Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy as an Alternative for Predicting n-Alkane Concentration in Excreta of Laying Hens: NIR-Generated Data for Dietary Composition Estimation.

N-alkanes offer a promising approach for assessing the nutritional contribution of external sources to the diets of laying hens in free-range production systems. However, traditional laboratory methods, involving extraction, purification and gas chromatographic analysis, are both economically burdensome and time-consuming. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is emerging as a viable alternative, with varying degrees of accuracy depending on the chemical nature and concentration of the component of interest. In our research, we focus on the accuracy of NIRS in predicting the concentrations of n-alkanes (C25-C33) in excreta under simulated free-range conditions with two different diets: one containing a commercial feed with minimal n-alkane content and another containing 1% alfalfa on top of the commercial feed. Spectra processing and calibration were tailored for each n-alkane, with NIRS performance influenced by diet type. Notably, plant predictions using NIR-generated data were consistent with laboratory results, despite a slight tendency toward overestimation (3.40% using the NIRS-generated C25-C29-C33 combination versus 2.80% using laboratory analysis). This indicates the potential of NIRS as an efficient tool to assess n-alkanes in excreta of laying hens and, consequently, the nutritional contribution of the free-range environment, providing rapid and cost-effective results.

Death in the high mountains: Evidence of interpersonal violence during Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age at Roc de les Orenetes (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain).

OBJECTIVES: To test a hypothesis on interpersonal violence events during the transition between Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in the Eastern Pyrenees, to contextualize it in Western Europe during that period, and to assess if these marks can be differentiated from secondary funerary treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Metric and non-metric methods were used to estimate the age-at-death and sex of the skeletal remains. Perimortem injuries were observed and analyzed with stereomicroscopy and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Among the minimum of 51 individuals documented, at least six people showed evidence of perimortem trauma. All age groups and both sexes are represented in the skeletal sample, but those with violent injuries are predominantly males. Twenty-six bones had 49 injuries, 48 of which involved sharp force trauma on postcranial elements, and one example of blunt force trauma on a cranium. The wounds were mostly located on the upper extremities and ribs, anterior and posterior. Several antemortem lesions were also documented in the assemblage. DISCUSSION: The perimortem lesions, together with direct dating, suggest that more than one episode of interpersonal violence took place between the Late Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age in northeastern Spain. The features of the sharp force trauma indicate that different weapons were used, including sharp metal objects and lithic projectiles. The Roc de les Orenetes assemblage represents a scenario of recurrent lethal confrontation in a high mountain geographic context, representing the evidence of inferred interpersonal violence located at the highest altitude settings in the Pyrenees, at 1836 meters above sea level.

OBJETIVOS: Estudiar nuevas evidencias de violencia interpersonal durante la transición entre el Calcolítico y la Edad del Bronce en los Pirineos Orientales, contextualizarlas en la Europa occidental durante ese periodo, y diferenciar estas marcas del tratamiento funerario secundario. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se han utilizado métodos métricos y no métricos para estimar la edad de muerte y sexo de los restos esqueléticos. Las heridas perimortem fueron observadas y analizadas con estereomicroscopio y microscopio confocal. RESULTADOS: Entre el mínimo de 51 individuos documentados en el yacimiento, al menos seis individuos mostraron evidencias de traumas perimortem. Todos los grupos de edad y ambos sexos están representados en el enterramiento, pero aquellos con heridas violentas son mayoritariamente masculinos. Veintiséis huesos tenían un total de 49 lesiones, 48 de ellos traumatismos cortantes en elementos postcraneales, y un traumatismo contundente en un cráneo. Las heridas estaban mayoritariamente localizadas en las extremidades superiores y costillas, tanto anterior como posterior. Varias lesiones antemortem fueron también documentadas en el conjunto. DISCUSIÓN: Las lesiones perimortem, junto a las dataciones directas, sugieren que se produjo más de un episodio de violencia interpersonal entre el Calcolítico Final y la Edad del Bronce Antiguo en el noreste de España. Las características de los traumatismos cortantes indican que se utilizaron diferentes armas, incluyendo objetos cortantes de metal y proyectiles líticos. El conjunto de Roc de les Orenetes representa un escenario de confrontaciones letales recurrentes en un contexto geográfico de alta montaña, representando la evidencia de violencia interpersonal localizada a mayor altitud de los Pirineos, a 1836 metros sobre el nivel del mar.

Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Plant Intake in Laying Hens: n-Alkanes as Predictive Fecal Markers for Dietary Composition Assessment.

The shift in animal welfare standards towards free-range housing for laying hens in the EU has raised questions about changes in dietary composition. Accurate assessment of outdoor plant material intake is crucial for effective feeding strategies. This study introduces an approach using n-alkanes as markers to determine plant intake in laying hens, involving n-alkane recovery rate assessment, discriminant analysis and linear equation-solving for both qualitative and quantitative assessment, respectively, considering systematic n-alkane combinations. Two diets: a standard commercial diet and a diet incorporating 1% alfalfa were tested. Chemical analyses showed an altered n-alkane profile due to alfalfa inclusion, resulting a recovery rates ranging from 30-44% depending on the n-alkane type and diet. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in recovery rates among the different alkanes for the same diets and between the diets for the same alkane, together with an interaction between n-alkane carbon chain length and initial concentration in the diet. The method accurately predicted plant inclusion, with a slight overestimation (2.80%) using the combination C25-C29-C33. Accurate qualitative classification of the animals based on fecal n-alkanes profiles was observed. The study successfully demonstrated the utility of n-alkanes for estimating dietary composition, providing a non-invasive approach for future free-range studies.

Net CO2 assimilation rate response of tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to the interaction between light intensity, spectrum and ambient CO2 concentration.

Artificial lighting is complementary and single-source lighting for controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) to increase crop productivity. Installations to control CO2 levels and luminaires with variable spectrum and intensity are becoming increasingly common. In order to see the net assimilation of CO2 based on the relationship between the three factors: intensity, spectrum and CO2 concentration, tests are proposed on tomatoes seedling with combinations of ten spectra (100B, 80B20G, 20B80G, 100G, 80G20R, 20G80R, 100R, 80R20B, 20R80B, 37R36G27B) seven light intensities (30, 90, 200, 350, 500, 700 and 1000 µmol·m-2 s-1) and nine CO2 concentrations (200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 ppm). These tomato seedlings grew under uniform conditions with no treatments applied up to the moment of measurement by a differential gas analyzer. We have developed a model to evaluate and determine under what spectrum and intensity of light photosynthesis the Net assimilation of CO2 (An) is more significant in the leaves of tomato plants, considering the CO2 concentration as an independent variable in the model. The evaluation of the model parameters for each spectrum and intensity shows that the intensity has a more decisive influence on the maximum An rate than the spectra. For intensities lower than 350 µmol·m-2 s-1, it is observed that the spectrum has a greater influence on the variable An. The spectra with the best behaviour were 80R20B and 80B20R, which maintained An values between 2 and 4 (µmol CO2·m-2·s-1) above the spectra with the worst behaviour (100G, 80G20R, 20G80R and 37B36G27R) in practically all situations. Photosynthetic Light-Use Efficiency (PLUE) was also higher for the 80B20R and 20R80B spectra with values of 36,07 and 33,84 mmol CO2·mol photon-1, respectively, for light intensities of 200 µmol·m-2 s-1 and 400 ppm of CO2that increased to values of 49,65 and 48,38 mmol CO2·mol photon-1 for the same light intensity and concentrations of 850 ppm. The choice of spectrum is essential, as indicated by the data from this study, to optimize the photosynthesis of the plant species grown in the plant factory where light intensities are adjusted for greater profitability.

Grazing influences biomass production and protein content of alpine meadows.

Alpine grasslands are essential for carbon sequestration and food supply for domestic and wild herbivores inhabiting mountainous areas worldwide. These biomes, however, are alternatively threatened by the abandonment of agricultural and livestock practices leading to a fast-growing shrubification process while other mountain grasslands are suffering from the impacts of overgrazing. The functioning of alpine meadow ecosystems is primarily driven by climatic conditions, land-use legacies and grazing. However, although it is critically important, the role of large herbivores on the aboveground biomass and protein content of palatable plants is poorly understood for most alpine meadows. In this work, we explore the effects of grazing on grassland vegetation at two different spatial and temporal scales in the Eastern Pyrenees, Spain. Remote sensing was used to assess the effect of high and moderate grazing (HG and MG respectively) on grass biomass using the leaf area index (LAI) at the meso-scale (patches between 2.3 and 38.7 ha). We also explored the impact of null (NG), overgrazing (MO, mimicked overgrazing) and high (HG) grazing intensities at local scale setting eighteen 1 m2 exclusion boxes in six meadows (three boxes each) commonly used by domestic and wild ungulates. Historical satellite data showed that LAI values are greater in high than in low grazed areas (HG, mean = 0.66, LG, mean = 0.55). Along the same lines, high and moderate grazing pressures improved biomass production at the local-scale (HG, mean = 590.3 g/m2, MO, mean = 389.3 g/m2 and NG, mean = 110.8 g/m2). Crude protein content reached higher values under MO pressure than under HG pressure. Our results confirm that grazing intensity exerts significant changes on the above-ground biomass production and the protein content of plants consumed by domestic (cattle and horses) and wild ungulates (Southern Chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica). We can conclude that ungulates sustain biomass and nutritive values of grass exerting a negligible effect on biomass and protein content of woody vegetation. Our results will inform management guidelines to support profitable grazing activities and promote conservation of the open landscapes in the alpine ecosystems under the current global change scenario.

Relationship between Body Chemical Composition and Reproductive Traits in Rabbit Does.

The relationship among live weight, chemical body composition and energy content (at artificial insemination (AI) and three days before parturition), estimated by bioelectrical impedance with fertility rates and the percentage of kits born alive, was studied during the first three AI. The first AI was conducted at 16 weeks of age in 137 rabbit does that weighted 3.91 ± 0.46 kg. Their body chemical composition was 17.4 ± 0.50%, 16.1 ± 2.6%, 1067 ± 219 kJ/100 g body weight, for protein, fat and energy, respectively. An increase in body protein, fat and energy content at the first AI did not affect fertility at the first AI but improved it at the second AI (p ≤ 0.030). Moreover, an increase in body fat and energy content at the second AI improved fertility at the second AI (p ≤ 0.001). Fertility at the third AI was positively influenced by body protein at the third AI and the increase in body protein and fat between the second parturition and the third AI (p ≤ 0.030). The percentage of kits born alive at the first and at the second AI improved with the increase in body protein at the first AI (p ≤ 0.040). In conclusion, a minimal body protein and fat content is required at the first AI to optimize the reproductive performance in young does.

Was it an axe or an adze? A cranial trauma case study from the Late Neolithic - Chalcolithic site of Cova Foradada (Calafell, Spain).

OBJECTIVE: To reconstruct the etiology of a perimortem injury observed on a Neolithic - Chalcolithic cranium (5060 - 4400 yrs cal. BP). MATERIALS: A cranium of an old adult male individual belonging to a collective burial from Cova Foradada site (Calafell, Tarragona, Spain). METHODS: The cranium was analyzed macroscopically and microscopically using micro-CT scan. RESULTS: The fracture on the right parietal bone presents characteristics of perimortem trauma. The morphology of the point of impact allows for the interpretation of this fracture as a result of impact by an object with a straight and sharp edge. In addition, the same cranium presents two healed antemortem injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The object that most likely caused the cranial fracture was a stone adze. The blow occurred from behind the individual, possibly by a right-handed attacker. SIGNIFICANCE: The potential to link cranial fractures with specific tools increases our understanding of interpersonal violence during the Neolithic. LIMITATIONS: It is not possible to infer if this cranial injury was related to a large-scale intergroup confrontation or an intragroup violent event. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: To investigate additional similar sites in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula to better characterize the fracture pattern caused by stone axes and adzes as well as other objects used as weapons during the Neolithic - Chalcolithic ages.

Application of the MSAP Technique to Evaluate Epigenetic Changes in Plant Conservation.

Epigenetic variation, and particularly DNA methylation, is involved in plasticity and responses to changes in the environment. Conservation biology studies have focused on the measurement of this variation to establish demographic parameters, diversity levels and population structure to design the appropriate conservation strategies. However, in ex situ conservation approaches, the main objective is to guarantee the characteristics of the conserved material (phenotype and epi-genetic). We review the use of the Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) technique to detect changes in the DNA methylation patterns of plant material conserved by the main ex situ plant conservation methods: seed banks, in vitro slow growth and cryopreservation. Comparison of DNA methylation patterns before and after conservation is a useful tool to check the fidelity of the regenerated plants, and, at the same time, may be related with other genetic variations that might appear during the conservation process (i.e., somaclonal variation). Analyses of MSAP profiles can be useful in the management of ex situ plant conservation but differs in the approach used in the in situ conservation. Likewise, an easy-to-use methodology is necessary for a rapid interpretation of data, in order to be readily implemented by conservation managers.

Clozapina y hepatitis aguda / Clozapina and acute hepatitis

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Genetic and epigenetic stability of recovered mint apices after several steps of a cryopreservation protocol by encapsulation-dehydration. A new approach for epigenetic analysis.

The genetic and epigenetic stability (analysis of DNA methylation using MSAP markers) of mint (Mentha x piperita L.) apices was studied after each step of a cryopreservation protocol, by encapsulation-dehydration. The effect of the addition of an antioxidant (ascorbic acid) during one of the protocol steps was also evaluated. Eight-week old in vitro recovered shoots from apices after each step of the protocol were genetically stable when compared to control in vitro shoots, using RAPD and AFLP markers. The addition of ascorbic acid in the medium with the highest sucrose concentration did not improve recovery and did not have any effect on stability. Apices sampled immediately after each step showed increased epigenetic differences as the protocol advanced, compared to in vitro control apices, in particular related to de novo methylation events. However, after one-day in vitro recovery, methylation status was similar to control apices. To improve the quality of methylation data interpretation, a simple and fast method for MSAP markers analysis, based on R programming, has been developed which allows the statistical comparison of treatments to control samples and its graphical representation.

Nitrofurantoína y hepatitis no autoinmune / Nitrofurantoin and non-autoimmune hepatitis

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Síndrome poliadenopático en lupus eritematoso sistémico: ¿es la enfermedad de Kikuchi-Fujimoto? / Lymphadenopathy syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus: is it Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease?

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Heart-cut achiral-chiral LC-LC method development using factorial design: application to the chiral separation of ketoprofen.

A two-dimensional achiral-chiral LC-LC method in heart-cut mode for ketoprofen and its enantiomeric fraction determination was proposed. A C8 column was used in the first dimension, and the chiral column was an α1-acid glycoprotein. The mobile phase of the chiral system was optimized by a factorial design. The effect of temperature on retention and on enantiomeric resolution was studied. Particular attention was paid to mobile phase compatibility for the two columns and to transferring time, using ketoprofen standards. The R-(-) and S-(+)-ketoprofen retention times were 9 and 11 min, respectively; the resolution was higher than 1.1 and enantiomeric fraction close to 0.5. The method was applied to capsules and gels containing ketoprofen. Factorial design was also used to establish the best conditions for gel sample preparation. Recoveries were 84 and 105 % for capsules and gels, respectively. Graphical abstract Two-dimensional chromatogram for KPF and its enantiomers.

Volatile emission in dry seeds as a way to probe chemical reactions during initial asymptomatic deterioration.

The nature and kinetics of reactions in dry seeds determines how long the seeds survive. We used gas chromatography to assay volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from seeds of three unrelated species as a means to non-invasively probe chemical changes during very dry, dry, and humid storage (seeds were dried to 5.5, 33, and 75% relative humidity at room temperature). VOCs emitted from seeds stored in humid conditions reflected fermentation-type reactions, with methanol and ethanol being predominant in Lactuca sativa and Carum carvi, and acetaldehyde and acetone being predominant in Eruca vesicaria. Dried C. carvi seeds continued to emit fermentation-type products, although at slower rates than the seeds stored in humid conditions. In contrast, drying caused a switch in VOC emission in L. sativa and E. vesicaria seeds towards higher emission of pentane and hexanal, molecules considered to be byproducts from the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Longevity correlated best with the rate of fermentation-type reactions and appeared unrelated to the rate of lipid peroxidation. Emission of VOCs decreased when seed species were mixed together, indicating that seeds adsorbed VOCs. Adsorption of VOCs did not appear to damage seeds, as longevity was not affected in seed mixtures. Collectively, the study shows similarity among species in the types of reactions that occur in dry seeds, but high diversity in the substrates, and hence the byproducts, of the reactions. Moreover, the study suggests that the most abundant VOCs arise from degradation of storage reserves within seed cells, and that these reactions and their byproducts are not, in themselves, damaging.

Hepatitis por sífilis secundaria / Hepatitis due to secondary syphilis

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Ojo rojo como manifestación primaria de vasculitis sistémica / Red eye as the primary manifestation of Wegener’s granulomatosis

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