New and Old Mechanisms Associated with Hypertension in the Elderly

Hypertension is a widely prevalent and important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases that increase with aging. The hallmark of hypertension in the elderly is increased vascular dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms by which increased blood pressure leads to vascular injury and impaired endothelial function are not well defined. In the present paper, we will analyze several mechanisms described in the scientific literature involved in hypertension in the elderly as endothelial dysfunction, increased oxygen delivery to tissues, inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and increased concentration of active metabolites. Also, we will focus on new molecular mechanisms involved in hypertension such as telomeres shortening, progenitor cells, circulating microparticles, and epigenetic factors that have appeared as possible causes of hypertension in the elderly. These molecular mechanisms may elucidate different origin for hypertension in the elderly and provide us with new targets for hypertension treatment

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Mental Health, Psychological Distress and Psychotropic Medication Consumption in Spain: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background: To assess gender differences in the prevalence of self-reported mental disorders, psychological distress and psychotropic drug consumption, and to identify sociodemographic and health-related variables associated with these conditions in the male and female population (aged ≥ 18 years). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried on 22,141 subjects aged 18 and over, using data from the Spanish National Health Interview Survey 2017. Results: We found an overall prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress and psychotropic drug consumption of 13.8%, 18.3% and 13.9%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, women showed significantly increased probabilities of 1.74-fold for mental disorders, 1.26-fold for psychological distress and 1.26-fold for psychotropic drug consumption compared to men. Variables such as gender, age, nationality, marital status, educational level, self-rated health, the presence of different chronic disorders, alcohol consumption and smoking habit were independently associated with mental disorders, psychological distress and psychotropic drug consumption. Several variables showed a differential effect on mental health status and psychotropic drug consumption according to gender. Conclusions: Women suffer from mental disorders, experience psychological distress and consume psychotropic drugs significantly more than men in Spain. Possible explanations for these results may be related to differences in emotional processing, willingness to report diseases and even intrinsic biological traits. Screening for mental health status and psychotropic drug consumption should be considered, particularly in Spanish women, younger adults and individuals who are not married, are obese, have poor self-rated health, suffer from chronic diseases or have a smoking habit

Obstructive sleep apnea and Fuhrman grade in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated surgically

PURPOSE: To assess the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and Fuhrman grade in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). As secondary endpoints, we studied its association with tumor size, metastasis-free survival (MFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). METHODS: We reviewed the databases of two tertiary care centers, identifying 2579 patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for ccRCC between 1991 and 2014. Descriptive statistics were used to compare pathologic variables between patients with and without OSA. Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the association of OSA with Fuhrman grade and tumor size. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine OSA association with MFS and CSS. A pathway analysis was performed on a cohort with available gene expression data. RESULTS: In total, 172 patients (7 %) had self-reported OSA at diagnosis. More patients with OSA had high Fuhrman grade compared to those without OSA [51 vs. 38 %; 13 % risk difference; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 5-20 %; p = 0.003]. On multivariable analysis, the association remained significant (OR 1.41; 95 % CI 1.00-1.99; p = 0.048). OSA was not associated with tumor size (p > 0.5), MFS (p = 0.5) or CSS (p = 0.4). A trend toward vascular endothelial growth factor pathway enrichment was seen in OSA patients (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: OSA is associated with high Fuhrman grade in patients undergoing surgery for ccRCC. Pending validation of this novel finding in further prospective studies, it could help shape future research to better understand etiological mechanisms associated

