Diabetes mellitus is a serious worldwide public health problem due to its high prevalence. In Chile, 1.7 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, of which 90% are type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases(1). It is well known that blood pressure (BP) control is essential to prevent future complications and to ensure a positive prognosis for this disease (2). Moreover, studies in Chile have shown a significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) levels in T2DM subjects compared to the non-diabetic Chilean population (3). Therefore, this study aimed to determine and compare SBP and DBP levels according to age group in T2DM patients of primary health care centres (PHCC) in Copiapó, Chile.

Cross-sectional study within the CODIACO cohort. Data were collected from April to August 2023 on 161 patients with T2DM from eight PHCCs of Copiapó. Patients diagnosed with T2DM, of both sexes and aged between 30 and 65 years were included. Pregnant and lactating women, patients with diabetic neuropathy or nephropathy, cancer and severe inflammatory or infectious diseases were excluded. To estimate BP, three measurements were taken every five minutes. Three age groups were established: ≤ 50 (n = 36), 50-60 (n = 74) and ≥ 60 years old (n = 51). Blood pressure results were expressed as mean and standard deviation of mmHg unit. Normal distribution was analysed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test corrected for Lilliefors. In addition, the one-way ANOVA test was used to compare SBP and DBP between age groups. Bonferroni was used for post hoc testing. A P-value < 0.050 was considered statistically significant. Data were analysed using SPSS software. The study was conducted according to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent modifications. The CODIACO study was approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of the University of Atacama. The project was funded by FONDECYT N° 11180794

The mean of systolic blood pressure (SBP) for the ≤ 50, 50-60 and ≥ 60 year groups, was 123.92 ± 14.38; 133.23 ± 18.36; 135.88 ± 15.02 mmHg (p = 0.003); respectively. Bonferroni test indicated a significant difference in SBP between the group ≤50 and 50-60 (p = 0.019) and ≥60 year groups (p = 0.003), but not between 50-60 and ≥60 year groups (p = 1.000). The ANOVA did not show a significant difference in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between groups (p = 1.000).

The results suggest that SBP levels of T2DM patients in PHCCs of Copiapó are higher in older age groups (50-60 and ≥60y) compared to the younger age group ≤50y). No significant differences were found in DBP.

Globally, 537 million adults (20-79 years) had diabetes mellitus in 2021 (10.5%), and the estimate is projected to rise to over 643 million (11.3%) by 2030 (1). The estimated prevalence for Chile was 12.7%, 90–95% of which were type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases (1). In the last decades, it has been shown the importance of diet quality in the management and prognosis of T2DM (2). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate diet quality in subjects with T2DM from primary health care centres (PHCC) in Copiapo according to age group.

A cross-sectional study was performed within the CODIACO cohort, with data collected on 160 participants during 2023. This population-based study involved women and men from 30 to 65 years, with T2DM, and users of PHCCs of Copiapo. Pregnant and lactating women, patients with diabetic neuropathy or nephropathy, cancer, and severe infectious or inflammatory diseases were excluded. Sociodemographic data were recorded, and diet quality was measured through a Mediterranean dietary index (MDI) validated in the Chilean population (3). Participants were categorised by age (≤ 50 years, 50-60 years, ≥ 60 years). The following categories were considered for MDI score: high (9-14 points), moderate (5-8.5 points), and low (<5 points) adherence. One-factor analysis of variance with the Bonferroni correction test and Chi-square test were used to assess differences in MDI according to age groups. The results were expressed as percentages or mean and standard deviation. A p-value of less than 0.050 was considered statistically significant. The CODIACO study was approved by the Scientific Ethics Committee of the University de Atacama. The project was funded by FONDECYT (N° 11180794).

The mean age of the participants was 55.64±7.48 years, and the MDI score was 6.28 (moderate diet quality). 19.4% of subjects (≤ 50 years, 13.7% of those aged 50-60 years, and 27.5% of those ≥ 60 years had low diet quality. Moderate diet quality was found in the majority of individuals from the three groups, with 72.2%, 78.1%, and 60.8%, respectively. Only 8.3% of the subjects ≤ 50 years, 8.2% of those aged 50-60 years, and 11.8% of those ≥ 60 years had high diet quality. No significant differences were observed between the means of the MDI scores of each group (p = 0.578), nor in the proportion of subjects with low, medium or high diet quality in each group (p = 0.325).

The findings of the present study showed subjects with T2DM and users of the PHCCs of Copiapo (Chile) had a moderate diet quality, mainly. The proportion of patients with low, moderate, and high diet quality was similar among those ≤ 50 years, those 50-60 years, and those ≥ 60 years. Further investigations are needed to evaluate in depth the diet in this population.

Titan broiler chickens kept in batteries at the Universidad Agraria, Lima, were fed diets containing duckweed (Lemna gibba) in proportions of 0, 10, 15 and 25%. The weight gain of broilers fed 15% duckweed was similar to that of the controls; 25% duckweed in the diet resulted in a significant decrease in feed consumption and weight gain.

To determine if Titan and Arbor Acres broiler chickens could be maintained on duckweed diets under commercial conditions, birds were fed diets containing 0 and 5% duckweed. Female birds (Titan and Arbor Acres) fed diets containing 5 % duckweed showed increased final weights. The pigmentation of all birds receiving the diet containing duckweed was significantly increased.

Duckweed used at levels of up to 15 % in the diets of broiler chickens could represent an important protein source for poultry feed in developing countries where soyabean meal or fish-meal are not available.

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assess the genetic diversity of isolates of grey snow mould (‘gray snow mold’), Typhula incarnata, taken from infected turfgrasses from 40 different locations in the northern USA. Data from 115 markers using 37 RAPD primers showed 48% polymorphism. The distance coefficients between isolates indicate the wide genetic diversity of T. incarnata across the sample area. Dendrograms generated using neighbour-joining (NJ) bootstrap analyses showed three clades and suggest possible recent colonization from common founder groups. Partitioning of the genetic variance using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of four groups based on geographic locations (Michigan, lower and upper peninsula; Minnesota; Wisconsin) showed that genetic variation attributable among groups and within groups was 12.67 and 87.33%, respectively. No correlation was found between geographic distance and pairwise genetic distance of the groups. High outcrossing and sexual recombination of T. incarnata may well be key factors explaining the genetic variability as shown with the low Fixation index (FST) and high average of genetic diversity per locus within groups.

Pulsed laser ablation deposition was used to fabricate Ni films. The structure of the as-deposited films is hexagonal (a = 0.267 nm and c = 0.435 nm), and its resistivity is nearly one order of magnitude larger than the resistivity of bulk Ni. No spontaneous magnetization was observed in the as-deposited samples. Annealing above 200 °C induced an irreversible structural transformation from the metastable hexagonal phase to the stable face-centered-cubic (fcc) one. Parallel to this transformation, the magnetic moment of the annealed Ni samples increased, and their resistivity decreased. On annealing at 440 °C, the structural transformation from the hexagonal-close-packed to the fcc phase was completed, and the magnetic moment, Curie temperature, and electrical resistivity of the fcc Ni films were found similar to the ones observed in bulk Ni. A direct correlation between the volume fraction of the fcc Ni phase in our films and their magnetic moment was established.

Non-crystalline Co thin films have been prepared by pulsed laser ablation deposition. From the M-H hysteresis loops measurements, a soft magnetic behavior is observed. Néel type magnetic domain walls are observed in the as-deposited films. The spontaneous magnetization, Ms(T = 300 K), is ≍ 860 emu/cm3. After annealing at 500 oC, Ms(T = 300 K) is ≍ 1460 emu/cm3. The extrapolated to zero K resistance decreases almost two orders of magnitude from the as deposited samples to the crystallized heated at 500 °C ones. A trilayer Co/Cu/Co has shown a real part magnetic susceptibility of 120 at 100 MHz. In the 100 MHz to 1 GHz frequency range, a perpendicular bias magnetic field increased this value up to 270, remaining almost constant for all range.

Planar and cylindrical Co thin films have been obtained by pulsed laser ablation. X-ray diffractograms have shown no crystalline structure for the as-deposited samples, while the 450 °C annealed samples exhibit Co fcc crystalline peaks. The Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy has revealed a small increase of the surface roughness for the annealed films. The Hall effect has been used to determine the value of the spontaneous magnetization, Ms, at room temperature; Ms ≈ 14 kgauss for the as-deposited sample and Ms ≈ 17.6 kgauss for the 450 °C annealed sample. From transverse magnetooptic Kerr effect, it has been found that the as-deposited samples exhibit magnetic bistability, with a coercive field, Hc, °C. Besides, it has been observed an increase of H, up to ≈ 50 Oe, when the annealing temperature increases. The vibrating sample magnetometry has confirmed these results, showing that the magnetization participating in the magnetooptic effect for these low fields is the total spontaneous magnetization of these samples. Moreover, the cylindrical films exhibit magnetoelastic behavior when they are subjected to angular deformation. It has been found that the saturation magnetostriction constant is negative.

Planar and cylindrical Co thin films have been obtained by pulsed laser ablation. X-ray diffractograms have shown no crystalline structure for the as-deposited samples, while the 450 °C annealed samples exhibit Co fcc crystalline peaks. The Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy has revealed a small increase of the surface roughness for the annealed films. The Hall effect has been used to determine the value of the spontaneous magnetization, Ms, at room temperature; Ms, = 14 kgauss for the as-deposited sample and Ms, = 17.6 kgauss for the 450 °C annealed sample. From transverse magnetooptic Kerr effect, it has been found that the as-deposited samples exhibit magnetic bistability, with a coercive field, Hc, = 6 0e. The annealed samples also show a bistable behavior until the annealing temperature is 450 °C. Besides, it has been observed an increase of Hc up to = 50 Oe, when the annealing temperature increases. The vibrating sample magnetometry has confirmed these results, showing that the magnetization participating in the magnetooptic effect for these low fields is the total spontaneous magnetization of these samples. Moreover, the cylindrical films exhibit magnetoelastic behavior when they are subjected to angular deformation. It has been found that the saturation magnetostriction constant is negative.

We have fabricated granular Cu95Co5 thin films by laser ablation-deposition. Within a regime of annealing temperatures, these samples exhibit Giant Magneto Resistance (GMR), typically 5% in 0.5 Tesla at 5 K. The magnetic hysteresis loops are found to show finite coercive fields in the whole temperature range 2 K - 300 K. Below 9 K, the field dependence of the MR shows a split maximum. We interpret the data in terms of coercivity arising from blocking phenomenon of single domain superparamagnetic Co clusters. A quantitative determination of the upper limit for the cluster moment contributing to GMR is estimated to be 17000 μB (a cluster size of 5 nm).

Studies of the evolution of electrical resistance in an external applied magnetic field, B, as well as with temperature, T, on Cu86Co14 and Cu92Co8 as quenched and annealed melt-spun ribbons, reveal that magnetoresistance, MR, ΔR(B,T)=R(B)-R(0) scales with B/T. Furthermore, it found that annealing up to 600 °C scales the magnetic moment of the Co-rich superparamagnetic nanoparticles such that, the data for the field dependence of the MR obtained at various temperatures collapses onto the same unique and universal curve f(mB/T) with the Langevin variable mB/T governing the overall behaviour.

The growth of broiler chickens on diets containing various levels of Lemna gibba was evaluated. Groups of broiler chicks were fed on diets containing 0-400 g Lemna gibba/kg for 3 weeks. These chickens were then changed to standard diets for a further 2 weeks. As the level of Lemna gibba increased, feed consumption and weight gain decreased. However, when diets were changed to the standard diet, compensatory growth was observed. In a second experiment, diets were formulated with a metabolizable energy of 5.02 MJ (1200 kcal)/kg Lemna gibba and included a finer-milled Lemna gibba. Chickens were fed on diets containing 0-300 g Lemna gibba/kg for 4 weeks. Each group was then divided into two subgroups. For the next 2 weeks one of these sub-groups was maintained on the experimental (Lemna gibba) diets (LL), while the other sub-group was changed to a standard diet (LS). Bird fed at levels above 150 g Lemna gibba/kg had decreased consumption and weight gain. These birds when changed to a standard diet tended to have increased weight gain compared with chickens continuously fed standard rations. LS birds had significantly higher weight gains and feed consumption and lower feed conversion than LL birds. In contrast to older birds, chicks fed on Lemna gibba at high concentrations showed growth retardation. When changed back to a standard diet they demonstrated normal or compensatory growth.