Clonal integration effects in the coastal systems invasions by Carpobrotus edulis: a field experiment

[Resumo]: As especies invasoras son das principais causas da perda de biodiversidade a escala global. Moitas das especies de plantas invasoras máis agresivas do mundo son clonais. Neste experimento estudouse a importancia dos atributos asociados ao crecemento clonal, en particular, a capacidade de integración fisiolóxica na expansión da especie invasora Carpobrotus edulis colonizando dous hábitats diferentes: duna costeira e costa rochosa. Os nosos resultados demostran a importancia da integración clonal para a expansión desta especie en termos de biomasa total e de expansión en lonxitude dos fragmentos clonais. Este beneficio da integración clonal foi independente do hábitat invadido; tanto en duna costeira coma en costa rochosa a integración fisiolóxica incrementou a capacidad de crecemento e colonización de C. edulis. O estudo dos mecanismos que subxacen nos procesos de invasións biolóxicas son fundamentais para entendelas e para propoñer medidas de erradicación e control das mesmas.[Resumen]: Las especies invasoras son de las causas principales de pérdida de biodiversidad a escala global. Muchas de las especies de plantas invasoras más agresivas son clonales. En este experimento se estudió la importancia de los atributos asociados al crecimiento clonal, en particular, la capacidad de integración fisiológica en la expansión de la especie invasora Carpobrotus edulis colonizando dos hábitats distintos: duna costera y costa rocosa. Nuestros resultados demuestran la importancia de la integración clonal para la expansión de esta especie en términos de biomasa total y de expansión en longitud de los fragmentos clonales. Este beneficio de la integración clonal fue independiente del hábitat invadido; tanto en duna costera como en costa rocosa la integración fisiológica incrementó la capacidad de crecimiento y colonización de C. edulis. El estudio de los mecanismos que subyacen en los procesos de invasión biológicas son fundamentales para entenderlas y para proponer medidas de erradicación y control de las mismas.[Abstract]: Invasive species are one of the main causes for biodiversity loss at a global scale. Many of the most aggressive invasive plant species are clonal. In this experiment we study the importance of the attributes associated with clonal growth, in particular, we aim to determine the importance of physiological integration in the expansion of the invasive species Carpobrotus edulis colonizing two different habitats: coastal dune and rocky coast. Our results demonstrate the contribution of clonal integration for the expansion of this species in terms of total biomass and growth in length of the clonal fragments. This benefit of clonal integration was not dependent of the invaded habitat; thus, both in coastal dune and the rocky coast, physiological integration increased the growth and colonization capacity of C. edulis. The study of the mechanisms underlying the processes of biological invasion are key to understand them and to design eradication and control programs.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.CIE). Bioloxía. Curso 2017/201

Postpartum Depression in Fathers: A Systematic Review

[EN] Background/Objectives: Postpartum depression is usually defined as a major depressive episode that occurs shortly after childbirth. This condition is most commonly found in females; however, paternal postpartum depression has begun to attract more research attention. This study aims to identify different instruments for measuring this mental health problem and to detect risk factors as well as the main sources of resilience in paternal postpartum depression. Methods: A literature review was conducted following the PRISMA method. Results: After analyzing 10 articles, it was determined that the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale is the most widely used instrument for the diagnosis of postpartum depression in the female population, and after several studies, it has already been validated for the male sex. After several studies were analyzed to highlight the main risk factors for paternal postpartum depression, it was established that the most influential factor is male gender role stress. These findings highlight the traditional role of fathers today. Most health professionals see the mother as the priority. Conclusions: Paternal depression is a major problem for mothers and fathers today, as well as for the newborn. As time goes on, there is a growing need to incorporate fathers into current and future mental health programs to be able to provide the necessary support.S

Una emulsión lipídica basada exclusivamente en aceite de pescado revierte la colestasis

Prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN) leads to liver damage. Recent interest has focused on the lipid component of PN. A lipid emulsion based on w-3 fatty acids decrease conjugated bilirubin. A mixed lipid emulsion derived from soybean, coconut, olive, and fish oils reverses jaundice. Here we report the reversal of cholestasis and the improvement of enteral feeding tolerance in 1 infant with intestinal failure-associated liver disease. Treatment involved the substitution of a mixed lipid emulsion with one containing primarily omega-3 fatty acids during 37 days. Growth and biochemical tests of liver function improved significantly. This suggests that fat emulsions made from fish oils may be more effective means of treating this condition compared with an intravenous lipid emulsion containing soybean oil, medium -chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oilLa nutrición parenteral prolongada produce daño hepático. Recientemente se ha comunicado el efecto de las emulsiones lipídicas intravenosas basadas exclusivamente en ácidos grasos omega-3 en la resolución de la colestasis. Lo mismo se ha observado con el uso de emulsiones lipídicas mixta derivadas del aceite de soja, coco, oliva y pescado. Comunicamos la desaparición de colestasis y mejoría de la tolerancia enteral en un niño con enfermedad hepática asociada a nutrición parenteral. El tratamiento consistió en sustituir una emulsión lipídica mixta por otra que contenía de forma exclusiva aceite de pescado durante 37 días. El crecimiento y los datos bioquímicos de función hepática mejoraron de forma significativa. Este caso sugiere que emulsiones lipídicas intravenosas a partir de aceite de pescado pueden ser mas eficaces para tratar la colestasis si se comparan con emulsiones mixta

Kinetic evidence for interaction of TMPyP4 with two different G-quadruplex conformations of human telomeric DNA

Background: Stabilization of G-quadruplex helices by small ligands has attracted growing attention because they inhibit the activity of the enzyme telomerase, which is overexpressed in> 80% cancer cells. TMPyP4, one of the most studied G-quadruplex ligands, is used as a model to show that the ligands can exhibit different binding features with different conformations of a human telomeric specific sequence. Methods: UV–Vis, FRET melting Assay, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, Time-resolved Fluorescence lifetime, T-Jump and Molecular Dynamics. Results: TMPyP4 yields two different complexes with two Tel22 telomeric conformations in the presence of Na+ or K+. T-Jump kinetic experiments show that the rates of formation and dissociation of these complexes in the ms time scale differ by one order of magnitude. MD simulations reveal that, in K+ buffer, “hybrid 1” conformation yields kinetic constants on interaction with TMPyP4 one order lower than “hybrid 2”. The binding involves π–π stacking with external loop bases. Conclusions: For the first time we show that for a particular buffer TMPyP4 interacts in a kinetically different way with the two Tel22 conformations even if the complexes formed are thermodynamically indistinguishable. General significance: G-quadruplexes, endowed with technological applications and potential impact on regulation mechanisms, define a new research field. The possibility of building different conformations from same sequence is a complex issue that confers G-quadruplexes very interesting features. The obtaining of reliable kinetic data constitutes an efficient tool to determine reaction mechanisms between conformations and small molecules.“la Caixa” Foundation (project OSLC-2012-007), MINECO, (CTQ2014- 58812-C2-2-R) and Junta de Castilla y León, (BU042U16), FEDER Funds Spai

Nutritional composition assessment of 3000 individualized parenteral nutrition bags in a tertiary referral hospital: Current prescribing patterns

Individualized parenteral nutrition is the most specialized type of nutritional support in the hospital setting. The composition and prescribing patterns for parenteral nutrition have evolved due to new emerging scientific evidence. In the last few years, there has been a tendency to increase the nitrogen and lipid content and decrease the carbohydrate content. To assess the prescribing pattern in a tertiary referral hospital in Spain, the nutritional composition of individualized parenteral nutrition was evaluated retrospectively from January to December of 2016. A total of 3029 parenteral nutrition units were analysed, corresponding to 257 hospitalized adult patients. Medical specialists in General Surgery and Haematology were the most common petitioners. The three most frequently prescribed parenteral nutrition formulae contained 13.4 (28.8%), 15.7 (19.54%) and 17.9 (17.79%) g of nitrogen. The quantity of carbohydrates and lipids showed a mean non-protein calories-to-nitrogen ratio of approximately 78:1 and a carbohydrate-to-lipid ratio that was near 50:50 in most cases. These results suggest a trend towards the administration of parenteral nutrition with a high content of nitrogen and smaller proportion of the non-protein components

Exclusive fish oil lipid emulsion rescue strategy improves cholestasis in neonates on partially fish oil-based lipid emulsion: a pilot study

Resolution of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease has been identified in infants receiving SMOFlipid™ or a 100% fish oil lipid emulsion (FOLE). However, the effect of FOLE is unknown when the previous emulsion received is a mixed lipid emulsion containing fish oil. This observational pilot study reports data regarding the use of Omegaven™ after the diagnosis of cholestasis while receiving SMOFlipid™. We conducted a retrospective review of medical charts of neonates in which a partially fish oil-based lipid emulsion was replaced by a fish oil lipid emulsion at 1 g/kg/day due to cholestasis. Thirty-eight infants (92.1% preterm, being 44.7% born below 28 weeks’ gestation), received FOLE. Birth weight was 1390 (743.0; 2298) grams. The age that cholestasis diagnosed was 15.0 (10.0; 24.8) days. The fish oil emulsion was administered for 38.5 (11.2; 51.8) days. In 73.7% (28/38) of the neonates, the cholestasis was resolved. In 34.2% (13/38), resolution happened before FOLE discontinuation. In addition, in the rest of the neonates (15) in whom cholestasis resolved, resolution occurred after FOLE discontinuation. Nine of the neonates died. In conclusion, the use of a 100% fish oil-based emulsion in neonates afflicted with cholestasis developed while on a partially fish oil-based emulsion is associated with a bilirubin decreas

Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women during the First Trimester in Northern Spain: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

[EN] Background: Achieving the optimal quality of life is currently a health challenge for the world’s population. Pregnancy is a stressful period of life that affects women’s quality of life. Aims: This study aimed to describe and analyse the health-related quality of life in pregnant women during their first trimester in a health area in the north of Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. A total of 359 women completed the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Results: The sample consisted of 57.9% primiparous women, 30% had experienced a previous abortion, and 7.2% were foreign women. The mean age was 33.53 years. The sum of the physical and mental component values was below 50 points. Notably, 4.17% of women reported a worsening of their health in the last year, and 28.69% had an increased depression risk. Conclusion: Being a foreigner, prenatal abortion, previous caesarean section, previous children, or assisted reproduction techniques are the variables that have a negative association with some dimensions of quality of life in pregnant women.S

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Hydroxytyrosol Affect the Development and Neurotransmitter Profile of the Hippocampus in a Pig Model

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) refers to poor growth of a fetus during pregnancy due to deficient maternal nutrition or oxygen supply. Supplementation of a mother's diet with antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol (HTX), has been proposed to ameliorate the adverse phenotypes of IUGR. In the present study, sows were treated daily with or without 1.5 mg of HTX per kilogram of feed from day 35 of pregnancy (at 30% of the total gestational period), and fetuses were sampled at day 100 of gestation. Fetuses were classified as normal body weight (NBW) or low body weight (LBW) as a consequence of IUGR, constituting four groups: NBW-Control, NBW-HTX, LBW-Control, and LBW-HTX. The brain was removed, and the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex were rapidly dissected. Neuronal markers were studied by immunohistochemistry, and a decrease in the number of mature neurons in the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis subfield 1 (CA1) and the Dentate Gyrus (DG) regions was observed in LBW fetuses together with a higher number of immature neurons and other alterations in neuronal morphology. Furthermore, IUGR conditions altered the neurotransmitter (NT) profile, since an increase in the serotonin (5-HT) pathway was observed in LBW fetuses. Supplementation with HTX was able to reverse the morphological and neurochemical changes, leading both characteristics to values similar to those of NBW fetuses

Complete process of implantation of a nutritional risk screening system in the University Hospital La Paz, Madrid

La malnutrición asociada a la enfermedad (MAE) está presente en un porcentaje muy elevado de los pacientes que ingresan en los hospitales y su repercusión es diversa y de mucha trascendencia. Objetivo: Desde la Unidad de Nutrición del Hospital Universitario la Paz, en colaboración con todos los miembros de la Comisión de Nutrición, nos planteamos implantar algún método de cribado en nuestro centro, que permitiese abarcar al mayor número posible de pacientes. Resultados: Debido al gran tamaño de nuestro centro, con cerca de 1500 camas, unido a una escasez de recursos humanos en nuestra unidad, optamos por utilizar el sistema de cribado CONUT (Control Nutricional) 100% automático y basado en parámetros analíticos, muy fácil de manejar, de bajo coste y cuya validez está confirmada, adaptándolo a nuestras necesidades. El método recoge información de las bases de datos del servicio de Admisión (filiación, edad, fecha) y del Laboratorio (albúmina, colesterol, linfocitos totales) y genera, en el informe de resultados de los análisis clínicos, la información sobre la alerta de riesgo nutricional de cada paciente, así como las recomendaciones nutricionales a seguir en función del riesgo detectado en cada caso. Para llegar su implantación se llevaron a cabo diferentes evaluaciones que nos permitieron conocer previamente la carga extra de trabajo que podría generar su implantación y nuestra capacidad para asumirlas, así como numerosas actividades formativas encaminadas a que los médicos y profesionales sanitarios del hospital asumieran cada vez más responsabilidades en el proceso del tratamiento nutricional de sus pacientes. Este sistema de cribado funciona desde Junio del año 2010 y detecta riesgo de desnutrición en el 32% de los pacientes evaluados. En general, sólo en los casos en los que la alerta corresponde a una situación de Alto riesgo nutricional, hecho que se da aproximadamente en el 10% del total, se requirió la intervención especializada por parte de la Unidad de Nutrición Clínica y Dietética. Posteriormente, conforme hemos ido detectando posibles causas que justificaran que el sistema no funcionase adecuadamente, el sistema de cribado ha sido objeto de diversas modificaciones. En este sentido, se ha realizado una evaluación retrospectiva en 233 pacientes ingresados en las plantas de Cirugía General y se ha documentado que aquellos que ingresan para cirugía programada y presentan una alarma alta o moderada de desnutrición (el 50% de los casos), la presencia de la misma aumenta significativamente los días de ingreso y la mortalidad. Conclusiones: La implantación del cribado nutricional ha favorecido un cambio en la cultura de nuestro centro con respecto a la malnutrición asociada a la enfermedad y la mayoría de nuestros profesionales, tanto médicos como enfermeras e incluso el equipo directivo, comprenden la importancia del proceso y saben que disponemos de herramientas y de conocimiento suficiente para indicar un soporte nutricional adecuado y precozDisease-Related Malnutrition (DRM) is present in a high percentage of patients admitted to hospital and their impact is diverse and of great importance. Objectives: Nutrition Department of University Hospital La Paz, in collaboration with all members of the Nutrition Committee, we decided to implement some method of screening in our centre which allowed us to detect as many patients with malnutrition risk as possible. Results: Due to the large size of our centre, with about 1,500 beds and the few human resources in our unit, we chose to use the CONUT system (Nutritional Control), a 100% automatic method based on analytical parameters, very easy to use, low cost and whose validity is confirmed, characteristics that fulfilled our needs. The method collects information from databases of Admission Service (affiliation, age, date) and Laboratory (albumin, cholesterol, total lymphocytes) and generates, in the report of analytical results, “alert” information about each patient’s nutritional risk and also nutritional recommendations based on the risk identified. Prior to its implantation several evaluations were performed in order to allow us to better know the extra workload, as it was the main factor that could limit our ability to assume that screening method and also many training activities for doctors and hospital health professionals who were increasingly assuming responsibilities in the nutritional treatment of their patients. This screening system has been working from june of 2010 and it has detected risk of malnutrition in 32% of the evaluated patients. In general, only in those cases where the alert corresponded to a high-risk nutritional situation, which represents approximately 10% of the total, specialized intervention by the Clinical Nutrition Unit was required. Later, as we have detected some possible causes that justify the system does not work properly; the screening system has undergone several changes . In this sense, we have made a retrospective evaluation of 233 patients admitted to the General Surgery plants and documented that those entering for scheduled surgery, having a alarm of malnutrition (50% of cases), its presence increases significantly the hospital stay and mortality. Conclusions: The implementation of this nutritional screening method has led to a change in the ìnutritionalî culture of our centre respect to DRM in most of our professionals: doctors and nurses and even in the management team, so all of them understand the importance of the process and know about the available tools and knowledge to indicate an adequate and early nutritional suppor

β-Alanine Supplementation in Combat Sports: Evaluation of Sports Performance, Perception, and Anthropometric Parameters and Biochemical Markers—A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

[EN] β-alanine does not have an ergogenic effect by itself, but it does as a precursor for the synthesis of carnosine in human skeletal muscle. β-alanine and carnosine together help improve the muscles’ functionality, especially in high-intensity exercises such as combat sports. Therefore, β-alanine could be considered a nutritional ergogenic aid to improve sports performance in combat athletes. We aimed to critically review clinical trial evidence on the impact of β-alanine supplementation on sports performance, perception, and anthropometric parameters, as well as circulating biochemical markers in combat athletes. This systematic review was conducted following the specific methodological guidelines of the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), the PICOS question model, the Critical Review Form of McMaster, and the PEDro scale. Furthermore, the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was used. The search was carried out in the SCOPUS, Web of Science (WOS), and Medline (PubMed) databases for studies published from the beginning of the database until July 31, 2023. Of the 41 registers identified, only 7 met the established criteria and were included in this systematic review. Overall, performance parameters related to strength, power, total exercise work capacity, and combat-specific parameters were significantly improved (p 0.05). Regarding biochemical parameters, carnosine increased significantly (p 0.05), and the results for blood bicarbonate and blood lactate were heterogeneous. Finally, there was a non-significant (p > 0.05) improvement in the anthropometric parameters of lean mass and fat mass. β-alanine supplementation appears to be safe and could be a suitable nutritional ergogenic aid for combat athletes.S