Dietary compounds that modify bilirubin levels

Bilirubin (BL) is a bile pigment that arises from the catabolism of hemeproteins and it is an important biochemical marker for diagnosis and monitoring of hepatic and hematologic diseases. The high concentration of this metabolite in plasma may be associated with disturbances in production, metabolism and/or excretion. Several in vivo in vitro studies have established the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumoral bilirubin capacity. The main objective was to verify that the effects of certain drugs and nutritional compounds on the metabolism of bilirubin, as well as studying the effects of radical substances in the UGT1A1 gene in addition have also studied the effect of various enzymes on serum bilirubin. The methodology was a detailed search online database, such as Pubmed, NCBI, ScienceDirect and books, a five-month period. Several studies refer four botanical groups as associated to changes in bilirubin concentrations Cruciferae (e.g., broccoli), Rutaceae (citrus), Liliaceae (e.g., onions), and Leguminosae (legumes). In a hyperbilirubinemic condition, the best approach would include the increasing UGT1A1 expression and this can be achieved with foods from the botanical families Cruciferae, Rutaceae, Liliaceae, and Leguminosae. Regulation of UGTs by phytochemicals has been investigated with a focus on cancer prevention numerous inhibitors from plant origin. The strategy to rise SBL, inhibiting UGT1A1 activity appears unreasonable. Several studies show that low serum bilirubin concentrations are associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, whereas slightly elevated serum bilirubin levels seems to provide protection. The enzymes HO-1 and BLV will also have an important role in the development of therapeutic strategies based on dietary compounds however for these two enzymes there was considerable less information about their inducers and inhibitors. It is proven that the ingestion of certain foods affects the metabolism of bilirubin and the expression of UGT1A1 gene. Thus, it is justified the need for further studies to demonstrate the potential of food to control the maintenance of bilirubin in order to identify possible functional foods.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pautas de distribución espacial y modelización mediante SIG del habitat de Larvas de Solea solea, Pleuronectes flesus y limanda en la parte oriental del Canal de la Mancha durante la primavera

The spring distribution of larval fish stages of flatfishes in the Dover Strait (eastern English Channel) was studied in 1995 and 1999. Fish larvae were identified and sorted according to developmental stages in order to study their ontogenic distribution. The French coastal waters are characterised by an unstable tide-dependent front, which influences larval dispersion. In spring, the French coastal waters have a high phytoplanktonic production. They have higher temperatures, lower salinities and differences in current intensity compared with the central English Channel waters. Generalised Additive Models (GAM) combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to model the potential habitats of life stages considering data from three major surveys in this area. The models were developed by coupling presence-absence models with non-null abundance models. The potential habitat of larval stages was then mapped using a geostatistical method (kriging). This revealed different species strategies in which young stages were abundant in central waters and older ones were distributed mainly along the French and Belgian coasts. It is concluded that the central English waters are important for young stages after hatching and that coastal waters are essential nurseries for future juveniles. The models of three flatfish species having similar life cycle strategies are presented here: Limanda limanda, Platichthys flesus and Solea solea.Durante 1995 y 1999 se estudió la distribución primaveral de los estadios larvarios de peces planos en el Estrecho de Dover (parte oriental del Canal de la Mancha).Las larvas de peces fueron identificadas y separadas en función de su estadio de desarrollo con objeto de estudiar su distribución ontogénica. Las aguas costeras francesas se caracterizan por un frente de marea inestable, que influencia la dispersión larvaria. Durante la primavera, dichas aguas presentan una elevada producción fitoplanctónica. Asimismo, presentan altas temperaturas, bajas salinidades y diferencias en la intensidad de la corriente, comparado con las aguas centrales del Canal de la Mancha. A partir de datos obtenidos en tres amplias campañas en este área, se utilizaron Modelos Aditivos Generalizados (GAM) con Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) para modelizar los hábitats potenciales de los estadios larvarios. Los modelos se desarrollaron uniendo modelos de “presencia-ausencia” con modelos de “abundancia no nula”. A continuación, usando métodos geoestadísticos (kriging) se representó el mapa del hábitat potencial de los estadios larvarios. Esto reveló diferencias en las estrategias de aquellas especies cuyos primeros estadios son abundantes en las aguas centrales y cuyos estadios más avanzados están distribuidos principalmente a lo largo de la costa francesa y belga. Se mostró la importancia de las aguas centrales del Canal de la Mancha para las larvas lecitotróficas, y como las aguas costeras son áreas de cría esenciales para los futuros juveniles. Aquí se presentan los modelos para tres especies de peces planos que tienen estrategias de vida similares: Limanda limanda, Platichthys flesus and Solea solea

Spatial-temporal variation of the Western Mediterranean Sea biodiversity along a latitudinal gradient

