How Is Functional Food Advertising Understood? An Approximation in University Students

In functional food advertising, messages are not always easily understandable for the target audience. Current European legislation, enforced through Regulation 1924/2006, specifies that such messages should be clear and precise so as not to mislead the consumer. The objective of this study was to observe consumers’ understanding of messages in functional food advertisements. The methodology used was a self-administered survey filled out by 191 students enrolled in a Degree in Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alicante (Spain). The results suggest that a large number of students do not know what functional food is and obtain information about these products mainly from labelling/packaging. The major means of communication through which they learn about health benefits via advertising is the internet, followed by television. Most respondents indicated that they understood related advertisements and found it helpful to be given additional information on health benefits. Worthy of note, the greater their level of understanding of the messages, the higher their level of distrust of advertising messages, which they considered to be deceptive or misleading.This research was conducted under the R&D&i project “Reclamos de salud en la publicidad de alimentos y comprensión del consumidor” (“Health claims in food advertising and consumer understanding”-GV/2016/088), funded by the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain and directed by Cristina González Díaz

Reporte de un brote de infección por SARS-CoV-2 por transmisión aérea: evidencia epidemiológica y molecular

Introduction: It has been shown that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs mainly by air, and the risk of infection is greater in closed spaces. Objective: Describe the epidemiology, virology and molecular characterization of a COVID-19 outbreak at a closed vaccination point during the third wave of SARS-CoV-2 in Colombia. Materials and methods: Diagnostic tests, interviews, sampling, cell cultures and viral sequencing were carried out, the latter being molecular characterization and lineage identification. Results: Seven workers were positive for SARS-CoV-2; among these, 3 samples were analyzed, plus an additional sample belonging to the mother of the presumed index case; all samples were identified with lineage B.1.625, with a maximum of 2 nucleotides difference between them. Conclusions: Variant B.1.625 was identified as the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak, and a co-worker was also identified as the index case. Unexpectedly, attending a vaccination day became a risk factor for acquiring the infection.Introducción. Se ha demostrado que la transmisión de SARS-CoV-2 se da principalmente por vía aérea y el riesgo de infección es mayor en espacios cerrados con alta concentración de personas; este último factor se presentó en algunos de los puestos de vacunación de la ciudad de Medellín. Objetivo. Describir la epidemiología, virología y caracterización molecular de un brote de COVID-19 en un punto de vacunación cerrado durante la tercera ola de SARS-CoV-2 en Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se realizaron test diagnósticos, entrevistas, toma de muestras, aislamiento viral y secuenciación genómica. Con esta última se realizó caracterización molecular e identificación de linaje. Resultados. Siete trabajadores fueron positivos para SARS-CoV-2, y de estos, tres muestras fueron secuenciadas, más una muestra adicional perteneciente a la madre del presunto caso índice. Todas las muestras fueron identificadas con el linaje B.1.625, con un máximo de 2 nucleótidos de diferencia entre ellas. Conclusiones. Se identificó la variante B.1.625 como la causante del brote de COVID-19, y también un compañero de trabajo fue identificado como el caso índice. De forma imprevista, asistir a una jornada de vacunación se convirtió en un factor de riesgo para adquirir la infección

Utilización de agar Mueller Hinton en micología. Parte I

Con el fin de probar la utilidad del Agar Mueller Hinton en micología médica, para futuros ensayos con drogas antifúngicas, se compara el desarrollo de Dermatofitos (M. canis, M. gypseum, T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes y E. floccosum) y especies de Candida en este medio y en ASG 20% - 40%, YMA y DST. Se comprueba que el Agar Mueller Hinton es tan eficaz como el ASG para el crecimiento de estos hongos en los plazos recomendados para estudios de sensibilidad

Analysis of microbial populations in Rusitec fermenters fed diets of variable composition

Trabajo presentado al : Joint Annual Meeting. ADSA-ASAS. Orlando Florida (USA), julio, 2015. T485Fermenters are widely used to study ruminal fermentation, but infonnation on microbial populations developing in fermenters over the incubation period is limited. Four Rusitec fermenters were fed 2 diets representative of those administered to dairy sheep (DAI; 50:50 alfalfa hay:concentrate) and fattening lambs (FAT; 15:85 barley straw:concentrate) in a crossover design with 2 14-d incubation periods to assess the evolution of the microbial populations. There were 4 fermenters per diet. The fermenters received daily 30 g of diet DM and samples from liquid (LIQ) and solid (SOL) digesta were taken on d 3, 8 and 14, and stored frozen at-80ªC until DNA extraction. Concentrations ofbacterial and protozoal DNA and relative abundance offungi and methanogenic archaea to total bacteria! DNA concentration were detennined by real time PCR using previously validated primers and DNA from bacteria and protozoa isolated from sheep rumen as standards. Data were analyzed as a mixed model with repeated measnres using the PROC MlXED of SAS. The model included diet, incubation nm, time, and diet x tin1e as fixed effects, and fermenter as a random effect. Diet x sampling time interactions (P > 0.05) were detected for bacteria! and protozoal DNA concentrations in both digesta phases. The bacteria! DNA concentrations in SOL did not change (P = 0.002) over the incubation period, whereas concentrations in LIQ increased (P < 0.001) by 1.5 and 1.8 times for DAI and FAT diets by the end ofthe incubation, respectively. Protozoal DNA concentrations on d 14 were 37.8 and 8.0 times lower (P < 0.001; means across diets) than those on d 3 for SOL and LIQ phases, respectively. Relative abundance offungi decreased (P < 0.05) with time in both phases, and that ofmethanogenic archaea remain unchanged in LIQ and increased (P = 0.021) in SOL. Concentration of bacteria! and protozoal DNA and the relative abundance of methanogenic archaea were greater in the fermenters fed the DAI diet (P < 0.05) compared with FAT diet. The results show that microbial populations in Rusitec fermenters are affected by the incubated diet and change over the incubation periodPeer reviewe

NOTAS MICOLOGICAS VI. Pleurophomopsis lignicola Y Cladophialophora bantiana DOS NUEVOS AGENTES DE MICOSIS OPORTUNISTAS EN CHILE

Se comentan los aspectos ecológicos, morfológicos y taxonómicos de 2 interesantes agentes etiológicos de micosis oportunistas no descritos en el país. El primero, un paciente de sexo masculino de 50 años, con lupuseritematoso diseminado y multiples infecciones bacterianas, donde desde un absceso cutáneo del dedo indice se aisló repetidamente Pleurophomopsis lignicola. El segundo, un paciente de sexo masculino 68 años, agricultor conabscesos cerebrales múltiples donde se aisló el agente fúngico neurotrópico Cladophialophora bantiana

NOTAS MICOLOGICAS VI. Pleurophomopsis lignicola Y Cladophialophora bantiana DOS NUEVOS AGENTES DE MICOSIS OPORTUNISTAS EN CHILE

Se comentan los aspectos ecológicos, morfológicos y taxonómicos de 2 interesantes agentes etiológicos de micosis oportunistas no descritos en el país. El primero, un paciente de sexo masculino de 50 años, con lupuseritematoso diseminado y multiples infecciones bacterianas, donde desde un absceso cutáneo del dedo indice se aisló repetidamente Pleurophomopsis lignicola. El segundo, un paciente de sexo masculino 68 años, agricultor conabscesos cerebrales múltiples donde se aisló el agente fúngico neurotrópico Cladophialophora bantiana

The Experience With Health Care of Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Cross-sectional Survey Using the Instrument to Evaluate the Experience of Patients With Chronic Diseases

[Abstract] Background: Patients' experience with health care is becoming a key component for the provision of a patient-centered health care model. The aim of this study was to assess the experience with health care of patients with inflammatory arthritis and patient- and health care-related factors. Methods: Patients responded to an anonymous survey provided by their treating clinical teams. The survey comprised the validated 12-item IEXPAC (Instrument to Evaluate the EXperience of PAtients with Chronic diseases) tool and demographic variables and health care-related characteristics that may affect patients' experience. Results: A total of 359 of 625 surveys were returned (response rate, 57.4%). Overall, patient responses were positive (>60% gave "always/mostly" answers) for statements assessing the interaction between patients and health care professionals or patient self-management following health care professional guidance. However, positive patient responses for items regarding patient interaction with the health care system via the internet or with other patients were less than 13%. Only 25.6% of patients who had been hospitalized reported receiving a follow-up call or visit following discharge. In the bivariate analysis, experience scores were higher (better experience) in men, those seen by fewer specialists or by the same physician, and in patients treated with a fewer number of drugs or with subcutaneous/intravenous drugs. Multivariate analyses identified regular follow-up by the same physician and treatment with subcutaneous/intravenous drugs as variables associated with a better patient experience. Conclusions: This study identifies areas of care for patients with inflammatory arthritis with the potential to improve patients' experience and highlights the importance of patient-physician relationships and comprehensive patient care

Predictive modeling of therapeutic response to chondroitin sulfate/glucosamine hydrochloride in knee osteoarthritis

[Abstract] Background: In the present study, we explored potential protein biomarkers useful to predict the therapeutic response of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients treated with pharmaceutical grade Chondroitin sulfate/Glucosamine hydrochloride (CS+GH; Droglican, Bioiberica), in order to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Methods: A shotgun proteomic analysis by iTRAQ labelling and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed using sera from 40 patients enrolled in the Multicentre Osteoarthritis interVEntion trial with Sysadoa (MOVES). The panel of proteins potentially useful to predict KOA patient’s response was clinically validated in the whole MOVES cohort at baseline (n = 506) using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays kits. Logistic regression models and receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curves were used to analyze the contribution of these proteins to our prediction models of symptomatic drug response in KOA. Results: In the discovery phase of the study, a panel of six putative predictive biomarkers of response to CS+GH (APOA2, APOA4, APOH, ITIH1, C4BPa and ORM2) were identified by shotgun proteomics. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD012444. In the verification phase, the panel was verified in a larger set of KOA patients (n = 262). Finally, ITIH1 and ORM2 were qualified by a blind test in the whole MOVES cohort at baseline. The combination of these biomarkers with clinical variables predict the patients’ response to CS+GH with a specificity of 79.5% and a sensitivity of 77.1%. Conclusions: Combining clinical and analytical parameters, we identified one biomarker that could accurately predict KOA patients’ response to CS+GH treatment. Its use would allow an increase in response rates and safety for the patients suffering KOA.Insituto de Salud Carlos III; PI14/01707Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI16/02124Insituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/00404Instituto de Salud Carlos III; DTS17/00200Instituto de Salud Carlos III; CIBER-CB06/01/0040Insituto de Salud Carlos III; RETIC-RIER-RD16/0012/000

A new pharmacogenetic algorithm to predict the most appropriate dosage of acenocoumarol for stable anticoagulation in a mixed Spanish population

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.There is a strong association between genetic polymorphisms and the acenocoumarol dosage requirements. Genotyping the polymorphisms involved in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of acenocoumarol before starting anticoagulant therapy would result in a better quality of life and a more efficient use of healthcare resources. The objective of this study is to develop a new algorithm that includes clinical and genetic variables to predict the most appropriate acenocoumarol dosage for stable anticoagulation in a wide range of patients. We recruited 685 patients from 2 Spanish hospitals and 1 primary healthcare center. We randomly chose 80% of the patients (n = 556), considering an equitable distribution of genotypes to form the generation cohort. The remaining 20% (n = 129) formed the validation cohort. Multiple linear regression was used to generate the algorithm using the acenocoumarol stable dosage as the dependent variable and the clinical and genotypic variables as the independent variables. The variables included in the algorithm were age, weight, amiodarone use, enzyme inducer status, international normalized ratio target range and the presence of CYP2C9∗2 (rs1799853), CYP2C9∗3 (rs1057910), VKORC1 (rs9923231) and CYP4F2 (rs2108622). The coefficient of determination (R2) explained by the algorithm was 52.8% in the generation cohort and 64% in the validation cohort. The following R2 values were evaluated by pathology: atrial fibrillation, 57.4%; valve replacement, 56.3%; and venous thromboembolic disease, 51.5%. When the patients were classified into 3 dosage groups according to the stable dosage (&lt;11 mg/week, 11-21 mg/week, &gt;21 mg/week), the percentage of correctly classified patients was higher in the intermediate group, whereas differences between pharmacogenetic and clinical algorithms increased in the extreme dosage groups. Our algorithm could improve acenocoumarol dosage selection for patients who will begin treatment with this drug, especially in extreme-dosage patients. The predictability of the pharmacogenetic algorithm did not vary significantly between diseases.This study was funded by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, PI07/0710) and the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health (Progress and Health Foundation, PI-0717-2013