Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in native fruits of Uruguay = Compuestos bioactivos y capacidad antioxidante en frutos nativos del Uruguay

Accessions of native fruits from ‘Arazá’ (Psidium cattleianum), ‘Guaviyú’ (Myrcianthes pungens) and ‘Guayabo del país’ (Acca sellowiana) were evaluated as part of a selection program to obtain commercial cultivars, with the aim to offer the growers new possibilities of local fruit crops and provide the consumers with food alternatives with recognized nutritional and nutraceutical properties. The objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical quality, the total phenolic content, vitamin C and total anthocyanins, and the relationship with the total antioxidant activity by DPPH and ORAC for different fruit genotypes. The methodologies for the determination of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity were validated on a microvolume scale, following the principles of “green chemistry”. The content of bioactive compounds differed significantly depending on the species and accession (p ? 0,05). The results obtained confirmed the nutritional properties and potential antioxidant capacity of the native fruits. The effect of agronomic and environmental variables on selected genotypes should be investigated to adjust commercial production technology in order to exploit the nutraceutical characteristics found

Contextual blending of ingroup/outgroup face stimuli and word valence: LPP modulation and convergence of measures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several event related potential (ERP) studies have investigated the time course of different aspects of evaluative processing in social bias research. Various reports suggest that the late positive potential (LPP) is modulated by basic evaluative processes, and some reports suggest that in-/outgroup relative position affects ERP responses. In order to study possible LPP blending between facial race processing and semantic valence (positive or negative words), we recorded ERPs while indigenous and non-indigenous participants who were matched by age and gender performed an implicit association test (IAT). The task involved categorizing faces (ingroup and outgroup) and words (positive and negative). Since our paradigm implies an evaluative task with positive and negative valence association, a frontal distribution of LPPs similar to that found in previous reports was expected. At the same time, we predicted that LPP valence lateralization would be modulated not only by positive/negative associations but also by particular combinations of valence, face stimuli and participant relative position.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results showed that, during an IAT, indigenous participants with greater behavioral ingroup bias displayed a frontal LPP that was modulated in terms of complex contextual associations involving ethnic group and valence. The LPP was lateralized to the right for negative valence stimuli and to the left for positive valence stimuli. This valence lateralization was influenced by the combination of valence and membership type relevant to compatibility with prejudice toward a minority. Behavioral data from the IAT and an explicit attitudes questionnaire were used to clarify this finding and showed that ingroup bias plays an important role. Both ingroup favoritism and indigenous/non-indigenous differences were consistently present in the data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that frontal LPP is elicited by contextual blending of evaluative judgments of in-/outgroup information and positive vs. negative valence association and confirm recent research relating in-/outgroup ERP modulation and frontal LPP. LPP modulation may cohere with implicit measures of attitudes. The convergence of measures that were observed supports the idea that racial and valence evaluations are strongly influenced by context. This result adds to a growing set of evidence concerning contextual sensitivity of different measures of prejudice.</p

Early Neural Markers of Implicit Attitudes: N170 Modulated by Intergroup and Evaluative Contexts in IAT

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is the most popular measure to evaluate implicit attitudes. Nevertheless, its neural correlates are not yet fully understood. We examined event related potentials (ERPs) in response to face- and word processing while indigenous and non-indigenous participants performed an IAT displaying faces (ingroup and outgroup members) and words (positive and negative valence) as targets of category judgments. The N170 component was modulated by valence of words and by ingroup/outgroup face categorization. Contextual effects (face–words implicitly associated in the task) had an influence on the N170 amplitude modulation. On the one hand, in face categorization, right N170 showed differences according to the association between social categories of faces and affective valence of words. On the other, in word categorization, left N170 presented a similar modulation when the task implied a negative-valence associated with ingroup faces. Only indigenous participants showed a significant IAT effect and N170 differences. Our results demonstrate an early ERP blending of stimuli processing with both intergroup and evaluative contexts, suggesting an integration of contextual information related to intergroup attitudes during the early stages of word and face processing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of early ERPs during an ethnicity IAT, opening a new branch of exchange between social neuroscience and social psychology of attitudes

Modificación de la composición de la flora en bordes de bosques fragmentados de Austrocedrus chilensis en Patagonia

