Indexing of Fatty Acids in Poultry Meat for Its Characterization in Healthy Human Nutrition: A Comprehensive Application of the Scientific Literature and New Proposals

Chicken meat is becoming the most consumed in the world for both economic and nutritional reasons; regarding the latter, the lipid profile may play positive or negative roles in the prevention and treatment of diseases. In this study, we define the state of the art of lipid-based nutritional indexes and used the lipid content and fatty acid profile (both qualitative and quantitative) of breast meat of two poultry genotypes with different growth rates and meat traits. Further, we summarize and review the definitions, implications, and applications of nutritional indexes used in recent years and others of our own design to provide a useful tool to researchers working in the field of meat quality (not only in poultry) to select the most appropriate index for their own scientific purposes. All indexes show advantages and disadvantages; hence, a rational choice should be applied to consider the nutritional effect of meat on human health and for a possible assessment of the most suitable rearing systems (genotype, feeding, farming system or postmortem handling).     

Cardiac sympathetic-vagal activity initiates a functional brain–body response to emotional arousal

A century-long debate on bodily states and emotions persists. While the involvement of bodily activity in emotion physiology is widely recognized, the specificity and causal role of such activity related to brain dynamics has not yet been demonstrated. We hypothesize that the peripheral neural control on cardiovascular activity prompts and sustains brain dynamics during an emotional experience, so these afferent inputs are processed by the brain by triggering a concurrent efferent information transfer to the body. To this end, we investigated the functional brain–heart interplay under emotion elicitation in publicly available data from 62 healthy subjects using a computational model based on synthetic data generation of electroencephalography and electrocardiography signals. Our findings show that sympathovagal activity plays a leading and causal role in initiating the emotional response, in which ascending modulations from vagal activity precede neural dynamics and correlate to the reported level of arousal. The subsequent dynamic interplay observed between the central and autonomic nervous systems sustains the processing of emotional arousal. These findings should be particularly revealing for the psychophysiology and neuroscience of emotions.

“What Is an Emotion?” by William James (1), published more than a century ago, started the scientific debate on the nature of emotions. However, a shared and definitive theory of emotions is not in place yet, and the very definition of emotions and their nature is still a matter of debate. While more “classical” theories point to emotions as “the functional states of the brain that provide causal explanations of certain complex behaviors—like evading a predator or attacking prey” (2), other theories suggest how they are constructions of the world, not reactions to it (3). Namely, emotions are internal states constructed on the basis of previous experiences as predictive schemes to react to external stimuli.The role of bodily activity in emotions is often questioned. Despite the vast literature showing bodily correlates with emotions, a long-lasting debate about the relationship between bodily states and emotions persists (4). For instance, a feeling is defined as the subjective metarepresentation and labeling of physiological changes (such as an increase in heart rate, the increase of blood pressure, or changes in peristalsis) (5) that are strictly related to the body state on the one hand and to emotions on the other. To this extent, emotions are complex psychological phenomena in which feelings are interpreted and labeled. In a particular psychopathological condition known as alexithymia, individuals experience difficulties in experiencing and understanding emotions to various degrees (6). Indeed, some of these patients can perceive the physical changes connected to a feeling but are unable to label it as emotion, so that emotional experience is described only as its physical counterpart [e.g., described an experience as “I have my heart beating too fast” instead of “I’m fearful” (7)]. From a biological point of view the way in which physical changes become feelings and emotions is based on the interplay between the central and the autonomic nervous systems.The central nervous system (CNS) communicates with the autonomic nervous system (ANS) through interoceptive neural circuits that contribute to physiological functions beyond homeostatic control, from the emotional experience and the genesis of feelings (8) to decision making (9, 10). The debate about the role of the ANS in emotions can be condensed into two views: specificity or causation (4). The specificity view is related to the James–Lange theory, which states that bodily responses precede emotions’ central processing, meaning that bodily states would be a response to the environment, followed by an interpretation carried out by the CNS that would result in the feeling felt. However, causation theories represent an updated view of the James–Lange theory, suggesting that peripheral changes influence the conscious emotional experience; from a biological point of view this may reflect the fact that autonomic nervous signals from the body do influence perceptual activity in the brain (11, 12). In this regard, subjective perception may be influenced or shaped by ascending communication from visceral inputs to the brain (13–15).Functional models of CNS and ANS interplay have described bidirectional dynamics in emotions (16–18). In particular, the functional brain–heart interplay (BHI) involves brain structures that comprise the central autonomic network (CAN), which has been described as being in charge of autonomic control (19, 20). Moreover, the default mode network (DMN) has been found to be involved in autonomic control (21) and tasks of self-related cognition and interoception (22, 23), suggesting that the DMN participates in both ascending and descending communications with the heart. Finally, the constructed emotion theory suggests how DMN together with other intrinsic networks is crucial in the genesis of emotion and emotional experience (3).Psychophysiological studies have uncovered several correlates of different autonomic signals in the brain during emotional experiences (24–27). To understand these correlations and the functional interactions between the heart and brain, various signal processing methods have been proposed to investigate functional BHI through noninvasive recordings (28). The study of emotions using these methods comprises the analysis of heartbeat-evoked potentials (29), nonlinear couplings (30), and information transfer modeling (31). However, the causative role of bodily inputs remains unknown (4) and, more specifically, the temporal and causal links between cortical and peripheral neural dynamics in both ascending and descending directions, i.e., from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain, are still to be clarified.In this study, we take a step forward in answering these scientific questions and investigate whether peripheral neural dynamics play a causal role in the genesis of emotions. We applied a mathematical model of functional BHI based on synthetic data generation (SDG) (32), estimating the directionality of the functional interplay using simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) recordings gathered from healthy subjects undergoing emotion elicitations with video clips, the publicly available DEAP and MAHNOB datasets (33, 34). ECG series were analyzed to derive heart-rate variability (HRV) series, which result from the concurrent activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal) branches of the ANS acting to regulate the heartbeat. We hypothesize that, from a neurobiological point of view, feelings and subsequent emotional experiences arise from the mutual interplay between brain and body, particularly in which the CNS integrates the afferent ANS information outflow, namely from-heart-to-brain interplay, which actually triggers a cascade of cortical neural activations that, in turn, modulate directed neural control onto the heart, namely from brain-to-heart interplay.     

Octanediol treatment of glutaraldehyde fixed bovine pericardium: evidence of anticalcification efficacy in the subcutaneous rat model

OBJECTIVE: Anticalcification strategies of glutaraldehyde-fixed xenograft tissue aim to extract lipids or to neutralize toxic aldehyde residuals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of octanediol compared to standard treatments of glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium in the subdermal rat model. Octanediol treatment is an ethanolic solution (40%) containing a long chain aliphatic alcohol (5% 1,2-octanediol) that removes lipids without diminishing the stability of collagen. METHODS: Octanediol and standard glutaraldehyde fixed bovine pericardium were both implanted in 24 Sprague-Dawley rats, explanted after 30-75 days (12 animals each) and submitted to X-ray (score 0-4), histology, electron microscopy and elemental analysis by spectroscopy (Ca and P content). Unimplanted octanediol and standard glutaraldehyde fixed pericardium served as control. RESULTS: At 30 days octanediol-treated pericardium showed calcium content of 0.20+/-0.1 vs 20.07+/-36.79 mg/g dry weight for standard pericardium. The difference was also evident at 75 days: calcium content of 2.36+/-7.38 mg/g dry weight for octanediol vs 165.61+/-23.35 mg/g dry weight for standard (p<0.0001). Differences were also detected at X-ray (mean score 0.7+/-0.6 octanediol vs 3.8+/-0.4 standard at 75 days). Equally, mean P content was 11.69+/-21.33 mg/g dry weight for standard vs 0.60+/-1.45 mg/g dry weight for octanediol samples at 30 days, and 90.90+/-12.61 mg/g dry weight for standard vs 1.42+/-4.34 mg/g dry weight for octanediol at 75 days (p<0.0001). At electron microscopy collagen appeared well preserved regardless of the type of treatment; in octanediol treated pericardium cell membranes almost disappeared and only few profiles of endoplasmic reticulum and rare mitochondria were visible. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with octanediol strongly prevents calcification of glutaraldehyde fixed bovine pericardium in rat subdermal model, even in the long-term. Evidence of octanediol efficacy may entail important implications for new generation bioprosthetic valves.     

Randomized trial of mycophenolate mofetil versus enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in primary renal transplant recipients given tacrolimus and daclizumab/thymoglobulin: one year follow-up

BACKGROUND: It was of interest to compare enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) versus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) among renal transplant recipients receiving a tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen. METHODS: Between December 2004 and February 2006, a single-center, open-label randomized trial of MMF (group A, n=75) versus EC-MPS (group B, n=75) was performed in primary renal transplant recipients receiving combined thymoglobulin/daclizumab induction along with reduced tacrolimus dosing and elimination of corticosteroids 1 week postoperatively. The primary endpoint was the incidence rate of acute rejection (AR) during the first 12 months posttransplant; secondary aims were to compare graft and patient survival, renal function, drug dosing and monitoring, gastrointestinal side effects, and other adverse events at 12 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Patient/graft survival in groups A and B were 100%/96% versus 99%/96%, respectively (N.S.). At 12 months, a total of nine patients (6%) experienced biopsy-proven AR, 3% (2/75) vs. 9% (7/75) in the MMF and EC-MPS arms, respectively (N.S.). At 12 months, the geometric mean*/SE serum creatinine concentration and arithmetic mean+/-SE calculated glomerular filtration rate in groups A and B, respectively, were 1.30*/1.03 and 61.4+/-2.0 vs. 1.26*/1.03 and 66.0+/-2.1 (N.S.). Incidence of new onset diabetes mellitus (11% vs. 11%), infections requiring hospitalization (13% vs. 15%), and gastrointestinal side effects (36% vs. 32%) appeared equivalent (N.S.). CONCLUSIONS: Early efficacy and toxicity were equivalent between the two study arms. Optimizing either MMF or EC-MPS along with a combined thymoglobulin/daclizumab induction, low tacrolimus dosing and steroid avoidance resulted in a low AR rate and an acceptably high renal function at 12 months.     

Spirometry: predicting risk and outcome

Predicted postoperative FEV1 is certainly the most widely used parameter in preoperative risk stratification [54] and the measure recommend by BTS and ACCP functional guidelines as a first step in the screening of patients for lung resection surgery. Nevertheless, recent evidences have demonstrated that ppoFEV1 is not a reliable predictor of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in patients with preoperative impaired pulmonary function. This may be because of the fact that the resection of a portion of lung in patients with obstructive disease determines only a minimal loss, or even an improvement, in overall respiratory function and exercise tolerance. This lung volume reduction effect takes place very early, since the first postoperative days, balancing what ever negative physiologic effects a thoracotomy and lung resection may entail. In addition to its poor predictive role in COPD patients, ppoFEV1 largely underestimate the actual loss in the very first days after operation, when most of the complications develop. The rationale to use a parameter which is poorly correlated with the pulmonary function at the moment the complications occur seems unwarranted. At the very best, ppoFEV1 appears a weak surrogate of the immediate postoperative FEV1. The FEV1 measured on the first postoperative day may be 30% less than predicted. Corrective equations have been published to correct this discrepancy with the aim to improve risk stratification.     

Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy Significantly Reduces the Risk of Early Postthyroidectomy Voice and Swallowing Symptoms

Background Voice and swallowing symptoms are frequently reported after thyroidectomy even in absence of objective voice alterations. We evaluated the influence of the video-assisted approach on voice and swallowing outcome of thyroidectomy. Methods Sixty-five patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT) were recruited. Eligibility criteria were: nodule size ≤30 mm, thyroid volume ≤30 ml, no previous neck surgery. Exclusion criteria were: younger than aged 18 years and older than aged 75 years, vocal fold paralysis, history of voice, laryngeal or pulmonary diseases, malignancy other than papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patients were randomized for video-assisted (VAT) or conventional (CT) thyroidectomy. Videostrobolaryngoscopy (VSL), acoustic voice analysis (AVA), and maximum phonation time (MPT) evaluation were performed preoperatively and 3 months after TT. Subjective evaluation of voice (voice impairment score = VIS) and swallowing (swallowing impairment score = SIS) were obtained preoperatively, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after TT. Results Fifty-three patients completed the postoperative evaluation: 29 in the VAT group, and 24 in the CT group. No laryngeal nerves injury was shown at postoperative VSL. Mean postoperative MPT, F ₀, F _low, F _high, and the number of semitones were significantly reduced in the CT group but not in the VAT group. Mean VIS 3 months after surgery was significantly higher than preoperatively in CT group but not in the VAT group. Mean SIS was significantly decreased 1 and 3 months after VAT but not after CT. Conclusions The incidence and the severity of early voice and swallowing postthyroidectomy symptoms are significantly reduced in patients who undergo VAT compared with conventional surgery. Presented at the ISW2007—IAES free paper session, Montreal, Canada, August 26–30, 2007.     

A critical evaluation of discography in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc disease

STUDY DESIGN: The study is a prospective observational study of 48 continuous patients with symptomatic lumbar degenerative disk disease. Each patient underwent discography, MRI, and a biochemical analysis of disk lavage fluid. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to correlate concordant pain on discography with MRI grade and biochemical markers of inflammation in a clinical setting. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The pathophysiology of degenerative disk disease is complex. Discography is used to differentiate symptomatic from asymptomatic levels. MRI is used to image changes in disk water content. Biochemical assays have identified molecular markers of inflammation. To date, no study has correlated concordant pain on discography with MRI findings and biochemical markers. METHODS: Forty-eight (48) continuous patients with symptomatic lumbar degenerative disk disease gave informed consent for study entry. Patient sex, age, insurance, work status and visual analog score (VAS) were recorded. MRI was obtained and Pfirrmann grading was performed by a single spine surgeon. Discography with disc lavage was performed by a single anesthesiologist. Lavage samples were tested for inflammatory markers with high resolution multi-plex bead immunoassays and ELISA with >5 pg/ml resolution. RESULTS: None of demographic variables was significantly related to concordant pain on discogram by chi-squared tests and Mann-Whitney U-test. The Pfirrmann score was significantly different for patients with and without concordant pain at L3-L4 (p<0.001), but was insignificant at other levels after multitest correction. Pfirrmann scores were significantly different at any level in patients with and without concordant pain. VAS scores were not significantly correlated with opening pressures at any level. Despite the presence of serum proteins in the disk lavage fluid, none of the tested inflammatory mediators was identified by multi-plex bead immunoassays and ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: There are only weak correlations between demographic, discogram, and radiographic variables. Response to discogram cannot be predicted by non-invasive means. The disk lavage method was unable to identify the presence of specific inflammatory peptides with multi-plex immunoassays and ELISA.