Cinética de adsorción de pigmentos, peróxidos y tocoferoles durante el proceso de blanqueo del aceite de soja

Bleaching is an important process of refining and removes impurities from edible oils. During this process, suspended materials are adsorbed at different adsorption rates, on clay particles. These adsorption rates are important to the design of the process. For this reason, both empirical and theoretical mathematical models were applied in this work in order to predict the adsorption kinetic parameters for tocopherols, peroxides and pigments. The experimental part consisted of mixing neutralized soybean oil with different concentrations of bleaching clays (0.16, 1.0 and 2.0 % w/w) in a laboratory reactor at 96 °C for a 64 min period. Results showed that the theoretical model of first order made better predictions (R2 >0.93) than the empirical models of the kinetic adsorption for tocopherols, peroxides and pigments. The determined kinetic parameters suggest that these bleaching clays presented a high capacity for pigment and peroxide adsorption. The tocopherols were lost as the bleaching clay dosage was increased.El blanqueo es un proceso importante de la refinación para remover impurezas en los aceites comestibles. Durante este proceso, el material suspendido en el aceite se adsorbe sobre las partículas de las tierras de blanqueo a diferentes velocidades, las cuales son importantes para el diseño del proceso. Por esta razón, en este trabajo se aplicaron modelos empíricos y teóricos para predecir los parámetros cinéticos de adsorción de los tocoferoles, peróxidos y pigmentos. La parte experimental consistió en mezclar aceite de soja neutralizado con diferentes concentraciones de tierras de blanqueo (0.16, 1.0 y 2.0 % p/p) en un reactor de laboratorio a 96 °C por 64 minutos. Los resultados mostraron que el modelo teórico de primer orden predice mejor (R2 >0.93) que los modelos empíricos la cinética de adsorción para tocoferoles, peróxidos y pigmentos. Los parámetros cinéticos determinados sugieren que estas tierras presentan una capacidad de adsorción alta para pigmentos y peróxidos. La pérdida de tocoferoles se incremento al aumentar la cantidad de tierra

EVALUACIÓN DEL EFECTO FITOTÓXICO DE RIZOBACTERIAS DELETÉREAS SOBRE EL CRECIMIENTO RADICAL DE AXONOPUS AFFINIS (CHASE) Y LENS ESCULENTA (MOENCH)

Las malezas ocasionan una gran pérdida en las tierras agrícolas y comúnmente, las medidas de manejo y contención de estas especies se dan con la aplicación de herbicidas, sin embargo; en años recientes se ha presentado un interés en establecer mecanismos de biocontrol seguros, con el empleo de bacterias inhibidoras del crecimiento conocidas como rizobacterias deletéreas (Deleterious rhizobacteria: DRB)que se consideran generalmente como no parasíticas, y causan, de manera sutil, efectos deletéreos a través de la producción de metabolitos dañinos a las plantas. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo caracterizar la producción de ácido cianhídrico de pseudomonas rizobacterianas de malezas de un cultivo de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) y evaluar el efecto fitotóxico de éstas sobre el crecimiento radical de plántulas de Axonopus affinis (Chase) y Lens esculenta (Moench). De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos con relación a la evidencia de que los aislados de pseudomonadas son rizobacterias cianogénicas y de su efecto fitotóxico medido sobre las especies vegetales bajo estudio; se sugieren a éstas como posibles agentes de biocontrol con pastos que sean considerados malezas; ya que en general se observó que inhiben su crecimiento radical; sin embargo, un enfoque particular lo tiene la rizobacteria Pseudomonas sp. A52, la cual presentó no solamente actividad como una DRB sino también como una rizobacteria promotora del crecimiento vegetal; lo que la hace más importante de analizar en cuanto a su potencial y espectro de acción; tanto para malezas monocotiledóneas como para dicotiledóneas, recomendable como un posible agente de biocontrol con actividad múltiple

Low-Dose Amphotericin B and Murine Dialyzable Spleen Extracts Protect against SystemicCandidaInfection in Mice

Candida albicans causes opportunistic systemic infections with high mortality (30%–50%). Despite significant nephrotoxicity, amphotericin (AmB) is still used for the treatment of this serious fungal infection. Therefore, alternative treatments are urgently needed. Dialyzable leukocyte extracts have been used successfully to treat patients with mucocutaneous candidiasis, but their effectiveness in systemic candidiasis has not been evaluated. In this study, low-dose AmB (0.1 mg/kg) plus 10 pg of murine dialyzable spleen extracts (mDSE) were tested in a systemic candidiasis mouse model. Survival, tissue fungal burden, kidney damage, kidney cytokines, and serum levels of IL-6 and hepcidin were evaluated. Our results showed that the combined treatment of low-dose AmB plus mDSE improved survival and reduced kidney fungal burden and histopathology; these effects correlated with increased kidney concentration of IFN-γ and TGF-β1, decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10, as well as high levels of systemic IL-6 and hepcidin. Low-dose AmB and mDSE synergized to clear the infectious agent and reduced tissue damage, confirming the efficacy of a low dose of AmB, which might decrease the risk of drug toxicity. Further studies are necessary to explore these findings and its implications in future therapeutic approaches

Acceptability and feasibility of a virtual community of practice to primary care professionals regarding patient empowerment: A qualitative pilot study

Background: Virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) facilitate online learning via the exchange of experiences and knowledge between interested participants. Compared to other communities, vCoPs need to overcome technological structures and specific barriers. Our objective was to pilot the acceptability and feasibility of a vCoP aimed at improving the attitudes of primary care professionals to the empowerment of patients with chronic conditions. Methods: We used a qualitative approach based on 2 focus groups: one composed of 6 general practitioners and the other of 6 practice nurses. Discussion guidelines on the topics to be investigated were provided to the moderator. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using the ATLAS-ti software. Results: The available operating systems and browsers and the lack of suitable spaces and time were reported as the main difficulties with the vCoP. The vCoP was perceived to be a flexible learning mode that provided up-to-date resources applicable to routine practice and offered a space for the exchange of experiences and approaches. Conclusions: The results from this pilot study show that the vCoP was considered useful for learning how to empower patients. However, while vCoPs have the potential to facilitate learning and as shown create professional awareness regarding patient empowerment, attention needs to be paid to technological and access issues and the time demands on professionals. We collected relevant inputs to improve the features, content and educational methods to be included in further vCoP implementation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02757781. Registered on 25 April 2016.This study was financed by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Cofinanced by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Gobierno de España. (PI15/00164, PI15/00586, PI15/00566

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, calcium intake, and bone mineral density in Spanish adults

Summary Vitamin D insufficiency is very common among Spanish community-dwelling adult subjects. A threshold of serum 25(OH)D around 30 ng/ml would be necessary for the prevention of secondary hyperparathyroidism and hip bone loss in our population, regardless of the dairy calcium ingestion. Introduction This study aims to assess 25-hydroxyvitamin D?25(OH)D?status in Spanish adult subjects and to analyze its relationships with serum PTH levels, calcium intake, and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods A total of 1811 individuals (1154 postmenopausal women and 657 men) aged 44?93 years participated in the study. Serum 25(OH)D, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), aminoterminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP), and Cterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (?-CTX) levels were measured by electrochemiluminescence. BMD was determined by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip. Results Serum 25(OH)D levels were below 10, 20, and 30 ng/ml in 5, 40, and 83%of participants, respectively. There was a significant seasonal difference in mean serum 25(OH)D, with higher levels in summer?autumn. In multivariate analysis, 25(OH)D levels were negatively correlated with age, serum PTH and creatinine, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, and a number of chronic diseases, but positively with dairy calcium intake. The magnitude of the difference in serum PTH according to 25(OH)D quartiles was not influenced by calcium intake. A threshold of serum 25(OH)D around 30 ng/ml was observed for serum PTH and hip BMD. Conclusions Vitamin D insufficiency is very common among Spanish community-dwelling adult subjects. A threshold of serum 25(OH)D around 30 ng/ml would be necessary for the prevention of secondary hyperparathyroidism and hip bone loss in our population, regardless of the dairy calcium ingestion. Programs to improve vitamin D status may be required in our country

Acceptability and feasibility of a virtual community of practice to primary care professionals regarding patient empowerment : A qualitative pilot study

