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Beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) is a cyclic oligosaccharide consisting of seven glucose units. β-CD is increasingly used in food research to reduce cholesterol due to its affinity for non-polar molecules such as cholesterol and as a natural additive. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of curd washing in ewe’s milk cheese on the reduction in cholesterol by β-CD from pasteurized ewe’s milk Manchego cheese and the characteristics of its main components: milk, lipids, and flavor. An approximately 98.45% cholesterol reduction was observed in washed experimental cheeses that were treated by using β-CD. The remaining residual β-CD from the effect of curd washing was 0.15% in mature cheese, of the initial 1% β-CD treatment of the milk. The chemical properties (fat, moisture, and protein) did not change as a result of the curd washing with or without β-CD. The curd washing with or without β-CD on the levels of the various lipid fraction (fatty acids, triglycerides, and phospholipids) were comparable in treated and untreated cheeses. The effects of curd washing and the β-CD treatment did not significantly affect flavor components or short chain free fatty acids. The β-CD molecules were edible and nontoxic; as a result, they could be used safely in cholesterol removal processing in cheese manufacturing, improving the reduction in residual β-CD by curd washing by 85%. Therefore, the present study suggests that curd washing combined with β-CD is an effective process for cholesterol removal in Manchego cheese, preserving its desirable properties.

Women of childbearing age in Western societies are increasingly adopting vegetarian diets. These women are sometimes rejected as milk donors, but little about the composition of their milk is known. The present study aimed to compare the intake, nutritional status, and nutritional composition of human milk from omnivore human milk donors (Donors) and vegetarian/vegan lactating mothers (Veg). Milk, blood, and urine samples from 92 Donors and 20 Veg were used to determine their fatty acid profiles, as well as vitamins and minerals. In a representative sample of both groups, we also determined the lipid class profile as a distribution of neutral and polar lipids, the molecular species of triacylglycerols, and the relative composition of phospholipids in their milk. A dietary assessment was conducted with a five-day dietary record (while considering the intake of supplements). We highlight the following results, expressed as the mean (SE), for the Veg vs. Donors: (1) Their docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake was 0.11 (0.03) vs. 0.38 (0.03) g/day; the plasma DHA was 0.37 (0.07) vs. 0.83 (0.06)%; and the milk DHA was 0.15 (0.04) vs. 0.33 (0.02)%. (2) Their milk B12 levels were 545.69 (20.49) vs. 482.89 (4.11) pM; 85% of the Veg reported taking B12 supplements (mean dose: 312.1 mcg/day); and the Veg group showed no differences with Donors in terms of total daily intake or plasma B12. (3) Their milk phosphatidylcholine levels were 26.88 (0.67) vs. 30.55 (1.10)%. (4) Their milk iodine levels were 126.42 (13.37) vs. 159.22 (5.13) mcg/L. In conclusion, the Vegs’ milk was shown to be different from the Donors’ milk, mainly due to its low DHA content, which is concerning. However, raising awareness and ensuring proper supplementation could bridge this gap, as has already been achieved for cobalamin.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches for Developing and Characterizing Value-Added Applications of Food and Agricultural Byproducts., Recent studies have demonstrated the positive effects of regular intake of milk fat globule membranes (MFGMs) on neural and cognitive development, as well as immune and gastrointestinal health in infants and elders. Dairy products and by-products generated from the butter and butter oil manufacturing process are valuable sources of MFGM. Thus, in view of the growing need to reduce by-products and waste, it is crucial to foster research aimed at the valorization of dairy by-products rich in MFGM. For this purpose, all the by-products coming from butter and butter oil production (from raw milk to the related by-products) were used to study the MFGM isolated fractions, followed by their characterization through a combined lipidomic and proteomic approach. The patterns of polar lipids and proteins indicated that buttermilk (BM), butterserum (BS), and their mix (BM-BS blend) are the most suitable by-products to be employed as starting material for the isolation and purification of MFGMs, thus obtaining MFGM-enriched ingredients for the manufacture of products with high biological activity., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Projects: PDI2020-114821RB-I00 and PDC2021-121528-I00 MCIN/AEI//FEDER, UE.

Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, mainly in memory and executive functioning. A similar but premature deterioration in cognitive capacities is the hallmark of mild cognitive impairment, Alzeimer’s disease and dementia. The biochemical mechanisms that cause these neurodegenerative disorders are poorly understood. However, some evidence suggests that insufficient dietary intakes of some phospholipids could impact on brain function and increase the risk of future cognitive impairment and dementia. We evaluated the cognitive and biochemical effects of supplementation with a milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) concentrate in aged rats., We observed that, compared to control animals, MFGM supplemented rats showed enhanced spatial working memory, but both groups exhibited similar reference spatial learning and emotional memory abilities. No significant differences between BDNF levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of treated rats as compared to controls were found. The nootropic effects observed were accompanied by significant changes in the lipid composition of synaptic membranes. MFGM supplementation increased the levels of EPA and DHA acids as well as the plasmalogens content in the synaptosomes isolated from the hippocampus (Synapt-HP) and the frontal cortex (Synapt-FC). In addition enhanced levels of phosphatidyl serine (PS), particularly PS(18:1/18:1), and phosphatidyl inositol (PI) molecular species were observed in Synapt-HP and Synapt-FC of treated animals.Lipidomic analysis also revealed greater concentration of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) molecular species containing very long-chain fatty acids and PE plasmenyls in Synapt-HP as well as an increase of the SM content in Synapt-FC from the MFGM group. Although further studies are needed to confirm the underlying mechanism (individual or synergistic), these results suggest that MFGM supplementation could be employed as a dietary implement to restore the proper cerebral concentration of some bioactive lipids and prevent or slow the progression of age-related cognitive impairment., This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Projects AGL2014-56464C3-1R, AGL2014-56464C3-2R , AGL2017-87884R, RTI2018-094627-B-I00 and PDI2020-114821RB-I00 MCIN/AEI//FEDER, UEhttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033

Survival data support the use of first-line osimertinib as the standard of care for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it remains unclear whether upfront osimertinib is superior to sequential first- or second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) followed by osimertinib for all patients. It is impossible to predict which patients are at high risk of progression, and this constitutes a major limitation of the sequential TKI approach.A total of 830 plasma samples from 228 patients with stage IV, EGFR-positive NSCLC who were treated with first-line TKIs were analysed by digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR).The circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) levels helped to identify patients with significantly improved survival rate, regardless of the treatment. Patients treated with first- or second-generation TKIs (N = 189) with EGFR mutations in plasma at a mutant allele frequency (MAF)7% before treatment initiation (low-risk patients) or who were ctDNA negative after 3 or 6 months of treatment and with an MAF7% at diagnosis (high responders) had two-thirds lower risk of death than patients in the opposite situation (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.64 and HR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.12-0.42, respectively). The median overall survival (OS) for low-risk patients and high responders treated with first- or second-generation TKIs was 34.2 months and not reached, respectively, regardless of second-line treatment. There were no significant difference in OS between low-risk or high-responder patients treated upfront with osimertinib (N = 39) and those treated under a sequential approach with osimertinib (N = 60). Median OS was not reached in both cases.Pre-treatment ctDNA levels identify low-risk patients, who may benefit from sequential TKI treatment. Information regarding EGFR mutation clearance can help to improve patient selection.

The sterile insect technique is used around the world to suppress or eradicate populations of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) with successful results. It consists of inundative releases of sterile insects into a wide area to reduce reproduction in a field population of the same species. It is necessary to know the dispersion of the sterile males in the field in order to define the maximum distance between the release points that ensures the distribution of the sterile flies in the entire target area. The release methods may vary depending on the area to be covered and the resources available. Manual ground release requires less technology. The aim of this research was to estimate the ability of sterile males to survive and disperse in the field, in the two main areas of citrus production in Uruguay. A release of 20,000 sterile males of C. capitata TslV8 (−inv D53) was performed at the central point of each area defined for the trials. Around these points, a network of 54 Jackson traps baited with trimedlure was installed forming five concentric rings, which were placed on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after the release and were removed at 24 h in all cases. The emergence rate, flight ability, dispersion, and longevity were estimated. The standard distances obtained by the regression models were 127 m and 131 m for Salto and San Jose respectively. In Salto, the traps had catches until the eighth day, and in San Jose, there were no catches after the sixth day.

International audience; GeSn alloys are promising materials for light emitters monolithically grown on silicon. In this work, we demonstrate room temperature (RT) lasing in a GeSn hetero-structure with 17.2% of Sn. We report a threshold of 3:27MWcm2 at 305K with peak emission at 353meV. We ascribe these improvements to a higher tin concentration in the GeSn active layer with lower Sn content barriers on each side and to a better thermal dissipation provided by an adapted pedestal architecture beneath the GeSn micro-disk. This outcome is a major milestone for a fully integrated group-IV semiconductor laser on Si.

We report successful incorporation of an ensemble of G centers in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microrings using ion implantation and conventional nanofabrication. The coupling between the emitters and the resonant modes of the microrings is studied using continuous-wave and time-resolved microphotoluminescence (PL) experiments. We observe the resonant modes of the microrings on PL spectra, on the wide spectral range that is covered by G centers emission. By finely tuning the size of the microrings, we match their zero-phonon line at 1278 nm with a resonant mode of quality factor around 3000 and volume 7.2 (lambda over n)^3. The zero-phonon line intensity is enhanced by a factor of 5, both in continuous-wave and time-resolved measurements. This is attributed to the Purcell enhancement of zero-phonon spontaneous emission into the resonant mode and quantitatively understood considering the distribution of the G centers dipoles. Despite the enhancement of the zero-phonon emission, we do not observe any sizeable decrease of the average lifetime of the G centers, which points at a low radiative yield (, 24 pages, 7 figures, submitted to an international journal with peer review

We report for the first time the occurrence in Uruguay of three species of Anastrepha, which belong to the curvicauda species group. Specimens of Anastrepha australis (Blanchard, 1959), Anastrepha littoralis (Blanchard, 1959), and Anastrepha nigra (Blanchard, 1959) were collected with McPhail traps baited with PBX® yeast/borax placed in fruit orchards. These records represent the most southern distribution known for A. littoralis and A. nigra, in addition to the first host plant records for A. nigra, which were reared from larvae on fruits of Araujia hortorum E. Fourn. (Apocynaceae).

Introduction: There are currently no predictive biomarkers for long-term survival after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. However, the identification of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who obtain long-term benefit from chemoimmunotherapy is essential to optimize therapies. Methods: Using samples from NADIM clinical trial (NCT03081689), in which resectable stage IIIA NSCLC patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with nivolumab, we have evaluated the capacity of ctDNA levels before treatment initiation to predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by calculating Harrell’s C-statistic and we compare its predictive value with classical survival surrogates as the pathological response and clinical response assessed according to RECIST criteria v.1.1. The ctDNA was analyzed by NGS, using the Oncomine Pan-Cancer Cell-Free Assay™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific®). To explore the prognostic value of the amount of ctDNA at baseline, for each positive plasma sample, we calculated the sum of the mutant allele frequency (MAF) for all detected mutations. Patients who died from COVID19 were excluded from this analysis. Results: In our study, clinical responses based on RECIST criteria were not predictive for OS or PFS. On the contrary, in the multivariate analysis, patients with low ctDNA levels (

This article belongs to the Section Food Science., Onions are the main dietary source of flavonols that have been associated with important health-promoting properties. Onion treated by high-pressure processing (HPP-treated onion) was subjected to a dynamic gastrointestinal digestion and colon fermentation simulator (DGID-CF) to study the effect on the gut microbiota metabolism in the three colon regions (ascending—AC, transverse—TC, and descending—DC) by means of chronic feeding with 27 g/day for 14 days. HPP-treated onion presented a high content of the flavonols quercetin-3,4’-diglucoside and quercetin-4’-glucoside, and a large percentage of them reached the AC without change. TC and DC progressively increased the total phenolic metabolites 2.5 times respective to day 2, mainly 3-hydroxyphenylacetic, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionic, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acids. In addition, the chronic feeding increased the beneficial colon bacteria Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. and the production of total SCFAs (acetic, propionic, and butyric acids) 9 times (AC), 2.2 times (TC), and 4.4 times (DC) respective to day 1. A multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, PCA) showed a clear separation between the three colon regions based on their phenolic composition (precursors and metabolites). These results showed that HPP-treated onion modulated the human gut microbiota’s metabolism and the DGID-CF is a good system to study these changes., This study has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) by the projects AGL2013-46326-R, AGL2016-76817-R and PID2019-107980RB-100.

The effect of seasonal and geographical influences on the fatty acid compositions of cow’s milk fat from Asturias (northern Spain) was studied. The majority of the fatty acids analysed presented differences (p < 0.05) due to the seasonal factor, only three fatty acids (iC14; iC16 and C18:1) did not present significant differences (p < 0.05) neither with the seasonal nor with the geographical factor. The short, medium and long chain fatty acids showed differences with the seasonal factor and only the long chain fatty acids presented differences with the geographical area. However, only the unsaturated fatty acids showed differences (p < 0.05) due to both the season of the year and the geographical area. The coefficient of correlation obtained showed a strong linear relationship between the pairs of fatty acids C4-C12, C6-C10 and C10-C12., The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness from Spain (grant number AGL-2017-87884)

The use of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to reduce cholesterol is increasing in food research due to its affinity for non-polar molecules such as cholesterol. The objective of this study was to study the ability of -CD to remove cholesterol in natural egg, powdered egg, and duck liver pâté and its effect on individual fatty acids. A concentration of 5% of -CD was found to be a suitable amount to remove 80.04 4.96–82.12 5.36% of cholesterol from yolk and powdered eggs and 80.21 5.28% of cholesterol from duck liver pâté. β-CD complexed to cholesterol was precipitated and removed by centrifugation. Individual fatty acid compositions did not di er (p < 0.05) between the controls and the products treated with 5% β-CD. This study can be used in the development of low-cholesterol functional foods for people with hypercholesterolemia., The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness from Spain (grant number AGL-2014-56464; AGL-2017-87884).

Background: Survival data support the use of first-line osimertinib as the standard of care for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it remains unclear whether upfront osimertinib is superior to sequential first-or second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) followed by osimertinib for all patients. It is impossible to predict which patients are at high risk of progression, and this constitutes a major limitation of the sequential TKI approach. Patients and methods: A total of 830 plasma samples from 228 patients with stage IV, EGFR-positive NSCLC who were treated with first-line TKIs were analysed by digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR). Results: The circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) levels helped to identify patients with significantly improved survival rate, regardless of the treatment. Patients treated with first-or second-generation TKIs (N = 189) with EGFR mutations in plasma at a mutant allele frequency (MAF)

BackgroundUveitis is a frequent extraarticular manifestation of spondyloarthritis (SpAs). It has been classically reported that whereas uveitis in axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) is predominantly anterior, unilateral, acute, and non-recurrent; in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) it has been described as posterior, bilateral, insidious, and continuous [1,2].ObjectivesIn a large unselected series of SpAs, our aim was to assess the epidemiology and clinical features of SpAs-associated uveitis.MethodsStudy of consecutive patients from a single University Hospital with a) ax-SpA, b) PsA, and c) IBD (Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis). We have selected patients with uveitis that were classified according to Standarization Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) Working Group. Main general features, and uveitis pattern, location and onset were recorded.ResultsWe studied 2156 (1038 women/118 men) patients with SpAs: IBD (n= 1449; 67.2%); PsA (n= 406; 18.8%); and ax-SpA (n= 301; 14%).Uveitis was present in 87 (4%) (102 eyes) of 2156 patients with SpAs. However, uveitis occurs with varying frequency according to the SpAs subtype:14.6% of axSpA (n=44), 4.9% of PsA (n=20), and 1.6% of IBD (n=23) (Table 1).In the global SpAs, the most common pattern of uveitis was typically anterior (n=78; 89.7%), unilateral (n=72; 82.8%), acute (n=19; 82.6%), and non-recurrent (n=83; 95.4%).The comparative study between these three groups of SpAs showed a significant greater frequency of HLA-B27 positive, anterior location and acute onset in ax-SpA-related uveitis (Table 1).Table 1.Main clinical features and uveitis pattern.Ax-SpA (n=44)PsA (n=20)IBD (n=23)pMain general featuresAge, years, mean ±SD45.6 ± 10.343.1 ± 14.549.1 ± 14.60.472Sex, w/m, n, (% of women)25/19 (56.8)12/8 (60)17/6 (73.9)0.382Disease Duration, years, mean±SD18.6 ± 10.59.9 ± 8.217.4 ± 10.20.067HLA-B27 positive, n (%)37 (84.1)9 (45)5 (2.8)0.001*Uveitis locationAnterior, n (%)44 (100)16 (80)18 (78.3)0.006*Posterior, n (%)0 (0)0 (0)4 (17.4)-Panuveitis, n (%)0 (0)0 (0)1 (4.5)-Uveitis patternUnilateral, n (%)37 (84.1)16 (80)19 (82.6)0.922Uveitis onsetAcute, n (%)44 (100)20 (100)19 (82.6)0.003*ConclusionAlthough SpAs associated uveitis have different frequencies depending on the underlying disease, they share the same clinical pattern: anterior, unilateral, acute, and non-recurrent, in contrast with published data from selected series.References[1]Paiva ES, et al. Characterisation of uveitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2000; 59:67-70.[2]Lyons JL, Rosenbaum JT. Uveitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease compared with uveitis associated with spondyloarthropathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 1997;115:61-4.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

BackgroundAdalimumab remains the only biologic approved by the EMA and FDA for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis [1-6]. The reports on efficacy of other anti-TNF drugs such as Certolizumab Pegol (CZP) are scarce.Objectivesto determine the efficacy and safety of CZP in refractory uveitis secondary to Immune-mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs).Methodsnational multicenter study of 80 patients with uveitis due to IMID refractory to glucocorticoids and conventional immunosuppressants treated with CZP. Efficacy was assessed with the following ocular parameters: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior chamber cells, vitritis, macular thickness and presence of retinal vasculitis. The efficacy of CZP was compared between the baseline visit, 1st week, 1st and 6th month, and 1st year. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics v.23.Resultswe studied 80 patients/111 affected eyes (33 men/47 women) with a mean age of 41.6±11.7 years. The IMIDs included were: spondyloarthritis (n=43), Behçet’s disease (10), psoriatic arthritis (8), Crohn’s disease (4), sarcoidosis (2), JIA (1), reactive arthritis (1), rheumatoid arthritis (1), relapsing polychondritis (1), TINU (1), pars planitis (1), Birdshot (1) and idiopathic uveitis (6). Anterior was the most frequent uveitis pattern (n=61).In 20 patients, besides the presence of refractory uveitis, desire of pregnancy was the reason for CZP initiation.Prior to CZP, patients had received: methotrexate (n=38), sulfasalazine (28), azathioprine (14), cyclosporine (10), leflunomide (3), mycophenolate mofetil (4), and cyclophosphamide (1). Previous biologic therapy was administered in 52 patients (63%), with a median [IQR] of 2 [1-3] drugs per patient. The most used biologic was adalimumab (n=48), followed by infliximab (32), golimumab (15), tocilizumab (5), etanercept (7), rituximab (1), anakinra (1) and secukinumab (1). CZP was administered as monotherapy in 39 patients.After 24 [12-36] months of follow-up, all parameters analyzed showed a rapid and maintained improvement (Table 1). A decrease in the mean number of uveitis flares was observed before and after CZP, (2.6±2.3 vs. 0.6±0.4, pTable 1.main ocular parameters analyzed in 80 patients with uveitis due to IMID and treated with CZP.Baseline1st week1st month3rd month6th month1st yearBCVA (mean±SD)0.68±0.270.73±0.26*0.79±0.26*0.82±0.25*0.85±0.24*0.86±0.23*Tyndall improvement, n (%)Patients with Tyndall + at baseline (n=57)-23 (40.3)45 (78.9)47 (82.4)57 (100)57 (100)Vitritis improvement, n (%)Patients with Vitritis at baseline (n=14)-5 (35.7)8 (57.1)13 (92.8)14 (100)14 (100)OCT (µm) (mean±SD)297.5±48.1297.1±45.5286.5±39.8*277.6±43.3*271.5±38.6*269.0±38.8*Choroiditis, affected eyes, n (%)3 (2.4)3 (2.4)2 (1.6)2 (1.6)1 (0.8)1 (0.8)Retinal vasculitis, affected eyes, n (%)3 (2.4)2 (1.6)1 (0.8)0 (0)0 (0)0 (0)*pConclusionCZP seems to be effective and safe in the control of uveitis associated to different IMIDs.References[1]Jaffe GJ, et al. N Engl J Med 2016;375:932-43. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1509852.[2]Nguyen QD, et al. Lancet 2016;388:1183-92. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31339-3.[3]Martín-Varillas JL, et al. Ophthalmology 2018; 125:1444-1451 doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.02.020[4]Martín-Varillas JL, et al. J Rheumatol. 2021;48:741-750. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.200300[5]Atienza-Mateo B. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019;71:2081-2089. doi: 10.1002/art.41026.[6]Vegas-Revenga N et al Am J Ophthalmol. 2019;200:85-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.12.019Disclosure of InterestsNone declared