Blue Cheeses: Microbiology and Its Role in the Sensory Characteristics

[EN] Blue cheeses are those whose matrix is veined with a blue, blue-grey, or blue-green colour due to the development of Penicillium roqueforti. There are more than 45 varieties of blue cheese produced worldwide, with some distinct features, although the manufacture process is similar. In addition to P. roqueforti, complex microbial populations interact and succeed throughout the manufacturing and ripening at the cheese’s surface (the rind) and interior (matrix). The microbiota of blue cheeses is made up of a vast array of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Acidification of the curd relies on the action of lactococci and other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species. The ripened cheeses’ final quality and shelf-life properties largely depend on the enzymatic systems of the components of the microbiota, particularly on those of LAB, P. roqueforti, and yeast species. Proteolysis is the most complex and important primary biochemical process involved in blue-veined cheeses during ripening, with P. roqueforti being considered the main proteolytic agent. Lipolysis is also strong, originating, among other compounds, ketones, which are the main aroma compounds in blue-veined cheeses. In addition, several bioactive compounds are produced during ripening. The biochemical activities, mainly of microbial origin, are responsible for the sensory characteristics of these very appreciated cheese varieties worldwideSIResearch in this area has been supported by projects from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-110549RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and Asturias Principality (AYUD/2021/50916; AYUD/2021/57336

Synthesis of Pyrrolidine-Fused 1,3-Dithiolane Oligomers by the Cycloaddition of Polycyclic Dithiolethiones to Maleimides and Evaluation as Mercury(II) Indicators

The scandium triflate-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction of polycyclic 1,2-dithiolethiones to maleimides is described. The reaction constitutes an easy approach to linear as well as branched oligomeric cis-fused dihydro[1,3]dithiolo[4,5-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione rings interconnected by 3,5-diylidenethiomorpholine-2,6-dithione or ylidene-6-thioxo[1,2]dithiolo[3,4-b][1,4]thiazin-3-one groups. The presence of highly colored, highly polarized push−pull α,β- unsaturated thione groups in their structures make these compounds sensitive to the presence of mercury(II) cation in organic or mixed organic/aqueous solvents.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (Project CTQ2012- 31611), Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura y Fondo Social Europeo (Project BU246A12-1), and the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (Project SNIFFER FP7-SEC-2012-312411)

Sistemas de apoyo clínico en Atención primaria: uso de e-learning e ilustraciones médicas en la toma de decisiones compartidas

Comunicación oral presentada en la Segunda Conferencia Internacional de Comunicación en Salud, celebrada el 23 de octubre de 2015 en la Universidad Carlos III de MadridIntroducción: La digitalización de la historia clínica supone un nuevo paradigma en la consulta de atención primaria permitiendo la continuidad asistencial y una gran accesibilidad a la información. Incorporar la participación del paciente aumenta su confianza y satisfacción hacia el profesional disminuyendo la iatrogenia y el coste sanitario. Esta visita personalizada requiere más tiempo, pero el aprendizaje electrónico mutuo (e-learning) aumenta la precisión diagnóstica y terapéutica, minimizando errores y efectos secundarios. Objetivos: evaluar el uso del e-learning e ilustraciones médicas en la toma de decisiones compartidas en el Centro de Atención Primaria Raval Sud de Barcelona; valorar la efectividad en la utilización de imágenes y gráficos para empoderar a la población atendida para comprender y participar en la toma de decisiones referentes a su salud; conocer la satisfacción y preferencias de uso del paciente y del profesional. Metodología: Diseño: Estudio cualitativo fenomenológico. Ámbito de estudio: Centro de Atención Primaria Raval Sud de Barcelona (zona urbana socialmente deprimida, 60% población inmigrada). Población de estudio: Pacientes atendidos por cualquier motivo (muestreo por bola de nieve) que accedan a participar en nuestro estudio. Técnicas de recogida de información: Observaciones y entrevistas individuales semiestructuradas. Durante la visita se observa la comunicación médico-paciente mediante la utilización del soporte visual electrónico, posteriormente se entrevista al paciente y al profesional para conocer su opinión. Análisis: Las observaciones y entrevistas son grabadas (grabadora de sonido) con posterior transcripción literal del texto y marcaje de citas, códigos y categorías. Análisis de contenido temático y categorización a posteriori. Resultados: Tras una prueba piloto se observa mayor facilitación y comprensión tras la visita, el paciente se muestra satisfecho y prefiere el uso del e-learning e ilustraciones médicas a la visita tradicional

A primary healthcare information intervention for communicating cardiovascular risk to patients with poorly controlled hypertension: The Education and Coronary Risk Evaluation (Educore) study-A pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial

PURPOSE: Uncertainty exists regarding the best way to communicate cardiovascular risk (CVR) to patients, and it is unclear whether the comprehension and perception of CVR varies according to the format used. The aim of the present work was to determine whether a strategy designed for communicating CVR information to patients with poorly controlled high blood pressure (HBP), but with no background of cardiovascular disease, was more effective than usual care in the control of blood pressure (BP) over the course of a year. METHODS: A pragmatic, two-arm, cluster-randomized controlled trial was performed. Consecutive patients aged 40-65 years, all diagnosed with HBP in the last 12 months, and all of whom showed poor control of their condition (systolic BP ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg), were recruited at 22 primary healthcare centres. Eleven centres were randomly assigned to the usual care arm, and 11 to the informative intervention arm (Educore arm). At the start of the study, the Educore arm subjects were shown the "low risk SCORE table", along with impacting images and information pamphlets encouraging the maintenance of good cardiovascular health. The main outcome variable measured was the control of HBP; the secondary outcome variables were SCORE table score, total plasma cholesterol concentration, use of tobacco, adherence to prescribed treatment, and quality of life. RESULTS: The study participants were 411 patients (185 in the Educore arm and 226 in the usual care arm). Multilevel logistic regression showed that, at 12 months, the Educore intervention achieved better control of HBP (OR = 1.57; 1.02 to 2.41). No statistically significant differences were seen between the two arms at 12 months with respect to the secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to usual care, the Educore intervention was associated with better control of HBP after adjusting for age, baseline SBP and plasma cholesterol, at 12 months.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation via the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subprograma de Proyectos de Investigación en Evaluación de Tecnologías Sanitarias y Servicios de Salud (PI 09/90354), and the Fundación de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica en Atención Primaria (FIIBAP). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscriptS

Programa de captación de estudiantes de Bachillerato del distrito universitario de Salamanca (3ª Edición). Facultad de Filosofía – Universidad de Salamanca

Memoria ID-0267. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2014-2015

Universidad y sociedad: comunicación e integración en empresas e instituciones públicas y organizaciones no lucrativas. Nuevos avances

Depto. de Teorías y Análisis de la ComunicaciónFac. de Ciencias de la InformaciónFALSEsubmitte

Genomic Characterization of Host Factors Related to SARS-CoV-2 Infection in People with Dementia and Control Populations: The GR@ACE/DEGESCO Study

Emerging studies have suggested several chromosomal regions as potential host genetic factors involved in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease outcome. We nested a COVID-19 genome-wide association study using the GR@ACE/DEGESCO study, searching for susceptibility factors associated with COVID-19 disease. To this end, we compared 221 COVID-19 confirmed cases with 17,035 individuals in whom the COVID-19 disease status was unknown. Then, we performed a meta-analysis with the publicly available data from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Because the APOE locus has been suggested as a potential modifier of COVID-19 disease, we added sensitivity analyses stratifying by dementia status or by disease severity. We confirmed the existence of the 3p21.31 region (LZTFL1, SLC6A20) implicated in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and TYK2 gene might be involved in COVID-19 severity. Nevertheless, no statistically significant association was observed in the COVID-19 fatal outcome or in the stratified analyses (dementia-only and non-dementia strata) for the APOE locus not supporting its involvement in SARS-CoV-2 pathobiology or COVID-19 prognosis

Effectiveness of a strategy that uses educational games to implement clinical practice guidelines among Spanish residents of family and community medicine (e-EDUCAGUIA project):A clinical trial by clusters

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias FIS Grant Number PI11/0477 ISCIII.-REDISSEC Proyecto RD12/0001/0012 AND FEDER Funding.Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed with the aim of helping health professionals, patients, and caregivers make decisions about their health care, using the best available evidence. In many cases, incorporation of these recommendations into clinical practice also implies a need for changes in routine clinical practice. Using educational games as a strategy for implementing recommendations among health professionals has been demonstrated to be effective in some studies; however, evidence is still scarce. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a teaching strategy for the implementation of CPGs using educational games (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) to improve knowledge and skills related to clinical decision-making by residents in family medicine. The primary objective will be evaluated at 1 and 6months after the intervention. The secondary objectives are to identify barriers and facilitators for the use of guidelines by residents of family medicine and to describe the educational strategies used by Spanish teaching units of family and community medicine to encourage implementation of CPGs. Methods/design: We propose a multicenter clinical trial with randomized allocation by clusters of family and community medicine teaching units in Spain. The sample size will be 394 residents (197 in each group), with the teaching units as the randomization unit and the residents comprising the analysis unit. For the intervention, both groups will receive an initial 1-h session on clinical practice guideline use and the usual dissemination strategy by e-mail. The intervention group (e-learning EDUCAGUIA) strategy will consist of educational games with hypothetical clinical scenarios in a virtual environment. The primary outcome will be the score obtained by the residents on evaluation questionnaires for each clinical practice guideline. Other included variables will be the sociodemographic and training variables of the residents and the teaching unit characteristics. The statistical analysis will consist of a descriptive analysis of variables and a baseline comparison of both groups. For the primary outcome analysis, an average score comparison of hypothetical scenario questionnaires between the EDUCAGUIA intervention group and the control group will be performed at 1 and 6months post-intervention, using 95% confidence intervals. A linear multilevel regression will be used to adjust the model. Discussion: The identification of effective teaching strategies will facilitate the incorporation of available knowledge into clinical practice that could eventually improve patient outcomes. The inclusion of information technologies as teaching tools permits greater learning autonomy and allows deeper instructor participation in the monitoring and supervision of residents. The long-term impact of this strategy is unknown; however, because it is aimed at professionals undergoing training and it addresses prevalent health problems, a small effect can be of great relevance. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02210442.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Diverse Large HIV-1 Non-subtype B Clusters Are Spreading Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Spain

In Western Europe, the HIV-1 epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) is dominated by subtype B. However, recently, other genetic forms have been reported to circulate in this population, as evidenced by their grouping in clusters predominantly comprising European individuals. Here we describe four large HIV-1 non-subtype B clusters spreading among MSM in Spain. Samples were collected in 9 regions. A pol fragment was amplified from plasma RNA or blood-extracted DNA. Phylogenetic analyses were performed via maximum likelihood, including database sequences of the same genetic forms as the identified clusters. Times and locations of the most recent common ancestors (MRCA) of clusters were estimated with a Bayesian method. Five large non-subtype B clusters associated with MSM were identified. The largest one, of F1 subtype, was reported previously. The other four were of CRF02_AG (CRF02_1; n = 115) and subtypes A1 (A1_1; n = 66), F1 (F1_3; n = 36), and C (C_7; n = 17). Most individuals belonging to them had been diagnosed of HIV-1 infection in the last 10 years. Each cluster comprised viruses from 3 to 8 Spanish regions and also comprised or was related to viruses from other countries: CRF02_1 comprised a Japanese subcluster and viruses from 8 other countries from Western Europe, Asia, and South America; A1_1 comprised viruses from Portugal, United Kingom, and United States, and was related to the A1 strain circulating in Greece, Albania and Cyprus; F1_3 was related to viruses from Romania; and C_7 comprised viruses from Portugal and was related to a virus from Mozambique. A subcluster within CRF02_1 was associated with heterosexual transmission. Near full-length genomes of each cluster were of uniform genetic form. Times of MRCAs of CRF02_1, A1_1, F1_3, and C_7 were estimated around 1986, 1989, 2013, and 1983, respectively. MRCA locations for CRF02_1 and A1_1 were uncertain (however initial expansions in Spain in Madrid and Vigo, respectively, were estimated) and were most probable in Bilbao, Spain, for F1_3 and Portugal for C_7. These results show that the HIV-1 epidemic among MSM in Spain is becoming increasingly diverse through the expansion of diverse non-subtype B clusters, comprising or related to viruses circulating in other countries

Structural Conformers of (1,3-Dithiol-2-ylidene)ethanethioamides: The Balance Between Thioamide Rotation and Preservation of Classical Sulfur-Sulfur Hypervalent Bonds

The reaction of N-(2-phthalimidoethyl)-N-alkylisopropylamines and S2Cl2 gave 4-N-(2-phthalimidoethyl)-N-alkylamino-5-chloro-1,2-dithiol-3-thiones that quantitatively cycloadded to dimethyl or diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to give stable thioacid chlorides, which in turn reacted with one equivalent of aniline or a thiole to give thioanilides or a dithioester. Several compounds of this series showed atropisomers that were studied by a combination of dynamic NMR, simulation of the signals, conformational analysis by DFT methods, and single crystal X-ray diffraction, showing a good correlation between the theoretical calculations, the experimental values of energies, and the preferred conformations in the solid state. The steric hindering of the crowded substitution at the central amine group was found to be the reason for the presence of permanent atropisomers in this series of compounds and the cause of a unique disposition of the thioxo group at close-to-right angles with respect to the plane defined by the 1,3-dithiole ring in the dithiafulvene derivatives, thus breaking the sulfur–sulfur hypervalent bond that is always found in this kind of compounds.Ministerio de Economıá y Competitividad, Spain (Project CTQ2012- 31611), Junta de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura y Fondo Social Europeo (Project BU246A12-1), and the European Commission, Seventh Framework Programme (Project SNIFFER FP7-SEC-2012-312411