Antioxidant Profile of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Fruits Containing Diverse Levels of Capsaicinoids

Capsicum is the genus where a number of species and varieties have pungent features due to the exclusive content of capsaicinoids such as capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. In this work, the main enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems in pepper fruits from four varieties with different pungent capacity have been investigated at two ripening stages. Thus, a sweet pepper variety (Melchor) from California-type fruits and three autochthonous Spanish varieties which have different pungency levels were used, including Piquillo, Padrón and Alegría riojana. The capsaicinoids contents were determined in the pericarp and placenta from fruits, showing that these phenyl-propanoids were mainly localized in placenta. The activity profiles of catalase, total and isoenzymatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), the enzymes of the ascorbate–glutathione cycle (AGC) and four NADP-dehydrogenases indicate that some interaction with capsaicinoid metabolism seems to occur. Among the results obtained on enzymatic antioxidants, the role of Fe-SOD and the glutathione reductase from the AGC is highlighted. Additionally, it was found that ascorbate and glutathione contents were higher in those pepper fruits which displayed the greater contents of capsaicinoids. Taken together, all these data indicate that antioxidants may contribute to preserve capsaicinoids metabolism to maintain their functionality in a framework where NADPH is perhaps playing an essential role

Borates or phosphates? That is the question

[EN] Chemical nomenclature is perceived to be a closed topic. However, this work shows that the identification of polyanionic groups is still ambiguous and so is the nomenclature for some ternary compounds. Two examples, boron phosphate (BPO4) and boron arsenate (BAsO4), which were assigned to the large phosphate and arsenate families, respectively, nearly a century ago, are explored. The analyses show that these two compounds should be renamed phosphorus borate (PBO4) and arsenic borate (AsBO4). Beyond epistemology, this has pleasing consequences at several levels for the predictive character of chemistry. It paves the way for future work on the possible syntheses of SbBO4 and BiBO4, and it also renders previous structure field maps completely predictive, allowing us to foresee the structure and phase transitions of NbBO4 and TaBO4. Overall, this work demonstrates that quantum mechanics calculations can contribute to the improvement of current chemical nomenclature. Such revisitation is necessary to classify compounds and understand their properties, leading to the main final aim of a chemist: predicting new compounds, their structures and their transformations.This research was partially supported by Spanish MINECO (grant Nos. MAT2015-71070-REDC and MAT2016-75586-C4-2-P, and MALTA Consolider Team RED2018-102612-T) and Generalitat Valenciana (grant No. PROMETEO/2018/123-EFIMAT). J. Contreras-Garci ' a thanks CALSIMLAB (public grant No. ANR-11-LABX-0037-01), overseen by the French National Research Agency (ANR) as part of the Investissements d'Avenir program (grant No. ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02). M. Marque ' s acknowledges support from the ERC grant `Hecate' and computational resources provided by the UKCP consortium under EPSRC grant EP/P022561/1.Contreras-García, J.; Izquierdo-Ruiz, F.; Marqués, M.; Manjón, F. (2020). Borates or phosphates? That is the question. 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Role of climate variability on deep-water dynamics and deoxygenation during sapropel deposition: New insights from a palaeoceanographic empirical approach

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111601Modern marine settings are experiencing rapid deoxygenation mainly forced by global warming and anthropogenic eutrophication. Therefore, studies that assess the role of climate variability in large spatiotemporal deoxygenations during past climate changes are needed to better comprehend the consequences of the current global warming and ocean deoxygenation. In this respect, deep marine sediments associated to past oxic-toanoxic transitions are useful palaeoarchives for understanding the interplay between climate variability, deepwater dynamics and large-scale deoxygenation. Moreover, they can offer long-term perspectives to modern marine settings that are suffering oxygen depletion due to climate change and anthropogenic pressure. In particular, sapropel layers from the Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene are excellent palaeoarchives of past large-scale deoxygenation events, since (i) they occurred during a similar Mediterranean hydrogeographic configuration to the present, (ii) have a robust chronological control, and (iii) previous studies have reconstructed the climate conditions that ruled during their deposition. In this work, we have applied empirical palaeoceanographic conceptual models to five sapropels (S1, S5, S6, S7 and S8) in three Eastern Mediterranean (EM) settings. The models suggest that the hydrographic regimes of all studied sapropels can be considered as analogues to those observed in certain modern marine restricted settings. The results obtained support the idea that climate and the degree of surface-water freshening are the primary factors that influence deep-water dynamics in marine restricted settings, that in turn control the frequency and intensity of bottom-water deoxygenation and the stability and depth of the chemocline. The deepest EM sites are the most vulnerable locations to develop bottom-water restriction and deoxygenation. Local hydrogeographic factors play an essential role in the extent and frequency of bottom-water deoxygenation. Particulate shuttling was very intense during sapropel deposition and water-mass exchange between EM and Western Mediterranean controlled the intensity of the basin reservoir effect and Mo budget in EM.Grants PID2019-104624RB-I00, PID2019-104625RB-100TED2021-131697B-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/5011000110 33,Grants FEDER/Junta de Andalucía P18-RT-3804P18-RT- 4074Groups RNM-179RNM-178 funded by Junta de AndalucaLausanne University (Switzerland) for Rock-eval analyses and TOC measurementsCenter for Scientific Instrumentation (CIC, University of Granada)XRF Unit of the IACT (CSIC-UGR) for the ICP and XRF analyse

Spanish discards estimates of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) in Subarea VII and Divisions VIIIabd

The Spanish discards estimates of the megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) stock of ICES Subarea VII and Divisions VIIIabd (mgw-78) are derived from data compiled by the Spanish on-board sampling program, developed by the Spanish institutes IEO and AZTI following the European Data Collection Regulation (DCR, DCF) guidelines since its implementation in 2003. A description of the Spanish fishery and the respective discards sampling program, as well as an analysis of the sampling level and the estimation process of mgw-78 discards are presented

Review of Spanish Discard information of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) in ICES Sub-areas VI , VII and Div. VIIIabd

Trawlers Spanish discards obtained on board commercial vessels in Sub-areas VI and VII in 1988, 1989, 1994, 1999-200-2004 are present to: 1. Validate the discard estimation of megrim onboard comparing length distribution of retained fish on board with landed fishes. 2. Compare estimation megrim discarded following two methodologies: primary sampling unit as hauls or as fishing trips. Examine possible modification on discards estimations in years where results obtained by different methods were relevant. 3. Analyse possible differences in discard patter along the sampled perio

Preliminary results on Northern hake from the “Spanish Discard Sampling Programme”

The “Spanish Discard Sampling Programme” was started in 1988, however it has not had a continuous implementation in time. Results on Northern hake discard were obtained sampling the Spanish trawl fishery operating in the Northern hake distribution area. Discarding strategy varies between fleets, depending mainly on the target species of the fleet. Differences along the time series were probably due to market changes more than to the abundance of the species. In the years with a higher sampling quality, 2003 and 2004, the total level of Northern hake discard was estimated to be around 5% in weight and between 11-15% in number, respectively. Discards were compounded by ages from 0 to 3, mainly ages 1 and 2

Beach Leveling Using a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS): Problems and Solutions

The size and great dynamism of coastal systems require faster and more automated mapping methods like the use of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This method allows for shorter intervals between surveys. The main problem for surveying using low-altitude digital photogrammetry in beach areas is their visual homogeneity. Obviously, the fewer the homologous points defined by the program, the lower the accuracy. Moreover, some factors influence the error performed in photogrammetric techniques, such as flight height, flight time, percentage of frame overlap (side and forward), and the number of ground control points (GCPs). A total of 72 different cases were conducted varying these factors, and the results were analyzed. Among the conclusions, it should be highlighted that the error for noon flights is almost double that for the early morning flights. Secondly, there is no appreciable difference regarding the side overlap. But, on the other side, RMSE increased to three times (from 0.05 to 0.15 m) when forward overlap decreased from 85% to 70%. Moreover, relative accuracy is 0.05% of the flying height which means a significant increase in error (66%) between flights performed at 60 and 100 m height). Furthermore, the median of the error for noon flights (0.12 m) is almost double that for the early morning flights (0.07 m) because of the higher percentage of grids with data for early flights. Therefore, beach levelings must never be performed at noon when carried out by RPAS. Eventually, a new parameter has been considered: the relationship between the number of GCPs and the surface to be monitored. A minimum value of 7 GCP/Ha should be taken into account when designing a beach leveling campaign using RPAS.Fundacion Campus Tecnologico de Algeciras; Coastal Engineering Research group (University of Cadiz

High pressure theoretical and experimental analysis of the bandgap of BaMoO4, PbMoO4, and CdMoO4

We have investigated the origin of the bandgap of the BaMoO4, PbMoO4, and CdMoO4 crystals on the basis of optical absorption spectroscopy experiments and ab initio electronic band structure, density of states, and electronic localization function calculations under high pressure. Our study provides an accurate determination of the bandgaps Eg and their pressure derivatives dEg/dP for BaMoO4 (4.43 eV, -4.4 meV/GPa), PbMoO4 (3.45 eV, -53.8 meV/GPa), and CdMoO4 (3.71 eV, -3.3 meV/GPa). The absorption edges were fitted with the Urbach exponential model which we demonstrate to be the most appropriate on thick crystals with direct bandgaps. So far, the narrowing of the bandgap of distinct PbMoO4 had been qualitatively explained considering only the presence of the Pb 6s levels at the top of its valence band. Its fast pressure dependent redshift and the occurrence of its direct bandgap away from Γ in contrast to the other scheelites had remained unsolved. Here we show that contrary to what had been proposed and differently to the other scheelites, in PbMoO4 the band gap takes place between the Pb 6s levels at the top of the valence band and the antibonding O 2p levels at the bottom of the conduction band. For this reason the direct bandgap is pushed away from zone center in order to allow s − p mixing. Its pressure dependence is one order of magnitude faster than in the other shceelites due to two effects: its delocalized character and the higher compressibility of dodecahedral units, PbO8, compared to tetrahedral units, MoO4

Coseismic seafloor deformation in the trench region during the Mw8.8 Maule megathrust earthquake

The Mw 8.8 megathrust earthquake that occurred on 27 February 2010 offshore the Maule region of central Chile triggered a destructive tsunami. Whether the earthquake rupture extended to the shallow part of the plate boundary near the trench remains controversial. The up-dip limit of rupture during large subduction zone earthquakes has important implications for tsunami generation and for the rheological behavior of the sedimentary prism in accretionary margins. However, in general, the slip models derived from tsunami wave modeling and seismological data are poorly constrained by direct seafloor geodetic observations. We difference swath bathymetric data acquired across the trench in 2008, 2011 and 2012 and find ∼3-5 m of uplift of the seafloor landward of the deformation front, at the eastern edge of the trench. Modeling suggests this is compatible with slip extending seaward, at least, to within ∼6 km of the deformation front. After the Mw 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake, this result for the Maule earthquake represents only the second time that repeated bathymetric data has been used to detect the deformation following megathrust earthquakes, providing methodological guidelines for this relatively inexpensive way of obtaining seafloor geodetic data across subduction zone