Kinetic and thermodynamic compensation study of the hydration of faba beans (Vicia faba L.)

This work applies kinetic and thermodynamic compensation to evaluate the kinetics of hydration of faba beans. A mechanism was proposed, consisting of a zero-order adsorption step followed by a first-order desorption step, with both reactions going through a transition state with a previous equilibrium stage. The kinetic constants were obtained from a previous study for pHs 3, 6, 9 and 12 and at temperatures of 20, 35, 50 and 65 °C. From these kinetic constants, the equilibrium constants were calculated using the Eyring equation for each pH value and temperature. The kinetic constants were fitted to the Arrhenius equation and the set of pair estimates for lnk₀ and the activation energy followed the straight lines that cause the kinetic compensation, with isokinetic temperatures of -10.3 °C found for the zero-order adsorption step and 8.4 °C for the first-order desorption step. The equilibrium constants were fitted to the Van't Hoff equation and the set of pair estimates for the activation enthalpy and the activation entropy followed the straight lines that cause thermodynamic compensation. The isoequilibrium temperatures were obtained as -11.4 °C for the zero-order adsorption step and 7.5 °C for the first-order desorption step. As expected, the isokinetic and the isoequilibrium temperatures were very close for each step. The mechanism was concluded to be the same for the ranges of pH and temperature studied. Since all the isokinetic and isoequilibrium temperatures were lower than the working temperature values, the control was concluded to be entropic for all cases. Statistical compensation could be discarded for the zero-order adsorption step but for the first-order desorption step, the compensation was concluded to be as significant as the experimental propagation of errors.

Nota. Cinética de pardeamiento no enzimático de zumo de pera concentrado Note./ Non-enzymatic browning kinetics of concentrated pear juice

Non-enzymatic browning kinetics of concentrated juice for three pear varieties (Alexandrine Douillard, Flor de Invierno and Blanquilla) was evaluated at three temperatures (90, 80 and 70 °C) and different soluble solid contents (52, 62 and 72 °Brix). The evolution of absorbance at 420 nm is described by zero order kinetics, but the formation of 5-hydroxymethyl-2 furfuraldehyde (HMF) and the reduction in formol index followed first order kinetics. The Alexandrine Douillard juices showed non-enzymatic browning which was less pronounced than in Flor de Invierno and Blanquilla juices.

Evolución del color, azúcares y HMF en el tratamiento térmico de zumo de manzana/Colour, sugars and HMF evolution during thermal treatment of apple juice

Non-enzymatic browning in an 11 "Brix apple juice during thermal treatment was studied through changes in colour by colorimetric parameters ( A420, colour difference and index of browning), and HMF and sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose) evolution. Zero and first order kinetics were applied to describe evolution of colorimetric parameters. The formation of HMF was fitted to auto- catalytical and first order equations. Sucrose tends to disappear according to a first order kinetics giving fructose and glucose. For the reducing sugars (fructose and glucose), no clear tendency was observed. The effect of temperature can be described by an Arrhenius-type equation.

Efecto de la temperatura y contenido en sólidos solubles sobre la cinética de pardeamiento no enzimático de zumos clarificados de manzana/Effect of temperature and soluble solids content on nonenzymatic browning kinetics for clarified apple juices

Se ha estudiado la cinética de pardeamiento no enzimático de zumos clarificados de manzana de dos variedades (Granny Smith y Jonagold), con diferentes contenidos en sólidos solubles y a distintas temperaturas (60, 70, 80, 85, 90, y 95°C). El seguimiento de la cinética se realizó midiendo la variación de la absorbancia a 420 nm (A 420). De los distintos modelos cinéticos ensayados, se obtuvieron los mejores ajustes con el orden cero. El efecto de la temperatura sobre las constantes cinéticas puede describirse mediante ecuaciones tipo Arrhenius. El efecto del contenido en sólidos solubles sobre los parámetros de la ecuación de Arrhenius puede describirse mediante ecuaciones tipo potencial. Para el intervalo de concentraciones y temperaturas estudiadas, los zumos de la variedad Granny Smith presentaron un pardeamiento más pronunciado que los de la variedad Jonagold.

Textura de geles de huevo obtenidos por alta presión / Texture of egg gels induced by high hydrostatic pressure

Egg yolk, egg white and whole egg samples were placed under high hydrostatic pressure in the range 410 to 690 MPa for several processing times between 1 and 30 min. Egg yolk samples gelled completely over 410 MPa, while egg white and whole egg formed hard gels over 620 MPa. Heat- induced gels showed greater gel strength and hardness than did pressure-induced gels. In general, increasing the pressure and treatment times resulted in higher gel strength and hardness values. In the case of egg yolk it was observed that at the highest pressures (650-690 MPa) and processing times exceeding 15 min the gels collapsed in many cases. The pressure-induced egg yolk and whole egg gels showed lower luminosity than heat-induced gels, but were more reddish. The egg white gel luminosity did not show significant differences for different pressures and processing times.

Estudio de la influencia de la temperatura en el comportamiento reológico de mermeladas de albaricoque (Prunus armeniaca), arándano (Vaccinium myrtillus) y escaramujo (Rosa canina) / Influence of temperature on rheological behaviour of jams of apricot (Prunus armeniaca), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and rose hip (Rosa canina)

We studied the rheological behaviour of apricot jam ( Prunus armeniaca) made with sucrose, and jams of bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus) and rose hips ( Rosa canina ) prepared for dietary usé with fructose in a temperature range of 5-65 °C. All three jams presented thixotropy, and the decrease in stress with time fit first order kinetics. The flow behaviour can be described by power equa tions and the Herschel-Bulkey équation. The relation between temperature and apparent viscosity was described with the Arrhenius-Guzman équation.

Insulin, IGF-I, and muscle MAPK pathway responses after sustained exercise and their contribution to growth and lipid metabolism regulation in gilthead sea bream

Herein, we studied whether sustained exercise positively affects growth of gilthead sea bream by alterations in a) plasma concentrations of insulin and IGF-I, b) signaling pathways in muscle, or c) regulation of lipid metabolism. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of moderated swimming (1.5 body lengths per second; BL/s) on the circulating concentrations of insulin and IGF-I, morphometric parameters, and expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in gilthead sea bream (80-90 g BW). Exercise increased the specific growth rate (P < 0.05) and reduced the hepatosomatic index (P = 0.006). Plasma IGF-I concentrations increased in exercised fish (P = 0.037), suggesting a role for this endocrine factor in the control of muscular growth and metabolic homeostasis during swimming. The observed decrease in plasma insulin concentrations (P = 0.016) could favor the mobilization of tissue reserves in exercised fish. In this sense, the increase in liver fatty acid content (P = 0.041) and the changes in expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors PPARα (P = 0.017) and PPARγ (P = 0.033) indicated a hepatic lipid mobilization. Concentration of glycogen in both white and red muscles was decreased (P = 0.021 and P = 0.017, respectively) in exercised (n = 12) relative to control (n = 12) gilthead sea bream, whereas concentrations of glucose (P = 0.016) and lactate (P = 0.0007) were decreased only in red muscle, indicating the use of these substrates. No changes in the glucose transporter and in lipoprotein lipase mRNA expression were found in any of the tissues studied. Exercised sea bream had decreased content of PPARβ mRNA in white and red muscle relative to control sea bream expression (P = 0.001 and P = 0.049, respectively). Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was significantly down-regulated in both white and red muscles of exercised sea bream (P = 0.0374 and P = 0.0371, respectively). Tumor necrosis factor-α expression of white muscle was down-regulated in exercised gilthead sea bream (P = 0.045). Collectively, these results contribute to the knowledge base about hormonal regulation of growth and lipid metabolism in exercised gilthead sea bream.

AmI and deployment considerations in AAL services provision for elderly independent living: the MonAMI project

The MonAMI project aims to investigate the feasibility of the deployment of open platforms for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services provision based on Ambient Intelligence (AmI) and to test user acceptance and the usability of the services. Services were designed to provide support in the areas of environmental control, security, well-being and leisure. These services were installed and evaluated in a Spanish geriatric residence. The participants included elderly persons with disabilities, nursing home care givers and informal carers. The concept of the open platform proved to be satisfactory for the provision of the services in a context aware framework. Furthermore, the usability of the technology was viewed positively and the overall results indicate that this system has the potential to prolong independent living at home for elderly people with disabilities. Deployment was proven successful and awareness of open-platform AAL service delivery was raised in local communities throughout Europe.

Kinetics of color development of melanoidins formed from fructose/amino acid model systems

The formation of soluble melanoidins from a single combination of sugar (fructose) and amino acid model systems were evaluated kinetically. The selected amino acids, commonly found in apple juice and highly reactive in the Maillard reaction, were asparagine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. The effect of these reagents and the treatment at different temperatures (50 ℃, 85 ℃, and 100 ℃) during 96 h on the color intensity of the melanoidin formed was measured by absorbance at different wavelengths (280, 325, 405, and 420 nm). The absorbance of the melanoidin formed from all model systems was located on the wavelength of 405 nm, that is, the area of the visible spectrum close to the UV region. The color of the melanoidins was directly measured using the CIELAB color space system. A first-order kinetic model was applied to the evolution of the Δ E* (color difference) and L* (lightness) of the color. The fructose/aspartic acid model system values of a * (redness) and b *(yellowness) were found in the brown-red zone. Therefore, the color development of the melanoidins was influenced by the type of amino acid and temperature. Especially, it is thought that the a * and b * values can be used to explain the differences among the amino acids in the color development of melanoidins.

Rheological properties of the anterior vaginal fluid from superovulated dairy heifers at estrus

Anterior vaginal fluid samples were collected from 25 dairy heifers induced to superovulation at 12 to 20 hours after estrus detection. Thixotropy and flow behavior were evaluated. In samples from 19 heifers, structural variation was registered and the fluids were considered to be thixotropic; in the remaining samples (6 heifers), structural variation was not registered and the fluids were considered to be nonthixotropic. The mean estradiol concentration of the thixotropic fluids (20.8 pg/ml) was lower (P=0.0002) than of the nonthixotropic samples (56.7 pg/ml). All the nonthixotropic samples of anterior vaginal fluid exhibited Newtonian behavior. Of the 25 thixotropic anterior vaginal fluid samples, 10 exhibited Newtonian behavior while 9 exhibited non-Newtonian behavior. Heifers in which samples exhibited Newtonian behavior had a higher mean estradiol concentration (38.8 pg/ml; P=0.003) than heifers in which samples exhibited non-Newtonian behavior (12.8 pg/ml). Estradiol concentrations were correlated negatively (P=0.02) with the index of consistency (r = -0.46) and were not related to structural variation (P=0.08), although a certain tendency was shown. These results have shown that thixotropic and flow behavior measurements in the anterior vaginal fluid of superovulated estrous heifers vary over a wide range and even qualitatively. This variation is related to estrogen levels: Fluidity increases with increased plasma estrogen values, and the integrity of the gel structure tends toward elimination.

Beneficial effects of sustained activity on the use of dietary protein and carbohydrate traced with stable isotopes 15N and 13C in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

To determine the effects of sustained swimming on the use and fate of dietary nutrients in gilthead sea bream, a group of fish were forced to undertake moderate and sustained swimming (1.5 BL s(-1)) for 3 weeks and compared with a control group undertaking voluntary activity. The exercise group showed a significant increase in specific growth rate (C: 1.13 ± 0.05; E: 1.32 ± 0.06 % day(-1), P < 0.05) with no significant change in food intake (C: 3.56 ± 0.20; E: 3.84 ± 0.03 % of body weight). The addition of (13)C-starch and (15)N-protein to a single meal of 1 % ration allowed analysis of the fate of both nutrients in several tissues and in their components, 6 and 24 h after force-feeding. In exercised fish improved redistribution of dietary components increased the use of carbohydrates and lipid as fuels. Gilthead sea bream have a considerable capacity for carbohydrate absorption irrespective of swimming conditions, but in trained fish (13)C rose in all liver fractions with no changes in store contents. This implies higher nutrient turnover with exercise. Higher retention of dietary protein (higher (15)N uptake into white muscle during the entire post-prandial period) was found under sustained exercise, highlighting the protein-sparing effect. The combined effects of a carbohydrate-rich, low-protein diet plus sustained swimming enhanced amino acid retention and also prevented excessive lipid deposition in gilthead sea bream.

Study of the therapeutic effects of an advanced hippotherapy simulator in children with cerebral palsy: a randomised controlled trial

Background

Although hippotherapy treatment has been demonstrated to have therapeutic effects on children with cerebral palsy, the samples used in research studies have been very small. In the case of hippotherapy simulators, there are no studies that either recommend or advise against their use in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy. The aim of this randomised clinical study is to analyse the therapeutic effects or the contraindications of the use of a commercial hippotherapy simulator on several important factors relating to children with cerebral palsy such as their motor development, balance control in the sitting posture, hip abduction range of motion and electromyographic activity of adductor musculature.

Methods/Design

The study is a randomised controlled trial. It will be carried out with a sample of 37 children with cerebral palsy divided into two treatment groups. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to receive either (a) Treatment Group with hippotherapy simulator, maintaining sitting posture, with legs in abduction and rhythmic movement of the simulator or (b) Treatment Group maintaining sitting posture, with legs in abduction and without rhythmic movement of the simulator. Data collection and analysis: all measurements will be carried out by a specially trained blind assessor. To ensure standardization quality of the assessors, an inter-examiner agreement will be worked out at the start of the study. The trial is funded by the Department of Research, Innovation and Development of the Regional Government of Aragon (Official Bulletin of Aragon 23 July 2007), project number PM059/2007.

Discussion

Interest in this project is due to the following factors: Clinical originality (there are no previous studies analysing the effect of simulators on the population group of children with CP, nor any studies using as many variables as this project); Clinical impact (infantile cerebral palsy is a chronic multisystemic condition that affects not only the patient but also the patient's family and their close circle of friends); Practical benefits (the development of an effective treatment is very important for introducing this element into the rehabilitation of these children).

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN03663478.

Energy reserves and metabolic status affect the acclimation of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) to cold

During winter, low temperatures induce a direct metabolic depression in gilthead sea bream, without any significant compensatory effect below 13 degrees C. The present study therefore focused on how to improve response to cold in these fish, looking specifically at the two factors of diet (high energy, HiE, and low energy, LoE) and activity (normal, -SW, and sustained activity, +SW) prior to exposure to cold. Following a preparatory period of 75 days water was adjusted to 10 degrees C and kept for 40 days. Enzymatic activities and store deposition revealed that the HiE-SW group had acquired an energy surplus whilst the LoE+SW group exhibited an energy deficit. Liver enzyme activities evidenced diet dependence: LoE groups showed greater glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and HiE groups showed greater lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activities. Moreover, the HiE-SW group's lower citrate synthase/cytochrome-c-oxidase ratio reflected the energy surplus available. Perivisceral fat mobilisation caused by cold stress affected liver integrity, resulting in a pre-steatotic condition for the HE-SW group. The differences in liver enzyme activities produced by pre-cold conditions disappeared at low temperatures and enzymatic activities did not compensate. Therefore any improvement that would enable gilthead sea bream to face up to winter must be achieved prior to the appearance of low temperatures.

Kinetics of Peach Clarified Juice Discoloration Process with an Adsorbent Resin

This paper deals with the effects of adsorbent resin upon kinetic process of peach juice adsorption de-coloration at different temperatures ranged from 10 °C to 50 °C. The adsorption equilibrium was quantified by means of adsorption isotherms in the range from 10 °C to 50 °C. Absorbance data at 420 nm were used to plot all the isotherms, which correlated reasonable well with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Also, the efficiency of the adsorption process was studied for different resin/juice ratios at different temperatures, from which it was observed that there was a notable improvement in efficiency as the resin content increased, while the increase in temperature was not so important in the process. The adsorption kinetics was also studied at 30 °C, for relationships of 1, 2, and 3 g resin/100g juice. A kinetic adsorption— desorption model in two simultaneous steps was proposed, where the adsorption step is considered as zero order and the desorption step as first order. This allows a global expression to be obtained that fits the experimental data appropriately to this kinetic type equation. The initial adsorption rate depended on the resin/juice relationship in such a way that the higher its value, the lower this relationship was. It was also shown that the equilibrium constant showed a similar tendency, its value being superior to the unit, which indicates that the retention stage over the resin prevails over the colored product desorption stage.