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In Baja California Sur, Mexico, a foliar disease occurred on sweet basil which seriously affected its quality and yield. The most common symptoms were yellowing and necrosis on leaves, caused by a downy mycelium growth on the lower leaf surface. Symptomatic leaves from two sampling sites were collected for morphological studies and molecular analysis of pathogen DNA. Based on morphological characteristics (sporangiophore size of 240–530 × 7–11 μm, branches of 5–8 order and a sporangia size of 27–31 × 21–25 μm) and molecular analysis (the GenBank blast of the PCR assays showed unique rDNA sequence data with 99% similarity to P. belbahrii), the pathogen was identified as Peronospora belbahrii, the causal agent of basil downy mildew. This is the first report of P. belbahrii affecting sweet basil in Mexico.

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of two different production systems, open-field and shade-enclosure, and four gypsum doses, to find the best environmental option in terms of physiological, morphometric characteristics and with optimum yield in two crops, oregano and thyme in Baja California Sur, Mexico. One cultivar of oregano and one of thyme were grown in shade-enclosure and open-field environments and evaluated for photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass and yield. The results showed significant differences between environmental conditions, crops and their interaction. Gypsum doses had no significant effect on any of the variables measured. For both species shade-enclosure variables measured were more favorable than open-field. In general, of the two crops, oregano performed better than thyme under shade-enclosure conditions, except for Chl a, b, total and leaf water potential which were higher in thyme.

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with embedded metallic nickel (Ni) nanoparticles have been directly synthesized by a simple and low temperature (50 °C) hydrothermal method. The synthesis involved the use of a triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 as the mesostructure directing agent, resorcinol (R) and formaldehyde (F) as carbon precursors, and Ni(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O as nickel source. It consisted in the self-assembly of F127, Ni 2+ salt and RF polymer in an acidic medium and further carbonization, where the Ni 2+ was captured by the network of F127/RF and further reduced into metallic Ni nanoparticles. The resultant Ni/carbon materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen sorption. Ni/carbon materials with a highly ordered mesostructure were obtained using equal moles of resorcinol and formaldehyde molar ratio (R/F = 1/1), whereas an excess amount of formaldehyde (R/F = 1/2) was found to not form an ordered carbon structure. The results showed that nickel particles, with sizes of ∼10–50 nm, were homogeneously dispersed in the carbon matrices, while the pore mesostructure remained intact. The homogeneous Ni/carbon composites synthesized by this easy hydrothermal route have been demonstrated to be effective molecular adsorbents for magnetic separation.

En la naturaleza las plantas se encuentran expuestas a diversas condiciones de estrés que retardan su desarrollo y disminuyen su rendimiento. Uno de los problemas agrícolas más extendidos es la acumulación de sales en la superficie del suelo o la salinización del agua para riego. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar un consorcio de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HMA) de las especies Funeliformis mosseae y Claroideoglomus etunicatum como posibles mitigadores del estrés por NaCl en plántulas de variedades de albahaca en la etapa de emergencia. Se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar con arreglo factorial. El factor 1 fueron tres variedades de albahaca (Nuffar, Genovese y Napoletano), el factor 2 fueron tres niveles de estrés salino (0, 50 y 100 mM de NaCl) y el factor 3, los hongos micorrizicos arbusculares (0 –control- y 1 g del inoculo) con cuatro repeticiones de 30 semillas cada una. Se evaluó la composición química del sustrato y del inóculo utilizados, la tasa y porcentaje de emergencia, altura de plántula, longitud de raíz, biomasa fresca de parte aérea y de raíz y porcentaje de colonización. Los resultados mostraron que tanto el sustrato como el inóculo utilizados fueron adecuados para el desarrollo de las especies de HMA evaluadas y para la especie vegetal en estudio. Ninguna de las raíces de las plántulas de las variedades en estudio mostraron presencia de vesículas, arbúsculos y/o hifas cenocíticas. Todas las variables presentaron valores superiores en aquellas plántulas cuyas semillas se inocularon con HMA. Las variedades mostraron diferencias para la mayoría de las variables evaluadas, siendo Napoletano superior, mientras que Genovese mostró lo contrario. La mayoría de las variables disminuyeron sus valores conforme las concentraciones de NaCl incrementaron.

Container closure integrity (CCI) testing is required by different regulatory authorities in order to provide assurance of tightness of the container closure system against possible contamination, for example, by microorganisms. Microbial ingress CCI testing is performed by incubation of the container closure system with microorganisms under specified testing conditions. Physical CCI uses surrogate endpoints, such as coloration by dye solution ingress or gas flow (helium leakage testing). In order to correlate microbial CCI and physical CCI test methods and to evaluate the methods9 capability to detect a given leak, artificial leaks are being introduced into the container closure system in a variety of different ways. In our study, artificial leaks were generated using inserted copper wires between the glass vial opening and rubber stopper. However, the insertion of copper wires introduces leaks of unknown size and shape. With nonlinear finite element simulations, the aperture size between the rubber stopper and the glass vial was calculated, depending on wire diameter and capping force. The dependency of the aperture size on the copper wire diameter was quadratic. With the data obtained, we were able to calculate the leak size and model leak shape. Our results suggest that the size as well as the shape of the artificial leaks should be taken into account when evaluating critical leak sizes, as flow rate does not, independently, correlate to hole size. Capping force also affected leak size. An increase in the capping force from 30 to 70 N resulted in a reduction of the aperture (leak size) by approximately 50% for all wire diameters. From 30 to 50 N, the reduction was approximately 33%. LAY ABSTRACT: Container closure integrity (CCI) testing is required by different regulatory authorities in order to provide assurance of tightness of the container closure system against contamination, for example, by microorganisms. Microbial ingress CCI testing is performed by incubation of the container closure system with microorganisms under specified testing conditions. Physical CCI uses surrogate endpoints, such as coloration by dye solution ingress or gas flow. In order to correlate microbial ingress CCI and physical CCI test methods and to evaluate the methods9 capability to detect a given leak, artificially created defects (artificial leaks) are being introduced into the container closure system in a variety of different ways. In our study, artificial leaks were generated using inserted copper wires between the glass vial opening and rubber stopper. Up to date, the insertion of copper wires introduced leaks of unknown size and shape. With nonlinear finite element simulations, the effective aperture size between the rubber stopper and the glass vial was calculated, depending on wire diameter and capping force, and the leak shape was modelled. Our results suggest that the size as well as the shape of the artificial leaks should be taken into account when evaluating critical leak sizes, as flow rate does not, independently, correlate to the hole size.

The majority of parenteral drug products are manufactured in glass vials with an elastomeric rubber stopper and a crimp cap. The vial sealing process is a critical process step during fill-and-finish operations, as it defines the seal quality of the final product. Different critical capping process parameters can affect rubber stopper defects, rubber stopper compression, container closure integrity, and also crimp cap quality. A sufficiently high force to remove the flip-off button prior to usage is required to ensure quality of the drug product unit by the flip-off button during storage, transportation, and until opening and use. Therefore, the final product is 100% visually inspected for lose or defective crimp caps, which is subjective as well as time- and labor-intensive. In this study, we sealed several container closure system configurations with different capping equipment settings (with corresponding residual seal force values) to investigate the torque moment required to turn the crimp cap. A correlation between torque moment and residual seal force has been established. The torque moment was found to be influenced by several parameters, including diameter of the vial head, type of rubber stopper (serum or lyophilized) and type of crimp cap (West(®) or Datwyler(®)). In addition, we measured the force required to remove the flip-off button of a sealed container closure system. The capping process had no influence on measured forces; however, it was possible to detect partially crimped vials. In conclusion, a controlled capping process with a defined target residual seal force range leads to a tight crimp cap on a sealed container closure system and can ensure product quality.The majority of parenteral drug products are manufactured in a glass vials with an elastomeric rubber stopper and a crimp cap. The vial sealing process is a critical process step during fill-and-finish operations, as it defines the seal quality of the final product. An adequate force to remove the flip-off button prior to usage is required to ensure product quality during storage and transportation until use. In addition, the complete crimp cap needs to be fixed in a tight position on the vial. In this study, we investigated the torque moment required to turn the crimp cap and the force required to remove the flip-off button of container closure system sealed with different capping equipment process parameters (having different residual seal force values).

The mechanical properties of bioceramic conformed pieces based on micelle-templated silica (MTS) such as SBA15, MCM41 and MCM48 as well as MTS/ agarose systems have been evaluated under static and cyclic compressive tests. The MTS pieces exhibited a brittle behaviour. Agarose, a biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel, has been used to shape ceramic-agarose pieces following a low temperature shaping method. Agarose conferred toughness, ductility and a rubbery consistency up to a 60% strain in ceramic MTS/agarose systems leading to a maximum strength of 10-50 MPa, without losing their initial cylindrical structure. This combination of ceramic and organic matrix contributes to avoiding the inherent brittleness of the bioceramic and enhances the compression resistance of hydrogel. The presence of mechanical hysteresis, permanent deformation after the first cycle and recovery of the master monotonous curve of MTS/agarose systems indicate a Mullins-like effect similar to that found in carbon-filled rubber systems. We report this type of mechanical behaviour, the Mullins effect, for the first time in MTS bioceramics and MTS bioceramic/agarose systems. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

BACKGROUND: In a broad patient population with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), enrolled in an open-label, expanded access program (EAP), the safety profile of sunitinib was manageable, and efficacy results were encouraging. Here, the authors report results for patients with baseline brain metastases participating in this global EAP. METHODS: Previously treated and treatment-naive metastatic RCC patients >= 18 years received sunitinib 50 mg orally, once daily, on Schedule 4/2. Safety was assessed regularly, tumor measurements done per local practice, and survival data collected where possible. Analyses were done in the modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population, consisting of all patients who received >= 1 dose of sunitinib. RESULTS: As of December 2007, 4564 patients had enrolled in 52 countries. Of these enrollees, 4371 were included in the modified ITT population, of whom 321 (7%) had baseline brain metastases and had received a median of 3 treatment cycles (range 1-25). Reasons for their discontinuation included lack of efficacy (32%) and adverse events (8%). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were fatigue and asthenia (both 7%), thrombocytopenia (6%), and neutropenia (5%), the incidence of which were comparable to that for the overall EAP population. Of 213 evaluable patients, 26 (12%) had an objective response. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.6 months (95% CI, 5.2-6.1) and 9.2 months (95% CI, 7.8-10.9), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with brain metastases from RCC, the safety profile of sunitinib was comparable to that in the general metastatic RCC population, and sunitinib showed evidence of antitumor activity. Cancer 2011;117:501-9. (C) 2010 American Cancer Society.

La asignación presupuestaria es un instrumento que permite planificar, organizar, dirigir y controlar cada uno de recursos del Estado, el mismo debe cumplirse de manera obligatoria con el fin de gestionar y programar los ingresos y egresos para el adecuado financiamiento público. El análisis de los elementos que comprende el presupuesto general del Estado manifiesta la estimación de los recursos financieros que posee, estos deben ser directamente administrados por el Gobierno y sus instituciones a través del Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas. La planificación y ejecución de las asignaciones presupuestarias tiene como objetivo distribuir de forma equitativa las riquezas nacionales mediante planes estratégico u operativos que cumplan con las normativas vigentes y contribuyan al bienestar de la sociedad. La Administración Pública del Ecuador está encargada de canalizar adecuadamente las demandas sociales y satisfacer a través de la transformación de los recursos públicos las necesidades colectivas, del tal manera que ponga en contacto directo la ciudadanía con el gobierno, además es un sistema de gestión y calidad que sigua lineamientos para alcanzar un progreso donde se evidencie cambios laborales y sociales que beneficie al sector público. La gestión administrativa que realice cualquier funcionario o servidor público acorde a la asignación presupuestaria que presenten las instituciones públicas del Estado tienen que ser expresadas con claridad, de tal manera que pueda ser entendida por cada una de las organizaciones del Estado y de la sociedad, mediante informes públicos que muestren los resultados de su ejecución.

A modified two-step sol–gel route using silicon ethoxide (TEOS) has been used to synthesize amorphous sol–gel-derived silica, which has been successfully used as a cell encapsulation matrix for 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and CRL-2595 epithelial cells due to its non-toxicity. The sol–gel procedure comprised a first, low pH hydrolysis step, followed by a neutral condensation–gelation step. A high water-to-TEOS ratio and the addition of d -glucose as a porogen and source of nutrients were chosen to minimize silica dissolution and improve the biocompatibility of the process. Indeed, the cell integrity in the encapsulation process was preserved by alcohol removal from the starting solution. Cells were then added in a buffered medium, causing rapid gelation and entrapment of the cells within a randomly structured siloxane matrix in the shape of a monolith, which was maintained in the wet state. MTT and alamarBlue assays were used to check the cytotoxicity of the silica gels and the viability of entrapped cells at initial times in contact with silica. To improve cell attachment, cell clumping experiments – where groups of cells were formed – were designed, rendering improved viability. The obtained materials are therefore excellent candidates for designing tissue-culture scaffolds and implantable bioreactors for biomedical applications.

It is of great interest the design of materials able to adjust the drug amount to the clinical needs, in such a way that the dosage can be controlled as adsorption and release are modulated. The organic modification of the surface of silica-based ordered mesoporous materials has been found as key factor to effectively control the drug dosage. A range of amine-functionalization degrees led to diverse adsorption rates of sodium alendronate, and to different drug release. Taking into account that ordered mesoporous materials have shown to be ceramics with potential bone regeneration applications, these systems could be starting materials for the further design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering with the added value of releasing sodium alendronate, a drug used for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Designed porous architecture scaffolds have been prepared with an innovative combination of techniques, avoiding the sintering stage for tissue engineering application. Firstly, hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate HA/β-TCP/agarose porous scaffolds have been manufactured using a homogeneous ceramic/agarose suspension at low temperature, leading to non designed architecture scaffolds. In order to achieve scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications a polymeric negative, obtained by stereolithography technique, is filled with this suspension. Afterwards, the polymeric negative is eliminated by alkaline dissolution at room temperature in order to obtain the designed architecture scaffolds. Secondly, room temperature and freeze-drying techniques have been applied in scaffolds drying stage. In this way, strong dried scaffolds, fully interconnected with high porosity, thoroughly open pores and tailored pore size have been obtained. Besides, depending on the drying technique employed, different porosity (59–80%), distribution of pores size (∼0.2 and 70 μm) and interconnected three-dimensional ellipsoidal channels between 300 μm × 380 μm and 340 μm × 460 μm can be achieved. In contact with body fluids, these scaffolds show flexibility and capacity to exert pressure into the bone defect of the patient and be easily handled by the surgeon.

Cowpea and kidney bean plants were grown in a hydroponic system, and the effect of calcium silicate supplied to the nutrient solution under salt stress was investigated. The plants were subjected to four different treatments: (1) nutrient solution alone (C), (2) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l )1 NaCl (NaCl), (3) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l )1 NaCl + 0.5 mmol l )1 CaSiO3 (NaCl + Si1) and (4) nutrient solution + 40 mmol l )1 NaCl+1 mmol l )1 CaSiO3 (NaCl + Si2). The results showed that, in both species, salinity reduced all growth variables but silicate supplementation however partly overcame this growth reduction. Addition of silicate in NaCl-stressed plants maintained membrane permeability. Net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and transpiration were higher in plants under control treatment, and the inclusion of silicate in the nutrient solution resulted in a slight increase in these plant parameters. Intercellular CO2 was slightly higher in plants under silicate treatment than in plants under control or NaCl treatment. Calcium concentration in shoots and roots in both species was slightly higher in the treatments where silicate was added. Potassium concentration for salt treatment was reduced in shoot and root of both species in the absence of silicate. Sodium and chloride concentration in shoots and roots in both species were slightly higher in the presence of NaCl and were slightly reduced in the plants under silicate treatments. The results suggest that, in hydroponically grown plants, the inclusion of silicate in the nutrient solution is beneficial because it improves growth, physiological parameters and may contribute to a more balanced nutrition by enhancing nutrient uptake under NaCl-stressed conditions. Added calcium silicate may ameliorate the parameters affected by high salinity, may reduce sodium and chloride, and can

Many chorioretinal diseases are chronic and need sustained drug delivery systems to keep therapeutic drug level at the disease site. Many intravitreal drug delivery systems under developing do not have mechanism incorporated for a non-invasive monitoring of drug release. The current study prepared rugate porous silicon (pSi) particles by electrochemical etching with the current frequency (K value) of 2.17 and 2.45. Two model drugs (rapamycin and dexamethasone) and two drug-loading strategies were tested for the feasibility to monitor drug release from the pSi particles through a color fundus camera. The pSi particles (k=2.45) with infiltration loading of rapamycin demonstrated progressively more violet color reflection which was negatively associated with the rapamycin released into the vitreous (r=-0.4, p

Any improvement in agricultural systems that results in higher production should also reduce negative environmental impacts and enhance sustainability. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of two different production systems, one open-field and the other shade-enclosure with four bocashi doses, in order to find the best environmental option in terms of yield, physiological and morphometric characteristics in one oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) cultivar. In this study a completely randomized block design was used with four replications and evaluated for photosynthetic and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll, leaf area and temperature, aerial and roots fresh and dry biomass, fresh and dry yield. The results showed that oregano adapted best to the shade-enclosure with increase yield of fresh and dry leaf weight of 165% and 118%, respectively, when compared to open-field. Also, higher doses of bocashi improved yield in both environments but more so in shade-enclosure. Soil moisture retention was higher in shade-enclosure which was reflected in physiological variables for soil matric potential, transpiration, stomatal conductivity, photosynthesis being significantly higher in shade-enclosure compared to open-field, thus improving yield. It seems that oregano plants can be grown and perform better under shade-enclosure than open-field and bocashi is a suitable organic fertilizer.

In Baja California Sur (bcs), Mexico, dry-semi warm and warm climates prevail associated to an extreme trend of diurnal temperatures and the environmental dryness. In this State, the maximum summer t exceeds 40° C and the minimum varies from 5 to 12° C, with a minimal for the State of 2° C in winter, at the top of the Sierra de La Laguna; only Los Cabos region has a warm humid climate. Because precipitation in the state is low, oscillating from 310 mm in the southern area of the state to 120 mm per year in the northern portion, predictions and scenarios under climate conditions point to an intensification of droughts. The aim of this work was to carry out a comparative analysis of trends of temperature, precipitation and hydro-environmental aridity among contrasting localities of bcs, by means of the application of Aridity Indexes and the determination of the Standardized Water Gap (bhe), through a numerical scale modification of the De Martonne Index. With the values of temperature and precipitation for the different climate change scenarios for four weather stations, the indicators Hydro Environmental Availability Index (idha) and Hydro Environmental Drought Index (isha) were calculated to determine their trend and the consequent bhe, an innovative quantification of water deficit, which is proposed in this paper. The maximum value of bhe (10 units), indicating prevalence of drought, is observed from February to June in almost the entire state. Results suggest that bhe tend to increase and intensify under climate change conditions, which is more evident from the South towards the North of the State. According to the trends of the indexes idha, isha and bhe, under six scenarios of climatic change for four regions of bcs, bhe can be estimated with a major significance for the region Gustavo Díaz Ordaz-Vizcaíno, Mulegé County, in the North of the State, where may reach a value bhemax = 10 and bhemin = 7.23, values which suggest extreme dryness, corresponding to the maximum values among localities. We conclude that the analysis of trends in PP and t and their integration into bi-parametric indicators are a reliable tool for the construction of scenarios and climate change trends.

Background Despite the ecological and socioeconomic importance of wild Capsicum annuum L., few investigations have been carried out to study basic characteristics. The peninsula of Baja California has a unique characteristic that it provides a high degree of isolation for the development of unique highly diverse endemic populations. The objective of this study was to evaluate for the first time the growth type, associated vegetation, morphometric traits in plants, in fruits and mineral content of roots, stems and leaves of three wild populations of Capsicum in Baja California, Mexico, near biosphere reserves. Results The results showed that the majority of plants of wild Capsicum annuum have a shrub growth type and were associated with communities consisting of 43 species of 20 families the most representative being Fabaceae, Cactaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Significant differences between populations were found in plant height, main stem diameter, beginning of canopy, leaf area, leaf average and maximum width, stems and roots dry weights. Coverage, leaf length and dry weight did not show differences. Potassium, sodium and zinc showed significant differences between populations in their roots, stems and leaves, while magnesium and manganese showed significant differences only in roots and stems, iron in stems and leaves, calcium in roots and leaves and phosphorus did not show differences. Average fruit weight, length, 100 fruits dry weight, 100 fruits pulp dry weight and pulp/seeds ratio showed significant differences between populations, while fruit number, average fruit fresh weight, peduncle length, fruit width, seeds per fruit and seed dry weight, did not show differences. Conclusions We concluded that this study of traits of wild Capsicum, provides useful information of morphometric variation between wild populations that will be of value for future decision processes involved in the management and preservation of germplasm and genetic resources.

This study calculated the compositional nutrient diagnosis (CND) norms of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), as well as identified significant nutrient interactions of this crop growing in an irrigated calcareous desert soil. Three genotypes were distributed in rows in a 2-ha field. The soil showed high heterogeneity in its chemical properties. For statistical analysis, 86 foliar composite samples from healthy plants were used. Preliminary CND norms were developed using a cumulative variance ratio function and the χ2 distribution function. Means and standard deviations of row-centered log ratios V X of five nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and a filling value R, which included all nutrients not chemically analyzed. Preliminary CND norms are: V N * =0.174±0.095, V P * =−2.172±0.234, V K * =−0.007±0.267, V Ca * =−0.022±0.146, V Mg * =−1.710±0.132, and V R 5 * =3.728±0.084. These CND norms are associated with dry bean yields higher than 1.88 t ha−1, and are associated with the following foliar concentrations: 26.2 g N kg−1, 2.5 g P kg−1, 22.9 g K kg−1, 21.6 g Ca kg−1, and 4 g Mg kg−1. Cowpea plants growing in desert calcareous soils took up lower amounts of N, P, and K than those considered as optimum in a previous report. Six interactions were strongly indicated for cowpea through principal component analyses: positive for Ca–Mg, and negative for N–Ca, N–Mg, Ca–P, Mg–P, and K–P. Furthermore, two interactions were identified using simple correlations, negative N–P and positive K–Ca.

Mineral-nutrient stress is one of the main factors limiting crop production, especially in arid lands. The mineral requirement of a crop is difficult to determine, and the interpretation of foliar chemistry composition is not easy. This study was conducted to compute the minimum yield target for fresh fruit of yellow pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and the corresponding Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) as well as to identify significant nutrient interactions of this crop in desert calcareous soils. Preliminary CND norms were developed using a cumulative variance-ratio function and the chi-square distribution function. From a small database, we computed means and standard deviations of row-centered log ratios, VX, of five nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and a filling value, R, which comprises all nutrients not chemically analyzed and quantified them in 54 foliar samples of the popular yellow pepper cv. ‘Santa Fe’. This cultivar is widely grown in northwest Mexico under arid conditions. These norms are associated to fresh fruit yields higher than 15.04 t ha–1. Principal-component analyses, performed using estimated CND nutrient indexes, allowed us to identify four interactions: negative P-Ca, P-Mg, and N-K, and positive Ca-Mg. Pepper plants growing on calcareous soils tend to take up more Ca and Mg than considered as optimum in other soil conditions.

En México 30% de su superficie agrícola está afectada por la salinidad. Lo anterior expuesto repercute para que una agricultura convencional a base de glicófitas, no sea redituable y productiva. Con el interés de ampliar el conocimiento con halófitas de interés agroindustrial y poder proponerlas al sector productivo que presenta problemas de sales, se desarrolló el presente estudio bajo condiciones de salinidad clorhídrica y sulfática inducida, evaluando dos genotipos de Salicornia bigelovii en las etapas de germinación y desarrollo (genotipo mejorado SOS-7 y genotipo silvestre Bahía de Kino= BK=), desarrollándola en condiciones de salinidad: dos de cloruro de sodio (NaCl) a 0.5 molar y a 1 molar y dos de sulfato de calcio (Ca2SO4+2H2O) a 0.5 Molar y a 1 Molar, con la inoculación de dos bacterias promotoras del crecimiento vegetal (BPCV) (Azospirillum halopraeferens= Ah y Klebsiella pneumoniae= Kp) y un control sin inocular. Los resultados indican que al evaluar a Salicornia en condiciones salinas clorhídricas y sulfáticas con la inoculación de BPCV, entre los resultados obtenidos figuran que un porcentaje mayor de germinación fue observado en presencia de las BPCV, sobresaliendo aquellos inoculados con Kp. Se observó, que conforme la salinidad incrementa, Kp presenta tener mayor efectividad con el genotipo silvestre BK. Estudios concernientes como posibles biofertilizantes son necesarios en las diferentes etapas fenológicas con los genotipos en estudio, quienes para la etapa de germinación, resultaron tener expectativas.

Daunorubicin (DNR) is an effective inhibitor of an array of proteins involved in neovascularization, including VEGF and PDGF. These growth factors are directly related to retina scar formation in many devastating retinal diseases. Due to the short vitreous half-life and narrow therapeutic window, ocular application of DNR is limited. It has been shown that a porous silicon (pSi) based delivery system can extend DNR vitreous residence from a few days to 3 months. In this study we investigated the feasibility of altering the pore size of the silicon particles to regulate the payload release. Modulation of the etching parameters allowed control of the nano-pore size from 15 nm to 95 nm. In vitro studies showed that degradation of pSi O2 increased with increasing pore size and the degradation of pSi O2 was approximately constant for a given particle type. The degradation of pSi O2 with 43 nm pores was significantly greater than the other two particles with smaller pores, judged by observed and normalized mean Si concentration of the dissolution samples (44.2±8.9 vs 25.7±5.6 or 21.2±4.2 µg/mL, p

Los bioestimulantes del crecimiento son sustancias que actúan como activadores fisiológicos, absorción de nutrientes y mitigan el estrés salino. El objetivo fue evaluar humatos de vermicompost como atenuantes del efecto de la salinidad en la emergencia y crecimiento de albahaca (Ocimum basilicum L.). El diseño experimental fue completamente al azar con arreglo factorial, cuyos factores fueron variedades de albahaca (Napoletano y Sweet Genovese), concentraciones de NaCl (0, 50 y 100 mM) y humatos de vermicompost (0 y 1/60 v/v) con seis repeticiones. Se realizaron análisis de varianza y comparaciones independientes de medias (p ≤ 0,05). El experimento se realizó en 2013 en La Paz, México. Se midió el porcentaje y tasa de emergencia, longitud de radícula, altura de plántula, biomasa fresca y seca de radícula y de parte aérea. Se encontraron diferencias significativas para todas las variables (p ≤ 0 ,05), mostrando respuesta diferencial entre variedades para tasa, porcentaje de emergencia y variables morfométricas, destacando la variedad Napoletano con aplicación del bioestimulante como el tratamiento con mejores resultados. El uso de humatos estimuló todas las variables en condiciones de salinidad, permitiendo que la variedad tolerante mejore su emergencia y crecimiento y la variedad sensible incremente su tolerancia al estrés salino. Bioestimulants of the growth are substances that act as activators of the physiology, absorption of nutrients and to mitigate the stress of salinity. The objective was to evaluate humates of vermicompost as attenuating of the salinity in the emergence and growth of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). The experimental design was completely randomized with factorial arrangement whose factors were basil varieties (Napoletano and Sweet Genovese), concentrations of NaCl (0.50 and 100 mM) and humates of vermicompost (0 and 1/60 v/v) with six replications. Variance analysis and independent comparisons of means (p ≤ 0.05) were done. The experiment was carried out in 2013 in La Paz, Mexico. The percentage and emergency rate, radicle length, seedling height, fresh and dry biomass of radicle and aerial part were measured. Significant differences were found for all variables (p ≤ 0.05), showing differential response among varieties for emergence rate, emergence percentage and morphometric variables, highlighting the variety Napoletano with biostimulant application as treatment with better results. The humates stimulated all variables under saline conditions, allowing that the tolerant variety improves its emergence and growth and the sensitive variety increases its tolerance to the saline stress. Fil: Reyes-Pérez, Juan José. La Paz (Baja California Sur, México). Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. Fil: Murillo-Amador, Bernardo. La Paz (Baja California Sur, México). Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. Fil: Nieto-Garibay, Alejandra. La Paz (Baja California Sur, México). Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. Fil: Troyo-Diéguez, Enrique. La Paz (Baja California Sur, México). Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. Fil: Reynaldo-Escobar, Inés María. Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (Cuba) Fil: Rueda-Puente, Edgar O.. Universidad de Sonora. Fil: Guridi-Izquierdo, Fernando. Universidad Agraria de La Habana

The effects of salinity on the growth and production of `nopalitos' (young cladode sprouts) of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. cv. Copena V-1 were investigated. Salinity (NaCl) irrigation levels with electrical conductivities of 2, 5, 10, 13, 18 and 21 dS m–1 were used. In general, all cladode variables (stem area, number of young cladodes, length and width of cladodes, and fresh and dry weights) decreased with increasing salinity. The root-to-stem ratio and young cladode water content decreased significantly as salinity increased. Other variables that decreased with increasing salinity included harvest index, relative growth rate, stem area ratio, dry mass accumulation, and Na+ and Cl– concentrations. For rooted cladodes, increased salinity decreased fresh weight, succulence, and root fresh weight, dry weight and length. Our conclusions suggest that this species is salt sensitive; however, there is some indication that it could be effectively managed in saline environments. Further studies and evaluation of different cultivars are needed to identify the mechanism of adaptation of salt tolerance in this species. Einflusse von NaCl-Versalzung auf Wachstum und Produktion von jungen Kladodien beiOpuntia ficus-indica Der Einflus der Versalzung auf Wachstum und Produktion von jungen Kladodien `nopalitos' (cladode sprouts) von Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.-cultivar Copena V-1 wurden untersucht. Versalzte Bewasserungsmengen (NaCl) mit einer elektrischen Konduktivitat von 2, 5, 10, 13, 18 und 21 dS m–1 wurden verwendet. Grundsatzlich nahmen alle Kladodienvariablen (Stengelflache, Anzahl von jungen Kladodien, Lange und Breite der Kladodien, Frisch- und Trockengewicht) mit zunehmender Versalzung ab. Das Wurzelstengelverhaltnis und der Wassergehalt junger Kladodien nahm signifikant mit ansteigender Versalzung ab. Andere Variablen, die mit zunehmender Versalzung abnahmen, einschlieslich Ertragsindex, relative waren Wachstumsrate, Stengelflachenverhaltnis, Trockenmasseakkumulation und Na+ sowie Cl– Konzentrationen. Fur bewurzelte Kladodien fuhrte eine zunehmende Versalzung zu einer Abnahme des Frischgewichtes und der Sukkulenz sowie des Wurzelfrischgewichtes, des Trockengewichtes und der Lange. Es kann angenommen werden, dass diese Art salzempfindlich ist; allerdings gibt es keinen Hinweis, dass mit Erfolg in einer salzigen Umwelt behandelt werden kann. Weitere Untersuchungen und unterschiedliche Kultivare werden benotigt, um den Mechanismus der Adaption der Salztoleranz in dieser Art zu identifizieren.

Porous silicon (pSi) microparticles have been investigated for intravitreal drug delivery and demonstrated good biocompatibility. With the appropriate surface chemistry, pSi can reside in vitreous for months or longer. However, ocular distribution and clearance pathway of its degradation product, silicic acid, are not well understood. In the current study, rabbit ocular tissue was collected at different time point following fresh pSi (day 1, 5, 9, 16, and 21) or oxidized pSi (day 3, 7, 14, 21, and 35) intravitreal injection. In addition, dual-probe simultaneous microdialysis of aqueous and vitreous humor was performed following a bolus intravitreal injection of 0.25mL silicic acid (150μg/mL) and six consecutive microdialysates were collected every 20min. Silicon was quantified from the samples using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The study showed that following the intravitreal injection of oxidized pSi, free silicon was consistently higher in the aqueous than in the retina (8.1±6.5 vs. 3.4±3.9μg/mL, p=0.0031). The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of the retina was only about 24% that of the aqueous. The mean residence time was 16 days for aqueous, 13 days for vitreous, 6 days for retina, and 18 days for plasma. Similarly, following intravitreal fresh pSi, free silicon was also found higher in aqueous than in retina (7±4.7 vs. 3.4±4.1μg/mL, p=0.014). The AUC for the retina was about 50% of the AUC for the aqueous. The microdialysis revealed the terminal half-life of free silicon in the aqueous was 30min and 92min in the vitreous; the AUC for aqueous accounted for 38% of the AUC for vitreous. Our studies indicate that aqueous humor is a significant pathway for silicon egress from the eye following intravitreal injection of pSi crystals.

To evaluate in vivo ocular safety of an intravitreal hydrosilylated porous silicon (pSi) drug delivery system along with the payload of daunorubicin (DNR).pSi microparticles were prepared from the electrochemical etching of highly doped, p-type Si wafers and an organic linker was attached to the Si-H terminated inner surface of the particles by thermal hydrosilylation of undecylenic acid. DNR was bound to the carboxy terminus of the linker as a drug-loading strategy. DNR release from hydrosilylated pSi particles was confirmed in the excised rabbit vitreous using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-multistage mass spectrometry. Both empty and DNR-loaded hydrosilylated pSi particles were injected into the rabbit vitreous and the degradation and safety were studied for 6 months.The mean pSi particle size was 30×46×15 μm with an average pore size of 15 nm. Drug loading was determined as 22 μg per 1 mg of pSi particles. An ex vivo drug release study showed that intact DNR was detected in the rabbit vitreous. An in vivo ocular toxicity study did not reveal clinical or pathological evidence of any toxicity during a 6-month observation. Hydrosilylated pSi particles, either empty or loaded with DNR, demonstrated a slow elimination kinetics from the rabbit vitreous without ocular toxicity.Hydrosilylated pSi particles can host a large quantity of DNR by a covalent loading strategy and DNR can be slowly released into the vitreous without ocular toxicity, which would appear if an equivalent quantity of free drug was injected.

"Conocer los índices de tolerancia de los cultivos a la salinidad es importante para recomendar a los agricultores la variedad más productiva para cultivarse en suelos salinos, ya que los suelos afectados por la sal en todo el mundo son cada vez más comunes. En el presente trabajo se evaluó la tolerancia a la salinidad de veinte variedades de albahaca en las etapas de germinación, emergencia y crecimiento inicial, utilizando variables morfométricas. Se utilizaron dos tratamientos salinos (50 y 100 mM de NaCl) y un control. En las etapas de germinación y emergencia se calcularon índices de tolerancia para longitud de radícula, biomasa fresca y seca de radícula y biomasa fresca y seca de parte aérea, mientras que en la etapa de crecimiento inicial se calcularon índices de tolerancia para longitud de tallo, longitud de raíz, biomasa fresca y seca de raíz, tallo, hoja y área foliar. A través del análisis de conglomerado jerárquico y de ligamiento completo sobre la base de la distancia Euclidiana, las variedades se reunieron en cinco grupos según los índices de tolerancia medidos en la etapa de germinación, en tres grupos en la etapa de emergencia y en dos grupos en la etapa de crecimiento inicial, indicando diversidad genética intravarietal en las variedades evaluadas, destacándose, entre las variedades analizadas. En las tres etapas fenológicas estudiadas, la variedad Napoletano como la más tolerante y Sweet Genovese como la más sensible a la salinidad."

La importancia economica de la albahaca ( Ocimum basilicum L.) a nivel mundial, ha impulsado la busqueda de estrategias como el acondicionamiento previo a la semilla para mejorar los indices de vigor en la planta, relacionados con un rendimiento mayor, calidad y tolerancia a algun tipo de estres . El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar el umbral optimo de acondicionamiento de la semilla con diferentes gradientes de escarificacion sobre las caracteristicas de vigor relacionadas a variables morfometricas y fisiologicas en plantulas de albahaca durante las etapas de germinacion, emergencia y desarrollo vegetativo inicial. Semillas de albahaca variedad Nuffar se sometieron a tratamientos de acondicionamiento termico mediante la exposicion de calor seco, en cuatro gradientes de temperatura (40, 50, 60 y 70°C) y diferentes intervalos de tiempo (30, 60 y 90 min) y un tratamiento control (25°C), mediante un diseno completamente al azar con arreglo factorial con cuatro y/o cinco repeticiones. Los resultados mostraron que la temperatura y los tiempos de exposicion afectaron significativamente ( p ≤0.05) las variables de tasa y porcentaje de germinacion y emergencia, asi como las variables morfometricas y fisiologicas de la planta. En la etapa de germinacion, el tratamiento de 70oC afecto negativamente la respuesta de la planta en todas las variables evaluadas, independientemente de los tiempos de exposicion, mientras que los tratamientos de 40, 50 y 60oC fueron iguales al control. En la etapa de emergencia, se observo una tendencia determinada hacia el tratamiento de 60oC por un tiempo de exposicion de 60 min, el cual mejoro significativamente las caracteristicas de vigor. Sin embargo, no fue asi para el tratamiento de 70oC, el cual provoco disminucion en las variables evaluadas. Asimismo, durante la etapa vegetativa inicial, la exposicion a 60oC por 30 y 60 min mejoro significativamente las variables morfo fisiologicas de las plantas comparado con el control y el resto de los tratamientos.

La albahaca (Ocimum basilicum L.) presenta gran variabilidad en la tolerancia a distintos tipos de estres. Es considerada una planta sensible a la salinidad en las etapas iniciales de su crecimiento. Con este trabajo se pretendio evaluar la respuesta de variedades de O. basilicum a la influencia de diferentes niveles de NaCl. Dichas variedades poseen buen comportamiento agricola, pero se desconoce su tolerancia a la salinidad. La experiencia se llevo a cabo en condiciones controladas, donde las plantas se desarrollaron en una camara de crecimiento en presencia de tenores salinos. Se realizaron evaluaciones de altura de la planta, longitud de la raiz y la biomasa expresada como unidad de biomasa fresca y seca de la raiz y tallo, al inicio y al finalizar el ensayo. El analisis de las respuestas de las variedades indico que, estas, en condiciones nutricionales normales, presentaron un ritmo de crecimiento relativamente semejante y que la adicion de NaCl al medio provoco alteraciones en su crecimiento. Se observo que las Basil Genoveser Italiam, Basil Sweet Dani, Basil Red Rubin, Basil Thai, Basil Dolly, Basil Cinamon, Basil Mrs Burns, Basil Emily, Basil Sweet Genoveser, Basil Dolce Vita mostraron una mayor respuesta en los indicadores germinacion, tasa de germinacion, longitud de la radicula, altura de la planta, biomasa fresca y seca de la radicula, biomasa fresca y seca de la parte aerea y ademas los cultivares con menor respuesta en esta fase son cultivares Basil Lemon, Basil Siam Queen,Basil Dark Opal, Basil Spicy Glove, Basil Licorice, Basil Purple Ruffles, Basil Lettuce Leaf, Basil Italiam Large Leaf, Basil Genoveser, Basil Napoletano, las que se vieron afectadas negativamente por el NaCl, aunque el dano fue mas pronunciado en unas variedades que en otras. ABSTRACT Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) presents great variability in tolerance to different types of stress. It is considered sensitive to salinity in the initial stages of plant growth. This work was intended to evaluate the response of varieties of O. basilicum to the influence of different levels of NaCl. The varieties have good agricultural performance, but its tolerance to salinity is unknown. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions where the plants were grown in a growth chamber in the presence of saline tenors. Evaluations of plant height, root length and biomass expressed as a unit of fresh and dry biomass of the root and stem, at the beginning and end of the test were performed. The analysis of the responses of the varieties indicated that they, under normal nutritional conditions, showed a relatively similar rate of growth and that the addition of NaCl to the environment caused alterations in growth. It was observed that Basil Genoveser Italiam, Dani Sweet Basil, Basil Red Rubin Basil Thai Basil Dolly, Cinamon Basil, Basil Mrs Burns, Emily Basil, Sweet Basil Genoveser, Basil Dolce Vita showed a greater response in indicators germination rate, germination, radicle length, plant height, fresh and dry biomass of the radicle, fresh and dry biomass of the aerial part and also cultivars with reduced response at this stage are cultivars Basil Lemon, Basil Siam Queen, Dark Opal Basil Basil Spicy Glove, Basil Licorice, Basil Purple Ruffles Basil Lettuce Leaf, Basil Italiam Large Leaf Basil Genoveser, Basil Napoletano, which were negatively affected by NaCl, although the damage was more pronounced in some varieties than others.

Graphene and more specifically, nanographene oxide (GO) has been proposed as a highly efficient antitumoral therapy agent. Nevertheless, its cell uptake kinetics, its influence in different types of cells and the possibility of controlling cellular internalization timing, is still a field that remains unexplored. Herein, different cell types have been cultured in vitro for several incubation periods in the presence of 0.075 mg ml(-1) pegylated GO solutions. GO uptake kinetics revealed differences in the agent's uptake amount and speed as a function of the type of cell involved. Osteoblast-like cells GO uptake is higher and faster without resulting in greater cell membrane damage. Moreover, the dependence on the commonly used PEG nature (number of branches) also influences the viability and cell uptake speed. These facts play an important role in the future definition of timing parameters and selective cell uptake control in order to achieve an effective therapy.

