Consequences of microwave heating and frying on the lipid fraction of chicken and beef hamburgers

Two types of commercial meat patties were analyzed to evaluate the effect of two applied cooking methods on the lipid fraction and the cholesterol oxidation process during heating. Microwave heating hardly modified the fatty acid profiles of both chicken and beef patties, whereas frying in olive oil increased oleic and eicosapentaenoic acids and decreased linoleic and docosahexaenoic acids in both types of products. Frying improved the omega6/omega3 fatty acids ratio in beef patties from 10.67 (raw) to 5.37 (fried). Total cholesterol oxidation product (COP) increments were 5.3-6.1-fold with microwave heating and 1.5-2.6-fold with frying. Chicken patties, raw and cooked, had a COP content twice as high as the corresponding beef ones

Neuroscience and subjectivity. A proposal for cooperation between neuroscience and some philosophical traditions

One of the main challenges of biology consists in articulating a coherent view of the central nervous system and its structure. To this end, neuroscience has emerged as an interdisciplinary project which looks to integrate the different disciplines

Evaluation of the nutritional aspects and cholesterol oxidation products of pork liver and fish patés

A comparative study between traditional patés elaborated with pork liver and fish patés (salmon, anchovy and cod) was carried out. The nutritional value and their security related to cholesterol oxidation products (COP) content were evaluated. Salmon paté showed similar fat content (24-28%) and energetic value (300Kcal/100g) to pork liver patés, whereas patés made with anchovy and cod showed less fat (13-16%) and calories (200-236 Kcal/100g). PUFA/SFA ratios were much higher in all fish patés (1.55-4.95) than in liver pork patés (0.36-0.44). No great differences were found in ω-6/ω-3 ratio between salmon and pork liver patés (11.34-18.4), being even much higher this ratio in anchovy (32.32) and cod patés (62.77). EPA and DHA supply was around 0.63 for salmon, 0.21 for anchovy and 0.07 for cod patés. Cholesterol amounts were lower in fish patés (31-37mg/100g) than in pork liver patés (77-102mg/100g). Total COP ranged 0.38-2.83ppm, without clear differences between pork liver and fish patés

Causas emocionales y dinámicas de las actuales expectativas en Neurociencia

Los avances de las últimas dos décadas en el estudio del sistema nervioso y en el desarrollo de neuro-tecnología parecen justificar las elevadas expectativas en lo que a este campo concierne. No obstante, cada vez son más los autores que advierten, desde dentro y fuera de la neurociencia, que es excesivo tal grado de optimismo así como perjudicial el neuro-esencialismo que genera. En el presente artículo analizamos el origen y el papel de las expectativas neurocientíficas. En las conclusiones defendemos, primero, que las principales causas no son las evidencias y las teorías científicas, como suele pensarse y, segundo, que precisamente esta generalizada falsa creencia perjudica seriamente el avance científico y el progreso social

Del escepticismo al misticismo científico. El itinerario de Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley vivió un periodo muy particular del siglo XX, uno en el que el debate entre racionalistas y escépticos marcó a toda una generación. Precisamente, ese fue el gran tema en torno al que girarían sus principales ensayos literarios y filosóficos. Es también en ese contexto donde hay que encuadrar el crucial papel que otorgó a la biotecnología en el progreso individual y social. No obstante, Huxley avisa de los peligros que de la biotecnología pueden derivarse de no lograr conciliar la postura del mundo objetivo con la del mundo de la vida. El autor de Un mundo feliz propuso como remedio a dicho divorcio y como prevención a los males que estaban por venir el devolver la unidad perdida a las ciencias y, en último término, al hombre. En dicha tarea, el hecho religioso, lejos de quedar excluido, es considerado un elemento sine qua non en todo proyecto interdisciplinar y vital. Es por ello que, para Huxley, todo el que aspira a la unidad intelectual debe quedar comprometido existencialmente. Como no podía ser de otra manera, esta conclusión es fruto de su extraordinaria trayectoria vital: partiendo de una posición escéptica marcada por la crítica a la racionalidad científico-tecnológica y a la religión, Huxley terminará convirtiéndose a un misticismo abierto y dialogante para con el discurso científico. La actitud de Huxley con respecto a la ciencia no es novedosa, por lo menos si valoramos en algo la filosofía premoderna. Aún y todo, Huxley presenta este ideal --el de la Filosofía perenne, como lo denomina-- con aires nuevos y accesibles para una sociedad donde los signos del pesimismo y del desconcierto eran cada vez más patentes. En tanto que esos signos son hoy visiblemente manifiestos, reflexionar sobre la vida-pensamiento de quien es uno de los más clarividentes, transgresores y obstinados intelectuales del siglo XX, resulta un ejercicio fecundo, por lo menos para quienes no han renunciado a la senda interdisciplinar. Ofrecer contenidos para dicha reflexión es el objetivo último de nuestro artículo.Aldous Huxley lived in a very particular period of the twentieth century, one in which the debate between rationalists and skeptics marked an entire generation. Indeed, it was the central issue around which his primary literary and philosophical work evolved. It is also in this context that we should frame the crucial role he afforded to biotechnology in individual and social progress. Nevertheless, Huxley warns of the dangers to be derived from biotechnology for failing to reconcile the stance of the objective world with that of the world of life. The author of Brave New World proposed returning that lost unity to the sciences and, ultimately, to mankind as a remedy for that divorce and to prevent the ills that were to come. In this task, the religious factor, far from being excluded, is considered a sine qua non of any interdisciplinary and life project. Accordingly, for Huxley, one who aspires to intellectual unity must be existentially committed. It could not be otherwise. This conclusion is the result of the extraordinary course of his life. Starting from a skeptical position marked by criticism of scientific-technological rationality and religion, Huxley converted in the end to an open and dialoguing mysticism for scientific discourse. Huxley's attitude with respect to science is not new, at least if we place any value in pre-modern philosophy. Still and all, he presents this ideal -- that of perennial philosophy, as it is called -- with a new air and as being accessible to a society where the signs of pessimism and confusion were increasingly evident. To the extent these signs are visibly manifest today, reflecting on the life and thinking of one of the most clear-signed, contravening and exasperating intellectuals of the twentieth century is a fruitful exercise, at least for those who have not renounced the interdisciplinary path. Offering substance for that reflection is the ultimate goal of this article

