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Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a gas of environmental concern that can be emitted during nitrification and denitrification. Molecular nitrogen (N2) is the ultimate product of denitrification. The emission of both gases represents an economic loss. This study quantified daily and seasonal N2O and N2 emissions from three benchmark arable soils sown with maize (Zea mays L.) in Catalonia (northeast Spain) during the irrigation season, and identified the major factors and processes determining these emissions. The N2O was sampled using the closed chamber method, and N2 from N2O that accumulated with the acetylene inhibition method, simultaneously in the field. At water-filled pore space (WFPS) >70%, losses amounted to 389 g of N2O-N ha-1 d-1 from the El Pinell site, 144 g of N2O-N ha-1 d- 1 from the Barbens site, and 125 g of N2O-N ha-1 d- 1 from the Bellpuigsite. Most of the N was lost through complete denitrification. Up to640 g of N2-N ha-1 d-1 were lost from the El Pinell site, 1438 g of N2-N ha-1 d-1 from the Barbens site, and 233 g of N2-N ha-1 d-1 from the Bellpuig site. Negative N2O and N2 fluxes were found. Total (N2O + N2)-N losses represent 13.6% of the N applied at the El Pinellsite, 8.6% at the Barbens site, and 1.7% at the Bellpuig site. Denitrification was the main source of emission. Significant N2O-N losses due to nitrification were also measured. The potential forgaseous N losses from these soils at <40% WFPS is low (it averaged 0.01 g of N ha-1 d-1 from the three sites). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally evaluated the temporal (interday and interseason) and spatial variability in microbial plankton responses to vitamin B12 and/or B1 supply (solely or in combination with inorganic nutrients) in coastal and oceanic waters of the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Phytoplankton and, to a lesser extent, prokaryotes were strongly limited by inorganic nutrients. Interday variability in microbial plankton responses to B vitamins was limited compared to interseason variability, suggesting that B-vitamin availability might be partially controlled by factors operating at seasonal scale. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and prokaryote biomass (PB) significantly increased after B-vitamin amendments in 13 % and 21 %, respectively, of the 216 cases (36 experiments × 6 treatments). Most of these positive responses were produced by treatments containing either B12 solely or B12 combined with B1 in oceanic waters, which was consistent with the significantly lower average vitamin-B12 ambient concentrations compared to that in the coastal station. Negative responses, implying a decrease in Chl a or PB, represented 21 % for phytoplankton and 26 % for prokaryotes. Growth stimulation by B1 addition was more frequent on prokaryotes than in phytoplankton, suggesting that B1 auxotrophy in the sampling area could be more widespread in prokaryotes than in phytoplankton. Negative responses to B vitamins were generalized in coastal surface waters in summer and were associated with a high contribution of Flavobacteriales to the prokaryote community. This observation suggests that the external supply of B12 and/or B1 may promote negative interactions between microbial components when B-vitamin auxotrophs are abundant. The microbial response patterns to B12 and/or B1 amendments were significantly correlated with changes in the prokaryotic community composition, highlighting the pivotal role of prokaryotes in B-vitamin cycling in marine ecosystems.

Randomized controlled trials test new drugs using various debiasing devices to prevent participants from manipulating the trials. But participants often dislike controls, arguing that they impose a paternalist constraint on their legitimate preferences. The 21st Century Cures Act, passed by US Congress in 2016, encourages the Food and Drug Administration to use alternative testing methods, incorporating participants’ preferences, for regulatory purposes. We discuss, from a historical perspective, the trade-off between trial impartiality and participants’ freedom. We argue that the only way out is considering which methods improve upon the performance of conventional trials in keeping dangerous or inefficacious compounds out of pharmaceutical markets.

Aim of study: Agricultural activities are the main source of volatilized ammonia (NH3). Maximum rates are reached within a few hours after slurry application. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of soil texture, tillage and slurry dry matter (DM) on NH3 volatilization. Area of study: Mediterranean semiarid environments (NE Spain). Material and methods: Ammonia volatilization from pig slurry directly applied on the soil surface was quantified in the laboratory, in soil samples from two experimental sites with different soil textures: silty loam and sandy loam. Field treatments consisted of two tillage management practices: till by disc-harrowing or no-till. At topdressing (cereal tillering), tillage treatments were combined with slurries of different DM contents applied onto the silty loam soil. Measurements were done for two cereal cropping seasons and during the period of maximum NH3 flux (12 h after slurry application). A photoacoustic analyzer was used. Main results: Slurry spreading at sowing resulted in low volatilization (0.7-9% of NH4+-N applied) as it also did at topdressing (0.3-1.4% of NH4+-N applied). At sowing, ammonia volatilization from high DM slurry (>7.5%) was significantly enhanced by no-till in both soils. At topdressing, this result was also found in records on silty loam soil. No differences were found between tillage systems when slurry of low DM content was applied, whatever the soil texture and application moment. Although NH3 volatilization was probably affected by the laboratory conditions, the comparisons between treatments were still valuable. Research highlights: Ammonia volatilization abatement can be improved (

La Fura dels Baus en cuarentena, de Mercè Saumell recorre los ahora cuarenta años de vida del grupo de manera ágil, entretenida y accesible a cualquier persona interesada, sin renunciar a la orientación investigadora presente en su revisión de un buen número de espectáculos.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto del extracto de romero, del ácido ascórbico y de una combinación de ambos (todos ellos adicionados por aspersión) durante la comercialización de carne de cerdo conservada a 4ºC y envasada en bandejas plásticas cubiertas con film de PVC (cloruro de polivinilo) o bajo vacío. Durante el almacenamiento se evaluó el pH, color, índice de rojez, oxidación de lípidos, recuento total de aerobios mesófilos, mermas por goteo, aroma a carne en mal estado y aromas no característicos. Los resultados sugieren que, independientemente del sistema de envasado (bandejas con film de PVC o vacío), la aplicación por aspersión sobre la superficie de extracto de romero dio como resultado una disminución de la oxidación lipídica, sin afectar otras características de calidad. El ácido ascórbico no mostró un efecto antioxidante.

Joana Lima, Patrícia Gago, Mariana Rocha, Inês Grilo, Rosa Gomes, Michael Luís, Teresa Sarmento, Antonio Teira, Marta Sousa, Miguel Barbosa Medical Oncology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, EPE, Vila Real, Portugal Purpose: The prevalence of anemia ranges between 30% and 90% in cancer patients, affecting the health status, quality of life, and treatment outcome. Therefore, a proper diagnosis and management of anemia is crucial in these patients. Iron deficiency is diagnosed in ~32%–60% of the cases. In this observational study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron (ferric carboxymaltose [FCM], Ferinject®) in the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in patients with gastrointestinal tumors undergoing palliative or adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and methods: Thirty patients with gastrointestinal tumors undergoing chemotherapy diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia were included in the study and received at least one FCM administration. The need for iron replacement therapy was evaluated by the assessment of hemoglobin and iron status parameters, and patients could be treated with FCM during 12–14 weeks. Paired t-test approach was used to evaluate the mean differences between the baseline and the end of the study. A p-value of

RESUMEN: Este trabajo propone una terminología de referencia para el grupo de variedades voseantes en el español americano. Pretende contribuir a la literatura sobre el voseo en dos aspectos de relevancia. Por un lado, el sistema paramétrico indica los límites del espacio de variación para la minigramática del voseo. Por otro lado, el sistema paramétrico sienta las bases de una terminología transparente, eficiente, consistente y mnemotécnicamente adecuada. El sistema paramétrico del voseo que aquí se presenta pretende dar cabida a todas las variedades voseantes en el plano gramatical, dejando completamente a un lado cualquier tipo de consideración sociolingüística o ecoglótica. Contiene además revisiones de términos anteriores, una elaboración de los aspectos morfosintácticos del voseo, así como un nuevo enfoque funcional como criterio para entender la conjugación de las variedades con voseo tuteante. No es, desde luego, un trabajo definitivo que cierre el tema de forma concluyente.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare and systemic disease mostly caused by mutations in the SBDS gene and characterized by pancreatic insufficiency, skeletal abnormalities, and a bone marrow dysfunction. In addition, SDS patients are predisposed to develop myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), typically during adulthood and associated with TP53 mutations. Although most SDS diagnoses are established in childhood, the nature and frequency of serial bone marrow cell investigations during the patients' lifetime remain a debatable topic. The precise molecular mechanisms leading to AML progression in SDS patients have not been fully elucidated because the patient cohorts are small and most disease monitoring is conducted using standard histological and cytogenetic approaches. Here we report a rare case of a patient with SDS who was diagnosed with AML at 5 years of age and survived. Intermittent neutropenia preceded the AML diagnostic but serial bone marrow monitoring according to the standard of care revealed no cytogenetic anomalies nor signs of clonal hematopoiesis. Using next generation sequencing approaches to find cytogenetically cryptic pathogenic mutations, we identified the cancer hotspot mutation c.394C>T/p.Arg132Cys in IDH1 with high variant allelic frequency in bone marrow cells, suggesting clonal expansion of a major leukemic clone karyotypically normal, in the SDS-associated AML. The mutation was somatic and likely occurred at the leukemic transformation stage, as it was not detected in a matched normal tissue nor in bone marrow smear prior to AML diagnosis. Gain-of-function mutations in IDH1, such as c.394C>T/p.Arg132Cys, create a neo-activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 converting α-ketoglutarate into the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate, inhibiting α-ketoglutarate-dependent enzymes, such as histone and DNA demethylases. Overall, our results suggest that along with previously described abnormalities such as TP53 mutations or monosomy7, 7q-, which are all absent in this patient, additional mechanisms including IDH1 mutations drive SDS-related AML and are likely associated with variable outcomes. Sensitive techniques complementary to standard cytogenetics, such as unbiased or targeted panel-based next generation sequencing approaches, warrant testing for monitoring of myelodysplasia, clonal hematopoiesis, and leukemia in the context SDS. Such analyses would also assist treatment decisions and allow to gain insight into the disease biology.

Knowledge of the magnitude and variability of plankton respiration is a crucial gap in our understanding of marine carbon cycling. In order to validate the INT reduction method as a proxy for plankton respiration, we have compiled and analyzed a dataset (n = 376) of concurrent measurements of dissolved oxygen consumption (CRO2) and in vivo reduction of 2-para (iodophenyl)-3(nitrophenyl)-5(phenyl) tetrazolium chloride tetrazolium salt (INT) spanning a wide range of oceanic regions and physicochemical conditions. Data were randomly divided into two independent subgroups: two thirds of the data were used to derive a regression conversion between dissolved oxygen consumption and INT reduction (“training” dataset) and one third of the data was used to validate the regression (“test” dataset). There was a significant relationship between the log-transformed dissolved oxygen consumption rates and the log-transformed INT reduction rates (INTT) with the “training” dataset (logCRO2 = 0.72logINTT + 0.44, R2 = 0.69, n = 249, p < 0.001). The estimated oxygen consumption rates obtained applying the former equation were compared to the measured dissolved oxygen consumption rates from the “test” dataset which spans over three orders of magnitude range of respiration rates. There was no significant difference between the measured and estimated dissolved oxygen consumption rates, indicating that the INT reduction method can be used as a proxy for respiration in natural plankton communities. Further analysis dividing the data by temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration, indicated that the predictive capacity of the empirical conversion equation is increased at temperatures >8°C and chlorophyll-a concentrations >0.2 μg L-1 and reduced at lower temperatures and chlorophyll-a concentrations. The results of this study endorse the adequate performance and reliability of the INT method for natural plankton communities.

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue revisar la literatura referente al empleo de taninos en dietas de rumiantes y su incidencia sobre parámetros de calidad y rendimiento de carne. Los taninos son un grupo de compuestos fenólicos que cumplen un rol fundamental, aunque controversial, en la digestión y la performance animal. Además, podrían incidir sobre la calidad del producto. La bibliografía revela la existencia de numerosas investigaciones que evalúan los efectos de la incorporación de taninos en la dieta de pequeños rumiantes, orientadas fundamentalmente al desempeño productivo ovino. Si bien existe información sobre su efecto en la performance en bovinos, poco se sabe acerca de su influencia sobre parámetros físicos y químicos que definen atributos de calidad de la carne.

ABSTRACT: There is an increasing consumer demand to avoid the use of synthetic additives like many antioxidants currently added to food. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spraying ascorbic acid, rosemary extract and a combination of both on pork meat during refrigerated storage. Pork meat with antioxidants sprayed on the surface was packaged under vacuum and stored (4ºC, 45d). pH, color, lipid oxidation, total aerobic count, drip loss and moisture were evaluated during storage. Results suggested that surface application of rosemary extract and a combination of rosemary extract and ascorbic acid resulted in an effective delay of lipid oxidation of pork meat, without affecting pH, colour or water content during storage. No effect of rosemary extract on microbial growth was observed.

Unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is an alternative to provide transplants in children with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome who lack a related donor. Intravenous Busulfan (Bu) combined with therapeutic drug monitoring-guided dosing has been increasingly used, with more predictable bioavailability and better outcomes comparing to oral Bu. There is still an important variation in Bu pharmacokinetic between patients that is associated with an increased risk of toxicity and graft failure. The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of first-dose pharmacokinetic adapted myeloablative conditioning regimen of intravenous Bu on the different outcomes after transplantation. Data of 36 children who underwent allogeneic HSCT with Bu plus a second alkylating agent at Sainte Justine Hospital in Montreal, Canada, between December 2000 and April 2012 were analyzed. For children with high risk myeloid malignancies receiving an UCBT, first dose Bu pharmacokinetic seems to be a significant prognostic factor, influencing neutrophil (100% vs 67.9%) and platelet recovery (95.5% vs 70.5%), non-relapse mortality (0% vs 18.6%), EFS (64% vs 28.6%) and OS (81.3% vs 37.5%) for a first-dose steady-state concentration (Css) 600ng/mL, respectively. These data reinforce the importance of Busulfan therapeutic drug monitoring-guided dosing in pediatric HSCT patients, particularly in the context of UCBT.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immune deficiency caused by mutations in genes coding for components of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, characterized by severe and recurrent bacterial and fungal infections, together with inflammatory complications. Dysregulation of inflammatory responses are often present in this disease and may lead to granulomatous lesions, most often affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) and urinary tracts. Treatment of inflammatory complications usually includes corticosteroids, whereas antimicrobial prophylaxis is used for infection prevention. Curative treatment of both infectious susceptibility and inflammatory disease can be achieved by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report herein three patients with the same mutation of the CYBB gene who presented with very early-onset and severe GI manifestations of X-linked CGD. The most severely affected patient had evidence of antenatal inflammatory involvement of the GI and urinary tracts. Extreme hyperleukocytosis with eosinophilia and high inflammatory markers were observed in all three patients. A Mycobacterium avium lung infection and an unidentified fungal lung infection occurred in two patients both during their first year of life, which is indicative of the severity of the disease. All three patients underwent bone marrow transplantation and recovered fully from their initial symptoms. To our knowledge, these are the first reports of patients with such an early-onset and severe inflammatory manifestations of CGD.

La creciente importancia de la avicultura en la Provincia de Entre Ríos (Argentina) hace necesario profundizar en el conocimiento de esta industria. En este caso, el almacenamiento constituye un factor clave para mantener la calidad de las carnes durante la cadena de distribución. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de distintas condiciones de conservación sobre los parámetros de calidad de fillets de pechugas de pollos, simulando su comercialización en mercado interno y exportación. Se determinaron: pH, terneza, mermas por cocción y color a fillets marinados y sin marinar, conservados en refrigeración durante 4 días y en congelación 90 y 180 días. Los resultados indican que la terneza y las mermas por cocción no se modificaron por efecto de las condiciones de conservación estudiadas, sólo se observó un mayor valor de pH y de la coordenada a* en fillets luego de 180 días en congelación.

Relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a leading cause of death by cancer in children. Our institution has switched relapse treatment strategy to improve survival. We reviewed records of first relapse/refractory childhood ALL between 1996 and 2012. Based on length of first remission, relapse site and immunophenotype, patients were classified into two groups: standard-risk relapse (SRR) and high-risk relapse and refractory (HRRR). Before 2007, all patients were uniformly treated with the same induction as at presentation, followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Since 2007, treatment was given according to risk of failure: SRR were mostly treated with chemotherapy; HRRR patients underwent HSCT after intensive chemotherapy, aiming reduction of pre-transplant disease burden. Sixty-four patients were included. Thirty (47%) were SRR and 34 (53%) HRRR, including 11 with refractory ALL. Five-years overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were similar for SRR, but were significantly higher with new risk-based strategy for HRRR: 56% versus 17% (P = 0.03) for OS, and 56% vs 11% for EFS (P = 0.008), respectively. In multivariate analysis, treatment strategy was significantly associated with survival. In conclusion, change for a risk-based strategy in our institution increased survival of high-risk patients to levels similar of those of standard-risk patients.

The effects of inorganic and/or organic nutrient inputs on phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria have never been concurrently assessed in open ocean oligotrophic communities over a wide spatial gradient. We studied the effects of potentially limiting inorganic (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silica) and organic nutrient (glucose, aminoacids) inputs added separately as well as jointly, on microbial plankton biomass, community structure and metabolism in five microcosm experiments conducted along a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic Ocean (from 26° N to 29° S). Primary production rates increased up to 1.8-fold. Bacterial respiration and microbial community respiration increased up to 14.3 and 12.7-fold respectively. Bacterial production and bacterial growth efficiency increased up to 58.8-fold and 2.5-fold respectively. The largest increases were measured after mixed inorganic-organic nutrients additions. Changes in microbial plankton biomass were small as compared with those in metabolic rates. A north to south increase in the response of heterotrophic bacteria was observed, which could be related to a latitudinal gradient in phosphorus availability. Our results suggest that organic matter inputs will result in a predominantly heterotrophic versus autotrophic response and in increases in bacterial growth efficiency, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Subtle differences in the initial environmental and biological conditions are likely to result in differential microbial responses to inorganic and organic matter inputs.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no Reservatório da Usina Hidrelétrica (UHE) de Peti, localizado nos Municípios de Barão de Cocais, Santa Bárbara e São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, em Minas Gerais, durante o período de setembro de 2004 a maio de 2005, visando avaliar a influência do uso do solo do entorno do reservatório na qualidade da água. Para isso, foram escolhidos cinco pontos no reservatório que representassem os diferentes usos e coberturas do solo e analisados os parâmetros físico-químicos: temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, pH, turbidez, cor, sólidos totais, sólidos totais fixos, sólidos totais voláteis e sólidos totais em suspensão, em três profundidades de cada ponto de coleta; o parâmetro transparência foi analisado em cada ponto. Os resultados de qualidade da água foram divididos em época de estiagem (setembro, outubro, abril e maio) e chuvosa (novembro, dezembro, janeiro, fevereiro e março) e, no geral, apresentaram variação sazonal. Na época chuvosa, parâmetros como sólidos, turbidez e cor aumentaram a concentração; foi observada também maior variação entre as profundidades na época de estiagem, e à medida que se adentrava no reservatório (montante para jusante) parâmetros como turbidez, cor e sólidos totais em suspensão diminuíam em função da sua própria dinâmica. Pelos parâmetros analisados, não foi possível detectar nitidamente a influência dos diferentes usos do solo na qualidade da água.This work was developed at the Reservoir of the Hydroelectric Power Station (UHE) of Peti, located in the municipalities of Barão de Cocais, Santa Bárbara and São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from September 2004 to May 2005, to evaluate the influence of the land use around the reservoir upon water quality. For this purpose, five points in the reservoir representing the various land plant covers and uses were chosen and the following physical and chemical parameters were analyzed: Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Electric Conductivity, pH, Turbidity, Color, Total Solids, Fixed Total Solids, Volatile Total Solids and Total Solids in Suspension in three depths at each point of collection. The parameter Transparency was analyzed in each point. The results of water quality were divided into dry weather period (September, October, April and May), and rainy period (November, December, January, February and March). They usually showed a seasonal variation. In the rainy period, parameters such as solids, turbidity and color increased. A greater variation among the depths in the dry weather period was also observed. When going farther inside the reservoir (from upstream to downstream), parameters such as turbidity, color and total solids in suspension decrease because of their dynamics. By the parameters analyzed, it was not possible to clearly detect the effect of the various land uses on the water quality.

