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Abstract Background The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is a commonly used scale for the assessment of female sexual function. Our aim was to develop and validate a Spanish short version of the FSFI. Methods A parallel exploratory, sequential mixed-methods approach was used, involving 2 sites. The process consisted of 2 steps: (1) cognitive and content validation of the previously translated FSFI in the Spanish population, both through a focus group; and item selection based on the difficulty and discrimination parameters using item response theory (IRT), thereby obtaining a short version of the scale (sFSFI-sv); (2) assessment of test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) of the sFSFI-sv. The presence or absence of a sexual disorder variable based on clinical interview was used on the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) to establish the cut off point whose Area Under the Curve (AUC) based on sensibility and specificity was maximum. Results Specific modifications of the FSFI were made according to the focus group results. 114 women were included for IRT analysis. The initial IRT model pointed to the exclusion of items 1, 2, 5, 11, 18, and 19 (S-χ2 p

Objetivos: evaluar la percepción de los usuarios de las farmacias sobre la repercusión de la COVID-19 en su salud al final del confinamiento y comparar los resultados con los obtenidos al inicio. Material y métodos: estudio observacional transversal aleatorizado, en farmacias de Pontevedra y Ourense, del 10 al 25 de junio de 2020. Sujetos: ≥18 años que acuden en demanda de medicamentos y/o material de protección. Procedimiento: el usuario cumplimentaba un cuestionario anónimo, depositándolo en una bandeja desinfectada diariamente. Resultados: 839 encuestas. 492 (58,6 %) mujeres, edad media 54,6 (DE=17,4) años. 144 (17,2 %) viven solos. 771 (91,9 %) creen que la COVID-19 es más peligrosa que la gripe, 233 (27,7 %) desconocen estar en algún grupo de riesgo. 137 (16,4 %) dicen sentirse mal/muy mal con el aislamiento. Aspectos más afectados: familiar 429 (51,1 %) y emocional 377 (44,9 %). La afectación de los aspectos físico 210 (25,0 %) y laboral 183 (21,8 %) mejoraron significativamente en fase final. En 2020/21 piensan vacunarse de la gripe 376 (44,4 %), en 2019/20 lo hicieron 243 (34,4 %). 541 (64,5 %) se vacunarán frente a la COVID-19 cuando exista vacuna. Aumentan los que se vacunarán, aunque no esté financiada: 511 (60,9 %) / 280 (39,7 %). Conclusiones: no ha variado significativamente la percepción sobre la peligrosidad de la COVID-19 y la repercusión en su salud. Los aspectos del bienestar más afectados siguen siendo el familiar y el emocional. Aumenta el número de los que se sintieron mal/muy mal con el confinamiento y el de mayores afectados por la soledad. Aumenta la intención de vacunarse del SARS-CoV-2, aunque no sea financiada.

Introducción: La adolescencia es una etapa difícil en la vida del ser humano, en la que se corre el riesgo de fracasar o cometer errores que dejarán huella en la vida futura. Objetivo: determinar el tipo de comunicación y cohesión en familias de adolescentes que interrumpen el embarazo. Método: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo en 40 adolescentes embarazadas que decidieron interrumpir la gestación y sus familiares. Se aplicaron las siguientes técnicas: Escala Valorativa, Test de Percepción de Funcionamiento Familiar, Subescala de Cohesión Familiar, y Escudo Familiar, además de una Entrevista Semi-estructurada a familiares de las adolescentes. Se incluyeron variables: sociodemográficas, comunicación familiar y cohesión. Resultados: Predominan las edades de 16 y 18 años, nivel medio superior de escolaridad, ocupación estudiantes, unión consensual, procedencia urbana, sin hijos, ni antecedentes de embarazos anteriores. Conclusiones: Tanto las adolescentes como sus familiares percibieron una comunicación regular en la familia y cohesión intermedia.

