Synergism between potassium sorbate dips and brief exposure to high CO2 or O-2 at curing temperature for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds

Synergistic effects and very effective control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds, caused by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum, respectively, were observed on artificially inoculated ‘Valencia’ oranges and ‘Clemenules’ and ‘Ortanique’ mandarins after a potassium sorbate (PS) treatment was followed by 2 days of storage in atmospheres of elevated CO2 or O2 at a curing temperature. A combined treatment consisting of 60-s dips in aqueous solutions of 3% PS heated to 62 °C was followed by 48-h exposure to air, 15 kPa CO2 or 30 kPa O2 at 33 °C. Control treatment was a 60-s water dip at 20 °C followed by 24-h exposure to air at 20 °C. Synergism was observed on citrus fruit either incubated at 20 °C for up to 22 days, simulating direct commercialization, or stored at 5 °C for up to 45 days, simulating commercial cold storage. This research offers potential new tools to the citrus industry for implementation of nonpolluting integrated postharvest disease management programs, especially devoted to high added value organic markets or export markets with zero residue tolerance

Evaluation of sodium benzoate and other food additives for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue molds

The curative activity of the food additives dehydroacetic acid, dimethyl dicarbonate, ethylene diamine tetracetic acid, sodium acetate, and sodium benzoate (SB) was tested in in vivo preliminary screenings against green and blue molds on citrus fruit artificially inoculated 24 h before with Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum, respectively. SB was the most effective compound and it was further tested in trials simulating postharvest industrial applications. Dip treatments for 60 s with 3% (w/v) SB heated above 50 °C resulted in about 90% reduction of green and blue mold incidence on ‘Valencia’ oranges inoculated, treated, and incubated at 20 °C and 90% RH for 7 days. This treatment was also effective on ‘Lanelate’ oranges, ‘Fino’ lemons and ‘Ortanique’ mandarins, but not on ‘Clemenules’ mandarins. Heated solutions combining SB with low doses (25 or 50 μL L−1) of the fungicide imazalil (IMZ) were synergistic and greatly improved the efficacy of stand-alone treatments. On ‘Valencia’ oranges stored for 8 weeks at 5 °C followed by 7 days of shelf-life at 20 °C, this combination reduced the incidence of green and blue molds almost by 100%. It was found in additional trials to test the preventive activity that 3% SB dips at 50 °C for 60 s did not reduce green mold on ‘Valencia’ oranges treated, inoculated with P. digitatum 24 h later, and incubated at 20 °C for 7 days. It can be concluded from this work that heated SB aqueous solutions might be in the future an interesting nonpolluting disease control alternative for the commercialization of citrus in markets with zero tolerance to fungicide residues

Antifungal activity of sodium propylparaben alone or in combination with low doses of imazalil against Penicillium decay on citrus fruit

The performance of postharvest treatments with sodium propylparaben (SPP), alone or combined with low doses of the fungicide imazalil (IMZ), against citrus green (GM) and blue (BM) molds was evaluated on several citrus species and cultivars artificially inoculated with Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum, respectively, and incubated at 20 °C or cold-stored at 5 °C. Effectiveness of 100 mM SPP dips at 20 °C for 60 s was higher on oranges than on mandarins, with GM and BM incidence reductions of up to 60–90 % after 7 days at 20 °C. Irrespective of citrus cultivar and storage condition, SPP generally improved the curative action of 25 μl l−1 IMZ to control Penicillium molds. In additional tests, 100 mM SPP dips at 20 °C for 60 s only prevented GM on ‘Valencia’ oranges inoculated 24 h after treatment when combined with IMZ. It can be concluded that postharvest SPP treatments show promise as an effective alternative to be considered in citrus postharvest disease control programs

On-line UV-C prototype for postharvest antifungal treatment of citrus fruits

Synthetic fungicides used for postharvest treatment of citrus fruits are considered by consumers as a risk to human health and environment and alternatives to these chemicals that leave no residue on fruit are increasingly demanded. UV-C light irradiation is a clean and safe technology that when applied at the right doses may induce fruit resistance to postharvest diseases, reducing the need for chemical treatments. The objective of present study was to evaluate the preventive effect of UV-C light treatments against citrus postharvest green mould caused by the pathogen Penicillium digitatum. For this purpose, ‘Lanelate’ oranges and ‘Ortanique’ mandarins were puncture-injured in one side of the equatorial zone, treated with UV-C light at doses of 2.5 or 5 kJ/m2 and held at 20ºC and 90% RH for 6 days before inoculation with P. digitatum at 103 or 104 spores/ml. Control fruit was inoculated but not treated. Four replicates of 10 fruit each were used for each treatment. A new UV-C reactor prototype was used for postharvest treatment of citrus fruits. This prototype was able to treat the fruit while rolling, therefore exposing the surface of the fruit more homogeneously to UV-C light. The reactor, assembled on a commercial 3-m long roller conveyor, consisted of three low pressure 55-W mercury-vapour lamps, mounted on an aluminium frame placed 16 cm above the conveyor belt. UV-C average power supplied by the lamps at 6 cm above the conveyor belt was 5 mW/cm2. In order to regulate the flow rate and thus the UV-C exposure dose, the speed of the conveyor belt was set to provide a treatment time from 25 s to 2 min, which yielded a UV-C light dose from 2.25 to 5 kJ/m2, respectively. The number of infected fruit (disease incidence) as well as the diameter of the lesion (disease severity) and the percentage of fruit showing sporulated lesions (pathogen sporulation) were assessed after 3 and 7 days of incubation at 20ºC. Green mould incidence on ‘Lanelate’ oranges treated with a UV-C dose of 5 kJ/m2 was 64 and 42% lower than on control fruit after 3 and 7 days of incubation, respectively. Pathogen sporulation was 70 and 45% lower than on control fruit after these incubation periods. Disease severity was not significantly affected by UV-C treatments. On ‘Ortanique’ mandarins, treatments with UV-C light at 2.5 kJ/m2 reduced green mould incidence by 56% compared to non-treated fruit after 7 days of incubation. However, disease incidence and pathogen sporulation on ‘Ortanique’ mandarins treated with UV-C light at 5 kJ/m2 were similar to those on control fruit. In this case, although no rind damage was observed at the naked eye, UV-C light application probably resulted on slight phytotoxicity that counteracted the resistance induction. It can be concluded from these experiments that the election of the right UV-C dose was essential for the suitability of the treatments

Recensiones [Revista de Historia Económica Año VII Invierno 1989 n. 1 pp. 219-253]

Linda Newson. The Cost Of Conquest. Indian decline in Honduras under the Spanish rule e Indian survival in colonial Nicaragua (Por Pedro Pérez Herrero).-- Pedro Rodríguez Campomanes. Reflexiones sobre el comercio español a Indias. (Por Luis Perdices Blas).-- Josep Fontana y otros. El comercio libre entre España y América Latina, 1765- 1824 (Por Andrés José Moreno Mengíbar).-- David-Sven Reher. Familia, población y sociedad en la provincia de Cuenca, 1700- 1970 (Por Concepción De Castro).-- Harvey J. Graff. The labyrinths of literacy. Reflections on literacy past and present (Por Clara E. Núñez).-- Bernard Elbaum y William Lazonick (Eds.) The decline of the Brittish Economy (Por Antonio F. Cubel Montesinos).-- Antonio Gómez Mendoza. Ferrocarril y mercado interior, Vol. 1: cereales, harinas y vinos, y Vol. 2: Manufacturas textiles, materias textiles, minerales, combustibles y metales (Por James Simpson).-- Carmen Sanchís Deusa. El transporte en el País Valenciano. Carreteras y ferrocarriles (Por Javier Vidal Olivares).-- José Manuel Naredo. La economía en evolución. Historia y perspectivas de las categorías básicas del pensamiento Eeconómico (Por Manuel Santos Redondo).-- Roger Backhouse. Historia del análisis económico moderno (Por Fernando Méndez Ibisate).-- William N. Parker (Ed.). Economic History and the modern economist (Por Gabriel Tortella)Publicad

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research