Guía de gestión integrada de plagas: mango

Coordinadores: Ángel Martín Gil y Gregoria Aranda Aranda

Effect of parathyroid-hormone-related protein on human platelet activation

A B S T R A C T Evidence suggests that PTHrP [PTH (parathyroid hormone)-related protein] can act as an inflammatory mediator in several pathological settings including cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to determine whether PTHrP might be involved in human platelet activation. We used a turbidimetric method to determine platelet aggregation. The expression of PTH1R (PTH type 1 receptor) in human platelets was analysed by Western blot and flow cytometry analyses. PTHrP-(1-36) (10 −7 mol/l) by itself failed to modify the activation of platelets. However, it significantly enhanced ADP-induced platelet activation, and also increased the ability of other agonists (thrombin, collagen and arachidonic acid) to induce platelet aggregation. H89 (10 −6 mol/l) and 25 × 10 −6 mol/l Rp-cAMPS (adenosine 3 ,5 -cyclic monophosphorothioate Rp-isomer), two protein kinase A inhibitors, and 25 × 10 −9 mol/l bisindolylmaleimide I, a protein kinase C inhibitor, partially decreased the enhancing effect of PTHrP-(1-36) on ADP-induced platelet activation. Meanwhile, 10 −6 mol/l PTHrP-(7-34), a PTH1R antagonist, as well as 10 −5 mol/l PD098059, a MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitor, or a farnesyltransferase inhibitor abolished this effect of PTHrP-(1-36). Moreover, 10 −7 mol/l PTHrP-(1-36) increased (2-fold over control) MAPK activation in human platelets. PTH1R was detected in platelets, and the number of platelets expressing it on their surface in patients during AMI (acute myocardial infarction) was not different from that in a group of patients with similar cardiovascular risk factors without AMI. Western blot analysis showed that total PTH1R protein levels were markedly higher in platelets from control than those from AMI patients. PTH1R was found in plasma, where its levels were increased in AMI patients compared with controls. In conclusion, human platelets express the PTH1R. PTHrP can interact with this receptor to enhance human platelet activation induced by several agonists through a MAPK-dependent mechanism

Clinical and Surgical Outcomes in Extensive Scalp Reconstruction after Oncologic Resection: A Comparison of Anterolateral Thigh, Latissimus Dorsi and Omental Free Flaps

Microsurgical scalp reconstruction is indicated in patients with large scalp defects. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of scalp reconstruction in oncologic patients reconstructed with latissimus dorsi (LD), anterolateral thigh (ALT), and omental (OM) free flaps. Thirty oncologic patients underwent scalp reconstruction with LD (10), ALT (11), and OM (9) flaps. The length of the vascular pedicle, the operation time, the possibility of a two-team approach, the length of hospital stays, the complications, and the aesthetic results were evaluated. The OM flap was the flap with the shortest vascular pedicle length with a mean of 6.26 ± 0.16 cm, compared to the LD flap, which was 12.34 ± 0.55 cm and the ALT flap with 13.20 ± 0.26 cm (p 0.05). As for complications, two patients reconstructed with OM flap, five LT flaps, and two ALT flaps developed complications, not statistically significant (p = 0.235). Omental flap, latissimus dorsi flap, and anterolateral thigh flap fulfill most of the characteristics for complex scalp reconstruction. The decision on which flap to use should be based on clinical aspects of the patients taking into account that the three flaps show similar rates of complications and length of hospital stay. Regarding the aesthetic outcome, OM flap or LD flap should be considered for reconstruction of extensive scalp defects

Listado de especies y subespecies cavernícolas (hipogeas) consideradas como troglobias y estigobias de la península ibérica e islas Baleares

La fauna hipogea o cavernícola ibero-balear ha sido a lo largo de muchos años puesta en evidencia por numerosos zoólogos en las distintas disciplinas. Especialistas de los distintos grupos faunísticos capaces de colonizar las cuevas y las aguas subterráneas que las recorren. Hoy sabemos que esta diversidad de troglobios y estigobios alcanza un total de 1364 taxones: 1285 especies y 79 subespecies hipogeas (cavernícolas) pertenecientes a cuatro filos: Plathyhelminthes (2), Annelida (23), Mollusca (122) y Arthropoda (1217) en todo el territorio ibero-balear. Una fauna que cuenta con numerosos ejemplos de elementos relictos de especial interés paleogeográfico. De la totalidad de taxones hipogeos o cavernícolas del territorio ibero balear, 438 taxones (430 especies y 8 subespecies) son estigobios y 926 taxones (852 especies y 74 subespecies) son troglobios. En lo referente a la distribución de los taxones troglobios es el distrito Cantábrico el que posee una mayor riqueza en especies y subespecies, un total de 208, seguido del Vasco con 163 taxones, el Pirenaico con 153 y el Bético con 142. Algo menos diversos son los distritos Levantino (124 taxones) y Catalán (104 taxones), seguidos de lejos por el Lusitánico con 46 taxones, el Balear con 41 y el Central con tan sólo 19. Entre los estigobios 156 especies y subespecies pueblan las aguas subterráneas de las regiones delimitadas por las cuecas lusitánicas. Le siguen en diversidad las cuencas pirenaicas con 154 taxones estigobios, las béticas con 114 y por último las aguas del subsuelo de las cuencas baleáricas con 47 taxones estigobios, algunos de los cuales son talaso-estigobios, propios de las aguas marinas costeras

A multilayered post-GWAS assessment on genetic susceptibility to pancreatic cancer

Funder: Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (ES)Funder: Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and Department for Employment and LearningFunder: Intramural Research Program of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, USAAbstract: Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a complex disease in which both non-genetic and genetic factors interplay. To date, 40 GWAS hits have been associated with PC risk in individuals of European descent, explaining 4.1% of the phenotypic variance. Methods: We complemented a new conventional PC GWAS (1D) with genome spatial autocorrelation analysis (2D) permitting to prioritize low frequency variants not detected by GWAS. These were further expanded via Hi-C map (3D) interactions to gain additional insight into the inherited basis of PC. In silico functional analysis of public genomic information allowed prioritization of potentially relevant candidate variants. Results: We identified several new variants located in genes for which there is experimental evidence of their implication in the biology and function of pancreatic acinar cells. Among them is a novel independent variant in NR5A2 (rs3790840) with a meta-analysis p value = 5.91E−06 in 1D approach and a Local Moran’s Index (LMI) = 7.76 in 2D approach. We also identified a multi-hit region in CASC8—a lncRNA associated with pancreatic carcinogenesis—with a lowest p value = 6.91E−05. Importantly, two new PC loci were identified both by 2D and 3D approaches: SIAH3 (LMI = 18.24), CTRB2/BCAR1 (LMI = 6.03), in addition to a chromatin interacting region in XBP1—a major regulator of the ER stress and unfolded protein responses in acinar cells—identified by 3D; all of them with a strong in silico functional support. Conclusions: This multi-step strategy, combined with an in-depth in silico functional analysis, offers a comprehensive approach to advance the study of PC genetic susceptibility and could be applied to other diseases

VIII Encuentro de Docentes e Investigadores en Historia del Diseño, la Arquitectura y la Ciudad

Acta de congresoLa conmemoración de los cien años de la Reforma Universitaria de 1918 se presentó como una ocasión propicia para debatir el rol de la historia, la teoría y la crítica en la formación y en la práctica profesional de diseñadores, arquitectos y urbanistas. En ese marco el VIII Encuentro de Docentes e Investigadores en Historia del Diseño, la Arquitectura y la Ciudad constituyó un espacio de intercambio y reflexión cuya realización ha sido posible gracias a la colaboración entre Facultades de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño de la Universidad Nacional y la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Católica de Córdoba, contando además con la activa participación de mayoría de las Facultades, Centros e Institutos de Historia de la Arquitectura del país y la región. Orientado en su convocatoria tanto a docentes como a estudiantes de Arquitectura y Diseño Industrial de todos los niveles de la FAUD-UNC promovió el debate de ideas a partir de experiencias concretas en instancias tales como mesas temáticas de carácter interdisciplinario, que adoptaron la modalidad de presentación de ponencias, entre otras actividades. En el ámbito de VIII Encuentro, desarrollado en la sede Ciudad Universitaria de Córdoba, se desplegaron numerosas posiciones sobre la enseñanza, la investigación y la formación en historia, teoría y crítica del diseño, la arquitectura y la ciudad; sumándose el aporte realizado a través de sus respectivas conferencias de Ana Clarisa Agüero, Bibiana Cicutti, Fernando Aliata y Alberto Petrina. El conjunto de ponencias que se publican en este Repositorio de la UNC son el resultado de dos intensas jornadas de exposiciones, cuyos contenidos han posibilitado actualizar viejos dilemas y promover nuevos debates. El evento recibió el apoyo de las autoridades de la FAUD-UNC, en especial de la Secretaría de Investigación y de la Biblioteca de nuestra casa, como así también de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la UCC; va para todos ellos un especial agradecimiento