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New records and noteworthy data of plants, algae and fungi in SE Europe and adjacent regions, 21
Get PDFThis paper presents new records and noteworthy data on the following taxa in SE Europe and adjacent regions: lichenised fungus Solorina bispora var. subspongiosa, saprotrophic fungi Geastrum berkeleyi and Marasmius epiphylloides, liverworts Bazzania trilobata and Cephaloziella hampeana, mosses Grimmia meridionalis, Neckera pennata, Rhodobryum ontariense, Sphagnum affine, and Sphagnum papillosum, and monocots Carex elata, Epipactis microphylla, and Ophrys apifer
Hazard characterization of the mycotoxins enniatins and beauvericin to identify data gaps and improve risk assessment for human health
Get PDFEnniatins (ENNs) and beauvericin (BEA) are cyclic hexadepsipeptide fungal metabolites which have demonstrated antibiotic, antimycotic, and insecticidal activities. The substantial toxic potentials of these mycotoxins are associated with their ionophoric molecular properties and relatively high lipophilicities. ENNs occur extensively in grain and grain-derived products and are considered a food safety issue by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The tolerable daily intake and maximum levels for ENNs in humans and animals remain unestablished due to key toxicological and toxicokinetic data gaps, preventing full risk assessment. Aiming to find critical data gaps impeding hazard characterization and risk evaluation, this review presents a comprehensive summary of the existing information from in vitro and in vivo studies on toxicokinetic characteristics and cytotoxic, genotoxic, immunotoxic, endocrine, reproductive and developmental effects of the most prevalent ENN analogues (ENN A, A1, B, B1) and BEA. The missing information identified showed that additional studies on ENNs and BEA have to be performed before sufficient data for an in-depth hazard characterisation of these mycotoxins become available
Experimental approach and assessment of Zr conversion coatings on Al alloy using response surface methodology
Get PDFThis study extended the use of response surface methodology (RSM) to explore the experimental space, identify optimal conditions for deposition and drying, and assess factor interactions for zirconium conversion coatings on aluminium alloy 5754. Corrosion resistance in a dilute Harrison\u27s solution was evaluated using a non-electrochemical drop test and electrochemical techniques. Surface analysis supported the electrochemical findings obtained with the chosen RSM conditions. Unlike zinc and cold-rolled steel, AA5754 exhibits heightened sensitivity to the interplay of pH, conversion time, and H2ZrF6 concentration, which is attributed to the presence of intermetallic particles governing cathodic reactions and the subsequent conversion processes
Diversity of the surface microbiome of canopy-forming brown macroalgae (Fucales) in the northern Adriatic
Get PDFCanopy-forming brown macroalgae (Fucales) offer numerous key ecosystem services in Mediterranean coastal areas. However, anthropogenic pressures and climate change have significantly impacted their habitats, leading to an extensive population decline. Interactions between algae and microbiota are a major ecological aspect, yet they represent a significant knowledge gap. In our baseline study, we describe the diversity and host specificity of the microbiome of two genetically identical but morphologically distinct populations of Gongolaria barbata from anthropogenically impacted northern Adriatic Sea. Our preliminary results showed that the microbiomes of G. barbata exhibited low host specificity, with 75% of the algae-associated amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) being part of the core coastal ecosystem microbiome. However, microbiomes of specific algal parts, ambient seawater, and sediment differed significantly in terms of alpha diversity and composition. In contrast, the holdfast and axis show higher similarity with sediment microbiomes, indicating potential horizontal transmission pathways. Microbiomes associated with deciduous parts of morphologically distinct G. barbata populations showed no difference in alpha diversity and composition. In contrast, higher variation in alpha diversity and lower sequence proportion of shared ASVs were observed in the holdfast and axis of the two distinct populations. Our observational study provides valuable new insights and baseline for future hypothesis-driven research on the interactions between algae and associated microbiota—a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed in the future for better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of coastal ecosystems
To mate or to steal food?
Get PDFWe report a sequence of unusual male behaviors observed in Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Araneae: Nephilidae Simon, 1894), a sexually size dimorphic tropical spider species in Singapore. We documented a male suitor using his mouth parts (chelicerae) rather than his copulatory organs (pedipalps) to repeatedly probe female genitals. The behaviors may have served as a strategy to assess the female’s mating status, functioned as a courtship strategy, or, most plausibly, represented an attempt to remove a genital plug. The documented chrono-sequence culminated in the male’s attempted commensalism, followed by an aggressive attack by the female, resulting in near-fatal injury to the male. Notably, the attack did not escalate into cannibalism, suggesting that the extreme size difference in Nephila may render small males unappealing as prey
Paediatric cervicofacial lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria
Get PDFPurpose
Cervicofacial lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a rare but increasing infection in children worldwide. The purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate all microbiologically proven cases of NTM lymphadenitis in children under the age 14 years in Slovenia.
Methods
Between 2000 and 2020, we retrospectively reviewed laboratory and medical records for basic demographic and microbiological data. Different clinical samples were collected in medical centres and regional hospitals from all over Slovenia.
Results
In the period before mandatory BCG vaccination was discontinued (2000–2005), we did not observe any case of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis. After discontinuation of non-selective BCG vaccination of new-borns (2006–2020), we identified 55 cases of microbiologically confirmed NTM lymphadenitis in BCG-unvaccinated children with median age 26.0 months (range: 15.0–75.0 months). Mean annual incidence of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis accounted for 1.26 (range: 0.35–2.38) per 100,000 children. The main causative agents were Mycobacterium avium (38/5569.1%) and M. intracellulare (9/5516.4%). We did not find any M. chimaera isolate. Since 2006, each year we microbiologically confirm sporadic cases of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis, a condition not diagnosed before.
Conclusions
After discontinuation of universal BCG vaccination in March 2005, first cases of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis appeared. Several possible reasons could be attributed to observed trend and further multinational observational studies are warranted to explore possible causal relationships