Background: Virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) facilitate online learning via the exchange of experiences and knowledge between interested participants. Compared to other communities, vCoPs need to overcome technological structures and specific barriers. Our objective was to pilot the acceptability and feasibility of a vCoP aimed at improving the attitudes of primary care professionals to the empowerment of patients with chronic conditions. Methods: We used a qualitative approach based on 2 focus groups: one composed of 6 general practitioners and the other of 6 practice nurses. Discussion guidelines on the topics to be investigated were provided to the moderator. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using the ATLAS-ti software. Results: The available operating systems and browsers and the lack of suitable spaces and time were reported as the main difficulties with the vCoP. The vCoP was perceived to be a flexible learning mode that provided up-to-date resources applicable to routine practice and offered a space for the exchange of experiences and approaches. Conclusions: The results from this pilot study show that the vCoP was considered useful for learning how to empower patients. However, while vCoPs have the potential to facilitate learning and as shown create professional awareness regarding patient empowerment, attention needs to be paid to technological and access issues and the time demands on professionals. We collected relevant inputs to improve the features, content and educational methods to be included in further vCoP implementation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02757781. Registered on 25 April 2016

The European Solar Telescope

The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a project aimed at studying the magnetic connectivity of the solar atmosphere, from the deep photosphere to the upper chromosphere. Its design combines the knowledge and expertise gathered by the European solar physics community during the construction and operation of state-of-the-art solar telescopes operating in visible and near-infrared wavelengths: the Swedish 1m Solar Telescope, the German Vacuum Tower Telescope and GREGOR, the French Télescope Héliographique pour l'Étude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaires, and the Dutch Open Telescope. With its 4.2 m primary mirror and an open configuration, EST will become the most powerful European ground-based facility to study the Sun in the coming decades in the visible and near-infrared bands. EST uses the most innovative technological advances: the first adaptive secondary mirror ever used in a solar telescope, a complex multi-conjugate adaptive optics with deformable mirrors that form part of the optical design in a natural way, a polarimetrically compensated telescope design that eliminates the complex temporal variation and wavelength dependence of the telescope Mueller matrix, and an instrument suite containing several (etalon-based) tunable imaging spectropolarimeters and several integral field unit spectropolarimeters. This publication summarises some fundamental science questions that can be addressed with the telescope, together with a complete description of its major subsystems

Varietal description of two genotypes of manzano chili pepper (Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav.)

Objective: the objective of this research work was to obtain the varietal description of two varieties of chile manzano in Las Montañas in the center of Veracruz, México. Design/methodology/approach: the varietal characterization module was established under greenhouse conditions at the Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Agropecuario No. 99 in the municipality of Coscomatepec de Bravo. The recorded descriptors were in accordance with the International of Plant Genetic Resources Institute for Capsicum and the Graphic Handbook for Variety Description of manzano hot pepper. The plants were characterized from the seedling to the adult plant. The agronomic management of the crop was carried out in accordance with the manual for the production of manzano hot pepper in Las Montañas of the state of Veracruz. Results: all qualitative descriptors were constant for the two varieties MEXUVNE1-15-C2 and MEXUVCU1-16-C2 from seedling to fruiting; in contrast, there were dissimilarities in plant height, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed dimensions. Limitations of the study/implications: the pandemic caused by COVID-19 was the main limitation so that some descriptors were not recorded in a timely manner as indicated in the Graphic Handbook. Findings/conclusions: both varieties are very similar; however, the greatest distinction was in the quantitative type descriptors such as: plant height, fruit length, fruit diameter and number of seeds.Objective: The objective of this research study was to obtain the varietal description of two varieties of manzano chili pepper in Las Montañas region, in central Veracruz, Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: The varietal characterization module was established under greenhouse conditions. The markers recorded were in accordance with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute for Capsicum and the Graphic Handbook for Variety Description of manzano chili pepper. The plants were characterized from seedling in greenhouse to adult plant. The agronomic management of the crop was carried out in accordance with the manual for the production of manzano chili pepper in Las Montañas, state of Veracruz. Results: All qualitative markers were constant for the two varieties, MEXUVNE1-15-C2 and MEXUVCU1-16-C2, from seedling to fruit setting. In contrast, there were dissimilarities in plant height, and stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed dimensions. Study limitations/implications: The pandemic caused by COVID-19 was the main limitation, resulting in some markers not being recorded in a timely manner as indicated in the Graphic Handbook. Findings/conclusions: Both varieties are very similar; however, the greatest distinction was in the quantitative markers, such as: plant height, fruit length, fruit diameter and number of seeds

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]