Controle da podridão cinzenta da maçã por produtos naturais biologicamente ativos

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloBiorend SC (chitosan), BC-1000 EC (grapefruit extract plus bioflavonoids) and ECO-100 SC (bioflavonoids plus organic acids, citric phytoalexins, fatty acids, glycerides and sugars), respectively, suppressed grey rot of apple caused by B. cinerea by 80.1%, 79.0% and 76.5% when used as post-harvest treatments under controlled conditions. When applied as combined pre- and post-harvest treatments Biorend SC inhibited fruit rot by 49.9 %, while BC-1000 EC and ECO-100 SC were ineffective. None of the products inhibited fruit rot when applied as pre-harvest treatments under controlled conditions or as post-harvest treatments under commercial conditions. The algal polysaccharide ulvan used in post-harvest treatments suppressed grey rot by 56.0% under controlled conditions, but had no inhibitory effect on combined pre- and post-harvest treatments. The inability of products to activate defense mechanisms (chitinase and peroxidase) of fruits was consistent with the unsuccessful control of rot by pre-harvest treatment. The results suggest that the natural products used have potential for use in integrated management of Botrytis rot when applied after harvest.Biorend SC (quitosana), BC-1000 EC (extrato de toranja mais flavonóides), e ECO-100 SC (bioflavonóides mais ácidos orgânicos, fitoalexinas cítricas, ácidos graxos glicerídeos e açúcares) inibiram em 80,1%, 79,0% e 76,5%, respectivamente, a podridão causada por Botrytis cinerea quando utilizados no tratamento pós-colheita de frutos de maçã sob condições controladas.Tratamento combinado de Biorend SC, com aplicação tanto em pré como no pós-colheita, proporcionou 49,9% de inibição da podridão, enquanto BC-1000 e ECO-100 EC não foram efetivos. Nenhum desses produtos inibiu a podridão cinzenta, quando utilizados em tratamento de pré-colheita em condições controladas ou em tratamento de pós-colheita em condições comerciais. O polissacarídeo algal ulvana, utilizado nos tratamentos de pós-colheita, reduziu em 56% a podridão cinzenta das maçãs em condições controladas, mas não teve efeito inibitório nos tratamentos combinados de pré e pós-colheita. A incapacidade dos produtos em ativar mecanismos de defesa (quitinases e peroxidases) nos frutos, após o tratamento em pré-colheita, foi consistente com a falta de controle da podridão nesse tipo de ensaio. Pelos resultados, sugere-se que os produtos naturais utilizados apresentam potencial para a utilização no manejo integrado da podridão de Botrytis quando aplicados em pós-colheita.http://ref.scielo.org/kcxb9

Cell viscoelasticity is linked to fluctuations in cell biomass distributions.

The viscoelastic properties of mammalian cells can vary with biological state, such as during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition in cancer, and therefore may serve as a useful physical biomarker. To characterize stiffness, conventional techniques use cell contact or invasive probes and as a result are low throughput, labor intensive, and limited by probe placement. Here, we show that measurements of biomass fluctuations in cells using quantitative phase imaging (QPI) provides a probe-free, contact-free method for quantifying changes in cell viscoelasticity. In particular, QPI measurements reveal a characteristic underdamped response of changes in cell biomass distributions versus time. The effective stiffness and viscosity values extracted from these oscillations in cell biomass distributions correlate with effective cell stiffness and viscosity measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). This result is consistent for multiple cell lines with varying degrees of cytoskeleton disruption and during the EMT. Overall, our study demonstrates that QPI can reproducibly quantify cell viscoelasticity

Design of a flow deflector for an accurate flow meter calibration facility

The design and test of a flow deflector gate used for controlling the flow deviation toward the primary tank in a flow-meter calibration facility is presented. The deflector gate is pneumatically controlled and permits the flow conduction to either the suction tank or to the primary tank. The deflector is designed to approximately compensate the flow deficit towards the primary tank during the opening, with the flow excess while in the shutting process. Numerical simulations are performed to study the flow hydrodynamics during the deflector operation. Results are compared to experimental data, and used to improve the gate design. The enhanced design proved to guarantee the uniformity of the flow through the calibration section and the dramatic reduction of the error in volume measurement during calibration

Design of a large scale flow-meter test and calibration facility

The design and set up of a large-scale flowmeter calibration and test facility is presented. The facility was designed to handle flowmeters with diameters between 6” and 14”, flow rates up to 0.3 m3/s and to give results less than 1% accurate. The calibration methodology consisted firstly in calibrating the pattern flowmeters, using volume and time primary measurements, and secondly, comparing the pattern to the flowmeters needing calibration. The design and calculation of the primary calibration device is addressed, including numerical simulations of the outflow manifold and the comparison to experimental data. The calibration facility proved to be accurate and reliable in producing renewed calibration data for various tested flowmeter

Knowledge Integration and Diffusion: Measures and Mapping of Diversity and Coherence

I present a framework based on the concepts of diversity and coherence for the analysis of knowledge integration and diffusion. Visualisations that help understand insights gained are also introduced. The key novelty offered by this framework compared to previous approaches is the inclusion of cognitive distance (or proximity) between the categories that characterise the body of knowledge under study. I briefly discuss the different methods to map the cognitive dimension

Effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal backgrounds and soils on olive plants growth and water relation properties under well-watered and drought conditions

17 páginas.-- 6 figuras.-- 5 tablas.-- 89 referencias.-- Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher’s web-siteThe adaptation capacity of olive trees to different environments is well recognized. However, the presence of microorganisms in the soil is also a key factor in the response of these trees to drought. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi coming from diverse soils on olive plant growth and water relations. Olive plants were inoculated with native AM fungal populations from two contrasting environments, that is, semi-arid – Freila (FL) and humid – Grazalema (GZ) regions, and subjected to drought stress. Results showed that plants grew better on GZ soil inoculated with GZ fungi, indicating a preference of AM fungi for their corresponding soil. Furthermore, under these conditions, the highest AM fungal diversity was found. However, the highest root hydraulic conductivity (Lp) value was achieved by plants inoculated with GZ fungi and growing in FL soil under drought conditions. So, this AM inoculum also functioned in soils from different origins. Nine novel aquaporin genes were also cloned from olive roots. Diverse correlation and association values were found among different aquaporin expressions and abundances and Lp, indicating how the interaction of different aquaporins may render diverse Lp values.The study was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (Juan de la Cierva Program) and Junta de Andalucía (P10-CVI-5920 project) for research funding.Peer reviewedPeer Reviewe

An evaluation of seismic hazard in La Hispaniola, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake

An evaluation of the seismic hazard in La Hispaniola Island has been carried out, as part of the cooperative project SISMO-HAITI, supported by the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) and developed by several Spanish Universities, the National Observatory of Environment and Vulnerability) ONEV of Haiti, and with contributions from the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) and University Seismological Institute of Dominican Republic (ISU). The study was aimed at obtaining results suitable for seismic design purposes. It started with the elaboration of a seismic catalogue for the Hispaniola Island, requiring an exhaustive revision of data reported by more than 20 seismic agencies, apart from these from the PRSN and ISU. The final catalogue contains 96 historical earthquakes and 1690 instrumental events, and it was homogenized to moment magnitude, Mw. Seismotectonic models proposed for the region were revised and a new regional zonation was proposed, taking into account geological andtectonic data, seismicity, focal mechanisms, and GPS observations. In parallel, attenuation models for subduction and crustal zones were revised in previous projects and the most suitable for the Caribbean plate were selected. Then, a seismic hazard analysis was developed in terms of peak ground acceleration, PGA, and spectral accelerations, SA (T), for periods of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2s, using the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) methodology. As a result, different hazard maps were obtained for the quoted parameters, together with Uniform Hazard Spectra for Port au Prince and the main cities in the country. Hazard deaggregation was also carried out in these towns, for the target motion given by the PGA and SA (1s) obtained for return periods of 475, 975 and 2475 years. Therefore, the controlling earthquakes for short- and long-period target motions were derived. This study was started a few months after the 2010 earthquake, as a response to an aid request from the Haitian government to the UPM, and the results are available for the definition of the first building code in Haiti

Importancia del agua en la hidratación de la población española: documento FESNAD 2010

For any healthy individual, thirst is an appropriate sign to drink water, except for babies, sportsmen, and most of ill and elderly people. In these instances, it is convenient to schedule appropriate times to drink water since great demands and the physiological mechanisms that determine thirst in these situations may condition water unbalances with important consequences for health and the physical and intellectual performance. The human body has a number of mechanisms that allow keeping constant the water content by adjusting intakes and wastes. Water balance is determined by intake (consumed water, beverages, and water contained in foods) and wastes (urine, stools, the skin, and expired air from the lungs). Failure of these mechanisms and subsequent impairments in water balance may produce severe disarrangements that may threaten somebody's life. In the present document, we analyze the evidences regarding the factors conditioning water needs in the different life stages and physiological situations, as well as the consequences of water unbalance under different situations. A proper hydration may be achieved by feeding and the use of water and other liquids. Although water is the beverage by excellence and represents the ideal way of restoring the losses and get hydrated, we should be aware that, from the very beginning, we have sought other liquid sources with hydration properties. In the last decades we have increased the consumption of different beverages, with a proliferation of sugar-containing beverages. Since excessive sugar consumption has been related to obesity and other chronic conditions, it is evident that the use of these caloric beverages should be rationalized, especially in children. In this document all the considerations regarding hydration are presented and different recommendations are expose

General practitioners’ perspectives on campaigns to promote rapid help-seeking behaviour at the onset of rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To explore general practitioners’ (GPs’ ) perspectives on public health campaigns to encourage people with the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to seek medical help rapidly. Design. Nineteen GPs participated in four semistructured focus groups. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results. GPs recognised the need for the early treatment of RA and identified that facilitating appropriate access to care was important. However, not all held the view that a delay in help seeking was a clinically significant issue. Furthermore, many were concerned that the early symptoms of RA were often non-specific, and that current knowledge about the nature of symptoms at disease onset was inadequate to inform the content of a help-seeking campaign. They argued that a campaign might not be able to specifically target those who need to present urgently. Poorly designed campaigns were suggested to have a negative impact on GPs’ workloads, and would “clog up” the referral pathway for genuine cases of RA. Conclusions. GPs were supportive of strategies to improve access to Rheumatological care and increase public awareness of RA symptoms. However, they have identified important issues that need to be considered in developing a public health campaign that forms part of an overall strategy to reduce time to treatment for patients with new onset RA. This study highlights the value of gaining GPs’ perspectives before launching health promotion campaigns