The synergy factor: a statistic to measure interactions in complex diseases

Background. One challenge in understanding complex diseases lies in revealing the interactions between susceptibility factors, such as genetic polymorphisms and environmental exposures. There is thus a need to examine such interactions explicitly. A corollary is the need for an accessible method of measuring both the size and the significance of interactions, which can be used by non-statisticians and with summarised, e.g. published data. The lack of such a readily available method has contributed to confusion in the field. Findings. The synergy factor (SF) allows assessment of binary interactions in case-control studies. In this paper we describe its properties and its novel characteristics, e.g. in calculating the power to detect a synergistic effect and in its application to meta-analyses. We illustrate these functions with real examples in Alzheimer's disease, e.g. a meta-analysis of the potential interaction between a BACE1 polymorphism and APOE4: SF = 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.5-4.2; p = 0.0001. Conclusion. Synergy factors are easy to use and clear to interpret. Calculations may be performed through the Excel programmes provided within this article. Unlike logistic regression analysis, the method can be applied to datasets of any size, however small. It can be applied to primary or summarised data, e.g. published data. It can be used with any type of susceptibility factor, provided the data are dichotomised. Novel features include power estimation and meta-analysis. © 2009 Combarros et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Antimicrobial activity of quality brands Spanish honeys

80-90% of patients with head and neck cancer who receives radiation and/or chemotherapy have oral mucositis. Oral mucositis is a complex process involving oxidative damage of oral mucosal, inflammation, mucosal colonization by pathogenic microorganisms and direct damage to DNA. The development of oral mucositis led to the interruption of the treatments, periods of hospitalization, dysphagia with malnutrition in patients and increased healthcare costs in treatments which have isolated mechanisms of action and are not fully satisfactory. As honey has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and healing properties, it can be used effectively in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis by acting simultaneously on different pathophysiological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of honeys from different floral sources and to evaluate the possible differences that may happen in such capacity between similar honeys of different years of production. We selected six types of Spanish honey from quality brands avocado honey (Persea sp.) and chestnut honey (Castanea sp.) from DOP Miel de Granada; lavender honey (Lavandula sp.) and rosemary honey (Rosmarinus officinalis) from DOP Miel de La Alcarria; blackberry honey (Rubus sp.) and eucalyptus honey (Eucalyptus sp) from PGI Miel de Galicia and two organic honey, thyme honey (Thymus sp.) and heather honey (Erica sp.), collected during two consecutive harvests (2010 and 2011). We studied antimicrobial activity against microorganisms isolated from oropharyngeal mucosa of patients who suffer oral mucositis, Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and yeasts (Candida albicans and Candida glabrata). These assays gave us accurate information about what would be expected from the application of honey in those patients. Antimicrobial test were carried out according to Silva et al. (2012) using Nutrient Broth or Brain Heart Infusion to bacterias or Yeasts Peptone Dextrose to yeasts on microplates (96 wells). Honey was diluted in water and transferred into the first well. Serial dilutions were performed. 20 μl of a solution of 1% TTC was used for detect antimicrobial activity Candida albicans and Candida glabrata showed higher resistance and their growth was not inhibited at the honey concentrations used. Further studies using higher concentrations of honey are required. Among bacteria all the tested honeys were able to inhibit their growth but showed different antimicrobial activity depending on the microorganism tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 3.9 to 250 mg/ml. Generally gram-negative bacteria were less resistant, something that can be explained by the variability that exists in the resistance in bacterial strains within a specie. Differences were also observed in the antimicrobial activity of similar honeys from different years of production. Being a natural product, honey’s composition is in a constant state of change, depending on factors such as climatology which affect plant species available

Novel mutation of SACS gene in a Spanish family with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by early-onset, spastic ataxia and peripheral neuropathy. It was originally described in an inbred population of Quebec and later in some other countries. We report a new missense SACS mutation (7848C>T) in a Spanish family whose phenotype is similar to that of the previously described ARSACS patients. 7848C>T is the first SACS mutation reported in Spain confirming worldwide distribution of the disease. (c) 2005 Movement Disorder Society

Actividad antimicrobiana de mieles españolas acogidas a marcas de calidad

El objetivo del estudio fue valorar la capacidad antimicrobiana frente a diferentes cepas de referencia (Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Candida albicans), de mieles de diferentes orígenes florales y geográficos y valorar las posibles diferencias en dicha capacidad entre mieles similares de diferentes cosechas. Se seleccionaron seis mieles españolas acogidas a marcas de calidad, así como dos mieles ecológicas recogidas durante dos cosechas consecutivas. Los tests antimicrobianos fueron llevados a cabo en microplacas de 96 pocillos utilizando caldo nutritivo o medio BHI para las bacterias y medio YPD para la levadura. El inóculo fue añadido a todas los pocillos y las microplacas fueron incubadas a 37ºC durante 24 horas en el caso de las bacterias y a 25ºC durante 48 horas en el caso de las levaduras. La actividad antimicrobiana fue detectada adicionando 20 Al de una solución de TTC (cloruro de 2,3,5- trifeniltetrazoilo) al 1%. La concentración mínima inhibitoria (CMI) fue definida como la concentración de miel más baja capaz de inhibir el crecimiento microbiano. Según los resultados observados podemos concluir que las mieles estudiadas presentan principalmente actividad antibacteriana a unas CMI en torno al 20%

