Stakeholders' perceptions of appropriate nature-based solutions in the urban context.

The concept of nature-based solutions (NBSs) has become increasingly popular among urban policymakers and planners to help them tackle the urban challenges arising from urban expansion and climate change. Stakeholders' involvement is a fundamental step, and stakeholders' perceptions and preferences can affect the development of NBS projects. This study aims to identify stakeholders' perceptions of the most critical urban challenges, the priority interventions, the preferred NBSs and the benefits of the NBSs, and to identify the determinants of these perceptions. A survey was administered to assess stakeholders' perceptions and views on implementing NBSs in two Portuguese cities with distinct urban, geographical, and socio-economic contexts. A binary logistic regression model was used to understand the determinants of the likelihood of the stakeholders' answers. According to the stakeholders, climate change is one of the main concerns in the urban context. It is usually associated with the incidence of heatwaves and water scarcity. Additionally, stakeholders are concerned about the low quantity and poor management of green spaces (GSs). They believe that it will be necessary to increase the GS, to recover some degraded areas, and to increase mobility. The preferred NBSs were planting more urban trees, making green shaded areas, and rehabilitating riverbanks. The main expected benefits were benefits for leisure and relaxation, reductions in air temperature, purer air, and improvements in public health. The results showed mostly coherent connections between the main concerns/priorities of the stakeholders and the perceived NBS benefits; however, some stakeholders did not present coherent connections, indicating low awareness of the current policy for implementing NBSs to overcome existing and future urban challenges.

Targeted plant improvement through genome editing: from laboratory to field.

KEY MESSAGE: This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of GE technologies and how they could be applied to obtain superior and sustainable crop production. The main challenges of today's agriculture are maintaining and raising productivity, reducing its negative impact on the environment, and adapting to climate change. Efficient plant breeding can generate elite varieties that will rapidly replace obsolete ones and address ongoing challenges in an efficient and sustainable manner. Site-specific genome editing in plants is a rapidly evolving field with tangible results. The technology is equipped with a powerful toolbox of molecular scissors to cut DNA at a pre-determined site with different efficiencies for designing an approach that best suits the objectives of each plant breeding strategy. Genome editing (GE) not only revolutionizes plant biology, but provides the means to solve challenges related to plant architecture, food security, nutrient content, adaptation to the environment, resistance to diseases and production of plant-based materials. This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of these technologies and how these technologies could be applied to obtain superior, safe and sustainable crop production. Synergies of genome editing with other technological platforms that are gaining significance in plants lead to an exciting new, post-genomic era for plant research and production. In previous months, we have seen what global changes might arise from one new virus, reminding us of what drastic effects such events could have on food production. This demonstrates how important science, technology, and tools are to meet the current time and the future. Plant GE can make a real difference to future sustainable food production to the benefit of both mankind and our environment.

Natural antioxidants in emulsions O/W.

This study compared the capacity of propolis extract (PE) and thyme waste extract (TWE) to prevent the oxidation of oil in water (O/W) emulsion, as well as their impact on emulsion apparent viscosity (AV) in the presence of wheat germ and almond oils as lipid phase. For this, central composite design (CCD) and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed. Oxidation process was monitored by evaluating the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products, at the same time the AV behavior was determined evaluating consistency index and flow behavior index. The results revealed that the increase of PE% and TWE% decreases TBARS (Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances) and hydroperoxides formation. Viscosity increases with the rise of TWE% over (0.04%), whereas lower concentrations of PE% decreases it. Those results have been confirmed in the PCA analysis. TWE showed higher resistance to oxidation, although PE was more effective as antioxidant than TWE.

Targeted gene disruption coupled with metabolic screen approach to uncover the LEAFY COTYLEDON1-LIKE4 (L1L4) function in tomato fruit metabolism.

KEY MESSAGE: Functional analysis of tomato L1L4 master transcription factor resulted in important metabolic changes affecting tomato fruit quality. Tomato fruits from mutant lines bearing targeted disruption of the heterotrimeric nuclear transcription factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor (TF) gene LEAFY-COTYLEDON1-LIKE4 (L1L4, NF-YB6), a master regulator of biosynthesis for seed storage proteins and fatty acids, were evaluated for metabolites content and morphology. Metabolic screens using LC-MS/MS-based analysis and physico-chemical methods in different L1L4 mutants of the fourth generation allowed a comparative assessment of the effects of the TF disruption. Mutagenesis resulted in fruits phenotypically similar to wild-type with subtle shape differences in the distal end protrusion and symmetry. Conversely, mutant fruits from independent lines had significant variation in moisture content, titratable acidity and overall metabolite profiles including oxalic and citric acid, fructose, ß-carotene, total polyphenols and antioxidants. Lines 6, 7 and 9 were the richest in ß-carotene and antioxidant activity, line 4 in ascorbic acid and lines 4 and 8 in succinic acid. The reduced content of the anti-nutrient oxalic acid in several mutant fruits suggests that L1L4 gene may regulate the accumulation of this compound during fruit development. Detailed LC-MS/MS analysis of mutant seeds showed substantial differences in bioactive compounds compared to wild-type seeds. Taken together, the results suggest that the L1L4 TF is a significant regulator of metabolites both in tomato fruit and seeds providing a molecular target for crop improvement. Elucidation of the candidate genes encoding key enzymes in the affected metabolic pathways aimed to facilitate the L1L4 gene network exploration and eventually lead to systems biology approaches in tomato fruit quality.

Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Properties and Chemical Profiles of Moroccan Propolis.

