The impact of poor fetal growth and chronic hyperpalatable diet exposure in adulthood on hippocampal function and feeding patterns in male rats.

Poor fetal growth affects eating behavior and the mesocorticolimbic system; however, its influence on the hippocampus has been less explored. Brain insulin sensitivity has been linked to developmental plasticity in response to fetal adversity and to cognitive performance following high-fat diet intake. We investigated whether poor fetal growth and exposure to chronic hyperpalatable food in adulthood could influence the recognition of environmental and food cues, eating behavior patterns, and hippocampal insulin signaling. At 60 days of life, we assigned male offspring from a prenatal animal model of 50% food restriction (FR) to receive either a high-fat and -sugar (HFS) diet or standard chow (CON) diet. Behavioral tests were conducted at 140 days, then tissues were collected. HFS groups showed a diminished hippocampal pAkt/Akt ratio. FR-CON and FR-HFS groups had higher levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, compared to control groups. FR groups showed increased exploration of a novel hyperpalatable food, independent of their diet, and HFS groups exhibited overall lower entropy (less random, more predictable eating behavior) when the environment changed. Poor fetal growth and chronic HFS diet in adulthood altered hippocampal insulin signaling and eating patterns, diminishing the flexibility associated with eating behavior in response to extrinsic changes in food availability in the environment.

Influence of soaking and solvent extraction for deodorization of texturized pea protein isolate on the formulation and properties of hybrid meat patties.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid batters constitute the base for the processing of cooked and dry meat analogues. The use of texturized plant proteins in their formulation is a key strategy to reduce the consumption of animal proteins, although off-flavors present in these plant proteins often cause sensory rejection. The aim was to study the effect of a deodorization process of pea protein, for their use in hybrid meat batters at different percentages of substitution. RESULTS: Hybrid patties with higher percentages of pea protein showed higher values of yellowness, pH, and water activity, whereas hardness was reduced. Soaking treatment with ethanol for deodorization of the texturized pea protein increased humidity and pH in all patties but reduced the textural properties (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness). The addition of oat flour improved the patty texture at higher percentages of pea protein, but in soaked deodorized patty formulations it affected volatile retention. Volatile compounds related to off-flavors (aldehydes, alcohols, acid compounds, ketones, and pyrazines) appeared significantly increased as the pea percentage increased, although these were efficiently removed by the soaking deodorizing process applied. CONCLUSION: Soaking of the texturized pea protein with ethanol is an effective strategy to reduce off-flavors in hybrid meat patties. However, it produces changes in the textural characteristics by the solubilization of the proteins of the texturized pea, reducing the availability to form a network and affecting volatile retention. The formulation of hybrid batter should be controlled in all sensory aspects for the processing of cooked and dry cured meat product analogues. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 among children with asthma: evidence from Global Asthma Network.

BACKGROUND: Clinical presentations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among children with asthma have rarely been investigated. This study aimed to assess clinical manifestations and outcome of COVID-19 among children with asthma, and whether the use of asthma medications was associated with outcomes of interest. METHODS: The Global Asthma Network (GAN) conducted a global survey among GAN centers. Data collection was between November 2020 and April 2021. RESULTS: Fourteen GAN centers from 10 countries provided data on 169 children with asthma infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was asymptomatic in 58 (34.3%), mild in 93 (55.0%), moderate in 14 (8.3%), and severe/critical in 4 (2.4%). Thirty-eight (22.5%) patients had exacerbation of asthma and 21 (12.4%) were hospitalized for a median of 7 days (interquartile range 3-16). Those who had moderate or more severe COVID-19 were significantly more likely to have exacerbation of asthma as compared to those who were asymptomatic or had mild COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 3.97, 95% CI 1.23-12.84). Those who used inhaled bronchodilators were significantly more likely to have a change of asthma medications (adjOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.02-5.63) compared to those who did not. Children who used inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) did not differ from those who did not use ICS with regard to being symptomatic, severity of COVID-19, asthma exacerbation, and hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Over dependence on inhaled bronchodilator may be inappropriate. Use of ICS may be safe and should be continued in children with asthma during the pandemic of COVID-19.

Impact of freeze-drying conditions on the sensory perception of a freeze-dried orange snack.

BACKGROUND: The health benefits provided by fruit mean that there is continuous interest in offering consumers new products to stimulate its consumption. To this end, dehydrated fruit snacks may be an interesting option. In this study, we evaluated the impact of freezing rate (slow and high), shelf temperature (40 and 50 °C), and working pressure (5 and 100 Pa) on the perception and acceptability of a freeze-dried orange snack obtained from an orange puree. RESULTS: Of the different freeze-drying conditions studied, working pressure was the variable with the greatest effect. The lowest working pressure (5 Pa) led to samples being obtained with a slightly lower water content, which was perceived with higher citrus flavor and crispiest. The highest pressure (100 Pa) led to samples with a greater water content, perceived with a more yellow intense color. Nevertheless, there is no significant consumer preference for any of the different processed samples. The number of force peaks, which is positively correlated with the crispness, shows a significant and negative correlation (r = -0.91) with the water content of the sample. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that considerations other than the sensory can determine the best conditions of the freeze-drying process with which to obtain an orange snack. The number of force peaks obtained from a penetration test may be proposed as a tool for instrumental analysis of the snack's crispness that supplies information closely resembling customer perception of this attribute. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

B·RIGHT: usability and satisfaction with a mobile app for self-managing emotional crises in patients with borderline personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by emotional crises. To date, crisis interventions for BPD have been conducted via telephone calls and emergency units, which are associated with an extra amount of resources. The aim of this research was to test the usability and satisfaction with a psychotherapeutic mobile app for self-managing crises in BPD. METHOD: The B·RIGHT app was designed based on Artificial Intelligence psychotherapeutic algorithms. Usability and satisfaction with the app were assessed in 25 outpatients diagnosed with BPD (84% female, mean age = 35.80 years) using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and other questionnaires. Clinical features were assessed using the Borderline Symptom List, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Beck's Depression Inventory. RESULTS: Patients with BPD considered the app user-friendly (mean total score = 4.03) and highly satisfactory (mean total score = 4.02), resulting in a positive user experience (mean total score = 4.09). Total usability was negatively associated with age (r = -.44), positively associated with educational level (rho = .47) and with overall emotion dysregulation (r = .51), and negatively associated with depression severity (r = -.47). CONCLUSIONS: The usability and satisfaction testing of the B·RIGHT app showed promising findings, which warrant further research in order to validate its effectiveness.

Sensory characterization of juice obtained via rehydration of freeze-dried and spray-dried grapefruit.

BACKGROUND: The acceptability of grapefruit juice obtained from rehydrated freeze-dried and spray-dried fruit was studied and compared with that of natural freshly squeezed juice and that of a commercial juice. The rheological properties, colour and solute concentration were determined. A sensory evaluation was developed to evaluate juice acceptability. Furthermore, a penalty analysis was used to determine the attributes with improvement potential as well as some CATA (check all that apply) questions, where consumers marked the most characteristic attributes of each sample. RESULTS: The rehydrated samples were different from the commercial and natural juices. When grapefruit is freeze-dried or spray-dried, gum arabic and bamboo fibre are added and part of the fruit pulp is present; this is not so in the other juices under study. This supposes greater viscosity, luminosity and chroma together with a reddish tone of the rehydrated juices, especially the freeze-dried ones. It also affects their acidity, astringency and sweetness. CONCLUSION: Rehydrating the freeze-dried or spray-dried powder to the level of the natural juice, instead of that of the crushed or liquidized grapefruit, and incorporating sugar at this stage would probably improve the quality of the samples. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Early maladaptive schemas associated with dimensional and categorical psychopathology in patients with borderline personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the foundations for a schema-focused therapy model for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. METHODS: The sample consisted of 102 borderline personality disorder outpatients. Dimensional psychopathology was assessed using the Scale for Suicidal Ideation, the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Symptom CheckList Revised. Categorical psychopathology was measured using the structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I Disorders, Patient Edition. Stepwise linear/logistic multiple regression analyses were used to determine the predictive role of the schema domains tested by the Young Schema Questionnaire on both types of psychopathology. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated for those binary outcomes. RESULTS: Regarding dimensional psychopathology, disconnection/rejection predicted greater suicidal ideation (ß = .39, p = .002), physical/overt aggressiveness (ß = .27, p = .05), and psychotic-like symptoms, such as paranoid ideation (ß = .35, p = .003). Other-directedness predicted greater anger/inner aggressiveness (ß = .22, p = .05) and internalizing symptoms, such as phobic anxiety (ß = .39, p = .001). Regarding categorical psychopathology, disconnection/rejection significantly predicted the presence of lifetime comorbidities with eating disorders (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.99-1.24) and posttraumatic stress disorder (AOR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.04-1.3), resulting in a good balance of sensitivity/specificity, respectively (.97/.96 and .88/.89). Other-directedness significantly predicted the absence of lifetime comorbidity with substance-use disorders (AOR = .74, 95% CI = 0.57-0.95). These relationships remained significant after controlling for confounders (e.g., comorbidity with other personality disorders, clinical global severity). CONCLUSIONS: Two schema domains, disconnection/rejection and other-directedness, were directly associated with dimensional and categorical psychopathology among borderline personality disorder patients. These findings provide further information about the foundations and target interventions when implementing schema-focused therapy on this population.

New hydrocolloid-based emulsions for replacing fat in panna cottas: a structural and sensory study.

BACKGROUND: Dairy desserts are popular traditional products, but because of their high calorie or fat content, they can be unsuitable for people who have certain dietary requirements. The aim of this study was to design panna cottas with similar organoleptic and textural properties to the traditional ones but with a lower fat content, by replacing part of the cream with new emulsions prepared with hydrocolloids (cellulose ethers), namely methylcellulose (MC) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). RESULTS: Incorporating the MC and HPMC emulsions modified the textural properties (firmness and stiffness) of the panna cottas. Regarding the sensory results, the panna cottas prepared with the MC and HPMC emulsions were considered lumpy and soft respectively. CONCLUSION: Considering the results as a whole, the cellulose type and the amount of cream are factors to take into account. Although the texture and taste of the control panna cotta are better than those of the panna cottas prepared with the MC and HPMC emulsions, it is possible to replace 75% of the cream in traditional panna cottas with HPMC emulsion and obtain good consumer acceptance and purchase intention. The panna cottas with 75% substitution by HPMC emulsion were described as creamy, with smooth appearance and moist mouth feel. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Satiation and satiety in the regulation of energy intake]. / Saciación vs saciedad: reguladores del consumo alimentario.

The study of the factors that regulate high energy food intake is especially relevant nowadays due to the high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Food intake regulation can be divided in two basic processes, namely satiation and satiety. Satiation is the process that determines the moment in which feeding stops and regulates the amount of ingested food during a single meal. Satiety is the interval between meals and regulates the time elapsed between two meals. The longer the interval, the lower energy intake. Each of these processes are regulated by different factors, which are here reviewed.

Elucidation of key aroma compounds in traditional dry fermented sausages using different extraction techniques.

BACKGROUND: The use of different extraction techniques - solid phase microextraction (SPME) and solvent assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE) - can deliver different aroma profiles and it is essential to determine which is most suitable to extract the aroma compounds from dry fermented sausages. RESULTS: Forty-five aroma-active compounds were detected by SPME and SAFE, with 11 of them reported for the first time as aroma compounds in dry fermented sausages: ethyl 3-hydroxy butanoate, trimethyl pyrazine, D-pantolactone, isobutyl hexanoate, ethyl benzoate, α-terpineol, ethyl 3-pyridinecarboxylate, benzothiazole, 2,3-dihydrothiophene, methyl eugenol, γ-nonalactone. The aroma concentration and odour activity values (OAVs) were calculated. Flavour reconstitution analyses were performed using 20 odorants with OAVs above 1 obtained from the SAFE and SPME extracts to prepare the aroma model. CONCLUSION: SPME and SAFE techniques were complementary and necessary to reproduce the overall dry fermented sausage aroma. The final aroma model included the odorants from both extraction techniques (SPME and SAFE) but it was necessary to incorporate the compounds 2,4-decadienal (E,E), benzothiazole, methyl eugenol, α-terpineol, and eugenol to the final aroma model to evoked the fresh sausage aroma although a lowest cured meat aroma note was perceived.

Characterizing offspring of bipolar parents: a review of the literature.

Offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (O-BP) is a high-risk cohort for mental illness in general and bipolar disorder (BD) specifically. This review aims to delineate the main clinical features of O-BP, including the psychopathology, interpersonal functioning, temperamental and personality features, neurocognitive deficits and neurobiological dysfunctions. Evidence indicates that several internalizing and externalizing symptoms/disorders are more prevalent in O-BP than in offspring of healthy control parents (O-HC). Furthermore, O-BP exhibits poorer interpersonal functioning than O-HC. Moreover, O-BP also endorses higher activity level, emotionality and behavioral disinhibition compared to O-HC. Besides, O-BP displays greater deficits on memory, cognitive flexibility and social cognition compared to O-HC. Finally, O-BP exhibits dysfunctional modulation in cortico- subcortical areas, more white matter abnormalities and higher cortisol basal levels compared to O-HC. Overall, these findings are discussed regarding the natural course and potential risk factors or endophenotypes for major mood disorders in general and BD specifically.

Psychopathology and quality of life among patients with comorbidity between schizophrenia spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: no evidence for a "schizo-obsessive" subtype.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have found that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is estimated to occur in up to 12% of patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, several etiopathogenic mechanisms have been postulated for understanding this co-occurrence. Whether this subgroup of "schizo-obsessive" patients may be posed as a clinical entity with a distinct psychopathological and functioning profile remains unclear. METHOD: A sample of adult patients who met DSM-IV criteria for both schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and OCD (n=30) was compared with a "non-OCD schizophrenic" group (n=37) and another subset of "non-schizophrenic OCD" patients (n=30). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS), the Clinical Global Severity scale (CGI), the Quality of Life Scale (QLS), and the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. RESULTS: We found that "schizo-obsessive" subjects did not show significant differences in any outcome measures when compared to the "non-OCD schizophrenic" group. Furthermore, statistical analyses also revealed that the "non-schizophrenic OCD" group tended to have lower severity of psychopathology as well as greater quality of life than both psychotic groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that comorbidity between schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and OCD does not comprise a distinct clinical entity, particularly when compared to "non-OCD schizophrenia" disorder. Discrepancies among previous studies may be justified by methodological divergences.

Impact of paprika and dextrose addition on dry cured loins microbiota and its effect on aroma development.

The impact of paprika and dextrose addition on the surface of dry cured loins was analysed attending to differences in microbiota composition and aroma profile. Three different types of loins containing either dextrose (D), paprika (P) or a mixture of dextrose and paprika (DP) were manufactured. The loins were characterized using physic-chemical parameters, free amino acids, volatile compounds and aroma sensorial analysis, as well as applying microbiological counts and metagenomics of the 16S rRNA gene and its rDNA region. The analysis of volatile compounds clearly distinguished all loins, whereas the total content of free amino acids only separated P from D and DP loins. The main sensory differences were linked to paprika addition, which increased the perception of paprika and smoky odors as well as cured, savoury and cheesy notes. Microbial counts analysis could not differentiate between the three loin types; however, metagenomics analysis revealed clear differences in key bacterial and fungal genera among the three loins. Paprika addition favoured dominance of Latilactobacillus in the microbiota of P loins. On the contrary, dextrose addition caused the dominance of Staphylococcus in the microbiota of D loins. In DP loins, both genera were similarly represented in the bacterial community. Regarding fungi, large differences could be observed within the P and D loins, whereas the proportion of Debaryomyces in DP loins increased. The microbiota composition of DP loins controlled the lipid oxidation phenomenon, reducing the generation of derived volatiles producing rancid notes and increase the volatile compounds derived from amino acids such as branched aldehydes, pyrazines and pyrroles, providing particular aroma notes to the loins.

Impact of Time on Parameters for Assessing the Microstructure Equivalence of Topical Products: Diclofenac 1% Emulsion as a Case Study.

The demonstration of bioequivalence proposed in the European Medicines Agency's (EMA's) draft guideline for topical products with the same qualitative and quantitative composition requires the confirmation of the internal structure equivalence. The impact of the shelf-life on the parameters proposed for internal structure comparison has not been studied. The objectives of this work were: (1) to quantify the effect of the time since manufacturing on the mean value and variability of the parameters proposed by the EMA to characterize the internal structure and performance of topical formulations of a complex topical formulation, and (2) to evaluate the impact of these changes on the assessment of the microstructure equivalence. A total of 5 batches of a topical emulgel containing 1% diclofenac diethylamine were evaluated 5, 14, and 23 months after manufacture. The zero-shear viscosity (η0), viscosity at 100 s-1 (η100), yield stress (σ0), elastic (G') and viscous (G″) moduli, internal phase droplet size and in vitro release of the active ingredient were characterized. While no change in variability over time was detected, the mean value of all the parameters changed, especially the droplet size and in vitro release. Thus, combining data from batches of different manufacturing dates may compromise the determination of bioequivalence. The results confirm that to assess the microstructural similarity of complex formulations (such as emulgel), the 90% confidence interval limit for the mean difference in rheological and in vitro release parameters should be 20% and 25%, respectively.

Influence of formulation on the quality and stability of a freeze-dried Mandarin product.

Consumers demand products of high quality, healthy, safe, and easy to manage. A freeze-dried fruit snack can meet this demand, but this kind of product may collapse rapidly, becoming highly sticky. To avoid this, adding biopolymers can improve their stability. Nevertheless, these biopolymers can negatively affect other quality characteristics such as the color, texture, and flavor. Therefore, selecting the best biopolymer or combination of biopolymers is an indispensable task to offer freeze-dried fruit. The aim of this study was to know the impact of gum Arabic, starch modified with octenyl succinic anhydrous, bamboo fiber and milk protein isolate on the color, glass transition temperature, and stability of some textural related properties of a freeze-dried mandarin snack. The study showed the convenience of incorporate mixtures of the considered biopolymers to mandarin puree as to ensure the crispy character of the snack, associated with its glassy state, without this having a significant impact on the product color. The best formulation was that obtained with a mix of gum Arabic and bamboo fiber.

