Harvest time effect on horticultural quality of topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus L.) kept in the soil or in cold storage

Existen muy pocos antecedentes sobre la conservación de tubérculos de topinambur, así como de las variaciones de calidad que sufre el producto. A través de este trabajo se buscó generar información sobre: a) los efectos de la fecha de cosecha y la variedad de topinambur sobre las variables de calidad; b) la respuesta a la evolución en cámara frigorífica de distintos tratamientos de conservación; y c) la incidencia de las condiciones (cámara frigorífica-campo) y tiempo de almacenamiento sobre la calidad de los tubérculos. Se utilizaron dos variedades de topinambur, la de tubérculos rojos y la de tubérculos blancos. Las variables de calidad medidas fueron: materia seca; sólidos solubles; firmeza; índice de color de peridermis y de pulpa; presencia de brotes; desarrollo de Penicillium sp. y evolución del peso fresco. Se detectó que para garantizar la calidad de los tubérculos y una adecuada evolución en cámara frigorífica durante todo el año, el período de cosecha no debería extenderse más allá de los 49 días desde la ocurrencia de la primera helada, para la zona de estudio (Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Latitud 33°00 30" S; Longitud 68°52 32" O). No se observaron diferencias significativas entre variedades. Los datos sugieren que, para consumo en fresco, es posible efectuar la cosecha hasta 98 días posteriores a la primera helada, aunque sobre estos tubérculos no se observó una correcta conservación en cámara frigorífica. Respecto de los efectos del método y tiempo de conservación sobre la calidad de los tubérculos, se observa que los tubérculos que se conservaron a campo más allá de la segunda fecha de medición (30 de agosto), pierden rápidamente su calidad comercial.There are few papers on Jerusalem artichoke postharvest storage and quality changes. This research aimed to achieve information about: a) the influence of harvest dates and varieties on tuber s quality; b) the evolution of each treatment in cold storage; and c) the conservation periods and places (cold storage-field) effects on tubers quality was studied. Two varieties of Jerusalem artichoke were used, red tubers and white tubers. Dry matter; soluble solids; firmness; peridermis and pulp colour; sprouting and Penicillium development and fresh weight evolution of tubers were measured. It was found that the harvest period, to mantain the tuber quality and good performance in cold storage during the year, should not extend more than 49 days since the first frost for the study area (Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Latitude 33°00 30" S; Longitude 68°52 32" W). Differences between varieties were not observed. The information suggest that, for fresh consumption, tubers must be harvested till 98 days after the first frost, but these tubers are not kept properly refrigerated. Regarding method and time storage effects on tubersˈ quality, it is observed again that tubers which are keep in field beyond the second measurement date (August 30), quickly lose their commercial quality.Fil: Ibarguren, Leandra. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias AgrariasFil: Rebora, Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias AgrariasFil: Alberto, Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agraria

Efecto del momento de cosecha sobre la calidad hortícola de tubérculos de topinambur (Helianthus tuberosus L.) conservados a campo y en cámara frigorífica

There are few papers on Jerusalem artichoke postharvest storage and quality changes. This research aimed to achieve information about: a) the influence of harvest dates and varieties on tuber ˈs quality; b) the evolution of each treatment in cold storage; and c) the conservation periods and places (cold storage - field) effects on tubers quality was studied. Two varieties of Jerusalem artichoke were used, red's tubers and white's tubers. Dry matter; soluble solids; firmness; peridermis and pulp colour; sprouting and Penicillium development and fresh weight evolution of tubers were measured. It was found that the harvest period, to mantain the tuber quality and good performance in cold storage during the year, should not extend more than 49 days since the first frost for the study area (Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Latitude 33º 00’ 30’’ S; Longitude 68º 52’ 32’’ W). Differences between varieties were not observed. The information suggest that, for fresh consumption, tubers must be harvested till 98 days after the first frost, but these tubers are not kept properly refrigerated. Regarding method and time storage effects on tubersˈ quality, it is observed again that tubers which are keep in field beyond the second measurement date (August 30), quickly lose their commercial quality.Existen muy pocos antecedentes sobre la conservación de tubérculos de topinambur, así como de las variaciones de calidad que sufre el producto. A través de este trabajo se buscó generar información sobre: a) los efectos de la fecha de cosecha y la variedad de topinambur sobre las variables de calidad; b) la respuesta a la evolución en cámara frigorífica de distintos tratamientos de conservación; y c) la incidencia de las condiciones (cámara frigorífica – campo) y tiempo de almacenamiento sobre la calidad de los tubérculos. Se utilizaron dos variedades de topinambur, la de tubérculos rojos y la de tubérculos blancos. Las variables de calidad medidas fueron: materia seca; sólidos solubles; firmeza; índice de color de peridermis y de pulpa; presencia de brotes; desarrollo de Penicillium sp. y evolución del peso fresco. Se detectó que para garantizar la calidad de los tubérculos y una adecuada evolución en cámara frigorífica durante todo el año, el período de cosecha no debería extenderse más allá de los 49 días desde la ocurrencia de la primera helada, para la zona de estudio (Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Latitud 33º 00’ 30’’ S; Longitud 68º 52’ 32’’ O). No se observaron diferencias significativas entre variedades. Los datos sugieren que, para consumo en fresco, es posible efectuar la cosecha hasta 98 días posteriores a la primera helada, aunque sobre estos tubérculos no se observó una correcta conservación en cámara frigorífica. Respecto con los efectos del método y tiempo de conservación sobre la calidad de los tubérculos, se observa que los tubérculos que se conservaron a campo más allá de la segunda fecha de medición (30 de agosto), pierden rápidamente su calidad comercial

Divergencies in the Casimir energy for a medium with realistic ultraviolet behavior

We consider a dielectric medium with an ultraviolet behavior as it follows from the Drude model. Compared with dilute models, this has the advantage that, for large frequencies, two different media behave the same way. As a result one expects the Casimir energy to contain less divergencies than for the dilute media approximation. We show that the Casimir energy of a spherical dielectric ball contains just one divergent term, a volume one, which can be renormalized by introducing a contact term analogous to the volume energy counterterm needed in bag models.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasInstituto de Física La Plat

Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in Subjects with Obesity: What is the Best Approach?

