Analysis of bovine whey proteins in soybean dairy-like products by capillary electrophoresis

The simultaneous separation of bovine whey proteins [a-lactalbumin and b-lactoglobulin (A1B)] and soybean proteins\ud was performed, for the first time, by capillary electrophoresis. Different experimental conditions were tested. The most\ud suitable consisted of 0.050 M phosphate buffer (pH 8) with 1 M urea and 1.2 mg/ml methylhydroxyethylcellulose, UV\ud detection at 280 nm, 15 kV applied voltage, and 308C temperature. Quantitation of bovine whey proteins in a commercial\ud powdered soybean milk manufactured by adding bovine whey to its formulation was performed using the calibration method\ud of the external standard. Direct injection of a solution of the powdered soybean milk only enabled quantitation of\ud a-lactalbumin in the commercial sample. Detection of b-lactoglobulin (A1B) required acid precipitation of the solution of\ud the sample in order to concentrate bovine whey proteins in the supernatant prior to the analysis of this protein in the whey\ud obtained. Since a-lactalbumin could also be quantitated from the injection of the whey, the simultaneous determination of\ud a-lactalbumin and b-lactoglobulin (A1B) was possible upon acid precipitation of the powdered soybean milk solution.\ud Detection limits obtained were 14 mg/g sol. for a-lactalbumin and 52 mg/g sol. for b-lactoglobulin (A1B) which represent\ud protein concentrations about 60 mg/100 g sample for a-lactalbumin and 100 mg/100 g sample for b-lactoglobulin (A1B).\ud  1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Short wave infrared chemical imaging as future tool for analysing gunshot residues patterns in targets

This work used chemical imaging in the short-wave infrared region for analysing gunshot residues (GSR) patterns in cotton fabric targets shot with conventional and non-toxic ammunition. It presents a non-destructive, non-toxic, highly visual and hiperspectral-based approach. The method was based on classical least squares regression, and was tested with the ammunition propellants and their standard components' spectra. The propellants' spectra were satisfactorily used (R2 >0.966, and CorrCoef >0.982) for identifying the GSR irrespective of the type of ammunition used for the shooting. In a more versatile approach, nitrocellulose, the main component in the ammunition propellants, resulted an excellent standard for identifying GSR patterns (R2>0.842, and CorrCoef >0.908). In this case, the propellants' stabilizers (diphenilamine and centralite), and its nitrated derivatives as well as dinitrotoluene, showed also high spectral activity. Therefore, they could be recommended as complementary standards for confirming the GSR identification. These findings establish the proof of concept for a science-based evidence useful to support expert reports and final court rulings. This approach for obtaining GSR patterns can be an excellent alternative to the current and traditional chemical methods, which are based in presumptive and invasive colour tests.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO

Teaching First Aid to Prospective Teachers as a Way to Promote Child Healthcare

This article aimed to analyze, through a qualitative study (i.e., semi-structured interview), the opinions and knowledge of fourth-year future teachers at a Spanish public university (University of Granada) regarding training and the need for first aid (FA) at school. With a sample of 70 subjects in their last year of training, our conclusion is that although they are aware of the importance of first aid for their professional development, there is no such training in their careers, and thus they have great difficulty understanding how to react to emergency situations on the job.Project HUM-983 (ITACA) “Research through transforming learning and contexts.

Statistical approach for ATR-FTIR screening of semen in sexual evidence

Genetic identification has revolutionized the Forensic Sciences, especially in sexual aggression cases. For the successful extraction of the genetic information of a criminal, a crucial step is the prior detection of bodily fluids on evidence. In this article, a method for non-destructive screening of semen samples is reported. Using chemometric tools, bodily fluids can be detected and differentiated without damaging the sample, by correlating the infrared spectra of sexual evidence with previously recorded spectra from undamaged stains of individual bodily fluids. In modern hospitals/laboratories, the proposed method would not require additional equipment/material nor specialized personnel. Furthermore, the method provides qualitative and reliable results, without requiring human interpretation. Therefore, the proposed method opens a door for a low-cost, fully automated and efficient system for non-destructive screening of semen, which could be easily and massively implemented

Linear-Phase-Type probability modelling of functional PCA with applications to resistive memories

[EN] Functional principal component analysis (FPCA) based on Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) expansion allows to describe the stochastic evolution of the main characteristics associated to multiple systems and devices. Identifying the probability distribution of the principal component scores is fundamental to characterize the whole process. The aim of this work is to consider a family of statistical distributions that could be accurately adjusted to a previous transformation. Then, a new class of distributions, the linear-phase-type, is introduced to model the principal components. This class is studied in detail in order to prove, through the K-L expansion, that certain linear transformations of the process at each time point are phase-type distributed. This way, the one-dimensional distributions of the process are in the same linear-phase-type class. Finally, an application to model the reset process associated with resistive memories is developed and explained. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (IMACS).We would like to thank F. Campabadal and M.B. Gonzalez from the IMB-CNM (CSIC) in Barcelona for fabricating and providing the experimental measurements of the devices employed here. We acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities under projects TEC2017-84321-C4-3-R, MTM201788708-P, IJCI-2017-34038 (also supported by the FEDER, Spain program) and the PhD grant, Spain (FPU18/01779) awarded to Christian Acal. This work has made use of the Spanish ICTS Network MICRONANOFABSRuiz-Castro, JE.; Acal, C.; Aguilera, AM.; Aguilera-Morillo, MC.; Roldán, JB. (2021). Linear-Phase-Type probability modelling of functional PCA with applications to resistive memories. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation. 186:71-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matcom.2020.07.006717918

Investigation of the use of luminescent markers as gunshot residue indicators

The addition of luminescent markers into ammunition cartridges is an appealing proposal to achieve a greater individual identification of the ammunition. The lanthanide elements present in these luminescent materials act as characteristic chemical markers that, also, offer the great benefit of making gunshot residues (GSR) collection easier. In this work, conventional ammunition cartridges tagged with two types of luminescent markers were shot. Then, the particles produced were visualized under UV light on the floor, clothing targets and the shooter. The luminescent particles spread over the floor determined the shooter position and the bullet trajectory. The illumination of the shot targets allows the visualization of the GSR patterns only using a portable UV lamp, avoiding the use of colorimetric test. The GSR particles were collected and subjected to SEM-EDX and Raman spectroscopy analysis to get information about their inorganic and organic composition. The results indicated that part of the marker and the GSR merge and travel together. With this, particles composed by the marker and propellant organic compounds can be identified by Raman spectroscopy, and the unequivocal identification of the GSR and the marker can be achieved by SEM-EDX. Consequently, the luminescent particles detected under UV light improve the evidence collection and offer information about the GSR and the marker.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO

The Fusarium oxysporum gnt2, Encoding a Putative NAcetylglucosamine Transferase, Is Involved in Cell Wall Architecture and Virulence

With the aim to decipher the molecular dialogue and cross talk between Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersci and its host during infection and to understand the molecular bases that govern fungal pathogenicity, we analysed genes presumably encoding N-acetylglucosaminyl transferases, involved in glycosylation of glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans or small molecule acceptors in other microorganisms. In silico analysis revealed the existence of seven putative N-glycosyl transferase encoding genes (named gnt) in F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici genome. gnt2 deletion mutants showed a dramatic reduction in virulence on both plant and animal hosts. Δgnt2 mutants had αalterations in cell wall properties related to terminal αor β-linked N-acetyl glucosamine. Mutant conidia and germlings also showed differences in structure and physicochemical surface properties. Conidial and hyphal aggregation differed between the mutant and wild type strains, in a pH independent manner. Transmission electron micrographs of germlings showed strong cell-to-cell adherence and the presence of an extracellular chemical matrix. Δgnt2 cell walls presented a significant reduction in N-linked oligosaccharides, suggesting the involvement of Gnt2 in N-glycosylation of cell wall proteins. Gnt2 was localized in Golgi-like sub-cellular compartments as determined by fluorescence microscopy of GFP::Gnt2 fusion protein after treatment with the antibiotic brefeldin A or by staining with fluorescent sphingolipid BODIPY-TR ceramide. Furthermore, density gradient ultracentrifugation allowed colocalization of GFP::Gnt2 fusion protein and Vps10p in subcellular fractions enriched in Golgi specific enzymatic activities. Our results suggest that N-acetylglucosaminyl transferases are key components for cell wall structure and influence interactions of F. oxysporum with both plant and animal hosts during pathogenicity

Proyecto de intervención Anquises. El usuario como eje vertebrador de los recursos para la Tercera Edad

En nuestro sistema de servicios sociales, es el usuario quien ha de adaptarse a unos recursos poco flexibles. El proyecto de intervención Anquises propone que sea el usuario el eje vertebrador entorno al cual se gestionen los servicios de los que la persona de la tercera edad va a ser beneficiario

Ultrasound-Based Recovery of Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Extracts of the Acidophilic Microalga Coccomyxa onubensis

In the present study, the recovery of valuable molecules of proven anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity of the acidophilic microalga Coccomyxa onubensis (C. onubensis) were evaluated using green technologies based on ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Using a factorial design (3 × 2) based on response surface methodology and Pareto charts, two types of ultrasonic equipment (bath and probe) were evaluated to recover valuable compounds, including the major terpenoid of C. onubensis, lutein, and the antimicrobial activity of the microalgal extracts obtained under optimal ultrasound conditions (desirability function) was evaluated versus conventional extraction. Significant differences in lutein recovery were observed between ultrasonic bath and ultrasonic probe and conventional extraction. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity displayed by C. onubensis UAE-based extracts was greater than that obtained in solvent-based extracts, highlighting the effects of the extracts against pathogens such as Enterococcus hirae and Bacillus subtilis, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In addition, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was performed to detect valuable anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial biomolecules present in the optimal C. onubensis extracts, which revealed that phytol, sterol-like, terpenoid, and even fatty acid structures could also be responsible for the antibacterial activities of the extracts. Moreover, UAE displayed a positive effect on the recovery of valuable molecules, improving biocidal effects. Our study results facilitate the use of green technology as a good tool in algal bioprocess engineering, improving energy consumption and minimizing environmental impacts and process costs, as well as provide a valuable product for applications in the field of biotechnology.This work was partially supported by the Andalusian Research, Development and Innovation Plan (Junta de Andalucía, Spain) with FEDER funds (Project P20_00930) and by the University of Huelva through a grant obtained in the program “Requalitication of the Spanish Universitary System 2021-2023, María Zambrano” (Real Decreto 289/2021, 20 April and Order UNI/551/2021, 26 May) and “IV Convocatoria de Micro-proyectos-Cátedra de la Provincia UHU 2023”

La percepción del riesgo biológico en las prácticas clínicoasistenciales en los estudiantes de Grado de Enfermería de la Universidad de Barcelona

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524Objetivo: Analizar la percepción del riesgo biológico de los estudiantes de Grado de Enfermería de la Universidad de Barcelona (UB) antes de iniciar sus prácticas clínicoasistenciales. Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en la Escuela de Enfermería de la UB en estudiantes de Grado de Enfermería matriculados en las asignaturas prácticas de segundo curso (Estancias Clínicas I) y de tercer curso (Estancias Clínicas II) durante el 2013-2014 (N=78). Variables: sociodemográficas, laborales, de formación, clínicas y referidas a la evaluación del riesgo biológico percibido. Se utilizó un instrumento de elaboración propia y la escala EDRP-T. Análisis estadístico: descriptivo y univariante para detectar si habían diferencias entre la percepción de riesgo biológico de los ítems de la escala EDRP-T y las variables sociodemográficas. Resultados: Los estudiantes sin formación práctica previa (Estancias Clínicas I) tenían menor percepción de conocimiento y menor percepción de daño derivado del riesgo biológico con respecto a los estudiantes con formación práctica previa (Estancias Clínicas II), (p=0.05 y p=0.04 respectivamente). Se detectó menor percepción del riesgo biológico en los estudiantes con experiencia laboral previa. Conclusión: La formación práctica y la experiencia laboral influyen en la percepción del riesgo biológico de los estudiantes de enfermería. Faltan estudios que relacionen la percepción de riesgo con el uso de las medidas de prevención durante su formación práctica y los accidentes de tipo biológicos sufridos