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En la actualidad, las características externas de la semilla (masa, ancho, longitud y grosor), así como las características internas (área del embrión, endospermo, perispermo y grosor de la cubierta seminal) de muchas especies del género Cylindropuntia (Cactaceae) son desconocidas. En este estudio se analizaron las variaciones morfológicas de los frutos y las semillas en cuatro estadios de desarrollo del fruto de Cylindropuntia spinosior. Se recolectaron frutos de cuatro estadios de desarrollo y se extrajeron las semillas. Los frutos y semillas se caracterizaron tanto macroscópica como microscópicamente, evaluándose 32 variables morfológicas. El análisis de agrupamiento de esas variables mostró que las características morfológicas de los frutos y semillas del estadio II y estadio III presentaron las características morfológicas similares, mientras que el estadio IV fue el más distante. Además, el análisis de los primeros dos componentes principales mostró que las variables que mostraron las mayores variaciones para los cuatro estadios de desarrollo del fruto fueron el peso del fruto y cáscara, el número de semilla, número de semillas flotantes y el peso total de las semillas. Estas características morfológicas determinadas en el presente estudio sugieren que esta especie todavía no está domesticada debido a que estas características fueron similares a las observadas en frutos de varias especies silvestres de la familia Cactaceae. Estos resultados podrían ayudar en futuros estudios ecológicos basados en la caracterización e identificación de las especies del género Cylindropuntia cuando sólo se dispone de los frutos y semillas. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tch.v17i3.1184

Abstract People with lower limb amputation present greater displacements of their centre of gravity in a static situation than able-bodied individuals, as they depend on visual information to a greater extent, which implies an altered stability pattern. The efficacy of different hardness of plantar support to help maintain stability has not yet been determined. The aim of the present study is to assess stability in people with unilateral transtibial amputation with prosthesis in a static situation with insoles of different degrees of hardness and visual conditions with respect to the able-bodied population. For this purpose, 25 patients with amputation and 25 able-bodied individuals were included in both groups, postural stability was assessed by stabilometry. This assessment was carried out under normal conditions (on the floor of the dynamometric platform with eyes open), and under altered conditions (with the interposition of different materials such as plantar support: rigid and soft insoles and, eyes shut). Three variables were considered to assess stability: length of movement of the barycenter (mm), lateral velocity (mm/sg) and anterior velocity (mm/sg). All of them were analysed with the patient in static on the dynamometric platform. The results showed statistically significant differences between the two groups, (amputees and controls) with less stability in the amputee group (p

Abstract Amputation represents a drastic impact on the patient’s body and perception. This cross-sectional study aims to analyse the aesthetic concern represented by body image, self-esteem and quality of life in patients with unilateral transtibial amputations of lower limbs compared to control group. People living with amputations present lower average levels than controls in all subscales of the SF-36 (Short Form 36 Health Survey) quality of life questionnaire, and in both the physical component summary and the mental component summary, although the difference is not statistically significant in the latter. These patients present a significantly lower mean score (p = 0.002) in the MBSRQ (Body-Self Relations Questionnaire) body image questionnaire: 2.64 ± 0.49 opposed to 3.16 ± 0.55 in controls. People living with amputations had a lower mean score on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale than controls (34.44 ± 4.61 v 36.04 ± 3.63). The results also show that amputation has a significant influence on the BI (Body image) of patients with unilateral transtibial amputations. SE (Self-Esteem) seems to be an aspect that is not significantly affected by lower limb amputation, although these patients scored a lower mean on the RSE scale compared to the control group. We consider it is highly relevant to assess QoL (Quality of life), BI and SE in patients after a lower limb amputation process.

In recent years, Active Queue Management (AQM) mechanisms to improve the performance of TCP/IP networks have acquired a relevant role. In this paper, we present a simple and robust RED-type algorithm together with a couple of dynamical variants with the ability to adapt to the specific characteristics of different network environments, as well as to the user’s needs. We first present a basic version called Beta RED (BetaRED), where the parameters can be tuned according to the specific network conditions. The aim is to introduce control parameters that are easy to interpret and provide a good performance over a wide range of values. Secondly, BetaRED is used as a framework to design two dynamic algorithms, which we will call Adaptive Beta RED (ABetaRED) and Dynamic Beta RED (DBetaRED). In those new algorithms, certain parameters are dynamically adjusted so that the queue length remains stable around a predetermined reference value and according to changing network traffic conditions. Finally, we present a battery of simulations using the Network Simulator 3 (ns-3) software with a two-fold objective: to guide the user on how to adjust the parameters of the BetaRED mechanism, and to show a performance comparison of ABetaRED and DBetaRED with other representative algorithms that pursue a similar objective.

Background Chronic psychological distress is considered today a pandemic due to the modern lifestyle and has been associated with various neurodegenerative, autoimmune, or systemic inflammation-related diseases. Stress is closely related to liver disease exacerbation through the high activity of the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, and the connection between the development of these pathologies and the physiological effects induced by oxidative stress is not yet completely understood. The use of nootropics, as the cognitive enhancer and antioxidant piracetam, is attractive to repair the oxidative damage. A proteomic approach provides the possibility to obtain an in-depth comprehension of the affected cellular processes and the possible consequences for the body. Therefore, we considered to describe the effect of distress and piracetam on the liver proteome. Methods We used a murine model of psychological stress by predatory odor as a distress paradigm. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into four experimental groups (n = 6 − 7/group) and were exposed or not to the stressor for five days and treated or not with piracetam (600 mg/kg) for six days. We evaluated the liver proteome by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-SDS-PAGE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS/MS). Besides, we analyzed the activity of liver antioxidant enzymes, the biochemical parameters in plasma and rat behavior. Results Our results showed that distress altered a wide range of proteins involved in amino acids metabolism, glucose, and fatty acid mobilization and degradation on the way to produce energy, protein folding, trafficking and degradation, redox metabolism, and its implications in the development of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Piracetam reverted the changes in metabolism caused by distress exposure, and, under physiological conditions, it increased catabolism rate directed towards energy production. These results confirm the possible relationship between chronic psychological stress and the progression of NAFLD, as well as we newly evidenced the controversial beneficial effects of piracetam. Finally, we propose new distress biomarkers in the liver as the protein DJ-1 (PARK7), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX), peroxiredoxin-5 (PRDX5), glutaredoxin 5 (GLRX5), and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNDR1), and in plasma as biochemical parameters related to kidney function such as urea and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels.

En el presente estudio se evaluó el efecto de los extractos acuosos (decocción y maceración acuosa) y etanólico de dos especies del género Cylindropuntia sobre el crecimiento micelial de Fusarium sp. y Aspergillus sp. en condiciones in vitro. Los extractos se realizaron de cladodios de C. imbricata y C. leptocaulis en tres concentraciones (10 %, 20 % y 30 %) y se añadieron a cajas Petri para formar un medio de cultivo extracto-agar nutritivo. Los medios de cultivo se inocularon con las diferentes cepas fitopatógenas y se incubaron por 10 días y se midió el crecimiento del micelio de cada una de las cepas en cada uno de los tratamientos y cada concentración cada 24 horas. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas entre los extractos de las plantas. C. imbricata presentó una mayor estimulación del crecimiento micelial con respecto a la obtenida de C. leptocaulis. Aspergillus sp. fue la cepa que presentó el mayor crecimiento micelial y Fusarium sp. presentó un menor crecimiento. El extracto etanólico presentó un mayor porcentaje de crecimiento micelial, seguido de los extractos obtenidos de la decocción y los que presentaron un menor crecimiento micelial fueron los obtenidos por maceración acuosa. Las concentraciones del 30 % fueron las que presentaron un mayor crecimiento micelial, seguida de las concentraciones del 20 %, y finalmente las concentraciones del 10 %. Nosotros concluimos que estos extractos no presentaron un efecto inhibitorio en el crecimiento de micelio de estos hongos fitopatógenos; al contrario, los extractos de ambas especies estimularon el crecimiento de estos hongos. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tecnociencia.v14i3.641

Las especies del género Bacillus ejercen un efecto positivo en las plantas debido a que inducen la producción de sideróforos, fitoestimulantes y biosurfactantes, así como compuestos con actividad inhibidora para fitopatógenos. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la abundancia y diversidad de la comunidad de Bacillus en el proceso de compostaje en tres diferentes estiércoles y clarificar el rol de Eisenia foetida en la colonización de esta bacteria en los lixiviados de lombricomposta. Se estableció un experimento con nueve tratamientos considerando tres fuentes de estiércol (vacuno, ovino y porcino), los lixiviados del compostaje natural y los lixiviados de lombricompostaje con Eisenia foetida. Para la identificación del género Bacillus se emplearon cultivos bacterianos de 48 h en agar y caldo nutritivo y se identificaron por las características morfológicas, físico- químicas y microbiológicas. Se estimó la cantidad máxima de unidades formadoras de colonias en estiércol crudo de ganado ovino en el orden de 62.33 x 105 UFC/g de estiércol, abundancia que se redujo a 7.00 x 104 UFC/ml en el lixiviado de composta. En estiércol crudo se aislaron 33 cepas distribuidas en 11 especies, en lixiviados de lombricomposta 24 cepas en 8 especies y en lixiviados de composta solo 18 cepas en 5 especies. Las especies más abundantes fueron B. Sporosarcina pasteurii y B. Paenibacillus alvei. Se demostró que el lixiviado de lombricomposta posee mejor uniformidad y diversidad bacteriana, por lo que debería dársele mayor uso agrícola. Abstract Species of the genus Bacillus have a positive effect on plants due they induce the production of siderophores, phytostimulants and biosurfactants as well as compounds with inhibitory activity to phytopathology. The objective of this study was to determine the abundance and diversity of Bacillus community in the composting process in three different manures and clarify the role of Eisenia foetida in the colonization of this bacterium in vermicompost leachates. An experiment was established with nine treatments considering three sources of manure (cattle, sheep and pigs), natural compost leachate and vermicomposting leachates with Eisenia foetida. To identify the genus Bacillus bacterial cultures were used for 48 h made of agar and nutrient broth and identified by morphological, physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics. The maximum number of colony forming units in raw manure of sheep was calculated in the order of 62.33 x105 CFU/g of manure, abundance was reduced to 7.00 x 104 CFU/ml in the leachate of compost. Over 33 strains belonging to 11 species were isolated from the raw manure, 24 strains from 8 species were found in the vermicompost leachate and only 18 strains from 5 species in the leachate compost. The most abundant species were B. Sporosarcina pasteurii and B. Paenibacillus alvei. It was shown that vermicompost leachate has better uniformity and bacterial diversity which should be given greater agricultural use. Keywords: Count, species, identification.

El interés por el cultivo de camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] para alimentación animal y biocombustible se está incrementando. Se condujo un ensayo en invernadero y tiestos con camelina cv. Calena después de un primer cultivo de cebada (Hordeum vulgare L.), con el fin de estudiar el efecto de la fertilización residual de gallinazas y mineral en el rendimiento y la calidad del grano. Los tratamientos aplicados en el cultivo anterior de cebada fueron: gallinaza o fertilizante mineral, N-P-K en dosis 0, 1, 1.5 y 2 (0, 60, 90,120 unidades fertilizantes de nitrógeno). Las variables estudiadas fueron: peso seco de biomasa aérea, peso seco de grano, peso de 1,000 granos, porcentaje de nitrógeno en biomasa aérea, porcentaje de nitrógeno en grano, porcentaje de proteína bruta en grano y porcentaje de grasa bruta en grano. Los tratamientos y dosis fueron significativamente diferentes. La interacción tratamiento*dosis fue significativa (P

Abstract Background The Ghrelin-system is a complex, pleiotropic family composed of several peptides, including native-ghrelin and its In1-ghrelin splicing variant, and receptors (GHSR 1a/b), which are dysregulated in various endocrine-related tumors, where they associate to pathophysiological features, but the presence, functional role, and mechanisms of actions of In1-ghrelin splicing variant in prostate-cancer (PCa), is completely unexplored. Herein, we aimed to determine the presence of key ghrelin-system components (native-ghrelin, In1-ghrelin, GHSR1a/1b) and their potential pathophysiological role in prostate cancer (PCa). Methods In1-ghrelin and native-ghrelin expression was evaluated by qPCR in prostate tissues from patients with high PCa-risk (n = 52; fresh-tumoral biopsies), and healthy-prostates (n = 12; from cystoprostatectomies) and correlated with clinical parameters using Spearman-test. In addition, In1-ghrelin and native-ghrelin was measured in plasma from an additional cohort of PCa-patients with different risk levels (n = 30) and control-healthy patients (n = 20). In vivo functional (proliferation/migration) and mechanistic (gene expression/signaling-pathways) assays were performed in PCa-cell lines in response to In1-ghrelin and native-ghrelin treatment, overexpression and/or silencing. Finally, tumor progression was monitored in nude-mice injected with PCa-cells overexpressing In1-ghrelin, native-ghrelin and empty vector (control). Results In1-ghrelin, but not native-ghrelin, was overexpressed in high-risk PCa-samples compared to normal-prostate (NP), and this expression correlated with that of PSA. Conversely, GHSR1a/1b expression was virtually absent. Remarkably, plasmatic In1-ghrelin, but not native-ghrelin, levels were also higher in PCa-patients compared to healthy-controls. Furthermore, In1-ghrelin treatment/overexpression, and to a much lesser extent native-ghrelin, increased aggressiveness features (cell-proliferation, migration and PSA secretion) of NP and PCa cells. Consistently, nude-mice injected with PC-3-cells stably-transfected with In1-ghrelin, but not native-ghrelin, presented larger tumors. These effects were likely mediated by ERK1/2-signaling activation and involved altered expression of key oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes. Finally, In1-ghrelin silencing reduced cell-proliferation and PSA secretion from PCa cells. Conclusions Altogether, our results indicate that In1-ghrelin levels (in tissue) and circulating levels (in plasma) are increased in PCa where it can regulate key pathophysiological processes, thus suggesting that In1-ghrelin may represent a novel biomarker and a new therapeutic target in PCa.

Introduction Risk calculators (RCs) are easy-to-use tools considering available clinical variables that could help to select those patients with risk of prostate cancer (PCa) who should undergo a prostate biopsy.Objective To perform a comparison for the prediction of significant PCa (SigPCa) between the European Randomised Study of Screening for PCa (ERSPC) and the PCa Prevention Trial (PCPT) RCs in patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) between 3 and 10 ng/mL through an evaluation of the accuracy/variability between two consecutive PSA values.Setting An observational study in a major university hospital in the south of Spain.Methods and participants An observational study was performed in patients who underwent a prostate biopsy. SigPCa probabilities were calculated with the two PSA measures using ERSPC3/4+digital rectal examination and PCPT v2+free PSA RCs. The prediction of SigPCa was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Calibration, discrimination and decision curve analysis were studied. The variability between both RCs’ agreement was compared using Cohen’s kappa coefficient.Results 510 patients were analysed (87 diagnosed with SigPCa). The median PSA values were 5.3 and 5 ng/mL for PSA1 and PSA2, respectively. Both RCs overestimated the risk in the case of high-risk probabilities. Discriminative ability for SigPCa was similar between models with an AUC=0.73 (0.68–0.79) for ERSPC-RC versus 0.73 (0.67–0.79) for PCPT-RC. ERSPC-RC showed less variability than PCPT-RC, with a constant agreement (k=0.7–0.8) for usual range of clinical decision-making. Remarkably, a higher number of biopsies would be avoided using the ERSPC-RC, but more SigPCa would be missed along all the risk probabilities.Conclusions Both RCs performed similar in the prediction of SigPCa. However, ERSPC-RC seems to be more stable for intraindividual PSA variations.

Formal modeling is considered one of the fundamental phases in the design of network algorithms, including Active Queue Management (AQM) schemes. This article focuses on modeling with Petri nets (PNs) a new scheme of AQM. This innovative AQM is based on a discrete dynamical model of random early detection (RED) for controlling bifurcations and chaos in Internet congestion control. It incorporates new parameters (α,β) that make possible better stability control over oscillations of an average queue length (AQL) at the router. The PN is validated through the matrix equation approach, reachability tree, and invariant analysis. The correctness is validated through the key properties of reachability, boundedness, reversibility, deadlock, and liveness.

This study aimed to evaluate a complete nutritional composition in the seeds Quercus virginiana to compare this nutritional composition with three Mediterranean Quercus species. We analyzed the seed morphometry, proximate composition, phytochemicals, and antioxidant capacity. The seed of Q. virginiana presented the smaller seed size and weight, while Q. suber presented the highest values. Moreover, Q. virginiana seeds showed the highest amounts of sugar and total lipids, digestibility, energy, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. On the other hand, Q. virginiana seeds showed the lowest values of linoleic acid. Moreover, Q. coccifera seeds presented the highest total phenolics and flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity. The clustering analysis revealed a significant similarity in seed morphometry and nutritional composition between the Mediterranean Q. ilex and Q. suber, grouping with the American Q. virginiana, but to a considerable distance; by contrast, the Mediterranean Q. coccifera was the most distant in the clustering analysis. The content of phenolics and flavonoids and digestibility value were the variables that contributed to the separation to a greater extent in the clustering of the four species. The nutritional and biological activity assessment of plant seed may be considered as an essential mission to find new sustainable sources and novel chemical agents. In this sense, Quercus seeds may be an alternative and a competitive food source for the agri-food industry.

In this paper, we study the structure of the global attractor for the multivalued semiflow generated by a nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation in which we cannot guarantee the uniqueness of the Cauchy problem. First, we analyse the existence and properties of stationary points, showing that the problem undergoes the same cascade of bifurcations as in the Chafee-Infante equation. Second, we study the stability of the fixed points and establish that the semiflow is a dynamic gradient. We prove that the attractor consists of the stationary points and their heteroclinic connections and analyse some of the possible connections.

In this paper, we consider a system of ordinary differential equations with non-local discrete diffusion and finite delay and with either a finite or an infinite number of equations. We prove several properties of solutions such as comparison, stability and symmetry. We create a numerical simulation showing that this model can be appropriate to model dynamical life tables in actuarial or demographic sciences. In this way, some indicators of goodness and smoothness are improved when comparing with classical techniques.

En este trabajo se compararon tres técnicas de extracción de proteínas actualmente empleadas en proteómica, para determinar la más eficiente para realizar electroforesis bidimensional (2-DE) en tejido cerebral y linfocitos de sangre periférica de rata. Los métodos utilizados fueron el uso directo de solución de lisis, el método TCA/acetona-DTT y el método TCA/acetona-fenol. Una vez que se realizó la extracción, se separaron las proteínas por medio de electroforesis en geles de poliacrilamida en condiciones desnaturalizantes (SDS-PAGE) y 2-DE, con el objetivo de seleccionar cuál de ellos brindó un mayor rendimiento en la cantidad de proteínas totales, así como en el número de bandas bien definidas y manchas bien enfocadas en los geles 2-DE, tanto para cerebro como para linfocitos. Al comparar el perfil proteico, en cerebro se detectaron 13 ± 0; 15 ± 1 y 12 ± 1 bandas bien definidas mediante los métodos de TCA/ acetona-DTT, TCA/acetona-fenol y solución de lisis, respectivamente. En linfocitos, se encontraron 19 ± 1.20 ± 0 y 19 ± 1 bandas, respectivamente. Con respecto al proteoma, tanto en cerebro como en linfocitos se encontró mayor número de manchas proteicas consistentes y bien enfocadas con el método de TCA/acetona-DTT. Estos resultados mostraron que el mejor método de extracción de proteínas para su uso en la 2-DE correspondió al de TCA/acetona-DTT, siendo además más rápido y sencillo de realizar que el método de TCA/acetona-fenol.