Systemic drug exposure can produce a skin reaction consisting of symmetrical erythema involving the gluteal and intertriginous areas in the absence of systemic involvement. Symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE) occurs after systemic exposure to a drug in which the patient was not previously sensitised, either in the first dose or after several doses. The mechanism of SDRIFE is unknown but is hypothesised to be the result of a delayed hypersensitivity response resulting in a cutaneous eruption some days after the exposure to the drug. The diagnosis should be clinical, based on the history and examination, but skin tests can also be performed to confirm sensitisation. But, as always, the gold-standard test is oral provocation. It is important to know this clinical entity to prevent re-exposure to the responsible allergen in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetivos: evaluar la percepción de los usuarios de las farmacias sobre la repercusión de la pandemia COVID-19 en su salud, el conocimiento sobre su posible inclusión en grupos de riesgo y su actitud ante una posible vacuna. Material y métodos: estudio observacional transversal aleatorizado, en farmacias de Pontevedra y Ourense, desde marzo a junio de 2020 al comienzo y después de la restricción de movimientos. Sujetos: usuarios ≥18 años que acuden a las farmacias participantes en demanda de medicamentos y/o material de higiene y protección. Procedimiento: el usuario cumplimentaba un cuestionario anónimo, depositándolo hasta la noche en una bandeja de plástico desinfectada diariamente. El procedimiento se repetirá tras cesar el confinamiento. Resultados de la primera fase: se realizaron 706 encuestas. 415 (58,8 %) mujeres, edad media 48,9 (DE=16,9) años. 100 participantes (14,2 %) viven solos. 637 (90,2 %) creen que la COVID-19 es más peligrosa que la gripe, 189 (26,8 %) desconocen estar en algún grupo de riesgo. 107 (15,1 %) dicen sentirse mal o muy mal con el aislamiento. Los aspectos más afectados son: familiar 350 (49,6 %) y emocional 338 (47,9 %). En 2019/20 se vacunaron de la gripe 172 (24,4 %) y en 2020/21 piensan vacunarse 243 (34,4 %). 448 (63,5 %) se vacunarán frente a la COVID-19 cuando exista vacuna, esté o no financiada por el Sistema Nacional de Salud, 183 (25,9 %) se lo pensarán. Conclusiones: los encuestados consideran la COVID-19 más peligrosa que la gripe estacional. En esta primera fase la afectación sobre bienestar y salud no parece elevada. Un alto porcentaje se vacunará frente a la COVID-19.

En este trabajo describimos una propuesta de implementación de la modelización matemática como estrategia de enseñanza en un curso de Matemática para estudiantes de primer año de Bioquímica, Farmacia, Geología y Técnico Laboratorista Universitario de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Presentamos algunas producciones de los estudiantes y sus valoraciones cualitativas de nuestra propuesta durante los ciclos lectivos 2017 y 2018.

RESUMO Neste artigo utilizo “As ideias fora do lugar”, de Roberto Schwarz, para estudar a sobrevivência da feudalidade e o favor, herdados do colonialismo ibérico, na “Belle Époque” chilena. No período, as desigualdades sociais adquiriram proporções hipertróficas pelo capital que as elites locais receberam da sua incursão na mineração do carvão e na exploração do salitre – a última como resultado da Guerra do Pacífico (1879-1883). Examino as discrepâncias da modernidade periférica chilena do fim do século XIX e começo do XX em três obras “bellepoquistas”: o conto “El rey burgués” (1888), de Rubén Darío, o filme Julio comienza en Julio (1979), com roteiro de Silvio Caiozzi e Gustavo Frías, e a coleção de contos Sub terra (1904), de Baldomero Lillo.

For over 60 years, Colombia has endured violent civil conflict forcibly displacing more than 8 million people. Recent efforts have begun to explore mental health consequences of these contexts, with an emphasis on national surveys. To date few Colombian studies explore mental health and well-being from a lived experience perspective. Those that do, overlook processes that enable survival. In response to this gap, we conducted a life history study of seven internally displaced Colombian women in the Cundinamarca department, analysing 18 interview sessions and 36 hours of transcripts. A thematic network analysis, informed by Latin-American perspectives on gender and critical resilience frameworks, explored women’s coping strategies in response to conflict-driven hardships related to mental well-being. Analysis illuminated that: (1) the gendered impacts of the armed conflict on women’s emotional well-being work through exacerbating historical gendered violence and inequality, intensifying existing emotional health challenges, and (2) coping strategies reflect women’s ability to mobilise cognitive, bodied, social, material and symbolic power and resources. Our findings highlight that the sociopolitical contexts of women’s lives are inseparable from their efforts to achieve mental well-being, and the value of deep narrative and historical work to capturing the complexity of women’s experiences within conflict settings. We suggest the importance of social interventions to support the mental health of women in conflict settings, in order to centre the social and political contexts faced by such marginalised groups within efforts to improve mental health.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an important crop worldwide. Pollination of this crop is carried out by insects, with honey bees (Apis spp.) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) as the most used in greenhouse production. Nevertheless, due to the extreme conditions in closed enclosures, these hymenopterans suffer management and behavior problems leading to insufficient pollination. The effectiveness of three release densities (15, 30, and 45 individuals/m2) of Eristalinus aeneus was compared in diploid- and triploid-associated watermelon varieties under protected cultivation. Floral visits, pollen–pistil interaction after pollen transport, yield, and fruit quality were evaluated. The number of floral visits increased with release density in both pistillate and staminate flowers. No significant differences were observed, however, among release densities or between flower types in the duration of the visits. Floral preferences were not found in the behavior of E. aeneus in watermelon. High and medium release densities increased pollen deposition onto the stigma, and consequently the yield of the triploid variety compared to low release density, by 23.8 to 41.8% in 2020 and by 36.3 to 46.7% in 2021. The results of this trial demonstrate the potential of E. aeneus as a managed pollinator in protected cultivation of triploid watermelon.

Political parties are private organizations that perform public functions and, as such, they are the mechanisms for representing the interests and ideologies of citizens. In order to fulfil this role, they receive both public and private funding. However, since the financing they obtain is insufficient to cover their excessive expenses, it has become common practice for them to resort to loans with credit institutions, resulting in a high bank indebtedness. In this respect, since bank indebtedness can hinder the equal opportunities of political parties, limit their independence and generate agency costs, the aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between the different funding sources of political parties and their bank indebtedness. In addition, a series of aspects have been taken into account that may condition the variables studied and their relationship, such as the current political finance regulation, the geographical scope of the political party, its size and having governed the country. To this end, a longitudinal study has been carried out, including an analysis of the financial and accounting statements of the ten Spanish political parties represented in Congress between 2000 and 2013. The results of the panel data technique indicate that the bank indebtedness of political parties is conditioned by both private and public resources. In addition, while size influences bank indebtedness positively, geographical area has a negative effect. Having governed also conditions bank indebtedness, although its sign depends on the source of private funding.

Introducción La modificación de los usos y actitudes de los demandantes de dispensación de medicamentos que precisan receta médica sin presentarla es un campo donde el farmacéutico comunitario, desde su responsabilidad profesional, puede contribuir a obtener importantes resultados en la consecución de su uso correcto. Objetivo Evaluar el resultado de la intervención del farmacéutico en la demanda de medicamentos (ibuprofeno y paracetamol) sin presentar receta médica en presentaciones que la requieren. Métodos Diseño: estudio experimental transversal aleatorizado con intervención farmacéutica mediante educación sanitaria en Emplazamiento: nueve farmacias de Pontevedra y Ourense. Octubre-noviembre de 2019. Participantes: usuarios de la farmacia que solicitaban sin receta presentaciones de paracetamol o ibuprofeno que la requerían. Mediciones principales: número de solicitudes, problemas de salud y motivos, aceptación o no de una alternativa de medicamento sin receta (MSR). Resultados 424 peticiones, 303 (71,5%) aceptaron la dispensación del MSR. Ibuprofeno 600 mg fue el principio activo más solicitado (73,3%) y la automedicación el principal motivo de petición sin receta (89,9%). Entre los problemas de salud referidos destacó el dolor de cabeza (22,9%). No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre el resultado de la intervención y el medicamento solicitado, el sexo, el motivo, ni el problema de salud que originó la solicitud. Sí entre edad de los pacientes, medicamento solicitado y resultado de la intervención. 30 (14,2%) pacientes fueron derivados al médico. Conclusiones La actuación del farmacéutico en el cambio a un medicamento sin receta logró una alta aceptación por los pacientes, lo que contribuye a su uso adecuado.

Fundamento: la conducta suicida en la adolescencia se ha convertido en un problema de salud pública, con gran repercusión emocional, costo económico y social. Objetivo: caracterizar las dimensiones de la psicodinámica familiar, comunicación y cohesión, así como la necesidad de apoyo social en adolescentes con conducta suicida. Métodos: estudio observacional descriptivo, realizado en el policlínico Área VI del municipio de Cienfuegos, que incluyó 18 adolescentes con conducta suicida. Se aplicaron las siguientes técnicas: encuesta para pacientes con conducta suicida, escala valorativa, test de percepción de funcionamiento familiar, subescala de cohesión familiar y cuestionario de apoyo social. Resultados: predominó el grupo de 15 años de edad, con mayor frecuencia relativa en las mujeres, nivel de escolaridad secundario, ocupación estudiante, sin vínculo de pareja. Tienen como antecedentes patológicos personales y familiares la depresión y conducta suicida; la ingestión de fármacos fue el método más empleado considerado poco serio y de baja gravedad; entre los factores de riesgo personal está la depresión y entre los familiares los conflictos. Conclusiones: las familias de los adolescentes estudiados presentaron cohesión intermedia, existe entre ellos comunicación regular y los adolescentes necesitaron algún apoyo social.

Foundation: suicidal Behavior in teenagers has become a health problem, with a great emotional repercussion and high economic and social costs. Objective: to characterize dimensions of the familial psycho-dynamics, communication and cohesion, so as the need of social support in teenagers with suicidal behavior. Methods: descriptive observational study, developed at polyclinic Area VI of the Cienfuegos Municipality which included 18 teenagers with suicidal behavior. The following techniques were applied: survey for adolescents with suicidal behavior, assessing scale, perception test of familial functioning, sub-scale of familial cohesion and questionnaire of social support. Results: the 15 year old group predominated, with higher relative frequency in women, high school level, students, without partner. They have depression and suicidal behavior as personal and familial pathological antecedents. Drug ingestion was the most used method which is considered little serious and low severity; among the personal risks are depression and among the familial ones conflicts. Conclusion: families with studied adolescents presented intermediate cohesion, there is regular comunication among them and teenagers needed some social support.

Cumulative evidence suggests that, for children and adolescents, peer relatedness is an essential component of their overall sense of belonging, and correlates with subjective well-being and school-based well-being. However, it remains unclear what the underlying mechanism explaining these relationships is. Therefore, this study examines whether there is a reciprocal effect between school satisfaction and overall life satisfaction (Hypothesis 1), and whether the effect of peer relatedness on life satisfaction is mediated by school satisfaction (Hypothesis 2). A non-recursive model with instrumental variables was tested with econometric and structural equation modeling methodologies, using a cross-sectional sample of n = 5,619 Chilean early adolescents (49.2% girls), aged 10, 11, and 12 (46.13, 44.99, and 8.88% respectively). Results were highly consistent across methods and supported the hypotheses. First, the findings confirmed a significant reciprocal influence between school satisfaction and overall life satisfaction, with a greater impact from school to life satisfaction. Second, the effect of peer relatedness on overall life satisfaction was fully mediated by school satisfaction. The study further suggests the importance of considering reciprocal effects among domain-specific satisfaction and overall life satisfaction and illustrates the application of non-recursive models for this purpose.

Invasive alien species (IAS) are currently considered one of the greatest threats to global marine ecosystems. Thus, ships and maritime activity have been identified as the main factors responsible for the vast majority of accidental species translocations around the world, implying that prevention should be the core of environmental port policies. Preventive port strategies should include analyzing risks based on traffic origins and volumes, revising port policies for inspections, estimating probabilities of non-indigenous species (NIS) appearance, monitoring routine species within ports, and finally implementing management plans and focused actions. Here, we conducted a comprehensive NIS prediction analysis for the port of Gijon (northern Spain), one of the largest ports in the south Bay of Biscay, as a case study that can be extrapolated to other international seaports. An extensive bibliographic search (1953–2020) was conducted and we identified 380 species that have been transported through hull fouling and ballast water around the world. We evaluated their likelihood of arriving (from 14 years of traffic data) and becoming established (from habitat suitability and demonstrated impacts and invasion ability) within the Gijon port, creating a new NIS Invasion Threat Score (NIS-ITS). This new index could help to identify target species that are likely invaders for early detection and prevention policies within the port. The results showed that 15 NIS had >90% likelihood of becoming a biological invasion problem in Gijon Port. At the same time, we reported morphological and genetic analysis of biota found in two successive annual monitoring surveys of Gijon port and ships (n = 612 individuals) revealing 18 NIS, including 6 of the NIS predicted from high NIS-ITS. Actually, 80% (12 NIS) of those potentially most dangerous species (NIS-ITS > 90%) have already been detected in the Bay of Biscay area. We propose the use of this new tool for a risk-reduction strategy in ports, based on accurate predictions that help in promoting specific early detection tests and specific monitoring for NIS that have a high chance of establishment. All international seaports can adopt this strategy to address the problem of biological invasions and become “blueports” in line with EU policy.

Este artículo justifica la importancia de la investigación en la educación universitaria como indicador de aprendizaje por experiencias y calidad. Además, expone los fundamentos teóricos y la experiencia de crear semilleros de investigación en educación a distancia, con base en el modelo piloto desarrollado por el Instituto de Educación Superior a Distancia la Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, estructurado bajo el método de investigación-acción participativa.

The article focuses on rural health education for the medical students of first year. It mentions that the health policy deliberations have focused the lack of primary care physicians in the U.S. with the concern in rural populations. It mentions that there is an increasing demand for primary care in less populous areas.

The present review examines the factors and variables that should be considered to obtain, design, and evaluate EFEs that might enhance ruminal NDF degradability. Different combinations of words were introduced in Google Scholar, then scientific articles were examined and included if the reported factors and variables addressed the objective of this review. One-hundred-and-sixteen articles were included. The fungal strains and culture media used to grow white-rot fungi induced the production of specific isoforms of cellulases and xylanases; therefore, EFE products for ruminant feed applications should be obtained in cultures that include the high-fibrous forages used in the diets of those animals. Additionally, the temperature, pH, osmolarity conditions, and EFE synergisms and interactions with ruminal microbiota and endogenous fibrolytic enzymes should be considered. More consistent results have been observed in studies that correlate the cellulase-to-xylanase ratio with ruminant productive behavior. EFE protection (immobilization) allows researchers to obtain enzymatic products that may act under ruminal pH and temperature conditions. It is possible to generate multi-enzyme cocktails that act at different times, re-associate enzymes, and simulate natural protective structures such as cellulosomes. Some EFEs could consistently improve ruminal NDF degradability if we consider fungal cultures and ruminal environmental conditions variables, and include biotechnological tools that might be useful to design novel enzymatic products.

Sustainability transitions in agriculture are explored through an analysis of niche initiatives within a common production system, relying on sustainable transitions, multi-level perspectives, and agroecological frameworks, and involving multi-actor, agricultural knowledge, and innovation systems (AKIS). The article focuses on how experimental niches and sustainable activities affect farmers’ relationships with nature, and the reconceptualisation of the production system in which they operate, particularly where this system is embedded in less sustainable conventional or dominant regimes and landscapes. The need for fundamental changes, in the way that humans interact with nature, is widely argued for in order to achieve sustainable development, and farmers occupy a central role through participation in complex networks of agri-food systems. They have also found themselves disconnected from nature through conventional agri-industrial production practices. Four niches (biological control, ecological restoration, soil health, and ecological pond management) within the greenhouse sector of Almeria (SE Spain) are explored in a case study. Our results indicate that a farmer’s interaction with nature is functional, but through agroecological practices, a deeper understanding of the ecosystems in which greenhouse landscapes are embedded may be gained. As they become more connected to nature and benefit from ecosystem services, they can transition to more sustainable agricultural systems.

El artículo expone y evalúa el proceso pedagógico destinado a la formación específica en planificación urbana bajo la modalidad de itinerario académico, perteneciente a la Carrera de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Cuenca (Ecuador), en el que la vinculación con la sociedad o extensión universitaria representa una oportunidad integral para el aprendizaje en entornos reales. El plan de estudios pretende formar al estudiante en los ámbitos teóricos, metodológicos y técnicos necesarios para enfrentar la redacción o formulación de planes de ordenación urbanística. Para ello y respondiendo a la vez a una demanda concreta de los gobiernos locales, se trabaja en centros poblados menores a 3.000 habitantes, desde la premisa de “aprender planificación urbana, haciendo planificación urbana”. Como caso de estudio se expone el Plan de Ordenación de la Cabecera Parroquial de Urdaneta, Cantón Saraguro, formulado con un sólido soporte teórico conceptual y una rigurosidad técnica, que atendieron la necesidad presentada por la Municipalidad. La evaluación demuestra que alcanzar los resultados de aprendizaje relacionados a la formación en ordenación urbanística requiere una integración plena y consolidada de las metodologías de la formulación de un plan con aquellas referidas al proceso pedagógico, en términos de estrategias, medios para la articulación horizontal entre asignaturas, definición y distribución de actividades; y modalidades de trabajo y evaluación. Ha de tenerse.

This study aims to compare personal relationships satisfaction and subjective well-being of Brazilian and Spanish children and to verify if personal relationships are associated with subjective well-being for the sample. Participants are 6,747 children aged from 11 to 14 years old (M = 12.07, DP = 0.731), 1,020 being Brazilian and the others Spanish. From the total sample 50.7% were girls. Results pointed that the items of personal relationships are grouped into three components related to family, school and friends. Spanish children had higher means than Brazilians' in the items of personal relationships and in the subjective well-being scale. There is a significant association between personal relationships and subjective well-being, and the relationships with family, school and friends are predictors of children well-being in both countries. Family relationships are those with the highest contribution to the prediction of child well-being for both countries, followed by relationships at school and with friends. Personal relationships can be considered a predictor of child well-being with approximately 40% of explained variance for both countries.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays an important role in tumor progression and chemotherapy resistance and seems to be essential for the maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSC) in several tumor types. However, the interplay of these factors has not been fully addressed in bladder cancer. Here, our goal was to analyze the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in paclitaxel resistance and to study the therapeutic efficacy of its inhibition in bladder cancer cells, as well as to determine its influence in the maintenance of the CSC-like phenotype in bladder cancer. Our results show that paclitaxel-resistant HT1197 cells have hyperactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and increased CSC-like properties compared with paclitaxel-sensitive 5637 cells. Paclitaxel sensitivity diminishes in 5637 cells after β-catenin overexpression or when they are grown as tumorspheres, enriched for the CSC-like phenotype. Additionally, downregulation of β-catenin or inhibition with XAV939 sensitizes HT1197 cells to paclitaxel. Moreover, a subset of muscle-invasive bladder carcinomas shows aberrant expression of β-catenin that associates with positive expression of the CSC marker ALDH1A1. In conclusion, we demonstrate that Wnt/β-catenin signaling contributes to paclitaxel resistance in bladder cancer cells with CSC-like properties.

Abstract Acidithiobacillus albertensis is an extremely acidophilic, mesophilic, obligatory autotrophic sulfur-oxidizer, with potential importance in the bioleaching of sulfidic metal ores, first described in the 1980s. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Acidithiobacillus albertensis DSM 14366T, thereby both filling a long-standing gap in the genomics of the acidithiobacilli, and providing further insight into the understanding of the biology of the non iron-oxidizing members of the Acidithiobacillus genus. The assembled genome is 3,1 Mb, and contains 47 tRNAs, tmRNA gene and 2 rRNA operons, along with 3149 protein-coding predicted genes. The Whole Genome Shotgun project was deposited in DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession MOAD00000000.

In a pre-purchase situation, consumer perception of mandarin quality is almost exclusively based on fruit appearance. Determination of consumer requirements in this regard is needed to preserve the current success of this crop in markets worldwide. In this study, the effect on consumer choice of different appearance characteristics that can occur mainly in early-season mandarins was quantified. Two independent Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of different external mandarin factors: (1) two factors linked mainly with harvesting practices: ‘Leaf’ (no leaves but sound calyx/fresh leaf/dehydrated leaf) and ‘Rind Colour’ (orange colour/rind with slightly greenish areas); (2) three factors related to postharvest handling: ‘Calyx Condition’ (sound/blackening/detached),’Waxing’ (absence/presence of wax), and ‘Rind Condition’ (dehydrated/turgid). A total of 280 consumers participated in each study. The evaluation of the factors linked with harvesting revealed four different choice patterns. Leaf presence was appreciated only by a small group of consumers (20%), and the presence of greenish areas on the rind was perceived mostly as a negative characteristic. Among the evaluated postharvest-related factors, ‘Waxing’ and ‘Calyx condition’ had the strongest effect on consumer choice. Consumers showed marked preferences for mandarins that had been waxed and presented shine and gloss. Calyx blackening and detachment had a negative effect mainly on waxed fruit, while rind dehydration more negatively affected the fruit that had not been waxed. Consumer perception of mandarin quality is importantly affected by external mandarin characteristics. The information herein reported can be very useful for the citrus industry for adapting quality control criteria that respond to consumer demands.

Abstract  Despite the increasing interest in organic products, our understanding of how different organic treatments affect fruit and vegetable quality is still limited. The effect of three organic pre-harvest treatments [effective microorganisms (EM), a fermented mixture of effective microorganisms with organic matter (EM-Bokashi + EM), and an auxiliary soil product (Greengold®)] on Swiss chard quality was evaluated. The Swiss chard was analyzed 8 and 19 weeks after sowing. The treatments did not notably modify the physical and chemical quality of the chard when compared with control plants. Chard harvested 19 weeks after sowing showed greater differences in nutritional quality than chard harvested 8 weeks after sowing. Control plants had higher water content than the plants treated with EM, EM-Bokashi + EM and Greengold®. Chards treated with EM-Bokashi + EM had lower ascorbic acid content and higher phosphor and magnesium content than control plants. Application of EM to plants induced higher levels of calcium compared with non-treated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the biggest threats we face globally is the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, which runs in parallel with the lack in the development of new antimicrobials. Among these AMR bacteria pathogens belonging to the ESKAPE group can be highlighted (Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.) due to their profile of drug resistance and virulence. Therefore, innovative lines of treatment must be developed for these bacteria. In this review, we summarize the different strategies for the treatment and study of molecular mechanisms of AMR in the ESKAPE pathogens based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins’ technologies: loss of plasmid or cellular viability, random mutation or gene deletion as well directed mutations that lead to a gene’s loss of function.

Greenhouse cultivation of table grapes is a challenge due to difficulties imposed by their perennial habit and chilling requirements. Despite difficulties, greenhouse cultivation allows ripening long before that in the open field. Nonetheless, for harvesting “Flame Seedless” in the most profitable periods, a cultural practices timetable has to be established. In this context, an estimation of development rate as a function of temperature becomes essential. This work puts forward a procedure to determine “Flame Seedless” threshold temperatures and heat requirements from bud break to ripening. “Flame Seedless” required an average of 1633 growing degree days (GDD) in the open field with a base temperature of 5 °C and an upper threshold temperature of 30 °C. Strikingly, only 1542 GDD were required within the greenhouse. This procedure forecast “Flame Seedless” ripening with an accuracy of three and six days in the open field and greenhouse, improving predictions based on the average number of days between bud break and ripening. The procedure to predict oncoming harvest date was found satisfactory, just four days earlier than the real date. If we used the typical meteorological year instead of the average year, then the prediction was greatly improved since harvest was forecast just one day before its occurrence.

The age-related changes in the immune functions (immunosenescence) may be mediated by an increase of oxidative stress and damage affecting leukocytes. Although the “oxidation-inflammation” theory of aging proposes that phagocytes are the main immune cells contributing to “oxi-inflamm-aging”, this idea has not been corroborated. The aim of this work was to characterize the age-related changes in several parameters of oxidative stress and immune function, as well as in lipofuscin accumulation (“a hallmark of aging”), in both total peritoneal leukocyte population and isolated peritoneal macrophages. Adult, mature, old and long-lived mice (7, 13, 18 and 30 months of age, respectively) were used. The xanthine oxidase (XO) activity-expression, basal levels of superoxide anion and ROS, catalase activity, oxidized (GSSG) and reduced (GSH) glutathione content and lipofuscin levels, as well as both phagocytosis and digestion capacity were evaluated. The results showed an age-related increase of oxidative stress and lipofuscin accumulation in murine peritoneal leukocytes, but especially in macrophages. Macrophages from old mice showed lower antioxidant defenses (catalase activity and GSH levels), higher oxidizing compounds (XO activity/expression and superoxide, ROS and GSSG levels) and lipofuscin levels, together with an impaired macrophage functions, in comparison to adults. In contrast, long-lived mice showed in their peritoneal leukocytes, and especially in macrophages, a well-preserved redox state and maintenance of their immune functions, all which could account for their high longevity. Interestingly, macrophages showed higher XO activity and lipofuscin accumulation than lymphocytes in all the ages analyzed. Our results support that macrophages play a central role in the chronic oxidative stress associated with aging, and the fact that phagocytes are key cells contributing to immunosenescence and “oxi-inflamm-aging”. Moreover, the determination of oxidative stress and immune function parameters, together with the lipofuscin quantification, in macrophages, can be used as useful markers of the rate of aging and longevity. Keywords: Aging, Macrophages, Oxidative stress, Immune functions, Lipofuscin, Longevity

Abstract Below-ground soil microorganisms can modulate above-ground plant-insect interactions. It still needs to be determined whether this is a direct effect of single species or an indirect effect of shifts in soil microbial community assemblages. Evaluation of the soil microbiome as a whole is critical for understanding multi-trophic interactions, including those mediated by volatiles involving plants, herbivorous insects, predators/parasitoids and microorganisms. We implemented a regulated system comprising Nerium oleander plants grown in soil initially containing a sterile/non sterile inoculum, herbivore Aphis nerii and predator Chrysoperla carnea. After aphid attack, plants emitted a characteristic blend of volatiles derived from two biosynthetic classes: fatty acid catabolites and aromatic-derived products. Three aliphatic compounds were mainly detected in plants grown in the inoculated microbial soil, a blend which was preferentially chosen by C. carnea adult females. The contrasting effect of the initial inocula was attributed to the different microbial consortia developed in each treatment. We argue that differences in the relative abundance of the active microbial communities in the rhizosphere correlate with those in the emission of selected volatile compounds by attacked plants. The mechanisms involved in how the functional soil microbiome modulates inducible indirect defence of plants are discussed.