Community Garden Initiatives Addressing Health and Well-Being Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Infodemiology Aspects, Outcomes, and Target Populations

Previous research has suggested that activities such as community gardens could offer a wide range of health benefits. The aim of the article is to systematically review the available literature to analyse the magnitude of the phenomenon, the geographical distribution, and the main characteristics in terms of health outcomes and target populations. The search addresses the question whether the activity in community gardens improves health and well-being outcomes of individuals. From the total amount of 7226, 84 selected articles showed that:(1) up to 50% are published by U.S. universities or institutions; (2) up to 44% of the studies considered “community gardens” as the main activity of the research focus; (3) one-third of the studies included adults; (4) almost 25% of the studies used “general health” as the main outcome when investigating the benefits of community gardens; (5) the percentage of studies that achieved their outcomes was heterogeneous among the different health dimensions. In conclusion, while a certain degree of heterogeneity in the used definition and outcome still exist, community gardens may be a viable strategy for well-being promotion in terms of psychological, social, and physical health and may be considered as an innovative urban strategy to promote urban public health.</jats:p

Continuous-infusion and outpatient setting: A chance for patients, a challenge for hospital pharmacists

The use of continuous-infusion in outpatient setting could be widely used in oncology and haematology care. Many times the lack of data stability about single drug or admixture of drugs, together with patient education and safety, make difficult the transition from inpatient to outpatient setting. Nowadays, this is a big challenge for hospital pharmacists, who must take into consideration the critical issues related to chemical and physical stability, besides microbiological one, in order to ensure high quality preparations and guarantee the safety and quality of care, to protect patients and their health. The aim of this article is to highlight the critical issues concerning the transition from inpatient to outpatient setting, with particular interest regarding chemotherapy protocols, which require preparation with long-term continuous-infusion. </jats:p

Co-cultivation with Azolla affects the metabolome of whole rice plants beyond canonical inorganic nitrogen fertilization

Azolla spp. are floating ferns that establish permanent symbiosis with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Trichormus azollae and, for this reason, have been used for centuries as sustainable biofertilizers to enrich the soil with inorganic nitrogen and improve rice yield. However, the molecular interactions between Azolla and co-cultivated rice plants only recently started to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, we exploited an experiment in which rice plants were grown together with Azolla by maintaining a low and constant concentration of inorganic nitrogen. We employed a combination of non-targeted metabolomics, chemometrics, and molecular networking to dissect the impact of Azolla co-cultivation on the metabolome of rice roots- and leaves, as well as to identify the metabolites released by Azolla into the growing medium. Our analyses showed that Azolla can synthesize and release a broad range of metabolites in the culture medium, mainly comprising small peptides (i.e., di- and tri-peptides) and flavonoids, that may have stimulated the rice plant growth. Moreover, we observed a systematic response in the upregulation of rice metabolites that started from the roots and shifted, over time, to the leaves. Metabolomics analysis indicated that during the first stages of co-cultivation, the impact of Azolla on rice mainly resulted in the accumulation of small peptides, lipids and carbohydrates in roots, as well as flavonoid glycosides and carbohydrates in leaves. Consistent with these results, transcriptomics analysis of rice roots indicated significant changes in the expression of genes coding for small peptide and lipid transporters and genes involved in the pathways of amino acid salvage and biosynthesis. Overall, our study provides new insights into Azolla’s beneficial and growth-promoting effects on rice. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which Azolla functions as a biostimulant in rice co-culture could facilitate the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques to increase yields

Co-cultivation with Azolla affects the metabolome of whole rice plants beyond canonical inorganic nitrogen fertilization

Azolla spp. are floating ferns that establish permanent symbiosis with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria Trichormus azollae and, for this reason, have been used for centuries as sustainable biofertilizers to enrich the soil with inorganic nitrogen and improve rice yield. However, the molecular interactions between Azolla and co-cultivated rice plants only recently started to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, we exploited an experiment in which rice plants were grown together with Azolla by maintaining a low and constant concentration of inorganic nitrogen. We employed a combination of non-targeted metabolomics, chemometrics, and molecular networking to dissect the impact of Azolla co-cultivation on the metabolome of rice roots- and leaves, as well as to identify the metabolites released by Azolla into the growing medium. Our analyses showed that Azolla can synthesize and release a broad range of metabolites in the culture medium, mainly comprising small peptides (i.e., di- and tri-peptides) and flavonoids, that may have stimulated the rice plant growth. Moreover, we observed a systematic response in the upregulation of rice metabolites that started from the roots and shifted, over time, to the leaves. Metabolomics analysis indicated that during the first stages of co-cultivation, the impact of Azolla on rice mainly resulted in the accumulation of small peptides, lipids and carbohydrates in roots, as well as flavonoid glycosides and carbohydrates in leaves. Consistent with these results, transcriptomics analysis of rice roots indicated significant changes in the expression of genes coding for small peptide and lipid transporters and genes involved in the pathways of amino acid salvage and biosynthesis. Overall, our study provides new insights into Azolla’s beneficial and growth-promoting effects on rice. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which Azolla functions as a biostimulant in rice co-culture could facilitate the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques to increase yields

Cell wall modifications by α-XYLOSIDASE1 are required for control of seed and fruit size in Arabidopsis

Abstract Cell wall modifications are of pivotal importance during plant development. Among cell wall components, xyloglucans are the major hemicellulose polysaccharide in primary cell walls of dicots and non-graminaceous monocots. They can connect the cellulose microfibril surface to affect cell wall mechanical properties. Changes in xyloglucan structure are known to play an important role in regulating cell growth. Therefore, the degradation of xyloglucan is an important modification that alters the cell wall. The α-XYLOSIDASE1 (XYL1) gene encodes the only α-xylosidase acting on xyloglucans in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we showed that mutation of XYL1 strongly influences seed size, seed germination, and fruit elongation. We found that the expression of XYL1 is directly regulated in developing seeds and fruit by the MADS-box transcription factor SEEDSTICK. We demonstrated that XYL1 complements the stk smaller seed phenotype. Finally, by atomic force microscopy, we investigated the role of XYL1 activity in maintaining cell stiffness and growth, confirming the importance of cell wall modulation in shaping organs.</jats:p

Cell wall modifications by α-XYLOSIDASE1 are required for control of seed and fruit size in Arabidopsis

Cell wall modifications are of pivotal importance during plant development. Among cell wall components, xyloglucans are the major hemicellulose polysaccharide in primary cell walls of dicots and non graminaceous monocots. They can connect the cellulose microfibril surface to affect cell wall mechanical properties. Changes in xyloglucan structure are known to play an important role regulating cell growth. Therefore, the degradation of xyloglucan is an important modification that alters the cell wall. The α-XYLOSIDASE1 (XYL1) gene encodes the only α-xylosidase acting on xyloglucans in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we show that mutation of XYL1 strongly influences seed size, seed germination, and fruit elongation. We found that the expression of XYL1 is directly regulated in developing seeds and fruit by the MADS-box transcription factor SEEDSTICK (STK). We demonstrate that XYL1 complements the stk smaller seed phenotype. Finally, by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), we investigate the role of XYL1 activity in maintaining cell stiffness and growth, confirming the importance of cell wall modulation in shaping organs