Tomato Plant Microbiota under Conventional and Organic Fertilization Regimes in a Soilless Culture System.

Tomato is the main vegetable cultivated under soilless culture systems (SCSs); production of organic tomato under SCSs has increased due to consumer demands for healthier and environmentally friendly vegetables. However, organic tomato production under SCSs has been associated with low crop performance and fruit quality defects. These agricultural deficiencies could be linked to alterations in tomato plant microbiota; nonetheless, this issue has not been sufficiently addressed. Thus, the main goal of the present study was to characterize the rhizosphere and phyllosphere of tomato plants cultivated under conventional and organic SCSs. To accomplish this goal, tomato plants grown in commercial greenhouses under conventional or organic SCSs were tested at 8, 26, and 44 weeks after seedling transplantation. Substrate (n = 24), root (n = 24), and fruit (n = 24) composite samples were subjected to DNA extraction and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The present study revealed that the tomato core microbiota was predominantly constituted by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Remarkably, six bacterial families, Bacillaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Nocardioidaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, and Sphingomonadaceae, were shared among all substrate, rhizosphere, and fruit samples. Importantly, it was shown that plants under organic SCSs undergo a dysbiosis characterized by significant changes in the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobiaceae, Caulobacteraceae, Chitinophagaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erythrobacteraceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Nocardioidaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, and Streptomycetaceae. These results suggest that microbial alterations in substrates, roots, and fruits could be potential factors in contributing to the crop performance and fruit quality deficiencies observed in organic SCSs.

Prediction of Mortality in Coronary Artery Disease: Role of Machine Learning and Maximal Exercise Capacity.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prediction model for survival of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) using health conditions beyond cardiovascular risk factors, including maximal exercise capacity, through the application of machine learning (ML) techniques. METHODS: Analysis of data from a retrospective cohort linking clinical, administrative, and vital status databases from 1995 to 2016 was performed. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years or older, diagnosis of CAD, referral to a cardiac rehabilitation program, and available baseline exercise test results. Primary outcome was death from any cause. Feature selection was performed using supervised and unsupervised ML techniques. The final prognostic model used the survival tree (ST) algorithm. RESULTS: From the cohort of 13,362 patients (60±11 years; 2400 [18%] women), 1577 died during a median follow-up of 8 years (interquartile range, 4 to 13 years), with an estimated survival of 67% up to 21 years. Feature selection revealed age and peak metabolic equivalents (METs) as the features with the greatest importance for mortality prediction. Using these 2 features, the ST generated a long-term prediction with a C-index of 0.729 by splitting patients in 8 clusters with different survival probabilities (P<.001). The ST root node was split by peak METs of 6.15 or less or more than 6.15, and each patient's subgroup was further split by age or other peak METs cut points. CONCLUSION: Applying ML techniques, age and maximal exercise capacity accurately predict mortality in patients with CAD and outperform variables commonly used for decision-making in clinical practice. A novel and simple prognostic model was established, and maximal exercise capacity was further suggested to be one of the most powerful predictors of mortality in CAD.

Nutritional Value and Bioactive Compounds of Leaves and Grains from Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.).

Quinoa is an important crop for food security and food sovereignty in Ecuador. In this study, we evaluated the nutritional value, bioactive compounds, and antinutrient compounds of leaves and grains of the Ecuadorian quinoa variety Tunkahuan, and we identified significant differences between the nutrient content in the leaves and grains. The quinoa leaves presented a higher protein content than the grains, as well as inorganic nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Both the grains and leaves had an appreciable phenolic content. In addition, the quinoa grains presented a higher content of the antinutrient saponin than the leaves, while the leaves contained more nitrates and oxalates than the grains. Thus, quinoa leaves and grains exhibit excellent potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Emotion Detection for Social Robots Based on NLP Transformers and an Emotion Ontology.

For social robots, knowledge regarding human emotional states is an essential part of adapting their behavior or associating emotions to other entities. Robots gather the information from which emotion detection is processed via different media, such as text, speech, images, or videos. The multimedia content is then properly processed to recognize emotions/sentiments, for example, by analyzing faces and postures in images/videos based on machine learning techniques or by converting speech into text to perform emotion detection with natural language processing (NLP) techniques. Keeping this information in semantic repositories offers a wide range of possibilities for implementing smart applications. We propose a framework to allow social robots to detect emotions and to store this information in a semantic repository, based on EMONTO (an EMotion ONTOlogy), and in the first figure or table caption. Please define if appropriate. an ontology to represent emotions. As a proof-of-concept, we develop a first version of this framework focused on emotion detection in text, which can be obtained directly as text or by converting speech to text. We tested the implementation with a case study of tour-guide robots for museums that rely on a speech-to-text converter based on the Google Application Programming Interface (API) and a Python library, a neural network to label the emotions in texts based on NLP transformers, and EMONTO integrated with an ontology for museums; thus, it is possible to register the emotions that artworks produce in visitors. We evaluate the classification model, obtaining equivalent results compared with a state-of-the-art transformer-based model and with a clear roadmap for improvement.

Electrospun Poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate)/Nano-hyDroxyapatite/Graphene Nanoribbon Scaffolds Improved the In Vivo Osteogenesis of the Neoformed Bone.

Electrospun ultrathin fibrous scaffold filed with synthetic nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) and graphene nanoribbons (GNR) has bioactive and osteoconductive properties and is a plausible strategy to improve bone regeneration. Poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has been studied as fibrous scaffolds due to its low crystallinity, faster biodegradability, and good mechanical properties; however, its potential for in vivo applications remains underexplored. We proposed the application of electrospun PBAT with high contents of incorporated nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles as bone grafts. Ultrathin PBAT, PBAT/nHAp, and PBAT/nHAp/GNR fibers were produced using an electrospinning apparatus. The produced fibers were characterized morphologically and structurally using scanning electron (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron (TEM) microscopies, respectively. Mechanical properties were analyzed using a texturometer. All scaffolds were implanted into critical tibia defects in rats and analyzed after two weeks using radiography, microcomputed tomography, histological, histomorphometric, and biomechanical analyses. The results showed through SEM and high-resolution TEM characterized the average diameters of the fibers (ranged from 0.208 µm ± 0.035 to 0.388 µm ± 0.087) and nHAp (crystallite around 0.28, 0.34, and 0.69 nm) and nHAp/GNR (200-300 nm) nanoparticles distribution into PBAT matrices. Ultrathin fibers were obtained, and the incorporated nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles were well distributed into PBAT matrices. The addition of nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles improved the elastic modulus of the ultrathin fibers compared to neat PBAT. High loads of nHAp/GNR (PBATnH5G group) improved the in vivo lamellar bone formation promoting greater radiographic density, trabecular number and stiffness in the defect area 2 weeks after implantation than control and PBAT groups.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Enterobacteriaceae Primer Sets for Analysis of Host-Associated Microbiota.

Enterobacteriaceae is one of the most important bacterial groups within the Proteobacteria phylum. This bacterial group includes pathogens, commensal and beneficial populations. Numerous 16S rRNA gene PCR-based assays have been designed to analyze Enterobacteriaceae diversity and relative abundance, and, to the best of our knowledge, 16 primer pairs have been validated, published and used since 2003. Nonetheless, a comprehensive performance analysis of these primer sets has not yet been carried out. This information is of particular importance due to the recent taxonomic restructuration of Enterobacteriaceae into seven bacterial families. To overcome this lack of information, the identified collection of primer pairs (n = 16) was subjected to primer performance analysis using multiple bioinformatics tools. Herein it was revealed that, based on specificity and coverage of the 16S rRNA gene, these 16 primer sets could be divided into different categories: Enterobacterales-, multi-family-, multi-genus- and Enterobacteriaceae-specific primers. These results highlight the impact of taxonomy changes on performance of molecular assays and data interpretation. Moreover, they underline the urgent need to revise and update the molecular tools used for molecular microbial analyses.

A Molecular Tool for Rapid Detection and Traceability of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Fresh Berries and Berry Farm Soils.

