Analgesic and physiological effects in conscious sedation with different nitrous oxide concentrations

Objectives: to study the physiological changes, as well as the psychosedative and analgesic effects of nitrous oxide, in experimental conditions. Study Design: 101 dental students volunteers participated in a single nitrous oxide sedation session without dental treatment. Signs and symptoms were registered during and after the procedure. Pulse rate and hemoglobin oxygen saturation were monitored at: 100 per cent O 2 , 30 per cent N 2 O, 50 per cent N 2 O and 5 minutes after 100 per cent O 2 . A Likert scale was used to evaluate pain perception. The analgesic effects of nitrous oxide were evaluated at: 30 per cent N 2 O, 50 per cent N 2 O, and five minutes postoperatively. Results: Pulse rate and hemoglobin oxygen saturation decreased significantly through all the procedure and after recovery. However, oxygen saturation recovered after the final oxygenation. Only 8.2% of subjects reported the pain stimulus as being quite annoying when they inhaled 30 per cent N 2 O, while this percentage was of 15.8 % when inhaling 50 per cent N 2 O, and of 32.7 % during the recovery period. The most common effects of nitrous oxide sedation were bright eyes (99%), voice change (98%) and smiling (91%). Most of the subjects reported tingling (98%) and relax (91.1%) Conclusions: nitrous oxide causes a significant decrease in heart rate and oxygen saturation, but always within safety limits. Maintaining an appropriate level of consciousness was confirmed as a feature in 50 per cent dose in this study. The analgesic effect of nitrous oxide was confirmed but a dose dependency could not be established

Safety and preliminary efficacy on cognitive performance and adaptive functionality of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in children with Down syndrome. A randomized phase Ib clinical trial (PERSEUS study)

Purpose: Although some caregivers are using epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) off label in hopes of improving cognition in young adults with Down syndrome (DS), nothing is known about its safety, tolerability, and efficacy in the DS pediatric population. We aimed to evaluate safety and tolerability of a dietary supplement containing EGCG and if EGCG improves cognitive and functional performance. Methods: A total of 73 children with DS (aged 6-12 years) were randomized. Participants received 0.5% EGCG (10 mg/kg daily dose) or placebo for 6 months with 3 months follow up after treatment discontinuation. Results: In total, 72 children were treated and 66 completed the study. A total of 38 participants were included in the EGCG group and 35 in the placebo group. Of 72 treated participants, 62 (86%) had 229 treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs). Of 37 participants in the EGCG group, 13 (35%) had 18 drug-related treatment-emergent AEs and 12 of 35 (34%) from the placebo group had 22 events. In the EGCG group, neither severe AEs nor increase in the incidence of AEs related to safety biomarkers were observed. Cognition and functionality were not improved compared with placebo. Secondary efficacy outcomes in girls point to a need for future work. Conclusion: The use of EGCG is safe and well-tolerated in children with DS, but efficacy results do not support its use in this population. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Ahora / Ara

La cinquena edició del microrelatari per l’eradicació de la violència contra les dones de l’Institut Universitari d’Estudis Feministes i de Gènere «Purificación Escribano» de la Universitat Jaume I vol ser una declaració d’esperança. Aquest és el moment en el qual les dones (i els homes) hem de fer un pas endavant i eliminar la violència sistèmica contra les dones. Ara és el moment de denunciar el masclisme i els micromasclismes començant a construir una societat més igualitària. Cadascun dels relats del llibre és una denúncia i una declaració que ens encamina cap a un món millor

Aprendiendo de plantas y compartiendo observaciones con nuevas tecnologías: FLORAPYR y FLORAMON en iNaturalist

La ciencia ciudadana está en plena expansión gracias a la disponibilidad de sencillas y potentes herramientas como las apps de los mó- viles. Presentamos dos proyectos creados en iNaturalist para el registro de plantas de montaña: “FLORAPYR” para la flora pirenaica, y “FLORAMON: Flora de los Parques Nacionales de Montaña” para los 6 parques españoles de montaña en la península ibérica. En el caso de FLORAPYR, la mitad de los participantes son nuevos en iNaturalist. Junto a veteranos que se han unido al proyecto, se han conseguido el 60% de las citas totales pirenaicas en apenas un año. El segundo comienza en verano del 2022 y confiamos en que también se convierta en un buen sistema para aunar el esfuerzo de ciudadanos y profesionales entorno a la conservación de la biodiversidad de algunos de los lugares más biodiversos de Europa.Citizen science is in full expansion thanks to the availability of simple and powerful tools such as mobile apps. We present the two projects we have created for mountain plants in iNaturalist: "FLORAPYR" for the Pyrenean flora, and "FLORAMON: Flora of mountain National Parks" for the 6 Spanish mountain parks in the Iberian Peninsula. Half of the FLORAPYR collaborators have joined iNaturalist for the first time. Newcomers and older members who joined the project, have collected 60% of the total number of Pyrenean observations in one year. The second starts in summer 2022 and we hope that it will also become a good tool to join the efforts of citizens and professionals around the conservation of biodiversity in some of the richest areas of Europ

Aprendiendo de plantas y compartiendo observaciones con nuevas tecnologías. FLORAPYR y FLORAMON en iNaturalist

[ES] La ciencia ciudadana está en plena expansión gracias a la disponibilidad de sencillas y potentes herramientas como las apps de los móviles. Presentamos dos proyectos creados en iNaturalist para el registro de plantas de montaña: "FLORAPYR" para la flora pirenaica, y "FLORAMON: Flora de los Parques Nacionales de Montaña" para los 6 parques españoles de montaña en la península ibérica. En el caso de FLORAPYR, la mitad de los participantes son nuevos en iNaturalist. Junto a veteranos que se han unido al proyecto, se han conseguido el 60% de las citas totales pirenaicas en apenas un año. El segundo comienza en verano del 2022 y confiamos en que también se convierta en un buen sistema para aunar el esfuerzo de ciudadanos y profesionales entorno a la conservación de la biodiversidad de algunos de los lugares más biodiversos de Europa.[EN] Citizen science is in full expansion thanks to the availability of simple and powerful tools such as mobile apps. We present the two projects we have created for mountain plants in iNaturalist: "FLORAPYR" for the Pyrenean flora, and "FLORAMON: Flora of mountain National Parks" for the 6 Spanish mountain parks in the Iberian Peninsula. Half of the FLORAPYR collaborators have joined iNaturalist for the first time. Newcomers and older members who joined the project, have collected 60% of the total number of Pyrenean observations in one year. The second starts in summer 2022 and we hope that it will also become a good tool to join the efforts of citizens and professionals around the conservation of biodiversity in some of the richest areas of Europe.Ciencia ciudadana y biodiversidad Nuevas tecnologías para el registro de la biodiversidad: el ejemplo de iNaturalist para flora Nuevos proyectos de iNaturalist para la flora de montaña y Parques Nacionales Contribución de los autores Agradecimientos Referencia

MDMA-Induced Dissociative State not Mediated by the 5-HT2A Receptor

Previous research has shown that a single dose of MDMA induce a dissociative state, by elevating feelings of depersonalization and derealization. Typically, it is assumed that action on the 5-HT2A receptor is the mechanism underlying these psychedelic experiences. In addition, other studies have shown associations between dissociative states and biological parameters (heart rate, cortisol), which are elevated by MDMA. In order to investigate the role of the 5-HT2 receptor in the MDMA-induced dissociative state and the association with biological parameters, a placebo-controlled withinsubject study was conducted including a single oral dose of MDMA (75 mg), combined with placebo or a single oral dose of the 5-HT2 receptor blocker ketanserin (40 mg). Twenty healthy recreational MDMA users filled out a dissociative states scale (CADSS) 90 min after treatments, which was preceded and followed by assessment of a number of biological parameters (cortisol levels, heart rate, MDMA blood concentrations). Findings showed that MDMA induced a dissociative state but this effect was not counteracted by pre-treatment with ketanserin. Heart rate was the only biological parameter that correlated with the MDMA-induced dissociative state, but an absence of correlation between these measures when participants were pretreated with ketanserin suggests an absence of directional effects of heart rate on dissociative state. It is suggested that the 5-HT2 receptor does not mediate the dissociative effects caused by a single dose of MDMA. Further research is needed to determine the exact neurobiology underlying this effect and whether these effects contribute to the therapeutic potential of MDMA

Effect of virgin olive oil and thyme phenolic compounds on blood lipid profile: implications of human gut microbiota.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of virgin olive oil phenolic compounds (PC) alone or in combination with thyme PC on blood lipid profile from hypercholesterolemic humans, and whether the changes generated are related with changes in gut microbiota populations and activities. METHODS: A randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover human trial (n = 12) was carried out. Participants ingested 25 mL/day for 3 weeks, preceded by 2-week washout periods, three raw virgin olive oils differing in the concentration and origin of PC: (1) a virgin olive oil (OO) naturally containing 80 mg PC/kg, (VOO), (2) a PC-enriched virgin olive oil containing 500 mg PC/kg, from OO (FVOO), and (3) a PC-enriched virgin olive oil containing a mixture of 500 mg PC/kg from OO and thyme, 1:1 (FVOOT). Blood lipid values and faecal quantitative changes in microbial populations, short chain fatty acids, cholesterol microbial metabolites, bile acids, and phenolic metabolites were analysed. RESULTS: FVOOT decreased seric ox-LDL concentrations compared with pre-FVOOT, and increased numbers of bifidobacteria and the levels of the phenolic metabolite protocatechuic acid compared to VOO (P < 0.05). FVOO did not lead to changes in blood lipid profile nor quantitative changes in the microbial populations analysed, but increased the coprostanone compared to FVOOT (P < 0.05), and the levels of the faecal hydroxytyrosol and dihydroxyphenylacetic acids, compared with pre-intervention values and to VOO, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The ingestion of a PC-enriched virgin olive oil, containing a mixture of olive oil and thyme PC for 3 weeks, decreases blood ox-LDL in hypercholesterolemic humans. This cardio-protective effect could be mediated by the increases in populations of bifidobacteria together with increases in PC microbial metabolites with antioxidant activities.This work was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III FEDER (RD12-0042, CB06/03/0028, CD10/00224, CP06/00100, CB06/02/0029, CA11/00215), Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2012-40144-C03-01, AGL2012-40144-C03-02, AGL2012-40144-C03-03, FPI:BES- 2010-040766), Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (2009 SGR 1195, 2014 SGR 240). We thank M Angels Calvo for the growth of pure cultures, Malén Massot for helping us in the elaboration of the FISH-FC protocol, Óscar Fornas and Cristina Llop for their technical assistance and Borges Mediterranean Group.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-1063-