On the structure of maximal solvable extensions and of Levi extensions of nilpotent algebras

We establish an improved upper estimate on dimension of any solvable algebra s with its nilradical isomorphic to a given nilpotent Lie algebra n. Next we consider Levi decomposable algebras with a given nilradical n and investigate restrictions on possible Levi factors originating from the structure of characteristic ideals of n. We present a new perspective on Turkowski's classification of Levi decomposable algebras up to dimension 9.Comment: 21 pages; major revision - one section added, another erased; author's version of the published pape

Óxidos de colesterol en langostinos frescos y congelados, crudos y a la plancha

Los óxidos de colesterol (COPs) se relacionan con diferentes efectos tóxicos entre los que destacan su implicación en los procesos de aterosclerosis. Se estudió la presencia de óxidos de colesterol en langostinos comercializados en fresco y en congelación, tanto en crudo, como sometidos a una tecnología culinaria habitual (plancha). La determinación se realizó por cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (CG-EM). En los langostinos frescos se detectaron todos los COPs analizados con excepción del 7-hidroxicolesterol, presentando una cantidad total de 33,15 μg COPs/g grasa. Por el contrario, en los langostinos comercializados congelados sólo se detectaron el 7-ketocolesterol y el 7-hidroxicolesterol, dando lugar a una cantidad total de 2,38 μg COPs/g grasa. Estos resultados indican la gran efectividad de la comercialización bajo condiciones de congelación de este tipo de alimentos en cuanto a ralentizar la formación de COPs. El tratamiento culinario incrementó el contenido de COPs en ambos tipos de langostinos, alcanzando 55,43 μg COPs/g grasa en los frescos y sólo 13,06 μg COPs/g grasa en los congelados.Cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) have been related to different toxic effects, being the atherosclerotic process one of the best known. The presence of cholesterol oxides in freshly and frozenly commercialised shrimps, both raw and grilled, was studied. The determination was made by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Fresh shrimps showed significant amounts of all analysed COPs, except for 7-hydroxycholesterol, accounting in total for 33.15 μg COPs/g fat. In contrast, in frozen commercialised shrimps only 7-ketocholesterol and 7-hydroxycholesterol were detected. These results point out the great effectiveness of the commercialisation of this type of products under freezing, in terms of to the minimisation of the COPs formation. The cooking method (grilling) increased the COPs content in both types of shrimps, reaching 55.43 μg COPs/g fat in fresh shrimps and only 13.06 μg COPs/g fat in frozen ones

Specific Visualization of Glioma Cells in Living Low-Grade Tumor Tissue

BACKGROUND: The current therapy of malignant gliomas is based on surgical resection, radio-chemotherapy and chemotherapy. Recent retrospective case-series have highlighted the significance of the extent of resection as a prognostic factor predicting the course of the disease. Complete resection in low-grade gliomas that show no MRI-enhanced images are especially difficult. The aim in this study was to develop a robust, specific, new fluorescent probe for glioma cells that is easy to apply to live tumor biopsies and could identify tumor cells from normal brain cells at all levels of magnification. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this investigation we employed brightly fluorescent, photostable quantum dots (QDs) to specifically target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that is upregulated in many gliomas. Living glioma and normal cells or tissue biopsies were incubated with QDs coupled to EGF and/or monoclonal antibodies against EGFR for 30 minutes, washed and imaged. The data include results from cell-culture, animal model and ex vivo human tumor biopsies of both low-grade and high-grade gliomas and show high probe specificity. Tumor cells could be visualized from the macroscopic to single cell level with contrast ratios as high as 1000: 1 compared to normal brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The ability of the targeted probes to clearly distinguish tumor cells in low-grade tumor biopsies, where no enhanced MRI image was obtained, demonstrates the great potential of the method. We propose that future application of specifically targeted fluorescent particles during surgery could allow intraoperative guidance for the removal of residual tumor cells from the resection cavity and thus increase patient survival