Foot orthoses for people with rheumatoid arthritis, involving quantitative and qualitative outcomes : protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves changes to foot structure and function, and there is an association between RA and foot pain. This pain affects those patient’s physical activity and experience of daily living. While there is clinical evidence for the value of foot orthoses (FO) on foot pain, there is a wide range of FO available and there is little evidence on the relative benefits of one orthoses type over another, especially in terms of their impact on physical activity and associated well-being. The aim of this study is to compare physical activity, general and foot health and foot health experiences in people with RA when wearing three different types of FO. Methods and analysis: A randomised controlled trial with three arms will compare the effects of (1) custom FO made using a direct adaptation technique, (2) custom FO made through a digital design and production process and (3) prefabricated orthoses. The primary outcome is physical activity measured using a GENEActiv bracelet. Secondary outcomes will be pain, function and disability and associated foot and general health evaluated using existing questionnaires. Semistructured interviews will identify patients’ experiences of the orthoses and living with RA. Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by the Portal de Ética de la Investigación Biomédica de Andalucía ethical committee (SPAR-001). The results will be disseminated regardless of the magnitude or direction of effect. Trial registration number: NCT03170947; Pre-results

Effectiveness of Statins as Primary Prevention in People With Different Cardiovascular Risk: A Population-Based Cohort Study

The purpose was to analyze statin effectiveness in a general population with differing levels of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Patients (35-74 years) without previous cardiovascular disease were included and stratified according to 10-year CHD risk ( < 5%, 5-7.4%, 7.5-9.9%, and 10-19.9%). New users were categorized according to their medical possession ratio (MPR). The main outcome was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke). In adherent patients (MPR 70%), statin treatment decreased ASCVD risk across the range of coronary risk (from 16-30%). The 5-year number needed to treat (NNT) was 470 and 204 in the risk categories < 5% and 5-7.4%, respectively, and 75 and 62 in the 7.5-9.9% category than in the 10-19.9% category, respectively. Statin therapy should remain a priority in patients at high 10-year CHD risk (10-19.9%). Most patients with intermediate risk could benefit from statin treatment, but the treatment decision should focus on the net benefit, safety, and patient preference, given the higher NNT

Sinergias y trade-offs del secuestro de carbono con otros servicios de los agroecosistemas: una síntesis de literatura global

Comunicación oral presentada en: XVI Congreso Nacional de la Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre. La Ecología en una biosfera humanizada. Almería, España. 16-20 octubre (2023)Las prácticas de manejo agrícola que incrementan el secuestro de carbono (C) promueven otros servicios de los agroecosistemas, como el mantenimiento de la estructura y la fertilidad del suelo o de la biodiversidad edáfica. Sin embargo, pueden incrementar la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero (GEIs) y la pérdida de nutrientes. Con el objetivo de revisar si las prácticas de secuestro de C muestran sinergias con la estructura y la biota edáficas, pero generan trade-offs en términos de emisión de CO2 y N2O o pérdidas de N y P, realizamos una síntesis de literatura global. Realizamos búsquedas sistemáticas de literatura para detectar artículos que evaluaran experimentalmente el efecto de minimizar la perturbación del suelo, diversificar los agroecosistemas y/o incrementar los aportes de materia orgánica frente a la utilización de prácticas convencionales. Detectamos 771 publicaciones, de las cuales incluimos 234 que analizaban 572 efectos en 228 sitios de 38 países. Las prácticas de manejo sostenible incrementaron el C en el suelo sin comprometer el rendimiento de los cultivos. El secuestro de C tuvo efectos positivos sobre la biota del suelo, más evidentes en términos de biomasa que de biodiversidad, así como sobre la agregación, porosidad, retención de agua y reducción de la compactación. Los efectos negativos del secuestro de C fueron en términos de emisión de CO2 y pérdida potencial de N. Discutiremos cómo estos efectos variaron entre prácticas de manejo, en el tiempo y el espacio, y revisaremos los principales vacíos de conocimiento detectados en la literatura

Trade-offs and synergies of carbon sequestration in global agricultural soils: a literature synthesis