The Mediterranean Sea is a large marine ecosystem with high heterogeneity in both environmental and ecological characteristics. It presents clear gradients from north to south and west to east. It is also an important area in terms of biodiversity and conservation of vulnerable species, and it suffers from several cumulative human impacts, such as fishing and climate change. Previous studies have characterized spatial and temporal patterns of species distributions and biodiversity indicators. However, a comprehensive analysis combining a wide representation of biodiversity indicators is still missing. In this study, we examined spatial and temporal changes of marine communities along a latitudinal gradient over the continental shelf ecosystems (25–500 m depth) of the Western Mediterranean Sea, from the Gulf of Lion in the north to the Gibraltar Strait in the south. We used information from the MEDITS trawl scientific surveys from 1994 to 2018, and we calculated relevant indicators to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in the region. We selected several indicators measuring alpha (species richness, Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index) and beta (decomposing both turnover and nestedness) diversity, as well as previously studied indicators identified to be sensitive to fishing and climate change impacts (biomass-based and trophic-level based metrics). We assessed differences in these indicators for the surveyed community as a whole and for fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, separately, over five regions. Our results show clear latitudinal gradients in some indicators: we observe a reversed pattern between richness (decreasing from south to north) and biomass trends (increasing from south to north) for the demersal community. We also found a generalized increase in β-diversity in most regions with time, and a decline in the trophic level of the surveyed community. In addition, we identify a remarkable increase in several indicators when only considering the cephalopods group, and a general low environmental status for the North Catalan Sea. We discuss our results considering the differences between regions and taxa related to the fishing activity and environmental dynamics that can act at different scales. This in-depth analysis illustrates how to use a selection of indicators that combine the capacity to detect ecological changes from regional to sub-regional scales.En prensa2,69

Identifying priorities for the protection of deep Mediterranean Sea ecosystems through an integrated approach

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Fanelli, E., Bianchelli, S., Foglini, F., Canals, M., Castellan, G., Guell-Bujons, Q., Galil, B., Goren, M., Evans, J., Fabri, M.-C., Vaz, S., Ciuffardi, T., Schembri, P. J., Angeletti, L., Taviani, M., & Danovaro, R. Identifying priorities for the protection of deep Mediterranean Sea ecosystems through an integrated approach. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, (2021): 698890, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.698890.Benthic habitats of the deep Mediterranean Sea and the biodiversity they host are increasingly jeopardized by increasing human pressures, both direct and indirect, which encompass fisheries, chemical and acoustic pollution, littering, oil and gas exploration and production and marine infrastructures (i.e., cable and pipeline laying), and bioprospecting. To this, is added the pervasive and growing effects of human-induced perturbations of the climate system. International frameworks provide foundations for the protection of deep-sea ecosystems, but the lack of standardized criteria for the identification of areas deserving protection, insufficient legislative instruments and poor implementation hinder an efficient set up in practical terms. Here, we discuss the international legal frameworks and management measures in relation to the status of habitats and key species in the deep Mediterranean Basin. By comparing the results of a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and of expert evaluation (EE), we identify priority deep-sea areas for conservation and select five criteria for the designation of future protected areas in the deep Mediterranean Sea. Our results indicate that areas (1) with high ecological relevance (e.g., hosting endemic and locally endangered species and rare habitats),(2) ensuring shelf-slope connectivity (e.g., submarine canyons), and (3) subject to current and foreseeable intense anthropogenic impacts, should be prioritized for conservation. The results presented here provide an ecosystem-based conservation strategy for designating priority areas for protection in the deep Mediterranean Sea.This study was supported by the DG ENV project IDEM (Implementation of the MSFD to the Deep Mediterranean Sea; contract EU No. 11.0661/2017/750680/SUB/EN V.C2). MC and QG-B acknowledge support from Generalitat de Catalunya autonomous government through its funding scheme to excellence research groups (Grant 2017 SGR 315)

Distribución espacial a gran escala de la megafauna de aguas profundas en fondos arrastrables del Mediterráneo

The large-scale distribution pattern of megafauna communities along the Mediterranean middle slope was explored. The study was conducted between 500 and 800 m depth where deep-water fishery occurs. Although community studies carried out deeper than 500 m are partly available for some geographic areas, few large-scale comparative studies have been carried out. Within the framework of the MEDITS survey programme, we compared the megafauna community structure in ten geographical sub-areas (GSAs) along the Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, the spatial distribution of fishing was analysed using vessel monitoring by satellite information. Overall, the community showed a significant difference between sub-areas, with a decreasing eastward pattern in abundance and biomass. Longitude was the main factor explaining variation among sub-areas (by generalized additive models). However, we found a region which did not follow the general pattern. GSA 6 (northern Spain) showed significantly lower abundance and a different composition structure to the adjacent areas. The decrease in community descriptors (i.e. abundance and biomass) in this area is probably a symptom of population changes induced by intense fishery exploitation. Overall, a combination of environmental variables and human-induced impacts appears to influence the bentho-pelagic communities along the slope areas of the Mediterranean.En este estudio se describe la estructura y patrones de distribución de la comunidad de megafauna que habita en el margen continental medio a lo largo del Mediterráneo. El estudio se realizó entre los 500 y 800 m, coincidiendo espacialmente con las pesquerías de profundidad. A pesar de que se conoce parcialmente la estructura de las comunidades que habitan por debajo de 500 m, existe la necesidad de estudiar estas comunidades a una escala espacial más amplia. Dentro del marco del proyecto internacional MEDITS, se comparó la estructura de las comunidades en diez sub-áreas geográficas (GSAs) a lo largo de las costas mediterráneas. Además se analizó la distribución espacial del esfuerzo pesquero utilizando la información de los datos de seguimiento de buques. En general los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas entre subáreas mostrando un patrón decreciente en los valores de biomasa hacia el este, siendo la longitud el principal factor explicativo del modelo de distribución (GAMs). Sin embargo, encontramos una subárea que no seguía el patrón general, la GSA6 (norte de España). La GSA6 mostró una biomasa y estructura de la comunidad diferente a las áreas adyacentes. La disminución de la biomasa en esta área parece ser un síntoma de los cambios poblaciones causados por la elevada intensidad de pesca en la zona. Los resultados sugieren que la distribución y estructura de las comunidades bento-pelágicas parecen estar moduladas por la combinación de las variables ambientales y los impactos producidos por la actividad humana

O que pensamos sobre estes grupos? Um pré-teste de características estereotípicas de homossexuais e heterossexuais masculinos e de árabes e americanos

O objectivo deste artigo foi pré-testar um conjunto de características incluídas no estereótipo de alguns grupos sociais. Especificamente procurámos averiguar quais as principais características associadas aos homossexuais e heterossexuais masculinos bem como aos árabes e aos americanos. Para tal, foram geradas 139 características potencialmente ilustrativas dos estereótipos de homossexual masculino e heterossexual masculino e 275 características potencialmente associadas aos estereótipos de árabe e de americano. Estas características foram avaliadas por duas amostras independentes, de 49 e 68 estudantes universitários respectivamente. Os resultados permitem não só seleccionar, para cada grupo, as características que são significativamente diferentes do ponto médio da escala como também, identificar aquelas que melhor parecem diferenciar homossexuais de heterossexuais e americanos de árabes.ABSTRACT: The goal of this paper was a pre-test a set of stereotypical characteristics of masculine homosexuals and heterosexuals and of Arabs and Americans groups. For this reason, we generated 139 potentially illustrative characteristics of the stereotypes of masculine homosexual and masculine heterosexual and 275 illustrative characteristics of the stereotypes of Arab and American groups. These characteristics were evaluated by two independent samples, of 49 and 68 university students respectively. The results allow us to select not only the characteristics that are significantly different from the middle point of the scale as well as to identify the ones that better differentiate between homosexuals and heterosexuals and between Americans and Arabs

Climate-induced changes in the suitable habitat of cold-water corals and commercially important deep-sea fishes in the North Atlantic

The deep sea plays a critical role in global climate regulation through uptake and storage of heat and carbon dioxide. However, this regulating service causes warming, acidification and deoxygenation of deep waters, leading to decreased food availability at the seafloor. These changes and their projections are likely to affect productivity, biodiversity and distributions of deep-sea fauna, thereby compromising key ecosystem services. Understanding how climate change can lead to shifts in deep-sea species distributions is critically important in developing management measures. We used environmental niche modelling along with the best available species occurrence data and environmental parameters to model habitat suitability for key cold-water coral and commercially important deep-sea fish species under present-day (1951–2000) environmental conditions and to project changes under severe, high emissions future (2081–2100) climate projections (RCP8.5 scenario) for the North Atlantic Ocean. Our models projected a decrease of 28%–100% in suitable habitat for cold-water corals and a shift in suitable habitat for deep-sea fishes of 2.0°–9.9° towards higher latitudes. The largest reductions in suitable habitat were projected for the scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa and the octocoral Paragorgia arborea, with declines of at least 79% and 99% respectively. We projected the expansion of suitable habitat by 2100 only for the fishes Helicolenus dactylopterus and Sebastes mentella (20%–30%), mostly through northern latitudinal range expansion. Our results projected limited climate refugia locations in the North Atlantic by 2100 for scleractinian corals (30%–42% of present-day suitable habitat), even smaller refugia locations for the octocorals Acanella arbuscula and Acanthogorgia armata (6%–14%), and almost no refugia for P. arborea. Our results emphasize the need to understand how anticipated climate change will affect the distribution of deep-sea species including commercially important fishes and foundation species, and highlight the importance of identifying and preserving climate refugia for a range of area-based planning and management tools.S

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake