Proximal, Microbiological and Nutritional Characterization in Chinese Potato Flour of the White Variety Colocasia Esculenta for Application in Functional Foods

The study presents a qualitative-quantitative scope through descriptive statistics for the variables studied with its analyses, with the objective of performing physical, proximal, microbiological and contained characterization of amino acids in Chinese potato flour of the white variety Colocasia esculenta for its application in functional foods. By obtaining the flour, the proximal percentages are evaluated; moisture 9.01%, ash 2.24 ± 0.15% protein 2.02 ± 0.02% fiber 4.25 ± 0.26% and fat 0.43 ± 0.15%. Additionally, the physical-chemical analyses carried out on the flour obtain a pH of 6.66 ± 0.10% acidity (oxalic) 2.24 ± 0.00% Brix degrees 2 ± 0.50%. The nutritional values reported in the Chinese potato flour of the white variety lies mainly in its content of Methionine with a value of 21.15%, Alanine with 10.43%, Isoleucine with 8.08%, Threonine with 7.41%, Histidine with 3.65% and lysine with 3.10%. Finally, the microbiological analysis of the product is determined, concluding that they are within the parameters established in wheat flours with the INEN 616: 2006 standard; thus it is considered of good quality, suitable for human consumption and consequently, for use in the food industry. Therefore, it can be used as functional food or be transformed through the use of different techniques, thus being an important plant genetic resource to improve the nutritional quality of food, productivity, food health, as well as the protection and prevention of diseases in areas of the equator with high levels of malnutrition. Keywords: characterization, nutritional food, Chinese potato, industrialization, flour. Resumen El estudio presenta un alcance cualitativo-cuantitativo mediante la estadística descriptiva para las variables estudiadas con sus respectivos análisis y el objetivo de realizar la caracterización física, proximal, microbiológica y contenida de aminoácidos en harina de papa China de la variedad blanca Colocasia esculenta para su aplicación en alimentos funcionales. Mediante la obtención de la harina se evalúa los porcentajes proximales; humedad 9,01%, cenizas 2,24 ± 0,15% proteína 2,02 ± 0,02% fibra 4,25 ± 0,26% y grasa 0,43 ± 0.15%. Además, los análisis físico-químicos realizados en la harina se obtiene un pH de 6,66 ± 0,10% acidez (oxálico) 2,24 ± 0,00% grados Brix 2 ± 0,50%. Los valores nutricionales reportados en la harina de papa China de la variedad blanca radica principalmente en su contenido de Metionina con un valor de 21,15%, Alanina 10,43%, Isoleucina 8,08%, Treonina 7,41%, Histidina 3,65% y lisina con el 3,10%. Finalmente, se determina el análisis microbiológico del producto concluyendo que se encuentran dentro de los parámetros establecidos en harinas de trigo con la norma INEN 616:2006 de este modo se considera de buena calidad, apta para el consumo humano y consecutivamente empleada en industria alimentaria. Por lo que, puede ser utilizado como alimento funcional o ser trasformado mediante la utilización de distintas técnicas siendo así un importante recurso fitogenético para mejorar la calidad nutricional de los alimentos, la productividad, la 171 sanidad alimentaria, así como la protección y prevención de enfermedades en zonas del ecuador con altos niveles de desnutrición. Palabras clave: caracterización, alimento nutricional, papa China, industrialización, harina

Creating a Micro-Enterprise for the Development and Marketing of a Chili Sauce Based on Sambo Seeds: Market Analysis

The present work was carried out to promote a chili sauce made with the seeds of the sambo fruit – a local variety of pumpkin. Presently, the sauce is consumed only in Ecuador and is prepared using just the fleshy part of the fruit, while the seeds are discarded. The authors of this article see a larger potential application of the fruit in the food industry, as the fruit not only adds a pleasant flavor but is also full of nutrition. They have made a new chili sauce with a base of sambo seeds. The research was carried out using an inductive method, where people were selected at random. Variables such as gender, age, level, and consumption preferences, among others, were analyzed. The study was conducted in Riobamba canton on 164 people, aged 20 and over, considering various aspects. The instrument used was a questionnaire. The results showed that 71.95% of those surveyed consumed chili-based sauces, and 54.88% of them consumed it at least once a week. In addition, 63.41% of them consumed or had consumed sambo seeds, thus denoting that consumers were aware of and were consuming this product. The current research allowed us to innovate the product using correct methods and techniques, and adapt the best use of seeds in the food industry. Keywords: chili, sambo, economic analysis, consumption, commercialization. RESUMEN El presente trabajo se realizó con el objetivo de dar a conocer la aceptación y el beneficio económico de la salsa de ají con adición de semillas del fruto de sambo en el mercado, actualmente su consumo se da en todo el país y se aprovecha únicamente la parte carnosa de la fruta, las semillas son desechadas, por cuanto vemos una potencial aplicación en la industria alimentaria de estas, a más de aportar con sabor agradable aportan nutricionalmente, y se las han adicionado en una salsa de ají, al integrar al mercado una nueva salsa elaborada con este producto icónico además se busca utilizar las semillas de la calabaza local conocida como sambo. Esta investigación se realizó mediante un método inductivo, donde las personas fueron seleccionadas al azar, se analizaron variables como: género, edad, nivel y preferencias de consumo, entre otras. La búsqueda de información fue en el cantón Riobamba, a 164 personas, de 20 años en adelante, considerando varios aspectos; el instrumento aplicado fue cuestionario. Los resultados demuestran que el 71.95% de los How to encuestados consumen salsas elaboradas a base de ají, y de estos 54.88% lo consumen como mínimo una vez a la semana, además que el 63,41% consume o ha consumido semillas de sambo, denotando así que los consumidores conocen y consumen estos productos. La actual investigación nos permitió innovar el producto, utilizando correctamente métodos y técnicas adaptando el mejor uso de las semillas en la industria alimentaria. Palabras Clave: Ají, sambo, semillas, análisis económico, consumo, comercialización

X-ray grating interferometry design for the 4D GRAPH-X system

The 4D GRAPH-X (Dynamic GRAting-based PHase contrast x-ray imaging) project aims at developing a prototype of an x-ray grating-based phase-contrast imaging scanner in a laboratory setting, which is based on the Moire single-shot acquisition method in order to be optimized for analysing moving objects (in the specific case, a dynamic thorax phantom), that could evolve into a suitable tool for biomedical applications although it can be extended to other application fields. When designing an x-ray Talbot-Lau interferometer, high visibility and sensitivity are two important figures of merit, strictly related to the performance of the system in obtaining high quality phase contrast and dark-field images. Wave field simulations are performed to optimize the setup specifications and construct a high-resolution and high-sensitivity imaging system. In this work, the design of a dynamic imaging setup using a conventional milli-focus x-ray source is presented. Optimization by wave front simulations leads to a symmetric configuration with 5.25 mu m pitch at third Talbot order and 45 keV design energy. The simulated visibility is about 22%. Results from GATE based Monte Carlo simulations show a 19% transmission percentage of the incoming beam into the detector after passing through all the gratings and the sample. Such results are promising in view of building a system optimized for dynamic imaging

XIAP as a Target of New Small Organic Natural Molecules Inducing Human Cancer Cell Death

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is an emerging crucial therapeutic target in cancer. We report on the discovery and characterisation of small organic molecules from Piper genus plants exhibiting XIAP antagonism, namely erioquinol, a quinol substituted in the 4-position with an alkenyl group and the alkenylphenols eriopodols A-C. Another isolated compound was originally identified as gibbilimbol B. Erioquinol was the most potent inhibitor of human cancer cell viability when compared with gibbilimbol B and eriopodol A was listed as intermediate. Gibbilimbol B and eriopodol A induced apoptosis through mitochondrial permeabilisation and caspase activation while erioquinol acted on cell fate via caspase-independent/non-apoptotic mechanisms, likely involving mitochondrial dysfunctions and aberrant generation of reactive oxygen species. In silico modelling and molecular approaches suggested that all molecules inhibit XIAP by binding to XIAP-baculoviral IAP repeat domain. This demonstrates a novel aspect of XIAP as a key determinant of tumour control, at the molecular crossroad of caspase-dependent/independent cell death pathway and indicates molecular aspects to develop tumour-effective XIAP antagonists

Risk measures for direct real estate investments with non-normal or unknown return distributions

The volatility of returns is probably the most widely used risk measure for real estate. This is rather surprising since a number of studies have cast doubts on the view that volatility can capture the manifold risks attached to properties and corresponds to the risk attitude of investors. A central issue in this discussion is the statistical properties of real estate returns—in contrast to neoclassical capital market theory they are mostly non-normal and often unknown, which render many statistical measures useless. Based on a literature review and an analysis of data from Germany we provide evidence that volatility alone is inappropriate for measuring the risk of direct real estate. We use a unique data sample by IPD, which includes the total returns of 939 properties across different usage types (56% office, 20% retail, 8% others and 16% residential properties) from 1996 to 2009, the German IPD Index, and the German Property Index. The analysis of the distributional characteristics shows that German real estate returns in this period were not normally distributed and that a logistic distribution would have been a better fit. This is in line with most of the current literature on this subject and leads to the question which indicators are more appropriate to measure real estate risks. We suggest that a combination of quantitative and qualitative risk measures more adequately captures real estate risks and conforms better with investor attitudes to risk. Furthermore, we present criteria for the purpose of risk classification

Evidence of beta amyloid independent small vessel disease in familial Alzheimer\u27s disease

\ua9 2022 The Authors. Brain Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Neuropathology. We studied small vessel disease (SVD) pathology in Familial Alzheimer\u27s disease (FAD) subjects carrying the presenilin 1 (PSEN1) p.Glu280Ala mutation in comparison to those with sporadic Alzheimer\u27s disease (SAD) as a positive control for Alzheimer\u27s pathology and Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) bearing different NOTCH3 mutations, as positive controls for SVD pathology. Upon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in life, some FAD showed mild white matter hyperintensities and no further radiologic evidence of SVD. In post-mortem studies, total SVD pathology in cortical areas and basal ganglia was similar in PSEN1 FAD and CADASIL subjects, except for the feature of arteriosclerosis which was higher in CADASIL subjects than in PSEN1 FAD subjects. Further only a few SAD subjects showed a similar degree of SVD pathology as observed in CADASIL. Furthermore, we found significantly enlarged perivascular spaces in vessels devoid of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in FAD compared with SAD and CADASIL subjects. As expected, there was greater fibrinogen-positive perivascular reactivity in CADASIL but similar reactivity in PSEN1 FAD and SAD groups. Fibrinogen immunoreactivity correlated with onset age in the PSEN1 FAD cases, suggesting increased vascular permeability may contribute to cognitive decline. Additionally, we found reduced perivascular expression of PDGFRβ AQP4 in microvessels with enlarged PVS in PSEN1 FAD cases. We demonstrate that there is Aβ-independent SVD pathology in PSEN1 FAD, that was marginally lower than that in CADASIL subjects although not evident by MRI. These observations suggest presence of covert SVD even in PSEN1, contributing to disease progression. As is the case in SAD, these consequences may be preventable by early recognition and actively controlling vascular disease risk, even in familial forms of dementia

VOLUMEN 21, NÚMERO 36 (1999)

GEOQUÍMICA Y ORIGEN DE LOS DEPÓSITOS DE ESMERALDAS EN COLOMBIA. Gulliani, G., Cheilletz, A., Arboleda, C., Rueda, F., Carrillo, V., Sheppard, S.MÉTODOS DE ESTUDIO DE LOS MINERALES DEL GRUPO DE LA CLORITA. García Ramírez, C. A.EVOLUCIÓN DE SUBCUENCAS CENOZOICAS EN EL VALLE-CAUCA-PATÍA. Padilla Valle, L. E.ESTUDIO DE ORIENTACIÓN GEOQUÍMICA PARA LOCALIZACIÓN DE MINERALIZACIONESMETÁLICAS EN LA REGIÓN DE ANZÁ (ANT.). Ortiz, B. F.; Maya, E. J.; Mejía, F.MUSEO GEOLÓGICO “MARINO ARCE HERRERA”: UNA CONTRIBUCIÓN AL DESARROLLO DE LA ENSEÑANZA DE LAS CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA. Ríos Reyes, C. A

VOLUMEN 21, NÚMERO 36 (1999)

GEOQUÍMICA Y ORIGEN DE LOS DEPÓSITOS DE ESMERALDAS EN COLOMBIA. Gulliani, G., Cheilletz, A., Arboleda, C., Rueda, F., Carrillo, V., Sheppard, S.MÉTODOS DE ESTUDIO DE LOS MINERALES DEL GRUPO DE LA CLORITA. García Ramírez, C. A.EVOLUCIÓN DE SUBCUENCAS CENOZOICAS EN EL VALLE-CAUCA-PATÍA. Padilla Valle, L. E.ESTUDIO DE ORIENTACIÓN GEOQUÍMICA PARA LOCALIZACIÓN DE MINERALIZACIONESMETÁLICAS EN LA REGIÓN DE ANZÁ (ANT.). Ortiz, B. F.; Maya, E. J.; Mejía, F.MUSEO GEOLÓGICO “MARINO ARCE HERRERA”: UNA CONTRIBUCIÓN AL DESARROLLO DE LA ENSEÑANZA DE LAS CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA. Ríos Reyes, C. A

Resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in an APOE3 Christchurch homozygote: a case report.

We identified a PSEN1 (presenilin 1) mutation carrier from the world's largest autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease kindred, who did not develop mild cognitive impairment until her seventies, three decades after the expected age of clinical onset. The individual had two copies of the APOE3 Christchurch (R136S) mutation, unusually high brain amyloid levels and limited tau and neurodegenerative measurements. Our findings have implications for the role of APOE in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease