Electrochemical determination of the antioxidant capacity of industrialized fruits juices using the CRAC assay

Fruits juices are natural sources of several compounds that present antioxidant action. Together with the fruits, they contribute with almost 40% of the antioxidant capacity in a healthy diet avoiding and preventing diseases deriving from oxidative stress. The present study determined the antioxidant capacity of seven samples of industrialized fruits juices applying CRAC (Ceric Reducing/Antioxidant Capacity) assay, a new electrochemistry assay that evaluates, by means of chronoamperometric measurements, the ability of a sample in reducing species Ce4+ in acid media. At the end of the assay was obtained the following classification: cashew > guava > grape > mango > apple > orange > passion fruit

TOFtracker: combination of time-of-flight and high-accuracy bidimensional tracking in a single gaseous detector

A 5-gap timing RPC equipped with patterned electrodes coupled to both charge-sensitive and timing circuits yields a time accuracy of 77 ps along with a position accuracy of 38 μm. These results were obtained by calculating the straight-line fit residuals to the positions provided by a 3-layer telescope made out of identical detectors, detecting almost perpendicular cosmic-ray muons. The device may be useful for particle identification by time-of-flight, where simultaneous measurements of trajectory and time are necessary

Opuntia ficus-indica fruit: a systematic review of its phytochemicals and pharmacological activities

The use of Opuntia ficus-indica fruits in the agro-food sector is increasing for a multiplicity of players. This renewed interest is, in part, due to its organoleptic characteristics, nutritional value and health benefits. Furthermore, industries from different sectors intend to make use of its vast array of metabolites to be used in different fields. This trend represents an economic growth opportunity for several partners who could find new opportunities exploring non-conventional fruits, and such is the case for Opuntia ficus-indica. O. ficus-indica originates from Mexico, belongs to the Cactaceae family and is commonly known as opuntia, prickly pear or cactus pear. The species produces flowers, cladodes and fruits that are consumed either in raw or in processed products. Recent publications described that consumption of the fruit improves human health, exhibiting antioxidant activity and other relevant pharmacological activities through enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. Thus, we provide a systematic, scientific and rational review for researchers, consumers and other relevant stakeholders regarding the chemical composition and biological activities of O. ficus-indica fruits.This work was supported by the “Contrato-Programa” Financiamento Plurianual de Unidades de I&D, through the FCT I.P., UIDB/04050/2020 and UIDB/04033/2020 and CCDR-N (Norte Portugal Regional Coordination and Development Commission) through the project AgriFoodXXI (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041)

Fishers’ knowledge on a large floodplain river in South America. Contributions for sustainable management of inland fisheries

This study presents a comparison between fishers’ knowledge and fiscal records about the structure of inland fisheries in the Paraná River (Argentina). First of all, we characterized the fishing population according to the main demographic and economic indicators, identifying two different fishing areas: the northern and southern sections in the lower La Plata basin. Secondly, we carried out a comparative analysis of fiscal fishery records (from two commercial sets: 1930–1984 and 2011–2019) and local fishers’ knowledge on inland commercial fisheries (frequency of occurrence and abundance). Finally, we contrasted current fishing regulations (allowed meshes and boats, fishing prohibitions, exports) to fishers’ effective practices. The study area included 52 sites located along the floodplain of the middle and lower sections of the Paraná River, in the province of Santa Fe. Socioeconomic analyses identified two different groups of fishers throughout the river corridor. Results showed that fishers have detailed knowledge on nomenclature, ecology, reproductive strategy, habitat distribution, and usefulness of commercial fish species. By contrasting fishers’ knowledge with fiscal records, we found similar and complementary information about the changes in abundance and frequency of occurrence in fisheries. These results highlight the need of including local knowledge as an outstanding source of information for well-planned management of fishing programs and sustainable policies.Fil: Rabuffetti, Ana Pia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Espínola, Luis Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Amsler, Pablo. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Ferreira, Patricio. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Abrial, Elie. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Amsler, Mario Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentin

Autonomous RPCs for a Cosmic Ray ground array

We report on the behaviour of Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) developed for muon detection in ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) experiments. The RPCs were developed for the MARTA project and were tested on field conditions. These RPCs cover an area of $1.5 \times 1.2\,{m^2}$ and are instrumented with 64 pickup electrodes providing a segmentation better than $20\,$cm. By shielding the detector units with enough slant mass to absorb the electromagnetic component in the air showers, a clean measurement of the muon content is allowed, a concept to be implemented in a next generation of UHECR experiments. The operation of a ground array detector poses challenging demands, as the RPC must operate remotely under extreme environmental conditions, with limited budgets for power and minimal maintenance. The RPC, DAQ, High Voltage and monitoring systems are enclosed in an aluminium-sealed case, providing a compact and robust unit suited for outdoor environments, which can be easily deployed and connected. The RPCs developed at LIP-Coimbra are able to operate using a very low gas flux, which allows running them for few years with a small gas reservoir. Several prototypes have already been built and tested both in the laboratory and outdoors. We report on the most recent tests done in the field that show that the developed RPCs have operated in a stable way for more than 2 years in field conditions.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2017), Busan, South Korea. Presented by R. Concei\c{c}\~{a}o. 8 page

Evaluation of eleven Mexican cultivars of prickly pear cactus trees for possibly utilization as animal fed: in vitro gas production

In production systems of prickly pear fruit and prickly pear cactus, significant amounts of pruned material, which could be used as an ingredient in animal feeding, is generated. The aim of this study was to measure the nutrient content, fermentation kinetics and in vitro digestibility of eleven cultivars of cladodes of prickly pear cactus. The fermentation was measured indirectly using the gas production technique, where 500 mg of DM substrate (prickly pear cactus cultivars) were placed in amber glass flasks of 125 mL with 90 mL of ruminal inoculum under a continuous flow of CO2. Flaskswere hermeticallywrapped upwith a rubber stopper and ametal ring, and were placed in a water bath at 39 C. The fermentation gas pressure was measured using a monometer at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 38, 50 and 72 h incubation. Results show that the chemical composition ranged between (g kg-1 DM): 64 and 160 g kg-1 dry matter (DM), 137–293 g kg-1 DM ash, 52–101 g kg-1 DM crude protein, 3–22 g kg-1 DM ether extract, 251–393 neutral detergent fiber and 132–192 acid detergent fiber. The gas volume was different (p\0.05) among cultivars, with the Red Vigor cultivar having the largest volume at 378 mL g-1 DM.The highest volumeof gas was produced during the first 24 h in on average 67 % of the total produced. The in vitroDMdigestibility displayed values of up to 82 % in the Roja Pelota cultivar. It can be concluded that the cladodes of prickly pear cactus from different cultivars can be used in animal feed for its good rumen fermentation characteristic

Evaluación de la visualización por endoscopia en la identificación de lesiones gástricas premalignas en una población colombiana con prueba de referencia histopatológica

ResumenObjetivosevaluar el rendimiento de la visualización directa por endoscopia en la identificación de lesiones gástricas premalignas, utilizando como prueba de referencia el examen histopatológico de muestras obtenidas por biopsia.Emplazamientoliga de Lucha Contra el Cáncer, de Bucaramanga, Colombia.Diseñoestudio de evaluación de tecnologías diagnósticas con muestreo transversal.Mediciones principalesse calculó la sensibilidad, la especificidad, el valor predictivo positivo, el valor predictivo negativo, el likelihood ratio positivo, el likelihood ratio negativo, el índice kappa y la prevalencia.Resultadosse estudió a 155 pacientes con una media de edad de 45,43±14,15 años y una relación varón:mujer aproximada de 2:1. La visualización por endoscopia tuvo una sensibilidad del 87,84%, una especificidad del 55,56%, un valor predictivo positivo del 64,36%, un valor predictivo negativo del 83,33%, un likelihood ratio positivo de 1,98, un likelihood ratio negativo de 0,22 y un índice kappa de 0,4272, en la identificación de lesiones preneoplásicas del estómago en una población con una prevalencia de la enfermedad del 47,74%.Conclusionesla visualización mediante endoscopia de la mucosa gastrointestinal permite una rápida y moderada identificación de lesiones preneoplásicas tempranas, lo que da la posibilidad de su diagnóstico histopatológico precoz.AbstractAimTo evaluate the performance of endoscopic visualization in the identification of premalignant gastric lesions, with histopathological examination of biopsy samples as a reference test, in Bucaramanga, Colombia.LocationLeague for the Fight Against Cancer, Bucaramanga, Colombia.DesignDiagnostic technology evaluation with cross-sectional sampling.MeasurementsWe calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratio (+), likelihood ratio (−), kappa index and the prevalence rate kappa.ResultsA total of 155 patients were studied, with a mean age of 45.43 (14.15) years and an approximate male:female ratio of 2:1. The endoscopic visualization had a sensitivity of 87.84%, a specificity of 55.56%, a positive predictive value of 64.36%, a negative predictive value of 83.33%, a likelihood ratio+of 1.98, a likelihood ratio−de 0.22 and a kappa index of 0.4272, in the identification of preneoplastic lesions of the stomach in a population with a disease prevalence of 47.74%.ConclusionsThe endoscopic visualization of the gastrointestinal mucosa, allows a moderate and fast identification of early preneoplastic lesions, providing an opportunity of its early histopathological diagnosis