Gender peculiarities of gastroesophageal reflux disease

We studied gender-specific clinical manifestations and risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the urban population of Ulan-Ude. The study included 352 patients with GERD. It was found that in both sexes prevailed not erosive reflux disease. It was detected in 64,2% of men and in 88% of women (p = 0,005). Men significantly more often had severe forms of the disease: erosive esophagitis - 19,8% more often than in women (p = 0,04), in 2,9% of men we revealed esophageal ulcers, in 1,1% - Barrett esophagus, while the in women didn't have these forms of the disease. Daily repeated heartburn was found in women twice more often than in men. Average grade of GERD-Q questionnaire for women was also significantly higher than for men by 19% (p = 0,04). Women had higher levels of anxiety and depression (average grade on BDI was higher by 29% than in men). Men had significantly more frequently such risk factors as smoking, alcohol intake and women more often had diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease

RISK FACTORS FOR EXTRAESOPHAGEAL SYMPTOMS OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE

The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency and nature of extraesophageal symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. 122 patients with GERD without comorbidity have been examined (58 males, 64 females). The anthropometrical survey has been performed; estimated age, duration of the disease and smoking have been taken into account. Extraesophageal symptoms were diagnosed with the rabeprazole test, the frequency and intensity of the symptoms were evaluated using a Likert scale. All patients underwent endoscopic examination and the assessment of quality of life by means of the SF-36 questionnaire. Extraesophageal symptoms of GERD were diagnosed in 38 (31.1 %) patients, reflux laryngitis - in 14 (9.8 %) patients, reflux-pharyngitis - in 7 (4.1 %) patients, reflux cough - in 11 (7.3 %) patients, heart pain - in 6 (3.2 %) patients. In patients with extraesophageal manifestations compared with the patients having only physical symptoms, body mass index and the severity of heartburn on the Likert scale were significantly higher. Other indicators, such as disease duration, smoking, presence of erosive changes in the mucous membrane of the esophagus, hernia hiatal didn't statistically reveal any difference between the groups. When comparing the quality of life it has been revealed that the indicators of physical health had no statistical difference in the two groups, when mental health indices were lower in those with extraesophageal symptoms of GERD

The aged lymphoid tissue environment fails to support naive T cell homeostasis.

Aging is associated with a gradual loss of naive T cells and a reciprocal increase in the proportion of memory T cells. While reduced thymic output is important, age-dependent changes in factors supporting naive T cells homeostasis may also be involved. Indeed, we noted a dramatic decrease in the ability of aged mice to support survival and homeostatic proliferation of naive T cells. The defect was not due to a reduction in IL-7 expression, but from a combination of changes in the secondary lymphoid environment that impaired naive T cell entry and access to key survival factors. We observed an age-related shift in the expression of homing chemokines and structural deterioration of the stromal network in T cell zones. Treatment with IL-7/mAb complexes can restore naive T cell homeostatic proliferation in aged mice. Our data suggests that homeostatic mechanisms that support the naive T cell pool deteriorate with age.11128Ysciescopu

Bioinspired Magneto-optical Bacteria

“Two-in-one” magneto-optical bacteria have been produced using the probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum for the first time. We took advantage of two features of bacteria to synthesize this novel and bifunctional nanostructure: their metal-reducing properties, to produce gold nanoparticles, and their capacity to incorporate iron oxide nanoparticles at their external surface. The magneto-optical bacteria survive the process and behave as a magnet at room temperature.This work was funded by Biosearch S.A. (POSTBIO project-Agency for Innovation and Development of Andalucia IDEA) and by MINECO and FEDER (project CTQ2012-32236)

Firm-specific, country-specific and region-specific competitive advantages: the case of emerging economy MNEs - Thailand

Increasing levels of regional economic integration have created a new source of international competitiveness for MNEs from an emerging economy, Thailand, in the context of ASEAN economic integration. Building on the theoretical framework of firm-specific advantages (FSAs) and country-specific advantages (CSAs) grounded in internalization theory, we introduce region-specific advantages (RSAs) and advance a novel regional dual-double-diamond model to analyse regional competitiveness. Using both primary and secondary data we find that most Thai firms derive their international competitiveness from CSAs rather than FSAs, and will benefit from ASEAN RSAs. Our study significantly advances the literature on international competitiveness of emerging-economy MNEs

Модель прогнозирования послеоперационной пневмонии в абдоминальной хирургии: результаты наблюдательного многоцентрового исследования

АКТУАЛЬНОСТЬ: Ведущее место в структуре послеоперационных осложнений занимает послеоперационная пневмония. Учитывая распространенность послеоперационной пневмонии и рост числа хирургических процедур, прогнозирование ее развития является актуальной задачей, позволяющей принять меры по снижению частоты ее возникновения, путем оптимизации периоперационного периода. Несмотря на свою ценность, существующие шкалы прогнозирования послеоперационной пневмонии не обеспечивают отечественных специалистов надежным и постоянным методом, с помощью которого можно стратифицировать риск развития послеоперационной пневмонии в нашей популяции. ЦЕЛЬ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ: разработка модели прогнозирования послеоперационной пневмонии на основе выявления факторов риска ее развития. МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: Многоцентровое проспективное исследование, 6844 пациента старше 18 лет, подвергающиеся плановым оперативным вмешательствам на органах брюшной полости. Оценивали 30-дневную летальность и послеоперационную пневмонию. На первом этапе исследования проводилось сравнение между группой с пневмонией и группой без пневмонии исходных данных пациентов, а также факторов, связанных с операцией и анестезией. На втором этапе исследования проводился логистический регрессионный анализ для оценки вклада факторов в развитие послеоперационной пневмонии. На третьем этапе исследования выполнялось построение модели прогнозирования послеоперационной пневмонии по данным многомерного логистического регрессионного анализа. На заключительном этапе производилось сравнение полученной модели с моделями прогнозирования других авторов, встречающихся в мировой литературе. РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ: Пневмония выявлена у 53 пациентов (0,77 %). Летальный исход наблюдался у 39 пациентов: у пациентов с пневмонией в 15 случаях (28,3 %), а без пневмонии — в 24 случаях (0,4 %). Ретроспективно с учетом полученной модели к группе высокого риска развития пневмонии были отнесены 933 пациента, частота развития пневмонии составляла 4,5 %. В группе низкого риска развития пневмонии — 5911 пациентов, частота развития пневмонии составляла 0,19 %. ВЫВОДЫ: Выявлены восемь независимых переменных, связанных с послеоперационной пневмонией: длительность операции, курение, полная функциональная зависимость, периоперационная анемия, требующая применения препаратов железа, интраоперационное применение вазопрессоров, III функциональный класс по классификации Американского общества анестезиологов, применение бронходилатирующих препаратов по поводу хронической обструктивной болезни легких, высокий операционный риск. Модель прогнозирования послеоперационной пневмонии имеет отличную прогностическую значимость (AUROC = 0,904)

Potential therapeutic applications of microbial surface-activecompounds

Numerous investigations of microbial surface-active compounds or biosurfactants over the past two decades have led to the discovery of many interesting physicochemical and biological properties including antimicrobial, anti-biofilm and therapeutic among many other pharmaceutical and medical applications. Microbial control and inhibition strategies involving the use of antibiotics are becoming continually challenged due to the emergence of resistant strains mostly embedded within biofilm formations that are difficult to eradicate. Different aspects of antimicrobial and anti-biofilm control are becoming issues of increasing importance in clinical, hygiene, therapeutic and other applications. Biosurfactants research has resulted in increasing interest into their ability to inhibit microbial activity and disperse microbial biofilms in addition to being mostly nontoxic and stable at extremes conditions. Some biosurfactants are now in use in clinical, food and environmental fields, whilst others remain under investigation and development. The dispersal properties of biosurfactants have been shown to rival that of conventional inhibitory agents against bacterial, fungal and yeast biofilms as well as viral membrane structures. This presents them as potential candidates for future uses in new generations of antimicrobial agents or as adjuvants to other antibiotics and use as preservatives for microbial suppression and eradication strategies

Effect of sitagliptin on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND: Data are lacking on the long-term effect on cardiovascular events of adding sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor, to usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind study, we assigned 14,671 patients to add either sitagliptin or placebo to their existing therapy. Open-label use of antihyperglycemic therapy was encouraged as required, aimed at reaching individually appropriate glycemic targets in all patients. To determine whether sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo, we used a relative risk of 1.3 as the marginal upper boundary. The primary cardiovascular outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, there was a small difference in glycated hemoglobin levels (least-squares mean difference for sitagliptin vs. placebo, -0.29 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.32 to -0.27). Overall, the primary outcome occurred in 839 patients in the sitagliptin group (11.4%; 4.06 per 100 person-years) and 851 patients in the placebo group (11.6%; 4.17 per 100 person-years). Sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo for the primary composite cardiovascular outcome (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.09; P<0.001). Rates of hospitalization for heart failure did not differ between the two groups (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.20; P = 0.98). There were no significant between-group differences in rates of acute pancreatitis (P = 0.07) or pancreatic cancer (P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, adding sitagliptin to usual care did not appear to increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, hospitalization for heart failure, or other adverse events