First steps in using glucomannan to make thermostable gels for potential use in mince fish reestructuration

A methodology for making thermostable konjac glucomannan (KGM) gels was examined with a view to eventual use with fish mince to make restructured products. A gelation method was developed with 3 and 6 % (w/v) aqueous dispersions of glucomannan (ADG) by adding alkali v/v (NaOH or KOH) up to pH 11.8- 12 and then allowing it to set (1 hr at 30°C and 4 hrs at 5°C). Both 3 and 6 % are suitable concentrations and KOH and NaOH (at 0.6 and 1M) are the most suitable alkalis for deacetylation of the glucomannan at pH 11.8- 12.0. © 2012 De Gruyter.Peer Reviewe

Development of Optimized Inhibitor RNAs Allowing Multisite-Targeting of the HCV Genome

Abstract: Engineered multivalent drugs are promising candidates for fighting infection by highly variable viruses, such as HCV. The combination into a single molecule of more than one inhibitory domain, each with its own target specificity and even a different mechanism of action, results in drugs with potentially enhanced therapeutic properties. In the present work, the anti-HCV chimeric inhibitor RNA HH363-10, which has a hammerhead catalytic domain and an aptamer RNA domain, was subjected to an in vitro selection strategy to isolate ten different optimised chimeric inhibitor RNAs. The catalytic domain was preserved while the aptamer RNA domain was evolved to contain two binding sites, one mapping to the highly conserved IIIf domain of the HCV genome’s internal ribosome entry site (IRES), and the other either to IRES domain IV (which contains the translation start codon) or the essential linker region between domains I and II. These chimeric molecules efficiently and specifically interfered with HCV IRES-dependent translation in vitro (with IC50 values in the low µM range). They also inhibited both viral translation and replication in cell culture. These findings highlight the feasibility of using in vitro selection strategies for obtaining improved RNA molecules with potential clinical applications.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [BFU2015-64359-P]. Work at our laboratory is partially supported by FEDER funds from the EU.Peer reviewe

Docència virtual: millora el rendiment acadèmic?

Des de ja fa temps les noves tecnologies s’han anat introduint en aspectes de la nostra societat i en formen part d’ella, com per exemple succeeix en els mitjans de comunicació, en la medicina, i fins i tot en el dia a dia de les nostres llars, i també s’estan integrant de forma bastant notòria en l’àmbit de l’educació. Cada curs, una gran quantitat d’alumnes d’instituts de Catalunya i Espanya s’enfronten al problema del fracàs escolar, obtenint el graduat en ESO i allunyant-se per complet del món escolar En el present treball s’ha dut a terme una experiència amb un alumnat concret de primer d’ESO per tal de fer un petit estudi de si el fet de crear entorns virtuals a les classes, amb el suport d’ordinadors portàtils, podria millorar els processos d’ensenyament-aprenentatge dels alumnes i la motivació d’aquests respecte impartir una classe tradicional. Un cop analitzats els resultats es pot concloure que els dispositius digitals, com ara els ordinadors portàtils, són instruments útils que permeten disposar d’un major nombre de recursos didàctics però no garanteixen l’aprenentatge autònom de l’alumnat sotmès a l’experiència. En definitiva, però, no hi ha metodologies ni millors ni pitjors, ni el fet d’utilitzar noves tecnologies a les aules és millor o pitjor que no fer-ho, sinó que com ja s’ha comentat la societat està patint canvis, i per tant ens hem d’adaptar a ella amb l’únic objectiu de garantir un aprenentatge significatiu per part del nostre alumnat i poder satisfer les seves necessitats actuals requerides

Rheometric Non-Isothermal Gelatinization Kinetics of Chickpea Flour-Based Gluten-Free Muffin Batters with Added Biopolymers

An attempt was made to analyze the elastic modulus (G0) of chickpea flour (CF)-based muffin batters made with CF alone and with added biopolymers (whey protein (WP), xanthan gum (XG), inulin (INL), and their blends) in order to evaluate their suitability to be a wheat flour (WF) substitute in muffins, and to model the heat-induced gelatinization of batters under non-isothermal heating condition from 25 ◦C to 90 ◦C. A rheological approach is proposed to determine the kinetic parameters (reaction order (n), frequency factor (k0), and activation energy (Ea)) using linearly-increasing temperature. Zero-order reaction kinetics adequately described batter gelatinization process, therefore assuming a constant rate independent of the initial G0 value. The change of the derivative of G0 with respect to time (dG0/dt) versus temperature is described by one exponential function with activation energies ranging from 118 to 180 kJ·mol−1. Control wheat gluten batter, with higher and lower starch and protein contents, respectively, than CF-based batters, exhibited the highest Ea value. Formulation of CF-based gluten-free batters with starch and protein contents closer to the levels of WF-based batter could be a strategy to decrease differences in kinetic parameters of muffin batters and, therefore, in technological characteristics of baked muffins.The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness for financial support (AGL2011-28569). We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ¿un presidente feminista?

El expresidente del Gobierno de España José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ha regresado a la actualidad política por su defensa pública de las políticas de igualdad y diversidad. Este artículo plantea un acercamiento crítico a su figura durante los años de su mandato como presidente (2004-2011) para analizar su rol en la institucionalización del feminismo en el Estado español, desde una perspectiva histórica y sociológica. Asimismo, se reflexiona sobre el modelo de liderazgo y las rupturas y permanencias de los mandatos de la masculinidad hegemónica de un presidente autopercibido como feminista

La violencia de género en el cine de Icíar Bollaín. El caso de Te doy mis ojos.

La violencia de género es una lacra que afecta al conjunto de la sociedad desde hace décadas. A través de este trabajo, realizaré un breve recorrido sobre el tratamiento del asunto en el arte cinematográfico, comenzando por una panorámica general de películas que tratan sobre este tema. A continuación, me centraré en la figura de la directora madrileña Icíar Bollaín, repasando su filmografía y los aspectos estéticos y narrativos de su cine. Del mismo modo y para concluir, analizaré la película Te doy mis ojos y como la realizadora ha sabido reflejar de una forma veraz y realista los malos tratos.<br /

La Economía Colaborativa y su impacto en el Sector del Transporte: El caso Uber

El nuevo modelo de negocio conocido como Economía Colaborativa ha transformado el modo de prestar servicios en la actualidad, concretamente en el Sector del Transporte ha impactado de forma muy significativa. A través de la Economía Colaborativa han aparecido nuevos competidores en el sector del transporte, y gracias a las recientes modificaciones legislativas del sector se han visto beneficiadas para que incidieran con mayor intensidad en el Sector. El Caso Uber: Uber considerada como la empresa por excelencia de la Economía Colaborativa ha suscitado un conflicto relativo a cual era la verdadera naturaleza jurídica de la plataforma, ¿es realmente una empresa de servicios de la información o también es una empresa de transporte?, solucionándose a través de los tribunales

Electrochemical treatment of a graphitic forging lubricant effluent: The effect of chloride concentration and current density

The graphite removal and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction by the electrochemical treatment of an effluent containing a lubricant (oil in water emulsion with graphite) was investigated. The electrochemical cell used a pair of aluminum plates. Since the effluent conductivity was very low, NaCl was used as supporting electrolyte and different current densities as well as different distance between the electrodes were applied. In lower current densities, higher chloride concentrations implied in smaller COD values. The same behavior was observed when electrode distance was decreased. All the tested conditions presented significant graphite removal and COD reductions larger than 94%GKN Driveline Brazil is gratefully acknowledged for all the financial support and material given to the execution of this paper. Also, Capes, FAPERGS, CNPq, and Cyted are thanked for their financial support.Borsa, MB.; Jungblut, R.; Pérez-Herranz, V.; Müller, L.; Moura Bernardes, A.; Bergmann, C. (2016). Electrochemical treatment of a graphitic forging lubricant effluent: The effect of chloride concentration and current density. Separation Science and Technology. 51(1):126-134. doi:10.1080/01496395.2015.1086799S12613451

Assessment of the Miniature Kramer Shear Cell to Measure Both Solid Food and Bolus Mechanical Properties and Their Interplay with Oral Processing Behavior

This study assessed the usefulness of the miniature Kramer shear cell to determine relevant instrumental parameters of solid foods and bolus counterparts, examining their relationships with oral processing behaviors to obtain greater knowledge about the texture perception process. Six solid foods with different textural properties were tested. Bolus mechanical properties were also determined by means of cone penetration tests and rheological measurements, and their particle size distributions by sieving. Oral processing behavior (chewing time, number of chews, chewing rate, eating rate) and food saliva uptake (SU) of a young volunteer and a panel of 39 untrained participants were analyzed. The Kramer mechanical properties were very suitable for detecting different levels of food and bolus textural hardness and fracturability and the associated degrees of fragmentation achieved during mastication. Chewing time and number of chews were highly correlated with Kramer food and bolus mechanical properties for the single subject and for the panel’s oral processing behaviors. For the single subject, SU and eating rate also showed strong correlations with food and bolus mechanical properties, unlike chewing rate and food moisture content (FMC). In contrast, eating rate, FMC, and SU did not vary with the oral activities of the panel