Calidad de aceite de pulpa de Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. Ex Mart: alternativa para la producción de biodiesel en México

Objetivo: Caracterizar fisicoquímicamente aceite de pulpa de coyol como materia prima potencial para la producción de biodiesel. Diseño / metodología: Los frutos fueron colectados en ocho localidades entre las regiones de Chiapas y Oaxaca. Estos fueron procesados y separados en cascara, pulpa y almendra, colocados en bolsas y almacenados a 4°C. Para la caracterización fisicoquímica se utilizaron los métodos estandarizados y recomendados por las normas nacionales e internacionales. Los experimentos fueron realizados por triplicado, se realizó un análisis de varianza y comparación múltiple de medias con la prueba de Scott-Knott (p? 0.05) utilizando el programa R. Resultados: Se determinó el contenido de humedad y contenido de aceite de ocho colectas de Acrocomia aculeta. Además, se caracterizó fisicoquímicamente el aceite de pulpa de coyol de las ocho colectas, obteniendo valores altos en los ácidos grasos, que representa un parámetro que puede afectar el rendimiento para la obtención de biodiesel. Limitaciones/implicaciones: Los frutos de coyol recién cosechados deben ser almacenados inmediatamente para evitar la formación de ácidos grasos libres. Conclusiones: Los análisis fisicoquímicos del aceite de pulpa indican que son comparables a los aceites vegetales de buena calidad como soya, moringa, colza, dado el predominio de los ácidos grasos monoinsaturados, en particular del ácido oleico. La pulpa de A. aculeata de las colectas analizadas, son una excelente fuente de lípidos y con alto contenido de aceite y poseen buenas características fisicoquímicas, lo que representa su viabilidad como materia prima para la producción de biodiesel

Comportamiento productivo inicial del mangostán (Garcinia mangostana L.) en el Soconusco, Chiapas, México

Objective: To evaluate the initial productive behavior of mangosteen plantation in order to have reference elements on the productivity of this fruit tree in the region of Soconusco, Chiapas. Design/ Methodology: Mangosteen plantation was established during the year 2010 in the experimental station Rosario Izapa, Tuxtla Chico, Chiapas. From the beginning of the production stage and during four production cycles corresponding to the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, production was quantified as the individual production of each of the 196 trees that make up the plantation. The start date of the flowering, beginning and end of the harvest, number of fruits / tree and weight of fruits / tree and yield were recorded. The analysis of variance was performed for the variables fruit / tree and fruit / tree weight, by means of an experimental design of blocks of chance with three repetitions. Results: The plantation began its productive stage at five years and six months of age. Flowering occurs during the January-February period. The harvest begins in the months of May-June and ends in the month of September. The highest volume of production is obtained during the month of August. At the first harvest a yield of 26.3 kg/ ha was obtained and an average of 11 fruits / tree that increases 1.6 ton / ha per year of establishment, with an average of 146 fruits / tree. Predominated the fruits whose weight range is 60 to 80 grams. Limitations of the study/Implications: It is necessary to carry on the evaluation in subsequent years. Findings/Conclusions: It is concluded that the mangosteen represents a viable alternative to diversify fruit growing in the region of Soconusco, Chiapas.Objetivo: Evaluar el comportamiento productivo inicial del mangostán Garcinia mangostana L., para disponer de elementos de referencia sobre la productividad de dicho frutal en la Región del Soconusco, Chiapas. Diseño/metodología: La plantación de mangostán se estableció en el año 2010 en el Campo Experimental Rosario Izapa, Tuxtla Chico, Chiapas. Desde el inicio de la etapa productiva y durante cuatro ciclos de producción correspondientes a los años 2015, 2016, 2017 y 2018, se registró la fecha de inicio de floración, inicio y término de cosecha, número de frutos árbol-1, peso de los frutos árbol-1 y rendimiento de cada uno de los 196 árboles que conforman la plantación. Se realizó el análisis de varianza para la variable frutos árbol-1 mediante un diseño experimental de bloques al azar con tres repeticiones. Resultados: La plantación inició su etapa productiva a los 5.5 años de edad. La cosecha inicia en mayo-junio y concluye en septiembre. El mayor volumen de producción se obtiene durante agosto. A la primera cosecha el rendimiento fue de 26.3 kg ha-1 con promedio de 11 frutos árbol-1 que se incrementa a 1.6 ton ha-1 al año 8 del establecimiento de la plantación, con un promedio de 146 frutos árbol-1. Predominaron frutos con rango de peso de 60 a 80 g. Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: Es necesario continuar con la evaluación en años subsiguientes. Hallazgos/conclusiones: El mangostán representa una alternativa productiva viable para diversificar la fruticultura en la región del Soconusco, Chiapas

Composición nutricional en hojas de 20 genotipos de Moringa oleifera Lam

Objective: Determine the nutritional composition of fresh and dehydrated leaves of 20 Moringa oleifera Lam genotypes. Design/morphology/approach: The vegetative material was obtained from three-year-old trees of 20 genotypes of Moringa oleifera, stablished in the Experimental station Rosario Izapa of INIFAP. For the proximal analysis, the standardized methods recommended by national and international standards were used. Results: The highest nutrient content was found in the dehydrated leaves, in which high average contents of crude protein were found (26.9 g/100g); calcium (2560.8 mg/100g); iron (12.5 mg/100g) and potassium (1976 mg/100g), as well as acceptable average crude fiber contents (9.5 g/ 100/g); fat (5.7 g/100g); carbohydrates (42.9 g/100g); energy value (330.4 kcal/ 100g); zinc (4.9 mg/100g); sodium (95.1 mg/100g); magnesium (408.3 mg/100g) and phosphorus (271.6 mg/100g). The highest contents of crude protein, zinc, potassium and phosphorus, iron and calcium were registered in the genotypes RIMOR10 and RIMOR 6. Limitations on the study /implications:  It is necessary to verify the nutritional content of moringa leaves in other environmental conditions different from the study area. Findings/conclusions: Dehydrated moringa leaves have a high content of crude protein, iron, calcium and potassium, as well as acceptable contents of crude fiber, fat, carbohydrates, energy value, zinc, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus, higher than other foods, so that its consumption is considered a viable alternative to complement the traditional diet to reduce the problem of malnutrition in Mexico.Objetivo: Determinar la composición nutricional de hojas frescas y deshidratadas de 20 genotipos de Moringa Moringa oleifera Lam. Diseño/metodología/: El material vegetal se obtuvo de árboles de tres años de edad de 20 genotipos de Moringa oleifera, establecidos en el Campo Experimental Rosario Izapa del INIFAP. Para el análisis proximal se utilizaron los métodos estandarizados y recomendados por las normas nacionales e internacionales. Resultados: El mayor contenido de nutrientes se encontró en las hojas deshidratadas, con contenidos promedio altos de proteína cruda (26.9 g/100/g); calcio (2560.8 mg/100g); hierro (12.5 mg/100g) y potasio (1976 mg/100g), así como contenidos promedio aceptables de fibra cruda (9.5 g/100/g); grasa (5.7 g/100g); carbohidratos (42.9 g/100/g); valor energético (330.4 Kcal/100g); zinc (4.9 mg/100g); sodio (95.1 mg/100g); magnesio (408.3 mg/100g) y fósforo (271.6 mg/100g). Los mayores contenidos de proteína cruda, zinc, potasio y fósforo, hierro y calcio se registraron en los genotipos RIMOR 10 y RIMOR 6. Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: Se considera necesario verificar el contenido nutricional de hojas de moringa, en otras condiciones de ambiente diferentes a las del área de estudio. Hallazgos/conclusiones: Las hojas deshidratadas de moringa poseen un alto contenido de proteína cruda, hierro, calcio y potasio, así como contenidos aceptables de fibra cruda, grasa, carbohidratos, valor energético, zinc, sodio, magnesio y fósforo, superior al de otros alimentos, por lo que su consumo se considera una alternativa viable como complemento de la dieta tradicional para reducir el problema de desnutrición en México

Caracterización morfoagronómica de coyol (Acrocomia aculeata Jacq.) para determinar su potencial productivo de aceite para biodiesel

Objective: To characterize morphologically natural populations of Acrocomia aculeata to determine the potential production of oil for biodiesel. Design/morphology/approach: Eight natural populations of the species were selected in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. As descriptors 25 quantitative and qualitative characters were selected. The analysis of the main components and hierarchical conglomerates was performed with the PRINCOMP and PROC CLUSTER procedures of SAS, respectively. The dendrogram of groups of populations with morphological similarities was generated. Results: The first three main components explain 69.4% of the total morphological variation. CP1 explained 29.6% of the total variation with the characters stem diameter, mesocarp thickness, seed length, seed width, seed length-width ratio, seed thickness and seed weight. CP2 explained 26.1% of the variation, with the characters fruit width, fruit length, mesocarp color, and oil content in the mesocarp. CP3 explained 13.7% of the variation with the length of the rachis, epicarp color and endocarp color. The eight populations were integrated into five morphologically distinct groups. Limitations on the study/implications: It is necessary to expand the number of populations for greater precision on the diversity of the species in Mexico. Findings/conclusions: A wide genetic diversity of A. culeata was found. The variables that mostly explain this diversity correspond to the fruit and seed. The species represents a viable alternative for obtaining inputs for the production of biodiesel in Mexico.Objetivo: Caracterizar morfológicamente poblaciones naturales de Acrocomia aculeata para determinar su potencial para la producción de aceite para biodiesel. Diseño/metodología/aproximación: Se seleccionaron ocho poblaciones naturales de la especie en los estados de Chiapas y Oaxaca. Como descriptores se seleccionaron 25 caracteres cuantitativos y cualitativos. El análisis de componentes principales y conglomerados jerárquico se realizó con los procedimientos PRINCOMP y PROC CLUSTER de SAS, respectivamente. Se generó el dendograma de grupos de poblaciones con similitudes morfológicas. Resultados: Los tres primeros componentes principales explican el 69.4% de la variación morfológica total. El CP1 explicó el 29.6% de la variación total con los caracteres diámetro del tallo, grosor del mesocarpio, longitud de semilla, ancho de semilla, relación longitud-ancho de semilla, grosor de la semilla y peso de semilla. El CP2 explicó el 26.1% de la variación, con los caracteres ancho del fruto, largo del fruto, color del mesocarpio y contenido de aceite en el mesocarpio. El CP3 explicó el 13.7% de la variación con los caracteres longitud de raquis, color de epicarpio y color de endocarpio. Las ocho poblaciones se integraron en cinco grupos morfológicamente distintos. Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: Es necesario ampliar el número de poblaciones para una mayor precisión sobre la diversidad de la especie en México. Hallazgos/conclusiones: Se encontró una amplia diversidad genética en A. aculeata. Las variables que mayormente explican dicha diversidad corresponden al fruto y semilla. La especie representa una opción viable para la obtención de aceite para la producción de biodiesel en México

Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium

Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with an increased risk of life-long cognitive impairments, age-related chronic disease, and premature mortality. We investigated evidence for advanced brain ageing in adult SZ patients, and whether this was associated with clinical characteristics in a prospective meta-analytic study conducted by the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. The study included data from 26 cohorts worldwide, with a total of 2803 SZ patients (mean age 34.2 years; range 18-72 years; 67% male) and 2598 healthy controls (mean age 33.8 years, range 18-73 years, 55% male). Brain-predicted age was individually estimated using a model trained on independent data based on 68 measures of cortical thickness and surface area, 7 subcortical volumes, lateral ventricular volumes and total intracranial volume, all derived from T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Deviations from a healthy brain ageing trajectory were assessed by the difference between brain-predicted age and chronological age (brain-predicted age difference [brain-PAD]). On average, SZ patients showed a higher brain-PAD of +3.55 years (95% CI: 2.91, 4.19; I2 = 57.53%) compared to controls, after adjusting for age, sex and site (Cohen's d = 0.48). Among SZ patients, brain-PAD was not associated with specific clinical characteristics (age of onset, duration of illness, symptom severity, or antipsychotic use and dose). This large-scale collaborative study suggests advanced structural brain ageing in SZ. Longitudinal studies of SZ and a range of mental and somatic health outcomes will help to further evaluate the clinical implications of increased brain-PAD and its ability to be influenced by interventions

Large-scale analysis of structural brain asymmetries in schizophrenia via the ENIGMA consortium

Left-right asymmetry is an important organizing feature of the healthy brain that may be altered in schizophrenia, but most studies have used relatively small samples and heterogeneous approaches, resulting in equivocal findings. We carried out the largest case-control study of structural brain asymmetries in schizophrenia, using MRI data from 5,080 affected individuals and 6,015 controls across 46 datasets in the ENIGMA consortium, using a single image analysis protocol. Asymmetry indexes were calculated for global and regional cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volume measures. Differences of asymmetry were calculated between affected individuals and controls per dataset, and effect sizes were meta-analyzed across datasets. Small average case-control differences were observed for thickness asymmetries of the rostral anterior cingulate and the middle temporal gyrus, both driven by thinner left-hemispheric cortices in schizophrenia. Analyses of these asymmetries with respect to the use of antipsychotic medication and other clinical variables did not show any significant associations. Assessment of age- and sex-specific effects revealed a stronger average leftward asymmetry of pallidum volume between older cases and controls. Case-control differences in a multivariate context were assessed in a subset of the data (N = 2,029), which revealed that 7% of the variance across all structural asymmetries was explained by case-control status. Subtle case-control differences of brain macro-structural asymmetry may reflect differences at the molecular, cytoarchitectonic or circuit levels that have functional relevance for the disorder. Reduced left middle temporal cortical thickness is consistent with altered left-hemisphere language network organization in schizophrenia

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

MELD 3.0 adequately predicts mortality and renal replacement therapy requirements in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis

Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score better predicts mortality in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) but could underestimate severity in women and malnourished patients. Using a global cohort, we assessed the ability of the MELD 3.0 score to predict short-term mortality in AH. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to hospital with AH from 2009 to 2019. The main outcome was all-cause 30-day mortality. We compared the AUC using DeLong's method and also performed a time-dependent AUC with competing risks analysis. A total of 2,124 patients were included from 28 centres from 10 countries on three continents (median age 47.2 ± 11.2 years, 29.9% women, 71.3% with underlying cirrhosis). The median MELD 3.0 score at admission was 25 (20-33), with an estimated survival of 73.7% at 30 days. The MELD 3.0 score had a better performance in predicting 30-day mortality (AUC:0.761, 95%CI:0.732-0.791) compared with MELD sodium (MELD-Na; AUC: 0.744, 95% CI: 0.713-0.775; p = 0.042) and Maddrey's discriminant function (mDF) (AUC: 0.724, 95% CI: 0.691-0.757; p = 0.013). However, MELD 3.0 did not perform better than traditional MELD (AUC: 0.753, 95% CI: 0.723-0.783; p = 0.300) and Age-Bilirubin-International Normalised Ratio-Creatinine (ABIC) (AUC:0.757, 95% CI: 0.727-0.788; p = 0.765). These results were consistent in competing-risk analysis, where MELD 3.0 (AUC: 0.757, 95% CI: 0.724-0.790) predicted better 30-day mortality compared with MELD-Na (AUC: 0.739, 95% CI: 0.708-0.770; p = 0.028) and mDF (AUC:0.717, 95% CI: 0.687-0.748; p = 0.042). The MELD 3.0 score was significantly better in predicting renal replacement therapy requirements during admission compared with the other scores (AUC: 0.844, 95% CI: 0.805-0.883). MELD 3.0 demonstrated better performance compared with MELD-Na and mDF in predicting 30-day and 90-day mortality, and was the best predictor of renal replacement therapy requirements during admission for AH. However, further prospective studies are needed to validate its extensive use in AH. Severe AH has high short-term mortality. The establishment of treatments and liver transplantation depends on mortality prediction. We evaluated the performance of the new MELD 3.0 score to predict short-term mortality in AH in a large global cohort. MELD 3.0 performed better in predicting 30- and 90-day mortality compared with MELD-Na and mDF, but was similar to MELD and ABIC scores. MELD 3.0 was the best predictor of renal replacement therapy requirements. Thus, further prospective studies are needed to support the wide use of MELD 3.0 in AH

Discovering HIV related information by means of association rules and machine learning

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is still one of the main health problems worldwide. It is therefore essential to keep making progress in improving the prognosis and quality of life of affected patients. One way to advance along this pathway is to uncover connections between other disorders associated with HIV/AIDS-so that they can be anticipated and possibly mitigated. We propose to achieve this by using Association Rules (ARs). They allow us to represent the dependencies between a number of diseases and other specific diseases. However, classical techniques systematically generate every AR meeting some minimal conditions on data frequency, hence generating a vast amount of uninteresting ARs, which need to be filtered out. The lack of manually annotated ARs has favored unsupervised filtering, even though they produce limited results. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised system, able to identify relevant ARs among HIV-related diseases with a minimal amount of annotated training data. Our system has been able to extract a good number of relationships between HIV-related diseases that have been previously detected in the literature but are scattered and are often little known. Furthermore, a number of plausible new relationships have shown up which deserve further investigation by qualified medical experts