Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity score, an estimator of cognitive performance in the elderly: results from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging.

Ageing-related changes in the vascular wall influence the function of different organs; for this reason, we assessed how arterial stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) modulates: the basal cognitive performance and the change in cognitive performance over the follow-up time. We developed a prospective, population-based cohort study with 1581 participants aged > 65 years were obtained from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging. Participants from the second wave (2011-2013) were selected for the cross-sectional analysis. Those who also performed the cognitive assessment in the third wave (2015-2017) were selected for the prospective analysis. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by cf-PWV. Multivariate segmented regression models were used to evaluate the association between cf-PWV scores and basal neuropsychological evaluation scores and change of neuropsychological evaluation scores along follow-up. Cross-sectional analysis showed that as cf-PWV grew within the cf-PWV (5- < 10) category an improvement was observed in 7-min test, free short-term memory, and hole peg test. Furthermore, in the cf-PWV (> 13-18) category a decrease was observed in total short-term memory, free long-term memory, and total long-term memory. Prospective analysis showed a progressive worsening of cognitive function as cf-PWV increases within the cf-PWV (> 13-18) category in 7-min test, object denomination, immediate and short-term memory, and hole peg test, while in the cf-PWV (5- < 10) category, there was observed a decrease in Cumulative Executive Dysfunction Index score and short-term memory. In conclusion, a higher cf-PWV score is associated with worse cognitive performance, and with a worse evolution, reinforcing the need to plan interventions to delay arterial stiffness and its consequences.

Variations in Fruit Ploidy Level and Cell Size between Small- and Large-Fruited Olive Cultivars during Fruit Ontogeny.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the major oil fruit tree crops worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying olive fruit growth remain poorly understood. Here, we examine questions regarding the interaction of endoreduplication, cell division, and cell expansion with olive fruit growth in relation to the final fruit size by measuring fruit diameter, pericarp thickness, cell area, and ploidy level during fruit ontogeny in three olive cultivars with different fruit sizes. The results demonstrate that differences in the fruit size are related to the maximum growth rate between olive cultivars during early fruit growth, about 50 days post-anthesis (DPA). Differences in fruit weight between olive cultivars were found from 35 DPA, while the distinctive fruit shape became detectable from 21 DPA, even though the increase in pericarp thickness became detectable from 7 DPA in the three cultivars. During early fruit growth, intense mitotic activity appeared during the first 21 DPA in the fruit, whereas the highest cell expansion rates occurred from 28 to 42 DPA during this phase, suggesting that olive fruit cell number is determined from 28 DPA in the three cultivars. Moreover, olive fruit of the large-fruited cultivars was enlarged due to relatively higher cell division and expansion rates compared with the small-fruited cultivar. The ploidy level of olive fruit pericarp between early and late growth was different, but similar among olive cultivars, revealing that ploidy levels are not associated with cell size, in terms of different 8C levels during olive fruit growth. In the three olive cultivars, the maximum endoreduplication level (8C) occurred just before strong cell expansion during early fruit growth in fruit pericarp, whereas the cell expansion during late fruit growth occurred without preceding endoreduplication. We conclude that the basis for fruit size differences between olive cultivars is determined mainly by different cell division and expansion rates during the early fruit growth phase. These data provide new findings on the contribution of fruit ploidy and cell size to fruit size in olive and ultimately on the control of olive fruit development.

How cognitive performance changes according to the ankle-brachial index score in an elderly cohort? Results from the Toledo Study of Healthy Ageing.

In the ageing process, the vascular system undergoes morphological and functional changes that may condition brain functioning; for this reason, the aims of this study were to assess the effect of vascular function indirectly measured by ankle-brachial index (ABI) on both cognitive performance at baseline and change in cognitive performance at end of follow-up. We developed a prospective, population-based, cohort study with 1147 participants aged > 65 years obtained from the Toledo Study for Healthy Ageing who had cognitive assessment and measured ABI in the first wave (2006-2009) were selected for the cross-sectional analysis. Those participants who also performed the cognitive assessment in the second wave (2011-2013) were selected for the prospective analysis. Cognitive impairment diagnosis and symptoms and/or history of cardio/neurovascular disease were used as exclusion criteria. Multivariate segmented regression model was used to assess the associations between ABI and cognitive performance in both the cross-sectional and prospective analyses. As ABI score decreased from 1.4, the cross-sectional analysis showed a higher decrease in cognitive performance and the prospective analysis showed a higher degree of worsening in cognitive performance. Our findings suggest that the ABI, a widespread measure of vascular health in primary care, may be a useful tool for predicting cognitive performance and its evolution.

Hormonal Content and Gene Expression during Olive Fruit Growth and Ripening.

The cultivated olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) is one of the most valuable fruit trees worldwide. However, the hormonal mechanisms underlying the fruit growth and ripening in olives remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, we investigated the physiological and hormonal changes, by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS), as well as the expression patterns of hormone-related genes, using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, during fruit growth and ripening in two olive cultivars, 'Arbequina' and 'Picual', with contrasting fruit size and shape as well as fruit ripening duration. Hormonal profiling revealed that olive fruit growth involves a lowering of auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CKs), and jasmonic acid (JA) levels as well as a rise in salicylic acid (SA) levels from the endocarp lignification to the onset of fruit ripening in both cultivars. During olive fruit ripening, both abscisic acid (ABA) and anthocyanin levels rose, while JA levels fell, and SA levels showed no significant changes in either cultivar. By contrast, differential accumulation patterns of gibberellins (GAs) were found between the two cultivars during olive fruit growth and ripening. GA1 was not detected at either stage of fruit development in 'Arbequina', revealing a specific association between the GA1 and 'Picual', the cultivar with large sized, elongated, and fast-ripening fruit. Moreover, ABA may play a central role in regulating olive fruit ripening through transcriptional regulation of key ABA metabolism genes, whereas the IAA, CK, and GA levels and/or responsiveness differ between olive cultivars during olive fruit ripening. Taken together, the results indicate that the relative absence or presence of endogenous GA1 is associated with differences in fruit morphology and size as well as in the ripening duration in olives. Such detailed knowledge may be of help to design new strategies for effective manipulation of olive fruit size as well as ripening duration.

Development and validation of EDU-COV-NEE-NEAE questionnaire to measure educational response, ICT usage and impact of COVID-19 pandemic on students with special educational needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced changes in the educational response, which involved the intensive use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, among other interventions. The circumstances required both families and teachers to make an extra effort to adapt to a reality that was expected to last for a long time. These changes had a special impact on students with Specific Needs of Educational Support (SNES) and Special Educational Needs (SEN). This study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire to assess the impact of the online training model used during the pandemic on teachers of students with SNES and SEN. We used qualitative, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses. The final 16-item scale was composed of three factors. Factor1, was labeled as "Educational Response.", factor2 was labeled "ICT Usage and Online Teaching," and Factor 3 was labeled "Impact." The questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability. This short questionnaire is recommended for assessing or monitoring the impact of changes in educational interventions involving ICT competencies due to COVID-19. However, they can also be easily adapted to similar circumstances or educational settings.

Inflorescence Emergence and Flowering Response of Olive Cultivars Grown in Olive Reference Collection of Portugal (ORCP).

In olive trees, fluctuations in the onset of phenological stages have been reported due to weather conditions. The present study analyses the reproductive phenology of 17 olive cultivars grown in Elvas (Portugal) in 3 consecutive years (2012-2014). Through 2017-2022, the phenological observations continued with four cultivars. The phenological observations followed the BBCH scale. Over the course of the observations, the bud burst (stage 51) occurred gradually later; a few cultivars did not follow this trend in 2013. The flower cluster totally expanded phase (stage 55) was achieved gradually earlier, and the period between stages 51-55 was shortened, especially in 2014. Date of bud burst showed a negative correlation with minimum temperature (Tmin) of November-December, and, in 'Arbequina' and 'Cobrançosa', the interval stage 51-55 showed a negative correlation with both the Tmin of February and the Tmax of April, whereas in 'Galega Vulgar' and 'Picual' there was instead a positive correlation with the Tmin of March. These two seemed to be more responsive to early warm weather, whereas 'Arbequina' and 'Cobrançosa' were less sensitive. This investigation revealed that olive cultivars behaved differently under the same environmental conditions and, in some genotypes, the ecodormancy release may be linked to endogenous factors in a stronger way.

Characterization of Transcriptome Dynamics during Early Fruit Development in Olive (Olea europaea L.).

In the olive (Olea europaea L.), an economically leading oil crop worldwide, fruit size and yield are determined by the early stages of fruit development. However, few detailed analyses of this stage of fruit development are available. This study offers an extensive characterization of the various processes involved in early olive fruit growth (cell division, cell cycle regulation, and cell expansion). For this, cytological, hormonal, and transcriptional changes characterizing the phases of early fruit development were analyzed in olive fruit of the cv. 'Picual'. First, the surface area and mitotic activity (by flow cytometry) of fruit cells were investigated during early olive fruit development, from 0 to 42 days post-anthesis (DPA). The results demonstrate that the cell division phase extends up to 21 DPA, during which the maximal proportion of 4C cells in olive fruits was reached at 14 DPA, indicating that intensive cell division was activated in olive fruits at that time. Subsequently, fruit cell expansion lasted as long as 3 weeks more before endocarp lignification. Finally, the molecular mechanisms controlling the early fruit development were investigated by analyzing the transcriptome of olive flowers at anthesis (fruit set) as well as olive fruits at 14 DPA (cell division phase) and at 28 DPA (cell expansion phase). Sequential induction of the cell cycle regulating genes is associated with the upregulation of genes involved in cell wall remodeling and ion fluxes, and with a shift in plant hormone metabolism and signaling genes during early olive fruit development. This occurs together with transcriptional activity of subtilisin-like protease proteins together with transcription factors potentially involved in early fruit growth signaling. This gene expression profile, together with hormonal regulators, offers new insights for understanding the processes that regulate cell division and expansion, and ultimately fruit yield and olive size.

New drugs against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: a systematic review of patents.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance has been a threat to human health ever since the accelerated consumption of antibiotics began. Materials & methods: The present systematic review was carried out using a free and specialized online database - Espacenet - and a survey for patents of antimicrobial agents from 2010 to 2021, selecting 33 recent patents that claimed compounds with antimicrobial activity against resistant strains of Gram-negative bacteria. Results: Some different and new approaches to the development of the patented antibacterial agents were identified, such as antimicrobial peptides, nanomaterials and natural extracts. Conclusion: Some alternatives to modern antibiotics with diminished effectiveness due to antimicrobial resistance were spotted. Nevertheless, many challenges remain to establish a robust and sustainable antibacterial R&D pipeline.

Disentangling the link between leaf photosynthesis and turgor in fruit growth.

Despite the importance of understanding plant growth, the mechanisms underlying how plant and fruit growth declines during drought remain poorly understood. Specifically, it remains unresolved whether carbon or water factors are responsible for limiting growth as drought progresses. We examine questions regarding the relative importance of water and carbon to fruit growth depending on the water deficit level and the fruit growth stage by measuring fruit diameter, leaf photosynthesis, and a proxy of cell turgor in olive (Olea europaea). Flow cytometry was also applied to determine the fruit cell division stage. We found that photosynthesis and turgor were related to fruit growth; specifically, the relative importance of photosynthesis was higher during periods of more intense cell division, while turgor had higher relative importance in periods where cell division comes close to ceasing and fruit growth is dependent mainly on cell expansion. This pattern was found regardless of the water deficit level, although turgor and growth ceased at more similar values of leaf water potential than photosynthesis. Cell division occurred even when fruit growth seemed to stop under water deficit conditions, which likely helped fruits to grow disproportionately when trees were hydrated again, compensating for periods with low turgor. As a result, the final fruit size was not severely penalized. We conclude that carbon and water processes are able to explain fruit growth, with importance placed on the combination of cell division and expansion. However, the major limitation to growth is turgor, which adds evidence to the sink limitation hypothesis.

The Effects of Microaggressions on Depression in Young Adults of Color: Investigating the Impact of Traumatic Event Exposures and Trauma Reactions.

Microaggressions are a common way that individuals experience racism in the United States. The current study examined the extent to which microaggressions contribute to mental health difficulties, namely trauma reactions and depression, after controlling for other traumatic event exposures. We sought to address gaps in the literature by quantitatively assessing the associations among microaggressions, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and depression symptoms. Participants were 140 young adults of color (68.8% female) who were recruited online. Linear regression analyses evidenced that microaggressions were uniquely associated with depression symptoms, B = 0.27, after controlling for lifetime traumatic event exposures, with this association partially mediated by trauma reactions, B = 0.49. These results suggest that microaggressions are a clinically relevant factor in understanding mental health problems reported by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the United States and warrant analysis, assessment, and intervention through a trauma lens.

Enrichment of Olive Fruits in Antioxidant Content by Pre-Harvest Salicylic Acid Treatment.

We here study the effect of the pre-harvest application of salicylic acid at two different concentrations on the olive phenolic composition. Influence of the cultivar and harvesting day were considered. As a result, the total phenol content increased significantly, particularly when using 200 mg mL-1 of salicylic acid. However, the free radical scavenging activity was cultivar dependent. For instance, when the olives were harvested on day 3 and treated with 200 mg mL-1 of salicylic acid, the antioxidant activity decreased from 161 to 278 µg mL-1 for Arbequina, whereas it increased from 397 to 258 µg mL-1 for Picual. Generally speaking, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol contents enhanced with the application of 200 mg mL-1 of salicylic acid. The results found suggest that exogenous salicylic acid is an interesting agronomic practice to enrich olive fruits in antioxidants.

Spatio-temporal immunolocalization of extensin protein and hemicellulose polysaccharides during olive fruit abscission.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Immunocytochemical and molecular analyses reveal that the disassembly of the cell wall may be mediated by changes in the level and subcellular location of extensin protein and hemicelluloses during olive-fruit abscission. Although cell-wall modification is believed to underlie the changes in organ abscission, information concerning the changes in cell-wall proteins and hemicellulose polysaccharides is still limited. The aim of this work was to analyze the spatio-temporal patterns of the distribution of different extensin proteins and hemicelluloses in the abscission zone (AZ) during natural ripe-fruit abscission in olive (Olea europaea L.). In this study, we employed immunogold labeling in the ripe-fruit AZ during olive AZ cell separation, using an expanded set of monoclonal antibodies that recognize different types of hemicelluloses (LM11, LM15, and LM21), callose (anti-(1,3)-ß-D-glucan) and extensin (JIM19) epitopes, and transmission electron microscopy imaging. Our data demonstrate that AZ cell separation was accompanied by a loss of the JIM19 extensin epitopes and a reduction in the detection of the LM15 xyloglucan epitopes in AZ cell walls, whereas AZ cells were found to be enriched with respect to the xylan and callose levels of the cell wall during olive ripe-fruit abscission. By contrast, AZ cell-wall polysaccharide remodeling did not involve mannans. Moreover, in ripe-fruit AZ, quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that OeEXT1, OeEXT2, OeXTH9, and OeXTH13 genes were downregulated during abscission, whereas the expression of OeXTH1, OeXTH5, and OeXTH14 genes increased during abscission. Taken together, the results indicate that AZ cell-wall dynamics during olive ripe-fruit abscission involves extensin protein and hemicellulose modifications, as well as related expressed genes. This is the first study available demonstrating temporal degradation of extensin protein and hemicelluloses in the AZ at the subcellular level.

Transcriptome and Hormone Analyses Revealed Insights into Hormonal and Vesicle Trafficking Regulation among Olea europaea Fruit Tissues in Late Development.

