Anthropometric parameters regarding the nutritional status of schoolchildren

Objective. This study assesses the anthropometric parameters concerning the nutritional status of and establishes the prevalence of excessive weight, obesity, and malnutrition among schoolchildren in an educational institution on Colombia’s northern coast. Materials and methods. A quantitative correlational research was conducted. The sample included 556 children aged between 6 and 11 years (310 boys and 246 girls). Their weight, height, BMI, and nutritional status were evaluated, and the BMI/age variable (Z-score)was studied to determine the nutritional categories of underweight, normal, and excess weight (overweight and obese) through a descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using an unbalanced factorial design. Results. Thinness and obesity cases were reported, with 21.43% (119/556) of the students experiencing some kind of nutritional disorder. Although no statistically significant differences were observed between the gender factor levels, ANOVA showed that male students tend to move farther from the expectedZ-scores. Conclusion: The average Z-score of young students is usually closer to the expected score, whereas that of older students is farthest from expectation, in addition to showing greater variability between measures

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs.Many genetic loci have been identified to be associated with kidney disease, but the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, the authors perform epigenome-wide association studies on kidney function measures to identify epigenetic marks and pathways involved in kidney function.</p

Hotspots of biogeochemical activity linked to aridity and plant traits across global drylands

14 páginas.- 4 figuras.- 67 referencias.- The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01670-7Perennial plants create productive and biodiverse hotspots, known as fertile islands, beneath their canopies. These hotspots largely determine the structure and functioning of drylands worldwide. Despite their ubiquity, the factors controlling fertile islands under conditions of contrasting grazing by livestock, the most prevalent land use in drylands, remain virtually unknown. Here we evaluated the relative importance of grazing pressure and herbivore type, climate and plant functional traits on 24 soil physical and chemical attributes that represent proxies of key ecosystem services related to decomposition, soil fertility, and soil and water conservation. To do this, we conducted a standardized global survey of 288 plots at 88 sites in 25 countries worldwide. We show that aridity and plant traits are the major factors associated with the magnitude of plant effects on fertile islands in grazed drylands worldwide. Grazing pressure had little influence on the capacity of plants to support fertile islands. Taller and wider shrubs and grasses supported stronger island effects. Stable and functional soils tended to be linked to species-rich sites with taller plants. Together, our findings dispel the notion that grazing pressure or herbivore type are linked to the formation or intensification of fertile islands in drylands. Rather, our study suggests that changes in aridity, and processes that alter island identity and therefore plant traits, will have marked effects on how perennial plants support and maintain the functioning of drylands in a more arid and grazed world.This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC grant 647038 (BIODESERT) awarded to F.T.M.) and Generalitat Valenciana (CIDEGENT/2018/041). D.J.E. was supported by the Hermon Slade Foundation (HSF21040). J. Ding was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Project (41991232) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China. M.D.-B. acknowledges support from TED2021-130908B-C41/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/Unión Europea Next Generation EU/PRTR and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the I + D + i project PID2020-115813RA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. O.S. was supported by US National Science Foundation (Grants DEB 1754106, 20-25166), and Y.L.B.-P. by a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship (MSCA-1018 IF) within the European Program Horizon 2020 (DRYFUN Project 656035). K.G. and N.B. acknowledge support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) SPACES projects OPTIMASS (FKZ: 01LL1302A) and ORYCS (FKZ: FKZ01LL1804A). B.B. was supported by the Taylor Family-Asia Foundation Endowed Chair in Ecology and Conservation Biology, and M. Bowker by funding from the School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University. C.B. acknowledges funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41971131). D.B. acknowledges support from the Hungarian Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFI KKP 144096), and A. Fajardo support from ANID PIA/BASAL FB 210006 and the Millennium Science Initiative Program NCN2021-050. M.F. and H.E. received funding from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (grant 39843). A.N. and M.K. acknowledge support from FCT (CEECIND/02453/2018/CP1534/CT0001, SFRH/BD/130274/2017, PTDC/ASP-SIL/7743/2020, UIDB/00329/2020), EEA (10/CALL#5), AdaptForGrazing (PRR-C05-i03-I-000035) and LTsER Montado platform (LTER_EU_PT_001) grants. O.V. acknowledges support from the Hungarian Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFI KKP 144096). L.W. was supported by the US National Science Foundation (EAR 1554894). Y.Z. and X.Z. were supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2003214). H.S. is supported by a María Zambrano fellowship funded by the Ministry of Universities and European Union-Next Generation plan. The use of any trade, firm or product names does not imply endorsement by any agency, institution or government. Finally, we thank the many people who assisted with field work and the landowners, corporations and national bodies that allowed us access to their land.Peer reviewe

[Montreal 1976] [Material gráfico]

Contiene fotografías pertenecientes al archivo fotográfico del diario "Región", publicadas entre 1974 y 1976, aunque la mayoría en 1976Todas las fotografías firmadas por Foto E. Gar (Oviedo), Cifra Gráfica, y EF

Sintomas depressivos e de ansiedade e apoio social estão associados de modo independente à qualidade de vida específica da doença em pacientes colombianos com artrite reumatoide

RESUMOObjetivo:Analisar a relação entre a qualidade de vida (QV) específica da doença e fatores sociodemográficos, clínicos e psicossociais em pacientes colombianos com artrite reumatoide (AR).Métodos:Recrutaram-se 103 pacientes com AR em centros ambulatoriais de Neiva, na Colômbia. Eles responderam ao Disease Activity Scale 28 (DAS-28), QOL-RA, Escala de Autoavaliação da Depressão de Zung, Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado (Idate), Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12 (Isel-12) e Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R).Resultados:Escores mais baixos de QOL-RA estiveram associados a uma pior condição socioeconômica (CSE; r = 0,26, p < 0,01), maior probabilidade de usar opioides (t = -2,51, p < 0,05), maior probabilidade de doença pulmonar comórbida (t = -2,22, p < 0,05) e pontuações inferiores nas subescalas do ISEL-12 (r's = 0,41-0,31, p's < 0,001). Uma menor pontuação no QOL-RA esteve associada a escores mais elevados no DAS-28 (r = -0,28, p < 0,01), Escala Analógica Visual (EVA; r = -0,35, p < 0,001), Escala de Autoavaliação da Depressão de Zung (r = -0,72, p < 0,001), Idate-Estado (r = -0,66, p < 0,001), Idate-Traço (r = -0,70, p < 0,001), SCL-90R Índice de Gravidade Global (r = -0,50, p < 0,001), SCL-90R Total de Sintomas Positivos (r = -0,57, p < 0,001) e todas as subescalas do SCL-90R (r's = -0,54 a -0,21, p's < 0,01). Um modelo de regressão linear múltipla indicou que a CSE (B = 2,77, p < 0,05), a Escala de Autoavaliação da Depressão de Zung (B = -0,53, p < 0,001), o Idate-Estado (B = -0,26, p < 0,05) e o Isel-12 Pertencimento (B = 1,15, p < 0,01) estavam independentemente associados à pontuação no QOL-RA, mesmo quando controlados por associações significativas.Conclusões:Mais sintomas depressivos e de ansiedade estiveram independentemente associados a uma menor QV específica da doença, enquanto a percepção aumentada de ter pessoas com quem fazer atividades (pertencimento, apoio social) e CSE mais elevados estiveram independentemente associados a uma maior QV específica da doença. Os fatores psicossociais impactam na QV na AR acima e além da atividade da doença. É necessária pesquisa adicional acerca dos benefícios da avaliação psicossocial do paciente com AR e da prestação de cuidados abrangentes para melhorar a QV

The Mobility of a Conserved Tyrosine Residue Controls Isoform-Dependent Enzyme–Inhibitor Interactions in Nitric Oxide Synthases

Many pyrrolidine-based inhibitors highly selective for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) over endothelial NOS (eNOS) exhibit dramatically different binding modes. In some cases, the inhibitor binds in a 180° flipped orientation in nNOS relative to eNOS. From the several crystal structures we have determined, we know that isoform selectivity correlates with the rotamer position of a conserved tyrosine residue that H-bonds with a heme propionate. In nNOS, this Tyr more readily adopts the out-rotamer conformation, while in eNOS, the Tyr tends to remain fixed in the original in-rotamer conformation. In the out-rotamer conformation, inhibitors are able to form better H-bonds with the protein and heme, thus increasing inhibitor potency. A segment of polypeptide that runs along the surface near the conserved Tyr has long been thought to be the reason for the difference in Tyr mobility. Although this segment is usually disordered in both eNOS and nNOS, sequence comparisons and modeling from a few structures show that this segment is structured quite differently in eNOS and nNOS. In this study, we have probed the importance of this surface segment near the Tyr by making a few mutants in the region followed by crystal structure determinations. In addition, because the segment near the conserved Tyr is highly ordered in iNOS, we also determined the structure of an iNOS–inhibitor complex. This new structure provides further insight into the critical role that mobility plays in isoform selectivity