Determinación de la concentración de las diferentes partes de la ortiga Euphorbiaceae Cnidoscolus multilobus que tiene efecto coagulante en leche

La ortiga Euphorbiaceae Cnidoscolus multilobus es un arbusto de 3 a 6 m de altura, planta urticante, con jugo lechoso, hojas lobuladas, de aproximadamente 30 cm de largo, flores blancas y florece la mayor parte del año. Crece en el bosque tropical perennifolio y mesófilo de montaña y en sitios abiertos como los potreros. Se le localiza en Atlapexco, Huautla, Huazalingo, Huejutla, Tenango de Doria y Zacualtipán entre otros, en éste último municipio se elabora de forma tradicional un queso fresco a partir de la ortiga, sin embargo, no se tiene información científica sobre su capacidad de coagulación. Por lo anterior se plantó la presente investigación en donde se determinó las diferentes concentraciones de hoja, tallo y raíz en base húmeda y seca para conocer su efecto coagulante. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que los rendimientos más altos de coagulación fueron en base seca de las tres partes de la planta a las concentraciones de 16 y 20% a 42°C. La hoja en base seca y el tallo en base húmeda presentaron la mayor fuerza de gel a concentraciones de 12, 16 y 20%. Los resultados bromatológicos de la planta en base húmeda y seca se comportaron de forma similar. El mayor porcentaje en la determinación de proteínas fue para tallo en base seca y húmeda con 22.31 y 20.94%. Con respecto a las cenizas la mayor concentración fue para hoja en base seca con 22.16% y en fibra para raíz con 9.57% también en base seca

Rapid test for identification of a highly transmissible Mycobacterium tuberculosis beijing strain of sub-Saharan origin

The development of a rapid test to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing isolates and specifically strain GC1237, coming from a sub-Saharan country, is needed due to its alarming wide spread on Gran Canaria Island (Spain). A rapid test that detects IS6110 present between dnaA and dnaN in the Beijing strains and in a specific site for GC1237 (Rv2180c) has been developed. This test would be a useful tool in the surveillance of subsequent cases

On-line tools to improve the presentation skills of scientific results

[EN] In experimental sciences and engineering it is essential to communicate and present the results effectively. The authors have participated in several educational innovation projects since 2016, aimed at developing of materials to improve the communication skills of scientific results. An exhaustive and updated compilation of the international rules that constitute the basis for the writted and oral scientific presentations was carried out. The good teaching practices in these fields were also identified. The results of those previous projects have shown the need to incorporate web questionnaires and other interactive content into the educational program. These are adapted to the demands of the students and provide a training feeback. In this contribution, the new materials that are being developed within the innovation project UV-SFPIE_PID19-1096780, funded by the University of Valencia, are presented. They are devoted to facilitate the acquisition of communication skills of scientific results. In particular, these tools combine ICT self-learning environments with traditional classroom teaching (blended learning). The project methodology includes educational data mining aimed at identifying the most effective materials and activities to achieve its objectives. The aim of these mixed learning tools is to facilitate the acquisition by the students of the necessary skills of oral and written communication, improve their presentation skills and, consequently, also their employability as university graduates.This work has been supported by the University of Valencia through project SFPIE_PID19-1096780.Campos-Taberner, M.; Gilabert, M.; Manzanares, J.; Mafé, S.; Cervera, J.; García-Haro, F.; Martínez, B.... (2020). On-line tools to improve the presentation skills of scientific results. IATED. 4907-4910. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2020.1342S4907491

Willingness to pay for quality traits and implications for sweetpotato variety breeding: case of Mozambique

Despite decades of research and dissemination of improved sweetpotato varieties, uptake at scale remains low and envisaged development goals of food security and livelihoods remain elusive. This is despite demonstrated impacts of such technologies in combating food and nutrition insecurity, amidst global challenges like climate change. Growing evidence show that end-user acceptance of improved varieties is critical in the widespread adoption of such varieties, and inclusion of the heterogenous preferences of diverse sets of end-users in the variety development process is therefore critical. With global changes in weather and consumption patterns, end-users are now demanding varieties that are more suitable to their unique consumption needs, production environments, new market demands and have desired processing characteristics. Such dynamics in demand have necessitated rethinking of breeding programs from the traditional focus on agronomic gains such as increase in yields and yield protection, to consideration of more nuanced quality-related traits that appeal to targeted populations. Against this background, this study sets out to explore the decision-making behavior of Mozambican sweetpotato producers in variety selection, and the implicit value placed on different sweetpotato traits, including the often ignored but crucial quality traits. The aim of the study is to identify the economic valuation of such traits and how they are traded off in variety selection decisions, to allow for prioritization in breeding efforts. To achieve this, an exploratory sequential design in a predominantly quantitative mixed-method design was adopted for the study. First, based on the insights from a gender disaggregated qualitative assessment among sweetpotato growers and consumers and in consultation with breeding experts from Mozambique, the most preferred sweetpotato variety traits in the regions of study were established. These traits were then utilized in the design of a choice experiment, implemented among 860 sweetpotato producers spread across four sweetpotato growing regions in the country. Finally, a generalized multinomial logit model was used to estimate implicit economic valuation of each of the considered trait, as well as heterogenous valuation of such traits across gender, education and age of respondent groups. Results from the study show that producers have a high preference for quality-related traits, with preference for Vitamin A being higher than that for drought tolerance, while dry matter content is valued about the same as drought tolerance. While scoring significantly lower than Vitamin A, drought tolerance and dry matter content, other quality-related traits like root size and sweet taste also have significant positive values implying their importance in informing sweetpotato variety choice. In terms of gender heterogeneity, flesh color is highly valued among the women sub-sample. The study identifies Vitamin A, dry matter content, sweet taste, and medium to big root size, as the key preferred quality traits in Mozambique, in that order. The results imply that these quality traits should be pursued as a suite in breeding objectives, in combination with essential agronomic traits such as high yields and drought tolerance, for higher acceptance and demand of improved sweetpotato varieties across the country

Recommendations of the Spanish Antibiogram Committee (COESANT) for selecting antimicrobial agents and concentrations for in vitro susceptibility studies using automated systems

Automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing devices are widely implemented in clinical microbiology laboratories in Spain, mainly using EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) breakpoints. In 2007, a group of experts published recommendations for including antimicrobial agents and selecting concentrations in these systems. Under the patronage of the Spanish Antibiogram Committee (Comité Español del Antibiograma, COESANT) and the Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents (GEMARA) from the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), and aligned with the Spanish National Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (PRAN), a group of experts have updated this document. The main modifications from the previous version comprise the inclusion of new antimicrobial agents, adaptation of the ranges of concentrations to cover the EUCAST breakpoints and epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs), and the inference of new resistance mechanisms. This proposal should be considered by different manufacturers and users when designing new panels or cards. In addition, recommendations for selective reporting are also included. With this approach, the implementation of EUCAST breakpoints will be easier, increasing the quality of antimicrobial susceptibility testing data and their microbiological interpretation. It will also benefit epidemiological surveillance studies as well as the clinical use of antimicrobials aligned with antimicrobial stewardship programs