Objetivo: Estudiar la prevalencia del diagnóstico tardío (DT) de la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) y sus factores asociados. Métodos: Estudio transversal sobre los pacientes incluidos en la cohorte VACH cuya infección por el VIH hubiese sido diagnosticada entre 1997 y 2002. Consideramos DT los casos diagnosticados de sida concomitantemente o dentro del primer mes desde la primera serología positiva, o con recuento de CD4+ < 200/ml. Comparamos sus características epidemiológicas con las de los demás pacientes. Resultados: De 2.820 nuevos casos de infección por el VIH, 506 (18%) tuvieron DT. Éstos difirieron del resto en su menor edad media, mayor carga viral y en su distribución por sexos (mayor proporción de hombres), situación laboral, antecedentes penitenciarios y grupo de riesgo. La mediana de supervivencia durante el seguimiento fue menor en el grupo de DT. Conclusiones: El DT continúa siendo un problema preocupante por su magnitud y asociación con la mortalidad. Algunas características epidemiológicas proporcionan indicios para orientar futuros programas de información y prevención.Objective: To study the prevalence of delayed diagnosis of HIV infection and associated factors. Methods: A cross sectional study of patients included in the Spanish VACH cohort who had been diagnosed with HIV infection between 1997 and 2002 was performed. Delayed diagnosis was defined as patients diagnosed with HIV infection and AIDS simultaneously or within the first month after the first positive serologic test, or those with a first CD4+ cell count below 200/ml. The epidemiological characteristics of these patients were compared with those of the remaining patients. Results: Of 2,820 new cases of HIV infection, delayed diagnosis was found in 506 (18%). These patients differed from the remaining patients in their lower mean age and higher HIV viral load, as well as in their distribution by sex (higher proportion of males), occupational status, history of incarceration in prison, and HIV-risk transmission group. The median survival during follow-up was significantly lower among AIDS patients with a delayed diagnosis. Conclusions: Delayed diagnosis remains a cause for concern in our environment, due to its magnitude and its association with mortality. Some epidemiological characteristics provide clues to guide future programs directed at increasing information and improving prevention.

El consumo de carne de ave en forma de trozado y productos procesados se encuentra en permanente aumento. Esto genera una elevada cantidad de materias aptas para el deshuesado mecánico. El lavado con solución acuosa de la carne de ave mecánicamente deshuesada mejora las características de este producto ya que elimina grasa, hemopigmentos y otros compuestos solubles indeseables. Su utilización en la formulación de productos reestructurados como los nuggets permitiría un interesante aprovechamiento de la misma. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar las características texturales de nuggets de pollo formulados con distintos porcentajes de carne de ave mecánicamente recuperada y lavada, en reemplazo de carne de ave manualmente deshuesada. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos se observa que la textura de los nuggets se vio afectada a partir de reemplazos del 20% de carne manualmente deshuesada por carne mecánicamente recuperada y lavada.

Los sistemas extensivos de alimentación ofrecen carnes bovinas con características físicas, químicas y nutritivas que presentan una mayor diferenciación con aquellas obtenidas bajo sistemas intensivos cuanto mayor resulta el período de terminación en confinamiento. En algunos aspectos como el color de la grasa, terneza, insaturación lipídica y velocidad de crecimiento, las dietas basadas en granos, altamente energéticas, resultan muy interesantes. Sin embargo, aparecen también algunos problemas que deberían ser considerados, tales como eventuales alteraciones organolépticas, disminución de su vida útil, menor concentración en isómeros del ácido linoleico conjugado y una mayor relación de ácidos grasos n6/n3. Además, la no aplicación o aplicación incorrecta de procedimientos tecnológicos por la industria frigorífica pueden conducir al desmejoramiento y aumento en la variabilidad de los atributos más apreciados por el consumidor. Éste debería disponer de información en relación al tipo de carne que adquiere y cómo debería ser preparada para obtener la máxima satisfacción.

La carne de ave mecánicamente recuperada (MDPM) es un subproducto de la industria avícola que posee un bajo precio de mercado debido, entre otras cosas, a su coloración oscura que la hace indeseable en productos dirigidos al mercado de carnes blancas. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar la influencia del tiempo y número de lavados sobre las características de la MDPM, a fin de optimizar dicho proceso con vistas al aprovechamiento en reemplazo de carne entera de ave. Los tiempos de lavado estudiados fueron: 10, 20 o 30 min y el número de lavados 2, 3 o 4. Los resultados sugieren que la mayor extracción de hemopigmentos se logra con 4 lavados de 30 min cada uno. Sin embargo, para obtener un color similar al de la carne entera de pechuga de pollo, 4 lavados de 10 min cada uno o 3 lavados de 30 min cada uno serían suficientes.

La congelación es un excelente método para la preservación de carnes, resultando mínimos los cambios en sus propiedades cualitativas y organolépticas. Sin embargo, durante la descongelación posterior se produce una exudación que si es demasiado abundante resulta en una disminución en la calidad del alimento. El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido estudiar la posible relación entre las mermas producidas durante la descongelación de fillets de pechugas de pollo y algunos parámetros de calidad, como pH y color, y desarrollar un modelo matemático para la predicción de dichas mermas. Los resultados obtenidos indican la existencia de una importante correlación entre las mermas producidas durante la descongelación y el pH de los fillets de pollo y también entre el pH y el color rojo (coordenada a*). Los modelos matemáticos propuestos presentan un ajuste importante por lo que permitirían una aceptable predicción de las mermas por descongelación en fillets.

Como, para el consumidor, la mayor o menor aceptabilidad de un corte de carne bovina depende principalmente de su terneza, los cortes minoristas son comercializados básicamente con un precio acorde a la terneza esperada y a su facilidad de preparación. No obstante, éste es un parámetro sumamente variable y las causas tienen relación con factores genéticos, condiciones medio-ambientales y tratamiento post-mortem aplicado. A esta particularidad debe adicionársele el hecho de que ningún sistema de tipificación actual es capaz de clasificar las reses garantizando un nivel mínimo de terneza aceptable. Los intentos por medir directamente la terneza u obtener una estimación de ella mediante la utilización de otros parámetros simples no han arrojado hasta el momento resultados expresivos o de fácil aplicación industrial. No obstante, el conocimiento actual ofrece alternativas para no sólo disminuir la alta variabilidad intrínseca de este parámetro, sino también para mejorarlo en determinadas ocasiones. Aún quedan muchas incógnitas por resolver, pero la integración de la cadena productiva de carnes bovinas, incluidos aquí los consumidores, junto al control de los puntos críticos de elaboración y la aplicación de modernas tecnologías significará, seguramente un buen punto de partida para el mejoramiento de la terneza de las carnes para consumo.

