Adaptação ao cultivo e valorização de Lavandula luisieri

Foram estudadas diversas populações de Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martínez endémicas da Península Ibérica (Beira Interior, Castilla-la-Mancha e Andaluzia; acessos de Casal da Fraga, Mata, Penamacor e Vila Velha de Ródão – Portugal; Toledo e Sevilha – Espanha), comparando as populações relativamente ao óleo essencial (quantitativamente e qualitativamente), assim como, a sua actividade insecticida sobre pragas fitófagas (Spodoptera littoralis, Mysus persicae e Leptinotarsa decemlineata). Em função dos seus componentes escolheram-se as duas populações mais interessantes em termos da sua actividade biológica (Penamacor e Toledo) e instalaram-se dois campos produtivos em Castelo Branco e Saragoça, por forma a inferir sobre a influência do local de produção na qualidade do material vegetal obtido. Será fornecida informação técnica sobre a instalação destes campos

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tumor protein 73 (TP73) interact with Epstein-Barr virus in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: results from the European case-control study EpiLymph

Using EpiLymph case-control data, we found that chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients were more likely to have abnormal reactive serological patterns to Epstein Barr virus than controls. Here, we aimed to assess whether this association is modified by genetic variants. We examined 1,305 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms from 300 selected genes related to various pathways in 240 cases and 513 controls from five European centers. In a recessive model, patients positive to aberrant antibody pattern and homozygous for rare genotypes in rs8113877T>G or rs17576A>G of the MMP9 gene were at highest risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In a dominant model, TP73 showed the highest risk in patients positive to aberrant antibody pattern and homozygous for the wild-type genotype in rs1885859G>C or rs3765701A>T. All interactions were additive and no main effect was observed. The strong interactions observed may be indicative of a specific pathway in cancer genesis. Confirmation of these results is warranted

Physico-chemical properties of sporadic meteoroids inferred from de continuous monitoring of meteor and fireball activity

Sporadic meteoroids make up the bulk of the meteoroids striking the Earth. The combined action of gravitational and radiation forces have reduced the coherence of the initial orbits of these particles to such a degree that they have become so diffuse as to be no longer recognizable as streams and merge them together into the sporadic meteoroid complex. The development of a continuous meteor and fireball monitoring campaign is fundamental to characterize the physico-chemical properties of sporadic meteoroids. In this context, we present here the preliminary analysis of a sporadic bolide simultaneously imaged in July 2012 from two meteor observing stations operated by the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN)

BÚSQUEDA DE PRINCIPIOS ACTIVOS ANTIPARASITARIOS EN PLANTAS DE USO TRADICIONAL DE LA AMAZONIA PERUANA. ESPECIAL ENFASIS EN ALCALOIDES INDOLICOS

A fin de evaluar el potencial antimalárico de remedios tradicionales utilizadas en el Perú por las poblaciones indígenas y mestizas del río Nanay en Loreto, fueron entrevistados sobre el uso medicina tradicional para el tratamiento de la malaria. La encuesta se llevó a cabo en seis pueblos y llevaron a la recolección de 59 plantas. 35 extracciones hidro-alcohólico se realizaron en las 21 plantas más citadas. A continuación se ensayaron los extractos para la actividad antiplasmodial in vitro sobre cepa resistente a la cloroquina de Plasmodium falciparum (FCR-3), y también se realizó la prueba de inhibición de ferriprotoporfirina con el fin de asumir propiedades farmacológicas. Los extractos de 9 plantas, en veintiún evaluados, mostraron una actividad antiplasmodial interesante (IC50 <10 µg/ml) y 16 extractos resultaron activos en la prueba de inhibición de la ferriprotoporfirina. Cinco alcaloides oxindólicos y dos alcaloides de tipo plumerano subtipo haplophitina, fueron aislados de plantas medicinales: Aspidosperma rigidum y A. schultesii. Uno de estos compuestos se identificó como un confórmero rotámero transoide de la 18-Oxo-O-metilaspidoalbina que no se describió anteriormente, también fueron determinada la actividad antiparasitaria de los compuestos contra Trypanosoma cruzi y Leishmania infantum

Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis Show an Altered Flexion/Relaxation Phenomenon

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterized by the presence of inflammatory back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, the lumbar flexion relaxation phenomenon measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) differs from that in healthy individuals. However, sEMG activity in axSpA patients has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the flexion relaxation phenomenon in axSpA patients. A study evaluating 39 axSpA patients and 35 healthy controls was conducted. sEMG activity at the erector spinae muscles was measured during lumbar full flexion movements. sEMG activity was compared between axSpA patients and the controls, as well as between active (BASDAI ≥ 4) and non-active (BASDAI 0.8 for 1/FRR) and criterion validity. ROC analysis showed good discriminant validity for axSpA patients (AUC = 0.835) vs. the control group using 1/FRR. An abnormal flexion/relaxation phenomenon exists in axSpA patients compared with controls. sEMG could be an additional objective tool in the evaluation of patient function and disease activity status

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) for the Sunrise balloon-borne solar observatory

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) is a spectropolarimeter built by four institutions in Spain that flew on board the Sunrise balloon-borne telesocope in June 2009 for almost six days over the Arctic Circle. As a polarimeter IMaX uses fast polarization modulation (based on the use of two liquid crystal retarders), real-time image accumulation, and dual beam polarimetry to reach polarization sensitivities of 0.1%. As a spectrograph, the instrument uses a LiNbO3 etalon in double pass and a narrow band pre-filter to achieve a spectral resolution of 85 mAA. IMaX uses the high Zeeman sensitive line of Fe I at 5250.2 AA and observes all four Stokes parameters at various points inside the spectral line. This allows vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and intensity frames to be produced that, after reconstruction, reach spatial resolutions in the 0.15-0.18 arcsec range over a 50x50 arcsec FOV. Time cadences vary between ten and 33 seconds, although the shortest one only includes longitudinal polarimetry. The spectral line is sampled in various ways depending on the applied observing mode, from just two points inside the line to 11 of them. All observing modes include one extra wavelength point in the nearby continuum. Gauss equivalent sensitivities are four Gauss for longitudinal fields and 80 Gauss for transverse fields per wavelength sample. The LOS velocities are estimated with statistical errors of the order of 5-40 m/s. The design, calibration and integration phases of the instrument, together with the implemented data reduction scheme are described in some detail.Comment: 17 figure

Observation of Van Hove singularities in twisted graphene layers

Electronic instabilities at the crossing of the Fermi energy with a Van Hove singularity in the density of states often lead to new phases of matter such as superconductivity, magnetism or density waves. However, in most materials this condition is difficult to control. In the case of single-layer graphene, the singularity is too far from the Fermi energy and hence difficult to reach with standard doping and gating techniques. Here we report the observation of low-energy Van Hove singularities in twisted graphene layers seen as two pronounced peaks in the density of states measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We demonstrate that a rotation between stacked graphene layers can generate Van Hove singularities, which can be brought arbitrarily close to the Fermi energy by varying the angle of rotation. This opens intriguing prospects for Van Hove singularity engineering of electronic phases.Comment: 21 pages 5 figure

Graphene Photonics and Optoelectronics

The richness of optical and electronic properties of graphene attracts enormous interest. Graphene has high mobility and optical transparency, in addition to flexibility, robustness and environmental stability. So far, the main focus has been on fundamental physics and electronic devices. However, we believe its true potential to be in photonics and optoelectronics, where the combination of its unique optical and electronic properties can be fully exploited, even in the absence of a bandgap, and the linear dispersion of the Dirac electrons enables ultra-wide-band tunability. The rise of graphene in photonics and optoelectronics is shown by several recent results, ranging from solar cells and light emitting devices, to touch screens, photodetectors and ultrafast lasers. Here we review the state of the art in this emerging field.Comment: Review Nature Photonics, in pres

Correlación entre las dosis de vancomicina administradas, el clearance de creatinina y la concentración de la vancomicina en plasma en pacientes críticos

La vancomicina (vanco) sufre variaciones en su concentración plasmática (dosaje) según dosis administradas y clearance de creatinina (ClCr), entre otros factores. Varios autores demostraron que dosis fijas de 2 g/día y sin dosis de carga podrían no ser adecuadas para alcanzar dosaje terapéutico de 20-30 mg/L, por aumento (hiperfiltración) o disminución (insuficiencia renal) del ClCr durante el tratamiento, sugiriendo administrar dosis de carga y de mantenimiento, y medir dosajes para ajustar a una dosis efectiva.Facultad de Ciencias Médica