A clear signature of the breakup modes for 9Be on a proton target at 5.6 MeV/nucleon

The breakup of 9Be is studied via an inelastic scattering experiment on a proton target at 5.6 A MeV in inverse kinematics. Two of the three cluster constituents (α and α) as well as the proton target recoil were recorded in a triple coincidence mode allowing a full kinematics approach analysis. In this respect relative α - α and α - n, Q-value and 9Be excitation spectra, energy spectra for all fragments as well as the energy spectrum of the recoil proton were reconstructed. A clear signature of the two breakup sequential modes (5He + 4He and 8Be + n) was identified via the recoiling proton reconstructed spectra together with the direct breakup decay. A strong 5He + 4He mode was observed compatible with previous beta decay experiments

Revalorization of coffee husk: Modeling and optimizing the green sustainable extraction of phenolic compounds

This study aimed to model and optimize a green sustainable extraction method of phenolic compounds from the coffee husk. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to model the impact of extraction variables (temperature, time, acidity, and solid-to-liquid ratio) on the recovery of phenolic compounds. All responses were fitted to the RSM and ANN model, which revealed high estimation capabilities. The main factors affecting phenolic extraction were temperature, followed by solid-to-liquid ratio, and acidity. The optimal extraction conditions were 100◦C, 90 min, 0% citric acid, and 0.02 g coffee husk mL−1 . Under these conditions, experimental values for total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, flavanols, proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids, o-diphenols, and in vitro antioxidant capacity matched with predicted ones, therefore, validating the model. The presence of chlorogenic, protocatechuic, caffeic, and gallic acids and kaemferol-3-O-galactoside was confirmed by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The phenolic aqueous extracts from the coffee husk could be used as sustainable food ingredients and nutraceutical productsThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, SUSCOFFEE (grant number AGL2014–57239-R), COCARDIOLAC (grant number RTI 2018-097504-B-I00) projects, and the Community of Madrid and UAM Agreement (2019–2023). M. Rebollo-Hernanz thanks to the FPU program of the Ministry of Universities for his predoctoral fellowship (grant number FPU15/04238

"Antelope": a hybrid-logic model checker for branching-time Boolean GRN analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Thomas' formalism for modeling gene regulatory networks (GRNs), <it>branching time</it>, where a state can have <it>more than one possible future</it>, plays a prominent role. By representing a certain degree of unpredictability, branching time can model several important phenomena, such as (a) asynchrony, (b) incompletely specified behavior, and (c) interaction with the environment. Introducing more than one possible future for a state, however, creates a difficulty for ordinary simulators, because <it>infinitely many </it>paths may appear, limiting ordinary simulators to statistical conclusions. <it>Model checkers </it>for branching time, by contrast, are able to prove properties in the presence of infinitely many paths.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have developed <it>Antelope </it>("Analysis of Networks through TEmporal-LOgic sPEcifications", <url>http://turing.iimas.unam.mx:8080/AntelopeWEB/</url>), a model checker for analyzing and constructing Boolean GRNs. Currently, software systems for Boolean GRNs use branching time almost exclusively for asynchrony. <it>Antelope</it>, by contrast, also uses branching time for incompletely specified behavior and environment interaction. We show the usefulness of modeling these two phenomena in the development of a Boolean GRN of the <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>root stem cell niche.</p> <p>There are two obstacles to a direct approach when applying model checking to Boolean GRN analysis. First, ordinary model checkers normally only verify whether or not a <it>given </it>set of model states has a given property. In comparison, a model checker for Boolean GRNs is preferable if it <it>reports </it>the set of states having a desired property. Second, for efficiency, the expressiveness of many model checkers is limited, resulting in the inability to express some interesting properties of Boolean GRNs.</p> <p><it>Antelope </it>tries to overcome these two drawbacks: Apart from reporting the set of all states having a given property, our model checker can express, at the expense of efficiency, some properties that ordinary model checkers (e.g., NuSMV) cannot. This additional expressiveness is achieved by employing a logic extending the standard Computation-Tree Logic (CTL) with hybrid-logic operators.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We illustrate the advantages of <it>Antelope </it>when (a) modeling incomplete networks and environment interaction, (b) exhibiting the set of all states having a given property, and (c) representing Boolean GRN properties with hybrid CTL.</p

Microbiological and Physicochemical Changes in Natural Green Heat-Shocked Aloreña de Málaga Table Olives

11 Páginas; 5 Tablas; 6 FigurasPreserving the highly appreciated natural freshness of Aloreña de Málaga table olives and preventing their progressive darkening during processing is a major challenge. In this work, heat-shocked (60°C, 5 min) fruits were processed according to the three denominations referred to in the Protected Designation of Origen (cured, fresh green, and traditional) and their characteristics compared with those that followed the habitual industrial process (controls). The results revealed that the effects of the heat treatment on the evolution of pH, titratable acidity, salt, sugar, organic acid, ethanol content, texture, and color of fruits as well as on microbial populations (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria) were slight in the case of the fresh green and cured presentations. However, the differences between heat-shocked and its control were remarkable in the traditional process. Notably, the heat treatment favored lactic acid fermentation, retention of the green appearance of the fruits, stability during packaging, and led to the highest sensory evaluation. The metagenomic analysis carried out at the end of the fermentation revealed the presence in all samples of three genera (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Celerinatantimonas) which encompassed most of the sequences. The number of Lactobacillus sequences was statistically higher (p ≥ 0.05) in the case of traditional heat-shocked fruits than in its control.The research leading to these results has received funding from Junta de Andalucía Government through the PrediAlo project (AGR-7755: www.predialo.science.com.es) and FEDER European funds. FA-L wishes to express thanks to the Spanish government for his RyC postdoctoral research contract while VR-G would like to thank ceiA3, Spanish Government, Bank of Santander, IG-CSIC and ‘Aloreña de Málaga’ Olive Manufacturing Association for her predoctoral fellowship. Authors express their gratitude to Dr. Borja Sánchez (IPLA-CSIC) for his invaluable help in the metagenomic analysis.Peer reviewe

Observation and Spectroscopy of New Proton-Unbound Isotopes 30Ar and 29Cl: An Interplay of Prompt Two-Proton and Sequential Decay

Previously unknown isotopes Ar30 and Cl29 have been identified by measurement of the trajectories of their in-flight decay products S28+p+p and S28+p, respectively. The analysis of angular correlations of the fragments provided information on decay energies and the structure of the parent states. The ground states of Ar30 and Cl29 were found at 2.25+0.15−0.10 and 1.8±0.1  MeV above the two- and one-proton thresholds, respectively. The lowest states in Ar30 and Cl29 point to a violation of isobaric symmetry in the structure of these unbound nuclei. The two-proton decay has been identified in a transition region between simultaneous two-proton and sequential proton emissions from the Ar30 ground state, which is characterized by an interplay of three-body and two-body decay mechanisms. The first hint of a fine structure of the two-proton decay of Ar∗30(2+) has been obtained by detecting two decay branches into the ground and first-excited states of the S28 fragment.A. G., S. K., S. R., and P. S. were supported by the Helmholtz Association Grant No. IK-RU-002. L. V. G. was partly supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Grant No. NSh- 932.2014.2. A. F., A. G., L. V. G., S. K., P. S., and R. S. were partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research Grant No. 14-02-00090-a. This work was partly supported by the Polish National Science Center under Contract No. UMO-2011/01/B/ST2/01943. A. A. C. acknowledges support by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education by Grant No. 0079/DIA/ 2014/43 (Grant Diamentowy). M. P. and X. X. are grateful for a support from the Helmholtz International Center for FAIR (HIC for FAIR). Y. L. was supported by the Helmholtz-CAS Joint Research Group Grant No. HCJRG- 108. J. M. E. acknowledges support from the FPA2009- 08848 contract (MICINN, Spain

Biodegradable Polyester Films from Renewable Aleuritic Acid: Surface Modifications Induced by Melt-polycondensation in Air.

Good water barrier properties and biocompatibility of long-chain biopolyesters like cutin and suberin have inspired the design of synthetic mimetic materials. Most of these biopolymers are made from esterified mid-chain functionalized ω-long chain hydroxyacids. Aleuritic (9,10,16-trihydroxypalmitic) acid is such a polyhydroxylated fatty acid and is also the major constituent of natural lac resin, a relatively abundant and renewable resource. Insoluble and thermostable films have been prepared from aleuritic acid by meltcondensation polymerization in air without catalysts, an easy and attractive procedure for large scale production. Intended to be used as a protective coating, the barrier's performance is expected to be conditioned by physical and chemical modifications induced by oxygen on the air-exposed side. Hence, the chemical composition, texture, mechanical behavior, hydrophobicity, chemical resistance and biodegradation of the film surface have been studied by attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation and water contact angle (WCA). It has been demonstrated that the occurrence of side oxidation reactions conditions the surface physical and chemical properties of these polyhydroxyester films. Additionally, the addition of palmitic acid to reduce the presence of hydrophilic free hydroxyl groups was found to have a strong influence on these parametersPeer reviewe

Musculoskeletal Pain and Non-Classroom Teaching in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of the Impact on Students from Two Spanish Universities

[EN] The lockdown, due to the coronavirus, has led to a change in lifestyle and physical activity in Spanish university students. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and changes in physical activity and self-perceived stress in the student bodies of two Spanish Universities during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 1198 students (70.6% women). The main instruments used for measuring were the Standardized Kuorinka Modified Nordic Questionnaire and the Perceived stress scale (the questionnaire regarding the practice of physical activity). A reduction in the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (p < 0.001) was identified in the sample of men and women, an increase (12.5%) in the frequency of carrying out physical activity from moderate to frequent, and the preference for strength training (15.1%), especially among women, was identified. All of this may be taken into account by health institutions when implementing measures to encourage physical activity in both suitable amounts and types, which improves the quality of life of the students.S

