Validity of ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes used to identify acute liver injury: a study in three European data sources

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Forns, J. [et al.]. Validity of ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes used to identify acute liver injury: a study in three European data sources. "Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety", 6 Juny 2019, vol. 28, núm. 7, p. 965-975, which has been published in final form at 10.1002/pds.4803. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."Purpose Validating cases of acute liver injury (ALI) in health care data sources is challenging. Previous validation studies reported low positive predictive values (PPVs). Methods Case validation was undertaken in a study conducted from 2009 to 2014 assessing the risk of ALI in antidepressants users in databases in Spain (EpiChron and SIDIAP) and the Danish National Health Registers. Three ALI definitions were evaluated: primary (specific hospital discharge codes), secondary (specific and nonspecific hospital discharge codes), and tertiary (specific and nonspecific hospital and outpatient codes). The validation included review of patient profiles (EpiChron and SIDIAP) and of clinical data from medical records (EpiChron and Denmark). ALI cases were confirmed when liver enzyme values met a definition by an international working group. Results Overall PPVs (95% CIs) for the study ALI definitions were, for the primary ALI definition, 84% (60%-97%) (EpiChron), 60% (26%-88%) (SIDIAP), and 74% (60%-85%) (Denmark); for the secondary ALI definition, 65% (45%-81%) (EpiChron), 40% (19%-64%) (SIDIAP), and 70% (64%-77%) (Denmark); and for the tertiary ALI definition, 25% (18%-34%) (EpiChron), 8% (7%-9%) (SIDIAP), and 47% (42%-52%) (Denmark). The overall PPVs were higher for specific than for nonspecific codes and for hospital discharge than for outpatient codes. The nonspecific code “unspecified jaundice” had high PPVs in Denmark. Conclusions PPVs obtained apply to patients using antidepressants without preexisting liver disease or ALI risk factors. To maximize validity, studies on ALI should prioritize hospital specific discharge codes and should include hospital codes for unspecified jaundice. Case validation is required when ALI outpatient cases are considered.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Contamination alters the physicochemical and textural characteristics of clays in the sediments of the peri urban reconquista river, affecting the associated indigenous microorganisms

The physicochemical and textural characteristics of river sediments and, essentially, their clays, are at the center of a network of biological and geochemical factors that are mutually modifying. Therefore, the contamination, the characteristics of the clays, and the associated microorganisms strongly influence each other. In this work, sediments from two sites of the urban Reconquista River, near Buenos Aires City, Argentina, exposed to different environmental contexts were characterized. The huge differences in the organic matter content in the vertical profile between both sediments strongly evidenced the polluted status of San Francisco (SF) site as opposed to the Dique Roggero (DR) site. Thorough physicochemical and textural characterization of the sediments and their clay fraction performed by pH, Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), spectrophotometry, XRD, laser diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, EDS, and SEM measurements revealed that organic matter (DR: 41 ± 5 g kg−1; SF: 150 ± 30 g kg−1 ) intervened in the retention of heavy metals (DR: 5.6 mg kg−1 Zn, 7 mg kg−1 Cu, 3.1 kg−1 Cr; SF: 240 mg kg−1 Zn, 60 mg kg−1 Cu, 270 mg kg−1 Cr) and affected the level of association and the formation of mineral–organic aggregates (DR: 15 ± 3 µm; SF: 23 ± 4 µm). This can be decisive in the surface interaction required for the establishment of bacterial assemblages, which determine the biogeochemical processes occurring in sediments and have a key role in the fate of contaminants in situ and in the remediation processes that need to be applied to restore the anoxic contaminated sediments.Fil: Tufo, Ana Elisabeth. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Vázquez, Susana Claudia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Nanobiotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Porzionato, Natalia Florencia. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Grimolizzi, María Celeste. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Prados, Maria Belen. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Area de Seguridad Nuclear y Ambiente. Instituto de Energía y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sica, Mauricio Pablo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Area de Seguridad Nuclear y Ambiente. Instituto de Energía y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Curutchet, Gustavo Andres. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentin

Aplicación del modelo de poros finos en el acondicionamiento de aguas para calderas

This investigation deals with the use of an intermediate membrane category for boiler water conditioning, in which the joining of the flows exists, but in a much smaller degree that In the viscous flow. In this work, different models have been proposed for this membrane application, such that represent these intermediate characteristics, as those reported by Sourirajan (1964) for cellulose acetate low-porous membranes. Three spiral polymeric reverse osmosis membranes (ESPA1, CPA2 and PAC) were used. Coefficients used in the model equations were obtained from flow and conductivity experimental data using these membranes. The model was optimized by means of the least squares algorithm and adjusted with a function objective, to obtain definitive coefficients for each membrane. Finally, model predictions were used for a boiler water conditioning system design.Esta investigación se desarrolló con el propósito de reemplazar el proceso de intercambio iónico en el acondicionamiento de aguas para calderas, debido a las ventajas de tipo técnico, ambiental y económico que tienen las tecnologías limpias que utilizan membranas, como es el caso de la ósmosis inversa. En las membranas de poros finos hay acoplamiento entre el flujo de solvente y solutos, pero en un grado mucho menor que en las membranas de flujo viscoso. Éstas fueron reportadas por Sourirajan (1964). Para ellas se han propuesto varios modelos, tal como el presentad() por. Merten (1966), del que se deriva esta aplicación. En este trabajo se utilizaron tres membranas poliméricas en espiral (ESPA1, CPA2 y PAC). Los coeficientes utilizados en las ecuaciones para su modelización se determinaron de forma experimental a partir de los datos de flujos y conductividades. El modelo de poros finos fue optimizado con el algoritmo de los mínimos cuadrados y ajustado con una función objetivo. La aplicación del modelo se hizo utilizando sus predicciones de flujo total y retención de solutos en el diseño de un sistema de acondicionamiento de aguas para caldera

Diseño de instalaciones para acondicionamiento de aguas mediante tecnologías limpias

This study is carried out to asses the use of a methodology and its application in designing a set up for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes as conditioning of feed boiler water depending on wáter salinity. The used model is one based in the fine porous principle because is the best for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes. It is necessary to know quality feed water and volume per second. The design has a thirty per cent recovery of the permeate feed water. The hydraulics study determinate elements number, energy losses, tangential speed, the permeation and rejection concentrations of membranes, volume of water rejection and jump power. The optimal result is with 0.06 and 0.6 mg/1 of calcium and necessary unadulterated water volume.Se presenta una metodología y su aplicación en el diseño de instalaciones con membranas para acondicionamiento de aguas ultrapuras para calderas, utilizando un modelo basado en el principio de los poros finos, como el más representativo para membranas de nanofiltración y ósmosis inversa. Se debe conocer la calidad del agua de alimentación y caudal que se requiere. El diseño tuvo en cuenta una recuperación de permeado del 30% del agua de alimentación. Según estudio hidráulico, se determinó el número de elementos, las pérdidas de carga, la velocidad tangencial, las concentraciones de permeado y de rechazo en las membranas, la cantidad de agua rechazada y la potencia de la bomba. El diseño óptimo se definió cuando se hallaron concentraciones de permeado del orden de 0,06 y 0,6 mg/1 de calcio y los caudales de agua ultrapura requeridos

Role of GUCA1C in Primary Congenital Glaucoma and in the Retina: Functional Evaluation in Zebrafish

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is a heterogeneous, inherited, and severe optical neuropathy caused by apoptotic degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell layer. Whole-exome sequencing analysis of one PCG family identified two affected siblings who carried a low-frequency homozygous nonsense GUCA1C variant (c.52G > T/p.Glu18Ter/rs143174402). This gene encodes GCAP3, a member of the guanylate cyclase activating protein family, involved in phototransduction and with a potential role in intraocular pressure regulation. Segregation analysis supported the notion that the variant was coinherited with the disease in an autosomal recessive fashion. GCAP3 was detected immunohistochemically in the adult human ocular ciliary epithelium and retina. To evaluate the ocular effect of GUCA1C loss-of-function, a guca1c knockout zebrafish line was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of GCAP3 in the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium and retina of adult wild-type fishes. Knockout animals presented up-regulation of the glial fibrillary acidic protein in Müller cells and evidence of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, indicating the existence of gliosis and glaucoma-like retinal damage. In summary, our data provide evidence for the role of GUCA1C as a candidate gene in PCG and offer new insights into the function of this gene in the ocular anterior segment and the retina.This research was funded by research grants from the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” (PI15/01193, PI19/00208 and RD16/0008/0019, OFTARED), the Regional Ministry of Science and Technology of the Board of the Communities of “Castilla-La Mancha” (SBPLY/17/180501/000404; http://www.educa.jccm.es/idiuniv/es). SA-M was sponsored by the Regional Ministry of Science and Technology of the Board of the Communities of “Castilla-La Mancha” (PREJCCM2016/28)

Implementación de metodologías activas de enseñanza-aprendizaje fuera del aula dentro del Programa Interuniversitario de la Experiencia, aplicando sinergias inter-sedes e inter-generacionales

Memoria ID-0035. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2014-2015

Factors Explaining Language Performance After Training in Elders With and Without Subjective Cognitive Decline

The present study explores if cognitive reserve, executive functions, and working memory capacity are predictive of performance in the language domain (specifically in sentence comprehension and naming) after a cognitive training intervention. Sixty-six Spanish older adults voluntarily participated in the study, classified either as older adults with subjective cognitive decline according to Jessen et al.’s (2014) criteria (n = 35; 70.94 ± 4.16 years old) or cognitively intact (n = 31; 71.34 ± 4.96 years old). Written sentence comprehension and visual confrontation naming were assessed both immediately after recruitment (at the baseline), and then 6 months later, once each participant had completed his/her cognitive training (a well-known program in Spain, called UMAM; English translation: Madrid City Council Memory Unit Program). Cognitive reserve, executive functions (cognitive flexibility and controlled interference efficiency), and working memory capacity were measured for all participants at the baseline. Results pointed out that the subjective cognitive decline group presented greater benefits in the language domain than cognitively intact participants. We also observed that lower executive functioning and working memory capacity at the baseline predicted larger benefits in language performance after training, but only in the group of cognitively intact older adults. However, selected predictors hardly explained subjective cognitive decline participants’ results in language performance after training

CPAMD8 loss-of-function underlies non-dominant congenital glaucoma with variable anterior segment dysgenesis and abnormal extracellular matrix

Abnormal development of the ocular anterior segment may lead to a spectrum of clinical phenotypes ranging from primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) to variable anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD). The main objective of this study was to identify the genetic alterations underlying recessive congenital glaucoma with ASD (CG-ASD). Next-generation DNA sequencing identified rare biallelic CPAMD8 variants in four patients with CG-ASD and in one case with PCG. CPAMD8 is a gene of unknown function and recently associated with ASD. Bioinformatic and in vitro functional evaluation of the variants using quantitative reverse transcription PCR and minigene analysis supported a loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism. Optical and electron microscopy of the trabeculectomy specimen from one of the CG-ASD cases revealed an abnormal anterior chamber angle, with altered extracellular matrix, and apoptotic trabecular meshwork cells. The CPAMD8 protein was immunodetected in adult human ocular fluids and anterior segment tissues involved in glaucoma and ASD (i.e., aqueous humor, non-pigmented ciliary epithelium, and iris muscles), as well as in periocular mesenchyme-like cells of zebrafish embryos. CRISPR/Cas9 disruption of this gene in F0 zebrafish embryos (96 hpf) resulted in varying degrees of gross developmental abnormalities, including microphthalmia, pharyngeal maldevelopment, and pericardial and periocular edemas. Optical and electron microscopy examination of these embryos showed iridocorneal angle hypoplasia (characterized by altered iris stroma cells, reduced anterior chamber, and collagen disorganized corneal stroma extracellular matrix), recapitulating some patients’ features. Our data support the notion that CPAMD8 loss-of-function underlies a spectrum of recessive CG-ASD phenotypes associated with extracellular matrix disorganization and provide new insights into the normal and disease roles of this gene

Evaluation of the potential association of SOHLH2 polymorphisms with non-obstructive azoospermia susceptibility in a large European population

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) or spermatogenic failure is a complex disease with an important genetic component that causes infertility in men. Known genetic factors associated with NOA include AZF microdeletions of the Y chromosome or karyotype abnormalities; however, most causes of NOA are idiopathic. During the last decade, a large list of associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and NOA have been reported. However, most of the genetic studies have been performed only in Asian populations. We aimed to evaluate whether the previously described association in Han Chinese between NOA and two SNPs of the SOHLH2 gene (involved in the spermatogenesis process) may also confer risk for NOA in a population of European ancestry. We genotyped a total of 551 NOA patients (218 from Portugal and 333 from Spain) and 1,050 fertile controls (226 from Portugal and 824 from Spain) for the genetic variants rs1328626 and rs6563386 using TaqMan assays. To test for association, we compared the allele and genotype frequencies between cases and controls using an additive model. A haplotype analysis and a meta-analysis using the inverse variance method with our data and those of the original Asian study were also performed. No statistically significant differences were observed in any of the analyses described above. Therefore, considering the high statistical power of our study, it is not likely that the two analysed SOHLH2 genetic variants are related with an increase susceptibility to NOA in the European population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

I.amAble: la ciencia (química) al alcance de toda la sociedad

En este proyecto de innovación, que nace con vocación de continuar en años sucesivos, se persigue mejorar la calidad de la formación de los estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (F. CC.QQ.) en el ámbito de la docencia teórico-práctica y de la divulgación científica. El trabajo ha consistido en la preparación de unos experimentos prácticos para llevarlos a cabo en centros educativos no universitarios en los que se ha tenido en cuenta la participación conjunta de personas con y sin diversidad funcional, desde una perspectiva inclusiva colaborativa. Estas actividades las han realizado los estudiantes bajo la supervisión de profesores (PDI) y personal de administración y servicios (PAS). Los experimentos se han recogido en fichas didácticas para facilitar su desarrollo y aplicación por parte de otros usuarios. En estas fichas se explica detalladamente cómo realizar las experiencias en formato de taller. Las fichas de los talleres realizados están disponibles en una página web vinculada a la Universidad Complutense bajo el título I.amAble (iamable.ucm.es). Está página ha sido construida por un estudiante de la Facultad de Informática , bajo la supervisión de profesionales, tanto de esa facultad como del Instituto de Tecnología del Conocimiento, y está abierta a contribuciones similares de otras facultades y otras instituciones. La página web está diseñada de manera que resulte lo más intuitiva y accesible posible para todo tipo de público. Entre todos los experimentos se han elegido cuatro para llevarlos a la práctica en centros educativos como actividades inclusivas en las que han participado conjuntamente personas con y sin discapacidad. Con este proyecto se pretende mejorar la calidad docente al ofrecer a los estudiantes la posibilidad de aprender enseñando mediante una actividad semipresencial. El desarrollo por parte de los estudiantes de competencias transversales en educación y en divulgación de la ciencia facilitarán algunas salidas profesionales en el ámbito educativo formal (centros de enseñanza) o informal (museos, animación sociocultural). Otro aspecto importante a resaltar es la potenciación de la colaboración entre todos los miembros de la institución universitaria. Este proyecto pretende contribuir a la mejora de la cultura científica, así como al establecimiento de puentes entre la UCM y la sociedad a la que debe servir. Finalmente, es importante subrayar que incidirá en la inclusión de las personas con discapacidad como parte de la sociedad, a través del acercamiento compartido a la ciencia (Dimensiones de inclusión social y derechos de Schalock; NAVAS MACHO, P. y otros, 2012. Derechos de las personas con discapacidad intelectual: implicaciones de la Convención de Naciones Unidas. Siglo Cero. 43 (243): 7-28.)