Understanding the impact of nitrogen and sulfur precursors on the aroma of dry fermented sausages.

The goal of this study was to confirm and acquire more information about the nitrogen and sulfur compounds existing in the volatile profile of dry fermented sausages from the addition of precursors (proline, ornithine and thiamine), and their role in sausage aroma. To this end, the precursors were added to the formulation of sausages, which were submitted to a fermentation and drying process. The sausage aroma was analyzed by olfactometry technique and Free Choice Profile sensory analysis. The results showed that the addition of precursors impacted the aroma, and reduced the level of oxidation in the final sausages while microbial differences were mainly observed in Orn-sausages. Among the aroma compounds detected only 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)furan verified the effect of thiamine supplementation and the impact on the cured and savoury odours detected in Thia-sausages by Free Choice profile sensory analysis, while no clear effect could be attributed to specific volatile compounds in the nitrogen supplemented sausages.

Aroma enhancement in dry cured loins by the addition of nitrogen and sulfur precursors.

Dry cured loins containing nitrogen (proline and ornithine) and sulfur (thiamine) compounds as precursors of aroma compounds at two concentration levels were manufactured. The effect of precursor addition on the microbiology and chemical parameters of loins was studied together with the aroma study performed by olfactometry and Free Choice Profile sensory analyses. Addition of precursors did not affect the microbial and chemical parameters, while aroma was affected when precursors were added at the highest level. The dry loin aroma profile was mainly composed by compounds 3-methylbutanal, methional, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and 2-acetylpyrrole that contribute to musty, cooked potatoes, fruity, cheesy, mushroom, roasted and meaty odor notes. Proline and ornithine supplementation modified the loins aroma profile producing toasted odors, while the effect of thiamine supplementation on the aroma was revealed by the presence of sulfur derived compounds (methional and 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)furan) that contribute to the "cured meat odor".

Toxic Leadership and Empowering Leadership: Relations with Work Motivation.

Purpose: The present study aims to verify the association between two opposing models of leadership, toxic and empowering, and the different dimensions of work motivation. Participants and Methods: Three questionnaires (Toxic Leadership Scale, Empowering Leadership Questionnaire, and Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale) were applied to 408 workers. Cluster analysis was performed. Results: Cluster analysis produced eight clusters based on the different configurations of leadership dimensions, namely coercive, centralizer, false paternalistic, toxic role model, coach, narcissistic-empowering, toxic, and empowering. Those clusters relate differently to work motivation dimensions. Conclusion: The profiles with higher scores in empowering leadership dimensions are more generally related to autonomous regulation (identified and intrinsic work motivation). The profiles with higher toxic leadership dimensions are more related to amotivation and controlled regulation (extrinsic work motivation). One profile stood out: the narcissistic-empowering profile that combines high scores in narcissistic leadership and empowering leadership dimensions. This profile unexpectedly relates significantly to autonomous regulation. This study contributed to the knowledge of the work motivation dimensions concerning empowerment and toxic leadership. Therefore, it contributes to deepening the nomological network of the concepts and providing inputs to human resource processes suitable to improving the organizational results and the workers' quality of life.

Low-density lipoprotein density determination by electric conductivity.

The predominance of small dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. A simple but precise method has been developed, based on electrical conductivity of an isopycnic gradient of KBr, to obtain density values of human LDL fraction. The results obtained can distinguish LDL density populations and their subfractions from different patients. These data were corroborated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (structure) and light-scattering analyses (size).

Development of Structured Sunflower Oil Systems for Decreasing Trans and Saturated Fatty Acid Content in Bakery Creams.

In this work, the design of low moisture (10%) oil/water emulsions based on sunflower oil were investigated, as well as their application in a bakery cream as a conventional fat replacer. The emulsions were dehydrated to reach 10% moisture content, achieving highly concentrated vegetable oil gel emulsions of different consistencies and qualities. Physical properties of the dried emulsions were evaluated by texture, microstructure, and oil loss determination. The reformulated bakery creams with the dried emulsions obtained from 47% oil showed better spreadability, viscosity, and viscoelasticity properties. A shortening replacement with the dried emulsion obtained from 70% initial oil caused a negative impact on the creams' consistency, with lower viscosity and lower hysteresis area, revealing a weakness of structure. This research provided new knowledge about the structuration of vegetable oils through concentrated emulsions and their application as a source of healthy fat in creams for bakery applications.