The chemical profiles of propolis hydroalcoholic extracts from different regions of Morocco were studied by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry after silylation. Samples from Khamissat and Imouzzer belong to the poplar type, as typical poplar flavonoids predominated. Propolis from Rabat also contained high percentage of flavonoids, but had significantly lower amount of phenolic acid esters and contained no pinobanksin-3-O-acetate. Propolis from Bhalil demonstrated a profile rich in diterpenes (74.3%), and is a typical Mediterranean propolis sample. All samples had the capacity for inhibiting glucosidase and amylase enzymes, as well as the capacity for scavenging free radicals and preventing lipid peroxidation. Both activities were significantly higher in the flavonoids-rich samples.

Physicochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of 17 commercial Moroccan honeys.

In this study, 17 commercial honey samples from Morocco were analyzed. Four samples did not meet the international physicochemical standards due to high hydroxymethylfurfural content and low diastase activity. Phenol content varied from 163.82 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/kg in citrus honey to 923.70 mg (GAE)/kg in thyme honey from Rachidia; flavonoid content ranged from 4.26 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/kg in citrus honey to 139.62 mg QE/kg in black cumin honey. Black cumin honey had the highest peroxyl scavenging activity; oregano (from Zaraphyt) and thyme honeys (from Rachidia) had the highest ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid]) scavenging activity; and thyme honey (Saouira) had the highest NO scavenging capacity. The antioxidant activity of Moroccan honeys was correlated with the phenol, flavonoid, and melanoidin contents. Dark honeys had higher antioxidant activity than light honeys. Samples with high sodium levels had lower free radical scavenging activity. On the other hand, calcium and magnesium increased the ABTS and peroxyl scavenging capacity, respectively, of honey samples. According to cluster and discriminant analyses, the honey samples were grouped in three clusters with respect to the phenol, flavonoid, melanoidin, proline, mineral and sugar contents, and free radical scavenging capacity.

Physicochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of commercial Portuguese honeys.

The present study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of 13 commercial honeys from diverse floral origin, produced in Portugal. The values of electrical conductivity of cardoon and pennyroyal honeys were superior to the maximum limits defined by European legislation. Citrus, strawberry tree, and 1 sample of lavender honeys had values of diastase activity below those determined by European legislation. Strawberry tree, pennyroyal, and cardoon honeys had the highest amounts of potassium that coincided with the highest electrical conductivity. Strawberry tree honey was the most effective as antioxidant along with cardoon and heather honeys. This ability was strongly correlated with the amounts of phenols and flavonoids and not with the levels of vitamin C or proline.

Chest CT in infants and children.

Computed tomography (CT) is a powerful and irreplaceable imaging technique in the evaluation of thoracic disease in infants and children. Recent advances in CT technology, with multi-detector equipment now widely available in most institutions, allowing a highly detailed evaluation of the chest in a short time period has resulted in expanding indications of chest CT in paediatric patients. Its improved diagnostic yield along with a widespread availability has also resulted in an increased number of CT examinations in children, not always with beneficial impact on patient management and outcome. Accordingly with the ALARA concept, a judicious and correct use of CT is strongly advisable in order to reduce unnecessary high dose radiation exposure. The objective of this paper is to review the use of chest CT in paediatric patients focused mainly on basic technical aspects and clinical applications in the evaluation of the lungs, mediastinum and chest wall.

The Effect of Two Methods of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L) Juice Extraction on Quality During Storage at $4

The effect of two extraction methods of pomegranate juice on its quality and stability was evaluated. The first method consisted of separation of the seeds from fruits and centrifugation. The second method consisted of squeezing fruit halves with an electric lemon squeezer. During a period of 72 hours of cold storage at $4^\circ$ C, the juices were evaluated for the presence of sugars, organic acids, and anthocyanins. Delphinidin 3-glucoside was identified to be the major anthocyanin present at the level of 45-69 mg/L. Among the organic acids, oxalic and tartaric acids dominated. The major sugars detected in pomegranate juice were glucose and sucrose. No significant differences in the content of sugars, organic acids, or anthocyanins in juices obtained through application of the two different extraction methods were detected, with the exception of the drastic decrease of cyanidin $3,5$ -diglucoside level in juice obtained by seed centrifugation. The pH did not show differences between treatments. Titrable acidity and the level of sugars expressed as ${}^{\circ}$ Brix decreased after 32 and 15 hours after extraction, respectively, when juice was obtained by centrifuging the seeds.

Anthocyanin Concentration of "Assaria" Pomegranate Fruits During Different Cold Storage Conditions.

The concentration of anthocyanins in fruits of "Assaria" pomegranate, a sweet Portuguese cultivar typically grown in Algarve (south Portugal), was monitored during storage under different conditions. The fruits were exposed to cold storage ( $5^{\circ}$ C) after the following treatments: spraying with wax; spraying with $1.5$ % CaCl(2); spraying with wax and $1.5$ % CaCl(2); covering boxes with 25 $\mu$ c thickness low-density polyethylene film. Untreated fruits were used as a control. The anthocyanin levels were quantified by either comparison with an external standard of cyanidin 3-rutinoside (based on the peak area) or individual calculation from the peak areas based on standard curves of each anthocyanin type. The storage time as well as the fruit treatment prior to storage influenced total anthocyanin content. The highest levels were observed at the end of the first month of storage, except for the fruits treated with CaCl(2), where the maximal values were achieved at the end of the second month. The anthocyanin quantification method influenced the final result. When total anthocyanin was calculated as a sum of individual pigments quantified based on standard curves of each anthocyanin type, lower values were obtained.