Fruit ripening and abscission are the results of the cell wall modification concerning different components of the signaling network. However, molecular-genetic information on the cross-talk between ripe fruit and their abscission zone (AZ) remains limited. In this study, we investigated transcriptional and hormonal changes in olive (Olea europaea L. cv Picual) pericarp and AZ tissues of fruit at the last stage of ripening, when fruit abscission occurs, to establish distinct tissue-specific expression patterns related to cell-wall modification, plant-hormone, and vesicle trafficking in combination with data on hormonal content. In this case, transcriptome profiling reveals that gene encoding members of the α-galactosidase and ß-hexosaminidase families associated with up-regulation of RabB, RabD, and RabH classes of Rab-GTPases were exclusively transcribed in ripe fruit enriched in ABA, whereas genes of the arabinogalactan protein, laccase, lyase, endo-ß-mannanase, ramnose synthase, and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase families associated with up-regulation of RabC, RabE, and RabG classes of Rab-GTPases were exclusively transcribed in AZ-enriched mainly in JA, which provide the first insights into the functional divergences among these protein families. The enrichment of these protein families in different tissues in combination with data on transcript abundance offer a tenable set of key genes of the regulatory network between olive fruit tissues in late development.

Exogenous Salicylic Acid Improves Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in Table Grapes.

Grapes contain high contents of phenolics, which are known to possess health promoting properties. Exogenous application of phytoregulators, mainly methyl jasmonate and abscisic acid, to grapevines to enhance phenolic content has been reported (Portu et al. Sci Hortic 240: 378-386, 2018; Ranjbaran et al. J Faculty Agric Kyushu Univ 56: 263-267, 2011). However, these phytohormones possess some drawbacks that can be overcome by using other phytoregulators as an alternative. In this work the effect of an additional phytohormone, salicylic acid, to grapevines on the phenolics and antioxidant activity of grapes was investigated. To our knowledge, salicylic acid has been earlier applied to grapevines to affect grape ripening and quality (Lóay. Egyptian J Basic Applied Sci 4: 227-230, 2017). However, this is the first time it is applied to increase the total phenolic content. As a result of our study, total phenol content and the free radical scavenging activity increased with 100 mg l-1 of salicylic acid. In particular, the total phenol content increased from 768.3 to 1843.5 mg 100 g-1 and the IC50 values decreased from 45.2 to 13.2 mg ml-1. Also the contents of individual phenolics mostly increased significantly with 100 mg l-1 of salicylic acid, except anthocyanins. Higher concentrations of salicylic acid (ie, 500 mg l-1vs 100 mg l-1) did not result in higher contents of phenolics. Therefore, 100 mg l-1 was selected as the best salicylic acid concentration to be used in the treatment. The application of exogenous salicylic acid to grapevines is an interesting agronomic practice to obtain table grapes with improved health-promoting properties.

Cell Wall Composition and Ultrastructural Immunolocalization of Pectin and Arabinogalactan Protein during Olea europaea L. Fruit Abscission.

Cell wall modification is integral to many plant developmental processes where cells need to separate, such as abscission. However, changes in cell wall composition during natural fruit abscission are poorly understood. In olive (Olea europaea L.), some cultivars such as 'Picual' undergo massive natural fruit abscission after fruit ripening. This study investigates the differences in cell wall polysaccharide composition and the localization of pectins and arabinogalactan protein (AGP) in the abscission zone (AZ) during cell separation to understand fruit abscission control in 'Picual' olive. To this end, immunogold labeling employing a suite of monoclonal antibodies to cell wall components (JIM13, LM5, LM6, LM19 and LM20) was investigated in olive fruit AZ. Cell wall polysaccharide extraction revealed that the AZ cell separation is related to the de-esterification and degradation of pectic polysaccharides. Moreover, ultrastructural localization showed that both esterified and unesterified homogalacturonans (HGs) localize mainly in the AZ cell walls, including the middle lamella and tricellular junction zones. Our results indicate that unesterified HGs are likely to contribute to cell separation in the olive fruit AZ. Similarly, immunogold labeling demonstrated a decrease in both galactose-rich and arabinose-rich pectins in AZ cell walls during ripe fruit abscission. In addition, AGPs were localized in the cell wall, plasma membrane and cytoplasm of AZ cells with lower levels of AGPs during ripe fruit abscission. This detailed temporal profile of the cell wall polysaccharide composition, and the pectins and AGP immunolocalization in the olive fruit AZ, offers new insights into cell wall remodeling during ripe fruit abscission.

Regulation of sterol content and biosynthetic gene expression during flower opening and early fruit development in olive.

Phytosterols are lipophilic membrane components essential not only for diverse cellular functions but also are biosynthetic precursors of the plant hormone, brassinosteroid (BR). However, the interaction between phytosterol and BR during early fleshy-fruit growth remains largely uncharacterized. In olive, phytosterols are important lipids because they affect oil quality, but phytosterol composition during flowering and early fruit development has not been explored. Here, we first investigated the temporal changes in phytosterol composition, and biosynthetic gene expression that occurred during olive flower opening and early fruit growth. Next, we analyzed the interrelationship between phytosterol and BR, whose levels we manipulated through the application of exogenous BRs (24-epibrassinolide, EBR) or a BR biosynthesis inhibitor (brassinazole, Brz). In this report, the profiling of phytosterol measurement revealed that ß-sitosterol is the most abundant in olive reproductive organs. Our data demonstrate that both OeCYP51 and OeSMT2 genes are upregulated during floral anthesis in good agreement with the rise in cholesterol and ß-sitosterol contents in olive flower. By contrast, the OeCYP51 and OeSMT2 genes displayed different expression patterns during early olive-fruit development. Furthermore, our data show that exogenous EBR enhanced the early olive-fruit growth, as well as the OeSMT2 transcript and ß-sitosterol levels, but decreased the OeCYP51 transcript, squalene, campesterol and cholesterol levels, whereas the Brz treatment exerted the opposite effect. Overall, our findings indicate an up-regulation of ß-sitosterol biosynthesis by BR at the transcriptional level during early olive-fruit growth, providing a valuable tool to unravel the physiological function of SMT2 in future studies.

Modulation of sphingolipid long-chain base composition and gene expression during early olive-fruit development, and putative role of brassinosteroid.

Sphingolipids are abundant membrane components and signalling molecules in various aspects of plant development. However, the role of sphingolipids in early fleshy-fruit growth has rarely been investigated. In this study, we first investigated the temporal changes in sphingolipid long-chain base (LCB) content, composition, and gene expression that occurred during flower opening and early fruit development in olive (Olea europaea L. cv Picual). Moreover, the interaction between sphingolipid and the plant hormone, brassinosteroid (BR), during the early fruit development was also explored. For this, BR levels were manipulated through the application of exogenous BRs (24-epibrassinolide, EBR) or a BR biosynthesis inhibitor (brassinazole, Brz) and their effects on early fruit development, sphingolipid LCB content, and gene expression were examined in olive fruit at 14 days post-anthesis (DPA). We here show that sphingolipid with C-4 hydroxylation and Δ8 desaturation with a preference for (E)-isomer formation are quantitatively the most important sphingolipids in olive reproductive organs. In this work, the total LCB amount significantly decreased at the anthesis stage, but olive sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase (OeSPL) gene was expressed exclusively in flower and upregulated during the anthesis, revealing an association with the d18:1(8E) accumulation. However, the LCB content increased in parallel with the upregulation of the expression of genes for key sphingolipid biosynthetic and LCB modification enzymes during early fruit development in olive. Likewise, we found that EBR exogenously applied to olive trees significantly stimulated the fruit growth rate whereas Brz inhibited fruit growth rate after 7 and 14 days of treatment. In addition, this inhibitory effect could be counteracted by the application of EBR. The promotion of early fruit growth was accompanied by the down-regulation of sphingolipid LCB content and gene expression in olive fruit, whereas Brz application raised levels of sphingolipid LCB content and gene expression in olive fruit after 7 and 14 days of treatment. Thus, our data indicate that endogenous sphingolipid LCB and gene-expression levels are intricately controlled during early fruit development and also suggest a possible link between BR, the sphingolipid content/gene expression, and early fruit development in olive.

Sphingolipid Distribution, Content and Gene Expression during Olive-Fruit Development and Ripening.

