Characterization of Targeted Phenolic Compounds in Globe Artichoke Heads and Waste from Vegetatively and "Seed"-Propagated Genotypes

In the globe artichoke, both the edible portion and the waste biomass are recognized as valuable sources of bioactive compounds. For this study, heads with 30 cm-long floral stems including two to three leaves were harvested from five genotypes, which included two traditional vegetative-propagated varietal types ("Brindisino" and "Violetto di Foggia") and three "seed"-propagated hybrids ("Tempo", "Opal", and "Madrigal"). The study aimed to determine the total and individual polyphenolic concentrations (measured spectrophotometrically and using HPLC) and antioxidant activity (AA) in different artichoke parts, namely the "hearts" (H), head waste (HW), stem waste (SW), and leaf waste (LW). "Brindisino" SW exhibited the highest accumulation of luteolin (26,317 mg kg^-1 F.W.), while "Tempo" H displayed the highest cynarin content (190 mg kg^-1 F.W.). "Tempo" HW and H showed the highest levels of apigenin (640 mg kg^-1 F.W.), and the greatest source of chlorogenic acid was found in the HW of "Opal" and the H of "Brindisino" (4300 mg kg^-1 F.W.). The hybrids generally exhibited lower total polyphenolic concentrations than the traditional genotypes, particularly evident in the LW. The SW demonstrated the highest concentration of total polyphenols (18,000 mg kg^-1 F.W.), followed by the edible H and non-edible HW (12,000 mg kg^-1 F.W.), while the LW exhibited the lowest concentration (2000 mg kg^-1 F.W.). Interestingly, the AA did not precisely align with the total polyphenolic concentration, showing slight variations between the examined parts and genotypes.

Evaluating the effects of formation and stabilization of opal/sand aggregates with organic matter amendments

Opal (SiO₂·nH₂O, amorphous silica), the by-product of alumina extraction from coal fly ash (CFA), has a strong adsorption capacity and is also an important component of clay minerals in soils. The combining of opal with sand to form artificial soils is an effective disposal strategy for large-scale CFA stockpiles and reduction of environmental risk. Nevertheless, its poor physical condition limits plant growth. Organic matter (OM) amendments have broad potential applications for water-holding and improving soil aggregation. Effects of OMs (vermicompost (VC), bagasse (BA), biochar (BC) and humic acid (HA)) on the formation, stability and pore characteristics of opal/sand aggregates were evaluated through 60-day laboratory incubation experiments. Results demonstrated that four OMs could reduce pH, with BC having the most significant effect, VC significantly increasing the electrical conductivity (EC) and TOC content of the aggregates. Except for HA, other OMs could improve the aggregates' water-holding capacity. The mean weight diameter (MWD) and percentage of >0.25 mm aggregates (R_0.25) of BA-treated aggregates were the largest, and BA had the most noticeable contribution to macro-aggregate's formation. The best aggregate stability was obtained with HA treatment, meanwhile the percentage of aggregate destruction (PAD_0.25) decreased with the addition of HA. After amendments, the proportion of organic functional groups increased, which favored aggregate's formation and stability; the surface pore characteristics were improved, with the porosity ranging from 70% to 75%, reaching the level of well-structured soil. Overall, the addition of VC and HA can effectively promote aggregates' formation and stabilization. This research may play a key role in converting CFA or opal into artificial soil. The combining of opal with sand to form artificial soil will not only solve the environmental problems caused by large-scale CFA stockpiles but will also enable the comprehensive utilization of siliceous materials in agriculture.

Multiplex Immunohistochemistry Analysis of Melanoma Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are an important prognostic indicator in melanoma and play a key role in the patient's response to immune checkpoint blockade. However, until recently, it was not possible to combine multi-parameter markers to define the TILs and their histological context. Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) is a new technology which addresses this issue and enables simultaneous detection of melanoma and multiple immune subsets in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue. Following antigen retrieval, melanoma tissue sections are stained by OPAL on an autostainer, including serial rounds of epitope labelling with monoclonal antibodies followed by tyramide signal amplification (TSA). The stained tissue sections are then imaged on the Vectra instrument, and digital images are processed by analysis software (inForm and HALO) to derive tissue segmentation and immune subset densities within the tumor and tumor stroma. Spatial relationships between immune cells and tumor cells are then analyzed using a novel R algorithm. Taken together, multiplex IHC describes the histological context of the immune system in melanoma. The data is objective and allows for characterization of individual melanomas as T cell inflamed (hot), immune excluded, or no immune cells (cold).

Visual test for the presence of the illegal additive ethyl anthranilate by using a photonic crystal test strip

A test strip has been developed for the rapid detection of the illegal additive ethyl anthranilate (EA) in wine. The detection scheme is based on a combination of photonic crystal based detection and molecular imprinting based recognition. The resulting molecularly imprinted photonic crystal (MIPC) undergoes a gradual color change from green to yellow to red upon binding of EA. A semi-quantitative colorimetric card can be used to estimate the content of EA, either visually or by making use of an optical fiber spectrometer. A linear relationship was found between the Bragg diffraction peak shift and the concentration of EA in the range from 0.1 mM to 10 mM. The detection limit is 10 μM. The test has been successfully used to screening for the presence of EA in grape wine. The test strip is selective, and can be re-used after re-activation. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the fabrication and application of the molecularly imprinted photonic crystal (MIPC) based test trip. The resulting MIPC undergoes a gradual color change from green to yellow to red upon binding of the illegal wine additive ethyl anthranilate (EA).