Comunicación oral presentada en: EGU General Assembly 2023. Viena, Austria, 23-28 abril (2023)Agricultural management practices aimed at sequestering carbon (C) in soils can have synergies with many agroecosystem services, but may come at the cost of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient losses. We performed a systematic literature synthesis to review whether C sequestration practices show synergies with soil structure and soil biota, but generate trade-offs in terms of CO2 and N2O emissions or N and P losses worldwide. We also assessed whether the magnitude of trade-offs and synergies vary across climatic regions and over time. We performed systematic literature searches in the Web of Science for articles that: 1. experimentally assess the effect of minimising soil disturbance, diversifying agroecosystems, and/or increasing organic matter inputs versus standard practices, and 2. include measurements of C sequestration and at least another response variable related to synergies or trade-offs. We retrieved 771 publications, 537 of which were excluded based on i) the type of article (review, opinion papers), ii) a focus on non-soil habitats, forests or organic soils, or iii) experimental designs not matching our criteria. We included 234 studies that report 572 effects of sustainable practices on 228 sites located in 38 countries. Experiments averaged 10 years of monitoring and the majority reported effects of increasing organic matter inputs and minimising soil disturbance (88%) in temperate and continental climates (75%). Soil organic C increased without compromising crop yields considering all management practices together, i.e. positive effects of sustainable versus standard practices on C sequestration were more frequent than expected by chance. As expected, C sequestration promoted soil biota, but effects were more evident on biomass than on diversity. We also detected synergistic effects on soil aggregation, porosity, water retention and compaction. Negative effects of C retention practices were significant when considering GHG emissions and nutrient losses, particularly for CO2 emissions and mineral N accumulation. However, the magnitude of these trade-offs varied significantly depending on the metrics used to measure them, e.g. field versus lab GHG fluxes. We discuss how these effects vary across management practices, time and space, and review main knowledge gaps detected in the literature

From theoretical concepts to policies and applied programmes: the landscape of integration of oral health in primary care

Background: Despite its importance, the integration of oral health into primary care is still an emerging practice in the field of health care services. This scoping review aims to map the literature and provide a summary on the conceptual frameworks, policies and programs related to this concept. Methods: Using the Levac et al. six-stage framework, we performed a systematic search of electronic databases, organizational websites and grey literature from 1978 to April 2016. All relevant original publications with a focus on the integration of oral health into primary care were retrieved. Content analyses were performed to synthesize the results. Results: From a total of 1619 citations, 67 publications were included in the review. Two conceptual frameworks were identified. Policies regarding oral heath integration into primary care were mostly oriented toward common risk factors approach and care coordination processes. In general, oral health integrated care programs were designed in the public health sector and based on partnerships with various private and public health organizations, governmental bodies and academic institutions. These programmes used various strategies to empower oral health integrated care, including building interdisciplinary networks, training nondental care providers, oral health champion modelling, enabling care linkages and care coordinated process, as well as the use of e-health technologies. The majority of studies on the programs outcomes were descriptive in nature without reporting long-term outcomes. Conclusions: This scoping review provided a comprehensive overview on the concept of integration of oral health in primary care. The findings identified major gaps in reported programs outcomes mainly because of the lack of related research. However, the results could be considered as a first step in the development of health care policies that support collaborative practices and patient-centred care in the field of primary care sector

Laboratory estimates obscure the patterns of GHG emissions from agricultural soils

Comunicación oral presentada en: EJP Soil Annual Science Days 2023. Riga, Letonia 12-14 junio 2023Agricultural management practices aimed at sequestering carbon (C) in soils show synergies with many agroecosystem services, but may come at the cost of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We performed a systematic literature synthesis, followed by a meta-analysis and experimental measurements, to analyse whether C sequestration practices generate trade-offs in terms of CO2 and N2O emissions. We performed systematic literature searches in the Web of Science to look for articles published worldwide that experimentally assess the effect of: 1. minimising soil disturbance (reduced or no tillage), 2. diversifying agroecosystems (crop rotations, cover crops, intercropping), and/or 3. increasing organic matter inputs (crop residue retention, organic amendments) versus standard practices. We only included studies that quantified C sequestration and at least another response variable related to the synergies or trade-offs of C sequestration. We retrieved 771 publications, 537 of which were excluded based on the type of article, a focus on non-soil habitats, forests or organic soils, or experimental designs not matching our criteria. We included 234 studies that report 572 effects of sustainable practices on 228 sites located in 38 countries. Experiments averaged 10 years of monitoring and the majority reported effects of increasing organic matter inputs and minimising soil disturbance (88%) in temperate and continental climates (75%). Sustainable practices effectively sequestered more C than standard practices considering all studies together. In total, we detected 353 effects related to CO2 and N2O emissions, 51% of which were measured as field fluxes and 43% as laboratory fluxes. Taking both types of measurements, C sequestration increased GHG emissions, particularly CO2. However, the response of CO2 and N2O emissions (increase, neutral, decrease) of sustainable versus standard agricultural practices varied significantly depending on how emissions were measured (field or laboratory fluxes). This result was confirmed in a subsequent meta-analysis, including 71 articles that report 123 independent experiments: CO2 and N2O emissions increased significantly when using agricultural practices that sequester C, but the magnitude of this trade-off depended on the use of field or laboratory measurements. This pattern was remarkable for CO2, where lab fluxes (N=48) yielded significantly larger responses than field fluxes (N=50). Finally, we quantified CO2 emissions, both as field and laboratory fluxes, in a long-term (27 year) experiment in central Spain, comparing standard tillage (mouldboard plough 30 cm), reduced tillage (chisel plough, 15 cm) and no tillage (direct seeding). Field fluxes measured weekly for a month were significantly lower under no tillage compared to standard tillage, while laboratory fluxes under controlled conditions yielded the opposite result. Independent methodological approaches indicate that the use of laboratory fluxes, particularly to measure CO2, might overestimate the magnitude of the trade-offs of C sequestration in terms of climate regulation services

Cytochrome P450 20A1 in zebrafish: Cloning, regulation and potential involvement in hyperactivity disorders

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes for which there is no functional information are considered "orphan" CYPs. Previous studies showed that CYP20A1, an orphan, is expressed in human hippocampus and substantia nigra, and in zebrafish (Danio rerio) CYP20A1 maternal transcript occurs in eggs, suggesting involvement in brain and in early development. Moreover, hyperactivity is reported in humans with chromosome 2 microdeletions including CYP20A1. We examined CYP20A1 in zebrafish, including impacts of chemical exposure on expression. Zebrafish CYP20A1 cDNA was cloned, sequenced, and aligned with cloned human CYP20A1 and predicted vertebrate orthologs. CYP20A1s share a highly conserved N-terminal region and unusual sequences in the I-helix and the heme-binding CYP signature motifs. CYP20A1 mRNA expression was observed in adult zebrafish organs including the liver, heart, gonads, spleen and brain, as well as the eye and optic nerve. Putative binding sites in proximal promoter regions of CYP20A1s, and response of zebrafish CYP20A1 to selected nuclear and xenobiotic receptor agonists, point to up-regulation by agents involved in steroid hormone response, cholesterol and lipid metabolism. There also was a dose-dependent reduction of CYP20A1 expression in embryos exposed to environmentally relevant levels of methylmercury. Morpholino knockdown of CYP20A1 in developing zebrafish resulted in behavioral effects, including hyperactivity and a slowing of the optomotor response in larvae. The results suggest that altered expression of CYP20A1 might be part of a mechanism linking methylmercury exposure to neurobehavioral deficits. The expanded information on CYP20A1 brings us closer to "deorphanization" CYP20A1 functions and its roles in health and disease

Identification of Giardia lamblia DHHC Proteins and the Role of Protein S-palmitoylation in the Encystation Process

Protein S-palmitoylation, a hydrophobic post-translational modification, is performed by protein acyltransferases that have a common DHHC Cys-rich domain (DHHC proteins), and provides a regulatory switch for protein membrane association. In this work, we analyzed the presence of DHHC proteins in the protozoa parasite Giardia lamblia and the function of the reversible S-palmitoylation of proteins during parasite differentiation into cyst. Two specific events were observed: encysting cells displayed a larger amount of palmitoylated proteins, and parasites treated with palmitoylation inhibitors produced a reduced number of mature cysts. With bioinformatics tools, we found nine DHHC proteins, potential protein acyltransferases, in the Giardia proteome. These proteins displayed a conserved structure when compared to different organisms and are distributed in different monophyletic clades. Although all Giardia DHHC proteins were found to be present in trophozoites and encysting cells, these proteins showed a different intracellular localization in trophozoites and seemed to be differently involved in the encystation process when they were overexpressed. dhhc transgenic parasites showed a different pattern of cyst wall protein expression and yielded different amounts of mature cysts when they were induced to encyst. Our findings disclosed some important issues regarding the role of DHHC proteins and palmitoylation during Giardia encystation.Fil: Merino, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Zamponi, Nahuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Vranych, Cecilia Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Touz, Maria Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Ropolo, Andrea Silvana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV