This study was aimed at assessing the differences between industrially processed and hand-squeezed orange juices (OJs) in relation to their color, particle size, carotenoid content, and carotenoid ...bioaccessibility. Specifically, industrial samples of fresh squeezed OJs after the finishing steps (FISO) and the same OJs after pasteurization (PISO), as well as hand-squeezed OJs (HSO) were studied. The results showed that the HSO and PISO were different (p < 0.05) in terms of color (darker and more reddish vs brighter, more yellowish and colorful), particle size (volume and surface area mean diameter), and total carotenoid content (29 ± 5 and 22 ± 3 mg/L, respectively). On the other hand, the industrial extraction of OJs reduced the particle size distribution, and accordingly, the relative bioaccessibility of bioactive carotenoids increased (p < 0.01). Independently of the type of OJ, the bioaccessibility of carotenoids in decreasing order was the following: α-carotene > β-cryptoxanthin > β-carotene > zeaxanthin > lutein.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The corrosion behaviour of AZ31 magnesium alloy with different grain sizes immersed in simulated body fluids was compared in chloride solution (8
g
l
−1) and in phosphate-buffer solution (PBS). The ...influence of immersion time was also analyzed. Electrochemical techniques such as open circuit potential, polarization curves, transient currents and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, complemented with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, were used. Immediately after the immersion in the corrosive media the corrosion resistance was similar for both grain sizes of the AZ31 alloy and higher in NaCl solutions than in PBS. However, this corrosion behaviour was reversed after longer periods of immersion due to the stabilizing of the corrosion products of MgO by P-containing compounds. These P-compounds contribute to a higher level of protection by hindering the aggressive action of chloride ions. The best corrosion behaviour of the AZ31 alloy was obtained for the finest grain alloy associated with the highest transfer resistance value, after long periods of immersion in PBS.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
► Chemical conversion treatment in HF slows down biodegradation of Mg materials. ► In cell culture medium, MgF
2 coating retards corrosion process for at least a week. ► Coated cast Mg and AZ31 are ...promising candidates for biodegradable implants.
Mg-based materials are especially attractive as biodegradable implants, although they degrade so fast in physiological media that corrosion protection is needed. In this work, biodegradation kinetics of powder metallurgy Mg, cast Mg and AZ31 alloy were evaluated by EIS measurements in cell culture medium (DMEM), which simulates closely the physiological media. To reduce their degradation rate, a chemical conversion treatment in HF was applied to form MgF
2 coatings. Results confirmed that this coating slows down the biodegradation rate, especially when formed on cast Mg and AZ31, retarding the corrosion process in the cell culture medium for at least a week.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Rainfall and biocrusts are important sources of temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity and niche differentiation for annual plants, a major component of diversity in drylands. Therefore, ...global change processes comprising shifts in rainfall timing and drought exacerbation, together with biocrust disturbance may affect species coexistence and result in disrupted diversity patterns. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the effects of the rainfall amount and timing as well as physical biocrust disturbance and their interaction on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of annual plant communities on gypsum soil drylands. All diversity estimates were determined at different times during community development in each experimental unit (α), as the contribution of each experimental unit to the total diversity in each treatment (β) and as the total diversity in each treatment (γ). Rainfall timings led to changes in all diversity dimensions, with higher diversity under the typical timing. The community was quite resilient to moderate reductions in rainfall, but extreme droughts decreased the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of biocrust disturbance and extreme drought led to consistent collapses in all diversity dimensions, probably because the effects of water shortage were exacerbated. Observations of the community at different times during its development highlighted the importance of regenerative strategies for niche differentiation and species coexistence, and their strong dependence on global change drivers. Indeed, our experimental study demonstrated that rainfall patterns and biocrusts are key factors related to the maintenance of diversity in semiarid annual plant communities. In particular, our results highlight the key role of biocrusts in modulating the effects of drought on plant diversity and the need for integrative approaches that consider both plants and biocrusts in order to elucidate the influence of climate change on the diversity of drylands.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
A bioelectronic tongue based on nanostructured biosensors specific for the simultaneous detection of sugars and phenols has been developed. The array combined oxidases and dehydrogenases immobilized ...on a lipidic layer prepared using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique where Glucose oxidase, d-Fructose dehydrogenase, Tyrosinase or Laccase were imbibed. A phthalocyanine was co-immobilized in the sensing layer and used as electron mediator. The array thus formed has been used to analyze grapes and provides global information about the samples while providing specific information about their phenolic and their sugar content. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) the array of voltammetric biosensors has been successfully used to discriminate musts prepared from different varieties of grapes (Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Prieto Picudo and Mencía). Differences could be also detected between grapes of the same variety and cultivar harvested in two successive vintages (2012 and 2013).
Moreover, the ripening of grapes could be monitored from veraison to maturity due to the changes in their phenolic and sugar content. Using Partial Least Squares (PLS-1) analysis, excellent correlations have been found between the responses provided by the array of biosensors and classical parameters directly related to phenols (total polyphenol index, TPI) and sugar concentration (degree Brix) measured by chemical methods with correlation coefficients close to 1 and errors close to 0. It is also worthy to notice the good correlations found with parameters associated with the pH and acidity that can be explained by taking into account the influence of the pH in the oxidation potentials of the phenols and in the enzymatic activity.
This bioelectronic tongue can assess simultaneously the sugar and the phenolic content of grapes and could be used to monitor the maturity of the fruit and could be adapted easily to field analysis.
A bioelectronic tongue based on nanostructured biosensors has been developed immobilizing tyrosinase, laccase, glucose oxidase and d-fructose dehydrogenase in a lipidic layer using Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The array of sensors is able to discriminate different varieties of grapes and to monitor the ripening process. Display omitted
•A bioelectronic tongue formed by biomimetic sensors has been developed.•The system contains enzymes specific for the detection of phenols and sugars.•The system is able to discriminate musts according with the grape variety.•The loadings plot confirms the excellent complementarity of the biosensors.•Excellent correlations with chemical analysis have been obtained.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The vinification technique called pre-fermentative cold maceration is used to enhance the anthocyans diffusion from the skins to the must, increasing the pigments extraction. For using this technique ...the application of low temperatures is needed. In this study, two different refrigerating methods (dry ice and cooling of grapes) have been assessed regarding the colour and the phenolic composition of the Syrah wines elaborated by applying pre-fermentative cold maceration. Results showed more intense and stable colours when grapes were previously refrigerated in cold-storage rooms, which showed higher values of chroma and more red-bluish hues. As regards phenolic composition, the cold maceration technique used yields to significant differences among the levels of phenolics, having higher levels of anthocyanins and some non-coloured phenols as flavonols in PR wines. Regarding the colour-composition relationships, it has been highlighted the importance of the co-pigments such as flavonols and cinnamic acids for classify the two groups of samples.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
To identify and synthesise qualitative studies on barriers and facilitators perceived by dialysis patients in relation to self-care and disease management.
Systematic review of qualitative studies.
...Qualitative study articles were extracted from PUBMED, MEDLINE, COCHRANE, WEB OF SCIENCE (WOS), CINAHL PsycINFO and EMBASE and electronic journals of the Spanish Society of Nephrology and Spanish Society of Nephrological Nursing until May 2022. Studies on barriers and/or facilitators affecting self-care and disease management expressed by people undergoing haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis were included.
The SPICE (Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparison and Evaluation) strategy was used to develop issues and subissues through the thematic synthesis of the qualitative findings. GRADE-CERQual was used to evaluate the articles.
From 172 articles, 15 qualitative articles about barriers and facilitators perceived by patients concerning self-care and disease management were finally included. Identified eight facilitators and four barriers.
Patients perceived a significant number of barriers and facilitators. It is possible to identify which aspects facilitate self-management of their disease and to understand that the processes are individualised. This is why therapeutic strategies should be designed to foster the participation and empowerment of the person in the management of the disease.
Identifying the barriers and facilitators concerning the management of chronic kidney disease furnishes us with knowledge for individualised clinical practice and improved care processes.
This review is the first to synthesise barriers and facilitators in haemodialysis patients about the management of their disease and treatment. The results enable the proposal of improvements in the training of healthcare personnel, clinical practice guidelines and action protocols to improve the daily life and management of the disease by patients. No patient or public contribution due to this is a systematic review.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Pure magnesium was processed by a powder metallurgy (PM) route to generate microstructural features that provide higher mechanical properties than those of cast pure magnesium and commercial AZ31 ...alloy. Nevertheless, corrosion resistance of PM Mg needs to be improved if this material is to be used for structural applications in a corrosive medium. In the present work, the corrosion protection effectiveness of three simple, economical and environmentally friendly coatings has been evaluated over immersion time in a chloride-containing solution. A silane coating, an anticorrosive paint formulated with ion-exchangeable pigments (IEPs) and a chemical conversion treatment to form a MgF
2 layer have been studied. Silane film and anticorrosive paint enhance the corrosion behaviour of PM Mg during the first hours of immersion, but their protection effectiveness completely disappears after 2 days. For longer immersion times, the fluoride conversion coating may be considered the only viable and effective barrier to protect PM magnesium from degradation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Understanding the mechanisms that underlie species assembly is a central concern in community ecology. Abiotic and biotic filters are probabilistic ‘sieves’ that allow species with certain functional ...traits to become a part of the community, or not. We manipulated natural plant assemblies in order to identify variations in the timings of biotic and abiotic filters that determine community trait assemblies.
We extracted soil portions when the investigated annual plant community was in its seed phase (‘community monolith’), thereby maintaining the structure and similar soil characteristics to the field conditions. Community monoliths were subjected to experimental manipulation in terms of the rainfall timing and amount, and perturbations of the biological soil crust (BSC; intact vs. perturbed). We surveyed the experimental community assembly over time based on the functional diversity by considering important functional traits in different life stages.
We found that autumn droughts acted as abiotic filters by favouring the germination and establishment of species with greater investment in the root biomass. Under severe droughts (66% water reduction), the experimental assemblies were dominated by species with functional traits adapted to water shortage conditions: high leaf dry matter content, low specific leaf area, small individual size, low reproductive ratio and high root:shoot ratio. We identified two roles of BSCs in annual plant species assemblies: (a) as a biotic filter that limited the establishment of species based on seed size, and (b) as a buffer against water stress conditions by reducing soil evapotranspiration.
Synthesis. We demonstrated the importance of the timing and amount of rainfall for shaping annual plant communities, and identified germination filters as the main process that determined community assemblies. Our results suggest that the phenotypic integration of functional traits facilitates resistance to drought during the life cycle. The BSC–annual plant relationship shifted from negative, by acting as a germination filter, to positive, by acting as a buffer in later stages. Climatic fluctuations and fine scale biotic determinants of spatial heterogeneity emerged as sources of changes in the community assembly in time and space to possibly promote species coexistence and trait differences among the communities studied.
Resumen
Entender los mecanismos que intervienen en el ensamblaje de las especies ha sido una cuestión central en ecología de comunidades. En este contexto, los filtros abióticos y bióticos juegan un importante papel ya que pueden determinar la probabilidad de que las especies se incorporen a la comunidad en función de sus atributos funcionales. En este estudio se manipularon experimentalmente comunidades naturales de plantas de ciclo anual para identificar la importancia y el momento en el que distintos filtros ambientales determinan la estructura funcional de la comunidad.
Para ello se extrajeron porciones de suelo durante el periodo en el que la comunidad se encuentra en fase de semilla, conservando su estructura vertical y la composición natural de la comunidad. Estos “community monoliths” fueron sometidos a distintos tratamientos de cantidad y estacionalidad de precipitación, así como a distintos estados de la costra biológica del suelo (costra intacta vs. perturbada). La composición de las comunidades experimentales resultantes fue observada en distintos momentos a lo largo de su desarrollo y su estructura funcional se estableció a partir de datos propios para una serie de caracteres funcionales relevantes.
La sequía otoñal actuó como un filtro abiótico favoreciendo la germinación y establecimiento de las especies con una mayor inversión en biomasa radicular. Bajo sequía severa (66% de reducción de la precipitación), el ensamble experimental estuvo dominado por especies con caracteres funcionales adaptativos en escenarios de escasez de agua: LDMC elevado, SLA bajo, individuos de pequeño tamaño, ratio entre inversión en peso seco reproductivo y vegetativo bajo y ratio entre peso seco radicular y aéreo alto. Se identificaron dos roles de la costra biológica del suelo: 1) actuó como un filtro biótico dificultando el establecimiento de las especies con semillas grandes y 2) moderó el efecto de la sequía reduciendo la evapotranspiración.
Síntesis. Este estudio constata experimentalmente la importancia de la estacionalidad y la cantidad de precipitación en la configuración de las comunidades de anuales. Además, los datos obtenidos apuntan a la germinación como el proceso más determinante del ensamble de las especies en comunidades. Al mismo tiempo, los resultados parecen sugerir la existencia de integración fenotípica de los caracteres implicados en la resistencia a la sequía a lo largo del ciclo vital. La interacción entre la costra biológica y las plantas anuales pasa de restrictiva durante la germinación a positiva durante las fases siguientes. Podemos concluir que las fluctuaciones climáticas y la estructura espacial que la costra biológica presenta a pequeña escala, suponen una fuente de heterogeneidad tanto espacial como temporal que determina el ensamble de las comunidades y promueve la coexistencia de especies.
We demonstrated the importance of the timing and amount of rainfall for shaping annual plant communities, and identified germination filters as the main process that determined community assemblies. The BSC–annual plant relationship shifted from negative, by acting as a germination filter, to positive, by acting as a buffer in later stages. Climatic fluctuations and fine scale biotic determinants of spatial heterogeneity emerged as sources of changes in the community assembly in time and space to promote species coexistence.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Growing evidence indicates that vitamin D receptor activation may have antiproteinuric effects. We aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation with daily cholecalciferol could reduce ...albuminuria in proteinuric chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
This 6-month prospective, controlled, intervention study enrolled 101 non-dialysis CKD patients with albuminuria. Patients with low 25(OH) vitamin D 25(OH)D and high parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (n = 50; 49%) received oral cholecalciferol (666 IU/day), whereas those without hyperparathyroidism (n = 51; 51%), independent of their vitamin D status, did not receive any cholecalciferol, and were considered as the control group.
Cholecalciferol administration led to a rise in mean 25(OH)D levels by 53.0 ± 41.6% (P < 0.001). Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) decreased from (geometric mean with 95% confidence interval) 284 (189-425) to 167 mg/g (105-266) at 6 months (P < 0.001) in the cholecalciferol group, and there was no change in the control group. Reduction in a uACR was observed in the absence of significant changes in other factors, which could affect proteinuria, like weight, blood pressure (BP) levels or antihypertensive treatment. Six-month changes in 25(OH)D levels were significantly and inversely associated with that in the uACR (Pearson's R = -0.519; P = 0.036), after adjustment by age, sex, body mass index, BP, glomerular filtration rate and antiproteinuric treatment. The mean PTH decreased by -13.8 ± 20.3% (P = 0.039) only in treated patients, with a mild rise in phosphate and calcium-phosphate product 7.0 ± 14.7% (P = 0.002) and 7.2 ± 15.2% (P = 0.003), respectively.
In addition to improving hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D supplementation with daily cholecalciferol had a beneficial effect in decreasing albuminuria with potential effects on delaying the progression of CKD.
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