Effects of polysaccharide-based edible coatings enriched with dietary fiber on quality attributes of fresh-cut apples

Little information is available regarding the incorporation of dietary fiber into edible films and coatings. In this work, apple fiber and inulin were incorporated into polysaccharide-based (alginate, pectine and gellan gum) edible coating formulations and their effects on the quality attributes of fresh-cut apples were evaluated. Antioxidant properties, color, firmness, sensory quality and microbial growth of fresh-cut apple were studied during 16 days of storage at 4 A degrees C. Results show that dietary fiber extracts incorporated to gellan gum, pectin and alginate-based coatings together with calcium chloride and ascorbic acid successfully maintained the firmness and color of coated fresh-cut apples in comparison with uncoated control samples, which presented severe texture softening and browning. The firmness of apple pieces coated with polysaccharide-based coating formulations incorporating apple fiber doubled, and sometimes tripled, that of uncoated samples. Any of the assayed coatings exhibited a positive effect on the sensory properties of fresh-cut apples. The incorporation of apple fiber, together with the use of ascorbic acid, contributed to keep the antioxidant potential of the fruit at least during the first week of storage. Furthermore, gellan gum coatings had a marked effect in reducing mesophilic and psychrophilic counts on fresh-cut apples throughout storage regardless the addition of dietary fibers. The results achieved demonstrate the feasibility of the addition of dietary fiber to edible coating formulations for increasing the nutritional value of fresh-cut apples without compromising their fresh-like quality attributes.This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, Argentina) and by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the project AGL2010-21572. An ICREA Academia Award is also acknowledged

Diseño e implementación de medios de laboratorio para contribuir al proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje en el área de Instrumentación Industrial

This paper presents a pilot plant for academic purpose. FESTO methodology was used as a reference for its design and implementation. It simulates an industrial process described as: water tank filling, water heating, tank pressurization and depressurization and finally water discharged, all of them automatically. A SCADA system implemented using LabVIEWTM was designed to interact with the user. In addition it counts with a security system in order to avoid person and equipment damage during the experiments. As a lab tool this plant illustrates an industrial facility, while providing the opportunity to practice subjects as: G programming for industrial applications, use of industrial instruments and process modeling.  It had been installed in a lab facility, and its performance was successfully tested.   Keywords: learning, instrumentation, G programmingEste artículo presenta el diseño e implementación de una planta piloto para propósitos académicos. La planta se diseñó siguiendo la metodología expuesta por FESTO Didactic e implementa el proceso de llenado, calentado, presurización, descompresión y descarga de un tanque con agua, de forma automática. Cuenta con un sistema de seguridad (sistema centinela) que lleva a cabo funciones de control sobre las variables críticas del proceso y un sistema SCADA implementado bajo la plataforma LabVIEWTM. La planta piloto facilita la adquisición de conocimientos en: programación gráfica para aplicaciones industriales, instrumentación industrial y modelaje de procesos. Familiariza a los estudiantes con las normas, metodologías y terminologías utilizadas en el ambiente industrial. Finalmente, se instaló en un local de laboratorio y sus métricas de desempeño fueron probadas satisfactoriamente.   Palabras claves: aprendizaje, instrumentación, programación grafic

Cunning defects: Emission control by structural point defects on Cu(i)I double chain coordination polymers

The following version is an accepted manuscript in Journal of Materials Chemistry C 8.4 (2020): 1448-1458 and may be found at ttps://doi.org/10.1039/C9TC05185FThe direct reaction between CuI and 3,5-dichloropyridine, in acetonitrile at room temperature, gives rise to [Cu(Cl2-py)I]n (Cl2-py = 3,5-dichloropyridine), which consists of a Cu(i)-I double chain based coordination polymer (CP) grafted with 3,5-dichloropyridine. In this simple one-pot process, the modulation of the reaction conditions, i.e. slight variations in the CuI and Cl2-py ratio caused by in situ disproportion, can, however, produce significant changes in the physical properties of the materials. For instance, the reaction carried out in a 1 : 1 ratio under ambient conditions leads to compound 1, while compound 1′ is obtained upon a solvothermal process of stoichiometric reaction mixture, Cl2-py and CuI, which produces partial disproportion (<0.5% in weight) of the initial Cu(i). Interestingly, compounds 1 and 1′ show an identical chemical composition and structure as determined by both single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. However, they display remarkable differences in the luminescence behavior, featuring broad emission bands centered at 515 and 670 nm and associated to photoluminescence quantum yields of 12 and 5% for 1 and 1′, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations allowed us to rationalize the nature of this rare behavior. This is attributed to structural defects related to the weaker coordination bond present in these structures that provoke the strong red-shifted emissionThe authors thank financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economıa y Competitividad (MAT2016-77608-C3-1-P, MAT2016-75883-C2-2-P, MAT2010-20843-C02-01, CTQ2016-75816- C2-1P, MAT2016-75586-C4-4-P) and by EU-FEDER funds. JGP thanks to Servicios Generales de Apoyo a la Investigacion (SEGAI) at La Laguna University. J. I. M. acknowledges the financial support by the ‘‘Ramo´n y Cajal’’ Program of MINECO (Grant RYC-2015- 17730) and the EU via the ERC-Synergy Program (Grant ERC-2013- SYG-610256 NANOCOSMOS). J. C. E. acknowledges the financialsupport by the ‘‘FPI-MINECO’’ Program of MINECO (Grant BES2015-071534). R. D. C. acknowledges the program ‘‘Ayudas para la atraccio´n de talento investigador—Modalidad 1 of the Consejerı´a de Educacio´n, Juventud y Deporte—Comunidad de Madrid with the Reference No. 2016-T1/IND-1463.’’, Spanish MINECO for the Ramo´n y Cajal program (RYC-2016-20891), the Europa Excelencia program (ERC2019-092825), and HYNANOSC (RTI2018-099504-A-C22). R. D. C. also acknowledges the 2018 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators from BBVA Foundation and the FOTOART-CM project funded by Madrid region under programm P2018/NMT-4367. J. F.-C. acknowledges the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017). This paper is dedicated to Dmitri Mendele´yev in honour of the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the periodic tabl

Thermorheological and textural behaviour of gluten-free gels obtained from chestnut and rice flours

Nowadays, as celiac disease is becoming more common the consumers’ demand for gluten-free products with high nutritional and taste quality is increasing. This work deals with the study of the impact of four novelty gluten-free sources: chestnut flour (Cf), whole rice flour (Rw), Carolino rice flour (Rc) and Agulha rice flour (Ra). Textural, thermorheological and stability performance of gluten-free gels using different experimental techniques were evaluated. Mixed gels were also produced for comparison. Texture parameters were determined from the texture profile analysis using a texturometer. Thermorheological oscillatory measurements were conducted in a stresscontrolled rheometer in order to clarify the kinetics of gel formation and to characterise the structure of the matured gels. The stability of the gels was evaluated using transmittance profiling of the gels under gravitational fields (LUMiSizer®). Texture studies suggested that gels from mixtures of chestnut flour at 30 % and rice flour at 20 % showed the right texture to develop gel-based new desserts. Rheological results showed that the thermal profiles on heating of Cf gels were similar to those obtained for Rw and Ra, whereas Rc gels exhibited a particular pattern. Once the final gelatinisation temperature was achieved, no significant differences on the viscoelastic properties were noticed for all the tested gels. Stability tests showed that gels with Rc should present an industrial advantage over the other assayed formulations, since the stability of these gels is of the order of four times larger

A functional definition to distinguish ponds from lakes and wetlands

Ponds are often identified by their small size and shallow depths, but the lack of a universal evidence-based definition hampers science and weakens legal protection. Here, we compile existing pond definitions, compare ecosystem metrics (e.g., metabolism, nutrient concentrations, and gas fluxes) among ponds, wetlands, and lakes, and propose an evidence-based pond definition. Compiled definitions often mentioned surface area and depth, but were largely qualitative and variable. Government legislation rarely defined ponds, despite commonly using the term. Ponds, as defined in published studies, varied in origin and hydroperiod and were often distinct from lakes and wetlands in water chemistry. We also compared how ecosystem metrics related to three variables often seen in waterbody definitions: waterbody size, maximum depth, and emergent vegetation cover. Most ecosystem metrics (e.g., water chemistry, gas fluxes, and metabolism) exhibited nonlinear relationships with these variables, with average threshold changes at 3.7 ± 1.8 ha (median: 1.5 ha) in surface area, 5.8 ± 2.5 m (median: 5.2 m) in depth, and 13.4 ± 6.3% (median: 8.2%) emergent vegetation cover. We use this evidence and prior definitions to define ponds as waterbodies that are small (< 5 ha), shallow (< 5 m), with < 30% emergent vegetation and we highlight areas for further study near these boundaries. This definition will inform the science, policy, and management of globally abundant and ecologically significant pond ecosystems.Fil: Richardson, David C.. State University of New York at New Paltz; Estados UnidosFil: Holgerson, Meredith A.. Cornell University; Estados UnidosFil: Farragher, Matthew J.. University of Maine; Estados UnidosFil: Hoffman, Kathryn K.. No especifíca;Fil: King, Katelyn B. S.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Alfonso, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Andersen, Mikkel R.. No especifíca;Fil: Cheruveil, Kendra Spence. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Coleman, Kristen A.. University of York; Reino UnidoFil: Farruggia, Mary Jade. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Fernandez, Rocio Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Hondula, Kelly L.. No especifíca;Fil: López Moreira Mazacotte, Gregorio A.. Leibniz - Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; AlemaniaFil: Paul, Katherine. No especifíca;Fil: Peierls, Benjamin L.. No especifíca;Fil: Rabaey, Joseph S.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Sadro, Steven. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Sánchez, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Smyth, Robyn L.. No especifíca;Fil: Sweetman, Jon N.. State University of Pennsylvania; Estados Unido

Occurrence of Squash yellow mild mottle virus and Pepper golden mosaic virus in Potential New Hosts in Costa Rica

Leaf samples of Solanum lycopersicum, Capsicum annuum, Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo, Sechium edule and Erythrina spp. were collected. All samples were positive for begomoviruses using polymerase chain reaction and degenerate primers. A sequence of ~1,100 bp was obtained from the genomic component DNA-A of 14 samples. In addition, one sequence of ~580 bp corresponding to the coat protein (AV1) was obtained from a chayote (S. edule) leaf sample. The presence of Squash yellow mild mottle virus (SYMMoV) and Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV) were confirmed. The host range reported for SYMMoV includes species of the Cucurbitaceae, Caricaceae and Fabaceae families. This report extends the host range of SYMMoV to include the Solanaceae family, and extends the host range of PepGMV to include C. moschata, C. pepo and the Fabaceae Erythrina spp. This is the first report of a begomovirus (PepGMV) infecting chayote in the Western Hemisphere.Consejo Nacional para Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas/[]/CONICIT/Costa RicaMinisterio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones/[]/MICITT/Costa RicaFondo Especial de Educación Superior/[]/FEES/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Facultad de Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Escuela de AgronomíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biologí

Chagas Cardiomiopathy: The Potential of Diastolic Dysfunction and Brain Natriuretic Peptide in the Early Identification of Cardiac Damage

Chagas disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in several countries of Latin America and has become a potential public health problem in countries where the disease is not endemic as a result of migration flows. Cardiac involvement represents the main cause of mortality, but its diagnosis is still based on nonspecific criteria with poor sensitivity. Early identification of patients with cardiac damage is desirable, since early treatment may improve prognosis. Diastolic dysfunction and elevated brain natriuretic peptide levels are present in different cardiomyopathies and in advanced phases of Chagas disease. However, there are scarce data about the role of these parameters in earlier forms of the disease. We conducted a study to assess the diastolic function, regional systolic abnormalities and brain natriuretic peptide levels in the different forms of Chagas disease. The main finding of our investigation is that diastolic dysfunction occurs before any cardiac dilatation or motion abnormality. In addition, BNP levels identify patients with diastolic dysfunction and Chagas disease with high specificity. The results reported in this study could help to early diagnose myocardial involvement and better stratify patients with Chagas disease

Nutrient supply does play a role on the structure of marine picophytoplankton communities

Conference communicationThe Margalef´s mandala (1978) is a simplified bottom-up control model that explains how mixing and nutrient concentration determine the composition of marine phytoplankton communities. Due to the difficulties of measuring turbulence in the field, previous attempts to verify this model have applied different proxies for nutrient supply, and very often used interchangeably the terms mixing and stratification. Moreover, because the mandala was conceived before the discovery of smaller phytoplankton groups (picoplankton <2 µm), it describes only the succession of vegetative phases of microplankton. In order to test the applicability of the classical mandala to picoplankton groups, we used a multidisciplinary approach including specifically designed field observations supported by remote sensing, database analyses, and modeling and laboratory chemostat experiments. Simultaneous estimates of nitrate diffusive fluxes, derived from microturbulence observations, and picoplankton abundance collected in more than 200 stations, spanning widely different hydrographic regimes, showed that the contribution of eukaryotes to picoautotrophic biomass increases with nutrient supply, whereas that of picocyanobacteria shows the opposite trend. These findings were supported by laboratory and modeling chemostat experiments that reproduced the competitive dynamics between picoeukaryote sand picocyanobacteria as a function of changing nutrient supply. Our results indicate that nutrient supply controls the distribution of picoplankton functional groups in the ocean, further supporting the model proposed by Margalef.Spanish Governmen

Risk of cancer in family members of patients with lynch-like syndrome

Lynch syndrome (LS) is a common cause of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC). Some CRC patients develop mismatch repair deficiency without germline pathogenic mutation, known as Lynch-like syndrome (LLS). We compared the risk of CRC in first-degree relatives (FDRs) in LLS and LS patients. LLS was diagnosed when tumors showed immunohistochemical loss of MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2; or loss of MLH1 with BRAF wild type; and/or no MLH1 methylation and absence of pathogenic mutation in these genes. CRC and other LS-related neoplasms were followed in patients diagnosed with LS and LLS and among their FDRs. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for CRC and other neoplasms associated with LS among FDRs of LS and LLS patients. In total, 205 LS (1205 FDRs) and 131 LLS families (698 FDRs) had complete pedigrees. FDRs of patients with LLS had a high incidence of CRC (SIR, 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.56-2.71), which was significantly lower than that in FDRs of patients with LS (SIR, 4.25; 95% CI, 3.67-4.90; p < 0.001). The risk of developing other neoplasms associated with LS also increased among FDR of LLS patients (SIR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.44-2.80) but was lower than that among FDR of patients with LS (SIR, 5.01, 95% CI, 4.26-5.84; p < 0.001). FDRs with LLS have an increased risk of developing CRC as well as LS-related neoplasms, although this risk is lower than that of families with LS. Thus, their management should take into account this increased risk