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Insight on Lugana flavor with a new LC-MS method for the detection of polyfunctional thiols
No full textGestione irrigua di precisione utile per l'agricoltura alpina
No full textLa possibilità di integrare dati meteorologici, conoscenze dei suoli e strumenti di monitoraggio permette di calibrare gli apporti irrigui, ottimizzando l'uso dell'acqua. Tutto ciò risulta ancora più importante in annate quali il 2024 caratterizzate da precipitazioni abbondanti, che impongono la gestione di eccesso idrico e deflusso superficial
Sfruttare le vibrazioni emesse dagli antagonisti per interferire con le interazione tra insetto vettore e pianta
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Chasing intermediate hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis at the southern edge of its European distribution using red fox stomach content analysis
Get PDFEchinococcus multilocularis (Em) is a Taeniidae cestode circulating among canids (definitive hosts) and among voles (intermediate hosts). Humans can develop alveolar echinococcosis (AE) following egg ingestion. In Italy, Em is present in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Region, with reports in canids from Liguria (wolf Canis lupus and domestic dog Canis lupus familiaris) and Tuscany (wolf and red fox) Regions. The first autochthonous case of human AE was recently confirmed in the Province of Bolzano. Despite its relevance, the intermediate hosts maintaining the Em life cycle in this area have never been identified. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by collecting ingested rodents from the stomachs of 148 legally culled foxes across the Province of Bolzano. For 142 prey items, species was ascertained from tissue DNA using a PCR of a 350 bp fragment of cytb mitochondrial gene. Em positivity was investigated by RT-PCR and conventional PCR on organ tissues from 97 rodents targeting a 69 bp fragment of cob and a 126 bp fragment of nad2 mitochondrial genes, respectively. Microtus arvalis was the most common prey rodent in terms of both frequency in foxes (20.8%; 30/144), and total prey items (81.7%; 116/142). Other prey species included nine Arvicola amphibius, five Microtus lavernedii, two M. subterraneus, one M. liechtensteini, six Clethrionomys glareolus, one Apodemus flavicollis and two Ap. sylvaticus. Only 3/97 rodents were Em-positive (M. arvalis; 3/85) in two Em-positive red foxes. Prevalence in M. arvalis was estimated at 0.035, (95% CI: 0.008-0.103). Nonetheless, this is the first attempt in estimating the frequency of encounter between Em and its intermediate hosts in this region. Further research is required to explain why Em distribution is limited to this area in the eastern Italian Alps despite the spatial contiguity to hyperendemic foc
Latest applications of the LC-co-IRMS for food and dietary supplements authentication
No full textThe LC-co-IRMS represents an innovative technique based on the oxidation in acid conditions of all the carbon-based compounds of a sample mixture, previously separated from each other through an appropriate analytical column. Since its introduction in the market in 2004, the LC-co-IRMS has been used to analyse various matrices [1]. Nevertheless, the potential of this techniques is still far from being fully exploited. In this work, we presented some of the latest LC-co-IRMS applications that our group developed for traceability purposes. In a recent study, the LC-co-IRMS was applied to check for the fraudulent addition of exogenous sugars to Italian authentic wine must. A database of about 100 samples from 16 different Italian regions was considered to set reference values for the carbon isotopic ratio (δ 13C) of glucose and fructose in this matrix [2]. Besides sugars, organic acids have also been considered. The addition of biosynthetic citric acid obtained though the fermentation of cheap starting materials like cane sugar by the fungus Aspergillus Niger was detected in matrices such as tomato sauce, lemon and orange juice. Finally, dietary supplements and drugs have also been studied. Levodopa is an amino acid prescribed for Parkinson disease. Natural levodopa can be extracted from plants like the Mucuna pruriens, but cheaper analogues can be chemically synthesised or biochemically obtained from the fermentation of sugars by various fungi [3]. The LC-co-IRMS led to the characterisation of the different levodopa sources, pointing out the possibility to detect fraudulent additions of the biochemical active principle to products declared as natural. [1] Perini, M.; Bontempo, L. Trends in Analytical Chemistry 2022, 147, 116515. doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2021.116515 [2] Perini, M.; Pianezze, S.; Guardini, K.; Allari, L.; Larcher, R. Molecules 2023, 28, 1411. doi.org/10.3390/ molecules28031411 [3] Min, K.; Park, K.; Park, D.H.; Yoo, Y.J. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015, 99, 575-584. doi: 10.1007/s00253-014-6215-4
DigiAgriApp: a client-server application to monitor field activities
Get PDFFarming is increasingly data-driven, leveraging high-frequency and precision data from IoT devices, sensors, and remote tools. Effective data collection, organization, and management are essential to link datasets with agronomic details, forming the foundation for predictive models. These models, using AI and machine learning, optimize decision-making, forecast crop yields, predict pest outbreaks, and enhance resource use. High-quality, diverse data integration is key to building accurate tools that address agriculture’s complexity, boosting productivity and resilience. We introduce DigiAgriApp, an open-source client-server application for centralized farming data management. It tracks crop details, sensor readings, irrigation, field operations, production statistics, and emissions for Life Cycle Assessment. Initially developed for the Fondazione Edmund Mach, DigiAgriApp has evolved into a versatile tool. Users can access a public server or deploy a private instance via Docker, making it ideal for institutions, farmers, and corporations alike. DigiAgriApp is available at https://digiagriapp.gitlab.io/digiagriapp-website/
Sintonizzarsi sulle minacce: utilizzare le vibrazioni del substrato per interferire con la trasmissione del virus da parte degli afidi
Get PDFBlood transcriptome changes linked to long-term arsenic exposure through drinking water: a cross-sectional study from the Bolivian Andes
Get PDFChronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) in drinking water is a serious health concern but people differ in susceptibility. Naturally occurring As in Bolivian drinking water was recently reported, however, its long-term effects on the blood transcriptome remain unexplored. To bridge this gap, we conducted a transcriptome-wide analysis of whole blood cells from individuals in the Bolivian Andes. Blood and urine samples were collected for transcriptomic analysis, genotyping of AS3MT polymorphisms, and measurements of inorganic As metabolites in urine. Linear regression models were employed for extracting As-associated genes, and cell deconvolution to estimate cell fractions from the transcriptome. Functional annotations of the As-associated genes were performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and ClusterProfiler. Protein-protein interaction analysis was conducted to identify networks between As-associated genes. A total of 588 genes were identified from linear regression analysis and associated with downregulation of autophagy-related functions and a reduction in activated NK cells. Stratification by gender showed a significant enrichment of pathways related to carcinogenesis, oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, and epigenetic regulation in females, e.g., PI3K/AKT/MTOR signaling, HIF-1 signaling, insulin receptor signaling, and microRNA biogenesis pathway. Carriers of the AS3MT genotypes associated with a poorer As metabolism showed enrichment in DNA replication and cell proliferation, whereas carriers of the genotype associated with an efficient As metabolism showed suppression of autophagy and DNA damage pathways. Our data indicate the importance of the autophagy pathway in relation to As exposure, and its crosstalk with PI3K/AKT/mTOR and miRNA biogenesis, providing new insights into the biological pathway under As exposure. Overall, this study identified novel genome-wide changes in blood mRNA in response to long-term As exposure in Bolivia, an underrepresented population, laying groundwork for further stud
Cultivar fingerprinting and SNP-based pedigree reconstruction in Danish heritage apple cultivars utilizing genotypic data from multiple germplasm collections in the world
Get PDFHeirloom Danish apple cultivars are historically and pomologically important, part of the cultural heritage, and have valuable adaptation to regional climate conditions. However, lack of information about their genetic identity and pedigree relatedness with other cultivars hampers proper cultivar identification, germplasm curation, genebank management, and future regional breeding efforts. Many Danish apple cultivars are maintained in the national collection “The Pometum”, maintaining around 850 apple accessions. Additional material is maintained in public or private Danish collections. However, no information exists regarding genotypic duplicates between these collections and germplasm collections in other countries, pedigree inferences across collections, and genotypically unique accessions at the genebank level. To provide such information, 976 accessions from Denmark were genotyped with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and the Illumina Infinium 20K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. The resulting genotypic data were compared to large databases of genotypic data from germplasm collections in multiple countries to identify genotypic duplicates and conduct pedigree reconstruction. The germplasm maintains 305 unique genotypic profiles which were not found in other germplasm collections. The study exposed previously unknown synonyms, accessions not true-to-type, and novel pedigree relationships involving accessions from multiple collection sites. The most frequent parents of Danish germplasm were ‘Hvid Vinter Pigeon’ and ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ whereas ‘Reinette Franche’ was the most common grandparent. The accession-level information will benefit germplasm curation, cultivar identification, genebank management, and future breeding efforts, and shed new light on cultivar history and origi