La brecha de género en cuidados y su protección social = The gender gap in care and its social protection

En la sociedad actual, existen carencias respecto al cuidado de familiares o personas dependientes o simplemente personas ancianas que no pueden defenderse por sí mismas. Estas carencias se solventan mediante la contratación de empleados de hogar, que por lo general son mujeres. Con carácter general, es un empleo que, en su marco jurídico, se ha consagrado como relación laboral, aunque con ciertas particularidades. En cuanto a su protección social se optó por un Régimen Especial de la Seguridad Social, donde existían muchas diferencias con el Régimen General y otorgando una protección inferior, lo cual resulta criticable porque no hay nada más importante que el cuidado de la vida de las personas. Actualmente, se incluyen en el Régimen General, con ciertas diferencias respecto a los trabajadores por cuenta ajena. Es un sector muy feminizado, que tiene sus raíces en la diferencia de género establecida socialmente, heredada desde hace siglos, con una elevada brecha salarial dado que en este sector las retribuciones están muy ligadas al Salario Mínimo Interprofesional, siendo muchas las mujeres que desempeñan esta ocupación, con una relación directa con el cuidado de hogar. Es decir, lo más probable es que la mujer empleada en el servicio doméstico también trabaje en su hogar, con su familia e incluso con la familia del cónyuge realizando una doble o incluso una triple jornada

Replication by the Epistasis Project of the interaction between the genes for IL-6 and IL-10 in the risk of Alzheimer's disease

Background: Chronic inflammation is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). An interaction associated with the risk of AD has been reported between polymorphisms in the regulatory regions of the genes for the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6, gene: IL6), and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10, gene: IL10). Methods: We examined this interaction in the Epistasis Project, a collaboration of 7 AD research groups, contributing DNA samples from 1,757 cases of AD and 6,295 controls. Results: We replicated the interaction. For IL6 rs2069837 AA × IL10 rs1800871 CC, the synergy factor (SF) was 1.63 (95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.41, p = 0.01), controlling for centre, age, gender and apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOEε4) genotype. Our results are consistent between North Europe (SF = 1.7, p = 0.03) and North Spain (SF = 2.0, p = 0.09). Further replication may require a meta-analysis. However, association due to linkage disequilibrium with other polymorphisms in the regulatory regions of these genes cannot be excluded. Conclusion: We suggest that dysregulation of both IL-6 and IL-10 in some elderly people, due in part to genetic variations in the two genes, contributes to the development of AD. Thus, inflammation facilitates the onset of sporadic AD

Evolución del comercio minorista tradicional hacia un mundo digital. El caso de Zara = Evolution of traditional retailing towards a digital world. The case of Zara

En líneas generales, el modelo de comercialización de tipo minorista apenas había sufrido grandes cambios a lo largo de la historia. Sin embargo, la rapidez con la que en los últimos años las nuevas tecnologías se han afincado en el panorama comercial ha causado una gran revolución. Por un lado, los pequeños negocios han sido los grandes afectados, teniendo que adaptarse a la llegada de un mercado digital en el que la elevada competencia y mayor exigencia por parte de los consumidores cobran una importancia trascendental. Por otro lado, la progresiva e ineludible inmersión empresarial en el mundo electrónico ha permitido a muchas empresas expandirse a nivel global de una forma más rápida y eficiente. Con el objetivo de ejemplificar esta evolución en un caso real, se ha llevado a cabo un análisis sobre las estrategias que ha seguido Zara. Esta marca ha logrado adaptarse con gran éxito al mercado online, convirtiéndose en un referente para todas las empresas del sector textil

Cajas de botín y divisas virtuales = Loot-boxes and virtual currency

[ES] Las cajas de botín han sido una cuestión controvertida dentro de la industria de los videojuegos desde su aparición en la etapa final de la séptima generación de consolas, entre los años 2004 y 2007. No fue hasta mediados de la octava generación de consolas (aproximadamente, entre los años 2015 y 2018) cuando se empezó a hacer un uso extensivo de esta práctica comercial por parte de varias desarrolladoras y distribuidoras. Implica la adquisición, ya sea gratuita u onerosa, por parte del usuario, de una suerte de caja o sobre en el cual se va a obtener un objeto aleatorio para su uso en ese videojuego en concreto. El factor riesgo-recompensa con el que funcionan las cajas de botín ha despertado el debate sobre si esta práctica debiera ser considerada como un juego de azar o no, además de plantear qué tipo de protección se les brinda a los menores de edad y a consumidores en general frente a este tipo de práctica comercial

Recent advances in applied microbiology: Editorial

The importance of microbiology has grown exponentially since the development of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, making it possible to clarify microbial biogeochemical processes and their interactions with macroorganisms in both health and disease. Particular attention is being payed to applied microbiology, a discipline that deals with the application of microorganisms to specific endeavors, whose economic value is expected to exceed USD 675.2 billion by 2024. In the Special Issue “Recent Advances in Applied Microbiology”, twenty-four papers were published (four reviews and twenty original research papers), covering a wide range of subjects within applied microbiology, including: microbial pathogenesis, the health-promoting properties of microorganisms and their by-products, food conservation, the production of alcoholic beverages, bioremediation and the application of microbiology to several industrial processes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio