From the Lab to Student and Graduate Success: The Benefits of Developing Research Skills

The Centre for Elder Research conducts innovative, multidisciplinary research that enhances the quality of life of older adults while serving as an education and resource hub for the Sheridan College community. The unique perspectives of student Research Assistants, graduates, faculty and researchers will inform this panel presentation about the value of providing opportunities for students to develop research skills while addressing real-world challenges, and strategies for embedding research results into curriculum

Proyecto de inversion para un centro de nutricion integral en el municipio de Metepec, Estado de Mexico.

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es combatir el problema de la obesidad y el sobrepeso que es realmente preocupante para nuestra sociedad, un lugar para que la poblacion que lo requiera encuentre opciones que le proporcionen los medios para lleva una vida saludable de buenos habitos alimenticios, rutinas de ejercicios, terapias psicologicas y todo lo que un plan saludable conlleva

Mortalidad por SARS-CoV2 en personas con insuficiencia renal crónica: una revisión integrativa

Introducción: La enfermedad infecciosa producida por el virus SARS-CoV2 provocó un grave problema de salud pública en la población en general; y para las personas con insuficiencia renal, se observó un mayor riesgo de desarrollar complicaciones severas y muerte. Objetivo: Identificar la evidencia científica relacionada con la mortalidad por SARS-CoV2 -19 de las personas con insuficiencia renal crónica. Metodología: Se llevó a cabo una revisión integrativa, mediante búsqueda en las bases de datos Scopus, EBSCO, Pubmed (contiene además la base Medline), Science Direct, Scielo, Lilacs, y Embase. Resultados: Se obtuvieron y revisaron un total de 14 artículos. Estos, estaban escritos en idioma inglés y español, publicados en Europa (6), en Asia (5), en Norteamérica (1) y Latinoamérica (2). Las variables sociodemógraficas que mostraron influencia en la mortalidad fueron género masculino, edad avanzada, fragilidad de los pacientes en diálisis, presencia de comorbilidades como el síndrome cardiorrenal, cardiopatía isquémica, sobrepeso, obesidad, multimorbilidad, diabetes, hipertensión arterial, antecedentes de ictus y demencia. Conclusiones: Se observó que la mortalidad por SARS-CoV2 grave fue mayor en pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica que en la población en general, asociado con cambios en los marcadores bioquímicos como elevación de la troponina, proteína C reactiva, enzimas hepáticas, marcadores inflamatorios, disminución de linfocitos, albúmina sérica, así mismo, las complicaciones desarrolladas y que se asociaban con la mortalidad fueron síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda, coagulación intravascular diseminada, shock séptico, hipotensión y neumonía

Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria from the digestive tract of adult bees Apis mellifera

Los objetivos del estudio fueron aislar e identificar bacterias ácido lácticas (BAL) a partir del tracto digestivo de abejas Apis mellifera. Se obtuvieron 35 aislamientos, de ellos 13 se consideraron como BAL por sus características morfológicas y bioquímicas. Se amplificó mediante PCR y usando cebadores universales un fragmento del gen ADNr 16S a partir del ADN bacteriano. Los productos de PCR obtenidos se purificaron y secuenciaron. Las secuencias obtenidas se compararon con otras depositadas en la base de datos GenBank. Las cepas también se identificaron mediante caracterización proteómica utilizando MALDI TOF MS. Los resultados mostraron la presencia de cuatro géneros de BAL; predominaron Lactobacillus spp. (38,4 %) y Fructobacillus spp. (30,8 %) y, en el análisis por especies, se identificaron Lactobacillus kunkeei (31 %) y Fructobacillus fructosus (31 %). El presente estudio confirma el predominio del género Lactobacillus dentro de las bacterias ácido láctico del tracto digestivo de las abejas. Esta investigación es la primera en reportar aislamiento e identificación molecular de BAL obtenidas desde el tracto digestivo de abejas melíferas en Cuba.The aim of the study was to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the digestive tract of Apis mellifera bees. Thirty-five bacterial isolates were obtained and 13 of them were considered LAB due to their morphological and biochemical characteristics. A fragment of the 16S rDNA gene was amplified by PCR and using universal primers from the bacterial DNA. The obtained PCR products were purified and sequenced. The sequences obtained were compared with others deposited in the GenBank database. The strains were also identified by proteomic characterization using MALDI TOF MS. The results showed the presence of four genera of LAB, with Lactobacillus spp. (38.4 %) and Fructobacillus spp. (30.8 %) predominating. Lactobacillus kunkeei (31 %) and Fructobacillus fructosus (31 %) were identified in the analysis by species. This study confirms the predominance of the Lactobacillus genus within the lactic acid bacteria of the digestive tract of bees. This research is the first to report isolation and molecular identification of LAB obtained from the digestive tract of honey bees in Cuba.Fil: García Hernandez, Juan Emilio. Universidad de Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez”; CubaFil: Rodriguez Díaz, José Antonio. Universidad de Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez”; CubaFil: Frizzo, Laureano Sebastian. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Salud Pública Veterinaria. Laboratorio de Análisis de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez León, K.J.. Universidad de Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez”; CubaFil: Solenzal Valdivia, Yovanni. Universidad de Sancti Spíritus “José Martí Pérez”; CubaFil: Soto, Lorena Paola. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Salud Pública Veterinaria. Laboratorio de Análisis de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Viciedo Gallo, Delso. No especifíca

Turismo y Género. Una mirada desde Iberoamérica

En las últimas cuatro décadas ha crecido el interés de la academia, gobiernos y organizaciones internacionales por estudiar cómo ha sido, en qué circunstancias y qué efectos ha traído la incorporación de las mujeres al turismo. De esta forma se inicia un debate internacional en el que se cuestionan, por un lado, los efectos negativos de esta actividad en la vida de las mujeres y, por el otro, se realzan beneficios económicos que mejoran su calidad de vida y la de sus familias. A pesar del interés y la importante participación de mujeres en el sector turístico, aún son insuficientes los estudios enfocados en explicar y evidenciar su situación laboral. En este contexto, surge la idea de publicar un libro que compilara trabajos recientes en torno a las condiciones de las trabajadoras en el sector turístico de Iberoamérica.Esta obra se compone de tres secciones, Aproximaciones teórico metodológicas, Mujer y turismo en zonas rurales y La mujer en empresas turísticas, cuyas investigaciones abordan distintos temas para evidenciar los problemas enfrentados por las mujeres, proponer diversas soluciones y comprender su escenario laboral. En la primera sección, hay dos capítulos que proponen marcos teóricos para analizar el empoderamiento de las mujeres en el turismo rural. Los resultados de investigaciones de la segunda sección visibilizan las desigualdades, reflexionan y proponen acciones para mejorar las condiciones de las trabajadoras turísticas. En la última, en los tres capítulos, concentrados en las actividades empresariales, se estudian las desventajas y obstáculos de la empleada en alguna compañía turística.Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

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

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity