Molecular Gastronomy in Spain

[EN] Beyond the overwhelming international success of Ferrán Adria, Spain has been one of the countries with a more active implication in molecular gastronomy as a scientific discipline but also in the use of ingredients, technologies, and equipment from the scientificand technological universe in the culinary area. Nowadays, this is a well-established discipline in Spain, with a number of research groups covering related topics, several companies commercializing appliances and additives worldwide, and renowned international chefs and many restaurants and companies committed to the collaboration with scientists for facing the future of Spanish gastronomyThe authors would like to thank the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) for funding the Collaborative Network “INDAGA” (AGL2007-28589- E/ALI; AGL2009-05765-E), which enabled their collaboration.García Segovia, P.; Garrido, MD.; Vercet Tormo, A.; Arboleya, JC.; Fiszman Dal Santo, S.; Martínez Monzó, J.; Laguarda, S.... (2014). Molecular Gastronomy in Spain. Journal of Culinary Science and Technology. 12(4):279-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2014.914813S27929312

Different Approaches to Analyze Muscle Fat Replacement With Dixon MRI in Pompe Disease

Altres ajuts: Asociación Española de Enfermos de Glucogenosis (AEEG)Quantitative MRI is an increasingly used method to monitor disease progression in muscular disorders due to its ability to measure changes in muscle fat content (reported as fat fraction) over a short period. Being able to objectively measure such changes is crucial for the development of new treatments in clinical trials. However, the analysis of the images involved continues to be a daunting task because of the time needed. Whether a more specific analysis selecting individual muscles or a global one analyzing the whole thigh or compartments could be a suitable alternative has only been marginally studied. In our study we compare three methods of analysis of 2-point-dixon images in a cohort of 34 patients with late onset Pompe disease followed over a period of one year. We measured fat fraction on MRIs obtained at baseline and at year 1, and we calculated the increment of fat fraction. We correlated the results obtained with the results of muscle function tests to investigate whether the three methods of analysis were equivalent or not. We observed significant differences between the three methods in the estimation of the fat fraction at both baseline and year 1, but no difference was found in the increment in fat fraction between baseline and year 1. When we correlated the fat fraction obtained with each method and the muscle function tests, we found a significant correlation with most tests in all three methods, although in most comparisons the highest correlation coefficient was found with the analysis of individual muscles. We conclude that the fastest strategy of analysis assessing compartments or the whole thigh could be reliable for certain cohorts of patients where the variable to study is the fat increment. In other sorts of studies, an individual muscle approach seems the most reliable technique

Comparison of Vacuum Treatments and Traditional Cooking Using Instrumental and Sensory Analysis

The purpose of this work was to compare carrots with similar firmness cooked by traditional cooking and two vacuum treatments: sous-vide (SV) and cook-vide (CV). As a first step, consumers determined the preferred level of firmness for carrots cooked by traditional cooking (boiling). This level corresponded to instrumental firmness of 2.8 N in phloem tissue and 4.1 N in xylem tissue. Response surface methodology (RSM) established the pairing conditions of time (22 to 78 min) and temperature (78 to 92 °C) to study the effect of both factors on the firmness of carrots with sous-vide and cook-vide treatments. In both treatments, the instrumental firmness of phloem and xylem samples was measured and modeled. No significant differences were found in firmness values between phloem and xylem tissue of samples cooked by vacuum treatments (CVand SV). For CV treatment, firmness decreased linearly with time and temperature, while for SV treatment it followed a second-order model. Based on the model, conditions of time and temperature to achieve the preferred firmness (2.8 N) were selected for both treatments. Finally, consumers compared the sensory properties of carrots cooked by traditional cooking, sous-vide, and cook-vide with paired comparison tests evaluating three pairs of samples. Carrots cooked by cook-vide were considered less tasty than sous-vide and traditional cooking carrots. Carrots using traditional cooking were firmer than those obtained with SV and CV treatments. Carrots cooked by traditional and sous-vide treatments were preferred to cook-vide ones for the taste.Consuelo Iborra- Bernad has received research grant from the Generalitat Valenciana. Amparo Tarrega was financially supported by the Juan de la Cierva program. Purificacion Garcia-Segovia declares that she has no conflict of interest. Javier Martinez-Monzo declares that he has no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.Iborra Bernad, MDC.; Tarrega, A.; García Segovia, P.; Martínez Monzó, J. (2014). Comparison of Vacuum Treatments and Traditional Cooking Using Instrumental and Sensory Analysis. Food Analytical Methods. 7(2):400-408. doi:10.1007/s12161-013-9638-0S40040872Alasalvar C, Grigor J, Quantick P (1999) Method for the static headspace analysis of carrot volatiles. Food Chem 65:391Arcia P, Costell E, Tárrega A (2010) Thickness suitability of prebiotic dairy desserts: Relationship with rheological properties. Food Res Int 43:2409Baldwin DE (2012) Sous vide cooking: A review. Int J Gastronomy Food Sci 1:15Bourne MC (2002) Food texture and viscosity: concept and measurement. Academic, San DiegoDauchet L, Amouyel P, Hercberg S, Dallongeville J (2006) Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Nutr 136:2588Fan L, Zhang M, Xiao G, Sun J, Tao Q (2005) The optimization of vacuum frying to dehydrate carrot chips. Int J Food Sci Tech 40:911Furfaro M, Marigheto N, Moates G, Cross K, Parker M, Waldron K, Hills B (2009) Multidimensional NMR cross-correlation relaxation study of carrot phloem and xylem. Part II: Thermal and high-pressure processing. Appl Magn Reson 35:537Gacula JRM, Rutenbeck S, Pollack L, Resurreccion AVA, Moskowitz HR (2007) The Just‐About‐Right intensity scale: functional analyses and relation to hedonics. J Sens Stud 22:194Gan HE, Karim R, Muhammad SKS, Bakar JA, Hashim DM, Rahman RA (2007) Optimization of the basic formulation of a traditional baked cassava cake using response surface methodology. LWT- Food Sci Technol 40:611García-Segovia P, Andrés-Bello A, Martínez-Monzó J (2008) Textural properties of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Monalisa) as affected by different cooking processes. J Food Eng 88:28García-Segovia P, Barreto-Palacios V, Iborra-Bernad C, Andrés-Bello A, González-Carrascosa R, Bretón J, Martínez-Monzó J (2012) Improvement of a culinary recipe by applying sensory analysis: Design of the New Tarte Tatin. Int J Gastronomy Food Sci 1:54Greve LC, Mcardle RN, Gohlke JR, Labavitch JM (1994a) Impact of heating on carrot firmness: changes in cell wall components. J Agric Food Chem 42:2900Greve LC, Shackel KA, Ahmadi H, Mcardle RN, Gohlke JR, Labavitch JM (1994b) Impact of heating on carrot firmness: contribution of cellular turgor. J Agric Food Chem 42:2896Hudson BT (1993) Industrial cuisine. Cornell Hotel Restaur Adm Q 34:73Hui YH, Chen F, Nollet LML et al (2010) Handbook of fruit and vegetable flavors. Wiley, HonokenIborra-Bernad C, Philippon D, García-Segovia P, Martinez-Monzo J (2013) Optimizing the texture and color of sous-vide and cook-vide green bean pods. LWT- Food Sci Technol 51:507ISO (2005) Sensory analysis. Methodology. Paired comparison test. Standard No. 5495. International Organization for Standardization. Geneva, SwitzerlandKjeldsen F, Christensen LP, Edelenbos M (2001) Quantitative analysis of aroma compounds in carrot (Daucus carota L.) cultivars by capillary gas chromatography using large-volume injection technique. J Agric Food Chem 49:4342Kuehl RO (2000) Design of experiments: statistical principles of research design and analysis. Duxbury, New YorkLeskova E (2006) Vitamin losses: retention during heat treatment and continual changes expressed by mathematical models. J Food Compos Anal 19:252Martínez-Hernández GB, Artés-Hernández F, Colares-Souza F, Gómez PA, García-Gómez P, Artés F (2013) Innovative cooking techniques for improving the overall quality of a Kailan-hybrid broccoli. Food Bioprocess Tech 1:1. doi: 10.1007/S11947-012-0871-0Mckenna BM, Kilcast D (2004) Texture in food: solid foods. WoodheadMente A, De Koning L, Shannon HS, Anand SS (2009) A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 169(659)Montgomery DC, Runger GC (2010) Applied statistics and probability for engineers. Wiley, United States of AmericaMyers RH, Montgomery DC (2002) Response surface methodology: process and product optimization using designed experiments. Wiley, New YorkRiboli E, Norat T (2003) Epidemiologic evidence of the protective effect of fruit and vegetables on cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr 78:559sRinaldi M, Dall'asta C, Meli F, Morini E, Pellegrini N, Gatti M, Chiavaro E (2012) Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Sous-Vide-Processed Carrots and Brussels Sprouts. Food Bioprocess Tech 1Sanchez H, Osella C, De La Torre M (2004) Use of response surface methodology to optimize glutenfree bread fortified with soy flour and dry milk. 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Lack of EGFR catalytic activity in hepatocytes improves liver regeneration following DDC-induced cholestatic injury by promoting a pro-restorative inflammatory response

Despite the well-known hepatoprotective role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway upon acute damage, its specific actions during chronic liver disease, particularly cholestatic injury, remain ambiguous and unresolved. Here, we analyzed the consequences of inactivating EGFR signaling in the liver on the regenerative response following cholestatic injury. For that, transgenic mice overexpressing a dominant negative mutant human EGFR lacking tyrosine kinase activity (ΔEGFR) in albumin-positive cells were submitted to liver damage induced by 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC), an experimental model resembling human primary sclerosing cholangitis. Our results show an early activation of EGFR after 1–2 days of a DDC-supplemented diet, followed by a signaling switch-off. Furthermore, ΔEGFR mice showed less liver damage and a more efficient regeneration following DDC injury. Analysis of the mechanisms driving this effect revealed an enhanced activation of mitogenic/survival signals, AKT and ERK1/2-MAPKs, and changes in cell turnover consistent with a quicker resolution of damage in response to DDC. These changes were concomitant with profound differences in the profile of intrahepatic immune cells, consisting of a shift in the M1/M2 balance towards M2 polarity, and the Cd4/Cd8 ratio in favor of Cd4 lymphocytes, overall supporting an immune cell switch into a pro-restorative phenotype. Interestingly, ΔEGFR livers also displayed an amplified ductular reaction, with increased expression of EPCAM and an increased number of CK19-positive ductular structures in portal areas, demonstrating an overexpansion of ductular progenitor cells. In summary, our work supports the notion that hepatocyte-specific EGFR activity acts as a key player in the crosstalk between parenchymal and non-parenchymal hepatic cells, promoting the pro-inflammatory response activated during cholestatic injury and therefore contributing to the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver disease. © 2022 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science,Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and AgenciaEstatal de Investigacion (AEI), Spain (co-funded byFEDER funds/Development Fund–a Way to BuildEurope): RTI2018-099098-B-100 to AS/BH andRTI2018-094052-B-100 to AMV; and the RamonAreces Foundation: 20th National Competition forScientific and Technical Research in Life and MatterScience (2020) to IF. NL and JGS were recipients ofresearch assistant contracts linked to grant SAF2015-69145-R and RTI2018-099098-B-100, respectively. CMR was the recipient of a researchcontract (PEJD-2019-POST/BMD-16090) from the Education, Universities, Research and Spokesperson Counseling of the Community of Madrid

Photonic-based integrated sources and antenna arrays for broadband wireless links in terahertz communications

This paper analyzes integrated components for ultra-broadband millimeter-wave wireless transmitters enabling the 5 G objective to increase the wireless data rates 10x to 100x . We have pursued the photonic-based approach to generate the millimeter-wave carrier (approximate to 97GHz in this paper) through photomixing. We have achieved up to 10 Gb s(-1) data rate using an OOK modulation format (to reduce latency) and either direct detection (DD) or coherent detection. We show that coherent detection enables a sensitivity improvement of 17 dB over DD. We also demonstrate in this work that such improvement can be achieved using as the transmitter a novel integrated antenna array-the self-complementary chessboard array. This avoids the use of complex coherent schemes at the receiver, enabling simple DD for ultra-broadband links.The authors acknowledge Dr David Gonzalez Ovejero for fruitful discussions on antenna simulation. This work has been financially supported by Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad iTWIT Proyect with references TEC2016-76 997-C3-2-R and TEC2016-76 997-C3-3-R. Authors also acknowledge Ayuda Fundacion BBVA a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2016' and 'Estancias de movilidad de profesores PRX16/00 021'

Preanalytical issues related to routine and diagnostic glucose tests: Results from a survey in Spain

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. The objective of this study was to find out under what preanalytical conditions routine and diagnostic glucose tests are performed across Spanish laboratories; and also what criteria are used for DM diagnosis. Materials and methods: An online survey was performed by the Commission on Quality Assurance in the Extra-Analytical Phase of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC-ML). Access to the questionnaire was available on the home page of the SEQC-ML website during the period April-July 2018. Data analysis was conducted with the IBM SPSS© Statistics (version 20.0) program. Results: A total of 96 valid surveys were obtained. Most laboratories were in public ownership, serving hospital and primary care patients, with high and medium workloads, and a predominance of mixed routine-urgent glucose testing. Serum tubes were the most used for routine glucose analysis (92%) and DM diagnosis (54%); followed by lithium-heparin plasma tubes (62%), intended primarily for urgent glucose testing; point-ofcare testing devices were used by 37%; and plasma tubes with a glycolysis inhibitor, mainly sodium fluoride, by 19%. Laboratories used the cut-off values and criteria recognized worldwide for DM diagnosis in adults and glucose-impaired tolerance, but diverged in terms of fasting plasma glucose and gestational DM criteria. Conclusion: Preanalytical processing of routine and DM diagnostic glucose testing in Spain does not allow a significant, non-quantified influence of glycolysis on the results to be ruled out. Possible adverse consequences include a delay in diagnosis and possible under-treatmen

Repetitive use of levosimendan for treatment of chronic advanced heart failure: Clinical evidence, practical considerations, and perspectives: An expert panel consensus

Background The intravenous inodilator levosimendan was developed for the treatment of patients with acutely decompensated heart failure. In the last decade scientific and clinical interest has arisen for its repetitive or intermittent use in patients with advanced chronic, but not necessarily acutely decompensated, heart failure. Recent studies have suggested long-lasting favourable effects of levosimendan when administered repetitively, in terms of haemodynamic parameters, neurohormonal and inflammatory markers, and clinical outcomes. The existing data, however, requires further exploration to allow for definitive conclusions on the safety and clinical efficacy of repetitive use of levosimendan. Methods and results A panel of 30 experts from 15 countries convened to review and discuss the existing data, and agreed on the patient groups that can be considered to potentially benefit from intermittent treatment with levosimendan. The panel gave recommendations regarding patient dosing and monitoring, derived from the available evidence and from clinical experience. Conclusions The current data suggest that in selected patients and support out-of-hospital care, intermittent/repetitive levosimendan can be used in advanced heart failure to maintain patient stability. Further studies are needed to focus on morbidity and mortality outcomes, dosing intervals, and patient monitoring. Recommendations for the design of further clinical studies are made

Advantages of sous-vide cooked red cabbage: structural, nutritional and sensory aspects

The comparison between equivalent cooking treatments should be applied in a systematic way. This study proposes a methodical way to provide cooked samples with similar firmness using two cooking treatments. In addition, the structural, nutritional and sensory properties of red cabbage cooked with sous-vide treatment in comparison with traditional cooking (boiling water) was evaluated. Changes in texture, color and anthocyanin content were measured in samples cooked with traditional cooking (for different times) and sous-vide (modifying time and temperature according to a Response Surface Methodology). Consumers described sensory properties and preferences between samples. Cryoscanning electron microscopy was used to study the samples microstructure. The firmness of samples, traditionally cooked for 11 min and preferred by consumers, was achieved in samples cooked with sous-vide treatment by optimizing of the cooking conditions (87 C/50 min or 91 C/30 min). Sous-vide treatment was preferred to traditional cooking by consumers. Sous-vide samples were more purple, more aromatic and tastier than traditionally cooked ones. The loss of anthocyanins in traditional cooking was twice that in sous-vide samples. Micrographs from different treatments showed different degrees of cell wall damage. Sous-vide treatment could be recommended as a treatment for the catering industry providing better quality products.Author Iborra-Bernad was supported by the Generalitat Valenciana under FPI (Researcher Formation Program) grant. Author Tarrega was financially supported by the Juan de la Cierva programme.Iborra Bernad, MDC.; Tárrega, A.; García Segovia, P.; Martínez Monzó, J. (2014). Advantages of sous-vide cooked red cabbage: structural, nutritional and sensory aspects. Food Science and Technology. 56(2):451-460. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2013.12.027S45146056

A 3-Biomarker 2-Point-Based Risk Stratification Strategy in Acute Heart Failure

Altres ajuts: ISCIII/RD06-0003-0000Altres ajuts: ISCIII/RD12/0042/0002Introduction and Objectives: Most multi-biomarker strategies in acute heart failure (HF) have only measured biomarkers in a single-point time. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic yielding of NT-proBNP, hsTnT, Cys-C, hs-CRP, GDF15, and GAL-3 in HF patients both at admission and discharge. Methods: We included 830 patients enrolled consecutively in a prospective multicenter registry. Primary outcome was 12-month mortality. The gain in the C-index, calibration, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) was calculated after adding each individual biomarker value or their combination on top of the best clinical model developed in this study (C-index 0.752, 0.715-0.789) and also on top of 4 currently used scores (MAGGIC, GWTG-HF, Redin-SCORE, BCN-bioHF). Results: After 12-month, death occurred in 154 (18.5%) cases. On top of the best clinical model, the addition of NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, and GDF-15 above the respective cutoff point at admission and discharge and their delta during compensation improved the C-index to 0.782 (0.747-0.817), IDI by 5% (p < 0.001), and NRI by 57% (p < 0.001) for 12-month mortality. A 4-risk grading categories for 12-month mortality (11.7, 19.2, 26.7, and 39.4%, respectively; p < 0.001) were obtained using combination of these biomarkers. Conclusion: A model including NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, and GDF-15 measured at admission and discharge afforded a mortality risk prediction greater than our clinical model and also better than the most currently used scores. In addition, this 3-biomarker panel defined 4-risk categories for 12-month mortality