Revalorization of Yerba Mate Residues: Biopolymers-Based Films of Dual Wettability as Potential Mulching Materials.

Biodegradable mulching films are a very attractive solution to agronomical practices intended to achieve more successful crop results. And, in this context, the employment of agricultural and industrial food residues as starting material for their production is an alternative with economic and environmental advantages. This work reports the preparation of bilayer films having two different wettability characteristics from three bio-derived biopolymers: TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers isolated from infused Yerba Mate residues, Chitosan and Polylactic acid. The infused Yerba Mate residues, the isolated and oxidized cellulose nanofibers, and the films were characterized. Nanofibrillation yield, optical transmittance, cationic demand, carboxyl content, intrinsic viscosity, degree of polymerization, specific surface area and length were studied for the (ligno)cellulose nanofibers. Textural and chemical analysis, thermal and mechanical properties studies, as well as water and light interactions were included in the characterization of the films. The bilayer films are promising materials to be used as mulching films.

Factors influencing fruit cracking: an environmental and agronomic perspective.

Fruit cracking, a widespread physiological disorder affecting various fruit crops and vegetables, has profound implications for fruit quality and marketability. This mini review delves into the multifaceted factors contributing to fruit cracking and emphasizes the pivotal roles of environmental and agronomic factors in its occurrence. Environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, and light exposure are explored as determinants factors influencing fruit cracking susceptibility. Furthermore, the significance of mineral nutrition and plant growth regulators in mitigating fruit cracking risk is elucidated, being calcium deficiency identified as a prominent variable in various fruit species. In recent years, precision farming and monitoring systems have emerged as valuable tools for managing environmental factors and optimizing fruit production. By meticulously tracking parameters such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and fruit skin temperature, growers can make informed decisions to prevent or alleviate fruit cracking. In conclusion, effective prevention of fruit cracking necessitates a comprehensive approach that encompasses both environmental and agronomic factors.

The earliest basketry in southern Europe: Hunter-gatherer and farmer plant-based technology in Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol).

Plant material culture can offer unique insights into the ways of life of prehistoric societies; however, its perishable nature has prevented a thorough understanding of its diverse and complex uses. Sites with exceptional preservation of organic materials provide a unique opportunity for further research. The burial site of Cueva de los Murciélagos in southern Iberia, uncovered during 19th-century mining activities, contained the best-preserved hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, together with other unique organic artifacts associated with the first farming communities, such as sandals and a wooden hammer. We present 14 14C dates for the perishable artifacts (N = 76), situating the assemblage between the Early and Middle Holocene (c. 7500 to 4200 cal BCE). Our integrated analysis includes raw material determination and technological and chrono-cultural contextualization of this unique and important set of materials.

Synergic photoprotection of phenolic compounds present in tomato fruit cuticle: a spectroscopic investigation in solution.

Coumaric acids and flavonoids play pivotal roles in protecting plants against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. In this work, we focus our photoprotection studies on p-coumaric acid and the flavonoid naringenin chalcone. Photoprotection is well-understood in p-coumaric acid; in contrast, information surrounding photoprotection in naringenin chalcone is lacking. Additionally, and vitally, how these two species work in unison to provide photoprotection across the UV-B and UV-A is unknown. Herein, we employ transient absorption spectroscopy together with steady-state irradiation studies to unravel the photoprotection mechanism of a solution of p-coumaric acid and naringenin chalcone. We find that the excited state dynamics of p-coumaric acid are significantly altered in the presence of naringenin chalcone. This finding concurs with quenching of the p-coumaric acid fluorescence with increasing concentration of naringenin chalcone. We propose a Förster energy transfer mechanism is operative via the formation of dipole-dipole interactions between p-coumaric acid and naringenin chalcone. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration in plants of a synergic effect between two classes of phenolics to bypass the potentially damaging effects of UVR.

Síndrome de Klippel-Trenaunay en gestante, a propósito de un caso / Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome in pregnant woman, about a case

Introducción: El síndrome de Klippel-Trenaunay es un trastorno neurocutáneo que se asocia a complicaciones trombóticas y hemorrágicas graves durante la gestación. Principales síntomas y/o hallazgos clínicos: Presentamos el caso de una primigesta afecta del síndrome de Klippel-Trenaunay a la que se realizó un seguimiento estrecho del embarazo de forma conjunta con el Servicio de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación. Ingresó a la 39+2 semanas por rotura de membranas que finalizó mediante parto vaginal eutócico, con aplicación de anestesia epidural sin complicaciones. Diagnósticos principales: Desde que el síndrome de Klippel-Trenaunay fue descrito por primera vez en 1900, se han informado menos de cien embarazos de pacientes afectas de esta patología en todo el mundo. A pesar del incremento del riesgo obstétrico y la posibilidad de exacerbación de las manifestaciones propias del síndrome durante la gestación, son posibles unos buenos resultados obstétricos con un asesoramiento adecuado y un seguimiento estrecho de la gestación. Intervenciones terapéuticas y resultados: Es fundamental realizar una valoración individualizada del riesgo-beneficio de la tromboprofilaxis dadas las potenciales complicaciones hemorrágicas y trombóticas que pueden sufrir estas pacientes. Conclusión: Es necesario un asesoramiento preconcepcional cuidadoso así como una atención intraparto y posparto sistemática para reducir la morbimortalidad en estas pacientes. (AU)

Introduction: Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a neurocutaneous disorder that is associated with severe thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications during pregnancy. Main symptoms and/or clinical findigns: We present the case of a primigravida affected by Klippel-Tre-naunay syndrome in whom a follow-up of the pregnancy was carried out jointly with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service. She was admitted at 39+2 weeks due to rupture of the membra-nes which ended with eutocic vaginal delivery, with the application of epidural anesthesia without complications.Main diagnoses: Since the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome was first described in 1900, less than one hundred pregnancies of patients affected by this pathology have been reported worldwide. Despite the increased obstetric risk and the possibility of exacerbation of the syndrome’s own manifestations during pregnancy, good obstetric outcomes are possible with appropriate counseling and close moni-toring of pregnancy.Therapeutic interventions and results:It is essential to carry out and individualized assessment of the risk-benefit of thromboprophylaxis given the potential bleeding and thrombotic complications that these patients may suffer.Conclusion: Careful preconception counseling as well as systematic intrapartum and postpartum care are necessary to reduce mortality and morbidity in these patients. (AU)

Mobility and kinship in the world's first village societies.

Around 10,000 y ago in southwest Asia, the cessation of a mobile lifestyle and the emergence of the first village communities during the Neolithic marked a fundamental change in human history. The first communities were small (tens to hundreds of individuals) but remained semisedentary. So-called megasites appeared soon after, occupied by thousands of more sedentary inhabitants. Accompanying this shift, the material culture and ancient ecological data indicate profound changes in economic and social behavior. A shift from residential to logistical mobility and increasing population size are clear and can be explained by either changes in fertility and/or aggregation of local groups. However, as sedentism increased, small early communities likely risked inbreeding without maintaining or establishing exogamous relationships typical of hunter-gatherers. Megasites, where large populations would have made endogamy sustainable, could have avoided this risk. To examine the role of kinship practices in the rise of megasites, we measured strontium and oxygen isotopes in tooth enamel from 99 individuals buried at Pinarbasi, Boncuklu, and Çatalhöyük (Turkey) over 7,000 y. These sites are geographically proximate and, critically, span both early sedentary behaviors (Pinarbasi and Boncuklu) and the rise of a local megasite (Çatalhöyük). Our data are consistent with the presence of only local individuals at Pinarbasi and Boncuklu, whereas at Çatalhöyük, several nonlocals are present. The Çatalhöyük data stand in contrast to other megasites where bioarchaeological evidence has pointed to strict endogamy. These different kinship behaviors suggest that megasites may have arisen by employing unique, community-specific kinship practices.

3D (x-y-t) Raman imaging of tomato fruit cuticle: Microchemistry during development.

