Pre-harvest treatments of pepper plants with nitrophenolates increase crop yield and enhance nutritive and bioactive compounds in fruits at harvest and during storage.

Pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv Lamuyo) were treated with a mix of nitrophenolates either by foliar spray or in the irrigation system, and its effect on crop yield and the content of nutritive and bioactive compounds in fruit were analysed at harvest and after post-harvest storage. Treatments were applied at 2-week intervals from the development of first floral bunch (1 March) to end of August. Pepper fruits were harvested at commercial ripening stage (red surface colour) along the growth cycle (from May to September). Total yield (cumulative kilogram per plant) was increased ( 4.5% more) by nitrophenolate treatments due to significant increases in fruit mass, although the number of fruits per plant was unaffected. Pepper fruit quality (weight, firmness and pericarp thickness), its content in nutritive (sugars and organic acids) and bioactive compounds (vitamin C and total phenolics) and antioxidant activity were also enhanced by nitrophenolate treatments at the three harvested dates assayed (end May, mid July and end August). In addition, all these parameters were maintained at higher levels in treated peppers during storage, while diminutions in these parameters occurred generally in control fruit. Thus, nitrophenolate treatments were able to improve crop yield as well as the nutritional value and antioxidant properties of peppers at harvest and after fruit storage.

Microplastic and natural sediment in bed load saltation: Material does not dictate the fate.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a well document threat to our aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, however, the mechanisms by which MPs are transported in river flows are still unknown. The transport of MPs and natural sediment in aquatic flows could be somewhat comparable, as particles are similar in size. However, it is unknown how the lower density of MPs, their shape and their different material properties impact transport dynamics. To answer this, novel laboratory experiments on bed load saltation dynamics in an open-channel flow, using high-speed camera imaging and the detection of 11,035 individual saltation events were used to identify the similarities and differences between spherical MPs and spherical natural sediments transport. The tested MPs and sediment varied in terms of size and material properties (density and elasticity). Our analysis shows that the Rouse number accurately describes saltation length, height, transport velocity and collision angles equally well for both MPs and natural sediments. Through statistical inference, the distribution functions of saltation trajectory characteristics for MPs were analogous to natural sediment with only one sediment experiment (1.4% of cases) differing from all other plastic experiments. Similarly, only nine experiments (9.3% of cases) showed that collision angles for MPs differed from those of natural sediment experiments. Differences observed in terms of restitution become negligible in overall transport dynamics as turbulence overcomes the kinetic energy lost at particle-bed impact, which keeps particle motion independent from impact. Overall, spherical MP particles behave similarly to spherical natural sediments in aquatic environments under the examined experimental conditions. This is significant because there is an established body of knowledge for sediment transport that can serve as a foundation for the study of MP transport.

Comparability of the Retinomax K-plus 3 handheld autorefractometer in quick mode versus on-table autorefractometer in standard mode.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzes the comparability of measurements taken by a Retinomax K-plus 3 handheld autorefractometer in Quick mode and a Topcon KR-800 on-table autorefractometer in standard mode on the pediatric population, and establishes their correlation. METHODS: It is a retrospective comparative study. Spherical diopter power (SPH), cylindrical diopter power (CYL), angle of cylindrical axis (AX), and spherical equivalent (SE) were measured with the Retinomax in Quick mode and with the Topcon in standard mode. Each patient was evaluated in cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic conditions by both autorefractometers. Student's t-test was performed between the two instruments for SPH, CYL, and SE. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated and the dispersion was represented using Bland-Altman graphs, also evaluating the subgroup of patients under 4 years of age. A descriptive analysis of the percentages of measures that differed was performed. RESULTS: It included 98 eyes of 49 subjects (age range: 3-16 years). The data for HPS without cycloplegia are virtually identical, whereas with cycloplegia there is a hyperopic bias of +0.5 diopters measured with Retinomax. CYL results are very similar with and without cycloplegia. There is a high Pearson correlation for both instruments (>0.91) and a low degree of dispersion in the Bland-Altman plots under cycloplegia. CONCLUSION: The Retinomax data were consistent with those obtained by Topcon. The Retinomax is a useful instrument for detecting refractive errors in children between 3 and 16 years of age.

