Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population at risk of type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in two Latin American cities

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) characteristics in a population at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in Barranquilla and Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 1135 participants older than 30 years-of-age recruited in Bogotá D.C., and Barranquilla by cluster sampling in 2018 to 2019. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) was used to detect participants at risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals CI). Results: Moderate or extreme problems appeared more frequently in the dimensions of Pain/Discomfort (60.8%) and Anxiety/Depression (30.8%). The mean score of the EQ-VAS was 74.3 (± 17.3), significantly larger in the state of complete health (11111) compared with those with problems in more than one of the quality-of-life dimensions. Being female and living in Bogota D.C., were associated with greater odds of reporting problems in the Pain (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.2) and Discomfort dimensions (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2–2.0) respectively and Anxiety/Depression (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3–2.7), (OR 9.1; 95% CI 6.6–12.4), respectively. Conclusions: As living place and sex were associated with dimensions of Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression in the HRQoL in people at risk of T2D, greater attention should be paid to these determinants of HRQoL to design and reorient strategies with a territorial and gender perspective to achieve better health outcomes. Plain English summary: Diabetes is one of the four non-communicable diseases with increasing prevalence in the world, which has made it a serious public health problem. In Colombia, in 2019 diabetes affected 8.4% of the Colombian adult population and more than one million Colombian adults of this age group have hidden or undetected diabetes. This disease is not only characterized by increased premature mortality, loss of productivity, and economic impact, but it also involves a deterioration in the quality of life of people with diabetes with their respective families. However, very Little is known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population at risk or with prediabetes. This study has evaluated the quality of life in patients at risk of diabetes and their behavior with some variables as sociodemographic, lifestyle, history, and established their diference in two territories of the Colombian Caribbean. The results of this study indicate that the HRQoL of people at risk of type 2 diabetes is afected by factors such as gender, city, dysglycemia, medication for hypertension and education level. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to these determinants of HRQL to design and implement strategies that reduce this risk of developing type 2 diabetes, prevent prediabetes and improve the quality of life in prediabetic or diabetic patients.This project was financed by the Colombian National Program for Science, Technology, and Health Innovation (COLCIENCIAS) in line with the theme focused on chronic non-transmutable diseases. This was in response to the 744 Call for projects in science, technology, and health innovation of 2016 in association with the Universidad del Norte of Barranquilla and the Colombian Diabetes Association.S

Average Entropy of a Subsystem from its Average Tsallis Entropy

In the nonextensive Tsallis scenario, Page's conjecture for the average entropy of a subsystem[Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 71}, 1291(1993)] as well as its demonstration are generalized, i.e., when a pure quantum system, whose Hilbert space dimension is $mn$, is considered, the average Tsallis entropy of an $m$-dimensional subsystem is obtained. This demonstration is expected to be useful to study systems where the usual entropy does not give satisfactory results.Comment: Revtex, 6 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

ITGB1-dependent upregulation of Caveolin-1 switches TGF beta signalling from tumour-suppressive to oncogenic in prostate cancer

Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is over-expressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and is associated with adverse prognosis, but the molecular mechanisms linking CAV1 expression to disease progression are poorly understood. Extensive gene expression correlation analysis, quantitative multiplex imaging of clinical samples, and analysis of the CAV1-dependent transcriptome, supported that CAV1 re-programmes TGF beta signalling from tumour suppressive to oncogenic (i.e. induction of SLUG, PAI-1 and suppression of CDH1, DSP, CDKN1A). Supporting such a role, CAV1 knockdown led to growth arrest and inhibition of cell invasion in prostate cancer cell lines. Rationalized RNAi screening and high-content microscopy in search for CAV1 upstream regulators revealed integrin beta1 (ITGB1) and integrin associated proteins as CAV1 regulators. Our work suggests TGF beta signalling and beta1 integrins as potential therapeutic targets in PCa over-expressing CAV1, and contributes to better understand the paradoxical dual role of TGF beta in tumour biology.Peer reviewe

Evapotranspiration estimates derived using thermal-based satellite remote sensing and data fusion for irrigation management in California vineyards

Irrigation in the Central Valley of California is essential for successful wine grape production. With reductions in water availability in much of California due to drought and competing water-use interests, it is important to optimize irrigation management strategies. In the current study, we investigate the utility of satellite-derived maps of evapotranspiration (ET) and the ratio of actual-to-reference ET (fRET) based on remotely sensed land-surface temperature (LST) imagery for monitoring crop water use and stress in vineyards. The Disaggregated Atmosphere Land EXchange Inverse (ALEXI/DisALEXI) surface-energy balance model, a multi-scale ET remote-sensing framework with operational capabilities, is evaluated over two Pinot noir vineyard sites in central California that are being monitored as part of the Grape Remote-Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX). A data fusion approach is employed to combine ET time-series retrievals from multiple satellite platforms to generate estimates at both the high spatial (30 m) and temporal (daily) resolution required for field-scale irrigation management. Comparisons with micrometeorological data indicate reasonable model performance, with mean absolute errors of 0.6 mm day−1 in ET at the daily time step and minimal bias. Values of fRET agree well with tower observations and reflect known irrigation. Spatiotemporal analyses illustrate the ability of ALEXI/DisALEXI/data fusion package to characterize heterogeneity in ET and fRET both within a vineyard and over the surrounding landscape. These findings will inform the development of strategies for integrating ET mapping time series into operational irrigation management framework, providing actionable information regarding vineyard water use and crop stress at the field and regional scale and at daily to multi-annual time scales.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The Pioneer anomaly in the context of the braneworld scenario

We examine the Pioneer anomaly - a reported anomalous acceleration affecting the Pioneer 10/11, Galileo and Ulysses spacecrafts - in the context of a braneworld scenario. We show that effects due to the radion field cannot account for the anomaly, but that a scalar field with an appropriate potential is able to explain the phenomena. Implications and features of our solution are analyzed.Comment: Final version to appear at Classical & Quantum Gravity. Plainlatex 19 page

AKT Signaling Mediates IGF-I Survival Actions on Otic Neural Progenitors

Background: Otic neurons and sensory cells derive from common progenitors whose transition into mature cells requires the coordination of cell survival, proliferation and differentiation programmes. Neurotrophic support and survival of post-mitotic otic neurons have been intensively studied, but the bases underlying the regulation of programmed cell death in immature proliferative otic neuroblasts remains poorly understood. The protein kinase AKT acts as a node, playing a critical role in controlling cell survival and cell cycle progression. AKT is activated by trophic factors, including insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), through the generation of the lipidic second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Here we have investigated the role of IGF-dependent activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway in maintenance of otic neuroblasts. Methodology/Principal Findings: By using a combination of organotypic cultures of chicken (Gallus gallus) otic vesicles and acoustic-vestibular ganglia, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we show that IGF-I-activation of AKT protects neural progenitors from programmed cell death. IGF-I maintains otic neuroblasts in an undifferentiated and proliferative state, which is characterised by the upregulation of the forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor. By contrast, our results indicate that post-mitotic p27Kip-positive neurons become IGF-I independent as they extend their neuronal processes. Neurons gradually reduce their expression of the Igf1r, while they increase that of the neurotrophin receptor, TrkC. Conclusions/Significance: Proliferative otic neuroblasts are dependent on the activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by IGF-I for survival during the otic neuronal progenitor phase of early inner ear development

The LHCb Silicon Inner Tracker

The inner part of the LHCb main tracking system will be realized in a silicon microstrip technology. The experimental requirements suggest approximately 20 cm-long ladders and a readout pitch of around 200 m. The LHCb Inner Tracker system will consist of three tracking stations having a total of 12 detection layers summing to an overall silicon surface area of approximately 4.2 m2. A report about the status of the current R&D of the silicon ladders and tracking stations of the LHCb Inner Tracker is given

Constraints on the steady and pulsed very high energy gamma-ray emission from observations of PSR B1951+32/CTB 80 with the MAGIC Telescope

We report on very high energy gamma-observations with the MAGIC Telescope of the pulsar PSR B1951+32 and its associated nebula, CTB 80. Our data constrain the cutoff energy of the pulsar to be less than 32 GeV, assuming the pulsed gamma-ray emission to be exponentially cut off. The upper limit on the flux of pulsed gamma-ray emission above 75 GeV is 4.3*10^-11 photons cm^-2 sec^-1, and the upper limit on the flux of steady emission above 140 GeV is 1.5*10^-11 photons cm^-2 sec^-1. We discuss our results in the framework of recent model predictions and other studies.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, replaced with published versio

Research agenda for preventing mosquito-transmitted diseases through improving the built environment in sub-Saharan Africa

Mosquito-transmitted diseases are a major threat to health in sub-Saharan Africa, but could be reduced through modifications to the built environment. Here we report findings from a major workshop held to identify the research gaps in this area, namely: (1) evidence of the health benefits to changes to the built environment, (2) understanding how mosquitoes enter buildings, (3) novel methods for reducing mosquito-house entry, (4) sustainable approaches for reducing mosquito habitats, (5) case studies of micro-financing for healthy homes and (6) methods for increasing scale-up. Multidisciplinary research is essential to build out mosquito-transmitted diseases, and not build them in