Plant proteinaceous inhibitors of proteinases and alpha-amylases

Plant proteins which are inhibitory towards various types of enzymes from a wide range of organisms have been extensively studied for many years. Proteinas e inhibitors have received particular attention and accordingly a number of reviews concerning their structure, activity, evolution, possible physiological roles and nutritional properties have appeared regularly in the literature (Ryan, 1973, 1981, 1984; Laskowski and Kato, 1980; Richardson, 1981; Boisen, 1983). Recent technical advances in molecular biology have accelerated the output of information about these inhibitors to the extent that entirely new types have been uncovered and previously unsuspected relationships have been established. These developments justify the present review that will emphasize the novel aspects, glossing over many important topics that have been adequately covered before. Among the most striking recent findings is the structural and evolutionary relationships of different ct-amylase inhibitors with different types of proteinase inhibitors, which is the reason for their joint consideration in this survey

Desarrollo de un cuestionario dirigido a conocer el proceso de consentimiento informado en investigación clínica desde la perspectiva del paciente

OBJECTIVE: To develop a Spanish-language questionnaire aimed at  evaluating patients' perception of the way they are briefed and their  consent is obtained prior to participating in clinical trials. The tool was  conceived to evaluate the following aspects: patients' personal experience,  the way the informed consent process was implemented in practice,  patients' level of satisfaction with the process, and their level of  understanding of the study itself. METHOD: This study looked into the development, adaptation and  validation of a self-administered questionnaire intended to evaluate the  informed consent process on the basis of information provided by  respondents. The steps followed included: literature review, generation of  an items pool, drawing up of the questionnaire, expert review, piloting, and reading ease optimization and analysis. A commonly-used English- language questionnaire was evaluated, translated into Spanish and  adapted so as to determine the extent to which subjects understood the  information conveyed to them. RESULTS: In its final version, the questionnaire came to comprise four sections intended to evaluate: 1) socio-demographic data; 2) practical aspects related with the development of the informed consent  process; 3) patients' perception of the process (satisfaction, expectations  and motivations); and 4) their level of understanding. Understanding was gaged using the QuIC questionnaire, translated by three bilingual  translators. Additional questions were included to evaluate the  understanding of concepts related with blinding and therapeutic  misconception. The validity of the contents was evaluated by consulting  with an expert panel. The reading ease analysis yielded an IFSZ score of  64.34, equivalent to an "average difficulty" grade on the Inflesz scale. In  the pilot study, interviews were held with 32 patients, who did not appear to have any difficulties in understanding the questions asked of  them or in using Likert-type scales to respond. Mean completion time was 16.6 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The tool developed as part of this study has shown itself capable of providing an understanding and an assessment of the  informed consent process from the perspective of a patient who is invited  to participate in a clinical trial. Implementation of the questionnaire could help investigators ascertain that the process has been correctly  executed and identify specific aspects that may require to be changed or  optimized.Objetivo: Desarrollar un cuestionario en español dirigido a evaluar el proceso de información y obtención del consentimiento informado en investigación clínica desde la perspectiva del paciente. Con esta herramienta se pretende analizar en los pacientes que participan en un ensayo clínico los siguientes aspectos: la experiencia y desarrollo práctico del proceso de consentimiento informado, su nivel de satisfacción con dicho proceso y su nivel de comprensión del estudio. Método: Estudio de desarrollo, adaptación y validación de un cuestionario autocumplimentable para evaluar el proceso de consentimiento informado a través de la información obtenida de los pacientes. Los pasos seguidos fueron: revisión bibliográfica, generación de un pool de ítems, redacción del cuestionario, revisión por expertos, pilotaje, optimización y análisis de legibilidad. También se realizó una evaluación, selección, traducción y adaptación al español de una herramienta disponible en lengua inglesa que permitiese valorar la comprensión del paciente de la información Resultados: El cuestionario quedó conformado por cuatro apartados que permiten evaluar: 1) datos sociodemográficos, 2) aspectos prácticos relacionados con el desarrollo del proceso de consentimiento informado, 3) valoración del paciente del proceso (satisfacción, expectativas y motivaciones), 4) grado de comprensión. Para valorar la comprensión se seleccionó el cuestionario Quality of Informed Consent questionnaire, que fue traducido por tres traductores bilingües. Se incluyeron tres preguntas adicionales para evaluar la comprensión de conceptos relacionados con el equívoco terapéutico y el enmascaramiento de los tratamientos. La validez de contenido fue evaluada mediante consulta con un panel de expertos. En el análisis de legibilidad se obtuvo un valor de Índice de Flesch-Szigriszt de 64,34 equivalente a un grado de dificultad “normal” en la escala Inflesz. En el estudio piloto se entrevistó a 32 pacientes que mostraron no tener dificultades para comprender las preguntas ni problemas a la hora de utilizar las escalas de respuesta. El tiempo medio de cumplimentación del cuestionario fue de 16,6 minutos. Conclusiones: La herramienta desarrollada es útil a la hora de conocer y valorar el proceso de consentimiento informado desde la perspectiva del paciente al que se le invita a participar en un estudio. Su aplicación podría resultar de ayuda a los investigadores para verificar que se ha seguido un adecuado proceso y para identificar aspectos concretos que son susceptibles de ser modificados y optimizado

Las mujeres y la historia de Europa

Este capítulo sobre las mujeres y la historia de Europa se inscribe en la corriente de Historia de las mujeres que se ha venido caracterizando por un enfoque privilegiado hacia las protagonistas femeninas del proceso histórico, pero cuya pretensión va más allá: dar identidad sexual a la historia

Public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants in two areas of Southern Spain: A longitudinal analysis

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that had been banned or restricted in many countries, including Spain. However, their ubiquity still poses environmental and human health threats. Objective: To longitudinally explore public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to a mixture of 8 POPs in a cohort of residents of two areas of Granada Province, Southern Spain. Methods: Longitudinal study in a subsample (n = 385) of GraMo adult cohort. Exposure assessment was performed by analyzing adipose tissue POP concentrations at recruitment. Average primary care (APC) and average hospital care (AHC) expenditures of each participant over 14 years were estimated using the data from their medical records. Data analyses were performed by robust MM regression, weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) and G-computation analysis. Results: In the adjusted robust MM models for APC, most POPs showed positive beta coefficients, being Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) significantly associated (beta 1.87; 95% Confidence interval (95%CI): 0.17, 3.57). The magnitude of this association increased (beta: 3.72; 95%CI: 0.80, 6.64) when the analyses were restricted to semirural residents, where p-HCH was also marginally-significantly associated to APC (beta: 3.40; 95%CI: -0.10, 6.90). WQS revealed a positive but non-significant mixture association with APC (beta: 0.14; 95%CI: -0.06, 0.34), mainly accounted for by p-HCH (54%) and HCB (43%), that was borderline-significant in the semi-rural residents (beta: 0.23; 95%CI: -0.01, 0.48). No significant results were observed in G-Computation analyses. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to POP mixtures might represent a modifiable factor increasing healthcare costs, thus affecting the efficiency of the healthcare systems. However, and owing the complexity of the potential causal pathways and the limitations of the present study, further research is warranted to fully elucidate ascertain whether interventions to reduce human exposure should be considered in healthcare policies.CIBER de Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain PI16/01858 PI18/01573 PI20/01568European CommissionRamon y Cajal Program (Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad, Spain) RYC-2016-20,155PFIS (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain) FI17/00310Universidad de Granada/CBU

Toenail zinc as a biomarker: Relationship with sources of environmental exposure and with genetic variability in MCC-Spain study

Background: Toenails are commonly used as biomarkers of exposure to zinc (Zn), but there is scarce information about their relationship with sources of exposure to Zn. Objectives: To investigate the main determinants of toenail Zn, including selected sources of environmental exposure to Zn and individual genetic variability in Zn metabolism. Methods: We determined toenail Zn by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 3,448 general popu-lation controls from the MultiCase-Control study MCC-Spain. We assessed dietary and supplement Zn intake using food frequency questionnaires, residential proximity to Zn-emitting industries and residential topsoil Zn levels through interpolation methods. We constructed a polygenic score of genetic variability based on 81 single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes involved in Zn metabolism. Geometric mean ratios of toenail Zn across categories of each determinant were estimated from multivariate linear regression models on log-transformed toenail Zn. Results: Geometric mean toenail Zn was 104.1 mu g/g in men and 100.3 mu g/g in women. Geometric mean toenail Zn levels were 7 % lower (95 % confidence interval 1-13 %) in men older than 69 years and those in the upper tertile of fibre intake, and 9 % higher (3-16 %) in smoking men. Women residing within 3 km from Zn-emitting industries had 4 % higher geometric mean toenail Zn levels (0-9 %). Dietary Zn intake and polygenic score were unrelated to toenail Zn. Overall, the available determinants only explained 9.3 % of toenail Zn variability in men and 4.8 % in women. Discussion: Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure explained little of the indi-vidual variability of toenail Zn in the study population. The available genetic variants related to Zn metabolism were not associated with toenail Zn

Epidemiology of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs consumption in Spain. The MCC-Spain study

[EN] Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used despite their risk of gastrointestinal bleeding or cardiovascular events. We report the profile of people taking NSAIDs in Spain, and we include demographic factors, health-related behaviours and cardiovascular disease history. Methods Four thousand sixtyparticipants were selected using a pseudorandom number list from Family Practice lists in 12 Spanish provinces. They completed a face-to-face computerized interview on their NSAID consumption, demographic characteristics, body mass index, alcohol and tobacco consumption and medical history. In addition, participants completed a self-administered food-frequency and alcohol consumption questionnaire. Factors associated with ever and current NSAID consumption were identified by logistic regression. Results Women consumed more non-aspirin NSAIDs (38.8% [36.7–41.0]) than men (22.3 [20.5–24.2]), but men consumed more aspirin (11.7% [10.3–13.2]) than women (5.2% [4.3–6.3]). Consumption of non-aspirin NSAIDs decrease with age from 44.2% (39.4–49.1) in younger than 45 to 21.1% (18.3–24.2) in older than 75, but the age-pattern for aspirin usage was the opposite. Aspirin was reported by about 11% patients, as being twice as used in men (11.7%) than in women (5.2%); its consumption increased with age from 1.7% (< 45 years old) to 12.4% (≥75 years old). Aspirin was strongly associated with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease, reaching odds ratios of 15.2 (7.4–31.2) in women with acute coronary syndrome, 13.3 (6.2–28.3) in women with strokes and 11.1 (7.8–15.9) in men with acute coronary syndrome. Participants with cardiovascular risk factors or diseases consumed as much non-aspirin NSAID as participants without such conditions.S

Cohort profile: the MCC-Spain follow-up on colorectal, breast and prostate cancers: study design and initial results

PURPOSE: Since 2016, the multicase-control study in Spain (MCC-Spain) has focused towards the identification of factors associated with cancer prognosis. Inception cohorts of patients with colorectal, breast and prostate cancers were assembled using the incident cases originally recruited. PARTICIPANTS: 2140 new cases of colorectal cancer, 1732 of breast cancer and 1112 of prostate cancer were initially recruited in 12 Spanish provinces; all cancers were incident and pathologically confirmed. Follow-up was obtained for 2097 (98%), 1685 (97%) and 1055 (94.9%) patients, respectively. FINDINGS TO DATE: Information gathered at recruitment included sociodemographic factors, medical history, lifestyle and environmental exposures. Biological samples were obtained, and 80% of patients were genotyped using a commercial exome array. The follow-up was performed by (1) reviewing medical records; (2) interviewing the patients by phone on quality of life; and (3) verifying vital status and cause of death in the Spanish National Death Index. Ninety-seven per cent of recruited patients were successfully followed up in 2017 or 2018; patient-years of follow-up were 30 914. Most colorectal cancers (52%) were at clinical stage II or lower at recruitment; 819 patients died in the follow-up and the 5-year survival was better for women (74.4%) than men (70.0%). 71% of breast cancers were diagnosed at stages I or II; 206 women with breast cancer died in the follow-up and the 5-year survival was 90.7%. 49% of prostate cancers were diagnosed at stage II and 32% at stage III; 119 patients with prostate cancer died in the follow-up and the 5-year survival was 93.7%. FUTURE PLANS: MCC-Spain has built three prospective cohorts on highly frequent cancers across Spain, allowing to investigate socioeconomic, clinical, lifestyle, environmental and genetic variables as putative prognosis factors determining survival of patients of the three cancers and the inter-relationship of these factors

The Relation of CUN-BAE Index with Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in Adults Aged 50 to 85 Years: The MCC-Spain Study

[EN] Backgound: Traditional anthropometrics such as body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC) do not fully capture the complex biology of body fat (BF) in the elderly. The Clinica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE) index, based on BMI, is proposed as a better indicator of BF. However, its relation with BMI is not clear. The aim was to compare the agreement between CUN-BAE, BMI, and WC in those aged ≥50 years. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 3153 Caucasian healthy adults was taken from the MCC-Spain study. The Pearson’s correlation and its 95% confidence interval (CI), adiposity distribution, and Kappa Index (95%CI) were calculated. Results: The correlation of CUN-BAE with WC is 0.18 (95%CI 0.14–0.21) and that with BMI is moderate (r 0.58; 95%CI 0.55–0.60), but both increased strongly by sex. Agreement (normal weight/overweight/obesity) of CUN-BAE with BMI is 7% and with WC is 18%. Conclusions: The correlation and the degree of agreement of CUN-BAE with BMI and WC are low in individuals aged over 50, but it is higher by sex. Thus, this different criterion of obesity may have clinical applications. More studies with a gold standard are needed to evaluate the CUN-BAE in elderly adults.S

Herramientas de Aprendizaje para el Diseño 3D de Estructuras y Procesos Químicos mediante Programas Informáticos Gratuitos/Libres

El objetivo propuesto en este proyecto de innovación docente fue el diseño, elaboración y evaluación de videos tutoriales on-line sobre el manejo de programas informáticos libres/gratuitos para el dibujo de moléculas químicas de interés farmacéutico, nomenclatura, cálculo de fórmulas y el diseño espacial de estructuras tridimensionales, que permitan que el alumno del Grado en Farmacia aprenda el manejo de programas siendo este un apoyo para la realización de su TFG y la defensa de mismo (Póster). Por otro lado, también se planteó el facilitar y animar a que los alumnos de cuarto y quinto curso del Grado en Farmacia presenten comunicaciones en el Congreso de Investigación para Estudiantes Pregraduados de Ciencias de la Salud celebrado todos los años en la UCM