Influencia de la suplementación de omega 3 y té verde sobre el deterioro cognitivo en ratas inducidas a obesidad

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Escuela de Posgrado. Maestría en NutriciónLa obesidad producida por un excesivo consumo de grasas en la dieta es un factor de riesgo de deterioro cognitivo, demencia e inclusive enfermedades degenerativas. El objetivo de la tesis fue evaluar el efecto de la administración de té verde (450 mg/kg peso, 38.9 mg EAG/g de té verde) y omega 3 (400 mg/kg peso, 120 mg de EPA y 80 mg DHA) en el deterioro cognitivo de ratas inducidas a obesidad mediante una dieta alta en grasas. El experimento se dividió en dos etapas, en la primera, se indujo a obesidad a 20 ratas con una dieta obesogénica (DO) durante 8 semanas; en la segunda etapa de suministración de suplementos, se distribuyeron aleatoriamente los animales a cada tratamiento: TI, DE; TII, DO; TIII, DO+T; TIV; DO+O-3; TV, DO+T+O-3; continuando su alimentación obesogénica y recibiendo sus suplementos respectivamente durante 30 días. Al término del experimento se evaluó peso corporal, índice de Lee, consumo de alimentos, parámetros sanguíneos (niveles de triglicéridos, c-HDL y glucosa en sangre), citocina proinflamatoria TNF-α y el deterioro cognitivo, la memoria de corto y largo plazo. No se tuvo diferencias estadísticas (p>0.05) para el peso final, índice de Lee, c-HDL y glucosa entre los grupos que recibieron los suplementos y los grupo control; sin embargo, se observó menor nivel de triglicéridos en aquellos animales que recibieron té verde, omega 3 y ambos, en comparación al grupo control DO. Los animales que recibieron DO+T+O-3, mostraron un mayor tiempo de exploración sobre el objeto nuevo y altos valores en los índices de discriminación, observándose un mejor desempeño en la memoria de corto plazo en comparación al grupo DO. En cuanto a la memoria de largo plazo, se observó un serio deterioro de esta, en las ratas que recibieron DO, ya que su capacidad de discriminar entre el objeto novedoso y familiar resulto casi nula; por otro lado, el tratamiento DO+T+O-3 junto con DO+T mostraron los mayores tiempos de exploración del objeto novedoso y mejor performance en la memoria de largo plazo.Obesity arising from excessive dietary fat intake is a risk factor for cognitive decline, dementia including neurodegenerative diseases. The objective of the thesis was to evaluate the effect of the administration of green tea (450 mg/kg weight, 38.9 mg EAG/g green tea) and omega 3 (400 mg/kg weight, 120 mg EPA and 80 mg DHA) on the cognitive impairment of obese rats induced by a high-fat diet. The experiment was divided into two stages: in the first, obesity was induced in 20 rats with an obesogenic diet (OD) for 8 weeks; in the second stage of supplementation, the animals were randomly assigned to each treatment: TI, DE; TII, DO; TIII, DO+T; TIV; DO+O-3; TV, DO+T+O-3; continuing their obesogenic diet and receiving their supplements respectively for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, body weight, Lee index, food consumption, blood parameters (levels of triglycerides, HDL-c and blood glucose), proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and cognitive impairment, short- and long-term memory were evaluated. . There were no statistical differences (p>0.05) for final weight, Lee index, HDL-c and glucose between the groups that received the supplements and the control group; however, a lower level of triglycerides was observed in those animals that received green tea, omega 3 and both, compared to the DO control group. The animals that received DO+T+O-3, showed a longer exploration time on the new object and high values in the discrimination indices, observing a better performance in short-term memory compared to the DO group. As for long-term memory, a serious deterioration was observed in the rats that received OD, since their ability to discriminate between the novel and the familiar object was almost null; On the other hand, the DO+T+O-3 treatment together with DO+T showed the longest exploration times of the novel object and the best performance in long-term memory

Producción de enzimas lingnolíticas con Trametes polyzona LMB TM5 mediante la fermentación por adhesión a superficie empleando residuos de Bolaina Blanca

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Académico de BiologíaSe utilizó la cepa Trametes polyzona LMB TM5 para la producción de enzimas lignolíticas (lacasas, manganeso y ligninaperoxidasa) en residuos de aserrín de Bolaina blanca (Guazuma crinita) en un Sistema de Fermentación por Adhesión a superficies (FAS) utilizando Fermentación en estado Sólido (FES). A través de la investigación realizada se estandarizaron las condiciones de la FES, incluyendo el tamaño de partícula, fuente nitrogenada orgánica e inorgánica, el % (v/v) de inóculo miceliar y la concentración de sulfato de cobre (CuSO4) en el medio de cultivo. Los mayores títulos enzimáticos se obtuvieron con aserrín de tamaño de partícula de 0.5 mm, 7% w/w de torta de soya como fuente de nitrógeno y 5 mM de CuSO4. La actividad de lacasas y lignina peroxidasa fue de 2.04 U g-1 y 2.6 U g-1 , respectivamente las 360 horas de cultivo y la máxima actividad de manganeso peroxidasa se obtuvo a las 240 horas con un título de 0.72 U g-1 . Además, se determinó la capacidad de deslignificación de T. polyzona LMB TM5 en la FES estandarizada. Los resultados indicaron que la cepa tiene potencial para la degradación de lignina, registrándose una pérdida de 9.4% de lignina insoluble equivalente a 2.8 gramos a los 15 días de iniciado el proceso de incubación. Además, se realizó la inmovilización de micelio de T. polyzona LMB TM5 en perlas de gel de alginato para la producción de semilla. Los cultivos inoculados con perlas de alginato registraron mayores títulos de lacasas en comparación con el uso de inóculo miceliar, obteniéndose 2.44 U g-1 y 2.04 U g-1 , respectivamente. En el caso de manganeso y lignina peroxidasa la producción enzimática fue menor utilizando la matriz de alginato que en el de células libres obteniéndose 0.4 U g-1 y 0.57 U g-1 y 0.74 U g-1 y 2.6 U g-1 , respectivamente. Finalmente se realizó la deshidratación de perlas de alginato a 37°C. Los resultados demostraron que la producción enzimática disminuyó progresivamente en relación al tiempo de almacenamiento.Trametes polyzona LMB TM5 strain was used for the production of lignolytic enzymes (laccases, manganese and lignin peroxidase) in sawdust residues from Bolaina blanca (Guazuma crinita) in a Surface Adhesion Fermentation System (FAS) using Solid State Fermentation (FES). Through the research carried out, the conditions of the FES were standardized, including the particle size, organic and inorganic nitrogenous source, the % (v/v) of mycelial inoculum and the concentration of copper sulfate (CuSO4) in the medium culture. The highest enzymatic titers were obtained with 0.5 mm particle size sawdust, 7% w/w soybean cake as nitrogen source and 5 mM CuSO4. Laccase and lignin peroxidase activity was 2.04 Ug -1 and 2.6 Ug-1 , respectively, at 360 hours of culture, and the maximum manganese peroxidase activity was obtained at 240 hours with a titer of 0.72 Ug -1 . In addition, the delignification capacity of T. polyzona LMB TM5 in the standardized FES was determined. The results indicated that the strain has a high potential for lignin degradation, registering a loss of 9.4% of insoluble lignin equivalent to 2.8 grams 15 days after the incubation process began. In addition, the mycelium of T. polyzona LMB TM5 was immobilized on alginate gel beads for seed production. Cultures inoculated with alginate beads recorded higher laccase titers compared to the use of mycelial inoculum, obtaining 2.44 Ug -1 and 2.04 Ug -1 , respectively. In the case of manganese and lignin peroxidase, the enzymatic production was lower using the alginate matrix than in that of free cells, obtaining 0.4 Ug -1 and 0.57 Ug -1 and 0.74 Ug -1 and 2.6 Ug -1 , respectively. Finally, the alginate beads were dehydrated at 37°C. The results showed that enzyme production progressively decreased in relation to storage time

Spectrometer for X-ray emission experiments at FERMI free-electron-laser

A portable and compact photon spectrometer to be used for photon in-photon out experiments, in particular x-ray emission spectroscopy, is presented. The instrument operates in the 25\u2013800 eV energy range to cover the full emissions of the FEL1 and FEL2 stages of FERMI. The optical design consists of two interchangeable spherical varied-lined-spaced gratings and a CCD detector. Different input sections can be accommodated, with/without an entrance slit and with/without an additional relay mirror, that allow to mount the spectrometer in different end-stations and at variable distances from the target area both at synchrotron and at free-electron-laser beamlines. The characterization on the Gas Phase beamline at ELETTRA Synchrotron (Italy) is presented

Three-Dimensional Shapes of Spinning Helium Nanodroplets

A significant fraction of superfluid helium nanodroplets produced in a free-jet expansion have been observed to gain high angular momentum resulting in large centrifugal deformation. We measured single-shot diffraction patterns of individual rotating helium nanodroplets up to large scattering angles using intense extreme ultraviolet light pulses from the FERMI free-electron laser. Distinct asymmetric features in the wide-angle diffraction patterns enable the unique and systematic identification of the three-dimensional droplet shapes. The analysis of a large dataset allows us to follow the evolution from axisymmetric oblate to triaxial prolate and two-lobed droplets. We find that the shapes of spinning superfluid helium droplets exhibit the same stages as classical rotating droplets while the previously reported metastable, oblate shapes of quantum droplets are not observed. Our three-dimensional analysis represents a valuable landmark for clarifying the interrelation between morphology and superfluidity on the nanometer scale

Sustainable strategies for management of the “false root-knot nematode” Nacobbus spp.

The genus Nacobbus, known as the false root-knot nematode, is native to the American continent and comprises polyphagous species adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions. Alone or in combination with other biotic and abiotic factors, Nacobbus spp. can cause significant economic yield losses on main food crops such as potato, sugar beet, tomato, pepper and bean, in South and North America. Although the genus distribution is restricted to the American continent, it has quarantine importance and is subject to international legislation to prevent its spread to other regions, such as the European Union. The management of Nacobbus spp. remains unsatisfactory due to the lack of information related to different aspects of its life cycle, survival stages in the soil and in plant material, a rapid and reliable diagnostic method for its detection and the insufficient source of resistant plant genotypes. Due to the high toxicity of chemical nematicides, the search for alternatives has been intensified. Therefore, this review reports findings on the application of environmentally benign treatments to manage Nacobbus spp. Biological control strategies, such as the use of different organisms (mainly bacteria, fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes) and other eco-compatible approaches (such as metabolites, essential oils, plant extracts, phytohormones and amendments), either alone or as part of a combined control strategy, are discussed. Knowledge of potential sources of resistance for genetic improvement for crops susceptible to Nacobbus spp. are also reported. The sustainable strategies outlined here offer immediate benefits, not only to counter the pathogen, but also as good alternatives to improve crop health and growth

The impact of Nursing Homes staff education on end-of-life care in residents with advanced dementia: a quality improvement study

Context. End-of-life care in nursing homes (NHs) needs improvement. We carried out a study in 29 NHs in the Lombardy Region (Italy).Objectives. The objective of this study was to compare end-of-life care in NH residents with advanced dementia before and after an educational intervention aimed to improving palliative care.Methods. The intervention consisted of a seven-hour lecture, followed by two 3-hour meetings consisting of case discussions. The intervention was held in each NH and well attended by NH staff. This multicenter, comparative, observational study included up to 20 residents with advanced dementia from each NH: the last 10 who died before the intervention (preintervention group, 245 residents) and the first 10 who died at least three months after the intervention (postintervention group, 237 residents). Data for these residents were collected from records for 60 days and seven days before death.Results. The use of "comfort hydration" (< 1000 mL/day subcutaneously) tended to increase from 16.9% to 26.8% in the postintervention group. The number of residents receiving a palliative approach for nutrition and hydration increased, though not significantly, from 24% preintervention to 31.5% postintervention. On the other hand, the proportion of tube-fed residents and residents receiving intravenous hydration decreased from 15.5% to 10.5%, and from 52% to 42%, respectively. Cardiopulmonary resuscitations decreased also from 52/245 (21%) to 18/237 (7.6%) cases (P = 0.002).Conclusion. The short educational intervention modified some practices relevant to the quality of end-of-life care of advanced dementia patients in NHs, possibly raising and reinforcing beliefs and attitudes already largely present. (C) 2018 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

The last week of life of nursing home residents with advanced dementia: a retrospective study

Background Barriers to palliative care still exist in long-term care settings for older people, which can mean that people with advanced dementia may not receive of adequate palliative care in the last days of their life; instead, they may be exposed to aggressive and/or inappropriate treatments. The aim of this multicentre study was to assess the clinical interventions and care at end of life in a cohort of nursing home (NH) residents with advanced dementia in a large Italian region. Methods This retrospective study included a convenience sample of 29 NHs in the Lombardy Region. Data were collected from the clinical records of 482 residents with advanced dementia, who had resided in the NH for at least 6 months before death, mainly focusing on the 7 days before death. Results Most residents (97.1%) died in the NH. In the 7 days before death, 20% were fed and hydrated by mouth, and 13.4% were tube fed. A median of five, often inappropriate, drugs were prescribed. Fifty-seven percent of residents had an acknowledgement of worsening condition recorded in their clinical records, a median of 4 days before death. Conclusions Full implementation of palliative care was not achieved in our study, possibly due to insufficient acknowledgement of the appropriateness of some drugs and interventions, and health professionals' lack of implementation of palliative interventions. Future studies should focus on how to improve care for NH residents

Deep neural networks for classifying complex features in diffraction images

Intense short-wavelength pulses from free-electron lasers and high-harmonic-generation sources enable diffractive imaging of individual nano-sized objects with a single x-ray laser shot. The enormous data sets with up to several million diffraction patterns represent a severe problem for data analysis, due to the high dimensionality of imaging data. Feature recognition and selection is a crucial step to reduce the dimensionality. Usually, custom-made algorithms are developed at a considerable effort to approximate the particular features connected to an individual specimen, but facing different experimental conditions, these approaches do not generalize well. On the other hand, deep neural networks are the principal instrument for today's revolution in automated image recognition, a development that has not been adapted to its full potential for data analysis in science. We recently published in Langbehn et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 255301 (2018)) the first application of a deep neural network as a feature extractor for wide-angle diffraction images of helium nanodroplets. Here we present the setup, our modifications and the training process of the deep neural network for diffraction image classification and its systematic benchmarking. We find that deep neural networks significantly outperform previous attempts for sorting and classifying complex diffraction patterns and are a significant improvement for the much-needed assistance during post-processing of large amounts of experimental coherent diffraction imaging data.Comment: Published Version. Github code available at: https://github.com/julian-carpenter/airyne