Extraction of Anthocyanins and Total Phenolic Compounds from Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Using an Experimental Design Methodology. Part 3: Microwave-Assisted Extraction

In this work, two methods based on microwave-assisted extraction techniques for the extraction of both anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds from acai have been developed. For that, a full factorial design (Box-Behnken design) has been used to optimize the following four variables: solvent composition (25-75% methanol in water), temperature (50-100 degrees C), pH (2-7), and sample/solvent ratio (0.5 g: 10 mL-0.5 g: 20 mL). The anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds content have been determined by ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography and Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. The optimum conditions for the extraction of anthocyanins were 38% MeOH in water, 99.63 degrees C, pH 3.00, at 0.5 g: 10 mL of ratio, while for the extraction of total phenolic compounds they were 74.16% MeOH in water, 99.14 degrees C, pH 5.46, at 0.5 g: 20 mL of ratio. Both methods have shown a high repeatability and intermediate precision with a relative standard deviation lower than 5%. Furthermore, an extraction kinetics study was carried out using extraction periods ranging from 2 min until 25 min. The optimized methods have been applied to acai-containing real samples. The results with such real samples have confirmed that both methods are suitable for a rapid and reliable extraction of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds

Extraction of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds from açai (euterpe oleracea mart.) using an experimental design methodology. part 1: Pressurized liquid extraction

Currently, açai is one of the most important fruits present in the world. Several studies have demonstrated its high content in phenolic compounds and anthocyanins. Both of them are responsible of interesting properties of the fruit such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant or anticancer. In the present study, two optimized pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) methods have been developed for the extraction of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds from açai. A full factorial design (Box-Behnken design) with six variables (solvent composition (25%-75% methanol-in-water), temperature (50-100°C), pressure (100-200 atm), purge time (30-90 s), pH (2-7) and flushing (50%-150%)) were employed. The percentage of methanol in the extraction solvent was proven to be the most significant variable for the extraction of anthocyanins. In the case of total phenolic compounds, the extraction temperature was the most influential variable. The developed methods showed high precision, with relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 5%. The applicability of the methods was successfully evaluated in real samples. In conclusion, two rapid and reliable PLE extraction methods to be used for laboratories and industries to determine anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds in açai and its derived products were developed in this work

Extraction of Anthocyanins and Total Phenolic Compounds from Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Using an Experimental Design Methodology. Part 2: Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

Two optimized methods for ultrasound-assisted extraction were evaluated for the extraction of two types of acai bioactive compounds: Total anthocyanins (TAs) and total phenolic compounds (TPCs). For the extraction optimization, a Box Behnken factorial design of different variables in the following intervals was used: Methanol-water (25%-75%) for solvent composition, temperatures between 10 and 70 degrees C, amplitude in the range between 30% and 70% of the maximum amplitude -200 W), extraction solvent pH (2-7), the ratio for sample-solvent (0.5 g:10 mL-0.5 g:20 mL), and cycle between 0.2 and 0.7 s. The extraction kinetics were studied using different periods between 5 and 30 min. TA and TPC were analyzed by UHPLC and the Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. Optimized conditions for TA were: 51% MeOH in water, 31 degrees C temperature, pH 6.38, cycle 0.7 s, 65% amplitude, and 0.5 g:10 mL of sample-solvent ratio. Optimized conditions for the TPC were: 49% MeOH in water, 41 degrees C temperature, pH 6.98, cycle 0.2 s, 30% amplitude, and 0.5 g:10 mL of sample-solvent ratio. Both methods presented a relative standard deviation below 5% in the precision study. The suitability of the methods was tested in real samples. It was confirmed that these methods are feasible for the extraction of the studied bioactive compounds from different acai matrices

Identification of genomic regions regulating sex determination in Atlantic salmon using high density SNP data

Background: A complete understanding of the genetic basis for sexual determination and differentiation is necessary in order to implement efficient breeding schemes at early stages of development. Atlantic salmon belongs to the family Salmonidae of fishes and represents a species of great commercial value. Although the species is assumed to be male heterogametic with XY sex determination, the precise genetic basis of sexual development remains unclear. The complexity is likely associated to the relatively recent salmonid specific whole genome duplication that may be responsible for certain genome instability. This instability together with the capacity of the sex-determining gene to move across the genome as reported by previous studies, may explain that sexual development genes are not circumscribed to the same chromosomes in all members of the species. In this study, we have used a 220 K SNP panel developed for Atlantic salmon to identify the chromosomes explaining the highest proportion of the genetic variance for sex as well as candidate regions and genes associated to sexual development in this species. Results: Results from regional heritability analysis showed that the chromosomes explaining the highest proportion of variance in these populations were Ssa02 (heritability = 0.42, SE = 0.12) and Ssa21 (heritability = 0.26, SE = 0.11). After pruning by linkage disequilibrium, genome-wide association analyses revealed 114 SNPs that were significantly associated with sex, being Ssa02 the chromosome containing a greatest number of regions. Close examination of the candidate regions evidenced important genes related to sex in other species of Class Actinopterygii, including SDY, genes from family SOX, RSPO1, ESR1, U2AF2A, LMO7, GNRH-R, DND and FIGLA. Conclusions: The combined results from regional heritability analysis and genome-wide association have provided new advances in the knowledge of the genetic regulation of sex determination in Atlantic salmon, supporting that Ssa02 is the candidate chromosome for sex in this species and suggesting an alternative population lineage in Spanish wild populations according to the results from Ssa21.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. RZ2012–00011-C02–00Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. JCI-2011-1089

Population genomics of parallel evolution in gene expression and gene sequence during ecological adaptation

Natural selection often produces parallel phenotypic changes in response to a similar adaptive challenge. However, the extent to which parallel gene expression differences and genomic divergence underlie parallel phenotypic traits and whether they are decoupled or not remains largely unexplored. We performed a population genomic study of parallel ecological adaptation among replicate ecotype pairs of the rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis) at a regional geographical scale (NW Spain). We show that genomic changes underlying parallel phenotypic divergence followed a complex pattern of both repeatable differences and of differences unique to specific ecotype pairs, in which parallel changes in expression or sequence are restricted to a limited set of genes. Yet, the majority of divergent genes were divergent either for gene expression or coding sequence, but not for both simultaneously. Overall, our findings suggest that divergent selection significantly contributed to the process of parallel molecular differentiation among ecotype pairs, and that changes in expression and gene sequence underlying phenotypic divergence could, at least to a certain extent, be considered decoupled processesMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. BFU2013- 44635-PMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2016-75482-PMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2016-75904-C2-1Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2016-037Xunta de Galicia | Ref. INCITE09 310 006 PRSwedish Research Councils VR | Ref. Linnaeus grant Formas 217-2008-171

In Silico Evaluation of Sesquiterpenes and Benzoxazinoids Phytotoxins against M-pro, RNA Replicase and Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 by Molecular Dynamics. Inspired by Nature

In the work described here, a number of sesquiterpenes and benzoxazinoids from natural sources, along with their easily accessible derivatives, were evaluated against the main protease, RNA replicase and spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 by molecular docking. These natural products and their derivatives have previously shown remarkable antiviral activities. The most relevant compounds were the 4-fluoro derivatives of santamarine, reynosin and 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one in terms of the docking score. Those compounds fulfill the Lipinski's rule, so they were selected for the analysis by molecular dynamics, and the kinetic stabilities of the complexes were assessed. The addition of the 4-fluorobenzoate fragment to the natural products enhances their potential against all of the proteins tested, and the complex stability after 50 ns validates the inhibition calculated. The derivatives prepared from reynosin and 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one are able to generate more hydrogen bonds with the M-pro, thus enhancing the stability of the protein-ligand and generating a long-term complex for inhibition. The 4-fluoro derivate of santamarine and reynosin shows to be really active against the spike protein, with the RMSD site fluctuation lower than 1.5 angstrom. Stabilization is mainly achieved by the hydrogen-bond interactions, and the stabilization is improved by the 4-fluorobenzoate fragment being added. Those compounds tested in silico reach as candidates from natural sources to fight this virus, and the results concluded that the addition of the 4-fluorobenzoate fragment to the natural products enhances their inhibition potential against the main protease, RNA replicase and spike protein of SARS-CoV-2

Assessment of the Simultaneous Use of Biomaterials in Transalveolar Sinus Floor Elevation: Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial in Humans

Implants inserted in the posterior maxilla frequently need additional surgery for successful bone augmentation. One of the most common procedures for this is transalveolar sinus floor elevation. There are di erent protocols for this procedure, and there is controversy over the simultaneous application of grafting material upon elevating. In this prospective randomized clinical study in humans, a total of 49 transalveolar sinus floor elevations were performed in 49 di erent patients, divided into a control group (without graft, 25 patients) and a test group (with graft, 24 patients). The analyzed variables were obtained through digital orthopantomography on day 0 (day of surgery) and 18 months after surgery. These measurements showed a tendency towards greater vertical bone gain in the test group, but this was not statistically significant. Therefore, considering that sinus elevation and implant placement without the application of grafts is a successful treatment with fewer complications, a critical assessment of the need for these biomaterials is necessary

Optimization of a Novel Method Based on Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for the Quantification of Anthocyanins and Total Phenolic Compounds in Blueberry Samples (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

In recent years, consumers' preference for fruits such as blueberry has increased noticeably. This fact is probably related to their bioactive components such as anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, vitamins, minerals, and tannins that have been found in blueberries by the latest research studies. Both total anthocyanins (TA) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) are known for their multiple beneficial effects on our health, due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties. This is the reason why the development of new methodologies for the quality control analysis of raw materials or derived products from blueberry has a great relevance. Two ultrasound-assisted extraction methods (UAE) have been optimized for the quantification of TA and TPC in blueberry samples. The six variables to be optimized were: solvent composition, temperature, amplitude, cycle, extraction solvent pH, and sample/solvent ratio using response surface methodology. The optimized methods have proven to be suitable for the extraction of the TPC and TA with good precision (repeatability and intermediate precision) (coefficient of variation (CV) < 5%) and potentially for application in commercial samples. This fact, together with the multiple advantages of UAE, makes these methods a good alternative to be used in quality control analysis by both industries and laboratories

Genomic patterns of homozygosity and inbreeding depression in Murciano-Granadina goats

Inbreeding depression can adversely affect traits related to fitness, reproduction and productive performance. Although current research suggests that inbreeding levels are generally low in most goat breeds, the impact of inbreeding depression on phenotypes of economic interest has only been investigated in a few studies based on genealogical data. We genotyped 1040 goats with the Goat SNP50 BeadChip. This information was used to estimate different molecular inbreeding coefficients and characterise runs of homozygosity and homozygosity patterns. We detected 38 genomic regions with increased homozygosity as well as 8 ROH hotspots mapping to chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 6, 14, 16 and 17. Eight hundred seventeen goats with available records for dairy traits were analysed to evaluate the potential consequences of inbreeding depression on milk phenotypes. Four regions on chromosomes 8 and 25 were significantly associated with inbreeding depression for the natural logarithm of the somatic cell count. Notably, these regions contain several genes related with immunity, such as SYK, IL27, CCL19 and CCL21. Moreover, one region on chromosome 2 was significantly associated with inbreeding depression for milk yield. Although genomic inbreeding levels are low in Murciano-Granadina goats, significant evidence of inbreeding depression for the logarithm of the somatic cell count, a phenotype closely associated with udder health and milk yield, have been detected in this population. Minimising inbreeding would be expected to augment economic gain by increasing milk yield and reducing the incidence of mastitis, which is one of the main causes of dairy goat culling

Material formativo y validación experimental de un sistema móvil de respuesta inmediata para la enseñanza de las habilidades directivas y gestión de la calidad en enfermería.

[SPA] Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una experiencia piloto que propone una herramienta de respuesta inmediata en el proceso de aprendizaje de la materia Gestión de la Calidad en Enfermería de una titulación universitaria del Grado de Enfermería en la Universidad de Murcia. Con la finalidad de alcanzar este objetivo se ha preparado material digital para el aprendizaje de la materia de “Habilidades Directivas y Gestión de la Calidad en Enfermería”, utilizando dispositivos de respuesta automática, también conocidos como clickers. El nuevo material es más dinámico que las tradicionales transparencias en PowerPoint, a la vez que estimula la participación de los alumnos. El material se ha preparado empleando la herramienta SIDRA (SIstema De Respuesta inmediata de la Audiencia), implementada por miembros del Grupo de Investigación de Ingeniería del Software de la Universidad de Murcia. Como resultado de esta innovación docente, se ha publicado un artículo con la primera parte del proyecto, donde presenta una revisión bibliográfica de estudios empíricos que emplean dispositivos inalámbricos en educación universitaria de enfermería. Otro artículo científico presenta la experiencia de SIDRA en un curso universitario que enseña las habilidades directivas y gestión de la calidad en enfermería. [ENG] This paper presents an empirical study on the effectiveness of the use of an Audience Response System (ARS) called SIstema De Respuesta inmediata de la Audiencia (SIDRA) in a nursing administration and management course at the University of Murcia. With this aim in view, instructional material was prepared to teach the course “Habilidades Directivas y Gestión de la Calidad en Enfermería”, by using automatic response devices known as clickers. This instrument is more dynamic than the traditional slides in PowerPoint, thus promoting the students’ participation. The software tool SIDRA (SIstema De Respuesta inmediata de la Audiencia), designed and implemented by members of the Software Engineering Research Group at the University of Murcia, was used to carry out the proposal. As a result, a mapping study which explores the adoption of wireless devices in university nursing teaching and addresses their repercussion on future professionals was published in a research journal. Another research paper submitted to a research journal describes our experience on the use of SIDRA in a nursing administration and management course.Este trabajo forma parte del proyecto PEGASO-PANGEA (TIN2009-13718-C02-02) financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, y del proyecto GEODAS-REQ (TIN2012-37493-C03-02) financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y con fondos europeos FEDE