Optimización del proceso de cocción de quinua utilizando el diseño 3k y la función de deseabilidad: Grado de gelatinización, índice de absorción de agua, índice de solubilidad y desprendimiento de cotiledones

Optimization of the steam quinoa cooking process was carried out, using a response surface design (RSM) 3-level: 3k factorial, and the multiple response optimization methodology of the desirability function (Dx) was used to find the optimal region, which are improved tools to optimize the variables of a process, evaluate the maximization of the water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), degree of gelatinization (GE) and the minimization of cotyledon detachment (DC) of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). The equipment used was a vertical cook with a steam generator, the study cooking variables, the steam pressure, and the cooking time. The optimal process values were: Pressure 1.5 kgf.cm-2 and time 8 minutes for the best characteristics of cooked quinoa WSI of 26.411%, WAI of 7.960 (g.g-1), GE of 89.245% and CD of 18.40%, the value of the desirability function as an indicator of multiple responses was 0.798. Knowledge of these characteristics can be a valuable complement in the cooking process and thus contribute to improving the quality of cooked cereals.Se realizó la optimización del proceso de cocción de quinua con vapor, empleando un diseño de superficie de respuesta (RSM) factorial de 3 niveles: 3k y para encontrar la región optima se usó la metodología de optimización de respuestas múltiples de función de deseabilidad (Dx), que son herramientas eficaces para optimizar las variables de un proceso, evaluando la maximización del índice de absorción de agua (WAI), índice de solubilidad en agua (WSI), grado de gelatinización (GE) y la minimización del desprendimiento de cotiledones (DC) de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). El equipo utilizado fue un cocinador vertical con generador de vapor, las variables de cocción en estudio, la presión de vapor y el tiempo de cocinado. Los valores óptimos de proceso fueron: Presión 1,5 kgf.cm-2 y tiempo 8 minutos para las mejores características de la quinua cocida WSI de 26,411%, WAI de 7,960 (g.g-1), GE de 89,245% y CD de 18,40%, el valor de la función de deseabilidad como indicador de las respuestas múltiples fue de 0,798. El conocimiento de estas características pueden ser un valioso complemento en el proceso de cocción y así contribuir a la mejora de la calidad de los cereales cocidos

Metabolic Abnormalities Are Common among South American Hispanics Subjects with Normal Weight or Excess Body Weight: The CRONICAS Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to characterize metabolic status by body mass index (BMI) status. METHODS: The CRONICAS longitudinal study was performed in an age-and-sex stratified random sample of participants aged 35 years or older in four Peruvian settings: Lima (Peru's capital, costal urban, highly urbanized), urban and rural Puno (both high-altitude), and Tumbes (costal semirural). Data from the baseline study, conducted in 2010, was used. Individuals were classified by BMI as normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2), and as metabolically healthy (0-1 metabolic abnormality) or metabolically unhealthy (≥2 abnormalities). Abnormalities included individual components of the metabolic syndrome, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and insulin resistance. RESULTS: A total of 3088 (age 55.6±12.6 years, 51.3% females) had all measurements. Of these, 890 (28.8%), 1361 (44.1%) and 837 (27.1%) were normal weight, overweight and obese, respectively. Overall, 19.0% of normal weight in contrast to 54.9% of overweight and 77.7% of obese individuals had ≥3 risk factors (p<0.001). Among normal weight individuals, 43.1% were metabolically unhealthy, and age ≥65 years, female, and highest socioeconomic groups were more likely to have this pattern. In contrast, only 16.4% of overweight and 3.9% of obese individuals were metabolically healthy and, compared to Lima, the rural and urban sites in Puno were more likely to have a metabolically healthier profile. CONCLUSIONS: Most Peruvians with overweight and obesity have additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, as well as a majority of those with a healthy weight. Prevention programs aimed at individuals with a normal BMI, and those who are overweight and obese, are urgently needed, such as screening for elevated fasting cholesterol and glucose

Urbanization, mainly rurality, but not altitude is associated with dyslipidemia profiles.

BACKGROUND: Geographical and environmental features such as urbanization and altitude may influence individual's lipid profiles because of the diversity of human-environment interactions including lifestyles. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the association between altitude and urbanization and lipid profile among Peruvian adults aged ≥35 years. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of the CRONICAS Cohort Study. The outcomes of interest were 6 dyslipidemia traits: hypertriglyceridemia, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), nonisolated low HDL-c, isolated low HDL-c, and high non-HDL-c. The exposures of interest were urbanization level (highly urban, urban, semi-urban, and rural) and altitude (high altitude vs sea level). Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using Poisson regression models with robust variance adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Data from 3037 individuals, 48.5% males, mean age of 55.6 (standard deviation ±12.7) years, were analyzed. The most common dyslipidemia pattern was high non-HDL-c with a prevalence of 88.0% (95% CI: 84.9%-90.7%) in the rural area and 96.0% (95% CI: 94.5%-97.1%) in the semi-urban area. Relative to the highly urban area, living in rural areas was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (PR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.56-0.99) and high non-HDL-c (PR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.99), whereas living in semi-urban areas was associated with higher prevalence high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (PR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.11-1.67). Compared with sea level areas, high-altitude areas had lower prevalence of high non-HDL-c (PR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99). CONCLUSION: Urbanization but not altitude was associated to several dyslipidemia traits, with the exception of high non-HDL-c in high altitude settings

Regression from prediabetes to normal glucose levels is more frequent than progression towards diabetes: The CRONICAS Cohort Study.