Se realizó un ensayo de campo con camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz para estudiar su comportamiento en rotación de cultivo con un ensayo de fitorremediación con cardo (Cynara cardunculus L.), en un suelo representativo de un agroecosistema semiárido. El diseño experimental constó de parcelas sembradas con Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, aprovechando la fertilización residual de enmiendas con dosis de lodo secado térmicamente (ST50) y (ST100) y de lodo compostado con resto de poda (CP50) y (CP100) comparados con un suelo control (T), en rotación de cultivo con un ensayo de fitorremediación con cardo. En términos generales, la fertilización residual con el lodo secado térmicamente (ST50) mejora la respuesta del cultivo, aumentando los valores de producción respecto del control y de la fertilización residual con lodo compostado con resto de poda. También con el efecto residual del lodo secado térmicamente (ST50) se consigue un aprovechamiento más eficaz del nitrógeno aplicado (proteína) y un mayor contenido en grasa. Respecto de las propiedades físico-químicas del suelo los resultados obtenidos muestran que los suelos fertilizados con lodos experimentaron un incremento de pH, materia orgánica, P, K, Ca, Mg y Na. La concentración de micronutrientes Cu, Zn y Ni y metales pesados Cr, Cd y Pb aumentó respecto del testigo, pero no hubo riesgos de contaminación.

The aim of this study was to analyze the seed characteristics and nutritional composition of five pine nut P. cembroides samples from two Mexican states. Morphometry, proximal composition, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity were determined. Samples differed in several morphometric trails, but important differences were documented between SMCH and JCZH samples from Hidalgo State. JCZH and FMH had the highest contents of water, lipids, protein, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity, while CMCC population from Chihuahua State had presented the highest content of ash and carbohydrates. Morphometry and chemical composition data were subjected to clustering analysis. This analysis showed that SMCH and LFCH from Hidalgo State were well separated from the JCZH and FMH populations from Hidalgo State, which showed a strong similarity between them, while the CMCC from Chihuahua State was the most distant population. Principal components analysis showed that the variables that strongly contributed to PC1 were the antioxidant activity determined by FRAP assay, flavonoids, and water content. These data have provided biochemical markers that could help to establish phylogenetic associations between populations, and also to reveal potentially account as an alternative source for dietary nutrition.

Se presenta una metodología teórico-experimental para determinar los coeficientes intersticiales de transferencia de calor pro-medio en el flujo radial de agua a través de un lecho de empaque de polietileno donde el fluido no está en equilibrio térmico con la fase sólida. Los coeficientes de transferencia de calor se obtienen a través del Single Blow Transient Method combinando los resultados experimentales en un banco de ensayo con las soluciones numéricas del modelo matemático. El sistema de ecua-ciones diferenciales parciales generado en el modelo matemático es resuelto a través de una metodología numérica basada en el método de volúmenes finitos. Las pruebas experimentales y las soluciones numéricas se realizaron para diferentes valores de velocidad superficial del fluido a la entrada del lecho y para diversos valores de porosidad del medio, obteniéndose que los números de Nusselt aumentan al incrementarse el número de Reynolds, y de igual manera, también aumentan al disminuir la porosidad del medio, observándose valores de Nusselt hasta de 2,8 para una porosidad de 0,375 y un número de Reynolds de 650.

Penis metastasis from prostate cancer is very rare, and its management varies from case to case as there are very few cases reported in the literature. We describe a patient with prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy who presented with urethral bleeding as a symptom of anterior urethral metastasis during followup. We propose a way to manage this and review the literature.

In this paper we prove first some abstract theorems on existence of global attractors for differential inclusions generated by w-dissipative operators. Then these results are applied to reaction-diffusion equations in which the Babach space Lp is used as phase space. Finally, new results concerning the fractal dimension of the global attractor in the space L2 are obtained.

We prove the existence of global compact attractors for differential inclusions and obtain some results concerning the continuity and upper semicontinuity of the attractors for approximating and perturbed inclusions. Applications are given to a model of regional economic growth.

We prove a weak comparison principle for a reaction-diffusion system without uniqueness of solutions. We apply the abstract results to the Lotka-Volterra system with diffusion, a generalized logistic equation, and to a model of fractional-order chemical autocatalysis with decay. Moreover, in the case of the Lotka-Volterra system a weak maximum principle is given, and a suitable estimate in the space of essentially bounded functions L∞ is proved for at least one solution of the problem.

We study both analytically and numerically the stability of the solutions of the Hébraud-Lequeux equation. This parabolic equation models the evolution for the probability of finding a stress σ in a mesoscopic block of a concentrated suspension, a non-Newtonian fluid. We prove a new result concerning the stability of the fixed points of the equation, and pose some conjectures about stability, based on numerical evidence.