Study of the fluid inclusions of the quartz-veins from the Rodeo de los Funes granite, Sierra de la Ramada, Tucuman

La zona de estudio está ubicada en el faldeo oriental de la Sierra de La Ramada, la cual, junto con las Sierras del Campo, el Nogalito y Medina integran las llamadas Sierras del Noreste de Tucumán, pertenecientes al Sistema de Santa Bárbara. El basamento de la sierra está constituido por filitas y pizarras de la Formación Medina de edad precámbrica - eocámbrica y el stock granítico de Rodeo de Los Funes de posible edad paleozoica. Las rocas graníticas son sienogranitos y monzogranitos con alteración hipogénica y supergénica sobreimpuesta. Son portadoras de vetas de cuarzo de hasta 30 cm de espesor. El cuarzo de las vetas presenta gran cantidad de inclusiones fluidas (IF). Se determinaron dos tipos: acuosas y acuosas con dióxido de carbono. Las primeras, bifásicas, son las más abundantes y constituyen aproximadamente el 80% de las IF observadas. Por calentamiento estas inclusiones homogeneizan a fase líquida a temperaturas que varían entre 248° y 265°C, con muy escasa dispersión. Las segundas son inclusiones trifásicas líquidas. Representan aproximadamente el 10 - 20% del total de las inclusiones analizadas. Tienen temperaturas de homogeneización dispersas, pero la mayoría se concentran entre 240º y 320ºC. Las características de las IF que se han observado en estas vetas, son rasgos distintivos de las de los depósitos denominados mesotermales de oro o vetas de cuarzo aurífero en rocas metamórficas. Se concluye que las vetas de cuarzo se formaron durante la etapa magmática hidrotermal tardía genéticamente relacionada con el granito Rodeo del Los Funes.The study area is located on the eastern flank of the Sierra de La Ramada, which, together with the sierras del Campo, Nogalito and Medina integrate the Sierras del Noreste de Tucumán, belonging to the Sistema de Santa Bárbara. The basement of the range is formed by phyllites and slates of the Medina Formation of precambrian - eocambrian age and the Rodeo de Los Funes granitic stock of possible palaeozoic age. The granitic rocks are sienogranites and monzogranites with hipogenic and supergenic alteration. Quartz veins up to 30 cm of thick are located in the granitic rocks and present abundant fluid inclusions (FI). Two types of FI have been determined: aqueous and aqueous with carbon dioxide. The first, two-phase, are the most abundant and constitute 80% of the observed FI approximately. These inclusions homogenize to a liquid phase at temperatures that vary between 248° and 265°C, with very scarce dispersion. The second FI are three phase aqueous inclusions. They represent 10 - 20% of the total of the analyzed inclusions approximately. They have dispersed homogenisation temperatures, but most concentrates between 240º and 320ºC. The characteristics of the observed FI are distinctive features of FI in mesothermal deposits of gold or veins of auriferous quartz in metamorphic rocks. It is suggested that the quartz veins were formed during a late magmatic hydrothermal stage genetically linked to the Rodeo de Los Funes granite.Fil: Mas, Graciela Raquel. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Geología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Instituto Geológico del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz, Dora L.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Avila, Julio Cesar. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica; Argentin

Phytase stability during pelleting of broiler feed.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 11.11.11.111

Possible effect of dietary phytase supplementation on broiler sodium requirement.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 11.11.11.111

Dietary enzyme supplementation on broiler performance from 1 up to 42 days of age.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 11.11.11.111

Transformed but not normal hepatocytes express UCP2

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression in liver is restricted to non-parenchymal cells. By means of differential display screening between normal rat liver and H4IIE hepatoma cells we have isolated a cDNA clone encompassing part of UCP2 cDNA. Northern blot analysis revealed that UCP2 is expressed in some hepatocarcinoma cell lines, while it is absent in adult hepatocytes. UCP2 mRNA in H4IIE cells was downregulated when cells were cultured for 36 h in 0.1% serum and its expression was restored upon addition of 10% serum or phorbol esters. Hypomethylation of UCP2 was observed in transformed UCP2 expressing cells. Our results indicate that UCP2 is expressed in some hepatocarcinoma cell lines and that serum components may participate in maintaining elevated UCP2 levels

Energy Intake, Macronutrient Profile and Food Sources of Spanish Children Aged One to < 10 Years-Results from the EsNuPI Study

The present study aimed to assess energy intake, nutrient profile and food sources in Spanish children participating in the EsNuPI ("Estudio Nutricional en Poblacion Infantil Espanola") study. Plausibility of energy intake and adequacy of nutrient intakes to international recommendations were analyzed in a final sample of 1448 subjects (728 boys and 720 girls) and one group representative of the 1 to <10 years old urban Spanish children (reference sample (n = 707)) who consumed milk and one of the same age who consumed adapted milk over the last year (adapted milk consumers sample (n = 741)) were compared. Both groups completed data of a face-to-face and a telephone 24-h dietary recalls. Both the reference and the adapted milk consumers samples reported an adequate daily energy intake (1503 kcal/day and 1404 kcal/day); and a high contribution to total energy from protein (16.5% and 15.6%) and fat (36.5% and 35.9%). Also, a high percentage of children from both samples were below the lower limit of the recommendations for carbohydrates (47.8% and 39.3%). As the percentage of plausible energy reporters was high for both groups (84.7% and 83.5%, respectively), data for the whole sample were analyzed. Milk and dairy, cereals, meat and derived products, fats and oils, bakery and pastry, fruits and vegetables contributed to about 80% of the total energy intake in both groups. However, the reference sample reported significantly more contribution to energy from cereals, meat and meat products, bakery and pastry and ready to cook/eat foods; meanwhile, the adapted milk consumers sample reported significantly more energy from milk and dairy products, fruits and eggs. Those results suggest that adapted milk consumers have better adherence to the food-based dietary guidelines. Further analyses are warranted to characterize food patterns and the quality of the diet in the EsNuPI study population

Optimization of total anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of a Hibiscus sabdariffa infusion using response surface methodology

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces are underutilized sources of health-promoting anthocyanins. Infusions are the most common way to consume them, but because anthocyanins are thermosensitive, prolonged extraction times at high temperatures may reduce their bioactivities, suggesting the need to identify optimal preparation conditions. Response surface methodology was used to establish calyces-to-water ratio (X1: 1–20 g/100 mL), temperature (X2: 70–100 °C), and time (X3: 1–30 min) that would produce an infusion with optimized total anthocyanin content (TAC) and antioxidant activity. Under optimum conditions (X1=10 g/100 mL, X2=88.7 °C, and X3=15.5 min) TAC was 132.7±7.8 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents (C3G)/100 mL, and antioxidant activity was 800.6±69.9 (DPPH assay), and 1792.0±153.5 (ABTS assay) μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/100 mL. Predicted and experimental results were statistically similar. Identifying ideal processing conditions can promote consumption of an H. sabdariffa-based functional beverage with high anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity that exert health-promoting bioactivities on the consumer

Induction of TIMP-1 expression in rat hepatic stellate cells and hepatocytes: a new role for homocysteine in liver fibrosis

Elevated plasma levels of homocysteine have been shown to interfere with normal cell function in a variety of tissues and organs, such as the vascular wall and the liver. However, the molecular mechanisms behind homocysteine effects are not completely understood. In order to better characterize the cellular effects of homocysteine, we have searched for changes in gene expression induced by this amino acid. Our results show that homocysteine is able to induce the expression and synthesis of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in a variety of cell types ranging from vascular smooth muscle cells to hepatocytes, HepG2 cells and hepatic stellate cells. In this latter cell type, homocysteine also stimulated alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA expression. TIMP-1 induction by homocysteine appears to be mediated by its thiol group. Additionally, we demonstrate that homocysteine is able to promote activating protein-1 (AP-1) binding activity, which has been shown to be critical for TIMP-1 induction. Our findings suggest that homocysteine may alter extracellular matrix homeostasis on diverse tissular backgrounds besides the vascular wall. The liver could be considered as another target for such action of homocysteine. Consequently, the elevated plasma levels of this amino acid found in different pathological or nutritional circumstances may cooperate with other agents, such as ethanol, in the onset of liver fibrosis