Simón Bolívar University

About: Simón Bolívar University is a education organization based out in Caracas, Venezuela. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Crystallization. The organization has 5912 authors who have published 8294 publications receiving 126152 citations.

Semolina supplementation with processed lupin and pigeon pea flours improve protein quality of pasta

Abstract: The objective of this work was to study the effect of processing (alcoholic extraction, fermentation and germination) on protein quality of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L. var. Troll and Emir) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. var. Aroito) flours. Second, the effect of semolina supplementation with the processed legume flours on protein quality of pasta was also evaluated. For protein quality evaluation amino acid composition and chemical score (CS) were determined in raw and processed legume flours as well as cooked semolina pasta supplemented and non-supplemented with processed legumes. Alcoholic extraction did not cause important changes in the amino acid profile of lupin seeds. Certainly, sulphur amino acid content of ethanol extracted lupin flours was reduced but levels remained similar to those usually found in other legumes. However, fermentation and germination of pigeon pea seeds improved some essential amino acids and slight changes in CS indexes were observed. Moreover, semolina supplementation with processed lupin and pigeon pea flours improved protein quality of pasta as a result of higher CS and EAA levels compared to the control cooked semolina pasta. Therefore, ethanol extracted lupin, as well as fermented and germinated pigeon pea seeds are suitable protein sources for formulating new pasta products.

Benchmarking federated SPARQL query engines: are existing testbeds enough?

Abstract: Testbeds proposed so far to evaluate, compare, and eventually improve SPARQL query federation systems have still some limitations. Some variables and configurations that may have an impact on the behavior of these systems (e.g., network latency, data partitioning and query properties) are not sufficiently defined; this affects the results and repeatability of independent evaluation studies, and hence the insights that can be obtained from them. In this paper we evaluate FedBench, the most comprehensive testbed up to now, and empirically probe the need of considering additional dimensions and variables. The evaluation has been conducted on three SPARQL query federation systems, and the analysis of these results has allowed to uncover properties of these systems that would normally be hidden with the original testbeds.

High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Circulating miRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Kidney Damage in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Abstract: Renal involvement is one of the most severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Renal biopsy is the gold standard when it comes to knowing whether a patient has lupus nephritis, and the degree of renal disease present. However, the biopsy has various complications, bleeding being the most common. Therefore, the development of alternative, non-invasive diagnostic tests for kidney disease in patients with SLE is a priority. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are differentially expressed in various tissues, and changes in their expression have been associated with several pathological processes. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the abundance of miRNAs in plasma samples from patients with lupus nephritis that could potentially allow the diagnosis of renal damage in SLE patients. This is an observational case-control cross-sectional study, in which we characterized the differential abundance profiles of miRNAs among patients with different degrees of lupus compared with SLE patients without renal involvement and healthy control individuals. We found 89 miRNAs with changes in their abundance between lupus nephritis patients and healthy controls, and 17 miRNAs that showed significant variations between SLE patients with or without renal involvement. Validation for qPCR of a group of miRNAs on additional samples from lupus patients with or without nephritis, and from healthy individuals, showed that five miRNAs presented an average detection sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 70.3%, a positive predictive value of 82.5%, a negative predictive value of 96% and a diagnosis efficiency of 87.9%. These results strongly suggest that miR-221-5p, miR-380-3p, miR-556-5p, miR-758-3p and miR-3074-3p are potential diagnostic biomarkers of lupus nephritis in patients with SLE. The observed differential pattern of miRNA abundance may have functional implications in the pathophysiology of SLE renal damage.

Microbiota and diabetes mellitus: Role of lipid mediators

Abstract: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an inflammatory clinical entity with different mechanisms involved in its physiopathology. Among these, the dysfunction of the gut microbiota stands out. Currently, it is understood that lipid products derived from the gut microbiota are capable of interacting with cells from the immune system and have an immunomodulatory effect. In the presence of dysbiosis, the concentration of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) increases, favoring damage to the intestinal barrier. Furthermore, a pro-inflammatory environment prevails, and a state of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia is present. Conversely, during eubiosis, the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) is fundamental for the maintenance of the integrity of the intestinal barrier as well as for immunogenic tolerance and appetite/satiety perception, leading to a protective effect. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that alterations or dysregulation of the gut microbiota can be reversed by modifying the eating habits of the patients or with the administration of prebiotics, probiotics, and symbiotics. Similarly, different studies have demonstrated that drugs like Metformin are capable of modifying the composition of the gut microbiota, promoting changes in the biosynthesis of LPS, and the metabolism of SCFA.