An Energy-Reduced Mediterranean Diet, Physical Activity, and Body Composition

[ENG]Importance Strategies targeting body composition may help prevent chronic diseases in persons with excess weight, but randomized clinical trials evaluating lifestyle interventions have rarely reported effects on directly quantified body composition. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a lifestyle weight-loss intervention on changes in overall and regional body composition. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The ongoing Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea-Plus (PREDIMED-Plus) randomized clinical trial is designed to test the effect of the intervention on cardiovascular disease prevention after 8 years of follow-up. The trial is being conducted in 23 Spanish research centers and includes men and women (age 55-75 years) with body mass index between 27 and 40 and metabolic syndrome. The trial reported herein is an interim subgroup analysis of the intermediate outcome body composition after 3-year follow-up, and data analysis was conducted from February 1 to November 30, 2022. Of 6874 total PREDIMED-Plus participants, a subsample of 1521 individuals, coming from centers with access to a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry device, underwent body composition measurements at 3 time points. INTERVENTION Participants were randomly allocated to a multifactorial intervention based on an energy-reduced Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and increased physical activity (PA) or to a control group based on usual care, with advice to follow an ad libitum MedDiet, but no physical activity promotion. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The outcomes (continuous) were 3-year changes in total fat and lean mass (expressed as percentages of body mass) and visceral fat (in grams), tested using multivariable linear mixed-effects models. Clinical relevance of changes in body components (dichotomous) was assessed based on 5% or more improvements in baseline values, using logistic regression. Main analyses were performed in the evaluable population (completers only) and in sensitivity analyses, multiple imputation was performed to include data of participants lost to follow-up (intention-to-treat analyses). RESULTS A total of 1521 individuals were included (mean [SD] age, 65.3 [5.0] years; 52.1% men). In comparison with the control group (n=761), participants in the intervention arm (n=760) showed greater reductions in the percentage of total fat (between group differences after 1-year, −0.94% [95% CI, −1.19 to −0.69]; 3 years, −0.38% [95% CI, −0.64 to −0.12] and visceral fat storage after 1 year, -126 g [95% CI, −179 to −73.3 g]; 3 years, −70.4 g [95% CI, −126 to −15.2 g] and greater increases in the percentage of total lean mass at 1 year, 0.88% [95% CI, 0.63%-1.12%]; 3-years 0.34% [95%CI, 0.09%-0.60%]). The intervention group was more likely to show improvements of 5% or more in baseline body components (absolute risk reduction after 1 year, 13% for total fat mass, 11% for total lean mass, and 14% for visceral fat mass; after 3-years: 6% for total fat mass, 6% for total lean mass, and 8% for visceral fat mass). The number of participants needed to treat was between 12 and 17 to attain at least 1 individual with possibly clinically meaningful improvements in body composition. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this trial suggest a weight-loss lifestyle intervention based on an energy-reduced MedDiet and physical activity significantly reduced total and visceral fat and attenuated age-related losses of lean mass in older adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. Continued follow-up is warranted to confirm the long-term consequences of these changes on cardiovascular clinical end points.S

A taxonomic backbone for the global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales

The Caryophyllales constitute a major lineage of flowering plants with approximately 12500 species in 39 families. A taxonomic backbone at the genus level is provided that reflects the current state of knowledge and accepts 749 genera for the order. A detailed review of the literature of the past two decades shows that enormous progress has been made in understanding overall phylogenetic relationships in Caryophyllales. The process of re-circumscribing families in order to be monophyletic appears to be largely complete and has led to the recognition of eight new families (Anacampserotaceae, Kewaceae, Limeaceae, Lophiocarpaceae, Macarthuriaceae, Microteaceae, Montiaceae and Talinaceae), while the phylogenetic evaluation of generic concepts is still well underway. As a result of this, the number of genera has increased by more than ten percent in comparison to the last complete treatments in the Families and genera of vascular plants” series. A checklist with all currently accepted genus names in Caryophyllales, as well as nomenclatural references, type names and synonymy is presented. Notes indicate how extensively the respective genera have been studied in a phylogenetic context. The most diverse families at the generic level are Cactaceae and Aizoaceae, but 28 families comprise only one to six genera. This synopsis represents a first step towards the aim of creating a global synthesis of the species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales integrating the work of numerous specialists around the world

Compreendendo o sofrimento humano frente à doença: manifestações, contexto e estratégias

The aim of this study is to understand the suffering of a patient with an illness, by using a secondary research method, that is, a qualitative meta-study. The primary data source of the meta-study includes “biographical reports”. This project is based on a case study, in which the first-hand experiences of a patient with an illness were collected. The findings of the reports were compiled using the Archivos de la Memoria collection of the Index Foundation (Granada, Spain) and journals specialized in editing these materials. A selection of 20 biographical reports was targeted. The results of the meta-study show that suffering is a multidimensional process within a framework of ambiguous feelings. The suffering involves family and social network participation. Patients develop a range of strategies to overcome the illness. One of the effects is the fear of illness relapse or worsening.El propósito de este trabajo es comprender la experiencia del padecimiento ante la enfermedad mediante la utilización de un método de investigación secundaria, un meta estudio cualitativo. La fuente de datos primarios ha sido el relato biográfico, un diseño basado en el estudio de caso que recoge la experiencia en primera persona, en este caso, ante la enfermedad; la localización de relatos se ha hecho a través del fondo Archivos de la Memoria de la Fundación Index y de revistas especializadas en la edición de estos materiales. Se seleccionaron 20 relatos biográficos. Los resultados del meta estudio muestran que el padecimiento es un proceso multidimensional, caracterizado por la ambigüedad de sentimientos. Es un fenómeno que comparte la familia y la red social. Las personas enfermas desarrollan diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento y es manifiesto el miedo a la recaída o el empeoramiento

Differential recognition of Candida tropicalis, Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, and Candida auris by human innate immune cells

María J Navarro-Arias,1 Marco J Hernández-Chávez,1 Laura C García-Carnero,1 Diana G Amezcua-Hernández,1 Nancy E Lozoya-Pérez,1 Eine Estrada-Mata,1 Iván Martínez-Duncker,2 Bernardo Franco,1 Héctor M Mora-Montes1 1Department of Biology, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, 36050, Guanajuato, Gto, México; 2Laboratory of Human Glycobiology and Molecular Diagnostics, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, 62209, Morelos, México Background: The deep-seated infections caused by the Candida genus are associated with a high mortality rate, and Candida albicans is the most frequent species associated with these diseases. The fungal wall is composed of macromolecules not synthesized by the host, and therefore is a source of ligands recognized by innate immune cells. Methods: We performed a comparative study analyzing the cell wall composition and organization of Candida tropicalis, Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, and Candida auris, along with their ability to stimulate cytokine production and phagocytosis by human innate immune cells. Results: We found that the wall of these species had the basic components already described in C. albicans, with most of the chitin and b1,3-glucan located underneath the mannan layer. However, the walls of C. krusei and C. auris were rich in chitin and the former had a lower content of mannans. C. guilliermondii contained changes in the mannan and the b1,3-glucan levels. These species were differentially phagocytosed by human macrophages and stimulated cytokine production in a dectin-1-dependent pathway. C. krusei showed the most significant changes in the tested parameters, whereas C. auris behaved like C. albicans. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the cell wall and innate immune recognition of C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, and Candida auris is different from that reported for C. albicans. Keywords: cell wall, protein glycosylation, host–fungus interplay, phagocytosis, cytokine productio

Comparative assessment of GRASP algorithm for a dust event over Granada (Spain) during ChArMEx-ADRIMED 2013 campaign

In this study, vertical profiles and column-integrated aerosol properties retrieved by the GRASP (Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties) algorithm are evaluated with in situ airborne measurements made during the ChArMEx-ADRIMED field campaign in summer 2013. In the framework of this campaign, two different flights took place over Granada (Spain) during a desert dust episode on 16 and 17 June. The GRASP algorithm, which combines lidar and sun–sky photometer data measured at Granada, was used to retrieve aerosol properties. Two sun-photometer datasets are used: one co-located with the lidar system and the other in the Cerro Poyos station, approximately 1200 m higher than the lidar system but at a short horizontal distance. Column-integrated aerosol microphysical properties retrieved by GRASP are compared with AERONET products showing a good agreement. Differences between GRASP retrievals and airborne extinction profiles are in the range of 15 to 30 %, depending on the instrument on board the aircraft used as reference. On 16 June, a case where the dust layer was coupled to the aerosol layer close to surface, the total volume concentration differences between in situ data and GRASP retrieval are 15 and 36 % for Granada and Cerro Poyos retrievals, respectively. In contrast, on 17 June the dust layer was decoupled from the aerosol layer close to the surface, and the differences are around 17 % for both retrievals. In general, all the discrepancies found are within the uncertainly limits, showing the robustness and reliability of the GRASP algorithm. However, the better agreement found for the Cerro Poyos retrieval with the aircraft data and the vertical homogeneity of certain properties retrieved with GRASP, such as the scattering Ångström exponent, for cases with aerosol layers characterized by different aerosol types, shows that uncertainties in the vertical distribution of the aerosol properties have to be considered. The comparison presented here between GRASP and other algorithms (i.e. AERONET and LIRIC) and with airborne in situ measurements shows the potential to retrieve the optical and microphysical profiles of the atmospheric aerosol properties. Also, the advantage of GRASP versus LIRIC is that GRASP does not assume the results of the AERONET inversion as a starting point