jmpegg 1.0 – the pure java implementation of the MPEG-G ISO/IEC 23092 standard

jmpegg library provides MPEG-G files encoding/decoding features. The library is written in a pure java language without external dependencies. The library also supports conversion between MPEG-G and well-known genomic formats.High-throughput sequencing technologies consistently produce overwhelming amount of genomic data. This data is extremely important for the biomedical research and has an enormous impact on the progress in healthcare system. Considering the amount of generated sequencing data, data storage capacity became the principal concern for organizations like European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) or Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). The efficient and standard storage format is an important part of forging interoperability between different organizations. Several global initiatives such as ELIXIR and GA4GH already established the strategic partnership in standardization of genomic data formats andAPIs. On the other hand, other initiatives to provide a secure and efficient compressed format have appeared, such as MPEG-G (ISO/IEC 23092), developed by the MPEG working group of ISO (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29/WG11). MPEG-G, also supported by ISO/TC 276 on Biotechnology, is making efforts for a better alignment and integration with approaches taken by other initiatives such as GA4GH.Postprint (published version

Parenteral Nutrition: Current Use, Complications, and Nutrition Delivery in Critically Ill Patients

Background: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is needed to avoid the development of malnutrition when enteral nutrition (EN) is not possible. Our main aim was to assess the current use, complications, and nutrition delivery associated with PN administration in adult critically ill patients, especially when used early and as the initial route. We also assessed the differences between patients who received only PN and those in whom EN was initiated after PN (PN-EN). Methods: A multicenter (n = 37) prospective observational study was performed. Patient clinical characteristics, outcomes, and nutrition-related variables were recorded. Statistical differences between subgroups were analyzed accordingly. Results: From the entire population (n = 629), 186 (29.6%) patients received PN as initial nutrition therapy. Of these, 74 patients (11.7%) also received EN during their ICU stay (i.e., PNEN subgroup). PN was administered early (<48 h) in the majority of patients (75.3%; n = 140) and the mean caloric (19.94 +/- 6.72 Kcal/kg/day) and protein (1.01 +/- 0.41 g/kg/day) delivery was similar to other contemporary studies. PN showed similar nutritional delivery when compared with the enteral route. No significant complications were associated with the use of PN. Thirty-two patients (43.3%) presented with EN-related complications in the PN-EN subgroup but received a higher mean protein delivery (0.95 +/- 0.43 vs 1.17 +/- 0.36 g/kg/day; p = 0.03) compared with PN alone. Once adjusted for confounding factors, patients who received PN alone had a lower mean protein intake (hazard ratio (HR): 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18-0.47; p = 0.001), shorter ICU stay (HR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.91-0.99; p = 0.008), and fewer days on mechanical ventilation (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.81-0.89; p = 0.001) compared with the PN-EN subgroup. Conclusion: The parenteral route may be safe, even when administered early, and may provide adequate nutrition delivery. Additional EN, when possible, may optimize protein requirements, especially in more severe patients who received initial PN and are expected to have longer ICU stays. NCT Registry: 03634943

Formation of Self-Organized Mn3O4 Nanoinclusions in LaMnO3 Films

We present a single-step route to generate ordered nanocomposite thin films of secondary phase inclusions (Mn3O4) in a pristine perovskite matrix (LaMnO3) by taking advantage of the complex phase diagram of manganese oxides. We observed that in samples grown under vacuum growth conditions from a single LaMnO3 stoichiometric target by Pulsed Laser Deposition, the most favorable mechanism to accommodate Mn2+ cations is the spontaneous segregation of self-assembled wedge-like Mn3O4 ferrimagnetic inclusions inside a LaMnO3 matrix that still preserves its orthorhombic structure and its antiferromagnetic bulk-like behavior. A detailed analysis on the formation of the self-assembled nanocomposite films evidences that Mn3O4 inclusions exhibit an epitaxial relationship with the surrounding matrix that it may be explained in terms of a distorted cubic spinel with slight (~9°) c-axis tilting. Furthermore, a Ruddlesden-Popper La2MnO4 phase, helping to the stoichiometry balance, has been identified close to the interface with the substrate. We show that ferrimagnetic Mn3O4 columns influence the magnetic and transport properties of the nanocomposite by increasing its coercive field and by creating local areas with enhanced conductivity in the vicinity of the inclusions

