Curie temperature enhancement of electron doped Sr2_2FeMoO6_6 perovskites studied by photoemission spectroscopy

We report here on the electronic structure of electron-doped half-metallic ferromagnetic perovskites such Sr$_{2-x}$La$_x$FeMoO$_6$ ($x$=0-0.6) as obtained from high-resolved valence-band photoemission spectroscopy (PES). By comparing the PES spectra with band structure calculations, a distinctive peak at the Fermi level (E$_F$) with predominantly (Fe+Mo) t$_{2g}^\downarrow$ character has been evidenced for all samples, irrespectively of the $x$ values investigated. Moreover, we show that the electron doping due to the La substitution provides selectively delocalized carriers to the t$_{2g}^\downarrow$ metallic spin channel. Consequently, a gradual rising of the density of states at the E$_F$ has been observed as a function of the La doping. By changing the incoming photon energy we have shown that electron doping mainly rises the density of states of Mo parentage. These findings provide fundamental clues for understanding the origin of ferromagnetism in these oxides and shall be of relevance for tailoring oxides having still higher T$_C$

The Continuous Sample of Working Lives: improving its representativeness

This paper studies the representativeness of the Continuous Sample of Working Lives (CSWL), a set of anonymized microdata containing information on individuals from Spanish Social Security records. We examine several CSWL waves (2005-2013) and show that it is not representative for the population with a pension income. We then develop a methodology to draw a large dataset from the CSWL that is much more representative of the retired population in terms of pension type, gender and age. This procedure also makes it possible for users to choose between goodness of fit and subsample size. In order to illustrate the practical significance of our methodology, the paper also contains an application in which we generate a large subsample distribution from the 2010 CSWL. The results are striking: with a very small reduction in the size of the original CSWL, we significantly reduce errors in estimating pension expenditure for 2010, with a p value greater or equal to 0.999

Anti-tumour necrosis factor discontinuation in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission: study protocol of a prospective, multicentre, randomized clinical trial

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who achieve remission with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs may have treatment withdrawn due to safety concerns and cost considerations, but there is a lack of prospective, controlled data investigating this strategy. The primary study aim is to compare the rates of clinical remission at 1?year in patients who discontinue anti-TNF treatment versus those who continue treatment. Methods: This is an ongoing, prospective, double-blind, multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled study in patients with Crohn?s disease or ulcerative colitis who have achieved clinical remission for ?6?months with an anti-TNF treatment and an immunosuppressant. Patients are being randomized 1:1 to discontinue anti-TNF therapy or continue therapy. Randomization stratifies patients by the type of inflammatory bowel disease and drug (infliximab versus adalimumab) at study inclusion. The primary endpoint of the study is sustained clinical remission at 1?year. Other endpoints include endoscopic and radiological activity, patient-reported outcomes (quality of life, work productivity), safety and predictive factors for relapse. The required sample size is 194 patients. In addition to the main analysis (discontinuation versus continuation), subanalyses will include stratification by type of inflammatory bowel disease, phenotype and previous treatment. Biological samples will be obtained to identify factors predictive of relapse after treatment withdrawal. Results: Enrolment began in 2016, and the study is expected to end in 2020. Conclusions: This study will contribute prospective, controlled data on outcomes and predictors of relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease after withdrawal of anti-TNF agents following achievement of clinical remission. Clinical trial reference number: EudraCT 2015-001410-1

Effectiveness of an mHealth intervention combining a smartphone app and smart band on body composition in an overweight and obese population: Randomized controlled trial (EVIDENT 3 study)

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) is currently among the supporting elements that may contribute to an improvement in health markers by helping people adopt healthier lifestyles. mHealth interventions have been widely reported to achieve greater weight loss than other approaches, but their effect on body composition remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to assess the short-term (3 months) effectiveness of a mobile app and a smart band for losing weight and changing body composition in sedentary Spanish adults who are overweight or obese. Methods: A randomized controlled, multicenter clinical trial was conducted involving the participation of 440 subjects from primary care centers, with 231 subjects in the intervention group (IG; counselling with smartphone app and smart band) and 209 in the control group (CG; counselling only). Both groups were counselled about healthy diet and physical activity. For the 3-month intervention period, the IG was trained to use a smartphone app that involved self-monitoring and tailored feedback, as well as a smart band that recorded daily physical activity (Mi Band 2, Xiaomi). Body composition was measured using the InBody 230 bioimpedance device (InBody Co., Ltd), and physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: The mHealth intervention produced a greater loss of body weight (–1.97 kg, 95% CI –2.39 to –1.54) relative to standard counselling at 3 months (–1.13 kg, 95% CI –1.56 to –0.69). Comparing groups, the IG achieved a weight loss of 0.84 kg more than the CG at 3 months. The IG showed a decrease in body fat mass (BFM; –1.84 kg, 95% CI –2.48 to –1.20), percentage of body fat (PBF; –1.22%, 95% CI –1.82% to 0.62%), and BMI (–0.77 kg/m2, 95% CI –0.96 to 0.57). No significant changes were observed in any of these parameters in men; among women, there was a significant decrease in BMI in the IG compared with the CG. When subjects were grouped according to baseline BMI, the overweight group experienced a change in BFM of –1.18 kg (95% CI –2.30 to –0.06) and BMI of –0.47 kg/m2 (95% CI –0.80 to –0.13), whereas the obese group only experienced a change in BMI of –0.53 kg/m2 (95% CI –0.86 to –0.19). When the data were analyzed according to physical activity, the moderate-vigorous physical activity group showed significant changes in BFM of –1.03 kg (95% CI –1.74 to –0.33), PBF of –0.76% (95% CI –1.32% to –0.20%), and BMI of –0.5 kg/m2 (95% CI –0.83 to –0.19). Conclusions: The results from this multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial study show that compared with standard counselling alone, adding a self-reported app and a smart band obtained beneficial results in terms of weight loss and a reduction in BFM and PBF in female subjects with a BMI less than 30 kg/m2 and a moderate-vigorous physical activity level. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to ensure that this profile benefits more than others from this intervention and to investigate modifications of this intervention to achieve a global effect

Comparación de distintas estrategias para la predicción de muerte a corto plazo en el paciente anciano infectado

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of a post hoc lactate added to SIRS and qSOFA score to predict 30-day mortality in older non-severely dependent patients attended for infection in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods. We performed an analytical, observational, prospective cohort study including patients of 75 years of age or older, without severe functional dependence, attended for an infectious disease in 69 Spanish ED for 2-day three seasonal periods. Demographic, clinical and analytical data were collected. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality after the index event. Results. We included 739 patients with a mean age of 84.9 (SD 6.0) years; 375 (50.7%) were women. Ninety-one (12.3%) died within 30 days. The AUC was 0.637 (IC 95% 0.587-0.688; p= 2 and 0.698 (IC 95% 0.635- 0.761; p= 2. Comparing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) there was a better accuracy of qSOFA vs SIRS (p=0.041). Both scales improve the prognosis accuracy with lactate inclusion. The AUC was 0.705 (IC95% 0.652-0.758; p<0.001) for SIRS plus lactate and 0.755 (IC95% 0.696-0.814; p<0.001) for qSOFA plus lactate, showing a trend to statistical significance for the second strategy (p=0.0727). Charlson index not added prognosis accuracy to SIRS (p=0.2269) or qSOFA (p=0.2573). Conclusions. Lactate added to SIRS and qSOFA score improve the accuracy of SIRS and qSOFA to predict short-term mortality in older non-severely dependent patients attended for infection. There is not effect in adding Charlson index

DNA methylome in visceral adipose tissue can discriminate patients with and without colorectal cancer

Adipose tissue dysfunction, particularly the visceral (VAT) compartment, has been proposed to play a relevant role in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Epigenetic mechanisms could be involved in this association. The current study aimed to evaluate if specific epigenetic marks in VAT are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) to identify epigenetic hallmarks of adipose tissue-related CRC. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation was evaluated in VAT from 25 healthy participants and 29 CRC patients, using the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip. The epigenome-wide methylation analysis identified 170,184 sites able to perfectly separate the CRC and healthy samples. The differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCpGs) showed a global trend for increased methylated levels in CRC with respect to healthy group. Most of the genes encoded by the DMCpGs belonged to metabolic pathways and cell cycle, insulin resistance, and adipocytokine signalling, as well as tumoural transformation processes. In gene-specific analyses, involved genes biologically relevant for the development of CRC include PTPRN2, MAD1L1, TNXB, DIP2C, INPP5A, HDCA4, PRDM16, RPTOR, ATP11A, TBCD, PABPC3, and IER2. The methylation level of some of them showed a discriminatory capacity for detecting CRC higher than 90%, showing IER2 to have the highest capacity. This study reveals that a specific methylation pattern of VAT is associated with CRC. Some of the epigenetic marks identified could provide useful tools for the prediction and personalized treatment of CRC connected to excess adiposity

Effects of Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction on fetal and neonatal brain development : a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Maternal suboptimal nutrition and high stress levels are associated with adverse fetal and infant neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate if structured lifestyle interventions involving a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction during pregnancy are associated with differences in fetal and neonatal brain development. STUDY DESIGN: This was a secondary analysis of the randomized clinical trial Improving Mothers for a Better Prenatal Care Trial Barcelona that was conducted in Barcelona, Spain, from 2017 to 2020. Participants with singleton pregnancies were randomly allocated into 3 groups, namely Mediterranean diet intervention, stress reduction program, or usual care. Participants in the Mediterranean diet group received monthly individual sessions and free provision of extra-virgin olive oil and walnuts. Pregnant women in the stress reduction group underwent an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program adapted for pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging of 90 fetal brains was performed at 36 to 39 weeks of gestation and the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale was completed for 692 newborns at 1 to 3 months. Fetal outcomes were the total brain volume and lobular or regional volumes obtained from a 3-dimensional reconstruction and semiautomatic segmentation of magnetic resonance images. Neonatal outcomes were the 6 clusters scores of the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between the interventions and the fetal and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: When compared with the usual care group, the offspring exposed to a maternal Mediterranean diet had a larger total fetal brain volume (mean, 284.11 cm; standard deviation, 23.92 cm vs 294.01 cm; standard deviation, 26.29 cm; P=.04), corpus callosum (mean, 1.16 cm; standard deviation, 0.19 cm vs 1.26 cm; standard deviation, 0.22 cm; P=.03), and right frontal lobe (44.20; standard deviation, 4.09 cm vs 46.60; standard deviation, 4.69 cm; P=.02) volumes based on magnetic resonance imaging measures and higher scores in the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale clusters of autonomic stability (mean, 7.4; standard deviation, 0.9 vs 7.6; standard deviation, 0.7; P=.04), social interaction (mean, 7.5; standard deviation, 1.5 vs 7.8; standard deviation, 1.3; P=.03), and range of state (mean, 4.3; standard deviation, 1.3 vs 4.5; standard deviation, 1.0; P=.04). When compared with the usual care group, offspring from the stress reduction group had larger fetal left anterior cingulate gyri volume (1.63; standard deviation, 0.32 m vs 1.79; standard deviation, 0.30 cm; P=.03) based on magnetic resonance imaging and higher scores in the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale for regulation of state (mean, 6.0; standard deviation, 1.8 vs 6.5; standard deviation, 1.5; P<.01). CONCLUSION: Maternal structured lifestyle interventions involving the promotion of a Mediterranean diet or stress reduction during pregnancy were associated with changes in fetal and neonatal brain development

Effect of a Mediterranean Diet or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction During Pregnancy on Child Neurodevelopment

Is a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention during pregnancy effective in improving child neurodevelopment at age 2 years? In this randomized clinical trial that included 626 children, Bayley-III scores were significantly higher in cognitive and social-emotional domains in the Mediterranean diet group and significantly higher in the social-emotional domain in the stress reduction group compared with the usual care group. Structured interventions during pregnancy based on a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly improved child neurodevelopment at 2 years. This prespecified analysis of a randomized clinical trial evaluates the effect of a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment at age 2 years. Maternal suboptimal nutrition and high stress levels are associated with adverse fetal and childhood neurodevelopment. To test the hypothesis that structured interventions based on a Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) during pregnancy improve child neurodevelopment at age 2 years. This was a prespecified analysis of the parallel-group Improving Mothers for a Better Prenatal Care Trial Barcelona (IMPACT BCN) randomized clinical trial, which was conducted at a university hospital in Barcelona, Spain, from February 2017 to March 2020. A total of 1221 singleton pregnancies (19 to 23 weeks' gestation) with high risk of delivering newborns who were small for gestational age were randomly allocated into 3 groups: a Mediterranean diet intervention, an MBSR program, or usual care. A postnatal evaluation with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition (Bayley-III), was performed. Data were analyzed from July to November 2022. Participants in the Mediterranean diet group received monthly individual and group educational sessions and free provision of extra virgin olive oil and walnuts. Those in the stress reduction group underwent an 8-week MBSR program adapted for pregnancy. Individuals in the usual care group received pregnancy care per institutional protocols. Neurodevelopment in children was assessed by Bayley-III at 24 months of corrected postnatal age. A total of 626 children (293 [46.8%] female and 333 [53.2%] male) participated at a mean (SD) age of 24.8 (2.9) months. No differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between intervention groups. Compared with children from the usual care group, children in the Mediterranean diet group had higher scores in the cognitive domain (β, 5.02; 95% CI, 1.52-8.53; P = .005) and social-emotional domain (β, 5.15; 95% CI, 1.18-9.12; P = .01), whereas children from the stress reduction group had higher scores in the social-emotional domain (β, 4.75; 95% CI, 0.54-8.85; P = .02). In this prespecified analysis of a randomized clinical trial, maternal structured lifestyle interventions during pregnancy based on a Mediterranean diet or MBSR significantly improved child neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 2 years