Impact of Nutrition on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by sustained vasoconstriction, vascular remodeling, inflammation, and in situ thrombosis. Although there have been important advances in the knowledge of the pathophysiology of PAH, it remains a debilitating, limiting, and rapidly progressive disease. Vitamin D and iron deficiency are worldwide health problems of pandemic proportions. Notably, these nutritional alterations are largely more prevalent in PAH patients than in the general population and there are several pieces of evidence suggesting that they may trigger or aggravate disease progression. There are also several case reports associating scurvy, due to severe vitamin C deficiency, with PAH. Flavonoids such as quercetin, isoflavonoids such as genistein, and other dietary polyphenols including resveratrol slow the progression of the disease in animal models of PAH. Finally, the role of the gut microbiota and its interplay with the diet, host immune system, and energy metabolism is emerging in multiple cardiovascular diseases. The alteration of the gut microbiota has also been reported in animal models of PAH. It is thus possible that in the near future interventions targeting the nutritional status and the gut dysbiosis will improve the outcome of these patients

The effects of physical activity interventions on glycated haemoglobin A1c in non-diabetic populations: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Epidemiological evidence suggests that physical activity has a positive effect on reducing glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels not only in diabetics, but also in healthy subjects. Moreover, a positive association of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular disease and mortality in non-diabetic populations has recently been reported. This is a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to estimate the effects of physical activity on glycaemic control measured by HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations; and to determine which type of physical activity has a greater influence on glycaemic control. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from inception to mid-2017. Randomised controlled trials, non-randomised experimental studies and controlled pre–post studies written in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish will be included. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies will be used to assess the risk of bias for studies included in the systematic review. Standardised pre–post intervention mean differences of HbA1c will be calculated as the primary outcome. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on the characteristics of physical activity intervention and population included in the studies.This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not for profit sectors. IC-R is supported by a grant from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FPU13/01582). BP is supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/108751/2015). CA-B and MG-M are supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU13/03137 and FPU15/03847, respectively)

Mexican Trypanosoma cruzi T. cruzi I Strains with Different Degrees of Virulence Induce Diverse Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses in a Murine Experimental Infection Model

It is has been shown that the majority of T. cruzi strains isolated from Mexico belong to the T. cruzi I (TCI). The immune response produced in response to Mexican T. cruzi I strains has not been well characterized. In this study, two Mexican T. cruzi I strains were used to infect Balb/c mice. The Queretaro (TBAR/MX/0000/Queretaro)(Qro) strain resulted in 100% mortality. In contrast, no mortality was observed in mice infected with the Ninoa (MHOM/MX/1994/Ninoa) strain. Both strains produced extended lymphocyte infiltrates in cardiac tissue. Ninoa infection induced a diverse humoral response with a higher variety of immunoglobulin isotypes than were found in Qro-infected mice. Also, a stronger inflammatory TH1 response, represented by IL-12p40, IFNγ, RANTES, MIG, MIP-1β, and MCP-1 production was observed in Qro-infected mice when compared with Ninoa-infected mice. We propose that an exacerbated TH1 immune response is a likely cause of pathological damage observed in cardiac tissue and the primary cause of death in Qro-infected mice

Agreement between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasound to evaluate bone health in adolescents: The PRO-BONE study

Purpose: The present study aims to investigate the association between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters and the intermethods agreement in active males. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, bone health (by DXA and calcaneal QUS), physical activity (by accelerometers), and anthropometrics measurements were assessed in 117 active adolescents (12–14 y old). Bivariate correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationships between DXA standard regions of interest and QUS parameters. Intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots were used to assess the level of agreement between bone mineral content regions derived from DXA and stiffness index. The measurements were z score transformed for comparison. Results: Most QUS parameters were positive and significantly correlated with DXA outcomes (stiffness index: r = .43–.52; broadband ultrasound attenuation: r = .50–.58; speed of sound: r = .25–.27) with the hip showing the highest correlations. Moreover, the present study found fair to good intraclass correlation coefficients of agreement (.60–.68) between DXA and QUS to assess bone health. The Bland–Altman analysis showed a limited percentage of outliers (3.2%–8.6%). Conclusion: QUS device could represent an acceptable alternative method to assess bone health in active adolescent males

