Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months and factors associated with their abandonment in a Basic Health Area

Estudiamos la prevalencia de la LME a los 6 meses en nuestra Zona Básica, los factores que se asocian a su inicio y duración y el momento crítico de abandono. Estudio descriptivo transversal. Población de madres que acudieron a la revisión del niño sano. Análisis de datos univariante, descriptivo y de frecuencias; y análisis bivariante Iniciaron LME el 63%. Prevalencia a los 6 meses: 16,7%. El 73,5% la abandonaron antes de los 6 meses. El momento de mayor abandono: 4º mes. Principal motivo: hipogalactia y vuelta al trabajo. Varios factores se asocian significativamente con el inicio y la duración.We studied the prevalence of LME at 6 months in our Basic Zone, the factors that are associated with its onset and duration and the critical moment of abandonment. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Population of mothers who attended the review of the healthy child. Analysis of univariate, descriptive and frequency data; and bivariate analysis Initiated LME 63%. Prevalence at 6 months: 16.7%. 73.5% abandoned it before 6 months. The moment of greatest abandonment: 4th month. Main reason: hypogalactia and return to work. Several factors are significantly associated with onset and duration

Electrochemical Conversion of the Lignin Model Veratryl Alcohol to Veratryl Aldehyde Using Manganese(III)-Schiff Base Homogeneous Catalysts

Lignin and other colored structures need to be bleached after the Kraft process in the pulp industry. Development of environmentally-safe bleaching catalysts or electrocatalysts constitutes an attractive strategy for selective removal of lignin. Seven manganese(III)-complexes with Schiff base ligands 1–7 were synthetized and characterized by different analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The tetragonally elongated octahedral geometry for the manganese coordination sphere and the global µ-aquo dimeric structure were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies for 1, Mn2L12(H2O)2(N(CN)2)2 (N(CN)2 = dicyanamide). Complexes 1–4 behave as more efficient peroxidase mimics as compared to 5–7. Electrochemical oxidation of the lignin model veratrylalcohol (VA) to veratrylaldehyde (VAH) is efficiently catalyzed by a type of dimanganese(III) complexes in a chlorine-free medium. The electrocatalytic reaction proceeds through the oxidation of chloride into hypochlorite at alkaline pH along with the formation of hydrogen from water as a subproductThis research was funded by Xunta de Galicia (GRC GI-1584-ED431C2018/13 Suprabioin Research Group, and MetalBIO Network ED431D 2017/01)S

DNA extraction and amplification from Pinaceae dry wood

Wood constitutes the unique source of DNA in dead trees, but extraction of adequate quality DNA from dry wood is usually challenging. However, many different molecular studies require the use of such DNA. We have standardized and validated a modified CTAB protocol to isolate DNA from dry wood from Abies pinsapo and Cedrus atlantica species. Due to the degradation and very little DNA that is normally present in the wood from dead trees we have developed a PCR based test to certify the quality of the extracted samples. In the present study, we have proved too the effectiveness of this methodology to isolate DNA from conifer dry wood samples of sufficient quality to perform further molecular genetic experiments

Utilización de la herramienta de participación interactiva "Turning Point" como desarrollo de nuevas metodologías de aprendizaje en los Grados de Enfermería y Fisioterapia

Memoria ID-0068. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2017-2018

An Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Multisensor System Based on Phthalocyanine Nanostructured Films: Discrimination of Musts

Producción CientíficaAn array of electrochemical quartz crystal electrodes (EQCM) modified with nanostructured films based on phthalocyanines was developed and used to discriminate musts prepared from different varieties of grapes. Nanostructured films of iron, nickel and copper phthalocyanines were deposited on Pt/quartz crystals through the Layer by Layer technique by alternating layers of the corresponding phthalocyanine and poly-allylamine hydrochloride. Simultaneous electrochemical and mass measurements were used to study the mass changes accompanying the oxidation of electroactive species present in must samples obtained from six Spanish varieties of grapes (Juan García, Prieto Picudo, Mencía Regadío, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and Tempranillo). The mass and voltammetric outputs were processed using three-way models. Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was successfully used to discriminate the must samples according to their variety. Multi-way partial least squares (N-PLS) evidenced the correlations existing between the voltammetric data and the polyphenolic content measured by chemical methods. Similarly, N-PLS showed a correlation between mass outputs and parameters related to the sugar content. These results demonstrated that electronic tongues based on arrays of EQCM sensors can offer advantages over arrays of mass or voltammetric sensors used separately.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad – FEDER (Grant CICYT AGL2012-33535)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA-032U13)University of Valladolid (PIF-UVa

Tissue engineered in-vitro vascular patch fabrication using hybrid 3D printing and electrospinning

Three-dimensional (3D) engineered cardiovascular tissues have shown great promise to replace damaged structures. Specifically, tissue engineering vascular grafts (TEVG) have the potential to replace biological and synthetic grafts. We aimed to design an in-vitro patient-specific patch based on a hybrid 3D print combined with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) differentiation. Based on the medical images of a 2 months-old girl with aortic arch hypoplasia and using computational modelling, we evaluated the most hemodynamically efficient aortic patch surgical repair. Using the designed 3D patch geometry, the scaffold was printed using a hybrid fused deposition modelling (FDM) and electrospinning techniques. The scaffold was seeded with multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for later maturation to derived VSMC (dVSMC). The graft showed adequate resistance to physiological aortic pressure (burst pressure 101 ​± ​15 ​mmHg) and a porosity gradient ranging from 80 to 10 ​μm allowing cells to infiltrate through the entire thickness of the patch. The bio-scaffolds showed good cell viability at days 4 and 12 and adequate functional vasoactive response to endothelin-1. In summary, we have shown that our method of generating patient-specific patch shows adequate hemodynamic profile, mechanical properties, dVSMC infiltration, viability and functionality. This innovative 3D biotechnology has the potential for broad application in regenerative medicine and potentially in heart disease prevention.This research was funded by ​Instituto de Salud Carlos III ​through the projects ​PI17/01409, PT20/00069 (Plataforma ISCIII de Biobancos y Biomodelos) and ​PI20/00467 ​(Co-funded by European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund ​“A way to make Europe"/"Investing in your future”) ​and by the Foundation ​‘Menudos Corazones to help children with heart disease' and the Spanish Society of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease (SECPCC), grant number ​‘Menudos Corazones 2020’. This work was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PID2019-104084GB-C22) and ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program – ICN2021_004 and ANID – Millennium Science Initiative Program – NCN17_129, ANID FONDECYT de Iniciación en Investigación #11200481, ANID FONDECYT #1181057

Supplementation with the Symbiotic Formulation Prodefen® Increases Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase and Decreases Oxidative Stress in Superior Mesenteric Artery from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

In recent years, gut dysbiosis has been related to some peripheral vascular alterations linked to hypertension. In this work, we explore whether gut dysbiosis is related to vascular innervation dysfunction and altered nitric oxide (NO) production in the superior mesenteric artery, one of the main vascular beds involved in peripheral vascular resistance. For this purpose, we used spontaneously hypertensive rats, either treated or not with the commercial synbiotic formulation Prodefen® (108 colony forming units/day, 4 weeks). Prodefen® diminished systolic blood pressure and serum endotoxin, as well as the vasoconstriction elicited by electrical field stimulation (EFS), and enhanced acetic and butyric acid in fecal samples, and the vasodilation induced by the exogenous NO donor DEA-NO. Unspecific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME increased EFS-induced vasoconstriction more markedly in rats supplemented with Prodefen®. Both neuronal NO release and neuronal NOS activity were enhanced by Prodefen®, through a hyperactivation of protein kinase (PK)A, PKC and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-AKT signaling pathways. The superoxide anion scavenger tempol increased both NO release and DEA-NO vasodilation only in control animals. Prodefen® caused an increase in both nuclear erythroid related factor 2 and superoxide dismutase activities, consequently reducing both superoxide anion and peroxynitrite releases. In summary, Prodefen® could be an interesting non-pharmacological approach to ameliorate hypertensionThis research was funded by CiberCV (Grant number: CB16/11/00286), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2020-116498RB-I00, and CDTI -Center for Industrial Technological Development-project PID 2020-FEDER Funds), and R+D projects for young researchers, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Comunidad de Madrid (SI1-PJI-2019-00321

Evaluation of the appropriateness of pharmacotherapy in patients with high comorbidity

Objetivo: Analizar la adecuación del tratamiento farmacológico y realizar, si es necesario, intervenciones para su mejora en una cohorte de pacientes pluripatológicos. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo, prospectivo, de 21 meses de duración. Emplazamiento: Área Hospitalaria Virgen del Rocío. Participantes: Pacientes pluripatológicos incluidos para un proyecto de atención integrada. Métodos: La variable principal consistió en el número de inadecuaciones detectadas. Para evaluar la adecuación del tratamiento farmacológico el farmacéutico especialista siguió un procedimiento normalizado que consistía en la aplicación del cuestionario Medication Aproppriateness Index (MAI) modificado como método implícito y de la lista de criterios Screening Tool of Older Person's potentially inappropriate Prescription/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to the Right (STOPP-START) como método explícito. Resultados: Se incluyeron un total de 244 pacientes, con una edad media de 76 ± 8 (± DE) años siendo el 50% hombres. El número medio de diagnósticos por paciente fue de 8 ± 3 (± DE) y de fármacos de 12 ± 4 (± DE). Se detectaron un total de 840 inadecuaciones, siendo la mayoritaria la presencia de interacciones. Respecto a los criterios STOPP los más frecuentemente incumplidos fueron: clase de medicamento duplicada y uso prolongado de benzodiacepinas de vida media larga o con metabolitos de acción larga, y para los START los IECA en la insuficiencia cardiaca crónica y estatinas y antiagregantes en la diabetes mellitus si coexisten uno o más factores de riesgo. Conclusiones: El gran número de inadecuaciones detectadas pone de manifiesto la importancia de evaluar la adecuación del tratamiento farmacológico en el paciente pluripatológico. Para ello es recomendable utilizar una estrategia de intervención farmacéutica combinada que incluya tanto un método implícito como un método explícito.Fundación MAPFR

Recombinant human leptin treatment in genetic lipodystrophic syndromes: the long-term Spanish experience

Lipodystrophies are a group of diseases mainly characterized by a loss of adipose tissue and frequently associated with insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, and hepatic steatosis. In uncommon lipodystrophies, these complications frequently are difficult to control with conventional therapeutic approaches. This retrospective study addressed the effectiveness of recombinant methionyl leptin (metreleptin) for improving glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and hepatic steatosis in patients with genetic lipodystrophic syndromes. We studied nine patients (five females and four males) with genetic lipodystrophies [seven with Berardinelli-Seip syndrome, one with atypical progeroid syndrome, and one with type 2 familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD)]. Six patients were children under age 9 years, and all patients had baseline triglycerides levels >2.26 mmol/L and hepatic steatosis; six had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Metreleptin was self-administered subcutaneously daily at a final dose that ranged between 0.05 and 0.24 mg/(kg day) [median: 0.08 mg/(kg day)] according to the body weight. The duration of treatment ranged from 9 months to 5 years, 9 months (median: 3 years). Plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c), lipid profile, plasma insulin and leptin, and hepatic enzymes were evaluated at baseline and at least every 6 months. Except for the patient with FPLD, metreleptin replacement significantly improved metabolic control (Hb A1c: from 10.4 to 7.1 %, p < 0.05). Plasma triglycerides were reduced 76 % on average, and hepatic enzymes decreased more than 65 %. This study extends knowledge about metreleptin replacement in genetic lipodystrophies, bearing out its effectiveness for long periods of time

Biochemical markers of bone turnover and clinical outcome in patients with renal cell and bladder carcinoma with bone metastases following treatment with zoledronic acid: The TUGAMO study

Background: Levels of bone turnover markers (BTM) might be correlated with outcome in terms of skeletal-related events (SRE), disease progression, and death in patients with bladder cancer (BC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with bone metastases (BM). We try to evaluate this possible correlation in patients who receive treatment with zoledronic acid (ZOL). Methods: This observational, prospective, and multicenter study analysed BTM and clinical outcome in these patients. Serum levels of bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP), and beta-isomer of carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (b-CTX) were analysed. Results: Patients with RCC who died or progressed had higher baseline b-CTX levels and those who experienced SRE during follow-up showed high baseline BALP levels. In BC, a poor rate of survival was related with high baseline b-CTX and BALP levels, and new SRE with increased PINP levels. Cox univariate analysis showed that b-CTX levels were associated with higher mortality and disease progression in RCC and higher mortality in BC. Bone alkaline phosphatase was associated with increased risk of premature SRE appearance in RCC and death in BC. Conclusion: Beta-isomer of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and BALP can be considered a complementary tool for prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with BC and RCC with BM treated with ZOLNovartis Oncology Spain for supporting this stud