURAL ACCESS AT THE LUMBO‐SACRAL SPACE IN DOGS

Epidural injections are commonly performed blindly in veterinary medicine. The aims of this study were to describe the lumbosacral ultrasonographic anatomy and to assess the feasibility of an ultrasound‐guided epidural injection technique in dogs. A cross sectional anatomic atlas of the lumbosacral region and ex vivo ultrasound images were obtained in two cadavers to describe the ultrasound anatomy and to identify the landmarks. Sixteen normal weight canine cadavers were used to establish two variations of the technique for direct ultrasound‐guided injection, using spinal needles or epidural catheters. The technique was finally performed in two normal weight cadavers, in two overweight cadavers and in five live dogs with radiographic abnormalities resulting of the lumbosacral spine. Contrast medium was injected and CT was used to assess the success of the injection. The anatomic landmarks to carry out the procedure were the seventh lumbar vertebra, the iliac wings, and the first sacral vertebra. The target for directing the needle was the trapezoid‐shaped echogenic zone between the contiguous articular facets of the lumbosacral vertebral canal visualized in a parasagittal plane. The spinal needle or epidural catheter was inserted in a 45° craniodorsal–caudoventral direction through the subcutaneous tissue and the interarcuate ligament until reaching the epidural space. CT examination confirmed the presence of contrast medium in the epidural space in 25/25 dogs, although a variable contamination of the subarachnoid space was also noted. Findings indicated that this ultrasound‐guided epidural injection technique is feasible for normal weight and overweight dogs, with and without radiographic abnormalities of the spine.     

A Bayesian approach to assessing the uncertainty in estimating bioconcentration factors in earthworms--the example of quinoxyfen

BACKGROUND: Quinoxyfen is a fungicide of the phenoxyquinoline class used to control powdery mildew, Uncinula necator (Schw.) Burr. Owing to its high persistence and strong sorption in soil, it could represent a risk for soil organisms if they are exposed at ecologically relevant concentrations. The objective of this paper is to predict the bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of quinoxyfen in earthworms, selected as a representative soil organism, and to assess the uncertainty in the estimation of this parameter. Three fields in each of four vineyards in southern and northern Italy were sampled over two successive years. RESULTS: The measured BCFs varied over time, possibly owing to seasonal changes and the consequent changes in behaviour and ecology of earthworms. Quinoxyfen did not accumulate in soil, as the mean soil concentrations at the end of the 2 year monitoring period ranged from 9.16 to 16.0 µg kg^?1 dw for the Verona province and from 23.9 to 37.5 µg kg^?1 dw for the Taranto province, with up to eight applications per season. To assess the uncertainty of the BCF in earthworms, a probabilistic approach was used, firstly by building with weighted bootstrapping techniques a generic probabilistic density function (PDF) accounting for variability and incompleteness of knowledge. The generic PDF was then used to derive prior distribution functions, which, by application of Bayes' theorem, were updated with the new measurements and a posterior distribution was finally created. CONCLUSION: The study is a good example of probabilistic risk assessment. The means of mean and SD posterior estimates of log BCFworm (2.06, 0.91) are the ‘best estimate values’. Further risk assessment of quinoxyfen and other phenoxyquinoline fungicides and realistic representative scenarios for modelling exercises required for future authorization and post‐authorization requirements can now use this value as input. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pharmacokinetics and Effects of Alkalization after Intravenous Administration of Eltenac in Horses

Eltenac (ELT) [4-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)amino-3-thiophene] is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was developed for veterinary use in horses and cattle. The pharmacokinetics of ELT was evaluated in horses at 0.5 mg/kg body weight (BW) after single IV injection after 5 days of repeated IV administration and after a single IV injection in horses previously subjected to 250 mg/kg BW of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) as an alkalization treatment. The aim was to determine whether blood and subsequent urinary alkalization could modify the pharmacokinetics of ELT. Drug quantification was performed with serum and urine using high performance liquid chromatography with UV-visible detection. The results were also integrated with cyclo-oxygenase-inhibition literature data to review the dosage scheme of ELT in horses. After a single intravenous administration, ELT was characterized by rapid distribution (mean t½_λ1 = 0.18 ± 0.07 hour) and a short elimination half-life (mean t½_λ2 = 2.9 ± 0.68 hour). The volume of distribution was small (V_dss = 253.51 ± 47.55 mL/kg), which is likely because of the high percentage of drug protein binding (approximately 97%). The AUC_0-∞ and Cl_B were 6.92 ± 0.84 h*μg/mL and 73.2 ± 10 mL/h/kg, respectively. Repeated administration did not cause either accumulation or modification of the pharmacokinetic profile. The in vitro effective concentrations were maintained for a 6-hour period. The alkalization procedure appeared to accelerate drug elimination, as ELT was quantifiable only for 6 hours; however, the drug clearance was not significantly modified. Thus, the administration of alkaline compounds to accelerate the elimination of ELT is not completely confirmed.     

Differential in Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Macrophages Cell Cultures in Response to Perthamide C Treatment

Secondary metabolites contained in marine organisms disclose diverse pharmacological activities, due to their intrinsic ability to recognize bio-macromolecules, which alter their expression and modulate their function. Thus, the identification of the cellular pathways affected by marine natural products is crucial to provide important functional information concerning their mechanism of action at the molecular level. Perthamide C, a marine sponge metabolite isolated from the polar extracts of Theonella swinhoei and endowed with a broad and interesting anti-inflammatory profile, was found in a previous study to specifically interact with heat shock protein-90 and glucose regulated protein-94, also disclosing the ability to reduce cisplatin-mediated apoptosis. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of this compound on the whole proteome of murine macrophages cells by two-dimensional DIGE proteomics. Thirty-three spots were found to be altered in expression by at least 1.6-fold and 29 proteins were identified by LC ESI-Q/TOF-MS. These proteins are involved in different processes, such as metabolism, structural stability, protein folding assistance and gene expression. Among them, perthamide C modulates the expression of several chaperones implicated in the folding of proteins correlated to apoptosis, such as Hsp90 and T-complexes, and in this context our data shed more light on the cellular effects and pathways altered by this marine cyclo-peptide.     

Collection and characterization of naturalized populations of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in Argentina

A collection formed from 53 accessions of white clover stolonswas carried out in naturalized populations from Argentina betweenparallels 26° and 37° South latitudes and 58° to 62°West longitude. Almost half of them (43%) wereobtained from grazed sites. Collected samples were grown in the fieldat Pergamino Experimental Station and compared with a local cultivar.Attributes scored or measured were petiole length, width and lengthof central leaflet, relation width/length, height, growing habit,leaf mark, stolon thickness and density, days to flowering,cyanogenesis, seed yield and winter herbage yield. There weresignificant correlations among seven pairs of characters. Allpopulations were cyanogenic within a range from 40 to 100%.Populations from grazed sites had prostrate habit and lower canopyheight than those from non grazed sites. The collection was clusteredin seven groups. Differences among groups were attributed toagroecological differences in sites of collection. Results obtainedencouraged in Argentina further collection missions for naturalizedpopulations of white clover.     

Distribution of supplemental Escherichia coli AppA2 phytase activity in digesta of various gastrointestinal segments of young pigs

The objective of this study was to determine the functional location and disappearance of activity of a supplemental Escherichia coli AppA2 phytase and its impact on digesta P and Ca concentrations in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. In Exp. 1, 18 pigs (8.3 +/- 0.2 kg of BW) were allotted to 3 groups (n = 6 each) and fed a low-P (0.4%) corn-soybean meal, basal diet (BD), BD + phytase [500 units (U)/kg of feed], or BD + inorganic P (iP, 0.1%) for 4 wk. In Exp. 2, 30 pigs (14.5 +/- 0.2 kg of BW) were allotted to 3 groups (n = 10 each) and fed BD, BD + 500 U of phytase/kg of feed, or BD + 2,000 U of phytase/kg of feed for 2 wk. Five or six pigs from each treatment group were killed at the end of both experiments to assay for digesta phytase activity and soluble P concentration in 6 segments of the digestive tract and digesta total P and Ca concentrations in stomach and colon. Compared with pigs fed BD, pigs fed BD + 500 U of phytase/kg of feed in Exp. 1 and BD + 2,000 U of phytase/kg of feed in Exp. 2 had greater (P < 0.05) phytase activities in the digesta of the stomach and upper jejunum (2 m aborally from the duodenum). No phytase activity was detected in the digesta of the lower jejunum (2.12 m cranial to the ileocecal junction) or ileum from any of the treatment groups in either trial. Concentrations of digesta-soluble P peaked in the upper jejunum of pigs fed BD in Exp. 1 and 2, but showed gradual decreases between the stomach and the upper jejunum of pigs fed BD + phytase or BD + iP. In both experiments, pigs fed only BD had greater (P < 0.05) colonic digesta phytase activity and soluble P concentrations than those fed phytase. In Exp. 2, total colonic digesta P or Ca concentrations, or both, of pigs displayed a phytase-dose-dependent reduction (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplemental dietary AppA2 mainly functioned in the stomach and was associated with a reduced phytase activity in colonic digesta of weanling pigs.     

Germplasm characterization of Zolfino landraces (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by flavonoid content

The flavonoid composition of three phenotypes of "Zolfino" landraces, a typical bean grown in Tuscany, has been elucidated by means of HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS analysis. Flavonols, isoflavones, and anthocyanins have been separated and determined in the different samples chosen on the basis of their seed coat color. A flavonol that has not been previously found in Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds has been characterized. The quantitative data show the presence of flavonols (ranging from 709 to 118 mg/kg of fresh weight), isoflavones (ranging from 14 to 2 mg/kg of fresh weight), and anthocyanins, in black beans only. These results show that this genotype could be very interesting from a nutritional point of view.