SUBSTITUTION OF CORNMEAL FOR FLOUR OF SHOOTS AND NON-COMMERCIAL ROOTS OF ARRACACHA (Arracaria xanthorrhiza Bancroft) IN THE PROCESSING OF SEMISWEET BISCUITS

The objective was to develop cornmeal semisweet biscuits with the addition of flour of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancroft) and evaluate their nutritional implications and physical characteristics of the product. The flours were obtained from fresh samples of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha. Biscuits were prepared in different concentrations of cornmeal, flour of shoots and non-commercial roots of arracacha, totaling seven trials. The flours and the biscuits were nutritionally analyzed and the cost of production was determined. That substitution of cornmeal by flour of non-commercial roots up to 50 % provided fewer-calorie biscuits with higher fiber content. Flour of shoots favored the increase of fibers; however, the biscuits had a darker color and harder texture. In conclusion, the addition of arracacha residues in the production of biscuits promoted increased fiber content and reduced the calorie value

Sistematización teórica para un estudio sobre el envejecimiento poblacional como fenómeno polisémico

El envejecimiento poblacional es uno de los problemas más latentes en la realidad actual cubana. Según cifras de la ONEI la población de más de 60 años asciende a más de dos millones de personas. Este es un fenómeno presente a lo largo del ciclo vital desde el mismo proceso de la concepción hasta la muerte; el que, a pesar de ser un fenómeno natural conocido por todos, ha resultado a muchos difícil aceptarlo como una realidad innata a todo ser. Dada la gran complejidad de los cambios que se producen durante el mismo, no ha de sorprender la existencia de más de 300 teorías a los fines de explicar el dónde, el cómo y el porqué de estos cambios. En el presente artículo se caracteriza doctrinalmente el fenómeno del envejecimiento poblacional en Cuba como proceso irreversible, único, individual, universal de cambio que involucra todas las dimensiones del ser humano y disminuye la velocidad de los procesos del cuerpo; sustentado su análisis en los fundamentos teóricos del mismo, así como en la visión totalizadora, que permite asumirlo como totalidad dialéctica, por ello se asume como objetivo Sistematizar una concepción teórica y metodológica que sustente el carácter polisémico del proceso de envejecimiento de la población. El estudio se desarrolla en el momento actual, como parte de un proceso de investigación que se acomete en el Tribunal Provincial de La Habana

Real-time and label free determination of ligand binding-kinetics to primary cancer tissue specimens; a novel tool for the assessment of biomarker targeting

In clinical oncology, diagnosis and evaluation of optimal treatment strategies are mostly based on histopathological examination combined with immunohistochemical (IHC) expression analysis of cancer-associated antigens in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue biopsies. However, informative IHC analysis depends on both the specificity and affinity of the binding reagent, which are inherently difficult to quantify in situ. Here we describe a label-free method that allows for the direct and real-time assessment of molecular binding kinetics in situ on FFPE tissue specimens using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) enabled biosensor technology. We analysed the interaction between the rVAR2 protein and its placental-like chondroitin sulfate (pl-CS) receptor in primary human placenta tissue and in breast and prostate tumour specimens in situ. rVAR2 interacted with FFPE human placenta and cancer tissue with an affinity in the nanomolar range, and showed no detectable interaction with pl-CS negative normal tissue. We further validated the method by including analysis with the androgen receptor N-20 antibody (anti-AR). As the KD value produced by this method is independent of the number of epitopes available, this readout offers a quantitative and unbiased readout for in situ binding-avidity and amount of binding epitopes. In summary, this method adds a new and important dimension to classical IHC-based molecular pathology by adding information about the binding characteristics in biologically relevant conditions. This can potentially be used to select optimal biologics for diagnostic and for therapeutic applications as well as guide the development of novel high affinity binding drugs. Keywords: Quartz crystal microscale, Biomarker, Biosensor, VAR2CSA, Cancer, Malari

Contribuições do instrumento “Global Appraisal of Individual Needs” para a assistência e pesquisa: revisão da literatura

Objective: To analyze the literature searching for contributions of the instrument“Global Appraisal of Individual Needs” - GAIN for treatment and research on the topic of alcoholand other drugs. Methods: integrative review on the PUBMED database. Results: the instrumenthas good levels of validity and reliability, being based on evidence, and contributes to the careand research related to the harmful use of alcohol and other drugs because it is able to identifyseveral psychosocial problems especially among adolescents and adults. The GAIN is a series ofmeasurements made in support of a progressive therapy practices, including initial assessment,brief interventions, to aid diagnosis, and other factors that will enable a practice focused on theneeds of individual.Objetivo: Analisar as contribuições do instrumento “Global Appraisal of IndividualNeeds” (GAIN), para tratamento e pesquisas sobre a temática do uso de álcool e outras drogas.Métodos: revisão integrativa na base de dados PUBMED. Resultados: O instrumento possuibons índices de validade e confi abilidade, mostrando-se baseado em evidências, e contribui paraa assistência e pesquisas relacionadas ao uso prejudicial de álcool e outras drogas, uma vez que écapaz de identifi car diversos problemas psicossociais principalmente entre adolescentes e adultos.O GAIN consiste em uma série de mensurações, feitas para apoiar de forma progressiva práticasterapêuticas, incluindo análise inicial, intervenções breves, auxílio a diagnósticos, entre outros quepossibilitarão um tratamento focalizado nas necessidades do indivíduo

Photodecomposition of iodinated contrast media and subsequent formation of toxic iodinated moieties during final disinfection with chlorinated oxidants

Large amount of iodinated contrast media (ICM) are found in natural waters (up to µg.L-1 levels) due to their worldwide use in medical imaging and their poor removal by conventional wastewater treatment. Synthetic water samples containing different ICM and natural organic matter (NOM) extracts were subjected to UV254 irradiation followed by the addition of chlorine (HOCl) or chloramine (NH2Cl) to simulate final disinfection. In this study, two new quantum yields were determined for diatrizoic acid (0.071 mol.Einstein-1) and iotalamic acid (0.038 mol.Einstein-1) while values for iopromide (IOP) (0.039 mol.Einstein-1), iopamidol (0.034 mol.Einstein-1) and iohexol (0.041 mol.Einstein-1) were consistent with published data. The photodegradation of IOP led to an increasing release of iodide with increasing UV doses. Iodide is oxidized to hypoiodous acid (HOI) either by HOCl or NH2Cl. In presence of NOM, the addition of oxidant increased the formation of iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs). On one hand, when the concentration of HOCl was increased, the formation of I-DBPs decreased since HOI was converted to iodate. On the other hand, when NH2Cl was used the formation of I-DBPs was constant for all concentration since HOI reacted only with NOM to form I-DBPs. Increasing the NOM concentration has two effects, it decreased the photodegradation of IOP by screening effect but it increased the number of reactive sites available for reaction with HOI.For experiments carried out with HOCl, increasing the NOM concentration led to a lower formation of I-DBPs since less IOP are photodegraded and iodate are formed. For NH2Cl the lower photodegradation of IOP is compensated by the higher amount of NOM reactive sites, therefore, I-DBPs concentrations were constant for all NOM concentrations. 7 different NOM extracts were tested and almost no differences in IOP degradation and I-DBPs formation was observed. Similar behaviour was observed for the 5 ICM tested. Both oxidant poorly degraded the ICM and a higher formation of I-DBPs was observed for the chloramination experiments compared to the chlorination experiment. Results from toxicity testing showed that the photodegradation products of IOP are toxic and confirmed that the formation of I-DBPs leads to higher toxicity. Therefore, for the experiment with HOCl where iodate are formed the toxicity was lower than for the experiments with NH2Cl where a high formation of I-DBPs was observed

Directed discovery of greener cosolvents:new cosolvents for use in ionic liquid based organic electrolyte solutions for cellulose dissolution

Cellulose is an abundant, cheap, renewable, yet recalcitrant, material, which, if dissolved, may be formed into a wide range of materials, composites, and mixtures. Much attention has recently been focused on the use of mixtures of ionic liquids and some solvents (so-called organic electrolyte solutions, OESs) as efficient cellulose dissolution solvents, but many of the cosolvents used lack green credentialsa perennial problem where dipolar aprotic solvents are the solvents of choice. We present a rational approach, based on definition of ranges of solvent parameters gathered together in recently published databases, to find “greener” cosolvents for OES formation. Thus, γ-butyrolactone is identified as a suitable OES former for dissolution of microcrystalline cellulose and biobased γ-valerolactone as a marginally less efficient, but significantly safer, alternative. Comparison of cosolvent efficiency reveals that previous use of measures of mass, or concentration, of cellulose dissolved may have masked the similarities between 1-methylimidazole, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), <i>N,N</i>-dimethylformamide, <i>N-N</i>′-dimethyl­imidazo­lidinone, <i>N,N</i>-dimethylacetamide, <i>N</i>-methylpyrrolidinone, and sulfolane (seldom considered), while comparison on a molar basis reveals that the molar volume of the solvent is an important factor. Reference-interaction site model (RISM) calculations for the DMSO/1-ethyl-3-methyl­imidazolium acetate OES suggest competition between DMSO and the acetate anion and preferential solvation of cellulose by the ionic liquid

Post-pandemia: Efectos en la Logística de los Negocios del Cantón Montalvo – Ecuador

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the pandemic on the logistics of businesses in the Montalvo canton - Ecuador; as well as the challenges faced by companies and the strategies they have implemented to overcome them. The methodology used includes a review of the existing literature and an analysis of primary data obtained through qualitative surveys applied to local entrepreneurs. The results indicate that businesses have had to quickly adapt to new ways of working and restrictions on the movement of goods and services, implementing new logistics strategies, such as digitization and automation of processes, supplier diversification, and the adoption of logistics models. of online business. It should be noted that these strategies have also allowed companies to improve their efficiency and reduce operating costs. In general, it is concluded that the pandemic has caused an important transformation in the commercial sector of Montalvo - Ecuador, and that companies have been able to adapt quickly, counteracting the effects caused by the pandemic, significantly improving their business performance.El objetivo de este estudio, fue determinar los efectos de la pandemia en la logística de los negocios del cantón Montalvo - Ecuador; asi como los desafíos enfrentados por las empresas y las estrategias que han implementado para superarlos. La metodología utilizada incluye una revisión de la literatura existente y un análisis de datos primarios obtenidos a través de encuestas cualitativas aplicadas a empresarios locales. Los resultados indican que los negocios han tenido que adaptarse rápidamente a las nuevas formas de trabajo y a las restricciones en el movimiento de bienes y servicios, implementado nuevas estrategias logísticas, como la digitalización y automatización de procesos, la diversificación de proveedores y la adopción de modelos de negocio en línea. Cabe destacar que éstas estrategias también han permitido a las empresas mejorar su eficiencia y reducir costos de operación. En general, se concluye que la pandemia ha provocado una transformación importante en el sector comercial de Montalvo - Ecuador, y que las empresas han sido capaces de adaptarse rápidamente contrarrestando los efectos causados por la pandemia, mejorando significativamente su desempeño empresarial

Characterization of a genomic signature of pregnancy identified in the breast.

The objective of this study was to comprehensively compare the genomic profiles in the breast of parous and nulliparous postmenopausal women to identify genes that permanently change their expression following pregnancy. The study was designed as a two-phase approach. In the discovery phase, we compared breast genomic profiles of 37 parous with 18 nulliparous postmenopausal women. In the validation phase, confirmation of the genomic patterns observed in the discovery phase was sought in an independent set of 30 parous and 22 nulliparous postmenopausal women. RNA was hybridized to Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 oligonucleotide arrays containing probes to 54,675 transcripts, scanned and the images analyzed using Affymetrix GCOS software. Surrogate variable analysis, logistic regression, and significance analysis of microarrays were used to identify statistically significant differences in expression of genes. The false discovery rate (FDR) approach was used to control for multiple comparisons. We found that 208 genes (305 probe sets) were differentially expressed between parous and nulliparous women in both discovery and validation phases of the study at an FDR of 10% and with at least a 1.25-fold change. These genes are involved in regulation of transcription, centrosome organization, RNA splicing, cell-cycle control, adhesion, and differentiation. The results provide initial evidence that full-term pregnancy induces long-term genomic changes in the breast. The genomic signature of pregnancy could be used as an intermediate marker to assess potential chemopreventive interventions with hormones mimicking the effects of pregnancy for prevention of breast cancer

