The hypothesis was tested that the additional dietary uptake of n-3 fatty acids, in particular of DHA and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), during the second half of pregnancy would influence proliferation and apoptosis in the full-term human placenta. The diets of pregnant women from Spain (n 55) were supplemented with modified fish oil and/or 5-MTHF or placebo, and assigned in a random, double-blind manner to one of the four groups. Immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were used to detect placental proliferation and apoptosis with monoclonal antibodies for key proteins that reflected the extent of both processes: proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53, cytokeratin 18 neoepitope. The PCNA level in the fish oil/5-MTHF-treated group was higher by 66 % (P,0·05) than that of the placebo group, whereas the levels of p53 and cytokeratin 18 neoepitope were unaffected by treatment. PCNA expression was altered only in the trophoblast compartment (placebo 11·1 (SE 0·5) % v. combination 21·5 (SE 1·2) %; P, 0·05), whereas the proportion of nuclei stained in endothelial and other stromal cells was similar in the placebo and combined treatment groups. No correlation was found between fish oil or 5-MTHF supplementation and the levels of the proteins. The present data suggest that supplementation with fish oil and/or 5-MTHF had no effect on the parameters reflecting placental proliferation and apoptosis. A defined combination of DHA and 5-MTHF may, however, affect placental proliferation.

This text presents the key concepts of the TRANSGANG project in the form of answers to seven research questions: what, when, who, why, where, how and what for. We start by defining the conceptual triangle configured by the title: Transnational Gangs as agents of Mediation (What). The central chapters give the historical context: Neoliberal States (When); the central study subjects: Gangs (Who); the proactive approach: Mediation (Why); the border spaces to be researched in the three regions: the Americas, North Africa and Southern Europe (Where); and the methodological perspective adopted (How). The final concluding chapter explores the expected impact of the research, from resistance to resilience through empowerment (What For). The text includes a complete list of related literature ordered by topics and regions, and a specific Glossary.

Extrusion is an interesting technological tool that facilitates pulse formulation into flour mixtures, with tailored fibre content, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glycemic index (GI) among other components in final formulas. The gluten-free (GF) market has significantly grown during the last years. GF products have evolved from specialty health foods to products targeted to the general population and not only associated to celiac consumers. This study evaluates how temperature, cereal base (rice/corn) and pulse concentration affect extruded flour properties and which conditions are more efficient to develop a gluten-free flour with high TAC and low GI. Additionally, it evaluated the effect of this optimal formula after the baking process. The results showed an increase of total phenol (TP) and antioxidant activity with extrusion, with a temperature-dependent effect (130 °C ≥ 120 °C ≥ 110 °C), which may imply an enhanced bioaccessibility of phenolics compounds after extraction. Extrusion increased GI in comparison to native flour; however, a dough temperature of 130 °C resulted in a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower GI than that observed for 110–120 °C doughs, probably associated to the pastification that occurred at higher temperatures, which would decrease the degree of gelatinization of the starches and therefore a significant (p ≤ 0.05) GI reduction. Corn-lentil flour showed higher antioxidant properties and lower GI index in comparison with rice-lentil blends. The formulation of the optimal blend flour into a baked product (muffin) resulted in a significant loss of antioxidant properties, with the exception of the reducing power (FRAP), although the final antioxidant values of the baked product were in the range of the original native flour blend before any process.

This text presents the key concepts of the TRANSGANG project in the form of answers to seven research questions: what, when, who, why, where, how and what for. We start by defining the conceptual triangle configured by the title: Transnational Gangs as agents of Mediation (What). The central chapters give the historical context: Neoliberal States (When); the central study subjects: Gangs (Who); the proactive approach: Mediation (Why); the border spaces to be researched in the three regions: the Americas, North Africa and Southern Europe (Where); and the methodological perspective adopted (How). The final concluding chapter explores the expected impact of the research, from resistance to resilience through empowerment (What For). The text includes a complete list of related literature ordered by topics and regions, and a specific Glossary.

Urban poverty refers to the set of economic and social difficulties that are found in industrialized cities and that are the result of a combination of processes such as the establishment of comfortable living standards, the increase of individualism, processes of social fragmentation, and the dualization of the labor market, which translates into social dualization (a divide between those who find themselves living within the conditions of well‐being and those who remain on the margins, excluded). It has been studied from two main analytical perspectives: the underclass approach (the theory that considers that poor people are responsible for their own poverty) and the poverty approach (which sees poverty as produced and reproduced by structural social forces). Methodologically, the measurement of urban poverty basically uses two methods: the identification method , based on a national minimum income considered indispensable for survival; and the method that analyzes social services users. The conceptual and analytical challenge in analyzing urban poverty requires focusing on the processes that generate urban poverty, such as social dualization, stigmatization, poverty concentration, precariousness, and not merely calculating the level of poverty. It involves analyzing the conditions that lead to the consolidation of situations of poverty, both the processes that generate urban poverty and those that offer a way out of it, in order to understand these processes with a view to acting on them.