711 research outputs found
Nutrients and Dietary Patterns Related to Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a common chronic disease characterized by a decrease in bone mineral
density, impaired bone strength, and an increased risk of fragility fractures. Fragility fractures are
associated with significant morbidity, mortality and disability and are a major public health problem
worldwide. The influence of nutritional factors on the development and progression of this disease
can be significant and is not yet well established. Calcium intake and vitamin D status are considered
to be essential for bone metabolism homeostasis. However, some recent studies have questioned the
usefulness of calcium and vitamin D supplements in decreasing the risk of fractures. The adequate
intake of protein, vegetables and other nutrients is also of interest, and recommendations have been
established by expert consensus and clinical practice guidelines. It is important to understand the
influence of nutrients not only in isolation but also in the context of a dietary pattern, which is a
complex mixture of nutrients. In this review, we evaluate the available scientific evidence for the
effects of the main dietary patterns on bone health. Although some dietary patterns seem to have
beneficial effects, more studies are needed to fully elucidate the true influence of diet on bone fragility.Instituto de Salud Carlos III
PI18/01235European Union (EU
Vitamin D Status, Calcium Intake and Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes: An Unresolved Issue
The relationship between vitamin D status, calcium intake and the risk of developing
type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a topic of growing interest. One of the most interesting non-skeletal
functions of vitamin D is its potential role in glucose homeostasis. This possible association is
related to the secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta cells, insulin resistance in different tissues and its
influence on systemic inflammation. However, despite multiple observational studies and several
meta-analyses that have shown a positive association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D
concentrations and the risk of T2D, no randomized clinical trials supplementing with different doses
of vitamin D have confirmed this hypothesis definitively. An important question is the identification
of what 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are necessary to influence glycemic homeostasis and the risk of
developing T2D. These values of vitamin D can be significantly higher than vitamin D levels required
for bone health, but the currently available data do not allow us to answer this question adequately.
Furthermore, a large number of observational studies show that dairy consumption is linked to
a lower risk of T2D, but the components responsible for this relationship are not well established.
Therefore, the importance of calcium intake in the risk of developing T2D has not yet been established.
Although there is a biological plausibility linking the status of vitamin D and calcium intake with the
risk of T2D, well-designed randomized clinical trials are necessary to answer this important question
Foeniculum sanguineum Triano y A. Pujadas (Apiaceae) nueva especie del suroeste de la Región Mediterránea
Foeniculum sanguineum Triano & A. Pujadas, sp. nov., from the south western Mediterranean Region (Spain & Morocco) is described. Its characterization and a comparative study with the related species Foeniculum vulgare Mill., has been carried out through morphological, cytological, chemical and molecular analysis. F. sanguineum is distinguished primarily for its red petals, pink pollen in fresh, and red stylopod. It is a diploid species (2n= 22). A high proportion of limonene and piperitenone oxide (absent in F. vulgare) has been found in the essential oil composition of the dry fruits of F. sanguineum and a high amount (about 50 %) of α-phellandrene in its roots and stems. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) and the chloroplast rbcL gene sequences. ITS analysis supports the existence of the new species, while revealing sequence divergence both at the intraspecific and at the interspecific levels. A Single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) sequence divergence found in the slow evolving chloroplast gene provided additional support for the novel species characterization, for which the name Foeniculum sanguineum is proposed
An open source framework based on Kafka-ML for Distributed DNN inference over the Cloud-to-Things continuum
The current dependency of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems on Cloud computing implies higher transmission latency and bandwidth consumption. Moreover, it challenges the real-time monitoring of physical objects, e.g., the Internet of Things (IoT). Edge systems bring computing closer to end devices and support time-sensitive applications. However, Edge systems struggle with state-of-the-art Deep Neural Networks (DNN) due to computational resource limitations. This paper proposes a technology framework that combines the Edge-Cloud architecture concept with BranchyNet advantages to support fault-tolerant and low-latency AI predictions. The implementation and evaluation of this framework allow assessing the benefits of running Distributed DNN (DDNN) in the Cloud-to-Things continuum. Compared to a Cloud-only deployment, the results obtained show an improvement of 45.34% in the response time. Furthermore, this proposal presents an extension for Kafka-ML that reduces rigidness over the Cloud-to-Things continuum managing and deploying DDNN
Obesity and Bone Health: A Complex Relationship
Recent scientific evidence has shown an increased risk of fractures in patients with obesity,
especially in those with a higher visceral adipose tissue content. This contradicts the old paradigm
that obese patients were more protected than those with normal weight. Specifically, in older subjects
in whom there is a redistribution of fat from subcutaneous adipose tissue to visceral adipose tissue and
an infiltration of other tissues such as muscle with the consequent sarcopenia, obesity can accentuate
the changes characteristic of this age group that predisposes to a greater risk of falls and fractures.
Other factors that determine a greater risk in older subjects with obesity are chronic proinflammatory
status, altered adipokine secretion, vitamin D deficiency, insulin resistance and reduced mobility. On
the other hand, diagnostic tests may be influenced by obesity and its comorbidities as well as by body
composition, and risk scales may underestimate the risk of fractures in these patients. Weight loss
with physical activity programs and cessation of high-fat diets may reduce the risk. Finally, more
research is needed on the efficacy of anti-osteoporotic treatments in obese patients.Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIEuropean Commission CD20/00022
PI18-00803
PI21-01069
PI18-01235European CommissionJunta de Andalucia PI-0268-201
RevisiĂłn de la evidencia cientĂfica sobre uso clĂnico del Trabecular Bone Score (TBS). Posiciones oficiales de la SEIOMM (2018)
La incorporaciĂłn de nuevas aplicaciones tecnolĂłgicas en el campo mĂ©dico conlleva un prolongado periodo de valoraciĂłn de la evidencia cientĂfica que se va generando en el proceso de validaciĂłn clĂnica.
En los últimos 5 años se han generado múltiples publicaciones, comunicaciones en congresos
y reuniones de sociedades cientĂficas. La aplicaciĂłn del Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) ha recibido tambiĂ©n la atenciĂłn de la Sociedad Internacional de DensitometrĂa ClĂnica (The International Society for Clinical Densitometry -ISCD-) que la ha incorporado a sus posiciones oficiales
Osteoglycin as a Potential Biomarker of Mild Kidney Function Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Osteoglycin (OGN) could be a biomarker of mild kidney function impairment in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our study aimed to determine the association between serum OGN and impaired kidney
function risk in T2D patients and to analyze its potential role as an estimator of kidney disturbances
in this population. This cross-sectional study included 147 T2D patients (65 ± 8 years, 58.5% males),
and 75 healthy controls (63 ± 10 years, 36% males). Circulating OGN levels were determined by
ELISA. Linear regression modeling was performed to determine the variables influencing circulating
OGN, and an ROC curve was plotted to assess the usefulness of OGN as an estimator of diabetic
kidney disease risk. Circulating OGN was significantly increased in T2D patients compared to
controls (18.41 (14.45–23.27) ng/mL vs. 8.74 (7.03–12.35) ng/mL; p < 0.001). We found a progressive
increase in serum OGN according to the severity of kidney impairment in T2D patients (normal
kidney function: 16.14 (12.13–20.48) ng/mL; mildly impaired kidney function: 19.15 (15.78–25.90)
ng/mL; moderate impaired kidney function: 21.80 (15.06–29.22) ng/mL; p = 0.006). Circulating OGN
was an independent estimator of mildly impaired kidney function risk in T2D patients. We suggest
that serum OGN could act as an albuminuria-independent biomarker of incipient kidney dysfunction
in T2D patients.Junta de AndalucĂa grants (PI-0207-2016 and PI0268-2019)Instituto de Salud Carlos III grants (PI18-00803 and PI18-01235)European Regional
Development Fund (FEDER)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FI19/00118; CD20/00022
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