Agronomic and molecular traits of the 'Italia Muscat' clone in Sao Francisco River Valley

The objective of this study was to evaluate agronomic and molecular traits of the 'Italia Muscat' clone and compare it with the cv. 'Italia', providing information to support the cultivation of 'Italia Muscat' this cultivar in the São Francisco River Valley. Agronomic characteristics of both clones were evaluated for two seasons in 2004. The characteristics were phenology, bud break (%), bud fertility (%), yield (kg) mass of bunches (g), length and width of bunches (cm), mass of berries (g), length and diameter of berries (mm), TSS (ºBrix), ATT (% titratable acidity) and TSS/TTA. Molecular analysis of seven SSR markers were carried out. The clone 'Italia Muscat' showed larger berries, mass of bunches and better TSS/TA ratio than 'Italia'. The molecular analysis resulted in the same allelic profile in both clones, highlighting the need to use a larger number of microsatellite markers or other molecular technique to allow their discrimination. Based on their morpho-agronomic characteristics, 'Italia Muscat' seems to be a good table grape cultivar alternative for grape growers of São Francisco River Valley.

Qualidade sensorial e físico-química de uvas finas de mesa cultivadas no submédio São Francisco

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar uvas Vitis vinifera L. das variedades comerciais: Brasil, Benitaka, Itália e Red Globe, quanto às características físico-químicas e sensoriais. Os teores de sólidos solúveis, diâmetro e comprimento das bagas, cujos resultados apresentaram conformidade com os padrões comerciais, foram determinados. A avaliação sensorial foi realizada por meio da Análise Descritiva Quantitativa - ADQ. Foram selecionados e treinados os julgadores que, sob orientação de um líder, estabeleceram os atributos sensoriais capazes de descrever com fidedignidade as características das uvas, conforme se segue: tonalidade de cor, uniformidade de cor, aroma característico, firmeza, gosto doce, gosto amargo, gosto ácido, adstringência, sabor e qualidade global. Constatou-se que as médias obtidas nos atributos tonalidade de cor, uniformidade de cor, firmeza, sabor e qualidade global diferiram estatisticamente dentre as uvas avaliadas e, ainda, que os atributos do sabor, seguido do gosto doce e da tonalidade da cor, apresentaram as correlações mais fortes com a qualidade global, determinantes, portanto, das características sensoriais das uvas.

Ultra-Deep Pyrosequencing Detects Conserved Genomic Sites and Quantifies Linkage of Drug-Resistant Amino Acid Changes in the Hepatitis B Virus Genome

Selection of amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to nucleos(t)ide-analog (NA) therapy in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase (RT) and their combination in a single viral genome complicates treatment of chronic HBV infection and may affect the overlapping surface coding region. In this study, the variability of an overlapping polymerase-surface region, critical for NA resistance, is investigated before treatment and under antiviral therapy, with assessment of NA-resistant amino acid changes simultaneously occurring in the same genome (linkage analysis) and their influence on the surface coding region.

Lung CD57+ cell density is increased in very severe COPD

Among all inflammatory cells involved in COPD, those with a cytolytic or elastolytic activity are thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, there is no data about the infiltration of cells expressing the CD57 marker in small airways and parenchyma of COPD patients. In this study, surgical specimens from 43 subjects undergoing lung resection due to lung cancer (9 non-smokers, 18 smokers without COPD and 16 smokers with moderate COPD) and 16 patients undergoing double lung transplantation for very severe COPD were examined. CD57+ cells, neutrophils, macrophages and mast cells infiltrating bronchioles (epithelium, smooth muscle and connective tissue) and parenchymal interstitium were localized and quantified by immunohistochemical analysis. Compared to the other groups, the small airways of very severe COPD patients showed a significantly higher density of CD57+ cells, mainly infiltrated in the connective tissue (p=0.001), and a significantly higher density of neutrophils located characteristically in the epithelium (p=0.037). Also, the density of neutrophils was significantly higher in parenchyma of very severe COPD patients compared with the rest of the groups (p=0.001). Finally, there were significant correlations between the bronchiolar density of CD57+ cells and the FEV1 values (R=-0.43, p=0.022), as well as between the parenchymal density of neutrophils and macroscopic emphysema degree (R=0.43, p=0.048) in COPD groups. These results show that CD57+ cells may be involved in COPD pathogenesis, especially in the most severe stages of the disease.

INFLUÊNCIA DO ÁCIDO GIBERÉLICO NA FISIOLOGIA E QUALIDADE DA VIDEIRA CV SWEET CELEBRATION NO SUBMÉDIO SÃO FRANCISCO

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de doses únicas e fracionadas de ácido giberélico nas trocas gasosas e fotossíntese e na qualidade de cachos da uva cv. Sweet Celebration, no Submédio São Francisco. O delineamento experimental foi o em blocos ao acaso, com 10 tratamentos (testemunha; uma, duas ou três aplicações de 10 mg.L-1; uma, duas ou três aplicações de 15 mg.L-1; uma única aplicação de 20 mg.L-1, de 30 mg.L-1ou de 45 mg.L-1), com quatro repetições, e parcelas constituídas por três plantas. O ácido giberélico, aplicado na fase de bagas com 8 mm, aumentou a massa e as dimensões das uvas, sem influenciar no teor de sólidos solúveis e na acidez titulável. Contudo, maiores massa (9,41 g), comprimento (26,8 mm) e volume (8,12 cm3) de baga foram decorrentes de três aplicações de 10 mg.L-1, resultando em incrementos de, respectivamente, 59%, 23% e 42,5%,quandocomparado à testemunha. As três aplicações de ácido giberélico, nas diferentes fases de desenvolvimento dos cachos, favoreceram a atividade fotossintética e a qualidade do cacho e das bagas.

Polymorphisms in DNA-repair genes in a cohort of prostate cancer patients from different areas in Spain: heterogeneity between populations as a confounding factor in association studies

Background: Differences in the distribution of genotypes between individuals of the same ethnicity are an important confounder factor commonly undervalued in typical association studies conducted in radiogenomics. Objective: To evaluate the genotypic distribution of SNPs in a wide set of Spanish prostate cancer patients for determine the homogeneity of the population and to disclose potential bias. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 601 prostate cancer patients from Andalusia, Basque Country, Canary and Catalonia were genotyped for 10 SNPs located in 6 different genes associated to DNA repair: XRCC1 (rs25487, rs25489, rs1799782), ERCC2 (rs13181), ERCC1 (rs11615), LIG4 (rs1805388, rs1805386), ATM (rs17503908, rs1800057) and P53 (rs1042522). The SNP genotyping was made in a Biotrove OpenArrayH NT Cycler. Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Comparisons of genotypic and allelic frequencies among populations, as well as haplotype analyses were determined using the web-based environment SNPator. Principal component analysis was made using the SnpMatrix and XSnpMatrix classes and methods implemented as an R package. Non-supervised hierarchical cluster of SNP was made using MultiExperiment Viewer. Results and Limitations: We observed that genotype distribution of 4 out 10 SNPs was statistically different among the studied populations, showing the greatest differences between Andalusia and Catalonia. These observations were confirmed in cluster analysis, principal component analysis and in the differential distribution of haplotypes among the populations. Because tumor characteristics have not been taken into account, it is possible that some polymorphisms may influence tumor characteristics in the same way that it may pose a risk factor for other disease characteristics. Conclusion: Differences in distribution of genotypes within different populations of the same ethnicity could be an important confounding factor responsible for the lack of validation of SNPs associated with radiation-induced toxicity, especially when extensive meta-analysis with subjects from different countries are carried out.

El Jardín de Falerina, Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla, Antonio Coello Ochoa y Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Edición, introducción y notas de Felipe B. Pedraza Jiménez y Rafael González Cañal, (Barcelona: Octaedro, 2010)

Parece mentira que una pieza teatral firmada por Calderón de la Barca haya tardado más de tres cientos años en aparecer impresa y que sea ahora,en el 2010, cuando lo haga por primera vez. ¿A qué se debe esta falta de interés por la obra?La respuestanos la ofrecen Felipe B. Pedza Jiménez y Rafael González Cañal en el capítulo que abre el estudio preliminar de su edicion tulado«Razones de una sin razón»

Cardiac tissue engineering by electrical stimulation with subcutaneous and cardiac adipose-tissue derived progenitor cells (ATDPCs)

A major challenge of cardiac tissue engineering is directing cells to establish the physiological structure and function of the myocardium being replaced. In native heart, pacing cells generate electrical stimuli that spread throughout the heartcausing cell membrane depolarization and activation of contractile apparatus. We ought to examine whether electricalstimulation of adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells (ATDPCs) exerts phenotypic and genetic changes that enhance theircardiomyogenic potential.

En la mort de Francesc Ferrer Gironès (1935-2006)

Sobre la figura de Francesc Ferrer i Gironès

Les Sentències catòliques del diví poeta Dant (1545) d’en Jaume Ferrer de Blanes: edició crítica del text

Procurador reial i nobiliari, cosmògraf, joier, lapidari, mercader i escriptor, i al capdavall, un ciutadà català honrat, en Ferrer (Vidreres, ~1445 – Blanes, 1529) va marxar de ben jove, primer, a la cort de Nàpols, al servei del rei en Ferran I, i després a la cort de Sicília, al servei de la reina na Joana de Sicília. Acabada aquesta peripècia italiana va tornar a Blanes al servei del vescomte de Cabrera i de Bas fins que va morir a la mateixa vila al 1529. Un seu criat, disset anys més tard, va editar uns papers esparsos que havia trobat a can Ferrer, les (sic) Sentèncias cathòlicas del diví poeta Dant florentí, compilades per lo prudentíssim mossèn Jaume Ferrer de Blanes, incloent-hi tres parts. La primera, Conclusions, és un sumari destinat a mostrar (sic) «Entre totas las cosas necessàries a l’home per aconseguir lo seu fi y beatitut eterna principalment són tres»; la segona, Meditació, és una reflexió a fi d’il•luminar els misteris sobre la passió i mort de Jesucrist a (sic) «lo santíssim loch de Calvari»; la tercera, Letras, és un conjunt de dotze documents, entre cartes i d’altres textos, «fetas a mossèn Jaume Ferrer, respostes e regles per ell ordenades en cosmographia y en art de navegar». En Ferrer, home de grans recursos, fa un recorregut per tots els coneixements que havia acumulat al llarg de la seva vida, de Dant Alighieri a Ptolemeu i del marquès de Santillana a Albert Gran o a Aristòtil, fent servir fragments de la Commedia, dels Proverbios, de la Bíblia i de moltes altres autoritats científiques i filosòfiques, en català, italià, espanyol, llatí i, també, set mots en arameu

Clínica jurídica, una forma de aprendizaje-servicio para la protección de Derechos humanos

[spa] El artículo explica los primeros pasos dados en el desarrollo del proyecto "Clínica jurídica: una forma de aprendizaje-servicio para la protección de derechos humanos" en la Universidad de Valladolid, cuyo principal objetivo consiste en la formación de juristas socialmente comprometidos.

De Francisco a Marco Antonio Aldana pasando por Gaspar

It is traditionally considered that the «Aldana», whom Gaspar Gil Polo praises at the end of his «Canto de Turia» (1564), was Francisco de Aldana, the «divino». It is nonetheless more probable that it was in fact rather the Valencian poet, Marco Antonio Aldana, almost forgotten today, but very much in the public eye within the cultivated circles of the end of the sixteenth century Valencia