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Clinical Features, Cardiovascular Risk Profile, and Therapeutic Trajectories of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Candidate for Oral Semaglutide Therapy in the Italian Specialist Care

Introduction: This study aimed to address therapeutic inertia in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by investigating the potential of early treatment with oral semaglutide. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2021 and April 2022 among specialists treating individuals with T2D. A scientific committee designed a data collection form covering demographics, cardiovascular risk, glucose control metrics, ongoing therapies, and physician judgments on treatment appropriateness. Participants completed anonymous patient questionnaires reflecting routine clinical encounters. The preferred therapeutic regimen for each patient was also identified. Results: The analysis was conducted on 4449 patients initiating oral semaglutide. The population had a relatively short disease duration (42%  60% of patients, and more often than sitagliptin or empagliflozin. Conclusion: The study supports the potential of early implementation of oral semaglutide as a strategy to overcome therapeutic inertia and enhance T2D management

HP_AO3_anonymized_dataset

Dataset in CSV format for the paper "Cultural accumulation and improvement in online fan fiction" presented at the CHR2020 workshop

Cultural accumulation and improvement in online fan fiction

We analyse stories in Harry Potter fan fiction published on Archive of Our Own (AO3), using concepts from cultural evolution. In particular, we focus on cumulative cultural evolution, that is, the idea that cultural systems improve with time, drawing on previous innovations. In this study we examine two features of cumulative culture: accumulation and improvement. First, we show that stories in Harry Potter’s fan fiction accumulate cultural traits—unique tags, in our analysis—through time, both globally and at the level of single stories. Second, more recent stories are also liked more by readers than earlier stories. Our research illustrates the potential of the combination of cultural evolution theory and digital literary studies, and it paves the way for the study of the effects of online digital media on cultural cumulation

Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Patients: Insights into the Role of Age and Frailty from a Multicentre Observational Study

: In patients with COVID-19, frailty has been shown to better predict outcomes than age alone. We investigated factors associated with mechanical ventilation (MV) during hospitalization for COVID-19 among older adults in a multicentre study during the first two waves in Italy. Using data from the FRACOVID project, we included consecutive patients admitted to the participating centres during the first and second waves. We recorded sociodemographics, comorbidities, time since symptom onset, ventilatory support at admission, and chest X-ray findings. Frailty was assessed using a frailty index (FI). Results are reported as hazard ratios (HR) with 95%CI. 1,344 patients were included; 487 females (36.2%), median age 68 (56; 79) years; 52.4% had hypertension, 10.6% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 15.2% were obese. Median FI was 0.088 (0.03, 0.20), and 67% had bilateral consolidations at admission. Median time since symptom onset was 7 days (4, 10). During hospitalization, 47 patients (3.6%, 95%CI 0.33-13.6%) received MV. Multivariable Cox regression analysis found that the likelihood of intubation decreased with increasing age (HR 0.945 (95%CI 0.921-0.969), p110bpm (HR 3.429 (95%CI 1.583-7.429), p=0.0018), and need for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at admission (HR 2.626 (95%CI 1.330-5.186), p=0.0054) were significantly associated with a greater likelihood of intubation. Older patients are less likely to receive intubation, while those with heart rate >110 bpm and need for CPAP at admission are more likely to receive MV during hospitalization for COVID-19

Functional Progression in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease Resulted Positive to Antisynthetase Antibodies: A Multicenter, Retrospective Analysis

Antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by serologic positivity for antisynthetase antibodies. Anti-Jo1 is the most frequent, followed by anti PL-7, anti PL-12, anti EJ, and anti OJ antibodies. The lung is the most frequently affected organ, usually manifesting with an interstitial lung disease (ILD), which is considered the main determinant of prognosis. Some evidences suggest that non-anti-Jo-1 antibodies may be associated with more severe lung involvement and possibly with poorer outcomes, while other authors do not highlight differences between anti-Jo1 and other antisynthetase antibodies. In a multicenter, retrospective, \u201creal life\u201d study, we compared lung function tests (LFTs) progression in patients with ILD associated with anti-Jo1 and non-anti-Jo1 anti-synthetase antibodies to assess differences in lung function decline between these two groups. Therefore, we analyzed a population of 57 patients (56% anti-Jo1 positive), referred to the outpatient Clinic of four referral Centers in Italy (Modena, Monza, Siena, and Trieste) from 2008 to 2019, with a median follow-up of 36 months. At diagnosis, patients showed a mild ventilatory impairment and experienced an improvement of respiratory function during treatment. We did not observe statistically significant differences in LFTs at baseline or during follow-up between the two groups. Moreover, there were no differences in demographic data, respiratory symptoms onset (acute vs. chronic), extrapulmonary involvement, treatment (steroid and/or another immunosuppressant), or oxygen supplementation. Our study highlights the absence of differences in pulmonary functional progression between patients positive to anti-Jo-1 vs. non anti-Jo-1 antibodies, suggesting that the type of autoantibody detected in the framework of ASSD does not affect lung function decline