Extracció amb CO2 supercrític. I. Una alternativa als dissolvents per a l'obtenció d'extractes naturals dels aliments

La tècnica d'extracció amb fluids supercrítics a la indústria alimentària i amb CO2 com a dissolvent està plenament establerta, sobretot en processos de descafeïnat de cafè i te, extracció de llúpol, extracció d'aromes i sabors d'espècies i herbes aromàtiques i separació del colesterol de la mantega, la carn i el rovell de l'ou. L'ESC és una tècnica de separació respectuosa amb el medi ambient i pot substituir progressivament molts dels processos d'extracció duts a terme amb uns dissolvents orgànics, que són en general potencialment tòxics, inflamables i tenen un preu elevat. L'ESC presenta un futur encoratjador en processos d'extracció i separació de principis actius de productes naturals pels seus avantatges. Aquesta primera part correspon a les bases teòriques de la nova tècnica d'extracció. En una segona part es presentaran les aplicacions industrials. Aquest article correspon a un resum adaptat d'un treball més complet que ha estat publicat en un review al Food Science and Technology International (octubre 2002), i constitueix el capítol 5 del llibre sobre tecnologies emergents (gener 2003).The extraction technique in the food industry by using supercritical fluids, and with CO2 as solvent, is widely established, especially in caffeine removing from coffee and tea, in the extraction of hops, flavours and fragrances from spices and aromatic herbs, as well as in the separation of cholesterol from butter, meat and egg-yolk. The ESC is an environmental friendly technique and is able to substitute progressively a lot of extraction processes based on organic solvents, which are usually potentially toxic, flammable and expensive.Due to their advantages, ESC shows an encouraging future in the processes of extraction and separation of the active substances in natural products. The present article is an abstracts from the complete job that has been published as a review in FSTI (October 2002) and corresponds to chapter 5 of the book on emergent technologies (January 2003)

Extracció amb CO2 supercrític: II. Aplicacions a la indústria alimentària

La tècnica d'extracció amb fluids supercrítics (ESC) a la indústria alimentària i amb CO2 com a dissolvent està plenament establerta, sobretot en processos de descafeïnat de cafè i te, extracció de llúpol, extracció d'aromes i sabors d'espècies i herbes aromàtiques i separació del colesterol de la mantega, la carn i el rovell de l'ou. L'ESC és una tècnica de separació respectuosa amb el medi ambient i pot substituir progressivament molts dels processos d'extracció realitzats amb dissolvents orgànics, que són en general potencialment tòxics, inflamables i tenen un preu elevat. L'ESC presenta un futur encoratjador en processos d'extracció i separació de principis actius en productes naturals pels seus avantatges. El present article correspon a un resum adaptat del treball complet que ha estat publicat en una revisió al Food Science and Technology International (FSTI) (octubre 2002) i constitueix el capítol 5 del llibre sobre tecnologies emergents (gener 2003).The extraction technique with supercritical fluids at food industries, and with CO2 as a solvent, is fully established, mainly in processes for caffeine extraction in coffee and tea, hops extraction, flavours and fragrances extraction from spices and aromatic herbs, as for cholesterol separation from butter, fats, meat and egg yolk. The SCE is a separation technique that is environmental friendly and can substitute progressively many of the extraction processes that use organic potentially toxic and flammable solvents and have a high cost. SCE shows a pretty good future due to its advantage for extraction and separation processes of active components in natural products. This article corresponds to an adaptation of the original that has been published in a Review at Food Science and Technology International (FSTI) (2002, October) and is the 5th chapter of the book about Emergent Technologies (2003, January)

Use of an Inverse Method for Time Series to Estimate the Dynamics of and Management Strategies for the Box Jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis

14 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, supporting Information https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0137272Frequently, population ecology of marine organisms uses a descriptive approach in which their sizes and densities are plotted over time. This approach has limited usefulness for design strategies in management or modelling different scenarios. Population projection matrix models are among themost widely used tools in ecology. Unfortunately, for the majority of pelagic marine organisms, it is difficult to mark individuals and follow themover time to determine their vital rates and built a population projectionmatrixmodel. Nevertheless, it is possible to get time-series data to calculate size structure and densities of each size, in order to determine the matrix parameters. This approach is known as a “demographic inverse problem” and it is based on quadratic programming methods, but it has rarely been used on aquatic organisms.We used unpublished field data of a population of cubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis to construct a population projection matrix model and compare two different management strategies to lower population to values before year 2008 when there was no significant interaction with bathers. Those strategies were by direct removal of medusae and by reducing prey. Our results showed that removal of jellyfish fromall size classes was more effective than removing only juveniles or adults.When reducing prey, the highest efficiency to lower the C. marsupialis population occurred when prey depletion affected prey of all medusae sizes. Our model fit well with the field data and may serve to design an efficient management strategy or build hypothetical scenarios such as removal of individuals or reducing prey. TThis This sdfsdshis method is applicable to othermarine or terrestrial species, for which density and population structure over time are availableThis research was carried out under contract LIFE 08 NAT ES 0064 (to CB and VLF) cofinanced by the European Commission (www. cubomed.eu), the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, the Dirección General del Agua of the Regional Government of Valencia and the Fundación Biodiversidad. This work was also partially supported by Spanish Ministry of Education and Science co-funded by FEDER This research was carried out under contract LIFE 08 NAT ES 0064 (to CB and VLF) cofinanced by the European Commission (www.cubomed.eu), the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, the Dirección General del Agua of the Regional Government of Valencia and the Fundación Biodiversidad. This work was also partially supported by Spanish Ministry of Education and Science co-funded by FEDERPeer Reviewe

The effects of hurricanes on the stochastic population growth of the endemic epiphytic orchid Broughtonia cubensis living in Cuba

We carried out a posthurricane evaluation of Broughtonia cubensis (Lindl.) Cogn., an endemic Cuban epiphytic orchid, after Hurricane Ivan (2004). We studied the transient responses in the stochastic dynamics of the species at three different sites over 13 successive years (2006–2019), monitored plot inventories (464 individuals in 10 transects) and built stochastic population models. The deterministic stochastic growth rate values (λ) did not significantly differ (F = 2.76; p>0.076) among the three sites over the 2006–2019 period. The long-term stochastic growth rate was λs ¼ 0.973 [0.932, 1.034]. The matrix elements that had the largest effect on λ were the transition to and stasis within the largest size class. Transient responses explained an average of 86% of the variation in the observed population growth rates R2 for rTD vs:robs ð Þ, compared to 4% of the variation in the vital rates R2 for rVR vs:robs ð Þ. Because transient dynamics are dependent on the population size composition, we ran extinction risk analyses under two scenarios: a population composed mainly of juveniles and another composed mainly of adults. There was little risk of falling below the quasi-extinction threshold before 25 year for both juveniles and adults. However, the risk of quasi-extinction was almost certain for both size classes by 80 year. We also simulated the effect of increasing the hurricane occurrence probability over 80 year on the population. There was little risk of extinction before 20 year in the baseline model, but there was a significant risk of extinction within 5 year when 90% of the individuals were affected by a new hurricane event

Growth dynamics of tropical savanna grasses: from individual shoots to plant models

Paper presented at the First Biennial Meeting of the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society in 2002. This paper discusses growth dynamics of tropical savanna grasses from individual shoots to plant models

Bioactive Compounds of Mediterranean Cooked Tomato Sauce (Sofrito) Modulate Intestinal Epithelial Cancer Cell Growth Through Oxidative Stress/Arachidonic Acid Cascade Regulation

Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a low incidence of colorectal cancer, but the specific dietary constituents involved and mechanisms related to these beneficial effects are still sparse. Sofrito, a traditional MD preparation, is a mix of foods characteristics of MD such as tomato, onion, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, which contains many bioactive phenolic compounds and carotenoids. The aim of the present study was to determine the action of these components of sofrito on reactive oxygen species and eicosanoid production as well as the cell growth/cell cycle in adenocarcinoma cell cultures. We observed that hydroxytyrosol, naringenin, naringenin glucuronide, and to a lesser extent lycopene and β-carotene modulate these events in Caco-2 cell cultures. Interestingly, we also found an additive action of these bioactive compounds that could explain these biological actions on concentrations reached after the consumption of a traditional MD

Chronology of recent sedimentary infill of the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary, Argentina

The Inner Río de la Plata Estuary is a sedimentary depositional system that resulted from fuvial-deltaic activity. Gentle Pliocene-Pleistocene slopes make-up the northern side of the estuary whereas small clifs of the same age constitute the southern side. A long coastal estuarine barrier developed at about 6000 years BP when the maximum fooding surface occurred. Attached to this barrier, and at a lower elevation, is a large strandplain (covering an area of about 2400 km2 ) which displays more than 220 beach ridges. In diferent areas, the dating indicates a periodicity of 13.4-13.7 years for the development of each beach ridge. These data are like the periodicity of the ENSO efects, which could be associated with the variability of Sunspots. These ridges were formed shortly after the maximum fooding surface, which was followed by a gradual fall in sea-level that contributed signifcantly to the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary sedimentary infll. In addition, ENSO activities were probably instrumental in the distribution of the main geoforms in the Inner Rio de la Plata Estuary. Small deltas, which were generated by other rivers and creeks such as the Nogoyá Arroyo and the Gualeguay River, developed coevally with the coastal estuarine barrier. The Ibicuy Delta grew in the middle of the inner Río de la Plata Estuary when the former Paraná River fowed northwards during the sea-level fall. The upper part of the delta front was reworked, giving rise to a large dunefeld. Thereafter, a chenier plain developed along with tidal fats. The current Paraná Delta continues to prograde at a rate of about 56-64 m/year (m year−1). The sedimentary infll of the Inner Río de la Plata Estuary occurred along the Holocene

Seguimiento del grado de Ciencias del Mar. Curso 2014-15

Una vez implantado completamente el Grado de Ciencias del Mar en la Universidad de Alicante y a punto de finalizar la segunda promoción, es el momento de revisar el funcionamiento del programa formativo. Por una parte, es necesario continuar con el intenso trabajo de coordinación horizontal y vertical para asegurar la coherencia en contenidos, metodologías, evaluación y guías docentes. Y por otra parte, hay que evaluar si los posibles errores detectados con anterioridad han sido resueltos. Como metodología de trabajo, desde la Facultad de Ciencias se han constituido ocho comisiones de semestre. Cada una de estas comisiones está integrada por un coordinador de semestre, los responsables de las asignaturas de ese semestre, el coordinador del Grado y el/la delegado/a del alumnado. Cada una de estas comisiones se reúne, por lo menos, dos veces por curso. Los resultados de este trabajo permiten la detección de problemas actuales y si las medidas adoptadas han sido útiles para solucionar incidencias pasadas

Análisis pluriescalar de los patrones de distribución espacial del endemisrno alicantino Vella lucentina, MB Crespo (Brassicaceae) e implicaciones sobre su conservación

El análisis de la distribución de los patrones espaciales y de la estructura de las poblaciones en el espacio, es uno de los aspectos clave que se deben considerar en la gestión y conservación de poblaciones de especies vegetales. En el presente estudio se realiza un análisis de la distribución del arbusto endémico estricto de la provincia de Alicante, Vella lucentina, con el fin de obtener información acerca de su biología que favorezca la gestión adecuada de las poblaciones existentes para asegurar su conservación. El estudio contempla dos escalas espaciales. En primer lugar, en la escala regional, se analiza la estructura metapoblacional de la especie dentro de la Provincia de Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana). En segundo lugar, el análisis en una escala local permite apreciar la existencia de discontinuidades en la densidad de los individuos dentro de una misma población, en función de las coberturas de suelo.Spatial pattern in plant populations is a key topic in conservation ecology of rare plants. We analyse distribution patterns of rare, endemic shrub Vella lucentina in semi-arid southeastern Spain at macro and mesoescale. Macroescale analysis show a metapopulation pattern whereas mesoescale analyses indicate discontinuities between plant densities related to landuses. In addition these results can offer a conceptual framework for the population management and the conservation of the species

Seguimiento y diseño de una actividad interuniversitaria en el grado de Ciencias del Mar para mejorar las prácticas docentes

El grado de Ciencias del Mar ha seguido, en los últimos cursos académicos, un proceso exhaustivo de seguimiento a través del uso de las comisiones de semestre (8 para todo el grado) en las que se ha favorecido la puesta en común, entre el profesorado y las/los responsables del alumnado, de las fortalezas y debilidades observadas en las diferentes asignaturas de cada semestre, así como la propuesta de actividades que impulsarían la calidad docente. El seguimiento ha permitido mejorar la coherencia tanto en la distribución de contenidos como en las metodologías docentes y de evaluación, así como facilitar una coordinación vertical entre materias de diferentes cursos. Las mejoras propuestas podrán servir, por tanto, como punto de partida para las futuras revisiones del grado. Adicionalmente, la firma de un convenio marco con la Universidad de Vigo, por el que se comprometían a intercambiar experiencias y personal en los campos de la docencia, la investigación y la cultura en general, dentro de las áreas que comportan un interés manifiesto, ha permitido al profesorado, coordinado por el centro, el diseño una actividad interuniversitaria transversal para las asignaturas del segundo semestre de segundo curso, que se incorporará a las fichas UA del grado para el curso 2015-16. Entre las modalidades de colaboración se incluye el intercambio, por tiempo limitado, de estudiantes, profesores e investigadores. Aunque la actividad interunivesitaria que se ha diseñado, bajo el marco de este convenio, se ha planificado para el segundo semestre del segundo curso se espera que, en el futuro, pueda extenderse a otros cursos y/u otras universidades