Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: An Observational Single-Center Study of 306 Cases

Background: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia that predominantly affects postmenopausal women; (2) Methods: A retrospective, observational, single-center study was conducted in the Hospital General Universitario in Ciudad Real, Spain, including all patients diagnosed with FFA between 2010 and 2021; (3) Results: A total of 306 patients (296 women and 10 men) were included in our study. The mean age of onset was 59.5 years. The severity of this disease was evenly distributed between mild (147 patients) and severe (149 patients) forms. There was a positive, statistically significant, medium correlation between the severity of the disease and its time of progression. Moreover, hypothyroidism was present in 70 patients (22.9%) and classic signs of concomitant lichen planopilaris were observed in just 30 patients (9.8%), while other forms of lichen planus were uncommon. The estimated prevalence in our population is 0.15% and the incidence is 15.47 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants; (4) Conclusions: The time of progression was positively correlated with the severity of FFA. However, the presence of clinical signs, such as inflammatory trichoscopic signs, was not associated with the progression of this condition

Green Foot Syndrome

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Nitric oxide synthesis by nitrate reductase is regulated during development in Aspergillus

Nitric oxide (NO) is a signalling molecule involved in many biological processes in bacteria, plants and mammals. However, little is known about the role and biosynthesis of NO in fungi. Here we show that NO production is increased at the early stages of the transition from vegetative growth to development in Aspergillus nidulans. Full NO production requires a functional nitrate reductase (NR) gene (niaD) that is upregulated upon induction of conidiation, even under N-repressing conditions in the presence of ammonium. At this stage, NO homeostasis is achieved by balancing biosynthesis (NR) and catabolism (flavohaemoglobins). niaD and flavohaemoglobin fhbA are transiently upregulated upon induction of conidiation, and both regulators AreA and NirA are necessary for this transcriptional response. The second flavohaemoglobin gene fhbB shows a different expression profile being moderately expressed during the early stages of the transition phase from vegetative growth to conidiation, but it is strongly induced 24 h later. NO levels influence the balance between conidiation and sexual reproduction because artificial strong elevation of NO levels reduced conidiation and induced the formation of cleistothecia. The nitrate-independent and nitrogen metabolite repression-insensitive transcriptional upregulation of niaD during conidiation suggests a novel role for NR in linking metabolism and development.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) de España. BIO2012-34381Lower Austria Science Fund. LS12-009Austrian Science Fund (FWF). M01693-B2

Genotoxicity of Copper and Nickel Nanoparticles in Somatic Cells of Drosophila melanogaster

Copper and nickel nanoparticles (Cu-NPs and Ni-NPs, respectively) are used in a variety of industrial applications, such as semiconductors, catalysts, sensors, and antimicrobial agents. Although studies on its potential genotoxicity already exist, few of them report in vivo data. In the present study we have used the wing-spot assay in Drosophila melanogaster to determine the genotoxic activity of Cu-NPs and Ni-NPs, and these data have been compared with those obtained with their microparticle forms (MPs). Additionally, a complete physical characterization of NPs using transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) techniques was also performed. Results obtained with Cu-NPs and Cu-MPs indicate that both failed to induce an increase in the frequency of mutant spots formation in the wings of the adults, suggesting a lack of genotoxicity in somatic cells of D. melanogaster. However, when Ni-NPs and Ni-MPs were evaluated, a significant increase of small single spots and total mutant spots was observed only for Ni-NPs (P<0.05) at the highest dose assessed. Thus, the genotoxicity of Ni-NPs seem to be related to their nanoscale size, because no genotoxic effects have been reported with their microparticles and ions. This study is the first assessing the in vivo genotoxic potential of Cu-NPs and Ni-NPs in the Drosophila mode

Artificial Magnetic Bacteria: Living Magnets at Room Temperature

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Martín Marcos, M.A.; et al. Artificial Magnetic Bacteria: Living Magnets at Room Temperature. Advanced Functional Materials, 24(23): 3489-3493 (2014), which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201303754 . This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."Biogenic magnetite is a fascinating example of how nature can generate functional magnetic nanostructures. Inspired by the magnetic bacteria, an attempt is made to mimic their magnetic properties, rather than their structures, to create living magnets at room temperature. The non-magnetic probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus fermentum and Bifidobacteria breve are used as bioplatforms to densely arrange superparamagnetic nanoparticles on their external surfaces, thus obtaining the artificial magnetic bacteria. Magnetic probiotic bacteria can be produced by using superparamagnetic maghemite nanoparticles assembled at their surfaces. They present a collective ferromagnetic phase at room temperature. The blocking temperature of these maghemite nanoparticles increases more than 100 K when assembled at the artificial magnetic bacteria.This work was funded by Biosearch S. A. (POSTBIO project-Agency for Innovation and Development of Andalucia IDEA) and by MINECO and FEDER (project CTQ2012–32236)

Persistent Facial Oedema and Erythema in a Woman, An Uncommon Manifestation of Chronic Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

Manifestations of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus are variable. Periorbital and facial swelling occurs in dermatomyositis and systemic lupus, but it has been rarely reported as a manifestation of exclusively cutaneous lupus. A 48-year-old woman presented with a 16-year history of asymptomatic, bilateral swelling and erythema of her face with marked worsening after sun exposure. No systemic symptoms were associated. A complete evaluation did not reveal other findings. Cutaneous biopsy showed features of lupus erythematosus. She was treated with photoprotection, topical tacrolimus, hydroxychloroquine and azathioprine with a partial response. Facial swelling with erythema represents quite an unusual manifestation of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Dermatomyositis, systemic lupus and Morbihan disease are the main differential diagnoses

Peritoneal total protein transport assessed from peritoneal equilibration tests using different dialysate glucose concentrations

Randomized controlled trial[Abstract] Background: The peritoneal equilibration test (PET) permits assessment of peritoneal protein transport, but this potential marker of outcome in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients lacks adequate standardization. ♢ Objectives: To assess various approaches for estimation of peritoneal protein transport in PD patients during 2.27% and 3.86% glucose-based PETs, and to uncover the demographic, clinical, and biochemical correlates of this phenomenon. ♢ Patients and methods: We studied 90 PD patients who underwent 2.27% and 3.86% PETs in random order, and we used multivariate analysis to compare assessments of peritoneal protein transport in both tests, searching for correlations between D₂₄₀' - D₀' protein concentration (PETΔPConc), total peritoneal protein excretion (PET-PPE), or total protein clearance (PET-PC) on the one hand (the main study variables), and PET-derived markers of peritoneal function and selected demographic, clinical, and biochemical variables on the other. ♢ Results: The PETΔPConc was higher during the 2.27% PET (mean: 45.2 mg/dL vs 37.0 mg/dL for the 3.86% test; p = 0.003); the PET-PPE and PET-PC were comparable (1121.8 mg vs 1168.9 mg, p = 0.52, and 17.1 mL vs 17.8 mL, p = 0.66, respectively). All three variables sustained a significant, yet moderate correlation (all r² values < 0.30) with the 24-hour PPE rate. Multivariate analysis identified dialysate-to-plasma ratio (D/P₂₄₀') of creatinine, end-to-initial dialysate ratio (D₂₄₀'/D₀') of glucose, current daily peritoneal glucose load, ultrafiltration during PET, systolic blood pressure, and previous cardiovascular events (3.86% test only) as independent predictors of protein transport during PET. ♢ Conclusions: Either PET-PPE or PET-PC seems preferable to PETΔPConc for characterization of peritoneal protein transport. Small-solute transport characteristics, ultrafiltration, and current peritoneal glucose load sustain independent correlations with peritoneal protein transport. The latter variable shows also a moderate association with markers of cardiovascular disease in PD patients

The pattern of Comorbidities and Associated Risk Factors among Colorectal Cancer Patients in Spain: CoMCoR study

AbstractColorectal cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Spain. Cancer treatment and outcomes can be influenced by tumor characteristics, patient general health status and comorbidities. Numerous studies have analyzed the influence of comorbidity on cancer outcomes, but limited information is available regarding the frequency and distribution of comorbidities in colorectal cancer patients, particularly elderly ones, in the Spanish population. We developed a population-based high-resolution cohort study of all incident colorectal cancer cases diagnosed in Spain in 2011 to describe the frequency and distribution of comorbidities, as well as tumor and healthcare factors. We then characterized risk factors associated with the most prevalent comorbidities, as well as dementia and multimorbidity, and developed an interactive web application to visualize our findings. The most common comorbidities were diabetes (23.6%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.2%), and congestive heart failure (14.5%). Dementia was the most common comorbidity among patients aged ≥75 years. Patients with dementia had a 30% higher prevalence of being diagnosed at stage IV and the highest prevalence of emergency hospital admission after colorectal cancer diagnosis (33%). Colorectal cancer patients with dementia were nearly three times more likely to not be offered surgical treatment. Age ≥75 years, obesity, male sex, being a current smoker, having surgery more than 60 days after cancer diagnosis, and not being offered surgical treatment were associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity. Patients with multimorbidity aged ≥75 years showed a higher prevalence of hospital emergency admission followed by surgery the same day of the admission (37%). We found a consistent pattern in the distribution and frequency of comorbidities and multimorbidity among colorectal cancer patients. The high frequency of stage IV diagnosis among patients with dementia and the high proportion of older patients not being offered surgical treatment are significant findings that require policy actions.</jats:p

Comprehensive educational model based on Challenge-Based Learning for the improvement of competency performance

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". This phrase, attributed to Albert Einstein, contains a message that sums up what is happening in education systems. Fortunately, an increasing number of "madmen" are choosing to do something different to "innovate" in the teaching-learning process. This paper shows the influence of innovating in four key aspects that influence learning: instruction, methodology, space and time, if we want to improve competence performance and start to make the objectives of the Bologna Declaration a reality, through experiences carried out in the School of Industrial Engineering (EII) of the University of Extremadura

Multimorbidity by Patient and Tumor Factors and Time-to-Surgery Among Colorectal Cancer Patients in Spain: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer treatment and outcomes can be influenced by tumor characteristics, patient overall health status, and comorbidities. While previous studies have analyzed the influence of comorbidity on cancer outcomes, limited information is available regarding factors associated with the increased prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity among patients with colorectal cancer in Spain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study obtained data from all colorectal cancer cases diagnosed in two Spanish provinces in 2011 from two population-based cancer registries and electronic health records. We calculated the prevalence of comorbidities according to patient and tumor factors, identified factors associated with an increased prevalence of comorbidity and multimorbidity, analyzed the association between comorbidities and time-to-surgery, and developed an interactive web application (https://comcor.netlify.com/). RESULTS: The most common comorbidities were diabetes (23.6%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.2%), and congestive heart failure (14.5%). Among all comorbidities, 52% of patients were diagnosed at more advanced stages (stage III/IV). Patients with advanced age, restricted performance status or who were disabled, obese, and smokers had a higher prevalence of multimorbidity. Patients with multimorbidity had a longer time-to-surgery than those without comorbidity (17 days, 95% confidence interval: 3-29 days). CONCLUSION: We identified a consistent pattern of factors associated with a higher prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity at diagnosis and an increased time-to-surgery among patients with colorectal cancer with multimorbidity in Spain. This pattern may provide insights for further etiological and preventive research and help to identify patients at a higher risk for poorer cancer outcomes and suboptimal treatment