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Background Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection that is potentially fatal, and the most prevalent of its kind in Latin America. The predisposition to infection appears to be related to abnormalities in cellular immunity, given its low prevalence in endemic regions. The role of myeloperoxidase deficiency has not been elucidated. Case presentation We present a case of 48-year-old female patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, stem cell transplant candidate, who developed a fever with lymphadenopathy and lung nodules, consistent with paracoccidioidomycosis infection, in whom a myeloperoxidase deficiency was later discovered. The treatment of the hematologic malignancy had a good impact solving the enzymatic deficiency and antifungal therapy achieve controlling the infection. Conclusions This case lays out the possible association between acute leukemia, an alteration in neutrophil function (needed to fight fungal infections) and an infection due to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

Análisis de la presencia arquetípica de la sirena en las coplas tradicionales veracruzanas y de su papel como monstruo, ser mítico y fantástico que representa el miedo masculino hacia la feminidad. El ensayo explora la transformación del imaginario colectivo y religioso tras la contemplación de la mujer-pez como una pecadora, un ser oscuro y seductivo que a pesar de atraer a los hombres vive condenada a estar sola.

Equipment built for mining and construction is held under extreme wear conditions during its entire operation time. Most of the times abrasive wear is the only type of wear considered. No reports or studies on erosive wear were found on the materials selected for the construction of these equipment & machinery.

Purpose To explore the attitude of nursing professionals towards death. Design Systematic qualitative review methods were used. Methods A search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and CUIDEN databases. This study included 17 articles. Findings Thirteen categories emerged, which were grouped into three themes: meanings and feelings during the dying process; coping strategies in the face of death; and the importance of training, experience, and providing a dignified death. In the different accounts of the participants, it was found that death had a large negative emotional impact on them, that the participants complained about the lack of previous training in the care of dying patients, and that avoiding these complex situations was one of the strategies most commonly used by professionals to face the death of a patient. Conclusions The lack of training in the basic care of terminally ill patients, as well as today's preconceived negative idea about death, both cause health professionals to experience situations of great stress and frustration resulting, on many occasions, in resorting to avoidance of these situations, thus preventing dying with dignity. Clinical relevance In this article, we explore the consequences of this process for nursing professionals, common coping strategies, and possible areas for improvement, such as the need for the training of nursing professionals in the care of terminally ill patients and their families.

In this research work, the effect in fruit quality parameters after different pre-harvest treatments of calcium and calcium-gibberellic acid was evaluated in 'Burlat', 'Sunburst', 'Ambrunes' and 'Sweetheart' sweet cherry cultivars. All the experiments were performed in 2008. The cherry trees were all from an experimental orchard in 'Valle del Jerte' (Extremadura, Spain). The aim of this work was to study the effect of different treatments in fruit sensory attributes and quality parameters (fruit firmness, acidity, soluble solid content and antioxidant activity). The effectiveness of the treatment in each cultivar was evaluated according to the changes observed in the fruits' physical and chemical parameters. In addition, the effectiveness of these treatments against rain injuries was also evaluated.

In order for the Japanese Plum to reach distant markets with adequate consumption quality, it is necessary to determine not only the best harvesting time but also the most appropriate postharvest technologies that allow the correct ripeness after the distribution process. This paper addresses the combined effect of the harvesting time (H1, H2 and H3) with or without 1-MCP (T and C) treatment and the postsharvest storage in different temperature regimes (0 °C, 8 °C and dual temperature regime, 0/8 °C). The ‘Songold’ plum was kept for 30 and 50 days in cold storage and at 20 °C for 5 days after that (shelf-life, SL). For each analysis date, physical and chemical quality parameters were established (weight loss, firmness, colour, total soluble solids and acidity), together with postharvest damage (chilling injuries and decay). In general, the 1-MCP reduced the firmness loss and colour changes (L* and b*), maintaining the acidity of the fruit at rates close to those of the ones at harvest. The use of 1-MCP allows us to market the fruit at a more advanced ripening stage and to store it at a higher temperature without quality loss. Chilling injuries (CI) were the most relevant damages, mainly in H2 at 8 °C after 50 + 5 days. 1-MCP appears to reduce the impact of CI but not decay.

"Esa orquesta, que para mí era grande, contaba con poco más de treinta músicos. Con los años la he visto crecer en número y actualmente son más de cien. Igualmente he atestiguado la diversidad de nacionalidades y la presencia de mayor número de mujeres".

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on flesh firmness and bioactive compounds of six Japanese plum cultivars (two red, one yellow and three dark-purple). Flesh firmness, total phenolics, anthocyanin pigments, total carotenoid content and the total antioxidant activity were evaluated in all fruits at harvest and after storage at 0 or 5°C plus shelf-life. Fruits harvested at commercial maturity were stored at least 42 days at 0 or 5°C and this period increased depending on the storage potential of each cultivar. After storage, fruit was kept for 3-6 days at 20°C, according to the cultivar. Storage at 0°C maintained flesh firmness of all the studied plum cultivars in values “ready to buy”, except ‘Crimson Globe’ and ‘Golden Globe’, which were not suitable for prolonged postharvest storage. In contrast, all cultivars exhibited excessive pulp firmness loss during storage at 5°C. With regard to the bioactive compounds evolution during storage, total phenolics and carotenoid content correlated with cultivar. However, a significant improvement in total anthocyanins of red and dark-purple plum cultivars was observed in fruit stored at 5°C. Total antioxidant capacity was also significantly higher in fruit stored under these conditions. In conclusion, the cultivars ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Larry Ann’ and ‘Angeleno’ had commercial firmness values at the end of the long cool storage at 0°C. Moreover, they reached functional values higher than those recorded in fruits at the harvest time. On the other hand, the long postharvest storage at 5°C reduced pulp firmness of the fruits and had a negative influence on their fresh consumption; however, the amount of bioactive compounds found in the fruit stored under these conditions (5°C) was significantly higher. For this reason, these fruit could be suitable to elaborate manufactured products with high functional value.

The effect of the level of pressure applied during high pressure processing (HPP) on nectarine halves pretreated with ascorbic acid (2 g/100 mL) (AA) and ascorbic acid (2 g/100 mL) plus calcium lactate (1 g/100 mL) (AA + Ca) was studied. Honey spp. nectarines ( Prunus persica ) were cut in halves and they were vacuum packed in thermo-sealed plastic bags. One nectarine half was HP-treated while the other was non-treated, so each nectarine half was compared with the other one in order to assess the effect of the intensity of pressure applied (200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 MPa at 10 °C for 3 min). After HPP, fruits were refrigerated at 5 °C for 30 days. pH, acidity, soluble solids content, firmness and CIELab colour parameters were evaluated after 1 and 30 days of storage. The pH decreased as a consequence of the ascorbic acid and calcium lactate addition while the soluble solids content and the acidity were neither affected by the pretreatment nor by HPP. HPP induced important colour and texture changes in the nectarine halves, although at 200–300 MPa the modifications were less intense. AA and AA + Ca pretreatments had a protective effect on colour and firmness but only at low pressure intensities.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of different controlled atmospheres, containing 3% O2+10% CO2, 5% O2+10% CO2 and 8% O2+10% CO2, on changes in microbial population of 'Ambrunés' sweet cherries throughout storage during 30days and subsequent shelf-life, as well as to identify the main genera of yeast, mould, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae spp., and coliforms. The results indicated that controlled atmospheres with 5% O2+10% CO2 and 8% O2+10% CO2 were highly effective to control the growth of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, psychrotrophs, Pseudomonas spp., yeasts, and moulds after 15days of storage, showing, in the case of yeasts and moulds, counts that ranged between1 and 1.75logCFU/g. The genera of yeasts, moulds, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae spp., and coliforms identified were Aureobasidium spp., Penicillium spp., Leuconostoc spp., and Rahnella spp., respectively. In addition, the genera Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were also identified. On the other hand, cherries of Stage 3 ripening presented the highest counts for all microbial groups.

The aim of this research was to identify, quantify and compare the main quality parameters and functional compounds of ‘Parthenon’ broccoli florets stored at two different conditions. The first condition consisted in a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) using microperforated polypropylene plastic. Then, the second one was in an unpackaged storage (Control). The main quality parameters assessed in this research were the overall appearance, odour, weight loss and colour. While, the functional compounds evaluated in this study were the chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, vitamin C, total phenol content and intact glucosinolates, as well as the in vitro antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the loss of quality was lower in MAP than in Control samples when comparing with Fresh sample. In addition, the weight loss in MAP samples was 0.75% while in the Control samples was 3.36% at the end of storage. Besides, the losses of external attributes were also more pronounced in Control than in the MAP samples. Moreover, this degradation tendency was also observed for bioactive compounds, where their retention in the MAP was higher than in Control samples. In fact, the loss of total phenol content and intact glucosinolates content in MAP samples was about 20 and 23%, respectively, while in Control samples was about 48% and 57% correspondingly. This was also observed in the antioxidant activity (AA) values, since AA is correlated with these functional compounds.

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a vegetable that requires the application of postharvest techniques to extend its marketability. Controlled atmosphere and 1-MCP treatments are most used to extend the shelf life of broccoli and reduce post-harvest deterioration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual, physicochemical and functional changes of broccoli head samples stored at 1-2 °C and 85-90% relative humidity (RH) in air (Control samples), under controlled atmospheres (10% O(2) and 5% CO(2)) (CA samples) and treated with 1-MCP (0.6 μL/L). After storage all samples were maintained at 20 °C for 2 and 4 days, in order to assess their shelf life. The most suitable postharvest treatment to extend broccoli quality during storage and shelf life, in terms of maintaining the visual quality and reducing loss of health-promoting compounds, was achieved by storage under controlled atmosphere conditions. The use of 1-MCP reduced the loss of green colour and chlorophyll pigments, but only during cold storage not during shelf life at 20 °C.

In the present work, we evaluated the effect of the intake of a Jerte Valley cherry-based product (JVCP), compared to a placebo product, on sleep quality, urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6-s) levels and the serum concentration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). This was a blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study. University of Extremadura (Spain). Ten young (20–30 years old), ten middle-aged (35–55 years old), and ten elderly (65–85 years old) participants. A placebo (Kool-Aid®) or JVCP (patent no. ES 2342141 B1) were consumed twice a day, as lunch and dinner desserts. Actigraphic monitoring was used to record and display the temporal patterns of the individuals’ activity and rest. Urinary aMT6-s and serum cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-8) were also determined. The consumption of the JVCP improved the nocturnal rest, measured by sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, total nocturnal activity, sleep latency, assumed sleep, actual sleep time and immobility. Moreover, it was detected an increase in both the levels of aMT6-s found in first-void morning urine and the concentrations of serum pro-somnogenic cytokines obtained from samples collected at the acrophase of the melatonin rhythm (1.00 am) in all experimental age groups after the JVCP consumption. Generally, better results were obtained with advancing age. The ingestion of the JVCP may contribute to establish a high-quality sleep and be used as a potential nutraceutical tool to prevent sleep disorders with the advance of age.

Parameters such as bright and dark green compact heads, firmness to hand pressure and closed florets, and the evolution of main health-promoting compounds such as carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments, phenolic compounds and glucosinolates, were assessed to determine the effects of the atmosphere composition during the cold storage of broccoli ‘Parthenon’. The controlled atmosphere evaluated in this study was a gas mixture containing 10% of O2 and 5% of CO2, with 85–90% relative humidity. The storage temperature was established at 1 and 2 °C. We found that the loss of weight and firmness was greater in the reference samples compared to samples stored under controlled atmosphere conditions (20.60% and 84.88%, for loss of weight and firmness in reference samples respectively, and 4.80% and 16.48%, for loss of weight and firmness in controlled atmosphere samples respectively) after 9 days of storage, approximately. In addition, the proposed controlled atmosphere conditions helped to maintain the concentration of the main health-promoting compounds, such as ascorbic acid, carotenoid and chlorophylls pigments, total phenolic compounds and intact glucosinolates, and the values of the antioxidant activity in vitro were also maintained.

High pressure processing (HPP) is an alternative to the traditional thermal treatment. The physicochemical composition, instrumental color and bioactive compounds (carotenoid and phenolic compounds) were evaluated in two pumpkin purees after processing (HPP: 400–600 MPa and thermal treatment) and after storage. One sample of puree was taken in the industry after the first sieve and before the thermal blanching, and the other was taken after deaeration and before pasteurization. HPP of pumpkin puree presented some advantages compared to the thermal treatment such as lower color modifications after processing and during storage, and higher nutritional value (some carotenoid and polyphenol contents were higher in HPP). The application of initial pretreatments reduces the original color intensity of the purees, and thus diminishes the differences of HPP and the thermal treatment in this aspect. However, the application of pretreatments is a necessary step for the stabilization of pumpkin purees during storage. Practical Applications Hydrostatic high pressure is a real alternative to thermal processing in determinate food products. Every year, new high pressure-processed products are in the market. However, only a few studies have evaluated the application of this technology in an industrial line of vegetable processing, which present some particularities (thermal pretreatments and additives are usually added). This paper presents valuable information for the application of high pressure processing at industrial level.

Among the nuts, walnut is characterized by its important amount of oil (60–65% of flesh weight). The oil extracted from walnut exhibits high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids ϖ-6 (linoleic acid) and ϖ-3 (linolenic acid), as well as relevant amounts of tocopherols (vitamin E). However, the addition of this type of oil in processed food is not usual due to its low stability. To avoid this stability problem, walnut oil could be added to the processed food as its microencapsulated form, thus oil will be protected while food processing and released after consumption by the digestive process. In that way, this research work aims to study the in-vitro digestibility of microencapsulated walnut oil, considering different types of microcapsules, and the availability of ϖ-3 and ϖ-6 fatty acids and tocopherols after the microcapsules digestion. As result, it was found that protein-based microcapsules were highly digestible (90% of the encapsulated oil was released from the capsule after the in-vitro digestion). For both microcapsule models the amount of ϖ-3 and ϖ-6 fatty acids, and tocopherols were around 0.10, 0.50 and 0.20 mg/g of walnut oil respectively submitted to the in-vitro digestion.

In this research work, we aim to identify, quantify and compare the phytochemical such as vitamin C, carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments, phenolic compounds and intact glucosinolates, as well as the in vitro antioxidant activity and physical quality parameters (colour, firmness, moisture contents, weight/broccoli head and soluble solid contents) of Monaco and Parthenon broccoli cultivars. We found that the bioactive compounds were more abundant in Parthenon compared with Monaco. In fact, higher amount of chlorophylls (12.62 mg/100 g fresh weight), total phenolic compounds (147.15 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight), and total intact glucosinolates (203.85 μmol of sinigrin equivalent/100 g fresh weight) were found in Parthenon. On the other hand, no significant differences were observed in terms of external quality parameters among the studied cultivars except in the colour and moisture contents.

The main goal of this study was to assess the influence of the microencapsulation on the oil chemical composition and its oxidative stability. Factors such as microcapsule wall constituents and the addition of the antioxidant butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) were investigated in order to establish the most appropriate conditions to ensure no alteration of the extra-virgin olive oil chemical characteristics. The microencapsulation effectiveness was determined in base of process yield and the microencapsulation efficiency. Highest encapsulation yields were achieved when maltodextrin, carboxymethylcellulose (99.79 ± 0.51%) and lecithin were used as encapsulation agents and the ratio of oil-wall material was 1:1.5. Stability studies were achieved by placing encapsulated oil and un-encapsulated oil in heated chambers at 30 °C during 4 months. Oxidative stability and oil quality studies were periodically assessed. It was concluded that the presence of protein constituents in the microcapsule wall material extended the shelf-life of the microencapsulated olive oil (protein-based model microencapsulated oil was unalterable for 9 to 11 months). For this later model, the addition of antioxidant additives did not significantly increase the oil stability.

The application of hydrostatic high pressure on an industrial line of nectarine (Prunus persica L.) purées was assessed in comparison with the traditional thermal treatment of pasteurization. Changes after thermal processing (85 °C, 5 min) and after high-pressure processing (HPP: 450 or 600 MPa for 5 or 10 min) and during the refrigerated storage (60 d) of an industrially produced nectarine purée were evaluated. Conventional heat pasteurization as well as HPP showed similar microorganisms' inactivation and maintained the microbial stability of purées until the end of the refrigerated storage (60 d). In general, thermally treated purée and HP-treated purée at 600 MPa showed more intense color changes after processing than the other treatment. In addition, thermally treated purée showed more intense color changes during storage than HPP. The highest carotenoids extractability was found in those purées treated at the lowest high-pressure-treatment intensity and holding time (450 MPa/5 min), but at the end of the storage (day 60), no differences in individual or total carotenoid levels were found between the purées. HPP at 600 MPa/10 min showed the highest polyphenols content after the treatment and during the storage. At day 0, significantly higher values were found of total antioxidant activity in purée HP-treated at 450 MPa/10 min than in untreated purée; while at the end of the storage, HP-treated purée at 600 MPa/10 min had the highest antioxidant activity. Hydrostatic high-pressure application in the industrial line of nectarine purée presented some advantages compared to the thermal treatment; however, some of the changes found were lessen during the storage period. In addition, more studies need to be carried out for HP-treatment intensity optimization.

The purpose of this paper is to present a study of the development of the principal bioactive compounds and the physicochemical properties of the ‘Ambrunes’ Picota sweet cherry cultivar during its ripening. 5 categories of edible ripeness (termed ’ripening stages’) were determined according to the skin colour. The results show significant increases during ripening in weight, calibre, soluble solids content, fructose, total phenols, total anthocyanins and total antioxidant activity; a non-significant decrease in firmness; and significant decreases in the colour parameters of both skin and flesh and in glucose. The following compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS: 5 anthocyanins, of which the most abundant was cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside; 3 hydroxycinnamic acids, principal of which was p-coumaroylquinic acid; a flavonol (rutin); and a flavan-3-ol (epicatechin), which was the least abundant of all the phenolic compounds. Because of the increased levels of bioactive compounds associated with it, ripening stage 5 was considered to represent the highest nutritional and functional quality.

The aim of this work was to establish a multivariate method for the rapid quantification of chlorophyll A and B in broccoli and cabbage plants using photometric signals. A partial least squares (PLS) model was optimized using the UV spectra of a set of calibration samples. Limit of detection (0.174 and 0.304 μg mL −1 for chlorophyll A and B respectively), selectivity (0.946 and 0.942 respectively) and sensitivity (0.0324 and 0.0183 absorbance mL μg −1 respectively) were calculated in order to establish the robustness of the proposed methodology. After method validation, the PLS model was applied to determine the concentration of both pigments in different broccoli and cabbage plants. The concentrations of these pigments, calculated by the optimized chemometric method, were compared with those obtained by a chromatographic and photometric method based on the absorbance of sample at two different wavelengths. The accuracy of our results was comparable with that of results obtained by a chromatographic method improving significantly the accuracy compared with that of previously reported photometric approaches.

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of delayed storage on chilling injury incidence and postharvest quality attributes evolution of 'Plagol 25' and 'Diamond Princess' peaches and 'Lara Bigi' and 'Honey' nectarines. Fruit were stored at 0°C and 95% relative humidity (control) or held at 20°C for 2 days before cooling them for 1-5 weeks (delayed storage). Then, fruit were transferred to 20°C, 2 days for peaches and I day for nectarines, and chilling injury incidence, ethylene production, flesh firmness, flesh colour (a * value), soluble solids content and titratable acidity were assessed. Results showed that delayed storage reduced chilling injury incidence and gave, at least, an extra week of storage before this disorder appeared. 'Honey' nectarines and 'Plagol 25' peaches were less sensitive to chilling injury than 'Lara Bigi' nectarines and 'Diamond Princess' peaches. Regarding the more sensitive cultivars, after four weeks of storage, dry texture developed extensively in control, while flesh browning was the main internal disorder in delayed storage. Delayed storage enhanced the ability of the fruit to produce ethylene. Control fruit were significantly firmer than delay stored fruit throughout the 1-5 weeks storage period. Delay stored fruit showed slightly higher acidity values than control. On the other hand, soluble solids content and flesh colour (a*) were unaffected by the postharvest treatment. In conclusion, delayed storage reduced the incidence of chilling injury, but a high rate of fruit softening was obtained. Therefore, delayed conditions should be strictly controlled for reducing distribution losses and supplying high quality fruit to consumers.

Individual anthocyanin pigments and phenolic compounds were isolated, identified and quantified in six different sweet-cherry cultivars (Prunus avium L.) grown in Valle del Jerte area (Spain). An extractive-chromatographic method has been optimized for one-step extraction and simultaneous determination of all the studied components by HPLC/DAD-MS. The highest levels of phytochemicals were found in the autochthonous sweet-cherry cultivars that belong to the Protected Designation of Origin (POD) Cereza del Jerte. Van cultivar showed the lowest level of anthocyanin pigments and phenolic compounds. The most abundant anthocyanin pigment in all the studied cultivars was cyanidin-3-rutinoside (105 mg/100 g fresh weight (fwt) in Pico Negro sweet-cherry cultivar). The most abundant phenolic compound was the flavanol p-coumaroylquinic acid (130 mg/100 g fwt in Pico Negro sweet-cherry cultivar). In addition, chemical attributes (antioxidant activity, soluble solid content and pH) were also evaluated.

Encapsulation is a process by which small particles of core products are packaged within a wall material to form microcapsules. One common technique to produce encapsulated products is spray-drying which involves the conversion of liquid oils in the form of an emulsion into dry powders. Emulsification conditions, wall components, and spray-drying parameters have been optimized for the microencapsulation of different extra-virgin olive oils. To achieve this goal, the influences of emulsion conditions have been evaluated for different wall components such as proteins (sodium caseinate and gelatin), hydrocolloids (Arabic gum), and hydrolyzed starches (starch, lactose, and maltodextrin). In addition, for each of the tested conditions the ratio of wall solid-to-oil and spray-drying parameters were as well optimized. The microencapsulation effectiveness was determined based on process yield and the ratio between free and encapsulated oil (microencapsulation efficiency). Highest encapsulation yields were achieved when gelatin, Arabic gum and maltodextrin and sodium caseinate and maltodextrin were used as encapsulation agents and the ratio of wall solid-to-oil was 1:4 and 1:2, respectively. Under these conditions, 53% of oil was encapsulated. The influence of olive oil quality in the microencapsulation process was evaluated in terms of fatty acids profile alteration after the microencapsulation process.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of the commercial ripening stage and postharvest storage on microbial and aroma changes of 'Ambrunés' sweet cherries. The microbial counts and volatile profile of sweet cherry batches automatically sanitized and classified in three commercial ripening stages were studied for five postharvest storages. The batches were also evaluated sensorially, and the correlations between volatile compounds and aroma quality were determined. The microbial counts provided evidence that 21 days of cold storage is near the maximum extension of 'Ambrunés' sweet cherry storage in maintaining the minimal microbial quality during their shelf-life period. Relevant changes associated with longer cold storages were found in different aroma constituents with a negative impact on flavor. These changes were more evident in less ripened sweet cherries, including a decrease of (E)-2-hexenal and 1-hexanol and an increase of 2-methyl-propanal and 2-methyl-butanal. These compounds could constitute a good tool to predict flavor quality in 'Ambrunés' sweet cherries during the cold-storage process.

Tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin, present in Jerte Valley cherries, participate in sleep regulation and exhibit antioxidant properties. The effect of the intake of seven different Jerte Valley cherry cultivars on the sleep-wake cycle, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels, and urinary total antioxidant capacity in middle-aged and elderly participants was evaluated. Volunteers were subjected to actigraphic monitoring to record and display the temporal patterns of their nocturnal activity and rest. 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and total antioxidant capacity were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric assay kits, respectively. The intake of each of the cherry cultivars produced beneficial effects on actual sleep time, total nocturnal activity, assumed sleep, and immobility. Also, there were significant increases in 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels and total antioxidant capacity in urine after the intake of each cultivar. These findings suggested that the intake of Jerte Valley cherries exerted positive effect on sleep and may be seen as a potential nutraceutical tool to counteract oxidation.

Melatonin functions as a free radical scavenger and controls the regulation of the sleep–wake cycle in mammals, while serotonin is the main intermediate in melatonin biosynthesis. In this paper, melatonin and serotonin have been detected and quantified for the first time in eight different sweet cherry cultivars using high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. The limits of detection of the proposed analytical method were 4.3 ng/mL for melatonin and 3.0 ng/mL for serotonin. An inverse relation between the contents of melatonin and serotonin was observed in the studied sweet cherry cultivars. The highest melatonin amounts were found in ‘Burlat’ sweet cherries (22.4 ± 1.3 ng/100 g of fresh fruit), while the highest serotonin contents were found in the cultivar ‘Ambrunes’ (37.6 ± 1.4 ng/100 g of fresh fruit). The results presented in this research allow us to know the amount of melatonin and serotonin bring to the diet.

The aim of this study is to contribute to the qualitative characterisation of six cultivars of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.), i.e. ‘Black Amber’, ‘Suplumeleven’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Larry Ann’, ‘Suplumsix’ and ‘Songold’, by investigating their physicochemical and nutritional properties and their volatile fractions. The results indicate that the plum has a mean sugar content of 15% (between 12.3 and 17.8%), dietary fibre 1.2% (from 0.84 to 1.50%) and a mean energy value of 255 kJ 100 g−1 of fresh produce (from 183 to 331 kJ 100 g−1). ‘Black Amber’ has the highest phenolic and anthocyanin contents and the greatest total antioxidant activity. In terms of their volatile fraction, Japanese plums are relatively poor in volatile compounds in comparison with other stone fruits. However, there are significant differences between the cultivars studied, with ‘Fortune’ standing out as the richest in volatile compounds and especially in esters.

Twelve hybrids obtained by crossing of different Hungarian cultivars and the Spanish ‘Jaranda’, ‘Jariza’ and ‘Jeromin’ have been studied. The aim of this work was to select those peppers with high capsaicinoids content, and good agronomic and industrial characteristics, as ‘Jeromin’, the only local cultivar used for pungent (hot) paprika, has a low and irregular pungency depending on the year. The crop productive characteristics, ASTA colour, carotenoid pigment content and pungency of the paprika has been studied and elaborated following the traditional procedure of La Vera (Extremadura, Spain). The productive characteristics and pigment concentration of the crossings were, in general, similar to that of local cultivars, and all of them could be suitable for hot paprika production, because their capsaicinoid content was higher than that of ‘Jeromin’ (78 mg kg−1 dwt of total capsaicinoids). The most pungent hybrids were Kibedicsipos × Jariza, Jeromin × Szegedi178 and Jaranda × Szegedi179, with a total capsaicinoid content of 1,240, 1,107, and 997 mg kg−1 dwt, respectively. Their paprikas showed a carotenoid pigment content higher than that of ‘Jaranda’, which is considered as a high quality paprika.

Paprika from the region of La Vera (Caceres) is prepared using a particular process of mild, slow drying in traditional drying barns heated by oak-wood fires. This makes it possible for the fruit to maintain its natural components at the same time as contributing certain organoleptic characteristics that are highly appreciated by consumers. We analyzed the changes in the aromatic fraction that occur over the course of this traditional drying technology, using dynamic head space as the isolation method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as the identification system. We identified 96 compounds, 55 of which presented significant differences (P < 0.05) between different days of the drying process. Some 40% of the aromatic potential of the end product corresponded to volatile compounds that appeared during the drying process, originating from the wood smoke or as the result of typical reactions of the dehydrated products.

Paprika obtained through the traditional process, from fruits dried in oak ovens, is stored at room temperature for 18 months. Samples are taken at 2-3 months time intervals and color quantity is evaluated, measuring it as ASTA units and carotenoid content. Values obtained from both measurements are compared, achieving a good correlation between ASTA units and total carotenoid content. As a result two equations are proposed, one linking both parameters and another which predicts the remaining ASTA unit as a function of storage time. ASTA values after 18 months of storing time are ca. 55 % of the initial values. El pimentón obtenido de forma tradicional, a partir de frutos secados en hornos de leña, se ha almacenado a temperatura ambiente durante 18 meses. Se han tomado muestras de los mismos a intervalos de 2-3 meses y se ha evaluado la cantidad de color extractable como unidades ASTA y, en paralelo, se ha controlado la concentración carotenoide. Se comparan los valores obtenidos por cada uno de los dos procedimientos, observándose que se da una buena correlación entre las unidades ASTA y la concentración total de carotenoides. Se postula una ecuación que relaciona ambos parámetros y otra ecuación que permite predecir el valor remanente de ASTA con el tiempo de conservación. La retención de color a los 18 meses se sitúa en torno al 55 % del valor inicial.

Tomato skins and their mixtures with seeds were submitted to supercritical CO2 extraction using a flow apparatus at pressures of 250 and 300 bar and temperatures of 60 and 80 °C. Two different mean particle sizes (80 and 345 μm) were used at two solvent flow rates (0.792 and 1.35 kg/h). The yields of lipids, lycopene, and β-carotene obtained by supercritical fluid extraction were compared with those obtained by conventional organic solvent extraction. Supercritical fluid extraction from tomato skins at 300 bar and 80 °C allowed the recovery of 80% of the lycopene and 88% of the β-carotene, using about 130 g of CO2 per gram of matrix at the lower flow rate of CO2.

The bioactive compounds, as well as the in vitro antioxidant activity of two Savoy cabbage cultivars, Dama and Leticia, grown in west of Spain under similar conditions were identified, quantified and compared. We found that cv. Dama presented in general betters results when compared with cv. Leticia. Cv. Dama presented higher concentrations of chlorophyll a (2.26 mg/100 g fresh weight), total phenolic content (102.71 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent/100 g fresh weight) and total intact glucosinolates (195.22 μmol of sinigrin equivalent/100 g fresh weight). Thus, cv. Dama exhibited higher values of in vitro antioxidant activity.

La comunidad educativa se ve desbordada por el gran volumen de información impresa, audiovisual y telemática generada por la humanidad y que actualmente se presentan en variedad de soportes y formatos que permiten múltiples oportunidades de consulta e investigación y de la cual son depositarias, entre otras, las bibliotecas de aula, las bibliotecas escolares y las bibliotecas públicas. Estos centros de información son vitales en la adopción de un nuevo modelo educativo que se sustenta en la adquisición de competencias, en el concepto de ‘aprender a aprender’ y donde el centro del aprendizaje es el alumno. El maestro es el guía, apoyo y sostén de conocimientos siempre acompañado de la comunidad educativa que hace uso permanente de las bibliotecas de aula, las bibliotecas escolares y las bibliotecas públicas y orientan a los niños y jóvenes en la tarea de adquirir información, analizarla, evaluarla y comunicarla de forma eficiente y ética, convirtiéndolos en usuarios autónomos capaces de sacar el máximo provecho de todos los materiales bibliográficos, audiovisuales y telemáticos que los rodean. El nuevo espacio digital trae nuevas características distintivas que imponen nuevas formas de lectura y aprehensión de conocimientos, lo que plantea la necesidad de revisar y actualizar las herramientas educativas para adaptarse a nuevos modelos de enseñanza, adquisición de conocimientos y uso ético y racional de la información. El desarrollo del concepto de la ALFIN (Alfabetización Informacional), como competencia transversal clave en la sociedad del conocimiento cumple un papel preponderante en la formación de los niños y jóvenes como personas capaces de gestionar la información que reciben en las aulas de clase y en las actividades extraescolares, asumiendo su importancia para la vida diaria y a partir de la asimilación de los conocimientos que les permitan desenvolverse con soltura ante el avance de las nuevas tecnologías y en el espacio digital. Adoptando una metodología de investigación cualitativa y descriptiva se analizan las diferentes formas de enseñar y aprender como base para la comparación y posterior interpretación del conocimiento. Es estratégica porque se realiza una revisión de la literatura existente en cuanto al análisis de diferentes modelos educativos aplicados en Educación Primaria a través de la historia y teniendo en cuenta las diferentes legislaciones aplicadas en Educación Básica Primaria en España, para llegar a una propuesta innovadora de trabajo en las aulas de clase con alumnos entre diez y doce años de edad. Igualmente se hace una revisión y análisis de bibliografía relativa al desarrollo teórico de la alfabetización informacional en el mundo, en Europa, para luego centrarse en España. Concluye con la utilización del modelo Gavilán 2.0 ‘Una propuesta para el desarrollo de la competencia para manejar la información’ CMI, mediante la creación de la asignatura ‘Formación de habilidades y competencias de gestión de información para aprender a aprender, informarse y recrearse’ aplicable en el tercer nivel de Educación Primaria y de allí en adelante a todos los niveles educativos como materia transversal a corto y mediano plazo, lo que conlleva un trabajo colaborativo donde maestros, bibliotecarios, madres y padres de familia y demás miembros de la comunidad educativa y con el apoyo permanente de las bibliotecas públicas, los centros educativos formativos y de ocio del entorno y en particular las bibliotecas escolares que con el tiempo deberán convertirse en Centros de Recursos para el Aprendizaje, la Investigación y el Ocio (CRAIO), donde se formen para hacer frente a las demandas del mundo globalizado en que les toca interactuar. Madrid ESP

Summary Background & aims The relationship between diet and health has led to intense research into bioactive compounds in foods. The present study evaluated the effect of the consumption twice a day of a nutraceutical product made with Jerte Valley cherries (Caceres, Extremadura, Spain) on nocturnal rest, urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6-s), and urinary antioxidant capacity in young (20–30 yr-old), middle-aged (45–55 yr-old), and elderly (65–75 yr-old) subjects. Methods In volunteers ( n = 6 per age group), the temporal patterns of the individuals' activity and rest were recorded by actigraphic monitoring. For the quantification of aMT6-s, a commercial ELISA kit was used, and total antioxidant capacity was evaluated by means of a colorimetric assay kit. Results The intake of the product increased significantly the Actual Sleep Time and Immobility, and decreased significantly the Total Nocturnal Activity in all subjects. Moreover, it increased significantly the urinary aMT6-s and antioxidant capacity in all subjects with respect to their basal values. Conclusions The consumption of a nutraceutical product made with Jerte Valley cherries improves nocturnal rest and has an antioxidant effect in humans.

Composition in fatty acids of the pericarp and seeds of two new pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Jaranda and Jariza) and the effects of different processing stages on the fatty acid composition of these tissues and of paprika are shown. In the pericarp the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic and linolenic, both in the same proportion, are the major acids; in the seed, linoleic is in a very high concentration as compared to in the pericarp. In the pericarp, a storage zone of carotenoid pigments, linolenic acid does not participate in the carotenoid esterification process. From the different lipid patterns, nutritional aspects are deduced. In the drying step the concentrations of constituent fatty acids are constant in the seed, while in the pericarp there is a net increase in the total content of fatty acids.