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Las queratosis actínicas son lesiones cutáneas preneoplásicas frecuentes causadas por una exposición crónica a las radiaciones solares. La obtención de modelos animales que contribuyan a comprender los mecanismos implicados en esta patología y a evaluar nuevas terapias farmacológicas resulta de gran interés para la comunidad científica. Se desarrolló un biomodelo de queratosis actínica en ratones Balb/c, empleando como inductor la radiación UVA. Se aplicaron dos esquemas de irradiación: Grupo I, expuesto a tres sesiones diarias de radiación de 2 h y Grupo II, dos sesiones diarias de 4 h, con igual tiempo de receso entre sesiones y durante un período de 14 días. Se evaluaron parámetros macroscópicos y microscópicos, y la frecuencia de aparición de micronúcleos en sangre periférica. Los animales correspondientes al Grupo I no mostraron lesiones mascroscópicas y microscópicamente evidenciaron una leve acantosis con ausencia de displasia; mientras que en los animales del Grupo II se observaron lesiones macroscópicas que se correlacionan histopatológicamente con la presencia de una queratosis actínica. La frecuencia de micronúcleos obtenida en el Grupo II fue significativamente superior a la formación de micronúcleos espontáneos en el Grupo Control. El biomodelo experimental de queratosis actínica obtenido reproduce el efecto de las radiaciones ultravioletas sobre la piel. Actinic keratoses are frequent preneoplastic skin lesions caused by chronic exposure to solar radiation. Obtaining animal models that contribute to understanding the mechanisms involved in this pathology and evaluating new pharmacological therapies is of great interest to the scientific community. A biomodel of actinic keratosis was developed in Balb/c mice, using UVA radiation as an inducer. Two irradiation schemes were applied: Group I, exposed to three daily radiation sessions of 2 h and Group II, two daily sessions of 4 h, with the same break time between sessions and for a period of 14 days. Macroscopic and microscopic parameters were evaluated, as well as the frequency of appearance of micronuclei in peripheral blood. The animals corresponding to Group I did not show mascroscopic lesions and microscopically they showed a slight acanthosis with the absence of dysplasia; while in Group II animals macroscopic lesions were observed that histopathologically correlate with the presence of an actinic keratosis. The frequency of micronuclei obtained in Group II was significantly higher than the formation of spontaneous micronuclei in the Control Group. The experimental biomodel of actinic keratosis obtained reproduces the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. Ciencias Experimentales

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones, [ES] La ingesta de polifenoles ha demostrado ciertos beneficios para la salud. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el efecto de añadir 10 g diarios de chocolate comercial con alto porcentaje de cacao (99%) a la dieta habitual, durante 6 meses, sobre la presión arterial, la función vascular, el rendimiento cognitivo, la calidad de vida y la composición corporal en mujeres posmenopáusicas. Se trata de un ensayo clínico aleatorizado con dos grupos paralelos en el que se incluyeron 140 mujeres entre 50 y 64 años de edad en periodo posmenopáusico definido por amenorrea de al menos 12 meses consecutivos. La variable principal fue el cambio en la presión arterial. Las variables secundarias fueron los cambios en la función vascular, la composición corporal, el rendimiento cognitivo y la calidad de vida. El grupo de intervención recibió chocolate con una concentración del 99% de cacao y las instrucciones para tomar 10 g diarios de este producto añadidos a su alimentación habitual durante 6 meses. El aporte nutricional diario de esta cantidad de chocolate es de 59 kcal y 65,4 mg de polifenoles. El grupo control no recibió ninguna intervención. Todas las variables se midieron en la visita basal y a los 6 meses de esta. El periodo de estudio fue de junio de 2018 a agosto de 2019. Este ensayo fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética de la Investigación con Medicamentos (CEIm) del Área de Salud de Salamanca, España, en febrero de 2018, y se registró en clinicaltrials.gov perteneciente al US National Library of Medicine (número NCT03492983). Los análisis de la covarianza (ANCOVA) ajustados por los valores basales no mostraron diferencias significativas en la presión arterial sistólica (−1,45 mmHg; intervalo de confianza (IC) 95% −4,79 a 1,88; p = 0,391) o la VOP (0,18 m/s; IC 95% −0,14 a 0,50; p = 0,263) entre grupos. Se observó un descenso en la PP en el GI en comparación con el GC (−2,05 mmHg; IC 95% −4,08 a −0,02; p = 0,048). El resto de parámetros de estructura y función vascular, así como las demás variables medidas no mostraron cambios. El efecto principal de la intervención mostró una reducción favorable al GI respecto al GC en la masa grasa corporal (−0,63 kg [IC 95% −1,15 a −0,11], p = 0,019), (d de Cohen = −0,450) y en el porcentaje de grasa corporal (−0,79% [IC 95% −1,31 a −0,26], p = 0,004), (d de Cohen = −0,539). Se observó un descenso no significativo en el índice de masa corporal (−0,20 kg/m2 [IC 95% −0,44 a 0,03], p = 0,092), (d de Cohen = −0,345). El tiempo de ejecución del Trail Making Test B mostró un descenso de −12,08 s (IC 95% −23,99 a −0,18; p = 0,047) en el grupo de intervención en comparación con el grupo control, tras ajustar por la edad, el nivel de educación, el tiempo desde el inicio de la menopausia y el consumo energético diario (d de Cohen = −0,343). No se observaron cambios en la atención, la memoria verbal inmediata y demorada, la fluidez fonológica y categorial ni la memoria de trabajo. Los ANCOVA ajustados por los principales determinantes de la CdV considerados en este estudio no mostraron cambios en la puntuación global de la CdV evaluada con el EuroQoL-5D-3L. El grupo de intervención mostró un incremento de 6,0 puntos (intervalo de confianza (IC) 95% 0,4 a 11,7) en el EQ-VAS en comparación con el grupo control (p = 0,036). No se observaron cambios significativos entre grupos en la puntuación global de la CdV ni en las dimensiones o subdimensiones medidas con la escala Cervantes. En conclusión, el consumo de 10 g de chocolate rico en cacao parece que produce una discreta mejora en la salud cardiovascular, aunque tampoco provoca efectos adversos en los parámetros evaluados en mujeres posmenopáusicas a largo plazo. La adición diaria a la dieta habitual de 10 g de chocolate comercial rico en cacao en mujeres posmenopáusicas disminuye la masa grasa y el porcentaje de grasa corporal sin alterar el peso corporal. El consumo diario de 10 g de chocolate comercial rico en cacao añadido a la dieta habitual podría estar asociado a una leve mejora en el rendimiento cognitivo con respecto a la flexibilidad cognitiva y la velocidad de procesamiento en mujeres posmenopáusicas, sin producir cambios en las demás variables de rendimiento cognitivo evaluadas. El aporte adicional de 10 g de chocolate comercial rico en cacao en mujeres posmenopáusicas podría tener un ligero impacto en su percepción de su estado de salud, pero sin modificar la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud ni las dimensiones que la componen.

Stigma is one of the main barriers to prevention, treatment and recovery from mental illness. However, bibliometric studies in this area are still scarce. Therefore, our aim was to quantify and analyze the scientific literature on the stigma of nursing students and professionals towards mental disorders. To this purpose, bibliometric indicators of scientific production, impact and collaboration were used. Among our results, it stands out that only 14.3% of the total number of studies analyzed measure the efficacy of the interventions carried out to reduce stigma. Furthermore, with exceptions such as Happell B and Byrne L, collaborations between authors and institutions are limited. “Service user involvement” appeared as a prominent keyword in 2018, coinciding with the increase in publications on the effectiveness of interventions. Interventions based on the involvement of people with psychiatric diagnoses in the design of nursing curricula seem to become a promising line of research. More studies measuring the efficacy of such interventions are needed. Knowledge of the lines of research that are being developed and of the researchers and institutions involved can contribute to creating synergy between the different researchers and to continue adding projects to the existing ones, thus contributing to the generation of more robust results that show the most indicated interventions to reduce the still present stigma and improve care for people with psychiatric diagnoses. Sin financiación 4.614 JCR (2021) Q1, 45/182 Public, Environmental & Occupational Health 0.814 SJR (2021) Q1, 34/136 Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis No data IDR 2021 UEV

12 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables.-- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Tuberculosis (TB) is the most lethal infection among infectious diseases. The specific aim of this study was to establish panels of serum protein biomarkers representative of active TB patients and their household contacts who were either infected (LTBI) or uninfected (EMI-TB Discovery Cohort, Pontevedra Region, Spain). A TMT (Tamdem mass tags) 10plex-based quantitative proteomics study was performed in quintuplicate containing a total of 15 individual serum samples per group. Peptides were analyzed in an LC-Orbitrap Elite platform, and raw data were processed using Proteome Discoverer 2.1. A total of 418 proteins were quantified. The specific protein signature of active TB patients was characterized by an accumulation of proteins related to complement activation, inflammation and modulation of immune response and also by a decrease of a small subset of proteins, including apolipoprotein A and serotransferrin, indicating the importance of lipid transport and iron assimilation in the progression of the disease. This signature was verified by the targeted measurement of selected candidates in a second cohort (EMI-TB Verification Cohort, Maputo Region, Mozambique) by ELISA and nephelometry techniques. These findings will aid our understanding of the complex metabolic processes associated with TB progression from LTBI to active disease, EMI-TB is a European Union Horizon2020-funded action (Grant No. 643558) focused on selecting and developing a novel vaccine candidate for TB

Discriminating between malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and benign pleural effusion (BPE) remains difficult. Thus, novel and efficient biomarkers are required for the diagnosis of pleural effusion (PE). The aim of this study was to validate calprotectin as a diagnostic biomarker of PE in clinical settings. A total of 425 patients were recruited, and the pleural fluid samples collected had BPE in 223 cases (53.7%) or MPE in 137 patients (33%). The samples were all analysed following the same previously validated clinical laboratory protocols and methodology. Calprotectin levels ranged from 772.48 to 3,163.8 ng/mL (median: 1,939 ng/mL) in MPE, and 3,216–24,000 ng/mL in BPE (median: 9,209 ng/mL; p

In order to develop nurses’ identities properly, they need to publicise their professional competences and make society aware of them. For that, this study was conducted to describe the competences that society currently attributes to nursing professionals and how nursing is valued in society. This review was based on the conceptual framework by Whittemore and Knafl. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, WOS, and CINAHL databases, and the search strategy was based on a combination of natural language and standardised keywords, with limits and criteria for inclusion, exclusion, and quality. The results of the studies were classified and coded in accordance with the competence groups of the professional profile described in the Tuning Educational Structures in Europe programme. Fourteen studies were selected. The most commonly reported competence groups were as follows: nursing practice and clinical decision making; and communication and interpersonal competences. Nursing is perceived as a healthcare profession dedicated to caring for individuals. Its other areas of competence and its capacity for leadership are not well known. In order to develop a professional identity, it is essential to raise awareness of the competences that make up this professional profile.

Home care nurses have become the main references in home care for vulnerable patients. In patients’ homes they offer comprehensive and continuous care to both the vulnerable population and their families. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore experiences and perspectives of home care nurses regarding the care of vulnerable patients in Spain. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 home care nurses working with a vulnerable population. From a data analysis, two themes and four subthemes emerged: (1) “barriers to providing home care to vulnerable populations”, with the following subthemes: “the particularities of the patient and their home caregivers” and “perceived barriers for the involvement of home care nurses in the care”; and (2) “the emotional cost of home care” with the subthemes “home care is draining for caregivers” and “the impact of home care on the home care nurses”. These findings show us that nurses face a number of difficulties in home care for vulnerable patients. The training of nurses in certain competencies and skills by the social health services would enhance the quality of care offered to these patients, This paper is part of funded project by University of Almeria and Andalusian Association of Community Nurses (ASANEC) (Transfiere 2019, reference TRFE-SI-2019/010) We are grateful to all participants who took part in this study. The authors thank the Health Sciences Research Group CTS-451 and the Health Research Center (CEINSA) of the University of Almería (Spain) for its support

Informal caregivers are subject to a heavy work burden, which can have negative repercussions on their work ability. This cross-sectional study with 70 informal caregivers aims to evaluate the work ability of informal caregivers caring at home for patients followed by the Public Home Care Service in Bauru, Brazil, as well as to investigate its associated factors. The association between work ability and the variables under study was estimated using simple and multiple logistic regression models, including a hierarchical model. Work ability, carerelated burden, sleep quality and quality of life were assessed through the Work Ability Index, the Zarit Burden Interview Scale, the Mini-sleep Questionnaire, and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, respectively. Almost 36% of the informal caregivers had an inadequate work ability. The variables that increased the probability of an adequate work ability were quality of life (OR: 0.94; CI: 0.92–0.97) and self-perceived physical fitness (OR: 0.32;CI: 0.17–0.60), while those that reduced the likelihood of adequate work ability were age (OR: 1.06; CI:1.02–1.13), burden (OR: 1.05; CI: 1.01–1.10) and poor sleep quality (OR: 1.07; CI: 1.01–1.12). It is necessary to develop public health policies aimed at informal caregivers who, due to their informality, are not seen as workers., “Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that is characterized by the presence of demyelinated regions with accumulated myelin lipid debris. Importantly, to allow effective remyelination, such debris must be cleared by microglia. Therefore, the study of microglial activity with sensitive tools is of great interest to better monitor the MS clinical course. Using a boronic acid-based (BASHY) fluorophore, specific for nonpolar lipid aggregates, we aimed to address BASHY’s ability to label nonpolar myelin debris and image myelin clearance in the context of demyelination. Demyelinated ex vivo organotypic cultures (OCSCs) and primary microglia cells were immunostained to evaluate BASHY’s co-localization with myelin debris and also to evaluate BASHY’s specificity for phagocytosing cells. Additionally, mice induced with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were injected with BASHY and posteriorly analyzed to evaluate BASHY+ microglia within demyelinated lesions. Indeed, in our in vitro and ex vivo studies, we showed a significant increase in BASHY labeling in demyelinated OCSCs, mostly co-localized with Iba1-expressing amoeboid/phagocytic microglia. Most importantly, BASHY’s presence was also found within demyelinated areas of EAE mice, essentially co-localizing with lesion-associated Iba1+ cells, evidencing BASHY’s potential for the in vivo bioimaging of myelin clearance and myelin-carrying microglia in regions of active demyelination., This work was supported by Grant for Multiple Sclerosis Innovation-Merck Serono to AF, Young Investigator’s Projects for Collaborative Cross-disciplinary Studies from iMed.ULisboa to A.F. and F.S.; PTDC/QUI-QOR/29967/2017 and LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-029967 to P.G.; the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (CTQ2017-89832-P for U.P.); the PhD grant 2021.04911.BD from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT) to M.V.P.; and in part by UIDB/04138/2020 and UIDP/04138/2020-from FCT to iMed.ULisboa.

The health effects of COVID-19 continue to raise doubts today. In some areas, such as mental health, these doubts have scarcely been addressed. The present study analyses the effects on psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic in Chile. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed by using a questionnaire validated in Spain and adapted for Chile. Between 22 April and 16 December 2020, 3227 questionnaires were collected from the 16 regions of Chile, using non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed. The variables that could predict psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile were: having a poor self-perception of health OR = 4.038, 95% CI = (2.831, 5.758); being younger than 29 OR = 2.287, 95% CI = (1.893, 2.762); having diarrhea OR = 2.093, 95% CI = (1.414, 3.098); having headache OR = 2.019, 95% CI = (1.662, 2.453); being a woman OR = 1.638, 95% CI = (1.363, 1.967); having muscle pain OR = 1.439, 95% CI = (1.114, 1.859); and having had casual contact with an infected person OR = 1.410, 95% CI = (1.138, 1.747). In Chile, with a better social, economic, cultural, and health environment compared to neighboring countries, there has been a high percentage of psychological distress. It is time to prioritize measures to safeguard the mental health of Chileans, especially focused on the most vulnerable population according to our results, i.e., young women with poorer health status.

Migraine is one of the most common causes of disability, especially among young women. Despite the high migraine prevalence and its consequences, currently there are no migraine biomarkers and the diagnosis is exclusively based on the description of the symptoms by the patient. Furthermore, the migraine pathophysiology is not completely understood yet. In order to find a migraine biomarker and better understand the migraine pathophysiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been employed thanks to its excellent tissue contrast and spatial resolution using non-ionizing radiation. Multiple studies that have assessed gray matter and white matter structure in patients with migraine have shown conflicting results, although some patterns such as loss of gray matter volume have been widely described. From the clinical point of view, other important assessments like the comparison between the two current main migraine types, Chronic Migraine (CM) and Episodic Migraine (EM), have been barely carried out. Considering the technical perspective, specific evaluations of the structural connections between gray matter regions and the relationships between the MRI findings from different modalities have not been performed. In the present doctoral thesis, the main objective was the characterization of gray matter and white matter structural properties of patients with CM and EM. With regard to both migraine groups, the comparison between the two migraine types through the employment of diverse MRI processing techniques is also included in the main objective. The use of advanced and novel diffusion measures not employed previously in the migraine literature was also considered to provide an additional strategy for the assessment of white matter. An evaluation of the diffusion MRI (dMRI) acquisition parameters in association with the sample size was carried out to identify possible sources of the variability. Moreover, the structural connections between gray matter regions through the white matter tracts were assessed, bearing in mind their possible relationship with gray matter morphometry., Departamento de Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones e Ingeniería Telemática, Doctorado en Tecnologías de la Información y las Telecomunicaciones

The neurobiology of schizophrenia is multifactorial, comprising the dysregulation of several biochemical pathways and molecules. This research proposes a peripheral biomarker for schizophrenia that involves the second extracellular loop of norepinephrine transporter (NEText), the tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC), and the neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in T cells. The study of NEText, NT-3, and TrkC was performed in T cells and plasma extracted from peripheral blood of 54 patients with schizophrenia and 54 healthy controls. Levels of NT-3, TrkC, and NET were significantly lower in plasma and T cells of patients compared to healthy controls. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IPs) showed protein interactions with Co-IP NEText–NT-3 and Co-IP NEText–TrkC. Computational modelling of protein–peptide docking by CABS-dock provided a medium–high accuracy model for NT-3–NEText (4.6935 Å) and TrkC–NEText (2.1365 Å). In summary, immunocomplexes reached statistical relevance in the T cells of the control group contrary to the results obtained with schizophrenia. The reduced expression of NT-3, TrkC, and NET, and the lack of molecular complexes in T cells of patients with schizophrenia may lead to a peripheral dysregulation of intracellular signaling pathways and an abnormal reuptake of norepinephrine (NE) by NET. This peripheral molecular biomarker underlying schizophrenia reinforces the role of neurotrophins, and noradrenergic and immune systems in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. SFRH/BD/135623/2018 Instituto de Salud Carlos III | Ref. P16/00405 Instituto de Salud Carlos III | Ref. PI20/00937 Axencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607B 2018/17

Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) is used by physical therapists as a feedback tool for measuring changes in muscle morphology during therapeutic interventions such as motor control exercises (MCE). However, a structured overview of its efficacy is lacking. We aimed to systematically review the efficacy of RUSI for improving MCE programs compared with no feedback and other feedback methods. MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were searched for studies evaluating efficacy data of RUSI to improve muscular morphology, quality, and/or function of skeletal muscles and MCE success. Eleven studies analyzing RUSI feedback during MCE were included. Most studies showed acceptable methodological quality. Seven studies assessed abdominal wall muscles, one assessed pelvic floor muscles, one serratus anterior muscle, and two lumbar multifidi. Eight studies involved healthy subjects and three studies clinical populations. Eight studies assessed muscle thickness and pressure differences during MCE, two assessed the number of trials needed to successfully perform MCE, three assessed the retain success, seven assessed the muscle activity with electromyography and one assessed clinical severity outcomes. Visual RUSI feedback seems to be more effective than tactile and/or verbal biofeedback for improving MCE performance and retention success, but no differences with pressure unit biofeedback were found.

Producción Científica, Stroke is one of the most common causes of death and disability. Reperfusion therapies are the only treatment available during the acute phase of stroke. Due to recent clinical trials, these therapies may increase their frequency of use by extending the time-window administration, which may lead to an increase in complications such as hemorrhagic transformation, with parenchymal hematoma (PH) being the more severe subtype, associated with higher mortality and disability rates. Our aim was to find genetic risk factors associated with PH, as that could provide molecular targets/pathways for their prevention/treatment and study its genetic correlations to find traits sharing genetic background. We performed a GWAS and meta-analysis, following standard quality controls and association analysis (fastGWAS), adjusting age, NIHSS, and principal components. FUMA was used to annotate, prioritize, visualize, and interpret the meta-analysis results. The total number of patients in the meta-analysis was 2034 (216 cases and 1818 controls). We found rs79770152 having a genome-wide significant association (beta 0.09, p-value 3.90 × 10−8) located in the RP11-362K2.2:RP11-767I20.1 gene and a suggestive variant (rs13297983: beta 0.07, p-value 6.10 × 10−8) located in PCSK5 associated with PH occurrence. The genetic correlation showed a shared genetic background of PH with Alzheimer’s disease and white matter hyperintensities. In addition, genes containing the ten most significant associations have been related to aggregated amyloid-β, tau protein, white matter microstructure, inflammation, and matrix metalloproteinases., Instituto de Salud Carlos III y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - ( Projects PI 11/0176 and PI18/01338), Instituto de Salud Carlos III - (Project CM18/00198), Agencia de Gestión de Ayudas Universitarias y de Investigación (AGAUR) y Fondo Social Europeo - (Grant 2020FI_B1 00157), Instituto de Salud Carlos III y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (Project CD20/00043), Instituto de Salud Carlos III - (Projects FI19/00309, CP12/03298, CPII17/00027, CPII19/00020)

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:40:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-06-01 This pandemic has been classified as a “psychological pandemic” that produces anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep disorders. As the mental health effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continue to unfold, there are still large knowledge gaps about the variables that predispose individuals to, or protect individuals against the disease. However, there are few publications on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of citizens in Latin American countries. In this study, the effects that COVID-19 had on citizens of Peru have been described. For this, 1699 questionnaires, collected between 2 April and 2 September 2020, were analyzed. Descriptive, bivariate analysis was performed with odds ratio (OR) calculations and a data mining methodology. Sociodemographic variables (from the General Health Questionnaire), health conditions and perception, symptoms, and variables related to contact and preventive measures regarding COVID-19 were analyzed. As compared to other countries, less affectation of mental health and increased use of preventive measures were observed. It has been suggested that the country’s precarious health system and poverty rates prior to the pandemic may justify higher mortality figures in Peru than in other Latin American countries, despite prompt action for its containment and compliance with the protective measures. Psychological distress had a greater incidence in women, young people, people without a partner, and people without university studies. The most significant conditioning variables were self-perceived health status, headache or muscle pain over the past 14 days, level of studies, and age. The extensive use of preventive measures against COVID-19 is in line with the strict legislative measures taken, and this is, in turn, in line with other countries when looking at the lower effect on mental health, but contrary when focusing on the high lethality identified. The need to include the economy or availability and quality of healthcare in future studies arises, as well as the suitability to analyze the cause for differences between countries. Department of Sociology Social Work and Public Health Faculty of Labour Sciences University of Huelva Safety and Health Postgraduate Programme Universidad Espíritu Santo Faculty of Health Sciences Universidad Científica del Sur Department of Economy Faculty of Labour Sciences University of Huelva Faculty of Nursing Universidad Hermilio Valdizan Public (Collective) Health Grade Program Botucatu Medical School Paulista State University/UNESP Public (Collective) Health Grade Program Botucatu Medical School Paulista State University/UNESP

Shift work that involves circadian disruption has been highlighted as a likely carcinogenic factor for breast cancer in humans. Also, unhealthy lifestyle habits observed in night work nurses could be causally related to an increase in the incidence of estrogen-positive breast tumours in this population. Assessing baseline risk of breast cancer in nurses is essential. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk of breast cancer that nurses had in relation to their lifestyle and labour factors related to shift work. A cross-sectional descriptive study through a questionnaire about sociodemographic variables, self-perception of health, and working life was designed. The sample consisted of 966 nurses. The relationship between variables was tested. A binary logistic regression and a classification and regression tree were performed. The most significant labour variables in relation to the risk of breast cancer were the number of years worked (more than 16 years, p &lt, 0.01, OR = 8.733, 95% CI = 2.811, 27.134) and the total years performing more than 3 nights per month (10 or more years, 0.05, OR = 2.294, 95% CI = 1.008, 5.220). Also, the nights worked throughout life (over 500, OR = 4.190, 95% CI = 2.118, 8.287) were significant in the analysis. Nurses who had or ever had breast cancer valued their self-perceived health more negatively (p &lt, 0.001) and referred a lower quality of sleep (p &lt, 0.001) than the non-cases nurses. The occupational factors derived from night work could have several impacts on nurses’ health and their family-work balance. Promoting healthy lifestyles, informing about shift work risks, and adjusting shift work schedules are critical methods to decrease the possible effects of circadian disruption in nurses.

Producción Científica, The use of artificial intelligence in health care has grown quickly. In this sense, we present our work related to the application of Natural Language Processing techniques, as a tool to analyze the sentiment perception of users who answered two questions from the CSQ-8 questionnaires with raw Spanish free-text. Their responses are related to mindfulness, which is a novel technique used to control stress and anxiety caused by different factors in daily life. As such, we proposed an online course where this method was applied in order to improve the quality of life of health care professionals in COVID 19 pandemic times. We also carried out an evaluation of the satisfaction level of the participants involved, with a view to establishing strategies to improve future experiences. To automatically perform this task, we used Natural Language Processing (NLP) models such as swivel embedding, neural networks, and transfer learning, so as to classify the inputs into the following three categories: negative, neutral, and positive. Due to the limited amount of data available—86 registers for the first and 68 for the second—transfer learning techniques were required. The length of the text had no limit from the user’s standpoint, and our approach attained a maximum accuracy of 93.02% and 90.53%, respectively, based on ground truth labeled by three experts. Finally, we proposed a complementary analysis, using computer graphic text representation based on word frequency, to help researchers identify relevant information about the opinions with an objective approach to sentiment. The main conclusion drawn from this work is that the application of NLP techniques in small amounts of data using transfer learning is able to obtain enough accuracy in sentiment analysis and text classification stages., Junta de Castilla y León, Gerencia Regional de Salud - (grant GRS COVID 90/A/20)

La cefalea es un síntoma frecuente en urgencias. Evaluamos la frecuencia y tipo de datos de alarma en pacientes que acudieron a urgencias y tuvieron un diagnóstico confirmado de trombosis de senos venosos cerebrales (TSVC) o enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19). También analizamos pacientes que fueron dados de alta de urgencias con un diagnóstico definitivo de cefalea tipo tensión (CTT). Todos los pacientes con TSVC o Covid-19 que acudieron a urgencias con cefalea tenía al menos un dato de alarma. La TSVC debe considerarse en el diagnóstico diferencial de los pacientes con cefalea y datos de alarma. En pacientes con cefalea de nueva aparición con datos de alarma durante 2020-2021, la presencia de una posible infección por Covid-19 debe ser considerada. La CTT está sobrediagnosticada en urgencias, los pacientes con un diagnóstico de CTT presentaron datos de alarma en un 80% de los casos, haciendo el diagnóstico de CTT incompatible., Departamento de Medicina, Dermatología y Toxicología, Doctorado en Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud

Background Partial or incomplete osteotomy (IO) of the phalanx is recently described in the literature. However, the clinical outcome and the rate of complications when applied to lesser toe deformities (LTD) have been never addressed. This study aims to find out if the association of tenotomies to incomplete or partial phalanx osteotomies has a significant impact on the clinical outcomes, the occurrence of complications, and the recovery time after surgery. Methods A retrospective review of two cohorts of cases operated in our institution for hallux abductus valgus (HAV) and associated LTD from 2008 to 2014 was carried out. The surgical correction of both HAV and the associated LTD was always performed by minimally invasive techniques. The study included a total of 223 patients (723 IO in 556 toes). In 129 cases, the IO for LTD correction was performed without tenotomies, and in 94, the procedure was combined with flexor and/or extensor tenotomies. Patients were assessed with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) questionnaire before surgery and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results The mean preoperative AOFAS score before surgery was similar in both cohorts. At 12-month follow-up, the cohort without tenotomies showed better recovery (95.7 ± 2.8 versus 92.5 ± 6.8; p < 0.01). AOFAS scores decreased as the number of associated LTD increased (r = − 0.814; p < 0.001). Cases operated on by PO + tenotomy showed a high rate of complications such as delayed union of the osteotomy (p < 0.01), hypertrophic callus (p < 0.01), phalangeal fracture at the osteotomy site (p < 0.01), and lack of correction (p < 0.05). The overall occurrence of adverse events was 38.6% in cases operated by PO + tenotomy and 13.9% in cases receiving PO alone (p < 0.0001). Cases operated on without tenotomy showed a shorter time to complete recovery for daily life activities (37.4 ± 2.3 versus 43.0 ± 1.7 days; p < 0.01). Conclusion The performance of associated tenotomies to incomplete phalanx osteotomies provides worse clinical outcomes, higher complication rates, and longer recovery time as compared to similar forefoot surgeries without tenotomies. Trial registration The study was based on retrospectively registered data starting on May 24, 2008.

OnabotulinumtoxinA is one of the main preventive treatments for chronic migraine. Despite that up to one third of patients with chronic migraine suffer from daily headache, these individuals have hardly been studied. We conducted a prospective cohort study, including patients with chronic migraine and treated with OnabotulinumtoxinA according to the PREEMPT paradigm. The primary endpoint was to assess whether patients with chronic migraine and daily headache had a different response after three sessions of OnabotulinutoxinA than patients without daily headache. The secondary endpoint was to analyse the presence of predictive factors that could be associated with a higher response to OnabotulinumtoxinA. Patients with daily headache had a reduction of 14.9 (SD: 9.7) headache days per month, patients with 22–29 headache days a reduction of 10.6 (SD: 9.9) days, and patients with 15–21 headache days a reduction of 8.6 (SD: 7.1) days (p &lt, 0.001). In the univariate regression analysis, a higher number of headache days per month at baseline was associated with higher odds of reduction in the number of headache days per month after OnabotulinumtoxinaA treatment (OR: 0.474, 95% CI: 0.278–0.670, p &lt, 0.001). This association was maintained in the multivariate regression analysis (OR: 0.540, 95% CI: 0.333–0.746, p &lt, 0.001). In our sample, daily headache was not associated with a worse response to OnabotulinumtoxinA treatment. A higher frequency of headache at baseline was a predictor of better response to OnabotulinumtoxinA treatment.

Aim Taking a corpus of nursing students enrolled in the 2017−2021 nursing degree, we aim to analyse how students' levels of resilience and fear of death evolve in the first three years of the degree and whether there are differences between students based on age and gender. In addition, we aim to describe the relationship between resilience and fear of death. Background Throughout their training, nursing students will encounter situations of grief and death that may generate reactions of rejection, anxiety and emotional imbalance. Recognising and controlling these emotions through specialised training in end-of-life care and fostering resilience is essential. Design Comparative, correlational and longitudinal study. Methods Our corpus comprised 100 nursing students who were followed through the first three years of their training. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Collet-Lester Fear of Death Scale and the Resilience Scale. Results The corpus reported medium-high levels of fear of death overall. Patterns were similar for all academic years: fear of other people's death was invariably the highest scoring subscale; and while individual dimensions of the Collet-Lester scale correlated directly and significantly with each other they were found to be inversely related to student age. High levels of resilience were recorded and were highest in the final year. Conclusions In this sample of student nurses, fear of death and resilience do not appear to be related to each other. Nursing education must include training specifically targeted at increasing levels of resilience and decreasing fear of death to improve end-of-life care.

Background: The outcome of colorectal cancer is mostly based on TNM classification. There are several factors determining that patients with the same tumoral stage present different outcomes. The nutritional status has been related to the immunological response and may affect the oncologic results. The purpose of this study was to determine if preoperative nutritional parameters may predict the oncologic outcome in patients with early colorectal cancer. Methods: A prospective observational study of patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer was performed with stage I. Preoperative nutritional assessment included glycemic and lipid profiles, total proteins, and albumin levels. These parameters were correlated with tumoral recurrence during a follow-up of at least 24 months. Results: During the period of study, 744 patients were operated on and 228 (30.6%) followed the inclusion criteria for this study. Recurrence rate was 5.7% (13 patients). Patients with hypoproteinemia showed a 7.8-fold greater risk of recurrence during the first 24 months after surgery [OR 7.8 (CI95% 1.3-48), p = 0.012]. Patients with glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c) &gt, 6.2% showed a 2.3 increased risk of recurrence [OR 2.3 (CI95% 1.1-4.7, p = 0.01]. Conclusions: Preoperative values of total proteins and HbA1c correlate with the recurrence rate in early colorectal cancer.

Background: We analyzed the immediate effects of a Telerehabilitation Program (TP) based on aerobic exercise in women with fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome during the lockdown declared in Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial was designed. Thirty-four women with FM were randomized into two groups: TP group and Control group. The intervention lasted 15 weeks, with 2 sessions per week. The TP based on aerobic exercise was guided by video and the intensity of each session was monitored using the Borg scale. Pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale), mechanical pain sensitivity (algometer), number of tender points, FM impact (Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), physiological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), upper (Arm Curl Test) and lower-limb physical function (6-min Walk Test) were measured at baseline and after the intervention. Results: The TP group improved pain intensity (p = 0.022), mechanical pain sensitivity (p &lt, 0.05), and psychological distress (p = 0.005), compared to the Control group. The Control group showed no statistically significant changes in any variable (p &gt, 0.05). Conclusion: A TP based on aerobic exercise achieved improvements on pain intensity, mechanical pain sensitivity, and psychological distress compared to a Control group during the lockdown declared in Spain due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Producción Científica, Hepatic insulin clearance, a physiological process that in response to nutritional cues clears ~50–80% of circulating insulin, is emerging as an important factor in our understanding of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a highly conserved Zn2+-metalloprotease that degrades insulin and several other intermediate-size peptides. Both, insulin clearance and IDE activity are reduced in diabetic patients, albeit the cause-effect relationship in humans remains unproven. Because historically IDE has been proposed as the main enzyme involved in insulin degradation, efforts in the development of IDE inhibitors as therapeutics in diabetic patients has attracted attention during the last decades. In this review, we retrace the path from Mirsky’s seminal discovery of IDE to the present, highlighting the pros and cons of the development of IDE inhibitors as a pharmacological approach to treating diabetic patients., Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - (grant SAF2016-77871-C2-2-R), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - (grant PID2019-110496RB-C22), Fundación Europea para el Estudio de la Diabetes (Programa Europeo de Investigación de la Diabetes sobre nuevos objetivos para el tipo 2 Diabetes apoyada por MSD-2017), US National Institutes of Health - (GM115617), Fundación “la Caixa" - (grant LCF/PR/PR18/51130007), Junta de Castilla y León y Fondo Social Europeo - ((ORDER EDU/574/2018)

Producción Científica, Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed metalloprotease that degrades insulin and several other intermediate-size peptides. For many decades, IDE had been assumed to be involved primarily in hepatic insulin clearance, a key process that regulates availability of circulating insulin levels for peripheral tissues. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that IDE has several other important physiological functions relevant to glucose and insulin homeostasis, including the regulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Investigation of mice with tissue-specific genetic deletion of Ide in the liver and pancreatic β-cells (L-IDE-KO and B-IDE-KO mice, respectively) has revealed additional roles for IDE in the regulation of hepatic insulin action and sensitivity. In this review, we discuss current knowledge about IDE’s function as a regulator of insulin secretion and hepatic insulin sensitivity, both evaluating the classical view of IDE as an insulin protease and also exploring evidence for several non-proteolytic functions. Insulin proteostasis and insulin sensitivity have both been highlighted as targets controlling blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes, so a clearer understanding the physiological functions of IDE in pancreas and liver could led to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of this disease., Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - (grant SAF2016-77871-C2-1-R; SAF2016-77871-C2-2-R), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - (grant PID2019-110496RB-C21; PID2019-110496RB-C22), Fundación Europea para el Estudio de la Diabetes (Programa Europeo de Investigación de la Diabetes sobre nuevos objetivos para el tipo 2 Diabetes apoyada por MSD-2017), US National Institutes of Health - (grant GM115617), Fundación “la Caixa" - (grant LCF/PR/PR18/51130007), Junta de Castilla y León y Fondo Social Europeo - ((ORDER EDU/574/2018 and ORDER EDU/556/2019)

Objectives: To evaluate the discriminative validity and provide a clinical cut-off of the craniocervical flexion test (CCFT) in migraineurs stratified by the report of neck pain, headache-related disability and neck disability. Methods: Fifty women without headache and 102 women with migraine were recruited by convenience from a local tertiary care setting. Migraine diagnosis followed the International Classification of Headache Disorders. All volunteers underwent the CCFT. Patients with migraine answered the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaires. Discriminative validity was verified by group comparison, and the clinical cut-off was obtained and classified according to the diagnostic accuracy of the CCFT. Results: The CCFT presented discriminative validity for comparing control (median = 28, IQR = 6) with migraine (median = 26, IQR = 4, P = .01) and migraine with neck pain (median = 26, IQR = 4, P = .01), but not among the migraine subtypes with disability by migraine or neck pain-related disability on the MIDAS and NDI. The diagnostic accuracies were classified between poor and not discriminating with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranging from 57% to 69% and non-acceptable values of sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios. Conclusion: The CCFT can discriminate asymptomatic controls from migraine patients with and without neck pain. However, it cannot discriminate patients with migraine according to their pain-related disability. Also, the CCFT does not offer an optimal cut-off value in migraine patients adequate to clinical practice. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (GrantNumber(s): 2018/21687-8; Grant recipient(s): Amanda Rodrigues) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (GrantNumber(s): 001; Grant recipient(s): Marcela Bragatto)

[EN] Introduction: Mammographic density (MD), the proportion of radiologically dense breast tissue, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Our objective is to investigate the influence of occupations and occupational exposure to physical, chemical, and microbiological agents on MD in Spanish premenopausal women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on 1362 premenopausal workers, aged 39-50, who attended a gynecological screening in a breast radiodiagnosis unit of Madrid City Council. The work history was compiled through a personal interview. Exposure to occupational agents was evaluated using the Spanish job-exposure matrix MatEmESp. MD percentage was assessed using the validated semi-automated computer tool DM-Scan. The association between occupation, occupational exposures, and MD was quantified using multiple linear regression models, adjusted for age, educational level, body mass index, parity, previous breast biopsies, family history of breast cancer, energy intake, use of oral contraceptives, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Results: Although no occupation was statistically significantly associated with MD, a borderline significant inverse association was mainly observed in orchard, greenhouse, nursery, and garden workers (beta = -6.60; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = -14.27; 1.07) and information and communication technology technicians (beta = -7.27; 95%CI = -15.37; 0.84). On the contrary, a positive association was found among technicians in art galleries, museums, and libraries (beta = 8.47; 95%CI = -0.65; 17.60). Women occupationally exposed to fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides tended to have lower MD. The percentage of density decreased by almost 2% for every 5 years spent in occupations exposed to the mentioned agents. Conclusions: Although our findings point to a lack of association with the occupations and exposures analyzed, this study supports a deeper exploration of the role of certain occupational agents in MD, such as pesticides., This work was supported by the Carlos III Institute of Health (AESI PI15CIII/00029 and AESI PI15CIII/00013). The article presents independent research. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Carlos III Institute of Health.

Lymphoma is the most common type of blood cancer today and, as its name suggests, it begins in the lymphatic system. The origin of this disease is related to mitochondrial defects, generated by mutations in the PNPase enzyme or polynucleotide phosphorylase, whose main functions are import and degradation mitochondrial RNA. For this reason, the main objective of the present work was to carry out a bibliographic review of scientific publications that described the important role of this enzyme in relation to mitochondria as the cause of lymphatic cancer. The methodology used consisted of a bibliometric analysis based on the use of different databases, in which search equations formed from keywords were introduced. Then, the selection of articles related to the study topic and published in the last 20 years was carried out. Subsequently, the journals were analyzed, based on the h-index, in order to determine which supported the hypothesis of the role of PNPase in lymphoma and which stated the opposite. The results showed that a total of 441,288 scientific publications were obtained, of which 133 were selected to carry out this work. As for the journals, those with the highest h-index were Nature and Cell . It can be concluded that PNPase plays a very important role in the transport of mitochondrial RNA and that the nuclear transcription factor (NF-Y) is involved in the control of cell growth, therefore, both have a crucial role in the development of this disease. Therefore, research on both PNPase and NF-Y is essential to establish the specific genetic characteristics that define the early lesions of lymphatic cancer and the consequent determination of their treatment. El linfoma es el tipo de cáncer de sangre más común en la actualidad y, como su nombre indica, comienza en el sistema linfático. El origen de esta enfermedad está relacionado con defectos mitocondriales, generados por mutaciones en la enzima PNPasa o polinucleótido fosforilasa, cuyas principales funciones son las de importación y degradación del ARN mitocondrial. Por este motivo, el objetivo principal del presente trabajo fue la realización de una revisión bibliográfica acerca de publicaciones científicas, que hicieran relevancia al papel de esta enzima, en relación con la mitocondria como causante del cáncer linfático. La metodología empleada consistió en un análisis bibliométrico basado en la utilización de diferentes bases de datos, en las que se introdujeron ecuaciones de búsqueda formadas a partir de palabras clave. Después, se llevó a cabo la selección de los artículos relacionados con el tema de estudio y publicados en los últimos 20 años. Posteriormente, se analizaron las revistas, en función del índice H, para poder observar cuáles apoyaban la hipótesis del papel de PNPasa en linfoma y cuáles decían lo contrario. Los resultados mostraron que se obtuvo un total de 441.288 publicaciones científicas, de las que fueron seleccionadas 147 para poder llevar a cabo este trabajo. En cuanto a las revistas, las que presentaron un índice H mayor fueron Natura y Cell. Se puede concluir que la PNPasa desempeña un papel muy importante en el transporte del ARN mitocondrial, y que el factor NF-Y está involucrado en el control del crecimiento de las células, por lo que, ambos presentan una función crucial en el desarrollo de esta enfermedad. Por ello, la investigación, tanto de PNPasa como de NF- Y, es fundamental para establecer las características genéticas concretas, que definan las lesiones tempranas del cáncer linfático y la consiguiente determinación de su tratamiento. Ciencias Experimentales

Producción Científica, Health professionals (HPs), especially those working in the front line, have been one of the groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to identify the best available scientific evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of out-of-hospital HPs in terms of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy. A living systematic review of the literature was designed, consulting the electronic online versions of the CINHAL, Cochrane Library, Cuiden, IBECS, JBI, LILACS, Medline PyscoDoc, PsycoINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in November 2021. Original research was selected, published in either English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese. In total, 2082 publications were identified, of which 16 were included in this review. The mental health of out-of-hospital HPs was affected. Being a woman or having direct contact with patients showing suspicious signs of COVID-19 or confirmed cases were the factors related to a greater risk of developing high levels of stress and anxiety; in the case of depressive symptoms, it was having a clinical history of illnesses that could weaken their defenses against infection. Stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts was the coping strategy most frequently used by these HPs.

The role of ADIPOQ gene variants on metabolic improvements after weight change secondary to different hypocaloric diets remained unclear. We evaluate the effect of rs3774261 of ADIPOQ gene polymorphism on biochemical improvements and weight change after high polyunsaturated fat hypocaloric diet with a Mediterranean dietary pattern for 12 weeks. A population of 361 obese subjects was enrolled in an intervention trial with a calorie restriction of 500 calories over the usual intake and 45.7% of carbohydrates, 34.4% of fats, and 19.9% of proteins. The percentages of different fats was, 21.8% of monounsaturated fats, 55.5% of saturated fats, and 22.7% of polyunsaturated fats. Before and after intervention, an anthropometric study, an evaluation of nutritional intake and a biochemical evaluation were realized. All patients lost weight regardless of genotype and diet used. After 12 weeks with a similar improvement in weight loss (AA vs. AG vs. GG), total cholesterol (delta: −28.1 ± 2.1 mg/dL vs. −14.2 ± 4.1 mg/dL vs. −11.0 ± 3.9 mg/dL, p = 0.02), LDL cholesterol (delta: −17.1 ± 2.1 mg/dL vs. −6.1 ± 1.9 mg/dL vs. −6.0 ± 2.3 mg/dL, p = 0.01), triglyceride levels (delta: −35.0 ± 3.6 mg/dL vs. 10.1 ± 3.2 mg/dL vs. −9.7 ± 3.1 mg/dL, p = 0.02), C reactive protein (CRP) (delta: −2.3 ± 0.1 mg/dL vs. −0.2 ± 0.1 mg/dL vs. −0.2 ± 0.1 mg/dL, p = 0.02), serum adiponectin (delta: 11.6 ± 2.9 ng/dL vs. 2.1 ± 1.3 ng/dL vs. 3.3 ± 1.1 ng/dL, p = 0.02) and adiponectin/leptin ratio (delta: 1.5 ± 0.1 ng/dL vs. 0.3 ± 0.2 ng/dL vs. 0.4 ± 0.3 ng/dL, p = 0.03), improved only in AA group. AA genotype of ADIPOQ variant (rs3774261) is related with a significant increase in serum levels of adiponectin and ratio adiponectin/leptin and decrease on lipid profile and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Background: The popliteus muscle attaches posteriorly to the joint capsule of the knee. Although it is an important rotational stabiliser and has been implicated in vari-ous knee pathologies, research on its treatment with dry needling is scarce.Objective: To determine if a needle accurately and safely penetrates the popliteus muscle during the clinical application of dry needling.Methods: A cadaveric descriptive study was conducted. Needling insertion of the popliteus muscle was conducted in 11 cryopreserved cadavers with a 50- mm needle. The needle was inserted at upper third of the posterior part of the tibia closest to the knee towards the popliteus. The needle was advanced into the muscle based upon clinician judgement. Cross-sectional anatomical dissections were photographed and analysed by photometry. Safety of the intervention was assessed by calculating the distance from the tip of the needle to the proximate neurovascular structures.Results: Accurate needle penetration of the popliteus muscle was observed in 10 out of 11 (91%) of the cadavers (mean needle penetration: 25.7 ± 6.7mm, 95% CI 21.3- 30.3 mm). The distances from the tip of the needle were 17±6mm (95% CI 13-21 mm) to the tibial nerve and 15 ± 0.7mm (95% CI 10-20 mm) to the popliteus vascular bundle.Conclusion: The results from this cadaveric study support the notion that needling of the popliteus can be accurately and safely conducted by an experienced clini-cian. Future studies investigating the clinical effectiveness of these interventions are needed.

Producción Científica, Silicone oil (SO) still represents the main choice for long-term intraocular tamponade in complicated vitreoretinal surgery. This review compared the complications associated with the use of SO and other vitreous substitutes after pars plana vitrectomy in patients with different underlying diseases. Meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We retrieved randomized clinical trials (RCTs), retrospective case–control and cohort studies evaluating the risk of using SO, published between 1994 and 2020, conducting a computer-based search of the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase. Primary outcome was the rate of complications such as intraocular hypertension, retinal re-detachment, unexpected vision loss or hypotony. Secondary outcome was to compare the rate of adverse events of different SO viscosities, especially emulsification. Forty-three articles were included. There were significant differences in intraocular hypertension (p = 0.0002, OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.27–2.18) and the rate of retinal re-detachment (p

Producción Científica, Due to the high metabolic and physical demands in single-stage one-day ultra-trail (SOUT) races, athletes should be properly prepared in both physical and nutritional aspects in order to delay fatigue and avoid associated difficulties. However, high carbohydrate (CHO) intake would seem to increase gastrointestinal (GI) problems. The main purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate CHO intake during SOUT events as well as its relationship with fatigue (in terms of internal exercise load, exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and post-exercise recovery) and GI problems. A structured search was carried out in accordance with PRISMA guidelines in the following: Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases up to 16 March 2021. After conducting the search and applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, eight articles in total were included in this systematic review, in all of which CHO intake involved gels, energy bars and sports drinks. Two studies associated higher CHO consumption (120 g/h) with an improvement in internal exercise load. Likewise, these studies observed that SOUT runners whose intake was 120 g/h could benefit by limiting the EIMD observed by CK (creatine kinase), LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) and GOT (aspartate aminotransferase), and also improve recovery of high intensity running capacity 24 h after a trail marathon. In six studies, athletes had GI symptoms between 65–82%. In summary, most of the runners did not meet CHO intake standard recommendations for SOUT events (90 g/h), while athletes who consumed more CHO experienced a reduction in internal exercise load, limited EIMD and improvement in post-exercise recovery. Conversely, the GI symptoms were recurrent in SOUT athletes depending on altitude, environmental conditions and running speed. Therefore, a high CHO intake during SOUT events is important to delay fatigue and avoid GI complications, and to ensure high intake, it is necessary to implement intestinal training protocols.

Video games have proven useful in physical rehabilitation therapy. Accessibility, however, is limited for some groups such as the elderly or patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We explore the potential of fully immersive video games as a rehabilitation tool in PD patients. Four patients with mild-moderate PD (3 males:1 female, 53–71 years) participated in the study. Training consisted in two immersive virtual reality video gaming sessions. Outcomes were evaluated using System Usability Scale (SUS), Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), Game Experience Questionnaire-post game (GEQ), an ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire and perceived effort. All participants completed the sessions without adverse effects (100%), without SSQ symptoms reported. Post-gaming SUS was >75% in both sessions (range 75–80%). Post-gaming GEQ scores were 3.3–4.0/4 in both sessions. Immersive virtual reality video gaming is feasible in patients with mild-moderate PD, with positive usability and patient satisfaction, and no adverse effects. Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481A-2019/158

Spirituality is the most unknown aspect of palliative care despite being the need that is most altered in the last moments of life. Objective. To identify on the one hand the spiritual needs of patients who are at the end of life and on the other hand, the way in which nursing professionals can work to provide effective accompaniment in this process. Method. A qualitative study was conducted which applied different data collection techniques. This was done to describe the phenomenon from a holistic perspective in relation to experts’ perceptions of the competencies required by health professionals and palliative patients’ spiritual needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted within both populations. In order to analyze the qualitative data collected through interviews, discourse was analyzed according to the Taylor–Bodgan model and processed using Atlas.ti software. Results. Three well-differentiated lines of argument are extracted from the discourse in each of the groups, on the one hand in the group of patients they define the concept of spirituality, system of values and beliefs, and the Factors that influence the spirituality of patients at the end of life (differentiating palliative care areas/other areas) and on the other, the professionals agree with the patients in the line of argument of concept of spirituality although they define more metaphysical categories and the other two lines of argument that result are the spiritual attention in this process and the need for formation in spirituality. Conclusions. The provision of spiritual care gives meaning to the actions of nursing professionals when it comes to providing end-of-life care, achieving holistic care, humanizing death, and promoting a dignified end

Introduction: the perception of Quality of Life (QoL) has been used to evaluate the treatment and evolution of several pathologies. QoL evaluation allows a better understanding of the patient and his adaptation to the disease. An observational, community-based and descriptive correlational study was carried out to analyze stroke survivors’ perception of QoL. Methods: consecutive case-series of stroke survivors (≥3 months) followed in a single public primary health center (“Tavira Primary Health Centre”) from Algarve, southern Portugal. The Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of life instrument was administered in 102 stroke survivors. Results: Perception of QoL was associated (p &lt, 0.05) with specific sociodemographic (age, sex, marital status, academic training), economic (monthly family income) and clinical factors (number of vascular risk factors, type of stroke, evolution, chronic mRankin score). On multivariate analysis, chronic mRankin score on physical (R2 = 0.406, F = 8.757, p &lt, 0.001), psychological (R2 = 0.286, F = 5.536, 0.001) and general domain (R2 = 0.357, F = 7.287, 0.001), and family income (R2 = 0.160, F = 3.156, 0.005) on environmental domain, emerged as predictors of QoL. Conclusion: Different socio-demographic, economic and health factors are associated with post-stroke QoL. Description of QoL contributes to the overall evaluation of the impact of stroke on health and should be a priority for health professionals.

Producción Científica, Antecedentes y objetivos Los valores elevados de la troponina T (cTnT) se asocian a comorbilidades y a mortalidad temprana, en enfermedades cardiovasculares y noncardiovascular. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la exactitud pronóstica de la utilización única de la troponina cardíaca T del punto de atención prehospital para identificar el riesgo de deterioro prehospital del hospital, incluyendo mortalidad en el plazo de 28 días. Métodos Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, multicéntrico, controlado, basado en ambulancias, observacional en adultos con enfermedades agudas transferidos con alta prioridad en ambulancia a los departamentos de emergencia, entre el 1 de enero y el 30 de septiembre de 2020. Excluyeron a los pacientes con diagnosis del hospital del síndrome coronario agudo. El poder discriminativo de la cTnT predictiva fue evaluado a través de un modelo de discriminación entrenado utilizando una cohorte de derivación y evaluado por el área bajo la curva de la característica operativa del receptor en una cohorte de validación. Resultados Un total de 848 pacientes fueron incluidos en nuestro estudio. La edad media era de 68 años (percentiles 25º-75º: 50-81 años), y 385 (45,4%) eran mujeres. La tasa de mortalidad en 28 días fue del 12,4% (156 casos). La capacidad predictiva de la cTnT para predecir la mortalidad presentó un área por debajo de la curva de 0,903 (IC95%: 0,85-0,954; P < .001). Se realizó estratificación del riesgo, resultando en tres categorías con los siguientes puntos de corte óptimos de cTnT: alto riesgo mayor o igual a 100, riesgo intermedio 40-100 y bajo riesgo menor a 40 ng/L. En el grupo de alto riesgo, la tasa de mortalidad fue de 61,7%, y por el contrario, el grupo de bajo riesgo presentó una mortalidad de 2,3%. Conclusiones La implementación de una determinación rutinaria de cTnT en la ambulancia en pacientes transferidos con alta prioridad al servicio de urgencias puede ayudar a estratificar el riesgo de estos pacientes y a detectar un deterioro clínico temprano desconocido., Background and Objectives: Elevated troponin T (cTnT) values are associated with comorbidities and early mortality, in both cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the sole utilization of prehospital point-of-care cardiac troponin T to identify the risk of early in-hospital deterioration, including mortality within 28 days. Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicentric, controlled, ambulance-based, observational study in adults with acute diseases transferred with high priority by ambulance to emergency departments, between 1 January and 30 September 2020. Patients with hospital diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome were excluded. The discriminative power of the predictive cTnT was assessed through a discrimination model trained using a derivation cohort and evaluated by the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic on a validation cohort. Results: A total of 848 patients were included in our study. The median age was 68 years (25th-75th percentiles: 50-81 years), and 385 (45.4%) were women. The mortality rate within 28 days was 12.4% (156 cases). The predictive ability of cTnT to predict mortality presented an area under the curve of 0.903 (95% CI: 0.85-0.954; P < .001). Risk stratification was performed, resulting in three categories with the following optimal cTnT cut-off points: high risk greater than or equal to 100, interme diate risk 40-100 and low risk less than 40 ng/L. In the high-risk group, the mortality rate was 61.7%, and on the contrary, the low-risk group presented a mortality of 2.3%. Conclusions: The implementation of a routine determination of cTnT on the am bulance in patients transferred with high priority to the emergency department can help to stratify the risk of these patients and to detect unknown early clinical deterioration., Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (España), Grant Number [GRS 1678/A/18] and Grant Number [GRS 1903/A/19]

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms. Depression and anxiety are common manifestations in PD and may be determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The objective of this study is to determine the association of depression and anxiety with the dimensions of HRQoL in subjects with PD enrolled in an association of patients. Ninety-five community-based patients with PD diagnosis at different disease stages were studied. HRQoL was assessed using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), depression and anxiety were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), respectively. Our results showed that depression and anxiety were negatively associated with HRQoL measured by PDSI. Higher motor dysfunction measured by Hoehn and Yahr (H&amp, Y) staging was also associated with worse HRQoL. Depression was the most influential variable in the model. All PDQ-39 dimensions except social support and bodily discomfort were associated with depression. Anxiety was associated with the emotional well-being and bodily discomfort dimensions. These results suggest that physicians should pay attention to the presence of psychiatric symptoms and treat them appropriately.

Producción Científica, Aim of the study Systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of manual therapy in improving carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms, physical function, and nerve conduction studies. Method MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, TRIP database, and PEDro databases were searched from the inception to September 2021. PICO search strategy was used to identify randomized controlled trials applying manual therapy on patients with CTS. Eligible studies and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Methodology quality and risk of bias were assessed by PEDro scale. Outcomes assessed were pain intensity, physical func- tion, and nerve conduction studies. Results Eighty-one potential studies were identified and six studies involving 401 patients were finally included. Pain inten- sity immediately after treatment showed a pooled standard mean difference (SMD) of − 2.13 with 95% confidence interval (CI) (− 2.39, − 1.86). Physical function with Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTS-Q) showed a pooled SMD of − 1.67 with 95% CI (− 1.92, − 1.43) on symptoms severity, and a SMD of − 0.89 with 95% CI (− 1.08, − 0.70) on functional status. Nerve conduction studies showed a SMD of− 0.19 with 95% CI (−0.40, − 0.02) on motor conduction and a SMD of − 1.15 with 95% CI (− 1.36, − 0.93) on sensory conduction. Conclusions This study highlights the effectiveness of manual therapy techniques based on soft tissue and neurodynamic mobilizations, in isolation, on pain, physical function, and nerve conduction studies in patients with CTS., Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

Brain tumours (BTs) are one of the most frequent tumour types in young people. We explored the association between tap water, exposure to trihalomethanes (THM) and nitrate and neuroepithelial BT risk in young people. Analysis of tap water consumption were based on 321 cases and 919 appendicitis controls (10–24 years old) from 6 of the 14 participating countries in the international MOBI-Kids case-control study (2010–2016). Available historical residential tap water concentrations of THMs and nitrate, available from 3 countries for 86 cases and 352 controls and 85 cases and 343 for nitrate, respectively, were modelled and combined with the study subjects’ personal consumption patterns to estimate ingestion and residential exposure levels in the study population (both pre- and postnatal). The mean age of participants was 16.6 years old and 56% were male. The highest levels and widest ranges for THMs were found in Spain (residential and ingested) and Italy and in Korea for nitrate. There was no association between BT and the amount of tap water consumed and the showering/bathing frequency. Odds Ratios (ORs) for BT in relation to both pre- and postnatal residential and ingestion levels of THMs were systematically below 1 (OR = 0.37 (0.08–1.73)) for postnatal average residential THMs higher than 66 μg/L. For nitrate, all ORs were above 1 (OR = 1.80 (0.91–3.55)) for postnatal average residential nitrate levels higher than 8.5 mg/L, with a suggestion of a trend of increased risk of neuroepithelial BTs with increasing residential nitrate levels in tap water, which appeared stronger in early in life. This, to our knowledge, is the first study on this topic in young people. Further research is required to clarify the observed associations.

Dietary interventions are key nutritional strategies to prevent, improve, and prolong the survival of cancer patients. Lycopene, one of the strongest natural antioxidants, and its biologically active metabolites, have shown significant potential to prevent a variety of cancers, including prostate, breast, and stomach cancers, making it a promising anti-cancer agent. We review the potential regulatory mechanisms and epidemiological evidences of lycopene and its metabolites to delay the progression of cancers at different developmental stages. Recent studies have revealed that lycopene and its metabolites mediate multiple molecular mechanisms in cancer treatment such as redox homeostasis, selective anti-proliferation, apoptosis, anti-angiogenesis, tumour microenvironment regulation, and anti-metastasis and anti-invasion. Gut microbes and cholesterol metabolism are also the potential regulation targets of lycopene and its metabolites. As a dietary supplement, the synergistic interaction of lycopene with other drugs and nutrients is highlighted especially due to its binding activity with other nutrients in the diet found central to the fight against cancer. Furthermore, the application of several of novel lycopene delivery carriers are on the rise including nanoemulsions, nanostructured liposomes, and polymer nanoparticles for cancer prevention as discussed in this review with future needed development. Moreover, the synergistic mechanism between lycopene and other nutrients or drugs and novel delivery systems of lycopene should now be deeply investigated to improve its clinical application in cancer intervention in the future. Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease. This disease is characterized by an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix deposition that modify normal lung physiology. Up to date, there are not efficient therapeutic tools to fight IPF. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) activation plays an essential role in lung functions in normal and in pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to study the possible beneficial effects of the administration of the GLP-1R agonist, liraglutide, in the pathogenesis of the fibrotic process in an animal model of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin. We observed that liraglutide decreased mRNA expression of collagen, hydroxyproline and key enzymes for the synthesis of collagen. In addition, GLP-1R activation restored the ACE2 mRNA levels modulating the activities of the RAS components, increased the production of surfactant proteins (SFTPa1, SFTPb, SFTPc) and promoted an improvement in pulmonary and cardiac functionality, including a partial restoration of lung alveolar structure. Liraglutide effects are shown at both the pro-inflammatory and fibrosis phases of the experimental disease. For these reasons, GLP-1 might be regarded as a promising drug for treating pulmonary fibrosis. Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GPC2015/022 Universidade de Vigo | Ref. ED431B

Brain waves, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), are a powerful tool in the investigation of neurophysiological traits and a noninvasive and cost-effective alternative in the diagnostic of some neurological diseases. In order to identify novel Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) for brain wave relative power (RP), we collected resting state EEG data in five frequency bands (&delta, &theta, &alpha, &beta, 1, and &beta, 2) and genome-wide data in a cohort of 105 patients with late onset Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease (LOAD), 41 individuals with mild cognitive impairment and 45 controls from Iberia, correcting for disease status. One novel association was found with an interesting candidate for a role in brain wave biology, CLEC16A (C-type lectin domain family 16), with a variant at this locus passing the adjusted genome-wide significance threshold after Bonferroni correction. This finding reinforces the importance of immune regulation in brain function. Additionally, at a significance cutoff value of 5 &times, 10&minus, 6, 18 independent association signals were detected. These signals comprise brain expression Quantitative Loci (eQTLs) in caudate basal ganglia, spinal cord, anterior cingulate cortex and hypothalamus, as well as chromatin interactions in adult and fetal cortex, neural progenitor cells and hippocampus. Moreover, in the set of genes showing signals of association with brain wave RP in our dataset, there is an overrepresentation of loci previously associated with neurological traits and pathologies, evidencing the pleiotropy of the genetic variation modulating brain function.