Famílies botàniques de plantes medicinals

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia, Assignatura: Botànica Farmacèutica, Curs: 2013-2014, Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són els recull de 175 treballs d’una família botànica d’interès medicinal realitzats de manera individual. Els treballs han estat realitzat per la totalitat dels estudiants dels grups M-2 i M-3 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos d’abril i maig del curs 2013-14. Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pel professor de l’assignatura i revisats i finalment co-avaluats entre els propis estudiants. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica

Joint Observation of the Galactic Center with MAGIC and CTA-LST-1

MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), designed to detect very-high-energy gamma rays, and is operating in stereoscopic mode since 2009 at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos in La Palma, Spain. In 2018, the prototype IACT of the Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory, was inaugurated at the same site, at a distance of approximately 100 meters from the MAGIC telescopes. Using joint observations between MAGIC and LST-1, we developed a dedicated analysis pipeline and established the threefold telescope system via software, achieving the highest sensitivity in the northern hemisphere. Based on this enhanced performance, MAGIC and LST-1 have been jointly and regularly observing the Galactic Center, a region of paramount importance and complexity for IACTs. In particular, the gamma-ray emission from the dynamical center of the Milky Way is under debate. Although previous measurements suggested that a supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* plays a primary role, its radiation mechanism remains unclear, mainly due to limited angular resolution and sensitivity. The enhanced sensitivity in our novel approach is thus expected to provide new insights into the question. We here present the current status of the data analysis for the Galactic Center joint MAGIC and LST-1 observations

jmpegg 1.0 – the pure java implementation of the MPEG-G ISO/IEC 23092 standard

jmpegg library provides MPEG-G files encoding/decoding features. The library is written in a pure java language without external dependencies. The library also supports conversion between MPEG-G and well-known genomic formats.High-throughput sequencing technologies consistently produce overwhelming amount of genomic data. This data is extremely important for the biomedical research and has an enormous impact on the progress in healthcare system. Considering the amount of generated sequencing data, data storage capacity became the principal concern for organizations like European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) or Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). The efficient and standard storage format is an important part of forging interoperability between different organizations. Several global initiatives such as ELIXIR and GA4GH already established the strategic partnership in standardization of genomic data formats andAPIs. On the other hand, other initiatives to provide a secure and efficient compressed format have appeared, such as MPEG-G (ISO/IEC 23092), developed by the MPEG working group of ISO (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC29/WG11). MPEG-G, also supported by ISO/TC 276 on Biotechnology, is making efforts for a better alignment and integration with approaches taken by other initiatives such as GA4GH

Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) as a potential biomarker reflecting myocardial lipid storage in type 2 diabetes

Objective: Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) is an intracellular lipid chaperone involved in the crosstalk between adipose and peripheral tissues, and it contributes to widespread insulin resistance in cells, including cardiac cells. However, the role of this adipokine in regulating cardiac metabolism and myocardial neutral lipid content in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been elucidated. Methods: The impact of circulating FABP4 on the cardiac neutral lipid content was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, circulating FABP4 and the cardiac triglyceride content were analysed in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, and the impact of the exogenous FABP4 was explored in HL-1 cardiac cells. Results: Serum FABP4 levels were higher in type 2 diabetic patients compared to healthy individuals. Circulating FABP4 levels were associated with myocardial neutral lipid content in type 2 diabetic patients. In HFD-fed mice, both serum FABP4 and myocardial triglyceride content were increased. In FABP4-challenged HL-1 cells, extracellular FABP4 increased intracellular lipid accumulation, which led to impairment of the insulin-signalling pathway and reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. However, these effects were partially reversed by FABP4 inhibition with BMS309403, which attenuated the intracellular lipid content and improved insulin signalling and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Conclusions: Taken together, our results identify FABP4 as a molecule involved in diabetic/lipid-induced cardiomyopathy and indicate that this molecule may be an emerging biomarker for diabetic cardiomyopathy-related disturbances, such as myocardial neutral lipid accumulation. Additionally, FABP4 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic target for metabolic-related cardiac dysfunctions.This work was supported by funds from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain [PI15/00627 to LM and PI14/01729 to VLlC], Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional [FEDER to LM], the CIBER in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders [CB07/08/0028 to LM and CB07/08/0003 to MV-C] and CIBER Cardiovascular [CB16/11/00403 to DdG-C and VL-C], the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [SAF2015-64146-R to MV-C and TEC2015-69076-P to XC] and Fundació la Marató de TV3 2014 [to MV-C]. DdG-C was a recipient of Sara Borrell grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III Grant [CD14/00109]

Characteristics and outcomes of chronic pain patients referred to hospital pain clinics: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Understanding the patient referral patterns and medical profiles of patients attending hospital pain clinics, and the therapies offered to them, can provide a useful starting point for evaluating their effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered at twelve centres. The diagnoses and pain treatments provided by the referring doctors were compared with the ones provided by pain clinicians. Pain severity and patients' quality of life were measured prospectively. Descriptive statistics were compared. RESULTS: Two-hundred sixty-nine patients referred to 12 outpatient hospital pain clinics in Catalonia were followed for 3 months. Most were referred by orthopaedists (50.0%) or primary care physicians (20.2%). The mean age and time since pain onset were 59.4 and 4.1 years, respectively. Pain clinicians changed the diagnostic labels of 48.5% of the patients. Nearly all patients (89.2%) were receiving pain medications prior to referral. Treatment was modified in 94.8%. Pain clinicians used more interventional and/or alternative therapies (65.1% of patients), opioids (46.8%) and co-adjuvants (38.2%). Three months after referral, the 24-h worst and current pain severity had decreased by 30.9% and 27.8% on average, respectively. The mean (effect size) improvements in a quality of life (the EuroQol 5 Dimensions index) and pain (visual analogue scale) scores were, respectively, 0.16 (0.73) and 6.7 (0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Pain clinicians refined the diagnoses and treatments of patients referred to hospital pain clinics and improved outcomes. Relatively few patients are referred from primary care considering the prevalence of chronic pain in this setting.This research received funds from Laboratorios del Doctor Esteve, S.A

Characteristics and outcomes of chronic pain patients referred to hospital pain clinics: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Understanding the patient referral patterns and medical profiles of patients attending hospital pain clinics, and the therapies offered to them, can provide a useful starting point for evaluating their effectiveness and identifying areas for improvement. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered at twelve centres. The diagnoses and pain treatments provided by the referring doctors were compared with the ones provided by pain clinicians. Pain severity and patients' quality of life were measured prospectively. Descriptive statistics were compared. RESULTS: Two-hundred sixty-nine patients referred to 12 outpatient hospital pain clinics in Catalonia were followed for 3 months. Most were referred by orthopaedists (50.0%) or primary care physicians (20.2%). The mean age and time since pain onset were 59.4 and 4.1 years, respectively. Pain clinicians changed the diagnostic labels of 48.5% of the patients. Nearly all patients (89.2%) were receiving pain medications prior to referral. Treatment was modified in 94.8%. Pain clinicians used more interventional and/or alternative therapies (65.1% of patients), opioids (46.8%) and co-adjuvants (38.2%). Three months after referral, the 24-h worst and current pain severity had decreased by 30.9% and 27.8% on average, respectively. The mean (effect size) improvements in a quality of life (the EuroQol 5 Dimensions index) and pain (visual analogue scale) scores were, respectively, 0.16 (0.73) and 6.7 (0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Pain clinicians refined the diagnoses and treatments of patients referred to hospital pain clinics and improved outcomes. Relatively few patients are referred from primary care considering the prevalence of chronic pain in this setting.This research received funds from Laboratorios del Doctor Esteve, S.A