CO2 Kuznets Curve Revisited: From Cross-Sections to Panel Data Models

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) predicts that environmental degradation intensifies when per capita income increases and subsequently subsides after a certain income level is reached, resulting in an inverted U-shaped relationship. There is abundant literature on the topic that corroborates the existence of a positive income elasticity for environmental quality. However, results are controversial. We take the case of CO2, by comparing the results of the cross-sectional estimates with those derived from a panel approach. To this end, we use data from 182 countries during the period 1992-2011. We found that the EKC hypothesis is acceptable under both approaches, although the estimated turning points in cross-sections seem unreliable. Our application underlines the importance of adequately address central problems such as heterogeneity, structural breaks and spatial interaction. La curva de Kuznets (EKC) predice que la degradación medioambiental se intensifica inicialmente al aumentar la renta per cápita, para disminuir a continuación tras haber alcanzado cierto nivel de renta o turning point. Esta estructura se traduce en una relación en forma de U invertida entre ambas variables. Existe abundante literatura sobre el tema que corrobora la existencia de una elasticidad neta positiva para la calidad medioambiental. Sin embargo, los resultados son controvertidos. Analizamos el caso de CO2 comparando los resultados de las estimaciones transversales, con las derivadas de un enfoque panel. Para ello utilizamos datos de 182 países durante el periodo 1992-2011. Comprobamos que la hipótesis EKC resulta aceptable bajo ambos enfoques, aunque los turning point estimados en los cortes transversales son poco creíbles. Nuestra aplicación subraya la importancia de tratar adecuadamente problemas centrales como la heterogeneidad, las rupturas estructurales y la interacción espacial

Određivanje aglikona flavonoida iz vrsta roda Sideritis (Lamiaceae) iz Makedonije pomoću HPLC UV DAD

Flavonoids obtained from Sideritis species (Lamiaceae), S. raeseri and S. scardica, grown in Macedonia were studied. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the flavonoid aglycones were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV diode array detector. Extracts were prepared by acid hydrolysis in acetone, reextraction in ethyl acetate and evaporation to dryness; the residue dissolved in methanol was subjected to HPLC analysis. Isoscutellarein, chryseriol and apigenin were identified in the extracts. Also, a 4’-methyl ether derivative of isoscutellarein was found, together with hypolaetin and its methyl ether derivative, which were identified according to previously isolated glycosides and literature data. Quantitation was performed using calibration with apigenin. According to this screening analysis, the samples of the genus Sideritis from Macedonia are rich in polyhydroxy flavones and analogous with the previously studied Mediterranean Sideritis species from the Ibero-North African and Greek Sideritis species with respect to the presence of 8-OH flavones and their derivatives.U radu su proučavani flavonoidi dobiveni iz Sideritis vrsta (Lamiaceae), S. raeseri i S. scardica, porijeklom iz Makedonije. Kvalitativna i kvantitativna analiza aglikona flavonoida provedena je pomoću tekućinske kromatografije visoke učinkovitosti (HPLC) s UV detektorom. Ekstrakti su pripravljeni kiselom hidrolizom u acetonu, te ponovnom ekstrakcijom etil-acetatom. Ostatak nakon uparavanja je otopljen u metanolu i analiziran pomoću HPLC. Usporedbom s ranije izoliranim glikozidima i s literaturnim podacima u ekstraktima su identifirani izoskutelarein, krizeriol, apigenin, 4\u27-metil eterski derivat izoskutelareina, hipolaetin te njegov metil eter. Kvantifikacija je provedena pomoću kalibracijske krivulje za apigenin. Rezultati ukazuju da su uzorci Sideritis roda iz Makedonije bogati polihidroksiflavonima kao i ranije proučavane mediteranske Sideritis vrste iz sjeverne Afrike i Grčke Sideri

Characterization and suitability of polyphenols-based formulas to replace sulfur dioxide for storage of sparkling white wine

The sparkling wine protection against air is of interest for maintaining its sensorial profile and it is achieved through the use of antioxidants while disgorging. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is commonly added, but its amount should be limited due to human health problems. The suitability of three polyphenols-based commercial formulas containing plant gallic and ellagic acids extracted from grape (Vitis vinifera L.) (AO1), plant ellagic acid and gum arabic (AO2), and plant gallic, ellagic acids and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell-wall fractions (AO3) was evaluated after 7 months storage (at 15 °C and 25 °C) of disgorged sparkling white wine. The phenolic composition of these formulas was investigated through spectrophotometric measurements. Moreover, the phenols were characterized and quantified by HPLC-MS analyses. The sotolon concentration and the absorbance values at 420 nm were determined in wines. The HPLC-MS analysis showed that the formula AO1 mainly contained gallotannins, ellagic tannins and flavan-3-ols, while AO2 had high levels of flavan-3-ols and gallotannins. Flavan-3-ols were the only phenols found in AO3. The addition of these formulas increased the yellow hue. Sotolon was higher than the perception threshold in the samples with AO2 and at trace amount in the samples with both AO1 and AO3 only stored at 25 °C. The tested antioxidant formulas seemed to be less effective of SO2 for the storage of sparkling white wine. However, the investigation of phenolics in antioxidant formulas could be helpful for the proper choice of a potential substitute of SO2 due to increase interest in sulfur-free wine production

The gut microbiota metabolism of pomegranate or walnut ellagitannins yields two urolithin-metabotypes that correlate with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers: Comparison between normoweight, overweight-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Background & aims: Urolithins are microbial metabolites produced after consumption of ellagitannincontaining foods such as pomegranates and walnuts. Parallel to isoflavone-metabolizing phenotypes, ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes (urolithin metabotypes A, B and 0; UM-A, UM-B and UM-0, respectively) can vary among individuals depending on their body mass index (BMI), but correlations between urolithin metabotypes (UMs) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors are unexplored. We investigated the association between UMs and CMR factors in individuals with different BMI and health status. Methods: UM was identified using UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS in individuals consuming pomegranate or nuts. The associations between basal CMR factors and the urine urolithin metabolomic signature were explored in 20 healthy normoweight individuals consuming walnuts (30 g/d), 49 healthy overweightobese individuals ingesting pomegranate extract (450 mg/d) and 25 metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients consuming nuts (15 g-walnuts, 7.5 g-hazelnuts and 7.5 g-almonds/d). Results: Correlations between CMR factors and urolithins were found in overweight-obese individuals. Urolithin-A (mostly present in UM-A) was positively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I (P 0.05) and intermediate-HDL-cholesterol (P 0.05) while urolithin-B and isourolithin-A (characteristic from UM-B) were positively correlated with total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (P 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P 0.01), VLDL-cholesterol, IDL-cholesterol, oxidized-LDL and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I ratio (P 0.05). In MetS patients, urolithin-A only correlated inversely with glucose (P 0.05). Statin-treated MetS patients with UM-A showed a lipid profile similar to that of healthy normoweight individuals while a poor response to lipid-lowering therapy was observed in MB patients. Conclusions: UMs are potential CMR biomarkers. Overweight-obese individuals with UM-B are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas urolithin-A production could protect against CMR factors. Further research is warranted to explore these associations in larger cohorts and whether the effect of lipidlowering drugs or ellagitannin-consumption on CMR biomarkers depends on individuals' UM

Urolithins Are the Main Urinary Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites Discriminating a Moderate Consumption of Nuts in FreeLiving Subjects with Diagnosed Metabolic Syndrome

Walnuts (Juglans regia L.), hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.), and almonds (Prunus dulcis Mill.) are rich sources of ellagitannins and proanthocyanidins. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in modulating the bioavailability of these high molecular weight polyphenols. However, to date there are no studies evaluating the capacity to produce nut phenolic metabolites in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a pathology associated with an altered gut bacterial diversity. This study applied a LC-MS targeted approach to analyze the urinary excretion of nut phenolic metabolites in MetS subjects following 12 weeks of nut consumption, compared to sex- and age-matched individuals given a nut-free control diet. Metabolites were targeted in both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed urine by LC-PDA-QqQ-MS/MS analysis, and identification of metabolites lacking available standards was confirmed by LC-ESI-ITD-FT-MS. Ellagitannin-derived urolithins A and B significantly increased after the nutenriched-diet, urolithins C and D were also detected, and a complex combination of urolithin-conjugated forms was observed in nonhydrolyzed urine, confirming an extensive phase II metabolism after absorption. In contrast, no significant increases in proanthocyanidin microbial metabolites were observed in urine following nut consumption. Because the intestinal microbiota of the subjects in this study could catabolize ellagitannins into a wide range of urolithins, further research is strongly warranted on the in vivo potential of these microbial metabolites in reducing cardiometabolic risk

GNAQ/GNA11 Mosaicism Causes Aberrant Calcium Signaling Susceptible to Targeted Therapeutics

Mosaic variants in genes GNAQ or GNA11 lead to a spectrum of vascular and pigmentary diseases including Sturge-Weber syndrome, in which progressive postnatal neurological deterioration led us to seek biologically targeted therapeutics. Using two cellular models, we find that disease-causing GNAQ/11 variants hyperactivate constitutive and G-protein coupled receptor ligand–induced intracellular calcium signaling in endothelial cells. We go on to show that the aberrant ligand-activated intracellular calcium signal is fueled by extracellular calcium influx through calcium-release-activated channels. Treatment with targeted small interfering RNAs designed to silence the variant allele preferentially corrects both the constitutive and ligand-activated calcium signaling, whereas treatment with a calcium-release-activated channel inhibitor rescues the ligand-activated signal. This work identifies hyperactivated calcium signaling as the primary biological abnormality in GNAQ/11 mosaicism and paves the way for clinical trials with genetic or small molecule therapies

Validation of walking trails for the Urban Training of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Purpose Accessible interventions to train patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are needed. We designed urban trails of different intensities (low, moderate and high) in different types of public spaces (boulevard, beach and park). We aimed to validate the trails' design by assessing the physiological response to unsupervised walking trails of: (1) different intensities in COPD patients, and (2) same intensity from different public spaces in healthy adults. Methods On different days and under standardized conditions, 10 COPD patients walked the three intensity trails designed in a boulevard space, and 10 healthy subjects walked the three intensity trails in three different spaces. We measured physiological response and energy expenditure using a gas analyzer. We compared outcomes across trails intensity and/or spaces using mixed-effects linear regression. Results In COPD patients, physiological response and energy expenditure increased significantly according to the trails intensity: mean (SD) peak O2 15.9 (3.5), 17.4 (4.7), and 17.7 (4.4) mL/min/kg (p-trend = 0.02), and MET-min 60 (23), 64 (26), 72 (31) (p-trend<0.01) in low, moderate and high intensity trails, respectively. In healthy subjects there were no differences in physiological response to walking trails of the same intensity across different spaces. Conclusions We validated the trails design for the training of COPD patients by showing that the physiological response to and energy expenditure on unsupervised walking these trails increased according to the predefined trails' intensity and did not change across trails of the same intensity in different public space. Walkable public spaces allow the design of trails that could be used for the training of COPD patients in the community

A Novel Integrative Methodology for Research on Pot-honey Variations During Post-harvest

This novel review of analytical methods for pot-honey research was intended to provide concise references to a 35-day post-harvest experiments at 30 °C, in an integrated study. Diverse methods were selected from specialized literature, from the AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists), and the International Honey Commission. Besides the geographical and seasonal origin, the pot-honey I.D. consists of entomological and botanical identifications, the latter performed by acetolyzed or natural melissopalynology. The methods of this integrative study included: 1. Physicochemical analysis (Aw, color, moisture, pH, free acidity, lactone acidity, total acidity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and sugars by highperformance liquid chromatography HPLC), 2. Targeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H-NMR metabolomics (sugars, ethanol, HMF, aliphatic organic acids, amino acids, and botanical markers), 3. Biochemical composition (flavonoids, polyphenols), 4. Antioxidant activity (ABTS 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid-free radical scavenging assay, DPPH 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay, ferric reduction assay FRAP), 5. Microbial counts (aerobic plate, yeast and mold, Bacillus, and lactic acid bacteria count), 6. Honey microbiome profiling via independent-culture method: high-throughput bacteria and fungi based on amplicon sequencing approaches, 7. Sensory evaluation (odor, aroma, taste, persistence), and 8. Honey authenticity and biosurfactant tests by an interphase emulsion. A further section was included to provide basic information on the results obtained using each method. This was needed to explain the interacting components derived from pot-honey processing within the stingless bee nest and post-harvest transformations

Evaluation of integrated care services in Catalonia: population-based and service-based real-life deployment protocols

Background: Comprehensive assessment of integrated care deployment constitutes a major challenge to ensure quality, sustainability and transferability of both healthcare policies and services in the transition toward a coordinated service delivery scenario. To this end, the manuscript articulates four different protocols aiming at assessing large-scale implementation of integrated care, which are being developed within the umbrella of the regional project Nextcare (2016–2019), undertaken to foster innovation in technologically-supported services for chronic multimorbid patients in Catalonia (ES) (7.5 M inhabitants). Whereas one of the assessment protocols is designed to evaluate population-based deployment of care coordination at regional level during the period 2011–2017, the other three are service-based protocols addressing: i) Home hospitalization; ii) Prehabilitation for major surgery; and, iii) Community-based interventions for frail elderly chronic patients. All three services have demonstrated efficacy and potential for health value generation. They reflect different implementation maturity levels. While full coverage of the entire urban health district of Barcelona-Esquerra (520 k inhabitants) is the main aim of home hospitalization, demonstration of sustainability at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona constitutes the core goal of the prehabilitation service. Likewise, full coverage of integrated care services addressed to frail chronic patients is aimed at the city of Badalona (216 k inhabitants). Methods: The population-based analysis, as well as the three service-based protocols, follow observational and experimental study designs using a non-randomized intervention group (integrated care) compared with a control group (usual care) with a propensity score matching method. Evaluation of cost-effectiveness of the interventions using a Quadruple aim approach is a central outcome in all protocols. Moreover, multi-criteria decision analysis is explored as an innovative method for health delivery assessment. The following additional dimensions will also be addressed: i) Determinants of sustainability and scalability of the services; ii) Assessment of the technological support; iii) Enhanced health risk assessment; and, iv) Factors modulating service transferability. Discussion: The current study offers a unique opportunity to undertake a comprehensive assessment of integrated care fostering deployment of services at regional level. The study outcomes will contribute refining service workflows, improving health risk assessment and generating recommendations for service selection.publishedVersio

One hundred and twelve infected arthroplasties treated with ‘DAIR’ (debridement, antibiotics and implant retention): antibiotic duration and outcome

OBJECTIVES: We describe treatment failure rates by antibiotic duration for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) managed with debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR). METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from all the cases of PJI that were managed with DAIR over a 5 year period. Surgical debridement, microbiological sampling, early intravenous antibiotics and prolonged oral follow-on antibiotics were used. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve cases of PJI were identified. Twenty infections (18%) recurred during a mean follow-up of 2.3 years. The mean duration of antibiotic use was 1.5 years. Failure was more common after arthroscopic debridement, for previously revised joints and for Staphylococcus aureus infection. There were 12 failures after stopping antibiotics and 8 while on antibiotics [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-12.8, P = 0.01]. However, during the first 3 months of follow-up, there were eight failures after stopping antibiotics and two while on antibiotics (HR = 7.0, 95% CI 1.5-33, P = 0.015). The duration of antibiotic therapy prior to stopping did not predict outcome. CONCLUSIONS: PJI may be managed by DAIR. The risk of failure with this strategy rises after stopping oral antibiotics, but lengthening antibiotic therapy may simply postpone, rather than prevent, failure