Molecular, physico-chemical, and sensory characterization of the traditional spanish apple variety "Pero de Cehegín"

The "Pero de Cehegín"is an ancient local variety of apple grown in Murcia (Spain). In this study, microsatellites markers showed evidence of a unique profile that has never been reported before in other Spanish apple germplasm collections. Five "Pero de Cehegín"clones were evaluated and compared with two commercial apple varieties, "Fuji"and "Golden Delicious", to assess its marketing potential. For this, the physical (weight, height, and width of the fruit, moisture content, firmness, and color of the fruit, among others), and chemical (total soluble solids, total acidity, and maturity index) properties of the fruits were evaluated. In addition, the content of bioactive compounds such as total polyphenol content, total antioxidant activity using the ABTS+, DPPH, and FRAP methods, and the sugar profile were analyzed, and their sensory profile was also evaluated. Physico-chemical differences were found within the "Pero de Cehegín"clones and between the commercial varieties. "Pero de Cehegín"had a high firmness, high total soluble solids, very low total acidity, high FRAP antioxidant capacity, and more sucrose content in comparison with "Fuji"and "Golden Delicious". These distinctive characteristics and the good appearance of the fruit make this variety a marketable product that will increase the offering of traditional, local, but underutilized fruit varieties

Olfactory characterization and training in older adults: protocol study

The aim of this article is to present the research protocol for a prospective cohort study that will assess the olfactory function and the effect of an intervention based on olfactory training in healthy very old adults (>= 75 years old). A convenience sample of 180 older people (50% female) will be recruited in three different environments: hospitalized control group (CH) with stable acute illness (n = 60); ambulatory control group (CA) of community-based living (n = 60); and an experimental odor training group (EOT) from nursing homes (n = 60). The odor training (OT) intervention will last 12 weeks. All the volunteers will be assessed at baseline; CA and EOT groups will also be assessed after 12 weeks. The primary end point will be change in olfactory capacity from baseline to 12 weeks period of intervention or control. The intervention effects will be assessed with the overall score achieved in Sniffin Sticks Test (SST) - Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification (TDI) extended version. Secondary end points will be changes in cognitive tasks, quality of life, mood, immune status, and functional capacity. All these measurements will be complemented with an immune fitness characterization and a deep proteome profiling of the olfactory epithelium (OE) cultured ex vivo. The current study will provide additional evidence to support the implementation of olfactory precision medicine and the development of immunomodulatory nasal therapies based on non-invasive procedures. The proposed intervention will also intend to increase the knowledge about the olfactory function in very elderly people, improve function and quality of life, and promote the recovery of the health

Characterization of a radiation detector based on opaque water-based liquid scintillator

International audienceWe present the characterization of a novel radiation detector based on an opaque water-based liquid scintillator. Opaque scintillators, also known as LiquidO, are made to be highly scattering, such that the scintillation light is effectively confined, and read out through wavelength-shifting fibers. The 1-liter, 32-channel prototype demonstrates the capability for both spectroscopy and topological reconstruction of point-like events. The design, construction, and evaluation of the detector are described, including modeling of the scintillation liquid optical properties and the detector's response to gamma rays of several energies. A mean position reconstruction error of 4.4 mm for 1.6 MeV-equivalent events and 7.4 mm for 0.8 MeV-equivalent events is demonstrated using a simple reconstruction approach analogous to center-of-mass

Characterization of a radiation detector based on opaque water-based liquid scintillator

International audienceWe present the characterization of a novel radiation detector based on an opaque water-based liquid scintillator. Opaque scintillators, also known as LiquidO, are made to be highly scattering, such that the scintillation light is effectively confined, and read out through wavelength-shifting fibers. The 1-liter, 32-channel prototype demonstrates the capability for both spectroscopy and topological reconstruction of point-like events. The design, construction, and evaluation of the detector are described, including modeling of the scintillation liquid optical properties and the detector's response to gamma rays of several energies. A mean position reconstruction error of 4.4 mm for 1.6 MeV-equivalent events and 7.4 mm for 0.8 MeV-equivalent events is demonstrated using a simple reconstruction approach analogous to center-of-mass