Producción Científica, The reference standard to diagnose pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) syndrome is an overnight polysomnographic evaluation. When polysomnography is either unavailable or has limited availability, OSA screening may comprise the automatic analysis of a minimum number of signals. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the complementarity of airflow (AF) and oximetry (SpO2) signals to automatically detect pediatric OSA. Additionally, a secondary goal was to assess the utility of a multiclass AdaBoost classifier to predict OSA severity in children. We extracted the same features from AF and SpO2 signals from 974 pediatric subjects. We also obtained the 3% Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) as a common clinically used variable. Then, feature selection was conducted using the Fast Correlation-Based Filter method and AdaBoost classifiers were evaluated. Models combining ODI 3% and AF features outperformed the diagnostic performance of each signal alone, reaching 0.39 Cohens’s kappa in the four-class classification task. OSA vs. No OSA accuracies reached 81.28%, 82.05% and 90.26% in the apnea–hypopnea index cutoffs 1, 5 and 10 events/h, respectively. The most relevant information from SpO2 was redundant with ODI 3%, and AF was complementary to them. Thus, the joint analysis of AF and SpO2 enhanced the diagnostic performance of each signal alone using AdaBoost, thereby enabling a potential screening alternative for OSA in children., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - FEDER (DPI2017-84280-R y RTC-2017-6516-1), Comisión Europea - FEDER (Programa de Cooperación Interreg V-A España-Portugal POCTEP 2014–2020), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - Ministerio de Universidades (PRE2018-085219), US National Institutes of Health (grants HL130984 and HL140548)

Introduction. Cognitive decline usually coexists with motor impairment in PD. Multitask settings provide appropriate measures to evaluate the complex interaction between motor and cognitive impairments. The main objective was to analyze which concurrent task, i. e., motor or hybrid motor-cognitive, in combination with a cognitive task better differentiates between PD patients with mild and moderate levels of disease. Methods. Thirty-seven individuals (19 male and 18 female) with idiopathic PD performed dual and triple tasks combining a cognitive task (phonemic fluency) with motor (pedaling) and/or cognitive-motor hybrid (tracking) tasks. Mild and moderate disability PD groups were specified considering the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Mixed ANOVA analyses for each of the concurrent task were carried out to test differences between the single and dual or triple condition performances comparing the low and high PD disability groups. Supplementary mixed ANCOVA analysis was performed considering the cognitive status as the covariate. Results. The only significant differences between disability PD groups were found for performances in the cognitive-motor hybrid (tracking) task, both in dual and triple conditions. Our results showed a better performance for the mild rather than for the moderate disability group in the single condition task and a significant decline of the mild disability group in the dual and triple condition when compared to the levels of those shown by the moderate disability group. The group-condition interaction remained significant when the cognitive status was statistically controlled. Conclusion. The hybrid of motor-cognitive task combining with a cognitive task (i. e., fluency) successfully differentiated between mild and moderate PD patients in the context of dual and triple multitask sets even when the cognitive status was statistically controlled. Our results highlight the importance of jointly measuring the complex interplay between motor and cognitive skills in PD.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen and the major cause of hemorrhagic colitis. Pseudomonas is the genus most frequent psychrotrophic spoilage microorganisms present in milk. Two-species bacterial systems with E. coli O157:H7, non-pathogenic E. coli, and P. fluorescens in skimmed milk at 7, 13, 19, or 25 &deg, C were studied. Bacterial interactions were modelled after applying a Bayesian approach. No direct correlation between P. fluorescens&rsquo, s growth rate and its effect on the maximum population densities of E. coli species was found. The results show the complexity of the interactions between two species in a food model. The use of natural microbiota members to control foodborne pathogens could be useful to improve food safety during the processing and storage of refrigerated foods.

Mutua Madrilena Research Foundation, Objective: To evaluate body composition, nutritional status through food selectivity and degree of inadequate intake, and mealtime behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical children. Method: A cross-sectional case–control study was carried out in 144 children (N = 55 with ASD; N = 91 with neurotypical children) between 6 and 18 years of age. Body composition, nutritional intake, food consumption frequency (FFQ), and mealtime behavior were evaluated. Results: Results showed a greater presence of children with a low weight (18.4% ASD vs. 3.20% comparison group) and obesity (16.3% ASD vs. 8.6% comparison group) in the ASD group for body mass index (BMI) categories (p = .003; number needed to take [NNT] = 8.07). The presence of obesity in ASD children compared to the comparison group was even higher when considering the fat component (47.5% ASD vs. 19.4% comparison group, p = .002; NNT = 10.3). ASD children had greater intake inadequacy (50% ASD vs. 22% comparison group, p = .014; NNT = 3.58), high food selectivity by FFQ (60.6% ASD vs. 37.9% comparison group, p < .037; NNT = 4.41), and more eating problems (food rejection, limited variety, disruptive behavior), compared to neurotypical children (p = .001). Conclusion: Children with ASD showed an unbalanced body composition toward both underweight and obesity, a greater degree of inadequate intake, high food selectivity as indicated by their consumption frequency, and more disturbed eating behavior than children with neurotypical development. We suggest monitoring nutritional inadequacies and implementing nutritional strategies to expand the variety of foods children with ASD consume.

Current screening trials are showing reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. However, participation rates are often low, and blood-based tests could complement existing screening strategies. CD26 protein (sCD26) and its dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) enzymatic activity in circulation have been proposed as biomarkers for colorectal cancer and other diseases. However, changes in sCD26 and DPP4 levels show complex degrees of correlation, and their physiological or pathophysiological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyse if anti-CD26 autoantibodies are related to sCD26 and DPP4 and to determine their relevance in a context of colorectal cancer screening for complementing the value of sCD26 and DPP4 as biomarkers. These biomarkers were measured in a large prospective cohort (n=497, except the anti-CD26 antibodies, evaluated in 125 samples) that included a subgroup of individuals that were positive for the faecal immunological occult blood test (FIT) (n=86) and underwent a colonoscopy (n=47). We confirmed for the first time higher DPP4 activity in men compared to women (Student’s t test, p=0.002), though this difference between sexes was not seen for serum sCD26 protein. These biomarkers correlated (R=0.246, p=0.003) only in women. Correlations were found between anti-CD26 isotypes but not with DPP4 activity or sCD26 concentration, except for a negative correlation only in men between anti-CD26 IgA isotype and sCD26 (R=−0.232, p=0.044), and an almost significant negative correlation between anti-CD26 IgG and sCD26 limited to FIT-positive men. Interestingly, patients with advanced adenomas displayed the most elevated mean levels of anti-CD26 IgA, IgM, and particularly IgG (Mann-Whitney U test, p=0.030) in comparison with the other FIT positives without adenomas, and these levels did not correlate with sCD26 or its DPP4 activity. Our preliminary results suggest that the combination of these measures using sex as confounder could perhaps be used as biomarkers for colorectal disease. It also suggests that events affecting the gut influence the levels of anti-CD26 antibodies, which show little or no effect in antigen clearance. These findings should be confirmed in a larger cohort of individuals with colonoscopy. The physiological origin of the sex differences observed should be further addressed.

Producción Científica, Physical activity, particularly high-intensity eccentric muscle contractions, produces exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). The breakdown of muscle fibers and the consequent inflammatory responses derived from EIMD affect exercise performance. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol extracted from turmeric, has been shown to have mainly antioxidant and also anti-inflammatory properties. This effect of curcumin could improve EIMD and exercise performance. The main objective of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the effectiveness of curcumin supplementation on EIMD and inflammatory and oxidative markers in a physically active population. A structured search was carried out following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in the databases SCOPUS, Web of Science (WOS), and Medline (PubMed) from inception to October 2019. The search included original articles with randomized controlled crossover or parallel design in which the intake of curcumin administered before and/or after exercise was compared with an identical placebo situation. No filters were applied to the type of physical exercise performed, the sex or the age of the participants. Of the 301 articles identified in the search, 11 met the established criteria and were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the McMaster Critical Review Form. The use of curcumin reduces the subjective perception of the intensity of muscle pain; reduces muscle damage through the decrease of creatine kinase (CK); increases muscle performance; has an anti-inflammatory effect by modulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8; and may have a slight antioxidant effect. In summary, the administration of curcumin at a dose between 150–1500 mg/day before and during exercise, and up until 72 h’ post-exercise, improved performance by reducing EIMD and modulating the inflammation caused by physical activity. In addition, humans appear to be able to tolerate high doses of curcumin without significant side-effects.

The present communication illustrates the results of a computational study based on molecular topology, focused on the repositioning of drugs to treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, better known as coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 disease. Using lopinavir, a well-known viral protease inhibitor as the reference drug, a mathematical pattern is found allowing the screening of the market drugs, searching for potential candidates to inhibit the said enzyme. This way new possible therapeutic alternatives to fight the coronavirus are found. Results indicate that antivirals such as brecanavir, as well as various groups of drugs, among which are antibiotics of the macrolide family (azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin among others) could be useful in treating COVID-19 infection. Ciencias Experimentales