1. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(author)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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2. |
- Forouzanfar, Mohammad H, et al.
(author)
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Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
- 2015
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In: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 386:10010, s. 2287-2323
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.METHODS: Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk-outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks at the first level of the hierarchy. The next level in the hierarchy includes nine clusters of related risks and two individual risks, with more detail provided at levels 3 and 4 of the hierarchy. Compared with GBD 2010, six new risk factors have been added: handwashing practices, occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, childhood wasting, childhood stunting, unsafe sex, and low glomerular filtration rate. For most risks, data for exposure were synthesised with a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR 2.0, or spatial-temporal Gaussian process regression. Relative risks were based on meta-regressions of published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden for clusters of risks and all risks combined took into account evidence on the mediation of some risks such as high body-mass index (BMI) through other risks such as high systolic blood pressure and high cholesterol.FINDINGS: All risks combined account for 57·2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 55·8-58·5) of deaths and 41·6% (40·1-43·0) of DALYs. Risks quantified account for 87·9% (86·5-89·3) of cardiovascular disease DALYs, ranging to a low of 0% for neonatal disorders and neglected tropical diseases and malaria. In terms of global DALYs in 2013, six risks or clusters of risks each caused more than 5% of DALYs: dietary risks accounting for 11·3 million deaths and 241·4 million DALYs, high systolic blood pressure for 10·4 million deaths and 208·1 million DALYs, child and maternal malnutrition for 1·7 million deaths and 176·9 million DALYs, tobacco smoke for 6·1 million deaths and 143·5 million DALYs, air pollution for 5·5 million deaths and 141·5 million DALYs, and high BMI for 4·4 million deaths and 134·0 million DALYs. Risk factor patterns vary across regions and countries and with time. In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risk factors are child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing. In women, in nearly all countries in the Americas, north Africa, and the Middle East, and in many other high-income countries, high BMI is the leading risk factor, with high systolic blood pressure as the leading risk in most of Central and Eastern Europe and south and east Asia. For men, high systolic blood pressure or tobacco use are the leading risks in nearly all high-income countries, in north Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. For men and women, unsafe sex is the leading risk in a corridor from Kenya to South Africa.INTERPRETATION: Behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks can explain half of global mortality and more than one-third of global DALYs providing many opportunities for prevention. Of the larger risks, the attributable burden of high BMI has increased in the past 23 years. In view of the prominence of behavioural risk factors, behavioural and social science research on interventions for these risks should be strengthened. Many prevention and primary care policy options are available now to act on key risks.FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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3. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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4. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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5. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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6. |
- Danaei, Goodarz, et al.
(author)
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Effects of diabetes definition on global surveillance of diabetes prevalence and diagnosis: a pooled analysis of 96 population-based studies with 331288 participants
- 2015
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In: The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. - 2213-8595 .- 2213-8587. ; 3:8, s. 624-637
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Diabetes has been defined on the basis of different biomarkers, including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h plasma glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test (2hOGTT), and HbA(1c). We assessed the effect of different diagnostic definitions on both the population prevalence of diabetes and the classification of previously undiagnosed individuals as having diabetes versus not having diabetes in a pooled analysis of data from population-based health examination surveys in different regions. Methods We used data from 96 population-based health examination surveys that had measured at least two of the biomarkers used for defining diabetes. Diabetes was defined using HbA(1c) (HbA(1c) >= 6 . 5% or history of diabetes diagnosis or using insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs) compared with either FPG only or FPG-or-2hOGTT definitions (FPG >= 7 . 0 mmol/L or 2hOGTT >= 11 . 1 mmol/L or history of diabetes or using insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs). We calculated diabetes prevalence, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights. We compared the prevalences of diabetes using different definitions graphically and by regression analyses. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of diabetes diagnosis based on HbA1c compared with diagnosis based on glucose among previously undiagnosed individuals (ie, excluding those with history of diabetes or using insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs). We calculated sensitivity and specificity in each survey, and then pooled results using a random-effects model. We assessed the sources of heterogeneity of sensitivity by meta-regressions for study characteristics selected a priori. Findings Population prevalence of diabetes based on FPG- or-2hOGTT was correlated with prevalence based on FPG alone (r= 0 . 98), but was higher by 2-6 percentage points at different prevalence levels. Prevalence based on HbA(1c) was lower than prevalence based on FPG in 42 . 8% of age-sex-survey groups and higher in another 41 . 6%; in the other 15 . 6%, the two definitions provided similar prevalence estimates. The variation across studies in the relation between glucose-based and HbA(1c)-based prevalences was partly related to participants' age, followed by natural logarithm of per person gross domestic product, the year of survey, mean BMI, and whether the survey population was national, subnational, or from specific communities. Diabetes defined as HbA(1c) 6 . 5% or more had a pooled sensitivity of 52 . 8% (95% CI 51 . 3-54 . 3%) and a pooled specificity of 99 . 74% (99 . 71-99 . 78%) compared with FPG 7 . 0 mmol/L or more for diagnosing previously undiagnosed participants; sensitivity compared with diabetes defined based on FPG-or-2hOGTT was 30 . 5% (28 . 7-32 . 3%). None of the preselected study-level characteristics explained the heterogeneity in the sensitivity of HbA(1c) versus FPG. Interpretation Different biomarkers and definitions for diabetes can provide different estimates of population prevalence of diabetes, and differentially identify people without previous diagnosis as having diabetes. Using an HbA(1c)-based definition alone in health surveys will not identify a substantial proportion of previously undiagnosed people who would be considered as having diabetes using a glucose-based test.
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7. |
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8. |
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9. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(author)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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10. |
- Jaramillo, Fernando, et al.
(author)
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Priorities and Interactions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Focus on Wetlands
- 2019
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In: Water. - : MDPI. - 2073-4441. ; 11:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wetlands are often vital physical and social components of a country’s natural capital, as well as providers of ecosystem services to local and national communities. We performed a network analysis to prioritize Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for sustainable development in iconic wetlands and wetlandscapes around the world. The analysis was based on the information and perceptions on 45 wetlandscapes worldwide by 49 wetland researchers of the Global Wetland Ecohydrological Network (GWEN). We identified three 2030 Agenda targets of high priority across the wetlandscapes needed to achieve sustainable development: Target 6.3—“Improve water quality”; 2.4—“Sustainable food production”; and 12.2—“Sustainable management of resources”. Moreover, we found specific feedback mechanisms and synergies between SDG targets in the context of wetlands. The most consistent reinforcing interactions were the influence of Target 12.2 on 8.4—“Efficient resource consumption”; and that of Target 6.3 on 12.2. The wetlandscapes could be differentiated in four bundles of distinctive priority SDG-targets: “Basic human needs”, “Sustainable tourism”, “Environmental impact in urban wetlands”, and “Improving and conserving environment”. In general, we find that the SDG groups, targets, and interactions stress that maintaining good water quality and a “wise use” of wetlandscapes are vital to attaining sustainable development within these sensitive ecosystems.
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11. |
- Naghavi, Mohsen, et al.