Temperature and barometric pressure are related to running speed and pacing of the fastest runners in the 'Berlin Marathon'.

OBJECTIVE: The influence of environmental conditions, such as temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine and cloud cover on marathon running has been widely investigated. However, the influence of such conditions on the pacing of elite marathoners has not been considered yet. The present study aimed to investigate whether environmental conditions are related to the running speed and pacing of the fastest marathoners competing in the fastest racecourse in the world, the 'Berlin Marathon'. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 668,735 finishers (520,715 men and 148,020 women) competing between 1999 and 2019 in the 'Berlin Marathon' were analyzed by comparing elite and recreational runners. The associations between time-adjusted averages of the environmental conditions, the race times and running speeds were investigated. The runners were divided into performance groups consisting of recreational (all runners) and elite runners (the top 100, the top 10 and the top 3) which were separately analyzed for male and female participants. RESULTS: During race days, the temperature increased while humidity decreased showing a strong negative correlation between the two variables. For all runners, the average running speed through the race showed a strong negative correlation with temperature and a strong positive correlation with the level of humidity. Faster runners experienced lower temperatures and higher humidity levels than slower runners. When the performance groups were analyzed, temperature and humidity remained correlated to a similar extent for the top 100 but dropped dramatically for the top 10 and top 3, suggesting a weaker influence. In addition, barometric pressure showed a positive correlation with running speed in the top 100 and top 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Temperatures increased during race days while humidity decreased and both variables were negatively and significantly correlated. Faster runners experienced lower temperatures and higher humidity levels, while slower runners experienced higher temperatures and lower humidity levels which had a stronger negative impact on running speeds. Running speed was also significantly and positively correlated with barometric pressure in elite runners.

Limits of the precision in refractive results after cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In order to improve refractive results in cataract surgery with an intraocular lens implant, it is important to know the sources of error as well as the limit of this process. Therefore, the objective of the present work is to approximate the theoretical limit in the precision in the refractive result after cataract surgery with the currently available means and to assess the impact of different sources of error in this process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a search of the literature to determine the variability provided by each component of the process. Based on the Barrett Universal-II formula, we performed an error propagation analysis. The theoretical limit was defined as the situation in which the refractive result is only affected by the variability in the parameters introduced in the formula, the tolerance of the intraocular lens and the subjective refraction. RESULTS: The main contributors to the error were (1) intraoperative and postoperative variability variables not considered by the formulas (49.33%), (2) postoperative subjective refraction (38.29%), (3) mean keratometry (5.98%) and (4) the variability in the labelling of the power of the intraocular lens (5.09%). The theoretical limit obtained for the intraocular lens calculation with the means available today was 91.9% of the eyes between ±0.50D. CONCLUSIONS: We found a theoretical limit for the intraocular lens calculation of 91.9% of the eyes between ±0.50D. Approaching the precision limit described in the study requires the use of optical biometrics and state-of-the-art formulas, a reproducible surgical technique, and the compensation of systematic errors by adjusting constants.

Permanent damage of the inner retinal layers in a patient with migraine: a different case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy.

We report the case of a 20-year-old patient who presented a paracentral scotoma in her left eye that had not disappeared after a migraine attack two days before. Ocular examination showed two pale paracentral areas suggesting an acute ischemia insult. Several causes of retinal ischemia were ruled out and the patient was diagnosed with secondary retinal vasospasm. One year later, the patient suffers an atrophy of the inner layers of the affected retina and has a paracentral chronic scotoma in her left eye. Retinal vasospasms can result in irreversible lesions and chronic symptoms due to ischemia and cell destruction. This unusual case reports a permanent damage due to retinal vasospasm secondary to migraine attack. The finding of typical lesions and the history of migraine could be compatible with the diagnosis of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM).

Repeatability and comparability of a new swept-source optical coherence tomographer in optical biometry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the reproducibility in the measurement of ocular biometric parameters using a new swept-source optical coherence tomographer and its comparability with an optical low coherence reflectometry biometer. DESIGN: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. METHODS: 45 right eyes of 45 patients diagnosed with cataract were included. Three successive biometric measurements with Anterion and one with Lenstar LS900 were performed on each patient. The following variables were collected: axial length (AXL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), flat K (K1), steep K (K2), central corneal thickness (CCT), lens thickness (LT) and white-to-white distance (WTW). The intrasubject standard deviation (Sw) and the coefficient of Pearson "R" were calculated in order to assess the repeatability. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) were obtained to evaluate the comparability between devices. A Bland-Altman plot was performed for each variable. RESULTS: The coefficient of Pearson was excellent and statistically significant in the evaluation of the repeatability in all the variables. The highest values were 0.987 (AXL), 0.983 (CCT) and 0.942 (ACD). There were no statically significant differences between repeated measurements with Anterion in all the parameters. The ICC and CCC were excellent in the evaluation of AXL, CCT and ACD, and were also good in regard to K1, K2, LT and WTW. CONCLUSIONS: Performing biometry with the SS-OCT Anterion is a reliable and reproducible procedure, and it is comparable with the Lenstar LS900.

Velocity bias in intrusive gas-liquid flow measurements.

Gas-liquid flows occur in many natural environments such as breaking waves, river rapids and human-made systems, including nuclear reactors and water treatment or conveyance infrastructure. Such two-phase flows are commonly investigated using phase-detection intrusive probes, yielding velocities that are considered to be directly representative of bubble velocities. Using different state-of-the-art instruments and analysis algorithms, we show that bubble-probe interactions lead to an underestimation of the real bubble velocity due to surface tension. To overcome this velocity bias, a correction method is formulated based on a force balance on the bubble. The proposed methodology allows to assess the bubble-probe interaction bias for various types of gas-liquid flows and to recover the undisturbed real bubble velocity. We show that the velocity bias is strong in laboratory scale investigations and therefore may affect the extrapolation of results to full scale. The correction method increases the accuracy of bubble velocity estimations, thereby enabling a deeper understanding of fundamental gas-liquid flow processes.

Posterior bilateral lens luxation in an agitated patient: Cause or consequence? / Luxación posterior bilateral del cristalino en una paciente agitada, ¿causa o consecuencia?

Complete posterior lens dislocation is an infrequent clinical entity. Trauma is the first cause of secondary lens dislocation. Most of the cases are unilateral, and bilateral cases are unusual. We report the uncommon case of a 70-year-old woman with evidence of a posterior bilateral dislocation of the lens in the context of an acute onset of confusional syndrome. We discuss about sensory deprivation as a trigger for acute confusion and agitation in patients with predisposing conditions. In addition, we describe the benefits that, in our experience, the refloating technique with perfluorocarbon liquid provides for the surgical approach to these cases.

Optical neuropathy due to inhaled cocaine, causality or chance. / Neuropatía óptica secundaria a consumo de cocaína inhalada. Causalidad o casualidad.

A 44-year-old man, active cocaine consumer, who referred decrease in visual acuity in the right eye in 24 hours of evolution, being 0,05 in that eye and 1 in the left eye. The examination showed a relative afferent pupil defect and a swelling head of optic nerve. The systemic studies performed were normal, except the nuclear magnetic resonance of the brain that showed a thickening of the maxillary and frontal sinus mucosa, compatible with sinusitis. Hospital admission and the start of intravenous corticosteroid treatment were decided, with a favourable evolution, a visual acuity of 1.0 in both eyes and an anatomical improvement of the optic nerve head. Due to the medical history of the patient and the assessment of other plausible alternative diagnoses, we established the diagnosis of optical neuropathy due to inhaled cocaine abuse.