Austrocedrus chilensis es una de las especies arbóreas nativas del bosque andino patagónico más afectadas por el proceso de fragmentación, originando bosquetes remanentes rodeados de pasturas. Estudiamos la vegetación en bordes de A. chilensis adyacentes a áreas cortadas 10 años atrás, con especial referencia a la regeneración de A. chilensis, diversidad, abundancia y distribución especifica. Se encontró que la composición original de la vegetación fue fuertemente modificada, con una alta proporción de especies herbáceas exóticas en la zona de borde. La diversidad y la abundancia de especies leñosas fueron mayores en el interior del bosque (p = 0.0289yp= 0.0149), lo mismo que la riqueza de especies nativas (p = 0.0053) y la regeneración de A. chilensis (p = 0.0408), en tanto que la abundancia de especies herbáceas fue mayor en el borde (p = 0.0197). Durante los primeros 10 años de la sucesión posterior al disturbio, la tendencia de los bosquetes de A. chilensis remanentes es la retracción.In the Patagonian Andes of Argentina, Austrocedrus chilensis is one of the native tree species most affected by forest fragmentation, resulting in remnants stands surrounded by grasslands. We studied vegetation in the edges of stands of dense A. chilensis adjoining areas that were cut 10 years earlier, with special reference to A. chilensis regeneration, diversity, abundance and specific species distribution. We found that the original composition of the vegetation had been strongly modified, there was a high proportion of exotic herbaceous species in the edge. Diversity and abundance of woody species was superior in the core forest (p = 0.0289 and p = 0.0149), and so was the richness of native species (p = 0.0053) and regeneration of A. chilensis (p = 0.0408). On the other hand the abundance of herbaceous species was greater in the edge (p = 0.0197). During the first years of the succession, the forest in the edge area tends to retract.Fil: Carabelli, Francisco Andrés Carabelli. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Orellana Ibáñez, Ivonne Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Jaramillo, Marcelo M.. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Mariano Facundo. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentin

Desarrollo de una metodología analítica para la determinación de Cd, Pb y As en frutas y hortalizas como una alternativa a los métodos estándar de análisis = Development of an analytical methodology for the determination of Cd, Pb and As in fruits and vegetables as an alternative to standard methods of analysis

Las frutas y hortalizas pueden contener contaminantes que llegan al producto en cualquier punto de la cadena productiva. En este sentido, se debe controlar la acumulación de elementos potencialmente tóxicos como arsénico (As), cadmio (Cd) y plomo (Pb) para asegurar y controlar la inocuidad de estos alimentos. Con el objetivo de monitorear los contaminantes inorgánicos, de forma rápida, confiable y con métodos analíticos en acuerdo con los principios de la química ­verde, se desarrolló y validó una metodología para la extracción simultánea de estos elementos asistida con microondas, en un solo paso y utilizando ácido diluido. Se aplicó el método validado a cuatro productos: zanahoria, lechuga, manzana y tomate. Los parámetros de desempeño de esta metodología indicaron que resultó adecuada para monitorear estos alimentos tomando como referencia la reglamentación vigente y que todas las muestras analizadas cumplieron con los criterios establecidos. Esta metodología validada puede ser considerada como alternativa a los métodos estándar de análisis de As, Cd y Pb en este tipo de alimentos. El desarrollo de estas herramientas analíticas es de relevancia y deja disponible una plataforma analítica al servicio del sector productivo y de organismos de contralor nacional

Neural markers of social and monetary rewards in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder

Recent theories of decision making propose a shared value-related brain mechanism for encoding monetary and social rewards. We tested this model in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and control children. We monitored participants’ brain dynamics using high density-electroencephalography while they played a monetary and social reward tasks. Control children exhibited a feedback Error-Related Negativity (fERN) modulation and Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) source activation during both tasks. Remarkably, although cooperation resulted in greater losses for the participants, the betrayal options generated greater fERN responses. ADHD subjects exhibited an absence of fERN modulation and reduced ACC activation during both tasks. ASD subjects exhibited normal fERN modulation during monetary choices and inverted fERN/ACC responses in social options than did controls. These results suggest that in neurotypicals, monetary losses and observed disloyal social decisions induced similar activity in the brain value system. In ADHD children, difficulties in reward processing affected early brain signatures of monetary and social decisions. Conversely, ASD children showed intact neural markers of value-related monetary mechanisms, but no brain modulation by prosociality in the social task. These results offer insight into the typical and atypical developments of neural correlates of monetary and social reward processing.Fil: González-Gadea, María Luz. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (INCYT), Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental y Neurociencias (LPEN), Fundación INECO, Universidad Favaloro, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFil: Sigman, Mariano. Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Escuela de Negocios, Laboratorio de Neurociencia, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFil: Ratazzi, Alexia. Programa Argentino para Niños, Adolescentes y Adultos con Condiciones del Espectro Autista (PANAACEA), Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFil: Lavin, Claudio. Centre for the Study of Argumentation and Reasoning, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile. Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Social (LaNCyS), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, ChileFil: Rivera Rei, Álvaro. Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Social (LaNCyS), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, ChileFil: Marino, Julián. Laboratorio de Neuroimágenes, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. Grupo de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Universidad de Granada, EspañaFil: Manes, Facundo.Laboratorio de Neuroimágenes, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. Grupo de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Universidad de Granada, EspañaFil: Ibáñez, Agustín. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Traslacional (INCYT), Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental y Neurociencias (LPEN), Fundación INECO, Universidad Favaloro, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ACR), New South Wales, Australia. Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago de Chile, Chile. Universidad Autonoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombi

Nesting and feeding of parrots in northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

En Argentina la mayoría de las especies de psittácidos se encuentra en disminución en sus áreas de distribución natural. A su vez, muchas especies fueron trasladadas a otras áreas por el tráfico ilegal. De esta manera fueron introducidas en la ciudad de Buenos Aires y alrededores, y actualmente se están expandiendo en esta zona. Entre julio de 2010 y enero de 2012 se registró la presencia de psittácidos en el Parque Pereyra Iraola, en el noreste de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Se encontraron 26 cavidades que utilizaron para nidificar. Se tomaron datos de estas cavidades y de las especies de plantas de las cuales se alimentaban las aves. Se observaron bandadas de Cotorra (Myiopsitta monachus), Chiripepé Cabeza Verde (Pyrrhura frontalis), Loro Maitaca (Pionus maximiliani), Calancate Cara Roja (Aratinga mitrata), Calancate Ala Roja (Aratinga leucophthalmus), Loro Hablador (Amazona aestiva) y Loro Alisero (Amazona tucumana), y un individuo de Maracaná Cuello Dorado (Propyrrhura auricollis). Seis de estas especies (Cotorra, Chiripepé Cabeza Verde, Loro Maitaca, Calancate Cara Roja, Calancate Ala Roja, Loro Hablador) se observaron nidificando. Todas las especies de plantas utilizadas tanto para nidificar como para alimentarse fueron exóticas. Las formaciones vegetales que posee el parque han permitido que al menos cinco especies de psittácidos colonicen un hábitat poco explotado por otras especies.In Argentina most parrot species are declining in their natural range and many species were moved to other areas by illegal traffic. In this way they were introduced in Buenos Aires city and surrounding areas where they are expanding. We recorded the presence of parrots in the Pereyra Iraola Park, northeastern Buenos Aires Province, between July 2010 and January 2012. We found 26 cavities used for nesting by parrots. We recorded data of these cavities and plant species on which parrots feed. We recorded flocks of Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), Reddish-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis), Scaly-headed Parrot (Pionus maximiliani), Mitred Parakeet (Aratinga mitrata), White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalmus), Turquoise-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) and Alder Amazon (Amazona tucumana), and an individual of Golden-collared Macaw (Propyrrhura auricollis). Six of these species (Monk Parakeet, Reddish-bellied Parakeet, Scaly-headed Parrot, Mitred Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon) were seen nesting in the area. All plant species used for nesting and feeding were exotics. Plant formations present in the park have allowed at least five species of parrots colonize a habitat scarcely exploited by other species.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Nesting and feeding of parrots in northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

En Argentina la mayoría de las especies de psittácidos se encuentra en disminución en sus áreas de distribución natural. A su vez, muchas especies fueron trasladadas a otras áreas por el tráfico ilegal. De esta manera fueron introducidas en la ciudad de Buenos Aires y alrededores, y actualmente se están expandiendo en esta zona. Entre julio de 2010 y enero de 2012 se registró la presencia de psittácidos en el Parque Pereyra Iraola, en el noreste de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Se encontraron 26 cavidades que utilizaron para nidificar. Se tomaron datos de estas cavidades y de las especies de plantas de las cuales se alimentaban las aves. Se observaron bandadas de Cotorra (Myiopsitta monachus), Chiripepé Cabeza Verde (Pyrrhura frontalis), Loro Maitaca (Pionus maximiliani), Calancate Cara Roja (Aratinga mitrata), Calancate Ala Roja (Aratinga leucophthalmus), Loro Hablador (Amazona aestiva) y Loro Alisero (Amazona tucumana), y un individuo de Maracaná Cuello Dorado (Propyrrhura auricollis). Seis de estas especies (Cotorra, Chiripepé Cabeza Verde, Loro Maitaca, Calancate Cara Roja, Calancate Ala Roja, Loro Hablador) se observaron nidificando. Todas las especies de plantas utilizadas tanto para nidificar como para alimentarse fueron exóticas. Las formaciones vegetales que posee el parque han permitido que al menos cinco especies de psittácidos colonicen un hábitat poco explotado por otras especies.In Argentina most parrot species are declining in their natural range and many species were moved to other areas by illegal traffic. In this way they were introduced in Buenos Aires city and surrounding areas where they are expanding. We recorded the presence of parrots in the Pereyra Iraola Park, northeastern Buenos Aires Province, between July 2010 and January 2012. We found 26 cavities used for nesting by parrots. We recorded data of these cavities and plant species on which parrots feed. We recorded flocks of Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), Reddish-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis), Scaly-headed Parrot (Pionus maximiliani), Mitred Parakeet (Aratinga mitrata), White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalmus), Turquoise-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) and Alder Amazon (Amazona tucumana), and an individual of Golden-collared Macaw (Propyrrhura auricollis). Six of these species (Monk Parakeet, Reddish-bellied Parakeet, Scaly-headed Parrot, Mitred Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet, Turquoise-fronted Amazon) were seen nesting in the area. All plant species used for nesting and feeding were exotics. Plant formations present in the park have allowed at least five species of parrots colonize a habitat scarcely exploited by other species.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Facial and semantic emotional interference: A pilot study on the behavioral and cortical responses to the dual valence association task

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Integration of compatible or incompatible emotional valence and semantic information is an essential aspect of complex social interactions. A modified version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) called Dual Valence Association Task (DVAT) was designed in order to measure conflict resolution processing from compatibility/incompatibly of semantic and facial valence. The DVAT involves two emotional valence evaluative tasks which elicits two forms of emotional compatible/incompatible associations (facial and semantic).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Behavioural measures and Event Related Potentials were recorded while participants performed the DVAT.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Behavioural data showed a robust effect that distinguished compatible/incompatible tasks. The effects of valence and contextual association (between facial and semantic stimuli) showed early discrimination in N170 of faces. The LPP component was modulated by the compatibility of the DVAT.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results suggest that DVAT is a robust paradigm for studying the emotional interference effect in the processing of simultaneous information from semantic and facial stimuli.</p

The relationship between executive functions and fluid intelligence in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Deficits in cognitive functions dependent upon the integrity of the prefrontal cortex have been described in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In a series of studies we have shown that fluid intelligence (g) is a substantial contributor to frontal deficits and that, for some classical "executive" tasks, frontal deficits were entirely explained by g. However, for another group of frontal tasks deficits remained once g was introduced as a covariate. This second set of tests included multitasking and theory of mind tasks. In the present study, we aimed at determining the role of fluid intelligence in frontal deficits seen in patients with MS. METHODS: A group of patients with Relapsing Remitting MS (n = 36) and a group of control subjects (n = 42) were assessed with a battery of classical executive tests (which included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Verbal Fluency, and Trail Making Test B), a multitasking test, a theory of mind test and a fluid intelligence test. RESULTS: MS patients showed significant deficits in the fluid intelligence task. We found differences between patients and control subjects in all tests except for the multitasking test. The differences in the classical executive tests became non-significant once fluid intelligence was introduced as a covariate, but differences in theory of mind remained. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that fluid intelligence can be affected in MS and that this impairment can play a role in the executive deficits described in MS