Due to recent outbreaks of cyclosporiasis associated with consumption of fresh berries, producers are demanding modern microbiological tools for the rapid and accurate identification of the human pathogen Cyclospora cayetanensis in berries and environmental samples. The aim of the present work was to develop a molecular tool based on a PCR approach for the rapid and accurate detection of C. cayetanensis. A nested PCR assay was validated for the amplification of a 294 bp size region of the 18S rRNA gene from C. cayetanensis. The limit of detection for the nested PCR assay was validated using 48 berry samples spiked with ~0, 10, 100, and 1000 oocyst per gram of sample. With this assay, it was possible to detect as few as 1 oocyst per gram of berry, in a 50 g sample. Sanger DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were carried out to confirm the presence of C. cayetanensis in berry (n = 17) and soil (n = 5) samples. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the C. cayetanensis sequences obtained from Mexico clustered within a group recovered from China, Peru, Guatemala-Haiti, and Japan. The PCR protocol designed in the present study could be an important tool for the rapid and accurate detection of this human pathogen in environmental and food samples.

Insights into the Identification of the Specific Spoilage Organisms in Chicken Meat.

Poultry meat deterioration is caused by environmental conditions, as well as proliferation of different bacterial groups, and their interactions. It has been proposed that meat spoilage involves two bacterial groups: one group that initiates the deterioration process, known as specific spoilage organisms (SSOs), and the other known as spoilage associated organisms (SAOs) which represents all bacteria groups recovered from meat samples before, during, and after the spoilage process. Numerous studies have characterized the diversity of chicken meat SAOs; nonetheless, the identification of the SSOs remains a long-standing question. Based on recent genomic studies, it is suggested that the SSOs should possess an extensive genome size to survive and proliferate in raw meat, a cold, complex, and hostile environment. To evaluate this hypothesis, we performed comparative genomic analyses in members of the meat microbiota to identify microorganisms with extensive genome size and ability to cause chicken meat spoilage. Our studies show that members of the Pseudomonadaceae family have evolved numerous biological features such as large genomic size, slow-growing potential, low 16S rRNA copy number, psychrotrophic, and oligotrophic metabolism to initiate the spoilage of poultry meat. Moreover, inoculation experiments corroborated that these biological traits are associated with the potential to cause chicken meat deterioration. Together, these results provide new insights into the identification of SSO. Further studies are in progress to elucidate the impact of the SSO on meat quality and microbiota diversity.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of rotary-jet-spun poly(ɛ-caprolactone) with high loading of nano-hydroxyapatite.

Herein, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) mats with different amounts of nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) were produced using rotary-jet spinning (RJS) and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The mean fiber diameters of the PCL, PCL/nHAp (3%), PCL/nHAp (5%), and PCL/nHAp (20%) scaffolds were 1847 ± 1039, 1817 ± 1044, 1294 ± 4274, and 845 ± 248 nm, respectively. Initially, all the scaffolds showed superhydrophobic behavior (contact angle around of 140oC), but decreased to 80° after 30 min. All the produced scaffolds were bioactive after soaking in simulated body fluid, especially PCL/nHAp (20%). The crystallinity of the PCL scaffolds decreased progressively from 46 to 21% after incorporation of 20% nHAp. In vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity were investigated, as well as the mats' ability to reduce bacteria biofilm formation. In vitro cellular differentiation was evaluated by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized nodule formation. Overall, we identified the total ideal amount of nHAp to incorporate in PCL mats, which did not show in vitro or in vivo cytotoxicity and promoted lamellar bone formation independently of the amounts of nHAp. The scaffolds with nHAp showed reduced bacterial proliferation. Alizarin red staining was higher in materials associated with nHAp than in those without nHAp. Overall, this study demonstrates that PCL with nHAp prepared by RJS merits further evaluation for orthopedic applications.

Electrospun ultrathin PBAT/nHAp fibers influenced the in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis and improved the mechanical properties of neoformed bone.