Incidence of development of obesity after heart transplantation according to the calcineurin inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Development of obesity after heart transplantation (HT) is a common complication, largely attributed to immunosuppressive therapy. The objective of this study is to compare the incidence of development of obesity after HT, according to the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) used (cyclosporine [CsA] vs tacrolimus [Tac]). METHODS: We studied 101 consecutive HT patients from November 2006 to December 2010. A diagnosis of overweight-obesity was made by a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m(2), which was assessed before HT and at 1 year after HT. Patients were randomly assigned to the administration of CsA or Tac by a simple randomization method using a computer program (56% received CsA and 44% Tac). RESULTS: Of the 101 patients, 77% were men, and ischemic heart disease was the most common indication for HT. At baseline, there were no differences in weight between groups treated with CsA or Tac. The mean weight for each group was 71.5 ± 12 and 75 ± 14 kg, respectively (P = .2). The weight increase was greater among CsA patients: after HT, the weight gain was 6.9 ± 11 kg in the CsA group, whereas a minimal weight loss of 0.03 ± 14 kg (P = .008) was experienced in the group treated with Tac. The multivariate analysis showed that only CsA treatment was an independent predictor of development of obesity 1 year after HT (odds ratio, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.04-14.21; P = .01). CONCLUSION: Weight gain after HT may be related to the CNI used and CsA seems to be the CNI that produces the greatest increase.

Sexual differences in the expression of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase during 5,9-dimethyldibenzo[c,g]carbazole-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice.

5,9-Dimethyl-7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (5,9-diMeDBC) is an organ-specific carcinogen for mouse liver. It induces malignant hepatomas in 100% of XVIInc/Z and C57BL mice with a cumulative dose of only 12 mumol administered subcutaneously. Large sex-related differences in sensitivity towards this carcinogen were observed: entire males were much less sensitive than females. Castration of males nearly completely restored the sensitivity observed for females. The kinetics of appearance of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma GT)-positive foci was enhanced in females and castrated males and was correlated with the tumour outbreak. On the contrary the expression of gamma GT in males was very reduced. The sex-dependent sensitivity seems to be regulated by a complex interplay of endogenous factors.

Inversion of genetic predisposition to carcinogenesis in liver of two lines of mice selected for resistance (Car-R) or susceptibility (Car-S) to skin carcinogenesis.

Two lines of mice, one resistant (Car-R) and one susceptible (Car-S) to skin carcinogenesis, were produced by bi-directional selective breeding. To see whether the characteristics of susceptibility or resistance to tumorigenesis were also expressed in the liver and lung, the two lines were submitted comparatively to treatment with 5,9-dimethyl dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (DiMeDBC), a potent hepatocarcinogenic derivative of the ubiquitous heterocyclic carcinogenic pollutant, 7H-dibenzo[c,g]-carbazole (DBC). An inversion of genetic predisposition to carcinogenesis in liver was observed. Car-R animals displayed rapid tumorigenesis in 100% of cases while Car-S mice were remarkably less sensitive, showing a 4-fold lower mean tumor multiplicity and a 4-month longer latency time. In parallel adduct formation by DiMeDBC and DBC in liver DNA was analyzed by the 32P-postlabeling method, showing a remarkably higher level in Car-R mice than in Car-S animals. These data indicate that tissue-specific sensibility in carcinogenesis may involve gene expression at various levels.

In-vivo hypocalcaemic, hypophosphataemic and hyperlipaemic activities in the common peptide sequence of adrenocorticotrophin, melanocyte-stimulating hormone and lipotrophin.

A heptapeptide solution in acetate buffer (pH = 4, 150 micrograms/kg) of the amino acid sequence common to ACTH, alpha- and beta-MSH and lipotrophin, when injected intravenously into rabbits produced an increase in total lipids, cholesterol and free fatty acids after 1 h and a decrease in plasma calcium and phosphate after 2 h. No significant modification in the amount of creatinine, uric acid, urea, total proteins, CO2, Cl-, K+ or Na+ was observed.

Inhibition of 5,9-dimethyldibenzo[c,g]carbazole-DNA adduct formation in mouse liver by pretreatment with cytochrome P4501A inducers in vivo.

Mice of the XVIInc/Z and DBA/2N strains, which are responsive and nonresponsive, respectively, to the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor, were treated with the hepatocarcinogen 5,9-dimethyldibenzo[c,g]carbazole and their livers were examined by nuclease P1-enhanced 32P-postlabeling for the levels of DNA adducts formed. Pretreatment at the doses usually reported in the literature with the cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) inducers 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), and isosafrole modulated DNA adduction. In XVIInc/Z mice, DNA adduction was totally inhibited by TCDD (a CYP1A1/1A2 inducer), BNF (a CYP1A1/1A2 inducer), and isosafrole (a CYP1A2 inducer). In DBA/2N mice, in which DNA adduction was also inhibited by TCDD, about 25% of the DNA adduct levels persisted after pretreatment with BNF (not a CYP1A1/1A2 inducer in this strain) or isosafrole (a CYP1A2 inducer in this strain). The increase (in all cases less than twofold) in the levels of the phase-II drug-metabolizing enzymes glutathione S-transferase and uridine diphospho-glucuronyltransferase after treatment with inducers cannot explain the total disappearance of DNA adducts. Assays of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation did not show any induction of DNA synthesis which could explain the decrease in adducts. These results suggest that in vivo 1) increases in CYP1A enzymes by inducers are not correlated with enhanced levels of certain DNA adducts; and 2) phase-II drug metabolizing enzymes are not the main cellular protection pathway for detoxification. An additional mechanism, perhaps also induced by the Ah receptor but highly dependent on the dose of inducer, could be involved in parallel to multidrug resistance (mdr); further experiments are needed to identify this process used by the cell to enhance its protection against toxic or genotoxic effects.

Tissue-specific activities of methylated dibenzo[c,g]carbazoles in mice: carcinogenicity, DNA adduct formation, and CYP1A induction in liver and skin.

The potent multitissue carcinogen 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole and nine methylated derivatives, synthesized on the basis of the positions in the parent compound that are involved in metabolism, were tested for their ability to induce sarcomas and hepatic tumors in XVIInc/Z mice. In addition, the capacity of these compounds to induce DNA adducts in skin and liver was investigated by (32)P-postlabeling analysis after their topical administration. Induction by these compounds of cytochromes P450 of the 1A family in liver and skin was investigated and correlated to their carcinogenic potential. A clear correlation was found between the tissue specificity of DNA binding and the capacity of each compound to induce skin or liver tumors. In contrast, no direct relationship was observed between the capacity of the compounds to induce cytochromes 1A1/1A2 and the tissue specificity of carcinogenesis or DNA binding in liver or skin. The results are discussed with respect to the positions of methyl groups in the 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole molecule.

In vitro metabolism of N-methyl-dibenzo [c,g]carbazole a potent sarcomatogen devoid of hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic properties.

The metabolism of N-methyl substituted 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (N-Me DBC) was investigated in vitro using liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene (MC)-, benzo[c]carbazole (BC) and Arochlor-pretreated mice and rats. N-Me DBC is a potent sarcomatogen devoid of hepatotoxicity and liver carcinogenic activity. The ethyl acetate-extractable metabolites were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and most of them were identified by proton magnetic resonance (PMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and comparison with synthetically prepared specimens. Mouse and rat microsomes gave rise to the same metabolites. The major metabolites were 5-OH-N-Me DBC (50%), N-hydroxymethyl (HMe) DBC (25-30%) and 3-OH-N-Me DBC (10%). Addition of 1,1,1-trichloropropene-2,3-oxide (TCPO) to the standard incubation medium permitted the identification of two dihydrodiols among the minor metabolites. No metabolite of DBC was observed after incubation of N-Me DBC, or its major metabolite N-HMe DBC, with either mouse or rat microsomes, but the possibility of a slight demethylation cannot be totally excluded. The lack of biotransformation at the nitrogen atom site may explain the lack of hepatotoxicity and liver carcinogenic activity of N-Me DBC. The modulation of metabolism by epoxide hydrolase, cytosol and glutathione was also investigated. The results are discussed in the light of data previously obtained with hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic DBC.

Structure and carcinogenicity of dibenzo(c,g)carbazole derivatives.

The carcinogenicity of several groups of carcinogens is evoked with particular reference to Dibenzo(c,g)carbazole derivatives. The activity of these derivatives is discussed with respect to their species and organ specificity. The enzymatic equipment is decisive as to whether the compounds formed can react with DNA or are simply detoxified and eliminated. All these carcinogens are complete carcinogens, i.e. they have the property of both initiation and promotion.