Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas in von hippel–lindau disease: Not a needle in a haystack

Objective: Pheochromocytomas are a hallmark feature of von Hippel–Lindau disease (vHL). To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review with meta-analysis evaluating the frequency of pheochromocytomas and/or paragangliomas (PPGLs) in patients with vHL, as well as among patients with different vHL subtypes. Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods: We searched on MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included primary studies assessing participants with vHL and reporting on the frequency of PPGL. We performed random-effects meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the frequency of PPGL, followed by meta-regression and subgroup analysis. Risk of bias analysis was performed to assess primary studies’ methodological quality. Results: We included 80 primary studies. In 4263 patients with vHL, the pooled frequency of PPGL was 19.4% (95% CI = 15.9–23.6%, I2 = 86.1%). The frequency increased to 60.0% in patients with vHL type 2 (95% CI = 53.4–66.3%, I2 = 54.6%) and was determined to be of 58.2% in patients with vHL type 2A (95% CI = 49.7–66.3%, I2 = 36.2%), compared to 49.8% in vHL type 2B (95% CI = 39.9–59.7%, I2 = 42.7%), and 84.1% in vHL type 2C (95% CI = 75.1–93.1%, I2 = 0%). In meta-regression analysis, more recent studies were associated with a higher frequency of PPGL. All studies had at least one internal validity item classified as 'high risk of bias,' with 13% studies having low risk of bias in all external validity items. Conclusions: PPGLs are a common manifestation of vHL. Despite methodological limitations and differences across primary studies, our results point to the importance of PPGL screening in patients with vHL

RECENSÕES

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In vitro evaluation of the interaction between exogenous carbohydrases produced by solid-state fermentation of brewers’ spent grain and digestive enzymes

[Excerpt] Introduction The presence of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in most plant feedstuffs (PF) has been associated with adverse effects on carnivorous fish nutrient digestibility and, ultimately, on growth and health. The lack of enzymatic machinery and well-developed microbiota in the digestive tract of carnivorous fish for processing NSP are possible causes for such effects. A promising nutritional strategy to improve nutrient digestibility of plant-based diets is the use of exogenous enzymes (e.g. carbohydrases, proteases) as feed additives. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is an eco-friendly and cost-effective biotechnology process that allows converting inexpensive agro-industrial by-products into added-value products such as carbohydrases. As a low-cost and lignocellulosic by-product of the brewing industry, brewery spent grain (BSG) is an attractive substrate for microbial enzyme production by SSF. The present study was designed to assess the potential of a carbohydrase enzyme extract obtained by SSF to release total amino acids (AA) and monosaccharides (pentoses) from plant-based diets in an in vitro gastrointestinal model with enzyme extracts of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).[...]Supported by POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030377 and MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP-0111. HF and CC supported by grants SFRH/BD/131219/2017; SFRH/BPD/114942/2016, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Production of enzymatic extracts for aquafeeds by solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus ibericus of winery and olive mill wastes

[Excerpt] Introduction The replacement of fishmeal by plant ingredients in aquafeeds imposed new formulation strategies to overcome some nutritional restrictions associated with these alternative ingredients. Thus, supplementation of plant-based diets with feed additives, as exogenous enzymes and antioxidants compounds, has recently attracted increasing interest to improve feed utilization and to promote animal health. Solid state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial wastes has a high potential for the production of these additives, being a practical, economical, and environmentally-friendly process. Olive mill and winery wastes have valuable compounds that may be valorized thought SSF and that may be used as additives for aquafeeds. This study was conducted to optimize the production of non-starch carbohydrases through the SSF of the olive mill and winery wastes and to test its efficacy to improve the release of pentoses during digestion of a plant-based diet in European seabass.[...]Work supported by FCT PhD grant SFRH/BD/131219/2017, SFRH/BDP/114942/2016, IJFCT-POCI 01-0145-FEDER-030377 and MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP-0111info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Novel fish feed supplements: giving value to agroindustrial wastes

Sustainable aquaculture requires the reduction of fish meal use in diets, by replacing it with ecofriendly ingredients, as that vegetal feedstuff not desirable for human consumption. However, these pose challenges due to the presence of antinutritional factors. The supplementation with some supplements, like exoenzymes and antioxidants, has shown potential to reduce their nutritional drawbacks. The solid-state fermentation (SSF) of agro-industrial wastes may be used to obtain such compounds. The goal of this work was to test the applicability of an SSF-extract, obtained through the SSF of an optimized mixture of three agro-industrial wastes with Aspergilus ibericus (30% EGM, 36% VTS, 34% EOP), determined previously with a simplex-centroid mixture design. The activity of this extract was measured to be xylanase: 1866.9 U/g (lyophilized extract); cellulose: 1563.6 U/g; β-glucosidase: 736.455 U/g, and total antioxidants: 439.4 μmol Trolox equivalents/g lyophilized extract; total phenols: 28.1 mg caffeic acid equivalents/g lyophilized extract. The efficiency of this extract as a feed additive in plant-based diets evaluated by an in vitro digestibility trial, analyzing its efficiency to improve the release of pentoses and antioxidants during digestion. The extract was used to supplement diets for Dicentrarchus labrax, with increasing levels of extract: 0, 4 and 8 U cellulase/g diet. Dietary supplementation with the extract led to the increase of pentose release, during alkaline digestion. The effect of the supplementation with the SSF extract on the release of antioxidants and phenols compounds are being evaluated and will be presented.Project SPO3 (ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030377; FEDER-Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and FCT); project InovFeed (ref. MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP0111; Programa Operacional Mar2020); BioTecNorte (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004; ERDF under the scope of Norte2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing antimicrobial potential of agroindustrial byproducts' extracts produced through solid state fermentation in marine fish

[Excerpt] Sustainability is definitely the 21st century word. The future global food provision is dependent on fish and on sustainable expansion of aquaculture production. For that, alternative nutritional strategies for aquaculture disease management are required, reducing the use of synthetic drugs. Agroindustrial byproducts(brewery, winery and olive oil industry) constitute a circular and ecofriendly potential source of add-value bioactive compounds. Solid state fermentation(SSF) is a biotechnological low cost process that may be applied to these byproducts to effectively increase bioavailability of their bioactive compounds and so their antimicrobial potential against fish pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial properties of agroindustry(beer, wine and oil processing industries) byproducts' extracts produced through SSF with Aspergillus ibericus. [...]SPO3(ref.POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030377;FCT) & InovFeed(ref. MAR-02.01.01-FEAMP0111;Mar2020)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Randomized Double-Blind Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Orlistat Versus Placebo in Obese Patients with Mild to Moderate Hypercholesterolemia

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a chronic disease and a serious health problem that leads to increased prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and gallbladder disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of orlistat for weight loss and improved lipid profile compared to placebo in obese patients with hypercholesterolemia, treated over a period of 6 months. METHODOLOGY: In a 6-month, multicenter (10 centers in Portugal), double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study, 166 patients, aged 18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) > or = 27 kg/m2, LDL cholesterol > 155 mg/dl, were randomized to a reduced calorie diet (600 kcal/day deficit) plus orlistat three times a day or placebo. Exclusion criteria included triglycerides > 400 mg/dl, severe cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, type 1 or 2 diabetes under pharmacological treatment, and gastrointestinal or pancreatic disease. RESULTS: The mean difference in weight from baseline was 5.9% (5.6 kg) in the orlistat group vs. 2.3% (2.2 kg) in the placebo group. In the orlistat group 49% of patients achieved 5-10% weight loss and 8.8% achieved > 10%. The orlistat group showed a significant reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, with similar changes for HDL in both treatment groups. The frequency of gastrointestinal adverse events was slightly higher in the orlistat group than in the placebo group, leading to discontinuation in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: Treatment with orlistat plus a reduced calorie diet for 6 months achieved significant reductions in weight, BMI and lipid parameters

Economic History and History of Economics: Complementary Approaches to Portuguese Economic Development

This chapter focuses on how the problems of economic development were addressed by the Portuguese historiography of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The ensuing discussion benefits from the simultaneous consideration of two historiographical domains that complement each other: economic history and the history of economics. On the one hand, there are the authors and texts of economic history that seek to describe the facts and circumstances related to the functioning and dynamics of economic reality, for a given period or succession of periods, in order to establish evolutionary trends. On the other hand, there are the authors and texts of the history of economics that seek to adopt analytical forms (principles and laws) and doctrinal and programmatic frameworks (visions and ideologies) aimed at providing explanatory meaning to the observed economic changes, phenomena and regularities. A true understanding of the important issues pertaining to Portuguese economic development is to be found, however, in the intersection of these distinct but complementary historiographical perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio