Potential Interest of Oxalis pes-caprae L., a Wild Edible Plant, for the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries.

(1) Background: Oxalis pes-caprae L. is a plant considered within the group of so-called Wild Edible Plants (WEPs). The particularity of these plants is that they grow only with the natural resources at their disposal. Unfortunately, these types of plants are undervalued, being regularly uprooted from the fields. (2) Methods: Therefore, this study aimed to valorize the Oxalis pes-caprae plant, analyzing the proximate composition (sugars, organic acids, minerals, amino acids profile, fatty acids content, and volatile profile) of the plant shoots (flower, leaves, and stem) to demonstrate the full potential of this WEP. (3) Results: The results showed that Oxalis pes-caprae can be considered a natural source of minerals; furthermore, 19 essential and non-essential amino acids were found. Regarding the fatty acid profile, flowers are an important source of linoleic acid, and leaves present a high amount of α-linolenic acid. (4) Conclusions: Therefore, this research provides new information that reaffirms the capacity of Oxalis pes-caprae L. (WEP) to be a plant with great future progression due to its nutritional quality since it could be used in the food, nutritional, or pharmaceutical fields. Further research must be conducted to assay the biomass production and the costs of recommending farmers not to destroy this plant in their fields.

Automating the analysis of eye movement for different neurodegenerative disorders.

The clinical observation and assessment of extra-ocular movements is common practice in assessing neurodegenerative disorders but remains observer-dependent. In the present study, we propose an algorithm that can automatically identify saccades, fixation, smooth pursuit, and blinks using a non-invasive eye tracker. Subsequently, response-to-stimuli-derived interpretable features were elicited that objectively and quantitatively assess patient behaviors. The cohort analysis encompasses persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease mimics (PDM), and controls (CTRL). Overall, results suggested that the AD/MCI and PD groups had significantly different saccade and pursuit characteristics compared to CTRL when the target moved faster or covered a larger visual angle during smooth pursuit. These two groups also displayed more omitted antisaccades and longer average antisaccade latency than CTRL. When reading a text passage silently, people with AD/MCI had more fixations. During visual exploration, people with PD demonstrated a more variable saccade duration than other groups. In the prosaccade task, the PD group showed a significantly smaller average hypometria gain and accuracy, with the most statistical significance and highest AUC scores of features studied. The minimum saccade gain was a PD-specific feature different from CTRL and PDM. These features, as oculographic biomarkers, can be potentially leveraged in distinguishing different types of NDs, yielding more objective and precise protocols to diagnose and monitor disease progression.

Interpretable speech features vs. DNN embeddings: What to use in the automatic assessment of Parkinson's disease in multi-lingual scenarios.

Speech-based approaches for assessing Parkinson's Disease (PD) often rely on feature extraction for automatic classification or detection. While many studies prioritize accuracy by using non-interpretable embeddings from Deep Neural Networks, this work aims to explore the predictive capabilities and language robustness of both feature types in a systematic fashion. As interpretable features, prosodic, linguistic, and cognitive descriptors were adopted, while x-vectors, Wav2Vec 2.0, HuBERT, and TRILLsson representations were used as non-interpretable features. Mono-lingual, multi-lingual, and cross-lingual machine learning experiments were conducted leveraging six data sets comprising speech recordings from various languages: American English, Castilian Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech. For interpretable feature-based models, the mean of the best F1-scores obtained from each language was 81% in mono-lingual, 81% in multi-lingual, and 71% in cross-lingual experiments. For non-interpretable feature-based models, instead, they were 85% in mono-lingual, 88% in multi-lingual, and 79% in cross-lingual experiments. Firstly, models based on non-interpretable features outperformed interpretable ones, especially in cross-lingual experiments. Specifically, TRILLsson provided the most stable and accurate results across tasks and data sets. Conversely, the two types of features adopted showed some level of language robustness in multi-lingual and cross-lingual experiments. Overall, these results suggest that interpretable feature-based models can be used by clinicians to evaluate the deterioration of the speech of patients with PD, while non-interpretable feature-based models can be leveraged to achieve higher detection accuracy.

Valorization of Wild Edible Plants as Food Ingredients and Their Economic Value.

(1) Background: Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) are plants that grow without human help, by simply using the available resources. These types of plants are undervalued, because there is a lack of knowledge about their bioactive composition and nutritional/functional potential. (2) Scope and Approach: The main aim of this review is to fully identify the potential uses and importance of WEPs in certain regions based on (i) their sustainability, because they grow with their own resources, (ii) their content of bioactive compounds and consequently nutritional and functional value, (iii) their socio-economic relevance, and (iv) their ability to be useful in the agri-food industry in the short term. (3) Results: This review found evidence that a consumption of between 100 and 200 g of some of these WEPs can cover up to 50% of the recommended daily intake of proteins and fiber, being also a natural source of macro- and micro-minerals. Regarding their bioactive composition, most of these plants contain phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which determine their antioxidant capacity. (4) Conclusions: These reported results clearly demonstrate the high potential of the WEPs from a nutritional, economic and social point of view; although further studies are needed to gather deeper scientific information about their potential role in the socio-economic sustainability of specific groups of farmers worldwide.

Multilingual evaluation of interpretable biomarkers to represent language and speech patterns in Parkinson's disease.

Motor impairments are only one aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD), which also include cognitive and linguistic impairments. Speech-derived interpretable biomarkers may help clinicians diagnose PD at earlier stages and monitor the disorder's evolution over time. This study focuses on the multilingual evaluation of a composite array of biomarkers that facilitate PD evaluation from speech. Hypokinetic dysarthria, a motor speech disorder associated with PD, has been extensively analyzed in previously published studies on automatic PD evaluation, with a relative lack of inquiry into language and task variability. In this study, we explore certain acoustic, linguistic, and cognitive information encoded within the speech of several cohorts with PD. A total of 24 biomarkers were analyzed from American English, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Colombian Spanish, German, and Czech by conducting a statistical analysis to evaluate which biomarkers best differentiate people with PD from healthy participants. The study leverages conceptual robustness as a criterion in which a biomarker behaves the same, independent of the language. Hence, we propose a set of speech-based biomarkers that can effectively help evaluate PD while being language-independent. In short, the best acoustic and cognitive biomarkers permitting discrimination between experimental groups across languages were fundamental frequency standard deviation, pause time, pause percentage, silence duration, and speech rhythm standard deviation. Linguistic biomarkers representing the length of the narratives and the number of nouns and auxiliaries also provided discrimination between groups. Altogether, in addition to being significant, these biomarkers satisfied the robustness requirements.

Novel Insight into the Volatile Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Crocus sativus L. Flowers.

The current production system of saffron spice generates hundreds of tons of waste. Thus, the aim of this study was to value both saffron and its floral by-products as a source of natural bioactive extracts, studying the in vitro antioxidant capacity, the composition of the volatile fraction by GC-MS/MS, and the determination of crocetins esters by HPLC-PDA. Saffron stigmas and floral by-products showed a high content of polyphenols and different antioxidant properties. Floral bio-residues (tepals, stamens, and styles) presented a high concentration of anthocyanins, and stigmas had high levels of flavonoids, ß-carotene, and total crocins. In stigmas, 25 different volatile components were found, with safranal the most relevant. Floral by-products volatile composition consisted of 55 compounds with varying amounts depending on the drying treatment; all the samples presented acetic acid, 2(5H)-furanone, and phenylethyl alcohol. Therefore, saffron stigmas and flower by-products represent a sustainable source of bioactive ingredients for innovative healthy food formulations.

Effect of gluten-free diet on levels of soluble CD14 and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein in adult patients with celiac disease.

INTRODUCTION: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. In CD, activation of the immune response causes damage of the intestinal mucosa, and a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only available therapy. Intestinal damage can lead to an increase in the circulation of components of bacteria from the intestinal lumen, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) participate in the recognition of LPS, and their levels are altered in different pathologies. In the present study, the circulating levels of sCD14 and LBP from untreated CD patients were evaluated and compared to CD patients on a GFD and controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total seventy-two adult patients with CD, twenty-three untreated CD patients and forty-nine on a GFD were included. In addition, fifty-five healthy individuals were included as controls. Additionally, the effect of LPS on sCD14 production by both normal and inflamed intestinal tissue culture was explored. RESULTS: Serum levels of sCD14 were found to be significantly increased in untreated CD patients compared to patients on a GFD and controls. In addition, we found that LPS induced the production of sCD14 by biopsies of intestinal tissue from untreated CD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The data from this study show that circulating levels of sCD14 are increased in the untreated CD patients compared to patients on a GFD. Our data show that LPS induces the production of sCD14 by the intestinal tissue from untreated CD patients.

How a Spanish Group of Millennial Generation Perceives the Commercial Novel Smoothies?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) constantly emphasize the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption; these natural products help in the prevention of major diseases. Smoothies are a simple and convenient way of doing so; thus, their demand is constantly growing and their market is becoming important for the food industry. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine Millennial consumer opinion towards novel fruit- and vegetable-smoothies available on the retail market. Napping®, descriptive sensory analysis, and consumer studies were conducted. Napping® results group samples into four clusters of smoothies; the main grouping factor was the type of fruit and the percentage of vegetables. Penalty analysis showed that smoothies need improvement mainly dealing with sweetness, bitterness, and vegetable flavors. Millennial consumers formed a homogeneous sensory group in which the overall liking was negatively correlated with the level of sweetness, and earthy, carrot, beetroot, and pear flavors. The key liking drivers were sourness and notes of mango, banana, and peach flavors. This research is a new insight into the perception of smoothies, provides comprehensive knowledge for the food industry, and can guide the design of new healthy smoothies.

Quality Parameters and Consumer Acceptance of Jelly Candies Based on Pomegranate Juice "Mollar de Elche".

There is an upward trend towards reducing or suppressing additives in foods, as well as reducing the use of E-numbers in labels providing clean label foods. Therefore, the development of confectionary products based exclusively on natural ingredients with antioxidant properties may offer valuable solutions to the confectionery industry. Fruit juices and purées may provide functional and organoleptic properties in jelly candies in a natural way. The consumption of pomegranate fruit and derivative products has increased due to their association with health benefits. The aim of this study was to determine consumer insights about pomegranate-based jellies, cultivar "Mollar de Elche", as affected by formulation (100% pomegranate juice or 50%-50% pomegranate juice-apple purée) and type of sweetener (sugar or honey), and to link affective and descriptive data from sensory studies. The most valued quality parameter of pomegranate products, red color (measured by the green-red coordinate, a*), was not negatively affected by jelly preparation. It was determined that the main liking drivers for pomegranate jellies were intense red color and high brightness. The results might be used by pomegranate processing companies to improve their manufacturing protocols and to develop successful products meeting consumer demands and needs. The formulation containing 20% gelatin, pure "Mollar de Elche" pomegranate juice, 1% citric acid, and sucrose as sweetener provided the best quality of jellies in terms of color, texture, antioxidant capacity, and sensory attributes.

Hemorragia Digestiva Alta por Dieulafoy intradiverticular: Tratamiento Endoscópico / Digestive Bleeding by Dieulafoy in Duodenal Diverticulum: Endoscopic Treatment

La Lesión de Dieulafoy es una malformación vascular caracterizada por la presencia de un vaso arterial de gran calibre en la submucosa, ocasionalmente en la mucosa que puede erosionarse, provocar una hemorragia grave, recurrente y, en ocasiones mortal. Es una causa rara de hemorragia gastrointestinal y corresponde a menos del 2% de los episodios de sangrado digestivo agudo. La Lesión de Dieulafoy duodenal ha sido comunicada en un número reducido de casos y, la intradiverticular es excepcional. La endoscopía constituye el método diagnóstico de elección y, en las últimas décadas la terapéutica endoscópica es la técnica preferida por su elevada efectividad y escasa incidencia de complicaciones. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 82 años con hemorragia digestiva alta grave por lesión de Dieulafoy duodenal intradiverticular diagnosticado en la endoscopía de urgencia y, tratado eficazmente mediante ligadura con banda elástica.

The lesion of Dieulafoy is a vascular malformation characterized by the presence of a large arterial vessel in the submucosa and occasionally in the mucosa, which can erode and cause severe, recurrent and sometimes fatal hemorrhage. It is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and responds to less than 2% of episodes of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. The duodenal Dieulafoy lesion has been reported in a small number of cases and the intradiverticular is exceptional. Endoscopy is the diagnostic method of choice and in the last decade endoscopic therapy is the preferred technique due to its high effectiveness and low incidence of complications. We present the case of an 82-year-old patient with severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to an intradiverticular duodenal injury diagnosed in emergency endoscopy and treated effectively by rubber band ligation.

Litiasis de la vía biliar principal: resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico y de la papilotomía endoscópica / Common bile duct lithiasis. Results of surgical treatment andendoscopic papilotomy

ANTECEDENTES: Las posibilidades de coexistencia de cálculos en la vía biliar principal (VBP) al mismo tiempo que en la vesícula son del orden del 10 al 20%; su tratamiento es muy importante para evitar las complicaciones de la obstrucción ductal –ictericia y colangitis– y la pancreatitis aguda. Las distintas modalidades de tratamiento buscan reducir al máximo las complicaciones al tiempo de lograr la eficacia máxima, determinada fundamentalmente por la completa evacuación de los cálculos en los conductos. OBJETIVO: evaluar las complicaciones y/o litiasis residual en pacientes con litiasis de la vía biliar, tratados quirúrgicamente –coledocotomía– o por vía endoscópica (esfinterotomía), controlados durante 1 año.Pacientes y método: Estudio analítico de cohortes retrospectivo; Grupo A=50 pacientes operados, con edad promedio de 48 años y Grupo B=50 pacientes con tratamiento endoscópico, con edad promedio de 49 años. El diámetro de la VBP fue de 12.5 y 11.4 mm en los grupos respectivos y el diámetro de los cálculos 18 y 9.2 mm, respectivamente. Fueron evaluados: tiempo de internación, complicaciones y resolución definitiva de la litiasis, evaluada mediante un seguimiento de 1 año. RESULTADOS: Las complicaciones se encontraron en 10% y 18% en los grupos A y B, respectivamente; el tiempo de internación post procedimiento fueron 7.2 y 3.6 días. El éxito terapéutico fueron 96 y 80% respectivamente. CONCLUSIONES: las ventajas de la esfinterotomía se limitan a un tiempo de internación más breve, pero con mayor frecuencia de complicaciones.

BACKGROUND: The potential coexistence of stones in the bile duct while in the gallbladder are on the order of 10 to 20% treatment is important to prevent the complications of ductal obstruction –jaundice and cholangitis– and acute pancreatitis. The different treatment modalities seek to minimize complications at the time of maximum essentially determined by the complete removal of stones in the ducts effectively. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate complications and / or residual calculi in patients with gall stones Road, treated surgically - choledochotomy - or endoscopically ( sphincterotomy ), controlled for 1 year. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study analytical; Group A= 50 patients operated with an average age of 48 years and Group B= 50 patients with endoscopic treatment, with a mean age of 49 years. VBP diameter was 12.5 and 11.4 mm in the respective groups, and calculate the diameter of 18 and 9.2 mm, respectively. Were evaluated: length of stay, complications and final resolution of the stone, as assessed by a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Complications were found in 10% and 18% in groups A and B, respectively; procedure time post hospitalization were 7.2 and 3.6 days. Treatment success was 96 and 80% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of EE are limited to a shorter hospitalization time but with greater frequency of complications. Keywords: Choledocholithiasis bile duct. Choledochotomy. Endoscopic sphincterotomy.

Hematosia endoscópica con hemoclip en pacientes con hemorragia digestiva alta no varicosa / Endoscopic hemostasis with hemoclip in patients with novariceal upper digestive bleeding

Estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transverso, y temporalmente retrospectivo se determinó la frecuencia de éxito (hemostasia definitiva) en 142 pacientes con hemorragia digestiva alta no varicosa que recibieron terpéutica endoscópica con hemoclip en una o dos sesiones. Los pacientes fueron tratados en el Hospital de Clínicas y Centros privados entre Julio 1997 a Junio 2002. Se indagó si existe asociación entre ciertos factores de riesgo como el tipo de sangrado (forrest Ia, Ib y IIa), edad, presencia de enfermedades concomitantes, etiología y localización de las lesiones sangrantes y el resultado de la técnica de los 142 pacientes, 86 presentaban sangrado activo (forrest Ia y Ib), 56 vaso visible no finitiva en una sesión en 132 (93pto) pacientes. De los 10 (7pto) casos de recidiva, en 7 se consiguió la hemostasia en una segunda sesión, ascendiendo la tasa de homostasia definitiva al 98 pto. No se presentó complicación alguna atribuible al hemoclip.

Evaluación de las lesiones histológicas en las gastritis cronicas asociadas a Helicobacter Pylori / Annual reports 1995 / Evaluation of histological lesions in Helicobacter Pylori Associated chronic gastritis

Para determinar la asociación entre la infección por Helicobacter Pylori y las lesiones histológicas en la mucosa gástrica, se analizó el material biópsico de antro y cuerpo gástrico de 195 jovenes y adultos paraguayos, de nivel socioeconómico bajo, con diagnóstico endoscópico y patológico de gastritis crónica, excluyéndose los casos de gastritis linfocítica, gastritis por reflujo, gastritis autoinmune y el cáncer gástrico. La identificación del H. Pylori se realizó con técnicas de tinción con Giemsa, violeta de cresilo y por la prueba de la ureasa, analizando las variables histológicas establecidas en el Sistema de Sidney. La frecuencia de infección del H. Pylori fué de 78 por ciento en antro gástrico y de 60 por ciento en cuerpo medio. Las variables inflamación, actividad, atrofia y metaplasia intestinal fueron más acentuadas en antro, siendo de 100 por ciento, 71 por ciento, 67 por ciento y 14 por ciento respectivamente. Se ha observado una asociación significativa entre grado de actividad de gastritis y grado de infección por H. Pylori (p<0.001), no así con la atrofia y la metaplasia intestinal (p<0.5). La alta prevalencia de la infección por H. Pylori en las gastritis crónicas y su asociación significativa con el grado de actividad, indica que este bacilo es uno de los factores importantes en la producción de lesiones de la mucosa gástrica