Caracterización reológica, viscoelástica y mecánica de crema de guisante con textura modificada

[ES] En el presente trabajo se evaluó el comportamiento reológico, viscoelástico y mecánico, así como el potencial efecto que la saliva podría tener durante el proceso de masticación, de una crema de guisante con textura modificada a dos niveles (miel y pudin), usando 10 hidrocoloides, 2 de ellos espesantes comerciales específicos para disfagia. El análisis reológico refleja que todas las muestras exhibieron un comportamiento tixotrópico en el régimen transitorio, y un comportamiento pseudoplástico en el régimen estacionario, presentando las cremas espesadas con pectina los menores valores de índice de consistencia y mayores valores de índice de comportamiento al flujo. El estudio viscoelástico indica que las cremas espesadas con pectina, carboximetilcelulosa, goma tara y goma konjac presentaron una estructura de gel más débil, con mayor contribución del componente viscoso. El análisis mecánico mostró que las cremas espesadas con goma konjac y goma tara obtuvieron la menor dureza, y las cremas espesadas con carboximetilcelulosa y pectina, los menores valores de gomosidad. En el ensayo de simulación de masticación, las cremas espesadas con los hidrocoloides comerciales fueron las más afectadas por la presencia de saliva, con una reducción significativa en la viscosidad aparente a 10 s-1. Los resultados demuestran que es posible optimizar la estructura de cremas de guisantes con textura modificada destinadas a personas con problemas de disfagia utilizando, por ejemplo, carboximetilcelulosa, goma tara y goma konjac ya que aportan mayor componente viscoso, y, por lo tanto, permiten obtener un bolo más fácil de tragar.[EN] In this work, rheological, viscoelastic and mechanical behavior of pea-thickened cream at two levels (honey and pudding) using 10 hydrocolloids (2 of them specific commercial thickeners for dysphagia), as well as the potential effect that saliva could have during chewing process, were evaluated. Rheological parameters demonstrated that all samples exhibited a thixotropic behavior in the transient regime, and a shear-thinning behavior in the stationary regime, where thickened creams with pectin presented the lowest consistency index and the higher flow behavior index values. Creams thickened with pectin, carboxymethyl cellulose, tara gum and konjac gum exhibited, in the viscoelastic study, a weaker gel structure, with greater contribution of the viscous component. Mechanical analysis showed that creams thickened with konjac gum and tara gum had the lowest hardness, and those with carboxymethylcellulose and pectin, the lowest gumminess values. In the instrumental mastication assay, creams thickened with commercial hydrocolloids were the most affected by the presence of saliva, with a significant reduction in apparent viscosity at 10 s-1. These results demonstrate that it¿s possible to optimize the structure of pea-thickened cream for dysphagia, using, for example, carboxymethyl cellulose, tara gum and konjac gum since they provide greater viscous component, and, therefore, allow to obtain a bolus easier to swallow.[CA] En el present treball es va avaluar el comportament reològic, viscoelàstic i mecànic, així com el potencial efecte que la saliva podria tenir durant el procés de masticació, d'una crema de pèsol amb textura modificada a dos nivells (mel i púding), usant 10 hidrocoloides , 2 d'ells espessidors comercials específics per disfàgia. L'anàlisi reològic reflecteix que totes les mostres van exhibir un 2 comportament tixotròpic en el règim transitori, i un comportament pseudoplàstic en el règim estacionari, presentant les cremes espessides amb pectina els menors valors d'índex de consistència i majors valors d'índex de comportament al flux. L'estudi viscoelàstic indica que les cremes espessides amb pectina, carboximetilcel·lulosa, goma tara i goma konjac van presentar una estructura de gel més feble, amb major contribució del component viscós. L'anàlisi mecànic va mostrar que les cremes espessides amb goma konjac i goma tara van obtenir la menor duresa, i les cremes espessides amb carboximetilcel·lulosa i pectina, els menors valors de gomositat. En l'assaig de simulació de masticació, les cremes espessides amb els hidrocoloides comercials van ser les més afectades per la presència de saliva, amb una reducció significativa en la viscositat aparent a 10 s-1. Els resultats demostren que és possible optimitzar l'estructura de cremes de pèsols amb textura modificada destinades a persones amb problemes de disfàgia utilitzant, per exemple, carboximetilcel·lulosa, goma tara i goma konjac ja que aporten major component viscós, i, per tant, permeten obtenir un bolo més fàcil d'engollir.Castells, ML. (2019). Caracterización reológica, viscoelástica y mecánica de crema de guisante con textura modificada. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/128006TFG

Writing Pedagogy at University

Podeu consultar la versió en català al recurs relacionatUser guide to written communication in academic disciplines (in this case Pedagogy) for teachers and students

Escriure Pedagogia a la Universitat

Podeu consultar la versió en anglès al recurs relacionatGuia que ajuda els destinataris (professorat i alumnat) a comunicar-se, sobretot per escrit, en la seva disciplina acadèmica; pedagogia en aquest cas

Regional asynchronicity in dairy production and processing in early farming communities of the northern Mediterranean

In the absence of any direct evidence, the relative importance of meat and dairy productions to Neolithic prehistoric Mediterranean communities has been extensively debated. Here, we combine lipid residue analysis of ceramic vessels with osteo-archaeological age-at-death analysis from 82 northern Mediterranean and Near Eastern sites dating from the seventh to fifth millennia BC to address this question. The findings show variable intensities in dairy and nondairy activities in the Mediterranean region with the slaughter profiles of domesticated ruminants mirroring the results of the organic residue analyses. The finding of milk residues in very early Neolithic pottery (seventh millennium BC) from both the east and west of the region contrasts with much lower intensities in sites of northern Greece, where pig bones are present in higher frequencies compared with other locations. In this region, the slaughter profiles of all domesticated ruminants suggest meat production predominated. Overall, it appears that milk or the by-products of milk was an important foodstuff, which may have contributed significantly to the spread of these cultural groups by providing a nourishing and sustainable product for early farming communities

A Novel Intragenic Duplication in the HDAC8 Gene Underlying a Case of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome; Genetic disorder; Intragenic duplicationSíndrome de Cornelia de Lange; Trastorno genético; Duplicación intragénicaSíndrome de Cornelia de Lange; Trastorn genètic; Duplicació intragènicaCornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a multisystemic genetic disorder characterized by distinctive facial features, growth retardation, and intellectual disability, as well as various systemic conditions. It is caused by genetic variants in genes related to the cohesin complex. Single-nucleotide variations are the best-known genetic cause of CdLS; however, copy number variants (CNVs) clearly underlie a substantial proportion of cases of the syndrome. The NIPBL gene was thought to be the locus within which clinically relevant CNVs contributed to CdLS. However, in the last few years, pathogenic CNVs have been identified in other genes such as HDAC8, RAD21, and SMC1A. Here, we studied an affected girl presenting with a classic CdLS phenotype heterozygous for a de novo ~32 kbp intragenic duplication affecting exon 10 of HDAC8. Molecular analyses revealed an alteration in the physiological splicing that included a 96 bp insertion between exons 9 and 10 of the main transcript of HDAC8. The aberrant transcript was predicted to generate a truncated protein whose accessibility to the active center was restricted, showing reduced ease of substrate entry into the mutated enzyme. Lastly, we conclude that the duplication is responsible for the patient’s phenotype, highlighting the contribution of CNVs as a molecular cause underlying CdLS.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health-ISCIII Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) (Ref. PI19/01860, to F.J.R. and J.P.) and Diputación General de Aragón-FEDER: European Social Fund (Grupo de Referencia B32_17R/B32_20R, to J.P.). A.L.-P. is supported by a “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” postdoctoral grant from MICIU (Spanish Ministry of Science and Universities), M.G.-S. is supported by a Predoctoral Fellowship from the Diputación General de Aragón, and C.L.-C. is supported by a Predoctoral Fellowship from the MH-ISCIII. This work was also supported by Spanish government grants RTI2018-094434-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and DTS20-00024 (ISCIII) to P.G.-P., as well as funds from the European JPIAMR network “EPIC-Alliance” to P.G.-P. The computational support of the “Centro de Computación Científica CCC-UAM” is gratefully recognized. This work was also partially supported by Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias co-funded with ERDF funds, Grant No. FIS PI20/01767) to A.P. and by Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias co-funded with ERDF funds, Grant No. FIS PI18/000687 to E.F.T

Comparison of a human acellular dermal matrix and a polypropylene mesh for pelvic floor reconstruction : a randomized trial study in a rabbit model

Non-absorbable polypropylene (PP) meshes have been widely used in surgical reconstruction of the pelvic floor disorders. However, they are associated with serious complications. Human acellular dermal matrices (hADM) have demonstrated safety and efficacy in reconstructive medicine, but their suitability and efficacy at vaginal level is not known. This study compares the biological performance of PP mesh and a newly developed hADM. 20 rabbits were randomized to receive the hADM graft or the PP mesh. Grafts were surgically implanted in the abdominal wall and vagina. After 180 days, grafts were explanted and evaluated. The vaginal mesh extrusion rate was higher in the PP group (33% vs. 0%, p = 0.015). Full integration of the vaginal grafts was more frequent in the hADM group, where 35% of the grafts were difficult to recognize. In the PP group, the vaginal mesh was identified in 100% of the animals (p = 0.014). In PP group, the infiltrates had a focal distribution and were mostly located in the internal part of the epithelium, while in the hADM group, the infiltrates had a diffuse distribution. Additionally, the hADM group also presented more B-lymphocytes and less T-lymphocytes. Biomechanical analysis showed that hADM had lower resistance to stress. Moreover, PP mesh stiffness and elasticity were higher. Then, hADM is associated with fewer clinical complications, as well as better tissue integration. However, it shows greater incorporation into the surrounding native tissue, especially in the vaginal location, undergoing a reduction in its biomechanical properties 6 months after implantation

A microRNA Cluster Controls Fat Cell Differentiation and Adipose Tissue Expansion By Regulating SNCG

The H19X-encoded miR-424(322)/503 cluster regulates multiple cellular functions. Here, it is reported for the first time that it is also a critical linchpin of fat mass expansion. Deletion of this miRNA cluster in mice results in obesity, while increasing the pool of early adipocyte progenitors and hypertrophied adipocytes. Complementary loss and gain of function experiments and RNA sequencing demonstrate that miR-424(322)/503 regulates a conserved genetic program involved in the differentiation and commitment of white adipocytes. Mechanistically, it is demonstrated that miR-424(322)/503 targets gamma-Synuclein (SNCG), a factor that mediates this program rearrangement by controlling metabolic functions in fat cells, allowing adipocyte differentiation and adipose tissue enlargement. Accordingly, diminished miR-424(322) in mice and obese humans co-segregate with increased SNCG in fat and peripheral blood as mutually exclusive features of obesity, being normalized upon weight loss. The data unveil a previously unknown regulatory mechanism offat mass expansion tightly controlled by the miR-424(322)/503 through SNCG.Peer reviewe

Gut microbiome signatures linked to HIV-1 reservoir size and viremia control

The potential role of the gut microbiome as a predictor of immune-mediated HIV-1 control in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is still unknown. In the BCN02 clinical trial, which combined the MVA.HIVconsv immunogen with the latency-reversing agent romidepsin in early-ART treated HIV-1 infected individuals, 23% (3/13) of participants showed sustained low-levels of plasma viremia during 32 weeks of a monitored ART pause (MAP). Here, we present a multi-omics analysis to identify compositional and functional gut microbiome patterns associated with HIV-1 control in the BCN02 trial. Viremic controllers during the MAP (controllers) exhibited higher Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio and lower microbial gene richness before vaccination and throughout the study intervention when compared to non-controllers. Longitudinal assessment indicated that the gut microbiome of controllers was enriched in pro-inflammatory bacteria and depleted in butyrate-producing bacteria and methanogenic archaea. Functional profiling also showed that metabolic pathways related to fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis were significantly increased in controllers. Fecal metaproteome analyses confirmed that baseline functional differences were mainly driven by Clostridial es. Participants with high baseline Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio had increased pre-existing immune activation-related transcripts. The Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio as well as host immune-activation signatures inversely correlated with HIV-1 reservoir size. The present proof-of-concept study suggests the Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio as a novel gut microbiome signature associated with HIV-1 reservoir size and immune-mediated viral control after ART interruption. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40168-022-01247-6

Gut microbiome signatures linked to HIV-1 reservoir size and viremia control

Background: The potential role of the gut microbiome as a predictor of immune-mediated HIV-1 control in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is still unknown. In the BCN02 clinical trial, which combined the MVA.HIVconsv immunogen with the latency-reversing agent romidepsin in early-ART treated HIV-1 infected individuals, 23% (3/13) of participants showed sustained low-levels of plasma viremia during 32 weeks of a monitored ART pause (MAP). Here, we present a multi-omics analysis to identify compositional and functional gut microbiome patterns associated with HIV-1 control in the BCN02 trial. Results: Viremic controllers during the MAP (controllers) exhibited higher Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio and lower microbial gene richness before vaccination and throughout the study intervention when compared to non-controllers. Longitudinal assessment indicated that the gut microbiome of controllers was enriched in pro-inflammatory bacteria and depleted in butyrate-producing bacteria and methanogenic archaea. Functional profiling also showed that metabolic pathways related to fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis were significantly increased in controllers. Fecal metaproteome analyses confirmed that baseline functional differences were mainly driven by Clostridiales. Participants with high baseline Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio had increased pre-existing immune activation-related transcripts. The Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio as well as host immune-activation signatures inversely correlated with HIV-1 reservoir size. Conclusions: The present proof-of-concept study suggests the Bacteroidales/Clostridiales ratio as a novel gut microbiome signature associated with HIV-1 reservoir size and immune-mediated viral control after ART interruption. Video abstract

Clinical and Pathological Characterization of Lynch-Like Syndrome

Background & aims: Lynch syndrome is characterized by DNA mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency. Some patients with suspected Lynch syndrome have DNA MMR deficiencies but no detectable mutations in genes that encode MMR proteins-this is called Lynch-like syndrome (LLS). There is no consensus on management of patients with LLS. We collected data from a large series of patients with LLS to identify clinical and pathology features. Methods: We collected data from a nationwide-registry of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in Spain. We identified patients whose colorectal tumors had loss of MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, or MLH1 (based on immunohistochemistry), without the mutation encoding V600E in BRAF (detected by real-time PCR), and/or no methylation at MLH1 (determined by methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification), and no pathogenic mutations in MMR genes, BRAF, or EPCAM (determined by DNA sequencing). These patients were considered to have LLS. We collected data on demographic, clinical, and pathology features and family history of neoplasms. The χ2 test was used to analyze the association between qualitative variables, followed by the Fisher exact test and the Student t test or the Mann-Whitney test for quantitative variables. Results: We identified 160 patients with LLS; their mean age at diagnosis of CRC was 55 years and 66 patients were female (41%). The Amsterdam I and II criteria for Lynch syndrome were fulfilled by 11% of cases and the revised Bethesda guideline criteria by 65% of cases. Of the patients with LLS, 24% were identified in universal screening. There were no proportional differences in sex, indication for colonoscopy, immunohistochemistry, pathology findings, or personal history of CRC or other Lynch syndrome-related tumors between patients who met the Amsterdam and/or Bethesda criteria for Lynch syndrome and patients identified in universal screening for Lynch syndrome, without a family history of CRC. Conclusions: Patients with LLS have homogeneous clinical, demographic, and pathology characteristics, regardless of family history of CRC