(author)
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Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
- 2015
-
In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 385:9963, s. 117-171
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Up-to-date evidence on levels and trends for age-sex-specifi c all-cause and cause-specifi c mortality is essential for the formation of global, regional, and national health policies. In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) we estimated yearly deaths for 188 countries between 1990, and 2013. We used the results to assess whether there is epidemiological convergence across countries. Methods We estimated age-sex-specifi c all-cause mortality using the GBD 2010 methods with some refinements to improve accuracy applied to an updated database of vital registration, survey, and census data. We generally estimated cause of death as in the GBD 2010. Key improvements included the addition of more recent vital registration data for 72 countries, an updated verbal autopsy literature review, two new and detailed data systems for China, and more detail for Mexico, UK, Turkey, and Russia. We improved statistical models for garbage code redistribution. We used six different modelling strategies across the 240 causes; cause of death ensemble modelling (CODEm) was the dominant strategy for causes with sufficient information. Trends for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias were informed by meta-regression of prevalence studies. For pathogen-specifi c causes of diarrhoea and lower respiratory infections we used a counterfactual approach. We computed two measures of convergence (inequality) across countries: the average relative difference across all pairs of countries (Gini coefficient) and the average absolute difference across countries. To summarise broad findings, we used multiple decrement life-tables to decompose probabilities of death from birth to exact age 15 years, from exact age 15 years to exact age 50 years, and from exact age 50 years to exact age 75 years, and life expectancy at birth into major causes. For all quantities reported, we computed 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We constrained cause-specific fractions within each age-sex-country-year group to sum to all-cause mortality based on draws from the uncertainty distributions. Findings Global life expectancy for both sexes increased from 65.3 years (UI 65.0-65.6) in 1990, to 71.5 years (UI 71.0-71.9) in 2013, while the number of deaths increased from 47.5 million (UI 46.8-48.2) to 54.9 million (UI 53.6-56.3) over the same interval. Global progress masked variation by age and sex: for children, average absolute diff erences between countries decreased but relative diff erences increased. For women aged 25-39 years and older than 75 years and for men aged 20-49 years and 65 years and older, both absolute and relative diff erences increased. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the prominent role of reductions in age-standardised death rates for cardiovascular diseases and cancers in high-income regions, and reductions in child deaths from diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and neonatal causes in low-income regions. HIV/AIDS reduced life expectancy in southern sub-Saharan Africa. For most communicable causes of death both numbers of deaths and age-standardised death rates fell whereas for most non-communicable causes, demographic shifts have increased numbers of deaths but decreased age-standardised death rates. Global deaths from injury increased by 10.7%, from 4.3 million deaths in 1990 to 4.8 million in 2013; but age-standardised rates declined over the same period by 21%. For some causes of more than 100 000 deaths per year in 2013, age-standardised death rates increased between 1990 and 2013, including HIV/AIDS, pancreatic cancer, atrial fibrillation and flutter, drug use disorders, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and sickle-cell anaemias. Diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, neonatal causes, and malaria are still in the top five causes of death in children younger than 5 years. The most important pathogens are rotavirus for diarrhoea and pneumococcus for lower respiratory infections. Country-specific probabilities of death over three phases of life were substantially varied between and within regions. Interpretation For most countries, the general pattern of reductions in age-sex specifi c mortality has been associated with a progressive shift towards a larger share of the remaining deaths caused by non-communicable disease and injuries. Assessing epidemiological convergence across countries depends on whether an absolute or relative measure of inequality is used. Nevertheless, age-standardised death rates for seven substantial causes are increasing, suggesting the potential for reversals in some countries. Important gaps exist in the empirical data for cause of death estimates for some countries; for example, no national data for India are available for the past decade.
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12. |
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13. |
- Zhou, Bin, et al.
(author)
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Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: A pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants
- 2016
-
In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 387:10027, s. 1513-1530
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are aff ecting the number of adults with diabetes.Methods: We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence-defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7.0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs-in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue.Findings: We used data from 751 studies including 4372000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4.3% (95% credible interval 2.4-17.0) in 1980 to 9.0% (7.2-11.1) in 2014 in men, and from 5.0% (2.9-7.9) to 7.9% (6.4-9.7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28.5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39.7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31.8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target.Interpretation: Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults aff ected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.
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14. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(author)
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Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19 : a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
- 2021
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In: BMC Infectious Diseases. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1471-2334. ; 21:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, ). Methods: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. Results: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I-2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. Conclusions: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care.
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15. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
-
A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
-
In: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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16. |
- Carraminana, Albert, et al.
(author)
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Rationale and Study Design for an Individualized Perioperative Open Lung Ventilatory Strategy in Patients on One-Lung Ventilation (iPROVE-OLV)
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. - : W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC. - 1053-0770 .- 1532-8422. ; 33:9, s. 2492-2502
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim of this clinical trial is to examine whether it is possible to reduce postoperative complications using an individualized perioperative ventilatory strategy versus using a standard lung-protective ventilation strategy in patients scheduled for thoracic surgery requiring one-lung ventilation. Design: International, multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: A network of university hospitals. Participants: The study comprises 1,380 patients scheduled for thoracic surgery. Interventions: The individualized group will receive intraoperative recruitment maneuvers followed by individualized positive end-expiratory pressure (open lung approach) during the intraoperative period plus postoperative ventilatory support with high-flow nasal cannula, whereas the control group will be managed with conventional lung-protective ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Individual and total number of postoperative complications, including atelectasis, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pneumonia, acute lung injury; unplanned readmission and reintubation; length of stay and death in the critical care unit and in the hospital will be analyzed for both groups. The authors hypothesize that the intraoperative application of an open lung approach followed by an individual indication of high-flow nasal cannula in the postoperative period will reduce pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay in high-risk surgical patients. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
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17. |
- Gallardo Bolanos, Juan M., et al.
(author)
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Phosphorylated AKT preserves stallion sperm viability and motility by inhibiting caspases 3 and 7
- 2014
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In: Reproduction. - : Bioscientifica. - 1470-1626 .- 1476-3990. ; 148:2, s. 221-235
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AKT, also referred to as protein kinase B (PKB or RAC), plays a critical role in controlling cell survival and apoptosis. To gain insights into the mechanisms regulating sperm survival after ejaculation, the role of AKT was investigated in stallion spermatozoa using a specific inhibitor and a phosphoflow approach. Stallion spermatozoa were washed and incubated in Biggers-Whitten-Whittingham medium, supplemented with 1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the presence of 0 (vehicle), 10, 20 or 30 mu M SH5, an AKT inhibitor. SH5 treatment reduced the percentage of sperm displaying AKT phosphorylation, with inhibition reaching a maximum after 1 h of incubation. This decrease in phosphorylation was attributable to either dephosphorylation or suppression of the active phosphorylation pathway. Stallion spermatozoa spontaneously dephosphorylated during in vitro incubation, resulting in a lack of a difference in AKT phosphorylation between the SH5-treated sperm and the control after 4 h of incubation. AKT inhibition decreased the proportion of motile spermatozoa (total and progressive) and the sperm velocity. Similarly, AKT inhibition reduced membrane integrity, leading to increased membrane permeability and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential concomitantly with activation of caspases 3 and 7. However, the percentage of spermatozoa exhibiting oxidative stress, the production of mitochondrial superoxide radicals, DNA oxidation and DNA fragmentation were not affected by AKT inhibition. It is concluded that AKT maintains the membrane integrity of ejaculated stallion spermatozoa, presumably by inhibiting caspases 3 and 7, which prevents the progression of spermatozoa to an incomplete form of apoptosis.
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18. |
- Jansen, Iris E, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide meta-analysis for Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers.
- 2022
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In: Acta neuropathologica. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0533 .- 0001-6322. ; 144:5, s. 821-842
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) and phosphorylated tau (pTau) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) reflect core features of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) more directly than clinical diagnosis. Initiated by the European Alzheimer & Dementia Biobank (EADB), the largest collaborative effort on genetics underlying CSF biomarkers was established, including 31 cohorts with a total of 13,116 individuals (discovery n=8074; replication n=5042 individuals). Besides the APOE locus, novel associations with two other well-established AD risk loci were observed; CR1 was shown a locus for Aβ42 and BIN1 for pTau. GMNC and C16orf95 were further identified as loci for pTau, of which the latter is novel. Clustering methods exploring the influence of all known AD risk loci on the CSF protein levels, revealed 4 biological categories suggesting multiple Aβ42 and pTau related biological pathways involved in the etiology of AD. In functional follow-up analyses, GMNC and C16orf95 both associated with lateral ventricular volume, implying an overlap in genetic etiology for tau levels and brain ventricular volume.
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19. |
- Macías García, Beatriz, et al.
(author)
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The mitochondria of stallion spermatozoa are more sensitive than the plasmalemma to osmotic induced stress: role of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNKs) pathway
- 2012
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In: Journal of Andrology. - Schaumburg, IL, United States : American Society of Andrology. - 0196-3635 .- 1939-4640. ; 33:1, s. 105-113
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cryopreservation introduces extreme temperature and osmolality changes that impart lethal and sublethal effects on spermatozoa. Additionally, there is evidence that the osmotic stress induced by cryopreservation causes oxidative stress to spermatozoa. The main sources of reactive oxygen species in mammalian sperm are the mitochondria. In view of this, the aim of our study was to test whether or not osmotic stress was able to induce mitochondrial damage and to explore the osmotic tolerance of the mitochondria of stallion spermatozoa. Ejaculates from 7 stallions were subjected to osmolalities ranging from 75 to 1500 mOsm/kg, and the effect on sperm membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential was studied. Additionally, the effects of changes in osmolality from hyposmotic to isosmotic and from hyperosmotic to isosmotic solutions were studied (osmotic excursions). The cellular volume of stallion spermatozoa under isosmotic conditions was 20.4 ± 0.33 μm3. When exposed to low osmolality, the stallion spermatozoa behaved like a linear osmometer, whereas exposure to high osmolalities up to 900 mOsm/kg resulted in decreased sperm volume. Although sperm membranes were relatively resistant to changes in osmolality, mitochondrial membrane potential decreased when osmolalities were low or very high (10.7 ± 1.74 and 16.5 ± 1.70 at 75 and 150 mOsm/kg, respectively, and 13.1 ± 1.83 at 1500 mOsm/kg), whereas in isosmolar controls the percentage of stallion sperm mitochondria with a high membrane potential was 41.1 ± 1.69 (P < .01). Osmotic excursions induced greater damage than exposure of spermatozoa to a given nonphysiologic osmolality, and again the mitochondria were more prone to damage induced by osmotic excursions than was the sperm plasma membrane. In search of intracellular components that could mediate these changes, we have detected for the first time the c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 in stallion spermatozoa, which are apparently involved in the regulation of the viability of these cells.
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20. |
- Manry, Jérémy, et al.
(author)
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The risk of COVID-19 death is much greater and age dependent with type I IFN autoantibodies.
- 2022
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490. ; 119:21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection fatality rate (IFR) doubles with every 5 y of age from childhood onward. Circulating autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α, IFN-ω, and/or IFN-β are found in ∼20% of deceased patients across age groups, and in ∼1% of individuals aged <70 y and in >4% of those >70 y old in the general population. With a sample of 1,261 unvaccinated deceased patients and 34,159 individuals of the general population sampled before the pandemic, we estimated both IFR and relative risk of death (RRD) across age groups for individuals carrying autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs, relative to noncarriers. The RRD associated with any combination of autoantibodies was higher in subjects under 70 y old. For autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, the RRDs were 17.0 (95% CI: 11.7 to 24.7) and 5.8 (4.5 to 7.4) for individuals <70 y and ≥70 y old, respectively, whereas, for autoantibodies neutralizing both molecules, the RRDs were 188.3 (44.8 to 774.4) and 7.2 (5.0 to 10.3), respectively. In contrast, IFRs increased with age, ranging from 0.17% (0.12 to 0.31) for individuals <40 y old to 26.7% (20.3 to 35.2) for those ≥80 y old for autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 or IFN-ω, and from 0.84% (0.31 to 8.28) to 40.5% (27.82 to 61.20) for autoantibodies neutralizing both. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs increase IFRs, and are associated with high RRDs, especially when neutralizing both IFN-α2 and IFN-ω. Remarkably, IFRs increase with age, whereas RRDs decrease with age. Autoimmunity to type I IFNs is a strong and common predictor of COVID-19 death.
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21. |
- ODonnell, Michael, et al.
(author)
-
Registered Replication Report: Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998)
- 2018
-
In: Perspectives on Psychological Science. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 1745-6916 .- 1745-6924. ; 13:2, s. 268-294
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998) reported that participants primed with a category associated with intelligence (professor) subsequently performed 13% better on a trivia test than participants primed with a category associated with a lack of intelligence (soccer hooligans). In two unpublished replications of this study designed to verify the appropriate testing procedures, Dijksterhuis, van Knippenberg, and Holland observed a smaller difference between conditions (2%-3%) as well as a gender difference: Men showed the effect (9.3% and 7.6%), but women did not (0.3% and -0.3%). The procedure used in those replications served as the basis for this multilab Registered Replication Report. A total of 40 laboratories collected data for this project, and 23 of these laboratories met all inclusion criteria. Here we report the meta-analytic results for those 23 direct replications (total N = 4,493), which tested whether performance on a 30-item general-knowledge trivia task differed between these two priming conditions (results of supplementary analyses of the data from all 40 labs, N = 6,454, are also reported). We observed no overall difference in trivia performance between participants primed with the professor category and those primed with the hooligan category (0.14%) and no moderation by gender.
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22. |
- Arndt, D. S., et al.
(author)
-
STATE OF THE CLIMATE IN 2017
- 2018
-
In: Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society - (BAMS). - : American Meteorological Society. - 0003-0007 .- 1520-0477. ; 99:8, s. S1-S310
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)
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23. |
- Ashton, Nicholas J., et al.
(author)
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Effects of pre-analytical procedures on blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's pathophysiology, glial activation, and neurodegeneration.
- 2021
-
In: Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands). - : Wiley. - 2352-8729. ; 13:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We tested how tube types (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid [EDTA], serum, lithium heparin [LiHep], and citrate) and freeze-thaw cycles affect levels of blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology, glial activation, and neuronal injury.Amyloid beta (Aβ)42, Aβ40, phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), glial fibrillary acidic protein, total tau (t-tau), neurofilament light, and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy protein were measured using single molecule arrays.LiHep demonstrated the highest mean value for all biomarkers. Tube types were highly correlated for most biomarkers (r>0.95) but gave significantly different absolute concentrations. Weaker correlations between tube types were found for Aβ42/40 (r=0.63-0.86) and serum t-tau (r=0.46-0.64). Freeze-thaw cycles highly influenced levels of serum Aβ and t-tau (P<.0001), and minor decreases in EDTA Aβ40 and EDTA p-tau181 were found after freeze-thaw cycle 4 (P<.05).The same tube type should be used in research studies on blood biomarkers. Individual concentration cut-offs are needed for each tube type in all tested biomarkers despite being highly correlated. Serum should be avoided for Aβ42, Aβ40, and t-tau. Freeze-thaw cycles>3 should be avoided for p-tau181.
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24. |
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25. |
- Bassols Gardella, Narcís, et al.
(author)
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Preferencias de los turistas en hoteles y destinos: una aproximación desde el análisis de contenido y los árboles de decisión : [Tourist preferences in hotels and destinations: an approach based on content analysis and decision trees]
- 2021
-
In: Investigaciones Turísticas. - : Publicaciones Universidad de Alicante. - 2174-5609. ; :22, s. 121-147
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intentar explicar las preferencias de turistas a la hora de elegir un alojamiento en un destino, y qué elementos son más influyentes en esta decisión, es un tema que ha sido investigado desde diferentes marcos de referencia y con distintas herramientas de campo en los últimos años. El presente artículo se añade a este corpus investigativo analizando las preferencias de los visitantes en las ciudades de Santa Marta y Cartagena de Indias, los dos principales destinos turísticos del Caribe colombiano. En particular, se considera si las valoraciones online de hoteles emitidas por los turistas pueden estar influenciadas por la oferta presente en el destino (atractivos turísticos, ubicación, actividades ofrecidas, restaurantes, playas, etc.) combinadas con las características propias del establecimiento hotelero (servicios ofrecidos, ubicación, precios, categoría del hotel, etc.). Los dos destinos mencionados son estudiados aplicando el modelo de árboles de decisión CHAID, una herramienta frecuentemente usada en ingeniería, pero mucho menos empleado en la gestión de empresas turísticas, a pesar de su innegable utilidad. Los datos levantados para esta investigación provienen de los comentarios online de la plataforma booking.com. Los resultados ofrecen una caracterización relevante de los destinos estudiados y sus visitantes; algunas tendencias conocidas se confirman, pero también se descubren otras latentes. En un plano práctico y de gestión, se pretende demostrar la importancia del uso de herramientas big data para la toma de decisiones de negocio, en particular las basadas en las preferencias de los clientes.
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26. |
- Blanco, Gonzalo, et al.
(author)
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Karyotypic complexity rather than chromosome 8 abnormalities aggravates the outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with TP53 aberrations
- 2016
-
In: Oncotarget. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1949-2553. ; 7:49, s. 80916-80924
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) harboring TP53 aberrations (TP53abs; chromosome 17p deletion and/or TP53 mutation) exhibit an unfavorable clinical outcome. Chromosome 8 abnormalities, namely losses of 8p (8p-) and gains of 8q (8q+) have been suggested to aggravate the outcome of patients with TP53abs. However, the reported series were small, thus hindering definitive conclusions. To gain insight into this issue, we assessed a series of 101 CLL patients harboring TP53 disruption. The frequency of 8p- and 8q+ was 14.7% and 17.8% respectively. Both were associated with a significantly (P < 0.05) higher incidence of a complex karyotype (CK, >= 3 abnormalities) detected by chromosome banding analysis (CBA) compared to cases with normal 8p (N-8p) and 8q (N-8q), respectively. In univariate analysis for 10- year overall survival (OS), 8p- (P = 0.002), 8q+ (P = 0.012) and CK (P = 0.009) were associated with shorter OS. However, in multivariate analysis only CK (HR = 2.47, P = 0.027) maintained independent significance, being associated with a dismal outcome regardless of chromosome 8 abnormalities. In conclusion, our results highlight the association of chromosome 8 abnormalities with CK amongst CLL patients with TP53abs, while also revealing that CK can further aggravate the prognosis of this aggressive subgroup.
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27. |
- Brugulat-Serrat, Anna, et al.
(author)
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APOE -ε4 modulates the association between regional amyloid deposition and cognitive performance in cognitively unimpaired middle-aged individuals
- 2023
-
In: EJNMMI Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2191-219X. ; 13:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To determine whether the APOE-ε4 allele modulates the relationship between regional β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation and cognitive change in middle-aged cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants. Methods: The 352 CU participants (mean aged 61.1 [4.7] years) included completed two cognitive assessments (average interval 3.34 years), underwent [18F]flutemetamol Aβ positron emission tomography (PET), T1w magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as APOE genotyping. Global and regional Aβ PET positivity was assessed across five regions-of-interest by visual reading (VR) and regional Centiloids. Linear regression models were developed to examine the interaction between regional and global Aβ PET positivity and APOE-ε4 status on longitudinal cognitive change assessed with the Preclinical Alzheimer’s Cognitive Composite (PACC), episodic memory, and executive function, after controlling for age, sex, education, cognitive baseline scores, and hippocampal volume. Results: In total, 57 participants (16.2%) were VR+ of whom 41 (71.9%) were APOE-ε4 carriers. No significant APOE-ε4*global Aβ PET interactions were associated with cognitive change for any cognitive test. However, APOE-ε4 carriers who were VR+ in temporal areas (n = 19 [9.81%], p = 0.04) and in the striatum (n = 8 [4.14%], p = 0.01) exhibited a higher decline in the PACC. The temporal areas findings were replicated when regional PET positivity was determined with Centiloid values. Regionally, VR+ in the striatum was associated with higher memory decline. As for executive function, interactions between APOE-ε4 and regional VR+ were found in temporal and parietal regions, and in the striatum. Conclusion: CU APOE-ε4 carriers with a positive Aβ PET VR in regions known to accumulate amyloid at later stages of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continuum exhibited a steeper cognitive decline. This work supports the contention that regional VR of Aβ PET might convey prognostic information about future cognitive decline in individuals at higher risk of developing AD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02485730. Registered 20 June 2015 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02485730 and ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02685969. Registered 19 February 2016 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02685969.
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28. |
- Buttner, Karina Andrea, et al.
(author)
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ompA Sequencing and Multilocus Sequence Typing of Lymphogranuloma Venereum Cases in Buenos Aires Reveal New Chlamydia trachomatis Genotypes
- 2024
-
In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 12:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since the Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) outbreak was first described in Buenos Aires in 2017, the detected strains presented peculiar characteristics. Our goal was to increase the understanding of the strains involved in the LGV outbreak in Argentina. We characterized the ompA gene sequences, using Sanger sequencing, of 88 LGV strains from 239 symptomatic patients in Buenos Aires enrolled between 2017 and 2019, and selected 20 C. trachomatis strains for further characterization using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). Following the ompA gene analysis of the 88 LGV strains, we detected 43% L2b, 31% L1-like, and 26% L2. Among the 38 L2b samples analyzed, there were 7 distinct sequences, 3 of them not previously reported (L2bv12, L2bv13, and L2bv14). Additionally, we detected a strain with a new mutation (AM884176.1:g.59122A>T) found in the position defining L2 or L2b, proposed as L2i. Using MLST, five different sequence types (STs) were detected, including the ST2 (corresponding to the L1-like strains) and a new one (ST60). ST58 was associated with the concomitant presence of another STI and HIV. A high genetic diversity in C. trachomatis LGV strains in Argentina was observed in a short period of time, with a relatively low number of samples from a limited geographical area.
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29. |
- Cajas, Yulia N., et al.
(author)
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Nobiletin as a novel agent to enhance porcine in vitro embryo development and quality
- 2024
-
In: Theriogenology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 0093-691X .- 1879-3231. ; 223, s. 36-46
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In vitro embryo production (IVP) is of great importance to the porcine industry, as well as for basic research and biomedical applications. Despite the large efforts made in laboratories worldwide to address suboptimal culture conditions, porcine IVP remains inefficient. Nobiletin (Nob, 5,6,7,8,3 ' ,4 ' hexamethoxyflavone) supplementation to in vitro culture (IVC) medium, enhances in vitro embryo development in various species. However, its impact on the quality and developmental capacity of in vitro-produced pig embryos is yet to be established. This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations (2.5 and 5 mu M) of Nob during the early culture of in vitro -pro- duced pig embryos on embryo developmental competence, mitochondrial activity, lipid content, intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Glutathione (GSH) content, Total Cell Number (TCN) per blastocyst, and expression of genes related to embryo development, quality and oxidative stress. Embryos cultured in medium without Nob supplementation and in medium supplemented with 0.01 % dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO-vehicle for Nob) constituted the Control and DMSO groups, respectively. Embryo development rates were evaluated on Days 2, 6 and 7 of IVC. Additionally, a representative group of embryos was selected to assess mitochondrial activity, lipid, ROS and GSH content (on Days 2 and 6 of IVC), TCN assessment and gene expression analyses (on Day 6 of IVC). No significant differences were observed in any of the parameters evaluated on Day 2 of IVC. In contrast, embryos cultured under the presence of Nob 2.5 showed higher developmental rates on Days 6 and 7 of IVC. In addition, Day 6 embryos showed increased mitochondrial activity, with decreased levels of ROS and GSH in the Nob 2.5 group compared to the other groups. Both Nob 2.5 and Nob 5 embryos showed higher TCN compared to the Control and DMSO groups. Furthermore, Nob 2.5 and Nob 5 upregulated the expression of Superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1) and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase ( G6PDH) genes, which could help to counteract oxidative stress during IVC. In conclusion, the addition of Nob during the first 48 h of IVC increased porcine embryo development rates and enhanced their quality, including the upregulation of relevant genes that potentially improved the overall efficiency of the IVP system.
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30. |
- Campos-Rodriguez, Carolina, et al.
(author)
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Enantiomeric N-substituted phthalimides with excitatory amino acids protect zebrafish larvae against PTZ-induced seizures
- 2020
-
In: European Journal of Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0712 .- 0014-2999. ; 888
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease with high prevalence and adverse impacts on the quality of life of patients and caregivers. Up to one-third of individuals with epilepsy do not respond to current pharmacotherapy, underscoring the importance of identifying new molecules for epilepsy control. Thalidomide, the first synthetized phthalimide, is a neuroactive molecule with anti-seizure drug properties. The phthalimide group has been studied in some N-phthaloyl amino acids due to its pharmacological properties. Here we examine enantiomers of phthaloyl aspartate (R and S) and phthaloyl glutamate (R and S) for anti-seizure effects using zebrafish as a model. The zebrafish model is rapidly growing in use as a preclinical screening tool for drug discovery in epilepsy. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) exposure was used to produce convulsive behavior in 7- and 10-days post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae; these ages correspond to before and after the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) is fully developed. Larvae were pre-treated for 60 min with: control, valproic acid sodium salt (SVP) 3 mM, or one of two concentrations of N-phthaloyl-R-glutamic acid (R-TGLU; 100, 316 μM) prior to PTZ addition. R-TGLU modified the locomotor phenotype and protected against PTZ in 7 and 10 dpf larvae at 316 μM, suggesting it crossed the BBB. We next tested the per se and anticonvulsant effect of the glutamate and aspartate phthalimides were tested at 237.1 and 316 μM concentration in 10dpf zebrafish. The four tested molecules produced an anticonvulsant effect at 237.1 μM concentration, however the behavioral changes that they induce suggest that they might act by different mechanisms.
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31. |
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32. |
- Concepcion Gil-Rodriguez, Maria, et al.
(author)
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De Novo Heterozygous Mutations in SMC3 Cause a Range of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome-Overlapping Phenotypes
- 2015
-
In: Human Mutation. - : Wiley: 12 months. - 1059-7794 .- 1098-1004. ; 36:4, s. 454-462
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by facial dysmorphism, growth failure, intellectual disability, limb malformations, and multiple organ involvement. Mutations in five genes, encoding subunits of the cohesin complex (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21) and its regulators (NIPBL, HDAC8), account for at least 70% of patients with CdLS or CdLS-like phenotypes. To date, only the clinical features from a single CdLS patient with SMC3 mutation has been published. Here, we report the efforts of an international research and clinical collaboration to provide clinical comparison of 16 patients with CdLS-like features caused by mutations in SMC3. Modeling of the mutation effects on protein structure suggests a dominant-negative effect on the multimeric cohesin complex. When compared with typical CdLS, many SMC3-associated phenotypes are also characterized by postnatal microcephaly but with a less distinctive craniofacial appearance, a milder prenatal growth retardation that worsens in childhood, few congenital heart defects, and an absence of limb deficiencies. While most mutations are unique, two unrelated affected individuals shared the same mutation but presented with different phenotypes. This work confirms that de novo SMC3 mutations account for approximate to 1%-2% of CdLS-like phenotypes.
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33. |
- Crosas-Molist, Eva, et al.
(author)
-
Vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic changes in patients with Marfan syndrome
- 2015
-
In: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. - 1079-5642 .- 1524-4636. ; 35:4, s. 960-972
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Marfan's syndrome is characterized by the formation of ascending aortic aneurysms resulting from altered assembly of extracellular matrix microfibrils and chronic tissue growth factor (TGF)-β signaling. TGF-β is a potent regulator of the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype. We hypothesized that as a result of the chronic TGF-β signaling, VSMC would alter their basal differentiation phenotype, which could facilitate the formation of aneurysms. This study explores whether Marfan's syndrome entails phenotypic alterations of VSMC and possible mechanisms at the subcellular level.APPROACH AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemical and Western blotting analyses of dilated aortas from Marfan patients showed overexpression of contractile protein markers (α-smooth muscle actin, smoothelin, smooth muscle protein 22 alpha, and calponin-1) and collagen I in comparison with healthy aortas. VSMC explanted from Marfan aortic aneurysms showed increased in vitro expression of these phenotypic markers and also of myocardin, a transcription factor essential for VSMC-specific differentiation. These alterations were generally reduced after pharmacological inhibition of the TGF-β pathway. Marfan VSMC in culture showed more robust actin stress fibers and enhanced RhoA-GTP levels, which was accompanied by increased focal adhesion components and higher nuclear localization of myosin-related transcription factor A. Marfan VSMC and extracellular matrix measured by atomic force microscopy were both stiffer than their respective controls.CONCLUSIONS: In Marfan VSMC, both in tissue and in culture, there are variable TGF-β-dependent phenotypic changes affecting contractile proteins and collagen I, leading to greater cellular and extracellular matrix stiffness. Altogether, these alterations may contribute to the known aortic rigidity that precedes or accompanies Marfan's syndrome aneurysm formation.
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34. |
- Ferrando, Carlos, et al.
(author)
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Individualised, perioperative open-lung ventilation strategy during one-lung ventilation (iPROVE-OLV) : a multicentre, randomised, controlled clinical trial
- 2024
-
In: The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 2213-2600 .- 2213-2619. ; 12:3, s. 195-206
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background It is uncertain whether individualisation of the perioperative open-lung approach (OLA) to ventilation reduces postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing lung resection. We compared a perioperative individualised OLA (iOLA) ventilation strategy with standard lung-protective ventilation in patients undergoing thoracic surgery with one-lung ventilation. Methods This multicentre, randomised controlled trial enrolled patients scheduled for open or video-assisted thoracic surgery using one-lung ventilation in 25 participating hospitals in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and Ecuador. Eligible adult patients (age >= 18 years) were randomly assigned to receive iOLA or standard lung-protective ventilation. Eligible patients (stratified by centre) were randomly assigned online by local principal investigators, with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Treatment with iOLA included an alveolar recruitment manoeuvre to 40 cm H2O of end-inspiratory pressure followed by individualised positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titrated to best respiratory system compliance, and individualised postoperative respiratory support with high-flow oxygen therapy. Participants allocated to standard lungprotective ventilation received combined intraoperative 4 cm H2O of PEEP and postoperative conventional oxygen therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of severe postoperative pulmonary complications within the first 7 postoperative days, including atelectasis requiring bronchoscopy, severe respiratory failure, contralateral pneumothorax, early extubation failure (rescue with continuous positive airway pressure, non-invasive ventilation, invasive mechanical ventilation, or reintubation), acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary infection, bronchopleural fistula, and pleural empyema. Due to trial setting, data obtained in the operating and postoperative rooms for routine monitoring were not blinded. At 24 h, data were acquired by an investigator blinded to group allocation. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03182062, and is complete. Findings Between Sept 11, 2018, and June 14, 2022, we enrolled 1380 patients, of whom 1308 eligible patients (670 [434 male, 233 female, and three with missing data] assigned to iOLA and 638 [395 male, 237 female, and six with missing data] to standard lung-protective ventilation) were included in the final analysis. The proportion of patients with the composite outcome of severe postoperative pulmonary complications within the first 7 postoperative days was lower in the iOLA group compared with the standard lung-protective ventilation group (40 [6%] vs 97 [15%], relative risk 0 center dot 39 [95% CI 0 center dot 28 to 0 center dot 56]), with an absolute risk difference of -9 center dot 23 (95% CI -12 center dot 55 to -5 center dot 92). Recruitment manoeuvre-related adverse events were reported in five patients. Interpretation Among patients subjected to lung resection under one-lung ventilation, iOLA was associated with a reduced risk of severe postoperative pulmonary complications when compared with conventional lung-protective ventilation. Funding Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the European Regional Development Funds. Copyright (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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35. |
- Gasull, Magda, et al.
(author)
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Methodological issues in a prospective study on plasma concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and pancreatic cancer risk within the EPIC cohort
- 2019
-
In: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier. - 0013-9351 .- 1096-0953. ; 169, s. 417-433
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The use of biomarkers of environmental exposure to explore new risk factors for pancreatic cancer presents clinical, logistic, and methodological challenges that are also relevant in research on other complex diseases.OBJECTIVES: First, to summarize the main design features of a prospective case-control study -nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort- on plasma concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and pancreatic cancer risk. And second, to assess the main methodological challenges posed by associations among characteristics and habits of study participants, fasting status, time from blood draw to cancer diagnosis, disease progression bias, basis of cancer diagnosis, and plasma concentrations of lipids and POPs. Results from etiologic analyses on POPs and pancreatic cancer risk, and other analyses, will be reported in future articles.METHODS: Study subjects were 1533 participants (513 cases and 1020 controls matched by study centre, sex, age at blood collection, date and time of blood collection, and fasting status) enrolled between 1992 and 2000. Plasma concentrations of 22 POPs were measured by gas chromatography - triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). To estimate the magnitude of the associations we calculated multivariate-adjusted odds ratios by unconditional logistic regression, and adjusted geometric means by General Linear Regression Models.RESULTS: There were differences among countries in subjects' characteristics (as age, gender, smoking, lipid and POP concentrations), and in study characteristics (as time from blood collection to index date, year of last follow-up, length of follow-up, basis of cancer diagnosis, and fasting status). Adjusting for centre and time of blood collection, no factors were significantly associated with fasting status. Plasma concentrations of lipids were related to age, body mass index, fasting, country, and smoking. We detected and quantified 16 of the 22 POPs in more than 90% of individuals. All 22 POPs were detected in some participants, and the smallest number of POPs detected in one person was 15 (median, 19) with few differences by country. The highest concentrations were found for p,p'-DDE, PCBs 153 and 180 (median concentration: 3371, 1023, and 810 pg/mL, respectively). We assessed the possible occurrence of disease progression bias (DPB) in eight situations defined by lipid and POP measurements, on one hand, and by four factors: interval from blood draw to index date, tumour subsite, tumour stage, and grade of differentiation, on the other. In seven of the eight situations results supported the absence of DPB.CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of differences across study centres in some design features and participant characteristics is of relevance to other multicentre studies. Relationships among subjects' characteristics and among such characteristics and design features may play important roles in the forthcoming analyses on the association between plasma concentrations of POPs and pancreatic cancer risk.
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36. |
- Ghai, Rohit, et al.
(author)
-
Metagenomes of Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons
- 2012
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coastal lagoons, both hypersaline and freshwater, are common, but still understudied ecosystems. We describe, for the first time, using high throughput sequencing, the extant microbiota of two large and representative Mediterranean coastal lagoons, the hypersaline Mar Menor, and the freshwater Albufera de Valencia, both located on the south eastern coast of Spain. We show there are considerable differences in the microbiota of both lagoons, in comparison to other marine and freshwater habitats. Importantly, a novel uncultured sulfur oxidizing Alphaproteobacteria was found to dominate bacterioplankton in the hypersaline Mar Menor. Also, in the latter prokaryotic cyanobacteria were almost exclusively comprised by Synechococcus and no Prochlorococcus was found. Remarkably, the microbial community in the freshwaters of the hypertrophic Albufera was completely in contrast to known freshwater systems, in that there was a near absence of well known and cosmopolitan groups of ultramicrobacteria namely Low GC Actinobacteria and the LD12 lineage of Alphaproteobacteria.
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37. |
- Godoy, Benigno, et al.
(author)
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Boron isotope variations in a single monogenetic cone : La Poruña (21°53′S, 68°30′W), Central Andes, Chile
- 2023
-
In: Lithos. - : Elsevier. - 0024-4937 .- 1872-6143. ; 440
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- La Poruña is a monogenetic volcano located within the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex (21°-24°S) in the Central Andean subduction zone. Since crustal contamination of Andean magmas is ubiquitous, and because extensive geochemical data exist for La Poruña, we employ this volcano as a case study to examine the behavior of boron isotopes during crustal assimilation. We present whole-rock boron concentration and 11B/10B ratios (as δ11B values) for La Poruña lava samples that were prepared as nano-particulate pressed pellets. La Poruña B contents range from 14 to 20 μg/g and δ11B values range from −1.39 ± 0.54 ‰ (2σ) to +0.94 ± 0.30 ‰ (2σ), which overlap with the range of available whole-rock data for Central Andean lavas. Moreover, La Poruña δ11B values correlate negatively with 87Sr/86Sr ratios from the same samples. Since 87Sr/86Sr is a proxy for crustal contamination at La Poruña, the data lead us to suggest that La Poruña magmas assimilated a low-δ11B, high 87Sr/86Sr component such as Andean continental crust. Mixing models based on B and Sr isotopes support a broadly two-step magma evolution for La Poruña. In step 1, mantle-derived primary melts interacted with boron-rich slab-derived fluids with high δ11B values, which yielded subduction-modified parental magmas with ca. 3 μg/g B and relatively high δ11B values. In step 2, the high δ11B parental magmas ascended through the crust where they assimilated up to 20% crustal material, which further modified their δ11B values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. In comparison to available regional values for B and δ11B, it appears that La Poruña and nearby volcanic centers shared a similar source and magmatic history, whereas volcanoes south of 23°S differ. We stress, however, that deconvolving the roles of various subduction and crustal inputs in the Central Andes would require further studies on individual volcanoes along the arc.
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38. |
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39. |
- Ingegnoli, Francesca, et al.
(author)
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A comparison between nailfold capillaroscopy patterns in adulthood in juvenile and adult-onset systemic sclerosis: A EUSTAR exploratory study
- 2015
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In: Microvascular Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1095-9319 .- 0026-2862. ; 102, s. 19-24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Qualitative capillaroscopy patterns in juvenile- and adult-onset systemic sclerosis (SSc) were studied in adulthood using data from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database. Methods: Data collected between June 2004 and April 2013 were examined with focus on capillaroscopy. In this retrospective exploratory study, series of patients with juvenile-onset SSc were matched with series of adult-onset SSc having the same gender and autoantibody profile. Results: 30 of 123 patients with juvenile-onset and 2108 of 7133 with adult-onset SSc had data on capillaroscopy. Juvenile-onset SSc showed scleroderma pattern more frequently than adult-onset SSc (93.3% and 88%). The OR was 2.44 and 95% Cl 0.57-10.41. An active scleroderma pattern was present in 58% of juvenile- and 61% of adult-onset SSc. The OR was 0.91 and 95% Cl 0.28-2.93. The late scleroderma pattern was present in 61% of juvenile- and 55.5% of adult-onset SSc. The OR was 1.06 and 95% Cl 0.34-3.56. Conclusion: This is the first exploratory study on the comparison of capillaroscopy between juvenile- and adult-onset SSc in adulthood. Juvenile-onset SSc had an increase prevalence of sderoderma pattern, but a similar distribution of the three patterns was suggested. Further studies are needed to define this issue. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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40. |
- Isaksson, Jenny, et al.
(author)
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Comparison of multilocus sequence typing and multilocus typing microarray of Chlamydia trachomatis strains from Argentina and Chile
- 2016
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In: Journal of Microbiological Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-7012 .- 1872-8359. ; 127, s. 214-218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study compared conventional ompA genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis with multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and multilocus typing (MLT) DNA microarray. DNA extracts of 104 C trachomatis positive specimens were analyzed by ompA sequencing and MIST and of these 76 by MLT array. Obtained MIST sequence types (STs) were compared to sequences in the database http://mIstdb.uu.se. The resolution obtained for MIST (35 STs) was 2.1 higher than for ompA sequencing (17 variants) and 13 higher than MLT array (27 MLT groups). Among the 104 samples the predominant genotype E could be divided into 5 ompA variants and 23 STs of which 16 had not been reported in previous studies. The most common STs, ST3 and ST56, were identified as founders and are common in several countries on a global scale. The MIST and the MLT array provided similar strain discrimination capacity and showed considerably higher resolution than conventional ompA sequencing.
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41. |
- Jensen, Erik Steen, et al.
(author)
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Diversifying European agricultural systems by intercropping grain legumes and cereals
- 2020
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In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. - : PONTIFICIA UNIV CATOLICA CHILE. - 2452-5731. ; 47:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- E.S. Jensen, I.R. Chongtham, N.R. Dhamala, C. Rodriguez, N. Carton, and G. Carlsson.2020. Diversifying European agricultural systems by intercropping grain legumesand cereals. Int. J. Agric. Nat. Resour. 174-186. Cropping system diversification is akey factor in developing more sustainable cropping and food systems. The agroecologicalpractice of intercropping, meaning the simultaneous cultivation of two or more species inthe same field, has recently gained renewed interest as a means of ecological intensificationin European agricultural research. We discuss some recent research developments regarding1) intercropping for ecological intensification in agroecological and conventional croppingsystems, 2) studies on nitrogen resource use by cereal-grain legume intercropping cultivation,3) the role of intercropping in the management of biotic stressors, especially weeds, and 4)intercropping as a means of creating cropping systems that are more resilient to the abioticand biotic stress associated with climate change. Finally, we propose methods for the greateradoption of intercropping in European agriculture by unlocking farming systems from upstreamand downstream barriers, with the aim of developing more sustainable agricultural and foodsystems.
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42. |
- Jiménez-Balado, Joan, et al.
(author)
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DNA methylation and stroke prognosis : an epigenome-wide association study
- 2024
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In: Clinical Epigenetics. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1868-7083. ; 16:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aimsStroke is the leading cause of adult-onset disability. Although clinical factors influence stroke outcome, there is a significant variability among individuals that may be attributed to genetics and epigenetics, including DNA methylation (DNAm). We aimed to study the association between DNAm and stroke prognosis.Methods and resultsTo that aim, we conducted a two-phase study (discovery-replication and meta-analysis) in Caucasian patients with ischemic stroke from two independent centers (BasicMar [discovery, N = 316] and St. Pau [replication, N = 92]). Functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at three months after stroke, being poor outcome defined as mRS > 2. DNAm was determined using the 450K and EPIC BeadChips in whole-blood samples collected within the first 24 h. We searched for differentially methylated positions (DMPs) in 370,344 CpGs, and candidates below p-value < 10–5 were subsequently tested in the replication cohort. We then meta-analyzed DMP results from both cohorts and used them to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs).After doing the epigenome-wide association study, we found 29 DMPs at p-value < 10–5 and one of them was replicated: cg24391982, annotated to thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) gene (p-valuediscovery = 1.54·10–6; p-valuereplication = 9.17·10–4; p-valuemeta-analysis = 6.39·10–9). Besides, four DMRs were identified in patients with poor outcome annotated to zinc finger protein 57 homolog (ZFP57), Arachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase 12S Type (ALOX12), ABI Family Member 3 (ABI3) and Allantoicase (ALLC) genes (p-value < 1·10–9 in all cases).DiscussionPatients with poor outcome showed a DMP at THBS2 and four DMRs annotated to ZFP57, ALOX12, ABI3 and ALLC genes. This suggests an association between stroke outcome and DNAm, which may help identify new stroke recovery mechanisms.
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43. |
- Jullian, Carolina, et al.
(author)
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Characterization, phase-solubility, and molecular modeling of inclusion complex of 5-nitroindazole derivative with cyclodextrins.
- 2008
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In: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0968-0896 .- 1464-3391. ; 16:9, s. 5078-5084
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The slightly water-soluble 5-nitroindazole derivative (5-NI) and its inclusion with either beta-cyclodextrin (betaCD) or Heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DMbetaCD) were investigated. The stoichiometric ratios and stability constants describing the extent of formation of the complexes were determined by phase-solubility measurements obtaining type-A(L) diagrams in both cases. According to the continuous variation method (Job's plot) a 1:1 stoichiometry has been proposed for the complexes. Also electrochemical studies were carried out on both CDs complexes, where the observed change in the E(PC) value for DMbetaCD indicated a lower feasibility of the nitro group reduction. The detailed spatial configuration is proposed based on two-dimensional NMR methods. These results are further interpreted using molecular modeling studies. The latter results are in good agreement with the experimental data.
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44. |
- Lind, Monica, et al.
(author)
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Short-term exposure to dioxin impairs bone tissue in male rats
- 2009
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In: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 75:5, s. 680-684
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic and sub-chronic studies in rats have previously shown that dioxin-like compounds impair the bone tissue homeostasis. In the present study, tibiae and serum were analyzed to study possible effects of short term dioxin exposure on rats. Two month old (ca. 200g) male rats were injected with 50microg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) kg(-1) bw and tibiae were excised 5d following the exposure. Bone composition, dimensions and strength were analyzed by pQCT and three-point bending test on tibiae. In addition, detailed bone composition was analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). Analysis of the serum bone biomarkers procollagen type-I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) and carboxyterminal cross linking teleopeptide (CTX) were also performed. pQCT-results showed alterations in the metaphysis, with a significant decrease in trabecular bone cross-sectional area (-19%, p<0.05) and a significant increase in total bone mineral density (+7%, p<0.05) in TCDD-exposed rats. Analyses of the bones by ICP-OES and FTIR showed that bones from exposed rats had a higher relative proportion of crystalline phosphate (+13% for a1080 and +11% for a1113, p<0.05) and lower acid phosphate content (-22% for a1145, p<0.05), resembling the composition of more mature bones. Serum analysis showed that the bone formation marker PINP was decreased (-37%, p<0.05) and that the bone resorption marker CTX was increased (+14%, p<0.05) indicating a net loss of bone tissue. In conclusion, 5d of exposure to TCDD was sufficient to negatively affect bone tissue in male rats.
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45. |
- Ludvigsson, Jonas F., 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Outcome measures in coeliac disease trials : the Tampere recommendations
- 2018
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In: Gut. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 0017-5749 .- 1468-3288. ; 67:8, s. 1410-1424
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: A gluten-free diet is the only treatment option of coeliac disease, but recently an increasing number of trials have begun to explore alternative treatment strategies. We aimed to review the literature on coeliac disease therapeutic trials and issue recommendations for outcome measures.Design: Based on a literature review of 10 062 references, we (17 researchers and 2 patient representatives from 10 countries) reviewed the use and suitability of both clinical and non-clinical outcome measures. We then made expert-based recommendations for use of these outcomes in coeliac disease trials and identified areas where research is needed. Results: We comment on the use of histology, serology, clinical outcome assessment (including patient-reported outcomes), quality of life and immunological tools including gluten immunogenic peptides for trials in coeliac disease.Conclusion: Careful evaluation and reporting of outcome measures will increase transparency and comparability of coeliac disease therapeutic trials, and will benefit patients, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry.
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46. |
- Martinez, Emilio A., et al.
(author)
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Achievements and future perspectives of embryo transfer technology in pigs
- 2019
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In: Reproduction in domestic animals. - : WILEY. - 0936-6768 .- 1439-0531. ; 54
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Commercial embryo transfer (ET) has unprecedented productive and economic implications for the pig sector. However, pig ET has been considered utopian for decades mainly because of the requirements of surgical techniques for embryo collection and embryo deposition into recipients, alongside challenges to preserve embryos. This situation has drastically changed in the last decade since the current technology allows non-surgical ET and short- and long-term embryo preservation. Here, we provide a brief review of the improvements in porcine ET achieved by our laboratory in the past 20 years. This review includes several aspects of non-surgical ET technology and different issues affecting ET programmes and embryo preservation systems. The future perspectives of ET technology are also considered. We will refer only to embryos produced in vivo since they are the only type of embryos with possible short-term use in pig production.
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47. |
- Martinez Serrano, Cristina, et al.
(author)
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Exogenous Melatonin in the Culture Medium Does Not Affect the Development of In Vivo-Derived Pig Embryos but Substantially Improves the Quality of In Vitro-Produced Embryos
- 2022
-
In: Antioxidants. - : MDPI. - 2076-3921. ; 11:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cloned and transgenic pigs are relevant human disease models and serve as potential donors for regenerative medicine and xenotransplantation. These technologies demand oocytes and embryos of good quality. However, the current protocols for in vitro production (IVP) of pig embryos give reduced blastocyst efficiency and embryo quality compared to in vivo controls. This is likely due to culture conditions jeopardizing embryonic homeostasis including the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) influence. In this study, the antioxidant melatonin (1 nM) in the maturation medium, fertilization medium, or both media was ineffective in enhancing fertilization or embryonic development parameters of in vitro fertilized oocytes. Supplementation of melatonin in the fertilization medium also had no effect on sperm function. In contrast, the addition of melatonin to the embryo culture medium accelerated the timing of embryonic development and increased the percentages of cleaved embryos and presumed zygotes that developed to the blastocyst stage. Furthermore, it increased the number of inner mass cells and the inner mass cell/total cell number ratio per blastocyst while increasing intracellular glutathione and reducing ROS and DNA damage levels in embryos. Contrarily, the addition of melatonin to the embryo culture medium had no evident effect on in vivo-derived embryos, including the developmental capacity and the quality of in vivo-derived 4-cell embryos or the percentage of genome-edited in vivo-derived zygotes achieving the blastocyst stage. In conclusion, exogenous melatonin in the embryo culture medium enhances the development and quality of in vitro-derived embryos but not in in vivo-derived embryos. Exogenous melatonin is thus recommended during embryo culture of oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro for improving porcine IVP efficiency.
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48. |
- Marto, João Pedro, et al.
(author)
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Safety and Outcome of Revascularization Treatment in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry.
- 2023
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In: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- COVID-19-related inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk and lower the efficacy of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of revascularization treatments in patients with AIS and COVID-19.This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients with AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT) between March 2020 and June 2021 tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. With a doubly robust model combining propensity score weighting and multivariate regression, we studied the association of COVID-19 with intracranial bleeding complications and clinical outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment groups (IVT-only and EVT).Of a total of 15,128 included patients from 105 centers, 853 (5.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; of those, 5,848 (38.7%) patients received IVT-only and 9,280 (61.3%) EVT (with or without IVT). Patients with COVID-19 had a higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) (adjusted OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.16-2.01), symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSAH) (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.69), SICH and/or SSAH combined (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.99), 24-hour mortality (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.58-3.86), and 3-month mortality (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.52-2.33). Patients with COVID-19 also had an unfavorable shift in the distribution of the modified Rankin score at 3 months (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26-1.60).Patients with AIS and COVID-19 showed higher rates of intracranial bleeding complications and worse clinical outcomes after revascularization treatments than contemporaneous non-COVID-19 patients receiving treatment. Current available data do not allow direct conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of revascularization treatments in patients with COVID-19 or to establish different treatment recommendations in this subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions, patient monitoring, and establishing prognosis.The study was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04895462.
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49. |
- Maside, Carolina, et al.
(author)
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Supplementation with exogenous coenzyme Q10 to media for in vitro maturation and embryo culture fails to promote the developmental competence of porcine embryos
- 2019
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In: Reproduction in domestic animals. - : WILEY. - 0936-6768 .- 1439-0531. ; 54, s. 72-77
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a potent antioxidant with critical protection role against cell oxidative stress, caused by the mitochondrial dysfunction. This study evaluated the effects of CoQ10 supplementation to in vitro maturation (IVM) or embryo culture media on the maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryonic development of pig oocytes and embryos. Maturation (Experiment 1) or embryo culture (Experiment 2) media were supplemented with 0 (control), 10, 25, 50 and 100 mu M CoQ10. The addition of 10-50 mu M CoQ10 to the IVM medium did not affect the percentage of MII oocytes nor the fertilization or the parameters of subsequent embryonic development. Exogenous CoQ10 in the culture medium neither did affect the development to the 2-4-cell stage nor rates of blastocyst formation. Moreover, the highest concentration of CoQ10 (100 mu M) in the maturation medium negatively affected blastocyst rates. In conclusion, exogenous CoQ10 supplementation of maturation or embryo culture media failed to improve the outcomes of our in vitro embryo production system and its use as an exogenous antioxidant should not be encouraged.
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50. |
- Matuozzo, Daniela, et al.
(author)
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Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19.
- 2023
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In: Genome medicine. - 1756-994X. ; 15:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15-20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in~80% of cases.We report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded.No gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5-528.7, P=1.1×10-4) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR=3.70[95%CI 1.3-8.2], P=2.1×10-4). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR=19.65[95%CI 2.1-2635.4], P=3.4×10-3), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR=4.40[9%CI 2.3-8.4], P=7.7×10-8). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD]=43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P=1.68×10-5).Rare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60years old.
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