Combining polyester scaffolds with synthetic nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp), which is bioactive and osteoconductive, is a plausible strategy to improve bone regeneration. Here, we propose the combination of PBAT [poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate)] and synthetic nHAp (at 3 and 5wt%). PBAT is a relatively a new polymer with low crystallinity and attractive biodegradability and mechanical properties for orthopedic applications, however, with a still underexplored potential for in vivo applications. Then, we performed a careful biological in vitro and in vivo set of experiments to evaluate the influence of PBAT containing two different nHAp loads. For in vitro assays, osteoblast-like MG63 cells were used and the bioactivity and gene expression related to osteogenesis were evaluated by qRT-PCR. For in vivo experiments, twenty-four male rats were used and a tibial defect model was applied to insert the scaffolds. Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) and histological analysis were used to assess e bone neoformation after 6 weeks of implantation. Three point flexural tests measured the mechanical properties of the neoformed bone. All scaffolds showed promising in vitro properties, since they were not cytotoxic against MG-63 cells and promoted high cell proliferation and formation of mineralized nodules. From a mechanistic point-of-view, nHAp loading increased hydrophilicity, which in turn allowed for a better adsorption of proteins and consequent changes in the phenotypic expression of osteoblasts. nHAp induced better cellular responses on/in the scaffolds, which was mainly attributed to its osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Micro-CT images showed that nHAp at 3% and 5wt% led to more effective bone formation, presenting the highest bone volume after 6 weeks of implantation. Considering the three point flexural tests, 5wt% of nHAp positively influenced the flexural mode of the neoformed bone, but the stiffiness was similar between the 3% and 5wt% groups. In summary, this investigation demonstrated great potential for the application of these novel scaffolds towards bone regeneration and, thus, should be further studied.

PDLLA honeycomb-like scaffolds with a high loading of superhydrophilic graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes promote osteoblast in vitro functions and guided in vivo bone regeneration.

Herein, we developed honeycomb-like scaffolds by combining poly (d, l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) with a high amount of graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotube oxides (MWCNTO-GO, 50% w/w). From pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) powders, we produced MWCNTO-GO via oxygen plasma etching (OPE), which promoted their exfoliation and oxidation. Initially, we evaluated PDLLA and PDLLA/MWCNTO-GO scaffolds for tensile strength tests, cell adhesion and cell viability (with osteoblast-like MG-63 cells), alkaline phosphatase (ALP, a marker of osteoblast differentiation) activity and mineralized nodule formation. In vivo tests were carried out using PDLLA and PDLLA/MWCNTO-GO scaffolds as fillers for critical defects in the tibia of rats. MWCNTO-GO loading was responsible for decreasing the tensile strength and elongation-at-break of PDLLA scaffolds, although the high mechanical performance observed (~600MPa) assures their application in bone tissue regeneration. In vitro results showed that the scaffolds were not cytotoxic and allowed for osteoblast-like cell interactions and the formation of mineralized matrix nodules. Furthermore, MG-63 cells grown on PDLLA/MWCNTO-GO significantly enhanced osteoblast ALP activity compared to controls (cells alone), while the PDLLA group showed similar ALP activity when compared to controls and PDLLA/MWCNTO-GO. Most impressively, in vivo tests suggested that compared to PDLLA scaffolds, PDLLA/MWCNTO-GO had a superior influence on bone cell activity, promoting greater new bone formation. In summary, the results of this study highlighted that this novel scaffold (MWCNTO-GO, 50% w/w) is a promising alternative for bone tissue regeneration and, thus, should be further studied.

Qualidade do reparo ósseo em ratas ovariectomizadas, lesionadas e tratadas com Arnica montana fitoterápica e homeopática / Quality of bone repair in ovariectomized rats with bone lesions treated with phytotherapic and homeopathic Arnica montana

Objetivo: Dados estatísticos nacionais e mundiais demonstram que o número de indivíduos idosos tende a crescer de maneira exponencial nos próximos anos, tornando-se uma população significativamente e proporcionalmente maior que as demais. Entre as doenças mais comuns nessa faixa estaria encontra-se a osteoporose, doença que reduz a massa esquelética e deteriora a microarquitetura do osso causando fragilidade e aumentando o risco de fraturas. Material e Métodos: Este estudo teve como proposta avaliar o efeito da Arnica montana fitoterápica e homeopática no reparo de lesões ósseas, visando uma possível forma de tratamento de fraturas na vigência da osteoporose. Os ensaios experimentais foram realizados em ratas Wistar adultas, divididas em quatro grupos: ovariectomizado tratado com Arnica montana 6CH homeopática (OVZ 6CH); ovariectomizado tratado com extrato fitoterápico de Arnica montana (OVZ TM); ovariectomizada tratado com placebo (OVZ PL) falsa cirurgia de ovariectomia e tratado com placebo (Sham PL). Após 45 dias da cirurgia sham ou de ovariectomia, foi realizada uma lesão óssea monocortical. Os animais foram eutanasiados após 6, 12, 18 e 28 dias e as tíbias retiradas para avaliação das suas dimensões e analise do reparo ósseo através de densidade óssea radiográfica, ensaios biomecânicos e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os dados do teste de flexão foram submetidos à analise estatística pelos testes de ANOVA e Tukey (p< 5%). Resultados: Conclui-se que o tratamento com arnica 6CH foi melhor que o com arnica TM quanto à resistência e à qualidade de regeneração óssea, enquanto a TM mostrou melhor valor de densidade óptica. Conclusão: Esse estudo concluiu que o tratamento com Arnica montana homeopática foi mais eficiente que com Arnica fitoterápica na regeneração óssea de ratas com osteoporose (AU)

Objective: National and international data show that in the next years the elder population tends to have an exponential increase becoming to be significantly higher than other ages. Among the frequent diseases in the elderly, osteoporosis is a disease that decreases bone mass and deteriorates bone structure causing fragility and a high risk of fracture. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of phytotherapic and homeopathic Arnica montana on bone repair quality and its possible use in the treatment of bone fracture in patients with osteoporosis. Material and Methods: This experimental study was performed in Wistar adult female rats divided in 4 groups according to the following treatments: ovariectomized treated with homeopathic A. montana 6CH (OVZ 6CH); ovariectomized treated with phytotherapic A. montana (OVZ TM); ovariectomized with placebo (OVZ PL) and rats with sham surgery and placebo (Sham PL). In a period of 45 days after ovariectomy or sham surgery, all animals got a monocortical lesion. They were euthanized after 6, 12, 18 and 28 days and had the tibiae removed to evaluate dimensions and bone repair by radiographic density, biomechanical test and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed by ANOVA and TUKEY tests (p < 0.05). Results: Results showed that treatment with Arnica 6CH was better than Arnica TM considering bone resistance and bone repair quality. Conclusion: This study concluded that treatment with homeopathic A. montana was more efficient than with phytotherapic Arnica in bone regeneration in rats with osteoporosis.(AU)

Effect of chemical stress on germination of cv Dalia bean (Phaseolus vularis L.) as an alternative to increase antioxidant and nutraceutical compounds in sprouts.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chitosan (CH), salicylic acid (SA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at different concentrations on the antinutritional and nutraceutical content, as well as the antioxidant capacity of bean sprouts (cv Dalia). All elicitors at medium and high concentrations reduced the antinutritional content of lectins (48%), trypsin inhibitor (57%), amylase inhibitor (49%) and phytic acid (56%). Sprouts treated with CH, SA and H2O2 (7µM; 1 and 2mM, and 30mM respectively) increased the content of phenolic compounds (1.8-fold), total flavonoids (3-fold), saponins (1.8-fold) and antioxidant capacity (37%). Furthermore, the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis showed an increase of several nutraceutical compounds in bean sprouts treated with SA such as coumaric (8.5-fold), salicylic (115-fold), gallic (25-fold) and caffeic (1.7-fold) acids, as well as epigallocatechin (63-fold), rutin (41-fold) and quercetin (16.6-fold) flavonoids. The application of elicitors in bean seed during sprouting enhances their nutraceutical properties.

Low temperature conditioning of garlic (Allium sativum L.) "seed" cloves induces alterations in sprouts proteome.

Low-temperature conditioning of garlic "seed" cloves substitutes the initial climatic requirements of the crop and accelerates the cycle. We have reported that "seed" bulbs from "Coreano" variety conditioned at 5°C for 5 weeks reduces growth and plant weight as well as the crop yields and increases the synthesis of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins. Therefore, this treatment suggests a cold stress. Plant acclimation to stress is associated with deep changes in proteome composition. Since proteins are directly involved in plant stress response, proteomics studies can significantly contribute to unravel the possible relationships between protein abundance and plant stress acclimation. The aim of this work was to study the changes in the protein profiles of garlic "seed" cloves subjected to conditioning at low-temperature using proteomics approach. Two sets of garlic bulbs were used, one set was stored at room temperature (23°C), and the other was conditioned at low temperature (5°C) for 5 weeks. Total soluble proteins were extracted from sprouts of cloves and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein spots showing statistically significant changes in abundance were analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS and identified by database search analysis using the Mascot search engine. The results revealed that low-temperature conditioning of garlic "seed" cloves causes alterations in the accumulation of proteins involved in different physiological processes such as cellular growth, antioxidative/oxidative state, macromolecules transport, protein folding and transcription regulation process. The metabolic pathways affected include protein biosynthesis and quality control system, photosynthesis, photorespiration, energy production, and carbohydrate and nucleotide metabolism. These processes can work cooperatively to establish a new cellular homeostasis that might be related with the physiological and biochemical changes observed in previous studies.

Metabolite profile, antioxidant capacity, and inhibition of digestive enzymes in infusions of peppermint (Mentha piperita) grown under drought stress.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) infusions represent an important source of antioxidants, which can be enhanced by inducing abiotic stress in plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of drought stress on peppermint cultivation as well as the metabolite profile, antioxidant capacity, and inhibition of digestive enzymes of resulting infusions. At 45 days after planting, irrigation was suppressed until 85 (control), 65, 35, 24, and 12% soil moisture (SM) was reached. The results showed that 35, 24, and 12% SM decreased fresh (20%) and dry (5%) weight. The 35 and 24% SM treatments significantly increased total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as antioxidant capacity. Coumaric acid, quercetin, luteolin, and naringenin were detected only in some drought treatments; however, in these infusions, fewer amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids were identified. The 24 and 12% SM treatments slightly improved inhibition of pancreatic lipase and α-amylase activity. Therefore, induction of moderate water stress in peppermint is recommended to enhance its biological properties.

Effect of chemical elicitors on peppermint (Mentha piperita) plants and their impact on the metabolite profile and antioxidant capacity of resulting infusions.

Infusions are widely consumed all over the world and are a source of dietary antioxidants, which can be improved in plants using elicitors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) (0.5, 1 and 2mM) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (0.05, 0.1 and 0.5mM) on peppermint (Mentha piperita) plants and its effect on the metabolite profile and antioxidant capacity of resulting infusions. Whereas 2mM SA treatment improved plant growth parameters and metabolite profile (carbohydrates and amino acids), 0.5 and 1mM SA treatments increased phenolic compound concentration. Sinapic acid, rutin and naringin were detected only in SA treatments; antioxidant capacity was also improved. Regarding H2O2 treatments, no differences in plant growth parameters, metabolite profile or antioxidant capacity were found. Therefore, the application of SA to peppermint is recommended in order to improve bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity of infusions.

Low-temperature conditioning of "seed" cloves enhances the expression of phenolic metabolism related genes and anthocyanin content in 'Coreano' garlic (Allium sativum) during plant development.

Low-temperature conditioning of garlic "seed" cloves accelerated the development of the crop cycle, decreased plant growth, and increased the synthesis of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins in the outer scale leaves of the bulbs at harvest time, leading to 3-fold content increase compared with those conditioned at room temperature. Cold conditioning of "seed" cloves also altered the anthocyanin profile during bulb development and at harvest. Two new anthocyanins are reported for the first time in garlic. The high phenolics and anthocyanin contents in bulbs of plants generated from "seed" cloves conditioned at 5 °C for 5 weeks were preceded by overexpression of some putative genes of the phenolic metabolism [6-fold for phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL)] and anthocyanin synthesis [1-fold for UDP-sugar:flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase (UFGT)] compared with those conditioned at room temperature.

Avaliação da qualidade do reparo ósseo em ratas ovariectomizadas, lesionadas e tratadas com Arnica montana fitoterápica e homeopática / Quality of bone repair in ovariectomized rats with bone lesions treated with phytotherapic and homeopathic Arnica montana

Dados estatísticos nacionais e mundiais demonstram que o número de indivíduos idosos tende a crescer de maneira exponencial nos próximos anos, tornando-se uma população significantemente e proporcionalmente maior que as demais. Entre as doenças mais comuns nesta faixa etária encontra-se a osteoporose, doença que reduz a massa esquelética e deteriora a microarquitetura do osso causando fragilidade e aumentando o risco de fraturas. Este estudo teve como proposta avaliar o efeito da Arnica montana fitoterápica e homeopática no reparo de lesões ósseas, visando uma possível forma de tratamento de fraturas na vigência de osteoporose. Os ensaios experimentais foram realizados em ratas Wistar adultas, divididas em quatro grupos: ovariectomizado tratado com Arnica montana 6CH (OVZ 6CH); ovariectomizado tratado com Arnica montana tintura mãe (OVZ TM); ovariectomizado tratado com placebo (OVZ PL) e animais com falsa cirurgia de ovariectomia e tratado com placebo (Sham PL). Após 45 dias da cirurgia sham ou de ovariectomia, foi realizada uma lesão óssea monocortical na tíbia de todos os animais e iniciados os respectivos tratamentos. Os animais foram eutanasiados após, 6, 12, 18 e 28 dias e as tíbias retiradas para avaliação das suas dimensões e análise do reparo ósseo através de densidade óssea radiográfica, ensaios biomecânicos e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística pelos testes de ANOVA e Tukey (p<5%). Demonstraram que o tratamento com arnica 6CH foi melhor que o com arnica TM quanto à resistência e à qualidade da regeneração óssea, enquanto a TM mostrou melhor valor de densidade óptica

National and international data show that in the next years the elder population tends to have an exponential increase becoming to be significantly higher than the other age population. Among the frequent diseases in the elderly is osteoporosis, a disease that decreases bone mass and deteriorates bone structure causing fragility and a high risk of fracture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of phytotherapic and homeopathic Arnica montana on bone repair quality, aiming its possible use in the treatment of bone fracture in patients with osteoporosis. This experimental study was realized in Wistar adult female rats divided in 4 groups according to the following treatments: ovariectomized treated with Arnica montana 6CH (OVZ 6CH); ovariectomized treated with extract of Arnica montana (OVZ TM); ovariectomized with false treatment with placebo (OVZ PL) and rats with sham surgery and false treatment with placebo (Sham PL). In a period of 45 days after ovariectomy or sham surgery all animals were drilled a monocortical lesion in their tibiae and began the proposed treatments. They were euthanized after 6, 12, 18 e 28 days and had the tibiae removed to evaluation of tibiae dimensions and bone repair by radiographic density, biomechanical test and electronic scan microscopy (MEV). Data were analyzed by ANOVA e Tukey tests (p<5%). The results showed that treatment with arnica 6CH was better than with arnica TM considering bone resistance to biomechanical flection and bone repair quality, while arnica TM showed better bone density values

Eficacia de intervención breve para la cesación del consumo de tabaco / Effectiveness of the intervention for the ceasing of the consumption of tobacco

Se realizó un estudio, cuyos objetivos fueron: a)determinar la eficacia de la intervención breve para la cesación del consumo de tabaco, en términos de las etapas motivacionales de Prochaska y b) identificar los factores determinantes de la eficacia para la cesación del consumo de tabaco. En estudio se realizó en las Consultas de Medicina Interna del Ambulatorio Urbano tipo II "Cerritos Blancos" de Barquisimeto - Estado Lara, en el período julio - noviembre 2003. De los 41 pacientes asigandos aleatoriamente, 25 terminaron el estudio, 14 del grupo experimental y 11 del grupo control. A ambos grupos se les practicaron intervenciones estándar y al experimental, adicionalmente, dos intervenciones breves. El 71,43 por ciento de los pacientes alcanzó la cesación del consumo de tabaco con dos intervenciones breves, cuya etapa motivacional, al inicio del estudio, era de preparación en la mayoría. Se observó que dos intervenciones breves (P= 0,003) fueron más eficaces que una sola (P= 0,04), y aún más que dos intervenciones estándar. La intervención breve, fue un factor protector, fortaleciendo la disposición del pacientes para dejar de fumar. Ningún factor estudiado fue determinante de la eficacia de la intervención breve para la cesación del consumo de tabaco.

Deshidratación osmótica de manzana (Grany Smith) con diferentes soluciones osmóticas / Osmotic dehydration of apple (Grany Smith) with diferents osmotic solutions

Se estudio el proceso de deshidratación osmótica de anillos de manzana sometidos a 40º,50º y 60ºC y a la acción de dos agentes osmóticos (sacarosa e hidrolizados de maíz) idénticos en grados Brix actividad de agua y viscosidad pero diferentes en su composición (contenido de polisacáridos). Los parámetros de pérdida de peso, contenido de agua, ganancia de sólidos y grados Brix; indicaron diferencias entre los medios estudiados, se perdió más agua y se ganaron menos sólidos con los hidrolizados de maíz en comparación con la sacarosa. Los polisacáridos que permanecen en los jarabes de maíz influyen en el proceso, limitando la entrada de solutos y facilitando la salida de agua