Valor nutricional de los ácidos grasos de los peces de agua dulce neotropicales Prochilodus magdalenae, Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum y Ageneiosus pardalis

This study aimed to determine the nutritional value of the fatty acids in the freshwater fish Prochilodus magdalenae, Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum and Ageneiosus pardalis during dry and wet Neotropical seasons with the view to generate useful information for nutrition and sustainable commercial exploitation. The analysis of fatty acids was performed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the nutritional value was calculated using five estimators: n-6/n-3 ratio, unsaturation index (UI), atherogenicity index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI) and ratio of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) fatty acids. A different number of fatty acids (P. magdaleniatum = 50, P. magdalenae = 41, and A. pardalis = 32) was identified for each species and the average abundance percentages were different in the two seasons (p < 0.05). Prochilodus magdalenae and P. magdaleniatum showed healthy n-6/n-3 ratios (1.04 and 2.72) in the different seasons. Although the three species showed low values of UI (0.37–0.63), the remaining nutritional indexes were within the healthy range (AI: 0.04–0.70, TI: 0.66–1.07, h/H: 0.80 – 24.40). Multivariate analysis showed similar healthy nutritional values for the species, with exception of P. magdaleniatum.En este estudio se determinó el valor nutricional de ácidos grasos presentes en las especies P. magdaleniatum, P. magdalenae y A. pardalis en los periodos lluvioso y seco, con el fin de generar información útil para una nutrición saludable y una explotación comercial sostenible. El análisis de los ácidos grasos se realizó por CG-EM y el valor nutricional se estimó mediante relación n-6/n-3, índices de insaturación (II), aterogenicidad (IA), trombogenicidad (IT) y relación de ácidos grasos hipocolesterolémicos/hipercolesterolémicos (h/H). Se identificaron números diferentes de ácidos grasos en cada especie (P. magdaleniatum = 50, P. magdalenae = 41 and A. pardalis = 32) y las medias de los porcentajes mayoritarios fueron diferentes en los dos periodos (p < 0,05). Las especies P. magdalenae y P. magdaleniatum mostraron relaciones n-6/n-3 saludables (1,04 y 2,72) en periodos diferentes. Aunque las tres especies mostraron valores II bajos (0,37-0,63), los demás índices IA (0,04-0,70), TI (0,66-1,07) y h/H (0,80 – 24,40) están dentro del rango saludable. El análisis multivariante mostró valores nutricionales similares en dos especies excepto P. magdaleniatum

Educational Development Units in Spain: Current status and emerging trends

Recent studies show that the character, function and goals of Educational Development Units (EDUs) in many countries are undergoing a shift, and they now tend to support universities and learning in a more comprehensive way. The status of Spanish EDUs, however, has not been studied in detail. The aim of this article is to describe the current status of 45 such units to explore the degree to which a similar shift can be observed. The data revealed clusters, from which four models were defined. The models illustrate the increasing diversity of functions and widening scope of practice within Spanish EDUs

Detenninación de humedad en cereales y derivados por calentamiento con microondas y análisis de hidroximetilfurfural (HMF) formado

EL horno microondas ha sido usado para evaluar el tiempo y preclslOn en la determinación de humedad de granos de trigo y arroz, harina de trigo, pan blanco y galletas. Los resultados fueron comparados con el metodo estandard de estufa de aire. El tiempo para las muestras de granos de trigo y arroz fue de 40 y 60 minutos respectivamente y de 15 minutos para el resto de los productos. Sin embargo, la precisión obtenida para todas las muestras, fue menor que con estufa de aire. Se determinó HMF en muestras de harina desecadas por ambos métodos y los resultados mostraron valores considerablemente más elevados en la desecación mediante microondas.A study was conducted to evaluate the use and accuracy of domestic microwave oven for quick moisture determination of wheat and rice grains, wheat flour, sliced white bread and biscuits. The results were compared with the standard air-oven method. A decrease in drying time was achieved using the microwave oven. For wheat and rice grains the drying times were 40 and 60 min repectively, and 15 min for the cereal products, although coefficients of variation were lower in the air oven. Hydroxyrnethylfurfural (HMF) was deterrnined in flour samples dried by both methods. The results were considerately higher by microwave oven

Effect of surface stiffness on the neural control of stretch-shortening cycle movements

Aim: It is accepted that leg stiffness (Kleg) increases when surface stiffness decreases, and vice versa. However, little is known how the central nervous system fulfils this task. To understand the effect of surface stiffness on the neural control of stretch-shortening cycle movements, this study aimed to compare modulation of spinal and corticospinal excitability at distinct phases after ground contact during two-legged hopping when changing from solid to elastic ground.Methods: Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and H-reflexes were elicited at the time of the short (SLR)-, medium (MLR)- and long (LLR)-latency responses of the soleus muscle (SOL) during two-legged hopping on different stiffness surfaces, elastic and stiff.Results: Soleus H-reflexes during two-legged hopping on the elastic surface were lower at SLR and larger at LLR than on the stiff surface (P < 0.05 for both comparisons). SOL MEP size was higher at the time of SLR during hopping on the elastic surface than on the stiff surface (P < 0.05) although the background EMG was similar.Conclusion: It is argued that this phase-specific adaptation in spinal reflex excitability is functionally relevant to adjust leg stiffness to optimally exploit the properties of the elastic surface. Thus, the increased corticospinal excitability on the elastic surface may reflect a more supraspinal control of the ankle muscles to compensate the decrease in reflexive stiffness at the beginning of touchdown and/or counteract the higher postural challenges associated with the elastic surface

Solving Sudoku with Membrane Computing

Sudoku is a very popular puzzle which consists on placing several numbers in a squared grid according to some simple rules. In this paper we present an efficient family of P systems which solve sudokus of any order verifying a specific property. The solution is searched by using a simple human-style method. If the sudoku cannot be solved by using this strategy, the P system detects this drawback and then the computations stops and returns No. Otherwise, the P system encodes the solution and returns Yes in the last computation step.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2008-04487-EMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2009–13192Junta de Andalucía P08-TIC-0420

Neuromechanical adaptation induced by jumping on an elastic surface

Jumping on an elastic surface produces a number of sensory and motor adjustments. This effect caused by jumping on the trampoline has been called “trampoline aftereffect”. The objective of the present study was to investigate the neuromuscular response related with this effect. A group of 15 subjects took part in an experimental session, where simultaneous biomechanical and electromyographic (EMG) recordings were performed during the execution of maximal countermovement jumps (CMJs) before and after jumping on an elastic surface. We assessed motor performance (leg stiffness, jump height, peak force, vertical motion of center of mass and stored and returned energy) and EMG activation patterns of the leg muscles. The results showed a significant increase (p ⩽ 0.05) of the RMS EMG of knee extensors during the eccentric phase of the jump performed immediately after the exposure phase to the elastic surface (CMJ1), and a significant increase (p ⩽ 0.05) in the levels of co-activation of the muscles crossing the ankle joint during the concentric phase of the same jump. Results related with motor performance of CMJ1 showed a significant increase in the leg stiffness (p ⩽ 0.01) due to a lower vertical motion of center of mass (CoM) (p ⩽ 0.005), a significant decrease in jump height (p ⩽ 0.01), and a significantly smaller stored and returned energy (p ⩽ 0.01). The changes found during the execution of CMJ1 may result from a mismatch between sensory feedback and the efferent copy.Actividad Física y Deport

Detenninación de humedad en cereales y derivados por calentamiento con microondas y análisis de hidroximetilfurfural (HMF) formado

EL horno microondas ha sido usado para evaluar el tiempo y preclslOn en la determinación de humedad de granos de trigo y arroz, harina de trigo, pan blanco y galletas. Los resultados fueron comparados con el metodo estandard de estufa de aire. El tiempo para las muestras de granos de trigo y arroz fue de 40 y 60 minutos respectivamente y de 15 minutos para el resto de los productos. Sin embargo, la precisión obtenida para todas las muestras, fue menor que con estufa de aire. Se determinó HMF en muestras de harina desecadas por ambos métodos y los resultados mostraron valores considerablemente más elevados en la desecación mediante microondas.A study was conducted to evaluate the use and accuracy of domestic microwave oven for quick moisture determination of wheat and rice grains, wheat flour, sliced white bread and biscuits. The results were compared with the standard air-oven method. A decrease in drying time was achieved using the microwave oven. For wheat and rice grains the drying times were 40 and 60 min repectively, and 15 min for the cereal products, although coefficients of variation were lower in the air oven. Hydroxyrnethylfurfural (HMF) was deterrnined in flour samples dried by both methods. The results were considerately higher by microwave oven

New insights into FoxE1 functions: identification of direct FoxE1 targets in thyroid cells

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.[Background]: FoxE1 is a thyroid-specific forkhead transcription factor essential for thyroid gland development, as well as for the maintenance of the thyroid differentiated state in adults. FoxE1 recognizes and binds to a short DNA sequence present in thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroperoxidase (Tpo) promoters, but FoxE1 binding to regulatory regions other than Tg and Tpo promoters remains almost unexplored. Improving knowledge of the regulatory functions of FoxE1 is necessary to clarify its role in endocrine syndromes and cancer susceptibility. [Methodology/Principal Finding]:I n order to further investigate downstream FoxE1 targets, we performed a genome-wide expression screening after knocking-down FoxE1 and obtained new insights into FoxE1 transcriptional networks in thyroid follicular cells. After validation, we confirmed Adamts9, Cdh1, Duox2 and S100a4 as upregulated genes and Casp4, Creld2, Dusp5, Etv5, Hsp5a, Nr4a2 and Tm4sf1 as downregulated genes when FoxE1 was silenced. In promoter regions of putative FoxE1-regulated genes and also in the promoters of the classical thyroid genes Nis, Pax8 and Titf1, we performed an in silico search of the FoxE1 binding motif that was in close proximity to the NF1/CTF binding sequence, as previously described for other forkhead factors. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation we detected specific in vivo FoxE1 binding to novel regulatory regions in two relevant thyroid genes, Nis and Duox2. Moreover, we demonstrated simultaneous binding of FoxE1 and NF1/CTF to the Nis upstream enhancer region, as well as a clear functional activation of the Nis promoter by both transcription factors. [Conclusions/Significance]:In search for potential downstream mediators of FoxE1 function in thyroid cells, we identified two novel direct FoxE1 target genes. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence regarding the implication of Nis and Duox2 in executing the transcriptional program triggered by FoxE1. Furthermore, this study points out the important role of FoxE1 in the regulation of a large number of genes in thyroid cells. © 2013 Fernández et al.This work was supported by Grants BFU-2010-16025 from the Dirección General de Proyectos de Investigación; RD06/0020/0060 and RD12/0036/0030 from FIS, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and S2011/BMD-2328 TIRONET project from the Comunidad de Madrid (Spain). LP Fernández holds a postdoctoral grant of the Juan de la Cierva programme of the Spanish Government.Peer Reviewe

Peer drinking and alcohol use: The role of risk perception, perceived vulnerability, and gender: a moderated moderation analyses

Objective: To examine the moderating role of alcohol-related risk perception and perceived vulnerability to alcohol consequences in the relationship between descriptive drinking norms and personal alcohol use, and to determine if this moderation was, in turn, moderated by gender Methods: 538 college students (78.0% women, mean age = 21.2) from three Spanish universities completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Simple moderation and moderated moderation analyses were conducted Results: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability moderated the relationship between drinking norms and alcohol use. This relationship weakened as perceived vulnerability and risk perception increased. High levels of risk perception and perceived vulnerability nullified the effect of perceived peer drinking on drinking quantity among both men and women, but higher values were necessary to nullify these effects among men Conclusions: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability appear to be useful in identifying specific subgroups more vulnerable to the effects of drinking norms and might be effective strategies for weakening its impact on alcohol use, with such strategies being more beneficial for women than men. These variables could thus be incorporated into norm-based interventions as they may improve their effectiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of designing gender-specific interventions to reduce the potential negative impact of alcohol consumption.Fil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Carmona Márquez, José. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: González Ponce, Bella M.. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva; Españ

Isolation of a bromotyrosine derivative compound of a bioactive fraction from the marine sponge Iotrochota birotulata from the Urabá Gulf (Colombia)

Ethanol and dichloromethane extracts from the marine sponge Iotrochota birotulata collected in the Urabá Gulf (Colombia) were tested against three human tumor cellular lines, including lung (A- 549), colon (HT29) and breast (MDA-MB-231), at 1 µg/mL, 5 &microg/mL and 25 &microg/mL. The most bioactive extract (ethanol), was separated by flash column chromatography obtaining six fractions which biological activity was evaluated on the same cellular lines A-549, HT29 and MDA-MB-231, at 1&microg/mL, 5 &microg/mL and 25 &microg/mL. The bioassay results showed that both extracts and two of the fractions totally inhibited the growing of the cellular line A549 at 25 &microg/mL, while the most active fraction showed total inhibition of the growing of the three tumor cell lines on the three evaluated concentrations. The most active fraction was separated by reversed phase HPLC which allowed isolating and then characterizing by mono- and bidimensional NMR, a halogenated compound derived from the bromotyrosine.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire