| 1. |
- Gorasso, Vanessa, et al.
(författare)
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Burden of disease attributable to risk factors in European countries: a scoping literature review
- 2023
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Ingår i: Archives of Public Health. - 0778-7367 .- 2049-3258. ; 81:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Within the framework of the burden of disease (BoD) approach, disease and injury burden estimates attributable to risk factors are a useful guide for policy formulation and priority setting in disease prevention. Considering the important differences in methods, and their impact on burden estimates, we conducted a scoping literature review to: (1) map the BoD assessments including risk factors performed across Europe; and (2) identify the methodological choices in comparative risk assessment (CRA) and risk assessment methods. Methods: We searched multiple literature databases, including grey literature websites and targeted public health agencies websites. Results: A total of 113 studies were included in the synthesis and further divided into independent BoD assessments (54 studies) and studies linked to the Global Burden of Disease (59 papers). Our results showed that the methods used to perform CRA varied substantially across independent European BoD studies. While there were some methodological choices that were more common than others, we did not observe patterns in terms of country, year or risk factor. Each methodological choice can affect the comparability of estimates between and within countries and/or risk factors, since they might significantly influence the quantification of the attributable burden. From our analysis we observed that the use of CRA was less common for some types of risk factors and outcomes. These included environmental and occupational risk factors, which are more likely to use bottom-up approaches for health outcomes where disease envelopes may not be available. Conclusions: Our review also highlighted misreporting, the lack of uncertainty analysis and the under-investigation of causal relationships in BoD studies. Development and use of guidelines for performing and reporting BoD studies will help understand differences, avoid misinterpretations thus improving comparability among estimates.
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| 2. |
- Murillo-Saich, Jessica D., et al.
(författare)
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Metabolomics profiling predicts outcome of tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Metabolomics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-3882 .- 1573-3890. ; 17:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: To study metabolic signatures can be used to identify predictive biomarkers for a patient's therapeutic response. Objectives: We hypothesized that the characterization of a patients’ metabolic profile, utilizing one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), may predict a response to tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 40 active RA patients meeting the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria initiating treatment with tocilizumab were recruited. Clinical outcomes were determined at baseline, and after six and twelve months of treatment. EULAR response criteria at 6 and 12months to categorize patients as responders and non-responders. Blood was collected at baseline and after six months of tocilizumab therapy. 1H-NMR was used to acquire a spectra of plasma samples. Chenomx NMR suite 8.5 was used for metabolite identification and quantification. SPSS v.27 and MetaboAnalyst 4.0 were used for statistical and pathway analysis. Results: Isobutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, lysine, phenylalanine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, tryptophan and tyrosine were significantly elevated in responders at the baseline. OPLS-DA at baseline partially discriminated between RA responders and non-responders. A multivariate diagnostic model showed that concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate and phenylalanine improved the ability to specifically predict responders classifying 77.1% of the patients correctly. At 6months, levels of methylamine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and tryptophan tended to still be low in non-responders. Conclusion: The relationship between plasma metabolic profiles and the clinical response to tocilizumab suggests that 1H-NMR may be a promising tool for RA therapy optimization. More studies are needed to determine if metabolic profiling can predict the response to biological therapies in RA patients.
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| 3. |
- Rodriguez-Iruretagoiena, Azibar, et al.
(författare)
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A new procedure to quantify silver nanoparticles in sediments
- 2022
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Ingår i: Gondwana Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1342-937X .- 1878-0571. ; 110, s. 264-269
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are highly produced in developed countries for a variety of products. Consequently, AgNPs end up being introduced in aquatic systems all over the world, and usually deposited in riverine sediments, from where they can be taken up by aquatic organisms and transferred along the food chain. The analysis of AgNPs in natural samples is not an easy task, because of their low presence and complicated reactions, which can change their speciation. The objective of this work is to help in this challenge, developing a method applicable to analyse sediment samples from any place around the world where AgNPs are suspected to be present. Firstly, four methods for the synthesis of AgNPs were investigated by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy and particle size analysis. The methods differed in the reducing agent used and in the concentration of the stabilising agent applied. The method including NaBH4 and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate) resulted to be more adequate as the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) band position and width indicated. This conclusion was corroborated considering the hydrodynamic diameters and polydispersity indices of the synthesised AgNPs. The Z-average hydrodynamic diameter and the UV-VIS spectrum of AgNPs synthesised using this method indicated that the AgNPs remained kinetically stable for at least 10 days. Finally, ten potential extraction solutions were investigated, in terms of maximal extraction efficiency, but minimal effects on AgNP dissolution and aggregation. The candidate solutions ranged from deionized water and salts to strong acids and bases. The intensity of the SPR band concluded that using NaOH media the synthesised AgNPs was kinetically stable. Moreover, TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) images showed that the AgNPs in NaOH retained their shape and size after 10 days. Therefore, NaOH media turned out to be the best potential extractant for the analysis of sediment samples.
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| 4. |
- Sartelli, Massimo, et al.
(författare)
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Ten golden rules for optimal antibiotic use in hospital settings: the WARNING call to action
- 2023
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Ingår i: WORLD JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY SURGERY. - 1749-7922. ; 18:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inappropriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to develop new antibiotics due to scientific, regulatory, and financial barriers, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. To address this issue, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery established an international multidisciplinary task force of 295 experts from 115 countries with different backgrounds. The task force developed a position statement called WARNING (Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance National/International Network Group) aimed at raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide. The statement outlined is 10 axioms, or "golden rules," for the appropriate use of antibiotics that all healthcare workers should consistently adhere in clinical practice.
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