Exploring the potential of phenolic compounds from the coffee pulp in preventing cellular oxidative stress after in vitro digestion

The coffee pulp, a by-product of the coffee industry, contains a high concentration of phenolic compounds and caffeine. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion may influence these active compounds’ bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity. Understanding the impact of the digestive metabolism on the coffee pulp's phenolic composition and its effect on cellular oxidative stress biomarkers is essential. In this study, we evaluated the influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the coffee pulp flour (CPF) and extract (CPE) on their phenolic profile, radical scavenging capacity, cellular antioxidant activity, and cytoprotective properties in intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells. The CPF and the CPE contained a high amount of caffeine and phenolic compounds, predominantly phenolic acids (3′,4′-dihydroxycinnamoylquinic and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids) and flavonoids (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone derivatives). Simulated digestion resulted in increased antioxidant capacity, and both the CPF and the CPE demonstrated free radical scavenging abilities even after in vitro digestion. The CPF and the CPE did not induce cytotoxicity in intestinal and hepatic cells, and both matrices exhibited the ability to scavenge intracellular reactive oxygen species. The coffee pulp treatments prevented the decrease of glutathione, thiol groups, and superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymatic activities evoked by tert-butyl hydroperoxide elicitation in IEC-6 and HepG2 cells. Our findings suggest that the coffee pulp could be used as a potent food ingredient for preventing cellular oxidative stress due to its high content of antioxidant compoundsThis research was funded by the COCARDIOLAC project from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RTI 2018-097504-B-I00) and the Excellence Line for University Teaching Staff within the Multiannual Agreement between the Community of Madrid and the UAM (2019-2023). M. Rebollo-Hernanz received funding from the FPU program of the Ministry of Universities for his predoctoral fellowship (FPU15/04238) and his grant for the requalification of the Spanish university system (CA1/RSUE/2021-00656

Comparison of changes in lean body mass with a strength- versus muscle endurance-based resistance training program.

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the effects of resistance training (RT) with an emphasis on either muscular strength-type RT or muscular endurance-type RT on measures of body composition. Methods Twenty-five resistance-trained men (age 28.4 ± 6.4 years; body mass 75.9 ± 8.4 kg; height 176.9 ± 7.5 cm) were randomly assigned to either a strength-type RT group that performed three sets of 6–8 repetition maximum (RM) with 3-min rest (n = 10), an endurance-type RT group that performed three sets of 20–25 RM with a 60-s rest interval (n = 10), or a control group (n = 5, CG). All groups completed each set until muscular failure and were supervised to follow a hyperenergetic diet (39 kcal·kg−1·day−1). Body composition changes were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results After 8 weeks, we found significant increases in total body mass (0.9 [0.3–1.5] kg; p < 0.05; ES = < 0.2) and lean body mass (LBM) (1.3 [0.5–2.2] kg; p < 0.05; ES = 0.31) only in the strength-type RT group; however, no significant interactions were noted between groups. Conclusions Although only strength-type RT showed statistically significant increases in LBM from baseline, no between-group differences were noted for any body composition outcome. These findings suggest that LBM gains in resistance trained are not significantly influenced by the type of training stimulus over an 8-week training period

Las cerámicas aborígenes de Gran Canaria (Islas Canarias) a través del yacimiento de La Cerera: materias primas, tecnología y función

[spa] Se analizan los materiales cerámicos prehispánicos del yacimiento de La Cerera en Gran Canaria (siglos VII-XIII D.C.). Se integra la clasificación morfotécnica y funcional, y la caracterización instrumental mediante fluorescencia de rayos X (FRX), difracción de rayos X (DRX), petrografía óptica (PO) y microscopía electrónica de barrido (MEB) relacionando cada nivel de estudio aplicado. Comoresultado se detectaron diferentes cadenas operativas, conectadas con la función de los vasos y su cronología. Además se observaron importantes cambios diacrónicos en las características del material. Estos parecen coincidir con otros identificados en el registro del propio yacimiento y en otros sitios de la isla. También se discuten los posibles efectos de la intensificación de la producción sobre la homogeneidad de las fábricas cerámicas. [eng] Pre-Hispanic ceramics from the site of La Cerera at Gran Canaria are studied in this paper (7th century cal AD - 13th century cal AD). An integrated approach combining various levels of analysis has been carried out, employing morphological, technical and functional analysis of the pots, as well as instrumental characterization: X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, optical petrography and scanning electron microscopy. As result, different operative chains have been detected, linked to pots function and chronology. Other differences were observed, as important changes in the characteristics of the archaeological materials through time. Those transformations seem to coincide with others changes already observed for different elements of the aboriginal material culture at the site, as well as at other parts of the island. Effects of production intensification over the homogeneity of ceramic fabrics are also discussed