Plant sphingolipids are involved in the building of the matrix of cell membranes and in signaling pathways of physiological processes and environmental responses. However, information regarding their role in fruit development and ripening, a plant-specific process, is unknown. The present study seeks to determine whether and, if so, how sphingolipids are involved in fleshy-fruit development and ripening in an oil-crop species such as olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Picual). Here, in the plasma-membranes of live protoplasts, we used fluorescence to examine various specific lipophilic stains in sphingolipid-enriched regions and investigated the composition of the sphingolipid long-chain bases (LCBs) as well as the expression patterns of sphingolipid-related genes, OeSPT, OeSPHK, OeACER, and OeGlcCerase, during olive-fruit development and ripening. The results demonstrate increased sphingolipid content and vesicle trafficking in olive-fruit protoplasts at the onset of ripening. Moreover, the concentration of LCB [t18:1(8Z), t18:1 (8E), t18:0, d18:2 (4E/8Z), d18:2 (4E/8E), d18:1(4E), and 1,4-anhydro-t18:1(8E)] increases during fruit development to reach a maximum at the onset of ripening, although these molecular species decreased during fruit ripening. On the other hand, OeSPT, OeSPHK, and OeGlcCerase were expressed differentially during fruit development and ripening, whereas OeACER gene expression was detected only at the fully ripe stage. The results provide novel data about sphingolipid distribution, content, and biosynthesis/turnover gene transcripts during fleshy-fruit ripening, indicating that all are highly regulated in a developmental manner.

Predictors of Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease in Ethnically Diverse Overweight Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To study the relationship between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and sleep, Physical Activity (PA), and screen-time habits/behaviors among a multiethnic sample of overweight children/adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective medical chart review (6/2013-7/2014) identified 209 patients (7-21 years old) who were overweight/obese (BMI > 85th% for age/sex). A follow-up telephone survey was completed among 130 of these patients' parents to obtain information on sleep, screen-time, PA habits, and socio-demographics. NAFLD was defined as ALT and/or AST levels above the age/sexadjusted cutoff value in the absence of medications or associated medical conditions. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify predictors of NAFLD by adjusting age, sex, heritage, and income. RESULTS: Over a third (34%) of the sample (N=130, 55% males, 74% Hispanic) had NAFLD. Compared to non-Hispanics, Central American heritage subjects were over three times as likely to have NAFLD compared to non-Hispanics (OR=3.90, 95% CI, 1.23-12.37) after adjusting for socioeconomics and lifestyle habits. Subjects with low PA levels were at increased risk for NAFLD (aOR=4.52, 95% CI, 1.21-16.82) compared to their more active counterparts. Lower income families were over twice as likely to have NAFLD as higher income families (OR = 2.57, 0.95-6.96). CONCLUSIONS: Families residing from a Central American heritage are at significant risk for NAFLD versus their ethnic group counterparts. Identifying specific groups and risks for pediatric-onset NAFLD can inform and improve clinical practice and public health initiatives, especially as patient populations become more ethnically diverse across the nation.

Adrenoleucodistrofia ligada al X: presentación de tres casos. Importancia del diagnóstico precoz / X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: a report of three cases. The importance of early diagnosis

La adrenoleucodistrofia ligada al X es el trastorno peroxisomal más común. Se debe a mutaciones en el gen ABCD1, lo que ocasiona un acúmulo de ácidos grasos saturados de cadena muy larga en el suero, la corteza adrenal y la sustancia blanca del sistema nervioso central. La clínica se caracteriza por deterioro neurològico e insuficiencia suprarrenal con un pronóstico devastador. Se presenta un primer caso clínico de adrenoleucodistrofia ligada al X con evolución fatal que permitió identificar a dos familiares asintomáticos e instaurar un tratamiento preventivo. Aunque, en la actualidad, no existe un tratamiento curativo definitivo, hay que destacar la importancia del estudio familiar de pacientes en situación de riesgo para poder instaurar un tratamiento preventivo precoz y dar un asesoramiento genético adecuado.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is the most common peroxisomal disorder. This disease is caused by a defect in the ABCD1 gen. Saturated very long chain fatty acids are accumulated in serum, adrenal cortex and central nervous system white matter. The clinical spectrum is characterized by progressive neurological dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency with a devastating prognosis. We report a first case of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy with fatal evolution which identified two asymptomatic family members and established a preventive treatment. Although there is no definitive cure, we stress the importance of family study and evaluation of the individual in situation of risk to establish an early preventive treatment and to give in each particular situation suitable professional advice.