“Arbequina” Olive Oil Composition Is Affected by the Application of Regulated Deficit Irrigation during Pit Hardening Stage

Three new regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatments were applied to “Arbequina” olive orchards during pit hardening. Oil quality was determined by measuring analytical parameters for olive oil grading, antioxidant activity, total phenol content, fatty acid profile, volatile compounds profile, and sensory analysis. Oils from RDI were classified as “extra virgin olive oil” and their quality was improved due to their higher antioxidant potential (ABTS⁺ [increased ~75%] and DPPH^˙ [increased ~25%] assays) and phenols (increased ~53%) than control. Concentration of total volatile compounds decreased (~27%) but RDI olive oils showed a more balanced profile (alcohols, aldehydes, and esters). Monounsaturated fatty acid content increased (~5%) and atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes decreased (~8.5%) in RDI olive oil. Regarding sensory analysis, RDI provided more balanced oils with higher fruit aroma than control. Other benefits of RDI olive oil, when compared with oil from full irrigated orchards are reduced use of water and improved functional and sensory quality.     

Styrene-butadiene branched star-shaped asphalt modifiers: Synthesis and mechanical characterization

Abstract

The synthesis and the corresponding characterization of styrene-butadiene (SB), branched, star-shaped copolymers was investigated as part of a research project on asphalt modification using polymers with precise molecular structures. The method of anionic polymerization was followed to prepare samples of block copolymers of SB, a synthesis method that controls chain-architecture, molecular weight distribution, monomer distribution, and the average molecular weight. The research studies are the synthesis of block copolymers including linear, three- and four-arms constructs, depending on the coupling agent used. The techniques of nuclear magnetic resonance (1NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and rheology were carried out to characterize the copolymers. From the results of the 1NMR, DSC, and GPC analyses, all star-shaped copolymers investigated showed a similar block copolymer composition. Furthermore, the rheological behavior of one of the synthesized star-shaped copolymers was nearly the same as a four-branched commercial copolymer. Rheologically, the four-arm block copolymer sample had the largest storage modulus (G′) among the branched copolymers synthetized, indicating that such architecture produces a highly structured material. In regard to polymer-modified asphalt formulations, the three-branched copolymer architecture yielded better elastic behavior than the four-branch version. In summary, the findings of this investigation provide new insight about a polymer system that may offer advantages in industrial asphalt paving applications.     

UV-induced Persulfate Oxidation of Organic Micropollutants in Water Matrices

ABSTRACT

The efficacies of UV photolysis, UV-activated persulfate (UV/PS), and combined UV/Fe²⁺-activated persulfate (UV/PS/Fe²⁺) systems for degrading of different organic micropollutants in ultrapure water and groundwater were examined and compared. The studied micropollutants belonging to the different classes involved an artificial sweetener acesulfame K (ACE), beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX), and endocrine disrupting compound 4-nonylphenol (NP). Among the studied systems, the UV/PS/Fe²⁺ process showed the highest performance both in degradation and in mineralization of ACE (UVA-induced systems; k_app = 0.126 1/min and 80.3% TOC removal) and AMX (UVC-induced systems; k_app = 1.383 1/min and 85.4% TOC removal), followed by the UV/PS process. In the case of NP trials, the application of UVC/PS systems was the most promising, and after careful adjustment of oxidant concentration, it demonstrated a considerable improvement in the target compound degradation (at a NP/PS molar ratio of 1/4 k_app = 0.024 1/min) compared with the UVC photolysis (k_app = 0.016 1/min). Irrespective of the applied UV-induced treatment process, the efficacy of target compounds degradation was lower in groundwater as compared with ultrapure water trials.     

New 2,2-difluoro-1,3,2(2H)oxazaborines and merocyanines derived from them

Synthetic methods have been developed to prepare oxazaborines, the azaanalogues of 2,2-difluoro-1,3,2(2H)dioxaborines, which can form merocyanine dyes. The first oxazaborine merocyanines with the isomeric position of the coordinating nitrogen atom have also been obtained. Comparing the spectral properties of donor-acceptor dioxa- and oxazaborine dyes, it is seen that substitution of the 3-O atom by the NH group in the chelate ring has a slight effect on absorption and fluorescence band positions but causes the intensity redistribution between the 0-0 and 0-1 vibronic absorption peaks and thus induces a change in the absorption band shape due to the enhanced solvation of oxazaborines. Substitution of the 1-O ring atom by the NPh group leads to a bathochromic shift and a manifold increase in the fluorescence quantum yield for the corresponding boron chelate dyes.     

Molecular rotors image intracellular viscosity

This review describes a new method for quantitative measurement and spatial imaging of microviscosity within individual domains of live cells. The method is based on fluorescence detection from small synthetic molecules termed 'molecular rotors', which are characterised by a strong response of fluorescence lifetimes or spectra to the viscosity of their immediate environment. We have demonstrated that the quantitative determination of viscosity is possible using lifetime-based molecular rotors and ratiometric molecular rotors. The ratiometric imaging of viscosity benefits from a very fast signal acquisition. We have illustrated this advantage by monitoring changes in intracellular viscosity during photodynamic therapy, which is a clinically utilised modality for the treatment of neoplastic disease.     

Discovery of New Antiproliferative Imidazopyrazole Acylhydrazones Able To Interact with Microtubule Systems

Even though immunotherapy has radically changed the search for anticancer therapies, there are still many different pathways that are open to intervention with traditional small molecules. To expand our investigation in the anticancer field, we report here a new series of compounds in which our previous pyrazole and imidazopyrazole scaffolds are linked to a differently decorated phenyl ring through an acylhydrazone linker. Preliminary tests on the library were performed at the National Cancer Institute (USA) against the full NCI 60 cell panel. The best compounds among the imidazopyrazole series were then tested by immunofluorescence staining for their inhibition of cell proliferation, apoptosis induction, and their effect on the cell cycle and on microtubules. Two compounds, in particular 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzyliden imidazopyrazole-7-carbohydrazide showed good growth inhibition, with IC₅₀ values in the low-micromolar range, and induced apoptosis. Both compounds altered the cell-cycle phases with the appearance of polyploid cells. Immunofluorescence analysis evidenced microtubules alterations; tubulin polymerization assays and docking studies suggested the tubulin system to be the possible, although not exclusive, target of the new acylhydrazone series reported here.     

Comparison of PPAR Ligands as Modulators of Resolution of Inflammation,via Their Influence on Cytokines and Oxylipins Release in Astrocytes

Neuroinflammation is a key process of many neurodegenerative diseases and other brain disturbances, and astrocytes play an essential role in neuroinflammation. Therefore, the regulation of astrocyte responses for inflammatory stimuli, using small molecules, is a potential therapeutic strategy. We investigated the potency of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ligands to modulate the stimulating effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the primary rat astrocytes on (1) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) derivative (oxylipins) synthesis; (2) cytokines TNFα and interleukin-10 (IL-10) release; (3) p38, JNK, ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) phosphorylation. Astrocytes were exposed to LPS alone or in combination with the PPAR ligands: PPARα (fenofibrate, GW6471); PPARβ ({"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GW501516","term_id":"289075981","term_text":"GW501516"}}GW501516, GSK0660); PPARγ (rosiglitazone, GW9662). We detected 28 oxylipins with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), classified according to their metabolic pathways: cyclooxygenase (COX), cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP), lipoxygenase (LOX) and PUFAs: arachidonic (AA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA). All tested PPAR ligands decrease COX-derived oxylipins; both PPARβ ligands possessed the strongest effect. The PPARβ agonist, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GW501516","term_id":"289075981","term_text":"GW501516"}}GW501516 is a strong inducer of pro-resolution substances, derivatives of DHA: 4-HDoHE, 11-HDoHE, 17-HDoHE. All tested PPAR ligands decreased the release of the proinflammatory cytokine, TNFα. The PPARβ agonist {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GW501516","term_id":"289075981","term_text":"GW501516"}}GW501516 and the PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone induced the IL-10 release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10; the cytokine index, (IL-10/TNFα) was more for {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GW501516","term_id":"289075981","term_text":"GW501516"}}GW501516. The PPARβ ligands, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GW501516","term_id":"289075981","term_text":"GW501516"}}GW501516 and GSK0660, are also the strongest inhibitors of LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38, JNK, ERK MAPKs. Overall, our data revealed that the PPARβ ligands are a potential pro-resolution and anti-inflammatory drug for targeting glia-mediated neuroinflammation.     

Impact of A134 and E218 Amino Acid Residues of Tropomyosin on Its Flexibility and Function

Tropomyosin (Tpm) is one of the major actin-binding proteins that play a crucial role in the regulation of muscle contraction. The flexibility of the Tpm molecule is believed to be vital for its functioning, although its role and significance are under discussion. We choose two sites of the Tpm molecule that presumably have high flexibility and stabilized them with the A134L or E218L substitutions. Applying differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), molecular dynamics (MD), co-sedimentation, trypsin digestion, and in vitro motility assay, we characterized the properties of Tpm molecules with these substitutions. The A134L mutation prevented proteolysis of Tpm molecule by trypsin, and both substitutions increased the thermal stability of Tpm and its bending stiffness estimated from MD simulation. None of these mutations affected the primary binding of Tpm to F-actin; still, both of them increased the thermal stability of the actin-Tpm complex and maximal sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments in vitro at a saturating Ca²⁺ concentration. However, the mutations differently affected the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the sliding velocity and pulling force produced by myosin heads. The data suggest that both regions of instability are essential for correct regulation and fine-tuning of Ca²⁺-dependent interaction of myosin heads with F-actin.