The cuticle is a protective extracellular matrix that covers the above-ground epidermis of land plants. Here, we studied the cuticle of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits in situ using confocal Raman microscopy. Microsections from cuticles isolated at different developmental stages were scanned to visualize cuticle components with a spatial resolution of 342 nm by univariate and multivariate data analysis. Three main components, cutin, polysaccharides, and aromatics, were identified, with the latter exhibiting the strongest Raman scattering intensity. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were differentiated within the cuticle, and three schematic cuticle models were identified during development. Phenolic acids were found across the entire cuticle at the earliest stage of development, i.e. during the formation of the procuticle layer. Based on a mixture analysis with reference component spectra, the phenolic acids were identified as mainly esterified p-coumaric acid together with free p-hydroxybenzoic acid. During the cell expansion period of growth, phenolic acids accumulated in an outermost layer of the cuticle and in the middle region of the pegs. In these stages of development, cellulose and pectin were detected next to the inner cuticle region, close to the epidermal cell where flavonoid impregnation started during ripening. In the first ripening stage, chalconaringenin was observed, while methoxylated chalcones were chosen by the algorithm to fit the mature cuticle spectra. The colocation of carbohydrates, esterified p-coumaric acid, and methoxylated chalconaringenin suggests that the latter two link polysaccharide and cutin domains. Elucidating the different distribution of aromatics within the cuticle, suggests important functions: (1) overall impregnation conferring mechanical and thermal functions (2) the outermost phenolic acid layer displaying UV-B protection of the plant tissue.

Hemoperitoneo espontáneo asociado con endometriosis en gestante de segundo trimestre / Spontaneus hemoperitoneum associated with endometriosis in a second trimester pregnant woman

Resumen ANTECEDENTES: El hemoperitoneo espontáneo es una complicación infrecuente durante la gestación (1 de cada 100,000 embarazos) con importante repercusión en la morbilidad y mortalidad materno-fetal. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente de 44 años, con 21+6 semanas de embarazo, con diagnóstico previo al embarazo de endometriosis, que acudió a Urgencias debido a un dolor abdominal. Después de comprobar la viabilidad fetal, se solicitó una ecografía abdominal-pélvica urgente en la que se visualizó líquido libre en la fosa de Morrison, periesplénico y perihepático. Durante su estancia en Urgencias sufrió una anemización aguda acompañada de inestabilidad hemodinámica; se decidió una laparotomía exploradora urgente. Entre los hallazgos operatorios destacó el hemoperitoneo de 1.5 litros y de sangrado en torno del anejo derecho y el parametrio. En el control ecográfico a las 12 horas de la intervención se comprobó la ausencia del latido fetal; a las 72 horas se registró la expulsión espontánea del feto. La evolución de la paciente fue favorable por lo que se dio de alta a los 10 días de la intervención. CONCLUSIONES: Si bien durante el embarazo no hay forma de anticipar las complicaciones de la endometriosis preexistente, es importante, en caso de dolor abdominal intenso, sospechar otros eventos raros que potencialmente puedan ser mortales.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Spontaneous hemoperitoneum is a rare complication in pregnancy (1 in 100.000 pregnancies) with a great impact on maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. CLINICAL CASE: A 44-year-old woman, 21+6 weeks pregnant, with a diagnosis of endometriosis, who went to the Emergency Department due to abdominal pain. After verifying fetal viability, an urgent abdominal ultrasound was requested in which free fluid was visualized at the level of Morrison's fossa, perisplenic and perihepatic. During her stay in the Emergency Department, she developed acute anemia accompanied by hemodynamic instability, for which an urgent exploratory laparotomy was performed. Among the operative findings, the presence of hemoperitoneum of 1,5 liters and bleeding at the level of the right adnexa and parametrium stood out. In ultrasound control 12 hours after the intervention, the absence of a fetal heartbeat was verified producing the spontaneuous expulsion of the fetus at 72 hours. Subsequently, the patient's evolution was favorable, and she was discharged 10 days after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Although during pregnancy there is no way to anticipate the occurrence of complications from pre-existing endometriosis. It is important the severe abdominal pain occurs, to suspect rare but life-threatening events.

Epilepsia y embarazo: particularidades y tratamiento / Epilepsy and pregnancy: particularities and treatment

Resumen ANTECEDENTES: La prevalencia de epilepsia en mujeres embarazadas es del 0.3 al 0.5%. Si bien es una enfermedad de baja frecuencia es importante saber cómo el embarazo modifica el curso de la enfermedad y cómo la enfermedad modifica el curso del embarazo y cuál es la seguridad de los tratamientos durante el embarazo y cuáles son los consensos obstétricos actuales a este respecto. OBJETIVO: Actualizar los conocimientos acerca de cómo el embarazo modifica el curso de la enfermedad, cómo la enfermedad modifica el curso del embarazo, cuán seguros son los tratamientos durante el embarazo y los consensos obstétricos actuales a este respecto. METODOLOGÍA: Revisión bibliográfica efectuada en dos bases de datos (PubMed y Scopus) con los siguientes criterios de búsqueda (MeSH): "epilepsy'' y "pregnancy'' de artículos publicados entre el 2015 y mayo del 2022, escritos en inglés o español: metanálisis, revisiones sistemáticas, narrativas o ensayos clínicos. RESULTADOS: Se identificaron 310 registros. Después de la eliminación por duplicación y otras causas se seleccionaron 20 artículos, más otros utilizados como complemento del tema. CONCLUSIONES: El embarazo de una paciente con epilepsia debe considerarse de alto riesgo y, por lo tanto, adecuar su seguimiento. La planificación del embarazo resulta fundamental, con el propósito de indicar el tratamiento antiepiléptico adecuado y el suplemento con ácido fólico, si es necesario.

Abstract BACKGROUND: The prevalence of epilepsy in pregnant women is 0.3 to 0.5%. Although it is a low frequency disease, it is important to know how pregnancy modifies the course of the disease and how the disease modifies the course of pregnancy and what is the safety of treatments during pregnancy and what are the current obstetric consensuses in this regard. OBJECTIVE: To update knowledge about how pregnancy modifies the course of the disease, how the disease modifies the course of pregnancy, how safe are the treatments during pregnancy and the current obstetric consensus in this respect. METHODOLOGY: Literature review conducted in two databases (PubMed and Scopus) with the following search criteria (MeSH): "epilepsy" and "pregnancy" of articles published between 2015 and May 2022, written in English or Spanish: meta-analyses, systematic reviews, narratives or clinical trials. RESULTS: 310 records were identified. After elimination for duplication and other causes, 20 articles were selected, plus others used to complement the topic. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy in a patient with epilepsy should be considered high risk and therefore follow-up should be appropriate. Pregnancy planning is essential in order to indicate the appropriate antiepileptic treatment and folic acid supplementation, if necessary.

The role of cuticle in fruit shelf-life.

Ensuring the availability of high-quality fresh fruits requires the development of strategies to maintain prolonged shelf-life. The plant cuticle is a modification of the outer epidermal cell wall and, as such, acts as a barrier with the environment. Understanding how the cuticle naturally changes during postharvest is crucial to address the potential effect of different storage conditions on the cuticle biophysical properties. The impact of different cuticle traits in fruit water loss, its relevance in several fruit-skin disorders, and its participation in postharvest decay caused by pathogens are discussed. Future challenges to study in vivo the physicochemical properties of the cuticle are also addressed.

Diagnosis and Management of Postpartum Retroperitoneal Hematoma: A Report of 3 Cases.

BACKGROUND The retroperitoneal hematoma is a very rare entity in obstetrics. A type of obstetric hematoma that extends into the retroperitoneal space, this hematoma usually occurs after laceration of the uterine artery, after uterine rupture, or by extension of a vaginal hematoma. Although the hematoma usually manifests as intense abdominal pain, sometimes the clinical signs can go unnoticed. This is the main reason it is important to report the cases in which retroperitoneal hematomas occur. In addition to clinical suspicion, experience in management can also help improve maternal morbidity and mortality from this cause. CASE REPORT We present a series of 3 clinical cases in which retroperitoneal hematomas occurred after instrumental deliveries. The 3 clinical cases described took place before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first 2 deliveries, a vacuum was used, while in the third delivery, spatulas were used. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed that suspicion is essential in patients with symptoms of nonspecific pain, as well as in patients with anemia that causes hemodynamic instability in the immediate postpartum period. The use of early computed tomography angiography in hemodynamically stable patients is essential to reach a diagnosis and to determine if the patient can be treated by embolization of the bleeding vessel.

Mitochondrial DNA Consensus Calling and Quality Filtering for Constructing Ancient Human Mitogenomes: Comparison of Two Widely Applied Methods.

Retrieving high-quality endogenous ancient DNA (aDNA) poses several challenges, including low molecular copy number, high rates of fragmentation, damage at read termini, and potential presence of exogenous contaminant DNA. All these factors complicate a reliable reconstruction of consensus aDNA sequences in reads from high-throughput sequencing platforms. Here, we report findings from a thorough evaluation of two alternative tools (ANGSD and schmutzi) aimed at overcoming these issues and constructing high-quality ancient mitogenomes. Raw genomic data (BAM/FASTQ) from a total of 17 previously published whole ancient human genomes ranging from the 14th to the 7th millennium BCE were retrieved and mitochondrial consensus sequences were reconstructed using different quality filters, with their accuracy measured and compared. Moreover, the influence of different sequence parameters (number of reads, sequenced bases, mean coverage, and rate of deamination and contamination) as predictors of derived sequence quality was evaluated. Complete mitogenomes were successfully reconstructed for all ancient samples, and for the majority of them, filtering substantially improved mtDNA consensus calling and haplogroup prediction. Overall, the schmutzi pipeline, which estimates and takes into consideration exogenous contamination, appeared to have the edge over the much faster and user-friendly alternative method (ANGSD) in moderate to high coverage samples (>1,000,000 reads). ANGSD, however, through its read termini trimming filter, showed better capabilities in calling the consensus sequence from low-quality samples. Among all the predictors of overall sample quality examined, the strongest correlation was found for the available number of sequence reads and bases. In the process, we report a previously unassigned haplogroup (U3b) for an Early Chalcolithic individual from Southern Anatolia/Northern Levant.

Structural analysis of mixed α- and ß-amyrin samples.

Little is known about the structure and molecular arrangement of α- and ß-amyrin, a class of triterpenoids found within the cuticle of higher plants. Blends of both amyrin isomers with different ratios have been studied taking into consideration a combined methodology of density functional theory (DFT) calculations with experimental data from scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and Raman vibrational spectroscopy. Results indicate that trigonal trimeric aggregations of isomer mixtures are more stable, especially in the 1 : 2 (α : ß) ratio. A combination of Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations has allowed to develop an equation to determine the amount of ß-amyrin in a mixed sample.

Radiationless mechanism of UV deactivation by cuticle phenolics in plants.

Hydroxycinnamic acids present in plant cuticles, the interphase and the main protective barrier between the plant and the environment, exhibit singular photochemical properties that could allow them to act as a UV shield. Here, we employ transient absorption spectroscopy on isolated cuticles and leaf epidermises to study in situ the photodynamics of these molecules in the excited state. Based on quantum chemical calculations on p-coumaric acid, the main phenolic acid present in the cuticle, we propose a model in which cuticle phenolics display a photoprotective mechanism based in an ultrafast and non-radiative excited state deactivation combined with fluorescence emission. As such, the cuticle can be regarded as the first and foremost protective barrier against UV radiation. This photostable and photodynamic mechanism seems to be universal in land plants giving a special role and function to the presence of different aromatic domains in plant cuticles and epidermises.

The origin and legacy of the Etruscans through a 2000-year archeogenomic time transect.

The origin, development, and legacy of the enigmatic Etruscan civilization from the central region of the Italian peninsula known as Etruria have been debated for centuries. Here we report a genomic time transect of 82 individuals spanning almost two millennia (800 BCE to 1000 CE) across Etruria and southern Italy. During the Iron Age, we detect a component of Indo-European­associated steppe ancestry and the lack of recent Anatolian-related admixture among the putative non­Indo-European­speaking Etruscans. Despite comprising diverse individuals of central European, northern African, and Near Eastern ancestry, the local gene pool is largely maintained across the first millennium BCE. This drastically changes during the Roman Imperial period where we report an abrupt population-wide shift to ~50% admixture with eastern Mediterranean ancestry. Last, we identify northern European components appearing in central Italy during the Early Middle Ages, which thus formed the genetic landscape of present-day Italian populations.

Structure, isomerization and dimerization processes of naringenin flavonoids.

In this study, the theoretical and experimental results on the molecular structure and reactivity of the plant flavonoids naringenin chalcone and naringenin are reported. UV-vis and Raman spectra were recorded and their main bands have been assigned theoretically. Moreover, the analysis of the naringenin chalcone-naringenin cyclization-isomerization reaction and the formation of homodimers and heterodimers have been performed within a DFT framework. The presence of H-bonded water networks is mandatory to make the cyclization energetically suitable, suggesting that this equilibrium will occur in an aqueous intracellular environment rather than in the extracellular and hydrophobic plant cuticles. Additionally, the preferential formation of homodimers stabilized by π-π stacking that will interact with other dimers by H-bonding over the formation of naringenin chalcone-naringenin heterodimers is also proposed in a hydrophobic environment. These results give a plausible model to explain how flavonoids are located within the cuticle molecular arrangement.

Structure determination of oleanolic and ursolic acids: a combined density functional theory/vibrational spectroscopy methodology.

Raw samples of oleanolic and ursolic acids, a class of terpenoid acids mainly found in the leaf and fruit cuticles of some plant species, can be defined as a blend of clusters of different conformers aggregated in dimers and tetramers by means of hydrogen bonds and stabilized by non-electrostatic interactions.

Genome-wide QTL analysis of tomato fruit cuticle deposition and composition.

Genetics of traits related to fruit cuticle deposition and composition was studied in two red-fruited tomato species. Two mapping populations derived from the cross between the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and its closest relative wild species Solanum pimpinellifolium L. were employed to conduct a QTL analysis. A combination of fruit cuticle deposition, components and anatomical traits were investigated and the individual effect of each QTL evaluated. A total of 70 QTLs were identified, indicating that all the cuticle traits analyzed have a complex polygenic nature. A combination of additive and epistatic interactions was observed for all the traits, with positive contribution of both parental lines to most of them. Colocalization of QTLs for various traits uncovered novel genomic regions producing extensive changes in the cuticle. Cuticle density emerges as an important trait since it can modulate cuticle thickness and invagination thus providing a strategy for sustaining mechanical strength without compromising palatability. Two genomic regions, located in chromosomes 1 and 12, are responsible for the negative interaction between cuticle waxes and phenolics identified in tomato fruit. Several candidate genes, including transcription factors and structural genes, are postulated and their expression analyzed throughout development.

Sonochemical degradation of neonicotinoid pesticides in natural surface waters. Influence of operational and environmental conditions.

Neonicotinoids sonochemical oxidation at high-frequency ultrasound (MHz range) has been carried out in ultrapure and natural surface-water matrices (river, reservoir and wastewater treatment plant effluent). To evaluate the influence of the operating variables, that is initial pollutant concentration, ultrasound frequency, ultrasound power, and pulse-stop time a Box-Behnken experimental design was planned. Optimal results were obtained using a frequency of 578 kHz, a power of 40 W L-1, with a pollutant concentration of 1 µM (for each pesticide), and using a pulse-stop time of 100 ms. The experimental data adjustment using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood heterogeneous kinetic model showed that neonicotinoids oxidation was carried out in the bubble-liquid interface by the attack of hydroxyl radicals. Experiments performed in the presence of radical scavengers, that is, methanol, ethanol and tert-butyl alcohol corroborated this reaction mechanism. The influence of some environmental conditions such as pH, presence of soluble inorganic species (Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, HPO42-, HCO3-) and soluble organic species (humic acids content) were established. Finally, the aqueous matrix's influence was investigated for three natural surface water cases, and the results were rationalized according to the main water physicochemical characteristics.