Estudio comparativo entre el cultivo convencional y ecológico de trigo para alimentación animal

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar las diferencias en el rendimiento productivo y el valor nutritivo entre el cultivo ecológico y convencional de trigo invernal para su utilización en alimentación animal. La producción de forraje fue determinada en el mes de mayo de tres años consecutivos y la producción de paja y grano se determinó en el mes de julio de los dos primeros años. Las muestras fueron secadas para determinar su composición química y su digestibilidad in vitro. Adicionalmente, 500 mg de cada muestra fueron incubados con 50 mL de líquido ruminal tamponado a 39°C. En estas incubaciones se midió la producción de gas a diferentes tiempos para estimar la cinética de fermentación y se analizaron los parámetros de fermentación tras 24 horas de incubación. La producción de forraje, grano y paja fue mayor en las parcelas convencionales que en las ecológicas. El contenido en proteína bruta fue más bajo en el cultivo ecológico que en el convencional, tanto para el forraje como para el grano. La digestibilidad in vitro fue similar para los dos tipos de cultivo y no existieron diferencias en la cinética de degradación ni en la producción de ácidos grasos volátiles. Los resultados indican que el cultivo ecológico provocó una disminución de la producción y en el contenido de proteína en el forraje y en los granos de trigo, pero no se observaron efectos en la degradación ruminal. Estos resultados indican que el sistema de cultivo del trigo afecta a su composición química y por ello debe realizarse una valoración previa del mismo cuando se utilice para alimentación animal.The objective of this study was to assess the differences in yield and nutritive value of organically and conventionally grown wheat crops as animal feeds. Forage yield was determined in May in three consecutive years and straw and grain yield was determined in July in the two first years. Samples were dried to determine their chemical composition and in vitro digestibility. Additionally, 500 mg of each sample were incubated with 50 mL of buffered rumen fluid at 39°C to estimate rumen fermentation kinetics and fermentation parameters after 24 hours. Forage, grain and straw yield was greater in conventionally grown crops than in organic ones. Crude protein content was lower in organically grown wheat, both for the forage or the grain. In vitro digestibility was similar in both types of cultures and there were no differences in degradation kinetics parameters or volatile fatty acids production. Results indicate that organic cultivation lead to a decrease in yield and crude protein content in forage and wheat grain, but there were no differences in their ruminal degradation. These results indicate that cultivation system affects chemical composition of wheat and, therefore, it is necessary to assess the nutritive value of organically grown cereals intended for animal feeding

Aprovechamiento de residuos de la industria textil para la preparación de telas de carbón activo.

Los residuos generados por la industria textil en España se han cuantificado sobre unas 30.000 Toneladas durante los últimos años. Debido al gran volumen de almacenamiento que necesitan estos residuos, así como la problemática generada por la disponibilidad geográfica, hacen que sea de gran interés el estudio del aprovechamiento de estos materiales, siendo de gran importancia la obtención de materiales carbonosos que poseen originariamente una estructura fibrilar en forma continua, cuya forma presenta características muy interesantes para distintas aplicaciones. En el presente trabajo se muestran los resultados de preparación y caracterización de materiales carbonosos a partir de residuos de la industria textil, usando como materia prima tejidos de algodón, los cuales se activarán químicamente con H3PO4. Las telas de carbón activo obtenidas serán usadas para testar su aplicación como adsorbentes y como materiales para almacenamiento de energía.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Improving the k-Nearest Neighbour Rule by an Evolutionary Voting Approach

This work presents an evolutionary approach to modify the voting system of the k-Nearest Neighbours (kNN). The main novelty of this article lies on the optimization process of voting regardless of the distance of every neighbour. The calculated real-valued vector through the evolutionary process can be seen as the relative contribution of every neighbour to select the label of an unclassified example. We have tested our approach on 30 datasets of the UCI repository and results have been compared with those obtained from other 6 variants of the kNN predictor, resulting in a realistic improvement statistically supported

Identification of key sequence features required for microRNA biogenesis in plants

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs of ∼21 nt that regulate multiple biological pathways in multicellular organisms. They derive from longer transcripts that harbor an imperfect stem-loop structure. In plants, the ribonuclease type III DICER-LIKE1 assisted by accessory proteins cleaves the precursor to release the mature miRNA. Numerous studies highlight the role of the precursor secondary structure during plant miRNA biogenesis; however, little is known about the relevance of the precursor sequence. Here, we analyzed the sequence composition of plant miRNA primary transcripts and found specifically located sequence biases. We show that changes in the identity of specific nucleotides can increase or abolish miRNA biogenesis. Most conspicuously, our analysis revealed that the identity of the nucleotides at unpaired positions of the precursor plays a crucial role during miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis

Evolution of mechanical and optical properties of french fries obtained by hot air-frying

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of frying technique (air-frying and deep oil-frying) and type of pre-treatment (freezing and blanching) on the evolution of mechanical and optical properties of French fries. The results showed that the chromatic parameters, a* and b*, experimented an increase regardless of the frying method. The increase in a* was significantly higher in deep-oil frying as a result of Maillard's reactions. The texture analysis reported a first stage of initial softening related to starch gelatinization followed by a second stage where the maximum force increased due to the gradual formation of a crust, both stages being faster in deep-oil frying. Pre-frozen potatoes presented the highest value of maximum force parameter independent of the type of fryingAuthors would like to thank to the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (PAID-06-09-2876) for the financial support given to this investigation.Heredia Gutiérrez, AB.; Castelló Gómez, ML.; Argüelles Foix, AL.; Andrés Grau, AM. (2014). Evolution of mechanical and optical properties of french fries obtained by hot air-frying. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 57(2):755-760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2014.02.038S75576057

A new regulatory mechanism of protein phosphatase 2A activity via SET in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy. Although novel emerging drugs are available, the overall prognosis remains poor and new therapeutic approaches are required. PP2A phosphatase is a key regulator of cell homeostasis and is recurrently inactivated in AML. The anticancer activity of several PP2A-activating drugs (e.g., FTY720) depends on their interaction with the SET oncoprotein, an endogenous PP2A inhibitor that is overexpressed in 30% of AML cases. Elucidation of SET regulatory mechanisms may therefore provide novel targeted therapies for SET-overexpressing AMLs. Here, we show that upregulation of protein kinase p38 beta is a common event in AML. We provide evidence that p38 beta potentiates SET-mediated PP2A inactivation by two mechanisms: facilitating SET cytoplasmic translocation through CK2 phosphorylation, and directly binding to and stabilizing the SET protein. We demonstrate the importance of this new regulatory mechanism in primary AML cells from patients and in zebrafish xenograft models. Accordingly, combination of the CK2 inhibitor CX-4945, which retains SET in the nucleus, and FTY720, which disrupts the SET-PP2A binding in the cytoplasm, significantly reduces the viability and migration of AML cells. In conclusion, we show that the p38 beta/CK2/SET axis represents a new potential therapeutic pathway in AML patients with SET-dependent PP2A inactivation

Phenotypic, transcriptomic, and genomic features of clonal plasma cells in light-chain amyloidosis

Immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis (AL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are 2 distinct monoclonal gammopathies that involve the same cellular compartment: clonal plasma cells (PCs). Despite the fact that knowledge about MM PC biology has significantly increased in the last decade, the same does not apply for AL. Here, we used an integrative phenotypic, molecular, and genomic approach to study clonal PCs from 24 newly diagnosed patients with AL. Through principal-component-analysis, we demonstrated highly overlapping phenotypic profiles between AL and both monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and MM PCs. However, in contrast to MM, highly purified fluorescence-activated cell-sorted clonal PCs from AL (n = 9) showed almost normal transcriptome, with only 38 deregulated genes vs normal PCs; these included a few tumor-suppressor (CDH1, RCAN) and proapoptotic (GLIPR1, FAS) genes. Notwithstanding, clonal PCs in AL (n=11) were genomically unstable, with a median of 9 copy number alterations (CNAs) per case, many of such CNAs being similar to those found in MM. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) performed in 5 AL patients revealed a median of 15 nonrecurrent mutations per case. Altogether, our results show that in the absence of a unifying mutation by WES, clonal PCs in AL display phenotypic and CNA profiles similar to MM, but their transcriptome is remarkably similar to that of normal PCs

SPX1 is a phosphate-dependent inhibitor of PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1 in Arabidopsis

To cope with growth in low-phosphate (Pi) soils, plants have evolved adaptive responses that involve both developmental and metabolic changes. PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1 (PHR1) and related transcription factors play a central role in the control of Pi starvation responses (PSRs). How Pi levels control PHR1 activity, and thus PSRs, remains to be elucidated. Here, we identify a direct Pi-dependent inhibitor of PHR1 in Arabidopsis, SPX1, a nuclear protein that shares the SPX domain with yeast Pi sensors and with several Pi starvation signaling proteins from plants. Double mutation of SPX1 and of a related gene, SPX2, resulted in molecular and physiological changes indicative of increased PHR1 activity in plants grown in Pi-sufficient conditions or after Pi refeeding of Pi-starved plants but had only a limited effect on PHR1 activity in Pi-starved plants. These data indicate that SPX1 and SPX2 have a cellular Pi-dependent inhibitory effect on PHR1. Coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that the SPX1/PHR1 interaction in planta is highly Pi-dependent. DNA-binding and pull-down assays with bacterially expressed, affinity-purified tagged SPX1 and \u394PHR1 proteins showed that SPX1 is a competitive inhibitor of PHR1 binding to its recognition sequence, and that its efficiency is highly dependent on the presence of Pi or phosphite, a nonmetabolizable Pi analog that can repress PSRs. The relative strength of the SPX1/PHR1 interaction is thus directly influenced by Pi, providing a link between Pi perception and signaling

A Model for the Development of the Rhizobial and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses in Legumes and Its Use to Understand the Roles of Ethylene in the Establishment of these two Symbioses

We propose a model depicting the development of nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Both processes are dissected into many steps, using Pisum sativum L. nodulation mutants as a guideline. For nodulation, we distinguish two main developmental programs, one epidermal and one cortical. Whereas Nod factors alone affect the cortical program, bacteria are required to trigger the epidermal events. We propose that the two programs of the rhizobial symbiosis evolved separately and that, over time, they came to function together. The distinction between these two programs does not exist for arbuscular mycorrhizae development despite events occurring in both root tissues. Mutations that affect both symbioses are restricted to the epidermal program. We propose here sites of action and potential roles for ethylene during the formation of the two symbioses with a specific hypothesis for nodule organogenesis. Assuming the epidermis does not make ethylene, the microsymbionts probably first encounter a regulatory level of ethylene at the epidermis–outermost cortical cell layer interface. Depending on the hormone concentrations there, infection will either progress or be blocked. In the former case, ethylene affects the cortex cytoskeleton, allowing reorganization that facilitates infection; in the latter case, ethylene acts on several enzymes that interfere with infection thread growth, causing it to abort. Throughout this review, the difficulty of generalizing the roles of ethylene is emphasized and numerous examples are given to demonstrate the diversity that exists in plants

Implante hematopoyético de una serie de pacientes movilizados con Plerixafor. Estudio retrospectivo multicéntrico

Poster [PC-256] Introducción: Plerixafor (PLX) es un inhibidor del receptor CXCR4 de probada eficacia en la recolección de PHSP para autotrasplante hematopoyético (TASPE) en pacientes malos movilizadores. Los estudios llevados a cabo hasta la fecha se han centrado mayoritariamente en aspectos referentes a la cinética de movilización (Mx) y rendimiento. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es recoger una amplia experiencia multicéntrica sobre el injerto hematopoyético a corto y medio plazo de pacientes que habían sido movilizados con PLX. Paciente: s y Métodos: Estudiamos retrospectivamente todos los pacientes que recibieron PLX como parte del esquema de movilización de PHSP para TASPE durante los años 2008-18 en siete hospitales de la zona norte; las enfermedades de base fueron: 94 linfomas no Hogdkin, 14 con enfermedad de Hogdkin, 78 mieloma múltiple y 4 con otros diagnósticos. 108 pacientes eran varones (56%) y 82 mujeres (44%). Su edad mediana era 59 años (4-73). Su peso y su altura oscilaron entre 15-134 kg y 106-188 cm, respectivamente. La mediana de líneas de tratamiento de nuestra serie fue de 2 (1-5); veintiún pacientes habían recibido radioterapia extensa y 15 pacientes uno o varios TASPEs previos. El número de intentos de Mx previos osciló entre 0 y 4 (mediana: 1). La pauta de G-CSF empleada fue de 5-10 mcg/kg/12 h durante 1-14 días (mediana: 6 días) y la dosis de PLX fue la recomendada en ficha técnica (0.24mcg/Kg/24horas). En 36 casos (18, 95%) la movilización se realizó en la fase de recuperación tras un ciclo de la quimioterapia de tratamiento. Tabla 1. Características de la serie y empleo de PLX. Resultados: se realizaron un total de 159 TASPEs. El estatus de la hemopatía en el momento del trasplante era remisión completa en el 50% de los casos. En cuanto a los resultados de movilización y colecta, la mediana de sesiones de aféresis requeridas fue de 2, rango (0-5) y la cifra de células CD34+ recolectada fue de 2, 79 (x 106/kg) con un rango entre 0 y 30, 3. Tabla 2. Datos de implante a corto y medio plazo Conclusiones: 1) el empleo de Plerixafor permitió realizar el TASPE en un alto porcentaje de pacientes malos movilizadores; 2) la calidad del injerto a corto y medio plazo de los pacientes autotrasplantados movilizados con PLX fue óptimo en la gran mayoría de los casos; 3) en nuestro conocimiento, esta serie multicéntrica es una de las mayores comunicadas enfocada en la calidad del implante a corto y medio plazo de pacientes malos movilizadores sometidos a TASPE