For several decades, beef carcass evaluation for grading or research purposes has relied upon subjective visual scores, and manually taken measurements, but in recent times there has been a growing interest in new technologies capable of improving accuracy of estimates. Equations to predict weight and yield of beef pistol subprimal cuts were developed in this work using digital image analysis (VIA) of the 12th rib steak. Equations to predict total pistol subprimal cuts weight (CUTS) had coefficients of determination (CD) of 0.84, or 0.87 to 0.88, when the independent variables were the VIA parameters and the half carcass weight (HC) or the total pistol weight (TP), respectively. The predicted values for the total seven subprimal cuts, as a percentage of half carcass weight (CUTS%), presented CD values ranging from 0.37 to 0.47, or 0.21 to 0.31, using HC or TP as a principal independent variable. Likewise, the equation for weight of the individual subprimal cuts had CD values ranging from 0.40 to 0.72, or 0.43 to 0.74 using HC or TP, respectively. In this research, the developed VIA procedure has demonstrated good repeatability and accuracy to estimate the total pistol subprimal weights, and some individual subprimal weights.Por várias décadas, a avaliação de carcaça bovina em sistemas de tipificação ou em pesquisas tem dependido de escores subjetivos e medidas obtidas manualmente, mas ultimamente tem havido um crescente interesse por novas tecnologias capazes de aumentar a acurácia das estimativas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver equações para a previsão de pesos e rendimentos de cortes bovinos, através da análise de imagem digital (VIA) de uma seção do contrafilé da 12ª costela. As equações de previsão do peso dos cortes do traseiro especial (CUTS) apresentaram coeficientes de determinação (CD) de 0,84 e de 0,87 – 0,88, quando as variáveis independentes usadas eram os parâmetros VIA e o peso da meia carcaça (HC) ou o peso total do traseiro especial (TP), respectivamente. As equações de previsão do rendimento dos cortes do traseiro especial (CUTS%) representaram de 37,1 a 46,8% e de 21,3 a 30,6% da variação total, quando a principal variável independente utilizada na equação era HC ou TP, respectivamente. Nas equações de previsão dos pesos individuais dos cortes do traseiro especial o CD variou de 0,40 – 0,72 e de 0,43 – 0,74, usando as variáveis HC ou TP, respectivamente. O sistema de análise de imagem digital utilizado apresentou boa repetibilidade, podendo ser considerado um procedimento confiável para a estimativa do peso em cortes do traseiro especial e de alguns dos seus cortes individuais.

Screening of antibody (Ab) libraries by direct display on the surface of E. coli cells is hampered by the presence of the outer membrane (OM). In this work we demonstrate that the native β-domains of EhaA autotransporter and intimin, two proteins from enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC) with opposite topologies in the OM, are effective systems for the display of immune libraries of single domain Abs (sdAbs) from camelids (nanobodies or VHH) on the surface of E. coli K-12 cells and for the selection of high affinity sdAbs using magnetic cell sorting (MACS). We analyzed the capacity of EhaA and intimin β-domains to display individual sdAbs and sdAb libraries obtained after immunization with the extracellular domain of the translocated intimin receptor from EHEC (TirM(EHEC)). We demonstrated that both systems displayed functional sdAbs on the surface of E. coli cells with little proteolysis and cellular toxicity, although E. coli cells displaying sdAbs with the β-domain of intimin showed higher antigen-binding capacity. Both E. coli display libraries were screened for TirM(EHEC) binding clones by MACS. High affinity binders were selected by both display systems, although more efficiently with the intimin β-domain. The specificity of the selected clones against TirM(EHEC) was demonstrated by flow cytometry of E. coli cells, along with ELISA and surface plasmon resonance with purified sdAbs. Finally, we employed the E. coli cell display systems to provide an estimation of the affinity of the selected sdAb by flow cytometry analysis under equilibrium conditions.

We present the results of the microstratigraphic, phytolith and wood charcoal study of the remains of a 10.5 ka roof. The roof is part of a building excavated at Tell Qarassa (South Syria), assigned to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (PPNB). The Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) period in the Levant coincides with the emergence of farming. This fundamental change in subsistence strategy implied the shift from mobile to settled aggregated life, and from tents and huts to hard buildings. As settled life spread across the Levant, a generalised transition from round to square buildings occurred, that is a trademark of the PPNB period. The study of these buildings is fundamental for the understanding of the ever-stronger reciprocal socio-ecological relationship humans developed with the local environment since the introduction of sedentism and domestication. Descriptions of buildings in PPN archaeological contexts are usually restricted to the macroscopic observation of wooden elements (posts and beams) and mineral components (daub, plaster and stone elements). Reconstructions of microscopic and organic components are frequently based on ethnographic analogy. The direct study of macroscopic and microscopic, organic and mineral, building components performed at Tell Qarassa provides new insights on building conception, maintenance, use and destruction. These elements reflect new emerging paradigms in the relationship between Neolithic societies and the environment. A square building was possibly covered here with a radial roof, providing a glance into a topologic shift in the conception and understanding of volumes, from round-based to square-based geometries. Macroscopic and microscopic roof components indicate buildings were conceived for year-round residence rather than seasonal mobility. This implied performing maintenance and restoration of partially damaged buildings, as well as their adaptation to seasonal variability.