300 research outputs found
Celiac Immunogenic Potential of α-Gliadin Epitope Variants from Triticum and Aegilops Species
The high global demand of wheat and its subsequent consumption arise from the physicochemical properties of bread dough and its contribution to the protein intake in the human diet. Gluten is the main structural complex of wheat proteins and subjects affected by celiac disease (CD) cannot tolerate gluten protein. Within gluten proteins, α-gliadins constitute the most immunogenic fraction since they contain the main T-cell stimulating epitopes (DQ2.5-glia-α1, DQ2.5-glia-α2, and DQ2.5-glia-α3). In this work, the celiac immunotoxic potential of α-gliadins was studied within Triticeae: diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species. The abundance and immunostimulatory capacity of CD canonical epitopes and variants (with one or two mismatches) in all α-gliadin sequences were determined. The results showed that the canonical epitopes DQ2.5-glia-α1 and DQ2.5-glia-α3 were more frequent than DQ2.5-glia-α2. A higher abundance of canonical DQ2.5-glia-α1 epitope was found to be associated with genomes of the BBAADD, AA, and DD types; however, the abundance of DQ2.5-glia-α3 epitope variants was very high in BBAADD and BBAA wheat despite their low abundance in the canonical epitope. The most abundant substitution was that of proline to serine, which was disposed mainly on the three canonical DQ2.5 domains on position 8. Interestingly, our results demonstrated that the natural introduction of Q to H at any position eliminates the toxicity of the three T-cell epitopes in the α-gliadins. The results provided a rational approach for the introduction of natural amino acid substitutions to eliminate the toxicity of three T-cell epitopes, while maintaining the technological properties of commercial wheats
Stimulatory Response of Celiac Disease Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Induced by RNAi Wheat Lines Differing in Grain Protein Composition
Wheat gluten proteins are responsible for the bread-making properties of the dough but also for triggering important gastrointestinal disorders. Celiac disease (CD) affects approximately 1% of the population in Western countries. The only treatment available is the strict avoidance of gluten in the diet. Interference RNA (RNAi) is an excellent approach for the down-regulation of genes coding for immunogenic proteins related to celiac disease, providing an alternative for the development of cereals suitable for CD patients. In the present work, we report a comparative study of the stimulatory capacity of seven low-gluten RNAi lines differing in grain gluten and non-gluten protein composition, relevant for CD and other gluten pathologies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 35 patients with active CD were included in this study to assess the stimulatory response induced by protein extracts from the RNAi lines. Analysis of the proliferative response and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) release of PBMCs demonstrated impaired stimulation in response to all RNAi lines. The lower response was provided by lines with a very low content of α- and γ-gliadins, and low or almost devoid of DQ2.5 and p31–43 α-gliadin epitopes. The non-gluten protein seems not to play a key role in PBMC stimulation.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and competitiveness AGL2016-80566-PEuropean Regional Development Fund (FEDER
La responsabilidad social corporativa como oportunidad para las empresas turísticas
[Resumo] En primeiro lugar realízase unha aproximación xeral ao concepto de responsabilidade social
empresarial e coméntanse algunhas das características deste novo modelo de xestión. A
seguir, repásanse algunhas das responsabilidades que cabe esperar que as empresas turísticas
asuman, así como tamén algunhas iniciativas de dentro e fóra do sector do turismo para
fomentar a RSC por parte de distintos organismos internacionais, e as iniciativas desenvolvidas
polas propias empresas neste sentido. Nas últimas seccións estúdase unha iniciativa concreta,
a norma SA8000 de auditoría social, e as memorias de sustentabilidade.[Resumen] Primero se hace una aproximación general a la responsabilidad social empresarial
y se comentan algunas características de este nuevo modelo de gestión. Después se hace un
repaso de algunas de las responsabilidades que cabe esperar que desarrollen las empresas
turísticas, así como algunas iniciativas, dentro y fuera del sector del turismo, para fomentar la
responsabilidad por parte de distintos organismos internacionales, y las iniciativas desarrolla-
das por las propias empresas. En los últimos apartados se estudia una iniciativa concreta, la
norma SA8000 de auditoría social, y las memorias de sostenibilidad.[Abstract] This study begins with a general overview of corporate social responsibility, commenting on
some of the characteristics of this new management model. The study then reviews some of
the responsibilities that tourism companies can be expected to perform, as well as some ini-
tiatives, both inside and outside the tourism sector, to promote responsibility by different
international bodies, and the initiatives performed by the companies themselves. The final sec-
tions study a specific initiative, standard SA8000 on social accountability, and sustainability
reports
Durability Assessment of a Plasma-Polymerized Coating with Anti-Biofilm Activity against L. monocytogenes Subjected to Repeated Sanitization
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).[EN] Biofilm formation on food-contact surfaces is a matter of major concern causing food safety and spoilage issues to this sector. The aim of this study was to assess the durability of the anti-biofilm capacity of a plasma-polymerized coating composed of a base coating of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) and a functional coating of acrylic acid (AcAc). Coated and uncoated AISI 316 stainless steel (SS) plates were subjected to five sanitization cycles with sodium hypochlorite (0.05%) and peracetic acid (0.5%). The effectiveness of the coating for the inhibition of multi-strain Listeria monocytogenes biofilm formation was confirmed using a three-strain cocktail, which was grown on the SS plates at 12◦ C for 6 days. Compared to the uncoated SS, relative biofilm productions of 14.6% on the non-sanitized coating, 27.9% on the coating after sanitization with sodium hypochlorite, and 82.3% on the coating after sanitization with peracetic acid were obtained. Morphological and physicochemical characterization of the coatings suggested that the greater anti-biofilm effectiveness after sanitization with sodium hypochlorite was due to the high pH of this solution, which caused a deprotonation of the carboxylic acid groups of the functional coating. This fact conferred it a strong hydrophilicity and negatively charged its surface, which was favorable for preventing bacterial attachment and biofilm formation.SIThis publication is based upon work from COST Action CA19110—PlAgri, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology-www.cost.eu). XPS tests were conducted by the Advanced Microscopy Laboratory (LMA) of The Institute of Nanoscience of Aragón (INA), University of Zaragoza. The authors are thankful to the LMA-INA for the access to their equipment and their expertise. The AFM images were taken by the Central Research Support Service (SCAI) of the University of Málaga (UMA). The author P. Fernández-Gómez is grateful to Junta de Castilla y León and the European Social Fund (ESF) for awarding her a predoctoral grant (BOCYL-D-15122017-4). The author M. Oliveira is in receipt of a Juan de la Cierva contract IJC2018-035523-I awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The author E. Sainz-García, as researcher of the University of La Rioja, is thankful to the postdoctoral training program funded by the Plan Propio of the University of La Rioja. The authors I. Muro-Fraguas and A. Sainz-García are thankful to the program of pre-doctoral contracts for the training of research staff that is funded by the University of La Rioja.This study is part of the Research, Development and Innovation projects AGL2017-82779- C2-R and PID2020-113658RB-C2, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF “A way to make Europe”
Operating Conditions Optimization via the Taguchi Method to Remove Colloidal Substances from Recycled Paper and Cardboard Production Wastewater
[EN] Optimization of the ultrafiltration (UF) process to remove colloidal substances from a paper mill's treated effluent was investigated in this study. The effects of four operating parameters in a UF system (transmembrane pressure (TMP), cross-flow velocity (CFV), temperature and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO)) on the average permeate flux (J(v)), organic matter chemical oxygen demand (COD) rejection rate and the cumulative flux decline (SFD), was investigated by robust experimental design using the Taguchi method. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for an L(9)orthogonal array were used to determine the significance of the individual factors, that is to say, to determine which factor has more and which less influence over the UF response variables. Analysis of the percentage contribution (P%) indicated that the TMP and MWCO have the greatest contribution to the average permeate flux and SFD. In the case of the COD rejection rate, the results showed that MWCO has the highest contribution followed by CFV. The Taguchi method and the utility concept were employed to optimize the multiple response variables. The optimal conditions were found to be 2.0 bar of transmembrane pressure, 1.041 m/s of the cross-flow velocity, 15 degrees C of the temperature, and 100 kDa MWCO. The validation experiments under the optimal conditions achievedJ(v), COD rejection rate and SFD results of 81.15 L center dot m(-2)center dot h(-1), 43.90% and 6.01, respectively. Additionally, SST and turbidity decreased by about 99% and 99.5%, respectively, and reduction in particle size from around 458-1281 nm to 12.71-24.36 nm was achieved. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy images under optimal conditions showed that membrane fouling takes place at the highest rate in the first 30 min of UF. The results demonstrate the validity of the approach of using the Taguchi method and utility concept to obtain the optimal membrane conditions for the wastewater treatment using a reduced number of experiments.Sousa, MRS.; Lora-García, J.; López Pérez, MF.; Santafé Moros, MA.; Gozálvez-Zafrilla, JM. (2020). Operating Conditions Optimization via the Taguchi Method to Remove Colloidal Substances from Recycled Paper and Cardboard Production Wastewater. Membranes. 10(8):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10080170S122108Sevimli, M. F. (2005). Post-Treatment of Pulp and Paper Industry Wastewater by Advanced Oxidation Processes. Ozone: Science & Engineering, 27(1), 37-43. doi:10.1080/01919510590908968Key Statistics Report 2017|CEPI-CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN PAPER INDUSTRIEShttp://www.cepi.org/keystatistics2017Rajkumar, K. (2016). An Evaluation of Biological Approach for the Effluent Treatment of Paper Boards Industry - An Economic Perspective. Journal of Bioremediation & Biodegradation, 7(5). doi:10.4172/2155-6199.1000366AHMAD, A., WONG, S., TENG, T., & ZUHAIRI, A. (2008). Improvement of alum and PACl coagulation by polyacrylamides (PAMs) for the treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater. Chemical Engineering Journal, 137(3), 510-517. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2007.03.088Temmink, H., & Grolle, K. (2005). Tertiary activated carbon treatment of paper and board industry wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 96(15), 1683-1689. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2004.12.035Zhang, Q., & Chuang, K. T. (2001). Adsorption of organic pollutants from effluents of a Kraft pulp mill on activated carbon and polymer resin. Advances in Environmental Research, 5(3), 251-258. doi:10.1016/s1093-0191(00)00059-9Catalkaya, E. C., & Kargi, F. (2008). Advanced oxidation treatment of pulp mill effluent for TOC and toxicity removals. Journal of Environmental Management, 87(3), 396-404. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.01.016Pérez, M., Torrades, F., Garcı́a-Hortal, J. A., Domènech, X., & Peral, J. (2002). Removal of organic contaminants in paper pulp treatment effluents under Fenton and photo-Fenton conditions. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 36(1), 63-74. doi:10.1016/s0926-3373(01)00281-8Gönder, Z. B., Arayici, S., & Barlas, H. (2012). Treatment of Pulp and Paper Mill Wastewater Using Utrafiltration Process: Optimization of the Fouling and Rejections. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 51(17), 6184-6195. doi:10.1021/ie2024504Liu, G., Liu, Y., Ni, J., Shi, H., & Qian, Y. (2004). Treatability of kraft spent liquor by microfiltration and andultrafiltration. Desalination, 160(2), 131-141. doi:10.1016/s0011-9164(04)90003-3Nuortila-Jokinen, J., Mänttäri, M., Huuhilo, T., Kallioinen, M., & Nyström, M. (2004). Water circuit closure with membrane technology in the pulp and paper industry. Water Science and Technology, 50(3), 217-227. doi:10.2166/wst.2004.0199Zaidi, A., Buisson, H., Sourirajan, S., & Wood, H. (1992). Ultra- and Nano-Filtration in Advanced Effluent Treatment Schemes for Pollution Control in the Pulp and Paper Industry. Water Science and Technology, 25(10), 263-276. doi:10.2166/wst.1992.0254Toczyłowska-Mamińska, R. (2017). Limits and perspectives of pulp and paper industry wastewater treatment – A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 78, 764-772. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.021Kamali, M., & Khodaparast, Z. (2015). Review on recent developments on pulp and paper mill wastewater treatment. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 114, 326-342. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.05.005Beril Gönder, Z., Arayici, S., & Barlas, H. (2011). Advanced treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater by nanofiltration process: Effects of operating conditions on membrane fouling. Separation and Purification Technology, 76(3), 292-302. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2010.10.018Shukla, S. K., Kumar, V., Van Doan, T., Yoo, K., Kim, Y., & Park, J. (2014). Combining activated sludge process with membrane separation to obtain recyclable quality water from paper mill effluent. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 17(3), 781-788. doi:10.1007/s10098-014-0836-2Chen, C., Mao, S., Wang, J., Bao, J., Xu, H., Su, W., & Dai, H. (2015). Application of Ultrafiltration in a Paper Mill: Process Water Reuse and Membrane Fouling Analysis. BioResources, 10(2). doi:10.15376/biores.10.2.2376-2391Krawczyk, H., Oinonen, P., & Jönsson, A.-S. (2013). Combined membrane filtration and enzymatic treatment for recovery of high molecular mass hemicelluloses from chemithermomechanical pulp process water. Chemical Engineering Journal, 225, 292-299. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2013.03.089Sousa, M. R. S., Lora-Garcia, J., & López-Pérez, M.-F. (2018). Modelling approach to an ultrafiltration process for the removal of dissolved and colloidal substances from treated wastewater for reuse in recycled paper manufacturing. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 21, 96-106. doi:10.1016/j.jwpe.2017.11.017Karthik, M., Dhodapkar, R., Manekar, P., Aswale, P., & Nandy, T. (2011). Closing water loop in a paper mill section for water conservation and reuse. Desalination, 281, 172-178. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2011.07.055Mänttäri, M., Nuortila-Jokinen, J., & Nyström, M. (1997). Evaluation of nanofiltration membranes for filtration of paper mill total effluent. Filtration & Separation, 34(3), 275-280. doi:10.1016/s0015-1882(97)84794-5Cassano, A., Conidi, C., & Drioli, E. (2011). Comparison of the performance of UF membranes in olive mill wastewaters treatment. Water Research, 45(10), 3197-3204. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2011.03.041Puro, L., Tanninen, J., & Nyström, M. (2002). Analyses of organic foulants in membranes fouled by pulp and paper mill effluent using solid-liquid extraction. Desalination, 143(1), 1-9. doi:10.1016/s0011-9164(02)00215-1Puro, L., Kallioinen, M., Mänttäri, M., & Nyström, M. (2011). Evaluation of behavior and fouling potential of wood extractives in ultrafiltration of pulp and paper mill process water. Journal of Membrane Science, 368(1-2), 150-158. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2010.11.032Hesampour, M., Krzyzaniak, A., & Nyström, M. (2008). The influence of different factors on the stability and ultrafiltration of emulsified oil in water. Journal of Membrane Science, 325(1), 199-208. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2008.07.048Pourjafar, S., Jahanshahi, M., & Rahimpour, A. (2013). Optimization of TiO2 modified poly(vinyl alcohol) thin film composite nanofiltration membranes using Taguchi method. Desalination, 315, 107-114. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2012.08.029Reyhani, A., Sepehrinia, K., Seyed Shahabadi, S. M., Rekabdar, F., & Gheshlaghi, A. (2014). Optimization of operating conditions in ultrafiltration process for produced water treatment via Taguchi methodology. Desalination and Water Treatment, 54(10), 2669-2680. doi:10.1080/19443994.2014.904821Rezvanpour, A., Roostaazad, R., Hesampour, M., Nyström, M., & Ghotbi, C. (2009). Effective factors in the treatment of kerosene–water emulsion by using UF membranes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 161(2-3), 1216-1224. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.04.074Salahi, A., Abbasi, M., & Mohammadi, T. (2010). Permeate flux decline during UF of oily wastewater: Experimental and modeling. Desalination, 251(1-3), 153-160. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2009.08.006Salahi, A., & Mohammadi, T. (2011). Oily wastewater treatment by ultrafiltration using Taguchi experimental design. Water Science and Technology, 63(7), 1476-1484. doi:10.2166/wst.2011.383Ezzati, A., Gorouhi, E., & Mohammadi, T. (2005). Separation of water in oil emulsions using microfiltration. Desalination, 185(1-3), 371-382. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2005.03.086Kaladhar, M., Subbaiah, K. V., Rao, C. S., … Rao, K. N. (2011). Application of Taguchi approach and Utility Concept in solving the Multi-objective Problem when turning AISI 202 Austenitic Stainless Steel. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Review, 4(1), 55-61. doi:10.25103/jestr.041.08Mohammadi, T., & Safavi, M. A. (2009). Application of Taguchi method in optimization of desalination by vacuum membrane distillation. Desalination, 249(1), 83-89. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2009.01.017Khan, M. M. T., Takizawa, S., Lewandowski, Z., Jones, W. L., Camper, A. K., Katayama, H., … Ohgaki, S. (2011). Membrane fouling due to dynamic particle size changes in the aerated hybrid PAC–MF system. Journal of Membrane Science, 371(1-2), 99-107. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2011.01.017Rezaei, H., Ashtiani, F. Z., & Fouladitajar, A. (2014). Fouling behavior and performance of microfiltration membranes for whey treatment in steady and unsteady-state conditions. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 31(2), 503-518. doi:10.1590/0104-6632.20140312s00002521Cojocaru, C., & Zakrzewska-Trznadel, G. (2007). Response surface modeling and optimization of copper removal from aqua solutions using polymer assisted ultrafiltration. Journal of Membrane Science, 298(1-2), 56-70. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2007.04.001Idris, A. (2002). Optimization of cellulose acetate hollow fiber reverse osmosis membrane production using Taguchi method. Journal of Membrane Science, 205(1-2), 223-237. doi:10.1016/s0376-7388(02)00116-3Kumar, Y., & Singh, H. (2014). Multi-response Optimization in Dry Turning Process Using Taguchi’s Approach and Utility Concept. Procedia Materials Science, 5, 2142-2151. doi:10.1016/j.mspro.2014.07.417Song, L. (1998). Flux decline in crossflow microfiltration and ultrafiltration: mechanisms and modeling of membrane fouling. Journal of Membrane Science, 139(2), 183-200. doi:10.1016/s0376-7388(97)00263-9Xu, J., Chang, C.-Y., & Gao, C. (2010). 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Abordaje nutricional de pacientes ingresados con anorexia nerviosa
Producción CientíficaAnorexia nervosa (AN) is the most prevalent of eating disorders in children and adolescents, and its treatment is long and complex, involving a
multidisciplinary team. Nutritional rehabilitation and restoration of a healthy body weight is one of the central goals in the initial stages of inpatient
treatment. However, current recommendations on initial energy requirements for these patients are inconsistent, with a clear lack of controlled
studies, available scientifi c evidence and global consensus on the most effective and safe refeeding practices in hospitalized adolescents with
anorexia nervosa (AN). Conservative refeeding recommendations have been classically established in order to prevent the refeeding syndrome.
Nevertheless, various works have recently appeared advocating a higher initial caloric intake, without observing more complications or refeeding
syndrome, and allowing a shorter average stay. We present our experience in the treatment of restricting AN with a conservative progressive
treatment. We have obtained good results with this approach, which was well tolerated by patients, with no observing complications. As a consequence,
the medical team could establish a pact about the therapeutic goals with the patients in an easier way.La anorexia nerviosa (AN) es el trastorno del comportamiento alimentario más prevalente en niños y adolescentes; su tratamiento es largo y
complejo, e involucra a múltiples profesionales. La rehabilitación nutricional y la recuperación de un peso corporal normal es uno de los objetivos
centrales en las fases iniciales del tratamiento del paciente ingresado. Sin embargo, las recomendaciones actuales sobre los requerimientos
energéticos iniciales para estos pacientes son inconsistentes, con una clara ausencia de estudios controlados, evidencia científi ca disponible y
consenso global sobre la forma de realimentación más efectiva y segura en adolescentes ingresados con anorexia nerviosa (AN). Clásicamente
se han recomendado una realimentación conservadora para prevenir el síndrome de realimentación. No obstante, han aparecido recientemente
varios trabajos recomendado una ingesta calórica inicial más elevada, sin observar más complicaciones ni síndrome de realimentación, y asociadas
a estancias medias más cortas. Presentamos aquí nuestra experiencia en el tratamiento de la AN restrictiva con un tratamiento progresivo
conservador. Hemos obtenido buenos resultados con este abordaje, bien tolerando por los pacientes, y sin observar complicaciones. Gracias a
él, el equipo médico pudo establecer más fácilmente un acuerdo sobre los objetivos terapéuticos con el paciente
Risk Factors and Predictive Score for Bacteremic Biliary Tract Infections Due to Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium: a Multicenter Cohort Study from the PROBAC Project
Enterococcus spp; Biliary tract infection; Bloodstream infectionEnterococcus spp; Infección del tracto biliar; infección del torrente sanguíneoEnterococcus spp; Infecció de les vies biliars; Infecció del torrent sanguiniBiliary-tract bloodstream infections (BT-BSI) caused by Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are associated with inappropriate empirical treatment and worse outcomes compared to other etiologies. The objective of this study was to investigate the risk factors for enterococcal BT-BSI. Patients with BT-BSI from the PROBAC cohort, including consecutive patients with BSI in 26 Spanish hospitals between October 2016 and March 2017, were selected; episodes caused by E. faecalis or E. faecium and other causes were compared. Independent predictors for enterococci were identified by logistic regression, and a predictive score was developed. Eight hundred fifty episodes of BT-BSI were included; 73 (8.5%) were due to target Enterococcus spp. (48 [66%] were E. faecium and 25 [34%] E. faecalis). By multivariate analysis, the variables independently associated with Enterococcus spp. were (OR; 95% confidence interval): cholangiocarcinoma (4.48;1.32 to 15.25), hospital acquisition (3.58;2.11 to 6.07), use of carbapenems in the previous month (3.35;1.45 to 7.78), biliary prosthesis (2.19;1.24 to 3.90), and moderate or severe chronic kidney disease (1.55;1.07 to 2.26). The AUC of the model was 0.74 [95% CI0.67 to 0.80]. A score was developed, with 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2 points for these variables, respectively, with a negative predictive value of 95% for a score ≤ 6. A model, including cholangiocarcinoma, biliary prosthesis, hospital acquisition, previous carbapenems, and chronic kidney disease showed moderate prediction ability for enterococcal BT-BSI. Although the score will need to be validated, this information may be useful for deciding empirical therapy in biliary tract infections when bacteremia is suspected. IMPORTANCE Biliary tract infections are frequent, and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Bacteremia is common in these infections, particularly in the elderly and patients with cancer. Inappropriate empirical treatment has been associated with increased risk of mortality in bacteremic cholangitis, and the probability of receiving inactive empirical treatment is higher in episodes caused by enterococci. This is because many of the antimicrobial agents recommended in guidelines for biliary tract infections lack activity against these organisms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the predictive factors for enterococcal BT-BSI and deriving a predictive score
Brief Report: CYP27B1 rs10877012 T Allele Was Linked to Non-AIDS Progression in ART-Naïve HIV-Infected Patients: A Retrospective Study.
HIV/AIDS progression is linked to vitamin D, which is regulated by several key cytochromes P450 (CYP). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP genes influence vitamin D metabolism and serum levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between CYP SNPs and the clinical AIDS progression in antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve HIV-infected patients.
We performed a retrospective study in 661 ART-naïve HIV-infected patients who were stratified by their AIDS progression pattern [181 long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs), 332 moderate progressors, and 148 rapid progressors (RPs)]. Four CYP SNPs (CYP2R1 rs10500804, CYP2R1 rs1993116, CYP27B1 rs10877012, and CYP24A1 rs6013897) were genotyped using Agena Bioscience's MassARRAY platform. Correction for multiple testing was performed using the false discovery rate (Benjamini-Hochberg procedure).
The adjusted regression showed a significant association only for CYP27B1 rs10877012 SNP. When analyzing all HIV patients, the rs10877012 T allele was protective against AIDS progression (ordinal outcome) under the dominant [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.69; P = 0.021) and additive (aOR) = 0.75; P = 0.025] inheritance models. When analyzing LTNPs versus RPs, the rs10877012 T allele also showed a significant protective association under the dominant (aOR = 0.45; P = 0.004) and additive (aOR = 0.54; P = 0.008) inheritance models. P values remained significant after correcting by multiple comparisons only for the comparison of LTNPs versus RPs (extreme phenotypes).
The CYP27B1 rs10877012 T allele was linked to non-AIDS progression in ART-naïve HIV-infected patients. The rs10877012 SNP seems to have an impact on the clinical AIDS progression, possibly modifying vitamin D levels, which could be relevant for the pathogenesis of HIV infection.This work has been (partially) funded by the RD16/0025/0019 and RD16CIII/0002/0002, projects as part of Acción Estratégica en Salud, Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (2013-2016) and cofinanced by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), RETIC PT17/0015/0042, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) (grant number PI16/01863, PI17/01115, PI17CIII/00003), EPIICAL Project and Comunidad de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3703). CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VINational R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, the Consolider Program, and CIBER Actions and financed by ISCIII with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. This work has been supported partially by a EUROPARTNER: Strengthening and spreading international partnership activities of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection for interdisciplinary research and innovation of the University of Lodz Programme: NAWA International Academic Partnership Programme. This article/publication is based upon work from COST Action CA 17140 "Cancer Nanomedicine from the Bench to the Bedside" supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). AFR and MAJS are supported by “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” [grant number CP14/0010and CP17CIII/00007, respectivelly].Programa de Investigación de la Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid to JLJ.S
Quality Analysis of YouTube Videos Presenting Pelvic Floor Exercises after Prostatectomy Surgery
Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is a major cause of disease and mortality among men.
Surgical treatment involving the removal of the prostate may result in temporary or permanent
erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence (UI), with considerable impact on quality of
life. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is one of the recommended techniques for the prevention,
treatment, and rehabilitation of postoperative complications. The aim of this observational study was
to assess the quality of YouTube videos—accessible to any patient—related to exercises after prostatectomy
surgery. Methods: A systematic search was performed on YouTube on 24 September 2020.
One hundred and fifty videos were selected and analyzed. Two statistical analyses were conducted
based on machine-learning techniques, and videos were classified as ‘Relevant’ or ‘Non-Relevant’
using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) models. Two reviewers conducted independent analyses.
Inter-observer agreement and individual correlations of video data were evaluated with the Intraclass
Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Information quality, reliability, and accuracy were measured using the
DISCERN Scale and Global Quality Score (GQS), while video popularity was evaluated using the
Video Power Index (VPI). Results: DISCERN scored a mean of 3.35 and GQS scored 3.38. Average
number of views was 124,354, mean duration was 14:42 min, mean days online was 1777, mean
view ratio was 138.30, mean Likes was 1082, mean Dislikes was 68.58, and mean VPI was 92.28.
Conclusions: The quality of the videos available on YouTube regarding the recommended pelvic floor
exercises in PC surgery, according to the scores obtained, is High. Educational and health institutions,
health professionals, government health authorities, and policy makers need to be involved in the
proper development of policies to improve the information available on the web in order to have a
positive impact on the healthy behavior of the population
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