Prevalence and trends of thinness, overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 3-18 years across Europe: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Increasing prevalence of both thinness and excess weight during childhood and adolescence is a significant public health issue because of short-term health consequences and long-term tracking of weight status. Monitoring weight status in Europe may serve to identify countries and regions where rates of these disorders are either slowing down or increasing to evaluate recent policies aimed at appropriate body weight, and to direct future interventions. This study protocol provides a standardised and transparent methodology to improve estimating trends of thinness, overweight and obesity in children aged 3-18 years and adolescents across the European region between 2000 and 2017. Methods and analysis This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook. To identify relevant studies, a search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. From the selected studies, relevant references will be screened as supplemental sources. Finally, open search in websites from health institutions will be conducted to identify weight status data not published in scientific journals. Cross-sectional, follow-up studies and panel surveys reporting weight status (objectively measured height and weight) according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria, and written in English or Spanish will be included. Subgroup analyses will be carried out by gender, age, study year and country or European region. Discussion This study will provide a comprehensive description of weight status of children and adolescents across Europe from 2000 to 2017. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. This study will use data exclusively from published research or institutional literature, so institutional ethical approval is not required

Electron scattering from molecules and molecular aggregates of biological relevance

In this Topical Review we survey the current state of the art in the study of low energy electron collisions with biologically relevant molecules and molecular clusters. We briefly describe the methods and techniques used in the investigation of these processes and summarise the results obtained so far for DNA constituents and their model compounds, amino acids, peptides and other biomolecules. The applications of the data obtained is briefly described as well as future required developments

Skill-Biased Structural Change

Using a broad panel of advanced economies we document that increases in GDP per capita are associated with a systematic shift in the composition of value added to sectors that are intensive in high-skill labor, a process we label as skill-biased structural change. It follows that further development in these economies leads to an increase in the relative demand for skilled labor. We develop a quantitative two-sector model of this process as a laboratory to assess the sources of the rise of the skill premium in the US and a set of ten other advanced economies, over the period 1977 to 2005. For the US, we find that the sector-specific skill neutral component of technical change accounts for 18-24% of the overall increase of the skill premium due to technical change, and that the mechanism through which this component of technical change affects the skill premium is via skill biased structural change

First examples of neutral and cationic indenyl nickel(II) complexes bearing arsine or stibine ligands: highly active catalysts for the oligomerisation of styrene

New indenyl nickel(II) complexes bearing arsine or stibine ligands synthesised by a new methodology exhibit very high catalytic activities for the oligomerisation of styrene

Glycosylated haemoglobin as a predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Glycosylated haemoglobin level (HbA1c) is an indicator of the average blood glucose concentrations over the preceding 2–3 months and is used as a convenient and well-known biomarker in clinical practice. Currently, epidemiological evidence suggests that HbA1c level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary heart disease and heart failure. This protocol aim is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine relationships of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular outcomes and cause of death, and to analyse the range of HbA1c levels that is a predictor of cardiovascular disease and/or mortality based on data from published observational studies. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science databases from their inception. Observational studies written in Portuguese, Spanish or English will be included. The Quality In Prognosis Studies tool will be used to assess the risk of bias for the studies included in the systematic review or meta-analysis. HRs for cardiovascular outcomes and causes of death with 95% CIs will be determined as primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on cardiovascular outcomes, cause of death studied, and type of population included in the studies. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review will synthesise evidence on the potential of using HbA1c level as a prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease outcomes and/or mortality. The results will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Ethics approval will not be needed because the data used for this systematic review will be obtained from published studies and there will be no concerns about privacy