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Cyclodextrins, cyclic oligosaccharides with a hydrophobic cavity that form inclusion complexes with nonpolar molecules, can be used to functionalize other polysaccharides. Xanthan gum, locust bean gum or chitosan can be crosslinked using citric acid in the presence of ß-cyclodextrin to produce insoluble matrices. In this work, polymeric foams based on those polysaccharides and saponin have been prepared using a green synthesis method to increase the porosity of the matrices. The saponin of soapbark (Quillaja saponaria) has been used to obtain foams using different procedures. The influence of the synthesis path on the porosity of the materials and their corresponding sorption capacities in the aqueous phase were evaluated.

Polysaccharides such as xanthan, locust bean gum or chitosan are easily crosslinked and purified using citric acid in an ecofriendly process. In order to achieve an improved sorption capability towards hydrophobic solutes, β-cyclodextrin, a cyclic oligosaccharide, and lignin, a natural aromatic polymer, are incorporated in the same process. Once crosslinked, the influence of these on the sorption capacities towards model solutes has been assessed by comparing the sorption isotherms of matrices with or without the hydrophobic modifications. The sorption capacities of these materials for different phenolic compounds have also been tested to ascertain their efficiencies as a function of their affinities to β-cyclodextrin cavities and/or their partition coefficients. In addition, these functionalized carbohydrate matrices were successfully characterized by principal component analysis, which is a useful tool to select the most appropriate polymers to interact with a specific molecule

Locust bean gum (LBG), a vegetable galactomannan extracted from carob tree seeds, is extensively used in the food industry as a thickening agent (E410). Its molecular conformation in aqueous solutions determines its solubility and rheological performance. LBG is an interesting polysaccharide also because of its synergistic behavior with other biopolymers (xanthan gum, carrageenan, etc.). In addition, this hydrocolloid is easily modified by derivatization or crosslinking. These LBG-related products, besides their applications in the food industry, can be used as encapsulation and drug delivery devices, packaging materials, batteries, and catalyst supports, among other biopharmaceutical and industrial uses. As the new derivatized or crosslinked polymers based on LBG are mainly biodegradable and non-toxic, the use of this polysaccharide (by itself or combined with other biopolymers) will contribute to generating greener products, considering the origin of raw materials used, the modification procedures selected and the final destination of the products.

Gunduz C, Basoglu OK, Hedner J, et al; onbehalf of the European Sleep Apnoea Databasecollaborators (Biruni University; Ege University;Gothenburg University; Sahlgrenska UniversityHospital; University of Palermo; CNR Institute ofBiomedicine and Molecular Immunology; St. AdolfStift; Hospital de Santa Maria; University of Crete;Antoine-Beclere Hospital; G. PapanikolaouHospital; Institute of Tuberculosis and LungDiseases; University Hospital Brno; St. Ann’sUniversity Hospital; Universite ́ Grenoble Alpes)Hyperlipidaemia prevalence and cholesterolcontrol in obstructive sleep apnoea: Data from theEuropean sleep apnea database (ESADA).J InternMed2019;286: 676–688.Background and objective.Obstructive sleep apnoea(OSA) and hyperlipidaemia are independent riskfactors for cardiovascular disease. This studyinvestigates the association between OSA andprevalence of hyperlipidaemia in patients of theEuropean Sleep Apnea Database (ESADA) cohort.Methods.The cross-sectional analysis included11 892 patients (age 51.9 12.5 years, 70% male,body mass index (BMI) 31.3 6.6 kg/m2, meanoxygen desaturation index (ODI) 23.7 25.5events/h) investigated for OSA. The independentodds ratio (OR) for hyperlipidaemia in relation tomeasures of OSA (ODI, apnoea-hypopnoea index,mean and lowest oxygen saturation) was deter-mined by means of general linear model analysiswith adjustment for important confounders suchas age, BMI, comorbidities and study site.Results.Hyperlipidaemia prevalence increased from15.1% in subjects without OSA to 26.1% in thosewith severe OSA,P

This paper is a concise review of the equity markets' reaction to the COVIDcrisis in 2020. Relative to other global institutions, equity markets performed remarkably well in 2020 and investors ought not to be ashamed of their reactions relative to consumers. It would be a terrible abuse of language to characterize 2020 as being financially irrational. The COVIDcrisis in 2020 was one of the most orderly crises ever. The damage and the reward across companies, sectors, and countries made a lot of sense. Although there are pockets of extremely high valuations in the tech sector, humility has always been a virtue when it came to valuing tech firms. While stocks are very expensive in absolute terms especially in the US, they are not relative to governmental bonds. But there is a big caveat to all this: the rise in the monetary supply since 2010 has been so incredible that markets have dived deep in unchartered waters. Central banks must find our way back to homeland.

Three different polysaccharides, xanthan gum, chitosan and locust bean gum, were crosslinked with or without β-cyclodextrin, using citric acid in different ratios, to create ‘green’ hydrogel matrices. The crosslinking of these polysaccharides was produced through an inexpensive and innocuous solvent-free synthesis process. A favorable swelling behavior of the hydrophilic matrices facilitates the sorption of the solutes tested. Interestingly, the amount of β-cyclodextrin groups is not the only factor to yield the best sorption capability for hydrophobic model molecules: polysaccharides themselves also influence the sorption depending on their characteristic functional groups, the conformation of their chains and, as mentioned above, their degrees of swelling. In order to ascertain the effect of the polysaccharides on the sorption capabilities of a model sorbate (1-naphthol), isotherms using a wide range of solute concentrations were analyzed, and the Hill equation yielded the best fitting results and provided some insight into the mechanisms of interaction.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent with a male to female predominance of two to one, and is more common in middle-aged and elderly subjects [1]. Affected patients often present with comorbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (systemic hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation), and diabetes mellitus Type II [2]. The strong overlap between the profile for SDB patients and the identified risk factors for adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infection that include age, male gender, and cardio-metabolic comorbidity [3] suggest that SDB patients may benefit from effective therapy if confronted with COVID-19 infection [4].

Background and aim: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia. The current study examined the effects of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment on lipid status in the European Sleep Apnea Database (ESADA). Methods: The prospective cohort study enrolled 1564 OSA subjects (74% male, mean age 54 ± 11y, body mass index (BMI) 32.7 ± 6.6 kg/m2 and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 40.3 ± 24.4 n/h) undergoing PAP therapy for at least three months (mean 377.6 ± 419.5 days). Baseline and follow-up total cholesterol (TC) from nine centers were analyzed. Repeated measures and logistic regression tests (adjusted for age, sex, weight changes, lipid lowering medication, PAP compliance, and treatment duration) were used to compare changes in TC concentration. Incident risk for a coronary heart disease event (CHD) was used to compute a Framingham CHD risk score (estimated from age, BMI, blood pressure, and TC). Results: Adjusted means of TC decreased from 194.2 mg/dl to 189.3 mg/dl during follow-up (p = 0.019). A clinically significant (10%) reduction of TC at PAP follow-up was observed in 422 patients (27%). Duration of PAP therapy was identified as independent predictor for TC reduction, which implies an approximately 10% risk reduction for incident CHD events (from 26.7% to 24.1% in men and from 11.2% to 10.1% in women, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: This observational study demonstrates a reduction of TC after long-term PAP treatment. The close association between TC concentration and cardiovascular (CV) mortality suggests that identification and treatment of OSA may have a beneficial effect on overall CV risk due to this mechanism. This possibility needs to be evaluated in prospective randomized studies. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

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