Enrique Troyo-Dieguez1, Arturo Cruz-Falcon1, Alejandra Nieto-Garibay1, Ignacio Orona-Castillo2 , Bernardo Murillo-Amador1, Jose Luis Garcia-Hernandez2 and Alfredo Ortega-Rubio1 1Programa de Agricultura en Zonas Aridas, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas del Noroeste, S.C. (CIBNOR, S.C.). La Paz, Baja California Sur; 2Facultad de Agricultura y Zootecnia (FAZ), Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gomez Palacio, Durango; Mexico

There is an acknowledged need for shaping 3-D scaffolds with adequate porosity and mechanical properties for biomedical applications. The mechanical properties under static and cyclic compressive testing of dense and designed porous architecture bioceramic scaffolds based on the biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) systems and BCP-agarose systems have been evaluated. The dense and designed porous architecture scaffolds in BCP systems exhibited a brittle behaviour. Agarose, a biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel, has been used to shape designed architecture ceramic-agarose scaffolds following a low-temperature shaping method. Agarose conferred toughness, ductility and a rubbery consistency for strains of up to 60% of in ceramic BCP-agarose systems. This combination of ceramic and organic matrix helps to avoid the inherent brittleness of the bioceramic and enhances the compression resistance of hydrogel. The presence of mechanical hysteresis, permanent deformation after the first cycle and recovery of the master monotonous curve indicate a Mullins-like effect such as that observed in carbon-filled rubber systems. We report this type of mechanical behaviour, the Mullins effect, for the first time in bioceramics and bioceramic-agarose systems. © 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The fundamental mechanisms of biologically active molecule adsorption and release from ordered mesoporous silica are discussed in terms of the variation of surface electrochemistry after functionalization. Specifically, ordered mesoporous SBA-15 has been grafted with aminopropyl, etilenediamine, phosphatoethyl, propyl methacrylate, and carboxylic acid groups at different degrees of functionalization. To test the molecular adsorption and release features, three molecules of clinical interest have been selected, namely, antiresorptive zoledronic acid, amino acid L-tryptophan, and protein bovine serum albumin. Molecular loading and delivery aspects have been studied by emphasizing the host-guest interactions, which determine the adsorption and release behavior. It has been found that careful control of surface electrochemistry by functionalization determines the bioactive molecule adsorption whereas the release can be mainly thought of as a diffusion matter dependent on the surface area and molecule size. This enhanced approach opens up new ways to optimize molecule loading for specific clinical needs.

In this work we present and discuss some of the advances reached in relation to environmental crop management and adaptation to warming climates of legume crops, frequently associated to plant breeding, towards drought tolerance. At the same time, the benefits related to the contribution to the development of an appropriate legumes-based agriculture for arid zones are analyzed. The Leguminosae and Gramineae families are by far the world’s most important sources of food. Legumes include beans, soybeans, peas, alfalfa, and other crops, which supply protein fats, fiber and wood. Through their root nodules, inhabited by Rhizobium bacteria, the legumes also improve the nitrogen balance in the soil. Legumes comprise one of the largest plant families in the world, with near 18,000 species. Most species are tropical and include trees, woody vines, and herbaceous plants. All legume plants bear pods or legumes, which are diversely modified within the family. Most have compound leaves. As regards to warming climates under the effects of climate change, drought is defined as any period during which water deficits in the plant or agroecosystem affect growth and development; in this sense, the duration of drought determines the quantity of damage caused to crops. Two reasons are analyzed to develop programs of breeding and management directed to drought tolerance by means of an environmental understanding and ecophysiological selection of plants, according to their interactions with the environment: The first one is to maximize the productivity and consistently the plant performance, stabilizing or increasing productivity. The second one is to improve the drought tolerance; under this consideration the mechanisms of water conservation, constitute for the plants an important option to survive a drought, although they tend to limit their productive potential. It is concluded that an appropriate ecological management of crops and the ecophysiological selection can constitute a feasible way for agricultural sustainability.

Summary Background Results from clinical trials have established sunitinib as a standard of care for first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (RCC); however, many patients, particularly those with a poorer prognosis, do not meet inclusion criteria and little is known about the activity of sunitinib in these subgroups. The primary objective of this trial was to provide sunitinib on a compassionate-use basis to trial-ineligible patients with RCC from countries where regulatory approval had not been granted. Methods Previously treated and treatment-naive patients at least 18 years of age with metastatic RCC were eligible. All patients received open-label sunitinib 50 mg orally once daily on schedule 4-2 (4 weeks on treatment, 2 weeks off). Safety was assessed regularly, tumour measurements done per local practice, and survival data collected where possible. Analyses were done in the modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population, which consisted of all patients who received at least one dose of sunitinib. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00130897. Findings As of December, 2007, 4564 patients were enrolled in 52 countries. 4371 patients were included in the modified ITT population. This population included 321 (7%) patients with brain metastases, 582 (13%) with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 2 or higher, 588 (13%) non-clear-cell RCC, and 1418 (32%) aged 65 years or more. Patients received a median of five treatment cycles (range 1–25). Reasons for discontinuation included lack of efficacy (n=1168 [27%]) and adverse events (n=362 [8%]). The most common treatment-related adverse events were diarrhoea (n=1936 [44%]) and fatigue (n=1606 [37%]). The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were fatigue (n=344 [8%]) and thrombocytopenia (n=338 [8%]) with incidences of grade 3–4 adverse events similar across subgroups. In 3464 evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) was 17% (n=603), with subgroup ORR as follows: brain metastases (26 of 213 [12%]), ECOG performance status 2 or higher (29 of 319 [9%]), non-clear-cell RCC (48 of 437 [11%]) and age 65 years or more (176 of 1056 [17%]). Median progression-free survival was 10·9 months (95% CI 10·3–11·2) and overall survival was 18·4 months (17·4–19·2). Interpretation In a broad population of patients with metastatic RCC, the safety profile of sunitinib 50 mg once-daily (initial dose) on schedule 4-2 was manageable and efficacy results were encouraging, particularly in subgroups associated with poor prognosis who are not usually entered into clinical trials. Funding Pfizer Inc.

For a sustainable management of grazing lands, is necessary to know the strategy of nature to sustain the grassland,in consequence, the management schemes must be based in programs related to an environmental characterizationand adequate monitoring. With the aim to develop a tool to support the diagnosis of grasslands, we hereby proposethe application of the Hydro-Environmental Availability Index (HEAI), with scale from 0 to 10. According to theapplication of HEAI in 36 localities of Sonora, Mexico, five of them (13.9 %) fluctuated from 0 to 2.5, in consequence,their grasslands are highly vulnerable to drought, with very low possibilities for management. Twenty (55.6 %)oscillated from 2.5 to 5, suggesting a management with severe restrictions. Eleven (30.5 %) fluctuated from 5 to 7.5,proposing a sustainable management with adequate rotations and preventions during a drought, and none of localitiesreached values for HEAI > 7.5, high potential for sustainable management, with appropriate rotations. It must beconsidered that the actions to prevent the effects of overgrazing, not always are enough to mitigate the overwhelmingconsequences of droughts, which are exacerbated by climate change.

PURPOSE To test the feasibility of covalent loading of daunorubicin into oxidized porous silicon (OPS) and to evaluate the ocular properties of sustained delivery of daunorubicin in this system. METHODS Porous silicon was heat oxidized and chemically functionalized so that the functional linker on the surface was covalently bonded with daunorubicin. The drug loading rate was determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Release of daunorubicin was confirmed in PBS and excised rabbit vitreous by mass spectrometry. Daunorubicin-loaded OPS particles (3 mg) were intravitreally injected into six rabbits, and ocular properties were evaluated through ophthalmic examinations and histology during a 3-month study. The same OPS was loaded with daunorubicin using physical adsorption and was evaluated similarly as a control for the covalent loading. RESULTS In the case of covalent loading, 67 ± 10 μg daunorubicin was loaded into each milligram of the particles while 27 ± 10 μg/mg particles were loaded by physical adsorption. Rapid release of daunorubicin was observed in both PBS and excised vitreous (~75% and ~18%) from the physical adsorption loading, while less than 1% was released from the covalently loaded particles. Following intravitreal injection, the covalently loaded particles demonstrated a sustained degradation of OPS with drug release for 3 months without evidence of toxicity; physical adsorption loading revealed a complete release within 2 weeks and localized retinal toxicity due to high daunorubicin concentration. CONCLUSIONS OPS with covalently loaded daunorubicin demonstrated sustained intravitreal drug release without ocular toxicity, which may be useful to inhibit unwanted intraocular proliferation.

Diurnal and seasonal water relations and ecophysiological variables (soil humidity, transpiration, evapotranspiration, stomatal resistance, morphological changes, production), matched with some microclimatological variables, were studied in a hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens) experimental plot. Two treatments of plants with plastic mulches were assigned, black and blank-opaque, to compare them with plants without a mulch, established at the Experimental Station of CIBNOR in La Paz Baja California Sur, Mexico. Plants with blank-opaque plastic mulch showed the highest values of flower number, fruit production, leaf area, and canopy-projected area. Also, the biggest evapotranspiration rates were recorded from January to April for plants under the blank-opaque plastic mulch. Soil water content appeared to be a primary determinant factor for production. Soils under the blank-opaque plastic mulch had the biggest water content along the experiment. Plants without any plastic mulch had the lowest availability of soil water, rendered the lowest fruit production, and registered the highest evapotranspiration rates. May and June were the months with the highest air temperature during the experiment. Plants with black plastic mulch had intermediate records among the other two groups. When plants were allowed to face a drought stress, they responded through an osmotic adjustment for maintaining a low water potential, and thus supporting a partial turgor pressure. This adjustment was evident to be coupled with a stomatal regulation in order to minimize the loss of water through the transpiration process. Some drought tolerance strategies as a leaf size reduction were more evident in plants without a mulch.

Diurnal and seasonal water relations, soil humidity, transpiration, water demand, stomatal resistance, and fruit production, as well as some microclimatic parameters, were studied in a semidomesticated chile ecotype (Capsicum frutescens) under two treatments of plastic mulches, black and opaque, and compared with plants without a mulch in Baja California Sur, a Mexican semiarid state. Plants with opaque plastic mulch showed the highest chile production and total growth. The biggest transpiration rates from January to April was evidenced also by this treatment. The soil water content seemed to be determinant. Opaque plastic mulch plants had more soil moisture during the whole experiment. Plants without plastic mulch had the least chile production, with a lesser soil water content. These plants evidenced an osmotic adjustment under drought stress with low water potential, maintaining a partial turgor pressure, and stomatal regulation, in order to control the lost of water by transpiration.

The bacterial adherence onto different multifunctional silica-based bioceramics has been evaluated. Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were chosen, as they cause the majority of the implant-related infections in this field. Two SiO2 mesoporous materials (MCM-41, SBA-15), an ordered SiO2-CaO-P2O5 mesoporous glass (OMG), and a biphasic magnetic bioceramic (BMB), were incubated with S. aureus and S. epidermidis for 90 min, and subsequently sonicated to quantify the number of adhered bacteria on each material. It was found that S. aureus and S. epidermidis (108 CFU/mL) adhered significantly less to BMB samples when compared to MCM-41, SBA-15, or OMG. However, when the material pores accessible for bacteria in each material were taken into account, the lowest bacterial adherence was found in MCM-41, and the highest in SBA-15. The results show that bacterial adherence is higher on mesoporous bioceramics, although this higher microbial attachment is mainly due to the intergranular porosity and grain size morphology rather than to the mesoporous structure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009

Degradation of paper through time can be measured by monitoring the intensity changes in the band located at 620 nm of its emission fluorescence spectra. The behavior of this band is closely related to the structural stability of the short cellulose chains. A fast degradation of these cellulose chains, mainly lignin, translates in the rapid denaturation of paper occurring at its first aging state. This work proposes a method to reincorporate short cellulose chains in the structure of aged paper through its immersion during 24 h in a solution based on ethyl alcohol and extracts of wood pieces. Results of fluorescence spectra measurements indicate that the short cellulose chains in the solution get embedded in the old paper, making the shape and intensity of the fluorescence emission spectra peaks of new and old paper almost indistinguishable. This behavior provides a desirable approach to analyze, preserve and restore aged paper documents.

We report the monitoring of porous silicon (pSi) degradation in aqueous solutions using a consumer-grade digital camera. To facilitate optical monitoring, the pSi samples were prepared as one-dimensional photonic crystals (rugate filters) by electrochemical etching of highly doped p-type Si wafers using a periodic etch waveform. Two pSi formulations, representing chemistries relevant for self-reporting drug delivery applications, were tested: freshly etched pSi (fpSi) and fpSi coated with the biodegradable polymer chitosan (pSi-ch). Accelerated degradation of the samples in an ethanol-containing pH 10 aqueous basic buffer was monitored in situ by digital imaging with a consumer-grade digital camera with simultaneous optical reflectance spectrophotometric point measurements. As the nanostructured porous silicon matrix dissolved, a hypsochromic shift in the wavelength of the rugate reflectance peak resulted in visible color changes from red to green. While the H coordinate in the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color space calculated using the as-acquired photographs was a good monitor of degradation at short times (t pSi-ch., We acknowledge the financial support from Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain), Dirección General de Enseñanza Superior (Spain) (CTQ2009-14428-C02-01), and Junta de Andalucía (Spain) (P10-FQM-5974). A.N. wants to acknowledge Fundación Alfonso Martín Escudero for a postdoctoral fellowship. This material is based upon the work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-1210417.

At present, agricultural homoeopathy is being increasingly implemented worldwide to mitigate the negative effects caused by the indiscriminate use of chemical products in conventional agricultural practices. It is a viable alternative to improve organic agriculture, since homoeopathic medicines are innocuous substances with a capability to activate measurable response mechanisms when used in plants, animals and humans. Experimental research results allow us to conclude in this chapter that agricultural homoeopathy is able to stimulate favourable biological and even genetic responses in plants (basil Ocimum basilicum L., bean Phaseolus vulgaris L., cucumber Cucumis sativus L., tomato Solanum lycopersicum L.), which shows a novelty insight for organic agriculture.