Evaluación del medidor no destructivo de firmeza Sincliar iQ: comparación con medidas estándar

Aunque los centros de manipulación de frutas demandan sensores no destructivos de firmeza, siguen empleando en sus transacciones comerciales los valores tradicionales de las medidas de penetración Magness-Taylor. En este trabajo se han ensayado 360 melocotones de tres variedades (Ruby Rich. Rich Lady y Caterina) y se ha medido su tirmesa de torma no destructiva y destructiva. Se eligió como equipo no destructivo el sistema Sinclair ¡Q™ de sobremesa y se comparó con los métodos tradicionales destructivos, como la penetración o la compresión con bola, realizados en un texturómetro. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las medidas realizadas con el equipo Sinclair son más repetibles, y que el "valor iQ" es capaz de clasificar los melocotones en tres clases de dureza táctil de torma más acertada (75%) que la tuerza máxima de penetración (65%)

Dioctofimosis: presentación de un caso clínico

La dioctofimosis es una helmintiasis producida por el nemátode Dioctophyma renale (Goeze, 1782). Afecta a diversos mamíferos domésticos y silvestres, principalmente a los carnívoros. Este parásito se localiza principalmente en el riñón derecho, aunque puede tener otras localizaciones erráticas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir un caso de dioctofimosis renal y extra renal en un canino de la localidad de Recreo (Santa Fe, Argentina). El examen microscópico del sedimento urinario del paciente evidencio numerosos huevos D. renale. Mediante estudio ecográfico se confirmó la presencia de adultos en el riñón derecho como en cavidad abdominal. Se destaca la bondad que ofrece este método complementario en el diagnóstico de dioctofimosis renal como extra renal, ya que permitiría detectar la presencia de parásitos en aquellos animales con sedimento urinario negativo.Fil: Ruiz, Marcelo Fabián. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Cs.veterinarias. Departamento de Clinicas; ArgentinaFil: Zimmermann, R.N.. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Cs.veterinarias. Departamento de Clinicas; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, Fabián Oscar. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Cs.veterinarias. Departamento de Clinicas; ArgentinaFil: Stassi, Antonela Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Cs.veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Forti, M.S.. Profesional Independiente. Especialista en Salud de loa Animales de Compañía.; Argentin

Effect of palladium on gold in core-shell catalyst for electrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium

In this paper the effect of small amounts of palladium deposited on gold nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (core-shell structure denoted Au@Pd/C) is studied. Different nominal atomic compositional ratios of Au@Pdx maintaining fixed gold nuclei and varying the amount of palladium (x = 0.10; 0.80 and 1.60) were synthesized via seed growth method for the ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium. UV–Vis spectrometric, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements were performed for the characterization of these catalysts. Electrocatalytic activity toward ethanol oxidation on Au@Pd/C catalysts were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry showed that [email protected]/C electrocatalyst has the highest current density and low onset potential for ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium. In-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements demonstrated that acetate is the main product of ethanol oxidation and CO2 can be slightest observed, the latter could be visualized in greater quantity on catalyst [email protected]/C catalyst

S\uedntesis Enzim\ue1tica de Oligosac\ue1ridos y Glicoconjugados de Inter\ue9s Terape\ufatico

Los glicoconjugados presentes en las membranas celulares desempe\uf1an un papel muy importante en los procesos de reconocimiento y comunicaci\uf3n celular a trav\ue9s de su interacci\uf3n con diversas prote\uednas y carbohidratos espec\uedficos. Por otra parte, estos oligosac\ue1ridos se pueden comportar como puntos de anclaje de diferentes bacterias y part\uedculas virales. Para prevenir este primer contacto es necesario disponer de an\ue1logos de elevada pureza que inhiban los procesos de adhesi\uf3n de organismo pat\uf3genos. Esta necesidad, y la dificultad de obtener estos compuestos puros de sus fuentes naturales, ha hecho que en los \ufaltimos a\uf1os se haya realizado un gran avance en el desarrollado de aproximaciones qu\uedmicas y enzim\ue1ticas para la s\uedntesis de estos compuestos. En este sentido, la metodolog\ueda enzim\ue1tica se presenta como una buena alternativa para la s\uedntesis de oligosac\ue1rido. Hay dos grupos principales de enzimas que se emplean en la s\uedntesis de oligosac\ue1ridos y glicocojugados: glidosidasas y lipasas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es obtener ologosac\ue1ridos y glicoconjugados de inter\ue9s terap\ue9utico mediante procesos biotecnol\uf3gicos. Para ello se ha utilizado dos tipos de enzimas; glicosidasas y lipasas en forma libre e inmovilizada

Black hole thermodynamical entropy

As early as 1902, Gibbs pointed out that systems whose partition function diverges, e.g. gravitation, lie outside the validity of the Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) theory. Consistently, since the pioneering Bekenstein-Hawking results, physically meaningful evidence (e.g., the holographic principle) has accumulated that the BG entropy $S_{BG}$ of a $(3+1)$ black hole is proportional to its area $L^2$ ($L$ being a characteristic linear length), and not to its volume $L^3$. Similarly it exists the \emph{area law}, so named because, for a wide class of strongly quantum-entangled $d$-dimensional systems, $S_{BG}$ is proportional to $\ln L$ if $d=1$, and to $L^{d-1}$ if $d>1$, instead of being proportional to $L^d$ ($d \ge 1$). These results violate the extensivity of the thermodynamical entropy of a $d$-dimensional system. This thermodynamical inconsistency disappears if we realize that the thermodynamical entropy of such nonstandard systems is \emph{not} to be identified with the BG {\it additive} entropy but with appropriately generalized {\it nonadditive} entropies. Indeed, the celebrated usefulness of the BG entropy is founded on hypothesis such as relatively weak probabilistic correlations (and their connections to ergodicity, which by no means can be assumed as a general rule of nature). Here we introduce a generalized entropy which, for the Schwarzschild black hole and the area law, can solve the thermodynamic puzzle.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in EPJ

Assessment of RGB vegetation indices to estimate chlorophyll content in sugar beet leaves in the final cultivation stage

Estimation of chlorophyll content with portable meters is an easy way to quantify crop nitrogen status in sugar beet leaves. In this work, an alternative for chlorophyll content estimation using RGB-only vegetation indices has been explored. In a first step, pictures of spring-sown ‘Fernanda KWS’ variety sugar beet leaves taken with a commercial camera were used to calculate 25 RGB indices reported in the literature and to obtain 9 new indices through principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise linear regression (SLR) techniques. The performance of the 34 indices was examined in order to evaluate their ability to estimate chlorophyll content and chlorophyll degradation in the leaves under different natural light conditions along 4 days of the canopy senescence period. Two of the new proposed RGB indices were found to improve the already good performance of the indices reported in the literature, particularly for leaves featuring low chlorophyll contents. The 4 best indices were finally tested in field conditions, using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-taken photographs of a sugar beet plot, finding a reasonably good agreement with chlorophyll-meter data for all indices, in particular for I2 and (R−B)/(R+G+B). Consequently, the suggested RGB indices may hold promise for inexpensive chlorophyll estimation in sugar beet leaves during the harvest time, although a direct relationship with nitrogen status still needs to be validated

Sugar beet agronomic performance evolution in NW Spain in future scenarios of climate change

Changes in environmental conditions resulting from Climate Change are expected to have a major impact on crops. In order to foresee adaptation measures and to minimize yield decline, it is necessary to estimate the effect of those changes on the evapotranspiration and on the associated irrigation needs of crops. In the study presented herein, future conditions extracted from RCP4.5 scenario of IPCC, particularized for Castilla-y-León (Spain), were used as inputs for FAO crop simulation model (AquaCrop) to estimate sugar beet agronomic performance in the medium-term (2050 and 2070). A regional analysis of future trends in terms of yield, biomass and CO2 sequestration was carried out. An annual ET0 increase of up to 200 mm was estimated in 2050 and 2070 scenarios, with ETc increases of up to 40 mm/month. At current irrigation levels, temperature rise would be accompanied by a 9% decrease in yield and a ca. 6% decrease in assimilated CO2 in the 2050 and 2070 scenarios. However, it is also shown that the implementation of adequate adaptation measures, in combination with a more efficient irrigation management, may result in up to 17% higher yields and in the storage of between 9% and 13% higher amounts of CO2

COMPES: Autoinforme sobre las competencias básicas relacionadas con la evaluación de los estudiantes universitarios

La evaluación ha recorrido un extenso trayecto hasta el actual enfoque sostenible, convirtiéndose en una práctica que relaciona evaluación y aprendizaje de forma prospectiva. Desde este marco, el objetivo que nos proponemos es el diseño y validación aparente y de contenido de un instrumento para valorar el nivel competencial percibido por los estudiantes universitarios sobre el desarrollo de sus competencias básicas. El proceso implementado, gradual y participative, ha sido la validación por jueces y un estudio piloto. Finalmente, se han identificado 37 actuaciones en 10 competencias básicas relacionadas con la evaluación sostenible que han supuesto la base del Autoinforme COMPE

Upper and Lower Limits on Neutralino WIMP Mass and Spin--Independent Scattering Cross Section, and Impact of New (g-2)_{mu} Measurement

We derive the allowed ranges of the spin--independent interaction cross section \sigsip for the elastic scattering of neutralinos on proton for wide ranges of parameters of the general Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We investigate the effects of the lower limits on Higgs and superpartner masses from colliders, as well as the impact of constraints from \bsgamma and the new measurement of \gmtwo on the upper and lower limits on \sigsip. We further explore the impact of the neutralino relic density, including coannihilation, and of theoretical assumptions about the largest allowed values of the supersymmetric parameters. For $\mu>0$, requiring the latter to lie below 1\tev leads to \sigsip\gsim 10^{-11}\pb at \mchi\sim100\gev and \sigsip\gsim 10^{-8}\pb at \mchi\sim1\tev. When the supersymmetric parameters are allowed above 1\tev, for 440\gev \lsim \mchi\lsim 1020 \gev we derive a {\em parameter--independent lower limit} of \sigsip \gsim 2\times 10^{-12}\pb. (No similar lower limits can be set for $\mu<0$ nor for 1020\gev\lsim\mchi\lsim2.6\tev.) Requiring \abundchi<0.3 implies a {\em parameter--independent upper limit} \mchi\lsim2.6\tev. The new \epem--based measurement of $(g-2)_{\mu}$ restricts \mchi\lsim 350\gev at $1 \sigma$ CL and \mchi\lsim515\gev at $2 \sigma$ CL, and implies $\mu>0$. The largest allowed values of \sigsip have already become accessible to recent experimental searches.Comment: LaTeX, 17 pages, 9 eps figures. Version to appear in JHE

A Mediterranean lifestyle reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) cohort

Background and aims: A healthy lifestyle is essential to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, beyond dietary habits, there is a scarcity of studies comprehensively assessing the typical traditional Mediterranean lifestyle with a multi-dimensional index. We assessed the association between the Mediterranean lifestyle (measured with the MEDLIFE index including diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors) and the incidence of CVD. Methods and results: The “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) project is a prospective, dynamic and multipurpose cohort of Spanish university graduates. We calculated a MEDLIFE score, composed of 28 items on food consumption, dietary habits, physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality, for 18,631 participants by assigning 1 point for each typical Mediterra- nean lifestyle factor achieved, for a theoretically possible final score ranging from 0 to 28 points. During an average follow-up of 11.5 years, 172 CVD cases (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardio- vascular death) were observed. An inverse association between the MEDLIFE score and the risk of primary cardiovascular events was observed, with multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) Z 0.50; (95% confidence interval, 0.31e0.81) for the highest MEDLIFE scores (14e23 points) compared to the lowest scores (0e9 points), p (trend) Z 0.004. Conclusion: A higher level of adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle was significantly associ- ated with a lower risk of CVD in a Spanish cohort. Public health strategies should promote the Mediterranean lifestyle to preserve cardiovascular health