New directions for patient-centred care in scleroderma : the Scleroderma Patient-centred Intervention Network (SPIN)

Systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma, is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disorder characterised by thickening and fibrosis of the skin and by the involvement of internal organs such as the lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and heart. Because there is no cure, feasibly-implemented and easily accessible evidence-based interventions to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are needed. Due to a lack of evidence, however, specific recommendations have not been made regarding non-pharmacological interventions (e.g. behavioural/psychological, educational, physical/occupational therapy) to improve HRQoL in SSc. The Scleroderma Patient-centred Intervention Network (SPIN) was recently organised to address this gap. SPIN is comprised of patient representatives, clinicians, and researchers from Canada, the USA, and Europe. The goal of SPIN, as described in this article, is to develop, test, and disseminate a set of accessible interventions designed to complement standard care in order to improve HRQoL outcomes in SSc.The initial organisational meeting for SPIN was funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Meetings, Planning, and Dissemination grant to B.D. Thombs (KPE-109130), Sclerodermie Quebec, and the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec. SPIN receives finding support from the Sclemderma Society of Ontario, the Scleroderma Society of Canada, and Sclerodermie Quebec. B.D. Thombs and M. Hudson are supported by New Investigator awards from the CIHR, and Etablissement de Jeunes Chercheurs awards from the Fonds de la Recherche en Sante Quebec (FRSQ). M. Baron is the director of the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group, which receives grant folding from the CIHR, the Scleroderma Society of Canada and its provincial chapters, Scleroderma Society of Ontario, Sclerodermie Quebec, and the Ontario Arthritis Society, and educational grants from Actelion Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. M.D. Mayes and S. Assassi are supported by the NIH/NIAMS Scleroderma Center of Research Translation grant no. P50-AR054144. S.J. Motivala is supported by an NIH career development grant (K23 AG027860) and the UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology. D. Khanna is supported by a NIH/NIAMS K23 AR053858-04) and NIH/NIAMS U01 AR057936A, the National Institutes of Health through the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research Grant (AR052177), and has served as a consultant or on speakers bureau for Actelion, BMS, Gilead, Pfizer, and United Therapeutics

Characterization of a genomic signature of pregnancy identified in the breast.

The objective of this study was to comprehensively compare the genomic profiles in the breast of parous and nulliparous postmenopausal women to identify genes that permanently change their expression following pregnancy. The study was designed as a two-phase approach. In the discovery phase, we compared breast genomic profiles of 37 parous with 18 nulliparous postmenopausal women. In the validation phase, confirmation of the genomic patterns observed in the discovery phase was sought in an independent set of 30 parous and 22 nulliparous postmenopausal women. RNA was hybridized to Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 oligonucleotide arrays containing probes to 54,675 transcripts, scanned and the images analyzed using Affymetrix GCOS software. Surrogate variable analysis, logistic regression, and significance analysis of microarrays were used to identify statistically significant differences in expression of genes. The false discovery rate (FDR) approach was used to control for multiple comparisons. We found that 208 genes (305 probe sets) were differentially expressed between parous and nulliparous women in both discovery and validation phases of the study at an FDR of 10% and with at least a 1.25-fold change. These genes are involved in regulation of transcription, centrosome organization, RNA splicing, cell-cycle control, adhesion, and differentiation. The results provide initial evidence that full-term pregnancy induces long-term genomic changes in the breast. The genomic signature of pregnancy could be used as an intermediate marker to assess potential chemopreventive interventions with hormones mimicking the effects of pregnancy for prevention of breast cancer