AIMS: This study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of prediabetes according to different definitions, (2) evaluate regression to normal glucose levels and progression towards T2DM, and (3) determine factors associated with regression and progression across four diverse geographical settings in a Latin American country. METHODS: The CRONICAS Cohort Study was conducted in four different areas in Peru. Enrollment started in September 2010 and follow-up was conducted in 2013. Prediabetes, T2DM and normal glucose levels were determined according to definitions from the World Health Organization (WHO), American Diabetes Association (ADA), and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The main outcomes were regression to normal glucose levels and incidence of T2DM. Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Crude and adjusted models using Poisson regression were performed and relative risk ratios (RRR) and 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS: At baseline, the prevalence of prediabetes varied markedly by definition used: 6.5%(95% CI 5.6-7.6%), 53.6% (95% CI 51.6-55.6%), and 24.6% (95% CI 22.8-26.4%) according to WHO, ADA and NICE criteria, respectively. After 2.2  years of follow-up, in those with prediabetes, the cumulative incidence of regression to euglycemia ranged between 31.4% and 68.9%, whereas the incidence of T2DM varied from 5.5% to 28.8%. Factors associated with regression to normal glucose levels and progression to diabetes were age, body mass index, and insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Regression from pre-diabetes back to euglycemia was much more common than progression to diabetes

Towards sustainable partnerships in global health: the case of the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases in Peru.

Human capital requires opportunities to develop and capacity to overcome challenges, together with an enabling environment that fosters critical and disruptive innovation. Exploring such features is necessary to establish the foundation of solid long-term partnerships. In this paper we describe the experience of the CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, based at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, as a case study for fostering meaningful and sustainable partnerships for international collaborative research. The CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases was established in 2009 with the following Mission: "We support the development of young researchers and collaboration with national and international institutions. Our motivation is to improve population's health through high quality research." The Centre's identity is embedded in its core values - generosity, innovation, integrity, and quality- and its trajectory is a result of various interactions between multiple individuals, collaborators, teams, and institutions, which together with the challenges confronted, enables us to make an objective assessment of the partnership we would like to pursue, nurture and support. We do not intend to provide a single example of a successful partnership, but in contrast, to highlight what can be translated into opportunities to be faced by research groups based in low- and middle-income countries, and how these encounters can provide a strong platform for fruitful and sustainable partnerships. In defiant contexts, partnerships require to be nurtured and sustained. Acknowledging that all partnerships are not and should not be the same, we also need to learn from the evolution of such relationships, its key successes, hurdles and failures to contribute to the promotion of a culture of global solidarity where mutual goals, mutual gains, as well as mutual responsibilities are the norm. In so doing, we will all contribute to instil a new culture where expectations, roles and interactions among individuals and their teams are horizontal, the true nature of partnerships

Towards the simplification of MHC typing protocols: targeting classical MHC class II genes in a passerine, the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) has drawn the attention of evolutionary biologists due to its importance in crucial biological processes, such as sexual selection and immune response in jawed vertebrates. However, the characterization of classical MHC genes subjected to the effects of natural selection still remains elusive in many vertebrate groups. Here, we have tested the suitability of flanking intron sequences to guide the selective exploration of classical MHC genes driving the co-evolutionary dynamics between pathogens and their passerine (Aves, Order Passeriformes) hosts.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Intronic sequences flanking the usually polymorphic exon 2 were isolated from different species using primers sitting on conserved coding regions of MHC class II genes (β chain). Taking the pied flycatcher <it>Ficedula hypoleuca</it> as an example, we demonstrate that careful primer design can evade non-classical MHC gene and pseudogene amplification. At least four polymorphic and expressed loci were co-replicated using a single pair of primers in five non-related individuals (N = 28 alleles). The cross-amplification and preliminary inspection of similar MHC fragments in eight unrelated songbird taxa suggests that similar approaches can also be applied to other species.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Intron sequences flanking the usually polymorphic exon 2 may assist the specific investigation of classical MHC class II B genes in species characterized by extensive gene duplication and pseudogenization. Importantly, the evasion of non-classical MHC genes with a more specific function and non-functional pseudogenes may accelerate data collection and diminish lab costs. Comprehensive knowledge of gene structure, polymorphism and expression profiles may be useful not only for the selective examination of evolutionarily relevant genes but also to restrict chimera formation by minimizing the number of co-amplifying loci.</p

Exploring the short-term and maintained effects of strategic instruction on the writing of 4th grade students: should strategies be focused on the process?

p.1769-1790The principal aim of strategy-focused instruction is to teach students strategies to control their writing processes and achieve quality writing. For this purpose, nine 4th grade Elementary School classes from three diferent schools (N=215) were randomly allocated to two forms of strategy-focused program called cognitive selfregulation instruction (CSRI). The full-CSRI (experimental condition 1, n=72) taught students a strategic approach to set appropriate product goals along with planning strategies. However, in the brief-CSRI (experimental condition 2, n=69), the direct teaching of planning procedures was removed. These two experimental conditions were compared with a control condition (n=74). We used a pre-test/posttest design and we also collected a maintenance writing performance 7 months after the intervention. Writing performance was holistically evaluated through readerbased measures made up of aspects related to structure, coherence, and quality. Only the full-CSRI condition wrote better compare–contrast texts than the control group in both the short term and at the maintenance timepoint. The study discusses the efects of the intervention on each measure and whether or not it is necessary to train process strategiesS

Salt restriction in kidney disease—a missed therapeutic opportunity?

The importance of salt restriction in the treatment of patients with renal disease has remained highly controversial. In the following we marshal the current evidence that salt plays a definite role in the genesis of hypertension and target organ damage, point to practical problems of salt restriction, and report on novel pathomechanisms of how salt affects blood pressure and causes target organ damage