139 research outputs found
Deshojado precoz en Viura y Malvasía riojana
En este trabajo se ha estudiado la aplicación de deshojado precoz en las
variedades blancas Viura y Malvasía riojana como herramienta para el
control del rendimiento y la mejora de la sanidad de la uva, con el objetivo
de incrementar la calidad de sus vinos. Estas variedades presentan una
producción elevada y racimos de gran tamaño, muy compactos, por lo que
son bastante sensibles a
Botrytis cinerea. Los resultados obtenidos indican que esta práctica puede plantearse
como un método eficaz para el control del rendimiento y la mejora del
estado sanitario de la uva; asimismo, favorece una correcta evolución del
proceso de maduración, mejorando la composición de la uva debido al
incremento del contenido de sólidos solubles y de compuestos fenólicos.
La disminución de la acidez total y el aumento de pH que se producen
en la uva, debido a la modificación del microclima de los racimos y al
control del rendimiento, podría considerarse un inconveniente a tener en
cuenta, sobre todo en el caso de variedades blancas que se caracterizan
por un déficit de acidez total.Peer Reviewe
Lack of evidence for retroviral infections formerly related to chronic fatigue in Spanish Fibromyalgia patients
The etiology of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (FM/CFS) is currently unknown. A recurrent viral infection is an attractive hypothesis repeatedly found in the literature since it would explain the persistent pain and tiredness these patients suffer from. The initial striking link of two distinct orphan retroviruses: the gamma retroviruses murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus and the delta retrovirus T-lymphotropic virus type 2 (HTLV-2) to chronic fatigue have not been confirmed to date. Results: Genomic DNA (gDNA) from 75 fibromyalgia patients suffering from chronic fatigue and 79 age-matched local healthy controls were screened for the presence of MLV-related and HTLV-2 related proviral sequences. The XMRV env gene was amplified in 20% of samples tested (24% patients/15% healthy controls). Unexpectedly, no PCR amplifications from independent gDNA preparations of the same individuals were obtained. None of the positive samples showed presence of contaminating murine sequences previously reported by other investigators, neither contained additional regions of the virus making us conclude that the initial env amplification came from spurious air-driven amplicon contaminants. No specific HTLV-2 sequences were obtained at any time from any of the 154 quality-controlled gDNA preparations screened. Conclusions: Previous associations between MLV-related or HTLV-2 retrovirus infection with chronic fatigue must be discarded. Thus, studies showing positive amplification of HTLV-2 sequences from chronic fatigue participants should be revised for possible undetected technical problems. To avoid false positives of viral infection, not only extreme precautions should be taken when nested-PCR reactions are prepared and exhaustive foreign DNA contamination controls performed, but also consistent amplification of diverse regions of the virus in independent preparations from the same individual must be demanded. The fact that our cohort of patients did not present evidence of any of the two types of retroviral infection formerly associated to chronic fatigue does not rule out the possibility that other viruses are involved in inciting or maintaining fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue conditions.Medicin
Pressure Point Thresholds and ME/CFS Comorbidity as Indicators of Patient’s Response to Manual Physiotherapy in Fibromyalgia
Current pharmacological treatments of Fibromyalgia (FM) are merely symptom palliative,
as clinical trials have so far failed to provide overall benefits without associated harms. Polypharmacy
often leads to patient’s health deterioration and chronic drug use to an eventual lack of patient’s
response. Emerging evidence supports that physiotherapy treatments based on mechanical triggers
improve FM symptoms and therefore could be used for therapeutic purposes by themselves or in
combination with current pharmacological treatments, as part of integrative medicine programs.
However, a paucity of studies rigorously and systematically evaluating this possibility exists.
This study uses scores from validated standardized questionnaires, algometer pressure point threshold
(PPT) readings and responses from a custom self-developed questionnaire to determine the impact of
a pressure-controlled custom manual protocol on FM hyperalgesia/allodynia, fatigue and patient’s
quality of life. The results show that patient’s baseline sensitivity to pain inversely correlates with
treatment response in FM. Moreover, post-stratification analysis unexpectedly reveals that patients
presenting comorbid ME/CFS do not seem to respond to the applied therapy as those presenting FM
only. Therefore, pre-treatment PPTs and ME/CFS comorbidity may serve as indicators to predict
patient’s response to physiotherapy programs based on mechanical triggers. Further exploration of
these findings is granted. In addition, the study of gene expression profiles in the blood collection
generated by this study should help unveil the molecular mechanisms behind patient’s differential
response to manual therapy.Medicin
Pressure Point Threshold and ME/CFS comorbidity as Indicators of Physiotherapy Response in Fibromyalgia
Current pharmacological treatments of Fibromyalgia (FM) are merely symptom palliative,
as clinical trials have so far failed to provide overall benefits without associated harms.
Polypharmacy often leads to patient´s health deterioration and chronic drug use to an eventual lack
of patient´s response. Emerging evidence support that physiotherapy treatments based on
mechanical triggers improve FM symptoms and therefore could be used for therapeutic purposes
by themselves, or in combination with current pharmacological treatments, as part of integrative
medicine programs. However, a paucity of studies rigorously and systematically evaluating this
possibility exists. This study uses scores from validated standardized questionnaires, algometer
pressure point threshold (PPT) readings and responses from a custom self-developed questionnaire
to determine the impact of a pressure-controlled manual protocol on FM hyperalgesia/allodynia,
fatigue and patient´s quality of life. The results show that patient´s baseline sensitivity to pain
inversely correlates with treatment response in FM. Moreover, patients presenting comorbid
ME/CFS do not seem to respond to the applied therapy as those presenting FM only. Thus, pretreatment PPTs and ME/CFS comorbidity may serve as indicators to predict patient´s response to
physiotherapy programs based on mechanical triggers, as the one evaluated here. These unexpected
findings grant further explorations including the study of gene expression profiles associating to
patient´s treatment response in the blood collection of samples generated by this study.Medicin
An experience with Sedic’s collaborative blog
Description of the work carried out by Sedic, a Spanish library association, for developing a collaborative blog as a communication tool to enable authentic, ongoing conversations over the Net
Primary targets of the sesquiterpene lactone deoxymikanolide on Trypanosoma cruzi
Background: Deoxymikanolide is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Mikania micrantha and M. variifolia which, has previously demonstrated in vitro activity on Trypanosoma cruzi and in vivo activity on an infected mouse model. Purpose: Based on these promising findings, the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of this compound on different parasite targets. Methods: The interaction of deoxymikanolide with hemin was examined under reducing and non- reducing conditions by measuring modifications in the Soret absorption band of hemin; the thiol interaction was determined spectrophotometrically through its reaction with 5,5′-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoate in the presence of glutathione; activity on the parasite antioxidant system was evaluated by measuring the activity of the superoxide dismutase and trypanothione reductase enzymes, together with the intracellular oxidative state by flow cytometry. Superoxide dismutase and trypanothione reductase activities were spectrophotometrically tested. Cell viability, phosphatidylserine exposure and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by means of propidium iodide, annexin-V and rhodamine 123 staining, respectively; sterols were qualitatively and quantitatively tested by TLC; ultrastructural changes were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Autophagic cells were detected by staining with monodansylcadaverine. Results: Deoxymikanolide decreased the number of reduced thiol groups within the parasites, which led to their subsequent vulnerability to oxidative stress. Treatment of the parasites with the compound produced a depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane even though the plasma membrane permeabilization was not affected. Deoxymikanolide did not affect the intracellular redox state and so the mitochondrial dysfunction produced by this compound could not be attributed to ROS generation. The antioxidant defense system was affected by deoxymikanolide at twenty four hours of treatment, when both an increased oxidative stress and decreased activity of superoxide dismutase and trypanothione reductase (40 and 60% respectively) were observed. Both the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction induce parasite death by apoptosis and autophagy. Conclusion: Based on our results, deoxymikanolide would exert its anti-T cruzi activity as a strong thiol blocking agent and by producing mitochondrial dysfunction.Fil: Puente, Vanesa Rocío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias; ArgentinaFil: Laurella, Laura Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacognosia; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Lozano, Esteban Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Virginia Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; ArgentinaFil: Sosa Escudero, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Sülsen, Valeria Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco; ArgentinaFil: Lombardo, Maria Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias; Argentin
Thermography in systemic sclerosis patients and other rheumatic diseases: Diagnosis, disease activity assessment, and therapeutic monitoring
Evidence of human impact in Antarctic region by studying atmospheric aerosols
Air quality is a global concerning topic because of its great impact on the environment and health. Because of that, the study of atmospheric aerosols looking for harmful pollutants is rising, as well as the interest in the origin of the contaminants. Depending on the nature and size of the aerosols, some elements can be detected at a great distance from the emission source, even in Antarctica, where this study is conducted. Several samples of PM filters from 2018 to 2019 (Deception Island) and 2019–2020 (Livingston Island) campaigns have been analyzed by three powerful spectroscopic techniques: FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy), LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). These techniques have allowed us to find some heavy metals in the air of the Antarctic region (Al, Fe, Ti, Ni, Cr, and Mn). Deeper studies on ICP-MS results have confirmed those results and have also provided information on their potential sources. Thus, while Al, Fe, Ti and Mn concentrations can be explained by crustal origin, Ni and Cr presented high values only coherent with important human contribution. The results point out that the Antarctic region is no longer a clean and isolated environment from human pollution
Press notice. EC agricultural price indices. Trends in EC agricultural price indices (output and input): 1st quarter 1985. 1985.3
The
high precious metal loading and high overpotential of the oxygen
evolution reaction (OER) prevents the widespread utilization of polymer
electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers. Herein we explore
the OER activity and stability in acidic electrolyte of a combined
IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>/RuO<sub>2</sub> system consisting
of RuO<sub>2</sub> thin films with submonolayer (1, 2, and 4 Å)
amounts of IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> deposited on top. Operando
extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) on the Ir L-3 edge
revealed a rutile type IrO<sub>2</sub> structure with some Ir sites
occupied by Ru, IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> being at the surface
of the RuO<sub>2</sub> thin film. We monitor corrosion on IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub>/RuO<sub>2</sub> thin films by combining
electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) with inductively
coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We elucidate the importance of
submonolayer surface IrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> in minimizing
Ru dissolution. Our work shows that we can tune the surface properties
of active OER catalysts, such as RuO<sub>2</sub>, aiming to achieve
higher electrocatalytic stability in PEM electrolyzers
Chromosome reorganizations in the origin of Tempranillo Blanco and other white grape cultivars
Póster presentado en la 11th International Conference on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics, celebrada en Pekín del 29 de julio al 2 de agosto de 2014.Acknowledgmcnts: Projects 8102011-26229 and INNOVINE.Peer Reviewe
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